NEW APJ Beauty Editor: Night Cream

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Post by A F Beauty

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(ED: Please welcome our newest member of the APJ Family, APJ Beauty Editor: A F Beauty)

Night Cream

There are two types of people in the beauty world; sniffers and feelers. Here’s how you know which you are. Imagine, you are in a beauty emporium and in haste you have agreed to try a new wonder crème. Following a brief sales pitch, a blob of crème will be applied to the back of your hand and the assistant will gently sweep your skin and offer your hand back to you. A sniffer will, without second thought, lift their hand to their nose and hope to smell something that reminds them of indulgence. A feeler, will follow the sales assistant with a further touch of their hand to experience the texture of the crème applied.

L’Oreal Revitalift Laser X3 NIGHT

revitalift-laser-x3-night-cream-maskPhoto Stolen LorealParisAU

Now I am assuming you fumies are sniffers, like me! Smell is important, nay critical I’d guess. But fellow sniffers, you must, for the sake of your skin, learn also to touch and feel, especially now, as seasons are changing, you will probably have noticed your skin is starting to feel different. Down here in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s getting cold. I felt, it seemed overnight, my skin feeling and looking dry. My skincare routine was letting me down! There are options, change cleanser, serum, day or night cream, but I’ll argue your quickest fix is a different night cream. My present favourite is L’Oreal Revitalift Laser X3 NIGHT. They have to draw attention to NIGHT in case you accidentally think night means day!

 

The texture is one of the most unusual I’ve found, a thick cream but with a slight jelly like texture and appearance that settles back to perfect evenness by the time you come back to the jar the following night. I’ve wondered, but not yet investigated, whether it has similar properties to Astalift Jelly, now only available in Asia – tell me if you know! Now I lack sophistication in describing smell, to me it smells like chemical flowers, which I know sounds hideous, but it’s not overly offensive and once on, I can’t notice it.

It’s definitely thick and takes a while to settle in. You’d not tolerate it as a day cream, but just before bed is fine. Even 20 minutes after applying my skin feels slightly greasy and almost velvety to the touch as it sinks in, but sink in it will and what I particularly like is no oily residue on my skin in the morning.

Since reverting back to this a fortnight ago, I’ve already noticed much less dryness in my skin and it has become a key part of my winter routine. Don’t underestimate your night cream, the right amount of moisture helps tackle those fine lines from drying skin, it provides the best base for make up as well as keep your skin looking bright without makeup. I’d love to hear whether you’ve used this cream or whether you have a different favourite.

Next time: Bright Lipstick!

Galerie de Parfum: Niche Winter Perfume and Cocktail Masterclass: Photo Essay

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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Galerie de Parfum in Myer Melbourne held Australia’s first niche Perfume and Cocktail Masterclass in May. The event paired niche winter fragrances with bespoke cocktails designed by passionate mixologist Justin Ryann Forsyth. I travelled to Melbourne especially as it sounded like far too much fun!

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Guests experienced fragrances whilst tasting the partnering cocktails. Presenters Lucy Borland, Training Director and Ricky Katyal, Business Development Manager for Galerie De Parfum explained the fascinating history of niche, the fragrance wheel and seasonal fragrances in focus.

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Galerie de Parfum

Niche Winter Perfume and Cocktail Masterclass

Cocktail/Fragrance Menu:

– L’Artisan- Batucada lime, Jamaican rum, fresh muddled barbequed pineapple with roasted coconut rim. The beaches of Brazil inspired the fragrance, like a holiday in a bottle.

Ainslie Booze frags #3

– P. Frapin & Cie -1270 combined intoxicating Drambuie honey scotch, whisky, lillet rouge and orange. Frapin first planted vines for champagne and cognac making in 1270, making them the oldest family run business in the world. The gourmand and woody fragrance proved popular with guests.

Ainslie Booze frags #1

– Keiko Mecheri – Loukhoulm contained chocolate and cherry liqueur, amaretto, almond syrup, Campari and orange. The fragrance itself is inspired by Turkish delight and has notes of almond -a flawless selection for dating.

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– Juliette Has A Gun- Gentlewoman champagne based, with peach liqueur, aperol, lemon and orange blossom to capture the Eau De Cologne style perfume which has a surprise additional note of almond.

Ainslie Booze frags #2

– Penhaligon- Empressa dry brut based with muddled strawberry, lemon and vanilla. Already a seasonal hit, Empressa has recently launched in Australia. Classed as a woody oriental – Chanel Mademoiselle fans will undeniably love.

Ainslie Booze frags #6

Empressa Cocktail:
60ml Belvedere Vodka
30ml Lemon Juice
30ml Vanilla syrup
1/2 muddled strawberry
Place strawberry in bottom of cocktail shaker, add vanilla syrup and lemon juice. Muddle strawberry thoroughly until liquid becomes pink and small bits of strawberry are visible. Add vodka. Fill with ice, and shake hard for several seconds until ice softens. Single strain into crystal champagne flute filled with ice. Pour only half way up, and fill the rest with chilled sparkling wine. garnish with a strawberry slice and a red striped straw.

Alongside the theatrics of cocktail making, fashion blogger and illustrator Alexia Petsinis demonstrated her fascinating artistry skills, illustrating live, the exquisite bottle packaging of niche fragrances – with Loukhoum and Batacuda as her subjects. Absolutely amazing, I promise to write more on her soon!

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Each guest left with a generous niche goody bag and cocktail menu booklets. The majority of guests made purchases from the hand picked niche selection – taking with them a special keepsake of the night.

Ainslie Booze frags #9

As you can see from the pictures, it was well worth the trip! Stay tuned for some fragrant cocktail recipes you can make for yourself over the next few weeks on APJ

Ainslie

All photos Donated by Ainslie Walker

Arabian Horse by Pierre Guillaume for Parfumerie Générale 2012

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Post by Holly

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Situated in a picturesque cobblestoned mews in the heart of London is the Ross Nye Stables. As a young girl, I spent two glorious years there learning manners, comportment in every situation, sensitivity and of course, how to ride. I was hooked, and fifty years later I am still captivated by these noble animals. I love to watch the elegance and refinement of dressage, the thrilling speed of the Triple Crown. I can sense the rough-and-tumble of buzkashi, I sigh over images of kohl-eyed Arabs racing their thoroughbred stallions across the desert. When I want to experience all of that at once, there’s this:

Arabian Horse by Parfumerie Générale 2012

Arabian Horse by Pierre Guillaume

Arabian Horse Parfumerie Generale FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Green notes, wildflowers, narcissus
Heart: Musk, cypriol oil (nagarmotha)
Base: Woody notes, amber

It’s a beautiful spring day, and we’re feeling frisky. Let’s go for a ride!

Arabian Horse opens with a high-spirited burst of slightly animalic leather. It’s raw, warm and unpolished, reminiscent of leather goods in a Middle Eastern bazaar. Within a minute or so of leaving the paddock, flashes of bright wildflowers appear in a meadow that is dotted with bales of green hay. Some of the blooms smell dazzlingly spicy and sweet, somewhat like carnations but denser, richer and almost syrupy like a fine attar. I’m not familiar with nagarmotha, but I suspect that is what this scent is. Vibrant yellow narcissus dot the landscape, and as we gather speed the scenery flashes past and each note is experienced briefly and separately in dazzling pops of exuberance, appearing and disappearing in the blink of an eye. Thrumming underneath is the low hum of leather warming, and faint wisps of musk and sweet honeyed amber radiate out from our now-sweating steed.
After a while, the landscape changes and the narcissus are more bountiful and the other wildflowers are mere specks dotting the fields. The narcissus beckons, glowing in the sunlight, and we slow down to enjoy the view and the damp greenish-gold honeyed scent. Dappled woods are seen on the horizon, and the scent of cedar is faintly detected when a breeze blows across the meadow. Our horse’s coat is gleaming underneath the leather saddle, and the musky note is a velvety vanilla balm.

Arabian Horse Parfumerie Generale Arab horse WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Before turning for home, we approach the woods. The sun is starting to set, and we’re drawn to the calm shadows underneath the trees. After a full day soaring over the hills and meadows, we’re ready to bask in the calm that comes after an intense and exhilarating ride. The scent of cedar is astringent and restorative and in its presence we gather the strength to make our way back home. It’s been a glorious day.

Arabian Horse has excellent sillage and longevity, but is not overpowering. It is incredibly well-blended, and the progression of the notes is smooth and elegant, each phase lasting for hours on me. The name conveys everything you need to know about the spirit of this fragrance. It’s simultaneously unrestrained and yet firmly grounded. There’s an exquisite tension combined with a sense of expansion that is deeply sexy. I think that both men and women would be comfortable wearing Arabian Horse in any season, in any venue, from dawn ‘til dusk.

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Now Smell This
Parfumerie Générale has €260/100ml
Surrender To Chance has $8.50/ml

Arabian Horse Parfumerie Generale pierre-guillaume Ca Fleure BonPhoto Stolen Ca Fleure Bon

If horses aren’t your thing, you can always be inspired by pics of the creator of Arabian Horse, Pierre Guillaume.

Arabian Horse Parfumerie Generale pierre-guillaume  BeauteTestPhoto Stolen BeauteTest

Have you found a fragrance that just makes you feel expansive, unrestrained and free?
Holly x

L'Occitane Launch May 2015 with Scott Steward

Hey crew,

Monday was a great morning to L’Occitane. Scottt Steward and I trolled down to the Sydney Observatory area and couldn’t find the damn place so I just kept driving till we came across it, AT LAST! Greeted with drinks and some easy finger food at arrival we were wowed by the lovely transformation that the L’Occitane crew had given a very white old-school hanger of an art gallery. There was colour and bunches of real flowers everywhere.

L’Occitane Launch May 2015 with Scott Steward

I apologise that I didn’t get more crowd and happening shots but one of the Sydney Beauty Society Mavins was really rude to me as we arrived and It put me a bit off my game. Not to be deterred we listened to the beautiful French General Manager of L’Occitane Australia Caroline LeRoch who welcomed us and introduced the new Australian face/brand Ambassador of L’Occitane, Australian TV & Radio star Sami Lukis who chatted with Lucy Primrose, international project leader and skincare innovator at L’Occitane.

The spiel was interesting, the finger food delicious and most of the company fun and friendly. The L’Occitane crew are a great bunch of girls and my mate Lesley Bowen the loveliest of them all.

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L'Occitane Launch May 2015 #10And the swag?

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L'Occitane Launch Pics 2015 May #12The last photo is the ABSOLUTE FREAKING WINNER! An oil based make up remover that takes every skerrick of my drag make up off in seconds, including waterproof mascara. First time in my life I’ve woken up without PANDA EYES! Thank you L’Occitane.

Portia xx

PS Most of these photos I took but some were donated by L’Occitane after I asked for extras.

 

Men's Standards Of Beauty Around The World: BuzzFeed

Hey Crew,

I often hear women complain about how hard it is to live in a world where every image they are being shown of how they are expected to look is almost unattainable to someone with a real life. I agree, it can be hard looking in the mirror after being bombarded with images of perfection from dusk till dawn.

So instead of decreasing the pressure on women to look a certain way men have been giving them a twisted sense of equality by creating exactly the same stupid unhappiness drain by creating the male Adonis Syndrome. Basically another form of body dysmorphia but this time it’s hitting the men.

Standards Of Beauty David Goehring FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

It makes me so mad and I feel absolutely helpless in the face of this absolute idiocracy that the media has become. I want real people that I can idolise because they have done interesting, amazing, entrepreneurial or culturally sensitive things, people who have made a difference, people who can talk books and life after having read or thought about them. GRRRR!

End rant, enjoy the video, there is no denying how lovely these men look.
Portia xx

Men’s Standards Of Beauty Around The World

Vétiver Tonka by Jean Claude Ellena for Hermès 2004

Heya APJ Frag Family,

You might remember that I bought an Hermès 4 x 15ml Travel Set while on holidays. Vetiver is one of my favourite notes, not just for its amazingly versatile scent profile but also because the grass is so useful in many different ways, anyway here is one of the clever ways Jean-Claude Ellena sees vetiver.

Vétiver Tonka by Jean Claude Ellena for Hermès 2004

Vetiver Tonka Hermes FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords in one line:
Hazelnut, Lily-of-the-valley, Praliné, Sandalwood, Tobacco, Tonka bean, Vetiver

I really enjoy the melange that Vétiver Tonka offers up while still wet on your skin; it’s like the whole note list wants to meet you all at once. In the first 10 seconds I smell quite distinctly the austere, dry yet fresh greenness of vetiver, the sweetness of sugared lollies and nutty sweets, creamy sandalwood and a whisper of the dewy fresh prim white floral that is lily of the valley. They all pop out in succession as if you are meeting them on a conveyor belt.

Then something interesting happens on my skin, at about the two minute mark they all decide it’s time to get friendly and create a fragrance. The beautiful slightly salty, little bit bitter green smoky dryness of vetiver is front and center but everything else then becomes a fragrant cushion that surrounds and bolsters the star.

vertiver-tonka HermesPhoto Stolen Hermès

As we go further into the heart of Vétiver Tonka the sweetness starts to really shine through. A lovely shiny patina of creamy caramel with the slightly dry bite of nuts waltz through and around the vetiver creating some very interesting fragrant formations that keep my nose fresh to the scent and my wrist lifted permanently in front of my face. Thank goodness I’m home and not out, it would be embarrassing.

It’s interesting wearing Vétiver Tonka to review rather than as my scent of the day. I am much more able to detect subtle differences in its moods, during a regular wear I get occasional wafts of sweet creamy woods that make me smile through the day but in my room on close inspection the heart is caramelised and smoky, the nuttiness shines through more too. A sweet dryness prevails to the end, very elegant and totally unisex.

Longevity is really good most days but some days I spray on Vétiver Tonka and it seems to disappear before the two hour mark. No I can’t work out why, there seems to be no defining circumstances but I have only worn a 3ml sample in the past and now this is my fourth wear since buying my 15ml four pack.

Vetiver Tonka Hermes Bamboo_forest WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Further reading: What Men Should Smell Like and Olfactoria’s Travels
Hermessence are available only in Hermès stores or onlineSurrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

How do you like your vetiver? Dry and stark or warm and delicious?
Portia xx

 

Tihota GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Another great GIVEAWAY APJ! How lucky are we all. Thanks Val for making the magic happen. Let’s see who our winner is.

Portia xx

Tihota GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Tihota Indult FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vanilla, musk

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will receive:
1 x decant from Val’s Tihota bottle
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a favorite vanilla fragrance or food

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Friday 15th May 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners will be chosen by random.org

giveaway-winners quiltelegancePhoto Stolen quiltelegance

Empliau

Kandice

Angie

Anka

The winners will have till Tuesday 19th May 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Fille d`Eve by Michael Hy + Jacques Bercia for Nina Ricci 1956

Hi there Vintage Mavins,

I write often about the amazing gems that Michael Edwards, of Fragrances Of The World fame, gave me in his mammoth fragrance clean out. There are still dozens left for me to introduce you to. Today I’m taking you back to 1956

Fille d`Eve by Nina Ricci 1956

Fille d`Eve by Michael Hy + Jacques Bercia

Fille d`Eve Nina Ricci FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords in one line:
Bergamot, Oakmoss, Jasmine, Patchouli, Rose

On first spritz the words that jump into my head are sweet, soft, lavish, elegant, fluffy and feminine. Fille d`Eve is all about the moss and some whispered animal, everything else is just to it dress up.

In my mind’s eye I see this sensually rumpled young woman, probably awaking in the late morning on a weekend after a fun night out or an athletic bout of lovemaking. She is deliciously and deliriously sated for fun and has slept eight hours straight, now she lies in bed not quite asleep and enjoys the warmth under the doona and lets her mind wander freely.

Fille d`Eve Nina Ricci Sleeping_the_day_away WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

My bottle of Fille d`Eve seems to be 100% perfect and I really want to share my luckiness with you so jump down to the GIVEAWAY.

Further reading: Now Smell This and Black Narcissus
Ebay and Amazon have some VERY expensive bottles
Surrender To Chance has vintage parfum samples starting at $7/.5ml

Giveaway Kesha&CoPhoto Stolen Kesha&Co

Fille d`Eve GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x Fille d`Eve by Nina Ricci decant from the bottle that Michael Edwards gave me
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a favorite vintage fragrance OR a story of a late morning rumpled wake up OR someone you know that rocks vintage frags

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 17th May 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thuesday 21st May 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Sweet Anthem GIVEAWAY WINNER

Hiya APJ,

Thanks for getting involved in another wonderful GIVEAWAY! Thanks to Sweet Anthem and Azar for organising.

Portia xx

logo

Sweet Anthem GIVEAWAY WINNER

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Complete set of 1 ml of the Enchanted Fragrances
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a favorite fairy tale character and a perfume he/she might wear

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 14th May 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners will be chosen by random.org

Winner Is amberinblunderlandPhoto Stolen amberinblunderland

rincoglionita

The winners will have till Monday 18th May 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Katy Perry Killer Queen: Oh So Sheer By Laurent LaGuernec 2014

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Post by Poodle

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Two things I need to admit here. I am not a Katy Perry fan and I’m a bit judgmental when it comes to celebrity perfumes. My niece gave me a bottle of this so I’m trying to be as fair as possible.

Katy Perry Killer Queen: Oh So Sheer 2014

By Laurent LaGuernec

Killer Queen Oh So Sheer Katy Perry FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mulberry, elderberry, black current, dark plum
Heart: Celosia, jasmine, freesia, plumeria
Base: Kashmir wood, liquid praline, caramel, patchouli

As you probably know, anything with the word “sheer” in the name is going to be problematic for me and my scent eating skin so your results may vary on this one. At first spritz you really need to give it a moment because there’s a sharp blast of what I can only describe as hair spray accord. Let’s let it dry a moment…

It’s sweet and juicy with plummy berries which is appropriate since the juice itself is purple. These seems to be the go-to top notes in mainstream scents lately and initially Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is similar to a lot of other perfumes out there. There’s the expected sweetness but since it’s a sheer scent it’s actually not too syrupy. I can’t pick out any individual berries and they seem more synthetic than natural to me. The flower notes are there but again, they don’t stand alone but rather blend together. I will say that I can smell the plumeria a bit more than anything else in the note list at this point. There’s a hint of caramel but it hasn’t quite bubbled to the surface yet.

Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer Katy_Perry WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

As the fruit and flowers fade and the base notes begin to take the stage there’s that sweet patchouli common to many perfumes. Definitely not an earthy patchouli, for any of you patch heads out there, and I don’t detect much wood. But Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is sheer and very wearable. The liquid praline/caramel notes are somewhat apparent throughout the life of the scent. I had a problem with Prada Candy smelling like a hot chemical mess on me so I was ready for chemical caramel here too. It kills me to say it but I was pleasantly surprised. The caramel on me was not too sweet and not too synthetic smelling. I was not expecting that.

The main shift in Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer is from the fruity opening to the sugared caramel base. It’s easy to wear and the general public will think you smell good. Not something that you need to think about to enjoy. Longevity was an issue which I expected and sillage was not overwhelming.

Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer Teenage dream Lawren FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

You could do much worse than Katy Perry Killer Queen Oh So Sheer in the sea of celebrity scents. Great for a tween or teen or an old lady like me who wants to feel young again.

Further reading: NJT Reviews and Shrinking Wallet
FragranceNet has $33/100ml before coupon

So have you tried this or any of the other Katy Perry perfumes? Do you think celebrity scents are getting better or worse lately?

Hugs
Poodle