The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: unisex


by 2 Comments

Roja Parfums Oceania

Hard to believe that it’s already 2022.  The past two years have been challenging at best, but with the beginning of a new year there’s a promise of rebirth with positive energy.  So I wanted to start off this new year with a perfume that beckons of adventures to come.   Hopefully the world will reopen this year and travel and exploration will once again be part of our collective.  We have to believe that there are some exciting new adventures on the horizon!

WHAT I SMELL:   Oceania opens with a sparkling bergamot and a clean and fresh lemon that quickly moves to the more herbal highlighted with a tinge of lime.  It’s soft, unassuming and very easy on the nose as it resides quietly on the skin with the lightest of a whisper as if a lovely breeze brushes it off of your skin.  The perfume soon begins to quietly grow with a very subdued geranium and a soft jasmine creating a pretty heart within the lightly salted citrus.  Here, the florals begin to round out and push out the citrus from the center.  Oceania isn’t a perfume with twists and turns, instead it slowly melds into it’s finish which is not far off from first spritz.  As such, in the end, Oceania lives in a gentle cocoon of light moss with the whisper of florals resting on top of a lightly salted sandalwood.  Oceania is quietly beautiful.

From the Roja Parfums website:

“Deeply concerned by the vulnerability at the heart of our fragile oceans, a donation from every sale of Oceania Eau De Parfum will be made to charities dedicated to protecting our precious seas. Echoing the infinity of our oceans, this fragrance opens with a wave of invigorating freshness from Bergamot, Lime and Mandarin. Geranium and Jasmine drift in on the breeze from a nearby island, whilst Moss, Sandalwood and Orris offer a warm caress as if kissed by the sun, whose light reflects on the waves.” – ROJA DOVE.

A Citrus cocktail opens this creation and runs throughout, as Lemon and Grapefruit mingle with Bergamot, Mandarin and Lime. Fresh, aromatic Herb notes extend the distinct freshness of this accord and mingle beautifully down into a floral heart based around the fresh sweetness of Geranium and the creamy, exotic tones of Jasmine. A bold base acts like velcro, enabling this resolutely fresh composition to stay close to the skin and permeate throughout the day, mingled around a dry, natural base of Moss notes and the skin-like combination of Sandalwood and Orris.

KEY INGREDIENTS: Bergamot, Lime, Mandarin, Geranium, Jasmine Sambac, Moss Notes, Sandalwood, Orris

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  The free flying seagull; one with the ocean below and the sky above.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE OCEANIA:  soft, contemplative, serene

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OCEANIA:  Fashion for Lunch

BOTTOM LINE:  Oceania is probably the quietest of any Roja Parfums perfume that I have experienced.  While quiet, it is amazingly beautiful and when you wear it it feels like it’s just meant for you.  And the fact that a portion of each sale goes to helping preserve our oceans, makes it just that much more special of a perfume.  And for those of you who think the bottle is as important as the perfume, the Oceania bottle and cap are exquisite.

  • Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Woody Aromatic
  • Nose:  Roja Dove
  • Classification: Masculine, but easily unisex
  • Expense:  $380 for 100 ml eau de parfum


by Leave a comment

New Release: Sarah Baker Loudo

WHAT I SMELL:   Loudo opens with a fizzy bergamot that is quickly met by warmed white chocolate followed by something that smells like woolen mittens that have a bit of a salty worn patina.  The woolen mittens then turn to the sock drawer as the perfume now takes on a combination of wood and cotton with the tinge of the lightly creamy chocolate still lingering overhead.  But soon after, a light sueded leather comes forward.  At this point, the leather dominates and moves all of the other accords to the side.  The perfume is warm and comforting and approachable in that it carries with it familiar scents of many of the comforts of home.  Slowly, the perfume begins to radiate and pushes off the skin as the leather begins to dry.  And I’m not sure if my nose is deceiving me, but there’s a very light buzzing peppermint that seems to pop in and out.   After a long time, the leather begins to retreat, leaving a soft and pretty orange blossom to take it’s place sitting atop a woody semi-sweet flattened vanilla.  At this point, the perfume softly hugs the skin in the quietest of ways.  Loudo is a wonderfully interesting and a delightful journey of a perfume.

From the Sarah Baker Perfumes website:

Playful and sweet with the flavors of childhood appetites, it dries down to something seriously grown-up. Proustian aromas and a nostalgic glimpse of a beloved game encountered in the attic, realizing years later it was the seed of your adult prowess; the sensual, sexy and clever you.

Notes: bergamot, neroli, petitgrain, black cherry, cypriol, orange blossom, white chocolate, Laos oud, Suyufi agarwood, musk, amber, vanilla

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  A cozy farmhouse kitchen laden with all the comfort smells infused in the home.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE LOUDO:  comforting, nostalgic, unique

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT LOUDO:  The Sniffer, CaFleureBon, Stephan Matthews

BOTTOM LINE:  When I first heard that Loudo was an oud perfume, I couldn’t conjure in my mind how Sarah Baker would interpret it as it seems we all have been overly ouded over the past many years.  Thankfully, Sarah’s use of oud makes it the center of the perfume, but not one that is overt nor dominating.  The oud here translates more to the leather.  And the white chocolate, black cherry carry the perfume to the slightly gourmand.  In all, there’s something incredibly comforting about Loudo in that wraps the wearer up in a quieter and more simple time.  And as far as I’m concerned, a oud/leather scent that is a comfort is something that’s very welcomed.

  • Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Woody
  • Nose: Chris Maurice
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $155 for 50 ml parfum extrait


by 4 Comments

Flamenco by Ramon Monegal

WHAT I SMELL:  Flamenco dances open with a cotton candy raspberry that’s quickly met with a sweet and candied violet.  Very soon after, a soft orris makes a quick entrance making the super sweet opening something a bit more tame.  But don’t get me wrong, the perfume still remains in the confectionary, but now it includes a lovely musky undertow.  Soon the florals begin to break through with a rounded rose front and center.  Here, Flamenco begins to quickly grow and rise as it seems to spin wildly off of the skin.  It’s here that the perfume resides for some time; at times soft, at other times projecting greatly.  But each time it moves, Flamenco becomes a bit warmer and more comforting.  Flamenco doesn’t morph all that much after this point, and in the end the rose, mixed with the soured woods, wafts along as if they’re ready to once again start a fire on the dance floor.

From the Ramon Monegal website:

“I have submerged myself in an art known for its great emotional intensity and which comes from something rooted in my cultural origins, flamenco. Distinguished by its wild gestures, ferocious foot stamping, profound laments and guitar flourishes. Flamenco, my olfactory manifesto to the Andalusian character tattooed with fire on the soul of Spain. Flamenco is a profound and passionate art… it’s a unique state of mind. It’s my forbidden hypnotic fruit!” – Ramon Monegal

Top Notes:  Raspberry, Violet, Orris

Heart Notes:  Jasmin, Rosewood, Red Rose

Base Notes:  Musk, Amberwood, Cedarwood

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  With the name Flamenco, can there be any other visual than a whirling Flamenco dancer?!

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE FLAMENCO:  sweet, smooth, swirling

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT FLAMENCO:  Australian Perfume Junkies, CaFleureBon

BOTTOM LINE:  Flamenco dances nicely for quite some time.  The candied opening is appealing and the pulsing rose in the heart is lovely.  Unfortunately for me, the soured wood is just a bit…too soured for too long for me.  But I have the feeling Flamenco is either a “love the dance or hate the dance” kind of perfume.