Month: May 2013

Aurore Nomade by Bertrand Duchaufour for The Different Company 2012

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Gabriella

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Hello fragrance friends. I hope you are all well and enjoy today’s post.

I’d like to think that it wasn’t just by chance that my sample of today’s fragrance happened to arrive the day after daylight savings ended here in Sydney. After a mercifully brief period of hot weather during our so-called summer, suddenly not only was it dark very early in the evening but cold temperatures had already decided to set in. I was miserable and I felt cheated. I wanted the precious little heat and light that we’d had thus far back again. I wanted to be sweating in a t-shirt, not staving off chills with a cashmere cardigan. I wanted to crawl into a time travel machine and go back to just some days before when the air had still been balmy at 6pm and the sky still blue.

Aurore Nomade by The Different Company 2012

Aurore Nomade was just the olfactory tonic to do it. And it did so with a bang.

Aurore Nomade FragranticaPhoto stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Banana, carambola (star fruit), cinnamon, sea notes, nutmeg, rum and artemisia
Heart: Ylang-ylang, geranium, cloves, frangipani
Base: Immortelle, sandalwood, amber, vanilla and musk.

Reading that list, it would be all too easy to dismiss Aurore Nomade as a hot mess but it’s a multi-faceted perfume where a seeming cacophony of notes weaves a complex but cohesive pattern that takes you on a strange and delightful journey.

The perfume’s central note is starfruit and it’s the main reason that it inspired my much needed ‘summer-esque’ excitement. The fruit’s tart, pulpy tang speaks of exotic locales and brought back memories of childhood trips to Asia. I’m once again wandering around hidden markets in Thailand; I’m back in the dazzle and hum of a Hong Kong Street at night; again gazing at the thatched roof of a resort in Malaysia where the ceiling fans gently cool the air with their sonorous thrum.

Aurore Nomade is all salty-sweet with a definite palatable quality as if one’s margarita has been made with lemons and passionfruit instead of lime. There’s that wonderful sensation of licking the salt rim after you’ve gulped the syrupy liquor.

Margaritas DudeFoodNYCPhoto Stolen DudeFoodNYC

Underlying this contrasting vibe is also a verdant quality. In this phase, Aurora Nomade feels like a brighter, more delicate version of the now sadly discontinued L’Artisan Fleur de Liane. There’s the same impression of dense green vines and stems tangling around trees in a rainforest all thick with humid heat. Ozonic notes join the fray, amplifying the sense of high temperature and giving it a metallic zing. It’s the crackle of lightning foreboding the onset of a summer storm; the salty smell of water on asphalt after the storm has passed.

The base is all about soft spices creating a comfort skin scent. The cinnamon, sandalwood and vanilla are gentle and cozy on the skin. It’s a rather quiet denouement after all Aurore’s drama, but satisfyingly so.

SONY DSCPhoto stolen FaeriesFinest

Further reading Grain de Musc and Fragrantica

Available online at Luckyscent, $210/50ml

Have you tried Aurore Nomade? What’s your favourite “snap me out of the doldrums” scent?

With much love until next time!
M x

Bang! by Ann Gottleib for Marc Jacobs 2010

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Post by EmmaKate
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Bang! by Marc Jacobs 2010

Bang Marc Jacobs FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Black, white and pink pepper
Heart: Woody notes
Base: Elemi resin, aromatic benzoin, vetiver, white moss and patchouli

I am a massive fan of wearing men’s cologne, this is a different smell than I would normally wear but I really enjoyed wearing this.

It opens with an almost sparkling green note which is the vetiver already going strong. There is this warming sensation where the black, white and pink pepper comes through, the spice from the pepper combined with benzoin and vetiver makes this fragrance effervescent yet warm.

Bang marc jacobs Perez hiltonPhoto stolen PerezHilton

I am a very visual person and when I smell this I see a young well dressed guy. He has a good job, very caring and sweet, pretending to be a player. This is a sexy though somewhat comforting fragrance. Very easy to wear, über masculine to boot. Bang guys are date-able, maybe even marriage material.

