Contributors

Sapphire: the Scent by Ainslie Walker for Courtesy of the Artist 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

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TinaG

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Hey APJ!

Perfumer and friend, the gorgeous Ainslie Walker, recently collaborated on a project by Courtesy of the Artist for their Rare Earth: Australian Made jewellery collection. Rare Earth: Australian Made is a showcase by six jewellery artists who design and display their work with precious gemstones which have been fossicked and cut in Australia. For anyone in Sydney, they have a shop in the Strand Arcade so you can view & purchase their pieces. Ainslie brings a new dimension to the project with her luminescent limited edition perfume called Sapphire: The Scent.

Sapphire: the Scent by Courtesy of the Artist 2017

Sapphire: the Scent by Ainslie Walker

Sapphire: The Scent captures the essence of the Australian bush unlike any fragrance I’ve come across. Many native Australian plants and trees naturally release aromatic volatile oils. The heat-haze from eucalypt oils can give the air a shimmering ‘blue’ appearance which, incidentally, is how the “Blue Mountains” were named.

Ainslie has carefully chosen an abundance of raw materials such as Boronia Absolute, Southern Rosalina, Kunzea and sustainable Sandalwood from Western Australia and blended them beautifully. The fragrance has a concentrated cologne style, which is focused through burst of top-note aromatics that lift and shine like the light of sapphire through the hazy majesty of the Australian natives. The effect is a rush of freshness and a feeling of the open freedom of the outdoors.

WikiMedia

On first spray of Sapphire, I am instantly transported by the eucalyptus-style notes, boronia, citrus and light woods to the Blue Mountains on a summer’s day, walking along the sandstone tracks & feeling invigorated by the smells and sounds of the bush.

After a while, my mental image has shifted to the surf beaches around Anglesea in Victoria. Here, Sapphire has a warm and slightly waxy floral, a living wood scent with a slight spiciness, and menthol undertones. We used to walk along scrubby tracks to get to the beach, brushing along Boronia and Rosalina bushes. Ainslie has even managed to capture a sweet stickiness to the woods as if a branch has been broken. The dry down of Sapphire: The Scent continues to have a gorgeous sandalwood and woody notes that are warm on my skin for ages.

Sapphire: the Scent will be available from Courtesy of the Artist in the Strand Arcade from November 16.

What three notes would you chose for a fragrance to capture “Australia”?

Till next time,
Tina G

 

(ED: All photos supplied by Ainslie Walker unless specified)

Aria in F# Parfum by Christi Meshell for House of Matriarch 2017

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Erica Golding

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Hello to everyone out there in the world of fragrance!

Recently, I was thrilled to witness the live creation of a 99% natural perfume, note by note, learning excitedly from every detail shared. The experience was about an hour and it just flew by, absolutely enthralling – I was hypnotized and filled with awe! Christi Meshell graced the famous group Facebook Fragrance Friends with the honor of this masterfully blended treasure, with members voting on their favorite materials that were then blended right before our eyes:

Aria in F# Parfum by House of Matriarch 2017

Aria in F# Parfum by Christi Meshell

Fragrantica

My notes below may not be perfectly accurate, but from what I recorded during the live event, Aria in F# is composed of:

Sandalwood Mysore (vintage and modern)
Amber accord
Styrax
Myrrh
Vanilla
Frankincense
Whiskey accord
Beeswax
Patchouli
Benzoin
Rose
Rooibos Tea
Jasmine sambac
Cinnamon (a non-skin-irritating variety)
Vetiver
Oakmoss
Ambergris tincture
Balsam fir
Leather accord
Orange blossom
Petitgrain
Mandarin orange
Ambrette seed
Musk
Gaiac wood
Black currant
Tonka bean
Rosewood
Tuberose absolute
Carnation
Pink pepper
Butter
Cocoa
Mimosa
Ylang ylang

The composition was built on a generous aliquot of vintage Mysore sandalwood as well as an equal volume of modern sandalwood. This genuine aroma is not super recognizable if you haven’t experienced it before. It has a powdery delicacy that sets it apart from the creamy, round sandalwood notes common in modern perfumery. After that, the materials that followed just had my heart leaping and aching with anticipation. The notes that I have listed at the end of this review speak to Christi’s dreamscape of materials and her gift of turning fantasy into reality.

