Saturday Question: What’s On Your Perfume Wishlist?

July 29, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 110 Comments

Portia

Hello Fellow Fumies,

Once a week here on Australian Perfume Junkies 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 generally 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: $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card Lillibet

Saturday Question: What’s On Your Perfume Wishlist?

PDI

What’s On Your Perfume Wishlist? My Answer…

OK, so here’s my WishList from June 2015

Portia’s TO-BUY List June 2015

~~25.9.11 by Hilde Soliani~~
~~Absolue Pour le Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian~~
Aedes de Venustas – Original
Ambra di Luna by Ramon Monegal
Ambra Mediterranea by Profumi del Forte
Barkhane by Teo Cabanel
Bottega Veneta parfum
~~Chambre Noire by Olfactive Studio~~
Cologne by Thierry Mugler
Cuir Cuba Intense by Parfums De Nicolai
~~Eau Absolue by Mona di Orio~~
~~Encens Mythique d’Orient by Guerlain~~
eo03 by biehl parfumkunstwerke
Fleur Nocturne by Isabey
Grandiflora Michel by Magnolia Grandiflora
~~Granville by Christian Dior~~
Hedonist by Viktoria Minya
Moon Bloom by Hiram Green
Jasmin et Cigarette by Etat Libre d’Orange
~~Jasmin Rouge by Tom Ford~~
~~L´Ombre Fauve by Parfumerie Générale~~
Lea by Calypso St. Barth
~~Lux by Mona di Orio~~
~~Misia by CHANEL~~
~~Nuit d’Amour by Guerlain~~
Nuit de Noel Parfum by Caron
~~Or du Serail by Naomi Goodsir~~
Oriental Mint by Phaedon Paris
~~Pichola by Neela Vermeire Creations~~
Rozy Eau de Parfum by Vero Profumo
~~Sensual Orchid by LM Parfums~~
Silver Man by Amouage
~~Special for Gentlemen by Le Galion~~
~~Sushi Imperiale by Bois 1920~~
Tobacco Rose by Papillon Perfumery
~~Tokyo Bloom by The Different Company~~
Tzor’a by Anat Fritz
Wit by Parfums DelRae
I may have added a few more since then
Ombre de Hyacinth by Tom Ford
Vert Boheme by Tom Ford
No 18 EdP by CHANEL
Bois des Iles EdP by CHANEL
Tobacco Nuit by Atelier cologne
Sables by Annick Goutal
De Profundis by Serge Lutens (Vaporisateur)
Dõjima by Mona di Orio
Suède de Suède by Mona di Orio
Tadzio by Homoelegans
754 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Daiquiris by Laboratorio Olfattivo

Anything with a line through means I’ve bought a bottle. Anything blue means I’ve changed my mind on it for whatever reason.

Let’s keep your WISHLIST to Top 5.

So my question to you today is: What are the Top 5 things on your wishlist?

Calligraphy Rose by Trudi Loren for Aramis 2013

July 28, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Portia

Hey APJ,

I remember wanting this trilogy so bad when they came out but somehow they never made it into the final buy. Recently a friend sent me a large sample in with a bottle I bought and I thought it might be fun to take a look at it now after four more years to see if it’s still on the list. Especially now that the discounters have it for a song.

Calligraphy Rose by Aramis 2013

Calligraphy Rose by Trudi Loren

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Oregano, saffron, honeysuckle
Heart: Turkish rose, myrrh, styrax, lavender
Base: Labdanum, musk, ambergris, olibanum

The opening of Calligraphy rose is very much like Turkish Delight. A soft rosewater jelly rolled in sugar, beautiful. This impression doesn’t last very long before the fragrance turns very rose, a clean, green, dry, tea rose. It’s sweet but not sickly, the perfect balance. Sheer but fragrant and not something you’d expect from the mass market. It also tackles the Middle East in a very soft and gentle manner without any of the usual hyper-masculine oud and woods attached to the rose.

Flickr

In Calligraphy Rose the resins and rose join seamlessly and the humanity is very clean. I’m imagining, from my zero experience of such things other than through literature and TV, this is what a freshly washed woman in the harem or zenana would smell like. It’s a hairless fleshiness, overlaid with spicy resins and rosewater. A cool sensuality that I would love to smell on a man. On the average Aussie guy Calligraphy Rose would be totally unexpected and a delightful surprise. Also, thinking of the hours of work and the way fragrance melds with the bodies own fragrant offerings it would add dimensions undreamed of.

Calligraphy Rose Aramis Senior_wives_chaupar_1790 WikiCommons WikiCommons

Like most Aramis scents the longevity is excellent and projection very good for the first few hours. I wish more men smelled like this.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Persolaise
FragranceNet has around $50/100ml

Did you try or buy this one?
Portia xx

Woodcut by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2014

July 27, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Portia

Hello Indie Frag Heads,

This was the Winner of the 2015 Art and Olfaction Award in the artisan category. How has it passed me by? Heard, as a huge fan of Ellen’s work to not know this. I find her ability to create magnificent, multifaceted fragrance with depth and luster second to none. If you have only ever smelled designer and niche fragrance then Olympic Orchids is a horse of a different colour. Your nose will be surprised.

OK, I’ve found why I never got to Woodcut. Azar wrote very early on about it here on Australian Perfume Junkies. Now if one of the team gets to a frag first that usually means I can go smell something else in my ever expending pile of unsniffed fragrance so sometimes, even with a favourite perfumer, I gratefully let that one slide. Anyway, I recently bought this sample and WOW!

Woodcut by Olympic Orchids 2014

Woodcut by Ellen Covey

Olympic Orchids

Olympic Orchids gives these featured accords:
Fractional distillations of pine and cedar, oakwood absolute, tolu balsam, olibanum, caramel, burnt sugar, vanilla

Eating chocolate by the woodpile, maybe making chocolates in a wood kitchen, I am smiling from ear to ear. The wood is SO REAL and the hint of chocolate is making my tummy grumble for some. Soon the smell of charred wood or blown out matches joins the fray and that heavenly overlay of caramel keeps everything sweet. Maple syrup sweet rather than fairy floss. BOY this is good stuff, no surprise that it won the Art & Olfaction Award.

PDI

Sweet, warm and resinous woods. My friend TinaG said, “Hello snuggily winter days”. She’s right. It is a perfect winter fit but I also bet it would be refreshing in the heat of summer too.

Further reading: Fragrance Daily and Australian Perfume Junkies
Olympic Orchids has a 5ml Travel Spray for only $18

Do you ever try the Indie Perfume makers? Which is a favourite?
Portia xx

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Samples GIVEAWAY WINNER

July 27, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Portia

WOO HOO APJ,

This one was a good one. Thanks to Maison Francis Kurkdjian for sending extras in my pack.
Portia xx

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Samples GIVEAWAY WINNER

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x MFK 745 carded manufacturers sample
1 x MFK Oud carded manufacturers sample
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Wednesday 26th July 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Sue Mills

The winners will have till Wednesday 2nd August 2017 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit

Maison Francis Kurkdjian: Oud + 754 Samples

July 24, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Portia

Hey hey APJ,

When I recently bought some perfumes from Maison Francis Kurkdjian he sent me some samples. I thought I’d pass them on. I’ve spritzed them just to mini review.

Portia xx

Maison Francis Kurkdjian: Oud + 754

Fragrantica

Oud by Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2012

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Oud, cedar, patchouli, elemi, saffron

Citrus, resins and woods backed by the most family friendly oud ever.If you hate oud then this could definitely be your gateway fragrance. A subtle, melding with your own scent, fragrance that adds a touch of allure to how you normally smell.

Fragrantica

754 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2012

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon
Heart: Lily-of-the-valley, sweet pea, freesia
Base: Sandalwood, white musk

754 is a very nice modern reinterpretation of the ozonic/aquatic genre. It brings the whole idea bang up to date and manages to make salted lemons, a crystallised bouquet and woodsy white musks smell amazingly new and interesting. I can already smell the gym locker rooms filling up with this magic scent.

