Portia

Songes by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2005

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Hoya Perfumistas!

Tonight while wandering around Facebook Fragrance Friends one of the people there, Julie, was talking about her first Songes by Annick Goutal experience. Being Autumn here in Sydney Songes was in the cupboard but I thought I’d grab it out and give myself a spritz, pretend it is a cool spring evening instead. WOW! It’s funny how you forget the magic held in a scent. I was instantly transported back to my very first spritzes of Songes and how amazing and beautiful I thought it was, and it is. Here is a repost of an earlier Songes piece just to remember it.

Songes by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2005

Songes Annick Goutal FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Frangipani, tiare, jasmine sambac absolute, ylang-ylang, French vanilla

Here I sit in my office in a cloud of creamy vanilla white flowers. AH MAY ZING!!

Songes EdT was my first Annick Goutal FBW fragrance. When the sample arrived I loved it so much I sprayed it on all and sundry till it ran dry just so they could experience the enormous grand white floral opening. What a fragrance! Designed around a dusk ramble on Camille Goutal’s honeymoon and the frangipanis nighttime scent song of dreams.

The Annick Goutal website says: The twilight in Tahiti, transcending into a inspiring combination of frangipani and tiare flowers

Songes Annick Goutal Phetchaburi Province, Thailand WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Did you know Songes means dreams? I think it is an interesting choice of a name for a fragrance built around the scent of frangipani at dusk. It opens so full and spectacularly, not dreamy at all. White flowers pumping out their glorious, decadent fragrance. White night flowers have something so special and glorious that whenever I put this voluptuous fragrance on I almost swoon with delight. A bold fragrance, with solid strength and sillage, unlike most AG perfumes Songes has good lasting power too at around 4 hours. Along with the flowers I get lovely inedible vanilla, almost amber-ish, and a soft incense note that I’ve never noticed before but this morning I was burning incense and here it is repeated. There is a very human element that comes and goes, like clean mouth breath bordering on lived in. The whole time I’ve been wearing this my mind keeps saying, “Oh, this is lovely, why don’t I wear this more often?” I will put it out on the desk again and give Songes more love, I have not worn it nearly as much as it deserves.

Songes Annick Goutal C P Wyatt "Ocean Of Dreams" Plum Leaves FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Further reading: The Perfume Shrine and NowSmellThis
FragranceShop has Songes EdT $57/100ml
Surrender To Chance has the EdT samples starting at $3/ml

I have enjoyed bringing you Songes again, do you have a favourite Annick Goutal fragrance? Which one and why?
Portia xx

M. Micallef: ART COLLECTION 2014 PUZZLE COLLECTION

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hey Y’All,

This just dropped into my inbox. I though you might like to know first.

Portia xx

M. Micallef: 2014 PUZZLE COLLECTION

A game of love..

 puzzle_en
No, you can’t down load it from here but this is what it said.

Grasse, France, June, 2014 – Parfums M.Micallef, renowned for their authentic Fragrances made in the French tradition of crafts and luxury. They’re launching the new ART COLLECTION with a duo of gourmand and sensual fragrances: PUZZLE N°1 & PUZZLE N°2.

The M. Micallef Company gives priority to qualitative and natural ingredients in its fragrances and magnifies each bottle in its art atelier. For 2014, Martine Micallef wished to honor the game of life and love…

“A jigsaw puzzle is a game of patience and enigma like the love between two beings building their life together. And now for you to seize the missing piece to your happiness ! »
Citation from Martine Micallef.

PUZZLE N°1

Head Note : Peach, Pink Berries.
Heart Note : Jasmine, Osmanthus, Vanilla Flowers
Base Note : Tonka Beans, Benjoin, Gaïac.

Puzzle N°1 is the most tender of the collection. It will make you discover soft and delicate notes of peach aswell as a pure bouquet of white jasmine flowers and osmanthus. Then, it will charm you by taking you towards a savoury bed of tonka beans and Javanese encens also know as Benjoin.

PUZZLE N°2

Head Note : Grapefruit, Blackcurrant leaves
Heart Note : Blackcurrant, Jasmine, Vanilla Flowers.
Base Note : Patchouly, White Musk, Vetyver.

Puzzle N°2 is the most carnal of the collection. It will seduce you first of all by its slightly acid notes of citrus fruits and then a delectable note of sensual and intoxicating blackcurrant. That union is enhanced by powerful and addictive notes of patchouli and white musk.

Fragrance Masterclass with Michael Edwards July/August 2014

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Hi there Frag Buddies,

Here is one of the most exciting things I’ve had to tell you about, EVER! Michael Edwards will be hosting Fragrance Masterclasses in Melbourne & Sydney later in 2014. I’m so excited I’m fit to burst. The man inducted into the Fragrance Foundation Hall of Fame in 2009 for “the impact Edwards’ work has had across the whole fragrance industry”, Australian and Internationally. His book Fragrances of the World is in it’s 30th year of publication, from “what started as a small guide for retailers with just 323 fragrances has become the industry’s fragrance ‘bible’”.

Fragrance Masterclass with Michael Edwards July/August 2014

Everyone who meets Michael Edwards tells me that he is a very friendly gentleman, so happy to share his knowledge, his passion and extend the hand of friendship. I can’t wait to meet him at the Sydney Masterclass. To get one of the very exclusive seats at this once in a lifetime event Michael Edwards Masterclass<<JUMP

michael-edwardsMichael Edwards

Melbourne 22 July 9am – 5pm

Sydney 21 August 9am – 5pm

Price : AUD $645.00   Inc. GST (Single registration)
(2 or more registrations AUD $595.00  Inc. GST)
Registration fee includes:
  • Light refreshments and working lunch
  • Certificate upon completion

Attend the workshop and you will have the opportunity to buy Michael’s Fragrances of the World 2014 guidebook valued at $195 at HALF PRICE – only $97.50. Provided at the workshop.

Hopefully we’ll see some of you there, I think there will be a crew of APJ writers and readers. It will be a wonderful way to learn more about our passion, and you’ll make some buddies too hopefully.
Portia xx

 

 

Chenonceau GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Hey there APJ Crew,

I have been so excited about this fragrance and couldn’t wait to get some to you all to try. I hope the winners love their prizes. If you are sad you didn’t win and want to try the products then jump>> King’s Palace Perfumery has an ETSY store and a 5ml Rollerball is only $22

Chenonceau GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Chenonceau King`s Palace Perfumery FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vanilla, cacao pod, tonka bean, iris, musk, amber

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 1ml sample of Chenonceau oil by King`s Palace Perfumery
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

Please tell me a memory that involves a palace garden, a perfume that makes you think of history or a fragrant oil that you happen to love.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Chenonceau by King`s Palace Perfumery GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Mn #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 11th May 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

WINNERS dryiconsPhoto Stolen dryicons

AnnaMaria

Ines Stefanovic (via Twitter)

Roslyn

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winners will have till Thursday 15th May 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.

Shit Fragrance Heads Say: Fragrance Bros. Video

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Heya APJ,

I love the Fragrance Bros. they do loads of fun videos, great reviews, they host splits and have built up a really wonderful community around them. Here from Daver we hear a bunch of stuff that frag heads say, if you didn’t think we had a vocabulary to ourselves then this video should dispel your misconceptions.

Fragrance Bros LogoFragrance Bros.photo

Also, if you understand more than 30% of the conversation then you are already firmly entrenched in perfumista-hood. Welcome to the clan. We are weird but we smell great.

Enjoy the video,

Portia xx

Metamorphosis, an Hermès story: Video

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

G’Day Gang,

I love how the big companies put out these fun films. Yes, their products are amazing, and yes I covet so many of them. See below pictured Ostrich Birkin. What I really love about these fils is that there are a wealth of creatives and artists making them. So much wonderful scope for the making of magic. That’s one of the reasons I search so many of these video-ettes out for you all, so they continue to have a need for artists to make magic. Oh, and because they are also fun stress relief.

Enjoy.

Portia xx

Hermes_Ostrich_Birkin_Bag WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Metamorphosis, an Hermès story

Luci ed Ombre by Giuseppe Imprezzabile for Masque 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Shhh! Niche Nerds?

Something NEW? Something FABULOUS? I don’t know either. It just arrived and I want to test run it with you. Let’s do it together. Yes, I know, you need three or four wears to get a feel for a fragrance, sometimes your chemistry or the temperature is wrong, i know. Come on, let’s do it anyway and see how it is. It will be fun, even if it’s absolute shite, doesn’t matter…

Luci ed Ombre by Giuseppe Imprezzabile for Masque 2013

Luci ed Ombre Masque FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Incense
Heart: Moss, Tuberose, jasmine, ginger
Base: Patchouli, cedar, olibanum

