unisex | The Scented Hound

October 20, 2016
by The Scented Hound 44 Comments

The 7% Solution by En Voyage Perfumes and Sherlock Holmes Inspired Draw

WHAT I SMELL: The 7% Solution opens with a buttery, warm and intoxicating osmanthus and the deepest almost wild mandarin that’s feels like it’s been boiled and concentrated. The creaminess in the perfume feels like a lullaby with peppered florals that are being rocked to sleep under a warmed flicker of a candle. The perfume stays in this dreamlike state with none of the flowers taking dominance besides a soft and pretty tiare. You can picture the damp, cool rain from the gray skies outside your window…but The 7% Solution is like a woolen blanket of comfort keeping you warm and secure. As the perfume slowly develops, the creaminess once again turns more towards the buttery as if remnants of hot buttered rum (without the booziness) were lingering in a mug next to the fire. In the end, the perfume resides in this warmed creamy and lightly spice dreamlike dimension with softened florals dancing down an autumn path. The 7% Solution is liquid opium for your skin.

From the En Voyage website:

Legal at the time, heroin and cocaine allowed Holmes to relax and refuel. Sherlock alternated between morphine and cocaine, which he always took in a 7% solution. Transcendently stimulating and clarifying to the mind, such drugs were regularly taken by aesthetes of the day, including the poet Colridge and even Queen Victoria herself.

TOP NOTES: Wild Oranges, Mandarin, Green Citron, Osmanthus, Curacao

HEART NOTES: Tiare, Frangipani, Narcissus, Summer Blooming Flowers

BASE NOTES: Sandalwood, Vanilla, Amber, Oak, White Woods and Musks

Cumberbatch and Freeman as Holmes and Watson

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: I will not argue with perfumer Shelley Waddington’s inspiration of Sherlock Holmes.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE THE 7% SOLUTION: easy, comforting, calming

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE 7% SOLUTION: CaFleureBon, Megan in Saint Maxime

BOTTOM LINE: I fell in love with this perfume when I first smelled it as a judge for the 2015 Artisan Salon Fragrance awards. It’s a perfume that is truly unique, interesting and like no other. Shelley Waddington captures perfectly a dreamy state of comfort.

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Nose: Shelley Waddington
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $60 for 1 oz. eau de cologne. Review based on eau de parfum version.

DRAW: For US readers only, one 15 ml bottle of The 7% Solution Eau de Parfum to be chosen via random.org. To enter, please provide a comment below stating who your favorite actor portrayal of Sherlock Holmes is…or list your favorite En Voyage perfume and why. Drawing closes at midnight EST on Thursday, October 27, 2017. Good luck!

October 17, 2016
by The Scented Hound 23 Comments

New Release: DSH Perfumes Chinchilla

WHAT I SMELL: Yowsa…so musky, so lusty and so full of sweet delicious honey…Chinchilla’s introduction is amazing. At its core, the perfume’s opening is set with a delicious honeyed floral civet that’s lightly waxy and full on scintillating. And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, the perfume becomes a bit thicker as it feels like a light honey is being dripped over the burgeoning florals. In a short while, what started off as pure sex, begins to move to the more sensual. The animalic notes are still there, but they begin to tone down and tame. I’m not going to try to pick apart any notes because they are so seamlessly blended, but I do notice just a hint of cinnamon peppering the honeyed florals. In the end, Chinchilla lightens to a wonderfully soft semi sweet honeyed floral that leaves a perfect trail of come-hither behind you as you wear it. Chinchilla is a stunningly sexy and sensual perfume.

From the DSH Perfumes website:

A ‘retro nouveau’ floriental/honey musk animalic fragrance. It’s gorgeously sexy, and yet so very cozy and comforting.

Chinchilla notes include hyrax, ambrette (musk mallow), bergamot, vetiver, oakmoss, carnation, castoreum, rose de mai, cinnamon, civet, beeswax, gardenia, honey, musk, nard himalayan (jatamansi), tonka bean and white pepper.

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: The art of seduction.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE CHINCHILLA: alluring, tempting, magnetic

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT CHINCHILLA: The Fragrant Journey, Scent Hussy

BOTTOM LINE: Chinchilla is a beautifully smooth seductress. It has just the right amount of animalic elements without being over the top; which means it whispers it’s seduction rather than screams it. The other plus is that Chinchilla could easily be worn by a man or a woman, being easily captivating on both.

Bone Rating: 4 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Floral Woody Musk
Nose: Dawn Spencer Horowitz
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $125 for 1 oz. eau de parfum. Available in various sizes and concentrations. Check out the DSH Perfumes website for the full line.

Sample courtesy of DSH Perfumes. Opinion my own.

October 3, 2016
by The Scented Hound 5 Comments

Berdoues Oud Wa Ward

WHAT I SMELL: Oud Wa Ward jumps out of the bottle with a sweetened patchouli and luscious bold and juicy red rose with a soured and lightly biting oud. There’s a bit of a metallic edge to the perfume, but overall it is what it promises to be… a rose oud perfume…well, maybe add just a hint of incense to the mix. After quite some time, the sweetness begins to dissipate and a lovely understated woodiness takes over making the perfume a bit more grounded. But what used to be bright and free-spirited in the beginning after 30 minutes turns to the more serious and the perfume gets bigger, bolder with the honeyed, smoky and slightly dirty oud now fully in charge. But overall, Oud Wa Ward delivers a nice rose oud and patchouli sweetened fragrance that’s not too heavy, but with just enough sexy and exotic to make this a fun and easy wear.

Fragrance Notes: Patchouli, Turkish Red Rose, Oud

Skateboarding Shia LeBeouf – pic: Just Jared

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A smooth, easy and rather sexy perfume that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE OUD WA WARD: sweetened wood, kickin, fun

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT OUD WA WARD: None to be found.

BOTTOM LINE: Oud Wa Ward takes you on quite the ride although it doesn’t do it in short sprints; instead it really takes it time. The perfume starts off fun and carefree, but in the end you’re left with something that’s much more serious and a little bit dangerous, but still incredibly beautiful. This is a perfume that begs to be challenged with a cool attitude. Oud Wa Ward is a hip perfume at a reasonable price to boot. What’s not to love?

Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
Scent: Woody Oriental
Classification: Unisex
Expense: $140 for 100 ml eau de parfum