WikiMedia

As for my personal impressions of this parfum, Aria in F# is very complex, but fascinatingly, resonates within a tight wavelength. For me, if Aria in F# was music, it would be a heartachingly harmonious strings orchestra. When my fragrance synesthesia associates a perfume with violins and cellos, it’s always a good omen! At the opening, I sense peaceful precious woods with a flashing, ethereal morning dew of rose, jasmine, and orange blossom. There is only one drop of carnation absolute in this parfum, but other notes lift and enhance and intensify this aroma such that I would go so far as to say that carnation features dominantly in this fragrance. Resins, amber, and incense are important to the blend, but they are uncharacteristically effervescent.

Overall, the parfum is deceivingly subtle on my skin, revealing hidden new facets with every anointment, and it lasts far longer than expected – especially for an almost purely natural work of art. I love this more every time I wear it, it’s fascinatingly passionate and tender.

 

PDI

I love how perfumers have been connecting with their fans to create semi-bespoke scents like this. Have you tried Aria in F#, or perhaps The Longing, or Destrier, or any of the other House of Matriarch fan collaborations? Which perfumer do you wish would create a fantasy perfume just for you?

House of Matriarch samples start at $22

Until next time, stay fragrant!
Love and light,
-Erica

First In Fragrance: Visiting Aus Liebe Zum Duft, Bruchsal, Germany

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hey all you APJ Friends!

As you may or may not have gathered from my last post, I took off to Bruchsal, Germany with my husband (Chris) last week. I have wanted to visit ALZD/First in Fragrance (FiF) for years. So Chris and I made a deal. We would drive up there for three days, delivering my cookies in Salzburg on the way. One day perfume, one day downhill biking and hiking, one day Munich.

First In Fragrance

Visiting Aus Liebe Zum Duft, Bruchsal, Germany

ALZD/FiF was founded by Georg R Wuchsa in the year 2000. Hop over to the website First In Fragrance and you can read the history behind it all. I would be willing to bet that many of us have ordered, and still order fragrance samples from here. There is no better way to be able to try all of the hundreds of perfumes.


Filling Samples – How Does It Work?

There are four lovely ladies filling samples non-stop. All the samples are decanted from the original bottles. The sample is exactly what comes in the bottle. (I dunno if I am the only one to have noticed that sometimes carded samples do not smell the same as the perfume in the bottles.)

Of course many of the perfume houses are so small that they don´t do official samples anyway. There are around 2000, yep, two thousand, bottles to chose from. As the ladies look at the orders, they grab the bottles from the shelves and put them on a tray. Then back to the desk to fill the requested samples.
After completing several orders at once they return the bottles to their places, or at least that is the idea!! The orders are then beautifully packaged along with maybe some sweets, or little toys, perfumed feathers, and other little goodies. Making it a joy for anyone to receive, whether a small order or a big one. The girls fill at least 3000 samples a week.

ALZD/FiF now has a a beautiful range of cosmetics, and the Frederic Malle and Serge Lutens lines have recently been introduced. ALZD is now the online partner of the Austrian company http://www.naegelestrubell.at .

What did I buy? Travel sizes of Malle´s Iris Powder for me (I wish I had bought a big bottle, it´s divine), Dries Van Noten for the Blondeswunder, Monsieur for my personal trainer (He´s moving on from his 6 euro cologne ….!) and a BIG bottle of Portrait of a Lady for me. Finally. Chris came home with a bottle of Nasomatto´s Black Afgano. After getting over the initial disappointment of not being able to smoke it, he was quite happy. He never wears scent, but a few drops of this suits him really well. I have forbidden him to use more than half a spray at any one time. Two beautiful Diptyque candles joined the bag of goodies too.

It was an absolutely fabulous day. They have two canine noses, but only one was in the house. Beate Humbert, Georg´s right hand woman, has been with the company since day one. She took us through everything, from the offices, to the workplace and into the warehouse. Brilliant. Her son works there too, and it was their dog, Gatsby that was there. Chris split with him and took him for a walk, or perhaps the dog took him!

A million thanks to the whole ALZD crew it was such a brilliant day.

Following are pics, in no particular order. Chris took his camera and snapped lots of stuff. Had it been left to me you´d have had nothing. I suck at pics when I have to take them. Ask Portia.

Hallowe’en Bussis
CQ

Botticelli by Teone Reinthal for Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume 2015

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Kate Apted

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Hi APJ family!

One year, my poor mother gave up on her garden and in frustration, she threw all her seeds all over the remains of her failed attempt. She left nature to do its thing, unimpeded. She happens to like manicured English cottage gardens, where each plant is put in a spot for a purpose. She takes delight in tending to them and nurturing them with supports and regular feeding of nutrients. I, on the other hand, have an incredible attachment to wild cottage gardens that are overgrown and have eclectic flora. I relish with absolute delight in the surprise of finding new things and exploring the life within the seeming chaos. The scents are unpredictable and haphazard.

The garden worked. By next spring, nature had created a veritable oasis of flourishing peace. My mother was a little jealous that she had never quite executed a garden with the expertise nature had shown. The colours were exquisite, everything was healthy and there was space for so much to grow in complete harmony. The insect life that year was rich and abundant.

WikiMedia

I found a natural perfume a few months ago that replicates such a garden. It is called Botticelli and is made by a talented and highly creative woman named Teone Reinthal.

Botticelli by Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume 2015

Botticelli by Teone Reinthal

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, petitgrain
Heart: Jasmine sambac, damask rose, juniper berries
Base: Patchouli, ambrette (musk mallow), oakmoss, labdanum, vetiver

It opens with a creamy warmth that comes from a musk and oakmoss heat, while radiating a citrus heart that stays around for hours. Much like a breeze brings gentle scents in waves from a rich garden, Botticelli does the same. It weaves around with facets of citrus and rose and jasmine, with a lightness of a butterfly. Just when I think I’ve understood Botticelli, there is a shift and the musk reigns for a moment. While each of the notes are lovely, it is the waft of the whole composition that makes Botticelli incredible.

WikiMedia

I have a set of rules I use with this scent. I cannot wear this outside my home. I must apply it with a cotton ball that then gets stuffed inside my bra. I cannot wear it in the morning. I do not reapply it. It is almost as if Botticelli has its own nature that I cannot control and master. I cannot possibly know better! I suspect I get a little ‘away with the fairies’ whilst wearing Botticelli, so I think my rules are to protect me from dwelling in my inner universe when it isn’t appropriate. It meshes with my inner world in a way no other scent does, so when I need to be completely self composed I avoid Botticelli.
There is a wild woman, tribal elder quality to Botticelli that makes it sensuous, feminine and celebrates fertility in all its forms. At the same time, it has a barely constrained politeness to it that will not offend those in your presence. Mildly zesty and tart, yet mellow and creamy.

Teone Reinthal has Botticelli from $10/2ml Sample

Do you have scents that transport you to a place of personal happiness, where no one else can reach you? Or do you have quirky rules regarding a particular fragrance?

Until next time… Kate xx

Gekkou Hanami VdP by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

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TinaG

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Hi APJ!

Cherry blossoms are a common sight in Sydney during spring. They are planted along nature strips and road verges, for reasons I don’t know. There is also a Cherry Blossom Festival at Auburn Botanical Gardens which is hugely popular and a great ‘selfie’ opportunity for both old and young. I don’t know how this compares to the famous Cherry Blossom viewings in Japan, but I found Auburn very relaxing and fun.

My enjoyment of blossom season was enhanced by re-discovering their smell. Many spring florals, like cherry, intensify at night. You can stand under a cherry tree and find yourself surrounded by scent as it ‘falls’ down from the branches. I enjoyed the season so much that I started drafting an article on cherry and cherry blossom fragrances.

Flickr

But then: I was side-tracked from writing by a visit to Portia for tea one day – he’d just received a bunch of adorable little roller ball samples from DSH Perfumes. He picked one out for me to try, and guess what? It was a cherry blossom fragrance!! The one he chose was Gekkou Hanami. Don’t you love a bit of synchronicity??

Gekkou Hanami VdP by DSH Perfumes 2017

Gekkou Hanami VdP by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

Gekkou Hanami (Sakura gazing in the Moonlight)

DSH Perfumes

DSH Perfumes give these featured accords:
Acacia Honey Absolute, Green Rose Leaves, Osmanthus, Rice absolute, Sake (accord), Sakura Blossom (accord), Ambrette Seed, Frankincense co2 Absolute, Hinoki, Virginia Cedar, Bulgarian Rose Otto, Osmanthus Absolute, Rosewater, Waterlily, Tunisian Neroli, Yuzu

Gekkou Hanami opens clean and slightly metallic with a burst of green cut flower stems supporting a delicate floral note. The cut flower effect slowly fades over 10 minutes to reveal the subdued lemony-style citrus of yuzu. Over time a combination of woody notes comes through, I get a cedar but there’s something in there which has a subtle dry grey smokiness.

Reapplying the fragrance a few times over the course of a day strengthens the notes in different ways – sometimes I get more florals, other times it takes on a sheer shimmering quality. I’m fascinated by the combined strength & gentleness of this fragrance. It is a breath of spring air that brings you to your senses, uplifting and grounding at the same time. I really enjoy it and wish that it had been in my life during the season just past. I’d love to try this as a spray and see how it opens up the fragrance. As it is, the little roller ball has lasted me ages – I’ve worn and re-worn this over a two week period and only used half of the sample.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Spring_Breeze_of_Yun_Shouping.jpgWikiMedia

Further reading: The Fragrant Journey and Redolent Mermaid
DSH Perfumes have Gekkou Hanami from $6 sample vials

Thank you Portia for the chance to try this beautiful gem!

Do you own or have you tried any DSH Perfumes?

Till next time,
Tina G

Dolcelisir by L’Erbolario 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

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Erica Golding

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Scented greetings to all of you lovely people out there!

How do you feel about sweet, gourmand perfume? Do you enjoy radiating deliciousness, or are you nauseated by cloying fragrances?

Love them or hate them, sugary vanilla scents are still as popular today as they were when Angel and Pink Sugar came onto the scene. Personally, I have fun wearing candied perfumes, although I am fairly selective (perhaps even picky). The scent I chose for today has been the subject of many conversations in the fragrance community. It’s been compared quite frequently to Hermés Ambre Narguilé. It also reminds some people of scents like Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, L’Occitane Ambre, and more.

Dolcelisir by L’Erbolario 2010

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, orange, caramel, rum
Heart: Jasmine, rose, immortal, lily of the valley, cinnamon, sugar cane, cocoa powder
Base: Patchouli, vanilla, benzoin, tonka, amber, musk

Ahhhhh, sweet elixir indeed! Warm apple pie. On my skin, Dolcelisir is very similar to Ambre Narguilé. I deathmatched them side by side on my skin several years ago, and found them to be scent siblings. If you’re obsessed with every facet and nuance of Ambre Narguilé, then Dolcelisir probably won’t serve as a substitute for you; however, if your appreciation is casual, Dolcelisir is an excellent alternative at an affordable price point.

Dolcelisir is a warm, boozy, syrupy-sweet vanilla spice perfume with a healthy dose of musk. The throw is very loud and intense, and wearlength is over 6 hours on my skin. I don’t typically categorize scents as seasonal, but this beauty is perfectly suited for cool autumn days. Dolcelisir is a celebration for those of us who still ride the pumpkin spice train when the first leaves change color, despite the haters!

WikiMedia

Further reading: Scented Apprentice

Do you have a favorite gourmand guilty pleasure fragrance? Confess! You’re in the circle of trust 🙂

Love and light,

Erica

Comments and Fleur de Lalita by Parfums Dustita 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 126 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Good day to you APJ readers, stalkers and commenters.

Can you be bothered?

The most exciting thing about my first ever blog post was the comments. I could hardly stop myself looking every two minutes to
see if anything had been added. I still get a thrill to see my thoughts in print, but don´t check quite so often to see if anyone said anything. I do enjoy the interplay with the readers.

Comments and Fleur de Lalita by Parfums Dustita 2017

Two experiences in my commenting of late have triggered this post. Last week I was commenting on a blog based in the US. It was one of those ones that are a bit of a pain in the arse, you know? First your name, an email address, checking the “I am not a robot” box, identifying which of the six random pics has zebra crossings in them to prove you are not a bloody robot and then, just when you got it all worked out, your comment disappears. Swear. Forget it. And then recently commenting on Portia´s La Fille de Berlin post, and making several typos. Guaranteed that a comment with typos will post just fine. So annoying, because then I have to post again excusing the typos.

Is it worth the bother?

Well is it? Why do you comment on blogs? Why don´t you comment on blogs? I find it so terribly fascinating that there are amazing blogs out there, (I´m talking perfume for today), and no one says a damn thing. I seriously wonder why. Perhaps some writing doesn’t motivate comments? I am sure the blogger can see how many people have tuned in to read though. That is something I am not privy to as I am a contributor and Portia is the blog host.

The Slow Decline of the Comment.

I have noticed with the blogs that I follow, and it is too many, that comments are getting to be less and less. I decided to have a chat with A Bottled Rose, The Candy Perfume Boy, and Bonkers about Perfume and see what they said. The one thing they all said in common, but in separate private chats with me, is that there is a marked decline in commenting. Hmmmmm.

