Sunshine by Amouage 2014: Meeting Christopher Chong

December 16, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Tea with Christopher Chong, Nick Smart and Portia

When Portia invited me to meet Christopher Chong of Amouage I was obviously there in a flash!! Libertine Parfumerie‘s Nick Smart and his team from Agency De Parfums had allocated us a 30 minute time slot to chat about Amouage and introduce a new fragrance.

We left 2 hours later!!!!

Starting out ceremoniously, we were served tea amongst beautiful flower arrangements and the new brightly packaged Midnight Flower candles and room sprays. With the 4 ambient fragrances – Hope, Smile, Love and Happy Christopher shares the positive memories of his dog Georgi, who sadly passed away. The scents contrast with the sophisticated Amouage back catalogue, yet hold resemblance amid the depth of emotions behind them. With 50% of the sales going to the guide dog foundation it has been a healing project for Christopher who much prefers nights in, in his home in London’s Battersea with his dogs rather than going out.

Christopher’s role as Creative Director of Amouage means he sets the story, mood, tone and suggests ingredients he wants included and then briefs a perfumer of his choice. He is not a nose, however has worked with top perfumers including Bernard Ellena, Alexandra Carlin, Emilie (Bevierre) Coppermann. Nathalie Feisthauer, Alexandra Carlin and Violaine Collas.

Christopher then told us about Sunshine, releasing in December in Australia exclusively

Sunshine by Amouage 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Artemisia, black currant, almond
Heart: Osmanthus, jasmine, magnolia, vanilla
Base: Juniper, patchouli, papyrus, white tobacco

Packaged in yellow, gold and white and nestled in an eggshell blue and gold wooden box, Sunshine immediately screams of a new direction for Amouage, a more mainstream idea and Christopher Chong mocking all the brands that have been influenced by (or even copied) his innovations.

It’s creamy white goodness engulfs me…

Sunshine starts sweet as if an excited infant with mouth full of a fruit and marzipan-loaded wedding cake has breathed in my face in delight. It’s somehow juicy and powdery at the same time. I can also smell a bunch of balloons. I am thinking happy and celebratory thoughts while wearing this. Weddings, fairs, rollercoasters and jolly things like that. It’s bright, big white floral and gourmand for sure. But is it sunshine? The sun is definitely out, but I’d almost say its balmy late afternoon sunshine, not the scorching middle of the day sun we have here in Australia.

Osmanthus provides an enchanting and slightly exotic twist that somehow levels the swarm of sweetness engulfing me. It’s now as if the sunshine is surrounded by some thick deep and cosy cumulus clouds that we peer through olfactively. Osmanthus is a relative of lilac and has a similar kind of creamy powderyness to its scent. They do seem like cousins, smellwise, with Osmanthus being fruitier to me, somewhere between peachy mango and dried apricot in its heart. Osmanthus flowers can be creamy white right through to orange, but for perfume its the orange flowers that are used.

There is heavy waxy floral jasmine component evident throughout. Milky notes are waxy almond and nutty.

Sunshine’s slightly oriental tendancies and magical twists of Artemisia give it depth and keep it interesting. Its unisex for sure. Drydown seems to go forever (eight hours plus!) and at the end of the day my shirt still smells strongly, smoldering more and more…in fact getting quite sexy in contrast to its opening.

At the end of our time together Christopher signs our Amouage discovery box gifts and we leave him, exhausted, but giggling the whole ride down to planet earth via the lift!!

Ainslie Walker xxx

All the clear photos donated by Ainslie Walker, all the shit ones by Portia x

Shaal Nur by Etro 1997

December 15, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Tina G

Mid-December holds the final hurdle of the year, where everyone seems to be a little bit exhausted and holding in there just a few more weeks until the Christmas break. I’m the same. I’ve got three weeks of holiday coming up and summer is my favourite time of year, so I just can’t wait to play and chill and catch up with friends and family. December in Sydney has started out positively tropical. Bright sunny clear mornings, warm days, and massive thunderstorms rolling in around 4:00pm. So stepping out the door in the mornings I’ve been looking for something that is just simple, light and easy to wear in the heat and humidity. Three out of five days this week I’ve gravitated towards a new purchase from Etro – Shaal Nur.

Shaal Nur by Etro 1997

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Top: lemon, bergamot, grapefruit, mandarin, rosewood, coriander
Heart: thyme, tarragon, rosemary, karo karoundè, rose, petit grain
Base: patchouli, nutmeg, vetiver, cedarwood, opoponax, incense, musk

Etro was established in Italy, 1968 as a prêt-a-porter and haute couture textile company. The have men and women’s fashion, a home range, and fragrances and there is a boutique located in Mosman, Sydney (so the internet tells me).

Shaal-Nur is the Indian queen of the glowing light of dawn, promises abandonment and playfully ignites the senses, calming anxiety and easing stress. (ETRO)

Photo Stolen Flickr

Shaal Nur begins with a fresh cologne-like puff of citrus on opening, a citronella-lemon & grapefruit with a hint of watery mandarin and black pepper. This wooshes through in an invigorating rush, pulling up in its wake a fresh green petitgrain along with some herbal and floral notes. Silage is good and a few quick sprays on arms and chest has me smiling and ready to get my day started.

After about half an hour, this fragrance is all about patchouli and vetiver although there is a dusting of rose in the background. The patchouli is fresh cut and verdant, and there is open, aquatic vibe to the scent with an underlying spiciness. Over a period of about 4 hours a peppery note comes through changing the dry down, preventing it from being completely linear. At 8 hours, it is totally a skin scent but is still there with a kitchenesque vanilla and subtle amber plumping up the residual green notes.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Now Smell This and Bois de Jasmin
First In Fragrance has €74/50ml and samples

A three-word summary of Shaal Nur: Uncomplicated, light, refreshing. An easy-wear summer scent and one I’m very glad I picked up.

Have you tried the Etro range of fragrances? Please let me know your thoughts on which of theirs I should try next!

Tina G xx

Costa Azzura by Tom Ford 2014

December 14, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by Liam

Hello fabulous fragrance fiends,

I’m back! Thanks for the kind reception on my first post, I didn’t expect such a torrent of kindness! Today I shift away from vintage perfume and look at a 2014 release from the house of Tom Ford….

Costa Azzura by Tom Ford 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Seaweed, driftwood, agarwood (oud), ambrette (musk mallow), celery seeds, cardamom
Heart: Juniper, myrtle, lavender, lemon, yellow mandarin, artemisi
Base: Mastic or lentisque, olibanum, incense, vanilla, vetiver, oak

Generally I’m a descriptivist of smell, because you naturally have to be when you’re reviewing fragrance. It was Maurice Roucel who described himself as “an explorer wandering amidst his formulas”, and I personally like to wander amidst smell in general, using words to grapple and express the emotions stemming from perfumery. I feel sinful writing about fragrance in a bad light, but I think it’s impossible to like everything; someone has to do it anyway – dissent, that is.

Costa Azzura, you almost had it. You’re salty and drab like a preserved and tinned anchovy at the back of the pantry. For the most part, Tom Ford’s private line is an impressive lineup, presenting a powerhouse of fragrances with a more-than-modest appeal. Costa Azzura however, is familiar like pale grey skies over a beach.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Can we talk about mirepoix – a mixture of carrot, celery, onion, and bay leaf sautéed in olive oil? Why? Because Costa Azzura is a soppy concoction like a limp boiled carrot macerated with herbs- and smells like it too! Costa Azzura is salty and dank to the same extent the low tide is, why oh why Tom? It smells incomplete and dull without addictive heart notes resultantly feeling like cold steel on the skin and is redolent of the uncomfortable chill of sea water. There is no gravitas! No body! It’s lacking in its sensuality.

Photo Stolen Flickr

A hyper-gourmand, Costa Azzura fuses lemon, cardamon, celery seed, ambrette, vanilla, mastic, juniper … One might confuse this for a shopping list. An additional overload of lavender, driftwood, oud, and incense remind me of Pollock artwork; fuelled by chance and in the end disappointingly linear (unlike Pollock, of course). For those wanting to smell literally like the sea, in the most realistic way possible, Costa Azzura is your friend. A marine-woods scent presenting the perfect contradiction of ‘light heaviness’. This fragrance embodies the archetypical male musky fougere fragrance whilst trying very hard to escape that labelling, in turn smelling overloaded, superfluously enigmatic and, most importantly yet ashamedly generic in nature… also, no calone/watermelon ketones in sight!

