Givenchy: Dahlia Divin Fragrance 2014 Ad Campaign

June 27, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hello Frag & Music Lovers,

Here is a pretty sensational pairing. Givenchy, once the home base of Audrey Hepburn, has taken a new and modern beauty as its face. Although I have loved Alicia Keys voice since “Fallin'” when she was a meer slip of a girl now having seen some recent interviews I am completely smitten. Alicia offers smart, sassy, soulful and a whole truckload of other positive things. I think her a role model for generations to come. Fingers crossed.

Portia xx

Givenchy Dahlia Divin Fragrance 2014 Ad Campaign

I grabbed this tasty piece from my Go-To fashion blog that keeps me way ahead: art8amby

Grammy-winning singer Alicia Keys is sitting pretty is a Riccardo Tisci-designed embellished champagne-hued gown for the new fragrance campaign of Givenchy Dahlia Divin. The prices range from $65 to $110 a bottle, with a Skin Dew option for $53. (source)

Black Cashmere by Rodrigo Flores-Roux for Donna Karan 2002

June 26, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

Here in the southwestern USA it’s hot as hell and my winter scents are taking a break at the back of the cabinet, but it’s the perfect season to inflict my highly personal opinions about cool-weather scents upon the unsuspecting Aussies. So here is my first opinion: mass-market fragrances used to be a lot better than they are now. Part of it is that this is a tough decade for someone who despises most fruit notes, but also it used to be that, when companies went to the trouble and expense of launching a new perfume, they actually wanted you to be able to tell it from other perfumes. Now, I would swear that they’re all jostling for the rail in the Just-Like-Everybody-Else Sweepstakes. The wise and lovely Portia once reminded me in a comment that it’s all cyclical, and that in a few decades today’s mass-market consumers will be 2044’s aging perfumistas, grumpily complaining that you just can’t find good fruity florals anymore. Probably true. But Black Cashmere, with its hefty dose of wenge, has always smelled unlike anything else on the market.

Black Cashmere by Rodrigo Flores-Roux for Donna Karan 2002

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Saffron, nutmeg
Heart: Red pepper, white pepper, carnation, rose
Base: Woody notes, patchouli, African woods, vanilla, amber

Here’s my second strongly help opinion: reformulation is not a bad thing if it keeps a distinctive perfume on the post-IFRA market in a recognizable form. Case in point: my winter favorite, Donna Karan Black Cashmere. The first really distinctive perfume that I fell for, the one that tripped me so badly that I fell right down the rabbit hole, was the original DK Black Cashmere. I bought a dab sample and was lost in the wonder of something unlike anything else that I had ever smelled. Rich, plush, highly distinctive, and beautiful. What an evening that was.

Then I went on EBay to look for a vintage bottle, and it occurred to me that I had acquired a very expensive obsession indeed. Finally I did find a bottle of the vintage that I could afford, more or less, but I also swallowed hard and bought a decant of the reissue.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Was it a shocking disappointment? Not really. Certainly the vintage has more depth and more oomph. But unlike the current Opium, which is a sick travesty, the current Black Cashmere makes a real effort to transmit the scent and spirit of the original. It’s a little lighter and extends itself a little further into warm weather. Overall, I dare you to find something more distinctive at that price point, which is a little over a dollar a milliliter if bought off the DK website. I have since bought a full bottle of the reissue, and often I wear the current one on one arm and the vintage on the other, to make my precious vintage last.

So why don’t more firms make an actual effort with their reissues? Beats me. But I also have both vintage and reissued Chaos from DK, and the reissue is a bit lacking compared to the vintage but is a genuine attempt to reproduce the very distinctive vintage recognizably in an IFRA-friendly form. DK Inc. seems to make real efforts to meet their fans halfway.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This
Donna Karan has $120/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

I hate to rub salt into my readers’ wounds, but what’s your most distressing reissue story?
FeralJasmine xx

Anais Anais L’Original by Cacharel 2014

June 25, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Anais Anais was my foundation perfume. As I have explained previously, it was my very first signature scent and thus accompanied me on many rites of passage throughout the 1980s and 1990s. It was the scent of my high school travails, my first love, my 21st birthday and countless Christmases. I was lucky in that it was not ubiquitous amongst my coterie of friends and so it was truly my scent, inextricably linked with my character and the foundation for my subsequent perfume journey.

The perfume has not been left unscathed by the passing of time. Over the years, the lovely soap, body lotion and deodorant slowly disappeared from shelves. The EDP also went, only to be relaunched in a new guise some years ago with new Kate Moss ads and then became difficult to find. The current EDT, while still lovely, is but a whisper of its former glory: subtle refomulations have rendered it sunbleached and ghostlike as if someone has taken the pastel-hued maidens of the ad campaigns and watered them down: they have become fuzzy and indistinct.

Anais Anais L’Original by Cacharel 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Hyacinth, galbanum, orange blossom
Heart: Jasmine, rose, lily
Base: Sandalwood, cedar, incense, amber

So when I heard that Cacharel was relaunching the 1978 classic under the name Anais Anais L’Original, I was excited but also somewhat worried and perplexed. Here was the chance to go back to a great love. But what if it didn’t match my olfactory memories? Furthermore, if Cacharel had this formulation at hand, then why had it persisted in keeping the current EDT on shelves?

All my worries vanished upon first sniff. Memories flooded back and I felt like I had come home. Here it was again, my scent, my bastion of a perfume.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

The only difference I could detect between what I was smelling and my olfactory memory is that L’Original appears a to have a stronger hyacinth top note, rendering the composition brighter and rounder. Comparing it to the current EDT, I was struck by the difference between the two: the Anais Anais EDT is harsher upon first spray, the hyacinth is more astringent and the whole composition a little bit more powdery and dry. The sillage and longevity is also markedly different: L’Original sings on my skin as it did all those years ago and lasts and lasts whereas the current EDT is but a mere shadow after a couple of hours.

Photo Stolen Flickr

I’m very thankful to have an old love back. And I’m comforted by the fact that in these days of IFRA restrictions and reformulations that an old classic has been given a new lease of life.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and The Non Blonde
Anais Anais L’Original (available in both EDP and EDT) and Anais Anais EDT are widely available at department stores and online sellers.
FragranceNet has the current EDT starting at $31.19/30ml before discount
Surrender To Chance starts at $3/ml

Do you like Anais Anais? Have you tried L’Original? What was your foundation perfume?
With much love till next time!
M x

Sweet Anthem Perfumes and perfumer Meredith Smith

June 23, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by Azar

Sweet Anthem Perfumes and perfumer Meredith Smith

Indie Fragrance Criterion – Discover Pacific Northwest Perfumes

An Interview, Review and Giveaway

On February 24th of this year APJ posted an introduction to Sweet Anthem Perfumes and perfumer Meredith Smith. Today I have a few questions for Meredith about the business of perfume in the PNW. My next post will be a review (and a give-away) of the six fragrances in the Indie Fragrance Criterion – Discover Pacific Northwest Perfume sample set.

Something extraordinary is going on in the Pacific Northwest perfume scene. In the February 24th post I referred to the PNW as a “hot spot” for Indie perfumers and attributed this phenomenon to our dreary winters and to the local creative climate but didn’t even consider that perhaps the business environment might be what is really driving the astounding growth of great noses in the PNW and all along the west coast; see Ca Fleure Bon

Instead of operating via the old industrial economic model of “survival of the fittest” through negative competition for limited resources (creating perceived value through perceived scarcity), what seems to be happening here is more of a collaboration. This collaborative model succeeds by taking steps to grow the customer base for everyone while encouraging new talent and supporting existing businesses. The perfumers are independent but recognize and foster their interdependence, creating mutually beneficial events and opportunities as well as sharing information and resources. This kind of information based, collaborative economic model works on the principle that sharing creates interest and value, supporting not only the perfumers themselves but the suppliers and related businesses as well.

Photo Stolen Sweet Anthem Perfumes

Meredith, you have been one of several PNW perfumers encouraging, as you say, the “Seattle Sisterhood” of perfumers for several years now. Would you describe what you perceive to be the reasons for this local explosion of interest in perfume?

Honestly, I have no idea how it happened! For me, though, I can say that I probably would not be a perfumer if I didn’t live in the PNW. That’s not to say that I wasn’t into perfume before moving here, but the pioneer spirit and the way we interact with nature – from the mountains to the sea – helps fuel the olfactory palette. We have such intense connections to the earthly plane that it’s difficult not to be inspired on a daily basis when living here, and that helps fuel many industries of pioneers. Plus, having spirited colleagues in many kinds of industries helps keep me going – from my fellow perfumers to other Etsy-style brand owners, the PNW is really a community of talented makers in many stripes. I know my perfume sisters agree!

Can you give us some examples of how and why whatever it is that you do works so well in the PNW?

This is the crux of the reason I moved to the PNW. Everything here seems to be done in the DIY spirit. We love to branch out and get our hands dirty. We love to learn (it’s one of the smartest places in the country to live). We love to do things no one has ever done before (the $4 coffee being a prime example). PNWers are not afraid – pioneers that we are – of going upstream, avoiding the mainstream, and eschewing the man at pretty much any and all costs. I think that’s a part of why collaboration is so vital to the NW. If going upstream is the norm, there’s no point in going it alone.

Photo Stolen Sweet Anthem Perfumes

I understand that the curated collection I will be reviewing is part of a collaborative exchange between San Francisco and Seattle area perfumers. Could you give us a little of the back-story?

This is actually a curated collaboration between myself and Antonia from Tigerlily Perfumery, a little perfume shop in the Valencia neighborhood of San Francisco that features mostly indie and niche lines. Initially, Karyn, Nikki, and I were trying to do this sort of thing with a shop in New York (who shall remain nameless) but that fell through, much to our dismay. I had a chance to meet Antonia before the perfumer’s salon last March and we really clicked, both owning perfume shops that carry a lot of the same inventory and really loving indie perfume lines. I pitched this idea to her about the PNW gift set, and she loved it! It was actually her idea to do a Bay Area box in tandem, with launch events in both cities. (It worked out nicely that several of us Seattleites were already going back to San Francisco for the summer Renegade Craft Fair, so the launch event got neatly wrapped into our existing event schedule.) But really, Antonia’s the big idea gal here, so I’m excited she’s on board!

Can you explain why/how these specific perfumes were chosen for this first Indie Fragrance Criterion?

By and large, the perfumers were asked to submit their best works! In the Seattle set, we all submitted things with a bit of a Northwest-y vibe, and I consulted with many of the perfumers what I thought would be the best fit (I’m thankful that they trust my judgment and happy that they’re all brands I’ve come to know and love). In the San Francisco set, you’ve got some IAO award nominees and winners, and some noses new to me but not to Antonia. Antonia and I talked a lot about themes, but in the end we decided that for a showcase of raw talent, generally the talent knows their works best, and so we left it up to each of them.

Photo Donated Azar

Meredith, thank you so much for taking the time to share your perspective on indie perfumery in the PNW. Stay tuned, everyone, for the upcoming review and give-away!

Azar xx

Amber by Essentially Me GIVEAWAY WINNERS

June 23, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hello there my lovelies,

This has been a wonderful giveaway. A very special perfumer lost too soon. A fragrance that can never be repeated. 2 winners. I am so happy to be sharing this marvelous fragrance with you guys too.

Amber by Essentially Me GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Spice, mint, caraway, thyme
Heart: Jasmine, lavender, rose, clary sage
Base: Labdanum, frankincense, sandalwood, myrrh, vanilla, patchouli

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml decant of Amber by Essentially Me
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID 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

Please tell me your favourite Amber fragrance, or why you would like to try this one.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Amber by Essentially Me GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Jr #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 22nd June 2014 10pm
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen markmontanoblogs

ThinkingMagpie

Poodle

The winners will have till Thursday 26th June 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.

Noble Leather by Julie Massé of Mane for Yves Saint Laurent 2013

June 22, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hey hey APJ,

Loving the house; YSL has been a fave of mine since before fashion school and during became a hero for both his fashion and foresight but also because he lived this incredibly flamboyant life in a time when the world seemed to be quite conservative. He showed me, through his own actions that you could be whoever you choose to be if you have a talent, a little luck, work really hard and choose your friends wisely. That the people in charge of Yves Saint Laurent have taken the name Yves from his fashion house is a complete travesty and I hope never to own anything from the house without all three names on them, so anything pre 2013 and I can still grab YSL fragrances and makeup. I have received this decant in an order from Surrender To Chance, they have a special area where you can find the brand newest things from a year or a month, as you can see I have a backlog….

Noble Leather by Julie Massé of Mane for Yves Saint Laurent 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Leather, amber, wood, vanilla, patchouli, saffron, dried fruit

The first time I wore Noble Leather it was late and I was trying to think of what I should write, take some notes etc but my mind was completely blank. Not processing anything. So I decided to do some reading about it on the blogs. There isn’t much around and most of it hates Noble Leather. It was no help because I don’t hate it. In my mind the best leather of them all is the Pineider: Cuoio Nobile, followed closely by Bottega Veneta. Noble Leather is more like Cuoio Nobile with a hefty dash of Lonestar Memories thrown in. Dark, erotic leather, like a whisper of the feeling of the scent of the inside leg of a party monster’s chaps or the saddle that’s been ridden in all day and is still warm.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Vanilla leather, amber leather, saffron leather an amalgam to begin with, dark, sweet and waxy. It smells birch-ish once the fireworks die down, darker and more tannins, with avery interesting super sweet overlay that must be the dried fruits but is really just an amorphous sweetness to my nose, not the same as the vanilla sweetness though which also play around the edges. There are momentary Cuir Ottoman memories but nowhere near as challenging or evocative. What whistles through my mind are images of cowboys and their saddles, drovers and their sheep, the labdanum having some similarities to the Lanolin we get from wool. I think it’s very aromachemical based because the scent goes in and out of my ability to smell if I am paying it close attention for more than a couple of minutes, when on a hand and it comes and goes from my olfactory vision then it comes back again whenever I put my hand to my chin or face area.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

There are some spices that tickle my nose and the patchouli makes a lovely dusty cameo for a while, so reminiscent of working the Australian outback, but this is a leather/amber/vanilla for most of its journey and in dry down Noble Leather maintains much the same story to fade.

Further reading: Katie Puckrik and Kafkaesque
House of Fraser has £195/80ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/.5ml

Sillage is excellent and longevity quite good, I think I might like it much more if it wasn’t priced so outrageously. £195 that’s 3 – 4 Serge Lutens (Tubereuse Criminelle, Bas de Soie, Muscs Koublai Khan, Un Bois Vanille or Noble Leather’s sweeter and lovelier brother Chergui) or 2 Neela Vermeire Creations Discovery Packs. Sorry I don’t see the value YSL and I think you, as a consumer, can spend your dollars better elsewhere.

Did you get your sniff on the Oriental Collection from YSL yet? Thoughts?
Portia xx

DIOR: Le Petit Théâtre Dior

June 22, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

OMG!!

DIOR is taking a traveling show of DIOR miniature replicas around the world. First stop was Chengdu in China. This is the kind of fabulously amazing thing that makes me so happy. All the creative people that an event like this would employ and the sheer genius of the idea taken from the The Theatre of Fashion, a 1945 exhibition in Paris, a post war French fashion exhibit done in miniature whose inspiration came from Lucien Lelong, Christian Dior’s boss and mentor at that time.

I hope you enjoy a look at the event and a couple of the miniature dress creation movies. Amazing.
Portia xx

Photo Stolen Buro247

DIOR: Le Petit Théâtre Dior: Chengdu IFS mall in China

DIOR: Le Petit Théâtre Dior – The Exhibition

DIOR: Le Petit Théâtre Dior – Making of “Miss Dior” dress

DIOR: Le Petit Théâtre Dior – Making of “Mexique” dress

Source

Rose Kashmirie by Marie-Helene Rogeon + Francois Robert for Les Parfums de Rosine 2007

June 21, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hello Lovely Fumie Friends,

While in Paris in February Michael and I stumbled across the Les Parfums de Rosine store in the Palais Royal shopping strips after doing a shop in Serge Lutens while upstairs they were having a launch party. I was very sad that we weren’t invited up to have a drink and a sniff.

Don’t forget our AMBER GIVEAWAY<< JUMP

Rose Kashmirie by Les Parfums de Rosine 2007

Marie-Helene Rogeon + Francois Robert

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Saffron, coriander, bergamot, rose
Heart: Myrhh, rose, peony
Base: Vetiver, sandalwood, amber, benzoin, vanille, grass, cypriol oil (nagarmotha)

So I first dabbed my sample of Rose Kashmirie and what I got was a lovely sparkling, very slightly spicy, fresh rose scent. One of those roses that you buy in a bunch that has the merest whiff of fragrance so fragile and tenuous but amped up 1000 times. Very pretty but nothing groundbreaking or really interesting at all, there are at least 100 rose frags doing the same thing for 1/4 the price, meh.

Then, searching through my samples I came across the 2ml vial and decided to decant it into a spritz atomiser. WOW! The difference is beyond compare, they are two entirely different entities in the open. Now that luscious green herbal coriander and slightly plastic saffron add depth and breadth to the rose. Now I’m smelling a garden rose that has bloomed to a plate size, full of the wonderful sweet, spicy, boozy, green magic that is a rose. A riot of rose, loads of the roses with a lovely citrus twang that sets my heart aflutter and my eyes wanting to roll back in my head.

Photo Stolen Flickr

There is a watery, cool breath through the rose that rises through a wind of cool incense born from some temple, this is Srinagar on a houseboat in the cool of morning. I think it’s lovely peony come to waft through the rose, a dewy cool peony plucked fresh in the morning dark. Still Rose Kashmirie is all cool and no warmth well into its heart. At this point the rose becomes slightly generic (that’s the wrong word but I can’t find a better fit), still beautiful but now like a bath product rather than fine fragrance, maybe a lavish body wash or a soap. Yes, we are definitely traveling soapy territory, but it is lovely, exquisite soap. The finest.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Later Rose Kashmirie warms through as the rose becomes more vanilla/amber hued and the incense becomes a lovely smoky crackle. The dried grasses add a tobacco-ish feel and my nose picks out some lovely honey tones too. Is my nose playing tricks or is there an animal lurking beneath all the prettiness? A big hairy animal on heat. WOW! Breathing right down my rose scented neck. Though all of these extras add on still the shining star is rose, rose in its many facets and phases, bud, bloom, petals and leaves. Here they are in one of the worlds loveliest places, war torn, strife filled Kasmir. This is the Kashmirie Rose.

Next morning there is a nearly scent left that hints of roses, powder and healthy compost. Soft but very, very pretty.

Further reading: Chickenfreak’s Obsessions and Scent for Thought
First In Fragrance has €88/50ml and samples
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Interestingly, the other reviews I read either dismissed or didn’t find Rose Kashmirie worked for them.
Damn it, I like it and am seriously thinking FBW. Have you tried it? What did you think?
Portia x

Amber by Alec Lawless for Essentially Me 2010

June 20, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

Hello Uber Niche Nerds,

Not so long ago I got a request from a reader to try some stuff from the Essentially Me range. Instantly I went on point and found myself a sample set from this natural perfume crew crafted by Alec Lawless. Sadly Alec Lawless was killed in an on board boat electrocution in the shower, what a tragic and dramatic way to go. Now his website is no longer functional so you can’t go and buy any of the fabulous creations there either. Why am I writing? Well when I ordered from Essentially Me they were still functioning and I have had this fabulous fragrance sitting here awaiting moderation but something always got in the way of my wearing it, new samples, holiday, deadlines etc etc. Last week I finally bit the bullet……

Amber by Alec Lawless for Essentially Me 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Spice, mint, caraway, thyme
Heart: Jasmine, lavender, rose, clary sage
Base: Labdanum, frankincense, sandalwood, myrrh, vanilla, patchouli

One of things that hits me straight off the bat is how little like an all naturals perfume Amber smells like. The opening could be any mainstream niche opening, big, sharp, spicy, herbal and slightly fetid. EXACTLY how I want my fragrance to open. I think mint is a note that I am drawn to, though here in a minor role it freshens up the green opening and makes it sparkle. It’s a fun and mildly feral extravaganza that every now and then gives me a hint of pizza fresh from the oven, hot, foody and a slight charring of the base, MMMMMM.

