Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Hermes - Twilly d'Hermes Confession:  I purchased this fragrance because it reminded me of Mr. Potato Head wearing a jaunty Hermes scarf.  In my mind, it was a safe blind buy because at the very least I knew I would be amused by the bottle every time I set eyes on it.  The fact that the primary notes were ones I generally like didn’t hurt either.  Added bonus for me is the fact that I had the opportunity to use “jaunty” in a sentence; not something I often do.  Twilly opens with an extremely bold ginger note.  The ginger is spicy yet playful.  The tuberose and sandalwood sit in the background.   After about an hour, the ginger steps back ever so slightly and the tuberose seems to gain some ground.  The tuberose is fresh and bright.  The sandalwood remains to round out the fragrance and temper the sharpness of the ginger and the tuberose.  Other than the initial hour of wear where the ginger is very strong and prominent...

Parfum D'Empire – Aziyade I love it when a fragrance has the ability to transport you to a different time and place.  With Aziyade, Parfum D’Empire transports us to the Ottoman Empire.  The fragrance was named after the novel, Constantinople, written by Pierre Loti.  The novel tells a tale of forbidden love for a young harem girl, Aziyade. This fragrance opens with the exotic fruits and spices reminiscent of the Fatih Market in modern day Istanbul.  The pomegranate is subtle on me with the almond being undetectable but the date, orange, and prune and each clear and bold.  The fruits are spiced beautifully with  a good share of cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.  The cumin begins as mild and grows in intensity somewhat as the fragrance develops.  These notes are here to give us time and place but Aziyade is not taking us on a walk through the market, she is bringing us to her secret place.  She is seducing us.  Frankincense, patchou...

Hermes - Le Jardin de Monsieur Li With all the talk today of ponds (with birds) and moments in the rain, I felt it was the perfect prelude to trying out this citrus aromatic. I was lucky enough to get a sample of this with one of my Sephora orders (yes another one - don't judge me!) It is a gorgeous aquatic scent that transports you to a quiet place full of fragrant jasmine blossoms, sweet citrus fruit, lush green grass and clear, sparkling water. It is a gentle, contemplative fragrance that bids the wearer to stop a while and just breathe. " Le Jardin de Monsieur Li describes a Chinese garden somewhere between reality and imagination, a place for meditation where strolling is allied to thought and every step sets the imagination free." “I remembered the smell of ponds, the smell of jasmine, the smell of wet stones, of plum trees, kumquats, and giant bamboos. It was all there, and in the ponds there were even carp steadily working towards their hundredth birt...

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...

Marlou - L'animal sauvage Based on the description, I have to admit, I was just a little bit terrified of this one. Still, curiosity being what it is, I also felt compelled to order it. On me, L'animal sauvage does open with a floral note. But this is a floral that is warm, soft, and inviting. I don't know about "deep, civety funk" but I do get a musky fur scent that reminds me of the smell of a ferret - I would not describe it as a "funk" in any way which to me  connotes something dirty (and I don't sense this as dirty). The musk is sweetened by a subtle violet note and picks up the creaminess of the sandalwood. The patchouli is present but mostly as a base binding the notes together. So, is L'animal a "naughty little kitty"? I suppose that's for each of us to decide. One thing is for certain, this one does purr. Notes: Orange blossom, violet, sandalwood, patchouli, civet, musk

I Profumi di Firenze - Vaniglia del Madagascar Vaniglia del Madagascar is an oriental vanilla.  The site I purchased this from says it is a "must for vanilla lovers".  So when I had the opportunity to pick up a small bottle at 20% off, I thought why not. Vaniglia del Madagascar is a gorgeous sweet, cre amy vanilla over a very delicate and subtle lily of the valley. The sweetness is not overly sweet (so not even remotely in the ballpark of a scent like Mugler Angel Eau Sucree).  Vanilla takes the spotlight with this and it has a genuine vanilla vibe instead of a synthetic one like you get with some vanilla fragrances.  This is a soft, sweet, and delicious smelling scent that holds tightly to the skin.  It's so lovely you simply want to smell it all day (which is not too much of a problem with a 6-7 hour wear time.)  “ A must have” - I couldn't agree more! Notes: Vanilla Orchid and Vanilla Bean from Madagascar

Dua Fragrances - Delectable Temptation It’s Fall.  You’ve gone for a weekend away in Vermont.  The sun begins to rise as you head down for breakfast in that lovely B&B you’re staying at.  The proprietor brings you a cup of steaming hot coffee…and fresh pancakes.  Warm, fluffy, steaming pancakes topped with decadent, plump, juicy blueberries and that perfect dollop of fresh, creamy whipped cream.  You take a sip of your coffee and you reach for that beautiful golden amber elixir of maple syrup.  As you pour some over your pancakes, the heat of your food carries the maple scent upward…you breathe it in deeply.  You begin to eat your breakfast and start taking in more of your surroundings.  You notice the delicate scent of the honey jar sitting on the shelf adjacent to you.  The proprietor tells you that the cedar table you’re sitting at has been in her family for generations. You realize you’ve just had the perfect start to a perfect day...

Parfums Dusita – Issara Extrait de Parfum I have no problem admitting I’m a newbie to the fragrance scene.  The truth is what it is.  (That said I would put my love of scent equal to those long in the establishment.)  When I try a new fragrance, I try to get a sense of what the fragrance means to me personally and then convey that to you in the clearest way I possibly can.  I also, out of obligation and respect for the community at large, try to think about what olfactory group a fragrance most appropriately fits in.  I am struggling on an appropriate olfactory group with Issara and this is not a bad thing. Please excuse my “newbie confusion”  but when I see sites referring to Issara as an aromatic fougere, it baffles me.  My newbie understanding of this category tells me there should be lavender to meet the fougere descriptive.  I see no lavender in the fragrance notes nor do I experience it with the wearing of this fragrance.  So i...

Besame Cosmetics -  Decades of Fragrance: 1930 I purchased this as a blind buy with a Besame Cosmetics order.  I liked the sound of the notes and the rollerball (only way available) was cheap enough it was worth the risk.  This was a stellar purchase!  It's an amazing replica of a vintage 1930s scent.   1930 opens with spicy fruity notes; the mandarin, cinnamon, and clarysage play well together with the mandarin and cinnamon being the most prominent of the three.  You can quickly smell the wafts of tobacco which is more of a cigarette tobacco than say a green tobacco, a pipe tobacco, or a cigar tobacco.  The florals are quite light in this juice with the lavender staying pretty much in the background.  1930 is rounded out with a slightly sweet woody musk.  The vanilla is not present as an independent note but instead give a gentle sweetness to the cedar and musk.  The totality of the notes and their presentation takes the wearer...

Jean Paul Gaultier – Classique Wonder Woman Eau Fraiche Spray Confession – I blind bought this fragrance for the bottle.  I’m not a huge DC Comics fan but the lure of reliving the old Wonder Woman series was just too hard to resist.  The bottle is completely awesome and the notes seemed like they’d be something I’d enjoy; perhaps the perfect freshy for Summer? This flanker of Classique opens with a delicious lemon sorbet ginger note.  It’s sweetened enough by the sugar cane that it reminds me of sitting on a balcony at a seaside resort enjoying a delicious lemon sorbet with a gingersnap cookie garnish while the breeze gently blows.  It’s a light a refreshing accord.  The white florals come in at a moderate perceptibility and are a pleasant addition.  The remaining notes are virtually absent. Classique comes on strong at its opening and very quickly fades to a skin scent.  It begins beautifully as a fresh Summer juice and then somehow gets ...

Memo Paris - Luxor Oud Ah, what can I say about the very first oud that stole my heart?  Luxor Oud is considered an oriental but, as I’m not one for industry labels, I consider it a fruity floral oud.  Luxor Oud is supposed to take the wearer on a journey to Luxor and for me it does just that.  Of course, sadly not having been to Luxor yet, I can only imagine in my mind’s eye what it must be like.  The opening of this fragrance, with its bright mandarin and subtle berry gives me the feeling of the warmth of the desert sun.  There is a reverence to this fragrance carried by a delicately sweetened rose; like temple flowers.  There is a royalty to the fragrance brought to us through notes of patchouli and oud.  The marriage of rose and oud is as old as the ancient civilization it honors.  The often harshness of oud has been tempered with tonka bean.  A slight resinous ambery spice wafts through the base courtesy of the styrax. Luxor...

4160 Tuesdays - Silk, Lace & Chocolate Fragrantica describes this juice as an oriental and maybe it is.  I feel that all formal categories aside, this is best described simply as a gourmand.  I’ve had an opportunity to see other reviews of this fragrance and am reminded as to how fragrance is often a very personal and unique journey – one nose is not always the same as another. For me, Silk, Lace & Chocolate opens with an effervescent, almost carbonated but in a good way, note of light strawberry and chocolate.  The chocolate is not a candy bar chocolate to me but rather one like an old fashioned chocolate soda (more cocoa) with a lightly boozy edge.  At first I was baffled as to why some reviewers stated they felt this was a woodsy scent.  This scent does not wear like a woody scent at all on me.  I feel that what some may be smelling is the way the bergamot note blends in.  While bergamot is often used for its fruity sweet component,...

Amouroud - Dark Orchid Orchid is one of my absolute favorite notes; while my scent preferences may wax and wane, my love for orchid never goes away. Amouroud's iteration of orchid does not disappoint.  Dark Orchid is a breathtaking and sexy fragrance.  Tonight I am a secret rendezvous in a magical forest. The air is heady with the scent of blooming orchids, gardenia, and citrus set against the depth of the woods around me. There is a whisper of a breeze  that carries the strange and hypnotizing aroma of patchouli, sandalwood, and incense. The moon above casts a silvery glow amongst the trees as my heart races awaiting his first embrace. Top notes: Mandarin, Citrus accord, Black gardenia, Sicilian bergamot Heart notes: Jasmine de Grasse, Ylang ylang, Lotus wood, Black orchid Base notes: Indonesian Patchouli, Mysore Sandalwood, Incense accord, Vanilla

Emporio Armani - Because It's You Because It’s You was a floral fruity blind buy for me.  An admitted romantic at heart, I was drawn in by the brand story line: “Because It’s You is happy, delicious and sparkling: simply irresistible like a ripe raspberry in its perfect and most elegant naturalness when combined with neroli notes. What does this tantalizing young woman hide in her heart? The fragrance is unabashedly feminine, full, instinctive and passionate. Her charm is immediately apparent, like the addictive and sophisticated rose absolute scent. The fragrance plays with her powers of seduction as vanilla mixes with musk, revealing a complex and incredibly deep sensuality. Bold and immediately captivating, her fragrance expresses the urgency of a love that takes every chance to declare itself: BECAUSE IT’S YOU. Discover the power of two with  Stronger With You - For Him . The two fragrances have an alliance that balance & empower each other, as symbol ...

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...

Dua Fragrances: Honey Havane Honey Havane was a blind buy for me.  I was intrigued by the notes in this oriental vanilla scent.  Honey Havane opens with an absolutely beautiful, rich vanilla honey.  The honey is sweet but not overly sweet.  To my nose, it’s the cleanest and loveliest honey I’ve smelled in a fragrance.  If Winnie the Pooh were here there’d be no keeping this one safe! The gourmand honey gains a complexity by the addition of tobacco leaf.  The tobacco is present just enough that you know it’s there but not so much that you feel this fragrance is “about” tobacco.  The tobacco is a lovely green tobacco.  The base of this fragrance is comprised of a woody-musky-amber.  These notes also light and clean.  During the drydown, the spices, oud, musk and amber become more noticeable but the honey never disappears – it simply becomes lighter.  I get about 7 hours of wear from Honey Havane with a moderate projection whi...