MFK Samples GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x MFK 745 carded manufacturers sample
1 x MFK Oud carded manufacturers sample
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us which of these two would be your favourite just by review and notes

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Wednesday 26th July 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 2nd August 2017 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit

Scent Diary: 17.7 – 23.7.2017

July 23, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Portia

Hey APJ,

Most of my week was taken up with sewing and creating new stuff for a gig on Friday night. there were also great moments and fun with friends and fragrance. Honestly I’ve been too swamped to take photos or really document my week in any detail, sorry. You’ll see some of the main protagonists though.
Portia xx

Scent Diary: 17.7 – 23.7.2017

Monday 17:

TinaG is still in hospital but looking 100% improved. This is the view from the end of her corridor, doesn’t Sydney City look like a fairytale and how blue is the sky. We went and hung out in the patients common room, Alice joined us and we had a really nice visit.

From the hospital Alice & I went off to the Estee Lauder Staff Shop. I was hoping to find some discontinued Tom Ford frags, particularly Ombre de Hyacinth but there was only a small selection. I only walked away with Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess travel set and Tom Ford London, which became my SOTD along with a few other things I spritzed while there. Alice grabbed a few bits and bobs but was particularly pleased that her HOLY GRAIL moisturiser was $50 cheaper there. So happy chappies all round.

Jin was working so I grabbed dinner. I thought you should know that while we do eat fabulous foods from around the world generally, SOMETIMES we love to eat rubbish. So tonight I didn’t even want to leave the house so Dominoes Pizza delivered. Thin & Crispy Hawaiian, Pepperoni, Spicy Chicken and a Garlic Bread. Tasted so good and filled me up YUM!

Trivia Q&A writing night. I started earlier today and got quite a bit done before my usual start time. Wearing more Atelier Cologne Tobacco Nuit to write questions and I’m about halfway through my 10ml decant. It’s a really lovely wearable fragrance that doesn’t steal my concentration when working but smells good in the coffee breaks.

Tuesday 18:

Today was a write off. BUSY running and getting shit done. Sewing the foam bits for my new headdress and work.

Morning: Guerlain Black Perfecto

Work: Cacharel Liberté

One exciting thing happened. I finally got a little cuddle with one of my long term crushes at work tonight. He He he. Poor boy spent the whole time saying his girlfriend would be furious. He should bring her next time so she would know that it was all in the fun of an evening and not being unfaithful.

Bed: Miller & Bertaux A Quiet Morning

Wednesday 19:

Weather is perfect. Dog walk was warm, sunny and uneventful.

My mind is preoccupied. Friday night I have a gig that has decided it will be a Super Hero Party. I don’t know if any of you have noticed but all the superheroes are buff. No fatty superheroes. So I’m having to create my own version of a superhero. I’m calling her Super Chunky. Maybe Super Ceded. Anyway, I’m off to get the gear to create this new hero. GAK! Wish me luck.

My search for a superhero fragrance today is CHANEL Antaeus. This stuff is SOO good.

Jin loves Krispy Creme. Today I bought him a box. Well, I say I bought it for him but four of them are for me. One each of the fancy ones. Jin’s favourites are the regular ones but he will force himself to eat fancy if they’re there.

A Guerlain Shalimar bubble bath and then spritzed lavishly with Guerlain Shalimar EdP for work.

Wendy and I had dinner together before Trivia at Greystanes Hotel. We had 8 teams to start with tonight and it was a fabulously fun evening. I really love the crew that comes to play there and the food is FABULOUS!

Thursday 20:

SEWING!!!!

Roger & Gallet Cedrat bubble bath, Guerlain Mitsouko EdT & parfum.

SEWING and HOT GLUEING!

Friday 21:

Sewing. My pointer finger has two hot glue blisters. Ouchie WA WA.

Morning: MORE Guerlain Mitsouko

Tonight was the big gig. Sydney Stingers, the gay waterloo team are fundraising for their 2018 France Gay games Adventure. I had a new frock and new wig for the night and drenched myself in Madonna Truth or Dare. No, I only have this photo from the night and it’s not in the new outfit! GRRR!

Saturday 22:

Miller et Bertaux A Quiet Morning

RECOVERING!

Jin and I got Chinese food and watched Despicable Me.

Tonight is one of my BFFs, Scott’s, BIRTHDAY! I hate house parties but I love Scott so I felt honour bound to drop in and say hi. It was a fabulous party with the backyard turned into a Disney Fairy Garden and the Disney Princesses as the houses backdrop.

Sunday 23:

Lay in bed, walked dogs, went to Pedicures with my mate Rose. YAY! We wandered IKEA afterwards and I got some incidentals.

