Month: February 2017

Mystery Nina Ricci Vintage GIVEAWAY WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hey APJ,

I think the fragrance is Nina. Thanks for all your help.

Portia xx

Mystery Nina Ricci Vintage GIVEAWAY WINNER

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 5 winners who will receive:
1 x Sample mystery Nina Ricci fragrance
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 18th February 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by getting one of my family to pull a name out of my dead armadillo basket

Neva

The winner will have till Wednesday 22nd February 2017 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.

Surrender by AbdesSalaam Attar for Surrender To Chance 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hey Hey Perfume Junkies,

I have some incredibly exciting news for you all. Surrender To Chance have worked with La Via Del Profumo to create two incredible, all natural scents that will blow you right out of the water. I constantly hear and read complaints that many niche and indie perfumers are selling out and going mainstream, that the fragrances we are being offered aren’t pushing enough boundaries, interesting, skanky or outrageous.

I think I have something that might then tweak your interest.

Surrender by Surrender To Chance 2014

AbdesSalaam Attar of La Via Del Profumo

WikiCommons

Righto, toxic, petrochemical oil slick jasmine straight out of the gate. There’s NOTHING quite so ferocious and fabulous as being punched in the nose by 4 million jasmine flowers and they’re ready for action. Like an ice cold river that is both refreshing and agony the jasmine here is frosty and full on. If you like jasmine but never think perfumers capture the freaky gorgeous scent bomb that is sitting just down wind of a full flowering bush at dusk then I have found the perfect jasmine for you.

It’s perfect for me too. Ah May Zing.

From Surrender To Chance: Surrender is a rich jasmine floral that blends different jasmine absolutes with licorice, carrot, myrrh, gourmand notes and hyraceum. We wanted this to be a plush, slightly naughty wedding perfume, but it can be worn by anyone, no wedding required. We love jasmine and we love what Dominique did with this. The addition of the hyraceum makes this fragrance sing! It should be noted that it is an ethical and sustainable source of animal pheromone which does not hurt the animal in any way as hyraceum is the crystallized and petrified form of Hyrax urine. Because of the nature of the ingredients in Surrender and for its function as a sensual aphrodisiac fragrance, animal pheromones have a sense and a place in it. 

You should get your sniff on this mad baby. I think you’ll love it.

How do you like your jasmine?
Portia xx

 

Mystery Nina Ricci Vintage

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Vintage Fragrance Freaks,

I have a problem, well one we are going to discuss today anyway, let’s leave the rest. Recently I was trolling eBay, as we all so often do. One of my favourite sellers had a pristine 50ml white Nina Ricci refillable bottle with the gold trim. It looked virtually unused and the juice in lightly amber but clear condition. There’s only one problem, it doesn’t have a label. Yep, is completely unmarked.

Mystery Nina Ricci Vintage

So, my response was to snipe bid $7 above the unbid price and see what happened. That still kept my bid to around US$25 including postage. Well there were zero pre bids, but 4 snipe bids and mine won! Woo Hoo! So it arrived and smells fabulous. All floral powder, oakmoss and lightly soapy.

BUT I can’t work out what it is. There are quite a few Nina Ricci frags around here but I can’t seem to place this one. So I thought I’d share the joy and send some people samples.

 

giveaway hemodernhome

Mystery Nina Ricci Vintage GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 5 winners who will receive:
1 x Sample mystery Nina Ricci fragrance
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.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please share a vintage fragrance you love, or one you wished you’d tried

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 18th February 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by getting one of my family to pull a name out of my dead armadillo basket
The winner will have till Wednesday 22nd February 2017 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.

Eau du Sud by Annick Goutal for Annick Goutal 1996

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

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Anne-Marie

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Hi all,
It’s summer in my part of the world and my citrus colognes are helping me push through the dog days.

I own a number of classic and wonderful citrus colognes, and while I always enjoy trying more, I rarely add to the collection of full bottles these days. After all, there is a certain sameness to them, and I tell myself I have most bases covered: 4711 (of course); Eau de Givenchy (my first citrus cologne); Dior Diorella (never dates because it always surprises); Eau de Rochas (lime and wet stones); Calyx (not really a traditional cologne, but wonderful in humidity); and Hermes Un Jardin sur le Nil (cleaner and more modern than the mossy citruses of yore).

I’ve many times NEARLY bought Chanel Cristalle, Ô de Lancome, Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin, Eau de Patou, and Dior Eau Sauvage. For one reason or other, I talk myself back from the brink each time.

But THIS: Goutal Eau du Sud.

Eau du Sud by Annick Goutal 1996

Eau du Sud: My first impressions

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin, basil, grapefruit, bergamot
Heart: Mint, lime, lemon verbena, jasmine
Base: Vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss

I gave myself a single spritz of Sud at the airport today on the way home from holiday. About four hours later, before I’d unpacked my suitcase, I hopped online and ordered a large decant.

Full bottle? Not ready to commit yet. But oh my how I enjoyed that single spritz of Sud! It lasted all afternoon and survived a shower (just). I’m not up to analysing notes yet, but what I loved was the mossy, aromatic and yet also dry and almost salty qualities I got as the fragrance developed. Citrus fruit, herbs, and the smell of sunshine on hot stones.

I’m looking forward to figuring out and reporting back on what it is about Sud that clicked the ‘buy’ button for me, when I have rejected those other great colognes. Yes, I’m as susceptible to marketing as the next person, but this really does make me dream of the south of France. The fact that I have never been there makes me all the more suggestible.

Book Depository

If you read romance novels you might know Mary Stewart’s Madam Will You Talk. This was her first novel, published in 1954, before she got into that Arthurian stuff. It takes its heroine, Charity Selborne, on a wild chase through sun-baked Avignon, Nîmes, Les Baux and finally Marseilles. Eau du Sud made me think of this book, not just for the scents, but the effect it achieves of bright sun and deep shade in an ancient, bare but beautiful landscape.

Well, I suppose it’s mostly motorways and apartment blocks now? Hopefully Eau du Sud will help me maintain the romance. I expect it has been reformulated over the years, but please don’t tell me. I’d rather not know.

WikiCommons

Further reading: Now Smell This and Portia on APJ
FragranceNet has $80/100ml before Coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

What fragrance conjures up your ideal summer?
Until next time keep spritzing everyone!
Anne-Marie

Scent Of The Day Diary

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Greetings APJ,

“Perfumes are the feelings of flowers.” Heinrich Heine

Colouring Book v iPad

It has become popular and encouraged over the last couple of years for adults to start to colour again, as many of us did in our childhoods. There are some lovely colouring books around but what do you do with them afterwards? I know the therapy of it all is in the doing but still, I didn´t bother to get into it. Then I was introduced to the Scent of the Day Diary, including perfume related pictures to colour in. Hurray! A colouring book with a use. How many of us (I am sure it is not only me) sit down at night, turn the telly on, AND grab our iPad? Way too stressy and I have stopped it for the moment at least. I now take my SOTD diary and colour. It is so relaxing, I can´t recommend it highly enough. Trial run of turning the iPad off at night is proving successful and I am sleeping better. Interesting.

As perfume lovers, perfumistas, pefume addicts, I think we are all familiar with the Scent Of The Day hashtags #SOTD/#sotd. Many of us use it on our social media pages as we share what we are wearing. Great fun in this tumultuous times, and let´s face it, we all love to know what everyone else is wearing do we not?

Scent Of The Day Diary 365 pages

Anisia, from Anisia Beauty has taken SOTD one step further and designed, and printed a fantastic diary filled with perfume doodles and quotes. Each day has a full page, days, date and month, but no year printed, meaning you can record the perfumes you wear each day for at last the next five years! The ultimate perfume OCD diary. I admire the creativity of people and the energy taken into turning an idea into something tangible. It´s a ballbuster, I know.

Thanks to Stefanie Jähn from Fragantica Germany, team member of Fragrantica.com who sent me a SOTD diary, I am absolutely not affiliated with the SOTD diary in any way. I think is a fantastic idea and just want to bring it to your attention APJs. And yes, of course the first thing I did when I got it was to look for a Vero Profumo doodle.

Get your Scent Of The Day Diary <<JUMP

Do you like to sketch or colour?

Painted and Coloured Bussis
CQ

CHANEL No 19: The Furriest Green

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

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Portia

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Hey APJ,

We talk a lot about the rigid backed, aloof and cool angel that CHANEL No 19 is but rarely does anyone speak about the furriness. While wearing it today I had this FUR-piphany. Though I love 19 in all weathers it seems to bloom particularly well in the heat. It’s as if the usually buttoned up girl blossoms and blooms into a voluptuous siren of a woman and calls to one and all in alluring cadences.

CHANEL No 19 by Henri Robert 1971

CHANEL No 19: The Furriest Green

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Galbanum, Hyacinth, Neroli
Heart: Iris, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-valley, Narcissus, Rose, Ylang-ylang
Base: Oakmoss, Leather, Musk, Sandalwood, Cedarwood

I’m guessing my current bottle is somewhere 1980s or 1990s. It’s the silver plastic 50ml EdT with the gold trim. The opening is quite high pitched and the base lasts well into 4 hours fragrant.

Sparkling citrus and green, furry galbanum. One of my favourite fragrant openings. At once sheer and dense, like being completely encased in a green bubble made of coolest, smooth marble. It’s a wake up shock, a welcome surprise every time.

PDI

Here’s the problem, I refuse nowadays to spend time parsing the notes in the heart. What I do is sit here and enjoy the scent of CHANEL No 19 in its entirety. The bouquet in 19s heart is fresh and crisp, it smells buttoned up and ready at action stations. How could you be anything less than efficient and in charge when you smell like this? Hardly seems possible.

Then the base slowly, sinuously, darkens this crystal display with creamy sandalwood, animal musks and furry oakmoss. Here is where CHANEL No 19 captures my heart and holds it in thrall. Somehow while maintaining its regal dignity the whole fragrance becomes comfortable, cuddly and comforting. Like the 6pm bell has sounded and Miss Hard Assed Executive has let down the French roll, undone an extra button on the blouse, swapped 4″ for 2″ heels and headed off to hang with the family.

PDI

Further reading: Anne-Marie at APJ and Portia at APJ
CHANEL counters worldwide have No 10 EdT. Mine was a vintage eBay buy

Do you CHANEL No 19?
Portia xx

 

 

Scent Diary: 6.2 – 12.2.17: Cruise Week

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

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Portia

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Hey All,

The connectivity on board the ship has been spotty. I have tried to keep up but it hasn’t been so easy. Here is a little look into the wonderful fun we’ve had aboard Explorer of the Seas.

Scent Diary: 6.2 – 12.2.17: Cruise Week

Monday 6:

So we are cruising happily along. Weather is glorious and I’m a little pink from sun. I don’t know if you’ve ever cruised before but I’m finding it incredibly relaxing. Jin and I are usually up very early and fit in as much as possible in every day, running all over countries and continents on our holidays. This is exactly the opposite. Get up, shower, breakfast, relax by the pool, read, chat till Trivia time. Lunch is served and the choice is really good, we all eat way too much and then have some more relaxation or wandering the ship. This morning we did a Stretch Class and then walked about half a mile before breakfast, I feel really good for having done it.

Divine EdP was my fragrance choice today. I love its retro bombastic white floral, spicy fabulousness and it wears so well on board a cruise, transporting me back to the glamour years of fragrance.

Tuesday 7:

I’ve had a bit of a drama. I thought I’d packed my extra fragrances in my suitcase and just four in my wetpack. I left the other bag of frags on the table and so I am a 4 frag traveller. It’s kind of a bummer but the four I have are pretty special. Divine EdP, Vaninger by Oliver & Co, Vintage Miss Dior Parfum and modern Mitsouko EdP.

Today became a Vaninger day and it was a perfect accompaniment to hanging loose on board.
Tonight we saw the shipboard show, “Boys In The Band” and the three men were sounding and looking fabulous in front of the Explorer of the Seas house band. About 15 minutes in I realized that one of the guys was a mate of mine Lee, or LittleX as I better know him. It was nice to see him doing so well. Totally entertaining show, we all loved it and then at the end he came out to say hi. The girls swooned.
After the show I went up and danced for a few hours on the Promenade Deck and then in the Night Club. Haven’t done that in years. LOVED every minute, couldn’t wipe the smile of my face.

 

Wednesday 8:

Woo Hoo, Neumea. Miss Dior parfum today because I thought we were going to the most glamorous port. It was cool and rainy and we couldn’t really do much except see the local shops. The beaches were closed because of shark activity and the Museum was closed because it’s Tuesday. As we were only doing the 6 bus stops we missed seeing the beautiful French Colonial houses and their tree lined avenues. Neumea was not a win really.

When we returned we watched Storks on the big screen over the Pool Deck. This crew is easy to travel with, everyone gets along and we all contribute.

We all remained in fine spirits even though Neumea was crap and dinner was the usual mad hoot. We keep getting 11 out of 15 in our Trivia games, it’s becoming a thing.
Later on we went to the cinema and watched Sully. Lovely movie. Tom Hanks is so easy to watch in any role for me.

Thursday 9:

At 1am suddenly I had the biggest craving for food. The only thing open 24 hours is the coffee shop on the Promenade Deck. So I went down there and grabbed some Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and a can of Sprite. He He he. YUMMY!

This morning was ultimate lazy. We met for breakfast early because it was the Port Villa stop. The weather was too rough though for ships to maneuver in the harbor so we stayed at sea and will go there tomorrow. I didn’t want to leave the ship anyway, I bloody love it here. After breakfast we went to the pool deck and had cocktails, at 9.30am. SO decadent.

Wore Mitsouko EdP today and it was a perfect fit. Did a double spritz for dinner and wafted while I ate.
We did three games of trivia, wandered the ship, ate, drank, laughed and rested.
I got to talk one of our party through the basics of blogging tonight before I got started chatting with you guys. It was nice.

Friday 10:

At sea. Can’t remember much. Looked at the shops, drank booze, ate, read, slept, relaxed.

Did meet up with one of my mates Aunties and Grandmas for drinks on the Promenade Deck. Julie, Aunty Barbara sends love. We had a hoot.

Mitsouko EdP again. Love it so much.

Saturday 11:

Isle of Pines. OMG! I freaking loved it so much. Went swimming in the lagoon, wandered around a bit and then came back to the ship and read my book. HEAVENLY day.

Sunday 12:

This morning Eve, Debbie and I snuck down to do ANOTHER Trivia. We hadn’t had any luck till today but finally we scored the win. EXCELLENT!! Won Explorer of the Seas highlighters.

Saw the Ice Spectacular. It was fantastic and we loved it. It was all smiling, hand clapping fun.

Divine EdP was the fragrance of the day, perfect.

What did you get up to this week? Anything exciting?
Portiaxx

Opus III by Karine Vinchon Spehner for Amouage 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Fragrance Family,

Yes, I know i’ve come late to the Library Collection. I don’t know why but earlier I found them boring or awful. Ever since I fell madly in love with Opus IX in Vienna while shopping with Val CQ, Sandra, Anna-Maria and Jin last year. I bought it on the spot at full retail without even thinking about it because it’s so damn gorgeous. So i thought I better give the rest of the set a respritz and Bloody Hell, they are wonderful.

Opus III by Amouage: The Library Collection 2010

Opus III by Karine Vinchon Spehner

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top:  Carnation, Broom, Mimosa, Nutmeg, Thyme
Heart: Jasmine, Orange blossom, Violet, Ylang-ylang
Base: Ambrette, Benzoin, Gaiac wood, Musk, Papyrus, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Cedar

The opening is sharp but mellowed by a smoothly waxy violet leaf with sizzling, spicy green-ness and already the creamy ylang is present. Opus III is a chunky violet/waxy/lipstick and hairspray fragrance that for me smells like I imagine kissing one of the glamorous Hollywood stars in the 1940s & 50s. It’s all cool fresh and floral up top and I’m surprised there’s no narcissus because I am getting some raunchy vegetal something, probably the jasmine, ambrette and orange blossom. Woody dry down is dry and resinous, lightly sweet. Charmingly innocent.

Flickr

One of the reviews I read mentions the word sleek and suddenly the whole fragrance makes real sense to me. Opus III is a sleek and flawless beauty that still manages to be friendly and approachable. Very easy to wear and love.

My imagine takes me to a well heeled businesswoman at the top of her game. Confident and talented in whatever role she’s in. A likeable, generous boss who also manages to get the job done. Though Opus III is happily unisex smelling this is my vision.

PDI

Further reading: Now Smell This and Australian Perfume Junkies
Libertine Parfumerie has $487/100ml with FREE Australian Delivery

What fragrances have you dismissed and returned to love?
Portia xx

Emeraude Agar by Jerome Epinette for Atelier Cologne 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Hey APJ,

Do you remember Coty’s Emerald? Well I love it, even in its modern form, but in the interests of full disclosure I rarely wear it anymore. As soon as I saw the name of todays fragrance I couldn’t wait to get my sniff on it. Add to that the lovely green (my favourite colour) of the label and it being brand new to the Atelier Cologne Metal Collection and I was practically panting. Not too far from the truth in the very hot summer we are having here in Sydney, Australia.

So I’ve poured the whole sample vial on at once, arms and chest.

Emeraude Agar by Atelier Cologne 2016

Emeraude Agar by Jerome Epinette

 

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Angelica, Bergamot, Black pepper
Heart: Eucalyptus, Geranium, Turkish rose absolute
Base: Gaiac wood, Malayan oud, Mysore sandalwood

Black pepper with a tinge of green over bro-woods is my initial thought. In the rose/oudh category this little baby is leaning to the masculine but in a 21st century niche woodsiness that speaks to me of gym changing rooms and boozy middle management on Friday night. TBH I was expecting more from the note list. Very little Angelica on me, the Eucalyptus passes me by and the geranium fails to even add its perky kick in any meaningful way.

I just read that back and it reads like a diss. Nah, not a diss. I quite like the way Emerald Agar smells but it’s hardly a boundary pusher or even feeling very niche OR it feels like all the lazy formulaic niche. Maybe I’m just feeling bitchy in the  41C humid heat.

PDI

The sandalwood is a very nice approximation. Creamy, soft, supple sandalwood like running your hand over one of those beautifully carved and polished wood bowls you see in country style stores for extravagant prices. Add that to the plethora of other wood in the base, and the super subtle hint of oudh, it’s my favourite part of the whole experience. Lasting power is good for an Atelier too. I could imagine a one fragrance person going through a bottle of Emerald Agar in the cooler months of the year in record time and even have it work well into the summer. If you told me there was ambergris in the base here I’d believe you, salty driftwood dry down with a creamy smooth overlay, seriously the end is wonderful.

Flickr

LuckyScent has $130/30ml
Surrender To Chance has $4.80/ml

Can you be tempted by name and bottle? Does the colour of the packaging ever help you decide?
Portia xx

CHANEL: Scented Journey

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

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Sandra

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Hi there sexy smelling APJers

About a week before I left Vienna I was sniffing my way through the new Eau de Parfums of the Chanel Exclusives when a lovely SA came up to me and asked if I would like to go on a Chanel Scented Journey. Intrigued, I signed myself up and asked a friend to come and join me.

Not knowing what I was about to embark on, I went in open minded and happy to get away for a little bit of scented fun. Now, I will be perfectly honest here, I did not come out and tell her that I was going to write a post about it, nor did I tell her that I looovee perfumes and have more than 2 bottles at home. I thought it might make her uncomfortable and clam up. I did ask permission to take one picture of her with the essences in front of her and she agreed (no close up of the box was allowed).

CHANEL: Scented Journey

So, to begin with she asked me several pointed questions about my scented memories or what I find to be the perfect scented experiences. We spoke a bit about flowers and colours and then we dove right it.

Now, if you think that this is all hogwash and you do not want to read any further, I understand completely. However, take into consideration the most amazing Chanel box that came out full of essences that Chanel uses in its perfumes. My jaw dropped when I saw what lay before me and I wanted to go through each and every one of the mini bottles. Unfortunately, that is not how it works. Taking into account my answers, she had me go through 10 essences where I had to guess what I was smelling and then give an opinion on how I liked it.

Well, after about half an hour of sniffing and swooning or cringing, she walked away for 5 minutes and then came back with what she thought would be my perfect Chanel perfumes. I was told that Beige or Boy would be to my liking. Now, she hit the nail on the head with Beige as I already have gone through a bottle of it and still love it. But Boy? Unfortunately she did not have any samples of Boy left but she gave me samples of several of the other perfumes to test at home.

You may wonder if I walked away with anything. Yes, sure did – after several wearings I fell in love with Misia EdP as I find it a tad rounder, less sharp in the opening and overall more tenacious than the EdT which tends to fall flat on me after about an hour of wear. I received a decant of Boy from a dear friend and will be giving it a full wearing when it warms up a bit here and wonder if she got that one right too.

If you have the opportunity to take the Chanel Scented Journey, please do. It was such a joy being able to see the essences lined up like that and actually smelling some of them. I would love to hear if you have had the chance the smell the new EdPs and what you think of them.

Till next time,
Big smoochy woochies,
Sandra xxx