The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.


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Madrona by House of Matriarch

MadronaWHAT I SMELL:  Madrona opens with a moist lavender that’s creamy and lightly sugared.  A light leather and birch bring a little bit of sour into the perfume along with a hint of burnt rubber.  The initial feel of the perfume is quite outdoorsy and masculine while at the same time it’s also rather smooth with just the right amount of toughness.  A smoldering woodiness creates the base which makes the fragrance feel strong and steady.  As the perfume develops it begins to soften, while still confident, it adds a dimension of contentment as the lavender becomes more powdered and a woody vetiver begins to take over as a radiant base.  

From the House of Matriarch website:

A fragrance born of the Northwest. Dream-inducing lavender fields mingle with towering cedar trees swaying gently in the misted Pacific breeze. An underlying sense of exploration, imbued through a Vetiver base note, keeps this ancient Northwest spirit youthful and exotic. Madrona, whose bark itself look like it was forged of polished bronze, lends more than just a note to this fragrance — it lays the roots of its name.

Sacagawea_Lewis_ClarkWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  The perfume made for Lewis and Clark…at the journey’s end where the tall trees meet the cool ocean of the Pacific Northwest.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE MADRONA:  secure, aged, solid

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MADRONA:  perfumesilove

BOTTOM LINE:  What started off as rather manly, in the end becomes a real comforting and easy to wear scent.  The perfume is not large in its projection which makes this a perfect fit for an office setting.

  • Bone Rating:  3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Aromatic
  • Nose:  Christi Meshell
  • Classification: Unisex, but leans masculine
  • Expense: $120 for 15 ml parfum


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House of Matriarch Black No. 1

House of Matriarch Black No. 1

WHAT I SMELL:  Black No. 1 opens with a boot strap leather with hints of green cedar and fir.  The leather feels strong, thick and stiff, like the boot leather that would be worn by a lineman needed for protection from the rugged elements.  After a short time, a petroleum sheen rises above the leather which is rather metallic and sharp.  But soon enough, that metallic edge disappears and once again the perfume becomes full on leather.  After 30 minutes or so, the perfume moves from the strong leather, to a softer and lusher wooded and slightly sugared leather.  At this point, the perfume is very comforting and it feels at ease.  The best of Black No. 1 is reserved for the drydown.  In the end, the leather is soft and rather green, slightly sweetened lightly creamy and it hugs the skin…which means you’ll have to get close up to really feel it’s magic.

From the House of Matriarch website:

Recently named “SEXIEST SCENT” at the International Artisan Fragrance Awards, TOP MEN’S FRAGRANCE by Men’s Journal Magazine and BEST OF THE WEST by Sunset Magazine. This worldly and penetrating perfume contains hundreds of exotic natural essences. An unforgettable, brooding, complex, swirling kaleidoscope of a perfume which, given its notes and general dark aesthetic, is surprisingly warm and encompassing. This fragrance captivates the wearer to a deep and enchanting mystique.

Black No. 1 notes:

Top: Northwest conifers, Puget Sound seaweed, white sage

Middle: oud, cannabis, amber

Base: black leather, ambergris, hyraceum

Witchita Lineman1WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  The Wichita Lineman…very masculine, solitary and graceful in his strength.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE BLACK NO. 1:  secure, confident, understated

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BLACK NO. 1: Perfume do Dio, Fragrance Daily

BOTTOM LINE:  Formerly branded as Blackbird, Black No. 1 really is a sexy scent in that it’s masculine without being over the top full on beast.  Instead, it has a quiet strength that would fit any wearing scenario.  I’m not a huge fan of leather perfumes, but I think I finally found one that could break my thinking on that front.

Sample courtesy of House of Matriarch.  Opinion my own.