Scent Diary: 6.11 – 12.11.2017

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Portia

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Hello APJ Crew,

So much fragrance this week. A real cross section of my collection. Everything else has been happily low key. I enjoy the cessation of our usual madness for a week of calm and peaceful. There were still friends, food and fun. It was Melbourne Cup week and spring has definitely sprung around here.

Scent Diary: 6.11 – 12.11.2017

Monday 6:

Sat up watching The Good Wife till 2.30am munching on chocolate and chips. I know, NAUGHTY! It was gloriously relaxing though. Before I hit the hay a sneaky spritz from a decant of Montale Aoud Amber Rose, guess what? It smells like a jammy rose, synth oud and some treacly thick amber. Fairly disgusting and fun, I like it. Certainly cleared my head of any other thoughts before sleep.

Today I went and got the dogs back from the trainer, they were pretty happy to see me. As I arrived to collect them the heavens opened up and it bucketed down. Now my car smells like wet, happy dogs. Not the worst smell in the world but it is persistent.

This morning I spritzed with Miller et Bertaux A Quiet Morning. It’s a niche-y saffron/woods affair and I love it.

In the afternoon Jin and I went to look at a house we want to buy. It’s pretty darn good. Now we need to make sure our ducks are all lined up. Fingers crossed.

Then Jin went to work and I watched MORE The Good Wife till Trivia Q&A time.

Lez Nez Turtle Vetiver Front from a decant was my spritz de nuit. Loving it sick. Mechanical grass at its finest.

Tuesday 7:

Tuesday morning and I’ve been up since just past dark. I’m bathed and shaved. The dogs are fed and walked. It’s jacaranda time here in Sydney. I was in a hurry this morning so I didn’t walk to the shot of the purple lined boulevard but here’s a single specimen, blooming like crazy.

Today is Melbourne Cup in Australia, the race that stops a nation. What else would I be wearing than Parfum d’Empire Equistrius.

Just started doing my face for my daytime gig for the big event. It’s going to be a bit sweaty in our humid spring heat. GAK! Day drag is so gruesome.

Obviously we had a ball. 90 people, a band, me, buffet, booze and loads of silliness. Anna-Maria and husband Johnny were there, which made it extra special.

Came home, undressed and lay on my bed in a full face of make up till it was time to get going to Parramatta RSL for Turbo Trivia. We had a ball but my feet are SO SORE!

After a full day and night in drag I came home bushed. Straight into a bath I plonked then decided on Guerlain Santal Royal as my evening fragrance.

Jin and I went grocery shopping. Now I am going to bed, falling asleep at the computer.

Wednesday 8:

Bloody delivery woke me up. I’m up doing a little computer catching up but going back to bed for an hours snooze. Sneaky decant spritz of Ramon Monegal Agar Musk.

Evan came over today and helped me decant the Tom Ford Tobacco Oud. Currently I, the house, the street and the suburb are awash in this wonderful fragrance. Not very oud-ish though, sweet and creamy. So wearable.

Here we are for the Instagram crew @the.hug.project showing happy hug bliss.

Had a lovely nap in the afternoon with Paris. We cuddled up and slept for nearly 2 hours.

Jin and I went for dinner at a nearby Indian place. Food was excellent and as neither of us were very hungry we shared and entree, main and rice with a garlic naan each. HEAVEN!

Sorry I forgot to take pics today.

Thursday 9:

O M G! Suddenly;y it’s 5.30am and I’ve been watching The Good Wife for hours. Heavily spritzed Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon and off to bed.

Walking the dogs this morning I noticed this Crepe Myrtle trunk looking like a Van Gogh painting in the early morning sun.

This is my happy view from the back of the pack most mornings. Jin was with us today and his boy Jinx was really pleased.

Worked tonight and wore James Heeley Esprit du Tigre. I thought I smelled amazing but no one noticed.

Got home from work and there was this glorious smelling bunch of Muraya (faux orange) in a little vase on my desk. I have been so engrossed in other stuff I missed it but the smell was overpowering and I thought I’d broken a BWF vial or decant. It is intoxicating. Jin is such a nice man sometimes; what a thoughtful thing to do. Yeah, I feel pretty lucky.

Friday 10:

Up with the birds. Fed and walked the dogs. Spritzed a LOT of Guerlain Vetiver. It’s soft dry green-ness with a hint of salty oil and a cozy fur dry down were perfect for todays warmth.

