Shanti Shanti by Miller et Bertaux 2008

August 3, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Don’t forget to enter our La Via Del Profumo GIVEAWAY!!<<<<JUMP

Hello lovers of fine fragrance,

I think this little gem came in my box of goodies from Birgit or Sandra at Olfactoria’s Travels but I could be wrong, it may have been from Sheila at The Alembicated Genie or even as a Gift With Purchase. It is a manufacturers carded sample in a beautiful heavy, matte, white card with silver writing and inside was a 2ml dab vial that I immediately upon opening decanted into a spritzer to get the scent thatv you would get from the bottle.

Shanti Shanti by Miller et Bertaux 2008

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Bulgaria rose, iris, warm spices, cardamom, patchouli, sandalwood

LibertineParfumerie gives this list:
Top: Rose (Bulgarian or Damascene)
Heart: Iris, rose (Baie)
Base: Cardamom, patchouli, sandalwood (Indian)

Rose, ROSE, a big, wet, musky, sweet, spicy rose with tea facets and a little leaf and twig. Clean and fresh, no hint of manure or humus, like sitting in the middle of a field of roses very early in the morning and it’s cold, as the sun comes up it warms the flowers and the dew and fragrance flies, on an icy but stunningly fragrant breeze. Thank goodness for the thermos of tea because otherwise you’d be freezing. Adult rose, manly rose, green, crisp and alive are all things I’ve jotted while sniffing. It’s a wonderful opening.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

As Shanti Shanti settles the rose stays and is joined by cool, rooty, powdery iris but it feels very musk also, maybe the thing that my nose/brain thinks is musk is another ingredient. At two hours wear time and though the fragrance has softened appreciable it still is a very fresh green rose, I can just detect some sandalwood/patchouli/cardamom but it’s a green, milky softness rather than each note separately. Shanti Shanti has work quite linear really, not much story, but not boring either. That they have kept it so defiantly green is beautiful, I bet this would be a fabulous Summer scent.

Why is it called Shanti Shanti? Shanti (from Sanskrit शान्तिः śāntiḥ) means peace, rest. Yes, this is extremely peaceful and restful, the final dry down has a musk and herbal tinge over the rose that could with your eyes squinted and a bit of imagination be a referral to India, but only the travel brochure pictures of India not physically being there.

Photo Stolen Bulgaria-Trips

Shanti Shanti has opening heft, I am decidedly fragrant but it would take mega spritzes to get skunkish. After an hour it calms to a light, but not too light, fresh fragrance that is green and clean without being generic or laundry. Like a breath of fresh air all day, well for around 5-6 hours.

Further reading: PerfumeNW and Perfume Posse: both these reviews are smaller bites in a post but I couldn’t find others on the first 3 pages of Google. Sorry. They’re both worth a read though because they catch stuff I miss.LibertineParfumerie has $195/100ml including FREE Australian Shipping
First In Fragrance has €94/100ml and does samples €4

Photo Stolen Alianna Logan Flickr

See how this girl is both elegant, dressed up, lovingly thought out but then her hair is artfully disarrayed, that’s how Shanti Shanti feels. Perfect but comfortably so. Miller et Bertaux is a line that I keep coming across and I think I like them very much. Spiritus/Land #2, A Quiet Morning and now Shanti Shanti have all been winners for Jin & I.

Have you tried any of the Miller et Bertaux fragrances? If so, what did you think? If not, are they now on your radar?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

The Creation of a Natural Perfume: Aromatique Essentials

August 3, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Don’t forget to enter our La Via Del Profumo GIVEAWAY!!<<<<JUMP

Post by Julie of Aromatique Essentials

Today we start a new ongoing story of the creation of a scent. Julie will be our guide and I (Portia) will be the guinea pig. The other day Julie came to my home and we did a consultation which included talking through favourite smells, things, people and memories. I was also asked to fill out an in depth questionnaire so Julie would have something to reference as she worked on my scent. It was loads of fun and she is a character full of wonderful stories and anecdotes of the fragrances and her own personal history. Time flew by with loads of laughter and knowledge exchanged. I hope you enjoy the story of a creation of a scent.
Portia xx

Who Is Julie Nelson of Aromatique Essentials?

Hello Australian Perfume Junkies,

As a Holistic Aromatherapist*, I am guided by instinct backed by knowledge of the way fragrance has been used as decoration and medicinally through many different countries and cultures into pre-history. Almost 20 years professional experience, as a practitioner, educator and consultant and I am still learning. At Aromatique essentials we create the highest quality bespoke perfumes and use only the highest quality of pure organic and natural essential oils selected from all around the world and Aromatique Essentials products are free from synthetic ingredients.

I fell in love with essential oils and the art of aromatherapy after my daughter was born. She was the youngest and smallest TOF (tracheoesophageal fistula) baby born in Australia at that time, with many complications and challenges. As a mother I looked to do more for her and help her in every way possible. Using aromatherapy every day improved her early life and transformed us both physically, emotionally and spiritually. So, grateful for this, I have devoted my life to learning how aromatherapy can support and enhance the well-being of others.

A Holistic Practitioner, Aromatherapy Consultant and Aromatherapy Coach, with 13 years as an educator responsible for the design and delivery of Aromatherapy and Beauty programs for Australia’s leading natural therapies colleges and featuring in national publications like Pharmacy Trade, Pregnancy Magazine, Cleo, For Me, Body & Soul, Good Weekend, Sydney Morning Herald as well as health/beauty blogs and radio segments.

Julie Nelson

I am an alchemist, healer and teacher. It is my calling.
With love,
Julie xo

The Journey of ‘Capturing the Fragrant Essence of Your Soul’

Why have a perfume made especially for you?
A Bespoke perfume is a signature, testament to your unique and beautiful self, who you are. Imagine having a fragrance that no other person has, every time people smell you it will become their eternal memory of you.
It can be the mark of a special occasion: Wedding day, Birthday, Mothers day, Giving birth, any Milestone. Or simply because you can.

One of my favourite things to do is creating a signature perfume. There are no synthesized ingredients or animal products in my creations but pure essential oils, floral waters and hydrosols. Essential oils alone are very complex containing hundreds of natural chemical constituents. Rose essential oil has over 400 natural chemical constituents and is very difficult to duplicate with the nuances and depths of the real thing.

Blending is my art; involving two decades of study, experience and passion, referencing your astrological birth chart and trusting my intuition through spending time with you. I love to create something so intimate, personal and magical for, and with, you.

In preparation for your creation I need to know as much as I can about you, so that your personality, what you love and how you desire to feel is evoked when you wear your Bespoke Perfume. When crafting your perfume my intention is to ‘Capture the Fragrant Essence of Your Soul’.

The first step to creating your perfume is filling out a detailed perfume consultation form with as much information about yourself as possible. Tell me your favourite scents, food, colour and season. What type of aromas you resonate with such as floral, woody, spicy or fresh citrus tones. Astrologically your Sun, Moon and Rising sign can be taken into account when creating your perfume because they give me more insight in to your personality and assists me in creating.

From here, I then begin the process by creating samples, which can take up to 4 weeks. Once they are ready I then send them to you. What you receive is 3 x1mL perfume vials numbered 1,2 and 3 in separate sealed bags. I allow one week for you to choose your favourite perfume sample. (It is best to inhale and try them in the morning after you bathe)

Your 2nd consultation can be held via phone, Skype or you can come to me. This consultation allows you to ask any questions you may have.
I then make your 2nd 3 x 1ml mods and allow them to sit and synergise/brew for 4-6 weeks before they are posted to you.

Your 3rd consultation can also be held via phone, Skype or you can come to me. This consultation allows you to finalise your fragrance.
I then make your finished Perfume and allow it to sit and synergise for 4-6 weeks before it is posted to you. Your own fragrance.

Should you need more mods then this perfume can be layered and built on to and you will be charged an hourly rate.

Packaged in a beautiful heart shaped green glass 100ml spray bottle decorated with a charm crafted from vintage jewellery dating back to the 1930’s-1950’s. These charms are made especially for Aromatique Essentials and no 2 charms are alike. Or you can choose one of our spectacular hand blown glass creations for your fragrance. Each perfume comes with a personal note listing each essential oil and what it represents and is kept on file. Your formula can be used to create a range of bespoke products including body creams and lotions, bath salts, body oils and room sprays.

Enjoy a touch of luxury every day, all it takes is a few drops or a gentle spray of your custom made perfume and you are wrapped in an your own personal veil of fragrance.
The beauty of using pure essential oils also assists on other levels such as boosting your nervous and immune systems uplifting your mind mood and emotions, which adds another dimension to your perfume!

Julie

Please come and visit me at the Aromatique Essentials website<<<JUMP

All photos from Aromatique Essentials site

*Adj. holistic – emphasizing the organic or functional relation between parts and the whole/pertaining to or using therapies outside the mainstream of orthodox medicine, as chiropractic, homeopathy, or naturopathy.

Milano Caffe by AbdesSalaam Attar for La Via del Profumo 2013

August 2, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 65 Comments

Heya Frag Hags,

Recently there has been a flurry of excitement because La Via del Profumo, the natural perfume house from Italy, run by a French ex-pat who dresses like a fairytale Arabian desert bedouin (plural of badawī بَدَوِي,) is releasing a series of fragrances in honour of his adopted country Italy. The first of these arrived today with samples of two others for me to try. VERY EXCITED!!

Milano Caffe by La Via del Profumo 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Coffee, cappuccino, chocolate, iris, woody notes, spicy notes, opoponax, tonka bean, amber

Milano Caffe, the name alone is fabulous. I have a 15.5ml spray bottle and love its aesthetic. Chunky square glass with a smaller version repeated in the lid in plastic, its simplicity is exotic, feels expensive and is so perfectly simple. I have only had Milano Caffe 3 days and have worn it all three mornings, just for myself, completely selfishly and have enjoyed it immensely.

A warning: Give Milano Caffe a minute to soften off before you put nose to wrist, or in my case down your top, it will burn you out very quickly and some of the enjoyable development will be lost for you.

Photo Stolen Özge Okcuer Flickr

OK second go. First spritz gives me a blast of woodsy, resinous amber that could be the creating of coffee at the barista bar, that blast of hot water meeting ground beans, the milk being heated and the street smells of cars, pets and humanity all encompassed in that five minute rush of excitement. It is big and loud and in your face, just like a busy Summer streetside coffee house (though I’ve only done Florence, Rome and Venice, assuming similarities) in the middle of the tourist section.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Interestingly here I get the amber and other resins through the heart of the fragrance with some totally gorgeous smoke, still with a coffee teinté over the top. The whole fragrance then softens off and becomes a sweet/woodsy very sensual wash before drying off to cool, earth and woods, then just wood, dry wood alone and then gone. Around 4-6 hours before I lose the scent completely depending on the day, it may still be hovering over my skin but I can’t smell it. That’s pretty good longevity for a natural.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Now Smell This
La Via del Profumo has €12,40/5.5ml (Splash), €33/15.5ml (Spray), €71,40/33ml (Spray), €98/50ml (Spray)

Photo Stolen Kesha&Co

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

1 x 2ml Manufacturers Sample of Milano Caffe
1 x 2ml Manufacturers Sample of Palermo Don Corleone
1 x 2ml Manufacturers Sample of Venezia Giardini Segrett
P&H Anywhere in the world

These are remains after I have sampled them so not exactly 2ml (1.5-2ml)

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

Go to La Via Del Profumo and find me ONE perfume and ONE of its ingredients. NO DOUBLE UPS!! EASY!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie La Via del Profumi ITALIAN SERIES GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p2fQBU-1QK @LaViaDelProfumo #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday August 4 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Jin will pick a winner.
The winners will have till Thursday August 8 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.

Good Luck Everyone!
Go To It.
Portia xx

Louis Vuitton: “Up On High Heels” Mini movie

August 1, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hello Hot Steppers,

I don’t know about you but shoes are something I adore. I have a 10 pair of male and 10 pair of female shoes rule because my collection was excessive and I had to downsize it, do you see a theme running through my life? Anyway, now it’s one in and one out, unless I have a breakage or disaster. So this fun mini movie with shoes, design, art and dance was right up my alley.

So I hope this entertains you while we wait and wait and wait for the Louis Vuitton fragrance…………. STILL WAITING…………

Photo Stolen StyleFrizz

LV Spiel: Louis Vuitton invites you to dance and take a leap in time, moving from more recent collections of shoes to past designs that have marked the House’s fashion history. See the story at http://vuitton.lv/Kn9Xiz

Enjoy,
Portia xxx

Louis Vuitton presents Up High On Heels

Powder Flowers by Montale

July 31, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Hey there FUMIES,

A few months ago I grabbed a bunch of the Montale fragrance samples, I tried a few of them but didn’t get to the rest, here’s one that I should have tried immediately. There are a few of the Montales that don’t seem to have come from the house, Sandflowers is one and this is another….

Powder Flowers by Montale

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Rose, jasmine, osmanthus, cedar, tonka bean

Clear, sheer and fresh are three words I would never have linked in my mind to Montale who usually go for heavy hitters. Powder Flowers is so far from my knowledge of the brand that I had to check I hadn’t mislabeled the spritzer. Even Sandflowers is more Montale-isah than this. Lovely, pretty and dainty are not words I had previously used either but all of these adjectives are absolutely accurate when talking about my skins reaction to Powder Flowers. If you have a celebuscent crazed teen or a fruitchouli addicted friend then this could be the first step in their rehabilitation. While giving the sheer, barely there feel of many of the current offerings there is a story, a level of interest and change, and it is fragrant. The sillage is excellent, changing the air as you walk past and making it interesting, drawing your nose after it, it sits close though and after leaving my office to make coffee and returning there is no appreciable remains of it.

Powder Tower, Prague Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Like many of the Montale fragrances though the parts are so reduced from naturals that they are barely recognisable, there is something in jasmine that reads salty to my nose and I’m wondering if it was in the sunscreen that I grew up with here in Australia and that the memory of the beach is forever locked in stasis with it, I also notice it in other scents featuring this super clean jasmine. Rose passes me by completely in Powder Flowers and though I have often liked osmanthus fragrances it doesn’t seem present because I get no fruity/lactonic emphasis, the cedar and tonka are there all through but it takes a while to notice them.

Photo Stolen Tanaka Juuyoh Flickr

It’s called Powder Flowers, it is not a typical powder but an abstract, “If I was the Queen of all powders this is how I’d smell.” I don’t think the notes list tells us much here, could we be missing musk, iris, heliotrope and others? Having now drained my second sample of Powder Flowers I am thinking a large decant to see if I go through it as quickly. The only reason I haven’t bought a bottle already is that I can’t believe that I am so in love with a fragrance so definitively UN-me.

Photo Stolen DuboseLawFirm

Further reading: Scent For Thought and I could find anything else specific
Parfums Raffy have $105/50ml
Neroli Budapest has €56/50ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/ml

You may wonder why the Prague Powder Tower pic is above, well, Jin and I were in Prague earlier in the year and we kept walking around and through this gate so when I saw it while looking for Powder Pix I instantly wanted to share this reminiscence.

Have you tried this far from usual Montale?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Coco by CHANEL: LIVE Video Sniff

July 30, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 48 Comments

Hello Avid YouTube Watchers and APJ Crew,

It’s been a long while since we had LIVE Video Sniffs. These were filmed ages ago but I have not got them up yet, MEA CULPA 100%. So far this year has been a fabulously hectic whirlwind of adventures, travel and new work. So finally it feels like we have time to do some catch up.

This LIVE Video Sniff is a solo one. I am all alone with a rather special fragrance. It’s filled with my usual screw ups and a bit of silliness, please take it in the fun vein it is intended. My potty mouth doesn’t get too out of control, well, maybe a bit… NSFW unless you have headphones

As always special thanks to my BFF Kath for shooting and editing and TSO Jin for making it ready to watch on YouTube.

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Coco by CHANEL: LIVE Video Sniff

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Coriander, pomegranate blossom, mandarin orange, peach, jasmine and Bulgarian rose
Heart: Mimose, cloves, orange blossom, clover and rose
Base: Labdanum, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean, opoponax, civet and vanilla

Thank you, as always, for watching and being a part of the madness that is a LIVE Video Sniff.

Further reading: Coco (Modern) Australian Perfume Junkies and Bois de Jasmin

CHANEL…Iconic CHANEL…Sampler – Posh Peasant has the 5 x 2.5ml Spray $44

CHANEL Gateway Sampler – Surrender To Chance has 4 x 3ml Spray $28

Photo Stolen Jerine Lay Flickr

Iris Nazarena by Ralf Schwieger for Aedes de Venustas 2013

July 29, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Hello Niche Nerds,

Last week I met up with Clayton Ilolahia from What Men Should Smell Like, he happened to have recently been to NYC and spent some time at Aedes de Venustas. There he was given samples of their newest baby: a sleek greyhound of a fragrance that feels like 3000 years of selective breeding have culminated with

Iris Nazarena by Aedes de Venustas 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Iris, anise, musk mallow, juniper berries
Heart: Leather, cloves, rose, oudh
Base: Vetiver, amber, woods, incense

Straight out of the gate I get a sweet iris/leather mix that is very much like brand new shoes. After initial burn off my skin smells wet and earthy prettiness that feels so elegant and refined, green and sappy like the smell after cutting hydrangeas for the house. Iris Nazarena is all crustless finger sandwiches, cream silk blouses, yellow gold + pearl jewellery and Cape Cod in blue and white. In fact it reminds me of how I imagine the women to smell in the upper crusts of John Irving books. Glamorous, pretty, fresh and just a little spicy,

Post Stolen TempletonRye

Parsing Iris Nazarena is easy because even I can smell most of the given notes, or nods to them, but even more enjoyable is spaying myself quite lavishly and just breathing in the beauty of a fragrance that seems particularly well constructed and seamless. One of the things that I particularly like is that the opening greenness stays well into the heart, riding over the leather, oudh and amber effortlessly, though I imagine to make something smell this pure and easy must have taken an enormous amount of persistence. There are some faint crossovers here between Bottega Veneta and Chanel 19 but Iris Nazarena feels newer and easier. Like the other two are trying a bit hard, Iris Nazarena is so comfortable in itself that it doesn’t have to try.

My advice is to give yourself an extra spritz of Iris Nazarena, it’s light and sheer enough not to skunk but the extra spritz gives a fuller and deeper story, and sillage. Longevity is good, though it softens off dramatically after 2 hours to a very sexy whisper, and scent bubble quite close but noticeable.

I can see why people are raving about Iris Nazarena, it is a grand beauty but without the pomp and ceremony.

Photo Stolen Aedes de Venustas

Further reading: Grain de Musc and Perfume Shrine
Aedes de Venustas has $245/100ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $7/ml

Did you try the Aedes de Venustas eponymous fragrance or have you smelled Iris Nazarena yet?

Till tomorrow be nice to yourself and those in your orbit,
Portia x

Enchanted Forest GIVEAWAY WINNERS

July 29, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Enchanted Forest by The Vagabond Prince GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Thank you all so much for entering. It was lovely to have you all join in and i hope you all enjoyed the thrill of anticipation.

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

There are 2 prizes this week. Each winner will receive:

1.5ml Enchanted Forest Manufacturers Carded Sample
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

All you needed to do is be a follower, tell us how you follow and leave a hello in the comments! EASY PEASY!!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 28th July 2013 11pm Australian EST.
Winners chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Jin picked a winner.

MaggieCat, DGambas

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

The winners will have till Wednesday 31st July 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 again team
Portia xx

Photos Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy and berryreview

Mysore Sandalwood in Australia!

July 28, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Guest Post by Jordan River

Hey there Perfume Junkies,

Don’t forget our Enchanted Forest GIVEAWAY <<<JUMP

Jordan River of The Fragrant Man has again got the hottest news, an Australian story that makes me very happy,
Portia xx

Mysore Sandalwood in Australia!

Santalum Album is Mysore Sandalwood Photo: J.M. Garb

Santalum album is Mysore Sandalwood, now growing sustainably in Australia
Photo: J.M. Garb

It’s all Good News here at Australian Perfume Junkies.

The demise of Mysore Sandalwood from India is well documented. The root stock of the Mysore variety, Santalum album was planted in Australian plantations sometime ago and is now being sustainably harvested.

Australia does have a native sandalwood, Santalum spicatum, with an interesting scent profile but it is not as creamy or luscious as the Mysore variety. Now Australia has Mysore Sandalwood plantations.

I know Kafka will be thrilled and I suspect Bertand Duchaufour, the man who ate niche, has left India and is in Australia right now checking quality and shipping. Suzanne R. Banks will be glowing with happiness. I also predict a sighting of Neela Vermeire in Australia soon.

So how does Mysore Sandalwood grown in Austalia smell? And can you buy it? How does 1 gram for 55€ sound?

Let’s travel now to Italy to see what perfumer AdbesSalaam Attar has to say about this development.

Click link: The Return of Mysore Sandalwood

Addition: The largest grower in Australia, Tropical Forestry Services has a purpose built nursery with the capacity to produce over 500,000 Mysore stock seedlings per planting season. They have an astonishing 7,600 hectares of trees planted in the tropical north of Australia.

Further Reading
Brie’s historic encounter with Mysore Sandalwood
Suzanne on Australian Perfume Junkies
Amer on Sandalwood
Perfume Shrine – see comments section
The End of Oud – a similar situation to Mysore Sandalwood
Ecological Conscience – Ensar Oud on sustainability at Australian Perfume Junkies

Afghan Woman Harvesting Orange Blossoms

July 28, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Guest Post by Jordan River

Hey there Perfume Junkies,

Don’t forget our Enchanted Forest GIVEAWAY <<<JUMP

Following on from FeralJasmine’s story this week about Afghanistan Orange Blossom and the Jordan River, from The Fragrant Man, story about The Noble Rose: another of The 7 Virtues Beauty Inc. World changing economics in action through fragrance.
Portia xx

Afghan Woman Harvesting Orange Blossoms

In response to Ellen Covey’s comment on Make Perfume not War…

Barb Stegemann from The 7 Virtues has supplied this photo of one of the women employed on this project.

Afghan woman harvesting orange blossoms for the perfume Afghanistan Orange Blossom by The 7 Virtues.
Her name is Rose Petals in the local language.

Further Reading
Afghanistan Orange Blossom – reviewed by Feral Jasmine on Australian Perfume Junkies
Make Perfume not War – Opium poppy fields turning into fields of roses