So…? GIVEAWAY WINNERS

December 7, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

I had a great time trying these budget beauties. Hopefully our winners will get equal or more joy from them.
Portia xx

So…? GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen So…?

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Blackcurrant, pineapple, citron
Heart: Lily of the valley, freesia
Base: Vanilla, musk, woody notes

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive one of the following each (no, you don’t get to choose):
1 x 30ml So…? Sensual EdT (discontinued but fun fruitchouli)
1 x 30ml So…? Kiss Me EdT
1 x 150ml So…? Kiss Me Body Spray
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 6th December 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen prospectsplus

Robert H

Bianca B

Jaybee

The winners will have till Thursday 10th December 2015 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.

So…? + So…? Kiss Me by So…?

December 4, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Portia

Recently I was contacted by Tara of Portobello PR who are looking after the So…? range in Australia. This is not a brand I’ve heard of though they have been around for 20 years. Tara asked if I’d like to try any of the range and I really am overwhelmed here at the moment with releases but there was something super friendly and engaging about her email that had me replying, “Yes, send me some through.” They arrived the other day and Scott & I had a sneaky spritz, we went in with no expectations and…..

So…? and So…? Kiss Me by So…?

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

So…? by So…?

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tangerine, orange blossom
Heart: Rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, amber

SURPRISE!!! Balmy resins, orange blossom, creamy ylang and vanilla. So…? smells a LOT like something my Mum wore at some point. I can’t place it as any of the regular scents I remember her owning or spritzing but the scent jolted me back to her warm embrace faster than the speed of smell. Even though you can tell So…? is a reasonably priced fragrance up close with your nose to your arm from a short distance it all combines beautifully into a smooth, satin soft Fl-Oriental with a slightly dressy overtone. It’s better than some of the $150+ niche being brought out and is basically free. Beauty HQ has $13.50/30ml

Photo Stolen So…?

So…? Kiss Me by So…?

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Blackcurrant, pineapple, citron
Heart: Lily of the valley, freesia
Base: Vanilla, musk, woody notes

Remember the opening of Enchanted Forest by the Vagabond Prince? Imagine that but toned down for a mass market youth audience. While not being something I want to wear I can tell that it will go down a treat with the younger crew. It’s a freaky synthetic screech of fruit at the top with pineapple and blackcurrant vying for which is sweeter, the heart escapes me but I do get a squeaky vanilla and some generic musks in the base. Not groundbreaking but quite nice, especially for the price. To be fair, it’s similar to many of the current designer and mid market beauty offerings and I bet it grabs compliments.

So…? can be purchased at Beauty HQ http://www.beautyhq.com.au/, and instore at larger Priceline.
Check out their UK website

Want to try them? See below……
Portia xxx

Photo Stolen AllSteele

So…? GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

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 budget fragrance that you love

Extra Chance? (tweet once ONLY please)
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie So…? With Attitude #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-4tL #Perfume @Sowithattitude

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 6th December 2015 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 10th December 2015 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.

L’Occitane + Pierre Herme GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

November 30, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Post by Portia

Thank you everyone for getting involved. Especially thankin Lesley from L’Occitane Australia. Don’t Forget: L’Occitane Australia have FREE DELIVERY on orders over $100 and most sets come GIFT WRAPPED. So if you want something both beautiful & affordable then you might want to think L’Occitane, they are excellent products.

L’Occitane + Pierre Herme GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

Gift Set $95 L’Occitane Australia

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners (1 Aussie, 2 Overseas) who will receive:
1 x AUSSIE: Jasmin Immortelle Neroli pack
1 x 75ml Jasmin Immortelle Neroli EdT
1 x 250ml Jasmin Immortelle Neroli Shower Gel
1 x 250ml Jasmin Immortelle Neroli Body lotion
2 x OVERSEAS: Miel Mandarine Hand Cream
1 x 30ml Miel Mandarine Hand Cream
P&H

Hand Cream $13 L’Occitane Australia

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 29th November 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen thegarfieldshow-diary

Australia: Amanda

Overseas: Annet Z + Musette

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winners will have till Thursday 3rd December 2015 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.

Eau de Toilette 75ml $62 L’Occitane Australia

L’Occitane + Pierre Herme: 2015 Limited Editions

November 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey crew!

Went to lunch with my buddy Lesley from L’Occitane Australia last week. We were at a very nice restaurant, full of business people and wealthy ladies that lunch and were having the best time laughing about yucky food that our families used to eat all the time but if we were to be given them for the first time today we’d be like, “GAK! That looks DISGUSTING!!!” We laughed till we cried, seriously my tummy was so sore afterwards. Even now I am sniggering quietly to myself. Not only did we laugh like naughty schoolboys she also gave me a slew of stuff for you all to try, all new for Christmas 2015.

L’Occitane Australia have FREE DELIVERY on orders over $100 and most sets come GIFT WRAPPED.

L’Occitane + Pierre Herme

Unexpected Encounters + 2015 Limited Editions

Gift Set $95 L’Occitane Australia

Jasmin, Immoertelle, Neroli by L’Occitane 2015

The fragrance of pastry chef Pierre Hermé balances the white notes of gardens at dawn with the gold of a flower that still flourishes throughout the Corsican maquis.

On my skin Jasmin, Immoertelle, Neroli is a creamy, warm version of a citrus with some torn orange tree leaf undertones that is reminiscent of the bright openings of many Eau de Colognes. Envigorating and refreshing and smelling really good, I could easily imagine this becoming a go-to scent, it would easily fit into most situations and it dries down to softly citrus white musks that are pleasant but not groundbreaking. A very safe gifting fragrance and I love the fragrance packaging.

Hand Cream $13 L’Occitane Australia

Miel Mandarine by L’Occitane 2015

Imagine golden honey crystallized on a sun-drenched slice of Mandarin Orange… A fruity sensation at first, progressively enriched with hints of honey, evoking the festive season, Spun Sugar and Almond.

Eau de Toilette 75ml $62 L’Occitane Australia

Pamplemousse et Rhubarbe by L’Occitane 2015

A tantalizing accord. Who other than Pierre Hermé would dare to combine the flavours of Rhubarb, Clove and Nutmeg with the temperamental scent of Grapefruit?

By far my favourite of the trio. Sharp citrus opening, the lovely wet, super sweet (almost urinous) grapefruit sizzles in and can breathe new life into my tired brain. Fun, flirty and slightly outrageous L’Occitane and Pierre Herme have made a grapefruit macaroon. Through the heart it spices up just a little bit and the whole fragrance rests on a bed of pithy white musks that are so fluffy you may float away. I have been spritzing myself liberally before bedtime and cocooning myself against the world in Pamplemousse et Rhubarbe, it’s a perfect scent to cuddle you and send you off to the land of nod.

Photo Stolen AllSteele

L’Occitane + Pierre Herme GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Aussie or Overseas

and

Please tell us a L’Occitane Australia product that you’d like to give to someone you love (one NOT mentioned in this post)

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie L’Occitane + Pierre Herme #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-4uk #Perfume @Pierre_HermeLDN @LOCCITANE_au

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 29th November 2015 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 3rd December 2015 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.

V Intense GIVEAWAY WINNERS

November 23, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

Thanks go to Nick & Paige from Libertine Perfumerie. I cannot stress enough how great they are or how supportive they have been of APJ. If you’re thinking of buying a Big Ticket Fragrance Gift this year then they are the ones to see. Free Delivery in Australia for orders over $100 and they will be sending till December 21st.

Portia xx

V Intense GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Saffron, roses, plum, incense, sandalwood

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 10ml V Intense decant by Robert Piguet
a couple of extras
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 23rd November 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen shannonmayer

Helen Burrows

Aelfrik

Anna Maria

The winner will have till Thursday 26th November 2015 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.

V. Intense by Aurelien Guichard for Robert Piguet 2014

November 20, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Post by Portia

Hiya APJ,

This little baby was released in 2014 with little or no fanfare, I didn’t even know about it. The crew at Libertine thought it so good, especially now that it’s available in Australia, that a few of you should get to try it! So Paige and Nick gave me a bottle to wear and share. WOO HOO!

I speak often of my mate Nick from Libertine Parfumerie. Please, even if you don’t enter today’s competition, go and have a look at the amazing fragrant beauties that Libertine Parfumerie has for sale, you will be astounded. Nick will be sending out deliveries in Australia till the 21st December!!! How good is that? Using couriers in the last few days.

V. Intense by Robert Piguet 2014

V. Intense by Aurelien Guichard

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Saffron, roses, plum, incense, sandalwood

Plum! a sweetened berry-ised plum but plum none-the-less. A sexy, lightly fizzing plum that is flanked by a sparkling, fruity rose and underpinned by the smooth waxy feel of saffron creating a modern and fun take on the old Visa. Here Visa’s fruit punch, creamy ylang and patchouli are recreated in a way that I think would be a perfect gateway fragrance for newbies and younger perfumistas hoping to make a jump from wearing department store fruit-chouli.

Is it intense? Past the first 20 minutes not really. The fizziness smooths out beautifully into a softly sweet and resinous fragrance, more nuanced than the regular department store fare but definitely taking its cues from them. More like an expensive confectionary than cake-ish sweet. I could imagine the boys who like their fragrances a bit sweet would enjoy V Intense too, anyone who wears 1 Million, Aventus or Casmir will find a certain happy familiarity when they spritz V Intense. Without being totally innocuous Piguet have straddled the general public/niche line very nicely here, V Intense is wearable and interesting fragrance.

The base is warm and cosy, a vanilla/resin/musk with faintest traces of fruit and incense/smoke. It wafts under the radar for hours & hours.

Further reading: Fragrance Daily
Libertine Parfumerie has V Intense online now $299/100ml

Want to try it? See below,
Portia xxx

Photo Stolen AllSteele

V Intense GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 10ml V Intense decant by Robert Piguet
a couple of extras
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us Robert Piguet fragrance story or why you’d like to try V Intense

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie V Intense by Robert Piguet #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-4pA @Giveaway @LibertineParfum @RPParfums #Perfume

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 23rd November 2015 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 26th November 2015 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.

Joy vintage parfum GIVEAWAY WINNER

November 16, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Post by Portia

JOY! So well named. One of my great fragrant loves and surprisingly easy to wear. Can’t wait to see who wins,

Portia xx

Joy vintage parfum GIVEAWAY WINNER

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tuberose, rose, ylang-ylang, aldehydes, peach, green notes
Heart: Jasmine, iris root, Bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, orchid
Base: Musk, sandalwood, civet

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Joy vintage parfum sample
a couple of extras
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 15th November 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen amberinblunderland

Francesca Belanger

The winner will have till Thursday 19th November 2015 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.

Joy vintage parfum by Jean Patou 1929

November 13, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Post by Portia

Recently I found on the eBay a Joy parfum black snuff bottle, still sealed with string and baudruche (animal intestine seal then, onion skin now) intact and was lucky enough that no one else saw it, well there were two other bids and they were small. I got my perfect vintage sealed beauty for about the cost for 2 people to eat a mid sized meal at McDonalds, including shipping. Oh happy day.

Joy vintage parfum by Jean Patou 1929

Joy vintage parfum by Henri Alméras

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Thick, heavy, oily and sparkly fruity floral with a susurrus of freshly cut greenery. A minute in and suddenly there is air, the fragrance breathes and as it does fresh sliced over ripe peach stands above the white flowers before being engulfed by them. The rose is ever present and waltzes through bolstering and linking the fragrance, giving it a richness, working with peach and greenery to create an almost photo realistic rose and then it’s all gone into the heady melange that makes Joy so fabulous, and joyous.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Once I’m past this point Joy becomes itself only, parsing it and cutting it into pieces feels like a very undignified way to treat such a fragrance. What I do now and for the rest of the ride is float on it, drift with one of perfumeries most enduring and seamless creations. The heart of Joy is a mesmerising dream of sumptuous rooms, rich parties, long pearl necklaces, hand finished tailored suits, granite entryways and stainless steel. If ever a fragrance felt like something a protagonist in a novel would wear Joy feels like a perfect fit for Ayn Rand’s lead character in Atlas Shrugged, Dagny Taggart.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Further reading: Now Smell This and Non Blonde
Fragrance Shop has EdT $35/25ml
Surrender To Chance has samples of the parfum starting at $7/.25ml

Want to try it? See below.
Portia xx

Photo Stolen AllSteele

Joy vintage parfum GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Joy vintage parfum sample
a couple of extras
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us your Joy story or why you’d like to try the parfum

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 15th November 2015 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 19th November 2015 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.

ARAMIS Calligraphy GIVEAWAY WINNER

November 13, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Post by Portia

Totally exciting giveaway, thanks Azar for being so generous. You are a star.

Portia xxx

ARAMIS Calligraphy GIVEAWAY WINNER

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 2ml decant of the 3 Aramis Calligraphy Series fragrances
Calligraphy
Calligraphy Rose
Calligraphy Saffron
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 12th November 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen HighestSelf

Jessi

The winner will have till Sunday 15th November 2015 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.

Aramis Calligraphy Series

November 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 61 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello APJ,

The art of calligraphy is the stylized rendition of a word or text. Just so, the Aramis Calligraphy fragrances are stylized versions of classic middle-eastern perfumes.

About two months ago the three beautiful EdPs in the Aramis Calligraphy Series landed in the discount bins of several on-line retailers. As far as I can tell these brand new, in the box bargains are authentic. Has the line been discontinued? Did the initial targeting of the middle-eastern market prove to be a mistake? Whatever the case may be, it is now possible to purchase 100 ml for less than a third to slightly over half of the original prices.

Let me tell you a little about the series. To start, the bottles are adorned with the stunning calligraphy of Lebanese graphic artist Tarek Atrissi. His artwork represents the name of the jus in each bottle – “Calligraphy”, “Rose” and “Saffron”.

Aramis Calligraphy Series

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Aramis Calligraphy by Trudi Loren – 2012
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, lemon, cinnamon
Heart: Myrrh, saffron, rose
Base: Patchouli, amber, musk, agarwood

This first fragrance impresses me with a spare, astringent opening that quickly morphs to a woody, rosy lemon scent. As Calligraphy dries I cannot detect any of the rich, dense barnyard or medicinal aspects that characterize many oud oils. I don’t get a lot of amber either. The base notes are quite woody but extremely light, just a breath, really. From beginning to end (no more than 8 hours) this is an understated and shy scent, perfect for the man (or woman) who doesn’t want to come on too strong but who would like to be remembered as aloof, elegant and refined.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Aramis Calligraphy Rose by Trudi Loren – 2013
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Oregano, saffron, honeysuckle
Heart: Turkish rose, myrrh, styrax, lavender
Base: Labdanum, musk, ambergris, olibanum.

Calligraphy Rose opens with a fresh, green, resinous rose that quickly warms to caramel, perhaps the result of the combination of styrax and the other resinoids with the ambergris and saffron. Eventually a powdery, masculine herbal effect makes it clear that this fragrance, despite being suffused with rosy incense from top to bottom, was designed to be unisex. Calligraphy Rose lasts forever on clothing and about 12 hours on my skin. It is much bolder than the first Calligraphy but manages to maintain the elegant and refined vibe of the original.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Aramis Calligraphy Saffron by Clement Gavarry – 2014
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, marigold
Heart: Saffron, Turkish rose absolute, lavender
Base: Tonka absolute, styrax, vetiver

About a year ago Portia referred to this fragrance as “an extremely sensual glamour puss”! Calligraphy Saffron is SO glamorous that it won the Fragrance Foundation’s Perfume Extraordinaire Award for 2015. Saffron opens with bright marigold and saffron. A little sharp, a little earthy perhaps, but not for long. In no time this beauty starts pumping out more saffron, styrax, rose and tonka , becoming richer and warmer as the hours go by – eight to twelve on my skin and much longer on clothing. Like the other two fragrances in the series the sillage is relatively discrete – for a “glamour puss”!

Today’s Giveaway: One winner will receive a set of three 2ml decants representing the Aramis Calligraphy Series. To be eligible for the draw, please tell us how you follow APJ and let us know why you think fragrances similar to the Calligraphy scents end up in the discount bins.

Azar xx

Photo Stolen AllSteele

Aramis Calligraphy Series GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 2ml decant of the 3 Aramis Calligraphy Series fragrances
Calligraphy
Calligraphy Rose
Calligraphy Saffron
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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us how you think fragrances like the Calligraphy scents end up in the discount bins

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Aramis Calligraphy Series #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-4rx @EsteeLauder #Perfume @Giveaway

Entries Close Thursday 12th November 2015 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 15th November 2015 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.