Dry Hair Shampoo

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Post by AF Beauty

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Hello loves,

I am still on my hair journey with my keratin treatment and I am getting more and more used to it – but in an attempt to make the treatment last longer I have been using a dry shampoo about once a week to try and reduce actual washes. It’s not my first foray into dry shampoo, I’ve used it occasionally for a few years – but let me tell you – not all dry shampoos are created equal.

Dry Hair Shampoo

Speedy dirty (!) hair

Batiste-GroupBatiste

I am presently using one of the most popular dry shampoos on the market. They have seemingly a dozen different varieties, which I assume all are broadly the same but with different aromas. What drew me to it was that they have versions for different hair colours, good especially if your hair is dark and your shampoo usually white! Yes, this is Batiste Dry Shampoo – for brunettes. The various choices can be found at Batiste Hair.

I am quite impressed by this shampoo, I’d used the non-colour version before on a trial and it was equally as good. It is fine enough to distribute through the hair and not so thick that it feels clunky. My hair immediately looks better, cleaner and if I want to look like I’ve got clean hair for a day longer than might be entirely true, then Batiste does the job.

Matrix Design Pulse Clean Remix Instant Dry Shampoo Recreate YourselfRecreate Yourself

My first use of dry shampoo was based on advice from my hair dresser, so I purchased one from him. It was this one by Matrix. This being my first use of dry shampoo, I did not know then what I know now, which is that this is up there in the royalty of shampoos. The application is super fine, my hairdresser told me to apply, rub the fine powder into the roots (to remove the oil) and then either brush or shake the hair out. The dry shampoo did an excellent job, leaving hair feeling a lot cleaner and refreshed without the claggy feeling that some shampoos leave behind. This will be my re-purchase.

PANTENE Volume Booster Dry Shampoo PricelinePriceline

And lastly, a dry shampoo you’d expect to be up there, from Pantene. I quite like Pantene shampoo and conditioner – I can’t use it right now with Keratin treated hair, but it is well priced and does the job. So I thought I would be safe buying their dry shampoo. NOT SO! I used this a couple of times before I twigged exactly how bad it was – it made my hair feel very very dry and each wet shampoo after felt like I might never get my hair condition back. There was no obvious indicator of this at application – it was relatively fine, smelled pleasant and my hair did look clean. But there must have been some lingering action, because may hair felt quite nasty afterward, like a cheap wig. In the end I threw the remainder of the can away to avoid further use.

How have you gotten on with dry shampoos? I often use as a pre-styler for ‘big’ do’s – do you? What is your favourite?

And now I’m off to wash my hair! Till next time! X

Pia & Nick on Love To Smell

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Post by Portia

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Hello APJ,

I’d like you to meet two of my mates, Pia and Nick. They are both ardent frag peeps, have worked and do work in the industry, have excellent noses and senses of humour and are starting their own YouTube channel. The first few videos they are learning how to create content and there are some fabulous clunky moments of heads down, mumbling and awkwardness. Do please go back and watch the first three because you’ll get a real indication of how lovely and real they both are, like two kids set free in a TV studio and having a ball.

Pia & Nick Love 2 Smell

What happens here at Episode 4 is that the whole concept seems to coalesce into really fun, informative and engaging TV, so do have a look as they introduce a BRAND NEW bunch of frags from a very famous old independent perfumery.

Enjoy,

Portia xx

Love to Smell Episode 4: Amouroud

Boy EdP by Olivier Polge for CHANEL 2016

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Post by Robert Herrmann

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Hi Fragrant Friends!

Heres I am writing from my small island home in the great Pacific Northwest….

Funny thing about this new Chanel…when I first wore it I was decidedly ambivalent about it. So I wore it the next day, just to be sure. And then the next day and and and…..now I am completely obsessed with it, and find myself reaching for it at some point almost every day!!!

Boy EdP by CHANEL 2016

Boy EdP by Olivier Polge

Boy Chanel Chanel FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lavender, rose, lemon, grapefruit, rose geranium, orange blossom, sandalwood, heliotrope, vanilla, musk.
The CHANEL website also adds fern to the list.

Boy EdP is classified as an Aromatic Fougere. Now admittedly, the fougere family of scent is not one of my favorites, I find the notes to be scarce and repetitive, and they often go bitter/sour on my skin. However this new Chanel for the Les Exclusifs range is working out just fine and dandy, actually WAAAY beyond my expectations!

Boy capel ChanelCHANEL

Named after one of Coco Chanel’s early lovers, Arthur “Boy” Capel, was a famous sportsman and self-made millionaire who was tragically killed in an auto accident on his way to a rendezvous with Ms. Chanel at Christmas in 1919. Their tempestuous affair lasted for twelve years.

Boy opens with a blast of sweet lavender and heliotrope, but the sweetness quickly dissipates as the herbal qualities of the fougere step forward surrounded by musk, and what I think of as the classic Chanel (Chanelade?) notes found throughout the perfume range.

Solidly unisex, with a feeling of a vintage Chanel, but given a contemporary twist from grapefruit and lemon giving this an almost cologne-like vibe.

Yes there might be better scents in the Les Exclusifs range in my opinion, but I would (and have already) gladly add “Boy” to my full bottle collection! Sorry….gotta’ go re-apply!

Boy Capel CHANEL Polo WikipediaWikipedia

Further reading: BLeauG and The Whale & The Rose
CHANEL has €320/200ml
Recently CHANEL stopped all sample/decant stores from selling their products so you must go in store to try boy

Do you have a favorite from the Chanel Les Exclusifs range??

Cardinal by James Heeley for Heeley 2006

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Post by Poodle

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I went to a Catholic grammar school. Many of my childhood memories are of being in church. Damn, it seems like there was always a reason to have to go to mass. I have to admit I hated it. We’d even be taken to church during school hours to practice singing so that at mass Sr. Carmeline would be happy and convinced that we were loud enough for God to hear. She was a large, scary woman and had this giant bell she would ring to get our attention. The bell meant business, let me tell you, but that’s another story altogether.

During Lent there wasn’t much singing but we had to go to the Stations of the Cross every week. To a kid it was dreadfully boring, but I loved Lent because there was more incense. Incense was my favorite part of church by far. I still love my incense perfumes in times of stress and when I mentioned Cardinal in my last post Portia asked me to tell you more about it.

Avignon was a blind buy for me and I fell hard for it. It was all dark. brooding, churchy incense. It was love. On my quest to acquire more incense fragrances I stumbled upon Cardinal and found another to love.

Cardinal by Heeley 2006

Cardinal by James Heeley

Cardinal James Heeley FragranticaFragrantica

Heeley gives these featured accords:
White Linen . Baie Rose . Black Pepper
Labdanum . Frankincense . Myhr
Vetiver . Grey Amber . Patchouli

Cardinal is a church incense but it’s more like church on a sunny winter’s day. I remember sitting in church and it was usually cold. If you were strategic you’d try to sit near a window. You wanted to be in that ray of sunlight streaming through the stained glass. It would offer some warmth which was hard to come by in those big, old churches. Cardinal is a lot like that. It has dustiness and cold damp stone notes along with the incense but there’s also that visible ray of sunshine.

heeley-cardinal St.-Marys-Church Mount Pleasant granaryMount Pleasant Granary

It’s all about the aldehydes. They tend to brighten and freshen up a perfume and that’s exactly what they do here. Add to that the amber in the base and Cardinal becomes a much warmer, happier take on incense. My only complaint is with the lasting power. On my skin Cardinal isn’t a powerhouse and it doesn’t last very long. Some days I may get a couple hours out of it but not others. It does linger on clothing nicely. Your mileage may vary.

If you love Chanel No 22 as I do but have always wished the incense was a bit more pronounced then I think you might like Cardinal. If Avignon always seemed a bit too masculine to you then Cardinal’s floral notes and brightness might be just perfect. Yes, it’s still contemplative and calming but it’s also hopeful, like going into dimly lit church, lighting a candle, saying a prayer, and walking out into the sunshine.

Cardinal Heeley St. Augustine's Church, Hedon GeographGeograph.UK

Further reading: NST and Olfactoria’s Travels
Healey has €125/100ml and sends to the world
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5.40/ml

Have you tried it? Do you like it? What’s your favorite incense?

Hugs
Poodle

Amsterdam Fragrance Adventures: TinaG’s 2016 Europe Tour

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Post by TinaG

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The Netherlands is home base to a number of fragrance houses – Mona Di Orio, Puredistance, Hiram Green and Nasomatto to name a few. When visiting in May this year I mentioned this to my cousin Kylie, who was very interested in finding out more – so we decided to spend a day in Amsterdam hunting for Dutch perfume. What a great way for me to introduce her to the rabbit hole that is the perfume world!

Amsterdam Fragrance Adventures

TinaG’s 2016 Europe Tour

europe-map-countriesWorld Atlas Book

Annindryia Perfume Lounge

Our first stop also became our longest as I was totally enthralled and excited. We had dropped in to Annindryia Perfume Lounge and I had walked in to a small slice of absolute heaven. They stock a fabulous selection of Dutch and international fragrances. We were warmly greeted and shown around the display room. Kylie took to the whole experience and I’m happy to say she was instantly hooked. We sniffed and chatted for a few hours. Have a look at Annindryia Perfume Lounge site for an idea of their range. Yes they ship to Australia and yes the do samples.

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #3

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #4

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #5

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #6

Le Bienaimé by Erik Zwaga

This brand utilises the concept of up-cycling to create new fragrances from existing brands. The bottles would be familiar to most perfumistas – I spotted repurposed Chanel and Etro bottles, tied up with multi-house-branded ribbons. The names of the fragrances hint at their primary constituents: CHA-CHA-CHA-CHANEL, R-I-O-D (Dior spelt backwards), HERMEJESY. I picked up a sample of S.T.I.N.K (how could I not?) that contains Classic Opoponax, Èdition Rare – Petrolium, Floriental, Musk Tonkin, Obsessive Oudh and Song for a Queen.

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #1

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #2

Eau d’Amsterdam

Eau d’Amsterdam is a fragrant ode to the thousands of elm trees which line the city’s streets and canals. I had noted the springtime ‘snow’ without realising they were elm seeds, which behave like petals caught in the wind as they scatter themselves across the city. It is described as: Sunny green woody
It’s definitely all that, it has the dry astringency of a freshly snapped twig – really light and perfect for a warm spring day.

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #7

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #8

People of the Labyrinths

After leaving Annindryia Perfume Lounge I visited the store of fashion house People of the Labyrinths. Fabulous clothing, exquisite materials… I thoroughly enjoyed looking around & chatting to the sales assistants. They have two fragrances – A.Maze and Luctor Et Emergo. I tried both on skin and they generously gave me a sample of A.Maze.

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #9

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #10

Amsterdam TinaG's 2016 Europe #11

Skins Cosmetics

Our last stop of the day was a shop & beautician Skins Cosmetics, located in the Het Conservatorium Hotel. They had a wonderful range of fragrances however most of the brands stocked I do have access to in Australia – Hermès, Frederic Malle, Byredo, By Killian, Le Labo. There were a few fragrances that I tried – the Clean range, and some of the Hermès range such as Eau de rhubarb écarlate, and Eau d’orange vert which I hadn’t tried before.

I had a fantastic day introducing Kylie to the fragrance world and checking out some special places & perfumes in Amsterdam.

Do you have a favourite Dutch fragrance house?

Tina G

Ulrich Lang GIVEAWAY WINNER

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Post by Portia

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Hiya APJ,

Thanks to Ulrich for his enormous generosity. Whoever wins today will have some very exciting fragrant trials ahead.

Portia xx

Ulrich Lang GIVEAWAY WINNER

Nightscape Ulrich Lang FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mint, basil, sage, bergamot, tangerine, lime
Heart: Jasmine, geranium, violet, sesame, honey
Base: Patchouli, guava, moss, leather, amber, wood notes

Luckyscent has $120/100ml + Samples

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive these 2ml Carded Manufacturers Samples:
1 x Anvers by Ulrich Lang
1 x Anvers 2 by Ulrich Lang 
1 x Aperture by Ulrich Lang

1 x Lightscape by Ulrich Lang

1 x Nightscape by Ulrich Lang

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 12th June 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

winner-is HighestSelf

Suze

The winner will have till Wednesday 15th June 2016 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.

Peter Morrissey Bath and Body Products

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Post by Anne-Marie

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Hi all, I recently had a quick trip to Sydney and in a hotel in Darlinghurst found a vanity packed with Peter Morrissey products. These days when I travel I tend to take my own bathroom stuff. Hotel soaps and shampoos can be drying, and it’s a waste to use them once and then leave them. If I take them home I find I don’t use them and they kick around the bathroom drawer until I throw them out.

Peter Morrissey Bath and Body Products

Hotel Room Finds

Peter Morrissey Bath and Body

But I had not heard of Peter Morrissey and I was tempted. Peter Morrissey, I discovered, is an Australian fashion designer and entrepreneur. His clothes and homewares are sold in Australia through discount department store Big W. Grey and white seem to be the theme colours; the style is minimalist. Morrissey also specialises in eyeware, luggage, corporate uniforms and gifts.

It looks like his bath and body products – ‘Peter Morrissey Essentials’ – are available only in hotels. That’s disappointing because I really enjoyed the two I tried, the body wash and the body balm. White musk is the scent for all the products and for me, the white musk that many of us dread in perfume works beautifully in products like these. It’s a warm, clean but slightly earthy musk, skewed masculine. I used the balm after my morning shower and sallied forth in search of breakfast feeling elegant, put together and ready to face the day. I imagine the scent would layer well under something like Narciso Rodriguez for her or Chanel No 19 Poudré.

This and the body wash did not dry my skin. (Some hotel room moisturisers do the opposite of what they say on the label.) The claims for the Morrissey products are that they ‘use the world’s purest essential oils, organic plant extracts and avoid the use of preservatives and synthetics … There are no parabens, petrochemicals, artificial colours or animal ingredients’.

Now I wish that I had claimed the shampoo and conditioner, but at least I have the generous 30 ml tubes of body wash and balm. I’m sad I can’t buy more, but I’ll just have to go back to that hotel more often I guess!

So I’m curious to hear about other people’s experiences of hotel (and airline?) products. Are they generally awful, or am I staying in too many cheap hotels?

Until next time everyone, keep spritzing!
Anne-Marie

Olympic Amber by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2011

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Post by Portia

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Hey there Fabulously Fragrant Fumies,

One of the fragrances that I come back to again and again in my fragrant journey is from the Indie Perfumer Ellen Covey. Her fragrances are usually very compatible with my chemistry and this one in particular gets a lot of skin time. It’s the easiest and most likeable amber in my collection, wearable all year round but especially nice in the cool of evening.

Olympic Amber by Olympic Orchids 2011

Olympic Amber by Ellen Covey

Olympic Amber Olympic OrchidsFragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Labdanum, vanilla, benzoin, incense, resins, patchouli, woods

Originally this glorious, burnished beauty was made to be the base of other fragrances but once created Ellen decided it needed to be a fragrance all its own. Olympic Amber was born.

Vanilla, patchouli and lovely smooth resins waft straight out of the gate. It’s a dry sweetness, slightly bakery but more balmy. A crunchy toffee or caramelised sugar effect very reminiscent of the first crackling spoonful of creme brûlée. Crunchy and creamy, yes perfect analogy. Olympic Amber is hefty and I am fully fragrant but it manages to covey an air of spaciousness, not sheer but less dense somehow. Fragrant but not ferocious.

olympic-amber-olympic-orchids family washing-dog PDI

I could imagine this being the signature scent choice of a parent and this smell being part of what the children run to, a scent of comfort and safety. It’s as if Olympic Amber reminds me of something or someone who I felt safe around, there is no memory attached though or person.

Fairly linear, I enjoy the stability of knowing I’ll smell this good all day and evening. Perfect for extra long work, drinks, dinner days because longevity is out of this world. Spray Olympic Amber on your clothes and they will stay fragrant till the next wash. Even in the laundry basket, when I grab the clothes out I can tell if I had it on this past week from the delicious waft I get while putting stuff in the machine.

olympic-amber-olympic-orchids Anvar_saifutdinov_The_girl_in_a_gold_kokoshnik WikiMediaWikiMedia

Further reading: Perfume Posse and BOTO
Olympic Orchids has $18/5ml Travel Spray
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/0.5ml

What is your amber?
Portia xx

 

Oriza L. Legrand Sample Set

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Post by Portia

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Heya Gorgeous People,

I recently bought the Oriza L Legrand Sample Pack. Sheesh! There are SO MANY fragrances in this line in only 4 years. 16 fragrances! That’s a lot. €38 for 16 x 2ml samples and FREE World Shipping is a rare opportunity to smell them all. So begins the rather daunting Oriza L Legrand adventure….. I’m going to test some for the first time and give you my 20 minute run of them in word association.

LOGO-Couleur-_2B-Parfum-116x120

Oriza L. Legrand Sample Set

parf_20echantillons_20140Oriza L Legrand

Heliotrope Blanc Oriza L. Legrand 2014

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange blossom, heliotrope, violet leaf
Heart: Almond, heliotrope, mimosa, iris
Base: Musk, heliotrope, rice, benzoin, tonka bean

Soapy, powdery, breathy and all together fabulous. Very waxy, a little bit make-up-ish and quite pretty. The green is squeaky under the powder and then the creamy nuttiness of almond comes through just enough to balance it out. There is something quite alcoholic about Heliotrope Blanc, the sharp tang of rice wine in amongst the maquillage. Once the breathy opening is gone all humanity leaves and we are left with a cold powder, a shimmering eye shadow and a waxy lipstick. Perfect for a Drag Queen, wearing it tonight.

Reve d’Ossian Oriza L. Legrand 2012

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Incense, aldehydes, maritime pine
Heart: Cinnamon, benzoin, elemi, tonka bean, guaiac wood, opoponax
Base: Balsamic notes, sandalwood, leather, labdanum, amber, musk

Sparkling incense, dry, desiccated and shimmering over a woodsy, dusty heart of resins. Hints of make-up and fur coats, cool winds and chanting monks. Reve d’Ossian reminds me of McLeodgang in the Indian Himalayas where the Dalai Lama and his monks live in exile. The smell of wet wood, dry incense, humanity and hope is all hidden in this beautiful gem. The dry down is sweeter and warmer, almost cozy but still holds the cool unburned incense smell inside.

Muguet Fleuri Oriza L. Legrand 2014

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Green leaves, grass, lily-of-the-valley
Heart: Galbanum, angelica, violet leaf, lily-of-the-valley
Base: Lily-of-the-valley, oakmoss, lily

If you like Muguet des Bois by Coty and are unafraid of ultra green, thick coiling ropes of galbanum then you may have found your fragrance. Muguet Fleuri is a cool, green, lotv powerhouse that bypasses all cleaning product references and goes straight for the ice cold metallic modern style. Backed by violet leaf and lily with a medicinal sweet/sharpness I find it arresting, aloof and vegetal, verging on bitter. Relentlessly green even as it fades to nothing. LOVE it.

Go check out Oriza L. Legrand Sample Set: 16 fragrances! €38 for 16 x 2ml samples and FREE World Shipping

Do you like the Oriza L.Legrand fragrances? Which of these piques your fancy?
Portia xxx

 

N’Aimez Que Moi by Ernest Daltroff for Caron 1916

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Post by Willa Zheng

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Hi reader,

“Love no one but me” from the venerable but nowadays much overlooked House of Caron is, in my humble opinion, one of the great romantic perfumes of 20th century. Launched during the height of WW1, it also happens to celebrate its 100 year anniversary this year.

N’Aimez Que Moi by Caron 1916

N’Aimez Que Moi by Ernest Daltroff

N`Aimez Que Moi Caron FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lilac, violet, rose
Heart: Iris, cedar, vetiver, sandalwood
Base: Vanilla, amber, musk, oakmoss

Fittingly for a perfume that sounds like an Edith Piaf love song, N`Aimez Que Moi opens like an old skool rose fragrance – geraniumy and drenched in clove-like eugenols that IFRA could banish this juice at any moment. My 22 year old, Miu Miu wearing work colleague says it smells just like her grandma. Well darling, your grandma has excellent taste.

Five minutes in, powdery, cosmetic-like notes such as violets and lilac emerge to join in the waltz with garden roses. Ever prised open the lid of Caron’s famous loose face powders? This is its fragrance!

Ten minutes later, woody chypre base notes creep in to give the fragrance a bit depth and some character. The main experience of wearing N’Aimez Que Moi conveys a big, radiant rose fragrance sitting on a dry layer of sandalwood. Emotionally, it’s the olfactory equivalent of an operatic Aria. The wearer of N’Aimez Que Moi is beautiful, assertive and yet lamentful.

The drydown of N’Aimez Que Moi, which emerges after about 4 hours, is a classic vintage chypre-base comprised of amber, musk and oakmoss, not dissimilar to the base of vintage Arpege. It creates a heavy, dark, rounded base that is a nuanced melange of the sweet, the skanky and the dirty.

My N`Aimez Que Moi edp (vintage 2007) has moderate to heavy silage, depending on the body heat of the wearer. Like an olfactory forget-me-not, this edp sustains itself for an impressive 12hrs +.

Further reading:
LuckyScent has $100/7ml extrait
Surrender To Chance has extrait samples from $5/0.5ml

Do you have a favourite Caron?