fragrance | The Scented Hound

June 5, 2014
by The Scented Hound 22 Comments

Songes by Annick Goutal

Do you have any of those fragrances that seem to call your name like a siren song? For me it was Songes…as much as I tried to stay away I just couldn’t! So let’s see if the song matches the lure…

WHAT I SMELL: Songes opens medicinal and deeply antiseptic only to quickly move to this indolic jasmine that smells rather like sweet bubblegum without being too sugary. The fragrance is big and wrapped in a waxy shell. In just a few minutes, the scent just blasts off the skin like a floral explosion. At this point it weaves a spell on you like a big floral feminine venus fly trap that overtakes you like an unsuspecting victim. The lush and heavy fragrance is almost too much to take so I caution that when spraying it on use sparingly! In addition to the bubblegum, there’s just a hint of spice which controls the sweet without overtaking it. After around the 30 minute mark Songes become more creamy rather than waxy and the Frangipani takes over to the forefront. Frangipani is not one of my favorite flowers, but the Tiare helps to compliment the Frangipani to give Songes a tropical feel. This is phase two and there is nothing subtle about the transition; Songes becomes full on South Seas. As more time passes, the fragrance becomes a bit deeper and when smelled it coats the back of your throat with its thickness. After about an hour or so, Songes moves into its third phase and retreats down to a dry and woody shell covered in with a light Frangipani. And after a few hours, Songes plays peek-a-boo as it sometimes seems to disappear, only to reveal itself again.

From the Annick Goutal website:

Olfactory Family :Intense Floral (Spicy) – (Frangipani flower, Tiare flower, Sambac Jasmine absolute, Ylang-Ylang absolute, Benjoin, Bourbon Vanilla absolute, Patchouli, Spices – Cinnamon, Cumin, Black Pepper)

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Like a tropical breeze brushing up against the white flowers releasing their intoxicating beauty beneath the full moon.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SONGES: beastly, beauty, big

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SONGES: I Smell Therefore I Am, Confessions of a Perfume Nerd, Olfactoria’s Travels

BOTTOM LINE: Wow, what a ride. Big, bold and like a slap across the face with a floral assault only to be left with this woody like shell of its former self. In other words, the siren song that had been calling me, entrapped me with false beauty. I kind of like it, I kind of don’t. It’s kind of big, it’s kind of not. In other words, Songes can keep calling, I just don’t know if I’ll answer again.

Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Isabelle Doyen
Classification: Feminine
Expense: Review based on Eau de Parfum. Approximately $165 for 50ml.

June 2, 2014
by The Scented Hound 8 Comments

Tabac Blond by Caron

WHAT I SMELL: Tabac Blond opens with this really pretty floral iris that quickly becomes ensconced in a light leather. Funny, the word “blond” really does feel appropriate as it conveys a woodyish, blond like aura. The fragrance is rather cool and aloof, yet approachable. Like many of the other Caron fragrances, there is “pretty” surrounded by an edge of something naughty. Here, the leather, albeit light, is rather tough and slightly aggressive. When initially applied the projection is incredible, but the fragrance begins to settle down as the spice of the carnation makes its appearance. After around ten minutes that carnation and spicy clove moves the lighter initial florals to the back. After some more time, the tobacco comes in full force, drying out the fragrance making it more woody and rather masculine. But just as soon as you believe this will go full on manly, Tabac Blond starts to become powdery and the spicy florals become center stage again. After around an hour, the patchouli comes into play bringing this very earthy and musty like aura to Tabac Blond. After a couple of hours, the fragrance reduces to an earthy patchouli skin scent that reminds me greatly of Dr. Vranjes Ambra e Iris.

From the Caron website:

In 1919, to mark the dawn of women’s liberation, Caron made the bold move of dedicating a deliberately provocative fragrance to the beautiful androgynous women, nonchalantly holding their long ivory and mother-of-pearl cigarette-holders.

Notes listed in Fragrantica: leather, carnation, lime blossom, iris, vetiver, ylang-ylang, cedar, patchouli, vanilla, ambergris, musk.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A dried flower arrangement with lingering floral hues and dusky earthiness.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TABAC BLOND: self-assured, earthy, grounded

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TABAC BLOND: Kafkaseque, The Perfumed Dandy, The Scent Detective

BOTTOM LINE: The first few hours of Tabac Blond are wonderful. It’s complex and hard to pin down as it seems to change and morph continuously. The final drydown stays with you for a considerable time, but I find it just a bit too earthy for me. But no problem, I’ll spritz on some more!

Bone Rating: 4 for the first hours, 3 for the final drydown (out of 5 possible bones)
Scent: Floral Leather
Classification: Feminine, yet rather masculine
Expense: Review based on parfum extrait. $100 for 7.5ml.

May 29, 2014
by The Scented Hound 9 Comments

Vintage Magie Noire by Lancome

WHAT I SMELL: Magie Noire opens with this delicious rich creamy and warm blackcurrent that enraptures your nostrils with a deep and opulent bouquet. It’s just so incredibly dreamy and powerfully beautiful that it takes your breath away. That majestic opening calms ever so slightly to reveal some spice and then the jasmine and rose settle in giving the fragrance this floral headiness that seems to fill the air around my head every time I take a breath. All of what I mentioned thus far is wrapped up in this smooth and creamy honey like cognac and its texture feels rather boozy without smelling boozy. After around 20 minutes Magie Noire becomes more mysterious in nature as it becomes darker and slightly animalic which is rather surprising, but which makes me love it even more. Usually fragrances seem to thin out as time goes on, but Magie Noire keeps up the opulence. After around an hour, Magie Noire once again settles down into the beautiful chypre like floral that radiates like a force field off of your skin. For being a fragrance this was introduced in the late 1970s, I have a hard time wrapping my head around how this could be associated with the bad fashion comprised of synthetic polyester as this is just too beautiful for such a horrid time.

Notes as cited from Yesterday’s Perfume:

Top notes: Cassis, bergamot, hyacinth, raspberry, green note

Heart notes: Honey, jasmine, lily of the valley, tuberose, narcissus, orris, rose oriental

Base notes: Patchouli, castoreum, civet, vetiver, musk, oakmoss, benzoin

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A book of secrets. It’s magical, spellbinding and completely takes your breath away.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE MAGIE NOIRE: opulent, magical, breathtaking

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MAGIE NOIRE: Muse in Wooden Shoes, Yesterday’s Perfume, Scent of the Day

BOTTOM LINE: There’s a tragic side to this story. I picked up small used bottle of the parfum extrait at an estate sale. It only cost me $5 because only 1/2 of the 7.5 ml bottle was remaining. As I was organizing my perfumes the other day I noted that the cap was missing off of the bottle (it didn’t fit right in the first place) so the perfume has been sitting for a couple of months without a cap on. Unfortunately only a little bit remains and it is pretty thick and concentrated at this point. So please bear in mind that my experience with this review may be just slightly different due to concentration, evaporation levels…but make no mistake, it was heaven when I first got the bottle as well. The vintage parfum is selling for ridiculous prices on eBay, but I will continue to search out a new bottle (of vintage parfum)….this is my quest!!!

Also note that I can’t speak to the current version of Magie Noire, but as you can see below, they appear to be rather different. According to the Lancome website, the notes for the current EdT are:

Top Notes: Bulgarian Rose, Blackcurrant Bud
Heart Notes: Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang
Base Notes: Amber, Sandalwood, Patchouli