L’Occitane Cedrat

June 4, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 32 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello APJ Fragrant Family,

This week I am dedicating APJ to a GIVEAWAY WEEK! Yes, every day for six out of seven days there will be a 24 hour GIVEAWAY. That’s right, you’ll have 24 hours to get your comment in and then it will be drawn. Enter every day if you like but only one comment per day. Got it?

Cedrat by L`Occitane en Provence 2015

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citrus notess, cedrat bark, bergamot
Heart: Nutmeg, blue ginger
Base: Cedar, cashmere wood

You may know I’m partial to a bath. Cedrat Shower Gel is one of my go-to bath time bubble and cleansing gels. I was sent one bottle when it was released, bought and used a second and now am going to grab myself a third bottle (only $29/250ml at L’Occitane Australia). The scent is beautiful, it foams excellently, leaves my skin soft and with the merest hint of fresh citrus zing. Perfect as a base because so many fragrances contain a citrus element. I have also used one of the soaps and loved it too.

Cedrat gives me a very fresh burst of citrus and a little of the cedar from my bathing. The EdT is a lot more nuanced and has a lovely spicy woods kick that smells very cologne-ish but lasts longer. A lovely vibrant, energised fragrance that I could imagine becoming a go-to daily scent for work and play. After a couple of hours the citrus has burned off leaving a crisp smoky wood that is a bit like pencil shavings but a little creamier.

L’Occitane Australia has all these beauties

A special thanks to Lesley at L’Occitane Australia for her generosity. XXXXX

L’Occitane Cedrat GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive over $100 of product:
1 x 100ml Eau de Cedrat EdT (missing a few ml from testing)
1 x 150ml Cedrat Shave Foam
1 x 100g Cedrat soap
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 us a fragrance that energises you….

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close TOMORROW Sunday 5th June 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 8th June 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.

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2016 Perfume Reviews

March 26, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Post by Portia

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 2016 Perfume Reviews

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, which are being used much faster than expected.

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.

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: A great L’Occitane cheap and cheerful fragrance! Spring has definitely sprung. The pithy neroli so green and furry foloowed by a very pretty and slightly breathy bouquet that dries out to soft nutty woods & white musks. This is one of the few in the Collection de Grasse series that is being maintained, PHEW!!

Niki de Saint Phalle**: I can’t stop wearing this glamorous green. Currently the bottle on my desk is a splash one and I like to use the Niki de Saint Phalle Bath Oil while bathing before wearing it. 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.

Mohur EdP – Neela Vermeire Creations: Mohur is back in the list, I can’t get enough of this lavish rosy kaleidoscope a fragrance. The stunning roses, resins and herbs opening that segues to a spicy bouquet before the sweet vanilla, woods and resins take me to close. AWESOME! I also have the Extrait but the EdP is the one I reach for most.

Shea Fabulous Oil – L’Occitane: If you don’t have this and you like to have smooth, glistening skin and to smell like a tropical island princess then get out of your seat and run to your nearest L’Occitane store. I have never EVER received so many compliment for how good I smell or how soft and gorgeous my skin is. Hot or cold it’s a winner.

Joy EdT + Parfum – Jean Patou: That ridiculous swirl of jasmine, ylang and aldehydes that becomes a rosy, white floral bouquet over sandalwood. Honestly I don’t smell the notes anymore I smell joy. It brings me joy. The vintage EdT is nearly finished and the Parfums get sneaky little swipes or spritzes ; yes there are spray and splash on the desk. Perfect bedtime fragrance.

Truth or Dare – Madonna: Not long ago I panic bought a bunch of the sets on deep discount because I thought it was the end. So now I can have a bubble bath, moisturise and spritz the EdP to my hearts contentment. I think its the best big white floral of all time, and costs nothing. LOVE IT!

Giverny In Bloom – DSH Perfumes: My 10ml is nearly empty. I think I’m going to have to order 100ml and soon. You have no idea how beautiful Giverny In Bloom is. Both dry and wet, like putting your head in a florists fridge and licking the metal doors. Galbanum rules this baby but Dawn has surrounded her star with beautiful back up dancers.

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

Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2013
Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2014
Top 10 Spring/Autumn Fragrances 2015

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

***Third year in the Top 10
**Second year in the Top 10

L’Occitane Collection de Grasse Discontinuations

March 18, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Crew,

It’s a sad day when the discontinuations are whispered around the frag FB pages. Just this week I got word that the Collection de Grasse is going to have most of its fragrances cut and their body products. GAK! I loved this line so much and regularly spritz and use the shower gels. I even went to the Australian L’Occitane website to panic buy and a couple of the things I love are already gone. It means In Store Shopping required.

L’Occitane Collection de Grasse

Discontinuations

I don’t have supported evidence but word on the FB pages cites rising costs, drop in sales volumes and some other things I don’t remember. I get it, you’re a business. Still I’m a little sad. Ambre & Santal, Vanille & Narcisse, Iris Bleu & Iris Blanc and most of the rest are on the chopping block. Get in quick if any of these are favourites.

Cedre & Oranger gone

Vanille & Narcisse gone

One bright light is that one of my favourites is staying: Neroli & Orchidee is keeping its place in stores and I have bought a back up of the fragrance and two of the shower gel. That should see me alright. Also Green Tea & Bigarde and Jasmin & Bergamot are staying, so if these are your Go-To fragrances then you are safe.

