Contributors

Brie’s Across the Generations

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

.

Post by Brie

.

Perfume and Tea Musings: Across the Generations

Nest Fine Perfumes Midnight Fleur
Zhena Gypsy Organic Green Tea with Coconut/Rum Flavorings

Hello APJ

For many years I have worked with autistic students as a speech language pathologist. All of my students suffer from a condition known as Sensory Integration Dysfunction. In the simplest of terms they cannot process sensory information in typical fashion and are either repelled by sensory input (ie: can’t tolerate loud noises, itchy sweaters, etc) or crave sensory input (ie: only eat highly spicy/crunchy foods, are constantly smelling things, etc). I have my own theory that those of us obsessed with perfume may also possess to a certain degree a mild form of sensory integration dysfunction. Studies have also shown that this condition has a hereditary link.

So it should come as no surprise that my family is a multi-generational band of perfume nuts. For as long as I can remember mum had vintage/classic perfume bottles in our house. Pops had copious amounts of 4711 bottles in every size imaginable. To this day he sprays his socks and underwear with the organic vodka and essential oil blends I make for him. The fact that I am writing this post speaks to my obsession which has naturally been inherited by all three of my children.

Midnight Fleur NestFragrancesPhoto Stolen NestFragrances

However, financing perfume for four can be quite challenging. My eldest daughter has quite a resourceful streak and enters perfume draws. Whether you believe in the perfume fairies, the patron saint of perfume or just plain luck, random dot org seems to hone in on her perfume pen name and has allowed her to win several full bottles of high end niche.
The mother lode of all her perfume wins was the deluxe package of Nest Fine Perfumes Midnight Fleur which included the full size bottle, a travel roll on and the decadently thick and luxurious body cream.

Before I even get into the fragrance itself I must tell you that the packaging that the perfume is housed in is stunning. The black matte bottles are substantially heavy and decorated in floral illustrations inspired by the 18th century British artist Mary Delaney who used the decoupage technique. The juice in this work of art bottle is exquisite. Fragranatica lists the notes as jasmine, vanilla orchid, exotic woods, patchouli and black amber. Yet upon first spray the most prominent note to my nose is pineapple: rich, lush and juicy. But this is not your sickly sweet fruity concoction that is so popular in the mainstream perfumes. Midnight Fleur exudes a sophisticated tropical vibe (thanks to the vanilla orchid) before drying down to an earthy patchouli and dark amber.

Brie's Acros The Generations by Britt and CourtPhoto by Brie’s daughters Britt and Court

For this reason I pair Midnight Fleur with Zhena Gypsy Organic Green tea which includes notes of coconut, rum and pineapple flavors. The tea and perfume are a perfect duo for a hot summer day or night. Whether you are a teenager (like my daughter) or a middle aged woman (like me) Midnight Fleur is a beauty to wear. I am proud that one of my own is developing and refining a sophisticated taste in perfume which I am sure she will pass on to her offspring one day!

Bx

Sadly Brie wrote this ahead and can not answer your comments. Don’t let that stop the conversation though, please write if you’d like and Portia will reply. Hopefully Brie is out there somewhere reading. Portia xx

Spanish Geranium (vintage) by Andre Fryse for Lanvin

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 77 Comments

.

Post by Azar

.

Spanish Geranium by Lanvin

Hello APJ,

Spanish Geranium (Geranium d’Espagne) was created for Lanvin in 1925 by the brilliant perfumer Andre Frysse.  It sold for a short time, became unavailable for many years, was revived in the 1950’s and finally discontinued around 1970.  The 20th century actress Joan Crawford (“Mommy Dearest” to some) was reported to have said of Spanish Geranium that it was one of the three fragrances she “would never want to live without”.  The other two were Royall Lyme by Anthony Gaade and Estee Lauder’s Youth Dew.  Jungle Gardenia was also one of her favorites.  Unfortunately for Joan (and for the rest of us) Spanish Geranium and the original Jungle Gardenia that she loved so much are long gone while more mainstream, crowd-pleasing fragrances, like Royall Lyme and Youth Dew, remain.

spanish geranium lanvin

In the 1960’s my mother was given a bottle of Spanish Geranium Eau de Lanvin (an EDT).  She favored Arpege so gave me free access to the SG, which I used with a heavy hand.  The scent of Spanish Geranium, as well as the characteristic Lanvin accord, are burned into my memory.  In those days my application of this fragrance was so liberal that one of my music comp professors actually took me aside on a hot Spring day and advised me on the appropriate use of perfumes and colognes.  I remember his exact words and often ignore them.

Spanish Geranium is a bracing, in your face, almost masculine rendition of its floral namesake.  The top notes are a combination of the familiar scent of the flowers and foliage of the zonal geranium (Pelargonium zonale) and the crushed leaves of the hybrid spicy rose geranium (P. ‘Graveolins’).  Citrus, perhaps unripe lemon or bergamot, and what might be pepper add a sparkle to the floral mix.  The opening never truly fades, giving Spanish Geranium the illusion of a soliflore, which it definitely is not.  After about five minutes oakmoss, palmarosa and a touch of patchouli join the geraniums, eventually drying down to a light amber, a woody resin and something animalic, perhaps civet.  The entire SG fragrance mélange floats on the same Lanvin accord that supports Arpege and My Sin.  I can’t really describe this accord, but if you have used vintage Lanvin you will know what I’m talking about .The sillage can vary between quite intimate to moderate and the longevity up to 4 hours on my skin and more on clothing.

Spanish Geranium Lanvin Geraniums

When I first tried Spanish Geranium I thought it was the strangest fragrance I had ever experienced.  Admittedly I was quite young at the time but, even now, I find SG to be hauntingly beautiful and (for lack of a better word) just a little bit “odd”.  I LOVE odd!  Perhaps you will too! Remember that this is a very vintage EDT. It has faded somewhat but has not turned.  What I perceive to be a fascinating, odd smell is the same scent I’ve encountered, bottle after bottle, from my first sniff over 50 years ago up to and including what I’m enjoying today.

Further reading: Cleopatra’s Boudoir
The Perfumed Court has .5ml in with 6 other Lanvin fragrances from $28

I just asked Lucie Joly (the Assistante Chef de Produit, what does that title mean?) if there would be a modern revival.  She was very cordial but said that an SP revival was not in the works right now, thanks for asking and she would let me know if they decided to do a reissue.  I suppose it doesn’t hurt to put a “bee in their bonnet”. It might be interesting to see what kind of Spanish Geranium would emerge to suit modern tastes and restrictions. When I think of a modern revival of SP I get the the image of a strange mutated butterfly with a vague memory of another life as something else.  This image was probably a result of reading Ellen Covey’s most recent post referring to butterfly memory, among other things.

AzarX

 giveaway hemodernhomePhoto Stolen hemodernhome

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

There will be 2 winners this week, each will receive:

1 x 2ml decant from my stash of Spanish Geranium EDT
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.

To be eligible just leave a comment about anything related to geraniums or pelargoniums and mention how you follow the APJ’s (e-mail, wordpress, whatever).

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Vintage Lanvin Spanish Geranium GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-1Vs @LANVINofficial #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday October 6th 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
The winners will be chosen by B-Azar or by Gomez the pionus parrot from same sized folded papers on a tray.
The winners will have till Wednesday 9th October 2013 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.

DATES FIXED! OOOOPS! Naughty Portia with the cut & paste

 

Drag Queens, Cookie Queens and Chanel´s Coromandel

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

.

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

.

Drag Queens, Cookie Queens and Chanel´s Coromandel.

Or How I met Portia Turbo-Gear of AustralianPerfumeJunkies.

Coromandel Chanel AlexDonaldPhoto Stolen AlexDonald

Fragrantica gives these featured accordfs:
Top: Bitter orange,citruses, neroli
Heart: Jasmine, rose, patchouli, orris
Base: Musk, woodsy notes, benzoin, olibanum, incense, vanilla, white chocolate

I know that this fragrance was named after the exquisite Chinese lacquered wood screens in Coco Chanels house, but I prefer to think of it as having been named after the Coromandel Coast, the name given to the southeastern coast of the Indian Subcontinent. Much more suited to the rich, patchouli, amber, incensed based Eau de Toilette. It belongs to the luxurious collection of Les Exclusifs de Chanel. Nose is Jacques Polge. It´s classed as a fragrance for women. That is so not true. It is equally suited to a bloke. But we know all this stuff don´t we? It´s been covered so well – Olfactoria, Bois de Jasmin, …….

I saw on APJ, early January 2013, that Portia and Jin were headed to Europe, with a list of dates as to when and where they would be. Well, as fate would have it, the pair of them were in Vienna on the same day as I was visiting the city. I dropped them a mail, offered a bag of fresh baked cookies, and we had a date!

Now after seven years in Amsterdam, there is nothing that can really phase me. However, I got my daughter and her friend to come along too. I had never had a blind date with an Australian drag queen before, and a little moral support never goes amiss eh? We arrived a little early, hit the Chanel Exclusif counter, where I doused myself in Coromandel. Meeting point was Café Mozart, downtown Vienna. A very beautiful, very Viennese coffee house. We had absolutely no clue as to who we were looking for, having not stalked the pair online to see what they looked like. We went into the cafe, looked around, saw no one that looked like they were waiting for us, and went out again.

Jin Vienna 2013

I was carrying a Chanel bag, complete with camellia, in which I had the cookies packed up. A dead giveaway, or so I thought. We went outside to wait. It was damn cold. Not knowing if Portia would be in drag or not, we stared down every woman that walked by. Is it? Isn´t it? We had such a laugh. I finally texted them and asked if I had been stood up. Portia texted back “Inside grey Christmas jumper left near window, standing:” And there they were. Portia dressed in a Marks and Sparks looking sweater with a kind of Scandinavian christmas tree pattern. And I was looking for Dame Edna? Epic fail. (Portia had been outside, and seen us, and thought that anyone carrying a Chanel bag was too posh for them, and went back inside – is that a double epic fail??)

Coromandel CHANEL Val and portia vienna 2013

It was as though we had know each other for years. ( Portia has the gift of making you feel loved right away!!) I told my daughter she could leave. No, no, no …… no way. She was absolutely staying put. Wouldn´t miss it for the world!! Portia and Jin had also spritzed themselves, with Coromandel and Cuir de Russie. Great minds ……. In amongst the conversation, which ran at about a hundred miles an hour, I said maybe I could write a piece for the blog sometime. Not planned, never thought about it, absolutely no perfume writing skills …….. in fact, after 20 years of speaking bad German, and losing a lot of my English vocabulary, I didn´t really know if could string a sentence together. But here I am!!

Val and Portia Vienna Laughing 2013

We went onto the Chanel store together. I bought a bottle of Coromandel. We drove the shop assistant into lid-flipping insanity, and I had to grab my new friend Portia by the hand and drag him out the store. I had a feeling he was going to show the poor Austrian assistant what a colorful vocabulary I was sure that he had!! Each time I wear Coromandel, I am zapped back to that day, and to the short time we had with Portia and Jin. The memories with some perfumes are so etched into our brains that we cannot get rid of them. In this case it is awesome!!

Some that say that the longevity of Coromandel is not so good. Why do you think it comes in that half gallon bottle? Spray it on guys, lots of it and all over. Works a treat. I am in the minority. I love the huge bottle. It´s just so damn satisfying. It is an EdT and should be treated as such. Spritz baby spritz.

Portia opened a new chapter in my life. Not only with APJ. Through him I met two absolutely wonderful perfumistas living on my doorstep. My horizons have been widened, my circle of friends increased, my perfume collection has grown.

Is today September the 25th??? HAPPY BIRTHDAY PORTIA!!!

Coromandel Chanel CookieMonster 43ThingsPhoto Stolen 43things

A thousand bussis, to the sky and back.

Val xxxxxxx

Val the Cookie Queen

Tubereuse Criminelle by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 1999

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

.

Post by Gabriella

.

Hello fragrant friends!

Today I want to share my very personal story on how a bottle of a special fragrance came into my life. Almost two years ago, I was in a very bad place. I had returned to Sydney from London after recently getting engaged to Mr M. We moved in together, I was starting a new chapter with the man I loved and it should have been a tremendously happy time for me. However, one thing stood in my way: employment.

The job market for the sector I was in was particularly dire. I searched and searched and got knocked back either because I was way overqualified or just not senior enough. One month turned into two and then three and suddenly, I had been out of work for the longest time since starting in the job market at 15 packing shelves at a local grocery store.

