review | The Scented Hound

July 29, 2015
by The Scented Hound 9 Comments

Two from Le Galion – Whip & Special for Gentlemen

WHAT I SMELL: Whip has a wonderfully bright citrus opening. It sparkles, is lightly spicy and overall zesty, and is warmed with a light lavender which gives it a very classical feel. I love it when a citrus fragrance can make you feel like you’re wearing a starched white shirt when you may just be wearing a t-shirt. Whip does just that. After around 10 minutes, the zesty opening starts to calm, and the citrus begins to meld with the delicate florals which are incredibly pretty. There’s a heavy dose of galbanum which is mixed with an oak moss; creating a radiant haze of powdered freshness. After around 30 minutes, the perfume is met with a very light leather which tames the green of the perfume and which makes the final stage smooth as silk. Whip is uncomplicated, fresh and easy to wear and is perfect for when you are dressing up, or dressing down.

From the Le Galion website:

1953: Queen Elizabeth II was crowned Queen at the age of 27 while New York celebrated the opening of the Guggenheim Museum and Audrey Hepburn starred in “Roman Holiday”. Le Galion launched Whip, a fresh and young fragrance, especially refreshing in the summer. Originally created for men, women also grabbed hold of it quickly.

A return to its origins; to freshness, tone and distinction for this timeless Cologne fragrance; a fragrance that suits both men and women. Although in classic fresh and citrus fragrance territory,Whip exudes a certain modernity, It opens on a very citrusy note, created by the marriage of lemons from Verdelli and Calabrian bergamot. Tarragon, lavender and cardamom provide the aromatic notes. The heart of the fragrance is worked around floral notes such as jasmine, violet and a hint of iris, all accentuated by the powerful woody notes of galbanum. The background is softened and warmed with heady notes of oak moss, patchouli and vetiver grass oil. Leather notes give this fragrance its huge personality.

Head notes | Verdelli Citrus, Calabrian Bergamot, Tarragon, Lavander, Cardamom
Heart notes | Jasmine, Violet, Iris, Galbanum
Base notes | Oak Moss, Vetiver, Patchouli, Leather Notes

The Croquet Game, Edouard Manet – 1873

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A beautiful bucolic day, perfect for a game of croquet.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE WHIP: clean, neat, classic

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT WHIP: Le Mouchoir Perfume, Colognoisseur

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Chypre
Nose: David Maruitte
Classification: Unisex
Expense: 140 Euros for 100 ml Eau de Parfum from the Le Galion website

WHAT I SMELL: Special for Gentlemen opens with a beautiful warmed luxurious lavender, tinged with citrus and bergamot. There’s a lovely powdered amber which is highlighted by a pulsating cinnamon, but it’s so incredibly subtle as it mixes with the amber and labdanum. After around 15 minutes, a slightly soured edge appears along with a powdered vanilla and oak moss. The perfume is reverant, solid and masculine but not in a beefy or heavy-handed way. In the end, you are left with a warmed, slightly soured vanillaed perfume that is proper; but very sensual at its core. Very sexy.

From the Le Galion website:

1947: The Marshall Plan was launched. The French people dreamt of luxury and escape. Roger Vivier invented the stiletto heel, Christian Dior launched the New Look and Miss Dior, and Le Galion created Special for Gentlemen, a masculine fragrance, distinguished and refined; a fragrance to wear at all times. Discreet, refreshing, yet lingering, it is like no other. It is a luxury fragrance for men.

A tribute to the legacy of expertise, excellence and “savoir-vivre”. True to the spirit of Paul Vacher in the re-issue of this classic and elegant fragrance. A masculine fragrance, reviving the ancient traditions of the art of perfumery, using noble materials.

A beautiful Oriental Amber fragrance that opens on fresh and aromatic notes. Subtle notes of lavender and lemon are accompanied by a touch of woody galbanum. A balsamic note of cinnamon brings softness to the blend. This lasting woody amber fragrance is achieved by generously combining amber, cistus labdanum and patchouli. Finally, soft balsamic notes and a slightly animalised note lend this sensual fragrance lots of sensuality – a marriage of vanilla, opoponax and castoreum.

Head notes | Bergamot, Citrus, Lavender, Galbanum
Heart notes | Cinammon, Amber, Cistus Labdanum, Patchouli
Base notes | Oak Moss, Vanilla, Castoreum, Opoponax

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Henry Cavill in the upcoming release “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”; sexy, daring and dashing

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SPECIAL FOR GENTLEMEN: handsome, confident, controlled

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SPECIAL FOR GENTLEMEN: Chemist in the Bottle, La gardenia nell’occhiello

Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Aromatic Fougere
Nose: David Maruitte
Classification: Masculine
Expense: 140 Euros for 100 ml Eau de Parfum from the Le Galion website

BOTTOM LINE: I love seeing the resurrection of these classic perfume houses. There’s a very straightforward elegance about each of the reissued perfumes which feel classic, but not historic, so you don’t feel as if you’re wearing a worn out version of your mother or father’s old wardrobe. As much as I like both of these perfumes, I have to admit that Le Galion’s Iris is probably my favorite from the reissued perfumes. Clean, light and pretty, it’s an iris that doesn’t drag you down in the dirt, but instead makes you feel like you’re floating on an iris cloud. Welcome back Le Galion!

July 27, 2015
by The Scented Hound 10 Comments

Summer by Dasein

What’s more perfect for the beginning of the dog days of summer, than to review a perfume named Summer??!

WHAT I SMELL: Summer opens with a dash of fresh cilantro which is soon met with a muted grapefruit. The perfume feels like it’s comprised of the perfect ingredients for creating a wonderful citrus based salsa. But there is also an undertone of the perfume which reminds me so much of playing along the white sheets hanging on the line as a child (much to the chagrin of my mother!) As the perfume progresses, the cilantro recedes and the mixture of light citrus feels weighted under a layer of fresh rain water. It’s sunny, without being bright, but instead a clean musk and the most subtle of grass note which helps to generate a freshness. After around 10 minutes, the projection begins to grow, but the scent doesn’t transform or change that much except for the orange blossom which begins to take over as the prominent note over the grapefruit which adds just a hint of sour to this fresh-faced composition.

From the Dasein website:

SUMMER unisex fragrance features notes of cilantro, grapefruit, jasmine, orange blossom and grass. Each small batch is hand blended in the hills of Glassell Park, Los Angeles.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The wonderful smell of sun-kissed fresh laundered sheets on a clothesline.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE SUMMER: sunny, clean, fresh

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SUMMER: CaFleureBon, Colognoisseur, Fashion Lifestyle

BOTTOM LINE: Summer delivers on its name. The perfume projects big, but it refrains from feeling large. Summer maybe be the perfect perfume all year long…just right for the hot summer days, but also in the middle of winter when you just want to retreat to your own personal summer day.

Bone Rating: 3 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Citrus Aromatic
Nose: Sam Radar
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $95 for 50 ml Eau de Parfum

Sample courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary

July 20, 2015
by The Scented Hound 12 Comments

Mona di Orio Nuit Noire

WHAT I SMELL: Nuit Noire opens with a plasticined orange, it’s slightly bitter and sour and rather animalic (to be honest, there’s a skankiness that is quite unexpected). Given the opening, I would think that the perfume would be heavy and thick. Instead, the perfume feels light and airy, albeit it incredibly potent. Now don’t get me wrong, I like it when a perfume has a bit of a funky edge as long as it doesn’t dominate. And after around 10 minutes or so, the funk, although still present, makes way for a warmed mix of spice and a light creaminess. The projection is low which makes the perfume feel mysterious and rather forbidden. The transition of the soured orange to more of a flattened musk brings a more evened edge to the perfume and after around 30 minutes the tuberose melds with the orange blossom which helps to soften the perfume even further. In the end, Nuit Noire is a sultry and sexy exotic creamy floral with just the right amount of naughty edginess.

From the Mona di Orio website:

Nuit Noire elicits the steaming sensuality of a dark, sultry night in North Africa, exotic, spicy, and animalic. A strikingly carnal affair, the raw energy and heat at the start rises from floral notes colliding with woods, spices and leather, but as it is with lovers, this sophisticated floriental dries down richly intimate into a velvety seduction of spices.

The honeyed floral sweetness of orange blossom, intense tuberose, and robust, spicy cardamom seduce each other and tease for dominance. The indolic quality of the orange blossom and tuberose pulses with a ripe lushness. Brighter notes of ginger and oranges arrive on the hot wind of this vibrant souk and bring with it an intense accord of incense, spices and woods from frankincense, cinnamon, cloves and cedar and sandalwood.

Notes of animalistic musk, comforting leather, vanilla-sweet tonka and warm resinous amber develop into a creamy, velvet intoxication. This primal nocturnal journey becomes darker and spicier.

Notes: Orange flower, cardamom, ginger, orange, frankincense, cinnamon, tuberose, sandalwood, clove, cedarwood, amber, leather, musk, tonka.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A 1960s supermodel Jean Shrimpton.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE NUIT NOIRE: mysterious, sensual, exotic

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NUIT NOIRE: CaFleureBon, The Sounds of Scent, The Black Narcissus

BOTTOM LINE: There’s something about orange blossom that has a 1960s connection to me. As modern Nuit Noire is, to me, there’s a bit of vintage vibe to the perfume. Modern or vintage, Nuit Noire’s perfumed ride goes from the wild to the absolute sublime.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Mona di Orio
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $195 for 75 ml Eau de Parfum

Sample courtesy of Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique and Apothecary.