Author: australianperfumejunkiescom

Scent of Sydney at Carriageworks 2017 + Stuff

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

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Portia

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Hellooooo APJ,

Yesterday in Sydney was glorious, so I filled it with really fun stuff. Some of it fragrant and most of it friends. My only apology is that for most of it I was having such a good time that there are no photographs. BUMMER! Oh well, I have memories.

Scent of Sydney at Carriageworks 2017 + Stuff

The day started early with dog feeding & walks. It’s been so hot at nights that Jin has made the boys inside beds and they sleep in the living room, with us, under the fan and with the A/C Dry Mode on. It doesn’t do much cooling but it does get rid of the humidity and runs at about 1/3 the A/C usual energy use. Here they are loving their indoor beds.

Once the dogs were done Jin was going to check his diving equipment and I had bought him a new wetsuit for Christmas. He and a couple of girlfriends were going to Clovelly/Gordon’s Bay to do that so I asked my BFF Kath to meet me there so we could have a paddle, get some rays and have brunch. It was good to get the psoriasis on my legs into the sea water and they already are showing signs of improvement. Here we are at brunch. MMMMM

Here’s the view from the carpark. Yeah, this was the shit view but I was too busy doing stuff to take another shot. SOZ!

After that Kath, Jin & I went back to Kath’s so he could fix some stuff at the apartment. Jin went home and I went around the corner to meet my next adventure.

Then TinaG, APJ writer and one of my longest term friends, organised a get together at the sydney Festival’s Scents Of Sydney at Carriageworks. I love this venue and we ran Turbo Trivia here for years in the cafe/restaurant behind me in the pic below. Good memories.

WORLD PREMIERE
SYDNEY FESTIVAL PRESENTS

SCENT OF SYDNEY

CAT JONES

As a first impression, smell is one of the most basic forms of identification. Can you really know a city by the way it smells? In this work, artist Cat Jones distills more than first impressions and seeks to capture the real substance of Sydney – its stories of landscape, democracy, resistance, competition, and extravagance. In a series of conversations and debates you are invited to create an olfactory portrait of our city and contribute your ideas and stories of Sydney’s identity.

Scent Of Sydney EXHIBITION

7 – 29 JAN 10AM – 6PM
Closed on Mondays.

TALKS

10 JAN 6PM Democracy
11 JAN 6PM Landscape
17 JAN 6PM Artist Talk
18 JAN 6PM Competition
24 JAN 6PM Resistance
25 JAN 6PM Extravagance

Scents Of Sydney was a very interesting idea and FREE. Take 12 people who are Sydney based catalysts of change. All each one to tell their story and how they helped create change or awareness, then think of a group of scent notes that express or remind you of that time in the journey. SUPER interesting right, all across our multiplicity of cultures, wealth and history here. The scents were brilliantly thought out and really captured the spirit of the stories.

So the scent was in an oil wiped around the inside of the cup, excellent delivery system. You could listen to some of the story and pick the cup up at different times to rem,ind you of their scent.

Each story was played continuously through headphones and each cup had three attendant headphones so a maximum of 36 people could be listening at any time. There was also a central seating circle where discussion was happening with one or more of the producers, artist, festival peeps etc. My only problem was the length of the stories. Bloody hell. After 4 of them I was exhausted of my will to live so I crept out and awaited the others.

I found a sweet man called Jackson who lent me his phone charger and sat down by a mirror for some chill time as the phone juiced up. There I took photos of myself & surrounds and uploaded them to social media because narcissist.

We sat down for a delicious afternoon tea with Rose and Tina. Rose went off to see some dance that was also part of the Festival of Sydney 2017 and Tina & I walked to the train and caught our way home. On the way we saw this splendidly painted row house and couldn’t help but add it to our selfie list.

That lovely man Jin picked me up from the station and we had delicious Thai reheats for dinner. YUMMY!

So how was your weekend? Do any thing fun and/or fragrant?
Portia xx

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

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Portia

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Woo Hoo APJ!

I love decluttering and YOU GUYS are the winners.
Let’s see who gets the pack.
Portia xx

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY WINNER

 

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The winner will receive one each of these samples:

Iranzol oil by Bruno Acampora
Mr Hulot’s Holiday by CB I Hate Perfume
La Colonia by Oliver & Co carded sample
M.O.U.S.S.E. by Oliver & Co carded sample
Vaninger by Oliver & Co carded sample
2010 Harvest Amarige by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Organza by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Very Irresistible by Givenchy
Live by Jennifer Lopez
Aegyptus Tesori d`Oriente
Profumata Amalfi by Tocca
XS by Paco Rabanne
Charmes Secrets: Passion Absolue by Laurence Dumont
Pure Gold by Montale
Tobacco Rose by Papillon
Pure Mariposa by Ramon Monegal carded sample

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 14th January 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Latai

The winner will have till Wednesday 18th January 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.

Dior Lady Art – Ian Davenport Interview

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

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Portia

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Hi Fashion Fumies,

Here we find an interesting collaboration for the new DIOR handbags. Artist Ian Davenport.

Many of Davenport’s works are made by pouring paint onto a tilted surface and letting gravity spread the paint over the surface.[7] He has usually worked on medium density fibreboard rather than canvas, and most often employs household gloss paint, meaning the viewer can see their own reflection in the work. He has made a number of diptychs and triptychs as well as single works. Wikipedia

Ian Davenport

Below video Ian Davenport explains how he and DIOR created pieces that basically have me foaming at the mouth with desire. DIOR Lady is a handbag style, Lady Art are the ones done in collaboration with artists, very cool.

Check this out. AMAZING!
Portia xx

Fort & Manlé Parfum: New Australian Indie Perfumers

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Hey APJ,

Here is a special new venture that will have the Indie lovers very excited. Two handsome young men from Australia have been working hard to create a range of electrifying fragrances. Now, if you are only a fan of the department store smooth, flawless perfection or fruit-choulis then these babies will be way too much for your sensitive tastes. Here we have flamboyant scents that will astound, excite and challenge your perception of perfumery. Scott and I tried 5 from the range and I came away with two very clear favourites.

Fort & Manlé Parfum

OK, so the men are from Melbourne. Known as the style and food capital of Australia, it’s always been characterised as the most cosmopolitan, adventurous, art and culture forward city we have. An oasis of multiculturalism in a predominantly white Australia. While Sydney was always viewed as the shallow but shiny party/business/waterfront town Melbourne was, and is, a slice of European grandeur.

You can see by their 50ml premium bottle range that these guys are serious. They are choosing to stand apart in a world getting more homogenised daily. Yes there are also much simpler 30ml bottles for the fans of modern clean lines too. The wooden lids are a very nice touch across the range.

So how do they smell? Well, the site offers no note list so I can’t check myself on what the ingredients are but here are what Scott & I smelled when we wee wearing them.

Amber Absolutely by Fort & Manlé Parfum

Initially Scott and I were smelling honeyed, caramel amber. Right from the start it is crunchy, chewy and delicious. If you like amber with a hefty hit of fur and bed head backed by a fizzy sherbet giving lift, fun and interest then you’ll love Amber Absolutely. I enjoyed it immensely and Scott wanted to keep the sample (but nope). I am wearing it right now in the summer heat and it’s holding up magnificently. Can’t wait to give it a whirl in cooler weather too.

Confessions of a Garden Gnome by Fort & Manlé Parfum

Winning the prize as the best frag name of 2016 Confessions of a Garden Gnome is green with some bells and whistles added for good measure. We loved the Citrus, grass, galbanum rich opening and the way the fragrance morphed into some fancy cool cocktail through the heart warming to what smelled to us like tobacco and hay with maybe a smudge of amber and incense through the base. As you know I’m guessing and we will all have a hearty laugh when we find out the real ingredients. The gear changes in Confessions of a Garden Gnome are very Indie, never disjointed per se but surprising and sudden jolts of new scent information kept my nose attuned and interested all the way to dry down. It feels like the seasons are changing and that’s what the garden gnome must experience, fabulous.

Here’s a sneaky peek at the two men behind Fort & Manlé Parfum

You should definitely try their stuff.
Go visit Fort & Manlé Parfum

Are you an Indie Frag lover? Which would you choose?
Portia xx

 

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY Jan 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 44 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Hey All,

Cleaning up around here in a frenzy of New Year activity.

There are a bunch of samples that I have tried. Some are prizes never claimed. A couple of them are only half full but others are only 2 spritzes used or brand new, some I have bottles or doubles of. So what better way to share the love than a Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY!

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY Jan 2017

giveaway hemodernhome

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The winner will receive one each of these samples:

Iranzol oil by Bruno Acampora
Mr Hulot’s Holiday by CB I Hate Perfume
La Colonia by Oliver & Co carded sample
M.O.U.S.S.E. by Oliver & Co carded sample
Vaninger by Oliver & Co carded sample
2010 Harvest Amarige by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Organza by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Very Irresistible by Givenchy
Live by Jennifer Lopez
Aegyptus Tesori d`Oriente
Profumata Amalfi by Tocca
XS by Paco Rabanne
Charmes Secrets: Passion Absolue by Laurence Dumont
Pure Gold by Montale
Tobacco Rose by Papillon
Pure Mariposa by Ramon Monegal carded sample

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

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

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us a perfume on your sample wish list

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 14th January 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 Wednesday 18th January 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.

Mystery Fragrance GIVEAWAY WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

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Portia

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Heya APJ,

Bloody Hell. I keep forgetting to do stuff.

Let’s see who won.
Portia xx

Mystery Fragrance GIVEAWAY WINNER

 

mystery-fragrance-nye-20167-2

 

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Mystery Fragrance from Robert’s collection
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 5th January 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners will be chosen by random.org

Gina

The winner will have till Sunday 15th January 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

Vanderbilt by Sophia Grojsman for Gloria Vanderbilt 1982

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

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Anne-Marie

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Hi all, I hope the New Year is treating you well so far.

Vanderbilt is not a fragrance that gets much attention from the perfume crowd, and I have ignored it myself for years because:
a) I was suspicious of a perfume costing $10;
b) I assumed it is a hot swill of all those loud 80s and 90s perfumes like Red Door, Giorgio Beverly Hills, Oscar de la Renta and Amarige;
c) I don’t know anything about Gloria Vanderbilt except what I read yesterday on Wikipedia
d) I don’t like the muddy lilac of the box;
e) I don’t wear floaty dresses and I’m indifferent to white swans.

But – you should try everything once, eh?

Vanderbilt by Gloria Vanderbilt 1982

Vanderbilt by Sophia Grojsman

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, pineapple, orange blossom, lavender, green notes, bergamot
Heart: Carnation, tuberose, orris root, jasmine, ylang ylang, rose
Base: Sandalwood, cinnamon, opoponax, musk, civet, vanilla, vetiver

And here’s what I think. Yes, Vanderbilt smells like a perfume of its time. I won’t say it’s dated, perhaps ‘remote’. The opening bergamot and green notes I enjoy but a slightly harsh tuberose does indeed bring to mind all those fog horn white florals I spent years avoiding. (I’ve come around to Amarige.)

That calms. Actually, after a strong opening, I find that Vanderbilt settles to the skin and after about 20 minutes is much softer and quieter than I had expected. For the rest of its (relatively short, 4-5 hours) time on my skin it forms a pleasant veil of scent with a sweet, praline or cake-like note. It’s borderline gourmand on me, although I have low tolerance to gourmands so I may be hyper-alert to that facet. It’s pleasant, but perhaps suited to cooler weather than we have in my part of the world at present. I can imagine it wafting up beautifully from the depths of a winter jacket.

If you wore Vanderbilt back in the day, do comment. Was it bigger then? Carnation more prominent? I don’t get any at all. Pineapple? There’s a juicy note in there but I don’t identify it as pineapple specifically. Civet? Nope, left the building. In fact, after the opening few minutes I can’t really pick out any notes. It’s a sweetish and slightly spicy (cinnamon?), harmonious whole. Quite feminine, and recognisable as Sophia Grojsman’s work.

In my collection, Cacharel LouLou is about the closest I have to Vanderbilt, except that LouLou has decidedly more character. I’ll put Vanderbilt away until the autumn, when I’ll see how it performs as a casual set-and-forget fragrance.

Further reading: FragranceBouquet 
My Beauty Spot currently has AUD$10/100ml

Not wanting to quibble, but white swans are usually quite muddy and grubby aren’t they? With black swans you’d hardly notice, and they are more interesting. I’d probably prefer a black swan of a fragrance. You?
All the best until next time folks!
Anne-Marie

CQ Christmas/New Year Run Down with Vero + Guerlain

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Happy New Year APJ Readers. Glad you made it.

Following a brilliant Christmas week with friends and family I got a fever. After eighteen years of running my business, and more than five years of The Cookie Run I called in sick and gave myself a week off. I was so excited to have a nine days on the sofa with telly and books you can´t imagine. Of course I have been unwell before but I self medicate with Advil and various forms of caffeine, hot or cold, and carry on. BUT a fever is a different kettle-of-fish and I took that seriously.

Book Depository

CQ Christmas/New Year Run Down with Vero + Guerlain

GARRULOUS JABBERING: A FEVERED WEEK

Christmas Week and Post Sickness Scents, including a Nasal Mystery.

In the days leading up to Christmas, and immediately afterwards I wore Vero Profumo´s Mito Extrait, a lot of the limited edition Chanel N°5 body oil
(absolutely to die for, stronger than an EdP), a decent amount of N°5 Parfum,and couple of good hits of Lutens La Myrrhe. Christmas Day I over-sprayed
Guerlain´s Vega, and wished I had a bottle of the stuff.

And then I had five proper sick days and couldn´t smell or taste a bloody thing. Not even the Italian menthol and licorice cure everything including leprosy throat lozenges. Nada. But lurking on a shelf in BlondesWunder`s bedroom was a box with a LUSH Tubereuse Kryptonite bath bomb in it. I could smell that
I promise you. So weird. It smelled the same pre, during and post sickness. Very mysterious don´t cha think?

Perfumistas’ evil eyes will no doubt notice the exquisite enameled blue and white spray in my photo. As I was getting better it turned up in the post,
a total surprise from a dear friend. It´s Mitsouko Parfum. I am perhaps the last person to find out how drop-dead gorgeous it is, but better late than never.
I may just have joined the snotty ranks of the “Oh no I couldn`t possibly, I only wear vintage Guerlain you know!” brigade.

I received samples of the Dusita perfume line in the post and I am curious to try them as and when I muster up the courage.

Official Naja pic.

2017 PLANNED KICKS

After a host of technical challenges, and it has been quite a ride, Vero Profumo´s NAJA will be launched. No precise date yet.
I will be meeting up with Portia and we are gonna go Italian together. Watch this space.
It is gonna be the year that I try attars. A whole new ball game for me.
And I am getting two more stores to supply with cookies. February and September.

2017. We´ll enjoy the ride together. What are you looking forward to?

Bath Bomb Bussis
CQ xxx

Official Naja pic. Done by: Kasia Jackowska @tierlirevolution Snake ring by Ania Anka Krystyniak.
All other photos donated and taken by Val the Cookie Quieen. Thanks love XXX

5 Favourite Tea Perfumes

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

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TinaG

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Hi APJ!

It’s tea-time. I thought I’d share with you a quick snap-shot of a few of my favourite tea fragrances.

