Contributors

Sandalwood – A Precious, Ancient Oil

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Post by Suzanne R Banks

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An essential oil from a wood can draw us in to world of intrigue and secrets, ancient knowledge and divine scent. Wood oils bring an oil formulation together and can be considered “grounding” and “centering” – due to the fact the tree roots delve deep into the earth. Oils from woods have been used for thousands of years in sacred ceremonies, embalming techniques and in traditional healing. Cherish these beautiful gifts from nature.

Sandalwood – A Precious, Ancient Oil

sandalwood WATodayPhoto Stolen W.A.Today

Today most oils come from renewable plantations but in the case of Sandalwood we have seen a decline in the tree population for many years. Indian Sandalwood has been over farmed, which has lead to a crisis in the industry and in our forests. Illegal felling of young trees has lead to more stringent controls from the Indian government to help sustain production long term. This is the one driving factor in the huge price increase in the last 10 years, and is also the reason why the Australian Sandalwood industry is booming.

The Indian type “Santalum album”, and the Australian sandalwood “Santalum spicatum” have similarities but are wonderful in their differences. The Indian wood is the classic deep, sweet exotic scent that we have come to know and love and in the Australian oil, you can actually smell the bush. It really is beautiful. I use both oils, and both are considered to be premium oils and are more expensive than common oils.

Traditionally Sandalwood has been used for spiritual ceremonies and the spread of the use of this oil is claimed to have come hand-in-hand with Buddhism. If anyone has been to India you would know the widespread use of the scent in incense and temples, in soaps and perfumes.
It is used therapeutically to treat acne, urinary disorders and infections and as a nervine tonic to ease stress and anxiety.

There is also an oil produced called West Indian Sandalwood but this tree comes from a different species and is sometimes called amyris oil. I’ve never used this oil, and have never seen it anywhere. It apparently has a slight sandalwood scent (hence it’s name) and is used in perfumes and fragrant body products.

Indian Sandalwood will usually come in a 3% jojoba blend like Rose, Jasmine and Neroli. This means it is ready to go as a perfume but not good for putting in an oil burner. Oil burners and diffusers need 100% pure essential oils so when an oil is mixed with jojoba, the scent won’t escape the carrier oil and may also damage your diffuser.

sandalwood botanical.comPhoto Stolen Botanical

Try these simple recipes to invite peace, sacred sexuality and a connection to the divine:

Pulse Point Perfume

Mix together in a little bowl or saucer and anoint your beautiful self

“Good Luck Charm”
Sandalwood 3% in jojoba 3 drops
Mandarin 1 drop

“Gold”
Australian Sandalwood 2 drops
Rosewood 2 drops

sandalwood SandalwoodCompanyPhoto Stolen SandalwoodCompany

Scent Your Space

Add these oils to a classic oil burner or diffuser:
“Fluidity”
Australian Sandalwood 10 drops
Ylang Ylang 6 drops
Orange 9 drops

Sandalwood is an oil for softening the edges in your life. Breathe it in and you wont be disappointed.

Suzanne R Banks x

Ed: If you thought this was good go see the Suzanne R Banks site (LINK JUMP) or like her Facebook Page (LINK JUMP)

Perfume + Tea: Musings + Pairings #3

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Post by Brie

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At the age of six I requested my own perfume and a few weeks later demanded a perfume wardrobe (what can I say? I was a spoiled ‘only child’ and mum acquiesced). For years there would always be five to seven full bottles in rotation. Once one was completely drained into the garbage it went and I would then allow myself to purchase something new and different.

PERFUME AND TEA MUSINGS: A TALE OF MANY BOTTLES

When I was in my late teens it hit me that I really should be saving these bottles as some of them were exquisitely beautiful. Thus began my bottle collection. After a while, word got out that I was a collector and anyone that wore perfume was giving me their bottles. After 30 some odd years of collecting I had amassed over 400 empty bottles.

Escada Bottle CollectionPhoto Courtesy Brittany and Courtney

Several years ago my hubby, eyeballing the multitude of perfume boxes in the basement, requested that I throw them out. The added pressure came from my yoga teacher who was steering me in the direction of ‘simplifying my life’ by letting go of material possessions. Within a week I had discarded almost all of my bottles- from vintage Chanels to matching Annick Goutals all in different sizes. At first it felt cathartic….then I almost had a nervous breakdown when I realized what I had done!

ESCADA’S LIMITED EDITION CHERRY IN THE AIR

Escada Cherries In The AirPhoto courtesy Brittany and Courtney

NOTES IN ESCADA’S CHERRY IN THE AIR: black cherry, raspberry, mandarin, marshmallow, gardenia, coconut, sandalwood, oakwood

Fortunately I stood firm on my limited edition Escadas. From the time I brought home my first Escada limited edition (Un Ete en Provence) from Paris in 1994 I had been collecting a bottle every year. Although the juice has gotten a bit fruitier over the years and not always to my taste I still bought each bottle, knowing that one of my daughters would wear the juice. With the exception of Chiffon Sorbet (1993) I still have every single one from 1994 through 2013.
This year’s offering is “Cherry in the Air” which, surprisingly, I rather enjoy wearing. It begins as a vibrant burst of tart cherry, segues into a creamy gardenia- coconut- marshmallow trio and dries down to a woody accord. This may very well be the one that the girls will have to share with me as I am not relinquishing my bottle to them as I normally would do!

HARNEY AND SONS CHERRY BLOSSOM TEA

Cherry Blossom Tea cappojimPhoto Stolen CappoJim

I pair Cherry in the Air with Harney and Sons Cherry Blossom Tea- a green tea with the subtle flavor of plump cherries. And as I enjoy a perfect cup of springtime in tea and wear “cherries” on my wrist I think about all of those lovely bottles my daughters will one day inherit from me (yes, after the discarding debacle I have begun a new collection which is well hidden in my basement…SHHHH…don’t tell the hubby!)

Perfume and Tea Pairings GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

For the draw Brittany, Courtney and I are offering up 1 x three samples from our limited edition Escada collection: Cherry in the Air, Taj Sunset and Moon Sparkle as well as a sampling of teas.
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who leaves a comment on your favorite limited edition fragrance and you are entered to win!.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @brie108 @ESCADA Brie’s Perfume & Tea GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p2fQBU-1AW @ESCADAmericasPR

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 7th June 2013 9pm AusEST and winners will be announced in a separate post then.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Brie’s family will pick a winner.
The winners will have till Monday 10th June 2013 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.

Boudoir by Martin Gras for Vivienne Westwood 1998

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Post by FeralJasmine

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Hi APJ,

I did my undergraduate work at a university that was famous for its campus viburnums. Unfortunately it was even more famous for its student suicide rate, and many of them seemed to occur during the viburnum season, although I trust it had more to do with final exams than the flower itself. For me, on my way to exams, the extraordinary, penetrating, sweet and spicy scent of the viburnum was encouraging. It seemed to act on me as a kind of aromatherapy, and sometimes I would stand next to a bush in full bloom, huffing it up like fragrant crack. Those are times that I still remember as moments of pure beauty, when everything else steps aside and joy wells up in an fleeting but perfect moment. So naturally, when I tumbled into the perfume obsession, I began looking for a perfume that would express that scent.
For those who might be interested in a viburnum scent, the perfumes that list this note are:

Boudoir by Martin Gras for Vivienne Westwood 1998

Boudoir Vivienne Westwood FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

BaseNotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Viburnum, mandarin, bergamot
Heart: Rose, tobacco flower, coriander, orris
Base: Vanilla, sandalwood, amber

Boudoir. That’s it. One. It’s from the line of Vivienne Westwood, the punky fashion designer. Her firm still sells a reformulated version and here are the listed notes: viburnum, bergamot, mandarine, rose, tobacco flower, heliotrope.
I have the original version, and here’s a more accurate list of the notes: viburnum, heliotrope, powder, slight spice, skank. Faint but unmistakable skank. Like I was scurrying on my way to an exam, sweating slightly, and got laid under a viburnum bush. Which, I assure you, never happened. At least partly because it would have made me late for an exam.

Boudoir Vivienne Westwood Viburnum 66SquareFeetPhoto Stolen 66SquareFeet

There are viburnums that aren’t fragrant, and then there are the heavenly fragrant ones. If you have never smelled one of the fragrant viburnums in bloom, I can only describe it as creamy heliotrope with spice, especially nutmeg. It’s a sweet scent, you will have gathered, and if you dislike sweet scents then no doubt you’ll dislike this one as well. And I can’t pretend that this perfume smells exactly like viburnum, because nothing does. There is a strong sweet opening, then wafts of near-viburnum with faint undertones of skank, then a somewhat powdery and slightly spicy drydown. On my scent-eating skin, the whole show lasts about 90 minutes.

Boudoir Vivienne Westwood Bridal TheBestFashionBlogBoudoir Vivienne Westwood Bridal2 TheBestFashionBlog Westwood Bridal Photos Stolen TheBestFashionBlog

Now, let’s talk price. Some companies seem to hike the prices of their perfumes to create an aura of unattainability. I’m not thinking of anyone in particular here, just anyone whose initials are Killian Hennesey. If you want the priciest, then save your pennies and best of luck to you. But if, like me, you love a bargain, there are many to be had among the older scents that are all over Ebay. I have to add that most of these former mainstream scents are better than any mainstream perfume released within the last dozen years. Think back to the days when aquatic and ozonic notes weren’t around, melon barely ever appeared, and nobody aspired to smell like fabric softener. That’s what you get when you buy older scents. Some are dirt-cheap, and some are only moderately cheap. This one is moderately cheap. The old one and the reformulation are easy to tell apart; the original is cognac-colored and the reissue is pink. I’ve never tried the reissue, because my little flask of original will probably last for years. If you have no prior history with viburnum, the scent may not mean much to you. To me, it brings back those exciting nerve-wracking days when nothing, not career, not home life, nothing, was in place yet. I wouldn’t want to live there now, but I do enjoy visiting.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Portia on APJ
FragranceNet has $48/30ml before discount
PoshPeasant starts at $3.50/ml

FeralJasmine x

RUBJ EdP by VERO KERN 2007

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Sensual greetings APJs

If I wasn’t a small part of this perfume subculture, I feel very sure I never would have heard of, let alone smelled, the incredible creations of today’s perfumer, who is so amazing..

RUBJ Eau de Parfum by VERO KERN 2007

Rubj EdP Vero Profumo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured notes:
Top: Neroli, passsionfruit, mandarin, bergamot
Heart: Cumin, Basil, African orange flower, tuberose
Base: Virginia cedar, oakmoss, musk

If I wasn’t a small part of this perfume subculture, I feel very sure I never would have heard of, let alone smelled, the incredible creations of Vero Kern. Vero Kern takes time to create her fragrances. Time to develop them. She says that it scares her; launches every six months. Claiming scents are new, but in fact they are just rehashes of old ones. She gets bored of continually seeing many of the same ideas behind new releases.

Rubj EdP Vero Kern luzernerzeitungVero Kern Photo Stolen luzernerzeitung

Vero Kern has a spirituality about her (to me) which becomes more apparent in mature women. I love it. She inspires me. A creative artist. Plus she always looks fabulous! Awesomely cool. I want to be just like her as I get older.

I watched part of an interesting interview with her. Ms Kern say she likes to put “something that is a little bit disturbing” into her fragrances. A note that people cannot identify. Sometimes it may disturb in a positive way and sometimes in a negative way. She goes on to say, “A characteristic perfume has to have this disturbance, otherwise it is flat.” She tries to avoid this certain flatness. “For the eccentric and flamboyant.”

RUBJ is everything but flat.

Rubj EdP Vero Profumo PinterestPhoto Stolen Pinterest

RUBJ is what I would have wanted on my wedding day.

This is über-sensual. Depending not on the intellect or the spirit. Carnal, fleshly, exquisite, beautiful, unchaste. A fragrance so enrapturing and captivating, I am smitten. Voluptuous. Gorgeous. What more can I say?

Further reading PerfumePosse and Olfactoria’sTravels
LuckyScent has $220/50ml EdP
SurrenderToChance has the original 3 EdPs in the range as a sampler from $14/3 x .5ml

I expect 7.5 mls of RUBJ Extrait in the post tomorrow. Untested. Because sometimes you just have to.
(Ed: Editing this post inspired me to buy the Rubj EdP in LA at Scentsation. You are a wicked temptress Val. XXX)

Love
CQ

Fracas by Germaine Cellier for Robert Piguet 1948

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Gabriella

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Hi APJ,

In my ever changing and expanding fragrance collection, there’s one particular perfume that deserves pride of place. Other scents have come and gone, but Fracas by Germaine Cellier for Robert Piguet has been a mainstay for me for 15 years. It hasn’t been a smooth ride, but my altercations with this perfume have been mostly due to circumstance and other people rather than my own feelings of the scent.

My Fracas Story – Fracas by Robert Piguet 1948

Fracas FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

I acquired my first Fracas bottle not long after the scent was reintroduced in 1998, before online shopping and the first fragrance blog. Until then, I’d worn popular scents available in department stores and Fracas’ exclusivity enthralled and enchanted me. It was expensive, only available in one boutique here in Sydney, had a cult following and was one of my idols favourites – British model Sophie Dahl. And it looked so chic in the shiny black bottle.

Fracas Robert Piguet Ad vk.comPhoto stolen vk.com

I returned to the Sydney boutique time and time again to catch beautiful whiffs while I saved my hard earned pennies to buy a full bottle. Fracas was going to be my fragrance, something that I loved rather than a perfume that all my girlfriends wore or something to impress a boyfriend. I still remember the thrill when that bottle was finally wrapped lovingly in tissue paper. I was all woman now, and nothing was going to stop me. I proudly put some on before going down to dinner that night. I was still living with my parents at that stage and thought I’d wow them with my new acquisition.

Not so. “Oh my god, what is that AWFUL perfume you have on?” was my mother’s reaction. Dad and my brother also looked suitably unimpressed. I told them in vain of the story of Fracas and how it had been inspired by Rita Hayworth but they just didn’t budge. Such was the level of dislike for my scent that my brother actually renamed it with an expletive (I’ll allow you to use your imagination here): “Oh no, you’ve got that awful *&^% #$$ perfume on again.”

Thus, Fracas and I became clandestine. She now accompanied my on my morning gym visits where I could spray with abandon without my family’s misgivings. However, one day, I managed to smash an almost full bottle on the changing room floor. I was mortified and more disturbed still when I saw dozens of girls recoil in horror at the pungency and loudness of the tuberose. That changing room had my scent on it for months.

Fracas Robert Piguet Elegant Stripper photo-cursPhoto Stolen photo-curs

Fast forward some time and suddenly it seemed like every woman was in on my secret. Fracas became ubiquitous and our relationship went more underground. I refused to wear it out now, only sneaking a precious few drops when I could enjoy it at home alone. It would be my guilty pleasure after coming home from work; my comfort scent that I would put on to wear to bed.

Just as my relationship with Fracas has changed, so too has the scent on my skin. All those years ago it was a bold, brash diva: tuberose with a capital T, a scent that was incredibly beautiful but that took no prisoners. Now Fracas is sotto voce on my skin, it opens up with the bright orange blossom and tuberose before the buttery goodness melds with my skin and becomes one with it. It sings so softly now that I can pretty much wear it without provoking comment.

So it was much to my surprise when I did get one sometime last year. I’d spritzed some on before hopping into a taxi to meet my fiancé. The driver turned to me and said: “What are you wearing? You smell lovely, like a lady.” I told him it was Fracas and she was very much a lady indeed.

Further reading The Candy Perfume Boy and Bois de Jasmin

Fracas is now not so exclusive and available readily online at outlets such as FragranceNet, $68.19/50ml.

Have you tried Fracas? Which one of your fragrances takes pride of place in your collection?

With much love till next time!
M x

Fancy Nights by Steve Demercado for Jessica Simpson 2010

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Post by Katrina

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Hi everyone, Funny story. Hubby and I were in a taxi heading out to see a band the other night. I asked him what he thought of my perfume and he said, “I thought it was the cab.” I was wearing today’s fragrance that I’ll be reviewing. I couldn’t stop laughing; it made my night.

Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights by Steve Demercado 2010

Fancy Nights Jessica simpson FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the following notes:
Top: Bergamot and Egyptian papyrus
Middle: Indonesian patchouli, Bulgarian red rose and night blossoming jasmine
Base: Sandalwood, oak moss, amber, vanilla

Does Fancy Nights really smell like a cab? Well it certainly doesn’t smell like air freshener or shampoo, its not clean and fresh or sweet like many celebuscents. Fancy Nights is smoky, spicy and has a kind of musty smell you get from patchouli. Maybe hubby has a point. I have been in cabs that have smelled smoky, spicy and musty but to describe a perfume as smelling like a cab just sounds so unflattering. I love Fancy Nights; it smells wonderful!

Taxi Fancy Nights Jessica simpson NewsPhoto Stolen News.com.au

Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Nights is a strong, sophisticated perfume and the initial blast reminds me of Shalimar. It smells opulent and expensive. I notice an intense almost astringent type of smell at first like aniseed. The vanilla is very strong but not sweet. This is straight up vanilla – there is no cupcake or ice-cream influence at all. The vanilla is strong but the patchouli is just full on in Fancy Nights. It smells smoky and spicy with an earthy amber base. I really enjoy wearing this perfume, it smells absolutely gorgeous and when the patchouli eventually fades away, a sweeter vanilla and musk lingers.

Jessica Simpson PeoplePhoto Stolen People

Fancy Nights smells expensive but it is sooo cheap. You can get a 50ml bottle for $12.95 from Fragrance X.

Fancy Nights is the third fragrance in a range of Fancy perfumes from Jessica Simpson but the bright emerald green colour of the Fancy Nights bottle makes it stand out from the rest.

Further reading:
Now Smell This

By the way, when we got out of the cab and he took another whiff he said it smelled really nice. Have you ever had any unexpected reactions to your perfume?

Please visit my website (celebrityperfumestore<<<JUMP) for more celebrity perfume news and reviews.

Katrina xx

Interlude Man by Pierre Negrin for Amouage 2012

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Guest Post by Azar

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Ed: Hi all. You may remember we had a giveaway recently and the deal was that our winners would write a short speil about one of the fragrances they won. Here is our very first winner review, I think you will agree that it is an excellent first review, evocative and intriguing. Please welcome the lovely Azar. Maybe we will be able to talk Azar into a monthly spot here on APJ. I think she shows the kind of promise that needs to be cultivated. What do you think?

Interlude Man by Amouage

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, oregano and pimento berry oil
Heart: Amber, frankincense, opoponax, cistus, labdanum and myrrh
Base: Leather, agarwood smoke, patchouli and sandalwood

Hello Portia!

The Amouage and Jacques Zolty samples arrived today. All three are beautiful but the Interlude Man just blasts me into an alternate universe…yes!
It isn’t fair to any other scent to sample it after Interlude Man. I suppose what I like best is that for just an instant it seems herby, green and sweet and then WHAMMO!
Excessive Arabian smokey, oudhy, incense, opoponax. The sillage is really out there too. Brad got a whiff two rooms away (and he loved it).

Thank you so much for this draw. When I wonder why I am a perfume junkie, oudh head and frag hoarder with an obscene collection of scents all I have to do is spray a little Interlude Man.

STCh Interlude Man PICPhoto Stolen SurrenderToChance

The art on the sample card is great too, a visual description of the scent. The pattern almost suggests the “alternate universe” and the contrasting colors reflect how the various notes play off one another over time.

Thanks
Azar

Further reading: Olfactoria’sTravels and TheCandyPerfumeBoy
In Australia Libertine Parfumerie has 100ml $326 delivered in Australia (Special thanks go to LibertineParfumerie for supplying the giveaways, go see them)
Elsewhere LuckyScent has 100ml $290
SurrenderToChance starts at $4/.5ml

Grigioperla Essence by Pierre Bourdon for La Perla 2009

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Post by Margeaux

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Hi all you lovely smelling people. This is my 5th review for APJ and I hope you’re enjoying reading them as much as I am enjoying writing them. I seem to have had no real structure or direction when purchasing scents until Portia started sharing his love of perfumes and I realised there was so much more to learn and get excited by. Today’s frag is one that I discovered quite by accident but I have fallen mightily in love with.

