A*Men Kryptomint by Jacques Huclier for Mugler 2017

July 3, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Portia

Heya Perfume Peeps!

If you’ve read APJ over time you may remember that I was one of the Squirt Bitches for the launch of the original A*Men at a nightclub. We spritzed so much of it through the night and it stuck in my nose & throat for the next week to the point of nausea. It took many years for me to even be able to be in the same room as it. I would get headaches and feel physical disquiet. For me to finally find an A*Men that i’m comfortable enough with to purchase is a huge breakthrough.

We were in Luxembourg earlier in the year and there was a FABULOUS perfumery across from the central station, nothing posh but extremely well stocked in the designer ranges. They were also having a 20% off sale!

A*Men Kryptomint by Mugler 2017

A*Men Kryptomint by Jacques Huclier

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Peppermint, sage
Heart: Egyptian geranium
Base: Patchouli, vanilla, coffee, chocolate, tonka

There’s no denying that Kryptomint is an A*Men flanker. From the first whiff that famous choc-chouli madness is well apparent. The feature note of peppermint given a lightly green gloss by sage and a crackle of clove-ish geranium gives this flanker and completely different personality. Suddenly what was loud, abrasive and sickening to me becomes fresh and fun. All this zingy peppermint is just silly enough to make A*Men a joy. Even as I write this admittedly crap review I am smiling like a fool.

The peppermint stays all the way through and I feel like I’m wearing Mint Slice perfume. Combining two of my absolute favourite things: chocolate and mint. MMMMMM

Longevity is stellar but projection is only moderate if applied in normal amounts. I admit to wearing it quite heavily when I’m alone, you have no idea how huge it becomes. Basically I’m dry cleaning the apartment with my nuclear sillage.

Want to try it?
See below.
Portia xx

A*Men Kryptomint GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 5ml A*Men Kryptomint (decant from my bottle)
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 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 which Mugler scents make you smile or cringe?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 6th July 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 12th July 2017 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

Horizon by Oriza L. Legrand 1925

June 30, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Portia

Hey Independent Perfume Lovers,

Back in 2014 while travelling with my mate Michael we went and met the guys who recreated the Oriza L Legrand fragrance line. The men were really sweet and seemed to be genuinely involved in trying to create an incredible fragrance house. Their shop in Paris is absolutely gorgeous and they took a couple of hours out of their busy schedule to give us a history lesson and to let us smell the collection. It was a lovely afternoon and we had a ball.

Oriza L Legrand

Horizon by Oriza L. Legrand 1925

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Petitgrain, tangerine, marmalade, rose
Heart: Cognac, amber, tobacco leaf, cacao, almond, oak, patchouli
Base: Benzoin, ambergris, white tobacco, vanilla, honey, leather, peat

OK some clarification, Hugo Lambert is Creative Director at Oriza L Legrand. He oversees the magic. I have erroneously put him down as perfume before. Sorry for the misinformation.

Citrus backed by a boozy amber and honey float straight off my skin. Chocolate and tobacco fold through like marbling on paper. It seems everything, every note, wants me to smell it at once. The opening fireworks are like the overture for a big show, all the major themes are played to give you a taste of what’s to come. Horizon lets all its secrets out in a fabulously symphonic rush and then calms to a sense of fragrance rather than a rush. It’s really fun, like a ride.

PDI

Warmth, dry tobacco and vanilla, dark and dense yet not a huge projection bomb. Horizon is a masculine leaning gourmand that would smell so Katherine Hepburn on a woman. A dark chocolate and patchouli heart with woodsy undertones and boozy tenors. Dry down is a patchouli rich amber with some leathered honey buoying it up. I can imagine wearing it as a go-to scent for someone who wants to smell really good, luxurious and interesting, but who sticks with a couple of scents for ease and through general lack of addiction like us.

Longevity is excellent, Horizon has lasted through a 3 hour vacuuming, floor steaming and bathroom clean.

PDI

Oriza L Legrand has €120/100ml FREE World Shipping
Surrender To Chance has a Sampler Set of Seven Oriza L. Legrand Fragrances from $17

Have you tried any of the Oriza L Legrand fragrances?
Portia xx

Un Jour d’Eté by Keiko Mecheri 2012

June 29, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Portia

Hey there Fumies,

It’s winter here in Australia and while it’s no snow filled wonderland where I am it is grey & cool. My morning and night walks with the dogs have become rugged up affairs and my corduroy jeans are getting loads of wear. Personally I’ve never really followed seasons with my fragrance, though the ambers do get quite a bit more action in the cool. Today I was after a ray of sunshine, a happy, warmth infused scent that would give the day a lift from the wintery blues and hit me with fond memories of summer.

Un Jour d’Eté by Keiko Mecheri 2012

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Bergamot, jasmine, coconut, ambergris, woodsy notes, lemon, petitgrain, tangerine, white musk, green notes, floral notes

Take a selection of citrus and give it the shimmering snap of pettigrain (and maybe some aldehydes). Fold in a thick, creamy, fluffed with musks coconut. Lightly salt it with the marine overtones of ambergris and driftwood. Whip it up into an uncooked meringue mixture, light, airy and sweet. Spritz yourself liberally and waft summer scented waves of fragrant air for hours and hours.

Un Jour d’Eté is French for A Summer Day and the name is not hype. Perfect to wear on a summer day or to reminisce about them in the depths of winter. Not nearly as in your face as Estee Lauder’s Bronze Goddess, here everything is less about the suntan lotion (though it does not to it) and more about wandering tropical beach side gardens. This is a swanky holiday floating around in gossamer thin silk caftans on the grass by the pool with a view of the ocean rather than rollicking around in the surf in a sand encrusted bikini. Here we drink some fabulous creation that the clever barman has made especially for you of white & dark rum, curaçao, cream, coconut and lime zest.

Un Jour d’Eté goesa on smooth and continues that way to dry down. No screaming huge event but a soft focus beauty I think it perfect for both sexes who want something casual but unusual. I could also imagine Un Jour d’Eté be an excellent choice for weddings.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin
Libertine Parfumerie has AUD$279/75ml with FREE Australian Delivery

What are you currently wearing that goes against the seasonal regulations, and why?
Portia xx

Cuir Caraïbes GIVEAWAY WINNER

June 29, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Portia

Hey Hey all,

Thanks to Mia at Perfume Profiling for her generosity and thank you guys for getting involved.
Let’s see who won,
Portia xxx

Cuir Caraïbes GIVEAWAY WINNER

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, citruses, green mango
Heart: White flowers, Jamaican pepper, ginger
Base: Vvetiver, guaiac wood, patchouli, leather, amber

Perfume Profiling has AUD$215/100ml EdP

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 5ml Cuir Caraibes manufacturers sample (minus my testing)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Wednesday 28th June 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Morrigan

The winners will have till Wednesday 5th July 2017 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

Antimony by Christi Meshell for House of Matriarch 2016

June 28, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Erica Golding

Hello, scented greetings to you! I hope this little note finds you all well.

Today, I have saturated my wrists with a breathtaking new natural perfume that has completely stolen my heart! It made a crazy day seem much more manageable, a bubble shield of serenity. As a bonus, the magnetic pull of my perfume became evident at the office today. I was alone in a conference room when a friend ran in and sniffed the air, immediately guessing that my fragrance must be the amazing scent that drew him in. Flattered, I shared a link with him – I hope his wife will be getting a phenomenal gift soon:

Antimony by House of Matriarch 2016

Antimony by Christi Meshell

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Olibanum, pandanus, henna, palo santo, galanga, sandalwood, ash, nard himalayan (jatamansi), butter, copal, agarwood (oud), mitti attar, madam, rose

This pure pleasure of a perfume opens with depth and sincerity. I sense golden resins, buttery soft leather, smoky India ink, and a kiss of the syrupy sweetness of immortelle flower. The heart and soul of the aroma on my skin from start to finish is a luxuriously balanced high end frankincense, woody but not dry. Hours later, the other notes have dissipated, but the resonant olibanum just sings and sings, an absolute joy.

The inspiration for Antimony is the ritual of applying jet black kohl around the eyes, a talisman of protection and glamour. The darkness of the intensity is spot on, but the aroma is not heavy. In fact, it lifts from the skin, buoyant and graceful, infused with the delight of confident victory.
I applied this perfume 12 hours ago and it is STILL wafting healthily from my skin. The vibrant longevity of this 99.99% natural fragrance is just unreal! Antimony is unique enough to get you noticed no matter the occasion, while pleasantly attractive enough to be wearable without challenging your companions.

Further reading: The Scented Apprentice
House of Matriach has samples from $20

I love the points system on House of Matriarch’s website. My purchases over the last year have earned me a 50% off coupon code, how rad is that? These perfumes are highly concentrated treasures rich with top-of-the-line absolutes and worth every cent.

Have you sampled House of Matriarch yet? What is your favorite?

