review | The Scented Hound

July 10, 2013
by The Scented Hound 19 Comments

Tabacca by Costamor

WHAT I SMELL: Sweet cherry pipe tobacco, covered in syrup. It’s sweet and slightly gourmand. Quickly, a light leather emerges in the background which evens out the sweetness of the opening. Tabacca continues to mellow and becomes a bit dryer. The tobacco remains coated with a light apple and rose which is pretty and surprisingly muted. After this point, Tabacca stays in this woody, slightly sweet tobacco haze tinged with just a hint of amber. It’s not strong and it’s not weak and I fear that I really like it, but that over time I would probably get tired of it if I wore it too often.

From the Costamor website:

The evening sun paints the sky crimson and periwinkle; an intoxicating breeze blows through, beckoning you deeper into the night…

A sultry, feminine spin on one the prized crops of Costa Rica – tobacco. Grown in the volcanic highlands and cured with the care of fine winemakers, this is tobacco destined for excellent cigars. Tobacca uses both the raw leaves (green, fresh and sweetened with a subtle hint of apple) and the richly aromatic dried tobacco and blends them with a deeply romantic rose tea. Velvety amber and soft precious woods add luxurious, cashmere-like warmth to this hypnotic, seductive fragrance.

tabacca notes – aromatic spices, apple peel, jasmine, rose tea, raw tobacco leaves, dried tobacco leaves, rare woods, amber

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The remnants of sweet pipe tobacco on a sweater, one day after it was worn while smoking.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE TABACCA: comfortable, easy, balanced

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT TABACCA: Scent for Thought, From Top to Bottom – Perfume Patter, Confessions of a Perfume Nerd

BOTTOM LINE: Tabacca is a tobacco fragrance for those who typically don’t like them. It’s subdued and slightly sweet nature make for a wonderful companion to reading a book by the fire on a cold winter or rainy day. The Costamor website says this is a feminine spin on tobacco. I have to disagree as I see this as a perfect unisex fragrance. Tabacca is an unexpected pleasure!

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Woody Aromatic
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $75 for 50ml EdP

June 30, 2013
by The Scented Hound 19 Comments

Dries Van Noten by Frederic Malle

WHAT I SMELL: Dries Van Noten opens with a tangy citrus opening that quickly moves into sweet gaiac wood. It’s slightly sugary with some vanilla undertones. At the same time it radiates some comforting warmth through a layered honey. The sandalwood comes to the surface bringing a more woody essence. After about 10 minutes the saffron begins to reveal itself and there is a slight sourness that is revealed which is a good as it softens the sweetness of the vanilla. In the end, Dries Van Noten becomes a very light and subtle comfort scent.

Dries Van Noten Notes: sandalwood, guaiac wood, tonka bean, vanilla, saffron, jasmine, musk, bergamot, lemon, nutmeg, cloves, patchouli, woody notes and peru balsam

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Seduction

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE DRIES VAN NOTEN: sexy, sweetened, warm

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT DRIES VAN NOTEN: Cafe Makeup, Kafkaesque, Adventures of Barbarella

BOTTOM LINE: Dries Van Noten is a nice perfume, and for a Fredric Malle fragrance, it’s very understated. In its essence, it’s like the birth child of M. Micallef’s Gaiac (in the beginning) and Guerlain’s Samsara (in the end) both of which I like very much. As such, I don’t feel the need to run out and buy this for myself.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Woody
Nose: Bruno Jovanovic
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $185 for 50ml EdP

June 22, 2013
by The Scented Hound 19 Comments

Tableau de Parfums Loretta

WHAT I SMELL: Loretta opens with candied tart sweetness. It’s bright with just a tinge of sour. Quickly it moves into grape soda. Really??? Then quickly again, the grape soda is met with a light powder. Loretta is a tease. Am I going to like this or not? So far it’s different; not bad and not good. Thankfully, the grape soda is met with a bit of warmth that helps to anchor the sweetness. The plum (which to me smells like grape soda) completely dominates and therefore makes it hard for me to pick out additional notes even though I know they’re there as the fragrance starts to even out. Finally, Loretta settles down some to reveal a lightly sweetened patchouli woodiness tinged with a bit of what seems to be some coriander.

From Fragrantica:

The fragrance is a composition of sensual white flowers, dominated by tuberose and accompanied by jasmine and orange blossom. Dark ripe fruit like plum give the composition additional sweetness with velvety rose also on top. The dark side of the character is captured by notes of patchouli, ambergris, leather, sweetened orris root and woody – resinous tones.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Surprise…grape soda!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE LORETTA: fruity, persistent, unique

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LORETTA: The Muse in Wooden Shoes, Fine Fragrants, The Candy Perfume Boy

BOTTOM LINE: Loretta confuses me. I don’t hate her and I don’t love her and am struggling with when I would want to wear her. I keep reading about the tuberose in this, but that is completely escaping me. Finally, besides grape soda, Loretta reminds me of what the penny candy aisle at the Ben Franklin store used to smell like. Not for me, but I could see someone else digging this for its uniqueness. One thing I do love though is the bottle…it’s perfection!

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Andy Tauer
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $160 for 50ml EdP