Author: australianperfumejunkiescom

Scent Diary: 27.2 – 5.3.17

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Portia

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Hiya Scenters,

This week on Aussie Fragrance Network we are having a Use Your Samples & Decants week so hopefully I’ll be spritzing a bunch of them empty. It has become quite ridiculous around here.

Scent Diary: 27.2 – 5.3.17

Monday 27:

Jin’s buddy Yu Gil arrived from South Korea at sparrows fart this morning. We collected him from the airport and took him across the Sydney Harbour Bridge to Parramatta Lake Cafe for breakfast. I needed something to give me attitude and focus my brain so Rose Anonym by Atelier Cologne. It’s bold, brassy rose seems drizzled in oudh and honey. Great for a cool Sydney summer morning.

While the boys have gone out to see Parramatta I’m home writing blog articles. I love this house when it’s just me & the dogs hanging out. Currently in a cloud of vintage 1000 EdT by Jean Patou. THIS is the good stuff.

We had a streak at the pub and now I’m home to write trivia Q&A. My 10ml IUNX Eau Argentina will be my Q&A frag. Cool, smoky incense & stuff. After dinner I did some Q&A writing but my head wasn’t in it so I thought I’d lie down for half an hour then get up and finish.

Tuesday 28:

Well, that didn’t work out. Woke up this morning at 7am. AAAARRGGHH! Wrote the rest of this weeks trivia and some of next. It is coming together but slower this time. Dunno why.

Jin and Yu Gil ran around Sydney in the grey drizzle and had a ball.

After the bath today I was looking through my boxes of stuff and found about 4ml of a 10ml decant of Mona di Orio Oud, now known as Oud Osmanthus. This is one of Jin’s bottles and he wears it beautifully but before it was his I used about 6ml of the decant and freaking loved it. It wears creamier and prettier on my skin, much more barnyard and medicinal on him. So good I wore it to work too.

SOTB was vintage Miss Dior EdT & parfum. It raining in Parramatta, alternating drizzle and drenching, and still a little bit warm. I really like this weather. It’s fun being caught outside with the dogs when it decides to really let loose, we run home together with me laughing and them excited to run.

Wednesday 1:

Today was set aside for the three of us, Yu Gil, Jin & I, to go on a bus tour to Port Stephens. I woke up this morning and was like, nope. Poor Jin, he was most upset. So they went on the tour and I went back to bed. Feeling guilty but rested.

Post man came this morning. Suddenly I feel that I need all the Opus series, couldn’t I have fallen in love with them as they were released? Don’t know why it’s taken me so long. So Amouage Opus I is now in my collection, joining III, VIII, IX & X. After wearing my Burberry Brit woman parfum recently and noticing that they have changed the bottle for the EdT & EdP I panicked and grabbed a Burberry Brit woman EdP. Serge Lutens Bas de Soie has been on my list for a while and I suddenly felt the need to own a bottle, gone through almost my whole 5ml decant. It has been a slow but stately fall in love with Bas de Soie, or Silk stockings in English.

While writing Trivia Q&A I wore Mademoiselle Guerlain. It’s a pretty confection of a thing, no eye rolling fabulousness but very nice. All sugared marshmallow and sparkly citrus but underneath I swear there is a fishy vibe. Seriously, I would have bet money on ambergris. Not in the notes though.

Bloody hell. I’m going for a bath. Trivia Q&A has me cross eyed.

Today we celebrate 5 years of APJ. That’s a lot of blogging 2,498 posts. Thanks for being part of the magic.

Thursday 2:

TRIVIA It’s driving me bat shit crazy. Nearly there.

Still haven’t started putting APJ posts together. Leave Tuesday. FREAKING OUT! But not really. just feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Fragrantica

Wearing Tabac Rouge by Phaedon from a 10ml decant I bought when it came out. Why is there so much left? It’s bloody good, so sweet and honeyed, syrupy, berry juicy and animalic. TBH it could very easily sit in the Serge Lutens phalanx of frags. What a lovely fragrance, Pierre Guillaume is an excellent perfumer.

We are eating the fridge down because of the holiday so I had a childhood favourite meal. Vita Weets with butter, cheese slices and Vegemite. Bloody yummy! Ate it while thinking about my beautiful Mum, she was a good one.

Tonight for work I grabbed a big decant of Fig by Marc Jacobs. I think it’s an EdC so I spritzed about 20 times and it smelled fabulous for about 2 hours, then I lost it. TBH I think it softened off to a soft skin scent that is still smellable to others but not me. Very nice, pulp & milky fig.

The bloody microphone didn’t work tonight so I had to yell over 60+ people. My voice is now ratshit and I’m grumpy.

SOTBed: Mon Precioux Nectar Parfum by Guerlain. I have a 10ml sample of the parfum but my bottle’s EdP

Friday 3:

OK so today was all about getting stuff organised. There are only 80 more Q&A to write and only 5 more APJ posts to organise of my own plus a couple for others.

Jin & I took a moment from our day to go get our hair cuts and visit my BFFs Mum who was rushed to hospital yesterday with blood clots in her legs. She is up in a hospital that I spent some time in as a kid for all the ridiculous scrapes we used to get into. It was nice to walk around it as an adult and see that though it’s grown the old sandstone structures are still there.

Jin also surprised me with a new pair of pixelated glasses. So silly but totally fabulous.

Writing posts so drenched in a bunch of things Ultramarine Blue by DSH Perfumes, Halfati by Penhaligon’s and a sample grabbed from the box and didn’t read the label, threw it back in and now its LOST. GRRR! It’s fricken gorgeous.

Saturday 4:

Jin took his mate to Sydney City. There they went to St Mary’s cathedral, lit some candles and prayed for the continued improved health of BFFs Mum Marie. He’s a good egg.

Spent the day writing and editing APJ blog posts. Starting to really freak out because it’s Saturday now, Sydney LGBTQI Mardi Gras tonight, working tomorrow, cleaning, packing and farewell dinner on Monday. SHIT! Still a few Q&A left to do for Trivia too. It will happen, I’m good in a sink or swim situation. Coming to tell you about it has cleared my head. Ready for action. By the time I’m done 208 Q&A and 24 games.

In the bath today I used Olympic Orchids Amber Labdanum Bath Oil, my skin feels soft and has a lovely scent. Thinking Fancy nights by Jessica simpson for tonight but also wondering if L’Occitane Fabulous Shea Oil in the most outrageous BWF would be more appropriate? So excited! MARDI GRAS tonight. This is an old pic and the level has dropped in the bottle considerable since then.

Wore the L’Occitane Fabulous Shea Oil and vintage Miss Dior EdT spritzed liberally over all. It was so beautiful.

Sunday 5:

My head is still spinning. Writing APJ blog posts. FINALLY got all the Trivia Q&A sent out.

Fragile EdT by Jean Paul Gaultier when I woke up, because that’s exactly how I felt. How did I ever become such a lightweight party person? Metal by Paco Rabanne through lunch and for work Un Jour d’Ete by Keiko Mecheri, which I bloody love.

How about your week? Anything interesting or fragrant happen?
Portia xx

HAPPY MARDI GRAS 2017

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Portia

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Hiya APJ,

Tonight is Sydney’s Mardi Gras. I’ll be hosting the Sideshow Glam Stands again with my mate Andrew Mercado. We basically do a running commentary for the event to about 2000 people who have bought seats in grandstands lining the route. they get food, toilets and commentators and all the money goes towards producing Mardi Gras. Most people know the parade but Sydney has a 2 week LGBTQI festival that includes theatre, events, art, picnics, tourist welcome parties, a parade and a parade after party. It is wonderful and I extend the welcome to you all next year for the 2018 40th Anniversary. It is going to be the biggest, brightest and best yet.

HAPPY MARDI GRAS 2017

Here I am arriving last year on the back of a Dyke’s On Bikes motor bike. One of my life highlights.

I know, you only care what fragrance I’ll be wearing tonight. I need it to last 10+ hours, smell great from beginning to end and be a comfortable ride. Though I may change my mind I’m thinking a bit fat overspritz of Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Nights.

So wherever you are, whatever sex you feel happiest with or being I want to wish you all a Happy Mardi Gras 2017.
Portia

Metal by Robert Gonnon for Paco Rabanne 1979

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Portia

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Hello vintage lovers,

Arriving in the post yesterday from eBay and on my skin ever since is a 30ml old, old bottle of Metal. As I opened it I thought I’d give myself a spritz and sadly the sprayer sends most of the juice down the bottle and what little comes out smells broken and nasty aldehyde turn, GRRRR. I’m going to give it a soak in white vinegar & disinfectant.

Metal by Paco Rabanne 1979

Metal by Robert Gonnon

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, Basil, Green notes, Hyacinth, Lemon
Heart: Cyclamen, Iris, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-valley, Rose, Tuberose, Ylang-ylang
Base: Ambergris, Oakmoss, Musk, Sandalwood, Vetiver

Chypre! Metal is a chypre. The opening is all about galbanum and some citrus fizzed up by aldehydes. I thought my bottle had turned but a few spritzes without the dodgy atomiser and the scent smells pure, clean and fresh, while also not smelling of any of that because chypre. I am thoroughly surprised at how gorgeously it’s kept.

After only a few moments I can already smell the oakmoss furriness that chypres give me. It’s a cool comfort and it makes me feel safe and invincible. If CHANEL No 19 gives you backbone then Metal will give you armour and weaponry.

Wikipedia

Funnily I don’t really smell metal, no, that’s not exactly true….. maybe the smell of sharpening a Wiltshire knife in it’s plastic casing. The floral bouquet is a beautiful whole and I can’t pick any of the notes because underpinning the heart is this luscious oakmoss with hints of oily vetiver and a touch of salty brine that I’m attributing to the ambergris and vetiver.

Longevity is good and the baseline lasts hours. It hums away quietly in the background but if I change rooms suddenly I can smell it all over again. Fabulous.

Further reading: I Smell Therefore I Am and Black Narcissus

Do you love the chypre genre?
Portia xx

 

Fragrance Bottle? What Scent?

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Portia

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Hey there APJ,

I think I have told you before about my friends Mum & Grandma who is losing the battle with dementia and Alzheimers. When they had to take all the glass, including fragrances, from her reach I was given a box full of treasures.

Fragrance Bottle? What Scent?

One treasure was this bottle. There’s a little bit left in the bottle and it smells ridiculously gorgeous. like an animalic version of Youth Dew. It has no label or identifying marks. It doesn’t feel like an expensive bottle because there are some quite sharp edges and points. I didn’t want to google it though, not when I have all of you out there who may have seen or remember someone wearing fragrance from this bottle. So I’m handing it over to you all today.

What is this bottle from? The house, the scent name, anything you can remember.

Go for it.

Portia xxx

 

 

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Bottle and contents
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please leave your guesses or a story about lost vintage scent, or even a mini story about who might have used this perfume. 

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 3rd March 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Monday 6th March 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

Unicorns! OMG Unicorns!

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TinaG

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Hi APJ!

If you haven’t noticed, unicorns are so hot right now! I mean, they even have their own emoticon. Here’s a few colourful and fragrant ways to dive into all things unicorn.

Fragrantica

Les Nez – The Unicorn Spell

I have to cast my mind back to sniffing this when in a violet rabbit hole. Their website elaborates: .. feels like a search for the unicorn in a dark, damp forest. The unicorn’s presence can be felt, the steam of her breath hangs frozen in the air, the trails shimmer under the quiet mist of her magical spell, but we can’t find her yet …

LUSH USA

Lush Cosmetics – Unicorn Horn Bubble Bar

You can let yourself slip into a magical dreamland of unicorn and fairies with a Lush bubble bar, featuring notes of Lavender, ylang ylang and neroli. Shame, I don’t have a bath. Get it HERE

TinaG Photo

Golden Gaytime – Unicorn Breath

For those who don’t know what a Golden Gaytime is, it’s an iconic choc/toffee/vanilla/honeycomb ice cream. The Golden Gaytime pop-up bar in Topshop, Sydney, has a bar where you can order one with a special coating. I chose Unicorn Breath – edible sparkles, popping candy, vanilla crumbs, strawberry candy and musk sticks. You can also buy the coating in a can…..

Mecca

Two Faced – Unicorn Tears

It’s a holographic lipstick by Two Faced. Seriously Want. Apparently it sells in Mecca. I don’t care if it doesn’t suit me, it’s *holographic*!! All the rage with the cool kids.

Unicorn Macarons

These are just too adorable to leave off the list. It’s a recipe. I’d put money on my attempt to make them looking quite different….

The Unicorn Hotel

Sydney even has its own Unicorn Hotel!! No, not really. The Unicorn in Paddington has been revamped under the watchful eye of the crew from Mary’s in Newtown (who do legendary burgers). I used to catch the Bronte 378 bus along Oxford Street and marvel at this classic Aussie pub. It’s nothing pretty to look at but good to see the beige tiled & curves walls out the front, like all good Aussie pubs used to have. Mind you my old fave, The Robin Hood in Waverley still has them too. Watch David Bowie’s video ‘Let’s Dance’ for a taste of what I’m talking about.

And last but never last, coz there will always be something Unicorn coming out…

WISH

Unicorn vs Robot Dinosaur Leggings

….. it could happen. And you’d need to be prepared to run for your life with these sleek leggings. WISH has the goods.

Have you succumbed to any unicorny goodness?

Till next time!

Tina G

Fed Up With Fragrance? Perfumed Apathy!

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hello APJ Readers!

The very fact that you are reading this already shows that you are at least one step beyond a normal person. Normal as in spritz and go and pay no attention at all to what you are wearing. I sometimes wish I could be like that, but there is not turning back is there? It is a very real part of the perfume junkie obsessive compulsive disorder, well mine at least. Analysing fragrances can be so exhausting.

Apathy set in a couple of months ago. I´m like, so bored with all this perfume stuff. I have some beautiful perfumes, but just haven´t been feeling the groove. However that most certainly does not mean I have wanted to stop wearing fragrance. That is a point I have not yet reached! I don´t feel properly dressed without perfume and probably never will, it brings great joy.

Fed Up With Fragrance? Perfumed Apathy!

MY CURRENT GRAB AND GO, NO ANALYSING OR DISSECTING NECESSARY FAVES

Fragrantica

CHANEL N°5 Parfum

After years of not having renewed my bottle of this I bought one at the end of last year. Am now half way through it. Sensual, rich and exquisite. Not to be confused with any other version of N°5. This is not all about aldehydes, we are talking vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, amber …….. Divine. Try it if you haven´t.

Fragrantica

CHANEL Boy EdP

Definitely a rare spray and go for me. Heliotrope, vanilla and musk. Hints of lavender and fruits. Lovely.

Fragrantica

Vero Profumo Kiki Extrait

So familiar with Kiki that it melts into my skin and just becomes a part of me. Luscious lavender, caramelised musks, patchouli, ambergris. Stunning.

Fragrantica

 

Hermes Osmanthe Yunnan

Came to this beauty extremely late. I only have a 15ml travel bottle and will be purchasing a full bottle. Have only worn it in the winter months. Smoked tea, apricot, bright, juicy, and yet resting on a bed of suede. A vibe of elegance and simplicity. Gorgeous.

Donated Val XX

But fear not! I am off to the Esxence in a month. Not only is NAJA, the new Vero Profumo ready for launch, but rumour has it I will be picking Portia up from the airport too. Coma sniffing, bring it on.

What do you wear when you´re kind of fed up with it all?

Bussis
CQ

 

Essences Insensees Rose De Mai by Fabrice Pellegrin for Diptyque 2016

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Portia

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Hey there Rose lovers,

There’s been a LOT of rose chatter on the blogs for February is now the month of roses. Chemist In A Bottle, Undina’s Looking Glass and others are doing roses, roses, roses. The guys at LuckyScent do samples and this rose fragrance arrived recently so I thought I could do a one wear share of how it was. That’s right, the whole 0.7ml decanted and spritzed in one go.

Essences Insensees Rose De Mai by Diptyque 2016

Essences Insensees Rose De Mai by Fabrice Pellegrin

Parfumo

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Rose essence, Rosa centifolia absolute, Rose oil, Red fruits, Honey

HA! Roses. Burying your head in a sweet, fruity garden rose. If roses straight up are your thing then this would be a great addition to your collection.

You know the feeling in the back of your throat when you have been sucking honey straight off your spoon? Add that to a slightly dry, tea-ish, sweet rose. The berries aren’t fresh, they’re glacé and sticky. The honey comes front and centre through the heart and it creates an animalic overlay that is quite wild. Happily ferocious honey drizzled roses. Bloody good stuff. The price is super good too.

I can imagine this glorious rose/honey combo becoming a signature scent and for those that have one display bottle at a time this is so fabulous. I bet it feels amazing in your hand too.

Wikipedia

From LuckyScent: For 2016, Fabrice Pellegrin chose perhaps Grasse’s most iconic flower, the soft, sensual and spirited Rose de Mai. And what an interpretation it is: Essences Insensees seems to positively sweep us into the springtime meadows of southeastern France, to sunstruck bucolic countrysides where men and women in straw hats weave through fields awash in stunning pink flowers, selecting the lushest and freshest among them for the honor of undergoing the intricate steam distillation that will help them live forever.

Essences Insensees Rose De Mai by Diptyque Pierre-Auguste_Renoir WikiCommonsWikiCommons

Further reading: Colognoisseur
LuckyScent has $180/120ml & Samples

I know some of you love your roses. Are you wearing them for rose month? Which ones?
Portia xx

Scent Diary: 20.2 – 26.2.17

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Portia

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Heya APJ,

This week has gone by in a blur. In between all the fun times I’m currently trying to get all the Trivia Q&A done for the 4 weeks we’re away and APJ posts up and ready too. Things might vibe a bit light on for this holiday, I seem to be running out of time and Jin’s buddy, all the way from South Korea, comes to stay with us on Monday morning for the week before we fly out.

Yes, busy, busy, busy. Happily so though.

Scent Diary: 20.2 – 26.2.17

Monday 20:

Wearing my Nina by Nina Ricci. Sparkling sweetly like our cool summer morning. Did a whole bunch of reorganising and engaging with my Turbo Trivia crew today. We are going to try a few new things in 2017. Fingers crossed for happy outcomes. As the business expands we want to keep it fun and flexible. A few big ticket bills paid today too.

I also went on a perfume spending spree. Bloody hell, sometimes the devil takes control and I go crazy. Bought Amouage Opus I, Burberry Brit woman parfum & EdP, a couple of vintage Miss Dior parfum atomisers and a Serge Lutens Bas de Soie that’s been on my list for ages.

We had dinner with a girlfriend, Korean BarBQ, came home and watched the second Divergent film, Insurgent. The casting for these films is wonderful: Kate Winslet, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller. Jin finds Theo james unwatchable but I really believed him in the part. My problem is with the lead, Shailene Woodley, she is supposed to be playing this waifish, shapeless, conflicted, young girl and she acts and looks like your favourite wealthy, private school bred aunty at a wedding. The film is gorgeous though and has some excellent Sci-Fi tricks and ideas.

Tuesday 21:

Woke up early and took the dogs for a wee, then went back to bed till 10.30am. Jin & I did some grocery shopping in the morning, came home and Jin cooked French Toast and Bacon. O M G he is the best. It was delicious, I’m spoiled.

We watched the third Divergent film Allegiant. Jeff Daniels, Octavia Spencer and Naomi Watts join the cast, it’s bloody ripper.

Bath time and I used up the last of my Korres Christmas Set from Vera. The Korres Basil & Lemon Shower Gel has left my skin feeling soft and smelling fresh. I’m going to wear Niki de Saint Phalle to follow the green scent trail and also because she is a designer. Perfect choice.

Basil Lemon korres Feb 2017

Tonight I came home from work and decanted my .7ml Bass Solo by The Vagabond Prince vial into a spritz and spritzed the whole lot on at once. If incense and woods are your thing then this is a Must-Try. Review coming.

Wednesday 22:

Morning. Beautiful sleep in this morning. HOT day. Lolita Lempicka original EdP. So sweet and fizzy. Love it.

Today in the mail I received vintage Metal EdT by Paco Rabanne and a Guerlain Samsara PdT in Meteorites bottle. Also the Australian Agency de Parfum new releases for Winter 2017 with some new Penhaligon’s, Floris, Atelier Cologne and Lalique, EXCELLENT! Also a bunch of splits that I’ve bought. Good day in the mailbox.

Jin & I had to return the Divergent DVDs so we popped over to West Ryde and there is a stellar Korean restaurant that feels like you’re in a small town South Korean shop. So real. Jin adores it. He’s a really simple guy, it’s easy to make him happy.

Jin went to work this afternoon and I lay down for a snooze. When I woke it was 8.30pm and the room was dark. So basically I wasted a whole day that should have been spent getting posts ready for APJ so there’s some content while I’m away in March. GRRRRR. I’ll walk and feed the dogs then get some action stations ready and work through the night.

Tonight I tried the Metal by Paco Rabanne. The spray mechanism is dodgy but I got some on my skin and it is amazing. A fabulous green chypre. Review coming.

Thursday 23:

Nothing this morning. Hardly slept last night, little bit zombie.

Ballets Rouges by Olympic Orchids to fit with Lucasz at Chemist In A Bottle‘s rose month. Deep, dark, swampy roses with a sunrise in the heart that shimmers and sparkles before dark descends again. Gothic roses.

Olympic Orchids

Went to work and it was a little quiet at KPT. We still had a great time. Here’s one of my fave teams, the Mulligans.

Not quite sure what’s wrong with me but I’m trying to work tonight and my head is not co-operating. Chucking it in tonight and going to get some shut eye. Spritzing Equistrius by Parfum d’Empire before bed.

Friday 24:

Jin & I took a mate, that I’ve had since around 19 years old, and his partner to brunch. He’s turning 50 while we are away so we did a Yum Cha in a restaurant that Jin has long wanted to try. Best fun. They are interesting, well travelled, fun guys who are great conversationalists. So much to talk about because we hardly see each other anymore. Busy lives. It’s nice to relax into the ease of long friendships. Can’t help thinking how lucky my life has been friendwise, and so grateful that I still see most of the dear ones.

I have continued with Equistrius by Parfum d’Empire all day and night. It’s bloody fabulous in the Sydney heat. The violet and iris are cool and very classy on open.

Tonight Jin & I are trying a pub down the road that I’ve been interested in going to for years. Well, we were going to that pub but the bistro is under construction. We went around the corner to another pub and had the most delicious and melt in your mouth steaks ever. MMMMM. We walked down and back, then walked the dogs when we got home. I feel ultra healthy.

Over the last couple of weeks jin & I have been watching a show called Please Like Me. It’s an Aussie series about a gay guy and his outrageously dysfunctional family. It’s REALLY GOOD. Just finished watching the last of the third season and I’m going to miss the characters, they’ve become my friends.

Fragrantica

Bedtime has me spritzing Maison Francis Kurkdjian Cologne Pour Le Soir. Feral and sweet, like an outdoor urinal in India coming to you on the breeze from about 100m away. The sweet rancid smell of decomposing urine, dusty roads, transportation, humanity and livestock. Why does this smell so good?

Saturday 25:

We had some rain overnight and the world is slightly cooler. I love to walk the dogs through cool drizzle and we came across so many other dogs and their masters out for a stroll. Grabbed a coffee at the local cafe. Sadly the murray is fading al around the suburb so I’m not getting the outrageous wafts of skanky orange blossoms but wet earth and concrete aplenty, the eucalyptus fragrance now subtly overtaking everything. Monsieur Li by Hermès, excellent walking companion and designer to go with my weeks challenge.

Had a bath in Madonna Truth or Dare bubbles, went out to see the Greyhound races but they were rained out. It was cool fun though, we met Alice & Sam and had some dinner in the bistro. Jin shouted us a super cheap bottle of pink bubbles and Alice bought us soft serve ice creams for dessert. Sounds like a shit night but it was great fun. Jin was in vintage CHANEL Antaeus (a present from me) and smelled absolutely freaking gorgeous. I wore original Agent Provocateur EdP, roses and stuff, with a little hint of my baths white flowers playing sotto voice.

For bed I wore vintage 1000 EdT by Jean Patou. Over the top of the Agent Provocateur remnants it lifted the roses and created a shimmering field of gorgeousness.

Sunday 26:

I think I’m a bit tired. Woke up this morning a bit Jin’s head off, then continued to chew him out most of the morning. He did get huffy and we had a soft core fight. I feel infinitely better for it, like the air is clear. We didn’t yell or scream, just bitched at each other.

So this week on Aussie Fragrance Network is Use Your Samples Week. I’ve started by wearing some old formula, whoa nelly, in your face Sables by Annick Goutal. This is so freaking gorgeous.

Righto! Off to work in Fleur Narcotique by Ex Nihilo. Very Fleur, not so narcotic. I like it though. Pretty lilies, bit swampy and green. Very wearable.

How about your week? Anything interesting or fragrant happen?
Portia xx

Heart of Darkness EdP GIVEAWAY WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Woo Hoo Crew, We have a WINNER!

Heart of Darkness EdP GIVEAWAY WINNER

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Oak moss, cedar moss, lavender, vetiver, espresso, nutmeg, tonka, cedar wood, rockrose

 

Providence Perfume Co. has $45/5ml
Providence Perfume Co. also has 8 x 1.5ml sample sets on sale currently

 

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 2 mL sample of PPC Heart of Darkness EdP
1 x 3 oz. complementary PPC Fern botanical hand cream: “Mossy green notes of tonka, lavender, fir and patchouli.”
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 23rd February 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner was chosen by random.org

Jaybee

The winners will have till Wednesday 1st March 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.

Bass Solo by Bertrand Duchaufour for The Vagabond Prince 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Happy Huffers,

More today from my LuckyScent Sample Pack. Remember when the Vagabond Prince brought out their original scent? The one with the fabulously screechy top of Black Currant and booze? It was called Enchanted Forest and I fell madly in love with it. So feral and outrageous, fruit done to the enth degree. It was a hugely polarising fragrance and much like Thierry Mugler’s Angel it became a hot topic of online conversation. People divided into camps and agued their cases, all of which were correct for them. It was great fun.

The rest of their offerings have not met with such radical hype. I am excited to smell this one though because it has been designed around the idea of musical instruments. Specifically one of the woods that is highly prized for its density in making instruments, wenge. The fragrance is not so much based on that aroma as it is based on the instruments that it makes. Interesting because you might remember Amouage brought out Opus X also in 2016 inspired by the red violin.

Bass Solo by The Vagabond Prince 2016

Bass Solo by Bertrand Duchaufour

Fragrantica

LuckyScent gives these featured accords:
Saffron, ginger, lime, cardamom, lavender, Moroccan cedar, Virginia cedar, fig milk, birch tar, sandalwood, amber, driftwood, wenge accord, musk, oppoponax, amyris, patchouli

Immediately Bass Solo opens a green, herbal, lavender rich fragrance hits me. It’s slightly waxy, softly fruity and quite heavily wooded in the background. Woodsy and an oily, smoky hint of car workshop. Soon enough patchouli joins the fray and is an excellent addition, giving a green dankness.

It’s funny, the moment a piece of the puzzle becomes clear my nose jumps on it but everything comes and goes. I think I have the scent imprinted and then it changes. Glad I’m sitting at my desk to really enjoy it because I think so much of the nuance would be lost in casual wearing.

PDI

Resins fly softly over the wooden base, they are cool but add warmth and depth to the fragrance. Dry down is smoking incense and woods. It’s calm and stylish. I ca imagine it being loads of peoples cup of tea.

LuckyScent has $180/100ml
Surender To Chance has samples starting at $5.40/ml

Did you ever make a FB purchase from a sample pack? Tell us what it was?
Portia xx