Until next time, be well and take time to smell the roses!

Love and light,
Erica

Dama Koupa by Spyros Drosopoulos for Baruti 2016

June 23, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Portia

Hey Independent Perfume Peeps,

I got a bunch of stuff a while back from a split group I’m in. For some reason todays fragrance didn’t get sniffed. I’m not quite sure why. Anyway, in the words of Pretty Woman, Big Mistake.

Baruti

Spyros the Baruti perfumer and (I think) owner writes:

THIS IS WHAT MY DREAMS SMELL LIKE
I MAKE PERSONAL AND IMMEDIATE PERFUMES
DECEPTIVELY PLAYFUL
ROOTED IN THE UNCONSCIOUS
PERPLEXING THE SENSES
LIKE KALEIDOSCOPIC EXPLOSIONS OF BEAUTY
THEY CAN BLOW YOU AWAY

SPYROS (AMSTERDAM 2014)

Dama Koupa by Baruti 2016

Dama Koupa by Spyros Drosopoulos

Fragrantica

Baruti gives these featured accords:
Bitter almonds, Grappa, Tonka bean, Vanilla, Cocoa, Iris, Osmanthus, Musk, Amber, White woods, Beeswax, Fir Balsam Absolute.

Before we even start this review I want to tell you that I have already been in touch with Spyros at Baruti and bought at full retail a bottle of Dama Koupa. The website was playing silly buggers so I wrote to him direct and got a response within hours, he offered to send me a PayPal invoice and get my fragrance out to me ASAP. YAY! On its way.

Dry, nutty, boozy, sprinkled with sugar that seems to accentuate the lack of sweetness rather than lightening Dama Koupa up. Woodsy, like sawdust with this completely unexpected feeling of desiccated florals. You know those almond biscuits? Like the first unsweet bite into one of those….. but not. Actually, through the heart I get something grain-ish, like barley broth.

PDI

I know other people are getting the scent of Macaroons, the original coconut meringue confection, but my nose is getting something much more masculine, outdoorsy and mountainous.

Longevity is excellent and I smell Dama Koupa almost exactly as it went on hours later. Who could wear it? I think anyone with a sense of olfactory adventure because where I am getting manliness others get this bakery style gourmand.

WikiCommons

Further reading: Persefume and Fragrance Daily
Baruti has €92,56/30ml and ships worldwide

Are gourmands in general enticing or repulsive to you? Do you know another gourmand that skews dry and masculine?
Portia xx

Yes I Do v I Don’t Swallow GIVEAWAY WINNERS

June 22, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Portia

Woo Hoo!
Thanks to Bronwyn from Gascoigne & King, the Australian ELdO importers and distributors.

Thanks also to all who entered.
Portia xx

Yes I Do v I Don’t Swallow GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Orange blossom, lily-of-the-valley, patchouli, jasmine, aldehydes, amber, cacao pod, marshmallow, musk

Etat Libre d’Orange has €85/50ml (Shipping to the world only €15)

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 10ml decant Yes I Do
1 x 10ml decant I Don’t Swallow
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Wednesday 21st June 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

Anna-Maria

Hage

Kandice

The winners will have till Wednesday 28th June 2017 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

Suffolk Lavender by Julie Masse for Shay & Blue 2013

June 21, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Kate Apted

Hi APJ,

I hear a lot about scents being ‘office friendly’; meaning the scent is likely to receive a warmer reception to a wider range of people than others. I am sure you have a list of scents you consider safe to wear at any given event or location. I have given a substantial deal of thought to what I deem safe to wear to work, and it has taken a great deal of trial and error.

I am a truck mechanic and what I wear has to fit a number of criteria. I will not wear a strongly feminine scent, as a lot of our customers and my co-workers are male and I am not too keen to leave a lingering, smouldering scent in the cabin of a truck. My scent also has to rise above the strong environmental scents competing for my attention, yet it has to be markedly different so to not prevent me from smelling dangerous odours, such as LPG leaks and welding fires.

I found the very scent that has become my work daily: Shay & Blue’s Suffolk Lavender. I am particularly partial to lavender that plays the starring role, but isn’t a soliflor. I find the lavender in Suffolk Lavender isn’t sleep inducing, but helps to ground and calm me, while being inherently interesting.

Suffolk Lavender by Julie Masse for Shay & Blue 2013

Finding my ideal work scent

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lavender
Heart: Incense, melon
Base: Praline, musk, pine tree

This opens with a salty lavender. This very linear, moderate projection stays for a good hour. The lavender is quite dry, but full bodied and slightly creamy. I spray it on my torso, because with body heat, I get an oomph of scent that wafts up in a way I don’t get from wrist sprays alone. I have not tried this during summer, but I am guessing from its response to heat, it will be adaptable to the temperature without losing its character.

After about two hours, Suffolk Lavender slowly becomes a skin scent, but the deeper incense notes make their appearance. Like a song with moderate volume that has deep, booming base notes that make the song seem louder than the volume indicates, this scent does the same with the incense. So, it isn’t until lunch time, about 5-6 hours later, that I need to think of reapplying.

WikiCommons

What makes Suffolk Lavender noteworthy, for me at least, is while it uses quite dark and deep notes, the overall composition has the trademark Shay & Blue light handedness. The scent transitions so gently from salty lavender to a mild incense creamy lavender and then tails off to a faintly woody wheat bag type lavender.

I do not get any of the fruit or sweetness this is purported to have. It tends to sit with more pronounced lavender on my eldest son, and heads straight to the incense notes after ten minutes. I love the fact Suffolk Lavender is completely unisex. I can pack this away on trips and know a single bottle will suffice.

David Jones Australia has a limited Shay & Blue range.
Shay & Blue ships to almost the entire world, not ANZ though

What is your work environment like? And what factors guide your scent choices?

Kate XXXoX

Don’t Get Me Wrong Baby, Yes I Do by Antoine Maisondieu for Etat Libre d’Orange 2016

June 19, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Portia

Heya Frag Hags,

Recently I was over at my mate Bronwyn’s house. She has so much going on with new Gascoigne & King candles, a brand new concept I can’t tell you about and the exciting release in Australia of ELdO’s Don’t Get Me Wrong Baby, Yes I Do. There are plenty of rumours flying about but I haven’t heard anything definitive about what’s happened to the original but perusing the Etat Libre d’Orange site it has been taken off the shopping list.

Don’t Get Me Wrong Baby, Yes I Do by Etat Libre d’Orange 2016

Don’t Get Me Wrong Baby, Yes I Do by Antoine Maisondieu

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Orange blossom, lily-of-the-valley, patchouli, jasmine, aldehydes, amber, cacao pod, marshmallow, musk

The note list has not changed between the old and new but I’m wondering if they have tweaked the formula at all. The good news is I have a bottle of both here so I can do a fragrant throwdown. Let’s do it together.

Yes I Do v I Don’t Swallow

Firstly, the new bottle is so bloody pretty. Shimmery, like an old fashioned nail polish. Match that with the gold sticker and it’s all very budget line from a high fashion company, aimed at the young. It feels very Love Moschino, Juicy Couture or Lauren Ralph Lauren. The fun, affordable brands aiming directly at the market I imagine this will also hit.

Both open with a sheer soft focus Lily of the Valley (LotV), sweetness added by the marshmallow and a very youthful, clean jasmine/orange blossom. If you like your LotV Diorissimo style then you’ll be disappointed. Here we have a much less strident rendition, no screech, just pillowed clouds. The two fragrances smell pretty similar to me, not much change. They may have added, tweaked and subtracted some stuff but it hasn’t changed the ultimate ride. I do like spritzing from the new bottle better though because it’s so fun.

Personally, I don’t get a lot of the oft hyped funk that this scent was purporting to display. All I get is a bit of plasticky patchouli, some extra depth and warmth coming through towards the end but I’m still smelling soft wafts of LotV which keeps the whole scent fresh, youthful and prim.

Sephora will have Yes I Do in Australia
Etat Libre d’Orange has €85/50ml (Shipping to the world only €15)

Want to check the difference for yourself? I’d love to hear if you think it has changed.

Yes I Do v I Don’t Swallow GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 10ml decant Yes I Do
1 x 10ml decant I Don’t Swallow
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us which name sounds best to you?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Wednesday 21st June 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 28th June 2017 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

APSU by Ulrich Lang GIVEAWAY WINNERS

June 19, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Portia.

YAY APJ!

Thanks for getting involved. Let’s see who our winners are.
Portia xx

APSU by Ulrich Lang GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Green leaves, coriander, violet leaf, bergamot
Heart: White tea, jasmine, water lily, pink pepper, iris
Base: White musk, cedar, amber, olibanum

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x APSU by Ulrich Lang sample
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 18th June 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

Stephen Khoo

Lena

Ellen M

The winners will have till Sunday 25th June 2017 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