Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

DedCool – Ivy Blanc EDP Ivy Blanc (“Ivy”) is a new release from DedCool and is part of the Series 2 Collection.   On me, it wears like a woody spicy fragrance. When Ivy first opens, I get a brief, bright, leaf-like note.   Very soon after, I get a stunning pink pepper that is tempered by a smooth and rich sandalwood.   There is a cedar-like woodiness to the accord. At about the one hour mark, I get a warm, slightly resinous amber and a hay-like note.   The amber seems to float with a white smoky incense.   The fragrance does not turn dark but instead, remains cozy and comfortable with a note of bergamot that elevates the fragrance without transforming it into a floral. There is a warmth and depth to Ivy that takes me to the woods in the very best way.   The scent reminds me of Fall without having the traditional pumpkin or Fall-spice notes.   Ivy Blanc wears on me with soft projection for roughly 8 hours. Notes: Top: Pink Pepp...

Mugler - Les Exceptions – Supra Floral EDP Supra Floral was launched in 2014.   As its name suggests, it is a floral fragrance; however, it is more than just a simple floral. The fragrance opens with a bright, crisp, fresh note that has aspects of hyacinth.   I feel as if I am standing in a garden and breathing in a freshly blossomed flower in Spring; although cannot identify the note as a “pure hyacinth”.   I get the floral of course, as elements of hyacinth, and it is accompanied by a fairly moderate greenness. The floral is soon joined by a lightly smoked incense.   This is not a “church” incense but is instead closer to a white smoke.   I want to describe this as a clean smoke.   The note adds a depth and complexity to the floral while allowing it to retain all of its best qualities.   I don’t get the typical resinous quality one would expect of an amber in a fragrance.   Here, the amber takes on more of a warm and sweet darkness...

Comme des Garcons - 2 Man EDP 2 Man is a woody chypre that launched in 2004 by Comme des Garcons.   The House site simply says, “A worker, a man who loves his work.” The fragrance opens with an aldehyde-laden incense doused church-like feel.   There is a rolling spiced fruit.   As the fragrance wears, I get a soft iris covered in hay.   The fragrance itself is by no means soft, however.   The incense and smoky tones continue throughout.   The notes are joined by a freshly polished mahogany and rich, rough leather.   The fragrance is deep, comforting, heady, and decidedly masculine (assuming you assign gender to fragrance).   As 2 Man dries down, the woody note also dries and the incense takes on more of a soapy tone. 2 Man wears on me for roughly 9 hours with moderate projection. Notes:   aldehydes, nutmeg, caraway, kumquat, mint, iris, vetiver, saffron, leather, incense, mahogany Perfumer: Mark Buxton

DUA Fragrances - 44 Shades of Vanilla DUA is a California-based fragrance company that creates both “inspired” and original fragrances.   I realize there are many people that don’t support “inspired” fragrances, however, here in the U.S. they are legal and I personally believe they can be affordable alternatives for many people – as I always say: Fragrance (and makeup) should be for everyone.   That said, 44 Shades of Vanilla (“44 Shades”) is one of DUA’s inspired fragrances.   The inspiration for 44 Shades is Le Labo’s Vanilla 44.   I have not yet sampled the Le Labo and my review will simply be based on 44 Shades as it stands as its own fragrance. 44 Shades is a woody aromatic.   It opens with a beautiful woody vanilla tinged with just a tiny bit of citrus.   There is an intense woody warmth to the notes.   It’s as if you’ve been able to reach inside the very heart of the wood, place a vanilla pod there, and breathe in deeply.   As...

Parfums de Marly - Herod Herod is the 7 th fragrance from Parfums de Marly.   It is a complex woody spicy offering. The fragrance opens with a breathtaking spicy tobacco leaf.   The opening spice reads more of an exotic light cinnamon on me and the tobacco leaf is beautiful and crisp.   There is a sophisticated warmth to the initial presentation.   As Herod wears, a peppery note comes forward.   The note adds more spice to the fragrance but does not become overwhelming.   A soft woodiness also becomes present.   At this point in wear, about two hours, the wood is indistinguishable as a specific note.   Trails of smoky vanilla are also making themselves known.   It is the addition of incense that lends the smokiness to the vanilla both making the vanilla not take on a gourmand feel and also adding depth and mystery to the overall scent. At roughly four hours into wear, I get more of a defined cedar note.   The smoky van...

