Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Charlotte Tilbury – Scent of a Dream Perfume Scent of a Dream (“Dream”) is a chypre floral fragrance released by the iconic Charlotte Tilbury brand in 2016.   The fragrance launched with the face of the equally iconic Kate Moss.   The scent is comprised of notes of scented oils from the Ibiza markets, where Tilbury hails from. So, confession - I would not have bought this fragrance.   Dream contains the hallmark notes of rose, jasmine, patchouli, and bergamot which are often components of a chypre floral. Chypre Florals are one of my least favorite categories of fragrance, so while I am a fan of the cosmetic line, I most likely would have skipped on the fragrance.   Fortunately for me, during the recent Black Friday sales, Charlotte Tilbury included this fragrance as a GWP.   I am so pleased she did. Dream opens as a bright, somewhat spicy, fruity note.   The fruit notes are balanced but on me, the peach speaks the loudest.   There is a s...

Juliette Has a Gun - Lady Vengeance Everyone comes to fragrance with certain preferences.  For me, chypre florals are usually not fragrances I prefer.  I wanted to fully disclose this before I begin my review so you understand the perspective I subconsciously may have approached this juice. Lady Vengeance was inspired by a modern version of Shakespeare – per the ads – “rock meets romance”.  It opens with a loud rose and over the top dark patchouli.  It is a very intense opening that I can see being off-putting for some.  Perhaps it’s that rock and roll vibe? But bear with it about an hour or so and the notes really start to settle down and take shape.  A light and delicate lavender arrives (sometimes a tough note for me and the main reason chypre florals in general can be tough fragrances for me to enjoy).  The lavender is soft and quite lovely.  The rose and patchouli have also softened at this point in wear and they are also joined ...

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,...

Carolina Herrera: Burning Rose If there are perfumer's notes about a fragrance, I usually try to think about them as I experience a new scent. So with Burning Rose I was thinking about this quote, "Red symbolizes passion and love, but it also has a deeper meaning: it is the colour of celebration, an explosion of energy and vitality." For me, Burning Rose does embody passion and love and is a burning, simmering, intimate scent. I get an intense burned rose with embers and a slight smokiness almost bordering on incense. I get a spicy patchouli where the patchouli is strong, the ginger is moderate, and the cinnamon is ever so subtle. I also get a slight sweetness that feels very much like a vanilla, however, this is in no way a sweet fragrance. Burning Rose is a dark and sensual yet elegant fragrance that I find absolutely lovely. "Burning rose evokes nostalgia of a creative and revolutionary moment in new york city’s 70s and 80s history, when conventions were ch...

Berdous: Somei Yoshino For those not familiar with shiso, other than maybe as a Japanese herb that appears mysteriously on your sushi plate with the wasabi, shiso tastes like mint (no wonder as it's a member of the mint family!) However, unlike mint which smells as it tastes, shiso offers a spicy aroma. It's newer use in fragrance has been to impart something similar to maybe cinnamon or cloves. With the top note of this fragrance being shiso, I expected a spicy jasmine with a warmed base. I wanted a lovely excursion to a Japanese temple. Nope. On me, Somei Yoshino is that poor tourist that somehow got lost finding the shrine. It's a faint hint of the loveliness that could have been. I get a very soft green jasmine with a barely there warm base. The spiciness is barely perceptible. There is so little projection I feel this is almost a skin scent. Is it pleasant? Sure. Does it take your breath away as it should have? Only when you sigh in disappointment. "Somei Y...