Portia

Fete by Molyneux 1962

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Hey Vintage Vamps,

There has been rather a lot going on around here. To be honest I’m feeling a little frazzled, but happily frazzled. Part of the fun of selling and moving is finding stuff you’d forgotten about. There I was innocently cleaning out my frag cupboard and I stumbled across this lovely vintage decant, and boy is it good? The answer is YES! It is freaking amazing. I bought the decant in a sale on Perfumed Court and they still have some…

Fete by Molyneux 1962

Fete Molyneux FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Caraway, plum, peach, bergamot, Brazilian rosewood
Heart: Lilac, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base: Leather, sandalwood, benzoin, civet, oakmoss, vanilla

Opening with a very slightly shrill whistle of fruit and citrus with what feels a bit aldehydes getting near age turn. The fruits are canned and sweet and really I can’t distinguish them very well because they are a jammy blend that only lasts a minute or two before some feral big cal walks in and sits on them all adding its ass to the mix, not suffocating the fruit but changing it and deepening it.

Though I can tell there is a heart and it is very lovely in a vintage fragrance way my enjoyment really comes when all the base takes over. That lovely smooth peaty moss that casts its shadow beside the civet, woods, leather and resins is gorgeous. I am a movie star and dressed in the finest Edith Head gown, with arched brows, lavish long tresses and sitting on a settee looking winsomely out the glass doors over the glittering pool. All the while the man I end up with at the end of the film is wise cracking with the crowd and generally being the most popular sharp at the party. This could even be the type of fragrance Neely O’Hara would have worn. No, not Neely, Helen Lawson. That great grande dame of theatre in Valley of the Dolls, who I proudly modeled my own self upon. IO think Fete would have appealed to the fun in her, its fruity zing a great opening but the rich dark base would be her fragrant calling card.

Further reading: Yesterdays Perfume and 1000 Scents
The Perfumed Court has $6/ml

Giveaway Time sassisamblogPhoto Stolen sassisamblog

Fete by Molyneux GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml Vintage Fete by Molyneux decant
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

Tell us about a fragrance that takes you on a journey, a vintage you love or even a memory of some vintage fragrance

Extra Chance?
Tweet: http://wp.me/p3PURw-3fJ Fete by Molyneux Vintage  

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 12th October 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 16th October 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.

Louis Vuitton Presents "When Los Angeles is a Man" mini movie

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Heya APJ,
Sorry this is late! As you already know I love the Louis Vuitton aesthetic and the fun they have with their advertising often has me smiling at their audacity, quirkiness and general bonhomie. While we await their fragrance let’s look at how they see their customer in an LA setting.

Lovely, and fun,

Enjoy,

Portia x

louisvuitton-travel-ad-campaign-fashionavecpassionPhoto Stolen FashionAvecPassion

 

Louis Vuitton Presents “When Los Angeles is a Man”

Oliban by Keiko Mecheri GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Heya APJers,

Special THANKS to LibertineParfumerie for these amazing giveaways. Please visit their site because they are so generous and helpful. If you wonder why they are sometimes more expensive than the discounters or OS retailers it’s because they are the only licensed company selling their fragrances in Australia; where you know you are buying new, fresh and genuine product. The cost of importing, and buying the right to import, alcohol based fragrances (and having the right to send alcohol based fragrances throughout Australia, which are illegal to send in the Australia Post air system) is expensive and they must cover their costs to bring you these luxury goods.

Portia xx

Oliban by Keiko Mecheri GIVEAWAY WINNERS

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPhoto Stolen Libertine Parfumerie

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Virginia cedar, incense, olibanum, (blonde) tobacco, (Damascene) rose, palisander rosewood, tonka bean, ambergris

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml Oliban by Keiko Mecheri decant
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 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 Libertine Parfumerie and tell me any fragrance they sell online and a note that it contains. NO DOUBLE UPS!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: http://wp.me/p3PURw-3eU  Oliban by   

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 5th October 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Winners Are shannonmayerPhoto Stolen shannonmayer

SCAR

LeanS12 (via Twitter)

The winners will have till Thursday 9th October 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.

Under My Spell Noelle by Benefit 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Hiya All,

While in London earlier this year Val CookieQueen, Hannah BlondesWunder, Michael & I were on our way to BLOOM and we stopped by a benefit store. One spritz was enough to sell me on Under My Spell Noelle (hereafter Noelle) and so I bought a bottle for my BFF Kath, which she adores. Then I started craving it myself, for my own……. recently I was in our Myer, just a suburban mall about to close up for the night, roller door down, and as we walked past the Benefit counter there it was!!!! On special! only $29

Under My Spell Noelle by Benefit 2013

Under My Spell Noelle Benefit FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lingonberry, black pepper, cardamom
Heart: Violet, wild orchid, jasmine, vanilla flower, rose
Base: Patchouli, oud, black amber, vanilla, benzoin, raspberry

So I basically ran it home and have worn Noelle part of two days in a row and I think I got a super bargain. I’m worried because it’s only a 30ml bottle, should I grab another? Being in a metal canister there will be no light penetrating and I keep my stuff in fairly moderate temperatures, it should last for decades. There doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of naturals in here but that is purely guesswork. I love the bottle and the box, they’re super fun and I can imagine having one in a few years time and bringing it out, everyone surprised because they remember Benefit but didn’t credit them with having a fragrant winner.

Under My Spell Noelle Benefit fountain dpesta PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

If this was an oil it would be fairly eastern but the alcohol gives it a better throw and sillage. There are still plenty of references to North Africa or the Western Asias. Imagine, you are in the harem and this gorgeous amber/wood/oud/jam fragrance surrounds you all, the dry, dusty heat of desert countries and the tinkle of fountains over mosaic tiles and splashing into pools filled with fish, lilies and lotus. Not a breath of air and you wish you could take off your skin and lie around in your bones.

Under My Spell Noelle Benefit Mikolaj Pasinski FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

On first spritz I get a lovely amber and faux oud, it smells great. The berry, pepper and cardamom are not really noticeable for me though there is a jammy, sweet, rose-ish vibe behind the base, which really plays at full speed through the whole life of Noelle on my skin. Yes there is a little movement, more in the way of light and shade rather than featured notes appearing so Noelle is fairly linear. In this particular case that is a good thing in my books.

Really, the base line of the notes is all I get. Patchouli, oud, black amber, vanilla, benzoin, raspberry in a very delicious combination. The only thing I get that’s not mentioned in the notes is a dark chocolate note that sort of wraps up the raspberry/rose accord.Projection is good for the first 1-2 hours and then Noelle becomes a softer, more intimate fragrance. You are still fragrant for at least another 3 hours and sillage remains quite good till then too. After that 5 hour period there is still a gentle wash of something but nothing discernible as a note.

Under My Spell Noelle Benefit Glamour EstadodeSitio DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: The Plastic Diaries
Myer Australia has Noelle online for $29/30ml
Benefit USA has $36/30ml

What is a bargain fragrance you may have picked up lately? Is it performing well?
Portia xx

 

GUCCI: Gucci Première Eau de Toilette + Blake Lively: Ad Campaign

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hiya Fashion & Frag Lovers,

Blake Lively and GUCCI, together they look to be the perfect match. Fun, lovely, easy going glamour. Blake lively makes it all seem completely effortless and spontaneous.

From GUCCI: As captivating as the original fragrance but with a lighter point of view, Gucci Première Eau de Toilette is a flirty new scent. Watch the short film, shot in Los Angeles and starring Blake Lively. 

Gucci Premiere Eau de Toilette Gucci Ad FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, orange blossom, vintage champagne
Heart: Freesia, Bulgarian rose, jasmine, musk
Base: Smoke, leather, creamy woods, patchouli

Blake Lively stars in Gucci Première Eau de Toilette

Gucci Première Eau de Toilette, behind-the-campaign

DIOR Star by Beatrice Piquet for DIOR 2005

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hey Hey Happy Huffers,

This one has completely flown under my radar. I think my vial may have come as an extra in my shopping from other perfumistas and today I grabbed it out because I adore the DIOR brand with its lavish perfume history of fabulous hits and tragic misses. I have absolutely ZERO recollection of this particular one though and it makes me wonder if we even got it here in Australia? Oh well, come try DIOR Star with me today………

DIOR Star by Beatrice Piquet for DIOR 2005

Dior Star Dior fragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin orange, petitgrain, bergamot
Heart: Peony, honeysuckle
Base: Almond, musk

Firstly the perfumer Beatrice Piquet is one I’ve not taken any notice of before yet she has a string of blockbuster hits to her name: Burberry The Beat Woman, Bulgari Rose Essentialle, L’Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme + L’Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme Extreme (LIDGE), Paco Rabanne Lady Million and Trussardi Uomo. From 1989-2011 pumping out regular mainstream and designer fragrances.

The note list for 2005 is pretty standard fare here, to be fair the notes could be from a mainstream fragrant release today. So it is with quite a few reservations that I spritz….

SMILE! A lovely fresh citrus burst, so bright and sunny. Nothing groundbreaking but really pretty and coherent. Flesh, rind and pith are all present in a very pretty and 100% unisex opening, a simple cologne-ish citrus that will have your blue day turn to blue sky. Great warm weather wear but I think DIOR Star would also be a wonderful pick me up when its Autumn of winter.

Dior Star Dior Sand Sun Girl rsteve254 PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

The heart is a fairly nondescript floral bouquet, inoffensive and very wearable but it isn’t till the milky almond comes through that DIOR Star becomes interesting again. With the teeniest hint of citrus still smellable, a clean and wet bouquet and this lovely creamy almond playing through all of a sudden DIOR Star is beautiful. Sheer, transparent even, but a beautiful wash that is fragrant but could never overwhelm the people around you. This almond enhanced phase lasts for a while and then collapses into a laundry musk scent that is ubiquitous in perfumery nowadays. Not bad, just banal and still I can imagine it being a super work or close quarters scent. All good but nothing astounding to dry down.

Dior Star Dior Laudromat Jason Walsh FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Pretty but nothing amazing, DIOR Star does smell very nice and I think it would make an excellent gift choice for a first grown up fragrance, for office wear and/or for people who don’t really like to smell perfumey but like to spritz something to feel dressed properly. Though not a big scent the longevity is excellent and you can spritz & go for nearly the whole day.

FragranceX has $89/50ml

Did you ever get your sniff on DIOR Star?

Oliban by Keiko Mecheri 2004

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 75 Comments

Heya Sniffy Sniffers,

Recently we had a bit of a Launch down at Myer Sydney City of the new niche fragrance counter. It was sniff sniff sniff and of course I got to show everyone that while I adore fragrance my nose is only very average at parsing the contents. Oh well, can’t be perfect at EVERYTHING!!! So I have tried this baby before but on the night I was showing it to everyone and since then I have been COMPLETELY obsessing. Today I had to drop some stuff into Libertine Parfumerie and while there I grabbed myself a bottle of…

Oliban by Keiko Mecheri 2004

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPhoto Stolen Libertine Parfumerie

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Virginia cedar, incense, olibanum, (blonde) tobacco, (Damascene) rose, palisander rosewood, tonka bean, ambergris

I reviewed Oliban not too long ago so if you want to know about notes and progression go check it out there. What I do want you to know about Oliban is that I love it right through its lovely jammy rose, woods and resinous life. It’s a lovely warm, feel good, great big happy hug in a wooden retreat with someone you love, and it’s reciprocated.

Oliban Keiko Mecheri Wooden Hut Marco Becerra FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Unusual, interesting, old and new, Oliban is gorgeous. Great in our lovely warm spring and just as gorgeous in the middle of winter.

Further reading: Katie Puckrik Smells and I Smell Therefore I Am
Libertine Parfumerie has $195/75ml including FREE Australian postage
First In Fragrance has €145/75ml and €5/4ml Samples

So to share my good choice today I though we could do a giveaway.

Portia xx

 

AllSteele giveaway 1Photo Stolen AllSteele

Oliban by Keiko Mecheri GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml Oliban by Keiko Mecheri decant
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 Libertine Parfumerie and tell me any fragrance they sell online and a note that it contains. NO DOUBLE UPS!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: http://wp.me/p3PURw-3eU  Oliban by   

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 5th October 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 9th October 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.

 

Miss Piggy & Joan Rivers: Behind The Feud

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Hiya APJ Crew,

So maybe I’ve told you before. I styled myself on two legendary superstars and their kiddy re-animations. The two stars? Loretta Switt and Divine. Re-animations? Miss Piggy and Ursula the Sea Witch.

Miss Piggy Ann Martin FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Someone who I thought was kind of funny but admired much more for her dedication and ability to rise in a job where women were less than welcome was Joan Rivers. That kind of tenacity is amazing and even more so when you saw her, a tiny little doll like woman. She was quite old when I met her in Sydney at the Mardi Gras for a very short moment, and she was basically being held up by her minders to get through the crowds, but in my two seconds with her she was lovely. Now she’s gone but there is so much to remember her by.

Joan_Rivers WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

Here is a super fun piece on the Piggy/Rivers Feud.

After you watch the video, perhaps you’s like to scent these two fabulous women?

Enjoy,

Portia xx

Behind The Feud: Joan Rivers vs. Miss Piggy

Hermès: Observatory of Orange Boxes: Video Series #1

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

This is fabulous APJ Crew,

You want to talk iconic? The orange box is DEFINITELY an icon in and of itself. I had a blanket box from Hermès  for years till it got ruined. I loved it so dearly, kept it on display like art, and in many ways the Hermès box IS art.

Hermes Box Maegan Tintari FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

I love it when luxury brands give us whimsical and fun pieces. These little Hermès snippets are so far from what I expect of the old school, stylish and magnificent house of Hermès that when I saw the first one I laughed out loud. This is exactly what I love about the modern age of Guerilla marketing

Enjoy,

Portia xx

Hermès: Observatory of orange boxes – Observation 01

Hermès: Observatory of orange boxes – Observation 02

Hermès: Observatory of orange boxes – Observation 03

Hermès: Observatory of orange boxes – Observation 04

Cuir Cannage by Francois Demachy for Dior 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Hello Fashion conscious Fumies,

OOOOW! When I first heard about Cuir Cannage it was a thrilling excitement. I couldn’t wait to get my sniff on it. Immediately I knew it was coming I emailed our Australian DIOR marketing arm and was told I would be contacted on arrival. Well, frankly I couldn’t wait for them, I went and ordered from Surrender To Chance a lovely 3ml spritz. It just arrived, WOO HOO! Let’s wear it together for the first impressions……

Cuir Cannage by Francois Demachy for Dior 2014

Cuir Cannage Dior Fragrantica 1Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange blossom, ylang ylang
Heart: Jasmine, rose, leather, iris
Base: Leather, Juniper (cade oil), birch

Instant leather on spritz like you are looking inside a new handbag for something, then a cool green sappy-ness then a warm wet suede shoe (all this happens in about a minute) and then I get a beautiful, sensual night flower that is the fatty orange blossom & the ylang, neither is wholly itself and they’re blended so beautifully that they create a whole new flower, glorious. This section lasts much longer than you’d expect from an opening and I’m really glad.

Cuir Cannage Christian-Dior Lady-Dior HelensPhoto Stolen Helen’s

The leather is new and very slightly earthy when it comes in, a soft and supple leather that I think anyone could wear. Smoked and tanned it reminds me of a very softened and gentrified Knize Ten. There is no fruit note to sweeten it like the Bottega Venetta and it’s not as plush and rounded as CHANEL’s Cuir de Russie but it is lovely and I can imagine it being worn by the boys to work and on dates. The girls will smell super retro in it and I can’t wait to smell Cuir Cannage on some of them, elegant and razor sharp cool. The girls will certainly stand out when wearing Cuir Cannage, nice one DIOR.

Cuir Cannage Christian-Dior PinterestPhoto stolen Pinterest

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Black Narcissus
Surrender To Chance has $3/ml
DIOR has 125ml, 250ml and 450ml available (450ml? WTF!)

How did Cuir Cannage live on you?
Portia xx