Sample GIVEAWAY May 2016

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Post by Portia

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Hey There APJ!

I have a bunch of samples that I have tried, written about and loved or not. They are lying around in my office and will probably never be looked for again. 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 FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!!

Sample GIVEAWAY May 2016

giveaway hemodernhomePhoto Stolen hemodernhome

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The winner will receive one each of these samples:

Eric Butterbaugh Apollo Hyacinth
Tauer Sotto La Luna Tubereuse
Romance by Ralph Lauren
ELdO Remarkable People
Lutens Laine de Verre
YSL Splendid Bouquet
DIOR Ambre Nuit
Stella McCartney Stella In Two Peony
Osmonde Jayne Vanille d’Iris
Amouage Opus IX
Bulgari Jasmine Noir
Diptyque Eau Moheli
No 1 solid perfume
Mark Buxton Wood & Absinth
Tom Ford Noir

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 wish list.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 15th May 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 18th May 2016 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.

 

Ellis Faas Cosmetics

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Ellis Faas was born and raised in the Netherlands. She gave up professional photography to concentrate on her obsession and infatuation with make-up. Her biography makes for fascinating reading on http://www.ellisfaas.com.

As I wrote “Lipstick, Perfume and Pop Heroes: A True Story” I had no idea I would be back a year later having discovered the perfect red from a cosmetic house in Amsterdam, setting of the original post. Red lipstick junkies are on permanent lookout for new reds. How many times do we come home with a new red to find out that it looks pretty much the same as the others?

Ellis Faas Cosmetics

Red Lipsticks for One & All

ellis-fats-cosmetics-red-lipstick-review #1

I stumbled across Ellis Faas Cosmetics in Milan at the Esxence. (I have since found out that a number of my friends do know of the company but I was not familiar with it.) Immediately drawn to the red lipstick on the display, I grabbed one to try. Angelique, representing Ellis Faas explained to me why their Ellis Reds signature colour is different. The red is based on the natural colour of blood she informed me. Theory being that it will then match everyone´s skin colour. We all have the same blood, right? I grabbed a couple of samples to take home.

ellis-fats-cosmetics-red-lipstick-review #2

What can I say? The colour is absolutely fabulous. I squeezed a couple of drops out of the sample onto my
daughter´s hand and asked what she thought of it. “It looks like blood.” she said. Clearly we are onto a winnner here.

There are three textures of the Ellis Red. Creamy Lips, which has pretty much the feel of a normal lipstick. Milky Lips, which has a much lighter texture and is more of a lip stain. (This is what I have as samples and it needs to be applied sparingly preferably with a lip brush.) Great if you don´t care for the feel of lipstick on your lips. And the Glazed Lips, a highly pigmented, but non-sticky gloss. I have all three and cannot recommend them highly enough. Anyone who believes that red is not for them should give the Ellis Red a try.

ellis-fats-cosmetics-red-lipstick-review #3

The packaging is very sleek and stylish.. I was however warned to be careful of too much product coming out of the tube and then possibly drying out. It works by turning in clicks the bottom of the silver tube. I really took time with that and did it very slowly, patiently waiting for the product to squeeze out onto the brush or sponge applicator. It took me ten minutes and about thirty small clicks. I dispense only enough product for an application and then put the lid back on. Next time I go to use it I give it couple of clicks again and apply. Works just fine. If you do it impatiently you will end up with a ton of product though so be aware.

How stunning is the Ellis Red red? Stunning enough that I asked the company to send me some samples so that I could share them with you. I have ten x 2 samples of the Ellis Red Milky Lips to give away below. Many thanks to Ellis Faas Cosmetics in beautiful Amsterdam.

Red will change your life you know?

MWAH.
Red Bussis.
CQ

giveaway ThinkDigitalWorldThinkDigitalWorld

Ellis Faas Cosmetics GIVEAWAY

ellis-fats-cosmetics-red-lipstick-review #4

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 10 winners who will receive:
2 x samples of the Ellis Red Milky Lips 
P&H Worldwide

 

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged. 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.

In the Comments Below,

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us if you are already a red lipstick junkie or scared spitless of the colour?

 

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 12th May 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Monday 16th May 2016 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.

White Lilac by Mary Chess 1932

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Post by Anne-Marie

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A while ago a generous perfume penpal sent me a sample of Mary Chess’s White Lilac. I liked it, but nothing about it struck me very forcibly. Maybe this was because the lilac in my own garden had just finished, and there were roses, jasmine and gardenia on the way. Wisteria was blossoming in public gardens near where I work. I was surrounded by natural floral scents and perhaps I didn’t need another at that moment.

With summer flowers now gone, I spritzed it again and was delighted at last by the fresh, spring-in-a-bottle aroma that leapt joyfully out of the sample vial.

White Lilac by Mary Chess 1932

White Lilac Mary Chess EbayeBay

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lilac, wisteria, lily-of-the-valley and musk.

Information about Grace Mary Robinson, née Chess, is scanty and inconsistent, but she was an American woman who, after her marriage in 1907, moved with her husband between London and the US. She loved flowers and in what sounds like a hobby turned into a business, she sold flowers she made herself from metal, clay and parchment. She also created perfumes and White Lilac was the first of many mostly single-note perfumes released between 1932 (some sources say 1930) and the 1990s. She died in 1964.

Chess must have understood perfume as a lifestyle commodity. She sold scented sachets, smelling salts, and even a scented paste that could be painted on the inside of drawers and cupboards. She experimented with charming bottle designs, including a bottle for every chess piece, from a King to a pawn. A chess piece became the symbol of Mary’s flourishing business.

You might think that she was more interested in the decorative and lifestyle aspects of perfume than the actual scent, but White Lilac was popular for many years. Perfume historian Nigel Groom says it was once named as one of the eight great perfumes of the world.

White Lilac Mary Chess Lilacs strecosa PixabayPixabay

If so, perhaps it was because it offered an alternative to other best-sellers like Chanel No 5, Arpege and Evening in Paris. It is an innocent, rather dainty fragrance with little overt sexual allure, once sometimes marketed to brides. It works best in the opening hour or so, after which it becomes paler and less interesting. That probably just encouraged women to carry it about and spritz again, for the opening is indeed gloriously vivid. I smell mostly lilac and wisteria, green, but also slightly round and fruity.

There are some reviews on Fragrantica and Basenotes. One Fragrantician exclaims:
How can a 50 year old scent smell so fresh and alive? The lilacs are blooming right here in my bedroom.

White Lilac Mary Chess lil_white_goth_grl_mjranum_stock Deviant artDeviantArt

I don’t know when White Lilac was discontinued but you still see it on auction sites. Mary Chess has gone now, but undemanding floral fragrances never really go out of style. These days several of the niche houses charge dearly for them.

Is this your style of fragrance? Have you tried anything from Mary Chess?

Cult Of Scent: An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton: Photo Essay

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Post by Portia

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Hi there Indie Fumies,

Australia has some wonderful indie houses and perfumers. Recently one of the best loved among them, Jocelyn Fullarton, and I organised an afternoon at my place where she could showcase her wares and some of the ingredients that make up the Cult Of Scent beauties. It was a stellar afternoon, we had such a good time that I took only one photo. There was so much to smell and learn it was completely overwhelming. Great day.

Cult Of Scent

An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016

Jocelyn has some wonderful scents and I really like her enthusiasm, joy and sheer, unbridled passion for her work. It’s infectious and we were all fascinated. We got to smell a couple of new scents today but here are the current range.

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016 #4I find myself spritzing In The Woods the most from my Cult Of Scent Sample Set. It’s a modern Eau de Cologne interpretation and I find it soothing and elegant. 3-4 hours of excellent citrus into soft, lightly creamy woodsy dry down. Take your Travel Bottle with you for respritzes during the day and you’ll get the wonderful energising zing of neroli all over again. It’s a 100% winner for me.

There will be reviews soon.

Cult Of Scent Sample SetCult Of Scent

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016 #1As you can see we really covered some fragrant ground during the afternoon. Pieces of fragrance, vintage frags that contain those pieces, Cult Of Scent fragrances; we sampled the lot and it was totally fun.

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016 #2Cult Of Scent Sample Set 8ml per bottle!

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016 #3Jocelyn brought me a special Thank You gift. WOW! I am spoiled.

Just found a bunch of shots that Scott took too. EXCELLENT!! Thanks Scotty.

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016 #5

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016 #6

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016 #7

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016 #8

Cult Of Scent An Afternoon with Jocelyn Fullerton 2016 #9

Go grab yourself a Cult Of Scent Sample Set. I promise you’ll be impressed. They’re excellent value. You get enough juice to really wear the fragrances and see how they fit in your life. Go on, you deserve something lovely! It’s also really important to support our local talent.

Portia xxx

 

Day Out In Sydney: Photo Essay

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Post by Portia

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Hey there Fumies,

Scott and I had a big day out yesterday in Sydney city. Sadly we could not make it on time to the Penhaligon’s Breakfast but it looked amazing and we would have LOVED to be a part of it. What a fabulous arrangement in a sunny outdoor courtyard. Congratulations Libertine Parfumerie.

Equinox Bloom Penhaligon's Sydney May 2016 #11

Equinox Bloom Penhaligon's Sydney May 2016 #12

Men’s Biz

We first hit Men’s Biz in the Strand Arcade where our mate Liam is currently curating their fragrance range. I also wanted to take advantage of the APJ 10% Discount. We sniffed loads and chatted, met the owner(?) Nathan and the crew, fell madly in love with loads of frags and had a generally convivial time. Yes, I succumbed and bough Iris Cendre by Naomi Goodsir, feeling particularly good because she is an Aussie who has made it on the world stage.

Day Out In Sydney May 2016 #1

Liam, Scott & I overwhelmed by choice

Sydney May 2016 #2

Nathan (the boss) joins us, he is sweet and handsome

Sydney May 2016 #3

Sniffing the wares

Sydney May 2016 #4

Men’s Biz has a great selection of all grooming products

Sydney May 2016 #5

Liam’s first Sydney sale goes to me. YAY! 10% APJ Discount too.

Men’s Biz Discount Code!

A special gift for Australian readers – a 10% coupon code from Men’s Biz. Enter ‘APJ’ at the checkout.

Next we went and visited my girlfriend Jolanta in DIOR’s stand along store on Castlereigh St. She had text me earlier this week and told me she was holding me some of the newest DIOR Privee range samples for APJ (review and giveaway coming). La Colle Noire is said to be a spicy rose and I can’t wait to smell what they’ve done.

Christian Dior

Sydney May 2016 #6

Isn’t Jolanta beautiful? She is a Polish Australian and is the DIOR Ambassador here in Sydney, Sexiest voice ever.

Sydney May 2016 #7

Yes, I shopped. The long overdue purchase of Fève Délicieuse that I have talked of incessantly finally took place. Woo Hoo! I now have an enormous amount and can spritz with abandon.

After DIOR we made a quick sidestep into Hermès and visited my mate Gene. I thought I took a couple of picks but clearly I haven’t. As always Gene was super helpful and grabbed us samples of the newest fragrance (review and giveaway upcoming) Hermessence Muguet Porcelain. It’s really pretty and a clean, aquatic lily of the valley. It smelled WAY better on Scott than me but Monsieur Li is absolutely To Die for and had I not already done my budget I would have shopped there too. Next time.

Then we hit my favourite department store, David Jones. We went to the CHANEL counter and Esther was so sweet and helpful. It was touch and go whether I would finally buy Misia but I kept strong. The Guerlain girl was nice but busy, they did have a partial bottle on sale of one of the gold rimmed bottles but I did not succumb. Bravo me.

Yves Saint Laurent

THEN, we went looking at the Yves Saint Laurent section because Scott wanted to try the Black Opium flankers and I wanted to see their new ultra glam range. After finding the Oriental Collection ridiculously overpriced originally it is good to see that they have dropped the prices, now retailing at $180/80ml which is infinitely more reasonable. There we were greeted by the very glamorous Sonja who was excellent value and really knew her stuff.

We did find the newest Le Vestiaire des Perfumes range which really felt like YSL has hit the luxury nail on the head. $230/125ml and the fragrances we tried were smooth and very luxe, not especially groundbreaking but the smell good. My favourite that I very nearly bought was their Caftan; a fabulous sizzling citrus opening with enough resins and balms beneath to warm the cockles of any perfumistas heart.

Sydney May 2016 #8

Isn’t Sonja gorgeous. We will be going back to do some serious shopping with her in the very near future.

Sydney May 2016 #9

The three we tried were Caftan, Caban and Tuxedo.

Sydney May 2016 #10

And we have a winner. I like that YSL have brought out this range but I really wish they’s started with 2 and built it up over time. Insta-ranges are getting ridiculous.

Anyway, that was our super fun day out yesterday. For those that wonder, yes my knee was less than comfortable today but I really was grateful to Scott that we got out of the house and did some fun stuff.

Do you guys ever go on a frag expedition?
Portia xx

2000 Posts GIVEAWAY WINNER

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Post by Portia

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Hey Crew,

Hopefully you are enjoying the fun over here at APJ too. Let’s see who won.
Good Luck.
Portia xxx

2000 Posts GIVEAWAY WINNER

IMG_6452

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 7ml vintage Guerlain Mitsouko umbrella bottle (about 4ml)
1 x vintage Guerlain Mitsouko soap
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 5th May 2016 10pm Australian EST.
Winner was chosen by random.org

winner-is HighestSelf HighestSelf

Morrigan

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winner will have till Sunday 8th May 2016 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.

Capricci GIVEAWAY WINNERS

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Post by Portia

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Hey Crew,

I am enjoying the fun over here at APJ currently. Loads of great giveaways.
Good Luck.
Portia xxx

Capricci GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Capricci Nina ricci

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x Capricci by Nina Ricci sample from my bottle
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 5th May 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winner were chosen by random.org

Winners Are Bodie Strain Sydney Opera House Fireworks Flickr

Lindaloo

Bernadette Winfield-Gray

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winners will have till Sunday 8th May 2016 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.

Embarrassed and Blue? What Do I Do?

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Post by Portia

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Hey Crew,

I’m blue. Yes, having a crunchy, grumpy, blue day. Mainly I’m sore, embarrassed and filled with un-named self loathing. The black dog is visiting again. Rude on a sun shiny, warm and perfect autumn day which makes me feel even more depressed because now I’ve added guilt to the mix. Then the spiral worsens because I start getting angry at myself because I am so lucky I have no right to be down. All this happening in my head while coming to full awakeness, already before I even opened my eyes the spiral had begun.

Depression Low_pressure_system WikipediajpgWikipedia

So, I’ve come to the keyboard to tell you what I’m feeling. Sharing, doing something, anything to change my course, halt the spiral, redirect myself. Thanks for being here, if you’re bored already then sorry, go about your day. Even getting to the computer and writing this much has chipped away a little at the thick morass.

Embarrassed and Blue? What Do I Do?

OK, why am I sore? Last night at work I was returning my plates to the restaurant, walking past some diners and the bar. Floating around in drag, doing the right thing of returning my plates so I could thank the chef. My shoe caught on something, maybe carpet or frock or itself. One second I was upright and the next on all fours, the left over food scattered everywhere and people laughing, shocked intakes of breath, staring and talking to me. I was there in that position for about 5 seconds going over my body to see if anything was really hurt and doing a body count. Everything seemed OK except my knees were already starting to throb. Stood up, and looked down, knees out of stockings, looking like I’d been dragged across asphalt and one already bleeding. It was a mess. GAK!

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Thank goodness the staff and punters are my mates. We got me sorted, cleaned up as much as possible, disinfected, bandaged etc and I went on and did my nights work of Trivia Hosting. Embarrassing but all OK.

Why am I grumpy? This is not so easy to assess. Maybe I didn’t sleep well because of the pain. Maybe I’m feeling dumb. Maybe I was just due a blue day.

How am I going to react? Well, I got out of bed and cleaned my teeth. Then I came to the computer to write to you all. Already I feel better. Not perfect but better. I have stepped from the abyss. Now I’m going to make an instant coffee with sugar & milk. See you in a moment.

Embarrassed and Blue? What Do I Do? red-coffee-cup-mug PexelsPexels

Heya, it’s about 30 minutes later. I made my coffee, went onto the balcony and folded Jin & my washing up, cleaned up my knees and re-applied antiseptic and Band Aids, took my shirt off and sat in the sun to drink my coffee. Coming back into the room I gave myself 6 blasts of my current fragrance addiction Calvin Klein Contradiction.

 

Contradiction Calvin Klein FragranticaFragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Lily, Lily-of-the-valley, Orchid, Mock-orange, Peony, Rose
Heart: Pear, Blackberry, Eucalyptus, Lilac, Jasmine
Base: Musk, Sandalwood, Tonka bean

Sitting here now in my office, typing in a cloud of Contradiction, and though I am not fully functioning in joyful mode I have derailed the train of depression-spiral and now I’m going to write 10 things I can be grateful for.

  1. I am grateful for my home. It’s no mansion but it’s comfortable and functional.
  2. Grateful for food in the fridge, there is even some double cream brie and a few olives. So there’s lunch sorted.
  3. Super grateful for my friends. The handful of really close ones and the wider stretch of buddies and mates.
  4. Grateful for my continued good health. Yes, I’ve had a fall but these bones are strong and I’m already healing.
  5. Grateful I have work. Trivia will never make me a multi millionaire but I enjoy the work, love seeing players every week and having a laugh with them.
  6. Thankful for my parents who gave me so much and left me educated and self assured.
  7. Grateful that I have a kettle, coffee, sugar & milk.
  8. Grateful that I have somewhere to come every day and chat about fragrance, APJ and all of you are a lifesaver. Thank You.
  9. Grateful for my fragrance collection. Yes, it’s ridiculous. No, I’ll never use even 1/20 of it. Yes, it brings me joy.
  10. Grateful for Jin.

Grateful

Righto. I feel like I’m ready to face the day now.
Thanks for coming on the journey with me. If you suffer from depression try these simple tricks, sometimes they work a treat. If your spiral continues, please seek help. Try a friend but should they all be busy or sleeping there are plenty of Help Lines you can call 24/7.

LifeLine Australia 13 11 14

Beyond Blue Australia 1300 22 46 36

My best advice is to take some positive action for yourself. Even cleaning my teeth can help restore my thought pattern and taking this small bit of care of myself can change the colour of my thoughts. This next meme works for you as well as those around you.

Depression Dalai Lama

Wishing you all healthy minds and bodies,
Portia xxx

Gucci No 3 by Gucci 1985

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Post by Willa Zheng

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It’s no great secret that I love feminine florals and my fragrance wardrobe at home is lined with them. However, every once in a while, a fragrance comes along that is such a departure from everything you already own and thought you liked, and yet you fall in love with it regardless. A love at first sniff. That’s the case with this dearly discontinued fragrance from the House of Gucci.

Gucci No 3 Gucci FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, coriander, green leaves, bergamot
Heart: Tuberose, orris root, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose, narcissus
Base: Leather, amber, patchouli, musk, oakmoss, vetiver

Gucci No 3 opens aldehydic, green and citric. Then, a melange of powder (orris root), white flowers (so heavy, so many that you can’t really tell apart the tuberose, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, and narcissus) and rose push through; and before you know it, you’re smelling like an expensive piece of soap, the kind you’d buy in department stores to give as gifts in yesteryear. Think vintage Arpege.

But whereas Lavin Arpege has a sweet sandalwood, ambery base thus classifying it as a floriental, there is no denying that Gucci No 3 is of the chypre family. Chypre fragrances are all about the balanced contrast between their fresh, sparkling opening notes and their bitter, dark, woody heart. Gucci No 3 is no exception.

Gucci No 3 Gucci schuetz-mediendesign PixabayPixabay

The heart merges about thirty minutes in when the fragrance pivots. It becomes darker, more bitter, as the heavy oakmoss base pushes through. On the skin, it’s warm (amber), deep (patchouli), slightly smoky (leather), dry (vetiver) and woody.

Gucci No 3 is the smell of a modern day Marlene Dietrich. She is a woman who is sure of herself and yet is a little bit mysterious. She is sophisticated, worldly and well-groomed. Who wouldn’t mind being a woman like that?

As mentioned earlier, this fragrance has been discontinued for about 15 years and full bottles, alas, are selling for a small fortune online. My bottle is a bit flat in the drydown due to its age. Depending on the condition of your bottle, you’ll get about 6 hours of strong wear and moderate to heavy sillage from the EDT.

Gucci No 3 Gucci Oak tree YouTubeYouTube

Further reading: Post Modern Perfume
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/ml

Gucci No 3 is truly the chypre for the woman who doesn’t normally ‘do’ chypre. It’s another reason, really, for us to toss Michael Edwards’ fragrance wheel to the wind and just smell everything.

Have you got a favourite Chypre fragrance?

My Motherland by Dzintars 1981: from Latvia with love

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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Hello lovelies!

The first time I pondered smells of Latvia, I was in my kitchen in Sydney circa 1995 toasting a slice of “Latvian Sweet and Sour Bread.” The smell was divine – spicy, slightly sweet and tart. The bread was a dark rye/sourdough containing aromatic seeds. On further investigation I established the seeds were caraway, a new and delicious flavor to me. The bread, with new and improved politically correct name, is still available from Coles supermarkets in Australia. Particularly delicious toasted with butter- spread thick and vegemite- spread sparsely.

Was it just an odd Australian-ism naming this bread Latvian or was it traditional to the country? Thanks recently to Google (which was not really around back then) and some further international travels, I learnt caraway is used in a lot of Latvian cooking, including in their traditional cheese. I still always ask about the bread to any Latvians I come across and it usually starts an interesting conversation…or a really odd stare!!

Dzintars by Dzintars #3

Recently my wonderful Latvian friend was speaking to her mother about Latvian scents when her mum wandered off, coming back with a small collection of old bottles and boxes she called me straight away. The bottles were treasures she had collected and brought over from Latvia when immigrating and also gifts she had received from travelling friends and relatives over the years. In the package was plenty of vintage bottles of Joy by Jean Patou, but the one that caught my attention the most was something I had never seen before. They requested I do some research for them, so here goes:

My Motherland by Dzintars

From Latvia with love

Dzintars by Dzintars #1

From the site (Thank you Undina)
Top: Lily-of-the-valley, geranium, bergamot
Heart: Rose, jasmine, neroli, iris, hyacinth, ylang-ylang
Base: Musk, amber, black pepper, cinnamon

Dzintars by Dzintars – a product house based in Riga dating back to 1849. With 188 fragrances in their back catalogue, they are deemed the largest manufacturer of cosmetics and perfumery in the Baltics.

You can see in the photos, the beautiful cut glass bottle, silk covered and lined box – complete with hand embroidered ribbon and medallion pinned to it. Just gorgeous! Opening the bottle, which is now empty I can smell traces of patchouli, civet, musky oakmoss and balsamic sweet, sticky notes. Research says the fragrance from 1981 is a chypre containing bergamot, lily-of-the-valley, cyclamen, iris, orange blossom, jasmine, tuberose, patchouli, cloves, musk, sandalwood, oakmoss and civet.

Dzintars by Dzintars #2

The word Dzintars is Latvian for amber and more than 4000 men in Latvia share the name – it is often also a surname! On eBay I found a CD called Dzintars: Songs of Amber by the Latvian Women’s Choir! Anyone who knows me knows how much I love amber, so this is hugely impressive to me!! Perhaps I have found my calling in the Baltics? Ha ha.

Dzintars by Dzintars #5

My own mother was a “10 pound Pom” back in the 50’s, emigrating from the UK to Australia with her parents via boat with 1 suitcase between them. Have you ever considered what fragrant treasures people bring from country to country and what their stories are? It is interesting to ponder the trails fragrances take before landing in our possession. It’s fascinating to get people talking about the fragrance bottles they have stashed away when empty, yet not thrown out – there is always a sentimental tale to discover.

Dzintars by Dzintars #6

What’s your favorite and sentimental fragrance story? Have you any Dzintars fragrances? What can you tell me about them?

Until next time! X

Ed: There are some changes to the original post because Undina has found extra information and can read the language. Thanks Undina. XXX)