This certainly exudes a beach-y smell, there’s no doubt about that. But is dirty seawater appealing? That’s up to you. Personally, I’m not a fan of smelling like seaweed; despite the novel nature of this fragrance.

I get excellent longevity with Costa Azzura, with about 8 to 10 hours (too long!). Sillage is surprisingly subtle, perfect for lazy days.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Chemist In A Bottle
LuckyScent has $215/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Sometimes writing about fragrances like this is a written cathartic exercise. I recommend you try this fragrance, and see if you can pick up on any overly gourmand nuances. What fragrances do you dissent in opinion with?

Come across and check out my blog when you get a chance: Olfactics

Have a lovely lovely day!

-Liam

Apple Brandy by Sidonie Lancesseur for by Kilian 2013

December 11, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Post by Poodle

Recently I received a sample of Apple Brandy from a perfume pal who lived in NYC. This is the perfume that is exclusive to the New York By Kilian boutique. I find the exclusivity of certain scents frustrating for obvious reasons but since it showed up on my doorstep I gave it a try.

Apple Brandy by Sidonie Lancesseur for by Kilian 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Featured accords:
Apple, rum and plum accord, oak, labdanum, ambroxan, cedar, vanilla

At first sniff, Apple Brandy is full of apples and boozy amber fruit. The apples seem almost candied but the sweetness quickly moves from candied to caramel. It’s vanilla caramel wrapped around a juicy red apple. It’s not quite what I’d call brandy just yet but more like mulled wine from the plum note which also keeps the apples from smelling too fresh and crisp. There is a smokiness and a touch of amber that also prevent the sugar from taking over. The oak and cedar are noticeable even early on in the perfumes development and give it a rich, warm feeling. Imagine when you take a sip of a beautiful amber hued brandy and you can feel it warming you from the inside out. There seems to be a tiny bit of spice, maybe a touch of nutmeg. Apple Brandy has the makings of a great cold weather perfume. The scent seems to walk that fine line between a scent I want to smell like and a scent I want my home to smell like. (It would make a great scented candle.)

Photo Stolen Pixabay

As the fragrance develops the changes are slow and subtle. I wouldn’t call it completely linear but if you’re looking for a roller coaster ride of notes rising and falling you won’t find it here. The apples and fruit gradually slide away and the woods take on a tobacco like feeling at times. This is where it reminds me of brandy, when the oak-y woods blend with the fruit. The vanilla starts to become more noticeable but the caramel and candy that were present in the top notes have faded considerably.

Photo Stolen Pixabay
Photo has nothing to do with the scent I did think it too gorgeous to pass by though

I had to dab Apple Brandy on from a sample and got reasonably good projection. I was catching whiffs of caramel apples and liquored sweetness most of the morning. By early afternoon my skin was still scented softly with a wonderful woody vanilla. I’ve seen reviews say that this perfume was very boozy but my skin didn’t bring out that part of the perfume I guess. I don’t think I would have to worry that someone would think I’d been drinking.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Further reading: Now Smell This and Ca Fleure Bon
by Killian has €150/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $7/.5ml

Overall I do like this perfume but can’t say it’s interesting enough to justify the price. I’d wear it if I had it but I won’t be splurging on a bottle anytime soon.
Have you tried it? Did you like it? Do you like exclusive perfumes?

Until next time…
Poodle

Noir de Noir by Tom Ford 2007

December 10, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Post by Trésor

Those who know me well know that I’m a bit of a day dreamer, spending many an hour within my tremendously ornamented flights of fancy. Out of all these splendid dream sequences there is one which I am particularly fond of and replay time and time again. I am sitting in the Hemingway Bar at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris, it’s just past the witching hour and I am returning from an event somewhere near Place Vendôme that’s run a bit late. The room is dimly lit, the diaphanous golden aura refracting through the crystals on my Chanel Haute Couture gown as I sip my favourite cocktail, a French 75.

A man sits next me, ruggedly handsome with the kindest eyes of piercing sapphire and asks for my name. When I go to respond I am beguiled by exqusite vapours rising from his chest, a hypnotic cirrus of inky petals against warm skin. It takes me a moment to collect myself and then I realize that this is something I’ve smelled before, a familiarity so unequivocally beautiful and close to my heart. He is wearing Noir de Noir.

Noir de Noir by Tom Ford 2007

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Agarwood (oud), patchouli, tuber (truffles), saffron, vanilla, rose, oakmoss

The genesis of this potion is through an unimaginably beautiful sequence of tarry black rose petals so rich in their nocturnal hue that they capture all light that dares to touch their obsidian velvet alongside an earthy and brilliantly sumptuous note of black truffle. The petals of the rose are so rich with their precious essence that they appear to glisten in the darkness with their elixir collecting as crepescule dewdrops as the truffle adorns them with just a whisper of soil and musk. As the composition begins to gain some levity you are received by a luxuriant dark chocolate and what I can only describe as a romanticised vision of red wine, all of the tannins removed. This marriage can border on confectionery but only in oscillating bursts, never cloying or distracting from the inky and atmospheric soul of this wicked brew. The grounding element for all of these, on my skin, is the aromatic copper flash of saffron which lends warmth and a particular radiance that keeps this from being one big heap of base notes.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

As time progresses something so intoxicatingly vanillic begins to emerge. It’s not the edible vanilla of a sweet and delicate madeleine but something a shade sinister and of the Earth. Though this fragrances toys with the illusion of innocence it keeps its claws firmly planted within the realm of splendid seduction. As Noir de Noir begins its final descent you are greeted with a pulchritudinous menagerie of that same black truffle atop a captivating patchouli that’s been dusted by what, to my nose, smells of vintage cosmetic powder you would find in the handbag of a Hollywood starlet from a bygone era. It is within this magnetic embrace that Noir de Noir finally fades into the skin and you are left with but a sweet memory of the time you’d spent together.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Noir de Noir lasts about 8-10 hours on my skin but if I am feeling trigger happy I can push it up to around 12. The sillage is quite considerable, this fragrance is exceptionally dense and rather opulent so do expect other’s to be aware of its presence. You can however dab it as you would an extrait de parfum for a more controlled and subdued application.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Fragrant Man
LuckyScent has $215/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

If you have a thing for rose as I do I urge you to give this gem a go, I can almost guarantee you won’t regret that you did.

Have you tried Noir de Noir? Have you a favored Tom Ford?
Trésor xx

Cookie Queen's Caring Christmas!

December 9, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 56 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Cookie Queen’s Fragrant Year 2014

The year started with a visit from Portia Turbo-Gear and Michael dropping by and staying for a few days. We had a blast and they got to come along on the Salzburg Cookie Run.
They headed off for a week´s travel around Europe and we got to meet up again in London, for the now near legendary Blogger´s Meet at the fabulous Bloom Perfumery in London´s
Spitalfields area.

Meeting so many bloggers in the flesh was nothing short of amazing.

Tara of Olfactoria´s Travels and Vanessa of Bonkers About Perfume and I have since become proper friends and I flew back to the UK in July to meet up with them again. This time there was only the three of us which which was a little less hectic than the Bloom Party and we got to know each other better. I adore them.

I went to Milan for the Esxence, The Scent of Excellence Fragrance Fair in Spring and to the Pitti Fragranze in Florence in autumn. These events are within driving distance of my home, which is consolation for having to spend a large part of my life speaking German.

I took regular trips to Vienna to meet up with Birgit and Sandra from Olfactoria´s Travels. Intimate fragrant breakfasts together.

So dear readers, a you might imagine I have got quite a stash of samples, and the truth is I have more than enough and would like to give some away.
Living in the heart of Europe allows quick access to many of the new releases and I hope that someone, one of you, can get to sample something that you find difficult to get hold of.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

My favourite perfumes this year? The three Rozys from Vero Profumo. Now there´s a surprise..

January will mark two years since meeting Portia, who has become such an integral part of my life. Nearly two years as Cookie Queen. What have I learnt? That when pushed,
people will swop most anything for cookies!

