Frederic Malle

Lys Mediterranee by Edouard Flechier for Frederic Malle 2000

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Guest post by EmmaKate

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Hello hello fumies,

It is EmmaKate here to spoil you with fragrance for Christmas. One the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me a bottle of Lys Mediteranee… from Frederic Malle. 🙂 This particular fragrance appeals to me because of the fresh white flowers, sea water and green spice make this feminine without being at all cloying.

Lys Mediterranee by Frederic Malle 2000

nd.4640
Image from Fragrantica.
Fragrantica lists the notes for this scent as
Top: sea water and ginger
Heart: angelica, orange blossom, lotus and lily
Base: vanilla and musk.
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When I spray Lys Mediterranee by Frederic Malle it takes me to a beach side cliff where the white flowers grow. I feel the sun on my back with a cool breeze playing through my hair. It is like I an escape to a place we would all rather be.  It is the scent I could see myself wearing on my wedding day. Something fresh, beautiful, floaty, a little bit mysterious and long lasting, it makes me smile and lends a sense of contentment.
BrideBentley weheartit.Photo Stolen weheartit
It opens with a burst of lily with a true green edge, mellows out to let the sweetness shine through and becomes a mysterious blend upon dry down, almost powdery, yet not at all. Lys Mediterranee by Frederic Malle wears incredibly well on me and I am a renowned scent “drinker”. This is such a clean fragrance. I want to spray this in the middle of summer when I have come from the extreme humidity inside and don’t feel like a shower.
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This composition is an interesting choice, the combination of such fresh smells such as ginger and sea water combined with the white flowers makes sense, even the white flowers combined with the grounding warmth of vanilla and musk, it is the idea of these three together that gets me every time. The warmth and cool freshness is an interesting mix. To combine the ultimate in freshness, sea water, with the warmth of vanilla, is what truly sets this fragrance apart from all other lily fragrances.
Casablanca_Lily imagesofdannadsignPhoto Stolen imagesofdannadsign
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SurrenderToChance starts at $6/ml
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I hope you enjoy Lys Mediterranee by Frederic Malle as much as I do, or know someone in your life who will.
Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays 🙂
EmmaKate

Scented Niche Christmas Gifts to Impress

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Gabriella

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Ten Niche Scented Gifts for Christmas

Hello APJ friends! Hope you are all well and looking forward to the festive season.
When Portia suggested I compile a list of niche perfume Christmas picks, I was filled with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Excited because I could get really creative and think outside the square and scared because, well, let’s face it, buying perfume for loved ones, let alone niche, is fraught with difficulties.
So, I have taken a deep breath and hopefully risen to the challenge. For ease, I’ve chosen more approachable scents and assumed price is no object. Enjoy!
1.   Dad: Bigarade Concentree by Frederic Malle
Bigarade concentree Frederic Malle for women and men
Jean Claude Ellena’s modern take on eau de cologne, Bigarade Concentree starts with piquant, zesty blood orange and aromatic cardamom notes before settling into soft orange and hay. This is as refreshing as a dip in an ice cold pool, but still a refined classic scent.
Notes: bitter orange, rose, cedar, grass and hay
2.   Mum: Antonia by Puredistance
Antonia Puredistance for women
Possibly the most beautiful and sublime release of 2012, Antonia is an intricately weaved green floral with galbanum, ivy and jasmine. The Antonia woman is intelligent, graceful, self assured and wise – the best qualities of Mums everywhere,
Notes: jasmine, rose essence, ylang ylang, orris, ivy greens, galbanum, vanilla and vetiver.
3.   Brother: Sunday Cologne by Byredo
Sunday Cologne Byredo for women and men
A slightly balmy and spicy scent, Sunday Cologne combines the freshness of bergamot with star anise, incense and lavender. Clean, cool and utterly debonair, this can be worn equally with a sharp suit or t-shirt and jeans.
Notes: cardamom, bergamot, star anise, lavender, geranium, incense, vetiver, patchouli and oakmoss.
4.   Sister: Nuit de Cellophane by Serge Lutens
Nuit de Cellophane Serge Lutens for women
A refined take on the standard fruity floral, Nuit de Cellophane combines osmanthus and jasmine to create a gorgeously translucent scent. Nuit de Cellophane is demure and pretty with just a hint of coquettishness.
Notes: mandarin, osmanthus, jasmine
5.   Significant other (Male): Amyris Pour Homme by Maison Francis Kurkdjian.
Amyris Homme Maison Francis Kurkdjian for men
Sex in a bottle. A blend of aromatic rosemary and mandarin tempered by cool iris and warm woody notes, Amyris is the tall, dark handsome stranger at a swanky bar who buys you an ice-cold martini before saying sotto voce: ’Come hither’.
Notes: rosemary, mandarin orange, amyris, coconut, coffee, iris, milk chocolate, tonka bean and agarwood.
6.   Significant other (Female): Flor Y Canto by Arquiste
Flor y Canto Arquiste for women
A bewitching white floral, Flor Y Canto tempers the heady notes of tuberose and frangipani with bright marigold. Sunny and carefree, but still devastatingly sexy, this is for a confident woman who doesn’t take herself too seriously.
Notes: Mexican tuberose, magnolia, frangipani and marigold
7.   For the budding perfumista friend: Frederic Malle’s Coffrets
frederic-malle_coffrets
In my opinion, Frederic Malle offers the best variety of all niche brands. These coffrets offer small vials of the brand’s scents: men’s, women’s or a 2012 selection. Your friend is sure to find new love, whether it’s the mint barbershop vibe of Geranium Pour Monsieur or the brooding oriental of Portrait of a Lady.
8.   For the friend that hates perfume:  Aqua Universalis Perfumed Candle by Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Aqua Universalis Perfumed Candle
An impressive, weighty candle without an oppressive scent, Aqua Universalis is a fresh and delicate blend of green notes, orange blossom and jasmine.
Notes: bergamot, sicilian lemon, lily of the valley, sweet mock orange, light and musky woods
9.   For kids: Les Bulles d’Agathe by Maison Francis Kurkdjian
Les Bulles d'Agathe Scented Bubbles 3
These blowing bubbles are lightly scented with pear, violet, mint or cut herbs – fun for the little ones or just for the kid in all of us.
10.  Top niche Christmas pick: La Myrrhe by Serge Lutens
La Myrrhe Serge Lutens for women
In one of those coveted bell jars, Serge Lutens and his partner in crime Christopher Sheldrake have created a luminous rendition of myrrh – the essential oil and resin carried by the Three Wise Men. Warm aldehydes suggest the twinkle of Christmas lights on powdered snow while gentle spices and almond evoke the last bite of Christmas pud washed down with a glass of warm Amaretto.
Notes: mandarin, myrrh, lotus, bitter almond, sandalwood, honey, jasmine, amber, musk, various spices and pimento
Pictures sourced from Fragrantica, Basenotes, Polyvore and Wantist.
 
Where to Buy:
Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Serge Lutens: Les Senteurs, Luckyscent and Mecca Cosmetica
Puredistance: Luckyscent
Serge Lutens bell jars: sergelutens.com and Barney’s
 
Hope you’ve enjoyed my picks. What are your top niche Christmas choices?
Love,
M x

Frederic Malle LIVE Video Sniff #2 and 50,000 I.V.s GIVEAWAY

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Hello AustralianPerfumeJunkies Family.

I think it’s time for a celebration.  50,000 individual page views is an awesome milestone. It took 2 weeks longer than I’d hoped but I was unaware that during August frag blog reading drops. Who knew? Not me. WOW WOW WOW!!

Photo Stolen hunchar

50,000 I.V.s GIVEAWAY

It’s hard to think of something fabulous enough to give away for such an amazing number so I think I have it figured out. Sometimes it’s better to pick your own presents and I then thought maybe something fragrance oriented so the draw today is for a…

$50 Surrender To Chance GIFT VOUCHER

How do you WIN?
You must be a follower of the blog via email, RSS or WP reader (please specify which you are in your comment). Yes, you may become a follower to be included in the draw.
Please tell us the names of the 3 Frederic Malle fragrances that EmmaKate & I chat about in the below video. EASY PEASY!!

If we get 50 separate enterers in the comments I will also do a second draw for

50ml of a fabulous grab bag of fragrances from my collection

(including some Vintage, Niche, Mainstream, Designer, Celebrity, New and Old favourites)

You’ll get an extra shot if you join our Twitter, Tweet or FB below sentences
TWITTER: @OzPerfumeJunkie https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2012/10/11/frederic-malle-live-video-sniff-2-and-50000-i-v-s-giveaway/ 50,000 IV Giveaway
FACEBOOK: Portia Turbo-Gear https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2012/10/11/frederic-malle-live-video-sniff-2-and-50000-i-v-s-giveaway/ 50,000 IV Giveaway

All entries must be in by Saturday October 13 2012 9pm Australian EDST (Eastern Daylight Savings Time). Correct entries will be written on papers and picked from a hat by Jin. Winners will then have till Wednesday October 17 9pm Australian EDST to get in touch with postage details or I will give the prize to someone else

So go to it gang, I wish you all the best of luck and thanks for being part of getting us to 50,000 IVs.
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Frederic Malle LIVE Video Sniff #2 with EmmaKate & Portia

Geranium Pour Monsieur by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle 2009

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Hey Hey Gang,

I have been humming and hahing over Geranium Pour Monsieur but there was never a sample. I want to wear a fragrance that costs this much a few times before I go FB. See if I reach for it a few times over a short space of time or if it sits there like a wallflower, overlooked and unloved. Guess what? The lovely Danika at Mecca under Grace Bros in Pitt St finally got me a sample! YAY!! I have worn it now 3 days consecutively for some of the day and now we are at day 4 I feel ready to tell you how I feel about Geranium Pour Monsieur by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Geranium, rhodinol (fresh, fragrant ingredient extracted from Chinese geranium), anise, mint
Heart: Cloves, cinnamon
Base: Sandalwood, white musk, Siamese styrax benzoin (lat. Styrax Tonkiniensis)

WHOOOSH! Geranium Pour Monsieur takes no prisoners as it opens all dental visit, hospital, chewing gum and booze. Am I wearing a Mojito? An almost violent minty opening that is surprising, refreshing and nostalgic all at the same time. Every time I spritz there is a frisson of excitement through me because I know I’m about to go WHOA!! It takes a while for this mentholated sizzle to calm down enough that the herbal greens can come out from hiding, this is like my first jump in the swimming pool in Spring. At first my body is outraged, my skin tries to shrink away from the surprise and then very soon my temperature has normalised and I am swimming laps again, feeling comfortable. That is the feeling I get as Geranium Pour Monsieur opens up to my bodies warmth.


Photo Stolen caittsnails

Though the cinnamon, sandalwood and benzoin now take their places, and we are over an hour into the fragrance life, there is still a lovely sweet minty freshness. It is undercut by the buttery, vanillic woods giving a complex duet between the warmth and coolness that is on the verge of disharmony Geranium Pour Monsieur never makes that mis-step but it does keep you on your toes. Sometimes I get a slightly citrus burst over and through the rest at around the 2-4 hour mark and wonder if the cloves are responsible? Who knows? As it moves towards dry down there is only a loss of intensity, Geranium Pour Monseiur stays remarkably linear after the first 3 hours and though it warms a little more and becomes deeper and richer it is the same beautiful fragrance for up to 7 hours,  less depending on the day and my running around etc

Photo Stolen ngb.org

This is a flamboyantly masculine fragrance that I think the ladies can rock equally well. Part old school after shave and part modernistic rewiring Geranium Pour Monsieur is beautiful and interesting and will certainly be a full bottle on my shelves before too long, because it is exactly the long lasting breath of fresh air that I would like to flaunt throughout the next few months.

TheNonBlonde does a great first impressions review and NowSmellThis is a great read too.
MeccaCosmetica have 3 sizes: 3 x 10ml, 50ml & 100ml all available instore or online.
SurrenderToChance starts at $6/ml

Do you have a fave fragrance that crosses the gender lines, sold as one but works for all? I have a few. What art your favourites? Leave us a message in the comments, we love to chat.

I hope this finds you happy as it left me.
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Angeliques Sous La Pluie by Jean-Claude Ellena for Frederic Malle 2000

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Hello Happy Huffers,

Not so long ago SurrenderToChance had a DailyChanceSpecial on Angeliques Sous La Pluie (Angelicas In The Rain) so I got 5ml for a very reasonable price. Do check by there every couple of days because sometimes the DailyChanceSpecials are incredible, never to be repeated bargains.

Angéliques Sous La Pluie Frederic Malle for women and menPhoto Stolen Fragrantica


Fragrrantica gives the featured notes/accords all in one line:
Coriander, pink pepper, cedar, angelica, juniper and musk.

I love the crisp medicinal pepper and then warm woody opening that makes me think of jasmine, though there is none. I have been reading that angelicas smell like juniper and musk mainly so that’s a tick for them. I have an expectation that the corriander would smell different to this or maybe I’m missing it all together? There is definitely a wet woods smell, like you have walked out at the start or end of a shower, maybe a sunshower. There is also the feeling of that marvelous extra green almost yellow tinged air that makes everything seem more alive sometimes. They are right not to give notes in order because though the scent list is small it works like a kaliedescope, constant change with lovely segways in between that are all and nothing. I don’t understand why I get powder here? Is that usual? A very powdery woods and now I kind of get the corriander, there is something herbal and spicy here lingering and fluctuating up and through.

Photo Stolen wikipedia

Though this is light a fresh and feels amorphous there is a definite fragrance here that is quite tenacious, sillage is great leaving a lovely effervescent scent trail for people to look after at your back. Though it is soft it is intrusive and I think it may be too big for close office work but comfortable for coffee, dinner, movie and would also be a beautifully crisp and fresh scent for sport or afterwards. Though it leans toward feminine I like it for men too, almost cologne-ish and light enough for most masculine endeavours.

This is a winner for me. It fits totally with our near spring weather in Sydney and will probably work for you Northern Hemisphere lot in the coming months. Crisp, light, fresh and totally wearable in most situations, even work I think.
Have you tried Angeliques Sous La Pluie? What did you think? Is it on your list? Please comment, I love to read your thoughts too.

Don’t forget to pop over to the PerfumePosse to see my Guest post there today too. It’s so exciting and an honour to be on one of the world’s most famous and read frag blogs.

Thanks for reading through my fragrant thoughts today, see you tomorrow too,

Love,
Portia xx

Lipstick Rose by Ralf Schwieger for Frederic Malle 2000

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Guest Post by EmmaKate

LIPSTICK ROSE

Hello hello Australian Perfume Junkies!

EmmaKate here again for my monthly guest blog appearance. This month I am going to be talking to you about one of my favourite fragrances, Lipstick Rose from Frederic Malle.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
As you may know I was lucky enough to meet Frederic Malle himself while I was working at Mecca Cosmetica. While he was in Australia I was able to ask him about his fragrances and learn more about the range. I have always had a soft spot for this perfume and I had NO idea why (except for the fact that it was gorgeous)…Until Frederic enlightened me that it is designed to smell like lipsticks and powder compacts from a bygone era. As a beauty junkie I knew that certain brands continued to make their products with that luxury in mind, so this fragrance was two of my favourite things combined, fragrance and makeup.
The story goes: Ralf Schwieger (the nose behind this, Eau des Marveilles for Hermes and 3 scents for ELdO in 2012) created this fragrance based on a memory from his childhood. When he was young his parents would go to society events and his mother would come to kiss him goodbye before she would leave. The scent that he associates with this memory is the scent of his mothers lipstick and a sense of love and safety. He brought these memories to life in Lipstick Rose.
Lipstick Roses Long 75Photo Stolen globalrose
Fragrantica gives these featured notes/accords all in a line:
Rose, violet, musk, vanilla, vetiver, amber and grapefruit
Lipstick Rose opens with an orchestra of rose and violet followed by a softer powdery style vanilla and musk. It is then rounded out with vetiver and dries down to smell like candied roses and lilacs. It is reminiscent or Turkish delight and children’s lolly bracelets but with a sophisticated edge. It is well worth checking out if you like a sweeter scent, and even if you don’t. Let it sit with you, you might be surprised.
When I smell this I have visions of pink and red roses. For me it evokes romance and a sense of beauty, inner and outer. I wear this fragrance when it is cooler as I find it a bit overwhelming during the warmer months, I love to wear it when I am feeling a bit sassy and a lot girly.
Kiss Clipart Image: Lipstick Kiss

Photo Stolen Valentineclipart

SurrenderToChance starts at $5.99/ml
I also have a DIY blog full of fun, simple things to do, please come by and have a look at TheOriginalEmmaKate
Can’t wait to see you next month here on APJ,
EmmaKate XOX

Frederic Malle LIVE Video Sniffs

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Hello all you Perfumistas,

YAY!! YAY!! YAY!!

You’ve all been hanging out for one of our videos and we are slowly making a stockpile of them to bring out when the urge comes upon us. We are so lucky to have my gorgeous Scent Mother, Emma (who guest blogs here on APJ as EmmaKate) with me for this one. I hope you enjoy our little bit of perfume madness as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you.

Photo Stolen meccacosmetica

Today we look at 3 of the Frederic Malle series; Vetiver, Carnal Flower and Le Parfum De Therese. Emma talks us through them, their major accords, some history and we sniff one LIVE.

Photo Stolen meccacosmetica

As always I’d like to thank my BFF Kath for the video and editing and TSO Jin for making it embed ready.

Enjoy, Enjoy, ENJOY!!!
Portia xxx

Musc Ravageur by Maurice Roucel from Frederic Malle 2000 Review

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Hiya Fumies,

I have had a sample of Musc Ravageur glaring with its almost Vivienne Westwood red cover at me since my scent Mother Emma took me on a tour of the Frederic Malle range at our Sydney city Mecca corner under Myer. On the day my 3 standouts were Carnal Flower, Geranium Pour Monsieur and Musc Ravageur. I was given samples of CF and Musc Ravageur but have been afraid of how much I will love them and crave FB of the whole damn lot. Well, to hell with waiting…

MUSC RAVAGEUR by MAURICE ROUCEL from FREDERIC MALLE 2000

Photo Stolen Frederic Malle

A lot has been written about this startling fragrance, Katie Puckrik does word and video, PerfumeSmellingThings and GrainDeMusc do words better than I could ever dream. Check them out. Fragrantica gives these notes

Top notes: Lavender and bergamot
Middle notes: Cinnamon and cloves
Base notes: Sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla, guaiac wood and cedar

What happens when I put Musc Ravageur on? The big lavender and bergamot opening and already there is an undercurrent of the base like a warm hug from a fit young footballer just after practice, then the spices waft in heating things up. Together, at this point the whole fragrance seems to be vying for you attention, all notes together, it’s a busty blonde barmaid gone slightly to seed and working double time. My skin eats these first welcoming moments quickly, within the first half hour Musc Ravageur has settled into a sweet and warm musky vanilla that is way too lovely to be me but after a few hours it could be me if you didn’t know what I smelled of originally. A little bit of exercise, be it dancing or vacuuming, gives it an extra kick of sexy because your own scent blends with it. I think this would be a stunning after gym scent. Your blood is still flowing and you have that yummy sexy scent of just showered hard work, add to that some Musc Ravageur and you will seriously need a BIG stick to get rid of guys like this every morning.

Photo Stolen beautifulmale

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s post. What scent sends you crazy when you smell it?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

SUNDAY QUICKSNIFF REVIEW #5

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Hey Perfume Junkies,

Sometimes I like to get a short grab of a fragrance and we have a super awesome powerpack of tries this week. The Sunday QuickSniff Review page is opened on Monday morning and every time I spritz and am near the computer I’ll give a 3 sentence review with a rating out of 5 each for, well, see the key after the reviews.

MADAME ROCHAS INTENSE EdP by ROCHAS 1960. This is a no brainer for me, loads of deliciously spicy florals on LOUD! I love the gold tone cage bottle and it is reminiscent of the original Guy Robert 1960 magic. Parfum1 has the 2.5oz for under $70 S=*** L=*** D=****

LIPSTICK ROSE by FREDERIC MALLE 2000. This is the BOMB what a wonderful fragrance. If you want to smell the roses you remember from your childhood, fresh, citric, spicy, fruity, almost slightly plastic (Please don’t get up me about it, some roses have a definite plastic scent bias and violet too) and a little speck of branch and leaf, then this is the fragrance for you, all rose but beyond rose into art. Posh Peasant has decants starting at only $5.50  S=***** L=*** D=*****

TRUSSARDI for women EdT by TRUSSARDI 1984. From the moment you touch this bottle there is something refined and designed here that makes you covet it. Trussardi is still a classic Leather Chypre; as it opens the citrus, aldehydes and resins are warm, bright and inviting, then we move into a big fat glorious bouquet that has depth and character from the woods, vanilla, patchouli, smoke and leather that seems to already be there and stays around for hours, quietly being gorgeous. FragranceShop has 100ml for around $30 S=**** L=*** D=****

CHAPARRAL by ROXANA ILLUMINATED PERFUMES 2006. Designed to embody the aromatic spirit of the Wild West in the USA. This is a deliciously murky herbal and woodsy concoction, so different from mainstream perfume that people can’t help but ask what it is. You can smell the dust, hay, buffalo, herbs, spices, trees, gunpowder and smoke, AH MAY ZING! Roxana Illuminated Perfumes sells 7g in a flacon for $150 or samples S=***** L=**** D=****


Photo Stolen from shirtsays

Scent, Obviously the number 1 priority here is how does it smell. My reviews are completely subjective and will differ widely from your own experience with the scent but it’s a good starting point. As yet I am not a trained perfumer so any and all descriptions are merely that, descriptions. There are plenty of blogs that offer technical details and chemistry, in 3 sentences I’ll pass.
Longevity, This is a biggie for me because like enfleurage where flower petals are left in fats to steal the scent, my fatty body works the same and eats it up, yum. So for a scent to last well on me, it will probably last a whole day on you and need a radioactive decontamination shower to defuse it from your skin.
Desirabilty, Wrapped up in this is scent, price, house, history, longevity, packaging, availability and a billion other things.

Photo Stolen from bittbox

* in any of these being the, “You couldn’t pay enough to spray this God awful stink on me again, it smells like public toilets in India, long time fridge malfunction while on Summer holiday and the vile stench of poverty all rolled into one.” You are putting innocent people in danger if you wear this.
** means it’s a nothing, wearable, boring, maybe the price is prohibitive for what you get or it’s ubiquitous. You should definitely get a sample of this to stop a buying boo boo.
*** is a perfectly good product that smells good and lasts a while at a decent price. You should definitely think about trying a sample or squirt but should you miss out your life will continue. Sample size worthy.
**** is the one you try, want a lot but can wait for a birthday/Christmas. It’s better than most of the stuff you’ve sniffed and may fill a void in your library. This is also an excellent decant product 5ml will get you through the season and maybe buy it next year.
***** meaning, stop reading this, grab your cash, credit card (or partners), roll the elderly or rob a petrol station and purchase this product. NOW! If you don’t have this fragrance you could die.

Hopefully this has given you a little inside track on fragrances to might buy, want, avoid, sample. What delicious bits and pieces did you try this week?

Portia xx

Scent Mum takes us Day Tripping! Winners Announced

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Hiya everyone!

Today was AWESOME!! My BFF Kath and I went into town to meet the amazing Emma who was the MECCA manager for years, involved with setting the store up, bringing Le Labo out to Oz and making that run, grew the Frederic Malle business here and worked with him on Australian launches (and these are just the highlights as I remember them). She has also kindly offered to become my scent mother. I know, right! TOTALLY AH MAY ZING!!! Sorry, I know I’m shouting but I’m so terrifically excited. It’s been quite a day.

First stop was, of course, Mecca in the Myer building Pitt St Mall, Sydney. Amy was our SA and made sure we were well looked after, gossiping with Emma and doing workmates catch up. Brendan was also there but he was busy at the Le Labo bar and we only chatted to him briefly at the end while looking at the wonderful selection of Dyptique, Serge Lutens, Comme des Garcons, Kai, and a horde of others.

Brendan at the Le Labo Bar in Mecca

Emma asked me to pick some of the Frederic Malle that I was interested in sampling on paper so I pulled out;

Musk Ravager which to me was a nice girl version of Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens which is already in my library. I did take a sample of this though to try, and compare, at my leisure.

Fleur de Cassis gave me a sweeping, playful and deep look into cassis and mimosa and I would like to try this on my skin one day soon.

Portrait of a Lady was a spicy, fruity, floral that took my breath away because it’s so lovely. Powerhouse on the card, still pumping like crazy after 5 hours.

Bigarade Concentree is a little too citrus and wood, the rose doesn’t develop for me and nor does the grass, though I have only had it on a card. This is what Kath bought today and it is a terrific choice on and for her.

I know, crap shot of Emma and BFF Kath

Lipstick Rose is delicious and if I had not already Rosa Sur Reuse by SOIVOHLE and Ce Soir Ou Jamais by Goutal it would be adorning my collection now.

Noir Epices is lovely dark and spicy as the name hints but Eau D’Epices from Tauer fills that niche here.

Geranium Pour Monsieur is amazing, mint, geranium, spices, licorice, woods and cloves wrapped up in a cool incense. This is going on my FB list. What a lovely fragrance. Very mad I didn’t get a sample size of Geranium Pour Monsieur but will return.

Carnal Flower is, of course, divine. Unfortunately I just got Truth or Dare so there is no need for me to splurge so outrageously on even something as jaw droppingly gorgeous as Carnal Flower. I did take a sample size of this one too.

It was great having Emma with us, she knows the product back to front and was able to give us insights and interesting over views that you only get from  working in the industry. I should have had a tape recorder because much of it went straight out of my head. GRRRR! One really good thing was that Emma noticed 2 of the testers were off and so we got brand new ones to try. As you probably already know, lights and temperature changes are killer for fragrances, as is exposure to air. If you are serious about your perfumes a cupboard away from external walls, or even better a fridge, will keep your most precious babies fresh and ready for decades.

SA Amy & BFF Kath at Mecca

Then we went and stood in line at David Jones to have a picture taken with Nicole Richie, who also signed a pre-fab shot of herself. She was doing an in store to sell her new range of bags, sunglasses and jewellery. The bags were fun and well thought out, not ridiculously expensive and had great finishes that looked like you’d get 10 years heavy wear from them. Nicole was all business because I had 3 cards for her to sign but I wished her, “Painless, easy and harmless world domination,” and she immediately looked me straight in the eye and laughed, wishing the same for herself and sharing a tiny little real person connection time with me. It left a really good taste in my mouth. Nicole Richie, you have a fan.

After lunch downstairs in the David Jones Food Hall Emma had to go find herself a frock for an awards night so we parted ways.

Kath and I trotted back to Myer bumping into a dear old friend, Joe, at the CHANEL counter and he loaded us up with samples of cosmetics and a No 5 Eau Premier sample that is going in the Thursday Giveaway Competition next week because I already have 5oz here. It is good news that I have a buddy there because I’ve just learned that my No 5 Parfum spray is an out of date bottle and case necessitating a complete change next time I buy, unless Joe can find me an old one. My bottle and juice are about 15 years old so pre-reformulation and it will be quite a change sadly.

While we were in town I thought I’d go check the Clinique counter to see if they had the Aromatics Elixer 40th Anniversary Perfumers Reserve Edition Prestige Parfum Extrait. The last one!!! I have been asking at every Clinique counter I passed thinking the suburbs would have it but Sydney had it! YAY!! Purchase. Even the box is gorgeous. Opening Ceremony sometime this week! SCORE!! So happy. This may be the last one in Australia.

Photo Stolen idealo

One gripe for today though. Tom Ford doesn’t do samples. So, you want me to pay over $600 for a bottle of your fragrance and you can’t even give me a sample to see if I like it? You can shove your juice darling. Having had my bitch, the SA Joel was great, had no problem giving us the low down on the products we were interested in and happy to spray our cards for us, and us if we weren’t on a sniff mission. But, no samples?

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION WINNERS

This week instead of doing one big giveaway I thought I’d do 2 small ones. Both winning parties will receive

1ml Rasheeqa Concentrated Perfume Oil
1.5ml Vintage by Kate Moss EdT Spray Decant
1.5ml Hermessence Vanille Galante EdT Spray Decant
Plus P&H anywhere in the world

What did you have to do to be in the running to win these lovelies? Tell me a fragrance by a fashion house that you particularly love.

And the

Photo Stolen dryicons

are JESSE and COLLEEN. Congratulations! If you don’t get in touch with your details by midnight Wednesday 30.5.12 I’ll give your prize to someone else.

Well I’ve had a super great day. Now time for some dinner, cuddles and bed. I’ve earned it.

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx