Eucalyptus Oil and a Song About A Kookaburra

June 3, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

Eucalyptus Oil and a Song About A Kookaburra

A kookaburra has recently moved into my hood – which is only 10 minutes from the city of Sydney. He, or she, has been singing every morning, and according to folk tale when the kookaburra sings. it will rain. That crafty Aussie bird hasn’t been wrong yet. What happened to our long, hot summer? Anyway, the cute little song we’ve been singing for almost a century in Australia goes like this:

“Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree,
Merry merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be!”

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

So the kookaburra sits in a gum tree. A eucalyptus tree. There are many types of euclaypts in Australia and quite a few essential oils are produced from them. Here’s a few I know about:

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

1. Eucalyptus globulus

This eucalyptus tree – the “blue gum” – is the one most used to produce the essential oil. You are probably going to get Eucalyptus globulus when you buy eucalyptus oil. This oil is sharp, strong, clean and fresh and is the classic, most identifiable eucalyptus scent.This oil has been produced for nearly a century and the main production now comes from China. There are many of these trees in the USA too and other warm climates. The tree is easily able to adapt, and because of this it has been the most planted eucalyptus tree in the world.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

2. Eucalyptus radiata

This is also called the “narrow-leaved peppermint gum” and there seem to be quite a few chemotypes (different scents). I buy this as my everyday eucalyptus oil, as it’s a bit milder and sweeter in scent than the globulus. It still has the same amazing qualities of globulus, and in fact all the eucalypts (as with the melaleucas – see my post http://wp.me/p2R7rE-55) share similar properties. I recommend trying this lovely oil next time you need some eucalyptus oil.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

3. Eucalyptus polybractea

This is the ‘Blue mallee’ tree. The oil from this tree has a high cineole content (1,8-cineole is one of the particular active ingredients in eucalyptus tree), which gives it a camphorous and pungent scent. Penetrating and sharp, it is less likely to be found when searching for “eucalyptus oil”, but I have bought blue mallee oil from supermarkets here in Australia and it’s inexpensive and gorgeous. I think there is one brand I found in a supermarket that’s also organic. Even looking at these three pictures it’s hard to distinguish the difference in the look of the leaves and flowers.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

4. Eucalyptus citriodora

Yep if you guessed lemon scented you’d be right. It has a citronella/lemon scent, a bit like lemon verbena too. It is high in citronellal and that would explain the scent. It is a warm, almost herbaceous lemon scent and has different shaped leaves to the others discussed so far. I don’t really use this oil although I do carry it in my kit. I would probably use a classic eucalyptus with another lemon scented oil if I need that combination.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

5. Eucalyptus dives

This eucalyptus tree is also used to distill essential oils, but I don’t really use this one a lot either. In fact I don’t think I even have any. Its common name is “broad-leaved peppermint” (radiata was called narrow-leaved peppermint). It has a couple of chemotypes that produce oils and once again the constituents are particular to its type but include the 1,8-cineole, common to all eucalypts. I can’t describe the scent as I can’t remember the last time I used it or smelled it. It is however used for its high piperitone content which gives it a pepperminty-camphor scent.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

6. Eucalyptus piperita

Wikipedia claims this is called “Sydney peppermint” but I’ve never heard that. Can’t say I ever smelled the oil either but this one is also high in piperitone too. I’ve never looked for it for sale but I’m sure someone makes it. The English phyto-chemist H. G. Smith who moved here in the late 1800’s, wrote a paper on the volatile oil of Eucalyptus piperita and also wrote a book with his colleague on the Eucalypts of Australia.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

7. Eucalyptus smithii

This is the “gully gum” also found in South Africa where this is the main eucalyptus for oil production. It was named after Mr Smith (from the paragraph above) and is quite high in 1,8-cineole. It has that classic eucalyptus scent and all the qualities you would expect:

decongestant, astringent, analgesic, anti-septic, expectorant and the list goes on. It’s typically used for colds, flu, coughs and many respiratory complaints and is warming and refreshing.

I love Eucalyptus!
Suzanne R Banks x

Check out my YouTube Channel too, thanks.

Suzanne R Banks Blog
Suzanne R Banks Aromatherapy
Suzanne R Banks FaceBook

Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Amazon USA Amazon AU Amazon UK

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

Nature GIVEAWAY WINNER!

June 1, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Thanks Gang for joining in. I’m excited to be sending out the remnants of my sample. I hope you love Nature. I’ll add a couple of extras in too.

Portia xx

Nature GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Nature Yves Rocher Fragrantica Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords in one line:
Freesia, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-valley, Mandarin, Peppermint leaf, Rose, Daphne, Cedar

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Nature by Yves Rocher (left from my own gift from Ainslie)
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 (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 a favorite green fragrance, in nature or perfumery

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 28th May 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen FallOutFactory

Patty Pong

The winner will have till Thuesday 2nd June 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.

Sharp by Richard Ibanez for Andrea Maack 2010

May 31, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hi there APJ,

When I first fell in love with the Andrea Maack range I remember there being a lot of chatter about it being derivative and boring. There were some bloggers and some of my mates who seemed very upset about this brand. I’m sorry but I never felt them to be either boring OR derivative. First to admit I’ve not smelled everything ever produced, also first to admit my memory is shot but few houses hit me as hard in the heavenly eye roll and full body purring shiver as Andrea Maack’s do. There are two FB in my collection Silk and……..

Sharp by Richard Ibanez for Andrea Maack 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives this list of featured accords:
Orange blossom, angel skin, sweet vanilla, white musk, soothing softness

To my nose Sharp has a remarkably complex fragrance story. The orange blossom is not at all as expected, like they have added some herbaceous spiciness, and the vanilla is an inedible warmth that is fuzzed up by the musk. At once bright and cozy like the smell of brand new polar fleece with dirty, morning bed-hair. Sharp is feral and cuddly, pithy, furry, smooth and enfolding.

Sharp has a sweet indolic weirdness that is at once repulsive and alluring up close but merely pretty and inviting from further away. The name Sharp seems to be a complete misnomer here and I wonder if that is intentional? Sometimes when I wear Sharp my feeling is as if I’ve been up in an attic rummaging and my hair is thick with dust and old air,. Other times the feeling given is that I’m cuddled up in front of a fire near a recently beeswaxed table and the fires heat is warming the scent through the room and I feel warm, safe & loved. There’s even something of dog paws.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

I get a nearly linear lifespan that weaves rather than evolves but as it dries down Sharp by Andrea Maack is sweet vanilla dribbled over musk, the feral has disappeared and it’s all about clean (but not too clean, there’s still an element of humanity).

Who would I spritz with Sharp? That’s hard to say, I think some of my friends who like fragrance very much but aren’t perfumistas would love this as a go-to daily scent regime. Certainly the art connection, lack of ready availability, simple, stylish bottle and the reasonable price bracket would make it a good choice for them. Considering they would pay around these prices for a bottle of designer/department store fragrance Andrea Maack’s scents are a much better and more interesting buy.

Photo Stolen Geograph

Further reading Persolaise and ConfessionsOfAPerfumeNerd
First In Fragrance has €85/50ml
LuckyScent has $135/50ml

Have you tried the Andrea Maack fragrances? Do you think it makes sense to add olfactory experience to visual arts?
Portia xx

Tuscan Leather by Harry Frémont + Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud for Tom Ford 2007

May 30, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Joseph Sagona

(Ed: APJ is pleased to have Joseph: The Scented Apprentice come Guest with us today. Please jump across and have a look at The Scented Apprentice too, Great stuff)

Hello fragrance friends, have you ever sat there and wondered what is the perfect fragrance for you? What suits you best? Fits your personality? Is it a certain note that makes your nose and body tingle with pure ecstasy? Perhaps it’s oud, amber or oakmoss? Mine is leather and to me Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather is the quintessential leather fragrance. It’s the perfect balance between dark and sweet, no other fragrance I have ever smelled comes close to it, welcome to my Tuscan Leather journey.

Tuscan Leather by Tom Ford 2007

Tuscan Leather by Harry Frémont + Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Saffron, thyme, raspberry
Heart: Jasmine, olibanum
Base: Leather, suede, amber, woody notes

I get the Saffron, Raspberry, Leather, Suede, Woody Notes and Olibanum, it starts off with some saffron and raspberry making it bitter, tangy and dry, the saffron is soft and the raspberry is mild.

