The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: oriental


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Black Gemstone by Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777

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WHAT I SMELL:  If you smell Black Gemstone out of the bottle it smells of boozy rum and leather.  When sprayed, what you get is an initial blast of leather and this deep resinous sourish wood.  It’s really pretty in a masculine way and it’s rather comforting as well.  And what I really like is that the leather feels rich and smooth rather than hard and rugged.  There’s also a bit of sweetness that sits on top of the leather, as if the boozy rum is rising as it evaporates off of the leather.  I have no idea why this fragrance is making me feel happy, but it is.  After around the 10 minute mark, the myrrh starts filing the fragrance with an incredible roundness.  At this point, Black Gemstone has left my happy zone, and it is starting to turn more mysterious.  There’s a lot of projection at this point and it’s very smooooooth and it’s starting to become very sexy.  At the twenty-minute mark, the olibanum make itself known and Black Gemstone has a rather boozy pipe tobacco feel to it.  It’s still big and still sexy, though it has moved into being more woody.  After around an hour, a smokiness appears as if it’s combined with ash rising from a campfire.  All of the sudden, the fragrance went from being on big and sexy to something more primeval.  No wait, it just made another turn and when back to pipe tobacco!  In the drydown, Black Gemstone remains in this smooth and confident sweet and smoky state.  Incredible.

Black Gemstone from Fragrantica:

Top notes are lemon and cedar; middle notes are myrrh and resins; base notes are teak wood, olibanum and tonka bean.

paul-bunyan2WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Paul Bunyan; handsome, rugged and larger than life.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE BLACK GEMSTONE:  masculine, sexy, big

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BLACK GEMSTONE:  CaFleureBon, Kafkaesque

BOTTOM LINE: Black Gemstone is so out of the norm from my flower power lovin perfumes I’m surprised that I love it, but I do.  It’s just so smooth and darn right delicious that I can see this becoming rather addictive.

  • Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Oriental
  • Nose:  Stéphane Humbert Lucas
  • Classification: Unisex, but leans masculine
  • Expense: $340 for 50ml EdP

Sample courtesy of Osswald Parfumerie.


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Topaze Imperiale by Krigler

topaze imperiale 213WHAT I SMELL: Topaze Imperiale opens with large blast of astringent alcohol, which then leads to this almost sour-smelling pine (kind of like dirty socks).  Thankfully, that little spell soon moves into a warm spice that seems a bit nutty and smells brownish to me (yes, don’t ask me why, but it makes me think “brown”).  After around five minutes, a little oud makes an appearance.  It’s lightly chewy and again, moves out-of-the-way quickly for the sandalwood to take its place along with hints of vetiver.  It’s smooth with streaks of sharpness that make it a bit lighter.  Soon again there’s another change; this time a dry wood that comes into play.  It’s a wood that seems to have been aged with some smoke and incense. After 20 minutes, the fragrance becomes very dry, highlighted with just a faint top layer of rose.  Where before I could only think that this could be worn by a man, with the inclusion of the rose, I now think it of this as very unisex.  All I can say is that Topaze Imperiale is classic and classy…and it lasts for a very long time.

From the Krigler website:

A rich mélange, grounded in a seductive Amber base, Topaze Imperiale evokes the undeniable allure of the precious stone. Intriguing top notes of Vetiver, Musk and Sandalwood lead to an addictive heart of Vanilla, Neroli and Oud before leading to the magnetic base that is accented by notes of Amber, Galbanum, Rose and Mandarin.

big brotherWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  This reminds me so much of my beloved Amouage Fate Woman, but this is less powdery and contains more of a burnt wood effect which makes this more masculine.  It’s like its Amouage Fate Woman’s big brother.  

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TOPAZE IMPERIALE:  smoked, eternal, confident

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TOPAZE IMPERIALE:  I Am the Makeup Junkie

BOTTOM LINE:  Thanks to the wonderful Daisy from coolcookstyle, who purchased this precious jewel at Sniffapalooza and gave me a sample.   Topaze Imperiale is classic, with an incredible amount of subtleness.  This is a keeper and I’m thinking that maybe it’s my turn for a full bottle??!!!

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental
  • Classification:  Unisex
  • Expense:  $245 for 50ml EdP from the Krigler website


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L’eau de Shah Jahan and L’eau de Mumtaz-I Mahal by the House of Haute Perfumerie Nicolas de Barry

MahalJahanIn honor of the love that inspired one of the most beautiful structures in the world, the Taj Mahal; perfumer Nicolas de Barry created two fragrances that embody the personas of the two historical figures, whose love was so great that this magnificent monument was erected in sorrow to memorialize one man’s most beloved.