5 Favourite Tea Perfumes

Fragrantica

BVLGARI – Eau Parfumée Collection

This collection of five fragrances is a touch-stone for anyone wanting to explore tea scents. Green, white, red, blue and black, they are all magnificent colognes. Au Thé Rouge, with pink pepper and roobios tea, is probably my favourite. It’s followed closely by Au Thé Bleu that replicates a sparkling blue summer sky in my mind, with oolong tea notes, lavender, iris, peppery shiso and has its longevity strengthened with the use of musks.

Fragrantica

Comme des Garçons – Series 1 Leaves: Tea

CdG Tea is to Bvlgari Eau Parfumèe what saddle leather is to suede. With notes of lapsang souchong and thick mate (pronounced maa-tey) it is dark, smoky and heady. More for the experienced ‘tea’ lover. I absolutely hated it the first time I smelt it, but was so intrigued that I kept going back it it, and ended up buying a bottle. (Welcome to my world….)

Fragrantica

Hermès Hermessence Collection – Osmanthe Yunnan

Well this could be considered a mix of two teas – herbal osmanthus flower, and black tea from the Yunnan Province, China. The osmanthus is the star of the show with its apricot floral notes softly supported by a gentle very slightly peppery black tea. It’s linear but beautiful. I wore this all the way through the Christmas/New Year period – light, elegant, easy in the summer heat and not overwhelming for social meet ups.

Fragrantica

Baruti – Chai

Chai is the perfect comforting tea scent, with its milky mix of warm spices and a touch of rose in the dry down. It’s being inside on a rainy day all snuggled up with a blanket, fluffy jumper & great chai tea. Yuuuummmmmm!!!

Fragrantica

Masque Milano – Russian Tea

This fragrance is a joy to wear, particularly because it has at least four distinct changes through the drydown – a treasured feature in my mind. I absolutely love the mint in the opening of this fragrance. It is black tea and spearmint, with hints of black leather closer to the skin. At 1 hour an incense comes through, and at two hours I find a wonderful dark honey note. Then at around four hours it goes funky & animalistic. Wow. Why do I not have a full bottle of this?

What are your favourite tea fragrances?

Have a great start to your week!

Tina G xx

How Do You Decide What Perfume To Wear?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

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Portia

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Hey APJ,

Sometimes I look at my collection and the size is completely overwhelming, making it really hard to choose what fragrance to wear that day. Does this ever happen to you? Happens around here with monotonous regularity.

How Do You Decide What Perfume To Wear?

So, there are a few ways I use to combat the “Too Many Blues” like grabbing a random sample and spritzing away, using an old favourite like Guerlain Shalimar, Parfums DelRay Amoureuse or Cacharel Liberté. Other times I do what I did today, walked over to me desk and grabbed the fist thing my eyes rest on. It was

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès 2015

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li Hermes FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Kumquat, jasmine, mint

It’s high summer here and raining so a perfect fit. All that gorgeous oily citrus offset with refreshing mint. Wears so easily in the hot or cold and though I’m hardly a One Bottle Guy, Monsieur Li could very easily fit the bill if I had to become one. I wore it to dinner the other night with a bunch of mates and got two random compliments. Very happy with that. especially because I feel it is such an under the radar scent.

Below is the last of us on that night, there were 10 more but this pic are the ones who stayed and drank Turkish Coffee. OMG! That was definitely a new experience. From left: Me, Jin, Jocelyn Fullerton of Cult Of Scent, TinaG, Craig, Scott, Paul.

From Hermès:
“I remembered the smell of ponds, the smell of jasmine, the smell of wet stones, of plum trees, kumquats and giant bamboo. It was all there, and in the ponds there were even carp steadily working towards their hundredth birthday.” Jean-Claude Ellena
Le Jardin de Monsieur Li describes a Chinese garden somewhere between reality and imagination. A place for meditation where strolling is allied to thought, and every step sets the imagination free.

Back in 2015 when Monsieur Li was released I talked about it on Australian Perfume Junkies. You can get it at most department stores and even on the online discounters.

So what do you do when confronted by this conundrum?
How Do You Decide What Perfume To Wear?
Portia xx