Grigioperla Essence by La Perla 2009

Grigioperla Essence La Perla FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cypress, Pink Pepper, Bergamot
Heart: Magnolia, Lavender, Jasmine
Base: Pine tree, Thuja, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Cedar

Grigioperla Essence for Men was created in 2009 by master perfumer Pierre Bourdon. Now that little titbit had completely passed me by til just now, as I started to research for my review. He was the nose behind more than 40 fragrances but probably best known for the commercial smashes of YSL’s Kouros (1981) and Davidoff’s Cool Water (1988). Amazing, right?

Woody, much? I do love my woody scents, and this was precisely why I bought this one completely on spec (unsmelled).

I’ve just blasted three big juicy sprays onto my forearm to get a good whiff of it going and I just love that super cypress and pepper opening. Wow. Wow. It wakes me up and makes me feel so good. Like the day ahead is one that I can do anything with. Grigioperla Essence settles quickly into the lavender and jasmine – they gently play together while running down the side of a fresh meadow.

Lavender Jasmine FrenchRevolutionFoodPhoto Stolen FrenchRevolutionFood

The magnolia takes a little longer to get there but when it does, it joins the flowers to add a sense of masculinity that it would otherwise lack. I think the combination is delicious.

The final phase brings together the last of the woody notes, and for me, it’s where this fragrance really shines. There’s not one ingredient that takes centre stage here, but they all work together to create a harmonious forest of smell that I find incredibly sensuous. They aren’t heavy but exude a freshness and crispness, much like a cool autumn morning on a wooded track. I just love it.

Grigioperla Essence La Perla Chopped Wood wikimediaPhoto Stolen wikimedia

A lot of other reviewers have mentioned the poor sillage, and I have to agree. It does fade quite quickly and is basically non-existent around 4-5 hours. I like to think that my skin loves it as much as my nose and just gobbles it right up, hungry for more. My poor little 50ml bottle is already nearly empty but a replacement is so reasonable. It seems its not stocked widely these days, which is a shame, because this is very wearable and enjoyable.

EssentialMall starts at $23/50ml

See you soon, M x

Autoportrait by Nathalie Lorson for Olfactive Studio 2011

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Post by Jordan River

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Autoportrait by Olfactive Studio 2011

Autoportrait by Nathan BranchPhoto Taken by Nathan Branch

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot and elemi
Heart: Benzoin, incense and musk
Base: Oak moss, cedar and vetiver.

Boys, here is one for the 21st century man, not a flower petal in sight. The brief to the perfumer was a photo – create a fragrance inspired by the picture below. I first encountered this scent in December at World Beauty. When I trial a new scent I make sure not to read reviews or the even the notes on the packaging. February came and Autoportrait was still wafting through the scentmills of my mind. Back to the shop for another spritz. Back to the shop twice in a day. On my fourth visit the SA read out the marketing notes before I could protest. When I heard the words Nathalie Lorson I swooned as the attraction made sudden sense.

Autoportrait LUC LAPÔTRE olfactive studio

The photo that inspired Autoportrait. Photographer: Luc Lapôrte

Natalie created one of my best-loved ‘fumes, the warm masculine vetiver that is Encre Noire from Lalique. Autoportrait is Encre Noire released from the woods and flying above the clouds. The vetiver smells like the roots have been washed by a waterfall leaving a clear hint of something that is usually more vegetal.

Let’s take a quick side trip to the Moonlight Waterfall in Issan. Will you stroll with me? There is a path behind the waterfall. The waterfall will be an olfactory reference.

Sang Chan Waterfall Issan

Sang Chan Waterfall

image

Sang Chan waterfall

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tzJx25falk

Sang Chan Waterfall

Sang Chan Waterfall, Issan, Thailand Photos: Jordan River

Back to Autoportrait: A tonal quality like a chime is what wafts from the bottle. Back in the office I sprayed this new delight. My Social Media Manager said “I’ve tasted that scent”. He was saying he had eaten elemi berries from the Phillipines. Resin from the elemi tree make up the top notes along with lemon and orange. We are seeing a lot of berry notes this season; the blackcurrant Co2 extract and absolutes hidden in The Enchanted Forest is another example of this direction.

After 30 minutes the scent becomes nice and dry. This is a skin scent meaning that you have to be reasonably but not intimately close to smell this. Your skin ++. Benzoin resin from Thailand, incense and oak moss or more likely a well composed synthetic substitute with a tiny drop of oak moss, are the other notes which all evaporate on me within 4 hours. No worries there, just top up.

image

Autoportrait is smooth with a clean feel but not in the laundry musk or American sense. Maybe clear is a better word. It’s not about the notes; this is a harmony of composition. A beautiful blend by a woman I admire.

Nathalie Lorson

Perfumer Nathalie Lorson

Love your work Nathalie. But this is not really work is it? This is an artistic expression which moves the vetiver story higher into the fragrant stratosphere. Next I am expecting vetiver in outer space.

Careful if you wear this: someone may want to eat you if they move close enough within the first 30 minutes. I know I like to taste everything.

Perfume Fridge

Center shelf, a welcome addition to the fridge

Autoportrait from Olfactive Studio is an EDP available in 50ml and 100ml.

Céline Verleure

Founder and Creative Director of Olfactive Studio, Céline Verleure

The photo is included in the box. My solution to flatten the curl of the cheap paper stock is to frame the photo for my office. At this price point ~ $US145, €85 (50ml) a higher gsm would be appreciated to carry this beautiful piece of art.

Further Information
Elemi is a berry tree from the Philippines. You can taste a dried version of the fruit at most Asian food stores.
Luc Lapôrte photography
Olfactive Studio website
Picturing Perfume – The Olfactive Studio story by Denyse Beaulieu

Reviews
What Men Should Smell Like – Clayton Ilolahia

Olfactoria’s Travels – Olfactoria

The Non-Blonde – Gaia Fishler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tzJx25falk

Vetyver 46 by Mark Buxton for Le Labo 2006

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Post by Michael

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A couple of years ago a decided to try the Le Labo line. None really jumped out and grabbed me and I decided the Le Labo vibe just wasn’t for me. Then, only a few months ago, I found myself craving….

Vetyver 46 by Le Labo 2006

Vetyver 46 Le Labo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tahitian vetiver, labdanum, pepper, guaiac wood, cedar, olibanum, amber, bergamot, vanilla and cloves.

The reason I enjoy this fragrance so much is that it’s beautifully balanced. Cedar is a note that I often have trouble with. It can be too “scratchy”, too harsh, too much like pencil shavings. And then, adding pepper to the mix!? Yet these notes are treated with a deft touch and balanced perfectly with the vetiver, labdanum and olibanum. These are what I get though most of the life of Vetyver 46 by Le Labo. They weave together with not one part or nor another standing out too much – always moderately woody, moderately smoky….always in moderation. The fragrance feels full and alive.

Vetiver vetiver.orgPhoto Stolen Vetiver.org

The vanilla is always there too, hiding in the base, and becomes more apparent as the fragrance dries down and makes the drydown wonderfully cosy. I remember the first time I wore this fragrance. I was away for work and after a long day I finally made it back to the hotel room. As I climbed into bed and tucked my arm under the pillow to fall asleep I noticed the wonderfully mellow and calming drydown of Vetiver 46. I suppose I should have known back then, that this was going to be a keeper.

Vetiver 46’s sillage is moderate and its longevity strong.

Vetyver 46 Le Labo CedarHillLongHouseArt Thompson Photo Stolen CedarHillLongHouse

Further reading: PerfumeSmellin’Things and TheNonBlonde
Le Labo has an eStore landing page (that delivers to most of the world) starting at 45€/15ml
SurrenderToChance starts at $4/ml

Have there been fragrances that you’ve dismissed only to crave a long time later?
Arabie is another of mine, but I’d love to hear about yours.

Until next time
Michael