The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: parfum


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1000 by Jean Patou

WHAT I SMELL:    1000 opens with warm peachy aldehydes that quickly meld into a blend of violets and rose.  The combination of the osmanthus and the florals make for a heady, overly ripened, thickened and metallic perfumed football helmet.  Once the helmet’s on, there’s also a buzzing layer of sandalwood that provides an aura of hair spray.  But not to worry as a little more passing time reveals a softer side with a more creamy rose taking center stage.  1000 is big, actually bigger than big.  Its florals are magnified with an intensity that doesn’t allow you to look away.  At the heart of the perfume, tucked underneath is the muted shadow of Patou Joy.  Joy tends to be remote and aloof, but 1000 is easily the the more outgoing and gregarious cousin.  But the DNA is unmistakable.  After some time, 1000 begins to lose some of her exuberance and the metallics and sharpened edges fall away and it makes 1000 more elegant and more wearable.  In the end, 1000 leaves us with a big and warmed floral heart.

From Fragrantica:

Top notes are Osmanthus, Violet and Apricot; middle notes are Rose, Jasmine, Geranium and Lily-of-the-Valley; base notes are Sandalwood, Patchouli and Oak.

Pretty Woman – 1990

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Hooker with a heart of gold.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE 1000:  heady, out-there, gregarious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT 1000: Perfume Smellin’ Things, I Smell Therefore I Am, Bois de Jasmin

BOTTOM LINE:  1000 is a perfume that seems to get lost in the sea of big florals.  To me, it’s one of those perfumes that you really need to be in the mood for and that said, the mood just doesn’t come along all that often.   I really want to love her…but she’s a bit too “sharp” for me.   In any case, 1000 requires that you are light to the touch with your application.   But the true bottom line is that Jean Patou perfumes have been discontinued and are no longer in production.  Luckily, you can find them on some of discount sites, but for how long?

  • Bone Rating:  3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Floral
  • Nose:  Jean Kerleo
  • Classification: Feminine
  • Expense:  Varies

Review based on the 2014 eau de parfum version.


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Amouage Opus XII Rose Incense

What would Valentine’s Day be without the obligatory review of a rose perfume?  I aim to please, so let’s see what Amouage has in store for us on this special day dedicated to love…

WHAT I SMELL:  Rose Incense opens with a lightly warmed incensed rose that quickly starts to bloom with a metallic edge.  It’s as if a full bodied red rose has been sliced with an ancient sword and with such deft and swift action it has left remnants of the metal infused with the rapturous rose.  The perfume is full of depth and mystery as it continues to enfold itself in an aura of light incense.  The rose, metal and smoke seem to smolder with an ambery warmth, but I feel at this time as if it is a prelude of what is to come.  But that transition is slow to come, or should I say that the journey is a thoughtful and meditative one.  The perfume does sweeten just a little with hints of vanilla weaving in and out, but that seems to evade me because it feels as if sometimes it’s there and other times it doesn’t reveal itself.  However, what does happen in the end is that the vanilla begins to meld into the perfume to make for the most delicious creamy rose and incense forcefield.  The vanilla, along with a beautiful sandalwood help to escort out the metallic note which to me makes for a much more soft and welcoming wear.

Notes from the Amouage website:

ODE TO CHILDHOOD INNOCENSE

I should like a Rose, crimson and joyous. Velvety petals draped in clear, religious Elemi and coated in the sensual smoke of Olibanum Hyperabsolute – they remind me of our pure emotions, as we fell in love for the first ever time. I remember of Damascus Rose Water, flawless like our smiles; and caramel-coloured Incense Absolute, sweet like those hours lost in the depths of our imaginations.
What remains when our lives come to pass?
With bewitching and metallic streaks of Black Ink, I shall write down the memories of our love.
Moments, images and sensations of bitter Myrrh.
Vanilla is sweet, Sandalwood takes me to heavens of silk but Cedarwood reminds me of reality, dry, brittle and dense like Suede.
Inspired by the uncertainty of the ‘Rosebud’ mystery in ‘Citizen Kane’, Rose Incense is an ambery and pointilliste constellation of gleaming moments whose beauty compels us to believe that only childhood memories are real.
Perfumer: Bruno Jovanovic
    • Top Notes: Elemi, Olibanum (Frankincense) Hyper Absolute, Black Ink Accord.
    • Heart Notes: Damascena Rose Water Essential, Suederal, Frankincense Absolute.
    • Base Notes: Myrrh, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Cedarwood.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  The perfumer’s Citizen Kane inspiration is perfect with a beautiful rose, the metallic blades from the sled and the incense to magnify the sled’s destruction…ROSEBUD.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ROSE INCENSE:  calm, serious, mysterious

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT INCENSE: The Velvet Life

BOTTOM LINE:  As part of the Library Collection, Rose Incense is a perfume that may not be incredibly unique.  However, like most Amouage perfumes it is a rose cut above the rest with quality and an execution that far surpasses many of the other rose/incense combinations that you will find on the market.  Any Valentine would be so lucky to be wearing this today.

    • Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
    • Scent:  Floral Amber
    • Nose: Bruno Jovanovic
    • Classification: Unisex
    • Expense: $360 for 100 ml eau de parfum


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Christmas Isn’t Christmas Without Caron Nuit de Noel

The closer to the end of the year all my perfumed thoughts turn to the fact that I will now be able to wear my beloved Caron Nuit de Noel once again.  Since my small bottle of extrait is such a precious jewel, I only wear it during the month of December and typically only on special occasions like parties or other holiday events.  And of course then there’s Christmas!  Wearing Nuit de Noel is probably my only perfumed tradition and I can’t imagine the holidays without it.

From 2014, the following are my reflections on Nuit de Noel done in collaboration with CaFleureBon:  

Nuit de Noel Parfum Extrait

Happy Holidays from The Scented Hound.