Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

House of Matriarch – Woo Released in 2012, Woo is an oriental floral fragrance from the House of Matriarch. Woo opens with a floral-suede accord.   There is a salty marine vibe to the opening without actually being salty.   For me, it’s as if the essence of beachy skin has been captured and layered in with tropical flowers.   About an hour into wear, the initial notes settle a bit and a leafy, dried tobacco joins in.   There is a semi-sweet and smoky earthiness.   That nudges the scent into a dirty-sexy place.   A touch of vanilla bean seems to help round out and soften the tobacco and suede without coming near to being cloying. Woo wears on me with moderate projection for roughly 10 hours. Featured notes: exotic floral notes, sea notes, tobacco, leather, vanilla, ambergris Perfumer: Christi Meshell CRUELTY FREE VEGAN Photo Credit: House of Matriarch

Montale Parfums Paris - Intense Tiare EDP Intense Tiare (“Tiare”) is an oriental floral fragrance that was released by Montale in 2005.   The fragrance celebrates the tiare flower; a member of the gardenia family. With Tiare, I don’t get a lot of development.   On me it’s one of those “what you smell is what you get” fragrances.   And what I get it a deep dive into a tropical vacation.   This one is truly intense.   It’s as if every note has been concentrated and then reflected back.   I get a lush, sweet, intense coconut paired with an equally intense blooming jasmine.   The pairing prevents Tiare from moving to gourmand territory.   The ylang-ylang and rose are present but in the background.   Vanilla adds interest to the fragrance.   The vanilla is more of a dry essence than a sweet note.   There is a creaminess to the scent as well.   The creamy element seems to add to the feeling of depth and the headiness overal...

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...

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. ...

Creed - Love in White Love in White is an oriental floral and, in my opinion, a celebration of fresh florals.   While orange zest appears as a top note, I don’t get the orange in the opening.   What I do get is a bursting, blooming bouquet of iris, daffodils, and magnolia blossoms.   The iris and daffodil are more prominent and the magnolia seems to round out the floral accord.   The florals seem to settle a bit fifteen minutes into wear and take on an almost powdery floral feel.   It isn’t until roughly 30 minutes into wear that I get a slightly astringic, citric orange zest.   As Love in White continues to wear I begin to get hints of jasmine.   What I find interesting is that while Creed’s website does not list jasmine as a note, Fragrantica does.   At the two hour mark, Love in White has moved from a moderate projection fragrance to a light projection one.   It is now that a milky vanilla and tonka bean begin to create a lig...

DKNY - Nectar Love EDP Nectar Love (“Nectar”) was released by DKNY in 2017.  Fragrantica classified it as an oriental floral but to me, it’s more of a fruity floral on wear. Nectar opens with a bright and sunny freesia-mandarin burst.  The freesia smells clean and bright and blossoming.  The mandarin is sweet and juicy.  There is a delicate sweetness of honeycomb.  As you breathe in, you sense the sun’s rays beaming down and warming the fruity floral. With its development, Nectar adds a light note of jasmine coupled with lily of the valley.  The lily comes slightly more forward than the jasmine.  The fruit accord is built upon by a ripened, also juicy, plum note.  As Nectar begins to dry down, the fruity florals are joined by a touch vanilla.  The honey seems to come slightly more forward and the fruity notes recede.  The sweetness is tempered a bit by a light woody note and a hint of musk.  Nectar wears on me wit...

Burberry - My Burberry Black EDT My Burberry Black (“Black”) is an oriental floral fragrance from Burberry.  If you’ve tried the original My Burberry, you will find echoes of it in Black.  Black seems to take the original and add more depth and warmth to it. Black opens with a ripened, somewhat sweet, dripping peach nectar and a tempered jasmine.  A resinous and warm amber wraps around the peachy floral giving the fragrance that familiar oriental vibe.  After about an hour into wear, the candied roses begin to blend into the scent.  The rose isn’t a fresh blooming rose but instead almost an essence of rose.  It’s as if a delicate aura of rose floats softly into Black.  Patchouli begins to appear at about the 2 ½ to 3 hour mark.  While it is a clean patchouli, the addition of the note seems to add almost a boozy quality to the fragrance.  Black does not go off the rails though and, while each note is identifiable, they blend seamlessl...

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...

Wildfox - Wildfox EDP What happens when an American brand known for hipster and vintage-styled fashion creates its first fragrance?  You get an oriental floral with the brand’s namesake that feels very much like the brand vibe. Wildfox is a fun, free-spirited, youthful scent.  It’s got a light and playful fruity floral feel with a sweetened musk base.  Delicate notes of jasmine, honeysuckle, and camellia bring the floral to the party.  The jasmine and honeysuckle are more predominant than the camellia.  Absinthe, not detectable as an individual note, adds a sort of an airy feel to the opening.  There is a ripe, juicy apricot that blends seamlessly with the florals.  A subtle honey and ambrox sweeten the florals.  The honey is mildly detectable and the duo bring the juice to a fairly sweet but cozy place.  An underlying musk, reminiscent of 80’s high school musks, balances the fragrance and helps to add a bit of interest and warmth. ...

