Capricci by Francis Fabron for Nina Ricci 1960

May 2, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Post by Portia

Heya APJ,

Azar is off this month taking some time to get stuff done, she’ll be back in June.

So I thought it might be fun to continue her style of looking at something vintage and little talked about… Some fragrances instantly become hits, some take a little longer and many never ever reach such exalted heights. Then there is another group that become very famous in one continent or country but the rest of the world remains immune to. Today we are looking at such a one.

Capricci by Nina Ricci 1960

Capricci by Francis Fabron

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Rosemary, tuberose, gardenia, orris root, jasmine, hyacinth, ylang-ylang, lily-of-the-valley, geranium, rose, narcissus
Base: Sandalwood, musk, benzoin, oakmoss, vetiver

Capricci was a small hit in Europe and sold there for decades but it was in Asia that it became a bit of a blockbuster apparently. Not in the same way that L’Air du Temps did but considering how much Capricci there is for sale on eBay with three different Asian scripts on their back stickers I hazard the guess that it was quite popular.

Aldehydes, citrus and a floral bouquet open Capricci. Even after all these years my EdT is crisp, fresh and has that sparkling/oily fizz of soda pop and metal cans. A very pretty, youthful fragrance that could easily have been given to a young girl of the 1960s as a less strident, more feminine, early awakening scent. Nowadays it smells slightly dated but still not old, does that make sense? As if a perfumer has tried to recreate the glamour of yesterdays fragrance with a modern palette.

Nina Ricci Perfumes

I can see why Capricci was less popular in America, though it is a lilting and ladylike scent there is the unmistakable Frenchness lurking underneath the sparkling flowers. A lived in feeling that doesn’t point to dirtiness as such but does have a light animals undertone. Less BIG and more animal than L’Air du Temps, a tiger in a clipped hedge next to a cottage garden. Add that to its less in-your-face attack style of scent and you may get an understanding. I am surprised that Capricci became an Asian hit though. It seems a bit too raunchy (not the word I want but the closest in my vocabulary) and intimate in the first hour to fit my profile of what Asia buys.

Capricci wears to a very pretty bouquet with a hint of dried grass and woodsiness. After the first hour it sits very close to the body but still offers a waft in sillage. Imagine a 1980s blockbuster turned down almost to mute, a barely there scent. As if it’s still on your scarf from last week, just perceptible.

So I’ve come back to add that I get a distinctly Arpege vibe from Capricci.

I’m a fan,
Portia xxx

TheTruthAboutMummy

Capricci GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x Capricci by Nina Ricci sample from my bottle
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

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

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a fragrance that never became really popular that you love, or a favourite Nina Ricci fragrance.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 5th May 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Sunday 8th May 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.

Ames Soeurs GIVEAWAY WINNER

May 1, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

OMG!! I completely freaking forgot to do the draw for this. SORRY EVERYONE!

Here is our lucky winner below.

Portia xxx

Ames Soeurs GIVEAWAY WINNER

Net-A-Porter

Net-A-Porter gives these featured accords:
Top: Tamarind, Grapefruit, Cypress
Heart: Rose Bulgar, Ginger, Orange Blossom
Base: Cedarwood, Incense, Amber, Sweet Musk

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 5ml Ames Soeurs rollerball decant
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 24th April 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

amberinblunderland

LENA

The winner will have till Tuesday May 3rd 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.

Gri Gri GIVEAWAY WINNERS

April 30, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

Hey crew,

Don’t you LOVE getting the chance to try new things? Me too. Thanks to Gri Gri Perfumes and Val the Cookie Queen for their remarkable generosity.

Let’s find out who our winners are
Portia xxx

Gri Gri GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Sample each of Gri Gri Perfume (One of the three fragrances in the line. NO you don’t get to choose)
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 28th April 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

thegarfieldshow-diary

Tara

Undina

Fanny

The winners will have till Monday 2nd May 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.

Gri Gri Fragrances: Esxence 2016 Discovery

April 26, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Anaïs Biguine is the creator and nose behind the rather lovely Jardin d’Écrivains perfume house. The three Gri Gri fragrances are her latest creations. I have been wearing them for the last couple of weeks and feel them well worthy of some attention. The stand stood out beautifully at the Esxence. The ladies were professional, knowledgeable and extremely friendly.

Gri Gri Fragrances: Esxence 2016 Discovery

Eau de Parfum for Tattooed Skin by Anaïs Biguine 2016

There are three perfumes in the collection. They each take inspiration from the long history of and geographically diverse art of tattooing. Ink as an art form, across cultures and through the ages.

I am not familiar enough with each perfume yet to go into any depth but the following will give you an idea of what Anaïs Biguine has created.

MOKO MAORI EdP
Tussock grass. New Zealand Flax.
Fern. Kowhai. Manuka.
Lichen. Kanuka.

TARA MANTRA EdP
Saffron. Cardamom. Hing.
Patchouli. Ajowan.
Lotus. Jasmine. Agarwood.

UKIYO-E EdP
Genmaicha. Yuzu. Aralia.
Daphné. Green tea.
Sakura. Ashibi.

Each perfume succeeds at representing the different artistic style, and master skills of tattooing. From needles to bamboo. Spiritual, theatrical and peaceful.

Ink Free Bussis
(maybe one day)
CQ

I have a samples of each fragrance, the ladies at Gri Gri were very kind. I know how annoying it is to feel attracted to a perfume that you can not get hold.
I will pop a sample of one of the collection in the post to three different APJ peeps.

Let me know what actually attracts you to a totally new fragrance. The perfumer, the story, the bottle ………. And which of the Gri Gri appeals to you?

kbaird

Gri Gri GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Sample each of Gri Gri Perfume (One of the three fragrances in the line. NO you don’t get to choose)
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Let me know what attracts you to a totally new fragrance. The perfumer, the story, the bottle ………. or which of the Gri Gri appeals to you?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 28th April 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Sunday 1st May 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.

Ames Soeurs by Joya + The Book Of Lost Fragrances by M.J.Rose 2012

April 22, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Fumies!

Something I find quite a few frag heads also love is reading, we are sensualists and love to dream. Today I’m looking at a fragrance inspired by a book, a book I enjoyed immensely. It’s a fun, fast paced thriller style pot boiler that has a very generous smattering of perfume and perfumer inside knowledge. Always nice to combine two loves.

Ames Soeurs by Joya 2012

Net-A-Porter

Net-A-Porter gives these featured accords:
Top: Tamarind, Grapefruit, Cypress
Heart: Rose Bulgar, Ginger, Orange Blossom
Base: Cedarwood, Incense, Amber, Sweet Musk

Ames Soeurs opens on me as a soft citrus and white flower, lightly laconic and breathy but not overly. It’s a mild mannered fragrance that is pretty and sweet, but not in a confectionary sense. Though I become less able to smell it after about an hour it has good projection and people notice it on me and comment favourably. The orange blossom and amber are the stars of the show for me and I could imagine Ames Sours becoming a popular go-to scent for someone who likes to smell nice but doesn’t want to smell overly perfumy. It shares a mood with such light and lovelies as La Chasse aux Papillons by L`Artisan Perfumer, Guerlain’s Aqua Allegorias and some of the Heeley fragrances.

Lasting power is excellent for a natural fragrance and I would never have guessed it to be one by the smell.

Net-A-Porter has $40/10ml roll on

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J.Rose 2012

Book Depository

From Book Depository: Jac L’Etoile is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind when her brother, coheir to their father’s storied French perfumery, makes an earthshattering discovery in the family archives, and then suddenly goes missing–leaving a dead body in his wake. In Paris to investigate his disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend of the House of L’Etoile. If there is an ancient perfume developed in Cleopatra’s time that holds the power to unlock memories of past lives, possessing it is not only worth living for…it’s worth killing for, too.

kbaird

Ames Soeurs GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 5ml Ames Soeurs rollerball decant
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a book you would like to see a fragrance created around…..

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 24th April 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Thursday 28th April 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.

Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls GIVEAWAY WINNERS

April 22, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

And here we have it my fragrant lovelies,

Thank you Azar for your amazing stories and giveaways.

Portia xxxx

Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica lists these featured accords:
Peach, gardenia, bergamot, water lily, white rose, lotus, amber, sandalwood, musk

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
Continental USA DRAW: 1 x vintage Black Pearls .25 ounce parfum in the box
Worldwide DRAW: 1 x 2ml decant of the original Black Pearls EdP
1 x a little sample of a rare, impossible to find, weird mystery peach
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 21st April 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winner were chosen by random.org

Brooklodge

World – Fanny

US – Fazal

The winners will have till Sunday 24th April 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.

Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls 1996

April 18, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 37 Comments

Post by Azar

Greetings Perfume Pals!

My previous post on APJ recalled my adventures in Spring Cleaning and the subsequent discovery of several bottles of the original Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls. I also wrote a bit of a back-story to the fragrance. Today I am attempting a review of vintage Black Pearls.

Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls 1996

The Power of the Peach – Part II

Fragrantica

Fragrantica lists these featured accords:
Peach, gardenia, bergamot, water lily, white rose, lotus, amber, sandalwood and musk.

First of all I have to say that there is nothing quite like vintage Black Pearls. For me this frag is, at once, peachy, wet and powdery, a combination unique in my experience. Some people report a surfeit of lilac and/or melon in Black Pearls. My experience is one of citrus, lotus (of sorts), honeysuckle, vanilla, synthetic smelling sandalwood, a rich floral combo and, of course, the powerful peach.

I am not talking about a fresh peach here. Even though there is an obvious attempt to simulate freshness with the addition of aquatic elements (via the lotus and water lily?), Black Pearls has very little of that squeezable, tart juiciness that characterizes newly picked fruit. Instead, Elizabeth Taylor’s peach is big, fuzzy and over-ripe, sliced, spiced, powdered; vanilla sugared, battered, buttered and baked into a cobbler drizzled with cream. This fragrant, mouthwatering dessert is set out to cool next to a huge bouquet of lilacs, gardenias, pale roses and osmanthus. Can you imagine that? Most days my skin loves Black Pearls and the resulting sweetness and warmth is not unlike the tender, young voice of Elizabeth Taylor as Velvet Brown in the 1945 film National Velvet. Sometimes, though, she smells like the sound of ET portraying the screeching, bitching Martha from the film adaptation of Edward Albee’s play Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (the film – 1966). The split personality of this fragrance – either a middle aged harridan with monster sillage or a sweet, shy girl who stays close to home – makes Black Pearls a perfume I can wear for a variety of occasions and purposes. The problem is I can’t predict how she will behave on my skin from one day to the next.

Flickr

Black Pearls started me wondering what percentage of the fragrances in my collection feature peachy notes. I haven’t come up with an answer to that yet, but a couple of the peaches I am currently wearing are Viktoria Minya’s Hedonist (date) and the new Miyako extrait by Auphorie (date). I imagine I will write more about those two sometime soon – in the Power of the Peach Part III?

Azar xx

YouTube

Elizabeth Taylor Black Pearls GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

USA or WORLD

and

Please tell us your favorite peach-centric fragrance – if you have one. Or any fruit in a fragrance.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 21st April 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Sunday 24th April 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.

Sable & Soleil GIVEAWAY WINNERS

April 18, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

Woo Hoo! Sexy love of my life Pierre was a hit with you all again.

Let’s see who won.
Portia xxx

Sable & Soleil GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lemon blossom, jasmine, African geranium, coconut milk, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, white musk

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winner who will receive:
1 x 2ml Sable & Soleil manufacturers sample
1 x sample Indian Wood by Perfumerie Generale 2016
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 17th April 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

prospectsplus

Koyel Bhattacharyya

Fazal

The winner will have till Thursday 21st April 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.

Sable & Soleil by Pierre Guillaume for Phaedon 2016

April 15, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

Post by Portia

Woo Hoo Crew,

More NEW stuff from my perfumer crush Pierre Guillaume. This arrived today and I couldn’t wait to get it on my skin!!

Here’s some more Pierre Perfume Porn to get you in the mood….

Sable & Soleil by Phaedon 2016

Sable & Soleil by Pierre Guillaume

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lemon blossom, jasmine, African geranium, coconut milk, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean, white musk

Salt. Driest opening for a fragrance I ever smelled. Salt and then some melon, a little oily, seaside breeze, hot day.

Jasmine and citrus over the driest ache in my throat. It’s like the ache of yearning. Yearning for something just out of reach but in your sights. Awkward lactones create a shadowed, shady counterpoint that gives the crisp sea breeze a depth. Maybe a wander through the carpark by the beach, awaiting the arrival of your friends or even an ice cream from the truck, yes there is a metallic edge.

Briny. That’s the word I’m looking for. Briny, lightly sunburned, happy and tired. Fresh sea water and healthy bodies.

Sable & Soleil is not what I was expecting. If you think that you’ll be getting a Guerlain Lys Solea, a Jil Sander Sun or a Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess then think again. They are pretty and vibrant. Pierre Guillaume has created a mood and depth that is lovely but slightly dark. Compelling.

lavanyasrecipes

Sable & Soleil GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winner who will receive:
1 x 2ml Sable & Soleil manufacturers sample
1 x sample Indian Wood by Perfumerie Generale 2016
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us if you’ve tried any of the Phaeton range?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 17th April 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Thursday 21st April 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.

Indian Wood GIVEAWAY WINNER

April 11, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

Hey hey Crew!

You guys were totally into this giveaway, no surprise, I love PGs work too. He was really excited that we showcased him on the weekend, look out for his new Pheadon one coming up soon here on APJ too.

Portia xx

Indian Wood GIVEAWAY WINNER

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Sandalwood, vetiver, moss, spicy mint, nutmeg, cardamom, coconut milk, lemon zest

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 2ml Indian Wood manufacturers sample
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

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

amberinblunderland

ELLEN M.

The winner will have till Thursday 14th April 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.