Beyonce Heat by Claude Dir and Olivier Gillotin 2010

September 23, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Katrina

According to People, the “Heat” collection of signature scents from Beyonce has been named the best-selling celebrity fragrance brand worldwide. The original Beyonce Heat was released in 2010 and to date there are 5 fragrances in the heat line. The latest special edition heat is The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour Limited Edition. Today I am reviewing the first fragrance in the Heat line.

Beyonce Heat by Claude Dir and Olivier Gillotin 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beyonce Heat features the following notes according to Fragrantica:
Top: Red vanilla orchid, magnolia, neroli and peach
Heart: Honeysuckle, almond and musky cream
Base: Sequoia wood, tonka and amber

Heat opens with a burst of sweet peach. The peach is strong and sweet. As the sweetness of the peach softens the floral notes and a soft creamy musk get stronger. Beyonce Heat becomes warm and earthy as it lingers on my skin. I prefer wearing Heat on hot days when the gorgeous base notes really open up. In cooler weather I don’t get much more than peach from the fragrance and it lacks the warm, sultry feel which is what this perfume is all about. During summer the peach is complemented with vanilla and amber and it smells rich, warm and sultry.

Photo Stolen SheKnowsEntertainment

The original Heat in the red bottle was one of the first celebrity perfumes in my collection. The advertising for the original Beyonce Heat shows Beyonce looking very hot indeed.

FragranceNet has 100ml for $25.19

If you haven’t seen it before you must check out Cinderonce – the story of Cinderella told through Beyonce song but the Fairy Drag Mother really steals the show. Enjoy!

Check out my website for Celebrity Perfume News and Reviews

Katrina xx
The Making Of “Beyonce Heat” Commercial. VERY COOL!

Beyonce performs SINGLE LADIES on Good morning America. FLAWLESS

Forbidden Games by Kilian 2012

September 22, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Hello Fumies and Friends,

There was a lot of kerfuffle when by Kilian brought out his newest set of fragrances “In The Garden Of Good And Evil”, we were all expecting way too much because of by Kilian’s history and price point. To be fair on the poor guy he did open with beyond amazing fragrances: Back to Black and Sweet Redemption being my two faves so far. Then came the Asian Tales, which for me were a complete and utter flop. So as a comeback series “In The Garden Of Good And Evil” needed to be so far above the bar, include new directions and exquisitely crafted fragrances. I have read Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil by John Berendt a couple of times and seen the John Cusack, Kevin Spacey and Jude Law film many times because I love The Lady Chablis. In my mind I hoped for something outrageous and dark, brooding dankness that was glossed over with beauty.

Forbidden Games by Kilian 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Apple, peach, plum, cinnamon
Heart: Bulgarian rose, bourbon geranium, jasmine
Base: Vanilla, honey, opoponax

I am glum. With Forbidden Games I had hoped that the jasmine, honey and to an extent vanilla/opoponax were going to undercut the fruit with a dirty, fleshy, breathy, urinous backbeat that would naughtily and subversively poke fun at the many fruity fragrances already in the market. Something gorgeous and devilish, a finger raised fearlessly at the quagmire of fizzy fruit cup crap. Sadly this was not to be. Forbidden Games leads us and our expectations astray, we get a very pretty, sweet, fruity and only the merest hint of anything not being ultra nice. I was hoping for Serial Mom but I got Mrs Brady.

Forbidden Games is not a bad scent, actually it is flawless in its genre, and will be perfect for those uber rich Dads to gift daughters and wives (They are giving their mistresses the Arabian Nights and L’oeuvre Noire collections). Especially good for a gateway fragrance that will take a girl to a perfumista woman. The packaging and copy are fabulous, of course, and they didn’t just release this for fun so there must be a clientele out there buying Forbidden Games, let’s hope so for the company’s sake.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

My skin eats most of Forbidden Games in the first half hour of application and after that I need to take a really up close focused whiff of myself to get anything much. If you like the idea of spritzing yourself with perfume and the initial rush of sweet, fruity girlishness but can’t or don’t want to wear fragrance at work then this could be for you. Fireworks and then the merest whiffle of something that is soft enough to pass off as body lotion because offices are so drying, don’t you know.

Photo Stolen Tormod Sandtorv Flickr

Further reading: The Non-Blonde and Patty really made me think about my review at Perfume Posse
Lucky Scent has $245/50ml or $145 for refill
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/.5ml

I am yet to try the rest of the “In The Garden Of Good And Evil” set but my buddies on FFF tell me there are a couple of perfect gems hiding in the range, my next “To Try” will be In The City Of Sin. How did they fare on you?
Portia xx

Photo Stolen MoviePilot

RAPE! It’s Your Fault.

September 22, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hello Australian Perfume Junkies no matter where you are,

Indian actresses talk about rape. This is a clever, shocking and confronting piece that you need to watch. I am astounded that the west hasn’t done something like this already.

Photo Stolen Samantha Marx Flickr

Please share this video everywhere you can. If even one person is not raped because of it then it is a success.

Rape is NOT your fault.

Portia xx

5 Sexy Scents for Seduction! 2013

September 21, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Hey Hey Y’All,

One of the things that I sometimes get asked is, “Which perfume should I wear to get lucky?” The short answer is the sweet smell of success and happiness. Of course, sometimes romance needs a little push or maybe we need to smell a certain way to have the confidence to create the opportunity. I have a few frags in my weaponry that I like to wear when being noticed in the right way is important. You also need to have a bit of strategy too. What kind of person do you want to smell like? Here are 5 types and fragrances to go with them. Remember, this is all in fun, it’s not just about the way you smell that’s going to hook your intended but it might just be the final push they need…….

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

1: Having a ball with my friends: Bronze Goddess by Estée Lauder

I have the 2010 version of Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche but they are all a fun holiday tropical type spritz that is extremely pretty, has good sillage and projection and they last well too. Coconut and/or jasmine seem to be the standout notes in the whole set and it’s the kind of carefree summery scent that smells like you are out for fun and an uncomplicated, happy, breezy person ready for what ever the night holds.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

2: I may look a bit uptight but underneath…..: CHANEL No 19

This is a good old fashioned beauty. The cool, crisp snap of a green fragrance at once aloof and haughty. You want to smell like an ice king/queen that needs a bit of thawing. That iris undercut by warm woods and leather, all frost and fire will keep your partner a little off balance till you want to show them the way. CHANEL No 19 is a wonderful back straightener and focus fragrance if you need to feel in control of the situation while waiting to exhale.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

3: I am a soft silken dove: DIOR La Collection Couturier Parfumeur Milly-la-Foret

Sometimes being quietly, tastefully understated is the best way to get someone to come close and stay there. That first waft as they come in close to you could be the clincher. Milly-la-Foret is a beautiful soft musky powder, it’s there but only up close, and it smells so good and expensive, a winner. So soft and light that it will give an impression of fragility yet if you sniff a bit closer you can tell it’s real quality and perfectly at peace. Milly-la-Foret is the scent of success and the contented wind down after the celebration parties.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

4: If you grab this there will be all sorts of: Trouble by Boucheron

Trouble is one of my all time favourite siren scents. Sweet jasmine over a hefty amber base. This is the scent of a heartbreaker, and men go crazy for it. You can find Trouble at the discounters but soon it will be all gone, it’s getting harder and harder to find for a reasonable price. Slated by Turin/Sanchez but a fabulously outrageous and over the top fragrance that will certainly bring you attention. Smells especially great on the men, believe it.

5: Seriously seeking physical attentions, all offers considered: Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier

This smells so good I follow people around in venues that wear it just to catch an errant whiff. Le Male is the most sensual, engaging and stridently sexual scent I know on both sexes. Ignore the ad spiel ladies, Le Male is killer on everyone and in today’s age of scentless fragrant wash you will stand out like dogs balls, ready to be licked. Be careful when you spritz Le Male, you may need security guards. Looking for action, then this is your choice.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this fun look at how to smell for seduction. Fragrance does not care who wears it, never be mislead by the advertising copy or who a fragrance is aimed at. If they smell good, wear them. Cross the gender divide,you’ll be glad you did,

What are your special seduction fragrances? Please add to the list in the comments. Share your hard won knowledge please.

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Pheromones! AbdesSalaam Attar for La Via del Profumo

September 20, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

APJ, I Believe in Pheromones!
In my remote youth there was a perfume called Pheromone. It was sold through little ads near the back of the Sunday paper magazine section, and it promised to make the wearer irresistible. It played heavily on the fact that most people had vaguely heard of pheromones but knew nothing about how they worked or even what they actually were. Some of the ad copy, as nearly as I can remember, indicated that the opposite sex would swarm around you without knowing why, and you would not be able to smell this elixir on yourself but you would know it was working because of the reactions of those around you. At first this sounded terribly appealing to a 13-year-old prone to a bit of puppy fat, but fortunately I had no checking account at the time, and when I eventually got one I had long since forgotten about Pheromone, which was probably distilled water and a little alcohol anyway.

Feromone pour Femme by La Via Del Profumo

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Amber(gris), tuberose, civet, jasmine, vanilla

All those memories came back when I was browsing the website of La Via Del Profumo and came across Dubrana’s creation Feromone pour Femme. The website copy suggests that pheromones from animals may ” have been used by man since dawn of time for pharmaceutical purposes and to enhance one’s appeal and sexual energy.” Well, I don’t know about you, but my appeal can generally use a little enhancement these days, so I ordered a sample from Surrender to Chance.

The stated notes are genuine ambergris and civet, “perfected with a sensual accord of the perfumes of jasmine, tuberose, and vanilla.” I doubt that I have ever worn anything with authentic ambergris in it, so I put it on with happy anticipation.

Photo Stolen Lorando Labbe Flickr

At first it seemed like a charming white floral, rounded out with some vanilla. The ingredients were clearly top-notch. I could detect the civet but it was subtle. I wasn’t able to detect ambergris as an individual note. I just noted that the florals seemed a little rounder and plusher than I had expected. After half an hour it was fading, which is short-lived even for an all-natural perfume, and I thought my curiosity about it had been satisfied. Nice, no big deal.

Then for the next ninety minutes or so, the scent played with me. It would reappear unexpectedly, then seem to be gone again. It would waft past my nose on a light breeze but seem absent from the wrist where I applied it. It would seem lean, then lush and even a little fatty. It was a will-o-the-wisp, leading me out into the unknown where I would drift around gradually losing my reason until I plunked down 212 American dollars for a 50ml bottle. If you think I would do that in my right mind, you don’t know how cheap I really am.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Cautiously, I bought a tiny decant and sprayed it about a bit. Same experience. Now you smell it, now you don’t, and each time you catch a whiff it seems a tiny bit different. I’m fascinated. I don’t know if this is the effect of true ambergris. If I ever had a chance to talk to Dominique Dubrana, the perfumer/magician who made it, the only questions I would want answered are “Did I imagine all that? And if not, how the hell did you do it?”

I still don’t know if I will spring for a full bottle, but a larger decant is in my immediate future. This perfume perplexes me. I can’t figure it out. I want to keep trying. And please, somebody, tell me how sniffing solidified whale vomit (Ed: sorry FeralJasmine it comes from the other end) can pull me toward financial lunacy. It seems as blind and unreasoning as…well…love, I guess.

Photo & Following Info Fragrantica

WHITE/GREY Ambergris  - Product which has a white or partly white coating and a light interior color. Normally pieces of this type are smaller in size (they have been in the ocean longer). The fragrance will have at least some sweetness
STANDARD Ambergris  - This product is normally brown/grey or ash in color. It will have a good fragrance but still a little strong. Pieces can be larger. You can often notice some layers in the material.
LOW QUALITY Black Ambergris – This type can be very hard, firm or soft.
.

I couldn’t find any other reviews sadly
La Via Del Profumo has €59/16ml and €161/50ml
I’ve ordered a tiny precious vial of pure ambergris tincture to investigate the ingredient on its own. I will keep thinking about it. Monsieur Dubrana, this thing isn’t over between us.

FeralJasmine x

One Direction: Our Moment: Perfume Ad + Making Of…

September 20, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Hey Hey APJ Friends & Family,

Here is something that usually I’d steer well clear of. Something about it has had me sneaking peeks every time a bit comes up on FB or YouTube. So I gave in, why not?

One Direction: Our Moment

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pink grapefruit, forest fruits and red currant
Heart: Freesia, jasmine and frangipani
Base: Woodsy notes, patchouli and musk

Though Our Moment is no ground breaker it is not a bad scent. It could have been WAY WORSE. Though I will probably not own a bottle myself I can see that many, many people will and that this fragrance will be a memory scent for them. It will remind them of great times, fab/fun music, carefree days and their crush on one of the One Direction boys. the bottle is a fun and frivolous nod to one of the other greats of the UK, Vivienne Westwood’s Boudoir, and they present it as if a piece of them went into creating it. Better than expected all round really.

One thing that I will say is that I spritzed a card on Saturday last week, it’s now Friday morning and I can still smell the woods/patchouli and I swear synth. vanilla on the card. If this was what the first spritz smelled like I would buy a bottle because it smells wonderful.

Portia xxx

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

One Direction: Our Moment: Making Of..

