Hey APJ,
I love it when the Louis Vuitton crew gets together and creates magic. Here is another beautiful piece that is also sweet,
Photo Stolen YouTube
Please enjoy,
Portia xx
Femme (Vintage) by Edmond Roudnitska for Rochas 1943 LIVE Video Sniff
Hey Fumies,
I wonder if Edmond Roudniska is rolling in his grave? My mate David (Margeaux) and I take on one of the world’s most enduring fragrances in a LIVE Video Sniff! We are only enthusiasts and the thrill of being in front of a camera coupled with a few beverages, a group of the APJ crew together and our own madness means that we completely forget much of what we wanted to say, some of what we really should have said, and then mangle what we do say and add in bullshit to boot. Your mission, should you choose to take it, is to unravel the truth and tell us because we are up shit creek without a boat, let alone a paddle; and yes, I do know that Edmond Roudnitska was the creator, Edward Roudnitska is a figment of my crazed, and deranged by sniffing too much perfume, brain.
Vintage Femme by Rochas 1943 LIVE Video Sniff
Vintage Femme by Edmond Roudnitska
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
What I can tell you is that we had a really fabulous time making this. Surely that counts for something. If you’d like to see a review of the currently available for next to nothing reformulation that is still wickedly wonderful then Femme by Edmond Roudnitska for Rochas 1943
Photo Stolen FragranticaAs always I have to thank my BFF for her video and editing skills which she gives up her precious spare time to do, THANKS KATH!! Also a shout out to Jin who makes it blog ready and lastly I need to thank Margeaux for being an excellent fellow with such a great personality and a great mate, not to mention that he is a complete SPUNK!!
Do please enjoy our frolic through Vintage Femme by Rochas.
Till we see you tomorrow we wish you only good stuff.
Loads of love,
Portia xx
This whole piece is a reblog from 2012. I love it so much that I thought we could all watch it again.
El Poeta GIVEAWAY WINNERS
Woo Hoo Crew,
Thanks to the amazing Azar for another sensational giveaway!
Portia xx
El Poeta GIVEAWAY WINNERS
Photo Donated Mario
WHAT COULD YOU WIN?
This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 1 ml Mario Tomas Perfumes “Cafe” sample set of El Poeta, Café Noir, Café V and Poppy
P&H Anywhere in the world
HOW DID 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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) 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 comment on any of these fragrances or tell us about your favorite coffee drink or coffee-centric perfume. If you can’t drink coffee (or don’t like it) you can tell us about that too!
HOUSEKEEPING
Entries Close Thursday 30th April 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners will be chosen by random.org
Photo Stolen HighestSelf
Lyubev
The winners will have till Monday 3rd May 2015 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.
Singapore 2015 Photo Essay
Woo Hoo APJ,
We are home from our 2 week Asia adventure. Traveling with Jin is so easy and fun, he loves to get amongst it and we fit in an extraordinary amount. He is absolutely fearless in his site and adventure planning and often has me doing things I never dreamed to do. This holiday he even planned in a whole day of lazy as a gift for me, we woke up late, lazed around the pool, brunched and generally hung out together till going off to some fab little street food diner for dinner. Bliss.
Singapore 2015 Photo Essay
First time in Singapore as a tourist rather than a transient, the easiest country in Asia to be a part of for us English speakers because English and Chinese are the two official languages so almost all signs are or have English. WINNING! They also have a fantastic Metro and Bus system that you can access with a card like the British Oyster system. It’s clean and the people are friendly, the food is awesome and the weather warm all year round. Our mate Julie gave us the inside skinny on everything and entertained usa to the whole islands highs & depths. We met up with friends not seen in years and really would have liked another week because we just could not fit everyone in.
To be honest there are hardly any photos with the crew because we were having too much fun while we were with them. Here is a selction of photos that I did remember to take.
