Niche

Hair Fragrance

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Erica Golding

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Hello, fragrance lovers!

Something is in the air tonight, and it’s floating around my head like a crown. Do you ever fragrance your hair?

Hair Fragrance

Over the last couple of years, I have acquired a small variety of incredible hair glosses from Black Phoenix Trading Post. They are lightweight and subtle in terms of the hair product effects, and their scents are works of art. They vary in throw and intensity depending on the perfume.

My favorite by a landslide is called Implacable Beautiful Tyrant. I can’t help but feel bubbling happiness when I inhale this scent! The notes listed include amber, frankincense, white ginger, and oudh. I swear I pick up fig as well. It is a completely unique, absolutely enchanting fragrance – impossible to describe. When I use it, I wear it on its own as my scent of the day. If they ever released IBT in a perfume oil, I would jump all over it!

Black Phoenix Trading Post

Another gorgeous BPTP hair gloss offering is a beloved, bestselling scent from the BPAL General Catalogue called Dorian. This is the hair gloss that I use most frequently, because it accents any complimentary perfume choice like a chameleon. The notes include sugared vanilla tea, pale musks, and a Victorian fougère. It doesn’t matter what the genre, any perfume I apply to my skin is magically enhanced when I wear Dorian hair gloss.

Kevin Murphy

Lastly, I am addicted to the scent in Kevin.Murphy Shimmer.Shine mist. There is no listed description, but to me it is a rich aura of sandalwood, Hawaiian ginger, and a velvety sexy dark Musk. It makes me feel really beautiful when I use it! The aroma is just so luxe to me.

Do you enjoy scenting your hair with anything in particular? I hear that the Frederic Malle Carnal Flower hair mist is divine. I’ve also tested Mugler’s Angel hair mist and it was lovey!

Until next time, be well and enjoy your scents in good health!
Erica the Smoochy Poochy XXXX

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2015

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Robert Herrmann

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Wait.

You HAVEN’T tried Dress Code yet???!!! Go order a sample/decant/bottle RIGHT NOW!!
You’re welcome.

I had been waiting for this since first hearing about the pre-release in the summer of ’15. It was at that time strictly a limited edition, and would only be available at 2 select retailers in the USA and at the Guerlain flagship store in Paris. So faster than you can say “Thierry Wasser” three times, I popped online and found ONE bottle available at Bergdorf’s in NYC. Three minutes later that bottle was on it’s way to my house…..

Now fragheads who know me, know that I am absolutely a Guerlain Ho’ of the ‘nth degree, hell I have one whole shelf in my Perfume cabinet stuffed full, and dedicated exclusively to Guerlain. New Guerlain offering? Come to Papa! Every. Single. Time.

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Guerlain 2015

Habit Rouge Dress Code by Thierry Wasser

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, neroli, rose
Heart: Spices
Base: Woodsy notes, leather, tonka bean, praline, vanilla

Aaaahhh Dress Code. Guerlain certainly hit it out of the ballpark with this wonderful flanker!

The regular HR has long been in my top 5, and a few years back I was lucky enough to purchase a vintage mid-90’s new-in-mint-condition bottle thanks to the largess of a Facebook fragrance friend. (Looking at YOU, Jake!❤❤❤)

But about Dress Code…..

Let’s just say that Mr. Sulu would give Dress Code his “oh myyyyyyyy” stamp of approval.

Do you love a fabulous Gourmand? HRDC opens with a huge blast of caramel/chocolate/vanilla which within minutes adds a wispy back note of orange blossom.

Right away however the spices and rose peek through, followed by a resin/leather and woody vibe.

All perfectly blended and seamlessly drifting in and out with no single note taking up the spotlight. Just a gorgeous amalgam which like the energizer bunny, just keeps going and going and going….there’s a smoky aspect as well, as if the spices have been roasting over an open fire with some tonka thrown in for good measure.

WikiCommons

By this time HRDC is firmly established in the drydown phase and swear-to-god if asked for a comparison, I would say that to me it’s solidly rooted in Shalimar territory. But purposely skewed masculine, although I suspect a woman would feel TOTALLY comfortable wearing this, especially to buttress up a “take-no-prisoners” attitude.

And HRDC has attitude.
In spades.
That first edition sold out in a heartbeat, but have no fear because Guerlain re-released it last year with their updated bottle. EXACTLY same perfume, just different packaging despite what you may read online. It’s the same, trust me.

And so for creating HRDC, and then bringing it back….Thank you Guerlain. Love it..

Flickr

Further reading: Scent Gent and Persolaise
Sadly Australia isn’t getting Dress Code but it’s available in Guerlain in major department stores of Europe & USA

Have you tried Dress Code yet? What other Guerlain’s do you adore? (I know right? There are so many!)
My Name Is Robert Herrmann (but I forget sometimes)

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY WINNER

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Portia

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Woo Hoo APJ!

I love decluttering and YOU GUYS are the winners.
Let’s see who gets the pack.
Portia xx

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY WINNER

 

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The winner will receive one each of these samples:

Iranzol oil by Bruno Acampora
Mr Hulot’s Holiday by CB I Hate Perfume
La Colonia by Oliver & Co carded sample
M.O.U.S.S.E. by Oliver & Co carded sample
Vaninger by Oliver & Co carded sample
2010 Harvest Amarige by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Organza by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Very Irresistible by Givenchy
Live by Jennifer Lopez
Aegyptus Tesori d`Oriente
Profumata Amalfi by Tocca
XS by Paco Rabanne
Charmes Secrets: Passion Absolue by Laurence Dumont
Pure Gold by Montale
Tobacco Rose by Papillon
Pure Mariposa by Ramon Monegal carded sample

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 14th January 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Latai

The winner will have till Wednesday 18th January 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.

Fort & Manlé Parfum: New Australian Indie Perfumers

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Hey APJ,

Here is a special new venture that will have the Indie lovers very excited. Two handsome young men from Australia have been working hard to create a range of electrifying fragrances. Now, if you are only a fan of the department store smooth, flawless perfection or fruit-choulis then these babies will be way too much for your sensitive tastes. Here we have flamboyant scents that will astound, excite and challenge your perception of perfumery. Scott and I tried 5 from the range and I came away with two very clear favourites.

Fort & Manlé Parfum

OK, so the men are from Melbourne. Known as the style and food capital of Australia, it’s always been characterised as the most cosmopolitan, adventurous, art and culture forward city we have. An oasis of multiculturalism in a predominantly white Australia. While Sydney was always viewed as the shallow but shiny party/business/waterfront town Melbourne was, and is, a slice of European grandeur.

You can see by their 50ml premium bottle range that these guys are serious. They are choosing to stand apart in a world getting more homogenised daily. Yes there are also much simpler 30ml bottles for the fans of modern clean lines too. The wooden lids are a very nice touch across the range.

So how do they smell? Well, the site offers no note list so I can’t check myself on what the ingredients are but here are what Scott & I smelled when we wee wearing them.

Amber Absolutely by Fort & Manlé Parfum

Initially Scott and I were smelling honeyed, caramel amber. Right from the start it is crunchy, chewy and delicious. If you like amber with a hefty hit of fur and bed head backed by a fizzy sherbet giving lift, fun and interest then you’ll love Amber Absolutely. I enjoyed it immensely and Scott wanted to keep the sample (but nope). I am wearing it right now in the summer heat and it’s holding up magnificently. Can’t wait to give it a whirl in cooler weather too.

