Author: australianperfumejunkiescom

Perfume Discontinuations: Grab them before they are gone

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

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Anne-Marie

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Hi all,

It’s a common thing in perfumista land that you only really start paying attention to a perfume when you hear rumours of discontinuation. You ignore it happily until suddenly you realise it could be too late. Then FOMO sets in – Fear of Missing Out. Oh no!

I got thinking about this recently when, after YEARS of dithering, I finally bought a bottle of Sarah Jessica Parker Covet. This one may have been discontinued some time ago and I’d decided not to bother until a chain of discount chemists in Australia suddenly started stocking it. Cheap – $20. I bought one, and no regrets. Lavender and chocolate; it should not work but it does.

Perfume Discontinuations

Grab them before they are gone

What else have I made a wild grab for, and what have I let go?

Covet FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mint, geranium leaves, Sicilian lemon, lavender, chocolate notes
Heart: Honeysuckle, magnolia, lily of the valley
Base: Cashmere wood, musk, vetiver, teak wood, amber

Perfume Discontinuations: The Ones I Grabbed

Sarah Jessica Parker Covet, as mentioned.

Bvlgari Black. Vanilla and fresh tyre rubber! I bought a back-up for my son to own and me to borrow.

Lancome Cuir de Lancome. . A cult leather. I bought mine while it still going for about $50.

Rochas Tocade. A laughing vanilla fragrance, this one is not discontinued as far as I know, just re-packaged. Re-packaging always makes the perfume enthusiast nervous, and I grabbed a bottle.

Yves Saint Laurent Y.  Same as for Tocade. It’s always worth grabbing a chypre if you think it’s under threat. It probably is.

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Casablanca lily, Black locust, White carnation
Heart: Golden pollen, Gold dust, Violet leaf
Base: Amber, Indian patchouli, Resins

Perfume Discontinuations: The Ones I Let Go

If there’s a bottle out there with my name on it, someone else can have it.

Donna Karan Gold. This has been cheap at the discounters for years and you can still get it. I have tested it thoroughly and decided it’s not for me, but it is wonderful stuff. I’d rather leave a bottle available for someone who loves monster lily perfumes. I don’t, it seems.

Parfums de Nicolai Le Temps d’une Fete. I should love this green wonder but somehow it has never moved me. Anyway, I have YSL Y, as noted, so I’m happy.

Fendi Theorema. I have a decant but I just can’t get on board with Theorema. It’s too much of a gourmand for me. It can still be had I think, not sure of the prices.

Yves Saint Laurent Yvresse. Again, a re-packaging. I could have bought a 75 ml bottle this classic fruity chypre for $60 in the old packaging but I just don’t love it. My only regret is that prices on Yvresse are now so high I could easily have got my money back three times over if I had bought that bottle.

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Gardenia, Neroli, Tuberose
Heart: Benzoin, Jasmine, Lily
Base: Amber, Musk, Vanilla

Perfume Discontinuations: The One I Missed

Oh darn!

Madonna Truth or Dare. I tried TD Naked but didn’t like it much. The original was apparently not widely distributed in Australia and I decided not to bother. It was a wonderful white floral, I gather. I should have bought it when it was going cheap on Fragrancex.com but I didn’t. Now it’s gone. I’m stupid.

What about you? What are the ones that got away from you? Any regrets?
Keep spritzing everyone!

FRAGs and FRAGments From The Last Fortnight

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Felicitations APJ

It´s been bloody freezing here. Between like 1°c and 4°c. Snow flurries, and peach and cherry blossoms hanging on for dear life. It has at least given me the chance to get back to a proper gym routine. This week I will start spinning classes again and I am terrified. Been working out to The Doors, The Lumineers and the Easy Rider soundtrack.

FRAGs Worn

Frederic Malle Le Parfum de Therese. Sunny, tangy, sweet, dry and earthy. It´s a fascinating scent and makes me feel very grownup. Graceful and sophisticated.
Hermès Galop d’Hermès. Sunrise to sunset. A sparkly golden astringent opening, quince and saffron, a bright rose, and a long slow dry down to a dusky copper gold leather base.

Vero Profumo Naja. A green and floral tobacco. A blonde tobacco perfume, highlighted with neroli and bergamot, honeyed linden, and flecked with osmanthus.
Ormonde Jayne Tolu. Sumptuous but not overpowering. Subtly opulent. A vibrant herbal opening, contrasting beautifully with the rich amber heart. Resinous, warm and comforting.

