Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Nasomatto: Nudiflorum Extrait de Parfum Nudiflorum was released in 2018 by Nasamatto.   It is a floral woody musk that is said to be, “an interpretation of a feeling of being touched.” On me, Nudiflorum opens with a very bold, smoky, rubbery leather.   It is an opening not for the bashful.   It has a raw, hotness to it that in some ways is reminiscent of flesh.   Shortly after the initial note, the leather is accompanied by a deep green bitterness atop a pensive iris.   In my wear, I could not detect violet. In the middle of wear, a synthetically sticky jasmine with a bit of sweetness melds into the smoked leather.   The scent remains rough and rugged.   It feels like an intentionally unfinished symphony.   A swirl of musky white florals compliments the drydown.   Where you’d expect there to be cacophony, there is sense.   There is an overall primal sensation in the wear of Nudiflorum that makes it stand out as something ve...

Perfumology – Clutch Parfum Clutch is the newest fragrance (2018) from the collaboration of Justin Frederico and Nir Guy, the owner of Perfumology.   It is an oriental spicy fragrance said to be inspired by “the gratifying sensation of a perfect drive on a cool day.” I was initially put off by the name of this fragrance.   For me, the name conjures up images of a man, admittedly well-groomed, behind the leather clad wheel of his sports car lapping a track, changing gears, for kicks.   I imagined dense smoke wafting into the air from the unmufflered racing car.   It was not an image that made me want to try the fragrance.   I am very glad my curiosity got the better of me. Clutch opens with a delightfully peppered ginger embraced with the most delicate of white smoke.   It is a rendition of ginger that, while smoky, retains its delicious bite and freshness due to the addition of elemi.   I get the bright crispness in the air that the perfu...

House of Matriarch – Woo Released in 2012, Woo is an oriental floral fragrance from the House of Matriarch. Woo opens with a floral-suede accord.   There is a salty marine vibe to the opening without actually being salty.   For me, it’s as if the essence of beachy skin has been captured and layered in with tropical flowers.   About an hour into wear, the initial notes settle a bit and a leafy, dried tobacco joins in.   There is a semi-sweet and smoky earthiness.   That nudges the scent into a dirty-sexy place.   A touch of vanilla bean seems to help round out and soften the tobacco and suede without coming near to being cloying. Woo wears on me with moderate projection for roughly 10 hours. Featured notes: exotic floral notes, sea notes, tobacco, leather, vanilla, ambergris Perfumer: Christi Meshell CRUELTY FREE VEGAN Photo Credit: House of Matriarch

Imaginary Authors - Slow Explosions As many of you know, Imaginary Authors is known for stories and fragrance that go hand in hand.   Slow Explosions (“Explosions”) is an oriental fragrance released in 2016 that tells the story of a life reimagined.   (See brand story below review.) Explosions opens with that quintessential saffron note; it is an edgy, raw, and rubbery.   A ccompanying the saffron is an equally bold leather.   The leather and saffron seem to combine to give the essence of an oud or woody note.   There is nothing “slow” about the opening of Explosions.   After the initial notes make their appearance in the opening, they are closely followed by a hint of apple.   The apple is juicy, tart, and sweet but somehow seemingly just beyond reach.   As Explosions wears I get a light, warm rose that seems to waft across the fragrance.   It is here in the wear that the fragrance takes on a mesmerizing smokiness from the benz...

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

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...

Zoologist Perfumes - Bat So my curiosity got the better of me (as it so often does) and I ordered a sample of this.  After a long and busy week at work, today seemed like a day I would rather crawl into a cave than have one more work day this week - so Bat seemed like a good choice. On it's opening, I don't get banana at all.  Even with a light touch, Bat reached up and grabbed me by the throat and pulled me into a dark, dank cave.  The scent was so realistic I was waiting for a  hoard of troglobites to come crawling out after me!  I get a strong earthy, mineral, and vegetal notes paired with a furry and musky fresh-tanned leather.  About an hour later, the scent has begun to mellow with the warm fruity notes.  Bat literally transports you to the world of the bat and you experience the flight from the perspective of the bat.  I'm not sure whether this would ever be a scent I'd want to wear out regularly but it's really fascinating experienc...

Montale: Honey Aoud I hate Summer. Summers in the Mid Atlantic Region, particularly near DC, are brutal; sweltering heat and high humidity. I find absolutely nothing redeeming about sweating the minute you walk out your door. Sure, being at the water can be lovely but give me that walk on the beach in the cooler months. Fall. Fall is my season. And Montale Honey Aoud has given me a taste of Fall in the Summer. On first spray I get a lightly floral cinnamon. The cinnamon is fairly bold. The honey quickly mixes with the cinnamon and gets that Autumn sweet and spicy vibe. Yet this is not an overly sweet scent. The oud in this is well measured and gives a woody twist to an ambery light leather base. To me the vanilla is vaguely present adding a touch of a vanilla sweetness and a slight cream smoothing the entire juice out. Honey Aoud has a pretty strong projection so a little goes a long way. Top notes: Floral notes, Cinnamon Heart notes: Honey, Sumatran patchouli Base notes: La...

House of Matriarch: The Longing ( Christi Meshell  and  Joseph Sagona ) Anyone who knows me, even in passing, knows I am rarely at a loss for words. I have always had the good fortune of being able to muster up words for any situation whether it be personal or professional; in fact, I have been a sort of a wordsmith for most of my professional life. So finding myself in this situation, well, you will have to bear with me as a stumble reaching for just the right phrases. How can I accurately describe this fragrance which for me evokes a reaction; one that became part of the human condition thousands of years ago? In the beginning of recorded time and even before, humans sought answers for things they didn’t understand. They created rituals and symbols and later organized religions. We sought to define what was holy, what was sacred. And with the notion of that which was sacred came a counterpoint of that which was profane. Neither the brand description “The Longing is an...

Edward Bess: Genre  I have to admit - I almost didn't try this. I've never really cared for leather in any of the fragrances I've tried in the past. I know many love the scent but for me, it brings to mind "new car smell" or walking into a tack shop; not necessarily a bad smell just not something I care to walk around smelling like. But, I decided to give it a chance anyway and I'm glad I did. Genre is unlike any leather fragrance I've tested. Yes, it's most certainly leather, but it's a kinder, gentler version. I get a mild to moderate soft, somewhat powdery leather and suede and a balsamic woody sweetness from the frankincense. I agree that this would work well for both a man and a woman (although I don't go much for classifying scents as male or female). I feel that this would be perfect for anyone interested in trying a leather fragrance; it's very approachable. "A force than cannot be defined, gracefully balanced between A...

DedCool: 02 (NOTE - I had to spray this scent on an opposing arm as my DedCool 05 "Spring" is still going strong almost 11 hours later!) How do you take moody notes like woods, patchouli, leather, and musk and make them new again? I don't know but clearly  Carina Chazanas  does. Somehow, the blend in this fragrance takes these sometimes "dark" notes and gives them life. The fragrance begins with a moderate level juniper. The green florals are almost immediately present as well. This gives 02 a bright, green side. The woody note is in fact sheer and blends seamlessly with a light clean patchouli. The sandalwood acts to provider an overall creaminess to the light leather and musk notes. Again, I would agree this is easily a unisex fragrance. The blend is quite lovely and would work well year round. "Notes:                            ...