Further reading NowSmellThis
FragranceNet has $37/50ml before discount
MyPerfumeSamples starts at $2/ml

See you next month
EK xx

Marc Jacobs Bang! Interview

Bang! Ad.

Bull’s Blood by Josh Meyer for Imaginary Authors 2012

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Hello Everyone,

These Imaginary Authors have been on so many blogs in the last year, I have been totally intrigued to try their stuff. To be honest, the sample set arrived months ago and has been sitting in my To Do list ever since. While we were doing the sample cataloguing they floated to the top of the pile again. My first is the one that has garnered the most praise and hoopla, start at the top I say.

Bull’s Blood by Imaginary Authors 2012

Bull's Blood FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured notes in one line:
Patchouli, Rose, Costus Root, Tobacco, Black Musk & Bull’s Blood

WOW! This is an experience. Maybe it’s the hype but I really smell that tinny taste you get when you bite your lip or if you have gingevitis from lack of oral hygiene during my 20s then when flossing you will get blood too. It is a very specialised taste and Bull’s Blood definitely has a smell of that taste. It’s interesting and confronting but not disgusting like Secretions Magnifiques can be. I feel like I am wearing the olfactory correlation to art, it makes me think and I am seriously moved by the strangeness.

Notes swirl here like a merry-go-round or a school of fish, turning beautifully and precisely and I am not going to ruin my trip by trying to parse the magic, though I do get wafts of patchouli, rose, sweet tobacco and musk throughout the frag life, it’s more about the kaleidoscopic pictures than each singular piece. Waves and waves of beauty, with an edge, a touch of something slightly off kilter that keeps it interesting, a fine line between absolute beauty and terrible disgust. I AM HOOKED!! Bravo Imaginary Authors, this is drama in a bottle.

BullFight Demonstration pbsPhoto Stolen pbs

It’s now tomorrow morning and there is still a sweet, bloody musk, quite strong lingering around my body. It is now very much like the opening of MKK. The staying power on this baby is extraordinary, I think it may be the costus that has stayed so beautifully. Maybe I am plagiarising but THIS is what Lady Gaga’s fragrance could have smelled like, did anyone else write this. Beautiful and weird. I am definitely in the market for an FB. I can’t believe how reasonably priced this wonder is.

Further reading SmellyThoughts and CaFleurBon looks at the whole range.
ImaginaryAuthors has $85/60ml (which is a bargain for niche so beautifully constructed)
You can also grab the 7 x 2ml sampler at Imaginary Authors Site (<<<JUMP)

It’s a great name isn’t it? Do you have a favourite freakily named frag?
Portia x

Sorry, I couldn’t bring myself to add a photo of a bullfight, they make me want to cry. I don’t judge or want to change the Spanish tradition but I can not look at them without stupid sad tears of shame and anger pouring down my face.

Fleur De Rocaille by for Caron 1993

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Hello GORGEOUS!!

I have quite a lot of the Caron fragrances. I like the way they smell, that they seem to be joined, the bottles and the packaging. There is something glamorous about the whole Caron thing that lures me in. I think it is a neglected icon that needs a Tom Ford to sweep in and resurrect their staus.

Fleur De Rocaille by for Caron 1993

FleurDeRocaille FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, gardenia, violet
Heart: Carnation, iris, rose, ylang ylang, lilac, jasmine, lily of the valley, mimosa
Base: Oakmoss, musk, cedar, amber, sandalwood

Fleur De Rocaille means flowering rock garden or flower of rubble. So, of course, I expected to be floated away on a hefty sparkling floral with stark and challenging depths that floated high and above a labdanum (rock rose) base. I expected goat, grass, greenery and twisted & tortured woods.

What did I get, the air at high altitude, it opens fizzy like a life saver mint which fits with how I expect the air to smell in a rock garden and then becomes the softest, sweetest and most fleeting fragrance I have in my memory. The note list reads like a 1980’s blockbuster and I am sadly deflated. Having said that there is a lovely section from about 30mins to 1.5 hours that to me is a soft lily, not the very fragrant ones, and some mimosa, after that I get sugar, something quietly green and amber but so sparse as to almost not be there. I wonder if this was made with the Chinese and Japanese markets in mind?

If you hate perfume but feel the need to have something on your dresser and that you must spritz before you leave the house then this is for you. You will not be overwhelmed, nobody will complain of you skunking even an elevator after a double quadruple spritz. I use the last 3 ml of my 5ml decant today in one wearing and only noticed that I was wearing fragrance intermittently, and no one else commented at all.

RockGardenDesigns amazing-home-designPhoto Stolen AmazingHomeDesign

Further reading UnseenCenser
FragranceNet has 100ml around $45
MyPerfumeSamples has $2/ml or $7/5ml which is what I bought

I love the Caron vibe but feel it’s fading, with the new regulations I wonder how these houses will survive. What do you think? Will we miss the old ways in 20 years or will the people then be immune to it?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Dsquared2 Fall Winter 2013/2014 Full Fashion Show

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Hiya Huffers,

While the Dsquared fragrances don’t give me a huge wear life they are interesting and usually boundary pushers. This F/W 13/14 show is so classically beautiful but with wonderful and outrageous features that make it modern, so bang up to date. And so much of it elegant, beaded evening wear. Bravo! Sequins and glitter are back.

Dsquared2-FW13 FMVMagPhoto Stolen MFVMag

I like that they have followed the LV 12/13 over-large hat look. It’s fun, silly and sometimes fabulous. The jewellery is astounding BTW. Enjoy.

DSquared2_FW13 GloveLoveBlogPhoto Stolen GloveLoveBlog

Portia xx
Dsquared2 Fall Winter 2013/2014 Full Fashion Show (Feb’13)

Gothic I by Loree Rodkin 2013

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Post by Kymme CV

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Hello readers!!

NYMag: Jewelry designer Loree Rodkin has built her empire on the corner of Goth Street and Glam Boulevard: medieval crosses, bejeweled skulls, delicate tracery earrings (Michelle Obama wore a pair on inauguration night)

Have you ever fantasized of being in a bohemian Kasbah, the air thick with incense, dancing around with careless abandon to the heavy beat of a drum…the silks tied to your wrists flow through the air with ease as you shake and bump your junk at men toking on hookah pipes. The humidity in the air adheres your sheer clothing to your moist skin as the sound of the drums intensify. No? Well neither had I until I smelled Loree Rodkin’s Gothic I Eau de Parfum! But there you are…

Anyway…I digress. So how does this EDP break down?

Gothic I by Loree Rodkin 2013

Gothic I LuckyScentPhoto Stolen LuckyScent

LuckyScent gives these featured accords in one line:
Vanilla pod, Madagascar vanilla, spice accord, Tunisian patchouli, Indian patchouli

Gothic I opens with an enormous sweet vanilla slap in the face, just like a vanilla custard-pie but more! This ‘vanilla’ is an exotic, deep, rich and velvety vanilla. But it’s really not that simple a fragrance. There’s a real depth to the Madagascan vanilla that comes alive once the spice starts to come through. Now we’ve got nutmeg on our vanilla pudding! The spice accords mixed with the vanilla give the fragrance a dramatic nuance.

When I first wore Gothic I hours passed before I started sensing the patchouli notes coming through. However, each time my body temperature rose a little the patchouli blend came storming through. At first I didn’t even realise it was me that I could smell! As soon as my body cooled again, back came the vanillas. I kept doing chores that kept me HOT because patchouli is my favourite scent. I’ve been wearing Gothic I all day – I’ve even been sweating it up on the veranda doing some plant repotting, and even after all the sweating I’ve been doing, there’s the patchouli. Ah!

Gothic I Girl FanPopPhoto Stolen FanPop

This is sold as more of a night time feminine scent than unisex, but it hasn’t stopped me wearing it during the day to the office. This is a fragrance that makes me feel great, relaxed and at ease. This certainly isn’t a perfume for those that enjoy florals, because Gothic I makes a statement, a big bold statement at that. If you walked into a crowded room wearing Gothic I, heads would turn and you’d be noticed because everyone would know that ‘drama’ had just arrived at the party.

Gothic I came in LuckyScents April Sample Pack. (These sample packs are great value. The 15 samples arrived nicely packaged, and at US$35 it’s a steal.) Oddly enough, Gothic I was the first fragrance out of the bag and has turned out to be my favourite of the entire sample pack. Was this a sign of the impending fantasy? Who knows, but this fragrance struck an ‘accord’ with me. Boom-tish!

Gothic I EDP appears to have had a bit of a hard time convincing the fragrance community that this is ‘nothing more than another run-of-the-mill vanilla oil with a ridiculous price tag’ ThePerfumeCritic, ‘…Gothic fragrance line is missing the gothic,’ nymag but I disagree. There’s much more to this fragrance than one might be lead to believe. I’ve not seen many online sellers of perfume carrying the Gothic range, with the exception of LuckyScent and Loree Rodkin’s own website, so maybe Gothic I has fallen foul of the critics. I hope not, but if it has, it deserves another chance. After all, tastes are constantly changing right?
LuckyScent has $140/50ml and $4/.7ml

Happy smelling!

Kymme

Dionne’s Spring + Fall Top 5’s

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Post by Dionne

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Greetings, fellow ‘fumies,
Portia wrote a post a little while ago (Portia’s 2013 Spring Top 10) listing her top ten for spring/fall, and I was intrigued to learn that she reaches for the same fragrances for both seasons, since they have warm days and cool nights in common. My own list for the two seasons is not similar at all, so instead you’re going to get a shorter list for each season.

Dionne’s Spring + Fall Top 5’s

Spring WallpaperPinPhoto Stolen WallpaperPin

SPRING

Ahhh, my favorite season! Maybe that’s because it’s so welcome after six months of winter, and since it’s such a short, ephemeral thing that lasts only a month I always feel a combination of hope and wistfulness. Spring is when I reach for my light florals, and that in itself is a special event. Most higher-pitched florals don’t play well with my skin, so this list represents perseverance and many, MANY samples.

Après l’Ondée by Guerlain

This is the pre-2011 formulation, when heliotrope still sang alongside the iris and violet. So gorgeous that if I was forced to choose only one Spring fragrance, this would be it.

Mimosa pour Moi by L’Artisan Parfumeur

I did a major sampling of the mimosa note, and out of about 14 contenders, this was my favorite. And oh, such a tender thing. Fuzzy yellow pom-poms in a bottle.

Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal

The prettiest of my green quartet, this floral green pulls off the trick of freshness and elegance at the same time. The highest praise my Scottish father-in-law would bestow on something was the phrase, “Oh, that’s just lovely,” and that’s what this is.

Le Temps d’une Fete by Parfums de Nicolai

Supposed to be a green floral, on my skin the green doesn’t really show up because narcissus and hyacinth in all their lush glory has completely taken over the conversation. Heady stuff and just a hint of naughty.

After My Own Heart by INeke

I adore the scent of lilacs so it’s no surprise my very first bottle after falling down the rabbit hole was After My Own Heart. I must respectfully disagree with Coco Chanel – sometimes I DO want to smell like a flower. And after comparing AMOH with the lilac bush outside my window…. oh yeah, I definitely do.

Autumn WallpaperPinPhoto Stolen WallpaperPin

FALL (Autumn)

It’s harder for me to choose specific Fall fragrances because I usually wear the same ones this season that I do in Winter, with one exception. My favorite perfumes are the spicier, warmer fragrances, and after a few months of fresh, floral, green or fruity options, I’m ready to give all my snugglies a go again.

Jour Ensolleilé by Sonoma Scent Studio

This is THE fall fragrance for me. Laurie Erickson combines orange blossom with tuberose and jasmine in a way that’s golden, and it’s the perfect match for the rich sunshine filtering through the trees.

Tilda Swinton Like this by Etat Libre d’Orange

Ginger, pumpkin, maple syrup and all things orange, this is the way celebuscents should be made.

Kyoto by Comme des Garcons

It turns out that incense + green tea + vetiver = a Zen state of mind. Calming and reflective.

Traversée du Bosphore by L’Artisan Parfumeur

At first smell, it’s sweet Turkish delight, but give it a whirl and you discover there’s some intelligence under the hood as well as the leather, saffron and tobacco come to the fore. It’s the Dolly Parton of gourmand fragrances.

Ormonde Woman by Ormonde Jayne

OK, now I’m really cheating, because this isn’t a Fall fragrance by any stretch; it’s my signature , my Holy Grail. It’s just that the Lady gets worn less in the summertime and I’ve missed her. Dark green forests wrapped in amber, a one of a kind.

spring-festival WallpaperPinPhoto Stolen WallpaperPin

SurrenderToChance has samples and decants of all of these beauties if you’d like to try any of them. Samples start from as little as $3/ml and they are a great way to test a fragrance.

So, what are your top five? Do you reach for the same thing in Spring and Autumn like Portia, or do you mix it up like me?
Dionne

Stop and Smell the Roses

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Post by Suzanne R Banks

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“Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.” Gertrude Stein, 1935

Some say Gertrude Stein is referring to the rose like this to express her feeling that things are what they are. According to Wikipedia: “In Stein’s view, the sentence expresses the fact that simply using the name of a thing already invokes the imagery and emotions associated with it,..” So when you say rose do you invoke the scent, or the colour, or everything? It is the most romanticised flower in history and appears in many poems, prose and plays. It is often associated with love and intimate moments of the heart.

Stop and Smell the Roses

Do you take time to stop and smell the roses? What is life if we don’t connect to its beauty at every turn? The scent of a beautiful rose is a true gift of nature which invites us to convene with the oneness of the universe in the now!

rosa-centifloiaRosa centifolia – another rose used to make essential oil

I never buy a rose that doesn’t have a scent – to me that’s the most important part. Isn’t it a wonderful thing when you enter your house to be greeted by the natural perfume of roses? Essential oil of rose is made by either steam distillation or as an absolute (where the scent is extracted into a fat and then lifted by a solvent). I tend not to buy absolutes as there seems to be a heavy chemical intervention and I’d rather have my oils extracted in the simplest way.

Rose oil is a complex arrangement of hundreds of molecules, some of which have still not been identified. No wonder it is referred to as the “Queen of Oils”. We know Cleopatra used roses in her beauty regime, and it is claimed she used rose petals in her boudoir to seduce Marc Anthony from the Roman Empire. The Romans used roses too, and the mention of roses appear in Christian, Buddhist and Confucian literature. Roses are seen in Asian motifs dating back to 3000 BC. It seems as though commercial production of rose oils and rose by products can be traced to Persia in the 10th century. The oil was referred to as “attar of roses” or “rose otto”, which is a term still used today.

rosa_gallica_jamesmasonRosa gallica – a sub species named “James Mason”

So what can we use use rose oil for?

* use rose oil to help with any heat or infection in the body (you would put a few drops into some carrier oil and smooth it on the face and body – a great treatment for any illness)

* use this rose body oil to help take the sting out of eczema and psoriasis

* a drop on the temple to relieve stress and tension and counteract a headache

* a great oil for attending to grief (use it a single drop on the heart chakra or in a personal mist or room mist)

* a drop added to your facial oil or cream will refine your skin and give you one of the most powerful aromatherapy treatments in the world. You will feel soft, unruffled, connected to the universe and ready to be the Queen of your world

* a few drops of rose oil in an oil burner will create a scented paradise of peace and calm so it’s great for upset children, the elderly and even pets (if you are using 3% in jojoba it’s not really suitable for an oil burner – you will need to buy the pure oil)

* a drop or two in the right place, as a perfume, will do amazing things for your self esteem as rose is the oil of self-love and nurturing

rosa-damascenaRosa damascena – the most used rose for oil production

When buying rose oil you will mostly find it comes in a 3 % dilution in jojoba oil and this is simply because it is a premium oil and is very expensive. Even if you buy wholesale, pure rose oil can cost hundreds of dollars. It is precious!

Remember, treat yourself first then everyone will benefit!

Suzanne R Banks x

Ed: If you thought this was good go see the Suzanne R Banks site (LINK JUMP) or like her Facebook Page (LINK JUMP)

All Photos from Suzanne R Banks site. This post is a reprise of a piece from Suzanne R Banks blog

Perfume + Tea: Musings + Pairings #2

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Post by Brie

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Perfume and Tea Pairings

For those of you in “perfumeland” who know me well I need not reiterate that SonomaScentStudio is my absolute favorite perfume house EVER (surpassing Chanel, Guerlain, etc). In my opinion every fragrance that the perfumer Laurie Erickson has created thus far is outstanding. Given my new found love for naturals and essential oils I have been hounding Laurie for quite some time to add natural fragrances to her line. My wish came true when she released Cocoa Sandalwood this past winter. Now, following in its footsteps is the recent release of all natural Spiced Citrus Vetiver.

Sonoma Scent Studio Naturals-Spiced Citrus Vetiver

When I wear Spiced Citrus Vetiver my mind instantly envisages a ballet. Not surprising, given that I was once a professional ballet dancer. Please join me in this production as the curtain rises.

rosemuscboxPhoto9 Stolen SSS

Fragrance Notes: Blood orange, bergamot, ginger CO2, cinnamon bark CO2, clove bud absolute, jasmine sambac absolute, osmanthus absolute, Sri Lanka vetiver EO, Indonesian vetiver CO2, Virginia cedar, Indian Mysore sandalwood EO, vanilla.

In the opening adagio the graceful pas de deux of our principal ballerina (vetiver) and her leading male dancer (blood orange) is supported by a pas de trois of soloists (ginger,cinnamon and clove) who jete around the couple whilst the corps de ballet (jasmine, osmanthus, cedar, sandalwood and vanilla) pirouette stage left and stage right. The prima ballerina (vetiver) does not take center stage in this ballet but rather bourees around the all the other dancers throughout this ballet.

vetcollage4

Vetiver (Suzanne R Banks’s blog post on vetiver) is an essential oil that I have recently grown to adore (The Fragrant Man). Laurie’s usage of vetiver has been masterfully blended in an utterly unique way. The vetiver is subtle yet appears throughout this composition, constantly changing on my wrist. A gracefully executed fragrance that is perfect for both male and female fragrance wearers. Given that it is all natural, Spiced Citrus Vetiver sits close to the skin and is the perfect scent when one does not want to offend the ‘perfume adverse” crowd. For a natural eau de parfum longevity is excellent on my skin.

IMG_2816Photo by Brittany and Courtney

Organic India Tulsi Tea (Original)

I pair Spiced Citrus Vetiver with Organic India’s Original Tulsi Tea. Tulsi, or holy basil, is renowned in India as an herb with healing properties that relieve stress and protect the immune system. The earthiness of this tea lends itself beautifully to the grassy quality of the vetiver in Spiced Citrus Vetiver.

Do grab a cup of this relaxing tea whilst wearing Spiced Citrus Vetiver : sit back and enjoy the ballet!

Perfume and Tea Pairings GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

1 x 1ml samples of Spiced Citrus Vetiver and my all natural essential oil blend “Ginza in the Rain” as well as a sampling of a variety of Tusli teas
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who leaves their favourite perfume note or essential oil in the comments section.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @SonomaScent @brie108 Brie’s Perfume & Tea GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p2fQBU-1Ar

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 10th May 2013 9pm AusEST and winners will be announced in a separate post then.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Brie’s family will pick a winner.
The winners will have till Monday 13th May 2013 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.