Super Sample RAOK

July 31, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 45 Comments

Hey Hey Crew,

Yes, I’m cleaning out the sample drawers and YOU get to be the winner if you’re lucky. Here are a bunch of samples that I’ve tested but now live in the swap/gift pile. Some of the reasons for being there? Maybe I bought a FB, it had an issue that renders it unwearable, I liked it but have something similar, somehow I have double, I hated it, I LOVED it and completely forgot about it, I’ve moved on. So many reasons, so MANY samples. They are all used a bit but they have heaps for testing and trying. I know you’re going to love at least one thing in this pack, but hopefully a few will tickle your fancy. Whether or not they do I hope they bring someone the joy of testing new stuff that I get.

Most of these samples have been purchased from Perfume Niche, LuckyScent, Posh Peasant, My Perfume Samples and Surrender To Chance since 2010, but some are gifts or manufacturers samples. Mosat are over half full and a couple are double ups I have so full.

SAMPLE PACK ROAK GIVEAWAY

Craft by Andrea Maack
Olympic Amber by Olympic Orchids
Midsummer Day’s Dream by Olympic Orchids
Secretions Magnifiques by Etat Libre de Orange
Vintage Vogade Parfum by Charrier
Amouage Opus VI
Amouage Opus V
Nepal Aoud by Montale
Indian Coconut Nectar by Pacifica
Six Scents Series Two 3 Henrik Vibskov: Solar Donkey Power
Unknown/Unnamed Fragrance
Souffle des Indies by Comptor Sud Pacific
Cologne for Alice by Evocative Perfumes Manufacturers Sample
CHANEL Jersey Manufacturers Sample
Elixer by Penhaligon’s
Amber Nuit by Atelier Cologne
Knize Ten Gold Edition
Cold Water Canyon by Surrender To Chance

Please help me with my clear out and leave a comment.
Portia xx

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

SAMPLE PACK ROAK GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x SAMPLE PACK RAOK
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 which one from the pack you would most like to sample

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie SAMPLE PACK RAOK GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-486 #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 2nd 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 6th 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.

Fragrances for what ails you: The Hangover Part 2

July 7, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Fragrances for what ails you: The Hangover Part 2

Today’s focus is HANGOVERS Part 2.

*Please note: we at APJ do not recommend drinking irresponsibly.

Continuing our journey through the hung-over eye, this week we observe cases and their miraculous fragrant cures!

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

“Take me away from this nasty place” hangover. You cannot fathom sorting “life” out today. “Adulting” is near impossible. You look at your partner/ children without recognition. Irritation, loss of patience and violent visions are rife. You must escape!! Ormonde Woman by Ormonde Jayne is the answer. Creamy, comforting and magical, you can easily fly far far away on your broomstick with it’s delicious high-dose of hallucinogenic black hemlock. You will cackle with delight as your zoom away from your self-created disaster zone.

“I don’t feel pretty” hangover. You look in the mirror; your skin is pale and has broken out. You feel ugly. You’ve been drinking too frequently. You’ve lost your pretty. We could fake pretty with numerous light floral options, however I’ve found a way to coheres the real pretty back from the darkest depths. Le Labo’s Sandal 33 resets my system like a breath of fresh cool country air. Moist woods evolve into a gorgeous, sexy mess. The dense woods are interspersed with pretty violet notes, peaking out shyly from the forest floor….”here pretty, pretty” you call.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Hangover of doom: you wake up mentally feeling like a lead balloon. Your head is stuck in an unrelenting dark cloud. The only remedy is “happy.” For me this is usually orange blossom, but I can also opt for Penhaligon’s Vaara, as long as I am not feeling too woozy. It is robust happiness in a bottle. Juicy and uplifting, rose, quince, orange, freesia and magnolia work magic on dehydration. Coriander and saffron create the warmth and depth of a satisfying hug. Cedar and sandalwood earths you so as not to become too giddy.

