Andrea Maack

Saturday Question: What Do You Fragrance Cocoon With?

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies / 105 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

At APJ we have a Saturday Question. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it’s a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back regularly and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them. The aim is to generate real conversation and connection even though we are scattered around the globe.

 

Continue reading →

Dark by Julien Rasquinet for Andrea Maack 2011

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

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Post by Portia

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Hiya Frag Heads!

I am surprised constantly that there isn’t more noise online about Andrea Maack and her fragrances. Early on there was some chatter about them being derivative but I’m yet to discover a scent that smells markedly like an Andrea Maack. Of course there are notes that correspond, even accords, but the whole fragrances I find distinctive enough to set them well apart even from their most obvious comparisons. Maacks are sometimes challenging and yet ever so wearable. comfortably weird. Yes, I know I’m in the minority here.

Dark by Andrea Maack 2011

Dark by Julien Rasquinet

Dark Andrea Maack FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Petitgrain, mandarin orange, pink pepper, lemon tree, aldehydes, rose, metallic notes, Granny Smith apple, amber, African orange flower, Virginia cedar

This is a sample that I’ve had for a while and keep getting out, spritzing and putting away.

Dark. Sparkling sweet citrus and cold water in opening. Reminding me of a zinging, sharp, dew spotted early morning at sunrise in very early spring. There is a feeling of briskness and action which quickly morphs into fruity (apple and melon?) rose and a cold metal spoon in your mouth. Or the first sip from an icy cold can of fizzy drink. The fruits become more prominent towards the heart, they are just out of the fridge, and the rose becomes air conditioned. This is a modern metallic radiant rose. The most close resemblance from my memory (not perfect) is modern Eternity Woman by Calvin Klein, yet nothing like it.

Dark Andrea Maack cold drink can gepharts3d pixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

After some time Dark gets a Pez/sherbet feeling that makes me smile, especially floating over the metal rose from Mars.Cruising into dry down the rose becomes colder like it’s frozen solid but curiously warmth surrounds it, the amber brings in a hint of warm resins that take us to the end.

I can see how anyone who wants their fragrant ride to be smooth and cohesive with the department store finish would find Dark disjointed and surreal but that’s one of the things that I really enjoy. If wearing fragrance for my own pleasure then Dark is an excellent choice and it’s not so powerful that people around you will be questioning or freaked out, though longevity is nuclear.

Quietly and subversively weird, perfect.

Dark Andrea Maack Frozen Rose Adrian Byrne FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Bonkers About Perfume
LuckyScent has $135/50ml + Samples
Libertine has $185/50ml

Do you have a favourite under rated house? Which one and why?
Portia xx

Andrea Maack Sampler GIVEAWAY WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

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Post by Portia

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WOO HOO APJ! Thanks for getting involved. Another wonderful giveaway, you are lucky. I hope life is treating you well where ever you are.

Portia xx

Silk by Andrea Maack 2011

Silk by Richard Ibanez

Silk Andrea Maack FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Citruses, violet leaf, freesia, magnolia, soil tincture, papyrus, vanille, amber, lemon tree, lime (linden) blossom

Andrea Maack Sampler GIVEAWAY WINNER

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 3ml Andrea Maack Sampler (I have used them a bit, about 2ml in each)
Dark
Smart
Craft
Silk
Sharp
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 30th August 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

winner sistersavealot.comPhoto Stolen sistersavealot

gina tabasso

The winner will have till Thursday 3rd September 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Silk by Richard Ibanez for Andrea Maack 2011

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

Woo Hoo APJers,

Andrea Maack, artist, fashion designer and fragrance curator. Her stark, vivid, linear creations are bold and shocking but within the bounds of mainstream beauty. Though I find them confronting and they give me pause for question I could also see many of her art creations in peoples homes, comfortably setting themselves beside a big family couch and the TV. They would be interesting talking points but hardly steal air from the room and make it awkward to sit.

This too is how I see the fragrance line. Different enough to maintain my interest yet wearable every day as a second, fragrant skin that you offer to the world as your scent. The line has been called derivative and a follower but when I wear Andrea Maack fragrances I find no parallels, and yes this could be my lack as a medium. Whether they are or not is a moot point because I enjoy wearing them, they tickle my fabulous bone and they tick so many boxes on my fragrant list that I am impressed with them on their own merits.

Silk by Andrea Maack 2011

Silk by Richard Ibanez

Silk Andrea Maack FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Citruses, violet leaf, freesia, magnolia, soil tincture, papyrus, vanille, amber, lemon tree, lime (linden) blossom

LuckyScent offers this list of featured accords in one line:
Violet leaves, freesia, lime tree, linen, magnolia, Spanish cistus, earth accord, papyrus, vanilla, amber

Sweet citrus opens but it’s firmly undercut by green grasses and a fresh, dewy, air conditioned bouquet (I’m quite surprised there’s no LotV mentioned in the notes). A lovely and very pretty green, delicate, cooling and …… imagine you are in an orchard filled with blossom, the day is brisk but when you stand in the sun it’s lovely, there’s a breeze that is strong enough to ruffle your hair and it carries a floral bouquet from the nearby market gardens, some trodden grass and a dry rasp that is a little vetiver reminiscent. Then the sprinklers come on, they don’t wet you but it does change the taste of the air and suddenly the whole orchard seems cooler: that moment in your dream is what Silk smells like.

silk-andrea-maack orchard blossom AnneMarieBon PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

The freshness and brightness are carried over into the heart and it’s reminiscent of the freshly cut cucumber scent, or cut wet stems of flowers before arranging. It’s amazing how intoxicating silk is, not a big perfume but it does have the ability to change the air around you and in the first hour the sillage is excellent.

Like the Andrea Maack art piece below Silk is a bundled net of scent pieces with light pouting through and creating a gauzy, soft focus fragrance that still manages to be fully present and fragrant. For me Silk dries down to a melon scent softly warmed by the amber that I can feel but not really smell.

Silk Andrea Maack Art FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Bonkers About Perfume
LuckyScent has $135/50ml and samples
Libertine has $185/50ml and FREE delivery in Australia

Have you experienced any of the Andrea Maack fragrances? Favourites?
Portia x

AllSteele giveaway 1Photo Stolen AllSteele

Andrea Maack Sampler GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 3ml Andrea Maack Sampler (I have used them a bit, about 2ml in each)
Dark
Smart
Craft
Silk
Sharp
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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us your favourite artist

Extra Chance?
Tweet: Andrea Maack Sampler GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3hC #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 30th August 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Thursday 3rd September 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Sharp by Richard Ibanez for Andrea Maack 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hi there APJ,

When I first fell in love with the Andrea Maack range I remember there being a lot of chatter about it being derivative and boring. There were some bloggers and some of my mates who seemed very upset about this brand. I’m sorry but I never felt them to be either boring OR derivative. First to admit I’ve not smelled everything ever produced, also first to admit my memory is shot but few houses hit me as hard in the heavenly eye roll and full body purring shiver as Andrea Maack’s do. There are two FB in my collection Silk and……..

Sharp by Richard Ibanez for Andrea Maack 2010

Sharp FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives this list of featured accords:
Orange blossom, angel skin, sweet vanilla, white musk, soothing softness

To my nose Sharp has a remarkably complex fragrance story. The orange blossom is not at all as expected, like they have added some herbaceous spiciness, and the vanilla is an inedible warmth that is fuzzed up by the musk. At once bright and cozy like the smell of brand new polar fleece with dirty, morning bed-hair. Sharp is feral and cuddly, pithy, furry, smooth and enfolding.

Sharp has a sweet indolic weirdness that is at once repulsive and alluring up close but merely pretty and inviting from further away. The name Sharp seems to be a complete misnomer here and I wonder if that is intentional? Sometimes when I wear Sharp my feeling is as if I’ve been up in an attic rummaging and my hair is thick with dust and old air,. Other times the feeling given is that I’m cuddled up in front of a fire near a recently beeswaxed table and the fires heat is warming the scent through the room and I feel warm, safe & loved. There’s even something of dog paws.

 Sharp Andrea Maack FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

I get a nearly linear lifespan that weaves rather than evolves but as it dries down Sharp by Andrea Maack is sweet vanilla dribbled over musk, the feral has disappeared and it’s all about clean (but not too clean, there’s still an element of humanity).

Who would I spritz with Sharp? That’s hard to say, I think some of my friends who like fragrance very much but aren’t perfumistas would love this as a go-to daily scent regime. Certainly the art connection, lack of ready availability, simple, stylish bottle and the reasonable price bracket would make it a good choice for them. Considering they would pay around these prices for a bottle of designer/department store fragrance Andrea Maack’s scents are a much better and more interesting buy.

Sharp Andrea Maack Dunrobin Castle GeographPhoto Stolen Geograph

Further reading Persolaise and ConfessionsOfAPerfumeNerd
First In Fragrance has €85/50ml
LuckyScent has $135/50ml

Have you tried the Andrea Maack fragrances? Do you think it makes sense to add olfactory experience to visual arts?
Portia xx

Coven by Andrea Maack 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

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Post by Sister Mary Magdelene, Patron Saint of Perfumers

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Bright blessings of another scented day fellow fragrance worshippers. I wonder if I will surprise you with the focus of my adoration today. It is a truly ecumenical day when a nun sings praises to a witch’s brew!

Of course nothing wicked this way comes. This is a perfume, a consumer product like any other niche-ish fragrance release, with the toil and trouble being that of Icelandic visual artist Andrea Maack and an uncredited perfumer. Ineffable is fine by me, I’m a woman used to mystery. But how does it smell?

Let us spray!

Coven by Andrea Maack 2013

Coven Andrea Maack FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Woody notes, green grass, soil tincture, oakmoss, whiskey, spicy notes

I’m happy to report that the delicate instrument the good Lord placed in the centre of my face registers no essence of newt or tincture of bat, however this fragrance could well be the smell of their habitat. Such an onrush of sappy and bitter green. There is grassiness and a light but distinct touch of galbunum, but the strongest and most lasting impression is of dank earth notes to rival Demeter Zombie. Yet where Zombie achieves a suitably claustrophobic and menacing accord, all the green in Coven conjures a convincing outdoorsy and airy loaminess of an evergreen forest with oakmoss growing thickly. Is that a waft of brimstone through the trees? Or just the sulphurous breath of Maack’s volcanic homeland?

Coven Andrea Maack Iceland Volcano Victor Montol FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Now there be spirits! Notably whisky, which in keeping with the scent story is peaty like my favoured Islay single malts. This boozy heart warms the composition and beats strongly for hours along with a vanillic Peru balsam and the tickle of cassia and a peppery capsicum. The initial green and earthy character recedes only slightly, the duet of fecund earth and peaty aqua vitae has a balanced progression. Over the hours what at first seems to be a trick of my nose gathers strength and becomes an undeniable sweet and floral tone. It is a lovely and unusual drydown.

The longevity of Coven is exceptional, lasting on skin overnight and on clothing for days. Whereas this tenacity could be unwanted in many perfumes, I was happy still to carry the scent of this enchanted forest clearing.

Coven Andrea Maack Enchanted Forest Kat Wojcik FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Unless excessively applied, I can’t think Coven would be out of place in any situation. It’s possible many people will not recognise this as personal fragrance, perhaps mistaking it for lingering air from outdoors. But if he does ask, don’t tell the Bishop its name. Men of his ilk can sometimes not see the forest for the trees.

Naturally I am heartily in favour of a scent that is unique, dark, earthy and green. I pray that Coven shows respect in its name to communities of women engaged in ritual and devotion, leading healing and caring lives connected to the rhythms of days, seasons and natural cycles. There is much to admire in that.

WitchPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

The equinoxes approach us (vernal in the Southern, autumnal in the Northern hemisphere), what an ideal time to try such a fragrance as we celebrate the warming fertile earth or give thanks for its fruits as it cools.

Further reading: Persolaise and Colognoisseur
Libertine Parfumerie has $185/50ml including FREE delivery in Australia
LuckyScent has $135/50ml + samples

Do you have a scent for rituals?

Bless, and blessed be!
Sister Mary Magdelene, Patron Saint of Perfumers.

Shop Your Collection Favourites: Scent Task #2

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Hey there APJ,

A couple of weeks ago on the Facebook group For Love Not Money: Fragrance Appreciation Group we were asked to write for 5 days about frags we rarely wear. This week I asked if we could do ones we LOVE! Sometimes when I spritz my favourites I smell the first few seconds and then it becomes background smell, basically I know I smell good and ignore it. By choosing our favourites this week I hoped to be able to examine a few of my faves and live the fully present enjoyment rather than missing the fun.

Here’s how my week turned out.

Shop Your Collection Favourites: Scent Task #2

Scent Task #2: Tell us about your most worn scents.

Following on from our group task last week, when we wore neglected scents from our collections for 5 days, next week we are going to do the opposite. Wear and write about your favourite and/or most worn scents for 5 days. Portia Turbo-Gear suggested we do this, and I think it’s a fabulous idea.

Here’s the format:

1. Wear 5 of your most worn scents from your collection for 5 days, starting next Monday the 25th August. No posts on the weekend as we are all too busy.
2. Tell us what you like about these scents, and why you think they get the most wear out of all your scents. What makes them special, dependable and favoured?
3. Try to keep your post brief, no more than 150 words. Creative interpretations welcome.

Liberte by Cacharel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Scent Task #2: Monday: Liberte by Cacharel:

I love this mad fun fizzy beauty. Imagine Fizz Wizz in searing citrus and you have a taste equivalent of Liberte. Remember having a SPIDER? Of all the fizzy fruity frags out there this is the one that stole my heart.
Often when I am unsure of what to spritz I find the violently coloured orange tube spritzing away already. MMMMMMMMM

Jardins d'Armide Oriza L. Legrand FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Scent Task #2: Tuesday: Jardins d’Armide by Oriza L Legrand:

Honey, Powder, Almonds, Soap, Flowers all rolled together in the most fabulously unusual way. I think the iris is treated in a sweet, sugared musk way and while the fragrance is not loud or BIG, it has the ability to change and charge the air around me and be completely present yet not intrusive. Jardins d’Armide is one of my favourites because it feels plush and super exclusive but I can wear it with anything,

Ballet Rouges FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Scent Task #2: Wednesday: Ballets Rouges by Olympic Orchids:

I love roses. There I’ve said it. Ballets Rouges is the ultimate rose soliflor for me. Yes it has the smell of roses on the bush, it also has the smell of the earth that the roses grew in, the humus, fertilisers, mulch, add to that the smell of the cut stem and the torn leaf and on top of all that it has the smell of life and living to my nose. Bright and dark simultaneously Ballets Rouges is everything I love about Independent Perfumery: it has not followed a formula, never been panel tested, is full of gorgeous ingredients that are probably banned in 27 languages and it has a wonderful big voluptuousness and scent story. Almost every time I wear Ballets Rouges someone compliments and asks what it is. WINNER!

Shalimar Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Scent Task #2: Thursday : Shalimar by Guerlain Vintage Extrait:

Shalimar is QUEEN! I know it’s been written about a thousand times but EVERY time I apply it lavish, lovely, silky caress I am overcome with so many emotions. It symbolises a scent that has followed me through my life and still I get shivers and goosebumps as it envelopes me in it glamorous embrace. Creamy lemon sorbet, a floral bouquet and a vanilla leather dry down that frankly brings me undone. If I had to take only one fragrance with me for the rest of my life, Shalimar would be it.

Sharp Andrea Maack FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Scent Task #2: Friday: Sharp by Andrea Maack:

Sharp is anything but. In fact sharp is the real smell of the feeling of fiberglass roof insulation. Imagine how feeling it would be, both soft and prickly and a little suffocating yet Sharp also manages to be warm as a hug from a loved one. The vanilla is totally un-foody and wears like sandalwood, white flower (orange blossom is the note but I just get a breathy white flower) and then the whole thing draped in lovely musks both laundry and animalic. Excellent wear time and so plush.

 

AllSteele giveaway 1Photo Stolen AllSteele

Scent Task #2 GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 Winner who will get:

1 x decanted sample of all 5 Scent Task Fragrances
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 me a favourite fragrance in your collection and why.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: APJ Facebook Scent Task #2 GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-37Q  

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Tuesday 2nd September 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Friday 5th September 2014 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.

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2014 Perfume Reviews

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

Hello Gorgeous APJ Family,

It’s Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances time again, my favourite seasons are Autumn and Spring, the mid seasons. I love that in both these seasons the weather can be remarkably similar, sunny and warm on one day, freezing or blustery on another, nights are cool to cold and so the overall wearings are quite similar. Yes, we can grab a white floral to really ring in Spring or remember Spring in Autumn but then it’s also nice to spritz a heavy amber on those super cold nights and a sweet fizzy citrus will work almost anytime. These fragrances are on my desk and within easy spritz reach and they only stay on the desk while they are getting regular spritz time, if they’ve been sitting there for more than a fortnight without attention they go back in the cupboard.

Top 10 Spring:Autumn Fragrances mrhayata FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Top 10 Spring:Autumn Fragrances PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2014 Perfume Reviews

24 Faubourg EdT – Hermès: White flowers and fruit that melt into ambery goodness. How can you resist this lovely gem from Hermès. Every time I spritz it I wonder why I don’t do it every day. I love the bottle, that it’s Hermès and that I smell fantastic for 4-6 hours.

Anyway – Juliette Has A Gun: ADDICTIVE!! Beware Anyway. Nothing like I’d ever thought I wanted to smell. A citrus and, though it doesn’t say it anywhere, pineapple concoction that heads into woods and oudh territory throughout its life. the ultimate drag queen fragrance, so feminine and butch at the same time.

Futur – Robert Piguet: The ungreenest green ever. Sappy, sweet, green and extremely wearable all year round. Futur has been out of the cupboard and on my skin quite a bit lately and it fits any occasion.

Liberte – Cacharel: A screaming, sizzling, BarBQ’d orange that is so sugary and ends up in a vanilla/patchouli/orange finale. I’ve loved it for years and now that it seems to be discontinued I’ve had to grab a couple of back up bottles.

Mohur – Neela Vermeire Creations: The headiest, most complex and wonderful rose there is. Surrounded by interesting other notes and accords but it is the rose that shines through for the whole of Mohur’s life. I am crazy for this fragrance and can’t wait to have a Mohur Extrait bottle.

Shalimar EdP – Guerlain: My old faithful. Shalimar fits every season, every mood and every event. From it’s citrus gelato opening to the resinous, vanilla and leather dry down I love Shalimar through and through. If I had to pick a fragrance to be my one and only Shalimar would be it.

Sharp – Andrea Maack: A new entry into my life in FB. I am enjoying Sharp a lot. Weird, synthetic orange blossom packed tight with musks and an ambery vanilla, all washed over by an unearthly metal/marine accord that is both enticing and repellent. Sharp is both the freshness of Spring and the coming darkness of Autumn.

Skin on Skin – L`Artisan Parfumeur: Skin on Skin is an interesting fragrance, poo poo’d by many of the fragrance intelligentsia because of it’s similarity to Traversee du Bosphore. I have now spent time wearing both, though not simultaneously, but I like the plastic saffron edge and the cool suede. There are more similarities between Bottega Veneta and Skin on Skin to my nose and Iris Prima has some too. I spritz Skin on Skin a LOT.

Vanille & Narcisse – L’Occitane: So you want something cheap and cheerful? Something that has the narcissus of spring and the vanilla of autumn? Look no further. Vanille & Narcisse is wearable, pretty, inexpensive and a great wear. This is one I would recommend as a gift for any non perfumistas and many who are. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Wild Ginger Chai – SOIVOHLE: The sweet, spicy, ginger and milk opening. The dry, black tea smell and the memories of India. I love Liz Zorn’s work, she captures my imagination every time and her prices are so freaking reasonable for fragrances that are world class. Yum.

So there they are. My current mid-season Top 10. They will probably be changed by next week but right now these ten fragrances are getting good skin time and working extremely well in the changeable conditions that the mid-seasons hand us.

Loads of love to you all, wherever and in what ever weather,
Portia x

The roses of Heliogabalus oil on canvas 132.7 x 214.4 cmPhoto Stolen Wikipedia