10 Recipes with Frankincense Essential Oil

July 9, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

10 Recipes with Frankincense Essential Oil

Boswellia carterii

Photo Stolen Flickr

Ah frankincense it’s a good oil! It’s an oil that helps you breathe deeply, relax and connect with your spirit. It’s an oil that can help skin looking and feeling younger. It’s an oil that’s been around for thousands of years. It’s an oil of truth.

Frankincense has a fine scent and I have written more about it previously with my article ‘Frankincense is the Scent of Truth’. It is from the family Burseraceae and the genus Boswellia.

Many years ago a friend of mine (he’s not around any longer, hi Peter!) was having a really bad asthma attack and was getting very anxious. He called me and I went to him immediately with a vapouriser and some Frankincense oil. I sat him down next to the stream of vapour and within 5 minutes he was better and after 20 minutes he could breathe normally. He also felt much more relaxed and I left the set up with him for a few weeks so he could access the treatment whenever he needed it.

Frankincense has many applications so let’s get into some recipes –

1. Frankincense Face Mask

Usually add 1 or 2 drops of oil to some clay and add water, floral water or hydrosol. Keep the mask on for 5 minutes then rinse off with cool water. Mist with a hydrosol or floral water and moisturise.

I would use 2 drops of frankincense in pink clay to rejuvenate your skin, help tone oilier skin and to treat acne.

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2. Frankincense Open The Bottle and Take a Huge Whiff

Do this with frankincense to help you relax and gather your energy. It will give you a chance to stop and catch you breath too.

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Photo Stolen WikiCommons

3. Frankincense Pure Pulse Point Perfume

In a little dish mix these oils and anoint your pulse points or chakras – 3 drops of essential oils and dilute with a few drops of carrier oil – always patch test first!

“Peace and Quiet”

Frankincense 2 drops

Lavender 1 drop

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“I’m Ready for the Day”

Take a deep breath and go!

Frankincense 1 drop

Neroli 3% 3 drops * see my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba

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“Sweet”

Life IS sweet –

Frankincense 2 drops

Peru balsam 1 drop

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“Now is the Best Time”

Do it now!

Frankincense 1 drop

Lemongrass 1 drop

Rose Geranium 1 drop

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Photo Stolen AromatherapyDiffuser

7. Frankincense Scent Your Space

In a traditional oil burner with a candle or a diffuser add 25 drops of oil

“Sunday Night Settle Down”

You’ve got school in the morning!

Frankincense 10 drops

Orange 9 drops

Marjoram 6 drops

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“Fresh Vibe”

A great blend for when you’ve finished cleaning the house –

Frankincense 10 drops

Lime 6 drops

Cedarwood Atlas 5 drops

May Chang 4 drops

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Photo Stolen Wikipedia

9. Frankincense Nourishing Body Oil Blend

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

“Renew”

A blend to feel hydrated with a new outlook –

Frankincense 3 drops

Palmarosa 3 drops

Lavender 2 drops

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“It’s All About Me Tonight”

Shower off the day and oil yourself –

Frankincense 2 drops

Ylang Ylang 2 drops

Mandarin 3 drops

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Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas.See my article about intention.

Suzanne R Banks XXX

Suzanne R Banks Blog
Suzanne R Banks Aromatherapy
Suzanne R Banks FaceBook

Amber Absolute by Tom Ford 2007

July 8, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

I acquired today’s fragrance last week in the midst of my “whale excitement”, it has now become my “go to” fragrance of the month. Every time I wear it, there are positive comments. I find I get that with anything animalic, smoky or “mysterious”. It’s a fragrance many wouldn’t dare to buy off the shelf, as it may not seem instantly pretty, but once worn or smelt on someone else, the depths and layers come alive.

Amber Absolute by Tom Ford 2007

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Amber, incense, vanilla, olibanum, labdanum, woody notes

As we would expect from Tom Ford, the box and the bottle is distinctive, mysterious and understated. It looks black, but held up to the light it’s actually a dark, dark amber colour. The label is gold-plated. I love holding the bottle in my hand. It’s cold, solid and sends a small shiver of excitement into me every time I pick it up.

Amber Absolute is delicious and sultry, warm and engulfing. In fact I would happily bathe in it! I love it as a winter scent. It makes me feel cosy, yet glamorous. There’s strength to it, akin to a sip of spiced rum. It’s a more old school kind of a smell, one of old wooden ships and incense…explorers on the high seas. It’s definitely unisex.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Amber Absolute makes a statement, whilst also crowd pleasing, with it’s coumarin and vanilla bean notes, though avoids becoming overpoweringly or generically sweet. I love that the notes remain savory, so to speak, and I think it’s amped up incense and old woody church/ship smell is behind this. It nods quite a lot to TF’s Sahara Noir…Olibanum/woods/balsamic…It’s this part that I think divides the love or hate for this fragrance. I don’t think many would remain on the fence about it. There’s dry salt air from go to whoa. It’s robust and full, a little goes a long way. During the dry down (8 hours or more, later) it gets a more leathery and animalic then tapers to sweet, powdery and a little smoky-vanilla. There’s treemoss and oakmoss, but not enough for it to stand out too much, just enough to let the other ingredients ride on their back.

Photo Stolen Flickr

It’s good, really good. It’s not really doing anything too new, but doing it really well. That ‘niche’ colliding with ‘mainstream’ thing that TF does so well. That “smells expensive” thing he also always seems to nail. Marketed as the strongest, most concentrated amber, I rule out real ambergris is in the ingredients list, but it is an ‘amber’, that plays with the elements of raw ambergris.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Olfactoria’s Travels

A little ode to Ambergris:
“It’s hard not to fall in love with ambergris. Here is a solid lump of whale feces, weathered down—oxidized by salt water, degraded by sunlight, and eroded by waves — from the tarry mass to something that smells, depending on the piece and whom you’re talking to, like musk, violets, fresh-hewn wood, tobacco, dirt, Brazil nut, fern-copse, damp woods, new-mown hay, seaweed in the sun, the wood of old churches, or pretty much any other sweet-but-earthy scent”

Christopher Kemp’s Floating Gold: A Natural (and Unnatural) History of Ambergris $22 delivered from BookDepository

Sadly Amber Absolute has been pulled off the shelf and discontinued…the TF house says, fragrances, like fashion, (and whales) have their seasons…

Ainslie xx
http://www.ainsliewalker.com

Discover Pacific Northwest Perfumes

July 7, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 69 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello APJ!

In my last post, an interview with Meredith Smith of Sweet Anthem Perfumes, we talked briefly about the Indie Fragrance Criterion – Discover Pacific Northwest Perfumes. Today I am reviewing all six of the fragrances in the collection (whew!). In an attempt to be brief I will list the perfumers’ notes for each scent, my perceived notes and a short comment about each perfume. Years ago my mbira teacher referred to melodic lines that emerged from complex interactions of rhythmic patterns as “the present and obvious”, the present but not obvious” and, my favorite, “the obvious but not present”. You will notice in my lists of perceived fragrance notes there are scents that are totally obvious to me but not at all present in the perfume compositions.

Indie Fragrance Criterion – Discover Pacific Northwest Perfumes

Photo Donated by Azar

Blooming Dream Natural Fragrances: Otto by Suzinn Weiss

The Perfumer’s Listed Notes: Savory basil, pepper, cardamom, a spicy carnation accord, irresistible chocolate, lavender, cocoa, pink pepper, amber accord.

Perceived Notes: Top – milk chocolate, cocoa, pink pepper. Middle – lavender, garden herbs, Herbes de Provence, a peppery red flower, cardamom. Base – cocoa, amber.

Otto is a rich and complex oriental semi-gourmand that smells a lot like the cabinet where I store my dried herbs, flowers and spices for cooking, and the extracts, powders and chocolates for baking. I am a sucker for fragrances with basil. My 2 ml sample will soon be gone.

Olympic Orchids: Olympic Rainforest by Ellen Covey

The Perfumer’s Listed Notes: Cedar leaves, green sword fern, rhododendron, forest mushrooms, wild flowers from the clearing, oakmoss, Port Orford cedar (also bee-balm, myrtle, black spruce, balsam fir).

Perceived Notes: Top – the Olympic Rainforest in WA state USA. Middle – wild flowers, sweet grass, myrtle, cedar greens and wood. Base – cedar, balsam and oakmoss.

This is one of my favorite “scents of place” from Olympic Orchids. I really hate breaking down and dissecting this one. To me it IS the scent of the Olympic Rainforest; fecund, lush, cool, verdant, wet and dripping with life. The sillage is moderate and longevity a respectable six hours on the skin and longer on clothing.

Pirouette Essentials: Wild Spruce and Tobacco by Karyn Gold-Reineke

The Perfumer’s Listed Notes: Crown – bergamot, fern, spruce. Heart – spice, smoke, leather. Root – vetiver, tobacco, roots.

Perceived Notes: Top – Vicks Vapo Rub, vanilla, bergamot, spruce. Middle – lime, spice, spruce, smoke. Base – spice, vetiver, spruce.

The medicinal, “Vicks Vapo Rub” component actually serves to pull me into this fragrance. The bergamot morphs to lime at the heart. I don’t really get the tobacco but perhaps what I believe to be vanilla is actually part of the listed tobacco note. After exhausting my sample I immediately purchased full bottles of cologne and cologne oil as well as a shaving soap for B.

Rebel & Mercury: Royal Couple by Nikki Sherritt-Lewis

The Perfumer’s Listed Notes: Top – white grapefruit. Middle – Russian rose, Bulgarian rose, organic jasmine. Base – cognac, oud, sandalwood.

Perceived Notes: Top – funky oud, cumin, coriander, dry white grapefruit. Middle – woods, labdanum and just a touch of rose. Base – labdanum, woods, a whiff of grapefruit.

Several of the notes I smell in Royal Couple are in the “obvious but not present” category. The oud is scorched and funky and partners well with the white, dry grapefruit. The rose is almost invisible but the grapefruit lingers throughout the entire life of the composition, evaporating in a dry breath after about two hours. Royal Couple is a unique and fun to wear woody/grapefruit unisex scent.

Sweet Anthem Perfumes: Phoebe by Meredith Smith

The Perfumer’s Listed Notes: Head – maple sugar, snow. Heart – lavender. Base – dirt, tobacco, white amber.

Perceived Notes: Top – cumin, celery seed, maple sugar. Middle – muddy snow, lavender. Base – dark patchouli, amber.

For just an instant after spraying I smell something dirty and sweaty (cumin?) and then immediately celery seed and maple sugar candy. Despite the dirty aspect, Phoebe leaves an overall impression of something sweet, cold, green and clean, reminding me of playing in the snow and eating snowballs fortified with drops of maple syrup.

Sweet Tea Apothecary: Dead Writers by Jen T. Siems

The Perfumer’s Listed Notes: Black tea, vetiver, clove, musk, vanilla, heliotrope, tobacco.

Perceived Notes: Top – heliotrope, amber, clove. Middle – heliotrope, carnation/red flowers, black tea. Base – heliotrope, strong sweet vanilla.

Heliotrope is usually not for me and so I was a bit surprised when I initially got along so well with Dead Writers. The sweetness of the flower seemed to be tempered by warm, rich amber. I loved the top and the heart but in the end I was left with just too much heliotrope for my taste. If you are a fan of this purple flower I would highly recommend Dead Writers, a creative, modern and well crafted resurrection of a classic, sweet floral.

If you happen to be in San Francisco on July 17th don’t forget to drop by Tigerlily Perfumery (http://www.tigerlilysf.com) for the Indie Fragrance Criterion event where you can meet the proprietress Antonia and say hello to some of today’s featured PNW noses.

Azar xx

Photo Stolen sassisamblog

Indie Fragrance Criterion GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

Meredith Smith of Sweet Anthem Perfumes in Seattle has generously provided the prize for today’s drawing, one complete sample set of the Indie Fragrance Criterion – DiscoverPacific Northwest Perfumes.
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 comment about “the obvious but not present”> In your perfume experience have you ever smelled a note that wasn’t really there?

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Indie Fragrance Criterion GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Xc #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 10th July 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Monday 14th July 2014 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.

Rosae Mundi by Profumum Roma 2012

July 7, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by SarahK

Profumum is known for the strength, the depth, and the often sweet, gourmand nature of its fragrances. I find some of their fragrances far too rich for my blood (including their famous Ambra Aurea, though it is adored by many) but I am in love with Rosae Mundi. Portia has already reviewed this scent here, but I wanted to offer another take on this dark rose.

Rosae Mundi by Profumum Roma 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accord in one line:
Rose, patchouli, vetiver, cedar

Rosae Mundi made me sit up and take notice from the very first spray. It’s a glorious perfumey, patchouli rose, which for some reason immediately brings to my mind the cool, dark spaces and stony walls of a soaring gothic cathedral. The aura created by the top notes is more than just a scent to me, it’s a physical space.

Photo Stolen Geograph

Within five minutes, Rosae Mundi has developed a berry overtone that I find familiar: it’s the sweetness and muskiness at the heart of Kilian’s Rose Oud, though Rosae Mundi feels less neon bright and more earthy than the Kilian creation and contains no oud note. Not that I think Kilian’s Rose Oud contains much oud either… An hour or so in, the berries sitting on top of the patchouli rose become juicier and the powdery muskiness gets yet more pronounced. At this stage it’s quite hypnotic. Portia’s review of Rosae Mundi mentioned that this scent could be transportive for those around somebody who wore it as a signature scent, and I totally agree. Beneath its sweet rose facet, this is a deep and meditative scent experience for me. My nose is glued to my wrist for the first 4 hours! During the dry down, the scent continues for a long time as a musky-mossy rose and soft berry mix. At this stage, if the scent were fabric, it would be a dark red velvet. In the far dry-down the rosy patchouli becomes a soft candle-wax that lasts for several more hours.

Photo Stolen IndianWeddingSite

Like all the Profumum fragrances that I have tried, this is potent stuff. A couple of sprays will last all day on me (20+ hours), with a good scent trail for the first few hours.

Further reading: NowSmellThis
LuckyScent has $265/100ml and samples

Have you tried Rosae Mundi? Are roses your thing? What’s your favourite rose?
SarahK xx

(Ed: SarahK will be taking a break from APJ. She is currently pregnant and finding her nose has gone a little wonky. We all wish her the best of luck with the whole shebang and can’t wait for her return)

Cologne du Maghreb GIVEAWAY WINNERS

July 7, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hey gang,

What a fun 4th of July giveaway. Thanks for getting involved and I hope the winners love their Cologne du Maghreb.

Portia x

Cologne du Maghreb GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, bergamot, clary sage
Heart: Rosemary, orange blossom, lavender, neroli, rose
Base: Atlas cedar, labdanum, vetiver, amber

IndieScents has $85/50mlSurrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 1.5ml carded manufacturers sample of Cologne du Maghreb by Tauer Perfumes (both I have spritzed from for review purposes)
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 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 me your favourite Eau de Cologne or Aromatic Fougere fragrance, experience, memory or why you would like to try this one.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Cologne du Maghreb by Tauer Perfumes GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2WJ #Perfume #Giveaway @tauerperfumes

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 6th July 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen shannonmayer

Ferris Egoiste (via Twitter)

Fanny

The winners will have till Thursday 10th July 2014 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.

Shalimar: Ode a la Vanille Sur la Route du Mexique by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2013

July 6, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

OK,

My mate Chairman Meow not long ago told me about this fragrance being sold for a song at FragranceNet. I was interested but at the time I’d just returned from Europe and was already thinking about our next adventure in Korea. There has been plenty of chatter about the differences in the Ode a la Vanille range with Madagascar (known as ShaLemur by the perfumistas) coming out as the clear winner from the group. Today’s offering has been called too close to the original, uninspired and lackluster. Well, I think that depends on what you are after and your expectations….

Shalimar: Ode a la Vanille Sur la Route du Mexique by Guerlain 2013

By Thierry Wasser

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Caramel, chocolate, incense, iris, opoponax, vanilla, tonka bean

Here’s the deal for me. I love Shalimar. They all sing to me on some level. Shalimar: Ode a la Vanille Sur la Route du Mexique (hereafter known as Mexique) is pretty, furry, sweet and glamorous. Close to Shalimar original? Yes, they could be sisters, where the others are probably cousins. How I think though is that Shalimar original has changed over the years too, the Shalimar we bought in 1930, 1970, 2011 and now in 2014 are all different. Sometimes the differences have been subtle and at other times the fragrance bears a more distant relationship. Though I have no knowledge of how Thierry Wasser works, or any of his reasonings, my mind has made some completely unsubstantiated jumps to conclusions. Please read the following paragraph as a story, not as truth:

I think Thierry Wasser has been playing around with Shalimar to try and get it back to what is more like the original intent of Guerlain. Over the years the tweaks and turns, the different perfumers, the availability of ingredients and now regulations had changed what we bought as Shalimar in 2011 to something still lovely in and of itself but at a far remove from the sensual, dusty, creamy, furry, animal, confection that it was. Having smelled his recreation of the original Shalimar at the Osmotheque in February I wonder if he was inspired by being able to make his houses mainstay fragrance as close as he could to the original formula. So did he, Mr Wasser, then decide to see if he could reinvent the masterpiece? Are we now getting the batches that were made as test runs? Could these be the lead up to what I think is one of the loveliest Shalimars in my coillection, 2013/4, where the growl is back, the lovely and brilliant opening already infused with a tiger that stalks the fragrance till the very last gasp in dry down? Are these the beauties that were lovely but not Shalimar enough?

Photo Stolen Flickr

So here I am with a 5ml atomiser of Mexique from My Perfume Samples. I have worn it a coup0le of times and the first hour and a half is mesmerisingly beautiful. I spritz before work and find myself transported to another world, this is like Shalimar: Taste of Fragrance. What was already an ice cream laden gourmand has become a modern chewy choc-caramel lolly, similar but dry and lacking the HUGE zing of citrus that is so Shalimar, Also missing from Shalimar and found in the Mexique is a furry, mannish, animal purr: a darkness. I get a quirky amberish, macaroon type sweetness that is both crispy and gooey simultaneously, like big coffee sugar pieces that you crunch in your mouth with the dregs of your coffee. It also seems slightly weightless, as if it’s missing some of the important base notes and its lifespan is also considerably shorter at under 4 hours fragrant on my skin, leaving a trail of sweet nothings for a little while longer.

FragranceNet has $46/50ml
My Perfume Samples starts at $3/ml to $9/5ml

Do I love Mexique? Is it different or special enough to FB? To be honest, I have just ordered one.
Portia xx

RHYMING REVIEWS: Greg Young turns APJ Poet Laureate

July 5, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Greg Young

A while ago I entered a competition on a fragrance forum to write a limerick about perfume. Sadly I didn’t win, but I enjoyed the challenge. I’ve since written a few more, which I thought I’d share with you. I find it quite challenging to both come up with a suitable limerick and try to encapsulate the essence of my opinion about a scent within it. Hopefully I’ve managed it in a fashion that you’ll enjoy.

Don’t forget to jump back and enter our Tauer Perfumes GIVEAWAY!!

RHYMING REVIEWS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Dear Desires: Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford

The exclusive house of Tom Ford

Sells scents no-one can afford.

Still they’ll skip half their meals

To buy Tobacco Vanilles

Leaving his accountants suitably awed.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Hip or Hype? Aventus by Creed

On Basenotes there’s general consensus

On the greatness of Creed’s scent Aventus.

But now a pizza chef type

Told me “Ignore all the hype”.

It smells just like the Hawaiian he’s sent us.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Visceral Aversion: Peety by O’Driu

The frustrated nose at O’Driu

Was almost about to say “See you”.

Then he said “Why don’t we see

If they’ll add their own pee?”

To which the market mostly said “Eeyew”.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

The Popular Choice: 1 Million by Paco Rabanne

Now that every outlet is stocking it

There are plenty of people knocking it.

But the real crying shame

Is that it’s not only it’s name

But the number of guys who are rocking it.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Linear Longevity: Silver Mist by Nasomatto

They say scents by Nasomatto

Are as strong and as rich as a gateau.

Starting out light, Silver Musk

Lasts from dawn until dusk

But it never surpasses that plateau.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

The Job Interview Scent: Mark Birley for Men

I was wondering what to wear to an interview.

A mate said the result will be sure if you

Wear Mark Birley Cologne

But I had none of my own

So he kindly offered to sell me two.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

The Scent of the Solstice: M7 by Yves Saint Laurent

When the depths of winter coment

I think that citrusy scents are notent.

What best suits my moudh

Is the rich and warm oudh

Of M7, by Yves St Laurent.

Cologne du Maghreb by Tauer Perfumes 2011

July 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hi there Niche Nerds,

As you may know already I really like Andy Tauer’s work. Not all of his fragrances work on my skin or to my nose but the ones that do are fantastic and I enjoy them very much. Usually with a Tauer fragrance you need to put aside a full day of wearing because they linger for hours and you will wake up next morning with a delicious Tauer-ade hangover on your skin. I never tried today’s offering last time it was released but Jeffrey Dame from Hypoluxe, the distributor through the Americas, asked if I’d like to try it. SURE, said I and a week or so later a pack arrived from Switzerland with a hand written note from Andy Tauer. COOL!!!

Cologne du Maghreb by Tauer Perfumes 2011

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, bergamot, clary sage
Heart: Rosemary, orange blossom, lavender, neroli, rose
Base: Atlas cedar, labdanum, vetiver, amber

I wore Cologne du Maghreb yesterday and I was surprised. Not because it’s lovely, it is but that’s not surprising. Not because it’s very required manly cologne-esque, it is that too. My surprise was how long it lasted on my skin. One of the things Andy Tauer is stressing is that this all natural fragrance is a short lived adventure. I got over three hours of fragrance, from top to dry down, then I couldn’t smell it but this morning I awoke and there it was the amber/wood had made it through the night and while drinking my first coffee of the day in the very cool morning temps I put my face into my top to suck out the cold air and add some hot and there it was. Faint but noticeable traces of Cologne du Maghreb.

Something else I love is that Cologne du Maghreb has a terrific scent story going from brightest, neon, dazzling citrus to dark, sweet, herbal, woodsy dankness. There are plenty of shades of floral, green, lavender, bracing and cuddly along the way and the whole fragrance has a smooth quality that moves beautifully between stages. No wonder Andy wanted to re-release this treasure, it’s great.

The experience was so fun that I decided to live it all again tonight. The picture below reflects my whole experience of Cologne du Maghreb perfectly. Bright, citrus, fresh, wet, green, shade, woods, sunlight, warmth, comfort.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Though the smell is different, what Cologne du Maghreb most reminds me of is my Dad. He was a Tabac Original by Maurer & Wurtz wearer and one of the things I loved about him was his smell. I still keep Tabac original around and often use the soap, deodorant and/or fragrance. So my question is, has Andy Tauer pushed an Eau de Cologne towards being an Aromatic Fougere?

From IndieScents: The Cologne du Maghreb is hand crafted and created in the traditional way of cologne making: With all natural and all botanical raw materials only. Essential oils, absolutes, resins and love find their way into this Cologne…..

Further reading: Chemist In The Bottle and Bonkers About Perfume
IndieScents has $85/50mlSurrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml

Have you tried Cologne du Maghreb? What did you think? Would you like to?
See below,

Portia xx

Photo Stolen kbaird

Cologne du Maghreb GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

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 me your favourite Eau de Cologne or Aromatic Fougere fragrance, experience, memory or why you would like to try this one.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Cologne du Maghreb by Tauer Perfumes GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2WJ #Perfume #Giveaway @tauerperfumes

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 6th July 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 10th July 2014 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.

MUD01: Mud Australia Candle by Ainslie Walker 2014

July 3, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hey there APJ Family & Friends,

One of our very own APJ correspondents, Ainslie Walker (Jasmine Award Winner 2014), has been working for nearly a year closely with the Mud Australia crew designing a fragrance and creating a candle and beautiful ceramic/porcelain re-usable vase/candle/container. I have been lucky enough to be a watcher and listener through this process. Much trial and error, some highs and a bunch of lows as the wick, soy, fragrance, vessel all had to undergo testing and retesting till it is exactly how Ainslie envisioned and Mud Australia was thrilled. Then the packaging became its own separate drama.

Finally I am extremely proud to announce….

MUD01: Mud Australia Candle by Ainslie Walker 2014

Ainslie gives these featured accords in one line (the extended notes list for perfumistas): Tuberose, jasmine, orange blossom, tolu balsam, fresh green ginger, warm spices, cinnamon, clove, prune

Photo Donated by Ainslie Walker

From Ainslie Walker’s site: Tuberose, green ginger, tolu resin and spices were fused to encapsulate a warm, sensual, feminine, gently spiced, green-floral scent for the home. In developing this fragrance for Mud Australia I wanted also to represent the smooth, innerside of Mud Australia’s iconic porcelain, so focused on a creamy texture to the scent.
Handmade in Australia, each soyblend candle is presented in Mud Australia’s unique porcelain vessels, with five colourways available (dust, milk, red, slate and ash). After burning, these vessels can be reused, utilising Mud01 candle refills or as a vase etc for the home.
Each candle comes with a small mud sniffer plate to place candle on, and cover when not in use. Candle burn time is 80 hours.

Photo Donated by Ainslie Walker

Just so you know I am quite superstitious and have some very embarrassing beliefs around the burning of candles. Yes I’ll share them. Firstly, I believe that the light attracts good energy and prosperity into the house. Secondly, I believe the flame helps to burn the bad energy and the heat in the air and fragrance (smoke too if burning incense) captures bad energy to ground and neutralise it. Not only bad energy but all other bad odours etc that could be lingering or lurking. What I want from a candle then is scented but not overpowering, clear the air not perfume it heavily.

Photo Donated by Ainslie Walker

Though Ainslie mentions tuberose as her number one ingredient, and yes there is a lovely warm, creamy, white flower sensuality to MUD01 I find it to be a fully rounded balmy and spicy fragrance. The candle is quite fragrant on its own but until you light the wick you miss out on some really gorgeous smoky overtones that heat and relax the whole fragrance. Here we have a perfect synergy at work and my room smells freaking amazing. Maybe I need to change my list for a candle, I am surrounded by the most beautiful fragrance. I could imagine this being the signature fragrance for my home. People would smell it every time they walked in and it would become the scent memory of home. Then, should they be lucky enough to be given a MUD01 candle, or purchase one, the fun and good times we have at our place would be a forever memory that would make them smile down the ages.

Photo Donated by Ainslie Walker

I love that the vessel is refillable and that it can be used as a vase, toothbrush holder or glass: the porcelain is 100% food approved. Shiny on the inside and matt on the outside, which Mud Australia is famous for. All hand made so each vessel is slightly different, unique and created with love.

Ainslie Walker has MUD01 candles $100 (min. burn time 80 hours), refills $60 (min. burn time 100 hours)

SPECIAL APJ OFFER: Add Coupon Code: APJMUD01 and Ainslie will add 5ml of her original Parfum that was the inspiration for MUD01: Mud Australia Candle

From Ainslie they come beautifully gift wrapped and she can send to the world as a wonderful gift for someone you love, or yourself.

Mud Australia stores/stockists are located in Sydney, Melbourne and Soho, New York.

BRAVO Ainslie. I am so happy for you and proud to be your buddy.
Portia xx

Alien Taste of Fragrance: Thierry Mugler 2011

July 2, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Hi Hi Hi APJ Crew,

I hope this finds you all happy and well. Some time ago I grabbed a few unloved bottles from Birgit at Olfactoria’s Travels. Every now and then she clears out some of her wardrobe to make way for new loves. I really love the Alien line, the Aqua Chic was a bit crap, and the Sunessence and Amber ones are particularly excellent on my skin though I don’t have bottles of either of them. I tried a buddies Taste and fell deeply in love but by then it had disappeared from our stores and hadn’t made it to the discounters yet, so right time, right place…

Alien Taste of Fragrance: Thierry Mugler 2011

Alien Le Gôut du Parfum: Salted Butter Caramel

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sambac jasmine, caramel
Heart: Cashmere wood, solar notes
Base: White amber

OsMoz gives these featured accords:
Top: Citrus, spices
Heart: Jasmine, caramel
Base: Cashmeran, Amber

So, um, SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL!! Oh My Freaking Gawd! You had me at hello. Whenever I spritz Alien Taste of Fragrance instantly that hit of Salted Caramel Macaroons (which are Jin’s specialty, you can not even imagine how divinely delicious) makes me smile and my mouth water in remembrance. Just like the macaroons the whole experience is so good that it borders on overkill. No surprise there, Mugler is famous for pushing the boundaries as far as he can and then pushing some more.

Almost every time I wear Alien Taste of Fragrance a couple of people ask what it is and I have also had one Trivia mate that I know of go and buy a bottle. You know how some fragrances feel like they are made for you from the very first moment? That is how Alien Taste of Fragrance wears on me. It’s like a warm, sweet, comfortable jumper and filled with the kind of fun that only old friends can bring, fun that comes of knowledge.

Photo Stolen CreativityOnline (problem with the image? tell me I’ll remove it)

How does Alien Taste of Fragrance smell on me? Well, all the notes are present but I get some extras. After the initial caramel and spice opening I get a lovely creaminess, like the cream part of a Strawberry & Cream lolly. Fresh cream whipped with vanilla and sugar, yum. Then everything proceeds with more caramel and here I get the salt but not like salt, more a nod to where salt should be but through all this I get a very animalic, slightly urinous honey: this mixed with the caramel is utterly startling but fits perfectly into the fragrance and it lasts for quite a while. The amber is smooth a still sweet but there is a very manly, sweaty undercurrent in the dry down of Alien Taste of Fragrance that is both gorgeous and disgusting. Sometimes I have to check to make sure I’m not a sweaty mess.

Sillage is awesome for the first 2-3 hours, with good projection for that long too. I have to be careful not to overspray Alien Taste of Fragrance because it can become completely overbearing even for me. Lifespan can be up to 8 hours depending, this is one fragrance where an amber-ish lotion will give you far greater longevity. Using Halle by Halle Berry body lotion means that I will smell great until lunchtime tomorrow. For work? Keep the spritzes to a minimum, maybe just one on your chest so you can enjoy the magic.

I think I will finish my Birgit bottle fairly soon, that’s how much I’m loving it.

Further reading: Perfume Candy Boy and Katie Puckrik Smells
Beauty Encounter has $42/30ml tester
Surrender To Chance has $5/.5ml

So, are you a fan? Did you try the Alien Taste of Fragrance? Was it all you hoped?
Portia xx
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