review | The Scented Hound

March 4, 2012
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

Les Nombres d’Or Cuir by Mona di Orio

Les Nombres d’Or Cuir was my first foray into the perfumes created by Mona di Orio who tragically passed away at the end of this last year. And what an interesting introduction into this line of fragrances. Les Nombres d’Or Cuir has an incredibly strong opening. And it’s an opening of smoke, cigarettes and burnt paper. This is considered a leather scent, but the leather is so hidden and disguised behind this screen of smoke. After about an hour the scent evened out to a sharp, almost green scent but with the smoke ever-present. This is an intriguing scent, but I am not sure when and where I would want to wear it. In the end though, if the other Mona di Orio creations are this daring, I am looking forward to sampling some more.

From the Mona di Orio website:

Opening with a whiff of Gauloise-like smoke it quickly becomes toasted spices and sweet absinthe before the appearance of the leather. Neatly straddling the line between biker and Birkin bag, the leather is almost carnal in its depth. In these days of anodyne scents and trans-fat free lives this is a welcome walk on the wild side that would be wonderful on a man. On a woman? Only one way to put it: Cuir is ruthlessly chic.

Cuir Notes:
Cardamom, Absinth, Leather, Cade, Resinoid Opoponax, Castoreum

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Leather
Classification: Unisex, but leans masculine
Expense: $170 for 100ml

February 26, 2012
by The Scented Hound 1 Comment

Tolu by Ormonde Jayne

Please remember that when I am reviewing scents, it’s based on my opinion and my opinion only. Scared?? Well, I wanted to get in this review quickly after finally getting home from being out all day so I could wash this off my skin and put on something else. I received this sample a few weeks ago and thought I would give it a spin. Have you figured out yet that it’s not my favorite? At it’s base, this perfume is amber, but you can’t really tell that it’s so. The juniper when first applied is all that you smell. Very green, very crisp. As time goes on, this mellows into a very light and green clean scent. And when I say clean, I mean it felt to me as if I just got out of the shower and you could still smell the soap. It has a bit of a soapy edge to me. I don’t want to feel like I’m wearing laundry detergent. This scent reminds me a lot of Mirto di Panerea, one of the fragrances in the Blue Mediterraneo line by Acqua Di Parma. They both share a lot of the same ingredients. Neither are for me. Enough said, time to wash up.

From the Ormonde Jayne website:

Tolu is a Peruvian tree resin.

Perfume treasure, this opulent velvety formulation with pure Tolu resin takes you on a sensual Oriental journey. Laced with golden frankincense and amber, the scent’s core is enveloped with a heady mix of orange blossom and clary sage, while intense citrus notes consolidate the harmony.

Top Notes: Juniper berry, orange blossom and clary sage
Heart Notes: Orchid, Moroccan rose and muguet
Base Notes: Tolu, tonka bean, golden frankincense and amber

Bone Rating: 2 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Classification: Feminine or Unisex
Expense: Moderately Expensive – $126 for 50ml EDP

February 25, 2012
by The Scented Hound 2 Comments

Lumiere Noire by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

Winter has come back with a vengeance today. The sun shines for a few minutes, then the sky returns to gray and the snow swirls through the heavy winds that are blowing. As it’s still February I guess this kind of weather is to be expected. But we have been spoiled by a lovely winter thus far. After reading the newspaper, feeding the cats and going for a winter walk, I put on my Saturday comfy clothes to go run my weekend errands. I thought I would check out a sample of Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Lumiere Noire pour homme that has been sitting on my shelf for a while. When first applied, I found this to be a little spicy (most likely the cumin and cinnamon), but surprisingly green at the same time. OK, I typically love heavy scents and my husband loves the lighter green scents; so I’m thinking this is nice, but not really my cup of tea. So I go to my husband and ask him what he thinks. No surprise, he loved it. So we head out of the house, run to the stores, and I could not help finding that this scent, in a lovely dry down, wafted and swirled up and around me through the wind. Lumiere Noire is a rose scent, but it is so faintly so that you don’t immediately think “roses.” Although this is for men, I do believe this easily fits into a unisex category. This is a lovely scent that I found to be clean and fresh. I would also say that this is a safe scent; you won’t offend others or yourself when you wear this. Lumiere Noire worked perfectly for a gloomy errand running winter day, so much so that I can’t wait to see what it can do for a beautiful and warm spring day. Simply lovely.

From the Maison Francis Kurkdjian website:

Olfactory family: Rose – Cumin – Cinnamon – Patchouli – Wormwood

Play of opposites for both agreements as two extremes which meet. An eau de toilette fragrance mysterious that draws up cause the abandonment of self.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Masculine or Unisex
Expense: Moderately Expensive – $155 for 70ml EDT