A Scented Afternoon Tea – with Sydney Perfume Lovers Meet-Up

September 15, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

(Ed: Grab a cuppa or a drink, this is a fabulous LONG story of an amazing day the gang went for)

A Scented Afternoon Tea – with Perfume Lovers Meet up

Catherine du Peloux Menage, a true perfume passionista who writes for the Good Weekend magazine about fragrance, really was the hostess with the mostest on Saturday, at the Sydney Perfume Lovers’ annual Scented Afternoon Tea!

Catherine has a desire to share her lifelong love (and HUGE knowledge) of perfume with others and wants to provide courage for people around her to enjoy experimenting with scent and add new dimension to their lives…. she did just that on Saturday – their were giggles and shrieks, jaws dropping, gasps and a general buzz from the moment people began arriving until the very last person dashed off laden with perfume samples, prizes and edible goodies!!

The event took place in a private room at Baroque, a hidden gem of a venue at The Rocks. We were dazzled with a fabulous view of both the Harbor Bridge and Opera House out the window, and by the collection of Tom Dixon copper bauble lights dangling above the long set table for 30…

Catherine explained to us the afternoon was inspired by the French word gourmand which literally means a person who enjoys eating and often eats too much…they are also a connoisseur of good food…apparently the true French mean liking a little bit of something ’nice’. Either way the event was unfolding and we were about to become (high class) GLUTTONS for perfumed cocktails, scented teas and tasty tidbits!!

Le Menu!

1. “Little black dress” Cocktail- sour cherry liqueur, rose flower water, burnt tea and essence of French earl grey tea (bergamot)

– Cherry and Candy Floss – Angel by Thierry Mugler
We smelt a perfume ingredient called ethyl maltol and agreed it was somewhere between a crème Brule smell and a candy floss – this was an important note in the oriental vanilla perfume, Angel by Thierry Mugler, released in 1992, the first of its type, fusing sweet red fruits, rose, bergamot, candy, caramel and vanilla.

– Sour Cherry – La Petit Robe Noir – Guerlain
Elegant, La Petit Robe Noir represents the sleek effortless style of the infamous little black dress. The fragrance features top notes of black cherry, bergamot, red berries, Bulgarian and Turkish rose in the heart, smoked black tea, Tonka bean, vanilla in the base.

2. A Bay leaf infused Brioche, filled with a coriander, dill, and lemon crème fresh and topped with rock salt

– Coriander, Bay Leaf, Oregano, Black pepper – Ambre Sultan By Serge Lutens
An almost savory gust of Amber overtakes the air. Ambre Sultan is no ordinary Amber fragrance and features many food notes including coriander, bay, oregano, black pepper and vanilla, along with sandalwood, patchouli, angelica, myrrh and benzoin to ensure it does not smell like a kitchen, but more of a spicy sultry friend on a balmy day…many in the group refer back to this savory and grounding fragrance as the afternoon continues becoming sweeter and sweeter…

3. Oolong Tea – Served Black

– Oolong Tea, Leather and Bergamot – Oolang Infini – Atelier Cologne
This woody, leather fragrance exudes tea, tobacco flower, guaicwood, neroli and vetivert. There was debate as to whether the tea was really the strongest feature in the mix. The group had fun picking the citrus, woods and smoke.

4. Chocolate Macaroon filled with rosewater infused cream

– Cocoa, Rum, Black Pepper, Vanilla – Elixir Charnel Gourmand Coquin- Guerlain
Chocolate, rose, vanilla and spiced rum make this fragrance rich and decadent, with the same allure of fine silk lingerie – your lover will never resist a nuzzle in the cleavage of this sophisticated scent. The Cocoa in particular creates a cozy sultry note, that, with the spices is warm and inviting. Days later my paper strip is still exuding sweet, sexy chocolate.

5. Rose infused Macaroon filled with Rosewater and White Chocolate infused cream

– Rose, Vanilla – Rosewater and Vanilla Intense – Jo Malone
Smelling exactly like the sweetest of Turkish Delights, this rose fragrance evokes visions of the Middle East. Ingredients of rose, neroli, petitgrain, vanilla and syrup-candy belly dance their way towards our nostrils. We are now giddy with sweetness – this one is definitely for those with a sweet tooth! I overheard someone mention it was just too sticky and that they would need to shower!!

6. Orange and Paw Paw infused Rooibos Tea

– Orange Blossom – Orange Blossom By Jo Malone
This lighter orange blossom fragrance combines winter Lily and lily of the valley making it a dewy white floral. Quite linear, but pretty. A welcome break, and almost grounding after the sugar rush of the previous macaroon moments (…I must admit I actually ate 3!!) Uplifting with hints of clementine and some rounded lilac notes.

7. Citrus tarts drizzled in chocolate and sprinkled with Gold!!

– Lime, Basil and Mandarin– Jo Malone
Continuing with a strongly citrus theme, lime, lemon, grapefruit, mandarin, orange and bergamot, but with the addition of some common culinary herbs such as basil and thyme. Summery, almost soapy on my skin, with patchouli really coming through, giving it an earthy edge

– Fig and Caviar – Womanity By Thierry Mugler
Yet another food filled, slightly savory fragrance, combining figs, fig wood and caviar this fragrance packs a punch and lasts for days. It was made for women, but can certainly be worn proudly by men

– Baking Biscuit– Lann-Ael By Lostmarch
Someone at the table exclaims “it’s just like the smell at cookie man!” And it’s true. The sweet wheat, dairy notes, slightly cinnamon is very reminiscent of baking cookies. The scent is light yet warm, sweet.

Goodie Bags!!

By now the group is inspired and filled to the brim with new knowledge of sweet vapors and sugary delights. Catherine announces we are all going home with
Guerlain’s La Petite Robe Noir 1ml in a black leatherette zip up cosmetic case
Jo Malone Red Rose Cologne 9ml, Lime, Basil and Mandarin Body Cream 15ml
AND a pack of 5 macaroons!!
We were spoilt to say the least!!

BUT IT WAS NOT OVER!

Catherine then drew our names from a hat:
2 people went home with Le Petite Robe Noir
1 with Oolang Infini
1 with Jo Malone Orange Blossom
I won a Rose water and Vanilla, Jo Malone
Talk about AFTERNOON DELIGHT- they were all full sized bottles!!

I had invited a friend who is not really a perfumista, but loved high teas when we lived in London and she was absolutely blown away that the event was only $45 and included all the food, drink, endless information from Catherine AND so much to take away!

An event like this would also be perfect for a girlie bachelorette afternoon or baby shower…we just have to talk Catherine into doing it again for us real soon!!

Ainslie Walker x

(Ed: If you weant to join the Sydney Perfume Lovers just hit the word and it will jump you to their page)

Ashoka by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2013

September 14, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hello Perfume Junkies,

One of the most written and talked about perfume curators is my mate Neela Vermeire. I know that she is a complete perfume idealist, putting in more money to her perfumes ingredients than most other niche houses and always insisting on the absolute best available. Neela works in fragrant guidelines rather than budgets and has a much smaller profit margin than you would expect. Yes her perfumes are pricey but that is not a value inflated by advertising, brand name or ego, it is a very real reflection of the money spent creating her masterpieces. When you pay for a Neela Vermeire Creation scent, you are paying for the highest quality personal fragrance available. I am extremely proud to be friends with Neela because she is good people and a great fragrance curator.

Ashoka by Neela Vermeire Creations 2013

Ashoke Neela Vermeire Creations Fragrantica

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:

Fig leaf, leather, white lotus, pink lotus, mimose, fig tree, osmanthus, rose, water hyacinth, vetiver, styrax, incense, sandalwood, myrrh, tonka bean and balsam fir

Neela Vermeire Creations gives these featured accords:
Top: Lotus, rose, water hyacinth, fig leaf, parsley leaf

Heart: Osmanthus absolute, cassie absolute (acacia farnesiana), iris, incence absolute, jasmine sambac, fig milk, geranium, ylang ylang

Base: Fir balsam absolute, myrrh, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla accord, abregris, birch, Haitian vetiver, leather, styrax, heliotrope

While Jin and I were in Paris earlier in the year we were used by Neela as guinea pigs for three of her very last mods before making decisions. They were all different but built around the same warm, woody theme and their longevity was amazing. Jin and I both got an armful of the two samples we liked and Neela acted as if it were an imposition and she was sorry to put us through it. UM, OMfreakingG. testers for one of the most beautiful and prestigious brands of fragrance in the world? What a terrible imposition! Outrageous! All of them were exquisite and all Neela really had to do was pick one at random depending on how her vision matched because any one could have gone straight to market in my opinion. I don’t know which one Neela went with and I don’t have a sample so instead I will tell you about the name Ashoka. I have taken most of my story from Wikipedia on Ashoka and the Mauryan Dynasty.

Ashoka Mauryan

Photo Stolen Movie Poster

Ashoka Mauryan was an Indian ruler long before there was such a thought as unified India and came from the Mauryan Dynasty (322 to 185 BCE) which ruled on the eastern side of India where the modern Bihar is. Following Chandragupta Mauryan (who was a Jainist) into power, who had taken advantage of the disturbance left in the wake of leaving Alexander the Great armies and annexed large swathes of India to his rule. The Mauryan Dynasty was the largest India had seen and one of the biggest empires of its time.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

So Ashoka was a warrior from a warlike race who desired power and more lands above all. He continued his forebears conquering ways until after the Kalinga War, which his army won though none of his ancestors had been able to. The mass deaths of his own and his enemies people, which had caused more than 100,000 deaths and 150,000 deportations, stirred something new in Ashoka and he slowly came to embrace Buddhism as his religion, “Ashoka regarded Buddhism as a doctrine that could serve as a cultural foundation for political unity.^“ Ashoka is now remembered as a philanthropic administrator, a man who led his people to 50 years of peaceful prosperity. A man who brought Buddhism to the world and changed the way his people lived for the better.

Ashoka Neela Vermeire Creations Guatama Buddha Wikipedia

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

H G Wells wrote in The Outline Of History, “Amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history, their majesties and graciousnesses and serenities and royal highnesses and the like, the name of Asoka shines, and shines, almost alone, a star.”

Ashoka is released Friday September 13 2013 and can be purchased direct from Neela Vermeire Creations.

There’ll be more once I get a sample,
Portia xx

Ashoka Neela Vermeire Creations Ashoka Mandala Wikipedia

Photo Stolen GoogleCommons

L’Artisan Parfumeur + Robert Piguet

September 13, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 62 Comments

Hello Australian Perfume Junkies,

Recently I was on the phone to my buddy Nick at LibertinePerfumerie and he was in the middle of his sale, apparently it was BEDLAM up there which is great as long as your super prepared. Are any of us ever? So I bought a bunch of gorgeousness and just as a throwaway line he said, “I’ll put some extra stuff in for you to do a giveaway.” So I thought, lovely a few samples are always welcome. In the pack arrived a 50ml Robert Piguet Futur and a 2.5 gram L’Artisan Parfumeur Concrete de Parfum Solid of Premier Figuier!! WOW! Both brand new in their plastic!

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, neroli, green accords
Heart: Violets, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base: Vetiver, patchouli and cedar

Aurelien Guichard was the perfumer and Futur was re-released in 2009, it’s green, green, green. A beautiful fresh and striking fragrance for everyone who likes a little green.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Fig leaf, asafoetida
Heart: Fig, sandalwood, almond milk
Base: Lime, coconut, dried fruits, sandalwood

More green, Olivia Giacobetti creates a green, milky, matte with a touch of sweetness. The fig is unripe and the story more about the tree than the fruit, though there is fruit here and the dry down is really fun and interesting.

Photo Stolen kbaird

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

1 x 50ml Robert Piguet FUTUR
1 x 2.5 gram L’Artisan Parfumeur Concrete de Parfum Solid of Premier Figuier

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 so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

All I need is a HELLO with how you follow for you to be eligible for the draw.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @LArtisan @RobertPiguet GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-1Xp #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 15th September 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Jin will pick a winner.
The winners will have till Wednesday 18th September 2013 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.

Special THANKS to LibertinePerfumerie for these giveaways. Please visit their site because they are so generous and helpful. If you wonder why they are more expensive than the discounters or OS retailers it’s because they are the only licensed company selling their fragrances in Australia; where you know you are buying new, fresh and genuine product. The cost of importing, and buying the right to import, alcohol based fragrances (and having the right to send alcohol based fragrances throughout Australia, which are illegal to send in the Australia Post air system) is expensive and they must cover their costs to bring you these luxury goods.

James Franco: Made To Measure by GUCCI Mini Movie

September 13, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hello lovers of fabulous frag ads,

GUCCI has made a stunning choice in James Franco, looking debonair and dangerous he owns the screen and makes me want to retry Made To Measure. As I was profoundly disappointed with my original testing I think I need to go back and give Made To Measure by GUCCI another chance, James Franco has turned my head, and how…..

Made To Measure by GUCCI 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Calabrian bergamot, Tunisian orange blossom, French lavender and aniseed
Heart: Sri Lanka nutmeg, water lily, juniper berries, plum and cinnamon
Base: Labdanum, patchouli, leather and amberLabdanum, patchouli, leather and amber

James Franco: Made To Measure by GUCCI Mini Movie

Photo Stolen GUCCI

Do please enjoy these.
Portia xx

The Making Of…

The Made To Measure Mini Movie

Lanvin GIVEAWAY WINNERS

September 13, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hey there all you lovely entrants in the Lanvin Giveaway.

Thank you to Azar for hosting this wonderful chance for someone in the USA. I know whoever wins will be thrilled. Thank you all for your fab responses. we love to learn more about you.

I tried to convince Gomez to do the draw but he is such a chicken pionus he is even afraid of slips of paper.

B-Azar has been home sick with a raging fever for a week but he was able to draw the names.

This is a photo of Gomez examining the names for the draw, just before he flew up to the ceiling scattering the papers everywhere!
Azar

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

There are 2 prizes this week in our Lanvin Giveaway. Each winner will receive:

1 x 2ml Eau de Lanvin
1 x 2ml Lanvin Extrait
P&H USA ONLY

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone USA who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible.

All you have to do is tell me a favourite perfume from yesterday and who used to wear it around you: along with how you follow for you to be eligible for the draw.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 12th September 2013 10pm Australian EST
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and someone at Azar’s house will pick a winner. (It was B-Azar)

Photo Stolen thegarfieldshow-diary

Monoatomic, HotlantaLinda

The winners will have till Sunday 15th September 2013 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.

Thanks again everyone,

Portia xx

Creature by John Pegg for Kerosene 2012

September 12, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

Post by Poodle

Hello APJ,

It’s hard to know just how some perfumes turn up on my radar. Sometimes a name catches my attention, sometimes a note. With Creature by Kerosene I found the name interesting and when I saw mint as a note I simply had to try it. I’d never really experienced mint in perfumes so I thought it would be a good scent to explore.

Creature by Kerosene 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Sweet birch, mint, lemon, jasmine, green tea, sage, violet leaves, cypress, cedar, patchouli, moss.

The best way I can describe this scent is try to imagine sitting out on the porch on a warm summer day. You’ve just cut the grass and now you’re relaxing with a glass of iced green tea with mint and the glass is rimmed with lemon and sugar. As you finish your drink a little sun shower passes through and dampens things just enough so that you smell a little of the dirt in the flowerbeds. It’s bright and green and just a little earthy.

$Creature Kerosene Moss_Creature RefractedMoments$ Photo Stolen RefractedMoments

Creature opens with a blast of minty freshness. I remember reading somewhere that for the average perfume buyer it’s the top notes that sell the scent. If that’s the case, then Creature would be a challenge because the mint smacks you in the face and I’m sure the mouthwash factor might cause some people to give up quickly. Itʼs a sweet mint to me, not really herbal, if that makes sense. The lemon is there, but barely. After the initial blast Creature tames a bit and I find it worth the wait as the mint gives way to a touch of fresh sage and green tea. It’s green, grassy, and fresh. I can’t honestly smell the jasmine or patchouli. I can smell a touch of cedar. My guess is these notes give the fragrance a little bit of earthiness and keep the whole thing from smelling like mouthwash even though they aren’t that apparent to my nose. There is a good bit of time when it does smell like mint muddled with sugar. Or perhaps it’s a sweet mint gum. Oddly enough, I like it. It seems to go back and forth between sugared mint and fresh, clean green and gradually just fades away. I get a few hours out of it but I wouldn’t mind refreshing this one, like popping a fresh piece of gum in your mouth when the flavor is gone. For something with a name like Creature I find this to be surprisingly soft and wearable by either a man or a woman.

Photo Stolen Johan J.Ingles-Le Nobel Flickr

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Creature at first, didnʼt think I liked it, thought the mint was too much, but it stayed on my mind and I kept wanting to test it again. (I have to admit when I see mint in a perfume I always think its going to smell like I’ve pulled a muscle and used some pain relieving rub.) I find the minty burst in Creature to be fun in a weird way and once it subsides it actually becomes a rather lovely green perfume on me. There was no swampy odor, nothing slimy or moldy either. It does smell green, but any other mental associations I have with the word creature donʼt seem to fit.
As I was writing this, hubby asked what I was up to and I shoved my wrist under his nose. He took a good sniff of it and gave it a thumbs up. Despite all that I fear that poor Creature will be a scent you either love or hate based on how you feel about mint. Even though I’m known for making blind buys, I recommend sampling this one. I did find a few comments online that said it did smell swampy to some people. I detected nothing of the sort so oneʼs chemistry and nose may play a big part in whether this one works on you or not. Iʼm not even sure why I like it. It is an unusual perfume and probably not for everyone. That being said, I totally want a bottle of it.

Photo Stolen Robbert van der Steeg Flickr

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and FromPyrgos
MinNewYork has $140/100ml and also you can buy samples
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/ml

So, are you a mint lover, or do you like it only in your toothpaste? Iʼm intrigued by the whole minty perfume thing. Are there any others I should try?

Thanks,
Poodle

Mito by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo 2012

September 11, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Hi all you APJs.

I thoroughly enjoy reading Olfactoria´s occasional “Finding Hidden Beauty” blogs. The Vero Profumo perfume house and indeed Vero herself surely fall into the Hidden Beauty category. Your average person is not going to hear of these magnificent perfumes. That makes her hidden doesn´t it? One of the positives of being a perfume junkie, searching out the best and rarest of gems.

Mito by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo 2012

A Verdant Oasis

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine, galbanum, oakmoss, magnolia, hyacinths, champaca, cyprus, citrus

There has been much written about Mito. It is so rich and green and sparkly and mossy, uplifting and elegant and gorgeous.
What more can I add? Velvety, magnoliay, cypressy …………. A Verdant Oasis.

My girlfriend drives an Alfa Romeo Mito and is a brilliant photographer. The coincidence was just too good to pass up. Now then, where would be a place beautiful enough to do justice to Ms Kern´s creation, without having to drive to the Tivoli Fountains, her source of inspiration?

SALZBURG! Delivering cookies and taking pictures all in one go.

First location. Pferdeschwemme Fountain/Horse Wash. Built in about 1693. Purpose was to wash the horses before they returned to the stables. Downtown Salzburg. Now a beautiful fountain, and filming location of “My Favourite Things” in The Sound of Music. Perfect.

As we were finishing off with this location, a street band made up of a group of South Americans walked by. Much to my surprise, my usually rather
quiet and artistic friend, leapt upon the unsuspecting tuba player, and insisted that he stop and let her put Mito into his tuba. After waving her hands around
to be understood, and then placing him in the correct position, she quickly took a few shots. To be honest he didn´t really know what hit him. She wanted to place
the bottle deeper into the tuba but he was having none of that. He then demanded a kiss (I obliged, on the cheek, haha! ) and scuttled off as fast as one carrying a tuba can, to catch
up with his bandmates. Job done.

Next stop Residenzbrunnen/Residenz Fountain. (After an iced caffeine top up. It was 35 degrees and we had been taking pictures for over 2 hours)
This is a serious expression of Salzburg´s opulence. Ascribed to Tommaso de Garona (nod to the Italians!) and constructed at the wish of Bishop
Guidobald Thun from 1656 to 1661. It is 15 metres high. This is one amazingly beautiful fountain.

Photo Stolen VisitSalzberg

Salzberg Cathedral
(Maria took a pit stop here to splash water at the horses whilst singing “I Have Confidence”)

So it was a wrap. Dayle Ann Clavin, photographer, was done. Five hours, a little sunstroke and a lot of fun. Not to mention classy pictures.

Vero Kern creates. Creates for us. Bearing a little of her soul each time. And I for one am indebted to her.

I truly cannot wait to try the Mito Extrait.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Now Smell This
LuckyScent has $215/50ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $6/.5ml

So perfume lovers, be thankful for what we have the opportunity to share in.

Bussis
CQ

5 Spring/Fall Perfume Loves: Gabriella

September 10, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello perfume friends!

Lately I have been suffering a little bit of there’s-nothing-I really-desperately-want-to test-right-now-and-no-new-releases-are-causing-hissy-fits-of-‘oh-I-must-have-it-even-if-my-credit-card-breaks’ kind of ennui. So, instead of shelling out for new decants and going on stupendous sniffing sprees, I have been focusing on what I already own and rediscovering why I love them.

So, today I present to you

5 Spring/Fall perfumes from my collection that “I’m Loving Right Now!”

Datura Noir by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2001

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Datura Noir was the first perfume I knew I’d love simply from reading the list of notes. However, upon going to test in store, the (very knowledgeable) SA recoiled in horror, exclaiming: “I have never had that smell good on anyone!” One spritz on me and her abhorrence transformed into adoration. Datura Noir is a sumptuous, creamy and smooth white floral, accentuated by notes of bitter almond. And yes, this gourmand floral is probably not for everyone but for me, it’s the carefree, slightly tropical smell of sundrenched skin on a beach in Goa.

There are rumours that Datura Noir is, or is about to be, discontinued (please share if you know more), but it is still available at
Luckyscent, $130/50ml;
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $3.99/.5ml.

Fleurs d’Oranger by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2003

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Orange Blossom is a love or hate note for me. My skin tends to amplify citrus, meaning that the heady bloom can sometimes end up a hot mess. Not so with Fleurs d’Oranger. Tuberose and jasmine temper the orange blossom with their sweet, honeyed tones and the addition of cumin adds a “come closer and let me sniff you more” vibe. Fleurs also wins the prize for the perfume that has had the most negative reactionfrom another: my friend’s husband actually walked out of my house coughing and gasping for air after kissing me hello one evening (thankfully, he survived and is quite OK now).

Fleurs d’Oranger is available at
Luckyscent: $130/50ml;
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $399/.5ml.

Lady Vengeance by Romano Ricci for Juliette Has A Gun 2006

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Mr M loves rose. I thought I did not. After Mr M and I got together, we decided to go and find a rose fragrance we would both like (come on, as if I needed an excuse to go perfume shopping!) Some roses we tested were too ripe and green, some were too dark, others too spicy and incense-y. One spritz of Lady Vengeance and we realised we’d hit the jackpot: it is the true Goldilocks rose for me. The full red bloom is tempered by the sweetness of vanilla and a a kick of patchouli. Not too green, not too sweet, not too dark, just sumptuous. Plus, the sillage on this one is simply amazing.

Lady Vengeance is available from
Luckyscent starting from $90/50ml

Le Parfum de Therese by Edmond Roudnitska for Frederic Malle 2000

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

When I am contemplating my perfumes of a morn and simply don’t know which one to wear, it is Le Parfum de Therese that usually wins. It is just such a happy and radiant perfume and unlike some others, it never gives rise to spritzing remorse a few hours in. But then, I am a big Roudnitska fangirl, and while my faves, Diorella and Diorissimo, are beyond recognition due to IFRA-induced plastic surgery, I’m very thankful that this beauty is still around.

Le Parfum de Therese is available from
Mecca Cosmetica starting from $155/3 x 10ml
Surrender to Chance has samples starting from $6.99/ml

Musc Ravageur by Maurice Roucel for Frederic Malle 2000

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

I will always remember the day I fell in love with and came to acquire Musc Ravageur. I was living in London, it was a few weeks before Christmas and I woke up to find a world blanketed in pillowy white. I had an exciting, girly day planned of shopping, perfume sniffing and getting my hair done before dinner and drinks. I dressed up and blow dried my hair to perfection only to walk out into yet another snowstorm. Whitened coat and wet hair aside, my day went as planned. One spritz of Musc takes my back to that day of joyful chaos that ended with a fabulous meal, good conversation and the twinkling of fairy lights on snow covered streets.

Musc Ravageur is available at
Mecca Cosmetica starting from $142/3 x 10ml
Surrender to Chance has samples starting from $5.99/ml.

So, have I mentioned any of your faves? What perfumes are getting a good wearing from you right now?

With much love till next time,

M x

Memories of Lanvin and Cocktail Parties

September 9, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 62 Comments

Post by Azar

Hi APJ,

Like most perfume junkies I began my fragrance obsession at my mother’s dressing table, re-arranging her perfumes, copping a quick sniff or just admiring the beautiful bottles. My mother would encourage my budding habit, buying smaller versions of her favorites just for me or padding my weekly allowance so that I could try something new on my own.

Memories of Lanvin and Cocktail Parties

Photo Stolen Laineys Repertoire Flickr

Mom’s mid-century fragrances were representative of what most American women were wearing at the time including, of course, Chanel No. 5, Shalimar, Arpege, My Sin, Diorissimo and Jungle Gardenia. To me her bottle of Germaine Monteil Royal Secret was not quite mainstream and there were a couple of others that my inexperienced nose perceived as downright odd! One of these was Lanvin’s Spanish Geranium, the greenest, spiciest geranium I’d ever encountered floating atop the unmistakable Lanvin accord. I still love it and wear it to this day. The other was Lucien Lelong’s Sirocco, a potent oriental with a triple dose of coriander. My mother’s favorite was (and still is) Ritual by Charles of the Ritz.

Mom’s room was filled with treasures. Not only did she have a cache of perfumes and costume jewelry but also a closet filled with shimmering cocktail dresses. Mom is a very tiny woman, petit size “00”. Her cocktail dresses were like gorgeous doll clothes, strapless, pencil thin (Barbie? – no, no!) and complimented by a collection of tiny, exquisite shoes. Cocktail dresses were, of course, to be worn at cocktail parties. In the 1950’s and 60’s formal and semi-formal cocktail parties were serious social and business obligations for my parents and their friends. Shopping for dresses, perfume and accessories was more than just a frivolous pastime for my mother and the women she knew.

Photo Stolen FormalFringe

Today these parties are no longer part of my mother’s social life, or mine either for that matter. The last truly formal cocktail party I attended was over 40 years ago in Tehran, of all places! I wore dark green silk and Guy Laroche Fidji. Times certainly have changed.

Do you have memories of your mother’s perfumes? How has your mother’s taste in fragrance affected your own? Oh – and what did you wear to that last cocktail party?

Azar x

Photo Stolen sassisamblog

LANVIN USA ONLY GIVEAWAY

Photo Stolen RubyLane

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

There are 2 prizes this week in our Lanvin Giveaway. Each winner will receive:

1 x 2ml Eau de Lanvin
1 x 2ml Lanvin Extrait
P&H USA ONLY

HOW DO YOU WIN?

All you have to do is tell me a favourite perfume from yesterday and who used to wear it around you: along with how you follow for you to be eligible for the draw.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @LANVINofficial Arpege GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-1SM #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 12th September 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and someone at Azar’s house will pick a winner.
The winners will have till Sunday 15th September 2013 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.

Bohemia GIVEAWAY WINNERS

September 9, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hello APJ,

Another great response from you all. Thanks for getting on board and being part of the fun. Thank you also to Liz Cook at ONE SEED who is a wonderful, sweet and generous person. One day I hope to go see her workshop.

Bohemia GIVEAWAY WINNERS

one seed text logo

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

There are 2 prizes this week in our ONE SEED GIVEAWAY. Each winner will receive:

1 x 4ml manufacturers spray sample of Bohemia
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS.

All I needed was a HELLO, with how you follow for you to be eligible for the draw. There was an extra point for TWEETING and interestingly both our winners today TWEETED!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 8th September 2013 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Jin will pick a winner. (Sorry, it was Random.Org again because Jin was snoring his head off)

Photo Stolen propercourse

Undina, LeatherMountain

The winners will have till Wednesday 11th September 2013 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.

Didn’t win? Want to try the product? ONE SEED<<<JUMP

see uyou later today,
Portia x