BIRTHDAY TIME 2015!!!

September 25, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 59 Comments

Post by Portia

YAY!!! Out celebrating with the crew!
I wore:
SOTM: Midnight Oud by Juliette Has A Gun
SOTD: Vintage CHANEL No 19 EdT
SOTN: Blonde by Versace

BIRTHDAY TIME 2015!!!

It’s a great day to turn 47 and enjoying it with my mates. It’s also a good time to think about the many who didn’t last this long, thanks all for looking out for me in the whatever happens next.

For my birthday please close your eyes and think of three things in your life that you like or love. As simple as stationary or complex as partner.DO IT PLEASE.

Done it?

My gift to you is three things to be grateful for. HOW LUCKY ARE YOU?

Thanks for being my fragrant family. Each and every one of you has made this journey special so far, and it’s only just begun.
Portia xx

Romano Ricci and the Aussie launch of Gentlewoman for JHaG

April 21, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Romano Ricci and the Aussie launch of Gentlewoman

Breathe in deeply next time you put your nose near someone who is wearing fresh clean cotton clothing on a warm day, especially if they are wearing a citrus-based Eau de Cologne, like 4711, underneath. That innocent clean cotton scent mixed with citrus, a hint of musk and highly intriguing pheromones is largely my experience of Gentlewoman, the newest fragrance by Juliette Has A Gun.

Last month “We” (Clayton – What Men Should Smell Like, Catherine – Sydney Perfume Lovers Meet Up and Portia Turbo – APJ) met with Romano Ricci in Sydney, thanks to Agence de Parfums (Libertine Parfumerie). We started chatting as champagne was poured, with Romano requesting a ‘piscine’ – champagne on ice – apparently the “In” drink amongst champagne guzzlers in Europe. Romano was lovely, hilarious, and super handsome (we all noticed..!!) Easy to talk to, I enjoyed the facts he shared with us.

Romano does not like to talk about his “fragrance royalty” lineage, however we all know Nina Ricci is his grandmother – I found this picture(<JUMP) I think they look so similar!!

Romano initially avoided working in the fragrance industry, spending 10 years exploring alternatives, including racecar driving, however he was eventually drawn back to his roots. Romano has since forged his own unique pathway, developing his brand alongside a perfumery apprenticeship of sorts.

In 2006 the Juliette Has A Gun concept was born with Romano wanting to shake up the current world of Niche Fragrance. He wanted to “throw a rock in a pond” and become the alternative niche brand for fragrance connoisseurs. He describes his branding as “dynamic and punchy with the composition and quality of ingredients falling into niche.” Colette, one of the coolest stores in Paris, quickly became his first stockist.

Romano only wanted Francis Kurkdjian as his perfumer and asked him initially for two modern rose flower scents. Romano had no creative role in these and spent his time compounding (mixing) for Francis. The outcome was; Lady Vengeance; the sexy, deep rose. Strong, dark, sexual and powdered. Rose, vanilla, patchouli and musk provide a vibe of strong, sexually confident woman/man to me. AND Miss Charming contrastingly, the very pretty, innocent rose with its fresh dewy fruit-rose notes.

Romano felt ready to be the perfumer for the next release. He aimed to modernize aldehydes; he loves the volume and sophistication of fragrances such as Chanel no 5. It took 1.5 years to make the “chypre aldehyde with animalic dose” (fragrantica). Of the process he swears he “will never do it again, it took away part of my youth!!” I predict one day we will see more from this naturally gifted perfumer.

He explained his best selling, Not a Perfume, rumored to be just 1 ingredient, is in fact a musk molecule combination which is intensified with slowly developed back notes. The juice is macerated for 16 weeks!!

We asked why Calamity J had been delisted and Romano said “the fragrances decide and this one did not work” I have never smelt it and I am sad I may never get the chance!

Have any of you smelt any of the Juliette Has A Gun frags? Favourites? What did you think?
Ainslie Walker XX

Gentlewoman by Juliette Has A Gun

March 30, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 35 Comments

Hi Crew,

Having spent some time with the dashing Romano Ricci recently we were introduced to his latest offering, Gentlewoman. One of the things I really liked about meeting Romano Ricci was something that he said, he told us that while he created the fragrances he would often go and seek the help of other perfumers to bring his idea to completion. That kind of open honesty is both refreshing and virtually unheard of in this industry, he won me over in that moment. The fact that he was extremely handsome and an outrageous flirt had nothing to do with it at all….

Gentlewoman by Romano Ricci for Juliette Has A Gun 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, bitter orange blossom, neroli
Heart: Almond, courmarin, orange blossom, lavender
Base: Ambroxan, woody notes, musk

The humble cologne. So invigorating and refreshing. A hallmark of perfumery and still people are finding new ways to improve the genre.

Imagine citrus. All the parts of citrus. Tree, leaves, flowers, zest, pith, juice and body are all part of what makes me think citrus. It seems that Romano has wanted to show all facets of the citrus in one fragrance and not only to do that but then to add some almond in for good measure to mellow, buff and lactonate* what is mainly citrus.

Yes, we have lavender, also courmarin and super cuddly musks (Clayton knows the names of the molecules). Here we have a same same but different cologne. Firstly it LASTS for hours. One of my main problems with Eau de Cologne as a genre is having to tote around a 500ml bottle to respritz every 25 minutes. Secondly, we have a really interesting and enjoyable development that also has this divine almond note that makes the whole heart smell like an almond bread with zest! YUMMY! A dry yummy and not really a gourmand, except of course that it is strictly speaking gourmand.

What do I know? Don’t you want to try this hot little mother for yourself? See below…..

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon
First In Fragrance has €99/50ml (Available from mid May)
Libertine Parfumerie has AUD$205/100ml (In Stock Now! Including FREE Australian Postage!)

Good luck all,
Portia xx

Photo Stolen YouTube

Gentlewoman GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x decant Gentlewoman by Juliette Has A Gun (from my Press 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 comment with any reason you could be called a Gentleman or Gentlewoman

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Gentlewoman: Juliette Has A Gun #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3KA @LibertineParfum #Perfume @signoricci

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 2nd April 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 9th April 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.

lactonate: Yet again I have invented a word that means, in my head, adding a milky touch

Moon Dance GIVEAWAY WINNERS

March 16, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Hi There APJ Family,

Great turn out for this beautiful scent. Thanks again to the incredible Nick at Libertine Parfumerie for his continuing generosity and support. He does so much to keep niche going in Australia. 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. Lately Nick’s buying power has become so good that some (not all) of his products are the same numerical value as you would buy them for in the USA, that means with the current Aussie dollar that they are in fact 15-20% cheaper!!! AMAZING! Also any purchase over $100 gets FREE shipping within Australia.

Let’s find out who won….
Portia xx

Moon Dance GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Tuberose, rose, violet
Base: Patchouli

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Moon Dance by Juliette Has A Gun (from my broken Press bottle)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID 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

Tell me a Juliette Has A Gun story or a new fragrance that speaks to you of the past glory of perfumery.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Moon Dance: Juliette Has A Gun #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3H9 #Perfume @signoricci @JulietteHasaGun

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 15th March 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen thegarfieldshow-diary

SunMiSun (via Twitter)

Willa

Sherry Parker

The winners will have till Thursday 19th March 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.

Moon Dance by Juliette Has A Gun 2014

March 13, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Hey there Frag Family,

We got to spend the afternoon with the gorgeous Romano Ricci today. He was handsome, rumpled, friendly and flirty. Who are we? Ainslie Walker and Catherine de Peloux Menage from APJ, Clayton Ilolahia from What Men Should Smell Like and Yelena from BeautyDirectory. Nick was there from Libertine Parfumerie because he imports JHaG to Australia and the great girls of ÉLYSÉE COLLECTIVE promotions.

