Tomato Leaf: Sweet Anthem + Illuminum reviews

August 15, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello Perfume Pals,

New perfumeries pop up everyday and it is inevitable that some will fall by the wayside. The ability to create beautiful fragrances does not mean a house will be around forever.

In 2016, after 9 years in business, Meredith Smith sold her Seattle based Sweet Anthem to a Portland, Oregon perfumer. While the name and the logo have not changed, my favorites – Joan, Lolita, Red Queen – are missing from the new website. Meredith will remain involved as a perfumer, but I have to admit that I miss her presence and my visits to her tiny shop in West Seattle.

Today I’m reviewing two perfumes that include the illusive scent of tomato leaf.

The Trouble with Tomato Leaves!

Tomato Photos by Azar

First let me say something about tomatoes. Last year the 100 + tomato plants in my garden produced a bumper crop in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. This summer I’m growing half that number of plants and the season has been cool. We won’t have a glut of tomatoes this year. However, we will have the fragrance of tomato leaves – but not for long! The leaf scent is produced by glandular trichomes in the epidermis that secrete a yellow substance giving each variety a characteristic odor. As the nights get cooler and the days shorter the trichomes no longer function and the scent of tomato leaf is history. At this point I resort to manmade perfumes for my tomato leaf fix!

Tomato Leaf: Sweet Anthem + Illuminum reviews

Fragrantica

Tomato Leaf by Michael Bondi for Illuminum 2012

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Tomato leaf, carrot seeds, orange, jasmine, freesia, osmanthus, musk, vanilla

Tomato Leaf is a green, raw, and crisp white floral, chilly and slightly acrid, lacking the vegetal warmth of the real thing. It seems the perfumer tried to create warmth using osmanthus and something like clove, but instead managed to push the fragrance into the realm of Tiger Balm – Baume du Tigre Fraîche! Don’t get me wrong! I like Tomato Leaf but would adore it if the green floral lasted longer and the Tiger Balm was less prominent.

EauMG

Joan by Meredith Smith for Sweet Anthem 2010

Basenotes gives these featured accords:
Beeswax, coriander, peony, tomato leaf, white mint

Joan, on the other hand, is a warm, sunny floral – herbal, minty and full of beeswax. The tomato leaf is entwined with peony creating the scent of an early summer garden. While not a true tomato leaf, Joan captures the essence of a tomato plant soaking up the sunshine. I prefer the solid version to the EdP, as Joan is quite long lived with serious sillage.

Both fragrances have been discontinued. So – why am I even reviewing them? Good question! What do you think? Should reviewers write about impossible to find fragrances? Has one of your favorite houses been sold or gone belly up? Do you like the scent of tomato leaf in perfume?

Azar xx

Jimmy by Bruno Fazzolari 2013

August 14, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Robert Herrmann

Hey there frag friends! Robert H. here loving the warm weather and rocking….

Jimmy by Bruno Fazzolari 2013

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, yang slang
Heart: Rose, geranium
Base: Violet leaves, heliotrope, sandalwood

Hailing from my hometown of San Francisco, award-winning Indie perfumer Bruno Fazzolari creates gorgeous perfumes often built around a work of art created by, who else…Bruno Fazzolari! Here is how he describes his range…..

“Idiosyncratic and uncanny scents that merge classic and contemporary styles of perfumery. Some were created for exhibitions, others draw inspiration from poets, composers, and film.

Each scent is offered as a boxed artist’s edition and includes an image reference card that connects the perfume with its visual counterpart.”

Bruno Fazzolari

Fazzolari has created some now-iconic scents including Lampblack (2013), Seyrig (2015), and this years collaboration with Bogue Profumo’s Antonio Gardoni; Cadavre Exquise (2016)

Jimmy is best described as fresh flowers and daylight: violets and roses with a base of moss and ambergris, enlivened with a hint of spice. Essentially a really stunning floral built around Ylang Ylang, Rose Otto, Geranium, Violet Leaf, Heliotrope, Sandalwood, and is named after Pulitzer prize winning American poet James Schuyler, who among many other things was quite passionate about flowers, and all things garden-related.

It wears like a dream, perfect for warm sunny days, and those cool winter days when you need a blast of Spring!

Bruno Fazzolari

Jimmy is one of those every-minute-huff-worthy scents, you know the kind. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you are COMPELLED to keep your wrist glued to your nose. The scent you MUST buy a full bottle of within 20 minutes of first application. And then a back-up bottle. Or two. It’s just that pleasing and ubër-gorgeous. Yup. THAT’S the one.

