Classic Patchouli by Von Eusersdorff 2011

August 11, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

I love patchouli. Always have done. I used to wear so much of it that it turned my neck a deep amber colour. I was once stopped by a couple of coppers as I walked through the streets of Bristol. The asked me if I was aware of what kind of people wore patchouli and suggested it could get me into trouble. No comment.

Many years later my love of patchouli remains, although I do not wear it as much as I did in those heady hippie punk days of the mid seventies. As my affair with perfume deepened and I started to read about the notes in perfumes, it was interesting to see how many fragrances that I would never dream of trying contained patchouli and I was quite surprised. As I delved in further I started to notice phrases like “clean patchouli”. STOP. I think not.

Random fact. In 1985 Mattel used patchouli oil in the plastic of Stinkor in the Masters of the Universe line of toys. Makes you wonder who designed them.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Classic Patchouli by Von Eusersdorff 2011

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Patchouli
Base: Vanilla, tonka bean, sandalwood

Now guys, if proper patchouli is not your thing, then Von Eusersdorff´s Classic Patchouli will not change your mind. However if you have never tried proper patchouli then you absolutely must.

Von Eusersdorff´s Classic Patchouli is a dark, thick, rich, stylish, graceful, distinguished, dignified, classic hardcore patchouli. The patchouli rests on a bed of vanilla and tonka bean and sandalwood. There is a dash of bergamot in the opening. Beautifully blended and perfect for the heat. Patchouli and naked skin. For anyone except maybe the men in blue.

Photo Donated Val

“When logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead
And the white knight is talking backwards
And the red queen´s off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head, feed your head.” Grace Slick. White Rabbit.

Thanks to Camille Henfling of Von Eusersdorff, I have the possibility to invite three of our APJ readers to give the Classic Patchouli a go below.

Summer Bussis
CQ

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Classic Patchouli GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will each receive:
1 x sample Classic Patchouli by Von Eusersdorff
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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us in the comments. What memories does patchouli trigger for you?

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Classic Patchouli by Von Eusersdorff http://wp.me/p3PURw-49R @voneusersdorff #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 14th August 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Monday 17th August 2015 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.

Djinn by Marcus McCoy for House of Orpheus 2014

August 10, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Azar

Greetings APJ!

In mid July I received a fabulous surprise in my post box. Maggie Mahboubian, founder of FRAGments Artisan Perfume Collective, sent me a package filled with samples from the May 30th, 2015 FRAGments event in Los Angeles. An amazing selection of indie perfumes filled the little box, enough to keep me writing reviews for at least another year! I had no idea which one to try first. Searching for a new leather fragrance I found…Djinn by Marcus McCoy for the House of Orpheus.

Marcus McCoy is a Pacific Northwest independent perfumer whose background in psychology, ethno-botany, South American plant based shamanism and alchemy has inspired him to create a line of “talismanic” fragrances carefully crafted from wild sourced botanical materials. Marcus also runs a small distillery, Cascadia Terroir, an apothecary, Cascadia Botanical Apothecary and works with Catamara Rosarium formulating perfumes for Rosarium Blends.

Djinn by Marcus McCoy for House of Orpheus 2014

Photo Stolen House of Orpheus

House of Orpheus gives these featured accords in one line:
Haitian vetiver, cade, oud, oakmoss and alchemical oil of mercury.
As usual I have a few of my own “obvious but not present” notes to add to the list. In addition to the cade/oud leather accord I experience the presence of vanilla and/or tonka bean, jasmine and styrax.

Djinn opens with a heavy, vegetal Haitian vetiver that quickly assumes the guise of leather. This is not saddle or tack leather. It is not “biker”, shoe or new coat leather but rather a dark, smoky vanillic glove leather, recalling the specialty accessory shops the have all but disappeared from the North American retail landscape. When I smell Djinn I am transported to the boutique where I purchased my very first pair of fine Italian leather dress gloves. I have not worn beautiful gloves like these for many years but this perfume not only recalls the smells of these rich materials but also the exquisitely sensuous feeling of soft leather forming around hands and fingers.

Photo Stolen House of Orpheus

I can’t speak to the last perfume note listed – “alchemical oil of mercury”. From what I understand after reading through Marcus’ websites and related links “oil of mercury” is a non-toxic spirit or essence of the “soul” of Mercury (the planet as well as the metal) somehow extracted or created in an alchemical distillation process. If you understand this or can describe it better please let me know.
Whatever it is, “oil of mercury” seems to add a creative, mercurial lift to the dark, vegetal leather.

