Vol de Nuit by Jacques Guerlain for Guerlain 1933

August 7, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 50 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Guerlain fans,

Vol de Nuit is one of the oft talked about historical Guerlain fragrances. Created in 1933, the same year as Sous le Vent which is another of my faves, and named from a book by Antoine de St. Exupéry “Night Flight” who was a pilot in WWI, Head Post pilot and lost during WWII on a mission. What drew me to the fragrance originally is the fabulous bottle designed to be reminiscent of a propeller going full tilt. This grey glass beauty was enough in itself but once I tried the fragrance I was lost.

Vol de Nuit by Jacques Guerlain for Guerlain 1933

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, galbanum, aldehydes, orange, lemon, mandarin, narcissus, petit grain
Heart: Jasmine, daffodil, rose, violet, iris, carnation
Base: Woods, orris, vanilla, amber, musk, sandalwood, oakmoss, spices

If you read the notes list and thought Vol de Nuit was going to be a big fat blockbuster of a fragrance you will be sorely disappointed. From an era that brought us such overt beauties as Sirrocco by Lucien Lelong, Jungle Gardenia by Tuvaché, Tabu by Dana and French Cancan by Caron it surprises me that Guerlain made something so discrete and intimate. A green floral veil backed by slightly warm vanilla/amber and mossy woods. A fragrance that is almost introverted in its sillage and projection until you sit quite close and suddenly you are drawn into its captivating spell.

I have a couple of bottles but the one that gets the most wear is the 2012 EdT in the Habit de Fete cannister. Yes, I know that people complain of the modern versions thinness and lack of base. Sure, it’s different to my vintage parfum and different to the vintage EdT I have a decant of. It’s brighter, more sparkling and I admit a little screechier but it’s still beautiful. Beautiful in and of itself. So wearable and pretty. The narcissus is not so dirty as the vintage and the base is less furry and plush, though they seem to have padded the violet and iris to compensate. My main gripe is that the longevity is affected, becoming a soft whispered wash of itself within 30 minutes and barely there after an hour.

While Jin and I were in Europe in 2013 I went into Guerlain L’Institute in Prague and I was determined to buy a L’Heure de Nuit but something made me ask if they had the Vol de Nuit propeller bottle. Yes, they did. With my heart beating 16 to the dozen I handed over my card and asked them to “Charge and wrap it. Please don’t say the price.” Every now and then I have been getting the box out; looking at it and holding it, happiness bubbling up inside me. Today, for you guys, I unwrappeed it and finally got to touch my perfect jewel of a bottle so I could photograph it. No, I’m not yet ready to open it, to cut the cord, but it’s one step closer.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Bois de Jasmin
Guerlain counters often have some in the drawers, ask
Surrender To Chance have vintage EdT samples from $7/ml

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Vol de Nuit GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x .5ml sample from my vintage Vol de Nuit parfum quadrilobe bottle
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 me if you like the old Guerlain stuff? Have you tried Vol de Nuit?

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Guerlain Vol de Nuit GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-493 #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 9th August 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 13th August 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.

LIVE

July 29, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 37 Comments

Hi there APJ,

Trésor is busy living, she sends full apologies but right now she needs to be elsewhere. Here is some stuff that I’ve found recently that might give you a pause for thought. A lot of the things I find are aimed primarily at women but guys these are for you too.

Life is rarely what we were told in future fairy tales by our parents and teachers. Life is tough, full of extremes and drama, there is always something or someone who wants to run you off the rails of your dream life. They are rarely the evil incarnate that you expect them to be but just other people in your life trying to get their own shit on track. It’s very easy to get caught up, lose focus and become worn down with the drudgery of day to day living. It’s so easy to forget yourself, your goals and your well being. Sometimes we all need to take a moment to really ask ourselves if we are OK, what do we need, how can we best reassess and how can we better live this too short a period we are given on earth.

I also believe that I have to feel the pain and learn from it. Life is evolution and growth. Stagnation, especially mental, is decay.

If you are suffering depression please seek help. It’s an illness like any other and needs treatment. If you had a broken arm, rash or a continuing cough you would see a doctor for treatment. Depression needs treatment too. For yourself and those around you please treat it with the same speed and diligence you would a child in your cares chicken pox.

Mostly though, please live your life as if it’s worth something. It is. YOU are.

11752590_10154008604426029_8706194041508389836_n

Cyber hugging you all while wearing Les Voyages Olfactifs 01 Paris-Moscow by Guerlain.
Portia xxx

Fragrances For What Ails You: The Hangover Part 1

June 2, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Fragrances for what ails you: The Hangover Part 1

Today’s focus is HANGOVERS.

*Please note: we at APJ do not recommend drinking irresponsibly.

Average Hangover, described as ‘feeling dusty’ upon waking and makes the day a little harder, a lot longer and much slower.

General remedies:

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Dear Rose – Sympathy For The Sun tops up much needed electrolytes with its salt note supported with sparkling water drenched citrus and rose. Just like an atomized aspirin.

Parfum d Empire – Corsica Furiosa is my go to fragrant Bloody Mary. Tomato leaf so green it makes me feel purified instantly, mixed with a pinch of pepper to increase circulation of important antioxidants. A touch of mint settles any nausea or bloating.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Chanel – Coromandel when you just need a cloudy hug and strength to carry on (dramatic I know) woods, benzoin and soft cotton ball clouds of vanilla-patchouli and iris “take me away” from the self afflicted symptoms. I feel wrapped in cotton wool and supported enough to get on with my day.

The OOPSIES are more serious…

Hangover of Dread: “What have I done?!” Paranoia. Self-loathing. Regret. Strength and bravado needed pronto. Something to stop all the wrongness from deep inside, seeping out. Surrounding oneself with By Kilian – Smoke for the Soul will neutralise all those nasty feelings inside. Soul cleansing with eucalyptus, grapefruit and cardamom is advantageous. Bolster with maté, full of antioxidants. Complete with kidney cleansing birch. The tobacco cashmirwood and cannabis at this stage can only be described as a ‘medicinal’ bonus. **

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Hangover with memory loss: You wake up and remember a limited amount of the night before. Perhaps it was those shots you were downing? The scent of Tequila seeps from your pores on waking. It is not wise to stand near a naked flame. A dose of memory recalling rosemary and fresh Normandy air will help. Dior’s Granville is exactly that -crisp and fresh with mandarin, lemon, thyme, rosemary, pine needles, black pepper, sandalwood and gorse.

Head in a bucket hangover: Sliding out of bed with a groan, you take the appropriate amount of steps to the bathroom whilst moaning. You sit on the cold tiles and wait. The nausea could last all day. Something simple and relatively linear is Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca. With its dewy grass and fresh cool mint notes it will also freshen the air for anyone game to come close.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

“Still drunk” hangover: Jump out of bed feeling good after a big night. You feel superhuman. Happiness only lasts so long…by lunchtime you’re fading. Avoid the comedown by use of your booziest fragrances – doubling to cover the alcohol on your breath whist keeping you giddy and drunk. Examples include Queen by Queen Latifah with its cognac base, Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling with it’s botanical gin base or rum based Naomi Goodsir’s Or du Serail

Most of these fragrances can be sampled at Surrender To Chance and My Perfume Samples

Stay tuned for “The Hangover Part 2”

Xx Your Fragrant Nurse, Ainslie ;D

**By Kilian: Exclusive to Harrolds Sydney and Libertine online

Fragrances For What Ails You?

May 5, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Hello fragrance fans, I’ve realised some members of my fragrance collection have become a fragrant first-aid kit for my more common ailments. Grabbing fragrances based on how I am feeling physically, loosely based on the aromatherapeutic properties of their notes, cheers me up no end.

*Please note all the below has only been tested on one human being, no animals and are not recommended without perhaps some other medications, where prescribed

Fragrances For What Ails You?

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Nausea – Etat Libre d’Orange – Like This – full of carminative baked ginger cookie smell this warm combination can ease waves of nausea like no tomorrow. Dosage: spritz on stomach 2 x per day

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Insomnia – Crawling into bed and suddenly my eyes pop open and my brain comes alive with activity!! So I reach for Aqua Allegoria Lavande Velours by Guerlain, which stays, on my bedside table. Sprayed onto my pillow and sheets the powdery combination of lavender, iris and sandalwood takes me off to the land of nod in no time.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Muscular Aches, Pains and Tension – Sycomore by Chanel Les Exclusifs Earthy vetiver and grounding sandalwood I just love this fragrance sprayed just above a hot steamy bath, or when I’m feeling “extravagantly ache-y” a capful poured into the bath does wonders for ridding my body of all tension, aches and pains.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Run Down and Generally Germy – Potpourri by Santa Maria Novella’s mix of Italian herbs rosemary, thyme, patchouli and cloves make this an immune booster for those days when you know you’re coming down with something. Despite some prettier notes of carnation, bergamot, and peru balsam this fragrance smells deliciously medicinal and purifying.
(Side note, the Santa Maria Novella Collection will soon be available from Peony Melbourne)

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Chills – Serge Lutens – Jeux de Peau warms me up and makes me feel cosy and comfy. Almost like having a cup of hot milky tea and a massage with the warmest of warm hands. Use this fragrance when you feel chilled to the bone. A few spritz 1-2 x per day, once sprayed it just keeps on getting better and better as osmanthus reveals itself amongst the warm baked bread and buttery toasted coconut notes. Divine!

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Sore Throat – everyone knows a teaspoon of honey with cinnamon and spices soothes a sore throat and Mitzah by DIOR is the queen bee that soothes mine. Dosage: Spritz throat/chest area and wrap neck, where possible, with a leopard print scarf to stay warm and glamorous.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Headache – nanah mint features in Comme Des Garcons’ Play Green and applied to my temples and back of neck it cools and refreshes when I have a headache. Supporting notes of Basil, lime and juniper mean even when I am brain fatigued and lacking concentration this fragrances helps put some life back into me.

I think you can find samples of all of these at Surrender To Chance<<JUMP

So my fine fragrant friends tell me if you too use fragrant for your ills and if so in what combinations?

Xx Your Fragrant Nurse, Ainslie ;D

Aqua Allegoria Teazzura by Guerlain 2015

April 23, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Hey Hey APJ,

Something new from Guerlain! It reads fresh, fun and very Aqua Allegoria. Thierry Wasser has been producing like crazy over at Guerlain, so much new stuff and flankers. I hope it’s all selling for them because I’m enjoying the constant and extremely interesting cross-section of new arrivals. Yes, I know they’re not all the next Shalimar or Mitsouko but how many fragrances released nowadays are? Even if they were we have so much choice that masterpieces fall by the wayside as quickly as dross anyway. The industry is creating its own problem and we are lapping it up…..

Aqua Allegoria Teazzura by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, yuzu, grapefruit
Heart: Green tea, chamomile, jasmine
Base: Musk, calone, vanilla

You can spritz Teazzura at your local department Store for free. It could be the next big thing. How will you know until you try it?

Fingers crossed. I hope to try Teazzura on my holidays. Enjoy the ad.

Portia xx

AQUA ALLEGORIA – TEAZZURRA – GUERLAIN

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2015 Perfume Reviews

March 29, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Hello Gorgeous APJ Family,

It’s Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances time again, my favourite seasons are Autumn and Spring, the mid seasons. I love that in both these seasons the weather can be remarkably similar, sunny and warm on one day, freezing or blustery on another, nights are cool to cold and so the overall wearings are quite similar. These fragrances are on my desk and within easy spritz reach and they only stay on the desk while they are getting regular spritz time, if they’ve been sitting there for more than a few days without attention they go back in the cupboard.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2015 Perfume Reviews

Futur* – Robert Piguet: The ungreenest green ever. Sappy, sweet, green and extremely wearable all year round. Futur has been out of the cupboard and on my skin quite a bit lately and it fits any occasion.

Liberte* – Cacharel: A screaming, sizzling, BarBQ’d orange that is so sugary and ends up in a vanilla/patchouli/orange finale. I’ve loved it for years and now that it seems to be discontinued I’ve had to grab a couple of back up bottles.

Shalimar EdP* + Parfum – Guerlain: My old faithful. Shalimar fits every season, every mood and every event. From it’s citrus gelato opening to the resinous, vanilla and leather dry down I love Shalimar through and through. If I had to pick a fragrance to be my one and only Shalimar would be it.

CHANEL No 22: Yes, it’s the modern EdT. I bought it in NYC on our trip and that aldehydic zwoosh is too fabulous for words. Lasts all day, smells incredible and I feel like a million dollars from spritz to shower.

Mitzah – DIOR Prive: For those cooler nights Mitzah. Sweet, spicy, animal roses that feel like they have a whisper of oud in with the patchouli. Warm and sensual but cool enough to wear all year.

Neroli & Orchidee – L’Occitane: Another great L’Occitane cheap and cheerful fragrance! Spring has definitely sprung. I have been loving it sick but the final stamp of approval was given by Willa Zheng on Friday, she totally agrees and I trust her nose completely.

Niki de Saint Phalle: I can’t stop spritzing this glamorous green. Bright, fun and energetic. Niki de Saint Phalle is take charge with a twinkle in your eye. I think it’s the mint in the opening contrasting with the fruit and galbanum, gets me every time.

Nirvana Black by Elizabeth & James: Warm sandalwoodsy vanilla. Great price, excellent packaging. Wear this shit everywhere.

Pichola – Neela Vermeire Creations: The softest, most complex and wonderful tuberose. Surrounded by other notes and accords but it is the tuberose, sheer and clean, shorn of all its intimate, breathy and shitty bits we are left with the clearest, green herbs and spice overlaid tuberose. Beautiful, wearable and a complete divergence for the line while maintaining so many of the things I love.

Un Jardin Apres la Mousson by Hermes: That thick oily, wet, sweet, herbaceous freak of a fragrance. I find it addictive and love to lose myself in its heavy sheer wafts.

There are my current mid-season Top 10. They will probably be changed by next week but right now these ten fragrances are getting good skin time and working extremely well in the changeable conditions that the mid-seasons hand us.

What are you wearing right now? Give me a Top 3 if you’ve got one…..

Loads of love to you all, wherever and in what ever weather,
Portia x

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

* Second year in the Top 10

Vetiver by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1961/2000

February 18, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Liam

Do we love classics because we have to? Do I utter that Shalimar is the best oriental because of its luxuriously rich history? Do I really think Mitsouko is the greatest perfume ever? In my opinion, the answers don’t matter. I like to surf around ambivalence. I don’t think Vetiver is that great nowadays. Yes, I said it, but hear me out.

Vetiver by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1961/2000

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, coriander, lemon, mandarin, neroli
Heart: Vetiver, cedar wood
Base: Tobacco, walnuts, pepper, tonka bean

My post today draws attention to reformulation, former glory, and in some respects – moving on. For example, I refrain from saying Mitsouko is the greatest chypre in existence, but rather, it was. I own a parfum of Mitsouko dating from 2013. It is marvellous – it is a symphonic fragrance with movements so clear and so obvious it sings from the skin at a tight languid timbre. But I know that once upon a time it was better, and probably more dramatic and poising.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

The same is true for Guerlain’s Vetiver. Vetiver is vetiver. It either smells smoky in the style of Chanel’s Sycomore, clean like Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver or in between the two. This falls in the middle, contrasting between both labellings pleasantly with a blurry and crunchy angular-ness.

A revivified lemon opens, with a peppery tobacco note swirling around the predominant root note of vetiver. It begs the question, can dirt be clean? This smells of rich fertile soil dampened with crisp rainwater. Like rich green grass seen through a misty glaze, then eventually cut by warm crepuscular rays from the sun. Our opening accord is dispersive and wet, matured with a base of vetiver and spice. This is unfussy; lax unlike much of Guerlain’s uptight feminine works. It is a still, and somewhat tranquil piece of work as it is neither overly rough or overly smooth. It is merely balanced masterfully.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

But here’s my problem. Balance is great, but shock and awe is better. Chanel’s Sycomore excites me with its wood varnish quality. Terre D’Hermes presents a mineral flintiness unlike anything else. Do I have to love it? No. Rather, I should appreciate this scent for its historical importance and its reference value. On a critical level this is a linear perfume, spiced slowly and worn in with a dry cedar. The unctuousness is made refined, somewhat mellow in its progression; and yet despite this, it feels eternally thin, lacking a few features that cause great desire. Novel then (1959), and nowadays a traditionalist masterpiece that deserves nothing more than reverence. Guerlain paved the way for greats that have crafted vetiver masterpieces like Ellena, Ropion, Sheldrake, and Polge.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and What Men Should Smell Like
FragranceNet has $43/100ml before coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

All in all, Vetiver by Guerlain is solid and dependable; for the man who is comfortable in the background. This has an eternally redolent quality, reminding me of my grandfather who would come home smelling of lawn clippings and the industrial smell of fuel. Wear it throughout the working day and it will last all day long without any risk of offence or dangerous projection, as it should be.

What do you think of the Guerlain Vetiver? Masterpiece or Museum piece?
Liam x

All I Do Is Beach: Natalie: Another Perfume Blog

February 16, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Post by Natalie APB

Friends, it’s confession time! My name is Natalie, and I am no longer a perfume junkie. Since I closed Another Perfume Blog last year, my perfume consumption is down by approximately 1000%. So why am I writing a post for APJ? Well, first because Portia asked me to, and no one can say no to Portia. And second, because I do have a little area of specialization to share with you all: beach fragrances! Today I’m going to share my personal categories of beach perfumes, and my top favorite in each category.

Photo Stolen ManlyAustralia

Beach Fragrances 2015: All I Do is Beach

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 1: The Hawaiian Tropic

Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil is the iconic coconut oil beach smell. Unbelievably rich and full of creamy, coconutty lactones. This category of beach fragrances is also creamy and coconutty, but the best ones invoke some sourness to call up the smell of skin rather than dessert. My favorite in this category is from DSH’s Essence Studios: Hippie Chic. It’s heavy on black coconut and clove, and the longer I have my bottle, the more present the ambergris is. Longevity is excellent, and the heaviness of this scent does well on the beach (naturally) and on a hot summer night when you don’t plan to get home until dawn. If you can’t find Hippie Chic, try anything from Comptoir Sud Pacifique or Indian Coconut Nectar from Pacifica.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 2: The Bain de Soleil

Ban de Soleil is the sun cream that says “I’m European, bitch,” and so do the perfumes in this category. Less about coconut and less accessible than some other beach perfumes, they are all about solar notes. They can read as space-age takes on sunscreen (MiN New York’s Long Board is an amazing, wearable example) or simply as very chic. I go for the Guerlain’s Terracotta Le Parfum, where the solar notes are matched with spice and white flowers. The scent is elusive, but ce est les francais, non? Bobbi Brown’s Beach and CB I Hate Perfume At the Beach 1966 are a few others in this group.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 3: The Bronzer

For the beach bunny who could care less about sunscreen, and just wants to look (and smell) sexy, we look no further than Bronze Goddess. The Bronzers are the beach fragrances that makes everyone smell like a supermodel, and Bronze Goddess is the queen of them all. A perfectly balanced, sexy mix of coconut, white flowers, citrus, balsamic, and suntan oil notes. The poor longevity is actually a benefit, since it’s an excuse to re-mist yourself every few hours. I could recommend other “Bronzer” perfumes, but why would I? This category is owned by Bronze Goddess, folks.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Category 4: The Skinnydipper

These fragrances are all about summer nights. Nuxe’s Le Prodigiuex has an introspective feeling, spotlighting white flowers. Its longevity is incredible, especially if you buy the oil and use it in your hair. Or try the less subtle (but more fleeting) Guerlain Lys Soleia. And don’t miss the extra glam Michael by Michael Kors.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Which category of beach fragrances appeals to you, or do you not agree with my categories at all? Be sure to share your favorite beach frags, too (I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection, even if I’m not a real perfume junkie anymore)!

Natalie xx

SmackDown: Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria vs 4711 Acqua Colonia

January 29, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Willa Zheng

Hello Perfumistas,

In the quest for the perfect orange cologne to splash about in summer, I am smacking Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic (2007, Marie Salamagne) against its cheaper drug store dupe, 4711 Acqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil (2010) this month. To me, the perfect orange cologne is like mint julep on a hot day – refreshing, uplifting, but not cloying sweet.

SmackDown

Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Clementine, orange blossom, ivy, green tea, bitter orange
Heart: Peony, chamomile, mandarin orange, basil
Base: Sandalwood, amber

vs 4711 Acqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Blood orange, basil

SmackDown: The hit

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic opens as a blast of the sweetest, juiciest mandarin juice. Five seconds later, the bitterness from the rind emerges. And it continues to push through and dominate, until you’re like: ‘hold on, I’m smelling a bundle of kitchen herbs sitting next to a plate of oranges and mandarins on the kitchen table’. Mandarin notes are typically sweeter than orange notes, so it was an inspired idea to pair this with basil to temper the sweetness. The overall effect is cheerful, fresh but not cloying sweet.

Blood Orange and Basil opens as a blast of synthetic room-fragrance-like blood orange and alcohol.
It is sweeter and more bitter than Guerlain. Whereas a soothing blend of herbs like chamomile, green tea and ivy become noticeable in Mandarine Basilic after a few minutes, you can’t really detect the basil in 4711 unless you really look for that green note. To a blind sniffer, it is an uplifting, orange with jasmine scent.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

SmackDown: The wake

An hour later, my impression of Mandarine Basilic can be best described as sweet and musky. Fragrantica’s description of its middle notes is pretty apt. Yes, there is still the sweet juicy mandarin and herbaceous basil, but they’re now the supporting players to the chamomile and soft floral peony notes anchored by sandalwood and amber. Those notes set the soothing and comforting experience for the rest of the wear of this juice. Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is surprisingly tenacious for a citrus EDT. 6Hrs+

Unsurprisingly, you can’t really smell 4711 Blood Orange and Basil half an hour later. Junkies are advised to reapply to continue to enjoy the bursts of happiness.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

SmackDown: Verdict

Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is the clear winner for me, not just in terms of its longevity and complexity, but because it hums so soothingly, melding with the chemistry of the wearer. It’s an exemplary idea of what the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria line can achieve – creating beautiful, affordable, naturalistic fragrances from quality ingredients.

Surrender To Chance has Mandarine Basilic samples from $3/ml

In any case, if you’re after a flutter, 4711 is a cheap thrill that will bring a smile to most wearers’ face. Just keep splashing, baby.

What is your perfect orange?
Willa Zheng xox

Santal Royal EdP by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2014

January 23, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hello Fabulous Frag Heads,

I am a Guerlain creature. You know it. When they released Santal Royal I was so freaking excited because in my mind I was thinking the Australian sandalwood plantations are going gangbusters and that we would be getting a modern “next Gen’ look at Samsara. A beautiful creamy and delicious fragrance that would have me smelling like a very rich hippy just back from India via Paris.

Santal Royal EdP by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica giuves these featured accords in one line:
Sandalwood, leather, oud, neroli, cinnamon, rose, amber, musk

There has been a lot of hate for Santal Royal and I think our expectations we just too high, and saints preserve me but that bottle is to freaking die for. Don’t tell me that marketing plays no part in my buying, the black and gold flaccon is amazing. I got to hold one in Las Vegas at the Venetian Guerlain store. LOVE at first sight. we spritzed it and on me it was OK but Jin smelled absolutely fabulous in it all day. He already has Mona di Orio’s Oud so having this would be tautology.

Though I’m sure there is a bunch of sandalwood in there, and I will say the longevity is extraordinary, this is an oudh fragrance. Yes it is, sorry to say it. It’s very nice. It does have a story and it changes through time to something soft and very sensual but even to the bitter end I still get that oudh. Which I like very much but it’s not so groundbreaking that I feel the need to purchase because there are other oudhs in my wardrobe that I would reach for before it, even with that killer bottle.

Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml

Have you tried Santal Royal? How did it strike you?
Enjoy the ad,
Portia xx

Santal Royal – Eau de Parfum – GUERLAIN

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Guerlain

Vol de Nuit by Jacques Guerlain for Guerlain 1933

Vol de Nuit by Jacques Guerlain for Guerlain 1933

Vol de Nuit GIVEAWAY

HOW DO YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

LIVE

Fragrances For What Ails You: The Hangover Part 1

Fragrances for what ails you: The Hangover Part 1

Fragrances For What Ails You?

Fragrances For What Ails You?

Aqua Allegoria Teazzura by Guerlain 2015

Aqua Allegoria Teazzura by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2015

AQUA ALLEGORIA – TEAZZURRA – GUERLAIN

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2015 Perfume Reviews

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2015 Perfume Reviews

Vetiver by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1961/2000

Vetiver by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1961/2000

All I Do Is Beach: Natalie: Another Perfume Blog

Beach Fragrances 2015: All I Do is Beach

Beach Fragrance Category 1: The Hawaiian Tropic

Beach Fragrance Category 2: The Bain de Soleil

Beach Fragrance Category 3: The Bronzer

Category 4: The Skinnydipper

SmackDown: Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria vs 4711 Acqua Colonia

SmackDown

Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic

vs 4711 Acqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil

SmackDown: The hit

SmackDown: The wake

SmackDown: Verdict

Santal Royal EdP by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2014

Santal Royal EdP by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2014

Santal Royal – Eau de Parfum – GUERLAIN