beauty

TABAC by La Via del Profumo: Review

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hello Stinkophiles,

Photo of Faun by Forest Rogers

I have been wearing sporadically a group of samples bought from the La Via del Profumo range of Scents Of The Soul. When you buy a set of 6 generous, and beautifully mini bottled, 5ml samples you get a special wooden coffret to house them. This simple wooden box sits on my desk at all times and sometimes I open it up just to sniff the air inside, redolent with the magic in the tiny bottles.


Photo stolen Profumo

Today instead of just opening the box though I decided to lavishly spread Tabac upon my skin. It opens up deliciously vanilla and murky green tobacco on my skin, deep and humus rich earthy, maybe the cistus (rock rose) flies above but to me there is a fruity/jammy quality to the higher notes so you have a 2 speed fragrance. The depth and steady boom of the vanilla/tonka/smoking tobacco are played against this light flower/green tobacco/hay/fruity accord, there may even be a boozy side story here just on the edge of smelling. It is quite a ride, you can almost feel the sun on the cut grass, warming and drying it. This is a perfume, hefty, tasty, lusty and delicious; not for the faint hearted or affeared of fragrance. There is no hint of light aquatic, fruity nothing here. As it begins to lose its potency and aims towards dry down Tabac becomes sweeter before it goes dark, like the vanilla has come back to round the whole story out. Scent, longevity and sillage; Tabac by La Via del Profumo seems to have it all for me. When I finish this nearly empty sample it will be FB time.


Photo Stolen Profumo

From the LaViaDelProfumo site

The absolute of tobacco is the theme of this perfume. In the composition the overwhelming aroma of the tobacco is moderated with the spicy and resinous essences traditionally used to scent pipe tobacco…. Vanilla, cistus, tonka etc.
However, it’s interest and success lies in in its effect on the psyche and the vital energy. In perfume therapy, the scent of tobacco absolute confers warmth and well being and strength without overpowering. In effect, tobacco absolute should be taken into consideration for persons who have misused their own forces to the point where they are enervated and depleted of physical and psychic energy.

Please go and visit LaViaDelProfumo where you can find 100% natural perfumes created by extraordinary perfumer Abdes Salam Attar. The sample program is great, I love to try everything so it suits me perfectly. Just so you know, in my coffret I purchased Tabac, Hindu Kush, Sharif, Mecca Balsam, Tartar Leather and African Night, and as a bonus getting a small vial of Oud Caravan No. 3.

Thanks for dropping by, are there any tobacco perfumes that I should smell or that you love? Please leave us a comment so I can go look,
I hope your day is lovely.
If it’s not, things will and do get better, promise,

Portia xx

Portia xx

Giorgio Beverly Hills 1981 Review

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hey Hey! Ho ho Ho Y’All,
What the…? I hear you ask. Why? Well, they have introduced an Eau de Giorgio 2012, I haven’t smelt it but just the thought of my teen years spent smelling the original has brought back big smiles, happy memories and a little melancholy. When my fave SA from a closing down sale offered me a half full ex tester bottle for $5 I jumped at the chance, just for the joy of jay walking down Memory Lane.


Photo Stolen paradiseemporium

Putting Giorgio Beverly hills on made me tear up with memories. The scent is burned into my olfactory memory centre like looking at the sun during an eclipse can burn your retina. Giorgio Beverly Hills was one of the fragrances that all Mum’s would wear in the 1980’s, so hugging Mum, family & friends and being engulfed by this enormous, wonderful and terrifying powerhouse fragrance was just how life was. It was the women who made all the decisions in our lives, we would watch them making a million split second choices, they ran their houses, domestic help, businesses, families and social lives in a way that just doesn’t seem to exist any more. Yet they still seemed to have time to relax, laugh and live. And everyone pretended they lived in Dynasty.

Photo Stolen blankstareblink.

OMG! How can this have been an every day scent? It is almost toxic in its utter hugeness. Everything happens at once! Flowers, fruit, wood, moss… BOOM! No wonder Giorgio Beverly Hills was banned from many restaurants, cinemas and work places. Ha! I am adrift on a sea of gorgeousness, there is nothing else, even sound can’t enter the walls of my Giorgio prison. BOOM! Close my eyes and I am alone in the world, just this enormous scent and I.

Fragrantica gives the notes and history as

Top notes: Orange blossom, peach, apricot,  bergamot
Middle notes:  Ylang-ylang, tuberose, gardenia, jasmine, rose, orchid
Base notes: Sandalwood, patchouli, vanilla, amber, cedar, oakmoss, musk

The Giorgio Beverly Hills fragrance was launched in 1981 by Fred Hayman and then-wife Gale Hayman with a fanfare normally reserved for a major perfume house launch, and never before seen for an independent boutique brand. Love it or hate it, the fragrance captured the public’s imagination in the 1980s, and was perfectly suited to the era’s glamorous and over-the-top fashions.

In 1987, the Giorgio Beverly Hills fragrance was sold to Avon for an astounding $165 million, and the boutique subsequently changed its name to Fred Hayman Beverly Hills.

This has been a terrific journey, I hope you have enjoyed the ride. Are there any scents that take you back in a heartbeat? That you smell and all of a sudden you’re in a memory time machine? Please share, I love to read other peoples stories.

Also, check out the PerfumePosse (<<JUMP) today. I have a guest spot and a special deal for you over there.
See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

Grand Bal by DIOR 2012 Review

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Hey All,

Grand Bal by Christian Dior from La Collection Couturier Perfumeur range opens bright and cool, like a room lit with only LED light. As the juice warms on your skin so too does the scent. I was expecting it to be a very quiet and unassuming fragrance from the reviews I’ve read but no, it is cool bergamot, sexy, musky, white flowers, buttery ylang-ylang and sandalwood that are set in a perfume harking back to days of Grand Balls and the enormous gowns they wore that were made with the lightest and most expensive materials, enormous amounts of them. It doesn’t have the deep skank factor of days gone by, nor does it have the modern clean feel, the fleshiness here is not OCD clean but really living and breathing.

Photo Stolen DIOR

As you expect from Dior the fragrance is timeless and modern, giving a delicious and obvious nod to history, using the same materials available to everyone else and then doing it better, classier, more luxuriously, yet without pandering to the lowest common denominator. It is the same but more than the rest, a perfect scent accompaniment to all those delicious Dior gowns I always fantasized about but will never own except in my head.

Photo Stolen FashionBombDaily

From the DIOR website:
Literally fascinated by the excess of the imposing balls that he would not miss for anything, Christian Dior used his fashion to celebrate a certain luxurious and timeless celebratory spirit…”Grand Bal is an echo of Christian Dior’s great ball gowns, whose full skirts and beauty evoked the petals of a flower in full bloom,” François Demachy.

Photo Stolen piroskawolf

1000 Fragrances says in his review
The fresh sambac jasmine with its sensual sparkling green touch dominates the perfume while a small exotic vibe is brought by ylang-ylang Mayotte. The drydown is very sensual and alluring because it uses a new quality of natural sandalwood from Nouvelle Calédonie.

Photo Stolen shinystyle

Just by whacky chance Undina’sLookingGlass has also reviewed Dior’s Grand Bal today. She has done a very different review and it smells different on her skin, go see.

Fragrantica gives the notes in one line as
Musk, jasmine, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, bergamot

My only down side with this lovely fragrance is that my skin has eaten most of it in 4 hours, there is the vaguest musk and wood hint left that is not a skin-ish scent.

I was lucky enough to grab 5ml at SurrenderToChance in a Daily Chance Special, still they have Grand Bal decants starting at $3 for 1ml.
DIOR counters everywhere will probably have it too but I’m not sure. It’s fun to go seeking though,

Have you tried any of La Collection Couturier Perfumeur range? Do you have a favourite? What did you think? If not, are you avoiding them?
Thanks for dropping by,

Portia xx

Musc Ravageur by Maurice Roucel from Frederic Malle 2000 Review

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Hiya Fumies,

I have had a sample of Musc Ravageur glaring with its almost Vivienne Westwood red cover at me since my scent Mother Emma took me on a tour of the Frederic Malle range at our Sydney city Mecca corner under Myer. On the day my 3 standouts were Carnal Flower, Geranium Pour Monsieur and Musc Ravageur. I was given samples of CF and Musc Ravageur but have been afraid of how much I will love them and crave FB of the whole damn lot. Well, to hell with waiting…

MUSC RAVAGEUR by MAURICE ROUCEL from FREDERIC MALLE 2000

Photo Stolen Frederic Malle

A lot has been written about this startling fragrance, Katie Puckrik does word and video, PerfumeSmellingThings and GrainDeMusc do words better than I could ever dream. Check them out. Fragrantica gives these notes

Top notes: Lavender and bergamot
Middle notes: Cinnamon and cloves
Base notes: Sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, guaiac wood and cedar

What happens when I put Musc Ravageur on? The big lavender and bergamot opening and already there is an undercurrent of the base like a warm hug from a fit young footballer just after practice, then the spices waft in heating things up. Together, at this point the whole fragrance seems to be vying for you attention, all notes together, it’s a busty blonde barmaid gone slightly to seed and working double time. My skin eats these first welcoming moments quickly, within the first half hour Musc Ravageur has settled into a sweet and warm musky vanilla that is way too lovely to be me but after a few hours it could be me if you didn’t know what I smelled of originally. A little bit of exercise, be it dancing or vacuuming, gives it an extra kick of sexy because your own scent blends with it. I think this would be a stunning after gym scent. Your blood is still flowing and you have that yummy sexy scent of just showered hard work, add to that some Musc Ravageur and you will seriously need a BIG stick to get rid of guys like this every morning.

Photo Stolen beautifulmale

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post. What scent sends you crazy when you smell it?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Tourmaline by Charriol 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hey Hey all you Scent Worshipers,

I am new to the world of Charriol.

Photo Stolen airesjewelers

It is a Swiss Jewellery and Watch company started in 1983 in Geneva by Philippe Charriol, a French entrepreneur, and known for it’s patented cable work with gold & steel and Celtic inspirations. Expensive, interesting and beautiful; their jewellery and watches are so artfully designed and constructed that they look timeless.


Photo Stolen airesjewelers

TOURMALINE by CHARRIOL 2010

When my friendly SA Amanda says to me, “Portia, you like a white flower powerhouse, don’t you?” my ears prick up instantly. The perfumer from Givaudan who created this fragrance, Guillaume Flavigny, also created In Black for Byblos which TSO Jin wears, and I love on him. He is good at making big scents even in today’s market so I am already thinking it might be a hit for me.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

According to Fragrantica (and severely de-ad.-speak) the notes go
Olfactory family: floral, green, woody
Top notes: Davana, Green notes, Cyclamen, Ivy leaf.
Middle notes: Gardenia, Frangipani, Water hyacinth.
Base notes: Rosewood, Musk, Patchouli.

Yes, it is a green, white floral but it also has a non specific sweet, fruity style that comes from Artemisia Pallens, commonly called Davana in India, that lifts it beyond your regular white floral. I am reading that this is a fruit-chouli/aquatic but it isn’t wearing like that on me at all. The cyclamen at the start gives this great sweet, floral, waxy feeling to the ivy, davana and green notes that identifies it as unusual for me. Then the night flowers start their song, so inviting and in your face. I love the clear call of the flowers in this middle section, it is feisty. This smells good. It’s so simple.  I could go on and on at you about the story and notes and completely miss the point that this smells so good, and fresh, crisp and light. We had a sunny Autumn day here in Sydney, Australia and Tourmaline stepped up to bat and hit the ball out of the park.

Photo Stolen gemselect

The bottle is nice too, it has heft and I like the side roping, and the nod to a watch face. In fact for once the bottle is nicer in your hand than the ad. The whole package seems well thought out and planned. The paraiba tourmaline was first discovered in the Brazililan state of Paraiba in 1989 by a dedicated miner named Heitor Barbosa and it’s luminous blue/green colour is caused by copper traces within the gem. It is only found in 3 places on earth and sells for thousands of dollars per carat.

It is now night time, I’ve cooked us all here the most delicious Butter Chicken, we’ve watched some TV and the crew is in bed. A respritz of Charriol’s lovely Tourmaline and all of a sudden I know what I will write about tonight. This sneaky, budget little gem that I picked up on my fave SAs word.

Tourmaline by Charriol can be bought from their site
I found it at PerfumeConnection 50ml under $30
Amazon also has 50ml under $30

I’m pretty sure this has slipped under everyone’s radar because the only mention I could find in a blog was NowSmellThis where Robin introduces the fragrance but gives mainly Press Release info. The comments after shed more light on the Tourmaline name, it’s where I got the paraiba from.

Thanks for coming along. It’s wonderful to me that you do. Thank You.
Portia xx

Anima Dulcis and Fleur de Louis by Arquiste from Carlos Huber

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Hiya Gang,

I have a special treat for you all today, a hunka-hunka burning love. A few weeks ago I wrote about Aleksandr by Arquiste for Perfume Posse and I thought we could look at a couple of Arquiste’s other fragrances today, the next paragraph is taken from the Posse expose.


Photo Stolen thenateshow

This is Carlos Huber, New York based, four language fluent, Mexican born architect and avant-garde preservationist, who was lucky enough to do his final study with architect and artist Jorge Otero-Pailos at Columbia where he graduated with honors in Historic Preservation, and now works all over the world fusing old and new in such amazingly braggable places as creating Ralph Lauren stores signature look in historically significant sites to restoring old Venetian Palazzos. Not just uber yummy but clearly clever, likeable and driven too.

The idea behind the Arquiste line is to recreate a moment in time with each perfume, much like Parfum d’Empire, but more a snapshot than a movie, a day rather than an era. It is an interesting idea and ties nicely with Carlos architectural work and need to know everything about his historical contexts. Carlos sees himself as a curator rather than perfumer, much like Frederic Malle, and works with perfumers/noses Rodrigo Flores-Roux and Yann Vasnier. He is like a ridiculously gorgeous, buff, manscaped, adorable, nerd or geek. Very endearing. His partner Nate Berkus is a TV design expert (hosting The Nate Show), New York Times best-selling author and regular contributor to The Oprah Show. This is a power couple if ever there was one.

Photo Stolen guestofaguest

I have stolen some of Carlos Huber’s interview with Marni Golden from TheNateShow

Marni Golden: What was that journey like for you – from conception to inception?
CH: To turn an experimental project like this into a full-fledged product is a long, rocky process that requires a lot of fine-tuning. And I call it a ‘product’ with the utmost respect, because the work that goes into a piece of work that you can share, trust and be proud of is huge. I’ve learned a lot and I can’t wait for what comes next.

MG: What makes Arquiste stand out amongst the very competitive and populated fragrance marketplace?
CH: I wanted to share something that has depth, fantasy and authenticity. To connect with the past, with history and to infuse our life with a real dose of poetry. The fragrances are incredible wearable, and modern, but retain a classical thread to them. I believe in them as masterpieces….


Photo Stolen retrovintagemodstyle

The two fragrances I have chosen to write about today are the two that Carlos himself wears most regularly, as day and night scents, according to the Marni Golden interview. If he loves them so much then we should probably investigate too.

ANIMA DULCIS: November 1695 Mexico City, we are to be transported to a nunnery where they make chili chocolate, for centuries. Well these nuns are a horny bunch, ripe, slightly aroused and lactating. This is chocolate but for the dirty bitch in us all. Yes, it starts out all sweet and gourmand but the problem is when you smell good enough to eat, someone will. He he. The main accords we are supposed to be smelling according to the blurb are Cocoa Absolute, Mexican Vanilla, Cinnamon, Chili infusion. They have kept it streamlined and simple on paper but it is anything but. The cocoa is deliciously bitter, almost burned, the vanilla is clean, fleshy and sensual like privates the day after a wax, the cinnamon and chili sizzle and the dry down is hot, healthy, sweaty humanity in a cup cakery. 4-5 hours is a lovely long wear time before it becomes skin scent and stays for a while longer lost to me but smellable by TSO Jin.

FLEUR de LOUIS: June 1660, Isle of Pheasants, Basque region, on the French-Spanish border. This must be meant to represent only Louis XIV’s side of the meeting between himself and his Spanish child bride Maria Theresa because I smell nothing childlike or innocent in this fragrance. The note list here is again brief, Orange Flower, Florentine iris, Jasmine, and White Cedar.  It is a beautiful white glamour floral given depth and dignity by its iris, which is a slightly bitter backnote along with its powdery dryness floating above and through all. The woods are slightly sharp too at the beginning of this story, like they have just been cut green and hastily erected but they soften and warm as the fragrance ages and blends with your chemistry. Fleur de Louis reminds me of something I smelled recently but can’t put a name or place to, it is familiar yet not. I swear there is some kind of citrus going on here, bright and popping in and out. Somewhere after 4 hours I have lost Fleur de Louis but it was a lovely ride, warm and cool all along. I understand why this is Carlos Huber’s day scent, it will fit all moods and (except for the absolutely repulsed by perfume people) would still be a perfectly acceptable office wear fragrance. This is my current favourite of the line so far but I still have 3 to fully review.
PS I wore Fleur de Louis for the whole day today and it lasted beautifully, there are some moments at the 5-6 hour point where I get a distinct powder puff and oil stick foundation from the 60’s that came upon me by surprise, it doesn’t last and just hits peaks, then runs to dry down at about 8 hours. Serious longevity.

Photo of Carlos Huber & Roja Dove from RojaDove

As you can see, even the power people of perfume are getting right behind the newest luxury fragrance line, Arquiste. When I did the Perfume Posse post Carlos sent me a tweet saying he was tickled that we’d written about him. It’s this kind of thoughtfulness that I hope will take the Arquiste line far and wide. Good product, reasonably priced, beautifully presented & packaged and a delicious hubba hubba of a man out the front.

You can purchase these 55ml fragrances direct from Arquiste, Anima Dulcis is $165, Fleur de Louis $175
I ordered a SurrenderToChance sampler pack of all 6 Arquiste fragrances where they start from .5ml for $29

Here’s one more photo of Carlos, just for gratuitous ogling pleasure.

Photo Stolen haroldluxuryformen

Thanks for coming along this lovely fragrant road with me today,
Have you tried the Arquiste range? Do you have a favourite? Maybe there’s another hunky perfumer out there you’d like to see more of?
Drop us a line here at APJ and we’ll see what we can do for you,
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

SUNDAY QUICKSNIFF REVIEW #7

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hey Hey Scent Hogs,

These are quick looks at a few of the fragrances I wore this week for my own fragrance pleasure. The Sunday QuickSniff Review page is opened on Monday morning and every time I spritz and am near the computer I’ll give a 3 sentence review with a rating out of 5 each for, well, see the key after the reviews. Often these are samples I’ve bought or had sent to me by friends, or a FB that I may fully review later, or have done before and want to remind you of its existence.

BELOVED by AMOUAGE 2012. This opens sensationally on me. A big fat old fashioned sparkling spicy floral with depth and character, you can smell the deep drumming of the animalic, vanilla and amberish undercurrents. It’s so sexy as it starts pounding out its syncopated ululation, flowers, animals, herbs, wood, flowers, balsam, spices, cat. Unfortunately after less than an hour it becomes the merest whisper of a skin scent on me (this is my 4th spritz in a day) but everyone else that I’ve read reviews from gets hours and hours, GRRRRR.  S=***** L=** D=****

KENZO FLOWER EdT by KENZO 2000. I received this bottle from Annie, THANKS!! Usually fresh, aqueous fragrances aren’t my thing, but maybe my nose is evolving because this is dynamite!! On my skin the hawthorn is cool GREEN and the resin, vanilla and musk ironically completely overtake any flowers that might have been there making me think of torn leaves and broken branches. A thoroughly delicious, light, bright, sparkling fragrance that has deceptive sillage and longevity too. FragranceShop has 50ml Tester for $38 S=**** L=**** D=****

BADGLEY MISCHKA Parfum 2006. OMFG!! On my skin this opens so SWEET, AARRGH. The peach and red berries are gut wrenchingly, tooth achingly, pant for oxygen sweet and almost had me running to the shower but I pushed through and WOW am I glad I did. This is a serenade, a love song and a poem; it calms down after 5 minutes into an amazing warm and delicious, slightly foody floral chypre that dies down to hours and hours of almost masculine, sexy woods, resins and musky caramel YUM. FragranceNet has 15ml for under $20 S=**** L=***** D=****

SUNFLOWERS by ELIZABETH ARDEN 1993. Years ago I used to wear this all the time, I was going through a phase where I decided one perfume in my cupboard was enough. I loved it so much and thought I smelled delicious until someone had a word, I was devastated and stopped wearing it, throwing the bottle in the bin. Tonight I was working with a girlfriend and the most glorious fruit juicy white floral and warm spicy perfume was wafting around, it was so divine I thought it must be an expensive niche tuberose but it was Sunflowers and she smelled awesome. FragranceX has 100ml under $20  S=***** L=**** D=*****


Photo Stolen from shirtsays

Scent, Obviously the number 1 priority here is how does it smell. My reviews are completely subjective and will differ widely from your own experience with the scent but it’s a good starting point. As yet I am not a trained perfumer so any and all descriptions are merely that, descriptions. There are plenty of blogs that offer technical details and chemistry, in 3 sentences I’ll pass.
Longevity, This is a biggie for me because like enfleurage where flower petals are left in fats to steal the scent, my fatty body works the same and eats it up, yum. So for a scent to last well on me, it will probably last a whole day on you and need a radioactive decontamination shower to defuse it from your skin.
Desirabilty, Wrapped up in this is scent, price, house, history, longevity, packaging, availability and a billion other things.

Photo Stolen from bittbox

* in any of these being the, “You couldn’t pay enough to spray this God awful stink on me again, it smells like public toilets in India, long time fridge malfunction while on Summer holiday and the vile stench of poverty all rolled into one.” You are putting innocent people in danger if you wear this.
** means it’s a nothing, wearable, boring, maybe the price is prohibitive for what you get or it’s ubiquitous. You should definitely get a sample of this to stop a buying boo boo.
*** is a perfectly good product that smells good and lasts a while at a decent price. You should definitely think about trying a sample or squirt but should you miss out your life will continue. Sample size worthy.
**** is the one you try, want a lot but can wait for a birthday/Christmas. It’s better than most of the stuff you’ve sniffed and may fill a void in your library. This is also an excellent decant product 5ml will get you through the season and maybe buy it next year.
***** meaning, stop reading this, grab your cash, credit card (or partners), roll the elderly or rob a petrol station and purchase this product. NOW! If you don’t have this fragrance you could die.

Hopefully this has given you a little inside track on fragrances to might buy, want, avoid, sample. What delicious bits and pieces did you try this week?

Portia xx

Emily Blunt in Opium 2009 by YSL Video

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hey all,

Running late from a gig. We have 2 winners to announce tonight

10,000 GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Picture Stolen covenantbuilders

We reached our June goal of 10,000 total individual views last weekend so it’s an extra special giveaway, there are 2 because we smashed our goal so early. Thanks. If you are loving AustralianPerfumeJunkies don’t forget to spread the word, you’ll be surprised who is a secret fume head amongst your buddies; lost and alone thinking they’re the only crazy who is perfume obsessed.
How do you win?

Giveaway #1 you had to TWEET

1ml manufacturers sample OLYMPIC ORCHIDS ARTISAN PERFUMES Siam Proun
1.5ml spray decant of GUCCI No 3
1.5ml Spray decant of TAUER’s Lonestar Memories
Manufacturers sample TALLULAH JANE NATURALS Alyana Perfume Oil
P&H anywhere in the world

Giveaway #2 all you needed do was Congratulate us on our 10,000 IVs in the comments

50ml BNIP LANVIN Homme Sport
4ml travel size SMELL BENT Frankin Smellie SII#900
P&H anywhere in the world


Picture Stolen berryreview

GIVEAWAY #1 winner is Dr. Talson T. Jose

GIVEAWAY #2 winner is Sam Duncan

Winners will have till 10pm Wednesday June 27 Australian EST to send address details or I’ll give the to someone else.

EMILY BLUNT in OPIUM 2009 by YSL VIDEO

Picture Stolen fashion.telegraph

As a speciasl gift here is the lovely Emily Blunt for OPIUM by YSL.
I hope you stay happy and well, I am touched and thrilled that so many of you have come and looked. Thank you,
Portia xx

10,000 Thursday Giveaway Competition, Brain Cancer Fundraiser, STC Giveaway Video!

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 36 Comments

Well Hello There,
I have had a hectic but enjoyable week. It has felt non stop, even though I have had some delicious me time too. Last night I hosted trivia at a very swanky do for Brain Cancer with a room full of TV, Radio, Fashion & Sport Celebs and the big boys/girls in Aussie business held at Sydney’s IVY. Very fun and they raised a fortune, $64,000. Here is a picture of the lavish greenroom, empty showroom and full with MC and keynote speaker Jim Wilson, Sports reporter and husband of Channel 7’s Chris Bath, who sadly lost his young son to Brain Cancer. A super fun night and the prizes were awesome, from Armani ties, Lancome beauty products, Vogue packs and Lisa McGuigan wines to a $7,000+ all inclusive ski holiday for a family of 4. Here is the donation link to help research a cure

http://braincanceraction.com.au/donate/

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

It’s been a full week and I have some very special things to give away to say Thank You to you all for coming and joining in the AustralianPerfumeJunkies fun.

Photo stolen rmhcaustin

We reached our June goal of 10,000 total individual views over the weekend so it’s an extra special giveaway, there are 2 because we smashed our goal so early. Thanks. If you are loving AustralianPerfumeJunkies don’t forget to spread the word, you’ll be surprised who is a secret fume head amongst your buddies; lost and alone thinking they’re the only crazy who is perfume obsessed.

How do you win?

Giveaway #1 you must TWEET this
https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2012/06/20/lou-lou-by-cacharel/ @OzPerfumeJunkie Congratulations on 10,000 IVs
Most tweets and retweets with your handle in wins, if there is a tie the first to the highest number wins the goodies.

1ml manufacturers sample OLYMPIC ORCHIDS ARTISAN PERFUMES Siam Proun
1.5ml spray decant of GUCCI No 3
1.5ml Spray decant of TAUER’s Lonestar Memories
Manufacturers sample TALLULAH JANE NATURALS Alyana Perfume Oil
P&H anywhere in the world

Giveaway #2 all you need do is Congratulate us on our 10,000 IVs in the comments below

50ml BNIP LANVIN Homme Sport
4ml travel size SMELL BENT Frankin Smellie SII#900
P&H anywhere in the world

Both Giveaways will finish around 10pm on Saturday June 23 Australian EST, please come back and check if you’ve entered. Winners will have till 10pm Wednesday June 27 Australian EST to send address details.

AND SURRENDER TO CHANCE IS HAVING SUPER DRAWS!!! Have a look at the video.

Well, there you have it gang, totally easy stuff for major rewards.
Wishing you all painless, easy and harmless world domination,
Portia xxx

LOU LOU by CACHAREL

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Hiya Everyone,

Last weekend I was lucky enough to pick up a bunch of Tester bargains at a closing down sale. One of those bottles is a nearly full 50ml Lou Lou by Cacharel, a house I quite like because they’re stuff is all so off the wall; it seems they do it harder, better, with much more tongue in cheek and flair than many of the mass market crews, making them a super lot in my eyes. Snaps!

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Today we are talking about a fragrance that brings back such wonderful fragrant memories of all the girls loving it while we were at drama school and having one girlfriend in particular deciding it was her signature scent. BAM! In your face. Hah, I’m smiling writing this. Launched in 1987 and still available widely but quietly for really great prices, this is a classic. An outrageous, fun and flirty masterpiece. I am loving having this on, loving it. Even the bottle is awesome, that bright turquoise and red are basically 2010, 11, 12 fashion done in uber-kitsch retro plastic. So now; it hurts!


Photo Stolen sale-action

As it opens I get a big smack of mimosa (Korean Jin calls it Acacia) that is caught up with ivy, spicy cinnamon and other flowers including a big fat cream and buttery tuberose. The ivy and orris root keep Lou Lou from becoming too fly away flowers, almost grounding the fragrance; and the sandalwood is definitely there too with the vanilla and other resins like a counterweight. I get slightly indolic humanity in there too, not skank as such but a very lived in feel, like a freshly waxed ballbag after some light sport and hefty foreplay. My freaky nose completely misses the incense, plum and anise, it’s probably there I’m just too poorly schooled in fragrance to smell it.

The sillage and lasting power are extremely impressive here, tomorrow morning I will still be a fragrance pump, sending out a musky, vanillic, slightly floral booty call. Woo Hoo!

Photo Stolen vintage-ladivas.

PerfumeShrine does an awesome review with loads of historical knowledge and Fragrantica lists the accords
Top notes: Violet, plum, black currant, marigold, ivy, jasmine, iris, lily
Heart notes: Sweet Tiare flower, tuberose, ylang-ylang, orange blossom, anise, heliotrope, orris
Base notes: Sandalwood, musk, tonka bean, incense, vanilla and balsam

GlobalBeauty has 100ml for $92 including P&H.

I’ve dropped the video in here for you. We thought it was the height of mystery and that the model was so seductive back then, it all looks a bit cheap now after some of the incredible movies we now get. Enjoy,

Portia xx