floral | The Scented Hound

October 20, 2014
by The Scented Hound 8 Comments

Diana Vreeland Simply Divine

WHAT I SMELL: Simply Divine opens with a sweet, soft, bubble gum tuberose….but just for a quick minute. The tuberose then becomes more musky and rather salty and earthy which surprised me, but in a nice way. For around 10 minutes the fragrance is rather subdued, with a jasmine lurking below. There’s not a lot of development that occurs after that point, but the little that does occur ends up making the fragrance sweeter. After around 30 minutes in comes the sandalwood which makes the fragrance seem off and soured. However, after another 15 minutes that disappears and your left with a musky tuberose. I put my wrist up to my husbands nose and he said unsolicited, “there’s nothing special about that one is there?” To be honest, it pales in comparison to my favorite white tuberose floral launched this year, Byredo’s Flowerhead. Simply Divine is simply OK.

From Fragrantica:

Clement Gavarry composes a unique blend dedicated to floral notes of tuberose as the central notes of the composition which include fresh crushed leaves and nutmeg accords. The fragrance highlights its floral heart with Tunisian orange blossom absolute and Egyptian jasmine absolute. Floral shades are deepened with Indian sandalwood and softened with Italian orris root, cashmere wood, tonka and sensual musk.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: meh.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SIMPLY DIVINE: pleasant, sweet, wearing

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SIMPLY DIVINE: Scents Memory

BOTTOM LINE: I’m not going to get into the whole “the Diana Vreeland fragrance line is a travesty, sullying her great name” issue. As far as I’m concerned a perfume is either good or bad depending on if the wearer likes it or not. I certainly don’t believe this line of fragrances will degrade anything she accomplished in her life. As for Simply Divine, I may not really like the perfume, but I have to tell you the bottles are killer and they make me really want to like the perfume. I guess I’ll have to check out the others in the line; there has to be one that stands out as a winner to me!

Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Clement Gavarry
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $185 for 50ml Eau de Parfum

October 16, 2014
by The Scented Hound 18 Comments

New Release: Gardenia by Robert Piguet

WHAT I SMELL: Gardenia opens with a mix of heady florals with thick and rich rather brown sugared ylang-ylang. This is everything I love in a floral, so deep and rich that when you draw the scent in, it coats the back of your throat. The florals are low to the ground and feel weighted as if the flowers crushed under your feet. An earthy raw dirt component adds a realness that makes the perfume even more inviting. After around 15 minutes there are peaks of a lighter flower that start to come through as if they are able to make their way through the crushed dirt. The florals are lighter, but no less intoxicating as they’re mixed with a delicious and exuberant vanilla. The fragrance seems to experience a rebirth with this 2nd wave of florals which bursts out with golden energy. But Gardenia manages to contain itself as the burst levels to more of a golden warm haze. The fragrance is now feminine, seductive and alluring. It calls you in and you can’t let go of its beauty. After an hour, there’s a slight woody greenish quality that makes it way in making it less feminine, but more unisex. In the end, you’re left with a subtle warm gardenia fragrance that is creamy, comforting, classic and incredibly peaceful in its beauty.

From Robert Piguet Parfums:

Soft, flowery Ylang Ylang embraces the sweet and bold fleur de lis for a bold, sparkling beginning. The sensuous white gardenia scintillates the heart as it grows richer and more complex with black leather, Madagascar Vanilla, and cashmeran warming to a sultry base.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The perfect gay wedding fragrance; floral and handsome without being too feminine.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GARDENIA: embracing, divine, magnificent

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GARDENIA: AustralianPerfumeJunkies, Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE: I don’t really get any gardenia from the perfume until the fragrance begins to work its way into the drydown. But throughout the fragrance’s development, the florals are intoxicating, beautiful and just the right cup of tea for this lover of white floral fragrances. Gardenia softens to a whisper and some might want it to project a bit more, but to me, it radiates perfectly as a glowing floral forcefield.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Aurelien Guichard
Classification: Feminine to Unisex
Expense: $175 for 100ml Eau de Parfum

October 2, 2014
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

Hindu Honeysuckle by Providence Perfume Co.

WHAT I SMELL: Hindu Honeysuckle (how can you not love that name) opens with a rich, radiating and seductive heady, but not heavy, jasmine that is head spinning in its concentration. It’s sweet, but in the way a flower on a vine is sweet and its as if the vine is going to wrap itself around you pulling you in as your captor. After a bit, the fragrance begins to become more green but with tinges of spice lurking below. I love the spice as it makes for an interesting balance between the sweetness of the floral, making it more exotic and earthy. After around 15 minutes, Hindu Honeysuckle is met with a layer of musk that creates a more flattened presence, but the beautiful florals continue to pulse and radiate as if to let you know that they the star of the show. After around 45 minutes the fragrance becomes more comfortable as if the florals are now saying “ok, you know that I’m pretty, now just love me softly” and it stays there softly letting you know it’s there and that everything is OK with the world.

From the Providence Perfume Co. website:

From India With Love . . . Revered for its lush aroma, honeysuckle symbolizes generosity and kindness. Notes of sweet Indian Jasmine Sambac meld with green vetivert, musk ambrette, rose and coriander. Crisp bergamot belies the sweetness of honeysuckle.

Indian Rollers on Honeysuckle, Sean Milne

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Beautiful, colorful and vibrant wild honeysuckle that takes your breath away.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE HINDU HONEYSUCKLE: dizzying, captive, seductive

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT HINDU HONEYSUCKLE: EauMG, CaFleureBon, ScentHive

BOTTOM LINE: I was going to complete a review on a fall fragrance, but I’m I just couldn’t give up on summer yet. Hindu Honeysuckle is a great transitional perfume that could be worn in the summer and also in the winter when you want to chase the blues away.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Charna Ethier
Classification: Leans feminine, but could work for a man.
Expense: $125 for 1 oz. Eau de Parfum