Portia

Sweet Oriental Dream by Montale

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Hello Happy Huffers,

Today we are looking at a fragrance I procured in a split on Facebook, Fragrance Swap is the crew, and I can’t remember who was doing this split unfortunately. SORRY if you’re reading. I like to buy 10ml in a split, it gives me enough to wear for review purposes and if I drain 10ml then I seriously need to think FB. Usually though I drain 3-5ml during the testing process and it either gets put away or I pass it on to someone who I think will adore it.

Sweet Oriental Dream by Montale

SweetOrientalDream FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

LuckyScent gives these featured accords:
Moroccan rose, loukhoum (Turkish Delight-honey, rose water, sugar, fruit, jam, nuts), almonds, vanilla

The first whiff off my skin is pure nougat. Sweet and jaw breakingly delicious, filled with almonds and vanilla. WHOOOEEEEE! If you want to smell like a gourmand paradise then this is the way. GORGEOUS! There is something so dense and hefty about Sweet Oriental Dream by Montale, something very Indian and I’m trying so hard to put my finger on it but it eludes me, maybe the sweets. I have memories buried of someone or something that smelled just like Sweet Oriental Dream at one of the weddings I’ve been to there. It’s an over ripe and lush scent, sweet but not putrifying, deliriously beckoning but not headache-y.

LuckyScent says: Beautifully rich, sweetly lush and unrepentant in its blatant, edible sensuality, if you like sweet fragrances that pulsate with rare pleasures from the harems afar, you’ve just found your newest obsession.

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I think there may be a smidge of unnamed oudh flying in at a low hum and it’s giving a real Middle Eastern feel rather than an Oriental one. I’m getting a Swiss Arabian fragrance vibe from Sweet Oriental Dream while wearing it for review that I have never noticed during other wears.

TurkishDelight MaiLinTalksPhoto Stolen MaiLinTalks

Further reading ScentForThought and Opalescent
Neroli, Budapest has 50ml for around $65 and sends to the world for 10 euro
SurrenderToChance starts at $4/ml

I love the Montale range. I find it fun and innovative, while still maintaining wearability. Many of you disagree and I love to hear both sides of the story, and the wonderful or ghastly experiences you’ve had so SHARE THEM please.

Love
Portia xx

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY – (a husband’s point of view)

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Hey Hey All,
Remember Fifty Shades Of Grey? Well I have discovered this amusing poem by John Summers written in response from a husband’s point of view. Poor bugger, imagine?
I hope you all get a smile,
Portia xx

Fifty Shades Of Grey BookDepositoryPhoto Stolen Book Depository – Box Set $35 Delivered Worldwide

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY – (a husband’s point of view)

By Pam Ayers (MAYBE!)

By John Summers (DEFINITELY!!)

The missus bought a Paperback,
down Shepton Mallet way,
I had a look inside her bag; ….
T’was “Fifty Shades of Grey”.

Well I just left her to it,
And at ten I went to bed.
An hour later she appeared;
The sight filled me with dread…

In her left hand she held a rope;
And in her right a whip!
She threw them down upon the floor,
And then began to strip.

Well fifty years or so ago;
I might have had a peek;
But Mabel hasn’t weathered well;
She’s eighty four next week!!

Watching Mabel bump and grind;
Could not have been much grimmer.
And things then went from bad to worse;
She toppled off her Zimmer!

She struggled back upon her feet;
A couple minutes later;
She put her teeth back in and said
I had to dominate her!!

Now if you knew our Mabel,
You’d see just why I spluttered,
I’d spent two months in traction
For the last complaint I’d uttered.

She stood there nude and naked
Bent forward just a bit
I went to hold her, sensual like
and stood on her left tit!

Mabel screamed, her teeth shot out;
My god what had I done!?
She moaned and groaned then shouted out :
“Step on the other one”!!

Well readers, I can’t tell no more;
About what occurred that day.
Suffice to say my jet black hair,
Turned fifty shades of grey!

DIOR: Miss Dior 2012 Perfume Review + 2013 Ad. and Making of with Natalie Portman

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Hello Lovelies,

With all the kerfuffle and change happening around Miss Dior I thought we should take a new look at the frag and we also get to have a sneak peek at the ads. Enjoy

DIOR: Miss Dior 2012 by Francois Demachy

MissDior2012 FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Italian mandarin
Heart: Egyptian jasmine absolute and rose
Base: patchouli and musk

Sorry but this is about as far away from how I want to smell as you can get. Not a bad fragrance, just so completely not my cup of tea. I know there are many fans of 2012 Miss Dior and I wish you well wearing it. The ads on the other hand are FABULOUS!!!

