GIVEAWAY

First EdP by Van Cleef & Arpels 1976, Winner Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Hey Hey Stink Monkeys,

I am a fan of big old fashioned slam your head against the wall floral spectaculars. I know you’re surprised but I felt it was time to come clean with you all and fess up. Here is another of my favourites, a 36 year old banged up whore of a perfume. Once she was a screaming symphony of flowers and funk, filled with civet and oakmoss which unfortunately are both banned nowadays. She has been through many incarnations, getting sleeker and more refined each time, losing that young, nasty, dirty girl as she has grown up. Much like any old sex worker that married well and glossed over a seamier past with elocution lessons, a change of postcode and a better stylist. It’s a pity because I love the memory of what she was but considering how much they can’t put into fragrance these days she is better than she could be. Maybe it’s testament to Jean-Claude Ellena’s genius that it has remained so vibrant and wearable and reminiscent of itself.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

The Fragrantica note list is extraordinary:
Top: Bergamot, mandarin, black currant bud, aldehydes, peach, raspberry
Heart: Hyacinth, Turkish rose, narcissus, jasmine, lily of the valley, ylang-ylang, carnation, orchid, tuberose, orris
Base: Amber, tonka bean, oakmoss, sandalwood, vetiver, musk, honey, civet.

First opens with the sparkly fresh fruit and citrus bang that you hope for in a heady aldehydic floral that is an incredibly accurate representation of the sparkle and flash of Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery. I can’t really tell the notes apart in First, I think the wild sensual white flower power is anchored by the yang-ylang, carnation and orris and the orchid amps it all up, still being helped along by the glittering aldehydes. The base has been there all along but you don’t notice until well into the first hour because until then it plays only a filler role, giving the whole its magnificent shape. After about an hour these deeper, and interestingly, sweeter notes and accords waft through in front of the earlier players en mass, leaving us long secret glimpses of what went before as we tumble into dry down hours later. Sometimes I get 6-7 hours and sometimes more, this cool weather currently helps to slow the progression down and its much slower to reach the real base before it’s gone.

Go and check the BoisDeJasmine review and I would have put another but couldn’t find one on the first 4 pages of google that was working.
FragranceNet has a great selection at very reasonable prices.

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY WINNER

Our Thursday Giveaway this week is a fantastic Paloma Picasso Mon Parfum Coffret 50ml EdP (that has had 1 spritz taken by APJ guest blogger EmmaKate who donated it) and a 6.7 oz of Body Lotion valued at RRP $75.

How did you win this week? Only Australian addresses could enter. All you had to do is tell me somewhere that you would like to wear this gorgeous Paloma Picasso fragrance. Easy Peasy!! And the winner is……

SAFFYISHERE

Photo Stolen bitrebels

Please get in touch with your address details by Wednesday August 1 2012 or I’ll give your prize to someone else or maybe keep it for myself, I’m running low. Communication via DM on Twitter (@OzPerfumeJunkie) or FB (Portia Turbo-Gear).

I am leaving you today with a really lovely Van Cleef & Arpels mini movie for Faerie; a gorgeous, forgotten flop that we’ll talk about soon.
Love to you all,
Portia xx

Paloma Picasso Mon Parfum 1984

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Hiya Fumies,

Today we are going to look at something I’ve had rattling around my fragrance cupboard on and off for years. I think it has been reformulated three or four times because every time I repurchase it smells slightly different and over time the packaging has changed too. Still with the same central lush 80’s big bang but slightly thinner. Considering though how many fragrances have come and gone since 1984 it is a wonder we can still readily buy Paloma Picasso.

Photo stolen herzmaschine

It is still a heady swirl of high octane powerhouse perfume, for me a cross between Chanel No. 5 and Aromatics Elixer. With a start point of spicy, sharp and sweet amped up by the aldehydes. As we move through the life of the fragrance the base seems to be pumping its dark and sexual tune nearly from the start with almost cameo like appearances from the rest of the notes that pop up and then submerge back into the background, only to do so again when you least expect it. Better than excellent sillage, in fact you will be your own scent cloud, and lasts, lasts and lasts till it smells like a dirty ho is in the next room undressing, then gone.

Photo Stolen perret-optic

Definitely not a close work environment scent unless you are the boss or your crew has a wear as much perfume as you like agreement. If you are wearing it to dinner give it at least 2 hours to breathe before you sit to eat and it will probably skunk the bus in the mornings too. This is a dressed up high heels and gown of a scent but could equally be worn outdoors where there are no perfume restraints. I like to wear it to bed, selfishly and for my own pleasure, while market shopping or cleaning the house with some pop music playing.

Fragrantica gives these notes & accords;
Top: Coriander, aldehydes, angelica and carnation
Heart: Ylang ylang, jasmine and hyacinth
Base: Oakmoss, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, tobacco, castoreum, civet and musk

Please check BoisDeJasmine and PerfumeShrine for the full story. They also have much more detailed note lists, maybe Fragrantica has the modern incarnations list?

FragranceX has the best selection I could find at reasonable prices, below Gift Coffret only around $60

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY

Our Thursday Giveaway this week is a gift from APJ guest blogger EmmaKate. She was lucky enough to win our prize at an event but the fragrance is way too strong for her to wear comfortably in public. Her loss is your gain because we are giving away this fantastic 50ml EdP (that has had 1 spritz taken by EmmaKate) and a 6.7 oz of Body Lotion. Below you’ll see a similar coffret valued at RRP $75, only the exterior is slightly different on ours.

Photo Stolen 99Perfume

How do you win? For this week only Australian addresses can enter. Sorry world but I can’t afford to send this one OS, it’s expensive! All you have to do is tell me somewhere that you would like to wear this gorgeous Paloma Picasso fragrance. Easy Peasy!!

Entries close by 9pm Saturday July 28 2012 Australian EST and winners will be announced in the Saturday night post. If you are our lucky winner you must get in touch with your address details by Wednesday August 1 2012 or I’ll give your prize to someone else or maybe keep it for myself, I’m running low. Communication via DM on Twitter (@OzPerfumeJunkie) or FB (Portia Turbo-Gear).

Alright gang, Thank You for dropping in and Aussies, GO TO IT!!
Portia xx

World’s Most Expensive Cupcake! and Winners Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hey Hey Gang,

It’s Saturday and I’ve had the laziest day ever. Got up late, everyone was out so I’ve sat at the computer, played with the dogs, read a heap of the last Hunger Games book, had the most wonderful boiling hot bath with salts and will soon trot off to make Nachos for dinner!! Perfect winter Saturday if you ask me. While I’ve been organising stuff for next week today completely slipped my mind so I offer you a look at The Making Of The World’s Most Expensive Cupcake. It is grotesquely and outrageously OTT! One day I’m going to Dubai to try it. I stole it from HisFashionBlog and can’t get it out of my mind. YUMMO!

.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

We had a wonderful response to our giveaway this week, which was open to our lovely and loyal blog followers only. What did you have to do? Tell us the 2 fragrance houses we have highlighted this week. We have 2 prize packs to give away of Brand New scents.

What do you get if you are one of our 2 winners?
2 x Smell Bent remix project 4ml travel sprays
1 x Tommi Sooni “Passerelle” 2ml sample vial
P&H anywhere in the world

Photo Stolen berryreview

MonsoonalMusings2 & Tatiana

Congratulations!! Winners please get in touch by Wednesday July 25 or I will give the prize to someone else. You can DM your address on Twitter (@OzPerfumeJunkie) or Fb (Portia Turbo-Gear) and also if you follow from twitter or by mail and your email/blog address please.

Tomorrow we have a very special Sunday Quicksniffs that I’ve been trying to get my head around for the last 2 days.

See you then,
Portia xx

Ambre Russe by Parfums d’Empire 2003 and New Music

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

Hey you Mad Perfume Crazed Freakazoids,

It’s Friday. YAY!!

Ambre Russe by Parfums d’Empire 2003

Ambre Russe by Marc-Antoine Corticchiato

Parfum d'Empire Ambre Russe fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Champagne, vodka
Middle: Tea, cinnamon, coriander, birch, juniper, Russian leather
Base: Incense, musk, amber

We have done a Parfum d’Empire expose back in May, we talked about Marc-Antoine Corticchiato the face and creative director and we also did some mini reviews of some of the line. I wanted to keep Ambre Russe in reserve though for its own feature because it is so special.

Ambre Russe is a legendary rock star of a fragrance. Big, rich, boozy, tenacious and completely spellbinding. Marc-Antoine Corticchiato of wonderful Parfum d’Empire (<<JUMP) has made a masterpiece. The day that the samples arrived last year this was the first fragrance I tried. That night I was online ordering a 50ml (only 100ml online now) and it has been awaiting its opening ceremony till this week. How could I have let this amazing fragrance sit in its box?

Interestingly, I feel very few of the written notes here. I get booze but to my nose the champagne and vodka feel like brandy, the tea and spices feel like a rose accord, with the crispness of some stem and leaf which must be the birch and juniper, Russian Leather? I get pipe tobacco, not in the bag but in the pipe after tamping as the flame first touches with its rim of pre-smoked ash, redolent of huffy clubs and high end tailoring but completely unisex. The dry down, which is still powering away 3pm next day from a 6pm double spritz, finally gives me what I would expect from these written notes; amber, musk and deep religious incense. I have had 2 people say that it reminds them of musk sticks at this late stage, sweet musk and vanilla tempered by the coolness of the incense.

This little bit of magic is a real head turner, sillage is excellent. You are guaranteed comments and compliments. I wore this to work 3 nights this week and had two plus compliments and more questions each night. Not a sexually alluring fragrance, this one is bare faced cheek and haughty grandeur in equal measure. Don’t wear it to dinner without a 2 hour preamble or you won’t taste your food properly.

Parfum d’Empire

Parfum d’Empire has an awesome sample program 13 2ml samples including postage only 22€ to the world! The 100ml bottles are all extremely well priced for a niche company of this quality too.

SOME GREAT NEW MUSIC

Two Door Cinema Club are back with brand new single, Sleep Alone. It is the debut single off the bands second album ‘Beacon’ due for release this September. I stole this from the amazing KeelanFoley new music site.
http://soundcloud.com/two-door-cinema-club/sleep-alone

I loved this cruisey music and video so much I stole it from nambiblog

Do you have a Parfum d’Empire favourite? What is it and why?

I hope you all have a safe and fun weekend.
Portia xx

FAME by Lady Gaga and Steven Klein

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 40 Comments

Hey Y’All,

You’ve probably seen it already but I wanted to put it up just in case you’d missed it. Lady Gaga has released her Steven Klein photographed advertisement for her forthcoming fragrance, FAME. The scentbloggosphere has gone CER AAY ZEEE!! I am seriously impressed with the image, it shows wit and style. It also shows what a remarkable business woman she is. What’s the demographic? Girls and gays, BINGO! This will have a multitude of both enthralled. I am sad my mate Perry couldn’t swipe me some FAME to pre-release sample but life is like that. Can’t wait! And below it a short enticing film about the fragrance being made. She is AWESOME! Laughing all the way to the bank…… (Just noticed CandyPerfumeBoy beat me to it, GRRR!)

Video Stolen YouTube

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY

We have a wonderful giveaway this week open to our lovely and loyal blog followers only. Yes, you can become a follower so you can enter. What must you do to win? EASY PEASY! Tell us the 2 fragrance houses we have highlighted so far this week. That’s it. We have 2 prize packs to give away.

What do you get if you are one of our 2 winners?
2 x Smell Bent remix project 4ml travel sprays
1 x Tommi Sooni “Passerelle” 2ml sample vial
P&H anywhere in the world

Winners will be drawn from a bowl Saturday July 21 around 9pm Australian EST by TSO Jin. If you are a winner please get in touch by Wednesday July 25 or I will give the prize to someone else.

Go to it you gorgeous creatures,
Much love,
Portia xx

I’m super excited. We did 10,000 Individual Views (IVs) between our start in March and June 17th and 20,000 IVs July 17th.

IN F*CKING CREDIBLE!!

This is so wonderful and all because of you reader. There will be high five-ing like crazy round here for a couple of days, and I think I might put my shoulder out trying to pat myself on the back. If you are enjoying our stuff please tell your friends, you never know where a secret perfume junkie is hiding and needs to feel part of this wonderful and crazy community we belong to. THANK YOU! I wish you everything great you ever dreamed of because you are helping my dreams come true. Our next big goal is 50,000 IVs, only you can help us reach it. If we can do it before my birthday September 25th there will be a MEGA DRAW!!

Wild Ginger Chai by SOIVOHLE Winner Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Hey All,

I have a full day of Liz Zorn and SOIVOHLE coming up soon but I received an order from them and can’t stop spraying myself with Wild Ginger Chai, then I come to review it and its been finished. No mention on the website, and I only bought 11ml thinking I would be sensible for a change.

STOP PRESS, false alarm!!! No not gone but that part of the site is currently down. Liz just return emailed about my query and said it will be back up July 24, with the release of some new stuff. Yippeee! If you want to be kept in the SOIVOHLE loop here is a JUMP to their Facebook Page. Which will also give you links to their blog updates.

I love the queer start, like it’s going to be a hot stinking mess. As it opens on my skin the ginger and vanilla seem to grind against each other for the first 5 or so minutes like rubbing corduroy the wrong way, not a bad feeling, just unexpected. When the honey floats through the shape of this masterpiece begins show itself. Really masterpiece you ask? I have had this on me at some point during the last 4 days, 2 of those days I wore nothing else. OMG!! So I don’t get a tea like the Bvlgari’s, but there is a jasmine/orange blossom like lactonic note here and the spicy milk accord does nod vigorously towards the smell of chai being cooked out of the milk in India, which is a totally different smell to ours, there is also still a quiet kick of ginger right through but like a gingerbread man, slightly doughy. Wild Ginger Chai continues to grow and change, but not distinctly, as it fades away to a soft and wearable sweetish vanilla This all takes around 4-5 hours till I completely lose the ability to smell it. Cor! It is soooo good. Excuse me while I respritz.

Wild Ginger Chai Soivohle for women and menPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica said,
Wild Ginger Chai by Soivohle is an Aromatic Spicy fragrance for women and men…launched in 2012….and features vanilla, tea, honey and spices.

MAKING TRUE CHAI
Indians bring the water to the boil in a saucepan on the stove, throw in their tea leaves, sugar/honey and special tea spice mix (called Chai Masala) to taste, every home is different. As the water changes colour they add milk, I prefer quite a bit, then let the mix almost boil again and it’s ready. Strain into cups and serve with warm biscuits, yummy. Surprisingly, Indians drink this in all seasons, even the hottest part of summer.

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Our giveaway was open to blog followers only this week, we are now well over the 100 followers mark so I decided to add an extra little prize for our 100th follower, COOL huh? Thank you to all our contestants, so glad you all jumped on board for this one.

You were all put on a paper, folded, put on a plate and picked by Jin (repeating; this was not a game of chance, you had to be a blog follower and tell us your fave post this week). Here’s what was on offer for the major prize

5ml decant spray Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf
3ml decant spray Beloved by Amouage
2ml manufacturers sample Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens
1ml sample vial Fleur de Glace by Olympic Orchids
1ml manufacturers sample Outspoken by Fergie for Avon
P&H anywhere in the world

All measurements are approximate

For our 100th follower we have 2 things I love and 2 that were meh! I hope you like them all.

2ml decant spray Gujarat by Olympic Orchids
2ml decant spray Commes Des Garcons EdP
1ml manufacturers sample Honey Blossom by The Beehive
1ml manufacturers sample In Bloom by Reese Witherspoon for AVON
P&H anywhere in the world

All measurements are approximate

Photo Stolen propercourse

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY- Laniersmith

100th FOLLOWER- anutu13

You have till Wednesday July 18 9pm Australian EST to get in touch with your addresses so I can send these off. PM me on Twitter @OzPerfumeJunkie or Facebook Portia Turbo-Gear If you don’t I’ll give your prize to someone else.

Photo Stolen bitrebels

Thank all for coming around, I have a special thank you video. It’s just a bunch of Brazilian male models saying Hola. Do please enjoy,
Much love and highest hopes for your health, wealth and happiness,
Portia xx

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 36 Comments

Hi gang,

We’ve had a couple of weeks off the Thursday Giveaway because I was over it. Now it’s back. This giveaway is open to anyone who follows the AustralianPerfumeJunkies blog.

What do you have to do to win? Easy! Just tell us which of the posts this week was your favourite. We’ll go through and randomly pick one. This is not a game of chance, you must answer the question to fulfill the criteria, but it’s not a writing contest either. Got it?

You have till around 10pm Saturday July 14 Australian EST. Should we not hear from the winner in a week we will give the prize to someone else. Fair enough? You bet!

Here’s what’s on offer:

5ml decant spray Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf
3ml decant spray Beloved by Amouage
2ml manufacturers sample Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens
1ml sample vial Fleur de Glace by Olympic Orchids
1ml manufacturers sample Outspoken by Fergie for Avon
P&H anywhere in the world

All measurements are approximate because they’ve been used as review samples

I love to do giveaways. It’s the only way I have of saying Thank You physically. We are so glad that you come back so often and read our mad passion for fragrance. When you like, follow or comment we do little air pumps and there are high 5s all round. Every time we reach a goal it is BIG news here.

Our next goal is to have 100 people following the blog. We aren’t far off but would love your help. How can you help? Well, you can follow us yourself, tell your friends about us and ask them to follow if they’re interested, facebook, tweet or retweet our updates and posts. That would be AWESOME!

Much love and wishing you only the good stuff you wish yourselves,
Portia XOX

PS Pictures Stolen lavanyasrecipes and kbaird

Emily Blunt in Opium 2009 by YSL Video

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hey all,

Running late from a gig. We have 2 winners to announce tonight

10,000 GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Picture Stolen covenantbuilders

We reached our June goal of 10,000 total individual views last weekend so it’s an extra special giveaway, there are 2 because we smashed our goal so early. Thanks. If you are loving AustralianPerfumeJunkies don’t forget to spread the word, you’ll be surprised who is a secret fume head amongst your buddies; lost and alone thinking they’re the only crazy who is perfume obsessed.
How do you win?

Giveaway #1 you had to TWEET

1ml manufacturers sample OLYMPIC ORCHIDS ARTISAN PERFUMES Siam Proun
1.5ml spray decant of GUCCI No 3
1.5ml Spray decant of TAUER’s Lonestar Memories
Manufacturers sample TALLULAH JANE NATURALS Alyana Perfume Oil
P&H anywhere in the world

Giveaway #2 all you needed do was Congratulate us on our 10,000 IVs in the comments

50ml BNIP LANVIN Homme Sport
4ml travel size SMELL BENT Frankin Smellie SII#900
P&H anywhere in the world


Picture Stolen berryreview

GIVEAWAY #1 winner is Dr. Talson T. Jose

GIVEAWAY #2 winner is Sam Duncan

Winners will have till 10pm Wednesday June 27 Australian EST to send address details or I’ll give the to someone else.

EMILY BLUNT in OPIUM 2009 by YSL VIDEO

Picture Stolen fashion.telegraph

As a speciasl gift here is the lovely Emily Blunt for OPIUM by YSL.
I hope you stay happy and well, I am touched and thrilled that so many of you have come and looked. Thank you,
Portia xx

10,000 Thursday Giveaway Competition, Brain Cancer Fundraiser, STC Giveaway Video!

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 36 Comments

Well Hello There,
I have had a hectic but enjoyable week. It has felt non stop, even though I have had some delicious me time too. Last night I hosted trivia at a very swanky do for Brain Cancer with a room full of TV, Radio, Fashion & Sport Celebs and the big boys/girls in Aussie business held at Sydney’s IVY. Very fun and they raised a fortune, $64,000. Here is a picture of the lavish greenroom, empty showroom and full with MC and keynote speaker Jim Wilson, Sports reporter and husband of Channel 7’s Chris Bath, who sadly lost his young son to Brain Cancer. A super fun night and the prizes were awesome, from Armani ties, Lancome beauty products, Vogue packs and Lisa McGuigan wines to a $7,000+ all inclusive ski holiday for a family of 4. Here is the donation link to help research a cure

http://braincanceraction.com.au/donate/

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

It’s been a full week and I have some very special things to give away to say Thank You to you all for coming and joining in the AustralianPerfumeJunkies fun.

Photo stolen rmhcaustin

We reached our June goal of 10,000 total individual views over the weekend so it’s an extra special giveaway, there are 2 because we smashed our goal so early. Thanks. If you are loving AustralianPerfumeJunkies don’t forget to spread the word, you’ll be surprised who is a secret fume head amongst your buddies; lost and alone thinking they’re the only crazy who is perfume obsessed.

How do you win?

Giveaway #1 you must TWEET this
https://australianperfumejunkies.com/2012/06/20/lou-lou-by-cacharel/ @OzPerfumeJunkie Congratulations on 10,000 IVs
Most tweets and retweets with your handle in wins, if there is a tie the first to the highest number wins the goodies.

1ml manufacturers sample OLYMPIC ORCHIDS ARTISAN PERFUMES Siam Proun
1.5ml spray decant of GUCCI No 3
1.5ml Spray decant of TAUER’s Lonestar Memories
Manufacturers sample TALLULAH JANE NATURALS Alyana Perfume Oil
P&H anywhere in the world

Giveaway #2 all you need do is Congratulate us on our 10,000 IVs in the comments below

50ml BNIP LANVIN Homme Sport
4ml travel size SMELL BENT Frankin Smellie SII#900
P&H anywhere in the world

Both Giveaways will finish around 10pm on Saturday June 23 Australian EST, please come back and check if you’ve entered. Winners will have till 10pm Wednesday June 27 Australian EST to send address details.

AND SURRENDER TO CHANCE IS HAVING SUPER DRAWS!!! Have a look at the video.

Well, there you have it gang, totally easy stuff for major rewards.
Wishing you all painless, easy and harmless world domination,
Portia xxx

Abercrombie n Fitch VIDEO, Winners Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hey gang,

Sorry it’s late been out at the Sydney Observatory with the crew, it was fun.Photo Stolen Sydney Observatory

Photo Stolen Powerhouse Museum

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

All you had to do this week was go and find the code wrds for $5 off Olympic Orchid Artisan Perfumes. EASY PEASY! and you’d be in the running to win one of 2 GIVEAWAY PACKS:

1ml Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes manufacturers samples of Carolina & Olympic Rainforest or A Midsummer Days Dream & Arizona.
2ml manufacturers sample of Fugue or Barocco by new fragrance house Esther produced by the crew at Fragonnard
Plus P&H anywhere in the world


Picture Stolen berryreview

SaffyIsHere and Kymme

Please get in touch via email or Twitter DM by Wednesday 20.6.12 9pm Australian EST or I’ll give your prize to someone else.

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH MODELS

Here’s a little video of the A&F models doing the latest US #1 Billboard hit, Call Me Maybe. CAMP!!!

Oodles of love to you all,

Portia xx