Portia

Festive + Fragrant LIVE Video Sniff: Nuit de Noel by Ernest Daltroff for Caron 1922

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To the amazing APJ Family,

From the whole crew here at AustralianPerfumeJunkies we want to wish you a magical, safe and fun Holiday Season. For everyone who celebrates it
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MerryChristmasRed stevemelan

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for everyone who doesn’t celebrate Xmas we still wish you all the joy, love, fun, silliness, bickering, food, drink, heath, wealth and happiness that goes along with this time for us who do.

For those who are feeling alone, sad, angry or useless. We love and need you. Please spritz yourself with something exquisite, have a cup of tea and a biscuit and if possible have a nap. There will be better days, promise, maybe write a list of 10 things you are grateful for, like your ability to read, cogitate, eat, smell. Write them down and give genuine thanks. No matter how small they seem compared to the bigger issues.

 

Nuit de Noel by Caron 1922

NuitDeNoel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Ylang-ylang, tincture of rose and jasmine
Heart: Sandalwood and oak moss
Base: Musk and amber.

Here is a little APJ MADNESS. Some of the crew all got together to send you a special message filled with love and the joy of Christmas. My BFF Kath was in charge of filming and Jin made it blog ready. We all had a great laugh and, as always, made complete twats of ourselves for your enjoyment. Please take everything we say with a grain of salt we are fragrance enthusiasts who have had a great night of trivia, booze, dinner and laughs. By the time we have made this particular video we had already shot 9 others and are all, frankly, mental by this stage. Do please enjoy.

Thanks for coming along on this fragrant journey with us, we are grateful that you do.
Loads of love to you, and yours,
The APJ Family & Crew
Clayton, Dionne, EmmaKate, Jordan, BFF Kath, Katrina, Madeleine, Margeaux, Suzanne, Tim, TSO Jin and Portia  XXOX

Royal Bain De Caron EdT by Ernest Daltroff for Caron 1941

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hello Frag Hags,

I love a fragrancce that comes with a could-be-true story. It’s a great ice breaker, predisposes me to want to like the frag and lets me know some reasons why it may smell like it does. Anybody not frag obsessed, or a Perfume Bore as my BFF calls me when I get started, will think that I’m mental but it does give perspective and added interest, for me anyway. Just so you know I am reviewing a modern iteration 125ml EdT that cost me less than some 3ml decants I’ve bought recently.

Royal Bain de Caron by Caron 1941

RoyalBainDeCaron FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lilac, rose
Heart: Opoponax, benzoin, incense
Base: Sandalwood, amber, musk, vanilla, cedar

This post was inspired by BoisDeJasmin: Simple Summer Pleasures: Cologne Bath. I was so impressed by the idea of putting a couple of tablespoons of cologne into the bath and remembered reading about how this was designed for some millionaire, at a time when that meant something, who wanted his bath to smell like the champagne (Champagne was the original name but the word became unusable)  he had been bathing in. So it was an easy match, even though Royal Bain de Caron is an EdT it doesn’t matter. Remember, when I read this in the Northern Hemisphere it was summer but down here in Oz we were in the grip of winter and I wanted something not quite so fresh and light for my bath.

Royal Bain de Caron opens with a sparkling, warm, boozy richness that is more like cognac than champagne but it’s probably a hark back to the days of champagne being super dooper sweet. The vanilla, amber and sandalwood all give a spectacular overture which then leads to a very sweet amber-ish floral bouquet that merely hints at the lilac and rose in the notes list because all the resins completely engulf the florals on my skin. Almost linear after the first rush and decidedly unisex, it smells darker, richer and spicier on TSO Jin than it does me. If I spritz myself after the bath with a decanted atomiser of Royal Bain de Caron the fragrance life is around 5-7 hours depending on the day and remains warm and inviting to the very end.

A great statement fragrance, warm and sparkling. I think too fragrant for office work and definitely way too in your face for perfume-phobic workplaces, still it would not be overly intrusive for recreational closeness like theatre, cinema or dinner.

TheBath AlfredStevens Art.comTheBath by AlfredStevens Stolen Art.com

Further reading EauMG and PerfumeSmellingThings
FragranceNet has 125ml/$28 BARGAIN!!
ThePerfumedCourt starts at $3/ml

Do you like to be completely and utterly decadent sometimes? What is your favourite way to feel ridiculously luxe on a budget?

