Portia MeetUps USA November 2014

November 14, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Heya APJ!

By now we are all in the USA! Hopefully we will get to see some of you at these great events.

I have some amazingly fabulous news. Jin, Kath and I will be coming to the grand old USA in November. I had such an incredible time at the LA ScentSation Bus Tour last year that I wanted to bring the two most important people in the world to me, to meet YOU! Yes, you read right, we will be doing a MeetUp in THREE USA cities.

Jin & I at Kings Canyon in Australia, photo taken & donated by Kath

A word of warning. There will be no drag this year. You will be meeting Dude Portia. Not as brightly dressed but just as loud, naughty, proud and sensational.

MeetUp USA November 2014

There will be loads of great stuff to sniff, we’ll get to mingle in the rarefied ambience of like minded people and indulge our often secret passion. It’s nice to be able to talk about your fragrant wardrobe without people rolling their eyes, smirking and looking at you oddly. It is also nice when people don’t gasp when they hear the price of your scent of the day. Yes, we fumies need moments of togetherness to remind ourselves that we are frag hags, not freaks.

I know you can’t WAIT to find out where we’ll be and when so here is a little breakdown of out journeys fragrant MeetUp events!

SCENT BAR L.A.

Wednesday NOVEMBER 19 2014

Killian Hennessy

MeetUp 5-7pm

I have just had a email from my LA husband Steven Gontarski (soon to be Turbo) and another few from co-owner of Scent Bar Franco Wright. We don’t have a firm date yet but it will be Monday 17, Tuesday 18 or Wednesday 19 November. As soon as I know I’ll make another post. You’ll see below that there is someone VERY special coming and we are hoping to do both on the same day!!!

The Scent Bar crew will be putting on some champagne and snacks and of course their usual good humour for our MeetUp. If I know the guys, and I do, there will be plenty of amazing and informative discourse too. Tom Pease from Perfume Posse will be in the crew on the day, he is such good fun and has an excellent nose so it will be grand to hang with him too. So if you love fragrance but don’t really know anything (like me) it’s a great way to expand your knowledge, or if you know HEAPS drop in and help educate us.

Steven, Tom and I will be picking two of our favourite winter scents and all of us will get to smell, critique and live our personal stories of these frags. Then hopefully you will tell us what you think of them too. (Unless the special guest BELOW is there, then it will be all about him)

More than anything though this is a fun get together where we can get to see you all in real life, have a laugh and smell some beautiful scents together.

There will also be an incredibly special guest at the Scent Bar during the same week: Killian Hennessy the founder of the by Killian line of fragrances and grandson of the founder of Hennessy Cognac. We will be treated to a meet and greet and he will gladly autograph your by Killian purchases too.

BARNEYS + NEIMAN MARCUS CHICAGO

Monday NOVEMBER 24 2014

MeetUp 1.30pm Barneys (Beauty Downstairs)

Woo Hoo! Here we meet up with Musette on her BIRTHDAY! Yes, it’s a Posse MeetUp for Musette’s Birthday. We will be doing mainstream niche at Barneys (1.30pm meet), onwards for some designer fragrance at Neiman Marcus (3.30pm-ish) and then all going for a lazy ole Birthday cocktail and some nibbles nearby (5.30pm-ish).

Musette and I will pick some winter fragrances for us all to try and discuss together. Chicago will not be as structured as the other cities but we will be able to do some fragrance testing, chat with like minded perfumistas, have some laughs and generally get out of the daily grind and into some fabulous fumes.

Did I mention it was MUSETTE’s BIRTHDAY!!!

OSSWALD N.Y.C

Saturday NOVEMBER 29 2014

MeetUp 2-4pm

Josie Plumey and I have been ping ponging emails. I have a crush on her, so freaking beautiful and I think she may have a very sharp sense of humour, dry and sharp.

Josie, Clement Pinard and I will pick a couple of our favourite Winter Fragrances and we can all chat about feelings they inspire, progression, their relative merits or otherwise. I think it will be a fun time with frag heads chatting scent. Nothing grandiose or pushy, just a fun afternoon talking and sniffing. Maybe expending or sharing your knowledge. I’d love to hear your thoughts on a few of my faves, even if you HATE them.

A little extra surprise: Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels will be coming along to Osswald for the event too.

TWISTED LILY BROOKLYN NYC

Sunday NOVEMBER 30 2014

MeetUp 11am-1pm

Thanks to Carlos J Powell who is NYCs leading Goodsmella we are also going to drop in at Twisted Lily, which is affiliated with Parfum1. Carlos and I will be picking a couple of winter favourites and doing LIVE Video Sniffs. It should be a complete HOOT!

There’s a reason I wanted to go to this store and Carlos greased the wheels.

Last year for our Anniversary the only thing that Jin had shown any interest in at all during our shopping forays was Mona di Orio’s Oud. Yes, he has good taste. So I went shopping. I received an email from Stamatis Birsimijoglou apologising that they were out of stock but that I would get the Oud as soon as it came in. OMFG! DRAMA! So I wrote explaining that I needed it in time for the anniversary and that I would look elsewhere.

Could I find it? HELL NOOOOOO. Stamatis wrote me back though informing me that he had run a bottle to ground and that it would be shipping soon if I still wanted it. He even gave me a loyalty discount and it arrived in time. So, I really wanted to meet the crew and say thank you in person.

COME MeetUp WITH US PLEASE

SO! Where will we see you? Please come and hang out with us if you’re in or near a city we are visiting.
Portia xxx

Easy Itinerary

SCENT BAR LA Wednesday NOVEMBER 19 2014 with Killian Hennessy MeetUp 5-7pm

BARNEYS + NEIMAN MARCUS CHICAGO Monday NOVEMBER 24 2014 MeetUp Barneys (Beauty Downstairs) 1.30pm

OSSWALD N.Y.C Saturday NOVEMBER 29 2014 MeetUp 2-4pm

TWISTED LILY BROOKLYN NYC Sunday November 30 2014 MeetUp 11am-1pm

Cate Blanchett Speech

November 14, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hi hi Happy Huffers,

Here is the lovely Cate Blanchett, you may know her from the Giorgio Armani blockbuster fragrance ads for Si, or even as an Oscar winning actress. Here Cate is invited to do a eulogy for one of Australia’s most controversial and loved Prime Ministers.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

This is a speech for the ages. All encompassing but from a personal place. Filled with honest good humour and excellent reminiscences it also highlights so many of the achievements made by one of our greatest Prime ministers.

Enjoy,
Portia xx

Cate Blanchett thanks Gough Whitlam

NEWS!! Oliver & Co. Discovery Set 11-16 November ONLY!

November 12, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Hey hey Fumies,

A really special deal, limited time only, on a new house that I find incredibly interesting.

Portia xx

Oliver & Co. Perfumes Discovery Set

DISCOVERY SET – 2# ONLINE EDITION OF 20

THE SET INCLUDE 7x10ml GLASS SPRAY VIALS OF:

ILLUSTRATED SERIES

M.O.U.S.S.E
LA COLONIA
VETIVERUS
RESINA
M.O.U.S.S.E II

NEBULAE SERIES

NEBULA 1
NEBULA 2

AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY – FROM 11st TO 16th NOVEMBER
LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON. ONLINE EXCLUSIVE.
THIS ITEM CAN’T BE PURCHASED ON PHYSICAL STORES.

Oliver & Co. has 7 x 10ml Discovery Set €60,00<< JUMP

Violet Disguise GIVEAWAY WINNERS

November 10, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Hey Hey APJ,

I really enjoyed getting to know Imaginary Authors Violet Disguise a bit better. It will now definitely go into high rotation around here. Two lucky winners will get to test drive it too. Let’s see who they are.

Portia xx

Violet Disguise GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Plum, Violet, Dried Fruits, Balsam, Amber, Evening Air, The Month of May

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x Violet Disguise decant from my bottle
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

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

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Go to IndieScents and tell me any fragrance they sell online and a note that it contains…….. NO DOUBLE UPS!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3jJ Imaginary Authors GIVEAWAY @indiescents #Perfume #Giveaway @IAParfumerie

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 9th November 2014 10pm Australian ESTd
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen markmontanoblogs

Sister Mary

Jaybee

I am running extremely behind. Please send me your addresses and I’ll get these out when I return from the USA.

The winners will have till Thursday 14th November 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.

Cruise 2014/15 CHANEL: Dubai

November 9, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom

OK Gang,

A little more CHANEL footage. Here we have a behind the scenes look at the Dubai Cruise Collection for 2014/15. Perfect timing for an Australian summer, which is looming large, and great for the Northern Hemisphere to remember how hot works.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Please enjoy watching how the other .001% live.
Portia xx

The Behind the Scenes Film – Cruise 2014/15 CHANEL show

Eau Sublime by Jeanne Sandra Rancé for Rancé 1795

November 8, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hiya Crew,

I have had some of the Rancé soaps for a while now. For a creamy soft bathing experience they are pretty damn awesome but I’ve always felt the fragrances were a little generic. Not bad but not something to get mega excited about either. Recently my mate Nick at Libertine Parfumerie sent me a bottle of Eau Sublime…..

Eau Sublime by Jeanne Sandra Rancé for Rancé 1795

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin, Neroli, Hyacinth, Lime
Heart: Lily-of-the-valley, Lilac, Myrtle
Base: White Musk, Vanilla, Florentine Iris

From Rancé 1795 site: Eau Sublime Eau de Toilette pour Femme dedicated to Josephine, Napoleon’s bride, by François Rancé in 1801.

Eau Sublime is pretty. It opens green, juicy citrus and sparkles. There’s a dewy note and it’s all rather cool to begin. As we get further into the heart there is a pretty bouquet with a slight metallic tinge. Then the fragrance basically leaves my ability to smell for an hour or two, yes it has happened on repeated wearings, with and without moisturiser, on different parts of my body. Then an aquatic iris comes in and stays at a very low hum for ages, hours in fact, barely discernible except when I move and get a huff from my wrist or out of my top. It’s almost not there at all but the air cools, like air conditioning in a florist shop but without very many flowers in there. Maybe the end of the day when only the memory of flowers and a bunch of cut stalks are in the bins.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

I do love these recreated houses, and I’m sure that Eau Sublime owes a debt in part to the original, more than just the name hopefully. Somewhere though, in the fragrance, the story doesn’t ring quite true. Eau Sublime in this time is very synthetic to my nose, way too unnatural for 1801. It’s a minor thing but……

I can see why Rancé’s Eau Sublime is popular currently. It’s a pretty green whisper of nothing on my skin. Lovely opening that leaves a very slight hint of fragrance for the rest of the day. A clean, fresh, cool and dewy freshness. I can totally understand that that’s what some people want from their scent experience. The bottle is lovely and fun and no one will be skunked by you. I want my fragrance to work harder than that though. More projection, more story, more everything.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

First In Fragrance has €59/50ml

Where do you stand? Have you tried Eau Sublime? Was it what you want from a fragrance? Did it live on you like it does on me or did you get a different ride?
Portia xx

Violet Disguise by Josh Meyer for Imaginary Authors 2012

November 7, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hi Gang,

It’s taken me forever to get to this bottle. I bought it and it has sat at the front of stuff awaiting its time. Of course, as in all things, I had the best intentions. “Wear it, write about it. Josh Meyer seems so freaking lovely, give the poor bastard a break, a little push,” inside my head every time I looked at the bottle. Josh, if you’re reading this I apologise profusely that it’s taken so long. Every so often I would spritz and then leave the house on an errand, get busy on the phone or work and I wouldn’t get my thoughts on paper. Today I have spritzed already and fingers crossed we get results.

Violet Disguise by Josh Meyer for Imaginary Authors 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Plum, Violet, Dried Fruits, Balsam, Amber, Evening Air, The Month of May

SPRITZZZZZZZ! Wet, sweet, fruity melon or at a pinch plum. Imagine a fresh plum, cool from the fridge, you bite through the tart skin and into the soft, sweet flesh. I am naughty and I’m sniffing while eating peanuts so I completely miss Freddie’s salty olive note and dive directly into cool wet fruit. Is it the violets that give the metallic vibe or is there a chemical in Josh’s base that I notice particularly? I call it the cold spoon note and niche lines often give me it. I think it’s one ingredient that shouts above the rest for me. Here in Violet Disguise it is brilliant, a perfect cut crystal glass under light, sparkling and gleaming in the opening. Lustrous.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Suddenly, and I mean suddenly, Violet Disguise changes to a resinous, warmer fragrance that is like putting on a favourite coat over the cool air of an autumn/spring evening. A breathy, intimate moment where everything feels burnished, giving its warm glow in much the same way that the opening was cool shards of light reflected except now those beams are soft focused and furry. MMMMMM. I love the way Violet Disguise morphs so abruptly, not it has definite nods to old school perfumery, purrrrrrrfumery. A couple of hours in and I am absolutely gobsmacked at how lovely Violet Disguise is, hairy balsam.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

A very warm end, well a very warm fade to nothing. A soft resinous amber. Lovely. Even next morning I have a distinct Violet Disguise remnant, no I can’t tell you what I’m smelling other than green twig and cold metal……

Further reading: This Blog Really Stinks and Smelly Thoughts
IndieScents has $85/60ml and samples

We are TOTALLY affiliated with IndieScents and are 100% proud of it.

Portia xx

Photo Stolen hemodernhome