Contributors

Island Gardenia by Jovan 1982

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

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Anne-Marie

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Hi everyone, and Happy New Year to all!

Big White Florals. Not my usual line of country, but with jasmine and gardenia blooming on my patio, I’m tempted to try them in perfumery. My latest exploration is Jovan’s Island Gardenia.

Island Gardenia by Jovan 1982

island-gardenia-jovan-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica only gives gardenia as a note, and the perfumer is unstated, but a Basenotes reviewer offers:
Top: coconut, peach
Heart: gardenia, tuberose, jasmine, neroli, cyclamen
Base: vanilla, civet, Siamese benzoin

I find mixed white florals heavily dominated by tuberose. That is what I get straight out of the bottle: a rich, buttery tuberose, luscious and unmistakeable. I agree on the peach but if you live in terror of the peach-tuberose combo in Givenchy Amarige, relax. The peach fades quickly.

The coconutty facet of many white florals is present, though not to my nose a major player. I don’t notice any of those listed base notes, certainly not civet.
The thing I really don’t get is gardenia. The gardenia I grow is a miniature and I think it is sweeter and less green and earthy than the classic, Billie Holiday-style gardenia. Still, I feel I know how they smell and I get very little gardenia in Island Gardenia. That’s a disappointment.

And then, I had been expecting monstrous flesh eating sillage so I was very surprised when IG shrank to my skin in less than half an hour. After a shower this afternoon I gave myself about five big spritzes (yes, I stayed home, just in case!). The sillage is moderate, but I don’t somehow expect it to last the whole evening.
The opening is my favourite part. Then, on some wearings the dry down seems a little harsh and chemically, but on others I found it pleasantly creamy and slightly salty. I prefer the sillage, especially as it wafts up from my shirt, to the scent on skin.

Island Gardenia by Jovan 1982 white-gardenia-in-bloomPDI

For all that, Island Gardenia is relaxing to wear. It is warm but only slightly sweet; maternal I would say, rather than sultry. Which brings us to – you know it’s coming – Piguet’s Fracas. Island Gardenia is sometimes likened to Fracas: lighter, more timid and much less complex. Well, I have never comprehended Fracas. I like the orange blossom in the opening, but as the tuberose emerges it turns weird and unpleasant on my skin. I do have a sample and I will keep comparing them, but if you know both fragrances well, do comment. And please, if you have compared it to Jungle Gardenia by Tuvaché, I’d love to hear what you think!

On Fragrantica, you have to squint hard to find any really negative comment about Island Gardenia. I normally find that at least a quarter of the reviews of any given fragrance will condemn it, but ‘love the heck out of this’ is a pretty common reaction to this one.

island-gardenia-by-jovan-1982-wedding-waft-pexelsPDI

FragranceNet has US$14/45ml before coupon

And the price! I gone mine for about AUD $21 on Fragrancex.com. No complaints there.
Ah gardenia! Do you have a favourite?
Bye for now.
Anne-Marie

Amora EdP by Hans Hendley 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 41 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Good Day APJ, Wake up, Christmas is over and we survived!!

It´s impossible to keep up with all the small perfume houses and independent artisanal perfumers. I see names come and go on social media, or on other blogs and pay little attention. However Hans Hendley´s name is popping up a lot and I felt prompted to look a little further. I took the plunge and ordered the 9ml travel size of Amora, his most recent launch. I had to wait a while as the first batch was sold out. I rather like the idea of someone so passionate about perfume that they bother to formulate, blend and bottle the potion themselves. After all, that´s how I run my own business.

BALMY BERRIES ON BONGS – I did Inhale. YUM!!

Amora EdP by Hans Hendley 2016

amora-hendley-perfumes-fragranticaFragrantica

Hensley Perfumes gives these featured accords:
Stone fruit, mixed berries, rose absolute, blonde tobacco, sweet resins, musk complex, ambergris

A couple of years ago I I wrote of Sådanne, the astounding strawberries-on-crack scent by Slumberhouse. Hendley´s Amora reminds me of the experience, but here we have balmy berries on bongs. It´s tantalising and impossible to stop inhaling. The sillage will leave noses quivering in your wake. There is something more alternative lying beneath the fruity opening, a kind of salty resinous layer, resting on musk maybe? I understand there is a touch of ambergris in the formula too. Gorgeous on a bloke as well I must say.

Amora stands alone out of the new releases of 2016. The many that have the same dry down with the same woody accords that freak my nose out and have me running? These accords don´t seem to appear in American perfumery, very interesting. Quite daring to launch a fruity scent as an artisanal perfumer don´t you think? This is underground though, don´t confuse it with the mainstream fruit bombs please.

Frozen Berry Cold Stack Bong Amora EdP by Hans Hendley 2016Pinterest

Of course it might not be your thing, but you don´t know until you´ve tried it now do you? Hans Hendley offers affordability, a wonderful sample service, and brilliant customer relations. APJ, I wanted to put Hendley Perfumes onto your radar. That is part of our responsibilty as bloggers I think. You are more than welcome. 🙂

And for those of you who are still too exhausted from your festivities to move much, look no further. With thanks to Hans Hendley, and my love of going to the post office we have one of the 9ml travel sprays to giveaway. Check below.

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Hendley Perfumes has $18/9ml + Samples

May we all have strength for 2017 because bloody hell, we sure are gonna need it.
Lots of love to all of you who so faithfully stand by APJ, it is not taken for granted.
Bussis
CQ

 

Giveaway myprettypaints

Amora EdP GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 9ml Amora EdP Travel Spray
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us what interests you about such an unusual fragrance and I won´t accept how much you have always loved berries. Hahahaha!!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 29th December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 4th January 2017 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

Volume II: Precision and Grace by Geza Schoen for The Beautiful Mind Series 2015

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

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TinaG

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Hi APJ, hope you have all had a lovely start to the festive season.

I wrote briefly about one of my go-to perfumes in an article on Adelaide a few weeks back. This is Precision and Grace, Volume II of the Beautiful Mind Series. It is a great warm weather fragrance and a good all round travel pick-me-up. I’ve always finished decants when I’ve taken it away with me. “Finished” is not a word many perfume hobbyists use too often…..

I thought I’d revisit Precision and Grace with a bit more detail on the development of the scent on skin and why I enjoy wearing it so much.

Volume II: Precision and Grace by The Beautiful Mind Series 2015

Volume II: Precision and Grace by Geza Schoen

volume-2-precision-and-grace-the-beautiful-mind-series-fragranticaFragrantica

LuckyScent gives these featured accords:
Williams pear, bergamot, mandarin, lemon, Egyptian jasmine, plum, osmanthus, rose, mimosa, pink pepper, freesia, violet, sandalwood, myrrh, moss, amber

Precision and Grace is described as a Fruity Floral. That, in itself, is enough to send many a perfumista screaming and ducking for cover. But with descriptions, you have to start somewhere, right? It puts us in the ball park of maybe what to expect – it’s the quality that then defines the fragrance experience itself.

I always give this a few generous sprays, and it opens a slightly metallic lemon. Over the next 15 minutes or so, from this centre point softly emerges a beautifully balanced sphere of co-habiting notes – mandarin, pear, osmanthus and freesia primarily. The osmanthus and pear are really the stars on my skin. The pear is amazingly juicy and fresh, never wandering in to room-deodorant territory. And osmanthus…. Wow…. It is present with a glowing soft yellow radiance, calming and uplifting.

Woman Sunset Fog Profile Silhouette Yellow CloudsPDI

After about 1.5 hours, a jasmine comes through – nothing indolic, this is fresh as it would be still on the vine. The freshness is tempered with a plum note which drawn the scent down into slightly heavier olfactive territory.

There is something really special about the way this fragrance is balanced, each note is clear and real, but no divas, nothing pushing front and centre. I think that’s why I visualise a sphere, with the lemon surrounded by three main auras at first – floral, citrus, and fruit. You’ve got the precision in the photorealism, and grace in the balance, everything has a purpose and a place, working in harmony.

The fragrance changes ever so slowly, and at about 4 hours I find that a woody notes and dry sandalwood have appeared but I really didn’t have any hint of them coming. The dry down is subtle, and fragrance long-lasting at 8+ hours.

volume-2-precision-and-grace-the-beautiful-mind-series-claude-monet-french-still-life-with-flowers-and-fruit-wikicommonsWikiCommons

Further reading: Megan In St Maxime
LuckyScent has $165/100ml and samples

I enjoy wearing Precision and Grace very much. I find it is one of those which grounds and centres me – I suspect that is why I wear it travelling, when I’m working in unfamiliar territory and need to move through my day with a sense of happiness, kindness and purpose. And, of course, the grace to work around those unforeseen hiccups that you always come across on the move.

What is your go-to scent when you need to get things done?

Best wishes to all of you for a wonderful start to 2017! Lots of Love.

Tina G xx

How Do You Scent Your Home?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

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Post by Erica Golding

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Hello fellow fragrance lovers!

Today I’m wondering, how do you scent your home? Our quarters are our own personal atmosphere, an oasis from the spiraling chaos of routine. It’s fun to express yourself by decorating your air space!

How Do You Scent Your Home?

Aside from the typical candles, incense sticks, and Scentsy warmers (which I display and use proudly), there are some other fun and creative ways to liven up the ambience.

brume-d-oreiller-parfums-de-nicolai-linen-sprayParfum de Nicolaï

Luxe atmosphere/linen sprays are such a delight! Right now I have several favorites in my collection from houses such as Black Phoenix Trading Post, Parfum de Nicolaï and Sucreabeille. The fragrances are unique, unexpected, and great conversation starters! Don’t forget the L’Artisan Amber Balls too.

lartisan-amber-ball-300gL’Artisan

Another fabulous experience is burning resin incense on charcoal tablets in a censer. There is nothing that compares to real frankincense tears and myrrh resin cloaking a room in divine perfume. Be safe and try not to burn the place down! And it’s smart to crack a window open, smoke alarms can disrupt one’s zen. 😉

bag_of_frankincense_at_dubai_spice_souk-wikicommonsWikiCommons

Have you ever used an oil burner? A while back, Nocturne Alchemy released some limited edition Offering Oils specifically formulated for warming in an oil burner, no dilution necessary. I just light a tea light under the suspended glass dish, and soon the aroma is dancing around the room. The scents are purely euphoric, and they are by far my favorite way to fragrance my home. I hope they decide to make more someday, my little hoard is starting to dwindle.

Lastly, I’d love to hear your opinions on ultrasonic aroma diffusers like the Muji. I’m curious and very tempted. If you have one, do you use it often, or did you lose interest once you played with it a few times? Do you have any brands you recommend (or would advise against)?

I hope you are cozy and well-scented, and that you are enjoying the company of loved ones this holiday season.

So tell me in the comments below, how do you scent your home?

Fragrant hugs,
-Erica

Vert Boheme by Tom Ford 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 61 Comments

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Post by Robert Herrmann

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Hello my dear Fragrant Community,

In times of great global upheaval, be it political financial or social, people often look inwards and we tend to surround ourselves with things and people that can offer comfort and succor. For many of us that manifests in the perfumes we choose to wear, a scent that reminds us of a safer time in our lives, gentler living instead of days full of stress and drama

For me it seems that I favor vintage and vintage-style perfumes. Perfumes that remind me of my dressed-up-cocktail-party-dab-of-Patou Mother or maybe the wet tweed/leather and spicy green fougere or aquatic cologne of my Father, and later my own all-night drug-fueled party and disco dancing nights at the gay bars of pre-AIDS San Francisco. A very heady time and place indeed when anything was possible and everything was available.

So recently reaching blindly into my decant box, I pulled out one of one new Tom Ford Private Selections called Vert Boheme, and honest to god it was exactly the blanket of comfort I needed and was searching for! Serendipity at its finest.

Vert Boheme by Tom Ford 2016

vert-boheme-tom-ford-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Galbanum, mandarin, magnolia, honeysuckle, muguet, violet leaf, gustavia superba (heaven lotus), oakmoss, vetiver, white musk

Vert Boheme is a very green and waxy smelling white floral, almost the love-child of Jean Patou Joy and Chanel 19 or Cristalle. It opens on my skin with a huge blast of bitter green galbanum, tempered quickly by sweet citrus and floral honeysuckle and lily of the valley. Staying quite linear it all settles down into an almost cologne-like watery floral and mossy scent reminiscent of a men’s scent from the late 60’s or early 70’s. The heaven lotus adds a level of early glamorous indolic beauty that is prominent thru the drydown.

Since the 70’s was my “coming-of-age” era, that’s very likely why it resonates with me so profoundly on so many levels. It feels as familiar to me as a well worn pair of bell bottom jeans and platform shoes, reminding me so much of “home” and a happy time in my life, that it almost brings me to tears with the memory of my parents and my own foolish youthful days.

vert-boheme-tom-ford-diahann_carroll_julia-wikicommonsWikiCommons

Nothing groundbreaking but beautiful none the less and a welcome addition to my fragrance wardrobe.

Further reading: GQ Magazine and Perfume Posse
LuckyScent has $225/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/0.5ml

Have you tried any of the new Tom Ford Vert series?

giveaway TheTruthAboutMummy

Tom Ford: Vert Boheme GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 4ml decant of Vert Boheme
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us what you would wear with your Tom Ford: Vert Boheme.
(Don’t worry about realities like money, figure, age or anything. Let your imagination run wild)

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 22nd December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 28th December 2016 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

 

Noir Epices by Michel Roudnitska for Frederic Malle 2000

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

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Post by Claire Vukcevic

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Hi APJ folk!

We’ve been enjoying an amazing autumn here in Ireland. Lucky enough to live in the most sheltered spot on this rain-sodden island, we spent most of October and November trawling the long, golden beaches and kicking over the leaves in castle parks. The sun never stopped shining, temperatures barely dipped below 15 degrees, and we were all in such a damn good mood. Then one day, driving back from a jaunt to Kilkenny, I made the fatal mistake of saying, “And imagine – the kids haven’t been sick even once!”

Jesus.

Naturally, there hasn’t been a dry tissue in the house since. There’s been the flu, chest infections, and a torn cornea that necessitated an emergency hospital visit and a hefty bill (no health insurance). More familiar with hospital waiting rooms than I’d care to be, I have developed a perfume strategy that helps a bit. I wear powerfully radiant, antiseptic fumes that march ahead of me, wiping whole rooms down with Dettol before I enter, and whisper “Do not fuck with me” to receptionists.

Noir Epices by Frederic Malle 2000

Noir Epices by Michel Roudnitska

noir-epices-frederic-malle-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange, rose, geranium
Heart: Nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, cloves
Base: Sandalwood, patchouli, cedar, vanilla

Yeah, so, I’m wearing a lot of Noir Epices. It is a difficult, somewhat prickly perfume – a sort of stripped-down, Vorsprung Durch Technik version of Coco. Re-engineered to remove all the sweetness and ballasting amber; it’s the perfume equivalent of whittling a comfy sofa into a Philippe Starck chair.

noir-epices-frederic-malle-ngv_design_philippe_starck_w-w-_stool-wikicommonsWikiCommons

In the opening notes, a hot pink rose stumbles onto the scene, flushed and boozy, washed down with the metallic sheen of geranium leaf. It is intensely beautiful to me at first because I get the impression of fullness – the bitter greenness of the geranium balanced by the rose, and the dry, peppery spices are backed up by rich woods. Singed orange peel and clove burn through spices, florals, and woods, purifying the unclean air around me and excoriating the flesh around open wounds. Noir Epices is the answer to the plague.

I feel fierce when I wear this, but eventually the very things that make me feel protected wear me down. Wearing Noir Epices is like putting a pure vitamin C serum on your face – the burning feels good because you know that it is active, but at the same time, the discomfort is real. Noir Epices has all the trappings of a rich spice oriental – the acidity of spilled orange juice, dry pomander woods, black pepper, an excitable rose – but completely lacks the underpinnings. There is no amber, vanilla, or creamy, hefty woods to round this out in the base, and while I understand that its appeal comes from this woody weightlessness, I would wish for a kinder, more forgiving ending. Noir Epices is a stern judge of character.

noir-epices-frederic-malle-ku_kai-chih-wikicommonsWikipedia

Longevity and sillage are outstanding, 7 hours at the least. I recommend Noir Epices to anyone in need of a magic potion to ward off illnesses, and to fans of spicy, dry orange-rose pomander fragrances such as Coco and Maharanih.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Non Blonde
Mecca has $217/50ml with FREE Australian Shipping
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $8.69/ml

What do you guys use to banish the sickies?

Slán,
Claire

APJ Crew: What We Loved In 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

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Post by APJ Crew

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Hi APJ,

The end of the year hurtles towards us faster than I was ready for. A year filled with fun and adventure, a year fraught with political upheaval, a year of fragrance, travel, friends and families. For many 2016 has been the year of war, displacement, challenge, heartache and despair. Most of us have had a year of good and bad, a year of work, home and regular life with its ups and downs, drama and spots of magic that make it all worthwhile.

Here’s what the crew at APJ loved the most in 2016. Not all of it fragrant. I hope you enjoy a little look into what we rated high. The order is the order the pieces came into my inbox.

APJ Crew: What We Loved In 2016

skinceuticals-retinol-1-0-1-oz

Claire Vukčević

Honestly? Apart from perfume, the biggest discovery in 2016 was how brilliant Tretinoin is. Northing I’ve ever used before has had such an effect on my skin – small wrinkles minimized, pores reduced, overall skin texture improved. I love the stuff. I can’t find a doctor to prescribe it to me here, so I will have to source it out on the Internet – always a crapshoot, no? But still, it’s great and I will take the chance. For 2017, I am also excited about exploring a more extensive, Korean-style skincare regime. Next year will be all about getting that chok chok, or Korean glow. We’ll see. I just turned 40 and I think that Irish skin might have a finite stock of chok chok and that perhaps I used mine all up in 1997. Call me in 2018 to see how that works out for me.

Galop d`Hermes Hermes Fragrantica1

Sandra
Hey APJ! Wishing ya’ll a very happy and safe holiday season and hoping that 2016 was a good year. 2016 has been tumultuous for me but we survived and we are currently setting up our house in Rotterdam. My favorites for 2016 are not necessarily new but new experiences for me.
Perfumes: Rahele by NVC, Galop and Muguet Porcelaine both by Hermes, discovering the pure decadence of Shalimar in all its variations and last but not least finally getting my hands on the gorgeous Dior Privee Bois d’Argent.
Movies: watching A Christmas Story with my son and hearing his squeals of laughter.
TV shows: I enjoyed Narcos and The Crown (I know – two wildly different shows!). Flowers: finally smelling a vanilla orchid.
Books: all the Robert Galbraith crime novels and rereading Roald Dahl books with my son.
Bring on 2017! Sandra xoxo
Week July 2016 #25 CHANEL Boy

Robert Herrmann

Phew. 2016. What a tumultuous year it was and all I can say is “Buh-bye 2016! Don’t let the door hit you on the way out! A year of highs and lows, and what got me through much of it was perfume. Always there at my beck and call…

In 2016 there were in excess of 1100 new releases averaging out to almost 100 a month. Did I try even 10% of them? Possibly, but not likely. There were some standouts that I ended up loving. So in no particular order, here’s what was new to me in 2016….

Boy by Chanel, a VERY unisex Fougere Cologne. Addictive.
Amouage Lilac Love, a truly gorgeous non-lilac lilac.
Amouage Opus X, “The Red Violin” in a bottle. A weird and wonderful rose.
Aroma M Voluptuous Nostalgia and Camillia Extrait, two of the finest contemporary but vintage-style perfumes. Gorgeous!
En Voyage Rainmaker, like walking through the Pacific Northwest rain forest. Amazing.
Dusita Infini, One of the finest oudh’s. Really. Even if you’re not an Oudh fan, try this, it’s stunning!
MFK’s Grand Soir, my new cold weather go-to. Gourmand heaven.
Zoologist Civet (releasing Dec.31st) exquisite. I can’t even.

streets-with-people-in-havana-cuba

Anne Marie

I had fun in 2016 exploring Cuban culture. I can’t remember what brought this on, but somehow I got interested in Cuban food, music, literature and of course, Cuban-inspired perfume. It’s easy to get carried away by a romantic idea of old Havana so the quite gritty novels of Cuban writer Leonardo Padura Fuentes brought me down to earth with a thump. Still, I taught myself to make mojitos, discovered the Lecuona Cuban Boys, and bought a Cuban cookbook (more read than cooked from, I have to admit). Of course bottles of Guerlain Pour Homme and Aramis Havana were obligatory!

doblis-hermes

Val the Cookie Queen

Seeing MUSE on the Drones Tour. After having attended hundreds of gigs in my lifetime, including so many in the mid seventies punk era, to see MUSE at aged 56 and be absolutely blown away was the definitive highlight of 2016.
Celebrating my grandmother-in-law`s 100th birthday gathering was a great privilege. She can still tell a joke to turn your hair white. We have had a close relationship for nearly 25 years. I love her.
Fragrance wise would be receiving a bottle of Hermès Doblis as a gift. The humorous side to this was having to Google it to see exactly what I had. It is the prize possession in my small ( but not as small as it used to be!) fragrance collection.

icons-ii-inferno-4

Erica Golding

2016 was the 10th anniversary of my favorite perfume house, NAVA (Nocturne Alchemy). They are poised to revamp their website and packaging over an extended winter hiatus, and like most fans I went on an ordering spree in December! My favorite 2016 NAVA release was the now Sold Out limited edition Icons II: Inferno, a luxuriously smooth and resonant amber oudh that is in a league all its own.
This year, the novel City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin was finally released, completing a long-anticipated trilogy. His writing is infused with vivid poetry and complex character development, elevating a storyline that could otherwise be classified as Sci-Fi. Deeply moving literary fiction, highly recommended!

TinaG

My travels this year took me to the Islay Festival, or Feis Ile, a whisky festival on the Scottish island of the same name. I fell in love with Islay, not only because of the wonderful people and magnificent whisky, but for the wild island itself. My cottage was 9 kms from Port Ellen along a windy single track road which took my past Lagavulin, Laphroaig and Ardbeg distilleries (for those who know their whisky) and then along little beaches & craggy coves. One of my favourite things to do on my way home was to pull in at one secluded beach, and sit for a while watching the local seals. It was ridiculously cool to hear them slapping the water, blowing bubbles, and chasing each other around. Just me & them, chilling out enjoying the last few rays of the golden evenings. Magical.
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Tina’s Ireland cottage
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Seal Bay
15435648_10154621357945115_144390778_nThree distilleries near thecottage

Portia

What did I love this year? I particularly loved everyone who took time to read and comment here on APJ. Thank you. Loved all our contributors, I know how hard you all work to continually pull interesting posts out of the hat. BRAVO!
Perfume: The things I purchased most of this year in mls are Granville and vintage Miss Dior by DIOR, vintage Mitsouko by Guerlain and BOY + Misia by CHANEL. New niche faves for me have been Morn To Dusk by Eau d’Italie and Rahele by Neela Vermeire.
Travel: Jin & I had a great time in Japan, we also loved seeing Venice with Tara of A Bottled Rose and our friend Anna-Maria. Unforgettable times.
Books: The Herland Trilogy by Charlotte Perkins Gilman blew my mind, can’t stop thinking about it. Erin Watt’s Royal Trilogy is non-stop pot-boiling reading, could not put this terrible trash down and did nothing except read them for a week. When It Rains and How To Get There are two books by Australian writer Maggie MacKeller on her dealing with grief and moving on, all set against the backdrop of the Australia that I know & love.

Venice'16 #6

What did you love about 2016?
Portia xx

Kiki EdP GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

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Post by Portia

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Hiya APJ,

Thank you to Val the Cookie Queen and Vero Kern for their amazing generosity. Want to try the fragrances? Surrender To Chance has a good selection of the EdPs to sample. LuckyScent and First In Fragrance have the full ranges.

Let’s see who won,
Portia x

 

Kiki EdP GIVEAWAY WINNERS

val-vero-dec-2016-5
val-vero-dec-2016-6

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Kiki EdP decant from CQs bottle
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 15th December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

Winners thegarfieldshow-diary

Greennote: Kiki decant

TaraC: BONUS EdP sample

The winners will have till Wednesday 21st December 2016 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

 

A Scent by Daphne Bugey for Issey Miyake 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

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Post by Anne-Marie

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Hi everyone,

I ignored Issey Mikaye’s A Scent when it came out. I was happily immersed in niche and vintage sampling then, trying all I could of the latest darling releases: Andy Tauer sample sets, Parfum d’Empire, Parfums de Nicolai … Lutens … the latest Chanel Les Exlcusifs … I practically camped outside the letter box waiting for L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore to be delivered (it didn’t work for me sadly), and a gift of a bottle of vintage Miss Dior was a thrill beyond words.

A Scent never stood a chance. I tried department store testers but tended to agree with reviewers who generally seemed underwhelmed.
Well, recently I picked up a small bottle for $10 from a shop selling off a bunch of testers. Why not, at that price? Get it while you can…

A Scent by Issey Miyake 2009

A Scent by Daphne Bugey

a-scent-by-issey-miyake-issey-miyake-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives thee featured accords:
Amalfi lemon, lemon verbena, jasmine, hyacinth, Virginia cedar, galbanum

A Scent opens with a tang of citrus followed quickly by a realistic evocation of hyacinth, very bracing, but not as bitter as actual hyacinths can smell. After that the fragrance relaxes and I smell mixed clean green florals over a gentle base of musk (not listed as a note). Longevity is good and sillage moderate. I wore it on warm day during a long car journey and found it a refreshing but gentle presence over several hours, with nothing to offend my fellow travellers.

a-scent-by-issey-miyake-blue-hyacinths-pdiPDI

The hyacinth is what pleases me about A Scent. I recognise it distinctly but it is not as heavy as the other hyacinth perfume I know well, Guerlain Chamade. A Scent is frequently compared to other great classics, Chanel Cristalle and No 19, and not favourably. ‘Nice, but not as good as … ‘.

But many people would find A Scent easier to wear, I think. It is green all the way through but without sharpness or bitterness, and anyone worried about dirty moss or wet stones need have no concerns here. It reminds me a bit of Estee Lauder Pure White Linen but without the herbal shampoo accord that makes PWL a bit banal for me.

Miyake reportedly does not like fragrance and this one is said to be inspired by the smell of Japanese mountains. It smells clean and cool, damp but not watery, and conforms with Miyake’s minimalist aesthetic.

a-scent-by-issey-miyake-hiroshige_a_mountain_in_the_snow-wikicommonsWikiCommons

A Scent is not a masterpiece, but if it sounds like your thing, grab it while you can. Yes – it’s discontinued, but widely available at the online discounters. There’s a pink flanker, A Scent by Issey Miyake Eau de Parfum Florale. That one is still on the market but I have not tried it. Do comment if you have.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Perfume Shrine
FragranceNet has AUD$23/47ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Green fragrances can be tricky to wear. Do you have a favourite?
Until next time, keep spritzing everyone!
Anne-Marie

Three Kings and Christmas Season Fragrances

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

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Post by TinaG

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Hi APJ!

Christmas is a week and a bit away yet, but somehow feels like it’s tomorrow. To help us get into the holiday season I thought I’d take a look at some traditional Christmassy scents. Hard to choose just one sometimes! But let’s take a look.

Three Kings Fragrances

Let’s take a look at what fragrances the three kings may have worn to match their scents.

larmes-du-desert-atelier-des-ors-fragranticaFragrantica

Gold: Larmes Du Désert – Atelier des Ors
The beautiful sun-rayed bottles with flakes of real gold make wonderful perfumed snow-globes. Pick it up & give it a shake, preferably while standing in sunlight. What do they smell like? I can’t remember, I was too mesmerised by the sparkles.

oliban-keiko-mecheri-fragranticaFragrantica

Frankincense: Oliban – Keiko Mecheri
Frankincense is sometimes referred to as olibanum/oliban , and the perfume of that name by Keiko Mecheri has a fabulous, photo-realistic frankincense note which smelt like it had been grabbed straight from the burning censer. I’m gonna be bold and put it out there as a must-sniff for this incense note. Portia has done a lovely Oliban review

wazamba-parfum-dempire-fragranticaFragrantica

Myrrh: Parfum d’Empire – Wazamba
Wazamba opens resinous and sticky, almost a honeyed amber with an interesting apple note. This settles to a straight-up dry myrrh throughout the dry down. Myrrh is an interesting resin to burn, it has a cool greyness about it. Wazamba manages to capture this incense wonderfully.

Christmas Season Fragrances

Christmas in the southern hemisphere is VERY different to that up north so some thought needs to go into what to wear on the big day.

aqua-allegoria-winter-delice-guerlain-fragranticaFragrantica

Winter: Guerlain – Aqua Allegoria, Winter Delice
Winter Delice is a walk through a European mountain forest, fir and pine. It it well balanced and eminently wearable. It is unfortunately discontinued but bottles do pop up from time to time.

at-the-beach-1966-cb-i-hate-perfume-fragranticaFragrantica

Summer: CB I Hate Perfume – At The Beach 1966
This is a day at the beach, suntan lotion, salt spray and warmth. I’ve only sniffed this from a friend’s sample but it left such a strong impression of summer’s past – a great frag to try for a flashback.

What fragrances are you grabbing as we head directly into the holiday season?

Till next time!
Tina G xx