Regarding sillage and longevity: At first this fragrance is quite bold but retreats quickly, fading to smoky jasmine and oakmoss before disappearing completely after four hours.

Djinn is available on the House of Orpheus website as well as on Etsy where a sale is now in progress

I have a few questions for my fellow APJers: Do you have a magical perfume, a fragrant djinn that you can count on to put a spell on everything and everyone around you? Have you tried perfumes from the House of Orpheus? Do you own (and wear) dress leather gloves in shoulder, elbow or wrist lengths?

Azar xx

Vol de Nuit GIVEAWAY WINNER

August 10, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hey Hey APJ,

Heaps of interest in today’s giveaway. So glad to hit the nail on the head this time. Let’s see who won.

Portia xx

Vol de Nuit by Jacques Guerlain for Guerlain 1933

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, galbanum, aldehydes, orange, lemon, mandarin, narcissus, petit grain
Heart: Jasmine, daffodil, rose, violet, iris, carnation
Base: Woods, orris, vanilla, amber, musk, sandalwood, oakmoss, spices

Vol de Nuit GIVEAWAY WINNER

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x .5ml sample from my vintage Vol de Nuit parfum quadrilobe bottle
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me if you like the old Guerlain stuff? Have you tried Vol de Nuit?

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Guerlain Vol de Nuit GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-493 #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 9th August 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen HighestSelf

Mirjam Bayer

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winner will have till Thursday 13th August 2015 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.

New Foundation Formulations

August 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Post by AF Beauty

Hi APJ,

I have recently been tempted by a couple of new foundations, both claiming to offer new exciting things in formulation.

New Foundation Formulations

Lancome Miracle Cushion

This is an idea stolen in entirety from Korean beauty – beauty cushion – implemented by a French company, Lancome.

I already quite like Lancome’s foundations, they provide good coverage with lightness , something others can often fail to deliver. The Lancome Miracle Cushion keeps up that standard, the cushion is very soft, the applicator pad ultra smooth. I had expected it would be similar to a standard foundation application sponge, but it’s smoother texture, while still porous enough to hold the product as it goes on. The colour range is relatively small, just 6 colours at present. My first choice was sold out when I originally went looking and I succumbed and bought a slightly darker shade. I anticipated that summer would bring extra colour, but it is not overly dark and I’ve been wearing it even in my paler winter state just blending well.

I use this foundation almost like a BB cream, its coverage is light and it broadly evens my look rather than hiding flaws. I have dark circles that are improved but not well hidden. For me, this is my go-to foundation for a casual day, a weekend day or just a day where I’ll wear light make up to work.

Clinique Perfecting Foundation and Concealer

I had seen Clinique’s Perfecting Foundation and Concealer advertised, but had originally dismissed it as being too heavy for me. My preference has been for lighter foundation and to use concealer separately where needed but I was enticed into trying the foundation. The Clinique Sales Assistant probably loaded me up a bit too much, but I still took a punt and bought it. Since then I’ve learned to apply it a bit more judiciously with better result. I have read elsewhere about application techniques to only apply foundation in the places the face needed it and to blend out, in fairness I’ve been dismissive as it doesn’t really apply to lighter foundations. The foundation comes with a wand with a sponge on the end with barely more than one blob, I apply a few spots of foundation across my forehead, chin, nose and a little more under the eyes. I then use my fingers to blend it out followed by further blending with a brush. There is no denying the foundation is thick and the coverage is much more than I’m used to. It definitely has a good go at hiding my eye bags! I have to spend more time blending and smoothing than in simple application but the result is a brilliantly flawless face, great for bigger, longer days or just bolder make up. I still find I need to apply a powder to set the foundation so it does feel like a heavier application. Definitely different foundations for different reasons.

Clinique has 13 shades not many targeting darker skins, perhaps more will be added to the range.

My next trial in foundation is CoverFX Custom Cover Drops intended to meet the balance of light and heavier coverage in one pot. I’ve just started on these, so I’ll let you know how I get on.

Do you have particular foundation favourites? Any new formulations caught your eye?
AF Beauty

Soap: Let's Talk About Soap…….

