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...

Diptyque - Do Son EDT Do Son is a floral fragrance released by Diptyque in 2005.   For me, this fragrance is all about the tuberose. Do Son opens with a tempered tuberose.   Where the flower can often be loud and screechy, Do Son restrains it and it blossoms as a bright joyful slightly creamy note.   As Do Son wears, I get the addition of the other florals – most prominently rose and orange flower.   The rose and orange flower compliment the tuberose and add to its bouquet.   there is a “wetness” to the fragrance that feels almost tangible.   I also get a tiny bit of greenness and a floral echo that reads on me as a light jasmine.   Toward the very end of wear, I get hints of musk.   Combined with the florals, the musk adds more of a humid, tropical climate feel to the drydown. Do Son wears on me with soft projection for roughly 6 hours. Notes: Top: Tuberose Middle: Orange Tree Leaves, Roses, Benzoin and Iris Base: White Mu...

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...

Mugler - Les Exceptions – Supra Floral EDP Supra Floral was launched in 2014.   As its name suggests, it is a floral fragrance; however, it is more than just a simple floral. The fragrance opens with a bright, crisp, fresh note that has aspects of hyacinth.   I feel as if I am standing in a garden and breathing in a freshly blossomed flower in Spring; although cannot identify the note as a “pure hyacinth”.   I get the floral of course, as elements of hyacinth, and it is accompanied by a fairly moderate greenness. The floral is soon joined by a lightly smoked incense.   This is not a “church” incense but is instead closer to a white smoke.   I want to describe this as a clean smoke.   The note adds a depth and complexity to the floral while allowing it to retain all of its best qualities.   I don’t get the typical resinous quality one would expect of an amber in a fragrance.   Here, the amber takes on more of a warm and sweet darkness...

Lilee Fragrance Studio – Iris Nights EDP I want to share with you some fragrances from the brand new fragrance brand – Lilee Fragrance Studio.   The brand was started by a Facebook friend of mine, Robert Hunt, who I met through an online fragrance group.   Iris Nights (“Iris”) is the first fragrance I’ll be reviewing.   With Iris Nights, the brand introduces the fragrance by setting the scene: “The vision is of a woman of quiet sophistication sitting by the warmth of the fire, sipping fine cognac with aromatic scent of a floral bouquet by her side.”   Iris opens with a soft citrus white floral.   The citrus is present enough to add brightness and elevation to the floral without becoming “fruity” in any way.   The opening floral accord is reminiscent of a bouquet of fresh picked white flowers from the garden.   They are clean and light with just a hint of green freshness.   As Iris wear, I get a soft, powdery iris that comes forward. ...

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 ...

Vera Wang - Vera Wang EDP Vera Wang launched her namesake fragrance in 2002.   The fragrance is a floral and, the year after its launch, it won a FiFi award for the packaging (created in consort with Swarowski) and Nouveau Niche Fragrance Star of the Year.    I had an opportunity to try this fragrance recently as I was gifted a bottle by a good friend. I don’t get a typical fragrance evolution on wear with this perfume.   Instead, I get a linear wear that is floral with a light musk base.   The florals wear as a white floral mixed bouquet.   Of the florals, lily reads the most prominent with gardenia a close second.   Overall, the floral is bright, green, clean, and lush.   There is a gentle playfulness to the fragrance preventing it from becoming too formal.   I don’t find Vera Wang to be particularly original or groundbreaking but it is well blended and pleasant. Vera Wang wears on me for roughly 4-5 hours with light to skin s...

Ellis Brooklyn – Fawn EDP With Memorial Day being the “unofficial start of Summer” yet the weather having been persistent rain, I was craving a Summer scent.   Based on its notes, Fawn fit the bill. Fawn opens with a sunny, bright, citrus floral tempered with a creamy, milky note.   The effect is reminiscent of warm Summer days, sitting by the ocean, eating a Creamsicle.   There is sweetness to the accord but it is a delicate sweetness.   The initial wear of Fawn is full of joyful childhood memories. As Fawn wears, notes of rose, magnolia, and lily of the valley enter.   The rose is slightly jammy and soft.   The magnolia is lush and blooming.   The lily of the valley is fresh and somewhat green.   These florals add complexity to the fragrance and enrich the opening floral notes into a bouquet.   As Fawn begins her dry down a white musk is present along with a semi-sweet powdery vanilla.   The fragrance is now laying c...

Dame Perfumery - Cassis, Rose & Sandalwood Woman EDT Today’s review is about Dame Perfumery’s Cassis, Rose & Sandalwood (Cassis).  I’ve been testing this fragrance for three days since it contains a note, rose, that I’m not typically a fan of.  Before I begin my review, I would also like to thank the perfumer, Jeffrey Dame, for his quick response to my notes question.  I had reached out to the brand since the featured notes did not seem to align with either the notes I was perceiving or the notes as I’ve seen listed elsewhere. The fragrance itself seems on the surface that it might simply be a juice of cassis, rose, and sandalwood.  The brand site states, “Three elements neatly balanced for simple, clean and pure beauty.  A bright top note, a pretty floral heart and a warm sensual dry down, matched together and blended to perfection.”  So while the trio may be the stars of this fragrance, in actuality it is more complex. Cassis ope...

Diptyque - Essences Insensees Rose de Mai EDP Diptyque’s floral offering in the Essences Insensees Collection, Rose de Mai (“Rose”), is perfumer Fabrice Pellegrin’s homage to the iconic flower of Grasse.  While the fragrance contains notes other than Rose de Mai, it is the rose that shines through. There is a linear wear to Rose.  On first spray, the wearer is transported to a field of blossoming roses.  There is a touch of sweetness courtesy of the beeswax.  The fragrance is warmed by the spicy balsamic ambery addition of tolu balsam.  I find the tolu balsam adds an intensity that could be interpreted as smoky although I find it to be more resinous.  Rose is not shy; she shines bright and warm like the fields of flowers she emulates.  Rose wears on me with little to no change for roughly 6 hours with moderate projection. Notes - Beeswax, tolu balsam, rose de mai Perfumer - Fabrice Pellegrin

kai* - kai* rose perfume oil In their October 2017 issue, Glamour magazine named kai* (“kai”) rose perfume oil as a “Best Fragrance for Fall 2017” for Virgos.  They describe kai as “that familiar rose scent but with a woody twist”.  Since I am a Virgo, I thought it was coincidental that I had a sample from Beautyhabit to try. kai is a floral fragrance; rose lovers take note.  It opens with a stunning rose accord that is reminiscent of an intense blooming rose.  The note is singular and simply soars.  Very subtlety I begin to get notes of gardenia and white florals supporting the rose.  It feels much like a spring bouquet.  Glamour mentioned a woody twist and while there are no woody notes listed, there is a woody quality about the drydown.  By no means does this become a woody fragrance but instead there is a richness and complexity that surpasses that of a simple floral. kai has an exceptional wear time of 10 hours on me with moderat...

Acqua di Parma - Peonia Nobile Peonia Nobile (“Peonia”) is characterized as a floral.  Right off the bat, I want to say that to my nose this fragrance wears more as a fruity floral on my skin.  That said, Peonia opens with a fresh, tart, rose-tinged peony dipped in a succulent sweet raspberry.  Acqua di Parma characterizes the opening as one with a vibrant black pepper accent with soft raspberry; on me it’s quite the opposite.  The initial few hours of wear feel decidedly “pink” and luminous.  There is an authenticity to the raspberry note; there are no artificial leanings at all.  While certainly I get nuances of black pepper, the opening is all about the decadently rich fruity floral. This juice wears as the same fruity floral for roughly 3 hours when I begin to get a boost of brightness from the geranium.  The geranium, and in fact the heart of this juice, seems quite short-lived as by the 4 hour mark, the moodier base notes seem to ris...

Jason Wu - Jason Wu EDP New to the fragrance scene, designer Jason Wu, has recently released his first fragrance of the same name.  I’ve long been a fan of Jason Wu’s designs and so his foray into the world of fragrance was of interest to me.  This new fragrance is classified by Fragrantica as a floral and by the designer as a “fresh floral woody”.    Jason Wu (“Wu” for the remainder of my review) opens with a strong, fresh, somewhat aquatic, floral; specifically jasmine.  The jasmine used in this fragrance is jasminum sambac, often referred to as Arabian jasmine, which is a species of jasmine native to South and Southeast Asia.  This particular species is known for its unique sweetness and intensity.  These qualities are present in Wu.  So with the opening of jasmine we have a lovely delicate and non-cloying sweetness.  I feel the slight aquatic nature of the opening is due in large part to the fig note.  The note does not spec...

Solstice Scents - Violet Mallow (Perfume Oil) Some time ago, I was lucky enough to have some friends in the UK send me several rolls of Parma Violet candies.  Being in the US, I was enthralled and intrigued by the notion of the little violet confections that I’d never seen on this side of the pond.  The fond memories of those candies, made me want to try the Solstice Scents gourmand rift on violet – Violet Mallow. Violet Mallow opens with a bold, powdery (Parma candy-like) violet note layered on top of a sweet, puffy marshmallow.  The sweetness of the marshmallow tames the boldness of the violet and creates a delectable, almost creamy violet note.  About 2 hours into wear, the violet softens.  Vanilla bean and musk begin to appear.  The vanilla and musk are mild but present enough that you know they’re there.  Through the course of the 7 hour wear, the violet remains present throughout.  The moderate projection softens to a light one and ...

Atelier Cologne - Café Tuberosa Cologne Absolue Pure Perfume I was anxious to try this newest release from Atelier Cologne.  I’d like to thank Evan Simpkins from the Atelier Boutique in Brooklyn, NY for providing me with a sample to enjoy. Café Tuberosa opens on me with a strong chocolate-tinged coffee and a light tuberose.  It’s heady and lovely at the same time.  The intensity of the coffee begins to fade 20 minutes into wear; although remains present.  There is an echo of a gently spiced floral that begins to emerge.  At this point, I get the feeling of sitting outside at a lovely café on a Spring day, sipping a latte, indulging in a chocolate croissant, while the breeze carries the aromas of my delectable treats and the flowers around me.  As this juice begins its drydown, I get the slight sweetness of the vanilla and the warmth of the musks.  The light cocoa, floral, and slight spiciness remain throughout my wear. Café Tuberosa follow...

Hermes - Twilly d'Hermes Confession:  I purchased this fragrance because it reminded me of Mr. Potato Head wearing a jaunty Hermes scarf.  In my mind, it was a safe blind buy because at the very least I knew I would be amused by the bottle every time I set eyes on it.  The fact that the primary notes were ones I generally like didn’t hurt either.  Added bonus for me is the fact that I had the opportunity to use “jaunty” in a sentence; not something I often do.  Twilly opens with an extremely bold ginger note.  The ginger is spicy yet playful.  The tuberose and sandalwood sit in the background.   After about an hour, the ginger steps back ever so slightly and the tuberose seems to gain some ground.  The tuberose is fresh and bright.  The sandalwood remains to round out the fragrance and temper the sharpness of the ginger and the tuberose.  Other than the initial hour of wear where the ginger is very strong and prominent...

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...

DedCool: 01 "Taunt" Being a former beauty blogger, I usually don't have this problem - you see, I have a $50 gift card for Neiman Marcus and was browsing their website to figure out what to buy (usually I know!) While browsing through the Fragrance tab, I noticed the brand DedCool. I had never heard of the brand before. I was drawn in by the neutral bar code bottles and the similarly on point boxes. I was curious. BUT not willing to risk a blind buy, I sought out the brand site and ordered a sample set. Tonight I'm testing the first of five in the sample pack. Taunt opens will a blast of cool, wet bergamot. The bergamot begins fairly strong. After about 15 minutes, the bergamot mellows and a subtle floral enters along with a rich currant. The vanilla and amber also enter about the same time. The vanilla adds the note but not any kind of sweetness. The amber in this is just gorgeous. While I'm not a believer that scents have gender, I understand the notion tha...

Dame Perfumery: SOLIFLORE Honeysuckle Remember when you were a kid and you'd go outside with your friends on a pretty Spring day? The sun was shining, the breeze was light, and the honeysuckle was in bloom. You and your friends would gather the honeysuckle blossoms so you could get the sweet nectar inside. That is Soliflore Honeysuckle. "A true floral, alive and in full bloom. Lifting off into the breeze, floating through the air; adrift in a garden of earthly delight. Pure perfume too perfect for this world." CRUELTY FREE