L’Artisan Parfumeur - Natura Fabularis Collection: Mirabilis EDP Mirabilis is an oriental woody fragrance which is part of L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Natura Fabularis Collection.  With the fragrance, the perfumer melds nature and science with the use of created notes and traditional “mystical” ones.  According to the House, it is a “reconciliation of reason and belief”. Before even spraying to test, the first thing I noticed is the surprising color of the juice.  Unlike what one would expect from an oriental woody fragrance, Mirabilis glows like a light neon blue beacon.  The shade is intriguing and inviting.  The presentation of a fragrance with this shade also starts the wearer on the path of questioning…What is Man? Mirabilis opens with a creamy spicy vanilla-tipped musk.  The vanilla does not pull gourmand.  The ambroxan adds a sweetness that walks the line between natural and synthetic.  About thirty minutes into wear the spice, franki...

Gallivant Perfumes - Brooklyn When a London indie fragrance house names itself after the verb used for roaming around, traveling or “moving around for pleasure” (Merriam Webster’s Dictionary) you know you’re in for a different fragrance experience.  Gallivant has created a line of unisex EDPs each showcasing their interpretation of a different urban destination.  I am fortunate enough to have received samples of their fragrances from Nir Guy of Perfumology (King of Prussia, PA) and will be reviewing them for you.  Today, I start with Brooklyn. Ok, to be fair, I decided that Brooklyn would be my first voyage with this house since it’s my city of birth.  My family moved from the city when I was just a very young child yet in my mind’s eye, I still have an image of the city I still identify so closely with.  At first I found it surprising that Brooklyn is a citrus scent.  Typically we don’t often associate the city with warm climate fruit.  Still...

Dua Fragrances - Taboo Taboo is an original creation from Dua Fragrances.  It’s classified as an oriental gourmand.  Taboo was a blind buy for me.  Admittedly, I was drawn in by not only multiple fragrance notes that tend to be in my “loves” but also the awesome label design for the bottle.  Taboo is not shy.  It opens with a gorgeous clean patchouli and moody incense tempered with a semi-sweet white chocolate.  It’s bold but not offensive.  As the fragrance develops I get a spicy soft leather sprinkled with a light cocoa.  Neither the patchouli nor the incense have disappeared and these notes, along with the suede leather, prevent the juice from becoming full on gourmand.  There’s just enough sweetness to this to give it interest without becoming cloying.  The notes are gently cradled in a creamy vanilla and amber light musk base.  The base notes give the already intriguing scent a feel of intimacy.  For me, it become...

rag & bone - Oddity EDP Oddity is a woody amber offering from the clothing retailer rag & bone.  Said to hint of “memories of a walk through the Madurai spice market” the fragrance does not disappoint in its warm and spicy feel. On me, instead of having a note development, Oddity has more of a singular wear.  Black pepper, vetiver, amber, and vanilla are the stars of this juice.  rag & bone takes a sweet vanilla and blends it with a deep resinous amber and a balsamic woody vetiver base and weaves in a moderately bold black pepper and light cardamom and angelica root.  The leather is present as a soft earthy suede-like note.  The incense is subtle but present.  I do not detect much licorice at all.  There is a distinct warmth and spice that lasts throughout the wear of Oddity and the vanilla prevents the spice from becoming overbearing; the fragrance feels quite cozy. Oddity wears on my for 4-5 hours with moderate to light proje...

