Diorissimo EdT vintage by Edmond Roudnitska for DIOR 1956

November 28, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 45 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Vintage Lovers,

Recently a family that I know had a tough decision, their mother/grandmother finally went to a home. Alzheimers has ravaged her mind and sadly it was becoming impossible for the family to keep her with them. Interestingly, she has calmed down considerably, is much happier and more relaxed in the care of professionals. They keep her clean and understand much more how to deal with the moods, aggression, nudity and lack of memory that goes with this debilitating disease. I watched the decline till Nonna was too far gone to come to trivia. Heartbreaking. We used to have so much fun, even in the early stages of Alzheimers she was sharp as a tack and hilarious.

Anyway, the family just cleaned out Nonna’s fragrances and brought then to me. One of the bottles is 1/3+ full 100ml vintage bottle of Diorissimo. Flawlessly perfect with all notes intact. Thing is, I already have a bottle of each strength with more than I’ll ever use in my lifetime. So I thought I’d share the love.

Diorissimo EdT vintage by DIOR 1956

Diorissimo EdT vintage by Edmond Roudnitska

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Green leaves
Heart: Amaryllis, Boronia, Lilac, Jasmine, Lily, Lily-of-the-valley, Rosemary, Ylang-ylang
Base: Sandalwood, Civet

OK, I have to tell you this to effect full disclosure. My love for Diorissimo has been outshone by both Jessica Mauboy’s Be Beautiful and Muguet Porcelain by Hermès, their melon/LotV mix has me enraptured.

I thought I would add in a vintage parfum to sweeten the deal, just opened the cellophane and had a sniff to make sure that it’s real and fresh. It is. So perfect you will weep. It still has its plastic stopper in place!

Here are some pics of what you’ll win.
Portia xx

Diorissimo GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 100ml bottle vintage Diorissima EdT (around 30-40% left)
1 x 7.5ml bottle vintage Diorissima parfum
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 why you’d like to try Diorissimo or if you have a Lily of the Valley favourite

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Wednesday 30th November 2016 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 7th December 2016 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

Diorella GIVEAWAY WINNER

November 27, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

Hey Crew,

Thanks for getting involved. Let’s see who won,
Portia xx

Diorella GIVEAWAY WINNER

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Basil, Bergamot, Green notes, Melon, Lemon
Heart: Cyclamen, Carnation, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Peach, Rose
Base: Oakmoss, Musk, Patchouli, Vetiver

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Sample from my vintage Diorella EdT
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 26th November 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Bernadette Winfield-Gray

The winner will have till Thursday 1st December 2016 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

NEW! Chinchilla by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes 2016

November 26, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there APJ Fumies,

Recently I got the DSH Perfumes Chroma Collection Sample Set and with it Dawn sent a sneaky extra of her newest baby Chinchilla. Are you ready to have your presumptions about fragrance challenged? Dawn has used honey in the most flagrantly animal composition I’ve smelled in ages.

Chinchilla by DSH Perfumes 2016

Chinchilla by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

DSH Perfumes

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Hyrax, ambrette (musk mallow), bergamot, vetiver, oakmoss, carnation, castoreum, rose de mai, cinnamon, civet, beeswax, gardenia, honey, musk, nard himalayan (jatamansi), tonka bean, white pepper

WHOOSH! Sweetest, amberish, animal, urinous, caramelised sugar, thick, glutinous, honeyed. The first few minutes of Chinchilla areas outrageously powerful. If the upper echelons were wearing something this over the top then they are animals making their territory, social X-Rays who need to smell like greed, power and hunger, people who want to put the frenemy off guard by smelling like a carnivorous beast. The first 15-20 minutes are so disconcerting and then suddenly everything blends and softens.

The change is remarkable because what was vaguely disturbing has now become plush and luscious. Still honey/animal sweet but now a little breathy and I can imagine this being the cuddly goodbye of a society mum going out for the night in her dress, fur, make-up, sparkling diamonds and hair French rolled. When she is perfected and ready to leave the house a triple spritz of perfume for her and a squishy hug and lipstick flavoured kiss for the kids. My Mum & Dad were never a super socialite couple but they had their fair share of grand evenings and events, especially around Dad’s Paralympics and Mum’s golf and I remember that last fragrant blonde mink tickle as she hugged and kissed me goodbye and my pyjamas smelling of Mum’s fragrance as I went to sleep.

WikiMedia

From DSH Perfumes: At the Grand Hotel, where the elite and gorgeously tailored meet for soirees, dancing parties, and other hedonistic (and luxurious) meetings, the elegant always wear their chinchilla. Dreamily soft, sensuously cozy, and yet so chic; only the finest would do.
Our vintage-inspired Chinchilla is as sexy as the name implies, and imbues the wearer with the scent of warm skin, fur, and a cozy honey-musk animalic. Go ahead…wrap yourself up in Chinchilla.

Recently I told Scented Hound that I keep imagining some top-flight male exec wearing it to work and leaving a steaming trail of broken hearts in his wake every day. It would definitely shake things up around the office.

Further reading: EauMG and Scented Hound
DSH Perfumes has Chinchilla starting at $6

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: Via Dawn: The new site is up AND that it is open to international shipping.
We now offer voile formulations (same concentrations at the alcohol versions, just in IPM which isn’t flammable so we can ship it). The shipping is a flat rate of $55 **HOWEVER** if you are just getting small things or samples we will refund the rate to what it actually costs. It was the only way we could accommodate the international shipping.

Via rosarita313: Dawn is having a sale through January 9, the code thanks2016 gets you 20% off the entire website.

Do you like the sound of Chinchilla?
Portia xx

Steals, Deals & Holiday Gift Giving

November 25, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Post by Portia

Woo Hoo APJ,

More and more fabulous things are being dropped in my email inbox every day. Here are a few of the highlights.

Portia xx

Steals, Deals & Holiday Gift Giving

Oliver & Co has their 8 x 16ml Travel Set available for a short time. I love this brand and their freaky frags for people who don’t even understand the concept of playing it safe. You can check out the whole set, and the range, at Oliver & Co Illustrated Series Travel Set.

Smell Bent’s biggest sale of the year is back! Till Monday 28th November, save up to 40% off all your favourite smellies. Everything is on sale! and like that’s not enough, shipping is free on all orders over $40 – anywhere in the world. Stock up on classic scents or try our newest holiday collection. Smell Bent is your oyster until Monday, go to Smell Bent Sale Of The Year.

Imaginary Authors have Free Shipping from 21-28 November
USE CODE: THETRAVELERTOO

Have you seen the new Imaginary Authors 14ml Traveler? You probably need to get yourself over to Imaginary Authors Shop

LuckyScent has a trillion fragrant gifts for yourself or the ones you love. The LA based crew are always grabbing the best of the best for you. You can check out gifts from candles to manufacturers sample packs, I’m particularly lemming the Diptyque set this year, at LuckyScent Holiday Gift Guide.

Twisted Lily has a great selection of gifting stuff too. This Brooklyn NYC based store is a great place to source inspired scented gifts from around the globe. They often have things I’ve seen nowhere else and the staff are so helpful, knowledgable and friendly too. Check them out at Twisted Lily Holiday Gift Guide.

SYDNEY Cosmax Sale 2016

November 25, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

Heya Sydneysiders,

Every year COSMAX has the most incredible sale. This year will be no different. I picked up a Guerlain La Petite Robe Noir extrait a couple of years ago for AUD$25 and every time I’m there I find gems that I thought were long discontinued.

This weekend!

Get to it,

Portia xxx

Diorella EdT Vintage by Edmond Roudnitska for DIOR 1972

November 24, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Hey Vintage Frag Hags,

Last week heralded the arrival of a VERY vintage bottle of Diorella by DIOR. Having never smelled the vintage it was tantamount to a blind buy and I was really nervous. In the listing the bottle looked pristine and the box dirty but perfectly formed still, a tester no less. It wasn’t very expensive but not a bargain either. So I waited for it to arrive and it has…..

Diorella EdT Vintage by DIOR 1972

Diorella EdT Vintage by Edmond Roudnitska

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Basil, Bergamot, Green notes, Melon, Lemon
Heart: Cyclamen, Carnation, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Peach, Rose
Base: Oakmoss, Musk, Patchouli, Vetiver

The top notes are fleeting and I get the oily slick tingle of aldehydes, I think the top notes have disappeared really because my nose gets almost immediate floral bouquet and already the furry cocoon of oakmoss wraps my nostrils tight and snug. Scott and I have a theory that I’m hypernosmic to oakmoss because it softly jumps out at me from the very first sniff till the last whispered gasp of fragrance.

Diorella has a sweetness to it, not like the modern gourmands or Guerlains, but the sweetness of fruit just about to go over the edge of usability. I think it’s the honeysuckle and peach working together to produce a very mildly urinous underlay. Not especially noticeable unless my nose is right at the scent source, from arms length the whole of Diorella is refined young woman in twin set & pearls from yesteryear. Nowadays is the modern equivalent the white mens style T-Shirt and straight or boot leg jeans wearing women?

PDI

Dry down comes hours and hours later, the vetiver is dried and lightly salted and surprisingly the patchouli is a backing player that merely enhances the oakmoss and vetiver swirled through with musk that smells like the real deal.

Want to try some?

Diorella GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Sample from my vintage Diorella EdT
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us why you’d like to try Diorella

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 26th November 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 1st December 2016 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

Penhaligon’s Portraits Collection GIVEAWAY WINNER

November 20, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey crew,

Great response. Thanks to Libertine Parfumerie for this generous sample selection, they have AUD$369 for 75ml.
Let’s see who won,
Portia xx

Penhaligon’s Portraits Collection GIVEAWAY WINNER

Fragrantica

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Penhaligon’s Portraits Collection Manufacturers Sample Set
(including all 4 fragrances in atomisers)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 19th November 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

José Hernandez

The winners will have till Thursday 24th November 2016 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

Fire Amber Baby by Jocelyn Fullerton for Cult Of Scent

November 19, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Post by Portia

Heya Perfume Peeps,

One of the most gorgeous things about living in Sydney is the frag culture. We are not a huge section but we are all quite friendly and try to get together sometimes to sniff and laugh. Have you noticed that most perfume people are fun & gregarious and also it feels like most of us have known hard times but prefer to rise above them with humour & scent? I also love that we can do our connecting over the internet with the whole world at different times, perfect for anyone with sleep problems, new pets or young children. No one can judge your track suit or lack of clothing when you’re online at midnight in your time zone catching a breather from whatever has you up.

One of the women I really love to spend time with is Jocelyn Fullerton

Fire Amber Baby by Cult Of Scent

Fire Amber Baby by Jocelyn Fullerton

Cult of Scent

Cult of Scent give these featured accords:
Amber, Labdanum, Incense resins

Thick, toffee, animal, vanilla, warmth like smoky fireside, fatty, deep, smooth, scratchy dry heat, beeswax, tree sap sweet like maple syrup.

Wearing Fire Amber Baby on a warm spring evening and it is blossoming like something from another era, another mindset, another culture. If thick, rich and luscious amber fragrances get your heart pounding then this will send you into fibrillation. A raw and sensual fragrance that is so different from the multitude of ambers I know & love. Crunchy and crackling like honeycomb doped into patchouli toffee and rolled in the vegetal animal grown of labdanum.

If you’ve ever looked through an amber brooch, one of the larger ones with bubbles and imperfections through it, at the sun then you may just know what the smell of Fire Amber Baby smells like.

PDI

At once commanding and comforting the sheer range of nuance that I am noticing tonight in the warmth that I’ve never noticed wearing it in the cool. Yes, it’s still big and intricate in the cool but heat seems to make it jump and sparkle brilliantly.

A statement fragrance if ever there was one. Confidence and comfort radiate, maybe you would need to spritz the air and walk through the mist if wearing to work. Perfect for galleries, outdoors, club life and romance, though I would definitely wait an hour before going to dinner or a movie. It has real red dress, red carpet chutzpah.

WikiMedia

Further reading: Perfumes I Love
Cult of Scent has Fire Amber Baby from $37/8ml
Cult of Scent also have a 6 x Sample Set for only $40

What is your amber fragrance?
Portia xx

Granville by Francois Demachy for Dior Collection Privée 2010

November 18, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Portia

Howdy Fragrant Family,

Years ago now I bought 10ml of Granville in a split from AndreaW. It was forgotten for a while and then rediscovered and drained to the dregs. As soon as I was finishing my decant the damn thing got DCd so I was lamenting its loss and resigned to never having a bottle to spritz.

On a whim in South Korea last week I asked the DIOR SA if she remembered Granville and she produced a tester saying that she had one bottle left in stock, 250ml at about AUD$100 more expensive than Sydney prices (because S Korea!). We thanked her for her time, spritzed Granville lavishly and went on our merry way. Then, because I was floating in swathes of its green beauty and a bit sad that I would never own it Jin said we should go back and get it next day, he even offered to buy me the bottle (I know right, but I wouldn’t let him). So we went back and grabbed it and I’m so thrilled, it’s a perfect mid-season beauty.

Granville by Dior Collection Privée 2010

Granville by Francois Demachy

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Basenotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, mandarin, thyme
Heart: Gorse, pine, rosemary
Base: Pepper, sandalwood, woodsy notes

A smooth and rich cologne in EdT built by Francois Demachy to be both an interesting twist on an old trope and a new, fun, pretty masculine for perfumistas of both sex. It’s perfect mid season wear while the sun is shining and in the chill of the evening. Grenville is cool green, bright and slightly fizzy like a Limoncello with a hint of salt. The sweet and tart at the same time opening wafts gently into more green and herbaceousness that warms and dries towards dry down with the pepper crackling and creamy woods.

Flickr

Never a poisonous green, always a gentle, plush, refined greenness; austere yet approachable. Said to be done in homage to the wind at Christian Dior’s childhood home, the greenness of the area, the herb garden and the exuberance of his youth, I get it. Granville is all of this and more. A mellow green with fizz and cream.

Lasting well into 3 hours as fragrant I was surprised to find Granville still smellable on the morning as I wake up, a whispered wash of citrus and wood.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and BOTO
Still available at some DIOR stand alone stores
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Do you have a favourite DIOR Privee? Which one? Why? Did you try DIOR Granville?
Portia xx

Penhaligon’s Portraits Collection Review

November 17, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 47 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there Niche Nerds,

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend the lavish Australian launch of Penhaligon’s Portraits Collection here in Sydney at the Centennial hotel, very Ra Cha Cha! A small group of us were led through the outlandish fictitious stories of this new collection by Michael from Libertine Parfumerie and got to smell the fragrances together and discuss their notes, design and remarkable lids. High tea in a very English from the movies style room, it was a great scene setter organised by Alice and crew at ÉLYSÉE COLLECTIVE.

Ainslie Walker, Portia, Catherine de Peloux Menage (Yay! The APJ Squad)

This one donated by Ainslie Walker. Thanks doll, love it!

Michael from Libertine Parfumerie

This is an expensive Penhaligon’s offering AUD$369 for 75ml. Puig, who recently bought Penhaligon’s and L’Artisan, seems to be making a statement about their new direction with the brand. Luxury is the new order and these lids made of brass are heavy and interesting, though I would very much like it if they offered a choice of with or without. There are only a few sets being released in Australia and apparently worldwide it is very limited production. Love a bit of exclusivity in my scent. So, about the perfumes….

Penhaligon’s Portraits Collection Review

Fragrantica

The Tragedy of Lord George by Penhaligon`s

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Brandy, woodsy notes, tonka bean, amber

Very popular among the people yesterday, a softly sweet masculine that reminded me of a Guerlain. I think it’s the boozy tonks mix that was so reminiscent. Smelled great, ultimately unisex.

Fragrantica

The Revenge Of Lady Blanche by Penhaligon`s

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Narcissus, iris flower, hyacinth

This is my favourite. Opens with a distinctive 1970s or earlier green floral chypre vibe. Sadly it was all top and heart and had basically disappeared an hour later so that even my BFF Kath couldn’t smell it at lunch an hour later. Totally bummed because I thought it was going to make a wonderful replacement for when I run dry of Niki de Saint Phalle. I really want to wear it again a few times to get to know it.

Fragrantica

The Coveted Duchess Rose by Penhaligon`s

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Mandarin orange, rose, musk, woody notes

Personally I think this will be the best seller of the line. It feels expensive and wearable. Not ground breaking or outrageous but it does feel like a quality fragrance, not following the super sweet crowd and being a cut above most of the department store mass-tige offerings.

Fragrantica

Much Ado About The Duke by Penhaligon`s

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Rose, leather, gin, pepper, woody notes

Love it when the rose fragrances are made for the men. I think this will find a lot of love from the men who wear Amouage Lyric Man. It’s different enough to be in the same collection. Here rose is made drier and cracklier with the leather and pepper. I like it a lot and if it was $200 I would be buying it for Jin for Christmas.

Penhaligon’s Portraits Collection GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Penhaligon’s Portraits Collection Manufacturers Sample Set
(including all 4 fragrances in atomisers)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us which of the four you’d like to try

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 19th November 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 24th November 2016 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