Author: australianperfumejunkiescom

Miss Boucheron review, Competition WINNER ANNOUNCED

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Hey gang

I hope your weekend is treating you well. Life is good here in sunny autumnal Sydney, crisp and cool. We keep having Bar B Q’s in case it’s the last one before winter really digs in. I love Bar B Q’d sausages and mushrooms. We even ate outside in the sunshine

I’m wearing Miss Boucheron today for fun. It’s a fruity flowery nothing that was so discounted on the net that I blind bought a 50ml refill Eau de Parfum. The noses behind this scent have such good stuff in their repertoires that I felt justified in ignoring Luca Turin’s one star scathing dismissal of the whole product. Anne Flipo (2012 Lady Million Eau de Toilette, 2010 Acqua di Gioia, 2006 YSL  L’Homme, 2005 Fleur D’Oranger) and Dominique Ropion (2012 What We Do In Paris Is Secret, 2005  Carnal Flower, 2005 Alien, 2004 Pure Poison, 1991 Amarige) have such an outstanding history that I wanted him to be wrong. He’s not 100% wrong, in all honesty. It’s similar to plenty of other fragrances, has pink pepper, bergamot and pomegranate as its top notes and is supposed to go through the floral to white suede; but all I get is a waxy flower after a couple of hours that stays for a while, quite nice, and then gone.

Don’t get me wrong, it is a perfectly wearable scent and nobody will be hurt by your wearing of it. It was designed to be an inexpensive fresh fragrance to bring some younger custom to house Boucheron.  You will smell bright and flowery with a little musky & pink peppery sparkle. I will use this bottle up but will probably not buy another. I may become addicted to it though and have to. Never say….


Photo Stolen from supermodels.nl

Now Smell This has done a wonderful review back when Miss Boucheron first appeared, Fragrantica has the skinny.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Here’s what you had to do and what you’ll be winning should you be our lucky contestant. I’m so sad we don’t have prizes for everyone who entered, thank you all for contributing. I enjoy reading your responses more than you could know. THANK YOU! We’ll have another giveaway next Thursday, see you then.

Please give us a short perfume memory in the comments about you, a friend, colleague or relative’s favourite old school perfume (pre 2000) WINNER Lindaloo for her beautiful Mum story.

1.5ml spray decant Casmir by Chopard
Manufacturers sample COURAGE by One seed
1.5ml Posh Peasant decant spray of Parfumerie Generale; Jardin de Kerylos
1.5ml Posh Peasant decant spray of Diptyque; Philosykos
1ml Posh Peasant decant of Ambre Russe by Parfum d”Empire

Tell your fave CELEBUSCENT WINNER Mark Evans for SJP’s Lovely

1.5ml manufacturers sample spray Haute Claire by Aftelier Perfumes
Aftelier Perfumes Apricot and Lemon Candle in a Tin
Gucci; 2ml decanted sample spray Gucci by Gucci pour homme
Estee Lauder; 2ml decanted sample spray Brasil Dreams
Jessica Simpson; 2ml decanted sample spray Fancy Nights
LUSH Cosmetics; 1.5ml decanted sample spray Orange Blossom

Plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world. You must get in touch before Wednesday 2.5.12 to claim your prize or I’ll give it to someone in the street!

Have a wonderful fragrant weekend all. Enjoy!

Portia xx

OPUS OILS JITTERBUG PERFUME PARLOUR: The Divine Collection Review

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Hey, Hey Gang,

When work is done and all in our house are asleep, a cup of sweet, milky instant coffee by my side, I love to troll the web at night. I will catch up on the many blogs that I read, follow links like a lemming, discover new fragrance, friends, trends and a world of stuff that would have been totally beyond my reach without the internet. Don’t get me wrong, I love to troll the net during the day too but at night it seems more personal and without the worlds distractions I feel that I can learn stuff.

Recently while trolling I was introduced to a niche perfume crew called Opus Oils Jitterbug Perfume Parlour. They look fun and sassy in their online store and fact sheets; like the coolest kids that you always wanted to be buddies with. There is a sense of loads of fun and in-joking, hours spent laughing while trying new experiments, names, fragrances. They have a great sample program so I decided to buy and try the Divine Collection samples. Their cross links with mysticism and historical spiritualism caught my eye, along with their 100% natural approach.

Picture Grizzli “Gods” Stolen from Wikimedia

What I found with these all natural oils was that they were much more sophisticated than I expected. More nuanced and not huge explosions of fragrance but a delicious waft here and there melting into my skin over hours, becoming a lovelier smelling me, but still discernible as other. These are intimate fragrances that could be worn for everything from meditation to work (unless they are absolutely fragrance phobic), but they also would be excellent dinner, theatre, booty call or Bar B Q scents. Not overwhelming, I don’t think people will find them offensively expansive. Also, being oils they will last ages because a little goes a long way.