I kiryo: (These Sinful Three) Blood Cherry Cordial ( Vincent Dreamhouse ) It's Monday morning. Start of a new work week. So today I shall be the Countess Erzsébet Báthory de Ecsed. I shall approach my work with my intelligence and responsibility I am known for...after all, not only was I well-bred but I can read and write in 4 languages and managed the defense of our estates during the Long War. While I may seem sweet and restrained I bi d you this warning - do not believe you know me. You have no idea what I may be capable of... Blood Cherry Cordial is a beautifully created scent. It begins with the perfectly replicated note of cherry cordial; allowing the wearer to believe this is a truly sweet scent. But..beware. The scent quickly shows it's musky almost animalistic notes to let you know, she is not what she seems to be. Absolutely loving this fragrance. Notes: Cherry, chocolate, honey, cognac, caramel, vanilla, amber, musk

Dua Fragrances: Vetivero Vetivero is a fragrance inspired by Roja Parfums Vetiver Extrait.  It is also a chypre.  Anyone who knows me or has read my fragrance reviews knows I am not generally a chypre fan.  And, while it may not be popular to say in the fragrance community, I am also not a huge Roja fan (personally liking roughly 50% of his fragrances, although respecting the artistry in all).  Vetivero opens with a gorgeous bergamot-lemon.  I’ve hyphenated here as the notes are equally and beautifully balanced.  This is not that icky citrus vibe you get from some other juices – you know, the ones that smell like Lemon Pledge!  No this is a gorgeous, effervescent, fresh note.   I get a light and subtle jasmine.  The rose is subtle as well.  These notes rest ever so delicately on a beautiful base of vetiver and wood.  The spices in this round the base but it’s really the vetiver and woods that sing.  Vetiver Exr...

Le Jardin Retrouve: Tubereuse Trianon ( Michel Gutsatz ) I am about to gush. What an absolutely sexy, gorgeous interpretation of tuberose! With Tubereuse Trianon I get a succulent creamy, sweet tuberose. I get a jasmine that seems to pull a bit like plumeria as it mixes with a soft raspberry. The ylang-ylang is rich and deep. I don't get the coriander as an individual note but rather feel as if it anchors the tuberose from becoming too sharp. This juice would be such an easy scent to wear even for those who shy away from an often garish tuberose. Tuberose Trianon is the potion of liaisons; a fragrance that beckons. "1689. You are headed towards the Trianon in the Versailles garden where the King has had a profusion of flowerbeds planted. It is evening. You pass by a group of courtesans. A gaze pierces you. In its wake, the heady scent of tuberose, mingled with jasmine and ylang-ylang, and as though veiled, the unexpected trace of raspberry. Your heart just encountered lo...

West Third Brand: Arabesque This is a soft oriental. While the description states "a touch of birch tar" I find that the birch and olibanum notes are the strongest on me. It seems to be wearing as a green, tart, incense-like birch with floral (jasmine ?) layered over a ever so slightly sweetened sandalwood base with just a hint of smoky patchouli. This feels very much like a Spring scent to me. And, while I wasn't so sure when I first sprayed it on, I'm really beginning to like this the longer it wears. "An intricate and mysterious maze of patchouli, exotic jasmine and ylang ylang accented with warm, rich tones of sandalwood, olibanum, and vanilla, all muddled with the rind of Moroccan lemon and a touch of birch tar."

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,...

Parfums de Marly: Safanad Safanad is an absolutely gorgeous rendition of a creamy orange blossom/white floral and vanilla fragrance. The connection to the meaning of Safanad - pure - is perfectly fitting as this juice has a completely natural smell (nothing chemical or artificial at all). It's light and delicate. The orange is present at the top but only slightly. The pear also adds a bit of a fruitiness but as it's not a citric, it adds to the smooth creaminess of this scent that the sandalwood provides. Safanad has a restrained elegance. There is a subtle coziness to this fragrance as well; something I don't often find in a floral fragrance and that I find incredibly appealing. "Safanad, is from the ancestor of an Arabian horse breed that exists for several thousand years. The queen of Sheba presented to the wise king Solomon this thoroughbred horse named Safanad, meaning “The pure”. This fragrance from Parfums de Marly reflects the grace of a thoroughbred. Be...

Parfumerie Bruckner: Aoud 1 When I received this sample, my first reaction was - Oh no an oud! Like for many people, oud is a challenging note for me. But, as I have 2 other oud fragrances that ended up being fbw to me, I thought it was worth a chance. Your first clue as to what I ended up thinking of this was that this is marked as my SOTN/SOTD. I first tested this last night. Today, I had to be in "close quarters" first thing, so reached for it again. Aoud No 1, despite it's name, is not about the oud to me. And, ironically, I've gotten 2 distinct wearings from this juice. Last night, the fragrance was all about fresh juicy plum and peach. The fruits were so alive and ripe you could almost taste them! I got a very subtle orange blossom over a vanilla tinged creamy oud. The oud was subtle and clean and simply added a slightly woody note. This morning, the fragrance wore as a stronger floral. The orange blossom and jasmine seemed to be blooming. I still get the...

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...

Kat Von D Sinner: (2017). I purchased this oriental floral as a blind buy out of curiosity. If you've seen the new bottles for the 2017 release; they're amazing but I wasn't inclined to go fb on this blind buy. Still, the travel sprays are quite lovely in their own right. I think I expected Sinner to be a much louder fragrance than it is. It is a floral oriental with a moderate projection. The cinnamon, patchouli, and wood notes are the most pronounced while the florals are quite blurred; you really must sniff with concentration to detect one over another. Sinner does seem to be a reasonable representation of an "edgy, unapologetic, and outspoken" woman. It pushes some boundaries yet stops short of being that obnoxious, loud, piece of work that makes you you cringe when you see her. "Kat Von D Beauty’s most requested collection of all time is returning at last and better than ever. Meet Sinner—dark, sultry, and empowering, this enticing fragrance sweeten...

Kat Von D: Saint Saint does indeed share the same floral soul as Sinner. In fact, Saint is Sinner with the spicy/warm notes removed. It's a classic, light, creamy floral with just a touch of sweetness for good measure. I get a light jasmine (one of my favorite notes) and tiare flower over a soft, lightly citrusy, creamy, light musk base. Saint wears somewhere between a skin scent and one with a light projection on me. It's delicate and quietly beautiful. It's a floral that can easily be worn in the Summer without it becoming "too much" in the heat. "Kat Von D Beauty’s most requested collection of all time is returning at last and better than ever. Meet Saint—soft, alluring, and dreamy, this gourmand fragrance sweetens a bouquet of jasmine and tiaré flower with notes of mandarin, caramel, and sparkling Mirabelle plum. Vanilla, sandalwood, and creamy musk build to the romance of the perfume, imparting a warmth that reminds Kat of falling in love for the ve...

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...

Giorgio Armani: Acqua Di Gioia Jasmine Don't you just love it when a blind buy goes right?! I had seen this juice while browsing the Armani website. Like many of you, I hadn't realized that Armani did a Acqua Di Gioia version in jasmine. From what I understand, this one had been released, sold out, and then brought back "by popular demand". Who knew? Ok, well obviously someone did! So when Armani recently ran their 20% off promo, I thought it would be a great time to blind buy this. Frankly I wanted the small bottle but it was unavailable. I was quite nervous waiting for the shipment as blind buying the largest size of a juice can be terrifying! Clearly, my concern was unwarranted. Wow, this is a serious jasmine floral aquatic bomb! Jasmine isn't floral aquatic in the strictest sense of the definition though. It comes on more as a fruity floral and the aquatic nature is felt through the lightness and flow of the scent. It comes on like a powerhouse of fresh...