DepressedPhoto Stolen Sander van der Wel Flickr

Still, it should have been fine. Mr M was happily supporting me financially and for the first time in years, I had time to think. But therein was the rub. Work had been so much part of my existence for so long that I now defined myself through my job. Without one, I felt like I had lost my identity and furthermore, my existence. As time rolled on, I became more depressed. I mooched around, drank more, ate tons and put of masses of weight which only exacerbated my unhappiness. When Mr M came home from work, I snapped at him. I was not a very nice person to be with.

Eventually, I did get some freelance work, but it wasn’t quite enough. My birthday was coming up and I would have been out of full time work for six months by that time, something I desperately didn’t want to happen.

So on Mr M’s advice, I went to see my parents who live up in northern New South Wales. It would be a breath of fresh air, allow me to spend some quality time with my Mum and Dad and hopefully, snap me out of my black dog state.

One day, I was doing some of my freelance stuff in Dad’s study. Rummaging around his desk drawer for a pen is when I spotted it: there in the drawer was a bottle of…..

Tubereuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens 1999

Tubereuse Criminelle Serge Lutens FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

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

I was flabbergasted, excited and also perplexed. This was obviously my birthday present but how did Dad know to buy me this? Sure, Dad knew of my perfume love and I’d probably mentioned tuberose as a note here and there, but he certainly didn’t know Serge. And how had he discovered Tubereuse Criminelle, which at that point, had only been recently released into the export line?

I went into the kitchen to see Mum.

“Mum, don’t tell Dad, but I think I have accidentally found my birthday present.”

“Oh really?”

“Yes, the perfume in his desk drawer. But how did Dad know about it and how to get it and that I’d want Tubereuse Criminelle?”

“Well, you’ve been so very down lately darling and we know you love perfume and tuberose and all that. So Dad did some investigation online and found that this was a good one and quite hard to find. He just wanted to give you something really special to make you happy.”

Tears came to my eyes. The thought of Dad reading perfume reviews and doing background research was beyond overwhelming. I was deeply, deeply touched and thankful. It was a very special present in more ways than one. Now when I take that precious bottle out, I am reminded that good can come out of bad. The jolie laide character of Tubereuse Criminelle with the sharp mentholated opening before the full bloom of white flowers is a reminder that things do get better.

And, I’m also reminded that there is a hell of a lot more to life than work. It’s not the thing that defines me.

Tubereuse Criminelle Serge Lutens Trees Sun WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

For more in-depth reviews of the scent itself, please see Bois de Jasmin and The Candy Perfume Boy.

Tubereuse Criminelle is available at
Mecca Cosmetica $166/50ml
LuckyScent $150/50ml
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml.

Do you have a special story on one of your perfumes? What’s your take on Tubereuse Criminelle?

With much love till next time!

M x

Anat Fritz’ Tzora by Geza Schoen for Anat Fritz 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

.

Post by Azar

.

Dear APJs,

Never in my wildest, most fragrant dreams could I have imagined that one day I would be tempted to purchase a perfume that was named after a kibbutz and tucked into a hand made sock! If this image isn’t strange enough just try to picture the following: A geriatric shopper mobbed by several young sales associates all attempting to provide the most thorough customer service in the history of office supply stores. If you can imagine either of these scenarios perhaps you too have tried ……

Tzora by Anat Fritz 2012

Tzora Anat Fritz FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Black currant, clary sage, bergamot, pepper, magnolia, osmanthus, jasmine, cedar, vetiver, patchouli, musk and moss.

My experience with Tzora began with Olfactif’s September Sample Collection (Pleasant Promenade by S. Poncet, Siam Proun by Ellen Covey and Tzora, the kibbutz in a sock). Tzora proved to be a pleasant enough fragrance. The musky woods, wafting in and out of my scent consciousness, caused me to suspect that the cassis and peruvian pepper (among other notes) were laced with GS’s “signature” aroma chemical, iso-E-super. On a whim I loaded my skin with 2 hefty sprays and went out on my morning errands.

My first stop was the bank. The usually serious bank teller gave me an odd look and then greeted me with a big smile and a sparkle in her eyes. Everywhere I went people were in a great mood, smiling, laughing and wanting to chat. I attributed all the friendliness to a day of sunshine and headed for my last stop, the office supply store.

Anat Fritz' Tzora Shopping Assistants limerickrose2012Photo Stolen limerickrose2012

I walked into the store in a big hurry, made a beeline for the tape aisle, found what I needed and was just about to zoom over to bubble wrap when a young man appeared, determined to help me find what I already had in my hand, a single roll of packing tape. He insisted on carrying it for me! Usually, when I shop at this store, I have been carefully ignored and prefer it that way. I made my way to the next aisle where another salesman joined the first. Eventually I managed to pick up not only all the supplies I needed but six very helpful young men as well. I was becoming a little self-conscious. Didn’t these guys have anything better to do with their time? Were they trying to look busy for the management or were they just helpless moths attracted to the flame that is Azar? Other customers were staring, coming closer and smiling. It was then I caught a whiff of myself. AHA! All the attention and solicitous customer service must be a reaction to the perfume that Geza Schoen had created for Anat Fritz and that I had so recklessly applied earlier in the day.

Anat Fritz' Tzora Shopping michigan.govPhoto Stolen Michigan.gov

Further reading: The Perfume Diary
LuckyScent has $150/100ml
The Perfumed Court starts at $5/ml

Yes, it felt great to be waited on, smiled at and chatted up but would I want such treatment every day? Why not? $150 for 100ml of Tzora, the kibbutz in a sock, seems a small price to pay for so many smiles and such great customer service. Now here’s a question. Have you had any interesting public reactions to the scents you wear (perfumes, pheromones, aroma chemicals, whatever)? Try not to go too private or explicit with this one.

Azar xx

Beyonce Heat by Claude Dir and Olivier Gillotin 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

.

Post by Katrina

.

According to People, the “Heat” collection of signature scents from Beyonce has been named the best-selling celebrity fragrance brand worldwide. The original Beyonce Heat was released in 2010 and to date there are 5 fragrances in the heat line. The latest special edition heat is The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour Limited Edition. Today I am reviewing the first fragrance in the Heat line.

Beyonce Heat by Claude Dir and Olivier Gillotin 2010

Beyonce Heat Beyonce FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Beyonce Heat features the following notes according to Fragrantica:
Top: Red vanilla orchid, magnolia, neroli and peach
Heart: Honeysuckle, almond and musky cream
Base: Sequoia wood, tonka and amber

Heat opens with a burst of sweet peach. The peach is strong and sweet. As the sweetness of the peach softens the floral notes and a soft creamy musk get stronger. Beyonce Heat becomes warm and earthy as it lingers on my skin. I prefer wearing Heat on hot days when the gorgeous base notes really open up. In cooler weather I don’t get much more than peach from the fragrance and it lacks the warm, sultry feel which is what this perfume is all about. During summer the peach is complemented with vanilla and amber and it smells rich, warm and sultry.

 beyonce-heat SheKnowsEntertainmentPhoto Stolen SheKnowsEntertainment

The original Heat in the red bottle was one of the first celebrity perfumes in my collection. The advertising for the original Beyonce Heat shows Beyonce looking very hot indeed.

FragranceNet has 100ml for $25.19

If you haven’t seen it before you must check out Cinderonce – the story of Cinderella told through Beyonce song but the Fairy Drag Mother really steals the show. Enjoy!

Check out my website for Celebrity Perfume News and Reviews

Katrina xx
The Making Of “Beyonce Heat” Commercial. VERY COOL!


Beyonce performs SINGLE LADIES on Good morning America. FLAWLESS

Pheromones! AbdesSalaam Attar for La Via del Profumo

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

.

Post by FeralJasmine

.

APJ, I Believe in Pheromones!
In my remote youth there was a perfume called Pheromone. It was sold through little ads near the back of the Sunday paper magazine section, and it promised to make the wearer irresistible. It played heavily on the fact that most people had vaguely heard of pheromones but knew nothing about how they worked or even what they actually were. Some of the ad copy, as nearly as I can remember, indicated that the opposite sex would swarm around you without knowing why, and you would not be able to smell this elixir on yourself but you would know it was working because of the reactions of those around you. At first this sounded terribly appealing to a 13-year-old prone to a bit of puppy fat, but fortunately I had no checking account at the time, and when I eventually got one I had long since forgotten about Pheromone, which was probably distilled water and a little alcohol anyway.

