Author: australianperfumejunkiescom

Criminal Elements Sample Pack GIVEAWAY WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

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Portia

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YAY!

Another great giveaway! Thanks Corey from Criminal Elements for sending us this ridiculously gorgeous sample pack. Can’t wait to see who wins it.

 

 

Criminal Elements Sample Pack GIVEAWAY WINNER

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Criminal Elements Base Elements Sample Pack
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 1st October 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Jaybee

The winner will have till Sunday 8th October 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

L’Insoumis by Lalique GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

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Portia

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Hey there Fumies,

Thank you so much to Kate at Sweet Fern for being so generous. Go check out their stock. Great range.

 

L’Insoumis by Lalique GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 5 winners who will receive:
1 x 2ml spray L’Insoumis by Lalique Manufacturers Carded Sample
P&H Anywhere in the world

 

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 1st October 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

Neva

Gina

Fazal

Greg

Bradley P Woolslayer

The winners will have till Sunday 8th October 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

Scent Diary: 25.9 – 1.10.2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

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Portia

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Hi there APJ Crew,

It has been a week of complete opposites. The pro and con advocates for Equality are getting meaner and the whole event has turned into a slow bone crushing depression releaser. Currently I’m appalled at a large section of both sides of the argument and I hold our elected government officials personally responsible for the whole rotten mess. To be constantly equated with predators, rapists, pedophiles and beastialitists by the church, Radio & TV chat guests, politicians and people in the street is becoming unbearable. That’s the worst of it but seriously, to have a nation debate whether Jin and my 6 year relationship is as valid as theirs is galling, to say the very least.

Why aren’t I equal?

On the flip side there has been loads of fun, friendship, fragrance and food. Jin has been the Rock of Gibraltar, standing strong, cool and silent against the onslaught and a perfect companion through birthday and illness.

Scent Diary: 25.9 – 1.10.2017

Monday 25:

SICK!! I am hideous. Coughing, runny nose, sweating, AWFUL. Cancelled my Birthday Party. Too sick.

Did get some beautiful postcards though.

Bath in Guerlain Shalimar and wore DSH Perfumes Ma Folie de Noel

Jin and I had dinner and opened some presents. It was quiet, chill and sweet.

Wrote Trivia Q&A

Tuesday 26:

Woke up and walked the dogs with Jin.

Met Scott at the coffee shop and then we office worked.

Wore OODLES of Penhaligon’s Savoy Steam. It is the weirdest smelling stuff but utterly addictive.

I thought it was going to be a triumphant return to work in drag but I’m still coughing and sneezing too much. Two Cold & Flu tablets and I’ll be able to go host as a guy. I’m a bit sad because there are new coats to wear.

It was a really fun night. I love my Tuesday crew.

Tonight someone I’ve loved for years reached out. We have been friends and he stayed with me for a while, then we lost touch except for sporadic cyber communication. It was really nice to have a messenger conversation.

Wednesday 27:

It’s early morning and I can’t sleep. Just watched the Kathleen Hanna story on TV. WOW! She is amazing. So many levels, what a brain. Totally inspiring human being.

Woke up and walked the dogs in a lovely cloudy morning. The air was crisp and smelled like greenery, almost no traffic on the roads and so peaceful.

Spent a second day in Penhaligon’s Savoy Steam. 

Today was a total write off. I dozed and dallied. Tried to focus on work but was crap at everything so I threw in the towel until about 10pm when my cold and mind started to unthaw.

I did see this picture on my friend Haans V Siver FaceBook page. I love the soft, pastel beauty of the sky, skyscrapers and sea juxtaposed with the hard lines and darkness of the Steve Irwin and other watercraft. For me it looks like some of those huge surreal prints that used to be in living rooms.

Steve Irwin by Haans V Siver Sept 2017

Thursday 28:

Morning. My head is fuzzy.

The walk was really good with the dogs. It cleared my head a bit walking through the cool, breezy, cloudy morning with the boys. Birds are chirping everywhere and as you walk through the suburb all the smells of spring flowers catch me by surprise. Beautiful.

Jin is working nights this week so I get to spend some day time with him, which is really nice.

Trouble by Boucheron bubble bath and fragrance. YUM!

At the end of Turbo trivia tonight I got a selfie with my fave barman Aaron. What a honey.

Friday 29:

Jin has today off so we visited the banks. Just making bookings for next week to refinance his mortgage. I quite like visiting them now that I know a little bit about how they work.

Afternoon met Rasei Fort of Fort & Manly at Becker Minty in Kings X. Have you ever been there? What a collection of fabulous homewares and fragrance. I may have had a sneaky spritz of the new Trudon scent by Cire Trudon. WHOA! Super green. YUM!

Then we trotted across to Redfern and met the ever glam Kerri who is on her first day of holidays. We sniffed some stuff and chattered while I had lunch and they had coffees. It was really nice.

Jin came and met us as lunch was breaking up and we went and got him a beer at the local pub. Then we went to the cinemas to see Kinsmen II (Freaking hilarious, laughed all the way through) and afterwards dinner.

Saturday 30:

At around 3am the dogs were alarmed by a possum and caused a huge ruckus. That was the end of sleep for me. I jumped up, grabbed a drink and hit the computer. Feeling like I can get a couple hours more sleep now at 6am I’m off to bed till dog feeding time at 9am.

Vintage Guerlain Mitsouko EdT & Parfum today.

Lunch at our fave Korean BarBQ with Alice, Kath & Tina. It was really fun and good to be hanging out together. Food was excellent, as always, though they were out of their sensational mash potato.

I put both photos in because TinaG looks so cute in the first and Alice & Kath look really lovely in the second. Not one shot had all of them looking so good.

Jin and I visited one of his exes who has become my buddy too. Paul lives around the corner and we popped in for tea and cake quite late this afternoon. He has been struck down with a similar cold to mine except it had him down for the count for three weeks, he’s still coughing 100 times worse than I am.

Tonight we popped down to the local supermarket and I grabbed some ham and cheese and then we came home and I made waffle sandwiches. YUMMO!

For bed I spritzed Hermès Muguet Porcelaine. Lily of the Valley seemed to be what I craved and the Hermès was a perfect, slightly melonish choice. Pretty.

Sunday 1:

Woke up this morning feeling like a bus hit me so I went back to bed and slept till 11am. Now I feel so much better.

Hung around the house. Wearing Miller et Bertaux A Quiet Morning.

For work I wanted something bright and summery with a deeper base than most of those frags. I choose Neela Vermeire Creations Rahele. Citrus & osmathus up top, leather down the back and much much more.

 

So, how about your week? What happened to you or your crew? Tell us stories, we love to read them.
Portia xx

Saturday Question: What Perfume Do You Wear At Home?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 94 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.

Last Weeks Winner:

eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.

Saturday Question:

While I was away I noticed a comment on one of our APJ posts and it got me thinking. I can’t find it now but the gist of the comment was “I only wear that fragrance inside my own home when I know I’ll have the house to myself.” CURIOUS! So then that led me to thinking about my own perfume wearing and I think there are some scents I tend to wear wholly and solely for my own enjoyment.

Also, because I associate a fragrance with someone or that fragrance has a very specific era.

Let’s not limit this to ONLY wear because you won’t wear it outside for whatever reason. What do you LOVE to waft around the house in by yourself, what brings you great joy just by having it there to spritz for yourself?

My answer:

Vintage Opium by Yves Saint Laurent

Yes, I know it’s absolutely gorgeous but Opium is my BFF Kath Mum’s fragrance. Yes, I loved it well before meeting her but I feel so naughty wearing her signature in  the world. Her 100%, doesn’t even own another perfume, signature. It’s getting harder and harder to find the good stuff for her but I have a small backup supply. Mum prefers to spritz so I’ve kept this original beauty for myself, you have no idea how bloody fabulous it smells.

 

Black Saffron by Byredo

This is a freak show but I love it. I do wear Black Saffron outside the house but then the magic of the ride is a bit lost on me. At home I get to really enjoy the way it works. My mate Pia Long expressed it best, “Starts out fruity floral and ends up road dirt.” Yep, nailed it. A very nice innocuous opening and you end up being tarred and tarmac. Nothing is quite like it.

Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia by Guerlain

Guerlain hasn’t really done an Aqua Allegoria with such a personality since Lys Soleia. It’s a tropical ylang and lily combination backed by vanilla and a slight dry palm and salt air giving it interest and depth. I wear it around the house all year and it instantly gives a happy sheen to the day. Particularly good for making cleaning day smell beautiful.

My Saturday Question to you is:

What Perfume Do You Wear At Home?

 

L’Insoumis by Fabrice Pellegrin for Lalique 2016 + GIVEAWAY

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

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Portia

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Hi there FUMIES,

Sweet Fern has given us some beautiful Lalique samples to give you. While TinaG was over the other day we decided to both wear this beauty and were totally surprised at how different it smelled on us. It was a really interesting experiment.

L’Insoumis by Lalique 2016

L’Insoumis by Fabrice Pellegrin

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Basil, Bergamot, Rum
Heart: Clary sage, Lavender, Black pepper
Base: Patchouli, Haitian vetiver, Moss, Clearwood™

Citrus but burnt off really quickly, pine, lavender and a creamy patchouli giving the impression of orange blossom.

Historically hyper-masculine – a rich gym locker room. Can imagine 35+ men in suits on the train and in offices smelling like this – clean shaven, fresh cut, Armani suit. Not much different to the same style of masculine colognes of the 80’s. Its not breaking down any new barriers – a sensible, simple masculine fragrance fully wearable by both sexes. Perhaps a bit old school for a perfumista, but in the right environment a perfect fit.

On Tina, it is a lot sharper and more herbal, and on me it’s a lot sweeter and creamier and much more like a historic scent.  On both of us, it smells really good.

Sweet Fern has $175/100ml

L’Insoumis by Lalique GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 5 winners who will receive:
1 x 2ml spray L’Insoumis by Lalique Manufacturers Carded Sample
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 tell us where you would wear this beauty.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 1st October 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 8th October 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

Criminal Elements Sample Pack + GIVEAWAY

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

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Portia

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Hey there APJ Crew,

Corey Newcombe is a radically special young man. Fearless in life. If you get a chance read his mini biopic on the Criminal Elements site. Originally creating fragrance with a partner, Aelfrik, he is now doing his fabulous fragrant thing solo. Before I went to India a parcel arrived in the mail from him. Inside was one of the most beautifully created sample sets I’ve ever seen. Scott was on a design high for weeks after seeing it and I too was immeasurably impressed. Somehow Corey by going his own way manages to hit the super cool button every time.

The new pack comes in a Briefcase. Yep, a miniature plastic briefcase with fully functioning snap fasteners just like the real deal. It hold 8 x 2ml spray samples of the original 2015 released Base Elements. 2ml is the perfect sample size for me. It equates to a few really good full wears, enough to get to know the fragrances in different situations, also enough to get me fully addicted but not bored.

Criminal Elements Base Elements Sample Pack

I’m not going to review the whole set today but the two that caught my nose immediately. Later I will review others separately. The set contains Anther, Blackwater Thistle, Glimmer, Hearth, Hollow, Pyrus, Queer and Sepal. Yep, that’s 8 x 2ml spray samples AUD$45

Criminal Elements

Queer by Criminal Elements

Dragonfruit, leather, osmanthus, musk, blackcurrant, plum

Sweet leather, fruit, lightly animal and dark. Queer is surprisingly sheer while still being fully fragrant. A radiant leather. Imagine if Daim Blond was made by a witch.

Criminal Elements

Blackwater Thistle by Criminal Elements

Grass, violet, moss, soil, bullrush, thistle

Imagine standing on the edge of the moors and spring is here. There’s been plenty of rain and everything is growing apace, grass covers your ankles and there’s a purple blush across the landscape.

Criminal Elements Sample Pack GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Criminal Elements Base Elements Sample Pack
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 go to Criminal Elements and find a SINGLE note from one of their fragrances. Put it in the comments.
NO DOUBLE UPS!
(If you put more than one note you are disqualified, everyone should get a go.)

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 1st October 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 8th October 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

Vintage Fragrance: Open or Save?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

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Erica Golding

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Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying a lovely day so far.

Recently, the subject of vintage perfume came up in one of my fragrance forums. We started chatting about a vintage, rare Guerlain parfum in like-new condition, with full presentation intact. The opinion shared was that the bottle should be displayed and protected in a museum.

I completely understand the sentiment of keeping something precious in mint unopened condition and keeping it in that state forever, but I have to admit that I have an opposing gut reaction when applying this sentiment to perfume. I feel bad for a lonely pristine bottle the same way that I would feel bad for a stuffed animal who will never snuggle with a child.

Vintage Fragrance: Open or Save?

Perfume is created to be enjoyed, to be an ephemeral glimmer of gold. Preservation of a vintage perfume, in my opinion, is simply a gift passed to a future generation that will hopefully still have the nerve to apply it on their skin. It would break my heart to see precious beauty forever sealed in a bottle, never to harmonize with a wearer’s chemistry and bathe them in sensual pleasure.

Additionally, many perfume components break down or spoil over time. How long should a bottle linger in a UV-shielded glass case, never inhaled, never loved? As it sits there untouched, the potential grandeur within is slowly fading, withering, dying. Centuries later, the liquid inside will mutate and expire, useless and worth nothing. Who was this beauty saved for then? Who would have been worthy of its marvelous dazzle while there was still time? Why don’t we consider ourselves good enough to be the perfume’s ultimate owner and lover?

I am a breaker of seals and a splasher of time capsules. When I score a vintage fragrance, no matter how rare or valuable it is, I do open it and wear it. I’m respectful of my aged perfumes – I am careful to preserve their purity as best as I can, using a sanitary pipette and closing it up securely, storing away from heat and light. But you won’t catch me hoarding something special for a rainy day!

These are just my thoughts and opinions. What do you think? There are no wrong answers here!

Until next time,

Love and light,

Erica

Le Petit Robe Noire L’Extrait by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hello gorgeousnesses,

Blind Buy Part II

As you may or may not recall I blind bought Guerlain Black Perfecto LPRN a not long ago. It wasn´t really blind as I bought it for the bottle and could see that quite clearly. It was a big bonus that I totally liked the perfume in the gorgeous bottle. On thing led to another and I got it stuck in my head that I had to have the LPRN Extrait

Thanks to both Portia and Vero I have vintage extraits of Chamade, Shalimar, and Mitsouko. I am not a Guerlainophile nor am I a vintage digger. All three get worn and they are exquisitely beautiful. I would like to have a L’Heure Blue vintage extrait and perhaps one will come my way one day but I am sure not hunting for one as I am utterly terrified of buying old perfumes online and have never done so. If anyone has a spare, contact me please.

I thought it would be interesting, in the name of science of course, to try a modern Guerlain extrait. After a couple of weeks of hunting around I came across a 20% offer on the 7.5ml bottle of LPRN Extrait. That made it about 80 Euros. My husband was biking in france, I had his credit card, so it seemed just to good a chance to miss out on and I ordered it. I couldn´t imagine for a second it could go wrong as I liked the BP so much. I was offered a 250ml bee bottle for 1100 Euros or a 500ml one for 1660 Euros. I never buy blind in such large amounts.

Le Petit Robe Noire L’Extrait by Guerlain 2012

Le Petit Robe Noire L’Extrait by Thierry Wasser

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top:  Fruits, Glycyrrhiza, Lemon
Heart: Cherry, Almond, Rose, Violet
Base: Musk, Patchouli, Smoky tea, Vanilla

LPRN Parfum – Completely Gorgeous.

Velvety Amarena cherry, rich and with a dark and bitter edge. It is an adult cherry, not a Maraschino. Tendrils of black liquorice, sweetening the fruit, and lending a smoky tea effect. A hint of rose gives way to the classic orris, vanilla and tonka magic of a Guerlain. The cherry remains and the whole experience is one of pure pleasure, so thick you could chew it. Divine. For adults, all genders.

“She walked up to me and she asked me to dance.
I asked her name and in a dark brown voice she said “Lola”
L-O-L-A Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola

Well, I’m not the worlds`s most physical guy,
But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola

Well, I´m not so dumb that I can´t understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola …….. “ Ray Davies

Kirschen Bussis
CQ

 

(Ed: Photos supplied and taken by Val.)

Portia Turns 49

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 67 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Crew,

Yes, it’s BIRTHDAY time around here and I’m entering into my last year in my 40s. This year is anti production so a few of the crew will be coming around for my 100% favourite Take Away Chinese. Yeah, I’m so foul, I know. It’s the best for ever and I have just realised in the last few years how often I choose it, how enjoyable it almost always is and it’s made with super fresh ingredients. Not quite as good as home made, and a lot more deep friend that I’d usually do, but compared to other fast foods it seems so much better to me.

Portia Turns 49

Though you can’t be with us for dinner I did steal a cake picture so you could feel part of the festivities.

I know you’re dying to know what my birthday scent is.

Ma Folie de Noel by DSH Perfumes. I had a bubble bath in the same (THIS WAS A LIE!! I had a Shalimar bubble bath because I FORGOT that I was going to wear Ma Folie. I still smelled fabulous in Ma Folie so no real harm done), talk about spoiling myself silly. Dawn has a terrific selection of accessory products to go with a bunch of her fragrances. LOVE THEM!DSH Perfumes

You can try it from $6 at DSH Perfumes. It’s unbelievably gorgeous, mine was first gifted to me by Natalie of Another Perfume Blog. Huge thanks to her.

Thank You all for being such a huge part of APJ.
Portia xx

Tacit by Aesop GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

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Portia

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Hey APJ,

Thank You to Kate at Sweet Fern who so generously donated the apples. Can’t wait to hear what our winners think.

Portia xxx

Tacit by Aesop GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citrus, yuzu
Heart: Basil
Base: Vetiver, cloves

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 2 winners who will receive:
Aesop Collection of Beauty & Fragrance Samples
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 24th September 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

Ingrid

hage kay

The winners will have till Sundayday 1st October 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