Dab or Spray? Life

June 23, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 41 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

When I mentioned to Portia a few weeks ago that it was sometimes tough to come up with something to write about, he said to write whatever I´d been up to and include the perfume I had been wearing. That would do it. Let´s test it out.

DAB OR SPRAY?

Murmurings from the Uninspired.
Featuring fragrances I have added to my small collection.

THINGS THAT I HAVE BEEN UP TO

Read an undisputedly utterly brilliant book. All The Light We Cannot See. Anthony Doerr.
Set up a date with APJs Azar in September. We´ll be having tea in Seattle very soon.
Gave up Red Bull and Monster and started to drink water.
Helped my son move into his apartment.
Completed my .vero.profumo. collection with the Rozy Extrait and the Onda Voile d´Extrait.
Located a bottle of Cuir de Lancôme. Purchased it.

LONDON VISIT

Finalised a pefume tour party blogger lunch and cake feast not forgetting the epic ice-cream, kind of thing. In London. Getting to hangout with Volatile Fiction, Olfactoria´s Travels, Perfume Candy Boy, Nick Gilbert and more. Amongst other groovy things we are going to visit Penhaligon`s, the new Bloom, the Chanel Store and the new Malle Store. I am of course taking my daughter the BlondesWunder with me and she will report back as to her second experience of hanging out with a bunch of old perfume freaks.

(Yes Portia and Michael, my heart aches that you won´t be there.)

DAB OR SPRAY?

Wearing a lot of extraits, and only dab them. I love the sensuality of using a glass stopper to apply the perfume. I do like to spray the back of my neck though. However, spraying everywhere gives me a grand mal seizure, and since my kids do that to me anyway, I prefer to keep them to the minimum. I reckon I might be in the minority though. This is a much discussed subject but what do you APJ readers do? What interesting application techniques do you use? I stand in front of a mirror and conduct my perfuming ritual. I do not like perfume on my clothing at all and make sure I get nothing on it from the application of the fragrance. Clothing goes on after the perfume.

Am about to start a new book. A Brief History of Seven Killings. Marlon James. “It´s like a Tarantino remake of The Harder They Come but with a soundtrack by Bob Marley and a script by Oliver Stone and William Faulkner ……..” New York Times. And a lot of it is written in Jamaican Patois. I spent some time in Kingston but that is another fragrant story. 😉

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Blood orange
Heart: Iris pallida, rose
Base: Incense, patchouli

Have been wearing Maria Candida Gentile´s Burlesque for the last two days. Alluring. Gorgeous. Ordered.

Irie Bussis
Peace and love
CQ

Pichola by Neela Vermeire Créations 2015

June 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

I inherited three beautiful diamonds and an emerald and diamond ring. They are pieces of great beauty.

Writing about perfume is challenging and can be surprisingly difficult. It is all so subjective. Then add that to the fact that it is impossible to know what something smells like without physically smelling it. Nevertheless some writers prefer lists of notes and go onto describe them. Which is just fine unless they get it wrong. This can have a knock on effect with perfume people deciding, predicated upon what the writer says not to try it. This is extremely disheartening for the perfumers. So if you are waiting to have each and every note of Pichola dissected and discussed, move on!

Pichola by Neela Vermeire Créations 2015

Pichola: composed by Bertrand Duchafour for NVC under Neela´s eagle eye

Photo Donated Neela Vermeire Creations

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Saffron, Juniper, Magnolia, Neroli, Clementine, Bergamot
Heart: Orange blossom absolute, Rose absolute, Tuberose absolute, Jasmine sambac, Ylang-ylang
Base: Benzoin absolute, Sandalwood, Driftwood, Haitian vetiver

All of the Neela Vermeire Créations are jewels in a sea of paste. Pichola is no exception, indeed it may be the diamond in the collection. Like my own diamonds, Pichola is for special occasions or social events. (I must add that my daughter aka BlondesWunder does not agree at all and has worn it on many days using up at least half of my stash, and even wears it to the gym)) I hear through the perfumista grapevine that Pichola wears close to the skin, with an average sillage. Which is exactly what I mean with perfume being subjective. Pichola is an absolute spicy, floral bombshell and develops and lasts for many hours, leaving a soft and elegant sandalwood as its last breath – to me. Notes do include cardamom, clementine, and bergamot, orange, rose, jasmine, sandalwood and vetiver. Pichola is in perfect symmetry with Bombay Bling, Mohur, Ashoka and Trayee. That Bertrand Duchafour has achieved this with Neela Vermeire is formidable and speaks highly of their relationship.

