Milan: Esxence 2014 The Scent of Excellence + Campomarzio70: Photo Essay

April 8, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

I was invited by Campomarzio70 for the “Inspiring Paintings, Perfumes on Canvas” Vernissage. At the same time Vero Profumo would be presenting their new fragrance “Rozy”. This had me in an uncontrollable state of excitement. I called my BFF Dr Judith Fox, a cognitive behaviour therapist, and invited her to come along with me. Better safe than sorry.

Whilst down there I planned to nip into the Esxence too, seeing as it was so close

Esxence 2014 The Scent of Excellence

THE ITALIAN JOB. CQ and Dr. Fox go to Milan

We left at 07.00 with 648 kilometers to go. About a seven hour trip not including pee stops and caffeine top ups. With the exception of a bug hurling itself into the windscreen with such thud that we both jumped, the trip was uneventful, the weather glorious. We arrived at our hotel under the guidance of Alice, our navigation system. At this point we still liked her. A quick freshen up and time to marvel at the flush in our bathroom and off to the show. Grabbing our press passes at the door we headed in. (For an in depth coverage of the event please see Chemist in a Bottle or Colognoisseur)

We had a date with Antonio Gardoni from Bogue Profumo and I was stoked. Antonio is so passionate about what he is doing it was a joy to talk with him. Bugs and juniper barrels, cypress oil and seasons. We sniffed Bogue´s Cologne Reloaded, which Antonio spritzed into the clay masks. Literally breathtaking. A post featuring Bogue´s Reloaded coming up soon. Antonio introduced us to the Nu_Be crew afterwards. Funky people. We saw Neela Vermeire a while later, but there are no good pictures and I will NOT post a crappy picture, so you´ll have to imagine it.

Hungry and tired we headed back to the hotel. It took a while because Alice totally freaked out and tried to get us to drive through a pedestrian zone several times from a number of different angles. We tricked her by heading to Rome so that she would finally recalculate. Eventually we made it. We ate at a superb working class cafeteria, delicious fish and spaghetti with fresh tomatoes and buffalo mozarella, accompanied by several televisions all showing the Juventus game. Excellent.

Early start the next day and after a caffeinated breakfast, we were on our way to Via Dante 14, downtown Milan, where Campomarzio70 were located. We parked the Mini Fox close by, and went to pick up Vero Kern from her hotel. We met Nicola Pozzani of “ssence – the senses of perfume” at the hotel as well. He would be giving an interactive lecture on Scent in Saudi Arabia at the Esxence later that afternoon.

Off we went together. The Essential Culture event was artistic, elegant, and intimate. Each perfume house with a small display. Want a list? Isabey. Amorvero. Von Eusersdorf. Cire Trudon. Grossmith. By Kilan. Mona di Orio. Brecourt. Vero Profumo. Ramon Monegal. Maison Francis Kurkdjian. Memo. Yosh. Fuegia 1833. As some of you know Jordi Molla painted a picture inspired by one particular fragrance from each house. Extremely stylish. Dr Fox and I both loved the artwork.

I überspritzed Vero Profumo´s Rozys, one on each arm. They were after all the reason I was there.

We attended Nicola´s interactive lecture over at the Esxence later in the afternoon, which I will cover in a future post. Fascinating. Saudi Arabia Kingdom of Odours. A stroll around the Esxence had us leaving with the new ELdO Cologne (yum) and the amped up Rien (bring it on!!) a couple from Humieki & Graef, including Blask, all of the Rouge Bunny Rouge range, and Ulrich Lang´s Nightscape. Ulrich incidentally was charming.

The evening vernissage back at Via Dante was graceful and welcoming, good food and great company. Cocktails and music, perfumes and perfumers, art and artists. From Nasomatto to Monegal. We left later in the evening and went with Vero across the road to a cafe for a quiet drink. Except we didn´t reckon on our four foot waiter, Letcherous Luigi, who was intent on trying to grope all of our boobs. Hahahahahahaha! The Essential Culture, forsooth.

Saturday we headed back home. With a pit stop at a supermarket to stack up on Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pasta, drinks and other scrumptious Italian things. Over the Brenner Pass, and back into Austria. The following day we would have needed snow chains so it was good we left when we did.

Was it worth it? I came home with a tiny stash of both the Rozy Voile and the EdP clutched to my groped bosom. Italian Job successful.

Bussis

CQ (APJ´s Raving Reporter)

With the utmost gratitude to Dr Judith Fox for keeping me sane and the hilarious time. And Lisa from Campomarzio for the invite.

All photographs donated by Cookie Queen

Unnumbered Sparks by Janet Echelman March 2014

March 28, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hiya APJ,

This is an amazing, enormous, interactive art piece in the middle of an Canadian city, Vancouver. The sheer scale of what the artists have achieved is mind blowing and that anyone with a smart phone can get involved makes it triply special. This is future art. I feel blessed to live in a world where something like this is not only possible but happening. Done as a installment for TED 30th Anniversary in conjunction with Studio Echelman and Google Chrome.

Photo Stolen Hashslush (if this is your image and you are upset, comment, I’ll take it down immediately)

From the Janet Echelman site: Studio Echelman installed its largest, most interactive sculpture installation to date at the TED Conference’s 30th anniversary, March 2014. The monumental aerial sculpture spanned 745 feet between the 24-story Fairmont Waterfront and the Vancouver Convention Center, challenging the artist to work on her most ambitious scale yet – over twice the size of her largest previous sculpture.

The sculpture was presented with an original, interactive work created in collaboration with artist Aaron Koblin, Creative Director of the Data Arts Team in Google’s Creative Lab. At night the sculpture came to life as visitors were able to choreograph the lighting in real time using physical gestures on their mobile devices. Vivid beams of light were projected across a massive scale as the result of small movements on spectators’ phones.

The Making of Unnumbered Sparks

The Technology Behind Unnumbered Sparks

Jasmine Summer by Liz Zorn for Soivohle 2011

October 20, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Hi There Indie Perfume Ho’s and lovers of the finest fragrance,

I like to think that Liz Zorn, the perfumer behind the Soivohle range, artist and general creative genius and guru, and I are buddies. I adore her perfumes and own quite a few now, also recently she put some of her artworks up for sale and I was lucky enough to grab the one made for this fragrance, Jasmine Summer. It is a fabulous little painting and reflects the perfume excellently.

Jasmine Summer by Liz Zorn for Soivohle 2011

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine, lime, fruity notes, white lily, orchid, vanilla, musk

Jasmine Summer is a sheer, very slightly fruity, floral that creates an elegant soft nimbus of the real deal of jasmine, as if you have it growing outside your window and in full bloom. It is heady and intoxicating but not indolic, not a sign of breath or animal. Though Jasmine Summer is sheer it has terrific sillage and projects fabulously for the first few hours. Through the whole fragrance life jasmine is front and centre, it opens sizzling and citric before mildly warming, it does sweeten up a bit but it’s not till a couple of hours have passed that vanilla comes out to play and then it isn’t fully featured till the end dry down where the jasmine and vanilla get funky with the musks.

Photo Stolen Inga Munsinger Cotton Flickr

For anyone who eschews jasmine or big white florals for their nasty sensual breathy indoles then Jasmine Summer could be a good place for you to come and sniff, this is super soft and clean jasmine with plenty of air around it. It is a little like sitting in a wedding in India with all the women sitting with jasmine in their hair and the cool of evening after everyone has eaten their fill and is now sitting around eating fruits and chatting quietly, awaiting the next event.

I also love how Jasmine Summer lingers, around 6-7 hours with the second half softer and more intimate, a come hither fragrance. Sweet sixteen or septuagenarian will love wearing this beautiful fragrance.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Now Smell This and Best things In Beauty
At the SOIVOHLE site they have $25/15ml or $110/50ml (I love the 15ml bottles and often order a few as gifts
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/.5ml

See you tomorrow, until then take a few deep breaths and relax, just a little.
Portia xx

Villeroy + Boch – LoopArt Project

May 3, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hello Fragrant Fumies,

I am often inspired by the depth of commitment shown by artists. It is rare though that a multi national company shares this view or that they give us stories of such behaviours. Here is a 6 minute mini movie by the Villeroy & Boch brand. One I have loved for years because of their fun and often gorgeous tablewares that so many of my friends families used as we were growing up. It shows how the company has been created with the idea of art as king and how they keep that idea going into the 21st century. Inspiring and interesting.

Photos stolen Villeroy & Boch

Portia xx

Villeroy & Boch – But Different!

2nd Glance #1 – LoopArt Project

Salvadore Dali – Art + EdT

April 27, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hello Lovely And Gorgeous People,

I am sitting in the middle of a fog of

Salvador Dali EdT 1983/1985/2011

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the notes
Top: Tangerine, bergamot, orange blossom
Heart: Rose, jasmine, magnolia
Base: White musks, vanilla, woods

I have reviewed the fragrance at Salvador Dali EdT 1983/1985/2011. Salvador once said “Of the five senses, the sense of smell is incontestably the one that best conveys a sense of immortality” from Fragrantica.

How I love this man’s work, like perfume I can simply sit and become lost in his incredible magic for hours. Here are some fabulous works of his that inspire and delight me. I hope you enjoy them,
See you tomorrow.
Portia xxx

I am painting pictures which make me die for joy, I am creating with an absolute naturalness, without the slightest aesthetic concern, I am making things that inspire me with a profound emotion and I am trying to paint them honestly.”
-Salvador Dali

Photo Stolen ArtHistory

Photo Stolen eDali

Photo Stolen NVG

Photo Stolen eDali

WE ARE BEAUTIFUL

April 19, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Hello Everyone,

It’s interesting to me that people can not see how beautiful they are. This three minute movie inspired me to share with you all, because you are all beautiful. We are all beautiful, and so lucky to have life. It’s rude for us not to squeeze every drop of joy out of it that we can. Self worth and self respect,

Photo Stolen TheIdeasLab

WE ARE BEAUTIFUL

Portia xx

DOVE Real Beauty Sketches

Laguna by Marc Buxton for Salvador Dali 1991

August 31, 2012 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hey Hey Funky Fumies,

It’s starting to warm up here in Sydney so (as much as I don’t believe in seasonal fragrance, clearly I am more swayed by weather than I thought) it is with great excitement that some neglected fragrances are making their way back onto my skin.

Photo Stolen edali

Laguna is just such a fragrance and with that crazy Pierre Dinand designed bottle, who could resist.

Fragrantica gives these featured notes/accords:
Top: mandarin, grapefruit, peach, and apricot
Heart: Jasmine, rosewood, iris and lily of the valley
Base: Tonka, cedar wood, patchouli and vanilla

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

On my skin, and with this nose, the opening is ferociously bright fruits, don’t get too close for about 90 seconds or you will become anosmic for the next hour. Once it’s had a chance to burn off though a lovely fruity jasmine comes through but not sweet, gourmand or girly; I think fresh is a good word though often used to describe something quite different in fragrance. It’s lively and fun, not too in your face or serious but certainly present and has terrific sillage without being a scent bomb. There is an airy quality, like there is space between the accords and a shimmering patina of powdery iris and woods hold the white flowers in check, not letting them become overwhelming. So many things in Laguna that would normally send me running to the shower through their sheer ubiquitousness yet Marc Buxton has managed to pull it all together in a wearable, lovely cloud of delicious.

As we run through the life of Laguna the vanilla, wood, patchouli become pronounced. They have been there all along but overwhelmed by their earlier accords they have happily waited softly in the background for their time to shine. Even 4-5 hours in I still get beautiful glimpses of the bouquet and I don’t completely lose the scent to my nose till 7+ hours, I’m not sure when it happened because I was busy doing stuff but last time I checked was around the 7 hour mark.

Where would I suggest wearing Laguna? If fragrance is allowed at your work no one will be skunked though for really close work probably ill advised, excellent for anything that you need to stay scented for, picnics, lunches that morph into dinners, dinners that end up at brunch. I think it’s quiet enough for dinner, movies or any public endeavour where you are in close-ish proximity.

TSO Jin wears Laguna beautifully too, on him there is a spicyness to the fruit at the beginning and the woods and patchouli really shine through the heart and base and on his skin if he puts it on at lunch I can still smell it next morning, so very tenacious.

Should you wish to read more on Laguna NowSmellThis is the only one I could find. I was sure TheCandyPerfumeBoy had done one too.
FragranceNet has 30ml/$10, 100ml/$20 before discount!

Photo Stolen dali-art-salvador-dali

I am a great fan of Salvador Dali’s work, he took us beyond our lives into a realm of fantasy that instigated an incredible change of the world of art but done with such exquisite technique that it can also be praised for its beauty. I think that’s part of the Dali charm, this accessibility and gorgeousness, even though the works are often confronting, disturbing, ghastly or need you to reassess your own long held beliefs. Yet he was also clever enough to be able to feed his own publicity through outrageous and crazed behaviours, I think that nowadays he would not have survived. Down the bottom you’ll find a very interesting 10 minute Dali-mentary.

Photo Stolen blog.onlineclock

Thank you all for dropping by, I hope the universe is good to you.
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Salvador Dali EdT 1983/1985/2011 Review

July 4, 2012 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Welcome Heaven Scented People,

One of my great art loves is Salvador Dali. Even his sketches seem finished and perfect. It seems to me that he was obsessed with producing the feeling, MORE. As if choosing canvases that were not big enough to hold all his ideas. His perfect sense of placement and storyline make some of his works transcendental, whole body experiences rather than mere visions.

Photo Stolen znanje

He and beloved wife Gala thought that an obvious extension of his visual medium would be fragrance. Salvador once said “Of the five senses, the sense of smell is incontestably the one that best conveys a sense of immortality” from Fragrantica. The original fragrance “Salvador Dali Le Parfum” was released for a limited run in 1983, the year after Gala’s death, and was such an instant iconic hit that it was reformulated for the mass market and released in 1985. All reformulations from Le Parfum to now have been created by Alberto Morillas.

Photo Stolen xtimeline

Pierre Dinand designed the bottle after Dali’s death, “We spent probably three years on the project…. Dali had absolutely no idea of what could realistically be done in glass. He thought you could do anything in glass, but no, glass is a very different material to use ….After his death the secretary signed a contract, and the famous bottle with the nose and lips was created, but that was not really what Dali would have wanted.” Stolen interview from Phaidon

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the notes
Top: Tangerine, bergamot, orange blossom
Heart: Rose, jasmine, magnolia
Base: White musks, vanilla, woods

What do I get when I wear Salvador Dali? In the opening the citrus and orange blossom is so good and disgusting that it smells like bad breath or about to turn milk, this lasts only momentarily but it does set you up for how naughty the undercurrent of the fragrance will be. No sooner have you left the opening rush behind when the jasmine and magnolia collude/collide to give an extremely come here and do that again fragrance, have they left out some cumin or caraway in the notes here? SEXY! Magnolia is supposed to smell citric so that’s there but I don’t get rose at all. The vanilla and woods keep a low profile, into the second hour and they are not starring. Maybe the musk is pushing the sexy button?
FragranceNet has 100ml EdT $25
eGlobalBeauty has 100ml PdT for $44 including P&H

Thank you for coming along, has Dali moved you too? How?
Portia xx

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Art

Unnumbered Sparks by Janet Echelman March 2014

The Making of Unnumbered Sparks

The Technology Behind Unnumbered Sparks

Jasmine Summer by Liz Zorn for Soivohle 2011

Jasmine Summer by Liz Zorn for Soivohle 2011

Villeroy + Boch – LoopArt Project

Villeroy & Boch – But Different!

2nd Glance #1 – LoopArt Project

Salvadore Dali – Art + EdT

Salvador Dali EdT 1983/1985/2011

WE ARE BEAUTIFUL

WE ARE BEAUTIFUL

DOVE Real Beauty Sketches

Laguna by Marc Buxton for Salvador Dali 1991

Salvador Dali EdT 1983/1985/2011 Review