The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.


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1000 by Jean Patou

WHAT I SMELL:    1000 opens with warm peachy aldehydes that quickly meld into a blend of violets and rose.  The combination of the osmanthus and the florals make for a heady, overly ripened, thickened and metallic perfumed football helmet.  Once the helmet’s on, there’s also a buzzing layer of sandalwood that provides an aura of hair spray.  But not to worry as a little more passing time reveals a softer side with a more creamy rose taking center stage.  1000 is big, actually bigger than big.  Its florals are magnified with an intensity that doesn’t allow you to look away.  At the heart of the perfume, tucked underneath is the muted shadow of Patou Joy.  Joy tends to be remote and aloof, but 1000 is easily the the more outgoing and gregarious cousin.  But the DNA is unmistakable.  After some time, 1000 begins to lose some of her exuberance and the metallics and sharpened edges fall away and it makes 1000 more elegant and more wearable.  In the end, 1000 leaves us with a big and warmed floral heart.

From Fragrantica:

Top notes are Osmanthus, Violet and Apricot; middle notes are Rose, Jasmine, Geranium and Lily-of-the-Valley; base notes are Sandalwood, Patchouli and Oak.

Pretty Woman – 1990

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Hooker with a heart of gold.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE 1000:  heady, out-there, gregarious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT 1000: Perfume Smellin’ Things, I Smell Therefore I Am, Bois de Jasmin

BOTTOM LINE:  1000 is a perfume that seems to get lost in the sea of big florals.  To me, it’s one of those perfumes that you really need to be in the mood for and that said, the mood just doesn’t come along all that often.   I really want to love her…but she’s a bit too “sharp” for me.   In any case, 1000 requires that you are light to the touch with your application.   But the true bottom line is that Jean Patou perfumes have been discontinued and are no longer in production.  Luckily, you can find them on some of discount sites, but for how long?

  • Bone Rating:  3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Floral
  • Nose:  Jean Kerleo
  • Classification: Feminine
  • Expense:  Varies

Review based on the 2014 eau de parfum version.


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Jusbox Perfumes Spring Dance

Winter here in the Yucatan of Mexico is heaven.  Low humidity, moderate temperatures and lots of sun make for perfect indoor/outdoor living.  For some reason, this year, the weather is acting a bit strange just as it seems to be for others around the world.  Today, albeit cool, it’s rainy and overcast and just a bit gloomy.  So I thought why not “think spring” and review a perfume that sounds perfect for the upcoming season.  Let’s see if it does the trick to lighten the mood of the day…

WHAT I SMELL:  Spring Dance opens with a lightly sweet lemony grapefruit that quickly turns to neroli.  I don’t see neroli within the notes, but it seems to be there front and center. There’s a softness to the perfume where right from first spritz there’s a dusting of musk that blankets the perfume and keeps the citrus and the subsequent florals wrapped in fuzzy warmth.  As the perfume develops, a full bodied and rounded jasmine begins to emerge.  It’s very pretty and I find it to be rather comforting.  After some more time, a honeysuckle squeezes its way in.  What was once soft and inviting now has a bit of a bite, but that’s not a bad thing because it makes the perfume just a little more interesting.  The perfume then settles in to a lightly warmed jasmine infused musk.  Spring Dance did a fine job in lifting my spirits, but the sun just came out too.

From the Jusbox website:

Spring Dance is an olfactory concert that celebrates life as an expression of beauty and power, in the moment of its inception. Spring Dance is an emotional composition in which the top notes of grapefruit and LMR Tunisian rosemary open to an ensemble of LMR jasmine sambac absolute and honeysuckle, extolling the blossoming of flowers that saturate the air with a fragrance that is both powerful and gentle at its heart. The elegant rhythms of dry amber and musk are the base notes in an olfactory harmony in which wellbeing and balance are the libretto of an extraordinary opera. Spring Dance is an olfactory counterpoint that interweaves the canon of perfumery art with a contemporary and innovative technique. The allegro of the top notes, which are clean, fresh, soft and discreet, is inserted in a structured and very persistent olfactory intrigue.

Perfume Notes: 

Top: Grapefruit, LMR Tunisian rosemary

Heart: Honeysuckle accord, LMR jasmine sambac absolute

Bottom:  Dry amber, musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A green gauze wrap.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SPRING DANCE:  safe, pretty, innocuous

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SPRING DANCENone to be found.

BOTTOM LINE:  Spring Dance is pretty, it’s pleasant, it’s nice…

  • Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Floral Musky
  • Nose:  Dominique Ropion
  • Classification: Unisex, but leans feminine
  • Expense: Approximately $165 for 78 ml eau de parfum.

*Jusbox is an exclusive range of perfumes whose concept is based on the similarity between perfume and music. Music is the key inspiration for all of their fragrances.  Each of the perfumes is accompanied by a playlist of music associated with the perfume.  In the case of Spring Dance, Vivaldi comes to life.  To play the playlist, go to the Spring Dance page on the Jusbox website.

Sample courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary.


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Juliette Has a Gun Magnolia Bliss

WHAT I SMELL:  Magnolia Bliss pulls you in with a fresh and fruity enhanced bergamot that is quickly met with a gorgeous magnolia and a ripe and juicy plum and peach.  It’s lusciously smooth and oh so inviting.  The mixture of florals and fruits are intoxicating and it’s full of vibrant sunshine and a happy demeanor.  After a short time, the rounded fruit and florals begin to tame and move from full juiciness to a sweetened creamy silkiness.  Here the perfume seems to drift happily off the skin with some wonderful projection leaving a trail of positive energy in its wake.  As the perfume continues to settle, a warmed musk adds a wrap of comfort around the pretty magnolia.  Magnolia Bliss is exactly that… pure unadulterated bliss!

From the Juliette Has a Gun website:

Peace in a Bottle:  Here comes Magnolia Bliss, a floral fruity composition, the perfect blend of a Magnolia essence, a juicy Mirabelle Plum, and a fresh Bergamot Essence.
Inspired by the 70’s, freedom, and beach summer sunsets…Peace!

Top note:  Bergamot

Heart Note:  Magnolia Essence, Mirabelle Plum

Bottom Notes:  Musks, Ambroxam

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Sun drenched pink magnolias.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE MAGNOLIA BLISS:  fresh, joyful, delightful

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MAGNOLIA BLISSCaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:  Magnolia Bliss is just that…pure bliss.  It’s not complicated nor full of surprise developments, but it’s easy to love.  This is a perfume that would work no matter the time of year if you just need to add a bit of positive energy into your life.  

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Floral Fruity
  • Classification: Leans feminine
  • Expense: $105 for 50 ml eau de parfum. Also available in 100 ml size.

* Sample provided by Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary.