Spanish Geranium (vintage) by Andre Fryse for Lanvin

September 30, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 77 Comments

Post by Azar

Spanish Geranium by Lanvin

Hello APJ,

Spanish Geranium (Geranium d’Espagne) was created for Lanvin in 1925 by the brilliant perfumer Andre Frysse. It sold for a short time, became unavailable for many years, was revived in the 1950’s and finally discontinued around 1970. The 20th century actress Joan Crawford (“Mommy Dearest” to some) was reported to have said of Spanish Geranium that it was one of the three fragrances she “would never want to live without”. The other two were Royall Lyme by Anthony Gaade and Estee Lauder’s Youth Dew. Jungle Gardenia was also one of her favorites. Unfortunately for Joan (and for the rest of us) Spanish Geranium and the original Jungle Gardenia that she loved so much are long gone while more mainstream, crowd-pleasing fragrances, like Royall Lyme and Youth Dew, remain.

In the 1960’s my mother was given a bottle of Spanish Geranium Eau de Lanvin (an EDT). She favored Arpege so gave me free access to the SG, which I used with a heavy hand. The scent of Spanish Geranium, as well as the characteristic Lanvin accord, are burned into my memory. In those days my application of this fragrance was so liberal that one of my music comp professors actually took me aside on a hot Spring day and advised me on the appropriate use of perfumes and colognes. I remember his exact words and often ignore them.

Spanish Geranium is a bracing, in your face, almost masculine rendition of its floral namesake. The top notes are a combination of the familiar scent of the flowers and foliage of the zonal geranium (Pelargonium zonale) and the crushed leaves of the hybrid spicy rose geranium (P. ‘Graveolins’). Citrus, perhaps unripe lemon or bergamot, and what might be pepper add a sparkle to the floral mix. The opening never truly fades, giving Spanish Geranium the illusion of a soliflore, which it definitely is not. After about five minutes oakmoss, palmarosa and a touch of patchouli join the geraniums, eventually drying down to a light amber, a woody resin and something animalic, perhaps civet. The entire SG fragrance mélange floats on the same Lanvin accord that supports Arpege and My Sin. I can’t really describe this accord, but if you have used vintage Lanvin you will know what I’m talking about .The sillage can vary between quite intimate to moderate and the longevity up to 4 hours on my skin and more on clothing.

When I first tried Spanish Geranium I thought it was the strangest fragrance I had ever experienced. Admittedly I was quite young at the time but, even now, I find SG to be hauntingly beautiful and (for lack of a better word) just a little bit “odd”. I LOVE odd! Perhaps you will too! Remember that this is a very vintage EDT. It has faded somewhat but has not turned. What I perceive to be a fascinating, odd smell is the same scent I’ve encountered, bottle after bottle, from my first sniff over 50 years ago up to and including what I’m enjoying today.

Further reading: Cleopatra’s Boudoir
The Perfumed Court has .5ml in with 6 other Lanvin fragrances from $28

I just asked Lucie Joly (the Assistante Chef de Produit, what does that title mean?) if there would be a modern revival. She was very cordial but said that an SP revival was not in the works right now, thanks for asking and she would let me know if they decided to do a reissue. I suppose it doesn’t hurt to put a “bee in their bonnet”. It might be interesting to see what kind of Spanish Geranium would emerge to suit modern tastes and restrictions. When I think of a modern revival of SP I get the the image of a strange mutated butterfly with a vague memory of another life as something else. This image was probably a result of reading Ellen Covey’s most recent post referring to butterfly memory, among other things.

AzarX

Photo Stolen hemodernhome

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

There will be 2 winners this week, each will receive:

1 x 2ml decant from my stash of Spanish Geranium EDT
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

To be eligible just leave a comment about anything related to geraniums or pelargoniums and mention how you follow the APJ’s (e-mail, wordpress, whatever).

