Guerlain, Guerlain, Guerlain Samples

November 20, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Eliza D

I’ve been in a bit of a rut fragrance-wise for a few months, then I got to go to The Perfume House in Portland and I was instantly lifted out of my snit. Though the two samples I brought home were not right for me, there was a fragrance on the sleeve of my sweater that had to be a Guerlain, since I spent a lot of time in that corner of the store, sniffing fragrance and making weird murmery noises that scared the other shoppers.

Guerlain, Guerlain, Guerlain Samples

So, I went to the Posh Peasant, and found out that I could get 5 x 1.5 ml spray samples of any Guerlain fragrance they carry for $26 US+shipping. and ordered Shalimar PI, L’Heure Bleue, Champs Elysee, Vol de Nuit and Chamade. They arrived in four days!

Vol de Nuit

hoto Stolen Fragrantica

First on was Vol de Nuit. Oh my gosh, how wondrous! The bergamot and light top notes gave way very quickly to that incredible powdery dry down anchored with vanilla and moss that is so familiar to me from the other two Guerlains that I have owned or tried: Samsara and Mitsouko (the latter of which instantly transports me to my mother’s bedroom in the 60s…she did not wear perfume, but her friends did, and when we had parties the impromptu coat room was a glorious treasure trove), but I was disappointed with its longevity.

Chamade

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Next day was Chamade. Oh my word! Lovely cripsness followed by flowers and then sandalwood. Could this be my new forever fragrance? Could I wear this to work and not feel as if I was pushing the limit of acceptance? Was it better suited for home, when I was alone with my loved one? What an amazing feat, and of course created in the era I consider to be my formative time.

Champs Elysees

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Monday was Champs Elysees, and of all the five, this was the most disappointing. No bones, just fluff, and too sweet. Yes roses, but grocery store roses, not boutique roses…I almost washed it off.

Shalimar Parfum Initial

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Then I tried Shalimar Parfum Initial. This was the one I almost did not order. I had read so much about how it was JUST a flanker, and what was Thierry Wasser thinking to mess with an old classic and how it was made for soccer moms and teenagers. I sprayed with trepidation. First came the citrusy top notes calling out while the rest of the perfume gathered in the wings. Then jasmine and iris and some rose, but a different rose. Yes, sweet, but not bubble gum headache sweet…more precious. Lovely, soft, modern, patchouli and vanilla. Incredible. I loved this from first sniff. Great sillage! Could it be the one?

L’Heure Bleue

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

But I still had one more to go: L’Heure Bleue. I chose this because it is a classic, and because of the line in the Bond Movie about it…

I sprayed it on after arriving home from work. Immediately I knew this was not the same as the others, but still somehow similar. Licorice topnotes warm and balmy from the start, it deepened as I wore it with neroli and tuberose taking main stage. I was swept away to a place where the air is thick with fragrance all the day long, this is an after the hot tub fragrance, a bundle up in fur in winter and dream of longer days fragrance.

I am so grateful to Guerlain for continuing the art of perfumery through the years. Perfumery is divine. I am blessed. And I am wearing Shalimar PI.

Eliza D

Armani Prive Figuier Eden by Mane for Giorgio Armani 2012

November 19, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

I have a soft spot for fig. I always try any perfume, hand cream, candle, bath product etc containing fig… But my truest love is standing under or near a fig tree and breathing in it’s complete smell. The whole tree. The woody, slightly milky, slightly coconut, a little sweet and a little sharp and vast green smell gives me a sense of stillness.

The first fig fragrance I wore was Diptych Philosokos and I wore it for at least 10 years almost religiously. I was in London during that whole time and the perfume always took me straight back to Australia when I sprtitzed it, to memories of my favorite Moreton Bay fig tree in Sydney that I used to climb and sniff in the early 90s. The fragrance encompasses the whole tree and is a very green and robust scent with beautiful coconutty undertones.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

In my travels I’ve smelt many a fig tree. In Sardinia growing in a cave, in London parks, on Greek Islands, in Spain, Perth, Brisbane, Byron Bay, in Croatia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Corfu, Italy…the list goes on. Always bringing my first thought back to that tree in Sydney.

I have also smelt many a fig based perfume; L’Artisan Parfumeur Premier and Intense Figeur, Hermes, Aqua Di Parma Fico di Amalfi, Marc Jacobs, Theirry Mugler’s Womanity and of course Figeur Eden.

Armani Prive Figuier Eden by Mane for Giorgio Armani 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin, bergamot, red pepper
Heart: Tea, grass, green fig
Base: Moroccan iris, amber

And then, 2 weeks ago a gorgeous and generous friend gave me her bottle of Armani Prive Figeur Eden. Sadly, rejected by her husband, this fragrance was neglected on her shelf. I’d tried this fragrance a number of times over the years and found it soft with no real impact…perhaps as I usually smelt it after a full sniff through a beauty hall such as Selfridges or Myers, or perhaps as I’d never wanted a fig fragrance to bring more than just pure fig? But this time I was on a solo 16 hour drive through country NSW and Victoria and it was the only fragrance I had access too!! Just me, the road and a bottle of Figuer Eden….

Photo Stolen Serge Melki Flickr

After dousing myself and starting the drive I started to get excited…was I smelling a fresher, zestier less heady fig…perhaps even a prettier more feminine fig? My first thought was to drive back, tell my friend to ditch her hubby and take the bottle back…my second thought was to step on the accelerator and enjoy every spritz of this new found love.

The prettiness comes slightly powdery and could be a soft iris note. It is not dense and heady as expected, but it is almost airy like a cool breeze carrying the scent. I feel a light fragrant citrus note like a light green tea, perhaps bergamot. It’s a harmony of smells, rather than my robust, phylosikos, which is straight up fig tree. It’s not sweet, plenty of soft blonde woods..sandal rather than cedar, of philosokos, perhaps, and a dry olive tree scent help keep the sweetness to a minimum? There is something spicey but not black or green pepper that I a familiar with….*enter google*…RED PEPPER! I am impressed. Fig leaves are taken down a notch revealing more of a grass note, as if one is lying under the tree on the lawn. The coconut in the breeze reminiscent of someone upwind drinking a pina colada…or similar.

Photo Stolen Shamefullyso Flickr

Further reading: The Non Blonde and Perfume Diary
Myer has $140/100ml (Australia only)
House Of Fraser has £82/100ml (UK only)
Bergdorf Goodman has $160/100ml (USA & Canada only)
Surrender To Chance starts at $5/ml

There is something rounded and natural about this one, which I love. The drydown is gorgeous! Gentle and yet unique. Perfect for layering, even with something else…any suggestions out there???

Collection Rouge No2 by Jean Claude Astier for M. Micallef 2013

November 18, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Michael

It’s with mixed feelings that I first picked up the sample vial of Micallef’s relatively new Rouge No2. I’ve been circling the liturgical Shanaan for a while. Should I get a full bottle? I just can’t decide. In any case it’s one of the finest frankincense fragrances I’ve tried, but then, how often am I really going to wear incense? Then there’s Vanille Aoud – so wonderfully intimate and snugly. It’s one of the few fragrances I’d love to be around someone else wearing. Then there’s been misses like Le Seducteur (too pungent) and the Les 4 Saisons that somehow felt unfinished. So with a little trepidation I gave Rouge No2 a sniff.

Collection Rouge No2 by Jean Claude Astier for M. Micallef 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citruses, black currant, nutmeg
Heart: Jasmine, violet, orchid
Base: Vanilla, labdanum, amber, castoreum

Rouge No2 opens fruity, resinous and animalic. The fruit is miscellaneous red candied fruit, the resins ultimately a vanillic amber and some animalic tendencies courtesy of some nutty castoreum. This fragrance is SWEET, literally. I can’t remember a fragrance I’ve tried that’s sweeter. As it dries down the vanillic amber becomes more prominent supported by the labdanum. A leatherish note comes through a bit later but ultimately this is a sweet fruity fragrance over a sweet vanillic amber base.

Photo Stolen Flickr (couldn’t find attribution)

For my taste this is just far too sweet but for those that like sweet fruity vanilla fragrances this is a must try, especially if you’re comfortable with animalic notes. Rouge No2 is miles ahead of the sweet fruity fragrances you’ll find in your typical department store.

Sillage is average on my skin and longevity is excellent.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Olfactoria’s Travels
LuckyScent has $245/100ml + Samples
First In Fragrance has €185/100ml+ Samples

M x

Pink Quartz by Olivier Durbano 2010

November 18, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Maya

Hello APJ.

“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose; By any other name would smell as sweet.” — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Lately I have been haunted by roses and I wanted to know more about them. I found that references to roses are everywhere in history and mythology and symbolism.They are an ancient flower. Fossils of roses have been found going back 35 million years. They thrived across the entire northern hemisphere with flowers that were originally all shades of pink, with a few white ones. Wild yellow roses were only discovered in Afghanistan and Southwest Asia in the 18th century. The Chinese cultivated them 5000 years ago and Egyptians planted rose gardens in their palaces at about the same time.

Photo Stolen Jeff Kramer Flickr

These beautiful flowers were found in ancient Egyptian tombs, in the form of mixed floral garlands believed to have been worn by mourners and then left in the tombs. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with the goddess of love, Aphrodite and Venus respectively, but it was the goddess nymph of flowers, Chloris, who created it. Chloris found the lifeless body of a nymph in the forest. She called the gods and goddesses to help her. Aphrodite gave the body beauty, Dionysus added nectar to give a sweet scent and Zephyr blew away the clouds so Apollo could shine and make the flower bloom. So the rose was born, the beautiful symbol of an immortal love that will never fade – even through time or death.

Photo Stolen Sistak Flickr

In India, Brahma, the creator of the world, and Vishnu, the protector of the world, argued over whether the lotus was more beautiful than the rose. Vishnu said the rose; Brahma said the lotus. Brahma, who had never seen a rose, admitted he was wrong when he saw one. He then created a bride for Vishnu and called her Lakshmi. She was created from 108 large and 1008 small rose petals. Ancient peoples made and used rosewater. It was the Persians who first extracted pure rose oil from varieties of the Damask rose. And in their poetry, the longing song of the nightingale is said to be caused by the beauty of the rose. Even today, rose symbolism is strong. The rose is the national flower of England, dating from the time of Henry VII and the War of the Roses and in 1986, it was named the floral emblem of the United States. This leads me to another rose:

Pink Quartz by Olivier Durbano 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, pink grapefruit, olibanum, saffron, ginger
Heart: Palmarosa, damask rose, palisander rosewood
Base: Rose, amber, patchouli, myrhh, benzoin, white musk

Pink Quartz starts out as a very spicy rose. The citrusy notes listed as top notes are lost on my skin, overwhelmed by the ginger, a note I’m not usually fond of, but it works well here. The rose in this scent is ALWAYS first and foremost. It’s a big red rose that lasts and lasts! It never really fades but does eventually mellow to a more musky rose with less ginger and hints of patchouli and amber. It is one of those fragrances that the more I wear it, the more I like it.The spicy aspect to Pink Quartz makes it a warm scent, but not a winter scent. It is for all seasons with a pleasant medium silage that I doubt would offend anyone and it lasts for 7-8 hours.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Now Smell This
LuckyScent has $205/100ml EdP and samples
Olivier Durbano has €170/30ml Parfum

I love roses – the flower and the scent. How about you?

L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse GIVEAWAY WINNERS

November 18, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

How lucky are you all APJ? We keep doing AWESOME GIVEAWAYS and the response has been great again. Thank you all and special thanks to L’Occitane for their incredible generosity. Do take a moment to jump across and have a look at their spectacular range. There seems to be something for EVERYBODY there, and some super great Christmas/Gift giving Season presents.

La Collection de Grasse Miniatures Set Photo Stolen L’Occitane

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

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:
Magnolia & Mure EdT 75ml
P&H Anywhere in the world

1 winner will receive:
The Vert & Bigarade 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

Extra Chances?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2cr #Giveaway #Perfume @LOCCITANE

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 17th November 2013 10pm Australian EDST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen thegarfieldshow-diary

Mary K, BoringzLifez

CONGRATULATIONS!!! The winners will have till Thursday 21st 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.

Cuir de Gardenia by Mandy Aftel for Aftelier Parfumes 2013

November 17, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Guest Post by Jordan River

On ya APJ,

Imagine…

Portia has lost the plot. Well not exactly; Portia has lost the perfume. (Ed: All is not lost, I have found my package) We will have to wait another week while she rechoreographs her collection, reorientates herself and finally reviews this ‘fume. In the meantime here are some impressions as we await hers. As with all choreography; the show must go on.

Imagine…

A moonless, starless tropical night so dark that you cannot see.

But at least you can smell.

You can even smell a star, but it is not in the sky. It is the star of the island jungle, Tiare, the Tahitian gardenia.

Cuir de Gardenia by Mandy Aftel for Aftelier Parfumes 2013

Photo Stolen Aftelier

Notes
Straight to the Heart: tiare (gardenia) absolute, jasmine grandiflorum absolute, benzyl acetate.
Dry Down: castoreum, ethyl phenyl acetate, malto

The Leather Gardenia is dense with this kind of potency. Not sticky but almost. I was talking with young Portia here at APJ about a new perfume which is called Cuir de Gardenia.

Portia, I am blooming! ‘Tis dense, strong and full of ANTIQUE CASTOREUM ABSOLUTE! Opps, sorry for shouting. No time-wasting top notes at all thank you very much. Straight to the gardenia and jasmine heart although you may want to pause there before the terrifying beautiful drydown. Portia this is a strange and secret show, this scent.

Jordan to Portia

Cuir de Gardenia by ~~perfumer~~ alchemist Mandy Aftel does not encourage much writing because once you close your eyes and inhale that is it. I cannot call this a perfume; it is a potion.

Photo Stolen Calsidyrose Flickr

I think what makes this one so special, even beyond the real Tiare absolute (until now a synthesized aroma in perfumery) is the combination of that with an ingredient that Mandy received from an outgoing perfumer’s estate. Aged ingredients are rarer and rarer as the market for perfume consumption has grown. Some ingredients go off with age and some change and improve as the years go by. Vintage Ouds, Sandalwood, Musk and Castereum all intensify with age. In this perfume, as mentioned above, there is antique castoreum which enriches the already intense smell of Tiare, the Tahitian gardenia. It also provides the smooth leather drydown.

Over at Fragrantica there are some unusual questions by Elena Vosnaki with refreshing replies by Mandy Aftel in an interview called The Viewpoint of the Artisan Businesswoman and Perfumer.

Cuir de Gardenia – notes and Mandy’s thoughts.

Book Update: according to Virginia at Té de Violetas the title of Mandy’s next book is Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent. The book focuses on five epic aromatics: mint, cinnamon, ambergris, jasmine, and frankincense. It explores their powerful connection to history, philosophy, and our most essential human appetites.

Cuir de Gardenia
Aftelier Perfumers
Perfumer: Mandy Aftel
Release Date: November 2013

Solid perfume – 1/4 ounce sterling silver compact $US240
Perfume Oil – 1/4 ml sample $US6

For the Holiday 2013 season, a limited-edition extrait version of Cuir de Gardenia is available in a mini 2 ml bottle $US55

Aftelier Perfumes – website

Further Reading
The Non-Blonde – Cuir de Gardenia – review
The Black Narcissus – Cuir de Gardenia – reaction
Aftelier Perfume – The Secret Accord – Ancient Resins
Olfactoria’s Travels – Tea Time with Mandy Aftel
Té de Violetas – Mandy Aftel interview and Ylang Organic Face Elixir . The English version is below the Spanish version.

Coeur De Vétiver Sacré by Karine Vinchon Spehner for L’Artisan Parfumeur 2010

November 16, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Haefennasiel

Hello there! I’m Haefennasiel (obviously not my real name – but I love J.R.R. Tolkien, and this is my elven nom de plume), and this will be my first time to officially review a perfume. But before we begin, my apologies – this is a long overdue guest review that should’ve come out months ago if only a hectic work schedule and stress on the homefront hadn’t gotten in the way.

Coeur De Vétiver Sacré by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Bergamot, orange, black tea, pepper, ginger, coriander, saffron, dates, dried apricot, incense, osmanthus, rose, iris, vanilla, vetiver, tarragon, sandalwood, white cedar, guaiac wood, amber, tonka , labdanum, castoreum, musk

I actually requested for something quite different so I was surprised when I opened the package sent by Australian Perfume Junkies. However, things worked out for the best when I tried out my sample of L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Couer De Vétiver Sacré. My curiosity was piqued because I didn’t know what vetiver was (in the face of amateurish ignorance, research is a very handy ally). After a bit of Wikipedia-ing, I found out vetiver is related to lemongrass (locally known in our neck of the woods as “tanglad”). I became even more curious because we use this as a stuffing ingredient for roast suckling pig! Am I going to reek of pork? However, I was pleasantly and fragrantly surprised …

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I kept the sample next to my keyboard as I worked, sniffing at it in between my lessons. And I was certainly glad I did because I almost immediately felt more relaxed and calm after every sniff. There was an initial pleasant dried-herb scent that was gentle and grassy. I later detected a black tea note, as well as very faint hints of dried ginger and mint. But despite all these elements, there was nothing food-ish or gourmand (much less, roast suckling pig!) about this perfume, and it’s more like a lovingly handmade potpourri.

Photo Stolen Pavel P. Flickr

The sillage wasn’t very strong (probably because I only dabbed a little bit of it to make the sample last), but it stayed comfortably close to my skin. This scent invokes impressions of being in a quiet, secluded corner of a forest. It’s thickly wooded and a bit dim, but there is nothing evil or sinister here. Shafts of sunlight penetrate through the trees bathing the area in a soft, warm glow. The ground is covered with soft damp moss, making it a perfect place to rest and meditate.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Olfactoria’s Travels
FragranceNet has $49/50ml before coupon
The Posh Peasant starts at $4/ml

H x

L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse 2013

November 15, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Hey Hey APJ Crew!!

You may remember recently 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 four of their La Collection de Grasse fragrances to try and if I wanted to APJ could review them. Well, I WANT TO! These fragrances are beautiful, wearable, spritz and go winners. Let’s meet them:

L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse

La Collection de Grasse Miniatures Set Photo Stolen L’Occitane

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

Jasmine & Bergamote by Karine Dubreuil 2013

Fragrantica gives these featuired accords:
Top: Bergamot, pettigrain, mandarin
Heart: Egyptian Jasmine, jasmine
Base: Sandalwood, cedar

This opens with sheer, watery citrus and the jasmine already floating below, like fresh water from the tap and cut sappy flower stems. Pretty, fresh, light and wearable Jasmine & Bergamote was grabbed by my assistant Katie and getting it back, nearly one third used already, was quite a chore. Jasmine & Bergamote is way too simple for my tastes but Katie can’t stop raving about how much she loves it. It smells wonderful on her and I can see why she likes it, the clean brightness that washes over everything is like a spring sunlit early evening warm but turning cool. Katie has bagsed the bottle, could I give a better recommendation?

Magnolia & Mure by Karine Dubreuil 2013

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, blackberry
Heart: Magnolia, rose
Base: Patchouli

Here we have a very interesting blackberry opening that is full on and in your face, a tart reminder of Enchanted Forest but a gentler, less intimidating version that is extremely modern and sheer but with a great sillage a scent bubble. Noticeable without being intrusive Magnolia & Mure is a true perfume of the teen years of the 21st century and if you want to smell in tune with the times I think it an excellent choice, a fruit-chouli that I enjoy!! Very hard to believe. The heart and dry down are surprisingly still filled with the sizzle of blackberry till the uber clean patchouli quietly fades to nothing. I can imagine Magnolia & Mure being a good gateway fragrance too for the young ready to step away from celebuscents and into the world of fine fragrance.

The Vert & Bigarade by Karine Dubreuil 2013

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bitter orange, green tea
Heart: Mate, thyme
Base: Musk, cedar, hay

The citrus and tea opening is tart, fresh, sparkling and very Eau de Cologne-ish. So delightful and very wearable, I can imagine this becoming a simple, no nonsense go-to fragrance for anyone who wants to smell fresh, vibrant and relaxed. The green continues into the heart and only warms through slightly in the dry down into a soft, clean, woodsy musk. The Vert & Bigarade is not a hugely groundbreaking fragrance but it is a good bet for someone taking their first steps outside the regular department store fare that wants to smell good and not have to worry. Excellent work choice and I think a LOT of gym bags will be sporting The Vert & Bigarade after the gift giving season.

Vanille & Narcisse by Karine Dubreuil 2013

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Black current, bergamot
Heart: Gardenia, narcissus
Base: Tonka bean, vanilla

This is the fragrance that sent me looking for the L’Occitane people in the first place. I can’t believe it’s not 10 x the price in a very chi chi niche perfume line. This has all the interest and elegance of a much more expensive fragrance with a very soft black current and citrus open that is sweet but not that modern hyper-sweet, diabetic with one spritz and the black current showing none of its urinous tendencies. I think the open is tamed by the flowers in the heart and cake sweet rather than lolly sweet vanilla base, Vanille & Narcisse could easily be a Guerlain Aqua Allegoria, CHANEL Exclusive or a DIOR Couturier, it could even be a Patricia de Nicolai.

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:
Magnolia & Mure EdT 75ml
P&H Anywhere in the world

1 winner will receive:
The Vert & Bigarade EdT 75ml
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

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

Extra Chances?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2cr #Giveaway #Perfume @LOCCITANE

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 17th 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 21st 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.

Interview with Karine Dubreuil, Perfumer for L’Occitane En Provence.

Presenting La Collection De Grasse

Dear God, a prayer

November 15, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Hey All,

I’m sure you’ve all seen this before but I loved it so much that I felt it needed to be shared. It totally tickled my funny bone.

What am I wafting while writing to you? Just dabbed on some elegant and glamorous white flowers: Divine Parfume. Gorgeous.

Have a super great, fragrant day,
Portia xx

Photo Stolen Alpha Flickr

Dear God,

Please send clothes

to all those poor ladies on

grandpa’s computer.

Amen.

Jacinthe et Rose by E. Coudray 1983

November 14, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Poodle

Hello to all my friends down in Oz!

As I’m writing this, the leaves are turning and it feels like fall out there but those of you down under are shaking off the winter chill and spring is in the air. One of my favorite scents of springtime is hyacinth in bloom. I have a few in my yard and I sometimes pick them and bring in a cluster to perfume the house a bit. This past spring I tried to find a perfume with hyacinth as a major note. I stumbled across Jacinthe et Rose online and even though it had peach in it I blind bought a bottle. I know, I know, shame on me. Blind buys are bad.

I had a coupon.

I am weak.

And no, I’ll never learn.

Jacinthe et Rose by E. Coudray 1983

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Top: Vodka, peach, hyacinth, bitter orange
Heart: Peony, orange blossom, jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose
Base: Sandalwood, musk, vanilla, vetiver, cedar

At first spritz it reminded me of something, but what? Each time I tested it I couldn’t place it. Then it dawned on me. Once upon a time Victoria’s Secret was a lovely store that played classical music and their merchandise was not marketed towards teens. Those were the pre-Pink days. In addition to a wonderful perfume called Victoria, they also carried a line of bath and body products which I think were called Secret Garden. Even their fruity scents were good. One of those was Peach Hyacinth.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Jacinthe et Rose reminds me of Peach Hyacinth. I’d completely forgotten about it until now. It’s not a dead ringer for it but there are some similarities. At first spritz it’s a quick blast of peach and hyacinth. It’s not as peachy as I remember Peach Hyacinth being but it’s close enough to trigger my memories of it. You already know my fear of peach and this was one of the few that smelled like peach and not pee on me. The hyacinth was pretty strong in Peach Hyacinth too. I can smell some hyacinth here but I wish it was a bit more pronounced than it is. Soon, Jacinthe et Rose veers away from my remembrance of Peach Hyacinth and becomes a slightly powdery but well balanced bouquet. This is the point where the rose really shines. The juice is pink and honestly that’s the perfect color for it. Soft and delicate are words that come to mind. This is a ladylike scent. There’s nothing dirty here at all. It’s pretty and clean. If you’re a fan of powdery florals this might be for you but if you like dark and dirty Jacinthe et Rose won’t fit the bill.

Photo Stolen T.Kiya Flickr

I wish I could say I smell all the notes in this but other than the main characters I really can’t. It’s very well blended to my nose and linear. I’m sure plenty of people with better noses than mine could pick this one apart but its not that important to me to smell everything in it.

First In Fragrance has 100ml/€73 and Samples
Jovoy Paris has 100ml/ €56 (sadly they do not send to Australia)
GraysOutlet (in Australia) has $103/100ml

While I do like Jacinthe et Rose I’m not in love with it. It doesn’t have much lasting power on me but few things do, and it just gradually fades away.. I like the fact that the rose doesn’t get sour on me and stays fresh. It is a very pretty perfume that’s worth a sniff. On those days when I’m feeling demure and feminine it will be the perfect potion I’m sure.

Poodle x