Maya

Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

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Post by Maya

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Hey APJ,

Spring seems to have finally arrived and everyone’s dark mood has lifted. Now suddenly, there is growth again and instead of dirty snow we see green. And I got a cold! Or allergies. Unbelievable! I’m not prone to allergies, but you never know. I do know that my sense of smell has weakened. I still get sharp notes and the overall tone of a fragrance but not enough to review it.

So my thoughts went from smell or the lack thereof to perfume and magic and the wonderful memory of how my perfume love came to be…… When I was in my early teens, we had a very beautiful neighbor, Rehle, whose children I would baby sit. Despite our age difference, she and I became good friends. It was a friendship that would last for many years, even when she moved out of state. One day she called me over. She said she had something to show me. Her boyfriend had come back from a trip to France and had brought her a gift. She held the gift gently in long, lovely fingers. It was her treasure.

Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

Perfume Magic

Joy Jean Patou FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tuberose, rose, ylang-ylang, aldehydes, pear, green notes
Heart: Jasmine, iris root, Bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, orchid
Base: Musk, sandalwood, civet

She told me it was the most expensive perfume in the world and she wanted to share it with me. Jean Patou Joy, pure perfum in the classic bottle. I had never heard of it.

She gently pulled the dauber out. I remember the perfume on the dauber was almost molten, golden. Then the most beautiful smell I have ever experienced wafted up at me. It seemed to shimmer like thousands of tiny lights. She dabbed some of this magic on me and on herself.

Joy Jean Patou Carina Nebula NASA FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Joy is my perfume magic. Did it really shimmer? It did for me. The top notes were almost alive. It was and still is beautiful on my skin. Have I ever dabbed or spritzed Joy and followed its development or looked for notes? Never. I know all I need to know.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and The Non Blonde
Surrender to Chance has Joy Parfum samples starting at $7/.25ml
(You must try your Joy in store because only recently P&G sold Patou Perfumes to a crew that is revitalising the brand)

Rehle is gone now, but every time I wear or smell Joy I think of her. I see her forever young and beautiful and vibrant and I start to smile. I feel happy. Jean Patou named his perfume well – Joy.

Do you have any perfume magic?

Maya
xx

Ondine by Lisa Fong for Artemisia Natural Perfume

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Hi APJers,

Long ago, my then BFF and I (we were all of 17) were exploring some woods when we rounded a corner and saw in front of us a field of wild, naturalized daffodils and narcissus. It was breathtaking! We walked into this field and were surrounded by the beauty and the scent of the flowers. I see this long lost field every time I wear today’s beautiful fragrance…

Ondine by Lisa Fong for Artemisia Natural Perfume

Ondine Artemisia Natural Perfume FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Narcissus, myrrh, floral notes

Ondine is the name of a Germanic water nymph and the Artemisia site says that this scent is meant to be the “fresh, sweet spirit of water”. I get no water at all from it, none, unless it’s the water that Narcissus looked into when he fell in love with his own image.

Ondine Artemisia Natural Perfume Echo_and_Narcissus WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Narcissus, narcissus, narcissus is what Ondine is about. The first time I spritzed it on, my immediate reaction was “what a strange little perfume.” Now that I know Ondine better, this hasn’t happened again, but it always grabs my attention. The opening is very sharp with a hint of myrrh in the background. This myrrh is never strong and I lose it after about 3 or 4 minutes. The sharpness stays but mellows somewhat. There is also a delicate sweetness in the mix that stays until the end. Ondine is narcissus, both sharp and sweet until it fades away after about 4 hours, 3 in summer. It has more silage than I would expect from a natural, but I think it would be hard to offend anyone. I like that Artemisia makes it in a solid too so it’s easy to carry it with you and refresh as needed. Ondine is a perfume of springtime. It says – get up, get out, smile, life is good.

Ondine Artemisia Natural Perfume narcissus pixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

From the Artemesia site: …100 percent natural Artemisia eau de parfums embrace the world of earth, roots and water, along with sweet floral notes. Each captures the essence of a natural, sensual experience and allows it to resonate as the perfume develops on each individual.
Ondine: Essences of narcissus and myrrh and sweet kewda attar relax the senses and unlock memories of river, lake and pond.

Ca Fleure Bon writes: Ondine reminds me of the last gasp of the paperwhites. The sweetness of narcissus combined with the resinous, almost dusty, smell of myrrh is balanced perfectly. There is something unusual about this scent that I can’t quite put my finger on. It has a smell that brings antiquities to mind, as if it were composed of the dust motes from an old perfume cabinet. Ms. Fong created this to be a scent reminiscent of rivers, lakes and ponds, named after the naiad Ondine, but we all have different perceptions of fragrance. This is a perfume I want my coats to smell like; worn and comfortable, but nicely scented.

Artemesia Natural Perfumes has Ondine EdP $68/17ml

This winter has been too long for many of us. What makes you think of spring and takes away the winter blues if only for a while?

Maya
xx

Stella by Jacques Cavallier for Stella McCartney 2003

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

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Post by Maya

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Hello APJ,

I have very little interest in most celebrity scents. I know it’s not fair and I am probably missing some very good fragrances, but there are too many out there and others interest me a lot more. Perfume is a thing of emotions and sometimes visual images for me. It appeals to senses other than smell, which is part of it’s beauty. It can evoke memories. It can awaken feelings. It can create new or revive old visual images. It can create or change a mood. Each scent does something different. Once in a while, I perceive a fragrance as color/s.

Stella by Jacques Cavallier for Stella McCartney 2003

Stella Stella McCartney FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tangerine, rose, peony, amber

I tried Stella by Stella McCartney out of simple curiosity and I’m glad I did. It is a scent that I see as shades of pink with a bit of bright yellow in it. It’s uncomplicated and demands nothing. There are times when that is exactly what I want. I also like that the rose smells natural, not artificial. On my skin, Stella opens as a bright rose with wisps of amber floating up. There are some subtle hints of barely-there mandarin. The amber warms up slightly as the scent progresses but the rose stays strong.

Stella McCartney 2010 UK in France FlickrPhoto Stolen UK in France Flickr

This is a spring and summer perfume for me. It’s bright sunshine and light. Stella is uplifting and cheerful and yes, pretty. I like to wear it when I’m out and about – shopping, doing errands, meeting a friend for lunch. I would actually wear it just about anywhere and I do. It’s one of my go-to perfumes.

After about 5 hours, it fades somewhat. It’s still there, but much closer to the skin and lingers for about another 3 hours. I can spritz and forget about it, knowing I will be surrounded by a lovely scent that is unlikely to offend anyone. I should add an interesting aside: to my nose, this is a true ROSE perfume, but several friends say that to them it’s a light floral and they can’t pick out any individual flowers including roses. They all like it though.

Stella McCartney larosaperlata DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: Now Smell This
Beauty Encounter has $82/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Do you have any fun, easy to wear, go-to perfumes?

Maya x

Le Temps d’une Fête by Parfums de Nicolaï 2007

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Post by Maya

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Happy New Year APJ,

I have always been amazed at how the same scent can be perceived in so many different ways. It often made me wonder if something was wrong with me. My perceptions were usually in with the minority; for example, those who only get green beans and nothing but green beans from The Unicorn Spell.

So thank you to the New Zealand study. Scent is genetic. Our scent realities are all unique! And on that note, I’m going to give my scent opinion on a sample that tragically laid around, ignored, for way too long.

Le Temps d’une Fête by Parfums de Nicolaï 2007

Le Temps d'une Fête Parfums de Nicolaï FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Galbanum, opoponax
Heart: Narcissus, jasmine
Base: Oakmoss, sandalwood, patchouli, woody notes

Le Temps D’Une Fete is a green floral. There is an interesting green flash at opening, and it’s gone. Then comes the true opening of narcissus and hyacinth vying for attention. I sniff one, then the other, then back again and again and again. It’s like they’re dancing and with each twirl, the other appears. It’s the early spring garden when both are in bloom. The scents of both swirl around in the breeze. You smell one then the other. Sometimes they blend together. It’s wonderful.

 le temps d'une fete parfums de nicolai *higetiger FlickrPhoto Stolen *higetiger Flickr

There is a pretty green, grassy, hay-like note that soon enters the dance floor. It has a lovely familiar element that I can’t name but really really like. This green overwhelms the flowers for a few minutes, but they will not be restrained and come out again, only more softly and gently blended. The jasmine, sadly, is sitting out the dance. The green eventually weakens a little as the oakmoss and patchouli appear on the dance floor. They twirl and swirl and here and there narcissus and hyacinth are dancing again too. This is their fete also and they’re staying. Sandalwood is shy and only does an occasional dance.

After more than an hour, the notes blend together in a happy waltz, except for narcissus. This diva makes sure she is always in the spotlight. Le Temps D’Une Fete teases me and surprises me. Most perfumes do not. With Le Temps D’Une Fete, the notes switch partners often. Both the green and the flowers share equal time. Neither takes over the dance. What fun! I have not enjoyed a new fragrance like this in a long time.

Le Temps D’Une Fete has a medium silage and I’m happy to say that I get to enjoy it on myself for at least 7+ hours.

le temps d'une fete parfums de nicolai Echo_and_Narcissus WikipadiaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Bois de Jasmin
LuckyScent have $115/100ml
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $3/ml

A happy and beautiful fragrance. I love it! I had heard that it was being discontinued, but have now heard, that at the very least, it will be available on demand! Have you found a new love recently or reacquainted yourself with an old one?

MayaXX

Moon Garden by Alexandra Balahoutis for Strange Invisible Perfumes 2006

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

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Post by Maya

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Hi APJ,

It’s become too cold for me. I love warm days and warm nights. I want a fragrance that makes me think of warmth and lovely places.

There is a waterfall in Hawaii that I love. It is not especially dramatic and I have seen others that are more beautiful, but I love it. It can be seen from very high up in a botanic garden and is in the jungle. I mentioned to a man in the garden how much I loved this waterfall.

Waterfall MayaPhoto taken by Maya

As my daughter and I were leaving, this man was at the exit gate – we were the last to leave – and he asked if I wanted to go to the falls. Of course I said yes. I discovered that he was the owner of the botanic garden and of the land the falls are on. He had closed off the area of the falls to the public and unless you knew where to go, you wouldn’t find them. He told me where to drive and where to park and told me to go to a stone wall, climb over it and walk the path to the falls. It was in the late afternoon when we walked this path. It was surrounded by jungle growth making it semi-dark. The light that did come through seemed to almost shimmer. It was a bit spooky, so quiet and so still. While walking, I was getting constant and delicate whiffs of pikake, Hawaiian jasmine.

Moon Garden by Strange Invisible Perfumes 2006

Moon Garden Strange Invisible Perfumes FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine, tuberose, African resins

Moon Garden opens with an awful note of kerosene. It hits you with a blast and lasts a very long minute or two. I think it must be the African resins – definitely not pleasant. I’m not sure whether this scent will work for me. Then, thankfully, the kerosene starts to weaken for the next 5 minutes or so. It is during this time that the pikake jasmine appears, but the kerosene note still overwhelms it. The kerosene finally quiets down, still popping out here and there, but it’s become friendly with the pikake jasmine. After about 10 minutes, it’s all but gone and the beauty of the pikake jasmine can show itself. This pikake jasmine is not the ethereal, first opening of the blossom, nor is it the last stage of the bloom when the decay has started. Moon Garden is a clean, not soapy, pikake jasmine in full bloom, at it’s pinnacle and takes me to the path to the waterfall.

Starry SkyPhoto Stolen Danny Thompson  Flickr

I wish it lasted longer than 4 hours on me, but it’s worth it to reapply and go through the opening to get to it’s beauty. It stays close and wafts wonderfully around you.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Deborah Lawson
Strange Invisible Perfumes has $160/50ml EdP and $255/7.5ml Parfum
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/.5ml EdP

Do you have fragrances that remind you of beautiful places and special times?

Mayaxx

Pink Quartz by Olivier Durbano 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

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Post by Maya

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Hello APJ.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose; By any other name would smell as sweet.” — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Lately I have been haunted by roses and I wanted to know more about them. I found that references to roses are everywhere in history and mythology and symbolism.They are an ancient flower. Fossils of roses have been found going back 35 million years. They thrived across the entire northern hemisphere with flowers that were originally all shades of pink, with a few white ones. Wild yellow roses were only discovered in Afghanistan and Southwest Asia in the 18th century. The Chinese cultivated them 5000 years ago and Egyptians planted rose gardens in their palaces at about the same time.

Pink Quartz Olivier Durbano Roses Jeff Kramer FlickrPhoto Stolen Jeff Kramer  Flickr

These beautiful flowers were found in ancient Egyptian tombs, in the form of mixed floral garlands believed to have been worn by mourners and then left in the tombs. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with the goddess of love, Aphrodite and Venus respectively, but it was the goddess nymph of flowers, Chloris, who created it. Chloris found the lifeless body of a nymph in the forest. She called the gods and goddesses to help her. Aphrodite gave the body beauty, Dionysus added nectar to give a sweet scent and Zephyr blew away the clouds so Apollo could shine and make the flower bloom. So the rose was born, the beautiful symbol of an immortal love that will never fade – even through time or death.

Pink Quartz Olivier Durbano Shopfloor Roses Sistak FlickrPhoto Stolen Sistak Flickr

In India, Brahma, the creator of the world, and Vishnu, the protector of the world, argued over whether the lotus was more beautiful than the rose. Vishnu said the rose; Brahma said the lotus. Brahma, who had never seen a rose, admitted he was wrong when he saw one. He then created a bride for Vishnu and called her Lakshmi. She was created from 108 large and 1008 small rose petals. Ancient peoples made and used rosewater. It was the Persians who first extracted pure rose oil from varieties of the Damask rose. And in their poetry, the longing song of the nightingale is said to be caused by the beauty of the rose. Even today, rose symbolism is strong. The rose is the national flower of England, dating from the time of Henry VII and the War of the Roses and in 1986, it was named the floral emblem of the United States. This leads me to another rose:

Pink Quartz by Olivier Durbano 2010

Pink Quartz Olivier Durbano FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, pink grapefruit, olibanum, saffron, ginger
Heart: Palmarosa, damask rose, palisander rosewood
Base: Rose, amber, patchouli, myrhh, benzoin, white musk

Pink Quartz starts out as a very spicy rose. The citrusy notes listed as top notes are lost on my skin, overwhelmed by the ginger, a note I’m not usually fond of, but it works well here. The rose in this scent is ALWAYS first and foremost. It’s a big red rose that lasts and lasts! It never really fades but does eventually mellow to a more musky rose with less ginger and hints of patchouli and amber. It is one of those fragrances that the more I wear it, the more I like it.The spicy aspect to Pink Quartz makes it a warm scent, but not a winter scent. It is for all seasons with a pleasant medium silage that I doubt would offend anyone and it lasts for 7-8 hours.

Pink Quartz Olivier Durbano Red roses DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Now Smell This
LuckyScent has $205/100ml EdP and samples
Olivier Durbano has  €170/30ml Parfum

I love roses – the flower and the scent. How about you?

M

Iroaz by Amelie Bourgeois for Lostmarc’h 2008

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

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Post by Maya

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Hi APJ,

There was a comment that was recently posted on APJ about the story that often comes with perfume. Since there are so many perfume releases, something is needed raise interest in the perfume. The story, as well as the packaging, do this. I have tried many perfumes based on the story, especially if I like the listed notes.

Iroaz by Lostmarc’h 2008

Iroaz Lostmarch FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top notes: green grass, lemon peel, verbena and pink pepper. Heart: rose, ylang-ylang and lotus. Base: sandalwood, patchouli, musk and iris.

From Lucky Scent about Lostmarc’h perfumes:
“This exquisite new line takes its name and inspiration from the sights and scents of the Brittany region in France – a fascinating mix of glorious coastline, ancient buildings and magical Celtic traditions…….. Lostmarc’h is the last beach on continental Europe –unspoiled and rugged and outrageously beautiful, with the dreamlike feeling of being at the end of the world……..sketches of Brittany – vivid, but with a certain delicacy, capturing the spirit and enchantment of the place with a few precise, perfectly placed strokes. “

Lostmarc’h Iroaz is about wild roses growing on rugged cliffs above the ocean in Brittany, their scent mingling with the smell of the grasses, ocean, and sea breezes. Iroaz means roses in Breton.

Iroaz Lostmarc'h mahalie stackpole FlickrPhoto Stolen mahalie stackpole Flickr

It opens with lemon so strong that I get the image of the juice of a fresh, hand-squeezed lemon. This disappears in seconds, leaving a slight lemony trace behind, almost hidden by the lovely, salty marine notes. The marine works surprisingly well on my skin and stays until the end. There is a problem though. Where are the roses? There is a floral aspect that appears, but it’s all blended together. I keep waiting for roses, I want roses, and they’re not there! I love the idea of this fragrance so much that I keep trying it, but sadly get the same result. After an hour it seems to be gone, though if I put my nose right on the skin, there is some scent there. Three hours later, that is gone too. The silage is average and it could be worn just about anywhere. There is a coolness that makes it better for warmer weather.

Iroaz Lostmarc'h morelikethis deviantartPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

I was disappointed. Iroaz had so much promise and a wonderful story. I have read reviews on Iroaz and some of them say the story fits the scent. It is a fragrance that doesn’t work on my skin, but it might on yours.

Further reading: Now Smell This and A Rose Beyond The Thames
LuckyScent has $85/100ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $3/ml

Have you tried perfumes based on the story and how did it work out?

Maya
xx

Trefle Pur by Jerome Epinette for Atelier Cologne 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

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Post by Maya

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Hello APJ,

When my daughter Tamara found out that I was working on a review for APJ, she asked me to pick one of her favorite perfumes and do a review on it. I agreed to work with HER on a review. She has a great nose and her perfume impressions are as she puts it “abstract” and I should add, usually, but not always, single words which I make into sentences. That’s become my job in this collaboration.

We decided to pick one of 4 fragrances. We sniffed the first one and I asked, “What do you get?” She said with a big smile, “It smells good!” After I stopped laughing, I asked, “And what else?” She replied, “It smells good!” This happened with 2 more fragrances. We chose the one that when I asked the question, she answered, “Leprechauns”. So leprechauns it is!

Trefle Pur Atelier Cologne 2010

Trefle Pur Atelier Cologne FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bitter orange, cardamom, sweet basil
Heart: Clover, violet leaves, Tunisian neroli
Base: Moss, patchouli, musk

Trefle Pur opens bright, crisp, citrusy, and slightly green. After about 5 minutes, a little sweetness comes in and the crispness lightens a little. It stays sweet, but it’s not a floral type of sweetness. It keeps an underlying citrus note and a subtle spice appears. It’s during this opening that “I think of leprechauns, lush green fields, four leaf clovers, and streams.”

Trefle Pur Atelier 4-leaf Clover wikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Later on the “notes combine so I can’t really pick out anything specific. It becomes a little, bright, sweet, and spicy (not like pepper or cinnamon, a subtle spice) scent. It smells good!” Now is when it’s spring – a combination of sunlight, budding flowers and moss.

It wears close to the skin and lasts a few hours.

I asked her, “When would you wear it?” And she answered, “When I felt like it.”

Trefle Pur Atelier Cologne pxleyesPhoto Stolen pxleyes

Then I asked her if she minded me writing about her and how this review came to be.
“As long as you don’t tell my personal secrets, we’re all good.”
“What personal secrets?”
“The ones I don’t tell you about, so we’re all good.”

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and EauMG
LuckyScent start at $70/30ml to $175/200ml and have samples
Surrender To Chance have $3/ml or $19/7.5ml manufacturers mini

Now that I’ve stopped laughing, I have to ask: Have you tried Trefle Pur and what are your feelings about it if you have? I’m afraid to ask what you think of this review.

Maya

Gaiac by Jean-Claude Astier for M. Micallef 2005

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 37 Comments

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Post by Maya

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Hello APJ,
Recently my daughter ordered 6 perfume samples and gave them to me. She said, “These are all different from what you usually like, but they all have at least one note I know you love.” I was skeptical, but they were all nice. One really stood out,

Gaiac by M. Micallef 2005

Gaiac M. Micallef FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Cloves, jasmine
Base: Guaiac wood, vetiver, amber, vanilla

I should note that my love-note in Gaiac is jasmine and it’s all but invisible to me as is the vetiver in it.

I had no idea what gaiac is, but soon discovered that it is a tree, native to the tropical and subtropical Americas. It is a wood so resinous that doesn’t float. It sinks in water. Spanish Conquistadors burned it as incense, something they must have learned from the indigenous peoples, some of whom considered the tree sacred.

Gaiac M. Micallef Bulnesia sarmientoi WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

This is a lovely, low silage scent, that whispers it’s presence, but every word is audible and clear. M. Micallef lists it as masculine. I disagree. I think it is as much a feminine scent as a masculine one. When I dabbed it on, it was unexpectedly sharp, though not unpleasantly so. The sharpness faded quickly and I got sweet vanilla, spicy clove, and what had to be gaiac wood. I cannot describe the scent of gaiac wood. It’s unique and a bit exotic. The balance of the sweetness, the spice, and the wood is wonderful. The clove lessens after a few hours but the vanilla and gaiac wood stay as equal partners until the end, which is about 6-8 hours on me, except on humid days, when it fades after about 4 hours. Gaiac by M. Micallef is linear, which is fine. It doesn’t need complexity. It’s an evening around a campfire, burning gaiac wood, watching the flames dance, everyone feeling relaxed and stress free, laughing. And maybe, just maybe, some sensual feelings could awaken!

Gaiac M. Micallef Bulnesia sarmientoi WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

Further reading: The Scented Hound and I Smell Therefore I Am
Parfum1 and LuckyScent have $90/30ml and $185/100ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $5/ml

Gaiac wood seems to be an underused note in perfume which is a shame. I will be looking for it in more scents. What about you? Have you tried Gaiac by M. Micallef or other fragrances containing gaiac wood?
Maya