“I ask a question, but no one ever answers. Rarely anyways. “
“I am not blogging for public feedback, but because I have things I want say, including off-topic things.”
“I wonder if people might think some bloggers have their heads stuck up their backsides ….” Read but don´t comment.
“I do love the regular commenters and the rapport I have with them, they count for a lot.”
“It is more of a fragmented scene now.”
“Some blogs don´t encourage comments anyway.”
“Some just read for information, not for interaction.”
“I think people are changing the way they engage. On social media it´s easy just to like something, or heart it, or drop a little emoji to say ‘I like this’. Most of the blogs have a like button too.”
“I have definitely noticed that people do not comment as much as they used to.”
“They do comment of FB, Twitter and Instagram though.”

Why bother?

A lot of work goes into a blog post. Perfume, books, fashion, food. Doesn’t matter. Fact checking, background research, spellchecks, punctuation, deleting random apostrophes. Blogs don´t happen on their own. They are ball busters to keep going. And the vast majority do it out of a deep love for the subject matter. I have made so many real life friends through perfume, and it would never have happened had they not taken the time to stick a comment on the end of post. Comments are our likes. But you know what? If nothing else, please keep reading, without you dear readers, there are no blogs.

What am I wearing today? Parfums Dustita`s Fleur de Lalita. Thanks for asking.

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: May rose, magnolia, jasmine, white lily, galbanum, ylang-ylang
Heart: Ambrette (musk mallow), exotic floral notes
Base: Madagascar vanilla, sandalwood, tonka bean, ambergris

When do you comment?

Bussis
CQ

New Autumnal Scents and Amouage Lilac Love

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

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Sandra.

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Hey there dear APJ! How are you all doing? I hope that life is treating you very well.

Autumn has shown its face early here in Rotterdam. Early I say simply because I am not used to it coming this early. Naturally the leaves are changing colour and falling (all in different stages too) but the sun is really low, it is almost blinding. I have only ever experienced this special lighting up in Norway and have found it to be both eerie and alluring. My nose is on high alert here as there are so many new scents that I am taking in this year. It is in part because of the move north but also because we no longer live in a city. We live in a house in a suburb with a garden.

New Autumnal Scents and Amouage Lilac Love

The first smell that comes to mind is the wet damp earth. It is seriously wet here. It was so bad in September for about 10 days that I kept teasing my son that we will need to build ourselves a boat so we can have a ride to school. There is a dampness in the air, especially now in autumn where not only is the asphalt emitting its own scent but so are the fallen leaves.

Some homes are starting to have fires in the fireplaces now and I loooove that smell. Together with the damp earth, the wood and the smoke gives me a sense of calm and a feeling of home. My favorite time of the day is when I walk home with our son after school and all of these homey scents greet my eager nose.

This past weekend we were blessed with plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures. Saturday we biked for 30km and my son will tell you that we broke his muscles with that ride. It was a gorgeous ride in the greenery and then along the Rotte River. We got to smell chestnuts and leaves, but also the last of the blooming flowers. Have I mentioned of how stunning all of the blooming plants and trees are here in the Netherlands? There is always colour outside even in the dead of winter. Amouage Bracken Woman was the perfect companion for our Saturday bike ride. Bracken Woman is herbal, green and woody. All the elements of autumn in a bottle.

Sunday was another glorious day but our son protested the idea of another bike ride so we took a long walk in our neighborhood. We let him lead the way with no destination in mind and we somehow stumbled upon a city garden called Natuurtalent. The herbs alone were intoxicating to smell. They have a wood work area and the smell of fresh wood shavings surrounded by green herbs and blooming plants will ensure our return. It was a perfect place for our son to explore and he was allowed to smell things too. Since it was such a warm day I wore Amouage Lilac Love which bloomed into a floral powdery slightly spicy perfume. It is a beautiful perfume that I would wear often if I owned a bottle.

Here are a few pictures of our sunny warm weekend. Yes, Rotterdam really is this green. Now the fog has set in this week and I need to make a pumpkin soup to really get into the season.

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Jasmine, rose, gardenia, peony, heliotrope
Heart: Orris, cacao, tonka bean
Base: Sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla

Libertine has $499/1ooml FREE Australian Postage
Surrender To Chance has samples from $4/0.5ml

Do you have a favorite season? Do you like any Amouage perfumes? I would love to hear from you.

Stay safe and healthy. Until next time.
Sandra xoxo

 

(Ed: All photos taken by Sandra unless specified)

Vintage Fragrance: Open or Save?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

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Erica Golding

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Hello everyone! I hope you are enjoying a lovely day so far.

