Dior Lady Art – Ian Davenport Interview

January 14, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Portia

Hi Fashion Fumies,

Here we find an interesting collaboration for the new DIOR handbags. Artist Ian Davenport.

Many of Davenport’s works are made by pouring paint onto a tilted surface and letting gravity spread the paint over the surface.[7] He has usually worked on medium density fibreboard rather than canvas, and most often employs household gloss paint, meaning the viewer can see their own reflection in the work. He has made a number of diptychs and triptychs as well as single works. Wikipedia

Ian Davenport

Below video Ian Davenport explains how he and DIOR created pieces that basically have me foaming at the mouth with desire. DIOR Lady is a handbag style, Lady Art are the ones done in collaboration with artists, very cool.

Check this out. AMAZING!
Portia xx

Diorissimo GIVEAWAY WINNER

December 1, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Lovelies,

LOADS of interest for this GIVEAWAY! Thanks for getting involved all.
Portia xx

Diorissimo GIVEAWAY WINNER

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Green leaves
Heart: Amaryllis, Boronia, Lilac, Jasmine, Lily, Lily-of-the-valley, Rosemary, Ylang-ylang
Base: Sandalwood, Civet

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 100ml bottle vintage Diorissima EdT (around 30-40% left)
1 x 7.5ml bottle vintage Diorissima parfum
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Wednesday 30th November 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

TIM

The winners will have till Wednesday 7th December 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

Diorissimo EdT vintage by Edmond Roudnitska for DIOR 1956

November 28, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 45 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Vintage Lovers,

Recently a family that I know had a tough decision, their mother/grandmother finally went to a home. Alzheimers has ravaged her mind and sadly it was becoming impossible for the family to keep her with them. Interestingly, she has calmed down considerably, is much happier and more relaxed in the care of professionals. They keep her clean and understand much more how to deal with the moods, aggression, nudity and lack of memory that goes with this debilitating disease. I watched the decline till Nonna was too far gone to come to trivia. Heartbreaking. We used to have so much fun, even in the early stages of Alzheimers she was sharp as a tack and hilarious.

Anyway, the family just cleaned out Nonna’s fragrances and brought then to me. One of the bottles is 1/3+ full 100ml vintage bottle of Diorissimo. Flawlessly perfect with all notes intact. Thing is, I already have a bottle of each strength with more than I’ll ever use in my lifetime. So I thought I’d share the love.

Diorissimo EdT vintage by DIOR 1956

Diorissimo EdT vintage by Edmond Roudnitska

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Green leaves
Heart: Amaryllis, Boronia, Lilac, Jasmine, Lily, Lily-of-the-valley, Rosemary, Ylang-ylang
Base: Sandalwood, Civet

OK, I have to tell you this to effect full disclosure. My love for Diorissimo has been outshone by both Jessica Mauboy’s Be Beautiful and Muguet Porcelain by Hermès, their melon/LotV mix has me enraptured.

I thought I would add in a vintage parfum to sweeten the deal, just opened the cellophane and had a sniff to make sure that it’s real and fresh. It is. So perfect you will weep. It still has its plastic stopper in place!

Here are some pics of what you’ll win.
Portia xx

Diorissimo GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 100ml bottle vintage Diorissima EdT (around 30-40% left)
1 x 7.5ml bottle vintage Diorissima parfum
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 why you’d like to try Diorissimo or if you have a Lily of the Valley favourite

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Wednesday 30th November 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 7th December 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

Diorella GIVEAWAY WINNER

November 27, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

Hey Crew,

Thanks for getting involved. Let’s see who won,
Portia xx

Diorella GIVEAWAY WINNER

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Basil, Bergamot, Green notes, Melon, Lemon
Heart: Cyclamen, Carnation, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Peach, Rose
Base: Oakmoss, Musk, Patchouli, Vetiver

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Sample from my vintage Diorella EdT
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 26th November 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Bernadette Winfield-Gray

The winner will have till Thursday 1st December 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

Granville by Francois Demachy for Dior Collection Privée 2010

November 18, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Portia

Howdy Fragrant Family,

Years ago now I bought 10ml of Granville in a split from AndreaW. It was forgotten for a while and then rediscovered and drained to the dregs. As soon as I was finishing my decant the damn thing got DCd so I was lamenting its loss and resigned to never having a bottle to spritz.

