Portia

Ambre Russe by Parfums d’Empire 2003 and New Music

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Hey you Mad Perfume Crazed Freakazoids,

It’s Friday. YAY!!

Ambre Russe by Parfums d’Empire 2003

Ambre Russe by Marc-Antoine Corticchiato

Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Champagne, vodka
Middle: Tea, cinnamon, coriander, birch, juniper, Russian leather
Base: Incense, musk, amber

We have done a Parfum d’Empire expose back in May, we talked about Marc-Antoine Corticchiato the face and creative director and we also did some mini reviews of some of the line. I wanted to keep Ambre Russe in reserve though for its own feature because it is so special.

Ambre Russe is a legendary rock star of a fragrance. Big, rich, boozy, tenacious and completely spellbinding. Marc-Antoine Corticchiato of wonderful Parfum d’Empire (<<JUMP) has made a masterpiece. The day that the samples arrived last year this was the first fragrance I tried. That night I was online ordering a 50ml (only 100ml online now) and it has been awaiting its opening ceremony till this week. How could I have let this amazing fragrance sit in its box?

Interestingly, I feel very few of the written notes here. I get booze but to my nose the champagne and vodka feel like brandy, the tea and spices feel like a rose accord, with the crispness of some stem and leaf which must be the birch and juniper, Russian Leather? I get pipe tobacco, not in the bag but in the pipe after tamping as the flame first touches with its rim of pre-smoked ash, redolent of huffy clubs and high end tailoring but completely unisex. The dry down, which is still powering away 3pm next day from a 6pm double spritz, finally gives me what I would expect from these written notes; amber, musk and deep religious incense. I have had 2 people say that it reminds them of musk sticks at this late stage, sweet musk and vanilla tempered by the coolness of the incense.

This little bit of magic is a real head turner, sillage is excellent. You are guaranteed comments and compliments. I wore this to work 3 nights this week and had two plus compliments and more questions each night. Not a sexually alluring fragrance, this one is bare faced cheek and haughty grandeur in equal measure. Don’t wear it to dinner without a 2 hour preamble or you won’t taste your food properly.

Parfum d’Empire

Parfum d’Empire has an awesome sample program 13 2ml samples including postage only 22€ to the world! The 100ml bottles are all extremely well priced for a niche company of this quality too.

SOME GREAT NEW MUSIC

Two Door Cinema Club are back with brand new single, Sleep Alone. It is the debut single off the bands second album ‘Beacon’ due for release this September. I stole this from the amazing KeelanFoley new music site.
http://soundcloud.com/two-door-cinema-club/sleep-alone

I loved this cruisey music and video so much I stole it from nambiblog

Do you have a Parfum d’Empire favourite? What is it and why?

I hope you all have a safe and fun weekend.
Portia xx

FAME by Lady Gaga and Steven Klein

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Hey Y’All,

You’ve probably seen it already but I wanted to put it up just in case you’d missed it. Lady Gaga has released her Steven Klein photographed advertisement for her forthcoming fragrance, FAME. The scentbloggosphere has gone CER AAY ZEEE!! I am seriously impressed with the image, it shows wit and style. It also shows what a remarkable business woman she is. What’s the demographic? Girls and gays, BINGO! This will have a multitude of both enthralled. I am sad my mate Perry couldn’t swipe me some FAME to pre-release sample but life is like that. Can’t wait! And below it a short enticing film about the fragrance being made. She is AWESOME! Laughing all the way to the bank…… (Just noticed CandyPerfumeBoy beat me to it, GRRR!)

Video Stolen YouTube

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY

We have a wonderful giveaway this week open to our lovely and loyal blog followers only. Yes, you can become a follower so you can enter. What must you do to win? EASY PEASY! Tell us the 2 fragrance houses we have highlighted so far this week. That’s it. We have 2 prize packs to give away.

What do you get if you are one of our 2 winners?
2 x Smell Bent remix project 4ml travel sprays
1 x Tommi Sooni “Passerelle” 2ml sample vial
P&H anywhere in the world

Winners will be drawn from a bowl Saturday July 21 around 9pm Australian EST by TSO Jin. If you are a winner please get in touch by Wednesday July 25 or I will give the prize to someone else.

