fragrance | The Scented Hound

January 10, 2022
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

Cavatina by Parfums Dusita

WHAT I SMELL: Cavatina opens with a lovely green barber shop bergamot that’s herbal, fresh and warmly inviting. It’s not too bright, nor too earthy, but it has a wonderfully familiar and comforting persona, and from first spritz the perfume sings with happiness and joy. As the perfume develops, a green floral starts to emerge along with a light clean and fresh soapiness and in short time a fresh and dewy muguet takes center stage. At this point, the perfume is neither loud nor quiet. Instead, it’s perfectly balanced in its freshness as it begins to grow and project along with just a hint of creaminess. As this happens, Cavatina begins to move to the more “bathtastic” with a finish that feels as if you just emerged from an exquisitely fragrant bubble bath. Continuing on, the perfume begins to center itself around a green jasmine accord which is soft and pretty as it’s wrapped up in a cottony musk finish. It’s all just so glorious; when you wear Cavatina, you can’t help but smile.

From the Parfums Dusita website:

Inspiration: Cavatina is music to the soul, a fragrant hymn to human compassion conducted with the spirit of “joie de vivre”. Starting with Pissara Umavijani’s love for vintage muguet-centered scents, she composed new floral accords that ended up dancing together in a melodious scent that became Cavatina.

Olfactive Notes:

The opening, a symphony of sparkling, invigorating citrusy notes: Calabrian Bergamot, Chinese Litsea Cubeba, Paraguayan Petitgrain greets our exclusive, resolutely modern Muguet Accord.

At the Heart, our very own Tea Rose Accord harmonically blends with fresh, seductive floral touches: Egyptian Tuberose and Jasmine Grandiflorum, Indonesian Ylang-Ylang.

The Base Notes, the airy muskiness of Indian Ambrette, the soft woodiness of Siamese Wood and the deep sensuality of Madagascar Vanilla.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: I can’t argue with perfumer Pissara Umavijani’s inspiration; Cavatina is “music for the soul.”

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE CAVATINA: fresh, spring-ish, joyous

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CAVATINA: The Plum Girl, CaFluereBon, The Black Narcissus

BOTTOM LINE: It’s presently January, but when you wear Cavatina it immediately transports you to spring. Its clean and fresh muguet heart is just what is needed to take you away from the dark winter skies.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Pissara Umavijani
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Starting at 150 Euros for 50 ml eau de parfum

January 3, 2022
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

Roja Parfums Oceania

Hard to believe that it’s already 2022. The past two years have been challenging at best, but with the beginning of a new year there’s a promise of rebirth with positive energy. So I wanted to start off this new year with a perfume that beckons of adventures to come. Hopefully the world will reopen this year and travel and exploration will once again be part of our collective. We have to believe that there are some exciting new adventures on the horizon!

WHAT I SMELL: Oceania opens with a sparkling bergamot and a clean and fresh lemon that quickly moves to the more herbal highlighted with a tinge of lime. It’s soft, unassuming and very easy on the nose as it resides quietly on the skin with the lightest of a whisper as if a lovely breeze brushes it off of your skin. The perfume soon begins to quietly grow with a very subdued geranium and a soft jasmine creating a pretty heart within the lightly salted citrus. Here, the florals begin to round out and push out the citrus from the center. Oceania isn’t a perfume with twists and turns, instead it slowly melds into it’s finish which is not far off from first spritz. As such, in the end, Oceania lives in a gentle cocoon of light moss with the whisper of florals resting on top of a lightly salted sandalwood. Oceania is quietly beautiful.

From the Roja Parfums website:

“Deeply concerned by the vulnerability at the heart of our fragile oceans, a donation from every sale of Oceania Eau De Parfum will be made to charities dedicated to protecting our precious seas. Echoing the infinity of our oceans, this fragrance opens with a wave of invigorating freshness from Bergamot, Lime and Mandarin. Geranium and Jasmine drift in on the breeze from a nearby island, whilst Moss, Sandalwood and Orris offer a warm caress as if kissed by the sun, whose light reflects on the waves.” – ROJA DOVE.

A Citrus cocktail opens this creation and runs throughout, as Lemon and Grapefruit mingle with Bergamot, Mandarin and Lime. Fresh, aromatic Herb notes extend the distinct freshness of this accord and mingle beautifully down into a floral heart based around the fresh sweetness of Geranium and the creamy, exotic tones of Jasmine. A bold base acts like velcro, enabling this resolutely fresh composition to stay close to the skin and permeate throughout the day, mingled around a dry, natural base of Moss notes and the skin-like combination of Sandalwood and Orris.

KEY INGREDIENTS: Bergamot, Lime, Mandarin, Geranium, Jasmine Sambac, Moss Notes, Sandalwood, Orris

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The free flying seagull; one with the ocean below and the sky above.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE OCEANIA: soft, contemplative, serene

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OCEANIA: Fashion for Lunch

BOTTOM LINE: Oceania is probably the quietest of any Roja Parfums perfume that I have experienced. While quiet, it is amazingly beautiful and when you wear it it feels like it’s just meant for you. And the fact that a portion of each sale goes to helping preserve our oceans, makes it just that much more special of a perfume. And for those of you who think the bottle is as important as the perfume, the Oceania bottle and cap are exquisite.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Woody Aromatic
Nose: Roja Dove
Classification: Masculine, but easily unisex
Expense: $380 for 100 ml eau de parfum

December 8, 2021
by The Scented Hound 4 Comments

Chanel No. 19 Eau de Toilette

WHAT I SMELL: Chanel No. 19 opens with bright aldehydes and a sweetened bergamot that quickly turns to a buttery iris that is so radiantly smooth that it glides on the skin as if it’s surfing just a milliliter off of your body. Right from first spritz the perfume has a big presence, but it’s neither harsh nor abrasive. Instead, it’s incredibly inviting with its positive energy. After a bit, the perfume begins to dry and powder and the galbanum increasingly radiates with a dusty aura. After some more time, the greenish galbanum and the lilting iris begin to flatten and a light sandalwood partners in the mix. It’s here where Chanel No. 19 retreats in this warmed aura of green radiant sunshine. Chanel No. 19 eau de toilette is an incredible perfume that’s easy to wear and easy to love.

From the Chanel website:

Daring, distinctive and uncompromising. A floral, woody, green fragrance with perfect balance.

An ideal harmony between the vibrant, green notes of Galbanum and the soft, powdery notes of Iris.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Happy and perfectly content.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CHANEL NO. 19: powdery, comfortable, radiant

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHANEL NO. 19: Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE: Chanel No. 19 is a classic that’s easy to wear, fresh and completely unpretentious while at the same time is incredibly beautiful and long lasting. To me, Chanel No. 19 eau de toilette is a perfect Christmas present because it’s affordable, delightful and more importantly, because it’s Chanel!

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral Chypre
Nose: Henri Robert
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $110 for 100ml eau de toilette.