Contributors

Top Five Scents for Turbulent Times

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Post by Gabriella

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Hello fragrance peeps! It’s good to be back on APJ after some time away. And my, can I just say how crazy my life has been since my last post. It has been a rollercoaster ride indeed! In just over a month, I’ve turned 40 and had an amazing birthday, had a shocking time at work, had flu, had gastro on top of flu, experienced more craziness at work, fallen flat on my face and bruised myself from head to toe, been thrilled that Mr M was awarded a terrific new work contract in Melbourne, resigned from my job, made a joint decision with Mr M to move to Melbourne, given notice on our rental and booked the removalists. As I write, I am surrounded by boxes and packing tape and getting prepared for moving day at the end of the month…

Top Five Scents for Turbulent Times

In all this hubbub of activity I have found that my perfume choices have narrowed. When things are crazy, I don’t tend to try scents that overly challenge me or anything new. So today, I would like to share my top five scents that have got me though the turbulence of the past few weeks:

Champs Elysees Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

1. Champs Elysees by Jean-Paul Guerlain 1996

My “everything-feels-overwhelming-and-I-want-to-feel-supremely-happy-again” scent. I have the lovely Miss Portia to thank for this gorgeous recent addition to my collection. The radiant mix of mimosa, rose and peach is as sparkling and uplifting as the fizz of champagne and the sun’s golden rays. It’s hard not to have a smile on your face when wearing this and it’s a damn sight cheaper than therapy.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Blackcurrant, almond, anise, melon, peach, violet
Heart: Lilac, lily of the valley, hibiscus, almond flower, rose, mimosa, peony
Base: Almond tree, cedar, benzoin, vanilla, sandalwood

Further reading: Scents Of Self and EauMG
Beauty Encounter has $20/30ml EdT, $55/50ml EdP and $125/30ml Parfum
Surrender To Chance only have $5/.5ml Parfum

Datura Noir Serge Lutens FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

2. Datura Noir by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2001

My “Oh-my-God-I feel-trapped-and-want-to-get-away” scent. Datura Noir’s sultry vibe means that there’s an island holiday at hand whenever it all gets just a little bit too much. However, Datura is so much more than your typical tropical suntan vibe scent: the almond and myrrh lend a mysterious edge to the steamy mix of tuberose and coconut.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Coconut, tuberose, tonka bean, almond, lemon blossom, mandarin orange, musk, chinese osmanthus, heliotrope, myrrh, vanilla and apricot.

Further reading:  The Scented Hound and SmellyThoughts
Luckyscent has $130/50ml and Mecca Cosmetica has $148/50ml
Surrender to Chance has $3.99/.5ml

Fleurissimo Fragrantica

 

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

3. Fleurissimo by James Henry Creed for Creed 1956

My “I-don’t-know-what-perfume-to-wear-today-and-I-don’t-want-to-have-to-think-about-it” scent. Creed Fleurissimo is my absolute scent of choice nowadays, so much so that I’ve almost finished a 75ml bottle in under six months. Supremely elegant and yet unbelievably airy and light; a soft wash of pastel tuberose underscored by whispers of rose and violet.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Tuberose, Bulgarian Rose, violet, Florentine iris
Base: Ambergris.

Luckyscent has $275/75ml and Libertine Parfumerie has $289/75ml
Surrender to Chance has $3/.5ml

 

Isabey Gardenia Panouge FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

4. Isabey Gardenia by Panouage 2006

My 40th birthday present and my “little-bit-of-luxury” scent. Despite being a gardenia fan, it took me a long time to go from like to love on this. It’s more of white floral medley than a gardenia soliflore per se, but it does what it does beautifully. A heady and warm mix of ylang ylang, gardenia and rose, Isabey Gardenia manages to be impeccably chic and comforting at the same time.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: african orange flower, ylang-ylang and tangerine
Heart: iris, jasmine, gardenia and rose
Base: musk, sandalwood and amber.

 Luckyscent has $165/50ml
Surrender to Chance has $3.99/.5ml
Le Parfum de Therese Frederic Malle FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

5. Le Parfum de Therese by Edmond Roudnitska for Frederic Malle 2000

My scent of joy and rapture. Every time I wear this, I wonder why I don’t do so more often, such is its beauty. Others have done such a wonderful job of describing this luscious chypre that I don’t have much more to add to the conversation, except that I absolutely adore it.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Fruity aquatic accords, tangerine, melon
Heart: Rose, plum
Base: Cedar, vetiver, leather

Mecca Cosmetica starts at $155/3 x 10ml
Surrender to Chance has $6.99/ml

So, what do you think of my top five? What are your choices when life gets a little crazy?

