Gabriella's Three New Fragrant Favourites

June 4, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hi perfume lovers,

It’s so easy for me to fall into a perfume rut. My white floral adoration and Mr M’s penchant for dark, spicy roses can sometimes mean that I rarely go outside of my comfort zone of the two genres when it comes to wearing scents.

Maybe I’ll get samples or decants just to sniff something different or for the purposes of writing a blog post, but it’s a very rare occasion indeed when I find not one, but three perfumes that don’t fall into either category, but feel utterly perfect to me.

But that unexpected moment has happened and today I want to share with you my three new favourite NON white-floral/dark-rose perfumes

Gabriella’s Three New Fragrant Favourites

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Eau de Magnolia by Carlos Benaim for Frederic Malle 2014

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Calabrian bergamot
Heart: Magnolia, vetiver, patchouli
Base: Cedar, mos, amber

I’m not one for colognes and magnolia isn’t my favourite flower, but this to me is just utterly magical. A sharp burst of bergamot with a verdant twist of lime morphs into a subtle green and mossy magnolia underscored by the dryness of vetiver. It’s an easy to wear, yet utterly elegant and sophisticated chypre that have me craving spring.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse
Mecca Cosmetica starts at $59 for 10ml
Surrender to Chance starts at $7.59/ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Misia by Olivier Polge for Chanel 2015

Fragrantica gives these notes in one line:
Violet, iris, orris root, Turkish rose, Grasse rose, Laos benzoin, tonka bean.

Rose and violet is a combination that usually has me running the other way. I didn’t expect to like Misia, let alone love it, given the myriad of comparisons with Lipstick Rose and the like, but I do. The difference for me is the sharp opening of iris, which lends the rose violet accord a little dryness and fizziness. There’s a powdery, candied vibe as the iris veers into the rose-violet accord while berry notes lends a sweet vibe to the rose without veering too much into the dreaded fruity floral territory. Misia is just such a pleasure to wear, it absolutely sparkles on my skin and has enough Chanel sophistication whilst feeling completely modern and different to the rest of the Exclusifs line.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Grain de Musc
Misia is available at Chanel boutiques, US$280/AUD$350/300ml
Surrender to Chance starts at $3.99/ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Wit by Yann Vasnier for Parfums DelRae

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, mandarin orange, angelica, laurels
Heart: Jasmine, narcissus, mimosa, ylang-ylang
Base: Amber, vanilla, musk

Wit surprised me, given that DelRae’s creations, whilst completely beautiful to sniff, never really work on me skin wise. Plus, the lemon element scared me a bit, given citrus can turn overly sharp and cloying on me, but Wit had me at hello. The opening is bright creamy lemon, softly sweet and also lemon curdy in nature, with a decidedly tactile and almost edible quality. The citrus notes sparkle and yet are softly sweet before segueing into the jasmine and daphne which is all bright yellow and tempered by the soft green of the laurel and angelica. Wit is a surprisingly different floral, with a brightness and richness I haven’t found in the genre for quite some time.

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Now Smell This
Luckyscent has $150/50ml
Surrender to Chance starts at $3.99/0.5ml

What three fragrances are your favourites at the moment? What fragrances do you love that are outside your comfort zone?

With much love till next time!

M x

Fragrances For What Ails You: The Hangover Part 1

June 2, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Fragrances for what ails you: The Hangover Part 1

Today’s focus is HANGOVERS.

*Please note: we at APJ do not recommend drinking irresponsibly.

Average Hangover, described as ‘feeling dusty’ upon waking and makes the day a little harder, a lot longer and much slower.

General remedies:

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Dear Rose – Sympathy For The Sun tops up much needed electrolytes with its salt note supported with sparkling water drenched citrus and rose. Just like an atomized aspirin.

Parfum d Empire – Corsica Furiosa is my go to fragrant Bloody Mary. Tomato leaf so green it makes me feel purified instantly, mixed with a pinch of pepper to increase circulation of important antioxidants. A touch of mint settles any nausea or bloating.

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Chanel – Coromandel when you just need a cloudy hug and strength to carry on (dramatic I know) woods, benzoin and soft cotton ball clouds of vanilla-patchouli and iris “take me away” from the self afflicted symptoms. I feel wrapped in cotton wool and supported enough to get on with my day.

The OOPSIES are more serious…

Hangover of Dread: “What have I done?!” Paranoia. Self-loathing. Regret. Strength and bravado needed pronto. Something to stop all the wrongness from deep inside, seeping out. Surrounding oneself with By Kilian – Smoke for the Soul will neutralise all those nasty feelings inside. Soul cleansing with eucalyptus, grapefruit and cardamom is advantageous. Bolster with maté, full of antioxidants. Complete with kidney cleansing birch. The tobacco cashmirwood and cannabis at this stage can only be described as a ‘medicinal’ bonus. **

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Hangover with memory loss: You wake up and remember a limited amount of the night before. Perhaps it was those shots you were downing? The scent of Tequila seeps from your pores on waking. It is not wise to stand near a naked flame. A dose of memory recalling rosemary and fresh Normandy air will help. Dior’s Granville is exactly that -crisp and fresh with mandarin, lemon, thyme, rosemary, pine needles, black pepper, sandalwood and gorse.

Head in a bucket hangover: Sliding out of bed with a groan, you take the appropriate amount of steps to the bathroom whilst moaning. You sit on the cold tiles and wait. The nausea could last all day. Something simple and relatively linear is Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca. With its dewy grass and fresh cool mint notes it will also freshen the air for anyone game to come close.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

“Still drunk” hangover: Jump out of bed feeling good after a big night. You feel superhuman. Happiness only lasts so long…by lunchtime you’re fading. Avoid the comedown by use of your booziest fragrances – doubling to cover the alcohol on your breath whist keeping you giddy and drunk. Examples include Queen by Queen Latifah with its cognac base, Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling with it’s botanical gin base or rum based Naomi Goodsir’s Or du Serail

Most of these fragrances can be sampled at Surrender To Chance and My Perfume Samples

Stay tuned for “The Hangover Part 2”

Xx Your Fragrant Nurse, Ainslie ;D

**By Kilian: Exclusive to Harrolds Sydney and Libertine online

Paris by Chanel – Inside CHANEL: Mini Movie

May 8, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hello Fashion and Frag Hags,

Coco Chanel, twisted mavin of couture. A raging ball filled with contradictions. A fiercely talented woman possessed by a need for perfection and killer taste that was sometimes stark and others baroque, a woman who changed the world of fashion and with it the world of women. A ruthless and bigoted woman who sided with the Nazis and rumour has it she even tried to have her Jewish business partners sent to the gas chambers.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Yet still CHANEL is one of the biggest fashion houses in the world and its beauty and fragrances sell like crazy around the globe. Whoever has had the pleasure of lifting a CHANEL lipstick or powder from their purse and applying knows the thrill of ownership, if you’ve ever bought a CHANEL fragrance and spritzed the dream of a life beyond your own then you too have come under the CHANEL spell of opulence. We all know it’s marketing yet still there is a very real thrill to owning anything with the double C logo.

Today we have a lovewly video that shines a little light on Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel and some of the places in Paris where she lived and worked.

Please enjoy,
Portia xx

Paris by Chanel – Inside CHANEL

Fragrances For What Ails You?

May 5, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Hello fragrance fans, I’ve realised some members of my fragrance collection have become a fragrant first-aid kit for my more common ailments. Grabbing fragrances based on how I am feeling physically, loosely based on the aromatherapeutic properties of their notes, cheers me up no end.

*Please note all the below has only been tested on one human being, no animals and are not recommended without perhaps some other medications, where prescribed

Fragrances For What Ails You?

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Nausea – Etat Libre d’Orange – Like This – full of carminative baked ginger cookie smell this warm combination can ease waves of nausea like no tomorrow. Dosage: spritz on stomach 2 x per day

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Insomnia – Crawling into bed and suddenly my eyes pop open and my brain comes alive with activity!! So I reach for Aqua Allegoria Lavande Velours by Guerlain, which stays, on my bedside table. Sprayed onto my pillow and sheets the powdery combination of lavender, iris and sandalwood takes me off to the land of nod in no time.

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Muscular Aches, Pains and Tension – Sycomore by Chanel Les Exclusifs Earthy vetiver and grounding sandalwood I just love this fragrance sprayed just above a hot steamy bath, or when I’m feeling “extravagantly ache-y” a capful poured into the bath does wonders for ridding my body of all tension, aches and pains.

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Run Down and Generally Germy – Potpourri by Santa Maria Novella’s mix of Italian herbs rosemary, thyme, patchouli and cloves make this an immune booster for those days when you know you’re coming down with something. Despite some prettier notes of carnation, bergamot, and peru balsam this fragrance smells deliciously medicinal and purifying.
(Side note, the Santa Maria Novella Collection will soon be available from Peony Melbourne)

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Chills – Serge Lutens – Jeux de Peau warms me up and makes me feel cosy and comfy. Almost like having a cup of hot milky tea and a massage with the warmest of warm hands. Use this fragrance when you feel chilled to the bone. A few spritz 1-2 x per day, once sprayed it just keeps on getting better and better as osmanthus reveals itself amongst the warm baked bread and buttery toasted coconut notes. Divine!

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Sore Throat – everyone knows a teaspoon of honey with cinnamon and spices soothes a sore throat and Mitzah by DIOR is the queen bee that soothes mine. Dosage: Spritz throat/chest area and wrap neck, where possible, with a leopard print scarf to stay warm and glamorous.

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Headache – nanah mint features in Comme Des Garcons’ Play Green and applied to my temples and back of neck it cools and refreshes when I have a headache. Supporting notes of Basil, lime and juniper mean even when I am brain fatigued and lacking concentration this fragrances helps put some life back into me.

I think you can find samples of all of these at Surrender To Chance<<JUMP

So my fine fragrant friends tell me if you too use fragrant for your ills and if so in what combinations?

Xx Your Fragrant Nurse, Ainslie ;D

Scenting Characters: What would ‘X’ wear?

April 22, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Liam

Good evening fragrance aficionados!

Scent associations fascinate me. Most pertinently, when watching film and TV I often find myself scenting fictional characters. The way certain actors and actresses portray a character astounds me, and sometimes I wonder how they would smell considering their personalities.

Scenting Characters: What would ‘X’ wear?

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs (1991):

Intellectually staggering; an enigma wrapped in multitudes of haunting mystery. Hannibal Lecter, despite his cannibal tendencies, is an upperclass gentleman with a great disdain towards bad manners!

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For Lecter, I choose Jean Desprez floriental “Bal a Versailles”. Totally classical in its composition, I am reminded of scenes when Lecter draws pictures of Clarice whilst listening to classical music. Bal a Versailles is textured wonderfully, expensive (rare), and most importantly for those with great taste! It is exotic, yet grounded by an impression of properness and prissiness. Perfect for Lecter.

Tony Shalhoub as Adrian Monk in Monk (2002 – 2009):

OCD-ridden, Adrien Monk is a delicate creature and a brilliant detective. Often when watching I find Shalhoub delivers a very tangible human quality to the character, verging innocuous yet persistent as his OCD often gets in the way.

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I particularly love the ‘square tomato’ scene and another when he meticulously gets his haircut. But, considering this, I don’t think the character would wear perfume because he would find it both interfering and may never find something he loves! Therefore, I choose Escentric Molecules “Molecule 01”. The ISO-E Super is something I cannot smell on myself, which I feel would be a feature Monk would appreciate. Molecule 01’s subtle woody and cedar-like aroma is clean and clinical, much like the character.

Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada (2006):

Powerful, important, and amazingly dressed (the way she tosses Prada bags and expensive coats carelessly – wow!). Clad in the most amazing garments (I consider this film as the impetus for my fashionable awakening), Priestly is the epitome of a contemporary ‘Boss Lady’. She demands respect and universally sets the tone.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

I was tempted to give this character Mitsouko, but given her haute position as the editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine she needs to be ‘with it’ as well as timeless. Thus, I choose Prada’s “Infusion d’Iris” for her in work mode. Sleek, slightly cold, and very professional. It is discrete elegance, remembering that iris is very expensive! Opening with citruses, then layered with soft incense and resins on a bed of cedar.

Rod Taylor as Mitch Brenner in The Birds (1963):

Rod Taylor portrays the male hero in Hitchcock’s suspense horror “The Birds”. Whilst the character is firmly placed in a heroic role protecting Tippi Hedren from vicious birds, we also view a romantic tale. The film features really dark and challenging undertones, including the idea of uncertainty and a supernatural-esque danger. Rod Taylor’s character requires something strongly grounded, yet delicate and romantic up on top. Often he is well dressed, donning typical duotone suit outfits for work, with tweed blazers and white sweaters for relaxation.

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I think Chanel’s “Sycomore” is most appropriate. The mild flounce and tendency to be cheeky is expressed with an amazing violet note, grounded in a vetiver and tobacco accord (a bit like wood varnish) also calling to mind the classicism of Guerlain’s Vetiver.

All these fragrances can be sampled at Surrender To Chance if you’d like to try them

Your turn! How would you scent the following?

Norman Bates – Psycho

Mildred Pierce – Mildred Pierce

James Bond (Sean Connery)

-Liam.

Travel Scent Choices: Singapore + South Korea Spring 2015

April 13, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Hey Y’All,

As you may know Jin is changing jobs so to celebrate this sudden rise in fortunes we are bringing our 2015 holiday forward from November to now, we leave on Wednesday. OH YES WE DO!

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First stop is one of my long time buddies places in Singapore, hey Julie! I have never done a holiday in Singapore before; though my last partner Varun & I spent 36 hours in the airport because he didn’t have a visa while we were on our way to India. You would think we had a bad time, we did not. It was crazy fun, that Changi Airport is enormous.

Photo Stolen TripAdvisor

Then we go on to South Korea to visit Jin’s family. Cherry blossom time will just be finishing but I think they will still be slightly in flower. It’s Jin’s Dad’s birthday so we are taking them for their first holiday in years, two days on the west coast of South Korea. They think this is a ridiculous extravagance but Jin is hiring a car and we’ll drive 3 hours each way, fully across South Korea, and spend one night at a pension (not even a hotel because that would be too much). They are adamant that this kind of frivolity should be avoided and that we should be putting our money to better use. Fingers crossed they have a good time, Jin has really been working hard on TripAdvisor to get it just right for them.

Travel Scent Choices: Singapore + South Korea Spring 2015

So spring will be WARM in Singapore and mild in South Korea. I need a small range of fragrances to get me by till I can hit the stores and buy Misia by CHANEL. It’s the only fragrance on my To Buy List right now and I know they’ll have it in both Singapore and Seoul. So I’m thinking 5 frags, 2 bottles and three decants. It’s only 12 days.

Travel Scent Choices: Bottles

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L’Heure Convoiteé II Cartier: This arctic, powdery, furball of a carnation/iris is so fabulously elegant and lasts all day. I can spritz and go and know I’ll smell freaking killer until I shower. I also love that it has it’s own sturdy leather pouch which means I don’t have to worry about it in my checked luggage.

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La Chasse aux Papillons L`Artisan Parfumeur: 7.5ml Rollerball (not pictured). Nick from Libertine Parfumerie gave me this one to test because they are brand new in 2015 and I thought what better place to try it than on holiday. Space will be tight, I need something small and easily accessible and the bottle feels surprisingly hefty. I also find that rolling La Chasse aux Papillons makes it last longer on my skin.

Travel Scent Choices: Decants

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Misia CHANEL: Yes, my decant is almost drained already. Makeup and leather together so beautifully, a delightfully powdery and lightly soapy wash of pure elegance. I can’t tell you what a zing this gives me whenever I spritz, it’s not just its own scent but the memories of all the other scents that it reminds me of through its life and you know what? I love it so much that I’m going to wear it on the plane.

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Manto di Rugiada i Profumi di Firenze: I keep forgetting to wear this lovely green, resinous amber. It’s light enough for spring and will smell gorgeous on the cooler evenings. Softly nuanced and beautifully blended I always enjoy my ride. There’s a couple of ml left in my decant, I might as well use them up.

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07 Vetiver Dance Tauer Perfumes: One of my mates Natalie from Another Perfume Blog (now defunct sadly) gave me a manufacturers sample of this one. I like vetiver very much and Vetiver dance has been sitting in my Must Try box for ages. I’m taking it with me so I can spend some time with one of the few Andy Tauer fragrances that I’ve not smelled.

What do you think of my choices? What would you pick if you had to take 5? It’s not forever, only a fortnight, so it’s not a really big decision. it is fun planning and choosing though.

Portia xx

CHANEL S-S 2015 Eyewear Campaign: Making Of

April 10, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Hey Hey APJ,

This season Karl Lagerfeld has chosen Kristen Stewart again to be part of his campaign. I love a bunch of the looks they’ve given her and I think she pulls off androgyne with aplomb. She has a great face for the glasses too.

I hope you enjoy this little look behind the scenes.

Portia xx

Photo Stolen CHANEL.com

CHANEL S-S 2015 Eyewear Campaign

Kristen Stewart

Misia by Olivier Polge for CHANEL 2015

April 5, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

Hello Happy Huffers,

Imagine. Your Dad has been in charge of CHANEL perfumes and his first two creations for the house were Anteaus (1981) and Coco (1984), and that was just the beginning of the amazing saga of Jaques Polge reign. We all know that fragrance is a nepotistic arena so no one was surprised that Mr J Polge’s successor would be his prolific son Olivier Polge (89 fragrances and counting) who has produced some of my personal favourites including Midnight In Paris, Spicebomb, DIOR Homme, Cuir Beluga, Liberte and The Beat Man: These are just the ones I have FB of in my collection.

Then you get offered the BIG job, in house perfumer for CHANEL! What will your first fragrance be? How can you carry on the CHANEL ideal and your father’s legacy while still putting your own stamp on the product? While I don’t envy Olivier Polge the shoes he has to fill I am agog to wear the produce of his labours……….

Misia by Olivier Polge for CHANEL 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Powdery notes, violet, iris, orris root, Turkish rose, Grasse rose, Laos benzoin, tonka bean

Misia, I wonder who decided that Misia Sert would be the muse for this CHANEL creation? A modern woman of wealth. taste and an arts-centric philanthropist, ahead of her time yet fully a part of that time. A mover and a shaker, a catalyst, incredibly modern and yet a long time ago. It’s a perfect choice because almost anything fragrant you do can point to a facet of Misia, as long as it is brought to life impeccably.

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So many things Misia opens like. It’s a magical roll-a-dex of plush fragrant memories from that very first spritz, all of them expensive and lavish. Coco Chanel once said, “The best things in life are free but the second best are very, very expensive.” Many other bloggers have dwelt on its similarities so I’ll leave it there. I will say that a part of the mix that I’d always pegged as saffron is here, and I think it may be the violet/iris combo: balmy and cool yet slightly plastic. It smells like the feel of one of those old black bakelite CHANEL No 5 refillable canisters or the black case of a lipstick with the interlocking Cs at the tip and also some of the lipstick inside. More than any other CHANEL fragrance Misia smells like the essence of CHANEL, the dream and ideal we are being sold.

Photo Stolen CHANEL

As we move into the heart of Misia the roses bloom, again vaguely reminiscent of other famous and beautiful fragrances but smoother, prettier, more tasteful and woven through with the violet/iris and very softly hinting of elegant leather handbags and folios. There is too a reminder of makeup and fragrances within, tidy but well loved. Sheer, a cloud of good fortune to surround you, the smell that money only wishes it could have but also a stark unclutteredness* like contemporary minimalism. Everything so perfectly placed and balanced, a harmonious whole.

Photo Stolen CHANEL News

The end, a now whisper of what an old fashioned fragrance could have been in a dream. Bravo Olivier Polge, it feels to me as if you’ve hit the nail on the head.

Further reading: Now Smell This and Perfume Posse
CHANEL Les exclusives are available at large Department Stores and CHANEL stand alone beauty
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Which is your favourite CHANEL Exclusive? Are you excited for the new era in CHANEL fragrance?
What do YOU think of Misia?
Portia xx

*Unclutteredness – clunky word, made it up, you know what I mean. Ironically the using of this word is an antonym of what I think it stand for.

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2015 Perfume Reviews

March 29, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Hello Gorgeous APJ Family,

It’s Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances time again, my favourite seasons are Autumn and Spring, the mid seasons. I love that in both these seasons the weather can be remarkably similar, sunny and warm on one day, freezing or blustery on another, nights are cool to cold and so the overall wearings are quite similar. These fragrances are on my desk and within easy spritz reach and they only stay on the desk while they are getting regular spritz time, if they’ve been sitting there for more than a few days without attention they go back in the cupboard.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2015 Perfume Reviews

Futur* – Robert Piguet: The ungreenest green ever. Sappy, sweet, green and extremely wearable all year round. Futur has been out of the cupboard and on my skin quite a bit lately and it fits any occasion.

Liberte* – Cacharel: A screaming, sizzling, BarBQ’d orange that is so sugary and ends up in a vanilla/patchouli/orange finale. I’ve loved it for years and now that it seems to be discontinued I’ve had to grab a couple of back up bottles.

Shalimar EdP* + Parfum – Guerlain: My old faithful. Shalimar fits every season, every mood and every event. From it’s citrus gelato opening to the resinous, vanilla and leather dry down I love Shalimar through and through. If I had to pick a fragrance to be my one and only Shalimar would be it.

CHANEL No 22: Yes, it’s the modern EdT. I bought it in NYC on our trip and that aldehydic zwoosh is too fabulous for words. Lasts all day, smells incredible and I feel like a million dollars from spritz to shower.

Mitzah – DIOR Prive: For those cooler nights Mitzah. Sweet, spicy, animal roses that feel like they have a whisper of oud in with the patchouli. Warm and sensual but cool enough to wear all year.

Neroli & Orchidee – L’Occitane: Another great L’Occitane cheap and cheerful fragrance! Spring has definitely sprung. I have been loving it sick but the final stamp of approval was given by Willa Zheng on Friday, she totally agrees and I trust her nose completely.

Niki de Saint Phalle: I can’t stop spritzing this glamorous green. Bright, fun and energetic. Niki de Saint Phalle is take charge with a twinkle in your eye. I think it’s the mint in the opening contrasting with the fruit and galbanum, gets me every time.

Nirvana Black by Elizabeth & James: Warm sandalwoodsy vanilla. Great price, excellent packaging. Wear this shit everywhere.

Pichola – Neela Vermeire Creations: The softest, most complex and wonderful tuberose. Surrounded by other notes and accords but it is the tuberose, sheer and clean, shorn of all its intimate, breathy and shitty bits we are left with the clearest, green herbs and spice overlaid tuberose. Beautiful, wearable and a complete divergence for the line while maintaining so many of the things I love.

Un Jardin Apres la Mousson by Hermes: That thick oily, wet, sweet, herbaceous freak of a fragrance. I find it addictive and love to lose myself in its heavy sheer wafts.

There are my current mid-season Top 10. They will probably be changed by next week but right now these ten fragrances are getting good skin time and working extremely well in the changeable conditions that the mid-seasons hand us.

What are you wearing right now? Give me a Top 3 if you’ve got one…..

Loads of love to you all, wherever and in what ever weather,
Portia x

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

* Second year in the Top 10

Fall-Winter 2015/16 Ready-to-Wear CHANEL Show

March 15, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Hiya Fashion and Frag Nerds,

I don’t normally put the full runway show on APJ but this Pret a Porter range is VERY interesting. For me the point between gorgeous and disgusting are all filled in. there are some monstrosities but done with the usual CHANEL/Lagerfeld attention to detail and finish which takes them out of the merely awful and into a whole new realm.

We are treated to a wide and varied bunch of textures in this parade, in fact the whole show seems to be about texture more than fashion. Layering, pearls, 50’s suit meets 70s retro and all done in a fabulous arena, LOVED the working cafe idea with baristas and waiters serving the models.

Photo Stolen CHANEL News

When it all goes right though there are some spectacular beauties. Collar treatments, bejewelled aprons, bomber jackets, at the end a fabulous chiffon set, the CHANEL suit is re-imagined and super wearable. I could see a couple of them on my Mum if she was still with us, especially the beige & black shoe. Fabulously thick and bold woven checks, almost an Issey Miyake use of 3 dimensions but all done in classical CHANEL style. The male models that sprinkle the show are also produced beautifully.

I hope you enjoy
Portia xx

Fall-Winter 2015/16 Ready-to-Wear CHANEL Show