Portia

Ubar by Amouage 1995

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hiya Perfumed Peeps,

Today I sit swathed in the glory of Ubar. I jumped onto a split with the fabulous Ruth K of FFF, thanks mate. Coming from last century it feels like ancient niche to me.

Ubar by Amouage 1995

Ubar FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tangerine, orange, litsea cubeba and violet leaf
Heart: Jasmine, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, tuberose, freesia, lily-of-the-valley and palisander rosewood
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, patchouli, vetiver, copahu balm and black amber

It is so thick and dense and lavish, reminiscent of fragrances of old and full of animal and human depths. Ubar smells like I remember perfume smelling when I was a kid. Rich, intense and glorious. The first 2 hours are big and wonderfully powerful on me and then it calms to a stealthy purr that comes upon me unexpected and gives me a little waft of wow every time. I’ve been out and about in Ubar doing return from holidays chores: bank, hair, car, bills, and it has stayed with me all morning. There is a story but its a not a tale of surprises and jolts, more a blossoming and then a fade. I lose track of Ubar at the 6-7 hour mark, fine longevity and I’m sure there is still some fragrance there but I can’t smell it. I wonder how long this decant will last, I’m guessing not long.

The Lost City of Ubar

The Lost City of Ubar Photo Stolen TheSecretWorldSP

Further reading NowSmellThis and PerfumeShrine
Amouage has Ubar 50ml for €185 with a €17 delivery charge to Australia
ThePoshPeasant has samples $8/ml

Have you tried this Amouage? What were your impressions?

Till Tomorrow, loads of love.

Portia xx

White Lotus by Illuminum Haute Perfume 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom
Hey Happy Huffers,
I must have purchased these fabulous set of samples from somewhere but I can’t for the life of me remember doing it. I also wonder if Jin went looking through the fragrance online world and found them, maybe the perfumer sent them? I am lost but can I just let you in on a secret: they are great!!

White Lotus by Illuminum Haute Perfume 2012

white_lotus IlluminumPhoto Stolen Illuminum
Top: Lily of the valley, blue lotus
Heart: Egyptian jasmine, Indian tuberose
Base: Lotus absolute, musk, patchouli
From the Illuminum site: If innocence had a horizon at its borders, you would find a pond of Lotus. Its beauty is impossible to describe as it is a blend of moods, tones and bricks of imagination where beauty, purity and your most angelic desires meet.
White Lotus opens very pretty, the lily and lotus are soft and fleshy, almost plastic, like when you run your nail down a petal. Within 5 minutes they are already eclipsed by the heart of jasmine and very womanly tuberose.  Not skanky though, just feminine, a little breathy and silky like healthy, young, taut, tanned skin after a scrub and moisturiser. White Lotus is a little softer than I am used to, a veil more than a mask. They sit lightly on top of my own scent and weave through it, in a way they become me, an interesting offering from Michael Boadi a UK stylist/hairdresser to the magazines and stars. I am definitely fragrant but in the softest and most unobtrusive way. Tenacious yet unassuming, best sprayed into fabric as well as on yourself, I can still smell it in my top the day after next.
The bottles look really hefty and their stark, linear shape is classy and elegant in the pictures. I think White Lotus is the perfect scent when you want to feel luxe but just for yourself and someone intimate. Perfect even for fragrance phobic workplaces, this will sail under everyone’s radar, and secretly you will smell fabulous.

Illuminum site has an incredible sample set 16 x 1.5ml vials £25
Illuminum site has White Lotus 100ml/£150 and extremely reasonable postage to the world!

Tried anything, or any brand completely new this week? I can’t wait to try some more Illuminum for you all. I have the set so await the next installment.

Take care of yourselves and those around you,
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Avignon: Comme des Garcons Series 3 Incense by Bertrand Duchaufour 2002

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hey Fellow Fumies,

My mate Jordan has often talked to me about todays fragrance and when I saw it for a reasonable price on a friends sell list I jumped at the chance. As you may know I was taught by Nuns and then Jesuits and there was an enormous amount of RC Church going involved in my formative years, not to mention my choir years.

