The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

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Black Magic by Sebastiane Parfumes

WHAT I SMELL:  Black Magic casts a spell with an initial big blast of tonka that is sweetened with a green blackberry and jammy rose.  One spritz is all that is needed as Black Magic has some incredible projection. Very quickly, the perfume warms with the addition of a light amber.  The perfume is a buzz with a mix of fruity florals that when combined smell a bit like grape jelly.  At this point, the perfume is all fruit…with grape and blackberry front and center and in combination are juicy without being too thick.  After some time, a woody note and light leather start to appear which pulls back the overt sweetness.  But as soon as I mentioned this, the fruit comes back full force.  Here the perfume remains for a long time…full, rich and full of juice.  Finally, in the end, the perfume turns to more of a sweetened patchouli, topped with a grassy vetiver.  Spell cast.

From the Sebastiane website:

Top notes are tonka bean, vanilla and amber; middle notes are jasmine, rose, blackberry and frangipani; base notes are patchouli, leather, grass and vetiver.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A grape cocktail.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE BLACK MAGIC:  big, bountiful, juicy

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BLACK MAGIC:  None to be found except for the comments on Fragrantica.

BOTTOM LINE:  Black Magic is full on fruit, make no bones about it.  As such, don’t expect a perfume that’s quiet and demure…it’s big, fun and not shy in the least.

  • Bone Rating:  3 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Oriental
  • Nose: Robert Elder
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $85 for 60 ml eau de parfum available from the Sebastiane website and other retailers.


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New Release: Silphium by Stora Skuggan

WHAT I SMELL:  Silphium goes on the skin incredibly herbal, medicinal, warm and mentholated.  It really vibrates with a vaporous sheen and the perfume is incredibly reassuring without being soft and cuddly.  Instead, since there is a medicinal edge it feels more like an elixir of health.  As the perfume begins to settle, the herbal turns to an energized spice that is somehow flat, yet full of movement.  Still rather medicinal, the perfume throws out an aura of energy which now begins to lighten with a rounded moisture fused in ginger and a slight citrus.  After some time, the perfume removes the majority of the medicinal tone and lightens to a fuzzy and lightly powdered wood that albeit full of projection, feels somewhat ethereal and wispy brought on by the breath of an opaque incense.  In the end, the perfume softens considerably and becomes a comfort scent…in the sense that the therapeutic aspects of the fragrance make you feel like you don’t only smell good, but the perfume is good for you.

From the Stora Skuggan website:

Silphium (probably of the genus Ferula) was a plant that grew in the area of Cyrene, present day Libya, and was widely renowned as a spice, medicinal herb and perfume ingredient throughout the empires of the classical antiquity. It was praised by Greek philosophers and writers, as well as Roman emperors and cookbook authors.

There were many attempts to cultivate Silphium, but they inevitably failed. It would only grow wild in a limited area of the north African coast. This in combination with its qualities as seasoning and medicine made Silphium the most valuable spice in the world, outshining both saffron and cinnamon. The demand for Silphium eventually became so overwhelming that it was harvested to extinction, and the taste and smell of the once greatest spice in the world was lost in time.

Our rendition of this historical plant is created by researching surviving assumed relatives of Silphium, using aromachemicals (the molecular building blocks of scents) to create an accord that we feel represents what descriptions remains. This is set against a background of ancient incense, woods and leather.

Silphium features top notes of Silphium accord and Cistus. The heart notes are Cinnamon, Black Pepper, Tobacco, Ginger, Geranium and Clove. Base notes are Frankincense, Myrrh, Cedarwood and Leather.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Medicinal cotton.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SILPHIUM: herbal, medicinal, therapeutic

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SILPHIUM:  None found.

BOTTOM LINE:  This new release from the Stockholm Sweden based Stora Skuggan is interesting and different and I love the fact that they are creating a perfume through the re-creation of an extinct and historical plant as a central theme.  And for perfume lovers who also gravitate towards incredible bottles…Silphium does the trick.

  • Bone Rating:  3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Oriental Spicy
  • Nose: Olle Hemmendorff and Tomas Hempel
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $140 for 30 ml eau de parfum

Sample provided by Twisted Lily Fragrange Boutique and Apothecary.  Opinion my own.


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New Release: silencethesea by strangelove nyc

silencethesea

WHAT I SMELL:  silencethesea opens salty and green, like seaweed hitting the shore of the beach; while at the same time it feels windswept and incredibly joyous.  The perfume begins to warm as if the sun begins to shine in the late morning as the day comes to life.  A sun-kissed and earthy floral emerges as if sitting right off the beach in the warmed protected area of the dune.  The perfume becomes somewhat heady with the beefy florals that are silken and smooth.  But before silencethesea gets too beefy, the perfume retreats and deepens with a light oud emitting from beneath the florals.  This gives the perfume a bit of mystery and exoticness.  After quite some time, the perfume settles into a very comfortable lightly sweetened oud with hints of candied white truffle and a light leather that hugs the skin that leaves you with your own personal secret story.

From strangelove nyc:

The fragrance is a complex blend based on the musky mysterious allure of pure ambergris, the rich warmth of rare oudh, a provocative whiff of white truffle, and a splash of salty jasmine deepened with earthy tuberose.

In the sand dunesWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Warmed flowers among the sand dunes.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE SILENCETHESEA:  contemplative, warmed, reassuring

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SILENCETHESEA:  Megan in Saint Maxime

BOTTOM LINE:  silencethesea, one of three perfumes developed by Elizabeth Gaynes in partnership with supermodel Helena Christensen and perfumer Christophe Laudamiel, is my favorite in the line, although all three perfumes are distinct, incredibly unique and sublimely intimate.  With silencethesea, a small dab of the perfume oil will transport you to your own personal private beach retreat.

  • Bone Rating:  4 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Aromatic Aquatic
  • Nose: Christophe Laudamiel
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $55 for 1.25 ml perfume oil or $475 for 50ml eau de parfum (review based on the perfume oil).  Available at Bergdorf Goodman or via the strangelove nyc website.

Sample provided by strangelove nyc.  Opinion my own.