Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts by Aftelier Perfumes

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Portia

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Hey APJ Peeps,

It’s no secret how much I love baths. I find a 15-20 minute soak in the tub more relaxing that almost anything else you can mention. It’s a short sharp shot of bliss that can be done whenever a window appears. Quite often I will do all my chores at the end of a night because the days are hectic. It may be 2 or 3am after a busy day, working at night, getting the blog stuff done and then doing a few loads of washing or cleaning the kitchen. A great way for me to go from supersonic to sleepy tired is to have a bath with a warm drink, dry, moisturise, scent and bed. My head hits the pillow and lights out till the alarm goes off in the morning for the dogs feeding and walking.

Why have I rambled on yet again about baths? Well, Mandy Aftel has made some incredibly luxurious eating salts that I naughtily used a capful of in my bath and O M G it was a transcendent experience. Talk about sending me into the stratosphere; amazing! You need hardly any to scent the whole bathroom very softly and it is calming and head clearing. Do it as you get in the bath. Beautiful. SHHHH! Don’t tell Mandy I did it though.

Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts by Aftelier Perfumes

So, how are we supposed to use Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts? Follow this recipe and your family will think you are the best cook in the history of all cooks. I use one fillet each but your crew may like more.

4 large Snapper Fillets
1 x lemon cut into very thin slices
2 TBsp butter
2 x parsley fronds chopped finely
1 x crushed large garlic clove
Pinch white pepper
Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts

Baking Tray
Aluminium Foil

Pre heat oven to 180C
Mix butter, parsley, garlic and pepper together to make a paste
Tear 2 sheets of foil big enough to wrap 2 fillets each
Spread 1/4 of butter mix all over each fillet
Place fillets on shiny foil side
Put lemon slices top of fillets and close up the foil.
Pop onto bake tray and into the oven for 15-20 minutes (you know if your oven is a little slow or fast)

Make whatever salad or vegetable sides you like while fish is cooking

When the fillets come out of the oven they will be meltingly soft so be careful as you transfer to the plate
Add a sprinkling of Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts
Add your sides

Serve and watch your family go crazy with excitement

I didn’t know this was going to be a post so no pictures were taken. SORRY!

Obviously your mileage may vary but this was a complete winner around here. Hopefully your crew loves it too.

From Aftelier only $15Our sel gris is stone-ground by hand until it reaches a fine consistency; it melts into other flavors seamlessly, imparting a briny mineral richness. Sel gris French gray sea salt is hand-harvested from the clay-lined salt ponds in the Guérande region of France, giving it a soft grey color and mineral-rich moisture. These salts are not to be used during the cooking process, but rather to add a pop of flavor to everything from meat to salads to vegetables just before serving. These salts will lift the other flavors of a dish, making it special and delicious.

What a freaking great Christmas Gift for the friends and family that cook, and so affordable.
Portia xx

 

 

 

Sacred by Teone Reinthal for Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

In Australia we hear often of a natural perfumer that perfumistas who like become evangelical about. Teone Reinthal is her name and her natural perfumes come up on Facebook pages constantly. Till now I have been remiss in my trying of her work but recently she sent me a few samples to try. I was going to do a faves post with Moonlight and Ritual but as I wore Sacred it became thew focus of a full post. Not an easy new love by any means, a challenging, haunting scent that affronted and comforted me. So I’ll come back to the others but today I thought you should read about Sacred alone.

Sacred by Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume

Sacred by Teone Reinthal

Sacred by Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
West Australian Sandalwood, Tasmanian Boronia absolute, Far North Queensland Red Desert Rosewood, Tiwi Islands/Northern Territory Blue Cypress, South Australia Honey Myrtle, New South Wales Nerolina

Orange scented wood varnish, gasoline, green bark stripped from trees and lawnmower clippings open Sacred. It’s a full on, powerful, picks you up by the neck and shakes you initial blast. My advice is to wait a minute before going in to sniff, it will blow your nose.

Once the initial fireworks dissipate Sacred becomes a very interesting piece of perfumery. It’s sold as an all natural fragrance and that’s really surprising because of its size and longevity. Australia has interesting soil, very red and clay, the reed is like our blood because we have so much iron in it. That gives our plants a distinct theme. Even when Indian Mysore Sandalwood is grown here’d the fragrance gets a pugnacious and punchy opening never smelled in its native home. That’s the opening of Sacred, almost an attack.

Sacred by Teone Reinthal veeterzy pexelsPDI

As it moves into the heart Sacred become like maple syrup, as if the sacred woods have been mined for their heart juice, their sap. It’s thick and luxurious yes surprisingly its projection becomes quite close. Sillage stays good for a couple of hours and if you sit somewhere,  Sacred will hue the air around you softly but distinctly.

Breathy undertones come in under this sap sweet heart and give an added depth with green torn branches and bruised leaves.

Sacred is the kind of fragrance only an independent perfumery can release. It’s wild, untamed and raw. Though Sacred is blended beautifully there’s no soft focus sheering off of interesting and challenging notes. Sacred smells like a challenge, a beautiful, alluring, life on the edge challenge. Right to the base Sacred never becomes an easy beauty and I like it for that.

Sacred by Teone Reinthal Jon Bunting tree FlickrFlickr

Teone Reinthal Natural Perfumes
Teone Reinthal Natural Perfumes Sacred can be found in the Limited Edition section from $25/2ml

Have you tried Teone’s fragrances?
Portia xx

 

Kyphi by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2011

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Erica Golding

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Hello all of you perfume lovers!

Fall down a rabbit hole with me. I have stumbled upon a natural perfume that almost dives into chaotic emotion, yet somehow maintains a deep, peaceful balance. Its purity and elegance are just astounding. I sense echoes of my own vulnerability hovering above my skin as it rises around me.

Tonight, I am intoxicated by the vapors of: Olympic Orchids – Kyphi parfum

Kyphi by Olympic Orchids 2011

Kyphi by Ellen Covey

Kyphi Olympic Orchids Artisan Perfumes FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, labdanum, beeswax, spikenard, henna, lemongrass, wild orange, calamus, cassia, cyperus, saffron, juniper berry, spices

If you love true frankincense and honeyed myrrh, you will lose it when you inhale this gorgeous composition! The intricacy and stealthy complexity of Kyphi make it unlike any perfume I’ve loved. The aroma is woody but not dry, sweetened but not gourmand, spiced but not sharp. Singing accent notes such as wild orange and saffron ring like laughter, easy and genuine.

I want to saturate my life with this fragrance. I want it in my hair, on my clothes, in my atmosphere, and on my linens. Kyphi is truly an achievement, a stunningly gorgeous study in ancient art and modern technique. Wear this parfum if you want tendrils of incense to reach into your spirit and caress the center of your being.

Kyphi Olympic Orchids British_Museum_Egypt Tolomeo_I WikiMediaWikiMedia

Further reading: Life With Perfumes
Olympic Orchids has samples from $3

From Olympic OrchidsBased on the common themes that run throughout various ancient formulas for the Egyptian incense that was burned to welcome the night, this version of Kyphi is a 100% natural mix of resins, essential oils, and absolutes, a liquid version of the incense formula that can be worn as an uplifting and offbeat perfume and is especially well suited for meditation, yoga, or other activities that require concentration. 100% natural.

Kyphi Olympic Orchids Sphinx NadineDoerle PixabayPDI

Do you ever love a perfume this much, or am I just crazy? What else from Olympic Orchids do I need to try?

Until next time,
Love and light,
Erica

Aria in F# Parfum by Christi Meshell for House of Matriarch 2017

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Erica Golding

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Hello to everyone out there in the world of fragrance!

Recently, I was thrilled to witness the live creation of a 99% natural perfume, note by note, learning excitedly from every detail shared. The experience was about an hour and it just flew by, absolutely enthralling – I was hypnotized and filled with awe! Christi Meshell graced the famous group Facebook Fragrance Friends with the honor of this masterfully blended treasure, with members voting on their favorite materials that were then blended right before our eyes:

Aria in F# Parfum by House of Matriarch 2017

Aria in F# Parfum by Christi Meshell

Fragrantica

My notes below may not be perfectly accurate, but from what I recorded during the live event, Aria in F# is composed of:

Sandalwood Mysore (vintage and modern)
Amber accord
Styrax
Myrrh
Vanilla
Frankincense
Whiskey accord
Beeswax
Patchouli
Benzoin
Rose
Rooibos Tea
Jasmine sambac
Cinnamon (a non-skin-irritating variety)
Vetiver
Oakmoss
Ambergris tincture
Balsam fir
Leather accord
Orange blossom
Petitgrain
Mandarin orange
Ambrette seed
Musk
Gaiac wood
Black currant
Tonka bean
Rosewood
Tuberose absolute
Carnation
Pink pepper
Butter
Cocoa
Mimosa
Ylang ylang

The composition was built on a generous aliquot of vintage Mysore sandalwood as well as an equal volume of modern sandalwood. This genuine aroma is not super recognizable if you haven’t experienced it before. It has a powdery delicacy that sets it apart from the creamy, round sandalwood notes common in modern perfumery. After that, the materials that followed just had my heart leaping and aching with anticipation. The notes that I have listed at the end of this review speak to Christi’s dreamscape of materials and her gift of turning fantasy into reality.

