Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

L’Artisan Parfumeur:   Natura Fabularis – 18 Glacialis Terra EDP Released in 2016 as part of the Natura Fabularis Collection, Glacialis Terra (“Glacialis”) is an aromatic green fragrance.   I’ve selected this fragrance to share with you today as we are now experiencing the first snow of the season; this just seemed appropriate. Glacialis opens with a chilled vetiver.   It is fresh and green.   There is a slight bite to the opening as an absinthe adds an anise-tinge.   Somehow, the vetiver remains green without becoming hay or grass-like.   There is a subtle hint of frozen white florals that dance through the middle of wear.   Through the rest of wear, Glacialis ebbs and flows like a walk through a proverbial Winter Wonderland.   It retains its clean freshness and gives us an interesting take on vetiver through the lens of Winter. Glacialis wears on me with soft projection for roughly 8 – 9 hours. Notes: vetiver, absinthe, floral ...

Jo Loves – Pomelo Pomelo is a citrus fragrance from Jo Loves that is much more than simply citrus and is the perfumer’s signature scent.   The fragrance has the “Jo Malone” touch all over it and, if you’re a fan of or familiar with her scents, you’ll understand that nuance she has as a perfumer.   For those not familiar, the best way I can describe it is that she has a certain knack for taking a primary note or notes and blending them with other notes in such a way that the “star” note is front and center and then transforms into more than the sum of the parts. With Pomelo the opening is zesty, effervescent, and fresh.   I get a burst of citric pomelo at first whiff.   This is a fresh from the orchard grapefruit zing.   Within about fifteen minutes, the almost pure citrus begins its transformation.   I get hints of a full-bodied rose just behind and beginning to soften and round the opening.   It feels very similar to an old masters painting ...

Commodity – Nectar Nectar is a release from Commodity in their White Collection.   The fragrance wears on me as a fresh fruity floral/aromatic fruity. When I received my sample of Nectar, I wasn’t sure what to expect.   Nectar may be used to describe things in different contexts.   With Commodity’s Nectar, I find the name both describes the nectar of a juicy fruit as well as the nectar found in floral blossoms. Nectar opens as a bright citrus with touches of neroli.   There is a sunny brightness to the opening and I find that the pomelo and tangerine are evenly balanced.   As Nectar wears, I get a bitter neroli that adds the “flavor” of what feels like a citrus rind.     There is a light honeysuckle that adds a touch of sweetness and lends itself to brighten, almost adding a sunny disposition, to the fragrance.   At roughly 2 hours into wear, there is a background of cedarwood.   The cedar is distant and faint.   More p...

Kilian - Moonlight in Heaven Moonlight In Heaven (“Moonlight”) is described as an aromatic although in my opinion it has strong similarities with fruity florals.   It was released in 2016.   What is moonlight in heaven?   I ask as the answer to this question would be different for different people and, being the backdrop for this fragrance story, the answers bear relevance to the wearer’s expectations.   Of course here we know the fragrance inspiration since the brand tells us: “A dazzling beam of pearlized light dances on the oceans belly, witnessed by two lovers who watch from a balcony draped in floating white opaque gauze that seems alive, responding to a warm wind that blows. The lovers, high above the world to almost touch the stars, with full hearts and bodies light as air.”   This would not be my answer to the question but then, the fragrance is not my story to tell. So before we even begin our wear, we know that this fragrance will hint of ...

KKW Fragrance - KKW Body I’ve never really thought of myself as a rebel.   Sure, I’m a think-outside-the-box kind of girl but a rebel?   Not so much.   Still, I found myself feeling quite the rebel when I decided to purchase KKW Body (“KKW”).   Oh the bottle (cast as a miniature of Kim Kardashian West’s naked torso) created quite the stir in Fragcomm.   There were comparisons to the iconic Gaultier bottles although the KKW version is far more detailed.   And of course there were the expected comments about the Kardashians in general.   Sigh.   I don’t take well to bias, name calling, and other sorts of snobbery.   It was then I knew that the fragrance NEEDED a fair review in Fragcomm. So what about the fragrance?   It is not a beachy, tropical scent like many releases are this time of year.   Instead, on me, I find it to be a fruity floral musk.   KKW opens with a burst of bright, juicy, fresh picked fruits.   I...

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

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...

