Urura's Tokyo Cafe by Sarah McCartney for 4160 Tuesdays

June 12, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by Poodle

The name of the company (4160 Tuesdays) is based on how many Tuesdays you’ll live if you make it to 80 years old. The idea is that that’s all you’ve got so make the most of them. Sarah McCartney is the writer and perfumer behind the brand. From what I can gather she’s based in London and had no formal training as a perfumer. Her scents were originally bespoke creations for friends and perfumes created to scent characters in a novel.

Urura’s Tokyo Cafe by Sarah McCartney for 4160 Tuesdays

Photo Stolen 4160 Tuesdays

4160 Tuesdays gives these featured accords in one line:
Grapefruit, tangerine, opoponax, tolu balsam, geranium, violet, rose, raspberry leaf

Recently I was lucky enough to win a bottle of Urura’s Tokyo Cafe by 4160 Tuesdays on Indiescents. I just started hearing about the line so I was excited to try it. If the rest of Sarah McCartney’s perfumes are like Urura’s Tokyo Cafe, she is proof that you don’t necessarily need training to be really good at something. For some it comes naturally.

Urura’s Tokyo Cafe was created to raise money for a charity event. The name of this does not really give an impression of what’s going on in the perfume. Actually it’s hard for me to pin that down as well. I mean that in a good way. It’s a chameleon on my skin. Depending on the day, the weather, my mood, who knows what else, it smells a bit different each time. It was easy to wear but hard to dissect. After wearing it almost daily for a week here’s what I can say.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

At times I get a lot of grapefruit and tangerine, more rind than juice. There’s a jammy quality but it’s never too sweet. It doesn’t smell overly citrusy either. I think the geranium keeps that in check lending an herbal bitterness which comes and goes to my nose. Some days it smelled chypre-like to me with an almost mossy quality. The rose changed on me day to day as well. It was dark at times, slightly sour and metallic on others, and then full bloom bouquet on the days the violet made an appearance. I have to admit I liked them all. The scent is well blended and a better nose might be able to pick it apart note by note, but I can’t, nor do I want to. It just smells good and unlike anything else I own. With the way it’s changed on me you might have a totally different experience with this perfume too.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Somehow it made me think of a cocktail, a Pimm’s Cup, which I believe are popular in London. Sweet yet bitter, fruity yet herbal. (I wonder if that was an inspiration in making this perfume…)
I think it’s easily unisex and I get hours of wear on my skin, on clothes it lingers for days and I find I bury my face in my scarf to smell it.

4160 Tuesdays has £40/30ml

Until next time…
Poodle

B.Balenciaga by Domitille Bertier for Balenciaga 2014 + Ad Campaign

June 11, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Hiya Happy Huffers and Fashionistas,

Not due to be released till mid October 2014 the whisper and advertising mill is already full steam ahead. Balenciaga, once super proud fashion house and fragrance purveyor could be ready to take center stage again with this new piece of magic….

B.Balenciaga by Domitille Bertier for Balenciaga 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lily of the valley, Pea, Violet leaf
Heart: Orris, Cedar
Base: Cashmirwood, Ambrette (Musk Mallow)

Looks like Balenciaga has gone out on a limb to bring us something green and woodsy. Could this be prefacing a change in the wind for mainstream fragrances? Fingers crossed, because I am totally excited already and can’t wait to try it.

Portia xx

B.Balenciaga by Domitille Bertier for Balenciaga 2014 Ad Campaign

Grabbed this from my go-to fashion update blog art8amby

Rising model Anna Ewers is the campaign face for Alexander Wang‘s first fragrance for Balenciaga, B.Balenciaga. The campaign was photographed by Steven Klein and styled by Vanessa Traina. (source)

DIOR: Secret Garden III – Versailles – The Film

June 8, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Hi Ho APJ,

I love this series of DIOR Secret Garden videos. They are so ridiculously lavish and show us bits of Versailles that the regular visitor never gets to see.

I grabbed the photos from my go-to fashion blog art8amby and the film from YouTube

I hope you enjoy the glamour as much as I do.

Portia xx

Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin are once again working together with model Daria Strokous and high end label Dior to create the brand’s latest Secret Garden campaign. (source)

DIOR: Secret Garden III – Versailles – The Film

Korea 2014: Photo Essay

June 6, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 35 Comments

Hey Crew,

I hope you are all happy and well. So we are back from our Korean adventure and it was hectic! I have had to spend the return week recovering from the amount of stuff we packed into 17 days. There is no way I could show you the whole trip and all that happened because it was just too full on.

So here is a mini view of some of our highlights, obviously I couldn’t include every meal but some of my favourite stand outs were Korean Bar B Q beef (bought for us in a very chi-chi restaurant in Yangsan) and pork (in a tiny street food restaurant in Gangnam near the Zaha Hadid designed arts centre). We also fell in love with the Lotte Burgers and Paris Baguette. The rest of the crew had loads of extra fresh seafood and pronounced it wonderful and I even ate some of the fish we caught on our fishing trip.

As we were with a local, Jin my partner was born and raised in Korea, we had the inside skinny on what was good and crap so we went to a couple of important temples, Jeju Island which is the honeymoon destination of Koreans where newlyweds wear couples outfits (super cute). We were also lucky enough to go to the JSA (Join Security Area) in the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) between North & South Korea which was both incredible and frightening because we went into the border house where talks happen and crossed over into North Korea, we were supposed to be there for 15-20 minutes for photos etc but the armed guards who were escorting us got new information and we were ushered out after only about 2 minutes, the guards and our guide becoming very nervous and agitated. Jin could only catch some of the conversations but there was a drama and we needed to be out PRONTO. It was all quite disturbing but so amazing to have been there. If you are in Seoul; there is a small tourist market for trips there, ask your Concierge.

We also did a bunch of shopping. South Korea has an amazing array of excellent makeup and fragrance chains of their own (Etude House, Skinfood and Japan’s Shu Uemura) and every time I shopped they gave me some testers of their other products, which brings us to

Photo Stolen manoneileen

Korea 2014 GIVEAWAY

Photo Stolen Ebay

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x Etude House Fresh Cherry Lip Tint
1 x mixed bag of 6 Etude House, Skinfood & Shu Uemura samples
1 x pair faux LV socks
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

Please tell me a memory that involves a travel fragrance experience or a beauty product someone brought back from overseas for you.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Korea 2014 Beauty Product GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2PW #Beauty #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 8th 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 12th 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.

Korea 2014: Photo Essay

All photos donated by Kath, Matt and Portia.

I hope you enjoyed this little look into our trip. Sadly I was so busy seeing and doing that I didn’t capture enough vistas or places of interest. Also you’ll notice that there is often someone at the table using their iPhone, this is ONLY allowed after mains are finished and the time I would remember to take a snap.
Portia xx

Neela Vermeire Creations 4 x 8ml Discovery Set

June 6, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

WOO HOO!

Now you all know what a huge fan and friend I am of Neela Vermeire. You also may remember that I am such a devoted fan I went and met her and her husband T with Jin in 2013 and then hung out with her again this year in Paris with Michael. We chat as often as we can on Skype and I love her to the core of my being.

Last time we were together I questioned the luxe value of her samples and discovery set. Well, she told me that it was a problem already being dealt with by the company and that I had to wait and see what was on the cards for later this year. I am extremely pleased to announce the most elegant and lavishly presented…..

Neela Vermeire Creations 4 x 8ml Discovery Set 2014

Yes, it now has 4 x 8ml. Your gateway to incredible fragrances created by Bertrand Duchaufour with Neela. Every one a tantalising taste of India done in a very French style, an amazing quartet and each one very different from the other. In my nose these are the diamonds in Duchaufour’s work and Ashoka recently won the Art & Olfaction Award for Independent Perfume. A huge honour and Neela is completely chuffed.

Neela & I in Paris 2014

If you don’t know about Neela Vermeire’s fragrances here is some further reading:
Ashoka: Val the Cookie Queen on APJ and Portia on APJ
Bombay Bling: Val the Cookie Queen on APJ and Portia on APJ
Mohur: Portia on APJ
Trayee: Portia on Perfume Posse

Do you want one of these lovely sets?
Currently sending to Europe and the USA at €100 including postage
Write to Neela Vermeire Creations<<<JUMP because the EBoutique is currently under reconstruction. You can buy Discovery Sets and Bottles from NVC directly.

I will definitely need to spend some more time with Trayee now I have this set. I promise a review in the not too distant future.

Portia xx

Flashback by Olivier Cresp for Olfactive Studio 2013

June 5, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by TinaG

Perfume holds a vision of truth – a truth which can strike deeply to our core, a trigger which can bring to the surface a crazy mix of visions in a flash of memory, borne only from a single, deep breath. It is such a personal sensation, that rush, corners of the mouth relaxing into a smile and just the enjoyment of being swept away in an all-encompassing pure experience, if only for a few moments.

