Portia

Santal Massoïa by Jean Claude Ellena for Hermès 2011

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Hey Hey APJ,

While out in London with the mad London Frag Crew a bunch of us that just couldn’t let the day finish went to Selfridges in the evening and ran amok. It was bittersweet fun because we all knew the day was coming to a close and it felt that we’d made some really great new friends who GOT us. Know what I mean? Anyway, I think it was the beautiful Tara of Olfactoria’s Travels who came to Hermès with me because I wanted to try Epice Marine (FABULOUS BTW) but annoyingly they had no samples left for me to take and review. The SA was so embarrassed at their lack that she gave me two samples of other things and today we’ll look at the first. I have decanted to a spritz so I get the same ride as you would from a bottle. Just for fun today I thought I’d let you travel through my mind on a first wearing of a fragrance…….

Santal Massoïa by Jean Claude Ellena for Hermès 2011

Santal Massoïa Hermes FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Massoïa wood resin from New Guinea, coconut, peach, butterscotch, sandalwood, sugar, milk, dried fruits, floral notes

Well, Santal Massoia is a bit of a surprise. Now that I look at the notes it makes sense but I was not expecting a tropical alcoholic drink out of a coconut, with a paper umbrella, in a freshly made wood and thatch bar by the pool. Honestly I am smiling broadly and feel as if the holiday is at day 5 when you just realise you are away and can relax for another 5 glorious days.

Santal Massoia Hermes Evening Beach Matt Rudge FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Something that I often feel about Jean Claude Ellena’s work and here in Santal Massoia especially is that the notes are part of a chorus, though there is a buttery, waxy, fatty wood at the centre it is not really about that so much as it’s about a feeling of quietly luxuriating in the sun, having a silly drink for the hell of it and either reading a trashy novel or playing meaningless games on your phone. It has been a long time since I’ve had a holiday like that, I don’t think in the last 25 years, but my childhood and early adulthood was full of exactly those kind of holidays, it was ONLY trashy novels then as the internet was still being used only for governmental/war games. We did used to get those great puzzle books though like find trhe word, crosswords or other game type books. There were also cards, canasta was the family game of choice and it was used as a tool to show good game play behaviours and how life was often ready to throw a curve ball. OH MY GOD! I am lost in a complete memory cycle and all through two spritzes of a fragrance.

 _MG_6220rPhoto Stolen Flickr

Yes, I can pick the woods, fruits, coconut, mmmm sort of get the butterscotch but in a Schnappsy kind of way and if you asked me to pick some flowers I would say a fruity/boozy rose and the buttery fat of ylang, is there fig? Maybe the milk and fruit are giving me a fig reference? I could understand if you were to complain that Santal Massoia is linear, the story is more a rotating of notes that become more pronounced than a change in fragrance per se. After the first hour to two hours Santal Massoia softens to a nimbus of soft focus fragrance, very close to the skin and you really need to be hugging someone for them to notice how lovely you smell, that is no bad thing especially at work or in confined spaces. By the 3 hour mark I’m finding it difficult to smell anything but I think anosmia has set in because Jin still smells something nutty.

Santal Massoïa HermesPhoto Stolen Hermès

 

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Perfume Shrine
Hermessence are only available at Hermès stores or very rarely they come up at auction sites
You can buy in Australia from the Hermès site $665/100ml with leather cover
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Which of the Hermessence range have you tried? Do you like Jean Claude Ellena’s style?

Portia xx

Wonder Woman

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Dear APJ,

Sometimes something found on facebook resonates so completely and utterly that I feel I have to share. This made me snort my coffee because it felt like it was speaking to me so loudly. Please take this gem out in the world with you today with my love.

Portia xx

Wonder Woman

Anyway by Romano Ricci for Juliette Has A Gun 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Woo Hoo!

I am back on board and in the swing of things again. Life has been quite hectic playing catch up after nearly 4 weeks away. Today I payed as many bills as I could and am left with a much diminished pile of outstandings and none of them are overdue!! It feels really good, though I won’t be buying any fragrance bottles in the next couple of months

Often I write of my mate Nick from Libertine Parfumerie, he is regularly in touch with new stuff and sometimes sends APJ product for giveaways. He doesn’t have to do it and it always brightens my day to get a package from him. Please, even if you don’t enter today’s competition, go and have a look at the amazing fragrant beauties that Libertine Parfumerie has for sale, you will be astounded. Lately Nick’s buying power has become so good that some of his products are the same numerical value as you would buy them for in the USA, that means with the current Aussie dollar that they are in fact 10-15% cheaper!!! AMAZING!

Anyway by Romano Ricci for Juliette Has A Gun 2013

Anyway Juliette Has A Gun FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Neroli, lime
Heart: Jasmine
Base: Musk, hedione, woody notes, ambrox

What was I expecting here? I’m not sure but reading some reviews I was ready to instantly hate Anyway, let’s face it the name is appalling. A throwaway name for what I expected to be a throwaway fragrance. And yes, I get that “Anyway, Juliette Has A Gun” is supposed to be amusing but if less people had guns, and they were harder to get, there would be a far less mass murders done by mad (in both senses of the word) people. I wasn’t even going to try it until Anyway turned up in my postbox and then I thought “What the hell? If I’m going to give some away then I better have a wear of it and see what it’s like.”

Weirdest thing, it starts out SO FREAKING FRUITY. I know I’m supposed to be smelling citrus but I get pineapple, melon, strawberries and it’s jammy too. WOO HOO! It’s like Carmen Miranda’s hat, a Peter Allen showtune and RuPaul all rolled into one. Wildly fruity and feminine. ARARARARrRrRriiiIBAA! Cha cha cha! Normally I hate this kind of thing but for some reason Anyway strikes me as super fun. The opening is almost as outrageous as Bombay Bling on my skin but feels more sticky sweet, less grounded, younger. I like it. It stays around for quite a while in this weird, outrageous, camp, fruity melange. Anyway is completely Drag Queen fragrance and wearing it both last night and tonight at work it garnered some compliments from the crowd, through the whole evening.

Anyway Juliette Has A Gun Alpha FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

As the fruit burns low after about an hour to two hours there is a very interesting woodsy/oudh-ish waft that becomes slowly more apparent, like there are two fragrances on me. A celebuscent and a Middle Eastern rose/oudh oil. I get to smell this for a short while and then it disappears completely from my ability to smell it until I am smelling something else like the hotel’s kitchen, bathroom or even sitting next to someone whose fragrance is quite different, then all of a sudden I notice the whole Anyway fragrance again. Other people can still smell it though because the compliments continue, and it must have an excellent sillage because it’s usually as I’m wandering through the crowd at Trivia that I get three or four people past them and then they’ll compliment. Interesting.

I get occasional wafts of it when I’ve come home after work too, that’s around 6 hours, and beyond but I cannot tell you what it smells like exactly except kind of woodsy? Anyway, you should try it. I like it so much that I’m going to keep the bottle but we do have an amazing giveaway for you all below. Good Luck.

Portia xx

Further reading: The Candy Perfume Boy and Katie Chutzpah
Libertine Parfumerie has $186/100ml (with Australian delivery included)
Surrender To Chance has $23/4 x 2ml JHaG manufacturer carded samples (Anyway, Calamity J, Miss Charming, Romantina)

giveaway kbairdPhoto Stolen kbaird

Anyway GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 5 winners who will each receive:

1 x 10ml decant of Anyway by Juliette Has A Gun
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 Perfumes<<<JUMP and find me a fragrance and one of its notes. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @JulietteHasaGun ANYWAY GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2wf #Perfume #Giveaway @LibertineParfum

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 2nd March 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 6th March 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.

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.

Depression: Some Sentences That May Help

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 45 Comments

Hi there APJ,

We keep coming back to depression because it is a huge problem. Even low level depression can wear you down. There is help, I know it can be hard to ask for it, but there is help all around you. Be careful of you, you are precious, precious and part of the APJ family. HUG!

Depression: Some Sentences That May Help

Depression Vincent_van_Gogh Sorrowing Old Man WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

We lost one of Australia’s entertainers on the weekend. I did not know her well. Only a couple of times had we even chatted.

Depression is everywhere and here are a couple of famous people’s little lights that may guide you out, or at least help us to think that we are not alone in depression and that it’s a burden born by many. In these quotes we can see that others can survive depression and create great things, or do great things or use it to power them forward to change the world for good.

Don’t misunderstand me, I am not a world changer. I am doing my best to live a joyous, engaged, wonder-full, harmless life. Surrounding myself with as much positivity and as many positive people as I can, sharing my own energy when and where possible, hopefully bringing light.

I purposely haven’t used these quotes all dressed up and prettified. They are here in black and white so that nothing will distract you from their meanings.
There is hope, you are strong, depression will pass, there is light ahead.

Sending you all love,
Portia xx

“When one door closes another door opens;
but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door,
that we do not see the ones which open for us.”
Alexander Graham Bell, Scottish Scientist and Inventor

 

“When everything seems to be going against you,
remember that the airplane takes off against the wind,
not with it.”
Henry Ford, American Industrialist, Founder of Ford Motor Company

 

“When you come to the end of your rope,
tie a knot and hang on. “
Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States of America 

 

 

 

Cartier La Panthère Fragrance 2014 Ad Campaign

/ australianperfumejunkiescom
Hey hey APJ!
As you know I love some of the images that fragrance has given us over the years. Every now and then another one strikes me as particularly good, interesting, pretty or like today’s offering, in tune with what it’s trying to sell and the company it is being sold by. I like the feline, glamour night feel to this particular ad.

Cartier La Panthère Fragrance 2014 Ad Campaign

Of course I get most of my images from one of the best and most on time blogs there is: By art8amby

Peter Lindbergh photographed the campaign with Erin Wasson. (source)

Enjoy,

Portia xx

Cartier La Panthère Fragrance 2014 AdPhoto art8amby

U4eahh! 2.43 by Yosh Han for Yosh

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Hey Niche Nerds,

I don’t know where this little sample vial on a card came from. It was in a bag of frags that I’d put together because they were in dab vials and I have to decant them into spritzers before use. I think other things came into the house and this bag got pushed to the back of the list. There has been little love for this particular scent and I only had 1ml sample size so you are getting a review on the second wear because I’ve run dry here but wanted to get some thoughts on paper, or blog as it may be, for my own memory. Sorry to make you eddying flotsam in my stream of consciousness, enjoy the ride.

U4eahh! 2.43 by Yosh Han for Yosh

U4eahh! 2.43 Yosh FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Pomegranate, pear, cucumber, water lily, aloe vera

JUICY!! I smell the pear! also the aloe vera and water. Sweet, like a pear lolly might be, so sweet my teeth are getting little furry booties but honestly I quite like it. GASP! What’s happening to me? Am I learning to like fruity florals? The pomegranate adds a delicious snap of tartness that really resembles a pear and pomegranate salad, all they need to add is some rocket/arugula and some parmesan cheese shavings and I would be in HEAVEN.  Though I am enjoying the super sweet and fun ride, can imagine many people becoming addicted to it and think it’s a well done piece of perfumery there is little chance I would spritz it if I had more.

U4eahh! 2.43 Yosh Chippendale's Meathead Movers FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

My mind keeps thinking of young women ready for a fun night out, getting all dressed up to the nines and spritzing like crazy as they run out the door to a night of madness and meyhem. There’s something very new me, fresh, flirty and expectant about U4eahh! The bottle in the picture looks like a splash/dab bottle (the oil) and that makes me a bit sad, this should be spritzed with abandon and feel like lavish luxury.

Around the 4 hour mark I’m left with a sacharine sweetness that has no real smell to me, I think the musks here are ones I’m anosmic to. It does have a very fake sugary vibe though and I am less than enjoying it. My skin amps sweet and in U4EAHH! it has become sweet to the point of nasty.

U4eahh! 2.43 Yosh PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Katie Puckrik Smells and The Olfactorialist
LuckyScent has EdP $110/50ml

There is also a Perfume Oil of U4EAHH!

Have you tried this line? U4EAHH? How was it for you?
Portia xx

Fleur d'Oranger 27 by Francoise Caron for Le Labo 2006

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Heya All,

I have had this little stash of Le Labo since May 2013. A small crew of us went up to the Venice, LA store and were treated like royalty there. I purchased a couple of the small bottles which I’ll tell you about another time but the sweet manager of the store gave me some samples to take with me and I, churlish frag glutton that I am, never got to the samples. Well, now I have…

Fleur d’Oranger 27 by Francoise Caron for Le Labo 2006

Fleur d`Oranger 27 Le Labo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Orange blossom, petitgrain, bergamot and lemon

Opening with a zing of citrus, obviously, I find Fleur d’Oranger 27 to be a wonderful, fresh and fun cologne style scent. It is all pettigrain and bergamot for a moment and then it gets a soft orange blossom breathiness that at the same time is pithy and dry. This is smiley, happy juice and I feel invigorated and refreshed. There it stays for a while, pretty and sweet, slightly worn.

Fleur d'Oranger 27 Le Labo Orange blossom WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

As it wears on Fleur d’Oranger 27 becomes a bit bead head-ish and it NEVER smells at all cleaning fluid-esque. Great maintenance of the citrus throughout and there is something vegetal/herbal that isn’t explained in the notes and I have no idea what it could be, and I also get a prickling of spice, again no idea. I wish I had more to tell you but other than the spice and green-ness which comes and goes I basically get citrus from beginning to end. It smells good and I have enjoyed Fleur d’Oranger 27 but if you need massive development, a story, then you will be sad. Especially for the price. If though you want to smell like a happy burst of citrus for around 4-5 hours then Fleur d’Oranger 27 could be the one for you.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Best Things In Beauty
LuckyScent has $160/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4.25/ml

What is your Le Labo fave? Do you like Orange blossom as a note in general or does it send you screaming, reminded of toilets and dish washing liquids?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Thai First Class Pyjamas GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Thai First Class Pyjamas GIVEAWAY WINNERS!!

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have TWO winners:

Who will each receive:
ONE of the Thai Airways First Class Pyjamas (S & M)
P&H Anywhere in the world

Thai_Airways Bangkok WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

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 your preferred size (S or M) and the destination which you would most want to be flying to wear your Thai First Class pyjamas

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Thai Airways First Class http://wp.me/p3PURw-2t5 @ThaiAirwaysAust @ThaiAirways #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 20th February 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Winners brooklodgePhoto Stolen brooklodge

Small -UNDINA (from Twitter)

Medium – FIFI

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winners will have till Monday 24th February 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.

Thai First Class Pyjamas

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Hey Gang,

Yes, you’re right. This has NOTHING to do with perfume. I was lucky enough to score some Thai Airways First Class Pyjamas but they didn’t have my size so I grabbed you all some. There are two pairs and I haven’t even looked to check the colours. They are absolutely unisex and we had both men and women sporting them in the nose of the plane. Here’s Michael ROCKING the blue ones but there are also cream and caramel sets. They are quite generous fits as pyjamas should be and Michael was wearing a large.

image

I have more stories of our adventures coming up, most of them wonderful but a couple of awful ones too, with some more fabulous giveaways.

Good Luck in the giveaway,

Portia xx

Thai First Class Pyjamas GIVEAWAY!!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have TWO winners:

Who will each receive:
ONE of the Thai Airways First Class Pyjamas (S & M)
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 your preferred size (S or M) and the destination which you would most want to be flying to wear your Thai First Class pyjamas

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Thai Airways First Class http://wp.me/p3PURw-2t5 @ThaiAirwaysAust @ThaiAirways #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 20th February 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org or some other more fun way at the discretion of Azar, our host for this giveaway
The winners will have till Monday 24th February 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.