Black Cashmere by Rodrigo Flores-Roux for Donna Karan 2002

June 26, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

Here in the southwestern USA it’s hot as hell and my winter scents are taking a break at the back of the cabinet, but it’s the perfect season to inflict my highly personal opinions about cool-weather scents upon the unsuspecting Aussies. So here is my first opinion: mass-market fragrances used to be a lot better than they are now. Part of it is that this is a tough decade for someone who despises most fruit notes, but also it used to be that, when companies went to the trouble and expense of launching a new perfume, they actually wanted you to be able to tell it from other perfumes. Now, I would swear that they’re all jostling for the rail in the Just-Like-Everybody-Else Sweepstakes. The wise and lovely Portia once reminded me in a comment that it’s all cyclical, and that in a few decades today’s mass-market consumers will be 2044’s aging perfumistas, grumpily complaining that you just can’t find good fruity florals anymore. Probably true. But Black Cashmere, with its hefty dose of wenge, has always smelled unlike anything else on the market.

Black Cashmere by Rodrigo Flores-Roux for Donna Karan 2002

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Saffron, nutmeg
Heart: Red pepper, white pepper, carnation, rose
Base: Woody notes, patchouli, African woods, vanilla, amber

Here’s my second strongly help opinion: reformulation is not a bad thing if it keeps a distinctive perfume on the post-IFRA market in a recognizable form. Case in point: my winter favorite, Donna Karan Black Cashmere. The first really distinctive perfume that I fell for, the one that tripped me so badly that I fell right down the rabbit hole, was the original DK Black Cashmere. I bought a dab sample and was lost in the wonder of something unlike anything else that I had ever smelled. Rich, plush, highly distinctive, and beautiful. What an evening that was.

Then I went on EBay to look for a vintage bottle, and it occurred to me that I had acquired a very expensive obsession indeed. Finally I did find a bottle of the vintage that I could afford, more or less, but I also swallowed hard and bought a decant of the reissue.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Was it a shocking disappointment? Not really. Certainly the vintage has more depth and more oomph. But unlike the current Opium, which is a sick travesty, the current Black Cashmere makes a real effort to transmit the scent and spirit of the original. It’s a little lighter and extends itself a little further into warm weather. Overall, I dare you to find something more distinctive at that price point, which is a little over a dollar a milliliter if bought off the DK website. I have since bought a full bottle of the reissue, and often I wear the current one on one arm and the vintage on the other, to make my precious vintage last.

So why don’t more firms make an actual effort with their reissues? Beats me. But I also have both vintage and reissued Chaos from DK, and the reissue is a bit lacking compared to the vintage but is a genuine attempt to reproduce the very distinctive vintage recognizably in an IFRA-friendly form. DK Inc. seems to make real efforts to meet their fans halfway.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This
Donna Karan has $120/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

I hate to rub salt into my readers’ wounds, but what’s your most distressing reissue story?
FeralJasmine xx

Anais Anais L’Original by Cacharel 2014

June 25, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Anais Anais was my foundation perfume. As I have explained previously, it was my very first signature scent and thus accompanied me on many rites of passage throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It was the scent of my high school travails, my first love, my 21st birthday and countless Christmases. I was lucky in that it was not ubiquitous amongst my coterie of friends and so it was truly my scent, inextricably linked with my character and the foundation for my subsequent perfume journey.

The perfume has not been left unscathed by the passing of time. Over the years, the lovely soap, body lotion and deodorant slowly disappeared from shelves. The EDP also went, only to be relaunched in a new guise some years ago with new Kate Moss ads and then became difficult to find. The current EDT, while still lovely, is but a whisper of its former glory: subtle refomulations have rendered it sunbleached and ghostlike as if someone has taken the pastel-hued maidens of the ad campaigns and watered them down: they have become fuzzy and indistinct.

Anais Anais L’Original by Cacharel 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Hyacinth, galbanum, orange blossom
Heart: Jasmine, rose, lily
Base: Sandalwood, cedar, incense, amber

So when I heard that Cacharel was relaunching the 1978 classic under the name Anais Anais L’Original, I was excited but also somewhat worried and perplexed. Here was the chance to go back to a great love. But what if it didn’t match my olfactory memories? Furthermore, if Cacharel had this formulation at hand, then why had it persisted in keeping the current EDT on shelves?

All my worries vanished upon first sniff. Memories flooded back and I felt like I had come home. Here it was again, my scent, my bastion of a perfume.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

The only difference I could detect between what I was smelling and my olfactory memory is that L’Original appears a to have a stronger hyacinth top note, rendering the composition brighter and rounder. Comparing it to the current EDT, I was struck by the difference between the two: the Anais Anais EDT is harsher upon first spray, the hyacinth is more astringent and the whole composition a little bit more powdery and dry. The sillage and longevity is also markedly different: L’Original sings on my skin as it did all those years ago and lasts and lasts whereas the current EDT is but a mere shadow after a couple of hours.

Photo Stolen Flickr

I’m very thankful to have an old love back. And I’m comforted by the fact that in these days of IFRA restrictions and reformulations that an old classic has been given a new lease of life.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and The Non Blonde
Anais Anais L’Original (available in both EDP and EDT) and Anais Anais EDT are widely available at department stores and online sellers.
FragranceNet has the current EDT starting at $31.19/30ml before discount
Surrender To Chance starts at $3/ml

Do you like Anais Anais? Have you tried L’Original? What was your foundation perfume?
With much love till next time!
M x

Roja Dove: Amber Oud 2012 + Lily Extrait 2014

June 24, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 46 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Roja Dove

THE EMPEROR´S NEW PERFUME OR IS MY NOSE KNACKERED?

Roja Dove Amber Oud 2012 and Lily Extrait 2014

The nose behind these two fragrances is Roja Dove “Master Perfumer”. Fragrances rumoured to be made by Roberetet, a company that works with an international team of 32 perfumers. The whole line of Roja Dove´s work interests me not. On saying that I have had a secret desire to try at least a couple of them to see what, if anything might actually warrant the price.

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor´s New Clothes was published in 1837 in Denmark. The phrase “The Emperor´s New Clothes” has become a standard metaphor for just about anything that smacks of showy pretentiousness, social hypocrisy, hollow ostentatiousness, pomposity and so on. The more something is praised the more it can become a thing of great, but perhaps imagined, beauty ……….

Photo Stolen BookDepository ($6.75 including postage)

I swapped cookies for generous samples of Amber Oud and Lily Extrait.

Roja Dove: Amber Oud 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, lime
Heart: Jasmine, rose, yang-ylang, fig
Base: Agarwood, birch, cinnamon, oakmoss, patchouli, saffron, sandalwood, ambergris, civet, musk, orris root

Amber Oud falls into the oriental spicy fragrance group for men and women. It costs around 655 Euros for 100 mls.

Wow.

Sound fabulous? It is nice, harmonious and safe. Read – boring. For a perfume that uses Oud in it´s name, I would expect to see a more dominant use of it. There is nothing unique about this.. Call me snotty if you will but I would desire something that cries out “fabulousness and originality” if I was paying that price for it. It is quite smooth, but is smooth enough? I read that it´s a beast, luxurious, undeniably exquisite, opulent. Hmmmmm. Emperor´s New Perfume? Or is my nose is knackered?

Roja Dove: Lily Extrait 2014

Photo Stolen First In Fragrance

First In Fragrance gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon
Heart: Jasmine, lily, rose, tiare blossom, lily of the valley, carnation, ylang-ylang
Base: Clove, woods, vanilla, musk.

About 365 Euros for 50 mls. “I have always loved the exotic, enveloping, carnal, sensual warmth of this majestic flower.” Roja Dove. Oh.

It starts off a lot like Serge Luten´s Un Lys, which I love. It grooves along with the similarity for about an hour or so. Then the Lily Extrait takes a sharp turn into sweetness, where the Un Lys
gets musky and dirty. Lily Extrait stays sweet and pretty and linear. It does remind me of an übersweet bubble gum that I used to chew as a kid and I cannot get that out of my mind. The longevity of it is epic. I got at least 14 hours out of it. I could still smell it in the morning. I am singing the great Lonnie Donegan´s hit “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour on the Bedpost Overnight?” as I write this.

First In Fragrance has both to sample

So for a good 1000 Euros, that is about $1350 I could have both of these, including the nice bottles? Astonishing.

Meanwhile, back to the football.

Bussis
CQ

Sweet Anthem Perfumes and perfumer Meredith Smith

June 23, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by Azar

Sweet Anthem Perfumes and perfumer Meredith Smith

Indie Fragrance Criterion – Discover Pacific Northwest Perfumes

An Interview, Review and Giveaway

On February 24th of this year APJ posted an introduction to Sweet Anthem Perfumes and perfumer Meredith Smith. Today I have a few questions for Meredith about the business of perfume in the PNW. My next post will be a review (and a give-away) of the six fragrances in the Indie Fragrance Criterion – Discover Pacific Northwest Perfume sample set.

Something extraordinary is going on in the Pacific Northwest perfume scene. In the February 24th post I referred to the PNW as a “hot spot” for Indie perfumers and attributed this phenomenon to our dreary winters and to the local creative climate but didn’t even consider that perhaps the business environment might be what is really driving the astounding growth of great noses in the PNW and all along the west coast; see Ca Fleure Bon

Instead of operating via the old industrial economic model of “survival of the fittest” through negative competition for limited resources (creating perceived value through perceived scarcity), what seems to be happening here is more of a collaboration. This collaborative model succeeds by taking steps to grow the customer base for everyone while encouraging new talent and supporting existing businesses. The perfumers are independent but recognize and foster their interdependence, creating mutually beneficial events and opportunities as well as sharing information and resources. This kind of information based, collaborative economic model works on the principle that sharing creates interest and value, supporting not only the perfumers themselves but the suppliers and related businesses as well.

Photo Stolen Sweet Anthem Perfumes

Meredith, you have been one of several PNW perfumers encouraging, as you say, the “Seattle Sisterhood” of perfumers for several years now. Would you describe what you perceive to be the reasons for this local explosion of interest in perfume?

Honestly, I have no idea how it happened! For me, though, I can say that I probably would not be a perfumer if I didn’t live in the PNW. That’s not to say that I wasn’t into perfume before moving here, but the pioneer spirit and the way we interact with nature – from the mountains to the sea – helps fuel the olfactory palette. We have such intense connections to the earthly plane that it’s difficult not to be inspired on a daily basis when living here, and that helps fuel many industries of pioneers. Plus, having spirited colleagues in many kinds of industries helps keep me going – from my fellow perfumers to other Etsy-style brand owners, the PNW is really a community of talented makers in many stripes. I know my perfume sisters agree!

Can you give us some examples of how and why whatever it is that you do works so well in the PNW?

This is the crux of the reason I moved to the PNW. Everything here seems to be done in the DIY spirit. We love to branch out and get our hands dirty. We love to learn (it’s one of the smartest places in the country to live). We love to do things no one has ever done before (the $4 coffee being a prime example). PNWers are not afraid – pioneers that we are – of going upstream, avoiding the mainstream, and eschewing the man at pretty much any and all costs. I think that’s a part of why collaboration is so vital to the NW. If going upstream is the norm, there’s no point in going it alone.

Photo Stolen Sweet Anthem Perfumes

I understand that the curated collection I will be reviewing is part of a collaborative exchange between San Francisco and Seattle area perfumers. Could you give us a little of the back-story?

This is actually a curated collaboration between myself and Antonia from Tigerlily Perfumery, a little perfume shop in the Valencia neighborhood of San Francisco that features mostly indie and niche lines. Initially, Karyn, Nikki, and I were trying to do this sort of thing with a shop in New York (who shall remain nameless) but that fell through, much to our dismay. I had a chance to meet Antonia before the perfumer’s salon last March and we really clicked, both owning perfume shops that carry a lot of the same inventory and really loving indie perfume lines. I pitched this idea to her about the PNW gift set, and she loved it! It was actually her idea to do a Bay Area box in tandem, with launch events in both cities. (It worked out nicely that several of us Seattleites were already going back to San Francisco for the summer Renegade Craft Fair, so the launch event got neatly wrapped into our existing event schedule.) But really, Antonia’s the big idea gal here, so I’m excited she’s on board!

Can you explain why/how these specific perfumes were chosen for this first Indie Fragrance Criterion?

By and large, the perfumers were asked to submit their best works! In the Seattle set, we all submitted things with a bit of a Northwest-y vibe, and I consulted with many of the perfumers what I thought would be the best fit (I’m thankful that they trust my judgment and happy that they’re all brands I’ve come to know and love). In the San Francisco set, you’ve got some IAO award nominees and winners, and some noses new to me but not to Antonia. Antonia and I talked a lot about themes, but in the end we decided that for a showcase of raw talent, generally the talent knows their works best, and so we left it up to each of them.

Photo Donated Azar

Meredith, thank you so much for taking the time to share your perspective on indie perfumery in the PNW. Stay tuned, everyone, for the upcoming review and give-away!

Azar xx

Muschio by Santa Maria Novella + Korea Photo Essay

June 19, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by TinaG

Hi APJ!

We’ve recently returned from an amazing trip to South Korea – Portia, Jin, Kath, Matt and I travelled around for about two weeks having an absolute ball in a wonderful & welcoming country. Before we left, I had a few chats and did some research on what fragrances I may have access to that I wouldn’t normally get my hands on in Australia. One of the names which came up was Santa Maria Novella, which I happily discovered has a flagship store in Seoul.

“Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella” is one of the world’s oldest pharmacies. Originally established in Florence, Italy in 1221 by Dominican Friars, who created herbal potions and remedies for use in their monastery, the pharmacy was opened up to the public in 1612. The original Florence pharmacy still stands, with all of their products continuing to be hand made at their Florence factory site utilising old recipes and classic artisanal methods.

The South Korean store in Seoul is located near pretty Dosan Park in an upmarket shopping district within Gangnam-Gu. We were greeted and kindly looked after by the shop hostesses. I made a beeline for the colognes whilst Portia explored all of the other wonderful goodies on display.

From Fragrantica: Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. It was opened in Florence, Italy in 1612, taking the formulas of Dominican friars that originate from 13th century.

Their products are all the types of things you may expect to find in an apothecary: high quality and beautifully presented soaps, fragrances, herbal extracts and essences, side by side with more modern home items such as wax candles and dog & cat grooming collection. I could so easily have stayed there for hours on end, but I did manage to get my nose to a fair few bottles including the recently released Alba de Seoul which had a refreshing pine needle note, a nod to the cultural importance of the South Korean pine trees. I wished I could have taken more home, but I decided to treat myself to a full bottle of ….

Muschio by Santa Maria Novella

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Musk, powdery notes

Muschio is a really gorgeous comforting scent and has quickly become my go-to fragrance this winter. Although technically a cologne, Muschio isn’t one of those which can be splashed on liberally or needs refreshing every couple of hours – there is no need as it has very good longevity and silage. On opening there is a predominant puff of musk with slightly woody undertones, a touch of vanilla and a ghost of lemon hovering over the top. The musk is nothing animalic but it light and airy. The dry white wood in the background keeps it from being overly candy-shop sweet, giving it a lovely powdery feel. It doesn’t change appreciably in dry down, although the musk softens and the woods become more prominent. I also get a cinnamon-stick note, spicy wood without the peppery kick, adding to the warmth.

The visit to Santa Maria Novella was a fragrant highlight of a fantastic holiday. I’m so glad I purchased Muschio, it holds a dozen happy memories for me along with the continued enjoyment of a really fabulous cologne.

Do you have a fragrant holy-grail location that you’ve managed to visit, or wish to? Here are some pics of mine.

TinaG

Essence Aromatique by Michel Almairac for Bottega Veneta 2014

June 18, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by ElizaD

Hi APJ,

On a beautiful spring morning, I sit on a park bench, sipping my coffee and watching people as they stroll by. Suddenly I am drawn to one couple, both of them sharply dressed, tall and lithe, arms touching as they walk. Her fragrance intrigues me. It is a bit of Chanel, a bit of Bulgari, some tea, citrus, flowers and patchouli, soft and powdery. I rise to follow them, determined to find out what it is. I have never been so bold, but I have to know.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I approach them. “You smell so lovely” I say to the woman, “what is that fragrance you are wearing?” She responds “I am not wearing fragrance today.”

Now I am confused. Clearly this wonderful soft aroma emanates from this couple. “But my husband is,” she finishes, “it is called Essence Aromatique.” I walk away delighted.

Essence Aromatique by Michel Almairac for Bottega Veneta 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot and coriander
Heart: White rose, tonka and vanilla
Base: Patchouli and sandalwood

Essence Aromatique eau de cologne is advertised on the Bottega Veneta website as a women’s fragrance, along with their other three feminine perfumes: Bottega Veneta, their signature scent; Bottega Veneta Eau Legere; and Bottega Veneta in Murano Glass Parfum. But Fragrantica readers consider it to be unisex. The leather notes, which lurk at the bottom, offer a balance to the floral heart notes, while the bergamot adds that splash of aftershave freshness. The coriander, tonka bean and vanilla become the suggestion of warm skin. In the right place–probably not Eugene, Oregon, where I live–I can envision my well-dressed and self-assured gentleman wearing this. His fragrance need not make any more of a statement than his other carefully selected accessories.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I was not disappointed by the fragrance of Essence Aromatique. On me, it’s perfect: a light woody floral that is professional and age-appropriate but not dowdy. I feel grown up in this perfume. And Essence Aromatique could have become a new addition to my collection, save for one drawback. Sillage is nonexistent. An hour after first applying this, I was wishing I had brought my tiny sample with me to the office so I could respritz. It’s an eau de cologne with an eau de parfum pricetag.

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Now Smell This
StrawberryNET has $86/50ml and body products
My Perfume Samples starts at $3/ml

Ah well, perhaps I will try the shower gel, or wait until it hits the discounters. Too bad.

How do you feel about unisex fragrances…where do you draw the line?

ElizaD

A Whale of A Week!

June 17, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

It’s whale-watching season here in Sydney. As they migrate past the Harbour, people line the shore to catch a glimpse. I visited the cliffs at the entrance to Sydney Harbour last week and saw some. Amazing creatures, and a very Sydney experience.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

A Whale of A Week!

Also last week, I was lucky enough to smell a lump of ambergris. Ambergris is fecal matter (TURD) from sperm whales. It takes many years to form, lining the intestinal wall of the whale to protect it from the beaks of the squid it dines on. Debate surrounds how it is released from the whale -some say it’s vomit, some say it comes out the other end. Scientists say whale fecal matter is only fluids, so now it is believed the ambergris is only released when the animal dies, breaks down, or even explodes!! Lumps have been found from 15g to 420kg. The price for naturally found ambergris is extremely high, the odds of finding it, extremely small. Many countries ban the trade of ambergris as part of the ban on the hunting of whales- Australia of course is very strict-none is coming in and none is getting out!

Amber/Ambergris is a somewhat mysterious perfume ingredient. Is it a resin from a tree or is it really whale’s vomit/poop that’s been washed ashore? Is it a man made accord? I am curiously confused, and have had to investigate.

The word ‘amber’ was adopted into the English language in the 14th Century and referred to ‘grey amber’, now known as ‘ambergris’ (ambre gris). ‘Amber’ (Baltic/white/yellow amber) is fossilised tree resin, considered a gemstone, and appreciated for its colour and beauty since the stone ages. The term ‘amber’ was used to describe this substance in the early 15th century and was used more and more as ambergris use declined. Yellow amber and ambergris are both found washed up on beaches – ambergris floats, however, amber is too dense to float.

Ambergris is waxy, solid and flammable, and usually grey or black. When fresh it has a strong fecal odour. As it ages and oxidises, floating out to sea. I experienced a salty-fresh, dry marine blast, like sea rockpools, with animalic and fecal notes, something also very deep and earthy from the “lumps”. I then smelt from a bottle of ambergris tincture. It instantly reminded me of “Isocol” –isopropanol/rubbing alcohol, benzoin- but much deeper, earthy, smooth, cool and kind of ear-waxy,… still marine, dry, animalic and slightly fecal.

Ambergris’ main use in perfumery is as a ‘fixative’ – allowing the elusive perfume notes, and especially quick evaporating top notes, to linger longer.
Nowadays, it is uncommon for large product houses to use real ambergris in perfumes. (Hermes and Creed claim they still do). Synthetics became available in the 20th century that are cheaper and easier to acquire. Perfumers now make “amber accords” from combinations of vanillin (synthetic vanilla), labdanum, benzoin and styrax (liquid-amber tree resin).
In perfumery, ‘amber’ describes a warm, powdery, sweet and mysterious base note. Classed as ‘oriental perfumes’ in English, and in French, “parfums ambres”. Shalimar is the best example of this sweetened genre, a more bold take is Serge Luten’s Ambre Sultan with its bay leaf twist.