Then after about thirty minutes the saffron dissipates along with the bitterness, the raspberry softens and remains, in comes the leather and suede, making it dark, pungent and musky, the leather is mild, the suede is soft. After about three hours the raspberry dissipates along with the suede, the leather softens and remains, in comes the olibanum and woody notes making it incensed, creamy and a touch woody. the olibanum is soft, the woody notes are mild.

Imagine being in Las Vegas “The City Of Sin” in the early 1960’s as a twenty one year old paparazzi photographer, you’re working the red carpet of the major motion picture movie premier of Ocean’s 11, you see the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Angie Dickinson in the crowd of many actors and actresses of the day.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Everyone is anticipating the big entrance of “The Rat Pack”, the stars of the show, they finally walk in to cheers and screams. You especially idolize Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, you grew up watching their movies and listening to their music. You wanted to be just like them and also have the utmost respect for Sammy Davis Jr. Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop. They’re all signing autographs and having a great time. You yell out “Dean, Frank over here, over here!” They walk over to you and you can’t believe it, this is a moment you have been dreaming about since you were a little boy.

As they are being cordial to their fans, Dean lights up a cigarette and Frank lights up a big fat cigar, they have on beautiful leather overcoats that you take notice of, you can’t help but slightly lean over and take a slow, deep whiff. You close your eyes and smell the sweet, aromatic, soft supple leather, the cigarette and cigar smoke is pulsating off their jackets, it’s such a transparent heavenly odor, this is a magical moment you will never forget and treasure forever. Tuscan Leather is just that.

Photo Stolen Tumbler

Further reading: The Muse In Wooden Shoes and EauMG
Most large Department Stores have Tom Ford
Nordstrom have $215/50ml with FREE US Shipping
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

What I love most about Tuscan Leather is how in the first two hours it’s very rough, rugged and masculine, then it changes into almost a feminine fragrance with the soft floral notes, it’s totally unisex., this would be perfect for cool fall days and the winter, I get good projection and average longevity.

What’s your leather?
Joseph Sagona x

Nature by Yves Rocher 1993

May 29, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Hiya Vintage Vixens!

My mate and fellow APJ contributor Ainslie Walker gave me this decant a while ago and I have only now grabbed it out and spritzed it on my skin. Sadly it’s been discontinued and I can see a few pieces on eBay but everywhere else seems sold out. How lucky I feel to have been given a chance to wear this green beauty, you may get the chance too……

Nature by Yves Rocher 1993

Nature Yves Rocher Fragrantica Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords in one line:
Freesia, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-valley, Mandarin, Peppermint leaf, Rose, Daphne, Cedar

Stark green, galbanum and a very regal peppermint bouquet. Though I can smell flowers they are a crystalline spiky arrangement, beautiful and angular. Sadly this opening is brief and suddenly the whole fragrance changes to a warm, spicy green wood. WOW! That was totally unexpected. Suddenly Nature is an elegant and cozy fragrance with whispers of jasmine wending their way through the galbanum and a lovely sweet spicy rose makes her appearance.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

To my nose there are some slightly feral undertones here like a just past clean armpit, not yet stinky but warmed through a bit of heat and exertion. Wrapped up with the rest of the notes it gives interesting dimension and depth.

I have to give this sample away, if I wear it even one more time my life will end up in a chronic search for this fabulous fragrance. Nature is beautiful, unusual and really interesting. Yves Rocher often surprises me.

Portia xx

Nature GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Nature by Yves Rocher (left from my own gift from Ainslie)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a favorite green fragrance, in nature or perfumery

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 28th May 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thuesday 2nd June 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.

Sunshine by Sidonie Lancesseur for Amouage 2014

May 28, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

Originally from Musette on Perfume Posse: Sunshine, is that brightest gold! It’s the summer sunlight as you emerge from a shaded canopy in a primeval forest, where darkness really does have its own backstory. You can sense the spirits of Nature that have gone before but there is also a thread of new life that is woven within that forest and once you come out of the canopy the brilliance of the sun affirms that life. Sunshine weaves all of those feelings into its composition – this is no sparkly little citrus, with a frilly sort of charm. It’s a grounded, warm scent, with a core of burnished brightness…….

Sunshine by Sidonie Lancesseur for Amouage 2014

Warm Sun on Skin: Amouage Sunshine

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Artemisia, black currant, almond
Heart: Osmanthus, jasmine, magnolia, vanilla
Base: Juniper, patchouli, papyrus, white tobacco

This is a pretty perfume. From the rush of blackcurrant softened with almond and apricot (probably the davana and osmanthus),through the jasmine-floral musky heart, to the drydown of blond tobacco and an earthy touch of patchouli, this one is just plain pretty on me. I love warm florals, and this one is definitely warm. It has some fresh notes but they aren’t obnoxious. It is light. It sparkles and effervesces. It smells like spring. It comes in a bottle that reminds me of a yellow Chanel handbag that I once desperately wanted for most of a day (I got over it.) It lasts about four hours even on my skin, which means it would probably last eight on normal skin. Pretty, pretty, pretty.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Sure, I’ll take a bottle. It will be a nice addition to my summer line-up. And it costs what? Really??? Areyoufuckinkiddingme? You are trying to charge me 450 American dollars for this? I’ll give you $150. Okay, 200, I’ll throw in 50 for the bottle, and that’s my final offer. What do you mean, you won’t haggle?

So I will never own a bottle of this, as much as I want one. Like that brilliant Chanel handbag, I long for it but the value-for-money factor just isn’t there. I am not among the reviewers who think it’s an awful synthetic mess; I like it a lot. But I just can’t get my mind around the idea of paying that sort of money for it. At the end of the day, it’s a warm and pretty floral in a nice package. No more, no less.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Perfume Posse
Libertine Parfumerie has $499/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/.5ml

What was Amouage thinking? What do you think?
FeralJasmine xxx

Pop Star Perfume Challenge

May 27, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Post by Trésor

In lieu of my usual style of review I’ve decided to try something new this time around and take you guys on a little journey with me as I eschew my usual diet of niche obscurity and inky subversion for something a bit different. Instead I’ve decided to take 5 days to explore an area of fragrance which has become a bit maligned within the fragrance community: the pop star perfume. Here we go!

Pop Star Perfume Challenge

Day One: “Fame” by Lady Gaga (2012)

What I find so fascinating about Fame is what an incredible departure the actual composition itself is from the flacon in which it is contained. Judging from the inky black fluid and particularly aggressive, claw-like cap one would be coaxed into thinking that upon pressing the atomizer they would be met with a rather subversive brew but that’s simply not the case at all. Jammy apricots doused in saccharine sweet honey, bathed in the gentle aura of incense holograms and swirling tendrils of saffron spice. I’ve found this little potion rather pleasant to wear and I can see myself exploring it further in the future.

FragranceNet has $9/10ml RollerBall

Day Two: “Killer Queen: Spring Reign” from Katy Perry (2015)

I actually purchased a bottle of Killer Queen: Spring Reign just for the packaging alone, I thought the facets of the jewel-like bottle reflected light in the most lovely way; dancing off the edges of the glass in lambent pirouettes. I am saddened to to say, however, that I didn’t have the same affection for what was contained inside. On my skin Killer Queen: Spring Reign reads very much as a functional fragrance, something that is in my humble opinion better suited to a fabric softener or shampoo; laden with screeching laundry musks and nondescript candyfloss florals. Though the formula isn’t without beauty, graced with a delicate flourish of may rose, I found that on my skin it registered at a rather jarring pitch that remained present the majority of its life on my skin.

FragranceNet has $19/50ml

Day Three: “M” by Mariah Carey (2007)

I will admit right now, M by Mariah is one of my absolute favourite celebrity fragrances and one I have worn consistently since its launch back in 2007. I would easily count it among my roster of favourite comfort scents. Before you take away all of my fumehead street cred, do try to remember that it was authored by Carlos Benaim who’s also responsible for gems like Frederic Malle’s Eau de Magnolia and A Lab On Fire’s Liquidnight. M opens on the skin in a delicious, beautifully confectionary cloud of toasted sugar and unctuous marshmallow. Delicate threads of creamy gardenia weave throughout and a gossamer haze of salty skin musks that cascade gracefully upon tendrils of luminous incense.

