Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Berdous - Péng Lái EDP Péng Lái (“Peng”) is an oriental floral fragrance from Berdous.   The fragrance also has hallmarks of being a lightly spicy fruity floral.   The inspiration behind Peng is one of Chinese legend.   It is said that, “The tale of Peng Lai, tells of the island of longevity where the Goddess of Flowers, He Xiangu, sojourned. This grand cru invites you to daydream, clear your mind, and recharge your batteries at the heart of the Middle Kingdom as you admire the singular beauty of this region of the world.” Peng opens with a soft osmanthus and bergamot blended with an equally light, bright citrus.   The notes project with a delicate intimacy.   There is also a gentle sweetness.   Very quickly, I get a juicy peach and a somewhat jammy rose.   Neither of these two notes take this fragrance to a place where it becomes cloying.   At roughly the one hour mark, benzoin adds it’s usual tones and the fragrance begins to round...

Berdous: Vânira Moorea Varira Moorea is an aromatic fruity fragrance from Berdoues. Like with the other few fragrances from the house that I've tested recently, this is fairly linear on me. The best description I have for this juice is that it reminds me of an orange creamsicle without being overly sweet. It's light and playful and pleasant. "Vânira Moorea reveals a wild and sensual vanilla with deliciously addictive notes. A delicate assembly of orange from Brazil, petit grain from Paraguay, and vanilla from Tahiti captures the exoticism of the islands. The fragrance features petitgrain, brazilian orange and madagascar vanilla."

Berdous: Somei Yoshino For those not familiar with shiso, other than maybe as a Japanese herb that appears mysteriously on your sushi plate with the wasabi, shiso tastes like mint (no wonder as it's a member of the mint family!) However, unlike mint which smells as it tastes, shiso offers a spicy aroma. It's newer use in fragrance has been to impart something similar to maybe cinnamon or cloves. With the top note of this fragrance being shiso, I expected a spicy jasmine with a warmed base. I wanted a lovely excursion to a Japanese temple. Nope. On me, Somei Yoshino is that poor tourist that somehow got lost finding the shrine. It's a faint hint of the loveliness that could have been. I get a very soft green jasmine with a barely there warm base. The spiciness is barely perceptible. There is so little projection I feel this is almost a skin scent. Is it pleasant? Sure. Does it take your breath away as it should have? Only when you sigh in disappointment. "Somei Y...

Berdous: Selva Do Brazil "Petitgrain from Paraguay, tonka bean from Brazil, and gaiac wood from Argentina combine to create Selva Do Brazil, a scent reminiscent of the sap in the heart of the rainforest’s trees. Fragrantica classifies this as an oriental woody scent. While the notes taken as such would place Selva Do Brazil into that category, I don't get what I would consider an oriental woody juice. Petitgrain, which should really smell more like a sharp and woody citrus, smells more like neroli in this juice. It's a sweet and slightly honeyed opening without being cloying. Both the tonka bean and the guaiac wood add more to the honey-tinged sweetness. There is an accord of vanilla that runs through the fragrance from the tonka bean. The guaiac adds just the slightest hint of smokiness to the base without being outright smoky. Selvo Do Brazil is another light scent from Berdoues. It has minimal projection. (As I have absolutely no clue what sap in the middle of a ra...

Berdous: Scorza di Sicilia Scorza di Sicilia is classified by Fragrantica as a woody aromatic. If the classification were by note prominence, in my opinion this is more of an aromatic woody. This is a fairly linear fragrance to my nose that is mostly about the citrus (lemon) note. The fragrance opens with a lemony note touched with bergamot for balance. The wear is pretty even with the cedar remaining in the background. I found this surprising as cedar is often a bold note in fragrance. This is not the case with Scorza di Sicilia. In this juice, the cedar and vetiver simply add character. The cedar brings a subtle touch of wood while the vetiver adds it's classic green earthiness but in a light way. Like with the cedar, the use of vetiver is not done in such a way to add the sharpness that often comes along with the note. There is limited projection with this fragrance and it is easily "safe" for all environments. "Scorza di Sicilia generously surrenders a blend...

Berdous: Assam of India Would like to post a "full review" of this aromatic fragrance, but honestly, this smells like straight up lemon black tea on me. I don't really get the sandalwood into play until the drydown when this fragrance becomes slightly creamy. It's another soft, light fragrance with little projection. "In Assam of India, Citron from Menton, tea from India, and sandalwood from Mysore join together in a unique blend to enhance and complement the natural elegance of tea leaves." Top note is lemon; middle note is indian tea; base note is sandalwood.

Berdous: Arz-el-rab Arz-el-rab is classified as a woody spicy fragrance on Fragrantica. It is by far my favorite Berdoues of the coffret thus far. It is a glorious ode to cedar laid down in fragrance (without making you smell like an old wardrobe!). On initial spray I get a stunning, smooth cedar laced with a citrusy ginger; the cedar and ginger share the spotlight. As the juice wear, the ginger loses some of it's citrus slant and picks up more of a spicy vibe. The iris is mild in this fragrance and does not have the sometimes lipstick or powder components that sometimes iris carries in fragrance. The iris in Arz-el-rab is more of a soft, sweet violet note. There is slightly more projection in this fragrance than the others I've reviewed. "Arz El-Rab are the legendary cedar forests of Mount Lebanon described as the "forest of God". Ginger from China, iris from Morocco, and Virginian cedar offer the best of their personalities for a deep, intense impression....