fragrance | The Scented Hound

March 31, 2014
by The Scented Hound 12 Comments

MON JASMINE NOIR L’EAU EXQUISE by BVLGARI

WHAT I SMELL: Mon Jasmine Noir L’Eau Exquise opens with a tangy sparkling grapefruit and citrus. It’s fresh and soon turns lemony and then quickly following comes a lush and radiant jasmine. It’s really pretty, very feminine, somewhat sweet and oh so heavenly. The fragrance just radiates off of my skin like a layer of sunshine. It’s very heady and if not careful, I could see how this could overwhelm. But after around 15 minutes the radiance tempers itself and the fragrance is met with a tea accord which pulls me away from my “love” of the fragrance to a “like.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s just that tea notes are not generally to my liking. I actually find that the tea takes the fragrance into the “bathtastic” mode and makes it feel like it’s turning into bath oil beads. In the end you’re left with a slightly sweet white tea and floral fragrance that is clean and pretty.

Mon Jasmin Noir L’Eau Exquise Notes from the Bvlgari website:

Top Notes: Pink Pomelo, Fresh Green Almond
Heart: Grandiflorum Jasmine, Sambac Jasmine White Tea
Base: White Musks, Delightful Woods

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A grand sun filled conservatory.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE MON JASMINE NOIR L’EAU EXQUISE: rapturous, voluminous, fulfilling

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MON JASMINE NOIR L’EAU EXQUISE: The Beauty Junkee, IamBrigitte, SassiSam

BOTTOM LINE: The opening of this fragrance was incredible and I was in love. The dyrdown not so much. It’s nice and all, but it could have been so much more.

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Sophie Labbe
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $96 for 75ml EdT

March 29, 2014
by The Scented Hound 10 Comments

TRIOMPHE by RANCE

WHAT I SMELL: Triomphe opens with a spicy bergamot and a little pepper; it’s warm and inviting and well blended. After a few minutes the rose makes it presence, but it’s really muted by the warmth of the base which is rather smooth and creamy. As time progresses, the fragrance projects the patchouli woodiness and seems to sink deeper in a warmish pool. The fragrance begins to dry out, but it’s so full-bodied with the florals that help to give this so much shape. After around 30 minutes the fragrance really dries out and that rounded floral makes way for the balsam and the patchouli takes the center stage. In the end, you’re left with a lovely slightly smoky, nutty and peppery woody scent.

From the Rance 1795 website:

Only the word Triumph could describe Napoleon’s immense glory. And Triomphe was the name of one of the perfumes François Rancé dedicated to the idol of his life.

Napoleon loved the fragrances of his native island, and François Rancé drew inspiration from these: the light perfume of citrus fruit merges with the fragrance of roses and orange blossom, adorned with Grasse jasmine and Florentine iris. Cedar wood and musk, with hints of vanilla, give the fragrance intensity.

A decoration which represents the military virtues of the Victor was etched onto the glass by a Parisian master glassmaker. It is today as it was 200 years ago.

The precious perfume is made entirely of the rarest and most highly-prized natural essences, obtained from the best years, i.e. “millésimé“(vintage) mixed, stirred and left to age according to Rancé tradition.

Head Notes: bergamot, neroli, mandarin

Heart Notes: Bulgarian Rose, magnolia, wisteria, nutmeg

Base Notes: patchouli, cistus labdanum, tolu balsam, Reunion vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The sophisticated hound

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TRIOMPHE: classic, classy, gentlemanly

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TRIOMPHE: None to be found. How is this possible given how fantastic this is?!

BOTTOM LINE: Rance has been operating in perfumery since the 18th Century and I can see why. If this is any indication of their products, I need to do some more exploring. And how pretty is that bottle?!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Aromatic Fougere
Classification: Masculine
Expense: $110 for 50ml EdP

March 24, 2014
by The Scented Hound 9 Comments

NEW RELEASE: UOMO by VALENTINO

WHAT I SMELL: Uomo opens with a spicy bergamot and then quickly in comes a sweet cocoa. It’s lightly warm to the smell, but very zesty and tingly on the skin. I feel like this could become very shrill, but it reins in the overly gourmand cocoa sweetness and instead leaves this lighter sheen of nutty goodness riding off of your skin. After around 20 minutes or so, the cedar slowly makes it way in, bringing a fresh woodiness to the fragrance, but at the same time there is a bit of sour that creeps in, but only for a short time. Uomo doesn’t change much past this point and in the end it’s relatively light and understated which is where it needs to be. Don’t get me wrong, Uomo offers a long life and pretty good projection as well.

Valentino Uomo notes:

Top: Italian bergamot, myrtle liquor.
Middle: crema de gianduia.
Base: leather, cedarwood.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: An Italian boulevard flanked by cedar trees where the smell of coffee, chocolate and other gourmand offerings from the cafes fill the air.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE UOMO: semi-gourmand, semi-sweet, semi-nutty

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT UOMO: The Candy Perfume Boy via Escentual.com, The Grooming Guru, I Scent You a Day

BOTTOM LINE: A very nice, easy to wear offering from Valentino. As much as I like the fragrance, I can’t say the same for the bottle. In pictures, the bottle looks like crystal. In person, it looks like a glass porcupine. I guess it’s nice that at least it’s different from the typical bottles out there.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Leather Goumand (but where’s the leather?)
Nose: Olivier Polge
Classification: Masculine
Expense: $75 for 1.7 oz EdT (exclusively at Nordstrom in the U.S.)