Saturday Question: Which Perfumer Makes Your Favourite?

April 7, 2018 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 43 Comments

Portia

Hello Fellow Fumies,

Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

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Saturday Question: What’s Your Favourite L’Artisan Fragrance?

March 17, 2018 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 85 Comments

Portia

Hello Fellow Fumies,

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

Continue reading →

NEW! Niral by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2018

March 8, 2018 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Portia

Hey there Perfume People,

The newest release from Neela Vermeire Creations is about to arrive. If that fact alone isn’t exciting enough then have a look at the freaking bottle! WOW! Looks so beautiful in the ombre purple to clear. Created by Mr Duchaufour and Neela with a wonderful story attached.

Niral by Neela Vermeire Creations 2018

Niral by Bertrand Duchaufour

Continue reading →

Pichola by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2015

August 3, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Portia

Hi there APJ,

Sorry we are a bit late tonight but I completely forgot there was no post written for tonight on APJ. OOPSIE! So I thought I’d write about my fragrance tonight for work. Thursdays are really good nights for me and I’ve been in the same venue for 15+ years, the players have become friends. Many of them I’ve been to their, and they’ve been to my, home. We’ve shared so much. Watched children grow and go through Uni, get married, travel, and settle down to family life. Some of the older players are now downsizing or thinking of moving into retirement villages.

Anyway, tonight I wore Nichola and they loved it. Four random compliments.

Pichola by Neela Vermeire Creations 2015

Pichola by Bertrand Duchaufour

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, cinnamon, saffron, juniper, magnolia, neroli oil, clementine, bergamot
Heart: Orange blossom absolute, rose absolute, tuberose absolute, sambac jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base: Benzoin absolute, sandalwood , driftwood, Haiti vetiver

Sweet citrus, white flowers and sharp juniper open Pichola as a burst of tart, mouth watering and puckering simultaneously. It’s a short-lived explosion that is exciting, over the top and surprisingly refreshing.

reflectionsNeela Vermeire Creations Pichola

Once the big bang is over Pichola smooths out to creamy white flowers and a hint of cardamom that helps keep the flowers soft and furry rather than a strident BWF. Actually, now that I think about it, Pichola could be an excellent choice for those that don’t love white flowers. Somehow Mr Dachaufour has taken out the indoor and teeth yet still retained the beautiful clean fleshy plushness. Quite a feat.

Even in dry down after working tonight I remain quite fragrant but in a introverted way. Soft white flowers, a hint of spicy rose and creamy sandalwood. As people hugged me goodbye tonight was when three of my compliments happened,. even though I’d been in and around them all night.

Neela Vermeire Creations Pichola magnolia_pichola

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Scented Hound
LuckyScent has 2 x 15ml – Take Two Travel Set for $125
Surrender To Chance has samples from $7/ml

Did you ever try Pichola?
Portia xx

(Ed: All photos from Neela Vermeire Creations)

Mohur: When I Want To Feel Majestic

May 31, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Portia

Heya Fumies.

You may notice I talk about Neela Vermeire quite a bit, and her perfumes Neela Vermeire Creations. There are two reasons for that. First and foremost I think the fragrances themselves are exquisite. There is something next level about them. I know how much love, drama and time goes into every drop that gets spritzed by perfumistas the world over. Not merely perfumes but labours of love. Bertrand Duchaufour has repeatedly said that Neela is his most exacting client. She has an idea in her head of what perfection is and follows that dream.

The second reason is because she has become, over the years APJ has been going, a friend. The reason I know how much time and heartache go into the perfumes is because we chat regularly and I hear some of the drama that you all never see. Perfectionism is a cross, striving to create reality from dreams is bloody hard work.

The problem though with blogs is there is so much stuff that’s new/wants to be shared/needs to be chatted about that the things that have really given us enormous pleasure get brushed aside in search of the immediate workload. So today I wanted to remind you all of a fragrance that can take me on journeys in my mind while lying on the couch, working, cleaning, walking through the sunlit streets, shopping, dining or anything else we manage to do in the day.

Mohur: When I Want To Feel Majestic

Mohur by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2011

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Ambrette seed, Elemi resin, Cardamom, Carrot seed, Coriander seed, Black pepper
Heart: Hawthorn, Iris, Jasmine, Leather, Almond milk, Moroccan rose, Turkish rose, Violet
Base: Amber, Benzoin, Blond woods, Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Tonka bean, Vanilla

The scent? Roses with spices and resins to jazz the jazziest to the top of the tree. Sweet, jammy roses that also wend through dry tea, sharp pepper, slightly boozy and creamy rich overblown cabbage roses. There is the snap of green twigs, a little grassy and the cool aloofness of carroty iris, leather, woods and smooth as glass resins. Add drops of bakery vanilla and barnyard oud, sweet sandalwood melds with milky almonds.

The day you wear it decides what will be the major backing players and every wear is its own special ride. The only think that’s guaranteed is roses, roses and more luscious roses. How they come is everytime different. The enormous amount of expensive roses in this bottle make it fir for this queen.

I can’t think of a better way to smell all day. Whether you are lazing in the sun or doing the chores, isn’t it nice to smell like you own the known world.

LuckyScent has $235/60ml
Neela Vermeire Creations has €125/2 x 15ml with European Shipping Included
Surrender To Chance has samples from $7/0.5ml

What do you wear to feel majestic?
Portia xx

Bass Solo by Bertrand Duchaufour for The Vagabond Prince 2016

February 24, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Portia

Hello Happy Huffers,

More today from my LuckyScent Sample Pack. Remember when the Vagabond Prince brought out their original scent? The one with the fabulously screechy top of Black Currant and booze? It was called Enchanted Forest and I fell madly in love with it. So feral and outrageous, fruit done to the enth degree. It was a hugely polarising fragrance and much like Thierry Mugler’s Angel it became a hot topic of online conversation. People divided into camps and agued their cases, all of which were correct for them. It was great fun.

The rest of their offerings have not met with such radical hype. I am excited to smell this one though because it has been designed around the idea of musical instruments. Specifically one of the woods that is highly prized for its density in making instruments, wenge. The fragrance is not so much based on that aroma as it is based on the instruments that it makes. Interesting because you might remember Amouage brought out Opus X also in 2016 inspired by the red violin.

Bass Solo by The Vagabond Prince 2016

Bass Solo by Bertrand Duchaufour

Fragrantica

LuckyScent gives these featured accords:
Saffron, ginger, lime, cardamom, lavender, Moroccan cedar, Virginia cedar, fig milk, birch tar, sandalwood, amber, driftwood, wenge accord, musk, oppoponax, amyris, patchouli

Immediately Bass Solo opens a green, herbal, lavender rich fragrance hits me. It’s slightly waxy, softly fruity and quite heavily wooded in the background. Woodsy and an oily, smoky hint of car workshop. Soon enough patchouli joins the fray and is an excellent addition, giving a green dankness.

It’s funny, the moment a piece of the puzzle becomes clear my nose jumps on it but everything comes and goes. I think I have the scent imprinted and then it changes. Glad I’m sitting at my desk to really enjoy it because I think so much of the nuance would be lost in casual wearing.

PDI

Resins fly softly over the wooden base, they are cool but add warmth and depth to the fragrance. Dry down is smoking incense and woods. It’s calm and stylish. I ca imagine it being loads of peoples cup of tea.

LuckyScent has $180/100ml
Surender To Chance has samples starting at $5.40/ml

Did you ever make a FB purchase from a sample pack? Tell us what it was?
Portia xx

Rahele GIVEAWAY WINNERS

October 16, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey All,

Great response this week. Thank you to Neela Vermeire. Rahele is not available commercially yet but will be on the Neela Vermeire Creations page soon.
Portia xx

Rahele GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Osmanthus, woody notes, spices, floral notes, herbal notes, leather, oakmoss

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x sample of Rahele provided by Neela Vermeire
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 16th October 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

Jaybee

Hamamelis

The winners will have till Wednesday 19th October 2016 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

Rahele by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2016

October 14, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 45 Comments

Post by Portia

WOO HOO Fumies!

Yes, it’s finally here. The long anticipated and much talked about newest release from Neela Vermeire. As you know Neela is a mate of mine so not only did APJ get a sample but there are two extras to give away!
How freaking exciting is that?
Portia xxx

Rahele by Neela Vermeire Creations 2016

Rahele by Bertrand Duchaufour

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Osmanthus, woody notes, spices, floral notes, herbal notes, leather, oakmoss

Rahele smells of green shady walks on summer days, slightly furry, like running silk satin over your cheeks and cool spices mixed and ready to throw in the pan. I’m surprised that there aren’t resins mentioned in the note list like galbanum or myrrh and my nose tells me there is saffron and some vegetal musks involved as well. Osmanthus is not a note I’m really clear on to be honest but I’m getting a lightly minty powdered green vibe that could be a floral. A bit like stock really….

WikiMedia

Rahele is not a big marching band style of fragrance but a calm, tranquil, elegant and fresh adventure in scent. It has a similar aloof yet cozy feeling that some of the Mona di Orio fragrances have, compelling yet restrained. For anyone who has complained that Neela Vermeire’s Creations are more fragrance than they can handle then this could be your entry point. Same meticulous attention to detail, same smooth transitions and same luxury feel but done in a way that is soothing as well as being commanding.

My mate Scott pronounced it his favourite in the Neela range, big call.

Rahele is not available commercially yet but will be on the Neela Vermeire Creations page soon.
Here’s a chance for you to try it first……

Rahele GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x sample of Rahele provided by Neela Vermeire
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us which is your favourite Neela Vermeire fragrance or the one you’re most interested to try?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 16th October 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 19th October 2016 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

Mohur Extrait by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2014

April 3, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 82 Comments

Post by Sandra

When Val, the Cookie Queen, comes to Vienna I know that we will have a great day chatting, laughing, walking and perhaps sniffing some perfumes together. New Year’s Eve 2014 she came into town to have brunch together with Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels and Lady Jane Grey. This day was a celebration.

Sandra

Val and I first met at Starbucks with our men in tow and she pulls out a cosmetic bag and whispers “Hey, Sandra, try this new perfume from Neela Vermeire – Mohur Extrait.“ Knowing how precious the extrait could be I was still hesitant and wrinkled up my nose carefully smelling the lid. Ha! As if I could get an idea of what was to come! Gingerly I spritzed the tiniest bit on my wrist, had a good sniff, promptly forgot about it and we were off chatting and laughing.

Mohur Extrait by Neela Vermeire Creations 2014

Mohur Extrait by Bertrand Duchaufour

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, coriander, ambrette (musk mallow), carrot seeds, pepper, elemi
Heart: Iris, jasmine, rose, violet, almond, leather
Base: Sandalwood, amber, woody notes, patchouli, agarwood (oud), benzoin, vanilla, tonka bean

Little did I know the burning ache that Mohur Extrait would light in my soul. After I came home I discovered the true beauty of this elixir and spent the next 6 hours with my nose glued to my wrist and dreaming.

On to the perfume… Let me begin by saying that I absolutely adore Neela’s bottles. The box arrived and as I unwrapped the paper and removed the bottle from the box my breath was taken away with the beautiful amethyst colour of the glass. The feel of the bottle in my hand is a perfect fit. The lid is solid, heavy and embossed with her logo.

Sandra

The first spray of Mohur Extrait opens with a smooth spicy rose accord. The spices are not, to my nose, distinguishable from each other. They mold the rose so that it quietly whispers come hither to me. The almond milk is swirled together with the roses and spices and makes the whole impression comforting, warming and welcoming. This is not a rose soliflore perfume. Don’t be afraid of the list of notes nor of the spices, the extrait is extremely well balanced and just stunning. Longevity is excellent but on me it sits close to the skin. It brings to mind the deep red roses or the velvet smooth texture of the scarlet amarylis that I had in the flat on New Year’s Eve 2014. The lights twinkling in the background resemble the sparkling elegance of the Extrait.

Sandra

The drydown is where my love affair began and continues with Mohur Extrait. Sandalwood is interwoven with the rose to create a most scrumptious combination of creamy, slightly sweet woody rose which beckons every fibre of my soul to let go of all of the stress and worries in life. There is a tinge of vanilla but it is not sweet at all, in fact it is a dry vanilla if that makes any sense at all. The star of the Extrait for me is where the sandalwood sings its loving ballad to the roses and releases me to a dreamy state.

lavanyasrecipes

Mohur Extrait GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x sample pack of all of Neela’s creations including a tiny bit of the Extrait
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged. 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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us if you have tried any of the NVC perfumes and which one is your favourite. If you have not tried any please tell me which one most appeals to you.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Tuesday 5th April 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Friday 8th April 2016 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.

Pichola by Bertrand Dachaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2015

February 17, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Erica Golding

Hello all of you gorgeous fragrance lovers!

Let’s just jump in and get personal. Pull up a velvet floor pillow, and please enjoy this glass of wine. My question today is:

Do you believe in love at first sight?

For me, I will say that my own sunlit optimism always battled with my analytical realism. This made me enjoy the idea of instantaneous true love, but I was never capable of believing in it. Of course, perfume truly possesses a force of enchantment, and all it took was a breath of this precious fragrance to make me believe (in love at first sniff, anyhow):

Pichola by Neela Vermeire Créations 2015

Pichola by Bertrand Duchafour

Photo Donated Neela Vermeire Creations

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Saffron, Juniper, Magnolia, Neroli, Clementine, Bergamot
Heart: Orange blossom absolute, Rose absolute, Tuberose absolute, Jasmine sambac, Ylang-ylang
Base: Benzoin absolute, Sandalwood, Driftwood, Haitian vetiver

I received a generous decant of Pichola as a gifted sample from a friend. Uncharacteristically, I decided to just go for it and spray it on my skin – no checking the notes, no sniffing from the vial first, no tiny skin test with just a drop. I don’t know why I chose to be so reckless that day, but let me tell you – it was a fabulous decision!

My first inhale shocked me. My instinctual reaction was overwhelmingly joyous bliss: visions of glittering light, giggling childlike innocence, warm tender breezes. This was soon tempered by my protective, cynical pessimism. The aroma was so intensely delightful that my fear of being let down soon took over, and I convinced myself that the beauty I beheld was only fleeting top notes, soon to disappear. So, I left my house for work, and huffed and huffed the magic of Pichola all day long. Slowly, I allowed myself to accept the exquisite truth – the blissful charm of that first sniff had lasted all day!!

Pixabay

I wore Pichola the next day. And then again for a third. I NEVER wear the same perfume twice in a row, and to wear it for three days – I mean, it just doesn’t happen. But when it comes to true love, it seems I’ve broken all my rules. J

On my skin, the aroma features a fresh tropical bouquet of dewy blossoms, balanced beautifully by sweet golden ice wine and precious woods. The accent notes make the composition shimmer with touches of saffron, vetiver, and bergamot. It is clean yet lush to me, a very difficult effect to execute in perfumery. I will say that jotting down my impressions of the notes is entirely insufficient and practically a useless exercise. Pichola is more than a swirl of perfumery materials. It is an emotion, it is a memory, it is a dream. It is unabashedly saturated with love, light, innocence, positivity, and joy. It is love at first sight.

WikiMedia

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and What Men Should Smell Like
Neela Vermeire Creations has €205/60ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $7/.5ml

Have you ever felt this way about a new perfume? Do you have a favorite from Neela Vermiere Creations? Get comfy on that pillow, and let’s dish!

Stay sensationally scented,

-Erica