Hangover on an important day You got carried away just one night too early. You have to face a job interview/family reunion/child’s christening/long drive. You are not a bad person; you were just a very fun person last night. A simple, yet head turning work of magic is Eccentric Molecule Molecule 01 smelling like the inside of a cedar wood chest you long to hide in if you were still small enough. To others you smell amazing, attractive and unique all of a sudden. You ooze cool to the point they ask, “you smell great, what is that?” No one will suspect a thing, the ultimate cover-up for your irresponsible sins.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

The Hangover you have no time for: You wake up and need to be out of the house in 30 minutes “what happened last night? My head hurts” “why do I do this to myself?” It’s time to dart around, get ready and take a teaspoon-of-cement. Suck it up buttercup! – YOU did this and now you’ll be paying for it. Coffee and carb-laden food is a must along with a squirt of 4160 Tuesdays Sunshine and Pancakes. Comfortingly zesty it instantly uplifts. Creamy buttered sandalwood goodness melts in to play becoming a breakfast on the run. Rosewood helps with acceptance and makes for a beautiful, balanced start to the day!

How do you cope with a hangover?
Ainslie Walker xx

Fragrances For What Ails You: The Hangover Part 1

June 2, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Fragrances for what ails you: The Hangover Part 1

Today’s focus is HANGOVERS.

*Please note: we at APJ do not recommend drinking irresponsibly.

Average Hangover, described as ‘feeling dusty’ upon waking and makes the day a little harder, a lot longer and much slower.

General remedies:

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Dear Rose – Sympathy For The Sun tops up much needed electrolytes with its salt note supported with sparkling water drenched citrus and rose. Just like an atomized aspirin.

Parfum d Empire – Corsica Furiosa is my go to fragrant Bloody Mary. Tomato leaf so green it makes me feel purified instantly, mixed with a pinch of pepper to increase circulation of important antioxidants. A touch of mint settles any nausea or bloating.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Chanel – Coromandel when you just need a cloudy hug and strength to carry on (dramatic I know) woods, benzoin and soft cotton ball clouds of vanilla-patchouli and iris “take me away” from the self afflicted symptoms. I feel wrapped in cotton wool and supported enough to get on with my day.

The OOPSIES are more serious…

Hangover of Dread: “What have I done?!” Paranoia. Self-loathing. Regret. Strength and bravado needed pronto. Something to stop all the wrongness from deep inside, seeping out. Surrounding oneself with By Kilian – Smoke for the Soul will neutralise all those nasty feelings inside. Soul cleansing with eucalyptus, grapefruit and cardamom is advantageous. Bolster with maté, full of antioxidants. Complete with kidney cleansing birch. The tobacco cashmirwood and cannabis at this stage can only be described as a ‘medicinal’ bonus. **

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Hangover with memory loss: You wake up and remember a limited amount of the night before. Perhaps it was those shots you were downing? The scent of Tequila seeps from your pores on waking. It is not wise to stand near a naked flame. A dose of memory recalling rosemary and fresh Normandy air will help. Dior’s Granville is exactly that -crisp and fresh with mandarin, lemon, thyme, rosemary, pine needles, black pepper, sandalwood and gorse.

Head in a bucket hangover: Sliding out of bed with a groan, you take the appropriate amount of steps to the bathroom whilst moaning. You sit on the cold tiles and wait. The nausea could last all day. Something simple and relatively linear is Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Herba Fresca. With its dewy grass and fresh cool mint notes it will also freshen the air for anyone game to come close.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

“Still drunk” hangover: Jump out of bed feeling good after a big night. You feel superhuman. Happiness only lasts so long…by lunchtime you’re fading. Avoid the comedown by use of your booziest fragrances – doubling to cover the alcohol on your breath whist keeping you giddy and drunk. Examples include Queen by Queen Latifah with its cognac base, Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling with it’s botanical gin base or rum based Naomi Goodsir’s Or du Serail

Most of these fragrances can be sampled at Surrender To Chance and My Perfume Samples

Stay tuned for “The Hangover Part 2”

Xx Your Fragrant Nurse, Ainslie ;D

**By Kilian: Exclusive to Harrolds Sydney and Libertine online

Jaunty Capers, Cemeteries and The Rose That Got Away: London July 2014

August 3, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Hi APJ,

I couldn´t have been more excited as I got up on Wednesday. Finally the dreamed of, talked about, preplanned days were here.

