CelebuScent

Stash SJP by Laurent Le Gurney + Clement Gavarry for Sarah Jessica Parker 2016

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Post by Portia

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Hey there Fragrance Family,

There is usually a buzz around any Sarah Jessica Parker release. Her story told by Chandler Burr in his Frag-Umentary caused me to fall even more in love with the actress and now 4 of her fragrances are in my collection. Now if you’ve read the story you’ll know that SJP had a 3 fragrance layering daily routine that she really wanted to emulate in her first fragrance but Coty wouldn’t let her so they made Lovely.

9780312425777Book Depository $13

To be perfectly honest I was not expecting much from this new release because over the last few scents I have noticed a definite diminution in the SJP brands artistic merit and presentation. This though is her first departure from the Coty brand and moving across to Ulta in the USA (info from Colgnoisseur). So it was with mildly nervous steps, even though it had been getting raves all round, I made my way to Chemist Warehouse in Parramatta to check it out.

Stash SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker 2016

Stash SJP by Laurent Le Gurney + Clement Gavarry

stash-sjp-sarah-jessica-parker-fragranticaFragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Grapefruit zest, Black pepper, Sage
Heart: Atlas cedar, Patchouli, Ginger lily, Pistachio
Base: Frankincense, Massoia wood, Vetiver, Musk

Straight into black pepper that has it’s dryness cut through with some sweetness that I place as mildly citrus and does not feel as outrageous as grapefruit, maybe the green sage and spicy ginger are giving it a broader appeal. Woods, yes plenty. Pistachio? Um nope, not yet. I have respritzed after 5 minutes and interestingly the sage is the most prominent top not before the pepper comes through and then we go smooth. The whole fragrance smooths out beautifully. Still very noticeable but calmer and a sweet, non hippy patchouli tangos with the ginger and the herbs.

stash-sjp-sarah-jessica-parker-ginger_lily-wikicommonsWikiCommons

Then I become anosmic to Stash, it disappears for me. I know I’m still fragrant because Jin says I still have a heavy perfume but I can smell almost nothing. A ghost of Stash, a faint woody nothing that lingers softly. BUM. OK, so that’s not 100% accurate, if I go do something like make a coffee or take the dogs for a walk I do get flashes of fragrance. Little huffs of something very nice, dry, a little bit like a dry sauna but not.

Stash smells like the woodsy, scratchy, peppered “niche” that annoys Val but softer and more lighthearted. It’s easier, quite masculine but will be gorgeous on the girls who are unafraid of scentorially standing out.

Interestingly, when I put my top back on to walk the dogs first thing in the morning all I can smell is an oily vetiver and incense. Really good.

Further reading: Now Smell This and Colgnoisseur
Chemist Warehouse has $29/30ml

PERFECT fragrant gift for either sex, wearable, comfortable and really, really good.
Will you be wearing STASH?
Portia xxx

Queen Of Hearts by Steve DeMercado for Queen Latifah 2010

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Post by Portia

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Hi there Fragrance Family,

Strong women have always attracted me. My family was full of strong women, Mum’s nursing buddies are all strong women and I gravitate to that type of woman in my daily life too. Strong women have been strengthened by some of lifes shit but I think they have the steel inside even before the world forges them. Being strong doesn’t mean they are hard either, though they do have to be sometimes for self protection. Queen Latifah has always struck me as a strong woman, whenever I see her on TV, singing, acting, interviewing or just being her cool self I always want more. There is something completely captivating about her.

Queen Of Hearts by Queen Latifah 2010

Queen Of Hearts by Steve DeMercado

Queen of Hearts Queen Latifah FragranticaFragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Green notes, Plum, Cinnamon, Citruses
Heart: Jasmine, Red fruits, White blossoms
Base: Amber, Musk, Patchouli, Vanilla bean, Frankincense

The first thing you notice is the fun bottle. Like a heart being pushed out of a nail tray. It fits well in my hand, has good heft and looks very swish with its turquoise-topped gold lid.

Citrus, jasmine and resins open up Queen of Hearts and the fruits are there in a waxy/radiant whoosh that feels warm, sensual and lavish. It’s hard to believe you can buy this baby for under $20 because it smells really good.

After the initial fireworks die down Queen of Hearts becomes a modern resinous patchouli sweetened by lingering fruits and breathy white flowers drizzled with caramel. Not a gourmand. Not edible. Smooth patchouli with the rest in harmonious background accord. This is no loud, in your face event, people don’t really notice your fragrance after an hour until you hug them, then it’s compliment time.

Queen Of Hearts by Queen Latifah Boswellia_sacra WikipediaWikipedia

The nearest fragrance I have in character to Queen of Hearts is Mona di Orio’s Eau Absolue. They are not dupes but the wonderful uplifting resinous patchouli vibe is similar.

Further reading: Perfume Posse (Yes, I wrote about it before in 2014)
FragranceNet has AU$20/100ml Before Coupon

Are you a fan of Queen Latifah? Have you tried her fragrances?
Portia xx

Adam Levine for Women by Yann Vasnier 2013

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Post by Poodle

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Yes, I’m back with another celebrity scent this time by Adam Levine. I found it at a discounter so took a chance on a blind buy. I couldn’t name a Maroon 5 song if my life depended on it but I now know Adam Levine is the lead singer. I respect him for putting his name on a pretty good fragrance.

Adam Levine for Women by Yann Vasnier 2013

Adam Levine for Women FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Saffron, citruses, marigold, spices
Heart: Indian jasmine, Australian sandalwood, rose petals
Base: Benzoin, vanilla

Before we even talk scent, how fabulous is the bottle? It’s inspired by a microphone. It’s young and fun and I wish I had it when I was 14. I am completely honest when I say if I had this back then I’d be dancing around my room singing into the darn thing. (I might even do that after I finish writing this.)

Adam Levine for Women Maroon_5_Live_in_Hong_Kong WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

At first spritz I smell sandalwood and for a moment I think 10 Corso Como. It’s a fast burst and then other notes come into play. The note list makes me think warmer, spicy, heavy perfume, but on my skin this is not heavy at all but bear in mind not much is. I don’t smell marigolds (which smell a bit skunky to me) but rather a touch of saffron and I’m not sure what. I keep thinking coconut. I’m not a huge fan of coconut in perfume but I do like this suggestion of it. It could just be my nose distorting things. There is a brightness to the perfume but I never think “citrus” at any point during the development. Whatever the spices are in here they’re not dominant at all.

Sandalwood is always humming in the background and the jasmine, roses, and base notes are blended beautifully. No sour roses here. It’s not a beachy perfume yet somehow it makes me think of the beach on a cool summer evening. The jasmine is a little dirty. Maybe it’s the saffron and spice but there’s the smell of warm skin which is surprising to me. It’s not sweaty or skanky just a little sexy. I have to admit this is much better than I thought it would be. It’s not overpowering or long lasting on my skin but where it does get mileage is on clothing. Whatever I’ve been wearing while wearing Adam Levine for Her smells fabulous the next time I pull it out of the closet. The sandalwood and vanilla are really nice in this perfume. They’re probably completely synthetic but no matter, they smell great.

Adam Levine for Women TwitterPhoto Stolen Twitter

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon
FragranceNet has $18/50ml before coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Adam Levine for Her is easy to wear and I could also see this as a cuddle up scent. I’m pleasantly surprised by this perfume and find myself reaching for it when I want something that just smells good. Or when I want to sing into the microphone bottle.

Are you an Adam Levine fan?

Hugs
Poodle

Pet Fragrance, Taylor Swift's Incredible Things

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Post by Azar

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No matter how much we love our furry and feathered friends, most natural pet odors (with the notable exception of Pionus Parrot Perfume) can sometimes be challenging to deal with.

That being said, Fender the dog is usually not a stink bomb. Even damp from PNW rain he maintains a pleasant furry scent with an intimate doggie sillage. There are times, though, for whatever reason, when he is quite ripe. On those days an immediate in-home bath or a trip to the groomer is in order.

Pet Fragrance

I have discussed doggie odors, as well as pet and people perfumes, at length with Fender’s stylist, “L”. Most dedicated pet parents know that perfumes made for people are not meant for dogs or cats. Some of the ingredients in our favorite fragrances can actually be harmful to pets. “L” has introduced me to several lines of pet perfumes and colognes. Some, like the offerings from Nature Labs, smell like designer fragrances. Her favorites for her clients include Arfmani, Aramutts, Ms. Claybone, CK-9 and Tommy Holedigger. I was also surprised to learn that Juicy Couture has come up with dog colognes and beauty products, the Juicy Crittoure line.

My preferred perfumes from Fender’s small collection include a discontinued seasonal beauty entitled Holiday Berry Kiss. HBK is, in fact, one of my favorite raspberry fragrances – for dogs or humans. Notes include sweet, tart raspberry, unripe pear, jasmine, rose and fresh water notes. I also enjoy Espree odor neutralizing Rainforest Cologne. This dog perfume is reminiscent of the gardenia and the other white florals in My Life by Mary J. Blige. While Fender rarely puts up with a lot of frou-frou, once in awhile he will tolerate a little spritz of Pucci.

Incredible Things by Elizabeth Arden for Taylor Swift 2014

Incredible Things Taylor Swift FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pink pepper, grapefrui
Heart: Vanilla orchid, passion flower, suede
Base: White amber, creamy musk, Madagascan vanilla, Haitin vetiver

A couple of months ago “L” was living through some very frustrating experiences. What better way to help a fellow perfumista than a gift of her favorite fragrance? She loves the perfumes of Jennifer Aniston, especially the first one, sometimes called Lovalie (2010). I believe that the clean, light soapiness of Lovalie must be a much-needed respite after long hours surrounded by heavy-duty animalic odors. I easily found this first Jennifer Aniston online but the second one, J introduced in 2014, was a bit of a challenge to locate. I finally tracked it down, on sale at my local Target store and purchased the last one in stock. Prominently displayed above the Jennifer Aniston section was Taylor Swift’s new fragrance Incredible Things (2014). I bravely gave myself a generous spray and was surprised and impressed by a beautiful, livable coconut and an eye-popping grapefruit spiced with pink pepper. The circuitous route to my discovery of Incredible Things reminded me that I never know where or when a new fragrance adventure will come my way!

Azar xx

Giveaway Kesha&CoPhoto Stolen Kesha&Co

Celebu-Pet GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 ml decants of four of the perfumes mentioned in this post. Here they are in the order of my personal preference:
1) Fender’s Holiday Berry Kiss
2) Fender’s Rainforest Cologne
3) Taylor Swift’s Incredible Things
4) Jennifer Aniston Lovalie
(Hmmm…I seem to prefer pet perfume to celebuscents!)
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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) 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 about your favorite pet perfume, celebuscent or most recent fragrance adventure!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 11th May 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 14th May 2015 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.

Katy Perry Killer Queen: Oh So Sheer By Laurent LaGuernec 2014

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Post by Poodle

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Two things I need to admit here. I am not a Katy Perry fan and I’m a bit judgmental when it comes to celebrity perfumes. My niece gave me a bottle of this so I’m trying to be as fair as possible.

Katy Perry Killer Queen: Oh So Sheer 2014

By Laurent LaGuernec

Killer Queen Oh So Sheer Katy Perry FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mulberry, elderberry, black current, dark plum
Heart: Celosia, jasmine, freesia, plumeria
Base: Kashmir wood, liquid praline, caramel, patchouli

As you probably know, anything with the word “sheer” in the name is going to be problematic for me and my scent eating skin so your results may vary on this one. At first spritz you really need to give it a moment because there’s a sharp blast of what I can only describe as hair spray accord. Let’s let it dry a moment…

It’s sweet and juicy with plummy berries which is appropriate since the juice itself is purple. These seems to be the go-to top notes in mainstream scents lately and initially Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is similar to a lot of other perfumes out there. There’s the expected sweetness but since it’s a sheer scent it’s actually not too syrupy. I can’t pick out any individual berries and they seem more synthetic than natural to me. The flower notes are there but again, they don’t stand alone but rather blend together. I will say that I can smell the plumeria a bit more than anything else in the note list at this point. There’s a hint of caramel but it hasn’t quite bubbled to the surface yet.

Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer Katy_Perry WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

As the fruit and flowers fade and the base notes begin to take the stage there’s that sweet patchouli common to many perfumes. Definitely not an earthy patchouli, for any of you patch heads out there, and I don’t detect much wood. But Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is sheer and very wearable. The liquid praline/caramel notes are somewhat apparent throughout the life of the scent. I had a problem with Prada Candy smelling like a hot chemical mess on me so I was ready for chemical caramel here too. It kills me to say it but I was pleasantly surprised. The caramel on me was not too sweet and not too synthetic smelling. I was not expecting that.

The main shift in Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is from the fruity opening to the sugared caramel base. It’s easy to wear and the general public will think you smell good. Not something that you need to think about to enjoy. Longevity was an issue which I expected and sillage was not overwhelming.

Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer Teenage dream Lawren FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

You could do much worse than Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer in the sea of celebrity scents. Great for a tween or teen or an old lady like me who wants to feel young again.

Further reading: NJT Reviews and Shrinking Wallet
FragranceNet has $33/100ml before coupon

So have you tried this or any of the other Katy Perry perfumes? Do you think celebrity scents are getting better or worse lately?

Hugs
Poodle