review | The Scented Hound

April 5, 2012
by The Scented Hound 4 Comments

Tom of Finland by Etat Libre d’Orange

Yesterday was my partner’s birthday and I gave him a present of Tom of Finland Eau de Parfum. This was a fun gift. For those in the know, Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, created erotic illustrations primarily revolving around gay leather and hyper-masculine men. I think that it’s ironic that this caricature of masculinity has been turned into an Eau de Parfum, but that’s part of the fun with Etat Libre d’Orange. So one would expect a rough and tumble scent based on the inspiration. What you get instead is a lovely, sweet and soothing suede composition.

The first thing you notice is that in the bottle, Tom of Finland is a very bright and artificial orange color. I wonder if this is a new formulation since all ads show a clear composition. Upon application, you immediately smell burnt rubber, pine and lemon. The pine and lemon quickly dissipate and you are left with the rubber and an introduction of leather. At this point, it’s a bit harsh and you wonder where besides a smoky dive bar you would wear this. However, as the dry down occurs, the leather turns to suede, with vanilla and a touch of powder. It turns out to be rather sweet and intoxicating and surprisingly luxurious. Now, I’m not a fan of leather scents, but this is a fragrance that I would wear.

From the Etat Libre d’Orange website:

This is a fresh, pure water that can wash away the sins of the night. Clothing becomes merely ornamental, an insignificant wrapping paper that only serves to cloak the true erotic power of the flesh. This is a man who wants to play, to love, to ravish, and to be free of all inhibitions. Tom is sex.

Tom of Finland Notes:

Aldehydes, lemon, birch leaves, pine, safraleine, pepper, cypress, galbanum, geranium, vanilla, tonka bean, orris, vetiver, pyrogened styrax, suede, musk, ambergray…

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Classification: Masculine
Expense: $80 for 50ml EDP

April 3, 2012
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

Indochine by Parfumerie Generale

Intrigued by the name and intrigued by the description of this scent, I knew I had to give this fragrance a try. Indochine is as exotic as its name. Sweet in the bottle and initially sweet on the skin, the far east is emboldened in what I would imagine a Vietnamese Buddhist temple would smell like. Honey, vanilla and incense are the primary notes combined with a smoky haze. I’m a fan or oriental scents, but the incense, as mild as it is, is not a favorite of mine. Bold, without being overpowering, I would recommend this to anyone who likes deep and rich almost gourmand incense fragrances.

From the Parfumerie Generale website:

At once sweet, vanilla-scented, resinous, powdery, milky and spicy, Benzoin Siam is a resin of great olfactory richness that is rarely used as a central theme in Perfumery. Drawing on rare notes such as Kampot Pepper, Burmese Tanakha, or Laos honey, Pierre Guillaume orchestrates a luminous, smooth and airy perfume, delicately reproducing each and every facet of the unprocessed balsam. This sepia-tinged balm infuses Indochine with the radiance of platinum…

Indochine Notes:

Wood, Fresh Spice, Sweet Amber, Powder, Benzoin Siam Resin, Kampot Pepper, Ceylon Cardamom, Burmese Tanakha, Laos Honey.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $95 for 50ml EDT

April 1, 2012
by The Scented Hound 10 Comments

Ambra Nobile by Nobile 1942

Sometimes I like to gamble. Not gamble in the Las Vegas sense, but I sometimes will make a purchase sight unseen. I took a gamble with Ambra Nobile because at present Luckyscent has the marked down by 35%. So knowing my love of ambers I took a chance. I couldn’t be any happier. Ambra Nobile is a sophisticated, warm and lovely fragrance. When I applied this for the first time, I was a bit worried. It went on a bit sharp and had almost a putty smell that came to the surface? Where was the amber that I so wanted? After a bit, the sharp citrus smell retreated and the mix of the other ingredients came together along with a light spice. Finally, the vetiver and sandalwood came through and mixed with the amber. The combination in the end makes for a modern twist to a very old-time scent. Ambra Nobile is considered a unisex fragrance and would satisfy both sexes easily. But for me and probably for most men, this scent will derive memories of barbershops of past. Ambra Nobile would be fine for day and evening wear. It’s warmth, like many ambers, is enveloping and a spritz on my hand is perfect for satisfying my sniffing needs throughout the day. I am a happy hound with my latest purchase!

From the Nobile 1942 website:

Ambra Nobile evokes “nights for happy lovers are bright and brief” inebriated by the perfume of amber aphrodisiac, combined with the warm, citrusy, notes of labdanum resin, the notes of liquorice Helichrysum, Whose leaves shine like gold in the sun (“golden leaf “), the” manly “tobacco hints of the Tonka bean, and a slight, delicate sandalwood finish as the calm after the storm olfactory.

Ambra Nobile Notes:

Neroli, Bergamot, Ambergris, Labdanum, Patchouly, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Vetiver