The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: parfum


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New Release: Mona di Orio Bohea Bohème

MdO Bohea BohemeWHAT I SMELL:  Bohea Bohème initially sings with a beautiful leathered bergamot covered in a swath of cardamom, with hints of sweetness and brown sugared florals.  Incredibly exotic and lightly warmed, the perfume pulls you in and holds you captive as soon as it touches your skin.  After a few minutes, the perfume adopts of light creaminess and the sugared flakes turn more to a muted lotion.    There’s a haze that emanates from the cream, like smoked incense.   There’s also a tea note that emerges, but instead of dominating the perfume with a watery thin high pitch, the tea is rooted and thickened as if it’s made up of a reduction of warmed tea leaves in a bottom of a cup.  As the perfume continues to deepen, it seems to develop as if its a sheet that is unfurled and a dreamy sandalwood takes hold as the perfume seems to darken in color and depth. Bohea Bohème ends its journey quietly with a radiant breath that’s softly spiced and completely exotic.

From the Mona di Orio website:

Bohea Bohème captures the smoldering delicacy of the distinctive tea cultivated in the Wuyi Mountains of China. The precious Bohea Tea, fumed with pinewood, is prized for its complex aroma and rich character.

Notes:  Italian Bergamot, Cardamom Absolute, Florentine Iris, Blue Chamomile, Poplar Bud Absolute, Fir Balsam Fraction, Boxtree absolute, Geranium Absolute, Black tea oil, Smoked Juniper, Oakwood absolute, Sandalwood India, Beeswax Absolute, Bay leaf Absolute.

Chinese Snake PaintingWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A snake in the most beautiful sense of being…the perfume doesn’t develop as much as it slowly glides through the most subtle of movements revealing small nuances as it wraps itself around the wood and green.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE BOHEA BOHÈME:  gorgeous, mysterious, exotic

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BOHEA BOHÈME:  CaFleureBon, Colognoisseur

BOTTOM LINE: When I found out that the new Mona di Orio perfume was tea based I have to say that I was not excited as tea based perfumes are one of my least favorite genres.  However, Bohea Bohème broke the mold for me…it’s absolutely breathtaking in its originality and the tea note is just one amongst all the notes that blends seamlessly to create this skin hugging mystery.  Perfumer Fredrik Dalman has created something very special here.

  • Bone Rating:  4.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Woody Spicy
  • Nose: Fredrik Dalman
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $245 for 75 ml eau de parfum


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The Random 10: Brooklyn Fragrance Lover Carlos Powell

Carlos Powell

Since The Scented Hound’s inception in 2012, there have been many great bloggers and vloggers that have emerged on the scene only to sparkle for a brief while before disappearing.  However, there has been one perfumed personality that continues to shine within the niche arena; Carlos Powell.   Carlos, a one man dynamo has created numerous venues for those interested in niche perfume through his Brooklyn Fragrance Lover YouTube videos as well as with his Brooklyn Fragrance Lover blog.  And if that wasn’t enough, he is the originator of the very popular Peace, Love and Perfume Facebook group, a group dedicated to the love of all things perfume.  If you know Carlos from any of these high profile perfume forums, you may also know that he is one of the original Goodsmellas, a group of male perfume aficionados based in the New York area that helped to break the glass ceiling when it came to perfume only being for the ladies.  In other words, they taught us that real men DO wear perfume.   As any blogger or vlogger can tell you, keeping up with regular posts and videos can be a daunting task.  Carlos continues to support all of these ventures while making it look as easy and seamless as possible.  In fact, in 2014 he even worked with a group of indie perfumers to create perfumes that were inspired by the name of his Facebook site, Peace, Love and Perfume called the PLP Project.  Bringing people together can be difficult.  Bringing people together who are passionate about perfume, all with varying preferences and tastes and with harmony is a monumental task.  But through these various endeavors, Carlos makes it happen with a little bit of Brooklyn magic and a smile.

Before we get into Carlos’ Random 10, he wanted to say a few words:

I’m truly honored to be chosen by The Scented Hound to be highlighted in this new series. Since I debuted Brooklyn Fragrance Lover in 2014, it has really taken off in a positive way. Sharing my passion for perfume with the world really brings joy to my heart. I do my best to provide content that is fresh and relevant, and presented in way that is fun and down to earth. I can’t help it, I’m truly a big kid at heart.

So let’s see what Carlos has to reveal in his Random 10…

  1. My favorite gift received was… an uber expensive niche perfume from the perfumer who created it. It sits on my shelf unopened and it’s original shrink wrap.
  2. I am most grateful for… my God given talent of near perfect pitch. Music has been a part of my life throughout the good times as well as the bad times. Keeps me sane.
  3. What drives me most crazy is… rude people in the NYC subway, especially those that clip their nails and loud cell phone yappers.
  4. The one thing I wish I would have been taught early in life is… don’t expect anything from anyone and you won’t be disappointed.
  5. My perfume tastes vary with… typically seasons, but sometimes my mood. There are times I will wear something that I know they’ll smell all the way in Hong Kong, and other times I prefer to wear something ethereal that only those in my close proximity can appreciate.
  6. If I could go back and live at any time in history I would choose… The Roaring 20’s. Seemed like a carefree and party period.
  7. I always cry when… I’ve had too much Scotch and I listen to the recent recording that some JHS friends and I did of songs from the musical Godspell. We actually performed it in 1978 when we were 14 years old, and did a reunion recording this year.
  8. The phrase I always overuse is… “Opinions are like assholes, everybody has one”
  9. The one thing that most people don’t know about me is… that I can count to 10 in Russian.
  10. My favorite way to relax is… cooking, especially long cooked dishes like Italian meat sauce, soups, and my specialty Dominican roast pork shoulder (Pernil).

Thanks to Carlos for providing a little bit of Brooklyn in the Random 10.  For more information on the Random 10, click here.

Please check out Carlos’ videos and blogs below.  And if you’re interested in joining the Peace Love Perfume group on Facebook, as it’s a member’s only group, please send Carlos a request via Facebook to be added.

Blog http://carlosbfl319.blogspot.com/

YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCKJhoBHK4Xs5zneLo5qFXg

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Brooklyn-Fragrance-Lover/286524191553480

Instagram http://instagram.com/brooklyn_fragrance_lover


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Sud Magnolia by Atelier Cologne

Atelier-Cologne-Sud-Magnolia-901x1200WHAT I SMELL: Sud Magnolia initially reveals a bitter orange and soured citrus accord that’s ripe, juicy and fresh as well as a berried note that is green from the stem.  Quickly, the perfume becomes warmer, like the citrus opening has been warmed in the sun.  Still juicy, the perfume moves towards the more floral with a soft magnolia making its presence known.  There’s a cottony freshness about the perfume which reminds me of sun laden sheets on a clothesline.  The freshness of the sun, combined with the warm breezes fill the sheets with a warmed comfort.  As the perfume develops, the magnolia blooms, but very subtly.  This magnolia is a real lady, strolling through the hot sun under a parasol shielding herself from the blinding heat and light.  Slow to continue her journey, Sud Magnolia begins to become a tad sweeter and once again feels touched with a dewy freshness.  Eventually, a very subdued woody musk eases in to complete this stroll under the Magnolia tree.

Top notes : bitter orange from Seville, pomelo from Florida, blackcurrant from Burgundy

Heart notes : magnolia from Louisiana, Bulgarian rose absolue, saffron flower from India

Base notes : atlas cedarwood from Morocco, sandalwood from New Caledonia, musk

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A stroll through the streets of New Orleans with the springtime Japanese Magnolias in full bloom.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SUD MAGNOLIA:  comforting, fresh, genteel

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SUD MAGNOLIA:  Mostly Sunny, Chemist in the Bottle, Scent of Abricots

BOTTOM LINE:  Sud Magnolia is a nice interpretation of magnolia that is fresh and soft.  My only regret is that it dissipates quickly on my skin to a rather innocuous musk.

  • Bone Rating:  3 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Floral Woody Musk
  • Nose: Jerome Epinette
  • Classification: Leans Feminine
  • Expense: $125 for 3.3 oz. Cologne Absolue