The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: unisex


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Rose of No Man’s Land by Byredo

Rose of No Man's LandWHAT I SMELL:  Rose of a No Man’s Land opens with a sweet and citrus candied rose that sparkles with a refreshing and dewy and slightly “bathtastic” glow.  The perfume goes on clean, fresh and pretty without being too girly as there is a heftiness to the rose that is topped by a lightly jammy raspberry.  After a few minutes, the sparkling fruitened rose is met with a warm and radiant amber with just a hint of light spice.  The perfume remains clean and fresh, but much more tame as it feels as if it begs to exist quietly rather than be pushed to the forefront in a noticeable way.  After another 10 minutes, a layer of suede pulls itself over the composition.  I really like the perfume at this point as the combination of rose and leather pulls the fragrance in and out of the masculine and feminine.  After a few more minutes, the suede begins to fade and the rose begins to grow and project.  Rose of a No Man’s Land is a comfort scent that wraps itself around the wearer with a clean, warm easy to wear rose.

From the Byredo website:

Rose of No Man’s Land is a tribute to the nurses (often referred to by soldiers as “Rose of No-Man’s Land”) who saved thousands of lives on the front lines of WWI, their story is one of selflessness and compassion.

Top notes are pink pepper and turkey red rose; middle notes are turkey red rose and raspberry bloom; base notes are papyrus and white amber.

Angora SweaterWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  An Angora sweater…not heavy, rather fluffy, and all comfort.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ROSE OF A NO MAN’S LAND:  easy, comfortable, clean

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ROSE OF A NO MAN’S LAND: EauMG, Now Smell This

BOTTOM LINE:  The opening of the perfume is divine…very fresh and full of life and the perfume matures beautifully and is lovely.  Actually, what I like about it best is that it doesn’t scream to be noticed but instead quietly does its job in a very unassuming way.

  • Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent: Oriental Spicy
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $145 for 50ml Eau de Parfum


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New Release: Noir Exquis by L’Artisan Parfumeur

Noir Exquis

WHAT I SMELL:  Noir Exquis opens slightly sour at first, quickly moving to a gourmand breaded pastry that is covered with a hazelnut glaze.  After a couple of minutes, the perfume begins to grow and it smells just like Coffee-mate Hazelnut Non-Dairy Creamer.  After a few more minutes the perfume takes on a slight hair spray note, making the perfume slightly prickly, but it also makes it feel like it’s covered in raw sugar, meaning that it’s sweet without being saccharine sweet.  After some more time, a maple syrup note creeps in and it melds with the existing nutty structure.  Thankfully, after 30 minutes, the whole structure seems to tame.  The sweetened hazelnut becomes quieter and the perfume takes on a more woody sandalwood and patchouli note tinged with a burnt amber.

From the L’Artisan Parfumeur website:

The inspiration for Noir Exquis is an unexpected rendez-vous in a French patisserie.  Two people meet over a coffee. In this delicious atmosphere of patisserie and coffee, hushed looks are exchanged. This delightful rendez-vous is the beginning of a new story with Noir Exquis.

Noir Exquis is a work of contrast and the unexpected. The addictive note of coffee, combined with the warm and comfortable notes of maple syrup, glazed chestnuts and orange blossom, brings an intriguing juxtaposition to this fragrance.
Rich and velvety, Noir Exquis connects these two persons during this moment beyond time and place.

Opulent and gourmand, Noir Exquis is a fragrance with a warm and charismatic aura.

Notes: Glazed chestnut, Coffee, Maple syrup, Macassar Wood 

Coffee-mate HazelnutWHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  I can’t get this out of my head…Coffee-mate Hazelnut Non-Dairy Creamer

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE NOIR EXQUIS: creamy, sweetened, breakfasty (is that a word?)

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT NOIR EXQUIS:  Kafkaesque, Bois de Jasmin, Megan in Saint Maxime

BOTTOM LINE:  If you like flavored coffee creamers in your morning coffee and like gourmand scents, this may be for you.  Personally, I don’t want to feel like I just rubbed a breakfast pastry over myself.  In the end, the perfume does quiet down, but it still radiates this artificial creaminess.

  • Bone Rating:  2.5 out of possible 5 bones
  • Scent:  Oriental Vanilla
  • Nose:  Bertrand Duchaufour
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $120 for 1.7 oz. eau de parfum


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Palo Santo by Carner Barcelona

Carner-Barcelona-Palo-SantoWHAT I SMELL:  Palo Santo opens with a milky coconut, boozy rum accord.  It’s sugared without being sweet, but it crackles with a wonderful gourmand and slightly earthy goodness.  The sugared aspect begins to retreat as the perfume starts to become a bit more woody.  Add on top of that a light burnt hue as if the woods and rum have attracted a lit fire which singed the sweetened wood.  The guaiac wood starts to become prominent as it begins to dominate the perfume.  Thankfully, the guaiac is tempered quickly by the addition of a woody vetiver which helps to bring the perfume into a more sharpened tonality.  After around 30 minutes or so, the perfume begins to blend with hints of incense and tonka bean sitting on top of a woody base that is full of cream.  Palo Santo is at first rather big, bold and in charge, but with a rather sweet demeanor.  In the end, all those elements are still there, but they settle down to more of a whisper.

From the Carner Barcelona website:

A ‘’sacred wood’’ steeped in magic and mysticism for thousands of years, releases an enchanting aromatic essence that swirls to life in a spellbinding blend that infuses earthy hints of wood and incense.

Coveted by shamans for centuries, it is believed that this spiritual wood has the power to protect and usher in good fortune. A faint misting will cleanse the mood and raise spirits, invoking the true purifying virtues of Palo Santo

top notes: Indian Davana, Rum Accord

mid notes: Warm Milk, Paraguayan Guaiacum Wood, Venezuelan Tonka Bean

base notes: Moroccan Cedar Wood, Vetyver from Haiti, Dominican Republican Amyris

brown-bear-4689WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME:  Don’t ask me why, but for some reason this brings to mind a very happy and content brown bear.

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE PALO SANTO:  milky, calming, peaceful

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT PALO SANTO: Chemist in the Bottle, Colognoisseur, Kafkaesque

BOTTOM LINE:  Palo Santo is smooth and creamy and full of guaiac wood which unfortunately never seems to work on my skin.  However, if you do like guaiac wood…this might just be a good fit as it softens to a nice woody glow in the end.