Author: australianperfumejunkiescom

Eau de Cédrat by L’Occitane 2015

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Post by Portia

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When Eau de Cedrat (I call it Cedrat in my head, so we’ll use that for this post). When Cedrat was first released by L’Occitane I was given some of the range to try. I kept the Shower Gel and Soap for myself and gave the rest to friends or in giveaways so other people could try the products and give me feedback. One person said they are so impressed that they already went to a L’Occitane store and purchased more of the range, another friend loves the fragrance and has used quite a bit of his bottle and I went and repurchased at full retail a new shower gel.

Eau de Cedrat by L’Occitane 2015

Eau de Cedrat L`Occitane FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cedrat bark, bergamot
Heart: Blue ginger, nutmeg
Base: Cedar, cashmere wood

Currently I have drenched myself in Cedrat to combat the humid night heat we are having in Sydney at the moment. Don’t misunderstand me, I love the heat and relish the Sydney summer. Night time though I find it hard to sleep in muggy heat, it’s 1am and still 21C (70F) with 86% humidity so I’ve slipped into my office and spritzed liberally. A cool, sharp, sweet citrus opening that is bold and energising, clear bergamot with almost no breath or pith that runs headlong into zinging, singing ginger. They are quite the pair, fizzing merrily away like a lemon squash and yet managing to be refreshing.

L'Occitane Cedrat Collection 1

Cedrat is not nearly as nuanced or storied as a cologne, it’s a bright and forthright citrus fortified by a few bit players that help it maintain buoyancy. I’m fragrantly wafting off to bed now, Jin has installed new ceiling fans and it would be rude not to go lie under one with him. I know that there will be a very slight waft of amorphous woods and a hint of citrus left tomorrow morning.

This is a perfect gift for anyone who is aware of their appearance but not deeply into the whole vanity trip. A casual, easy care set that means you or your partner can have a single scent right through the bathing and living process. Easy peasy, looks and smells great and it won’t break the bank.

L'Occitane Cedrat Collection

Further reading: Mr Neo Luxe and Red Lips Blue Eyes
L’Occitane Australia has the range from $8.50 up

Do you love a fully integrated regime?
Portia xx

 

Vanille Tonka by Parfums de Nicolai: LIVE Video Sniff

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Post by Portia

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Hey Hey Crew,

I’m about to jump on a plane with Jin for our 2016 European Adventure. 10 cities in 5 weeks! It’s come around so freaking quickly and now it’s really happening!
WOO HOO!

Vanille Tonka by Parfums de Nicolai

Vanille Tonka: LIVE Video Sniff

Vanille Tonka Nicolai Parfumeur Createur FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Basil, lemon, mandarin oils
Heart: Carnation, orange blossom absolute, pepper oil, cinnamon oil
Base: Incense, vanilla absolutes, Tonka bean

Scotty and I on the back verandah being fools with a super great fragrance. So good, one of the yummy ones.

Mata Hari by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes 2010

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Post by Portia

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Hi there Independent Fragrance Lovers,

It’s no secret that I’m a Dawn Spencer Hurwitz fan boy. I love her aesthetic, the fragrances are mostly a perfect fit for me and I also love that being an independent perfumer the fragrances are more alive and interesting than a lot of the modern, ultra smooth, panel tested to mediocrity fragrances available in both the mainstream and niche lines. Dawn is free to use ratios that would be unheard of in the mainstream and is allowed to let her own charisma show through in the fragrances. Add to that how lovely she is to deal with and the obvious delight she gets from creating fabulous scents and I am lost. I bought a dram of Mata Hari after a sample I had positively sent me gaga.

Mata Hari by DSH Perfumes 2010

Mata Hari by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

Mata Hari DSH PerfumesPhoto Stolen DSH Perfumes

DSH Perfumes gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, coriander, fruity notes No.1 (botanical accord), green mandarin, neroli, orange blossom, sweet orange, blood orange, tarragon
Heart: Blackcurrant, champaca, cinnamon, cloves, lilac cocktail (botanical accord), Moroccan rose, orris root, marigold, davana, may rose, otto rose, osmanthus, nutmeg, angelica root, honey, Sambac jasmine, tuberose, vintage orchid ( botanical accord)
Base: Sandalwood, ambrette seed, peru balm, cumin, cedar, myrrh, tobacco, benzoin, Buddah wood, cassis bud, labdanum, patchouli, green oak moss, vetiver, leather (botanical accord), musk, tonka, cade, vanilla

If you have read anything about Mata Hari by DSH Perfumes you’ll know that the scent is Dawn’s recreation of Greta Garbo as Mata Hari in the 1931 film. Mata Hari (1876 – 1917), an artistic name taken in 1897 is Malay for “sun” (literally, “eye of the day”, was a Dutch born erotic dancer who was accused of being a German spy in France in WWI and was executed by French firing squad.

Mata Hari DSH Perfumes Mata-Hari Garbo 1931 WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Mata Hari has a really old school, vintage fragrance feel and is a second cousin to things like Rochas Femme and Guerlain Mitsouko. It’s a parfum concentration so you get a thick, rich and syrupy opening full of fruit and herbs but already backed by balms, resins, woods and leather. It’s hard to believe that there is no animal product because Mata Hari is as feral as you can imagine, maybe the honey.

As the initial blast calms to a dull roar the bittersweet heart comes through and the spicy notes, rose, honey and white flowers are only noticable when I put my mind to finding them, really Mata Hari is a spicy, floral bouquet with dark green broken leaves and some snapped twig. Then Mata Hari becomes softest moss, leather and amber, it hovers lightly on my skin for a couple of hours before I lose all traces of it.

Mata Hari DSH Perfumes Mata-Hari_1910 WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Perfume Posse
DSH Perfumes has $75/1 dram and samples

Who is your favourite independent perfumer? Have you tried Dawn’s work?
Portia xx

Desert Thunderstorm Eau de Parfum by Solstice Scents

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Post by Erica Golding

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Greetings from the frigid winter tundra!

Yes, I’m exaggerating, but winter is in full force where I live, and the cold bite of the icy wind really slices into the soul. On days where I cringe at the very thought of stepping outside into the sub-zero wasteland, I love to indulge in a perfume that evokes blazing summer heat. With that in mind, today I am reaching for a brand new love, one that reaches into happy memories of dry desert heat and white hot sunlight.

Desert Thunderstorm EdP by Solstice Scents

Desert Thunderstorm Solstice ScentsSolstice Scents

Solstice Scents give these featured accords:
Desert Sage, Pinyon Pine & Resin, Petrichor, Sweetgrass, Creosote Bush, Sand, Ponderosa Pine, Smoke

I recently purchased a sample of the new Desert Thunderstorm EdP from Solstice Scents, giddy with anticipation after having drooled over the preview Angela shared online. When I first tested my sample, I braced myself, feeling like it would either be an epic win or a soul-shattering fail on my skin, and cautiously hoped for the former. Immediately, I plunged into a vision of intensely focused awe, deeply inhaled breaths of gratitude and wonder. I had lofty expectations for this creation, and as it rose from my skin, I felt like I already knew it from a dream. It was exactly what I was hoping for – Angela’s poetic description on her website is exceptionally precise.

The opening is complex, a torrent of notes I can’t truly recognize, and the mysterious symphony is absolutely exhilarating. I sense the humidity of hot stone steaming, slick from the sudden downpour, a cooling mineral note. As the perfume evolves and settles, the botanical elements begin to dominate with elegant simplicity.

desertthunderstorm Solstice ScentsSolstice Scents

The pinyon pine resin is the dominant, mystical note for me. I bought a little pot of pinyon pine balm in Arizona on vacation many years ago, and this distinctive, intoxicating aroma glows within Desert Thunderstorm. The sweetgrass lends just the right velvet-soft balance to the composition. Delicate accents of smoke and sage are barely-there, finishing touches executed with refined grace. I am so deeply moved every time I gift myself with this precious indulgence.

Solstice scents LogoSolstice Scents

Solstice Scents has $85/50ml

What do you wear on a blistering cold winter’s day? Do you have a special Solstice Scents fragrance that warms your heart?

Best wishes to keep you roasty-toasty and finely fragranced, my friends!

-Erica

Australian Sandalwood Oil Spectacular

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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Hello APJ Peeps!

I hope you are all well and fabulously fragrant. I wanted to share a captivating documentary I discovered today. It takes an hour to view, but well worth the time invested for its fascinating content, based in Western Australia and France, all about delicious Australian Sandalwood and more!

Australian Sandalwood Oil Spectacular

The documentary outlines the Australian Sandalwood and Indian Sandalwood oil industries in Australia and highlights environmental issues, indigenous community involvement, poaching, uses of, industry’s worth and traces the oil right through to Givaudon’s laboratory in France where they now use both species of oils for fine fragrance and beauty products.

How would you describe the smell of Sandalwood Oil? Have you had the luck to smell both Indian AND Australian native sandalwood oil? What differences did your nose perceive?

I learnt so much from watching and hope you do too! Make yourself a cuppa or some popcorn, relax and enjoy!

Australian Sandalwood and Indian Sandalwood oil industries in Australia Documentary Link <<<JUMP

Here is an additional ABC news story, which outlines the dodgy poaching industry that is occurring in greater volume than the legal exporting of Sandalwood Oil from Australia. Who knew?!? SO interesting!

After watching the above my mind was inspired, racing in all different directions. My legs took me to my bathroom where I found a bottle of Mecca Cosmetica: Scrub Up Smoothing Body Polish. The reason I raced to find it was I knew it was the only product I had containing Sandalwood KERNEL (i.e. not from the wood) oil CO2 extracted AND the nuts themselves as the exfoliation component. It is from the species Santalum Spicatum which is indeed the Australian Sandalwood kernels. If you remember from the program they were the bigger nuts and sound like they often go to waste…perhaps not anymore!? It seems they have made a slightly more “luxurious version” of the traditional indigenous “chew and spit” kernel poultice/scrub. (..And I do recommend it!)

Sandalwood Mecca Cosmetica

We at APJ would love to hear your thoughts on the above programs including anyone who has personally visited the plantations in Western Australia.

Finally, which are your favorite Sandalwood containing fragrances and do you think they contain Australian or Indian oil…or synthetic molecules?

Pas De Mal(le)! EDP by Le Bienaimé Parfums

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Post by Robert Herrmann

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Hello Fragrant Friends!

This is Robert H. again, writing from my small island home in Washington state, exactly halfway between Seattle and Vancouver B.C. I am an inveterate fragrance lover, occasional writer, full-time business owner, world traveller, ex-Broadway singer, and happily married to an ever-suffering spouse who descends into allergic hell at the faintest whiff of perfume. Just my luck.

“Everything Old Is New Again….”

Pas De Mal(le)! EDP by Le Bienaimé Parfums

Now this is a perfume that speaks directly to my heart!

I live in a community that takes recycling VERY seriously! At our local dump (tip) you not only drop off your trash, but also separate ALL your recyclables (up to 20 various categories) and there’s also a section called the “take it or leave it” if it can be reused, you can drop it off, and someone else can walk off with it at no cost. (Ron and I have found some great treasures, like a vintage Oleg Cassini Jackie O-style suit which we ended up selling for $600!)

Le Bienaimé #1

So when I got word of a new European perfume house dedicated to perfume “upcycling” my fragrant heart went pitter-pat! I went to their website, loved what I saw, and blind-bought 2 bottles right out the gate.

The first one I’m wearing is “Pas De Malle” (a play on words meaning ‘Not bad’), an amalgam of different Frederic Malle perfumes that is far beyond “not bad” and more like “bloody brilliant”!

Le Bienaimé #2

The perfume is composed of various amounts of the following:
Bigarde Concentree, Cologne Indelible, Lipstick Rose, Un Rose, Vetiver Extrordinaire, and a splash of Oud by Robert Piguet.

This was an easy buy for me, I LOVES me some Frederic Malle, and what is most interesting to me is how very vintage the perfume wears on my skin! Categorized as a woody floriental, it is indeed that. Powdery, floral, with a darkness that you can’t exactly put your finger on yet vaguely familiar. This is a wonderful unisex perfume. Who would wear it? Someone who doesn’t want to smell like anyone else. On earth. Ever.

Le Bienaimé #3

Yup, that would be me. Renew, re-use, recycle, re-spray!
Check out their website Le Bienaimé

(Ed: LATE NEWS: “Annindraya Perfume Lounge” in Amsterdam. The owners name is Tanja Deurloo and she’s a total sweetheart, and made my transaction smooth as silk! RH)

Do you have a favorite Malle? (Besides Carnal Flower, because…well….Carnal Flower.)

 

Chanel No 19 EdP by Henri Robert for Chanel 1971: Vintage + Modern

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Post by Anne-Marie

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The good thing about loving a perfume by Chanel is that Chanel does not discontinue its fragrances very often. You can have an affair for life with a Chanel perfume, and know that you will be rewarded by the company’s constant investment in high quality raw materials and packaging. If you wear a perfume for years you get to know it well, and will notice differences even in newer bottles of the same concentration. Although of course many classic fragrances have been reformulated out of all recognition, sometimes the distinctions are very subtle, and may even be improvements.

Today I’m going to talk about Chanel No 19 EDP, but please do chime in down in the comments if you have had experiences like this with other long-time perfume loves.

 Chanel No 19 EdP by Chanel 1971

 Chanel No 19 EdP by Henri Robert: Vintage + Modern

Chanel No 19 Eau de Parfum Chanel FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Neroli, bergamot, green notes
Heart: Iris, narcissus, rose, lily of the valley
Base: Sandalwood, leather, vetiver, oakmoss

Although the EDP is not my favourite concentration, when I noticed that my old one, bought in 1999, had started to turn I instantly bought a new one. I was prompted especially by having spritzed from department store testers and noticed a greater emphasis on vetiver in the current EDP compared to my old one. Sure enough, when I opened my new bottle (a Christmas present to myself!), the vetiver is indeed, to my nose, more prominent than of old.

My old EDP demonstrates more rose and powdery orris than the new. The difference is not great, but it’s there. And actually, I quite like it. To me there is more structure in the newer version, and it’s more masculine and less powdery.

Years ago when I first smelled the EDP I wondered why I found it a bit depressing. I didn’t know the notes for No 19, and didn’t know that orris (iris) can induce a feeling of melancholy. Once I learned that – the feeling magically went away, and I began to wear the EDP with more enjoyment.

Chanel No 19 Eau de Parfum Chanel William_Blake_Melancholy WikipediaWikipedia

I’m liking my new bottle very much and strongly recommend it to vetiver lovers, male and female.

A word about the other concentrations: the parfum to me is quite dark and leathery, with yes – lots of vetiver. Portia”s review. The EDT is my favourite. It is (to me) the least powdery; it sparkles with a mixture of spring sunshine and rain. I adore it, and I’m on my … ahem … fourth bottle. I’ve not smelled the old EDC but here’s Portia”s review.

It can be a complex business to maintain a perfume to an even standard over the years, not just because of restrictions on raw materials, but because the natural materials will vary from place to place and harvest to harvest. Ensuring that the materials are produced ethically and sustainably is another consideration.

Chanel No 19 Eau de Parfum Chanel Sara Beneath Rain FlickrFlickr

Further reading: Now Smell This and Olfactoria’s Travels
CHANEL counters everywhere have No 19, go grab a FREE spritz
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3.50/ml

So – over to you. Do you have a long-time favourite fragrance which has let you down, or does it continue to bring joy?

Welcome To 2016: Some Helpful Insights

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Post by Portia

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Hey Hey Crew,

This is the other side! You’ve made it through the western festive season and new year. OK, you now have had a little time to reflect on 2015 and what it taught you. I learned some valuable things in 2015 and I’d like to share some of them with you. Yes, most of you have already learned these but maybe having them reiterated will give you a great 2016.

Welcome To 2016: Some Helpful Insights

Jin & I often talk about how lucky we are. Not just in the Health, Wealth and Happiness sectors but in our friends. You may know I sometimes suffer black dog days, they are rare but intense. Jin is pretty good most of the time only experiencing anything nearing depression when his work life is toxic or unsteady. We do have friends though that battle depression on a daily basis and though we can’t help them with their demons we do provide a good distraction and try and give people new focus. Sometimes after a completely random day a friend will thank us for lifting their blues, even though we were completely unaware they were in a hole….

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One of the pieces of advice we live by, and offer our friends as an antidote, is to step outside of our comfort zone. Even just for a short time and with a get out of jail plan if things turn out less fabulous than expected. Often depression is fed by fear, knowing you have the ability not only to make a decision but that you have the where-with-all to note drama or disaster and deal with it is an effective way of lifting depression or habitual poor choices. Also, knowing beforehand that not everything will work out perfectly and that it will be alright can be helpful.

