Niki de Saint Phalle

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Post by Portia

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Hey there vintage fumie friends,

Travelling around winter South Korea recently I was astonished at how perfectly Niki de Saint Phalle’s eponymous fragrance worked in almost every situation. I took a 30ml spray bottle and went through more than half of it on a ten day journey. There is a soft furriness to its green chypre that makes it more cosy than CHANEL No 19 and less fancy lady than Robert Piguet’s Futur, in the cold weather. You may notice on APJ I often write about fragrances being wearable and unchallenging, on many blogs that would be a derisive pointer to bland uninteresting fragrance but from my point of view a fragrance must be wearable in my life. Sure I have a few that I spritz at home for my own freak flag enjoyment but when I venture forth I want to wear my scents as a comfortable cloak not ammunition.

Niki de Saint Phalle

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Artemisia, mint, green notes, peach, bergamot
Middle: Carnation, patchouli, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang, cedar, rose
Base: Leather, sandalwood, amber, musk, oakmoss

Sadly I am finding it harder and harder to track down any of the spritz bottles of Niki de Saint Phalle and am kicking myself for not buying a dozen of them when I noticed they were getting harder to find. GRRRRR. It will be decanting into atomisers for the rest of my life. Oh well, not really a hardship.

So Niki de Saint Phalle is a chypre. Full of softly furry green-ness. To be honest I can’t pick most of the notes. Artemisia, galbanum, carnation, leather and oakmoss are the things I notice but everything else seems to sit in a background chorus. Once upon a time though the note list used to include tagetes (marigolds) now THEM I can smell and a light salt coating. Dry and austere it’s amazing how many moments it’s perfect for. Currently I’m sitting in my office and it’s a 41C day, Niki de saint Phalle cuts through the humidity and takes me to a cool dry thicket near a stream. Cool and fecund, I can smell the earth, greenery, woodland creatures or birds must have a nest nearby because the soft furry, powdery musk of creature babies is here and the smell of tree made shade.

WikiCommons

For real luxury grab the Shower Gel too, it makes the most unbelievably gorgeous bubble baths. Then when you spritz there’s already a soft layer of Niki de saint Phalle to layer over.

Further reading: Non Blonde and Yesterday’s Perfume
FragranceNet has AUD$31/30ml before coupon
The Perfumed Court has samples starting at $3/ml

Five years ago I wrote about Niki de Saint Phalle here at APJ, and have written of it elsewhere. It’s a staple around here.

Do you have a go-to, fits anywhere scent? Maybe one that’s getting harder to find?
Portia xxx

 

Hair Fragrance

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

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Erica Golding

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Hello, fragrance lovers!

Something is in the air tonight, and it’s floating around my head like a crown. Do you ever fragrance your hair?

Hair Fragrance

Over the last couple of years, I have acquired a small variety of incredible hair glosses from Black Phoenix Trading Post. They are lightweight and subtle in terms of the hair product effects, and their scents are works of art. They vary in throw and intensity depending on the perfume.

My favorite by a landslide is called Implacable Beautiful Tyrant. I can’t help but feel bubbling happiness when I inhale this scent! The notes listed include amber, frankincense, white ginger, and oudh. I swear I pick up fig as well. It is a completely unique, absolutely enchanting fragrance – impossible to describe. When I use it, I wear it on its own as my scent of the day. If they ever released IBT in a perfume oil, I would jump all over it!

Black Phoenix Trading Post

Another gorgeous BPTP hair gloss offering is a beloved, bestselling scent from the BPAL General Catalogue called Dorian. This is the hair gloss that I use most frequently, because it accents any complimentary perfume choice like a chameleon. The notes include sugared vanilla tea, pale musks, and a Victorian fougère. It doesn’t matter what the genre, any perfume I apply to my skin is magically enhanced when I wear Dorian hair gloss.

Kevin Murphy

Lastly, I am addicted to the scent in Kevin.Murphy Shimmer.Shine mist. There is no listed description, but to me it is a rich aura of sandalwood, Hawaiian ginger, and a velvety sexy dark Musk. It makes me feel really beautiful when I use it! The aroma is just so luxe to me.

Do you enjoy scenting your hair with anything in particular? I hear that the Frederic Malle Carnal Flower hair mist is divine. I’ve also tested Mugler’s Angel hair mist and it was lovey!

Until next time, be well and enjoy your scents in good health!
Erica the Smoochy Poochy XXXX

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2015

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

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Robert Herrmann

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Wait.

You HAVEN’T tried Dress Code yet???!!! Go order a sample/decant/bottle RIGHT NOW!!
You’re welcome.

I had been waiting for this since first hearing about the pre-release in the summer of ’15. It was at that time strictly a limited edition, and would only be available at 2 select retailers in the USA and at the Guerlain flagship store in Paris. So faster than you can say “Thierry Wasser” three times, I popped online and found ONE bottle available at Bergdorf’s in NYC. Three minutes later that bottle was on it’s way to my house…..

Now fragheads who know me, know that I am absolutely a Guerlain Ho’ of the ‘nth degree, hell I have one whole shelf in my Perfume cabinet stuffed full, and dedicated exclusively to Guerlain. New Guerlain offering? Come to Papa! Every. Single. Time.

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Guerlain 2015

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Thierry Wasser

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, neroli, rose
Heart: Spices
Base: Woodsy notes, leather, tonka bean, praline, vanilla

Aaaahhh Dress Code. Guerlain certainly hit it out of the ballpark with this wonderful flanker!

The regular HR has long been in my top 5, and a few years back I was lucky enough to purchase a vintage mid-90’s new-in-mint-condition bottle thanks to the largess of a Facebook fragrance friend. (Looking at YOU, Jake!❤❤❤)

But about Dress Code…..

Let’s just say that Mr. Sulu would give Dress Code his “oh myyyyyyyy” stamp of approval.

Do you love a fabulous Gourmand? HRDC opens with a huge blast of caramel/chocolate/vanilla which within minutes adds a wispy back note of orange blossom.

Right away however the spices and rose peek through, followed by a resin/leather and woody vibe.

All perfectly blended and seamlessly drifting in and out with no single note taking up the spotlight. Just a gorgeous amalgam which like the energizer bunny, just keeps going and going and going….there’s a smoky aspect as well, as if the spices have been roasting over an open fire with some tonka thrown in for good measure.

WikiCommons

By this time HRDC is firmly established in the drydown phase and swear-to-god if asked for a comparison, I would say that to me it’s solidly rooted in Shalimar territory. But purposely skewed masculine, although I suspect a woman would feel TOTALLY comfortable wearing this, especially to buttress up a “take-no-prisoners” attitude.

And HRDC has attitude.
In spades.
That first edition sold out in a heartbeat, but have no fear because Guerlain re-released it last year with their updated bottle. EXACTLY same perfume, just different packaging despite what you may read online. It’s the same, trust me.

And so for creating HRDC, and then bringing it back….Thank you Guerlain. Love it..

Flickr

Further reading: Scent Gent and Persolaise
Sadly Australia isn’t getting Dress Code but it’s available in Guerlain in major department stores of Europe & USA

Have you tried Dress Code yet? What other Guerlain’s do you adore? (I know right? There are so many!)
My Name Is Robert Herrmann (but I forget sometimes)

Vintage Opium by YSL

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

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Portia

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Hi Crew,

My BFFs Mum only wears vintage Opium. It’s her fragrance and when they totally changed the juice she was devastated. So for the last few years my job has been to seek out vintage Opium and give her a bottle at any gift giving event that she has used up her previous bottle. She’s spritzing her way through about 150ml per annum currently. Obviously it’s no hardship for me to trawl the internet and various FaceBook page Sale Docs in search of her precious, actually it gives me focus some nights when I’m up late but too zonked out to do anything productive.

Yes, I have had a couple of fakes come through and one that had obviously been stored poorly because most of that fabulous top had been scorched away leaving only the base minus. I thought it was a fake but rarely do fakes have bases so fabulously perfect and long lasting.

Not long ago one of the Aussies on Aussie Fragrance Network and I did a frag swap. Can’t remember what I sent but in return I got the most pristine vintage Opium and I’m chuffed.

Vintage Opium by YSL 1977

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Coriander, plum, citruses, mandarin orange, pepper, jasmine, cloves, West Indian bay, bergamot
Heart: Carnation, sandalwood, patchouli, cinnamon, orris root, peach, lily-of-the-valley, rose
Base: Labdanum, tolu balsam, sandalwood, opoponax, musk, coconut, vanilla, benzoin, vetiver, incense, cedar, myrrh, castoreum, amber

There is quite a bit written about Opium and how freaking lavish it is. What it smells like to me now is Kath’s Mum. Here we are at Christmas after lunch. She is a rare and wonderful woman who took in a 30+ year old orphan and gave me a place and a family to call home on big events. When Jin came along she didn’t even bat a eyelid but welcomed him wholeheartedly too. Since then she has grown less able to provide the kind of enormous family event she is used to producing and we (Jin & I) have taken the Christmas reins and now they all come to us. Birthdays etc are now done at one of the local clubs or restaurants because it’s WAY easier.

So this is what Opium smells like to me. It smells like welcome and unconditional love.

Further reading: Yesterday’s Perfume and Kafkaesque
eBay sometimes has bargains, FB Sale docs are best

 

giveaway hemodernhome

Vintage Opium GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 2 winners who will receive:
1 x Vintage Opium by YSL Sample
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.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us a vintage perfume on your sample wish list

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 19th January 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 22nd January 2017 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.

Scent of Sydney at Carriageworks 2017 + Stuff

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

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Portia

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Hellooooo APJ,

Yesterday in Sydney was glorious, so I filled it with really fun stuff. Some of it fragrant and most of it friends. My only apology is that for most of it I was having such a good time that there are no photographs. BUMMER! Oh well, I have memories.

Scent of Sydney at Carriageworks 2017 + Stuff

The day started early with dog feeding & walks. It’s been so hot at nights that Jin has made the boys inside beds and they sleep in the living room, with us, under the fan and with the A/C Dry Mode on. It doesn’t do much cooling but it does get rid of the humidity and runs at about 1/3 the A/C usual energy use. Here they are loving their indoor beds.

Once the dogs were done Jin was going to check his diving equipment and I had bought him a new wetsuit for Christmas. He and a couple of girlfriends were going to Clovelly/Gordon’s Bay to do that so I asked my BFF Kath to meet me there so we could have a paddle, get some rays and have brunch. It was good to get the psoriasis on my legs into the sea water and they already are showing signs of improvement. Here we are at brunch. MMMMM

Here’s the view from the carpark. Yeah, this was the shit view but I was too busy doing stuff to take another shot. SOZ!

After that Kath, Jin & I went back to Kath’s so he could fix some stuff at the apartment. Jin went home and I went around the corner to meet my next adventure.

Then TinaG, APJ writer and one of my longest term friends, organised a get together at the sydney Festival’s Scents Of Sydney at Carriageworks. I love this venue and we ran Turbo Trivia here for years in the cafe/restaurant behind me in the pic below. Good memories.

WORLD PREMIERE
SYDNEY FESTIVAL PRESENTS

SCENT OF SYDNEY

CAT JONES

As a first impression, smell is one of the most basic forms of identification. Can you really know a city by the way it smells? In this work, artist Cat Jones distills more than first impressions and seeks to capture the real substance of Sydney – its stories of landscape, democracy, resistance, competition, and extravagance. In a series of conversations and debates you are invited to create an olfactory portrait of our city and contribute your ideas and stories of Sydney’s identity.

Scent Of Sydney EXHIBITION

7 – 29 JAN 10AM – 6PM
Closed on Mondays.

TALKS

10 JAN 6PM Democracy
11 JAN 6PM Landscape
17 JAN 6PM Artist Talk
18 JAN 6PM Competition
24 JAN 6PM Resistance
25 JAN 6PM Extravagance

Scents Of Sydney was a very interesting idea and FREE. Take 12 people who are Sydney based catalysts of change. All each one to tell their story and how they helped create change or awareness, then think of a group of scent notes that express or remind you of that time in the journey. SUPER interesting right, all across our multiplicity of cultures, wealth and history here. The scents were brilliantly thought out and really captured the spirit of the stories.

So the scent was in an oil wiped around the inside of the cup, excellent delivery system. You could listen to some of the story and pick the cup up at different times to rem,ind you of their scent.

Each story was played continuously through headphones and each cup had three attendant headphones so a maximum of 36 people could be listening at any time. There was also a central seating circle where discussion was happening with one or more of the producers, artist, festival peeps etc. My only problem was the length of the stories. Bloody hell. After 4 of them I was exhausted of my will to live so I crept out and awaited the others.

I found a sweet man called Jackson who lent me his phone charger and sat down by a mirror for some chill time as the phone juiced up. There I took photos of myself & surrounds and uploaded them to social media because narcissist.

We sat down for a delicious afternoon tea with Rose and Tina. Rose went off to see some dance that was also part of the Festival of Sydney 2017 and Tina & I walked to the train and caught our way home. On the way we saw this splendidly painted row house and couldn’t help but add it to our selfie list.

That lovely man Jin picked me up from the station and we had delicious Thai reheats for dinner. YUMMY!

So how was your weekend? Do any thing fun and/or fragrant?
Portia xx

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

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Portia

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Woo Hoo APJ!

I love decluttering and YOU GUYS are the winners.
Let’s see who gets the pack.
Portia xx

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY WINNER

 

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The winner will receive one each of these samples:

Iranzol oil by Bruno Acampora
Mr Hulot’s Holiday by CB I Hate Perfume
La Colonia by Oliver & Co carded sample
M.O.U.S.S.E. by Oliver & Co carded sample
Vaninger by Oliver & Co carded sample
2010 Harvest Amarige by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Organza by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Very Irresistible by Givenchy
Live by Jennifer Lopez
Aegyptus Tesori d`Oriente
Profumata Amalfi by Tocca
XS by Paco Rabanne
Charmes Secrets: Passion Absolue by Laurence Dumont
Pure Gold by Montale
Tobacco Rose by Papillon
Pure Mariposa by Ramon Monegal carded sample

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 14th January 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Latai

The winner will have till Wednesday 18th January 2017 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 Lady Art – Ian Davenport Interview

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

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Portia

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Hi Fashion Fumies,

Here we find an interesting collaboration for the new DIOR handbags. Artist Ian Davenport.

Many of Davenport’s works are made by pouring paint onto a tilted surface and letting gravity spread the paint over the surface.[7] He has usually worked on medium density fibreboard rather than canvas, and most often employs household gloss paint, meaning the viewer can see their own reflection in the work. He has made a number of diptychs and triptychs as well as single works. Wikipedia

Ian Davenport

Below video Ian Davenport explains how he and DIOR created pieces that basically have me foaming at the mouth with desire. DIOR Lady is a handbag style, Lady Art are the ones done in collaboration with artists, very cool.

Check this out. AMAZING!
Portia xx

Fort & Manlé Parfum: New Australian Indie Perfumers

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Hey APJ,

Here is a special new venture that will have the Indie lovers very excited. Two handsome young men from Australia have been working hard to create a range of electrifying fragrances. Now, if you are only a fan of the department store smooth, flawless perfection or fruit-choulis then these babies will be way too much for your sensitive tastes. Here we have flamboyant scents that will astound, excite and challenge your perception of perfumery. Scott and I tried 5 from the range and I came away with two very clear favourites.

Fort & Manlé Parfum

OK, so the men are from Melbourne. Known as the style and food capital of Australia, it’s always been characterised as the most cosmopolitan, adventurous, art and culture forward city we have. An oasis of multiculturalism in a predominantly white Australia. While Sydney was always viewed as the shallow but shiny party/business/waterfront town Melbourne was, and is, a slice of European grandeur.

You can see by their 50ml premium bottle range that these guys are serious. They are choosing to stand apart in a world getting more homogenised daily. Yes there are also much simpler 30ml bottles for the fans of modern clean lines too. The wooden lids are a very nice touch across the range.

So how do they smell? Well, the site offers no note list so I can’t check myself on what the ingredients are but here are what Scott & I smelled when we wee wearing them.

Amber Absolutely by Fort & Manlé Parfum

Initially Scott and I were smelling honeyed, caramel amber. Right from the start it is crunchy, chewy and delicious. If you like amber with a hefty hit of fur and bed head backed by a fizzy sherbet giving lift, fun and interest then you’ll love Amber Absolutely. I enjoyed it immensely and Scott wanted to keep the sample (but nope). I am wearing it right now in the summer heat and it’s holding up magnificently. Can’t wait to give it a whirl in cooler weather too.

Confessions of a Garden Gnome by Fort & Manlé Parfum

Winning the prize as the best frag name of 2016 Confessions of a Garden Gnome is green with some bells and whistles added for good measure. We loved the Citrus, grass, galbanum rich opening and the way the fragrance morphed into some fancy cool cocktail through the heart warming to what smelled to us like tobacco and hay with maybe a smudge of amber and incense through the base. As you know I’m guessing and we will all have a hearty laugh when we find out the real ingredients. The gear changes in Confessions of a Garden Gnome are very Indie, never disjointed per se but surprising and sudden jolts of new scent information kept my nose attuned and interested all the way to dry down. It feels like the seasons are changing and that’s what the garden gnome must experience, fabulous.

Here’s a sneaky peek at the two men behind Fort & Manlé Parfum

You should definitely try their stuff.
Go visit Fort & Manlé Parfum

Are you an Indie Frag lover? Which would you choose?
Portia xx

 

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY Jan 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 44 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Hey All,

Cleaning up around here in a frenzy of New Year activity.

There are a bunch of samples that I have tried. Some are prizes never claimed. A couple of them are only half full but others are only 2 spritzes used or brand new, some I have bottles or doubles of. So what better way to share the love than a Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY!

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY Jan 2017

giveaway hemodernhome

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The winner will receive one each of these samples:

Iranzol oil by Bruno Acampora
Mr Hulot’s Holiday by CB I Hate Perfume
La Colonia by Oliver & Co carded sample
M.O.U.S.S.E. by Oliver & Co carded sample
Vaninger by Oliver & Co carded sample
2010 Harvest Amarige by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Organza by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Very Irresistible by Givenchy
Live by Jennifer Lopez
Aegyptus Tesori d`Oriente
Profumata Amalfi by Tocca
XS by Paco Rabanne
Charmes Secrets: Passion Absolue by Laurence Dumont
Pure Gold by Montale
Tobacco Rose by Papillon
Pure Mariposa by Ramon Monegal carded sample

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.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us a perfume on your sample wish list

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 14th January 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 18th January 2017 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.

Mystery Fragrance GIVEAWAY WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

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Portia

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Heya APJ,

Bloody Hell. I keep forgetting to do stuff.

Let’s see who won.
Portia xx

Mystery Fragrance GIVEAWAY WINNER

 

mystery-fragrance-nye-20167-2

 

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Mystery Fragrance from Robert’s collection
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 5th January 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners will be chosen by random.org

Gina

The winner will have till Sunday 15th January 2017 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