fragrance | The Scented Hound

April 27, 2013
by The Scented Hound 25 Comments

Vintage Givenchy Ysatis and Givenchy III

Thanks to the wonderful Kafkaesque, I have been led down another obsessional and dangerous path….that of vintage perfumes. A few months back, Kafkaesque sent me a wonderful selection of perfumes to include some great vintage scents. Of course that led me to want to try more…and then more…and then soon enough I’m trolling eBay for the next great buy. The great thing about finding some of these vintage fragrances is that you can typically find some of the more common, unopened and in the box. And you typically can find a smaller size so while you are blind buying… or taking a chance on whether the juice is still good, you don’t have to break the bank. As these fragrances are vintage, I hope I can tell if the fragrance is still good… but so far I have not been disappointed. Also, since the fragrance are vintage, I’m not going to modify my review format a bit and won’t be giving them a bone rating. Why? If I did that, then everyone would be hunting down these jewels and the next time I go on eBay I wont’ be able to find them. 🙂

YSATIS – Vintage Parfum

This is the one that started it all…

WHAT I SMELL: Ysatis isn’t shy. When the juice hits your skin it’s like opening a big waxy honeyed floral bouquet. It’s thick and over the top and for me, mixed so beautifully that I can’t really pick apart the notes besides the heady ylang-ylang. The flower power never wains, but it increasingly becomes warmer and creamier as it radiates off your skin. About 15 minutes there is a slight civit note added to a bit of spice which gives the fragrance a bit of sex. Yes, I think this is a very sexy fragrance. I don’t just love smelling it, I want to consume it. I bought 2 5ml bottles a few weeks ago and one is almost drained. I will be buying more without question.

Ysatis Notes from Fragrantica:

The top notes are citrus, ylang-ylang, galbanum, coconut, rose wood, and aldehydes. The heart notes are jasmine, rose, iris, tuberose and narcissus. The base notes are musk, amber, vanilla, vetiver, patchouli, sandalwood and civet.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A giant flower bomb!

GIVENCHY III – Vintage Parfum

WHAT I SMELL: A blast of aldehydes and oak moss give this a bright, green and mossy opening. It’s citrus, bergamot and head spinningly sparkly without being sweet. The oakmoss almost has an incense quality in the background, but it’s more dusty than pure incense. There are so many floral notes that are mixed together in harmony, but it’s not overtly floral, but instead when sniffed it breathes a green and floral stem like life to a beautiful and warm flower arrangement. As it develops it takes on more patchouli and amber and it remains intoxicatingly beautiful. Fragrantica classifies Givenchy III as a Chypre Floral. I get the chypre and the floral, but if I would have read that without trying this I would have thought this to be sweeter. Instead it never blasts off from its initial sparkle, but then winds down to a warm and cozy hug. My one regret is that Givenchy III doesn’t last as long as I would like it to and eventually after a couple hours it all but disappears but for a little soapy ending. No problem though, I’ll just apply more.

Givenchy III notes from Fragrantica:

The perfume opens with aldehydes with bergamot, mandarin, galbanum, peach and gardenia. The heart includes lily of the valley, hyacinth, rose, jasmine and iris root, while the base carries patchouli, oakmoss, amber and sandalwood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: 1978

April 21, 2013
by The Scented Hound 19 Comments

Voleur de Roses by L’Artisan Perfumeur

In one of my recent posts, I discuss Olfactif and the sample offerings that they provided for their inaugural launch. The one fragrance out of the three that I seem to be drawn to and keep testing is Velour de Roses by L’Artisan Perfumeur.

WHAT I SMELL: Voleur de Roses goes on bright. There’s a sweet, plum and slightly citrus bergamot opening with a minty herbal, almost hay like cedar background. After a short while Voleur de Roses starts to then move into a warm patchouli rose. However, this rose isn’t sweet or loud, instead its earthy and feels like a rose-bush that’s anchored in mulch. And in fact, I almost consider this to be more patchouli than rose as the warm patchouli note dominates the drydown. The fragrance really doesn’t morph much and it sits close to the skin without much projection. For being so “cedarish” it is very much a skin scent.

Voleur de Roses Notes: patchouli, rose, plum

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A cedar lined chest with old and waning rose sachets stored inside.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE VOLEUR DE ROSES: earthy, humble, simple

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VOLEUR DE ROSES: smellythoughts, Perfume Shrine, EauMG

BOTTOM LINE: I really like this fragrance. It’s distinctive and comforting. But I just don’t know if I could pull the plug on a purchase. I somehow have the feeling that the bottle would be neglected after time.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Nose: Michel Almairac
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Approximately $140 for 100ml EdT

April 14, 2013
by The Scented Hound 25 Comments

Hedonist by Parfums Viktoria Minya

I’m a sucker for pretty packaging. If the fragrance is wonderful and housed in a special bottle, then to me it’s even better. Hedonist, the first offering from Parfums Viktoria Minya, is housed in a beautiful bottle filled with hundreds of bohemian crystals and comes in a luxurious handmade wooden black box. OK, the visuals alone have my interest piqued. Let’s look at the fragrance itself…

WHAT I SMELL: Hedonist is a perfume that goes on cool to the touch and opens with a honeyed peach accord. Peach can sometimes overwhelm me, but when it’s not too sweet as it is in this case, it really can be lovely. As cool as it goes on, it quickly warms to a mysterious combination orange blossom and jasmine. The light tobacco and vetiver help to hold back the overly sweet side of the floral notes which eventually do come out, but when they do, they do so in a whisper and not with a shout. What you are left with is a sweet and brightly warmed apricot vanilla fragrance that is pretty without being over the top.

Hedonist notes:

Top notes: rum CO2, bergamot, peach

Heart notes: jasmine absolute, orange blossom absolute, osmanthus absolute, tobacco

Base notes: vetyver, cedarwood, vanilla

From the Parfums Viktoria Minya website:

A powerful and provocative perfume for a woman who dares to be true to her desires. Lush notes of jasmine and orange blossom absolute flirt with the dark intensity of rum and the world’s finest woods for a scent that is as captivating as it is unforgettable.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A summer breeze which catches the light smell of burgeoning flowers.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE HEDONIST: sunny, warm, peaceful

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT HEDONIST: Kafkaesque, smellythoughts, Eiderdown Press

BOTTOM LINE: I was expecting with a name like Hedonist that this fragrance would be over the top opulence. Instead, I found it to be well crafted, pretty and delightful. I believe that Viktoria Minya has made a wonderfully fresh and beautifully created first offering and I look forward to her next creation.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Woody Chypre
Nose: Viktoria Minya
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $130 Euros, 45ml EdP

Disclosure: Sample provided by Parfums Viktoria Minya.