Kiss My Sass - Sucre Noir For my blog, I like to test and review fragrances from every place in the fragrance world: Mainstream, Indie, Niche, High End/Luxury – there are a number of descriptives and many fragrances cross between categories.  Recently there’s been some discussion in the fragcomm about what each group of fragrance is defined as.  For me, while there is some relevance as to where a particular fragrance may fit, at the end of the day my personal feeling is that fragrance is for everyone.  There is a price point and a creative philosophy behind fragrances that everyone can find their own happy place with.  Sucre Noir is an offering from an Indie brand, Kiss My Sass, out of Pennsylvania.  I purchased this fragrance, along with a cosmetic order, because I was curious as to how the brand approached scent.  Often, Indie brands offer unique variations of fragrance that you simply do not see replicated in the Mainstream. Sucre Noir wears...

Comme de Garcons - Amazingreen EDP Whenever possible, I’m an outside of the box – color outside the lines – person.  So picking Amazingreen, an aromatic green fragrance, to test on some of the coldest days of Winter makes sense to me.  Why not break the “rules” and add a lush greenness to the darkest days?! Amazingreen opens as you would expect.  There is a bold, fresh grassy greenness filled with all the richness of green leaves.  I get a blend of green leaves where the palm tree, jungle, and ivy leaves are not individually identifiable but instead combine to create a more complex “green” leafy note.  I also get a dampness to the leaves.  It’s as if you’ve entered a dense rainforest just after a downpour.  It’s that singular scent you smell as the rain melds with the verdant leaves.  I sense the promise of fertile life. And just when you’re sure that you’re simply on a jungle exploration, in comes a blast of bright spice mixed with a...

Molinard - Les Amoureux Peynet Les Amoureux Peynet (“Les Amoureux”) is a citrus aromatic that was created as a tribute to the illustrator of Les Amoureux.  Les Amoureux opens with a bold citrus accord.  The notes are lean decidedly orange; very much like a freshly grated orange rind.  There is a very subtle hint of the grapefruit.  Overall the opening is crisp, fresh, and juicy.  After roughly thirty minutes, the citrus softens somewhat and in comes a lovely blend of Fall-like spices.  I clearly get the ginger and nutmeg.  The blend of the spices with the citrus reminds me of the very best of Fall.  Les Amoureux begins to transform with a touch of cleanness to the zest at roughly 2 hours.  As the fragrance begins its drydown, the spices mellow and the citrus becomes wrapped in a light-hearted dry woody amber musk base.  Les Amoureux wears on me for roughly 5-6 hours with moderate projection. Notes: bergamot orange, mand...

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...

Dame Perfumery - Dark Horse Have you ever sampled a fragrance and thought to yourself, “What in the world has taken me so long to try this, it’s fantastic?”  Well, that was literally my very first thought the moment I got my first whiff of Dark Horse.  Webster’s Dictionary define dark horse as “a usually little known contender (such as a racehorse) that makes an unexpectedly good showing”.  In the case of this fragrance, the name fits perfectly for me. Dark Horse is a floral woody musk, which for me tends to be a category of fragrance I tend to enjoy.  It opens with a cinnamon spiced bergamot with a light lemon twist.  The spice is tempered so it brings out the very best in the other two notes; the bergamot is the more predominant.  In the development of this juice the floral notes are enhanced with jasmine, carnation, and rose.  The jasmine seems to take a front seat for me with the carnation and rose being more subtle.  A gorgeous clove...

Prada - La Femme Prada EDP La Femme Prada (La Femme) is an oriental floral that launched in 2016.  At the time of the release, it launched with an accompanying make fragrance, L’Homme Prada.  La Femme is a contemporary spin on floral and takes floral to a less than innocent place. Prada’s La Femme opens with a lush, juicy, somewhat gardenia-like frangipani.  The frangipani is amplified by a slight spice and honeyed vanilla.  The juice sweet but not overly sweet.  La Femme feels warm, confident, yet intimate.  As the juice wears, I get hints of tuberose and vetiver.  The tuberose is soft and lovely; it contains none of the harshness often found in tuberose laden fragrances.  The vetiver adds a lovely clean, balsamic woodiness to the base.  It feel quite feminine or unisex rather than a typical masculine vetiver.  La Femme reminds me of the perfect scent for sitting in a small, lovely garden on a warm day with the sun shining down...

Creed – Viking Before I start my review, I’d like to extend my thanks to Jennifer Villalba from the Creed Boutique in New York for a sample of this fragrance.  If you’re looking for any Creed products, she was absolutely lovely to work with. I wasn’t sure what to expect with Creed’s newest release, Viking, which is described by the brand as, “a fiery men’s fragrance that bottles the fearless spirit of boundless exploration for the modern man who goes against the grain”.  Viking opens on me with a strong blast of bergamot and a somewhat sharp lemon that seems to appear and disappear throughout the opening.  Despite the fresh brightness of the bergamot and lemon, the opening is also decidedly masculine with a spicy dark feel.  As Viking begins to develop, the citrus begins to fade and the pink peppercorn and rose become much more prominent.  The rose feels very much like a burnt rose and retains that heady spiciness we started to sense in the opening....

