1973. The teacher asked us to research a famous person and present a project in class. I chose Andy Warhol. My mother bought me a book to assist me with the work. It was minus about 30 pages. She had removed them, finding them way to controversial for me. That encouraged me to dig deeper. Edie, Nico, The Factory, Interview, The Velvet Underground.
On October 27th 2013 Lou Reed died. I spent the following days pondering how much his music, both with The Velvets and solo, had helped to shape a part of who I am. Not only with music and fashion and art, but with perfume too. My journey started with patchouli and Tabu. (I skipped Charlie – haha!)
Voile d’Extrait Photo by Herb Ritts given to APJ by Vero Kern
Voiles d’Extraits by Vero Kern 2013
Vero, Voiles and The Velvets.
Vero Kern´s perfumes do to me what the Velvets did and still do. They pierce my very soul. The Silver Fox said, when writing about .vero.profumo. “Once worn they own and haunt.” I can´t keep away. I wear other perfumes, I am a perfume junkie, but I come back to Vero´s creations every time.
Stylish, dark, hip, borderline scents. I never have been mainstream.
Voile d’Extrait Photo by Herb Ritts given to APJ by Vero Kern
The VOILES are a variation on a theme but still the Kiki, Onda, Rubj and Mito that we know. These perfumes are created in a different concentration to the pure extraits, but are just as deep and rich. They satisfy the need to spray, whereas the extraits are to be dabbed.
RUBJ Voile Featuring orange blossom, Egyptian jasmine, musk. Heavenly.
KIKI Voile Including lavender, caramel, musk. A have to try for those who dislike lavender. It is velvety and addictive.
MITO Voile Magnolia, cypress, and a stunning tuberose (which does not feature in the EdP), lemony, bitter, it is perfection.
ONDA Voile Dark. Intimate. Honey, vetiver, nutmeg, pepper, ginger. Venus in Furs.
Voile d’Extrait Photo by Herb Ritts given to APJ by Vero Kern
Try them if you get the chance. Take a walk on the wild side.
CQ xxx
The Voiles are available at Jovoy Paris, Marie Antoinette Paris, Bloom London and Campomarzio70 Rome. Which does´t help toomuch outside of Europe but where there´s a will there´s a way!! Lisa from Campomarzio70, .vero.profumo´s distributor told me that they will soon be in other exclusive shops. I will keep you posted.
Vero Kern sent me samples of the four Voiles. Vielen Dank.
Well, I am continuing the sample challenge set up by a friend on the Aussie Fragrance Network group on Facebook with some unexpected results. Read on to find out what happened.
Sunday, November 10: One terrific by-product of the challenge is that it has made me organize my very disorganized sample lot. Well, the challenge and the fact that Mr M has very kindly bought me a fishing tackle box for said purpose. I categorized things alphabetically and am finding things that I had completely forgotten about. Feel very excited about continuing now and celebrate with a dab of Serge Lutens Bois de Violette. It’s beautiful, but there is just something in the Serge Bois series that just doesn’t agree with my skin chemistry.
In the evening, I fall in love with Amouage Interlude Woman. How on earth did I ignore this for so long? I adore the coffee, kiwi fruit and green goodness that seems to sparkle on my skin. I must get some more of this, so head off and order a decant of this, Amouage Fate Woman, Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore (another big bottle want) and thrown in some Castlebajac for good measure after trawling the site for a while. I’m excited about Castlebajac. It’s a clean almondy scent that I wore years and years ago in London and the thought of it reminds me of a great work Christmas party.
Monday, November 11: I cheat. I wear Lys Mediterranee. Not a sample. Difficult day at work and I needed something I knew and loved to comfort me.
Wednesday, November 13: Chanel Beige. Wearing this today and the sample of 31 Rue Cambon the other week has taught me something: I love Chanel top notes but not the dry down. Chanel Beige starts so luscious with frangipani and the sunshiny-ness of hawthorn, it’s gorgeous. But I want it to stay this way, and of course, last a little longer like all the Exclusifs, sans Coromandel.
Friday, November 15: Oh hello lovely! I’ve had a sample of Dior New Look 1947 for ages and thankfully rediscovered it, due to new not-rummaging-around-in-drawers-for-half-an-hour-superorganized sample storage. This just FEELS like ME and I can’t get enough. It makes me pleased cos I’ve been quite cross at the House of Dior for mucking round with my beloved Diorissimo and Diorella. This just might make up for it.
Monday November 18: Bad, bad M. Have fallen totally off the wagon over the past few days due to sampling ennui. Maybe, just maybe, it is because I have been so busy and stressed at work that I haven’t had the headspace to enjoy my samples. I always need to be calm, relaxed and not half asleep or in need of valium and vodka to sample properly. In fact, I have been thinking that, when it comes to perfume, I need much less, not more. Decide to sell some more partial bottles.
Wednesday, November 20: Ok, so somebody must have hacked into my computer Monday or I was possessed by my alter ego as that stuff was just craaazy talk. But today, I had another issue: wanting, pining after a sample THAT I DID NOT HAVE. ARGH!!!! The-sample-that-I-must-have-right-now is Keiko Mecheri’s Isles Lointaines. I blame the boss’ PA. She asked for help with planning destinations for her honeymoon and asked if I’d been to the Amalfi coast and Positano in particular. Mr M and I went on one of our first romantic trips to Paris and Positano and Isles Lointaines was one of the samples I wore. I need to revisit those memories. NOW.
Saturday, November 23: Byredo Pulp. This is another one that’s just been sitting right there for ages, completely ignored, but yet, so readily available. I thought Dionne’s APJ review was terrific, but never got round to smelling this. It’s a luscious, full bodied citrus that just can’t help but make you smile. And even though it’s pouring with rain and has been wet for eons, I’m happy and warm with this on.
My fascination with celebrity perfumes is no secret. I love the marketing and hype and the fact that they are so cheap to buy. One of the things that interests me is how well a perfume fits with the celebrity’s own brand. Sometimes they line up and sometimes the perfume does not match my expectations for a particular celebrity. The Katy Perry perfumes in their fabulous bottles match Katy Perry’s young, fun image. Madonna’s Truth or Dare fragrances smell expensive and are in line with her more mature age and image.
There have also been a few times where I’ve had low expectations of a perfume based on my perception of a celebrity’s ‘trashy’ image. See my previous APJ review of the original Kim Kardashian perfume, which does not smell at all trashy.
Today I am reviewing another perfume that was a pleasant surprise when I was expecting fruitchouli, the first from pop star Rihanna. Rihanna has since released another four fragrances Rebelle, Nude, 777 Nude by Rihanna, Diamonds and Rogue.
Reb’l Fleur by Caroline Sabas and Marypierre Julien of Givaudan for Rihanna 2011
Fragrantica gives these featured accords: Top: Berries, plum, peach Heart: Hibiscus, violet, tuberose, coconut water Base: Vanilla, patchouli, amber and musk.
A perfume from Rihanna with fragrance notes reminiscent of a tropical cocktail and presented in an inverted stiletto heel. I did not have high expectations!
Thankfully Reb’l Fleur does not smell how I expected. I anticipated Pina Colada, but there is not much emphasis on the fruit and coconut and more on the florals and patchouli. The main fruit note I smell is a deep rich plum with a small dose of sweet peach. I don’t smell berries. The fruit notes are combined with strong floral notes and a hint of creamy coconut. The florals are heavy with a nice blend of tuberose and violet. There is just the right amount of tuberose for my taste as I only like it in small doses. The patchouli adds some spice and the amber is earthy and warm.
Reb’l Fleur is a warm, sensual perfume and the lasting power is very good. Reb’l Fleur is a great fragrance for evening wear and one of the sexiest in my collection
Further reading: Bois de Jasmin Although not a raving review by Victoria, she does makes comparisons to Chanel Coco Mademoiselle and Narciso Rodriguez for Her. At a fraction of the cost this makes Reb’l Fleur a winner! FragranceNet has Rihanna Reb’l Fleur $27/100ml before Coupon My Perfume Samples starts at $2/ml
For more celebrity perfume news and reviews, check out my website: Celebrity Perfumes
Giving chocolate, red roses or wreaths of evergreen boughs are popular ways to celebrate the holiday season. This year Olympic Orchids perfumer Ellen Covey has put together her 2013 Holiday Sets featuring fragrances that are reminiscent of these traditional gifts.
