Calandre by Paco Rabanne: LIVE Video Sniff

February 12, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Portia

Well Hello Vintage Vamps,

Today Scott and I finally open a fragrance that has been in my collection for years. It has winked at me from the recesses of the perfume cupboard and sometimes i grabbed it out only to put it back away. I know, I’m a crazy frag hoarder.

Calandre by Paco Rabanne 1969

Calandre by Michel Hy

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Leaf green, Aldehydes, Bergamot
Heart: Rose, Lily-of-the-valley, Geranium, Jasmine, Iris
Base: Sandalwood, Vetiver, Oakmoss, Musk, Ambergris

Amber Oud by Calice Becker for By Kilian 2011

February 11, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Fragrant Fiends,

Oudh. The 21st centuries answer to IFRA compliant base notes. It is the ubiquitous fully fragrant, dark, deep and dirty base note giving a solid grounding to an industry that has lost its regular, centuries old palette to drug companies greed: the modern multinational fragrance component creators. I’m sure it’s a more complex problem and that I’ve missed most of the memos but from the other side of the world this is how it looks to me. Sorry, end rant.

So, I tried Amber Oud around the time it came out and could not justify the spend to myself at that time, 5 years on I wondered if my thoughts had changed with the ever increasing price of fragrance. Was $395 a reasonable price for something I remember being so lovely, and reading the other reviews written at that time it was as special as I remember and many others were happy to drop that kind of cash on it.

Amber Oud by By Kilian 2011

Amber Oud by Calice Becker

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Amber, Benzoin, Spices, Oud, Vanilla, Cedar

Softest, plushest, tamest oudh ever. So gorgeously rolled and folded into the spicy vanilla/amber bakery and only held slightly dry by the crispness of cedar. Warm and enveloping I can see why even the oudh haters love Amber Oud so. Lightly medicinal, a tiny hint of band aid and only the merest waft of poop Amber Oud is almost a gourmand oudh, oudh light or kiddies oudh. So velvet soft and cozy, as close to a warm beige cashmere lounge throw as oudh can be. Delightful, sweet, sensational and gorgeous: the words that jump into my head while sniffing are not the usual ones associated with oudh in my experience. The By Kilian crew have created the most fabulous general public oudh and it makes me smile.

The amber is sweet and caramelised, lit from within and effulgent Ambre Oud grows more and more lovely. Very reminiscent through its heart of the L’Artisan L’Eau d’Ambre, a similar warmth and purity. It stays pretty and buoyant and luxurious, the most expensive caramel toffee.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Here’s my quandry: yes this is lovely. It’s incredibly wearable, luxurious and gorgeous, no doubt about it. When I press my nose to my fragrant spots it is utterly swoon worthy. When it’s not so close, when I’m catching whiffs of it as I go about my day, Amber Oud is not a lot better than 50 other ambers on the market. From Queen Latifah through L’Artisan, Nicolai to Giorgio Armani: yes they are all different but at arms length the differences are not so pronounced, yummy amber. Is Amber Oud at $395 from $370-$150 better? Is it really? I hang my head in shame because for me the answer is no…. I’ll put my decant away and try it again one day, maybe then?

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Bois de Jasmin
LuckyScent has $395/50ml
Surrender To Chance has $5/0.5ml

What is your cut off point? Do you have one? How important is having something in your collection?
Portia xx

Dark by Julien Rasquinet for Andrea Maack 2011

February 6, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Portia

Hiya Frag Heads!

I am surprised constantly that there isn’t more noise online about Andrea Maack and her fragrances. Early on there was some chatter about them being derivative but I’m yet to discover a scent that smells markedly like an Andrea Maack. Of course there are notes that correspond, even accords, but the whole fragrances I find distinctive enough to set them well apart even from their most obvious comparisons. Maacks are sometimes challenging and yet ever so wearable. comfortably weird. Yes, I know I’m in the minority here.

Dark by Andrea Maack 2011

Dark by Julien Rasquinet

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Petitgrain, mandarin orange, pink pepper, lemon tree, aldehydes, rose, metallic notes, Granny Smith apple, amber, African orange flower, Virginia cedar

This is a sample that I’ve had for a while and keep getting out, spritzing and putting away.

Dark. Sparkling sweet citrus and cold water in opening. Reminding me of a zinging, sharp, dew spotted early morning at sunrise in very early spring. There is a feeling of briskness and action which quickly morphs into fruity (apple and melon?) rose and a cold metal spoon in your mouth. Or the first sip from an icy cold can of fizzy drink. The fruits become more prominent towards the heart, they are just out of the fridge, and the rose becomes air conditioned. This is a modern metallic radiant rose. The most close resemblance from my memory (not perfect) is modern Eternity Woman by Calvin Klein, yet nothing like it.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

After some time Dark gets a Pez/sherbet feeling that makes me smile, especially floating over the metal rose from Mars.Cruising into dry down the rose becomes colder like it’s frozen solid but curiously warmth surrounds it, the amber brings in a hint of warm resins that take us to the end.

I can see how anyone who wants their fragrant ride to be smooth and cohesive with the department store finish would find Dark disjointed and surreal but that’s one of the things that I really enjoy. If wearing fragrance for my own pleasure then Dark is an excellent choice and it’s not so powerful that people around you will be questioning or freaked out, though longevity is nuclear.

Quietly and subversively weird, perfect.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Bonkers About Perfume
LuckyScent has $135/50ml + Samples
Libertine has $185/50ml

Do you have a favourite under rated house? Which one and why?
Portia xx

Rose Musc by Laurie Erickson for Sonoma Scent Studio 2007

February 5, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there APJ,

Reading about Rose Musc on the Perfume Posse made me laugh, Tom is hilarious. There are a LOT of rose fragrances in my collection, from my all time favourite rose Mohur by Neela Vermeire Creations through a bunch of Parfum des Rosines, a few oudh/rose frags, and some from independents, designer and niche. There’s something about roses that call to my soul. The ultra smooth, modern sheer heft of Voleur de Roses by L’Artisan Parfumeur to the dark, bitter, unfettered and pulsating Ballets Rouges by Olympic Orchids, I love them all. So if Tom rates it, though not for him, then I thought I better gran some and get it on me.

Rose Musc by Sonoma Scent Studio 2007

Rose Musc by Laurie Erickson

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Sonoma Scent Studio gives these featured accords:
Rose petals, amber, labdanum absolute, skin musks

Roses, Roses, Roses! big a full and fabulous. Blooming dark pink roses with their sweet and spicy, tart apple and plum skin overtones. You know the ones? Maybe 7 to a stem, fabulously opulent looking, as big as your hand and when you touch their open flowers the petals float off the bush leaving a carpet of cerise, as if the bush has been bleeding. Rose Musc is all of that and more.

The labdanum/amber warms the rose and bolsters it, keeping it vegetally sweet and engaging. Where Ballets Rouges is darkened by twig, branch and humus Rose Musc is lighter, smoother and more regal. You still know you are wearing an independent perfumers fragrance, there is none of the pasty and pastel hum drum of the department store designer, nor the delicately overproduced loveliness of the designer prive lines. Rose Musc is adamant, strident and over the top gorgeousness, an oldie-worldie rose that has a Mucha picture as its focus. I chose another Mucha picture that I think captures the soul of Rose Musc even better.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Laurie Erickson at Sonoma Scent Studio writes: …I wanted Rose Musc to be a true rose softened by a powdery musk base. I like the innocence of the rose paired with the dusky labdanum and musk. The blend has a very light touch of animalic notes.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Scent of Abricots
Sonoma Scent Studio has $75/34ml and very reasonable samples

Which is your rose? Have you tried any of the Sonoma Scent Studio work?
Portia xx

Vintage joy Parfum by Jean Patou: Live Video Sniff

February 5, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Happy Huffers,

Vintage joy Parfum by Jean Patou

Live Video Sniff

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tuberose, rose, ylang-ylang, aldehydes, peach, green notes
Heart: Jasmine, iris root, Bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, orchid
Base: Musk, sandalwood, civet

Joy is one of my favourites and I scour the web for bottles of it. We always do opening ceremony videos because some of them are fakes and we need to get refunds. We have had a couple of fakes this summer already. These counterfeiters do an excellent job too, it’s not till you spray the juice that you know.

Scotty and I on the lanai enjoying summer and smelling FABULOUS!

Eau Moheli by Olivier Pescheux for Diptyque 2013

February 4, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Fumie Family,

Do you ever look through your samples and find something you have absolutely no recollection of acquiring? Today’s fragrance was in a lovely little box with a 2ml manufacturers spritz sample inside, about 70% full. So I did what any self respecting perfumista would do, I spritzed……

Yes, I know the northern hemisphere is gripped by winter but todays offering will have you dreaming that you’re seated at the bar in the pool ordering dacquiris from the half naked barman at your favourite equatorial resort.

Eau Moheli by Diptyque 2013

Eau Moheli by Olivier Pescheux

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Floral notes, ylang-ylang, patchouli, pink pepper, ginger, vetiver, benzoin, incense

Green ginger, pink pepper and I would have picked coriander to open, a lovely sweet green fragrance with a hint of ylang’s creamy/banana/white flower underneath (Yes I know ylang is yellow but it gives definite white floral attitude). A lush and tropical opening. Here in Sydney we have some rain today and the world is muggy, Eau Moheli seems perfectly placed for the temperature and perfectly fits my mood of languid relaxation.

Once the opening fireworks burn down a bit Eau Moheli becomes more about the ylang but now it’s riding a crisp green vetiver and cleanest patchouli. This is my favourite part of the fragrance life. Not groundbreaking but extremely pleasant to wear, Eau Moheli becomes a fresh green with white flowers, still tropical and maintaining it’s island paradise holiday feel. I’m surprised coconut isn’t mentioned as a note.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I feel that Diptyque, once at the vanguard of niche perfumery, has become a much more mainstream offering. If you were not a perfumista and you asked an SA for something tropical but more grown up and elegant than the Escada or Bronze Goddess lines then it would be a complete revelation to be shown Eau Moheli. It’s a beautifully smooth, easy wearing tropical fragrance that never skews to over ripe fruit of suntan lotion and would be excellent sniffed as someone walked past you.

As the fragrance progresses it gets a sweet resinous patchouli glow and I would say a healthy dose of musks for smooth vetiver dry down, very pretty but completely unchallenging for the hardcore perfume enthusiast. Ultimately an extremely wearable beauty with good projection and longevity.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Now Smell This and Bois de Jasmin
LuckyScent has $98/100ml and Samples

Do you have an easy wear tropical fragrance?
Portia xx

Guerlain: Rue de Saint Honoré 2016: Photo Essay

January 31, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 38 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there Guerlainophiles,

The Place Vendome store is closed. Sad but the good news is that they are re-opening there at a smaller venue, work to commence soon.

In the interim Guerlain have opened a lovely new store on the Rue de Saint Honoré. It opened last Thursday! So new there is no name on the front. Jin & I had to follow our noses. Inside the crew were extremely friendly and helpful. Our particular hostess was Coraline and she wanted us to have the ultimate Guerlain experience.

Guerlain: Rue de Saint Honoré 2016

Ostensibly I was going in to gran a Nahema parfum and a bottle of L’Heure de Nuit. It didn’t quite pan out that way because there was NEW STUFF! But I did manage to grab the Nahema parfum, There is a new exclusive and I fell heavily so I swapped out my L’Heure de Nuit for a Promenade des Anglais! Fig, Iris and Citrus over a seemingly marzipan base. Freaking gorgeous!

The real surprise was the new multi coloured glas bottles in the exclusives bee bottles. They are 125ml and you can choose any of the 7 or so colours and put in one of the 18 scents. Once you have made your selection your choice of fragrance s then decanted into your bottle from a large industrial urn, like a 21st century Caron adventure, and packed safely away for traveling. It’s quite the experience. As always, Guerlain delivers a magical and exciting ride.

The choice was interesting and it took me nearly half an hour to finally decide on Cuir Beluga. Here is how our afternoon panned out in pictures. You can only get these bottles at the Rue de Saint Honoré store and they are not sending any. It’s a limited offer so get to paris QUICK!

Enjoy,
Portia xx

Guerlain: Rue de Saint Honoré 2016

Photo Essay

Versace Man Eau Fraiche by Olivier Cresp for Versace 2006

January 30, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Designer Fragrance Fiends,

Once upon a time, long, long ago there was a fashion house named Versace that made excellent fragrances. Run by its flamboyant and fabulous namesake Gianni Versace who was gunned down outside his Miami, Florida home July 1997. Since his demise the Versace fragrances have become cheaper and nastier, rarely a gem will lift its head above the dross. This is not really one of them but a mate of mine was smelling particularly good a while back and I asked what he was wearing, “Versace Eau Fraiche in the blue bottle” was his proud as punch answer. How could I disagree with my nose so I went and ordered a decant.

Versace Man Eau Fraiche by Versace 2006

Versace Man Eau Fraiche by Olivier Cresp

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, bergamot, rosewood, rose
Heart: Cedar, tarragon, sage, pepper
Base: Amber, musk, saffron, woody notes

Olivier Cresp is a nose that has created some awesome blockbusters. In my collection I have or had full bottles of Juniper Sling, Kokorico, Angel, Armani Attitude and Kenzo Amour Indian Holi: all so different yet created by the same perfumer.

Opening freshly aquatic with a tingling zing of citrus Versace Man Eau Fraiche has all the hallmarks of a summer sports flanker. Bright, artificial, uber clean and lightly toxic smelling. Under this blast of radioactive citrus floats a pretty herbal greenery made piquant by cracked black pepper and a whiff of dry woods. The citrus has now softened considerably and has become quite likable with a creamy hint of pith.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

As we warm into the heart Versace Man Eau Fraiche becomes quite like many of the eau de cologne style of fragrances. Nothing smells natural but it doesn’t smell bad I’m enjoying wearing it and my mate smelled delicious. More of a household functional scent than fine fragrance, it could very well be related to the scent they use in hospital disinfectant to make the corridors smell a little brighter and more friendly. It smells clean and invigorating and I can see why so many men wear it. Also over the scent of a lightly sweaty, healthy man it’s very nice. I’m surprised that juniper berries aren’t included in the notes but I suppose they covered it with cedar. I also feel that it’s full of a couple of notes that are so ubiquitous that they should jump out at me as what they are, sadly they dont.

Versace Man Eau Fraiche remains pretty linear with little warming through the base on me, projection and longevity are good but it’s the sillage that will have people looking after you with interest. I would love to smell this on one of my girlfriends to see how it lives on the ladies, probably even more lovely.

FragranceNet has $37/50ml before Coupon
My Perfume Samples has $7/5ml

Do your friends ever smell freaking amazing in stuff you wouldn’t use to clean your driveway?
Portia xx

N.B. If you hit the My Perfume Samples link and shop I get a kickback.

Remarkable People by Quentin Bisch + Cecile Matton for Etat Libre d’Orange 2015

January 29, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there Australian Perfume Junkies,

It’s excellent having an Etat Libre d’Orange online here in Australia with the whole range. You can buy some in Sephora if you’re in a big city, or Peony Melbourne, but Etat Libre d’Orange Au will ship Australia wide. How freaking exciting is that?

Remarkable People by Etat Libre d’Orange 2015

Remarkable People by Quentin Bisch + Cecile Matton

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Grapefruit, champagne, cardamom
Heart: Jasmine, curry tree, black pepper
Base: Labdanum, sandalwood, lorenox

Sweet champagne with a grapefruit twist and a herbal thread woven through? Remarkable People opens a bit like your first sip of champagne punch at a garden party. Simultaneously tart and warming, you can even smell the anticipation in the air. The fizz is maintained into the heart and the smell of sun warmed skin mingles with the woody smell of a BarBQ being organised and the first sizzle of spices as marinades hit the grill.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Remarkable People smells like a lavish reinterpretation of the cologne style of fragrances. A bit warmer and more engaging, unisex and the citrus seems to follow the resins into the base as a pithy, white musky cleanliness. The most close resemblance in a fragrance is Royal Bain de Caron but I wonder if I am being led by the idea of the champagne note. Lorenox is a Mace accord (according to fragrantica) and it has some leather/amber/woodsy facets.

The dry down is pretty, wearable and though no big new reveal it is interesting for a few hours before fading out. I think Remarkable People will be a hit for ELdO because it’s totally wearable and smells very nice. Remarkable? I think yes, if you smelled someone walking by with it on.

Photo Stolen ArtEllsta

Further reading: MeganInSaintMaxime and Colognoisseur
Etat Libre d’Orange in Australia has $100/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting from $4.50/m

Do you have an Etat Libre d’Orage yet? Which one and why?
Portia xx

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens: LIVE Video Sniff

January 29, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello My Lovelies,

This was a Blind Buy! Yes, I know, that’s the way to penury but I was pretty sure I would adore it. So you guys get to come along for my initial Opening Ceremony and sniff!

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens 2001

Datura Noir by Christopher Sheldrake

Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords:
Coconut, tuberose, tonka bean, almond, lemon blossom, mandarin orange, musk, chinese osmanthus, heliotrope, myrrh, vanilla, apricot

It’s always fun with Scotty on the lanai and as usual we blunder through a fragrant masterpiece missing all nuance and generally behaving like a bull in a china shop.