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Vintage Lanvin Spanish Geranium GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-1Vs @LANVINofficial #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday October 6th 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
The winners will be chosen by B-Azar or by Gomez the pionus parrot from same sized folded papers on a tray.
The winners will have till Wednesday 9th October 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.

DATES FIXED! OOOOPS! Naughty Portia with the cut & paste

Mandragore Pourpre by Camille Goutal + Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2009

September 29, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 96 Comments

Hello Fragrant Fumies,

Just recently Natalie from Another Perfume Blog landed in Sydney and to welcome her I took her and another buddy out to a couple of SALE Stores. While at a particular one we found this gorgeous purple bottle of Annick Goutal reduced to next to nothing, I begged for the Tester and got it for even less! So now I have a huge amount of it and think it’s only fair to share the largess.

Mandragore Pourpre by Annick Goutal 2009

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives rthese featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, mint, star anis
Heart: Aromatic herbs, spices, amber, rosemary, geranium, black pepper
Base: Heliotrope, incense, patchouli, myrtle

Sweet minty fresh opening and it’s a fun herbal blast. Mandragore Pourpre is supposed to be reminiscent of the deep, dark, enchanted Mandrake Root that looks like a person and can change your life for good, a poisonous, hallucinogenic, aphrodisiac all in one root. No wonder people think it’s bewitched. From my reading Isabelle Doyen has said more of the Harry Potter Mandrake than the old world witchy tales. Because of the sweetness cutting through the green it doesn’t give me much darknesss, though it becomes spicy and tingly through the heart with all the pepper and geranium the ambers warmth keeps it friendly and cozy. My skin even makes the dry down soft and powdery rather than the cool incense and earthy green I was expecting. Clearly it’s me because everyone else seems to have had a different ride. Still a green-ish powder but hardly any incense, to my nose anyway.
.

Photo Stolen GoldenArmor

Life around 4 hours max but fragrant for the first 2-3 hours with good sillage but only moderate projection. If you sit with a group for about 10 minutes they will start asking who smells good after 9 minutes. So it’s a bit of a creeper in company.
.
Edited from the Annick Goutal site: An olfactory creation born of the fascination felt by Camille Goutal and Isabelle Doyen for the mandrake. A plant which had magical and aphrodisiac virtues in ancient times. Mandragore Pourpre fuses aromatic and Cyprus scents.
Illustrating a darker and more mysterious facet of the mandrake, different from the original Mandragore whose fragrance is based on refreshing and woody scents. A contrasting interpretation for an ode to mystery. A spicy, sensual and captivating composition.
.
Further reading: Now Smell This and Grain de Musc
FragranceNet has $90/100ml before coupon
The Posh Peasant starts at $4/ml

Photo Stolen MimiFrouyFrou

Photo Stolen lavanyasrecipes

Mandragore Pourpre by Annick Goutal GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

We will have 3 winners this week. It would be more but postage is outrageous! Each winner will receive

1 x 5ml decant of Mandragore Pourpre by Annick Goutal EdT
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

All I need is a HELLO with how you follow for you to be eligible for the draw.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @AnnickGoutal_FR Mandragore Pourpre: Annick Goutal GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-21D #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 3rd October 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Jin will pick a winner (unless he asleep or studying then I’ll use random.org).
The winners will have till Sunday 6th October 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.

Good Luck Everyone,
Portia xxx

Parfum Sacre EdP by Ernest Daltroff for Caron 1991

September 28, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Hello Fragrant Friends,

I have had this beautiful fragrance in my wardrobe for a while, it is often grabbed for but then I think, “Oh No there’s only 30ml” and go for something else. As it’s been an unusually warm winter down here in Sydney the warmers have largely stayed in the closet. As you are about to go into Autumn up there in the Northern Hemisphere though, and I decided to wear this beauty, it is time I gave you a heads up on how it wears for me….

Parfum Sacre by Caron 1991

Photo Stolen Shopping.com

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, pepper, mimosa, cinnamon
Heart: Clove, orange, tincture of rose, jasmine
Base: Myrrh, vanilla, musk

Caron has chosen an interesting name for Parfum Sacre. Every person on earth has a different version of what’s sacred in their heads, combined of their upbringing, study, travel, personal thoughts and doctrine. Ernest Daltroff had his work cut out for him and I wonder what the brief was? It was 1991 so CdG wasn’t yet taking the incense by the horns and Lutens had only begun the idea of his Palais Royal. From my readings it appears that Bellodgia is an Italian town on Lake Como, somewhere near George Clooney’s Laglio house I’d hope. Could he be considered sacred? Plenty of people adore him….

Photo Stolen lonny

So how does Parfum Sacre smell? On my skin it is bright, spicy and waxy at first, sharp and herbal as it burns off giving me a lovely pepper, cardamom and clove burst that if it was a good deal sheerer could be a modern wash opening, but it’s dense and fragrant, lovely in its complexity though I think I miss quite a bit of the nuance because the jasmine, cinnamon and rose are not featured players to my nose. The myrrh is king down the end and Parfum Sacre lasts for hours and hours. Even my scent hungry skin keeps it there, WOO HOO!

If you want to feel like a retro glamour movie star making a grand entrance and smelling like a billion dollars then Parfum Sacre is for you. NSFW unless you work alone or in a very airy office, Parfum Sacre can and will skunk if over applied. I was overly generous the other night at work, someone came in to give me a hug and started coughing with eyes streaming. It was a decidedly unglamorous moment and I felt really bad for him. It was the closeness I think but certainly less than ideal. So be careful with Parfum Sacre, sparingly unless you know you have 4 good hours of uncloseness. After 4 hours it calms to a dull roar and is pretty acceptable but still unsuitable for close working conditions or dining. Needless to say Parfum Sacre is one of my all time favourite cool weather fragrances, ever!!

Photo Stolen GoogleArtProject

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Another Perfume Blog
FragranceNet has $35/50ml unboxed before coupon.
Surrender To Chance has modern EdT & EdP from $3/ml, Older Version from $4/ml and Vintage Extrait from $15/.25ml

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Are you a Parfum Sacre fan?

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Note on new Bellodgia reformulation from Perfume Shrine: Nothing to do with Parfum Sacre: Piu Bellodgia means “more Bellodgia” in Italian (fitting language since the original Bellodgia was inspired by the Italian countryside) but doesn’t appear to add more oomph to the already rich bouquet of the classicCaron Bellodgia. Reworked by Richard Fraysse, this was a composition that needed to adhere to the new IFRA directives on the regulation of eugenol/isoeugenol (spicy components used in fragrance replicating carnations, such as this one). The newer version is rosier than I get from my old bottle (which is a fuller floral symphony), with less of the spicy kick.
.

Photo Stolen Wikimedia

Hermès Maxi-Twilly Mini Movie

September 28, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Heya Hermès fans,

As we have discussed before, I love Hermès! It is a brand that I have always followed since Mum had some Caleche in her fragrant armory at some point in our childhood. Many of her friends had scarves and bags but for some reason Mum wasn’t interested in their other offerings, though both Dad and I were given Hermès ties. My memory tells me she did have an Hermès scarf ring but I could be making that up.

If Mum were alive today I would be banging down the door of Hermès THIS MORNING after seeing this video. I think this is the PERFECT Hermès idea, so versatile, wearable, fun and elegant. This is definitely what the cool kids will be wearing this year.

In Australia a printed silk Hermès Maxi-Twilly, 220x20cm will set you back AU$395.00.
In the UK a printed silk Hermès Maxi-Twilly, 220x20cm is £205.
In the USA a printed silk Hermès Maxi-Twilly, 87” x 8” is $290.

