fragrance | The Scented Hound

August 29, 2013
by The Scented Hound 24 Comments

Recent Missteps

We have all been there; “when perfume goes wrong”. It seems I have had a few incidents of late so I thought I would get this off my chest and share in my misfortune…

I THINK I’M ALLERGIC TO CUIR DE LANCOME

I’m not a fan of leather fragrances, but sometimes I get sucked into they hype and think that I might change my mind when I read on Fragrantica and through other reviews about how fantastic and wonderful a perfume is. Case in point, Cuir de Lancome. There it was on eBay, a new bottle with a great price…I couldn’t resist the blind buy. So I get the package a couple of days later. The package was shipped quickly, the box and bottle are perfect; actually the bottle is classically pretty, and then…

I spray some on the back of my hand and I note a nice light suede, it’s very subtle as it’s mixed with a subdued citrus. After a few minutes out comes birch tar and then the back of my tongue starts to hurt and feels like it’s getting slightly larger and I’m salivating from the back and sides of my tongue. It was so odd and so uncomfortable and then it became more metallic and all I could smell was metal, birch tar and some weird floral. It was like steel, very sharp and grey so I thought I would layer some Givenchy Ysatis on top which helped. But after a while it crept out from under the bottom again and starting making my tongue salivate and hurt again.

I can’t write a review on this as I know that something physically weird is happening between me and the fragrance. We just weren’t meant to be friends. So here’s what others are saying so you might get a better picture of the beauty of Cuir de Lancome that others can see that I can’t. And if you reside in the US and want a bottle at a good price, send me an email!

Cuir de Lancome notes from Fragrantica: Top notes are mandarin orange, saffron and bergamot; middle notes are patchouli, hawthorn, jasmine and ylang-ylang; base notes are orris root, birch and styrax.

Cuir de Lancome Reviews: Olfactoria’s Travels, That Smell, Muse in Wooden Shoes

80’S OVERKILL – HALSTON COUTURE

For the past few months I have been on a vintage chypre hunt. I actually have done very well with some of my buys including vintage Miss Dior, Givenchy III and Y by Yves Saint Laurent. I recently found a bottle of Halston Couture at an incredible price and its an EdP which is pretty hard to find. I’m sure it was a great price because the bottle is tarnished and the box is a bit beat up, but the juice seems to be just fine.

Unfortunately, this powerhouse of a fragrance beats you over the head with an overpowering deep patchouli and mossy cloud that just one spritz can put a hole in the ozone layer. I envision big hair 1980s college girls in crew neck sweaters stinking up campuses all around the US. I will try this again in the winter and maybe it will be a better fit, but I have the feeling that won’t make much of a difference. It’s so loud that it’s headache inducing.

Halston Couture notes from Fragrantica: Top notes are bergamot and lemon; middle notes are patchouli, jasmine and rose; base notes are amber and oakmoss.

FREDDIE FROM SMELLYTHOUGHTS IS MY FRIEND, BUT WE TYPICALLY AREN’T FRAGRANCE TWINS

The other day Freddie of Smellythoughts posted a review of a couple of En Voyage Perfumes fragrances; Nectars des Iles and Vents Ardents. A few months ago I purchased Zelda from En Voyage and I love it. It’s perfect for hot summer days when you want to feel like a Southern Belle. So after he posted his review, it made me think that I may have received some samples of those two fragrances with my Zelda purchase. Sure enough, they were hidden in my large stash of unopened samples. Since Freddie loved these two fragrances so much, I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to see how I felt about them too.

I was always told that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. This is why I am not going to do a review, but just state the following: Vents Ardents smells to me like a tchotchke shop on a California boardwalk where one can find driftwood clocks and home-made fudge. Nectars Des Iles smells like a flower that has been stuck in a Salt Water Taffy shop for a very long time.

I’ll let you be the judge if I didn’t say something nice. If you want to feel the love, please check out Freddie’s fabulous reviews of Nectars des Iles and Vents Aredents at Smellythoughts!

I think that’s enough missteps for one day. As I was writing this, a new bottle showed up on my doorstep from the mailman…this looks promising!

August 25, 2013
by The Scented Hound 61 Comments

Rouge No. 2 by M. Micallef and Special Draw!

The other day I reviewed Rouge No. 1, part of the new M. Micallef Art Collection. I loved Rouge No. 1’s floral beauty…let’s see what Rouge No. 2 has in store…

WHAT I SMELL: Rouge No. 2 opens with sweet black currant cut with bright citrus notes. It’s tangy, sparkling and zesty. You can smell a tinge of nutmeg which gives it an undercurrent of cinnamon like spice. Quickly, the florals make their way in. At first I get more violet which is then taken over by a wonderful jasmine. The base notes bring some nice depth into play with sweetened and warm vanilla and amber. After around 20 minutes, Rouge No. 2 becomes more full-bodied and begins to expand. There is almost a gourmand sugary sweetness that sits on top of the florals. It’s sweet, but not syrupy…it’s what I would call more of a sophisticated sweet. In the end, Rouge No. 2 radiates its gourmand beauty with a large projection that lasts for hours.

Rouge No. 2 Notes:

Top notes are citruses, black currant and nutmeg; middle notes are jasmine, violet and orchid; base notes are vanilla, labdanum, amber and castoreum.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Cake. Not literally; but its yummied goodness makes you want to cut off a big piece and eat it!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ROUGE NO. 2: big, sugared, gourmand

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ROUGE NO. 2: Olfactoria’s Travels, Cafluerebon

BOTTOM LINE: Where Rouge No. 1 sits more on the sophisticated side, Rouge No. 2 sits more on the wild side. Its full-bodied sweetened goodness doesn’t allow for it to be shy.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $245 for 100ml EdP

THE DRAW: The good folks at Hypoluxe, the U.S. distributor of M. Micallef fragrances have offered 10 5ml sets of Rouge No. 1 and Rouge No. 2 to my lucky U.S. readers. That means all winners will get one of each! Each 5ml fragrance comes in its own cute little bottle and accompanying bag! To enter, please leave a comment as to which M. Micallef Art Collection perfume, Rouge No. 1 or Rouge No. 2 , intrigues you the most and why. Also, be sure to state that you are a resident of the United States. The drawing will close at midnight Eastern Standard Time on August 31, 2013. The 10 winners will be chosen at random. Good luck with getting your rouge on!!

August 23, 2013
by The Scented Hound 17 Comments

Ineke Scent Library

Don’t you just love perfumed packages in the mail? It’s even better when the perfume is housed in the perfect packaging. Yesterday I receive the Ineke Perfumes Scent Library and I have to say that Ineke Ruhland has outdone herself in perfume creation and package design. The Scent Library provides 2.5ml samples of the Floral Curiosities line of fragrances which are housed in the most innovative packaging that I have seen a long time…they come in a book! And inside the Scent Library book are individual “library cards” that describe each fragrance in the collection… each of which are individually exquisite and lovely. The five fragrances in the Floral Curiosities collection are:

Angel’s Trumpet (Brugmansia) Fresh and Opulent

Angel’s Trumpet opens with refreshing notes of honeydew melon, Seville orange and leafy greens. Angel Trumpet’s rich floralcy is then warmed by cinnamon leaf and allspice and supported by Virginia cedar and white musk.

Briar Rose (Rosa Rubiginosa) Fruity and Floral

A pretty rose-violet accord given big character with supporting notes of black raspberry, green apple, warm spices, patchouli, cacao and vanilla.

Poet’s Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) Citrus and Herbal

A fragrance inspired by Poet’s Jasmine tea, replete with slices of citrus fruit. Added points of interest include star anise, rosemary, absinthe, frankincense, cardamom, hinoki wood and guaiac wood.

Scarlet Larkspur (Delphinium cardinale) Floral Oriental

A bright fruity opening of blood orange, red currant and morello cherry deepens over time with notes of claret wine, nutmeg, saffron, amyris wood, tonka bean and vanilla.

Sweet William (Dianthus barbatus) Woody and Sweet

A peach schnaps note introduces the spicy Sweet William floral accord, and is further warmed with cinnamon, clove and cumin essential oils. The dominant wood notes are a blend of cedarwood, sandalwood and patchouli, softened with Bourbon vanilla.

I am having a hard time deciding which one of these floral beauties is my favorite…so far Scarlet Larkspur and Briar Rose are running neck and neck.

You can check out all of the Floral Curiosities fragrances with your very own Ineke Scent Library which is only available via the Ineke website for a great price of $22! Great fragrances, great packaging, great price….how fun!