FRAGments

B.blondeswunder stole my Portrait of a Lady for the Easter weekend away with the family of her boyfriend. (Note that they live in the boonies of Austria.) She applied four spritzes. Her boyfriend asked if she was wearing something new. To which she replied “Yep. Do you like it?” He replied “It might take me some time to get used to it.” Hahahahahahahahaha. Death by PoaL. I also came across a picture of MY Galop and MY cat on HER Instagram Story. I may have to lock my perfume wardrobe.

B.londesuwnder also practiced her drag make up technique on NoFear Chris, her long suffering Hero Dad.

BJTG (my seldom featured son) had a tattoo, not yet healed.

Great Grandmother turned 101.

A dear friend had a mild stroke. Total shit. Life is not always like it seems in the blogs.

Keep on truckin’
Bussis
CQ

Atelier des Ors Sample Set

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 56 Comments

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Portia

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Hi there APJ,

On Friday a fortnight ago I wrote about the newest Atelier des Ors, Iris Fauve. The house is wonderful and Megan who is their PR woman gave me a full set of samples for one lucky APJ reader. So here’s a quick run down of each scent in the collection, then move on down to the GIVEAWAY section and have a go.

Good luck,
Portia xxx

Atelier des Ors Collection

Fragrantica

Aube Rubis by Atelier des Ors 2015

Top: Bergamot, Grapefruit, Black currant
Heart: Sage, Violet, Iris
Base: Patchouli, Haitian vetiver, Praliné

 

Cuir Sacré by Atelier des Ors 2015

Top: Juniper berry, Cardamom, Cypress
Heart: Frankincense, Saffron, Cedar leaf
Base: Vetiver, Cypriol, Leather

Opens with sharp woodsy incense, like a cold incense stick. Interesting hints of an Indian meal too and slightly soapy. Gosh, they never do anything by the book at Atelier des Ors. The range is happily skew wiff, a sideways slant on each major note. Interesting how they do that without making weird stuff, all extremely wearable. When the leather arrives it is softly and bound by a salted vetiver, like a posh handbag in an Indian restaurant at a temple by the sea. Lastly it sits at plush suede.

Larmes du Désert by Atelier des Ors 2015

Top: Elemi resin, Frankincense, Cypress
Heart: Patchouli, Gaiac wood, Cedarwood
Base: Citric notes, Benzoin, Wolfwood

The resins open sweet and churchy. Woods back this up and keep the whole fragrance grounded. I love this and think Tears of the Desert a perfect name, like the resinous sap tears of those dry, twisted shrubs that produce such exquisite fragrance.

Lune Feline by Atelier des Ors 2015

Top: Cinnamon, Cardamom, Pink pepper
Heart: Cypriol, Cedarwood, Styrax, Cachalox, Wolfwood
Base: Tahitian vanilla absolute, Peru balsam, Musk

Cardamom, vanilla and a softly sizzling pink pepper open. It’s a luxurious beauty and smells like it cost money to create. A smooth milky opaqueness with little hints of booze and greenery. A light fizziness gives me memories of ice-cream spiders when I was a kid.

Rose Omeyyade by Atelier des Ors 2015

Top: Pink pepper, Rosebud, Raspberry
Heart: Patchouli, Gaiac wood, Brown sugar
Base: Sandalwood, Oud, Amber

A very interesting gourmand, fruity rose backed by a deep and mysterious oriental oud base. Clever and beautiful. The patchouli is that interesting clean plastic variety and it usually makes me squirm but here it is so perfectly and precariously balanced that I just want to sniff more and more and more. Excellent.

Go see the Atelier des Ors, Iris Fauve post if you want too.

 

Atelier des Ors Sample Set GIVEAWAY

CLOSED Thursday April 27 8am AEST

Scent Diary 17.4 – 23.4.17

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 36 Comments

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Portia

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Hey there Frag Crew,

This week I was hoping for a quiet, relaxing, get shit done and maybe even get ahead of the game but then …… life. So instead of calm & collected it ended up being crowded and cluttered. HA! Loads of fun though, filled with food, friends, a rally and I got some really yummy scents on my skin too.

Scent Diary 17.4 – 23.4.17

Monday 17:

Easter Monday morning and the weather is beautiful. Sunshine is out and we took the dogs for their morning walk. I thought 1889 Moulin Rouge by Histoires de Parfums would be a good choice. It was very nice wandering the quiet North Parramatta streets at 9am.  That sweet iris/rose lipstick pluminess was most noticeable this morning, really front & centre. On previous wears it has smelled less intense. I quite like the sweet musky dry down too. Pretty. Bought it from Sonya in one of her sales, thanks girl.