With much love till next time!
M xx

Id by Mendittorosa (Odori d'Anima) 2012

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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When my kids were very young they used to make “gift”. “Gift” is the German word for poison. They would use a glass jar and run around the house filling it with all kinds of things. Dishwashing liquid, soap powder, ketchup, flour, salt, pepper, honey, chocolate sauce, jam, and who knows what else. They would hide the jars somewhere on our balcony and wait a couple of days to see what would happen. As far as I remember they caught a few unlucky wasps, and the stuff bubbled up into a gooey mess, which I had to clean up. They have not gone on to create any fragrances.

Stefania Squeglia used to do something similar. Except we can call these olfactory experiments. Stefania would fill her glass jars with flower petals, water and women´s perfumes. She would hide the jars in the dark and wait a while to discover the fragrant results of her combinations, to see how the “odours” had changed.

SONY DSCPhoto Stolen FotoPedia

It was during a trip to Stromboli Island in 2011 that these memories were reawakened and served to inspire Stefania Squeglia to begin her creative career. “Mendittorosa Odori d’Anima” was born. The island is situated off the north coast of Sicily and has one of three active volcanoes in Italy, The Stromboli Volcano is the cornerstone of Stefania´s ideas, and influences her concepts and scents.

Menditorrosa is an Italian niche perfume house. There are five Mendittorosa perfumes, all extrait de parfum.

TRILOGY “For all things in life, there is a beginning and there is an end. But the end can also mark a new beginning.”

Alfa. Omega. Id. These three fragrances have been created to wear separately or combined.

NORTH AND SOUTH “Each north has it´s south, and each south, it´s north. Two opposites longing for completeness.”

North. South. These too can be worn alone or layered.

Id by Mendittorosa (Odori d’Anima) 2012

Id Mendittorosa FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Mendittorosa gives these featured accords:
Top: Ravensara
Heart: Jasmine, Iris
Base: Birch, Oud, Labdanum, Cinnamon

I would not be comfortable writing about each one of the fragrances as one needs a good length of time to feel what the perfumer intends.
I chose to spend a few days wearing “Id” as I felt an immediate attraction to the concept of this perfume. The locals of Stromboli Island refer to the volcano as “Iddu” from which Stefania named this perfume. This was the fragrance that first brought Mendittorosa to life. I lived on a volcanic island in the Atlantic for 2 years and love the idea of a perfume that has been inspired from volcanic surrounds. “Id” was launched in 2012.

Id Mendittorosa Stromboli Island Marco Lazzaroni FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

“Id” is an oriental. The notes include ravensara, jasmine, iris, birch, oud, labdanum and cinnamon. I had to look up ravensara and you can too. It is a plant that grows in Madagascar and I was not familiar with it. Don´t be put off by the oud (!) or any other note that you may think you don´t care for. This is so beautifully formulated that no one note is dominant. It is very warm and I found it to be energizing. It unfolds over several hours and ends up being quite musky. Good for guys and gals. And the bottles are stunning.

I wanted to check these out at the Esxence last month, but didn´t get the chance. I am extremely grateful to “Aus Liebe Zum Duft” (First in Fragrance) who rectified that and took the time to send me samples of the Mendittorosa collection.

Mendittorosa has a new perfume in the pipeline. “Le Mat”. One to look out for.

First in Fragrance has €185/100ml and samples
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

The Mendittorosa Collection is available in a number of countries in Europe, a couple of places in the US, Kuwait and Saudia Arabia.
They will soon be available from Mendittorosa.

Did you hear of these or try any in the line yet?

Have a good week.

Bussis
CQ

Collection Rouge No.1 by Jean-Claude Astier for M. Micallef 2013

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Post by Azar

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Hello APJ,

Late in September of last year I won a draw for samples of M. Micallef Collection Rouge I and II. Before these arrived I read several reviews that were less than enthusiastic. By the time I tried the samples in October I was so influenced by the negative press that I realized my impressions of these fragrances were not my own and that I needed to wait awhile to get over what I’d read in order to be able to formulate my own opinions.

Collection Rouge No.1 by Jean-Claude Astier for M. Micallef 2013

Soap Operas

Collection Rouge No1 M. Micallef FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Peach, tangerine
Heart: Ylang-ylang, jasmine, rose
Base: White musk, vanilla, benzoin

Just the other day I tracked down the samples and gave them both another try. No. II still did not work for me. But there was something about Rouge No. I that was so familiar and such a blast from the past that I decided to try it again and yet again. I remembered what Ellen Covey had written in her October 2, 2013 review. She described the Rouge No.I dry down as something like “a new vinyl shower curtain”. She also mentioned the mid 20th century aesthetic “clean is queen”. Her words and my impressions of a sort of soapy nostalgia revealed to me the essence of No. I – the smell of Pink Camay bath and beauty bar!

“You’ll be a little lovelier each day with fabulous Pink Camay…the soap that says ‘I love you’ to your skin.”

I grew up the oldest of a large family of girls (and one lonely brother). My mother bought Pink Camay by the carton. Compared to the other soaps available at the time Camay did seem to make our skin feel good. We all loved the fragrance. Camay was advertised as being “scented like perfume from Paris that would cost $25 an ounce…” and it was “blended with pink cold cream.” Who could ask for more!

Zena Holloway "Chinese Camay ad - Flower" Plum Leaves FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Camay was first introduced by Proctor and Gamble as a white bath and beauty bar in 1926. The name referenced the cameo that used to appear on every bar of soap. In the 1930s P&G began sponsoring radio shows that evolved into what we now call “soap operas”. Sometime in the late 1940s Camay appeared in pink, infused with a new light, floral fragrance. When the “soaps” hit the TV screens in the 1950s the new scented Pink Camay sponsored such classic daytime dramas as “Search for Tomorrow” and “As the World Turns”. By 1958 the beauty and bath bar was available in a range of colors including white, pink, blue, green and yellow. I don’t remember if each color had a different fragrance because we insisted on using only the pink variety. At about the same time Camay debuted in the UK and eventually made its way to more than 60 countries around the world. By the 1960s soap advertisements and soap operas had become such a part of mid century Americana that no one gave a second thought to the barely disguised references to Camay that appeared in mainstream movies like the 1963 comedy “The Thrill of It All” starring Doris Day and James Garner.

Zena Holloway "Chinese Camay ad - Heart girl" Plum Leaves FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Today’s Camay, if you can find it, has suffered, like many of our favorite perfumes, from a series of reformulations. The current Camay Classic, produced by Proctor and Gamble in Ontario, Canada, is still pink but there is no longer a cameo on the bar and the fragrance is, how should I put it, washed out and “all washed up”.

Now back to M. Micallef Rouge No. I : The notes listed for No. 1 are peach, tangerine, ylang ylang, rose, jasmine, white musk, vanilla and benzoin. On my skin it is simply the original Pink Camay all the way, from top to bottom with a bit of the new vinyl shower curtain at the heart finishing with a light, musky vanilla base. The sillage is moderate and the longevity up to 10 hours on clothing and at least 6 hours on my skin. I liked Rouge No. I enough to buy a full 100 ml bottle (but I have to admit that I found it at less than a quarter of the list price).

Giveaway Time sassisamblogPhoto Stolen sassisamblog

Rouge No. 1 GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week’s draw is for one prize that includes
1.5ml samples (or decants) of both M. Micallef Rouge No. I and Rouge No. II
A small wrapped vintage 1960s bar of Pink Camay soap
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 about your favorite scented soap, about any version of Camay or either of the fragrances in the M. Micallef Collection Rouge.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Micallef Rouge No.1 GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Ir #Perfume #Giveaway @MicallefPerfume

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 24th April 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen any fab way that Azar decides
The winners will have till Sunday 27th April 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.

Azar xx

Antonio Banderas Spirit for Woman 2005

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Post by Katrina

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As winter approaches we had our first cool day yesterday after what has seemed like a never-ending summer. Finally time to put away my summer scents. My summer fragrances are fresh, light and breezy. I like to wear fruity florals and aquatic style perfumes when the weather is hot. As the weather cools I prefer warm spicy perfumes. The perfume I reached for today is one I prefer to wear in cooler weather…….

Antonio Banderas Spirit for Woman 2005

Spirit for Woman Antonio Banderas FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the following notes.
Top: Citrus, plum
Heart: Peony, freesia, orange blossom
Base: Sandalwood, musk

I love all the notes listed here and when I bought the perfume untested I was so happy to find that it was all that I hoped for and more. Antonio Banderas Spirit for women is warm, spicy, sensual and classy.

Spirit for Woman Antonio Banderas WikiPediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Spirit opens with gorgeous rich deep plum and spicy sandalwood. These are strong notes but the perfume is not at all overpowering. The perfume develops with pretty floral notes that undertone the sandalwood. The floral notes add a touch of femininity to the perfume although they are quite subtle. I love sandalwood and this woody note dominates the fragrance for me. The perfume dries down to a warm spicy musk that lasts for hours. Spirit is just as sexy and classy as Antonio Banderas himself.

The sandalwood and spice make Spirit smell a bit masculine. Men could definitely wear Spirit for women despite the pink, curvy bottle. Spirit for women smells unisex but there is also a version of Antonio Banderas Spirit for men.

Spirit for Woman Antonio Banderas Evita FilmWebPhoto Stolen FilmWeb
(Problem using this image? Tell me, I’ll remove immediately)

Antonio Banderas Spirit for women is an award winning oriental perfume produced by Puig. Spirit won a US FiFi award in 2006 for Fragrance of the Year – Women’s Popular Appeal category.

FragranceNet has Antonio Banderas Spirit for Woman under $9/30ml

For more celebrity perfume news and reviews, check out my website Celebrity Perfume

Katrina xx

High Flying Adored: Antonio Banderas Live

Desert Blush by Harry Fremont for Nomad Two Worlds 2014

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Post by TinaG

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Hi APJ,

Australia is an amazing country, and no part I find more fascinating than the Australian outback. The landscape is incredibly awe-inspiring. I have fallen in love over and over again, with the stretches of ancient dry desert plains, the rocky crags, the unusual endemic plants and animals that call this country home, and the privilege of sharing some of the dreamings of the first people of this land.

Desert Blush Nomad Two Worlds Australian_Outback WikiMediaPhoto Stolen from WikiMedia

I was very interested to hear about a fragrance line, Raw Spirit, from Nomad Two Worlds which includes some classic Australian flora notes such as boronia and Australian sandalwood in their scents.

Desert Blush by Harry Fremont for Nomad Two Worlds 2014

Desert Blush Nomad Two Worlds FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Australian Boronia, ylang-ylang, osmanthus, jasmine petals, violet, Australian sandalwood, musk and cedar wood

A creamy-peach blush of osmanthus strikes the first chord on opening, supported by an ultra-dry cedar and sandalwood that feels like the wood has been has been placed in the searing heat of the day, along with something astringent and banana-like which I can’t readily place. During the next half hour boronia comes through, followed by delicate hints of a sweet violet and jasmine. Boronia is an Australian native plant, typically with small flowers around 1cm in diameter. The image that this scent provides me with is of the brown-yellow flowers, a classic native variety. The scent of boronia is lemony/woody –small waxy flowers on tough wood stems. Boronia as a scent has waned in popularity from a peak the mid-80’s where it was found in fragrant household products like guest bathroom soaps – you rarely see it around these days which is why I was excited to see it listed as a note.

SONY DSCPhoto Stolen Flickr

Desert Blush is described as being inspired by the Western Australian Desert at sunset. The image that Desert Blush brings to me is one of the mulga woodlands, dry red earth with tough scrubby plants and grasses, but plenty of them. The way the scent dries down really does remind me of being outside in the outback as evening falls – the woody notes take a step back, the softer floral scents which had been baked away in the sun’s heat are allowed to breath in the slowly cooling air. Longevity in this fragrance and the Raw Spirit range is excellent – after settling, it stays on my skin for at least 8 hours and I still get hints on my skin if I’ve left it on overnight.

Desert Blush Nomad Two Worlds Sunset-Strike MichaelSeebeckPhoto Stolen MichaelSeebeck

The approach which Russell James, the founder of Nomad Two Worlds, has taken with the project’s art, photography, and products is one of cultural respect and authenticity, ensuring that Indigenous artists receive royalties for their work, and donating 10% of profits to the Nomad Two Worlds Foundation for support of artists from Indigenous and marginalised communities around the globe.

Nomad Two worlds has $35/7.5ml EdP

The fragrance line of Raw Spirit stays closely within the framework of supporting communities. Of the four fragrances I sampled all donate part of their proceeds to sustainable agricultural projects – Desert Blush and Wild Fire to Indigenous Australian (Aboriginal) projects, with Bijou Vert and Citadel supporting Haitian projects. Fragrance with a conscience. I like it.

Tina G

Cristalle Eau Verte EDT by Jacques Polge for CHANEL 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

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Post by ElizaD

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What I will be wearing at the starting line.

In two short weeks, on April 21, and along with 35,999 others, I will be toeing the line for the 118th running of the Boston Marathon. Yes, this floral and musk girl is also a runner. I have given lots of thought to what I will wear, my outfit, my favorite hat, my lucky necklace, and this year, a little spritz of something to carry me through the challenging parts and more importantly, the emotions of the day.

Cristalle Eau Verte Chanel Boston Marathon Logan Ingalls FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Most of you are probably aware of the events at the finish line of last year’s Boston. I was not there, so I can only imagine what it was like, and my heart broke at the thought of anyone being impacted by the devastation that the bombs caused. I don’t usually wear perfume when I run, unless it’s the last breaths of what I put on earlier in the day, but this year it seems fitting to be wrapped in a little comfort and to make a statement with my whole self as I run, resolved to do my best in this purest expression of human competition.

So, I laid all my samples and bottles out on the top of my vanity and my choice is….

Cristalle Eau Verte EDT by Jacques Polge for CHANEL 2009

Cristalle Eau Verte Chanel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sicilian lemon, bergamot
Heart: Magnolia, neroli
Base: Musk, jasmine, iris

I received a sample from the lovely ladies at the Nordstrom counter and have fallen in love with this easy to wear perfume. It’s citrusy, a bit spicy and very feminine. It’s also light, so it will hopefully not offend those around me, but leave a soft trail as I pass people in the last miles of the course, and will be a fragrant mantra, a reminder of what is beautiful. It’s a little like Bvlgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert, a little like Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, but decidedly more feminine, less unisex. Sillage is moderate.

Cristalle Eau Verte Chanel Green abstract PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

The lemon is of course the first to appear, and that’s why I chose this over some of my other more heady favorites. It gives a crispness that will be welcome in the early morning before the race begins. As I log the miles, Cristalle Eau Verte will unfold and by the time I reach the fabled Newton Hills and then the finish, will have dried down to just a whisper of spice and flowers.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Grain de Musc
Galaxy Perfume has $90/50ml
Posh Peasant has samples starting at $4/ml

People have often asked me why I run. I run for the same reasons that I wear perfume: It makes me happy; it allows me to express myself; it helps me give my best self; and most importantly, it reminds me that there is loveliness in this world, I just have to open my heart and welcome it in.

What is your thing that helps you to see the loveliness in the world?

ElizaD

Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

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Post by Maya

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Hey APJ,

Spring seems to have finally arrived and everyone’s dark mood has lifted. Now suddenly, there is growth again and instead of dirty snow we see green. And I got a cold! Or allergies. Unbelievable! I’m not prone to allergies, but you never know. I do know that my sense of smell has weakened. I still get sharp notes and the overall tone of a fragrance but not enough to review it.

So my thoughts went from smell or the lack thereof to perfume and magic and the wonderful memory of how my perfume love came to be…… When I was in my early teens, we had a very beautiful neighbor, Rehle, whose children I would baby sit. Despite our age difference, she and I became good friends. It was a friendship that would last for many years, even when she moved out of state. One day she called me over. She said she had something to show me. Her boyfriend had come back from a trip to France and had brought her a gift. She held the gift gently in long, lovely fingers. It was her treasure.

Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

Perfume Magic

Joy Jean Patou FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tuberose, rose, ylang-ylang, aldehydes, pear, green notes
Heart: Jasmine, iris root, Bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, orchid
Base: Musk, sandalwood, civet

She told me it was the most expensive perfume in the world and she wanted to share it with me. Jean Patou Joy, pure perfum in the classic bottle. I had never heard of it.

She gently pulled the dauber out. I remember the perfume on the dauber was almost molten, golden. Then the most beautiful smell I have ever experienced wafted up at me. It seemed to shimmer like thousands of tiny lights. She dabbed some of this magic on me and on herself.

Joy Jean Patou Carina Nebula NASA FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Joy is my perfume magic. Did it really shimmer? It did for me. The top notes were almost alive. It was and still is beautiful on my skin. Have I ever dabbed or spritzed Joy and followed its development or looked for notes? Never. I know all I need to know.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and The Non Blonde
Surrender to Chance has Joy Parfum samples starting at $7/.25ml
(You must try your Joy in store because only recently P&G sold Patou Perfumes to a crew that is revitalising the brand)

Rehle is gone now, but every time I wear or smell Joy I think of her. I see her forever young and beautiful and vibrant and I start to smile. I feel happy. Jean Patou named his perfume well – Joy.

Do you have any perfume magic?

Maya
xx

Nostalgie by Laurie Erickson for Sonoma Scent Studio

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

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Post by SarahK

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Hello AJP family.

Sonoma Scent Studio is a line created by indie perfumer Laurie Erickson. They aren’t that easy to get hold of if you’re outside the United States as the company won’t ship internationally but if you can find them, it is a line well worth exploring.
(Ed: IndieScents has a great SSS range and send to the world)
Some really don’t suit me, but others are just glorious. It’s not a natural perfume line (though some of the scents are made with all-natural ingredients) but, of the six scents I’ve tried to date, even the ones that use synthetics have a ‘natural’ feel to them. That doesn’t mean they aren’t long-lasting though – as a whole, this line has some of the best longevity that I’ve come across, and a little goes a long way.

Nostalgie by Laurie Erickson for Sonoma Scent Studio

Nostalgie sonoma-scent IndieScents.345.400Photo Stolen IndieScents

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Aldehydes, Indian jasmine sambac absolute, Bulgarian rose absolute, mimosa absolute, peach, violet flower, violet leaf absolute, tonka, French beeswax absolute, natural oakmoss absolute, aged Indian patchouli, East Indian Mysore sandalwood, leather, vanilla, orris, myrrh, vetiver, and musk

Today I’m going to talk about one of SSS’s rose-violet scents. Nostalgie opens on the skin as a gentle, woody-floral, aldehydic scent – something traditionally ‘perfumey’, but softly so. Half an hour into its development it is a powdery rose, with a hint of violet, a beautiful cosmetics smell, but less sweet, more natural, and altogether less in-your-face than, say, Frederic Malle’s Lipstick Rose. While the violet-rose combination in Lipstick Rose is backed by a sweet, slightly plasticky almond, in Nostalgie, it’s backed by a mossy beeswax spiked with a little vetiver.

Nostalgie Sonoma Scent Studio Eugène_Boudin WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Nostalgie is a very appropriate name for this romantic fragrance, which conjures soft-focus images of an Edwardian beauty. She’s dressed in white and sitting in a sunny garden amid blooming flowers, bees and butterflies. This, to me, is the scent of Lucy Honeychurch in A Room with a View. Someone on Fragrantica likened it to Chanel’s No. 22, and I can see why – they share a sweet, floral, beeswaxy feel. But, while Nostalgie has aldehydes, they are little fluffy kitten aldehydes. Nostalgie has none of No. 22’s fizzy champagne rush attacking the nose. It’s all soft, powdery florals. As the scent wears on, the sweet violet shows more of its face. Sweet, but not at all cloyingly so, it is a bit like Palma Violet candy, though the fragrance is as much about rose as violet. The base is gentle sandalwood, with a touch of moss, patchouli and vetiver, which combine with the beeswax to give the scent a gentle old-school furniture polish vibe. I love it.

Nostalgie Sonoma Scent Studio PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Very much a classic floral, and traditionally feminine, but (to my mind, at least) there is no reason that a man who likes powdery, floral fragrances couldn’t wear Nostalgie. It doesn’t have huge projection, but is still detectable on my skin an impressive 14-16 hours after application.

SSS has another couple of rose-violet-aldehyde scents that I have tried. To Dream has more of the woody and incense notes that the house is famous for, while Lieu de Reves has notes up front (perhaps the combination of cedar and vetiver) that remind me of cola – in a good way. They both strike me as less rosy, and less floral altogether, though Lieu de Reves still has plenty of powdery violet in its heart.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels, Now Smell This and Muse In Wooden Shoes
IndieScents has $105/34ml Extrait de Parfum
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml

See you soon,
SarahK x

Antonia’s Flowers GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hi APJ,

Another great APJ Giveaway. You guys are so wonderful. The winner is below

Now, to protect myself from – what is that thing in the sky that we haven’t seen for months – the SUN?! – I will don the sun hat and take Fender, the dog, for his much deserved walk. We both enjoy sniffing the cherry blossoms and the magnolias.

Many thanks for your comments and the suggestions of favorite scents to wear to the beach!

 

Antonia`s Flowers FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Antonia’s Flowers GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have ONE Winner who will get:
One complete sample set of Antonia’s Flowers fragrances including 1 ml of each of the following:
Antonia’s Flowers EDT
Antonia’s Flowers EDP
Floret EDT
Floret EDP
Tiempe Passate EDP
Sogni del Mare EDT
Rokka cologne
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID 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

To be eligible for the draw please comment on any Antonia’s Flowers fragrance OR let us know what scent you will be wearing to the beach this summer!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Antonia’s Flowers Sample Set GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2F0 #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 10th April 2014 10pm Australian EST

Today I put all the names into the floppy sun hat and drew the winner myself. I wondered if such a draw would be considered fair. So I stirred up the names again, threw them all on the floor and let Fender choose! Amazing! He picked the same name I did!

Winner cemre-ile-herteldenPhoto Stolen cemre-ile-hertelden

willa

The winners will have till Monday 14th April 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.

Azar xx

 

FR! 01/04 Magnol'art 3 by Amélie Bourgeois for Fragrance Republic 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

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Post by Poodle

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Let the Music Play…

That’s the name of a song by an artist named Shannon that was released in 1984. It’s the song that came on the radio as I was writing this and since it’s about a dance, it seemed fitting.  Fragrance Republic FR! 01/04 is supposed to call to mind a dance, the tango specifically, and a weekend getaway.

FR! 01/04 Magnol’art 3 by Amélie Bourgeois for Fragrance Republic 2014

01 04 Magnol'art 3 Fragrance Republic FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords: (slightly different in words & pictures)
Top: Yellow Italian Mandarin, Sweet Orange
Heart: Jasmine, Fleur de Cassie, Mimosa Maroc, Black Locust, Magnolia
Base: Sesame, Tonka Bean, White Musks

FR! 01/04 was not what I expected from reading the note list.  I was expecting a citrusy, tropical thing that I would quickly dismiss.  Instead I got something completely different that’s grown on me a lot.

It opens on my skin with a huge bouquet of flowers.  The florals here are big and bold.  There’s a creaminess to the magnolia that evokes the idea of big, fleshy petals.  The sesame is also noticeable from the start to the finish.  That and the Tonka bean give the scent an edible note that hums just below the surface.  It’s not woody but rather nutty.  I imagine a Latin dancer with flowers in her hair.  It’s a hot summer night.  She’s dancing with a handsome man to the pulsating beat of the tango.  The song ends and they step away to share a sip of a tropical drink with orange slices garnishing the glass.  All these aromas mingle with the musky sweetness of their skin covered in just a shimmer of sweat.

01 04 Magnol'art 3 Fragrance Republic tango pixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

The idea behind the perfume is Argentina and the sensuality of two bodies dancing the tango.  At the start it’s musky, nutty floral.  The citrus notes are nowhere to be found for me.  It isn’t until later in the development they make a little flirting appearance.  The perfume has an earthy quality to it but it never smells dirty to me.  There’s a sensual facet from the big flowers but even the musks in this are clean and not animalic.  While I was able to piece together the imagery it wasn’t the down and dirty fragrance I thought it would be.  These two dancing bodies are keeping all their contact on the dance floor.

And she sang;

“I thought it was clear,
the plan was we would share
this feeling just between ourselves,
But when the music changed
the plan was rearranged,
he went to dance with someone else.”

There’s no roll in the sheets to end the evening for them.  It’s all about the dance.  In the end the perfume is all about the clean musks with that touch of sesame.  That being said, it’s got just enough going on to keep it from smelling too clean and the sesame gives it a unique quality that I really like.

Further reading: Ca Fleur Bon
Fragrance Republic has $45/15ml

Poodle x