One of the challenges I find is conveying that feeling, those emotions to other people. How do you capture that? You can’t photograph a smell, but you can convey the sense of a moment through an image. Sometimes we write beautifully crafted landscapes to try and explain what it is that we are experiencing – I think that is often the most successful way, but ultimately one may need to go on that experience themselves to see whether they agree, disagree, or are led down a completely different olfactory path.

Flashback by Olivier Cresp for Olfactive Studio 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rhubarb, orange, grapefruit
Heart: Granny Smith apple, pink pepper
Base: Vetiver, cedar, amber, musk

Olfactive Studio’s fragrances have taken a different approach to their scent creations, by starting with photographic art, and creating a fragrance which reflects that moment. Sometimes I get it, like the half-light of a distant hotel room with Chambre Noir, other times I’ve been taken my own journey like the amazingly visual images I got whilst testing Still Life – albeit quite different from the photograph Still Life was created in conjunction with. And I’m OK with that, it is all part of the story.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

So here on another Olfactive Studio journey, I give my wrists a light dewy dusting of Flashback, allowing the fragrance plenty of breathing space. The reward is a whoosh of gentle pink pepper and a deep moist green rhubarb. The rhubarb here is freshly picked, the stem snapped in half with juices flowing. This fresh bitterness is countered and lifted by the beautiful understated warmth and sweetness of the pink pepper.

After half an hour it is joined by grapefruit, such as one which has just been cut and squeezed. It is crossing over between smell and taste in a big way as I can feel my tongue tingling from the sharp juiciness. The wallflower orange is shyly floating in the background but never really makes a stand. At two hours cedar comes through along with some pink musk which help soften the citrus, but this seems to fade after an hour and I get the predominant grapefruit back again but this time with a lingering underlying touch of vetiver, and this combination lasts and lasts.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: The Non Blonde and Olfactoria’s Travels
First In Fragrance have €72/50ml and samples

Libertine Parfumerie has 100ml/$195 including postage within Australia
Peony Melbourne has 100ml/$195

Because of the tanginess of this fragrance I’m considering it for a travel scent, as the rhubarb and citrus would be a refreshing pick-me-up after a long haul flight. So perhaps there may be stories in our future – always happy to make some new & fun memories!

Tina G

CHANEL "Paris-Dallas" Collection: Savoir Faire 2014: Making of

June 5, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Woo Hoo Fashion Fragrance Lovers,

CHANEL seems to be powering ahead still under the guidance of Karl Lagerfeld. Seriously I think he is a machine, able to change tack and style effortlessly and still bring us outrageously extravagant showings season after season. I can’t think of anyone who has been on the fashion scene this long who can match him, can you?
Portia xx

Photo Stolen BelloBlog (any probs using this image please get in touch)

Making of the CHANEL “Paris-Dallas” Collection: Savoir Faire 2014

Details of the CHANEL “Paris-Dallas” Collection: Organza, Feathers, Pleats

Basil: Green, Green, Green

June 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

Beautiful green basil!

If you are ever feeling down, a bit tired and generally blah, grab some fresh basil. Grind up a leaf in your fingers and inhale deeply. Eat a few leaves. Rest a minute.

Phew!

Basil: Essential Oil Recipes

Photo Stolen Pixabay

And if you can make a few blends with basil oil, it will not disappoint you at all. It is an oil that is so clearing and revitalising you’ll be so glad you’ve made friends with it. Here are a few recipes.

1. Basil: Put A few Drops Of Oil into the bottom of the Shower

This works in a similar way to just taking a whiff straight from the bottle, but if you’ve got an extra minute, it will give you a completely different experience. Your whole body will be immersed in an essential oil steam.

Basil oil will wake you up in the morning and give you a fresh green start to the day.

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Photo Stolen WikiMedia

2. Basil: Personal Aura Cleansing Mist & Room Mist

In a 50ml mist bottle filled with water add 25 drops of oil

(depending on the packaging you have, you may need to use a little alcohol -like vodka- at the bottom of your bottle first, so the oils disperse into smaller drops to prevent clogging the atomiser top. I’ve found sometimes it works just with water, and sometimes it doesn’t – very annoying!)

“Cool Water Brain Rinse”

Clear brain fog –

Basil 8 drops
Orange 12 drops
Cypress 5 drops

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“Creative Explosion”

When you need to open to your creative drive –

Basil 6 drops
Rosemary 6 drops
Lime 6 drops
Geranium 6 drops

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“Bubble of Inspiration”

When you need to surround yourself with light, creative energy –

Basil 7 drops
Rosewood 12 drops
Lemongrass 6 drops

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“It’s Morning!”

Help the whole family wake up smiling –

Basil 8 drops
Petitgrain 12 drops
Cedarwood Virginian 5 drops

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Photo stolen Wikipedia

3. Basil: Pure Pulse Point Perfume

In a little dish mix these oils and anoint your pulse points or chakras – 3 drops of essential oils and dilute with a few drops of carrier oil – always patch test first!

“Awaken the Goddess”

Open to divine guidance –

Basil 1 drop
Sandalwood Australian 1 drop
Mandarin 1 drop

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“Big Meeting this Morning”

Stay focused and relaxed-

Basil 2 drops
Lavender 1 drop

——————————————————————————————————————

“Clean Green”

Give yourself a burst of vitality –

Basil 1 drop
Palmarosa 1 drop
May Chang 1 drop

——————————————————————————————————————

Photo Stolen Flickr

4. Basil: Scent Your Space

I usually say “In a traditional oil burner with a candle or a diffuser add 25 drops of oil”, but I also recommend you put about 15 drops in the water with your usual product and mop the floors. It’s a great way to get an aromatherapy treatment while cleaning!

and

In a traditional oil burner with a candle or a diffuser add 25 drops of oil –

“Hello World”

Welcome every day –
Basil 6 drops
Peru Balsam 8 drops
Lemon 11 drops

——————————————————————————————————————

Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas. See my article about intention.

Suzanne R Banks XXX

Suzanne R Banks Blog
Suzanne R Banks Aromatherapy
Suzanne R Banks FaceBook

Velvet Flowers by Montale

June 3, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

It’s time for a Spanish pilgrimage. We know Spain is famous for its pilgrimages…Camino De Santiago in particular. Here at APJ, we are pilgrams of perfume, so therefore I want to tell you about an awesome little perfumerie in San Sebastian, Spain, which just might be worth “pilgrimaging” to when next you are in Europe.

The store was first started as an English style barbershop and perfumery in 1908, and was named Casa Benegas. The founder D.Francisco Benegas and his wife Dona Justa Echeverria were extremely entrepreneurial, incorporating the latest trends from both the French and the English. It’s a lovely store, on a corner in Donostia, San Sebastian and actually HUGE once inside. Shelves surrounding from floor to ceiling FILLED with beautiful gleaming packages. San Sebastian was and still is full of glamour: artists, celebrities and royals have headed there for their summers, even before the perfumery opened. These”high profilers” made up the majority of Casa Benegas customers, right from the start.

Photo Stolen Benegas

Fifty years later the business was taken over by their son who concentrated on the perfumery, introducing international brands and then some cosmetics. Now in the hands of the 3rd and 4th generation of Benegas’s, this incredible family business still manages to show the original owners entrepreneurial spirit, selling many leading pioneering brands and yet keeping the feel of the original concept.

The personalized service is exceptional, and it was here my friend was guided towards a bottle of….

Velvet Flowers by Montale

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Peach blossom, rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang, saffron, fruit aroma, sandalwood, gurjan balsam, musk

Out of it’s Benegas giftwrap and box comes a sleek silk bag, inside an brushed gold aluminum bottle with a decorative pin which also stops it from being pressed unintentionally. Impressive. Modern, and not really giving away, what’s inside.

Photo Donated Ainslie Walker

First spray is fruity and floral – peachy and clean, womanly but with a bit of flirty, sexy fun. Woodsy enough to feel a little unusual, and certainly robust. It’s warm, perhaps a touch of spice, and VERY sweet and intoxicating. As it settles its rosey-peachy waxiness goes on and on. Under this though is something interesting. Candy? I am reminded of opening a bottle of Darryl Lee ‘bo peeps’. YUM. Such an interesting fusion of strong woman and girl in a candy store! This fragrance screams fun.

Photo Stolen Fotopedia

Strong and long lasting, it’s not necessarily the most natural of smells but there is something about it I like nonetheless and the fruity floral remains steady, even on waking the next day.. Sometimes that’s the great thing about synthetic smells, they are new to the senses. I am reminded of Mugler’s Alien, but my sample is not nearby for a closer comparison. But this is definitely peachier, rosey and less heady. There are also some softer tones to velvet flowers. On a hot day the floral evaporates faster, leaving me with an odd metallic musk smell, which is probably my worst moment with VF. The best time is the first 1-2 hours. It’s clean, fresh and slightly creamy….but more waxy.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Scent for Thought
Beauty Encounter has $130/100ml
First In Fragrance has €99/100ml and samples

Marketed as unisex, I find this fragrance hyperfeminine. I cannot imagine smelling it on a man. Really modern version of a fruity floral oriental, with additional sweetness. It’s certainly a pick me up kind of a fragrance, with more than 1 meaning! ;D

What other perfumes stores have you found around the world and where are they?

Ainslie Walker X

Evelyn's Rose by Mark Evans for Evocative Perfumes

June 2, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Post by Sister Mary Magdalen, Patron Saint of Perfumers

Today APJ I invite you all to remember and enjoy simple pleasures…

Although ordinarily living an entirely cloistered life, recently myself and another of the Sisters ventured to our nearby provincial Rose Garden for seasonal devotions. Marvelous sunshine and hundreds of rose varieties in full bloom saw hours pass in happy contemplation. Whilst some folk no doubt admire the colour or form of the bloom above all, for us the attraction was chiefly in the fragrance. This led us in short order to beds planted with David Austin roses. This English rose breeder introduces cultivars that are selected for their rich intense scent. With so many varieties of his roses blooming, it was not long before we were exclaiming over such notes as violet, hyacinth, musk, myrrh, honey, incense, quince and apple in the various flowers.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

One of these David Austin roses, Evelyn Rose, had a delicious peachy note along with a superb Old English Rose heart. He named it for English toiletries company Crabtree and Evelyn who are said to use this rose variety in some of their products. I had not fallen for the C&E perfume on recent test, so it was a treat then to discover another Evelyn’s Rose by an Australian perfumer.

Evelyn’s Rose by Mark Evans for Evocative Perfumes

Photo Stolen Evocative Perfumes

Evocative Perfumes gives these featured accords in one line”
Evelyn’s Rose, rose, clean musks

A burst of almost minty freshness heralds a delightful rose heart with a fresh peach character. Musky notes start unfurling early on, and despite my initial concern that the musks might stray too far in the direction of the laundry for my tastes, they are restrained and balanced with the fruit and floral facets in the composition.

The overall impression is of a naturalistic fresh rose with fruity and clean musky elements. As the scent wears, a wisp of incense smoke seems to weave its way through. Evelyn’s Rose is a sweet and simple rose scent. For me it is a lovely memento of a day out amongst the real roses. This is a perfume oil to be applied sparingly. A few dabs give around 6 hours of being the centre of a pleasant rosy cloud.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Often people seeking a rose perfume will declare they are looking for a “true” rose. Having sniffed scores of these luscious shapeshifters, I’m not sure such a thing exists!

Evocative Perfumes has $35/12ml Perfume Oil

Do you have a favourite rose soliflore scent or favourite variety of rose bloom? What other notes have you smelled in rose blooms?

Remember, take time to smell the roses,
Sister Mary Magdelene, Patron Saint of Perfumers.

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

beauty

Urura's Tokyo Cafe by Sarah McCartney for 4160 Tuesdays

Urura’s Tokyo Cafe by Sarah McCartney for 4160 Tuesdays

B.Balenciaga by Domitille Bertier for Balenciaga 2014 + Ad Campaign

B.Balenciaga by Domitille Bertier for Balenciaga 2014

B.Balenciaga by Domitille Bertier for Balenciaga 2014 Ad Campaign

DIOR: Secret Garden III – Versailles – The Film

DIOR: Secret Garden III – Versailles – The Film

Korea 2014: Photo Essay

Korea 2014 GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

Korea 2014: Photo Essay

Neela Vermeire Creations 4 x 8ml Discovery Set

Neela Vermeire Creations 4 x 8ml Discovery Set 2014

Flashback by Olivier Cresp for Olfactive Studio 2013

Flashback by Olivier Cresp for Olfactive Studio 2013

CHANEL "Paris-Dallas" Collection: Savoir Faire 2014: Making of

Making of the CHANEL “Paris-Dallas” Collection: Savoir Faire 2014

Details of the CHANEL “Paris-Dallas” Collection: Organza, Feathers, Pleats

Basil: Green, Green, Green

Basil: Essential Oil Recipes

1. Basil: Put A few Drops Of Oil into the bottom of the Shower

2. Basil: Personal Aura Cleansing Mist & Room Mist

3. Basil: Pure Pulse Point Perfume

4. Basil: Scent Your Space

Velvet Flowers by Montale

Velvet Flowers by Montale

Evelyn's Rose by Mark Evans for Evocative Perfumes

Evelyn’s Rose by Mark Evans for Evocative Perfumes