Month: October 2012

Frederic Malle LIVE Video Sniff #2 and 50,000 I.V.s GIVEAWAY

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Hello AustralianPerfumeJunkies Family.

I think it’s time for a celebration.  50,000 individual page views is an awesome milestone. It took 2 weeks longer than I’d hoped but I was unaware that during August frag blog reading drops. Who knew? Not me. WOW WOW WOW!!

Photo Stolen hunchar

50,000 I.V.s GIVEAWAY

It’s hard to think of something fabulous enough to give away for such an amazing number so I think I have it figured out. Sometimes it’s better to pick your own presents and I then thought maybe something fragrance oriented so the draw today is for a…

$50 Surrender To Chance GIFT VOUCHER

How do you WIN?
You must be a follower of the blog via email, RSS or WP reader (please specify which you are in your comment). Yes, you may become a follower to be included in the draw.
Please tell us the names of the 3 Frederic Malle fragrances that EmmaKate & I chat about in the below video. EASY PEASY!!

If we get 50 separate enterers in the comments I will also do a second draw for

50ml of a fabulous grab bag of fragrances from my collection

(including some Vintage, Niche, Mainstream, Designer, Celebrity, New and Old favourites)

You’ll get an extra shot if you join our Twitter, Tweet or FB below sentences
TWITTER: @OzPerfumeJunkie https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2012/10/11/frederic-malle-live-video-sniff-2-and-50000-i-v-s-giveaway/ 50,000 IV Giveaway
FACEBOOK: Portia Turbo-Gear https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2012/10/11/frederic-malle-live-video-sniff-2-and-50000-i-v-s-giveaway/ 50,000 IV Giveaway

All entries must be in by Saturday October 13 2012 9pm Australian EDST (Eastern Daylight Savings Time). Correct entries will be written on papers and picked from a hat by Jin. Winners will then have till Wednesday October 17 9pm Australian EDST to get in touch with postage details or I will give the prize to someone else

So go to it gang, I wish you all the best of luck and thanks for being part of getting us to 50,000 IVs.
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Frederic Malle LIVE Video Sniff #2 with EmmaKate & Portia

Geranium Pour Monsieur by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Hey Hey Gang,

I have been humming and hahing over Geranium Pour Monsieur but there was never a sample. I want to wear a fragrance that costs this much a few times before I go FB. See if I reach for it a few times over a short space of time or if it sits there like a wallflower, overlooked and unloved. Guess what? The lovely Danika at Mecca under Grace Bros in Pitt St finally got me a sample! YAY!! I have worn it now 3 days consecutively for some of the day and now we are at day 4 I feel ready to tell you how I feel about Geranium Pour Monsieur by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Geranium, rhodinol (fresh, fragrant ingredient extracted from Chinese geranium), anise, mint
Heart: Cloves, cinnamon
Base: Sandalwood, white musk, Siamese styrax benzoin (lat. Styrax Tonkiniensis)

WHOOOSH! Geranium Pour Monsieur takes no prisoners as it opens all dental visit, hospital, chewing gum and booze. Am I wearing a Mojito? An almost violent minty opening that is surprising, refreshing and nostalgic all at the same time. Every time I spritz there is a frisson of excitement through me because I know I’m about to go WHOA!! It takes a while for this mentholated sizzle to calm down enough that the herbal greens can come out from hiding, this is like my first jump in the swimming pool in Spring. At first my body is outraged, my skin tries to shrink away from the surprise and then very soon my temperature has normalised and I am swimming laps again, feeling comfortable. That is the feeling I get as Geranium Pour Monsieur opens up to my bodies warmth.


Photo Stolen caittsnails

Though the cinnamon, sandalwood and benzoin now take their places, and we are over an hour into the fragrance life, there is still a lovely sweet minty freshness. It is undercut by the buttery, vanillic woods giving a complex duet between the warmth and coolness that is on the verge of disharmony Geranium Pour Monsieur never makes that mis-step but it does keep you on your toes. Sometimes I get a slightly citrus burst over and through the rest at around the 2-4 hour mark and wonder if the cloves are responsible? Who knows? As it moves towards dry down there is only a loss of intensity, Geranium Pour Monseiur stays remarkably linear after the first 3 hours and though it warms a little more and becomes deeper and richer it is the same beautiful fragrance for up to 7 hours,  less depending on the day and my running around etc

Photo Stolen ngb.org

This is a flamboyantly masculine fragrance that I think the ladies can rock equally well. Part old school after shave and part modernistic rewiring Geranium Pour Monsieur is beautiful and interesting and will certainly be a full bottle on my shelves before too long, because it is exactly the long lasting breath of fresh air that I would like to flaunt throughout the next few months.