Comme des Garcons Series 3 Incense: Avignon 2002

Avignon FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
French labdanum, spices, incense, chamomile, vanilla, patchouli, ambrette, oakmoss, musk, olibdanum, myrrh, Brazillian rosewood, Virginia cedar, elemi

If you want to know what church smelled like, it may still, then you need to get your hands on Avignon. It opens like the refectory where we would get ready for the processional entrance and the priest would have his censer in readiness: incense, frankincense, myrrh, wood, men and boys, excitement. At once spicy, woody, aromatic and smoky Avignon becomes woodier and darker as it wears on the skin, but there is also a sweetness that emerges from time to time and becomes more prominent towards the dry down. A circular and circuitous fragrance, it feels linear because you keep coming back to the same pieces but in different arrangements, so similar but not the same. One moment you think the woods have moved into stay, next it’s all about the smoking incense, then vanilla-esque warmth and resins. There even seems to be a wood wax bit like they shone the pews and wooden kneeling pads, and also a candle wax accord. Am I imagining things? Also the scent of a blown out match and something quite alcoholic. Towards the end it fades slowly, never losing its integrity, just intensity, and remains beautiful and haunting to the end.

Unusually for an incense fragrance I get quite a long wear 5+ hours and counting on this occasion, but I spritzed in the cool of evening, in the day with more heat and movement the lifespan is a good deal shorter. This is a wear it for myself fragrance, though I imagine you could wear it almost anywhere except close working/fragrance phobic workplaces. It would be especially fun to wear to church, dinner with clergy or anyone, shopping, picnicking, movies etc.

censer ryanphunterPhoto Stolen ryanphunter

Further reading Birgit from Olfactoria’sTravels writes at PerfumeSmellin’Things
LuckyScent has 50ml/$80 and .7ml/$3

Have you been to Catholic rites? How does the incense in Avignon effect you? What if you aren’t from a Catholic background, does incense still effect you?

So many new questions every time I find some kind of answer for another one. It is kind of exciting to be questing though,
See you tomorrow.
Portia xx

Holiday Photo Essay Paris, France, Soju & Seoul, Korea

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 41 Comments

Hey gang,
What can I say but Paris is FREAKING AH MAY ZING! A perfumistas dream.

The amazing Denyse Beaulieu, author of The Perfume Lover, Bertrand Duchaufour’s scent muse for L’Artisan’s Seville au l’Aube, Grain de Musc blog hostess, English -French translator and glam girl around town and I had an appointment to interview her and it was great fun. Look out for those interviews here, Perfume Posse and Express Magazine NZ.

Neela Vermeire and her gorgeous husband Tony were excellent hosts. We were lucky enough to spend a couple of great nights with them. Don’t forget to follow Neela Vermeire Creations on FB and Twitter because there will be some incredible news soon. I can’t tell you anything yet because I can’t remember but as soon as Neela reminds me I will give you an exposé and an interview. Neela, Jin and I all went to the auctions and grabbed some bargains including CHANEL handbag and 2 vintage Hermes scarves for songs.

Aaron, a mate of mine from Sydney, was our tour guide. He has made an excellent match with a Paris local and now lives there in bliss. He was our tour guide, friend, eating companion and shopping expedition master. Aaron introduced us to the auction house. We wer also feted at his home on our last night and ate snails, my first time. Thanks to the crew that night, Gerard and the wonderful ladies.

We did Versailles, the Louvre, the Orangerie, many churches and cathedrals including Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower at night and much more in the way of culture. Walked along the very full a fast flowing Seine, had hot waffles, croissants, onion soup, and many other French delights.

