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Post by Portia
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Heya Crew,
I’m not sure if this film is new or old. What it is is fabulous. I loved it and hope you all do too.
Shot on location in Hawaii, the campaign features Tyson Ballou and Natalia Vadianova
Portia xx
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Pomegranate, Persimmon
Heart: Champaca flower, Lotus, Black orchid
Base: Amber, Creamy accord, Mahogany wood
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Post by Portia
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Heya APJ,
Here is another from the Natalie APB Gift Bag. As I slowly make my waythrough them I am finding it increasingly interesting the things that she felt I ought to try, or that would be very me. This looks like a 5 or 8ml decant and when Natalie gave me the bag she said to pay special attention to anything larger than a sample.
The backstory is that Greg Lauren is the nephew of “Ralph”, an actor turned artist and fashion designer. His 2016 S/S Mens is very down & out in Beverly Hills, working in a coal mine, plantation worker, op shop chic and sleeping rough. I saw only two pieces in the whole parade that had me even mildly interested but I think perhaps I’m no longer his target market. The boots in the first half reminded me of Van Gogh’s boots and some of the hats were killer in an Oliver kind of way. Actually, even though I hated most of it and thought it pretentious pap I did enjoy the theatricality and the bleak colour palette, there was also a fair amount of whimsy in there.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Sea notes, tonka bean, vanilla
Greg Lauren for Barneys is really good. Fragrant but demure, yet it is insistent that you notice it. It calmly straddles the department store/designer/niche divide and elegantly plants itself as something other, something a little more interesting. For me the sea notes reign, they are a great crossover between the gym set aquatics of the 1990s and the modern beach scent, there is something oddly disquieting about the notes as if you are near the boardwalk and every now and then you get a hint of the seaweed and scunge collected there.
Tonka and vanilla are there right from the start and in the beginning it is ALL about the thick, sweet resinous warmth which is cut through with this seaside something other. My mind is taken firmly to one of the Andrea Maack frags and also to a crew that did seasonal frags that I liked but can’t remember their name. There is also a salty-buttered popcorn thing that wanders around and in & out.
Photo Stolen Barneys New York
Every Greg Lauren for Barneys wear is different and each time I pick up new things: caramel, dried flowers, burning oil, spices, coconut, hair wax, Indian milk sweets and bread. There is also a salty-buttered popcorn thing that wanders around and in & out. Freaky fragrance but Oh-So-Wearable. This one will definitely get you noticed and it sticks like glue, 19 hours later there is still a hum of difference over my skin.
If I was in the USA right now I would have been on my way to the store by now and have bought myself a bottle, Natalie was right, this is totally freaking YUMMY!
A few of the reviewers talk about the perfumer Ralf Schwieger who has made some fairly sensational niche stuff including Afternoon of a Faun by ELdO, Iris Nazarena by Aedes de Venustas, Orange Sanguine for Atelier Cologne and Christopher Street for Charenton Macerations. Everyone talks about how he hand finished every bottle in a paint splattered, antiqued, derelict hipster way. I think that’s cool.
Photo Stolen Barneys New York
Further reading: Now Smell This and Ca Fleure Bon
Barneys New York site has $195/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml
Did you get to try it? Has Greg Lauren shown up on your radar yet?
Portia xx
Woo Hoo APJers,
Andrea Maack, artist, fashion designer and fragrance curator. Her stark, vivid, linear creations are bold and shocking but within the bounds of mainstream beauty. Though I find them confronting and they give me pause for question I could also see many of her art creations in peoples homes, comfortably setting themselves beside a big family couch and the TV. They would be interesting talking points but hardly steal air from the room and make it awkward to sit.
This too is how I see the fragrance line. Different enough to maintain my interest yet wearable every day as a second, fragrant skin that you offer to the world as your scent. The line has been called derivative and a follower but when I wear Andrea Maack fragrances I find no parallels, and yes this could be my lack as a medium. Whether they are or not is a moot point because I enjoy wearing them, they tickle my fabulous bone and they tick so many boxes on my fragrant list that I am impressed with them on their own merits.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Citruses, violet leaf, freesia, magnolia, soil tincture, papyrus, vanille, amber, lemon tree, lime (linden) blossom
LuckyScent offers this list of featured accords in one line:
Violet leaves, freesia, lime tree, linen, magnolia, Spanish cistus, earth accord, papyrus, vanilla, amber
Sweet citrus opens but it’s firmly undercut by green grasses and a fresh, dewy, air conditioned bouquet (I’m quite surprised there’s no LotV mentioned in the notes). A lovely and very pretty green, delicate, cooling and …… imagine you are in an orchard filled with blossom, the day is brisk but when you stand in the sun it’s lovely, there’s a breeze that is strong enough to ruffle your hair and it carries a floral bouquet from the nearby market gardens, some trodden grass and a dry rasp that is a little vetiver reminiscent. Then the sprinklers come on, they don’t wet you but it does change the taste of the air and suddenly the whole orchard seems cooler: that moment in your dream is what Silk smells like.
Photo Stolen Pixabay
The freshness and brightness are carried over into the heart and it’s reminiscent of the freshly cut cucumber scent, or cut wet stems of flowers before arranging. It’s amazing how intoxicating silk is, not a big perfume but it does have the ability to change the air around you and in the first hour the sillage is excellent.
Like the Andrea Maack art piece below Silk is a bundled net of scent pieces with light pouting through and creating a gauzy, soft focus fragrance that still manages to be fully present and fragrant. For me Silk dries down to a melon scent softly warmed by the amber that I can feel but not really smell.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Bonkers About Perfume
LuckyScent has $135/50ml and samples
Libertine has $185/50ml and FREE delivery in Australia
Have you experienced any of the Andrea Maack fragrances? Favourites?
Portia x
Photo Stolen AllSteele
WHAT CAN YOU WIN?
This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 3ml Andrea Maack Sampler (I have used them a bit, about 2ml in each)
Dark
Smart
Craft
Silk
Sharp
P&H Anywhere in the world
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 your favourite artist
Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Andrea Maack Sampler GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3hC #Perfume #Giveaway
Entries Close Sunday 30th August 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Thursday 3rd September 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.
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Post by Portia
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Glamour. I know it’s not for everyone. Sometimes though it’s nice to get caught up in someone elses fantasy and in this fashion parade we see plenty of glamour and fantasy, I’m not sure if it’s fashion but if you love theatrical gowns and glittery fabrics then you will melt when you see some of these. Very historical Hollywood shapes and it’s nice to see shoulder pads back in business after a 20+ year hiatus. The wedding dress is fabulously ridiculous, poor girl looks completely out of her depth in it, but still it is incredible and OMG worthy.
Photo Stolen Zuhair Murad
I hope you enjoy this 15 minutes devoid of reality as much as I did.
Portia xxx
Woo Hoo APJ,
Thanks to Azar and Jeffrey Dame for this amazing giveaway. I’m glad you all got on board and I wish that I could have been in the running, what a great prize.
Let’s see who won,
Portia xx
Dark Horse – 2015
Perfumer’s notes: Bergamot, lemon, cinnamon, jasmine, carnation, rose, cloves, guaiac wood oil, vetiver, vanilla and musk.
From Azar: I mentioned in the comments to the post that, in addition to the artist series set, I would also send along a sample of Pear Waterlily and Amber to the winner. I rummaged through my samples but couldn’t find a Pear, Waterlily and Amber (I think they were used up by me!) but I did find an extra set of Artist Series samples…so instead of one winner there are now two.
This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 ml sample set of the 3 Dame Perfumery Artist Series
P&H Worldwide
Entries Close Thursday 27th August 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org
Photo Stolen markmontanoblogs
The winners will have till Monday 31st August 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.
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Post by Portia
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Hey there crew,
You know the excitement of buying some vintage lovely for a friend for whom it’s their Holy Grail? The thrill of the hunt, trolling eBay, ETSY and the Facebook pages looking for your current mad perfumista desire? Finding your Holy Grail on eBay at an affordable price, bidding, waiting, last minute flurry bid and then OMG! You’ve won it! High fives and back slapping all around. You rush quickly to your Pay Now button and PayPal the shit outta that thing. Then you wait………….
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Coriander, mandarin orange, peach, jasmine, Bulgarian rose
Heart: Mimosa, cloves, orange blossom, clover, rose
Base: Labdanum, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean, opoponax, civet, vanilla
and you wait………
You write to the eBay seller and ‘Quell Surprise’ it hasn’t been sent yet. “Sending it today. sorry Sorry SORRY”
Now you start to worry because if they send it now and it arrives faulty, for whatever reason, you may not be covered to lodge an eBay claim. So, you wait……
and you fume……
and you wait…….
The worry has turned to mild panic, even though you’ve dealt with this seller before and everything has been 100% perfect there is the gnawing worry at the back of your mind, especially because you have bought a couple of other things from the same seller since. Could they have been above board and now readying to do a grab and run? You know, put a whole load of really excellent pics up of things they’ve sold before and sell their fake stuff for good money before disappearing forever? This is not completely unknown on the net, there are shady enough people in face to face dealings, anonymity adds a whole new meaning to the word dodgy.
Teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown and obsessing madly over your lost precious you write again. It’s only a few days before the 45 day claim cut-off-period and you worry that this may become unsaveable, even though you paid through PayPal which will cover the loss but who needs the freaking drama. I just want my stuff. They write back, and they are really good Customer Service people. “It’s coming my friend. Please be patient. We are so sorry, it will be there”
Then…… It Arrived! So excited. We did a little happy dance, YAY! As the package is opened, we start to worry. It’s too fragrant. This does not bode well…..
As you can see, disaster has struck. The nozzle has been damaged when they pulled the insert out to show fluid levels and the juice has all run out. It has bubbled the gold foil on the bottle and run riot through the packaging. The smell is unbelievably amazing. At least we know the product is authentic. GAWD it smells incredible in here. Scott has rubbed the box and wrapping all over his arms and smells like a very high class establishment for sexual satisfaction, of a cash for gratification style.
Obviously I am bummed and write to the seller who immediately says they’ll refund my full purchase amount. They are so sweet about it and say that I’m their best customer etc it’s nice. So though I have no fragrance I will give my buddy the bottle and packaging which she can leave in her undies drawer and they will now smell like the rest of her. DELICIOUS!
Sad Sage, an only mildly unhappy ending.
What stuff has arrived imperfect for you?
Portia xx
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Post by Portia
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Hiya APJ,
What a sensational giveaway. Thank you to Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for her incredible generosity, and excellent fragrances. What a superstar. Please go and have a look at the DSH Perfumes site.
Portia xx
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x The deluxe Giverny In Bloom discovery set: 4 x 3ml atomisers:
Giverny In Bloom EdT (only the dregs)
La Danse des Bleus et des Violettes EdT
l’Opera des Rouges et des Roses EdP
Le Jardin Vert EdP
along with a leaflet about the Denver Art Museum exhibit
P&H Anywhere in the world
Entries Closed Sunday 23rd August 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org
Photo Stolen EverythingHealth
The winner will have till Thursday 27th August 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.
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Post by Portia
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Hiya Crew,
You know when you see a new brand come on the scene and it just doesn’t move you to go out of your way to try it? That’s what the Perris Monte Carlo stuff was like for me. I don’t know why, maybe the bottles or the names, colourway…. really, I don’t know. Anyway, recently I bought some stuff from the guys at LuckyScent and they added a bunch of samples into my pack. I was putting this into a pack I was putting together to send off because it didn’t interest me but I thought, “I’ll just give myself a little spritz before I put it in.” Spritzed, sealed up the post pack and all of a sudden I am bathed in the most delightful and radiant amber/patchouli bomb I’ve ever smelled.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Patchouli, pink pepper
Heart: Cacao, labdanum
Base: Patchouli, vanilla, cedar, sandalwood
Warm, comfortable, smooth and refined are the words that jump into my head immediately. Elegant. This is a very beautiful sweet patchouli amber combo that sings on my skin. I don’t know if it’s a breakthrough scent but it does smell amazing, projects and trails exactly the right amount for notice without skunking, makes me feel cuddly and safe and lasts extremely well.
There’s something stately, impressive and grandiose about Patchouli Nosy Be, yet it still feels fresh and alive and modern. I am going to have to find myself a split and really give it some wear, or could it be my next FB?
Photo Stolen torange
I stole this from LuckyScent because it hits the nail on the head and explains the significance of the stupid name:
Nosy Be (or Nossi-Bé) is an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar, commonly known as the “scented island” due to the abundance of extremely high-quality perfume materials grown on its northern half. But patchouli, a sensitive and delicate plant to cultivate, has never been able to thrive in Nosy Be’s intense heat. Until now.
Perris Monte Carlo Patchouli Nosy Be contains the very first magical harvests of authentic Nosy Be patchouli, made possible through an innovative and painstaking process that involves transplanting developing plants by hand into shaded, protected areas amongst the ylang ylang plantations, which results in an extraordinary patchouli essential oil with unique dry, woody and cocoa-like properties. This precious material is then blended into a fragrance designed to showcase its uncharacteristic expansiveness- combined minimally with spicy pink pepper, smooth woods and a touch of warm resin, creamy vanilla and bitter cocoa…..
Photo Stolen Pexels
LuckyScent has $180/100ml and samples
What have you been completely wrong about lately, fragrant or otherwise. Come on, time to confess. We won’t snitch.
Portia xx
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Post by Portia
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Hiya APJ,
The set created for Denver Art Museum’s “In Bloom” exhibit:
Giverny In Bloom
La Danse des Bleus et des Violettes
l’Opera des Rouges et des Roses
Le Jardin Vert
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz is one of the world’s best loved independent perfumers. Partly that’s because she makes seriously fabulous fragrances but I also think that her nature and lovely genuine responses whenever I’m in touch with her adds 100% to that appeal. She sent me a pack of pre-releases back in June and at some point I must have put it in a box which was then packed away for the big move. We found quite a lot of important stuff in this box and I think Jin had done a bit of packing while I was at work one night. Anyway, found it now and really excited because one scent in particular from the set of four has me completely under its spell.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Ambergris, Australian sandalwood, bergamot, vetiver, bulgarian rose, cabreuva, carnation, civet, damask rose, soil tincture, Indian patchouli, rose geranium, beeswax, lime (linden blossom), galbanum, jasmine, oakmoss, heliotrope, green leaves, lemon, mimosa, orris, parma violet, peony, petitgrain, pine needles, red rose, palisander rosewood, jasmine sambac, lilac, Tunisian neroli, violet, violet leaf, Virginian cedar
On first spritz galbanum is king, quickly replaced by a woodsy white floral, cool and sharp that is cut through with a really lovely cut grass and earthy turned compost. There is so much happening in Giverny In Bloom and so much a fragrance of itself, built in big sweeping light filled strokes and made poignant by almost speckled bit players that both flesh out and buoy the composition. I am lost happily in a wash of fragrance that you really need to stand back a bit from so that the riot of colliding pieces have a chance to become an olfactoric picture. I think it’s the loveliest green I’ve ever smelled. It beats even Nikki de Saint Phalle which was my favourite. So nuanced and beautifully balanced, artfully walking the green resinous line.
Giverny In Bloom softens off to a very quiet hum after a couple of hours yet still manages to make me smell fresher than I am. Pretty.
Photo Stolen WikiCommons
From DSH Perfumes site: Created for Denver Art Museum’s “In Bloom” exhibit ‘scent experience’, a gorgeous green and live flower bouquet fragrance was created to evoke the artist’s beloved flower garden.
Be transported through time and space to a moment in Monet’s flower garden at Giverny. An impressionist style perfume of green budding trees, wet dewy flowers and soil, that transforms to a rich floral bouquet as it wears.
I have just ordered a 10ml EdT from Dawn, this shit is freaking amazing.
Photo Stolen DSH Perfumes
DSH Perfumes has 3 fragrance strengths for Giverny in Bloom, Eau de Toilette, Voile de Toilette & Extrait plus there is a room spray and body butter. It’s a totally cool way to present a set and the only thing that could make it better was if there was bubble bath. They are available from DSH Perfumes in a variety of sizes and range from $5-155
In Bloom: Painting Flowers in the Age of Impressionism
Denver Art Museum’s “In Bloom” exhibit
July 19, 2015 – October 11, 2015
Hamilton Building – Level 2 — Ticketed, free for members. Purchase tickets online or call 720-913-0130.
SUPER exciting giveaway today, see below,
Portia xxx
Photo Stolen kbaird
WHAT CAN YOU WIN?
This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x The deluxe Giverny In Bloom discovery set: 4 – 3ml mini-sprayers of: Giverny In Bloom EdT (only the dregs), La Danse des Bleus et des Violettes EdT, l’Opera des Rouges et des Roses EdP, Le Jardin Vert EdP along with a leaflet about the Denver Art Museum exhibit.
P&H Anywhere in the world
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 go to DSH Perfumes site<<JUMP and pick a fragrance + one of its notes NO DOUBLE UPS!!!
Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Giverny In Bloom Set GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-4bK #Perfume#Giveaway@DSHperfumes
Entries Close Sunday 23rd August 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Thursday 27th August 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.
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Post by Portia
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Heya Crew,
The latest Si flanker is here and Cate Blanchett is the face again. I think you’ll like the ad. It’s simple, very reminiscent of the original ads and sweet.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Black currant, green pear, Italian bergamot, mandarin, neroli oil
Heart: Freesia, May rose
Base: Musk, amber, woodsy notes, vanilla, patchouli
Enjoy,
Portia xx