Hopefully the world is giving you lemonade.
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Noir Patchouli by Gerald Ghislain for Histoires de Parfums

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Hey Hey Fellow Fumies,

I am finally getting to some things I’ve had for ages but haven’t had the time to enjoy fully because life has been hectic. Happily hectic. Then I got the dreaded sinus lurgy and my nose went on strike so it’s nice to be fully functioning again. One of the frags that slipped through the cracks when it arrived but is now getting a bit of skin time is

Noir Patchouli by Histoires de Parfums

NoirPatchouli frsagranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Patchouli, coriander, cardamom
Heart: Patchouli, bouquet of flowers, juniper berries
Base: Patchouli, musk, vetiver, foam, leather, vanilla

Histoires de Parfums site says: The patchouli flower, grown in the East, exhales an intense and bewitching scent from its leaves. Wooded, Chypre like, this elixir stimulates the senses. A breath of mystery, as deep as black absorbing the light.

Called a Woody Chypre but I though there should be a citric opening, labdanum middle and mossy base? Is the modern take allowed to do away with all three? The very first whiff I get here is vanilla, it is fleeting but immediately comforting. Following closely come the herbs making an interesting green melange with the patchouli; green and rural like a healthy, freshly turned compost heap, earthy. The juniper berries soon add a sharp sparkling counterpoint and I think the rooty/salty vetiver is already showing its colours. My body completely eats all floral traces, there is nothing pretty here, though the whole fragrance is entrancing. I’ve been sitting here happily huffing away at myself and staring into space while my hand backs alternately and then simultaneously waft past my nose. Rich, rugged and raunchy are the three words I am constantly saying in my head, and powerhouse.

Noir Patchouli’s heart is a beautiful mixture of patchouli, healthy young mans hot day and hard work sweat and a cologne-ish brightness above it all. Maybe there’s a hint of lavender? Perhaps a little something bovine and flatulent, that sweet muggy fragrance of an animal barn in the morning sunlight. The leather is creamy as we wander, or meander rather, back to inedible soft vanilla, but Noir Patchouli remains a hefty unsuburban, free and wild fragrance till the end.

I get really good life of about 6 hours very noticeable scent before it turns skin-ish and combines beautifully with my own body scent, giving the impression that this is how I smell in real life for another 4 hours. I really would LOVE to smell this on a couple of my girl friends because though aimed at the boys I think Noir Patchouli would be devastatingly killer on a woman. Far too fragrant for close proximity work or anywhere fragrance phobic, super great for date night. I’m going to wear it for wrapping Christmas presents.

DarkLady gayatriforumPhoto Stolen gayatriforum

Further reading TheNonBlonde and OlfactoriasTravels
Histoires de Parfums site has 60ml €87
SurrenderToChance starts at $5/ml

Do you have a favourite patchouli fragrance? Have you tried this? Tell us about it in the comments because we love to converse.

Do you ever stop and take 3 really deep breathes to clear your mind? Do it now. I find it lets heaps of stress go in about 10 seconds.
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Cote d’Amour by Celine Ellena for L’Artisan Parfumeur 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Hello lovelies,

Do you ever go and check out SurrenderToChance Daily Chance Specials? I try and have a quick squiz a couple of times a week because sometimes you can grab a bargain on things that slipped under your radar, were too expensive originally, you wanted but forgot or were always in your wish list. Here is one such find that I read about when it was released, was interested, didn’t get immediately, forgot. Same old story, with thousands of fragrance releases each year some really excellent stuff is bound to get swamped by bigger advertising budgets.

Cote d’Amour by L’Artisan Parfumeur

CoteD'Amour FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Salt flower, green tangerine, pink grapefruit
Heart: Dune immortal flower, rosemary, cypress, gorse blossom, rose, broom, heather
Base: Laburnum, maritime pine, floated wood.

Super Luxe Spa is how I would describe Cote d’Amour. There is a beachy, seaside, relaxed ambience about it that instantly brings a smile and sigh of contentment. The salty and sweet/acidic citrus opening warms into a light, dry, breezy floral on my skin alongside a herbaceous bouquet with a little old fashioned suntan lotion thrown in for good measure. The fresh vanilla dry down happens around 3-4 hours and is so unusual in itself with whispers of the green woodsy notes and salt shimmering against each other in the background. Then Cote d’Amour leaves me with a very faint salt skin tang for another hour or so before I completely lose it.

619-00821200Photo Stolen MasterLife

An card carrying, certified, eco friendly, natural and organic perfume! WOW! There is another on L’Artisan’s lists L’Eau de Jatamansi that is more Natural-In-Your-Face smelling but until I read on the net that this was a natural fragrance I had no idea, for a L’Artisan this gets quite a long life span too. Cote d’Amour is interesting, unusual and pretty while maintaining a completely unisex wearability, if I were a one perfume per season type of person this could very easily be my summer choice, or to remind me of the scents of beachside summer holidays. I think you could happily wear Cote d’Amour anywhere, including close office work unless they are severely fragrance phobic.

Sadly it seems that they have discontinued Cote d’Amour on the L’Artisan website but it’s still available very reasonably at some discounters online.

Beach independantVoyagerPhoto Stolen IndependantVoyager

Further reading KatiePuckrikSmells
eGlobalBeauty has 250ml/$145 including shipping
SurrenderToChance starts at 1ml/$3

Did you try Cote d’Amour? What do you think about eco friendly fragrance?

Having survived the end of the Mayan calendar I wonder what kinds of change we can all expect? I’m hoping that schools, hospitals, libraries and universities will be given more than enough money every year and that all spending on warmongering will cease due to lack of interest and need. I doesn’t hurt to put it out there.
See you tomorrow.
Portia xx

Beyonce, Britney, Pink, PEPSI

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Hey there APJ,

Here is a super PEPSI mini movie for you all. I reckon

Beyonc LOST FMPhoto Stolen LostFM

Beyonce is wearing Bellodgia Parfum by Caron or Ambre Russe by Parfum d’Empire,

Britney news.softpediaPhoto Stolen Softpedia

Britney is wearing Habanita modern EdP by Molinard or Gucci Guilty

Pink fanpop.comPhoto Stolen fanpop

Pink is wearing Bulgari Black or Olympic Orchids Dev #1.

What say you?

If you want to see a full post I am Guest Posting on PerfumePosse today talking about Andrea Maack: Artist & Perfumer.

See you tomorrow.

Portia xx

Beyonce, Britney Spears, Pink, PEPSI

Iris Nobile EdP by Francoise Caron and Francis Kurkdjian for Acqua de Parma 2006

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Hello Lovely Fragranciers,

Recently my mate Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels was clearing out her frag cupboard of FB bought with best intentions and sitting unloved and unworn on her shelves. I jumped on that list like a spider on a fly and while I wanted to buy almost everything on it I exercised a very little used restraint muscle buying only three bottles. Believe me, that was AGONY! So much amazing stuff on the list. The first lovely bottle I purchased is

Iris Nobile by Acqua de Parma 2006

Iris Nobile by Acqua de Parma Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange, mandarin, bergamot, anise, iris
Heart: Iris, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, tuberose, mimosa, cedar
Base: Amber, Vanilla

My nose os not fully back so I am working off memory as well as my current wearing. The opening is not a room shaking statement maker in Iris Nobile but a restrained, crisp, sweet fragrance like a good New Zealand Sem Sav Blanc. Refreshing and elegant to begin and warming as the bouquet waltzes through but the warmth is a defrosting more than anything; Iris Nobile becomes more welcoming and engaging in the heart, where I am taken in and enjoy the richness but I lose any trace of fragrance at about 3 hours on my skin and never get much vanilla and amber, just a soft hint as it disappears. Maybe it is skin-ish but i can’t smell anything.

Soft, elegant and restrained are not normally words that I like to bandy about when talking about the perfumes I prefer but here we have all of that and it is beautiful. Wearable in any situation, even close workspaces as long as no one is fragrance phobic. Iris Nobile by Acqua de Parma sets a new bar for my Iris love.

 Iris Nobile by Acqua de Parma Photo Stolen DJFever

Further reading at BoisDeJasmin and ISmellThereforeIAm

TradeServices has 100ml EdP $127
SurrenderToChance starts at $3/ml

Is there something quiet that you have in your scent wardrobe, a classy cool customer that whispers? Have you tried Iris Nobile by Acqua de Parma? What did you think?

Have I thanked you lately for reading? THANK YOU!! It is beyond thanks how grateful I feel towards all you readers and commenters, it feels like my online family and makes me smile. We work really hard to bring you an entertaining look at fragrance and other things, enjoy.

Portia xx

Till we see you tomorrow be good to yourselves and those in your orbit,
Portia xx

Costume National Giveaway Winners

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

HELLOOOOO!

It has been an awesome response and I thank all of you for entering into the spirit of fun. We all have such different tastes in fragrance which makes me happy to see. APJ has some INCREDIBLE giveaways coming up in 2013 and I hope you come play them too.

Costume National Giveaway Winners

What’s In The Packs?

