Binxcat's Purrfect Fragrance

Imaginary Authors - O, Unknown! Like many of you, I like a good story.   Being a fragrance fan, I love when fragrance and story meet.   I’d been interested in Imaginary Authors for some time because of this.   Luckily, a good friend of mine sent me a sample of O, Unknown! an oriental woody fragrance created by Imaginary Authors.   Unlike many fragrances that tell a story through wear alone, Imaginary Authors provides the wearer with a narrative to consider while enjoying the fragrance.   For this reason, before I get into my review, I’d like to share the fragrance story: ““It is a mystery to me why the further I am from home the closer I am to God.” – Philip Sava At age 65, when famed explorer and author Philip Sava was given less than a year to live, he set off from his home in Madagascar for parts unknown. Leaving all his belongings behind, he set off on foot, hopped a freighter across the Indian Ocean, and wandered into the Bangladesh wilderne...

Tokyo Milk Dark - Novacaine No. 85 Eau de Parfum Novacaine is an aromatic spicy fragrance that launched in 2016.   Novacaine opens with a warm, spicy ginger and smoky frankincense with a touch of a sweet vanilla orchid.   There is a kind of a Fall-like heated potpourri feel.   The spicy notes counterbalance the soft vanilla; this prevents the fragrance from becoming cloying.   As Novacaine wears, it becomes slightly more earthy with a dry heat.   The vanilla comes forward somewhat and the spice becomes a more rounded accord.   Beyond this, I get no additional development with the fragrance.   In the drydown, the fragrance retains a cozy, yet somewhat unconventional spiced tone. Novacaine wears on me with soft projection for roughly 5 hours. Notes: crushed ginger, Thai pepper, frankincense, vanilla orchid, black cardamom Perfumer: Margot Elena Note:  Thanks to Nir Guy of Perfumology (King of Prussia, PA) for the sample of this f...

Kiss My Sass Cosmetics – Decadence Decadence is a fun to wear, cozy, sexy, and…well…decadent fragrance from the Indie brand Kiss My Sass.   The brand does some really stellar cosmetics and their fragrance line is equally respectable.   I ordered Decadence along with a cosmetics order as the notes sounded appealing.   Decadence opens with a rich dark chocolate coffee note.   The note is deep, dense, and luscious as if you had gone to a coffee roaster and had your cup of comfort made to order.   About an hour into wear, the dark chocolate recedes and in come an old school patchouli and musk tipped with vanilla bean and white chocolate.   The notes twirl in a hypnotic dance that it reminiscent of the best of the 60s; it’s gourmand meets Haight Ashbury.   There is sweetness balanced with an earthy, edgy, sensual, somewhat animalistic feel.   The fragrance wears in this hedonistic and sensual way through the remaining wear.   Decaden...

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. ...

DUA Fragrances - 44 Shades of Vanilla DUA is a California-based fragrance company that creates both “inspired” and original fragrances.   I realize there are many people that don’t support “inspired” fragrances, however, here in the U.S. they are legal and I personally believe they can be affordable alternatives for many people – as I always say: Fragrance (and makeup) should be for everyone.   That said, 44 Shades of Vanilla (“44 Shades”) is one of DUA’s inspired fragrances.   The inspiration for 44 Shades is Le Labo’s Vanilla 44.   I have not yet sampled the Le Labo and my review will simply be based on 44 Shades as it stands as its own fragrance. 44 Shades is a woody aromatic.   It opens with a beautiful woody vanilla tinged with just a tiny bit of citrus.   There is an intense woody warmth to the notes.   It’s as if you’ve been able to reach inside the very heart of the wood, place a vanilla pod there, and breathe in deeply.   As...

M. Micallef – Art Collection Vanille: Vanille Orient In 2012, M. Micallef released The Art Collection which they described as “a four-movement symphony on the theme of Vanilla.”   Each vanilla-based fragrance showcases the note in a different fragrance family – leather, floral, aquatic, and oriental.   Vanille Orient (“Vanille) is, as expected, the oriental vanilla release of the quad. Vanille opens with a lightly spiced yet somehow cool boozy vanilla.   The vanilla is also creamy, buttery, and somewhat sweet.   I get a pronounced clean musk and a more subtle amber.   There is a richness and complexity to the fragrance which highlights the vanilla.   Vanilla is showcased here as its sweet self and is complimented with the traditional hallmarks of an oriental fragrance.   There is a fairly linear wear to Vanille with the exception of the drydown where the fragrance takes on a powdery quality. Vanille wears on me with moderate moving to lig...

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...

Philosophy - Pure Grace: Nude Rose Nude Rose is the newest release from the Philosophy Pure Grace line.   This floral woody musk launched in 2017.   Based on the fragrance name, I anticipated that the fragrance would feel and wear like a pure rose scent with a musk underpinning.   While I do get rose and musk in the wear, I do not feel that it’s a true rose musk fragrance. Unlike the previous release from Philosophy – Ballet Rose which opens as a sparkling fruity floral rose, Nude Rose opens with a green-leaning white floral blend.   The rose in the floral accord is on the subtle side and does not come across as either a blooming or jammy rose.   Instead, it’s perhaps a soft whiff of a rose petal in passing.   The floral accord itself is quite bold. About 15 to 20 minutes into wear, the green floral takes on a soapy quality.   It’s somewhat like a floral laundry detergent or fabric softener and, assuming you like those scents, would be so...

Atelier Cologne - Oud Saphir Released in 2015, Atelier Cologne’s Oud Saphir (“Oud”) has been described as an oriental woody fragrance.   But (spoilers) Oud wears more like a woody fruity floral on me. I am a big fan of fragrance that tells a story.   In the case of Oud, Atelier Cologne sets us up with an image of the kind of person who would wear this fragrance, “Her decision was irreversible. She would not continue living a life by others’ rules. To see his deep sapphire blue eyes and feel the calm of his voice again were the only things that mattered now. With him she finally felt ready to write her own history.”   This is a person who has decided to be the master of their own destiny.   It is a person who is self-assured and goes boldly forward into the reality they create for themselves.   And, as also evidenced by the notes and wear of the fragrance, this is a person who has decided to create their own joy. Oud opens with a delightful slightly...

Alexandria Fragrances - Cacao Dreams I was fortunate enough to win a giveaway from this fragrance brand.   In my package, the perfumer also included samples.   Cacao Dreams was one of the samples. Aptly named, Cacao Dreams is the stuff gourmand chocolate dreams are made of.     An original creation by the brand, Cacao Dreams is a fairly linear fragrance that celebrates the best that is chocolate.   You’ve heard me say it before, chocolate can often go very wrong in a fragrance.   If mixed incorrectly, it can pull almost like plastic.   If overdone (in my opinion) it can become cloying.    Neither is the case with Cacao Dreams. The fragrance opens as something akin to a vanilla cocoa powder blend.   It has elements similar to a delicious hot chocolate but without quite becoming sticky and dense like a hot chocolate.   The notes seem to float in a delicate chocolate waft.   If you’ve ever been to the Hershey Chocola...