The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: fragrance


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The Random 10: Brooklyn Fragrance Lover Carlos Powell

Carlos Powell

Since The Scented Hound’s inception in 2012, there have been many great bloggers and vloggers that have emerged on the scene only to sparkle for a brief while before disappearing.  However, there has been one perfumed personality that continues to shine within the niche arena; Carlos Powell.   Carlos, a one man dynamo has created numerous venues for those interested in niche perfume through his Brooklyn Fragrance Lover YouTube videos as well as with his Brooklyn Fragrance Lover blog.  And if that wasn’t enough, he is the originator of the very popular Peace, Love and Perfume Facebook group, a group dedicated to the love of all things perfume.  If you know Carlos from any of these high profile perfume forums, you may also know that he is one of the original Goodsmellas, a group of male perfume aficionados based in the New York area that helped to break the glass ceiling when it came to perfume only being for the ladies.  In other words, they taught us that real men DO wear perfume.   As any blogger or vlogger can tell you, keeping up with regular posts and videos can be a daunting task.  Carlos continues to support all of these ventures while making it look as easy and seamless as possible.  In fact, in 2014 he even worked with a group of indie perfumers to create perfumes that were inspired by the name of his Facebook site, Peace, Love and Perfume called the PLP Project.  Bringing people together can be difficult.  Bringing people together who are passionate about perfume, all with varying preferences and tastes and with harmony is a monumental task.  But through these various endeavors, Carlos makes it happen with a little bit of Brooklyn magic and a smile.

Before we get into Carlos’ Random 10, he wanted to say a few words:

I’m truly honored to be chosen by The Scented Hound to be highlighted in this new series. Since I debuted Brooklyn Fragrance Lover in 2014, it has really taken off in a positive way. Sharing my passion for perfume with the world really brings joy to my heart. I do my best to provide content that is fresh and relevant, and presented in way that is fun and down to earth. I can’t help it, I’m truly a big kid at heart.

So let’s see what Carlos has to reveal in his Random 10…

  1. My favorite gift received was… an uber expensive niche perfume from the perfumer who created it. It sits on my shelf unopened and it’s original shrink wrap.
  2. I am most grateful for… my God given talent of near perfect pitch. Music has been a part of my life throughout the good times as well as the bad times. Keeps me sane.
  3. What drives me most crazy is… rude people in the NYC subway, especially those that clip their nails and loud cell phone yappers.
  4. The one thing I wish I would have been taught early in life is… don’t expect anything from anyone and you won’t be disappointed.
  5. My perfume tastes vary with… typically seasons, but sometimes my mood. There are times I will wear something that I know they’ll smell all the way in Hong Kong, and other times I prefer to wear something ethereal that only those in my close proximity can appreciate.
  6. If I could go back and live at any time in history I would choose… The Roaring 20’s. Seemed like a carefree and party period.
  7. I always cry when… I’ve had too much Scotch and I listen to the recent recording that some JHS friends and I did of songs from the musical Godspell. We actually performed it in 1978 when we were 14 years old, and did a reunion recording this year.
  8. The phrase I always overuse is… “Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one”
  9. The one thing that most people don’t know about me is… that I can count to 10 in Russian.
  10. My favorite way to relax is… cooking, especially long cooked dishes like Italian meat sauce, soups, and my specialty Dominican roast pork shoulder (Pernil).

Thanks to Carlos for providing a little bit of Brooklyn in the Random 10.  For more information on the Random 10, click here.

Please check out Carlos’ videos and blogs below.  And if you’re interested in joining the Peace Love Perfume group on Facebook, as it’s a member’s only group, please send Carlos a request via Facebook to be added.

Blog http://carlosbfl319.blogspot.com/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCKJhoBHK4Xs5zneLo5qFXg

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-Fragrance-Lover/286524191553480

Instagram http://instagram.com/brooklyn_fragrance_lover


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The Random 10: Jeroen Oude Sogtoen, Creative Director for Maison Mona di Orio

Jeroen Oude Sogtoen 1 (1)

I don’t know of anyone else in the perfume industry with a haunting gaze like Jeroen Oude Sogtoen.  A creative mind, with a passion for life, art and beauty; no doubt adds to this intensity.

Portrait Mona di Orio 1 (1)

Mona di Orio

What you may not know about Jeroen is that the fragrance industry wasn’t  his original chosen profession.  Instead, he started his career in fashion design after graduating from the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and worked for ten years as a fashion designer, which then led to a transition in interior design leading to work in the hospitality industry.    It’s while working in hotel development that  he founded ZENOLOGY a lifestyle company committed to bringing hotel luxury to the home with environmentally friendly products.  In his search for a perfumer to help in this endeavor, he met Mona di Orio. In Mona, Jeroen saw an exceptional and talented artist that needed a brand to call her own.  Together they founded Maison Mona di Orio wherein Mona  became the brand’s nose and Jeroen the brand’s  eyes.  In 2004, the company launched their first fragrances, Lux, Carnation and Nuit Noire and a successful brand was born.  Tragically, in December 2011, Mona passed away leaving a legacy of launched and un-launched fragrances. After her death, Jeroen kept Mona’s legacy alive by continuing to develop and create perfumes under the Mona di Orio brand name which remain truly Monaesque; perfumes that are harmoniously balanced between the light and the dark.

