J'ai Fait un Reve – Elle by Dorothée Piot for Majda Bekkali 2010

February 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

The main thing that I remember about childhood vacations in Florida was the extraordinary scent of orange blossoms. The cottage that we rented was rural at that time, and when I left the house early in the morning I could nearly always smell orange trees blossoming nearby. That extraordinary mix of hypnotic sweetness and underlying spice and indoles is not something that I will ever forget. I love a lot of orange blossom perfumes, but to interest me they have to be fairly complex and have enough sweetness to at least somewhat resemble the real thing. Orange Blossom is a traditional bridal flower both because of its sweet and innocent aspects and its underlying narcotic properties. Drifting along like an angel, it wafts hints of the demonic and the damned. That’s for me.

J’ai Fait un Reve by Dorothée Piot for Majda Bekkali 2010

Photo Stolen LuckyScent

LuckyScent gives these featured accords in one line:
Petitgrain, elemi, cumin, currant leaves, orange blossom, jasmine, lisylang, castoreum, white musk, white cedar, guaiac, leather, labdanum, incense, papyrus

I always become fervently interested in Orange Blossom perfumes in late winter, and this year I am loving J’ai Fait un Reve Elle by Madja Bekkali. The notes are simple enough. There are drifts of orange blossoms, a few fruits hanging in the background, the sweet white musk (on the clean side) underlying the flowers, a bit of petitgrain, with the whole given a sensual undertone by a hint of cumin.I am no fan of cumin in perfumes, but this is very subtle and really well done. It has a quality of movement on the skin that reminds me of the blossoms blowing gently in an early morning breeze. Right now, I can’t get enough of it. My orange blossom addiction usually crashes by late February, so this is a time-limited pleasure, and I use it to the hilt while it lasts.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I suspect that J’ai Fait un Reve will have a difficult time finding its audience, or maybe the audience is rather limited. It isn’t elegant and structured like 24, Faubourg. It isn’t a cuminy skank bomb like Rubj. It isn’t indolic, cumin-laden, and narcotically sweet like the SL Fleurs d’Oranger, and it isn’t a sweet delight like the Houbigant Orangers et Fleurs with its absurdly pretty nutmeg note. I love all of these except Rubj and will be wearing them constantly for the next month. But I reach for J’ai Fait un Reve more often than any of the others, simply because, right now, it smells like my orange grove, the one where I long to be lying, within hearing distance of the sea.

Photo Stolen PlayingWithSpaces

Further reading: Now Smell This (the whole line overview)
LuckyScent has $125/50ml (Currently the 120ml is on special for $125)

Dream with me, gang! What orange grove scent do you long to lounge in right now?
FeralJasmine x

Cédre Atlas by Jerome Epinette for Atelier Cologne 2015

February 25, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Trésor

It is this time of year when I most like to indulge myself in longing daydreams of summertime sunlight and balmy afternoons passed to combat what seems to be a lifetime sentence within a glacial dimension of never-ending ice and snow, otherwise known as a typical Canadian winter. I imagine myself not far off, lounging in tranquility on the crystalline white sands of the Maldives but within the splendid embrace of an evening’s breeze on a midsummer’s stroll through the forest behind my home. The exquisite fragrance of the trees dancing a gossamer tango with the vapours of an eau de cologne I’d lavishly splashed prior to my departure, unifying in paradisiacal harmony and guiding me so gracefully through my frost-bound reality. It is within the vitreous sapphire flacon of Atelier Cologne’s new Cédre Atlas where perfumer Jerome Epinette has mirrored this dream sequence so effortlessly, an olfactory time machine into one of my most treasured escapes.

Cédre Atlas by Jerome Epinette for Atelier Cologne 2015

Photo Stolen Sephora

BaseNotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, Bergamot, Blackcurrant bud
Heart: Atlas cedarwood, Egyptian jasmine, Apricot
Base: White amber, Indian papyrus, Haitian vetiver

Cédre Atlas opens on my skin with the most ebullient note of radiant lemon underscored ever so slightly by a gentle whisper of bitter bergamot. It is not long after the initial burst of lustrous citrine that cedar begins to take centre stage. The cedar in Cédre Atlas has been executed with such visceral clarity and grows increasingly powerful the longer it spends on the skin, pushing my personal boundaries of what I would consider to be “too much” without ever actually crossing the line. I find this bit particularly fascinating and if I am being honest it is quickly becoming my favourite use of cedar I have ever encountered in a fragrance, forceful but delicate; a dichotomy and harmonious synchronicity. After about the sixth hour the cedar begins to ebb and flourishing jasmine petals descend upon the composition and make way for a sweet juxtaposition of juicy apricot painted in empyreal watercolour. The extreme dry down reveals silken tendrils of vetiver enraptured within a sensuous veil of soft, transparent amber. It is within this graceful descent that the composition becomes a skin scent and then finally becomes but a sublime memory.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

The sillage with Cédre Atlas is subtle but most certainly present, hovering around you as a soft cloud of aromatic cirrus. Longevity is what I think impressed me most, managing to cling to my skin for upwards of ten hours and finally dissipating entirely around twelve, an attribute I find rather impressive not only with this fragrance but with most of the offerings within the entirety of the Atelier Cologne range. I urge you to give Cédre Atlas a go if you are looking to experience a cedar note executed with both dynamism and grace or simply wish to take an alternative route to reliving a state of summertime bliss.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Now Smell This
Sephora has $125/200ml
PeonyMelbourne doesn’t have it yet but I’m sure they will soon!

Do you have a favourite Atelier Cologne? Which and why?

Until next time, my darlings!
Trésor xx

Shangri La by Hiram Green 2014

February 24, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

I run a mile when I hear the word “naturals”. Not only with fragrances, but skin care, shower gels, foodstuffs – you know? Not because I am anti-natural (whatever that means) but because it generally sucks. Just read the backs of anything that claims to be all natural to see what I mean. However there are exceptions to every rule. After the explosive beauty of Hiram Green´s Moon Bloom I was thrilled to get the opportunity to try Shangri La. I do not know the first thing about natural perfumery. Hiram Green obviously does.

Shangri La by Hiram Green 2014

Shangri La, Pinks + Preconceived Ideas

From Hiram Green site: “Hiram Green creates handcrafted fragrances made exclusively from natural materials.
After founding Scent Systems, a perfumery located in central London, Hiram learnt that most perfumes, even the best quality ones,
are manufactured using synthetic materials. Wanting to offer a natural alternative to his customers, he was hard-pressed
to find anything suitable.
After relocating to the Netherlands, Hiram spent several years researching and experimenting with natural fragrant materials. in his
studio in Gouda he develops and produces his natural fragrances in small batches.”

Photo Stolen FreshWetPaint

Shangri La is named after the mythical city in the Kunlan Mountains, from the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. Random info –
US President Franklin D Roosevelt named the presidential hideaway in Maryland Shangri La. It has since been renamed Camp David.
(Camp David conjures up an interesting picture as a fragrance name huh?) )

Coty´s Chypre played a role in Hiram Green´s inspiration. I have yet to smell it. One day when Portia takes me to Paris perhaps I will have the chance. Hiram Green is extremely talented. In my limited knowledge I do know the classic chypre, with the countless regulations in force, is an endangered species. Somehow with new technology, knowledge and talent, Hiram Green has found a way to keep it alive.

Shangri La reminds me of Mitsouko.

Hiram Green writes: “Shangri La opens with a sharp burst of citrus, followed by a rich bouquet of peach, jasmine, rose, iris and spices,
all anchored by an early base of vetiver and oakmoss.” And you know what? It really does.

Shangri La is fruity and spicy, and melds perfectly with the body. It doesn’t hover over you announcing its presence. I like that in perfumery. It is a vintage-y perfume but of the moment too. Softer than normal carnation, it smells of old fashioned “pinks”. The gardens of yesteryear. They fill the summer air with the scent of cloves. Soft, natural beauty. In medieval times, pinks were added to wine to give the flavor and smell of cloves. Spices would have been very expensive and this plant was a very good substitute and
would give the impression of mulled wine. Hiram Green has a nose and an eye for beauty, not to mention a nostalgic streak.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Shangri La is gorgeous. The reputation that naturals have of being short lived is not the case here. Shangri La lasts around ten hours.
Musky, peachy, slightly leathery, right up until the end. Office or opera.

And the icing on the cake? Hiram Green do 5ml bottles. No excuse not to try either Moon Bloom or Shangri La.
The 50 ml bottles are stunning and I would love to have one. I think it´s time for another trip to Holland.

Further reading: Scented Hound and Chemist In A Bottle
LuckyScent has $165/50ml
Hiram Green has €25/5ml

All natural bussis.
CQ

Is Your Perfume Making You FAT?

February 23, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 67 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello APJ Pals,

Spring is here in February and there is no snow pack in the mountains! Despite assurances to the contrary from the local “powers that be” I’m afraid that the PNW may be in for a long drought and one hot, endless summer. The possibility of dealing with year round bathing suit weather has led me to the realization that I need to drop ten pounds – and FAST!

Is Your Perfume Making You FAT?

Where did this extra weight come from? I exercise daily and eat wholesome food (albeit in mass quantities). OK. I’ll admit that my diet has had an impact on my weight gain but I am beginning to suspect that some of my lovely, vintage fragrances have also had an effect on the pudge. Oh Dear! Perhaps my perfumes are making me FAT!

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Of course, this statement is mere speculation, based on personal experience and totally anecdotal. This assertion is not tied to any scientific studies about phthalates in perfumes (or in anything else for that matter). Phthalates? No doubt you have heard about those plasticizing, xeno-estrogenic chemicals that have been implicated in obesity, infertility, various cancers, asthma, allergies, etc. Most of the phthalates now being used in perfumes have been deemed safe by the international “powers that be“. Nevertheless, I could swear that when I wear old Fidji for more than a week or vintage Poison for a day I start to pack on the pounds.

From what I hear it is almost impossible to avoid exposure to phthalates. They are present, in one form or another, in cosmetics, hair care, deodorants, soaps, perfumes, cleaning and laundry products, shower curtains, candles, garden hoses, lawn furniture, toys, roof shingles, carpeting, automotive interiors…There is even one fragrance that is reminiscent of the smell of a new plastic shower curtain.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Let me make this clear: I understand that all phthalates are not equally evil. That being said, if I can lose a little weight by simply changing my perfume I’m all for it!

And so, starting today, I intend to relegate my vintage beauties and all of my yummy, appetite stimulating gourmands to perfume storage. Out of site, out of mind! Until the ten pounds are lost I will be going au naturel! Perhaps you will join me?

Azar xx

Photo Stolen sassisamblog

Is Your Perfume Making You FAT? GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 Winner who will receive:
One set of 5 x 1ml (more or less) samples of natural/botanical fragrances from my collection, perfumes I know or imagine to be phthalate free:
Olympic Orchids – Tropic of Capricorn
On the Nose – Smoked Amber
Illuminated Perfumes – Impromptu
Pirouette Essentials – Wild Spruce and Tobacco
Rosarium Blends – The Rosarium
P&H

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

Tell us if you’ve observed that your perfumes are making you fat (or skinny)? Or do you know (or care) if your favorite fragrance contains phthalates?

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3Ee GIVEAWAY! #Perfume #Giveaway @EllenCovey1 @RoxanaVilla @RosariumBlends

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 26th February 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by some fun honest way
The winners will have till Monday 1st 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.

Here and Now – Tamara Dean and Ainslie Walker: An Immersive Installation

February 20, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Catherine du Peloux Menage

HERE AND NOW – an immersive installation

APJ is all about perfume – so it’s all about smells, not those of everyday life which we often ignore, but the ones that are purposefully created, manufactured, and put in bottles. Many argue that perfume creation is a form of artistic creation. Tamara Dean and Ainslie Walker have turned this idea around by making scent an integral part of a work of art and challenging our perception that only certain smells count as ‘scent’. Tamara is the artist who created the immersive installation Here and Now, and Ainslie (well-known to APJ readers for her reviews) created the scent which forms part of the installation displayed at the University of New South Wales last week.

The idea was to create a piece of nature in the middle of a busy city to remind alienated city dwellers of powerful, primordial connections between humans and nature. It was a truly immersive work. We entered a low-lit penumbral space after removing our shoes and walking through a darkened tunnel (birth canal?), to be faced with a large photograph of a river bank and crouching naked figures covering the whole wall opposite, with wall-size mirrors on both sides. The ground was a pool of water with stepping stones leading towards the image. Walking across the stones, water splashed onto the feet. There was a low buzz of sound and an ambient scent.