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Next we have something that took me 47 years to learn. I can’t believe that I am so freaking dense sometimes and am thinking about many instances in my life where I have behaved poorly because someone did not share my headspace. An opinion or a lifestyle is not an attack. GAWD! So simple. You don’t have to bring someone around to your point of view, it’s not a challenge or a threat. Conversation is full of disagreements, it’s good to know people who will challenge your thought processes, you may not change your minds but it’s excellent to hear and understand the other side of a point of view. Just because we don’t agree doesn’t mean the people you are interacting with are less of an anything than you, be nice to them. They are doing their best to live in this crazy, fucked up world too.

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And lastly for today. Cut yourself some slack. The world will not end if your bathroom isn’t spotless for guests, in 100 years nobody will care that you were outrageous at the Christmas party and life will go on if you didn’t get your list finished and finalised today. Not everything we do in 2016 will be successful, you may not get the new set of information into your brain on the first go, any change takes time so be prepared to help yourself along. We are all a work in progress, no one was born the dream they have for themselves.

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YOU are special to us at APJ. Thank you for being here, reading, commenting and being a part of the APJ family.

WE LOVE YOU and wish you a wonderful 2016.
Portia xxx

Pink Marshmallows in the Morning by Banks Botanicals 2014

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Post by Portia

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Hey there crew,

More than anything I get asked about the Hand Wash in my bathroom. Every time we have visitors at least one of them question the provenance of what I consoder to be the best smelling and most effective Hand Wash in the history of the universe. I love it so much that this December I bought ten of them, two for my home and eight to give as gifts over the festive season.

Pink Marshmallows in the Morning by Banks Botanicals 2014

Pink Marshmallows in the Morning by Suzanne R Banks

Pink Marshmallows in the Morning by Banks Botanicals bathroom

Based on coconut oil and glycerine, 100% natural and as eco-friendly as possible to find, Suzanne adds a dazzling fragrance that is marshmallows and Australian bushlands all rolled into one. The bite & twang of boronia and eucalyptus set in a sweet base that is so unusual that I find it doesn’t really compare with anything concrete but may bear some links with pink marshmallows. Naah, it doesn’t really but when you smell it you’ll understand why it is so named.

One of things I really like about Pink Marshmallows in the Morning is the enormous burst of fragrance as you wash your hands that goes a long way towards masking any unsavoury human de-catering smells. Yet once you leave the bathroom it disappears in a couple of minutes, meaning you won’t compromise your fragrance choice for the day.

Pink Marshmallows in the Morning by Banks Botanicals hand wash

Something else I love is the simple, no nonsense packaging. No boxes, just the recyclable plastic bottle and a pump that screws up. Plastic is so much better in the bathroom where I am often barefoot and the tiles are unforgiving of dropped glass. Also, ALL the ingredients are listed on the side of the container and Suzanne makes sure everything she puts into her products are the most harm free she can find and fair trade.

The price is particularly reasonable too. Normally $25, I got a great discount because I bought 10 bottles at only $20/bottle and I went and picked them up. Because Pink Marshmallows in the Morning is a Hand Wash and not alcohol based fragrance Suzanne can send to the world, but postage from Australia is a bit pricey.

Pink Marshmallows in the Morning from Suzanne R Banks FaceBook. Send Suzanne a message if you’d like to purchase. You won’t regret it.

What is your favourite handwash? Would you try a 100% natural and as eco-friendly as possible hand wash if it smelled amazing and cleaned your hands?
Portia xxx

Guerlain x JonOne – The Dark and Wild Becoming: Video

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Post by Portia

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Hi there Guerlainophiles,

You’ve probably seen the newest way to wear your bee bottle. Custom painted by artist JonOne. They are priced far out of reach of the normal mortals pocket but they are beautiful and utterly desirable. I find myself torn. Should I eat this year and keep my lovely home, or should I buy a JonOne Bee Bottle?

Le flacon aux Abeilles Par JonOne GuerlainGuerlain

It’s a trifle at €9000 and this startling orange one is filed chock full of Rose Barbare, there is blue for Shalimar and pink for La Petite Robe Noire.

Maybe not, for me. Still the video is sensational. So full of existential artist angst.
Enjoy.
Portia xx

Guerlain x JonOne – The Dark and Wild Becoming