TheNonBlonde does a great first impressions review and NowSmellThis is a great read too.
MeccaCosmetica have 3 sizes: 3 x 10ml, 50ml & 100ml all available instore or online.
SurrenderToChance starts at $6/ml

Do you have a fave fragrance that crosses the gender lines, sold as one but works for all? I have a few. What art your favourites? Leave us a message in the comments, we love to chat.

I hope this finds you happy as it left me.
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

SOVA by Slumberhouse and 50 Lessons I Wish I Had Learned Earlier!

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Hi APJ Family,

It is glorious weather down here in Sydney town. Cool and sunny, possible chance of late rain but right now, GO JUS!! (gorgeous)

What am I wafting while writing to you today?

SOVA by Slumberhouse

SOVA by Slumberhouse, an acrid, burning cigarette, hot chocolate, booze, bark, sweet cakes, honey and resins. Imagine the smoky air of a speakeasy, live jazz, booze, drugs, sex and fun. I would love to smell this on one of my girlfriends, she would need a bodyguard.

SOVA was the first fragrance that Slumberhouse put out and really sets the scene for their total style and character, like a solid base that has been built around and curlicued. I have been told in no uncertain terms by TSO Jin that this is not to be worn to bed because it gives him dreams. I put it on last night and now it’s lunchtime and I am still fragrantly living this wonderful story. Sensational work.

I just finished reading an incredible in depth interview with Slumberhouse’s Josh on NotableScents if you need further reading it is highly recommended.

MemoryOfScent looks at some of the Slumberhouse range and APJ looked at Slumberhouse Pear + Olive recently. Pear + Olive was my gateway scent into this astounding new line.
Slumberhouse has 2ml samples $10 or 30ml/$100

Photo Stolen Slumberhouse

50 Lessons I Wish I Had Learned Earlier!

Life isn’t always great. There are days that grind us down and leave us feeling less. So here are 50 cliches from the PositivelyPostiveBlog. It’s the first step back into the light for me, just reading good things, positive messages, reminders that the sun will shine and that rain makes sunny days feel better because flowers have been able to grow.

Photo Stolen nps.org

  1. You’re stronger than you think you are.
  2. Mistakes teach you important lessons. Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal.
  3. There is nothing to hold you back except you.
  4. You can press forward long after you can’t. It’s a matter of wanting it bad enough.
  5. No matter how much progress you make there will always be the people who insist that whatever you’re trying to do is impossible.
  6. You are limited only by your own imagination. Let it fly.
  7. Perception is reality.
  8. Your instincts can be trusted.
  9. There is only one question to ask yourself: “What would you do if you were not afraid?”
  10. It’s often hard to tell just how close you are to success.
  11. The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.
  12. Never let success get to your head, and never let failure get to your heart.
  13. You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.
  14. Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
  15. Do what you love, not what you think you’re supposed to do.
  16. Laughter is the best medicine for stress. Laugh at yourself often.
  17. If you want to feel rich, just count all the great things you have that money can’t buy.
  18. Forgiving yourself is far more important than getting others to forgive you.
  19. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, you’ll often find that you’re right.
  20. Be nice to yourself.
  21. For the most part, it doesn’t matter what people think. Follow your own truth.
  22. No education is wasted. Drink in as many new experiences as you can.
  23. Making one person smile can change the world.
  24. Don’t forget to enjoy your journey!
  25. You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have.

Photo Stolen jeffreymasson

  1. Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
  2. You cannot change what you refuse to confront.
  3. Crying doesn’t indicate that you’re weak. It doesn’t always solve your problems either.
  4. No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying.
  5. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
  6. You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them.
  7. Give up worrying about what others think of you.
  8. When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
  9. You have to accept that some things will never be yours, and learn to appreciate the things that are only yours.
  10. As Henry Ford put it, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.”
  11. Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone. Some of your best life experiences and opportunities will transpire only after you dare to lose.
  12. Giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go.
  13. You’ll rarely be 100% sure it will work. But you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work.
  14. Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future for too long. Right now is life. Live it.
  15. No matter how cautiously you choose your words, someone will always twist them around and misinterpret what you say. Just say what you need to say.
  16. Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of good luck.
  17. If you are passionate about something, pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s how dreams are achieved.
  18. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
  19. What lies before us and behind us are tiny matters when compared to what lies within us.
  20. Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.
  21. It’s not about getting a chance, it’s about taking a chance.
  22. If it were easy everyone would do it.
  23. Be vulnerable.
  24. A problem is a chance for you to learn.
  25. Regardless of the situation, life goes on.

Photo Stolen theage.com.au

Wishing you only good till tomorrow,
Loads of love,
Portia xx

Samsara Parfum (Vintage) by Jean Paul Guerlain 1989

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Hey you Stink Monkeys!

Back in the early 1990’s I bought my Mum a small Guerlain Samsara EdT or EdP for a birthday and it was her fragrance of choice for a while, finished and then was not bought again. Recently I found a 2ml Vintage Samsara Parfum on eBay for a great price, in its box and I snapped it up immediately. I’m amazed how scent can take me back? It was such a particular time in my life, just starting my professional performing career, leaving behind fashion, winning awards, getting amazing gigs and falling truly, madly, deeply in love with completely the wrong guy and then trying to make it work for a few years before running away to the UK to regroup. So you can imagine how many varied memories this scent, worn so particularly for a snapshot of time when everything was so amazing, would bring back. Tonight I decided that taking the lid off and sniffing the contents was not going to be enough, it is skin time.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, ylang-ylang, peach and green notes
Heart: Jasmine, iris, narcissus, violet, rose
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, Tonka bean, amber, musk

Samsara means “Wheel Of Life” in Sanskrit according to Jean-Paul Guerlain the perfumes main creator. I love how in the opening I get the peachy sweetness but not much green and the Ylang keeps the citrus under control warming its effervescent sparkle, the initial burst is slightly different than I remember and that could be the way the extrait performs or ages. Maybe ten minutes in and already the flowers are crowding the opening notes, slinkily wafting out and around to flow over the top of the initial accords pushing them into a support role as they fade slowly.


Photo Stolen FernandoLetaJunior

If you are expecting a HUGE perfume then you will be sadly disappointed: Samsara will waft fragrantly behind you but unless you go crazy with it you will walk ahead of your fragrance. The non indolic jasmine and creamy sandalwood create a gorgeously intense structure that all else hangs off and play a fill out role until over an an hour into the life of the fragrance when that lovely intoxicating Guerlainade comes bubbling through and makes the whole fragrance sweeter and warmer, and you realise it’s been there all along, there but unnoticed because of the pyrotechnics being offered elsewhere. Vintage Samsara Parfum’s life on my scent hungry skin is less than desirable turning skin scent in under 3 hours but staying around in that softest of states for another hour or so. The modern EdP is much longer lasting on me but doesn’t tell such an interesting tale.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

NowSmellThis reviews with the love story and history behind Samsara and BoisDeJasmin compares vintage and modern Samsara.
FragranceShop has Samsara EdT 100ml/$60 & EdP 100ml/$71 and also stocks Un Air Samsara 50ml/$28

Have you tried Samsara? What strength was it? Do you have a SAmsara story to share with us? We love to read from you in the comments below. Please join the discussion.
I hope you enjoyed wandering among my fragrant thoughts. Below is an original Samsarta ad, hopefully see you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Interlude Woman by Karine Vinchon for Amouage 2012

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Hey Hey to you,

Interlude woman is a Karine Vinchonr perfume (Coeur de Vetiver Sacre & Jamantsi: L’Artisan’s first completely natural (with ecology certificate) frag, Memoir Man & Opus III for Amouage) and it looks like everything, including a bag of chips and the kitchen sink, have been squished into this gorgeous blue and gold chess queen of a bottle.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, grapefruit, ginger, tagete (marigold)
Heart: Rose, frankincense, jasmine, orange blossom, helichrysum (immortelle), opoponax, sandalwood, walnut, coffee, kiwi, honey
Base: Vanilla, benzoin, amber, sandalwood, oakmoss, leather, tonka, musk, agarwood

What do I smell? I have read quite a few reviews of Amouage’s Interlude Woman since its release to bloggers and then the market. I read in most of them that this fragrance will not be pinned down, is different every wear, has facets that change with your mood, the weather, your outfit. OMG!! It is true beyond my wildest imaginings. Interlude Woman is a chameleon, a shape shifter, a will-o-the-wisp. The first thing I smell is a mix of coffee (almost chocolate, mocha perhaps), ginger and honey. It smells like the taste of an extremely expensive block of chocolate with ginger and, after a short while, citrus zest. There is temple incense, some very fresh and some over ripe fruit, floral necklaces and offerings. There is humanity, domesticated animals, there is warm lived in pyjamas, the dusty smell of history and the modern smell of cake bakery.