Tom Ford - Oud Wood EDP I received a sample of this Tom Ford oriental woody with an order from Saks Fifth Avenue.  I was very curious to try this as I am a fan of some of Tom Ford’s fragrances and wanted to see what he had done with oud as it’s often a challenging note for many.  My curiosity was further piqued after seeing a number of fairly negative reviews of this juice. Oud Wood opens with a slightly spicy rosewood note.  The rosewood is rich and inviting and the spice feels very much like a cardamom black pepper blend (although the note should be Chinese pepper).  About 30 minutes into wear, the wood note begins to take on a light smokiness.  An hour into wear I get touches of a creamy vetiver which serves to brighten the feel of the fragrance yet not so much so that it leaves the realm of the woody.  At the 2 hour point, notes of tonka and amber reaffirm the original warmth of the fragrance.  The drydown is a sum of the parts being a war...

Jo Malone London - English Oak & Hazelnut I’ve been testing this fragrance for the past 2 days.  I want to extend my thanks to Dean Farris, Beauty Product Specialist/Jo Malone London, from Neiman Marcus for his gracious offer to send me the sample. When I first heard about this fragrance, all of the buzz was about the three primary notes: hazelnut, cedar, and oak.  Based on that, I anticipated this fragrance to have a warm nutty hazelnut top, a rich cedar middle, and a woody base.  I was wrong. English Oak & Hazelnut opens with a bright green hazelnut paired with vetiver.  There is a crisp, slight grassiness to it with a touch of lemon earthiness.  Vetiver is one of my favorite notes in fragrance so its early appearance was a pleasant surprise to me.  About 30 minutes into wear, the elemi adds a touch more lemon and a peppery spice.  An hour and a half into wear I get a touch of green and a stunning roasted oak.  The oak is ri...

Vartan Perfumes - Carnelian I have a love-hate relationship with cinnamon.  Cinnamon is one of those spices that for me can easily be overdone.  This is far from the case with Carnelian.  The scent opens with just enough spice to warm up the tobacco and vetiver.  The carnation adds a slight floral note that adds interest as the fragrance develops on the skin.  I can smell the amber and vanilla adding depth and a slightly sweet effect on my skin but again, just enough to make it interesting, warm, and enticing.  I get bits of each note over the course of wear but in general the notes seem to radiate with harmony.  Carnelian has the coziness of a warm sweater in Winter with a subtle sexiness hinting of more interesting Winter nights.  This is a lovely fragrance that seems to strike all the right notes. I get 8 hours of wear with Carnelian with a moderate sillage. Top notes are black pepper and cinnamon; middle notes are white tobacco, v...

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...

January Scent Project - Eiderantler Eiderantler is an aromatic fougere.  So, like all fougeres it follows a certain note development.  That said, what John Biebel has done with Eiderantler is taken the stogy old fougeres and given it a modern feel. Fougeres and I rarely see eye to eye.  I confess, I’m not a huge fan of lavender.  In Eiderantler, however, the lavender blends so seamlessly with the greens that it becomes more than the sum of its parts.  At its opening, I get a beautiful lavender tinged green leaf.  The note soars like leaves turning upward toward the sun.  I get a balanced sweet woodiness from the champa leaf mellowed by the pink pepper.  The ivy in Eiderantler is fresh and green and almost reminds me that fresh green smell of new growth branches.  The lavender continues its journey through this fragrance with the addition of lavandin yet it never becomes overpowering.  Elemi and vetiver bring a subtle citrus to the p...

Parfums de Marly: Sedbury Have you ever been excited about receiving unknown samples with your fragrance purchase? And have you ever looked at one of those "mystery" samples and turned into a toddler inside your head? Ok, so yes, I'm admitting it. That's exactly what happened when I realized I received this sample . I'm talking full bore toddler. Whining inside my head - "But I hate chypre florals"... Now rolling on the floor and thrashing about..."Lavender? No, no, no, no, no!" Sigh. But being the good open minded sport that I am (LOL), I decided to give Sedbury a try anyway. (I want to note here that Sedbury is named after the eighteenth century thoroughbred horse of the same name. Sedbury was said to have been, "described as a horse of exquisite beauty, fine shape and form, Sedbury was said to be the best of his size in his day." I admit to find it a little baffling that a fragrance described as being "a decidedly floral,...