Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

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...

DedCool – Red (Dakota) EDP Recently launched as part of the Series 2 Collection, DedCool’s Red (Dakota) (“Red”) is a transforming citrus floral. Red opens with a juicy orange and bold gardenia.    The citrus compliments the gardenia by elevating it from the garden.    I get a picture in my mind of an Old Master’s painting of a still life; fresh picked gardenias in a vase and a bowl of ripe fruit on the table.    While the image it conjures is old school, this is far from an old school fragrance.    The blend feels new. Shortly into wear in comes a moody wood and amber.    There is an intimate warmth in these additions.    The citrus and gardenia remain but now the fragrance becomes almost cozy.    It feels comfortable and approachable.   Into the drydown, Red retains its character.    The gardenia and citrus have softened.    The amber is now adding a gentle sweetness (not clo...

Acqua di Parma - Colonia Pura Launched in 2017, Colognia Pura (“Pura”) is a floral woody musk.   Pura opens with what I consider to be the classic bergamot – orange opening we get from many of the brand’s fragrances.   The citrus is bright and crisp.   The opening riff does not linger long before it is joined by an almost barbershop detergent soapiness and a sharp coriander.   I get a sense of aldehydes although there are none listed in the notes. As Pura wears, the often heady jasmine sambac and narcissus appear.   Instead of their typical bold entry, they seem softened and somewhat green.   The soapiness continues with a bit of a metallic turn to the composition.   Rounding out Pura is a light woody musk with only background hints of patchouli.   These notes warm the fragrance and carry it through the dry down. Pura wears on me with moderate projection for roughly 8 hours. Notes: bergamot, orange, jasmine sambac, narcissus,...

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. ...

Mancera Paris - Choco Violette EDP Choco Violette (“CV”) is an oriental vanilla offering released in 2016 from Montale.  With its wear on me, it easily slips into the gourmand category. CV opens with a puff of cocoa powder and candy.  The cocoa powder is rich and intense and I can almost feel it on my tongue.  It’s very much as if you’ve opened a jar of a gourmet powder to create a luscious hot cocoa.  The candy note is very reminiscent of a candy necklace or parma violet candies so popular in the UK. After the first initial opening impressions, the cocoa powder note seems to fade back.  In comes an equally delicious orange-bergamot blend.  The floral is stronger than the citrus; which lays back and seems to simply add more sweetness to the perfume.  Underneath this note, I get a hint of hazelnut.  The buttery nut note adds richness to the fragrance.  About an hour and a half into wear, I get a creamy vanilla.  Again, the va...

Mugler - Alien Eau Sublime Some of the Mugler fragrances seem to be quite polarizing in the fragrance community at large.  It seems that many have very strong opinions one way or another about each release, myself included.  When I had the opportunity to try this new Alien flanker, I was cautiously optimistic. Eau Sublime (“Sublime”) takes the classic Alien jasmine jammy heaviness and lightens it with solar notes.  The perfumer has significantly softened the opening with this flanker.  Sublime opens as a light, fresh, lemony citrus touched with a soft jasmine and tiare flower.  There is a bright airiness to Sublime that is not present in the original.  As the juice wears, the heliotrope lends a floral vanilla powderiness to the fruity floral.  The heliotrope adds a slight sweetness without coming near the sweetness of Eau Sucree. The drydown mimics the base notes of the original giving us the cashmeran wood and amber.  The florals are...

Hermes - Eau d’Orange Verte “Eau d’Orange Verte is the scent of the Little Prince in all of us.” (Jean-Claude Ellena)  I just don’t know.  I feel like the Little Prince would probably go with a different fragrance.  I’ll let you know what I think and then you can decide. Eau d’Orange Verte opens with a beautiful, fresh, juicy orange.  The orange feels quite green on me and does not pull overly sweet.  The note is realistic; as if you are smelling an orange while standing in a grove.  Within about 45 minutes, the singular orange note has faded and in its place arrives a general citrus note.  It is quite possibly the combination of the mandarin and Amalfi lemon with the mint and cassis but frankly, none of the notes are individually identifiable on me.  As this fragrance begins to drydown, it becomes softened and a very, very clean patchouli and oakmoss are identifiable.  Eau d’Orange is a pleasant light, fresh citrus fragrance....

Parfum D'Empire – Aziyade I love it when a fragrance has the ability to transport you to a different time and place.  With Aziyade, Parfum D’Empire transports us to the Ottoman Empire.  The fragrance was named after the novel, Constantinople, written by Pierre Loti.  The novel tells a tale of forbidden love for a young harem girl, Aziyade. This fragrance opens with the exotic fruits and spices reminiscent of the Fatih Market in modern day Istanbul.  The pomegranate is subtle on me with the almond being undetectable but the date, orange, and prune and each clear and bold.  The fruits are spiced beautifully with  a good share of cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.  The cumin begins as mild and grows in intensity somewhat as the fragrance develops.  These notes are here to give us time and place but Aziyade is not taking us on a walk through the market, she is bringing us to her secret place.  She is seducing us.  Frankincense, patchou...

Parfums de Marly: Safanad Safanad is an absolutely gorgeous rendition of a creamy orange blossom/white floral and vanilla fragrance. The connection to the meaning of Safanad - pure - is perfectly fitting as this juice has a completely natural smell (nothing chemical or artificial at all). It's light and delicate. The orange is present at the top but only slightly. The pear also adds a bit of a fruitiness but as it's not a citric, it adds to the smooth creaminess of this scent that the sandalwood provides. Safanad has a restrained elegance. There is a subtle coziness to this fragrance as well; something I don't often find in a floral fragrance and that I find incredibly appealing. "Safanad, is from the ancestor of an Arabian horse breed that exists for several thousand years. The queen of Sheba presented to the wise king Solomon this thoroughbred horse named Safanad, meaning “The pure”. This fragrance from Parfums de Marly reflects the grace of a thoroughbred. Be...

DedCool: 04 Another great juice from DedCool tonight. 04 begins with bold citrus and pepper notes. Both the citrus and pepper are strong. The citrus mellows within 20 minutes into a gorgeous figgy citrus with a mild pepper twist. The sandalwood and patchouli add a creamy and earthy muskiness. "Notes: Top: Fig, Pepper. Middle: Orange, Lemon. Bottom: Sandalwood, Patchouli UNISEX - VEGAN - CRUELTY FREE - NATURAL"