Go to it you gorgeous creatures,
Much love,
Portia xx

I’m super excited. We did 10,000 Individual Views (IVs) between our start in March and June 17th and 20,000 IVs July 17th.

IN F*CKING CREDIBLE!!

This is so wonderful and all because of you reader. There will be high five-ing like crazy round here for a couple of days, and I think I might put my shoulder out trying to pat myself on the back. If you are enjoying our stuff please tell your friends, you never know where a secret perfume junkie is hiding and needs to feel part of this wonderful and crazy community we belong to. THANK YOU! I wish you everything great you ever dreamed of because you are helping my dreams come true. Our next big goal is 50,000 IVs, only you can help us reach it. If we can do it before my birthday September 25th there will be a MEGA DRAW!!

Passerelle by Tommi Sooni 2012

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Hey Hey All,

Today I am lucky enough to be bringing you Australian crew, Tommi Sooni, creatively directed by Steven Broadhurst. I follow their blog and when it dropped hints that Passerelle was available I nipped across to their site and ordered a couple of samples. I will be dipping into them to do the review and then they are going in this Thursdays draw! I am able to do this because Steven has offered a couple more samples at a later date as a Thank You for buying mine today. Isn’t that cool?

I have edited from the Tommi Sooni site here:
Passerelle is a distinctive perfume with links to classic French perfumery, an Australian perfume that reflects the unique floral notes of our native flora….Australian Spring floral bouquet of delicate native jasmine, tea tree, honeyed myrtle, boronia buds and the flowers of silver wattle (adopted by the French and known to the world as mimosa). From overseas; yellow rose, honeysuckle, wintersweet and golden trumpet, plus petigrain for the green stems.
The word Passerelle is French for bridge or catwalk, a name befitting a perfume that is both fashionable and a fragrant link between two cultures.

The fragrance goes on fresh and bright green with the Aussie flowers and petigrain contrasting and combining beautifully. Passerelle feels like real old school perfumery to me, the stuff you find in perfectly preserved vintage purchases. There is a definite womanly, human background and Steven informs me there is a civet accord hiding here. The tea tree is also adding a soft base note below and through the orgy of flowers and glorious, almost alpine flight of fantasy over the top. This is a wholly wearable scent; sexy and alluring but cool and serene. There are definitely facets to this perfume that will take time and wear to discover.

I can’t tell you exactly what’s happening here, these notes are not in my repertoire yet but I can tell you how deeply impressed I am. This is world class perfumery and could proudly sit beside Serge Lutens, Tauer or Parfums de Nicolai in your cupboard or on your dresser. Different, vital and Aussie. Congratulations Tommi Sooni, this one feels like a winner. It was still humming along nicely when I left for work this evening, 6 hours after dabber application. A whisper of itself still remained, the light and deep notes still vaguely discernible. Then I sprayed lavishly with something else for work.

Passerelle is available from Tommi Sooni $180/50ml or $10/2ml, Sündhaft Hoyer & Kast OHG Geschäftsführer, LuckyScent

Smell Bent Reviews

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Hey Fragrant Obsessives,

Yesterday we talked to Brent Leonesio from Smell Bent, indie perfume house. Today we are going to look at some of the newest creations from the range. These only went live less than a month ago and I am really excited about them. Brent reminds me of the Dad in The Book Of Lost Fragrances by M J Rose, who created scents for the sake of seeing if he can for his children. He is a master of surprise for me, and the tongue in cheek. Just look at that cheeky grin, you know you’re going to be in trouble with this wild boy.

Brent at the salon last week

Today I am proud to present 4 of the latest Smell Bent range for your edification. They are an interesting look at where Brent is currently. On Thursday we will be giving these away, 2 each to 2 lucky winners so be sure to come have a go at that. I am SO annoyed that we are giving these away, now I have to go and buy myself a set! GRRRRR!