Jumped a bus and train on my way to Sydney City.

Met with the Accountant this morning. It was FAR less dramatic than I expected. PHEW!

Lunch and a wander around the NSW Art Gallery with Rose. She’s such good company.

Then we went to David Jones Food Hall and had some fabulous Cheeses, Fruit, Bread & Biscuits and Proscuito with a very nice Prosecco.

Home to walk the dogs quickly and found these lovelies from LuckyScent. I had a fun cyber shopping moment a week or so ago.

Off then back out the door to meet three generations of Chaloners. Mum, Eve and Lola. We had a rushed dinner with a star appearance by Jin and then the four of us went and saw Murder On The Orient Express. Sumptuous but ultimately Kenneth Branagh ruined what could have been a fun frolic. He was so annoying that I found myself drifting off.

Saturday 11:

SIX YEARS with Jin. Yes, today is our Anniversary. I was going to take him to a super luxe fine dining restaurant where we would spend a fortune to eat tiny portions of God-knows-what overlooking Sydney’s magnificent harbour. Then I got to thinking about Jin. He is not really that guy. I’m sure he would enjoy the experience but then on the way home he’d make me stop for a burger at McDonalds because he’d still be hungry. Then I thought we could do our favourite Korean BarBQ but it just didn’t feel special enough.

We have mates who own and run a fantastic seafood restaurant in Darling Harbour, Blue Fish. Jin loves seafood and it’s on the water looking across at Sydney CBD. Not expensive but good food served attractively.

I’ll pick him up after work. We can get a train and then wander down to Darling Harbour as the sun sets, which shimmers off the city buildings and water. We’ll have a cocktail at one of the bars then slowly meander to a late-ish dinner and I’ve asked if they’ll do a Happy Anniversary dessert plate.

Hopefully the night will feel like a delicious but low key event full of love.

What else for a special night but a LUSH Rose Jam bubble bath and Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur. I will be a spicy rose delight.

I’m pleased to tell you the night was a success. We had Daiquiris, Seafood, Creme Brûlée on a Happy Anniversary plate. The weather was perfect and we sat by the water watching the world go by and chatting amiably. It was exactly the way we like it, low key but fun and yummy. Best of all we were together.

Sunday 12:

Lazy day around the house. Jin was up and off to work by 4am.

Walked the dogs for an hour and bumped into locals I know along the way, it was a beautiful sunshiny morning.

Came home and did some laundry, computer stuff etc

At 11am I found myself hungry and there was a banana in the bowl. All I’d had so far was a large glass of 50/50 cranberry juice and water when I awoke. This banana was so perfect. Sweet like candy, not too soft, large enough to satisfy. YUMMY!

In honour of my delicious banana I went and grabbed some Guerlain Mahora and spritzed lavishly. MMMMMMMMM The ylang has such banana and I’m wafting it joyfully.

Had a Niki de Saint Phalle bubble bath and used Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely fragrance for work tonight. Excellent fit for a cool spring evening.

 

So what’s happening in your world? Did you do anything Fun or Fragrant, with Friends and Family or maybe even had some less than Fabulous news you want to share? Now’s the time, in the comments below.
We love to read what’s happening to YOU.
Portia xx

Saturday Question: What Do Family And Friends Think Of Your Perfume Obsession?

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.

Last Weeks Winner: Sadly we didn’t hit 100

eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.

Saturday Question:

What Do Family And Friends Think Of Your Perfume Obsession?

A particular longtime friends discovery of my addiction and subsequent question this week got me thinking. I’m pretty sure that loads of our friends and families think we are fully bonkers and are flummoxed by our irrational perfume (and often all things fragrant) hoarding collecting. Do you mainly get intrigue, outrage, bewilderment, support, drama or any kind of reaction to your passion? What are some of the hilarious, upsetting, ridiculous or damning reactions that you have met while being part of this amazing world trend?

The hoarde in 2013

My Answer:

My perfume obsession has baffled so many friends and family through the years. Fortunately Mum was always very supportive of all my quirks and wrapped it all up into a huge blanket of acceptance. I think her laissez faire attitude of do what you want but don’t hurt anyone rubbed off and set me up well to deal with and ignore the worlds need to have people work and live within parameters.

Most of my mates have known me to get very involved in whatever takes my fancy at a given time and are quietly surprised fragrance has lasted so many decades in all different levels and forms. Having discovered the online perfume worked, the boards, blogs, niche stores and discounters I became a man obsessed. It was around this time that Jin and I watched the film  Julie and Julia and the pilot light burst into a bonfire and then a conflagration.As Australian Perfume Junkies started my reach and scope became instantly much broader and suddenly I had access to the world. The blog has added a sheen of respectability to my outrageous frag spending and continued my trajectory of try and buy.

Jin doesn’t have anything but support for my habit, though he sometimes wishes we could land in a city without me having a bunch of frag meetings organised. My mates are intrigued and I’ve made a plethora of new friends too.

Last week a guy who I worked in bars with through the 1990s and have remained mates with got in touch and gave me some of his current loves and fave notes and asked for recommendations. I gave him 10 from across the price board. He was disbelieving at some of the prices but happy for the info.

My Saturday Question to you is:

What Do Family And Friends Think Of Your Perfume Obsession?

 

 

LuckyScent Sample Shopping Haul

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Portia

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Hi there APJ,

Somehow the day got away from me. Dog Walks, Meetings, Lunch, Art, Afternoon Tea, Dinner and a Movie (Murder On The Orient Express).

While I was doing all this I had a VERY exciting box arrive from a recent Retail Therapy Session at LuckyScent. Con’t wait to get my sniff on these beauties.

LuckyScent Sample Shopping Haul

Histoires de Parfums Sample Set

J F Schwarzlose Sample Set

LuckyScent November Sample set

Atelier Cologne Cafe Tuberose

GWP Parfum de Nicolai Patchouli Sublime and some extra Samples.

Thanks LuckyScent

What came in your mailbox this week?
Portia xx

Grenats by Keiko Mecheri

Hiya Happy Huffers,

Here is an interesting thing, depending on where I read I learn that Grenats, or Grenades on some sites, was created by either Gabriela Domecq or Yann Vasnier in 2001 or 2005. GOSH! I love it when there is a mystery.

From First In Fragrance: Les Parfums Keiko Mecheri
Born in Atami, Japan, Keiko Mecheri was originally an artist and through painting found her way to the world of fragrances. With her partner, Kemal Mecheri she founded in the 1990s the “Bazaar des Senteurs” where they produced perfumed toiletries and candles. “Les Parfums Keiko Mecheri” was created in 1997 in Beverly Hills, California.

Grenats by Keiko Mecheri

Grenats Keiko Mecheri FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Pomegranate, citruses, pomegranate rind, rose, angelica, musk

OK, so I don’t understand why Greats doesn’t get more love. It’s not a blockbuster but a sexy stealth frag. It’s all green, fruits and musk with a softly spicy rose. Pretty is the wrong word for it but one that keeps popping into my mind. It’s an unsweet, in modern terms, rose/citrus. Why aren’t non perfumistas buying this by the bucketload. It reminds me of the feel that the softer DIOR Prive fragrances have. Very luxurious, quiet but insistent, elegant sweet nothings.

Not as tart as pomegranate seeds but with the lightly dry bite of pomegranate juice and melding seamlessly with the bright sparkle of citruses. The musk is pithy and plush, fluffy and whipped and a watercolour wash of green keeps Grenats interesting without being intrusive.

Loads of people love the laundry fresh scents and if you don’t then this burst of sunshine just might turn you around. It’s better, more glam than the others in the genre and perfectly wearable at all times.

Grenats by Keiko Mecheri fresh laundry 113images PixabayPDI

From LuckyScent: Vivid, fresh and sparkling, this pomegranate based scent is for the free spirit. If you’ve banished the blow-out and revel in your curls, if you feel comfortable mixing the wispiest vintage blouse with the toughest leather belt, if you are ginger ale in a diet cola world – this one is for you. Clean, light and utterly charming.  

Further reading: From Pyrgos
Essenza Nobile has €149/75ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Where do you stand on Grenats? Love it? Hate it? Never bothered with it?
Portia xx

SOTD 6 – 12 November 2017

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

I see these SOTD (Scent Of The Day) threads all the time on Facebook and they are really good conversation generators.

SOTD 6 – 12 November 2017

The idea is you’ll chime in through the week with whatever scent you are wearing. You don’t need to be super knowledgable, have high faluting tastes or be a published author to comment. Just tell us what fragrance you’re wearing, smelling, buying etc.