Confessions of a Garden Gnome by Fort & Manlé Parfum

Winning the prize as the best frag name of 2016 Confessions of a Garden Gnome is green with some bells and whistles added for good measure. We loved the Citrus, grass, galbanum rich opening and the way the fragrance morphed into some fancy cool cocktail through the heart warming to what smelled to us like tobacco and hay with maybe a smudge of amber and incense through the base. As you know I’m guessing and we will all have a hearty laugh when we find out the real ingredients. The gear changes in Confessions of a Garden Gnome are very Indie, never disjointed per se but surprising and sudden jolts of new scent information kept my nose attuned and interested all the way to dry down. It feels like the seasons are changing and that’s what the garden gnome must experience, fabulous.

Here’s a sneaky peek at the two men behind Fort & Manlé Parfum

You should definitely try their stuff.
Go visit Fort & Manlé Parfum

Are you an Indie Frag lover? Which would you choose?
Portia xx

 

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY Jan 2017

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Portia

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Hey Hey All,

Cleaning up around here in a frenzy of New Year activity.

There are a bunch of samples that I have tried. Some are prizes never claimed. A couple of them are only half full but others are only 2 spritzes used or brand new, some I have bottles or doubles of. So what better way to share the love than a Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY!

Super Sample Pack GIVEAWAY Jan 2017

giveaway hemodernhome

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The winner will receive one each of these samples:

Iranzol oil by Bruno Acampora
Mr Hulot’s Holiday by CB I Hate Perfume
La Colonia by Oliver & Co carded sample
M.O.U.S.S.E. by Oliver & Co carded sample
Vaninger by Oliver & Co carded sample
2010 Harvest Amarige by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Organza by Givenchy
2010 Harvest Very Irresistible by Givenchy
Live by Jennifer Lopez
Aegyptus Tesori d`Oriente
Profumata Amalfi by Tocca
XS by Paco Rabanne
Charmes Secrets: Passion Absolue by Laurence Dumont
Pure Gold by Montale
Tobacco Rose by Papillon
Pure Mariposa by Ramon Monegal carded sample

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us a perfume on your sample wish list

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 14th January 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 18th January 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.

Mystery Fragrance GIVEAWAY WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

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Portia

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Heya APJ,

Bloody Hell. I keep forgetting to do stuff.

Let’s see who won.
Portia xx

Mystery Fragrance GIVEAWAY WINNER

 

mystery-fragrance-nye-20167-2

 

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Mystery Fragrance from Robert’s collection
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 5th January 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners will be chosen by random.org

Gina

The winner will have till Sunday 15th January 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

CQ Christmas/New Year Run Down with Vero + Guerlain

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Happy New Year APJ Readers. Glad you made it.

Following a brilliant Christmas week with friends and family I got a fever. After eighteen years of running my business, and more than five years of The Cookie Run I called in sick and gave myself a week off. I was so excited to have a nine days on the sofa with telly and books you can´t imagine. Of course I have been unwell before but I self medicate with Advil and various forms of caffeine, hot or cold, and carry on. BUT a fever is a different kettle-of-fish and I took that seriously.

Book Depository

CQ Christmas/New Year Run Down with Vero + Guerlain

GARRULOUS JABBERING: A FEVERED WEEK

Christmas Week and Post Sickness Scents, including a Nasal Mystery.

In the days leading up to Christmas, and immediately afterwards I wore Vero Profumo´s Mito Extrait, a lot of the limited edition Chanel N°5 body oil
(absolutely to die for, stronger than an EdP), a decent amount of N°5 Parfum,and couple of good hits of Lutens La Myrrhe. Christmas Day I over-sprayed
Guerlain´s Vega, and wished I had a bottle of the stuff.

And then I had five proper sick days and couldn´t smell or taste a bloody thing. Not even the Italian menthol and licorice cure everything including leprosy throat lozenges. Nada. But lurking on a shelf in BlondesWunder`s bedroom was a box with a LUSH Tubereuse Kryptonite bath bomb in it. I could smell that
I promise you. So weird. It smelled the same pre, during and post sickness. Very mysterious don´t cha think?

