L’Occitane: Christmas Pack GIVEAWAY x 2

December 15, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 50 Comments

Hello Everyone,

If you are reading anywhere in the world other than Australia there is a special L’Occitane World Sites Page so you can see what Special Deals there are in your area.

2013 has been a terrific year for L’Occitane and APJ. Over the back end of the year we have been lucky enough to be sent a load of their wonderful product to try and for giveaways. For a special Christmas Thank You from L’Occitane for all your support and comments they have given me 2 fabulous Pre-Christmas giveaway packs and one for the New Year. WOW!! Do go and have a look at their L’Occitane Australia online store and they have free shipping within Australia on orders over $100, that’s already a $10-$30 saving as well as the amazing Special Deals for Online Customers ONLY!

Now the thing that L’Occitane loves from the APJ readers is to hear what you love and don’t love about their products so that they can continue to provide you, their lovely customer, with the best quality and a great price point and stuff that you’ll love and use. All feedback is good feedback (mean, nasty, badly thought out and unconstructive trolling aside) and L’Occitane loves to get it from you.

Here at APJ we did a L’Occitane Divine Cream Review and Challenge, you can watch the progression in L’Occitane Divine Cream Challenge Week 1 and L’Occitane Divine Cream Challenge Week 2 where we challenged you all to grab a sample and see how it left your skin in 2 weeks. Then we talked about the fabulous La Collection de Grasse twice, APJ La Collection de Grasse #1 and APJ La Collection de Grasse #2 and they are all available at L’Occitane Australia

L’Occitane Christmas GIVEAWAY PACKS

WHAT YOU CAN WIN

This week there will be 2 winners and each will receive one of these amazingly beautiful packs. No, you don’t get to choose.
P&H Anywhere in the world

Delicate Cherry Blossom Collection

Delicate Cherry Blossom Collection Photo Stolen L’Occitane Australia

This collection includes:
1x Cherry Blossom Eau de Toilette 100ml
1x Cherry Blossom Shower Gel 250ml
1x Cherry Blossom Body Lotion 250ml
1x Cherry Blossom Soap 50gr
1x Cherry Blossom Hand Cream 30ml

The Retail Value of all these products is $154 but in the pack you can buy it for $110, free Australian shipping over $100 too.

Best of L’OCCITANE Collection

Best of L'OCCITANE Collection Photo Stolen L’Occitane Australia

Here’s what you get in the Best Of L’Occitane Pack with a Retail Value $115: in the pack only $90, and it comes beautifully Gift Boxed for easy wrapping!

1x Shea Butter Hand Cream 150ml
1x Almond Shower Oil 250ml
1x Shea Butter Foot Cream 30ml
1x Lavender Foaming Bath 100ml
1x Extra Gentle Soap – Verbena 100g
1x Pivoine Flora Body Lotion 75ml

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.

To be eligible for the draw just mention how you follow the APJs and tell us any L’Occitane product that you’ve used or like the sound of and why.
Also if you’ve had a problem with a particular L’Occitane product their L’Occitane Australia Marketing Team would love to read your honest and constructive criticisms.

Extra Chances?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie 2 x L’Occitane Christmas Packs GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2hY #Giveaway #Perfume #BodyLotion @LOCCITANE

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Wednesday 18th December 2013 10pm Australian EDST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Saturday 21st December 2013 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.

Perfume Shopping Surprise: SWS Spring

December 14, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Heya APJ

Last weekend Jin and I were out doing some fixing for the kids at the apartment, afterwards as a Thank You for helping I took Jin to Sydney’s Chinatown because they are open late and the food is yummy. As we were walking towards the restaurant I spotted a shop that I have never noticed on my previous Chinatown forays. Bright pink facade and looking full to the brim of frou frou I couldn’t resist a peek inside and was astounded to see walls lined with fragrance both personal and ambient! It is like an Ali Baba cave.

SWS Spring: Chinatown Sydney

Our hosts were two charming and handsome gentlemen. Moody K is the proprietor and his partner (whose name has slipped my mind and I lost the card, maybe Tam?) both showed us around their lovely store. Here is Jin with them both, isn’t he a damn cutey!

I got a pic with the boys too and you can see in the pics how crowded with goodies the store is. Every time you turn your head there is another fabulous thing or brand that you were not expecting. Business was brisk even at 9pm on a Friday and we had about 8 other people shopping while we were.

Sorry about this shot, I was so freaking excited to see a table and stand filled with Penhaligon’s, L’Artisan Parfumeur, Rance and other companies that have left my memory. Quite a detailed inventory from all these houses and some great Christmas ideas.