Hermes - Un Jardin Sur Le Nil  It’s been a fairly dreary Fall here on the East Coast.  When I looked out this morning and saw it was yet another foggy and rainy day, I decided to reach for the Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil (“Sur Le Nil”) for a little bright fruity floral lift. Sur Le Nil is described by Hermes as “an impressionistic stroll through the island-gardens on the Nile at Aswan”.  While classified as a fruity floral, Sur Le Nil defies the constraints of the category and is much more.  In its opening, I get a verdant green mango and lotus flower.  The mango note is stronger than the lotus and adds a fresh greenness to the opening; although each note lasts through the entire wear of the fragrance.  An earthy and nutty calamus is added to the green fruity floral opening and makes the juice feels very garden-like.  There is a lush vegetal feel to the fragrance at this point without it being specifically identifiable as a specific vegetable ...

Wildfox - Wildfox EDP What happens when an American brand known for hipster and vintage-styled fashion creates its first fragrance?  You get an oriental floral with the brand’s namesake that feels very much like the brand vibe. Wildfox is a fun, free-spirited, youthful scent.  It’s got a light and playful fruity floral feel with a sweetened musk base.  Delicate notes of jasmine, honeysuckle, and camellia bring the floral to the party.  The jasmine and honeysuckle are more predominant than the camellia.  Absinthe, not detectable as an individual note, adds a sort of an airy feel to the opening.  There is a ripe, juicy apricot that blends seamlessly with the florals.  A subtle honey and ambrox sweeten the florals.  The honey is mildly detectable and the duo bring the juice to a fairly sweet but cozy place.  An underlying musk, reminiscent of 80’s high school musks, balances the fragrance and helps to add a bit of interest and warmth. ...

Houbigant Parfums Paris - Cologne Intense “The transportative Cologne Intense fragrance honors the alluring originator composed in 1709 by Jean Marie Farina, an impeccable Italian perfumer who'd settled in Cologne and founded a proprietary perfume factory the same year. Named in veneration of his western German city of adoption, his aqua mirabilis masterpiece became an international paragon coveted by titled European nobility, royals and courtesans. The "Water of Cologne" was ferried into France's regal courts by Louis XV's royal French soldiers and officers stationed in Cologne during the Seven Years' War.” Cologne Intense is labeled as a citrus aromatic.  As such, I was expecting a traditional citrus aromatic.  The opening is supposed to be “Evocative of a clean, fresh, sunny spring morning after a passing shower”.  I did not find this to be true.  Instead, while I do detect notes of bergamot, neroli, and petigrain, these notes do not appear until l...

Dua Fragrances - Queen of Spades In 1834 Alexander Pushkin published his short story Queen of Spades (Pikovaya Dama).  Over the years, the story has been adapted multiple times - into stories, film, and an opera (Tchaikovsky).  Essentially the story revolves around a Countess, who after incurring a large gambling debt, learned a secret to winning at cards by playing three specific cards just once during the game.  This story is told to a Russian army officer who, because of his greed, is led to court the Countess’s charge to gain the secret.  The story is rife with themes of power, avarice, and the supernatural.  As you can imagine, the Queen of Spades in story and in scent is not shy.  Instead, she is powerful and in control, even after death.  Mahsam Raza’s interpretation brings us the Countess in all her complexity.  This fragrance opens with a powerful and bold citric floral aldehyde blend.  The opening is bright and clean with a...

DedCool:  05 "Spring". Spring is my second trial out of my DedCool sampler. Normally since I'm an "organized" kind of person, I would test the samples in numerical order, however, it was suggested to me to try 05 Spring, next. At first glance, Spring seems to be created with notes that typically can be challenging for some. For me personally, lavender, incense, and moss are among those I consider challenging. For me, each of those notes can be easily overdone and overwhelm a fragrance. Spring is a glorious ode to the awakenings of life in Spring. It's a clever balance that speaks to the lovely wafts of flowers beginning to bloom in a rich and fertile earth. The spices, which could have easily been overdone, are balanced in such a way that they bring you a feeling of the warm sun with its rays reaching down to bring back life to a sleepy world. The base notes help to create a platform from which the notes rise into the air. Spring follows the brand for...