DIOR: Miss Dior 2013 Ad. and Making of with Natalie Portman

Natalie Portman is Jin’s favourite actress, mainly for her perfect beauty, and via osmosis one of mine. I love the 2013 mini movie and here we also get to glimpse a moment behind the scenes. This movie was shot by Sofia Coppola and has a transcendent, ethereal quality that feels very big screen and Natalie Portman is exsquisite. I love to feel a little like I’ve been there, don’t you?

Portia xx

The Making Of…

The Final Mini Movie

Flower by Alberto Morillas for Kenzo Fragrance 2000 Perfume Review and 2013 Ad Campaign

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Hello Lovely APJ Family,

Flower by Kenzo Fragrance 2000

KenzoFlower FragranricaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin, hawthorn, Bugarian rose, blackcurrant
Heart: Parma violet, rose, opoponax, jasmine
Base: Vanilla, white musk, incense and woody notes

I was given an ENORMOUS bottle of this by my girlfriend Annie, every time I spritz, or smell someone in the street wearing, Flower I think of her and the great big hugs she gives, her warmth, fun and joyfulness. Because Flower is so sheer and spare it’s hard to believe there are so many ingredients that make it come together. Also there have been so many imitations of its style that I am at a loss to remember how ground breaking it was when it was first released. That hefty airiness that doesn’t skunk but has impressive sillage, so that as you waft fragrantly past someone they are entranced by your scent, a la Perfume by Patrick Suskind, or a room slowly fills with your fragrance and you can smell it softly on return to the room, but not in a pushy intrusive way, just a haunting memory.

It opens green and fresh on me with a sharp sweetness, then the warm resinous bouquet slowly takes over until a clean, warm musky vanilla finishes the story in around 4-6 hours depending on the day and whether I’m moisturised.

PoppyField girlservesworldPhoto Stolen GirlServesWorld

Interestingly Tania Sanchez in Perfumes: The A-Z Guide says that, “Albert Morillas almost certainly knew Caron’s Royal Bain de Champagne (now Royal Bain de Caron) by heart when he replicated it and added a splash of hedione to make Flower, but it seems no one else knew….” but I have only a modern incarnation of Royal Bain de Caron for comparison and they seem only distantly related.

I love the 2013 ad campaign, the lightness and airiness of the poppies flying through the air isa a perfect symbolism for this still lovely fragrance.

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

Flower by Kenzo Fragrance 2013 Ad Campaign

Picture provided by one of my go-to fashion bloggers art8amby

The campaign girl is Chinese/Taiwanese actress, Shu Qi.

Image via TFS.

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2013 Perfume Review

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Hello Gorgeous APJ Family,

So the seasons are a turning and there are Spring posts everywhere, the thing I notice about Spring and Autumn is that they share similar weather in many places, especially Sydney. We are still living in summery moments but there have been some blustery cooler days, and the nights are getting very chilly. So really I am offering up a Mid Season Mixture of things that are currently getting pretty high rotation on my skin. They are on the desk and within easy spritz reach, though the Amyitis has just been returned from the outer realms

Autumn ScenicReflectionsPhoto Stolen ScenicReflections

Spring LilaDaleyPhoto Stolen LilaDaley

Youth Dew Amber Nude by Tom Ford for Estee Lauder: Amber Nude gets let out of its box quite a bit lately, I don’t know why particularly but I crave that gorgeous opening that warms into amber so quickly.

Cedrat Intense by Nicolai: I think it might have Ruth K on FFF that told me to get my hands on some of this. So I grabbed 30ml unsniffed and WOW!! I’m surprised that wasps and bees don’t land on me expecting a feed. Gorgeous and fresh citrus scent.

Amyitis by Mona di Orio: Every so often the Amyitis bottle will ask me if I’m SURE I don’t adore the juice inside and it comes back out, gets worn a few times and then gets put away in favour of Chanel No 19.

Indus Oil by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz: This surprising little temptress has me opening the box and putting a little roll of oil on a wrist or back of hand every second day currently. The flavour of Chai Tea, though I get powdery iris too.

Dries Van Noten by Frederic Malle: There are only the dregs of this 5ml sample left and I still haven’t done my post about it properly. I put it on and sit there for ages enjoying its perfect, warm, uncluttered beauty. What a fragrance, so simple to my nose but absolutely welcoming. A hug filled with love.

Sandflowers by Montale: This leaked about 2/3 of its 100ml flying home from Europe so the box is impregnated with Sandflowers. My office smells distinctly of it and there is always a salty, briny waft as I enter. What a wonderfully weird beauty this is, without being unwearable. How did it get in the Montale line up? This smells best for me when there is sun shining, or the promise of it.

Courage by One Seed: Courage is an unusual, exquisite beauty, that follows no leader. It is warm, dark, interesting and sometimes a little challenging. An all natural maverick that doesn’t smell like natural, or mass production. Intense and lovely.

Interlude Woman by Amouage: I bought a small bottle of this from the lovely Birgit in one of her cupboard clean outs. I was only mildly impressed with it initially but as I wear it more it has become a bit of a siren, trying to lure me into penury. Perfect for the cooler days to snuggle into.

Trayee by Neela Vermeire Creations: I cannot deny that Neela and I are buddies but I don’t go a week without spritzing one of her magical masterpieces. At the rate I’m tearing through this decant it could be FB sooner than anticipated. Trayee is a great mid season spritz.

Essence d’Orange by Cartier: I love the spare citrus burst here with loads of air and space between the notes. This is easy wearing freshness that I keep coming back to just for a fun spritz.

Spring By Sandrine Dulermo & Michael Labica PhotographerPhoto By Sandrine Dulermo & Michael Labica Photographer

There you have it, my current Mid Season Top 10.

Want more Spring Posts? Try Grain de Musc, Now Smell This, Bois de Jasmin, and Perfume Posse

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Indus (oil) by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz 2012

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Hey Hey Stink Monkeys,

Every now and then I like to try a fragrance for a while before I read any notes. I enjoy the thrill of wearing the fragrance with no preconceived ideas of what it may smell like and the freefall of having it surprise you as it grows and develops. I have given this particular perfume 3 days wear at different times through those days and my mind kept telling me what a wonderful and spectacular iris perfume I was wearing, so powdery soft and fluffy with that woody, earthy base. Then when I decided to write this post I had to check the notes as I put together my story. OH WELL! Can’t be right all the time.

Indus by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz 2012

Indus FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, black pepper, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves
Heart: Black tea, ginger, honey, beeswax and jasmine
Base: Amber, patchouli, musk, tolu balsam, vanilla and milk.

Now that I’ve read the notes list I find it hard to remember why I thought what I thought. There is a definite burst of spices and pepper (black not bell) though they all conspire together to be cool rather than warming, an aloof opening that slowly warms into the heart.  That powdery opening must have been the sparkle of bergamot over these cool spices. The heart is almost exactly like a spicy chai had on a train in India, the cool spices warm and ferment with the honey, ginger and milk. How could I have missed these things. HA HA HA! Just goes to show that the moment you start getting cocky about stuff the world comes along to remind you of reality and bring you back to earth. Hilarious.

My mind was getting comfort scent but couldn’t make the connections. I will tell you though that Indus is a crazy good perfume. A couple of the girls at trivia last night were raving about it and because it’s an oil you have to sit with people for a minute or two before they notice it, it slowly fills the space around you and leaves terrific sillage while not being overpowering or obnoxious.

ChaiWallah mitchellktravelphotoPhoto Stolen mitchellktravelphoto

Honestly, even after all that I still get beautiful moments of powdery, rootish iris and sandalwood and it transports me away to years gone far by and my Grandma, who was a rock for me, and her big cuddles and cooking.

The DSH site:
The great sub-continent, India;  a  land filled with treasures of spice and tea.  Chai tea brings these elements together in an elixir of true comfort, warmth, sensuality and vitality.  Perfect for Fall and it’s inevitable chill, Indus is soft enough to compliment other spice and amber perfumes and rich enough to be worn alone.  We love this for both men and women!

Further reading NowSmellthis welcomes Indus but doesn’t review and I couldn’t find another
DawnSpencerHurwitz has a super sample for $4 or I bought the 1 dram oil essence for $30

With loads of love and below I’ve added a video on how to make chai. I’m off to make some right now.

Portia xx

DIOR – New Flagship Store in Sydney!

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Hey Hey All You Fashion & Fragrance Lovers,

We have a wonderful new DIOR flagship store in Sydney. That means that the exclusive collection perfumes are now here for me to sample at my leisure. WOO HOOO! Not quite as lavish as the Harrods productions but Andy has twice taken friends and I through the store, been incredibly helpful and knowledgeable, and shown us absolute courtesy. If you happen to be in Sydney, ask for Andy, he is the best SA DIOR in Sydney has.

Here are a couple of shots of a day recently when two girlfriends of mine Domenica (from VogueVandal fashion blog) and her Mum Anna and I went for a grand tour of the establishment. At the top you’ll see them with Andy, then on the menswear level catwalk, the stairs to the underground and Domenica holding one of the fabulous new peachy orange coloured bags. Super fun day. Thanks DIOR.

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DIORLadyNoir wicked-haloPhoto Stolen wicked-halo

From March 14th to April 16th, the department store Harrods in London, UK celebrates the House of Dior, hosting a pop-up store with exclusive items as well as a unique ‘So Dior’ exhibition and a Dior Café.

Most of us can only dream of being there. But dream we must.

Portia xx

Here are the Harrod’s DIOR movies.

Kings Canyon Easter Getaway Photo Essay!

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Hello fabulous FUMIES!

A crew of five of us fled the city on Thursday and went bush to one of Australia’s best kept secrets. Kings Canyon is the place in the movie Priscilla, Queen of the Desert where the three drag queens climb to the top before they go home to Sydney. Having only been involved in the Sydney part of the shooting process I have wanted to come and see the majesty of this place since 1993/4 when Priscilla was filmed as we spent so much time with the cast and crew preparing them for their roles. It was also my first full sighting of Ayers Rock, which beggars the imagination in real life, one day I will come back and climb it.

Here is a short photo essay of our time there. Unfortunately the main camera belonging to Kath has not yet been downloaded but I will add some photos of the climb itself when she returns on Monday from an overnight camping trip. The four I was lucky enough to travel with are all in the top shot, all Australian citizens but I’ll put where each was born for interests sake. From left: Seb (France), Kath (Australia), Alice (UK) and Jin (South Korea). At the bottom I’ve added a choral rendition of one of Australia’s most famous poems, My Country by Dorathea Mackeller. It’s kind of dopey but does show some of Australia’s most wonderful scenery.

On the perfume front I took two The Different Company travel size fragrances, Sel & Vetiver and Oriental Lounge. (The jump I’ve added at the name is for 3 x 10ml Travel Size mixture at $105. I think it’s a super bargain!!)

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This pic from my BFF Kath…

Jin&Portia KingsCanyon 2013 Kath

Spikenard Giveaway Winner

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Hello Gorgeous!!

As you may remember we had a sensational week of 1st Birthday Giveaways last week that culminated in a giveaway that was transcontinental and trans-blog. There were 6 blogs involved in an Easter Giveaway for an amount of foot oil that harks back to the Jesus and Mary Magdalen story in the Bible and the washing of the feet. This giveaway was made particularly poignant by the current Pope’s decision to wash 6 young prisoners feet, including 2 young girls one of whom was a Muslim. It was a courageous act that may not change the world and bring about peace but it certainly had us that can thinking. Symbolically the gesture is enormous.

PopeFrancis-washing patheosPope Francis on Holy Thursday 2013 Stolen Patheos

Brie in New York has made a small batch and sent it to The Fragrant Man (Jordan River who is one of our esteemed Guest Writers here at APJ). Would you like to know a bit more about this amazing Brie? Jump to read her Guest Posts from CaFleurBon December 30 2012 and CoolCookStyle February 25 2013. If you like her style, and we certainly hope you do, then you will be thrilled to know that Brie has come on board at APJ as a regular guest writer the first Monday of the month. YES TOMORROW!!

SPIKENARD GIVEAWAY WINNER

SpikenardGiveaway JordanPhoto Stolen TheFragrantMan

If you entered the Spikenard Giveaway then you must jump to TheFragrantMan blog (<<<JUMP) where you will find out if you’ve won. Thank you to everyone who became a part of this wonderful giveaway by commenting, thanks to Jordan river and Brie for hosting it.

Later today I’ll upload some pics from our trip to Kings Canyon this weekend. I hope you’ve had a happy Easter, whether or not you believe the stories, are religious, Catholic, Christian or in fact anyone. We hope that the idea of giving and helping, and doing things for others without counting the cost sometimes becomes a universally accepted mode of action.

Here are the other blogs involved in the Spikenard Giveaway, as well as TheFragrantMan, as it’s Easter and you may have some spare time why not have a little squiz at them. Their names are jumps.
AllIAmARedhead
CoolCookStyle
ScentsMemory
ThePerfumeDandy

Wishing you all great and wonderful weekends.

Portia xx

Lanvin Me Fragrance 2013 Ad Campaign

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Lanvin Me Fragrance 2013 Ad Campaign

Yet again stolen a fresh and lovely advertising image from. art8amby

Released April 2013, Lanvin used a reprint image of Iselin Steiro by Steven Meisel from the mainline Spring Summer 2009 campaign.

Can’t wait to see if they have given us a masterpiece or an insult to our olfactory systems. Could this be the new Arpege? Maybe? A fragrance to stand the test of time and reformulation? Let’s cross our fingers.

Portia x

Image via TFS.