Feromone pour Femme by La Via Del Profumo

Feromone pour Femme La Via del Profumo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Amber(gris), tuberose, civet, jasmine, vanilla

All those memories came back when I was browsing the website of La Via Del Profumo and came across Dubrana’s creation Feromone pour Femme. The website copy suggests that pheromones from animals may ” have been used by man since dawn of time for pharmaceutical purposes and to enhance one’s appeal and sexual energy.” Well, I don’t know about you, but my appeal can generally use a little enhancement these days, so I ordered a sample from Surrender to Chance.

The stated notes are genuine ambergris and civet, “perfected with a sensual accord of the perfumes of jasmine, tuberose, and vanilla.” I doubt that I have ever worn anything with authentic ambergris in it, so I put it on with happy anticipation.

Feromone pour Femme by La Via Del Profumo Lorando Labbe FlickrjpgPhoto Stolen Lorando Labbe Flickr

At first it seemed like a charming white floral, rounded out with some vanilla. The ingredients were clearly top-notch. I could detect the civet but it was subtle. I wasn’t able to detect ambergris as an individual note. I just noted that the florals seemed a little rounder and plusher than I had expected. After half an hour it was fading, which is short-lived even for an all-natural perfume, and I thought my curiosity about it had been satisfied. Nice, no big deal.

Then for the next ninety minutes or so, the scent played with me. It would reappear unexpectedly, then seem to be gone again. It would waft past my nose on a light breeze but seem absent from the wrist where I applied it. It would seem lean, then lush and even a little fatty. It was a will-o-the-wisp, leading me out into the unknown where I would drift around gradually losing my reason until I plunked down 212 American dollars for a 50ml bottle. If you think I would do that in my right mind, you don’t know how cheap I really am.

Feromone pour Femme by La Via Del Profumo Dove DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Cautiously, I bought a tiny decant and sprayed it about a bit. Same experience. Now you smell it, now you don’t, and each time you catch a whiff it seems a tiny bit different. I’m fascinated. I don’t know if this is the effect of true ambergris. If I ever had a chance to talk to Dominique Dubrana, the perfumer/magician who made it, the only questions I would want answered are “Did I imagine all that? And if not, how the hell did you do it?”

I still don’t know if I will spring for a full bottle, but a larger decant is in my immediate future. This perfume perplexes me. I can’t figure it out. I want to keep trying. And please, somebody, tell me how sniffing solidified whale vomit (Ed: sorry FeralJasmine it comes from the other end) can pull me toward financial lunacy. It seems as blind and unreasoning as…well…love, I guess.

Feromone pour Femme by La Via Del Profumo Ambergris FragranticaPhoto & Following Info Fragrantica

WHITE/GREY Ambergris  
- Product which has a white or partly white coating and a light interior color. Normally pieces of this type are smaller in size (they have been in the ocean longer). The fragrance will have at least some sweetness
STANDARD Ambergris 
- This product is normally brown/grey or ash in color. It will have a good fragrance but still a little strong. Pieces can be larger. You can often notice some layers in the material.
LOW QUALITY Black Ambergris – This type can be very hard, firm or soft.
.

I couldn’t find any other reviews sadly
La Via Del Profumo has €59/16ml and €161/50ml
I’ve ordered a tiny precious vial of pure ambergris tincture to investigate the ingredient on its own. I will keep thinking about it. Monsieur Dubrana, this thing isn’t over between us.

FeralJasmine x

Helmut Lang EDP

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

.

Post by Chairman Meow

.

There is often a lot of discordance between the image projected by a fashion house, and the perfumes they produce (Yairs, looking at you, Gucci. Balmain, I wasn’t looking at you until Christophe Decarnin came. And then went.) Not so the case with Helmut Lang, where the aesthetic of the fragrance and the clothes marry beautifully. Too bad for us, then, that a) Helmut Lang is now sculpting for a quid and b) his fragrances are no longer in production.

Helmut Lang EDP

Eau de Parfum Helmut Lang FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the following accords:
Top: rosemary, lavender, cotton candy
Heart: jasmine, heliotrope, lily-of-the-valley, rose
Base: sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, cedar

Rosemary makes a cameo appearance at the outset, but confusingly has a tannic quality, giving the impression of suede or some form of cured animal skin. Whatever it is, it is short lived, and soon evanesces to leave a Turkish delight and musk concoction that hums along in a linear fashion but is utterly delicious to behold. I can pick out rose, lavender and heliotrope, but to my nose, the other floral elements are pretty amorphous. The overall effect is one of buttering yourself up with an almond croissant and taking a good ol’ grind around a musk stick pole. But don’t get me wrong – a scent with thigh high slits held together with novelty sized safety pins this ain’t. We’re doing it Helmut Lang styl-ee, which means we wear matter-of-fact expressions on our faces and our hands in our pockets. We start off low key and sotto voce throughout.

In an excellent interview on Cafleurbon, Maurice Roucel revealed that his brief for the cologne, which I am told is almost identical to the EDP, was to create “the jus to smell of his boyfriend’s secretions on clean sheets”. And he certainly succeeded in creating a scent that re-creates that slightly seedy morning-after smugness, when you’re walking doing that bed-headed, bear-footed walk of shame, and things are Your Little Secret for now. By the way, who on earth is this man-friend of Herr Lang, who would inspire such a scent? I really haven’t the foggiest, although I’d imagine he might look something like this:

Helmut Lang Eau de Parfum eli.mamaPhoto Stolen eli.mama

or

Helmut Lang Eau de Parfum Florin Gorgan FlickrPhoto Stolen Florin Gorgan Flickr

or

SONY DSCPhoto stolen Charles Roffey Flickr

If you’ve never tried the gastronomic wonder that is the musk stick, they are a chewy-chalky fluoro pink candy which I’m guessing is meant to approximate the taste of the idea of perfume. Fortunately for us, now having just licked my bottle of Helmut Lang, they don’t taste like actual perfume. But who would have thought that the secretions from the nether regions of a deer could make most excellent confectionary? In any case, should you ever encounter a pink extruded candy man in a suit, please tell him Meow says hi, and give him a nibble for me.

Is it fair of me to wax lyrical about an obsolete perfume? Probably not. But for those of us who own and love Helmut Lang, let us take a moment to draw closer to our bottles and croon appreciatively into the spot where its ear would be. “I less than three you, little Helmie!”

Helmut Lang Eau de Parfum TelegraphUKPhoto Stolen TelegraphUK

eBay has some Helmut Lang Eau De Parfum that starts at around $150/50ml
I could not find any samples in the sample/decant stores.

If you had to choose the next fashion designer to create a fragrance, who would it be? For me, it would have to be Rick Owens. I want a perfume inspired by his missus and in-house necromancer Michelle Lamy, the anti-Mitzah with her inky fingies and pointy teeth.

Until we next meet,
Chairman Meow

Noir for Men by Tom Ford 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

.

Post by Margeaux

.

Hullo again stinkers!

6 months after falling nose first into the world of fragrances, I have inhaled more perfumes than I ever imagined. Some have been good, a few have been exceptional, and a lot have been nice, which is just my way of saying they were boring or uninspired.

Today’s scent is one that I had been dying to whiff, and finally thanks to Portia’s ingenuity with scheduling, I was able to do just that recently when we had our big day out in the city to partake in the incredible Piguet Masterclass. Post class we sashayed straight up to the Tom Ford counter in David Jones (department store) and I made a beeline to the gorgeously modern sleek and striking bottle of Noir for Men.

I spritzed the tester a couple of times onto the back of my hand and waited to learn exactly what this newish fragrance was all about.

Tom Ford Noir for Men 2012

Noir Tom Ford FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, verbena, caraway, pink pepper and violet
Heart: Black pepper, nutmeg, Tuscan iris, geranium, Bulgarian rose and clary sage
Base: Opoponax, amber, Indonesian patchouli leaf, vetiver, civet, vanilla, styrax, leather and benzoin.

To be completely honest, I am still feeling my way through the individual notes, so I am kind of no help to you there. But what I do know, is that Noir is quickly becoming one of my favourite scents. The opening is good, solidly manly without a hint of lumberjack anywhere to be found thanks to (and I’m guessing here) the bergamot and violet. Once it settles down, the beautiful flowers play delicately with the spices in a deliciously sensuous embrace that is both comforting and comfortable. Tom Ford isn’t out on a limb here people, this is totally accessible.

For me however, the ending is where the magic happens, and although having a good look again at the myriad of notes, it could’ve possible gone terribly awry but Noir somehow builds to a crescendo of sophistication and elegance that I cannot get enough of. In particular, I’m loving the patchouli, amber and leather combo for some serious stench, with a tiny hint of vanilla to keep everything in check. Nothing here is too much.

As this is an EDP, it seems willing to hang around for many hours and even on my thirsty skin I can get a full 10-12 hours of gorgeous smell, with it lingering for many hours afterwards if I manage to avoid the shower. I’ve already gone through a 2ml sample and quickly nearing the end of a 5ml sample so I fully expect that this will become my newest full bottle purchase or perhaps someone will gift it to me for my birthday??? 🙂

Tonya Pittman with Tom FordPhoto Stolen noision1 Flickr

Either way, Tom Ford has scored another winner for the man who desires class and elegance without fuss. Noir is beautiful and nuanced and wholly recommended.

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Black Narcissus
FragranceNet has $124/100ml
Surrender To Chance offers samples from $4/ml

If you’ve smelled it, what did you think?

Mx

(Ed: I still think he looks like TVs M.A.S.H. Major Frank Burns)

Ocre Doré by Shyamala Maisondieu for Scent on Canvas 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

.

Post by Michael

.

So I’m sitting here somewhat annoyed. I don’t know if my nose is broken but the fragrance I’m wearing just isn’t doing it for me. I was sooo very excited to try this line and perhaps the expectation was too high but I cannot escape my impressions of this scent and how it runs on my skin.

soc-header

Ocre Doré by Scent on Canvas 2013

Ocre Doré Scent on Canvas FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Iran galbanum, tea, mate
Heart: White truffle, oakmoss, dry undergrowth
Base: Guaiac wood, Paraguayan wood, Virginia cedar, Indonesian patchouli leaf, labdanum
Ocre Dore (translates as Golden Ochre) opens dense, somewhat resinous and vanillic. The most interesting aspect of the fragrance then becomes apparent – a lovely lactonic green tea accord that I very much enjoy. This part of the development lasts around 30 wonderful minutes on my skin. From here an earthy, mossy, truffle-ish accord appears.

Ocre Doré Scent on Canvas black-summer-truffles ShockinglyDeliciousPhoto Stolen ShockinglyDelicious

There’s also an accord that I can’t quite place that’s reminiscent of makeup, or a womens fragrance of the 80s, but it’s oh so subtle. No, actually, it might even be the scent I’ve experienced in a cold cream..but not quite as nice…

Essentially I find this to be a soft, lactonic, tea-ish scent with subtle green resinous notes weaving their way throughout. The “woodiness” (and intermittent olfactory fatigue) seems to be courtesy of a boatload of aroma chemicals. Personally that’s not how I prefer my “woody” notes and at this stage of the fragrance I’m heartily sick of the aroma chemical overdosing that seems to have been employed.

Ocre Doré Scent on Canvas Nanzenji_green_tea WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

After only a couple of hours the fragrance collapses leaving a vague wood/amber scent on my skin. This is parfum strength!? I’m confused…..

So after a full days wear I understand the parfum strength is there in the aroma chems and, after many hours, a good helping of cleanish musks.

A brief office survey did not garner compliments, with one of the girls commenting on the weird chemical smell about five hours into the wear.

Thankfully samples of the Scent on Canvas range are quite cheap so please test them yourself and tell me what you think. Perhaps it will perform differently on your skin. Mind you, those with an aversion to the usual synthy suspects best steer clear.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine
Scent on Canvas Site has a 5 x 2ml Sample Set for 10€ and sell bottles for a very reasonable 130€/100ml

What a bummer! I so love the concept of this line. Fingers crossed that Noir de Mars is more up my alley because Portia gave me both of them from her sample set to try.

Have you tried Ocre Dore? I’d love to know what you think of this fragrance and how behaves on your skin.

Mx