There are THREE packs to give away this week, the three winners will receive 1.5ml each of
Costume National Scent Gloss
Costume National Scent Intense
Costume National Homme
Costume National So Nude
with P&H anywhere in the world

SoNude FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

How Could You Win?
Open to everyone worldwide who is a follower of AustralianPerfumeJunkies, all you needed to do this week was go over to Libertine Fragrance at http://www.libertineparfumerie.com.au/w1/i2/ and tell me any product there that took your fancy. NO DOUBLE UPS!
You could earn an extra chance each for Tweeting and FaceBooking
Winners were chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and TSO Jin picked them.
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WINNERS berryreviewPhoto Stolen berryreview

ChrissyLNoz  Poodle  Shiloh

CONGRATULATIONS!! Winners have till Wednesday December 19th to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or I will give the prize to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

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Do go and have a squiz at Libertine Fragrance if they get loads of extra traffic then I am positive we will get even bigger and better giveaways from them in future.

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

Aussie Niche Perfumers Christmas Gifting Guide

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Hey Hey All You Fabulous Fumies,

We at APJ have always wanted to showcase new and old Aussie talent in the fragrance world. Here are a few of the wonderful crews that we have looked at this year that you can still order some excellent Christmas goodies and stocking stuffers from. As it is the time for giving, families and all that there are many of us who for a billion reasons are without family at a time of year where it seems fundamental. If you are someone in that boat, buy yourself a Christmas present from the list, even if you are not a devotee of the Christian creed. A new fragrance wrapped and carded to yourself on Christmas Day morning will give you a smile, maybe even a laugh. I have bought myself a couple this year, naughty I know.

Aussie Niche Perfumers Christmas Gifting Guide

homeshotPhoto Stolen EVP

Emerald Vintners Perfumes

These 2 boys Brendan and Samuel have stolen my heart with their new line. 3 masterfully created perfumes and I think there’ll be plenty more coming. EVP Australia sells itself as Small Batch Artisan Scents inspired by the Adelaide Hills and Wine Regions around the World. Baume, the powerhouse honeysuckle and blossom, is my favourite but I like them all and have finished my sample set and am contemplating a FB. The EVP site has an Inception Range 3 x 2ml Sample Set $20

AppleTea15mlEDT-320x320Photo Stolen EvocativePerfumes

Evocative Perfumes

Another Adelaide set up Mark has done some lovely work with unusual mixtures and breathtaking, magical fragrances. They are etherial, earthy and interesting. My picks for FB worthy are Apple tea, Imogen and Vanilla Tonique. I like the sizes too; 10ml Roll On, 15ml And 50ml Atomisers. A wonderful Sample Program means that you can try all 10 fragrances for $24

300Photo Stolen InnerEarth

Inner Earth: Luxury Handmade Soaps & Skincare

Photographed you’ll see my pick of the Inner Earth gear. Lemon Cheesecake Hand & Body Cream; Lemon combined with creamy vanilla and a hint of white musk. A smooth, creamy formula enriched with sweet almond oil and cocoa butter, to leave your skin feeling new again. 250ml only $19.50 but be quick the virtual shop closes 17-30 December, you have till MONDAY! They also do a spectacular range of oil based fragrances and handmade soaps.

OneSeed 5x5mlSampleSetPhoto Stolen OneSeed

One Seed

Liz Cook from One Seed (who have a no hurt the planet, 100% botanical, nothing synthetic credo) has created some sublime fragrances that you should try. Courage and Sweet Water are my two favourites but Frangipani, Hope and Slow Fire are excellent too. One Seed Site has this wonderful 5 x 5ml Sample Set for $70

fig & olive display 1Photo Stolen P&SCo

Perfume and Skincare Company

Sheila Massetti trained with the oldest fragrance house in France and has also worked with perfumers from Chanel, Issey Miyake and Jean Paul Gaultier. The houses signature fragrance is Fig & Olive but I find Ginger Milk, Gardenia and Pink Peony much more to my liking. One of the wonderful thiongs about the Perfume And Skincare Company’s fragrances is their higher than extrait ingredient inclusion, meaning way more strength, and their extremely reasonable pricing. The Deux Perfume sets with 10ml of Fig & Olive and another fragrance from the range for only $25 is my pick.

I know it’s hard to find something different, interesting, good value and surprising for the ones you love. It makes it especially hard when most people go and buy what they want when they want it. I hope these give you a selection of things that you may otherwise not have noticed. I love them all and have tried, tested, purchased and repurchased from each of these Aussie stores so you are safe.

Good luck with the rest of your shopping, even if it’s just for you.

Portia xx

Costume National + TRIPLE GIVEAWAY!!

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 64 Comments

Hey APJ Family!!

The other day I was chatting to Gary my favourite SA at the Libertine Fragrance area in David Jones, Sydney City (The oldest Department Store trading under its original name in the world) and Gary really wanted me to try something. The Costume National range is one that I constantly overlook and I don’t have a reason really except that the other testers always grab me before I even get to the Costume National end of the store.

It seems I’ve been missing out on untold wonders. 21 is so different from anything else I’ve ever smelled. The milk accord at the start sounded disgusting when I was originally told about it but it is beautiful and flattering, an alluring milky wonder. I had hoped to do more sampling before this amazing GIVEAWAY went live but unfortunately I have come down with a head cold that has left me completely anosmic and without even taste. It’s weird to eat chilli dishes and get burning mouth without flavour. Cannot smell even TSO Jin’s farts, and normally they can make my eyes water. So I have found the Costume National site and plagiarised with abandon.

If you are shopping in Australia Libertine Fragrance includes P&H in their prices and they are registered dealers of the scents that they carry. Meaning they haven’t been sitting in cargo boys in hot countries, are 100% genuine and fresh, they can get your gift buying fragrances to you before Christmas!!

Costume National

21 Fragrantica

Costume National 21
Starting from a base of pure white milk and the lightness of sheer white orange blossom, 21 fades into more mysterious notes of saffron, cashmere wood, amber and musk with accents of bergamot, vanilla, labdanum and cedar wood.

ScentGloss Fragrantica

Scent Gloss
GLOSS is the sexiest version of SCENT. Pink like female instinct, pink like a rose to the sense of smell, sight and on the skin. It is the youngest soul of SCENT: light, spontaneous and joyful. A floral and delicately fruity bouquet for an effervescent sweetness thanks to the notes of purple orchid and fresh musk.

ScentIntense fragrantica

Scent Intense
An intense fragrance sublimated by the deep harmony of amber and cystine. The mystery and radiance of a timeless energy with woody accents and natural deep warmth. SCENT INTENSE is an inimitable declaration of individuality and seduction.

Homme Fragrantica

Homme
The masculine eau de parfum opens with a very fresh head made of grapefruit, cardamom and bergamot. The essence then plunges into the spicy heart of Cinnamon, Thyme and Cloves. In the end, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Labdanum give depth and warmth to the general accord.

SoNude Fragrantica

So Nude
This is the latest offering in Costume National’s lineup. I love the new bottle shape and the notes sound beautiful. I can’t wait to get some on my skin.
Ennio Capasa has collaborated with Dominique Ropion.
A floral spicy creation, the fragrance opens with mystery by the spicy top of cardamom and cumin, surrounded by the delicacy of neroli. A floral heart of ylang ylang, damascena rose and tuberose suddenly appears, enchanting for elegance and sensuality. A warm base of Virginian cedarwood, patchouli heart and sandalwood gives depth to the general accord.

Costume National Giveaway

Gary then gave me some Costume National Manufacturers 1.5ml Carded Samples to give to you.

What’s In The Packs?

There are THREE packs to give away this week, the three winners will receive 1.5ml each of
Costume National Scent Gloss
Costume National Scent Intense
Costume National Homme
Costume National So Nude
with P&H anywhere in the world

How Do You Win?

Open to everyone worldwide who is a follower of AustralianPerfumeJunkies via email (eM), RSS, or WordPress (WP) and please put which in your answer. Yes, you may become a new follower to enter! In fact, we encourage it.
All you need to do this week is go over to Libertine Fragrance at http://www.libertineparfumerie.com.au/w1/i2/ and tell me any product there that takes your fancy. NO DOUBLE UPS! There is enough product at Libertine Fragrance to get about 500 commenters. That’s it!! EASY PEASY!

So, your entry will look like this:
eM (portia_turbo) TOKYO MILK Dead Sexy No 6
Portia xx
or
WP (AustralianPerfumeJunkies) TOKYO MILK Dead Sexy No 6
Portia xx

Extra Chances
You can earn an extra chance each for
Facebooking this link: APJ Costume National Giveaway https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2012/12/13/costume-national-triple-giveaway/
Tweeting this: @OzPerfumeJunkie APJ Costume National Giveaway https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2012/12/13/costume-national-triple-giveaway/

Housekeeping

Entries Close Saturday December 15th 10pm AEDST and winners will be announced in a separate post on Sunday.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and TSO Jin will pick them. He doesn’t even stop watching TV to do it usually.
The three winners will have till Wednesday December 19th to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or I will give the prize to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

GO TO IT!! Good luck everyone

Do go and have a squiz at Libertine Fragrance if they get loads of extra traffic then I am positive we will get even bigger and better giveaways from them in future.

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx