La Colle Noire GIVEAWAY WINNERS

May 23, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

WOO HOO APJ!
Great response for todays giveaway. It’s exciting when a new DIOR gets released.

Let’s see who won,
Portia xx

La Colle Noire GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
May rose absolute, Ceylonese sandalwood, White musk, Spices, Amber

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x sample La Colle Noire (decanted from my sample)
1 x 8ml DIOR Privee manufacturers sample
(Cologne Royal or New Look 1947 – NO you don’t get to choose)
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 22nd May 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

markmontanoblogs

Edward

Ellen M.

CONGRATULATIONS! The winners will have till Thursday 26th May 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.

La Colle Noire by François Demachy for DIOR 2016

May 19, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 44 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Fragrant Fumies,

François Demachy has created a new fragrance for the DIOR La Collection Privée line. Cue interest, excitement and some small rejoicing in the perfumista community. Named for Christian Dior’s favourite holiday home in later life: Château de La Colle Noire. So I google translate looked it up and colle can mean mean glue, adhesive or problem. I think something does not add up and if there are any French speakers in the house could they please tell me what it means.

Roses have been back and wearable again in frag circles and the general public since Stella McCartney’s 2003 eponymous radiant rose Stella. Since then we have been bombarded with all the roses that ever and never were. From the darkest, dankest to the shrillingly squeaky clean blow torch editions and yes, I have fallen for a few. Completely and utterly fallen for such luminaries as Mohur by Neela Vermeire, Ballets Rouges by Olympic Orchids, Contradiction by Calvin Klein, Rosa sur Reuse by SOIVOHLE, Midnight Oud by JHaG and in DIOR’s own privet lineup Mitzah and Oud Ispahan (there are more but these without looking).

La Colle Noire by DIOR 2016

La Colle Noire by François Demachy

Parfumo

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
May rose absolute, Ceylonese sandalwood, White musk, Spices, Amber

La Colle Noire opens with a sheer, wet, sharp rose, lightly metallic and already clean musky. My nose gets that soft fluffy feeling of pith and I am surprised theres no citrus, pepper, ivy or blackcurrant mentioned because I get a sharp fruity note in my nose and a dry tickle in my throat that I associate with those four notes. The opening fireworks are over in a couple of minutes and I loose 80% of the heft.

A sweet rose is left behind, sheer, wispy and pretty, bordering on functional or ambient but rising above and floating around me like a rosy zephyr, a dream of roses or of being in the middle of a rose garden in the coolest pale light of morning with only the merest breeze moving the scent to you. Here is a rose like the 2nd run of rose water, lightly warmed and set amongst a harmonious backdrop to murmer quietly around you for hours and hours. Considering how low key La Colle Noire is its longevity is astounding and sillage is very nice too.

Fragrantica

La Colle Noire is so perfectly measured and careful that it could easily belong to the CHANEL Exclusives line. It’s beautiful, fragile and a watercolour wash of fragrance. Elegant, under the radar fragrance for someone who wants to smell like money without having to be so gauche as to make a fragrant statement. Also a perfect background scent for someone who knows they have to smell nice but who don’t really like perfume. An amorphous whisper.

Christian Dior Privee line is available in stand alone DIOR stores and large airports + department stores
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3.25/ml

TheTruthAboutMummy

La Colle Noire GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

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 a rose fragrance you love, or even hate and need to bitch about.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 22nd May 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 Thursday 26th May 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.

Cuir Cannage by Francois Demachy for Christian Dior 2014

May 14, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Post by Portia

Hiya APJ,

Leather! One of my favourite perfume notes. It took me a while to warm to todays fragrance but now I can’t imagine my collection without it. To be honest, when I first smelled Cuit Cannage I think I missed the point.

Cuir Cannage by Christian Dior 2014

Cuir Cannage by Francois Demachy

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange blossom, ylang-ylang
Heart: Rose, jasmine, iris
Base: Birch, juniper, leather

A sweet, supple leather that has been fragranced in the manufacturers to hide the tannery smells. Comfortable, chic and utterly wearable in warm or cool weather I reach for Cuir Cannage when I want leather but a more floral version. DIOR has provided a perfect bridge between the sweetness of Bottega Veneta original and the dryness of Hermès Cuir d’Ange.

