Since being inspired and awed by Victoria who recently won the 2012 Editorial Excellence – Blog/E-Zine Fifi for “Luxury vs Function in Perfumery” Bois de Jasmin, March 15, 2011 (Congratulations and snaps Victoria, all hail the reigning Queen) I have been trolling the web even more to learn what makes a great and interesting blogger, to me. There is so much out there. All of us at different levels, everyone getting their say. So democratic. It’s hard to keep up with everyone, especially when many blogs don’t have a delivered to your inbox button. So the people I read every day come to my inbox (about 17) and then I troll for the rest, yes I know about RSS feed but always forget to check it till Sunday.
According to the scentbloggosphere there are a few stages we go through from regular Jo to Perfumista. On the Posh Peasant while purchasing decants from my GIFT CERTIFICATE!! (thanks to TSO Jin, what a guy) I found a 2007 article by Angela, who seems to have hit my story on the head at Now Smell This with her Becoming A Perfumista story . Although it doesn’t mirror my experience exactly it did feel spooky and familiar. It’s good to know I’m not alone. Here is the crux of her story;
Stage One; Strong Interest. Love perfume, have a few, follow releases.
Stage Two: Beginning Perfume Mania. Nearly finished here. Learning ingredients, looking for something special, finding like minded people.
Stage Three: Full Blown Perfume Mania. Moving towards here. Must try every fragrance ever made, writing blog, doing course (soon)
Stage Four: Connoisseurship. Love perfumes, have a wardrobe of incredibly special ones, follow releases but with knowledge
So The Significant Other, Jin, and I trotted off to IKEA to buy a new cupboard for perfumes, decants, decanting supplies, mail needs, and boxes on one side and all my Turbo Trivia and P T Palace homestay needs on the other. It has changed my life having a handyman superhero around the house, imagine being this happy putting a cabinet together. Thanks universe. It’s the woolly winter house socks that give him special powers BTW. Ari on Scents of Self recently did a gag about the suspenseful IKEA how to booklets but watching Jin whip up a complete unit in around an hour was Ah May Zing! It would have taken me the whole day and not turned out looking like a cupboard at all.
When I get my office to a state where photographs won’t incriminate me as a messy desk person I will shoot some in situ shots. It does look rather good all set up and full of the businesses of being me.
Thanks for dropping in I thought you might like this super model laden D&G ad.
It’s fun, and they make it look effortless.
What a week we’ve had here at AustralianPerfumeJunkies. As the weather cools here we are probably doing temperature crossovers with the Northern Hemisphere.
When I was a teenager still in Fashion School but working weekends I bought myself a bottle of JAZZ by YSL. Although I’d had different fragrances before from family and friends this was the first time I felt like I had a scent of my own. I still keep a bottle but much of the oomph seems to have left it over time and reformulation sadly. There is still a lingering thrill though when I put it on, a frission of excitement when that spicy, sparkly, herbal squeak as you spray that is both warm and cool hits your nostrils, its steady progression through musky, resinous florals to its leather, earth and woods base. More people should wear this lovely 1986 Woody Aromatic by Jean-Francois Latty for Yves Saint Laurent, a lovely fit for discerning men and women everywhere, not to mention dirt cheap online. And being so yesterday hardly anyone will recognise it, it will be your own scent as it has been mine on and off for over 25 years (OMFG! How did that happen?). When I wear JAZZ, then as now, you can bounce rocks off my self confidence. JAZZ is the scent of centre, the cool calm feeling of being in the right place at the right time and knowing the right thing to say. Although there were plenty of other times I wore JAZZ when things went regularly, or horribly wrong, more often than not it was JAZZ that was there during my early wins.
Photo Stolen from shoppingheavendotnet
This week we’ve done some interesting stuff and we’d like to share some of our discoveries with you in our Thursday GIVEAWAY COMPETITION!
How to enter?
Please give us a short perfume memory in the comments about your first scent that you really feel you owned, that you felt supremely comfortable in.
As we met the Opus Oils Jitterbug Perfume Parlour and their all natural Divine Collection I thought I’d give the rest of my Venus perfume oil sample for you to try.
Then we talked about Miss Boucheron EdP, how about a 1.5ml decant spray so you can have a go at that
Guerlain Terracotta Voile d’Ete was our next target so a 1.5ml decant spray of that also
And then we had our huge 2 day special on Parfum d’Empire so you can have what’s left of my Cuir Ottoman and Ambre Russe manufacturers samples, which were generous to begin with (I have Full Bottles, I’m not depriving myself)
plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world
We want to thank you all for returning each day. Today after you’ve entered the draw please enjoy the 1992 ad for JAZZ by YSL.
I hope your weekend is treating you well. Life is good here in sunny autumnal Sydney, crisp and cool. We keep having Bar B Q’s in case it’s the last one before winter really digs in. I love Bar B Q’d sausages and mushrooms. We even ate outside in the sunshine
I’m wearing Miss Boucheron today for fun. It’s a fruity flowery nothing that was so discounted on the net that I blind bought a 50ml refill Eau de Parfum. The noses behind this scent have such good stuff in their repertoires that I felt justified in ignoring Luca Turin’s one star scathing dismissal of the whole product. Anne Flipo (2012 Lady Million Eau de Toilette, 2010 Acqua di Gioia, 2006 YSL L’Homme, 2005 Fleur D’Oranger) and Dominique Ropion (2012 What We Do In Paris Is Secret, 2005 Carnal Flower, 2005 Alien, 2004 Pure Poison, 1991 Amarige) have such an outstanding history that I wanted him to be wrong. He’s not 100% wrong, in all honesty. It’s similar to plenty of other fragrances, has pink pepper, bergamot and pomegranate as its top notes and is supposed to go through the floral to white suede; but all I get is a waxy flower after a couple of hours that stays for a while, quite nice, and then gone.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a perfectly wearable scent and nobody will be hurt by your wearing of it. It was designed to be an inexpensive fresh fragrance to bring some younger custom to house Boucheron. You will smell bright and flowery with a little musky & pink peppery sparkle. I will use this bottle up but will probably not buy another. I may become addicted to it though and have to. Never say….
Photo Stolen from supermodels.nl
Now Smell This has done a wonderful review back when Miss Boucheron first appeared, Fragrantica has the skinny.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Here’s what you had to do and what you’ll be winning should you be our lucky contestant. I’m so sad we don’t have prizes for everyone who entered, thank you all for contributing. I enjoy reading your responses more than you could know. THANK YOU! We’ll have another giveaway next Thursday, see you then.
Please give us a short perfume memory in the comments about you, a friend, colleague or relative’s favourite old school perfume (pre 2000) WINNER Lindaloo for her beautiful Mum story.
1.5ml spray decant Casmir by Chopard
Manufacturers sample COURAGE by One seed
1.5ml Posh Peasant decant spray of Parfumerie Generale; Jardin de Kerylos
1.5ml Posh Peasant decant spray of Diptyque; Philosykos
1ml Posh Peasant decant of Ambre Russe by Parfum d”Empire
Tell your fave CELEBUSCENT WINNER Mark Evansfor SJP’s Lovely
1.5ml manufacturers sample spray Haute Claire by Aftelier Perfumes Aftelier Perfumes Apricot and Lemon Candle in a Tin
Gucci; 2ml decanted sample spray Gucci by Gucci pour homme
Estee Lauder; 2ml decanted sample spray Brasil Dreams
Jessica Simpson; 2ml decanted sample spray Fancy Nights LUSH Cosmetics; 1.5ml decanted sample spray Orange Blossom
Plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world. You must get in touch before Wednesday 2.5.12 to claim your prize or I’ll give it to someone in the street!
We’ve had a great week at AustralianPerfumeJunkies so our giveaway will reflect that with some super fun stuff for you to sniff in not one but TWO COMPETITION GIVEAWAYS!!! How to enter?
Please give us a short perfume memory in the comments about you, a friend, colleague or relative’s favourite old school perfume (pre 2000).
The old school perfume we covered this week was Casmir by Chopard, a 1.5ml decant spray.
In honour of Evie C’s first major interview this Monday gone with Liz Cook from Australian Natural Niche Perfume crew, ONE SEED. We are adding most of a generous manufacturers sample of my personal favourite One Seed fragrance so far, COURAGE. This scent is so extraordinary that I went FB and have used maybe 4 spritzes from the sample, there’s still at least 4ml left.
After our Posh Peasant; FIG! Olfactory Journey to Greece special we are putting in 1.5ml Posh Peasant decant sprays of Parfumerie Generale; Jardin de Kerylos and Diptyque; Philosykos
Photo stolen from shopping-premiereavenue.com
To top it all off we are adding in a 1ml Posh Peasant decant of Parfum d”Empire; Ambre Russe (I ordered this sample forgetting I’d ordered a FB that turned up almost next day. I know, right)
plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world
In March we had a Celebuscent Competition that Maureen won but has not been in touch to receive her winnings. The go was that she had till that next Wednesday to get in touch but did not. While hoping that Maureen is happy and well, her loss is your gain folks. As a second COMPETITION GIVEAWAY this week you must only tell your fave CELEBUSCENT, easy!
My Photo
Aftelier Perfumes; 1.5ml manufacturers sample spray Haute Claire + Apricot and Lemon Candle in a Tin (one of my Smell Good Do Good buys that Mandy Aftel kindly gave to the cause)
Gucci; 2ml decanted sample spray Gucci by Gucci pour homme
Estee Lauder; 2ml decanted sample spray Brasil Dreams
plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world.
All measurements are approximate and the winners will be judged around 10pm Australian EST this Saturday 28.4.12 and you will have till Wednesday 2.5.12 to get in touch. GO TO IT Y’ALL.
Much love, and gratitude for your coming and reading.
We feel blessed that so many of you bother.
THANK YOU,
An introduction to the Science of Scent. This is an interesting short course in “how we smell” theories. Light and informative. Neil Morris and Luca Turin are both interviewed about their perfume practice and theories.
This weeks winner is receiving by mail.
1ml spray remains of manufacturers sample Eau de Maroc EDP by Aftelier Perfumes
I know you didn’t want to be entered Undina but I am also surpised and inspired by people who look like they have an amazing team working for and with them, especially when it is mainly their own hard work, perseverence and drive that has made their dream come true. If you really don’t want to win I will redraw but please do win.
Yesterday I became completely sidetracked by the Annick Goutal story. I wish now I had taken a month to really research her and the magnificent job she did creating a niche perfume company that went global. Awe inspiring. One day there will be a book, mini series or movie about the rise and rise of an indomitable spirit. Does anybody remember meeting her? Have an anecdote to share? Please leave it in the comments, good or bad, so I can get a fuller picture of who Annick Goutal was.
Photo Stolen from multi-brand
For now, all I have is her fragrances to remember her by. I have 6 in my collection so far (3 bottles, 3 decants) but I can feel already that I would like to at least sample the range. You can have 3 reviews today and three tomorrow.
Eau de Sud EDT
This was my first meeting with an Annick Goutal fragrance. The scentbloggosphere somewhere told me this was the go to fragrance for the whole range and it was fairly indicative of the general style of fragrance produced at Annick Goutal, though I think the range has quite a lot more light and shade than that. Having reviewed it earlier this month I won’t bore you again but it is a bright citrus that softens to a vanilla herbal citrus as it wears.
Photo Stolen from 99perfume.com
The Annick Goutal website says,
The sparkling freshness of citrus fruits ripened under the warmth of the Mediterranean sun. Creation date : 1997 Olfactory family : Citrus, Chypre, Green (Bergamot, Persian lime, grapefruit, mandarine, verbena, peppermint, basil, hint of jasmine and vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss)
Songes EDT (Dreams)
Songes was my first Annick Goutal FBW fragrance. When the sample arrived I loved it so much I sprayed it on all and sundry till it ran dry just so they could experience the enormous grand white floral opening. What a fragrance! Designed around a dusk ramble on Camille Goutal’s honeymoon and the frangipani’s nighttime scent song of dreams.
Photo Stolen from escentual-com
The Annick Goutal website says
The twilight in Tahiti, transcending into a inspiring combination of frangipani and tiare flowers. Creation date : 2005 Olfactory family : Floral, oriental, amber (Frangipani, Tiare flower, Sambac jasmine absolute, ylang-ylang absolute, olibanum, French vanilla absolute, sandalwood, amber)
This is a fragrance I had tried and loved but been annoyed by its lack of staying power on my scent hungry skin. Finding it at a knock down price online I couldn’t resist a purchase. It is a hot and spicy citrus that lasts a maximum of 2 hours on me. the ride is fun though. Camille Goutal wanted this fragrance to reference her love of fairies and magic as a child, and the bright fun and dark depths of current fiction and film that her own children were enjoying. It doesn’t give me particularly dark and deep depths but I can sense the fun and wonder of white magic lurking here. It’s almost cologne-esque on me. If you want something darker and deeper the Annick Goutal Mandragore Pourpe is for you.
Photo Stolen from stylehive.com
The Annick Goutal website says
A burst of energy brought by the liveliness of the aromatic notes. Creation date : 2005 Olfactory family : Citrus, aromatic, spicy (Bergamot, blackpepper, peppermint, star anis, boxwood, ginger, sage, iris, ciste roots, labdanum)
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading some of Annick Goutal’s masterpieces reviewed. Three more tomorrow.
COMPETITION GIVEAWAY!!
So for today’s Thursday Competition Giveaway please leave us a comment on a perfumer who has inspired you in some way. It could be Guerlain, Chanel, Jennifer Lopez, Karine Dubreuil, David Beckham, Alberto Morillas, Loc Dong, Patti LaBelle or Andy Tauer. Anybody who has put their name to a perfume. Maybe their dedication, lifestyle, car, a scent that changed you, pet, cooking, scent history, breakaway or interesting choices. Whatever! Who; and how did they inspire you? Easy Peasy!!
This weeks swag includes;
NB all measures are approximate.
1ml spray remains of manufacturers sample Eau de Maroc EDP by Aftelier Perfumes
1.5ml spray decant Mandgradore EDT by Annick Goutal
1.5ml spray decant Carriere EDP by Gendarme
1.5mml spray decant Muscho Nobile EDT by Nobile 1942
and a SURPRISE 1.5ml spray decant that you’ll find out about tomorrow
Go to it gang. winner will be judged on Saturday 10pm-ish Australian EST
Here are 2 citrus fragrances from my LuckyScent Spring 15 2012 showbag. I have not been much of a citrus person but am becoming acclimated to its zesty rush and the fun of it. I am taking for granted that LuckyScent is sending me the best of.
Bright, fresh, warm, citrus opening! I know that doesn’t make sense but I think the lemon and lemon blossom opening is sweet and warming. A welcoming opening, rather than an austere aloof one. My memory of the Gendarme original scent is that it is a lot less robust that this EDP. I think the Lavender, Lily and Jasmine give Gendarme’s Carrier for women EDP a prettier and softer citrus adventure over the incense of the original. It still has elements of mens cologne, which I love here, but in a ladylike way. LuckyScent calls it fresh and refreshing, and they are right.
Photo Stolen from Wikipedia
From Gendarme site
You’ll never know how beautiful fragrance can make you feel until you wear Carrière. This elegant yet professional fragrance embodies the powerful and yet luxurious modern woman with the aroma of jasmine and lilac.
GRAND NEROLI by ATELIER COLOGNE
Grand Neroli by Atelier Cologne is a 12% Cologne Absolue concentration.
Photo Stolen from alanilagan.com
Lifted wholesale from LuckyScent Beautiful, transporting, dream-inducing neroli, in all its giddily romantic glory. Neroli comes from orange blossoms – those white flowers that glowed like stars against the green leaves and transformed the spring air of our childhood into a magical elixir.
Photo Stolen from NeroliOil.org
I don’t know about transporting or dream inducing but the opening does remind me of playing around the orange tree as a kid, the smell of broken citrus leaves and twigs as Mum would shape the tree each year, my sister and I picking the flowers and the first pulling back of the ripe orange skin before you’d bite. The vanilla, musk and amber walk in quickly here and warm the whole fragrance up, pushing the citrus aside. In fact the fragrance makes such a definitive change it could be 2 different scents; there is still a citrus but warm and welcoming. Now, at the 40 minute stage, getting a soft powdery scent, almost like the smell of freshly washed kids in summer.
