Contributors

Vitriol d’œillet by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2011

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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Portia gifted me recently with a bottle of Serge Lutens’ Vitriol d’oeillet. I cherished the bottle and violet coloured juice, only giving it a good airing yesterday. It was perfect for a late afternoon BBQ in autumn. Powdery, airy and floral it felt beautiful and delicate to wear.

Vitriol d’œillet by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2011

Vitriol d’œillet Serge Lutens FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Nutmeg, clove, pink pepper, pepper, paprika, carnation, wallflower, lily, ylang-ylang

Initially waxy and slightly creamy, carnation and some sweet nutmeg. I expected it to be a clove spice bomb, but its pretty and floral on me. It is like smelling a bouquet of carnations in a vase, without any fresh or green notes. It’s also reminiscent in parts of a good powdery pot pouri, however not grannyish or dated. The ‘clovieness’ that people complain about on me is rounded out and far from medicinal.

An hour in, after a little soapiness something deeper is revealed: ylang ylang! An essential oil I used to wear a lot as a teenager, but I seem to rarely see now in the perfumes I wear. I really enjoy it in this fragrance. Chilli and pink peppercorns bring a sparkly element in for me. The chilli is not as strong as the chilli infusion in Arquiste’s ‘Anima Dulcis’ but the sharp lash of its tongue is most certainly present.

From Serge Lutens: “What is it, Doctor Jekyll?” Listen, my child, and I will tell you everything. Take a carnation and a sufficient quantity of Cayenne pepper. Firmly drive it into the very center, using the “nails” of a clove. Before committing the final act of violence, let wallflower throw in a few punches.

Vitriol d’œillet Serge Lutens Carnation_flower WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

So what exactly is wallflower (botanical name: Erysimum)? It’s a little yellow / orange flower from the mustard side of the brassicaceae (cabbage) family. Known as the ‘fragrant kings of the cabbage family’ they don’t sound glamorous to me! Found commonly in public parks and gardens as they are easy to grow. Originally from rocky parts of Syria, Turkey and Greece. They flower through spring and summer bringing a scent that is sweet and heady, somewhere between carnation and sweet peas.

In perfumery wallflower is a fantasy note, a unicorn of sorts. Thus ‘wallflower’ is usually made from a combination of salicylates, geranium oil and acetate, para cresyl acetate, eugenol, carnaline rhodia and nerol. Interestingly many of these ingredients are used when making carnation and sweet pea too – it’s all in the ratios for these flowers with similar chemical makeup.

Vitriol d’œillet Serge Lutens Wallflower GeographPhoto Stolen Geograph

To train your nose to pick Wallflower, first smell some at your local nursery and then try the following:

1991- Dior’s Dune mixes wallflower in the floral heart with jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, lily, wallflower, lichen. Accentuated with bergamot, mandarin, palisander, aldehyde, peony and broom in the top notes. Base notes include vanilla, patchouli, benzoin, sandalwood, amber, oakmoss, and musk.
2014 – Fendi’s Furiosa contains top notes of Calabrian bergamot, wallflower at the heart and amber in the base.
2000- L’Artisan’s Oeilet Sauvage is a honeyed carnation made of pink pepper, rose, carnation, ylang-ylang, lily, wallflower, morning glory, resin and vanilla.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Black Narcissus
FragranceNet has $110/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Do you have wallflower growing in your garden? Can you pick it in a fragrance?
Ainslie Walker XX

Secretions Magnifique by Antoine Lie for Etat Libre d'Orange 2006

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Post by Poodle

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Secretions Magnifique by Etat Libre d’Orange 2006

Secretions Magnifique by Antoine Lie

Secretions Magnifiques Etat Libre d`Orange FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Fucus, azurone (iodized accord), adrenaline accord, blood accord, milk accord, iris, coconut, sandalwood, Opoponax

Etat Libre d’Orange describes this as the “ode to the pinnacle of sexual pleasure.”

Umm…no.

There so much hype out there about this perfume I had to share my thoughts on it. In my opinion, Secretions Magnifique does not smell like sex. It’s not even sexy for that matter. Sex has a primal, animal quality to it even if you’re not in the mood and decide to lay back and think of England. Maybe on some level the notes call to mind certain body fluids but they are all contained in test tubes and Petrie dishes here, more like a lab or a crime scene instead of what remains clinging to warm sheets and skin after a sexual interlude. There’s no warmth here.

