Carillon Pour Un Ange by Andy Tauer for Tauer Perfumes 2010

September 20, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Kate Apted

Voice of an Angel!

Oh, sorry…I mean Carillon Pour Un Ange by Andy Tauer

My deepest welcome to you APJers,

The world isn’t making much sense to me right now. I am watching my boys grow up with a lack of innocence I had at their age. While I sit outside and watch the birds go about their nest building business, my boys are inside reading up on the news via social media. There is a strange dichotomy between hope and despair that exists within me. Nevertheless, I try to make our home a place of safety and trust.

To capture a sense of innocence I turn to a scent that is probably one of Andy Tauer’s less lauded offerings, but the one I consider to be his magnum opus. Let me introduce you to Carillon Pour Un Ange.

Carillon Pour Un Ange by Tauer Perfumes 2010

Carillon Pour Un Ange by Andy Tauer

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rose, ylang, lilac, lily of the valley
Heart: Jasmine, leather, lily of the valley
Base: Ambergris, moss, woods

The name translated into English is Chime for an Angel. This gives absolutely no indication of what lies in the bottle. And to be honest, I don’t give a care for what the official notes are. The star of the scent is Lily of the Valley. I am so mesmerised by the star that I just don’t register any other players. The Lily of the Valley is so high pitched in it that I think of Carillon as Voice of an Angel rather than chime for an angel. From opening to dry down hours later, Carillon is linear and carries that high note all the way through.

Carillon pour un ange Tauer Concierto_de_angeles WikiMedia WikiMedia

I suspect Mr Tauer is unapologetic in his creation of Carillon. If you do not like the opening, then there is no chance you will enjoy the scent at any stage. It was made to carry the glory of the Lily of the Valley. There is no taming of the notes sung. Unadulterated, perhaps amplified, but in no way tame or smoothed over. Mr Tauer has simply used his hand to elevate the Lily of the Valley to be seen (or smelt) by all.

I find it ironic that a delicate bell shaped flower which harks from a dip in the earth’s crust is one that Mr Tauer associates with angels so high up in the proverbial heavens. There is a poetic beauty in it. This is where I find the hope. If a little flower can sing so strongly to reach the heavens, then we can each hope that our small acts of kindness will reach outwards and have an effect. Like prayer beads used to focus the mind on worship and supplication, Carillon acts like a chime when I smell it. I am brought back to a moment of stillness and a reminder to stay focused on the ample good in the world.

Carillon pour un ange Tauer gerson_rodriguez Pixabay PDI

Further reading: Non Blonde and Perfume Posse
Men’s Biz has $249/50ml FREE Australian Delivery
Tauer Perfumes has samples from $5

Do you have a scent you turn to when you have conflicting emotions? Do any of your scents bring you to a centred internal peace?

Love, peace and mungbeans,

Kate xxx

Antonia’s Flowers by Bernard Chant for Antonia`s Flowers 1985

August 23, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Kate Apted

Hello and welcome APJers,

Today, I want to make a small confession. There is a certain Mecca store that has a pretty much empty tester bottle. And I am reasonably certain it was me who emptied it; over the course of a few months. So, I got a bottle for free, in a sense.
I did end up spending the paltry $80 for a bottle of my own. I felt absolutely shamed that I had really received two bottles for the price of one. As this was the very last bottle on the shelf, the tester with zilch but bubbles of air in the spritzer hose was then put away in the drawer. I almost asked if I could have it. But I kept my shame to myself.

Antonia’s Flowers by Antonia`s Flowers 1985

Antonia’s Flowers by Bernard Chant

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Freesia, jasmine, magnolia, lily, fruity notes

Antonia’s Flowers is the perfume that I am talking about. It is such an unassuming bottle and a very plain box, and for some reason, Mecca stores often keep this on the lowest shelf and in the corner. Mine had been sitting there for a very long time. The box lid is faded and there was a thick layer of dust on the top when I bought it. The first spray of the tester was over a year ago and I hastily put the tester down with a look of disgust on my face. The opening is harsh and hard hitting. It still is something I am not used to, but I now know to avoid my wrist for a few minutes.

I have to admit that this is straight up freesia. There are other notes listed, but I don’t get any of them until the last 20 minutes, and that is after freesia assault for an hour. By this stage, it is a very close skin scent anyway. It is evident that Antonia was a florist; the scent is uncannily haunting and indicative of a haute florist at the height of spring. I can imagine WASPy Hampton brides in the late 80s and early 90s using this as their signature wedding scent. While this is most certainly a white flower fragrance, it is not polite or gentle. It is unapologetically bold and haughty.

WikiMedia

There are a few things that annoy me about Antonia’s Flowers. First, it really does only last an hour and a bit on me. Second, the lid does not fit on the sprayer. I had to unscrew the lid, to then screw on the sprayer, and the lid does not fit on the sprayer. Third, the long necked sprayer stops the bottle from having the lid of the box close. I like to keep my perfumes in their boxes, so this does irk me.

Then there is the BUT… I adore this scent. I truly do. It takes me back to the days I’d ramble down the alley ways of the rural town I lived in as a child. All sorts of wild flowers grew along people’s back fences and along the creek beds. Older women would spend hours in their cottage gardens and I’d take in all the smells on my walks.

Antonia's Flowers Antonia`s Flowers Freesia_flowers field manfredrichter Pixabay.jpg PDI

Further reading: Liberty London Girl and Azar on Australian Perfume Junkies
Mecca has $80/50ml FREE Australian Shipping

What shameful perfume secrets do you have? You know you want to share…I dare you!
Be good. Kate xx

Figue Aoudii by Jean-Claude Gigodot and Irina Zhurikhina-Nesa for Maison Incens 2014

July 19, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Kate Apted

Hi APJ.

I was inwardly devastated when my youngest son announced he will be moving to Canada when he turns 18. D, now 12, then added that he didn’t expect me to make the long journey to visit him; his awkward teenage way of saying he doesn’t want me to visit. Still, I hugged him and responded that I hope he finds Canada not too cold. As I always do when I hug him, I take a deep breath in of his skin scent. D has the most divine natural smell. I will miss that not being around.

When D was about 2, he wore the most adorable navy blue Clarks runners with yellow laces. I have kept one pair of those shoes because the smell of Dede and the rubber of the soles created a scent combo that is forever etched in my mind. I have even placed them in a sealed bag to preserve the scent.

By chance, earlier this year, I found a lovely niche house that has two fig scents in their repertoire. The first I tried is a crisp green fig, and the second gave me the most unexpected jolt of instant recognition. This gem of a fig is Figue Aoudii by Maison Incens.

Figue Aoudii by Maison Incens 2014

Figue Aoudii by Jean-Claude Gigodot and Irina Zhurikhina-Nesa

Figue Aoudii Maison Incens Fragrantica Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, orange
Heart: Fig, ylang-ylang, violet, iris, leather, cedar
Base: Agarwood (oud), sandalwood, amber, musk

As a fig scent, it is unique, particularly because of the addition of the oud note, which is not principally sweet or smoky. It opens with a strong, deep fig; much like the late season figs that drop onto the ground. This lasts only moments before the oud barges in to give a heavy hand, along with a striking dry leather note. The scent stays linear throughout the three hours of arm’s length projection I get. The ylang ylang is brought to the fore after that time and becomes a skin scent for another hour or so. The notes listed on Fragrantica include iris and bergamot, which I got nothing of, but I do detect a faint backing of violet in the first hour.

Figue Aoudii by Jean-Claude Gigodot and Irina Zhurikhina-Nesa for Maison Incens 2014

You are now wondering, rightly, what Figue Aoudii has to with my son’s declared intention of migrating and a pair of smelly toddler’s shoes? Figue Aoudii is reminiscent of the scent of D taking off his shoes as a child. I kid you not! (Pun most definitely intended.) So, should D actually move out of home, I have no sentimental reason to ask him for his pillow, or a toy he slept with, in order to keep his scent alive. I have Figue Aoudii!

Now that I have needlessly placed this connotation in your mind about a beautiful fig fragrance, let me assure you that it took quite a few weeks for me to understand why Figue Aoudii was so instantly recognisable. I wore it simply because it is sublime in the cooler months of autumn. The falling brown leaves and the last of the summer harvest of figs begs for such a scent to be worn.

Figue Aoudii Maison Incens schleichpost0 pixabay PDI

Further reading: Perfume
Maison Encens has €139/100ml (FREE World Shipping)

Do you have a fragrance that reminds you of someone you love? Or someone you once loved but have gone from your life?
KA

Suffolk Lavender by Julie Masse for Shay & Blue 2013

June 21, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Kate Apted

Hi APJ,

I hear a lot about scents being ‘office friendly’; meaning the scent is likely to receive a warmer reception to a wider range of people than others. I am sure you have a list of scents you consider safe to wear at any given event or location. I have given a substantial deal of thought to what I deem safe to wear to work, and it has taken a great deal of trial and error.

I am a truck mechanic and what I wear has to fit a number of criteria. I will not wear a strongly feminine scent, as a lot of our customers and my co-workers are male and I am not too keen to leave a lingering, smouldering scent in the cabin of a truck. My scent also has to rise above the strong environmental scents competing for my attention, yet it has to be markedly different so to not prevent me from smelling dangerous odours, such as LPG leaks and welding fires.

I found the very scent that has become my work daily: Shay & Blue’s Suffolk Lavender. I am particularly partial to lavender that plays the starring role, but isn’t a soliflor. I find the lavender in Suffolk Lavender isn’t sleep inducing, but helps to ground and calm me, while being inherently interesting.