One Direction: Our Moment: Perfume Ad

Helmut Lang EDP

September 19, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Chairman Meow

There is often a lot of discordance between the image projected by a fashion house, and the perfumes they produce (Yairs, looking at you, Gucci. Balmain, I wasn’t looking at you until Christophe Decarnin came. And then went.) Not so the case with Helmut Lang, where the aesthetic of the fragrance and the clothes marry beautifully. Too bad for us, then, that a) Helmut Lang is now sculpting for a quid and b) his fragrances are no longer in production.

Helmut Lang EDP

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the following accords:
Top: rosemary, lavender, cotton candy
Heart: jasmine, heliotrope, lily-of-the-valley, rose
Base: sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, cedar

Rosemary makes a cameo appearance at the outset, but confusingly has a tannic quality, giving the impression of suede or some form of cured animal skin. Whatever it is, it is short lived, and soon evanesces to leave a Turkish delight and musk concoction that hums along in a linear fashion but is utterly delicious to behold. I can pick out rose, lavender and heliotrope, but to my nose, the other floral elements are pretty amorphous. The overall effect is one of buttering yourself up with an almond croissant and taking a good ol’ grind around a musk stick pole. But don’t get me wrong – a scent with thigh high slits held together with novelty sized safety pins this ain’t. We’re doing it Helmut Lang styl-ee, which means we wear matter-of-fact expressions on our faces and our hands in our pockets. We start off low key and sotto voce throughout.

In an excellent interview on Cafleurbon, Maurice Roucel revealed that his brief for the cologne, which I am told is almost identical to the EDP, was to create “the jus to smell of his boyfriend’s secretions on clean sheets”. And he certainly succeeded in creating a scent that re-creates that slightly seedy morning-after smugness, when you’re walking doing that bed-headed, bear-footed walk of shame, and things are Your Little Secret for now. By the way, who on earth is this man-friend of Herr Lang, who would inspire such a scent? I really haven’t the foggiest, although I’d imagine he might look something like this:

Photo Stolen eli.mama

Photo Stolen Florin Gorgan Flickr

Photo stolen Charles Roffey Flickr

If you’ve never tried the gastronomic wonder that is the musk stick, they are a chewy-chalky fluoro pink candy which I’m guessing is meant to approximate the taste of the idea of perfume. Fortunately for us, now having just licked my bottle of Helmut Lang, they don’t taste like actual perfume. But who would have thought that the secretions from the nether regions of a deer could make most excellent confectionary? In any case, should you ever encounter a pink extruded candy man in a suit, please tell him Meow says hi, and give him a nibble for me.

Is it fair of me to wax lyrical about an obsolete perfume? Probably not. But for those of us who own and love Helmut Lang, let us take a moment to draw closer to our bottles and croon appreciatively into the spot where its ear would be. “I less than three you, little Helmie!”

Photo Stolen TelegraphUK

eBay has some Helmut Lang Eau De Parfum that starts at around $150/50ml
I could not find any samples in the sample/decant stores.

If you had to choose the next fashion designer to create a fragrance, who would it be? For me, it would have to be Rick Owens. I want a perfume inspired by his missus and in-house necromancer Michelle Lamy, the anti-Mitzah with her inky fingies and pointy teeth.

Until we next meet,
Chairman Meow

DIOR ‘Esprit Dior’ exhibition Shanghai – Liu Jianhua interview

September 19, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hello APJ,

Here is an interview with Liu Jianhua, the designer of a marvelously opulent set for the DOIR ‘Esprit Dior’ exhibition Shanghai. He is shown erecting the installation and talks of how he came to some of his artistic decisions and the links he brings from Christian Dior’s own magical presence in the exhibition. In under 2 minutes the director has captured both the beauty and intensity of Liu Jianhua’s vision and some of how he brought it to life.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Please enjoy.
Portia xx

Noir for Men by Tom Ford 2012

September 18, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Margeaux

Hullo again stinkers!

6 months after falling nose first into the world of fragrances, I have inhaled more perfumes than I ever imagined. Some have been good, a few have been exceptional, and a lot have been nice, which is just my way of saying they were boring or uninspired.

Today’s scent is one that I had been dying to whiff, and finally thanks to Portia’s ingenuity with scheduling, I was able to do just that recently when we had our big day out in the city to partake in the incredible Piguet Masterclass. Post class we sashayed straight up to the Tom Ford counter in David Jones (department store) and I made a beeline to the gorgeously modern sleek and striking bottle of Noir for Men.

I spritzed the tester a couple of times onto the back of my hand and waited to learn exactly what this newish fragrance was all about.

Tom Ford Noir for Men 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, verbena, caraway, pink pepper and violet
Heart: Black pepper, nutmeg, Tuscan iris, geranium, Bulgarian rose and clary sage
Base: Opoponax, amber, Indonesian patchouli leaf, vetiver, civet, vanilla, styrax, leather and benzoin.

To be completely honest, I am still feeling my way through the individual notes, so I am kind of no help to you there. But what I do know, is that Noir is quickly becoming one of my favourite scents. The opening is good, solidly manly without a hint of lumberjack anywhere to be found thanks to (and I’m guessing here) the bergamot and violet. Once it settles down, the beautiful flowers play delicately with the spices in a deliciously sensuous embrace that is both comforting and comfortable. Tom Ford isn’t out on a limb here people, this is totally accessible.

For me however, the ending is where the magic happens, and although having a good look again at the myriad of notes, it could’ve possible gone terribly awry but Noir somehow builds to a crescendo of sophistication and elegance that I cannot get enough of. In particular, I’m loving the patchouli, amber and leather combo for some serious stench, with a tiny hint of vanilla to keep everything in check. Nothing here is too much.

As this is an EDP, it seems willing to hang around for many hours and even on my thirsty skin I can get a full 10-12 hours of gorgeous smell, with it lingering for many hours afterwards if I manage to avoid the shower. I’ve already gone through a 2ml sample and quickly nearing the end of a 5ml sample so I fully expect that this will become my newest full bottle purchase or perhaps someone will gift it to me for my birthday??? 🙂

Photo Stolen noision1 Flickr

Either way, Tom Ford has scored another winner for the man who desires class and elegance without fuss. Noir is beautiful and nuanced and wholly recommended.

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Black Narcissus
FragranceNet has $124/100ml
Surrender To Chance offers samples from $4/ml

If you’ve smelled it, what did you think?

(Ed: I still think he looks like TVs M.A.S.H. Major Frank Burns)

GUCCI Envy Me by Karine Dubreuil for GUCCI 2004

September 17, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Howdy APJ Fumies,

The other day Jin and I went to brunch with the lovely Cassandra F and her daughter. We had some serious perfume business to attend to and what better way to do that than with a meal and some frag sniffing? So Cassandra and I happily chatted about frags as I was buying a couple of Cassandra’s unloved bottles (which you’ll get to meet here in the near future) while the other two ate and chattered about other stuff. I have often wondered about today’s fragrance, the bottle has always intrigued me with its fun pink repeat GUCCI linked logo pattern, so reminiscent of the linings, bags, ties and shoes of the label but most reviewers are so outraged that they changed GUCCI Envy that they miss this ones merits completely.

GUCCI Envy Me by GUCCI 2004

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Peony, peach, cassia, pineapple, mango, pink pepper, jasmine
Heart: Peony, litchi, rose, pomegranite, white tea, jasmine, musk
Base: Tobacco, musk, tonka, sandalwood, teak wood

GUCCI Envy Me is no incredible, earth shaking fragrance that will change your life and send your mind spinning in heretofore undreamt directions, nor will it need you to sit down and follow a lengthy story progression. GUCCI Envy Me will though be an excellent, wearable fragrance that I could imagine becoming a signature fragrance for a non perfumista. This is spritz and wear perfume for people who want to smell pleasantly fragrant, who enjoy wearing perfume and feel undressed without it.

Photo Stolen Hartwig HKD Flickr

Opening with a green and fruit fizz the synthetic pink pepper reminds me of so much else available now but done nicer, it feels more expensive than a lot of the zingy fruit openings currently but is also eerily similar to some of the celebuscents we’ve seen in the last few years, it also feels cooler. Remember that GUCCI Envy Me was released in 2004, Tom Ford’s last year as Creative Director. I can’t remember but if he had anything to do with it it must have been a bit cutting edge then.

Photo Stolen See-ming Lee Flickr

The heart gives me a musky blur of fruity flowers, it’s a bit like one of those fruity roses in the garden but sweeter than any I’ve smelled. If the tea were a little heftier or blacker it may have been more rose-ish and more interesting. The dry down doesn’t happen on my skin, one minute I’m a musky fruit tingle and then musky and then scentless. Around 3-4 hours on my scent hungry skin but the good thing is you will never overspray or skunk anyone.

As it is GUCCI Envy Me suffers on my skin from a lack of base, it’s a pretty, amorphous and ethereal sweet wash that has quite good sillage but not too much projection, maybe elbow length away in the first 2 hours thewn it’s come in to hug me and get a waft.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: Scent Addicts and Ellen’s Blog
Fragrance Shop has 50ml starting at under $50 ($41 with coupon)
My Perfume Samples starts at $2.50/ml

Did you try GUCCI Envy Me? Thoughts?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx