I love spicy and peppery food. I practically put Tabasco sauce on everything that I eat. And like perfume, I would have a hard time living without it. As much as I like spice and pepper, I don’t want to smell peppery! As a pepper scent, Black isn’t all that bad, it’s just not my thing so I’ll try to do it justice without being too prejudiced.
WHAT I SMELL: Black goes on cool to the touch almost sweet in a fashion. That quickly fades and a smoky incense comes to the surface. I’m not really smelling the pepper at this point, instead it’s almost a woody incense that swirls and curls like smoke. Eventually, the pepper comes to the surface and it’s sharp. The incense that seemed so smoky still is there, but the punctuated sharpness of the pepper gives it all a bite. But like the incense, the pepper seems to be a bit subdued as well. It’s like you are waiting for the ingredients to jump out in a blast, but as each note appears it manages to contain itself without being too loud.
Black Notes: black pepper, pepperwood, red pepper, violet, thyme, black tea, birch tar, incense, tree moss
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Dried wood boxes that have been sitting in a smokehouse storage basement, but not as they just came out of a building, but rather if had been sitting outside for a month or so to smooth out the sharper edge of the remaining smoky smell.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE BLACK: dry, subdued, dusty
BOTTOM LINE: This is an interesting scent and I find that its well done if you like your scents to feel more modern and remote. For me, it’s great for sampling but not for wearing. Black is one of a trio of scents in the Play Series. The other two scents are Green and Red which you can read more about in the above cited links. I do like the playful bottle though!
I love a good shopping surprise. Even better when it’s right in your home town. Yesterday, after doing my yard chores, me and my hubby went toddling off to Old Town Alexandria to do some window shopping and to get some unneeded gelato. If you have never been to Old Town Alexandria, it’s right outside Washington DC and it’s cute, quaint, very historic (think George Washington lived here). If you ever come to DC, you have to visit.
In any case, there is a store, Patrick’s Designs which I enjoy going into to look at all of the beautiful decorative items that I can’t afford. They have furnishings, barware, tabletop, gifts, etc. that are very unique. This is where I purchased my first Dr. Vranjes diffuser (I have been a faithful purchaser since). I have noted that in the past, they have had a couple of niche perfumes in the shop, but they have recently expanded and added some more. Some of the lines include: Juliet has a Gun, Montale, Costume National (I had never heard of this line before), Maître Parfumeur et Gantier, Fragonard, Manuel Canovas, Miller et Bertaux and others. The owner said that they will be adding other lines in the near future (goody!). Of course, it’s my job as a hometown boy to support local business I had to make sure that I bought something. But first lets discuss what I didn’t buy and why:
Miller et Bertaux’s Om: I don’t know why, but the darker the juice, the more I am attracted to a fragrance. Om is a deep amber-colored incense and vanilla scent. Wonderfully spicy, rich and peppery…beautiful on paper and initially on me, then straight to a metallic sharpness that I wanted to scrub off. Very disheartening.
Fragonard’s Billet Doux: OK, the scent itself is a light and pretty powdery carnation which is pleasant but maybe not so special. It’s much more feminine than I would normally like… but look at the bottle!!! It’s like a princess jewel. Is it OK to buy perfume just for the bottle? I may have to go back and try this again, the price wasn’t bad… but I really just want the bottle!
“I want to go to there” – Liz Lemon
OK, good sense prevailed and I ended up purchasing what others rave about for good reason, Maître Parfumeur et Gantier’s Ambre Precieux.
WHAT I SMELL: Golden warm amber and vanilla. Slightly spicy, smoky and buttery creaminess. At times, it seems lightly soapy. I find that this fragrance doesn’t morph as you wear it, but for an Eau de Toilette, Ambre Precieux has incredible depth, sillage and I find incredibly long-lasting. I usually find that most ambers are better suited for the fall and winter. Surprisingly, because of the vanilla sweetness (not too sweet mind you), this works just fine in the heat of summer. Beautiful.
All the splendour of the Orient is bottled in this perfume in which the much coveted amber unfolds its sensual and unique scent for us. Accompanied by precious woods, balms and spices, Ambre Précieux is a true Eastern symphony.
Ambre Precieux Notes: Top notes are myrrh and lavender; middle notes are nutmeg and vanilla; base notes are amber, tolu balsam and peru balsam.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: As I was sitting at my desk at work today I was trying to pinpoint what this scent smelled like to me. As strange as this may sound, it reminds me of the late 70s and 80s and a doctor that I used to go to. So what does that mean??! This doctor was very tailored in his white smock, had impeccable grooming and was very much a gentleman. To me, Ambre Precieux is understated elegance. It’s the kind of fragrance that would linger comfortably on your favorite weekend tweed jacket as well as your tux.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE AMBRE PRECIEUX: warm, refined, sophisticated
BOTTOM LINE: I don’t know if this will ever replace my love for Serge Luten’s Ambre Sultan. But to me Ambre Sultan is a fall/winter fragrance. So in the meantime, Ambre Precieux is going to satisfy my amber fix until the leaves start falling.
It’s always a good sign when you walk into the office and no sooner than you sit at your desk a co-worker comes over and says to you, “you always smell great, but today, whatever you’re wearing is incredible.” To me, Ciel is not groundbreaking, but it’s a very well crafted fragrance that is easy to wear and offers incredible quality. But I just had a feeling that someone was going to compliment me on wearing it. Maybe I’m psychic?!
WHAT I SMELL: Ciel introduces itself with a refreshing blast of bergamot. This is a scent that will wake you up if you’re a bit sleepy. Listed as part of the top notes are rose and lily of the valley. I’m not getting much rose, but I can sense the lily of the valley behind the bergamot. As it wears a bit, the frankincense starts to become more prominent.
As I was driving to work, what I noticed about Ciel is that it was almost two scents in one. From a distance, it smelled incredibly fresh, almost breezy. But as my arm would get nearer to my nose, that freshness was taken over by the incense which made what seemed to be a simple scent into something that was more mysterious, complex and spicy (and a little sour, but not in a bad way). It stays in this middle phase for a long time and this is where the fragrance resided when I received my lovely compliment.
In the end the fragrance settles into a nice and comfortable, slightly bitter sandalwood. For an Amouage scent the longevity is average, but the sillage is good.
This fragrance bursts alive with the freshness of rich floral scents. Like a rain shower on a hot summer’s day it cools and invigorates. Using the intensity of silver frankincense and sensual woods it leaves an inner sense of serenity and softness, reflecting the warmth of the sun.
Top notes: rose, bergamot, lavender, lily of the valley.
Base notes: frankincense, vetiver, patchouli, cedarwood, sandalwood.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A very masculine and powerful almost metallic fragrance that epitomizes strength without being unapproachable.
THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CIEL MAN: modern, traditional, mysterious
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT IO CIEL MAN: Launched in 2003, I didn’t find any bloggers with recent reviews. Comments can be found on Basenotes and Fragrantica.
The Scented Hound 