Pacifica

All I Do Is Beach: Natalie: Another Perfume Blog

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

.

Post by Natalie APB

.

Friends, it’s confession time! My name is Natalie, and I am no longer a perfume junkie. Since I closed Another Perfume Blog last year, my perfume consumption is down by approximately 1000%. So why am I writing a post for APJ? Well, first because Portia asked me to, and no one can say no to Portia. And second, because I do have a little area of specialization to share with you all: beach fragrances! Today I’m going to share my personal categories of beach perfumes, and my top favorite in each category.

Beach Fragrance Manly ManlyAustraliaPhoto Stolen ManlyAustralia

Beach Fragrances 2015: All I Do is Beach

Indian Coconut Nectar Pacifica FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 1: The Hawaiian Tropic

Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil is the iconic coconut oil beach smell. Unbelievably rich and full of creamy, coconutty lactones. This category of beach fragrances is also creamy and coconutty, but the best ones invoke some sourness to call up the smell of skin rather than dessert. My favorite in this category is from DSH’s Essence Studios: Hippie Chic. It’s heavy on black coconut and clove, and the longer I have my bottle, the more present the ambergris is. Longevity is excellent, and the heaviness of this scent does well on the beach (naturally) and on a hot summer night when you don’t plan to get home until dawn. If you can’t find Hippie Chic, try anything from Comptoir Sud Pacifique or Indian Coconut Nectar from Pacifica.

Terracotta Le Parfum Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 2: The Bain de Soleil

Ban de Soleil is the sun cream that says “I’m European, bitch,” and so do the perfumes in this category. Less about coconut and less accessible than some other beach perfumes, they are all about solar notes. They can read as space-age takes on sunscreen (MiN New York’s Long Board is an amazing, wearable example) or simply as very chic. I go for the Guerlain’s Terracotta Le Parfum, where the solar notes are matched with spice and white flowers. The scent is elusive, but ce est les francais, non? Bobbi Brown’s Beach and CB I Hate Perfume At the Beach 1966 are a few others in this group.

Bronze Goddess Soleil Estée Lauder FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Beach Fragrance Category 3: The Bronzer

For the beach bunny who could care less about sunscreen, and just wants to look (and smell) sexy, we look no further than Bronze Goddess. The Bronzers are the beach fragrances that makes everyone smell like a supermodel, and Bronze Goddess is the queen of them all. A perfectly balanced, sexy mix of coconut, white flowers, citrus, balsamic, and suntan oil notes. The poor longevity is actually a benefit, since it’s an excuse to re-mist yourself every few hours. I could recommend other “Bronzer” perfumes, but why would I? This category is owned by Bronze Goddess, folks.

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

 Category 4: The Skinnydipper

These fragrances are all about summer nights. Nuxe’s Le Prodigiuex has an introspective feeling, spotlighting white flowers. Its longevity is incredible, especially if you buy the oil and use it in your hair. Or try the less subtle (but more fleeting) Guerlain Lys Soleia. And don’t miss the extra glam Michael by Michael Kors.

Beach Fragrance Bondi_Beach wikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Which category of beach fragrances appeals to you, or do you not agree with my categories at all? Be sure to share your favorite beach frags, too (I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection, even if I’m not a real perfume junkie anymore)!

Natalie xx

Tibetan Mountain Temple by Pacifica 2007

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Hi there Perfume Junkies,

Sometimes a cheap and cheerful fragrance grabs my attention. I know it’s not got the finest ingredients and am quite aware that its scent is probably more suited to product scenting than fine fragrance but the sheer joy I get from spritzing and wearing completely overshadows all else. The genuine snob in me sometimes grinds its teeth but to be honest I don’t give two hoots, this is the one I’m reaching for today.

Tibetan Mountain Temple by Pacifica 2007

Tibetan Mountain Temple Pacifica FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Patchouli, orange, vetiver, ginger, violet, incense

Sweet and spicy citrus pith and woods(?) open up Tibetan Mountain Temple, TOTALLY ginger-ific, and a fun Gingerbread Man accord. I’m surprised that clove isn’t one of the featured notes and that vanilla or sugar isn’t mentioned either.  I haven’t been to Tibet but have been to McLeodgang in the Himalayas of India where the Dali Lama lives a couple of times. I can smell nothing of my time there in this fragrance so please don’t go buying it for reminiscence sake. It’s like an American dream, totally Disney-ised, of what a Tibetan Mountain Temple might smell like. A lot of its lifespan smells like a heavily cinnamoned pumpkin pie.

Tibetan Mountain Temple Pacifica Pumpkin_Pie WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Tibetan Mountain Temple becomes a sweet resinous incense that evolves through the wear and a delicious creaminess comes in through the heart that collides perfectly with the clean patchouli. This is a warming fragrance that smells a LOT more expensive than it is.

On Now Smell This the word sophisticated is used referring to Tibetan Mountain Temple and I agree. I bet in blind sniff that no one would guess that this is an uber cheapy, though they may guess it as a very expensive ambient scent.

oliban keiko mecheri Prayer Flags Shawn Allen FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

My longevity is really good, for fully fragrant I get about 1-2 hours and a very soft warm wash that is clearly discernible to me in the morning. It’s not in your face loud but you are fragrant with better sillage than projection. Once you sit for a while though it does fill the space slowly and you may be sitting next to someone for 15 or more minutes before they really notice your scent. Up close and personal though it is a wonderful additive to my own scent and quite delicious.

Further reading: Now Smell This and Female Daily
Scentiments has $30/29ml in Australia
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/2ml

Do you have a cheap and cheerful fragrance that you spritz regularly? One that almost none of the perfumistas ever talk about? Share, I love to find new budget loves.

Portia xx

Fragrances Inspired by the Sub-Continent

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Hiya All,

You may know that I am a complete India-phile. The whole area including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka call to me and though I have only visited India I wish to travel all six countries before I die.

Fragrances Sub Continent WikipediaPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

Today I thought we could look at a few scents with names that link them to my fave journey destination…

Fragrances Inspired by the Sub-Continent

Souffle des Indes Comptoir Sud Pacifique FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Souffle des Indies by Comptour Sud Pacifique: Imagine if you took all the lovely, sweet smells and tastes of India and added them to a creamy milk/yoghurt drink. It’s called a Lassi and I adore them. Souffle des Indies by Comptour Sud Pacifique then is the smell of a Lassi with fruit. MMMMMMM. Sweet, creamy, slightly spicy and lovely pureed or finely chopped fruit mixed in, really it’s worth the ticket to India to taste the real thing.

Ambra del Nepal Il Profumi di Firenze FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Ambra del Nepal by Il Profumi di Firenze: A beautiful opener with that medicine cabinet, herbal and caramelised sugar hiding a Crème brûlée sweetness that washes out from under the bold opening and gives the most divine caramel coffee, vanilla cream, bitter chocolate, Ambra Del Nepal is a sweet and spicy Oriental Gourmand frag hit. Ambra Del Nepal is more gourmand that the usual amber that I’m attracted to but I love it.

Nepal Aoud Montale FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Nepal Aoud by Montale: OK so this has the tell tale Montale signature all over it. Their own blend that is their oud, some leathery smell and the plasticky saffron note that I like so much. I don’t see the Nepal correlation but Nepal Aoud is a nice soft, not too in your face, synthetic oud fragrance that melts into your skin and becomes a lovely rough amber then vanilla till drydown.

Mohur Extrait Neela Vermeire Creations FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Mohur Extrait by Neela Vermeire Creations: As if Mohur was not big, beautiful and outrageous enough. Neela and Bertrand got together, tweaked the ingredients a touch and amplified the whole fragrance by doing an extrait. OMG! It is seriously heart stoppingly beautiful. Everything you adored about Mohur but more intense and it lasts for days, on fabric for weeks. If there is a fragrance that has blown out the back of my head by sheer enormity and still retains its rose scented languid beauty, it’s Mohue Extrait.

 

Tibetan Mountain Temple Pacifica FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Tibetan Mountain Temple by Pacifica: Sweet and spicy citrus woods open up Tibetan Mountain Temple and a fun GingerbreadMan accord. There is a cool resinous feeling of incense that evolves through the wear and a delicious creaminess that collides perfectly with the clean patchouli. This is a warming fragrance that smells a LOT more expensive than it is.

 

The Taj Mahal’s Eternal Love Romea D`Ameor FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

The Taj Mahal’s Eternal Love by Romea D`Ameor: Here we have a wet, fruity opening that hints at the very early morning, sunrise at the Taj Mahal. I love this time of day there. If you ever get to Agra make sure your guide gets you to the Taj Mahal about 40 minutes before it opens. If you are the first i line you will see the Taj as few others have ever seen it, empty of humanity. An aquatic floral that ends in woods, very wearable.

So we have had a look at some fragrances inspired by the subcontinent, did I miss something you know or love? Tell me in the comments please.

Portia xx

 

 

 

Waikiki Pikake by Brook Harvey Taylor for Pacifica

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

.

Post by Poodle

.

Pikake (pee’ kah keh) means peacock and is the Hawaiian name for jasmine sambac, a flowering bush that is prevalent on the Hawaiian islands and often used to make leis. It was so named by Ka’iulani (1875-1899), the last crown princess of Hawaii. She thought pikake were beautiful, just like the birds she named them after. As a young girl she lived on an estate near the ocean surrounded by trees, flowers, and her beloved peacocks.

Waikiki Pikake Pacifica Michael Bently FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Iliahi is Hawaiian for sandalwood and since Hawaii was known for its native sandalwood, one can assume she was familiar with those fragrant trees as well. Ka’iulani also had a white pony (doesn’t every princess?) which she rode by the ocean. She referred to Pikake as the flower of love and once said that she would only marry if she were in love and no other reason would persuade her. She was known for her strength as well as her beauty and grace. It has been said that it was impossible not to love her.

Waikiki Pikake by Brook Harvey Taylor for Pacifica

Waikiki Pikake Pacifica FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Pikake (jasmine), sandalwood

The perfume Waikiki Pikake is all about jasmine and sandalwood. There’s a definite tropical feel to the fragrance but without the fruitiness commonly associated with tropical scents. The jasmine here might just be a gateway drug for people who are usually afraid of it. There’s nothing here that says “dirty girl”, it’s more a beautiful jasmine fit for a princess. Never having been to Hawaii I imagine this is what the Pikake flowers smell like on an ocean breeze. Green leaves and ocean waves mingle with the jasmine and then swirl around a heart of warm, creamy sandalwood. A perfectly clear day in an island garden is what comes to mind but overall this isn’t a smothering white floral. It’s reminiscent of new love, fresh and innocent. On my skin it wears nicely in the heat without becoming overwhelming. Oddly it seems the heat tones it down but you might have a different experience. Waikiki Pikake wears somewhat linear on me, not changing much but gradually softening and fading away. I love it as a bedtime scent but I think it could be worn anytime.

Waikiki Pikake Pacifica Jasminum_sambac WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

My first sniff of this came from the body butter that I found at the discount store. That’s one thing I love about Pacifica, companion products. I love layering my scents once in a while and having a body cream that matches my perfume is so much easier than trying to coordinate which scent goes with which. That being said, you could easily get just enough fragrance from the body butter alone. I had the body butter first and loved the fragrance and the longevity of it so I bought the perfume to go with it.

Pacifica has Waikiki Pikake in $12/10ml roll on and loads of other stuff too.

So tell me, do you have a favorite Pacifica scent? Have you tried this one? Ever been to Hawaii and is it as fabulous as I think it would be?

Until next time…hugs.

poodle