parfum extrait | The Scented Hound

November 17, 2016
by The Scented Hound 9 Comments

Raw Secret by Phuong Dang Perfumes

WHAT I SMELL: Raw Secret opens with a wave of muted aldehydes which are quickly met with a light tea surrounded by a leveled and flattened mandarin. After a few minutes, the perfume begins to project with the tea at the center. The tea is warmed, rounded and thickened in a chewy and slightly rubbery consistency. The perfume is absolutely dreamy and it feels like a lullaby that is rocking you softly and gently leaving you in an envelopment of content. As the perfume continues to develop, the tea moves more towards a dried lily of the valley. It’s incredibly soft and green without being dewy. Here, the lily blooms alongside a bed of delicate white flowers which feel like a floating embrace above a woodied amber radiating base. The perfume then starts to dry and lightly powder…and the gleaming flowers are magnificent in a way that makes me want to wrap the entire perfume around me. In the end, Raw Secret grows in projection to become a beautifully powdered floral hug warmed by amber that’s oh so comforting.

From the Phuong Dang website:

“You reach out to touch me. Linger… I smile because I am happy. Feel so safe in your warm embrace… I just want to hold on, so tightly. Please get closer, to know me… I am only me. And yet with you, I am so much stronger.” —Phuong Dang

Raw Secret Notes –

Top: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Mandarin, Red Pepper, Tea Leaves, Ginger

Heart: Jasmine Absolute, Lily of the Valley, Imaginary White Flowers

Base: Amber, Sandalwood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: love

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE RAW SECRET: incandescent, embracing, at peace

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT RAW SECRET: None to be found.

BOTTOM LINE: Brand creator and namesake, Phuong Dang has launched a debut collection of ten perfumes, primarily created with perfumer Bertrand Duchafour. Raw Secret is the only perfume that steps outside the Duchafour collaboration and was created by perfumer Marina Jung Allegret… and it’s one of my favorite in the line. In all, the entire collection is comprised of extraits which are incredibly smooth, refined and easy to wear.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent Floral Citrus
Nose: Maria Jung Allegret
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $450 for 100 ml parfum extrait. Available exclusively at Barneys.

October 24, 2016
by The Scented Hound 38 Comments

New Release: Puredistance Sheiduna

WHAT I SMELL: Welcome to the bazaar…Sheiduna’s opening is full of light and glistening peppery citrus and fruits that feel as if they were dried on top of a warm, sun-kissed sand. The perfume is dry, but it has an undertone of a rounded vetiver that sails along the top of an ambered plane tinged with the most beautiful incense. The dried fruits, along with the spice and the warmed florals feel like an invitation to an exotic table set in a tent in the middle of the desert welcoming guests in from a long, hot journey. As the perfume develops, the citrus and fruit begin to make way for a more linear vanilla infused base. The perfume feels very stratified with hidden layers of amber, vetiver, vanilla and myrrh…each feeling separate from each other, but each riding along this magic carpet that glides so effortlessly above the warmed sand dunes which are now becoming cooler as the hot daytime sun is beginning to set. The sweetened patchouli and vanilla really come to the forefront as the perfume cools and becomes more comforting and cocooning. Sheiduna never forces herself on you, but carries you along with mystical enchantment.

From the Puredistance website:

SHEIDUNA is a rich and intense Perfume inspired by the panoramic views and feel of golden sand dunes in the desert during sunset – soft, female curves changing from deep gold to warm, orangey red – embodying a promise of sensual comfort and silent seduction.

Wearing SHEIDUNA, one wafts sensuality, and intense colour waves of Persian rugs touch the senses. The perfect marriage between Sensuality and Style.

Sheiduna notes: Lemon, tangerine, blackcurrant, aldehydes, Bulgarian rose essence, geranium, clove, vetyver, patchouly, amber woody, incense, benzoin, myrrh, tonka bean, vanilla pods and musks.

Rudolph Valentino as The Sheik

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Rudolph Valentino as The Sheik…mysterious, seductive and so very smooth.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SHEIDUNA: tempting, mysterious, alluring

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SHEIDUNA: Bonkers About Perfume, Parfuminstans blogg, Suzanne’s Perfume Journal

BOTTOM LINE: Sheiduna in all of its oriential splendor is a wonderful departure for Puredistance who has some of the most exquisite florals in their line. Sheiduna is the perfect antidote for the pending cooler months as its desert warmth will keep you surrounded by its exotic and comforting mysticism.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent Oriental Spicy
Nose: Cécile Zarokian
Classification: Unisex
Expense: 175 Euros for 17.5 ml parfum extrait from the Puredistance website. 60 and 100 ml sizes are also available. And through November 30th, if you purchase a 17.5 ml bottle of Sheiduna you’ll also receive a 5 ml refillable travel spray as well!

DRAW: Puredistance is offering 3 readers of The Scented Hound a 2 ml sample of this exquisite oriental parfum extrait. The draw is open to all parties around the globe. All you have to do to enter is to:

Leave a comment below why you are excited to experience Sheiduna or what your favorite Puredistance perfume is, and
Be a current or new subscriber to the The Scented Hound, and
“Like” the Puredistance Facebook page

The draw is open until midnight, November 3, 2016, EST. Winners will be chosen via random.org and will be announced on this website.

Sample of Sheiduna provided by Puredistance. Opinions my own.

August 1, 2016
by The Scented Hound 21 Comments

Issara by Parfums Dusita

WHAT I SMELL: Issara’s opening is warm and mysterious focusing around a heavenly dreamlike pine and cedar. It also feels gently masculine along with a sense of confidence and security. In a short while, there’s a light barber shop vibe that emerges, like hair tonic. This helps to make the perfume feel neat and trimmed without feeling stuffy. As the perfume continues to develop, there’s a buzzing and humming radiance that moves the perfume from the barber shop to the more herbal topped with just a hint of flattened booziness. There’s a consistent green that sits at the base, but more of a forest vs. a floral green. I find at this point that there’s a real beefiness to the fragrance. But as soon as I say that, out bursts a more sparkling pine tinged with a light sugared amber and honeyed tobacco. Here the perfume resides in the most perfect of states for a lengthy period until a light musk is added to the mix which doesn’t detract from the overall state of grace. Where other perfumes lose their sweet spot at the heart, Issara keeps on giving throughout. Absolutely wonderful.

From the Parfums Dusita website:

A one of a kind fresh Fougère fragrance for the free and independent spirit – the scent with a sense for inner freedom. A fabulous perfume evoking fresh summer mornings, lush green fields, an invigorating breeze blowing through the pines …

At the Top: Brisk, fresh green Pine stirs the senses and blends joyfully with subtle, soft herbal notes for a walk in nature!

The Heart : A rousing Coumarin accord delivers the pure country-fresh fragrance of new-mown hay, with rich balsamic notes of the forest from Vertiver Bourbon, and the intimately mellow scent of Sylvester Pine Leaf.

Base Notes : Played by a trio of spontaneous, earthy aromas — magical Musk, a woody Oakmoss and an extremely rare, rich natural Ambergris

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The perfume for the Millenial man. It’s a traditional male scent with a modern and softer edge. It could easily be worn at the office (buttoned up), the virtual office (buttoned down), a night out with the boys or at the grocery store with the kids.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ISSARA: easy, comfortable, nod-to-nostalgia

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ISSARA: Megan in Saint Maxime, Kafkaesque, The Scented Apprentice

BOTTOM LINE: I am typically a bit skeptical when I keep hearing raves about new perfumes that seem to sweep through the various perfume groups on Facebook and other sites; but Parfums Dusita with its first trio of debut perfumes really delivers on all fronts. Melodie de L’Amour is a beautiful deep and narcotic white floral that is sensuality in a bottle and Ouhd Infini restores my faith in the use of oud which has been so completely overdone in the last couple of years. I’m having a hard time deciding which one of these three is the true masterpiece in the collection. Maybe they all are?!

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Aromatic Fougere
Nose: Pissara Umavijani
Classification: Unisex but leans masculine
Expense: $295 Euros (approximately $330 US) for 50 ml parfum extrait