Little Miss Panda Got Lei’d: Oh! This opens white floral and green, maybe it’s the guava that smells green to me. The honeysuckle and teak come through later but the white flowers maintain themselves softly too. Very late in, around 2 hours, it sweetens up to fruit, which may be the guava back to say hello, it just rides on top of the others for a while before it all disappears.  Smell Bent gives these accords; pikake (jasmine sambac) and tuberose leis with guava, japanese honeysuckle, and teak

Apres Soleil:  On my skin it opens with yummy honey, coconut and leather, it is gorgeous. About an hour later I get jasmine with sandalwood and coconut. It sounds dreadful but it’s not. There’s a warm, almost salty, delicious feeling to Apres Soleil. Not in your face, more close to the skin than any other Smell Bent fragrance I’ve tried and if perfume is there to make you smell good then this is a winner. The lasting power on Apres Soleil is about 6-7 hours on me with a lovely soft coconut/sandalwood dry down. Smell Bent gives these accords; jasmine absolute dressed up with honey, coconut, soft leather, sandalwood and nitro musk.

ORDER.html

Frankin Smellie S12#599 (Musk Melange): Green and musk to open, interesting. There are 9 musk aromachemicals in this fragrance. Brent tells us in his blog which means that many of us can’t smell them all, due to musk anosmia because we smell them in our laundry, dish and house cleaning, deodorants air purifiers etc etc. Goes on strong for me, almost leaves and then comes back all Muscs Koublai Khan and stays. Then it becomes almost vanilla towards dry down, this is not a big fragrance after its opening sequence on me.

Incensed Short Fuse: Delicious pepper and incense opening with a lovely swipe of cardamom, it’s like an Indian kitchen in here. This is so resonant with my memories of traveling through India. The memories are flooding back. My mates hotels, train Chai, Kerala houseboat, Dalai Lama’s cantonement, roadside stalls, 5 star hotels, Kashmiri wedding, steamy heat, freezing cold. This is like a travelogue. Thanks Brent AH MAY ZING!! The cardamom lasts right through to dry down in a clean, fresh and invigorating alternative to citrus. Smell Bent gives these accords; incense ignited with cardamom, pepper, amber resin and dry woods

Some of the Smell Bent fragrances have been a bit unwearable in close quarters company for me: Wolf Lumberjack, one of the Frakin-Smellies and Steve from the Scented Hound says Commando too. You wouldn’t wear Giorgio  or original Opium out to dinner either these days, but it’s fun to wear them at home for yourself, or to a garden party, or on a solo long drive, or the disco. None of the four I’ve brought before you today are offensive in any way, I think you could wear these anywhere without fear of reprisals.

My favourite? I knew you’d ask. I have 2, Incensed Short Fuse, obviously, and Apres Soleil because it’s winter here, even though I was out sunbaking for an hour at lunchtime, and this reminds me of long lazy summer days by the pool with a tonic water and orange slices.

Thanks for dropping by. You can buy a Travel Spray Set of all four of these for $23 including US shipping HERE (<<Jump) from the Smell Bent website. Do yourself and your nose a favour, go try them. You will not be disappointed.

Portia xx

PS I’ve used corresponding Smell Bent Artworks to illustrate each scent

Smell Bent Perfumer Brent Leonesio Interview

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Hello pursuers of fine fragrances,

This week I have again chosen to highlight the incredible talent of an Independent Perfumer; Brent Leonesio from Smell Bent. It wasn’t so long ago that I discovered the Smell Bent brand, I’m not even sure how it happened now. Maybe another blogger was writing or I could have stumbled upon them in a late night google search. Maybe I came across his picture, because the man is really, decidedly, damned cute. Yummy McYUM!!

Doesn’t matter where I found Smell Bent, what do matter are the juices, they are fun, frivolously named, sideways and sometimes shocking fragrances. The fun belies the fact that if it’s a Smell Bent fragrance, then it will be awesome. Not always to my taste, it’s true, but something extraordinary never-the-less. The first scent I bought was a bottle of Tibet Yr Bottom $; a fun look at incense, woods and stuff, it stayed front and centre of the collection for 3 months, unheard of. Then, more recently, it was the Vocabulary range, the wolf pair, some gourmand Christmas frags, a couple of the Frankin-Smelly releases and to go along with this interview Brent has sent us 4 new sample size frags from his latest range for me to review and then for you to WIN! Check back on Thursday for details of how you can.

Here are a few questions that Brent was kind enough to take some time to answer, what a star….

Tell us about young Brent please?
I was definitely a curious kid.  I lived in my head and frolicked in fantasy.  And I think I still do.

What were you doing before you became a perfumer?
I worked in the fashion industry, had a bunch of different jobs – designing, wholesaling, buying.  But I got a little disenchanted with the business and was ready for a change.

How did you become interested in fragrance?
I ran out of a bottle of Armani Prive Bois d’Encens, which was going at about $200 at the time.  I went online looking for an affordable replacement when I fell down the rabbit hole known as Basenotes.  If only I had shelled out that cash, I wouldn’t be here today.

What qualifications do you have as a perfumer?
I love perfume and have studying it for 6 years and creating it for just over 3.  I guess you could say my qualification is passion.

Who were and are your mentors and inspirations?
I’ve been influenced by numerous artists in various mediums.  I look up to people like Franco Moschino, Estee Lauder and E.M. Forster.

Do you still wear mass market fragrances, if yes which and why?
I don’t wear much perfume as of late.  I usually save my nose for my work.  Recently though, I’ve been spraying myself with a bit of Alexander McQueen’s (sadly discontinued) Kingdom.

Who is your favourite independent perfumer and why?
I just got back from a show with 19 other indie perfumers.  I can’t think of a more exciting time to be working in the medium.  For the first time, in a long time, perfume is opening up and individuals who are passionate about making perfume are able to do so.  If you’re going it on your own, my hat is off to you!

Synthetic or natural, why?
I love a mix.  Naturals are incredibly interesting and complex on their own.  But there are so many exciting synthetics that offer smells the natural world doesn’t.  I couldn’t choose one over the other.

What constitutes a Smell Bent customer?
Anyone who thinks perfume can and should be fun.

How has your online business developed?
I started with a website and an email.  A friend ran a blog and wrote about me.  I just followed the aspects of businesses I respected- quick-turnaround, personalized service and high quality products at a good price.  I try and keep things as simple as possible.

Smell Bent is renowned for its quirky names and slightly sideways scents, why have you chosen that road?
When I started, I wanted to put me in the work.  And I guess a big part of it is just my personality coming through.  I also think that sometimes perfume takes itself too seriously and I wanted to change that.

Do you wish someday to work for the big end of perfumery, why?
I can’t say where I’ll be or with whom.  I’m gonna stick with smell bent for the foreseeable future.  The company is growing and finding an audience beyond my wildest dreams.

What fragrance, that you have made, do you always refer to in your mind as success, why?
I know which are most loved by my audience – scents like St. Tropez Dispenser or Bollywood of Bust.  I’m loving Short Fuse and Little Miss Panda Gets Lei’d.  But I’m always partial to the last things I’ve done.

What are the 5 most important things you have learned so far that could help budding perfumistas/perfumers?
1.     Start small.
2.     Ask for help.
3.     Don’t be afraid to try something new.
4.     When you’re most afraid of being different than everyone else, just keep going.
5.     Believe in yourself.

Where do you see Smell Bent in 5 years?
I would love to see the business continue to grow.  Every year has been a real adventure for me and I feel incredibly fortunate to be doing what I love.

Told you, Ah May Zing guy. Tomorrow I want to take you through the 4 newbies I’ve been sent to review for you, if you want to check the site before then SMELL BENT <<<JUMP
See you back here tomorrow then,
Portia xx

Photos Stolen Fragrantica

SUNDAY QUICKSNIFF REVIEWS #10

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Hello Perfumistas,

Click here for more graphics and gifs!

Every Monday morning the Sunday QuickSniff Review page is opened and each time I spritz during the week and am near the computer I’ll give a 3 sentence review with a rating out of 5 each for, well, see the key after the reviews. These can be samples I’ve bought or had sent to me by friends, or a FB that I may fully review later, or have done before and want to remind you of its existence. It gives me a lovely Sunday to hang with friends away from the computer, I hope your Sunday is great too.

