Hi Ho APJ,
I love this series of DIOR Secret Garden videos. They are so ridiculously lavish and show us bits of Versailles that the regular visitor never gets to see.
Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin are once again working together with model Daria Strokous and high end label Dior to create the brand’s latest Secret Garden campaign. (source)
Heya Fragrance and Visual art lovers,
Sometimes the advertisements are even more iconic than the scents. Did I just write sometimes? Anyway, here is a fabulous set up: Russian catwalk model Sasha Luss, photographed by Ryan McGinley for Christain DIOR. I grabbed this from one of my favourite fashion online mags: art8amby.
(source)
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin leaves, mulberry flowers
Heart: Night queen flower, Bulgarian rose, orange flower
Base: Bourbon vanilla, sandal wood, Tonka bean
Victoria at Bois et Jasmin sums DIOR Addict up perfectly: While my relationship with Addict is ridden with ambivalence at best, I would rather be intrigued by a fragrance than bored.
Further reading: Now Smell This and Perfume Posse
FragranceX has $104/50ml
My Perfume Samples starts at $3/ml to $9/5ml
Did you run away screaming, roll your eyes or move in for a closer sniff? Have you walked past again and again over the last 12 years? Aren’t you the least bit curious?
Portia xx
Hiya All,
Fragrance is what takes up most of my brainspace but I also love fashion. Though I will never be rail thin, super rich or ever invited to be one of the Haute Couture clients (yes invited, it’s an invitation only experience) still I love the flamboyance and often unwearability of the runway shows and then later the trickle down effect where two or three seasons later I notice a particular thing that I thought ridiculous or totally innovative or terribly unfinished walking the streets and being sold on high streets everywhere.
Photo Stolen WikiMedia
Here is a four minute snapshot of Dior Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2014. What did I notice? I loved the cut out fabric reminiscent of the cheap nylon curtains that we used to have in our garage as children. The sheer glitter knee high socks, asymetrical but unmatching fabrics, the single cut drape from a miniskirt front to floor length back, the gathered backs of the jackets which meant they float out as you stride. SO MUCH! I think Raf Simons is doing a great job.
Photo Stolen Style.com
Please enjoy a moment out of your day to see into the future.
Portia xxx
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Post by Ainslie Walker
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Hi APJ,
Named after Christian Dior’s friend and muse Mitzah Bricard and now sadly discontinued, from the first whiff today’s fragrance takes my breath away. I really don’t know why. Is that what the Dior website means when they describe it as “enchanting”? I’m definitely enchanted.
Don’t Forget to enter our Oriza L. Legrand Sample Sets GIVEAWAY
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured acords in one line:
Coriander, rose, spices, cinnamon, labdanum, vanilla, honey, patchouli and incense
With Mitzah I’m reminded of a freshly baked red velvet cake. Deep red rose, warm vanilla, amber and spicy, balmy cinnamon. Pungent labdanum comes and go, in the first hour taking this fragrance into a far from innocent direction.
Mitzah could easily be unisex.
Photo Stolen WikiMedia
Something smolders, reminiscent of a café in a Parisian street. Coffee…fur-clad fashionistas, still up from the night before. Resinous incense from a nearby chapel in the air. Sultry yet sweet. A touch creamy. More and more amber and burnt toffee notes. Freshly scorched Crème Brulee? Brandy? Some say honey…I’ve never had honey that smelt like this. Vanilla and patchouli stay close to the skin, a soft, deep powdery touch amongst the smolder and amber. It’s hard for me to decide if the amber or frankincense is dominant. They dual fairly equally until the un-bitter end.
Wearing it, I wonder if anyone else around me can smell it? Every few minutes I find myself pressing my wrist to my nose. It’s addictive. I want more. I wish it were BIGGER. It’s rich, but not big. *Sob! It’s almost a little linear, not much movement or change, but I love it. It hugs and comforts, sophisticated, whilst still somehow remaining a little elusive with its unchanging wafts.
Photo Stolen Pixabay
I wear it to bed and sleep well, in a cave of sensual patchouli and sweet deep amber and incense. Just before I drop off there’s a sharp note of coriander seed amongst the mix. I think of Marrakesh for some reason. Longevity is good it’s still there in the morning, mainly the resins. Just there. Not screaming out or anything, just kind of lingering around.
I thought I’d test it further and head out for some exercise doused in it. As my body temperature increases I get slightly more toffee and incense, but I really think it remains pretty constant. Mitzah is subtle and noticeable at the same time. I kind of imagine Mitzah to be introverted, but noticeable. Consistent. Unique. Decadent and sensual. This fragrance is rich, soft and deep.
Photo Stolen Flickr
Mitzah is not so much a journey, she’s just doing her thing. In the background but holding a striking presence leaving some of us a little spellbound.
Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Olfactoria’s Travels
Still available in Paris and rare DIOR stores and counters
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml
Try it if you can, before it’s gone (or super expensive)…otherwise some say Serge Luten’s Amber Sultan makes a good substitute.
Hiya Junkies,
As you may know I have a bit of an addictive personality, also I am a Drag Queen, so you’d think I would have box loads of make up. The answer is no. Yes, I have backups of my favourite products but everything fits into a small drawer. I do love watching makeup fashions evolve though and this season I think DIOR has hit a home run. Looking like a pastel Bambi with eyes the surprised vacant look of a bunny about to get Dunlop disease, the model is absolutely outrageously gorgeous.
Of course it is referencing Marie Antoinette but in my mind it also harks back to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. GLAM.
Like the look? Want to know how to get it? Below is a how to video.
Enjoy,
Portia xx
Photo Stolen TheMalayMailOnline
Photo Stolen DIOR
Hiya Holiday Campers,
We are cleaning the Perfume Room and giving it a new paint job. It’s quite a BIG DEAL so over the next couple of days I am dropping in some Video stuff that I’ve found interesting, educational or took me outside my box. Some of it is ONE TOPIC but some will alsao be TOTALLY OFF TOPIC!
Here are a couple of the beautiful Holiday Wish series the big guns are putting out this year. They are getting less outrageously gorgeous each year and a bit generic, these are two of the better offerings.
Photo Stolen Jerine Lay Flickr
Hello Fumie friends,
One of the things I love about Christmas is the extra gorgeous mini movies everyone puts out. Here we have one of the DIOR offerings for 2013.
Photo Stolen huntlogo
Please enjoy.
Portia xx
Photo Stolen Ana_Cotta Flickr
Hey Hey APJ,
Still looking for the perfect Christmas gift for someone who has everything? here is a beautiful looking book presented by two of Christian Dior’s most famous models. It looks really swanky and elegant and brings us an as yet untold story of the beginning of the relationship between the photographer and the houses of fashion. WOW!
Portia xx
Photo Stolen HuntLogo
Photo stolen wicked-halo
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Post by Gabriella
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Hello fumie friends!
Well, I am continuing the sample challenge set up by a friend on the Aussie Fragrance Network group on Facebook with some unexpected results. Read on to find out what happened.
Photo Stolen BDOutdoors
Sunday, November 10: One terrific by-product of the challenge is that it has made me organize my very disorganized sample lot. Well, the challenge and the fact that Mr M has very kindly bought me a fishing tackle box for said purpose. I categorized things alphabetically and am finding things that I had completely forgotten about. Feel very excited about continuing now and celebrate with a dab of Serge Lutens Bois de Violette. It’s beautiful, but there is just something in the Serge Bois series that just doesn’t agree with my skin chemistry.
In the evening, I fall in love with Amouage Interlude Woman. How on earth did I ignore this for so long? I adore the coffee, kiwi fruit and green goodness that seems to sparkle on my skin. I must get some more of this, so head off and order a decant of this, Amouage Fate Woman, Serge Lutens Santal de Mysore (another big bottle want) and thrown in some Castlebajac for good measure after trawling the site for a while. I’m excited about Castlebajac. It’s a clean almondy scent that I wore years and years ago in London and the thought of it reminds me of a great work Christmas party.
Monday, November 11: I cheat. I wear Lys Mediterranee. Not a sample. Difficult day at work and I needed something I knew and loved to comfort me.
Wednesday, November 13: Chanel Beige. Wearing this today and the sample of 31 Rue Cambon the other week has taught me something: I love Chanel top notes but not the dry down. Chanel Beige starts so luscious with frangipani and the sunshiny-ness of hawthorn, it’s gorgeous. But I want it to stay this way, and of course, last a little longer like all the Exclusifs, sans Coromandel.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Friday, November 15: Oh hello lovely! I’ve had a sample of Dior New Look 1947 for ages and thankfully rediscovered it, due to new not-rummaging-around-in-drawers-for-half-an-hour-superorganized sample storage. This just FEELS like ME and I can’t get enough. It makes me pleased cos I’ve been quite cross at the House of Dior for mucking round with my beloved Diorissimo and Diorella. This just might make up for it.
Monday November 18: Bad, bad M. Have fallen totally off the wagon over the past few days due to sampling ennui. Maybe, just maybe, it is because I have been so busy and stressed at work that I haven’t had the headspace to enjoy my samples. I always need to be calm, relaxed and not half asleep or in need of valium and vodka to sample properly. In fact, I have been thinking that, when it comes to perfume, I need much less, not more. Decide to sell some more partial bottles.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Wednesday, November 20: Ok, so somebody must have hacked into my computer Monday or I was possessed by my alter ego as that stuff was just craaazy talk. But today, I had another issue: wanting, pining after a sample THAT I DID NOT HAVE. ARGH!!!! The-sample-that-I-must-have-right-now is Keiko Mecheri’s Isles Lointaines. I blame the boss’ PA. She asked for help with planning destinations for her honeymoon and asked if I’d been to the Amalfi coast and Positano in particular. Mr M and I went on one of our first romantic trips to Paris and Positano and Isles Lointaines was one of the samples I wore. I need to revisit those memories. NOW.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Saturday, November 23: Byredo Pulp. This is another one that’s just been sitting right there for ages, completely ignored, but yet, so readily available. I thought Dionne’s APJ review was terrific, but never got round to smelling this. It’s a luscious, full bodied citrus that just can’t help but make you smile. And even though it’s pouring with rain and has been wet for eons, I’m happy and warm with this on.
Samples are available from:
Surrender To Chance
Posh Peasant
So, how did you think I went with the second leg APJ peeps? Have I mentioned any favourites?
Love,
M
Australian Perfume Junkies 