parfum | The Scented Hound

February 18, 2012
by The Scented Hound 1 Comment

Ambra Nera by Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561

I love amber perfumes. I love their warmth, their other-worldliness and their ability to envelope. Ambra Nera is no exception. Upon application, this opens with a strong pop of cypress and eucalyptus and a slight sweetness. From the start, this is a scent that says, “here I am.” After a little while the vanilla comes out along with a light powdery finish. This is an elegant amber that transports your back in time to the Italian Renaissance. I have to say that my husband said that it makes me smell like someone’s grandmother. That comment had me worried that the scent was too feminine. I realize that everybody has their opinion, but from my end, I absolutely love this scent and the way it made me feel and how it wore on me. This is a unisex scent that has a light sweetness about it that could lean a bit feminine, but if you’re not afraid of unisex scents and embracing your feminine side, I highly recommend this perfume because it is truly a beautiful composition.

Notes: cypress, eucalyptus, amber, benzoin, vetiver, vanilla, patchouli

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: warm, amber, vanilla, cypress, eucalyptus
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Moderately expensive – $160 for 100ml Parfum

February 15, 2012
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

A Lovely Valentines Day

Love is…having a husband who understands you completely; including your obsession with scents. And beyond understanding, one who delights in my excitement when I receive a new bottle of wanted cologne or perfume. I am a very lucky guy! Thanks to my special Valentine and my new Absolue Pour le Soir, I went to work feeling very sexy in an earthy, musky and feral kind of way! You can check out my recent review here.

February 13, 2012
by The Scented Hound Leave a comment

Black Aoud by Montale

You would think that a scent that I would describe as going on as smelling like plastic and burning rubber would be a scent that I wouldn’t recommend. Well… when I first put this on, I was ready to wash it off right away. But as you know, things can change as time passes and indeed this is one of those times. I walked into work about 45 minutes after I applied this perfume and no sooner than I was in the door (I hadn’t even had time to remove my coat), did a co-worker lean over and ask me what I was wearing because it smelled so wonderful. Go figure. So in about an hour, I went from smelling like an old tire to smelling delicious. And yes, once the fragrance opened up, it turned into a lovely warm and musky rose scent. And don’t get scared of the idea of roses, this is not the kind of rose scent that your grandmother wore. Overall, it’s a very distinctive and original scent. In addition, it’s a scent that lasts all day. I’m just not sure that it’s a scent for me…but I’ll give it some time and will definitely give it another try; old tire smell and all!

From the Montale Website:

A magnificent Cambodian Aoud blended with Indonesian Patchouli leaves over a combination of Mandarin, Musk and Rose petals.