I hope you like this super fun ad/movie. I think Hermès has hit the nqail on the head again,
Loads of love,
Portia xx

Photos Stolen from the Hermès Australia site

Sydney Botanic Gardens: Sydney Perfume Lovers Perfume Walk 2013

September 27, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hi there APJ Crew,

There is something very internal about being a perfumista, a collector of fragrance and bottles, stalking the internet and spritzing selfishly and often for you alone. The only way to make perfume more fun is to get involved with the rest of the perfumistas in your area, some deep dark perfumistas and some still skirting the edges of the woremhole. It’s amazing how much fun, laughter and interest there is in sharing the experiences of discovery and knowledge.

Portia xX

Sydney Perfume Lovers Perfume Walk 2013

Sydney Botanic Gardens: Saturday 12th October 10am-12.30pm

Perfume consultant Catherine du Peloux Menagé teams up with Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney volunteer guides Mary Threlfall, Jill Paterson and Rosemary Roberts for a talk and walk. Learn about the plants used to make perfumes and the process of extracting scent.

Catherine will also explain the fragrance wheel and the role of synthetic scents. This is a perfect way to simply and easily expand your fragrant vocabulary and knowledge. It will give you a clearer picture of fragrance styles you may like and also open up new doors into personal scenting you may never have traveled through.

Then be guided through the Garden to explore fragrant plants. Below is a picture of Catherine with your three guides through the gardens, don’t they look sweet and fun?

Where, What and How Much?

Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney Joseph Maiden Theatre, Sat 12 Oct, 10am–12.30pm

Members: $35, Non-Members: $40

All Sydney Perfume Lovers get the $35 Members price!
Yes you can join today for FREE JOIN SYDNEY PERFUME LOVERS<<<JUMP

For Bookings Phone 02 9231 8182 or visit rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/foundationandfriends

CHANEL: Once Upon A Time #7 Mini Movie

September 27, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Hello Gorgeous Perfume Peeps.

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. a tirelessly redefined model for success. In every era since her self inception Coco has been held up as the pinnacle of that eras aspirational success. That she was amazing, inventive, driven and well outside the norm is not ever under question. That her personal morals and judgements were often in poor taste and even evil is sometimes overlooked for her genius. If Coco was alive today with her way of thinking I would not buy the CHANEL product because she was a bigot, and an oppressor. Coco is gone and CHANEL remains. Long live CHANEL and I chose to look at the wonder, not the history, except to remember that not all is as it seems.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Please enjoy this mini movie for the wonderful piece of propaganda that it is.

Portia xx

Gabrielle Chanel – Inside CHANEL

Photo Stolen girlwiththecuriousnose

L’Air du Temps parfum by Francis Fabron for Nina Ricci 1948

September 26, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Hello Fellow Fumies,

Some of you may know that way back in the dimness of time I was a Squirt Bitch for a department store in Sydney’s suburbs, my fragrance section was Guerlain, Oscar de la Renta, Worth and Nina Ricci. At the time I was so dazzled by the Guerlains and Oscars that poor old Nina Ricci got left behind, it was the 1980s and very few people were after such subtlety, especially once I started on my “Make a statement” spiel. I recently purchased some L’Air du Temps parfum just for old times sake. Then, a short while ago on Fragrantica Miguel Matos did a sensational L’Air du Temps 65th Birthday piece and judging by the packaging on my new acquisition it’s 1986-2008 juice, except the parfum has gold doves on the box. Which is a SCORE. Today was always going to be about L’Air du Temps but now it has an extra special reason, Happy 65th Birthday L’Air du Temps.

