Niche

Helicriss by Sylvaine Delacourte 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

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Kate Apted

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G’day APJ family,

The weather in the southern states of Australia has not been particularly ‘spring-like’ lately. I finally got around to separating my scent collection into four piles; one for each season. I am beginning to think this somewhat futile an exercise, simply because I never know what each day will be like. As a result, I dig into my other piles for more temperate offerings. It is pretty much back to disordered mayhem. I did, however, find a little 7.5ml bottle of summery sunshine I’d completely forgotten I had!

Way back at the beginning of the year, I ordered Sylvaine Delacourte’s sample set. I quite liked the range, but I found them a little quiet in general. Musk based, with each scent promoting a different facet based on Ms Delacourte’s memories. I was drawn to the powderiness of Florentina and the smooth ylang ylang of Lilylang. The most interesting I found was Helicriss. So, over the winter months, I ordered travel sizes of four of them. In time, they got lost amongst all my smaller sized bottles. The one it seems I had used the most of, though, was Helicriss.

Helicriss by Sylvaine Delacourte 2016

Helicriss Sylvaine Delacourte FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, cinnamon, rosemary
Heart: Grapefruit, lemon, tonka bean
Base: Immortelle, patchouli, benzoin, musk

What is so enticing about this one? It has a very unusual blend of notes to produce a musky curry. There is no doubt immortelle is a major note, but it is the blend of patchouli, grapefruit, benzoin and the musk that gives it a firey heat. I am grateful this is a skin hugging scent. It would be completely headache inducing if it projected Poison or Angel like. It is the constant reminder of the scent just being there that makes it pique my curiosity.


Helicriss Sylvaine Delacourt green-curry PixabayPDI

I have absolutely no idea how others find it. Thirty minutes after applying, the curry accord dies down to leave a warm, aromatic rosemary and musk. So, by the time I leave the house, Helicriss has already begun its metamorphosis into a herbally musk. No one has ever made mention of this scent at all, so I guess it is polite enough to wear around others. Interestingly, of the entire range, which does lean to a slight ballet-pink-feminine feel, I think this would smell heavenly on a man. There is one guy at work I am hoping I can get to spray this on himself. After months of helping him search for THE scent, I secretly suspect Helicriss is it.

When I used Helicriss over winter, it always gave a feel of dried grass, hay and the dense heat of the midday humidity of an Australian summer day. It has a dusty, wind like sense that makes me yearn for a sudden rainstorm. I am unsure how Helicriss will fare over the blistering heat of summer, but now that it has joined my spring pile, I’ll get to find out. In the meantime, Helicriss will bring sunshine on a temperamental grey spring day.

Helicriss Sylvaine Delacourt australian wheatfield PixabayPDI

Further reading: Now Smell This and Scent for Thought
LuckyScent has $160/100ml and Samples

Which scents suggest, or are indicative of, summer months in your country?
K xxx

SOTD 18 – 24 December 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 183 Comments

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

I see these SOTD (Scent Of The Day) threads all the time on Facebook and they are really good conversation generators.

SOTD 18 – 24 December 2017

The idea is you’ll chime in through the week with whatever scent you are wearing. You don’t need to be super knowledgable, have high faluting tastes or be a published author to comment. Just tell us what fragrance you’re wearing, smelling, buying etc.

You probably won’t have time to write every scent, every spritz but whenever you feel the mood take you share your current spritz and a few things about it. Maybe you love/loathe it, want it, are excited by the notes/bottle/SA who sold it: WHATEVER! As always here at APJ, taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

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 Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)
This week:

  1. Aftelier Perfumes: Parfum de Maroc
  2. Leone Reinthal: Antarctica
  3. Guerlain: Shalimar (vintage extrait)
  4. Ex Nihilo: Fleur Narcotique
  5. CHANEL No 19 (vintage EdC)

Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Sunday.