The scent was so perfectly appropriate to the surroundings that at first I almost didn’t smell it, but just experienced it as natural. It actually felt as if I really was in a forest, crossing a stream, hearing cicadas and bellbirds, taking in the smell of the earth, the decaying tree trunks, the dampness of water. It was a brief moment of (re)connection with the natural world which many of us rarely experience. All the senses were involved. Touch, as we wore no shoes, sound through the cricket and bird song. We could see the photograph, its reflections and our own image. The air had a scent and smell and taste are so intertwined that the smell of the air almost left a residual taste at the back of my throat.

Photo Donated Tamara Dean

Ainslie said that the process began with research into the smells of the environment of the installation, wet vegetation, water, earth and leaves. She didn’t want to create a pretty ‘bottled perfume’ smell but to draw our attention to the scents around us to which we often pay no attention. As she experimented to create the final ‘Eau de Here and Now’, she avoided obvious ‘green’ smells of grass, mint, or eucalyptus or specific ‘woody’ smells and came back to the smell of the vegetation, the soil and rain. We were given a small vial of the scent to take away so we can plunge ourselves back into that darkened room, back into that artificial recreation of the natural though the perfume of nature.

Installations are ephemeral but if you want to share in the experience see the links below.
Please click here and here

Catherine du Peloux-Menage XX

Providence Perfume Co.

February 19, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Erica Golding

Fragrant greetings to all of you beautiful souls!

I am passionate about fragrance to the point of insanity. I love it all – mass market, niche, oils, cheap thrills, luxurious extravagances, synthetics, naturals, whatever! If it smells beautiful to me, I love it, and it’s a simple as that. From Bath and Body Works to Amouage.

I became intrigued by natural perfumery several years ago, when my scented journey touched upon Ayala Moriel, Aftelier Perfumes, Ajne, and April Aromatics. I became enchanted by the intense emotional responses I experienced with these all-natural masterpieces. The fragrance art was just so vivid, it was like standing in a breathtaking landscape rather than looking at a photograph.

One day, I came across a perfumery called Providence Perfume Company. They had just opened a brick-and-mortar shop and it was within my realm of feasibility to visit in person. I jumped in my car on a day off…. little did I know, my existence would be profoundly impacted by Charna Ethier’s little oasis of pure euphoria.

Providence Perfume Co.

Photo Stolen Providence Perfume Co

The first Providence Perfume Co. fragrance that made my heart explode with delight: Beauty Elixir Oil.

Beauty Elixir oil is genuinely the scent of my spirit – an exquisite orange blossom aroma blessed with honeyed apricot and tender jasmine. The orange blossom olessance featured in this potion is absolute perfection – Charna spared no expense choosing the finest material possible. It is zesty without being sharp, fresh without being soapy, and sweet without being cloying. The aroma opens up to reveal newly blossomed jasmine flowers, and sun-ripened apricots heavy with succulent ecstasy. A barely-there green accent from the neem oil grounds the fragrance, a golden thread keeping me from floating straight up into the clouds and off for good.

Photo Stolen Providence Perfume Company

That same day, I sniffed the gorgeous Providence Perfume Co. perfumes lined up for display. I left with a bottle of: Hindu Honeysuckle eau de parfum.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Bergamot, jasmine, rose, coriander, vetiver, ambrette (musk mallow)

Hindu Honeysuckle moves me to tears with joy, a perfume that showcases the most summery, pure, sweet jasmine sambac absolute I have ever had the pleasure of sniffing. The luscious white flower is juxtaposed with an unexpectedly exquisite vetiver, whose smokiness is tempered and brightened by a sparkling bergamot. The overall fragrance is exhilarating to me, and possesses two distinct phases. First, the perfume opens with the unabashedly floral honeysuckle accord, as bewitching as the true nectar. As the top notes fade, the vetiver becomes more noticeable, a dark hay-like essence that harmonizes exceptionally well as it anchors the top notes. I adore each and every second of this carefully balanced work of art.

I have since learned many precious lessons about perfumery from Charna, and I was even fortunate enough to attend her weekend perfumery course last year. My appreciation and understanding has exponentially skyrocketed thanks to her patient, altruistic knowledge sharing. If you are curious about natural perfumery and don’t know where to start, I highly recommend her amicable new line of perfume oils, as well as beloved favorites Rose Bohème, Branch and Vine, and Tabac Citron.

Further reading: Now Smell This and Colognoisseur
Providence Perfume Co. can be bought from their Providence Perfume Co. site or Parfum1

Have you explored the world of natural perfume? Do you have a favorite?

Have a gorgeously scented day,

~Erica

Vetiver by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1961/2000

February 18, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Liam

Do we love classics because we have to? Do I utter that Shalimar is the best oriental because of its luxuriously rich history? Do I really think Mitsouko is the greatest perfume ever? In my opinion, the answers don’t matter. I like to surf around ambivalence. I don’t think Vetiver is that great nowadays. Yes, I said it, but hear me out.

Vetiver by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1961/2000

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, coriander, lemon, mandarin, neroli
Heart: Vetiver, cedar wood
Base: Tobacco, walnuts, pepper, tonka bean

My post today draws attention to reformulation, former glory, and in some respects – moving on. For example, I refrain from saying Mitsouko is the greatest chypre in existence, but rather, it was. I own a parfum of Mitsouko dating from 2013. It is marvellous – it is a symphonic fragrance with movements so clear and so obvious it sings from the skin at a tight languid timbre. But I know that once upon a time it was better, and probably more dramatic and poising.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

The same is true for Guerlain’s Vetiver. Vetiver is vetiver. It either smells smoky in the style of Chanel’s Sycomore, clean like Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver or in between the two. This falls in the middle, contrasting between both labellings pleasantly with a blurry and crunchy angular-ness.

A revivified lemon opens, with a peppery tobacco note swirling around the predominant root note of vetiver. It begs the question, can dirt be clean? This smells of rich fertile soil dampened with crisp rainwater. Like rich green grass seen through a misty glaze, then eventually cut by warm crepuscular rays from the sun. Our opening accord is dispersive and wet, matured with a base of vetiver and spice. This is unfussy; lax unlike much of Guerlain’s uptight feminine works. It is a still, and somewhat tranquil piece of work as it is neither overly rough or overly smooth. It is merely balanced masterfully.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

But here’s my problem. Balance is great, but shock and awe is better. Chanel’s Sycomore excites me with its wood varnish quality. Terre D’Hermes presents a mineral flintiness unlike anything else. Do I have to love it? No. Rather, I should appreciate this scent for its historical importance and its reference value. On a critical level this is a linear perfume, spiced slowly and worn in with a dry cedar. The unctuousness is made refined, somewhat mellow in its progression; and yet despite this, it feels eternally thin, lacking a few features that cause great desire. Novel then (1959), and nowadays a traditionalist masterpiece that deserves nothing more than reverence. Guerlain paved the way for greats that have crafted vetiver masterpieces like Ellena, Ropion, Sheldrake, and Polge.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and What Men Should Smell Like
FragranceNet has $43/100ml before coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

All in all, Vetiver by Guerlain is solid and dependable; for the man who is comfortable in the background. This has an eternally redolent quality, reminding me of my grandfather who would come home smelling of lawn clippings and the industrial smell of fuel. Wear it throughout the working day and it will last all day long without any risk of offence or dangerous projection, as it should be.

What do you think of the Guerlain Vetiver? Masterpiece or Museum piece?
Liam x

Creed Aqua Originale Collection: Sydney Launch

February 17, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

My last “perfume mission” for 2014 was when I met with Erwin Creed who was in Sydney in December launching Creed’s Aqua Originale Collection at QT. Erwin is the 7th generation Creed to work in the Creed family business, established in 1760, he will eventually take over from his father and perfumer, Olivier Creed. The packaging states, “From father to son since 1760” which is very touching and amazing because it’s true.

Photo Donated Ainslie Walker

Creed Aqua Originale Collection Launch

Erwin Creed in Sydney at QT

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

There are 5 in the new collection that Erwin guided me through, and here’s my evaluation:

Iris Tubereuse I instantly loved, with its top notes of galbanum, orange and violet leaf; middle notes of tuberose, lily-of-the-valley and lily; base notes of musk, orange blossom and vanilla. I found it a deep and fresh green tuberose (as if tuberose and lily of the valley have just been cut) and only in the drydown did the iris come through for me amongst the reasonably prominent orange blossom. It is strong, but dewy and water drenched. I feel very beautiful wearing this.

Vetiver Geranium has top notes of granny smith apple, bergamot and lemon; middle notes of geranium, cinnamon and rose; base notes of patchouli, cedar, musk and amber. It is marketed towards men, however I have worn this frequently during the hot Australian summer. Best jaunt was an afternoon garden party because on my skin, it starts so fresh -perfect for a hot day. Geranium stays in the forefront, the apple and rose come to play with hinting at amber and cinnamon and the vetiver and patchouli just hang back, which is perfect partying on into the evening.

Aberdeen Lavander with it’s strange spelling mistake and top notes of bergamot, rosemary, lemon and artemisia; middle notes of lavender, lily, tuberose and rose; base notes of patchouli, leather and vetiver, is unusual yet beautiful, perhaps the most interesting of the collection. Rounded notes of tuberose. Sweet gourmand coumarin make the sweetest rosemary notes I have ever smelt, and these all peak through gentle citrus wafts. A distinct nod to the classic Guerlain Jicky here- I would love to compare them. The leather and shy lavender fascinates and is kind of soapy…my father used to use Imperial Leather’s soap in the 80s – perhaps that’s why. Dry down is gorgeous.

Cedre Blanc is more robust citrus woods and herbs, and to me, more traditionally masculine than feminine. It has top notes of bergamot, cardamom, galbanum and bay leaf; middle notes of geranium, lily and jasmine; base notes of cedar, vetiver and sandalwood. I immediately experience the galbanum and citrus sewn together with bay, but something, almost oakmoss is lurking…I am guessing a big dash of Calone. The geranium is crisp and natural but I am not getting the normally dry scent of cedar. Overall I expect it to become super strong, but it would actually be a good office scent, with all the nuances of the fragrances men often cannot wear in offices without overwhelming their colleagues – and definitely more natural smelling. I would love to smell this on a man.

Asian Green Tea Erwin says, was released for the Asian market being light, fresh and sweet citrus with top notes of bergamot, mandarin orange, lemon and neroli; middle notes of violet, green tea, heliotrope, rose and black currant; base notes of sandalwood, musk and amber. It has the freshness of citrus without the bitterness, perhaps from mandarin. I pick up a rock melon scent and with the heliotrope/vanilla it’s like tropical icecream in parts. My skin then pumps out the tarty blackcurrant atop of an amber and heliotrope cocktail. The drydown brings more green notes; I think it’s the neroli and finally the green tea rearing its head. Fresh and gourmand, no woods and definitely not linear – do try!

Photo Donated Ainslie Walker

Surrender To Chance has the Creed Aqua Originale sample set $24/5 x .5ml

Overall I find the collection to be uncomplicated with ingredients being of high quality. Scents feel very natural, asides from the tubereuse and Aberdeen lavender, which are more surreal and hypernatural. What’s your favorite?

Ainslie Walker x

All I Do Is Beach: Natalie: Another Perfume Blog

February 16, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Post by Natalie APB

Friends, it’s confession time! My name is Natalie, and I am no longer a perfume junkie. Since I closed Another Perfume Blog last year, my perfume consumption is down by approximately 1000%. So why am I writing a post for APJ? Well, first because Portia asked me to, and no one can say no to Portia. And second, because I do have a little area of specialization to share with you all: beach fragrances! Today I’m going to share my personal categories of beach perfumes, and my top favorite in each category.

Photo Stolen ManlyAustralia

Beach Fragrances 2015: All I Do is Beach

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 1: The Hawaiian Tropic

Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil is the iconic coconut oil beach smell. Unbelievably rich and full of creamy, coconutty lactones. This category of beach fragrances is also creamy and coconutty, but the best ones invoke some sourness to call up the smell of skin rather than dessert. My favorite in this category is from DSH’s Essence Studios: Hippie Chic. It’s heavy on black coconut and clove, and the longer I have my bottle, the more present the ambergris is. Longevity is excellent, and the heaviness of this scent does well on the beach (naturally) and on a hot summer night when you don’t plan to get home until dawn. If you can’t find Hippie Chic, try anything from Comptoir Sud Pacifique or Indian Coconut Nectar from Pacifica.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 2: The Bain de Soleil

Ban de Soleil is the sun cream that says “I’m European, bitch,” and so do the perfumes in this category. Less about coconut and less accessible than some other beach perfumes, they are all about solar notes. They can read as space-age takes on sunscreen (MiN New York’s Long Board is an amazing, wearable example) or simply as very chic. I go for the Guerlain’s Terracotta Le Parfum, where the solar notes are matched with spice and white flowers. The scent is elusive, but ce est les francais, non? Bobbi Brown’s Beach and CB I Hate Perfume At the Beach 1966 are a few others in this group.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 3: The Bronzer

For the beach bunny who could care less about sunscreen, and just wants to look (and smell) sexy, we look no further than Bronze Goddess. The Bronzers are the beach fragrances that makes everyone smell like a supermodel, and Bronze Goddess is the queen of them all. A perfectly balanced, sexy mix of coconut, white flowers, citrus, balsamic, and suntan oil notes. The poor longevity is actually a benefit, since it’s an excuse to re-mist yourself every few hours. I could recommend other “Bronzer” perfumes, but why would I? This category is owned by Bronze Goddess, folks.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Category 4: The Skinnydipper

These fragrances are all about summer nights. Nuxe’s Le Prodigiuex has an introspective feeling, spotlighting white flowers. Its longevity is incredible, especially if you buy the oil and use it in your hair. Or try the less subtle (but more fleeting) Guerlain Lys Soleia. And don’t miss the extra glam Michael by Michael Kors.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Which category of beach fragrances appeals to you, or do you not agree with my categories at all? Be sure to share your favorite beach frags, too (I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection, even if I’m not a real perfume junkie anymore)!

Natalie xx

Gardenia by Aurelien Guichard for Robert Piguet 2014

February 12, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Poodle

The word gardenia strikes terror in the heart of many. For a flower that has no perfume essence of its own and must be replicated by using other flower essences it has many variations and strengths. Most of these are dependent on the perfumers interpretation of what gardenia is. For some it always a bit too much and they shy away from anything called gardenia. Other times, when people smell a gardenia perfume the first comment made is “that’s not gardenia”. In that respect Gardenia will be no different.

Gardenia by Aurelien Guichard for Robert Piguet 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Gardenia, lily, ylang ylang
Heart: Madagascar vanilla
Base: Black leather, cashmeran, spice, woods

Gardenia opens with lilies and ylang-ylang. There a certain freshness to the top notes, a watery green-ness that stops it from veering into the big white floral territory of Fracas. It makes me think of a bouquet of flowers cut in the early morning after a spring rain. My nose detects a hint of gardenia every now and then but it’s not the headlining act here. After the top notes settle Gardenia is not as bold as you might think. I wouldn’t call it a big white floral either.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

The freshness gives way to warmth. Cashmeran and leather start to appear. They are soft and seem almost powdery combined with the vanilla. The lily notes linger throughout the development and now have a little spice to them. It’s not a huge hit of spice but just that tiny bit that you sometimes smell in real lilies. Gardenia reminds me most of gardenias early on and later in the dry down. When I was extremely young I’d take the spent blossoms from my grandmothers gardenia and smoosh the petals into my arm hoping to transfer the scent. Even at the age of 4 I had the makings or a perfume nerd. Anyway, that’s what I’m reminded of in the dry down. Salty sweet skin with the barest hint of a fleshy floral petals.

Picture Stolen Pixabay

I wish they had named this something different because I fear the name will deter people from sniffing. Anyone who is gardenia shy will just pass it by. Those who are looking for a true to life gardenia will sniff but perhaps it won’t be enough gardenia for them. I think men who tend to like florals would like this as well because I don’t think it smells too girly. It’s a lovely scent though so please do sniff if you see it.

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Australian Perfume Junkies
Libertine Parfumerie has $239/100ml (with FREE Australian shipping)
Harrods has £150/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $7/ml

What is your favourite gardenia scent?

Hugs,
Poodle

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