Saturday Question: What 4 Would You Rebuy First?

August 12, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 121 Comments

Portia

Hello Fellow Fumies,

Once a week here on Australian Perfume Junkies we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is generally a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.

Last Weeks Winner: Didn’t make 100

Saturday Question: What 4 Would You Rebuy First?

There’s been a terrible drama and your whole perfume collection has been lost. Thank goodness it was heavily insured and you will get your money back within the month to start rebuilding your collection. Nothing else was lost, hurt or broken and everyone is safe so you’re not mourning anything except your fabulous fragrance collection. You are given a certificate that allows you to rebuy any FOUR fragrances from your collection. There’s no price limit but you must have had a bottle of the fragrance in your current collection. They can come from different places and the magic of this certificate is that no matter where the fragrance is in the world it will be in your hands tomorrow morning, first thing. So you’ll not be without perfume for your daily rituals.

My Answer:

Mitsouko EdT by Guerlain:

I’m feeling guilty because I’ve picked Mitsouko over Shalimar but I think right now that Mitsouko would be the one I’d like to have on hand. That gorgeous fruity chypre, so sweet and so bitter. It could enfold me in its silky caress and keep me smelling beautiful.

Ashoka by Neela Vermeire Creations:

AHH the guilt is real. I feel like I’m cheating on Mohur but today I think the figgy woods of Ashoka are what I’d ask for. There’s something indomitable about this scent that I think could really help me through a crises. Let’s hope it’s never put to the test.

Eau Absolue by Mona di Orio:

The soft, sheer, glassy smoothness of Eau Absolue is magical. The resigns are perfectly balanced against the spicy fruit and flowers. I can never reconcile the note list and the scent here. What I smell is light warm rain, fresh thick cotton sateen sheets and endless snuggles.

Agent Provocateur Original:

Roses, saffron and woodsy amber. Agent Provocateur is a constant delight for me and punches well above its price range. Long lasting scented glamour that can be dressed up or down and seems to fit so many occasions. Let’s not forget too the sensual pleasure of the pink egg bottle, so cool.

My Question To You Is: What Would Be the First FOUR Fragrances You Would Rebuy?

Maison Mona di Orio: New Launches 2017

July 11, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Val the Cookie Queen

Good Afternoon from my computer, Wimbledon playing in the background!

It astonishes me that within the realms of a heavily saturated niche perfume market, that there is still the desire to create more. These two new MdO´s are niche as it should be, edgy and enthralling, but wearable. Accessible to anyone wishing to branch off from the more mainstream perfumes, yet still graceful and alluring. Those who want to smell of dead animals and bodily fluids are surprisingly enough, in the minority. Both Suède de Suède and Dõjima will charm the perfumistas whilst opening up a world to those just discovering niche fragrances.

Frederik Dalman is the Swedish in-house perfumer for Maison Mona di Orio.

Maison Mona di Orio: New Launches 2017

First Impressions

Dõjima by Frederik Dalman for Mona di Orio 2017

Rice accord,nutmeg absolute, ambrette, jasmin, orris, clary sage absolute, labdanum CO2, sandalwood, musks

Inspired by rice, and named for the Dõjima Rice Exchange founded by Samurai in 1697 in Osaka, Japan. Dõjima opens with a vivid green, slightly astringent, warmly spiced top layer; a nutty rice note hovers. There remains a greenness throughout, wrapped in a creamy sandalwood, a possible dash of vetiver, who knows? There is some jasmin and orris but I don´t wanna sniff myself into a coma trying to locate them, it takes away the pleasure. An aromatic delight.

Suède de Suède by Frederik Dalman for Mona di Orio 2017

Cloudberry, Sichuan pepper, suède accord, cedar wood, osmanthus, strawberry leaf, castoreum, patchouli, musks

A soft buttery suede/leather wrapped in a sharp berry shell. Frederik Dalman uses cloudberry, they have a distinctive tart taste, and feature in a number of Swedish culinary delights. The zesty berry opening melts into the supple suede, ripples
itself throughout, and remains until the end, preventing the suede from dominating. Osmanthus and strawberry leaf keeping
the cloudberry alive, castoreum, patchouli and musks giving the base. This is a year round leather and one to invite your civilian friends to try. Sensual.

Please take a look at Mona di Orio for the full scoop. Thanks a million to Jeroen, Frederik and Vera for sending me the beautiful box with enough perfume to wear it properly.

Launch in September. 180€ for 75mls

I have a number of MdO miniatures, and an original bottle of her Vanille. I would love a bottle of Mona´s Musc.
Any MdO lovers out there?

Bussis my dears.
CQ xxxx

Scent Diary 1.5 – 7.5.2017

May 7, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Portia

Hi there fellow fumies,

I’ve learned a new put down. Don’t Get Thin Lipped With Me You Scrofulous Harpy. HA HA HA HA! Isn’t it heavenly, so deliciously awful and will have your opponent diving for their dictionary. Just so you know, Scrofulous is in reference to the tuberculosis illness and general degeneration, Harpies were mythical beasts with womens bodies & heads, birds wings & claws. I know, fabulous isn’t it.

Scent Diary 1.5 – 7.5.2017

Monday 1:

Not exactly sure what’s wrong with my baby Paris but he did another wee, this time in the house. Jin is off later in the week and we are going to take both dogs to the vets to get them checked out.

We caught the train to town. Jin wore Neela Vermeire Bombay Bling and I slathered myself in Mona di Orio Eau Absolue. We smelled wickedly good.

Our beautiful girlfriend Alice is going home to the UK for a month. Jin & I were able to catch up with her in town today for lunch. We went to one of my all time favourite venues the David Jones Food Hall in Sydney city. It’s a really wonderful lunch venue with loads of choice. I grabbed us an antipasto plate for entree and then we all had steak at The Grill. It was a totally fun way to farewell our mate and not very expensive either. The butcher has some of the best meat ever and they will soon be doing home delivery.

After much we went for a bit of a sniff through the city shops. I added Amouage Bracken Woman on my left arm and Estee Lauder Modern Muse on my right. So I was completely fragrant for the ride home too. We felt the need to take a SMELFIE.

OK, so I’ve become obsessed with the Gilmore Girls. Can’t seem to prise myself away from them. Tonight I kept watching one more episode until VERY late and then fell asleep without finishing my Trivia Q&A. OMG! So naughty of me. It won’t be long now because I’m already in season 6.

Tuesday 2:

Had to get up and finish the Trivia Q&A which took till noon. I am a wretched boss feeling very guilty.

I gave myself another healthy spritz of Mona di Orio Eau Absolue to write my questions. I have been trying to finish a 15ml decant for ages and now that its gone I am finally using my bottle. I find it balmy and smooth, TBH I thought it had lashings of lavender in it but it seems to have zero.

Tuesday is beard dying day. The white beard looks very lame with drag so I have to keep it dark and lustrous. I do admit though that I also like it dark as a bloke. It’s youthful, though I am not. I did get excited about my bubble bath today though because I used the last of my gorgeous gift from Jocelyn Fullerton of Cult of Scent. Golden Dreams is TO DIE FOR! Sadly it’s not regular range, special for me. You can get her fragrances and candles from the Cult of Scent site though.

Over my bubble bath scent I spritzed liberally with Guerlain L’Heure Bleue EdP, I think it’s this century. Very nice, perfect for how I’m feeling tonight.

Home now, walked & fed the dogs and back to the Gilmore Girls. Chat tomorrow.

Wednesday 3:

It’s Wednesday late morning. Dogs are fed & walked. I took them by my favourite local coffee joint and grabbed one to go as we wandered the streets. It’s cool and there are some clouds flitting by. Though the dogs are excited to be out and wandering I find it peaceful to wander aimlessly, chat to locals, see the seasons changing. EVERYONE that loves dogs wants to pat the boys so we get quite a bit of chat time, I like it a lot.

Wearing Sonoma Scent Studio Rose Musc. It’s very pretty, red roses and leaves in a bottle. It was a perfect wandering companion. Later, through it’s life a fabulously animal musk came through, not dirty or loud but a friendly musk that wears subtly underneath red roses that last for hours & hours.

Tonight for work I’m wearing 5 big spritzes of modern Guerlain Shalimar EdP and 2 of vintage parfum, this scent is my happy place.

Thursday 4:

Woke up with a jolt, wide awake and jumped out of bed. Fed and walked the dogs on a beautiful autumn morning.

Then I got caught up on a small slice of the Office Work that I’ve neglected. Hopefully Tuesday next week will get it cleared. I love having an empty inbox and all the bills paid and taken care of. There’s some mail still going to the house I sold over 2 years ago. I thought we had redirected EVERYTHING but clearly some stuff slipped between the cracks because the couple that bought it called and left out a BIG bag of it. I just collected it last week and I’m feeling overwhelmed.

BFF Kath’s Mum has been moved to rehab after a nasty tumble, breaking 3 ribs and fracturing her arm. Grabbed Kath and we went up to see her today. Yesterday was her birthday and it was a sad & sorry one for the poor girl. I think we brightened up her day just a smidge.

It’s cooler today so I wore a few spritzes of Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles. Sweet, spicy chutney & herbal woods. Excellent choice.

Tonight at Turbo Trivia we had a completely full house. It was an excellent night and so many of my favourite teams were in the house. It was loud and people were having fun.

I wore original Trussardi Donna, every time I wear it I love the light leather of this fragrance.

Spent an hour or so chatting to Neela Vermeire tonight. She is so funny, we laughed and nattered and fixed all the problems of the world.

Friday 5:

Friday dawned bright, crystal clear and sunny, not too warm and definitely hoodie over T-Shirt weather.

I had a fullish morning planned. The door guy had to come back and add a door closer to our screen door but he didn’t give me a time, hoping to be here by 2pm. When he did arrive the job took less that 20 minutes and he is a sweet man so it was nice to have him come back and fix the lack. Now we have a Self Closing Screen Door, which is what we paid for. YIPPEE!

If the door guy had come early I wanted to go see Kath’s Mum with her over lunch but things didn’t work out so when Jin gets home we can go visit.

Around midday I realised I was hungry so I made myself a little late morning tea. MMMMMMM Toast with Peanut Butter and Vegemite and a cuppa. I sat out on the balcony with the dogs and they were very well behaved. After the initial excitement that it might be for them they skedaddled right back to their beds and watched me eat with hungry, loving eyes.

In my free time I’ve been blogging. YAY! Yes, getting stuff done for next week and organising the Perfume Posse pieces for May. It’s a really relaxing when I put my mind to getting something done and then let my creative juices flow. Industrious, cleansing and cathartic all at once. It also has the added benefit of getting stuff done so I’m not worried about it. WINNING! Currently I smell like MFK Baccarat Rouge 540, Rochas Byzance and Aether Citrus Ester. There is a note in the Baccarat Rouge 540 that reminds me of Aether Methaldone.

Jin arrived home, we went and saw Kath’s Mum in hospital. On the way home we grabbed LOADS of Chinese food, watched the 2017 Winter episode of the Gilmore Girls. It was weird seeing them after 10 years but the good news is Logan Huntzburger, played by Matt Czuchry, my favourite character looks better than ever and they even have a storyline between Rory & him that feels super 21st century.

Fed & walked the dogs. Now Jin has gone to bed and I’m tap-tap-tapping away at the computer keys. Bliss.

I wanted to buy some Grand Soir and Baccarat Rouge 540 from MFK tonight but my mind was on other things and I bloody forgot to get the grand Soir. I’m a bloody idiot.

For bed I wanted something vanilla floral sweet but not too heavy so I went with Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia. Perfect.

Saturday 6:

Saturday and Jin went off to work around 4am. Usually I sleep right through but today I woke up. Wide awake. He usually trots the dogs quickly downstairs for a wee when he wakes. He noticed I was awake and brought the dogs in to cuddle with me. It was so lovely. I had to change the bedsheets anyway so no harm and the dogs & I lay around in bed till 9am feeding and walking. CHANEL Boy was my morning accompaniment, lovely soft balmy lavender for an autumnal wander. There’s even more air in the bottle since this show was taken.

When Jin got home this evening it was Chinese reheats (MY FAVOURITE) and the 2017 Gilmore Girls final three episodes. So good. we laughed, we cried. Matt Czuchry is even more enthralling, I melted every moment he was on screen. PLEASE let them do a new series…….

In honour of the Favourite Vintage Scent Question I wore vintage Miss Dior extrait around the house tonight. It was cozy and perfect.

Sunday 7:

While walking the dogs they became very excited and it turned out to be a little Australian Noisy Minah that had wandered from its family, fallen from its nest or something. He would definitely have become cat food during the night so we brought him home and are feeding him a mixture of minced beef, egg, egg shell grounds and lorikeet dry food. He’s so bloody cute we called him Finbar and he’s nearly ready to fly free. We’ll take him to the vet tomorrow and see what they say.

First thing this morning we went to the Sydney Harley-Davidson centre in Strathfield. Jin needed to do some paperwork, buy a new helmet and jacket and show me his Mid-Life Crisis Impulse Buy. While I’m shaking my head at his ridiculousness it’s not so bad. So far he has pierced his nipples and bought a Harley. Any day I’m expecting him to start at the gym and bring home a Toy-Boy. One thing I am proud of him for though is that he is living his life as he chooses, has a solid debt reduction plan to lower the mortgage and pay off the bike and has not overcommitted himself. He even has Life Insurance just in case and is almost the highest level of Health Cover. That’s all pretty good for a man not quite 40 who came to Australia with a suitcase and almost no money in 2006.

I finished off this lovely Angel style bubble bath today. It’s a cheapy from Bath & Body Works that smells great and bubbles like crazy. Mountains of them. YUM! Because my base is so obviously sweet I have overlaid Michael Bublé By Invitation. You have no idea how good I smell. SWEEEEET

So, what’s been going on in your world?
Have you seen, done or smelled anything interesting?
Please share your life in the comments below. I love to read about your weeks too.
Portia xxx

Myrrh Casati by Melanie Leroux for Mona di Orio 2014

August 30, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Perfume Peeps.

Myrrh Casati! How did it take me so long to find you? I have hazy recollections of this being released. Mainly because it’s the first MdO not created by Mona. Here’s where it all gets weird because I remember the fragrance being soundly trounced by loads of reviewers. Woo Hoo! So my wallet breathed a sigh of relief that I need not try one fragrance. PHEW! Then, recently I was on Surrender To Chance seeing what was available and about and suddenly, seemingly without even trying, I had bought a couple of really big 8ml decants: Grandiflora Madagascan Jasmine and ………

Myrrh Casati by Mona di Orio 2014

Myrrh Casati by Melanie Leroux

Myrrh Casati Mona di Orio Fragrantica Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Peruvian pink pepper, Guatemala cardamom, Saffron, Licorice, Siam benzoin, Somalian myrrh, Somalian frankincense, Indonesian patchouli, Indian cypriol, Paraguayan gaiac wood

Spicy, dry spices, walking through the spice markets in India or Dubai. A melding of heat, dust, humanity and spices. Cardamom! I can smell it plain as day, as if I pulled a pod from its Tupperware to put into a curry or soup. Saffron and woods. It’s like market day here in Sydney and I smell amazing. All the resins come together in Myrrh Casati and create a balmy, smoky cushion for the spices to rest on.

Myrrh Casati Mona di Orio Curry Spices PDP Pixabay Pixabay

The fireworks burn off after about 15-20 minutes and Myrrh Casati and it softens off to a comfortable, warm, resinous fragrance, only lightly spiced. Totally wearable and beautiful. The woods are present after a while, they smell fresh hewn but dry, no greenness here at all. Woods and resins float over you and around you softly but insistently. Myrrh Casati is calm, like being in a South Korean temple on a hill in the morning quiet when there’s just you, the monks and whatever your idea of god is. Incense, woods, lingering balms used for polishing, clean air and an internal conversation.

From Luckyscent: Inspired by Marchesa Casati, the legendary patron of the arts and muse of eccentricity, known for her extravagant dark fashion and lavish fetes replete with exotic animals, gilded servants, and an infectious waft of incense and mystery that surrounded her.

Wikipedia

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Chemist In A Bottle
Luckyscent has $195/75ml
Peony Melbourne has $245/75ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/ml

Did you try it when Myrrh Casati was released, or since? What were your impressions?
Portia xx

Mona di Orio Oud Giveaway WINNERS

October 12, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Portia

How I love the Mona do Orio fragrances,

We have three winners today, I hope one of them is you. As always, thank you for being part of the APJ Fragrance Family. We love you all so much.

Portia xx

Mona di Orio Oud Giveaway WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pettigrain, green mandarin, elemi
Heart: Nagarmotha, patchouli, osmanthus
Base: Oud, Atlas cedar, musk, ambergris

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 2ml Oud by Mona di Orio sample
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 11th October 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners will be chosen by random.org

Photo stolen thegarfieldshow-diary

lionceau

Rene Groyer (via Twitter)

Lindaloo

The winners will have till Thursday 15th October 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.

Oudh Osmanthus (Oud) by Mona di Orio 2011

October 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 32 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there Fragrant Family,

I can’t remember exactly but I think it may have been 2013 and Jin, my BFF Kath and I were in Melbourne for the weekend and we dropped by Peony Melbourne for a sniff and a chat with proprietor Jill. The shop is lovely, loads of choice and there were so many fun things to sniff. We went to the Mona di Orio section because Violette Fumee had just been released and I was dying to get my sniff on it. It was right then that Jin started to get excited, he’d just spritzed Oud (now called Oudh Osmanthus). By far the most expensive in the Mona di Orio stable at that time and way out of his budget, but he was smitten. I heard about Oud quite a bit over the next couple of months.

Oudh Osmanthus (Oud) by Mona di Orio 2011

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pettigrain, green mandarin, elemi
Heart: Nagarmotha, patchouli, osmanthus
Base: Oud, Atlas cedar, musk, ambergris

So what I did was buy Jin a 10ml decant in a split well in advance of our anniversary thinking it would be an excellent amount to test with, which hadn’t arrived a week out. PANIC! So I ordered him a FB which arrived on the day. PHEW! When the split finally arrived I used it a couple of times and put it aside, where it has sat ever since. I recently found it while cleaning.

How does it smell? The softest, most sueded of ouds, a resinous opening both warm and herbally earthy. The barnyard is not in your face but beyond the line of some trees, they are flowering and have a fruity/white floral scent that could be jasmine and ylang or could be mango and banana. It’s heady and intoxicating stuff yet manages to retain a winsome primness, quite the dichotomy.

The oud smells expensive, and in a market saturated that is saying something. Mona di Orio’s Oud is a cool classiness, a restrained power, an elegant sufficiency but no more. Yet again Mona di Orio creates a fragrance that is less about its name than the notes combining to create a ring efftect. Imagine that you have a large perfect emerald cut cognac diamond and around it the jeweller has cleverly set a mass of tiny yellow topaz: the topaz serves to give the diamond depth and highlight its deep burnished lustre. The whole piece becomes even more beautiful.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and EauMG
Peony Melbourne has Oud $525/100ml with FREE Australian shipping
Parfum1 has Oudh Osmanthus $395/75ml (Currently $395 is AUD$548)
Surrender To Chance has Oudh Osmanthus samples starting at $6/.5ml

Want to try it? See below.
Portia xx

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Mona di Orio Oud Giveaway

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 2ml Oud by Mona di Orio 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 (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 us a Mona di Orio you’d like to try, or one you own and why you love it

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Oud by Mona di Orio GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-4n1 #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 11th October 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 15th October 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.

September: full of luck and love.

October 6, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

September: full of luck and love.

I was a lucky lady during September: surviving a car accident, winning a bottle of perfume AND finding a favorite fragrance dramatically discounted. It’s been peculiar experiencing first hand, concussion and shock. My sense of smell was fortunately still intact after a big bump to the head, even stronger for some time– apparently due to primal instincts of “fight or flight.”

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

TWO bottles of discounted Maison Martin Margiela – Untitled were awaiting me in packages when I arrived home from hospital and I wore nothing but for days. Perfectly strange, earthy and uplifting, it suited my surreal state.

Margiela’s intention was to reinterpret greenery after rain. It gives me the feeling of holding my face up to the sky and it being washed with big plodding drops of fresh rain. Ahhhhhh the ultimate cleanse. I visualize fresh, wet, pounding summer rain running off bending plants, yet a musky, sweet white floral heart is present all the while. Lurking in the undergrowth is the better parts of the smell of smoking. Not tobacco. Just mysterious smoke. Galbanum, fierce and green is complimented perfectly with bittersweet orange. Jasmine adds sumptuous pretty, floral and sweet notes that cedar and musk bring back to earth, deepening and giving an irresistible otherworldly edge.

Gorgeously avant-garde, listed as containing boxwood, galbanum, bitter orange, incense, jasmine, cedar and musk. Apparently no vetiver, however it’s a definite must try for vetiver fans. A scent that rarely gets a mentioned on fragrance forums, yet for me is stand out, always receiving numerous compliments. Completely unisex – in fact my dad has already “borrowed” one of my bottles!

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

From my hospital bed I entered Mona di Orio’s instagram competition and a few days later I received notification I had won!! Completely spaced out, I pondered my weird week’s luck. The full bottle of Rose Etoile de Hollande, beautifully packaged (old packaging) was with me within a few days from Europe – a very generous gift. Named after the worlds most fragrant climbing rose species, which Mona studied, growing outside her window in Cabris, France. I had never smelt it before, yet doused myself in it recklessly. A spine-tingling, sparkling, deep rose hit my system. Aldehydic, reminding me of the rich rose component of vintage Chanel Number 5. I am pleased by the natural tones and earthiness in the heart of this fragrance. I feel as if my nose is buried deep deep inside the bosom of a red rose. Deep enough to even smell the fizzy peachiness of its just forming fruit. It is beyond than that though; with additional layers transpiring over time. Smoky eugenol (clove), cedar, patchouli and leather contribute an edgy and carnal feel to this voluptuous beauty. Eventually it powders down, yet remains fiercely rosy sparkling into the evening like a vast and starry night.

How was your September? Do you love fragrances that take you from planet earth to elsewhere in 1 sniff? Which are you favorites?

Fragrant Things That Arrived This Week

July 30, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hey there Fragrance Lovers,

Is there anything as day-to-day exciting as getting a parcel in the mail? I have to go down to the Post Office to get mine because now that I live in an apartment I find it much safer to have everything redirected to a Post Office Box. So the whole thing is a weekly adventure and I’m never quite sure if there will be only letters or some packages. Let’s face it, anything not a bill is a cause for celebration.

Fragrant Things That Arrived This Week

So I did get a box this week and it was chock full of exciting fragrance. I had asked Franco at Lucky Scent to find me a bottle of my long-coveted and recently discontinued in any online store I could think of bottle of 24.9.11 by Hilde Soliani. He’s such a sweetie that he tracked it down for me so what else could I do but order a couple of extras as a special Thank You, and also to make the shipping seem less incredible.

