The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: fragrance


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The Random 10: Mary Gooding, Puredistance Perfumes

Mary Dance PhotoPositive energy and attitude can’t be fabricated. And passion about one’s job is hard to feign…you either have it or you don’t.  The people at Puredistance, the luxury perfume brand based out of the Netherlands are passionate about what they do and it shows.  And leading the way for Puredistance’s communication and direct sales is the energetic  Mary Gooding.  But passion about perfume wasn’t always Mary’s path in vocation.  As it turns out, it was love that brought her to Puredistance.

Originally from Rochester, NY, Mary’s background was in teaching math and science to high school students.  But her boyfriend’s studies took them overseas to the Netherlands and it’s there that she serendipitously happened upon Puredistance.  After meeting Puredistance founder, Jan Ewoud as well as the small Puredistance family, the connection with Jan and the team “just clicked.” Before she knew it in the fall of  2014 Mary found herself at Pitti Fragranze representing the Puredistance line.

Within the role of direct sales, Mary’s position has a focus on the U.S. market as well as for providing personal service to customers of the web store.  She applies what she calls Puredistance’s DNA for maintaining honest and good old fashion customer service to her work…something that falls in line closely with her own personal values.

Puredistance OparduThey say that everything happens for a reason and Mary’s relocation to the Netherlands no doubt was meant to be, as becoming a member of the Puredistance family is the perfect fit.  And besides, since moving overseas her boyfriend is now her partner in life.  In fact, they just spent their first anniversary celebrating on the Greek Isles.

If you’re familiar with the Puredistance line of perfumes, you know that their approach is to develop and create perfumes that are synonymous with elegance and refinement using only the upmost in quality ingredients.  Mary’s approach to providing such incredible service is continued testament to the brand’s commitment to providing only the best.

Let’s see what Mary’s Random 10 has to reveal about this customer service and sales professional extraordinaire!

  1. My signature scent is… Puredistance Antonia, a highly original green floral created for us by Annie Buzantian in New York.
  2. I would like to be remembered as … genuine, caring and fun-loving.
  3. I typically wear one/many fragrances throughout the day… only one, usually my signature scent. I like to stay true to one perfume to enjoy the full experience of development throughout the entire day.
  4. If I could pass one piece of wisdom to the younger generation it would be… from Confucius, to “choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” I can say from experience it’s true!
  5. A guilty pleasure of mine is … Belgian Chocolates, I love Guylian Sea Shells Perles d’Océan.
  6. One fragrance that I thought I wouldn’t like, but turned out that I love is… Puredistance M. I thought M would be too spicy for me, but when I tried it I was blown away by the sophistication, now I love it.
  7. My favorite movie of all time is… the Notebook, yes I’m a romantic…
  8. The way I prefer to apply my fragrance is to… the pulse points: the wrists and neck. Also since I have long hair, I apply my perfume to the back of my neck.
  9. My parents always taught me to… be safe and have fun in everything I do!
  10. The one thing that I could never live without would be… my husband and partner in life Manolis, my parents Karen and Steve, sister Rose, and all my family and friends all over the world.

Thanks to Mary for participating in The Scented Hound’s Random 10.  Later this year, look for the newest perfume in the Puredistance line, Sheiduna, created by perfumer Cecile Zarokian.  I had a chance to get a sneak peak a few months back and it’s a stunner!

Oh…one last thing I forgot to mention, Mary is also a competitive ballroom dancer!  Dancing and perfume sounds like a wonderful combination doesn’t it?!

For more information on all the incredible Puredistance Perfumes, check out their website at www.puredistance.com!


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New Release: Hiram Green Dilettante

DilettanteWHAT I SMELL:  My first impression of Dilettante begins with a light earthy soil note mixed with a minty soapiness resting on top.  Quickly, the earthy moves towards a green tinted orange blossom that at first is rather linear and flattened, but as it progresses becomes puffed liked a cloud with just the lightest of sweetness.  The perfume at this point has a very carefree bounce about it.  Dilettante is seemingly happy, at the same time it feels like its holding a secret and it’s not going to let you know why it’s in such a good mood, but there’s a reason for it…it’s just not telling!  Soon a bit of mentholated tuberose comes to join the orange, but there’s only just a little to add just the right amount of texture and spice.  The perfume then begins to deepen and expand.  What was so much sun and fun now becomes contemplative.  Here the perfume rests its feet under the late afternoon sun with a warm embrace of orange blossom met with an ambered hue and a buttery honeyed finish.

From the Hiram Green website:

It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine…

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Inspired by such simple pleasures as a stroll through a luscious garden after a rain shower, Hiram Green’s latest perfume, Dilettante, is an enchanted and light-hearted celebration of summer.

Based on a triptych of orange flower, petitgrain and essential oil of orange, Dilettante is an all-natural fruity and floral eau de parfum that is fresh and sweet throughout.

Still Life with Orange Chair

Still Life with Orange Chair – Anne Redpath

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Orange Blossom comfort.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE DILETTANTE: relaxing, reassuring, at-peace

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DILETTANTE: Kafkaesque, CaFleureBon, Chemist in the Bottle

BOTTOM LINE: Hiram Green does it again.  The fact that he doesn’t rush the creation process with numerous and frequent releases is apparent as his perfumes are consistently well blended and full of depth.  Dilettante is the perfect antidote for those hot, hazy quiet days of summer.

  • Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Floral
  • Nose: Hiram Green
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $165 for 50 ml eau de parfum


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The Random 10: Roja Dove

Roja Dove_Portrait 1_LR

If there’s a perfumer whose name is synonymous with luxury, it’s Roja Dove.  A passion for creating beauty through fragrance using the highest quality and exceptional ingredients makes the Roja Parfums line the gold standard in perfumery.  It’s hard to believe, but Roja Parfums only recently celebrated its fifth anniversary.  Maybe due to the many stunning perfumes in the collection, it feels like the house has been around for many more years.  Or maybe it’s because Roja looms large over the Industry.  In any case, Mr. Dove has been a major figure within the perfume industry for quite some time.  Roja’s perfumed journey started when he fell in love with his mother’s perfume wrapped up in a goodnight kiss.   Professionally however, it began with Roja developing a fragrance-training course for Guerlain.  Learning, crafting and honing his skills, Roja was employed with Guerlain for almost 20 years where his career with the infamous house culminated in his being honored as the Guerlain Global Brand Ambassador, the first time ever in which a non Guerlain family member was given this role.

After leaving Guerlain, Mr. Dove went on to establish a perfumery training and public relations firm – representing luxury brands across the globe.  And then in 2004, he opened the Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie, located within the iconic London department store Harrods.  The Parfumerie created the perfect atmosphere for patrons to experience the world of rare and luxurious perfumes in a beautiful and exquisite salon setting.

Roja MidsummerAfter opening up the Parfumerie, Roja began creating bespoke perfumes for clients.  While most would be thrilled to have a bespoke perfume created for them, such a luxury item is out of bounds for all but a few.   In 2011, Roja introduced to the world his own line of luxury perfumes, Roja Parfums.  Since its inception, Roja has created a wide range of classical perfumes for both men and woman, as well as some branded perfumes created for well established internationally known stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Harrods and others.  Roja Parfums latest release is A Midsummer Dream, a rich oriental fragrance that was inspired by  “the belief that perfume can take you to an enchanted place – a dreamland. It can remove us from the reality of the mundane and transport us to temporal worlds of fantasy. Like a lover, scent can touch us, move us and inspire our very being.”  – Roja Dove

What you may not know about Roja is that he was appointed an Ambassador for Great Britain.  An honor bestowed to him as part of the Great Britain campaign in which he and other leading experts in their respective fields represent the nation as one voice to highlight Britain as a haven for creativity and opportunity.  Congratulations to Mr. Dove on his appointment as well as his five-year anniversary for Roja Parfums.  Even though Roja Parfums has only been around for a relatively short time, we have no doubt that this house and Roja’s legacy is here to stay.

So let’s see what Roja’s Random 10 reveals about this incredible talent and creative entrepreneur!

  1. If I wrote a personal memoir, it would be entitled…Life Has Been Kind.
  2. I am a hoarder when it comes to owning multiple bottles of …Laurent Perrier Ultra Brut Champagne.
  3. My proudest accomplishment was …to be made an Ambassador for the GREAT Britain Campaign for my creative work.
  4. My parents always taught me to…to be non-judgmental of people. To be honest. And whenever I used to say I wanted to do something, my mother’s reply was simple – “why not?” She was the person that made me believe that you can do anything. I think too many people spend too much of their time thinking of all the reasons thinking about why they can’t do something – rather than getting on with what they maybe can do.
  5. When it comes to my organization skills, I…cannot abide people who work in chaos. I think that I fundamentally have a very logical, structured, organized mind. I hate seeing disorganization and I don’t like working with people that are chaotic – and themselves aren’t organized.
  6. What makes me smile is…seeing people develop and grow.
  7. My biggest fear in life is …mediocrity.
  8. What drives me most crazy is…injustice.
  9. The song that always makes me happy whenever I hear it is…Louis Armstrong – We Have All The Time In The World.
  10. I am hopelessly challenged by…accountants, lawyers and form-filling.

Thanks to Roja for participating in the Random 10.  Since I was not familiar with the Louis Armstrong recording of “We Have All the Time in the World”, I attached the YouTube link so you too can experience the song that makes Roja happy:  Louis Armstrong – We Have All the Time in the World

For more information about Roja Parfums, Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie and Roja Dove himself, go to:  rojadove.com