oriental | The Scented Hound

February 1, 2016
by The Scented Hound 6 Comments

Ex Nihilo Venenum Kiss

WHAT I SMELL: Venenum Kiss (poison kiss) opens with a saffron laden ripened fruit. The perfume is fleshy and thick, and it feels like fruit that’s ready to fall off the limb of a tree with the weight of the rotting juice. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just very narcotic and rather fermented. Or in other words, it is forbidden-fruit in the best sense of the word. Overall, the perfume is warm, radiant and seductive. And as the perfume develops, the rose and the sandalwood come forward with a soured and sharpened melding of forces. What once was more seductive and fruited, is now more of a poisoned arrow; still beautiful and seductive, but it feels more deadly. As the perfume continues to morph, the sharpened edges soften, but not by much as the vanilla base continues to provide a sweetened, oudish bounty of menace. And in the end, it’s all topped off with a bit of incense, making it all so very seductive.

From the Ex Nihilo website:

VENENUM KISS, a sensual and sophisticated liquor with hints of candied apricot and vanilla.

The strong and intense feel of an electric night in the Orient…
The women are wearing their evening perfume, in their wakes, a veritable storm of scents.
Wherever you go at night, you succumb to this same hypnotic smell.

TOP: Neroli, Saffron, Nutmeg

HEART: Rose absolute, Davana, Amber

BASE: Vanilla, Styrax, Sandalwood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The sin of desire.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE VENENUM KISS: sinful, dangerous, fleshy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VENENUM KISS: Colognoisseur

BOTTOM LINE: Venenum Kiss is named perfectly. The perfume is decadent, poisonous and it feels predatory and rather deadly. It also reminds me a bit of Armani Prive’ Cuir Noir, except that Venenum Kiss feels a lot more dangerous and over the top. Venenum Kiss is NOT an office scent and it would have to be worn on just the right occasion. Perfect when you want to bring out your deviled horns.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental
Nose: Quentin Bisch
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $225 for 50 ml Eau de Parfum.

Sample courtesy of Lucky Scent.

October 26, 2015
by The Scented Hound 7 Comments

New Release: Voyage by Hiram Green (Limited Edition)

WHAT I SMELL: Voyage opens with a Sweetart candied sweetness that very quickly moves to a soured and spiced citrus that has a undercut flattened note of what I can only describe as shoe leather that is met with a bit just a hint of rubber. I know that my description doesn’t sound so appealing, but the combination of those ingredients are rather interesting and exotic. After around 15 minutes, the flatness disappears to give rise to a spiced amber that seems to buzz with vibrant energy as well as helps to bolster the perfume’s projection. The perfume at this point is rather prickly and reminds me of a large sack of exotic spices in a large burlap sack located in a hidden gem of earthly delights in an Indian street market. As the perfume develops more, there’s a floral component (I am guessing because the notes don’t list any florals) that helps to smooth out the spice and which helps to give the perfume a more dream like quality. The real magic with Voyage for me is after about an hour into the wear when the florals, spices and vanilla begin to blend, taking off any sharp edges to create this creamy and wonderfully exotic perfume that’s perfectly fitted for the fall weather.

From the Hiram Green website:

An ode to the exotic mysteries of India, our new fragrance is as atmospheric and thrilling as a Mysore street market and as opulent as Octopussy’s floating palace on Lake Pichola.

Voyage is an intoxicating blend of fresh citrus top notes, a heart of warm amber and luscious suede over a smooth vanilla base.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Hiram has chosen the peacock as a visual representation of the perfume. He made the perfect choice.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE VOYAGE: spicy, exotic, mysterious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT VOYAGE: Kafkaesque, Chemist in the Bottle

BOTTOM LINE: Some perfumers have a very distinctive signature to their perfumes and once again with Voyage, this is easily identifiable as a Hiram Green perfume. I asked Hiram if there was a note that was central to all three of his perfumes (Moon Bloom, Shangri La and of course Voyage) and he said that there was not. Given that, all I can say is that on my skin there is a common thread…so I’ll just say that each perfume has a very distinct “Hiramism”….and that’s a good thing!

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental
Nose: Hiram Green
Classification: Unisex
Expense: 135 Euros for 50 ml eau de parfum from the Hiram Green website. Limited edition of 250 bottles. Pre-orders ship November 2, 2015 and come with a 5 ml atomizer of your choice of Moon Bloom, Shangri La or Voyage.

Sample courtesy of Hiram Green. Opinions and observations are my own.

October 21, 2015
by The Scented Hound 9 Comments

Semi-New Kid on the Block: Blocki Perfumes

Almost two years ago to the day, I attended my first Sniffapalooza in New York City. At the infamous Bergdorf Goodman breakfast, there was a lovely couple that was sitting next to our table. This too was their first time at Sniffapalooza, and like me, they were just as excited to be participating in this fun event. Unlike the group of perfumistas at our table, their interest extended beyond a love of fragrance. Instead, they were working towards resurrecting a family perfume business….one in which had an incredible American heritage. Two years later, the couple; Tyler and Tammy Kraemer have made their dream a reality by re-introducing Blocki Perfumes to the world.

John Blocki

As hinted to earlier, their story didn’t start merely two years ago, Blocki Perfumes has an American pedigree that goes back to the mid 19th century when Tyler’s great-grandfather, John Blocki, considered a pioneer in American perfumery, started creating, selling and distributing his own collection of perfumes. In fact, Blocki was the first to open a perfume boutique in Chicago in 1903. After his death, in 1934, Blocki Perfumes faded into American perfumed history. But in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first Blocki & Son perfumery, Tyler and Tammy have launched this new collection in homage to their ancestral American pioneer.

The three perfumes in the newly released Blocki Perfumes collection “for walks,” “in every season,” and “this grand affair” are inspired by and are meant to embody memoir passages penned by John Blocki’s wife and Tyler’s great-grandmother, Emma Blocki. Of the collection, “this grand affair,” a wonderful full-bodied floral, is my personal favorite.

WHAT I SMELL: “this grand affair” opens with the most beautiful floral citrus combination that is warm, full of juice and full of life. The opening is joyous and rapturous and everything you want with a big floral perfume. In a bit, a lovely subdued lavender joins the mix creating a rather majestic and proper feel as the perfume tones down from a full and rounded floral bouquet to more of an old world garden. It feels as if you’re being welcomed into the manor house by an open door on a beautiful summer day. After some time, a mandarin note comes to the front as if the ripened fruit and flowers are being carried by the buzzing bees. “this grand affair” opens big and beautiful and like a grand party, carries itself with beautiful but simple opulence. And like the party, it quietly retreats to a lovely warm and lightly powdered beautiful memory of the magic of the night.

“this grand affair” notes from the Blocki Perfumes website –

Top: citrus duet of grapefruit and neroli, sweet woody davana oil

Middle: Bulgarian lavender, rose d’orient, petitgrain of lemon and mandarin

Base: vanilla, musk, tonka bean and patchouli

“this grand affair”

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The perfume is like a grand affair, or rather like a grand party of the Gilded Age.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE THIS GRAND AFFAIR: majestic, radiant, proper

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THIS GRAND AFFAIR: It’s not a review, but Tyler Kraemer penned a wonderful article at CaFleureBon about the history behind Block Perfumes past and present.

BOTTOM LINE: The wonderful backstory of the resurrection of this classic American perfumery is reason enough to check out the new line of Blocki Perfumes. The fact that these perfumes are beautiful and wonderfully modern with a classic sensibility is just icing on the cake.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental
Nose: Kevin Verspoor
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $165 for 50 ml eau de parfum. Available at Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary.