floral | The Scented Hound

October 31, 2016
by The Scented Hound 25 Comments

New Release: Jul et Mad Secrets du Paradis Rouge

WHAT I SMELL: Intoxicating is what the opening of Secrets du Paradis Rouge is as it’s sweet and lush with this incredible honeyed rich orange. It’s also waxy and thick, incredibly gourmand and head spinning pretty. The thickened orange like a sheen of wax paper feels like it’s covering the skin like a sheath. After a little while, the perfume begins to warm ever so slightly with an almond hue. The scent is delightful but at the same time has a very comforting and reassuring edge that makes you feel that all is right with the world. A lovely understated musk enters and the waxy begins to dry. The orange blossom sweetness makes way for a sweetened woody patchouli and vanilla. All combined, the experience is opulent and grand. The perfume dances between the orange and the amber with a radiance that burns brightly. This is a perfume that cannot help but be noticed, but it does so in the most benevolent manner. As the perfume continues it’s journey, the musk becomes more prominent, but still warmed by the benzoin and amber the fragrance continues to radiate a warmth and glow that makes this shimmer on into the night.

From the Jul et Mad website:

A timeless ode to the Orange Blossom, opening on a note of Neroli Absolut and sublimed by the freshness of the orange peel and the Davana essence. Scents of almond, honey and rose accompany us through the mysterious streets in the heart of the Medina.

The gates of a Secret Paradise open suddenly, unveiling a majestic Orange Blossom that blends perfectly with sensual notes of vanilla and Tonka beans; the whole, sustained by a perfectly balanced accord of benzoin, amber and musk.

Head : Orange, Mandarin, Davana, Neroli Marocco, Cloves
Heart: Orange Blossom Absolut, Damascus Rose, Bees Wax, Almond
Bottom: Patchouli, Timbersilk, Tonka Beans, Vanila, Benzoin, Amber, Musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: 18th century French court.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SECRETS DU PARADIS ROUGE: grand, gracious, sublime

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SECRETS DU PARADIS ROUGE: Persefume

BOTTOM LINE: OK, I know that the inspiration of the perfume is the beauty of Marrekesh, but to me, it’s full on French court. The perfume is elegant, big and a bit over the top at the beginning, but in all parts, it’s just perfect. I would have to say that Secrets du Paradis Rouge is one of my favorite releases of the year!

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent Floral
Nose: Luca Maffei
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $175 for 50 ml parfum extrait

Sample provided by Jul et Mad. Opinion my own.

October 11, 2016
by The Scented Hound 15 Comments

New Release: Amouage Lilac Love

WHAT I SMELL: Not surprisingly, Lilac Love opens with a soft sweet powdery lilac which quickly turns to cocoa…which smells like milk covered Count Chocula cereal. But that only lasts for few minutes as it moves towards a powdered floral that’s quite dusty and dry. After some more time, the perfume gains a lightly sharp sandalwood bite. The cocoa that was once front and center now seems to pop in and out of the perfume which makes the perfume much more alluring and moves the fragrance away from the gourmand. As Lilac Love continues to develop, a soft sweetened patchouli appears that’s pretty and rather demure. Without any big twists and turns in the development, Lilac Love leaves with you with very little lilac, but instead, you get a soft and powered slightly sweet sandalwood perfume. Lilac Love, like many Amouage perfumes, lasts a long time…but what’s different with this release is that it’s not a powerhouse. And that’s a pleasant surprise.

Notes from the Amouage website:

Top notes: lilac accord, gardenia, peony and heliotrope

Heat notes: orris, cacao and tonka bean

Base notes: sandalwood, patchouli and vanilla

Parmalee by Sophie Gamand

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Puppies and purple flowers*

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE LILAC LOVE: soft, fuzzy, ladylike

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LILAC LOVE: Colognoisseur, Kafkaesque, Brooklyn Fragrance Lover

BOTTOM LINE: I found the cocoa opening a bit disjointed, but eventually the blending of the florals and the chocolate are more in sync. What started off as a little strange, ends up being a soft and light sweet dream.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Leans feminine
Expense: $400 for 100 ml eau de parfum

* I’m not sure why visuals pop up in my head with a fragrance, but they do. With Lilac Love, my first impression was of labrador puppies romping in a field of purple flowers. In trying to find such a picture in Google Images, I ran across some wonderful pictures of pit bulls in flowered headdresses which then led me to the website of photographer Sophie Gamand. Sophie created a series of photographs entitled “Flower Power, Pit Bulls of the Revolution.” This series was designed to provide a softer look at the much maligned pit bull. Each of the photographed subjects is/was up for adoption. For more information on this series, as well as Sophie’s cause, check out her website at: www.sophiegamand.com. Seeing these beautiful creatures memorialized with such love, respect and warmth will bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart.

September 7, 2016
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Les Exclusifs de Chanel Gardénia

I am lamenting the fact that it’s now September which means that summer’s glow will now start turning towards the fall and the cooler weather. I have to admit that I am more of a summer perfume person…I will happily take florals and light and breezy citrus fragrances over the ambers and vanilla perfumes that are more suited to the cool weather. Today it was nice and sunny out and a bit cooler than it has been, which meant that it was time to do some cleanup in the yard…and the perfect perfume for tackling this chore was Chanel Gardénia. Yes, I’ll admit to wearing perfume to work in the yard!

WHAT I SMELL: Gardénia hits the skin with bright aldehydes that are quickly met with a smooth green lushness and radiant white florals. The perfume is so creamy and full of life and full of unending joy. Gardénia can’t help but lift your spirits when you put it on. The gardenia, formed with the roundest of tuberose, sparkles as if the dew is bouncing off of the waxy white pedals of the flowers. As it develops, the perfume begins to dry out and a woody base that’s warm and radiant begins to hover underneath the white flowers and I find it now to be incredibly pretty without being overly feminine. As it continues to develop, Gardénia really begins to sweeten… but I’ve noticed that how sweet the perfume becomes depends on the temperature, humidity, etc. In the summer, this sweetness melds wonderfully with the moist air, but in the winter it could easily become cloying. Overall, Gardénia hits the spot for raising my happy quotient and I like that.

From the Chanel website:

Mademoiselle Chanel liked white flowers, so well-defined, so sensual…and yet her emblem, the Camellia, has no scent. But the Gardenia, which it so closely resembles, fills the air with fragrance. Gabrielle Chanel and Ernest Beaux evoked this flower magnificently: its green notes, its creamy heart, and a trail full of fantasy.

Sue Lyon post Lolita

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Simply ’60s – the traditional years that were easy, simple, uncomplicated and a bit square.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE GARDÉNIA: pretty, joyful, easy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GARDÉNIA: Bois de Jasmin, Olfactoria’s Travels, The Non-Blonde

BOTTOM LINE: Gardénia doesn’t get the love or respect that other Chanel Les Exclusifs do, and I understand that. Gardénia is a rather safe and unpretentious perfume…but when I wear it, I wear it solely for myself and no others. I just wish the longevity of the perfume was a bit better…as it is, I am doing a lot of spritzing throughout the day…but I’m fine with that too!

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Leans feminine
Expense: $160 for 2.5 oz eau de toilette. Also available in parfum extrait.