Pixabay

I love the way that initially the leather and orange blossom combine to create a modern take on vintage. A cleaner, less animalic version of some of the old time scents. Only very slightly breathy yet very movie star glam. Finally a lovely creamy, worn leather with hints of the warm body of the wearer. A nod to make up, fur, fine living and unattainable beauty perfection. A hint of the sweet musty breaking down of leather bound books in old libraries.

If you are looking for an outrageous, over the top leather experience like Tauer’s Lonestar Memories then you will be bitterly disappointed. DIOR gives us a smooth and seamless leather interpretation that is so obviously geared towards the upper end of the fragrance market, a spritz and go fragrance that still manages to be interesting and beautiful.

Pixabay

Further reading: Persolaise and Colognoisseur
DIOR stores and some larger department stores carry the DIOR La Collection Privée range
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

What is your favourite leather? Does it ever take you a while to come around to a fragrance?
Portia xx

Discontinued Products (or how I hate beauty companies)

April 17, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by AF Beauty

If you live in Australia, you will be used to products appearing in your life and then disappearing, never to be seen again. Mostly though, this happens at the supermarket, yes I’m looking at you Coles and Woolworths. Woolworths recently got me with a double whammy discontinuing both my favourite yoghurt AND my favourite granola within a week of one another. HEARTLESS!!

But for me, the real pain is the discontinuance of beauty products. Chances are, a beauty product will last you weeks or months and you’ll not know a product has been discontinued until you go to repurchase only to find the racks bare and a SA offering you a poor substitute. Woe.
The following products are some that have been discontinued to my dismay – if you see these – BUY IMMEDIATELY because they are amazing ☺

Discontinued Products

(or how I hate beauty companies)

The first, Body Shop Nutriganics Softening Cleansing Gel

This was a beautiful soft gel that softened to an oil, which on contact with water became milky and rinsed away leaving only soft skin. Lovely. I went to buy a few weeks back only to find it gone. I’m sort of heartened that they still have it on the website, if only to say it’s not available – perhaps they will bring it back?

I was persuaded in store to buy this alternative, which I am presently using and will review among a bunch of other cleansing balms and oils. (but suffice to say, it’s not my softening cleansing gel ☹)

Next, from MAC, a face powder. MAC are truly evil in this regard because they specifically do Limited Editions JUST TO MESS WITH YOUR HEAD. I found this powder when it came out years back – it was in the Raquel Welch limited edition and was a light powder called Peaceful. It’s the powder in the very bottom left corner of the picture above.

This was a beautifully light even powder – I was lucky enough to find a store which had one left when I went back to repurchase, but it’s never been seen since unfortunately. And I search in vain for a near match. This Rimmel one isn’t too bad, but Peaceful was lighter and peachier, the Rimmel is too much of a bronzer – but I get that it’s intended to be a bronzer so….

Fragrantica

My last product discontinued is one you guys will likely be most familiar with – Dior’s Tendre Poison. I’m prepared to admit, this might be nostalgia rather than true longing, it has been that long since I even smelled this perfume. I wore this for about 4 years straight in my early 20’s only to find it discontinued one day I went to buy more. From what I’ve learned about perfume, this turnover of fragrances is increasingly common and normal – I honestly don’t know how you guys cope.

What favourites of yours have been discontinued? Did you manage to stock up before they vanished for good, or were you caught surprised and then saddened?

Patchouli Imperial by Francois Demachy for Christian Dior 2011

March 19, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Fragrant Family,

Since we’ve been back from holidays I have spent a little time hunting through the decant/split section of my collection. There is so much choice here, enough for three lifetimes of fragrant addiction that unless I really set out to search the outlying areas things get forgotten. I remember trying today’s fragrance once when I bought this decant and being sadly unimpressed but last night I gave it a spritz before bed and this morning I still smell beautiful. softly tinted with the scent of …..

