Sonoma Scent Studio | The Scented Hound

August 9, 2016
by The Scented Hound 9 Comments

2016 Artisan Fragrance Salon Award Winners

For a second year, the the Scented Hound was honored to be one of the judges for the Annual Artisan Fragrance Salon Awards. The 8th annual 2016 winning entrants were announced Monday, August 8, 2016. The top rated perfumes were voted as Gold, Silver and Bronze winners…with the top Gold prize going to Esscentual Alchemy’s Little Black Dress. The following is what I submitted regarding this wonderful perfume:

Little Black Dress – buttery florals that are thick and waxy. A light spice adds to the rather rounded perfume. The fragrance thickens as it develops creating a warm and enrapturing and herbaled scarf that moves from the fuzzy to more of a leather. Little Black Dress is a seductive stunner.

Esscentual Alchemy’s Little Black Dress – Parfum Extrait

Little Black Dress was my favorite and it appears that it was for the other judges as well. But don’t get me wrong, it was hard judging so many incredible perfumes. Some of my other favorites included Sonoma Scent Studio’s Winter Woods and El Jardi Secret NU by Urban Nature.

A full list of the winners to include such award categories as, scent seductiveness and uniqueness, can be found at the Artisan Fragrance Awards website.

Congratulations to all of the 2016 winners!

May 23, 2014
by The Scented Hound 12 Comments

The Hound’s Guest Post on CaFleureBon: Sonoma Scent Studio Jour Ensoleille & Picnic at Hanging Rock Draw

One of my favorite fragrance industry experts, Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief at CaFleureBon, recently asked me to contribute to one of my favorite fragrance sites with a guest post. I was and am thrilled beyond belief that she would have this humble hound as a contributor. In any case, my first (and hopefully, not last) post for CaFleureBon provides a review of Sonoma Scent Studio’s Jour Ensolielle. After being introduced to Sonoma Scent Studio with the wonderful new release Yin & Ylang, this second foray into Laurie’s work was another thrill as I have to say it even topped my love of Yin & Ylang, and that’s not an easy feat. Please check the full review at Fragrance Review: Sonoma Scent Studio Jour Ensoleille & Picnic at Hanging Rock Draw.

Oh, and for my regular readers, what it doesn’t state in the articles is how many bones I give Jour Ensoleille. So as not to disappoint; I have to say that I give it 4.5 bones!

April 22, 2014
by The Scented Hound 21 Comments

New Release: Yin & Ylang by Sonoma Scent Studio

A little over a month ago I was reading on one of my favorite sites, CaFleureBon, that CaFleureBon editor Michelyn Camen and perfumer Laurie Erickson had teamed up to create a new perfume based on a concept developed by Michelyn. I knew that whatever these two created was going to be incredible and was even more excited to learn that the featured note was going to be my beloved ylang-ylang. You can read more about Michelyn’s and Laurie’s inspiration and their creative development process at CaFleureBon. As there was a draw as part of the announcement, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek sniff…but even better, it’s now available for sale!

WHAT I SMELL: Yin & Ylang opens with a snappy bergamot and semi sweet blood orange, but quickly moves into with this very lovely and deepened fruitiness which then becomes moves even deeper revealing this ultra creamy and über sexy ylang ylang. For an opening, this is surprising as it’s weighted with a layered sheen of wax which seems to pour up from the depths below. Jasmine and tuberose take a back seat to the ylang ylang, but sit on the side revealing themselves after around ten minutes as the fragrance begins to lighten after its initial seduction. As the fragrance lightens, a hint of soured light sharpness (sandalwood?) begins to make an appearance. However, given another twenty minutes and the fragrance looses any hint of sharpness and the creamy florals really begin to project off my skin. The fragrance then blends so fluently with the base notes creating this dreamy and slightly honeyed backdrop for the exquisite florals. I’m not sure what this says about me, but I find Yin & Ylang to be sensual, yet very comforting at the same time.

Fragrance Notes from the Sonoma Scent Studio website:

Bergamot, blood orange, soft aldehydes,beeswax absolute, ylang complete oil, jasmine sambac absolute, tuberose absolute, rose damascones, ginger CO2,Mysore sandalwood oil, oakmoss absolute, amber, patchouli,vanilla, musk.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: seduction

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE YIN & YLANG: glorious, enraptured, lush

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT YIN & YLANG: Now Smell This, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE: I had the pleasure of meeting Michelyn last fall at Sniffapalooza and she is lovely and charming in every way and she knows the perfume industry like few do. Knowing Michelyn, I knew upon hearing about this new creation that it would be a hit; and I was right. Sometimes great ideas and collaborations don’t always make for a good fit. In this case, Michelyn and Laurie have created a timeless beauty that starts off with a strong seduction and leaves you with a lasting love.

Bone Rating: 4.5 out of 5 possible bones
Scent: Floral
Classification: Feminine
Expense: $55 for 17ml or $100 for 34ml from the Sonoma Scent Studio website