Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Derek Lam 10 Crosby - Rain Day "A rainy day on Crosby Street. The confidence to find something beautiful and meaningful during a Rain Day.  An enchanting balance of tropical vetiver Haiti and citrusy neroli Tunisia creates a surprisingly fresh scent." (Derek Lam 10 Crosby)  What is a rain day and how does a perfumer capture that essence in a fragrance?  I’ve been to New York but have not been to Crosby Street yet I know what a rain day is.  I’m also one that enjoys a good downpour; and the joy that can sometimes occur after having been caught in that torrent of rain.  Rain Day wears on me as a fairly linear fragrance.  There’s a fresh somewhat citrusy greenness to the floral (neroli) which has a damp quality to it.  It feels very much like the green smell of Spring.  Rain Day feels clean and aquatic.  There is a subtle underlying woodiness to the fragrance as well.  The woody note does not “bring the dewy green floral down”...

Frederic Malle – Superstitious Superstitious is a contemporary take on the floral aldehyde from Frederic Malle.  Unlike other floral aldehydes with a rose note, the rose in Superstitious is not jammy at all.   It opens with a strong blossoming rose and a soapy aldehyde note.  There is a cleanness to the notes.  In it’s opening, it is a floral aldehyde lovers dream.  About 30 minutes into wear I get an extremely bold jasmine.  The jasmine is strong yet blends seamlessly with the rose.  The aldehydes begin to soften.  Another 30 minutes in and a spicy and juicy peach appear.  There is an effervescence in the way the spiced peach enters the juice.  A subtle resinous amber, as well as the continuing aldehydes, prevent Superstitious from going the way of a fruity floral. Roughly 2 hours into wear, the rose softens and the spiced peach jasmine aldehyde is cradled by a woody vetiver.  The juiciness of the notes begins to ...

Eris Parfums - Mx. Earlier this year, Eris Parfums released the fragrance Mx., a woody spicy offering.  I was fortunate enough to have Nir Guy of Perfumology (King of Prussia, PA) send me a sample of this gem.  Can you tell where this review is headed?  Here’s another clue – I ordered a full bottle the day after I first tested it. The creative and intellectual concept behind this fragrance is the interplay between traditionally feminine and masculine notes (although it should be noted this juice contains no florals) in celebration of  “gender neutral” in the fragrance community.  If you’re a member of any fragrance group, I’m sure you’ve seen over and over the comment that scent is and should be genderless.  The global trend to more acceptance of gender-neutrality is something the fragrance community has embraced for some time.  As further evidence of this stance, this juice is simply titled Mx.; the accepted gender neutral title. Mx. open...

Dame Perfumery - Earth Mother Earth Mother.  The name conjures images in my mind that brings one back to the heyday of Haight-Ashbury.  It summons images of being one with Nature and yet being a force on its own.  In these respects, Earth Mother from Dame Perfumery lives up to the images. Earth Mother to me is all about the patchouli.  Sure enough we get the other notes but they all weave themselves around the star – patchouli.  The juice opens with a lemony, slightly herbal, caramel melting over a bold patchouli.  About an hour into wear notes of jasmine and lily bloom in quiet symphony with the earthy sweetness.  The florals bring a sensuality to the fragrance.   Creamy vanilla, resinous amber, and earthy musk round out the scent.  The patchouli wears throughout the journey.  There is a gentleness to the handling of these notes and I am forced to feel as if it’s the warm embrace of Earth itself.  Earth Mother wea...

Agonist Parfums - Onyx Pearl Onyx Pearl (“Onyx”) is a new oriental woody offering from the Swedish niche perfume house Agonist Parfums.  With Onyx, the brand intends to create a blur of boundaries between male and female and create a “seductive and enchanting” juice suitable for everyone. The fragrance opens with a bold floral oud tinged with a suede-like leather.  The leather and later heliotrope and sandalwood cool the somewhat spicy opening.  There is a clean, almost powdery, feel to the first 2 hours of wear.  At the end of the first couple of hours, in comes a complex patchouli and a resinous amber.  The drydown begins for me at roughly 3 – 4 hours into wear and a light cedar balances the juice.  For me, the cedar re-emphasizes the oud in Onyx.  There is a barely perceptible musk in the drydown, however, the usual intensity of musk is overshadowed by the woody notes. Onyx wears for me for roughly 8 – 9 hours with moderate projection. ...

Ellis Brooklyn - Sci Fi EDP I received a sample of Sci Fi with a cosmetics order I placed.  Being a sci fi geek, I was immediately curious because of the name.  Little did I know what this fragrance had in store for me! Sci Fi is an interesting twist on what we know as vanilla-based scents.  The fragrance begins with a clearly citrus opening filled with bergamot and bitter orange.  The citrus lays superimposed on the vanilla which I find runs through the entire wear of the juice.  About an hour into wear and just when you’re feeling like you have a citric vanilla – bam – in comes a refreshing, slightly sweet and somewhat herbal green tea and a gorgeous freesia.  The citrus moves to the back and you have a transformed scent.  A clean, somewhat green, lightly floral, lightly vanilla rises from the skin.  When Sci Fi begins the drydown cashmere woods add a warmer, deeper base. Sci Fi feels very much like a fantasy voyage; taking the wear...

Diptyque - Essences Insensees Rose de Mai EDP Diptyque’s floral offering in the Essences Insensees Collection, Rose de Mai (“Rose”), is perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin’s homage to the iconic flower of Grasse.  While the fragrance contains notes other than Rose de Mai, it is the rose that shines through. There is a linear wear to Rose.  On first spray, the wearer is transported to a field of blossoming roses.  There is a touch of sweetness courtesy of the beeswax.  The fragrance is warmed by the spicy balsamic ambery addition of tolu balsam.  I find the tolu balsam adds an intensity that could be interpreted as smoky although I find it to be more resinous.  Rose is not shy; she shines bright and warm like the fields of flowers she emulates.  Rose wears on me with little to no change for roughly 6 hours with moderate projection. Notes - Beeswax, tolu balsam, rose de mai Perfumer - Fabrice Pellegrin

Dame Perfumery - Citrus Man Cologne Citrus Man Cologne (“Citrus”) is, well, a citrus.  I couldn’t resist the obvious but really, it’s so much more. And while we’re dispensing with the “obvious”, while this is marketed as a fragrance for men, this can easily be worn by anyone. Citrus opens with…wait for it…citrus notes.  A bright, sparkling lemon-lime and grapefruit let you know this is going to be a cologne with a freshness.  Within about fifteen minutes, a gorgeous blossoming jasmine joins the citrus notes.  There is a lightness to the jasmine.  About another fifteen to thirty minutes into wear, Citrus is joined by a creamy woody musk.  If you’re familiar with the perfumer’s other fragrance, New Musk Man, this has the same musk vibe to it.  It’s not the musk of the 80s but instead a reinvented and more wearable reincarnation.  Citrus wears as a clean citrus creamy woody musk on me for roughly 5 – 6 hours with light projection. No...

Prada - Les Infusions de Prada Amande Les Infusions de Prada Amande (“Amande”) is an oriental vanilla offering from the Prada Infusion Collection.  (Note – For me, Amande wears as more of an oriental until the drydown.)  It is a heightened take on the contrasting sweet and bitter in bitter almond oil. Amande opens with a sharp, cool amaretto note.  I get the layered bitter almond balanced against the light bergamot.  After about fifteen minutes, the juice takes on a powdery feel as the heliotrope comes into play.  The powder feels more like a bittersweet almond powder than a baby powder.  About an hour or two into wear I begin to get the spicier note from the anise while the tonka reinforces the duality of the scent.  In the drydown, Amande becomes an almost creamy fragrance with a lovely light musk base.  The drydown feels much more complex than the opening. Amande wear on me for roughly 7 hours with moderate projection. Notes: b...

Commodity Fragrances – Rain EDP I ordered a sample of Commodity Rain (“Rain”) during a period of weather here where the rain seemed to be non-stop.  I was curious as to how close this floral aquatic could actually get to telling the story of  “a walk in the rain, cleansing, refreshing, as escape to a clean slate in life”.  It should be noted that Rain was a part of the brand’s White Collection which is comprised of scents that are lighter and intended to be worn alone or layered. Rain does, in fact, tell a straightforward story with its notes.  It’s clean, fresh, floral, green, and aquatic.  There is a lightness to the green, moist, opening as it’s layered with a fresh lushness of the florals.  After an initial burst that’s fairly citric and lemony, the Springtime florals appear with a blossoming greenness.  On my skin, the jasmine and lotus blossom are the most prominent of the floral notes although the bergamot and freesia are detectable....

Dua Fragrances - Taboo Taboo is an original creation from Dua Fragrances.  It’s classified as an oriental gourmand.  Taboo was a blind buy for me.  Admittedly, I was drawn in by not only multiple fragrance notes that tend to be in my “loves” but also the awesome label design for the bottle.  Taboo is not shy.  It opens with a gorgeous clean patchouli and moody incense tempered with a semi-sweet white chocolate.  It’s bold but not offensive.  As the fragrance develops I get a spicy soft leather sprinkled with a light cocoa.  Neither the patchouli nor the incense have disappeared and these notes, along with the suede leather, prevent the juice from becoming full on gourmand.  There’s just enough sweetness to this to give it interest without becoming cloying.  The notes are gently cradled in a creamy vanilla and amber light musk base.  The base notes give the already intriguing scent a feel of intimacy.  For me, it become...

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 ...

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...

Hermes - Un Jardin Sur Le Nil  It’s been a fairly dreary Fall here on the East Coast.  When I looked out this morning and saw it was yet another foggy and rainy day, I decided to reach for the Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil (“Sur Le Nil”) for a little bright fruity floral lift. Sur Le Nil is described by Hermes as “an impressionistic stroll through the island-gardens on the Nile at Aswan”.  While classified as a fruity floral, Sur Le Nil defies the constraints of the category and is much more.  In its opening, I get a verdant green mango and lotus flower.  The mango note is stronger than the lotus and adds a fresh greenness to the opening; although each note lasts through the entire wear of the fragrance.  An earthy and nutty calamus is added to the green fruity floral opening and makes the juice feels very garden-like.  There is a lush vegetal feel to the fragrance at this point without it being specifically identifiable as a specific vegetable ...

Acqua di Parma - Colonia Mirra Eau de Cologne Concentrée Colonia Mirra is a dark oriental woody twist on the original Colonia.  Despite the opening with the same notes as Colonia – citruses and orange blossom – Colonia Mirra soon takes a turn to the dark and mysterious side. The spicy note of nutmeg and aromatic resinous amber and myrhh bring a deep warmth to the juice.  The spice is moderate and the amber and myrhh are intense.  There is a balsamic almost incense-like nature to the notes as they are blended. A  woody frankincense deepens the fragrance even further while an earthy patchouli winds itself around the notes.  Wearing Colonia Mirra felt very much like walking through a dark foggy wood at night.  The fragrance feels complex and sophisticated yet almost magical. Colonia Mirra wears on me for roughly 10 hours with moderate projection. Notes: citrus, orange blossom, nutmeg, myrrh, patchouli, frankincense, amber