musk | The Scented Hound

April 18, 2012
by The Scented Hound 8 Comments

Voyage d’Hermes by Hermes

I purchased Voyage d’Hermes a couple of years ago and somewhere along the line it ended up being a hand me down to my partner who found it more enticing than I did. I like it. He loves it. Voyage d’Hermes is a wonderful summer scent. It’s refreshing and light; masculine while still being soft and pretty. This scent is green with hints of citrus, green tea, florals and light spice. And there’s just a hint of musk to warm it, keeping it close to the skin. As you wear it, that warmth and musk come more to the surface, but it always maintains its freshness. As nice as this scent is, the one outstanding item about this scent is the bottle. The bottle is placed on a silver plated swivel carrier that when not in use, the sprayer is concealed on the bottom. It’s a small masterpiece in bottle engineering. This is considered unisex, but I see this as more of a man’s fragrance.

Voyage d’Hermes Notes:

Lemony Notes, Spicy Notes, Cardamom Note, Tea Note, Floral Notes, Hedione, Green Notes, Musky Notes, White Woods

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent Type: Woody – Floral Musk
Classification: Unisex

March 16, 2012
by The Scented Hound 3 Comments

Je Suis un Homme by Etat Libre d’Orange

I had high hopes for my first venture into the line of Etat Libre d’Orange. I recently received a few samples, one of which was Je Suis un Homme. Although tame in name in comparison with some of the other irreverently titled fragrances in the line, it is the perfect place for me to start. Upon application, I noted a very subdued and almost elegant combination of citrus and musk. It went on beautifully understated with a warm undertone. I really loved the initial impact of this scent. I wanted those initial notes to stay with me; unfortunately they did not. Much too soon for my liking, the citrus notes disappeared and all I got was a slightly green, medicinal, Mennen Skin Bracer scent. In looking at the composition of this fragrance (see below), I would have thought that there would be many surprises that would come to light when wearing this, but it just seemed to flatten out. And not only did it flatten out; after a couple of hours it just disappeared. I have not given up on this one, hoping that it’s my body chemistry today, but I have to admit I’m pretty disappointed.

Oh, and one of the other samples was for Don’t Get Me Wrong Baby. I won’t be reviewing this because it is targeted to the female gender, but I did give it a dab on the back of my hand. If you love Lily of the Valley (and more Lily of the Valley), you might like this. Uggh. Not my thing!

Oh, but I will be back. I’m just too intrigued by this brand!

From the Etat Libre d’Orange website:

Composition: Bergamot, orange, lemon, myrrh, cinnamon, clove, cognac accord, leather, patchouli, animal notes…

Napoleon would have sprayed himself with this, a reinterpretation of his favorite cologne. Citrus and bergamot summon the guard to prepare an attack. Birch wood and cognac evoke the leather of saddle and boots. Energetic and masculine, this is a scent for the man – or the woman – who is ready to launch the offensive…

Bone Rating: 2 out of 5 possible bones
Classification: Masculine
Expense: $80 for 50ml EDP

February 9, 2012
by The Scented Hound Leave a comment

L’Hetre Reve by Nez a Nez

I love good surprises. I am always hesitant with scents that are comprised with elements of leather. I know as a man, I should embrace that rustic side of me, but I usually find that the leather is just too heavy. When I first applied this to my skin, the leather was clearly present, but it mixed wonderfully with the spices of cinnamon and clove. I can live with that kind of leather. As a unisex perfume, I thought at first that this was a decidedly a masculine scent; manly but warm and very enveloping. By the time I arrived at work, the magic continued but on a whole other level. Still warm, but now sweet. The leather dissipated and out came the light floral elements, a tinge of musk and a tinge of powder. I noticed that as the day went on, depending on what I was doing, sitting at my desk quietly or running to a meeting very busily, the scent changed… warm, cool, sweet, powdery, musky. It was like I was applying a new scent throughout the day. My one downside is that by the time I got home, the scent had pretty much disapearred on me. Well, I guess that just means that I’ll have to apply some more!

Notes:

Star anise, mandarin, cinnamon, clove, sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, plum, wisteria, cedarwood, gaiacwood, jacaranda, leather, musk, port