fragrance | The Scented Hound

September 29, 2013
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Luberon by Maria Candida Gentile

WHAT I SMELL: Luberon opens with a deep and earthy lavender bouquet. It starts off a bit dry, but then it is met with a light mint which sweetens and moistens the fragrance. It’s surprisingly refreshing but warm at the same time. After around 20 minutes or so, there’s almost a light layer of caramel or honey on top of the mint . After a bit more, the oakmoss starts to make its appearance, which then brings out a bit of dryness to make Luberon slightly powdered. Funny, after a while, the drydown reminds me somewhat of vintage Miss Dior. In the end, Luberon retreats to a lovely subtle dry and earthy powdered light lavender.

From the Maria Candida Gentile website:

Luberon is a composition which comes directly from the natural valleys of the south of France in spring. It carries the gently relaxing and comforting scents of this beautiful and happy region, the Luberon. The delicate fresh herbs are blended with an oak musk.

Top note: Mediterranean lavender

Heart note: May Rose

Base note: Oak Musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: What I think Provence smells like…old, earthy, rural and beautiful.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE LUBERON: comfortable, earthen, warm

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LUBERON: Scent for Thought, Notable Scents

BOTTOM LINE: Luberon is another solid fragrance from Maria Candida Gentile that in this case is not earth shattering, but clearly is a fragrance of quality. My one regret that as a parfum extrait, the fragrance seems to disappear on me rather quickly. However, I do notice that even though it vanishes, I do find traces of it still clinging to me in the morning.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Aromatic, Flower, Citrus
Nose: Maria Candida Gentile
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $165 for 30ml Parfum Extrait

September 23, 2013
by The Scented Hound 7 Comments

Les Nombres d’Or Rose Etoile de Hollande by Mona Di Orio

WHAT I SMELL: Rose Etoile de Hollande opens with a bright peach layered upon aldehydes, which is then quickly followed a disconcerting clove note. What opens and pretty, soon becomes strange and sour and somewhat biting. Thankfully the rose steps out a bit which helps to soften the clove, but there remains a sharpness that I am hoping will dissipate. After around 15 minutes or so, the rose retreats and the peach once again makes it to front and center. The peach is tangy and bright. I wouldn’t say it’s juicy, but it does have a warmth about it which cuts the sharpness experienced from the first 15 minutes. This is strange. Where’s the rose? All I get is peach and more peach. More strange is that another 15 minutes it seems like I am back to the beginning with the sharpness that I experienced earlier and a bit more rose than all the peach. After a lengthy dry down, Rose Etoile de Hollande becomes slightly woody and much softer with hints of heliotrope. And after even a few more hours, you’ll notice a very light smoky incense leather added to the mix. Rose Etoile de Hollande overall is rather pretty and comforting, but it’s all peach and little to no rose. Surprisingly, for a Mona di Orio fragrance, Rose Etoile de Hollande sits close to the skin and is rather light in its projection. Overall, it’s a beautiful fragrance in the end. I just wish there was a little more rose and a little less peach.

Top notes are aldehydes, white peach and bergamot; middle notes are rose, cloves and geranium; base notes are leather, patchouli, cedar, heliotrope, vanilla, benzoin, amber and peru balsam.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: peaches

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ROSE ETOILE DE HOLLANDE: peachy, bright, semi-sharp

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ROSE ETOILE DE HOLLANDE: Perfume-Smellin Things, Olfactoria’s Travels, Cafleurebon

BOTTOM LINE: Rose Etoile de Hollande is perplexing to me. I really want to like it, but something is holding me back. I think it’s the peach. It’s just a bit too dominant for my tastes. However, if you love a good peach note, I can see how this could be wonderful. It’s no Mitsouko, but it is nice.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Mona di Orio
Classification: Unisex, but leans feminine
Expense: $230 for 100ml EdP

September 20, 2013
by The Scented Hound 32 Comments

Sideris by Maria Candida Gentile

WHAT I SMELL: Sideris opens with a deep warm breath of saffron, incense and myrrh. It smells like it’s from another world; like it’s been around for ages only to reveal itself again. Sideris sits in a haze. You feel that it’s there, but somehow it exists in aura around you rather than directly on you. Sideris takes its time to transform and when it does, it doesn’t do so in a dramatic fashion. Everything is seamless and it mixes so perfectly that you can easily miss the differences; but they’re there. After about 30 minutes, the light sweetness of the rose makes a rather subdued appearance in a manner that you barely notice. To me this is not “rose,” but a veil of earthen rose shrouded by incense. Sideris then becomes more creamy and yet woody which sounds contradictory, but trust me it’s not. As Sideris continues to progress, the incense from the early stages starts to subside, and the benzoin starts to become prominent and along with the rose and sandalwood, the fragrance becomes a bit sweeter. Sideris is a fragrance that I feel like I just can’t give enough justice to… It’s all too beautiful and sometimes words are just too hard to convey.

Notes from the Maria Candida Gentile website:

Top notes: Incense, Cysts, Corsican Myrrh, White Pepper, Saffron

Heart notes: Turkish Rose, Rose Ayrshire Splendens

Base notes: Sandalwood, Benzoin, Waxed Woods

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Lady with a Fan by Spanish painter Diego Velázquez

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SIDERIS: dreamy, serious, classical

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SIDERIS: Scent for Thought, Cafleurebon, The Non-Blonde

BOTTOM LINE: Sideris is unique and incredibly beautiful. I’ve only been introduced to two of Maria Candida Gentile’s fragrances thus far, Cinabre and this. I have the feeling I need to explore some more.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Aromatic Spicy
Nose: Maria Candida Gentile
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $180 for 100ml EdP