Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle - Musc Ravageur Parfum Spray Frederic Malle’s Musc Ravageur (“Musc”) is one of those fragrances I thought I had tried but had not.   For the life of me, I can’t explain why I missed this!   Released in 2000, it is an oriental (amber oriental) fragrance.   On me, Musc opens with a complex, spicy, slightly sweet, dirty patchouli.   It is heady and intoxicating.   There are dripping notes of amber; rich and syrupy.   A light floral peeks out from the background as a creamy vanilla clove seems to melt effortlessly into the accord. As Musc wears, its raw sensual aspects continue to delight.   The musk in the fragrance joins with the patchouli and creates a carnal sensory explosion.   There is an animalic fearlessness to Musc’s wear.   The drydown of Musc is warm and comforting.   Woody notes slide into Musc with a touch of darkness.   To the end, Musc continues to come to life with an irre...

Kilian – Boys EDP Kilian just released their new collection My Kind of Love.   The collection consists of four fragrances.   Boys, is a spicy woody fragrance from the collection.   The collection has a slightly different audience than I feel had been the brand’s main target.   While I feel that the brand’s packaging has always been interesting and “on theme”, with My Kind of Love, the bottles and advertising feel more millennial or Gen Z to me than prior collections. With this collection, Kilian Hennessy says, "I wanted this collection to have the multi-layered notes and accords that I’m known for, but built around a key ingredient that’s unusual, surprising, and instantly recognizable."   For Boys, the key note is cola which Kilian recreates with notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, and lime.   It is this cola note that is instantly recognizable on first spray. While Boys opens with a fresh, sparkling cola note, that note quickly takes on a citric twis...

Diptyque - Eau Lente Eau Lente is an “oldie but goodie”.   Released in 1986 by Diptyque, it is an oriental fragrance which is said to make the wearer “give in to the spell of calm”. The fragrance opens with a potpourri of spice.   I get heaping portions of cinnamon.   The cinnamon has a dry quality to its intensity which reads as a cinnamon powder.   There is a note of clove which lays with the cinnamon in a soft incense-like waft.   There is a comfortable warmth to the opening. As Eau Lente wears, I get what reads as a light peppery note.   The fragrance continues to have a spiced-incense vibe.   Hints of a vanilla come into the fragrance and lend a semi-sweet touch to the spices.   The vanilla transforms the boldly spiced fragrance.   Eau Lente begins to feel more like a delicate shawl in Winter; it feels cozy.   In the drydown I also get what feels like an ambery resin.   The depth of the resinous note seems to roun...

Parfums de Marly - Herod Herod is the 7 th fragrance from Parfums de Marly.   It is a complex woody spicy offering. The fragrance opens with a breathtaking spicy tobacco leaf.   The opening spice reads more of an exotic light cinnamon on me and the tobacco leaf is beautiful and crisp.   There is a sophisticated warmth to the initial presentation.   As Herod wears, a peppery note comes forward.   The note adds more spice to the fragrance but does not become overwhelming.   A soft woodiness also becomes present.   At this point in wear, about two hours, the wood is indistinguishable as a specific note.   Trails of smoky vanilla are also making themselves known.   It is the addition of incense that lends the smokiness to the vanilla both making the vanilla not take on a gourmand feel and also adding depth and mystery to the overall scent. At roughly four hours into wear, I get more of a defined cedar note.   The smoky van...

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...

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...

Besame Cosmetics -  Decades of Fragrance: 1930 I purchased this as a blind buy with a Besame Cosmetics order.  I liked the sound of the notes and the rollerball (only way available) was cheap enough it was worth the risk.  This was a stellar purchase!  It's an amazing replica of a vintage 1930s scent.   1930 opens with spicy fruity notes; the mandarin, cinnamon, and clarysage play well together with the mandarin and cinnamon being the most prominent of the three.  You can quickly smell the wafts of tobacco which is more of a cigarette tobacco than say a green tobacco, a pipe tobacco, or a cigar tobacco.  The florals are quite light in this juice with the lavender staying pretty much in the background.  1930 is rounded out with a slightly sweet woody musk.  The vanilla is not present as an independent note but instead give a gentle sweetness to the cedar and musk.  The totality of the notes and their presentation takes the wearer...

Montale: Honey Aoud I hate Summer. Summers in the Mid Atlantic Region, particularly near DC, are brutal; sweltering heat and high humidity. I find absolutely nothing redeeming about sweating the minute you walk out your door. Sure, being at the water can be lovely but give me that walk on the beach in the cooler months. Fall. Fall is my season. And Montale Honey Aoud has given me a taste of Fall in the Summer. On first spray I get a lightly floral cinnamon. The cinnamon is fairly bold. The honey quickly mixes with the cinnamon and gets that Autumn sweet and spicy vibe. Yet this is not an overly sweet scent. The oud in this is well measured and gives a woody twist to an ambery light leather base. To me the vanilla is vaguely present adding a touch of a vanilla sweetness and a slight cream smoothing the entire juice out. Honey Aoud has a pretty strong projection so a little goes a long way. Top notes: Floral notes, Cinnamon Heart notes: Honey, Sumatran patchouli Base notes: La...

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...