Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

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.  I don’t detect the pep

Jason Wu - Jason Wu EDP New to the fragrance scene, designer Jason Wu, has recently released his first fragrance of the same name.  I’ve long been a fan of Jason Wu’s designs and so his foray into the world of fragrance was of interest to me.  This new fragrance is classified by Fragrantica as a floral and by the designer as a “fresh floral woody”.    Jason Wu (“Wu” for the remainder of my review) opens with a strong, fresh, somewhat aquatic, floral; specifically jasmine.  The jasmine used in this fragrance is jasminum sambac, often referred to as Arabian jasmine, which is a species of jasmine native to South and Southeast Asia.  This particular species is known for its unique sweetness and intensity.  These qualities are present in Wu.  So with the opening of jasmine we have a lovely delicate and non-cloying sweetness.  I feel the slight aquatic nature of the opening is due in large part to the fig note.  The note does not specifically read as fig but rather a rich juicy frui

L’Artisan Parfumeur - Nuit de Tubereuse Tuberose is a favorite note of mine.  So, when I realized that somehow I hadn’t sampled L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Nuit de Tubereuse, I immediately sought to rectify it.  I realize that for many tuberose can be a challenging note.  Often tuberose ends up being a loud, screechy sort of note in a fragrance which can be off-putting.  So how did the perfumer do in this fragrance? Well for me, Nuit de Tubereuse opens with a note of a strong, somewhat soapy (in a good way) tuberose.  The tuberose is fresh and there is a “green” quality to it as well as a slight spiciness.  At first, I cannot pick out the spices in this as individual notes but instead I sense it more as an overall warmth.  At about an hour and a half into wear, the black pepper note becomes more apparent and, while the green, soapy tuberose has not faded, I also begin to get additional floral notes and musk.  Like with the spices, I don’t detect a singular floral but rather a bouque

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 warm, woody, slightly spicy, creamy s

4160 Tuesdays - Eau My Soul Eau My Soul (“EMS” for the rest of my review) is an oriental woody fragrance created as a bespoke juice for the Facebook group Eau My Soul stemming from the creative idea of one of the group Admins and Founder Christi Long.  The members collaboratively voted on desired notes to use and Sarah McCartney, the perfumer, took it from there.  EMS opens with a bold note of cognac.  In this instance, the cognac doesn’t have an overly boozy quality but retains many of the complexities of a fine cognac: slightly herbal, slightly floral, slightly fruity, and slightly leather-like.  Like cognac the note is instantly warm and inviting.  There is also a cool incense note.  The incense plays well off of the cognac and acts to begin to elevate and add to the complexity of the fragrance.   There is a feel of a slightly honeyed, but not overly sweet, amber adding a richness and underscoring the warmth and coziness of the juice.  The opening notes are soon joined by a

Jo Malone London - English Oak & Redcurrant English Oak & Redcurrant (referred to as “Redcurrant” for the rest of my review) is my second review of the English Oak release from Jo Malone.  Whereas English Oak & Hazelnut is a woody spicy fragrance, Redcurrant is meant to transform the roasted oak into a floral fruity one. Redcurrant opens with a bright, tart redcurrant and mandarin note.  The note is reminiscent of a sunrise in that if the scent were color, it would be bright yellow and orange.  Within about 15 minutes the fruit notes are joined by rose.  The rose is a freshly picked, slightly sprinkled with dew rose scent.  The rose pairs nicely with the fruit which has already begun to soften.  There is a light dusting of musk which begins to create additional depth to this fragrance.  The musk is present enough to hold back the rose from overtaking the fragrance.  There is a slight spiciness to the fragrance at about an hour into wear.  At the same time, the wood

En Voyage Perfumes - Figa The perfumer, Shelley Waddington, was offering a giveaway of samples of her fragrances (by contest) in one of my fragrance groups.  While I was not fortunate enough to have won the giveaway, Ms. Waddington was kind and generous enough to extend a prize to some that had not won; in her Portland based saying to “put a bird on it”.  The charming phrase, which being an East Coaster I had never heard before, refers to a little addition; the cherry on top if you will.  In this case my “cherry” was a sample of her fragrance Figa.  While I’ve seen this fragrance classified as an oriental floral it does in many respects defy the nomenclature.  The genesis of this scent and its purpose are based in the history and magic of talismans.  In her words, “Figa Eau de Parfum is the fragrance equivalent of the powerful Figa amulet. It celebrates strength, power, vision and success.”  And really, who couldn’t use a little more of that?! Figa opens with a strong rose

Solstice Scents - Black Forest Perfume Oil Black Forest opens as the absolutely most delectable black forest cake.  I get a rich, deep, chocolate, and luscious cherries.  The scent is so true to life I can almost taste the sticky sweetness of the cherries oozing down the side of my slice of cake.  And, just as I am about to raid the fridge looking for something I’m sure I won’t find, the fragrance begins to change. The gourmand notes begin to fade (although never completely) and a deep woody tobacco begins to rise.  From the edges of the bakery shop I am taken to Baden-Wurttemberg and somewhere within the Black Forest.  I am high in the mountains and surrounded by a dense stand of trees and lush vegetation.  After another hour or so, the deep rich wood note begins to dry as if the seasons had begun to change.  The hay absolute coupled with the remaining tobacco afford the scent an almost Fall-like quality.  For the remaining wear, the fragrance is joined by a light puff of whi

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 rich and warm.  English Oak & Haz

Solstice Scents - Violet Mallow (Perfume Oil) Some time ago, I was lucky enough to have some friends in the UK send me several rolls of Parma Violet candies.  Being in the US, I was enthralled and intrigued by the notion of the little violet confections that I’d never seen on this side of the pond.  The fond memories of those candies, made me want to try the Solstice Scents gourmand rift on violet – Violet Mallow. Violet Mallow opens with a bold, powdery (Parma candy-like) violet note layered on top of a sweet, puffy marshmallow.  The sweetness of the marshmallow tames the boldness of the violet and creates a delectable, almost creamy violet note.  About 2 hours into wear, the violet softens.  Vanilla bean and musk begin to appear.  The vanilla and musk are mild but present enough that you know they’re there.  Through the course of the 7 hour wear, the violet remains present throughout.  The moderate projection softens to a light one and the scent embodies a delicate intimacy;

Atelier Cologne - Café Tuberosa Cologne Absolue Pure Perfume I was anxious to try this newest release from Atelier Cologne.  I’d like to thank Evan Simpkins from the Atelier Boutique in Brooklyn, NY for providing me with a sample to enjoy. Café Tuberosa opens on me with a strong chocolate-tinged coffee and a light tuberose.  It’s heady and lovely at the same time.  The intensity of the coffee begins to fade 20 minutes into wear; although remains present.  There is an echo of a gently spiced floral that begins to emerge.  At this point, I get the feeling of sitting outside at a lovely café on a Spring day, sipping a latte, indulging in a chocolate croissant, while the breeze carries the aromas of my delectable treats and the flowers around me.  As this juice begins its drydown, I get the slight sweetness of the vanilla and the warmth of the musks.  The light cocoa, floral, and slight spiciness remain throughout my wear. Café Tuberosa follows the story of the brand's pri

Hermes - Eau d’Orange Verte “Eau d’Orange Verte is the scent of the Little Prince in all of us.” (Jean-Claude Ellena)  I just don’t know.  I feel like the Little Prince would probably go with a different fragrance.  I’ll let you know what I think and then you can decide. Eau d’Orange Verte opens with a beautiful, fresh, juicy orange.  The orange feels quite green on me and does not pull overly sweet.  The note is realistic; as if you are smelling an orange while standing in a grove.  Within about 45 minutes, the singular orange note has faded and in its place arrives a general citrus note.  It is quite possibly the combination of the mandarin and Amalfi lemon with the mint and cassis but frankly, none of the notes are individually identifiable on me.  As this fragrance begins to drydown, it becomes softened and a very, very clean patchouli and oakmoss are identifiable.  Eau d’Orange is a pleasant light, fresh citrus fragrance.  It had skinscent to light projection and only

Viktor & Rolf - Magic Sage Spell Tonight I am testing Magic Sage Spell by Viktor&Rolf.  I want to extend my thanks to Kenisha Mason of Saks Fifth Avenue for the sample. When I thought of sage, my mind instantly went to Thanksgiving and preparing my turkey dinner; particularly the stuffing.  Sage is not something I would have sought out in a fragrance so the fact that Marie Salamagne decided to not only use sage but make it the focus of a fragrance is, in my opinion, creative at the least.  This juice opens with a bold sage paired with a subtle mint.  The two taken together create an aromatic that is a piece of both but unlike either.  The sage retains its herbal quality but is lifted to a new freshness.  There is a strong green quality to the opening.  There is the slightest hint of grapefruit about fifteen minutes in that lends a tartness and brightness.  Pink pepper brings in a bit of spice.  The pepper is not detectable as a singular pepper note but simply as a

Solstice Scents - Owl Creek Aleworks Perfume Oil It’s a bit of a cool and overcast day today and I’m testing another “fall” vibe fragrance – Owl Creek Aleworks.  This scent opens with a caramel-laden toasted hazelnut.  The scent is sweet and rich.  About 30 minutes in, I begin to get a creamy coconut.  The coconut is not a tropical feel one but instead the kind of coconut note you get when baking with coconut and condensed milk.  There is a pumpkin pie spice note to the fragrance that really begins to bloom about an hour into wear.  At the two hour mark, the hazelnut seems to fade and the remaining wear (and drydown) is a Fall gourmand delight of sweet toffee topped with a pumpkin-spiced coconut cream.  I get 4 hours of wear with this fragrance with a moderate projection. Notes:  Sticky English Toffee Pudding, Blackburn's Parlor Vanilla Ice Cream, Caramel, Toasted Coconut & Hazelnut, Sugared Pumpkin Cream Stout.  

Dua Fragrances - Desert Reflection This juice is inspired by Amouage Reflection Man.  As such, it is a woody floral musk.  I ordered a sample of this as I was curious as to the treatment of the florals against the wood notes. Desert Reflection opens with a clean, almost high end hotel, soapy floral.  I get the jasmine and neroli in abundance with the rosemary and rose de mai notes being more subtle.  There is a slight, delicate sweetness to the floral which does not seem to pull overly feminine.  The development of this fragrance brings in a well-rounded woody base where the cedar is of moderate prominence and a clean patchouli adds a slight earthiness to the woody note.  Sandalwood lends a creaminess to the scent which smooths and brings together the florals and woods. Desert Reflection wears with an understated refinement for roughly 8 hours on me with moderate projection. NOTES: Rosemary, Rose de Mai, Jasmine, Neroli, Patchouli, Sandalwood, and Cedar.

Gallagher Fragrances - Evergreen Dream EDP Today I am testing the newest release from Gallagher Fragrances – Evergreen Dream.  This juice is a fougere and does follow the more traditional formulation model of the fragrance category but finishes quite differently. This fragrance opens with a slightly bitter yet fresh, green aromatic.  I clearly get the scent of evergreen trees.  The opening is strong and surrounds you in the wonderful aroma of being in a lush green forest.  About an hour in, the lavender appears.  Lavender is a note that I struggle with; I think it’s one of those notes that people tend to be polarized on.  The lavender in this juice is bold but it has been tempered with a rich birch tar, wood note, and pine resin.  The accompanying notes add a warmth to the lavender making it more, and in my opinion more universally wearable, than the individual note.  After roughly another hour, the base notes enter and the juice begins it’s drydown.  For me, this is where the

Jo Loves - Red Truffle 21 A Fragrance Paintbrush Anyone who knows me personally knows one thing for certain and that is – I love amusing things.  So when Jo Malone (as Jo Loves) came out with a fragrance paintbrush, there was no doubt I HAD to try it.  The fragrance itself, Red Truffle 21, is not new; only the delivery format. So just a quick review about Red Truffle 21 for those not familiar.  The original juice was released 2 years ago (2015) and it is categorized as an aromatic spicy.  The fragrance opens with a fairly intense green and earthy vibe.  I get a good dose of pine (as in pine needles and not the bark or sap) accompanied by the earthy tuber note.  I really took a chance on this as fig is a bit of a hit or miss note for me.  In the case of Red Truffle 21, the fig note is present but I don’t find it to be difficult.  What Jo Loves has done with the fig is used a green fig and not a fully ripe fig note.  This makes all the difference.  The green fig juxtaposes nicel

Vince Camuto - Ciao I received a sample of Ciao in the Macy’s Beauty Box that I subscribe to.  Touted as a “fruity, floral, oriental” that is supposed to be an “enchanting scent of an unforgettable woman”, I was happy to test it. Ciao should have opened with mandarin, grapefruit, and strawberry but instead all I get is fresh, ripe, sweet strawberry.  The strawberry is lovely of course but I was disappointed to not detect any mandarin or grapefruit.  As the juice develops on my skin, I do get a hint of a bright blackberry.  The blackberry is rich and adds a little fruity complexity to the strawberry that has not faded.  I don’t get a specific floral note per se, what I do get is a blend of florals where the honeysuckle and passion flower seem to perhaps be the strongest notes.  The drydown begins fairly quickly with Ciao and the liqueur and sandalwood seem to be the notes that appear.    Ciao is a bright and pleasant fragrance that seems to be more of a fruity floral than a

Solstice Scents - Conjure There are days you want or need your fragrance to evoke something of the mystical.  Today is one of those days for me and I decided to reach for Conjure. Conjure opens with a beautiful note of amber on me.  The amber is warm, rich, slightly musky and tinged with just a hint of vanilla.  I get a light cedar covered with spices.  There is an incense note of cinnamon that adds a mysterious complexity to this juice.  I get a creamy sandalwood note that has a deep smokiness.  Taken together the notes of amber, spice, woods, and smoke create a complex, wearable, dark scent that suggest an intimate experience with the magical. Conjure wore for 5 hours on me with a moderate to light projection. Notes:  Blend of Amber, Vanillas, Cedar, Allspice, Cauldron Smoke and lots of other Essential Oils

Dua Fragrances - Casino Royale Casino Royale is a fragrance inspired by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540.  It is a citrus aromatic.  As I haven’t had the pleasure of testing Baccarat Rouge 540, I’m reviewing Casino Royale on its own merits. This fragrance opens with a somewhat floral citrus (orange).  The orange in this is more like a mandarin orange scent in that it has a light sweetness and brightness to it.  The orange remains as the primary note for the first hour or so of wear.  As the fragrance begins to develop, I get a little more floral (from the cyclamen) and a beautiful light amber over a subtle wood.  At first the wood is indistinguishable as being cedar but as the scent continues to develop, the cedar note comes more into its own.  The dry down to Casino Royale adds a refined touch to this fragrance.  It’s warm without being spicy, it’s soft without being too subtle, it has a point of view without being overbearing.  I rolled the dice on this one and ca

Solstice Scents – Kitchen I love Fall.  It’s my favorite time of year.  Of course, along with Fall comes those traditional scents that we associate with the season.  Kitchen does a superb job of fitting the bill for replicating those wonderful olfactory joys. As with the previous Solstice Scents I’ve sampled, Kitchen is another “what you smell is what you get” fragrance.  And with the others from this brand, that’s a good thing.  Aptly named, Kitchen gives you the wonderful smells of a kitchen in Autumn.  You get pumpkin spice and vanilla sugar cookies.  You get spice breads sitting on a cooling rack as a cool breeze blows through your curtains.  You get sticky sweet (but not sickening sweet) danish sitting on a plate on the table with luscious caramel slowly dripping down the sides from the remaining heat in the dough. Kitchen is a opus of everything wonderful about Fall baking.  And if you close your eyes and sniff deeply, you might just hear Ma warning you to put back t

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, vetiver and carnation; base notes are am

Solstice Scents - Vanilla Pipe Tobacco I love the smell of pipe tobacco.  My only recollection of ever even smelling pipe tobacco was from many years ago.  When I was a child, I can remember my cousin lighting his pipe during family gatherings.  He never smoked it in full company.  Instead, I recall him retiring to his study, sitting back, and smoking.  There was something about the tobacco smoke, and his study filled from floor to ceiling with books, and him sitting relaxed in his leather chair.  My cousin stopped smoking pipes decades ago and it’s been many years since I’ve seen him.  It’s funny, the memories are not ones I think of often, but this fragrance brings them flooding back. With Vanilla Pipe Tobacco I get almost a caramel vanilla pipe tobacco with just a hint of smoke.  Maybe it’s the smoke that makes the vanilla smell like caramel to me.   The freshness of the vanilla tobacco has that coziness to it from the fragrant smoke; like a study. I got 6 hours of wear

Solstice Scents - Jack & The Devil EDP Jack & The Devil is described as an amber/tobacco/earthy/spicy on the Solstice Scents website.  It’s much more than that.  This is my first purchase from the company and they’re off to a great start. This fragrance opens with THE scent of Fall – pumpkin spice.  In a single inhale, you get the perfect replication of pumpkin spice.  The note is bolstered by vanilla which adds a touch of sweetness.  I get a beautiful tobacco (yes tobacco can read as beautiful) just behind the pumpkin spice accord.  Oakmoss, amber, and a clean patchouli help to round out this fragrance and give it body.  There is a decadent richness to this scent.  The drydown is absolutely stunning as the beautiful spice is retained and the oakmoss comes a bit more to the forefront. I applied this scent at 3 pm in an afternoon and was still able to smell it, ever so lightly, the next morning.  Notes: Vanilla, tobacco, oakmoss, amber, Patchouli, pumpkin and soft