parfum | The Scented Hound

March 23, 2015
by The Scented Hound 7 Comments

New Release: Asphalt Rainbow by Charenton Macerations

WHAT I SMELL: Asphalt Rainbow opens with a sparkly zesty bergamot, like peppered champagne which retreats quickly and then flattens to a slightly soapy, rather milky floral. The notes states that there are aerosols in the perfume and after 5 minutes it does feel like the perfume is sprayed through a can. As such, the projected spray throws out the perfume and what was once soapy and milky, is now a bit gritty and rough-hewn. There’s also a warmed hair spray effect that feels tinged with charcoal. What’s strange about Asphalt Rainbow is that in some sense, it feels very “bathtastic.” Maybe it’s the aerosol effect which makes it feel as if it was born in a 1950s blue tile bathroom. On the other hand, there’s a grittiness about it that makes it go from blue tile bathroom to truck stop bathroom. If you’re looking for your mother’s rose scent this is not it. The rose is muted, flat and roughened. For some reason, the perfume also reminds me a fabric store as there is a slight muslin feel to the fragrance, like it’s sheathed in bolts of the clean, yet unfinished fabric. After around 20 minutes the rose comes to the forefront, and it’s big and powerful and much cleaner with infused musk and a light amber. After 30 minutes, the perfume becomes much prettier, woodier and softer. And while it is still big, it has moved from the bathroom to the garden. In the end, Asphalt Rainbow becomes demure, light and rather pretty with a very prominent clean musk. Quite the journey if I say so myself.

From the Charenton Macerations website:

Asphalt Rainbow draws inspiration from the “break the rules” attitude of global street art: a creative world movement that teaches anything can be a canvas and anyone an artist. Specifically exploring the concepts of distortion, reappropriation, and impermanence, Asphalt Rainbow borrows from a series of masterful street art techniques to craft an olfactive love letter to the street: a roughed up rose that’s been hyper-colored, torn apart and twisted on its head, then nailed to the wall for your sniffing pleasure. The arc of the fragrance mirrors the unpredictable lifecycle of street art: a re-envisioned rose accord that distorts and morphs over time like a fragmented floral collage stretched across urban walls and alleyways; its aerosol-tinged aroma ever-fading closer to background.

Featured: Rose Absolute, Rose Fragments
Accents: Spray Paint (Aerosols), Galbanum, Lily of the Valley, Lychee, Ylang, Saffron, Magnolia, Leather, Cistus,
Background: Asphalt, Detritus, Patchouli, Wood, Amber

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: An institutional bathroom; clean, yet slightly dirty.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ASPHALT RAINBOW: big, bold, large

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ASPHALT RAINBOW: No others found.

BOTTOM LINE: Asphalt Rainbow is an interesting perfume. The journey is rather fun and conceptually I love the idea. But I love the idea more than the perfume. However, I can tell you that the hub loves it, which says to me that this is a floral that is for those who don’t want their florals to be too feminine or too pretty.

Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Cecile Hua
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $100 for 30 ml Eau de Parfum

Sample courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique & Apothecary

March 18, 2015
by The Scented Hound 7 Comments

Tableau de Parfums Miriam

WHAT I SMELL: Miriam’s opening is comprised of sweet bergamot and light aldehydes which are quickly met with warmed geranium. Immediately, Miriam feels old school with a distinctive make-up, lipstick and violet laced presence. I was expecting the opening to be lighter and more powdery. Instead, it’s a smooth almost honeyed mix of florals accentuated at first by violet, but then with rose and jasmine. Suprisingly restrained, the perfume provides an aura of self-assuredness and strength, while maintaining its femininity. Even though it feels nostalgic, there’s nothing sweet or innocent in the perfume. After around 10 minutes, a deeper projection of sandalwood and what feels like a tinge of civet, continues to bring a more woody confidence to this beautiful perfume. After 20 minutes, Miriam begins to project. The warmth of the opening, moves toward a dry and powdery mix of lavender and orris root. In fact, when sniffed, the dryness pulls the wet out of my throat and nose. In the end, you’re left with a powdered puff of violet laced haze of a perfume. And even though there’s a quiet confidence in Miriam that is all woman, there’s no messing with this in control no-nonsense beauty.

