fragrance | The Scented Hound

August 4, 2012
by The Scented Hound 13 Comments

Billet Doux by Fragonard

It may be a surprise to my readers, but not a surprise to those around me, that I can be a bit obsessive compulsive. So in my last posting I started obsessing about Billet Doux by Fragonard. However, I wasn’t obsessing about the fragrance itself, I was obsessing about the bottle in came in. No longer able to control my obsession, I headed back to Old Town Alexandria and Patricks to see if the perfume itself (only tested on paper thus far) was worth buying the bottle.

WHAT I SMELL: Immediately upon application you smell alcohol. I haven’t put on a fragrance in a long time that smelled so strong of astringent. But thankfully that disappeared rather quickly and out came a lightly spicy floral…hard to distinguish initially. It then morphed a bit more and out came a warm and inviting carnation. Very comforting and genteel. Unfortunately, the base came out way to quickly and Billet Doux became a very sweet and long-lasting, strong carnation scent. Carnation and more carnation with a hint of sweet vanilla with no warmth remaining. I am not digging this fragrance at all. In fact, even the bottle lost is luster with the dislike of this perfume. To me, this requires scrubbing.

From the Fragonard website:

Re-created from a historic Fragonard Perfume, Billet doux, pays homage to the most beautiful flowers of the French Riviera: Sweet William carnation, peony and frangipani blended with bergamot, lemon and mandarin on a background of cedar and vanilla.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: What I envision is what a proper, yet simple Victorian young lady would smell like. Not too adventurous and designed not to offend. You should know that Billet Doux means “love letters” in French which to me conjures up pictures of a pressed carnation in a letter to a beau.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE BILLET DOUX: sweet, unsophisticated, simple

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BILLET DOUX: The Scented Salamander, Olfactory Obsessed, The Smelly Kitty

BOTTOM LINE: Obviously I passed on a purchase and I realize that I am not the target market for this fragrance. However, if I smelled this on a woman, I would not be praising her for fragrance choice.

Bone Rating: 2 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Feminine
Expense: Approximately $70 for 50ml EdP

July 30, 2012
by The Scented Hound 24 Comments

Sunday Shopping Surprise

I love a good shopping surprise. Even better when it’s right in your home town. Yesterday, after doing my yard chores, me and my hubby went toddling off to Old Town Alexandria to do some window shopping and to get some unneeded gelato. If you have never been to Old Town Alexandria, it’s right outside Washington DC and it’s cute, quaint, very historic (think George Washington lived here). If you ever come to DC, you have to visit.

In any case, there is a store, Patrick’s Designs which I enjoy going into to look at all of the beautiful decorative items that I can’t afford. They have furnishings, barware, tabletop, gifts, etc. that are very unique. This is where I purchased my first Dr. Vranjes diffuser (I have been a faithful purchaser since). I have noted that in the past, they have had a couple of niche perfumes in the shop, but they have recently expanded and added some more. Some of the lines include: Juliet has a Gun, Montale, Costume National (I had never heard of this line before), Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, Fragonard, Manuel Canovas, Miller et Bertaux and others. The owner said that they will be adding other lines in the near future (goody!). Of course, it’s my job as a hometown boy to support local business I had to make sure that I bought something. But first lets discuss what I didn’t buy and why:

Miller et Bertaux’s Om: I don’t know why, but the darker the juice, the more I am attracted to a fragrance. Om is a deep amber-colored incense and vanilla scent. Wonderfully spicy, rich and peppery…beautiful on paper and initially on me, then straight to a metallic sharpness that I wanted to scrub off. Very disheartening.
Fragonard’s Billet Doux: OK, the scent itself is a light and pretty powdery carnation which is pleasant but maybe not so special. It’s much more feminine than I would normally like… but look at the bottle!!! It’s like a princess jewel. Is it OK to buy perfume just for the bottle? I may have to go back and try this again, the price wasn’t bad… but I really just want the bottle!

“I want to go to there” – Liz Lemon

OK, good sense prevailed and I ended up purchasing what others rave about for good reason, Maître Parfumeur et Gantier’s Ambre Precieux.

WHAT I SMELL: Golden warm amber and vanilla. Slightly spicy, smoky and buttery creaminess. At times, it seems lightly soapy. I find that this fragrance doesn’t morph as you wear it, but for an Eau de Toilette, Ambre Precieux has incredible depth, sillage and I find incredibly long-lasting. I usually find that most ambers are better suited for the fall and winter. Surprisingly, because of the vanilla sweetness (not too sweet mind you), this works just fine in the heat of summer. Beautiful.

From the Maître Parfumeur et Gantier website:

All the splendour of the Orient is bottled in this perfume in which the much coveted amber unfolds its sensual and unique scent for us.
Accompanied by precious woods, balms and spices, Ambre Précieux is a true Eastern symphony.

Ambre Precieux Notes: Top notes are myrrh and lavender; middle notes are nutmeg and vanilla; base notes are amber, tolu balsam and peru balsam.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: As I was sitting at my desk at work today I was trying to pinpoint what this scent smelled like to me. As strange as this may sound, it reminds me of the late 70s and 80s and a doctor that I used to go to. So what does that mean??! This doctor was very tailored in his white smock, had impeccable grooming and was very much a gentleman. To me, Ambre Precieux is understated elegance. It’s the kind of fragrance that would linger comfortably on your favorite weekend tweed jacket as well as your tux.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE AMBRE PRECIEUX: warm, refined, sophisticated

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT AMBRE PRECIEUX: Bois de Jasmin, I Smell Therefore I Am, Pour Monsieur

BOTTOM LINE: I don’t know if this will ever replace my love for Serge Luten’s Ambre Sultan. But to me Ambre Sultan is a fall/winter fragrance. So in the meantime, Ambre Precieux is going to satisfy my amber fix until the leaves start falling.

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental
Nose: Jean-Francois Laporte
Classification: Unisex – leans masculine
Expense: Approximately $100 – $120 for 100ml EdT

July 24, 2012
by The Scented Hound 16 Comments

Grand Neroli by Atelier Cologne

This has been a summer of citrus. Perfect for the hot days of summer because of its freshness, I have found a couple of loves in Parfum d’Empire’s Iskander and Azemour les Orangers. Not all of my citrus encounters have been the same however; Tauer Perfume’s Orange Star bucked that love primarily because the citrus in Orange Star is artificial and not fresh. The same can’t be said about Grand Neroli. I’m not sure if it’s love, but it’s a definite like.

WHAT I SMELL: Pure unadulterated sweet juicy orange. Nothing artificial, just the juice of a sun-ripened orange. Lovely. As time goes on, the orange remains without the sweetness and in comes a bit of green and musk. Non-complicated in it’s composition, it’s simpler and less sophisticated than Iskander and Azemour les Orangers, but remains a close cousin… maybe their country cousin? Grand Neroli doesn’t seem to have great longevity, but I’m working off a small sample that I dabbed on and that might make a difference.

Grand Neroli Notes: Moroccan neroli, lemon, Sicilian bergamot, petitgrain, Persian galbanum, moss, birch leaves, clean musk, white amber, vanilla from Madagascar

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Sunshine and casual Saturday mornings. What I imagine Florida to smell like when you’re in the middle of a blossoming orange grove.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GRAND NEROLI: sweet, fresh, sunny