L’Air du Temps parfum by Nina Ricci 1948

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rose, carnation, bergamot, neroli, aldehydes, Brazilian rosewood, peach
Heart: Cloves, carnation, orris root, gardenia, rosemary, jasmine, ylang ylang, violet, rose, orchid
Base: Musk, amber, sandalwood, iris, spices, vetiver, cedar, oakmoss, benzoin

I love a floral, fruity, aldehydic opening of yesteryear, there is so much depth and glamour. It’s spicy and sugared, crisp and warm and fizzy, L’Air du Temps is fun! The parfum version is so much fuller and more powerful in the opening than my memories of the EdT back in the 1980s but the scent is still the same, no not the same but same enough to feel the memories flood back. Both cozy and starched elegance at the same time. Luminous! I am back in time over 20 years and just getting my first perfumista stars.

After the first ten minutes L’Air du Temps takes a definite step towards soft, there become space between the various notes and the wall of scent becomes a lovely warm floral aura that is still spicy and punchy but more restrained. There is so much going on in L’Air du Temps that I find it hard to pick individual notes. The cloves are most discernible and I can smell flowers but it’s a dream of flowers nothing specific. While half the time feeling totally old fashioned and dated it also is still spare and pretty enough through the heart to be at ease in today’s fragrant climate. An hour in and I am softly fragrant, maybe if I was sitting in a small room for a while you’d smell a change in the air but otherwise you’d have to hug me to know I’m perfumed.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Amber and sandalwood/cedar are what I smell most of in the dry down, there are other things but I can’t decipher them as notes it’s more of a harmonious background hum. After around 4 hours L’Air du Temps goes so soft I can barely register it but I know that I’m not smelling me, it is definitely other, an amorphous wash that I lose at around 5-6 hours.

How does L’Air du Temps make me feel? Pretty, I feel pretty, no bold statement, very laid back and comfortable. Wearable on any occasion, even close working quarters would not be offended by L’Air du Temps parfum. It is subtle and glamorous without the hard work of appearing to be.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Bois de Jasmin
Fragrance Shop starts at $33/50ml EdTBeauty Encounter has $160/0.25 oz Parfum Classic Flacon Collection Cristal Lalique Bottle
My Perfume Samples starts at $2/ml

Have you worn L’Air du Temps? Does it have memories for you? Share with us please in the comments
Se you tomorrow,
Portia xx
Whoever got the job of creating this ad was both crazy and genius by the look of it. It is still super wow.

Drag Queens, Cookie Queens and Chanel´s Coromandel

September 25, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Drag Queens, Cookie Queens and Chanel´s Coromandel.

Or How I met Portia Turbo-Gear of AustralianPerfumeJunkies.

Photo Stolen AlexDonald

Fragrantica gives these featured accordfs:
Top: Bitter orange,citruses, neroli
Heart: Jasmine, rose, patchouli, orris
Base: Musk, woodsy notes, benzoin, olibanum, incense, vanilla, white chocolate

I know that this fragrance was named after the exquisite Chinese lacquered wood screens in Coco Chanels house, but I prefer to think of it as having been named after the Coromandel Coast, the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian Subcontinent. Much more suited to the rich, patchouli, amber, incensed based Eau de Toilette. It belongs to the luxurious collection of Les Exclusifs de Chanel. Nose is Jacques Polge. It´s classed as a fragrance for women. That is so not true. It is equally suited to a bloke. But we know all this stuff don´t we? It´s been covered so well – Olfactoria, Bois de Jasmin, …….

I saw on APJ, early January 2013, that Portia and Jin were headed to Europe, with a list of dates as to when and where they would be. Well, as fate would have it, the pair of them were in Vienna on the same day as I was visiting the city. I dropped them a mail, offered a bag of fresh baked cookies, and we had a date!

Now after seven years in Amsterdam, there is nothing that can really phase me. However, I got my daughter and her friend to come along too. I had never had a blind date with an Australian drag queen before, and a little moral support never goes amiss eh? We arrived a little early, hit the Chanel Exclusif counter, where I doused myself in Coromandel. Meeting point was Café Mozart, downtown Vienna. A very beautiful, very Viennese coffee house. We had absolutely no clue as to who we were looking for, having not stalked the pair online to see what they looked like. We went into the cafe, looked around, saw no one that looked like they were waiting for us, and went out again.

I was carrying a Chanel bag, complete with camellia, in which I had the cookies packed up. A dead giveaway, or so I thought. We went outside to wait. It was damn cold. Not knowing if Portia would be in drag or not, we stared down every woman that walked by. Is it? Isn´t it? We had such a laugh. I finally texted them and asked if I had been stood up. Portia texted back “Inside grey Christmas jumper left near window, standing:” And there they were. Portia dressed in a Marks and Sparks looking sweater with a kind of Scandinavian christmas tree pattern. And I was looking for Dame Edna? Epic fail. (Portia had been outside, and seen us, and thought that anyone carrying a Chanel bag was too posh for them, and went back inside – is that a double epic fail??)

It was as though we had know each other for years. ( Portia has the gift of making you feel loved right away!!) I told my daughter she could leave. No, no, no …… no way. She was absolutely staying put. Wouldn´t miss it for the world!! Portia and Jin had also spritzed themselves, with Coromandel and Cuir de Russie. Great minds ……. In amongst the conversation, which ran at about a hundred miles an hour, I said maybe I could write a piece for the blog sometime. Not planned, never thought about it, absolutely no perfume writing skills …….. in fact, after 20 years of speaking bad German, and losing a lot of my English vocabulary, I didn´t really know if could string a sentence together. But here I am!!

We went onto the Chanel store together. I bought a bottle of Coromandel. We drove the shop assistant into lid-flipping insanity, and I had to grab my new friend Portia by the hand and drag him out the store. I had a feeling he was going to show the poor Austrian assistant what a colorful vocabulary I was sure that he had!! Each time I wear Coromandel, I am zapped back to that day, and to the short time we had with Portia and Jin. The memories with some perfumes are so etched into our brains that we cannot get rid of them. In this case it is awesome!!

Some that say that the longevity of Coromandel is not so good. Why do you think it comes in that half gallon bottle? Spray it on guys, lots of it and all over. Works a treat. I am in the minority. I love the huge bottle. It´s just so damn satisfying. It is an EdT and should be treated as such. Spritz baby spritz.

Portia opened a new chapter in my life. Not only with APJ. Through him I met two absolutely wonderful perfumistas living on my doorstep. My horizons have been widened, my circle of friends increased, my perfume collection has grown.

Is today September the 25th??? HAPPY BIRTHDAY PORTIA!!!

Photo Stolen 43things

A thousand bussis, to the sky and back.

Val xxxxxxx

WOO HOO! Birthday!

September 25, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 85 Comments

Hello lovely APJ Friends and Family.

You may know it’s my birthday today. It couldn’t go by without some cake. But today’s cake is a little different, YOU get to make a wish and blow on the picture.

BIRTHDAY WISHES

Close your eyes

Wish for something simple and achievable in your life

Hold the thought for 3 seconds

Now say THANK YOU for four things that you are grateful for. Doesn’t matter how small or big.

Here’s the cake……

Blow!

So I don’t know if your wish will come true but you know you have 4 things to be grateful for. You’re doing better than almost everyone else in the world.

What will I be wafting on this special day? Vintage Shalimar Parfum. I smell so fabulous and I’m smiling like a fool. With Guerlain’s Shalimar it always feels like love.

See you later,
Portia xx

Tubereuse Criminelle by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 1999

September 24, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello fragrant friends!

Today I want to share my very personal story on how a bottle of a special fragrance came into my life. Almost two years ago, I was in a very bad place. I had returned to Sydney from London after recently getting engaged to Mr M. We moved in together, I was starting a new chapter with the man I loved and it should have been a tremendously happy time for me. However, one thing stood in my way: employment.

The job market for the sector I was in was particularly dire. I searched and searched and got knocked back either because I was way overqualified or just not senior enough. One month turned into two and then three and suddenly, I had been out of work for the longest time since starting in the job market at 15 packing shelves at a local grocery store.