Patchouli Imperial by Christian Dior 2011

Patchouli Imperial by Francois Demachy

La Collection Couturier Parfumeur Patchouli Imperial Dior for men Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Sicilian mandarin, Calabrian bergamot, Coriander, Indonesian patchouli, cedarwood, sandalwood essence

So I wore Patchouli Imperial again today, all day, and I’ll be wearing it to bed again tonight. In 1.5 days I’ve gone through about 4ml of my 10ml decant. That’s some serious fragrance use. Why? Because suddenly I have fallen madly in love and it’s so absolutely wearable. It was perfect last night as a sleep scent, today while blogging and organising stuff. It was also a winner to go to the physio and shopping afterwards. Then tonight my BFF Kath and I went and ate a WHOLE PEKING DUCK with pancakes, greenery and Hoisin sauce. OMG! I’m so freaking full right now, you have no idea.

DIOR

How does it smell? Well, the citrus burns off fairly quickly and a waxy, woody, green-but-not patchouli that reminds me of the SJP Lovely patchouli/musk but a little more barber shop styled. The woods are there too but in a just polished retro furniture way. The whole fragrance smells smooth, stylish and uncomplicated; more of a fragrant wash that a loud signature statement.

Patchouli Imperial smells to me like a perfect office scent. It is fragrant but not overbearing, could be quite ambient until you get in really close and realise that freaking amazing almost smell is this person. I could also imagine it haunting someone who smelled it on you afterwards. Doomed to be forever seeking that perfect and unattainable fragrance that was once smelled on this person at work, in a restaurant or at a party. Great fragrance to leave on a lovers sheets too.

Flickr

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Olfactoria’s Travels
Available at DIOR stand alone stores, large department stores and now big airports (ask)
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3.25/ml

Are you a patchouli fan? Which of the DIOR Privé line do you love most?
Portia xx

Poison by Edouard Flechier for Christian Dior 1985

December 23, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Joseph Sagona

Hi APJ,

Review #300

I have a history with Poison, it’s one of my Mothers all time favorite perfumes, she still wears it to this day, every time I wear it, it reminds me of her. I can remember being nine years old and going into my Mother’s bed room and on top of her dresser would be that beautiful purple bottle of Poison, I would steal a few sprays here and there, I loved the smell so much, it was so sweet and fruity.

My Mother has no idea that I do fragrance reviews, she would probably wonder why I do them, so I never told her, but she does know I love fragrance. This review I will show her, I want her to know how much I love her and what she means to me, and for her to know that Poison is the fragrance that started me on my love, passion and amazing journey of fragrances today.

Poison by Christian Dior 1985

Poison by Edouard Flechier

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Brazillian rosewood, plum, wild berries, anise, coriander
Heart: Carnation, jasmine, opoponax, African orange flower, tuberose, white honey, rose, incense, cinnamon
Base: Virginian cedar, heliotrope, amber, vanilla, vetiver, sandalwood, musk

Dior’s Poison is the type of fragrance that you have to have attitude and confidence to wear, it is strong, classy, elegant, charming, sophisticated and bitchy.

I get the Plum, White Honey, Incense, Wild Berries, Tuberose and Cinnamon it opens up with a lush, dark plum and a tart, sweet wild berries, the dark plum and wild berries are strong. Then after thirty minutes the plum dissipates, the wild berries soften, in comes a dry, aromatic cinnamon and a whispering, creamy tuberose, the cinnamon is soft, the tuberose is mild.

After three hours the cinnamon dissipate and the tuberose softens. In comes a golden, silky white honey and a warm incense with a touch of sweetness, the honey and incense are mild.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Poison reminds me of Jeanne Arthes Cobra, and Christian Dior’s Poison Extrait, Cobra is spicier, citric and stronger woods, Poison Extrait has stronger florals, softer spices and comes off soapy.

Poison is very fruity, sweet, dark, floral, syrupy and unisex. It leans more towards the feminine side, with soft woody and spicy undertones: a floral fragrance. This can be worn all year ’round, it would be better suited for the Fall and Winter, I get good projection and good longevity, a Christian Dior masterpiece.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Further reading: Yesterday’s Perfume and Black Narcissus
FragranceNet has $73/50ml before Coupon
My Perfume Samples starts at $2.50/ml

What is your Poison? Have you ever worn it?
Joseph Sagona

Dior Prestige: From the Rose to the Skin: Film

October 16, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

DIOR. One of the great western fashion houses that even the name gives me a thrill of lux. Its history, even its modern change from Galliano to Simmons. I love the current way the house is moving, though now that the Exclusives line is available in department stores it doesn’t feel so exclusive. The crew down at our Sydney DIOR standalone store are wonderful, always ask for Jolanta when you’re there (she doesn’t work Mondays) because she will take extra special care if you tell her Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies sent you.