We were the last group of the afternoon and it was champagne all round, a fun and friendly vibe and Romano was very happy to have a group who knew fragrance and could talk intelligently with him on his subject. Our half hour stretched into one and a half hours and we had a wonderful time. Romano Ricci is charming, so freaking charming.

Moon Dance by Juliette Has A Gun 2014

Moon Dance by Romano Ricci

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Tuberose, rose, violet
Base: Patchouli

Released in 2014 and created by Romano Ricci with a little help from his friends Moon Dance, and its 2013 sister Oil Fiction, is so far sideways to the Juliette Has A Gun aesthetic that I’m surprised he didn’t start a new brand line rather than calling it the Luxury Collection. I’ve always felt that the Juliette Has A Gun label was heavily marketed to working Goths, a dark edged house with well put together and presented fragrances. I have slightly missed Romano’s point though. He tells us that he wanted Juliette to stand for the ill fated Shakespearean heroine and the gun to be her polar opposite but when working together create a new, powerful woman for which such tragedy could be avoided. My limited experience though tells me that a world without guns would be a better place.

When I spritz the bergamot fizzes off in an instant and I have a lush, slightly metallic bouquet with a waxy overtone that I would normally associate with saffron or orange blossom. My skin plays silly buggers with fragrance as you may know and even Romano was surprised how his fragrances live on my skin. What Moon Dance does smell is expensive and elegant, a nocturnal wander through the dream of an island paradise. The tuberose is fatty and yet the rose makes it crisp, the violets play a very lovely background, all is underpinned by animal and I am in paradise. The modern patchouli is sheer and I get very little of the murky depths that I often associate with it, here it is bathed in moonlight and twined through with night blooming flowers that call their seductive siren song. Moon Dance is the call of the temptress: a fairy queen that beguiles and calls to you through her glamour to come die in her embrace as she feeds off your spirit. Irresisistable, you will gladly succumb.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: Grain de Musc and Colognoisseur
LuckyScent has $285/75ml
Libertine Parfumerie has $350/75ml with FREE Australian Shipping!

Are you ready to be tempted by the newest of the luxury Collection for Juliette Has A Gnu? The incredible Nick at Libertine Parfumerie gave me a bottle that had been dropped and the spritzer broken, it was the work of a moment to wrestle the top off and decant for you all to have a chance at winning some below.
Portia xx

Photo Stolen YouTube

Moon Dance GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Moon Dance by Juliette Has A Gun (from my broken Press 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 so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell me a Juliette Has A Gun story or a new fragrance that speaks to you of the past glory of perfumery.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Moon Dance: Juliette Has A Gun #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3H9 #Perfume @signoricci @JulietteHasaGun

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 15th March 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 19th March 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.

Gabriella’s Top-Five Rose Scents 2015

March 5, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello fragrance friends! While I’m a huge floral lover, I’ve got to say that when it comes to rose, I’m pretty finicky. I tend to love darker, spicier roses or those with a chypre edge rather than the perfumes that make you feel like you’ve stuck your nose into a big bouquet full of blooms. It’s ironic really as the rose is where perfume all started for me. As a young girl (I’m quite sure many of you did this too) I decided to create my own perfume by plucking the petals off Mum and Dad’s rose bushes and soaking them in water, desperately hoping I’d get some glorious ladylike scent in the process. What resulted was a rank and fetid smelling water, but thank god, this did not put me off perfume or roses forever.
My favourite rose perfumes smell much more glorious than those failed experiments, so without further ado, I present to you:

Gabriella’s Top-Five Rose Scents 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

1. Paris by Sophia Grojsman for Yves Saint Laurent 1983

Fragrantica gives these accords:
Top: Bergamot and violet
Heart: May rose and iris
Base: Sandalwood

The formative rose. I was 14, I wanted to be all woman and this bold, shapeshifting scent in its iconic pink and black topped bottle was it. Paris, now vastly reformulated and lost in a mass of flankers, was a mesmerising concoction of violet, rose and iris, that managed to be bold and confident but demure and sweet all at the same time. I wore copious amounts underneath my school uniform and how I didn’t get expelled for overpowering the whole school with my sillage, I’ll never know.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This

Fragrancenet starts at $43.99/30ml before coupon

Surrender to Chance starts at $3.00/ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

2. Stella by Jacques Cavallier for Stella McCartney 2003

Fragrantica gives these accords:

Top: Rose oil, peony and a gentle touch of fresh tangerine

Heart: Rose

Base: Amber

The funny-story rose. I started to wear Stella around the time I was dating Mr M the first time around many years ago. I asked him what he thought of the green-tinged, but voluptuously warm amber rose creation. He said: “Smells like Grandma.” So, I stopped wearing it and it became my very expensive room spray. But then, every time Mr M came round, this is what my place and I smelt of. So, it was to my amusement a month or two later that he presented me with a bottle, completely forgetting the backstory and thinking that he done something wonderfully romantic because it “reminded him of me.”

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This

Escentual starts at GBP35.70/30ml

Surrender to Chance starts at $3/ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

3. Agent Provocateur by Christian Provenzano for Agent Provocateur 2000

Fragrantica gives these accords:

Top: saffron

Heart: Magnolia, Indian jasmine and gardenia blend together with strong woodsy-chypre scent

Base: Amber and musk notes

The va-va-voom rose. I tried Agent Provocateur firstly because the whole ethos of the scent was something I had to have. I was called “cute” even at age 30 and I all I wanted to be was a sexy and sultry goddess. The first whiff of Agent Provocateur had me in a spin because I had smelt nothing quite like it. A dark woody and utterly captivating chypre rose that says strength and sex all at the same time.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Dear Scent Diary

Fragrancenet starts at $33.99/50ml before coupon.

Surrender to Chance starts at $3/ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

4. Lady Vengeance by Francis Kurkdjian for Juliette Has A Gun 2006

Fragrantica gives these accords in one line:
Italian rose, vanilla and patchouli.

The surprising rose. As I said, I’m finicky about rose. I’m also especially finicky when it comes to patchouli and as for vanilla and gourmands, they are usually no-go zones, but Francis Kurdjian has managed to create something with all four that I adore. It’s a sweet but dark rose that manages to be both pretty but voluptuous and vivacious at the same time with glorious sillage and lasting power.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Katie Puckrik

Libertine Parfumerie has $186/100ml

Surrender to Chance starts at $3/ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

5. Gris Montaigne by Francois Demarchy for Christian Dior La Collection Privee 2013

Fragrantica gives these accords in one line:
Bergamot, rose, patchouli, amber, cedar, sandalwood and oakmoss.

The new rose. I enter the Christian Dior boutique expecting it would be New Look 1947 or Grand Bal I would buy as my upcoming birthday present. And although I’d smelt them before, I was underwhelmed as I stood there, nose to wrist. The SA kept pushing me towards Gris Montaigne with the assurance that “This is the one for you.” One sniff and my eyes rolled back in pleasure as I softly cooed. Gris Montaigne is surprising, because, if you read the notes, one would expect a spicy chypre rose a la Agent. What it actually is a very pretty, sparkling and sophisticated rose bouquet that is imminently wearable and utterly special.

Further reading: Kafkaesque and Cafleurebon

Christian Dior Boutiques have $335/125ml

Surrender to Chance starts at $3/ml

So, do you like any of my choices? Is rose love it or leave it for you? If you like rose, what are your faves?

With much love till next time!
M x

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2014 Perfume Reviews

March 23, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 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. Yes, we can grab a white floral to really ring in Spring or remember Spring in Autumn but then it’s also nice to spritz a heavy amber on those super cold nights and a sweet fizzy citrus will work almost anytime. 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 fortnight without attention they go back in the cupboard.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2014 Perfume Reviews

24 Faubourg EdT – Hermès: White flowers and fruit that melt into ambery goodness. How can you resist this lovely gem from Hermès. Every time I spritz it I wonder why I don’t do it every day. I love the bottle, that it’s Hermès and that I smell fantastic for 4-6 hours.

Anyway – Juliette Has A Gun: ADDICTIVE!! Beware Anyway. Nothing like I’d ever thought I wanted to smell. A citrus and, though it doesn’t say it anywhere, pineapple concoction that heads into woods and oudh territory throughout its life. the ultimate drag queen fragrance, so feminine and butch at the same time.

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.

Mohur – Neela Vermeire Creations: The headiest, most complex and wonderful rose there is. Surrounded by interesting other notes and accords but it is the rose that shines through for the whole of Mohur’s life. I am crazy for this fragrance and can’t wait to have a Mohur Extrait bottle.

Shalimar EdP – 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.

Sharp – Andrea Maack: A new entry into my life in FB. I am enjoying Sharp a lot. Weird, synthetic orange blossom packed tight with musks and an ambery vanilla, all washed over by an unearthly metal/marine accord that is both enticing and repellent. Sharp is both the freshness of Spring and the coming darkness of Autumn.

Skin on Skin – L`Artisan Parfumeur: Skin on Skin is an interesting fragrance, poo poo’d by many of the fragrance intelligentsia because of it’s similarity to Traversee du Bosphore. I have now spent time wearing both, though not simultaneously, but I like the plastic saffron edge and the cool suede. There are more similarities between Bottega Veneta and Skin on Skin to my nose and Iris Prima has some too. I spritz Skin on Skin a LOT.

Vanille & Narcisse – L’Occitane: So you want something cheap and cheerful? Something that has the narcissus of spring and the vanilla of autumn? Look no further. Vanille & Narcisse is wearable, pretty, inexpensive and a great wear. This is one I would recommend as a gift for any non perfumistas and many who are. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

Wild Ginger Chai – SOIVOHLE: The sweet, spicy, ginger and milk opening. The dry, black tea smell and the memories of India. I love Liz Zorn’s work, she captures my imagination every time and her prices are so freaking reasonable for fragrances that are world class. Yum.

So there they 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.

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

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Anyway GIVEAWAY WINNERS

March 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Anyway GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 5 winners who will each receive:

1 x 10ml decant of Anyway by Juliette Has A Gun
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 2nd March 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen shannonmayer

Jaybee, Katherine Mittas, Azar,

LeanS12 (via Twitter), Damir Gašljević (via twitter)

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winners will have till Friday 7th March 2014 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.

Special THANKS to LibertineParfumerie for these amazing giveaways. Please visit their site because they are so generous and helpful. If you wonder why they are sometimes more expensive than the discounters or OS retailers it’s because they are the only licensed company selling their fragrances in Australia; where you know you are buying new, fresh and genuine product. The cost of importing, and buying the right to import, alcohol based fragrances (and having the right to send alcohol based fragrances throughout Australia, which are illegal to send in the Australia Post air system) is expensive and they must cover their costs to bring you these luxury goods.

Anyway by Romano Ricci for Juliette Has A Gun 2013

February 28, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Woo Hoo!

I am back on board and in the swing of things again. Life has been quite hectic playing catch up after nearly 4 weeks away. Today I payed as many bills as I could and am left with a much diminished pile of outstandings and none of them are overdue!! It feels really good, though I won’t be buying any fragrance bottles in the next couple of months

Often I write of my mate Nick from Libertine Parfumerie, he is regularly in touch with new stuff and sometimes sends APJ product for giveaways. He doesn’t have to do it and it always brightens my day to get a package from him. 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. Lately Nick’s buying power has become so good that some of his products are the same numerical value as you would buy them for in the USA, that means with the current Aussie dollar that they are in fact 10-15% cheaper!!! AMAZING!

Anyway by Romano Ricci for Juliette Has A Gun 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Neroli, lime
Heart: Jasmine
Base: Musk, hedione, woody notes, ambrox

What was I expecting here? I’m not sure but reading some reviews I was ready to instantly hate Anyway, let’s face it the name is appalling. A throwaway name for what I expected to be a throwaway fragrance. And yes, I get that “Anyway, Juliette Has A Gun” is supposed to be amusing but if less people had guns, and they were harder to get, there would be a far less mass murders done by mad (in both senses of the word) people. I wasn’t even going to try it until Anyway turned up in my postbox and then I thought “What the hell? If I’m going to give some away then I better have a wear of it and see what it’s like.”

Weirdest thing, it starts out SO FREAKING FRUITY. I know I’m supposed to be smelling citrus but I get pineapple, melon, strawberries and it’s jammy too. WOO HOO! It’s like Carmen Miranda’s hat, a Peter Allen showtune and RuPaul all rolled into one. Wildly fruity and feminine. ARARARARrRrRriiiIBAA! Cha cha cha! Normally I hate this kind of thing but for some reason Anyway strikes me as super fun. The opening is almost as outrageous as Bombay Bling on my skin but feels more sticky sweet, less grounded, younger. I like it. It stays around for quite a while in this weird, outrageous, camp, fruity melange. Anyway is completely Drag Queen fragrance and wearing it both last night and tonight at work it garnered some compliments from the crowd, through the whole evening.

Photo Stolen Flickr

As the fruit burns low after about an hour to two hours there is a very interesting woodsy/oudh-ish waft that becomes slowly more apparent, like there are two fragrances on me. A celebuscent and a Middle Eastern rose/oudh oil. I get to smell this for a short while and then it disappears completely from my ability to smell it until I am smelling something else like the hotel’s kitchen, bathroom or even sitting next to someone whose fragrance is quite different, then all of a sudden I notice the whole Anyway fragrance again. Other people can still smell it though because the compliments continue, and it must have an excellent sillage because it’s usually as I’m wandering through the crowd at Trivia that I get three or four people past them and then they’ll compliment. Interesting.

I get occasional wafts of it when I’ve come home after work too, that’s around 6 hours, and beyond but I cannot tell you what it smells like exactly except kind of woodsy? Anyway, you should try it. I like it so much that I’m going to keep the bottle but we do have an amazing giveaway for you all below. Good Luck.

Portia xx

Further reading: The Candy Perfume Boy and Katie Chutzpah
Libertine Parfumerie has $186/100ml (with Australian delivery included)
Surrender To Chance has $23/4 x 2ml JHaG manufacturer carded samples (Anyway, Calamity J, Miss Charming, Romantina)

Photo Stolen kbaird

Anyway GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 5 winners who will each receive:

1 x 10ml decant of Anyway by Juliette Has A Gun
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

Go to Libertine Perfumes<<<JUMP and find me a fragrance and one of its notes. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @JulietteHasaGun ANYWAY GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2wf #Perfume #Giveaway @LibertineParfum

HOUSEKEEPING

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November Sample Challenge Part 1

November 12, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello fragrance lovers!

Late last month one of my friends on the Aussie Fragrance Network Facebook group invited people to participate in a sample challenge. For the whole month of November, we were to wear a sample of a different scent each day. I thought it was a great idea, given I have oodles of samples and never seem to get through many before I order more. Here’s my diary of week one.

November Sample Challenge: Gabriella’s Week 1 diary

Photo Stolen Naomi King Flickr

Friday, November 1: I decide to ease myself into this challenge by choosing a tuberose: Nasomatto Narcotic Venus. Turns out to be a bad choice. I’ve sampled it before and always had the same emotional reaction: anger. Why? Because to me this is an overpriced, poor imitation of Michael Kors Michael with a cheap metallic edge. Michael is so much smoother and rounder and about a quarter of the price of this. Enough said.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Saturday, November 2: I pop on some Juliette Has a Gun Miss Charming this morning and it’s a great choice for a sunny Saturday – a pretty, wearable rose, I really like it. After a shower, I stay scent free as we’re heading into the city and I want to test a couple of things. (Testing is the same as sampling surely?) I try the Frederic Malle Dries van Noten and its Eau de Wet Cardboard. Lipstick Rose graces the other arm (slightly cheating here as I have owned a bottle of this) and it’s not working either. The grapefruit is so loud today it’s almost nauseating.

Sunday November 3: Wake up with serious spraying envy today. My bottles are sitting on my dresser, winking at me, mocking me. Surely, surely it wouldn’t be too bad to have one teensy spray would it? I pick up my Tubey Crim, ease the cap off and…..

“Oi! Put that DOWN!”

Damn, I thought Mr M was downstairs.

“That’s cheating M. Wear a sample.”

Ok. I put the bottle down and smile sheepishly like the naughty child that I am.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

My sample of Maitre Parfumeur et Gantier Secret Datura restores my mood immensely. It’s a softer, sunnier take on datura than Serge Lutens Datura Noir. In the evening, I choose Guerlain’s Cruel Gardenia which is a pretty, powdery floral. It’s nice but my skin eats it up in five seconds.

Monday, November 4: I wake up with renewed vigor for the challenge. After all, it’s only a month, surely I can do it. Its Costes 2 today. I love it and wonder why it doesn’t get the same love as the original. I’m sitting at work in my soft, cuddly, cinnamon and spice haze when something-that-would-usually-be-good-but-is-the-worst-thing-ever-for-a-sample-challenge happens. The bottle of Fleur de Liane that I ordered recently arrives. Argh! No, no, no, no, no! MUST. NOT. OPEN. BOTTLE. Must be good, must be good and stay strong, stay focused. I feel like I’m in the perfumed equivalent of those temptation challenges on The Biggest Loser. Do I? Do I? Luckily, I’m at work and won’t have to face this till I get home.
*****
Bugger, so I did succumb. I am the bloody weakest link. But I remedy my lapse by wearing the two samples that were sent with the bottle: L’Artisan Skin on Skin and Caligna. Ewww! These are dreadful and I scrub them straight off. Placate myself by wearing the sample of Honey Miss Portia sent me and this is yum. Go to bed happy.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Tuesday, November 5: Chanel 31 Rue Cambon. Stunning. I’ve sampled before and each time I ask the same question: Why do I not have a bottle of this?

Wednesday, November 6: Sick in bed. Feeling that dreadful that I really don’t want to wear perfume today (that’s saying something), so I don’t.

Thursday, November 7: Still not well, but the arrival of my Luckyscent October sample pack lifts my spirits. Fresh meat, goody! By the afternoon, I’m feeling well enough to tackle them head on. Amouage Fate Woman wins my heart immediately. It’s such an enigma of a fragrance and absolutely outstanding. I love the chili in the opening and even though it’s gourmand in the dry down, I really love it.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Friday, November 8: The beautiful opening of Indult’s Manakara captures my heart: it’s a simple mix of rose and lychee, but it just gets too sweet in the drydown. Revisit Amouage Fate again in the evening and still love it so much that I’m already getting sad at the sample disappearing.

Week one has been fun, but it’s made me realise that dabbing on samples doesn’t give me the same emotional impact as spraying from a decant or a bottle. Having said that, it’s been interesting to wear something different each day.

Photo Stolen OakleyOriginals Flickr

So, APJ readers, could you wear only samples for a whole month? How would you tackle this exercise? Would you make a plan or go random? Do you have any tips for the remaining weeks?

With much love till next time!
M x