Recently, the subject of vintage perfume came up in one of my fragrance forums. We started chatting about a vintage, rare Guerlain parfum in like-new condition, with full presentation intact. The opinion shared was that the bottle should be displayed and protected in a museum.

I completely understand the sentiment of keeping something precious in mint unopened condition and keeping it in that state forever, but I have to admit that I have an opposing gut reaction when applying this sentiment to perfume. I feel bad for a lonely pristine bottle the same way that I would feel bad for a stuffed animal who will never snuggle with a child.

Vintage Fragrance: Open or Save?

Perfume is created to be enjoyed, to be an ephemeral glimmer of gold. Preservation of a vintage perfume, in my opinion, is simply a gift passed to a future generation that will hopefully still have the nerve to apply it on their skin. It would break my heart to see precious beauty forever sealed in a bottle, never to harmonize with a wearer’s chemistry and bathe them in sensual pleasure.

Additionally, many perfume components break down or spoil over time. How long should a bottle linger in a UV-shielded glass case, never inhaled, never loved? As it sits there untouched, the potential grandeur within is slowly fading, withering, dying. Centuries later, the liquid inside will mutate and expire, useless and worth nothing. Who was this beauty saved for then? Who would have been worthy of its marvelous dazzle while there was still time? Why don’t we consider ourselves good enough to be the perfume’s ultimate owner and lover?

I am a breaker of seals and a splasher of time capsules. When I score a vintage fragrance, no matter how rare or valuable it is, I do open it and wear it. I’m respectful of my aged perfumes – I am careful to preserve their purity as best as I can, using a sanitary pipette and closing it up securely, storing away from heat and light. But you won’t catch me hoarding something special for a rainy day!

These are just my thoughts and opinions. What do you think? There are no wrong answers here!

Until next time,

Love and light,

Erica

Le Petit Robe Noire L’Extrait by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hello gorgeousnesses,

Blind Buy Part II

As you may or may not recall I blind bought Guerlain Black Perfecto LPRN a not long ago. It wasn´t really blind as I bought it for the bottle and could see that quite clearly. It was a big bonus that I totally liked the perfume in the gorgeous bottle. On thing led to another and I got it stuck in my head that I had to have the LPRN Extrait

Thanks to both Portia and Vero I have vintage extraits of Chamade, Shalimar, and Mitsouko. I am not a Guerlainophile nor am I a vintage digger. All three get worn and they are exquisitely beautiful. I would like to have a L’Heure Blue vintage extrait and perhaps one will come my way one day but I am sure not hunting for one as I am utterly terrified of buying old perfumes online and have never done so. If anyone has a spare, contact me please.

I thought it would be interesting, in the name of science of course, to try a modern Guerlain extrait. After a couple of weeks of hunting around I came across a 20% offer on the 7.5ml bottle of LPRN Extrait. That made it about 80 Euros. My husband was biking in france, I had his credit card, so it seemed just to good a chance to miss out on and I ordered it. I couldn´t imagine for a second it could go wrong as I liked the BP so much. I was offered a 250ml bee bottle for 1100 Euros or a 500ml one for 1660 Euros. I never buy blind in such large amounts.

Le Petit Robe Noire L’Extrait by Guerlain 2012

Le Petit Robe Noire L’Extrait by Thierry Wasser

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top:  Fruits, Glycyrrhiza, Lemon
Heart: Cherry, Almond, Rose, Violet
Base: Musk, Patchouli, Smoky tea, Vanilla

LPRN Parfum – Completely Gorgeous.

Velvety Amarena cherry, rich and with a dark and bitter edge. It is an adult cherry, not a Maraschino. Tendrils of black liquorice, sweetening the fruit, and lending a smoky tea effect. A hint of rose gives way to the classic orris, vanilla and tonka magic of a Guerlain. The cherry remains and the whole experience is one of pure pleasure, so thick you could chew it. Divine. For adults, all genders.

“She walked up to me and she asked me to dance.
I asked her name and in a dark brown voice she said “Lola”
L-O-L-A Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola

Well, I’m not the worlds`s most physical guy,
But when she squeezed me tight she nearly broke my spine
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola

Well, I´m not so dumb that I can´t understand
Why she walked like a woman and talked like a man
Oh my Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola, lo lo lo lo Lola …….. “ Ray Davies

Kirschen Bussis
CQ

 

(Ed: Photos supplied and taken by Val.)