On a whim in South Korea last week I asked the DIOR SA if she remembered Granville and she produced a tester saying that she had one bottle left in stock, 250ml at about AUD$100 more expensive than Sydney prices (because S Korea!). We thanked her for her time, spritzed Granville lavishly and went on our merry way. Then, because I was floating in swathes of its green beauty and a bit sad that I would never own it Jin said we should go back and get it next day, he even offered to buy me the bottle (I know right, but I wouldn’t let him). So we went back and grabbed it and I’m so thrilled, it’s a perfect mid-season beauty.

Granville by Dior Collection Privée 2010

Granville by Francois Demachy

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Basenotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, mandarin, thyme
Heart: Gorse, pine, rosemary
Base: Pepper, sandalwood, woodsy notes

A smooth and rich cologne in EdT built by Francois Demachy to be both an interesting twist on an old trope and a new, fun, pretty masculine for perfumistas of both sex. It’s perfect mid season wear while the sun is shining and in the chill of the evening. Grenville is cool green, bright and slightly fizzy like a Limoncello with a hint of salt. The sweet and tart at the same time opening wafts gently into more green and herbaceousness that warms and dries towards dry down with the pepper crackling and creamy woods.

Flickr

Never a poisonous green, always a gentle, plush, refined greenness; austere yet approachable. Said to be done in homage to the wind at Christian Dior’s childhood home, the greenness of the area, the herb garden and the exuberance of his youth, I get it. Granville is all of this and more. A mellow green with fizz and cream.

Lasting well into 3 hours as fragrant I was surprised to find Granville still smellable on the morning as I wake up, a whispered wash of citrus and wood.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and BOTO
Still available at some DIOR stand alone stores
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Do you have a favourite DIOR Privee? Which one? Why? Did you try DIOR Granville?
Portia xx

Christian Dior: Little Dictionary of Fashion

November 9, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Post by Anne-Marie

In my tiny collection of fashion and perfume books, my greatest treasure is a tattered copy of Christian Dior’s Little Dictionary of Fashion: a guide to dress sense for every woman, published by Cassell & Co in 1954. A friend gave it to me and it seems to be a first edition, which is rather special. It’s written in English. If there was an earlier French edition I’m not aware of it.

The book is arranged alphabetically: A for Accessories … Afternoon Frock … Armholes … – through to Z for … Zest (‘There is no beauty which is attractive without Zest’).

Christian Dior: Little Dictionary of Fashion

Book Review

Book Depository

Of course on first opening the book I skipped straight to P for Perfume. Here’s the entry in full.
“Since the beginning of civilisation perfume has always been used and has been considered an essential part of woman’s attraction.
“When I was young, women used much more perfume than they do now and I think that was wonderful and I regret that more women don’t use it lavishly now.
“Perfume, like your clothes, can so much express your personality; and you can change your perfume with your mood.
“I think it as important for a woman to have beautiful perfume as it is for her to have beautiful clothes. And do not think that you need have perfume only on yourself; your whole house can smell of it, and especially your own room.”

The entry is accompanied by a photograph of – of course! – Miss Dior in the amphora bottle in which it had been presented on its release in 1947.

Fragrantica

It’s intriguing that Dior thought that women of that time wore less perfume than when he was young (Dior was born in 1905). Was that true, I wonder? Perhaps the women in Dior’s (rather privileged) early life happened to be great lovers of perfume? Or perhaps Dior the salesman was he just being sly, encouraging women to buy more perfume? Preferably his own, of course

The book is sheer delight. Dated, of course, in some of its advice. “In town you cannot be dressed without gloves any more than you can be dressed without a hat.” But whimsical too. “I never get tired of dots.” And sensible. “Too high heels are vulgar and hideous.” I could not agree more.

My favourite is the entry for Elegance: “Elegance must be the right combination of distinction, naturalness, care and simplicity. Outside this, believe me, there is no elegance. Only pretension.” I do believe you M. Dior, indeed I do.

This charming book has been republished under a slightly rearranged title, and is widely available online.
By the way, want some Miss Dior bottle porn? Go here.

Are you a lover of Dior style, in dress and perfume? Do comment!
Until next time everyone, stay elegant!
Anne-Marie

Golden Oldies: Worn For Life

October 23, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Post by Anne-Marie

Hi all

What is the perfume you have worn the longest in your life?

Golden Oldies: Worn For Life

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Neroli, bergamot, green notes
Heart: Iris, narcissus, rose, lily of the valley
Base: Sandalwood, leather, vetiver, oakmoss

I’ve worn Chanel No 19 on and off for … ahem … something like thirty years. I don’t know how I could afford it but I bought my first 50ml bottle of the EDT in the mid-80s when I was a student. Between then and 1991 (still a student) I went through that bottle and bought two more. I still have them all; the first completely drained, the latter two are nearly used and rather on the turn now. (Why did I buy a third before the second was drained? I can’t remember.)

In later years I added more bottles of the EDT and EDP to my collection. I still wear it No 19. It’s the perfume I’ve worn the longest, more than half my life.

In those early years I also bought Estée Lauder White Linen, Lancome Magie Noire, Laura Ashley No. 1, and Eau Sauvage (two bottles). Later, after I moved cities, I remember buying Paloma Picasso, Patou Joy, Estee Lauder Pleasures, and Eau de Givenchy. The last was a souvenir of a trip to the UK and Europe in 1996. I bought it in Paris. Squeee!

Flickr

This was all before I had started having children in 1998, and ceased spending money on perfume for several years.

I don’t wear any of those regularly any more. I’ve moved on from the Lauders, as you do. Paloma Picasso has some sad memories. Magie Noire I wear occasionally still. Joy I never really liked and still don’t. I bought it to celebrate the fact that I could actually afford a perfume once touted as ‘the most costly perfume in the world’. By 1993 it wasn’t, but I loved the idea of it. Eau de Givenchy has to compete every summer with a clutch of other eaux, though it is still the best of the bunch probably.

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Grapefruit, mandarin, bergamot, mint, red fruit
Heart: Ylang-ylang, honeysuckle, pure jasmine, narcissus, tuberose, lily-of-the-valley, rose, cyclamen, orris root
Base: Sandalwood, musk, cedar, oakmoss

Anyway – I’m wondering what is the perfume you have worn the longest, and which you still wear? What is the perfume to which you keep returning, no matter how many other perfumed paths you have explored?

Does this long-standing choice suggest something fundamental and abiding about your taste? Note, for instance, that my early perfume collection contained no gourmands, and no orientals except Magie Noire which is part-chypre anyway. Note also that I skipped the marine/ozonic perfumes of the 90s altogether. Thank God. I’d rather squirt L’Eau d’Issey in my eye than wear it on skin.
Or, have you completely left behind all your early perfume explorations and discarded those early, embarrassing bottles?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Until next time, keep spritzing everyone!
AM

5 Neglected Warm Day + Cool Night Fragrances

October 15, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there APJ,

So it’s a Mid Season again. YAY! These are my favourite bits of the year. Autumn and Spring. Why? Well, though I do love the warmth and freezing cold I find life much easier between 20C and 30C as top range heats. Dressing for the day is easier and you only need a comfy old jumper or hoodie as standby for cooler evenings. I also seem to function better physically and mentally in the Mid Seasons and I often feel more inspired to create positive change in my life.

It’s great for fragrance too because almost everything goes, here are some things that I love for these glorious days. I’ve chosen some fragrances that seemed to get a lot of attention when they were released but then have been basically ignored ever since. Yes, I talk about them but I rarely see them mentioned elsewhere so here’s a friendly reminder of some of my Mid Season loves.

5 Neglected Warm Day + Cool Night Fragrances

Fragrantica

Mitzah by DIOR

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Coriander, rose, spices, cinnamon, labdanum, vanilla, honey, patchouli, incense

Mitzah opens all hot smoky spices and incense, with unmentioned leather and tobacco notes. Not an intense journey through the perfume with mountainous peaks and troughs, while there are definite start middle and end notes it’s more of a progression. The kick at the start warms slowly and languidly through mildly sweet towards a honeyed amber dry down.

Fragrantica

The Aoud by Mancera

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Geranium, sandalwood, saffron, incense, rose, agarwood (oud), leather, ambergris

Oudh, geranium and sandalwood are triumphant kings through the story of this fragrance for me, their characters working in tandem and against each other to keep The Aoud interesting and unusual. Though rose is a featured note it doesn’t play heavily here, more a light accompaniment with the leather, saffron and incense. Blooms in the heat and is cuddly at night.

Cuir Pleine Fleur James Heeley Fragrantica Fragrantica

Cuir Pleine Fleur by James Healey

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Italian bergamot, Violet leaf, Cinnamon
Heart: Mimosa, Hawthorn, Suede, Rose, Honey
Base: Vetiver, Castoreum, Birch, Atlas cedar

Cuir Pleine Fleur is one of the easiest leathers I’ve ever smelled, friendly, well worn kid gloves and while being fragrant it is never overpowering or uncomfortable. A green leather, if you can believe it. I am loving it this season because it has a cool edge for warm days and the soft and,alias make it cozy in the cool.

Fragrantica

Indian Wood by Parfumerie Generale

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Sandalwood, vetiver, moss, spicy mint, nutmeg, cardamom, coconut milk, lemon zest

Chai! Sweet, milky, spicy and warming but with a green facet that gives it a papery rasp and picks Indian Wood up. This sweetness comes from the sweetness of milky woods, piquant spices and the warm memories of cooking. Even though this is a gourmand it’s green dryness keeps it from overwhelming in the heat.

Fragrantica

Divine EdP by Divine Parfums

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tuberose, peach, coriander
Heart: Orange blosson, rose, spices, patchouli, gardenia, jasmine
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, musk, oakmoss

Big White Flowers and peachy/coriander skank bomb. The tuberose is excellent and lushly indolic, I am always surprised there is no ylang here because I am reminded of its sensual lushness, maybe it’s the orange blossom/tuberose melange.

LuckyScent or First In Fragrance have most of these babies

What do you wear Mid Season or what do you love that isn’t talked about much anymore?
Portia xx

12 Perfumes I Would Rebuy

August 4, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 62 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Fab Fumies,

Once upon a time you would see these Desert Island lists everywhere. It was a regular question on blogs and Facebook pages. It would be great for me because it would make me think about the fragrances that really matter in my collection. So let’s get hypothetical.

Let’s say you have downsized to a Tiny Home after your whole perfume collection was destroyed and are only allowing yourself 12 fragrance bottles in your new less expansive space (you can change one every time you finish a bottle, gift one away etc). You have bought an In-Cupboard-Drawer that will be the complete size of your collection and it fits 12 bottles exactly. You have no price restrictions only bottle number, what are the first 12 bottles you chose to have in your home?

12 Perfumes I Would Rebuy

Fragrantica

Aesthete by Le Galion: The Le Galion crew are woefully under appreciated. This sexy leather/saffron/incense with a lovely animalic backbone is the bomb. Elegant, wearable, inviting and distinct.

Amoureuse by Parfums DelRae: Freakiest damn sexy lily I ever smelled in my life. A golden witch brew that makes my head pop.

Fragrantica

Dia Woman Extract by Amouage: An animal in couture clothing. All the flowers over an oudh/incense base that sings on my skin all night long till the early morning when it growls and purrs.

Fantasia de Fleurs by Creed: I can’t think of a better jammy rose. Some times in my life just seem to call for Fantasia de Fleurs

Giverny In Bloom by DSH Perfumes: The greenest green I ever did smell. So much galbanum decorated with flowers to lightly soften the blow. I go through so much Giverny In Bloom that it’s nearly time I bought more…..

Mitsouko Vintage Extrait by Guerlain: If you knew how much of this I’ve stockpiled you would be appalled. That furry peachy floral oakmoss bomb that continues to fascinate and delight me every time.

Fragrantica

Mitzah by DIOR: Honeyed, spicy, amber rose overlaid with a glorious smoky incense both fiery and cooly aloof. LOVE IT!

Fragrantica

Mohur by Neela Vermeire Creations: Another spicy rose but this time cooler and more Asiatic. Every wear is slightly different and it tends to bloom differently at different temperatures.

Niki de Saint Phalle: A chypre with a softer floral hue through the heart. So wearable and is such a summer staple that works in all climes.

Olympic Amber by Olympic Orchids: Yes, I have about 30 ambers in my collection and this was the hardest to winnow down to one by there is something incredible simple and wearable about Olympic Amber, it’s the one I seem to reach for as my benchmark.

Shalimar Extrait by Guerlain: The one. Forever and ever. My favourite fragrance in the world. This case is by far my preferred way to apply too.

Truth or Dare by Madonna: I know. Don’t care what you think. This is one of my all time favourites. It gets hauled out and spritzed at least once a week. There’s quite a stockpile here but still I worry that it will run out.

Can I tell you honestly that this took me a while because I kept swapping things out and then feeling bad because some of my favourite perfumers, houses and frags would have meant a doubling up of notes or styles. In the end I had to stop myself second guessing by adding that each time a bottle emptied or was gifted away I could swap it out for a different scent. Suddenly it didn’t seem like I was choosing forever and my head stopped exploding. He he he.

OK, so it’s over to you. What are your 12? Don’t think too long, it’s merely hypothetical and not forever.
Portia xx

Dior Eau Sauvage: Tribute to a Legend: Video

July 2, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there APJ,

Christian Dior’s Eau Sauvage has been a staple mens fragrance, gracing their bathrooms and bureaus since 1966. It has survived the changes in fashion and fragrance with tweaks and reformulations. Still it contains hints of what it was while also smelling very nice on the people who love to wear it. Even now when I ask someone who smells particularly good what they’re wearing the answer is sometimes Eau Sauvage.

DIOR has done a lovely video below to celebrate its eternal cash cow. Bravo. 50 years is quite an achievement. Here’s to 50 more.

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, basil, bergamot, cumin, lavender, fruit
Heart: Jasmine, rose, carnation, iris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood
Base: Oakmoss, vetiver, musk, amber

Dior Eau Sauvage: Tribute to a Legend

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Christian Dior

Dior Lady Art – Ian Davenport Interview

Diorissimo GIVEAWAY WINNER

Diorissimo GIVEAWAY WINNER

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

TIM

Diorissimo EdT vintage by Edmond Roudnitska for DIOR 1956

Diorissimo EdT vintage by DIOR 1956

Diorissimo EdT vintage by Edmond Roudnitska

Diorissimo GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

Diorella GIVEAWAY WINNER

Diorella GIVEAWAY WINNER

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

Bernadette Winfield-Gray

Granville by Francois Demachy for Dior Collection Privée 2010

Granville by Dior Collection Privée 2010

Granville by Francois Demachy

Christian Dior: Little Dictionary of Fashion

Christian Dior: Little Dictionary of Fashion

Book Review

Golden Oldies: Worn For Life

Golden Oldies: Worn For Life

5 Neglected Warm Day + Cool Night Fragrances

5 Neglected Warm Day + Cool Night Fragrances

Mitzah by DIOR

The Aoud by Mancera

Cuir Pleine Fleur by James Healey

Indian Wood by Parfumerie Generale

Divine EdP by Divine Parfums

12 Perfumes I Would Rebuy

12 Perfumes I Would Rebuy

Dior Eau Sauvage: Tribute to a Legend: Video

Dior Eau Sauvage: Tribute to a Legend