Have a peaceful Christmas season. Take some time out to smell the coffee and be thankful.

Mistletoe Bussis
CQ

Cookie Queen’s Caring Christmas GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get a selection of samples (NO you don’t get to choose)

Samples included are:
Chanel Exclusifs
Phaedon
Amouage
Mona di Orio
Nobile 1942
Parfum d’Empire Ambre Russe
Rania J Ambre Loup
Roger Dove (much as it pains me to give these away)
Nu_bes
Ramon Monegals

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

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

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us your favourite fragrant find of 2014

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3r6 Cookie Queen Christmas GIVEAWAY #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 12 December 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen from Val’s dead armadillo
The winners will have till Monday 15th December 2014 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.

Out With The Old AND Out With The New!

December 8, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

Post by Azar

Dear APJ,

I have been collecting and hoarding fragrances, jewelry, shoes, you name it for many years. While sorting through this vast inventory of neglected treasures I’ve come to realize that certain recurring patterns of behavior have contributed a lot to the creation of my monster stash. I can’t help but wonder if you deal with similar issues. For example:

Have you ever succumbed to the hype surrounding a new fragrance, drained your sample to the dregs, purchased the bottle and then relegated it (after a cursory sniff) to your perfume storage where it most likely will never be seen or smelled again? No? You have nothing new and abandoned at your house? OK.

Then what about this? One night you find yourself trolling for fragrance online when you happen to see an old flame on sale for a song! You snap her up but when she arrives you realize you have outgrown your vintage love. Yet another perfume is relegated to the cool, dark cupboards in the lower floor.

Here is a third scenario: You are digging around in those cool, dark cupboards searching for a back up for the current favorite that is running low. You can’t find it anywhere. OMG! In a panic you order another only to realize that there are at least two extra 100ml bottles waiting in the wings? Yes?

BTW, I really have fun recycling my perfumes through these give-aways. The extent of my trove was causing me considerable concern until a friend, in the same fix, advised me to think of our “stuff” not as an embarrassment but as an opportunity to recycle, repurpose and redistribute our treasures. Soon we will be offering all kinds of goodies for sale at our online shop Random Acts of Recycling<<JUMP. And yes, that was a shameless plug!

Happy Holidays!!

Azar xx

Out With The Old AND Out With The New – A Give-Away

Fragrance Republic 01/02, Jacomo Silences, and Nicole Miller Frenzy

Today I will be giving away three fragrances. One is “New and Abandoned”, another “Old and Unloved” and the third perfume is an “Accidental Extra”.

The “New and Abandoned”

Fragrance Republic 01/02 Vapeur de Tubereuse by Julie Masse, 2013.

15 ml EdT, new.

Listed notes: Rose Absolute, Tuberose Absolute, Cocoa Resinoide.

The perfumer, Julie Masse, tells us that she “…wanted to create a vaporous, almost ethereal tuberose…”. 01/02 is just that – light, ethereal, vaporous and perhaps a bit vapid. I always like my tuberose bombastic, carnal and indolic! What was I thinking when I ordered this one? It is simply not for me (but it may be for you)!

Now for the “Old and Unloved”

Jacomo Silences by Gerard Goupy and Jean Claude-Niel, 1978.

30 ml vintage EdT, no box.

Listed notes: Orange blossom, galbanum, bergamot, lemon, green notes, cassia, iris, jasmine, narcissus, hyacinth, rose, lily of the valley, vetiver, musk, sandalwood, oakmoss, cedar, ambrette.

I am wearing Silences right now so I suppose I still love her a little bit! However, when it comes to green vintage scents I have always preferred Niki de Saint Phalle.

And lastly the “Accidental Extra”

Nicole Miller Frenzy by Caroline Sabas, 2009.

15 ml new in box.

Listed notes: Cassis, orange, aldehydes, gardenia, ylang ylang, orange blossom, violet leaf, black patchouli, oakmoss, cedar wood, amber.

I maintain a serious stockpile of this deeply discounted (and discontinued?) fragrance. From my perspective Frenzy is the very best of the ubiquitous fruit-choulies. It is quite dry, though, and almost “unisex”. Perhaps it would be better to describe it as a fresh, modern chypre?

Photo Stolen hemodernhome