Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Nasomatto: Nudiflorum Extrait de Parfum Nudiflorum was released in 2018 by Nasamatto.   It is a floral woody musk that is said to be, “an interpretation of a feeling of being touched.” On me, Nudiflorum opens with a very bold, smoky, rubbery leather.   It is an opening not for the bashful.   It has a raw, hotness to it that in some ways is reminiscent of flesh.   Shortly after the initial note, the leather is accompanied by a deep green bitterness atop a pensive iris.   In my wear, I could not detect violet. In the middle of wear, a synthetically sticky jasmine with a bit of sweetness melds into the smoked leather.   The scent remains rough and rugged.   It feels like an intentionally unfinished symphony.   A swirl of musky white florals compliments the drydown.   Where you’d expect there to be cacophony, there is sense.   There is an overall primal sensation in the wear of Nudiflorum that makes it stand out as something ve...

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...

Olibere Parfums - L`Etoile Noire Launched in 2016, L’Etoile Noire (“Noire”) is a study of light and dark; the opposites that we each carry with us.   The notes classify this as an oriental fragrance, however, in my opinion, it is also very much a woody one. Noire opens on me with a contrast.   On the one hand I get an intense bergamot and sharp lemon and on the other I get an achingly intense peppery spice.   There is a heavy smokiness from the gaiac.   As Noire continues to wear I get more and more tones of wood.   I do not identify the wood as specifically being oud, as iterated in the Notes of this fragrance, but rather a general deep, dark woody accord.   At roughly 3 – 4 hours into wear, Noire takes on a powdery aspect.   There is still an echo of citrus, moderate spice, woods, and smoke but in comes a softened rose and what seems like patchouli.   There is a dried tobacco leaf as well as a very soft dried rose petal. In the...

Mancera Paris - Choco Violette EDP Choco Violette (“CV”) is an oriental vanilla offering released in 2016 from Montale.  With its wear on me, it easily slips into the gourmand category. CV opens with a puff of cocoa powder and candy.  The cocoa powder is rich and intense and I can almost feel it on my tongue.  It’s very much as if you’ve opened a jar of a gourmet powder to create a luscious hot cocoa.  The candy note is very reminiscent of a candy necklace or parma violet candies so popular in the UK. After the first initial opening impressions, the cocoa powder note seems to fade back.  In comes an equally delicious orange-bergamot blend.  The floral is stronger than the citrus; which lays back and seems to simply add more sweetness to the perfume.  Underneath this note, I get a hint of hazelnut.  The buttery nut note adds richness to the fragrance.  About an hour and a half into wear, I get a creamy vanilla.  Again, the va...

Kiss My Sass - Sucre Noir For my blog, I like to test and review fragrances from every place in the fragrance world: Mainstream, Indie, Niche, High End/Luxury – there are a number of descriptives and many fragrances cross between categories.  Recently there’s been some discussion in the fragcomm about what each group of fragrance is defined as.  For me, while there is some relevance as to where a particular fragrance may fit, at the end of the day my personal feeling is that fragrance is for everyone.  There is a price point and a creative philosophy behind fragrances that everyone can find their own happy place with.  Sucre Noir is an offering from an Indie brand, Kiss My Sass, out of Pennsylvania.  I purchased this fragrance, along with a cosmetic order, because I was curious as to how the brand approached scent.  Often, Indie brands offer unique variations of fragrance that you simply do not see replicated in the Mainstream. Sucre Noir wears...

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...

En Voyage Perfumes - Figa The perfumer, Shelley Waddington, was offering a giveaway of samples of her fragrances (by contest) in one of my fragrance groups.  While I was not fortunate enough to have won the giveaway, Ms. Waddington was kind and generous enough to extend a prize to some that had not won; in her Portland based saying to “put a bird on it”.  The charming phrase, which being an East Coaster I had never heard before, refers to a little addition; the cherry on top if you will.  In this case my “cherry” was a sample of her fragrance Figa.  While I’ve seen this fragrance classified as an oriental floral it does in many respects defy the nomenclature.  The genesis of this scent and its purpose are based in the history and magic of talismans.  In her words, “Figa Eau de Parfum is the fragrance equivalent of the powerful Figa amulet. It celebrates strength, power, vision and success.”  And really, who couldn’t use a little more of that?!...

Marlou - L'animal sauvage Based on the description, I have to admit, I was just a little bit terrified of this one. Still, curiosity being what it is, I also felt compelled to order it. On me, L'animal sauvage does open with a floral note. But this is a floral that is warm, soft, and inviting. I don't know about "deep, civety funk" but I do get a musky fur scent that reminds me of the smell of a ferret - I would not describe it as a "funk" in any way which to me  connotes something dirty (and I don't sense this as dirty). The musk is sweetened by a subtle violet note and picks up the creaminess of the sandalwood. The patchouli is present but mostly as a base binding the notes together. So, is L'animal a "naughty little kitty"? I suppose that's for each of us to decide. One thing is for certain, this one does purr. Notes: Orange blossom, violet, sandalwood, patchouli, civet, musk

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....

4160 Tuesdays New York 1955 EDP It's Friday. You've been working hard all week but still have one more day to go. Your hands clutch the steering wheel, knuckles white, as you stare at the never ending sea of traffic on the Belt Parkway; the cacophony of honking horns ringing in your ears. Then suddenly, as if by magic,  Sarah McCartney   takes you by the hand and transports you from the madness to Coney Island. You find yourself strolling the boardwalk. You hear the waves of the Atlantic lapping in the distance. Cotton candy in hand you stroll to the Parachute Jump; you feel the wind in your hair. Time stands still as you breathe in the sweet raspberry floss, the soft and delicate flowers, and the creaminess of the vanilla and somehow everything seems right with the world. Top note is cotton candy; middle notes are raspberry, rose and violet; base notes are vanilla and musk.