Photo Donated Neela Vermeire Creations

In the manner of the reflections off of Lake Pichola in Rajasthan from which it is named – Pichola reflects and diffuses each of its many notes. As light moves through a diamond, it is scattered and fractured, creating the sparkle that diamonds are known for. A diamond is evaluated on on its ability to reflect and refract light in all directions. Pichola glimmers and sparkles and changes with the light. Flawless.

“It’s hard to be a diamond in a rhinestone world.” Dolly Parton.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and What Men Should Smell Like
Neela Vermeire Creations has €205/60ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $7/.5ml

Shimmering Bussis.

vero.profumo. Aficionados

May 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

vero.profumo. aficionados. Shared thoughts.

“Vero Kern is one the real gems of the perfume world. She is an amazingly talented and inspiring woman who proves that you can make your dreams a reality at any age. Her perfume line, Vero Profumo, is a master-class in excellence and demonstrates the way perfumes used to be made, but rarely are now.”

TARA SMITH. Olfactoria´s Travels

“Vero’s fragrances honour the classics while having a strong identity of their own.”

“My first encounter with Vero’s fragrances was a couple years ago in Milan, around the time she introduced Mito at Pitti Fragranze (in Florence). I had been wanting to try Rubj for quite a long time (I had even pondered -insane me- to purchase it unsniffed), so I headed straight to a small but smartly stocked perfume shop which I knew carried the line. I was a bit puzzled by Rubj because it was not what I had been expecting (a few days later I realized we had mistakenly sampled Onda for Rubj!) but was amazed at its complexity. There was something extremely compelling in that dirty almost fetid aroma that kept my wrist glued to my nose, it felt almost perverse.
Some days later, at Pitti, I was finally able to meet the creator herself and sample the whole of her line and, after a few wearings of each sample, Kiki chose me. I didn’t want to love it. A lavender? Something so lacking in drama? Something my father wore? But Kiki grabbed me and refused to let me go and I became fascinated by it. I had never before found a fragrance I felt so represented by if it makes any sense. I felt like someone had distilled me 🙂

I affectionately use the word “chanchito” when referring to Vero’s fragrances (chancho = pig). That naughty dirtiness that is both repelling and compelling.
Though I am not too often complimented on my Veros, when I am, I find the compliments come from people with an artistical background who notice and appreciate them: the opera lovers, the ballerinas, the actors, the film directors.
These are perfumey perfumes but they meld with the skin in a special way, becoming something infinitely more powerful than either the perfume itself or my skin.. When worn, they seem to radiate from within, like an aura. I love the fact that they smell rich and substantial, yet not “in your face” or agressive.
There are a few -VERY few- other lines I feel a special affection for but this was as if I had discovered a whole new dimension.
They have soul and body (and most definitely sex), they are perfumes for those who aren’t afraid of their own bodies.”

CARO. Té de Violetas May 2015

“I will swear on a pile of ripening passion fruit, ravaged roses and caramel-drenched lavender that Vero Kern is an addictively fabulous olfactive pornographer. In Spring 2013, I was asked by the Scottish Poetry Society to curate nine poems to nine fragrances. One of these just had to be Vero’s extraordinary Onda, still my fetish VP scent. I married it to one of the most poignant poems of the 20th century, ‘For My Lover Returning To His Wife’ by the doomed and torn Anne Sexton, a woman driven by desire and the rollercoaster shocks of life and love. Of the nine scents, there was only ever one I was going to wear. I wore Onda on the night, my skin drunk on sex in the truly beautiful setting of the Victorian Palm House of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. When Vero knew I would be wearing Onda and writing on her perfume, she very kindly sent me a bottle of her divine Onda Extrait as a gift to wish me luck. It was a heartstopping gesture. I wore the two strengths together. On the night, people inhaled me greedily, dirtily. It was glorious.”

THE SILVER FOX. 12 May 2015

FREDDY ALBRIGHTON. May 2015. Tattoo Artist. No words needed.

“I’ve tried to write about Vero’s work for the past few years but I feel like I haven’t quite gotten it right. Reviewing the individual perfumes is a start, but there’s a bigger picture when I look at her entire body of work. I recognize how beautiful her perfumes are, but it’s more than beauty. How is it that all of her perfumes have such a strong effect on me? And why can’t I put my finger on why her work is so significant to me?

The real question is why on earth I would fret over these details. The fact is that I’ve found the perfumer whose work speaks to me like no other. I might not be able to put words to it, but I’ve found the artist whose work strikes something deep in me and inspires my spirit. The artist and the audience seek each other out, but it’s rare to find such a good fit. I’ve learned to stop worrying and love Vero.”

JTD JTD. Scenthurdle May 2015

“New Year´s Eve 2012. I had a small vial of Rubj EdP. I had been saving it since the autumn. The rest is history. The sociality I share with the above people
has come to be through our mutual love of .vero.profumo.. Perfume is the common interest – Vero Kern´s perfumes the connection. Vero creates with heart, honey
and passion. A piece of her soul in every creation. To some it speaks. The collection from Vero Kern is an olfactory piece of art, each fragrance representing a different part
of the picture. My painting is nearly finished. I am often asked if I have a favourite. Today it is the Mito Extrait. Tomorrow?”

CQ APJ contributor May 2015

First In Fragrance has the vero.profumo range
LuckyScent does too
Surrender To Chance has samples of quite a lot of the range

Rubj Tuesday Bussis
CQ

Tihota GIVEAWAY WINNERS

May 16, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Another great GIVEAWAY APJ! How lucky are we all. Thanks Val for making the magic happen. Let’s see who our winner is.

Portia xx

Tihota GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vanilla, musk

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will receive:
1 x decant from Val’s Tihota bottle
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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) 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 tell us a favorite vanilla fragrance or food

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Friday 15th May 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners will be chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen quiltelegance

Empliau

Kandice

Angie

Anka

The winners will have till Tuesday 19th May 2015 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.

Tihota by Francis Kurkdjian for Indult 2006

May 12, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 69 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Fragrant Salutations APJ

I picked up 140 kilos of chocolate on Monday morning. The beginning of a batshit crazy week. As many of you know, or will have gathered, I make cookies for living. Sounds cool huh? Indeed it has opened many doors and I am thankful. I have been supplying a chain of groovy, funky restaurants for the last four years. There are stores in Cologne, Munich, Salzburg and Innsbruck. I work in a kitchen too small to swing a cat in, located at the back of our bike shop. Glamorous does not spring to mind. The company has ventured into the coffee shop business and asked me if I would like to make the cakes and muffins for them. Starting with one store, a second coming along sometime over the next six weeks or so, and a third at the end of the summer. I thought it over for a couple of weeks and decided to give it a go. It all sounds so exciting on Facebook, or when talking to people. I seriously think it might kill me.

I am sat here banging this out after the opening of the store in Innsbruck yesterday evening. I am determined to have this post went to Portia before deadline. That is one of my new goals. (In-between having my head stuck in the oven, I will NOT be late any more!) I just got back from delivering 4 cakes and 50 muffins and you know what? I am really scared that I cannot do it. I think I have bitten off more than I can chew. Don´t tell anyone. I shall see how it goes over the next few weeks and if I can’t do it without having to check into a loony bin for a break then I shall go back to just doing their cookies.

Tihota by Francis Kurkdjian for Indult 2006

Deadlines, Muffins and the Fabled Tihota – a Sweet Giveaway

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vanilla, musk

Whatever! Let’s celebrate by sharing some of the fabled Tihota from Indult. What could be more appropriate in a “baking post” than vanilla huh? I love vanilla. Indeed I work with three different types, Mexican, Madagascar Bourbon, and Tahitian. The Tahitian vanilla is extremely expensive, has a wonderful cherry aroma, and I use it sparingly. Indult´s Tihota uses Tahitian vanilla. Tahitian vanilla is truly the most fragrant of all vanillas, a fruity floral vanilla. Tihota means “sugar” in Polynesian, so between sugar and vanilla you nearly have a cake. Tihota is a proper vanilla scent. A vanilla perfume for vanilla freaks. It has a heavy sillage and despite being sweet and musky, it is quite adult. It is very rich and caramelly. If you don’t care to wear your vanilla this won’t change your mind, and you will have to enjoy vanilla in your baked goods. I cannot imagine there is anyone out there who doesn´t like vanilla in one way or another. Is there? Tihota has epic lasting power. Notes seem to be musk and vanilla although I have seen tonka bean mentioned. (Musk is funny stuff though. I get it more in the cooler months in Tihota.)

Photo Donated Val

Tihota reached cult status over the years, especially when it was discontinued. Fortunately though, the Indult collection is now under new ownership and the fragrances are once more available. They are presented under their original formulations, as created by Francis Kurkdjian.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Olfactoria’s Travels
First In Fragrance has €160/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/.5ml

Fancy trying Tihota? How do you take your vanilla? Inhaling or eating?

24 hours ’til deadline. I did it!!!

Exhausted Bussis
CQ

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Tihota GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will receive:
1 x decant from Val’s Tihota bottle
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a favorite vanilla fragrance or food

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 15th May 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Tuesday 19th May 2015 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.

Classic Opoponax by Von Eusersdorff 2015

April 28, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

An Immaculate Oriental……

You know when I first met Portia and we decided I would sometimes write posts for APJ I had absolutely no idea at all that I would be sat here more than two years later. Not only that but that I would also shoot down to Italy to attend the perfume shows. It is kind of funny really. I absolutely love going to them, and have no intention of stopping. And yet I am so hesitant to try anything new. The older I get the more überfussy I have become. (Don´t believe that. I have always been very selective.)

Classic Opoponax by Von Eusersdorff 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rose, jasmine
Heart: Opoponax, sandalwood, benzoin
Base: Castoreum, amber, patchouli, vanilla

Classic Opoponax was one of the very few (you could count them on one hand) of the new launches I was absolutely excited to try. I spent an hour searching through the Campomarzio party guests for Camille Henfling Junior, founder of Von Eusersdorff and an absolutely lovely bloke. I say searching because there was about 500 guests in about a 50 square meter area and it was dark – it took a while!

Photo Donated Camille

Opoponax is also known as opobalsam, which explains its resiny feel. It is also known as sweet myrrh, in contrast to the bitter myrrh which is more commonly used in medicines, both Ayurvedic and Western. Sweet myrrh has been used for at least two thousand years in incense and perfumes and comes primarily from Somalia and Ethiopia. Von Eusersdorff’s Classic Opoponax feels slightly sticky when you spray generously, which you need to do to do it justice. Hence the solid comfortable 100 ml bottle.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Classic Opoponax is Von Eusersdorff’s sixth fragrance. Each fragrance is concentrated around a single note and all are of a very high standard. Elegant and handsome. Classic Opoponax no exception. It is a flawless oriental. Warm and thick, sweet and resinous, heady and quietly opulent. No spices. Very contemporary. It opens with a wonderfully sweet rose along with jasmine and takes you on a seamless ride into the heart of opoponax and on into the base of amber and patchouli, vanilla and a dab of castoreum. It all seems so effortless, which means it was not.

Photo Donated Val

Classic Opoponax will be a summer perfume for me. I love rich sweet orientals in the heat. I find they stay very flat on the skin in cold weather. And no, 10 mls is definitely not enough.

Further reading: GoodSmellas and Colognoisseur
ParfuMaria has €119/100ml

Dankjewel Meneer Henfling for the wonderful package. It really touched me.

Which of the Von Eusersdorff fragrances have you tried, or do you want to try?

Tot Ziens
CQ

Photo Donated Camille

Esxence 2015: Photo Essay

April 14, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

There was a time a couple of years ago when I said I knew some perfumers. I now have friends who happen to be perfumers. There is a difference. It is because of this that I was an “Epic Failure” when it came to sniffing anything new at the Esxence – The Scent of Excellence 2015. Fortunately you can read up on what really went down, perfume wise, on Meganinsaintemaxime, Chemistinthebottle, Colognoisseur and Cafluerbon.

Esxence 2015

Milan, Cookie Monsters and Hanging out with Friends

I managed to spend about four hours at the Esxence show itself. Most others spent three days. I hit the show with naked skin, with the express purpose of covering myself in Neela Vermeire´s Pichola. Why mess around with strips of paper? Neela Vermeire was exceptionally busy, but we still managed to grab half an hour together. With both of us talking nineteen to the dozen we managed to catch up quite well. I was thrilled to leave with the ultra-feminine (is that politically correct?) Pichola and a beautifully soft and stylish NVC suede clutch. Neela designed this herself and you can tell. Room for a phone, pockets for a compact, an 10ml perfume bottle, a lipstick and plastic money. Life in a bag.

I took a look at the Masque fragrances, Aedes de Venustas Palissandre D’Or, Room 1015, and Gabriella Chieffo. I grabbed a bottle of Indult Tihota and will split it up and offer some to the APJers soon. I know, I know, I missed so much. Luckily the fabulous crew at First in Fragrance know what a space cadet I am and are sending me samples of the all important things that I missed. So actually I haven´t missed a thing. Smile.

Which gave me time to hang out with friends. Enjoy the few pictures that I took. I publicly thank Dr Fox, my friend, therapist and all round brilliant person for driving me there and back and for making sure I didn´t overdose on caffeine, tuberose or oud.

Bussis
CQ

Esxence 2015: Photo Essay

Esxence 2015 Val #4

Milan. Esxence – The Scent of Excellence 2015

March 24, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Buon giorno!

In two days I am gonna be jumping into the car at 06.00 and heading to Milan. I am so excited I can hardly wait. Dr Fox, my very dear friend
will be chauffeuring and accompanying me on this fragrant adventure. She is a cognitive behavior therapist which could prove very useful!

Milan. Esxence – The Scent of Excellence 2015

Most perfume houses launch their new fragrances at the Esxence, and it can be a little chaotic. Last year I ran around a bit like a headless
chicken. I am hoping this year to have a little more order in what I do. Although I won´t be holding my breath!

I will be spending some time with Neela Vermeire of Neela Vermiere Créations and plan to überspritz Pichola on the spot. As you can see on the Esxence 2015 Brands List there are so many exhibitors it makes you wonder where to start. I will be touring the show with the lovely Megan of the Megan In Sainte Maxime blog. Two noses might be better than one!

The highlight will be spending time with the Campomarzio70 crew. Their partying and launches run parallel to the Esxence but not at the Esxence event itself. They do their own thing. Here we have Kilian, Mona di Orio, Ramon Monegal, Von Eusersdorff, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Cire Trudon, Grossmith, .vero.profumo. and a number of other fabulous houses. It is smaller, more intimate and more my thing. .vero.profumo. will launch the Rozy Extrait – thick and golden as honey, threaded with sandalwood, leather, and rose. Mind blowingly beautiful. It is here that I will be able to try Opopanax from Eusersdorff. Campomarzio70 will throw an intimate cocktail party on the Friday evening, with classy live music, wonderful eats, and great company.

The show is thrown open to the public on Saturday. My therapist and I shall be brunching with Bogue.

Now all you APJers who might be interested. Have a look through the long list of exhibitors. If there is a perfume house that you have always wanted to try, a new release that is giving you sleepless nights, then tell me in the comments. It will give me a direction, I will try and grab samples, and get back to you. Perhaps I can grant a couple of wishes. I will give it a damn good go.

I will post captioned pictures on Twitter for anyone who wants to follow along @valcqsperrer. You can follow my adventures on FaceBook too of course.

Ciào
CQ

Tara Smith of Olfactoria´s Travels visits Vienna + Photo Essay

March 10, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Hey APJ,

Couldn´t go without taking some Mozart Balls, known as Mozartkugeln here, originally known as Mozart Bonbon. They were first created by a Paul Fürst in 1890 and named after Wolfgang Amadeus himself. Since then there have been others made by other manufacturers, with similar recipes. I only buy the handmade originals and made a trip to downtown Salzburg to get them. They are elegant and utterly delicious.

Tara Smith of Olfactoria´s Travels visits Vienna

So the day finally arrived. I had been excited for weeks. Old jeans, full make-up, minus the red lipstick. Didn´t wanna look like I was heading home after a night´s work as I needed to be on the train by 06.30. Hahaha. I would apply that when I reached my destination. Kiki Voile d’Extrait and Kiki Extrait being the SOTD, bucket of cookies in hand – I headed off to the Bahnhof.

I sat down and made myself comfortable, as did the guy opposite me.

We met in our regular French café in Vienna’s first district just before ten. I arrived shortly after the girls, Birgit, Tara and Sandra, all well known to you as Olfactoria and her team (Olfactoria’s Travels).

When I first met these great ladies, perfume was our common interest. Indeed we spent hours talking new releases, samples, decants, swops and so on. Now as we have got to know each others families, challenges, other loves and hobbies, the friendships are changing and becoming a more fully rounded part of our lives. We breakfasted on teas, cappuccinos, smoked salmon croissants and roasted goat cheese. Birgit took off afterwards to take care of some chores and us three headed off to visit a couple of perfume stores and walk round the city.