Opus Oils Jitterbug Perfume Parlour opened August 2008 in Hollywood, CA, USA after Kendra Hart being a successful underground and above ground perfumer. Here’s a little (edited version) of what the site says:

Kedra Hart was one of the developers of The Apothecary at Barneys New York in Beverly Hils and founder of the natural perfume and aromatherapy line Precious Petals. She designs custom scents, teaches perfumery in LA and Paris and is blender and co-founder with Joshua Hart of Opus Oils Jitterbug Perfume Parlour.

“It’s hard to describe our Jitterbug Perfume Parlour when people ask,” says Joshua Hart, “I usually say it’s a cross between the movie “Beyond the Valley of the Dolls” and the book “Jitterbug Perfume”. Mix that with the TV show “Hart to Hart”, sprinkle it with “Moulin Rouge” and then add a dash of Flapper Speakeasy Culture. Yeah, I think that about says it all.”

The Divine Collection (100% all natural perfume)

These oil blends are made with essential oils and rare perfume oils from around the world. Specially formulated to assist you in making contact the God or Goddess energy that lies within you. Absolutely no synthetics are used in these Natural Perfume blends. Consisting of four aromatic treasures, all formulated with exotic and rare botanical essences, that can be worn alone or in layered combination. Nourishing to the spirit, they offer a positive, uplifting and natural alternative to the majority of mainstream perfumes on the market. 

I tried to capture my first impressions with single words and then give you an unfolding story.

ISIS: Hot, Steamy, Dark citrus, Dusky, Luscious. This was the first of the line I tried. The balmy citric myrrh is the initial scent I get but after about 15 minutes this delicious jasmine comes in and wends its way through. It took me by surprise when I got my first whiff while my mind was on the laundry, I thought someone was behind me wearing it. I nearly jumped out of my skin. Fragrantica gives featured notes as jasmine, myrhh, olibanum and coconut.

PAN: Clean, Sharp,Dank, Enticing earth, Funereal. Wow! This is the edge of the jungle, earth, deep and dark. Evening jungle in the cool season. I smell moss, clay, humus, animal. Aptly named, this is the scent I can imagine all smelling in E. M. Forster’s a Story of a Panic, first released in 1911, when Eustace becomes overwhelmed and shocked from his torpor. It is a sexy and inviting green. Fragrantica says I am smelling patchouli, vetiver, oakmoss, fir and violet leaf.

EROS: Vegetal, Herbs, Grass, Spice, Chilli. This smells to me like a spicy chicken salad with oregano, parsley, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. It’s a warm and cool fragrance, interesting and thoughtful.  Fragrantica gives me amber, mandarin orange and vetiver as the notes here but it feels much more alive and sparkling than that.

VENUS: Sweet, Balmy, Sexy, Salt, Medicinal. I know. Clearly my nose was elsewhere because the notes in Fragrantica say features rose, lotus, ylang-ylang, neroli, sea water and dark chocolate. I miss the flowers and chocolate completely. Maybe they’ll come along soon but after half an hour I am getting an awesome scent, just not floral or chocolate. This is the one I think is FBW out of the group. On my skin an interesting sweet and salty mixture. Very calm and sensual. This fragrance feels like the siren calling, like Venus herself from the sea to all the mariners. I would follow instinctively.

Thank you all so much for coming and having a squiz.

Do you have a natural perfumer that you love? Tell us about them in the comments. Anything and anyone new we can lock onto is interesting for us,

Portia xx

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION X 2

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Hey everyone,

We’ve had a great week at AustralianPerfumeJunkies so our giveaway will reflect that with some super fun stuff for you to sniff in not one but TWO COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS!!! How to enter?

Please give us a short perfume memory in the comments about you, a friend, colleague or relative’s favourite old school perfume (pre 2000).

The old school perfume we covered this week was Casmir by Chopard, a 1.5ml decant spray.

In honour of Evie C’s first major interview this Monday gone with Liz Cook from Australian Natural Niche Perfume crew, ONE SEED. We are adding most of a generous manufacturers sample of my personal favourite One Seed fragrance so far, COURAGE. This scent is so extraordinary that I went FB and have used maybe 4 spritzes from the sample, there’s still at least 4ml left.

After our Posh Peasant; FIG! Olfactory Journey to Greece special we are putting in 1.5ml Posh Peasant decant sprays of Parfumerie Generale; Jardin de Kerylos and Diptyque; Philosykos

Photo stolen from shopping-premiereavenue.com

To top it all off we are adding in a 1ml Posh Peasant decant of Parfum d”Empire; Ambre Russe (I ordered this sample forgetting I’d ordered a FB that turned up almost next day. I know, right)

plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world

In March we had a Celebuscent Competition that Maureen won but has not been in touch to receive her winnings. The go was that she had till that next Wednesday to get in touch but did not. While hoping that Maureen is happy and well, her loss is your gain folks. As a second COMPETITION GIVEAWAY this week you must only tell your fave CELEBUSCENT, easy!

My Photo

Aftelier Perfumes; 1.5ml manufacturers sample spray Haute Claire + Apricot and Lemon Candle in a Tin (one of my Smell Good Do Good buys that Mandy Aftel kindly gave to the cause)

Gucci; 2ml decanted sample spray Gucci by Gucci pour homme

Estee Lauder; 2ml decanted sample spray Brasil Dreams

Jessica Simpson; 2ml decanted sample spray Fancy Nights

LUSH Cosmetics; 1.5ml decanted sample spray Orange Blossom

plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world.

All measurements are approximate and the winners will be judged around 10pm Australian EST this Saturday 28.4.12 and you will have till Wednesday 2.5.12 to get in touch. GO TO IT Y’ALL.

Much love, and gratitude for your coming and reading.
We feel blessed that so many of you bother.
THANK YOU,

Portia xx

Swiss Arabian Fragrances

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Hey gang,

Admission time! We have aptly named the website. I am a complete PERFUME JUNKIE! If it smells good to me I am happy like a kid. Very sad when I don’t like it and give a fragrance 4 goes before it’s put away. Be it Chanel, Aftelier, Lutens, Jessica Simpson, Guerlain, Tauer, Gorilla, Gwen Stefani, Boucheron or any other of the myriad perfume and fragrance producers worldwide. Slowly but surely I am making my way through them with new and exciting things arriving every week. This week there was a large, well taped box with picture stamps all over it.

Reading Perfume Posse recently there was an article about Swiss Arabian perfumes, apparently the Avon of the Arab world. I had seen them when I had stumbled on the Zahra’s Perfumes site (but been a little scared to purchase even though, or maybe because they are so reasonable) in my search for a now discontinued Hamil Al Musk oil called Musk Alwaz that a neighbour had brought back for me. After reading Musette’s story on Noora I was completely energised and went to with abandon. They had taken 6 weeks to arrive down here in Australia so they had left my memory banks and were a lovely surprise. These descriptions are edited from the site.

Rasheeqa Concentrated Perfume Oil (20ml) Alcohol Free $20

Rasheeqa : Concentrated Perfume Oil (20ml) Alcohol Free (Ladies) (free shipping & handling for this item)
Rasheeqa, personifies gracefulness found in women of royal descent. A woman poised in her love, embellish with wholesomeness, splendour, and grace—taking us to the voyage of metapphorical grandeur, of Arabic past, present and future. She is an epitome of womanhood.

Top: Rose
Heart: Water fruits, Maguet, Rose, Jasmine, Hyacinth
Base: Cedarwood, Sandalwood, Orris, Musk, Amber

Noora : Concentrated Perfume Oil (20 ml) Alcohol Free $12

Noora : Concentrated Perfume Oil (20 ml) Alcohol Free

Noora, meaning `divine light; concentrated Mukhalat perfume from Al Arabiya Al Swissriya, shines in its brilliant illuminating design bottle with floral fruity neo oriental fragrance, bringing energy in our life. Oriental and rounded notes with profound modern harmonious theme.

Top: Orange, Tangerine, Ylang ylang, Plum, Honey
Heart: Ginger, Lily, Iris, Tuberose, Rose, Jasmine, Hyacinth, Saffron, Shamamatul Amber, Blackcurrant
Base: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Musk, Dehn el ood, Vanilla, Chocolate, Civet

Mukhalat Jumana Concentrated Perfume Oil (20ml) Alcohol Free $35

Mukhalat Jumana : Concentrated Perfume Oil (20 ml) Alcohol Free

This perfume is a rich oriental Agarwood based Floral blend with a top note of pure Turkish Rose and a body of Indian & Combodian Agarwood.

Top: Freshness of Galbanum, Apple, Hycainth, Bergamot, Lemon & Spiced up cinnamon
Heart: Carnation, Hints of Clove, Rose, Jasmine & Violet Notes
Base: Delicate woody, Powdery note of Balsam, Musk, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Ood & Amber

I have been wearing this one to bed, its heavy narcotic intensity wafting over me as I drift off to sleep is soothing, and mesmeric, as I slow my breathing down. The Turkish Rose here is sweet enough to be Turkish Delight over the top of the ouds deeply resinous, animalic & fungal stench it makes an interesting dichotomy.

Mukhallat Al Walid Oudh Blend Oil 1 Tola $15

There is no write up or proper pictiure in the Zahra catalogue for this perfume oil. I bought it because it caught my eye. It is a 10ml-ish decant into a very interesting octagonal, gold floral printed glass bottle with a plastic dabber stick inside and a gold tone lid with a glass jewel on top.

Dark, deep, balmy, fecal sweet. This is extreme perfumery. Imagine Indiana Jones smelling like this towards the end of one of his adventures. Horse, dirt, shit, sweat, leather, blood and sex; it’s all deliciously here.

We’d love to read your fragrant oil stories in comments,

Portia xx

Figs! Olfactory Journey To Greece

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Hiya gang,

Figs are everywhere in perfume.

Photo Stolen from 123rf.com

The scentbloggosphere is also full of the fig journey. The Olfactoria’s Travels, Undina’s Looking Glass, and Now Smell This crews, among others, have all done splendid fig reviews. Recently I  looked at Aftelier Perfumes AH-MAY-ZING Fig and all this fig chat has had me intrigued. There are so many choices the mind boggles. What to do?

