The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: fragrance


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Introducing The Scented Hound’s Random 10 with Twisted Lily’s Eric and Stamatis

The Scented Hound is launching a new feature, “The Scented Hound’s Random 10.” The Random 10 is a list of ten fill in the blank statements designed to get better acquainted with a perfumed personality.    The Random 10 is derived from a list of 99 potential statements that are picked by random by Random.org for each interview.  Many of these statements are focused around fragrance, but many are general in nature.  Each will hopefully add some  unknown fun facts and personal insights of those in and around the industry. You can check out the full list of the 99 fill in the blank statements here.

So how better to kick off this new feature by not only highlighting one person, but two,  with the co-founders of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary, Eric Weiser and Stamatis Birsimijoglou!

Stamatis and Eric (photo credit NY.Racked.com)

Stamatis and Eric (photo credit NY.racked.com)

Who says you need to shop in Manhattan to get your hands on the best in niche perfume.  Just across the East River in the Boerum Hill section of Brooklyn is Eric and Stamatis’ ode to niche heaven, Twisted Lily located on Atlantic Avenue.  Since opening the store in 2013, these two have one of the most extensive selections of little known niche perfumes on the East Coast.  And it seems that every month, they add an ever-increasing mix of up and coming brands.  Selling perfumes is one thing, but Eric and Stamatis, as well as their staff, make your shopping experience an enlightening event with knowledgeable and friendly customer service.  So let’s see what they reveal in their Random 10!

STAMATIS:

  1. I can get frazzled when…My to-do list spills onto a 4th page.
  1. If I had the chance to do something over again, I would…have been a dancer because I’ve got some crazy moves.
  1. My parents always taught me to…love unconditionally, the importance of family, and the importance of being a good listener!
  1. A guilty pleasure of mine is…LOL, sorry it’s personal!
  1. My favorite food is…Seafood, Avocados and Chocolate (not together though)
  1. My idea of pure bliss is…Being on a secluded beach, the open sea only steps away, mountains in the distance, sipping some good wine, a plate of fresh fruit and sharing it all with my partner, Eric… I can see it now!
  1. I’m a hoarder when it comes to owning multiple bottles of…Apoteker Tepe’s After The Flood. There’s something very comforting about it so I need to have it everywhere.
  1. My perfume tastes vary with…My mood and the weather.
  1. One fragrance that I thought I wouldn’t like, but turned out that I love is…Rania J’s Lavande 44. I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t like it but I wear this one all the time now. It’s one of my favorites, a classic.
  1. You can never own enough…Boots and music.

ERIC:

  1. When I’m looking for quiet time, I…Meditate – anything that helps me shut off my mind for 15 minutes, also getting a therapeutic massage is like heaven on earth!
  1. My favorite fragrance house / brand is…Changes like the weather.  I’ve learned to appreciate most brands.
  1. The phrase I always overuse is….Don’t bullshit me! (It comes in handy when you run your own business)
  1. My biggest challenge so far in life has been…Learning to balance my personal life and my career
  1. The animal that best represents who I am is…An independent, yet cuddly and loyal canine.
  1. My favorite food is…Anything delectably spiced that makes my taste buds dance!
  1. My most vivid scent memory is…Walking around the spice bazaar with Stamatis in Istanbul. Cardamom, Coriander, Pepper, Turmeric
  1. The fragrance I most dislike is…Very heavy Ouds. Of course I appreciate Oud and know when it’s perfect for someone, it just doesn’t work very well with my chemistry. I also find that they’re a heavy commitment.
  1. Before I go to bed, I always…Have a full-on conversation with my dog. Making up ridiculous stories and rubbing her belly.
  1. My perfume tastes vary with….Whatever shoes and belt I’m wearing.

Thanks to Eric and Stamatis for breaking the ice with this inaugural post of The Scented Hound’s Random 10.  Please check out their website, twistedlily.com or stop by their store to see all the fantastic products they offer.  And if you’re in the Brooklyn area THIS weekend definitely pay them a visit to take advantage of special in-store only offerings for the holiday weekend. What a way to kick off the Memorial Day weekend…hot dogs, hamburgers, beer and a new bottle of perfume!