You probably won’t have time to write every scent, every spritz but whenever you feel the mood take you share your current spritz and a few things about it. Maybe you love/loathe it, want it, are excited by the notes/bottle/SA who sold it: WHATEVER! As always here at APJ, taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

Over 100 responses I will draw a Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)
This week:
Guerlain Mitsouko EdT
Pharrell Williams Girl
The Different Company Oriental Lounge
Vintage Fendi original
Vintage YSL Opium EdT
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Sunday.

We didn’t get 100 responses last week so no winner.

 

Go To It Crew.
Portia xxx

Scent Diary: 30.10 – 5.11.2017

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Portia

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Hey Hey APJ,

Another action packed week starting in Adelaide and coming home via Indian Pacific. A large Surrender To Chance order came before we left so I have been trying a bunch of those.

Scent Diary: 30.10 – 5.11.2017

Monday 30:

We got up nice and early. Trying a new decant of Perfumerie Generale PG08 Intrigant Patchouli. This is weird. I can barely smell it but Jin complained of it being particularly strong and irritating. Bummer.

Coffee & doughnut breakfast, then went to the Adelaide Zoo. the ONE thing I wanted to do was go see the zoo here. They are Australia’s smallest state zoo but have a really good reputation. We joined a guided tour and it was bloody wonderful. Our guide Jo had been guiding for 10 years and knew so much. She was also totally at ease with answering, “I don’t know.” A perfectly respectable response.

Pygmy Hippo

Otters

Wombat

Meerkat

Emperor Tamarind

Giant Panda

Japanese for lunch. YUMMY!

Lazy

Early evening dinner at Parlamento Italian. I asked the front desk woman to recommend and she didn’t disappoint. Food was excellent, ENORMOUS portions and we couldn’t finish our meals, the pic below is the left overs we just could not eat. Then we went and had a flutter on the roulette wheels at the casino. Jin lost his $20 and I won a bit and played it down to my original $20. It was a perfect last night in Adelaide.

Walked to our hotel and now I’m bushed. Shower, CHANEL No 19 vintage parfum and bed.

Tuesday 31:

Up and off to the station. Over the soft remnants of No 19 I gave myself a lavish couple of spritzes of Amouage Beach Hut Man from my nearly empty decant. This shit is fabulously freaky, especially on a train journey.

Thankfully they provided breakfast and refreshments. I may have had some sneaky champagnes.

Tom McArtney was our terminal entertainment and then he came on board for more.

On board the Indian Pacific from Adelaide to Sydney.

We were running late so had only a 25 minute stop in Broken Hill. We were really bummed because having been a part of and cameoed in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert we really wanted to go to the Palace Hotel and see a Drag Show. It was not to be but we did get an On Station Drag Show. One of the girls, Shelita Buffet, was my lost sister draggleganger. The resemblance is uncanny.

In the evening we had a rare treat. Jin and I got the dinner table to ourselves, it was sweet and romantic. Jin is a complete introvert when it comes to new people. Combine his English as second language with a natural shyness and conversation is very hard for him. Once you get to know him he’s garrulous but initially he finds its very hard. So this twosome breakfast with no need to converse with new people was a dream for him.

Wednesday 1:

Wearing Phaedon Tabac Rouge from a decant. The more I wear it the more I’m falling in love.

We disembarked at Sydney Central Station and caught another train home. A fitting end to the most romantic holiday, it was blissful. We are already talking about getting a group together and doing the whole Perth to Sydney leg of the Indian Pacific. Well worth the expense.

Did four loads of washing and had to stop because the clothes line is FULL! I even dried the towels and bed linen in the dryer but still no space left. Jin’s clothes are all washed and hung, some of mine are but my suitcase is not yet emptied. Hopefully tomorrow.

Had an afternoon Radox bubble bath and then used Hermès Monsieur Li lotion and perfume. Smelling mighty good in a fresh citrus and sparkly oil kinda way.

Thursday 2:

I woke lazily, at my leisure, with a wonderful while of half awake/asleep like rising from the depths. It was luxurious in the extreme. Jin has gone to work early and I have the house to myself. It’s so peaceful.

In the mood for calm I went with IUNX Splash Forte. Olivia Giacometti at her herbal/incense best, sheer and insistent. Very glam but cool and restrained. Yes, I’m still on the dregs of this 20ml, I’ll need a refill soon. You can see by the bottles beat up appearance that it gets used for travelling. Stayed softly fragrant right up until bath time.

I thought I was nearly through the washing but it ended up being 4 loads including linens. So I folded yesterdays washing and started again. It took 4 hours and I basically sat at the computer between loads to hang and loafed all morning into the early afternoon. Hard to complain about such a lovely easy day. My bag is unpacked and back in its wardrobe home and there’s not a piece of dirty laundry in the house.

OK, so back to reality, back to dying my beard. I do prefer it black, especially for work, but deep down I’m a lazy person. This is 20 minutes extra grooming ritual each week. Yes, that’s how lazy I am. Sheesh, I’m even disgusted at myself.

Had a lovely bath in Olympic Orchids Amber/Labdanum Bath Oil, Moisturised with Madonna Truth or Dare Lotion and spritzed lavishly with Anna Sui Live Your Dreams. The amber and tuberose base gives live Your dreams a much firmer base to stand on. YUM!

Work tonight was only 2/3 full and we had a new table that really didn’t like my potty mouth, my gayness or my flamboyance. Oh well, if I was holding out for universal approbation I would have a pretty long wait. I looked fabulous though.

Friday 3:

Had stuff to do but most of it got cancelled. Jin and I had our waxing done in the morning then I loafed around watching The Good wife and eating far too much food.

Heavily spritzed Guerlain Champs Elysees and floated majestically on clouds of fresh and cool airy violets with lashings of spring bulb leaves, fruit and white muskegs dry down.

Went for dinner with Kath and her Ma & Pa, that I share. It was fun.

For bedtime I multi spritzed Neela Vermeire Creations Pichola, I wanted similar but much more sophisticated.

Saturday 4:

Stayed up watching The Good Wife. Thoroughly addicted and never want to press stop and go to bed. NOTHING is getting dome around here. Next weeks blog may be a little sketchy. Oooopsie!

Woke up around 10am, Jin and I are going to an Auction up the street. We would have bid but I still haven’t got all my financials together for the mortgage lender. Yes, my bad.
WOW! We went, there were about 8 groups there and not one registered. ZERO bids. The Sydney property market has shown its plunging hand.

Drenched in L’Artisan Premier Figuier. Milky fig. Happy memories of Jin and my first big holiday together. We travelled through Europe and in Budapest I purchased Premier Fig. Never fails to bring a smile. To be honest I rarely wear it because Ashoka and Womanly seem to be my go-to figs but I’m so glad I grabbed it out today.

Tonight went to work raising money for the One Meal group. It’s an amazing crew that makes sure people living on the line or in real poverty get one healthy meal a week. They are spread across Sydney and hoping to go Australia wide. One good meal a week can make a big difference. There were 250 people in the room tonight and Rita, Marijana, Cathy and their mate produced it all, amazing. We raised over $19,000 and it feels good.

Perfect for controlling a huge horde, Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin. Sweet, jammy roses with a tart, dry bite.

Watched more episodes of The Good Wife and spritzed Parfumerie Generales Ether des Lilas, ozonic lilies? Dunno, weird, wet and gorgeous.

Sunday 5:

Woke up late and came straight to the computer answering APJ comments. Gave myself a big triple spritz of vintage Miss Dior parfum. So good, MMMMM.

Jin is currently on night shift so when he woke up we hung out for a bit. It was nice. Then I came back to the computer.

Had a bath with one of the hotel shower gels I’ve collected on my travels. It’s a very pretty green floral with vanilla. So to compliment that I’m wearing a luscious, chunky caramel vanilla Eau d’Italie Morn to Dusk. So rich and perfect for cool spring evenings.

 

So what’s happening in your world? Did you do anything Fragrant, Fun, Friends, Family or even had some less than Fabulous news you want to share? Now’s the time, in the comments below.
We love to read what’s happening to YOU.
Portia xx

Saturday Question: What Are Your Favourite Fragrance Styles?

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.

Last Weeks Winner: Bernadette Winfield Gray

eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.

Saturday Question:

What Are Your Favourite Fragrance Styles?

There are so many styles of perfume. Floral, Aquatic, Woody, Fougere, Oriental, Citrus etc. Plus there are piggy back groups like Woody Floral Musk or Aromatic Green. I have a few groups that I particularly gravitate towards and I’m sure you do too. Let’s question our own faves today and share,

My Answer:

 

Chypre:

From the bright citrus top to the furry, bitter oakmoss/leather/patchouli depths I love Chypres. They are so understated, dark and mysterious. Interesting because they stand apart yet somehow they make me feel at ease. A dry, calm waft of reason. Try wearing a Chypre when you are wandering an art gallery, everything becomes instantly more poignant, deeper, personal.

From Le Gallon Sang Bleu, Oriza L Legrand Relique d’Amour, Bottega Veneta EdP (I thought this was a leather), Cacharel Liberté and Aedes de Venustas EdP to the historical Deneuve, Miss Dior, Aromatics Elixir, Ungaro DIVA, Guerlain Sous le Vent, Robert Piguet Bandit, Niki de Saint Phalle, Paloma Picasso and CHANEL Pour Monsieur the chypre has long been something I loved. Some of my favourite chypres end up being classified under other groups, which is bloody annoying.

 

Floral Green:

Green with the added levity of flowers. This is a broad spectrum, some of which I would put in the chypre pile. Nevertheless, Fragrantica puts them here. From the galbanum rich end and the mossy dry downs to the sweeping majesty of the floral with a hint of green. From aloof to prim, austere to pleasantly engaging they all call me. Different moods and weathers call for a different hint of whatever each fragrance holds personal in its fragrant folds.

CHANEL No 19, Jacomo Silences, Robert Piguet Futur, Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Jasminora, Byredo Green, Estee Lauder Private Collection, Naomi Goodsir Nuit de Bakelite and Nicolai Parfumeur Le Temps d’une Fête are just a few of the floral Green collection I own.

 

Oriental:

Oriental was the first real fragrant love of my life. Vanilla with resinous overtones in almost any combination and with most additives work for my psyche and my skin. You want to see me go Ga-Ga over a scent on first application, show me a new, beautiful Oriental.

Guerlain Shalimar and Oriental Brulant, Caron Bellodgia, Amouage Library Collection Opus IX, DIOR Privée Amber Nuit, Hermès L`Ambre des Merveilles, Art Collection by Jacomo #02, L’Artisan L’Eau d’Ambre, MFK Grand Soir and Huitième Art Collection Ambre Céruléen are a smattering of the bottles here in the oriental range.

My Saturday Question to you is: What Are Your Favourite Fragrance Styles?

 

 

Au Bord de L’eau by Fabrice Pellegrin for L`Artisan Perfumer 2017

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Portia

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Hi there Punsters,

Just so you know Au Bord de L’eau means “At the water’s edge”. It’s not a joke on the way it sounds when I say it, A Bordello. Or is it? That is the top of my mind now that I’ve seen the name written as a heading on my WordPress editing board. Yep, I am an 11 year old boy hiding in a 49 year old drag queens body.

It’s been interesting to see the new directions L’Artisan has forged since the Puig buyout. While not totally sold on the kooky animal head lid set I do love a couple of the new Natura Fabularis privée line, 32 Venenum and 9 Arcana Rosa. Haven’t smelled them all yet but those two were very nice.

Au Bord de L’eau by L`Artisan Perfumer 2017

Au Bord de L’eau by Fabrice Pellegrin

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Bergamot, lemon, violet, musk, orange blossom, rosemary

Sharp citrus opens, it’s tart and lip puckering at first then mellows quickly into a sweet and fizzy version of itself. Orange blossom and musk keep the journey into the heart of the fragrance smooth. Refreshing, without all the modern wet or cucumber tropes. The orange blossom is only ever so slightly breathy, mainly it is clean and suede-ishly plush. There is something of a summer storm about Au Bord de L’eau, all bright and light and then a cooling, breath of wind rushing ahead of the clouds. The fragrance cools just a little.

Au Bord de L'eau L`Artisan Parfumeur Vincent_van_Gogh_-_Landscape_from_Saint-Rémy WikiMediaWikiMedia

A green herbaceousness creeps in and makes everything interesting. It could well be rosemary but it has no rosemary smell as I know it. Certainly doesn’t speak to me of the bush or on potatoes and lamb, honestly I would be more inclined to call it a smooth basil scent but that could easily be the way everything, especially the iris, has been placed around it. No matter what it is I think you’ll find Au Bord de L’eau a very easy wear, spritz and respritz summer fave that will take you from board room to dinner date comfortably.

Au Bord de L'eau L`Artisan Parfumeur Rosemary WikiMediaWikiMedia

For a cologne style the longevity is quite good and on clothes it is tenacious.

Just to be clear, Au Bord de L’eau doesn’t smell like A Bordello at all.

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Love To Smell
Sweet Fern has $189/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples from $3.89/ml

Are you excited by the new things Puig is doing with the L’Artisan range?
Portia xx

Khanbaliq by Enrico Buccella for Sigilli 2013

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Portia

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Hello lovers of Underrated Fragrances,

Somehow Sigilli has slipped through the cracks. The fragrances mainly come from the early 2000s but Khanbaliq was released in 2013, it’s the most modern offering from the house and not all of the fragrances are available on the Sigilli website anymore.

Jin and I discovered the brand in Venice on our first big holiday together. There is a maze of shops behind the Piazza San Marco and somewhere in there is an extremely well stocked little perfumery, run by two sisters. I purchased Pyrgos at that time but since have wished that I grabbed a couple of others.

Khanbaliq by Sigilli 2013

Khanbaliq by Enrico Buccella

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bitter orange, ginger, cinnamon, coriander
Heart: Cloves, plum, fir, pine tree, peony
Base: Peony, violet, ambergris

Spicy oranges and a slightly bitter chocolate smell. Pine and my nose is telling me patchouli, a breathy and earthy smelting that could be the ambergris. A weird dissonant herbaceous green and mentholated woodiness wars with the citrus and fruits. It’s an interesting fragrant contrapuntal effect. Unusual without being challenging, straight through the heart.

PDI

 

My surprise in Khanbaliq is that while projection is not enormous it is still very good at changing the smell around me. It also fills the room when I leave and return. Insidious, it seems to march off my skin and try to fragrantly populate whatever area i’m in.

A really good nod to some older fragrances. Breathy indole, some animals and a beautiful bouquet tempered by greenery. I am surprised there are no white flowers mentioned because Khanbaliq gives the feeling they are in there somewhere.  Though the nod is to vintage I feel that it may be the clarion call of a style we are about to see i the fragrant world. A return to having some ass in our fragrances.

WikiMedia

According to Wikipedia: Khanbaliq (or Dadu) was the capital of the Yuan dynasty, the main center of the Mongol Empire founded by Kublai Khan in what is now Beijing.

First In Fragrance has €95/100ml
Surrender To Chance have samples from $3.50/ml

Beach Hut Man by Elise Benat for Amouage 2017

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Portia

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Hi there Niche Nerds,

When I heard the name Beach Hut Man I laughed out loud. Not because it’s funny but because I was so surprised. The new direction that Amouage is going in is interesting. No one can say that Christopher Chong is afraid of change, experimentation or surprise. Having built up a stable of hefty, Arabic inspired, gloriously fabulous perfumes in the Amouage house he then moved to produce the Library series. They took me a while to get but others were much faster learners. Now he is bringing The Midnight Flower Collection which started with Bracken.

Beach Hut Man by Amouage 2017

Beach Hut Man by Elise Benat

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mint, orange blossom, galbanum
Heart: Vetiver, moss, ivy
Base: Myrrh, patchouli, woody note

interesting, like a chic mint patty being eaten while sitting on the damp grass under a tree near the compost heap. There’s also a note I’m smelling quite a lot in modern niche that is woody, warm and slightly electric. It’s a funny note because it jumps over everything else for me, thank goodness I really like it. Something warm and cosy about sit yet largely space age. Maybe it’s the idea of the smell of burning sand and baking driftwood?

Beach Hut Man Amouage wreck_wood_metal_rusted_weathered_decay_beach PXHerePDI

I really like how Beach Hut Man smells. It has this electro mint thing, a green, dank, earthy space smell and this weird woody/salty/glassy smell. Interesting.

One thing it doesn’t smell is finished. There felt like no synchronicity was ever reached, no full melding and blending of the parts. It’s like they are warring factions, unresolved and unhappy to be in the same perfume. I’m no perfumer, or even a real connoisseur, but Beach Hut Man smells slightly lazy and/or amateur to me. (Ducks) It smells like a newly minted indie frag, a boundary pusher, a slap. It in no way smells like a super smooth finished product from a mass-tige brand sold in department stores. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. It’s raw, a bit rough, weird and eminently wearable.

Beach Hut Man Amouage beach pivabayPDI

Will I wear my decant? Yes, I’m so bloody intrigued that I’m taking it with me on holidays. By the time you read this I’ll probably have bought a bottle.

Further reading: Persolaise and Brooklyn Fragrance Lover
Libertine has $435/100ml FREE Australian Delivery
Surrender To Chance has samples from $4.59/0.5ml

Are you interested in trying this one?
Portia xx