Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Nasomatto: Nudiflorum Extrait de Parfum Nudiflorum was released in 2018 by Nasamatto.   It is a floral woody musk that is said to be, “an interpretation of a feeling of being touched.” On me, Nudiflorum opens with a very bold, smoky, rubbery leather.   It is an opening not for the bashful.   It has a raw, hotness to it that in some ways is reminiscent of flesh.   Shortly after the initial note, the leather is accompanied by a deep green bitterness atop a pensive iris.   In my wear, I could not detect violet. In the middle of wear, a synthetically sticky jasmine with a bit of sweetness melds into the smoked leather.   The scent remains rough and rugged.   It feels like an intentionally unfinished symphony.   A swirl of musky white florals compliments the drydown.   Where you’d expect there to be cacophony, there is sense.   There is an overall primal sensation in the wear of Nudiflorum that makes it stand out as something ve...

By Kilian - Vodka on the Rocks EDP Vodka on the Rocks (“Vodka”) was released By Kilian in 2014.   The fragrance is an interesting aromatic with strong earthy underpinnings. The opening of Vodka is surprisingly much like the initial pour of vodka into a glass of ice.   Through the use of aldehydes, which typically are not a favorite of mine, Kilian manages to replicate the essence of that singular moment.   There is a slight spiciness to the opening with coriander being more prominent than cardamom, but overall the clear alcohol accord comes through. As Vodka wears, I get the bitter rhubarb and rose.   The two are well paired and with the help of Lily of the Valley, a citric floral emerges.   At the same time, I begin to get smoky leathery notes.   On me, the base notes are just smoky enough that I get a vibe of a white incense.   Vodka on the Rocks wears on me for roughly 9 hours with moderate projection. Notes: cardmom, coriande...

Comme des Garcons - 2 Man EDP 2 Man is a woody chypre that launched in 2004 by Comme des Garcons.   The House site simply says, “A worker, a man who loves his work.” The fragrance opens with an aldehyde-laden incense doused church-like feel.   There is a rolling spiced fruit.   As the fragrance wears, I get a soft iris covered in hay.   The fragrance itself is by no means soft, however.   The incense and smoky tones continue throughout.   The notes are joined by a freshly polished mahogany and rich, rough leather.   The fragrance is deep, comforting, heady, and decidedly masculine (assuming you assign gender to fragrance).   As 2 Man dries down, the woody note also dries and the incense takes on more of a soapy tone. 2 Man wears on me for roughly 9 hours with moderate projection. Notes:   aldehydes, nutmeg, caraway, kumquat, mint, iris, vetiver, saffron, leather, incense, mahogany Perfumer: Mark Buxton

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 ...

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...