Ainslie Walker x

Further reading and exhibitions:
Book: Christopher Kemp’s Floating Gold: A Natural (and Unnatural) History of Ambergris

Here’s a link to a (life size) whale photography exhibition currently on in Sydney. The exhibition is breathtaking, and really captures these incredible and rare creatures.

Side note: Dioressence was famous for using real ambergris in the past. Apparantly Hermes, Merveilles still contains it! Go have a smell!

Kalimantan by Pierre Negrin for Chantecaille 2010

June 16, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by SarahK

Amber is a fragrance family that I really like in theory, but in practice rarely end up wearing. Many just feel too heavy for me to wear even in the dead of winter. I may like the smell, but if it doesn’t meld with my skin, and just sits there like a thick layer of gold, I feel like a fraud wearing it.

Kalimantan by Pierre Negrin for Chantecaille 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Thyme, rosemary, bergamot
Heart: Incense, labdanum, patchouli
Base: Benzoin, agar, styrax, vanilla, cedar

Kalimantan is not like this. It’s an amber suitable for any time in my book. It is my Goldilocks amber – not too sweet, not too spicy, it has some heft but is not too over the top. I can feel several layers in this scent. There’s a smooth labdanum-benzoin mix, some cedar, a gentle kicker of incense and some dry herbs, though these are not in any way foody. The aromatic green edge that the cedar and herbs give the scent means that I am as happy to wear it in the heat of summer as I am in colder weather. For me, this isn’t the smell of the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo after which the fragrance was named. It is the scent of a thyme-covered Greek hillside baking in the sunshine, so it suits the warm weather, while in cold weather it reminds me of the heat.

Photo Stolen Geograph

There aren’t a lot of reviews around for this fragrance, but those that exist often compare it to Serge Lutens’ Ambre Sultan or Andy Tauer’s L’Air du Desert Marocain. For me, LADDM is a lot drier and has a gasoline note that I do not get at all in Kalimantan. It brings to mind a road running through a parched desert, not Kalimantan’s aromatic, sun-baked hill. Kalimantan does strike me as very similar to Ambre Sultan, and if you own one, I can’t imagine needing to own the other, but the Lutens fragrance is a touch drier, with a stronger incense note in the heart, while its herbs and cedar are less golden and honeyed until you reach the drydown. Kalimantan is my favourite of the three, but that may be because I tried it before Ambre Sultan.

Photo Stolen HuffingtonPost

Further reading: EauMG and Perfume Posse.
Nordstrom has $175/75ml

Come and sit with me on a Greek hilltop at sunset, watching the last rays of sun bouncing off the warm stone of a church. The bells are ringing and incense is already burning.

Urura's Tokyo Cafe by Sarah McCartney for 4160 Tuesdays

June 12, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by Poodle

The name of the company (4160 Tuesdays) is based on how many Tuesdays you’ll live if you make it to 80 years old. The idea is that that’s all you’ve got so make the most of them. Sarah McCartney is the writer and perfumer behind the brand. From what I can gather she’s based in London and had no formal training as a perfumer. Her scents were originally bespoke creations for friends and perfumes created to scent characters in a novel.

Urura’s Tokyo Cafe by Sarah McCartney for 4160 Tuesdays

Photo Stolen 4160 Tuesdays

4160 Tuesdays gives these featured accords in one line:
Grapefruit, tangerine, opoponax, tolu balsam, geranium, violet, rose, raspberry leaf

Recently I was lucky enough to win a bottle of Urura’s Tokyo Cafe by 4160 Tuesdays on Indiescents. I just started hearing about the line so I was excited to try it. If the rest of Sarah McCartney’s perfumes are like Urura’s Tokyo Cafe, she is proof that you don’t necessarily need training to be really good at something. For some it comes naturally.

Urura’s Tokyo Cafe was created to raise money for a charity event. The name of this does not really give an impression of what’s going on in the perfume. Actually it’s hard for me to pin that down as well. I mean that in a good way. It’s a chameleon on my skin. Depending on the day, the weather, my mood, who knows what else, it smells a bit different each time. It was easy to wear but hard to dissect. After wearing it almost daily for a week here’s what I can say.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

At times I get a lot of grapefruit and tangerine, more rind than juice. There’s a jammy quality but it’s never too sweet. It doesn’t smell overly citrusy either. I think the geranium keeps that in check lending an herbal bitterness which comes and goes to my nose. Some days it smelled chypre-like to me with an almost mossy quality. The rose changed on me day to day as well. It was dark at times, slightly sour and metallic on others, and then full bloom bouquet on the days the violet made an appearance. I have to admit I liked them all. The scent is well blended and a better nose might be able to pick it apart note by note, but I can’t, nor do I want to. It just smells good and unlike anything else I own. With the way it’s changed on me you might have a totally different experience with this perfume too.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Somehow it made me think of a cocktail, a Pimm’s Cup, which I believe are popular in London. Sweet yet bitter, fruity yet herbal. (I wonder if that was an inspiration in making this perfume…)
I think it’s easily unisex and I get hours of wear on my skin, on clothes it lingers for days and I find I bury my face in my scarf to smell it.

4160 Tuesdays has £40/30ml

Until next time…
Poodle

"14°S 48°E” EdP Natural Terroir Perfume by Vero Kern for Richard Lüscher Britos 2013

June 10, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 37 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Hi APJ,

Malvin Richard, Lukas Lüscher and Serena Britos (RLB) contacted Vero Kern with regards to creating a fragrance for their project. Unique fragrances, created around and characterized by certain landscapes, plants and people. Hence “Terroir”. (Please jump to Olfactoria’s Travels and read the account of my visit to the launch!)

I wondered how Vero Kern got involved in this fascinating project, so I asked her! They did not know each other. RLB contacted Vero when they were looking for perfumers for their project. They knew of her from various press articles and blogs. Conveniently, they all live in Switzerland too! Vero fell in love with the concept from the beginning. especially with their Terroir philosophy. She felt that it fit in very well with her personal goals in perfumery. It was a distinct advantage of course that Vero had started her scent career with aromatherapy. Working with
natural materials requires experience.

“14°S 48°E” EdP Natural Terroir Perfume by Vero Kern

for Richard Lüscher Britos 2013

MADAGASCAR “14°S 48°E” – Confidence in the Unknown

Please look at the website: it explains clearly here the three levels of each fragrance. Each of the Terroir perfumers were briefed; the materials they would chose needed to correspond with these levels, the core of the Terroir concept.

Vero´s choices included:

Top: Green mandarin, Bergamotte, Citron
Heart: Ylang Ylang (the main star of 14°S 48°E) Frangipani, Pink Pepper
Base: Vetiver, Cacao, Vanille, Tolu

“Madagascar is known for its incredible biodiversity …… a melting pot of cultures …… the Ambanja forests …….”

The Terroirs are only made from natural raw materials.

Now is the part where I should tell you how it smells. I have been wearing this more on than off for the last five weeks. Walking around with my nose glued to various parts of my body is not the best way to enjoy this glorious fragrance. I realized that when my daughter walked into the room and commented on the lovely vanilla smell. I couldn´t detect that in close proximity. There is a killer burst of sour citrus as the beginning which is totally invigorating. It slides seamlessly into a quite spicy and slightly bitter bouquet, balmy and relaxing. Ylang Ylang buzzing around like a bee. The vetiver is earthy. The vanilla cunning!

My first try out of 14°S 48°S was in the winter. It was nice, but something was being held back. It is completely different in the heat. It thrives in the warmth and releases its aromatic secrets more willingly. I don´t have much experience with naturals, but I would say this is quite tenacious as it lasts, liberally sprayed, about 6 hours on my skin. The flaçons are fabulous.

I am sat here in a big cloud of it: a huge .vero.profumo. fan (have I ever mentioned that) and it has been an absolute pleasure to be able to try some of Vero Kern´s other work. A million thanks to the fabulous Vero for her help and photo and to Lukas for the generous samples.

All naturally yours
CQ

Photos Donated by Val CQ

“14°S 48°E” EdP Natural Terroir Perfume GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x “14°S 48°E” EdP sample
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

Please leave a comment with a reason as to why the Terroir interests you.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 15th June 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
I will crack out my dead armadillo, which did not come from Madagascar, pop the names into it, and get one of the kids to pick one.
The winners will have till Tuesday 19th June 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.

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