Of the 2 fragrances that I’ve tried today Grand Neroli wins on storyline and Carriere wins on lifespan. Citrus are notoriously short lived but Carriere stayed for hours.
COMPETITION GIVEAWAY WINNER!
“What is your dirty little perfume secret?” got some wonderful replies but none so stupendously and happily dirty as our winners favourite, Can Can by Paris Hilton!!
THE WINNER IS
sujaan212
In the winners pack all measures are approximate;
1 x manufacturers sample pot of Roxana’s Illuminated Perfumes, Hedera Helix
1 x 5ml manufacturers sample One Seed, Freedom EDP
1 x 2ml decanted spray sample Estee Lauder, Youth Dew
1 x 1ml remains manufacturers sample Bottega Veneta
1 x .5ml decanted sample spray L’Artisan Parfumeur, Passage D’Enfer
plus postage and packing anywhere in the world that it’s legal to send to
Thanks for dropping by and sharing the inside of my head.
This week’s weather in Sydney is completely bonkers, warm and sunny, freezing and windy, wet, cold and sunny; all today! Choosing a perfume for today was hard work, so this morning I tried an old favourite, and this evening something brand spanking new!
ROXANA’S ILLUMINATED PERFUMES
So I lemminged onto Roxana’s Illuminated Perfumes through ThePerfumeShrine who did a wonderful piece on one of the fragrances, Hedera Helix, based on the Ivy it’s named after. Thank You for introducing me gang. The picture below shows Roxana’s enormous attention to detail when she sends. So pretty, and it makes the whole experience even more special.
Photo Stolen from ETSY
I went and found Roxana on ETSY and this is what she has to say about her fragrances
I create whole, vital, organic perfumes with stories. These fragrances are from nature, there are absolutely NO synthetic materials contained or tortured animal ingredients in my fragrances. The perfumes I create are from the highest-grade botanical materials; including pure essences sourced from the deserts of Arabia, tropical forests of Madagascar as well as Mediterranean meadows. In the tradition of alchemists and perfumers of ancient times, I create an illuminated line of exclusive, signature fragrances along with extraordinary custom perfumes. Every fragrance is created in small batches by hand and resonates with a deep connection to the land, utilizing intoxicating scents drawn from the botanical world.
I ordered the Organic Botanical Perfume Sampler Eco d’Lux Six Pack for US$45 and a Hedera Helix Nature Perfume in a Mini Compact for US $30 and, gorgeous girl that Roxanna is, there came a surprise for you (see below in COMPETITION GIVEAWAY).
Photo Stolen from Etsy
IMPROMPTU
As always I went straight for the sample that came to my fingers. Didn’t check the name, just applied with abandon, well not too much, they are extremely small samples. Really, really small. I got the original application before work and a reapplication now to jog my memory. Gone! Anyway, this is called Impromptu and is not on the current list.
OMG BETTY! Deep earthy green, like a sexy swamp lady, I smell moss, river water and weed, herbs, torn fig leaves, mown lawn and compost, and some spices that elude me but it is AWESOME!
Photo Stolen from ETSY
One of the men at Trivia tonight, that I would never have expected it from, leaned over and said, “You smell great, that perfume is….Wow!” As Evie C was also there I have back up collaboration on this. He was blown away, and so am I. You can be sure I’ve already written to Roxana asking for 5 litres of it, well, asking if I could buy any of it actually.
It’s morning now and there is still a delicious fat curl and waft of deepest green lingering upon my person. I am mesmerised, sitting still for minutes at a time (not something I do easily) trying to track this amazing scent. It is now a rank, dank thing clawing its way from the sea with a briny broken branch smell. I’m sorry, the words I have are not making this scent sound appealing; it is. I wish there were more words in my head to give you an accurate picture of how majestic this fragrance is, like primordial soup and magic. There was the tiniest skerrick left in the bottle and I have drained the dregs to live this wonderful fragrance again. One thing is for sure, you’ll not find anything this wild, untamed and confronting at your local fragrance counter. This is the good stuff.
HEDERA HELIX
I have the solid mini compact of Hedera Helix, being a solid it is much tamer in sillage, but it is a very crisp Green Floral Chypre that is less brash than Impromptu. It smells like a reserved, elegant and willowy sister in comparison. It’s edges are buffed and polished to an easy wearabilty for everyone, and being solid it is also good for people allergic to mass market perfumes. I like the mini compact especially for gym goers who are forever losing lids in gym bags and precious juice being squirted into damp towels and soggy lycra. Also, after a workout it goes on beautifully and the extra warmth and bloodflow help to give softer solid perfume a bit more strength.
Photo Stolen from ETSY
Roxanna says of the Hedera Helix fragrance
The best words I can use are to describe this scent is mossy green, floral Chypre. I utilized many essences with a green profile as well as those that come from green leaves like Geranium, Peach Leaf, Rhododendron Leaf, and Violet Leaf. On the skin of those who have tested it the aroma is quite beautiful.
COMPETITION GIVEAWAY
This Thursday the question you must answer in the comments is, “What is your dirty little perfume secret? The one guilty fragrance pleasure that you wear even though it has been reviled by all and sundry? Maybe it’s a cheapy, maybe it’s a one star Sanchez/Turin or maybe it’s something so old fashioned you can’t bring yourself to tell. Now’s the time to spill.” and I’ll pick the comment that resonates most with me. Doesn’t have to be long or flamboyant, just give it to me straight.
One of my personal favourites that fits into this category is Poeme by Lancome. I will be writing about it tomorrow, so before my dirty little secret is really out I’d like to hear yours.
What’s in the winners pack this week? All measures are approximate and winner drawn Sunday 10pm-ish Australian EST.
1 x manufacturers sample pot of Roxana’s Illuminated Perfumes, Hedera Helix
1 x 5ml manufacturers sample One Seed, Freedom EDP
1 x 2ml decanted spray sample Estee Lauder, Youth Dew
1 x 1ml remains manufacturers sample Bottega Veneta
1 x .5ml decanted sample spray L’Artisan Parfumeur, Passage D’Enfer
plus postage and packing anywhere in the world that it’s legal to send to
SO GO TO IT!!
Thanks for getting all the way to the bottom of my random smelly thoughts,
Here is a special present, I was reminded of it today by my buddy Radium Maxwell. MWAAA
Well it has been a lovely day here, sunny, warm and delightful. Better than most of our summer here in Sydney. We spent it extremely lazily, couching, Sleeping, a bit of house re arrangement then off to the Greyhound Races. Awesome day. We even had a couple of wins. I even have a lovely greyhound bitch as a pet, Gucci is her name, and also retrain greyhounds for living with families. So, yes, I do know about the awful and tragic way they are treated after their racing career is over, but it is getting better and we are making a difference, dog by dog. If you have any interest in rehoming a lovely greyhound please get in touch with Greyhound Rescue here in Sydney, Australia. Best pets ever.
My greyhounds
Recently I ordered a bunch of sample sized fragrances in sets from The Perfume Niche and in with my lovely samples came a couple of surprises. One of those was a small manufacturers sample of Bottega Veneta EDT and what a surprise. I had been reading gorgeous things about this particular fragrance and was fully prepared to fall in love due to its notes and the favourable stuff being written by all and sundry.
Photo Stolen from Fragrantica
When I first put it on though I was MASSIVELY disappointed because there was no fragrance there at all. I felt like I’d been completely cheated by all these awesome reports and thought that maybe the perfume world was playing an enormous joke on all of us no knowledge dunderheads, like the Emperor’s new clothes. So frankly I was a little bit peeved and went to the bedroom and used Gwen Stefani’s L LAMB body lotion on my arms so at least I could feel like I had something glorious upon my self. I was GRRR McGRRR. Off we trotted to the Greyhounds and I’d been there about half an hour and I started smelling this incredible sweet, floral leather scent and was looking around to see who had such ridiculously good taste in perfume, could it have been TSO Jin, Bestie Alice or one other of the crew? I asked and no luck. There was no one in the vicinity that fit my idea of scent whore, fume head or even perfumista, which made it even more intriguing, was it in fact one of the laddish blokes or swamp donkeyish girlfriends, could it be one of an elderly couple, that super hot drooly drooly poorly dressed handsome clueless guy. Then I leaned over in my chair to look further afield and a great big gust of glorious flew up my polo shirt. OMG! It was me. I smelled gorgeous, leathery and sweet all at once. This fragrance is not big but it is beautiful and persistent. I’ve now been wearing Bottega Vanetta for 6 hours and I smell better than ever. I could wear this baby for anything, this would be office, party, dinner, sex date, kids from school, walk down the back yard or watch TV scent, and it would not be out of place doing any of these. What a fragrance. Nobody is telling fibs when they praise this perfume, it is all that and a bag of chips. Try it only if you have spare money to purchase, you’ll buy it and be glad you did.
Now Smell This does an awesome review with some extra reading tags within, Fragrantica has the accords, notes and people reviews.
This weeks winner of our spectacular Giveaway Competition for
We are giving away approximately
1.5ml JINX by Tommi Sooni decanted spray sample
1.5ml L’Eau D’Ambre by L Artisan Parfumeur decanted spray sample
1.5ml City of Angels by Royal Apothic decanted spray sample
1.5ml Fantasia de Fleurs by Creed decanted spray sample
1ml Fig by Aftelier Perfumes remains of manufacturers sample spray
plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world
is Dionne. YAY!! DIONNE! WHOO WHOO!!
You have till Wednesday night to get in touch with an address so I can send you your prize. CONGRATULATIONS!!
To all our other contestants, Thank you. I love reading your stories and they all would have won in a perfect world. There will be another weekly GIVEAWAY COMPETITION next Thursday.
Eau de Sud according to the Annick Goutal site, and I think they’re pretty spot on;
A symphony of citrus accords melts into slightly peppery and woody notes. Mandarin orange, bergamot, verbena, mint and basil. An invigorating trail of scent that recalls the creator’s voyages to Provence and Tuscany.
It is a 1996 unisex fragrance and both the mens and womens bottles contain the same stuff, usually you can find the mens at a much better price online. Citrus is not something I wear very much so I am looking to put one in the fragrance wardrobe. It starts out beautifully tart and crisp and whipish, at about the 15 minute mark it starts to warm for me, maybe the sandalwood and vanilla making an early appearance, it has maintained a pretty linear dry down and at 2.5 hours is barely there, almost just smelling a prettier me.
As always Fragrantica is my go to for the basic notes & accords with real people reviews and Now Smell This gives a more in depth and interesting review.
Musc Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens,
Sir Edward John Pointer, The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon photo stolen from AGNSW
Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens is one of the fragrances often referred to on the scentbloggosphere as a reference fragrance for sexy, dark and dirtiness. There is said to be a great disparity between the bell jar original and the export versions and unfortunately I don’t have 2 for comparison and as I am using a sample from Perfume Niche there is no way of telling which one I have. Honestly though, I don’t smell anything even remotely sexual, dirty or dark. I smell deliciously deep patchouli, amber and musk, I think. It is warm and resinous like wood that’s just been waxed and polished but it does stay that way for hours, gloriously. I like Muscs Koublai Khan a LOT!! I think I will order 10mls and really give it a whirl.
What an awesome and fragrant week I’ve had. Just looking back through the stuff that I’ve sniffed and what you’ve read doesn’t even cover half of it. I think I should have asked Evie C if we could have called the blog ScentWhores or StinkPigs because it’s like having to write a food diary to show you how much you eat. Blogging has woken me to the fact that I am Scent-ual. I hope you are enjoying the ride.
It’s Thursday and that means GIVEAWAY COMPETITION time. you have to tell us the last perfume you tried that was full bottle worthy, why and did you buy it yet. The winner will be judged on Saturday night 7.3.12 around 10pm Sydney EST
We are giving away approximately
1.5ml JINX by Tommi Sooni decanted spray sample
1.5ml L’Eau D’Ambre by L Artisan Parfumeur decanted spray sample
1.5ml City of Angels by Royal Apothic decanted spray sample
1.5ml Fantasia de Fleurs by Creed decanted spray sample
1ml Fig by Aftelier Perfumes remains of manufacturers sample spray
plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world
ALSO you need to go and read TheCandyPerfumeBoy today he has been chhosing scents for that Nicki Minaj songstress that I LOVE!
Just for fun I’ve added this L’Instant Guerlain ad because…..
Australian Perfume Junkies 