LuckyScent has $110/30ml

(And if you can find it, snag a bottle of his annual limited edition Au Dela-Narcisse Des Montagnes. It’s rarer than hen’s teeth and worth every penny!) Have you tried any of the Fazzolari line? What are your favorites?

Mon Patchouly by Ramon Monegal 2009

August 13, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there Fragrant Friends,

Ramon Monegal’s line needs little selling for me. His general fragrant aesthetic works very well for me. The bottles are incredibly gorgeous to look at and hefty, the ink well design making them look both ultra modern and vintage. Though they are not the easiest to spritz yourself with but never mind when something looks this good we can work around the problems.

When Ramon Monegal first came to the world’s attention they arrived having already been a famous Spanish elite fragrance house for years. Which meant that they already had a huge back catalogue that they put on the market all at once. So much gets missed when this happens and is part of the problem with insta-lines, one huge rush of publicity and then nothing. I tried them all in passing and talked about the couple that took my attention at the start but the whole line seemed incredibly daunting. Already I have Impossible Iris and Dubai Next To Me in my collection and wish for Umbra, Ambre de Luna and Lovely Day.

Found this sample while trolling through one of my sample bags and it’s been getting a bit of skin time around here. Before it runs dry I thought I could share my enjoyment with you….

Mon Patchouly by Ramon Monegal 2009

Fragrantica

Ramon Monegal gives these featured accords:
Indonesian patchouli, Yugoslavian oak moss absolute, Somalian frankincense, geranium bourbon, Egyptian jasmine absolute, amber

Mon Patchouli opens with a cool, wet, lightly spicy geranium and sheer patchouli. It’s cool and refined speaking of elegant restaurants rather than the earthy beatnik and headshot. My first thought is that Ramon Monegal has created a sci-fi, 21st century patchouli. There are still soft remnants of when patchouli was the preferred oil of hippies but in an almost aquatic vein. It’s like smelling the joyful freshness of petrichor and someone walking by under their umbrella wearing a modern rose/patchouli fragrance.

As Mon Patchouli warms into my skin it becomes more earthy and is warmed by the amber, but it never really heats up because the cool incense, now rosy geranium and jasmines keep it aloof and restrained. I’m not really a patchouli soliflor wearer, it seems that my choices almost always have it as a backing note. My only real comparisons are DIOR’s Patchouli Imperial and patchouli oil, both of which are so much more intense and challenging than Mon Patchouli. Here the fragrance is muted and the house I think it smells like Mon Patchouli’s from is CHANEL. It could easily sit in line with the Les Exclusif range, the blending feels plush and even with no sharp or spiky extraneous additions.

Ramon Monegal

Mon Patchouli remains pretty linear from the heart onwards adding only a slight furriness. Not a huge perfume but you will be noticeable because it is so unlike what is currently being worn by the masses. Longevity is excellent and projection moderate to low.

From LuckyScent: Mon Patchouly perfectly represents the free-spirited essence of exotic patchouli, the ultimate emblem of “Flower Power.” Blended with vanilla, nutmeg, and amber, this archetypal scent puts down its daisy chain and picks up a different white flower – one that’s far more serious and sensual. This gorgeous jasmine note creates a beautiful balance with the earthy patchouli and amber – a stunning contrast that keeps it very unique and definitely grown-up. Mon Patchouly is a statement of identity. Pure Ibiza in its Mediterranean freshness and singularity.

Further reading: Non Blonde and Scented Hound
LuckyScent has $185/50ml + Samples
First In Fragrance has €145/50ml + Samples

Do you have a favourite Ramon Monegal fragrance? Or a fave Patchouli I should try?
Portia xx

Portia’s Fragrant Week 24 – 30 July 2016

August 12, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Frag Fiends,

Some of mates have been doing weekly wrap up shots of their fragrances. I loved the idea but kept forgetting to do it. Last week I put a box in my office and every time I spritzed something it went into the box. It was fun to watch the bottles and boxes pile up in there.

Portia’s Fragrant Week 24 – 30 July 2016

Yes, this is 7 days of fragrant wear for me. I think/hope I got them all. There were a couple of samples that I finished and threw away while not thinking, oops. (Bloody forgot Aesthete by Le Galion and Infini by Caron)

So from top to bottom 4 rows, left to right.

Miss Dior vintage parfum by DIOR: Pretty floral, furry dry down. Why did they have to change it? GRRR

Mohur by Neela Vermeire Creations: One of my all time faves. India meets Europe in a temple rose garden.

Exultat by Maria Candida Gentile: Incense and woods, one of the most comfortable incense bombs ever.

Epice Marine by Hermès: The modern aquatic, lifted by spices and that sheer oily JCE signature.

Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia by Guerlain: Lily and cool white flowers with a touch of coconut cream. Tropical yet elegant.

Midnight Oud by Juliette Has A Gun: Rose & oudh, smells great, lasts for the whole day, won’t break the bank.

Coco vintage parfum by CHANEL: Coco, is Coco, is Coco. Heavenly oriental, so spicy and full.

Fantasia de Fleurs by Creed: Sweet, jammy roses and marmalade. YUM!

Giverny In Bloom by DSH Perfumes: Put your head in a florists fridge while wearing a heavily galbanum fragrance and you will smell Giverny In Bloom.

LouLou by Cacharel: BOOM! LouLou is like wearing a technicolour shirt that glitters and shimmers. Careful of she’ll wear you out.

Tweed by Taylor of London: MEMORIES!!! Mum. Back then it was Tweed by Lentheric.

Truth or dare by Madonna: Yes. This is my current favourite big white floral. So good and practically free.

Amazone vintage by Hermès: Oakmoss and a little bit of other stuff. Furry and genteel.

What did you wear last week?
Portia x

Sydney Winter: Summer Reminders

August 11, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Fume Family,

I know that if you don’t live in australia you could be forgiven thinking that we never have a cold, wet or grey day. Well that’s simply not true. We know that our weather is very mild and are mostly able to get around in jeans and a jumper if it’s winter. Sydney though is a city of many moods and recently a few of my mates published beautiful non-sunny Australian photos on their social media. I thought you might like to have a look too.

Winter Barangaroo from Ferry by Kath Coulter

Winter Rain Off Bondi Beach by another great, longtime mate: Stafford Hamilton

Winter Sunset in Clunes by Melita white from Perfume Polytechnic

For those of us in Sydney, or indeed anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere, you’ll be past mid-winter by now and probably desperate for a reminder of what it feels like to be warm. Here are a couple of super summer reminders…..

Sydney Winter: Summer Reminders

Fragrantica

Fleur No 1 by 1000 Flowers

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Green notes, galbanum, narcissus, hyacinth, iris, magnolia, violet

Galbanum and the cool wash of florists fridge air meet in this sheer, clean, crisp fragrance that is all about how to beat the heat. It seems counter intuitive to wear something so Arctic-ly bracing but it has so many summer memories for me that it works to remedy my ennui.

Fragrantica

Granville by DIOR

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin, lemon, thyme, rosemary
Heart: Pine needles, dyer’s gorse
Base: Black pepper, sandalwood, woody notes

Granville is one of the classiest colognes I know. When it was released I bought 2 x 10ml and went through the first in no time but completely forgot I had a second. Now its sweet herbal/citrus opening with cool, dry, cracked black pepper and a very soft whisper of breath or fur, I’m never quite sure which, is still with me. Wearing it tonight has me smiling in remembrance of sunlit warm days.

Fragrantica

Ormond Woman by Ormond Jayne 2002

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, coriander, grass oil
Heart: Black hemlock, violet, jasmine absolute
Base: Vetiver, cedar wood, amber, sandalwood

Strangely I find the herbs at the top of Ormond Woman warm and fleshy, I wonder if its the jasmine? There is something delightfully human under all the clean green and synth woodsiness. An oily warmth that makes the whole fragrance really comfortable and while it harks back to summer it also has the feeling of cuddling together under the bedcovers and keeping the cold at bay on a winters Sunday morning.

Fragrantica

Tropic of Capricorn by Olympic Orchids

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Mango fruit tincture, jasmine, frangipani, tuberose, magnolia, osmanthus, maile vine (a common component of floral leis), Bourbon vanilla, Africa stone (hyrax), ambergris, benzoin, New Caledonian sandalwood

I love the fetid, sensual, over ripe swamp that is Tropic of Capricorn. While everything else only list has been cool and green here we have fire and danger, excitement and lush tropical nightmares. This is what the animals of summer smell like, how pan might smell in his erotic goatiness. Tropic of Capricorn is the tribal community gathering, musical beat, the fire and the sacred ceremonies of indigenous people. Hot, heating and full of magical promise.

Sydney from the North Shore at Greenwich taken by my friend-since-Kindergarten, Tim Kelly.

What do you suggest as a memory of summer or if you’re in the northern hemisphere what is helping you beat the heat?
Portia xx

No 4 Natalie by Milton Lloyd 2014

August 10, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by Poodle

Hello my Fume Friends!

Milton-Lloyd is a UK based fragrance company offering fine fragrances at affordable prices. They do not spend money on fancy packaging or advertising and claim to put the money in the juice. I received a few of their perfumes to sample and review and found them to be as good as higher priced mainstream scents. Today let’s chat about No.4.

No 4 Natalie by Milton Lloyd 2014

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Red berries, iris
Heart: Floral notes, cedar
Base: Amber, woodsy notes, vanilla

Natalie seemed okay on paper so I spritzed it on before heading out the door to work. It reminded me of La Vie est Belle and a bunch of other similar perfumes. It’s classified as an oriental floral but I think it’s too sweet for that.

The opening is bright and bursting with sugared berries and cherries. Yes, it’s sweet. I will admit my tolerance for sweetness increased this past winter. Perhaps I was seeking comfort foods in my perfume closet rather than in the kitchen. Anyway, it’s a big cloud of pink and purple artificially flavored cotton candy but as long as you don’t overspray its not as bad as it sounds. In a short while, floral notes appear and neutralize some of the sugars. Thankfully the iris is not that nasty, rooty iris of my nightmares but rather a powdery, floral iris. It’s difficult to pick out individual floral notes but they’re there creating a suggestion of flowers in the candy floss. The top notes linger and soften over time and the woody notes appear. The base is an ambery vanilla which is not nearly as sweet and dessert-like as the whole thing began.

ColourBox

The fact that I could still smell it after arriving at the office was a good sign. Many scents barely make the ride. Within minutes of getting in I received my first compliment on my scent. I had to agree I did smell pretty good. I’m also saying that that was my first compliment because I received a total of 4 compliments on my fragrance that day. That’s 4 in only 5 hours. That was on Friday. On Monday I wore it again and got 3 compliments.

Natalie probably won’t be a hit with the hardcore fumies since niche lovers want things a bit more challenging but I could see this being a popular alternative to higher priced department store scents. Regardless of how you feel about perfumes with sugared berries, sweet florals, and vanilla cream people seem to love this type of perfume and react positively to it. There’s nothing exotic or complicated here and I find it incredibly easy to wear. It would be great for a teen if you didn’t want to break the bank on a fragrance. Lasted for hours on my skin so on the average person I imagine it would be an all day scent.

Pixabay

Further reading: I Scent You A Day
Milton Lloyd has £14/83ml

What’s your most complimented scent lately?

Hugs
Poodle

Shalimar EdC by Jaques Guerlain for Guerlain 1925

August 9, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 32 Comments

Val the Cookie Queen

Shalom APJ Shalimar Lovers!

I never had the slightest intention of writing about Shalimar. Suddenly I fell in love with the extrait last year and bought myself a bottle. Of course everyone said “ But the vintage is so much better, blah, blah, blah ….” Fingers in my ears, it might well be, I don´t care. Indeed I have a few drops of a vintage version which Portia kindly sent to me. Of course I LOVE it. Actually I was talking to Vero the other day about rare and vintage perfumes and the business they have become. I AM interested. Duh. But have no intentions of hunting old stuff down. Not prepared to pay the prices nor take the risk. I do own a couple of exquisite vintage fragrances but they came to me as gifts.

Amazon, eBay, Walgreens, Low Price Shoppers. No Shalimar Shame!

As I placed an order on Amazon a few weeks ago, an advertisement came up for Shalimar Eau de Cologne. Of course the NSA know all the perfumistas and stalk us by offering us Amazon perfume deals. This one was interesting though. I frantically Googled the EdC and came up with next to nothing. Except that it is only available through low price, super deal, bog standard drug stores and the big two, Amazon and eBay.

Thirty five euros including postage? Ordered. Nice bottle if nothing else. Shalimar was created as a tribute to the love story between Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. After thirteen kids and dying in childbirth with the fourteenth, she left her husband devastated (but with enough offspring to take care of him I guess). He built the Taj Mahal in her memory but seriously, I guess we all know the story? Did you know Shalimar is named after the Gardens of Shalimar, Mumtaz´s favourite garden?

Shalimar EdC by Guerlain 1925

Shalimar EdC by Jaques Guerlain

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, mandarin orange, cedar
Heart: Iris, patchouli, jasmine, vetiver, rose
Base: Leather, sandalwood, opoponax, civet, musk, vanilla, incense, Peru balsam, benzoin

It’s absolutely fantastic, Shalimar EdC. Gobsmacked to be honest. It knocks spots of the current EdP and EdT. It opens with a divinely cooling bergamot lemon zing, and I just want to drown in it. Delicious but not sweet. Iris and rose are there. Slightly smoky, leathery and a veil of such exquisite vanilla. Unlike the current EdP there is no patchouli in the base and it is all the better for it. Spraying it in abundance leaves you shimmering with Shalimar for hours. It has a lot in common with the current Shalimar Extrait, albeit a cologne with a the raunchy drydown. Absolutely fabulous.

This is where Val lives, the view from her balcony

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies
FragranceNet has $50/75ml Before Coupon

Dislike Shalimar? Don´t bother. Nearly like it but not quite? Try the Shalimar EdC. Own the vintage version already? Tell me about it. This is hands down my favourite Shalimar and my take to the pool staple this year. Who would have thought of it?
Love Shalimar? Buy it.

Fourteen kids?
Sheesh.

Aromatic Bussis
CQ

(Ed: Photos donated by Val. Thanks. XXOX)

Schöne Linden 05 by Krigler 1905

August 8, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Post by TinaG

Hi APJ!

On my recent European travels I visited Krigler at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin, located on the glorious boulevard of Unter de Linden. Unter mean ‘under’ and it is a reference to the majestic linden trees which line both sides of the road. The scent of linden flowers is reportedly deeply honeyed, and the dried flower is used as a tea. Apparently the young leaves of the linden tree and the seeds are also edible (according to the internet, so it must be true). My Berlin trip was in May, late spring, so I missed the flourish of little yellow blooms.

The sales assistant at Krigler was amazingly helpful & patient while this little desperately jet-lagged Aussie stumbled through the range. I picked up a few samples, one of which I thought was appropriate souvenir for my time in Berlin called Schöne Linden 05. (Schöne = beautiful). The suffixed digits in Krigler’s fragrance names refer to the year they were released. Schöne Linden was launched in celebration of the opening of their first store in Berlin in 1905, hence the “05”.

Schöne Linden 05 by Krigler 1905

Parfumo

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Violet Leaf, Mimosa, Lilac
Heart: Tuberose, Gardenia, Linden
Base: Vanilla, Sandalwood, Carnation

The opening of this fragrance is a beautifully balanced bouquet of spring flowers. I’m impressed by the softness of a powdery lilac which is underpinned by a green violet accord. This is struck through with a “yellow” floral note and surrounded by a fleshy gardenia and watery tuberose, the last two flowers ensuring that the fragrance has a full and lush sillage. I was lucky enough to come across loads of lilac in flower when in Germany and it is fabulous. I lingered passing every bush I encountered filling my nostrils with the sweet scent and thoroughly enjoying the blooms. So gorgeous.

Over the first 1.5 hours both the gardenia and tuberose become creamy but stay out of heavy indole territory, and I’m picking up an almond accord. ‘Lush’ is still the word which comes to mind. I feel like I’ve put on a diaphanous floral wrap that extends around me for at least a metre. Walking away from, and back into a room, the fragrance has lingered. It is warm and welcoming.

The part of this fragrance that I enjoy the most is the dry down – after 4 hours I get a thick, sticky honey note with a touch of sandalwood and a prism of green sparkling through. My skin amplifies sweetness, and I love honey as a basenote, so there are a couple of big wins for me here. The honey effect lasts for ages, I could still pick it up on my skin overnight.

Krigler has $245/50ml
Krigler sell samples US$18/2ml and do ship to Australia.

I was frustrated with the sample spray. Perhaps I got a faulty one but it leaked when spraying and I ended up with wet fingers. My tests were all mixes of sprays and dabs because of this. Lucky I liked it!

What is your favourite spring floral fragrance?

Till next time,
Tina G xx

(Ed: All photos donated by TinaG. Thanks, they’re lovely. XXXX)

What’s Your SOTD?

August 7, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

Post by Portia

Heya Crew,

Anne-Marie is snowed under at work and feeling less than 100% so I’m filling for her today. Fingers crossed for her triumphal return in a fortnight. We love you Anne-Marie. XX

Anne-Marie, Scott & Portia at DIOR, Sydney

Anne-Marie, Scott & Portia at David Jones, Sydney

What’s Your SOTD?

SOTD, SOTE, SOTM, SOTBed???? This acronym had me completely baffled when I first hit the online scent world. It is used everywhere from blogs to Facebook pages and has now become so much part of the fragrance communities conversation that I forget at one point it was meaningless to me.

S.O.T.D. = Scent Of The Day

S.O.T.E. = Scent Of The Evening

S.O.T.M. = Scent Of The Morning

S.O.T.Bed. = Scent Of The Bed

So though Anne-Marie is not with us today I know she will be reading all our replies avidly so let’s include her by telling her exactly what fragrance we are wearing and which acronym applies.

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Coriander, Saffron
Heart: Gardenia, Jasmine, Magnolia, Rose, Ylang-ylang
Base: Amber, Musk, Vetiver

So as this post goes live it is S.O.T.E. for me, I have finished work, taken my drag and makeup off and have spritzed over my work scent for tonight which was Mohur by Neela Vermeire Creations with the original Agent Provocateur rose/saffron/woods in the pink egg (I really need to review this baby, it’s becoming a firm favourite. So I thought it was a patchouli frag HA HA HA!) If I was leaving a comment this is how it would look. SOT? acronym, Fragrance, Brief description.

SOTE: Agent Provocateur: Rose/saffron/woods bomb in the pink egg that smells like it has modern patchouli in it to me. Love how this seems to shimmer around me. I imagine people’s noses catching my sillage as I walk past and them looking up from whatever they’re doing to see who smells so good.

So please get on board and drop your Scent Of The Whatever into the comments.

Get work sorted and well Anne-Marie
Portia XXX

Mandarine by Olivia Giacometti for L`Artisan Perfumer 2006

August 6, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Fragrant Friends,

I’ve had this 5ml decant of Mandarine for years. It has about 1ml left in the bottom so I thought I would use it up this week. When the decant first arrived I used it a lot but when it got down to nearly nothing I thought it should be kept for reference purposes. So when I went to grab it and realising this is my last wear from the decant I began looking for a bottle but BUMMER, D/C. Thank goodness for FragranceNet!

I think I’ve told parts of this story before but it bears repeating, mandarines are special to me for a few reasons. They used to be a perfect play lunch in primary school and became a lunchbox fave through high school too. Then when in India and the whole culture shock drama plays out if I’m lucky enough to be there at mandarine time they are a welcome respite from Indian food and Varun used to go to extraordinary lengths to get them for me. Lastly and most recently Jin loves mandarines, he has a favourite type that comes with a sticker and he looks all winter and ONLY buys these. They are sweet and nearly seedless and come easily away from the rind. Mandarines and their scent have such joyful connotations for me so a fragrance based on them was bound to hit my sweet spot.

Mandarine by L`Artisan Perfumer 2006

Mandarine by Olivia Giacometti

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Green mandarin, Ginger
Heart: Frangipani, Yellow mandarin
Base: Orange, Red mandarin, White cedar

Mandarine is simple, fresh, bright and sparkling. It has a soft pithy fleshiness that works beautifully against the juicy mandarine ripeness. Though I miss most of the ginger it does feel like there are some aldehydes lifting and gently expanding the fragrance. The frangipani reads like of coconut undercurrent my skin too but I am pretty sure it is meant to be the frangipani.

What I am surprised about is that this isn’t a bigger hit. L’Artisan is pretty much a general public fragrance house nowadays and Mandarine seems like it would be very popular as a spritz and go refresher fragrance, it has a lovely holiday vibe without feeling like the now ubiquitous salty jasmine. Not mentioned in the notes but I think there are a fair number of laundry musks in the base too, which seem to be highly sought after in the non perfumista arena.

WikiPedia

Who would wear this? Well, me for one. Other than that I could see it being a really easy wear spring/summer go to or holiday fragrance. After an hour it does calm considerably so it would be very safe for work. Maybe Mandarine is just a bit too much like laundry softener or shampoo for the perfumistas but perfect for a gateway fragrance, or even a first step from the celebuscents. Mandarine is a little like a Guerlain Aqua Allegoria fragrance, maybe too close?

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Bois de Jasmin
~~FragranceNet has $71/100ml before Coupon~~ SOLD OUT
Sephora Australia has AUD$145/100ml FREE Delivery

Do you know or love Mandarine? I’d really like to hear from you if you do, how do you wear it?
Portia xx