Alpha Musc by Liz Zorn for SOIVOHLE

January 2, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Heya Perfume Junkies,

It’s no secret that I love the SOIVOHLE (pronounced See-Voh) range. It is an acronym Sending Out Inspired Vibrations Of Healthy Loving Energy and I think Liz Zorn a dashing artist genius. We have chatted about her and SOIVOHLE quite a bit on APJ. Right now Liz is selling off the Mixed Media section of the fraghrance business and is going to concentrate on the naturals. It’s a sad day here for me and I have bought back up bottles of two of my favourite SOIVOHLE fragrances, Rosa sur Reuse and Jasmine Summer. Really I do not want to live without them. Tonight we are going to look at another fragrtance I love from the range that is currently at CLEARANCE prices.

Alpha Musc by Liz Zorn for SOIVOHLE

Photo Stolen SOIVOHLE

SOIVOHLE gives these featured accords in one line:
Patchouli, Moss, Vanilla, Pepper, Champaca Leaf, Animalic Musks
MUSC-CHYPRE-ANIMALIC

I get a chocolate vanilla with fabulously freaky green tinge on opening with Alpha Musc, a burning, searing scent that skirts the edges of overkill, never quite reaching the too much level but dangerously close. It has a resinous, thick, treacle-ish quality that feels like the air has become too thick to breathe into my nose and lungs, a sensation only Alpha Musc has ever given me. It’s sweet and sweaty, dry, dusty and dank and though it’s a very full fragrance that demands attention still it is quite sheer, sheer AND dense.

Photo Stolen Flickr

As the initial fireworks subside the whole fragrance dries out and the pepper, cracked and ground, gives the choc/vanilla a savoury edge that makes it zing beautifully. A toasted tobacco note, sweetly honeyed but dry and dessicated rolls in and alongside the pepper is so unusual that it really makes my nose stand to attention to see what’s going to happen next. You know the smell of your dogs paws, that yeasty/urinous/furry scent that is like almost nothing else on earth? Alpha Musc smells nothing like it but there is something that feels as if that scent is being referenced obliquely. As if the idea of dogs feet has been put there, an echo, a nod, a whisper of what the real thing smells like. It may even smell a little like a Musk Deer, but I’ll never know. I have smelled some 60+ year old musk tincture of Jean Kerleo’s that he used while at Patou, there are very faint echoes of it here.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I have a motor bike and I leave my helmet in a plastic airtight box on the back. Sometimes if I have been riding a lot and the weather is warm I get a real animal musk scent from it when I first get it from the box. It’s a bed head and healthy sweaty man combination, sweet and very slightly sour, and the musks and vanilla in Alpha Musc remind me very much of this funky scent but ever so soft on deep dry down after I awake next morning. It is tantalisingly human and quite sexy but very, very muted.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Where would I wear Alpha Musc? It is a wear anywhere, smell good, slightly feral comfort scent. Only in the first hour need you worry about skunking the severely anti fragrance types but everyone else will bask in your beautiful soft, naked, healthy skin sillage. About 3 hours mildly fragrant before heading towards close skin scent.

SOIVOHLE is clearing out Alpha Musc: Sample $2/ 11ml $25/ 50ml $50
You have to get it before it’s gone.
Which of the SOIVOHLEs do you know?
Portia xx

Louis Vuitton Presents the Milan City Guide

January 2, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Yoo HOO!

Whether you love to travel or you love to watch short pieces about travel then the Louis Vuitton Travel Guides are excellent under 3 minute extravaganzas of interesting things you’d probably never think to do when traveling to particular cities, and new ways to look at the city when you get there.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

I have not yet made it to Milan but now it has jumped to a place in my Top 10.
Enjoy!
Portia xx

Louis Vuitton Presents the Milan City Guide

Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau GIVEAWAY WINNERS

January 1, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hey Hey APJ,

Here we are already: 2015. Fingers crossed we all have a fun, fragrant, fabulous year full of friends and prosperity. A year to remember for all the good stuff that happened.

Feels good already.

Portia xx

Photo Stolen TechBeasts

Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau GIVEAWAY WINNERS

L`Occitane en Provence

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, black currant, water melon
Heart: Cherry blossom, rose, orchid, white flowers
Base: Woodsy notes, musk

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners:
AUSSIE WINNER: 50ml Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau EdT (Sprayed for Testing)+ 250ml Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau Shower Milk
INTERNATIONAL WINNER: 30ml Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau Hand Cream
P&H

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ and whether you are AUSSIE or INTERNATIONAL

and

Tell us about a cherry or blackcurrant fragrance you love, or a L’Occitane product that you love.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3uV L`Occitane Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau GIVEAWAY #Perfume #Giveaway @LOCCITANE_au

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 1st January 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen prospectsplus

Australian: Christine

International: Sherry

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winners will have till Sunday 4th January 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.

NEW YEAR COMING: Welcome 2015!

December 31, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Here It Comes!!

A new year! 2015. Which adds up to 8 in numerology, excellent number 8. Not only is it lucky but it looks like infinity and they say if you start things in an 8 year that they are more likely to succeed. Maybe that’s true.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Before we get to the resolutions and wishes you’ll be asking what I will be wearing to New Years Eve for 2015? The answer is Liberte by Cacharel, its fun and fizzy BarBQ citrus is exactly what I would like to smell like to ring in the new year. What will you be wearing and why?

NEW YEAR COMING: Welcome 2015!

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Let’s take a little moment to reflect on 2014 and the years before it, are there some repeat bad choices, ways of acting or reacting, or even outlooks that could do with some fine tuning? How can we make our close environment a better place or less toxic? What about the greater environment, are there things we can do to help?

Portia’s 2015 New Years Resolution

Seriously try to minimise my footprint on this beautiful earth. Already we recycle, we upcycle to charity in the forms of unwanted clothes and furniture, we buy about as much as we can eat and use (except in my fragrance addiction), by using public transport and our motor bikes more we are minimising our fuel consumption and I am going to cut down my meat consumption a little too, maybe save it for eating out. We are also committing to a travel moratorium except to see Jin’s family.

Another resolution is that I will try to be more content with my amazing life. Also to treat the wonderful people I get to live it with as well as they deserve.

I will continue to cull the people and situations from my life that are toxic. If my life is full of rubbish then there’s no room for amazing to come along. Definitely trying for a life filled with as much amazing as possible.

2015 is a year where I will try to cut myself a little slack. I will try and forgive myself the mistakes I have and will make and let them go. Learn from them and move on.

Photo Stolen christmasstockimages

New Year Wishes

What I wish for all you wonderful APJ family is a year filled with peace and prosperity, a year where only our good dreams come true, a year where we are productive and acknowledged for our hard work, a year at the end of which we can sit back between Christmas and New Year and be proud of our achievements and content where we are in our life. I wish for us all a year where every day we have something to be grateful for and that there are some people in out circles that are grateful that they have us.

I am proud to be among you as a friend and fragrance buddy. Thank you for sharing your time, hobby, passion and life.
Sending out a huge cyber hug to you all.
Happy New Year
Portia and the APJ Family xx

Poivre Piquant by Bertrand Duchaufour for L`Artisan Parfumeur 2002

December 30, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Heya Frag Fiends,

I have a little love affair going with one of my bottles bought very early on in my admitted and embraced perfumistahood. It’s a gourmand, which I take to mean it’s foody, not your average bakery scent though, not all sugary vanilla sweetness. Today’s fragrance is the most sophisticated and grown up of the gourmands that I know. Interesting, delicious and surprising while being totally wearable. A rare combination of freaky, cool and easy.

Poivre Piquant by L`Artisan Parfumeur 2002

By Bertrand Duchaufour

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Honey, white pepper, milk, licorice, sugar, woody notes

UK L’Artisan site says: Poivre Piquant is inspired by a wedding story in the Kama Sutra. Sugar and pepper were sprinkled on the bride’s wedding veil. Sugar for the sweetness of life, pepper for the sparkling joy (and sensuality!) to come. This blend of white hot pepper tempered with milky woody notes is sharp, soft and burning all at once. A hint of liquorice and honey round off this elegant essay in aphrodisiac desire.

Photo Stolen Scents Of Self

Wet pepper, bell pepper freshly cut, zingy, fresh and ready to eat in a delicious and healthy salad. In a few minutes though a very asian stir fried honey dish bursts through, sweet and sticky and spicy. The pepper has become dry cracked pepper and fizzy fun pink pepper with a milkiness that could come from adding a small lick of coconut milk to what may easily be the dish of the day. Though I am exaggerating the meal-ish aspects of Poivre Piquant, that is what comes to my mind on wearing. Suddenly I’m in a fabulous Australian/Asian fusion restaurant, it’s hip and clean, filled with laughter, chatter and the subtle sounds of wooden chopsticks hitting porcelain. Mouth watering dishes sizzle and steam as they are brought to hungry diners. You can even smell the hot fires burning in the background.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Poivre Piquant lasts around 3-4 hours but only the first hour do I have any major sillage and it is an extremely selfish wear because projection needs about 7 spritzes for anyone to even notice it. On the other hand, I get fabulous huffs coming up my shirt for 3 of those four hours, sometimes wet, sometimes spicy and sometimes sweet and hot. It’s like a circular fragrance where we get a spiral of fragrance that keeps letting different notes and combinations jump out at you through the whole life rather than a regular note pyramid. It’s cool, classy and fun. Excellent cool weather wear and a totally different ride in the heat, more refreshing than warming.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Scents of Self and Bois de Jasmin
Libertine Parfumerie have $186/100ml with FREE Australian Delivery
L’Artisan France has €100/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Have you spent any time with this L’Artisan lovely?
Portia xx

Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau by L`Occitane en Provence 2015

December 29, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

Hiya APJ crew,

We are coming to the end of 2014 and my friend Lesley at L’Occitane Australia has sent me a pack of their newest 2015 Limited Edition fragrance. Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau basically translates as Cherry Blossom Water. I love that we are able to bring you the pre release of this

Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau by L`Occitane en Provence 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, black currant, water melon
Heart: Cherry blossom, rose, orchid, white flowers
Base: Woodsy notes, musk

Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau’s opening is sweet and tart, the lemon and black current combo is a very sassy, lip puckering, fruity, fizzzy fun experience, like a Sour Gum and all wrapped up in quite easily definable watermelon. I like it a lot. If the opening of Enchanted Forest by The Vagabond Prince was a little too screechy and urinous for you (I did not have this problem but there was plenty of cyber-chatter about it) then this could be your antidote, in Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau the blackcurrant is tamed by its surrounds into a less ferocious beast, yet still it has some claws.

Photo Stolen TokyoTimes

The flowers in the heart are really a beautifully blended bouquet for me, they are pretty and fresh but no match for the fruits that linger well into the dry down, there is a very nice time in the heart of the fragrance when I am seriously reminded of eating cherries with my Mum when she would bring home a box from the market in January. We’d all sit in the kitchen and gorge ourselves on them. That bitter sweet bite through the skin into the soft magenta purple flesh that was so incredibly delicious and we’d keep eating till the box was empty, I don’t even remember if we saved some for Dad. About 3 hours later we’d all be hit with tummy cramps and the worst bout of diarrhoea but it was worth it. Ha Ha Ha! I’m laughing at the memory, the same thing would happen with plums in March and apricots in November. A general clean out.

Photo stolen GeographUK

Anyway, the blackcurrant lasts all the way to dry down when the softly pretty wash of almost fragrance underneath it warms it slightly. I have to give L’Occitane points right now, they have made a super fresh, wearable blackcurrant scent without adding in the currently ubiquitous bakery notes, no vanilla, almond or pastry to be sniffed at all, COOLIO. Great longevity for something marketed as a L’Eau at between 4-5 hours, though only the first 3 hours are very fragrant, then the still fresh and slightly tart base hums along fading, fading…….

Photo Stolen kbaird

Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ and whether you are AUSSIE or INTERNATIONAL

and

Tell us about a cherry or blackcurrant fragrance you love, or a L’Occitane product that you love.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3uV L`Occitane Fleurs de Cerisier L`Eau GIVEAWAY #Perfume #Giveaway @LOCCITANE_au

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 1st January 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 Sunday 4th January 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.

Dolce&Gabbana Summer 2015 Advertising Campaign

December 28, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Woo Hoo!

For a while there I thought Dolce&Gabbana were losing their touch, the sparkle and zing were fading from their runways and advertising. I was worried that they were concentrating too hard on makling diffusion stuff and little to none on their Haute stuff.

Photo Stolen Dolce&Gabbana

Here they are again, third or fourth successive season doing fabulous, elegant, wearable (if you’re a coltish young thing) and wonderful. For summer 2015 they hit the bullfighting arena for both men and women, see the clip because it’s so simple and lovely. Also, I am thrilled to see spots and dots back on the menu, I miss them when they’re gone…

Portia xx

Dolce&Gabbana Summer 2015 Advertising Campaign

Hermès Cuir d’Ange by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès 2014

December 27, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Hello my lovelies,

The other day I was in town to get shouted at by my accountant. Luckily for both of us he didn’t shout but he did get quite sober a couple of times and gave me dry looks of disbelief and incomprehension. He is generally quite genial and full of bonhomie and we did have a few laughs but still I felt like a very naughty boy. Aside from that I was lucky enough to get a motor bike parking space right in the center of Sydney’s CBD (Central Business District) and trotted into Hermès to see my favourite SA there Jean. Jean of the sexiest voice known to woman, the friendliest smile and the most elegant figure. I was on a mission, having tried (and adored) Cuir d’Ange at the Hermès store in the Bellagio, Las Vegas because my mate and co-contributor here Val the Cookie Queen had raved, it was time to get myself a sample and really come to terms with it.

Hermès Cuir d’Ange by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès 2014

Hermessence No 12

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica give these featured accords in one line:
Heliotrope, hawthorn, violet, narcissus, musk and leather

Now, Cuir d’Ange is so Jean Claude Ellena, from the opening fireworks and can can girls squealing their lungs out in brand new chorus heels, slightly sweaty and a trifle tannery, their corsets silk all musty and a little dank from years of wear and poor ventilation in the store room, ripe with their yearnings and disappointments. Really, this is exactly what I smell in Cuir d’Ange’s first 15 minutes, the story unfolds and I even get whiffs of the resins they use to give their chorus shoes grip and slide. There is also something of feet in Cuir d’Ange, a worn shoe, a well loved leather jacket or a vintage leather and fur purse.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Having spent some time with CB I Hate Perfumes Narcissus I really can smell its disgustingly gorgeous ripeness, over ripe ness that has me both retching and reaching for more. It really brings that shoe/bag worn and loved feel and I am enjoying it immensely. It could even be the scent of a ballet shoe after a show, maybe the next day. Though now Cuir d’Ange has softened considerable and I think it would be only slightly noticeable sillage if I walked past you in the office, certainly hardly noticeable at all in a bar until you got very close to me. We are at about the one hour mark and I really love how this extremely soft, highly nuanced concoction keeps surprising me.

Photo Stolen MinasCeativeExpression

It’s a very circular fragrance, the notes seem to return at odd intervals, darting out and back to keep your nose on its toes. A lovely ride. You could easily wear Cuir d’Ange in a work situation and it will be killer for date night, a real stealth bomber through the movie and not overpowering for dinner. I can feel a 15ml bottle coming on, at least. I might even wear the rest of my sample on New Years Eve.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies, Bois de Jasmin and Grain de Musc
If your city doesn’t have a Hermès store you should probably move
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Do you like the Hermèssence range? Is Jean Claude Ellena to your liking or are you meh?
Portia xx

Perfume Power Suit GIVEAWAY WINNERS

December 27, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Heya Sniff Buddies,

What an amazing giveaway Azar has put together for you all. Can’t wait to see who won this lovely treasure trove.

Portia xx

Perfume Power Suit GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get a sample each of these 6 fragrances:
Rosarium Blends Dom
Vintage Karl Lagerfeld’s KL (carded)
Vintage Lucien Lelong Sirocco
Olympic Orchids Olympic Amber
Annick Goutal Grand Amour (carded)
Rasasi Amber Ood CPO
P&H to the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone in the world who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Leave a comment about YOUR power perfumes, which scents do you wear to boost your confidence or are there perfumes that make you feel invincible?

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3tF #Perfume #Giveaway @AnnickGoutal_FR @EllenCovey1 @KarlLagerfeld @RosariumBlends

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 25th December 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by pulling names fby B-Azar from an old Santa Hat

Photo stolen LifestyleSolutions

AllGirlMafia

Rene Groyer (via Twitter)

Congratulations! The winners will have till Sunday 28th December 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit

CHANEL No.5 parfum by Ernest Beaux for CHANEL 1921

December 26, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hiya APJ Crew,

I hope your Christmas/ Holiday Season has been fun. Our Christmas Day was very relaxed. We vowed to not leave the house and had our mate Matt (Jin’s BFF) over for lunch and presents.

Today was Boxing Day and I started out the day in recent but not current Shalimar EdP. It was a perfect accompaniment to the organising potato salad, drive, present opening and lunch at Kath’s family home with parents and nieces. We had a wonderful time with Jin manning the BarBQ and doing a delicious sliced & marinaded steak, bacon rashers, onion and breakfast sausages. We had yummy sesame seed knot rolls, garden salad and potato salad, served with lashings of left over ham off the bone. Lunch was really fun and it’s always excellent to catch up with Kath’s family who have adopted me since my parents died and my sister stopped communication. I love them because they are good people who time seems to fly when I spend it with them. I love them because when we’re together I am home.

Then we went for a SWIM!! Sadly I forgot to take pics today, sorry. Here is one that Kath took

I had grabbed a vintage 7.5ml bakelite purse spritz of CHANEL No. 5 parfum as I ran out the door, knowing we’d be swimming. It was the perfect after swim spritz.

CHANEL No.5 parfum by Ernest Beaux for CHANEL 1921

Photo Stolen CHANEL

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, bergamot, lemon, neroli, ylang-ylang
Heart: Jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, iris
Base: Vetiver, sandalwood, vanilla, amber, patchouli

I enjoyed it so much that tonight I spritzed again and I wanted to share my joy in wearing this maybe 1970s or 80s parfum. It gushes out of the gate with a dark fizzy aldehydic rush that is more animalic and growlier than the current parfum, but maybe my parfum is a little old because the opening is slightly muddled compared to the clear bell of fruity fizz that my modern one exhibits. Sexier and more luxurious than the current version (which I also love BTW) there is something cozier and more feral about the vintage.

Today added to the salt, sun and chlorine, mixed with the joyful summer holiday air of a Sydney Boxing Day (the day following Christmas Day when once servants and tradespeople would receive gifts, known as a “Christmas box”, from their bosses or employers) it was the perfect blend of sophistication and joyous animal delight.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

You know I can smell very little of the singular notes in CHANEL No. 5 parfum, for me it is a gorgeous and complete smell where the whole is indeed greater than the sum of its parts. Not only the smell, which was one of my Mum’s scents, but also the fabulous history and all the women who have been given, who have bought, who have lived a little part of the No 5 fable. It feels like you are part of a crew that can be smelled as they waft by in almost every country in the world. From that brilliant genius and dastardly racist Gabriel Coco Chanel, through many of the world’s most beautiful and talented women in advertising, the G.I.s that bought it for their girls from 31 Rue Cambon through the tawdry days when it became a drug store perfume and now back out the other side where CHANEL is again one of the eminent fashion houses and CHANEL No. 5 is an affordable buy into that magical dream.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Bois de Jasmin
Essential Mall Australia has $148/7.5ml modern parfum refill
Surrender To Chance has vintage CHANEL No. 5 samples starting at $10/.25ml

What do you feel when you wear CHANEL No. 5? Which fragrance leads you into a fairytale?
Portia xx