Rozy EdP + Voille d'Extrait by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo 2014

February 10, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

We are coming up to the launch of the Rozy Extrait. I have been smacking my head against a wall for the last year trying to come up with something to say about the Rozys – Edp and the Voile. Verges on the impossible. If we are familiar with a fragrance before we read about it, we can then do something with what has been written. However if we do not know the perfume of which we are reading, it is much more difficult, if not impossible to know how it will smell. Hands up those who have read about something, only to try it and wonder where it all went wrong.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

The Militia Company of District II under the Command of Frans Banninck Cocq (better known albeit incorrectly as Rembrandt´s “The Night Watch”) is a stunning piece of art, and one of the most famous paintings in the world. But until you have seen it you have no idea how awe inspiring it is. It is housed in it´s own room the “Nachtwachtzaal” in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. It is 363 cm x 437 cm (142.9 in x 172.0 in). You can try to describe it but the only way to be able to see the fine nuances of the painting’s complex colour palette is to go to the Rijksmuseum. The only way to smell the fine nuances in Vero Kern´s Rozys is to wear them.

Imagine that you need to describe honey to someone who has never tasted sweet.

Rozy EdP + Voille d’Extrait by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Oriental rose, tuberose, currant buds and leaves, honey, spices, sandalwood, labdanum, powdery notes, tarragon, peach, passionfruit, hyacinth

Both Rozys are objects of desire, lust and adoration, stains on the skin.

The Rozy EdP is hazy, peachy, rosy, sweet, divine, innocent and yet full of desire. Warm and erotic. It melts into the skin, thus becoming as one with the wearer. Bewitching. This perfume spills its secrets only over time. My most worn .vero.profumo..

Photo Donated Val CQ

The Rozy Voile d’Extrait?

“Gather your wits and hold on fast,
Your mind must learn to roam.
Just as the Gypsy Queen must do
You´re gonna hit the road” (The Acid Queen. Pete Townsend)

Wearing this is making a pledge or a vow to hold on until the end. A cerise ocean with and honey-capped sandalwood waves. A blushing rosy pink, tangerine colored aura, as near to radio-active as a perfume can get, shockingly surreal, and yet in perfect harmony. Astounding.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

“The rose is the flower of virgins and women, but also of vice and prostitution. Thorns and roses symbolize the ambivalence of love and sorrow – the drama of finite love.” Vero Kern

How beautiful are the Rozys? How long is a piece of string?

Further re4ading: Bonkers About Perfume and Smelly Thoughts
LuckyScent has Rozy EdP $235/50ml
First In Fragrance has Rozy Voile d’Extrait €168/50ml
Surrender To Chance has Rozy EdP samples starting at $6/.5ml

The Rozy Extrait. March in Milan. My lips are sealed.

Kiss my Roses
CQ

Jungle Gardenia by Tuvaché 1933

February 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Azar

Portia: Hi there APJ, Azar is suffering the busy life syndrome too. You may know that she is a music teacher and I asked her to give me some music to put with one of her all time favourite fragrances, Jungle Gardenia by Tuvaché, Jovan and now Coty. I edited up an email she sent me after talking about losing myself in music and fragrance simultaneously, thanks Azar for opening my ears to something new. I love the way this piece jumps and spins, even when my mind wanbts to wandfer into thought it is jolted back to the music by its mood and force changes. Lovely.

Jungle Gardenia by Tuvaché 1933

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Greens, bitter orange, clary sage, cyclamen, heliotrope
Heart: Gardenia, tuberose, tarragon, violet leaf, lily of the valley, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base: Oakmoss, benzoin, sandalwood, musk

I don’t think I ever did a Jungle Gardenia post…just commented a lot and mentioned Jungle Gardenia in some other reviews of vintage fragrances. I have a nice little stash of the really good old stuff (parfum and skin scent) and should probably do a review one of these days. The sillage is astounding and the longevity unbelievable. I spilled a little on a tissue in June. Not wanting to waste a drop I stored the tissue in my sock drawer. Every time I open that drawer I am greeted with an indolic floral blast and now my feet even smell like gardenias!