The heart maintains Amber’s green tinged opening and for once I can smell clary sage clearly, all wrapped up in its lovely bouquet that still maintains its soft echo of the herbal fresh open for quite a while. So this jasmine is quite breathy sometimes, today particularly so, and the indole is very reminiscent of fragrances of a bygone era. There remains something delightfully fizzy about Amber as it progresses, so unusual, and especially in a natural fragrance.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

The base incense and resins have come in under everything and made themselves noticed, they have been there all along in the background but as all the other pieces of the puzzle burn off they are left centre stage with an earthy patchouli and sweet, creamy vanilla. I wonder if the sandalwood is adding that creamy, lactonic touch? Is amber king? No, Amber has too much other lovely stuff going on to let the Labdanum/Vanilla become the ultimate thing in dry down but I enjoy the ride more because it’s still so unexpected, every time.

About 3-5 hours depending, no idea why sometimes it just lasts longer. Good projection for the first hour and then a soft halo around you that gives quite a good sillage till well into the second hour on as normal wear.

I think even if you are not an amber fan that this could be your gateway.

Portia xx

Photo Stolen manoneileen

Amber by Essentially Me GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml decant of Amber by Essentially Me
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me your favourite Amber fragrance, or why you would like to try this one.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Amber by Essentially Me GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Jr #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 22nd June 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 Thursday 26th June 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.

Muschio by Santa Maria Novella + Korea Photo Essay

June 19, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by TinaG

Hi APJ!

We’ve recently returned from an amazing trip to South Korea – Portia, Jin, Kath, Matt and I travelled around for about two weeks having an absolute ball in a wonderful & welcoming country. Before we left, I had a few chats and did some research on what fragrances I may have access to that I wouldn’t normally get my hands on in Australia. One of the names which came up was Santa Maria Novella, which I happily discovered has a flagship store in Seoul.

“Officina Profumo – Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella” is one of the world’s oldest pharmacies. Originally established in Florence, Italy in 1221 by Dominican Friars, who created herbal potions and remedies for use in their monastery, the pharmacy was opened up to the public in 1612. The original Florence pharmacy still stands, with all of their products continuing to be hand made at their Florence factory site utilising old recipes and classic artisanal methods.

The South Korean store in Seoul is located near pretty Dosan Park in an upmarket shopping district within Gangnam-Gu. We were greeted and kindly looked after by the shop hostesses. I made a beeline for the colognes whilst Portia explored all of the other wonderful goodies on display.

From Fragrantica: Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world. It was opened in Florence, Italy in 1612, taking the formulas of Dominican friars that originate from 13th century.

Their products are all the types of things you may expect to find in an apothecary: high quality and beautifully presented soaps, fragrances, herbal extracts and essences, side by side with more modern home items such as wax candles and dog & cat grooming collection. I could so easily have stayed there for hours on end, but I did manage to get my nose to a fair few bottles including the recently released Alba de Seoul which had a refreshing pine needle note, a nod to the cultural importance of the South Korean pine trees. I wished I could have taken more home, but I decided to treat myself to a full bottle of ….

Muschio by Santa Maria Novella

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Musk, powdery notes

Muschio is a really gorgeous comforting scent and has quickly become my go-to fragrance this winter. Although technically a cologne, Muschio isn’t one of those which can be splashed on liberally or needs refreshing every couple of hours – there is no need as it has very good longevity and silage. On opening there is a predominant puff of musk with slightly woody undertones, a touch of vanilla and a ghost of lemon hovering over the top. The musk is nothing animalic but it light and airy. The dry white wood in the background keeps it from being overly candy-shop sweet, giving it a lovely powdery feel. It doesn’t change appreciably in dry down, although the musk softens and the woods become more prominent. I also get a cinnamon-stick note, spicy wood without the peppery kick, adding to the warmth.

The visit to Santa Maria Novella was a fragrant highlight of a fantastic holiday. I’m so glad I purchased Muschio, it holds a dozen happy memories for me along with the continued enjoyment of a really fabulous cologne.

Do you have a fragrant holy-grail location that you’ve managed to visit, or wish to? Here are some pics of mine.

TinaG