Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Dame Perfumery - Dark Horse Have you ever sampled a fragrance and thought to yourself, “What in the world has taken me so long to try this, it’s fantastic?”  Well, that was literally my very first thought the moment I got my first whiff of Dark Horse.  Webster’s Dictionary define dark horse as “a usually little known contender (such as a racehorse) that makes an unexpectedly good showing”.  In the case of this fragrance, the name fits perfectly for me. Dark Horse is a floral woody musk, which for me tends to be a category of fragrance I tend to enjoy.  It opens with a cinnamon spiced bergamot with a light lemon twist.  The spice is tempered so it brings out the very best in the other two notes; the bergamot is the more predominant.  In the development of this juice the floral notes are enhanced with jasmine, carnation, and rose.  The jasmine seems to take a front seat for me with the carnation and rose being more subtle.  A gorgeous clove...

Vartan Perfumes - Carnelian I have a love-hate relationship with cinnamon.  Cinnamon is one of those spices that for me can easily be overdone.  This is far from the case with Carnelian.  The scent opens with just enough spice to warm up the tobacco and vetiver.  The carnation adds a slight floral note that adds interest as the fragrance develops on the skin.  I can smell the amber and vanilla adding depth and a slightly sweet effect on my skin but again, just enough to make it interesting, warm, and enticing.  I get bits of each note over the course of wear but in general the notes seem to radiate with harmony.  Carnelian has the coziness of a warm sweater in Winter with a subtle sexiness hinting of more interesting Winter nights.  This is a lovely fragrance that seems to strike all the right notes. I get 8 hours of wear with Carnelian with a moderate sillage. Top notes are black pepper and cinnamon; middle notes are white tobacco, v...