This side is more about ambient scenting and there were loads of candle, diffuser and oil choices. If you look in the left hand corner you can almost see a few frag bottles hiding away there and some Penhaligon’s above them.

A L’Occitane wall, yes a whole wall. I got to try some of the fragrances that I was unfamiliar with and it’s nice to see that they had a good stock of the Christmas L’Occitane boxes (We’ll be giving away three of those next week here on APJ). Here we are in front of the L’Occitane, Jin looking handsome and suave, me looking like myself happy and a bit vacant.

What did we leave with? 3 x Voluspa candles, some Tokyo Milk Shea Butter lotions and a Tokyo Milk fragrance. Only the fragrance is for us the rest are Christmas presents.

Where Do You Find SWS Spring?

SWS Spring Site<<<JUMP

Address:
SWS SPRING
48 Dixon St,
Haymarket Chinatown
Sydney NSW 2000

Telephone:
+61 2 9212 7356

What Are Some Of Their Brands?

Annick Goutal
Fragonard
L’Artisan Parfumeur
L’Occitane
Rance
Tokyo Milk
Tesori d’Orient
Voluspa
and many more…

Bee Bottle PORN! Guerlain 160 years

December 14, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hey Guerlain lovers,

If you are anythin g like me then Guerlain is one ofd the great mother ships of fragrance and one of the ultimate symbols of Guerlain is its Bee Bottle. Made for 160 years this year. The crew at Guerlain have released this video to celebrate.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Cheers Guerlain Bee Bottle. Happy Birthday
Portia xx

160th anniversary Bee Bottle – GUERLAIN

Sirocco by Lucien Lelong GIVEAWAY WINNERS

December 13, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Hey there Fellow Fumies,

Hotly contested last Azar giveaway of the year. I love how much amazing stuff we giveaway on this blog. it’s extraordinary and I am happy there is such a cross section of offerings.

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere you may very well be freezing today! My daughter Lauren in New Hampshire commented that she could “use a hot fierce wind about now”. I hope the two winners enjoy the warmth of their 2ml of Sirocco (and an extra little surprise) no matter where they live. Happy holidays!

Sirocco by Lucien Lelong GIVEAWAY

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week there will be two winners, who will receive

1 x 2ml decant of vintage Sirocco by Jean Carles for Lucien Lelong 1934
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

To be eligible leave a comment on Jean Carles or a vintage perfume/fashion creation that you love and also mention how you follow the APJs (by e-mail, WordPress, whatever).

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Sirocco Lucien Lelong GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-28h #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 12th Decemberber 2013 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen berryreview

Carolyn, Jackie Rosen

The winners will have till Sunday 15th Deceber 2013 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

Azar xxx

Street Of Dreams: Martin Scorsese, Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson

December 13, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hello Happy Huffers and Lovers,

In our house there are a few favourite actors and actresses, mostly they coincide like the lovely, versatile and elegant Scarlett Johansson who is Jin’s absolute favourite actress and who I really like too. Then we have the don’t agrees, top of that list is Matthew McConaughey, frankly I will walk over glass to see him but Jin would rather roll in glass than have to see him, in anything. Here is a very interesting pairing of the two and I like the story, the detail, the mood and NYC. Also the fact that Scarlett’s character is coming to Sydney, always a thrill to hear the home town used.

dolce-and-gabbana-scarlett-johansson-matthew-mccounaghey-the-one-for-men-ad-campaign

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin, bergamot, litchi, peach
Heart: Jasmine, lily of the valley, white lily, plum
Base: Vetiver root, amber, musk, vanilla

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, coriander, basil
Heart: Cardamom, ginger, neroli
Base: Cedar, amber, tobacco

What do you think? Does this piece make you want to at least sniff the product?
Enjoy
Portia x

Dolce & Gabbana Mini Movie

Street Of Dreams: Martin Scorsese, Matthew McConaughey and Scarlett Johansson

PERFUME: The Art & Craft of Fragrance by Karen Gilbert

December 13, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

Heya Happy Huffers,

Christmas is round the corner and if there is anyone interested in fragrance in your life that likes to read then I’ve found the perfect book. Karen Gilbert was in Australia recently and a couple of us down Under Perfumistas had the pleasure of lunching with her and her extremely handsome partner. Not only were they excellent company but they were incredibly knowledgeable about a wide range of subjects and had us enthralled and laughing, enjoying a wonderful afternoon. When it was time to go we were all sad but felt like we had made a couple of new friends for life.

Karen Gilbert will be doing a 1 Day Perfume Introduction MASTERCLASS 20 September 2014<<<JUMP

PERFUME: The Art & Craft of Fragrance

by Karen Gilbert

Photo Stolen The Book Depository Perfume AUD$17 including worldwide postage

Here are Karen and I having a look through a pres copy of the book pre-release. As you can see Karen is gorgeous, filled with good humour and knows so much about fragrance. She has worked for amazing groups including IFF, Neal’s Yard and a couple of others I can’t remember, now runs Olfactory Workshops and Classes, creates fragrance lines fort companies and travels the world. Not a bad life.

Perfume takes us on a journey through Karen’s fragrant life, teaches us some perfume basics (that are only basic when you know them), her take on how we smell and its effects, buying, blending and ultimately some recipes for home dabblers in scent. It is beautifully presented and has some sumptuous photos. Readable for anyone from about age 10 upwards and at every level of perfumista knowledge, there is something here for everyone.

Extremely readable, Karen’s personality shines above all throughout the book and I can hear her Pommy accent and inflections as I read.

There is also her first book, still available, called Natural Beauty. Check that out too.

Portia xxx

Photo Stolen The Book Depository Natural Beauty AUD$21 including worldwide postage

PERFUME: The Art & Craft of Fragrance

by Karen Gilbert GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be one winner who will receive:

1 Press Copy of PERFUME: The Art & Craft of Fragrance by Karen Gilbert. It was sent to me by Karen and I am paying her kindness forward.
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

To be eligible for the draw just mention how you follow APJ and tell me in a sentence how you will spend the silly season.

Extra Chances?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie PERFUME by Karen Gilbert GIVEAWAY! http://wp.me/p3PURw-2gz #Giveaway #Book @karengilbert

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 15th December 2013 10pm Australian EDST and winners will be announced in a separate post
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 19th December 2013 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.

Happy Holidays!

ime Natural Perfumes GIVEAWAY WINNERS

December 9, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hey there crew,

This ime Natural Perfumes is a super bunch and are doing excellent work. I have been wearing my Erato (Naughty) for the last 3 days at least for some part of the day, it is VERY addictive. I have been shopping on the ime Natural Perfumes site and the Collections Pack is an excellent Christmas present that some of my frag loving friends will be getting this year.

Here are some Super Great Deals from ime Natural Perfumes<<<JUMP

– Free Australian Shipping until Sun 15th De

– a bonus 10% off total order with the checkout code ‘bonus’

– a free Gift with Purchase when you buy a Collections Pack

ime Natural Perfumes GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week there will be 2 winners who will each receive:

1 ime Collections Pack with 9 x 5ml manufacturers spray samples
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

To be eligible for the draw just mention how you follow APJ and then go to the ime Natural Perfumes<<<JUMP site and tell me the name of a fragrance and an ingredient. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chances? Tweet

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 8th December 2013 10pm Australian EDST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen brooklodge

Ferris, Patricia Acev__o (via Twitter)

WOOO! HOOOO! Congratulations!! The winners will have till Thursday 12th December 2013 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.

Happy Holidays!

Rose Splendide by Isabelle Doyen + Camille Goutal for Annick Goutal 2010

December 8, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Hello Happy Huffers,

Yes, I have spoken about Annick Goutal (1948-99) before. We have done days of the Annick Goutal Bio, Frag#1, Frag#2, Frag #3, Mandragore Pourpe, Songes, Grand Amour and Duel. You can tell how much I love the whole Annick Goutal aesthetic, it has been a constant house that I love. The fragrances are beautiful, smooth and totally wearable and even the slightly quirky or more arty of the line are still easily worn in most situations.

Rose Splendide by Annick Goutal 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Musk, Centifolia rose, magnolia, pear (Basenotes add vanilla)

A fruity rose, sparkling and shimmering, a gorgeously decadent, full blown, home grown with love bloom that takes flight from your skin the instant you first spritz and initially you can smell the cutting of the plant to bring the bloom inside, or maybe it’s the body of the rose bush as you brush it to smell the bloom. There is a fresh, dew-ish, watery hint of a vase awaiting your plunder. The initial fireworks are great fun and never fail to delight me. Once they calm Rose Splendide stays pretty linear throughout its 4-6 hour journey on my skin with the notes taking different centre stage times but really the whole character of this magnificent rose flower stays in the forefront. Warming slightly as it fades to dry down I am ready for a respritz by the 4 hour mark to relive the opening again.