LAST WEEKS WINNER: Cassieflower

Send your address to portia_turbo AT yahoo DOT com DOT au

 

Go To It Crew.
Portia xxx

Charlatan by Fort & Manle GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

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Portia

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Hi there APJ,

Thank you to Rasei of Fort & Manle. Such generosity. It’s wonderful to have this beautiful bottle and the scent is freaking amazing.
I hope you’re a winner,
Portia xx

Charlatan by Fort & Manle GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pear, dark chocolate
Heart: Damask rose, Moroccan jasmine, vanilla, tuber
Base: Osmanthus, Australian sandalwood, amber, Madagascar vanilla

Fort & Manle parfum has $230/50ml
Peony Melbourne also has the range

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 10 winners who will receive:
1 x Fort & Manle Charlatan decant (from my bottle)
P&H Anywhere in the world

 

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 17th December 2017 10pm Australian Edst
Winners were chosen by random.org

  1. Hage Kay
  2. Monica Beaton
  3. Tim
  4. Jyotsna
  5. Crikey
  6. Kerri Clarke
  7. Paul mills
  8. DW
  9. Jaybee
  10. Sue Mills

The winners will have till Thursday 21st December 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

Saturday Question: What Scented Gift Are You Hoping For Under The Tree

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 63 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

Every Saturday 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 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

eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.

Saturday Question:

What Scented Gift Are You Hoping For Under The Tree

It’s Christmas (and many other giving times) right now. Aside from our religious or secular beliefs we can all pretend that these times are about giving but seriously, it’s all about what you get to open. Come ON! Admit it. Even if only to us. We won’t judge. We are all greedy AF too. Well maybe not that extreme but wouldn’t it be nice to get exactly what you dream of for once?

So here’s your chance at a fantasy gift receiving. What do you get? Imagine yourself unwrapping it, the sheer incredulity that your crew got it SO right.

So let’s all give our one true hearts wish for fragrant gifts. Who knows, maybe they’re reading…..

My Answer:

Aedes de Venustas Eau de Parfum Aedes de Venustas FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Rhubarb, vetiver, red berries, tomato leaf, incense, green apple, hazelnut, honeysuckle

The original Aedes de Venustas fragrance. In the purple bottle. I’ve wanted it since it was first talked about on the blogs and for some reason I never bought it. It was a glorious revelation when released, we all swooned. The bottle, the scent, everything was just right. To have this under the tree would be un-freaking-believable.

My Saturday Question to you is:

What Scented Gift Are You Hoping For Under The Tree

 

 

Merry Christmas 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

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Portia

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Hi

To all who are celebrating, and those who are not, APJ wishes you a safe and peaceful holiday season. Here are some healthy young lads to help you celebrate. If they’re not your cup of tea for sexy time elf play then they double as handymen and will get all the stuff that needs doing around your house done. Now isn’t THAT the best Christmas Wish anyone ever gave you?

Merry Christmas Australian Perfume Junkies

We are having a lovely warm day here in Sydney. Lunch with Kath’s sister & family and then a sneaky swim at her parents place. Jin worked Christmas Eve overnight so he is sound asleep till at least midday.

Fragrance wise I wanted something cool and calming, also something I had a small travel size to take with me for respritzes throughout the day. What better a choice than my lovely old standby Niki de Saint Phalle.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Artemisia, mint, green notes, peach, bergamot
Middle: Carnation, patchouli, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang, cedar, rose
Base: Leather, sandalwood, amber, musk, oakmoss

FragranceNet has $22/14ml before coupon

So what did you wear for the festivities?
Portia x

Bois Noir by Aurelien Guichard for Robert Piguet 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

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Portia

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Hey All,

Mildly amusing story. When I was shopping at Surrender To Chance for my decants recently (it was a 5ml Friday Frenzy) and I thought I’d ordered Bois Bleu by Robert Piguet. Anyway, it turns up and I don’t really look at the label because I know what I ordered right? Wrong. So I’m sniffing myself as I walk the dogs this morning and I’m thinking to myself, “This is bloody familiar. I can’t quite place it but Bois Bleu smells EXACTLY like something I already have. Like, EXACTLY!!

Yeah dumbass, because you ordered Bois Noir, that you already have a paid retail for bottle of when Joe Garces was out here in 2012. Ha Ha Ha Ha ha. Sometimes I surprise myself. No sweat.

Then I noticed it never got a post of its own, so…….

Bois Noir by Robert Piguet 2012

Bois Noir by Aurelien Guichard

Bois Noir Robert Piguet FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Gaiac wood, Cedarwood
Heart: Patchouli, Sandalwood
Base: Balsam, Labdanum absolute

Can we talk about the Piguet bottle please? It is the super coolest. Clean lined, easy to hold and spritz, nice heft and if you are a one bottle person this would make such a statement. Cunningly retro but wholly modern, it looks and feels like an old school movie stars fragrance.

Bois Noir by Robert Piguet Sparkle woman pexelsjpegPDI

Woodsiness, what Scott and I call Bro Woods. Here it’s tempered with patchouli in a luxurious dose and an earthy sweet labdanum. Bois Noir is a very chill customer, smooth and well worn, a comfortable fit. This is your favourite jeans after a weekend of wear, super comfy and a bit raunchy.

The woods manage to be dry pencils, tea chest and creamy sandalwood all rolled into one, then add some smoky incense. Hyper masculine scent that will smell fabulous on the girls. I’d love to smell it on a couple of my cool sexy girlfriends and some suits.

Longevity and projection are slightly above average, I can totally imagine Bois Noir as the hipsters choice.

Bois Noir by Robert Piguet sunset-summer-hipster-pipe PexelsPDI

Further reading: Non Blonde and Persolaise
Libertine has $299/100ml FREE Australian Delivery
Surrender To Chance has $5/ml

Have you tried any of the modern Robert Piguet perfumes? Did they tickle your fancy?
Portia xx

Charlatan by Rasei Fort for Fort & Manle 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 39 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Hey APJ,

I have a mate who makes perfumes, yeah a quiet creative genius. He is Rasei Fort of Fort & Manle. In Australia it’s hard to get a perfume company started because we have a small population with an even smaller affluent few who can afford luxury perfume as a hobby. Most people have a small fragrance wardrobe under 5 bottles and never even venture near a niche brand, let alone an Indie one. So it has been a wonder of the modern world when their Fatih Sultan Mehmed became a finalist in the Art and Olfaction Awards 2017!

Just so you know, Rasei has taken the reins of Fort & Manle by himself now. Charlatan has been given a reboot this year so it is utterly his composition. He sent me a bottle to try and also to share.

Charlatan by Fort & Manle 2017

Charlatan by Rasei Fort (2018 Reboot)

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pear, dark chocolate
Heart: Damask rose, Moroccan jasmine, vanilla, tuber
Base: Osmanthus, Australian sandalwood, amber, Madagascar vanilla

Colour me IMPRESSED! This could easily be one of the Armani Prive line or an early by Kilian. YET, it is infinitely more interesting. Smooth and balmy, a fragrant highly polished stone, at once earthy and yet utterly manufactured to be just this scent.

Notes? My nose reads very little as notes. It seems the whole has melded so seamlessly that Charlatan is only of itself.

Pear, light frisky on open and into the heart. Vanilla done in sheer and weightless new planes. Woods as creamy and resinous as caramel malted milk. Everything else has melded to a magnificent, magnifiscent.

How did this young man create something so perfect?

Can we also talk about the bottle and presentation? Stellar. Although pedestal opening boxes shit me to the rage, everything else is stunningly perfect. I am in love and gushing like a young thing.

If you love perfume and fragrance then you must try Charlatan. For me, this is what the idea of niche really should mean. Small batch independent work ruled by passion but with an eye to business. Bravo Rasei, excellent work.

Fort & Manle parfum has $230/50ml
Peony Melbourne also has the range
Fort & Manle Discovery Set $60/8 x 2ml

Charlatan GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 10 winners who will receive:
1 x Fort & Manle Charlatan decant (from my bottle)
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 go to the Fort & Manle site. Pick a fragrance and tell us its name, plus ONE note it has. (NO DOUBLE UPS)
If you put more than one note you will be disqualified, that’s being greedy.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 17th December 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 Thursday 21st December 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

 

2017 Top 5 by Cookie Queen

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Yuletide Greetings APJ

Although there has been a ton of new stuff launched this year I cannot pretend to have been interested in much of it. I try to select a few that spark my passion out of a sea of dross. Call me a bitch, I really don’t care. My selection comes in no particular order. If was to chose one that heads my short list, there would be no prizes for guessing which one it would be.

2017 Top 5 by Cookie Queen

Naja by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo

Please note that Naja is a voile formulation and not an edp. In truth it is parfum strength and needs to be treated as such. I feel a deep connection to Vero Kern and had the privilege of accompanying her on the creative voyage as she brought Naja to life. It was a bloody hard trek. Completion took nearly three years of pleasure and pain. The rich tobacco and deeply fragrant osmanthus is narcotic.

Superstitious by Dominique Robin for Frederic Malle

Freaking fabulous. Jasmin, rose, peach, amber, incense, a vetiver that melts into patchouli.
All wrapped in waxy aldehydes. I was stopped at traffic lights the other day, and took a moment to close my eyes and sniffed my wrist, until I could breathe in no more.
As the car behind me beeped, and I opened my eyes, I saw the bloke in the car next to mine staring at me. I am still laughing. My ten mls has nearly gone.

811 Absolute by Mathilde Bijaoui for Giovanna Antonelli Perfumes

A deeply aromatic spicy oriental. This was the surprise of the year. If it hadn’t been for The Silver Fox telling me to get a hold of the collection, I would have written off the perfumes
Fronted Giovanna Antonelli, a Brazilian actress. I mean, really? The 811 lingers for hours on the skin, and I swear there is a golden tobacco running through it. I took the bottle to my hairdresser a couple of
weeks ago to grab a SOTD shot for Instagram (yep, I am a sad person) and left with every stylist wearing it. Came home and did two decants.

Black Perfecto by La Petite Robe Noir for Guerlain

Commercial and fairly mainstream – meaning I can buy it in a store not 3 km away from me. Black tea, black cherry, black licorice and an marvelous black bottle. With the almond and a slight smokiness it´s just the bizz in our frosty and foggy winter. I would go so far as to say I wouldn’t wear it in the summer

L’Animal Sauvage for Marlou

This is the first perfume from Marlou. Claire from Take One Thing Off recommended I give it a go.
I wore a musk from the head shop when I was about seventeen. My mother would tell me that I stank like a polecat. And really since this time I have not explored the musk shelf, although I did use up 10mls of MKK from Lutens a couple of years ago.
This is sexiness pure, wrapped in florals that lie to you.

I have also worn a lot of Hiram Green´s Arbolè Arbolè, Malle`s Portrait of a Lady and Dries Van Noten, and Luten`s La Fille de Berlin.

Perfumista highlights 2017 would be meeting Portia and Jin in Milan, and finally making it to Aus Liebe Zum Duft/First in Fragrance up in Germany.

Perfume tips for 2018 would be Dusita`s Fleur de Lalita and Hiram Green´s Slowdive.

That’s it. A fabulously scented year, as always.
Tune back in on the Feast of Stephen. I´ll give away something you might like.

Thanks for tuning in.
Have a Cool Yule.
Misteltoe Bussis.
CQ

 

(ED: Photos by Val)

SOTD 11 – 17 December 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 170 Comments

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

I see these SOTD (Scent Of The Day) threads all the time on Facebook and they are really good conversation generators.

SOTD 11 – 17 December 2017

The idea is you’ll chime in through the week with whatever scent you are wearing. You don’t need to be super knowledgable, have high faluting tastes or be a published author to comment. Just tell us what fragrance you’re wearing, smelling, buying etc.

You probably won’t have time to write every scent, every spritz but whenever you feel the mood take you share your current spritz and a few things about it. Maybe you love/loathe it, want it, are excited by the notes/bottle/SA who sold it: WHATEVER! As always here at APJ, taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

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 Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)

This week:

  1. Neela Vermeire Creations Pichola
  2. Hermès Monsieur Li
  3. Bogue Gardelia
  4. Guerlain Meteorites
  5. Vintage Bal a Versailles EdT

Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Sunday.

LAST WEEKS WINNER: JackieB

Send your address to portia_turbo AT yahoo DOT com DOT au

 

Go To It Crew.
Portia xxx

Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts by Aftelier Perfumes

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

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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 $15: Our 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