Hello lovelies,

Make no mistake, I am a Smell Bent fan girl. I love their fun and interesting take on fragrance, their gorgeous Chairman and their price point. Smell Bent’s modus operandi is to spend all their money on the juice and little on the packaging, next to nothing on advertising. Now that is a sensible niche game plan to me, and it’s generating worldwide interest. Recently I dropped by the website a grabbed a couple of their perfumed oils.

Chile Vanilli By Smell Bent

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Patchouli, Vanilla, Cinnamon

Firstly, I love the little oil pots from Smell Bent with their glass want applicator in the lid, it feels very new and ancient at the same time: this is how the Indian and Arabic oils are often presented and it’s really easy. Another wonderful thing about oils is that you get a longer wear time and slower development of the fragrance, though in Chile Vanilli’s case not really important because on me it wears quite linear. A lovely soft, warm blend that is perfect for Spring and Autumn. Today Sydney is a little brisk and I am feeling cuddled and coddled in a divine dry dessert fragrance that is delicious without being overly food-ish, though there are bakery moments towards the dry down. I think the patchouli, which is not excessive, keeps the composition grounded and earthy.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Though Chile Vanille is fragrant, it will not skunk those around you, especially in the oil form. I think it would be a perfect work, date, dinner scent where you want to smell fresh, clean, warm and inviting but not announce your perfumista status too loudly. In oil form there is less projection though any length of time spent somewhere and you will be smellable, soft but invasive.

For a complete list of the current, and often changing, Smell Bent choices go to the Smell Bent Site (<<<JUMP) my Chile Vanilli 8ml Oil was around $20, super good value for money!!

Here is a shot of the lovely, movie star good looking Chairman at Smell Bent, Brent Leonesio. If that’s not a good reason to go check out the Smell Bent Site then I don’t know what is.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Until tomorrow, Be Nice To Yourself.
Portia xx

Hey Fragrant Obsessives,

Yesterday we talked to Brent Leonesio from Smell Bent, indie perfume house. Today we are going to look at some of the newest creations from the range. These only went live less than a month ago and I am really excited about them. Brent reminds me of the Dad in The Book Of Lost Fragrances by M J Rose, who created scents for the sake of seeing if he can for his children. He is a master of surprise for me, and the tongue in cheek. Just look at that cheeky grin, you know you’re going to be in trouble with this wild boy.

Today I am proud to present 4 of the latest Smell Bent range for your edification. They are an interesting look at where Brent is currently. On Thursday we will be giving these away, 2 each to 2 lucky winners so be sure to come have a go at that. I am SO annoyed that we are giving these away, now I have to go and buy myself a set! GRRRRR!

Little Miss Panda Got Lei’d: Oh! This opens white floral and green, maybe it’s the guava that smells green to me. The honeysuckle and teak come through later but the white flowers maintain themselves softly too. Very late in, around 2 hours, it sweetens up to fruit, which may be the guava back to say hello, it just rides on top of the others for a while before it all disappears.  Smell Bent gives these accords; pikake (jasmine sambac) and tuberose leis with guava, japanese honeysuckle, and teak

Apres Soleil:  On my skin it opens with yummy honey, coconut and leather, it is gorgeous. About an hour later I get jasmine with sandalwood and coconut. It sounds dreadful but it’s not. There’s a warm, almost salty, delicious feeling to Apres Soleil. Not in your face, more close to the skin than any other Smell Bent fragrance I’ve tried and if perfume is there to make you smell good then this is a winner. The lasting power on Apres Soleil is about 6-7 hours on me with a lovely soft coconut/sandalwood dry down. Smell Bent gives these accords; jasmine absolute dressed up with honey, coconut, soft leather, sandalwood and nitro musk.

Frankin Smellie S12#599 (Musk Melange): Green and musk to open, interesting. There are 9 musk aromachemicals in this fragrance. Brent tells us in his blog which means that many of us can’t smell them all, due to musk anosmia because we smell them in our laundry, dish and house cleaning, deodorants air purifiers etc etc. Goes on strong for me, almost leaves and then comes back all Muscs Koublai Khan and stays. Then it becomes almost vanilla towards dry down, this is not a big fragrance after its opening sequence on me.

Incensed Short Fuse: Delicious pepper and incense opening with a lovely swipe of cardamom, it’s like an Indian kitchen in here. This is so resonant with my memories of traveling through India. The memories are flooding back. My mates hotels, train Chai, Kerala houseboat, Dalai Lama’s cantonement, roadside stalls, 5 star hotels, Kashmiri wedding, steamy heat, freezing cold. This is like a travelogue. Thanks Brent AH MAY ZING!! The cardamom lasts right through to dry down in a clean, fresh and invigorating alternative to citrus. Smell Bent gives these accords; incense ignited with cardamom, pepper, amber resin and dry woods

Some of the Smell Bent fragrances have been a bit unwearable in close quarters company for me: Wolf Lumberjack, one of the Frakin-Smellies and Steve from the Scented Hound says Commando too. You wouldn’t wear Giorgio  or original Opium out to dinner either these days, but it’s fun to wear them at home for yourself, or to a garden party, or on a solo long drive, or the disco. None of the four I’ve brought before you today are offensive in any way, I think you could wear these anywhere without fear of reprisals.

My favourite? I knew you’d ask. I have 2, Incensed Short Fuse, obviously, and Apres Soleil because it’s winter here, even though I was out sunbaking for an hour at lunchtime, and this reminds me of long lazy summer days by the pool with a tonic water and orange slices.

Thanks for dropping by. You can buy a Travel Spray Set of all four of these for $23 including US shipping HERE (<<Jump) from the Smell Bent website. Do yourself and your nose a favour, go try them. You will not be disappointed.

Portia xx

PS I’ve used corresponding Smell Bent Artworks to illustrate each scent