Singapore Airways very back row
Our mate Julie who had us staying with her, excellent tour guide and hostess. (Whitney in the background)
Drinks at the Fullerton Bay Hotel Rooftop for welcome
Portia swimming in the 14th floor pool of Julie’s apartment
We hired bikes and rode along the seafront, here we are stopped at a picnic point
Julie had organised a crew to see Bjorn Again (ABBA tribute) in the Marina Sands Complex (VERY Guggenheim)
Spent the morning at the Marina Bay Gardens, even did the Sky Walk (big thing if you are scared of heights)
Local breakfast
Navigating Singapore by Public Transport
Portia being an idiot, Jin can’t believe it. I don’t know why, it does seem to be my default setting.
High Tea at The Fullerton Hotel, unbelievably yummy and good value too. They kept filling up out trays till we had to waddle out.
We did manage to get to some museums and art galleries but this is the only piece that I fell madly in love with, ancient version of Conchita Wurst
Found a Bangladeshi boy on the street and asked him where in Little India HE ate, took us to a fabulous restaurant 2 people absolutely full of naan and vegetarian food for $4 each, amazing.
Chinatown and Jin finally gets to use his Selfie Stick (I know, but he loves it and if that’s his worst vice I can cope)
Final Singaporean dinner, Chili crab, Spicy chicken and Breaded prawns.
Michael Edwards + Women's Wear Daily Magazine
Hey there APJ,
Just in from Ainslie Walker the latest Michael Edwards from Fragrances Of The World PRESS RELEASE!
Michael Edwards + Women’s Wear Daily Magazine
Michael rarely mentions his fragrance projects, but here’s a development that will interest you: yesterday, Women’s Wear Daily, the New York fragrance, beauty and fashion trade bible, was reborn. No longer a daily paper, the new glossy weekly debuts with 246 pages … and the first Smell Test leads the Beauty reports.
Michael was asked by WWD to assemble “a jury of world-class fragrance experts who will judge various scents for their olfactory quality, revealing the nuances of perfumery’s new world order. Panelists are given unmarked vials of fragrance to smell in a blind, impartial test. The fragrance will be scored on a scale of 10 (the ultimate) to 1 (forgettable), with an average score computed.”
MISIA, the newest addition to Chanel’s Les Exclusifs collection, is the first fragrance his jury evaluated. It scored an average of 7.2 points. You’ll find the full article and slide show on WWD
Each week, the WWD jury will evaluate and score a new fragrance in the weekly WWD.
Ambre Vie by Christi Meshell for House of Matriarch 2012
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Post by FeralJasmine
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I love amber and there is probably no note that I wear more regularly. I have different ambers for different seasons, but I adore them all. I am considering adding Ambre Vie to my line-up and am weighing my decision and seeking enablement.
Ambre Vie by Christi Meshell for House of Matriarch 2012
Ambre Vie: Soft Amber Waves
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Ambreine (labdanum), resins, mimosa petals, davana (artemisia), costus, amber, natural musk
Ambre Vie is an all-natural vanillic amber. It’s beautifully smooth and opens with a soft wave of spices and mimosa, but nothing dramatic. From the moment of spraying it smells somehow “settled,” as if it has melded with skin. I find it very hard to differentiate the various spice notes from one another. The labdanum is smooth and supple. The vanilla is there from the beginning, but it is soft and low-key and serves just to round out the amber. There is a dessert-wine, Tokai-like note which is probably the balsamic note referred to on Fragrantica. There are soft sweet powdery undertones, which I love in amber perfumes. On me it’s very soft and work-appropriate. Over the course of an hour the winey and mimosa notes disappear and the powder is a little more pronounced, but other than that it’s pretty linear. The remarks on House of Matriarch’s website refer to the drydown “becoming mysteriously stronger with time,” and all I can say is, not on me. It’s a skin scent within 90 minutes and gone at the two-hour mark.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
A commenter on Fragrantica calls it a “reference amber” and I agree with this. It’s like your perfect pound cake recipe that, while not being in any way unusual, is always delicious and never lets you down. Another Fragrantica commenter, Deadidol, says “Like its closest analog, HdP’s Ambre 114, this scent utilizes more than 100 materials to achieve its effect, yet the result is largely free from bombast. There’s musk lurking beneath, but it merges with the buttery tones of the base to keep from announcing itself too loudly. Similarly, soft, smoky notes appear alongside what seems to be clove, but these notes never get close enough the surface for full recognition.”
When I dream of the perfect workhorse amber perfume to suit all occasions and seasons and never call unwanted attention to itself (while inviting the wanted kind!), it’s pretty much like Ambre Vie. I wish it were more intense and lasted longer, and if it did, I wouldn’t be deliberating, I would be buying. I suspect that this is unique to my perfume-eating skin, because commenters have reported that it does last several hours on them. But ultimately I will almost surely buy a bottle because it is so very pretty, so well-made, and so right.
Photo Stolen SteamRadio
Further reading: hausofwaft
House of Matriarch starts from $24/3.3ml
Speak to me of amber! What are your favorite perfumes based on this lovely note?
FeralJasmine x
Isabey Perle de la Route d`Emeraude by Panouge 2014
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Post by Trésor
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I love beautiful things. As much as I’m fond of saying that material things mean very little to me (and in all honestly they truly don’t in the grand scheme of things), I cannot deny that I have a powerful affection for objects graced with exquisite form and effortless function. The DNA of true luxury in my opinion is not a statement of needless excess nor grandeur but a transcendent elevation of the ordinary into a creation of unmitigated refinement; a symphonious pas de deux of finely calibrated performance and unyielding pulchritude. Perfection captured in kaleidoscopic microcosms, the harmonious tick-tick-tick of a fine timepiece or the gloriously symmetrical saddle stitching on a wallet from the atelier of Hermès. The same can be said for fragrance and I would hazard to say that capturing this particularly elusive je ne sais quoi within an olfactory landscape proves to be an even more arduous task than presented in the physically tactile artforms, though when one manages I can assure you it is truly magnificent. Case in point, the poetic opulence of Perle de la Route d`Emeraude from the Parisian house of Isabey.
Isabey Perle de la Route d`Emeraude by Panouge 2014
Isabey Perle de la Route d`Emeraude by Jean Jacques
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Rose oil, Cinnamon
Heart: Jasmine sambac, Moroccan jasmine absolute, Orange blossom, Tuberose
Base: Ambergris, Benzoin, Vanilla, Musk
The opening sequence of Perle de la Route d`Emeraude (let’s just call her Perle from now on. A (tube)rose by any other name, and all that.) is an immaculately mellifluous diapason of white florals, as rich and utterly labyrinthine as you could possibly imagine. Operatic jasmine radiates forth in her narcotic light show, flashing lambent bursts of bergamot as if they were jewels decorating her velvet ivory. Tuberose graced with crimson red lips and Monroe curves reveals milky flesh, inch by inch though the ostrich feather plumes of her burlesque fan; innocence maintained only through the wreath of orange blossoms placed within her golden hair.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
The airspace is penetrated by the redolent nectarous density of pure floral essence overflowing from petals releasing their very souls into our welcoming embrace. An icy current of buttery orris root courses through the background, acting as foil to the vivid canary hue of voluptuous ylang yang which serves to further amplify the depth and utter luxuriance which dwells within this unctuous elixir. As the composition begins its descent the inimitable warmth and splendid sweetness of benzoin resin rises from beneath the radiant florals and begins to enrapture everything in its wake. Smooth, smoky vanilla weaves gently through what remains of the the lush flora and leads Perle to her final moments on the skin as a sublimely comforting aureate glow.
Photo Stolen WikiCommons
The sillage on Perle is what you would expect of a decadent extrait de parfum, plush to the point of divinity while maintaining a particular geniality that creates a most fascinating harmony, indeed. As for longevity, it is about 8 hours before I finally notice her fading off into the distance leaving but traces of warmth and beautiful memories behind her. I urge you to give Perle a try if you are looking to experience the beauty of tuberose in full, unapologetic glory or if you’re simply in the mood for a truly decadent treat to brighten a rainy day.
Further reading: Scentsory Meltdown
LuckyScent has $355/50ml & Samples
What about you? Do you love a particular tuberose? Have you tried this one?
Until next time, kittens.
Trésor xx
Classic Opoponax by Von Eusersdorff 2015
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Post by Val the Cookie Queen
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An Immaculate Oriental……
You know when I first met Portia and we decided I would sometimes write posts for APJ I had absolutely no idea at all that I would be sat here more than two years later. Not only that but that I would also shoot down to Italy to attend the perfume shows. It is kind of funny really. I absolutely love going to them, and have no intention of stopping. And yet I am so hesitant to try anything new. The older I get the more überfussy I have become. (Don´t believe that. I have always been very selective.)
Classic Opoponax by Von Eusersdorff 2015
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rose, jasmine
Heart: Opoponax, sandalwood, benzoin
Base: Castoreum, amber, patchouli, vanilla
Classic Opoponax was one of the very few (you could count them on one hand) of the new launches I was absolutely excited to try. I spent an hour searching through the Campomarzio party guests for Camille Henfling Junior, founder of Von Eusersdorff and an absolutely lovely bloke. I say searching because there was about 500 guests in about a 50 square meter area and it was dark – it took a while!
Photo Donated Camille
Opoponax is also known as opobalsam, which explains its resiny feel. It is also known as sweet myrrh, in contrast to the bitter myrrh which is more commonly used in medicines, both Ayurvedic and Western. Sweet myrrh has been used for at least two thousand years in incense and perfumes and comes primarily from Somalia and Ethiopia. Von Eusersdorff’s Classic Opoponax feels slightly sticky when you spray generously, which you need to do to do it justice. Hence the solid comfortable 100 ml bottle.
Photo Stolen Wikipedia
Classic Opoponax is Von Eusersdorff’s sixth fragrance. Each fragrance is concentrated around a single note and all are of a very high standard. Elegant and handsome. Classic Opoponax no exception. It is a flawless oriental. Warm and thick, sweet and resinous, heady and quietly opulent. No spices. Very contemporary. It opens with a wonderfully sweet rose along with jasmine and takes you on a seamless ride into the heart of opoponax and on into the base of amber and patchouli, vanilla and a dab of castoreum. It all seems so effortless, which means it was not.
Photo Donated Val
Classic Opoponax will be a summer perfume for me. I love rich sweet orientals in the heat. I find they stay very flat on the skin in cold weather. And no, 10 mls is definitely not enough.
Further reading: GoodSmellas and Colognoisseur
ParfuMaria has €119/100ml
Dankjewel Meneer Henfling for the wonderful package. It really touched me.
Which of the Von Eusersdorff fragrances have you tried, or do you want to try?
Tot Ziens
CQ
Photo Donated Camille
El Poeta by Mario T. Gomez for Mario Tomas Perfumes
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Post by Azar
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“I have many interests but the art of perfumery is my passion” – Mario T. Gomez
Mario Gomez is well known in US West Coast perfume circles for his writing, lecturing and for his Olfactory Ambassador Service . In 2014 Mario brought his extensive knowledge of and appreciation for scent to the creation of his own line of fragrances – Mario Tomas Perfumes. So far there are three fragrances in the line: Lo Mejor de Mi #1, Corazon Blanco and El Poeta. While I have not had the pleasure of meeting the perfumer in person I feel as though I know him from trying just one of his creations. Late last year a dear friend gifted me a bottle of El Poeta, a fragrance that is a striking testament to Mario Gomez passion for and understanding of the art of perfumery.
El Poeta by Mario T. Gomez for Mario Tomas Perfumes
Photo Donated Mario
Perfumer gives these featured notes in one line:
Vanilla, sandalwood, coriander, anise, fig, bay rum, tobacco, juniper.
“This fragrance conjures up another era: a time and place when debates on beauty, style and technique were hotly discussed over drinks at a crowded and smoky café…It is absinthe inspired; Bohemia in a bottle.”
My perceived notes and description:
Anise, juniper, gin, vanilla, coriander, fig, coffee, cream and smoky sweet tobacco.
Many of you are familiar with DHS Café Noir (1997), Olympic Orchids Café V (2013) and Sweet Anthem Poppy (2014). To me these wonderful semi gourmand “café” perfumes are evocative of historic and contemporary café culture around the world – warm, dark, a little shady, revolutionary and artistic but at the same time comfortable and safe. El Poeta is a “café” fragrance too but with a twist. El Poeta opens for me with a blast of juniper/gin flavored with anise and coriander seed – potent, blue green and translucent. As the perfume develops it becomes warmer in color and more opaque, a delicious concoction of vanilla and fig. I like to spritz El Poeta late at night. When I wake up in the morning I am treated to a dry down of deep golden brown scents, the smells of thick, rich, vanilla spiced coffee, sweet cream and hints of smoky tobacco. Throughout the eight to ten hour life of the fragrance the projection is strong enough to be enticing but never overwhelming.
Photo Donated Mario
Read more about Mario T. Gomez and his fragrances at Fragrantica and Ca Fleure Bon
Currently Mario Toms Perfumes are shipping to US addresses only.
El Poeta will be available again soon at Tiger Lily Perfumery
Azar xx
Photo Stolen AllSteele
El Poeta GIVEAWAY
WHAT CAN YOU WIN?
This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 1 ml Mario Tomas Perfumes “Cafe” sample set of El Poeta, Café Noir, Café V and Poppy
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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) 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 comment on any of these fragrances or tell us about your favorite coffee drink or coffee-centric perfume. If you can’t drink coffee (or don’t like it) you can tell us about that too!
HOUSEKEEPING
Entries Close Thursday 30th April 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Monday 3rd May 2015 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.
Rose de Grasse by Aerin Lauder 2015
Heya All,
I grabbed this in the Surrender To Chance 5ml Fabulous Fragrance Fridays and I think they were trying to empty the bottle because I can’t find it on the site at all now. BUM!
Rose de Grasse by Aerin Lauder 2015
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
BaseNotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Watery accord
Heart: Rose Centifolia, Bulgarian rose otto, Rose absolute
Base: Violet wood, Ambrox, Musk
These Aerin bottles look super luxe in the pictures, have any of you held them? Do they measure up in life? It looks like cool white porcelain.
Dewy rose buds at dawn, cool and just beginning to open, high up in the Himalayas because the air is brittle and thin. The rose is lightly fizzy and sweet but not jammy, far too crisp for that. There’s something green and leafy too like crushing aphids against the stem to attract more lady bugs who feed on them, crush a few and the lady bugs will do the rest. I am severely underwhelmed by the projection but think Rose de Grasse would make a perfect office scent. Really, during the first 15 minutes it smells more like a very nice fabric softener or body wash than a fine fragrance. This is on my skin and to my nose your results will vary. Having said that it does warm very nicely through after that point and also has a nice pithy background, it’s all extremely muted. Jin says it smells like Acacia and once he said it I get what he means, there is that slightly waxy green wetness I smell with acacia here in Rose de Grasse. Interesting.
Photo Stolen WikiCommons
The soft muted scent of Rose de Grasse is lovely but far too thin for my liking. I’m going to give my decant to a non perfumista girlfriend who likes fragrance and works corporate to see if she likes it for a work scent. It’s like they’ve added too much perfumers alcohol and not enough perfume, insipid. For $185/50ml I want more, more of everything.
What I have after 4 hours is a very soft geranium and carnation cross waft, very very soft. A bit spicy and floral over a soft musk base. Actually I like this almost scent better than the heart of the fragrance by far, a bit clove-y, stark and frosty. It tingles my tongue as I sniff it. I really cannot tell you enough how quiet it is but it does smell nice.
Photo Stolen Flickr
Further reading: Now Smell This and Luxury Daily
Aerin is available in the USA at Estee Lauder online $185/50ml
Will I buy a bottle? No. Should you try it? Yes, at least so you feel that you have. You can also come back and tell me if I got it totally wrong, it wouldn’t be the first time I had.
Portia xxx
Australian Perfume Junkies 