August 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Anne-Marie

I adore soaps and shower gels and rarely hesitate to indulge. My life is always busy, and good soap is an affordable (mostly!) luxury that helps prepare me for whatever the day might bring. So today I thought I’d share a few of my favourites. I have dry-ish skin so I’ll preface my mini reviews by saying that none of these were excessively drying or irritating for me.

Soap: Let’s Talk About Soap…….

Some soaps I love

Chanel No 5 soap is the epitome of luxury, the soap version of what the French perfume industry calls ‘le Monstre’. I’ve bought it for myself, and my son bought me some for Mother’s Day last year. For a 15 -year-old it was a brave thing to front up to the Chanel counter, but he said the Chanel lady was lovely. The soap is a prettily scented pale pink square that lathers moderately and lasts reasonably well. The scent is closer to the EDP than the EDT version of the perfume. With use, the soap splits a bit around the edges, which looks a bit unsightly.

L’Occitane Vetiver Soap intrigued my daughter because when new it looks exactly like an oval of polished wood. The vetiver scent is bolder than in the Crabtree & Evelyn, more masculine. If you love vetiver, this is the better one to go for. I must try the cedarwood version one day too. The bar is fairly hard, lasts well, and is very moisturising. I have to say I once bought a duo of L’O’s Bonne Mere bar soaps and the first one was so drying I dropped both in the bin after just two uses.

Jo Malone’s Lime Basil and Mandarin Soap The mark-up on Jo Malone products is very high in Australia and mostly I avoid the brand. I bought a small bottle of LB&M bath oil once and thought it very weak – not worth even half what I paid. The soap is a different story. It lathers creamily, and the scent lingers on my skin and lasts ages in the bathroom. I don’t live near a JM counter but the next time I travel for work I reckon I’ll be picking up another bar of this if I get the chance.

Crabtree & Evelyn Vetiver & Juniperberry Soap was originally a gift from my daughter (my kids know the way to my heart!) but I’ve bought it myself a few times since. It is SO good for summer. If C&E would bottle this scent I’d buy a lifetime supply. The scent of both vetiver and juniper berry are both clearly discernible, but harmonise beautifully. The big bar lasts ages but does split quite a lot as you use it. I once had a bar of C&E’s Crabapple and Mulberry and found it pleasant, but nothing like as good as the vetiver.

L’Occitane Extra Gentle Soaps Recently I received a threesome set of these from a friend – lavender, verbena and milk. So far I’ve only used the lavender, and it was lovely. Like L’O’s vetiver soap, it was very moisturising. The bar is a bit softer. I’m looking forward to trying the verbena. L’O’s verbena foaming bath is one of my favourite bathroom products – I’ve been buying it for years – so I hope the soap is as good.

Claud Porto Deco Collection Soap A friend brought back a couple of these from as trip to Europe. (I’m not sure if they are distributed in Australia.) I had Chypre and Lime Basil. It was a while ago, but I remember that I particularly liked Lime Basil.

Do you have favourite soaps? Tell us!

Until next time, keep lathering!

Anne-Marie xx

Vidi by Gérald Ghislain for Histoires de Parfums 2013

August 8, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Fragrance Family,

It seems we are getting more and more ozone in our fragrances over the last couple of years. I’m glad because I quite like the new ways perfumers are incorporating the fresh air into scent. Gérald Ghislain does some really interesting stuff; I loved his Scent Of Departure range and have quite a few decants but by the time I decided the one I wanted it was gone GRRRRRR. He also has done some of the Alice & Peter fragrances in the cupcake bottles. It would be really interesting to one day meet him and have a chat, if he is as interesting as his fragrances and some of the ideas behind them then I think it would be a wonderful chat.

Vidi by Gérald Ghislain for Histoires de Parfums 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, cucumber, ozonic notes
Heart: Rose, cyclamen, saffron
Base: Immortelle, musk, amber, vanilla, blonde woods

It’s 2013 and I am sitting here wearing the remnants of last nights hefty spritzing of Vidi. I have spent the waking parts of the last 14 hours trying to find a different way of putting this but then I realised I should just blurt it out and then we can move forward with the review.

This is exactly how my last partner smelled when he wore L’Eau d’Issey Man. It is unbelievable how well Gérald Ghislain has married one of the iconic scents of the 20th century and my exes chemistry. Varun is a subcontinental Indian and has very spicy skin, it makes fragrance take on completely different hues. We could wear the same fragrance, and often did, and they would smell utterly different. Interestingly if we’d been out boozing and partying and went home to make love the smell of him wearing L’Eau d’Issey Man would so overwhelm me that I would be sick, yes you read right I would need to go and do a technicolour yawn, drive the porcelain bus, spew or chunder (whichever idiom your area uses). It was a damper indeed and it happened a few times before we worked out the root cause.

Nevertheless it is a happy smell for me, so reminiscent of a super fun part of my life…….

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Anyway, Vidi is supposed to smell like air that Caesar smelled when he said his immortal, and I’ve always thought pre-prepared in advance for such an outcome, words Veni, Vidi, Vici. On me it smells like water, or the dream of water. It’s cool and refreshing. The cucumber and ozone are particularly appealing together and when I spritz it’s like the first dip in the pool on the 25th September each year. Thrilling and terrifying. The flowers are a complete abstract and as such don’t really register as themselves but I do get a twang of iced water in a metal vase and air conditioning in a florist. Of warmth I get very little, it’s more a lessening of the cool and the immortelle has been shorn of all its lovely natural weirdness.

The jolt was so real and so potent in my fragrant memory bulb that I had to call Varun and tell him. I think that I’ll buy him a bottle and take it to him, any excuse to visit him and India.

Further reading: Chemist In A Bottle and Ca Fleure Bon
LuckyScent has $175/60ml + Samples
First In Fragrance has €125/60ml + Samples

What have you smelled lately that reminds you of the past?
Portia xx

Vol de Nuit by Jacques Guerlain for Guerlain 1933

August 7, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 50 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Guerlain fans,

Vol de Nuit is one of the oft talked about historical Guerlain fragrances. Created in 1933, the same year as Sous le Vent which is another of my faves, and named from a book by Antoine de St. Exupéry “Night Flight” who was a pilot in WWI, Head Post pilot and lost during WWII on a mission. What drew me to the fragrance originally is the fabulous bottle designed to be reminiscent of a propeller going full tilt. This grey glass beauty was enough in itself but once I tried the fragrance I was lost.

Vol de Nuit by Jacques Guerlain for Guerlain 1933

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

If you read the notes list and thought Vol de Nuit was going to be a big fat blockbuster of a fragrance you will be sorely disappointed. From an era that brought us such overt beauties as Sirrocco by Lucien Lelong, Jungle Gardenia by Tuvaché, Tabu by Dana and French Cancan by Caron it surprises me that Guerlain made something so discrete and intimate. A green floral veil backed by slightly warm vanilla/amber and mossy woods. A fragrance that is almost introverted in its sillage and projection until you sit quite close and suddenly you are drawn into its captivating spell.

I have a couple of bottles but the one that gets the most wear is the 2012 EdT in the Habit de Fete cannister. Yes, I know that people complain of the modern versions thinness and lack of base. Sure, it’s different to my vintage parfum and different to the vintage EdT I have a decant of. It’s brighter, more sparkling and I admit a little screechier but it’s still beautiful. Beautiful in and of itself. So wearable and pretty. The narcissus is not so dirty as the vintage and the base is less furry and plush, though they seem to have padded the violet and iris to compensate. My main gripe is that the longevity is affected, becoming a soft whispered wash of itself within 30 minutes and barely there after an hour.

While Jin and I were in Europe in 2013 I went into Guerlain L’Institute in Prague and I was determined to buy a L’Heure de Nuit but something made me ask if they had the Vol de Nuit propeller bottle. Yes, they did. With my heart beating 16 to the dozen I handed over my card and asked them to “Charge and wrap it. Please don’t say the price.” Every now and then I have been getting the box out; looking at it and holding it, happiness bubbling up inside me. Today, for you guys, I unwrappeed it and finally got to touch my perfect jewel of a bottle so I could photograph it. No, I’m not yet ready to open it, to cut the cord, but it’s one step closer.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Bois de Jasmin
Guerlain counters often have some in the drawers, ask
Surrender To Chance have vintage EdT samples from $7/ml

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Vol de Nuit GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x .5ml sample from my vintage Vol de Nuit parfum quadrilobe bottle
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me if you like the old Guerlain stuff? Have you tried Vol de Nuit?

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Guerlain Vol de Nuit GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-493 #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 9th August 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Thursday 13th August 2015 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.

Miss Dior Web Documentary – Episode 1: The fragrance creation behind the scenes

August 7, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom

G’Day,

Actually I almost never say G’Day unless I’m using the Aussie card in a gay bar and trying to pick up. I do love it when out in the rural parts of Australia and everyone says it.

So, Jin has a couple of actresses that he really loves and Natalie Portman is one of them. Here she meets perfumer Francois Demachy and he takes her through some of the notes and the behind the scenes fun of creating a fragrance, Miss Dior 2012. I love that they are talking as if it’s a fragrance made for Natalie Portman alone, it adds a very cool side interest.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Even if you hate the bullshit that goes with selling a fragrance this Miss Dior video captures so nicely the lovely face of Natalie Portman.

Enjoy,
Portia xx

Miss Dior Web Documentary

Episode 1: The fragrance creation behind the scenes

Gardez-Moi by Bertrand Duchafour for Jovoy Paris 2013

August 6, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello Perfumed peeps!

I must admit that I’ve been much more focused on non-perfumed pursuits lately. A big one has been fitness and running training as I’m doing a Michelle Bridges 12 Week Body Transformation (overseas peeps, she’s a local fitness trainer) and I’m feeling really good. I’ve never been a good runner and I’m enjoying the challenge of pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. I can honestly say I’m the fittest I’ve been in my life and I’m enjoying having ab muscles for the first time!

Photo Stolen Pixabay

A lifelong love of mine – makeup – has also had my attention. I tend to flit between perfume and makeup and the latter won out this month: I’ve been spending lots of time time looking up reviews, checking out Instagram posts and testing colours and all that kind of good thing. Lipsticks and nail polishes are my biggest weakness and when perfume isn’t my focus, I’m usually buying one of the two things.

I’ve also revived my passion for reading and I’ve ploughed through Judy Blume’s In the Unlikely Event as well as Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman and I’ve just started to re-read To Kill a Mockingbird to compare.

In saying all this, the joys of discovering a new love scent-wise didn’t evade me completely. One that captured my attention over the past few weeks was Jovoy’s Gardez-Moi.

Gardez-Moi by Jovoy Paris 2013

Gardez-Moi by Bertrand Duchafour

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Coriander, Aldehydes, Black Pepper, Cyclamen, Leaves of Tomato
Heart: Ylang-Ylang, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, Absolute Mimosa, Gardenia, Lily White
Base: Virginia Cedar resin, Styrax, Musk, Vanilla, Oak Moss, Raspberry Agreement

I’ve had a couple of tries of this previously and dismissed it as boring, but now it just seems to feel like “me”. Naturally, it should because it’s a Big White Floral and you all know that I love gardenia. But it’s also a Duchafour, and I’m sorry to say that Mr Duchafour’s scents and I don’t usually get along – there’s something in the base of his scents that smells like a bunch of flowers left in water too long – a green, stanky staleness.

Thankfully, this isn’t the case with Gardez-Moi – there is green there, but it’s at the beginning and it’s light and soft and powdery, thanks to the mixture of aldehydes and tomato leaf. This green gently folds into the big bouquet of ylang ylang, jasmine and gardenia. The mix is so big at first that I was afraid Gardez-Moi would just become a huge white floral as opposed to a true gardenia, but it doesn’t take long before her star begins to shine.

Photo Stolen Flickr

It’s a heady gardenia, but the green notes keep it fresh and blooming rather than overly buttery and cloying. There’s also a vintage vibe thanks to the aldehydes and oak moss – paying homage to Jovoy’s history, I’m guessing. The result is a classically elegant fragrance with chiseled cheekbones, crimson lips and a graceful beauty. However, the scent also has a joyful vibe thanks to the greenness of the gardenia and this stops the mix becoming too haughty or requiring that the wearer must don a ballgown to enjoy.

Further reading: Grain de Musc and Perfume Posse

Luckyscent has $180/100ml and samples at $4/.7ml

Have you tried Gardez Moi or any other Jovoy scent?

What are your other passions and interests besides perfume?

With much love till next time!
M xxx

Vegan Cupcakes, Tea, Essential Oils + Photo Essay

August 5, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

Vegan Cupcakes, Tea and Essential Oils

I met with two amazing women the other day to talk about natural perfumery, essential oils, healing, consciousness and chocolate. We drank tea and ate vegan food including these gorgeous vegan cupcakes by my friend That Vegan Lady.