The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: parfum extrait


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Papillon Artisan Perfumes – Hera

WHAT I SMELL:  Oh my; Hera opens up with a sweet orange blossom that quickly moves to a warmed jasmine and ylang, ylang.  It’s thick, rich, intoxicating and absolutely breathtaking.   From the beginning, Hera is beautifully all woman and has a persona that feels all-knowing with its golden glowing countenance.  As the perfume develops, the florals become more creamy as the Rose de Mai begins to bloom from the center.  The rose is rapturous without dominating and it helps to create a dream like aura in its wake.  After some more time, a hint of incense whispers in, but I am guessing its the narcissus that I am smelling vs. incense, but in any case it adds a dimension of mystery to this rapturous beauty.  In slow and graceful development, Hera begins to powder and dry and a wonderful oakmoss note appears.  And a bit later, the perfume once again becomes a bit more creamy with what seems to be a hint of violet.  Here, the perfume is so soft and enticing and lyrical in nature.  It’s strange, because Hera seems to quietly move, meld and morph at every slow turn so it’s quite hard to pinpoint any development in a chronological order.  And as a result, every time it’s worn it feels completely different, but no less beautiful.  Hera is a gift from the gods of which this mere mortal is not giving it justice in my description, because it’s just to hard to put rapturous beauty into adequate words.

From the Papillon Artisan Perfumes website:

The goddess of weddings, family and blessings, Hera possessed a majestic power. Here, she is celebrated in the opulence of orris and jasmine. Engulfed in flowers, you are invited by a burst of orange blossom, radiating a golden halo of warm white flowers. Delicate touches reveal a buttery, rich embrace. Rose de mai brings a whisper of drama and gentle musk offers a sensual caress for Gods and Goddesses alike. A bright and beautiful perfume, steeped in energetic luxury and effortless glamour.

Notes:  Jasmine. Orange Blossom. Ylang. Rose de Mai. Orris. Narcissus

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Perfectly named, Hera is indeed “Queen of the Gods.”

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE HERA:  glorious, captivating, breathtaking.

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT HERA:  Bonkers About Perfume, CaFleureBon, Taking One Thing Off

BOTTOM LINE:  It’s not often enough these days that I am completely swept away by the beauty of a fragrance.  I find many that are wonderful and interesting, but not ones that immediately grab my soul.  Hera is a masterpiece.  And one reason why is that it seems to carry DNA from vintage Caron.  Hera at times reminds me greatly of the chypre mastery of Alpona, the thickened golden beauty of En Avion and the intoxicating florals of French Can Can.  I can’t stress enough that Hera is absolutely breathtaking.  My only dilemma is that since I live in Mexico I can’t purchase a bottle because it’s unavailable here (in stores and for shipping).  So until I travel to other lands, I will have to be patient, because Hera is a perfume that will be added to my collection without hesitation.

  • Bone Rating: 5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Floral
  • Nose: Liz Moores
  • Classification: Leans feminine, but I believe it’s easily unisex
  • Expense: $310 for 50ml parfum extrait


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Vintage Y by Yves Saint Laurent

A couple of weeks ago I was going through my perfumes and I found a vintage gem that for some reason had been hidden within a box; a small 15 ml bottle of Y parfum extrait which I believe is from the late 60s or early 70s.  Funny thing is that the same day that I found this little prize, Portia dropped a post on Undina’s Looking Glass about the same perfume.  Obviously the perfumed gods were trying to tell me to do a review of this vintage chypre.

WHAT I SMELL:  Y opens with a warmed honeyed galbanum layered with a dried woody vetiver and a hint of peach.  The perfume goes on strong, but then settles into a much quieter mix of slightly soured florals that are rich, deep and wonderfully intoxicating.  Y means business, serious business as there’s nothing soft or demure about the perfume.  Instead, it wears like a tweed jacket..as if it’s been tinged with just a bit of dew bringing out the smell of the wool.  As it continues to develop the oakmoss comes forth front and center surrounded by an ambered hue.  In the end, the perfume settles into a lovely amber surrounded by soft florals.  Y is perfect for cool fall nights when you want to leave a trail of deliciousness behind you as you get swept up in the cool air.  Y doesn’t develop as much as it stakes its claim in being solidly beautiful.

Y Notes from Fragrantica:

  • Top: Aldehydes, Green Notes, Galbanum, Honeysuckle, Gardenia, Peach, Mirabelle Plum
  • Heart: Hyacinth, Orris Root, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Tuberose, Bulgarian Rose
  • Base: Oakmoss, Civet, Vetiver, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Benzoin, Styrax

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Tweed via the 1970s.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE Y:  secure, no-nonsense, solitary

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT Y:  Undina’s Looking Glass, Bois de Jasmin

BOTTOM LINE:  Y is a beautiful perfume, but not one that reaches out to me for a regular wear.  Albeit being warm and posh, to me it feels a bit aloof and removed.  I find that with most vintage perfumes I prefer them to be comfort scents and Y just doesn’t quite fit that bill.  Of course, summer is wrapping up, and I might find that it’s just the right fit come October!

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Chypre
  • Nose:  Michael Hy
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense:  Varies on eBay, review based on parfum extrait


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Zenne by Nishane

WHAT I SMELL:  Zenne opens with a waxy grapefruit and blackcurrant with just a touch of green stem.  It’s just the right amount of lush without being overly sweet.  Before long, a vanilla infused rose makes it way in along with an almond undertone which gives the perfume a confectionary vibe.  Then all of the sudden a rhubarb note makes it way in, giving the perfume even more of a confectionary or dessert feel.  And underneath it all sits the vanilla that keeps the gourmand aspects of the perfume firmly set in place.  In fact, there’s even a bit of a meringue that ties all of the dessert or pie aspects together.  After quite some time, the florals move forward to help soften the perfume, but the vanilla remains and as such, it keeps Zenne in the dessert store.  Unfortunately, to me, smelling of a pies can become very tiring.

From the Nishane website:

Is a tribute to beauty, energy, self-confidence, and flirtation. Inspired by the female character in the traditional shadow puppetry, Zenne will teleport you to the enigmas of the paradise gardens full of joy and romance with a deliberate mix of the fruity and floral accords along with vanilla, ambergris and musk at the base.

TOP NOTES – grapefruit – blackcurrant – rhubarb

HEART NOTES – turkish rose  – gardenia – sandalwood

BASE NOTES – vanilla – ambergris – musk

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Rhubarb pie…with meringue on top.  

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE ZENNE:  sweetened, filling, persistent

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ZENNE:  No written reviews found.

BOTTOM LINE:  If you like gourmand confectionary fragrances this might be for you.  To me it smells lovely for a few minutes, then it just seems to wear out it’s welcome.  But I have never been much for gourmand scents in the first place so my love or lack of love for Zenne is not too shocking.

  • Bone Rating: 2.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Fruity Floral Musky
  • Nose:  Jorge Lee
  • Classification: Unisex 
  • Expense: Approximately $240 for 50 ml perfume extrait.