From the Tableau de Parfums website:

Miriam references the heady, diffusive fragrances of the thirties and forties. It is vintage in spirit but with a contemporary character. A fragrance constructed in the tradition of classic perfumery, Miriam is the kind of fragrance they don’t make much anymore.

Notes: bergamot, sweet orange, geranium, violet blossom, rose, jasmine, ylang, violet leaf, lavender, vanilla, orris root, sandalwood.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A 1940’s Joan Crawford; in-between all woman and all out dame.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE MIRIAM: nostalgic, confident, captivating

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MIRIAM: Bonkers About Perfume, EauMG, Persolaise

BOTTOM LINE: The sample has been sitting on my office desk for a few days now and when I walk in the room, the fragrance lingers within the confines of the room. It reminds me of my mother when I was a child when I would walk in my parents bedroom and I could still smell the powder and the lipstick from the evening before. Miriam is like a lovely dream from the past. Recently I reviewed Chanel’s Misia which has a similar makeup vibe; Miriam is much more my cup of tea.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral Aldehyde
Nose: Andy Tauer
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $165 for 50 ml Eau de Parfum and $40 for 7 ml purse spray (I love that option!)

March 9, 2015
by The Scented Hound 28 Comments

Roja Parfums Risqué (Creation-R)

WHAT I SMELL: Risqué (marketed as Creation-R in the United States) opens with a warm and sensual bergamot that is surrounded by the deepest rounded and lung filling florals that feel as if they are trapped in bosom of a hug and which at first is like they are fighting to get out of that hug, only to surrender and bury themselves deeper into the warm embrace of the feminine mystique. As perfumes go, Risqué is head swimmingly beautiful, yet there is this undercurrent of carnality that draws you in without release. I have said this before, that when I review a Roja Dove parfum, I always have to state that the blending is seamless and as such the individual notes af for the most part are hard for me to pull apart. This creation is no different. After around 10 minutes, the florals starts to sink further into the skin as if they are retreating to a more primal place only to then begin radiate and project from what seems to be a labyrinth below. There is a dusting of leather and civet that wrap themselves around the perfume like a cage that attempts to keep the cat from its prey. And finally, after an hour or so, a layer of creaminess covers the perfume, only to make the cat purr like a kitten. I don’t find that there is particularly a great deal of development with Risqué, but that’s the most wonderful aspect of the perfume overall. So many perfumes start off strong and interesting, only to be left as a shadow of its former self. Instead Risqué remains deeply warm, deeply carnal, deeply passionate and beautifully sensual. And as a plus, Risqué weaves its magic all through the night…leaving a whisper of itself into the morning.

From the Roja Parfums website:

“On The Edge Of The Forbidden”

WARM, DRY, FRESH, SWEET, & LEATHERY

“When I created this I thought of how society tells us how we have to behave, think, and act. So I decided to create a perfume that seemed tailored and disciplined – but as it develops it starts to show its overtly sensual base, which gets warmer, darker and more overt with each breath”. Roja Dove

INGREDIENTS

TOP: Bergamot

HEART: Chamomile, Hyacinth, Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang

BASE: Cedarwood, Civet, Labdanum, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Vetiver

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The beautiful Simone Simon as Irena in the 1942 version of Cat People, who turns into a panther when aroused by passion.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE RISQUÉ: seductive, pulsating, intense

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT RISQUÉ: Kafkaesque

BOTTOM LINE: There are certain perfumes that hit us on a level that can’t be explained. Every breath of Risqué wraps me up in this enchanted and seductive spell never to let me go. This is a full bottle must for me so I better start saving my pennies…OK dollars, because I’m in love.

Bone Rating: 5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Chypre
Nose: Roja Dove
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $480 for 50 ml Parfum