review | The Scented Hound

March 27, 2012
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

APOM Pour Homme by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

APOM, which stands for A Part of Me, is one of those “I just got out of the shower” scents. To me, it reminds me of the freshness associated with bathing and the wonderfully clean feeling that you have afterwards. So given that, what exactly does APOM smell like? The listed ingredients are simple, orange flower, amber and cedar wood. This to me is a pretty linear scent; it doesn’t change much and the orange flower is the dominating note. The amber does warm the scent and tone down the orange flower a bit, but it ultimately remains in the background. This to me is a safe fragrance; clean and fresh, but not very interesting. For those of you who like fresh; this would be a great fragrance. Me, I like it a little dirty and will stick with my Absolue Pour le Soir.

From the Maison Francis Kurkdjian website:

APOM (A Part Of Me), a bit of oneself that one leaves on others. A relationship inspired from the beauty of the Orient: movement of people, flavors, colors and scents rediscovered from Lebanon. A combination of softness and strength.

APOM Notes: orange flower, cedar wood, amber

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Classification: For men, but leans unisex
Expense: From $155 for 75ml, EDT

March 24, 2012
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

Profumo by Acqua di Parma

Today I broke one of my permanent collection scents that I haven’t touched in quite a while. I probably made this purchase 5 or so years ago and it was one of my favorites, but all perfumistas know that we go through cycles when something we love goes to the back-burner only to be replaced with a new scent. The difference with this scent is that it veers from the masculine and is considered a feminine scent. Profumo by Acqua di Parma is a lovely and elegant chype. A light floral with a hint of spice and powder, it’s beautifully composed and comfortable to wear. It’s not something that I would wear on a regular basis and when this bottle is gone, I’m not sure that I would buy another; but it has served me well.

Profumo Notes: Jasmine, May Rose, Ylang-Ylang

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Classification: Feminine
Expense: From $299 for 100ml, EDP

March 24, 2012
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

Itasca by Lubin

I was really excited to sample Lubin’s Itasca, the scent that was designed to represent the North American Forest. Itasca is named after Lake Itasca in Minnesota, my home state. My father was actually born not far from Itasca State Park, where the Mississippi River gives birth. So as a native son, I was trying to see if this scent represented what I think of Minnesota. Unlike my last review of 1828 by Histoires de Parfums where I loved the opening of the scent, but did not like the dry down; this is pretty much the opposite. The dry down is lovely and the opening is nice, but considering the fact that with most scents you live with the dry down for the most part, I couldn’t have been happier. Itasca opens with a fresh blast of grapefruit and pine. It’s fresh, green and clean. It’s also very soothing and smooth. Pine can sometimes get sharp, this does not. In the end, Itasca evens out into what I would say is a floral scent, with just a hint of powder. Itasca overall is a cool, clean and refreshing scent. I think Lubin did a wonderful job of representing my home state.