Eau de Gloire by Marc-Antoine Corticchiato for Parfum d’Empire 2003

August 30, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Fragrant Family,

When Michael Edwards of Fragrances Of The World fame had his cleanout this was one of the fragrances he gave me. I had liked it very much from my original Parfum d’Empire sample set (that I can’t find on the site anymore). So my review today is based on an older bottle like the top picture in the review. I have no idea if the fragrance has been reformulated for the new bottle but I’ve read nothing on the boards to indicate there has been a change.

Eau de Gloire by Parfum d’Empire 2003

Eau de Gloire by Marc-Antoine Corticchiato

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, amalfi lemon, lavender, rosemary, neroli, tangerine, myrtle
Heart: Tea, star anise, licorice, immortelle
Base: Leather, tobacco, olibanum, french labdanum, oakmoss

The first fragrance that Parfum d’Empire brought to the world in 2003, modeled on Marc-Antoine Corticchiato’s scent memory of his boyhood home Corsica, Eau de Gloire is literally translated as Water of Glory and dedicated as an homage to all those who’ve left their homelands to go into the world and conquer. Especially to his own home island boy Napoleon Bonaparte.

Photo Stolen HistoryFiles

The first words that jump into my head when wearing Eau de Gloire are Bracing, Citrus, Salt, Squeaky, Floral, Masculine. Yes, I know we don’t deal in masculine/feminine archetypes here but Eau de Gloire definitely skews towards what my upbringing has defined as a masculine scent, which does not minimise how spectacularly it will perform on the girls so please don’t get up in arms.

Eau de Gloire opens with a powerhouse icy cold screech of bergamot, citrus twig and broken branch and briny sea air then the herbs and flowers come and take the edge off. As the rosemary, lavender and star anise waltz in they warm the scent slightly but still it stays cool and laid back. I don’t believe in fragrances for the sexes but I keep imagining Eau de Gloire on a very masculine man though I would love to see how it smells on a woman. There is a squeaky dissonance here, the trilling of the citrus which lasts well into the heart of the fragrance and the rumbling of the incense, anise, oakmoss and tobacco. Unfortunately my nose misses the tea and leather in the composition completely, maybe you will have more luck.

Eau de Gloire comes and goes from my ability to smell it, very interesting, but when i concentrate I can. It’s like it hides from me to make me seek out its loose billowy freshness. At about 3-4 hours I get more soft and flowery notes over the various resins, this fragrance grows more interesting and textured as it matures. At 7 hours it is soft as butterfly kisses and almost as ephemeral.

Photo Stolen Parfum d’Empire

I hadn’t worn Eau de Gloire for a while but last night when I wore it to work there were three compliments on my fragrance throughout the night. One of whom I am making a small decant for because her eyes were shining with enthusiasm. I think we have a new perfumista in our midst.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Chemist In A Bottle
Parfum d’Empire has €120/100ml
Libertine Parfumerie has $199/100ml and FREE AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING!
Surrender To Chance has samples that start at $3.50/ml

What have you worn lately that people have noticed?

Please treat yourself well, it’s hard to be happy when there’s someone being mean to you the whole time.
Portia xx

Silk by Richard Ibanez for Andrea Maack 2011

August 28, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

Woo Hoo APJers,

Andrea Maack, artist, fashion designer and fragrance curator. Her stark, vivid, linear creations are bold and shocking but within the bounds of mainstream beauty. Though I find them confronting and they give me pause for question I could also see many of her art creations in peoples homes, comfortably setting themselves beside a big family couch and the TV. They would be interesting talking points but hardly steal air from the room and make it awkward to sit.

This too is how I see the fragrance line. Different enough to maintain my interest yet wearable every day as a second, fragrant skin that you offer to the world as your scent. The line has been called derivative and a follower but when I wear Andrea Maack fragrances I find no parallels, and yes this could be my lack as a medium. Whether they are or not is a moot point because I enjoy wearing them, they tickle my fabulous bone and they tick so many boxes on my fragrant list that I am impressed with them on their own merits.

Silk by Andrea Maack 2011

Silk by Richard Ibanez

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Citruses, violet leaf, freesia, magnolia, soil tincture, papyrus, vanille, amber, lemon tree, lime (linden) blossom

LuckyScent offers this list of featured accords in one line:
Violet leaves, freesia, lime tree, linen, magnolia, Spanish cistus, earth accord, papyrus, vanilla, amber

Sweet citrus opens but it’s firmly undercut by green grasses and a fresh, dewy, air conditioned bouquet (I’m quite surprised there’s no LotV mentioned in the notes). A lovely and very pretty green, delicate, cooling and …… imagine you are in an orchard filled with blossom, the day is brisk but when you stand in the sun it’s lovely, there’s a breeze that is strong enough to ruffle your hair and it carries a floral bouquet from the nearby market gardens, some trodden grass and a dry rasp that is a little vetiver reminiscent. Then the sprinklers come on, they don’t wet you but it does change the taste of the air and suddenly the whole orchard seems cooler: that moment in your dream is what Silk smells like.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

The freshness and brightness are carried over into the heart and it’s reminiscent of the freshly cut cucumber scent, or cut wet stems of flowers before arranging. It’s amazing how intoxicating silk is, not a big perfume but it does have the ability to change the air around you and in the first hour the sillage is excellent.

Like the Andrea Maack art piece below Silk is a bundled net of scent pieces with light pouting through and creating a gauzy, soft focus fragrance that still manages to be fully present and fragrant. For me Silk dries down to a melon scent softly warmed by the amber that I can feel but not really smell.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon and Bonkers About Perfume
LuckyScent has $135/50ml and samples
Libertine has $185/50ml and FREE delivery in Australia

Have you experienced any of the Andrea Maack fragrances? Favourites?
Portia x

Photo Stolen AllSteele

Andrea Maack Sampler GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 3ml Andrea Maack Sampler (I have used them a bit, about 2ml in each)
Dark
Smart
Craft
Silk
Sharp
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 your favourite artist

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Andrea Maack Sampler GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-3hC #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 30th August 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 3rd September 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.

Dame Perfumery Artist Series Set GIVEAWAY WINNERS

August 28, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Woo Hoo APJ,

Thanks to Azar and Jeffrey Dame for this amazing giveaway. I’m glad you all got on board and I wish that I could have been in the running, what a great prize.
Let’s see who won,

Portia xx

Dame Perfumery Artist Series Set GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Dark Horse – 2015
Perfumer’s notes: Bergamot, lemon, cinnamon, jasmine, carnation, rose, cloves, guaiac wood oil, vetiver, vanilla and musk.

From Azar: I mentioned in the comments to the post that, in addition to the artist series set, I would also send along a sample of Pear Waterlily and Amber to the winner. I rummaged through my samples but couldn’t find a Pear, Waterlily and Amber (I think they were used up by me!) but I did find an extra set of Artist Series samples…so instead of one winner there are now two.

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 ml sample set of the 3 Dame Perfumery Artist Series
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 27th August 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen markmontanoblogs

Patty Pong

lena

The winners will have till Monday 31st August 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.

North by Amelie Bourgeois and Anne-Sophie Behaghel for Mendittorosa (Odori d’Anima) 2013

August 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Trésor

I have a confession to make: I am not a fan of summer, of all the four seasons it is easily my least favourite. I know what you’re thinking. “Have you no heart, Trésor?! How can you not love the summer?!” While I admit there are few things more delightful than the aureate hue of summertime sunlight there are also few things I despise more than the heat that accompanies this precious gift. I revel in the embrace of graceful autumn zephyrs and even within the frost-bound chill of the Canadian winters in which I grew up. Naturally, when August rolled around and the heat *really* hit I was scrambling to find just about anything I could to satiate my desire for hyperborean delight. It was around this time I just so happened to have serendipitously received a sample kit from Italian niche house Mendittorosa Odori d’Anima and I was delighted to find that nestled within was a potion authored by perfumers Amelie Bourgeois and Anne-Sophie Behaghel called North, a pulchritudinous ode to Scandinavian minimalism and the elegant austerity that so harmoniously exemplifies this exquisite aesthetic.

North by Mendittorosa (Odori d’Anima) 2013

North by Amelie Bourgeois and Anne-Sophie Behaghel

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Black pepper, aldehydes, bergamot
Heart: Sea notes, floral notes, jasmine
Base: Atlas cedar, Virginian cedar, nutmeg

North opens with a diffuse aurora of shimmering aldehydes, refracting light in a way that so viscerally resembles a premonition of fractured crystal suspended in perpetuity within rays of December sunlight. A verdant scythe of emerald bergamot penetrates the crystalline aurora, setting the sky alight in a flash of vivid green, the threads of which fall daintily like stardust into the Baltic sea. Holograms of gelid flowers float on the water’s surface, breathing in the salty brine and exhaling piercing clouds of glacial ozone bound for the shore. Hologram materializes into tangibility as the composition approaches land and the bounty which it bares.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

The frozen petals of this ephemeral white flower now rest at the feet of towering cedars, singing unto the borealis with their sylvan essence. There is little warmth to be found here in this landscape but is within this hiemal serenity that the beauty of the composition lays. The notes seem to flow into each other as the river to delta and delta to the sea, naturally and with a sophisticated ease.

North exists on my skin for about 6 hours in total though on the warmest of days I can get just a bit longer. The sillage is gentle, an ethereal aura of divine fragrance as opposed to a diffuse cloud. I’ve found this to be just the antidote to my admittedly cantankerous disposition towards the heat and humidity as it reminds me so beautifully of the seasons which bring me the greatest joy and those of which I have the fondest memories.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Val the Cookie Queen writes about another Mendittorosa (Odori d’Anima) fragrance Id
First In Fragrance have €185/100ml
Mendittorosa Odori d’Anima have a fabulous Discovery Pack (7 x 1.4ml samples, literature, message from founder, world postage) €40

Do you have a favourite fragrance who’s atmosphere mirrors the glacial chill of North?

Until next time, my darlings.

Trésor x

Cookie Queen USA 2015: Packing for a Trip

August 25, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Each time I see a photo of a collection of perfume on Facebook or in a magazine I zoom in on it and take a look. If the photos is too small I enlarge it or take a screenshot so that I can make it even bigger! Now come on, I know I am not alone in this perfume voyeurism. We all like to play the “How many can I recognize” game and are smugly satisfied when we get the lot.

Cookie Queen USA 2015: Packing for a Trip

As you read this I am either on the road to Vienna or sat in a plane enjoying the idea of a 17 hour trip, and not the psychedelickind. I really don´t know if anyone is interested in what I am doing, but I will give you a brief perfume rundown. You can always skip this bit and look at the photos and have done with it.

I will be meeting up in Seattle with the amazing Azar of APJ and Ellen Covey of Olympic Orchids. As I move on down to San Francisco I look
forward to having tea with Undina of Undina´s Looking Glass and hooking up with Virginia of Té de Violetas. I have dates here too with a couple of Verophiles. I will pay a trip to Tiger Lily of course. Way further south I will get to look at the perfume scene in Los Angeles with Jtd Jtd from the ScentHurdle. Can it get any more exciting than all of that? I do hasten to add that I am actually going to California to visit with my family, but combined it with some perfume fun! My husband will be joining me for all of this after having a week downhilling up on Whistler Mountain.

The last three days of the trip will be in New York. Perfume partying there too with Indieperfumes and Peace, Love and Perfume/Goodsmellas.

My traveling perfume and paraphernalia is pictured below, or above, depending where Portia puts the pictures. 🙂

Neela Vermeire purple suede clutch
Mohur EdP
Travel sizes of Pichola and Ashoka
Shalimar Extrait
Hermès Cuir d´Ange travel size
Vero Profumo Rubj EdP
Vero Profumo Mito EdP
In the pink felt bags are samples of the all the Vero Profumo EdPs and Voiles
and I am taking all of the Vero Profumo Extraits
The lovely small leather perfume pouch was a gift from a perfumista and it means a lot to me.
(The VP extraits will be in there)
The gold shiny bag? Ha! Top Secret. Nudge nudge, wink wink, say no more.

I will take a decant of Eau de Magnolia, at time of writing not yet done.
And a bottle of MAAI.

I will wear mostly extraits, and the NVCs can all be dabbed. I don´t care to spray when I am traveling – planes, trains and automobiles
don´t warrant spritzing! Do they? What would YOU have packed?

Stars´n´Striped Bussis
CQ

The Artist Series by Dame Perfumery Scottsdale

August 24, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 43 Comments

Post by Azar

Hi APJ!

A few months ago I reviewed Dame Perfumery Scottsdale’s Matte, Heliotrope and Patchouli. Today’s post is a brief overview of the perfumes in Jeffrey Dame’s Artist Series.
Currently Dame Perfumery offers three lines: A group of eight EdTs for woman, three colognes for men and the unisex Artist Series, a group of three EdPs inspired by the visual art of Jeffrey Dame’s father, Dave Dame.

The Artist Series by Dame Perfumery Scottsdale

The first in the Artist Series,

Black Flower Mexican Vanilla – 2014
Here are the perfumer’s notes: Mexican vanilla absolute, lemon, grapefruit, caramel, nutmeg, gardenia, jasmine, sandalwood, patchouli, vetiver, musk and tonka bean.

Black Flower Mexican Vanilla grabs my attention with a concentrated, intense, smoky vanilla spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon. Additions of lemon and grapefruit keep it from sinking into sweet, heavy darkness. Even with the citrus and the listed caramel this EdP is definitely NOT your teenage daughter’s vanilla! As Black Flower Mexican Vanilla dries there is a momentary hint of a burnt cream and gardenia that quickly moves on to sandalwood, vetiver and a lingering edgy floral vanilla. A long-lived and bold fragrance with a powerful but never overwhelming sillage, suitable for both men and woman.

Desert Rose – 2015
Listed notes: Turkish rose otto, Damask rose, peach, Sicilian lemon, Egyptian jasmine, geranium, carnation, heliotrope, sandalwood, amber, musk and vanilla.

The first time I tried Desert Rose, on a very cold winter’s day, all I experienced was rose water and amber. Spritzing in summer proved to be much more rewarding. Desert Rose blooms in the heat with traces of dry pavement, rock and sand. The perfume progresses from a scorched, dusty rose to a buttery, peachy vanilla sparkling with citrus and spice, finishing with a suggestion of booze, amber and musk. Desert Rose is more intimate than Black Flower and lasts about six hours on my skin.

Dark Horse – 2015
Perfumer’s notes: Bergamot, lemon, cinnamon, jasmine, carnation, rose, cloves, guaiac wood oil, vetiver, vanilla and musk.

Dark Horse opens with an arresting and pithy lemon, tweaked with cloves and cinnamon. In a moment the fragrance transforms to jasmine and carnation supported by golden vanilla. At about five minutes carnation totally takes over and stays in place for at least an hour before the phenolic, oudy, vegetal sweetness of guaiac wood is revealed. At this point the perfume reminds me of my favorite woody fragrances by M. Micallef, projecting well and easily lasting ten hours on skin and longer on clothing. Toward the end of its long run Dark Horse wafts smoky vetiver, traces of musk and more carnation. This latest offering in the Dame Perfumery Artist Series is a truly beautiful and unique perfume for an unbelievably low price.

Every fragrance offered by Dame Perfumery Scottsdale is testament to Jeffrey Dame’s knowledge, creativity and years of experience and to the amazing skill of his perfumer/collaborator. The use of lemon in the Artist Series fragrances is masterful. The perfumer manages to totally avoid the smell of home cleaning products and the ubiquitous lemon bar, using lemon more as fragrance modifier than as a discrete fragrance note.

Dame Perfumery has 7ml Trial Size, perfect size to see how you love them.

Azar xx

Photo Stolen Kesha&Co

Dame Perfumery Artist Series Set GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 ml sample set of the 3 Dame Perfumery Artist Series
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to anyone in the world who follow 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 your favorite Jeffrey Dame fragrance or your most cherished vanilla perfume

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 27th August 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Monday 31st August 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.

Deluxe Giverny In Bloom Set GIVEAWAY WINNER

August 24, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

Hiya APJ,

What a sensational giveaway. Thank you to Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for her incredible generosity, and excellent fragrances. What a superstar. Please go and have a look at the DSH Perfumes site.

Portia xx

Giverny In Bloom GIVEAWAY WINNER

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x The deluxe Giverny In Bloom discovery set: 4 x 3ml atomisers:
Giverny In Bloom EdT (only the dregs)
La Danse des Bleus et des Violettes EdT
l’Opera des Rouges et des Roses EdP
Le Jardin Vert EdP
along with a leaflet about the Denver Art Museum exhibit
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 23rd August 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen EverythingHealth

FlowerGirlBee!

The winner will have till Thursday 27th August 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.

Patchouli Nosy Be by Perris Monte Carlo 2014

August 22, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Post by Portia

Hiya Crew,

You know when you see a new brand come on the scene and it just doesn’t move you to go out of your way to try it? That’s what the Perris Monte Carlo stuff was like for me. I don’t know why, maybe the bottles or the names, colourway…. really, I don’t know. Anyway, recently I bought some stuff from the guys at LuckyScent and they added a bunch of samples into my pack. I was putting this into a pack I was putting together to send off because it didn’t interest me but I thought, “I’ll just give myself a little spritz before I put it in.” Spritzed, sealed up the post pack and all of a sudden I am bathed in the most delightful and radiant amber/patchouli bomb I’ve ever smelled.

Patchouli Nosy Be by Perris Monte Carlo 2014

Patchouli Nosy Be by Luca Maffei

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Patchouli, pink pepper
Heart: Cacao, labdanum
Base: Patchouli, vanilla, cedar, sandalwood

Warm, comfortable, smooth and refined are the words that jump into my head immediately. Elegant. This is a very beautiful sweet patchouli amber combo that sings on my skin. I don’t know if it’s a breakthrough scent but it does smell amazing, projects and trails exactly the right amount for notice without skunking, makes me feel cuddly and safe and lasts extremely well.

There’s something stately, impressive and grandiose about Patchouli Nosy Be, yet it still feels fresh and alive and modern. I am going to have to find myself a split and really give it some wear, or could it be my next FB?

Photo Stolen torange

I stole this from LuckyScent because it hits the nail on the head and explains the significance of the stupid name:
Nosy Be (or Nossi-Bé) is an island off the northwest coast of Madagascar, commonly known as the “scented island” due to the abundance of extremely high-quality perfume materials grown on its northern half. But patchouli, a sensitive and delicate plant to cultivate, has never been able to thrive in Nosy Be’s intense heat. Until now.
Perris Monte Carlo Patchouli Nosy Be contains the very first magical harvests of authentic Nosy Be patchouli, made possible through an innovative and painstaking process that involves transplanting developing plants by hand into shaded, protected areas amongst the ylang ylang plantations, which results in an extraordinary patchouli essential oil with unique dry, woody and cocoa-like properties. This precious material is then blended into a fragrance designed to showcase its uncharacteristic expansiveness- combined minimally with spicy pink pepper, smooth woods and a touch of warm resin, creamy vanilla and bitter cocoa…..

Photo Stolen Pexels

LuckyScent has $180/100ml and samples

What have you been completely wrong about lately, fragrant or otherwise. Come on, time to confess. We won’t snitch.

Portia xx

Giverny in Bloom by DSH Perfumes 2015

August 21, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

Post by Portia

Hiya APJ,

The set created for Denver Art Museum’s “In Bloom” exhibit:
Giverny In Bloom
La Danse des Bleus et des Violettes
l’Opera des Rouges et des Roses
Le Jardin Vert

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz is one of the world’s best loved independent perfumers. Partly that’s because she makes seriously fabulous fragrances but I also think that her nature and lovely genuine responses whenever I’m in touch with her adds 100% to that appeal. She sent me a pack of pre-releases back in June and at some point I must have put it in a box which was then packed away for the big move. We found quite a lot of important stuff in this box and I think Jin had done a bit of packing while I was at work one night. Anyway, found it now and really excited because one scent in particular from the set of four has me completely under its spell.

Giverny in Bloom by DSH Perfumes 2015

Giverny in Bloom by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Ambergris, Australian sandalwood, bergamot, vetiver, bulgarian rose, cabreuva, carnation, civet, damask rose, soil tincture, Indian patchouli, rose geranium, beeswax, lime (linden blossom), galbanum, jasmine, oakmoss, heliotrope, green leaves, lemon, mimosa, orris, parma violet, peony, petitgrain, pine needles, red rose, palisander rosewood, jasmine sambac, lilac, Tunisian neroli, violet, violet leaf, Virginian cedar

On first spritz galbanum is king, quickly replaced by a woodsy white floral, cool and sharp that is cut through with a really lovely cut grass and earthy turned compost. There is so much happening in Giverny In Bloom and so much a fragrance of itself, built in big sweeping light filled strokes and made poignant by almost speckled bit players that both flesh out and buoy the composition. I am lost happily in a wash of fragrance that you really need to stand back a bit from so that the riot of colliding pieces have a chance to become an olfactoric picture. I think it’s the loveliest green I’ve ever smelled. It beats even Nikki de Saint Phalle which was my favourite. So nuanced and beautifully balanced, artfully walking the green resinous line.

Giverny In Bloom softens off to a very quiet hum after a couple of hours yet still manages to make me smell fresher than I am. Pretty.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

From DSH Perfumes site: Created for Denver Art Museum’s “In Bloom” exhibit ‘scent experience’, a gorgeous green and live flower bouquet fragrance was created to evoke the artist’s beloved flower garden.
Be transported through time and space to a moment in Monet’s flower garden at Giverny. An impressionist style perfume of green budding trees, wet dewy flowers and soil, that transforms to a rich floral bouquet as it wears.

I have just ordered a 10ml EdT from Dawn, this shit is freaking amazing.

Photo Stolen DSH Perfumes

DSH Perfumes has 3 fragrance strengths for Giverny in Bloom, Eau de Toilette, Voile de Toilette & Extrait plus there is a room spray and body butter. It’s a totally cool way to present a set and the only thing that could make it better was if there was bubble bath. They are available from DSH Perfumes in a variety of sizes and range from $5-155

In Bloom: Painting Flowers in the Age of Impressionism
Denver Art Museum’s “In Bloom” exhibit
July 19, 2015 – October 11, 2015
Hamilton Building – Level 2 — Ticketed, free for members. Purchase tickets online or call 720-913-0130.

SUPER exciting giveaway today, see below,
Portia xxx

Photo Stolen kbaird

Deluxe Giverny In Bloom Set GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x The deluxe Giverny In Bloom discovery set: 4 – 3ml mini-sprayers of: Giverny In Bloom EdT (only the dregs), La Danse des Bleus et des Violettes EdT, l’Opera des Rouges et des Roses EdP, Le Jardin Vert EdP along with a leaflet about the Denver Art Museum exhibit.
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please go to DSH Perfumes site<<JUMP and pick a fragrance + one of its notes NO DOUBLE UPS!!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Giverny In Bloom Set GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-4bK #Perfume #Giveaway @DSHperfumes

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 23rd August 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 27th August 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.

Where Did My Scented Journey Begin….

August 19, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Post by Liam

Good Evening Scentspeople!

Detracting from the norm, I wish to tell you about my experience with scent, and how my writing escapades began.

Where Did My Scented Journey Begin

When I was a wee chap I would pinch my father’s fragrances. Polo Black, Fahrenheit by Dior, Bvlgari Black – I would rock up to school with strong officious scents. Whilst my peers and teachers thought this was odd, this didn’t bother me in the slightest.

At 13 or 14, as an early and initial fan of Marc Jacobs’ style, I was thrilled when Bang (the silver bottle) hit the markets. Spice! I have always loved spice! The trio of peppercorns and the resinous notes present in Bang were distinctly different from other scents, and it had this wonderful duality going on: hot spice and cool woods. I finished that bottle and moved on to Burberry’s London (pour homme). Again, this is another spice theme. These two scents acted as a precursor to my obsession and a clear barometer of my taste. Spiced creations with rich interplay.

And then I was treated to a bottle of Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille. Warm boozy vanilla and sensual tobacco notes. Dried fruits for weight and tonka bean. An almost edible honey note…

Then, visiting the scent section of David Jones late 2013, I spritzed on Terre D’Hermes (parfum), and that was the beginning of the end. I snatched up Terre D’Hermes and wore that as an everyday scent, and journeyed into the Hermes boutique and purchased Eau De Orange Verte. This is where I began to learn the specifics of scent. I was devastated when I couldn’t figure out why this Eau de Cologne would last only a brief moment in time on my skin. This prompted intense research … I was beginning to learn about sillage, evaporation, citrus, orientals … You name it.

Fast forward to June 16 2014. The most important day of my fragrant life. From memory, the day plays out like a perfect vignette. Picture a wet and raining Melbourne day, made romantic with long coats and brollies. I had a collection of about 5 perfumes now, and was even wearing the female marketed Black Orchid by Tom Ford. But, I had yet to find something that grabbed me, and I was determined to find a scent that was truly ‘me’.

Brin de Reglisse by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermes 2004

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Hay, lavender, licorice

I walked into Hermes, went over to the Hermessence scents and picked up a bottle – Brin de Reglisse – and on first sniff my knees began to buckle. It was heaven in scented format. Everything I loved. The sun kissed smell of lavender from Provence, the caramelised spiciness of long black liquorice, a facet of coffee, and a feature of hay and caramel. Everything I loved was captured in scent. It was a study of liquorice. A snapshot of Provence, reminding me of my times in tearooms scented with lavender and refinement.

I was so thrilled by this reaction that I had to tell someone. And so, I started my blog: Olfactics. With only a year of proper experience under my belt, but indeed a lifetime’s experience of wearing scent, I felt I was prepared to tell the world what scent is to me, and how it moves me (or sometimes, fails to!).

Brin still lies close to my heart, right next to Habit Rouge and Portrait of a Lady (and… and… So many more).

So APJ’ers, what scent started your obsession?

-Liam.

Blogger at Olfactics