Unlike Vanessa from the fabulous Bonkers About Perfume, I have no clothing crises. For I have none. Not to speak of anyway. Long jeans in winter. Cut-off jeans in summer. I prefer to spend my money on red lipstick, and the odd bag of groceries for the family. When my shoes hurt I go barefoot.

Jaunty Capers, Cemeteries and The Rose That Got Away

Random ramblings from a week in London

I left for Les Senteurs from Muswell Hill, the infamous address, early enough to not be late for my date with the gorgeous Tara from Olfactoria`s Travels. We both arrived early and waited for Callum the Dashing to arrive and let us in. Perfumistas waiting on the doorstep.

We hit the sofa talking. After a while Flamingo Nick, Penhaligon´s Fragrant Ambassador arrived, bringing a burst of sunshine into the room with him.I already knew I was going to buy Malle`s Eau de Magnolia and asked Callum to put a large bottle on the side. The small ones were sold out and there was no tester to triple reconfirm that I wanted it. I would pick it up the next day when Vanessa was with us too. So onto the much praised Papillons. I was so excited to try these and planned to purchase one. I sprayed with gay abandon and waited …….

Nick, Tara and I headed to the Gorilla Perfume Gallery for the presentation of the new 12 fragrances. Entitled: Death, Decay and Renewal. A pop-up in the basement of Phonica Records on Poland Street. (See Nick Gilbert<< JuMP) This was quite the display. Mushrooms, sandalwood smuggling, stroboscopic dream machines designed by William Burroughs ……… Clearly NOT Guerlain.

Starting to fall in love with Papillon’s Tobacco Rose, we headed on for tea and sandwiches and a quick Liberty´s heist. Nick scored himself a bottle of Superoud from Comme de Garçons and headed off into the sunset. Fear not, we would meet again.

Selfridge´s and iced matcha, including a wicked brain freeze, saw Tara and I heading home.

That evening after spraying again I decided I would buy the Tobacco Rose. Because it is beguiling.

Tara and Vanessa pretty much covered this second day of fragrant flitterings. (Bonkers About Perfume and Olfactoria´s Travels) What can I add? The Guerlain Royal Extract at 280 quid for 125 mls – 900 bottles limited edition, exclusive to Harrod`s? A pretty pale, kind of watered down Fairy Liquid colour? I think not. Based on the exquisite Attrape Coeur, but missed the mark. (All opinions totally my own!)

Now I was not exactly kicking and screaming when I went up to Roja Dove´s Barbie Palace, but it was close. Bright and shiny and no room to swing a cat. The visit was saved by Benjamin, the on hand sales assistant. He was so nice, totally knowledgable, and actually seemed to think he could turn around my preconceived ideas of RD and the other fragrances for the “Bros”. He could not. It would be remiss of me not to say that I did allow him to give me a pretty decent spray of the “semi-bespoke” (can you hear me laughing????) RD Private Collection No 9. Limited to 50 bottles. It was actually pretty nice for the first 20 minutes. Unlike Benjamin who was nice for the whole time.

Tara and I went to the Amouage stand alone store, hoping to try the Amouage Attars. Sadly because of people buying them, diluting them with alcohol and then selling them on EBay by the millilitre they have been removed. How annoying is that? Very.

“I`d ski naked down Mount Everest” to meet Vanessa, but luckily we only had to go to Covent Garden Tube station. Long lunch, including a number of jaunty capers, and a good chinwag and off to Penhaligon´s to meet up, once again with our very favourite Fragrant Ambassador. I was wonderfully surprised by the sensual beauty of Tralala and can see myself having a bottle one day. The Chucky Child´s Play bottle decoration was a little haunting, but I think I could get over it. Nick sent me off with a good stash of Penhaligon´s samples and I look forward to getting to know them.

Off we went to Les Senteurs. My heart beating a little faster as I prepared to make my purchases. We flopped once again on the sofa, kicked off shoes, fixed blisters and I bought Eau de Magnolia. Straight out of the fridge. I then asked for my Tobacco Rose. SOLD OUT.

WHAT??? You have got to be bloody kidding me Callum. But it´s intoxicating, boozy, and kind of jammy. There are two different roses, Bulgarian and Rose Centifolia. Oakmoss lurks, a great favourite of mine. It is smoky and beeswaxy. Thick without being sweet. It lasts for hours and never stays the same. I don´t have a rose. And I want this. For the moment though it´s the rose that got away. I should have ordered it the day before but I was trying to be sensible. Sigh. I compensate by spraying a ton of Magnolia and pass out with the beauty. I´ll live.

We spent the next three hours, or was it more, having tea and eating Indian food. Talking and sharing more about ourselves. Building friendships.

And so it ended. All leaving from the same station, Tara to the left and Vanessa and me to the right. The trains came in so fast we had no time to say goodbye. But it´s only Adieu.

The following day I went to Highgate Cemetery. This trip was on my Bucket List. The place absolutely blew my mind. The guide was straight out of an Agatha Christie and the lady that was constantly by me in the group was wearing Mitsouko. It was an extremely heavy and lovely version, so I am guessing it might have been an earlier incarnation, because it sure doesn´t smell like that now. What a perfect ending to my aromatic and perfumed adventures.

But it wasn´t quite the end was it? Antonio Gardoni from Bogue Perfumes met up and shared a coconut water with me, including copious sprays of MAAI. Comrades! – MAAI is not for the faint-hearted. More later ……..

I am now back to making cookie dough.

Bussis

CQ xxx

All photos donated by Val the Cookie Queen

Penhaligon's Iris Prima GIVEAWAY WINNERS

March 31, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Woo Hoo APJ!

Another sensational Libertine Parfumerie and Australian Perfume Junkies GIVEAWAY! Thanks for being part of our fab, fun and fragrant family. We are super glad to have you all along.

Let’s see who our lucky winners are…

Portia x

Penhaligon’s Iris Prima GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, pink pepper
Heart: Iris, jasmine
Base: Leather, sandalwood, vetiver, amber, vanilla, benzoin

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 Major Winner who will get:
1 x Penhaligon`s Iris Prima 100ml bottle
(minus the Secondary Winners Prizes, the lid is wonky but spritzer perfect.)
P&H Anywhere in the world

3 x Secondary Winners who will each receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Penhaligon`s Iris Prima
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID 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

Go to Libertine Perfumes<<<JUMP and find me one of their BATH PRODUCTS and the COMPANY…………….. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 30th March 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen shannonmayer

Wheelspinner (Bottle Winner)

Hotlanta Linda

Victoria

Becky (Rebecca via Twitter)

The winners will have till Thursday 3rd April 2014 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.

Special THANKS to LibertineParfumerie for these amazing giveaways. Please visit their site because they are so generous and helpful. If you wonder why they are sometimes more expensive than the discounters or OS retailers it’s because they are the only licensed company selling their fragrances in Australia; where you know you are buying new, fresh and genuine product. The cost of importing, and buying the right to import, alcohol based fragrances (and having the right to send alcohol based fragrances throughout Australia, which are illegal to send in the Australia Post air system) is expensive and they must cover their costs to bring you these luxury goods.

Iris Prima by Alberto Morillas for Penhaligon`s 2013

March 28, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 48 Comments

Hiya Fellow Fumies,

My mate Nick from Libertine Parfumerie sometimes sends APJ product for giveaways. A package from Nick is ALWAYS a sweet surprise and he is a lovely guy who wants to have a great range of fragrance for Aussies to choose from. Please, even if you don’t enter today’s competition, go and have a look at the amazing fragrant beauties that Libertine Parfumerie has for sale, you will be astounded. Lately Nick’s buying power has become so good that some (not all) of his products are the same numerical value as you would buy them for in the USA, that means with the current Aussie dollar that they are in fact 10-15% cheaper!!! AMAZING!

Iris Prima by Alberto Morillas for Penhaligon`s 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, pink pepper
Heart: Iris, jasmine
Base: Leather, sandalwood, vetiver, amber, vanilla, benzoin

Iris Prima has certainly cut the blogging world in half. There are some who know Penhaligon’s aesthetic quite well and got a lovely fresh and pretty iris-ish fragrance with light sillage and wearing close to the skin unless you spritz yourself wet. Many people because of the name Iris Prima and the story of the ballet had extraordinarily high expectations that Penhaligon’s would completely change its soft focus, easy wear self for something cutting edge and boundary pushing. Naah. This is the softest, least intrusive scent I have smelled from the line. I wonder if it’s aimed at children of wealthy families who want to be ballerinas?

The bergamot and pink pepper are exactly as you would expect them to be and very much how they are in 1.000 other fragrances released over the last 5-10 years, the very first spritz has a whiff of leather but that burns off quickly to reappear later. It’s a fun, fresh, zingy opening that is completely unoffensive and will not scare anyone away. Very general public wearing and nice. The iris is cool and ever so slightly carroty on my skin and I hardly notice the jasmine at all, either my skin eats it, I am anosmic or it plays a far away back up role. After that Iris Prima becomes a very soft wash of fragrance that doesn’t really have notes so much as it is a quiet and reserved, I want to say leather but it’s so muted that I can’t even call it a name warmed by a splash of vanilla.

I get about 3 hours of fragrance until I cannot smell anything at all other than me. I can see Iris Prima being a big hit for non perfumistas who want to smell something as they get ready in the morning but who work in fragrance free or very close working conditions. Iris Prima is soft enough to be a very pretty fabric softener remnant that you are wafting, no one will be skunked by you EVER.

I like my fragrance bigger but many of you might really love Iris Prima.

Funny follow up: I was wearing quite a bit of Iris Prima to write about it today. Tonight THREE separate people complimented me on my fragrance at work, one of them was the barmaid who I never would have thought to be a fragrance noticer. Genuinely and totally entranced by Iris Prima. Interesting that others notice Iris Prima and think it’s drop dead gorgeous.

Portia xx

Further reading: Another Perfume Blog and Olfactoria’s Travels
Libertine Parfumerie has $254/100ml delivered in Australia
First In Fragrance has €170/100ml and €5/4ml samples

Iris Prima GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 Major Winner who will get:
1 x Penhaligon`s Iris Prima 100ml bottle
(minus the Secondary Winners Prizes, the lid is wonky but spritzer perfect.)
P&H Anywhere in the world

3 x Secondary Winners who will each receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Penhaligon`s Iris Prima
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

Go to Libertine Perfumes<<<JUMP and find me one of their BATH PRODUCTS and the COMPANY…………….. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @PenhaligonsLtd Iris Prima GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Ck #Perfume #Giveaway @LibertineParfum

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 30th March 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 3rd April 2014 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.

Vaara by Penhaligon`s GIVEAWAY WINNER

December 23, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Woo Hoo!
Firstly, thank you to LibertinePerfumerie, Nick especially. You are always ready to go the extra mile and we at APJ love you and are grateful. To the contestants, thank you for participating so whole heartedly on everything we do here at APJ all year. We write for the love of communication, you guys make it all amazing with your looks, likes, comments and shares. THANK YOU!!!

Vaara by Penhaligon`s GIVEAWAY WINNER

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have one winner who will receive:

1 x 100ml TESTER bottle with lid of Vaara by Penhaligons (with about 15ml missing)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID 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 go to Libertine Perfumes<<<JUMP and find me a perfume and its manufacturer. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @PenhaligonsLtd Vaara GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2jm #Perfume #Giveaway @LibertineParfum

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 22nd December 2013 10pm Australian EST
Winner chosen random.org

Photo Stolen EverythingHealth

Susan Burgess

(and let me tell you I could not be happier)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! The winner will have till Thursday 26th December 2013 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.

Special THANKS to LibertinePerfumerie for these amazing giveaways. Please visit their site because they are so generous and helpful. If you wonder why they are sometimes more expensive than the discounters or OS retailers it’s because they are the only licensed company selling their fragrances in Australia; where you know you are buying new, fresh and genuine product. The cost of importing, and buying the right to import, alcohol based fragrances (and having the right to send alcohol based fragrances throughout Australia, which are illegal to send in the Australia Post air system) is expensive and they must cover their costs to bring you these luxury goods.

Vaara by Bertrand Duchaufour for Penhaligon’s 2013

December 20, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 52 Comments

Hello my Lovelies,

STILL looking for the perfect Christmas Presents? Frantically trying to find something special and unusual for your loved ones? I speak often of my mate Nick from Libertine Parfumerie, he is regularly in touch with new stuff and always sends me product for giveaways. He doesn’t have to do it and it always brightens my day to get a package from him. Please, even if you don’t enter today’s competition, go and have a look at the amazing fragrant beauties that Libertine Parfumerie has for sale, you will be astounded. Lately Nick’s buying power has become so good that some of his products are the same numerical value as you would buy them fore in the USA, that means with the current Aussie dollar that they are in fact 10% cheaper!!! AMAZING! Vaara is a bit more expensive than some of the OS sites though but Nick will be sending out deliveries in Australia till the 24th December!!! How good is that? Using couriers in the last few days.

Vaara by Bertrand Duchaufour for Penhaligon’s Giveaway 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Quince, rose water, carrot seeds, coriander, saffron
Heart: Rose, freesia, magnolia, peony
Base: Honey, white musk, cedar, sandalwood, benzoin, tonka bean

OK so if you have been reading the scentbloggosphere lately then you may think that Bertrand Duchaufour and Penhaligon’s have done something outrageously darstardly and are planning on taking over the world with inferior product (Mwa Ha ha ha haaaaaa with hand wringing and whites of eyes showing). The news is not all grim, gloom and doom but it’s not all super happy sunshine surprise either.

Vaara, the story of a fragrance created for the Royal House of Marwar-Jodphur in Rajasthan. In fact created for the newest member of the Royal House, a girl child. Created under the understanding that it would become a worldwide release. I do understand your sense of being let down. You are right, the hype set us up for failure in this case. A romantic story of far off India, Rajasthan no less, one of the world’s best and most prolific perfumers and the venerable house of Penhaligon’s. If the Maharajah had wanted something Indian he would have gone to the perfume wallahs in Old Delhi and had a special oil blend created for his beautiful girl but no, he did not do that he went to Penhaligon’s one of the most English titles of fragrance and asked them to create something inspired by his fabulous home in Rajasthan (one of my favourite parts of the world).

Pushkar Fair Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Why is everyone so surprised that this does not smell like India? The Maharaja wanted a pretty, soft, elegant fragrance that hinted at his homeland but screamed British Upper Crust. We act as if Bertrand Duchaufour can override his employers parameters anytime he wants and we also shout at him for cheapening the references to existing fragrances. We all wanted a budget version of Neela Vermeire’s work and it had to smell as good. Neela Vermeire is famous for using the most expensive concrete in her fragrance to sale value ratio, of course it only hints at her work with Duchaufour, this is a mass market fragrance by comparison though the price points are not that far apart. End rant.

Amber Fort. Jaipur Photo Stolen WikiMedia

What do we get with Vaara? An excellent modern fragrance for the person who wants to take a step from department store to niche or a very pretty go to daily wear fragrance for the perfumista who works and needs to smell good all day but not weird or outrageous. I won’t go deeply into the notes list because many others have before me but this is a clean, fresh, fruity, floral with a sheerness and light through it but still excellent sillage and projection. Vaara lasts for ages on me and my scent eating skin, I can still smell the clean musks and an amorphous wash of other stuff hinting at woods and resins at the 8 hour point and that is impressive. Yes, the dry down is more BBW that NVC but it doesn’t smell bad, just a bit generic. I do like the rose water and think it maintains its hydrosol like wetness well into the heart of Vaara and that the herbs and quince add nice light and shade, that very Duchaufour saffron isn’t as front and centre on me but I do catch it on and off.

Photo Stolen John Haslam Flickr

Further reading: Kafkaesque and Perfume Shrine
Libertine Parfumerie has $245/100ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $5/ml

Photo Stolen ManonEileen

Vaara by Penhaligon`s GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have one winner who will receive:

1 x 100ml TESTER bottle with lid of Vaara by Penhaligons (with about 5ml missing)
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 go to Libertine Perfumes<<<JUMP and find me a perfume and its manufacturer. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @PenhaligonsLtd Vaara GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2jm #Perfume #Giveaway @LibertineParfum

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 22nd December 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Jin will pick a winner.
The winners will have till Thursday 26th December 2013 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.

Portia’s Christmas For The Boys Shopping Guide

December 12, 2012 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Hello Fraught Funies,

OMG!! How is it Christmas again? I used to be a done all my Christmas Shopping by the end of the July Sales kinda person but the last few years I have put it off and put it off and then end up in a mad December scramble. I am composing a list of the things I’d like to grab for my partner Jin this year and letting you look over my shoulder as I do it. He will probably only get one from this list as I have a couple of other things in mind to add in.

Portia’s Christmas For The Boys Shopping Guide

CasswellMasseySandalwoodSoap GraysOnline Photo Stolen GraysOnline

Caswell – Massey Sandalwood Soap 3 x 5.8oz: This is a well packaged and deliciously scented set of Sandalwood smelling soaps. They act as a great base for loads of mens fragrances and give back a little of the rich buttery sandalwood missing from so many modern incarnations. There is also a 243ml body lotion pump pack. They both come in boxes for ease of wrapping. At FragranceNet I found the pair of them after discount for under $35

Yatagan eBay

Caron, Yatagan EdT: Named after the curve bladed Turkish sabre Yatagan is a green, woodsy, leather, spice and sweat mixture that is surprising, interesting, masculine and dead sexy. Released back in 1976 Yatragan is a manly masterpiece for a super great price. FragranceNet has 125ml Edt spray for under $40

LorenzoVilloresiSampleSet FirstInFragragrance

Lorenzo Villoresi – Fragrance Collection – Sample Set: I found this stunning set and have been panting after it for myself. 16 x 1.5ml sprays showing a fabulous selection of the range for only €30 on FirstInFragrance and a little hint, if you are shopping Internationally you pay no tax so spending around €100 and the shipping will be the same as the saved tax. Woo Hoo!

L_Artisan_Batucada_Eau_de_Toilette_100ml Photo Stolen L’Artisan

L’Artisan Parfumeur, Batucada EdT: Spicy, salty citrus tempered by flowers, flesh and sea in a lovely nod to cocktails and samba in Brazil on Ipanema Beach. Bright, bold, fresh and daring while being a completely modern masculine, and those engraved hexagonal bottles look so rich and have great heft in your hands. Parfum1 has 50ml for $100

JuniperSling lovelypackage Photo Stolen lovelypackage

Penhaligon’s, Juniper Sling: Recently I was lucky enough to win a bottle of Juniper Sling from TheCandyPerfumeBoy and I can’t stop spritzing. It is a fabulously boozy cool climate forest walk that gives you a sharp slap in the face to wake you up and then warms on skin into a deliciously warm masculine clean body smell. OMG! Seriously gorgeous stuff and EssentialMall has 50ml for as little as $101. BTW The box is even more lavish looking in real life

Maître ParfumeuretGantierDiscovery FirstInFragrance

Maître Parfumeur et Gantier – Les Masculins – Discovery Set: Discover the universe of Maître Parfumeur et Gantier. A choice of 15 fragrances presented in 13 ml refillable atomizers, personally I think this is ridiculously good value and look at the presentation. FirstInFragrance has this gorgeous set for €119

Pear&Olive

Slumberhouse, Pear + Olive: If you want something so completely different to anything else available, you are buying for a perfumista, want to look like you are all over the best new stuff by the coolest crews and are way ahead of the game then this is the best buy you could wish for. The juice is a surprising almost clash of sweet and savoury, is dense and light simultaneously, warm, ferocious, cool and charming and comes in a killer engraved bottle with plenty of heft that will look totally now and retro on every vanity. Get onto the Slumberhouse site where 50ml will cost $150 + $12 International Postage. this is the good shit!

inekeeveningedgedingold Libertine Photo Stolen Libertine

INeKE, Evening Edged In Gold: I know that you wouldn’t normally pick this as a masculine fragrance but it smells terrific on my partner Jin, a spicy, floral woodsy fragrance that sizzles on him in the most alluring way and makes me want to get really close. The bottle is a beautiful work of art too. Libertine in Australia has 75ml $160 including postage

Photo stolen LucyScent

Amouage EdP Miniatures Men’s Gift Set: Really want to spend some money on a lavish gift? Try the six best selling Amouage Men’s Fragrances in miniatures. Each 7.5ml bottle is a perfect mini replica of the real thing. Included are: Lyric, Jubilation XXV, Reflection, Gold, Dia & Silver. Many of the world’s stores are sold out but Libertine still has some in stock for $280 including Postage

Did that help at all? It has certainly sorted some stuff out in my head. What fragrant gifts are you thinking for the men in your life?
See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

Blenheim Bouquet Bath Oil by Penhaligon’s 1902

November 16, 2012 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hello APJ Family,

For years every day when I go to work there is a ritual I follow and it has included as its first step a bath. Super hot with no cold water run into it and till recently just a haphazard dash of Radox bath salts because one day not long ago while looking on eBay for vintage Patou 1000 I stumbled across someone selling what looked like a deceased estate fragrance collection with Vintage EdT bottles of 1000 and Joy, Shalimar, Grand Amour and No 5. Also a bunch of Penhaligon’s Bath Oils and most of them had only a bit left but there was a brand new, unopened 500ml bottle and it was calling my name.

Blenheim Bouquet Bath Oil by Penhaligon’s 1902

I’ve never used Bath Oils before but the price was so ridiculously cheap that I figured even if I didn’t like it there would be someone in my orbit that would be thrilled.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lavender, amalfi lemon, lime
Heart: None
Base: Musk, pine, black pepper.

So the someone in my orbit who is thrilled is me. Penhaligon’s Bath Oil is absolutely gorgeous, the fragrance is soothing and calming while I’m abluting and my skin has never felt softer. I find the Bath Oil creates a wonderful fragrance-holding dewy moisture that my skin has never had before but there is no interference with my fragrance scents except up to double the lifespan on some of my shorter staying ones. That is a good thing.

Photo Stolen Jarrold

If you are stuck for what to buy someone who seems to have everything, and they have a bath, a Penhaligon’s Bath Oil could be the answer. I use my bath time as a moment to forget the world’s needs and let all life’s stresses go. It’s almost zen. Also a great time to have uninterrupted thinking time when a problem seems unsolvable. recently i saw a doco on Tom Ford and he too likes to bathe for think time, spiritual cleansing and refreshment. Admittedly he has up to 6 per day and I only have the one. Oh yeah, and he’s a genius.

AYearOfPerfume and TheChapBlog were 2 new blogs I found while researching Blenheim Bouquet.

Christmas and other great religious and secular gift giving moments are very close so why don’t you have a look at:
Penhaligon’s has 200ml Bath Oil in Blenheim Bouquet £39.00
Parfum1 has 200ml Bath Oil in Blenheim Bouquet $85

There are so many people that I am completely stumped for presents for this year. I think I will order a couple more Penhaligon’s Bath Oils. Even if they never go out as gifts I’ll have them for myself. Good thinking 99!
What are you fragrant gifts that you are already buying for the celebratory period? Have you tried the Penhaligon’s Bath Oils? Have you tried Blenheim Bouquet? Did you like them?
Till we see you tomorrow, I hope you find a moment to shine.
Portia xx