Gabriella's Top 5 Forgotten White Florals 2015

April 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello perfumed peeps!

I’ve been in a bit of a fragrance funk lately. Not much of my collection has inspired me and rummaging round the sample box and sniffing new releases have failed to set my world on fire. To get me out of this sad little rut, I decided to explore some white floral scents that have been overlooked, ignored or forgotten by the blogging community or the fragrance world at large. Happily, I have discovered some lost gems that have given me my perfume mojo back. Today, I’d like to share a selection of those with you, so I present:

Gabriella’s Top 5 Forgotten White Florals 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

1. Gardenia Grand Soir by Pierre Guillaume for Parfumerie Generale 2010

Fragrantica lists these notes in one line: w
White gardenia and sandalwood

The graceful gardenia. The reaction of the blogosphere was decidedly ho hum about this and I think the words “Grand Soir” were to blame. People were expecting opulence from Mr Guillaume and while the scent is not a huge overblown gardenia, I still think it’s absolutely wonderful. Here, the flower is stripped of all of its voluptuous elements: it’s a portrait of the flower’s bud at dawn, all green innocent and pure before the sun breaks and the blooms unfurl into all their heady glory. The gauzy flowers are tempered by a soft, milky sandalwood that amplifies the creamy elements and gives almost a beachy feel. The magic of this is that it is a quiet, contemplative and elegant rendition of a flower that is usually all vava-voom and femme fatale.

Further reading: Grain de Musc and CaFleureBon

First in Fragrance has EUR 95/50ml

Surrender to Chance starts at $9.99/ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

2. Hanae by Yann Vasnier for Keiko Mecheri 2000

Fragrantica lists these notes in one line:
Citruses, white flowers, wild berries, yuzu and crystalline musk.

The unexpected delight. Hanae been around for years, but I just happened to discover it for the first time the other day wandering round a local department store. The scent is meant to evoke spring in a Kyoto garden and it does just that brilliantly. A melange of crystalline white petals is accentuated by the delicate citrus tones of yuzu and a hint of white musk. A fragile, delicate scent that it just pure happiness in a bottle.

Further reading: Makeupalley and Scent of Abricots

Peony Melbourne has $219/75ml

Luckyscent has samples at $3/.7ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

3. Lily by Florence Idier for Comme des Garcons (Series 1, Leaves) 2000

Fragrantica lists these notes in one line:
Freesia, lily-of-the-valley, rose and syringa.

The uncomplicated beauty. Comme des Garcons are recognised for their quirkier creations and it’s usually the Series 2 Incense range that gets all the love. Lily is fact that the house can do simple and pretty and still come up trumps. It is a startlingly beautiful rendition of lily of the valley, something I had given up trying to find once Diorissimo was reformulated. The lily of the valley here has a verdant and very fresh quality, evoking tiny white buds after a rainshower. Rose, green notes complete the scent that has an invigorating quality akin to having a cool shower on a hot summer day.

Fragrant Gifting

November 20, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Fragrant Gifting

Hello there my scented friends! The glowing joy of the holiday season is upon us, and what better gift for the one you love most than fragrance? An incredibly personal sentiment, a choice that says “you are one of the people I adore most in this world.” How do I do Fragrant Gifting that feels like it was custom made for that special person?

Well, one obvious tip is to keep the scent amicable and easy to love. Unless you are gifting perfume to a collector or connoisseur, selecting a challenging or overly complex scent is a great way to ensure it gets secretly returned or left lonely and unsprayed in a dark drawer.

Another consideration is budget, because let’s be real – why blow the bank when you can blow their mind (at a modest price)?

The three fragrances below are my picks for charming your loved ones.

Fragrant Gifting

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Green mango, tomato, grapefruit, carrot
Heart: Orange, peony, lotus, hyacinth, bulrush
Base: Labdanum, incense, iris, musk, cinnamon

Un Jardin Sur Le Nil by Hermés: This scent is bright, clean, and has a great reputation for being well-received. Primarily a ginger aroma on me, it sparkles with a green hue that stays true to form throughout the wearlength. A fresh delight for either him or her!

My Perfume Samples has samples starting at $3/ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine, vanilla, pink pepper, tonka bean, cacao, ylang-ylang, ambrette (musk mallow

Sweet Jasmine Brown by Providence Perfume Company: This artisan perfume oil is an exquisite gateway to natural perfumery. The jasmine is simply darling, the perfect balance of sweet and clean, starlit enchantment. The accents include tonka bean and vanilla, warm like honey, adding smoothness and intrigue. Ultra-feminine and impossible to resist!

Providence Perfume Co perfume oil Sample Set $30/6 x .5ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
White pepper, musk, jasmine, cloves, vetiver, neroli, cedar, bergamot, cardamom

Vettiveru by Comme des Garçons: Quite simply, this is my favorite scent on a man. It’s astoundingly simple, but so well done, and doesn’t challenge the senses or intimidate. Vettiveru delivers the sunshine side of vetiver, of hay scenting a late summer breeze. Paired with a soft yet citrusy bite and a touch of pale woods, the overall aroma is crisp yet inviting. Buy it for him, and tell him to wear with caution….

Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $2/ml

Have fun sniffing! I wish you and yours a warm, joyful winter solstice.

Hugs,
Erica

Luxe Champaca EdT Comme des Garcons 2007

May 29, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

I have a secret fantasy about having my hair done in India. In this fantasy it would again be long and auburn, and would be skillfully braided with strands of jasmine. I would feel the smoothness of my light silk clothing, and smell the single Champaca flower floating in a bowl of water nearby, and wait… for what, exactly? I’m not sure. The whole point would be that moment of beauty, radiant and complete.

Luxe Champaca EdT Comme des Garcons 2007

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
White pepper, angelica, champaca, cardamom, pepper, white musk, iris

I can’t claim that Luxe Champaca provides that exact moment, but then, how many perfumes do? It does offer a radiant sweetness, light but somehow penetrating, that floats around me like the memory of beauty. I haven’t yet sampled the Champaca EDP from the same line, and maybe it’s a richer scent. But the EDT has its place. Like everyone else, I have a million tasks a day to complete, and very little time to sit around having fantasies of beauty. But the memory of radiance that the EDT carries can follow me around, wafting lightly, appearing and disappearing unexpectedly, whispering to me to remember perfect beauty and believe that it could exist. It’s as if my waiting jasmine-braided self were reaching toward my professional persona with a calming hand. Stop, she whispers softly, and feel.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

For such a delicate beauty, Champaca is surprisingly persistent and lasts hours on my perfume-eating skin, coming and going a bit but always there. It’s a good scent for spraying on scarves and lingerie. I can’t imagine this one on a man, but that may be due to a limited imagination, so gentlemen, try it if you feel so inclined and report back.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Further reading: Now Smell This and Perfume Smellin’ Things
First in Fragrance has €110/100ml and samples
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/.5ml

Now, I would love it if you shared one of your beauty fantasies with me. In your lovely thought, where are you, what are you doing, and what do you smell?

FeralJasmine

Scents of an Australian Christmas 2013 + Recipe

December 17, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Christmas 2013 will be my first summer Christmas in 14 years. It’s already scorching and I am in a conundrum about what fragrance to wear on the day…its got to be lighter, brighter, cooler and less spicy than what works for Europe… and yet it needs to be perfect.

In colder climes it’s a time to rug up and reach for spicier, smokier, coniferous, wood and resin filled frags…for those of you out there in the cold this year, here is my hint list:

– Spicy Floral like Carnation by Comme De Garcons
– Frankincense, smoking, straight from a church is Tom Ford Sahara Noir
– For Frankincense, clove and red fruits, I would douse in Jo Malone’s Pomegranate Noir
– Fir/Pine/Woods – a woody gourmand, like Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Winter Delice, which combines both the evergreens pine and fir and some gourmand sugary, vanilla odors
– Spicy, Clove and Herbal would be Pot Pouri by Santa Maria Novella. There is even something about this one that will help mask the hangovers, colds and flus of the season…perhaps a medicinal quality and a breath of health!
– Cinnamon and Ginger notes from 5 o’clock Au Gingembre by Serge Lutens
– Resinous and Smoky Myrrh, like Eu Sauvage – Dior

NB I have a feeling some of the above would also fair well, even on a hot Christmas day – see how you go!

Scents of an Australian Christmas 2013

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Australian Christmas smells include…pine, fir, cherries, raspberries, sunscreen, aftersun, leather (err cricket balls), salty air, coconut, mandarins, vanilla,, frangipanis, lemon merange, trifles, chocolate, mangoes, lychees, tropical fruits and flowers, melons, gardenias, honeysuckle, figs, dust, grasses and tropical summer storms…and the odd bbq!!

