oriental floral | The Scented Hound

July 20, 2015
by The Scented Hound 12 Comments

Mona di Orio Nuit Noire

WHAT I SMELL: Nuit Noire opens with a plasticined orange, it’s slightly bitter and sour and rather animalic (to be honest, there’s a skankiness that is quite unexpected). Given the opening, I would think that the perfume would be heavy and thick. Instead, the perfume feels light and airy, albeit it incredibly potent. Now don’t get me wrong, I like it when a perfume has a bit of a funky edge as long as it doesn’t dominate. And after around 10 minutes or so, the funk, although still present, makes way for a warmed mix of spice and a light creaminess. The projection is low which makes the perfume feel mysterious and rather forbidden. The transition of the soured orange to more of a flattened musk brings a more evened edge to the perfume and after around 30 minutes the tuberose melds with the orange blossom which helps to soften the perfume even further. In the end, Nuit Noire is a sultry and sexy exotic creamy floral with just the right amount of naughty edginess.

From the Mona di Orio website:

Nuit Noire elicits the steaming sensuality of a dark, sultry night in North Africa, exotic, spicy, and animalic. A strikingly carnal affair, the raw energy and heat at the start rises from floral notes colliding with woods, spices and leather, but as it is with lovers, this sophisticated floriental dries down richly intimate into a velvety seduction of spices.

The honeyed floral sweetness of orange blossom, intense tuberose, and robust, spicy cardamom seduce each other and tease for dominance. The indolic quality of the orange blossom and tuberose pulses with a ripe lushness. Brighter notes of ginger and oranges arrive on the hot wind of this vibrant souk and bring with it an intense accord of incense, spices and woods from frankincense, cinnamon, cloves and cedar and sandalwood.

Notes of animalistic musk, comforting leather, vanilla-sweet tonka and warm resinous amber develop into a creamy, velvet intoxication. This primal nocturnal journey becomes darker and spicier.

Notes: Orange flower, cardamom, ginger, orange, frankincense, cinnamon, tuberose, sandalwood, clove, cedarwood, amber, leather, musk, tonka.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A 1960s supermodel Jean Shrimpton.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE NUIT NOIRE: mysterious, sensual, exotic

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NUIT NOIRE: CaFleureBon, The Sounds of Scent, The Black Narcissus

BOTTOM LINE: There’s something about orange blossom that has a 1960s connection to me. As modern Nuit Noire is, to me, there’s a bit of vintage vibe to the perfume. Modern or vintage, Nuit Noire’s perfumed ride goes from the wild to the absolute sublime.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Mona di Orio
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $195 for 75 ml Eau de Parfum

Sample courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary.

May 4, 2015
by The Scented Hound 10 Comments

A Goodnight Kiss by Roja Parfums

WHAT I SMELL: A Goodnight Kiss opens with a rush of aldehydes and a light powder which is like a quick wisp of a makeup brush. The opening is then quickly met with a lightly burnt floral which reminds me a bit of hairspray and of Lanvin Arpege which makes the perfume feel modernly old-fashioned and very familiar. A few minutes into the wear, the perfume becomes large and rather juicy, which is strange because there is nothing sweet nor fruity about the composition. However, the perfume is bursting at the seams with incredible florals which seem to dance around a maypole each making their way to the center. Most prevalent to me is the violet, but as soon as I say that the ylang, ylang comes into focus. In all, the florals while large, never veer from being contained and they’re very controlled and pretty in slightly masculine way. Soon enough a green powder comes into play, which takes the perfume back to the wisp of a makeup brush. In all, the perfume does feel like the many contents found on a vanity table. Finally, the masculine and lightly spiced florals then turn towards soft and cloudy when the perfume relaxes into a haze of comfort. A Goodnight Kiss is a perfume that is meant to leave a wake of a memory behind the wearer and it does so in the most beautiful of fashion.

From Roja Parfums:

Roja Dove owes his vocation to the kiss of a very special muse…“I remember vividly my mother coming to kiss me goodnight when I was about 6 years old. She was on her way out to a cocktail party and dressed in a gold lame dress, the light from the hallway illuminated her from behind, transforming her into an ethereal figure. It is an image that will always stay with me and the resonating smell of her face powder and perfume that lingered in the room once she had kissed me goodnight marked the beginning of my love for perfume” – Roja Dove

A Goodnight Kiss is the celebration of how precious a small exchange of affection can be, and the lasting effect it can have upon us. In a world where human contact is becoming increasingly digitised, the smallest acts of physical interaction seem more meaningful than ever before. The fragrant embodiment of humanity’s most intimate gesture — the soft, evanescent whisper of A Goodnight Kiss.

TOP NOTES: Aldehydes, Bergamot

HEART NOTES: Rose, Ylang Ylang, Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Carnation, May Flower, Violet

BASE NOTES: Green Accord, Cedarwood, Clove, Spice Notes, Rice Powder

DEEP BASE: Orris, Leather, Musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Perfectly named; a tender and loving goodnight kiss from mother to child.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE A GOODNIGHT KISS: memorable, comforting, thoughtful

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT A GOODNIGHT KISS: No other reviews found.

BOTTOM LINE: A Goodnight Kiss is a wonderful tribute to Roja Dove’s mother; and what is even more lovely in this intimate creation is that others, like myself, will immediately recognize the familiar scents revolving around a bygone era when dressing up on a Saturday night for your mother meant wearing her finest topped off by a silken gloves. To us, our mother’s were glamour embodied and A Goodnight Kiss captures this in the most magical of way.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Roja Dove
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $1,750 for 100 ml Parfum

March 30, 2015
by The Scented Hound 18 Comments

New Release: Neela Vermeire Creations Pichola

WHAT I SMELL: Pichola opens with a light, soft combination of magnolia and tempered spice. It’s like a whisper that meets the back of your neck with a breath of tenderness. In a couple of minutes that whisper opens to what feels like dawn, or the rising of the sun. You can feel the perfume becoming brighter, more radiant and alive. The blending of the notes makes it difficult to distinguish individual notes, but that’s a good thing because together they paint such a beautiful picture. The florals are front and center of the perfume, but they are subdued, rather gentle and oh so pretty and graceful. After 15 minutes or so, the florals begin to grow, becoming more lush and slightly sweeter with the jasmine most pronounced along with a creamy ylang-ylang. The sandalwood provides a touch of dimension under the budding florals. As the perfume continues to grow, the creaminess expands to create a milky wrap around the florals as if it’s trying to contain the uncontainable burgeoning blossoms. I keep waiting for the florals to explode, but instead they blossom and grow large without shouting. The perfume culminates in this creamy haze of floral and lightly woody and sweet delightfulness.

From the Neela Vermeire Creations website:

Lake Pichola is the crown jewel and central focus of the princely city of Udaipur. A myriad of colourful historic, architectural and spiritual re!ections fall on this splendid water body – the sunlight and moonlight of each season bringing out the eternal and timeless beauty of Lake Pichola. Our latest fragrance captures such countless re!ections on the lake from the past to the present – showcasing the splendour of opulent and vibrant flowers, princely spices and precious woods taking us on an unforgettable and hypnotic fragrant journey. Once you have experienced the diverse and stunning beauty of these indescribable re!ections you will understand the true meaning of timeless luxury and e”ortless beauty….

TOP NOTES Cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, juniper, magnolia, neroli oil, clementine, bergamot

HEART NOTES Orange blossom absolute, rose absolute, tuberose absolute, Jasmine sambac, ylangylang

BASE NOTES Benzoin absolute, sandalwood, driftwood, vetiver from Haiti

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Daybreak. The sun, warmth and quietness opening up to a new and glorious day.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE PICHOLA: reflective, jeweled, comforting

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PICHOLA: Kafkaesque, The Goodsmellas, Persolaise

BOTTOM LINE: Pichola is the quiet cousin of the fantastic Bombay Bling. Both are incredibly uplifting floral beauties and there is an unmistakable connection in their composition. But, Pichola is more restrained and subdued. It’s as if the Bombay Bling party has ended and it’s time for some down time to reflect on the excitement of the day.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Launching in April 2015 in the US. EU residents can place orders via the Neela Vermeire website for 205 Euros for 60ml.

Sample courtesy of Neela Vermeire Creations.