Robert Piguet | The Scented Hound

January 16, 2017
by The Scented Hound 13 Comments

V. Intense by Robert Piguet

WHAT I SMELL: V. Intense’s opening is a beautiful burst of bergamot and sweet pear which is soon mixed with a warmed saffron. Deliciously pretty, a ripe and juicy plum note soon comes to the center of the stage. Not too juicy though, the plum is lush without being saturated. Actually, it feels like it’s sitting on top of a lush green bouquet of patchouli. The perfume has an incredibly radiance, as if the plum and patchouli are pushing out this warmed, yet powdered and dried sunny hue. After some more, a hint of incense appears making the perfume mysterious and seductive. After which a pencil shaving note of sandalwood appears while the perfume increases its powdery evolution with just the hint of cream. In the end, the warmed tonka and incense make for lovely modern vintage vibe.

From Robert Piguet Parfums:

V. Intense opens with a burst of bergamot, pear and saffron, a whirling eddy of citrus and spice. Soft rose, sweet ylang ylang and sumptuous plum unlock the daring core, a dalliance of fruit and floral that lays a warm, exotic path to the fragrance’s denouement. Patchouli, incense, sandalwood and white musk create a magical dry down, as transporting as it is visceral.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Although V. Intense was only launched in 2014, it has a very urban sophisticated 1950s nostalgic feel to me. It’s pretty and lightly sweet with just the right amount of powder and it feels ’50s fashionable in being neat, trimmed and tailored.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE V. INTENSE: vibrant, energizing, witty

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT V. INTENSE: AustralianPerfumeJunkies, Fragrance Daily

BOTTOM LINE: V Intense, full of plum, is everything I thought I would not like in a perfume. Instead, it’s understated beauty and urban sophistication is everything that I crave in a perfume. I absolutely love it.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Oriental Floral
Nose: Aurelien Guichard
Classification: Unisex
Expense: Approximately $180 for 100 ml eau de parfum

October 16, 2014
by The Scented Hound 18 Comments

New Release: Gardenia by Robert Piguet

WHAT I SMELL: Gardenia opens with a mix of heady florals with thick and rich rather brown sugared ylang-ylang. This is everything I love in a floral, so deep and rich that when you draw the scent in, it coats the back of your throat. The florals are low to the ground and feel weighted as if the flowers crushed under your feet. An earthy raw dirt component adds a realness that makes the perfume even more inviting. After around 15 minutes there are peaks of a lighter flower that start to come through as if they are able to make their way through the crushed dirt. The florals are lighter, but no less intoxicating as they’re mixed with a delicious and exuberant vanilla. The fragrance seems to experience a rebirth with this 2nd wave of florals which bursts out with golden energy. But Gardenia manages to contain itself as the burst levels to more of a golden warm haze. The fragrance is now feminine, seductive and alluring. It calls you in and you can’t let go of its beauty. After an hour, there’s a slight woody greenish quality that makes it way in making it less feminine, but more unisex. In the end, you’re left with a subtle warm gardenia fragrance that is creamy, comforting, classic and incredibly peaceful in its beauty.

From Robert Piguet Parfums:

Soft, flowery Ylang Ylang embraces the sweet and bold fleur de lis for a bold, sparkling beginning. The sensuous white gardenia scintillates the heart as it grows richer and more complex with black leather, Madagascar Vanilla, and cashmeran warming to a sultry base.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The perfect gay wedding fragrance; floral and handsome without being too feminine.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE GARDENIA: embracing, divine, magnificent

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT GARDENIA: AustralianPerfumeJunkies, Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE: I don’t really get any gardenia from the perfume until the fragrance begins to work its way into the drydown. But throughout the fragrance’s development, the florals are intoxicating, beautiful and just the right cup of tea for this lover of white floral fragrances. Gardenia softens to a whisper and some might want it to project a bit more, but to me, it radiates perfectly as a glowing floral forcefield.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral
Nose: Aurelien Guichard
Classification: Feminine to Unisex
Expense: $175 for 100ml Eau de Parfum

May 21, 2014
by The Scented Hound 23 Comments

Bandit by Robert Piguet

WHAT I SMELL: Bandit opens up with rush of galbanum; it’s green and almost sparkling in its intensity, but at the same time rather animalic and dirty which seems like a contradiction. But soon, Bandit starts to elicit its floral side with a some gorgeous ylang ylang and jasmine sitting on what seems to be a layer of cigarette smoke that is layered on top of the green notes. After around the five-minute mark a light spice combines with the floral and hints of leather start to peak through. Soon enough the oakmoss starts to make itself known as the dryness sits at the base while the other notes morph above it. However, after some more development the oakmoss reveals an extra sharpness that when smelled it wants to collapse the inside of your nostrils, but that sharpness soon moves to a more dusty and powdery essence; all awhile still sitting on top are the lightly leathered florals that are rather pretty in more of a masculine way. In the end you’re left with a dusty and dreamy lightly leathered floral.

I find that Bandit seems to transform itself at different times when I wear it. Sometimes it’s more floral and pretty, other times it morphs quickly into the dryer chypre and light leather. Either way I like it because it’s unique and different and I believe, pretty unmistakable as a perfume.

From the Robert Piguet website:

Provocative and sultry, this chypre fragrance is an intense blend of exotic leather, wood, spice and floral notes including neroli, orange, ylang ylang, jasmine, tuberose, vetiver, oakmoss, patchouli and musk.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: Bandit’s not quite the tough and wild gal that I had heard about and was expecting. Instead, I think she’s much more of a “Pussycat Bandit!”

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE BANDIT: dry, semi-tough, dusty

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT BANDIT: Olfactoria’s Travels, Perfume Shrine, Perfume-Smellin’ Things

BOTTOM LINE: My review is based on the Parfum Extrait version and on my box is a sticker that states:

“Certification

This is the original formula for Bandit created by this company with Robert Piguet for the introduction of the perfume in 1944

Errol G.W.Stafford, President, Givaudan Fragrances Corporation”

So I guess this version is about as good as you can ever get to the real thing. But I have to admit that if I want a real dirty girl, I’ll stick with my Gres Cabochard. However, don’t get me wrong, I love this pussycat of a rebel.

Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Chypre Floral
Nose: Germaine Cellier
Classification: Feminine, but can easily be worn by a man
Expense: Varies depending on the concentration. Review based on the parfum extrait.