FragranceX has $23/50ml

Day Four: “Incredible Things” by Taylor Swift (2014)

First impression: Boy, is this ever sweet! Sweet and rather sharp but beneath this visceral flashbang of neon saccharine there is something that I find so incredibly comforting. It takes me a few minutes to recalibrate and begin to decipher just what that is. Dewy grapefruit makes way for a dense, oozing vanilla and unexpectedly…suede! A genuinely lovely, buttery soft suede hidden beneath layers and layers of tooth-aching sweetness. Did I mention that it’s sweet? There is a tender current of coconut running throughout as well which calls to mind the fragrance of vintage tanning oil. The dry down of this little potion also takes a rather unexpected twist, beneath the expected menagerie of clean musk and crystalline amber there is a twist of vetiver! How unusual for a fragrance of this nature. I look forward to wearing this again and seeing what other surprises it may have in store.

Amazon has $41/50ml

Day Five: “Truth or Dare” by Madonna (2012)

Now this one, this one I like a lot! I am actually on my second bottle. Truth or Dare from Madonna is easily another of my favourite celebrity fragrances and if I am being absolutely honest it’s one of my favourite tuberose fragrances as well. Right out of the gate Truth or Dare captivates with one bloody gorgeous aria of voluptuous, dewy tuberose underscored by an exquisite gardenia; so creamy that you can almost imagine the glorious tactile sensation. Lush jasmine emerges from beneath, her essence in fusion with glistening droplets of oozing benzoin that dance sensually in radiant sunlight. Her last moments on the skin are spent as a plush cloud of warm, vanillic musk. I’d easily recommend this to any lover of tuberose. Top marks for Truth or Dare.

FragranceNet has $24/Gift set

To sample these fragrances try My Perfume Samples

Would you take the Pop Star Perfume Challenge? What fragrances would you choose?
Trésor xx

vero.profumo. Aficionados

May 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

vero.profumo. aficionados. Shared thoughts.

“Vero Kern is one the real gems of the perfume world. She is an amazingly talented and inspiring woman who proves that you can make your dreams a reality at any age. Her perfume line, Vero Profumo, is a master-class in excellence and demonstrates the way perfumes used to be made, but rarely are now.”

TARA SMITH. Olfactoria´s Travels

“Vero’s fragrances honour the classics while having a strong identity of their own.”

“My first encounter with Vero’s fragrances was a couple years ago in Milan, around the time she introduced Mito at Pitti Fragranze (in Florence). I had been wanting to try Rubj for quite a long time (I had even pondered -insane me- to purchase it unsniffed), so I headed straight to a small but smartly stocked perfume shop which I knew carried the line. I was a bit puzzled by Rubj because it was not what I had been expecting (a few days later I realized we had mistakenly sampled Onda for Rubj!) but was amazed at its complexity. There was something extremely compelling in that dirty almost fetid aroma that kept my wrist glued to my nose, it felt almost perverse.
Some days later, at Pitti, I was finally able to meet the creator herself and sample the whole of her line and, after a few wearings of each sample, Kiki chose me. I didn’t want to love it. A lavender? Something so lacking in drama? Something my father wore? But Kiki grabbed me and refused to let me go and I became fascinated by it. I had never before found a fragrance I felt so represented by if it makes any sense. I felt like someone had distilled me 🙂

I affectionately use the word “chanchito” when referring to Vero’s fragrances (chancho = pig). That naughty dirtiness that is both repelling and compelling.
Though I am not too often complimented on my Veros, when I am, I find the compliments come from people with an artistical background who notice and appreciate them: the opera lovers, the ballerinas, the actors, the film directors.
These are perfumey perfumes but they meld with the skin in a special way, becoming something infinitely more powerful than either the perfume itself or my skin.. When worn, they seem to radiate from within, like an aura. I love the fact that they smell rich and substantial, yet not “in your face” or agressive.
There are a few -VERY few- other lines I feel a special affection for but this was as if I had discovered a whole new dimension.
They have soul and body (and most definitely sex), they are perfumes for those who aren’t afraid of their own bodies.”

CARO. Té de Violetas May 2015

“I will swear on a pile of ripening passion fruit, ravaged roses and caramel-drenched lavender that Vero Kern is an addictively fabulous olfactive pornographer. In Spring 2013, I was asked by the Scottish Poetry Society to curate nine poems to nine fragrances. One of these just had to be Vero’s extraordinary Onda, still my fetish VP scent. I married it to one of the most poignant poems of the 20th century, ‘For My Lover Returning To His Wife’ by the doomed and torn Anne Sexton, a woman driven by desire and the rollercoaster shocks of life and love. Of the nine scents, there was only ever one I was going to wear. I wore Onda on the night, my skin drunk on sex in the truly beautiful setting of the Victorian Palm House of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. When Vero knew I would be wearing Onda and writing on her perfume, she very kindly sent me a bottle of her divine Onda Extrait as a gift to wish me luck. It was a heartstopping gesture. I wore the two strengths together. On the night, people inhaled me greedily, dirtily. It was glorious.”

THE SILVER FOX. 12 May 2015

FREDDY ALBRIGHTON. May 2015. Tattoo Artist. No words needed.

“I’ve tried to write about Vero’s work for the past few years but I feel like I haven’t quite gotten it right. Reviewing the individual perfumes is a start, but there’s a bigger picture when I look at her entire body of work. I recognize how beautiful her perfumes are, but it’s more than beauty. How is it that all of her perfumes have such a strong effect on me? And why can’t I put my finger on why her work is so significant to me?

The real question is why on earth I would fret over these details. The fact is that I’ve found the perfumer whose work speaks to me like no other. I might not be able to put words to it, but I’ve found the artist whose work strikes something deep in me and inspires my spirit. The artist and the audience seek each other out, but it’s rare to find such a good fit. I’ve learned to stop worrying and love Vero.”

JTD JTD. Scenthurdle May 2015

“New Year´s Eve 2012. I had a small vial of Rubj EdP. I had been saving it since the autumn. The rest is history. The sociality I share with the above people
has come to be through our mutual love of .vero.profumo.. Perfume is the common interest – Vero Kern´s perfumes the connection. Vero creates with heart, honey
and passion. A piece of her soul in every creation. To some it speaks. The collection from Vero Kern is an olfactory piece of art, each fragrance representing a different part
of the picture. My painting is nearly finished. I am often asked if I have a favourite. Today it is the Mito Extrait. Tomorrow?”

CQ APJ contributor May 2015

First In Fragrance has the vero.profumo range
LuckyScent does too
Surrender To Chance has samples of quite a lot of the range

Rubj Tuesday Bussis
CQ

Mardi Gras by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2015

May 25, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 62 Comments

Post by Azar

In 2011 Ellen Covey of Olympic Orchids sent me a very unusual gift, two 15 ml prototypes of one of her best selling fragrances. The bottles were labeled Version #1 and Version #3. For whatever reason these perfumes had not made the cut and had never been offered for sale.

Version #3 was a beautiful honeyed citrus with plenty of sandalwood and amber. #1 was also a honeyed fragrance but much louder and more angular, opening with a sharp, synthetic, edgy orange blossom, progressing to a heart of dark, earthy labdanum/cistus/honey and drying down over several hours to a musky, slightly cheesy, animalic civet and amber. I fell in love with Version #1 and so did my husband.

While very different from and not quite as skanky as that quintessential “parfum de puta” – Tabu, Version #1 was definitely in the same league. As far as I knew no one else was wearing this prototype dazzler and I began to consider #1 my personal, one of a kind fragrance.

Late last year Olympic Orchids (with a little prompting) reconsidered the possibilities of Version #1. Ellen toned down the slutty first impression with natural orange blossom and neroli, smoothed and reinforced the cistus with benzoin and tweaked the animalic dry down. The new fragrance, aptly named Mardi Gras, debuted in early 2015.

Mardi Gras by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2015

Photo Stolen Olympic Orchids

Olympic Orchids gives these featured accords in one line:
Orange blossom, neroli, cistus, benzoin, vanilla, civet and special musk blend.

Mardi Gras is a much more sophisticated, refined and wearable scent than Version #1. She is a southern belle who has managed to retain the dark magic of her native New Orleans. Of the two fragrances Mardi Gras is probably the better perfume, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for her brazen older sister.

Further reading: Ca Fleure Bon
Mardi Gras is available online at Olympic Orchids in 1ml or 30ml

Azar xx

Photo Stolen Kesha&Co

Mardi Gras GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x 2 ml decant of the new Mardi Gras
1 x 1 ml decant from my bottle of Version #1
1 x mystery sample of a dark and musky perfume oil
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us if you have tried Olympic Orchids new Mardi Gras fragrance or about your favorite “parfum de puta”!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 28th May 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 31st May 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.