Author: australianperfumejunkiescom

L’Eau d’Hiver by Jean Claude Ellena for Frederic Malle 2003

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

.

Post by Gabriella

.

Hello perfumed Peeps!

I’ve loved the Frederic Malle range ever since it launched here in Sydney years ago but Jean Claude Ellena’s pared down aesthetic has never really been my cup of tea. It therefore took me some time to first appreciate and then fall in love with his masterpiece for the Malle line. And it’s been well worth the wait.

L’Eau d’Hiver by Jean Claude Ellena for Frederic Malle 2003

Picture 308Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Bergamot, heliotrope, jasmine, iris, honey, angelica, white musk.

The real beauty of this scent is its enigmatic quality. It manages to feel both cool and warm at the same time and the gentle unfolding of these polar opposites is what makes L’Eau d’Hiver so magical. There’s the slight cool tang of the bergamot in the opening underscored with the piquant pepperiness of angelica.

The addition of iris exacerbates the detached coolness and earthiness before the soft powderiness of heliotrope is joined by sweetness of honey. Even as the scent warms up, the angelica and iris continue to peek through the layers like soft droplets of snow or sparkling white ice.

L'Eau d'Hiver Frederic Malle angel_desnudo_ DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

L’Eau d’Hiver is somewhat of a mesmerising drug of a fragrance. Under its spell, I manage to detach from my normal frazzled self and become a calm, serene, contemplative being. It also makes me feel completely elegant. It is the olfactory equivalent of a white silk blouse, fluid and graceful and something that just makes you feel “put together”.

And as Dionne noted in her much more comprehensive APJ L’Eau d’Hiver review, despite its name, L’Eau d’Hiver works in all sorts of temperatures and seasons. I’ve been enjoying wearing it recently on temperate summer’s days.

L'Eau d'Hiver Frederic Malle Harkness_Tower WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Chemist in the Bottle and Olfactoria’s Travels
Mecca Cosmetica starts at $124/3 x 10ml
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $6/ml

Have you tried L’Eau D’Hiver? What are your I-just-feel-complete fragrances?

With much love till next time!

M x

Lovely by Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry for Sarah Jessica Parker 2005

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

.

Post by Katrina

.

Lovely from Sarah Jessica Parker is the perfume I reach for when I have a stressful day ahead. When I’m feeling a little worried about something I need to face in my day like a meeting or doctors appointment I will normally choose to wear Lovely. I spray on Lovely, inhale deeply and feel myself relax a little. I feel a bit more confident to face the day. Lovely is elegant and understated and I wouldn’t hesitate to wear this perfume for these types of meetings.

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker 2005

Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry

Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the following notes.
Top: Nectarine, bergamot, rosewood and lavender.
Heart: Apple martini, white daffodil and orchid.
Base: White amber, cedar, woody notes and white musk

I mostly smell lavender and rosewood when I first spray on Lovely with a hint of zest and sweetness from the light citrus and fruit notes.

I find lavender so relaxing and use a few drops of essential oil if I’m having trouble sleeping. I also have lavender growing in my garden and can’t help but pick some to smell as I walk past. It’s not that I love the smell of lavender; it can be strong and sharp. It’s the feeling of well-being I get from lavender’s scent that draws me in. It has a soothing effect.

Lovely-Sarah-jessica-parker Lavender WikimediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

The heart of the perfume leads to beautiful, feminine florals and the calming lavender lingers. The rosewood leads to a solid base with wood and musk. The lasting power of Lovely is excellent and at the end of the day I’m left with a gentle amber scent on my skin.

SJP Lovely is often compared to the more expensive Narciso Rodriguez for Her and has received favourable reviews from many perfume bloggers.

Lovely-Sarah-jessica-parker WikimediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading at Bois de Jasmin and Katie Puckrik Smells
FragranceNet has $19/50ml
My Perfume Samples starts from $2/ml

If you are interested in more Celebrity Perfumes, check out my website at Celebrity Perfume Store

Katrina x

Nuit de Tubéreuse by Bertrand Duchaufour for L`Artisan Parfumeur 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Hello Fans of Floral Extravaganza,

Even some of you who hate the BWF, that is the Big White Floral, may take to todays L’Artisan Parfumeur offering. Who knows? Don’t knock it till you try it at least 20 times say I. One of the prettiest L’Artisan bottles with its additional art nouveau inspired bottle paintings on the iconic heptagon bottle that could easily be your one and only.

Nuit de Tubéreuse by Bertrand Duchaufour for L`Artisan Parfumeur 2010

Nuit de Tubereuse L`Artisan Parfumeur FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Clove, pink pepper, mandarin, black pepper, cardamom, citrus
Heart: green mango, tuberose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, rose,
Base: Broom, musks, vanilla, sandalwood, palisander, benzoin, styrax, angelica

So fragrantica.com have different pictures to their notes text so as we all think most of the notes lists are bullshit anyway I’ll just tell you what I smell on me, and I have been in the pool today so you might get s slightly skewed reading.

Well, the Nuit de Tubéreuse rush at first is completely pepper/citrus and there is a sweetness that feels fruity and modern, it has a juniper waft and I am reminded slightly of gin. Pretty, potent and fun are the words that jump into my head. To be completely honest the opening could be an expensive and well thought out celebuscent/designer offering. I digress…

Nuit de Tubereuse L`Artisan Parfumeur Jason Bache FlickrPhoto Stolen Jason Bache  Flickr

The heart of Nuit de Tubéreuse is what makes me love this fragrance so much, the bouquet with a sharp sizzle of unripe fruit and I think this is where we see the herbal cardamom more than the opening and the angelica is a lovely counterpoint through quite a bit of Nuit de Tubéreuse, the whole is so different to anything else I own. The green sappy tuberose and the un-sensual warmth of clean orange blossom and ylang-ylang combine with the rest to create something audacious but wearable. This is not a sexy siren of a scent, there is no come hither and get funky, the flowers are very strictly controlled, cleaned and virginal.  A new interpretation of an old theme, which is what L’Artisaan is so loved for, but done in a way that is accessible to everyone. Some perfumistas find Nuit de Tubéreuse tiresome and boring because it doesn’t push the limits of tuberose but I don’t think that is a necessity, there is definitely room for a softer, more languorous tuberose that doesn’t feel like a confrontation or that you need to get it to have your perfumista stripes.

Nuit de Tubereuse L`Artisan Parfumeur Carolyn Jewel FlickrPhoto Stolen Carolyn Jewel  Flickr

Above all I think Nuit de Tubéreuse feels clean, fresh and pampered. It is hefty for a L’Artisan and gives good projection and sillage but the lasting power is similar, at 3-5 hours depending, to most others they make. A showstopper? Yes. A devil may care naughty wink with attitude? Not so much.

During my clean out I have found more than one bottle of Nuit de Tubéreuse, I am a NAUGHTY frag addict.

Further reading: Kafkaesque and Now Smell This
Libertine Parfumerie have $188/100ml (Australia)
Parfum1 have$120/50ml
Surrender To Chance start at $5/ml

Have you tried this tricky tuberose? Do you want to?
Loads of good wishes till tomorrow, see you then,
Portia xx

Pervious L’Artisan Parfumeur APJ reviews
Amour Nocturne/Deleria/Skin on Skin
Cote d’Amour
L’Eau d’Ambre
L’Eau du Navigateur
Passage d’Enfer
Piment Brulant
Premier Figuier Extreme
Safran Troublant
Seville a l’Aube
Tea for Two
Vanille Absolument
Voleur de Roses

 

Aromatic Essentials Designing Scents Evening

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Hey there Sydney Crew,

My mate Julie from Aromatic essentials has organised a super evening with food, fragrance and a special guest speaker who will address the “Art of Feminine Presence”. Only $20 if you get in early and I think it will be oodles of fun. You get to learn a little bit about designing a natural perfume filled with good intention and love. There is the talk and you get to hang with a bunch of fun people who love scent. Cool!

Saturday Feb 8 2014

6-9pm @ Kirribilli Community Centre

Feb event image bg

Eau Absolue by Mona de Orio 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hello my lovelies,

One of my favourite Niche/Indie houses Mona do Orio was busy in 2013 bringing out two fragrances. This was the first offering and I wanted to give a bit of space between the lovely reviews for launch and a look at it after some time, giving the dust a moment to settle. I have here a 10ml decant about 1/4 used. Whenever I reach for it I think that I will want to wear it every day but then, of course, pick up something else tomorrow. When I wear it often the thought “Dessert Island Top Ten” passes through my brain. Would it be? Hopefully I’ll never have to choose.

Eau Absolue by Mona de Orio 2013

Eau Absolue Mona di Orio FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, clementine, petitgrain
Heart: Geranium, java vetiver oil, bay leaf, pink pepper
Base: Cedar, musk, labdanum

BZZZZZZZ! The citrus opening is loads of fun but kept from being a zingy space cadet by whispers of the resins to come even in the first minute. While I sit here in a balmy Sydney summer evening I am enjoying the very unexpected opening. I have read a few reviews before writing tonight, which is not something I usually do, so my expectations were for something quite different, something more mainstream and fizzy. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This is, as I should always expect with a Mona di Orio fragrance, something quite densely layered with everything in the notes list all at once and what will happen is certain accords will get precedence on occasion.

Eau Absolue Mona di Orio Chris Isherwood FlickrPhoto Stolen Chris Isherwood  Flickr

I get zero geranium or pink pepper but the citrus, bay, musk and labdanum seem to be the stars in Eau Absolue for my skin and nose. Eau Absolue is warm, cuddly and inviting without giving any sexual vibes and almost no fleshy animal. It’s so friendly and smells like my Mum and the kitchen would smell during winter, like food seasonings, smoke, wool wash, clean skin and unconditional love. There is something waxy and lip balm-ish too. I am madly in love with the memories Eau Absolue is conjuring. What an enjoyable ride, when I normally spritz Eau Absolue I just enjoy the fragrance and don’t really stop to question the whys and wherefors, sitting here and having the time and space to let my mind wander and really enjoy this beautiful, flawless creation by Mona di Orio is a joyful experience and I think I’ve been smiling for two hours. This is the good stuff and if I wasn’t going on a perfume voyage in a moment I’d be looking up LuckyScent or Peony Melbourne and ordering.

 Eau Absolue Mona di Orio Eleazar FlickrPhoto Stolen Eleazar Flickr

Though Eau Absolue is not a big projector it does have good silllage and I get around 5-6 hours of fragrant wear before it dries down to a soft fuzzy powdery wash. Wearable? Anywhere. Everywhere. Dress up or down. Dawn or dusk or romantic interlude.

Further reading: The Non-Blonde and Chemist In A Bottle
LuckyScent has $230/100ml
Surrender To Chance samples start at $7/ml

I think this could be my everyday wear frag. Eau Absolute is comfortable like so many of the Mona di Orios and so fabulously unusual too. Is there one of these for you that you still don’t have a Full Bottle of? Why?

My answer is that I will never get through 100ml of it. 100ml is a LOT of fragrance for a perfumista but if I see someone selling their 50mls left, reasonably priced, on a list I will jump all over it.

I hope your day is happy and bright,

Portia x

 

Limette 37 by Le Labo 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hi Hi Hi,

I know, I know, I know! I’m late to the party, this has finished its scheduled sale. Yes, I know. Here’s the thing though, I have been so inundated by fragrance that this and another 2013 release Cuir 28 have been lying idle in their pack awaiting moderation. I remember this being slated for its incredible cost $440/100ml and that it didn’t last at all well, nor was its development interesting enough to warrant such outrageous pricing. OK, so I will try it and see how it goes…

Limette 37 by Le Labo 2013

Limette 37 Le Labo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Lime, bergamot, jasmine, petitgrain, cloves, vetiver, tonka bean, musk

Soapy, that’s what I smell. It’s like a soap we had here in Australia when I was growing up called Palmolive Gold. The tagline “Don’t wait to be told, you need Palmolive Gold” was a schoolyard maxim that would be sung to anyone showing the least sign of body odour.

Here the fresh lemony/citrus smell is tempered by jasmine, actually after the first 10 minutes jasmine become the main focus on my skin. A very clean, pretty jasmine with still a zesty citrus wash over it. I think musk is around too, though I can’t smell it exactly it feels like its there just out of my olfactory reach. All the other accords are not in evidence at the one hour mark to me, but my nose is notoriously wonky.

This morning I awoke to a very soft scent that was still humming around, a musky vanilla citrus. It was easily discernible while lying on my hand in the moments of half asleep and half awake but when I got up and walked to the kitchen to make a cuppa I lost most of it and was left with something not quite fragrant.

Limette 37 Le Labo Lemon_slice DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

I am sorry to agree with the majority in this instance, for the kind of dollars Le Labo were asking I want much more, I want it to sing and tap dance across the air from skin to nostril, I want fireworks and magic tricks. Don’t get me wrong, if you are filthy rich then this will be a perfectly good fragrance for you and I hope you enjoy it and your lovely life of luxury. On the other hand, if you are like me, that $440 could be spent on two or even four much more worthy bottles. For my money that’s a bottle of Ashoka by Neela Vermeire Creations and a export bottle of Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle.

Further reading: The Perfume Shrine and Now Smell This
Surrender To Chance samples start at $6/.5ml

Did you try Limette 37? Was it worth the hype for you? Did you wish for a spare $440?
Portia xx

Donna Karan Spring Summer 2014 Ad Campaign

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Fashionistas!!!

This years advertising is already hotting up. Donna Karan has done a super set of shots and I’ve grabbed them from my fave Fashion Forward blog: art8amby where I also lifted the below script. Do go check their stuff, right on point every day.

Donna Karan Spring Summer 2014 Ad Campaign

Brazilian bombshell Adriana Lima is returning to be the face of Donna Karan New York. The super sexy and fierce Adriana was once their campaign model for Spring Summer 2012 season. She is accompanied by top male model Andres Velencoso Segura for the images that were snapped by Russell James. (source)

Donna Karan Spring Summer 2014 #1

Donna Karan Spring Summer 2014 #2

Donna Karan Spring Summer 2014 #3

Donna Karan Spring Summer 2014 #4

Donna Karan Spring Summer 2014 #5

Escada Magnetism by Pierre Bourdon and Steve Demercado 2003

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

.

Post by Chairman Meow

.

Hi APJ,

Recently, after combing through my local classifieds for an interesting scented bargain, I found myself in the thick of my old uni stomping grounds, knocking on a stranger’s door. It was answered by an ample bosomed young lady with a nuclear tan in Ugg boots.
“Come in, darl” she beamed, ushering me through the house. Her room, ascetically furnished, was redolent of a recently extinguished cigarette, masked by generous spritzes of Gucci Guilty. She waved an expansive hand at the half dozen or so fragrances sitting on her bookcase.
“I’m addicted to perfumes, babe. I keep buying them but I can’t use them all”. I politely agreed it was a splendid collection. Attempting to engage my young son in friendly banter, and receiving a churlish stare as her reward, she accepted my payment and I made a hasty exit to examine my prize.

Escada Magnetism by Pierre Bourdon and Steve Demercado 2003

Escada Magnetism Escada FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pineapple, black currant, melon, red berries, cassia and litchi
Heart: Magnolia, iris, green leaves, freesia, basil, jasmine, caraway, heliotrope, lily-of-the-valley, rose and almond blossom
Base: Sandalwood, amber, patchouli, musk, benzoin, caramel, vetiver and vanilla

But if you want an indication of what Magnetism is about, you need look no further than the flacon, the berry candy stalactite with its tongue-grazing chiselled edges, portentous of the juice within.
And indeed, Magnetism is a high-octane, fruit-astic confection with the stones to comfortably take on and take out the best of its ilk in a foxy boxing match. Its opening is familiar enough, a concoction of toffeed berries and that generic citrus note that seems to cut, like industrial grade detergent, through the tallow of many a sugary composition. It is accompanied for the first few minutes by something verdant, making for a crisp, if not bracing salvo.

Escada Magnetism Escada Fruit Display FlickrPhoto Stolen Omar A.  Flickr

After this point many of its poorer cousins will then trail off into some sort of perfume mumble, and evanesce into a vague vanilla-[insert unidimensional accord of choice] concoction, like an olfactory half finished sentence. Magnetism, apparently with more thought given to it, holds its shape for longer with quite distinguishable benzoin, patchouli and amber into the dry down. Later in its long, long life, I can make out something a little seedy, the faint whiff of smoker’s breath, as if the perfume had been imprinted with the memory of its former mistress.

Escada Magnetism Escada smoker DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Magnetism is aptly named, and evidently aimed at attracting the non-thinking sex symbol. Perhaps the most decisive indication of its common denominator appeal is the grunt of “nice” it got from Chairman Woof – high praise from one whose usual appraisals range from “non-specific” to “I don’ t like it”.

FragranceNet has $43/50ml before coupon
My Perfume Samples starts at $2/ml

One reviewer on Basenotes thought it would “be great as a stripper scent”, and whilst my limited stripping experience precludes comment, I will venture that it is a perfume for the extroverted, saucy even, for those liberal in their use of “darl” and “babe”. I’m saving mine to trot out when I need to get my slapper on.

Chairman Meow. X

Bas de Soie by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

.

Post by Eliza D

.

Hi there APJ,

People often talk about fragrance for mood, the more I think about it the more sense it makes.

Bas de Soie by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2010

Bas de Soie Serge Lutens FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Iris, hyacinth, galbanum, spice, musk

If one wears perfume to create a mood, or to prepare oneself to be a certain way in the world, then Bas de Soie (Silk Stockings) is my leather and heels take no prisoners you’re not fooling me I am sorry but you don’t have an appointment work fragrance. I know, I know, this was probably never meant to be worn to work, but sometimes you need a perfume like this to alter the scene.

 Bas de Soie Serge Lutens Blue moon liz west FlickrPhoto Stolen liz west Flickr

Bas de Soie intrigued me from the moment I tried a sample as part of a collection from The Posh Peasant. While most perfumes I wear settle during the dry down to their bass notes, Bas de Soie sings in a mezzo-soprano range from its opening to its last breath. It’s this quality that makes me sit up a little straighter and respond a little more crisply than usual. There’s no time to relax when wearing it.

Though Fragrantica gives the notes iris, hyacinth, galbanum, spice and musk all in a row all I can smell are the flowers. As if someone had pulled them out of the ground, roots and all, and was pressing them under my nose. hard. for a long time.

Sillage is moderate, and longevity on me is very good. After an eight hour day, I can still smell Bas de Soie. So, if you want a flower with a bit of an edge, or as someone on Fragrantica recently wrote “Beautiful and delicate but scary as hell,” try Bas de Soie.

Portrait of a businesswomanPhoto Stolen Victor1558  Flickr

From LuckyScent: With Bas de Soie (aka Silk Stockings) following up on Serge Noire, Filles en Aiguilles and Fourreau Noir in his new vein of sartorially-named fragrances, Serge Lutens has ventured out of black and into the blue by splicing hyacinth and iris. Is this hyaris or iricinth? The two notes are so intimately blended in this shimmering scent that they can’t be teased apart. Those who wondered where the Lutens-Sheldrake tandem would go after their L’Eau Serge Lutens shocker have their answer. And it’s not back to Marrakesh: Bas de soie is as quintessentially Parisian as the gardens of the Palais Royal.

Further reading: Grain de Musc and Olfactoria’s Travels
LuckyScent has $130/50ml
Surrender To Chance samples start at $4/.5ml

What’s your power fragrance at work?

ElizaD

Charisma Cologne by Avon 1968

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

.

Post by Ainslie Walker

.

 

This afternoon, I feel like Miss Marple of the fragrance world.

The first fragrance I ever loved and owned as a child in the 80s was something contained in a little amber and pink, gingerbread house shaped bottle. I have just unearthed it from my mothers attic and opened it, expecting terrible things, when to mine and her surprise, on opening, out came a blast of something ‘Chanel number 5-esque’!!?? My mum actually had a stash of Chanel number 5 Eau De Cologne back then, and she exclaimed “Oh, you must’ve topped up from MY bottle!!”

It WAS quite feasible…. but I needed to clear my name…

Inspecting the underside of the bottle it read “AVON Charisma Cologne”. Intriguing. I went straight to the WWW and found the description listed as;

Floral, musky, aldehydic, powdery, animalic, balsamic

Charisma Cologne by Avon 1968

Charisma Cologne Avon #1

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, bergamot, peach, neroli, hyacinth, coriander
Heart: Iris root, carnation, jasmine, rose, narcissus, ylang-ylang, lily of the valley
Base: Sandalwood, amber, civets, musk, tonka bean, vanilla, styrax

WOW! To think I was enjoying green spicy florals even back then! It explains A LOT!! Not to mention that this fragrance was packaged in a gingerbread house for young girls –almost shocking!!

Avon’s Charisma was obviously heavily inspired by Chanel. For reference, Chanel number 5 Eu De Cologne, is listed as;

Woody, powdery, aldehydic, musky, white floral, amber, animalic

Chanel No 5 Eau de Cologne Chanel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Boom! I run for my Chanel number 5– a 100ml bottle of the eau de cologne from the late 60’s/early 70s, (which indeed was mums) which smells much stronger, smoother and heavier on the anamalic and rosey-powder ingredients than the Charisma, but still overall very similar, and surprising, considering the obvious price and branding differences. I would like to think the No 5 I have is full of beautiful naturals, due to its manufacturing date, and this could be why it is more rounded and full smelling.

I read on, many people compare Charisma to Coco, but I have none here to compare, from memory, this sounds feasible, but did not come straight to my mind. Coco is also balsamic, so perhaps.

Coco was launched in 1984. HANG ON, that was 16 years after Avon’s Charisma, which came out in 1968…..would Jaques Polgue actually have ‘borrowed’ some ideas from AVON?!?!?!?!

Coco Chanel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Either way we perfume lovers must realize, that what can come from a tacky brand or cheap novelty bottle, may in fact be almost identical ingredients as what some of the more “high end/exclusive” brands contain. Don’t judge a perfume by it’s package, price or branding, shut your eyes and smell- you and your bank balance may get a pleasant surprise!

Ainslie Walker X