DZING! by L’ARTISAN PARFUMEUR 1999. On my skin I get warm shiny pleather-ish, dirty hay, play-do, new formica, then a kind of aqueous ginger, something like a recently lifted lotus root, still wet. Then we get back to the plastic, leather and resins with a late showing of caramel. Interesting, but I think I like the way Jacomo Art Collection #2 takes the idea further in a slightly different pentameter. S=*** L=*** D=**

IN BLOOM by REESE WITHERSPOON for AVON 2009. Another from my AVON mate Penny, YOO HOO Gorgeous!! This is an aquatic fruit and white flowers, it’s nothing new or particularly gripping but it is quite pretty. A perfect scent for anything really, totally inoffensive, and the price is great. Amazon has 50ml $12. S=** L=*** D=**

COMME DES GARDCONS EdP 1994. WOW! This opens on me with a huge hit of clove and cardamom, phew! Nearly blew my head off and it is beautiful, maintaining an interesting spice and wood combo for hours that weaves around itself rarely hitting the florals. No wonder this caused such a sensation when released; and is still available.  A 5ml spray decant was on special at ThePerfumedCourt S=**** L=*** D=****

ROUGE by HERMES 2000. Rouge is the reinterpretation of 1984’s Parfum d”Hermes, they have modernised and freshened the old blockbuster in a very palatable way that will probably have outraged the old guard but enticed a younger market. The iris opens cool but it doesn’t take long for the scent to warm up bringing the ylang-ylang and woods in a breathy, sensual mix that already heads towards its spicy amber base, kept inedible by the myrtle green, that lasts around 4 hours till gone. EssentialMall has 50ml under $70 S=**** L=*** D=***


Photo Stolen from shirtsays

Scent, Obviously the number 1 priority here is how does it smell. My reviews are completely subjective and will differ widely from your own experience with the scent but it’s a good starting point. As yet I am not a trained perfumer so any and all descriptions are merely that, descriptions. There are plenty of blogs that offer technical details and chemistry, in 3 sentences I’ll pass.
Longevity, This is a biggie for me because like enfleurage where flower petals are left in fats to steal the scent, my fatty body works the same and eats it up, yum. So for a scent to last well on me, it will probably last a whole day on you and need a radioactive decontamination shower to defuse it from your skin.
Desirabilty, Wrapped up in this is scent, price, house, history, longevity, packaging, availability and a billion other things.

Photo Stolen from bittbox

* in any of these being the, “You couldn’t pay enough to spray this God awful stink on me again, it smells like public toilets in India, long time fridge malfunction while on Summer holiday and the vile stench of poverty all rolled into one.” You are putting innocent people in danger if you wear this.
** means it’s a nothing, wearable, boring, maybe the price is prohibitive for what you get or it’s ubiquitous. You should definitely get a sample of this to stop a buying boo boo.
*** is a perfectly good product that smells good and lasts a while at a decent price. You should definitely think about trying a sample or squirt but should you miss out your life will continue. Sample size worthy.
**** is the one you try, want a lot but can wait for a birthday/Christmas. It’s better than most of the stuff you’ve sniffed and may fill a void in your library. This is also an excellent decant product 5ml will get you through the season and maybe buy it next year.
***** meaning, stop reading this, grab your cash, credit card (or partners), roll the elderly or rob a petrol station and purchase this product. NOW! If you don’t have this fragrance you could die.

The sniffing around your house been good? What have you tried and how did you rate it?

Portia xx

Wild Ginger Chai by SOIVOHLE Winner Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Hey All,

I have a full day of Liz Zorn and SOIVOHLE coming up soon but I received an order from them and can’t stop spraying myself with Wild Ginger Chai, then I come to review it and its been finished. No mention on the website, and I only bought 11ml thinking I would be sensible for a change.

STOP PRESS, false alarm!!! No not gone but that part of the site is currently down. Liz just return emailed about my query and said it will be back up July 24, with the release of some new stuff. Yippeee! If you want to be kept in the SOIVOHLE loop here is a JUMP to their Facebook Page. Which will also give you links to their blog updates.

I love the queer start, like it’s going to be a hot stinking mess. As it opens on my skin the ginger and vanilla seem to grind against each other for the first 5 or so minutes like rubbing corduroy the wrong way, not a bad feeling, just unexpected. When the honey floats through the shape of this masterpiece begins show itself. Really masterpiece you ask? I have had this on me at some point during the last 4 days, 2 of those days I wore nothing else. OMG!! So I don’t get a tea like the Bvlgari’s, but there is a jasmine/orange blossom like lactonic note here and the spicy milk accord does nod vigorously towards the smell of chai being cooked out of the milk in India, which is a totally different smell to ours, there is also still a quiet kick of ginger right through but like a gingerbread man, slightly doughy. Wild Ginger Chai continues to grow and change, but not distinctly, as it fades away to a soft and wearable sweetish vanilla This all takes around 4-5 hours till I completely lose the ability to smell it. Cor! It is soooo good. Excuse me while I respritz.

Wild Ginger Chai Soivohle for women and menPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica said,
Wild Ginger Chai by Soivohle is an Aromatic Spicy fragrance for women and men…launched in 2012….and features vanilla, tea, honey and spices.

MAKING TRUE CHAI
Indians bring the water to the boil in a saucepan on the stove, throw in their tea leaves, sugar/honey and special tea spice mix (called Chai Masala) to taste, every home is different. As the water changes colour they add milk, I prefer quite a bit, then let the mix almost boil again and it’s ready. Strain into cups and serve with warm biscuits, yummy. Surprisingly, Indians drink this in all seasons, even the hottest part of summer.

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Our giveaway was open to blog followers only this week, we are now well over the 100 followers mark so I decided to add an extra little prize for our 100th follower, COOL huh? Thank you to all our contestants, so glad you all jumped on board for this one.

You were all put on a paper, folded, put on a plate and picked by Jin (repeating; this was not a game of chance, you had to be a blog follower and tell us your fave post this week). Here’s what was on offer for the major prize

5ml decant spray Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf
3ml decant spray Beloved by Amouage
2ml manufacturers sample Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens
1ml sample vial Fleur de Glace by Olympic Orchids
1ml manufacturers sample Outspoken by Fergie for Avon
P&H anywhere in the world

All measurements are approximate

For our 100th follower we have 2 things I love and 2 that were meh! I hope you like them all.

2ml decant spray Gujarat by Olympic Orchids
2ml decant spray Commes Des Garcons EdP
1ml manufacturers sample Honey Blossom by The Beehive
1ml manufacturers sample In Bloom by Reese Witherspoon for AVON
P&H anywhere in the world

All measurements are approximate

Photo Stolen propercourse

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY- Laniersmith

100th FOLLOWER- anutu13

You have till Wednesday July 18 9pm Australian EST to get in touch with your addresses so I can send these off. PM me on Twitter @OzPerfumeJunkie or Facebook Portia Turbo-Gear If you don’t I’ll give your prize to someone else.

Photo Stolen bitrebels

Thank all for coming around, I have a special thank you video. It’s just a bunch of Brazilian male models saying Hola. Do please enjoy,
Much love and highest hopes for your health, wealth and happiness,
Portia xx

Allure Homme by Jacques Polge for Chanel 1999

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hello Fragrant Fraternity,

HOORAY!! Go check out my Guest Spot on the PERFUME POSSE! It’s a super fun story of helping a mate choose his new fragrance.

ENTER the THURSDAY GIVEAWAY too. It’s a super dooper grab bag this week.

How lucky am I? A friend of mine was given this and made open the box and spray at his party, couldn’t stand it and couldn’t return it either. Full bottle to Portia!! Woo Hoo! Up to this point I had been unaware of Allure Homme but was expecting a big Chanel base with some spice, WRONG!


Photo Stolen Fragrantica

On me the opening citrus burst is quite overwhelming, and I can already smell a bit of bakery like the first cut of an orange souffle. Though it is in your face it still manages to be warm, mellow and cuddly, like a well dressed, freshly pressed Dad. The beginning of the floral heart is not at all as I expected, the geranium keeps it sharp and green, it feels a bit like some herbs have been left off the note list, with a warm background. Then the fragrance fades to a near nothing, if I stick my head down my shirt I can smell it but it is so close to the skin and sillageless that I feel unperfumed. Every so often though I get a huff of it and am completely transported because what little there is is gorgeous, heartbreaking. I want the world to smell how good this is. It lasts in this non perfumed state for ages, maybe 6 more hours and goes through a slightly leather/vanilla that is great, I know it’s not in the notes but to my nose (which is not always on point) there is leather. The sandalwood is adding butter to the amberish vanilla too. Such a lovely fragrance and well deserving of your attention but it is no big head turner. Only the people very close, and you. will even know that it’s not your own skin that smells so good.

Fragrantica gives these notes:
Top: Mandarin, lemon, peach and bergamot
Middle: Freesia, geranium, rose and jasmine
Base: Benzoin, tonka, sandalwood and vanilla

The NowSmellThis crew were unimpressed and I couldn’t find another review on the first 2 pages of google.

I hope you go and try Allure Homme, it is an excellent work, dinner, after the gym or sex date scent, especially the last. You can’t over apply Allure Homme because it’s such a quiet body fragrance. Another great thing is, you can pass by any Chanel counter and get a spritz for free.

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

I know this is for the sport model but I love this making of video, it’s better than the ad.

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 36 Comments

Hi gang,

We’ve had a couple of weeks off the Thursday Giveaway because I was over it. Now it’s back. This giveaway is open to anyone who follows the AustralianPerfumeJunkies blog.

What do you have to do to win? Easy! Just tell us which of the posts this week was your favourite. We’ll go through and randomly pick one. This is not a game of chance, you must answer the question to fulfill the criteria, but it’s not a writing contest either. Got it?

You have till around 10pm Saturday July 14 Australian EST. Should we not hear from the winner in a week we will give the prize to someone else. Fair enough? You bet!

Here’s what’s on offer:

5ml decant spray Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf
3ml decant spray Beloved by Amouage
2ml manufacturers sample Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens
1ml sample vial Fleur de Glace by Olympic Orchids
1ml manufacturers sample Outspoken by Fergie for Avon
P&H anywhere in the world

All measurements are approximate because they’ve been used as review samples

I love to do giveaways. It’s the only way I have of saying Thank You physically. We are so glad that you come back so often and read our mad passion for fragrance. When you like, follow or comment we do little air pumps and there are high 5s all round. Every time we reach a goal it is BIG news here.

Our next goal is to have 100 people following the blog. We aren’t far off but would love your help. How can you help? Well, you can follow us yourself, tell your friends about us and ask them to follow if they’re interested, facebook, tweet or retweet our updates and posts. That would be AWESOME!

Much love and wishing you only the good stuff you wish yourselves,
Portia XOX

PS Pictures Stolen lavanyasrecipes and kbaird

Songes by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2005

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Hoya Perfumistas!

Yes, I have spoken about Annick Goutal (1948-99) before. We have done days of the Annick Goutal bio and fragrance story (Bio, Frag#1, Frag#2, Frag #3; <<< jump back) and I have used some of the same words here because they are as true now as then (they are in italics).

Photo Stolen fanpop

Songes EdT was my first Annick Goutal FBW fragrance. When the sample arrived I loved it so much I sprayed it on all and sundry till it ran dry just so they could experience the enormous grand white floral opening. What a fragrance! Designed around a dusk ramble on Camille Goutal’s honeymoon and the frangipani’s nighttime scent song of dreams.

Songes means dreams and I think it is an interesting choice of a name for a fragrance built around the scent of frangipani at dusk. It opens so full and spectacularly, not dreamy at all. White flowers pumping out their glorious, decadent fragrance. White night flowers have something so special and glorious that whenever I put this voluptuous fragrance on I almost swoon with delight. A bold fragrance, with solid strength and sillage, unlike most AG perfumes Songes has excellent lasting power too. From spritz to gone is around 4-6 hours for me depending on my day. Along with the flowers I get lovely inedible vanilla, almost amber-ish, and a soft incense note that I’ve never noticed before but this morning I was burning incense and here it is repeated. Halfway through there is a very human element that comes and goes, like clean mouth breath. The whole time I’ve been wearing this my mind keeps saying, “Oh, this is lovely, why don’t I wear this more often?” It’s now got fridge front and centre.


Photo Stolen from escentual-com

The Annick Goutal website says

The twilight in Tahiti, transcending into a inspiring combination of frangipani and tiare flowers.
Creation date : 2005
Olfactory family : Floral, oriental, amber 
(Frangipani, Tiare flower, Sambac jasmine absolute, ylang-ylang absolute, olibanum, French vanilla absolute, sandalwood, amber)

The Perfume Shrine  and NowSmellThis do excellent reviews and Fragrantica for notes and accords.

I have enjoyed bringing you Songes again, do you have a favourite Annick Goutal fragrance? Which one and why?
Portia xx