The opening incense is warmer and sweeter than expected, a very spicy resinous and honeyed incense that matches none in my collection. So pretty and exactly a smell I could imagine myself wearing regularly. I just went and checked. Luci ed Ombre reminds me most of a Korean incense I have but it lacks the bitter undertones. My skin often skews fragrances a bit sweeter and I am glad in this instance because Luci ed Ombre is magic on my skin. I also get some sweet fruit in the mix like a canned peach or nearly over ripe, sun warmed mango straight off an Aam Wallah’s cart in India. The tuberose and jasmine are clean until you hit the full on heart and then we smell some breath, not a lot but enough to warrant mention, and the ginger playing back up after its zing in the opening is still a very pretty counterpoint to what is largely a resinous fragrance with what may be the moss acting as a mediator. Patchouli? I’m not really getting patchouli, this could very easily be me as we al know my sniffer is regularly off point, but I did do a comparison with my patchouli essential oil and there is no resemblance for me in Luci ed Ombre. Maybe it’s a super clean version aromachemical and I can’t get it.

 Luci ed Ombre Masque Mango Wallah Kiran Jonnalagadda FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Do you ever think something is absolutely heart stoppingly gorgeous but worry that it might be a little generic? This is my worry here. A couple of times while Michael & I were overseas I would pass him something that I was swooning over and he was totally meh, that’s just this aromachemical or that boring overused note and though I am quite good at trusting my own judgement sometimes when the magic is taken away, the sparkly washed matte, it can not be replaced or reignited. One of the things stopping me becoming a serious perfumista who knows all the notes and aromachemicals is how much understanding the process may dilute my total enjoyment of fragrance overall, that WOW Factor of a first inhale that is all about the joy. It would make me sad to lose that.

Luci ed Ombre Masque Tuberose Carolyn Jewel FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

So my vote here is GORGEOUS! A winner and as soon as I finish this decant a split or FB in my future, probably very near future.

Further reading: Now Smell This has the ad copy as an introduction to the range
First In Fragrance has €150/100ml + Samples
LuckyScent has $215/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Have you jumped in and tried any of the Masque fragrances yet. I see there are some reviews on other sites about different scents in the range. Do you think it will be the next big thing?
Portia xx

 

Chenonceau by Marlen Harrison for King`s Palace Perfumery 2014 + GIVEAWAY

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 46 Comments

Hi All you Fraggir Friends and Family,

Today we are having a look at one of my mates new ventures, and I knew he was bringing out a range but had no idea he was also the perfumer. WOW! Marlen sent me three fragrances to experience and today we will look at the first of them that I’ve tried.

Chenonceau by Marlen Harrison for King`s Palace Perfumery 2014

Chenonceau King`s Palace Perfumery FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vanilla, cacao pod, tonka bean, iris, musk, amber

Right, it comes in a lovely velvet pouch. A 5ml roller ball and is a fragrant oil. Recently I was at lunch with my friend Natalie from Another Perfume Blog and we decided to test it together and we both a had a few other beauties to test the same day. I didn’t let her know that I was testing Chenonceau for a mate or even that I had any interest other than intellectual and of course fragrantical. Well, I swiped a little bit across the back of my hand and we didn’t need to dive in and smell because it bloomed like no tomorrow there in the cafe. In fact, instantly the cafe smelled like a fabulously elegant bakery and people looked to see where Chenonceau’s amazing scent came from. Mixed in with the coffee, food and humanity Chenonceau carved right into the groove and took over.

Chenonceau King`s Palace Perfumery postcard Roger Wollstadt FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

A dry, dusty vanilla that is a cake browned browned on top. I don’t know if you ever made Tea Cakes with your Mum but that is exactly the memory I get from Chenonceau. Jin says it smells like the warm cuddly inside of a house in freezing winter and I agree, there is a firey heat burning and drying out the air, coffee and cake or toast with lashings of butter and an old granny rug. It’s furry and human, a little bed head-ish and sweet like just out of a hot bath skin drying in front of the fire or heater.

How does so much wonderful image come from a swipe of fragrance? There are the bee’s waxy resins that I use on the table to keep it water proof and healthy, face powder, pine cones, fake snow that you spray on the windows, the warmth of a kiss and the exciting prelude before it, chesterfield sofa. My mind whirls with lovely images for a few minutes and then the fragrance calms and I smell much less intense, a warm soft place of comfort, a place to rest and read or just breathe. It’s fluffy and powdery goodness will delight you if it’s the kind of fragrance you like, which I do.

Chenonceau King`s Palace Perfumery Chateau_de_Chenonceau WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

After the initial fireworks Chenonceau calms to a perfectly wearable scent that will last you 8hours or more and the price is so ridiculously affordable AND you are doing good too.

From King’s Palace Perfumery: Chenonceau, a gourmand, unisex blend of vanilla, chocolate, and ambery musks inspired by the infamous castle on the water in France’s Loire Valley. Chenonceau is a hand-blended, unisex fragrance oil (alcohol, phthalate & paraben free) made from both natural and manmade ingredients sourced from the USA, UAE, Reunion, France, Australia and India.
In keeping with King’s Palace Perfumery’s charitable mission, 10% of all Chenonceau purchases will be donated to The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, https://www.michaeljfox.org/.

Further reading: Now Smell This introduces the line
King’s Palace Perfumery has an ETSY store and a 5ml Rollerball is only $22

giveaway TheTruthAboutMummyPhoto Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Chenonceau GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 1ml sample of Chenonceau oil by King`s Palace Perfumery
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

Please tell me a memory that involves a palace garden, a perfume that makes you think of history or a fragrant oil that you happen to love.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Chenonceau by King`s Palace Perfumery GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Mn #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 11th May 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 15th May 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.

Portia xx

 

 

CHANEL featuring Kristen Stewart: Making of

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Lovely APJ Peeps!

Here is a sneak peek at the creating of CHANEL’s newest Kristen Stewart advertising. Though I am no great fan of Kristen in this particular piece she shines and Mr Karl Lagerfield taking the shots and art directing make the whole piece feel like a historical event. I am loving the Americana in the fashion and enjoyed the video immensely.

I hope you do too.

Portia x

chanel-designer-fashion-zipper Jerine Lay FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

CHANEL featuring Kristen Stewart

Métiers d’Art Paris-Dallas advertising campaign: Making of

Tuberosa by Enrico Buccella for Les Voiles Depliees 2013(?)

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hiya Fragrance Feinds,

You may remember my post about Michael & my time at First In Fragrance and how much fun we had, how welcoming they were and how much stuff we bought. It was a wonderful couple of days and we couldn’t have smelled more if we tried. Believe me, we tried!

First In Fragrance 2014 #8Beate, the most wonderful, warm and clever lady.  SO knowledgeable.

By the end my nose was broken, completely burned out. Today’s fragrance was one I tried after complete and utter burnout, it sang to me through my anosmia and filled me with joy.

Tuberosa by Enrico Buccella for Les Voiles Depliees 2013(?)

Tuberosa Les Voiles Depliees FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange, neroli
Heart: Tuberose
Base: Amber, patchouli

From the man who brought us the Cerchi Nell’Acqua and Sigilli lines and created Alambar for Laboratorio Olfattivo comes his newest line Les Voiles Depliees. A sensibly priced range that comes in blocky, sleek, modern, funky 50ml bottles. The bottles are not beautiful nor particularly comfortable to hold, and the labels are less than glamorous too with no company name just the fragrance. It all seems like the prototype has been put out on the sale racks, I feel something decidedly unfinished about the whole experience.

I tell you what though, take the fat, square plastic lid off and give yourself a squirt. Just one will be enough. And SWEET! This is the loveliest soapy orange that I’ve ever smelled, there is a lolly-ish tinge to it too that reminds me of pink musk sticks and a synthetic squeal that makes me think of hairspray. I am smiling while sitting here typing. Having worn Tuberosa for about an hour tonight already I am well into the tuberose heartland, it’s super sweet and still green, there is a run your finger down a daffodil leaf, sappy green-ness that is both waxyTuberosa Les Voiles Depliees Tuberose Wikipedia and verdantly lush. This tuberose is fun and flirty with a sensual warmth floating through the heart. Cleaner than I usually like, not a lot of breath or bed head, and wearable without ruining dinner.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Longevity is great, even on my usually scent hungry skin I’m getting over 5 hours fully fragrant. Nice journey, though the patchouli is so clean I hardly even notice it, no I don’t notice it at all unless there’s a smidge hiding beneath the amber which isn’t a large player either. Tuberosa is a white flower highlight fragrance, not a soliflor because there is a byplay between the tuberose and orange, I also get some lovely banana reminders (like those banana lollies) and whispers of other tropical fruits.

I’m pretty sure that Tuberosa is built around aromachemicals with only a very few naturals or isolates mixed through but still it is pretty, fun and totally wearable. I layered it after a good couple of hours with Chillum by La Via Del Profumo and together they were a fabulous match. All the dirt and raunch that has been removed was back with a vengeance. AWESOME!

First In Fragrance has €60/50ml and samples

Have you tried the line? Do you know any of Enrico Buccella’s work? Does any of it stand out for you?
Please chat with me, I love to read your views.
Portia xx