24-09-11 by Hilde Soliani 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Calamus (milky, green, cinnamon like grass root), amber, frankincense, myrrh

24-09-11 is part of the Hilde Soliani The Invisibles range, meant to compliment your own fragrance and enhance your confirm your presence. What a stunning way to think of perfume. In reality though 24-09-11 is way too fragrant to be melded with your skin and enhance it, you will be decidedly and lavishly fragrant when wearing this. the opening is sweet and spicy, a non edible radiant caramel incense. Warm and lush and ever so slightly discordant, as if it’s about to topple over into disgusting over sweetened caramel slice at any moment but the green calamus and the incense win out and keep it delightful, wearable and distinguished.

Eau Absolue by Mona de Orio 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, clementine, petitgrain
Heart: Geranium, java vetiver oil, bay leaf, pink pepper
Base: Cedar, musk, labdanum

BZZZZZZZ! The citrus opening is loads of fun but kept from being a zingy space cadet by whispers of the resins to come even in the first minute. While I sit here in a balmy Sydney summer evening I am enjoying the very unexpected opening. I have read a few reviews before writing tonight, which is not something I usually do, so my expectations were for something quite different, something more mainstream and fizzy. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This is, as I should always expect with a Mona di Orio fragrance, something quite densely layered with everything in the notes list all at once and what will happen is certain accords will get precedence on occasion.

Tokyo Bloom by The Different Company 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Dandelion, galbanum, basil, blackberry (cassis)
Heart: Cyclamen, star jasmine
Base: Guaiac wood, musks, amber

This is interesting, it opens as sharply as hairspray and is a wonderful awkward blend of green, milky, musky, spicy and fizzy tones that I’ve never met together before yet still manages to smell GREAT! I was expecting an aqueous nothing and am beyond pleasantly surprised. You must at least take some time to try this marvelous, well priced, fragrance. A lovely modern interpretation of the Eau de Cologne style.

As you can see these beauties have been on the list for a while. Boy is it nice to have them in the stable now. Today I wafted Eau Absolue and really loved it. Like a scented princess.

What has arrived for you lately?
Portia xx

Tubéreuse by Mona di Orio 2011

November 17, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Post by TinaG

Whilst first wearing Mona di Orio’s Tubéreuse I must admit I was confused. It really wasn’t the “tuberose” fragrance that I had expected to find….

Tubéreuse by Mona di Orio 2011

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pink pepper, green notes, bergamot
Heart: Tuberose, benzoin, heliotrope
Base: Musk, amber, coconut, milk, cashmeran

Tubéreuse opens with a flash of floral milkiness. This quickly changes to an enticing sweet pink pepper with a shadowy smoky bergamot lifting and supporting it. The scent shifts and changes rapidly in the first 10 minutes, slowly settling into a light fresh green accord. I can smell a warm and slightly waxy scent, like coconut water, translucent and milky. The greenness draws a linear thread through the life of the scent as a supporting anchor point. There is a gentle powder which joins the flow at about 1 hour and it stays this way during the dry down. So fresh, peppery, floral, clean, milky, waxy – I realised this fragrance is a study of the tuberose flower itself.

Photo Donated TinaG

I found my thoughts being drawn back to evenings where I’ve had bunches of tuberose in the house. Tuberose is “night-blooming”, in that the bloom’s fragrance intensifies during the early evening to night. The time of transition to twilight is a treasure. If I can resist switching a light on, instead maybe lighting a candle, with some quiet background tunes, and may or may not have a glass of chilled white wine – it’s lovely to sit for a while letting my thoughts ramble in whatever direction they take me.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

The scent of real tuberose at this time of day is quite simply stunning. Its fragrance edges into the consciousness, bringing thoughts back to the present and reminding that it is this moment, this time, which is precious. It reminds me of the novel “Island” by Aldous Huxley – in a fictitious country where the inhabitants recognise the importance of the ‘conscious self’, taking a step back from your thoughts to be able to see more clearly. The islanders had trained mynah birds to call out “Attention”, and “Here and Now” at random intervals as a reminder to bring one’s self back to the moment. The growing intensity of tuberose scent at twilight has this same effect – the headiness is all encompassing and so beautiful, why wouldn’t you just want to breathe deeply, silently watching as the day fades to calmness, and colours start to drain away into grey-blues and blacks.

Photo Donated TinaG

It was at this point whilst wearing Tubéreuse that I realised I was experiencing the work of a master artist. Mona di Orio has captured the impression of night-blooming tuberose with a deeply profound and exquisite skill. There is an expression, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Trying to dissect and analyse Tubéreuse you could definitely identify the parts, but that’s not the story, not the whole picture, and certainly not the limit of its boundaries. The fragrance has a three-tiered connection with me now – the practical identification of notes, a reminiscence of the quiet times, and the deeper meditative space that the ‘present’ can provide. I’m grateful for that journey.

Further reading: What Men Should Smell Like and Perfume Posse
Peony Melbourne has $230/100ml with FREE shipping in Australia
Parfum1 has $230/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $7/ml

How many of you have tried the MdO Tubéreuse? Or any of her scents? Did you love them or not?

Tina G

Mona di Orio Discovery Set + Tasmania Photo Essay

November 3, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Tina G

Perfume choices are, by their nature, exceedingly personal. I enjoy sharing my enthusiasm for fragrance with family and friends, but how to do this in a way that lets them make their own choices is tricky. What I may recommend could be abhorrent to someone else, and I don’t want to risk putting anyone off the joys of exploring new fragrances! So, while on holiday in Australia’s largest island Tasmania with some friends, I decided to set up a perfume testing session as a bit of fun and see where it led us.

Mona di Orio Discovery Set

Photo Stolen Peony Melbourne

I chose to take along Mona di Orio’s Discovery Pack, which is the set of eight Les Nombres d’Or line presented in 5ml roller ball applicators. Each of the eight fragrances – Cuir, Eau Absolue, Musc, Vanille, Ambre, Rose, Vétyver and Tubéreuse – were decanted into spray containers for travel.

Tasmania is a beautiful part of the world. The island State lies to the South-East of Australia, across the wilds of Bass Strait from Melbourne. The four of us went for a long weekend, staying on the rugged East Coast in a little stone cottage by the ocean. Yes, it was as gorgeous as it sounds! We had a great time exploring, eating, drinking, and just generally resting up. I’ve included a few photos of the trip as a taster of what we experienced, it was wonderful.

For the testing, the Discovery Set was set up with fragrance strips and I explained the way fragrance works, top, mid and base notes and how perfume evolves over time, particularly on skin. We all sat down and tried each of the line. The Cuir was the least popular, with an “Oh, God, no!!” reaction being the strongest of the day! Two friends decided on what they’d like to wear the next day and give a proper run though. One friend decided to decline, as family members are particularly sensitive to chemicals and wearing perfume on a regular basis wouldn’t work for her. The fragrances chosen were Musc, and Rose. I chose Vétyver.

We noted that all three fragrances got us through the day – at least 8 hours. The Rose was BIG on opening, a really full and rich ‘real’ rose scent. My friend was a bit worried that it would be too big, but it did settle nicely into something softer and more wearable. The Musc I had trouble smelling, but my other friend enjoyed it very much. I encouraged them both to keep sniffing through the day and see if there were any changes.

Peony Melbourne has Mona di Orio Discovery Set $145
Parfum1 has the Mona di Orio Discovery Set $145

At the end of the trip I then let them choose a small 1ml decant to take home and play with. Musc, Eau Absolue, and Vanille went to one home, Rose went to another with my encouragement of Amber, and I took back Cuir, Vétyver, and Tubéreuse – which happen to be my favourites anyway. Funny the way things work out!

Tina G

Tasmania Photo Essay