Prada - La Femme Prada EDP La Femme Prada (La Femme) is an oriental floral that launched in 2016.  At the time of the release, it launched with an accompanying make fragrance, L’Homme Prada.  La Femme is a contemporary spin on floral and takes floral to a less than innocent place. Prada’s La Femme opens with a lush, juicy, somewhat gardenia-like frangipani.  The frangipani is amplified by a slight spice and honeyed vanilla.  The juice sweet but not overly sweet.  La Femme feels warm, confident, yet intimate.  As the juice wears, I get hints of tuberose and vetiver.  The tuberose is soft and lovely; it contains none of the harshness often found in tuberose laden fragrances.  The vetiver adds a lovely clean, balsamic woodiness to the base.  It feel quite feminine or unisex rather than a typical masculine vetiver.  La Femme reminds me of the perfect scent for sitting in a small, lovely garden on a warm day with the sun shining down...

Dua Fragrances - Queen of Spades In 1834 Alexander Pushkin published his short story Queen of Spades (Pikovaya Dama).  Over the years, the story has been adapted multiple times - into stories, film, and an opera (Tchaikovsky).  Essentially the story revolves around a Countess, who after incurring a large gambling debt, learned a secret to winning at cards by playing three specific cards just once during the game.  This story is told to a Russian army officer who, because of his greed, is led to court the Countess’s charge to gain the secret.  The story is rife with themes of power, avarice, and the supernatural.  As you can imagine, the Queen of Spades in story and in scent is not shy.  Instead, she is powerful and in control, even after death.  Mahsam Raza’s interpretation brings us the Countess in all her complexity.  This fragrance opens with a powerful and bold citric floral aldehyde blend.  The opening is bright and clean with a...

Le Jardin Retrouve: Tubereuse Trianon ( Michel Gutsatz ) I am about to gush. What an absolutely sexy, gorgeous interpretation of tuberose! With Tubereuse Trianon I get a succulent creamy, sweet tuberose. I get a jasmine that seems to pull a bit like plumeria as it mixes with a soft raspberry. The ylang-ylang is rich and deep. I don't get the coriander as an individual note but rather feel as if it anchors the tuberose from becoming too sharp. This juice would be such an easy scent to wear even for those who shy away from an often garish tuberose. Tuberose Trianon is the potion of liaisons; a fragrance that beckons. "1689. You are headed towards the Trianon in the Versailles garden where the King has had a profusion of flowerbeds planted. It is evening. You pass by a group of courtesans. A gaze pierces you. In its wake, the heady scent of tuberose, mingled with jasmine and ylang-ylang, and as though veiled, the unexpected trace of raspberry. Your heart just encountered lo...

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...

Kat Von D: Saint Saint does indeed share the same floral soul as Sinner. In fact, Saint is Sinner with the spicy/warm notes removed. It's a classic, light, creamy floral with just a touch of sweetness for good measure. I get a light jasmine (one of my favorite notes) and tiare flower over a soft, lightly citrusy, creamy, light musk base. Saint wears somewhere between a skin scent and one with a light projection on me. It's delicate and quietly beautiful. It's a floral that can easily be worn in the Summer without it becoming "too much" in the heat. "Kat Von D Beauty’s most requested collection of all time is returning at last and better than ever. Meet Saint—soft, alluring, and dreamy, this gourmand fragrance sweetens a bouquet of jasmine and tiaré flower with notes of mandarin, caramel, and sparkling Mirabelle plum. Vanilla, sandalwood, and creamy musk build to the romance of the perfume, imparting a warmth that reminds Kat of falling in love for the ve...

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...

Fragonard: Belle de Nuit. I received a sample of this oriental floral with an order I placed with Beautyhabit. I wasn't sure I was even going to test the sample as I had read many comparing it to J'adore (which, sorry if you love it, I don't care for). While this fragrance has a respectable list of florals, I don't get any of them as singular notes. Rather, I get a blend of florals that is light and quite lovely. I get the plum as a prominent note mixed with the floral. The plum is deep, rich, and semi-sweet. The florals and plum lay on a bed of a silky smooth woody-musk. Neither the wood nor the musk are strong; they are simply present enough that you know they're there. Belle de Nuit wears with only a mild projection; like an intimate fragrance. There is a gorgeous drydown that feels like a reminiscence of a field of flowers at dusk. "An original, deep rich harmony of flowers and fruit on a warm velvety bottom note of musk. A precious magical fragrance....