What shopping did I do? I bought two Serge Lutens bell jars for friends, Shalimar and Vol de Nuit Parfums from Guerlain, 200ml of discontinued next month Mitzah from DIOR (they have no 125ml left) and would have bought Jin Cartier VI but one of the Cartier ladies was a liar and a bitch in Galleries Lafayette and I called her HIDEOUS instead, which was perfectly truthful though not perhaps nice. Jin was determined to buy me the Bottega Veneta Parfum in the Morano glass bottle but I persuaded him not to because we have the EdP and till he is a big property developer that stuff can wait.

Since then we’ve been in Korea doing the big meet the parents thing. Korea is beautiful, we have travelled it from top to bottom by train, bullet train 2.5 hours, and it’s so pretty. Jin’s family is warm and wonderful and they welcomed me with open arms. The food was a challenge but I survived and tasted a bunch of new things. We all had a laugh and Mum and Dad even had very heartfelt (translated by Jin) conversations about integrity, trust and love. They’ve been together for nearly 40 years so they’re advice is solid.

Anyway, the holiday is over on Tuesday and we’ll be back to normal.
Loads of love,
Portia xx

20130217-124501.jpg

20130217-124516.jpg

20130217-124612.jpg

20130217-124623.jpg

20130217-124634.jpg

20130217-124646.jpg

20130217-124654.jpg

20130217-124701.jpg

20130217-124715.jpg

20130217-124724.jpg

20130217-124734.jpg

20130217-124744.jpg

20130217-124758.jpg

20130217-124806.jpg

20130217-124814.jpg

20130217-131710.jpg

Something Blue by Frank Voelkl and Ann Gottlieb for Oscar de la Renta 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments
Something new kids!!
When I was a squirt bitch back in the late 80’s and early 90’s I was on the counter that housed Guerlain, Worth, Nina Ricci and Oscar de la Renta. His fragrances sold equally to Guerlain and the women that bought them were more often than not very well put together. They looked professional, tailored, hair neat and a lot of chignons and they were busy. Oscar de la Renta must have been doing some great aspirational marketing at the time because they’d come in and buy big bottles, often a soap and body moisturiser and not even look at their receipts as they swished out with their purchases. They were the easiest customers ever and my figures looked excellent because of them. I have ever since had a fondness for Oscar de la Renta and his fragrances.
SomethingBlue FragranticaPhoton Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Linden blossom (lime blossom), mandarin
Heart: Stephanotis
Base: Musk, vanilla
Have you tried Something Blue yet? What did you think? I can’t wait.
Till tomorrow big kisses and a smooch.
Portia xx

Oscar De La Renta Something Blue Fragrance 2013 Ad Campaign

Stolen from the blog art8amby

Craig McDean photographed the latest campaign from Oscar De La Renta‘s Something Blue fragrance line featuring model Iris Van Berne.

Image via TFS.

Coromandel by Jacques Polge + Christopher Sheldrake for CHANEL 2007

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hey Hey APJ!

I was recently lunching with Clayton from WhatMenShouldSmellLike and he brought me some amazing gifts from his OS travels. The loveliest of which, so far, is the 4ml gorgeously boxed CHANEL Les Exclusives Coromandel EdT that I am rocking today. It is my first wear of it and I’m dabbing, so do come on a journey with me.

Coromandel EdT by CHANEL 2007

Coromandel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Neroli, bitter orange, citruses
Heart: Rose, jasmine, patchouli, orris
Base: Tahitian vanilla, benzoin, white chocolate, incense, woodsy notes, musk, olibanum

Can I tell you before we start that this packaging has me excited already, the card, beautifully presented bottle and the whole feel is incredibly luxe for a 4ml tester. Also, different sites and reviewers attribute Coromandel to both of these magnificent perfumers Jacques Polge + Christopher Sheldrake but only BaseNotes , that I read, attributed it to both. Interesting huh?