I’m not one of the people who wants to vomit when they smell this fragrance. That seems to be a common response to it. On my skin it’s VERY synthetic with flowers. Fake flowers. I can wear it but I find it to be depressing. It smells clinical. If I close my eyes and really think about the odor I am reminded of the years I worked as an Emergency Medical Technician. A friend said it reminded her of an emergency room too. It does, and to dissect it by the notes is difficult.

Enduring FreedomPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Secretions Magnifique is a scent of cold linoleum floors and fluorescent lights. It’s the air in the emergency room which seems a little chilly and the beads of sweat from the anxiety felt when you’re sitting there. It’s the look on the faces in the waiting room as they try not to cry when their Saturday night ends in a twist of metal on the road and someone close to them being looked at by a team of doctors behind a curtain. There’s that churning in the stomach from wondering is this going to turn out okay or will it be far worse than you imagined. It’s the metal of the stretchers and the hospital equipment shining in that cold, harsh light. It’s the bleach and disinfectants used to clean up what remains of someone, or of someone’s bad decision that will haunt them for a while. If you make it to the end there’s an almost plastic flowery sandalwood finish. I guess that’s the part where the patient gets out of the ER and into a room. Slightly warmer but still a far cry from sexy.

Secretions Magnifiques Etat Libre d`Orange Fragrantica 1Photo Stolen Fragrantica

No one is wearing Secretions Magnifique as a cuddle up scent. I don’t think it’s awful on me, just very, very cold. I’ve heard people say that some Chanel’s are cold due to the use of aldehydes. Those folks have never sniffed this I imagine.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Bois de Jasmin
LuckyScent has $85/50ml
Surrender To Chance has $4.75/ml

Have you dared to sniff this one? Is it sexy to you?

Hugs
Poodle

Youth-Dew by Josephine Catapano for Estée Lauder 1955

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Post by Trésor

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I usually like to begin my reviews with an abstract impression of the fragrance I going to be speaking of, but for a couple of weeks now I have sat in front of my computer and found myself completely unable to articulate my feelings for this fragrance in any way that made a lick of sense. So now, as I sit here at the eleventh hour, I am going to give this another go and see if I can somehow put into words the inimitable mesmerism contained within the omnipotent fumes captured in this murky amber fluid. Youth Dew, the fragrance I consider to be the matriarch of American perfume royalty, here you are again leaving me breathless and without the words to express how I feel about you once more.

Youth-Dew by Josephine Catapano for Estée Lauder 1955

Youth-Dew Estée Lauder FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, orange, spices, peach, bergamot, narcissus, lavender
Heart: Cinnamon, cassia, orchid, jasmine, cloves, ylang-ylang, rose, lily-of-the-valley, spicy notes
Base: Tolu balsam, peru balsam, amber, patchouli, musk, vanilla, oakmoss, vetiver, incense

The way Youth Dew opens detonates on the skin is simply extraordinary, I can guarantee it is one of the most forcefully dense clouds of fragrance you may ever encounter in your perfume-smelling career. Once the utter onslaught (and I truly mean this in the most complimentary way) of aroma begins to disperse you are greeted with a visceral symphony of resins which seem to swallow the light like some phantasmic quasar. The resins have this incredible sequence of olfactory motion that to my nose resembles the collapse of a star in a continuous loop, imploding and exploding in brilliant succession. As the composition progresses rich and sensuous spices begin to unfold like a blanket of scintillating stars splashed across a mahogany sky, meteor showers of cinnamon and clove raining down from above and setting the atmosphere alight with their luminous eruptions. Though not listed in notes I detect the obvious presence of leather, perhaps it’s just my imagination running wild but I swear I can smell it. The fragrance lives in this state for quite some time until it begins to morph once more into a luxuriant accord of liquid amber infused with vanilla that’s been drizzled atop the smouldering remains of the resins which preceded. It is in this stage where Youth Dew finally begins its lengthy (and I so mean lengthy) decent into a redolent hum of amorphous warmth hovering just above the skin.

