Estee Lauder

All I Do Is Beach: Natalie: Another Perfume Blog

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Post by Natalie APB

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Friends, it’s confession time! My name is Natalie, and I am no longer a perfume junkie. Since I closed Another Perfume Blog last year, my perfume consumption is down by approximately 1000%. So why am I writing a post for APJ? Well, first because Portia asked me to, and no one can say no to Portia. And second, because I do have a little area of specialization to share with you all: beach fragrances! Today I’m going to share my personal categories of beach perfumes, and my top favorite in each category.

Beach Fragrance Manly ManlyAustraliaPhoto Stolen ManlyAustralia

Beach Fragrances 2015: All I Do is Beach

Indian Coconut Nectar Pacifica FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 1: The Hawaiian Tropic

Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil is the iconic coconut oil beach smell. Unbelievably rich and full of creamy, coconutty lactones. This category of beach fragrances is also creamy and coconutty, but the best ones invoke some sourness to call up the smell of skin rather than dessert. My favorite in this category is from DSH’s Essence Studios: Hippie Chic. It’s heavy on black coconut and clove, and the longer I have my bottle, the more present the ambergris is. Longevity is excellent, and the heaviness of this scent does well on the beach (naturally) and on a hot summer night when you don’t plan to get home until dawn. If you can’t find Hippie Chic, try anything from Comptoir Sud Pacifique or Indian Coconut Nectar from Pacifica.

Terracotta Le Parfum Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 2: The Bain de Soleil

Ban de Soleil is the sun cream that says “I’m European, bitch,” and so do the perfumes in this category. Less about coconut and less accessible than some other beach perfumes, they are all about solar notes. They can read as space-age takes on sunscreen (MiN New York’s Long Board is an amazing, wearable example) or simply as very chic. I go for the Guerlain’s Terracotta Le Parfum, where the solar notes are matched with spice and white flowers. The scent is elusive, but ce est les francais, non? Bobbi Brown’s Beach and CB I Hate Perfume At the Beach 1966 are a few others in this group.

Bronze Goddess Soleil Estée Lauder FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 3: The Bronzer

For the beach bunny who could care less about sunscreen, and just wants to look (and smell) sexy, we look no further than Bronze Goddess. The Bronzers are the beach fragrances that makes everyone smell like a supermodel, and Bronze Goddess is the queen of them all. A perfectly balanced, sexy mix of coconut, white flowers, citrus, balsamic, and suntan oil notes. The poor longevity is actually a benefit, since it’s an excuse to re-mist yourself every few hours. I could recommend other “Bronzer” perfumes, but why would I? This category is owned by Bronze Goddess, folks.

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

 Category 4: The Skinnydipper

These fragrances are all about summer nights. Nuxe’s Le Prodigiuex has an introspective feeling, spotlighting white flowers. Its longevity is incredible, especially if you buy the oil and use it in your hair. Or try the less subtle (but more fleeting) Guerlain Lys Soleia. And don’t miss the extra glam Michael by Michael Kors.

Beach Fragrance Bondi_Beach wikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Which category of beach fragrances appeals to you, or do you not agree with my categories at all? Be sure to share your favorite beach frags, too (I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection, even if I’m not a real perfume junkie anymore)!

Natalie xx

Costa Azzura by Tom Ford 2014

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Post by Liam

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Hello fabulous fragrance fiends,

I’m back! Thanks for the kind reception on my first post, I didn’t expect such a torrent of kindness! Today I shift away from vintage perfume and look at a 2014 release from the house of Tom Ford….

Costa Azzura by Tom Ford 2014

Costa Azzurra Tom Ford FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Seaweed, driftwood, agarwood (oud), ambrette (musk mallow), celery seeds, cardamom
Heart: Juniper, myrtle, lavender, lemon, yellow mandarin, artemisi
Base: Mastic or lentisque, olibanum, incense, vanilla, vetiver, oak

Generally I’m a descriptivist of smell, because you naturally have to be when you’re reviewing fragrance. It was Maurice Roucel who described himself as “an explorer wandering amidst his formulas”, and I personally like to wander amidst smell in general, using words to grapple and express the emotions stemming from perfumery. I feel sinful writing about fragrance in a bad light, but I think it’s impossible to like everything; someone has to do it anyway – dissent, that is.

Costa Azzura, you almost had it. You’re salty and drab like a preserved and tinned anchovy at the back of the pantry. For the most part, Tom Ford’s private line is an impressive lineup, presenting a powerhouse of fragrances with a more-than-modest appeal. Costa Azzura however, is familiar like pale grey skies over a beach.

Costa Azzurra Tom Ford Beachweed William Murphy FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Can we talk about mirepoix – a mixture of carrot, celery, onion, and bay leaf sautéed in olive oil? Why? Because Costa Azzura is a soppy concoction like a limp boiled carrot macerated with herbs- and smells like it too! Costa Azzura is salty and dank to the same extent the low tide is, why oh why Tom? It smells incomplete and dull without addictive heart notes resultantly feeling like cold steel on the skin and is redolent of the uncomfortable chill of sea water. There is no gravitas! No body! It’s lacking in its sensuality.

Costa Azzurra Tom Ford Jackson Pollock #7 Cliff FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

A hyper-gourmand, Costa Azzura fuses lemon, cardamon, celery seed, ambrette, vanilla, mastic, juniper … One might confuse this for a shopping list. An additional overload of lavender, driftwood, oud, and incense remind me of Pollock artwork; fuelled by chance and in the end disappointingly linear (unlike Pollock, of course). For those wanting to smell literally like the sea, in the most realistic way possible, Costa Azzura is your friend. A marine-woods scent presenting the perfect contradiction of ‘light heaviness’. This fragrance embodies the archetypical male musky fougere fragrance whilst trying very hard to escape that labelling, in turn smelling overloaded, superfluously enigmatic and, most importantly yet ashamedly generic in nature… also, no calone/watermelon ketones in sight!

This certainly exudes a beach-y smell, there’s no doubt about that. But is dirty seawater appealing? That’s up to you. Personally, I’m not a fan of smelling like seaweed; despite the novel nature of this fragrance.

I get excellent longevity with Costa Azzura, with about 8 to 10 hours (too long!). Sillage is surprisingly subtle, perfect for lazy days.

Costa Azzurra Tom Ford french-riviera PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Chemist In A Bottle
LuckyScent has $215/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Sometimes writing about fragrances like this is a written cathartic exercise. I recommend you try this fragrance, and see if you can pick up on any overly gourmand nuances. What fragrances do you dissent in opinion with?

Come across and check out my blog when you get a chance: Olfactics

Have a lovely lovely day!

-Liam

Beyond Paradise by Calice Becker for Estée Lauder 2003

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Hello Hello Hello,

While moving I have rediscovered an old favourite bottle.

Way back in the early years of this century I had a beautiful partner called Varun, we traveled often to his homeland India. On our first journey to India I was taken by the lovely smell of jasmine and marigold that women would wear in ropes in their hair, a thick, rich and intoxicating smell that could become completely overpowering in a small shop with two or three women thus adorned.

Beyond Paradise Estée Lauder taj-mahalPhoto Stolen Pixabay

So 2000, 2001 and 2002 visits were filled with this glorious and enchanting waft at unexpected times, not every woman would wear the garlands and I never found out what prompted it though at weddings they were everywhere. Sadly the practice is seen less and less in modern Incredible India.

Beyond Paradise by Calice Becker for Estée Lauder 2003

Beyond Paradise Estée Lauder FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange blossom, blue hyacinth, Jaboticaba berry, lemon, bergamot, grapefruit
Heart: Laelia orchid, pink honeysuckle, Japanese mahonia, jasmine, gardenia
Base: Natal plum blossom, golden melaleuca, zebrano wood, ambrette seed, amber

Fast forward now to 2003, and I am traveling alone to meet Varun who has had to go home to run the family business. As I’m walking though the Duty Free an Estee Lauder rep hands me a miniature bottle shaped like a teardrop with my gifting purchases. The bottle itself was so beautiful, exquisite, a rainbow teardrop and inside was a fragrance filled with bittersweet heartache. The smell of glamotous Indian women wearing their jasmine and marigold hair garlands, the hot wet heat of southern India’s spring and the cooling breeze blowing over lotus ponds into Kerala wooden pole houses. On my first sniff I was overcome with nostalgia and nervous tummy butterflies of anticipation.

Beyond Paradise Estée Lauder Flower_garland WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Ha ha ha! Of course, I arrive in India and Varun is like, “What for are you wearing that nasty cheap roadside stall jasmine oil?” Ha Ha ha! So away my little bottle went for that holiday but on my return Beyond Paradise became the scent of India for me. Even though I have been to the oldest and most reputable scent wallahs in Old and New Delhi, Jaipur and Kerala it is Beyond Paradise that takes me to the first few visits to India every time.

Beyond Paradise Estée Lauder Varun PortiaVarun & Portia 2004

Basically Beyond Paradise opens like a vase of flowers, all wet, green leaves, a little crackle of bitterness, crisp white flowers and softly sweet fruits, it goes more white flowers through the heart and then dries down to dry white flowers, a very little bit fleshy and ripe, then fades to nothing musky woods. The story isn’t big and the shifts aren’t monumental, Beyond Paradise is fresh and light but gives you really good sillage and projection for most of the day.

The Little Book of Perfumes LuckyScentPhoto Stolen LuckyScent ($18 at LuckyScent)

Fast forward again to 2011 and I am given a book called The Little Book Of Perfumes by Luca Turin & Tanya Sanchez. Though I had been a mad collector of frags on and off through my life never had I been given such purpose in my collecting as that book gave me. Instantly I wanted to try ALL 100 fragrances in that book, but to find something I have loved so well for so long in that book was a complete surprise.

Further reading: Sweet Diva and Scentualist
Beauty Encounter has $55/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Are you a Beyond Paradise fan? What was one of your excited fragrance epiphanies?
Portia xx

Tom Ford Noir 2012

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Post by ElizaD

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Tom Ford Noir 2012

Laquer, Pepper, roses, spice, iris, and sweet oranges. Tobacco perhaps? Interesting.

These were my thoughts as I stood in the Sephora sniffing my arm after spritzing Tom Ford’s Noir. The ladies in the Sephora always frown when they see me coming. I SNIFF my perfume. I don’t gently waft the tester under my nose, I spray forcefully and inhale. And I ask for samples! They’re limiting me to two these days. No matter, I am quickly making my way through the whole line of Sephora-approved fragrances at my local outlet. I’m almost done.

Noir Tom Ford Portlandbridges WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

But this was a store in Portland, with many more choices, and saleswomen who were not on to me. I was trying to be discreet, but when you are a head taller and twice as old as almost everyone else in the store, it’s challenging.

Anyway, back to the fragrance. This one gave me pause. With a name like Noir I expected something much more intense. Some oud perhaps, or liquor notes: something thick and viscuous. This was beautiful. It opened with a sparkle of pink pepper and herbs, quickly followed by a sweet laquer note, but quickly settled to a lovely floral bouquet. Powdery with a little spice. Soft and graceful. I could even detect a note of baby shampoo. It reminded me of Jean Charles Broussea’s Ombre Rose. Like the lovely Margaux, who reviewed Noir exactly a year ago, I was intrigued.

Noir Tom Ford FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Italian bergamot, verbena, caraway, baie rose (pink pepper), violet flower
Heart: Black pepper, nutmeg, Tuscan Iris resin, Egyptian Geranium, Bulgarian Rose, Clary Sage
Base: Opoponax, amber, Indonesian patchouli, vetiver, civet, vanilla

So imagine my double surprise when I returned home with my sample and pulled up the information on Fragrantica. A men’s fragrance? Because it has violets and vetiver and verbena? Two months ago I suggested that Essence Aromatique might be suited for a man, and now I seem to be swooning over a men’s fragrance. Hmmm, perhaps after a couple of years my tastes are starting to expand.

Noir Tom Ford Sephora MyNamesAxel FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

It was in the women’s section. I swear.

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Bois de Jasmin
FragranceNet has 50ml/$95 before discount
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

So tell me, APJers, where do you find fragrances to try locally? Are you lucky enough to have sympathetic salespeople at your local stores, or do you have to travel to satisfy your senses? I think I need a roadtrip, STAT!

Scents of an Australian Christmas 2013 + Recipe

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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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

Australian Christmas Al_Fresco_Dining WikipediaPhoto 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:

Les Exclusifs de Chanel Bel Respiro Chanel FragranticaPhoto 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

Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche SkinScent 2013 FragranticaPhoto 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

Scarlett Cacharel FragranticaPhoto 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.

Amazingreen Comme des Garcons FragranticaPhoto 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

Australian Christmas Lychee WikipediaPhoto 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

5 Sexy Scents for Seduction! 2013

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Hey Hey Y’All,

One of the things that I sometimes get asked is, “Which perfume should I wear to get lucky?” The short answer is the sweet smell of success and happiness. Of course, sometimes romance needs a little push or maybe we need to smell a certain way to have the confidence to create the opportunity. I have a few frags in my weaponry that I like to wear when being noticed in the right way is important. You also need to have a bit of strategy too. What kind of person do you want to smell like? Here are 5 types and fragrances to go with them. Remember, this is all in fun, it’s not just about the way you smell that’s going to hook your intended but it might just be the final push they need…….

Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche 2010 Estee Lauder FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

1: Having a ball with my friends: Bronze Goddess by Estée Lauder

I have the 2010 version of Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche but they are all a fun holiday tropical type spritz that is extremely pretty, has good sillage and projection and they last well too. Coconut and/or jasmine seem to be the standout notes in the whole set and it’s the kind of carefree summery scent that smells like you are out for fun and an uncomplicated, happy, breezy person ready for what ever the night holds.

Chanel No 19 EDP Chanel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

2: I may look a bit uptight but underneath…..: CHANEL No 19

This is a good old fashioned beauty. The cool, crisp snap of a green fragrance at once aloof and haughty. You want to smell like an ice king/queen that needs a bit of thawing. That iris undercut by warm woods and leather, all frost and fire will keep your partner a little off balance till you want to show them the way. CHANEL No 19 is a wonderful back straightener and focus fragrance if you need to feel in control of the situation while waiting to exhale.

La Collection Couturier Parfumeur Milly-la-Foret FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

3: I am a soft silken dove: DIOR La Collection Couturier Parfumeur Milly-la-Foret

Sometimes being quietly, tastefully understated is the best way to get someone to come close and stay there. That first waft as they come in close to you could be the clincher. Milly-la-Foret is a beautiful soft musky powder, it’s there but only up close, and it smells so good and expensive, a winner. So soft and light that it will give an impression of fragility yet if you sniff a bit closer you can tell it’s real quality and perfectly at peace. Milly-la-Foret is the scent of success and the contented wind down after the celebration parties.

Trouble Boucheron FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

4: If you grab this there will be all sorts of: Trouble by Boucheron

Trouble is one of my all time favourite siren scents. Sweet jasmine over a hefty amber base. This is the scent of a heartbreaker, and men go crazy for it. You can find Trouble at the discounters but soon it will be all gone, it’s getting harder and harder to find for a reasonable price. Slated by Turin/Sanchez but a fabulously outrageous and over the top fragrance that will certainly bring you attention. Smells especially great on the men, believe it.

Le Male Jean Paul Gaultier Fragrantica

5: Seriously seeking physical attentions, all offers considered: Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier

This smells so good I follow people around in venues that wear it just to catch an errant whiff. Le Male is the most sensual, engaging and stridently sexual scent I know on both sexes. Ignore the ad spiel ladies, Le Male is killer on everyone and in today’s age of scentless fragrant wash you will stand out like dogs balls, ready to be licked. Be careful when you spritz Le Male, you may need security guards. Looking for action, then this is your choice.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this fun look at how to smell for seduction. Fragrance does not care who wears it, never be mislead by the advertising copy or who a fragrance is aimed at. If they smell good, wear them. Cross the gender divide,you’ll be glad you did,

What are your special seduction fragrances? Please add to the list in the comments. Share your hard won knowledge please.

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

 

Noir for Men by Tom Ford 2012

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Post by Margeaux

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Hullo again stinkers!

6 months after falling nose first into the world of fragrances, I have inhaled more perfumes than I ever imagined. Some have been good, a few have been exceptional, and a lot have been nice, which is just my way of saying they were boring or uninspired.

Today’s scent is one that I had been dying to whiff, and finally thanks to Portia’s ingenuity with scheduling, I was able to do just that recently when we had our big day out in the city to partake in the incredible Piguet Masterclass. Post class we sashayed straight up to the Tom Ford counter in David Jones (department store) and I made a beeline to the gorgeously modern sleek and striking bottle of Noir for Men.

I spritzed the tester a couple of times onto the back of my hand and waited to learn exactly what this newish fragrance was all about.

Tom Ford Noir for Men 2012

Noir Tom Ford FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, verbena, caraway, pink pepper and violet
Heart: Black pepper, nutmeg, Tuscan iris, geranium, Bulgarian rose and clary sage
Base: Opoponax, amber, Indonesian patchouli leaf, vetiver, civet, vanilla, styrax, leather and benzoin.

To be completely honest, I am still feeling my way through the individual notes, so I am kind of no help to you there. But what I do know, is that Noir is quickly becoming one of my favourite scents. The opening is good, solidly manly without a hint of lumberjack anywhere to be found thanks to (and I’m guessing here) the bergamot and violet. Once it settles down, the beautiful flowers play delicately with the spices in a deliciously sensuous embrace that is both comforting and comfortable. Tom Ford isn’t out on a limb here people, this is totally accessible.

For me however, the ending is where the magic happens, and although having a good look again at the myriad of notes, it could’ve possible gone terribly awry but Noir somehow builds to a crescendo of sophistication and elegance that I cannot get enough of. In particular, I’m loving the patchouli, amber and leather combo for some serious stench, with a tiny hint of vanilla to keep everything in check. Nothing here is too much.

As this is an EDP, it seems willing to hang around for many hours and even on my thirsty skin I can get a full 10-12 hours of gorgeous smell, with it lingering for many hours afterwards if I manage to avoid the shower. I’ve already gone through a 2ml sample and quickly nearing the end of a 5ml sample so I fully expect that this will become my newest full bottle purchase or perhaps someone will gift it to me for my birthday??? 🙂

Tonya Pittman with Tom FordPhoto Stolen noision1 Flickr

Either way, Tom Ford has scored another winner for the man who desires class and elegance without fuss. Noir is beautiful and nuanced and wholly recommended.

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Black Narcissus
FragranceNet has $124/100ml
Surrender To Chance offers samples from $4/ml

If you’ve smelled it, what did you think?

Mx

(Ed: I still think he looks like TVs M.A.S.H. Major Frank Burns)

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2013 Perfume Review

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Hello Gorgeous APJ Family,

So the seasons are a turning and there are Spring posts everywhere, the thing I notice about Spring and Autumn is that they share similar weather in many places, especially Sydney. We are still living in summery moments but there have been some blustery cooler days, and the nights are getting very chilly. So really I am offering up a Mid Season Mixture of things that are currently getting pretty high rotation on my skin. They are on the desk and within easy spritz reach, though the Amyitis has just been returned from the outer realms

Autumn ScenicReflectionsPhoto Stolen ScenicReflections

Spring LilaDaleyPhoto Stolen LilaDaley

Youth Dew Amber Nude by Tom Ford for Estee Lauder: Amber Nude gets let out of its box quite a bit lately, I don’t know why particularly but I crave that gorgeous opening that warms into amber so quickly.

Cedrat Intense by Nicolai: I think it might have Ruth K on FFF that told me to get my hands on some of this. So I grabbed 30ml unsniffed and WOW!! I’m surprised that wasps and bees don’t land on me expecting a feed. Gorgeous and fresh citrus scent.

Amyitis by Mona di Orio: Every so often the Amyitis bottle will ask me if I’m SURE I don’t adore the juice inside and it comes back out, gets worn a few times and then gets put away in favour of Chanel No 19.

Indus Oil by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz: This surprising little temptress has me opening the box and putting a little roll of oil on a wrist or back of hand every second day currently. The flavour of Chai Tea, though I get powdery iris too.

Dries Van Noten by Frederic Malle: There are only the dregs of this 5ml sample left and I still haven’t done my post about it properly. I put it on and sit there for ages enjoying its perfect, warm, uncluttered beauty. What a fragrance, so simple to my nose but absolutely welcoming. A hug filled with love.

Sandflowers by Montale: This leaked about 2/3 of its 100ml flying home from Europe so the box is impregnated with Sandflowers. My office smells distinctly of it and there is always a salty, briny waft as I enter. What a wonderfully weird beauty this is, without being unwearable. How did it get in the Montale line up? This smells best for me when there is sun shining, or the promise of it.

Courage by One Seed: Courage is an unusual, exquisite beauty, that follows no leader. It is warm, dark, interesting and sometimes a little challenging. An all natural maverick that doesn’t smell like natural, or mass production. Intense and lovely.

Interlude Woman by Amouage: I bought a small bottle of this from the lovely Birgit in one of her cupboard clean outs. I was only mildly impressed with it initially but as I wear it more it has become a bit of a siren, trying to lure me into penury. Perfect for the cooler days to snuggle into.

Trayee by Neela Vermeire Creations: I cannot deny that Neela and I are buddies but I don’t go a week without spritzing one of her magical masterpieces. At the rate I’m tearing through this decant it could be FB sooner than anticipated. Trayee is a great mid season spritz.

Essence d’Orange by Cartier: I love the spare citrus burst here with loads of air and space between the notes. This is easy wearing freshness that I keep coming back to just for a fun spritz.

Spring By Sandrine Dulermo & Michael Labica PhotographerPhoto By Sandrine Dulermo & Michael Labica Photographer

There you have it, my current Mid Season Top 10.

Want more Spring Posts? Try Grain de Musc, Now Smell This, Bois de Jasmin, and Perfume Posse

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Bringing Grandma Up To Date At Christmas: A Gift Guide

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Guest Post by Tim

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With the Christmas gift shopping window of opportunity slowly getting smaller in the lead up to Christmas do you get stuck on what to buy? Perhaps you do a Chris Cringle like my family. Sometimes I am wandering aimlessly around under pressure, amongst holiday crowds scratching my head thinking of what they would like.Out of all the people in my family I buy for it’s my Grandma that I find I am at my most inspired when things need to be wrapped and under the tree by the 25th. Bless her heart, she excitedly accepted my presents given over the years. Sometimes fragrant, sometimes not. This year I’m

Bringing Grandma Up To Date

Photo Stolen TheBookwood

I’ve been referencing the past to find new interpretations and variations on the popular and classic fragrances that were trending at a time when our grandmas were becoming women. I have included some new flankers of vintage classics from iconic houses and beautiful compositions she will relate to and make a new connection with. These are a festive selection of fragrances suitable for a woman.

EauPremier stylefrizzPhoto Stolen Stylefrizz

Chanel,  No 5 Eau Premiere 2008 by Jaques Polge. An inspired choice for a Classic Alderhydeic floral. Fresher and lighter on the  Alderhydes,  it strips away time and date,  softening the edges and modernising the famous formulation. Eau premier presents a little rosier than iconic No 5. Grasse grown jasmine,  neroli and ylang ylang from the Comoro Islands keep it luxe. Generous in 125 ml bottle .

Photo Stolen dezire

Chanel, Crystal eau Vert 2009 by Jaques Polge. Introducing an ozonic citrus white floral. Retaining the original ‘honeysuckle’ accord and adding magnolia with abstract white flowers, 1974 classic Crystal has been given a breath of fresh air, greener and cleaner. Sicilian lemon noticeably flaring on opening, quickly settling into a powdery green heart that wears fresh and cool, this to me feels perfect for summer.

Photo Stolen ThePerfumeShop

Christian Dior, Les Creations de Monsieur Dior, Dioressence 2009 original by Guy Robeert. Everything old is new again  is the theme song of this classic chypre. Representing a review on a vintage edition, Dioressence presents a timeless opus of Dior which resists time and trends. An olde worlde opening of alderhydes under tart citrus which fades to a bouquet of violet, tuberose, jasmine, carnation, Lily of the valley , ylang and iris root. I’m hoping for a bottle too. Hint hint.

Photo Stolen TheMakeUpDivas

Estée Lauder Private Collection, Jasmine White Moss  2009 by Aerin Lauder , nose Jean Mark Chaillan. Hardly stock standard or obvious, this release is packing earth moss and wet woods. Rumour has it this is an unfinished fragrance from 1980, there are subtle hints of jasmine floating through this superb mossy green floral. New notes added by Aerin are mandarin and black current absolute, this is a fragrance created to honour heritage and family tradition.

Photo Stolen CHANEL

Chanel, No 19 Poudre 2011 by Jaques Polge. A new directions for this classic green alderhydeic floral. Sheer powder, more balmy and musky. Iris  is the angle on the tree in this rendition of my personal favorite No 19. Poudre is adorned with jasmine, galbanum, vetiver and hyacinth which subtly floats into a soft focus musk with sweet tonka bean. My favourite Chanel flacon.

Photo Stolen Escentual

Guerlian,  Shalimar  Parfum Initial 2011 by Thierry Wasser.  Entirely representing the outer trappings of the original and giving it rose coloured glasses. It’s vaguely related to the famous Shalimar, but think of it as the basics rethought,  while still being able to tie it back to the original. No dirty bits to be found anywhere with white musk , Wasser uses  popular iris paired with nutty almond nuances, over time drying down to  woods and amber; less smokey and vanillic than the original.

Photo Stolen Clemence-cahu

Yves Saint Laurent, Opium Vapeurs de Parfum 2012. The tender salmon pink bottle that was once home to super elixir Opium. Pink pepper in the opening gives it initial sparkle, orange blossom and mandarin take it up a notch as the oriental citrus incense becomes gentle and caressing. The Vapeurs edition has  less spice than the original and is thankfully low on the sugary calories.

Lancôme,  La Vie est Belle 2012 by Oliver Polge, Dominique Ropion and Anne Phillip. The latest mainstream release representing the gourmand sweet fruitchouli  category. With three noted noses behind its release, 5000 claimed variations  and given a three year probation you would hope ‘life is beautiful’ with this latest from Lancôme.  Well I can say it is,  grown up and  elegant. Feeling over all polished in it’s composition, reflected through the pretty glass bottle design. Heart notes praline and patchouli mix festively with vanilla and the almond-like accords in the base pushing it well into a gourmand territory.

See you in a fortnight,

Tim XX

Knowing by Jean Kerleo for Estee Lauder 1988

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hello Lovelies!

I have had a soft spot for the Estee Lauder (EL) fragrances since someone at a Lauder counter gave me a mini bottle of Beyond Paradise Blue and I wore it for a week while on holiday, came back home and purchased my first bottle, while not a signature scent it has had pretty high rotation through the years and I have a back up bottle because of its discontinuation. I also have a vintage Youth Dew and a couple of Brasil Dream due to its discontinuation too. The rest of the range has completely passed me by so far but because our Guest Blog writer Tim extols the virtues of EL I felt I’d missed something and so when I saw a little Knowing on eBay while buying something else from a seller, I grabbed it.

Knowing by Estee Lauder

Estee Lauder site says: When on a holiday trip in the south of France, Evelyn Lauder, was intrigued with a floral scent that wafted through the garden below her balcony. She searched for the source and found that it was the pittosporum flower, which she immediately knew could be the floral center of a wonderful fragrance.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mimosa, pittosporum, rose, tuberose, plum, melon, coriander, green notes, aldehydes
Heart: Patchouli, iris, clove, laurel, jasmine, orris, cardamom, cedar, lily of the valley, bay leaf, orange blossom
Base: Sandalwood, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, civet, musk, orris, amber, spices

This is the last of its kind, a big brassy 1980s stand out floriental chypre. Everything but the kitchen sink perfumery, but maybe just the kitchen sink taps we wouldn’t want to go overboard.It opens bright, green, herbal and quickly the flowers come in too. The opening is surprisingly long lasting and instead of changing to the heart in a noticeable way Knowing moves gradually towards the sweet, cool, floral heart, cool as in both not warm and hip. Even the orange blossom here is cool. Have you ever been involved in a hot sweaty sex session with someone but your skin has stayed cool to the touch except where the two of you are joined? That’s how I feel Knowing by Estee Lauder is, so much action and almost complete forgetting of yourself but with a cool, unwarmed edge. You have to have a certain presence before you would wear Knowing or it would wear you, that’s how flamboyantly shoulder padded it is (Thank goodness the shoulder pad is coming back, I’ve missed them). There is an animalic undercurrent that serves only as building blocks at this point.

Much later in the day you will start to notice a warming of the flowers but not in a sweet way, its more a herbal and animal warmth and then the amber comes in and pumps a richness in until tomorrow morning when you shower it all off and start again.

In eastern Australia and on many international islands the Sweet Pittosporum has reached weed status, even though it is native here, causing shade, fire and outstripping local flora problems. It is so easy to grow and quickly reaches a height of 14 meters, so it is often used for screening hedges around the world

Photo Stolen ThePerfumeGirl

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ThePerfumeChronicles and TheMuseInWoodenShoes reviews for further reading
TheFragranceShop has 75ml EdP Tester under $60 after discount!
SurrenderToChance starts at $3/ml

I hope you have enjoyed your wander through my fragrant musings about Knowing.. My day has finished and I am still immersed in a fragrant cloud of Knowing. I can only hope that you smell this good to yourself,
Till tomorrow.
Love,
Portia xx