parfum | The Scented Hound

July 1, 2015
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

New Release: Savage Garden by Thorn & Bloom

WHAT I SMELL: Savage Garden’s opening is warm and inviting yet cool to the skin and the florals are rapturous right from the first spritz. The herbal notes ground the florals making them more earthy and real. After a few minutes the mint begins to radiate making the perfume very comforting. Savage Garden is so grounded in nature that wearing it makes you feel like you’re in the middle of a garden even though you might be in the heart of the city. After some more time, a moistened soil comes into play and the perfume transforms from herbal to more green. This helps to lighten the initial radiating warmth. What was once more comforting is now more light and joyous. In the end, Savage Garden is just that, a wild garden full of herbs, spices and flowers that seem to transform with each step down a path. At times, it feels more floral and then it turns more herbal. Whatever step you take it really is a tranquil beauty of a stroll.

From the Thorn & Bloom website:

Verdant, cool and lush, this spring garden is brimming with unruly sensual delights. Creamy white narcotic blooms of Ylang Ylang andTuberose explode against a backdrop of tangled green foliage, minty herbs, damp earth and young wood. The bouquet is refreshingly vegetal, herbal, floral and earthy. Reminiscent of lilies in full bloom.

Notes: Bluegrass, Tarragon, Ylang Ylang, Tuberose, Vetiver, Orris Root, Sandalwood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The perfume is named perfectly…beautiful, untamed, with a new discovery around every turn of a path.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SAVAGE GARDEN: herbal, natural, comforting

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SAVAGE GARDEN: None found as of yet.

BOTTOM LINE: Jennifer Botto’s just launched new line of perfumes is a must for anyone who loves natural perfumes and for anyone who loves perfumes that feel like a work of art. Each perfume in the collection is unique and stunning in their own right. My other favorite in the line is Wild Rose. Where I always think that I have had enough of rose based fragrances, I am once again corrected! Jennifer’s introduction to the perfume world makes me excited as to what we’ll see of her in the future.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Jennifer Botto
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $200 for 30 ml or $65 for 7.5 ml Eau de Parfum (thank you Jennifer for the smaller sizes!)
Available exclusively at the Thorn & Bloom website.

Samples courtesy of Thorn & Bloom. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

June 29, 2015
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

Stercus by Orto Parisi

WHAT I SMELL: Stercus opens rather funkalicious, with a biting citrus and earthy wood that has a burnt edge to it. Actually, I was expecting a more roughened opening, but even though there’s a bite and sharpness and saltiness to the perfume, it’s not the monster that I was expecting. The sharpness starts to fade in a few minutes and it feels as if the perfume does as well. After 5 minutes, it’s all but a whisper. Hmmmm, I have the feeling that there’s more in store, I just have to be a little patient. Just as I expected, after around 10 minutes, the perfume starts to grow. It’s much saltier, and slightly sour. It’s also a bit green and reminds me of weedy stems. According to the Twisted Lily website, Stercus is the latin word for feces. Interesting, I’m getting less feces and getting more sweaty armpit. What I always find interesting about perfumes that are intended to mimic or represent bodily fluids, functions, etc. are never repulsing (for the most part), but instead are intriguing, magnetic and primal. While Stercus is interesting, as it continues to develop it becomes more woody and the salty and carnal nature of the perfume is rather sexy. It’s not a big perfume however, instead it’s rather like a subdued force field of pheromones. I wonder if this was worn by a large Buck, how many Does it would attract?! Wait, did I say that this perfume is not big? After over an hour it really begins to project and when I smelled it, it coats the back of my throat…to include a rather celeryish vegetal smoky edge. Interesting indeed. Finally, after a couple of hours, the perfume mellows to a slightly salty and slightly powdery floral musk while maintaining a healthy projection. What an interesting ride this has been.

The Orto Parisi website doesn’t list any notes. However, check out their site as it’s rather intriguing.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Sexy, sweaty skin.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE STERCUS: salty, pheromonal, intriguing

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT STERCUS: Kafkaesque, The Sartorial Silhouette, Pierre de Nishapur

BOTTOM LINE: Perfumer Allesandro Gualtieri’s vision for Orto Parisi, like the Nasomatto brand, intrigues me and I was very interested in sampling the line. So far, the only other perfume in the line to make its way past my nose is Brutus, which is an interesting take on citrus and wood. I can’t wait to check out the others!

Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral Woody Musk
Nose: Allesandro Gualtieri
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $195 for 50 ml Parfum Extrait

Sample courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary

June 24, 2015
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

M. Micallef Style

WHAT I SMELL: Style opens wonderfully warm and herbal, accentuated by cardamom and nutmeg. Its clean and crisp, like a starched dress shirt. There’s a generous, thoughtful and inviting masculinity in the perfume. After around 5 minutes, the dried lavender starts to bring with it a rather large projection. It’s warm, dreamlike and very elegant. There’s a layer of incense that swirls below the lavender, that adds just a hint of sexiness to the rather formal composition. After some more time, the perfume becomes more woody and dry, but the incense still layers the perfume from below like the remains of a bonfire drifting in the distance. As the perfume continues to develop, the incense begins to wain and the sandalwood brings a welcomed light creaminess along with a light floral bloom to the dry and woody heart.

Notes listed from Fragrantica:

Top notes of the composition will offer a spicy blend of nutmeg, warm and gourmand cinnamon and cardamom, refreshed by luminous and sunny lemon zest. The heart of the composition accentuates floral notes of elegant jasmine and lily of the valley softened with aromatic lavender, while base notes provide us with warmth and precious woody notes of patchouli and sandalwood embraced by a mysterious veil of incense and sensual musk.