review | The Scented Hound

February 18, 2012
by The Scented Hound 1 Comment

Ambra Nera by Farmacia SS. Annunziata dal 1561

I love amber perfumes. I love their warmth, their other-worldliness and their ability to envelope. Ambra Nera is no exception. Upon application, this opens with a strong pop of cypress and eucalyptus and a slight sweetness. From the start, this is a scent that says, “here I am.” After a little while the vanilla comes out along with a light powdery finish. This is an elegant amber that transports your back in time to the Italian Renaissance. I have to say that my husband said that it makes me smell like someone’s grandmother. That comment had me worried that the scent was too feminine. I realize that everybody has their opinion, but from my end, I absolutely love this scent and the way it made me feel and how it wore on me. This is a unisex scent that has a light sweetness about it that could lean a bit feminine, but if you’re not afraid of unisex scents and embracing your feminine side, I highly recommend this perfume because it is truly a beautiful composition.

Notes: cypress, eucalyptus, amber, benzoin, vetiver, vanilla, patchouli

Bone Rating: 5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: warm, amber, vanilla, cypress, eucalyptus
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Moderately expensive – $160 for 100ml Parfum

February 13, 2012
by The Scented Hound Leave a comment

Black Aoud by Montale

You would think that a scent that I would describe as going on as smelling like plastic and burning rubber would be a scent that I wouldn’t recommend. Well… when I first put this on, I was ready to wash it off right away. But as you know, things can change as time passes and indeed this is one of those times. I walked into work about 45 minutes after I applied this perfume and no sooner than I was in the door (I hadn’t even had time to remove my coat), did a co-worker lean over and ask me what I was wearing because it smelled so wonderful. Go figure. So in about an hour, I went from smelling like an old tire to smelling delicious. And yes, once the fragrance opened up, it turned into a lovely warm and musky rose scent. And don’t get scared of the idea of roses, this is not the kind of rose scent that your grandmother wore. Overall, it’s a very distinctive and original scent. In addition, it’s a scent that lasts all day. I’m just not sure that it’s a scent for me…but I’ll give it some time and will definitely give it another try; old tire smell and all!

From the Montale Website:

A magnificent Cambodian Aoud blended with Indonesian Patchouli leaves over a combination of Mandarin, Musk and Rose petals.

Bone Rating: 3 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: musk, rose, patchouli
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Moderately expensive – $110 for 50ml eau de parfum

February 10, 2012
by The Scented Hound Leave a comment

Jaipur Homme by Boucheron

What I love about oriental scents is that they make you feel exotic and propel you to far away places (or what you imagine far away places are like). A continued standby for the past few years for me has been Jaipur Homme by Boucheron. This is a spicy scent… the cinnamon, clove and nutmeg really pop. There is no dry down, there is no change as the day goes on. It is a one level scent that so beautifully feels exotic. It’s light enough in the summer to wear; mixed with a little perspiration and you feel like your walking through the streets of India. But it’s also perfect as a winter scent, the spices comes alive and adds color to any gray, cold and damp day. Whenever I wear this, I feel elegant. This is not a young man’s cologne, and it is most suited for evening wear unless you work in a law office. Jaipur has wonderful sillage and is incredibly long lasting. This is a scent for the sophisticated man…the exotic man.

Notes:

Heliotrope, Bergamot, Amber, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Clove, Tonka Bean