The Scented Hound

Perfume blog with abbreviated perfume reviews & fragrance reviews.

Tag Archives: unisex


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Orange Star by Tauer Perfumes

WHAT I SMELL:  Orange Star goes on sharp.  It’s orange, but not a juicy kind of succulent orange, but more of an orange that was dunked in floor cleaner or some other kind of petroleum product.  I can’t say that it’s sweet, nor can I say that it’s sour.  It’s just very artificial.  Some of the sharpness disappears in the dry down but then the patchouli comes out.  I never was a fan of patchouli oil, but have found that in the right compositions it can really be lovely.  In this case, it’s very “hippy” patchouli.  This is a strong scent with a mind of its own.  I see this as a scent that would be favored by girls aged 15 to 20.

Orange Star Notes:  clementine, red mandarine, lemongrass essential oil, orange flower, violet flower, ambergris, vanilla, patchouli, ambreine

WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: For some odd reason this to me smells like 1970. There is a real artificiality about Orange Star. And for those of who can remember 1970, our environment was made up of Naugahyde couches, mounds of Tupperware and just a ton of things made out of plastic.  It was not an era for natural products.  Orange Star reminds of old beauty parlors and old grocery stores where clerks actually rung up items that had price stickers on them.  I have to say that I have not experienced a scent that sends me back to another time like this one does.  Now, I have good memories from childhood and those images cited above aren’t bad things, but they’re not something that I want to smell like.  Not in the least.

The Brady Bunch House

THREE ADJECTIVES THAT DESCRIBE ORANGE STAR:  artificial, manufactured, thick

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT ORANGE STAR: The following are some other reviews on Orange Star:  The Candy Perfume Boy, London Makeup Girl, Now Smell This

  • Bone Rating: 2 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental Floral
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $135 for 50ml EDP


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Bombay Bling by Neela Vermeire Creations

I was all set not to like Bombay Bling.  The weekend started off with temperature of low 100s.  Then Friday night a storm came through bringing 75 mile an hour winds with it.  Saturday I cleaned up the yard from downed limbs and I had to clean up the shattered glass from my broken patio table (getting bits of glass out of the lawn is a time consuming task…but I had to ensure that the neighborhood fox and the squirrels don’t cut their paws on the glass!).  It’s Sunday and it’s still around 100 and I’m almost finished working on the lawn.  In other words, it has not been a fun weekend.  I always worry that when I’m in this mood, writing reviews might not be the best thing to do.  In any case, here we go…

Bombay Bling is a hard fragrance for me to describe.  It goes on sweet and fruity, but in a very subdued and subtle way.  Maybe it’s because there’s a tinge of pepper that hides behind the top notes, or maybe its the base of warmth that keeps the sweetness under control.  In any case, the opening stage of this fragrance is lovely and embracing.  In fact the nice thing about this scent is that as it wears the opening doesn’t really disappear it just becomes a bit more subtle. From the name of this fragrance, I was expecting some over the top, loud creation.  Instead, Bombay Bling is the exact opposite; it’s fresh, light and reminds me of purity, optimism and sheer happiness.

OK, Bombay Bling managed to eat through my crusty weekend veneer.  As I need to get back to the yard work, I’ll just leave with you with the notes.  I’ll be coming back to Bombay Bling later.  This is truly a wonderful surprise.

Bombay Bling Notes:

Mango, lychee, blackcurrant, cardamom, cumin, cistus, Turkish rose, jasmine sambac, ylang-ylang, tuberose, plumeria, gardenia, patchouli, tobacco, sandalwood, cedar, vanilla

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Oriental Floral
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: $250 for 55ml EDP


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Chypre Palatin by Parfums MDCI

Last week I received six samples that I haven’t had a chance to start reviewing until today. Of course, that didn’t stop me from stealing a quick sniff of each fragrance when I first got the package.  The one scent that really stuck a nerve upon first sniff was Chypre Palatin by Parfums MDCI.  So when I reached into the package today… that was my first choice.

Chypre Palatin’s first offered up a rush of citrus and cedar and then quickly a warm amberish lavender and what seemed to be eucalyptus (but I’m not seeing eucalyptus in the notes?? hmmm).  The fragrance goes on very warm without being heavy and it’s very comforting.  In a little while the scent then moves to an even warmer almost floral setting.  It’s very peaceful and serene.  The kind of scent where you want to close your eyes and breath in its aromatherapeutic qualities.

As Chypre Palatin continues it’s drydown it moves into a very familiar what I would call barbershop phase.  It’s traditional and old world and masculine at this point.  But stop, don’t let me confuse you by thinking this fragrance is old-fashioned and masculine.  It’s not.  The opening and the dry down make it much more universal and modern.  In the end, Chypre Palatin quiets down to a nice oak moss and vanilla scent with just a touch of powder.  However, depending on what you’re doing, those middle warm aromatic notes will still come to surface as the day wears on.

Longevity is average as is the sillage.  Chypre Palatin is a lovely surprise that feels old and new world at the same time and I think would be perfect for men and women alike.

As I have issues with deciphering the notes from a fragrance with complicated compositions; just note that all the ingredients below make for a perfect fragrance!

From the Parfums MDCI website:

The result is incredibly complex and rich, a velvet-like fragrance, a sort of gold-embroidered, fur-lined brocade, somptuous and wild…

The surprise comes from the discovery that “Chypre Palatin” is utterly masculine, but could also be one of the most sensuous, voluptuous feminine fragrance !

Chypre Palatin Notes:

Head:  jacinth, clementine, aldehydes, cistus essence, galbanum essence, thyme, lavender 

Heart: rose, jasmin, iris concrète, prune, gardenia
 
Base: benjamin, styrax, leather, vanilla, tolu, castoreum, costus, oakmoss, everlasting absolute 

  • Bone Rating: 4 out of 5 possible bones
  • Scent: Green Oriental Chypre
  • Classification: Unisex
  • Expense: Expense:  $250 for 60ml EDP with bust, $375 with bust