Anyway, I love the DIOR ads and this one is no exception,

I hope you enjoy it,
Portia xx

Dior Prestige – From the Rose to the Skin

No, not affiliated, just love their stuff.

Diorissimo EdC GIVEAWAY WINNER

September 18, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there crew. I am so excited to share these babies from my collection. All vintage: Diorissimo EdC, Miss Dior EdT, Dioressence EdT. Can’t wait to see who our lucky winner is.

Portia xx

Diorissimo EdC 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 Diorissimo EdC vintage sample from my bottle
1 x Miss Dior EdT vintage sample from my bottle
1 x Dioressence EdT vintage sample from my bottle
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 17th September 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen nodepositforum

Michelle U

The winner will have till Sunday 20th September 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.

Diorissimo EdC Vintage by Edmond Roudnitska for DIOR 1956

September 14, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Post by Portia

So I’ve learned something about vintage fragrances recently. They are quite different to the original intention. Please don’t shut me down. I’m not saying they are bad, wrong, inferior or unworthy of your attention: they are super worthy. Even the most badly decomposing vintage fragrance can still give you a hint of the majesty once curled within. So the top notes are wonky, who cares? Those base notes made of real animals (and no I don’t condone the killing of animals for our vanity. I do think though that if those creatures are being murdered anyway that we should use every single bit of them, even the fragrant parts for our scents) last forever and ten minutes into the ride you are coasting on a wave of deep furry burnished beauty unattainable today.

Diorissimo EdC Vintage by DIOR 1956

Diorissimo EdC 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

Recently I grabbed a bottle of vintage Diorissimo EdC. It came fully and perfectly preserved in its original cellophane wrapping, flawless. When I opened it, a 26ml splash, the juice was crystal clear and only slightly coloured, even less than the colour of Milly-la-Foret. I think the lid on a splash lets zero air in, unlike a spritz, because this is the most perfectly preserved version of Diorissimo of any age that I’ve smelled. Ainslie Walker and I were trying it yesterday because she is writing the Miu-Miu fragrance currently and she wanted to be able to compare the treatments of lily of the valley. We were both seriously enraptured by this perfectly demure dirty slut scent. Unbelieveable that it was the fragrance of young wealthy girls everywhere.

Lily of the valley and civet, frankly I’m a little surprised not to see ambergris in the accord list. The rest of the flowers are a beautiful bouquet with some fresh greenery that has still the soft green sappy scent of torn leaves.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Perfumed Dandy
eBay and ETSY have the vintage, department stores the current versions
Surrender To Chance has vintage samples starting from $6/ml

So today we have a very special giveaway which includes samples of Diorissimo EdC, Dioressence EdT and Miss Dior EdT from my own bottles, all VERY vintage.

Portia xxx

Photo Stolen kbaird

Diorissimo EdC GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

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 me your favourite DIOR, old or new, and why

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 17th Septembert 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Sunday 20th September 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.

Miss Dior Web Documentary – Episode 1: The fragrance creation behind the scenes

August 7, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom

G’Day,

Actually I almost never say G’Day unless I’m using the Aussie card in a gay bar and trying to pick up. I do love it when out in the rural parts of Australia and everyone says it.

So, Jin has a couple of actresses that he really loves and Natalie Portman is one of them. Here she meets perfumer Francois Demachy and he takes her through some of the notes and the behind the scenes fun of creating a fragrance, Miss Dior 2012. I love that they are talking as if it’s a fragrance made for Natalie Portman alone, it adds a very cool side interest.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Even if you hate the bullshit that goes with selling a fragrance this Miss Dior video captures so nicely the lovely face of Natalie Portman.

Enjoy,
Portia xx