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...

Mugler - Les Exceptions - Wonder Bouquet EDP In 2017, Mugler added Wonder Bouquet (“Wonder”) to the Les Exceptions Collection.   This floral fruity gourmand adds a decided twist to the fragrance family with the surprise addition of a bread/bran accord. You wouldn’t think it would work.   Sure, we’re used to fruity florals with “edible” notes.   We’re also used to the whole host of gourmands out there with doses of vanilla and chocolate and fig… but bread?   Yes.   It works; and surprisingly well. Wonder opens with a lovely fruity floral offering.   The notes are so well blended that the actual scent feels like a lovely passing breeze infused with white florals.   There is a sunniness and fresh sweetness to the florals, courtesy of the orange blossom, and the jasmine is well tempered.   In the mix is also an almost yeast-like note.   It’s just there, in the background, and yet tangible.   It’s the best of the “just preparing...

Mugler - Aura Mugler EDP Aura Mugler (“Aura”) is an oriental green aromatic with hallmarks of a fruity floral fragrance.   Released in the United States this past Winter, the brand states it is intended to make the wearer “reconnect with (your) inner nature and to unleash all (your) femininity and (your) aura.”   Based on the description, I anticipated an assertive feminine fragrance. Aura opens with an intensely bitter and sour vegetal note.   The bitterness intertwines with a floral that reads on me as orange blossom.   This duel accord floats on my skin for about an hour before the bitterness subsides and the fragrance takes on a softer edge. As Aura wears, I get a complex smokiness and a sweetness that peeks through.   Again, the contrast of the notes is intriguing.   There is a slight medicinal quality that comes through at about the two hour mark.   Typically, a medicinal note is unpleasant to me but in this fragrance, I don’t f...

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...

Commodity – Nectar Nectar is a release from Commodity in their White Collection.   The fragrance wears on me as a fresh fruity floral/aromatic fruity. When I received my sample of Nectar, I wasn’t sure what to expect.   Nectar may be used to describe things in different contexts.   With Commodity’s Nectar, I find the name both describes the nectar of a juicy fruit as well as the nectar found in floral blossoms. Nectar opens as a bright citrus with touches of neroli.   There is a sunny brightness to the opening and I find that the pomelo and tangerine are evenly balanced.   As Nectar wears, I get a bitter neroli that adds the “flavor” of what feels like a citrus rind.     There is a light honeysuckle that adds a touch of sweetness and lends itself to brighten, almost adding a sunny disposition, to the fragrance.   At roughly 2 hours into wear, there is a background of cedarwood.   The cedar is distant and faint.   More p...

Maria Christofilis - Fleur 09 It really isn’t a big stretch of the imagination to know that Fleur 09 (“Fleur”) is a floral.   What does, however, strike at the imagination is how this fragrance came to be and how and why it was released in 2014. If you’ve followed my fragrance blog, you know that I adore it when a fragrance tells a story.   With Fleur, the story is more about the fragrance’s genesis than the fragrance wear.   As the story goes, this fragrance was first created by master perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux of the Swiss fragrance house Givaudan as a personal gift to Maria Christofilis.   Can you imagine such a gift!   Anyway, the story continues that Christofilis quickly fell in love with the fragrance and “the more she realized it was a treasure to be shared”.   Her generosity is our benefit. Fleur is a glorious symphony of white florals with just a touch of vanilla bean absolute and benzoin tears extract to round out the composition ...

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. ...

Philosophy - Pure Grace: Nude Rose Nude Rose is the newest release from the Philosophy Pure Grace line.   This floral woody musk launched in 2017.   Based on the fragrance name, I anticipated that the fragrance would feel and wear like a pure rose scent with a musk underpinning.   While I do get rose and musk in the wear, I do not feel that it’s a true rose musk fragrance. Unlike the previous release from Philosophy – Ballet Rose which opens as a sparkling fruity floral rose, Nude Rose opens with a green-leaning white floral blend.   The rose in the floral accord is on the subtle side and does not come across as either a blooming or jammy rose.   Instead, it’s perhaps a soft whiff of a rose petal in passing.   The floral accord itself is quite bold. About 15 to 20 minutes into wear, the green floral takes on a soapy quality.   It’s somewhat like a floral laundry detergent or fabric softener and, assuming you like those scents, would be so...

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...

Acqua di Parma - Colonia Mirra Eau de Cologne Concentrée Colonia Mirra is a dark oriental woody twist on the original Colonia.  Despite the opening with the same notes as Colonia – citruses and orange blossom – Colonia Mirra soon takes a turn to the dark and mysterious side. The spicy note of nutmeg and aromatic resinous amber and myrhh bring a deep warmth to the juice.  The spice is moderate and the amber and myrhh are intense.  There is a balsamic almost incense-like nature to the notes as they are blended. A  woody frankincense deepens the fragrance even further while an earthy patchouli winds itself around the notes.  Wearing Colonia Mirra felt very much like walking through a dark foggy wood at night.  The fragrance feels complex and sophisticated yet almost magical. Colonia Mirra wears on me for roughly 10 hours with moderate projection. Notes: citrus, orange blossom, nutmeg, myrrh, patchouli, frankincense, amber

Ex Nihilo - Fleur Narcotique EDP Fleur Narcotique (“Fleur”) is a fruity floral.  It bursts open with juicy notes of litchi and peach and a blossoming bergamot and a bold jasmine.  The florals are quite intense.  The fruity notes serve to create florals that feel much like candied flowers on a beautifully decorated cake.  The twist is decidedly sweet.  As Fleur wears, a rich peony and delicate orange blossom appear.  The peony is strong while the orange blossom is mild.  Woody and moss notes both ground and lift the peony – orange blossom blend.  I get the feel of both earth and sky.  A delicate musk rounds out the fragrance. Fleur wears on me as a sweet, fruity, strong peony and white floral for roughly 9 – 10 hours with heavy to moderate projection. Notes: bergamot, litchi, peach, jasmine, peony, orange blossom, woody notes, moss, musk Created by Quentin Bisch Cruelty Free

L’Artisan Parfumeur - Nuit de Tubereuse Tuberose is a favorite note of mine.  So, when I realized that somehow I hadn’t sampled L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Nuit de Tubereuse, I immediately sought to rectify it.  I realize that for many tuberose can be a challenging note.  Often tuberose ends up being a loud, screechy sort of note in a fragrance which can be off-putting.  So how did the perfumer do in this fragrance? Well for me, Nuit de Tubereuse opens with a note of a strong, somewhat soapy (in a good way) tuberose.  The tuberose is fresh and there is a “green” quality to it as well as a slight spiciness.  At first, I cannot pick out the spices in this as individual notes but instead I sense it more as an overall warmth.  At about an hour and a half into wear, the black pepper note becomes more apparent and, while the green, soapy tuberose has not faded, I also begin to get additional floral notes and musk.  Like with the spices, I don’t detec...

En Voyage Perfumes - Figa The perfumer, Shelley Waddington, was offering a giveaway of samples of her fragrances (by contest) in one of my fragrance groups.  While I was not fortunate enough to have won the giveaway, Ms. Waddington was kind and generous enough to extend a prize to some that had not won; in her Portland based saying to “put a bird on it”.  The charming phrase, which being an East Coaster I had never heard before, refers to a little addition; the cherry on top if you will.  In this case my “cherry” was a sample of her fragrance Figa.  While I’ve seen this fragrance classified as an oriental floral it does in many respects defy the nomenclature.  The genesis of this scent and its purpose are based in the history and magic of talismans.  In her words, “Figa Eau de Parfum is the fragrance equivalent of the powerful Figa amulet. It celebrates strength, power, vision and success.”  And really, who couldn’t use a little more of that?!...

Marlou - L'animal sauvage Based on the description, I have to admit, I was just a little bit terrified of this one. Still, curiosity being what it is, I also felt compelled to order it. On me, L'animal sauvage does open with a floral note. But this is a floral that is warm, soft, and inviting. I don't know about "deep, civety funk" but I do get a musky fur scent that reminds me of the smell of a ferret - I would not describe it as a "funk" in any way which to me  connotes something dirty (and I don't sense this as dirty). The musk is sweetened by a subtle violet note and picks up the creaminess of the sandalwood. The patchouli is present but mostly as a base binding the notes together. So, is L'animal a "naughty little kitty"? I suppose that's for each of us to decide. One thing is for certain, this one does purr. Notes: Orange blossom, violet, sandalwood, patchouli, civet, musk

Jean Paul Gaultier – Classique Wonder Woman Eau Fraiche Spray Confession – I blind bought this fragrance for the bottle.  I’m not a huge DC Comics fan but the lure of reliving the old Wonder Woman series was just too hard to resist.  The bottle is completely awesome and the notes seemed like they’d be something I’d enjoy; perhaps the perfect freshy for Summer? This flanker of Classique opens with a delicious lemon sorbet ginger note.  It’s sweetened enough by the sugar cane that it reminds me of sitting on a balcony at a seaside resort enjoying a delicious lemon sorbet with a gingersnap cookie garnish while the breeze gently blows.  It’s a light a refreshing accord.  The white florals come in at a moderate perceptibility and are a pleasant addition.  The remaining notes are virtually absent. Classique comes on strong at its opening and very quickly fades to a skin scent.  It begins beautifully as a fresh Summer juice and then somehow gets ...

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...

Parfumerie Bruckner: Aoud 1 When I received this sample, my first reaction was - Oh no an oud! Like for many people, oud is a challenging note for me. But, as I have 2 other oud fragrances that ended up being fbw to me, I thought it was worth a chance. Your first clue as to what I ended up thinking of this was that this is marked as my SOTN/SOTD. I first tested this last night. Today, I had to be in "close quarters" first thing, so reached for it again. Aoud No 1, despite it's name, is not about the oud to me. And, ironically, I've gotten 2 distinct wearings from this juice. Last night, the fragrance was all about fresh juicy plum and peach. The fruits were so alive and ripe you could almost taste them! I got a very subtle orange blossom over a vanilla tinged creamy oud. The oud was subtle and clean and simply added a slightly woody note. This morning, the fragrance wore as a stronger floral. The orange blossom and jasmine seemed to be blooming. I still get the...

Kat Von D Sinner: (2017). I purchased this oriental floral as a blind buy out of curiosity. If you've seen the new bottles for the 2017 release; they're amazing but I wasn't inclined to go fb on this blind buy. Still, the travel sprays are quite lovely in their own right. I think I expected Sinner to be a much louder fragrance than it is. It is a floral oriental with a moderate projection. The cinnamon, patchouli, and wood notes are the most pronounced while the florals are quite blurred; you really must sniff with concentration to detect one over another. Sinner does seem to be a reasonable representation of an "edgy, unapologetic, and outspoken" woman. It pushes some boundaries yet stops short of being that obnoxious, loud, piece of work that makes you you cringe when you see her. "Kat Von D Beauty’s most requested collection of all time is returning at last and better than ever. Meet Sinner—dark, sultry, and empowering, this enticing fragrance sweeten...

House of Matriarch: The Longing ( Christi Meshell  and  Joseph Sagona ) Anyone who knows me, even in passing, knows I am rarely at a loss for words. I have always had the good fortune of being able to muster up words for any situation whether it be personal or professional; in fact, I have been a sort of a wordsmith for most of my professional life. So finding myself in this situation, well, you will have to bear with me as a stumble reaching for just the right phrases. How can I accurately describe this fragrance which for me evokes a reaction; one that became part of the human condition thousands of years ago? In the beginning of recorded time and even before, humans sought answers for things they didn’t understand. They created rituals and symbols and later organized religions. We sought to define what was holy, what was sacred. And with the notion of that which was sacred came a counterpoint of that which was profane. Neither the brand description “The Longing is an...

Chanel: Gabrielle I need to admit before I say anything here, I've never been a huge fan of the House of Chanel for fragrance although I do like a few of their offerings. I know, I know, if I said that in person, I'd most likely be run out of town! For, me, most of the Chanel scents have just always been a bit too "biting" for my personal taste. So, I've put my personal prejudice aside to approach this new fragrance with clarity. On me, Gabrielle is a light (for Chanel) and airy floral. I get each of the four main white florals in fairly equal proportions. This feels like a more youthful and playful fragrance than some of Chanel's previous offerings. I believe I read some of you surmising that Chanel was trying to reach out to a new and younger audience. I would agree. This is not our Mother's Chanel. Gabrielle feels very much like a young, free-spirited woman. The juice feels decidedly more feminine than masculine; although personally I feel all fr...