After Pedis we grabbed some lunch and went visited our other mate Phil and hug at his place for a while.

Then home, bath and work. I had a lovely Robert Piguet Bandit bubble bath, used Amouage Dia lotion and Guerlain Black Perfecto EdP. Was swamped with fragrant compliments and everyone LOVED the new hair. I hope you do too.

OK, you’ve read my week, time to tell us about yours please. Big, little, good or bad; share a story with us. We love to read about you.
Portia xx

Saturday Question: What 5 Would You Take?

July 22, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 106 Comments

Portia

Hello Fellow Fumies,

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.

If we get over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card. If we get over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card, that should buy you a couple of ml or pay your postage. Every comment will get a place in the draw, so if you comment purposefully on your own or another comment you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw the winner on Friday and the winner will be announced in next Saturdays question.

Saturday Question: What 5 Would You Take?

This is not a new question but hopefully the way I’ve posed it will be a little different. Every time I do one of these questions the answers change so it always makes me ponder joyfully.

OK, so you’re renovating your house and you have to move out for a month. It’s an Insurance Job so they’re putting you into a Serviced Apartment for one month. You’re really happy about that but there’s a downside. There’s only room in the bathroom for your ablutary stuff and 5 bottles of fragrance. It’s not forever, right, and you only have to choose for your current weather so that cuts down the crossover. What 5 Would You Take?

What 5 Would You Take? My answer

It’s winter here so I’m going to pack mainly stuff I love for cold weather and one “pretend it’s summer” scent.

Fragrantica

Keiko Mecheri Un Jour d’Ete:

This winter my “pretend it’s summer’ scent has been Un Jour d’Ete. Its creamy summer vibe has kept it on my desk as a Go-To for months now and as the weather gets cooler I seem to be reaching for it more often. Citrus, coconut and amber meld seamlessly in this beachy beauty. It’s perfect summer scent and works equally well as a reminder.

Guerlain Tonka Imperial:

This beautiful baby came into my collection recently from another collectors wardrobe. Thick, rich, ropey gouts of gorgeous in a sweet/dry sillage that instantly warms me through. Tobacco, tonka and incense over dry woods and almonds and all the Guerlain sweetness without fairy floss-ish-ness. A very gentlemanly gourmand.

Fragrantica

Serge Lutens Arabie:

One of the earliest of my Serge Lutens, this bottle has only recently made its way out from the back of the frag cupboard. It is love all over again. What a fabulous perfume. Cloves, spices, fruit mince and resins all come together to offer a pre-oud look at fragrance from the Middle-East. Smelling more like a dessert market than a desert market to our 21st century noses.

DIOR Mitzah:

Aaaah Mitzah! So bold and head turning. Spicy honeyed roses with patchouli and a resinous growl. She is such a queen of a fragrance. Sometimes I wish there were only 20 bottles in my collection so I could wear my favourites much more often. This enforced month would be heavenly.

Fragrantica

Divine EdP:

I am not quite sure why but there is little said of the Divine Parfums range. My favourite is the original EdP but I also have the extrait. When I want glamour then Divine EdP fits the bill perfectly. A spicy peach tuberose with a very vanilla mossy dry down Divine EdP is from the 1980s but shows remarkable restraint for the era. Don’t worry, you’ll be fully fragrant all night long but not in the super bomb standards of the day.

So, my question to you today: What 5 Would You Take?

Tobacco Nuit by Jerome Epinette for Atelier Cologne 2016

July 21, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Portia

Hiya Fragrant Friends,

My mates at Libertine Parfumerie sent me a bunch of samples recently. One of the scents I really liked a lot is Tobacco Nuit. Don’t forget, we Aussies get FREE Australian Shipping from the Libertine crew and they throw in generous samples.

Tobacco Nuit by Atelier Cologne 2016

Tobacco Nuit by Jerome Epinette

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Italian clementine, Coriander, Cumin
Heart: Labdanum, Tobacco blossom, Uzbek incense
Base: Atlas cedar, Brazilian tonka bean, Indonesian patchouli

Bittersweet citrus smoothed by soft waves of coriander and labdanum wash out of the opening. The cumin plays a very background role, merely adding a worn-in feeling rather than a sweaty jock strap. Tobacco Nuit smells extremely luxurious and balmy. Rich, dark and woody with chocolate facets and resinous sweet cool glassiness. I am reminded of the way Mona di Orio created perfumes, there is a rich, seamless haughty arrogance to Tobacco Nuit that has me smiling and enjoying it’s grandness. I can see it becoming a firm favourite of the 21st century dandies, should they ever get to try it.

Tobacco Nuit Atelier Cologne Savile_Club_New_Bar_2 WikiCommons WikiCommons

I’m really surprised that there is no honey mentioned in the note list but it may be the way that the tobacco, patchouli, tonka and labdanum combine. Whatever it is Tobacco Nuit feels thick, lustrous and buffed to a high sheen.

Through the heart I can feel the scent drying out and becoming more woodsy, and warmer. Like sitting in a cold room where someone lights a fire. That moment when the big logs are alight and all the kindling gone, suddenly there is this clean warmth and the room smells amazing.

Longevity is excellent, better than many EdPs, and even after a bath I have remnants of Tobacco Nuit, just the amberish warmth of utter dry down. Gorgeous from start to finish.

Tobacco Nuit Atelier Cologne Tobacco Flower Taber Andrew Bain flickr Flickr

Further reading: WMSSL and Colognoisseur
Libertine Parfumerie has $299/100ml (FREE Australian Shipping)
First in Fragrance has €175/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3.50/ml

Have any of the Atelier Colognes called your name?
Portia xx

Rose Alcane by Amélie Bourgeois and Anne-Sophie Behaghel for Aether 2016

July 20, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Portia

Hiya Frag Heads,

The Aether brand is created scent for the 21st century that manages to remain beautiful, interesting and wearable. Modern is their catch cry, these guys use nothing but captured and created molecules in their scents. Every time I wear one of their perfumes I’m more swayed towards their concept.

I grabbed this decant from Surrender to Chance recently.

Rose Alcane by Aether 2016

Rose Alcane by Amélie Bourgeois and Anne-Sophie Behaghel

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Rose, green notes, metallic notes

Lick a cold spoon, put your hand into the fibrous up to 80% recycled glass insulation batts and smell a vintage fur coat in a florist. Now you understand how the opening of Rose Alcane is. A freaky fabulous melange of weird, and it doesn’t stop here. As all that burns off the rose becomes more prominent, but not a garden rose, not the glamorous rose of La Fille de Berlin or Mohur, not even the sweet rose of LUSH Rose Jam, patchouli intense Agent Provocateur or heady, oud filled Montale offerings. Here the rose is made of crystal, with metal thorns on torn stems and leaves.

The guys at Aether have discovered the Space Rose and brought it back from a galaxy far, far away. No, they have in fact been to the Rose Center for Earth and Space by Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest, New York and used the modern stylings to centre their fragrance on.

This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID highsm.04003. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information. WikiCommons

After about 30 minutes the whole of Rose Alcane warms through. I’m picking up a salty woodiness and hints of jammy rose, hot sand and super clean stainless steel kitchen bench tops.

If you really love to smell roses in the garden and expect your fragrance to mimic that then you need to go elsewhere. Rose Alcane is a future fragrance now. I would love to smell this on people that wear suits to work, it would be sensationally ironic, and I also think it would fly under the fragrance radar because it smells so decidedly other.

Rose Alcane by Aether NGC 2244 Rosette Nebula WikiCommons WikiCommons

Further reading: Scented Salamander and BL’eauG
Aether, First In Fragrance, Harvey Nichols and Twisted Lily all stock Aether
Surrender to Chance has samples starting from $3.60/0.5ml

What do you think? Love your rose a bit freaky?
Portia xx

Black Perfecto GIVEAWAY WINNERS

July 20, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Portia

Hey there APJ,

Thanks to the lovely Guerlain SA at David Jones Sydney City Store for his generosity.

Let’s see who our winners are
Portia xx

Black Perfecto GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sour cherry, almond, black tea
Heart: Rose, liquorice
Base: Leather, musk, patchouli, tonka bean

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Black Perfecto carded manufacturers sample
1 x Mon Guerlain carded manufacturers sample
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Wednesday 19th July 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

ESG23

Laura

Monsie Beaton

The winners will have till Wednesday 26th July 2017 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit