Pure eVe by Celine Ellena for The Different Company 2011

.

Post by Robert Herrmann

.

Hi there Fragrant Friends.

This week I’ve been wearing the hell out of a light-as-air almond powdery beauty that is what I imagine angels must smell like….

Pure eVe by The Different Company 2011

Pure eVe by Celine Ellena

pure-eve-the-different-company-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes
Middle: Flax, mimosa, white rose
Base: Cedar, musk, candied almond, sweet notes, dried fruits: TDC gives: Calisson (A French cookie made of candied almond, sweet notes and dried fruits)

When I was a kid growing up, one thing that always enchanted and mystified me were my Mom’s four silk scarves from Hermés. Often redolent with leftover traces of Joy or Maja edp, these not-to-be-touched-by-small-hands towel sized (to tiny me) pieces of fabric heaven were as light as a cloud, yet felt like pure magic, smooth and silky, softer than anything else in my child-sized world. When my mom would let me handle them, it was always a wondrous and very special moment. When she passed away twenty years ago, these silk scarves were the very first thing I put in my suitcase to take home. They are with me still.

Originally released as Pure Virgin and subsequently renamed as Pure EvE, wearing it is soft and sheer, a skin scent meant for you alone. The perfect wear-it-to-bed scent (especially when married to a perfume allergic sneeze-fest, as I am). Ironically mimosa, which is so prevalent in the dry-down is also know as “shabkhosb” in contemporary Persian which translates to “night sleeper” alluding to the flowers that close up at night.

pure-eve-the-different-company-govert_flinck_-_angels_announcing_the_birth_of_christ_to_the_shepherds-wikimediaWikiMedia

And given that the nose behind it is Celine Ellena, that makes it pretty much a slam-dunk for me, as I love her father’s (Jean-Claude) work. Sheer and breezy olfactory watercolors clearly run in the family….

Opening with the champagne-like sparkle of the aldehydes, this gorgeous unisex edt brings to mind soft freshly laundered sheets drying in the sun and gently waving in a soft summer’s breeze. The flax bring an earthy base to the scent all the while supporting the gorgeous floralp notes. The scent of the Calisson provides the cookie-like almond and sweet notes, and the musk wraps it all up in a pure white dare I say virginal, cashmere blanket.

This is a perfect scent to wear all year long for work or play. In the cooler months, you will be a walking tray of cloud-like soft Chantilly Creme and when the warmer months roll around you’ll smell positively as fresh as a laundered crisp white shirt.

pure-eve-the-different-company-hallig_hooge_germany_view_from_the_backenswarft-wikipediaWikipedia

Further reading: Now Smell This and Daly Beauty
The Different Company has €95/50ml
LuckyScent has $135/50ml + Samples

Have you tried Pure eVe? Are there other “fresh” powdery scents that you absolutely love??
RHX

Civet by Zoologist Perfumes GIVEAWAY WINNER

Hey Crew,

What an incredible response. You must be loving the Zoologist brand.

Don’t forget it may be up to 8 weeks before being sent out because we are waiting for the fragrance to be bottled. Our winner is the lucky recipient of one of the first bottles of Civet to be done. SO EXCITING!

Thank you to Robert Herrmann and Victor Wong from Zoologist.

Civet by Zoologist Perfumes GIVEAWAY WINNER

Civet ZooligistZoologist copyright 2016

Zoologist gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Black Pepper, Lemon, Orange, Spices, Tarragon
Heart: Carnation, Frangipani, Heliotrope, Hyacinth, Linden-blossom, Tuberose, Ylang
Base: Balsams, Civet*, Coffee, Incense, Labdanum, Musks*, Oakmoss, Resins, Russian Leather*, Vanilla, Vetiver, Woods

*Synthetic notes, Zoologist does not use animal products.

 

Civet will be available December 31st 2016 from the Zoologist website, and you’ll find a list of stockists there as well.

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 11 ml Civet by Zoologist travel spray
(It will be sent as soon as Civet is bottled, yes we are THAT far ahead)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Monday 31st October 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

APJ Winner Is

Arlene Buekis in South Africa!

It may be up to 8 weeks before being sent out

The winners will have till Friday 4th November 2016 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

Egoiste by Jacques Pole + François Demachy for Chanel 1990

.

Post by Claire Vukcevic

.

Hello APJ peeps!

My husband came to me the other day and told me that he’d seen Burberry Touch for Men for €20 at a local pharmacy and was thinking of getting it. I held my hand up in the universal sign language of “Lemme Stop You There”, remembering the last time he bought perfume on his own (Dior Sauvage, oh the horror, the HORROR), and glumly handed him over a big bottle of Egoiste. “You wear men’s perfumes?” he asked me, confused.

Egoiste by Chanel 1990

Egoiste by Jacques Pole + François Demachy

egoiste-chanel-fragranticaFragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Coriander, Mahogany, Mandarin, Rosewood
Heart: Carnation, Rose, Cinnamon
Base: Amber, Leather, Sandalwood, Tobacco, Vanilla

Yes, husband. Yes, I do. When perfumes are as good as Egoiste, women will purloin them and claim them as their own. He doesn’t even know about my Dior Homme Intense habit yet.

Anyway, the great thing about my act of supreme generosity is that Egoiste now lives in our downstairs loo, where it gets splashed on with gay abandon onto the husband, me (whenever I go in there), and my two children upon whom I use it as a body spray. The very act of bringing it out into the light has meant that we are all currently luxuriating in the fabulousity of Egoiste.

egoiste-chanel-jeff_golden-family-feet-flickrFlickr

Egoiste opens with a tight little nubbin of spice, its mandarin orange oil, cinnamon, rose, and lemon notes swirling together to form an effervescent coca-cola accord that never fails to lift the spirits. Sometimes the rose becomes very big, sometimes I barely notice it, as I think it knits itself into the smooth rosewood and tobacco very cleverly.

The new version is definitely weaker and thinner than how I remember it smelling in the late 1990’s, when I recall it being a big hit with several boyfriends. To my nose, the tobacco has been amped up, and it is the crumbling, dusty sort that can smell a little like earth and dried leaves – similar to the tobacco note in Journey Man.

Thank God, though, that the sandalwood in the drydown is still the rich, sweet, spicy gingerbread sandalwood that I love so much in Bois des Iles and Mona di Orio Vanille. Before I moved from Montenegro to Ireland last summer, I sent all my perfumes on ahead of me (strapped to donkeys, over the Alps), and I found I missed my sandalwoods the most. My Egoiste is therefore a bottle I bought in Montenegro a week before I left, procured solely to give me comfort during that tumultuous time of my life, and I clung to it despite the sweltering 40 degree heat. Of course, reunited with my perfumes back in Ireland, I kind of forgot about Egoiste. Until now.

Longevity is ok – about 4 hours and definitely not as strong or as rich as the older versions. It’s perfect for men AND WOMEN who love big, spicy woods perfumes with a coca cola twang and a creamy drydown. For me, it’s pure cold weather comfort in a bottle.

egoiste-chanel-bureau-of-land-management-blm-winter-bucket-list-11-white-mountains-national-recreation-area-alaska-flickrFlickr

Further reading: What Men Should Smell Like and Bois de Jasmin
CHANEL counters everywhere have Egoiste, go grab a free spritz

What about you guys? Do you wear and love any perfumes from the other side of the gender aisle?

Slán!

Claire

 

Claire also writes for Take One Thing Off

What Perfumes Remind You Of Mum?

.

Post by Portia

.

Hello Fancy Fragrance Freaks,

Today I’m feeling a bit nostalgic for my Mum who died back in 2001 of leukaemia. She was an excellent Mum, not perfect of course but perfect for me. Sometimes when I’m cooking the meals she used to regularly make, there was a rotation of about 10 regular dinner meals and a couple of extra special ones, grocery shopping or cleaning the house I will be struck again by what a huge hole she left when she went. Questions that Mum always had the answers to, little bits of quiet advice or even the yelled loudly kind, I still miss them all.

So I thought we could all get in the mood and remember our Mums together through our shared hobby, fragrance.

What Perfumes Remind You Of Mum?

Mum loved fragrance. Not in a perfumista way but in an “It feels so glam to spritz with abandon” way. Never one to spritz the air and wander through mum wanted it on her skin and her scarf, a blazing scent trail riding slightly ahead and half a block behind. Why? Well my Dad was a notoriously stingy bastard and when Mum worked in their Jewellery and Watch shop as the saleswoman for the first few years of their marriage she made Dad get in Gifts as well. These included everything from Lladro and Wedgwood to Fragrance. Because it was good business for the shop person to be wearing the scents they sold the reps would give Mum bottles to liberally spritz and she fell in love with that luxury. For the rest of her life she always had a couple of fragrances in the house and one respritzer in her purse.

So which ones stand out in my memory? I have touched on most of these before in comments and posts but I thought it high time I brought them all together.

anais-anais-cacharel-fragranticaFragrantica

Anais Anais by Cacharel: This was only a one bottle fragrance for Mum because we all laughed so hard at her wearing Anus Anus. It does stand out in memory though because of that. Can’t remember the smell at all.

chanel-no-5-eau-de-toilette-chanel-fragranticaFragrantica

CHANEL No 5: Mum LOVED No 5 all the way through her life. It was the ultimate signal of luxury for her and that love has rubbed off on me. It was her “Going Out” fragrance for the big events. If ever Dad was winning awards, or charity events, her golfing dos or big birthdays it would be the waft throughout the house. I remember her hugging us goodbye and introducing us to whatever babysitter we had and CHANEL No 5 was the scent.

giorgio-giorgio-beverly-hills-fragranticaFragrantica

Giorgio Beverly Hills: HA! Even thinking about Giorgio makes me remember Mum’s cars. In my later teen years it was the respritz bottle in her handbag and the car would smell so strongly of it your clothes would basically be dry cleaned in a 10 minute drive. No matter what fragrance I was wearing I’d get out of the car smelling like Giorgio.

nsamsara-eau-de-toilette-guerlain-fragranticaFragrantica

Samsara by Guerlain: I remember buying mum Samsara one Christmas with my pay check from being a Squirt Bitch at the Department Store as a Christmas holiday job. She was so thrilled that I had bought her fragrance and I remember her bragging to her girlfriends at the shop when they noticed her scent. I felt a million miles tall.

shalimar-eau-de-toilette-guerlain-fragranticaFragrantica

Shalimar by Guerlain: Shalimar wasn’t just my Mum’s perfume, a whole bunch ofd the crew wore it and sometimes sitting in the living room with them was like being in the middle of a Shalimar fumigation. It’s the fragrance I most relate to Mum even though she had other loves. Whenever I spritz its magical oriental dream I am immediately taken back to days when there seemed almost no cares other than swimming, running, biking and eating delicious home cooked meals.

There were a few more but now I want to hear what your mum wore please?
Portia xx

 

 

 

 

CHANEL Les Exclusivs EdTs GIVEAWAY WINNER

.

Post by Portia

.

Heya Fumies,

Great response. Fingers crossed for all of you. Thank you Esther at David Jones Sydney City Store CHANEL Counter. We love you.
Portia xx

CHANEL Les Exclusivs EdTs GIVEAWAY WINNER

chanel-coromandel-chanel-fragranticaFragrantica

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x manufacturers carded sample of CHANEL Misia EdT
1 x manufacturers carded sample of CHANEL Jersey EdT
1 x manufacturers carded sample of CHANEL Coromandel EdT
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 29th October 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner waschosen by random.org

APJ Winner Is

Calshopper

The winners will have till Wednesday 2nd November 2016 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

NEW!!! Civet by Shelly Waddington for Zoologist Perfumes 2016

.

Post by Robert Herrmann

.

Hey there Indie and Niche Nerds,

News of a new release by Victor Wong’s Zoologist Perfumes is ALWAYS cause for celebration. More so this time as the release is scheduled for New Years Eve day, Dec. 31st, 2016. So break out the confetti and champagne, because Zoologist has hit it out of the park yet again.

Hot on the heels of Bat (2015 Art & Olfaction award winner- Independent Perfume category), and most recently the stunning Nightingale and Macaque, Zoologist returns to continue the theme of popular animal musks started with Beaver (2014/ reformulated 2016) with this latest release. It’s called Civet.

Civet by Zoologist Perfumes 2016

Civet by Shelly Waddington

Civet ZooligistZoologist

Zoologist gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Black Pepper, Lemon, Orange, Spices, Tarragon
Heart: Carnation, Frangipani, Heliotrope, Hyacinth, Linden-blossom, Tuberose, Ylang
Base: Balsams, Civet*, Coffee, Incense, Labdanum, Musks*, Oakmoss, Resins, Russian Leather*, Vanilla, Vetiver, Woods

*Synthetic notes, Zoologist does not use animal products.

Authored by Shelly Waddington, award-winning creator of En Voyage Perfumes and Zoologists earlier 2015 release Hummingbird, Civet is a glorious musky woody floral, that brings to mind vintage French perfumes from the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s. Shelly Waddington is an olfactive storyteller of the first degree, her perfumes always take me on a journey, and Shelly does vintage scents extremely well (Zelda, Fiore Di Bellagio among many others). Civet is absolutely no exception!

This is Josephine Baker running out the stage door after a performance on her way to a small hidden Parisian Boite to continue the night with dancing and cocktails and a bevy of admirers men and women both, vying for her attention. Her fur stole is flying behind her, and she is still slightly sweaty from the show, but covered in a sexy, sultry perfume which doesn’t mask the skin-smell of sweat, just makes it all the more alluring and enticing.

civet-zooligist-evan-p-cordes-josephine-baker-by-lola-dupre-flickrFlickr

Floral, feral and in-your-face gorgeous, this is the scent that will end up perfuming crumpled sheets in a bedroom, and staying on the skin of a lover who will spend the day drinking endless demitasse of espresso trying to erase the mental fog of the night before, hoping for a future assignation. The scent of coffee with its slightly chocolate and bitter aroma rises from the small cup and mixes with the smell coming off his skin and clothing, reminding him of the previous nights love making…languid, hot, and absolutely unforgettable.

Bravo Shelly, and bravo Zoologist Perfumes!

Civet will be available December 31st 2016 from the Zoologist website, and you’ll find a list of stockists there as well.

(Civet Photo Zoologist Perfumes, copyright 2016)

giveaway kbaird

Civet by Zoologist Perfumes GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 11 ml Civet by Zoologist travel spray
(It will be sent as soon as Civet is bottled, yes we are THAT far ahead)
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 tell us what you liked about this review, or if you have any favorite Zoologist perfumes?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Monday 31st October 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Friday 4th November 2016 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

What Flower Is This?

.

Post by Portia

.

Hey there Floral Fumies,

Today I have a question for you all.

What Flower Is This?

Anyone know what this freaking amazing smelling flower is? Ultimate night blooming super sweet white floral with a hefty dose of indolic skank.

Jin and I were walking the dogs down the main road near where we live and as we were wandering this waft flew at me, strong enough to make me stop in my tracks. I thought it was a jasmine from far away but as we got closer the scent became thicker and more tropicall. We could smell the bush half a block away and when we finally came across it we walked past because it was so unassuming. Then as the scent started to fade we went back to have a look.

Anyone who can help please comment below. It smells so amazing that really want to have it one day when we have a backyard again.

Thanks,
Portia xx

unknown-flower-oct-2016-top

unknown-flower-oct-2016-side

 

OK all, I have some answers for you. My mate Kerri found the bush at Gardens Online and sent it through.

RONDELETIA AMOENA

Type: Shrub 

Family: RUBIACEAE

Origins: Guatemala and Mexico

Light: Full sun/Light shade

Wind: Wind/Salt tolerant 

Growth: Fast

Frost: Tender

Evergreen: Yes

Native: No

Height: 5m

Width: 5m

rondeletia-amoena-flowers-ms4

rondeletia-amoena-flowers5Gardens Online

CHANEL Les Exclusifs EdTs

.

Post by Portia

.

Hello CHANEL-ophiles,

I was looking through my sample drawer the other day and noticed I had some of the CHANEL EdT carded manufacturer samples. Seeing that that are now discontinued for the EdP I wondered if you’d like to have them as reminders of that which went before? Thank you to the gorgeous Esther at David Jones Sydney City Store for her friendly and informative service, it’s always a pleasure buying CHANEL with you.

CHANEL Les Exclusifs EdTs

Chanel Misia Chanel FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Powdery notes, violet, iris, orris root, Turkish rose, Grasse rose, Laos benzoin, tonka bean

Chanel Jersey Fragrantica

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tonka bean, rose, musk, lavender, jasmine, vanilla, grass, wildflowers

chanel-coromandel-chanel-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accordfs:
Top: Bitter orange,citruses, neroli
Heart: Jasmine, rose, patchouli, orris
Base: Musk, woodsy notes, benzoin, olibanum, incense, vanilla, white chocolate

giveaway TheTruthAboutMummy

CHANEL Les Exclusivs EdTs GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x manufacturers carded sample of CHANEL Misia EdT
1 x manufacturers carded sample of CHANEL Jersey EdT
1 x manufacturers carded sample of CHANEL Coromandel EdT
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 tell us which is your favourite CHANEL fragrance or the one you’re most interested to try?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 29th October 2016 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 2nd November 2016 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

 

Stress and Perfumes!

.

Post by Sandra

.

Hi there fellow perfume aficionados. Hope ya’ll are doing well.

We received a life changing phone call a couple of weeks ago and it is now official – we are moving from Vienna, Austria to Rotterdam, The Netherlands! Yikes! I thought I would never leave Vienna, and yet here I am planning our move which comes unfortunately during the holidays this year.

Stress is of course the norm now but so is the anticipation and excitement. I have lived a largely nomadic lifestyle until I landed in Vienna and got married. Being a global nomad brings its challenges but also its treasures. Home is everywhere. Learning a new language and culture feeds my soul. Meeting new people and making new friends adds color to my life. As I grew up living in a number of countries I find the process of moving painful but the end effect and the nesting period exhilarating. For my husband and son it will be a different experience and I have to try and make it as smooth as possible for both of them. Hence, the stress.

Stress and Perfumes!

Perfumes have always given me a sense of comfort – a cloak in which I am invisible and I can be stronger than I am currently feeling. Here are a couple of perfumes I have been frequently wearing lately.

vanille-cuir-m-micallef-fragranticaFragrantica

Micallef Cuir Vanille has given me a shield with which I protect myself. I can face the day knowing that the leathery vanilla will be there to soothe my anxieties.

guerlan-cuir-beluga-fragranticaFragrantica

Guerlan Cuir Beluga is my old trusted friend whose shoulder I can lean on for support and guidance. The soft suede laced with vanilla done as only Guerlain can do.

I tend to reach for amber or vanilla in stressful situations, but the other day I encountered a stunning perfume which made me feel like I was prepared for anything that may come. I wore Hermes Le Galop and was blown away at its morphing capabilities. It started out all fruity and slightly sour then moved to a leathery suede which made me feel strong. In the evening I noticed that the gorgeous gentle rose tinged with suede. My world seemed ok.

neela-vermeire-creationsFragrantica

Last but not least – Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur – deep velvet red cushions embroidered with royal purple and golden threads. I rest my head and breathe a deep sigh of relief. Home.

ambre-sultan-serge-lutens-fragranticaFragrantica

My husband has turned to Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan – it smells completely different on him – smooth, rich, dry amber deliciousness. He has never before been complemented by a man on his choice of perfume until the other day … .

un-jardin-sur-le-toit-hermes-fragranticaFragrantica

My son, seven years old, has always enjoyed a spritz or two of Hermès Un Jardin Sur la Toit until recently when he keeps wanting a spritz of Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 Mortal Skin. It must be that he is also needing an extra layer of perceived protection with all the stress.

mortal-skin-stephane-humbert-lucas-777-fragranticaFragrantica

As the moving date nears I will find it interesting which perfumes I will reach for most. Let me leave you with some of my recent pictures of Vienna which has been home for 22 years.

sandra-vienna-oct-2016-1

sandra-vienna-oct-2016-2

sandra-vienna-oct-2016-3

sandra-vienna-oct-2016-4

sandra-vienna-oct-2016-5

sandra-vienna-oct-2016-6

sandra-vienna-oct-2016-7

What perfumes do you wear when you are under a lot of pressure and stress? On another note, have any of you shopped for perfumes in The Netherlands? Any suggestions?
SX

Samsara EdP by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1990

.

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

.

Hello lovely-dovely sweetly-scented Perfumistas,

That was then: This is now
Life before and after the basenotes…….
Val CQ

I was gifted with a bottle of vintage (if you can use that word for a relatively young perfume) Samsara EdP last week. I haven´t worn it since the early nineties, nor retried it during my perfumista journey

PRE-PERFUMISTA
Samsara EdP

I bought a bottle of the Samsara EdP in 1990. Lovely. Nice bottle. I carried on with my life.

samsara-edp-by-guerlain-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, ylang-ylang, peach, green notes
Heart: Jasmine, woodsy iris, narcissus, violet, rose
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, amber, musk

PERFUMISTA

Samsara EdP by Guerlain 1990

Samsara EdP by Jean-Paul Guerlain

“Oh my gosh! This is fabulous. It´s kind of lemony and leathery and is that jasmine, and wait, I think I read once there´s some sort of licorice note in it. Is there, can I smell it, concentrate hard, it must be there. I got it! Yeah, licorice. I found it. And yang-ylang and jasmine, I can’t believe I never knew. It´s so oriental, spicy, and SANDALWOOD? The Guerlain vanilla, tonka, orris, but WAIT I have never smelled sandalwood like this. Really? All this incredible sandalwood, which after Googling I found out was enhanced by John-Paul Guerlain whisking in a dash of polysantol, giving it a massive lift so it wouldn´t sit flat on the skin? Whoa (Thanks Monsieur G)”
I then pass out on the floor into an exhausted sandalwood oblivion.

Val CQ Samsara 2016Photo Donated Val CQ

Samsara EdP Conclusions

The question is which incarnation of me enjoyed it more? I have been pondering this question for the last week. My good grief, I can most certainly say I had NO idea when I wore it in the early 90s and I went through at least three bottles of it, that there were top, heart and basenotes. I just enjoyed the whole experience without having to think myself insane. But once you walk through that field of poppies and end up in Oz there is no going back. (And then you do think yourself insane!) Hard to fathom that I never clocked the sandalwood in it, and this IS a sandalwood bomb if ever there was one. Creamy and divine. I have come to the conclusion that
the younger me delighted in Samsara while the perfumista me delights in, savours, relishes, revels in, and most of all appreciates Samsara for the magnificent oriental Guerlain masterpiece that it is.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Black Narcissus
Any Guerlain counter or store will have Samsara
Surrender To Chance is selling out their Samsara EdT at $15/5ml

Any of you APJ readers had a similar experience? Do tell. 🙂

Batshit Crazy Perfumista Bussis
CQ