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Portia
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Hey there APJ Crew,
WHiRLWIND!!
Australia
Tauer Perfumes at Men’s Biz + Discount Code!
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Post by Liam
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My dear fragrant fellows!
Hello! Glad to be back! Where have I been in the past 6 months or so?
Well. In between now and my last post for APJ, I completed my secondary year of schooling – which included an arduous series of examinations! A rather stressful time, but, thankfully I came out with a rather snazzy outcome. People were so interested in my story of balancing school life and blogging at Olfactics that the state newspaper ran a story of me! How cool is that pic? What am I doing now? Philosophy Major!
I have also started working for an Australian company called Men’s Biz – who place the highest, most superlative emphasis on male grooming. With a desire to expand and enrich their fragrant offerings in 2016 – I was the man for the job, and began to work a week after my last exam! No rest for the wicked, as they say…
After careful revamping and curating of Men’s Biz’s selection of scents, we have introduced must-haves such as L’Artisan Perfumeur, Etat Libre d’Orange, and as for the highlight of my 2016 so far….
Tauer Perfumes at Men’s Biz
It brings me considerable glee to inform you that we’ve secured Andy Tauer’s excellent perfumes! After much demand from the Australian community, Tauer has finally hit our shores. To celebrate this monumental occasion, Portia and I cross over and share our 3 favourite Tauer fragrances.
Incense Rose by Tauer Perfumes 2008
There is no doubt that at times I get a touch philosophical with the perfumes I review. Incense Rose is no exception. On an artistic level, no perfume is as resplendent, and self-luminescent as Incense Rose. The rose here is wild, neon-coloured and feral – bolstered with cardamom and citrus, but then put into chains with sublime darkness. A vibrating depth of incense, castoreum, and typical woody oriental notes (patchouli, a hint of fresh cedar, myrrh and orris) provide immense contrast … As if the weight of the world just disappeared.
Sotta La Luna Gardenia by Tauer Perfumes 2014
The recipe for this fragrance is, to me, as follows:
Construct an illusionary, hyper-real gardenia flower with an unctuous creaminess by the way of vanilla, and hints of jasmine, rose, and warm tonka bean. At once mossy, strikingly green, and paradoxically spicy and fresh – the whole spectrum – and then, most ingeniously, cover this beautifully constructed gardenia in metallic space dust. It’s a gardenia with a strange twinkle. Out of this world.
L’Air du Desert Marocain by Tauer Perfumes 2005
The real question is, who doesn’t know this fragrance?
This is a fragrance that is everywhere and nowhere on the skin – it melts into something that seems to always be just out of reach. A soft sandstorm of dry spice lead with coriander seed and amber, a cloudless sky (the purity of incense), a warm gust felt in the cool shade (cedar, vanilla). L’Air isn’t just a fragrance. It’s a story that needs to be worn.
Please, come check out Men’s Biz
Check out Portia’s Post on Olfactics
Men’s Biz Discount Code!
A little gift for Australian readers – a coupon code from Men’s Biz. Just enter ‘APJ’ at the checkout.
… and of course, my question for you. What is Tauer’s most magical fragrance?
Liam
Tasmania! Two Days Away: Photo Essay
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Post by Portia
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Hi there Fragrant Fumies,
This week my mate Alice & I decided to take a moment out of our lives and go down to the island off the bottom of Australia. It’s called Tasmania and it is beautiful.
Tasmania is 68,401 km² and has around 500K people. Let’s compare that to South Korea at 96,920 km2 and 49M (July 2015 est.). Yes, it’s a quiet out of the way place full of beautiful mountains and rivers, small towns and larger ones, friendly people and an enormous amount of history, quite a lot of it as brutal and unforgiving as the winds that whip up direct from Antarctica.
What better way to commemorate such a journey than to do a Photo Essay and have you guys along on the trip.
I know you are absolutely agog to know what fragrances I took. EASY! I grabbed my Hermès 15ml travel size of Vanille Galante, a vintage Youth Dew, something I didn’t even look at and what’s left of my Oriental Brulant that I wore for the whole 2 days and LOVED!
Here are the pics of our adventure! All the gorgeous scenery ones were taken by Alice and I took the rest.
Portia xxx
Tasmania! Two Days Away: Photo Essay
Ready for TAKE OFF! One of my besties, Alice, and I off to look at Tasmania. YAY!
Hotel Grand Chancellor in Launceston. Trip Advisor gave it VERY mixed reviews but we found it comfortable & clean and the staff very friendly.
I know, but I love BUFFET BREAKFAST!!!
Serendipitously it was Farmers Market Saturday Morning and we had a wander through. The produce was unbelievably gorgeous and Alice bought some local wines, meringues and fresh picked, unsprayed raspberries! Happy Girl. We also grabbed some spicy sunflower and pumpkin seeds for our BFF Kath.
Home made chocolate whiskey meringues. WINNER!
Spicy Pumpkin & Sunflower Seeds.
That will be Pinot Gris for the sexy bitch please.
Launceston has a wonderful olde worlde feel to it, we really liked the atmosphere and the people. It’s a cool town for a funky bunch.
On the road again. We hired a car and drove ourselves. Way more fun.
Ainslie Walker Scents Alexi Freeman at MONA
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Post by Portia
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Hey crew,
Our very own Ainslie Walker is making her way in the big world of fragrancing events and this is set to be the biggest yet. As one of our APJ Contributors (and my buddy) we are incredibly proud of her achievements to date and wish her another major popular and critical success. Hopefully we will get a post event story from Ainslie because it’s so hush-hush that I’ve only now been allowed to tell you. Stay tuned.
Here is a short interview with Ainslie, I wanted the details.
Good Luck Ainslie, couldn’t be prouder of you.
Portia xx
ALEXI FREEMAN WHITE NOISE
TRANS-SEASONAL 2016 COLLECTION LAUNCH AT MONA
What is it you are scenting?
The runway/catwalk of a fashion show for the launch of Australian designer Alexi Freeman’s latest collection which is set on a cliff top on the rooftop of the Tasmanian MONA museum, so completely outdoors in the elements and interacting with an art piece situated there.
How did they find you to do the job?
Alexi and I went through my fragrance portfolio 2 years ago in Melbourne and he kept me in mind for future reference. When he was asked to launch his collection at MONA he saw this as a great opportunity to collaborate.
How do you go about creating a scent for someone elses vision?
Initially Alexi wanted something very natural based around Eucalyptus, in keeping with the natural beauty of Tasmania, leaving things quite open for me to experiment. However as the collection evolved and I understood it further we talked about night time/dark/twilight and wanted to play with dark and light and play of moonlight/ultraviolet light onto white fabrics/flowers. So I went from creating a very dark scent to a much lighter scent, based on materials Alexi is using. Billowing white fabrics, leather etc.
How is the scent being released in the air?
I am using a few different sized scent diffusion machines…plus the natural flow of air created by the models passing by. if weather is wild I have a few other options up my sleeve! Also I have created scented candles in dark pots that look like the Tasmanian night sky for people to purchase as part of the collection which will be sold at MOMA (Mona market) and then on both Alexi and my websites
What is the major note and why?
Peony: to represent the white fabrics reflecting ultraviolet lights
White leather: in the collection
Musks: representing wet bitumen /cement: which glitters at night around MONA
Patchouli and white woods: earthy/woody: natural component
Fruit note: to represent the MONA vineyard surrounding MONA
Australian Sandalwood Oil Spectacular
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Post by Ainslie Walker
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Hello APJ Peeps!
I hope you are all well and fabulously fragrant. I wanted to share a captivating documentary I discovered today. It takes an hour to view, but well worth the time invested for its fascinating content, based in Western Australia and France, all about delicious Australian Sandalwood and more!
Australian Sandalwood Oil Spectacular
The documentary outlines the Australian Sandalwood and Indian Sandalwood oil industries in Australia and highlights environmental issues, indigenous community involvement, poaching, uses of, industry’s worth and traces the oil right through to Givaudon’s laboratory in France where they now use both species of oils for fine fragrance and beauty products.
How would you describe the smell of Sandalwood Oil? Have you had the luck to smell both Indian AND Australian native sandalwood oil? What differences did your nose perceive?
I learnt so much from watching and hope you do too! Make yourself a cuppa or some popcorn, relax and enjoy!
Australian Sandalwood and Indian Sandalwood oil industries in Australia Documentary Link <<<JUMP
Here is an additional ABC news story, which outlines the dodgy poaching industry that is occurring in greater volume than the legal exporting of Sandalwood Oil from Australia. Who knew?!? SO interesting!
After watching the above my mind was inspired, racing in all different directions. My legs took me to my bathroom where I found a bottle of Mecca Cosmetica: Scrub Up Smoothing Body Polish. The reason I raced to find it was I knew it was the only product I had containing Sandalwood KERNEL (i.e. not from the wood) oil CO2 extracted AND the nuts themselves as the exfoliation component. It is from the species Santalum Spicatum which is indeed the Australian Sandalwood kernels. If you remember from the program they were the bigger nuts and sound like they often go to waste…perhaps not anymore!? It seems they have made a slightly more “luxurious version” of the traditional indigenous “chew and spit” kernel poultice/scrub. (..And I do recommend it!)
We at APJ would love to hear your thoughts on the above programs including anyone who has personally visited the plantations in Western Australia.
Finally, which are your favorite Sandalwood containing fragrances and do you think they contain Australian or Indian oil…or synthetic molecules?
Tommi Sooni: R.I.P.
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Post by Portia
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Hey APJ Crew,
Recently I grabbed out my bottle of Eau de Tommi Sooni I and was happily spritzing when I thought it was time to revisit the house for the blog. They’re an Aussie crew making lovely vintage inspired fragrances for the modern perfumista and I had been a bit quiet about them, so I went looking and they seem to have disappeared. Gone!
Tommi Sooni: R.I.P.
The only person I ever had contact with from Tommi Sooni was Steven Broadhurst, he was a very pleasant man in my few dealings with him and I really got the feeling that he was 100% devoted to creating a polished, modern, high end independent Australian niche perfumery. The best way I could think of to remember them and their beautiful fragrances was to get all the Tommi Sooni artworks that I could find together and make a post about them, in their own ways as interesting and glorious as the frags.
FragranceX still has Eau de Tommi Sooni I and Jinx for sale AUD$248/100ml
R.I.P. Tommi Sooni, you were too lovely for this world and the air will be a little less fabulously fragrant without you to augment its beauty.
Portia xx
Most Photos Stolen Fragrantica
Grandawood Oudh Oils, Brisbane, Australia
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Post by Portia
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Hi there Oudh Aficionados,
A new company has come to Australia, Grandawood. They own over 400 hectares of agarwood plantation and an oil manufacturing plant in Vietnam and boast a state of the art quality control process. I think we are seeing the beginning of an influx of (hopefully) affordable Oudh Oil in our times.
I am no expert on Oudh and wanted to get a few more knowledgeable noses onto the products before I wrote to you about them. There are too many charlatans in the world. So a couple of the best noses I know came by to have a sniff. Michael Borg, TinaG and Scott dropped in and I unveiled the latest in what you may think is a saturated market. We were sent 3 samples to try but only 2 of them will be coming into Australia, let’s meet them.
Grandawood Oudh Oils, Brisbane, Australia
Photo Stolen Grandawood
Evergreen Good Grade Agarwood Oil (Oud) 100% Pure Grade A+ (Oudh #1)
Oudh #1 was a lovely simple oud that was fecal, animal and medicinal in open, it quietened to a lovely barnyard skin scent within the hour and stayed fragrant for about 5-6 hours. Oudh #1 smelled as if it had melted into my skin and each of our bodies gave it a slightly different scent hue. On my skin it was a little sweeter and more vanilla smelling than on the others. We all liked its soft and mellow golden haze.
A wonderful oudh even if you’re going to work. By the time you get there Oudh #1 is a beautiful, gentle oudh that has melded with your skin and though you are fragrant, even slightly barnyard, it’s a welcoming and engaging aroma. Beautiful.
Grandawood is currently having an Oudh #1 introductory offer of $68/1.5ml (reduced from $204)
Photo Stolen Grandawood
Grandawood Superior Agarwood oil (Oudh Floral)
Oudh Floral was the winner of the day, it was fun, unusual, interesting and had the best longevity. It was a hit and I think Grandawood will be getting orders from the guys who were also extremely pleased. Oudh Floral will be a hit we decided and it could even make a good gateway oudh for someone new to it as a note. There seems to be a deep vein of animalic honey running through Oudh Floral and the bouquet has some lovely indolic white flowers. It’s skanky but very pretty skank.
We liked the way that Grandawood had slipped in some extra interest to the oudh and made it pop even more. A unanimous success from the 4 person testing panel.
Grandawood has $80/1.5ml
Oud #2 was the least well received, it had all the plastic, burnt hair and pooh smells and even the most hardcore didn’t love it. It will be coming to Australia at a later date and if you want to be engulfed in oudh then keep your eyes peeled.
Grandawood have created a 15% discount code for APJ readers and the code is: portia
Grandawood also sells Agarwood beads, chips, incense and tea-leaves.
Though I am no expert the oils seemed to be the real deal to us. It would be wonderful to read your feedback if you decide to try them.
Portia xxx
The 7 Virtues GIVEAWAY WINNER
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Post by Portia
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Firstly, thank you to Barb Stegemann for trying to change the world from the ground up. She is so inspirational but also very friendly and wonderful fun. A great way to be a part of this change is to buy the 7 Virtues Custom Blend Box, which contains four award winning vegan fragrances made with natural essential oils from troubled countries trying to rebuild. Buy them for yourselves and for friends, it’s only a few weeks to Christmas.
If you’d like to be a part of changing the world for good then you can do it by emailing Barb Stegemann {barb (at) the7virtues (dot) com} and she will get it sent ASAP.
Portia x
The 7 Virtues GIVEAWAY WINNER
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
WHAT COULD YOU WIN?
This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 7 Virtues Sampler (from my own 7 Virtues Custom Blend Box bottles)
Afghanistan Orange Blossom
Noble Rose of Afghanistan
Middle East Peace
Vetiver of Haiti
P&H Anywhere in the world
HOUSEKEEPING
Entries Closed Sunday 6th September 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org
Photo Stolen amberinblunderland
Esperanza
The winner will have till Thursday 10th 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.
Alibi by Perfume & Skincare Company: Australia 2015
Hey hey Crew,
You know how much I love Australian independent Perfumers. We are getting quite a few and I am always excited when they send me their newest releases. Recently I replenished my Gardenia by the Perfume & Skincare Company. I bought fragrance, soap and a candle. As you can tell I really love it a dirty blue cheese gardenia that combines all the creamy and fatty white flower gorgeousness with the rank and fecal. It smell exactly like gardenias off the bush, beautiful.
With it I got two new samples and today we will talk about the first….
Alibi by Perfume & Skincare Company: Australia 2015
Alibi by Sheila Massetti
There is no note list or picture on the site yet, just two sizes to buy, that’s how new and exciting Alibi is. So we will be walking blind together on my second wearing of Alibi.
Obviously I have no idea what this is supposed to smell like but imagine burying your face in a mink coat just out of cold storage while being dusted in baby powder by a naked, slightly sweaty man. Ha Ha Ha! It most reminds me of a softer version of M/Mink by Byredo, kind of gorgeous and disgusting. It’s true and real arm sniffing compulsion walking a knife edge between amazingly beautiful and stomach turningly gross. I am kind of hooked. To be honest I’m unsure whether I’d wear Alibi outside the house, it’s just too intense. In fairness, though I love M/Mink I would not wear it outside the front door either.
Photo Stolen WikiCommons
Remember too that all Perfume & Skincare Company fragrances are extrait strength with over 40% ingredients before the alcohol is added. You get a really beautiful and intense ride and the fragrances are spritzed. PERFECT!! It’s heady and hefty, great projection and has excellent longevity, I’m at around the 4-5 hour mark and still Alibi is as outrageous as when I first spritzed.
OK, so Jin came home and he told me I had to shower. It was too intense and slightly stomach churning for him, in our three years together the only other time this happened was with a Slumberhouse frag. Goodbye Alibi.
Photo Stolen Pixabay
Skincare And Perfume Company starts a $15/5ml
Sheila Massetti the perfumer sent me through this after I asked: “soft and powdery with a touch of musk and light floral”. Any more and I’d have to give you the recipe.
If you are a serious, boundary pushing perfumista who likes to be fabulously outraged then Alibi could be for you. It could also be my skin chemistry and there may be a single note inclusion that doesn’t work for me. Try Alibi, it’s a ride and a half.
Portia xx
Ainslie Walker wins Australian Jasmine Award 2014! My Story
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Post by Ainslie Walker
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Jasmine Awards 2014
STOP PRESS!!!!
Ainslie Walker wins Australian Jasmine Award 2014! My Story
I had no idea what I was doing, back in January, when I entered the Jasmine Awards 2014. I’d received an email from Portia, but I’d not heard of them before, though, I’m relatively new to the fragrance world.
I mentioned entering the awards to my beauty PR friends a few weeks later and they were like “OMG do you know Vogue writers and Instyle writers win/enter that?” I shuffled off, embarrassed to have accidentally sent my rogue writings into some kind of “professionals only” competition. Eek!
I did a bit of research about the Jasmine Awards and found out:
They began in France 20 years ago, and were set up, to recognize the ongoing contributions of journalists to the fragrance industry. The Jasmine Awards are the most highly 
recognized and prestigious awards for fragrance journalism, internationally, and are held in France, Canada, USA, the UK and Australia. The first Australian Jasmine awards were held in 2003.
“The Jasmine Awards recognize journalistic excellence in the fields of literary and visual achievement for articles on the subject of fragrance. Journalists are acknowledged for communicating their specialist knowledge and information of fragrance to the public, as well as promoting further discovery of fragrance to readers.” (Jasmine award website)
In Early April, an invite arrived for the breakfast ceremony. I thought, “I’ll go if I can take Portia, it will be a hoot!” I got the OK, and suddenly the next week we were going!! Portia picked me up at 7am(!!). In the car, I said, “You don’t think I could actually win, do you?”– Neither Portia nor myself remember his response (…still FAR too early in the morning), but I think we both just thought “NO WAY” and talked about something else.
We arrived at Darling Harbor and were seated by Fiona Keogh, of Star PR, the organizer. The place was gorgeously laid out and filled with chatty industry types- all beautifully presented and seeming to know each other…we got a few “who are they?” glances, but were undeterred. It was then I picked up a brochure of the day and saw my name in print. HOLY SHIT! I suddenly started to SWEAT and the ceremony began.
There were 6 categories, with the following criteria:
• Best In-depth Feature on Fragrance Award – for the best in-depth feature in a printed publication (minimum 501 words)
• Best Short Feature on Fragrance Award – for the best short article in a printed publication (maximum 500 words)
• Best Online Feature on Fragrance Award* – for the best online article on fragrance published on an online beauty portal or beauty website ONLY
• Best Blog Post on Fragrance Award* – for the best personal blog post on fragrance published online (please note: entries must be written in a personalised style and in the 1st person)
• Best Practical Guide to Fragrance Award – for the best ‘how-to’ style article in a printed publication or online
• Best Visual Story on Fragrance Award – for the best visualisation of a fragrance story or pictorial feature in a printed publication or online
The ceremony started and the first prize was drawn. Suddenly “best blog post” was announced AND WAS ME!!! Squeals from Portia kept me conscious as I headed to the
stage, my blog post projected, on the wall. Margaret from Fragrances Of The World presented the award. I was given a box containing the trophy, a huge bunch of flowers and a big purple envelope containing a big cheque! Ushered to the side for photo’s, finally Portia was in front of me – it was real! We were laughing in disbelief and sooooo excited. I was shaking. THANK GAWD Portia was there. What an absolute surprise!!
The awards have led me to consider fragrance journalism. How we put smell, perfumes and fragrance into words for readers to “see”. How we describe the senses: taste, smell, and art. It’s kind of tricky, but if we manage it, readers can gain an insight and an understanding that would normally perhaps, not be able to put into words on their own.
The words we read from fragrance journalism can draw from within us – an agreement on notes/ingredients/images provoked? Point out something we recognize as familiar, a memory, for example, until we can almost smell that perfume being described….and burst to go try it.
Articles can direct us into what to buy or wear for a particular occasion, season or outfit. Fragrance journalism is what helps the fragrance industry make those billions of dollars every year. And I guess that’s why the perfume industry recognizes the efforts of those behind these articles.
They’re not “news” as such, they won’t save the world, but they express creativity, and spread the beauty and magic of fragrance.
Perfumes and fragrances are one small luxury, that worldwide have always been used by humans to put a little extra spring in their step, attract some attention and or express themselves – I like to think that fragrance journalism can do the same – put a little spring in the step of the reader as they start their day at work, finding it in their inbox, or reading a magazine whilst on a train for example.
TF was the first ever fragrance blog I wrote. It came about by sweet coincidence. Portia, who had been invited to the TF meet up, but was too busy to go, so said I could go along in his place, as long as I wrote something for APJ. I said I’d never written anything before, and he said “don’t worry it will be fine!!” I had recently met Catherine, the meet up organizer, so I agreed to help out. It seemed I had accidentally fallen into something I am good at! Isn’t it funny how life maneuvers you? This was September 2013, I have written fortnightly ever since for APJ and love being part of the team.
For us folk in Australia, far far away from Paris/Grasse, stores like Harrods, Selfridges, Barneys etc, with their giant beauty halls, many fragrances are hard to experience and get our hands on, especially with such strict customs and postage laws here. I believe this is why APJ has become so popular and the network of people involved incredibly tight. I am proud and thankful to be a part of it and thank you all for your support, comments and incredible encouragement. It’s a win for us all!
Ainslie Walker x
Photos donated by Ainslie Walker
Australian Perfume Junkies 