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Below is a great piece of music by the Brazilian composer Hector Villa Lobos, Choros #5, Alma Brasilieras. This piece is rich, dark, deep and humid…not unlike Jungle Gardenia. This was originally written for piano. I have performed and taught the original solo piano version numerous times over the years. I have never made a recording myself and so hoped to find one on You Tube. Every single version I found had numerous rhythmic errors…so annoying. The YoYo Ma cello/piano version is beautiful and correct. I hope it gives you some idea of the piece as it was originally written for piano.

I have always loved Villa Lobos’ music. When Brad needed a companion piece to the Beethoven Triple I suggested another piece by Villa Lobos that was originally for piano and subsequently arranged by the composer for string orchestra – the Prelude from Bachianis Brasilieras 4 – the first 10 minutes of this second You tube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mf3SQ3dVz8. Notice the musician wiping the tears away at about 6:16 minutes into the recording.

Azar xx

02.- Choros No 5 “Alma Brasiliera” (Villa-Lobos)

Yo-Yo Ma’s Brazil, LIve Concert

Gabriella’s 2015 Top 5 Scented Beauty Products

February 5, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello perfumed peeps!

Today’s post was inspired by one of my beauty gurus, Sali Hughes. Sali is not only a beauty journalist (who writes a no-nonsense column in The Guardian and has her own blog, but she’s also a self-confessed perfumista like the rest of us) On a recent blog visit, I came upon her post on cheap smells – beauty products that we use day in, day out, like shampoo and soap, that smell fabulous to boot.

So I got thinking about the smelly beauty things I use every day that give me as much olfactory pleasure as a good whack of fine fragrance. To add more impetus to my inspiration, a friend on Facebook the other day asked about great smelling shampoos and conditioners to use and suddenly, the idea for this post was all set. So, I present to you:

Gabriella’s 2015 Top 5 Scented Beauty Products

Photo Stolen Bumble and bumble

1. Bumble and bumble Crème de Coco Masque:

Now, I do love a tropical beachy scent and especially adore the scent of coconuts, but often in perfume, the result can be a sweet and cloying mess. This beautiful mask completely captures a day at the beach, suntan lotion in hand without all the saccharine added. I especially love to put it on as an overnight mask and have sweet dreams about rolling waves, sand in my toes and Pina Coladas at sunset.

Crème de Coco Masque is available from Mecca Cosmetica $38 and Bumble and bumble online from $28/150ml

Photo Stolen LookFantastic

2. Crabtree and Evelyn Rosewater and Glycerin soap

When I was growing up in Australia in the 1980s, there wasn’t much available in the way of scented bath and body products besides the regular Palmolive and Nivea from the supermarket. Crabtree and Evelyn quickly established itself as the cult niche-y brand du jour before the onslaught of Jo Malone et al. I used to love visiting and exploring the bathroom of my Mum and Dad’s well-heeled friend that was full of the gorgeously scented, prettily wrapped products. This soap, however, was the standout to me, a pretty, demure soft green English rose scent all wrapped up in a lovely raspberry candy-coloured translucent bar.

Rosewater and Glycerin soap is available from Look Fantastic (delivery worldwide) GBP £6

Photo Stolen Priceline

3. Clairol Final Net Hairspray

Now, I’ve been getting my hair highlighted since I first escaped the confines of my school uniform and it’s the one indulgent thing I’ve kept up and saved for, whatever my financial circumstances. While I’ve since largely moved on to the much coveted Elnett hairspray, a whiff of Final Net and its slightly tacky chypre-eqsue smell will always take me back to those exciting times when going to the hairdresser was a real treat and I felt like a real blonde bombshell.

Final Net is available from Priceline from $4.75/50g

Photo Stolen Priceline

4. Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover

I’m a weird one that would much rather indulge in doing my own nails than get a professional job, so the slight acrid whiff of nail polish remover has been a part of my weekly or fortnightly at-home ritual. While I’m also weird in that I love the smell of remover in general, Cutex Nourishing beats them all. It’s a lovely soft vanilla-y scent which manages to really dial down of the harshness of the acetone, plus it actually gets off all nail polish with one quick swipe.

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover is available at Priceline $3.83 (with promotion) and pharmacies worldwide.

Photo Stolen CultBeauty

5. Embyolisse Lait Crème Concentré

This is a cult moisturiser for many beauty bloggers and fashion magazines and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a great all-purpose moisturiser that works beautifully under makeup and doesn’t cost a bomb. But the icing on the cake for me is the subtle, sublime scent. It’s a green vintage-y floral that is a little like Anais Anais and just has this elegant je ne sais quoi vibe. Whilst the scent fades really quickly, it’s a real treat to look forward to on those days you can’t be bothered getting out of bed.

Lait Crème Concentré is available at Adore Beauty, $35 and Cult Beauty(ships worldwide), GBP £20

So, what are your favourite everyday scented beauty products or scented cheap thrills?

With much love till next time!
M x

Minimising Stress and Freak-Outs with Scent

February 4, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

Hi there APJ,

If you are feeling stressed, anxious, or unable to cope as well as you usually do, then scent can help you. It is worth noting though, that if you are stressed, it can be really difficult to garner the energy to help yourself – even just a little bit.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Minimising Stress and Freak-Outs with Scent

In this case I still definitely recommend the use of essential oils, as their healing power is unstoppable, so to invite you to heal yourself, it’s best to use the easy methods which are:

1. Open The Bottle and Take a Huge Whiff

Self explanatory and easy! This may be enough to change your focus (even slightly), and hopefully help you to feel a bit better about things. This method is especially good if you are really freaking out.

2. Put A few Drops Of Oil into the bottom of the Shower

This works in a similar way to just taking a whiff straight from the bottle, but if you’ve got an extra minute, it will give you a completely different experience. Your whole body will be immersed in an essential oil steam. Energetically this will cleanse your aura and have a positive effect on your mind and emotions. Just cover the drain with a cloth or your foot for a couple of minutes, and breathe in the medicinal goodness.

3. Sample

Put a couple of drops onto a scarf, handkerchief or cotton pad and take it with you, or tuck it into your pocket, or your bra. The scent of the oil will help support you through the day, people will comment on how lovely the scent is (then you’ll feel slightly better about life in general), the energetic presence of the oil will bring a sense of calm, and it’s really easy too!

Photo Stolen SlowTech

Minimising Stress and Freak-Outs of Others with Scent

If you can help a friend or a partner who is stressing or freaking out, you could employ these methods which are easy for you, but could be monumentally hard for your friend at a time of stress and unrest.Something this simple can help begin the turning around.

1. Nourishing body oil blend

Usually I say “For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.” But you could make this little blend and massage someone’s hands or feet to help them chill out.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

2. Scent Their Space

Use 25 drops of oil In a traditional oil burner with a candle, or a diffuser, in your friend’s personal space to help them feel more comfortable. It is easy for you, but could be too much for them at this moment.
A drop of oil can be essential

A drop of oil can be essential

Which oils?

Bergamot – calm, relieve mild anxiety

Chamomile – calming, soothing, medicinal

Cinnamon – sweetness, love what you do for work

Fennel – be kind to yourself

Frankincense – breathe deeply and relax

Geranium – cheery, helps improve downward spiraling moods

Lavender – calm, solidarity and strength

Lemon – gentle, refreshing

Marjoram – grief, emotional pain relief

Rose – Queen of oils to help with all stress issues

Rosewood – flow of love in the heart centre

Vetiver – absolute grounding, cooling to the hot emotions, stops kid’s tantrums

Ylang Ylang – release anger and frustation

…. and really, any oil that you love and can help you (or your friend) out.

Good luck.

Best wishes.

PEACE.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Suzanne R Banks xx

Suzanne R Banks Blog
Suzanne R Banks Aromatherapy
Suzanne R Banks FaceBook

(Ed: CONGRATULATIONS to Suzanne whole blog Suzanne R Banks just hit 150,000 views. Nice one my friend. XXX)

Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Amazon USA Amazon AU Amazon UK

Here and Now: Tamara Dean: Special Event Announcement

February 3, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Post by Portia & Ainslie Walker

Here and Now: Tamara Dean: Special Event Announcement

An Immersive Experience
Viewing: February 5-7 by registration HERE<<JUMP
Address released 24 hours prior

~~Opening Night February 4 2015 6-8pm~~ Fully Booked

Award winning artist and photographer Tamara Dean’s Here and Now Exhibition opens on 4th Feb and is already booked out for the opening night.
There are still places on Thursday and Saturday bu you must register quick.
APJs Ainslie Walker has scented the exhibition, collaborating with Tamara Dean for this fully immersive exhibition and says the experience “involves getting lost, at one with your primordial senses heightened”

Artist bio: Tamara Dean is an Australian artist whose practice explores the relationship between humans and the natural world. In 2013 she was selected for the ArtOmi International Artists Residency, New York. Works produced during this residency won first prize in the 2013 New York Photo Awards – Fine Art series category. Dean’s works have been widely exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Her work has featured in the Hamptons Art Fair, NYC, 2014, Melbourne Art Fair, 2014, Fotofever Brussels Art Fair, 2012 and Pingyao Photography Festival, China, 2012 as well as at leading Australian galleries including Inheritance 2009 and Hijacked 2 – New Australian & German Photography 2010, both at the Australian Centre for Photography; Sydney Now – New Australian Photojournalism, Museum of Sydney 2007; Terra Australis Incognita at Monash Gallery of Art.
Dean is currently Artist-in-Residence at UNSW and is represented by Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney and JHB Gallery, New York.

The Sydney Perfume lovers Meet up group, run by Catherine du Peloux Menagé are gathering their forces and attending the exhibition on Thursday evening 5.2.14. They will be privy to a special talk by Ainslie and Tamara and a keepsake of the evening to take home.

Catherine from the Sydney Perfume Lovers Meetup says:
“The artist Tamara Dean has collaborated with one of our members, the talented Ainslie Walker, to create an innovative art installation ‘Here and now’. Our senses will be heightened (including the sense our group is all about, naturally) as we take in the artwork and each one of us will have a different perspective. To say more would be to detract from the evening so you’ll just have to come along to be part of it.
We’ll experience the installation one person at a time, then Tamara and Ainslie will talk to us about the inspiration and ideas behind the installation, as well as the process of creation, over a drink . ‘Here and now’ will take place in the Kensington area of Sydney. The exact location has not yet been disclosed (not even to me!) and I will let you know the address by email nearer the time.
You will take away a special gift which will remind of your experience of the evening by stimulating your limbic system in a unique way. Intrigued? See you there. “

If you prefer to come at a different time or with your friends register with the details below:

1725 Casanova by Magali Senequier and Gérald Ghislain for Histoires de Parfums 2001

February 2, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Post by TinaG

So, who is Casanova? If you follow the story in this scent, Casanova doesn’t stand out in a crowd. He’s the type of person you’d easily walk past in the street and not notice directly. But he knows himself – he is cool, calm, and confident. Dressed immaculately, the quality material of his suit and shirt shows that he has a refined taste and attention to detail. But it’s more than that. He has a subtle charisma which is alluring – once noticed. And he knows it. Catch his eye, and you’ll find a deep, challenging sparkle which you’ve taken a few steps towards involuntarily, drawn in like a house mouse to candy.

1725 Casanova by Histoires de Parfums 2001

1725 Casanova by Magali Senequier and Gérald Ghislain

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, citruses, grapefruit, licorice
Heart: Lavender, star anise
Base: Vanilla, almond, sandalwood, cedar, amber

1725 Casanova opens with lavender and multi-citrus top notes, primarily smoky bergamot and grapefruit, with a fleeting touch of amber. After 15 minutes a dark green, moist, sticky liquorice joins the lavender. The impression I get from the liquorice is that of a thick glossy black stick which has been snapped in half exposing the softer centre.

The oily fresh lavender mingles with the liquorice and lifts it up, preventing it from being too overpowering. At half an hour an almond comes through – thankfully only lasting to the hour mark before it subsides back to lavender/liquorice, and the bergamot which has lost its smokiness and become much more orange in nature.

Photo Stolen Flickr

The fragrance has an air of alcohol about it, which I can’t quite place until I realise it is just like basic aftershave. The absence of any herbaceous notes in 1725 brings a grey, austere effect to the fragrance. The effect is a smoothness of a well-cut good quality men’s suit. There is an almost transparent cedar in the background, which gives an anthropogenic slant to the scent. The cedar is refined, dead, cut and shaved into a cupboard or a set of draws in a room, almost undetectable but providing a sense of presence to the room.

I originally felt that 1725 had a longevity of around 5 hours, but I realised later that after that time the remaining skin scent sticks around for about 12 hours. This base still contains the lavender but gains vanilla. The combination of vanilla and lavender in the dry down has an oddly gourmand feel to it. So, overall, this feels like a relatively ordinary scent. But who ever said ordinary can’t be interesting? I wore this on a warm summers day, respritzed quite a few times, and the combination of lavender, bit of dust and residual oils from my skin created a clean muskiness that neither my skin nor the fragrance alone would have shown.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Casanova is the man you’ll find standing quietly at a bar, watching a group of young men acting up and playing the fool to try and get the attention of a group of young women. He doesn’t need to do anything – just smiles and watches whilst stirring the ice in his drink. Slowly, one of the women notices him, and starts watching back. And another. Who is this silent stranger? They move over to chat. Eventually, the group of guys have given up, and Casanova is still standing at the end of the bar, which is now lined with ladies all talking quietly, sipping on their own drinks, and waiting for their chance to get closer to him…

Further reading: Chemist in a Bottle and Olfactoria’s Travels
Parfum1 has $36/15ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml

Have you tried 1725 Casanova by Histoires de Parfums? Is it on your list?

Tina G xx

SmackDown: Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria vs 4711 Acqua Colonia

January 29, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Willa Zheng

Hello Perfumistas,

In the quest for the perfect orange cologne to splash about in summer, I am smacking Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic (2007, Marie Salamagne) against its cheaper drug store dupe, 4711 Acqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil (2010) this month. To me, the perfect orange cologne is like mint julep on a hot day – refreshing, uplifting, but not cloying sweet.

SmackDown

Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Clementine, orange blossom, ivy, green tea, bitter orange
Heart: Peony, chamomile, mandarin orange, basil
Base: Sandalwood, amber

vs 4711 Acqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Blood orange, basil

SmackDown: The hit

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic opens as a blast of the sweetest, juiciest mandarin juice. Five seconds later, the bitterness from the rind emerges. And it continues to push through and dominate, until you’re like: ‘hold on, I’m smelling a bundle of kitchen herbs sitting next to a plate of oranges and mandarins on the kitchen table’. Mandarin notes are typically sweeter than orange notes, so it was an inspired idea to pair this with basil to temper the sweetness. The overall effect is cheerful, fresh but not cloying sweet.

Blood Orange and Basil opens as a blast of synthetic room-fragrance-like blood orange and alcohol.
It is sweeter and more bitter than Guerlain. Whereas a soothing blend of herbs like chamomile, green tea and ivy become noticeable in Mandarine Basilic after a few minutes, you can’t really detect the basil in 4711 unless you really look for that green note. To a blind sniffer, it is an uplifting, orange with jasmine scent.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

SmackDown: The wake

An hour later, my impression of Mandarine Basilic can be best described as sweet and musky. Fragrantica’s description of its middle notes is pretty apt. Yes, there is still the sweet juicy mandarin and herbaceous basil, but they’re now the supporting players to the chamomile and soft floral peony notes anchored by sandalwood and amber. Those notes set the soothing and comforting experience for the rest of the wear of this juice. Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is surprisingly tenacious for a citrus EDT. 6Hrs+

Unsurprisingly, you can’t really smell 4711 Blood Orange and Basil half an hour later. Junkies are advised to reapply to continue to enjoy the bursts of happiness.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

SmackDown: Verdict

Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is the clear winner for me, not just in terms of its longevity and complexity, but because it hums so soothingly, melding with the chemistry of the wearer. It’s an exemplary idea of what the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria line can achieve – creating beautiful, affordable, naturalistic fragrances from quality ingredients.

Surrender To Chance has Mandarine Basilic samples from $3/ml

In any case, if you’re after a flutter, 4711 is a cheap thrill that will bring a smile to most wearers’ face. Just keep splashing, baby.