WikiMedia

As for my personal impressions of this parfum, Aria in F# is very complex, but fascinatingly, resonates within a tight wavelength. For me, if Aria in F# was music, it would be a heartachingly harmonious strings orchestra. When my fragrance synesthesia associates a perfume with violins and cellos, it’s always a good omen! At the opening, I sense peaceful precious woods with a flashing, ethereal morning dew of rose, jasmine, and orange blossom. There is only one drop of carnation absolute in this parfum, but other notes lift and enhance and intensify this aroma such that I would go so far as to say that carnation features dominantly in this fragrance. Resins, amber, and incense are important to the blend, but they are uncharacteristically effervescent.

Overall, the parfum is deceivingly subtle on my skin, revealing hidden new facets with every anointment, and it lasts far longer than expected – especially for an almost purely natural work of art. I love this more every time I wear it, it’s fascinatingly passionate and tender.

 

PDI

I love how perfumers have been connecting with their fans to create semi-bespoke scents like this. Have you tried Aria in F#, or perhaps The Longing, or Destrier, or any of the other House of Matriarch fan collaborations? Which perfumer do you wish would create a fantasy perfume just for you?

House of Matriarch samples start at $22

Until next time, stay fragrant!
Love and light,
-Erica

Botticelli by Teone Reinthal for Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume 2015

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Kate Apted

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Hi APJ family!

One year, my poor mother gave up on her garden and in frustration, she threw all her seeds all over the remains of her failed attempt. She left nature to do its thing, unimpeded. She happens to like manicured English cottage gardens, where each plant is put in a spot for a purpose. She takes delight in tending to them and nurturing them with supports and regular feeding of nutrients. I, on the other hand, have an incredible attachment to wild cottage gardens that are overgrown and have eclectic flora. I relish with absolute delight in the surprise of finding new things and exploring the life within the seeming chaos. The scents are unpredictable and haphazard.

The garden worked. By next spring, nature had created a veritable oasis of flourishing peace. My mother was a little jealous that she had never quite executed a garden with the expertise nature had shown. The colours were exquisite, everything was healthy and there was space for so much to grow in complete harmony. The insect life that year was rich and abundant.

WikiMedia

I found a natural perfume a few months ago that replicates such a garden. It is called Botticelli and is made by a talented and highly creative woman named Teone Reinthal.

Botticelli by Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume 2015

Botticelli by Teone Reinthal

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, petitgrain
Heart: Jasmine sambac, damask rose, juniper berries
Base: Patchouli, ambrette (musk mallow), oakmoss, labdanum, vetiver

It opens with a creamy warmth that comes from a musk and oakmoss heat, while radiating a citrus heart that stays around for hours. Much like a breeze brings gentle scents in waves from a rich garden, Botticelli does the same. It weaves around with facets of citrus and rose and jasmine, with a lightness of a butterfly. Just when I think I’ve understood Botticelli, there is a shift and the musk reigns for a moment. While each of the notes are lovely, it is the waft of the whole composition that makes Botticelli incredible.

WikiMedia

I have a set of rules I use with this scent. I cannot wear this outside my home. I must apply it with a cotton ball that then gets stuffed inside my bra. I cannot wear it in the morning. I do not reapply it. It is almost as if Botticelli has its own nature that I cannot control and master. I cannot possibly know better! I suspect I get a little ‘away with the fairies’ whilst wearing Botticelli, so I think my rules are to protect me from dwelling in my inner universe when it isn’t appropriate. It meshes with my inner world in a way no other scent does, so when I need to be completely self composed I avoid Botticelli.
There is a wild woman, tribal elder quality to Botticelli that makes it sensuous, feminine and celebrates fertility in all its forms. At the same time, it has a barely constrained politeness to it that will not offend those in your presence. Mildly zesty and tart, yet mellow and creamy.

Teone Reinthal has Botticelli from $10/2ml Sample

Do you have scents that transport you to a place of personal happiness, where no one else can reach you? Or do you have quirky rules regarding a particular fragrance?

Until next time… Kate xx

Antimony by Christi Meshell for House of Matriarch 2016

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Erica Golding

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Hello, scented greetings to you! I hope this little note finds you all well.

Today, I have saturated my wrists with a breathtaking new natural perfume that has completely stolen my heart! It made a crazy day seem much more manageable, a bubble shield of serenity. As a bonus, the magnetic pull of my perfume became evident at the office today. I was alone in a conference room when a friend ran in and sniffed the air, immediately guessing that my fragrance must be the amazing scent that drew him in. Flattered, I shared a link with him – I hope his wife will be getting a phenomenal gift soon:

Antimony by House of Matriarch 2016

Antimony by Christi Meshell

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Olibanum, pandanus, henna, palo santo, galanga, sandalwood, ash, nard himalayan (jatamansi), butter, copal, agarwood (oud), mitti attar, madam, rose

This pure pleasure of a perfume opens with depth and sincerity. I sense golden resins, buttery soft leather, smoky India ink, and a kiss of the syrupy sweetness of immortelle flower. The heart and soul of the aroma on my skin from start to finish is a luxuriously balanced high end frankincense, woody but not dry. Hours later, the other notes have dissipated, but the resonant olibanum just sings and sings, an absolute joy.

The inspiration for Antimony is the ritual of applying jet black kohl around the eyes, a talisman of protection and glamour. The darkness of the intensity is spot on, but the aroma is not heavy. In fact, it lifts from the skin, buoyant and graceful, infused with the delight of confident victory.
I applied this perfume 12 hours ago and it is STILL wafting healthily from my skin. The vibrant longevity of this 99.99% natural fragrance is just unreal! Antimony is unique enough to get you noticed no matter the occasion, while pleasantly attractive enough to be wearable without challenging your companions.

Further reading: The Scented Apprentice
House of Matriach has samples from $20

I love the points system on House of Matriarch’s website. My purchases over the last year have earned me a 50% off coupon code, how rad is that? These perfumes are highly concentrated treasures rich with top-of-the-line absolutes and worth every cent.

Have you sampled House of Matriarch yet? What is your favorite?

Until next time, be well and take time to smell the roses!

Love and light,
Erica

La Via del Profumo GIVEAWAY WINNER

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Portia

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Hey there APJ,

Thanks to AbdesSalaam for his generosity and you guys for participating.
Let’s see who won,
Portia xxx

La Via del Profumo GIVEAWAY WINNER

Sea Wood La Via del Profumo legno_naveLa Via del Profumo

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Vetiver, patchouli, olibanum, sea notes, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, spicy notes

La Via del Profumo has samples from €18/5.5ml

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x sample Gringo by La Via del Profumo
1 x sample Cuoio del Dolci by La Via del Profumo

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Wednesday 7th June 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Ingrid

The winners will have till Wednesday 14th June 2017 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

Sea Wood (Legno di Nave) by AbdesSalaam Attar for La Via del Profumo

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Portia

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Hey Crew,

La Via del Profumo makes really good fragrances.They are not like what you’ll find at the mall. In fact they are quite the opposite. Deep, dark and moving rather than sweet and safe. They may help unlock the feral you that lurks behind the daily facade you need to wear to deal with the world on terms that will keep you employed, unfettered and engaged with society. Sometimes you need to loosen the restraints without causing damage, I find fragrance is the perfect solution.

AbdesSalaam Attar is the fragrant pen name of Dominique Dubrana who focuses on the use of natural fragrance. What he creates though is so intense and coherent, I love to wear his fragrances because they speak to me in a far different language than the department store and niche scents.

Sea Wood (Legno di Nave) by La Via del Profumo

Sea Wood (Legno di Nave) by AbdesSalaam Attar

Sea Wood La Via del Profumo legno_naveLa Via del Profumo

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Vetiver, patchouli, olibanum, sea notes, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, spicy notes

Cloves and the feeling of booze, like a very strong rum drink, open Sea Wood. It’s a big, intoxicating opening that then calm quickly and sizzles quietly. So spicy, I can’t pick the notes apart properly but I would have said freshly cracked pepper.

Not long into the fragrance the sweet, not quite urinous smell of resins and patchouli waft through. It’s weird but I smell honey and woods now. The scent smells thick and glutinous like trying to breathe in a vat of honey. I can imagine myself in the hold of a ship full of exotic cargo, maybe even some livestock on board and the inevitable ever-present underscore of salty brine.

Sea Wood (Legno di Nave) by La Via del Profumo Boat-Sea-Sunset-Ship MaxPexelPDI

The fireworks sadly don’t last long enough before Sea Wood softens to a slightly feral salty resin. It becomes a skin scent, only smelled if you put your head down into your shirt. The perfect scent level for being undressed by someone, or for office work and close quartered dates.

La Via del Profumo has samples from €18/5.5ml

La Via del Profumo GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x sample Gringo by La Via del Profumo
1 x sample Cuoio del Dolci by La Via del Profumo

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 where you would wear your prize?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Wednesday 7th June 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 14th June 2017 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

Saffron Veil by Irina Adam for Phoenix Botanicals

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Erica Golding

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Hello all, I hope your day is spectacular so far!

