Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Perfumology – Clutch Parfum Clutch is the newest fragrance (2018) from the collaboration of Justin Frederico and Nir Guy, the owner of Perfumology.   It is an oriental spicy fragrance said to be inspired by “the gratifying sensation of a perfect drive on a cool day.” I was initially put off by the name of this fragrance.   For me, the name conjures up images of a man, admittedly well-groomed, behind the leather clad wheel of his sports car lapping a track, changing gears, for kicks.   I imagined dense smoke wafting into the air from the unmufflered racing car.   It was not an image that made me want to try the fragrance.   I am very glad my curiosity got the better of me. Clutch opens with a delightfully peppered ginger embraced with the most delicate of white smoke.   It is a rendition of ginger that, while smoky, retains its delicious bite and freshness due to the addition of elemi.   I get the bright crispness in the air that the perfu...

Apothescary Scents - Mary Shelley Perfume Oil Mary Shelley (“Shelley”) was released by Apothescary Scents as part of the Literary Classics Collection.   On me, Shelley wears as an oriental spicy fragrance. In her description of the fragrance, the perfumer includes a quote from the namesake of the fragrance, “Solitude was my only consolation - deep, dark, deathlike solitude.” (Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)   The inclusion of this particular quote is telling as it accurately sets the scene for what will play out in the wear of the fragrance.   Shelley the person and the fragrance is colored with dark, mysterious vibes. As she opens, Shelley bursts with a deep, juicy, bold blood orange generous sprinkled with ginger.   The note is biting and spicy.   There is a hint of sweetness that feels just out of reach.   As Shelley wears, a vibrant and warm clove is detected.   There is a resinous underpinning courtesy of the cardamom that amplifies the...

Kilian – Princess EDP Princess is a new release from Kilian and a part of the My Kind of Love Collection.  It is an oriental vanilla with a very familiar feel. As I noted in my review of Boys, this collection seems to be aimed at millennials or Gen Z.   The tagline for the fragrance, “I DON'T NEED A PRINCE BY MY SIDE TO BE A PRINCESS.” speaks to a defiance and a self-assurance of what Kilian sees as a “fierce female”.   Even in the brand’s description of this fragrance as being a “gourmand with a kick”, it’s easy to see the kind of vibe the brand was going for. So, getting back to my initial comment regarding familiarity – There’s a fairly linear wear with this fragrance on me.   It has reminiscences of Pink Sugar without being as boldly sweet.   It’s powdery sweet and initially smells exactly like a marshmallow.   It’s as if you’ve bought a bag to roast at a campfire and have just opened the bag; you get that powdery whiff that floats up in...

Tom Ford - Noir Anthracite EDP In Tom Ford’s 2017 launch advertising of Noir Anthracite the brand described the fragrance as “light in the dark” and the "dynamic tension between contrasts”.  This chypre is a modern take on the classic fragrance genre. The fragrance opens with a contrast.  There is a bright and beautiful bergamot juxtaposed over a rich and spicy Sichuan pepper.  Immediately after the first sniff, I begin to get a sense of an underlying cedar woodiness.  The cedar is rich and comes forward as if you’re inhaling deeply into an old cedar chest.  About an hour into wear, the spice becomes more complex with subtle hints of ginger-spiced florals.  The florals are not individually identifiable to me and yet you know they’re there.  There is a dark, intense, smoky, earthiness that begins to come through.  The woods begin to deepen.  The moodiness of the notes and their contrast with each other are tempered with a delicate...

Molinard - Les Amoureux Peynet Les Amoureux Peynet (“Les Amoureux”) is a citrus aromatic that was created as a tribute to the illustrator of Les Amoureux.  Les Amoureux opens with a bold citrus accord.  The notes are lean decidedly orange; very much like a freshly grated orange rind.  There is a very subtle hint of the grapefruit.  Overall the opening is crisp, fresh, and juicy.  After roughly thirty minutes, the citrus softens somewhat and in comes a lovely blend of Fall-like spices.  I clearly get the ginger and nutmeg.  The blend of the spices with the citrus reminds me of the very best of Fall.  Les Amoureux begins to transform with a touch of cleanness to the zest at roughly 2 hours.  As the fragrance begins its drydown, the spices mellow and the citrus becomes wrapped in a light-hearted dry woody amber musk base.  Les Amoureux wears on me for roughly 5-6 hours with moderate projection. Notes: bergamot orange, mand...

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...

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...

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 ...

Berdous: Arz-el-rab Arz-el-rab is classified as a woody spicy fragrance on Fragrantica. It is by far my favorite Berdoues of the coffret thus far. It is a glorious ode to cedar laid down in fragrance (without making you smell like an old wardrobe!). On initial spray I get a stunning, smooth cedar laced with a citrusy ginger; the cedar and ginger share the spotlight. As the juice wear, the ginger loses some of it's citrus slant and picks up more of a spicy vibe. The iris is mild in this fragrance and does not have the sometimes lipstick or powder components that sometimes iris carries in fragrance. The iris in Arz-el-rab is more of a soft, sweet violet note. There is slightly more projection in this fragrance than the others I've reviewed. "Arz El-Rab are the legendary cedar forests of Mount Lebanon described as the "forest of God". Ginger from China, iris from Morocco, and Virginian cedar offer the best of their personalities for a deep, intense impression....