fragrance | The Scented Hound

July 16, 2013
by The Scented Hound 15 Comments

Ambra e Iris by Dr. Vranjes

WHAT I SMELL: Hay and patchouli…its earthy and quickly comes off a bit hippieish with the patchouli which is front and center. Funny, I’m not getting any amber and I’m not getting any Iris, just patchouli! Continuing on, the patchouli becomes even more earthy and bears an almost mushroom like quality, like that of the dirt that is still on a pack of mushrooms in the grocery store. I would venture to say this works better in the winter. I’m afraid to go out in the 95 degree humidity and sun today with this on because I believe the patchouli would explode. Inside in the air conditioning it is kept in line. After about 45 minutes, the amber starts to creep in a bit. This is not a warm golden amber, but instead a more pensive and subdued warmth that may be dried out by the inclusion of a bit of myrrh. It’s only until after a couple of hours that the iris starts to reveal itself in a very light and incandescent way. Ambra e Iris ends up soft, light and pretty. I just wish that it didn’t take so long to get there.

Ambra e Iris Notes:

Top notes: Patchouli
Heart: Grey Amber
Base notes: Florentine Iris and Myrrh

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: My church basement circa 1975…a mixture of oil, polyester, guitars and felt banners.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE AMBRA e IRIS: earthy, grounded, patch-bombish

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT AMBRA e IRIS: Il Mondo di Odore, (I couldn’t find any other reviews!)

BOTTOM LINE: I like where Ambra e Iris ends up but the journey there is a long one. The first few hours for me were just a bit too earthy for my liking. Actually, this shouldn’t be named Ambra e Iris, it should be named Ambra e Patchouli!

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $80 for 50ml Extrait

July 14, 2013
by The Scented Hound 21 Comments

M/Mink by Byredo

WHAT I SMELL: Cedar chips and cat pee; that’s M/Mink’s opening to me. It’s incredibly urinous and surprisingly I’m not offended. There is a bit of honey that tops off the cat pee…maybe that’s what keeps it from being completely repulsive. After a good 20 minutes or so, M/Mink begins to mellow and the patchouli brings a bit of sweetness in. There’s also a tinge of incense that is ever so light that it seems to fade in and out. Beyond that, M/Mink doesn’t develop all that much. I don’t love it and I don’t hate it…this is one of those fragrances that you really have to be in the mood to wear.

M/Mink Notes:

Top: Adoxal
Heart: Incense
Base: Patchouli Leaf, Clover Honey, Amber

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A cat’s litter box that has been sprinkled with litter box freshener.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE M/MINK: urinous, curious, modern

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT M/MINK: Smellythoughts, The Scent Train, I Smell Therefore I Am

BOTTOM LINE: M/Mink is dichotomous in that in sniffing it part of it feels warm and cozy while at the same time there is something very remote about it. M/Mink is also what I call a fighting scent. That means that I would wear something like this when I don’t want to be messed with cause I’m just not in the mood!

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody?
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $220 for 100ml EdP

July 10, 2013
by The Scented Hound 19 Comments

Tabacca by Costamor

WHAT I SMELL: Sweet cherry pipe tobacco, covered in syrup. It’s sweet and slightly gourmand. Quickly, a light leather emerges in the background which evens out the sweetness of the opening. Tabacca continues to mellow and becomes a bit dryer. The tobacco remains coated with a light apple and rose which is pretty and surprisingly muted. After this point, Tabacca stays in this woody, slightly sweet tobacco haze tinged with just a hint of amber. It’s not strong and it’s not weak and I fear that I really like it, but that over time I would probably get tired of it if I wore it too often.

From the Costamor website:

The evening sun paints the sky crimson and periwinkle; an intoxicating breeze blows through, beckoning you deeper into the night…

A sultry, feminine spin on one the prized crops of Costa Rica – tobacco. Grown in the volcanic highlands and cured with the care of fine winemakers, this is tobacco destined for excellent cigars. Tobacca uses both the raw leaves (green, fresh and sweetened with a subtle hint of apple) and the richly aromatic dried tobacco and blends them with a deeply romantic rose tea. Velvety amber and soft precious woods add luxurious, cashmere-like warmth to this hypnotic, seductive fragrance.

tabacca notes – aromatic spices, apple peel, jasmine, rose tea, raw tobacco leaves, dried tobacco leaves, rare woods, amber

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The remnants of sweet pipe tobacco on a sweater, one day after it was worn while smoking.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TABACCA: comfortable, easy, balanced

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TABACCA: Scent for Thought, From Top to Bottom – Perfume Patter, Confessions of a Perfume Nerd

BOTTOM LINE: Tabacca is a tobacco fragrance for those who typically don’t like them. It’s subdued and slightly sweet nature make for a wonderful companion to reading a book by the fire on a cold winter or rainy day. The Costamor website says this is a feminine spin on tobacco. I have to disagree as I see this as a perfect unisex fragrance. Tabacca is an unexpected pleasure!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Woody Aromatic
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $75 for 50ml EdP