Interlude Woman by Amouage contains worlds. Sometimes it feels like yesterday and melancholia. Another wear gives bright, shining youthful exuberance and fearlessness. It is saris, suits, slacks, suede, seraglio, sauna and sleep. There are prayers, heartbreak, wishes, love, yearning and even relief. It can smell 100, 21, 5000 or 1 year old. I cannot explain it better than my betters. I can merely drift on the dream that is Interlude Woman, being taken on an adventure.

The Reception by John Frederick Lewis Stolen from wikipedia

Not a loud fragrance, though it quietly insists that you notice it and has excellent sillage. The scent bubble is good and could overwhelm in a close or scentphobicworkplace. On the flip side I think it is definitely wearable for dates, shopping, coffee, drinks and parties. Give Interlude Woman an extra spritz and it’s good to party till the sunrise and then frolic till lunchtime. Staying power is better than most fragrances but not as never ending as some Amouage offerings. I can’t tell you exactly when the fragrance leaves my skin but it is over 5 hours on my least tenacious wear to 9+ hours and then maintains a skerik of skin scent.

TheAlembicatedGenie weaves a tale around the Interludes and CaFleurBon shows how a review should be done.
SurrenderToChance has Interlude Man & Woman starting at $4/ml

This is a must try fragrance for any perfumista, it is beautiful and wearable and accessible for even the newest noses. It’s fragrances like Interlude woman that keep me stuck firmly down the fragrance wormhole. I’m so grateful to be here.
Do you have a perfume that wears different every time? Maybe you have a favourite Amouage or you have tried the Interludes, how was your experience? Does it differ to mine or is it much the same? Join the conversation, we love to read from you.
Till tomorrow look after yourselves,
Portia xx

Ambra del Nepal by Giovanni Di Massimo for I Profumi di Firenze

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Hey Ho Frag People,

I have a strong love for amber perfumes. I like their treacle like sweetness and bitter chocolate darkness, the vanilla that feels like it’s been brewed in a dirty coffee machine, that rich, dark, almost malevolent opening that feels like it’s going to burn out your nostril hairs that warms on your body into something delicious, gourmand-esque but not totally foodie as such. Me and amber, we are mates. I am greedy too and want to try them all to see what twists and turns the next one will offer, just like the rest of my fragrances really. So what does Ambra del Nepal by I Profumi di Firenze give me that the others leave out?

Ambra del Nepal by I Profumi di Firenze

I Profumi Del Firenze site says: The perfumer and chemist Dr. Giovanni Di Massimo, the founder of “I Profumi di Firenze” uncovered in 1966 the secret recipes of the perfumes used by princess Caterina dé Medici, after the big flood that devastated Florence the same year, finding in the mud an old renaissance manuscript caught away by the water.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives only these featured accords: Nepalese Amber, cardamom, Madagascar vanilla

A beautiful opener with that medicine cabinet, herbal and caramelised sugar hiding a Crème brûlée sweetness that washes out from under the bold opening and gives the most divine caramel coffee, vanilla cream, bitter chocolate, Ambra Del Nepal is a sweet and spicy Oriental Gourmand frag hit.  There is some discussion about how much cardamom there is and sometimes I get it, others nothing, tonight I went to the spice cupboard and smelt cardamom (pods and ground) and except for the crazy rush of the opening I think it plays only a supporting role because I get spicy but not really cardamom per se.

Ambra Del Nepal is more gourmand that the usual amber that I’m attracted to but seems to do it in such a way that the foodiness is totally acceptable, biscuit-like vanilla. You’d think with such a short list of featured ingredients that this would be simple but it is anything but. There is a definite journey taken here. I love how it gets softer and softer till it becomes a glorious overlay on my own scent, it could be me. This barely there stage lasts right through till morning and gives me morning sex confidence, I still smell completely edible!

Photo Stolen millarandmore.

BeautyHabit has 12ml for $39 or 100ml for $99
NowSmellThis has a completely different experience but we both love it.

I hope you all enjoyed a look at Ambra Del Nepal, what a great fragrance. Do you have a favourite amber? What is it? Do you wear it only in the cooler months?
Till tomorrow, take good care of yourself,
Portia xx

Twilight by Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry for Sarah Jessica Parker 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Hey Fellow Fumies,

Ever get taken by surprise? Do you ever think you have a handle on perfume, pretty much know what you are going to smell when you read the notes, are already looking down your perfumista nose at a fragrance because you have pre judged it before spritzing? Well then you already know this story. I was out with TSO Jin just trolling the mall and we needed to go to TARGET of all places and OMFG they now have a PERFUME SECTION!! The SA Charlotte was excellent and had been dutifully sniffing her way through most of the stock. New perfumista alert!! Charlotte was loving it sick.

Photo Stolen trixiliniboutique

They have quite a range including some DIOR, GUCCI, D&G and YSL at prices about $20-$40 cheaper than the Department Store directly above them. Celebuscents are their main stock in trade though so we were trying some to see what is going on in the world of celebrity fragrance. OH GODS IN HEAVEN!! What have we done to deserve some of this liquid shit? Kate Moss is cool and I love that she is portrayed as this completely gorgeous drug pig and life wreck but have you smelt what she is selling as perfume? Feck Me Dead! There were some good surprises though. Well not HOLY GRAIL GOOD but not travesties either.

Dita Von Teeze is a lovely green spicy cheap and cheerful in a super great flaccon. I already own it. Lasting power is poor on me but at this price respritz.
Beyonce has one that hits my amber and musk bone nicely but has a slight chemical incident waft after a while.
Halle Berry has about 6 perfumes now, I love Halle (which Twilight is a little bit like) and its body lotion and think I might like Purple Orchid.

Photo Stolen biz.ratebe

Fragrantica gives these acccords:
Top: Bergamot, galbanum, mandarin, pink pepper
Heart: Peony, jasmine
Base: Amber, sandalwood, incense, musk

I had seen this matching 3 pack from SJP and been wondering about it. The noses, Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry, who created this also did SJP Lovely together and are responsible for quite a bit of my fragrance library separately. WOW! I was expecting a spiky green sizzling pepper citrus blast to open but it is a warm resinous amber and incense laden floral. There was so little sign of the pepper and citrus, just a wafting whisper keeping the rest afloat and interesting. It has good sillage, nice scent bubble, is distinctive, takes a journey, lasts a while and is generally good. Yes, you can tell its a mass produced fragrance, there are no artisanal touches or big fragrance surprises once you get over the shock of it being a very decent celebuscent and perfect for cool Autumn/Spring afternoons and nights. Today Twilight, and the other 2 in the set, was reduced to $20 for 75ml. So I bought the damn thing and I’m glad I did. I’ve even included the ad below for your enjoyment.

CheapSmells has Sarah Jessica Parkers Twilight $14/75ml

Moral: Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Funny how you have to keep being reminded of life’s most obvious lessons.
Wishing you the best of everything till we see you tomorrow.
Portia xx

Bottega Veneta EdP by Michel Almairac 2011

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

Hey Hey all you Deliciously Fragrant Wafters.

I have reviewed Bottega Veneta in short before but I have come back to it again because it has gone into Department Stores here in Australia and I think it a juice worthy of your particular attention. For a wearable, go anywhere, quietly and self servingly hyper-luxe fragrance that will never skunk but always give you private pleasure, and those intimates who come extremely close, there isn’t a better choice on the market. My opinion and clearly not humble: This is the poo people, take a BIG whiff.

Bottega Veneta EdP 2011

Picture Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Italian bergamot, Brazilian pink pepper
Heart: Indian Sambac jasmine
Base: Oak moss, patchouli and Indian patchouli

I think that Fragrantica has missed some notes, and yes I understand what featured means, but I get leather. Inside a brand new handbag, jacket of suitcase you will find the basic scent of Bottega Veneta EdP by Michel Almairac, who is responsible for some of my perfume library (Casmir, Gucci Rush, Joop Homme: ALL blockbusters). I smell a sweet (not sugar), fruity (but not the crap celebuscent fruit) leather that is quietly luxurious and lasts for the whole day. It gets more interesting and dryer as the day progresses, there is also a fresh salty sea water tang that parades through at intervals. I can’t tell you enough that this is an incredibly wearable scent that is also, to me, an artistic triumph in a world where that is happening less and less in the mainstream.

Perfect for socialising and for all but the most severely fragrance free workplaces. Date night, boozy lunch, picnic, yachting, horse track or at home snuggled up in front of the TV with a big cuppa/scotch/wine/water. Jeans, dress, after gym shower, ballgown, track suit or office suit; Bottega Veneta EdP will take you there and back.

The bottle is hefty and fits beautifully in my hand and I feel like a glamourpuss when I apply in the store. They also do Parfum in Murano glass bottles and though it’s expensive, there are EdT’s that cost more and come in molded glass. They also do a slightly, but not outrageously, expensive body care range which I think is also delectable. I am SORELY tempted to take the houskeeping money for a fortnight and just splurge but will wait. It’s hovering near the top of my list and I am trying to squirrel some money away but I am a notorious fritterer. I have an 8ml ThePerfumedCourt decant that is not finished, afterwards I will think seriously about the Parfum.

Photo Stolen BottegaVeneta

KatiePukrick has a great review as does Olfactoria’sTravels
Bottega Veneta is available at any of their stores and now Department Stores
eGlobalBeauty has 75ml for $142 including shipping!

Thank you all for sauntering through my fragrant thoughts. Below is the Bottega Veneta newest mini movie about their Initial Program. Enjoy!!
Till tomorrow we wish you all good health, enough wealth and at least a moment of joy.
Portia xxx

Bottega Veneta Initials Aug 2012

Private Blend Arabian Wood by Tom Ford 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Hey Hey APJ Family,

Joel, the lovely SA at the Tom Ford counter in DJ’s Sydney City, was very generous last time I was in. The least I can do in return is wear the samples that I scored and it’s no hardship to do so. I have long admired Tom Ford and his amazing style and savvy, he makes it seem effortless butI’m under no illusions, the man is beautiful, clever, gifted, driven and lucky. I think he must have sold his soul, and that it was a particularly good one because the returns on his sale/investment are awesome.

Tom Ford Photo stolen acorn-mg

I had very specific expectations of Arabian Wood, I purposely didn’t read notes or other blogs till my second wear and I agree with Victoria of EauMG that Arabian Wood is a misleading name for this fragrance. This is an extremely good example of a modern chypre, a style mainly dead due to IFRA regulations about oak moss: the wailing and gnashing of teeth can still be heard around the world. Private Blend Arabian Wood by Tom Ford should be on your “Must Try List” because in this day & age I am surprised at how well he has sculpted a Next Generation Chypre, reminiscent of some of the greatest but so modern and wearable.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lavender, bergamot, galbanum, Bulgarian rose, May rose, rose absolute, freesia, orange blossom, ylang ylang, jasmine, gardenia, honey, orris, patchouli, cedar, oak moss, sandalwood, tonka bean and amber.

I really enjoy the opening rush of Private Blend Arabian Wood by Tom Ford, I love its old school mans cologne action made exquisite. Lavender, rose and sexy jasmine/gardenia/orange blossom/ylang ylang bouquet fight through the masculinity and take us to a decidedly, historically feminine place that is dead sexy on a guy and epic on a woman. As the bouquet pumps its glorious sexy beat in flows the honey and roses to wind sinuously around and through giving a sparkle here and a golden glow there, the rose is spicy, almost tea-ish and there is greenery too, the bitter tang of a torn leaf. I am lost for minutes at a time just huffing away at myself, big long deep breath in and near moans of ecstasy out. This honeyed floral symphony lasts for ages and soon we see the woody resins, vanilla and amber make their way out from under the rest of the team and taking their turn to shine, they don’t completely take over for hours though, there is loads of interesting by play before the flowers give up their struggle for supremacy and softly slide into the background behind the smooth, warm and cuddly base that seems to be here to stay forever.

Photo Stolen cyprus-paradise

Private Blend Arabian Wood by Tom Ford is not exactly a powerhouse fragrance but it is way too strong for a close work office and I would think twice before wearing it to a dinner because, make no mistake, you will be fragrant. Excellent sillage and a decent scent bubble will turn heads.

