Aftelier Perfumes

Annick Goutal Reviews #I

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hey, Hey All,

Yesterday I became completely sidetracked by the Annick Goutal story. I wish now I had taken a month to really research her and the magnificent job she did creating a niche perfume company that went global. Awe inspiring. One day there will be a book, mini series or movie about the rise and rise of an indomitable spirit. Does anybody remember meeting her? Have an anecdote to share? Please leave it in the comments, good or bad, so I can get a fuller picture of who Annick Goutal was.

Photo Stolen from multi-brand

For now, all I have is her fragrances to remember her by. I have 6 in my collection so far (3 bottles, 3 decants) but I can feel already that I would like to at least sample the range. You can have 3 reviews today and three tomorrow.

Eau de Sud EDT

This was my first meeting with an Annick Goutal fragrance. The scentbloggosphere somewhere told me this was the go to fragrance for the whole range and it was fairly indicative of the general style of fragrance produced at Annick Goutal, though I think the range has quite a lot more light and shade than that. Having reviewed it earlier this month I won’t bore you again but it is a bright citrus that softens to a vanilla herbal citrus as it wears.

Photo Stolen from 99perfume.com

The Annick Goutal website says,

The sparkling freshness of citrus fruits ripened under the warmth of the Mediterranean sun.
Creation date : 1997
Olfactory family : Citrus, Chypre, Green (Bergamot, Persian lime, grapefruit, mandarine, verbena, peppermint, basil, hint of jasmine and vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss)

Songes EDT (Dreams)

Songes was my first Annick Goutal FBW fragrance. When the sample arrived I loved it so much I sprayed it on all and sundry till it ran dry just so they could experience the enormous grand white floral opening. What a fragrance! Designed around a dusk ramble on Camille Goutal’s honeymoon and the frangipani’s nighttime scent song of dreams.

Photo Stolen from escentual-com

The Annick Goutal website says

The twilight in Tahiti, transcending into a inspiring combination of frangipani and tiare flowers.
Creation date : 2005
Olfactory family : Floral, oriental, amber (Frangipani, Tiare flower, Sambac jasmine absolute, ylang-ylang absolute, olibanum, French vanilla absolute, sandalwood, amber)

The Perfume Shrine reviews and Fragrantica for notes and accords

Mandragore EDT

This is a fragrance I had tried and loved but been annoyed by its lack of staying power on my scent hungry skin. Finding it at a knock down price online I couldn’t resist a purchase. It is a hot and spicy citrus that lasts a maximum of 2 hours on me. the ride is fun though. Camille Goutal wanted this fragrance to reference her love of fairies and magic as a child, and the bright fun and dark depths of current fiction and film that her own children were enjoying. It doesn’t give me particularly dark and deep depths but I can sense the fun and wonder of white magic lurking here. It’s almost cologne-esque on me. If you want something darker and deeper the Annick Goutal Mandragore Pourpe is for you.

Photo Stolen from stylehive.com

The Annick Goutal website says

A burst of energy brought by the liveliness of the aromatic notes.
Creation date : 2005
Olfactory family : Citrus, aromatic, spicy (Bergamot, blackpepper, peppermint, star anis, boxwood, ginger, sage, iris, ciste roots, labdanum)

Bois De Jasmine and Now Smell This review and Fragrantica does its thing.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading some of Annick Goutal’s masterpieces reviewed. Three more tomorrow.

COMPETITION GIVEAWAY!!

So for today’s Thursday Competition Giveaway please leave us a comment on a perfumer who has inspired you in some way. It could be Guerlain, Chanel, Jennifer Lopez, Karine Dubreuil, David Beckham, Alberto Morillas, Loc Dong, Patti LaBelle or Andy Tauer. Anybody who has put their name to a perfume. Maybe their dedication, lifestyle, car, a scent that changed you, pet, cooking, scent history, breakaway or interesting choices. Whatever! Who; and how did they inspire you? Easy Peasy!!

This weeks swag includes;
NB all measures are approximate.

1ml spray remains of manufacturers sample Eau de Maroc EDP by Aftelier Perfumes

1.5ml spray decant Mandgradore EDT by Annick Goutal

1.5ml spray decant Carriere EDP by Gendarme

1.5mml spray decant Muscho Nobile EDT by Nobile 1942

and a SURPRISE 1.5ml spray decant that you’ll find out about tomorrow

Go to it gang. winner will be judged on Saturday 10pm-ish Australian EST

What do GRUMPY people smell like?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Hey all,

So ever had a day that from the moment you were awakened it all seemed like shit on toast? Not even!! No one took the time to do toast, it was shit sandwich.

Well, I am being over dramatic, of course, but I did have a major case of the grumps yesterday which meant people who are my nearest and dearest were finding other rooms (read suburbs) to be in. I kept having to say to TSO Jin, “I’m not really angry about this. Please excuse me,” after flying off the handle at tiny little things that irk me usually but today generated seismic tremors. I felt like Ouisa Boudreaux (Shirley MacLean) from Steel Magnolias, and usually I’m Claree Belcher (Olympia Dukakis).

What do grumpy people wear?

L’Eau D’Ambre
In the morning L’Artisam Parfumeur’s 1978 release L’Eau D’Ambre got a run. I’ve talked about this scent recently so won’t bore you all but L’Eau D’Ambre is a pants fragrance that stiffens by back and fills up my cajones when I have to get business accomplished.

Photo Stolen from L’Artisan Parfumeur

Green Tea
Home in the afternoon and wanting something fresh and lively to lift my spirits and give a breath of fresh air I chose Elizabeth Arden’s 1999 offering, Green Tea. How do they get all those delicious notes in this perfume to smell exactly like a fresh cuppa? It’s a budget scent but Francis Kurkdjian, Green Tea’s nose, has done extraordinary work on some of your favourites: JPGaultier Le Male; Ellie Saab Le Parfum, Narciso Rodriguez For Her, and his own Maison Francis Kurkdjian line. This is quality breeding folks. It is a short, sharp shot of lovely and lively that helps me to center. PS Yesterday we featured a  Francis Kurkdjian interview.

Photo Stolen from Fragrantica

No 5
Late afternoon and still grumpy so I thought the splendid and extravagant thrill of Chanel’s 1921 visionary/copycat (depending on who you believe) No 5 might lift and separate the gloom. That effervescent flash of citrus & aldehydes, followed by ylang-ylang,  jasmine, rose, iris & more, warmed by vanilla, musk, woods and patchouli. So; sharp, bouquet, deep clay earth is how it runs in my mind as the notes (that I mostly can’t follow definitively anyway) float over and around me. It is sexy, stately and gorgeous, and for a while, so am I. Lost in the absolute bliss, and Mum memories, of a masterpiece.

Photo Stolen from oo.com.au

Evening saw me restless and wanting more glamour; so off for a HOT Radox bath with some lightly scented body wash for bubbles and moisturising non-soap. MMMMM My most delicious and sensual waste of time, usually with a book. (Currently The Widow Clicqout by Tilar J. Mazzeo, the Chanel No 5 biographer. Good stuff.)

Parfum de Maroc
Warm, clean and fresh it was time for something more niche and exclusive. A sample of Parfum de Maroc by Aftelier Perfumes that swept me away when I first tried it was put aside when i fell heavily for Crepes & Tuberose and invested in a bottle. I forgot what a delicious journey Parfum de Maroc (perfume of Morocco) takes you on. Harvested directly from Aftelier Perfumes website; they say…

Photo Stolen from Aftelier

Scent Family: Spicy Floral
Inspired by an ancient Moroccan spice recipe Ras el Hanout or “top of the shop” – a mixture of the best spices a seller has to offer….
..Notes
Top: saffron, galangal.
Heart: Turkish rose, nutmeg.
Base: cardamom, myrrh.

Thanks for reading. What do you wear when GRUMPY?

Portia xx