parfum | The Scented Hound

September 7, 2016
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Les Exclusifs de Chanel Gardénia

I am lamenting the fact that it’s now September which means that summer’s glow will now start turning towards the fall and the cooler weather. I have to admit that I am more of a summer perfume person…I will happily take florals and light and breezy citrus fragrances over the ambers and vanilla perfumes that are more suited to the cool weather. Today it was nice and sunny out and a bit cooler than it has been, which meant that it was time to do some cleanup in the yard…and the perfect perfume for tackling this chore was Chanel Gardénia. Yes, I’ll admit to wearing perfume to work in the yard!

WHAT I SMELL: Gardénia hits the skin with bright aldehydes that are quickly met with a smooth green lushness and radiant white florals. The perfume is so creamy and full of life and full of unending joy. Gardénia can’t help but lift your spirits when you put it on. The gardenia, formed with the roundest of tuberose, sparkles as if the dew is bouncing off of the waxy white pedals of the flowers. As it develops, the perfume begins to dry out and a woody base that’s warm and radiant begins to hover underneath the white flowers and I find it now to be incredibly pretty without being overly feminine. As it continues to develop, Gardénia really begins to sweeten… but I’ve noticed that how sweet the perfume becomes depends on the temperature, humidity, etc. In the summer, this sweetness melds wonderfully with the moist air, but in the winter it could easily become cloying. Overall, Gardénia hits the spot for raising my happy quotient and I like that.

From the Chanel website:

Mademoiselle Chanel liked white flowers, so well-defined, so sensual…and yet her emblem, the Camellia, has no scent. But the Gardenia, which it so closely resembles, fills the air with fragrance. Gabrielle Chanel and Ernest Beaux evoked this flower magnificently: its green notes, its creamy heart, and a trail full of fantasy.

Sue Lyon post Lolita

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Simply ’60s – the traditional years that were easy, simple, uncomplicated and a bit square.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE GARDÉNIA: pretty, joyful, easy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GARDÉNIA: Bois de Jasmin, Olfactoria’s Travels, The Non-Blonde

BOTTOM LINE: Gardénia doesn’t get the love or respect that other Chanel Les Exclusifs do, and I understand that. Gardénia is a rather safe and unpretentious perfume…but when I wear it, I wear it solely for myself and no others. I just wish the longevity of the perfume was a bit better…as it is, I am doing a lot of spritzing throughout the day…but I’m fine with that too!

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Leans feminine
Expense: $160 for 2.5 oz eau de toilette. Also available in parfum extrait.

September 5, 2016
by The Scented Hound 8 Comments

Timothy Han Edition Perfumes: On the Road & She Came to Stay

Based in London, Timothy Han approaches perfume making a little differently, choosing to produce perfumes in small batches called editions stating that raw fragrance materials vary year to year like grapes for wine. As such, theses variations means each run of perfume is created in a limited volume, with edition numbering to allow you to easily identify which batch of perfume your bottle came from.

Both fragrances in the collection were inspired by iconic works of literature. And each fragrance is accompanied with a numbered work of art on the box cover tied to an individual artist. Similar to differing covers that appear with each new print run of a book, each edition of a perfume will also feature new artwork by the same artist.

ON THE ROAD – WHAT I SMELL: On the Road begins it’s journey with a lush, moist muted lemon and galbanum. The perfume is a little sour in addition to having an undertone of what smells like dirty socks. In a short time, the perfume begins to feel pinched as a birch tar takes over, mixed with what feels like a plastic sole from a tennis shoe. After a few more minutes, the perfume feels as if there is a bonfire that is now lightly burning but which stemmed from a set of tires that once were raging in the flames. Quickly, that aspect of the perfumes development disappears and the perfume moves to more of a rubbery consistence. The perfume softens considerably and begins to become strangely pretty with what seems to be a sweetened patchouli and vanilla stirred into the rubbery mixture.

On the Road notes from the Timothy Han Edition website:

Top – Galbanum, Lemon, Bergamot, Lavandin
Heart – Amyris, Cedarwood, Patchouli
Base – Tonka Bean, Oakmoss, Guaicawood, Benzoin, Birch, Vanilla, Labdanum, Perou

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: On the Road feels like just that…the perfume is all about the base of sweetened rubber hitting the cooled pavement.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ON THE ROAD: modern, industrial, progressive

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ON THE ROAD: No reviews found besides feedback on Fragrantica.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Nose: Timothy Han
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $160 for 60 ml eau de parfum

SHE CAME TO STAY – WHAT I SMELL: She Came to Stay opens up with a warm, inviting geranium topped with cloves and spices. It feels as if you’re walking into an herbal terrarium, with a breeze of lemon wafting through. The perfume however is not light; instead, all of the components feel heavy, heady and pressed with weight. After a few minutes, the perfume does begin to lighten as a metallic edge joins the herbs. This edge actually does feel like a metallic pole that is planted right at the center of the perfume. Although not bad, it does feel as if the perfume rotates lushly around this singular component. There’s a great deal of movement in the perfume and as it continues to develop a mentholated labdanum starts to emerge. Again, the perfume is warm and herbal. After some time, the warmth retreats and the herbaled lemon ends up sitting on top of a woody base with hints of cloves and nutmeg

She Came to Stay notes from the Timothy Han Edition website::

Top – Geranium, Basil, Lemon
Heart – Indonesian Clove, Nutmeg
Base – Patchouli, Vetiver, Labdanum, Oakmoss, Cedarwood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Wilson from Castaway. There’s something very remote about the way this perfume feels. Even though it’s warm and herbal, it feels very distant and aloof.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SHE CAME TO STAY: herbal, removed, distant

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SHE CAME TO STAY: No reviews found besides feedback on Fragrantica.

Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Aromatic Fougere
Nose: Timothy Han
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $160 for 60 ml eau de parfum

BOTTOM LINE: Both of these perfumes are interestingly different in their own right. On the Road is really intriguing in that it captures the post WWII age of a new generation through plastics and the automobile. It has a nostalgic vibe and in the end feels very comforting and secure.

Samples courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary. Opinion my own.

August 29, 2016
by The Scented Hound 7 Comments

La Belle Hellene by Parfums MDCI

WHAT I SMELL: Madame Hellene is true to the dessert honoring her name as it opens with bright aldehydes and a sweet pear. The perfume is lush, juicy and dripping with a warmed honeyed tone of citrus. It’s also rich, opulent and almost too much to drink in. The pear is nectarous as if it’s coated in simple syrup and it’s also served with a fruity osmanthus. I can’t get over the dizzying spectacle of the whirling fruit and florals which seem to bounce off the skin like whirling dervishes. In a bit the perfume softens, but just slightly as the sweetened florals take on just a bit of powder, which reduces the ripe and wet which led the path at the beginning. After some time, the perfume’s fruity florals are met with a warmed sandalwood and light musk which helps to even the fragrance out. At this point, La Belle Hellene is as pretty as her name and the perfume develops this radiant powder with this delicious hint of licorice which is unexpected, but completely delightful. Licorice notwithstanding, the perfume really starts to dry as it settles down into a powdered memory of ripened pear.

Top notes : pear, aldehydes, tangerine, lemon flower

Heart notes : Bulgarian rose, osmanthus, mimosa, ylang ylang, iris, hawthorn, mirabelle plum

Bottom notes : myrrh, vetiver, patchouli, cedar, amber, sandalwood, oak foam, white musk, licorice

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A lavish dessert buffet.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE LA BELLE HELLENE: succulent, ravishing, fruited

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LA BELLE HELLENE: Olfactoria’s Travels, The Black Narcissus, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE: This pretty lady leaves me rather conflicted. On the one hand it’s too sweet and gourmand for my tastes; at the same time it’s so proper and ladylike with just a hint of licorice making this unique enough to strike my fancy. However, each time I have worn it, it does seem to test my patience a bit as it wears on me and becomes somewhat tiresome.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Chypre Fruity
Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $250 for 75 ml eau de parfum (non-bust edition)