L’EAU DE SHAH JAHAN (THE PASSIONATE) – 

WHAT I SMELL:  Shah Jahan opens with a sweet rose that is quickly met with a bit of warm sandalwood.  It’s light and rather pretty until around the five minute mark when a woodiness appears and draws down any of the initial sweetness.  The fragrance at this time is quite subtle, but you can tell that bubbling underneath is an unknown presence that will soon make an appearance.  After around 15 minutes, there’s a deep and darkish burning tire note that comes into play.  However, it’s not overwhelming but helps to adds to the depth of the fragrance.  There are still hints of the sweetened rose that rise up and mix with the burnt note and they interplay as if they are sharing a ride on a fragrance teeter-totter.   After some time, the burnt note dissipates and becomes more smoky and the oud in the base is thankfully not heavy, but instead is slightly sweet which helps to keep Shah Jahan masculine and warm, yet rather pretty as well.

From the House of Haute Perfumerie Nicolas de Barry:

For this imperial fragrance, Nicolas de Barry reconstituted an oud attar according to princely traditions of Kannauj’s master perfumers who blends rose with woody scents of sandalwood and aloe.  The rose gives a fresh note to the oriental bouquet and creates a truly Indian masculine fragrance.  To wear the passionate L’eau de Shah Jahan, is becoming a gallant man inspired by love who maneuvers in the glitz and utmost refinements; a man of power who listens to his heart despite of all expectations. 

Top Note – Pink Himalayan India Rose, Middle Note – sandalwood, Base Note – Oud Assam

indiandoorwayWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A doorway to an Indian dream.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE L’EAU DE SHAH JAHAN: confident, wise, thoughtful

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT L’EAU DE SHAH JAHAN:  No reviews found.

L’EAU DE MUMTAZ-I MAHAL (THE ENCHANTRESS) –  mUMTAZ

WHAT I SMELL:   Mumtaz-I Mahal goes on with a soured oudish like rose.  There’s a strange burnished note that feels like the rose has just been seared.  It sits close to the skin at the beginning until after about five minutes or so, the rose begins to warm and pulsate off of the skin.  I find this fragrance wonderfully different in the fact that it doesn’t feel like it’s for western audiences and I can say that it smells different from anything I have smelled before.   After some more time, the fragrance warms further and it begins to give off a slightly sweetened and light sugared note.  But it’s like a sheer gauze over the exotic base.  At around the 30 minute mark, the fragrance comes into its own as the rose is met with an earthy sandalwood.  This rose is about as exotic as it gets.  I feel that wearing it I’ll be met with some adventure in a far off land.  I’m having a hard time finding the words to describe this, but the best I can do is to say that it’s “sweet and sour.”  The sweetness is earthy and grounded and it’s balanced by this sourish almost plastic composition.  I know that sounds like it wouldn’t be a good thing, but it really works and adds to the exoticness.  In the end, it becomes a surprisingly close to the skin warmish, tender and powdery dream of a fragrance.  I just wish there was more longevity to it.

From the House of Haute Perfumerie Nicolas de Barry:

To pay tribute to this legendary love which inspired the most beautiful monument of India, Taj Mahal; Nicolas de Barry pretended to be the perfumer of this imperial couple.  He dedicated an ode of rose, the favorite flower of the Akbar emperor, that Mumtaz sniffs it often on her Persian miniatures.  To wear the enchanting L’eau de Mumtaz-I Mahal, is to mark your difference by your grace, sensuality and the desire to seduce by your beauty, as well as your intelligence.  A floral, powdery perfume with character for cultivate, aesthete and a little artist person.

Top Note – White Rose, Middle Note – Pink Himalayan India Rose, Base Note – sandalwood tajmahalroseWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  I’ll go with the obvious; an exotic rose amidst the grandeur of the Taj Mahal.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE L’EAU DE MUMTAZ-I MAHAL:  exotic, original, different

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT L’EAU DE MUMTAZ-I MAHAL:  No reviews found.

BOTTOM LINE:  Both of these fragrances compliment each other tremendously.  They are similar,  yet are quite different.  It’s like they each start off on their own individual journey, then meet in the middle with similar qualities, but then end their course in a way that binds and ties them together in harmony.

Disclosure:  Product for review provided courtesy of House of Haute Perfumerie Nicolas de Barry.