What is your perfect orange?
Willa Zheng xox

Tubereuse Criminelle by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 1999

January 28, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Post by Trésor

Have you ever in your life encountered a fragrance which so emphatically mirrors your personality to the point that it seems to capture your very essence within those precious drops of sacred aromatic dew? I feel incredibly lucky to say that I have. From start to finish, this wicked brew embodies my identity in a way which no other fragrance I’ve experienced truly has. From the incipient beryl glow to depths of the exquisite drydown, it seems to manifest “me” and coincidentally enough was the very first bottle of niche fragrance I’ve ever bought for myself (unsniffed, no less!). You already know from the title which fragrance I am speaking of, the inimitable Tubereuse Criminelle from our dear friend, Uncle Serge Lutens.

Tubereuse Criminelle by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 1999

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine, orange blossom, hyacinth, tuberose, nutmeg, clove, styrax, musk, vanilla

The opening sequence of Tubereuse Criminelle is perhaps my favourite in the entirety of perfume and also what’s come to be one of the most polarizing among the fragrance community. On my skin the inaugural fusillade is a breathtakingly intense bravura of jasmine petals which have been profoundly doused in densely mentholated gasoline. I’m often told I am rather strange for this, but I absolutely adore the smell of gasoline so this entire progression is a bit euphoric to me. I relate to this genesis so deeply because I feel her and I are so much the same in this way, just a little off the beaten path.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Upon occasion I sense the slightest hologram of orange blossom but if I am being absolutely honest with you I have never been sure if it’s actually there or if I am imagining it simply because it’s included on the list of notes. Beneath the icy petrol fumes lay a tuberose, one who’s beauty beguiles me and leaves me breathless. You can detect every facet, every single atom of her velvet white petals and the narcotic ambrosia bleeding from within. This is, in my opinion, the most beautiful realization of tuberose I have found within a fragrance and worth every ounce of praise it receives.

Photo Stolen Flickr

As the composition progresses something quite fascinating begins to happen, the tuberose seems to further and further meld with the skin but never loses the depth, splendour and unadulterated hypnotism that drew me in so close before. Around about the fifth hour on my skin I can detect just the most delicate tendrils of softly spiced vanilla rising off of my skin. The note is not confectionary in any way, shape or form but a beautifully Lutens-esque vision of a skinscent that leads the way into Tubereuse Criminelle’s final breath on the skin.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

This isn’t a fragrance that wears a terribly long time on my skin, about 5-6 hours, usually and the sillage is quite moderate. Though not incredibly long, the journey is magnificent and I wouldn’t trade a second of it for the world. From the initial glacial zephyr which greets you to her intimate swan song, Tubereuse Criminelle remains a study in the paradoxical nature that defines the very best of the offerings from the house of Serge Lutens.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Australian Perfume Junkies
MeccaCosmetica has $166/50ml (in Australia)
Serge Lutens had €166/75ml
My Perfume Samples start at $3.50/ml up to $10.50/5ml

Have you fallen under the Tubereuse Criminelle spell?
Trésor x

Sâdanne by Josh Lobb for Slumberhouse 2014

January 27, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Hi APJ,

Anne Boleyn had a strawberry birthmark on her neck. Seemingly proof that she was a witch. I doubt that this inspired Josh Lobb´s most recent fragrance Sådanne. Seriously, you gotta be on drugs to wanna smell like a strawberry. But who´s to say that´s a bad thing?

Sâdanne by Josh Lobb for Slumberhouse 2014

Electric Kool-Aid, Strawberries and Barbie Dolls

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line”
Strawberries, ambergris, resins, rose, white wine, woods

This is a big time strawberry, on a musky, resiny base. Once sprayed there is no turning back. I wonder if The Merry Pranksters drank this? Psychedelic strawberries. Synthetic but who cares? It kicks in lavishly with a hot pink neon flash. Memories of sniffing new Barbie Dolls. It is astonishing and the next 12 hours will be in a cerise haze and you might well be all the better for it.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Josh Lobb gives no notes for this so who knows? The strawberry is a member of the rose family and there is a suggestion of rose in Sådanne. Have you ever eaten an alpine strawberry? They are very tiny, very sweet and taste first of rose and then strawberry – quite different to your normal strawberry. Ambrosial describes both the strawberries and Sådanne. The strawberry notes remain throughout, but further into Sådanne a deeper, dirtier vibe turns up. Musks and ambergris rumour has it. The stroboscopic-strawberry effect calms down and it becomes more relaxed. You have survived.

From IndieScents: The newest fragrance from Slumberhouse’s Josh Lobb, Sådanne is a departure from Slumberhouse’s previous offerings. Sådanne opens as a carmelized, fruity rose. Hints of booze, woods and ambergris emerge as the fragrance develops on the skin. Lobb takes a poetic view of the fragrance, describing it as:
“Stained glass syrup
Serenades in damascone minor
Allegory obscured / pastel wound
A slurry of subtlety”

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

For those times when you want to smell like a sensuous and voluptuous and slightly carnal strawberry – and one day you will – then look no further than Josh Lobb´s heroic Sådanne.

“Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did.” Dr. William Butler, 17th Century English writer.

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Scent for Thought
IndieScents has $160/30ml
Surrender To Chance has samples from $8/.5ml

Are you a Slumberhouse fan? Will you be trying this one?

Strawberry Bussis Forever

Fidji by Guy Laroche

January 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by Azar

Hi APJ,

Sometimes it is difficult for me to keep an open mind about a new fragrance. I become so attached to my familiar favorites that I tend to create a set of almost moral value judgments regarding what is “good” or “bad” about a perfume. As a result I don’t step out of my fragrance comfort zone long enough to expand my horizons. Whenever this starts to happen I remind myself of the day I discovered Fidji.

Fidji by Josephine Catapano for Guy Laroche 1966

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Iris, galbanum, hyacinth, lemon, bergamot, tuberose
Heart: Carnation, rose, jasmine, violet, ylang-ylang, cloves, aldehydes, spices, orris
Base: Musk, patchouli, sandalwood, amber, vetiver, oakmoss, resins

In 1975 (or so) my ex and I arranged a ski vacation for the two of us and several friends to Cervinia, the resort on the Italian side of the Matterhorn (Monte Cervino). Our “crowd”, a group of skiers from Tehran, was used to the high and powdery slopes of Dezin (3,600 m) and to the steep, icy, difficult runs of nearby Shemshak. Cervinia, with its long, easy and open pistes at altitudes of up to 3,833 m, seemed like great fun and the perfect ski destination. Counter to expectations, we arrived to an unseasonably warm January in Italy. While the snow was abundant, if a bit soggy on the upper slopes, we had to negotiate rocks and even patches of grass as we approached the base. But all was not lost! We headed for the restaurants, discos and shops. It was there in the mountains, in a small boutique on a snow-covered corner of Cervinia that I met and fell madly for the perfume love of my life, Guy Laroche Fidji.

Photo Stolen Flickr

My first impression of Fidji was shocking and green. I had been brought up on various Lanvin, as well as on Shalimar and Jungle Gardenia. My Persian perfume oils were all roses, jasmine and musks from the bazaars of Tehran and Mashhad.

Fidji‘s top notes of galbanum and hyacinth, while totally Persian in character and production, combined with what I later learned was bergamot and lemon to create a scent so fresh and sharp that it was almost painful and nearly took my breath away. I was stunned and didn’t like it at all. I purchased a brown cashmere sweater and a ski “suit” and left the shop, compulsively sniffing my wrist.

As the perfume dried down in the cold mountain air I was warmed and seduced by jasmine, rose, ylang ylang and a spicy carnation. Later that afternoon I returned to the shop and purchased my first of many 14 ml Fidji parfums. As we danced the night away at the local clubs I could still detect the initial touch of my new fragrance lingering as musk and oakmoss.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Yesterdays Perfume
FragranceNet has EdT $40/50ml before coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

My initial reaction to and enjoyment of this scent has never faded. This morning when I opened my parfum, I was once again magically transported to Cervinia in the 1970’s. My romance with Fidji is created entirely from my own experience.

Which vintage fragrance has a story you remember every time you smell it?

Azar X

This is a revised, shorter version of a Fidji review Azar wrote for The Fragrant Man

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