Oh MY! The first rush I get is all the base notes springing up my nose and creating a warm, woodsy and sweet amber-ish waft that was so unexpected from the notes that I gasped audibly. They don’t really leave either as the citruses begin to show their bright and lovely acidic colours. They don’t stay long because patchouli has wandered in shrouded in a lovely powdery floral veil and it seems like I’m sitting in a cafe, there is a breezy cafe au lait waft that is surprising. Maybe it’s the chocolate and vanilla together with the patchouli, ahh, who knows or cares how they’ve created this wonder?The patchouli is like the undercurrent of Coromandel, it comes and goes over time again and again, but I never even get a hint of the flowers.

I am happily and dizzily transported somewhere other. Closing my eyes and breathing deeply it’s as if Coromandel is zen perfume I feel so relaxed and comfortable in it like this is the fragrance I’ve been waiting for. Do you ever feel like you’ve come home? Amazing!!

MilkCoffee wallPaperHerePhoto Stolen WallPaperHere

Coromandel is all about the base for me, and on my skin, it has sped there is under an hour and maintains itself there indefinitely with only a modicum of change as it progresses deeper into itself, warming and becoming more foodish as it fades till all I’m left with is a mildly resinous vanilla around 6 hours later that hums ever so softly above my skin for a while longer before disappearing. I am ordering a large decant to stop myself immediately buying an FB. I am moved.

Further reading NowSmellThis and BoisDeJasmin
I think Coromandel is only available at CHANEL Boutiques
SurrenderToChance starts at $3/ml

Have you fallen for something unattainable lately? Are you going the sample route or another way?

Wishing you all good luck in your searches,
Till tomorrow be well,
Portia xx
I LOVE CHANEL

Si Lolita by Christine Nagel and Benoit Lapouza for Lolita Lempicka 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Hiya APJ Family,

I love to troll sample sites and discount stores. Often I will be so taken with a bottle design that I just want to own it and screw the juice, unfortunately there is only so much cupboard space so I am now making sure I love the juice before I buy FB even if it’s ridiculously cheap on the discount sites. Depending on what the product is I will stop by all the usual decant/sample stores looking for the best deal and that’s how I grabbed 5ml of

Si Lolita by Lolita Lempicka 2009

SiLolita FragranticaPhoto stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, mandarin
Heart: Pink pepper, sweet peas, wallflower, heliotrope, elemi resin
Base: Elemi, patchouli, tonka, amber

Opening symphony featuring tonka front and centre before fresh cold slices of citrus that warm quickly when the pink pepper and flowers come riding in. The first 5 minutes off Si Lolita is fraught with excitement. A big gushing WOW!! Once the hoopla is over Si Lolita warms beautifully with tonka, clean patchouli and the resins there right through the heart making the bouquet play second fiddle. A background hum of spicy warmth that sits close to the skin if you try to smell it, leave the room though and come back 5 minutes later and Si Lolita has left a gauzy ghost of itself that is translucent but discernible. I am guessing then that the sillage will be fabulous, a scent trail that will turn heads. This is also the sort of “perfumey” perfume that boys know to compliment, and often quite like.

After all that Si Lolita goes a bit every frag and the dry down is a nice amber-ish something but not impressive. Si Lolita is no big statement frag that will give you backbone, sear the eyeballs of your enemies and dry clean the curtains while you sit and read below them. You will smell pretty, sometimes that is all you want, right? And the bottle is a modern marvel, and the price! Si Lolita feels like a scent that almost anyone could rock, won’t offend at work or play and is interesting enough that should you want to focus on it the story will grab you for a while. Otherwise you can spritz and forget it and know that you smell good for about 4 hours, sometimes longer.

si-lolita tesminaPhoto Stolen tesmina

Further reading NowSmellThis and PerfumePosse
FragranceNet starts at $22/30ml before discount
MyPerfumeSamples start at $2/ml but I bought 5ml/$7

Have you tried Si Lolita? Don’t you love the bottle?

Please remember how excellent you are and be grateful for the good stuff, try and think of 3 good things in your life, no matter how small, and give thanks.
Till tomorrow.
Portia xx

Here is the making of the ad, there is a small amount of speaking in French, which I don’t understand, but the rest is extremely interesting.

Here is the finished commercial