The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: Perfume


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Chypre Mousse by Maison Oriza L. Legrand

chypre-mousse0WHAT I SMELL:  Chypre Mousse opens with a moistened mushroomed note mixed with dirt and earth.  There’s an undercurrent of mint, but overall the earthiness reigns as it smells like you just unearthed the fresh moss from the forest.  After around five minutes the greener aspects of Chypre Mousse move aside for a dryer sage and oak moss, yet there still remains an undercurrent of mint and it’s moving more towards spearmint.  The fragrance starts to dull (when I mean dull, I don’t mean that it’s boring, I mean that it begins to flatten) and moves toward a layer of minty earth that is being dried by peaks of the sun.  After around 20 minute or so, a slight tobacco note comes into play adding to the drying effect.  Moving along, the tobacco note seems to become a bit sweeter and a bit more balmy and at this point the fragrance begins to hug your skin.  In the end Chypre Mousse becomes a faintly mintish and rather herbaceous earthy fragrance that has some surprising longevity and projection.

From the Maison Oriza L. Legrand website:

After the first rainfall in September nature exude scents of humus, peat and wetland.
This is the time for a promenade in the woods to enjoy the freshness after the heat of summer.
Autumn encourages us to contemplate, to observate nature that gently prepares us for the coming winter and its frostbite.
The mossy paths, precious jewels of the undergrowth, are brightened by the last rays of sun.
Cyprus-Moss evokes in us our surrounding nature which soon will be covered by the first fall of snow.
Smell of damp undergrowth of scorched leaves and the scent of moss before picking mushrooms and chestnuts.
Chypre-Mousse, a Fragrance of the House Oriza L. Legrand launched in 1914 for the dandies of this world!
Top Notes tonic & balsamic: Wild mint, clary sage, wild fennel & green shoots.
 
Heart notes aromatic & flowing properties: Oakmoss, Galbanum, Angelica, fern, wild clover, Mastic & Violet leaves.
 
Backgrounds Notes mossy  & leathery: Vetiver, Pine Needles, Oak Moss, Mushroom fresh Humus, Roasted Chestnut Leather, labdanum & Balms.

Medieval Apothecary

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: What I envision a medieval perfume would smell like from the local apothecary; herbaceous and earthy.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE CHYPRE MOUSSE:  ancient, earthy, medicinal

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHYPRE MOUSSE: Kafkaseque, The Silver Fox, The Alembicated Genie

BOTTOM LINE:  I could not wait to get my hands on this when the wonderful Kafkaseque sent me a sample.  I am a sucker for a chypre and I knew that I would love this too.  How surprised I was when I found this to be interesting, but not something that I would ever wear.  In fact, after putting some on and starting my review, I went to the gym and found that the fragrance mixed my body heat magnified the medicinal qualities of the fragrance almost making me nauseous.  I was trying to figure out what was in the composition that was bothering me the most and I found that here is a tinge of a “Ben Gay” in Chypre Mousse that really is off-putting.  I will say thought that I LOVE that bottle!


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Grand Cuir by Parfums Retro

GrandCuirWHAT I SMELL:  Grand Cuir opens with a citrus like orange blossom twist.  It’s not what I was expecting as it’s not to heavy and there’s something rather salty, and tangy about the finish.  I’m not quite sure what it is, but there is something here that reminds me of 1968 and going to the barber shop where the combination of sweat, oil and Brylcreem and dirt seemed to permeate the shop.  Soon enough a slight soap makes an appearance along with this dryish birch and light petroleum note.  After around 20 minutes or so, the florals come to surface and help to warm the fragrance, helping to even out the sharper tones of the opening.  Then after a little more time, a bit of spice comes to play, but it peeks in an out rather than comes to the forefront.  What I like about this fragrance is that Grand Cuir’s note are completely harmonic and therefore, none of the notes tends to dominate although you are always acutely aware that this is a leather fragrance.  In the end, you’re left with a long-lasting fragrance that rides evenly and comfortably on your skin.  There is something very nostalgic about Grand Cuir that I find appealing where it feels a bit forbidden, but at the same time by today’s standards comes off as rather innocent.

From Parfums Retro:

A fragrant composition in four parts:

  • A leather soul from start to finish
  • Spicy and herbaceous accents
  • A multi-dimentional floral heart
  • A comfortabel, relaxed base.

Grand Cuir Notes:

Cistus-labdanum, birch tar, clary sage, orange flower, lavender, carnation, rose, violet leaf, geranium, cinnamon leaf oil, tarragon, pine moss, sandalwood, rosewood, patchouli, musk, rosewood

vintagemanwithcarWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  I keep going back to the 1960s.  It’s manly without being brutish and it’s comfortable without being sloppy.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GRAND CUIR:  nostalgic, easy, vintage

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GRAND CUIR:  Kafkaesque, Scents Memory, Perfume Project NW

BOTTOM LINE:  As many of you know, leather is not one of my favorite notes. Grand Cuir is about as close to changing my mind that I have found.  The leather isn’t hard, but instead is just slightly naughty…in a nostalgic way.  I have noted that a couple of bloggers have named Grand Cuir on their “best of 2013” lists, including Kafkaesque and Eyeliner on a Cat, so I recommend that if you like leather fragrances (and even if you don’t), that you check Grand Cuir out!

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Leather
  • Nose:  Hugh Spencer
  • Classification:  Leans masculine
  • Expense:  $155 for 100ml EdP

Disclosure:  Product for review provided courtesy of Parfums Retro.


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Happy New Year!

The view from the pool. What's not to love?

The view from the pool. What’s not to love?

Happy New Year to you all.  It’s back to reality and that’s not someplace I really want to be.  The Hound and husband just got back from a Christmas and New Year’s all-inclusive vacation in Mexico.  We’ve never done anything like that and much to my pleasure and surprise it was a rousing success.  What’s not to love when you spend your days by the pool being waited on by gracious and generous resort staff.  It seems that all we did is eat, drink, swim, read and then repeat.  Oh….let me add laugh.  Easily the best part of the trip though was meeting some wonderful people from around the world and particularly several couples from NYC and London.  I think the universe had some cosmic plan because it all just clicked without effort or strain and we now have some wonderful new friends.  We could not have asked for a better way to start off the new year!

To add a perfumed twist to the mix of this first post of the new year; as it was a warm climate, I packed up some samples, decants, etc. that I thought might fit the weather and although perfume was not at the top of my list of priorities (please note that I probably didn’t shower until 5pm every day since I was in the water all day), I did wear perfume to dinner each night.  I found myself a bit surprised by what I liked and didn’t like:

  • First by Van Cleef and Arpels:  Loved it.  Quiet and subtle, it’s such a lovely floral with just a hint of spice.  Out of all of the items that I wore, I wore this the most.  A really pleasant surprise.first
  • Interlude Woman by Amouage:  I really liked this, but no one else seemed to dig it as much as I did.  I was a bit worried that anything Amouage would be too overwhelming for the warm weather, but it wasn’t.  I’m going to give this more of a whirl.
  • Oud Velvet Mood by Maison Francis Kurkdjian:  Meh.  Enough said.
  • Iskander by Parfum d’Empire:  I used to love this, but it’s leaving me a bit cold these days.
  • Azemour les Orangers by Parfum d’Empire:  Iskander may leave me cold, but this one could never!  Always a good fragrance to fall back on.
  • White Aoud by Montale:  I have almost completely drained my decant and I will probably have to get more because I’m such a big fan, and it seemed to be a winner with others too.
  • Mefisto by Xerjoff:  This seemed to last all but 20 minutes on me.  That’s OK, I didn’t love it anyway.
  • No. 03 by Fragrance Republic:  I brought it for myself, but the hub took possession of it which is fine because he loves it more than I do.  It’s clean and fresh and perfect for the beach.

As I have not had to put out much effort on anything for the past couple of weeks, just writing this post has left me spent!  So, until I get back to normal, all I can say is that I hope that this coming year will bring you much peace, love, prosperity and of course…perfume!