Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli by Dame Perfumery Scottsdale 2014

March 23, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello APJ Pals,

As long as I can remember perfumes wafting excessive orrisroot, iris, violet and/or heliotrope have been, at best, cloying and at worst nauseating. Powdery purple florals, components of so many vintage and modern fragrances, are almost impossible to avoid. Their sweet, almond-y, cherry or vanillic odors rise from drugstores, department stores, boutiques and specialty shops everywhere.

Over the years I have developed a sort of Heliotropophobia, (Orrisophobia, Violettaphobia), a confused and unpredictable fear of the sweet and powdery. Heliotrope in certain fragrances, Dior Poison for example, presents no problem for me. Perhaps Poison works because the heliotrope has been transformed into a toxic berry? When powdery orris root serves as background noise or modulation (Chanel No.19) it works too, but when the powder passes my personal threshold of tolerance any perfume becomes a scrubber. Prada’s Infusion d’Iris is intolerable. Lolita Lempicka is lovely at first but not for long…

Determined to face this phobia I began searching my samples for possible offenders. Bravely I decided to spritz anything containing iris, violet or heliotrope and make a serious effort to concentrate on the development of the scent, disregarding any gag reflex. I knew there had to be something redeeming beneath the icky and the sweet. The first vial that I pulled forever changed my take on powder in perfume.

Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli by Dame Perfumery Scottsdale 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mate, lime peel, aldehydes
Heart: Heliotrope, iris, rose, tiare flower
Base: Patchouli, amber

The first sniff revealed the usual dreaded heliotrope and iris, but not for long! A sparkling, airy lightness, provided by mate and lime, immediately saved the composition. Mr. Dame’s heliotrope was refreshing and invigorating, almost a cologne. As Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli developed and dried into the cherry-almond aspect of heliotrope the aldehydes kept the gooey dessert element under control allowing the fragrance to finish with a rich and comforting combination of tiare and amber. A wispy, vague reference to pale patchouli lingered from start to finish.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

I love Mate, Heliotrope &Patchouli. I wear and enjoy this fragrance and am convinced that it has opened my nose to the possibilities of carefully controlled and modified purple flowers. With that in mind I plan to return to the Prada mentioned above and hopefully find something new to love.

If you would like to receive a free sample of Mate, Heliotrope& Patchouli or any of Dame Perfumery’s current fragrances check out the website’s picture postcard/sample exchange. If you like a scent but are not ready to commit to a full bottle the website offers 7ml trial sizes for only $8.50 and $10.00!

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Thanks to Mate, Heliotrope & Patchouli I may have conquered my Heliotropophobia. Have you tried any of the Dame Perfumery fragrances? Do you have any fragrance phobias? Are there perfumes you cannot wear but wish you could?

Be Brave

Azar xx

Ramon Monegal GIVEAWAY WINNERS

March 23, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hey Hey APJ,

Another great GIVEAWAY! Thanks for getting involved. The more I know the Ramon Monegal line the more impressed I am with their product.

If you didn’t win today
First In Fragrance has the range €145/50ml
Peony Melbourne will be getting the range any moment!!
Surrender To Chance has samples

Portia xx

Ramon Monegal GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Romon Monegal

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive one of (NO you don’t get to chose):
1 x 15ml splash sample Mon Cuir by Ramon Monegal
1 x 15ml spritz sample Lovely Day by Ramon Monegal
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 go to Ramon Monegal<<JUMP, find a fragrance and ONE of its notes…. NO DOUBLE UPS!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Ramon Monegal GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3xG #Perfume #GIVEAWAY @ramonmonegal @mrgratacos

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 22nd March 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen markmontanoblogs

LaurenB

Liam (via Twitter)

The winners will have till Thursday 26th March 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.

Tuberose Diabolique Perfume Oil by Ava Luxe

March 22, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hello Fragrant Fumies,

As spring hits the Northern Hemisphere properly I thought it time to look at one of my personal favourite tuberose fragrances. I have drained a bottle of the parfum and now I’m wearing the oil.