In the spirit of rebirth, in 2015, Mona di Orio launched a new look in keeping with the brand’s philosophy and aesthetic by debuting a bold, yet soft, sleek and sensual, new bottle design. And just recently, Mona di Orio launched their newest creation, Bohea Bohème, created by perfumer Fredrick Dalman, a perfume designed to capture the smoldering delicacy of the distinctive and precious Bohea Tea cultivated in the Wuyi Mountains of China. Thanks to Jeroen, Mona di Orio lives on through the brand’s original iconic perfumes and new ones designed in elegance and uncompromising luxury.

So let’s see what Jeroen’s words reveal behind that haunting gaze:

  1. My favorite way to relax is …biking through big cities, having a drink at my local bar with my friends and talk about “life” (read: nothing)
  2. What drives me most crazy is…people who are not curious to learn and discover and people who lack passion.
  3. The greatest piece of advice I ever received has been …SEE what is around you and find inspiration in literally everything.
  4. What makes me smile is…young talent, like our new in-house perfume Fredrik Dalman (and of course: new shoes!)
  5. A guilty pleasure of mine is …when it’s a pleasure I don’t feel guilty, but I understand what you mean. Disco music, and since I am a very romantic guy, Romantic music of the sticky kind.
  6. My favorite food is…Asian, Chinese, Korean, Thai, and of course Japanese.
  7. When it comes to my organization skills, I…have the ability to make people enthusiastic and curious and push them the excel.
  8. My one recommendation for the fragrance industry is…make less but more relevant creations.
  9. I am hopelessly challenged by…having my own two companies – ZENOLOGY and Maison MONA DI ORIO – and to make sure that we keep on making it work.
  10. I get my fragrance industry news from…I try to stay away from getting too much information, because it can be confusing when you see so many new launches. I try to follow my own rhythm and get inspired by fashion, art, people, and traveling.

Who would have guessed that those eyes were hiding a love of disco and sappy romantic music?!  Thanks to Jeroen for revealing a little more of himself to our readers.

For more information on ZENOLOGY products and the Mona di Orio perfumes, including the newest release, Bohea Bohème, go to the websites below:

www.monadiorio.com

www.zenology.com

For more information on The Scented Hound’s Random 10, click here.


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Absolutely Sublime – Sublime by Jean Patou

WHAT I SMELL:  How can you not love a perfume’s opening when it’s rounded and buttery and topped with bergamot and orange?!  Sublime’s opening is incredibly full, rich and succulent, almost as if it’s an exotic fruit full of juice and ready to explode.   The perfume is heady without being completely over the top and the ylang-ylang is deliciously creamy.  After a few minutes, a light dust of oak moss appears, but it sits quietly under the wafting flowers and a light vanilla.  The perfume smells like it’s plucked from the heart of the Caribbean, but at the same time, there’s something incredibly cool and controlled about it that removes it from that locale.  As the perfume develops, it becomes more powdery, but no less radiant. After 20 minutes or so, the perfume softens, the florals become lighter, the powder becomes more pronounced and the warmed base becomes more prevalent.  What doesn’t change is that the perfume remains an incredible beauty.  In the end, you’re left with a golden dusty floral that is just the right amount of proper and just the right amount of pretty.

From the Jean Patou website:

SUBLIME is a joyous floral explosion, rich and rounded in contour and soft in texture. Its secret resides in the heart notes where floral notes are played against each other – rose and jasmine are combined with lily-of-the-valley and orange blossom, enhanced by warm notes of vetiver, sandalwood and oak moss. A vibrant cocktail of orange and mandarin provides sparkle and freshness, married with Ylang-Ylang from the Comoro Islands. The femininity and sensuality of Sublime gently emerges in the Vanilla base note.

Flight: Bergamot, Mandarin, Orange, Ylang Ylang
Fullness: Rose, Jasmine, Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom
Wake: Madagascar Vanilla, Amber, Sandalwood

Ellen Farner Umbrellas of CherbourgWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Ellen Farner as Madeleine in the “Umbrellas of Cherbourg”…an unassuming classic beauty.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SUBLIME: gorgeous, contained, sublime

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SUBLIME: The Non-Blonde, AustralianPerfumeJunkies

BOTTOM LINE:  Sublime seems to take the back seat to Jean Patou’s Joy and 1000; but this understated floral beauty should be second to none.  Not as big as 1000 and not as taut at Joy, Sublime is a perfectly named perfume that in my book is an easier wear than both 1000 and Joy.

  • Bone Rating:  4.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Oriental Floral
  • Nose: Jean Kerleo
  • Classification: Feminine
  • Expense: Prices vary greatly online, but can be found for around $50 for 1.7 oz. eau de parfum.  Review based on current eau de parfum version.