I went to The Posh Peasant and looked up figs. What caught my eye was a five pack of famous figs called Figs! Olfactory Journey to Greece. This way I could try the generally accepted best reasonably and if I LOVED some then I could think about a purchase. Genius! Here’s what The Posh Peasant says in their spiel;

Fig scented fragrances have been all the rage the past decade and for good reason. Some fig scents have a wonderful complexity of being both green/woodsy and slightly fruity. A good fig scent transports you to a fig grove in Greece (if you’ve ever smelled a fig grove you’ll know it’s one of nature’s most gorgeous scent creations).

Photo Stolen from PoshPeasant
What I’ve done below is give my initial thought words during top notes then gone on to discuss progressions.

Diptyque, Philosykos; Sharp, Twig, Torn bark, Earth, Leaves. This is a sparse and spare smell on me. Right from the moment I first wear it there is fig tree but not fig jam, and so much space between the scent that it is like you are dozing down the hill, in the shade, while up the hill the workers are picking the fruit, occasionally tearing leaves and maybe someone mowed the grass this morning and there has been a light sunshower after tilling some nearby earth. 6 hours later it is still there, linear and quite noticeable, which is surprising on my skin.

Hermes, Un Jardin en Mediterranee; Fresh, Sweet, Air, Sharp, Expensive wood, Roast chicken glaze. At first glance/sniff this feels like a fragrance I’d reach for regularly if it were in my collection. Bright, warm and inviting like toast and fig jam with a hearty meat smell like roast chicken fresh from the oven with a fruit glaze. As it warms up this is spicy fig jam. Of the 5 this is the best fit with our cool wet Autumn day in Sydney and my personal favourite.

Miller Harris, Figue Amère; Nutty, Citrus, Salty Fruit, Wood, Tangy Sweet & Sour. This is YUMMY! My nose is reading almost a Chinese banquet here. The fruit and leaves in Figue Amere are dried, salted, fried and flavoured, there is warm depth and it feels so extravagant and opulent. Like fig is not the main course here and is joined by the rest of the dishes. There is a note during the middle, unfortunately I can’t identify what, that smells like after salt water swimming shower sex.

Parfumerie Generale, Jardins de Kerylos; Warm, Fresh, Ozonic,, Fruit, Light but penetrating. It’s most fig smell during drydown, but a very dry fig, austere and cool. 1-6 hours later Jardins de Kerylos becomes a barely there hum on my skin, nicer smelling than me.

Jo Malone, Wild Fig & Cassis; Roots, Sap, Bitter, Leaves, Chewed grasses. This is a breath taking look at a pine logging camp of the unmechanised variety. I smell torn trees, earth, compost, grass and cowpats. A challenging, astringent, glorious riot of bitter green herbaceous life. This is what a Triffid would smell like.

Thanks for reading. Do you have a favourite fig? We’d like to know.

Portia xx

Australian Perfumers: An interview with Liz Cook of One Seed

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By Evie C.

Photo Stolen from One Seed

 

Here at australianperfumejunkies one of our aims is to explore what’s going on in Australian perfumery and to celebrate our own wonderfully talented perfumers.  One of our favourite discoveries has been Liz Cook of natural perfume house One Seed.

Liz has a long-standing interest in natural ingredients and brings a wealth of experience to her range.  She was kind enough to share some insights with us in to the origins and evolution of One Seed.  We hope you enjoy the following interview.

How did you become interested in becoming a perfumer?

 I’ve had an interest in natural health and cosmetics since I was a young teen and I experimented with DIY natural skincare and aromatherapy in my early 20s. Then in 2001 – when I was 25 – I opened an organic beauty and lifestyle store in Adelaide, Out of Eden, and the journey continued. During the next seven years I spent a lot of time researching and practicing, and created thousands of blends for clients and for the store with customised skincare, aromatherapy blends and the occasional perfume. My passion for natural scent developed during that time, and I had a lot of success with the blends I created in that business. When I sold the business in 2008, I kept only the perfume formulae, seeing a gap in the market for natural perfumery that I might fill at a later date. Three months later I began working on the first fragrances for One Seed.

What were you doing before you became a perfumer?

I have had many ‘careers’ in my short life, from starting off in retail (don’t we all?!), then studying a Bachelor of Nursing (which I quit half way through), and photography which saw me through several years of uni and has proved to be a great fall-back choice for me; I also studied Social Science, Community Development, and then Small Business Management prior to opening Out of Eden in 2001. But my passion has always been business. I’ve been entrepreneurial all my life – I can’t help myself!!  By the way, I also have two kids (9 and 5), so that has also kept me busy!

How did you get your education as a perfumer?

I am a passionate researcher and self-trained in aromatherapy and perfumery. I’ve been researching this field for well over a decade, read reams and reams of articles and books, and watch and analyse what some of my favourite indie perfumers are doing. And LOTS of trial and error!!

Why did you want to be a perfumer in Australia where the culture of ‘perfume’ is somewhat limited?