The Standard Olympic Orchids Gift Set includes three of her most popular 5 ml parfum sprays: California Chocolate, Ballets Rouge and Olympic Rainforest. The Deluxe Set comes with these fragrances as well as 1 oz. of Amber-Labdanum All Purpose Oil, a bar of hand made Patchouli Lovers Soap and a $25 coupon good toward the purchase of any 30ml parfum in the new packaging. The Standard Set is priced at $35 (easily a $45 value) and the Deluxe Gift Box at $45 (in my estimation worth at least $100).
I’m always bargain hunting, especially during the holidays. The Standard Set would make a wonderful surprise for a special individual or couple but I have other plans for the deluxe version. Please don’t think me “cheap”, but I could solve several gifting dilemmas, stuff a few stockings or be ready for any unexpected guests by simply breaking the larger set up into individual gifts. Here is my plan for Olympic Orchids‘s Deluxe Gift Set:
Olympic Rainforest might be for the brother who sails the San Juan Islands and works near the Olympic Rainforest.
California Chocolate would be much appreciated by an adult student, a total chocoholic.
Ballets Rouge could make a lovely gift for the sister with the rose garden.
Patchouli Lovers Soap is a “can’t miss” for my old (my age) activist, hippie friend.
Amber-Labdanum All Purpose Oil is perfect for the son who has totally fallen for the scent of this product.
And the $25 coupon? Well, maybe I’ll just give that one to myself! (I bet you saw that one coming.)
Photo Stolen kbaird
Olympic Orchids GIVEAWAY
WHAT CAN YOU WIN?
This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 1ml sample of Olympic Orchids Tropic of Capricorn
1 x 1ml sample of Olympic Orchids Seattle Chocolate
1 x 1 mystery sample or decant
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.
To be eligible for the draw just mention how you follow APJ. Here are a couple of questions: Do you ever split gift boxes? Have you tried Olympic Orchids Patchouli Lovers Soap or the Amber-Labdanum All Purpose Oil? Comment on either of these questions and be eligible to win my (Azar’s) last give-away for 2013.
Entries Close Thursday 28th November 2013 10pm Australian EDST and winners will be announced in a separate post
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 1st December 2013 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.
Thanks APJ for getting so on board and involved. The people at L’Occitane are so happy that we are talking about doing some more wonderful giveaways. THANK YOU L’OCCITANE!!! You are such a great company and APJ is proud to associate with you, totally generous.
L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse GIVEAWAY WINNERS
WHAT COULD YOU WIN?
This week there will be 2 winners who will receive one used for review purposes only bottle of L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse (NO you don’t get to chose)
1 winner will receive:
Cèdre & Oranger EdT 75ml
P&H Anywhere in the world
1 winner will receive:
Fleur d’Or Acacia EdT 75ml
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.
To be eligible for the draw just mention how you follow the APJs and tell us any L’Occitane product that you’ve used or like the sound of
HOUSEKEEPING
Entries Closed Sunday 24th November 2013 10pm Australian EDST
Winners will be chosen by random.org
Photo Stolen markmontanoblogs
Camilla, Elise Johnson
WOO HOO CONGRATULATIONS!!! The winners will have till Thursday 28th November 2013 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.
Great to see you all. I thought that you could probably all do with something cool and calm after your big Friday & Saturday nights out, so today I thought a fragrance called Starry Night or Nuit Etoilée would be a perfect balm.
Nuit Etoilée by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2012
Fragrantica gives these featured acords: Top: Citron, sweet orange, peppermint Heart: Siberian pine, fir resin Base: Angelica seed, tonka, immortal
The picture above is for the old bottle, the new clear bottle is below. What a shame Pacific Amore has decided to change the very beautiful blue. The minute I heard I ran out and bought a square mens bottles from one of the Facebook groups because I love them so much, it’s about 99% full and I got a very good deal. YAY!! Happy days.
That sweet minty citrus burst at the open is like drinking champagne punch with little green chewy bits of mint chopped and floating through it. It was my Mum’s favourite family party drink and she would make a large glass punch bowl up as everyone started arriving, we kids were given a beaker when we were small just to have a taste so that we felt part of it all. As we got older we were given glasses and when I finally realised that I was a big kid was when I was handed one of the glass punch cups with grapes and fruit embossed around the outside, there seemed to be HUNDREDS of these glasses when we were young but when Mum died and we had to clean out the stuff she’d amassed there were only 24 and the whole set was packed away perfectly awaiting the next party. Memories!! Joyous, fun, sun filled memories.
Yes, Nuit Etoilee warms up after the open but the lovely minty, citric fizz doesn’t leave for quite a while. Underneath it though comes a warm resinous woodsy melange that flirts underneath for ages before it decides it is time to take over. Like getting out of a cool pool and lying in the sun to dry, warm/cold then warmer and then dry. The immortelle, resins and tonka are sweet and dry. Nuit Etoilee really does dry down, the whole fragrance changes to earthy, dry flowers that have a slight vanilla/amber sweetness that has nothing to do with food.
Nuit Etoilee is not a super long lasting fragrance, I’m lucky to get four hours before I lose all traces of it. Soft enough for most workplaces, great for the calm and cool stuff. In fact, I could see Nuit Etoilee very easily becoming a go to signature scent. I has the lovely fresh opening that becomes a warm bear hug of a fragrance, it could work all year for you.
APJ and the Sydney Perfume Lovers have teamed up to run monthly Sunday Scent Salons. Perfume evokes memories and few memories are deeper than those associated with a mother, which is how thirteen men and women, some of them complete strangers met to talk about Scents Of My Mother, bearing photographs, perfumes and recollections. It was a moving, warm and sometimes funny event.
Scents Of My Mother
Sydney Perfume Lovers Scent Salon
Complex is the best word to describe the relationships we brought to the table.
We met many mothers. The one who smoked a joint with her son on his 18th birthday, the one who said ‘disgusting’ about a daughter’s folds of flesh, the one who criticised her naturally slender daughter for deliberately being too thin, the one who still tidies up when entering her daughter’s home, the insightful one who told her son that she thought he probably wouldn’t marry a girl…
There was a gentle woman whose softness didn’t prepare her daughter for the tough world which awaited, the timid one who couldn’t give her daughter the strong role model she craved, the one who came out as a lesbian and couldn’t forgive her daughter for leading a different life. The one who had a child at 15 and brought him up with her own mother.
Many were artists or studied art. Few fulfilled themselves in the workplace. Many were clean and tidy freaks who always look good. (No prizes for making a connection between the last two sentences.) Many were critical, many were loving and most were both at the same time. Many of us around the table described our feelings of love or pain or both for Glenda, Jane, Lauraine, Cheryl, Marie, Rosemary, Waina, Joan, Francoise, Teresa.
What were our scent memories? One of us recollected trying to please her mother by making perfume for her by soaking flowers in water. Another brought biscuits from her mother’s handwritten recipe book to evoke the smell of baking. There were memories of babysitters arriving and mothers leaving in clouds of Chanel N’5, Chant d’Aromes and L’Air du Temps. I would love to have met the mother who wore Shalimar parfum during the day. Her child was fated not to be timid!
Fresh green beans evoked one mother who survived breast cancer. Another always had acrid smelling salts in the bathroom cupboard in case they were needed and wore Arpege – a startling juxtaposition. Rive Gauche featured twice. It is still worn today by one daughter to differentiate herself as the opposite to her mother who like more run of the mill Avon fragrances, and was worn by another mother when it came out to stamp herself as modern. She also wore Tabu and Oleg Cassini. We encountered one generous perfume collector mother with over 300 bottles who loves giving her daughter bottles of Serge Lutens as well as one who never wears scent but does have scented handcream which smells like Fragonard’s Billet Doux. Cie Perfume (with Candace Bergen as its face) was an early favourite of a mother who also wore Tresor but now is faithful to Champs Elysees. La Cabrasella, a bergamot citrus scent from Calabria has always sat on the dressing table of one Italian mother.
We could have talked for many more hours and left feeling happy to have shared these perfumes and memories. I’m sure another Scent Salon will revisit this topic one day for another group.
Here at APJ we did a L’Occitane Divine Cream Review and Challenge, you can watch the progression in L’Occitane Divine Cream Challenge Week 1 and L’Occitane Divine Cream Challenge Week 2 where we challenged you all to grab a sample and see how it left your skin in 2 weeks. At the time L’Occitane also sent me a set of the first four four of their La Collection de Grasse fragrances to try and if I wanted to APJ could review them. Well, I WANTED TO! These fragrances are beautiful, wearable, spritz and go winners. Last week we did a L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse Review and Giveaway that L’Occitane were so happy with they sent me the THREE LATEST IN THE SERIES!!! We have the BRAND NEWEST available, so exciting.
Pictured above is the L’Occitane 7.5ml La Collection de Grasse Miniatures Christmas pack, an excellent choice and currently only $35 on the L’Occitane Australia Site
Fragrantica gives these featured accords: Top: Bergamot, rosemary Heart: Fig leaf, rose Base: Sandalwood, cedar, labdanum, vanilla
I can’t believe that Ambre & Santal is made for this price. It is as warm, rich and complex as some of the VERY expensive niche offerings. This is so good I’m keeping it. Sorry folks.
Right from the beginning you can already smell the vanilla and resins coated in a very light hint of herbaceous green and a tiny glitter of citrus. Fig leaf and rose? Maybe through the heart there is a leafiness but it is a bit less specific than fig, or maybe I’ve been spoilt by so many other fig releases at a much higher price point and the rose is such a bit player I can barely detect it. What does shine so bright about Ambre & Santal is its base, which is basically the whole life of the fragrance, it is the loveliest, creamy woods and resinous vanilla. Ambre & Santal sings on my skin as if they were made for each other. I repeat, I can’t believe this excellent price point. I smell so good and have been asked what I’m wearing a couple of times while I have sported it. Totally unisex and an excellent fragrance.
Fragrantica gives these featured accords: Top: Orange, bergamot, pine needles Heart: Cardamom, red berries, Virginian cedar Base: Vetiver, musk
I don’t like to create gender boundaries but of the people I’ve tried it on only one woman said she would wear it but EVERY man was very impressed. Jin who usually wears Bottega Veneta original and Mona di Orio Oud asked if he could keep it. I had to do divert and grab to get it back or it would have been lost forever in his frag stash.
The opening is bright and fresh and very clean, this is what all those sport and blue fragrances wish they were. It is the richest and prettiest of that genre that I’ve yet smelled and I can definitely see it being a good gift for the guys. Cèdre & Oranger warms up very slightly through the heart but essentially stays green and woodsy to its still clean musk dry down. After about an hour Cèdre & Oranger is very close to the body, maintaining a just showered freshness without pushing itself far beyond your skin. Ideal for even the closest office work and later for drinks an extra spritz will freshen it, and you, up considerably and last till next morning, quietly clean.
Fragrantica gives these featured accords: Top: Lemon, bergamot Heart: Mimose, genet Base: White woods, musk
Fleur d’Or & Acacia is the latest offering from the L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse and I predict it being the biggest seller of them all. It is a very pretty Acacia/Mimosa fragrance that opens refreshingly citrus/green, invigorating and happy enough to make a grey sky blue and then the Acacia/Mimosa steps in and they all become that lovely waxy sweet crushed wattle flower green. Fleur d’Or & Acacia is sweet but not sugar sweet or vanilla sweet just sweet and pretty flowers over a sappy green-ness. Simple and wearable, a perfect mid season go to that will become a staple of your wardrobe and make an excellent gift. Surprisingly good longevity and though not a big fragrance has a lovely sheer penetration into your surrounds. The dry down is very easy wear, no surprises, but good solid fragrance that you’ll be happy to spritz and go in. BTW the Body oil above is also TO DIE FOR!!!
One of the jokes around this house is that seven out of ten things I spray on Jin he says, “Acacia” so today when I spritzed him I was hoping he would not say it but, damnit, he did.
L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse GIVEAWAY
WHAT CAN YOU WIN?
This week there will be 2 winners who will receive one used for review purposes only bottle of L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse (NO you don’t get to chose)
1 winner will receive:
Cèdre & Oranger EdT 75ml
P&H Anywhere in the world
1 winner will receive:
Fleur d’Or Acacia EdT 75ml
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.
To be eligible for the draw just mention how you follow the APJs and tell us any L’Occitane product that you’ve used or like the sound of
Entries Close Sunday 24th November 2013 10pm Australian EDST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 28th November 2013 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.
Louis Vuitton, as so often is the case, have made something beautiful and luxurious. These ads are clearly the start of a story to be continued throughout the world. I wonder where we will be taken next in the magical Louis Vuitton Balloon? I hope this keeps you interested while we wait for the Louis Vuitton fragrance, I do hope it’s soon……..
Portia xx
Photo Stolen replicaguide
L’Invitation Au Voyage (Paris)
Louis Vuitton featuring Arizona Muse
L’Invitation au Voyage (Venice)- Making Of
Louis Vuitton featuring David Bowie and Arizona Muse
L’Invitation au Voyage (Venice) – Director’s Cut
Louis Vuitton featuring David Bowie and Arizona Muse
I like me a good gourmand, and from my many readings about this scent, this was meant to be a good gourmand, so I went about sniffing Fils de Dieu with high hopes. Its billing as the New Skool Shalimar did nothing to lower expectations.
Fragrantica lists the following accords: Top: Ginger, coriander, lime, shiso Heart: Coconut, cardamom, jasmine, cinnamon, rose Base: Tonka bean, vetiver, musk, amber, leather, castoreum
And indeed the first nanosecond of its performance, with that recognisable dusty vanillic citrus intro, is familiar. But thenceforth Shalimar and Fils de Dieu (FdD) set out on quite different trajectories. Shalimar, animalic and belching plumes of smoky opoponax, flounces off in one direction, loudly crying “dahling!” to all and sundry. FdD, on the other hand, has eased into a pair of Birkenstocks and has gone backpacking around Thailand, and before I could wheeze “for shaaaaaaame”, I died in ecstasy and face planted into a bowl of steaming coconut rice.
From first huff to its expiration a lamentably short period later, FdD is an ode to the fluffy cooked grain. Its moniker is quite apt (Son of God, Rice and Citrus). The notes read like an ingredient list for a laksa, yet it remarkably it smells quite restrained, spartan almost, with the muted, powdery qualities of rice being showcased by the other elements. Bemusingly, rice itself not listed above, illustrating yet again what a load of twaddle this notes business is, and how we should all just make of things What We Will. Rather than being overtly tart or astringent, the lime lends a certain buoyancy, with much the same role as lemongrass or kaffir lime leaf in a dish, and with a little imagination I can just detect the soapy zing of coriander leaf/cilantro right at those first few seconds. Tonka is also evident, tinting everything with a little of its caramel hue.
But all this sounds too gourmand, too literal a take on cooking, which is it most assuredly not. It’s as if Heston Blumenthal has come along with his lab gear, extracted the qi or life force out of south east Asian cuisine and infused the distillate into a perfume for the global citizen. Just to remind you that you are perfumed, and have not just finished a double shift in the kitchen of your local Thai eatery, there is a soupcon of musk and castoreum, endowing the composition with that unctuous, slightly vomitous twang. With time, FdD remains rice-y, but becomes more rosy, and is the sweeter for it.
It is a short ride (on me at least), requiring a top-up spritz or three ere I’d finished writing a paragraph of this review. Ordinarily, I would find this pretty irksome, but in this case I’m content to reapply because it is so terrifically evocative: sweat, gods, ruby-skinned tourists, anarchic markets, decay. It’s witty yet eminently accessible. Consider me a fan.
Voile d’Extrait Photo by Herb Ritts given to APJ by Vero Kern
Voile d’Extrait Photo by Herb Ritts given to APJ by Vero Kern
Voile d’Extrait Photo by Herb Ritts given to APJ by Vero Kern
Photo Stolen 
Australian Perfume Junkies 