The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: fragrance


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Loewe Solo Pour Homme

WHAT I SMELL:  Solo’s opening is a nicely warm one with a lightly herbal lavender that is quickly met with a brightened patchouli that sits between earthy, funky and cottony fresh.  There’s also an underlying citrus note that helps to keep the patchouli in an uplifted manner.  Pretty much from the first spritz, the perfume is fresh, rather dewy and light with a wonderfully positive persona.  As the perfume continues to develop, it begins to move to the more spiced with a lightly sweetened cumin, nutmeg and cinnamon melding with the patchouli.  Thankfully, the perfume remains light and airy as the spice is kept at the right depth.  Soon afterwards, the perfume begins to dry and it takes on a hazy finish.  For the most part, Solo remains true to the lavender, patchouli and lightly spiced heart, but it starts moving towards a clean musk finish.  But as soon as I thought it would end there, a flattened slightly sour woody note comes to the forefront and that’s unfortunate as the perfume prior to this development was very likable and now it’s just… OK.

From the Loewe website:

A timeless yet novel fragrance, its secret lies in its contrasting accords of aromatic notes that are juxtaposed in perfect counterpoint.

A spicy, woody fragrance with contrasting notes of sandalwood, guava and marzipan, for the elegant man of distinction who appreciates the value of balance.

The harmony of extremes.

Olfactive Notes – 

Humid Stone Chord : guava, lavender, boldo and thyme

Dry Wood Chord : cachemire and patchouli

Hesperides Chord : bergamot, lemon and tangerine

Spicy Chord : cumin, nutmeg and cinnamon

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A careworn ranch house from the 1950s or 60s.  When it was built it was a beauty, but over time it has become a bit tired and dated and needs a little sprucing up.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SOLO:  cottony, herbal, semi-delightful.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SOLO:  No reviews found.

BOTTOM LINE:  I really wanted to like Solo as the opening and middle stages of development are fantastically alluring.  Unfortunately, it’s only at the end that the perfume begins to fade from my enthusiasm.  And call me shallow, but there’s something about the Loewe aesthetic that leaves me a bit cold.

  • Bone Rating:  3 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Oriental
  • Classification:  Masculine
  • Expense:  Prices start at around $100 for 50ml eau de toilette.


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Bvlgari Noorah

Have you ever become obsessed about a perfume you wish you owned?  Well, for me that perfume was Bvlgari’s Noorah.  A few years back while wandering through Duty Free at the Bangkok airport, I came across a display for the Bvlgari La Gemme collection which I had heard of, but hadn’t experienced.  Many of the perfumes in the collection were incredible, but Noorah stood out and was love at first spritz.  But always cost conscious I found the price was just too high so I walked away from a purchase;  that is, after I drenched myself in the perfume.  Sitting atop my cloud of perfume on the plane was pure delight and thus began my obsession.

Of course, after spending a great deal of money on vacation, I put perfume purchases out of my mind.  I then found out a couple of years ago, that the perfume had been discontinued and that piqued my interest in Noorah once again.  I saw that there were some decent prices on eBay, but being in Mexico, shipping is impossible.  But luckily a year ago, I found the perfume on Amazon Mexico for a decent price.  I was thrilled that I had finally found my holy grail until I received the perfume and it was clear that it was a fake.  Thanks to Amazon, I got an immediate refund without any questions.

Then recently, I found Noorah on a fragrance website that actually ships to Mexico…and at a great price!  So one month later (yes, it takes that long for shipments to arrive in Mexico) I finally was re-introduced to my obsession.  Does it live up to my memories?

WHAT I SMELL:  Noorah has a strange opening that’s mildly chewy and a little waxy with what seems to be chocolate and sometimes leather combined with a Playdoh iris.  I have to say that this weird opening is not my favorite primarily because the chocolate note has a soured edge that is a bit off-putting.  But given all that, the initial wear is rather quiet and subdued.  As the perfume continues to develop, a light cardamom and pepper with just a hint of honey is added which gives an extra light bite.  However, overall the perfume remains soft and lightly creamy as the waxy wanes to just plain smooth.   After some time, Noorah begins to come out from under her creamy veil with a light powdery sweetened iris with hints of pepper.  It’s baby soft, lightly projected and incredibly pretty with the perfect mix of lightly sweet and lightly powdered.  As the perfume continues to develop, a lightly warmed wood slides in below the powdered haze.  In the end, Noorah leaves the wearer cocooned in a powdered iris cloud.  Heavenly.

Additional note:  Noorah’s DNA seems to change a great deal with the weather.  Warm and humid, the perfume has great projection and the woody note at the end is more prominent.  Cool and dry weather keeps the the perfume very powdery with light projection that’s close to the skin.  Either way, the perfume is fantastic.

From the Bvlgari website:

From Nishapur, the long journey from Orient to Occident. Turquoise takes us on a journey along the Silk and Spice Routes of yore. The most beautiful specimens come from the region of Nishapur, an exceedingly ancient city in Central Asia, and one of the crossroads of the mythical Silk Route. Caravans belonging to Turkish traders brought the turquoise to Europe, giving the gemstone its name. A stone of the bright blue sky, a nomad gem recalling open spaces. Noorah, an evocative name embodying the exuberance of the infinite heavens. Its rich, mysterious and sensual fragrance captures the magnificence of the Silk and Spice Routes. Narguile Vapors – Candied Dates – Laotian Benzoin.

Notes:  Iris, tobacco, oak, benzoin, honey, galbanum, vanilla, ginger, cardamom, patchouli.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Hues of pink and violet, scarves, makeup and powder…and oh so much glamour.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE NOORAH:  soft, elegant, powdery

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NOORAH:  No reviews found.

BOTTOM LINE:  So is Noorah the perfume that I remember?  Yes, it is.  I was a bit worried when I first sprayed it on my skin, but after a short time, the beauty of the perfume and my memories of that first plane ride wearing it came rushing back.  In other words, I have no regrets with my purchase.  Mission accomplished…off to my next perfume obsession!

  • Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Chype Floral
  • Nose:  Daniela Andrier
  • Classification: Leans feminine
  • Expense: Prices vary depending on purchase location.  Available in 100 ml eau de parfum.


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Chanel Boy

WHAT I SMELL:  Boy opens with a soft, bright, yet warm citrus which bounces upon a layer of lavender warmed in the sun.  The perfume is aromatic and rather herbal and from the beginning it provides a blanket of security and comfort without being overly warm or heavy.  As the perfume begins to develop, a geranium note comes forward with a light touch along with a freshness of florals accented by rose.  Soon after, a sandalwood note adds a hint of a pencil shaving accord.  As the perfume continues to develop, the citrus comes back to brighten the mix along with a lightly sweetened vanilla.  Finally, the perfume is covered in a layer of oakmoss which dries the fragrance and creates some added projection.  Boy is without edges, making it smooth and incredibly easy to wear.

From the Chanel website:

In her younger days, Gabrielle Chanel met Arthur “Boy” Capel, an elegant British polo player. He was the love of her life and the first to encourage her to pursue her creative endeavors. Inspired by his sophisticated style, Gabrielle Chanel imagined women dressed in tweed, with short boyish hair and flat shoes. Designs that mixed genders, the beginnings of unisex fashion.

BOY CHANEL presents a lavender and geranium accord heightened with exquisite notes of wood. A fragrance that transcends gender and illustrates a personality.

Top notes are Lavender, Grapefruit and Lemon; middle notes are Geranium, Orange Blossom and Rose; base notes are White Musk, Heliotrope, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Coumarin and Moss.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Tab Hunter – fresh, easy on the eyes and always neat and clean and inoffensive.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE BOY:  easy, uncomplicated, comfortable

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BOY:  Now Smell This, CaFleureBon, eauxSILLAGE

BOTTOM LINE:  Part of the Le Exclusifs de Chanel collection, Boy is one of those perfumes that only get’s better as it develops.  It’s warm and inviting and a modern fougere that can easily be worn by a man or a women.

  • Bone Rating:  3 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Aromatic Fougere
  • Nose:  Olivier Polge
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $200 for 2.5 oz. eau de parfum