Today, I am letting a secret out and telling you all about the most beautiful perfume I have smelled in many years. I’m not exaggerating. It is UNREAL!

Many of you may have heard about Phoenix Botanicals, an up and coming natural perfume company. I’ve been digging Irina’s scents for years, and she was a 2017 Art and Olfaction finalist nominee for Vanilla and the Sea. I adore her vision and the trajectory of her talent, but nothing prepared me for the supernova of obsession that flared when I recently inhaled this masterpiece:

Saffron Veil by Phoenix Botanicals

Saffron Veil by Irina Adam

Saffron Veil Phoenix Botanicals FragranticaFragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Violet, Saffron, Herbs, Tuberose, Boronia, Sandalwood, Resins, Smoke

When was the last time that you tried a sample on your skin and almost fell over? That was my first impression of Saffron Veil. I curiously swabbed a drop on my skin, interested but not expecting much from the afterthought sample add-on to my order.

Truly, my knees gave out for a second and I had to sit on my bed.

The opening is boozy for a moment, as the grape alcohol carrier announces the aroma with a triumphant symphonic blast. And what a triumph it is – have you ever experienced genuine high-grade saffron absolute? Words can hardly approximate the experience, but this saffron exhibits a leathery richness like the finest buttery suede. It also has a touch of bitterness like vetiver grass, sunlit smoky hay. This saffron anchor, although a lower note in the fragrance, dominates the opening. Interestingly, the saffron also offers longevity even as it slides into its decrescendo.

Saffron Veil Phoenix Botanicals 5ml EtsyEtsy

As the saffron detonation begins to settle and equilibrate, the composition makes way for the most heartbreaking floral bouquet I have ever known. Hawaiian tuberose, magnolia, boronia, and violet harmonize like an unlikely squad of lifelong friends who are all incredibly unique and different. The tuberose is the primary note that I detect, and it is pure magic. This tuberose is the real deal, highly prized (and accordingly costly), and my self-expression shuts down into a sputtering of small words as I try to describe it: Wax, butter, sugar, lush, humid, sweet, green, tropical, delicate, voluptuous. Quietly humming at the bottom, I sense a hint of smooth sandalwood and perhaps benzoin and myrrh.

The perfume longevity on the skin is exceptional for a natural fragrance, especially one with such soul-smashingly breathtaking volatile notes. Saffron Veil lasts for several hours, and if I spray it onto my clothing, it lasts all day. It’s a bold fragrance, possibly a little daring for work but that hasn’t stopped me!

What a dream.

Etsy

Saffron Veil from Au$69/5ml

I hope you will consider trying a sample of Saffron Veil, I would love to talk about it! I haven’t fallen for a perfume this hard in years.

Love and light,
Erica

Surrender by AbdesSalaam Attar for Surrender To Chance 2014

Hey Hey Perfume Junkies,

I have some incredibly exciting news for you all. Surrender To Chance have worked with La Via Del Profumo to create two incredible, all natural scents that will blow you right out of the water. I constantly hear and read complaints that many niche and indie perfumers are selling out and going mainstream, that the fragrances we are being offered aren’t pushing enough boundaries, interesting, skanky or outrageous.

I think I have something that might then tweak your interest.

Surrender by Surrender To Chance 2014

AbdesSalaam Attar of La Via Del Profumo

WikiCommons

Righto, toxic, petrochemical oil slick jasmine straight out of the gate. There’s NOTHING quite so ferocious and fabulous as being punched in the nose by 4 million jasmine flowers and they’re ready for action. Like an ice cold river that is both refreshing and agony the jasmine here is frosty and full on. If you like jasmine but never think perfumers capture the freaky gorgeous scent bomb that is sitting just down wind of a full flowering bush at dusk then I have found the perfect jasmine for you.

It’s perfect for me too. Ah May Zing.

From Surrender To Chance: Surrender is a rich jasmine floral that blends different jasmine absolutes with licorice, carrot, myrrh, gourmand notes and hyraceum. We wanted this to be a plush, slightly naughty wedding perfume, but it can be worn by anyone, no wedding required. We love jasmine and we love what Dominique did with this. The addition of the hyraceum makes this fragrance sing! It should be noted that it is an ethical and sustainable source of animal pheromone which does not hurt the animal in any way as hyraceum is the crystallized and petrified form of Hyrax urine. Because of the nature of the ingredients in Surrender and for its function as a sensual aphrodisiac fragrance, animal pheromones have a sense and a place in it. 

You should get your sniff on this mad baby. I think you’ll love it.

How do you like your jasmine?
Portia xx