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New Release: Cierge de Lune by Aedes de Venutas

Cierge de LuneWHAT I SMELL:  Cierge de Lune opens with a muted and spicy warmed vanilla that’s soft, gentle and quite comforting.  It’s also incredibly unassuming and it feels like a whisper enticing you to come along as it travels down a quiet old world passage.  After a few minutes, the perfume almost becomes hidden as it retreats from my skin.  But Cierge de Lune is a vanilla based perfume so I have no doubt that it will once again appear.  And as soon as I write that, a peppery note starts to emerge along with the softest of vanilla.  At the same time, the pepper begins to flatten out the more rounded vanilla and the perfume begins to dry.  The dryness brings out the smell of what to me smells like pencil shavings, but which are tinged with just the slightest bit of sweetness.  After quite some time, a beautifully subdued and lightly creamy ylang ylang appears and the perfume begins to grow as if stretching itself out to seduce you with its intoxicating tentacles of spellbinding mystery.  There’s a beauty in this perfume that feels as if it has a deadly and alluring poison.  In the end, Cierge de Lune is a quiet, haunting and mysterious vanilla perfume topped with just a light whiff of burnt incense.

From the Aedes de Venustas website:

Cierge de Lune: Cool and limpid as moonlit desert air. Velvety and sensuous as the midnight sky… Inspired by the scent of the mysterious night blooming cereus, also known as the Queen of the Night, AEDES DE VENUSTAS’ sixth offering unveils the dark side of vanilla.

  • Top Notes: Crystalline accord
  • Middle Notess: Vanilla absolute from Madagascar, pink pepper, black pepper, ylang ylang
  • Base Notes: Suede accord, incense, amber, musk

beautiful hazeWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  An old world European city street covered in a mysterious cloud of haunting smoke and fog.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE CIERGE DE LUNE:  sublime, enticing, mysterious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CIERGE DE LUNE: Chemist in the Bottle, The Non-Blonde, Colognoisseur

BOTTOM LINE:  Cierge de Lune is vanilla done right.  It’s incredibly subdued and perfectly refined and rather than shouting it speaks in whispers.  Cierge de Lune is easily my favorite thus far from the Aedes de Venutas line of perfumes.

  • Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Oriental Floral
  • Nose: Fabrice Pellegrin
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $245 for 3.4 oz. Eau de Parfum


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New Release: Mugler Angel Muse

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WHAT I SMELL:  Angel Muse goes on the skin all sweet, nutty and über creamy; it lies on your skin as if was applied like butter to toast.  The perfume is sweet, but not sugary; instead it’s more gourmand.  As the perfume develops, that creamy nutty buttery concoction moves to the less creamy, but the projection begins to grow and with it the patchouli comes front and center with a pulsating rhythm of brown sugar and vetiver which helps to keep the perfume from going full on sweet.  As it continues to develop, a tonka and vanilla note comes forward which helps to give the perfume some needed depth.  In the end, the perfume resides in a warmed cocoon of semi sweet-comfort and ultimately after many hours, Angel Muse ends up feeling like a comfy musky vanilla pillow.  But best of all Angel Muse is a bright and happy scent and that’s sure to make you smile.

From the Mugler website:

Tantalizing. Delicious. Supremely feminine. Discover ANGEL Muse, the new addictive fragrance you will #HateToLove…. Cosmic explosions collide with magnetic attraction to create an irresistible Eau de Parfum never experienced before. Get ready to lose your mind! Fragrance notes: Grapefruit, Pink Peppercorn, Hazelnut Cream, Vetiver, Patchouli.

full-houseWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Full House, early ’90s.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ANGEL MUSE:  big, noticeable, energized

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ANGEL MUSE: Musings of a Muse, My Life Along the Lishops, Complexions Beauty Blog

BOTTOM LINE:  There’s something very nostalgic and comforting about Angel Muse.  Like a throwback in time, the perfume is big and bold and fits like a well-worn sweatshirt or sweater.

  • Bone Rating:  3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Oriental Vanilla
  • Nose: Quentin Bisch
  • Classification: Leans feminine and young
  • Expense: $70 for 1 oz. Eau de Parfum