A few fragrances containing the above:

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Chanel Les Exclusif Bel Respiro feels to me like the end of a hot summer day, gives the feeling of showering and using after sun lotion after a day at the beach. It’s a gusty summer holiday house. Conjuring lots of green –grass and evergreen trees-fir/pine, some citrus, some crisp moisture as a cool breeze starts to take temperatures down…its definitely outdoorsy…I can almost hear the cicadas now….Oh, and a leather note

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche 2013 warm, sparkling sunshine, beach, sand between your toes, exotic and sensual this is my top choice for summer nights, hot dates, romance and Christmas parties. When I spray this, I melt…it’s HOT, glamorous and gorgeous – milky white floral, coconut oil, tropical flowers, neroli, and a touch of mandarin, something sweet and edible like caramel all combine. So many ‘Pacific Island” style fragrances smell too sweet, cheap and tacky – not this one

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Cacherel Scarlett From a retro white flacon, blasts a zesty summer, fruity floral fragrance containing jasmine, honeysuckle, citrus, pear and melon. It’s flirty. Drydown is very fruity and strong , good for an outdoor event- barbeque, a park picnic, something sporty, like Frisbee in the back yard.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Comme Des Garcons Amazing Green unisex, green and leafy, aquatic with spice and smoke, woody and fresh –an Australian Rainforest Christmas! When I sprayed this I got green and citrus, followed by a yummy first rain on bitumen/slightly smoky type of lingering scent. It’s fresh, yet smoky.

My gift to you: Here’s my fave fragrant recipe for Christmas Down Under

Mandarin Ice, with Lychees and Vanilla Ice Cream

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

625g can lychees
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
315g can mandarin segments
1 Tablespoon Grand Marnier
¼ cup lemon juice
315g can mandarin segments (extra)

1. Put sugar and water into pan and stir over low heat until dissolved, boil uncovered for 3 minutes – allow to cool
2. put 1 can of undrained mandarins in blender and blend 1 minute- sieve
3. Add mandarin juice, lemon juice, and Grand Marnier to syrup, stir
4. Pour into tray, pop into freezer until set, stirring occasionally
5. Chill lychees and extra segments, drain and reserve syrup of lychees
6. Put lychees and segments into serving bowls with syrup spooned over
7. Flake mandarin ice with fork and spoon on top of lychees
8. Add scoop of vanilla ice cream

Series 3 Incense: Avignon by Bertrand Duchaufour for Comme des Garcons 2002

April 23, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Gabriella

Avignon by Comme des Garcons 2002

Hello Everyone, Do we need to have a strong memory association or reference for a perfume to really move us? This is the question that popped into my head as soon as I tested Avignon by Comme des Garcons. Why? Because it moved me in such a way and yet, I couldn’t really fathom why. It’s an incense-based perfume and meant to be a fragranced homage to Catholicism. Many reviews, including the lovely Portia’s a few months ago, have emphasised the evocation of childhood memories of Catholic rites: days spent at mass surrounded by swinging censers and altar boys.

Photo Stolen PoliticsDaily

But I’m not Catholic and I’ve always disliked incense. In fact, I avoided Avignon for many years, despite the glowing reviews for these very reasons. My scent impression of incense before trying the scent was of those cheap joss sticks they sell in two-dollar shops. And the closest I have come to being Catholic was having a serious girl crush on Josephine Byrnes in the mini-series Brides of Christ. For about a week or two, I thought how cool it would be to become a nun. (Ed: Josephine Burns and I were at the same drama school, lived in the same area and used to catch the train to and sometimes from school together. She was always the most beautiful young woman)

My fragrance loves tend to be white florals because I have spent my life surrounded by them. My grandmothers and mother wore white floral perfumes, Mum often had vases of lilies in the house and gardenias were a constant of my childhood summers. My first perfumes: Revlon’s Jontue and Cacharel’s Anais Anais built on that trajectory of association.

However, I also realise that we people who love perfumes can learn to appreciate and love new and different notes. But this, for me, is something different. As we sniff more and more, we can see beauty in the things that we once found ugly or appreciate a note that once we would have been happy to overlook. Perfume is an art form and as our noses become well trained, we can fall in love with something that we didn’t understand before. For a perfume to really well and truly move me though, to really feel like I am applying a second skin, I’d always thought it would need a strong evocation of something important or a strong memory.

And yet, that first drop of Avignon on flesh felt completely right. It was another lightbulb moment where I had the “wow” factor and I knew I’d end up buying a bottle.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

The perfume features notes of roman chamomile, cistus oil, elemi, incense, vanilla, patchouli, palisander, ambrette seeds.

For me, Avignon is all about the central theme of frankincense that undulates between smokiness, earthiness and brightness. It segues seamlessly on the skin between these different facets: the palisander bringing out the woody character, the patchouli amplifying the dark earthiness and the ambrette and chamomile giving the sense of brightness and joy. It’s quite a linear fragrance that moves softly and slowly on the skin. Its an introspective fragrance best suited to moments of quiet contemplation, evoking that sense of serenity you would need at times of prayer.

Photo Stolen ImpulseMagazin

And that’s why Avignon spoke to me so profoundly at a time in my life when everything felt discombobulated and stressful, Avignon took me to a place I needed to be. A place of tranquillity and reflection, a place where I could shut the door on the chaos that has been my life over the past month and I could just simply “be”. That is the magic of perfume.

For other more complete reviews, please see OlfactoryObsessed and Olfactoria’s review on PerfumeSmellin’Things
Luckyscent has Avignon for $US80/50ml.
SurrenderToChance has samples starting at $US4.59/ml.

Have you tried Avignon and what did you think of it? Have you ever tried a perfume that has completely floored you with it beauty and you can’t work out why?

With much love till next time!

M x

Avignon: Comme des Garcons Series 3 Incense by Bertrand Duchaufour 2002

February 18, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hey Fellow Fumies,

My mate Jordan has often talked to me about todays fragrance and when I saw it for a reasonable price on a friends sell list I jumped at the chance. As you may know I was taught by Nuns and then Jesuits and there was an enormous amount of RC Church going involved in my formative years, not to mention my choir years.

Comme des Garcons Series 3 Incense: Avignon 2002

Avignon Fragrantica Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
French labdanum, spices, incense, chamomile, vanilla, patchouli, ambrette, oakmoss, musk, olibdanum, myrrh, Brazillian rosewood, Virginia cedar, elemi

If you want to know what church smelled like, it may still, then you need to get your hands on Avignon. It opens like the refectory where we would get ready for the processional entrance and the priest would have his censer in readiness: incense, frankincense, myrrh, wood, men and boys, excitement. At once spicy, woody, aromatic and smoky Avignon becomes woodier and darker as it wears on the skin, but there is also a sweetness that emerges from time to time and becomes more prominent towards the dry down. A circular and circuitous fragrance, it feels linear because you keep coming back to the same pieces but in different arrangements, so similar but not the same. One moment you think the woods have moved into stay, next it’s all about the smoking incense, then vanilla-esque warmth and resins. There even seems to be a wood wax bit like they shone the pews and wooden kneeling pads, and also a candle wax accord. Am I imagining things? Also the scent of a blown out match and something quite alcoholic. Towards the end it fades slowly, never losing its integrity, just intensity, and remains beautiful and haunting to the end.

Unusually for an incense fragrance I get quite a long wear 5+ hours and counting on this occasion, but I spritzed in the cool of evening, in the day with more heat and movement the lifespan is a good deal shorter. This is a wear it for myself fragrance, though I imagine you could wear it almost anywhere except close working/fragrance phobic workplaces. It would be especially fun to wear to church, dinner with clergy or anyone, shopping, picnicking, movies etc.

censer ryanphunter Photo Stolen ryanphunter

Further reading Birgit from Olfactoria’sTravels writes at PerfumeSmellin’Things
LuckyScent has 50ml/$80 and .7ml/$3

Have you been to Catholic rites? How does the incense in Avignon effect you? What if you aren’t from a Catholic background, does incense still effect you?

So many new questions every time I find some kind of answer for another one. It is kind of exciting to be questing though,
See you tomorrow.
Portia xx

Comme des Garcons series 6 Synthetic; Garage, Skai, Tar. LIVE Video Sniff!

May 29, 2012 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Hey Hey gang,

You may never have heard of the CdG series 6. They were deleted before I became a serious perfumista and though they have come into my radar area a couple of times I’d not ever thought of possessing them. There was so much else to be snorted that I really, really wanted to try.

Then, not so long ago, my mate Radium (AKA Robert Maxwell) asked if I knew where to procure such hard to find gems. So as an essay in “I can do that” I set out to. It wasn’t easy, in fact I could only find the 3 that Radium asked for at SurrenderToChance and so, as a great way to have them, smell them and share them, I offered to purchase if he would come and sniff them with me LIVE! for a video presentation. He jumped at the chance and here is the outcome. Do please enjoy.

Both the photos stolen from Number3store.com where you can but these 3 lovelies currently. Woo Hoo!

I must also congratulate the extraordinary talents of my BFF Kath who shot ans edited and TSO Jin who made it blog ready. You 2 are awesome, great joys and I’m lucky to have you both. XX

Much love,
Portia xxx

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Comme des Garcons

Gabriella's Top 5 Forgotten White Florals 2015

Gabriella’s Top 5 Forgotten White Florals 2015

Fragrant Gifting

Fragrant Gifting

Luxe Champaca EdT Comme des Garcons 2007

Luxe Champaca EdT Comme des Garcons 2007

Scents of an Australian Christmas 2013 + Recipe

Scents of an Australian Christmas 2013

Mandarin Ice, with Lychees and Vanilla Ice Cream

Series 3 Incense: Avignon by Bertrand Duchaufour for Comme des Garcons 2002

Avignon by Comme des Garcons 2002

Avignon: Comme des Garcons Series 3 Incense by Bertrand Duchaufour 2002

Comme des Garcons Series 3 Incense: Avignon 2002

Comme des Garcons series 6 Synthetic; Garage, Skai, Tar. LIVE Video Sniff!