Photo Stolen Ava Luxe

The Ava Luxe website has this to say:
A French legend of tuberose warns young girls not to breathe in its intoxicating fragrance after dark for fear that it would put them in an amorous mood. we, on the other hand, would encourage you to wear this tuberose fragrance after dark (or anytime) with wild abandon.

Tuberose Diabolique Perfume Oil by Ava Luxe

Tuberose Diabolique by Serena Ava Franco

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Indian tuberose, wild gardenia, Egyptian tuberose, amber, spice, white carnation, bitter orange

Tuberose Diabolique opens with a lush tropical miasma so thick and treacle-ish that you feel like you must wade through the scent to get across the room. In the oil I find a muted, softer scent. The projection is much less pronounced but the silage is still excelent. Here we have a greener tuberose with little of the parfums outrageous overbearing demeanor. Don’t misunderstand me, you are still extremely fragrant and into its heart the whole fragrance warms and does become bequiling. A buttery green-ness very like having a vase of tuberose slowly dying in your home, the heady and wondrous death of tuberose. GORGEOUS!

I get a lovely helping of amber but the crispness of carnation and the sizzle of citrus and spice are blended beyond my ability to really smell them other than by note list reading.

Photo Stolen AusGardener

Spraying Tuberose Diabolique is making a statement. Though the oil is not as enormous as the parfum it is still big and heady. If you need something to help you take charge, or to fuddle the oppositions brains, then I think this could be the necessary fragrance for you. Should you wish to take an hour out of your life I suggest rubbing a fair amount into your chest and arms, grab yourself a cuppa, put some music on and let yourself go. Completely and utterly lose yourself in a sensual sense overload that is completely and utterly selfish.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Where would Tuberose Diabolique be wearable? Outdoor activities, shopping, cleaning, bed if you’re lucky enough to have one to yourself or if you are after raunchy sex acts, washing day, al fresco dinning, the beach, anywhere that you are not enclosed for the first hour.

Do I like Tuberose Diabolique in the oil form? YES!!!

The Ava Luxe site has 5ml Perfume Oil $25 & 5ml Parfum Extrait $27.

Do you have an oil that you also have in another form? Which do you wear most?
Till tomorrow we wish you enough wealth, good health and enough sense to be happy with those 2.
Love.
Portia xx

Armani: The courage to say Sì by Giorgio Armani: Video

March 22, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Yoo Hoo Crew!

I love this ad. Beautifully shot, the music is perfect both thrilling and calm, the girls are a multicultural mix and all doing stuff that takes courage. I like very much the blend of drama and beauty, so good.

Si by Christine Nagel for Giorgio Armani 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cassis
Heart: Freesia, ,may rose
Base: Vanilla, patchouli, ambroxan, woody notes

Sadly the fragrance is a washout on me but I hope it’s better for you.

Enjoy the advertisement.
Portia xx

The courage to say Sì by Giorgio Armani

Un Matin d'Orage by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2009

March 21, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Hi there lovely fragrant APJers,

I have a nearly empty 50ml of this beauty bought early on and recently my mate Michael who writes for Olfactoria’s Travels was having a Sell-Out so I grabbed a 100ml from him. It’s in the old packaging but much newer and I was a little worried there might have been a few cuts and pastes as the company changed hands over the years. I’m sure there have been but Un Matin d’Orage is remarkably intact. Happy day…..

Un Matin d’Orage by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2009

Un Matin d’Orage (Morning Storm)

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sicilian lemon, ginger, green notes
Heart: Gardenia, shiso leaves, magnolia, champaca flowers, Indonesian jasmine
Base: Sandalwood

Imagine happy moderately wealthy women heading for lunch. Their morning has been full, woke up, breakfast, husband to work and kids to school (unless she has decided to live her life her way), gym, work or housework, ready for lunch, spritz. In my imagination Un Matin d’Orage is exactly what she wafts. Stylish, distinctive, sensual and elegant is how she lives, and how she smells.

Photo Stolen WomensLifeStyle (Problem using image? Get in touch please)

When I wrote about Un Matin d’Orage before this is what I said: “OH MY GOD! I LOVE THIS!” is what I say in my head every time I spritz myself with Un Matin d’Orage. Does it smell like a stormy morning to me? No. Maybe the sunshine an hour after a stormy morning, when all the flowers are getting their scent on as if to make up for lost time……. This smells like money to me, loads of it.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

My first whiff of Un Matin d’Orage is always with surprise that there is no ylang mentioned in the notes. My nose gets the lovely fatty, warm, buttery sensuality of it. Backed up by light sheen of lemon and ginger that sparkles dewily across the top, and yes I get the idea of being out after a storm. A very clean gardenia is there, maybe the indole has washed away in the storm, and it’s not a flower in your hand but a bush a couple of doors down wafting up to you in the early morning as the scent awakes. Champacca is an extremely fragrant magnolia that has a flower remarkably reminiscent in its look of ylang, though I’ve not smelled it alone I think it’s the progenitor of the ylang-ish headiness, the sandalwood is helping too.

While Un Matin d’Orage is a white floral extravaganza something I really enjoy about its unfurling is the hint of green that is present through its whole life, a slightly wet/dry green like palm leaves in a greenhouse and some resinous green too (galbanum?) that steadies the whole fragrance and keeps it wearable and give subtle shade to the glow from the white flowers.

Photo stolen WikiCommons

Like many Annick Goutal fragrances only the first hour is very fragrant but Un Matin d’Orage hums along quietly after its initial huge opening as a lovely airy, softly woody white flower that huffs up from my shirt occasionally and surprises me. Too big for confined spaces initially but given some burn off time perfect for any occasion. Smells KILLER on a guy too.

Further reading: Smelly Thoughts and Grain de Musc
FragranceNet has old packaging $79/50ml before coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Have you worn this remarkable beauty? Is there another Annick Goutal you love?
Portia x

Impossible Iris by Ramon Monegal

March 20, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 47 Comments

Hi there APJ Frag Family,

Here is another of my Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels pick-ups (EDIT: This was not from Birgit but from SusanB). I am so thrilled to have it in my collection now. The weighty, gorgeous ink pot bottle. The thrill of lifting its cap like a cigarette lighter and the wonderful joy of spritzing liberally. Life doesn’t get much better than this…….

Impossible Iris by Ramon Monegal

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Iris, mimosa, raspberry, ylang-ylang, jasmine, Virginian cedar

I love to soft wattle, cardboard, bread and sweet floral opening. Impossible Iris smells like no other iris fragrance to me. It smells a little leathery and lightly fruity, the mimosa (wattle in Australia) is clean and pretty and all the fatty elements of the white flowers are shaved off. Impossible Iris is like a calm space in the mad world we live in. Imagine being in a cool pool on the second floor of a building surrounded by skyscrapers, freeways, shoppers and noise. You go underwater and suddenly you are in an oasis of serenity, just you, your heartbeat, the cool water lapping and the play of sunlight above and around you.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Refreshing, uplifting and calming. What a perfect warm day scent. I love how through the heart the berry gives Impossible Iris a little hint of sweetness, a very nice (not overly sugared or sweet) addition like opening an expensive lollipop.

I get soft but persistent longevity from Impossible Iris and after the first hour I get little huffs of reminder as I go about my day but you will never skunk anyone even if you drench yourself. A one hour respritz gives it extra fullness and lifespan.

Photo Stolen Romon Monegal

Romon Monegal Site says: Mysterious and ambiguous, the legendary iris root only gives off the extreme beauty of its perfume on rare occasions. It is blended only with the finest cedar, in the presence of the exotic ylang-ylang flower, with traces of violet and jasmine, fleshing out its full glamour so that it may become the most attractive perfume in the world
Notes: Italian Iris Concrete, Cassie d’Egypte Absolute, Raspberry, Comoran Ylang-Ylang, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute and Virginian Cedarwood.

Further reading: Non Blonde and Perfume Posse
First In Fragrance has €145/50ml
Peony Melbourne will be getting the range any moment!!
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/.5ml

Which of the Ramon Monegal line do you love?
Portia xx

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Ramon Monegal GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the Romon Monegal crew, especially Fracisco Gratacós, for their amazing generosity.

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please go to Ramon Monegal<<JUMP, find a fragrance and ONE of its notes…. NO DOUBLE UPS!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Ramon Monegal GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3xG #Perfume #GIVEAWAY @ramonmonegal @mrgratacos

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 22nd March 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 Thursday 26th March 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.

Dior A/W 15/16 Show – Raf Simons Interview

March 20, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hi there Crew,

I am less taken with this show, Raf Simons does some great and exciting stuff with surreal animal print, fabric uses are interesting and some of the colours are killer. I love the side ponytails and the long plastic boots (which seem to be a favourite of his) but the collection has only rare highlights for me. There is quite a bit of repetition through the DIOR couture and pret a porter ranges and over seasons. It has me wondering if Raf is creating a signature for himself at DIOR or if he is doing a timeline of incremental change?

The reason that he created this show as he did it is much more interesting so I’ve given you the interview today instead of the show. you’ll see enough of the frocks to make your own decisions.

Photo Stolen DIOR.com

I’d love to read what you think about it in the comments,
Portia xx

Dior A/W 15/16 Show – Raf Simons Interview

La Favorite GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

March 20, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Woo Hoo APJ,

Lovely to have you guys getting involved in our GIVEAWAY this week. I hope you’re all happy and well and that life is treating you kindly. Let’s see who our lucky winner is….

Portia xx

La Favorite GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Pink pepper, saffron, oud, patchouli

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x sample La Favorite by Dear Rose
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please comment with any rose fragrance in your collection and why you love it

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie La Favorite by Dear Rose #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3G0 @LibertineParfum #Perfume

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 19th March 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen amberinblunderland

Undina (via Twitter)

JoAnne Bassett: Erica Golding's Four Faves 2015

March 19, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Erica Golding

Hello, my beautifully fragranced favorite people!

I’ve enjoyed exploring indie natural perfumery so very much the last few years, and I have recently been graced with the opportunity to experience the transcendent art of JoAnne Bassett. Today, I am focusing on my favorites from my lovely samples.

JoAnne Bassett: Erica Golding’s Four Faves 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Marie Antoinette by JoAnne Bassett

First up is Marie Antionette, a brightly refreshing perfume that opens on my skin with the freshly peeled orange rind from a delightfully fine neroli essential oil. The majestic floral heart hovers roundly beneath the shimmering neroli/lavender, a bouquet composed of sweet jasmine sambac, soft white rose otto, creamy tuberose, and candied ylang ylang. The overall fragrance maintains a glittering herbal tone while the uniquely green basil note gently sings. A light resinous base of frankincense and labdanum tenderly holds down the fort without weighing down the soaring, luminous composition. The fragrance spirals back to the opening as it fades, with a quietly diffuse citrus breath.

Photo Stolen JoAnne Bassett

Malmaison by JoAnne Bassett

Next, I am loving Malmaison, described as an aphrodisiac by the artist. The heartbreakingly gorgeous jasmine sambac stands out on me the most, lifted by a sweetly radiant citrus that actually reads more like a sparkling ice wine. The supporting notes swirl respectfully in the background, a complex aroma that exhibits a balance of white floral, aromatherapeutic rose and lavender, and freshly soft orange blossom. As the fragrance dissipates, it can oscillate smoothly between its meditative and revitalizing qualities depending on the focus of the wearer.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Magie d’ Or by JoAnne Bassett

Magie D’ Or, or Gold Magic, is a joyride of a morpher during the drydown. The opening blast of pink pepper is so unbelievably enthusiastic, it’s like a thrilling cliff dive. Then, a hint of cinnamon romances along with the sweetness of juicy clementine, all orbiting around a beautiful herbal-floral nexus featuring rose, lavender, and jasmine. It all dries down to a smooth, divine base of resonant patchouli, deliciously thick benzoin, and golden frankincense. Magie D’ Or is satisfying, and hums with peaceful positivity. I am especially enthralled with the deep, viscous end stage.

Photo Stolen JoAnne Bassett

Sensual Embrace by JoAnne Bassett

Lastly, let’s just obliterate all self-control and serenity, and tap into our deepest, sexiest desires with Sensual Embrace perfume. The flower petals strewn about exude a tender heartthrob of jasmine, rose, and a hint of other white flowers. The blossoms are more of an accent than a focus, because the center of this fragrance is a woody masterpiece that is so masterfully composed, it begs to be simply enjoyed rather than analyzed. I am swooning over what must be vintage aged oakmoss, highlighted and balanced by smooth musky sandalwood, dry crackling cedar, dark chewy tobacco, and warm familiar amber. Not a beginner’s fragrance, but fantastically alluring to me, and most definitely unisex.

Have a look at JoAnne Bassett’s website, there are many precious essences to lust after. And those artisan-made glass bottles are just to die for – I’ve got it bad. 😉

Well, that’s it for now! I hope you are enjoying a lovely day wherever you are, and that your perfume brings you great happiness.

-Erica

Liam's Top 3 Frederic Malle Roses 2015

March 18, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Liam

The ultimate flower, a total chameleon of the fragrant spectrum. A rose’s nuances are broad and all-encompassing from woody notes, citrusy overtones, herbal impressions, and delectable fruity tinges whilst lending itself so easily to dank agarwood oriental creations, rich gourmands, and powdery scents with a focus on makeup or femininity. No wonder the Editions de Parfums lineup from Frederic Malle has several rose fragrances!

Photo Stolen Flickr

Liam’s Top 3 Frederic Malle Roses 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Lipstick Rose by Ralf Schwieger for Frederic Malle 2000

The risk of smelling like a grandmother always scared me, however Ralf Schwieger turns the smell of lipstick into a sexy medley of intricate notes that firmly plays with the lipstick impression.

Here, the waxy aspects of lipstick are fully heightened. Sweet musks with an almost edible trail form the lingering base, which twirl around a duotone heart of rose and violet. The lipstick impression here is crisp, vanilla-hued and candy-like … And despite my gender this makes me want to source some lipstick and wear it, to experience the sensation of glamour and magnetic attraction without the prominent flounce found in larger floral bouquets. This is a respectable rose fragrance, with a subtle amount of glam found through the raspberry and its rich trail. The projection is subtle on the skin, but the lingering sillage is prominent – truly like a goodbye kiss.

For me, the vintage inspiration is most captivating and I am instantly reminded of times I snuck into my grandmother’s room and scuffled around her makeup drawers with an innocuous curiosity.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Une Rose by Edouard Flechier for Frederic Malle 2003

In this fragrance, the olfactory portrait of a rose flower is extended to feature everything. Imagine the anatomy of a rose – The bright red petals and the stamen, the green leaves, stem and thorns. Each fundamental feature of the rose utilised. Une Rose opens like a green and vegetal rose; particularly a dark shard of green with heavy and dense overtones. Une Rose, meaning ‘one rose’ or ‘a rose’, is a soliflore fragrance in the least soliflore way possible. One is hit smack bang with a wet rose pulled out of the ground, roots and all. Dank with the impression of earth, truffle, and petrichor in the background, Une Rose gives rose an exciting treatment combining it with a taut backbone of strong black Perigord truffle.

Une Rose melts and projects off the skin, with the truffle base at the origin of this sensuous rose. To link the carnal smell of skin and the vegetal nature of the flower, I detect an undercurrent of vetiver and patchouli adding a woody and lush edge, with the erotic severity of animalic castoreum. Dig deeper, and a warm and spicy red wine note can be found – adding to the deepness of Une Rose.

Wear it and own it. Une Rose is an intellectually composed fragrance that causes tremors when worn and projects sternly.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Portrait of a Lady by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle 2010

Portrait of a Lady has excited a perfume audience in a way that seldom occurs. Here the magic happens – in which natural compliments are explored and any richness is cut to give delicacy. What happens here also is overloading done to the extreme – with Malle claiming that the Turkish rose absolute and patchouli absolute here is the most used ever in perfume history, about 50%. To add to this lavish composition, orientalism is favoured with a symphony of ingredients added – oud, incense, pepper, and clove, appealing to those who love the drama of perfume, with evident transitions of rose that intensifies and perpetually changes on the skin.

This is a spicy turkish delight, with emphasis placed on the word ‘delight’. It is viscous, and screams opulence at the highest level possible with a penetrating angular projection – it is loud but never deafening.

Surrender To Chance has samples of all three fragrances

What’s your favourite rose? How would you describe it in 3 words?
Liam x