Photo Stolen Sander van der Wel Flickr

Still, it should have been fine. Mr M was happily supporting me financially and for the first time in years, I had time to think. But therein was the rub. Work had been so much part of my existence for so long that I now defined myself through my job. Without one, I felt like I had lost my identity and furthermore, my existence. As time rolled on, I became more depressed. I mooched around, drank more, ate tons and put of masses of weight which only exacerbated my unhappiness. When Mr M came home from work, I snapped at him. I was not a very nice person to be with.

Eventually, I did get some freelance work, but it wasn’t quite enough. My birthday was coming up and I would have been out of full time work for six months by that time, something I desperately didn’t want to happen.

So on Mr M’s advice, I went to see my parents who live up in northern New South Wales. It would be a breath of fresh air, allow me to spend some quality time with my Mum and Dad and hopefully, snap me out of my black dog state.

One day, I was doing some of my freelance stuff in Dad’s study. Rummaging around his desk drawer for a pen is when I spotted it: there in the drawer was a bottle of…..

Tubereuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens 1999

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine, orange blossom, hyacinth, tuberose, nutmeg, clove, styrax, musk and vanilla

I was flabbergasted, excited and also perplexed. This was obviously my birthday present but how did Dad know to buy me this? Sure, Dad knew of my perfume love and I’d probably mentioned tuberose as a note here and there, but he certainly didn’t know Serge. And how had he discovered Tubereuse Criminelle, which at that point, had only been recently released into the export line?

I went into the kitchen to see Mum.

“Mum, don’t tell Dad, but I think I have accidentally found my birthday present.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, the perfume in his desk drawer. But how did Dad know about it and how to get it and that I’d want Tubereuse Criminelle?”

“Well, you’ve been so very down lately darling and we know you love perfume and tuberose and all that. So Dad did some investigation online and found that this was a good one and quite hard to find. He just wanted to give you something really special to make you happy.”

Tears came to my eyes. The thought of Dad reading perfume reviews and doing background research was beyond overwhelming. I was deeply, deeply touched and thankful. It was a very special present in more ways than one. Now when I take that precious bottle out, I am reminded that good can come out of bad. The jolie laide character of Tubereuse Criminelle with the sharp mentholated opening before the full bloom of white flowers is a reminder that things do get better.

And, I’m also reminded that there is a hell of a lot more to life than work. It’s not the thing that defines me.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

For more in-depth reviews of the scent itself, please see Bois de Jasmin and The Candy Perfume Boy.

Tubereuse Criminelle is available at
Mecca Cosmetica $166/50ml
LuckyScent $150/50ml
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml.

Do you have a special story on one of your perfumes? What’s your take on Tubereuse Criminelle?

With much love till next time!

M x

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Month: September 2013

Spanish Geranium (vintage) by Andre Fryse for Lanvin

Spanish Geranium by Lanvin

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

Mandragore Pourpre by Camille Goutal + Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2009

Mandragore Pourpre by Annick Goutal 2009

Mandragore Pourpre by Annick Goutal GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

Parfum Sacre EdP by Ernest Daltroff for Caron 1991

Parfum Sacre by Caron 1991

Hermès Maxi-Twilly Mini Movie

Sydney Botanic Gardens: Sydney Perfume Lovers Perfume Walk 2013

Sydney Perfume Lovers Perfume Walk 2013

Sydney Botanic Gardens: Saturday 12th October 10am-12.30pm

Where, What and How Much?

CHANEL: Once Upon A Time #7 Mini Movie

Gabrielle Chanel – Inside CHANEL

L’Air du Temps parfum by Francis Fabron for Nina Ricci 1948

L’Air du Temps parfum by Nina Ricci 1948

WOO HOO! Birthday!

BIRTHDAY WISHES

Blow!

Tubereuse Criminelle by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 1999

Tubereuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens 1999