parfum | The Scented Hound

March 2, 2015
by The Scented Hound 61 Comments

New Release: Les Exclusifs de Chanel Misia

WHAT I SMELL: Misia opens with a powdery light and airy violet that quickly is accentuated by a lovely rounded almost plastic candy coated rose. Candied doesn’t mean that the perfume is overly sweet. In fact, it’s like a dusting of light powder that has been sifted onto the semi-sweet flowers. The fragrance has a sense of fragility about it, but there’s an underlying iris rootiness wrapped in the most subtle of leather that helps Misia to keep itself grounded in confidence. After 10 minutes, the fragrance begins to grow and the leather comes forward but in a way that ensures that it never takes the spotlight away from the pretty powdered florals. After 25 minutes, a slightly sour tonka comes in giving the perfume a greater amount of dimension. There’s a definite vintage makeup and lipstick quality to Misia, but at the same time, Misia has a dynamic that propels it into the present day. In the end, Misia becomes a pretty powder puff of violet and iris…but not overly pretty, you can’t accuse Misia of being too girly-girl.

From the Chanel website:

Named for the art patron Misia Sert, Gabrielle Chanels confidante. Evoking the air of a theater backstage, this exquisite scent features a feminine blend of May Rose and Violet, intertwined with a hint of leather. A truly inspired and distinctive creation.

Ziegfeld Model - Non-Risque - Dancers by Alfred Cheney Johnston

Ziegfeld Girls

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Backstage dressing rooms at the Ziegfeld Follies, full of powder, makeup and unbridled femininity.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE MISIA: daring, unique, confident

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT MISIA: CaFleureBon, Bois de Jasmin

BOTTOM LINE: Misia is a temptress that keeps calling back to me with her siren song. I really like her, but am not sure if I love her, but there’s something so unique and special about her that I can’t stop thinking about her. Misia betwixts me!

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Olivier Polge
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $160 for 2.5 oz. Eau de Toilette

The Scented Hound has two 2 ml samples of Misia to give away to two lucky readers (U.S only please). To enter the draw, let me know what your favorite Chanel perfume is or why you want to get to know Misia. The draw ends on Thursday March 5 at 6pm EST. Winners will be chosen via random.org. and will be announced on Friday, March 6. Good luck!

February 25, 2015
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Hand in Hand by Ramon Monegal

WHAT I SMELL: Hand in Hand opens with this warm mentholated spiced rose, that feels like the rose petals have been tinged in a fire with incense. The oud is smoky and strong and minute by minute the smoke grows in intensity, as if the smoke is being pushed through a pumping bellow. Thankfully, after around the 10 minute mark, the smoke and oud start retreating behind the rose, which now is much cleaner than in the opening. The rose, sanitized by the musk begins to become powdery and very dry. But as it becomes dry, the incense and oud spar with the rose for domination. Eventually, they pair up to share the stage, but the rose, combined with the musk make for this lightly candied cotton candied concoction topped with smoke. Unfortunately, after around an hour, you’re left with a light rose musk dryer sheet.

Notes: Bulgarian rose, oud, spicy notes and musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Hanging laundry in the Casbah. It’s the smell of clean sheets washed with rose water that is met by the smell of spice and incense from the city below.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE HAND IN HAND: conflicted, smoky, over-musked

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT HAND IN HAND: I couldn’t find any other reviews.

BOTTOM LINE: To me, this is one of those perfumes that I didn’t wear, but it wore me instead. What started off as rather interesting (yet, kind of discordant), ended up being something that was rather bland and boring. Hand in Hand feels like two hands that clearly missed the handshake.

Bone Rating: 2 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $200 for 50 ml Eau de Parfum

February 23, 2015
by The Scented Hound 11 Comments

Chanel Coco Noir

WHAT I SMELL: Coco Noir opens with a brown sugared and sweetened grapefruit and bergamot. It’s light and happy, pretty and rather bouncy as the notes crackle with the brown sugar. The sugar note starts to reveal a lovely floral dominated by jasmine that starts to grow and expand. There’s something almost a bit masculine about the fragrance as the patchouli provides a woody note that keeps the florals from becoming too feminine. But as soon as I say that, the perfume continues to grow and expand and it becomes rather creamy, like it would make for a beautiful and enriching hand creme. Finally, Coco Noir finds it feminine self and the perfume radiates warm florals which are beefed up by a pulsating sandalwood. The perfume almost has a heartbeat that pulses and projects off the skin in a rhythmic manner. In the end, Coco Noir provides a powdery finish to a radiant floral that is warmed from below.

From the Chanel website:

Magnetic and uncompromising, COCO NOIR reveals a black that is intimate, seductive and intensely brilliant. Striking top notes of Grapefruit and Bergamot accentuate the floral accord, with Rose and Jasmine, while Indonesian Patchouli and Sandalwood notes add warmth.

Passion via romance novel art!

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: pulsating passion

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE COCO NOIR: tempting, self-assured, confident

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT COCO NOIR: Bois de Jasmin, Kafkaesque, Undina’s Looking Glass

BOTTOM LINE: With “noir” in the name, I was expecting Coco Noir to be a heavy oriental full of deep and dark mystery. Instead, I found a fragrance that is rather big, bold and full of passion. Coco Noir takes no prisoners and although being rather feminine, there’s enough beef here to make me think that a man could get by with wearing this with ease as well.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Woody Floral
Nose: Jacques Polge and Christopher Sheldrake
Classification: Feminine, but could work for a man
Expense: Review based on the Eau de Parfum version. $98 for 3.4 oz. Eau de Parfum.