Neroli & Orchidee stays

Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but there is also good news. I am reliably told that there are a slew of fabulous new fragrances coming through for Christmas 2016. Looking forward to that.

What is your favouritre L’Occitane?
Portia xx

Beauty Surprises: Finding The Good Shit!

March 13, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Post by AF Beauty

Beauty Surprises

L’Occitane

I had been reading online about the shower oil from L’Occitane, so on my recent shopping trip I popped in store and had a look at the oil with a plan to purchase. When I arrived and checked out the oil, first there was a sharp intake of breath at the price and then a furrowed brow at the packaging.

The oil was in a container with a press lid, that looks like this. I wasn’t impressed, so much so that I didn’t make the purchase. These sorts of lids make product dispensing almost impossible and if I dropped the bottle in the shower it would surely spill oil everywhere and I would likely slip and die, only to be eaten by the cat. Death in mind, I moved on.

Finding The Good Shit!

L’Occitane

However, I had the idea of oil in my head, so I carried on looking around and found this body oil, aptly named Shea Fabulous Oil. Here, breath intake was even sharper for this costs an eye watering $45. But for me, so far, it is worth every cent. The oil is designed for use on hair and body, I’ve not used it on my hair, but my body has had a good lathering. My usually flakey and scaley legs have been transformed. For the first time in a long time, I have legs that look like they belong on my body and aren’t some lost limbs of an aged dinosaur.

Priceline

I have been raving about this oil, mostly to myself, for the last couple of weeks, but I wasn’t necessarily convinced that *this* particular oil was that special, (hi, my name is AF Beauty and I’m a cynic.) so I went off and found a cheaper option and found this Garnier Ultimate Beauty Oil costing $12. At face value, this oil isn’t too bad. It promises to be a dry oil, not affect your clothes and to moisturise the skin. I used this after the gym for the first time and it was good. It is light and my skin did feel smooth after using it. As I’ve been using the Shea oil for a few weeks already, I can’t say at this point whether it would have had the same long term effect – I will have to wait until the Shea is all used to answer that. *BUT* I did notice, that despite saying it was a dry oil, the Garnier oil did linger on the skin a bit too much, to the point where I couldn’t cross my legs without them feeling very greasy – a feeling I don’t get from the shea oil and it’s a horrible feeling.

I really can’t recommend the L’Occitane Shea Fabulous Oil enough, it is truly a surprise find for me that has been well worth the cost. One of my favourite things about beauty products is finding that one that surprises and delivers more than you ever expected, it is an unusual treat.

What products have you found that have surprised and delighted?

Eau de Cédrat by L’Occitane 2015

January 22, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Portia

When Eau de Cedrat (I call it Cedrat in my head, so we’ll use that for this post). When Cedrat was first released by L’Occitane I was given some of the range to try. I kept the Shower Gel and Soap for myself and gave the rest to friends or in giveaways so other people could try the products and give me feedback. One person said they are so impressed that they already went to a L’Occitane store and purchased more of the range, another friend loves the fragrance and has used quite a bit of his bottle and I went and repurchased at full retail a new shower gel.

Eau de Cedrat by L’Occitane 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cedrat bark, bergamot
Heart: Blue ginger, nutmeg
Base: Cedar, cashmere wood

Currently I have drenched myself in Cedrat to combat the humid night heat we are having in Sydney at the moment. Don’t misunderstand me, I love the heat and relish the Sydney summer. Night time though I find it hard to sleep in muggy heat, it’s 1am and still 21C (70F) with 86% humidity so I’ve slipped into my office and spritzed liberally. A cool, sharp, sweet citrus opening that is bold and energising, clear bergamot with almost no breath or pith that runs headlong into zinging, singing ginger. They are quite the pair, fizzing merrily away like a lemon squash and yet managing to be refreshing.

Cedrat is not nearly as nuanced or storied as a cologne, it’s a bright and forthright citrus fortified by a few bit players that help it maintain buoyancy. I’m fragrantly wafting off to bed now, Jin has installed new ceiling fans and it would be rude not to go lie under one with him. I know that there will be a very slight waft of amorphous woods and a hint of citrus left tomorrow morning.

This is a perfect gift for anyone who is aware of their appearance but not deeply into the whole vanity trip. A casual, easy care set that means you or your partner can have a single scent right through the bathing and living process. Easy peasy, looks and smells great and it won’t break the bank.

Further reading: Mr Neo Luxe and Red Lips Blue Eyes
L’Occitane Australia has the range from $8.50 up

Do you love a fully integrated regime?
Portia xx

L’Occitane + Pierre Herme: 2015 Limited Editions

November 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey crew!

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

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

L’Occitane + Pierre Herme

Unexpected Encounters + 2015 Limited Editions

Gift Set $95 L’Occitane Australia

Jasmin, Immoertelle, Neroli by L’Occitane 2015

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

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

Hand Cream $13 L’Occitane Australia

Miel Mandarine by L’Occitane 2015

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

Eau de Toilette 75ml $62 L’Occitane Australia

Pamplemousse et Rhubarbe by L’Occitane 2015

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

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

Photo Stolen AllSteele