Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Charlotte Tilbury – Scent of a Dream Perfume Scent of a Dream (“Dream”) is a chypre floral fragrance released by the iconic Charlotte Tilbury brand in 2016.   The fragrance launched with the face of the equally iconic Kate Moss.   The scent is comprised of notes of scented oils from the Ibiza markets, where Tilbury hails from. So, confession - I would not have bought this fragrance.   Dream contains the hallmark notes of rose, jasmine, patchouli, and bergamot which are often components of a chypre floral. Chypre Florals are one of my least favorite categories of fragrance, so while I am a fan of the cosmetic line, I most likely would have skipped on the fragrance.   Fortunately for me, during the recent Black Friday sales, Charlotte Tilbury included this fragrance as a GWP.   I am so pleased she did. Dream opens as a bright, somewhat spicy, fruity note.   The fruit notes are balanced but on me, the peach speaks the loudest.   There is a s...

Kensington Apothecary – Capri 1966 EDP Kensington Apothecary has been on my radar for a while now.   As a beauty blogger, I became aware of the brand some time ago through their skincare line.   I was impressed by the founder’s use of natural ingredients and their commitment to community.   When they made the decision to launch their first fragrance collection, Expatica Scent Collection, I was immediately interested.   I was fortunate enough to be able to obtain a sample of one of the three releases, Capri 1966 (“Capri”).   Capri has been described by the perfumer as a “tomboy floral”.    Of course, many of us in the fragrance community no longer consider fragrance male or female, however, there can be made some distinction in notes of scents which were traditionally identified as owning to male or female. If you’ve followed my fragrance blog, you already know that I personally love a scent that tells a story.   In the case of Capri, the...

Giorgio Armani – Sì Passione EDP Sì Passione (“Passione”) is a 2017 flanker release from Giorgio Armani.   To be honest, I almost did not try this fragrance as I am admittedly not a fan of the original.   Still, the fact that this is a floral fruity fragrance convinced me otherwise. Passione opens with a bright, sparkling pear that is slightly spiced by pink pepper.   I get the original version’s blackcurrent underpinnings.   It is a familiar berry, yet different.   There is an assertiveness to the opening that belies its fruity floral nomenclature.   Abut an hour into wear, I get a rose and jasmine bouquet.   The rose is a fresh blossoming note with no jammy-ness.   The jasmine is clean and clear without feeling overdone.   The addition of heliotrope at this point in development was an inspired choice.   While I get the typical powdery hints common with the note, I get more of a comforting almond-vanilla.   The counte...

Montale Parfums Paris - Intense Tiare EDP Intense Tiare (“Tiare”) is an oriental floral fragrance that was released by Montale in 2005.   The fragrance celebrates the tiare flower; a member of the gardenia family. With Tiare, I don’t get a lot of development.   On me it’s one of those “what you smell is what you get” fragrances.   And what I get it a deep dive into a tropical vacation.   This one is truly intense.   It’s as if every note has been concentrated and then reflected back.   I get a lush, sweet, intense coconut paired with an equally intense blooming jasmine.   The pairing prevents Tiare from moving to gourmand territory.   The ylang-ylang and rose are present but in the background.   Vanilla adds interest to the fragrance.   The vanilla is more of a dry essence than a sweet note.   There is a creaminess to the scent as well.   The creamy element seems to add to the feeling of depth and the headiness overal...

Kenzo – Kenzo World EDP Released in 2016, Kenzo World (“World”) is a floral fragrance.   According to the brand art-directors, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, the collection “alludes to the force oft eh third eye and to spiritual protection from above”.   I find that you can really see that statement in play in the fragrance’s advertisement video (see link below). World opens with a semi-sweet fruity floral note.   The note is on the strong side and has a biting pineapple nectar quality to it.   The intensity of the initial opening pulls back a bit after roughly 30 minutes.   In pulling back, the fragrance takes on a soapy quality which is as a result of the Ambroxan. Ambroxen is one of those fragrance components that people with love or hate; much like notes of oud or rose.   In World, the Ambroxen is omnipresent.   While it serves to underscore the floral notes, it also adds a synthetic quality to the fragrance. In World, the peony an...

Gallagher Fragrances – Fineapple EDP Fineapple is a brand new release (August 2018) from Gallagher Fragrances.   As soon as it became available, I knew I wanted to order a sample.   The fruity floral notes sounded interesting to me and I wanted to see if the perfumer had come up with a fragrance that was different from “that well known one” (read Creed here). Fineapple opens with an absolutely lush pineapple and green apple note.   The pineapple is most prominent, as expected, and it is so juicy you almost feel the cut pineapple dripping its juices!   The green apple adds just enough tartness to prevent this accord from going too sweet.   Still, for me, it is reminiscent of a Summer drink.   Just behind the pineapple and green apple, I get a lovely soft magnolia.   The image in my head is now that of laying on a beach chair somewhere tropical as the bartender, flower in her hair, brings me a drink to sip. After about an hour and a half, s...

Creed - Spring Flower I’m heading back to 1996 for this floral fruity fragrance.   Creed’s Spring Flower is said to be a “flirtatious and feminine timeless classic”.   It is said it was designed as a signature scent for Audrey Hepburn; although I have not been able to verify this claim. I’m a big Hepburn fan so sampling what might have been one of her signature scents was on my “to do” list.   I also enjoy a good fruity floral.   I’ve worn this fragrance for several days and I must say, that on me, the wear seems to change – sometimes I feel the fruity notes are more prominent, while other times the florals seem to take hold. While certainly Spring Flower follows a traditional fragrance pyramid, other than in the dry down, the wear for me remains quite constant from the first spray.   I get a variety of fresh fruits mixed together in all wearings.   No single fruit stands out on its own.   It kind of becomes a blend most similar to a frui...

Mirus Fine Fragrance - Ceremony Parfum Extrait If you love oud, or just want to try a good oud-based fragrance, Ceremony is a great place to start.   Nominated for an Art & Olfaction Award in the Artisan category (2017), this woody aromatic hits all the right notes (pun intended).   Oud can be a challenging note for Westerners but I find the blending of notes in this scent to be divine. When Ceremony opens there is no doubt you are going to be experiencing an oud fragrance.   The oud is deep and rich.   There is almost a plushness to it.   It is soon joined by a refreshing light fruity magnolia.   The magnolia adds a clean, lightness to the otherwise very heavy wood note.   As the fragrance wears, swirls of dripping tobacco add complexity.   The tobacco is much like a dried leaf tobacco and there is an air of sweetness to it. At roughly four hours of wear, the complexity of Ceremony is advanced with a soft jasmine that gently waf...

Nest Fragrances - Wisteria Blue Launched this year (2018), Wisteria Blue (“Wisteria”) is a new offering from Nest Fragrances.   The fragrance is a floral aquatic and was inspired by the Founder and CEO’s (Laura Slatkin) appreciation for the wisteria trees she saw growing up in the south and was recently reminded up during a historic homes tour in Charleston, SC.   On me, this fragrance is all about the lightness and beauty of wisteria.   It is not a fragrance that has much development on wear, although at times a note does come forward for a bit and then recede.   Instead, it is more like an experience of being the delicate, draping wisteria blooms. There is a gentle light airiness to this fragrance.   The wisteria comes across as being very real.   The jasmine and rose float along with the wisteria creating a sense of Southern comfort.   The aquatic notes add a fluidity to the fragrance and, in that place and time, seem to add a lazy dra...

Kiss My Sass Cosmetics – Rainforest Fairies (perfume oil) In the March 2018 release of Rainforest Fairies (“Rainforest”), Kiss My Sass gives us a vision of the fairy world secreted deep inside a rainforest.   Rainforest opens with a tart and juicy blackberry paired with a lightly dirty patchouli.   There is an immediate sense of deep, dark, rich depth and lushness.   You can feel the loam under your feet while all around you, life springs in abundance.   Entering into the mix come moss and fern.   They add a further damp greenness to the woody points in the fragrance.   The wet notes do not hold Rainforest down; they are coupled with a lightly sweet and creamy vanilla which serves to add an ethereal quality.   There is a play between extremes and yet the duality of the fragrance does not inhibit its beauty.   In the drydown, whispers of jasmine appear as each of the other notes soften into the background. Rainforest wears on me f...

Parfums de Marly – Pegasus Following the tradition of naming their fragrances after winning thoroughbred horses, Pegasus (launched in 2011) is named after a winning 18 th century stallion.   You may also be familiar with the name Pegasus as the mythological God of all horses.   Pegasus is an oriental fougere.   The fragrance opens with a slightly sweet bergamot and heliotrope blend.   While these notes would tend to lead someone to believe this is a sweeter floral, it is not.   Within fifteen minutes, I get a large dose of bitter almond and cumin.   The bitter almond and cumin add a very spicy, somewhat hot and sweaty feel to the opening.   There is a sharpness to the bitter almond.   Yet even with the addition of these notes, the scent retains a moderate powdery feel to it. As Pegasus wears, I get the fougere traditional lavender.   The note is clear and classic to the genre.   There is just a light touch of jasmine that ...

Tom Ford - Eau de Soleil Blanc In the beginning of 2018, Tom Ford launched Eau de Soleil Blanc (“Blanc”) as a flanker to the original, Soleil Blanc, from2016.   Soleil Blanc is a solar floral while Blanc is said to be an oriental floral – although personally, it feels more like a fresh floral to my nose. While replete with a variety of notes, Blanc wears in a linear way on me.   Blanc opens with a crisp, sunny citrus floral with touches of green.   I get an imposing bergamot, petitgrain, bold orange blossom, and strong jasmine.   A heady, sharp tuberose is present.   There are touches of roasted pistachio adding a slightly nutty quality and a beachy vibe from amber and coconut. Blanc seems to sparkle on wear with a feeling of sunny warmth.   There is a slight sweetness to the fragrance that amplifies the florals.   I do not find Blanc cloying yet it is quite bold. Blanc wears on me with moderate projection for roughly 8 – 9 hours. ...

Juliette Has a Gun - Sunny Side Up Sunny Side Up (“Sunny”) is a floral woody musk offering from the think-outside-the-box brand Juliette Has a Gun.   Released in 2017, the perfumer, Romano Ricci seeks to emulate the warmth and effect of midday sun against the skin. Typically, I’m a Fall/Winter person.   I adore the changing of the leaves in the Fall and Winter’s peaceful silence.   Somehow today as an icy blanket covered my corner of the world, I was looking for something to break from the chill.   As life is full of ironies, I thought the choice of a “sunny” fragrance would provide a little fragrance humor as well as a respite from the grasp of the cold. Sunny opens with a creamy accord of a floral sandalwood.   The sandalwood is prominent and lush; almost milky.   About an hour into wear I begin to get a semi-sweet coconut vanilla.   The vanilla prevents the coconut from becoming a “suntan lotion” note; instead, the fragrance shifts int...

DKNY - Nectar Love EDP Nectar Love (“Nectar”) was released by DKNY in 2017.  Fragrantica classified it as an oriental floral but to me, it’s more of a fruity floral on wear. Nectar opens with a bright and sunny freesia-mandarin burst.  The freesia smells clean and bright and blossoming.  The mandarin is sweet and juicy.  There is a delicate sweetness of honeycomb.  As you breathe in, you sense the sun’s rays beaming down and warming the fruity floral. With its development, Nectar adds a light note of jasmine coupled with lily of the valley.  The lily comes slightly more forward than the jasmine.  The fruit accord is built upon by a ripened, also juicy, plum note.  As Nectar begins to dry down, the fruity florals are joined by a touch vanilla.  The honey seems to come slightly more forward and the fruity notes recede.  The sweetness is tempered a bit by a light woody note and a hint of musk.  Nectar wears on me wit...

Il Profvmo - Chocolat EDP Chocolat is an oriental vanilla fragrance and (spoilers), while the name of the fragrance is Chocolat, it has no semblance of a gourmand or a strong chocolate note(s) on me. This perfume wears in a fairly linear way on me with the exception of the drydown.  I get a soft, lightly spiced, slightly fruity, floral blend with a vanilla base.  The tangerine melds with the plum in this fragrance so as not to become citric yet it does impart a warmth when combined with the nutmeg.  There is a creamy quality to the fragrance which tends to lean more strongly floral than fruity or vanilla on me.  Jasmine and rose are tinged with the fruits and there is a somewhat biting acid that is tempered by an overlay of powder.  A dry chocolate-cocoa appears for me as the scent begins to dry down.  In the drydown the fragrance becomes softer and more powdery. Notes:  tangerine, galbanum, nutmeg, sandalwood, plum, jasmine, rose, cacao, ...

Burberry - My Burberry Black EDT My Burberry Black (“Black”) is an oriental floral fragrance from Burberry.  If you’ve tried the original My Burberry, you will find echoes of it in Black.  Black seems to take the original and add more depth and warmth to it. Black opens with a ripened, somewhat sweet, dripping peach nectar and a tempered jasmine.  A resinous and warm amber wraps around the peachy floral giving the fragrance that familiar oriental vibe.  After about an hour into wear, the candied roses begin to blend into the scent.  The rose isn’t a fresh blooming rose but instead almost an essence of rose.  It’s as if a delicate aura of rose floats softly into Black.  Patchouli begins to appear at about the 2 ½ to 3 hour mark.  While it is a clean patchouli, the addition of the note seems to add almost a boozy quality to the fragrance.  Black does not go off the rails though and, while each note is identifiable, they blend seamlessl...

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...

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...

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...

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...