NowSmellThis does a great review too.
ThePerfumedCourt has Private Blend Arabian Wood by Tom Ford samples 1ml/$7.24

My day has been pretty good, I hope yours has too, and that it is great till we see you tomorrow.
If you want more Portia today I am Guest Posting on Perfume Posse, do pop over and have a squiz, leave me a comment so I know you’ve been.
Thanks for being part of out APJ family, we are really grateful.
Love,
Portia xx

Here is a little video present. It’s a minute long, not music, religious or a joke. Something we should always keep top of mind though.

Slow Fire EdP by Liz Cook for One Seed 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Hi All You Niche Nerds,

Here is an Australian crew that we have talked about before when we Reviewed Hope EdP and EvieC interviewed perfumer Liz Cook (<<Jumps) and I loved their Courage so much that I have a FB nearing completion. So it was with a great thrill that I read Liz’s email recently telling me there was a new One Seed fragrance coming. WOO HOO! Sweet Fire is One Seed’s latest offering and is aptly named, or really Sweet Woods and Smoke would be even better but clunky. I’ll get to how it smells momentarily but first I’d like to share with you the One Seed philosophy:

Photo Stolen catopartners

we believe

We don’t want to be just another perfume company.
We want to be a seed for change.
We believe that the perfect beauty of nature need not be corrupted by synthetic interference.
And that beauty is defined by knowing who you are, and being able to see beauty around you.
So care more deeply. Share more of yourself. Live inspired. Make a difference.

we create
Our fragrances are always

  • 100% botanical, nothing synthetic
  • Organic-focused and GMO-free
  • Using recyclable and sustainable packaging
  • Superior quality eu de parfum
  • Handcrafted in small, artisan batches
  • Against animal cruelty
  • Australian-made

Whether or not you are interested in such things it’s awesome that a company has taken such a stand and some of the things they are doing like their lovely, simple, recyclable and sustainable packaging, their small artisan batches and being against animal cruelty speak to my own philosophy. The products are beautiful and extremely different to any fragrances you’ll buy in a Department Store, being deeper, broader, more luscious and intriguing. I find myself entranced when I wear them because the ride is so filled with turns and surprises, different every wear yet still wearable in company as a background to your own personality. I would be careful wearing it to Zero Perfume Tolerance workspaces though because you are definitively fragrant when wearing a One Seed masterpiece. I also like that they are not aiming to be anyone but who they are, forging their own path and asking you to believe that you can do the same.

Photo Stolen OneSeed

Notes from One Seed:
Top: Mandarin, Basil, Blood orange
Heart: Black pepper, Ronemary flower, Fenugreek, Cardamom
Base: Cedarwood, Australian sandalwood, Peru balsam, Vanilla

What do I smell when I wear Slow Fire by One Seed on my skin? I love the opening that is a warm citrus fruit freshly torn open with the smell of peel, pith, fruit, zest and I think the vanilla is already lurking around the edges along with the basil. Then it goes herbal but the woods and vanilla are so present it’s not a green but a warm and smoky heart. I expect this to be much more something that it is not and then can’t remember what I expected. With the fenugreek and cardamom I am ready for something a little twisted, shocking or dangerous but Slow Fire is none of these things. It is beautiful and lyrical and ever so slightly human; like a healthy body smells after a day at the beach. There is wood and smoke but not burning or smokey or in any way acrid maybe more like the fire in full blaze. I am wandering lost trying to explain something that is way too lovely to be defined by my puny vocabulary and universe knowledge. This is lovely and out of the ordinary, you will be thrilled you tried it and Slow fire is well within splurge budget.

Photo Stolen Etsy

One Seed site has a sterling sample program 5 x 5ml EdP $70 Slow Fire will be available there soon
Slow Fire EdP by One Seed available at their Etsy Store 50ml/$85
with other frags, candles and samples (8 x 1ml Etsy Sample Set $30 delivered to the WORLD!!)

Thanks for coming and meeting a new Aussie icon. I think One Seed is going to go the distance with their excellent fragrances and their philosophy. Proving to me that the mold is made to be broken, and sometimes should be to surge forward from stagnation. Congratulations Liz Cook, I sincerely love your work,
Have you tried One seed? Do you have a favourite Uber Niche Fragrance Company that I should try? Please share your thoughts in the comments. We love visitors.
See you tomorrow,
Portia xxx