Jin’s been on the couch snoozing and watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls and I find myself strangely drawn to it in a way I never was when it was current. Fortunately he went back to work tonight. Structure will help him back on track.

My evening has been spent swathed in the magic that is Atelier des Ors Aube Rubis. OMG! Where has this sensational beauty been my whole life. Freaking gorgeous.

Monday is Trivia Q&A and Blog day/night.

Tuesday 18:

It’s around 1am. I’m halfway through my Trivia Q&A but I’ve been listening to music, hanging on FaceBook and generally dithering. I’m thinking of spritzing fragrance and my mind instantly went to Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur EdP. Fiendishly good, fruity roses, spice, greenery, incense and oud. Now I’m ready for questions. I’m a bit surprised at how much air is already in my latest bottle, I love it so much and usually overspritz like crazy, serves me right.

YAY! It’s 4am and my Trivia Q&A are done, dusted and sent to the crew. PHEW! More Mohur and a late night snack before bed.

This was the perfect autumn morning for walking the dogs. Sunny and warm, hardly anyone around at 9am. The dogs loved it and I found camellias in bloom. I wanted something barely there this morning so went with Parfumerie Generale 4.1 La Musc & La Peau. It’s pretty and fresh, softly soothing and perfect for sunshine.

For work tonight I’m wearing Burberry Brit Woman EdT & Extrait because I feel the need for sweet. I don’t know why I’m putting it back in its box. Seems to be my current craving.

Wednesday 19:

Another glorious Sydney Autumn day.  I’m wearing a couple of dabs of vintage Guerlain Shalimar extrait.

Jin has finally finished his retraining to be an electrician on the NSW Country Trains. It’s a promotion to full team member and a pay rise. He is trying to brush it off as inconsequential but this is a really big deal. It was supposed to take 6 months but due to unforeseen work circumstances the whole crew has been held back. One really good thing is that Jin will be getting the pay rise backdated from the start of the year. That means that quite a bit of the extra money spent to go back to Slovakia and all the things he paid for and facilitated while helping the family deal with our sister in laws suicide will be covered by that lucky windfall. He left the house today in a cloud of vintage CHANEL Antaeus, I think he’s going to be OK.

For work this evening I chose Amouage Opus X. The arctic rose and screechy hairspray fragrance full of woods, ylang and resins. Perfection.

Thursday 20:

Thursday morning and I’m up early in the cool of the half light. I’ve been trolling the net and found some wonderful bargains but held myself firm and only put my name down for a split of Amouage Bracken Woman. I got the dogs inside and they are both curled up on their beds in the living room while I tap away at the keyboard in my office. There’s a coffee in hand and the lingering taste of breakfast cereal in my mouth, wondering if I should also do toast but then think I’ll have that as a morning tea after my 9am dog walk.

The weather is cooling considerably and I’m wearing a decant sent to me by my mate, the gorgeous Robert Herrmann who is a moderator at FaceBook Fragrance Friends and now writes reviews at CFB, when he did a giveaway here on APJ no-one collected the prize so he sent it to me. It’s Tom Ford Vert Boheme, greenest of the green and curiously fitting for an autumn morning. As you can see there is quite a bit of air in the bottle. I like it a lot.

Had a scream tonight as the madcap hostess for a Guerrilla Anti-Fashion Parade as a protest against Levi Strauss using dock workers in Madagascar that are being paid $40/month. Levi’s has 7 factories on Madagascar. The company ICTSI that runs the docks gets $200/container moved, the Dock workers get 2 cents. Their safety gear costs 3 months pay so they never buy it and many of them have to live & sleep under a nearby bridge between shifts.

Levi Strauss is actually a great company with an excellent ecological and workplace agreement history. In 2016 they were ranked #1 in the world for their supply chain code of conduct. Unfortunately the dock workers don’t come under that umbrella and are being treated abominably. The few workers, 43 in all, who have been trying to get better conditions were all fired. It’s a shemozzle and we think that with a multinational like Levi Strauss on board they could help to push ICTSI and governments in the right direction.

Feel free to pop into your local Levis store and tell them how disappointed you are in their ethical double standards in Madagascar.

What fragrance was I swathed in for the evening? Reem Acra EdP. Big, radiant white floral with all the bells and whistles. Done with a very clear nod to vintage but in a super modern way. You can get it for a steal on the discounters now.

Friday 21:

Big day off today. Up, breakfast , fed & walked dogs, got ready, spritzed DIOR Mitzah, out the door by 8.30am to meet my mate Evie for a morning stroll through the Art Gallery of NSW and a guided tour of some of their permanent collection, then to the dentist, had a wander around the department stores (bought the Mon Guerlain Shower Gel and learned how to get my Diptyque Rose de Mai squirter to work, tried 32 Venenum by L`Artisan Perfumer) then hanging with Alice and having Peking Duck!! We are not quite sure what Alice had in mind with the chips but it looks like she is trying to make a chip moustache. We ate the WHOLE DUCK between us.

Amazing day but now I’m pooped. Walked nearly 14,000 steps today. That’s a lot for lazy old me.

Saturday 22:

SATURDAY! I promised myself to Jin this morning. He has been working nights since Monday and it’s his first day off. Today we are going to be able to celebrate his promotion. So I grabbed the makings of French Toast. It’s one of his all time favourite breakfasts and it’s so easy to make. Today I’m adding some off the bone ham, a big dollop of fresh made guacamole and a mushroom, onion, ham stir fry.

I’m just about to take the dogs for a walk. The day is cool and lovely, I’m multiple spritzing Lolita Lempicka EdP down my shirt before I go. On the walk I came across these amazing flowers on a large shrub fully in bloom, heavenly.

Jin’s best friend Matt called and is taking him out to the Rugby League this afternoon so I get to blog and nap. YAY!!! Aren’t they cute in their Parramatta supporters outfits? Such boys.

Then tonight I’m taking him out for Korean BarBQ. A real date night, first one since I went on the cruise in February. Poor Jin was so tired, he fell sound asleep in the car on the way home, snoring and all.

Sunday 23:

WOW! How is it Sunday already? This week has sped by.

This morning we organised to catch up with mates. Sydney really turned on the most spectacular autumn morning for us and I made Jin take a photo out the car window.

I wore my vintage Jean Patou 1000 EdT. Perfect accompaniment to a morning a fun.

We had Pedis & Yum Cha. Kath & I had our feet attended to, then Jin and Phil joined us for lunch in the food court.

Fell asleep and missed my make up cues. Went to work at Austral Bowling Club as a guy wearing Guerlain Moscow. It also has a bit of a Mon Guerlain vibe.

Hung out there with Anna-Maria and her husband Johnny. Anna-Maria was Jin and my 2016 travelling companion through Europe, you might remember that we all met up with Tara of A Bottled Rose?

So how was your week?
Try any new fragrance? Rediscovering old one?
Do something or go anywhere exciting? Watch any good TV or read a book?
Come on, share. I love to know what you all have been up to too.
Portia xxx

 

Just Let Go: 5 Decor Worries to Abandon: Design Sponge

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

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Portia

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Hey APJ,

Do you ever read something that may or may not be related to anything in your life particularly and suddenly you feel as if this writer has taken an iron to the wrinkly thinking in your head and smoothed it out in one fell swoop? So that happened for me this week. I have been following, and reading, Design Sponge for years. It’s a great drop in design blog that feels so unpretentious and sensible, while still bringing me mind blowing ideas in a short burst of inspiration.

Actually, I think these guys are the ones who took me out of trying to create Belle, Vogue Living and IKEA rooms. They helped me to understand that the things in my home have to work for my very specific mindset and life. Hardly an earth shattering epiphany, and ultimately a very first world problem, but it has made decorating my space infinitely easier.

You might notice below that Jin is sleeping in our bed. I had to sneak in and get this shot while he was snoring his heart out.

It has allowed me to really think about my eclectic mix of new, old, gifted, collected & hand me down and then how I can best fit it all into a home. Especially now that I’m sharing that home with an equal contender and pets.

Sorry for the light reflections.

TBH though Jin is happy as long as he has a huge TV with as many channel choices and extras as possible, a big comfortable couch with a table of some sort in front for food, a good mattress on the bed, functioning kitchen and a compact, easy clean bathroom. He has brought a few art pieces on our travels that adorn walls and has loads of kitchen gadgets but seriously, he would be happy in a bachelor flat with bed for couch.

Jin built me the coat rack and photo rail in our hallway. Our combined family, closest friends and a couple of superstar autographs welcome you to our home. I love it so much.

This is just some of the stuff we have hanging on the walls. They date from the 1960s and my parents choices to 21st century. It’s mainly Australian but there are a Liz Zorn, Dali and Greg Spalenka from overseas, among others.

Anyway, the reason I’m telling you all this is so you can go check this piece in Design Sponge. It will take you about 5 minutes to read and could well change the way you live. Or not……

You’re welcome,
Portia xx

Just Let Go: 5 Decor Worries to Abandon: Design Sponge

Just Let Go: 5 Decor Worries to Abandon

32 Venenum by Daphne Bugey for L`Artisan Perfumer 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

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Portia

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Hey crew,

I was in the city today and stopped by to sniff stuff. I started chatting to a VERY sexy SA in Myer called Louis. Seriously DROP DEAD GORGEOUS! Anyway we chatted about what I should try, I was all blasé, tried everything you have and then he pointed out the L’Artisan prive range. I totally ignored them when they came out but he insisted so…

32 Venenum by L`Artisan Perfumer 2016

32 Venenum by Daphne Bugey

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords;
Bread, Milk, Chai tea, Ceylonese sandalwood, Rice

Yep, smells good.

Chai? Yes. Milk, Yes. Rice? Maybe? Sandalwood, oH YES!

Should have bought it on the spot. Will now have to go back. Hopefully Louis will be there so I can be the creepy old gay. He doesn’t look outraged though, just chuffed.

 

Three spritzes on my arm and the train ride home was blissful. I’m now at home and still loving its toasty goodness. YUM

Libertine  says this: A new world is opened up. Would it be a forest of sandalwood where rice is steamed while drinking spicy chai or a wide golden field of grains? Venenum awakens memories and souvenirs of India without dwelling upon it. It oscillates between the scent of hot freshly made bread, milky clouds, spicy tea and smooth sandalwood. No matter where Daphné Bugey has decided to make us travel, the sensation is as gentle as it is enveloping. This venin is so flirtatious that it teases.

I do have to tell you though that it does remind me of something I can’t place. I think they’ve used an ingredient that’s also in Aether Methaldone and I am reading it loud and clear.

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy
Libertine Parfumerie has $299/75ml with FREE Australian Postage
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3.60/0.5ml

Did you try it yet?
Portia xxx

 

Brit Woman by Nathalie Gracia-Cetto for Burberry 2003

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Designer Frag Fans,

Recently Burberry Brit woman has received a bottle facelift. It spurred me to grab one of the older EdP bottles because I have always thought they looked cool and fun. Directly below is the new bottle and yes, I think it’s WAY more finished, luxe and modern but the old one is something I’ve liked for a long time so I prefer to have it in my collection.

I have no idea whether the new bottle points towards a reformulation or if burberry is just bringing the bottle more in line with current trends, and making it look more desirable. Whatever, I’m writing about the juice in the old bottle that you see below.

Brit Woman by Burberry 2003

Brit Woman by Nathalie Gracia-Cetto

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top:  Iced pear, Italian lime, Green almond
Heart: Sugared almond, White peony
Base: Amber, Mahogany, Vanilla

The pear is just shy of ripe and the lime tar but not mouth puckeringly so. Green almond? Definitely almond but not so green, it’s the smell of cracking an almond shell open to find the delicious, creamy nut beneath. Don’t get me wrong Brit woman is sweet from the outset but it seems like a sweetness contained. Even when the sugared almonds come in it’s not tooth rottingly sweet or a bakery scent. There is a toastedness that keeps Brit interesting, a wetness that gives a fresh edge.

The base is quite pretty, a very comfortable, smooth vanilla. It’s cool, dry, quite austere compared to todays designer offerings and flanked perfectly by almonds and woodsiness. I get soft hints of dried, used coffee grounds too. Maybe it’s my imagination but I get the smell every wear.

Flickr

Who can wear and where would they? Burberry Brit Woman is super comfy. It doesn’t screech, isn’t sickly sweet and has a moderate sillage for the first hour ore so. Once the party is over though the soft warm hum of dry down persists for hours and hours. I see it as a reasonably priced go to for both sexes. Though ostensibly aimed at the women it smells really good on me, and I think Jin could rock it too.

I’ve been wearing it layered with the extrait. I smell really good.

Further reading: Now Smell This
FragranceNet has 50ml/$25
My Perfume Samples has samples starting at $2/ml

Which bottle do you prefer? Have you ever worn Brit?
Portia xx

Bois d’Oud GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

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Portia

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Hey crew,

Thanks so much to Louis from Detail for his generosity. Very excited to be doing a giveaway of this lovely juice.
Portia xxx

Bois d’Oud GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Agarwood (oud), bergamot, labdanum
Heart: Saffron, cedar
Base: Tobacco, agarwood (oud), cedar, patchouli

Detaille has €90/50ml

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 2 winners who will receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Bois d’Oud by Detaille
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Wednesday 19th April 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

JackieB

Fanny

The winners will have till Wednesday 26th April 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

Blossom Love by Nathalie Lorson + Elise Bénat for Amouage 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

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Erica Golding

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Hello everyone!

Have you ever been graced with a sample that you may never have had the chance nor motivation to try otherwise? Tonight, I am sampling a gorgeous decant of a brand new release, thanks to a dear friend’s incredible generosity and boundless kindness!!

Blossom Love by Amouage 2017

Blossom Love by Nathalie Lorson + Elise Bénat

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Cherry nectar, Rose liqueur
Heart: Ylang-ylang, Amaretto accord, Vanilla
Base: Tonka bean, Sandalwood, Cashmeran

Amouage Blossom Love definitely goes beyond the boundaries you may expect a pink floral to reside within. I can honestly say that I do sense every note disclosed, and they harmonize as beautifully as you may expect – but don’t be fooled, Blossom Love is not innocent nor simple! There is a twist!

WikiCommons

The opening shimmers with the fresh, sweetly clean cherry blossom, while the luscious juicy-bright glow of the rose liquor hints at depths to come. On my skin, the note that makes this composition truly worthy of the name Amouage is the almond liqueur (amaretto accord). This amaretto features a strange bitterness that collides violently with the tropical ylang ylang, creating a storm front crackling with electric charge. The sonorous distant thunder that follows stays smooth and mellow, as the base notes vibrate a bit higher and feel more like middle notes. Velvety musk and honeyed tonka bean soften the edges, while the vanilla takes time to come forward.

Overall, on me, the amaretto note dominates even the blinding light of the jubilant, vibrant cherry blossoms. The effect is so weird and unexpected and fascinating, I just can’t stop inhaling this incredible creation!

WikiCommons

Further reading: Perfume Posse
Libertine Parfumerie has the Amouage range
Amouage has £260/100ml

What is the latest sample you’ve come across that completely took you off guard and blew your expectations into the water?

Until next time, be well and stay scented!

-Erica

Fat Electrician by Antoine Maisondieu for Etat Libre d’Orange 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

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TinaG

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Hi APJ!

Fat Electrician has been such a fun fragrance to try! A friend kindly gave me a sample which was used up oh-too quickly, and to be honest the name of it always reminds me of Portia and Jin – I keep thinking back to Portia’s article a few years ago which made me laugh. Love those guys. So, I’d heard good things about it but hadn’t expected that WOW factor to hit immediately and it was fabulous!

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Myrrh, Chestnut cream, Olive leaf, Opoponax, Vanilla, Vetiver

Fat Electrician opens dry and woody with a blast of sweetness at the same time, just so weird. I really wasn’t expecting a ‘vetiver’ fragrance to have a gourmand aspect to it but a sticky vanilla definitely shines through. It is horizontally layered and airy, the dryness of the vetiver is all in the sillage but close to my skin the vanilla softly oozes.

After a while the vanilla is joined by a creaminess that I guess is the marron or chestnut, which pushes the vetiver out of the way for prominence. A metallic green note starts to sparkle on my skin. It’s oily and slightly mentholated. I really like the way that this fragrance shifts. It manages to be comforting and quirky at the same time – exactly my kind of thing.

And this is only just in the first half hour. Something funny happens then, in that the metallic note went into blood territory like the smell of mince meat. Metallic and meaty but only in undertones with the vetiver going a bit more feral and funky. It might sound off-putting but it joins the scent bubble as an enhancement not an outlier.

PDI

Did you notice that there are some ambers in the notes? Well they come out around the 3 hour mark bringing with them a dry but cool incense. Myrrh is a favourite of mine, no so much opoponax but they are both in trace but distinct amounts. Even after 6 hours, Fat Electrician has slightly split personality spots on my skin. One place smells woody, another sticky & sweet. It is this variation that keeps me interested.

The three main notes in Fat Electrician are: vetiver, vanilla, myrrh. Interesting features, the oily green + bloody metallics, the way the vetiver goes from dry to dirty, and the juxtaposition between the chewy gourmand notes and bone dry ambers. It’s got a great longevity of 8+ hours but most of the interesting stuff happens in the first hour.

PDI

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and EauMG
LuckyScent has $90/50ml and Samples

What a great perfume!

Have you tried Fat Electrician before? What do you think?

Till next time,

Tina G