Natural Perfumery

Seeker by Liz Cook for One Seed

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Portia

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Hello Indie Perfumery Lovers,

A while ago Liz sent me this sample to try, which I promptly lost and it has only now resurfaced in my New Year Cleanup. PHEW! So finally I get to tell you about it.

Seeker by Liz Cook for One Seed

One Seed

One Seed gives these featured accords:
Coriander, coconut, vanilla, roasted basmati rice, oakmoss, ambrette seed
Oganic sugar cane ethanol, 100% natural fragrance (natural and organic plant extracts), purified water

Food. My instant correlation in the opening was food. Ice cream in fact. One minute later you can smell the rice and coconut, it’s like a Penang Curry. Deliciously fragrant and my mouth is watering like I’m really going to get my favourite Thai dish. HA! I have a huge happy smile on my face and wonderful memories of going to our fave Thai restaurant in Gordon that looks like nothing, very simple. The food though is abundant, consistently excellent and cheap as chips. The staff are all so friendly and we drive nearly an hour to eat there nowadays. We always get a second order when we are there now to bring home as dinner in two nights time. Yes, we are quite in thrall and have had years of dinners there with so many friends, often just Jin and I will go alone.

Wikipedia

From One Seed: Seeker is a youthful scent created for the young and the young at heart. It is for endless adventures, for seeking truth in all things. Featuring fresh greens and delicate mossy notes entwined with milky coconut, vanilla and the scent of salt on damp skin.

So Seeker is an incredibly happy fragrance for me, the memories flowed for hours. Even as it softened to dry down Seeker still smells like happy memories but they turn more Indian and religious as the fragrance seems to become smokier and darker, more filled with humanity and all the way to the end rice steam. The musk mallow does excellent work as a fleshy backdrop, this frag rocks. You’ll never pick that it’s a natural.

One Seed has $85/30ml EdP
One Seed has a fabulous Sample Set. All 7 fragrances x 2.5ml atomisers

Is there a foody smell you love or wish was part of a fragrance?
Portia xx

BEST ONLINE DEAL: La Via Del Profumo

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Post by Portia

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Heya Bargain Shoppers,

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

BEST ONLINE DEAL: La Via Del Profumo

screen-shot-2016-12-16-at-10-53-39-am

SAMPLES OF THE SCENTS OF THE SOUL

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

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

(This offer cannot be combined with Facebook discount)

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

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

Which ones look good to you?
Portia xx

 

Arbolé Arbolé by Hiram Green 2016

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Foggy November Greetings APJ!

Perfume Excitement

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

arbole-arbole-hiram-green-val-cq

Arbolé Arbolé by Hiram Green 2016

arbole-arbole-hiram-green-fragranticaFragrantica

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Green Perfumed Bussis
CQ

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

Arbolé Arbolé by Federico García Lorca, 1898 – 1936

Tree, tree
dry and green.

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

Australasian Artisan Botanical Perfume Expo

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Post by Suzanne R Banks

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Hi APJ,

We have a giveaway of 4 DOUBLE tickets today, see below.

Suzanne xx

Australasian Artisan Botanical Perfume Expo

October 23rd ~ Sydney

Australasian Artisan Botanical Perfume Expo October 23 2016

 

We are getting really excited about the inaugural Australasian Artisan Botanical Perfume Expo ~ October 23rd ~ Sydney. We are botanical perfumers from the southern hemisphere passionate about the beauty of natural, BOTANICAL perfumes. Be part of the revolution of natural fragrance, beauty, sensuality, health and wellbeing.

WHEN        Sunday, October 23, 2016 from 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM (AEDT)
WHERE      Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre – 16-18 Fitzroy Street
                   Kirribilli, NSW, 2061
** close the to Kirribilli train station with lovely cafes in the village.
 
INCLUDED IN YOUR TICKET
A variety of teas to enjoy
Award winning dark chocolate mousse by Yalla (Gluten and preservative free)
fruit and more.
Gifts given out during the day by Lord Foppington
and
A door prize will be drawn at 2pm for one attendee to the value of $500 (Winner must be on site to receive the gift)

BUY EVENTBRITE TICKET HERE

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.
Suzanne XXXX

 

AllSteele giveaway 1

Sniffory GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will receive:
1 x Double Australasian Artisan Botanical Perfume Expo Ticket
P&H SYDNEY ONLY

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 if you have used a botanical perfumes before or if you think you’d like to?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 7th October 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 Tuesday 11th October 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

Suzanne R Banks Blog
Suzanne R Banks Aromatherapy
Suzanne R Banks FaceBook

copyright suzannerbanks 2013

Tawaf by La Via del Profumo 2012

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Post by Portia

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Hello Independent Perfumery Lovers,

Yes, the Indie stuff is the most boundary pushing, interesting and challenging fragrance section for me. I find the perfumes exciting, edgy, sometimes raw and often a little rough. It’s edge of your nose sniffing. Not all the Indies get it right for me but that’s the point, they are making their dream for people who share it. That also doesn’t mean they get an automatic Get Out Of Jail Free Card from me though. I still need to enjoy the ride, be swept up in the fragrant fantasy and moved on some level. La Via del Profumo is a brand that often delivers in the most outrageous and spectacular ways. Today let’s look at a bottle I bought after falling madly in love with and using up a sample size.

Tawaf by La Via del Profumo 2012

Tawaf La Via Del ProfumoLa Via Del Profumo

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Jasmine sambac, rose, opoponax, narcissus, myrrh

Jasmine and narcissus together open Tawaf, It’s a green, viscous, aggressive opening that has little to do with sitting in a field or by a fence with either of them growing nearby but the powerful, astringent, shrill uncomfortableness that you get from the purest absolute extract (is that even a thing? You get it though, right?). 15-20 minutes of over the top fragrance that pretty much sends me into raptures of sniffing.

After the initial blast the richness and forcefulness drops back to a dull roar. Still fully fragrant yet there seems to be more oxygen in the room. Suddenly Tawaf becomes friendly, archetypically feminine and very sexy. Still radiant and effusive, excellent wafting in sillage and with good projection: I get about an hour of this warmer heart before the whole fragrance slides slowly into a light resinous hum around me. Very nice, quieter, less remarkable but still alluring. It sits closer and closer to my skin before finally giving up the ghost more than 4 hours on.

Tawaf La Via Del Profumo Ka’abah Turki Al-Fassam FlickrFlickr

From La Via Del Profumo site: Tawaf is the name of the ritual consisting in circumambulations around the Ka’abah, the cube shaped building in Mecca, adorned with black silk. The Ka’abah is the geographic center of the Arabian soul, of it’s spirituality, culture and civilisation. The Tawaf fragrance is the aromatic “melody” of the scents that surround those performing the Tawaf.

Further reading: Non Blonde and Perfume Shrine
La Via Del Profumo has a range of sizes from €18

What is your jasmine scent?
Portia xxx

Camellia Perfume by Maria McElroy for Aroma M Perfumes 2014

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Post by Robert Herrmann

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“I can just hear my General now. “Why Hatsumomo. You used to smell of jasmine… What’s this new perfume…?” – Memoirs Of A Geisha 1999

When Aroma M, already a well established perfume line, introduced Camellia Face Oil and Hair Oil, a true icon of modern niche perfumery was born. Quickly becoming the favorite of chi chi clients worldwide and after many requests, perfumer Maria McElroy released the Extrait (Perfume) in 2014 and I for one could not be happier!

Having already fallen head-over-heels for her new limited edition “Voluptuous Nostalgia” (totally full-bottle worthy. Or two.), when I spotted the Camellia Perfume in LA’s Scent Bar/ Luckyscent a few weeks ago, all it took was one dab and BOOM!

Take my money…PLEASE!!

Camellia Perfume by Aroma M Perfumes 2014

Camellia Perfume by Maria McElroy

Camellia Aroma M Fragrantica

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Jasmine, gardenia, neroli, geranium, rose, frankincense, camellia

A white floral contemporary masterpiece with a whopping 30% fragrance to oil ratio, Camellia Perfume opens on my skin with a huge blast of creamy jasmine, gardenia, and neroli, indolic but not overwhelming and absolutely gorgeous! But Camellia is the diva here, and makes a sweeping entrance within 10 minutes, fresh yet a bit dusty, with a scent like no other.

When I was a kid growing up north of San Francisco, my mother planted Camellia bushes wherever she could find a patch of dirt. Now to be honest, I don’t have a scent memory of those gorgeous blooms, all I remember is getting a nose-full of tiny ants which love the flowers, when I went to sniff them on the bush. Pink, white, variegated, we had them all and there was always a shallow dish of water somewhere in the house full of the placid floating flowers.

If I had known they would smell like this, I would’ve paid better attention!

Camellia Perfume by Aroma M Robert HerrmannPhoto Donated Robert Herrmann

There’s geranium in there as well, never overshadowing the Camellia, with all the notes resting and supported by a soft base of frankincense. Like I said, gorgeous! Slightly reminiscent of the very BEST of the Chanel and Guerlain florals that seem to have somehow merged to produce a love-child…a softer yet potent and beautifully blended white floral.
THE white floral.
Yup. It’s THAT good. But that shouldn’t be a surprise to you given Maria’s other creations in the Geisha line. Trust me, you want this one. I’ll just say in advance, you’re welcome.

And it lasts and lasts, which is some-kind-of-wonderful for an all natural perfume.

geisha-439322_960_720

Further reading: EauMG and Eyeliner On A Cat
LuckyScent have $150/7ml extrait + Samples

Oh….and I should mention that it passed the ultimate spouse litmus test… “Wow, what is that? You smell amazing!”

Amazing indeed.

Do you have a favorite Aroma M scent? If so which one?

Terpsichore by ime Natural Perfumes Australia

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Post by Portia

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Hey lovers of Natural Fragrance,

ime Natural Perfume are run by a girlfriend of mine here in Australia, Tonya Walker is her name. Tonya wanted to offer a set of naturals that were usable alone or in conjunction with the rest of the line, a bit like the Jo Malone idea. The difference here being that Tonya wanted to capture the healing benefits of the ingredients and use these fragrances as mood enhancers or diverters. I have long used fragrance to circumvent downward emotional spirals and Tonya has created the whole ime Natural Perfume series to help you do just that.

Terpsichore by ime Natural Perfumes

Terpsichore (Expressive)

IME_Terpsichore_Expressive1Photo Stolen ime Natural Perfumes

ime Natural Perfumes gives these featured accords:
Orange, Lime, Chamomile, Lavender, Ylang Ylang

Terpsichore is the muse of dance and I think she was the one that Olivia Newton John played in the 1980 film Xanadu. Still one of my favourite shit movies of all time and I still find myself singing the songs while cleaning or sewing 35 years later.

Xanadu MusesProblem with image? Please tell us

Lime & lavender open in a sharp, effervescent, ultra high pitched zing on my skin. An awkward pairing that seems to vibrate. It is like plunging into a cool pool on a boiling hot day. Initially your body can’t believe it but withing a minute you’re absolutely comfortable. While Terpsichore remains effervescent through its whole life the pitch softens and becomes far less outrageous. Refreshing? Yes, every time I spritz I find it a perfect work and focus scent as well as giving my energy levels a boost. Like a metaphorical and fragrant cup of coffee.

Basically the two lead notes stay the focus for the whole ride and everything else bolsters their supremacy. Quite linear and fresh all the way through. Even after sleeping there is a whisper of citrus overlaying my bodies scent, that is so unusual for a natural fragrance and a citrus. I have to get my nose right onto my skin to smell it but it’s there faintly.

From ime Natural Perfumes: Free, Spirited, Expressive: The muse of Dance is a free spirit. She will inspire you to find delight in dancing to your own rhythmic beat, lost in the moment. Be a Natural and express yourself.

IME_Terpsichore_Expressive Jônatas Cunha FOLHA FRESCA (Fresh leaf) FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

ime Natural Perfumes has $60/30ml and Samples

There are eight more ime Natural Perfumes that you can try too, and they have a sensational sample pack so you can try them all.

Do you ever wear natural fragrances?
Portia xx

Hiram Green Voyage by Hiram Green 2015

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was my favourite TV series as a kid. Admiral Nelson and his crew. The flying sub which could leave the ocean and function as an airplane being the coolest thing ever.

Hiram Green Voyage by Hiram Green 2015

 Voyage Hiram Green FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citruses
Heart: Amber, suede
Base: Vanilla

Hiram Green’s Voyage – An ode to the exotic mysteries of India.

I chatted with Hiram briefly the other day. He mentioned that he would find it difficult to write two sentences about his own creations, and was interested that some bloggers could write thick novels. I found that highly amusing.

Hiram Green VoyagePhoto Donated Val CQ

When I started writing for APJ it was really just a bit of fun. I was extremely surprised when I found that people were asking if they could send me perfumes to
try. I was so excited but that soon died down when I saw that most of them didn’t work on me. I believe that is the politically correct way of putting it? I
only get some sort of inspiration when I like something. Which kind of limits me. Perhaps I should write about what sucks, but I am sure Portia would fire me. I digress. Hiram Green sent me a sample of Voyage and I have used it all. It is quite bodacious.

Hiram green in India aged 14Photo Donated Hiram Green

Voyage is opulent and sumptuous, two words that do not tend to get used with an all natural perfume. It is the drydown of many more modern perfumes where it falls short of expectation. Top loaded to blow your mind and then after 20 minutes the common base. Voyage could not be further away from this perfume concept. The perfume is built on a base of superb vanilla and a heart of amber. The fragrance opens with a lively citrus feel before slipping into the spicy, warm, lush heart. Hiram doesn´t mention spice in his list of notes, but hey, who cares about the notes anyway? There is a soft suede halo wrapped around the whole composition, which draws it altogether. It is tweaked to perfection and lasts for hours. It blows apart all preconceived ideas (mine) of natural perfumery apart.

Attention to detail is exquisite, from the wax seal to the website. The bottles are stunning. They are every bit as gorgeous in real life as they are on the pictures. All three of his scents are outstanding. He clearly does not bend to the industry, nor to the trend of churning out a new fragrance every few months.
Modern classic beauty.

Voyage Hiram Green The_Voyage_of_Life_Old_Age WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Voyage, as well as Moon Bloom and Shangri La can be purchased in 5 ml sprays at Hiram Green. All three highly recommended. Note that Voyage is limited to 250 bottles.

“Ah, you’ve come over the water. Powerful wet stuff, ain´t it?”
The Voyage of the “Dawn Treader”. C.S. Lewis

Valiant Bussis
CQ

Body Oil Recipes for Seasonal Change

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Post by Suzanne R Banks

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There’s nothing like a nourishing essential oil blend for your body, to soften your skin, cover you with energetic protection and generally keep your spirits up. And there’s no better time than now of course, as we move from one season to the next.

Body Oil Recipes for Seasonal Change

Making a Nourishing Body Oil Blend

For a coat of your body put 7 – 8 drops of essential oils in a little dish and then add 3 teaspoons of carrier oil. Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion. It’s best to patch test first, before you apply all over.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and then fill with carrier oil

spring-blossoms- Suzanne R Banks

Winter to Spring Body Oil Blends

This is a time to wake your body up, shed winter skin and get moving! Smell the sweet flowers and get happy ….

1. Getting Ready for Summer Legs

Rosemary 2 drops
Lemon 4 drops
Cypress 2 drops

2. Sprouting Soul

Petitgrain 3 drops
Lavender 3 drops
Patchouli 2 drops

Lavender Suzanne R Banks

Summer to Autumn Body Oil Blends

A time of lingering summer memories, cooling down and appreciating your life.

1. That Was Fun!

Lemongrass 3 drops
Juniper 2 drops
Cedarwood Virginian 2 drops

2. Winding Down

Bergamot 4 drops
Lavender 2 drops
Indian Rosewood 2 drops

Check out my YouTube Channel too, thanks.
Suzanne R Banks xx

Suzanne R Banks Blog
Suzanne R Banks Aromatherapy
Suzanne R Banks FaceBook

copyright suzanne

 

Revelation! My new book out now

Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Amazon USA      Amazon AU      Amazon UK

 

Gardenia Enfleurage by Solstice Scents 2015

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Post by Erica Golding

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Greetings to my darling perfumed friends!

Have you ever had the pleasure of meeting a true gardenia blossom? Have you ever buried your face in its humid, silken petals and inhaled a breath of heaven? I have only once, on my wedding day, when I wore gardenias in my hair and in my bouquet. The scent is one of deeply peaceful bliss, joyful celebration, and unconditional love. This precious moment is forever preserved in todays fragrance.

Heartbreakingly, I have long known that it is impossible to capture the essence of the gardenia using conventional means. The extraction processes and solvents destroy the delicate compounds and ruin the aroma. I first read about the art of enfleurage in the horror novel Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrtick Suskind. When I discovered that this fine art was being revived in modern day to gently harness the true essence of fragile flowers such as gardenia, my spirit soared!

Gardenia Enfleurage by Solstice Scents 2015

Solstice Scents Gardenia EnfleuragePhoto Donated Erica Golding

Solstice Scents gives these ingredients:
100% Pure Gardenia Absolute In Organic Cane Sugar Alcohol

Angela at Solstice Scents has been harvesting and creating her seasonal, breathtaking Gardenia Enfleurage for the past several years. It is a highly concentrated elixir, containing solubilized and waxy isolates from treasured petals harvested daily during the blooming season. The magic captured in this tiny 4 mL vial is nothing short of euphoria.

Every facet of the live gardenia flower swims from my skin. Creamy, fresh, velvety, powdered sugar, a swirl of greenery – I find it impossible to describe beyond blunt terms. Singularly unique and distinct, I am transported to a pivotal and precious moment in my life. The sunlight is hazy behind cool autumn cloud cover, the breeze is languid, and I have more love in my heart and in my life than I ever truly realized.

Scent memory is a powerful, intense enchantment. Solstice Scents’ Gardenia Enfleurage is an incredibly special labor of love, and worthy of being associated with your most important moments in life. What natural aroma has special meaning to you? Do you wish you could preserve it in a bottle in your collection?

Solstice Scents has $9/.25ml

Much love and light,

Erica