Val CQ’s Easy Banana Bread Recipe (No Nut) 1985

October 27, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

After posting a picture of my banana bread on FB and being swamped with requests (three) to share the recipe I thought I would. This is the recipe I use when customers order banana bread, so why not? I live in a country where banana bread is not part of their baked goods culture, so I do not have a lot of competition. Nevertheless this is a great recipe. I have tweaked it over the years and cannot remember where I got the original recipe.

Easy Banana Bread Recipe (No Nut) 1985

It is moist and fragrant and delicious on its own. It toasts up a treat and is great with butter and lime marmalade. My therapist and partner-in-crime likes it with orange cream-cheese frosting. If you can get hold it guava jelly that would work too.

No great secrets, it is easy to make. Use the best ingredients you can. Baking does not magically turn crap into gourmet. Unless you are Rumpelstiltskin.

1 cup of unsalted and softened butter (225g)
1 cup of light brown sugar (180g)
6 large eggs (Yep – 6, that is not a mistake and best a room temperature)
2 cups of plain flour ( about 340g) (US call it all purpose flour)
2 tsps of baking powder (leveled off of course)
Good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/4 tsp, you can use powdered nutmeg but I wouldn’t!)
Pinch of salt
3 ripe bananas. Lightly mashed. ( I have used all sizes to be honest, but tend towards larger ones. The recipe is quite forgiving though.)
2 tsps of vanilla extract (real please)

Please note, unlike many banana breads, there is no cinnamon or nuts. You can chuck in half a tsp of cinnamon if you want, but cinnamon in baked goods makes them all taste so similar. The minute amount of nutmeg gives it just a lift, and compliments the bananas beautifully. I do love nuts, but not in this. Only as decoration.

Before starting always prepare the pan. A 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Butter and flour it. If the pan is rusted and a hundred years old because you never use it, then lightly butter the pan and line it with baking paper first. Mash the bananas and have them ready, I add the vanilla to the mashed bananas. Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg in a bowl.

Preheat the oven to 180°c or 350°f. If you use a fan oven then drop it a few degrees, but you will know that yourselves.

1. Cream the butter and the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer.

2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating really well after each addition. (They may look like they curdle a little as you get towards the fourth or fifth egg, but it does not matter. Keep beating!)

3. Add your dry ingredients a little at a time, and beat well after each addition. (I do it in 4 goes)

4. Add the bananas and vanilla and then just mix to combine. Don´t beat the living daylights out of it, a few lumps of banana is good.

5. Pour your prepared batter into the pan. You can decorate it with nuts if you wish to.

6. Bung it in the preheated oven.

7. Bake it until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. (This is not brownies, we do not want batter dripping off of or clinging onto the skewer, toothpick or whatever.) Baking time seems to differ, anything from 60 to 80 minutes. You will have to see yourself.

8. Cool the loaf for about 15 minutes in the pan then turn it out onto a rack an let it cool.

If you get a perfect banana bread, message me. I need an assistant.

Sorry that there is only picture of the finished banana bread, I didn’t know I was gonna post this!!

Banana Bussis
CQ

Curve Kicks by Liz Claiborne 2006

October 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Post by Azar

Hi APJ Pals,

Perfume junkies know that fragrance has a profound and powerful effect on emotions and memories. A perfume can literally make us happy, chemically force us into a state of bliss, put a spring in our step, a smile on our face and infuse our entire being with energetic optimism. Today I’m going to talk about a fragrance that does all of the above for me, my favorite cheap thrill in a perfume bottle – Curve Kicks for Women by Liz Claiborne.

Curve Kicks by Liz Claiborne 2006

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Melon, mandarin orange, cassia, pear
Heart: Peony, passionfruit, freesia, lily-of-the-valley
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, peach, vetiver, cedar

Kicks for Women is one of the 18 or so scents in the Liz Claiborne Curve Collection. That being said, parsing the notes in Kicks is really a meaningless exercise for me. Here is my experience of the fragrance.

Of all the cheapies in my collection Curve Kicks is my favorite. It has to be the least expensive fragrance I own and easily worth its weight in denatured alcohol. The price alone makes me smile, as does the bottle and the shiny metal can it comes in.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Kicks opens with a totally synthetic fruit cocktail featuring warm peach and orange fruit cooling rapidly to pear, melon and wet spring florals. It would be easy to dismiss this stuff as your average teenybopper body spray – but wait! At about thirty minutes Kicks jump starts my olfactory memories and returns me to mid 20th century Central Florida and the smell of the citrus processing plants. If you have ever experienced that overpowering fragrance (some call it a stench) you will, for good or ill, never be able to forget it.

Photo Stolen Pexels

After about an hour or so in the processing plant, Kicks begins a long, lovely eight-hour dry down toward a final, quiet, almost elegant combination of powdery sandalwood, vanilla, cedar and a breath of peach all wrapped in a subtle wisp of processed citrus steam. The conspicuous absence of even the slightest reference to patchouli sets Curve Kicks apart from its contemporary fruit-chouli sisters. To summarize: Curve Kicks for Woman is fruity, chemical sunshine mixed with powdery, sweet woods, diluted in perfumer’s alcohol and packaged in metal, glass and glitter.

FragranceNet has $17/100ml before Coupon

Today’s draw: I will be giving away two Curve Kicks for Women 5.4 ml minis, shipping and handling everywhere. To be eligible for the draw please let us know how you follow APJ and tell us a little about a fragrance that really MAKES you happy – a perfume that FORCES you into a state of happiness!

Photo Stolen manoneileen

Curve Kicks GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

Today’s giveaway: There are two prizes, one each.
Curve Kicks for Women 5.4 ml minis
P&H Worldwide

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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

To be eligible please tell us how you follow APJ

AND

Tell us a little about a fragrance that really MAKES you happy – a perfume that FORCES you into a state of happiness!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 29th October 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Sunday 1st November 2015 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.

Mascara: I look like an idiot so you don’t have to: Mascara

October 25, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Post by AF Beauty

We’ve had a couple of mentions in previous comments about mascaras. I have never really subscribed to the idea of expensive mascaras because I have never really seen the benefit of spending $40 on black goo that I could otherwise buy for $20 at the local chemist. However, I have had a small epiphany.

Mascara, MASCARA, Mascara

I look like an idiot so you don’t have to

In previous comments the famous Maybelline Great Lash Mascara was mentioned, so I dutifully toddled off and purchased this one:

I chose the washable version thinking that having to scrape off a waterproof version might kill my eyes. In retrospect that may have been a better outcome!

My present gym routine involves a boxing class three times a week. I LOVE boxing – SO much fun! Generally I start with a full-ish face of makeup but by the time I’ve punched and kicked till scarlet, my makeup has done it’s best to disappear. One particular day, my boxing trainer was giving me side eyes and then looks bold and says, “you have black all down your eyes!” I totally styled it out and retorted, “It’s because I’m so tough!” And I am tough, but truth is; my mascara had let me down in a big way. Bummer.

So I started looking online for more info about a type of mascara called tubing mascara. I had read about it a few years ago, I knew Clinique did one and wanted to find some more options. The idea of tubing mascara is that the mascara goo forms a tube around each of your lashes and therefore will not smudge down your face. It can also be washed off easily without waterproof makeup remover. Sounds too good to be true, right?!

Luckily my research coincided with a spare 15 minutes I had at Sydney Domestic Airport where they have a new beauty store called Amuse that sells a variety of beauty brands. My research had led me to a MAC mascara called Opulash, so off I went to purchase.

I told the MAC SA (who was super nice and helpful) about wanting a tubing mascara and not wanting smudginess. She told me all MAC mascaras were non-smudging, I admit I inwardly scoffed. She also told me of a different mascara which she said was tubing called Extended Play Gigblack Lash. She was that nice that I took her at her word and bought the Extended Play even though I’d read about the other one. I admit, I was feeling hopeful, but my expectations were almost nil. However, I have been using this mascara now for a couple of weeks and have deliberately been applying pre-workouts to see whether it will smudge – and NADA. Not even a hint of it. This is an angels singing moment!

Because I go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week, this has been a real gamechanger. I don’t feel like I need to give my makeup more than a second thought and I have confidence now that I’m not going to look dishevelled in my makeup, even if the rest of me looks like a mess!

Have you heard of tubing mascara? What’s your favourite?
AF Beauty xx

Rozy Eau de Parfum by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo 2014

October 22, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Post by Erica Golding

Hello to all my kindred scented souls!

Let’s talk about intensity. When you find a scent you love, do you instinctively assume that the more concentrated version is the most beautiful and preferable? Honestly, I’m not ashamed to admit that I have that exact reaction when given the option – I have a very passionate, excessive personality. And let’s be real, parfum bottles are sexy little crystalline gemstones! However, I have learned that more concentrated versions are not unanimously my preference when given skin time.

My most recent lesson was thanks to my darling friend Tena, who generously graced my life with the soul-shattering masterpiece:

Rozy Eau de Parfum by Vero Profumo 2014

Rozy Eau de Parfum by Vero Kern

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Oriental rose, tuberose, currant buds and leaves, honey, spices, sandalwood, labdanum, peach, passion fruit, lilac flowers

I have been cautiously testing Vero’s creations over the past year or so. Her art is vivid and limitless, and make me feel like I’m on another planet (a kickass landscape of wild colors and glamorous confidence). I remember trying the Voile de Extrait composition of Rozy, and though I enjoyed it thoroughly, I didn’t bond with it emotionally. However, when I first inhaled the Rozy Eau de Parfum concentration, it was like glitter firebombs of glory through my entire body!

Photo Stolen Pixabay

I spritz on Rozy EdP and my brain just sparkles. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s like I can see the electric sparks firing between neurons. The note list explains absolutely nothing about the aroma as it reaches into me. The notes dryly suggest that I should expect a fruity floral, honeyed and powdery. Ha! That’s hilarious, because all I smell is glitter for my mind. It’s completely new to me, but with comfortingly familiar threads as well. The balance is unprecedented. I can’t pick out notes without feeling like it’s a rude gesture.

I really liked Rozy VdE, but the Eau de Parfum version has completely blasted pure shimmering light into every dark corner of my being. I can’t believe that a less concentrated version has won my heart with such uncontested dominance!

Photo Stolen Vero Profumo

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Candy Perfume Boy
First In Fragrance has €165/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/.5ml

What is your take on fragrances that offer different concentrations (usually featuring composition tweaks with different accent notes and balances)? Do you assume that the more concentrated, expensive version in the fanciest bottle is the best? Has your skin ever proven you wrong?

Please discuss below as I swirl in my little galaxy of Rozy Eau de Parfum. Smooches!

-Erica

By Kilian Launch in Harrold’s Sydney

October 20, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

By Kilian has finally graced Australian shores, exclusive to Harrold’s Sydney and Melbourne. By Kilian was originally launched in 2007 by Kilian Hennessey.

Kilian hails from a long heritage of cognac makers and gained his interest in perfumery through a curiosity of “the angels share;” the mysterious percentage of alcohol, which disappears during cognac’s aging process. He studied with perfumers Jacques Cavallier, Thierry Wasser, Alberto Morillas, Calice Becker and worked with perfume houses including Dior, McQueen and Armani.

Luxury and beauty is the core of the brand but there is an edgier side too exploring daring themes such as forbidden pleasures and addictive states of mind. With Kilian citing “perfume should be a messenger who opens a thousand doors in the memory” we can sense his passion. He believes a great perfume is firstly a great story, which evolves into a fragrance, comparable to film making, in that a director cannot make a film before first writing the script. Packaging states “Perfume is an Art” but Kilian says it should also have a conscience, therefore all bottle a are refillable and can be kept and reused for a lifetime ecoluxe philosophy:

By Kilian Launch in Harrold’s Sydney

I shimmied into Harrold’s, Sydney to have a long awaited sniff. The shelves looked gorgeous in black and white while packaging glistened opulently, obviously inspired by art deco.

First smelling Straight to Heaven and Liaisons Dangereuses, both florals from the L’œuvre Noire collection. These contain the highest quality and most expensive raw materials in perfumery today. The goal was to create a collection with no limits to imagination or price. The scents are inspired by art and literature working around themes of love, its prohibitions and temptations.

Asian Tales collection is a spiritual olfactive journey inspired by traditional Asian folklore. The red adorning the bottles and boxes salutes Chinese culture and considered a lucky color. The silver coin amulet with eight letter k’s engraved on it, dangling from a red tassel is intended to bring success to the fragrance wearer. I smelt Bamboo Harmony, the only citrus fragrance from the brand.

In the Garden of Good and Evil explores carnal sin and is supposed to manifest sexually charged desires. A jeweled clutch featuring a snake protects the bottles and doubles as an evening bag, even fitting an iPhone! I smelt woody In the City of Sin, floral Good Girl Gone Bad and floral oriental Forbidden Games.

The most recent released collection, Addictive State of Mind nods to the highs of olfactive dependence and give a sense of escapism. Containing ingredients such as coffee, tobacco and sugar Intoxicated, Light My Fire and Smoke for the Soul are all classed as wood fragrances and are all so tempting!! The packaging is a heavy and solid keepsake and reminiscent of a vintage cigar box.

Have you been down to experience the collections? Have you tried them before? Tell me some stories of your encounters with By Kilian brand!!

Honey by Laurie Stern for Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery 2007

October 15, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Post by Poodle

There was a time when perfumers didn’t need to say their products were all natural. Perfumes back in the day used natural ingredients because we didn’t have all the aroma chemicals we do today. If a perfume smelled of roses it was because it contained rose. Today’s natural perfumers carry on that tradition and some, I must say, do it better than others. I usually don’t gravitate towards naturals for a variety of reasons but once in a while one catches my attention.

Honey by Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery 2007

Honey by Laurie Stern

Photo Stolen Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery

Notes: orange blossom, Moroccan rose, Bulgarian rose, vetiver, Madagascar vanilla, honey, beeswax, sandalwood, clove, pomegranate, pink grapefruit

I recently received a sample of Honey and was pleasantly surprised it. It has decent longevity and is sweet and a little skanky. Perfumer Laurie Stern of Velvet and Sweet Pea Purrfumery has created one of those really good natural perfumes and a classic, sexy scent with Honey.

Honey is a perfume that conjures up vintage perfumes in my mind. When I first tried it it reminded me of something I imagine one of the ladies on Downton Abbey would wear. It smells full and rich. While I wouldn’t say it smells old fashioned I think you’d have to appreciate perfumes along the lines of Bal a Versailles to appreciate Honey. In one of the episodes of the Downton Abbey Lady Mary spills perfume on her bedroom rug. She describes the end result as smelling like a tart’s boudoir. That’s Honey to me. It smells pretty but there’s that underlying impression that this pretty girl may have a naughty side.

Photo Stolen Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery

A lot of natural fragrances have a rough, unfinished feel to them with little development. Honey doesn’t smell like that to me. While I can detect orange blossom and spices the rest of the notes meld together to create a full, plush bouquet. The roses here are not sour or metallic but more like those big fluffy, old fashioned roses. Opulent comes to mind. The honey note along with pink grapefruit gives it a sexy little twist.

I only had a few drops to test but I could imagine this one packs a punch if sprayed lavishly. You don’t need much and I think a little would go a long way with Honey. As the sweetness of the orange blossom, honey, and vanilla fades the warm, cuddly sandalwood and cloves wrap their arms around you.

Photo Stolen Flickr

I think this leans rather feminine. It may be a bit much for the office. I had the husband give it a sniff and he said at first it reminded him of a woman in church (whatever that means) but then he said on second sniff it reminds him of Rubj which he calls my dirty girl perfume. So that basically falls in line with my impression too of the pretty girl with a naughty side.

Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery has a range of Honey options starting at $50

What perfumes do you think have a naughty side to them?