Photo Stolen T.Kiya Flickr

Rose Splendide and Jo Malone Red Rose are my two photo realistic roses that I go to. Very different in scent they are quite similar in feel and freshness, both feel like early morning all day and both remind me of times in the garden with my Mum when I was a kid and watching the roses grow from sticks to blooms through spring, it was always a magical thing to me.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Further reading: Sniffapalooza Magazine and The Scent Critic
Fragrance Shop has $55/100ml EdT before coupon
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/ml

What is your go-to rose? Is it photo realistic like Rose Splendide or amongst a cornucopia like Mohur by Neela Vermeire or maybe hidden in the depths like Shalimar(another two of my faves)?
Portia xx

DIOR Glamour: a book of photographs by Mark Shaw

December 8, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Hey Hey APJ,

Still looking for the perfect Christmas gift for someone who has everything? here is a beautiful looking book presented by two of Christian Dior’s most famous models. It looks really swanky and elegant and brings us an as yet untold story of the beginning of the relationship between the photographer and the houses of fashion. WOW!
Portia xx

‘Dior Glamour’ by Mark Shaw – Interviews – Victoire & Kouka

Photo Stolen HuntLogoPhoto stolen wicked-halo

Oroville: Shooting Stars Collection by Christian Rostain for Xerjoff 2010

December 7, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Hello Tobacco Lovers,

Thanks to Michael for passing me his sample which I decanted into a spray. You know those great photos of women wearing killer dinner suit inspired suits or gowns. They always look so elegant, except poor old Celine Dion who put hers on backwards. Remember the whole YSL Le Smoking? We studied that phase of his design life at fashion school. Remember also Alexander McQueen’s love of tailoring, fit and suits that worked perfectly with women’s bodies, often camouflaged by the OTT overlaying of belts, buckles and other pieces of drama? This is the fragrance I would spray lavishly on a person wearing such costume.

Oroville: Shooting Stars Collection

by Christian Rostain for Xerjoff 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Roman chamomile, clary sage, orange
Heart: Leather, orange blossom, Italian neroli, carnation, Cuban tobacco leaves, galbanum
Base: Mysore sandalwood, vanilla, amber, white musks

You’d think by reading the notes that I would be expecting a lush, green, herbal opening but it surprised me. I always expect Xerjoff to be hefty oudh or amber. Not here, this is extremely fresh, like CHANEL 19 but nothing like it, that is just the nearest correlation I can give you. I think it may be the sage and galbanum, but of course I could be dreaming. Reading Ca Fleur Bon, Mark Behnke got indole and when it comes in it is beautiful, before reading his review I had missed it because it doesn’t stay indolic for long and it is only up close that I can smell it so put your Oroville on the back of your hand and then rest your chin in your hand.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

When I see tobacco as a main note my mind goes straight to the pipe tobacco of my Grandma’s second husband Jim who put up with her nagging in return for the cleanest house and best cooking I’ve ever tasted. His smell through my earliest memories up until I was about 12 years old was a thick boozy miasma of stale pipe that had sunk into his cardigan and was ultimately “His Smell”. I really loved that smell and him. Sadly when he gave up the pipe all he smelled like was old man and cuddles were a lot less enjoyable. I digress, this is NOT what Oroville’s tobacco gives me, I get fresh plucked tea leaves/tobacco with a mini dose of leather, supple and plush early on which opens up into a very slightly toastiness both unusual and enjoyable, still crisp and snappy due to the flowers and resin. Curiously honeyed and not as green as I was expecting. The heart stays solid for about 3-3.5 hours, I continue to get wafts of the notes listed and the clove-ish carnation especially maintains.

Photo Stolen mrhayata Flickr

Sadly the base has been eaten up by my skin leaving only the merest whiff of what seems like clean laundry musks. I did get three good fragrant hours with a small projection and soft sillage. Worth the $$? You need to try it, my skin is notoriously scent hungry. I’ve given this sample 3 good wearings, 1 x dab and 2 x spritz. The spritz gives me nearly 4 hours of fragrant life, and the scent is excellent till it all sort off collapses at base level. If I had the money to burn I would buy a bottle and reapply every 4 hours because the top and heart are lovely.

Further reading: Ca Fleur Bon and The Scentuary
LuckyScent has $260/50ml
First In Fragrance has €199/50ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $5/.5ml

What did you think? Tried it? Want to?

Till tomorrow, be good to yourself and those i your orbit,
Portia xx