Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

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...

Tom Ford - Noir Anthracite EDP In Tom Ford’s 2017 launch advertising of Noir Anthracite the brand described the fragrance as “light in the dark” and the "dynamic tension between contrasts”.  This chypre is a modern take on the classic fragrance genre. The fragrance opens with a contrast.  There is a bright and beautiful bergamot juxtaposed over a rich and spicy Sichuan pepper.  Immediately after the first sniff, I begin to get a sense of an underlying cedar woodiness.  The cedar is rich and comes forward as if you’re inhaling deeply into an old cedar chest.  About an hour into wear, the spice becomes more complex with subtle hints of ginger-spiced florals.  The florals are not individually identifiable to me and yet you know they’re there.  There is a dark, intense, smoky, earthiness that begins to come through.  The woods begin to deepen.  The moodiness of the notes and their contrast with each other are tempered with a delicate...

Carthusia - Corallium EDP Corallium has a tag line of “a refreshing essence born of the sea, made to enchant”.  In my opinion this tag line belies the true nature of this juice which is by notes and by experience a woody aromatic. Corallium opens with a mandarin-bergamot blend.  On first sniff, it is bright, clean, soft, and lightly orange-citrusy.  Almost immediately notes of myrrh, bay, and sage make their presence known along with a soft musk.  The fragrance takes on an herbal quality with a hint of spice.  The notes feel like a familiar barbershop accord.  About an hour into wear I get a dry cedar and a barely detectable patchouli.  The woody notes play background to the aromatics.  There is a soft, peppery undertone that I can only assume comes from the tree goldmoss stonecrop.  As the juice begins its drydown there is a refresh of the woody character of the fragrance by emerging woody notes.  Unlike the initial introdu...

Lubin - Epidor EDP Epidor, an oriental floral, is the first fragrance I’ve tried from Lubin.  The House of Lubin was established back in 1798 and as such, is one of France’s oldest luxury brands.  Fun fact - During the reign of the last king of France, Lubin obtained the title of Official Perfumer to the French Royal Court.  In 1998, the House was revitalized and now is based in the middle of Paris.  With that said, I had high expectations for Epidor.  And – spoilers – I was not disappointed. Epidor opens with a gorgeous musk-laced violet.  The violet is only lightly powdery (in a good way) courtesy of a rich plum that gives it depth.  About an hour into wear, a soft orange blossom melds with a delicate jasmine joining the musk.  The restraint of the perfumer with the jasmine makes the note feel soft.  It feels very much like an innocent romance.  The creamy, slightly woody base has a gentle hay feel and notes of vanilla and alm...

Dame Perfumery - Cassis, Rose & Sandalwood Woman EDT Today’s review is about Dame Perfumery’s Cassis, Rose & Sandalwood (Cassis).  I’ve been testing this fragrance for three days since it contains a note, rose, that I’m not typically a fan of.  Before I begin my review, I would also like to thank the perfumer, Jeffrey Dame, for his quick response to my notes question.  I had reached out to the brand since the featured notes did not seem to align with either the notes I was perceiving or the notes as I’ve seen listed elsewhere. The fragrance itself seems on the surface that it might simply be a juice of cassis, rose, and sandalwood.  The brand site states, “Three elements neatly balanced for simple, clean and pure beauty.  A bright top note, a pretty floral heart and a warm sensual dry down, matched together and blended to perfection.”  So while the trio may be the stars of this fragrance, in actuality it is more complex. Cassis ope...

L’Artisan Parfumeur - Natura Fabularis Collection: Mirabilis EDP Mirabilis is an oriental woody fragrance which is part of L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Natura Fabularis Collection.  With the fragrance, the perfumer melds nature and science with the use of created notes and traditional “mystical” ones.  According to the House, it is a “reconciliation of reason and belief”. Before even spraying to test, the first thing I noticed is the surprising color of the juice.  Unlike what one would expect from an oriental woody fragrance, Mirabilis glows like a light neon blue beacon.  The shade is intriguing and inviting.  The presentation of a fragrance with this shade also starts the wearer on the path of questioning…What is Man? Mirabilis opens with a creamy spicy vanilla-tipped musk.  The vanilla does not pull gourmand.  The ambroxan adds a sweetness that walks the line between natural and synthetic.  About thirty minutes into wear the spice, franki...

Gallivant Perfumes - Tel Aviv Winter has finally made itself known here on the East Coast in the U.S.  Today we had our first light snowfall.  Something about the grey skies and falling snow made me crave testing this fragrance today.  Gallivant’s Tel Aviv is a fruity floral and it seemed like it would fit the bill for brightening this first dark Winter’s day. Tel Aviv opens fresh and sunny with notes of light and slightly sweet Clementine, bergamot, and blackcurrent bud.  The blackcurrant bud adds a tinge of greenness to the opening.  About thirty minutes into wear. I begin to get a rush of florals.  There is a medium intensity blooming jasmine and a soft rose that float over a bright freesia.  I get an intense ylang-ylang and a creamy sandalwood that create an almost narcotic and sensual drape blending seamlessly with the jasmine, rose, and freesia.  The juice seems to create the illusion of all the best of a sunny day.  Base notes...

House of Matriarch - Sacre Noir Sacre Noir is the second collaboration between perfumer Christi Meshell and Joseph Sagona, my dear friend and fellow fragrance blogger.  (Sacre Noir comes on the heels of their previous collaboration, The Longing.  You can read my review of The Longing at: http://bit.ly/2k9H4im ).  I was anxious to try this fragrance as I knew, based on pre-release information, that this fragrance would contain many unique notes and was curious to see how the perfumer would create this Winter tribute to The Holly King.  Ms. Meshell has the rare talent of being able to blend complex, multiple, and unique notes seamlessly so I was extremely hopeful I would enjoy the result.  Sacre Noir opens with a chilly walk into the forest in the heart of Winter.  It is here in the first moments of wear that the perfumer is hinting at where our journey will be taking us.  There is a slightly sweetened citrus laying at the base of snowy evergree...

Gallivant Perfumes – Berlin (Blogger’s Note – Please see my review of Gallivant Brooklyn for brand background and concept.) Having enjoyed the sites in Brooklyn, NY courtesy of Gallivant, I have headed out to JFK airport to catch a flight.  I am stamping my passport this morning to travel overseas to Berlin.  I was curious to see what this urban landscape had to offer me.  Berlin is a woody spicy fragrance with citrus notes.  Yes, citrus.  The fragrance actually opens with a bright and sunny citrus filled with Clementine and lemon with touches of grapefruit.  The opening is gorgeous but I admit I didn’t understand it until I did a little digging about the city.  How lovely that the city has multiple lakeside vacation destination spots (obviously convenient for locals) for Summer swimming!  (*Note the Telegraph did a fantastic article on these spots back on July 13, 2015.)  In its opening Berlin captures the lighthearted, carefree s...

Gallivant Perfumes - Brooklyn When a London indie fragrance house names itself after the verb used for roaming around, traveling or “moving around for pleasure” (Merriam Webster’s Dictionary) you know you’re in for a different fragrance experience.  Gallivant has created a line of unisex EDPs each showcasing their interpretation of a different urban destination.  I am fortunate enough to have received samples of their fragrances from Nir Guy of Perfumology (King of Prussia, PA) and will be reviewing them for you.  Today, I start with Brooklyn. Ok, to be fair, I decided that Brooklyn would be my first voyage with this house since it’s my city of birth.  My family moved from the city when I was just a very young child yet in my mind’s eye, I still have an image of the city I still identify so closely with.  At first I found it surprising that Brooklyn is a citrus scent.  Typically we don’t often associate the city with warm climate fruit.  Still...

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...