4711 Eau de Cologne, My Grandmother, and Me

February 5, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Guest Post by Suzanne R Banks

4711 Eau de Cologne, My Grandmother, and Me

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange oil, peach, basil, bergamot,lemon
Heart: Cyclamen, lily, melon, jasmine, Bulgarian rose
Base: Patchouli, tahitian vetiver, musk, sandalwood, oakmoss, cedar

My grandmother (on my Dad’s side) was a cultured woman from the north of England with Scottish and English heritage. She relocated to Australia with her husband (who I never knew), in circumstances that seem rather dodgy, and that no one is allowed to talk about. She lived her entire life here only visiting England once. I remember afternoon teas every second Sunday with cakes and lollies and chocolate biscuits. Sometimes we were even allowed to have a sugar cube as a treat!
Anyway, as long as I can remember she always had 4711 Eau de Cologne. And as long as I can remember she always gave me gifts of 4711 Eau de Cologne. There were big bottles, small bottles and roll-ons! I always thought the roll-ons were amazing. Unfortunately as an annoying teenager I think I told her I didn’t like it and she was devastated. It wasn’t the fact that I didn’t like it but more the reason that I wanted something else (like glamourous perfumes my friends had). I insulted her and she never gave it to me again. I think I still feel guilty about that. Sorry Grandma.

I have been a practicing Aromatherapist for over 15 years, solidly using essential oils in everyday life for around 20 years. I have a particular yearning for Bergamot (the first oil I bought), Petigrain and Neroli essential oils, the bittersweet citrus oils. It was only a few years ago I realised that it may have been my grandmother who stimulated my interest in Aromatherapy – although it has taken me 30 years to acknowledge it! And it was my grandmother who introduced me to the clean, fresh bittersweet scent of Eau de Cologne. It’s the Kolnisch Wasser I am referring to, although the house has other fragrances. The original Eau de Cologne has a fascinating story, a beautiful scent and it’s own website!

The description of the scent, directly from 4711.com:
“Ingredients and Effects
The precious ingredients are carefully harmonised. Bergamot, lemon, and orange provide a uniquely revitalising effect. Lavender and rosemary have a calming and relaxing effect, strengthening the nerves. Neroli, extracted from the blossom of the bitter orange, has a calming effect in the base note, creating a positive mood.”

Photo Stolen eleven.se

Yay! We can see that this fragrance, created over 200 years ago, was made to therapeutically address physical and emotional issues. The exact recipe is of course a closely guarded secret and it has a fantastic historical story! The water was originally referred to as “aqua mirabilis” – miracle water, and was presented to a wealthy merchant named Wilhelm Muelhens as a wedding gift. The legend has it that Carthusian monk made the miracle water in 1792. Wilhelm went on to found a production facility to make the water, and to market it as a remedy to sickness and general maladies of the day. The rest, you could say, is history. Although the perfume company has been bought and sold over the years it is now owned and produced by Mäurer & Wirtz, a subsidiary of the Dalli Group.
Regardless of the owners, this is one perfume that has retained it’s amazing scent, unique bottle design, particular label design for over 200 years. The branding is unmistakable, and when I even just look at the label, my mouth waters with anticipation of the bittersweet miracle water.

CheapSmells starts at about $8
FragranceShop from $12

See you next month,
Suzanne R Banks

Here is the Aussie ad I remember from my childhood (Portia)

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Shalimar Parfum Initial by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2011

February 4, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Hello there APJ Family,

In 2011 there was an enormous flurry of excitement, Guerlain and relatively new comer to the reins of their fragrance division Theirry Wasser, decided to reinvent with a sideways flanker the most famous of the houses fragrances; Shalimar. Flankers are a tricky problem for frag houses, too close and why bother, too far and WTF has this got to do with the original. I understand that it is better to have a pre-existing fan base, brand recognition, history and visual cue to spur your product forwards into the stratosphere of over 1300 new releases from brands big enough to have registered their launches on BaseNotes in 2012. Still it’s a tricky concept.

Shalimar Parfum Initial by Guerlain 2011

ShalimarParfumInitial Fragrantica Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, orange, green notes
Heart: Rose, jasmine, iris, vetiver, patchouli
Base: Vanilla, white musk, tonka bean, caramel

One of the Fragrantica commenters 100mlEDT says: Entirely representing the outer trappings of the original and giving it rose coloured glasses. I thought this a masterly summation and am quite jealous that I didn’t think of it myself. A softer, younger, lighter and ultimately more wearable version, in today’s fragrant world, than its older, more full-on sister. I would also recommend Shalimar Parfum Initial by Guerlain for those who like the idea of being a Shalimar woman, with all the history and structure that is implied, but who really don’t like the fragrance.

After the first hour I think you could even wear Shalimar Parfum Initial in close work proximity, it is not a sillage or scent bubble monster and wears very close on my skin, just the occasional waft as I move or if I stick my head down my top. It stays at this almost fragrant stage though for hours and I loose all traces of it somewhere 5-7 hours, depending on the day. If I wear Shalimar Parfum Initial by Guerlain at night I can sometimes still get a faint whiff next morning.

ShalimarParfumInitial art8amby Photo Stolen art8amby

Further reading BoisDeJasmin and 1000Fragrances
CheapSmells has a 60ml Gift Set with lotion and bag around $80
SurrenderToChance starts at $4/ml

How do you think this flanker rated? Did you read the further readings? Who do you agree with more, BoisDeJasmin or 1000Fragrances? I loved both the arguments and they have left me thinking hard about expectations and the global fragrance market. You?

Whichever way you swing I hope you do it in the company of people you love, or at least fragrances you love,
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Holiday Photo Essay Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary

February 3, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Hey Hey APJ Family and Friends,

As you saw from our shopping lists we have hit the frag shops hard this week with Birgit and Sandra in Vienna but we didn’t get many good shots from the day, sorry. I did pop into the Knize flagship store in Vienna to grab a bottle of the limited edition Knize Ten Gold. They were sold out so I had to content myself with a deodorant stick till I get to Paris. Annoying because I didn’t get it in Prague when I saw it hoping to buy at the original home, GRRR!
I’m not sure if I bragged about this but Neela Vermeire and her gorgeous husband Tony happened to be in Vienna and we all went for a super great dinner filled with loads of laughs and great food. They are such good people and Neela’s beauty is especially apparent in her fragrances. From the little I’ve seen she is as filled with magic as her frags. Great night!!

Budapest is awash with fabulous niche perfumeries. A city that fills during working hours to four million people has two incredible niche frag shops, Neroli and Parfums Croissette, that we’ve been to and Madisson that we hope to see tomorrow. I’ve also added some great shots that we’ve taken that are not frag related. All taken in lovely Budapest. The dinner shot is our new buddy Ibrahim who helped us at the post office and then became our leader and guide on our last night here. I’ve just taken the one of us in bed because we are off to sleepy byes, goodnight from us.

Off to Venice tomorrow afternoon.
Love and kisses,
Jin and Portia xx

Shopping in Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary

February 2, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Hey from HOLIDAYS!
We are making our crazy way across the continent of Europe. It’s two glorious weeks in and we’ve seen five countries so far!! WOW!

VIENNA

Early last week Jin and I were lucky enough to be invited on a breakfast and perfume shopping spree with the gorgeous Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels and her friend and fellow perfumista Sandra who has traveled the world and landed in Vienna. The girls are both gorgeous, friendly, fun and totally up to date in perfume. It was like hanging out with a couple of encyclopedias, and they have sniffed EVERYTHING!! Seriously.

We started at the Central Cafe in Vienna which is as beautiful as a cathedral and the food was SCRUMMY, that means good. The girls has tea, we had bacon and eggs. Yummy.

Then to Le Dix-Neuf, Vienna’s newest niche store, where I tried quite a few new frags from a host of lines currently near impossible to get in Sydney. It was bliss, the SA was really knowledgeable and helpful but it was Birgit who led my nose to NUDA, the recently discontinued jasmine bomb from Nosamatto and VolkaMaria by WeinerBlut (Blood of Vienna) that I can’t wait to wear at home, just to tell people the name.

We went to loads of other places, Le Parfum, Pure Day Spa where I bought the Frederic Malle mini trio of Carnal Flower, En Passant and Lys Mediterranee.
We were absolutely captivated by Duft & Kultur where they had an enormous Niche selection including A Quiet Morning by Miller & Bartaux, Jin adored it and I can see him getting a bottle soon.

There was more, including Hermes, Robert Horn’s Ledermanufaktur and others but no buys just looking. Birgit and Sandra had busy days ahead so the peeled off and we went home EXHAUSTED, even though it was barely lunchtime. Thank you Vienna, thank you ladies.

BUDAPEST

Only a three hour train trip and we are in the heart of Budapest!
There are two famous niche perfumeries here.

The first, Neroli, is next street along from the Mecure Hotel and the lovely Ursula is helpful and fabulously knowledgable. I was lucky enought to bump into the owner, Aron, while there too and have a quick chat. He is sexy and cool, left a life of journalism to run a niche perfume shop seven years ago and has a fabulous selection including the Naomi Goodsirs. Ursula gave me some wonderful Montale samples and they ship to the world for only 10 euro!!

Croisette is the second, owned by Zsolt like the G in George-olt. Zsolt is a perfumer and was so bright and bubbly Jin and I both fell in love. He is all about creating gorgeous and interesting scents but bespoke. They also have a wonderfully curated range.

I haven’t made my niche purchases with them yet but there is an incredible sell out store just opened in the Shopping Passage and we scored some INCREDIBLE bargains including L’Instant, Samsara and Homme body washes by Guerlain, a Lolita Lempicke Au Masculine after shave balm and am Aromatics Elixer for about 5 Australian Dollars each! Quite a fabulous score and I do love a posh body wash.

We are doing the laundry today and finalizing Niche Purchases so there will be more to photograph next Saturday. We are loving Budapest, it is an architecture lovers dream, the people are friendly, it is inexpensive to eat even in the best restaurants two courses and drinks is coming to less than 100 Aussie dollars. We are doing loads of sightseeing and walking.

This post was much better in the first two drafts that the iPad deleted because I forgot to save after every paragraph. Thanks for putting up with my long post if you’ve made it thus far.

Loads of love Portia xxx

Encre Noire Pour Elle by Christine Nagel for Lalique 2009

February 1, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Hello Happy Huffers,

When I saw this bottle and the ad I just hoped I was going to love the frag enough to purchase the lot. The bottle is so simple and the writing exquisite. I was pre disposed to at least like …

Encre Noire Pour Elle by Lalique 2009

EncreNoirePElle Fragrantica Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sicilian bergamot, Indonesian ambrette, freesia
Heart: Turkish rose, Chinese osmanthus, honey, fruity aromas, Kephalis molecule (amber and tobacco-like aromas)
Base: Haitian vetiver, Texas cedar, musk

The opening is quite a startling ZING of citrus and then everything joins in for a moment before settling. Encre Noire Pour Elle then makes the bergamot sing above the ambrette (musk mallow) and I can’t detect any freesia because the rose comes storming in, a vanillic, boozy, spicy and sweet rose that is soft enough to be prim yet powerful enough to be noticed. No wall flower but a controlled, well bred, dark horse of a fragrance that will surprise you throughout its wear with new and interesting nuances but never being outrageous or intrusive.

There is a fair nod to cleanliness, once the opening decides to sit back and the rose while continuing to scintillate becomes fresh and dark, hinting at deep cool recesses and verandahs in palaces and cloisters while outside all is warm and sunny. As the heart progresses it warms and sweetens more but is never remotely noire. Even as we turn to dry down it’s all sweetness and light woods, not scary, exhilarating or naughty like I would hope a noire could be, not a new argument. The musks really shine as clean white now and it all starts to genteely fade. Pretty soon I am alone with my skin and searching for a new frag to spritz.

Maybe 3 hours on a good day, my skin eats Encre Noire Pour Elle. The sillage is there but soft, the scent bubble after the first hour is small, you have to be close to notice how good Encre Noire Pour Elle smells. This is a seductresses fragrance in my mind because you need to be so close to enjoy it at all. You could wear Encre Noire Pour Elle even in a fragrance phobic workplace and tell them it’s your moisturiser. It’s so reasonably priced though at the discounters you can respritz like crazy.

EncreNoire our lle ImperialParfum Photo Stolen ImperialParfum

Further reading GrainDeMusc and 1000Fragrances
FragranceNet has 100ml/$36
MyPerfumeSamples starts at $2/ml but I bought $7/5ml great deal!!

Do you ever fall in love with the ad and want the fragrance merely for its magical imagery?

I think we are in Venice today, it is my first time there and I’m writing to you from early January, Australian summer. You are reading this and we are in the middle of European winter. That is an exciting thought,

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

BLV Pour Homme by Alberto Morillas for BVLGARI 2001

January 31, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hi Flitter Sniffers,

How lucky am I? One of my buddies Scott and I talk fragrance all the time. Recently he asked if I’d tried BVLGARI BLV Pour Homme ansd I had to admit that I hadn’t because while I love the BVLGARI aesthetic and loads of their jewellery, am thrilled that they basically invented tea fragrances and think their bottles are gorgeous I have suffered from too available snobbishness and not really sniffed the line at all. What did he do to rectify the problem? Gave me his own bottle which has clearly been loved to 20% left. Honoured? Yes I am…

BLV Pour Homme by BVLGARI 2001

BLV Fragrantica Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Ginger, cardamom
Heart: Tobacco blossom, tobacco,, juniper, gingko
Base: Grey teak, sandalwood, cedarwood, musk

Many, no to be honest a couple, of the reviews I read about BLV Pour Homme were dismissive of it saying it is predictable, boring and unimaginative. Compared to WHAT?? Opens warm and ripe, a sexy and spicy welcome that gets its sparkle on quickly and you can smell the cardamom clear as day. When the initial rush calms down you are left with a green, wet, slightly boozy and powdery fresh scent that stays that way for a while before the woods demand your attention, they’ve been there all along but the other accords were too big to let them shine. It’s a warm and dry finale that will linger till tomorrow morning, I never seem to get to the end. There is always a small whiff of fresh woodiness left that is way more lovely than my skin.

Too hefty for a fragrance phobic work but anywhere else BLV Pour Homme by BVLGARI is a winner. Not nearly as ubiquitous as it was in the early 21st century, and it’s a deeper and more expressive fragrance than most of what is offered now. BLV is a lady killer, caveat emptor! I love to wear BLV and snuggle on the couch too, it’s that6 kind of fragrance, loving myself sick.

BLVpourHomme perfumeblvd Photo Stolen perfumeblvd

Further reading NowSmellThis compares BLV with Lutens: 5 o’clock Gingembre
FragranceNet has 50ml $32 before discount
SurrenderToChance starts at $3/ml

Have you tried BLV Pour Homme? Do you know someone who wears it? Does the BVLGARI line entice or repel you?

Here is proof not to judge until you have spritzed.
Till tomorrow, take care of yourself and those around you.
Portia xx

Sandflowers by Montale

January 30, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Hey APJ Peeps,

This is a much awaited sample. I thought I had ordered it in the SurrenderToChance Montale carded samples sale but I must have forgotten to put it on the list and the only place I could find a sample was Posh Peasant. Thank goodness I did..

Sandflowers by Montale

Sandflowers Fragrantica Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Sea water, juniper, sandalwood, oakmoss

From ThePoshPeasant: Sandflowers is an unusual and stunning combination of sea notes from the ocean combined with the coolness of juniper berries on a base of sandalwood and oakmoss for a fragrance reminiscent of sunshine, sand, salt water and peace.

The juniper and salty sea shore, clean swept after a storm and early morning before the seaweed starts to fume ferociously. Sandflowers also gives me a sweetness, reminiscent of green cordial, and something a little sugary in contrast to its basic savoury nature. A bit like sweet Vietnamese rolls with salt crystals in the butter you’ve slathered on, causing your arteries to slam shut with a clang but your tastebuds to jump for joy. Not a BIG Montale extravaganza but a quiet, interesting verging on weird, fragrance that doesn’t necessarily evoke each note at any given time but a variety of combinations that work so harmoniously that individual notes are lost, except the salt which cuts across everything.

Sandflowers is such a departure from what I expect a Montale to smell like and I’m wondering if that is what makes it seem so special to me. I was predisposed to liking it from a couple of extremely positive reports I’d read but they didn’t explain the complete lack of any rose or oudh, Sandflowers is a sweet and sour scent. A gourmand in the broadest sense because though it’s not exactly an edible odour, it is definitely a smell that you may know from a morning at yum cha. Yes, I am crazy. No Sandflowers is not bad, it is wonderful. F.B. Wonderful!

I get moderate 4-7 hour wear from Sandflowers by Montale, longer if I wear it as a double coated spritz about an hour apart. Being such an unusual scent, not perfumey at all, I think it would fly under the radar at work, I want to smell this on a really athletic person after they’ve showered at the gym, I wonder if the extra salt and blood pumping would enhance the beachside effect positively. I know this is a totally weird thing to say but I feel like this is the fragrance that I can wear to be myself, there’s no perfume reference for Sandflowers and it’s beautiful on its own merits, no need for comparison or conjecture.

Photo Stolen myworldthrumycameralen

Further reading ISmellThereforIAm and PerfumeSmellin’Things
ParfumsRaffy has 50ml/$75
ThePoshPeasant starts at $3.50/ml

Sandflowers IS an unusual beauty and one I recommend you try. Are you ever surprised by a fragrance houses releases? Does one from a house stand out to you as completely different? Tell me, I love to read about the unusual stuff, please.

Till tomorrow I wish you something lovely, go find it, smile when you do.

Portia xx

Fig Splash EdT by Yann Vasnier for Marc Jacobs 2008

January 29, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Hello Stink Monkeys,

Many of you are stuck in the grip of winter with no end in sight but down here it is 32C swimming, Bar B Q and sunbathing days. Whether you are sweltering or wish to be reminded of the long hot days of summer then I think I’ve found the answer. Currently as ubiquitous as oudh, fig seems to be everywhere in fragrance currently but this one is light and bright and reminiscent of summer, enough to warm your heart.

Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs 2008

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Fig, yuzu (long lasting bitter dry grapefruit), cypress

I enjoy the short story that Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs tells. Ripe fig, not very bitter citrus full of sugar and the crackly green woody backbeat of the Cypress. From the notes you would expect a fresh light, cologne-ish fragrance but just like figs themselves, Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs is a more complex story, there is something deep hidden beneath the fresh burst of fruit that hints at autumn, a warmth, a yeastiness that centres the fragrance and makes it interesting and lovely. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very simple and enjoyable easy wear fragrance that would suit anyone, young or old, man or woman. Modern, translucent and pretty, without being a super sugar sweet girly fruit-choouli nothing.

While it is all this, Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs is ultimately very forgettable on me. I am lightly fragrant with a soft sillage and small scent bubble, I know I smell nice but unlike Mandy Aftel’s Fig or Hermes, Un Jardin en Mediterranee, I don’t feel enfolded or engaged. Even Diptyque, Philosykos which I didn’t particularly like moves me more.

I know, it reads like I hate it, I don’t. I like it. Wear it and it is perfect for summer or as a reminder of those lovely warm, fruit filled, on the terrace eating days. This decant will not last the summer.

If you want something not too sweet, not too fragrant and not too anything else then Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs could be the one for you. A great office-safe, pretty something that is better than a lot of the dross out there. Spritz with abandon too because the bottle is E NOR MOUS and cheap in the discounters.

Photo Stolen mandmwallace

Further reading NowSmellThis does an introduction and that’s all I could find
eGlobalBeauty has 300ml/$57 delivered
SurrenderToChance starts at 2ml/$4

Do you have a favourite fig? What would you wear to remind you of summer, or if in the Southern Hemisphere what are you wearing to beat the heat?

I’m off to the pool, then definitely some more Fig Splash!! Wish you were here.
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Dior Homme Shadow Movie by Willy Vanderperre

January 28, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hiya,
Here’s one for the boys and the ladies, and men, who love them. This was originally one of my favourite masculine fragrances, the 2011 reformulation has changed it and at least DIOR was kind enough to give us a complete heads up about it all. It is different, and that is sad but still a worthy fragrance to hold the masculine mainstream at DIOR.

DIOR Homme by Francois Demarchy 2011

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lavender, sage, bergamot
Heart: Iris, amber, cacao
Base: Vetiver, patchouli, leather.

I hope you love the movie, like I do,
Portia xx

Dior Homme Shadow Movie by Willy Vanderperre released 13/9/12

Holiday Photo Essay Slovakia, Poland, Austria

January 27, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

Hello All,

We are having a wonderful time on our fragrant journey, this first picture is Jin and I on top of a ski mountain. In Poland then later in the day with his wonderful brother and family at lunch.
Then we move to our Prague shopping madness which was a blast.
You’ll see in Vienna that first we met up with our newest foreign corespondent, Val, who is the owner of Armadillo Cookies and Bikes with her husband. The cookies are beyond incredible and you can find them in a few select places throughout Europe but I think in 2013 that she will be going global. Val will do her first Guest Post in March.
Lastly, we went to dinner with the amazing Birgit ( beer-git with the g like gum) and Michael (the husband) who are the most beautiful couple. Birgit is willowy, blonde and with an ethereal beauty that is a little otherworldly, is also extremely clever and was a nurse and psycho therapist. Who knew? Of courses she is the worlds most loved frag blogger for a reason and we were prepared to love her, as we did, from the outset. The big surprise was Michael who is a SPUNK! Sure, he is very smart and funny, has a great sense of humor and some good stories but Michael stole both Jin and my hearts before entree was served. If you are reading Michael, we are smitten.
Food was awesome and conversation flowed until I felt my head starting to nod with the warmth and the wine, we skipped dessert and had a coffee but it was not enough to keep me from fading. Jin and I walked home and fell into bed exhausted.
More next week,
Portia xx