I never accept limitations. Perhaps naively, I’ve always preferred to make my own path, and I don’t feel restricted by what is or is not considered possible or plausible. Sometimes this has been my downfall, and it often means pushing those hard yards for a long time without success or recognition, but it’s just the way it is with me. I feel proud to be an indie perfumer in Australia where very few exist (in fact, there are only two other natural perfumers offering a product at a retail level in Australia). And I like the idea that I might be somewhat of a trailblazer!

Do you have any mentors/inspirations in the perfume world?

Mandy Aftel is just amazing! She is an inspiration for a lot of indie perfumers because she has incredible skills and has made an amazing success of her natural perfumery brand, as well as being one of the main reasons natural perfumery has begun to get mainstream attention. She is definitely a trail-blazer!

Do you have a favourite mass-market perfume?

 I don’t wear them at all myself, but my mum wears Escada Sentiment, and I love how it smells on her. It’s like rose and sherbet. I actually made her something similar using naturals (hoping she’d ditch the synthetics), but she still prefers her Escada! If I was into mass-market perfumes, I’d probably be a Chanel girl because I love originators – and I’m a total sucker for amazing marketing!

Do you have a favourite independent perfumer?

Apart from Mandy Aftel, I also like what Olivia Giacobetti. She’s worked with some big names, but I love what she has done with Honore des Pres (I really want a bottle of Les Carrotes). Annick Goutal also has my attention.

Do you have a signature scent? If so, what is it and how did you find it?

Personally, I don’t have a signature scent; I go with whatever I feel on the day, and I’m always wearing my latest experiment! But “Freedom” has become somewhat of One Seed’s signature scent. It’s an easy-to-wear combination of classics with a unique twist, and has a delicate yet mature femininity, which probably represents our brand pretty well.

Like many perfumers, I also have a set of signature essences which I always go back to by default. They include rose otto, ambrette, amber and magnolia and a few others. I have to make a conscious effort not to use them in everything!

Do you consider One Seed to be bucking the ‘clean scent’ trend?

Absolutely. I understand the trend toward clean scents, as people really want to go back to basics, and that seems to mean the simple pleasure of the smell of clean, fresh fabric. I think it’s about going back to simple pleasures, which is a good thing. But in order to get that type of fragrance you either have to use a bunch of synthetics to mimic to scent, or keep your nose in your linen closet! We don’t use synthetics, and we really don’t follow trends at all. Not that we intentionally buck trends, but each fragrance I create has its own unique story or theme. My focus is always getting the most out of a beautiful natural palette of aromas to create a unique fragrance experience.

Why is it important to you to use natural ingredients rather than synthetics?

(I could talk about this subject for hours!) There is a lot of information out there for anyone who’s interested in finding out exactly what is in their bottle of perfume, but one of the best articles I’ve found is called Not So Sexy. Basically, most perfumes (including the big names) are a combination of lab-produced synthetic fragrances, UV filter, artificial colours, and phthalates for increased silage or longevity, many of which are hormone-disruptors, potentially carcinogenic, and can commonly cause nausea, headache and allergic reactions. Reading the ingredients list is only moderately helpful as up to 50% of ingredients won’t even be listed on the package due to ‘trade secret’ loopholes.

Of course, there are also some natural which can cause allergic reactions, or should not be used by pregnant women for example, but I completely believe in the beauty of natural perfumery, and a skilful perfumer knows how to create a fragrance masterpiece using only a palette of naturals. I am a firm believer in avoiding exposure to unnecessary chemicals, and there are enough natural fragrance options out there these days that I think it’s entirely possible to avoid synthetic perfumes completely if you want to.

What do you see as the most important trend in perfume currently?

There is a definite leaning toward naturals. Most perfume houses have started to include some naturals in their formulae. I think more and more consumers are demanding it, so the market is slowly (very slowly!) turning. But I think the most important trend is toward niche or indie perfumers. That’s very exciting for perfumers like me as it means it is actually a commercial viability to be a small perfumer. Ten years ago, that was definitely not the case. Consumers are definitely becoming more discerning, wanting something unique, and willing to try something different.

Do you think it’s financially viable to be a perfumer in Australia?

It is difficult to make a good income as an independent perfumer anywhere, especially in Australia. But it is viable if you are a good perfumer and understand your market well. And the value of blogs and independent perfume reviewers (like Australian Perfume Junkies) cannot be underestimated.

Could you describe a typical One Seed customer? Are your customers entirely local or do you have customers internationally?

Our customers are about 60% local and 40% international (mainly US). A typical One Seed customer is a 30-40-something woman with a leaning toward organics or natural living, someone who has a broad world view, values family and community and loves finding unique and independent artisans of all types! She is a woman of style, but not overly influenced by trendiness or high fashion, or mass-market.

How significant is the online side of your business and do you think it could be viable to run a perfume business entirely online?

Our online store has become an integral part of our business over the past 12 months as we have had a lot of interest from blogs and online perfume reviewers. Prior to that, we didn’t sell a lot online, but now our online sales are really what help keep the business afloat in tough retailing times. As far as running on online-only perfume business, I think it can be difficult, especially for a small perfume house that isn’t in the mainstream. It is vital to get yourself out there, become known to magazine editors, bloggers and other reviewers whose opinion is valued by consumers. But, ultimately, I think perfume is an experience, not just a product, and it needs to be smelt and seen to be understood.

Can you tell us a little about the genesis of your newer fragrances ‘Frangipani’ and ‘Sweet Water’? (Also, when will they be available?)

 Both are available in our online store, and soon to be available in stores. Frangipani was actually created for my friend Kate as a birthday gift, and I had such good feedback every time people smelled the leftover vial, I just had to release it. We describe it as “A quintessential frangipani fragrance capturing the sweet nectar of frangipani blossoms, delicately supported by melodious fruit, floral & musk tones”, and it’s really pretty. In fact, it’s my husband’s favourite fragrance to wear so it’s not that pretty! On him, is smells a touch more earthly and completely divine!!

Sweet Water was developed as part of a Natural Perfumers Guild Project in 2011, with the theme of “Brave New World”. The idea was to develop a scent using natural only available since 2000. I created Sweet Water inspired by the smell of grass after rain in summer. It’s a sweet green chypre with a sweet heart of honey, mint and summer blossoms enveloped by a watery aromatic top note and dewy base of amber and sweet grasses. It’s one I’m most proud of, but it’s one you’ll either love or avoid.

 

 

 

 

Casmir by Chopard Review

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hey everyone,

While most blogs are talking about Spring arriving and getting out your citrus and softly, airy florals; here in Australia we are just starting to hit Autumn. The leaves on the Liquidamber in the front yard are starting to turn, the Camellias are flowering, the gardener will be coming every 3 weeks instead of fortnightly and the nights are turning chilly. Instead of wearing my summer round the house uniform of boxer shorts and singlets it is track suit, hoodie and sloppy Joe weather. YUMMY! Soon it will be pumpkin soup, roast beef, baked pasta with vegetables and savoury mince time. I love the cooler months because it’s easier to get warm that it is to get cool, without resorting to A/C, just add socks and a jumper. We also have really mild winters in Sydney so it’s not a hardship, it’s lovely.

CASMIR EDP by Chopard

The nose that created Casmir in 1992, Michel Almairac, had already made Joop! Homme, Escada Margaretha Ley and Paloma Picasso Minotaure and has gone on to create such lavish olfactory adventures as L’Eau de Chloe, Shiseido’s Zen Women, Bottega Veneta, Gucci Rush, Cabaret by Gres, and a bunch of the Bond No 9’s. So this is an early work, a peek into the history of, and helps build context for, an already extraordinary career.

Casmir is given 4 stars by Luca Turin. He calls it a Strange Oriental and talks about the discordance and “contrasts between the peach, lactonic top notes, the slightly flat, mimosa floral heart and the woody-animalic drydown…as daring as Rabanne’s La Nuit was in its day.”

Photo Stolen from PinkManhattan

The notes that Luca Turin speaks of and on Fragrantica do not serve as a guide for me, at all. Yes, my nose is sometimes crazy but in this I feel justified. Maybe I need to go eat a peach. I smell not the big gutsy hit of fruits but it feels like a sweet vanilla,  jasmine and orange blossom to me, with maybe a whisper of spices and cinnamon (TSO Jin smells watermelon)? Then it’s all about the base. Vanilla, Benzoin (?), Opoponax (brown sugary, honeyed resin) and Tonka Bean (spicy resinous vanilla) walk in and play sexy bitches for hours and hours. In the morning I’ll wake up with the sweet, dirty, disco smell of girl gone bad. This is a fragrance to send boys home crying and have men panting for more and trying to hump your leg. So reasonably priced on the discount store sites and packs a knockout punch. Certainly not for the faint-hearted, this will bring out the sexy siren in you. Don’t sniff or tsk at me, you know you love it and you also want this in your arsenal.

Photo Stolen from shopping.com

We haven’t yet spoken about the bottle. I love the bottle even though it is ridiculously awkward to spray from, takes up the same area as 4 other regular bottles and is outrageously the wrong side of kitsch. To me all this belies the gloriously sensual juice in the bottle. Like it’s a challenge to wear; pass the test of ignoring these problems to get the fragrant reward. Its worth it.

Brian on I Smell Therefore I Am does a wonderful review, light and shade, all angles covered and Pink Manhattan where I stole the print ad from loves Chopard’s Casmir.

Thank you so much for reading. What are your cool weather warmers? If you’re up in the Northern Hemisphere which of your favourites are being bundled away in anticipation of summer? Leave us a message and tell us. It will thrill us and make us feel like real bloggers.

Portia xx

The only ad I could find on YouTube was in German but you get the idea. The arch they go through reminds me of a couple of the wonderful places I’ve been in India.

Scent Science and WINNER Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

An introduction to the Science of Scent. This is an interesting short course in “how we smell” theories. Light and informative. Neil Morris and Luca Turin are both interviewed about their perfume practice and theories.

This weeks winner is receiving by mail.

1ml spray remains of manufacturers sample Eau de Maroc EDP by Aftelier Perfumes

1.5ml spray decant Mandgradore EDT by Annick Goutal

1.5ml spray decant Carriere EDP by Gendarme

1.5mml spray decant Muscho Nobile EDT by Nobile 1942

and a SURPRISE manufacturers spray decant of Bamboo Harmony by Kilian. Brand new and fresh off the press, sent directly from their HQ. This is part of by Kilian new Asian Tales fragrance range. I have kept the Water Calligraphy half of this amazing sample set for myself and had a small test spray of your Bamboo Harmony which seems to be a warm spicy aquatic to me on its only mini application.

The winner today is UNDINA from Undina’s Looking Glass.

I know you didn’t want to be entered Undina but I am also surpised and inspired by people who look like they have an amazing team working for and with them, especially when it is mainly their own hard work, perseverence and drive that has made their dream come true. If you really don’t want to win I will redraw but please do win.

Annick Goutal Reviews #II

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Following on from our mini life story and history of Annick Goutal on Wednesday, and our reviews yesterday, we have 3 more reviews and an extract from a fellow perfumista’s comments.

GIVEAWAY HERE

L’Eau d’Hadrien

This is citrus, but not the modern candied and tortured variety. Fresh, vibrant and alive citrus plucked directly from the tree, leaves too. Like a basket of citrus, all sorts, but warmed by the ylang ylang and sharpened by the cypress. It was the first fragrance made for the line back in 1981, apparently also an homage to Marguerite Yourcenar’s novel “Memoirs of Hadrien”, which I’ve not read, or heard of, but just ordered it from BookDepository for AUS$13 incl delivery to my door! Unfortunately, L’Eau d’Hadrien leaves me cold. Too nice, too colognesque, too nothing, yes it’s fresh and a little zesty but I want more. Sorry Annick Goutal, I know it’s your best seller and quite pretty but not for me.

UPDATE: Today while at group pedicure and lunch I gave my sample of L’Eau d’Hadrien to a girlfriend. We all tried it on, including me, and though it lasted less than an hour on us there was a delicious fresh dry down that I had missed before on just me. It was a soft and delicious skin scent. Sorry L’Eau d’Hadrien, you are better than I thought. Of course my friend was THRILLED!

Check out A Smelly Blog the comments are good too, Fragrantica here

The Annick Goutal site says

A symphony of glistening, refreshing citrus notes, orchestrated through the Sicilian lemon.
Creation date : 1981
Olfactory family : Citrus (Sicilian lemon, citron, grapefruit, green mandarine, cypress, aldehyde notes, ylang-ylang)

Ce Soir Ou Jamais (Tonight or Never)

This opens like the most delicious old fashioned rose, truly bittersweet, almost honeyed in its sweet intensity but packing a bark and leaf grain tartness. My BFF Kath’s father has roses that smell like this; sweet, dark and bitter all at once. I am not a soliflorous (I know, not a word) person. Give me a bouquet and then twist it a bit and then TURN THE SMELL UP! Make it enormous please. Which is why I am astounded at my love for this enchanting and bewitching rose soliflor. It is calm yet mysterious and lasts for ages on my skin, I can still smell delicious traces of it lingering next morning. It is polarising though. Last night while hosting Turbo Trivia I wore Ce Soir Ou Jamais and had 2 lovely unsolicited compliments and one, “OMG! What is that you have on? Yuck!.” Win some, lose some. I did have to remind the rude one that, in fact, I was wearing it for my own enjoyment and she could continue to wear her Avon (which I admit smelled really, REALLY good on her. It was yummy) for ever.

Perfume Smellin Things really understands the rose world and does a super review, Fragrantica is here.

The Annick Goutal site says

The scent of pure rose, breathtaking and elegant in its femininity
Creation date : 1999
Olfactory family : Floral (Turkish rose, ambrette seed, and a blend of essences kept secret…)

Eau de Camille

I love Eau de Camille too. I had a girlfriend during our teenage years and this scent reminds me of her every time I wear it. It begins sparse and almost spiky like cutting the ivy back every year at autumn and sweetens mildly as you get to know it and it warms on your skin, then gone. Not much longevity but pretty, vivacious and sparkly while it lasts nonetheless. Just like youth. Eau de Camille was the first fragrance that Annick Goutal created especially for her daughter Camille when she was 8 years old.

SweetDiva has this to say and Fragrantica

The Annick Goutal site says

Green, like an ivy garden, as fresh as a dewy morning
Creation date : 1983
Olfactory family : Floral, green (Ivy, privet tree, honeysuckle, seringa, cut grass)

Ambre Fetiche

I have never smelled Ambre Fetiche but I have a rave review from my comments strings. The lovely Dionne from BeautyOnTheOutside (BOTO) had this to say about it, I am now looking (lemming like) for a decent priced bottle but it looks discontinued around here.

A recent discovery for me was how much Annick Goutal’s Ambre Fétiche calms me down. I got a generous sample about a month ago from Dee, and put it on on a Monday morning when I was soooo sick of the gloom and overcast and snow (meanwhile a whole bunch of blogs were all “Let’s talk about perfume for spring while we skip through the daisies…” which didn’t help), and was majorly grumpy. Something about that amber/incense combo just made me slow down and find peace. The other part of the story is that I reapplied it Monday night to show The Engineer, he took one sniff and said, “I want you to buy that.” In my two years of being a perfumista, he’s never had that reaction before.

Bought a 100ml of it the following day.

If you need any more reason than that to go shopping Fragrantica has the details

The Annick Goutal site says

Classic and modern at the same time, a very textured and sensual interpretation of the amber.
Creation date : 2007
Olfactory family : Amber, Vanilla, Leather (Frankincense, labdanum, styrax – Benzoin, absolute of iris – Vanilla, geranium, patchouli, Russian leather)

I hope you’ve enjoyed our 3 days of Annick Goutal. it has been our pleasure to bring it to you.

Portia xx

Annick Goutal Reviews #I

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hey, Hey All,

Yesterday I became completely sidetracked by the Annick Goutal story. I wish now I had taken a month to really research her and the magnificent job she did creating a niche perfume company that went global. Awe inspiring. One day there will be a book, mini series or movie about the rise and rise of an indomitable spirit. Does anybody remember meeting her? Have an anecdote to share? Please leave it in the comments, good or bad, so I can get a fuller picture of who Annick Goutal was.

Photo Stolen from multi-brand

For now, all I have is her fragrances to remember her by. I have 6 in my collection so far (3 bottles, 3 decants) but I can feel already that I would like to at least sample the range. You can have 3 reviews today and three tomorrow.

Eau de Sud EDT

This was my first meeting with an Annick Goutal fragrance. The scentbloggosphere somewhere told me this was the go to fragrance for the whole range and it was fairly indicative of the general style of fragrance produced at Annick Goutal, though I think the range has quite a lot more light and shade than that. Having reviewed it earlier this month I won’t bore you again but it is a bright citrus that softens to a vanilla herbal citrus as it wears.

Photo Stolen from 99perfume.com

The Annick Goutal website says,

The sparkling freshness of citrus fruits ripened under the warmth of the Mediterranean sun.
Creation date : 1997
Olfactory family : Citrus, Chypre, Green (Bergamot, Persian lime, grapefruit, mandarine, verbena, peppermint, basil, hint of jasmine and vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss)

Songes EDT (Dreams)

Songes was my first Annick Goutal FBW fragrance. When the sample arrived I loved it so much I sprayed it on all and sundry till it ran dry just so they could experience the enormous grand white floral opening. What a fragrance! Designed around a dusk ramble on Camille Goutal’s honeymoon and the frangipani’s nighttime scent song of dreams.

Photo Stolen from escentual-com

The Annick Goutal website says

The twilight in Tahiti, transcending into a inspiring combination of frangipani and tiare flowers.
Creation date : 2005
Olfactory family : Floral, oriental, amber (Frangipani, Tiare flower, Sambac jasmine absolute, ylang-ylang absolute, olibanum, French vanilla absolute, sandalwood, amber)

The Perfume Shrine reviews and Fragrantica for notes and accords

Mandragore EDT

This is a fragrance I had tried and loved but been annoyed by its lack of staying power on my scent hungry skin. Finding it at a knock down price online I couldn’t resist a purchase. It is a hot and spicy citrus that lasts a maximum of 2 hours on me. the ride is fun though. Camille Goutal wanted this fragrance to reference her love of fairies and magic as a child, and the bright fun and dark depths of current fiction and film that her own children were enjoying. It doesn’t give me particularly dark and deep depths but I can sense the fun and wonder of white magic lurking here. It’s almost cologne-esque on me. If you want something darker and deeper the Annick Goutal Mandragore Pourpe is for you.

Photo Stolen from stylehive.com

The Annick Goutal website says

A burst of energy brought by the liveliness of the aromatic notes.
Creation date : 2005
Olfactory family : Citrus, aromatic, spicy (Bergamot, blackpepper, peppermint, star anis, boxwood, ginger, sage, iris, ciste roots, labdanum)

Bois De Jasmine and Now Smell This review and Fragrantica does its thing.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading some of Annick Goutal’s masterpieces reviewed. Three more tomorrow.

COMPETITION GIVEAWAY!!

So for today’s Thursday Competition Giveaway please leave us a comment on a perfumer who has inspired you in some way. It could be Guerlain, Chanel, Jennifer Lopez, Karine Dubreuil, David Beckham, Alberto Morillas, Loc Dong, Patti LaBelle or Andy Tauer. Anybody who has put their name to a perfume. Maybe their dedication, lifestyle, car, a scent that changed you, pet, cooking, scent history, breakaway or interesting choices. Whatever! Who; and how did they inspire you? Easy Peasy!!

This weeks swag includes;
NB all measures are approximate.

1ml spray remains of manufacturers sample Eau de Maroc EDP by Aftelier Perfumes

1.5ml spray decant Mandgradore EDT by Annick Goutal

1.5ml spray decant Carriere EDP by Gendarme

1.5mml spray decant Muscho Nobile EDT by Nobile 1942

and a SURPRISE 1.5ml spray decant that you’ll find out about tomorrow

Go to it gang. winner will be judged on Saturday 10pm-ish Australian EST