YouthDewInstaPhoto Donated Trésor

Now, onto longevity and sillage. Oh, boy. The sillage on Youth Dew is….enormous, incredibly so. You will be noticed and people will be able to smell you a continent over if you are the slightest bit overzealous with application. A wonderful tip for calming the monster that is Youth Dew’s gargantuan aura is to take a tiny bit, mix it with a fragrance free oil (I find a bit of fractionated coconut does the trick nicely) and apply as you would any other body oil.

Youth-Dew Ad Estée Lauder FragranticaPhoto stolen Fragrantica

As for longevity, I am almost certain that this fragrance just fuses with your DNA and will never truly disappear. In my attempts to review I have worn Youth Dew a number of times over the past couple of weeks and it’s lasted upwards of 18 hours on my skin and strangely enough even though a shower when I chose to be a bit heavy handed. If you are a density junkie like me or simply want to experience what I consider to be one of the very best compositions in American perfumery I urge you to give Youth Dew a try. Even if you don’t like it you will up your fumehead street cred just by having tried it.

Further reading: The Non Blonde and Yesterday’s Perfume
Youth Dew is available in department stores and vintage on Ebay
My Perfume Samples start at $2/ml

What do you feel when you wear Youth Dew? Do you have memories of it on others?
Trésor xxox

Tara Smith of Olfactoria´s Travels visits Vienna + Photo Essay

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Hey APJ,

Couldn´t go without taking some Mozart Balls, known as Mozartkugeln here, originally known as Mozart Bonbon. They were first created by a Paul Fürst in 1890 and named after Wolfgang Amadeus himself. Since then there have been others made by other manufacturers, with similar recipes. I only buy the handmade originals and made a trip to downtown Salzburg to get them. They are elegant and utterly delicious.

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Tara Smith of Olfactoria´s Travels visits Vienna

So the day finally arrived. I had been excited for weeks. Old jeans, full make-up, minus the red lipstick. Didn´t wanna look like I was heading home after a night´s work as I needed to be on the train by 06.30. Hahaha. I would apply that when I reached my destination. Kiki Voile d’Extrait and Kiki Extrait being the SOTD, bucket of cookies in hand – I headed off to the Bahnhof.

I sat down and made myself comfortable, as did the guy opposite me.

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We met in our regular French café in Vienna’s first district just before ten. I arrived shortly after the girls, Birgit, Tara and Sandra, all well known to you as Olfactoria and her team (Olfactoria’s Travels).

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When I first met these great ladies, perfume was our common interest. Indeed we spent hours talking new releases, samples, decants, swops and so on. Now as we have got to know each others families, challenges, other loves and hobbies, the friendships are changing and becoming a more fully rounded part of our lives. We breakfasted on teas, cappuccinos, smoked salmon croissants and roasted goat cheese. Birgit took off afterwards to take care of some chores and us three headed off to visit a couple of perfume stores and walk round the city.

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Perfume? It´s not quite what it used to be. When you have been a perfume junkie for as long as we have, few things remain really interesting.
We all live in or near big European cities and therefore have had ample opportunity to try so many things. The stores we visited in Vienna though are very lovely, architecturally too, and Sandra (and of course Birgit) are well known to all of them. They made us very welcome. We did have one serious goal, and that was to try Misia, the new Chanel Exclusif. Sadly, but not surprisingly it hadn´t arrived yet. Tara will try it in London next week and let us know if we need it. There was a brief moment in our travels where I totally lost my mind and sprayed Nicolai Cuir Cuba Intense straight onto my skin. Uhm – no. Not now, not ever.

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Sandra´s son joined us along the way, having finished kindergarten for the day, We lunched together. French fries. Nothing better than lunch with a kid. We met back up with Birgit late afternoon and Tara was whisked off in preparation for the two of them to leave for London early the next morning. Could a day have been more perfect?

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I had an uneventful trip back home on the train, and spend a good deal of it chatting with Vanessa from Bonkers About Perfume. I will be meeting up with her in Germany next month so stay tuned APJ.

Viennese Bussis
CQ

Olfactif: Synesthesia: Smelling in Color and Texture

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Post by Azar

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Hello APJ,

I subscribe to Olfactif and genuinely look forward to receiving three generous, neatly packaged samples every month. The February Olfactif Collection, “Smelling in Color and Texture”, suggests how synesthetic experience relates to scent. Years of living with this issue have convinced me that we all suffer (or enjoy) some degree of synesthesia.

Olfactif: Synesthesia: Smelling in Color and Texture

Tokyo Bloom by Emilie Copperman for The Different Company 2012

Tokyo Bloom The Different Company FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Basil, galbanum, dandelion, black currant Heart: Jasmine, cyclamen petals
Base: Guaiac wood, musk, amber

Azar’s Perceived Notes:
Top: Sweet basil, Ivory soap, dry synthetic wood.
Heart: Jasmine.
Base: Thin, light musk, a passing reference to dandelion

Olfactif’s Colors/Textures: Green grass and velvety dandelions.

Azar’s Colors/Textures: Transparent blue-green drying to pale chartreuse with the feel of, well…air…

Tokyo Bloom is listed as cologne and is one of the shortest-lived colognes I have ever come across! Six inches of projected sillage, lasting for 20 minutes or less, left me totally frustrated. I kept spraying more juice hoping for some small measure of satisfaction. I finally gave up, washed up and lo and behold – vague dandelions, if only for a brief moment. For me Tokyo Bloom promises but never quite delivers; cologne designed, perhaps, for the very faint of heart?

Roma Imperiale by Bertrand Duchaufour for Profumi del Forte 2008

Roma Imperiale Profumi del Forte FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, cinnamon, coriander seeds, rosewood, tangerine, tomato leaves
Heart: Iris butter, jasmine absolute, orchid, seringa (Melia azedarach/chinaberry blossoms), Turkish rose essence, ylang-ylang
Base: Grey amber, oak moss, sandal, vanilla

Azar’s Perceived Notes:
Top: Coriander seed, tangerine, tomato leaf
Heart: Iris, jasmine, magnolia blossom
Base: Vanilla, amber

Olfactif’s Colors/Textures: White, silk chiffon.

Azar’s Colors/Textures: Iridescent silk chiffon, contrasting cool and warm tones – glowing white, pink tangerine, a touch of sea green.

Roma Imperiale has a polite, satisfying sillage and a solid ten-hour longevity. It develops slowly on my skin, like a casual languorous tryst on a warm summer afternoon (“If you were here, in this white room, in this hotel, whose hinges stay hot, even in the wind off the sea…”Derek Walcott). Need I say more?

Memoirs Of A Trespasser by Josh Meyer for Imaginary Authors 2012

Memoirs Of A Trespasser Imaginary Authors FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Madagascar vanilla, guaiac wood, myrrh, benzoin resin, ambrette seed, oak barrels

Azar’s Perceived Notes:
Campfire smoke, burnt marshmallows, fire ash, dry wood, vanilla, booze.

Olfactif’s Colors/Textures: Rich browns and old leather books.

Azar’s Colors/Textures: Dry browns, crisp blacks, scorched marshmallows crackling and gooey, rough sawn firewood.

Memoirs of a Trespasser begins near a smoky campfire. The moderate sillage surrounds and permeates my skin. After an hour the burnt offerings morph to vanilla and booze, fading over five hours to a rugged version of M. Micallef’s M. Micallef.

SPECIAL Olfactics Deal

If you are not a winner you can still purchase the February collection. Beginning today Olfactif will be offering past collections as part of a special promotion lasting through the end of March 2015.

Azar xx

Giveaway Time sassisamblogPhoto Stolen sassisamblog

Olfactif: Synesthesia GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Tara Swords, founder of Olfactif, has generously provided one “Smelling in Color and Texture” collection
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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) 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 comment on any of today’s reviewed fragrances or tell us about your own synesthetic experiences

Extra Chance?
Tweet:  Olfactif      

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 12th March 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 19th March 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.

 

The Ashes: Australia's Most Famous Perfume Bottle?

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Post by Greg Young

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At the turn of the 20th Century, as Australia headed inexorably to independence and nationhood, one of the wealthiest and most influential people in the colonies was Janet, Lady Clarke. Even by today’s standards Janet Clarke was enormously wealthy; an article published in 2004 estimated her fortune as the equivalent of $2 billion dollars . She was the wife of pastoralist Sir William Clarke who owned large estates in Tasmania, Victoria and Queensland, as well as much other property. After William died in 1897, Janet inherited his fortune.

The Ashes: Australia’s Most Famous Perfume Bottle?

800px-Ashes_Urn_1921Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Such was Janet Clarke’s prominence in the colonies that artist Tom Roberts included a portrait of her in his famous painting of the opening of the first Australian Parliament. Significantly, Roberts places her close to the first Prime Minister, Edmund Barton, right next to Barton’s daughter. Not bad for a girl born on a station in Tallarook who worked as a governess before marrying.

Lady_Janet_Clarke_circa_1880Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Janet Clarke was a noted philanthropist, founding the first Australian women’s university college, kickstarting the career of Nellie Melba and establishing the Australian Women’s National League, the second-biggest political organisation in the country (after the Australian Labor Party). After she died in 1909 at the age of 58, a rotunda was built to her memory in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Gardens, which can still be seen today.

Lady Janet Clarke Memorial Pete Dowe Road Safety AdvocatePhoto Stolen petedoweroadsafetyadvocate

Janet Clarke and her husband Sir William built a massive and luxurious mansion in East Melbourne called Cliveden, on the site where the Hilton Hotel later stood. The Cliveden mansion commanded what would have been a stunning view over Yarra Park, the MCG and the river. Sir William was President of the Melbourne Cricket Club, and that probably played a big part in our story. The Clarkes entertained lavishly at Cliveden, and the house was much admired. Confectioner Macpherson Robertson made many fruitless offers to buy the house. During the crash of the 1890s, Janet used the kitchens at Cliveden to feed the poor of nearby Richmond and Collingwood.

The Clarkes also owned a huge country house called Rupertswood, near Sunbury, which is still in existence; today it is a hotel. This is what Rupertswood looked like in the 1890s.

Rupertswood_circa_1890Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Sir William and Lady Janet hosted many important guests at Rupertswood, notably the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall when they came to inaugurate Parliament in 1901. Many years before they entertained royalty, in 1882, a visiting English cricket team captained by Ivo Bligh stayed at Rupertswood.

On Christmas Eve 1882, a social cricket match was played at Rupertswood between the English players and a team made up of Rupertswood staff and guests. The English won and, perhaps as a joke, a servant burnt the bails and the ashes were put into a little cosmetics bottle, which Janet Clarke presented to Ivo Bligh as a memento of his visit.

Janet Clarke’s bottle was about 6 inches high and made of red terracotta. It was in the shape of a classic amphora, with squared off handles.

That little urn is now known as The Ashes.

Ashes_Urn WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

For more than a hundred and twenty years since, international Test cricket series between Australia and England have been referred to as The Ashes. It is ironic to think that, for all her wealth, influence and philanthropy, one of Janet Clarke’s most enduring contributions to Australian history is her little perfume bottle.

What do you think? Is this the most famous perfume bottle of them all? Do you know of another historic perfume bottle?

Gabriella’s Top-Five Rose Scents 2015

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Post by Gabriella

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Hello fragrance friends! While I’m a huge floral lover, I’ve got to say that when it comes to rose, I’m pretty finicky. I tend to love darker, spicier roses or those with a chypre edge rather than the perfumes that make you feel like you’ve stuck your nose into a big bouquet full of blooms. It’s ironic really as the rose is where perfume all started for me. As a young girl (I’m quite sure many of you did this too) I decided to create my own perfume by plucking the petals off Mum and Dad’s rose bushes and soaking them in water, desperately hoping I’d get some glorious ladylike scent in the process. What resulted was a rank and fetid smelling water, but thank god, this did not put me off perfume or roses forever.
My favourite rose perfumes smell much more glorious than those failed experiments, so without further ado, I present to you:

Gabriella’s Top-Five Rose Scents 2015

Paris Yves Saint Laurent FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

1. Paris by Sophia Grojsman for Yves Saint Laurent 1983

Fragrantica  gives these accords:
Top: Bergamot and violet
Heart: May rose and iris
Base: Sandalwood

The formative rose. I was 14, I wanted to be all woman and this bold, shapeshifting scent in its iconic pink and black topped bottle was it. Paris, now vastly reformulated and lost in a mass of flankers, was a mesmerising concoction of violet, rose and iris, that managed to be bold and confident but demure and sweet all at the same time. I wore copious amounts underneath my school uniform and how I didn’t get expelled for overpowering the whole school with my sillage, I’ll never know.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This
Fragrancenet starts at $43.99/30ml before coupon
Surrender to Chance starts at $3.00/ml

Stella Stella McCartney FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

2. Stella by Jacques Cavallier for Stella McCartney 2003

Fragrantica gives these accords:
Top: Rose oil, peony and a gentle touch of fresh tangerine
Heart: Rose
Base: Amber

The funny-story rose. I started to wear Stella around the time I was dating Mr M the first time around many years ago. I asked him what he thought of the green-tinged, but voluptuously warm amber rose creation. He said: “Smells like Grandma.” So, I stopped wearing it and it became my very expensive room spray. But then, every time Mr M came round, this is what my place and I smelt of. So, it was to my amusement a month or two later that he presented me with a bottle, completely forgetting the backstory and thinking that he done something wonderfully romantic because it “reminded him of me.”

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This
Escentual starts at GBP35.70/30ml
Surrender to Chance starts at $3/ml

Agent Provocateur Agent Provocateur FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

3. Agent Provocateur by Christian Provenzano for Agent Provocateur 2000

Fragrantica gives these accords:
Top: saffron
Heart: Magnolia, Indian jasmine and gardenia blend together with strong woodsy-chypre scent
Base: Amber and musk notes

The va-va-voom rose. I tried Agent Provocateur firstly because the whole ethos of the scent was something I had to have. I was called “cute” even at age 30 and I all I wanted to be was a sexy and sultry goddess. The first whiff of Agent Provocateur had me in a spin because I had smelt nothing quite like it. A dark woody and utterly captivating chypre rose that says strength and sex all at the same time.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Dear Scent Diary
Fragrancenet starts at $33.99/50ml before coupon.
Surrender to Chance starts at $3/ml

Lady Vengeance Juliette Has A Gun FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

4. Lady Vengeance by Francis Kurkdjian for Juliette Has A Gun 2006

Fragrantica gives these accords in one line:
Italian rose, vanilla and patchouli.  

The surprising rose. As I said, I’m finicky about rose. I’m also especially finicky when it comes to patchouli and as for vanilla and gourmands, they are usually no-go zones, but Francis Kurdjian has managed to create something with all four that I adore. It’s a sweet but dark rose that manages to be both pretty but voluptuous and vivacious at the same time with glorious sillage and lasting power.

Libertine Parfumerie has $186/100ml
Surrender to Chance starts at $3/ml

Gris Montaigne Christian Dior FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

5. Gris Montaigne by Francois Demarchy for Christian Dior La Collection Privee 2013

Fragrantica gives these accords in one line:
Bergamot, rose, patchouli, amber, cedar, sandalwood and oakmoss.

The new rose. I enter the Christian Dior boutique expecting it would be New Look 1947 or Grand Bal I would buy as my upcoming birthday present. And although I’d smelt them before, I was underwhelmed as I stood there, nose to wrist. The SA kept pushing me towards Gris Montaigne with the assurance that “This is the one for you.” One sniff and my eyes rolled back in pleasure as I softly cooed. Gris Montaigne is surprising, because, if you read the notes, one would expect a spicy chypre rose a la Agent. What it actually is a very pretty, sparkling and sophisticated rose bouquet that is imminently wearable and utterly special.

Further reading: Kafkaesque and Cafleurebon
Christian Dior Boutiques have $335/125ml
Surrender to Chance starts at $3/ml

So, do you like any of my choices? Is rose love it or leave it for you? If you like rose, what are your faves?

With much love till next time!
M x

Lucky Essential Oils for Chinese New Year – Year of the Goat/Sheep

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

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Post by Suzanne R Banks

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2015 is the Chinese Year of the Wood Goat. Also referred to as the Sheep, this year is a more congenial year for everyone, with a very social aspect. It is a good time to nurture creativity and to work with others to help fulfill your goals. The goat is a social animal, happy to get along with others and go with the flow.

We may see a burst of creativity internationally, in art and fashion, and a growing focus on sustainability in all fields of life. Contentment in familial relationships will help us to be happier with ourselves and in all our relationships too.

Lucky Essential Oils for Chinese New Year

Year of the Goat/Sheep

Chinese New Year Nenga-Goat-2015 OpenClipArtPhoto Stolen OpenClipArt

The essential oils that I love for everyone in this goat year are:

Patchouli – grounding and earthly ,peace, world peace

Ylang Ylang – release anger and frustration, an oil of love

Pine – inspirational, abundance through others, connect to mother nature

62/365 - Good health and good fortunePhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Each animal sign in the Year of the Goat, will respond to challenges differently so why not use an essential oil this year as your good-luck piece of scented magic?

The Rat

Your year ahead – new opportunities, a better year than last year, take care of your health

Your lucky oil – fennel

The Ox

Your year ahead – increased work load, be more organised, avoid risks

Your lucky oil – rosemary

The Tiger

Your year ahead – creative ideas abound, be more focused, enjoy taking action quickly

Your lucky oil – petitgrain

The Rabbit

Your year ahead – plan ahead, look within to find what you love to do, help others

Your lucky oil – cedarwood Virginian

The Dragon

Your year ahead – you are in high demand, enjoy the NOW, travel

Your lucky oil – ginger

The Snake

Your year ahead – be flexible, consider your own needs, have courage

Your lucky oil – palmarosa

The Horse

Your year ahead – busy home life, listen to friends advice, work with others

Your lucky oil – mandarin

The Goat

Your year ahead – be realistic, make connections with new people, enjoy many social occasions

Your lucky oil – lemongrass

The Monkey

Your year ahead – have fun, ride the ups and downs with joy, new enterprise

Your lucky oil – cypress

The Rooster

Your year ahead – seek balance with rest, improve your lifestyle, be moderate

Your lucky oil – lavender

The Dog

Your year ahead – improve your psychic abilities, patience, accept newcomers

Your lucky oil – basil

The Pig

Your year ahead – popularity abounds, become entranced in projects, improve spiritual practices

Your lucky oil – frankincense

Chinese New Year Chinese_Dragon WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Which Chinese zodiac animal are you? How will you use your lucky oil this year?

Best wishes to all my lovely readers and bon chance!
Suzanne R Banks xx

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David Mallet Shampoo + Conditioner

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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The case of the unscented shower:

While I was in Melbourne recently Jill from Peony Melbourne popped a David Mallet shampoo and conditioner sample in one of my bags. I had no idea what the hype was about the Mallet products, but since Peony only sells the best and Jill’s hair continually looks healthy and shiny, I was definitely going to give them a try.

David Mallet Shampoo + Conditioner

makethumbPhoto stolen Peony Melbourne

Without reading up on them I jumped in the shower and lathered up. Something was weird. At first I didn’t comprehend what it was. SILENCE!

GASP!!

Halfway through my shower I realized: It was completely UNSCENTED!!

I don’t now how long it’s been since I have had a scentless shower, but it was relaxing…incredibly so! Fantastic even!

My poor nose is on the go almost 24/7 sniffing for scents, so the 5 minutes (I’m on tank water…) I spent washing my hair suddenly felt meditative! No distractions I was right in the moment “Zen-ing out” as I lathered my hair.

Water_Tank_in_Roaring_CampPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

IT FELT WEIRD!! Like an eerie silence in a place that’s normally so noisy.

It was only after as I mulled the experience over in my head that I also realized that if I were anosmic that would be my showering experience (and every experience) EVERYDAY. Just my thoughts and I, no scents to distract me and take my mind away from the moment. Is that what scents are for us? Escapism?

After a little research I learn Hairdresser David Mallet is originally Australian and now is based in Paris. He does all the celebs hair and works for all the top fashion magazines for their shoots. It’s always fab to learn about Australians who are doing so well overseas!

makethumb-1Photo stolen Peony Melbourne

What other scentless products do you use? Has anyone else used any effective scentless hairstyling products? What are your favorite scented beauty products? Do we have too many scented products all-screaming to us from our bathroom shelves?

Perhaps there is a time and a place to enjoy the “silence”

David Mallet is available in Melbourne and mail order from Peony Melbourne

Ainslie Walker x

SmackDown: Petroleum by Histoires de Parfums Vs Eau de Engine by Team Vodafone

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

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Post by Willa Zheng

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Reader,
I have a dirty little secret. I love the fume of petrol. All narcotic, sweet and floral. It’s a wonder that a substance so noxious smells so euphoric!

Apparently, I’m not alone. Histoires de Parfums released Petroleum as an “editions rare” in 2011 to capture all of the pretty aspects of petroleum fuel, whilst leaving out the nasty nausea-inducing bits. When Carlos at the Luckyscent Scent Bar introduced this to me last year, I thought I’d found the liquid gold I never knew I’d been searching for all my life!

Petroleum by Histoires de Parfums
Vs
Eau de Engine by Team Vodafone

Edition Rare - Petroleum Histoires de Parfums FragranticaPhoto Stolen LuckyScent

From LuckyScent: A symbol of wealth and prosperity, Petroleum is an unexpected essence. Once referred to as ‘Black Gold’, it is rich, dark and mysterious…a miraculous gift from the depths of our Earth. 

Petroleum opens like a stroll through a wet garden. You’re brushing against fresh green foliage (bergamot) mixed with the smell of damp soil (patchouli, petrichor). Unlike the other reviews online, I cannot detect any aldehyde. Five minutes in, the leather begins to emerge, as well as the ozonic top notes of real petrol. And then you discover the real heart of this fragrance – a clean floral (rose), white musk, and amber base – coated in sheer, miasmic leather and oud. It’s pretty and sexy.

 eau-de-engine-fragrance-by-teamvodafone allsensePhoto Stolen AllSense

Eau De Engine by TeamVodafone – Jamie Whincup

From Vodaphone: Nothing says motor racing quite like the smell of a V8 Supercar. That’s why we created Eau De Engine, a bespoke fragrance that embodies the very essence of V8 motorsport, fuel and burnt rubber – to promote Vodafone’s sponsorship of V8 motorsport.

Eau de Engine is a limited edition cologne released by Vodafone in 2010 to promote its team in the Sydney 500 V8 Supercar motor race. The marketing brains behind it introduced it to the unsuspecting Australian public with the tagline: “Why smell like a man, when you can smell like a V8”. Indeed.

It opens as a mixture of lime, bergamot and smokey birch tar. Then, just like HdP Petroleum, the leather notes emerge. But it’s a different kind of leather. The leather in HdP Petroleum can perhaps be described as horse leather, the kind that makes me recall L’Artisan Dzing. Eau de Engine is about car leather seats. And comingled with the smell of leather interiors is the scent of ashes after a fire. Overall, this opening is very linear and simple.

Power_house_mechanic WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

30 minutes later…

By now, the rose at the heart of HdP Petroleum has subsided and made way for a sweet amber-musk base with a hint of jasmine. Leather and oud notes still envelop this base, like a cosy chiffon scarf, just seductive enough to lure the boys into the yard. The very last note to reveal itself is the civet. Petroleum isn’t shy on silage.

For Eau de Engine, the smoky carbon and leather seat dance at the start has softened. The cologne evokes the smell of standing in a garage, behind the exhaust of an expensive sportscar in idle. Hello, Sabrina.

Neither of these two fragrances have a drydown. After the middle impressions, they just fade away to nothing.
HdP Petroleum: 6hrs (reapplication is recommended after 3hrs)
Team Vodafone Eau de Engine: 1-2hrs.

Junior_at_Darlington WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Verdict:
Wearing Petroleum and Eau de Engine cannot be more different experiences. One is like seeing the world in technicolour and the other, in black and white. In terms of beauty, complexity and longevity, HdP Petroleum wins hands down. Eau de Engine definitely has its novelty value, but if I smelt it on another person, I’d probably tell them to take a shower.

Disclosure:
I dabbed Histoires de Parfums Petroleum and spritzed eau de engine for this review. Your experience and mileage may differ.
Now, do you have any scent vices?

Willa Zheng xx