Perfume? It´s not quite what it used to be. When you have been a perfume junkie for as long as we have, few things remain really interesting.
We all live in or near big European cities and therefore have had ample opportunity to try so many things. The stores we visited in Vienna though are very lovely, architecturally too, and Sandra (and of course Birgit) are well known to all of them. They made us very welcome. We did have one serious goal, and that was to try Misia, the new Chanel Exclusif. Sadly, but not surprisingly it hadn´t arrived yet. Tara will try it in London next week and let us know if we need it. There was a brief moment in our travels where I totally lost my mind and sprayed Nicolai Cuir Cuba Intense straight onto my skin. Uhm – no. Not now, not ever.

Sandra´s son joined us along the way, having finished kindergarten for the day, We lunched together. French fries. Nothing better than lunch with a kid. We met back up with Birgit late afternoon and Tara was whisked off in preparation for the two of them to leave for London early the next morning. Could a day have been more perfect?

I had an uneventful trip back home on the train, and spend a good deal of it chatting with Vanessa from Bonkers About Perfume. I will be meeting up with her in Germany next month so stay tuned APJ.

Viennese Bussis
CQ

Shangri La by Hiram Green 2014

February 24, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

I run a mile when I hear the word “naturals”. Not only with fragrances, but skin care, shower gels, foodstuffs – you know? Not because I am anti-natural (whatever that means) but because it generally sucks. Just read the backs of anything that claims to be all natural to see what I mean. However there are exceptions to every rule. After the explosive beauty of Hiram Green´s Moon Bloom I was thrilled to get the opportunity to try Shangri La. I do not know the first thing about natural perfumery. Hiram Green obviously does.

Shangri La by Hiram Green 2014

Shangri La, Pinks + Preconceived Ideas

From Hiram Green site: “Hiram Green creates handcrafted fragrances made exclusively from natural materials.
After founding Scent Systems, a perfumery located in central London, Hiram learnt that most perfumes, even the best quality ones,
are manufactured using synthetic materials. Wanting to offer a natural alternative to his customers, he was hard-pressed
to find anything suitable.
After relocating to the Netherlands, Hiram spent several years researching and experimenting with natural fragrant materials. in his
studio in Gouda he develops and produces his natural fragrances in small batches.”

Photo Stolen FreshWetPaint

Shangri La is named after the mythical city in the Kunlan Mountains, from the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. Random info –
US President Franklin D Roosevelt named the presidential hideaway in Maryland Shangri La. It has since been renamed Camp David.
(Camp David conjures up an interesting picture as a fragrance name huh?) )

Coty´s Chypre played a role in Hiram Green´s inspiration. I have yet to smell it. One day when Portia takes me to Paris perhaps I will have the chance. Hiram Green is extremely talented. In my limited knowledge I do know the classic chypre, with the countless regulations in force, is an endangered species. Somehow with new technology, knowledge and talent, Hiram Green has found a way to keep it alive.

Shangri La reminds me of Mitsouko.

Hiram Green writes: “Shangri La opens with a sharp burst of citrus, followed by a rich bouquet of peach, jasmine, rose, iris and spices,
all anchored by an early base of vetiver and oakmoss.” And you know what? It really does.

Shangri La is fruity and spicy, and melds perfectly with the body. It doesn’t hover over you announcing its presence. I like that in perfumery. It is a vintage-y perfume but of the moment too. Softer than normal carnation, it smells of old fashioned “pinks”. The gardens of yesteryear. They fill the summer air with the scent of cloves. Soft, natural beauty. In medieval times, pinks were added to wine to give the flavor and smell of cloves. Spices would have been very expensive and this plant was a very good substitute and
would give the impression of mulled wine. Hiram Green has a nose and an eye for beauty, not to mention a nostalgic streak.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Shangri La is gorgeous. The reputation that naturals have of being short lived is not the case here. Shangri La lasts around ten hours.
Musky, peachy, slightly leathery, right up until the end. Office or opera.

And the icing on the cake? Hiram Green do 5ml bottles. No excuse not to try either Moon Bloom or Shangri La.
The 50 ml bottles are stunning and I would love to have one. I think it´s time for another trip to Holland.

Further reading: Scented Hound and Chemist In A Bottle
LuckyScent has $165/50ml
Hiram Green has €25/5ml

All natural bussis.
CQ