Suffolk Lavender by Julie Masse for Shay & Blue 2013

Finding my ideal work scent

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lavender
Heart: Incense, melon
Base: Praline, musk, pine tree

This opens with a salty lavender. This very linear, moderate projection stays for a good hour. The lavender is quite dry, but full bodied and slightly creamy. I spray it on my torso, because with body heat, I get an oomph of scent that wafts up in a way I don’t get from wrist sprays alone. I have not tried this during summer, but I am guessing from its response to heat, it will be adaptable to the temperature without losing its character.

After about two hours, Suffolk Lavender slowly becomes a skin scent, but the deeper incense notes make their appearance. Like a song with moderate volume that has deep, booming base notes that make the song seem louder than the volume indicates, this scent does the same with the incense. So, it isn’t until lunch time, about 5-6 hours later, that I need to think of reapplying.

WikiCommons

What makes Suffolk Lavender noteworthy, for me at least, is while it uses quite dark and deep notes, the overall composition has the trademark Shay & Blue light handedness. The scent transitions so gently from salty lavender to a mild incense creamy lavender and then tails off to a faintly woody wheat bag type lavender.

I do not get any of the fruit or sweetness this is purported to have. It tends to sit with more pronounced lavender on my eldest son, and heads straight to the incense notes after ten minutes. I love the fact Suffolk Lavender is completely unisex. I can pack this away on trips and know a single bottle will suffice.

David Jones Australia has a limited Shay & Blue range.
Shay & Blue ships to almost the entire world, not ANZ though

What is your work environment like? And what factors guide your scent choices?

Kate XXXoX

Autism: My Love Of Perfume

May 26, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 70 Comments

Kate Apted

Hello APJ

Autism is a funny disorder in that it affects each individual with it differently. A common theme is that of sensory processing; in that some senses are heightened in some folk and lessened in others. You will meet autistics who abhor strong smells, including perfumes, and are literally ill around them. Others have a heightened sense of smell and seek olfactory stimulation at any opportunity. I am the latter. I smell , and touch, everything.

Autism: My Love Of Perfume

I have another aspect of my autism that causes me a bit of social confusion. I have hardly any awareness of my emotional state at any given time. Through constant self vigilance, I have learned there are a few general states of being I can recognise; namely, anger, sadness, happiness and illness. I am getting better at recognising signs of slightly more nuanced emotions, like melancholia, grief and contentedness.

Fragrantica

The interesting part of my love of perfumes is that I can readily attribute emotions to scents. It is one way I can more easily identify what state I am in. For instance, if I choose to wear Paloma Picasso, I know that I am feeling assertive, or if I am wearing Safari, I am feeling like a teen. I can get emotionally close to perfumes and colours and music, in ways I cannot with people, or the basic, human part of myself. Whereas I have trouble relating to people, I readily relate to scents.

Fragrantica

I can even go so far as stating that I create relationships with my scents. I get to know them and their personalities. I have a mother scent (Selperniku by January Scent Project), a best friend scent (Queen of Hearts by Queen Latifah), a confidante scent (Apres l’Ondee by Guerlain) and a daughter scent (Chloe Signature by Chloe). I do not talk to my scents as such, but if I am craving the need for a hug, I’ll wear Selperniku. I cannot stand physical touch, so it acts as a virtual, olfactive hug. I get the same sense of comfort others describe hugs as giving.

Fragrantica

Face blindness is another of my quirks. About half the people I meet, or know, I can readily recognise using an aspect of their physicality, such as the sound of their voice, the gap in their teeth, a gangly walk, or a particular cap s/he may wear often. For others, I have to learn their patterns. But one way I can get to know and recognise people is via their scent. Some people have very distinctive smells that I find comforting and reassuring. I can also get to know that person on a more intimate level by judging their health based on how they smell. I know my children are ill long before symptoms become present. They emit an odour particular to certain illnesses. My eldest has a head cold odour and my youngest has a haemophilia odour. It is invaluable to me for I often miss the symptoms for days before I understand my boys are ill. As they have autism as well, communication is not their biggest strength!

In the way that I use glasses to see long distance and my son occasionally uses crutches to walk, my sense of smell is necessary for my functioning in the world. It helps me make sense of the world and find my place in it. I often say I’d rather lose any sense before my ability to smell. I’d be absolutely bereft without being able to understand and interpret the world through olfactory sensory input.

Fragrantica

I think every perfume is more than just a nice smell or a way to promote one’s identity; looking at you Beast Mode alpha males! There is a story behind every scent created and a tale the perfumer wants to tell. Perfume is an art form, as so many of you know. Scents are given as gifts for many reasons, and scent memories are created that transcend wealth, culture and even time! For me, scent goes beyond even that. It is my most fluid form of communication and a tool for me feel grounded in reality. It speaks for me in the way verbal, and often written communication, does not. I wish perfumes would become the Lingua Franca of the world.

Kate X