Until next time,
Hugs
Poodle

Skin Drenching Moisturising Potions

October 14, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Trésor

Autumn is officially in full swing in my humble little corner of the globe and the mercury has finally begun its lengthy descent into what I’m expecting shall soon be one hell of a winter. As much as I adore the delightful chill that comes along with such utterly magnificent sweater weather it also brings with it a far less welcome guest: dry, itchy skin; otherwise known as *the* bane of my existence. Luckily for me (and you beautiful readers, if you just so happen to enjoy a fragrant treat or two…or five) I’ve happened upon a number of exquisite lotions and potions that are both positively nourishing and olfactoriaely sublime and it would be my pleasure to share a few of my favourites with each of you.

Skin Drenching Moisturising Potions

Angel Perfuming Body Cream from Thierry Mugler

I’m fairly certain you’re well aware of just who Angel is, she needs no introduction. She’s the face that launched a thousand ships, the high-octane über-gourmand who’s DNA runs through an astonishing amount of fragrances which occupy the spheres of both designer and niche alike. Here, contained within her fantastically celestial flying saucer, her edges have been softened and entire demeanour expressed with a sense of fluidity and grace. Her holy trinity of neon candy floss, camphorous patchouli and sumptuous dark chocolate are still fully intact but wear closer to the skin, their rich languidity reimagined effortless sensuality in her altered form. Deeper, earthier yet somehow transparent; her beauty now bound to the Earth as much as it is to the stars above.

Feu de Bois Nourishing Body Cream from LAFCO

The aroma of burning wood is one of my favourites in this entire world. Growing up on the East Coast of Canada where winters are considerably harsh and wood stoves are aplenty one comes to associate the fragrance of woodsmoke with their morning routine, the promise of glowing warmth and comfort after waking up to stone floors as cold as ice or conversely the abating comfort of curling up by to the fire in a sinfully cozy blanket and taking a glorious nap on a particularly chilly evening. LAFCO has captured the essence of these moment’s so beautifully, all the while wearing with an incredible ease and a great deal of comfort to skin which may be feeling a bit under the weather. Soft plumes of woodsmoke are joined by the delicate emerald hum of conifer resins that illuminate their sylvan radiance through the diaphanous haze. Utterly sublime.

Pulp Body Cream from Byredo

There are certain accords in the realm of fragrance which one (myself, at the very least) may develop a particularly blasé attitude toward as time passes. One such example for me is the fruity floral, compositions of this nature truly wield the power to bore me to absolute tears but that, of course, is simply my own personal opinion. Every once and a while, though, something comes around and challenges my preconceived notions. It has me falling head over heels for a fragrance that by all accounts I should very much dislike. Meet Pulp from Swedish niche house Byredo, one of the very first fragrances to have put me in this precise position and caused me to reconsider my exploration of an entire genre. Pulp is absolute divinity, a symphonious amalgam of wildly nectarous fruits like succulent blackcurrant, crimson red apple and unbelievably juicy fig, overripe and on the cusp of decay. It’s absolutely magnificent and in my opinion even more enjoyable in the body cream, which lends a most sensual aura to Pulp’s already subversive leitmotif.

Are there any fragrant body creams which you enjoy breaking out when the temperatures begin to fall?

Until next time, my darlings.

Trésor xx

Geisha Noire EdP by Maria McElroy for Aroma M 2007

October 13, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Daisy, Decants and Bagels. A Perfume Love in New York City.

Daisy of coolcookstyle organized an afternoon and evening with Ladies Who Sniff when I was recently in New York City. She picked me up from my hotel lobby and whisked me off to Brooklyn for a visit to Twisted Lily. As much as I enjoy visiting perfume shops I rarely if ever put anything onto my skin. I have an inate fear of ending up with something nasty. Whilst this does fall into the obsessive compulsive disorder category, it is also based on years of experience. I do sniff lots of things on paper, and whilst not being the best way it is usually enough to confirm my suspicions.

As we were about to leave Twisted Lily I picked up a bottle of aroma M Geisha Noire. Daisy suggested I try it, telling me it was beautiful. We were heading out of the door and I had to make a snap decision. Pushed for time I saturated my left lower arm and left.

Geisha Noire EdP by Aroma M 2007

Geisha Noire EdP by Maria McElroy

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Sandalwood, tonka bean, black amber, vanilla

I read incense and patchouli too.

Absolutely exquisite it induces a sense of physical well-being. Despite the richness of the materials that Maria McElroy uses Geisha Noire remains graceful and elegant. Very seductive. It melds itself with the skin and continues to give both comfort and sultriness for many hours. Heady stuff, I cannot recommend it highly enough. I encourage you to take a look at Maria´s website. There you will find her history and sources of inspiration. She founded aroma M 20 years ago and
spent seven years living in Japan.

We moved on from Twisted Lily to a table in a restaurant, where I spent most of the evening sniffing my arm. Sitting at a table with another eight perfumistas I did not look out of place doing so. Daisy took pity on me and offered to bring me a decant of Geisha Noire and meet for bagels the next morning. I love her.

Photo Stolen Flickr

I am majorly kicking myself for not trying the other fragrances in the aroma M collection. This is being remedied.

Stunning packaging, affordable, and even available in Australia! Samples of the whole collection, both EdPs and the oils are also offered.

Photo Donated Maria McElroy

As I was talking to Vero Kern of .vero.profumo. I asked her if she was familiar with Maria McElroy´s work.
She replied: “I discovered Maria´s creations many years ago in Munich, as we had our fragrances together in the same store. And wow, I so enjoyed them. They are beautifully different. And the packaging just gorgeous.”

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and EauMG
Twisted Lily has $85/50ml + Samples

Cherry Blossom Bussis
CQ

The Mini Museum & Esscentual Alchemy – Unguent, Unguentarium & U Tour

October 12, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello APJ,

Several years ago both Brad and I collected all kinds of antiques. We were such crazy collectors that at one point our home began to take on the aspect of a museum. When we moved from that very old house (by American standards an antique in it’s own right) into a larger, more “modern” 1960s home, we gave away or sold many of our old “treasures”. In our new house we resolved to maintain a clean, spare look and try not to become burdened by our stuff. Well, as you probably have guessed, that resolution didn’t last. These days we don’t feel quite so driven to possess used things but we still like the look and feel of something old. I believe that I can sense another person’s way of life or spirit in a vintage piece, not unlike the experience of using someone else’s pen or pencil. For example, when I play a friend’s musical instrument I find it has taken on certain aspects of the musicality of the person who regularly uses it. This phenomenon may be the result of an actual physical change in the instrument’s materials brought on by years of exposure to the player’s individual style.

The Mini Museum & Esscentual Alchemy

Unguent, Unguentarium & U Tour

That being said, toward the end of the summer we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of an unguentarium and two other ancient miniature glass pieces from the Mini Museum’s Unguent, Unguentarium and U Tour. It was a weird experience when we finally opened the boxes. The unguentarium, a very small (just over 4cm high) mouth blown glass bottle, encrusted with sediment, was from the early Roman period, circa the 1st century A.D. It was carefully packaged in sand to give the impression of an archeological dig. An unguentarium (from the Latin unguentarius, a perfumer or dealer in unguents) is a small vessel designed to hold liquid, solid or semi-solid perfumes, cosmetics, perfumed oils, etc. These little bottles can still be found in ancient Greek and Roman sites, especially in tombs.

My favorite of the three artifacts was a longer (7.30 cm), narrower and seemingly more delicate bottle, also of mouth blown glass dating from roughly the same period. This lovely little piece was called a lachrymatory – a vessel for tears or a tear catcher – also used to hold perfumes, fragrant oils and unguents. It is believed that the ancients used these bottles to gather their tears, burying them with their deceased loved ones.

The third artifact was a tiny blown glass mold form probably created around 50. A.D. in Phoenicia (modern Lebanon).

In addition to the three ancient minis there were two modern perfume samples, created by perfumer Amanda Feeley of Essential Alchemy specifically for this Mini Museum traveling unguentraium project. Here is a brief description of these fragrances from the museum’s fact sheets:

” ‘Helena’ is the chosen name for both the ancient vessel…and the commissioned re-creation of [an] ancient Roman unguent by perfumer, Amanda Feeley. In her meditation with the vial, Amanda ‘felt an image of a woman in a garden on a warm, spring day’…The end result was her ‘Helena’ – the reconstructed, oil-based fragrance of 30% parfum concentration and ‘Helena MMXIV’ – the brighter, alcohol-based eau de parfum…”

For more information about these beautiful fragrances check Amanda Feeley’s website. I understand there will be another Unguentarium Tour next year. If you are interested in the project contact Allen at the Miniature Perfume Shoppe/Mini Museum

Azar xx

Eyebrows

October 11, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by AF Beauty

I kinda wish the focus on eyebrows had been as strong back when I were a teenager and in my early 20’s as it is now. I spent my 20’s plucking my brows inefficiently and without much consideration of what I was doing. Fast forward a decade and my sparse eyebrows caused my new beautician to almost cry in anguish at the state of them.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Eyebrows

I’ve learned a few lessons since then and have a few tricks up my sleeve, but truth be told – I am still looking for reliability in my brows and am considering temporary tattooing – have any of you tried it? It seems incredibly pricy and if I’m honest I’m scared, but the results do look tempting.

In the meantime, I have a couple of great products and I practice some techniques I’ve found – I’ll share them with you.

In my previous post about budget beauty I mentioned the Brow Lash compact – still my morning go-to brow definer.

But I’ve also found these two brow pencils, easier for travel or taking to the gym.

The first I found on in an Asian beauty store – Brow Lash Ex. This is a handy tool that turned out better than I initially expected – a double ended tool with a pencil on one end and a powder on the other. The powder applicator is contained in a spring loaded attachment which avoids that issue of too much or too little powder. The texture is good and the colour suitable for light to mid brunettes, perhaps also blondes with darker brows. Good for less dramatic effect.

The second pencil is from Napoleon Perdis, just a regular pencil, retractable, but incredibly reliable. The pencil is thin to avoid overly dark application but strong enough not to break too easily or smudge too much. This is one of the easiest I’ve found that I can use with some of the techniques I’ve found online to improve eyebrow shape.

My eyebrows are still a bit patchy, despite the past 10 years of much more considerate eyebrow management – hence my need for the pencils and powders I’ve mentioned, but these are no good without techniques. Pinterest, if you’ve not used it before is a great source of random info and brows are a popular pin.

Here are a couple of pins that I think are easiest to translate from internet to self:
– the idea on this one is to create the overall shape of the brow and then fill in – easy!
– this one contains info on plucking and keeping shape – although you do need a decent enough brow to start with for this one.
– this one recommends eyebrow shape for different face shapes. Although I’d not be overly led by this sort of recommendation, it’s worth considering your face shape now and in future if you decide to take more permanent action on your brows – basically consider whether you want a permanent raised brow look or if you lost or gained weight how your brows might change.

What are your eyebrow secrets?
AF Beauty x

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Contributors

Curve Kicks by Liz Claiborne 2006

Curve Kicks by Liz Claiborne 2006

Curve Kicks GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

Mascara: I look like an idiot so you don’t have to: Mascara

Mascara, MASCARA, Mascara

I look like an idiot so you don’t have to

Rozy Eau de Parfum by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo 2014

Rozy Eau de Parfum by Vero Profumo 2014

Rozy Eau de Parfum by Vero Kern

By Kilian Launch in Harrold’s Sydney

By Kilian Launch in Harrold’s Sydney

Honey by Laurie Stern for Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery 2007

Honey by Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery 2007

Honey by Laurie Stern

Skin Drenching Moisturising Potions

Skin Drenching Moisturising Potions

Angel Perfuming Body Cream from Thierry Mugler

Feu de Bois Nourishing Body Cream from LAFCO

Pulp Body Cream from Byredo

The Mini Museum & Esscentual Alchemy – Unguent, Unguentarium & U Tour

The Mini Museum & Esscentual Alchemy

Unguent, Unguentarium & U Tour

Eyebrows

Eyebrows