Perfumistas’ evil eyes will no doubt notice the exquisite enameled blue and white spray in my photo. As I was getting better it turned up in the post,
a total surprise from a dear friend. It´s Mitsouko Parfum. I am perhaps the last person to find out how drop-dead gorgeous it is, but better late than never.
I may just have joined the snotty ranks of the “Oh no I couldn`t possibly, I only wear vintage Guerlain you know!” brigade.

I received samples of the Dusita perfume line in the post and I am curious to try them as and when I muster up the courage.

Official Naja pic.

2017 PLANNED KICKS

After a host of technical challenges, and it has been quite a ride, Vero Profumo´s NAJA will be launched. No precise date yet.
I will be meeting up with Portia and we are gonna go Italian together. Watch this space.
It is gonna be the year that I try attars. A whole new ball game for me.
And I am getting two more stores to supply with cookies. February and September.

2017. We´ll enjoy the ride together. What are you looking forward to?

Bath Bomb Bussis
CQ xxx

Official Naja pic. Done by: Kasia Jackowska @tierlirevolution Snake ring by Ania Anka Krystyniak.
All other photos donated and taken by Val the Cookie Quieen. Thanks love XXX

How Do You Decide What Perfume To Wear?

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Portia

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Hey APJ,

Sometimes I look at my collection and the size is completely overwhelming, making it really hard to choose what fragrance to wear that day. Does this ever happen to you? Happens around here with monotonous regularity.

How Do You Decide What Perfume To Wear?

So, there are a few ways I use to combat the “Too Many Blues” like grabbing a random sample and spritzing away, using an old favourite like Guerlain Shalimar, Parfums DelRay Amoureuse or Cacharel Liberté. Other times I do what I did today, walked over to me desk and grabbed the fist thing my eyes rest on. It was

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès 2015

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li Hermes FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Kumquat, jasmine, mint

It’s high summer here and raining so a perfect fit. All that gorgeous oily citrus offset with refreshing mint. Wears so easily in the hot or cold and though I’m hardly a One Bottle Guy, Monsieur Li could very easily fit the bill if I had to become one. I wore it to dinner the other night with a bunch of mates and got two random compliments. Very happy with that. especially because I feel it is such an under the radar scent.

Below is the last of us on that night, there were 10 more but this pic are the ones who stayed and drank Turkish Coffee. OMG! That was definitely a new experience. From left: Me, Jin, Jocelyn Fullerton of Cult Of Scent, TinaG, Craig, Scott, Paul.

From Hermès:
“I remembered the smell of ponds, the smell of jasmine, the smell of wet stones, of plum trees, kumquats and giant bamboo. It was all there, and in the ponds there were even carp steadily working towards their hundredth birthday.” Jean-Claude Ellena
Le Jardin de Monsieur Li describes a Chinese garden somewhere between reality and imagination. A place for meditation where strolling is allied to thought, and every step sets the imagination free.

Back in 2015 when Monsieur Li was released I talked about it on Australian Perfume Junkies. You can get it at most department stores and even on the online discounters.

So what do you do when confronted by this conundrum?
How Do You Decide What Perfume To Wear?
Portia xx

Karavanserai by Jocelyn Fullerton for Cult of Scent 2015 + DISCOUNT CODE

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

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Portia

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Hey there Indie Frag Lovers,

My mate Jocelyn is the perfumer at Cult of Scent. She is a fast talking, fun and passionate perfumer whose work is definitely Indie and really, really good. She was lauded by no less than Luca Turin in 2015 and we have written about others in the range here on APJ before. Here are links to those: Fire Amber Baby, Sweet Libertine, Something Beautiful and Hedonist.

So it was with real sadness that I read of the discontinuation of one of her best sellers Karavanserai……

From Jocelyn (edited): Just a heads-up folks. I am discontinuing Karavanserai. There is about 200mL left, then that’s it. I love it, but the Angelica root & Cedrat oils are hard to get good reliable stocks of, so it’s time to let it go. 
If you’ve been wanting to buy this dry herbaceous citrus cologne, now is your chance. 
To sweeten the deal, I am extending the DISCOUNT CODE APJ10 till the end of this month. 

Karavanserai by Cult of Scent 2015

Karavanserai by Jocelyn Fullerton

Fragrantica

Cult Of Scent gives these featured accords:
Cedrat, Vetiver, Angelica, Bulgarian rose otto, Frankincense, Cedarwood

So, how does Karavanserai smell? Imagine a cologne fragrance based around rose. I know, it’s simple but revolutionary. Well, it’s not merely rose. It’s mainly citrus with a lovely slightly salted dry grass that last and lasts. The rose seems to be more about the rosewood and sharp green rose flower than the usual fruity or honeyed variations of the theme.

Karavanserai is not a bit what I’d expect from something of that name. In my mind I expect a spicy frankincense blend full of hot wind and dry, straggly shrubbery. Maybe some camel or goat and the smell of horses and their tack. Interestingly the Persian word means the inn or stop where travellers could rest and recover from the day’s journey, not the caravan itself.

Wikipedia

Lasting power is excellent with the first hour having big sillage that softens off considerably for the rest of the ride. By 5 hours I can still smell the remnants and they still have a woody citrus wash about them. Very, very nice.

Nevertheless it is gorgeous and I’ve used quite a lot of my 8ml from my VAGABONDS CHOICE Travel Set.

Don’t forget the DISCOUNT CODE: APJ10 it works on the whole site till the end of January.

What would you expect to be the notes for something called Karavanserai?
Portia xx

 

 

1001 Ouds by Camille Goutal + Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal Les Absolus 2015

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

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Portia

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Hey there APJ Crew,

So many oudhs on sale. I love Annick Goutal and wanted to see how the house would treat oudh. Luckily Surrender To Chance has samples because we can’t get these to look at in Australia. Here’s my experience.

1001 Ouds by Annick Goutal Les Absolus 2015

1001 Ouds by Camille Goutal + Isabelle Doyen

1001-ouds-annick-goutal-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Agarwood (oud), papyrus
Heart: Agarwood (oud), rose, pimento
Base: Agarwood (oud), birch, guaiac wood, myrhh

Ouds? Well kind of. It’s clearly a synthetic rendering of the oudh experience. There is plenty of the band aid, rubber tyres and eucalyptus hiding inside but not so much of the barnyard. If you are an oudh aficionado then you may think 1001 Ouds is a poor cashgrab by Annick Goutal to add the middle Eastern market and jump on the oud bandwagon. Maybe that’s true BUT if you don’t really like oudh in its heavier incarnations this could very easily be a good gateway oudh. While showing some of the less confronting facets of the accord it is far less challenging. Here we have a warm, comforting fragrance that nods to the Middle East from a very comfy recliner with a large drink.

1001-ouds-by-annick-goutal-les-absolus-warm-colours-behind-black-grid-pdiPDI

The opening does have a sweet dry grass accord nestling softly into the oudh and I like that the opening lasts long minutes before we see any sign of the rose making it’s appearance. When it does come rose is not treated in the modern Montale rose/oudh style. Here it is completely backup, a pretty filigree to add luster and I find it very difficult to even notice the pimento, which is a shame because I was interested.

The birch is clean in the beginning and doesn’t feel like it’s painting tar onto the back of your throat and sinuses until well into dry-down. It is happily offset by the myrrh but also smells to me like there might be some vanilla holding the bottom half of the fragrance together.

I think 1001 Ouds is definitely an oudh for people who don’t like oudh. Wearable even to work if you are lucky enough to be able to go fragranced. I think it’s also a very nice date frag and will try it out at the movies tonight with Jin…….

1001-ouds-by-annick-goutal-les-absolus-pinecone-bfleeson-pixabayPDI

 

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and ScentBound
FragranceNet have a few Testers left at AUD$120/75 after Coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples from $4.50/.05ml

Did you try this when it was released?
Portia xx