Independent Perfumer

Karavanserai by Jocelyn Fullerton for Cult of Scent 2015 + DISCOUNT CODE

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Portia

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Hey there Indie Frag Lovers,

My mate Jocelyn is the perfumer at Cult of Scent. She is a fast talking, fun and passionate perfumer whose work is definitely Indie and really, really good. She was lauded by no less than Luca Turin in 2015 and we have written about others in the range here on APJ before. Here are links to those: Fire Amber Baby, Sweet Libertine, Something Beautiful and Hedonist.

So it was with real sadness that I read of the discontinuation of one of her best sellers Karavanserai……

From Jocelyn (edited): Just a heads-up folks. I am discontinuing Karavanserai. There is about 200mL left, then that’s it. I love it, but the Angelica root & Cedrat oils are hard to get good reliable stocks of, so it’s time to let it go. 
If you’ve been wanting to buy this dry herbaceous citrus cologne, now is your chance. 
To sweeten the deal, I am extending the DISCOUNT CODE APJ10 till the end of this month. 

Karavanserai by Cult of Scent 2015

Karavanserai by Jocelyn Fullerton

Fragrantica

Cult Of Scent gives these featured accords:
Cedrat, Vetiver, Angelica, Bulgarian rose otto, Frankincense, Cedarwood

So, how does Karavanserai smell? Imagine a cologne fragrance based around rose. I know, it’s simple but revolutionary. Well, it’s not merely rose. It’s mainly citrus with a lovely slightly salted dry grass that last and lasts. The rose seems to be more about the rosewood and sharp green rose flower than the usual fruity or honeyed variations of the theme.

Karavanserai is not a bit what I’d expect from something of that name. In my mind I expect a spicy frankincense blend full of hot wind and dry, straggly shrubbery. Maybe some camel or goat and the smell of horses and their tack. Interestingly the Persian word means the inn or stop where travellers could rest and recover from the day’s journey, not the caravan itself.

Wikipedia

Lasting power is excellent with the first hour having big sillage that softens off considerably for the rest of the ride. By 5 hours I can still smell the remnants and they still have a woody citrus wash about them. Very, very nice.

Nevertheless it is gorgeous and I’ve used quite a lot of my 8ml from my VAGABONDS CHOICE Travel Set.

Don’t forget the DISCOUNT CODE: APJ10 it works on the whole site till the end of January.

What would you expect to be the notes for something called Karavanserai?
Portia xx

 

 

BEST ONLINE DEAL: La Via Del Profumo

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Post by Portia

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Heya Bargain Shoppers,

Just got this in the mail. One of my favourite independent perfumers and the scents will blow your mind. I have a few bottles and two of these fabulous sample cases here at Chez Turbo and they often get an airing to recalibrate my fragrant expectations. Sometimes when I’m bogged down in the mire of conventional scent I open a sample pot of La Via Del Profumo and it reminds me that scent can be astounding, heartbreaking, beautiful and magical.

BEST ONLINE DEAL: La Via Del Profumo

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SAMPLES OF THE SCENTS OF THE SOUL

€ 33 DISCOUNT WITH 6 MINIS FROM THE SCENTS OF THE SOUL RANGE

1) The wooden box
2) A mini of your choice of € 18,00
3) A mini of your choice of € 15,00
For a total discount of € 33,00 Write the names of the two free perfume you want in the comment box of the order page

(This offer cannot be combined with Facebook discount)

I have just ordered myself another set too at La Via Del Profumo

African Night
Lake Flower
Pheromone (for men)
Rose Heart
Sea Wood
Tea of the Isles

Which ones look good to you?
Portia xx

 

DSH Perfumes News

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Post by Portia

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Hey Crew,

DSH Perfumes Newsletter came through. It’s chock full of exciting pieces of interest and I’ve edited it to my favourite pieces. There are even more great gifting ideas than these on the site and you can join up for newsletters when you make a purchase. It’s important to keep the Independent perfumers alive because that’s where the magic is happening.

I want to make very clear that I adore Dawn but we have no affiliation other than my profound respect for her & her work. This is not a paid ad, I just want to share the exciting news and the fabulous DISCOUNT CODE.

cid:ZHNoX2xvZ29fbG9uZ190cmFuc3BhcmVudC5qcGc$34882077$701137@mail

cid:c25vd2ZsYWtlX2hvbGlkYXlfaW1hZ2UuanBn$34882077$754429@mail

DSH Perfumes News

December 2016

DSH Perfumes & The Essense Studio annual THANK YOU SALE.
20% off from now through January 9 2017 with code: thanks2016 

New DSH Perfumes Website is here!

Announcing the launch of a brand new DSH Perfumes site that has been completely overhauled to make it simpler to see everything they do and offer, as well as navigate. Amazing features like a “First Time Shoppers Guide” to get you started, a new customized sampler set, the “Find your Essense” discovery set, where you give details about your preferences and DSH Crew select the best fits for you, and last but not least, a “voile” version of most fragrance designs to send products abroad with international ordering*. Woo Hoo!

HOLIDAY GIFT with purchase till December 30 2016
With every purchase of $100 or more receive a complimentary 10ml spray of DSH most popular fragrance, Special Formula X.

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 20161207_170223_resizedDawn & Mary from DSH Perfumes waving Happy Holidays!!

DSH Perfumes Holiday fragrance for 2016

Dark Moon

At the darkest times we need solace; comfort and warmth are paramount. The Dark Moon signals a new beginning…
For this Holiday fragrance, we chose an unusual balance of gourmand and chypre elements

vanilla_chantilly_banner2

Vanilla Chantilly:

The softest, most delicate vanilla skin scent with a hint of spice and chantilly cream… for when you just want a light and creamy veil of scent.

Axis Mundi:

A meditative incense design filled with resinous notes and a deep, smoky background. Perfectly unisex.
As the title states, the Axis Mundi is the cosmic center of the world; the link between Heaven and Earth.

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 NEW DSH Perfumes:

Souvenir de Malmaison;

a new twist on a romantic classic where spicy carnation and rose meet in an ambery, wood fragrance.

A famous rose was plucked then cultivated from Chateau de Malmaison; residence of famous lovers, Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte. A famous fragrance style of the early 19th Century, Malmaison is the spicy floriental style based on carnation, rose, spices, woods, and musk. .

Onycha:

(pronounced : On ee Ka) is ancient, mythic, and esoteric. It’s an aromatic that scholars merely speculate as to what it is. Some say a mollusc, others say benzoin, and yet others say labdanum. For our Onycha fragrance, we’ve used them all…and then some. A holy aromatic from antiquity used in the sacred incense of Solomon’s Temple.
What came from this inspiration is something smoky, rich, divine, and with a fascinating lilt that gives a clue to it’s oceanic origins.
A woody, creamy, rich, GOLDEN, incense oriental fragrance with subtle oceanic brine and animalic nuances in background.

Go check out the DHS Perfumes new website, it’s gorgeous and sleek.

I hope there’s something here for you. My favourite Christmas scent is Ma Folie de Noel (My Christmas Folly; Holiday no.6) by DSH Perfumes which is still available to buy. What’s yours?
Portia xx

Russian Festival Of Indie Perfumers 2016

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Post by Robert Herrmann

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Hello Fragrant Friends!

Today I’m looking at a few very interesting samples I just received, entries for the Russian Festival Of Indie Perfumes. How cool is that??!!

Russian Festival Of Indie Perfumers 2016

2nd Annual

Created and spearheaded by one of the leading Russian natural perfumers and authors, Anna Zworykina, the Russian Festival Of Indie Perfumers now enters its second year. This is a way for perfumers using natural and some synthetic materials to connect with perfume lovers world wide. Samples are sent out to reviewers and bloggers far and wide in the hopes of bringing attention to the vibrant and growing natural perfume scene in Russia.

anna-zworykina Anna Zworykina

The first festival was held last year with “Rose And Water” being the theme.

The 2016 theme is “Mad Tea Party” with tea being the prominent note, and the 25 perfumers involved were each given an arbitrary perfume classification (Black Tea Chypre, Green Tea Cologne, Black Tea Fougere et al..) and various types of tea (Green, White, Russian Black, Red Rooibos, Herbal, et al..), and just 11 weeks to create a natural perfume based on their given brief.

And may I just say that I love Tea-centric scents, so this was a no-brainer for me! Bring out the dancing Oolong perfume!!

russian-festival-of-indie-perfumers-2016Photo Donated Robert Herrmann

I’ve chosen a few to tell you about….

1.) Shambala by Galina Ani (Oriental Black Tea)

An easy love for me, this one was, with its tarry darkness and smoky Lapsang Souchong vibe. Imagine a pot of black tea brewing over a charcoal brazier, and that’s what this is. Really lovey, and brings to mind Gorilla Perfumes Breath Of God, but without the airy ozonic feel. Dries down to a warm ambery dried fruit scent. Loved it!

2.) Ginger Jasmine Tea by Anna Zworykina (Herbal Tea edc)

A perfect cologne for when the weather is warmer, resplendent with bergamot and citrus. A lovely and fairly straightforward men’s style edc. Classic citrusy (Yuzu?) bracing opening, settling down to a mossy green base. A non-indolic Jasmine, wild rose, spicy ginger, and incense hiding in the background. The citrus and jasmine lasted quite a long time on my skin, and was still evident upon awakening the next morning. Now THAT’S what you want from an edc… pretty, spicy, fresh, herbal and long-lasting.

3.) Japanese Linden Tea by Anastasia Denisenkova (Green Tea Fougere)

Exactly as you would expect a Japanese-themed tea perfume to smell. Minty cool and slightly mentholated, almost toothpaste but held in check by a gorgeous citrus and floral vibe. Light and ethereal, with linden blossoms falling from a tree and floating in a still clear pond. Mingling with the steam from a freshly poured porcelain cup of green tea, and the faint smell of tea cakes and rice powder. Yup, it took me there, and further. Gorgeous!

4.) Marsala Chai by Elena Markova (Oriental Black Tea)

Yes you read that right, MaRsala not Masala, this is a black tea to be sipped in the late afternoon, a tea meant to represent the ruby-red glow of the color Marsala, based on the wine of the same name. A black tea tinted with rose petals and redolent of ozymanthus, sandalwood, lychee, and benzoin among others. Slightly boozy and acidic floral note supported by citrus and wood. But aged wood, like the walls of the evenings paneled library where the steaming hot tea is served.

There are so many more to try, but I fear I’m getting tea drunk and might stay up all night!! Do you have any tea-scented perfumes you love? DO tell! But first, let me just put the kettle on…..

See you soon schnooki cookies,
Robert Herrmann

Coast Sydney: NEW True Collection Perfume Oil

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Post by Portia

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Hey there APJ,

You may already be aware of the Coast Sydney Candle Range. They are a cool crew with a natural leaning candle range using sustainable soy with no Paraffin and Palm Free. They use high quality fragrance oil or essential oils and a natural untreated woodwick that creates a soothing crackling sound. Cool stuff.

Go see COAST at their site.

tahiti-by-coast lost-city-of-petra-by-coastCOAST

Coast SUPPORTS: Women for Women International supports female survivors of war with tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self sufficiency. Two dollars from the sale of each candle will benefit Women for Women International.

Coast Sydney: NEW True Collection Perfume Oil

Got it? Great. So they have decided to create a new fragrance range, well priced stocking stuffers in rollerballs. Simple, wearable fragrances for day to day living. Perfect for handbags, beach totes, gymbags and for travelling. They are perfumed oils so instead of throwing the scent ahead of you it wraps itself around you in a soft focus, fragrant scarf or sarong, depending on your season. Now of you are a hardcore perfumista these may be a little simple and wearable for you, I get it. For anyone who wants to smell good for an excellent price then these are worth a sniff.

coast-perfume-true-collectionnice-jgCoast

Nice by Coast: True Collection Perfume Oil
Tuberose Touch

Top: Petitgrain, Clematis
Heart: Tuberose, Rhubarb, Ylang Ylang
Base: Peru Balsam, Patchouli, Vanilla

A green interpretation of tuberose that has a very crisp pettigrain keeping it interesting and refreshing while the ylang adds creamy tropical depths. Nice is about 250% better than I expected it be. I could easily imagine many of friends falling madly in love with this fragrance, mainly the women but there are a few men I think could rock it. Scott liked Nice the best and was very interested in knowing who the fragrance came from etc. when he smelled it. There is an underlying dissonance between the cream and the green that gives Nice frission. Base is a sweetened soft patchouli with creamy overtones.

coast-true-collection-bali-champaka-charm

Bali by Coast: True Collection Perfume Oil
Chempaka Charm

Top: Bergamot, Lime, Mandarin Red
Heart: Champaka  (White Magnolia), Nag Champa (Orange Champaka), Jasmine
Base: Violet Leaf, Clove Bud, Amyris Wood, Vanilla

Bali is my favourite of the True Collection. It smells to me like cuddling with someone wearing a tropical fragrance on a beach with a fire burning. For something that I expected to be a floral with vanilla undercurrent it’s a huge surprise. Smoky, sweet, spicy and aromatic Bali is totally unusual. Slightly challenging in its potency when your nose is buried into it but as a waft while you’re going about your day Bali is exquisite. It could very well make the perfect incense scent and wears like a sweet and floral incense. An overtly feminine incense that smells a bit raspberry-ish and the incense is spicy hot and still burning in the next room. As you can tell I really like it.

Want to try them? I have a bunch of samples to giveaway.
Portia xx

YouTube

Coast Sydney: True Collection GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Bali carded manufacturers sample
1 x Nice carded manufacturers sample
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 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 what perfume oils you like or which of this pair you’d rather try

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 4th December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 11th December 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

NEW! Chinchilla by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes 2016

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Post by Portia

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Hey there APJ Fumies,

Recently I got the DSH Perfumes Chroma Collection Sample Set and with it Dawn sent a sneaky extra of her newest baby Chinchilla. Are you ready to have your presumptions about fragrance challenged? Dawn has used honey in the most flagrantly animal composition I’ve smelled in ages.

Chinchilla by DSH Perfumes 2016

Chinchilla by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

chinchilla-dsh-perfumesDSH Perfumes

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Hyrax, ambrette (musk mallow), bergamot, vetiver, oakmoss, carnation, castoreum, rose de mai, cinnamon, civet, beeswax, gardenia, honey, musk, nard himalayan (jatamansi), tonka bean, white pepper

WHOOSH! Sweetest, amberish, animal, urinous, caramelised sugar, thick, glutinous, honeyed. The first few minutes of Chinchilla areas outrageously powerful. If the upper echelons were wearing something this over the top then they are animals making their territory, social X-Rays who need to smell like greed, power and hunger, people who want to put the frenemy off guard by smelling like a carnivorous beast. The first 15-20 minutes are so disconcerting and then suddenly everything blends and softens.

The change is remarkable because what was vaguely disturbing has now become plush and luscious. Still honey/animal sweet but now a little breathy and I can imagine this being the cuddly goodbye of a society mum going out for the night in her dress, fur, make-up, sparkling diamonds and hair French rolled. When she is perfected and ready to leave the house a triple spritz of perfume for her and a squishy hug and lipstick flavoured kiss for the kids. My Mum & Dad were never a super socialite couple but they had their fair share of grand evenings and events, especially around Dad’s Paralympics and Mum’s golf and I remember that last fragrant blonde mink tickle as she hugged and kissed me goodbye and my pyjamas smelling of Mum’s fragrance as I went to sleep.

chinchilla-by-dsh-perfumes-chinchilla-wikimediaWikiMedia

From DSH Perfumes: At the Grand Hotel, where the elite and gorgeously tailored meet for soirees, dancing parties, and other hedonistic (and luxurious) meetings, the elegant always wear their chinchilla.   Dreamily soft, sensuously cozy, and yet so chic; only the finest would do.
Our vintage-inspired Chinchilla is as sexy as the name implies, and imbues the wearer with the scent of warm skin, fur, and a cozy honey-musk animalic.    Go ahead…wrap yourself up in Chinchilla.

Recently I told Scented Hound that I keep imagining some top-flight male exec wearing it to work and leaving a steaming trail of broken hearts in his wake every day. It would definitely shake things up around the office.

Further reading: EauMG and Scented Hound
DSH Perfumes has Chinchilla starting at $6

INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING: Via Dawn: The new site is up AND that it is open to international shipping. 
We now offer voile formulations (same concentrations at the alcohol versions, just in IPM which isn’t flammable so we can ship it). The shipping is a flat rate of $55 **HOWEVER** if you are just getting small things or samples we will refund the rate to what it actually costs. It was the only way we could accommodate the international shipping.

Via rosarita313:  Dawn is having a sale through January 9, the code thanks2016 gets you 20% off the entire website.

Do you like the sound of Chinchilla?
Portia xx

Arbolé Arbolé by Hiram Green 2016

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Foggy November Greetings APJ!

Perfume Excitement

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I prefer not l to write about anything that I don´t own. There are however exceptions to every rule. I had an email from Hiram Green of Hiram Green perfumes informing me that there was a sample of his new perfume on its way to me. His work is consistently excellent and I have enjoyed each fragrance. Yesterday I had a call from a perfumista friend I trust one hundred percent, raving on about Arbolé Arbolé. And then I read Claire Vukcevic´s post, of Take One Thing Off and APJ. Shifting into perfume excitement mode, I waited anxiously for the postman.

arbole-arbole-hiram-green-val-cq

Arbolé Arbolé by Hiram Green 2016

arbole-arbole-hiram-green-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Patchouli, cedar, sandalwood, vanilla, tonka bean

“…… with the grey arm of the wind wrapped around her waist”

Arbolé, Arbolé takes its name from Frederico Garcia Lorca´s exquisite poem of the same name. It is new to me though written in 1955, and acutely expressive.
I wish I could read Spanish.

arbole-arbole-hiram-green-r-nial-bradshaw-girls-umbrella-wind-flight-flickrFlickr

Arbolé Arbolé is so impressive I am speechless, sat here with my head in my hands wondering what to write. My husband just yelled from the living room “nicht zerreden”. Which means don´t talk it to death. He also said to order a bottle. I have never smelled anything that is remotely similar. I have been wearing it for six hours now, longevity is great.

Hiram Green writes: “Arbolé Arbolé opens with a burst of earthy patchouli that slowly merges with dry cedar wood and velvety sandalwood. Vanilla and tonka bean anchor the fragrance and provide a sweet powdery base.” I guess he should know. Jump over to Hiram´s website and have a look.
Hiram Green are offering Arbolé Arbolé in a 10ml travel spray along with a full bottle AND what is particularly brilliant is that you can buy all of the HG perfumes in 10 ml travel sprays. Superb.

Our world has changed greatly since my last post. Political disaster encourages great music, so bring it on.
“Music is the emotional life of most people.” Leonard Cohen

Green Perfumed Bussis
CQ

PS. Hmmmmmm. A full bottle or 10mls, that is the question. I never order at night when the flesh is weak, tomorrow will tell. Watch this space!!

Arbolé Arbolé by Federico García Lorca, 1898 – 1936

Tree, tree
dry and green.

The girl with the pretty face
is out picking olives.
The wind, playboy of towers,
grabs her around the waist.
Four riders passed by
on Andalusian ponies,
with blue and green jackets
and big, dark capes.
“Come to Cordoba, muchacha.”
The girl won’t listen to them.
Three young bullfighters passed,
slender in the waist,
with jackets the color of oranges
and swords of ancient silver.
“Come to Sevilla, muchacha.”
The girl won’t listen to them.
When the afternoon had turned
dark brown, with scattered light,
a young man passed by, wearing
roses and myrtle of the moon.
“Come to Granada, muchacha.”
And the girl won’t listen to him.
The girl with the pretty face
keeps on picking olives
with the grey arm of the wind
wrapped around her waist.
Tree, tree
dry and green.

Fire Amber Baby by Jocelyn Fullerton for Cult Of Scent

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Post by Portia

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Heya Perfume Peeps,

One of the most gorgeous things about living in Sydney is the frag culture. We are not a huge section but we are all quite friendly and try to get together sometimes to sniff and laugh. Have you noticed that most perfume people are fun & gregarious and also it feels like most of us have known hard times but prefer to rise above them with humour & scent? I also love that we can do our connecting over the internet with the whole world at different times, perfect for anyone with sleep problems, new pets or young children. No one can judge your track suit or lack of clothing when you’re online at midnight in your time zone catching a breather from whatever has you up.

One of the women I really love to spend time with is Jocelyn Fullerton

Fire Amber Baby by Cult Of Scent

Fire Amber Baby by Jocelyn Fullerton

fire-amber-baby-by-cult-of-scent-picCult of Scent

Cult of Scent give these featured accords:
Amber, Labdanum, Incense resins

Thick, toffee, animal, vanilla, warmth like smoky fireside, fatty, deep, smooth, scratchy dry heat, beeswax, tree sap sweet like maple syrup.

Wearing Fire Amber Baby on a warm spring evening and it is blossoming like something from another era, another mindset, another culture. If thick, rich and luscious amber fragrances get your heart pounding then this will send you into fibrillation. A raw and sensual fragrance that is so different from the multitude of ambers I know & love. Crunchy and crackling like honeycomb doped into patchouli toffee and rolled in the vegetal animal grown of labdanum.

If you’ve ever looked through an amber brooch, one of the larger ones with bubbles and imperfections through it, at the sun then you may just know what the smell of Fire Amber Baby smells like.

fire-amber-baby-by-cult-of-scent-jacekabramowiczPDI

At once commanding and comforting the sheer range of nuance that I am noticing tonight in the warmth that I’ve never noticed wearing it in the cool. Yes, it’s still big and intricate in the cool but heat seems to make it jump and sparkle brilliantly.

A statement fragrance if ever there was one. Confidence and comfort radiate, maybe you would need to spritz the air and walk through the mist if wearing to work. Perfect for galleries, outdoors, club life and romance, though I would definitely wait an hour before going to dinner or a movie. It has real red dress, red carpet chutzpah.

fire-amber-baby-by-cult-of-scent-jennifer_lawrence_at_the_83rd_academy_awards-wikimediaWikiMedia

Further reading: Perfumes I Love
Cult of Scent has Fire Amber Baby from $37/8ml
Cult of Scent also have a 6 x Sample Set for only $40

What is your amber fragrance?
Portia xx

Sex and the Sea by + for Francesca Bianchi 2016

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Post by Claire Vukcevic

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Hello lovely-smelling APJ people!

I’m supposed to be writing an article on ambergris for Basenotes, but instead of finishing up, I keep ordering more samples of stuff I hear has ambergris in it, and so we are already at 6,000 words and counting….But I can’t help myself – I am simply fascinated with ambergris and how different perfumers choose to work with it (or a synthetic replacement).

Sex and the Sea by + for Francesca Bianchi 2016

sex-and-the-sea-francesca-bianchi-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Mimosa, pineapple, coconut, immortelle, rose, iris, sandalwood, myrrh, labdanum, benzoin, ambergris, civet, vanilla

Francesca Bianchi’s Sex and the Sea is a good example of how perfumers can take a material you think you know and find a completely new angle on it. Here, Francesca takes all the usual markers of tropicana (pineapple, coconut, lactones) and twists them into something far less comfortable than the creamy, sweet sun-tan oil smell we expect to smell.

Using a dry, urinous ambergris material (Cetalox, a synthetic replacement for ambergris), the fragrance drags the pineapple through salty sea water until it dries up into a weathered old fruit leather.

Imagine a pile of dried, salted pineapple mixed in with discarded coconut husks and ancient sea tackle, ropes, and flotsam washed up on the shore of an island somewhere. The heap of materials is dry and crusted over with salt, and if you get close enough you will notice a searing smell of old seagull piss, dry and ureic – not honeyed and wet.

sex-and-the-sea-20Francesca Bianchi

Underneath this dry, acid-toned salt-and-fruit-leather tangle, there is a queasily warm mix of milky lactones, fruit, and salt that comes off a little metallic and iodine-like. I’ve never smelled Secretions Magnifiques – not even by accident – but based on what I’ve read, I’d venture a guess to say that they are at least thematically related. Later on, there is a warm, unwashed body funk to this that is appealing.

Early reviews on Fragrantica are rhapsodic, with most pegging it to be a sexy or sensual fragrance. But I think that Sex and the Sea, while a very interesting way to use ambergris and pineapple, is not that easy or pleasant to wear. It contains a similar idea to Slumberhouse’s Sadanne, that is, a schmear of bright fruit over a layer of ambergris marine filth and bilge, but whereas Sadanne is sparkling and sweet, in Sex and the Sea, the result is far too urinous and tinder-dry to be a comfortable wear.

Longevity is everlasting. I would be surprised if cetalox ever truly dies on the skin or just eventually get scrubbed off. The kind of person I see enjoying this would be a fan of challenging perfumes that do animalic/sexy in a metallic, harsh, salty way.

sex-and-the-sea-13Francesca Bianchi

Hats off to Francesca Bianchi, though. She is certainly not playing it safe. Instead, she hands us a pile of salt-encrusted sea tackle and says, here, this is my idea of sex on the beach. It’s as far from the Eau des Merveilles take on ambergris as you can get, but, in my opinion, all takes on this fascinating material are welcome.

Further reading: Pierre de Nishapur
ParfuMaria has €98/30ml

What ambergris perfumes have you guys tried and liked?

Slán libh!

Claire

 

Claire also writes for Take One Thing Off

Celadon: A Velvet Green by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes 2007

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Post by Portia

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Hey Hey APJ,

It’s no secret that my favourite colour is green and for Dawn to have chosen Celadon, a colour I’ve always associated with the inside of our family home through the 1990s, seemed so coincidental that I was immediately drawn to it. Here’s an edited version of the sites take on The Chroma Collection: Created through a synesthetic approach, this series explores distinct “artist colors” (color pigments or paint that an artist would buy for their work) and a rather obscure textile color (that was all the rage with the 17th Century Paris – Versailles crowd). The CHROMA Collection was a top 5 Finalist for the 2015 Sadakichi (Experimental Use of Scent) Award given by the Institute for Art and Olfaction.

Celadon: A Velvet Green by DSH Perfumes 2007

Celadon: A Velvet Green by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

The Chroma Collection

celadon-a-velvet-green-dsh-perfumesDSH Perfumes

DSH Perfumes gives these featured accords:
Balsam Fir, Clover Leaf, Cucumber, Green Grass, Hay Absolute, Liatrix, Lime Peel, Narcissus Absolute, Orris, Orris Root, Tonka Bean, Violet Leaf Absolute

A soft focus green fragrance that is refreshing, smooth as the pale green pottery it’s named for, delicious as freshly laundered sheets and as comfortable as your favourite hoodie/jumper. A barely there whisper of spring that sings around you as ethereal as air, yet you are quite fragrant. I also smell some very low level ripe humanity down the back end of Celadon and I’m not sure where it comes from, maybe the Liatrix whose scent profile is said to run like tobacco, hay, coumarin and the narcissus absolute?

Dawn has a way with green fragrances, she works from Celadon which feels like the smoothest, lightest touch of green, like cutting hydrangea heads for the house to Giverny In Bloom which basically blasts the back of your head off with florists air-conditioned fridges.

Celadon is prim, elegant and refined. Imagine arriving at CHANEL No 19 after the top notes have burned off but before the oakmoss dry down appears.

celadon-a-velvet-green-by-dsh-perfumes-gres_chinois_guimet-wikipediaWikiMedia

 

From Wikipedia: Celadon is a term for ceramics denoting both wares glazed in the jade green celadon color, also known as greenware (the term specialists tend to use) and a type of transparent glaze, often with small cracks, that was first used on greenware, but later used on other porcelains.

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Fragrant Journey
DSH Perfumes starts at $6

Could you imagine yourself in the softest Eau de Nil green fragrance?
Portia xxx