Gabriella’s 2015 Top 5 Scented Beauty Products

February 5, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello perfumed peeps!

Today’s post was inspired by one of my beauty gurus, Sali Hughes. Sali is not only a beauty journalist (who writes a no-nonsense column in The Guardian and has her own blog, but she’s also a self-confessed perfumista like the rest of us) On a recent blog visit, I came upon her post on cheap smells – beauty products that we use day in, day out, like shampoo and soap, that smell fabulous to boot.

So I got thinking about the smelly beauty things I use every day that give me as much olfactory pleasure as a good whack of fine fragrance. To add more impetus to my inspiration, a friend on Facebook the other day asked about great smelling shampoos and conditioners to use and suddenly, the idea for this post was all set. So, I present to you:

Gabriella’s 2015 Top 5 Scented Beauty Products

Photo Stolen Bumble and bumble

1. Bumble and bumble Crème de Coco Masque:

Now, I do love a tropical beachy scent and especially adore the scent of coconuts, but often in perfume, the result can be a sweet and cloying mess. This beautiful mask completely captures a day at the beach, suntan lotion in hand without all the saccharine added. I especially love to put it on as an overnight mask and have sweet dreams about rolling waves, sand in my toes and Pina Coladas at sunset.

Crème de Coco Masque is available from Mecca Cosmetica $38 and Bumble and bumble online from $28/150ml

Photo Stolen LookFantastic

2. Crabtree and Evelyn Rosewater and Glycerin soap

When I was growing up in Australia in the 1980s, there wasn’t much available in the way of scented bath and body products besides the regular Palmolive and Nivea from the supermarket. Crabtree and Evelyn quickly established itself as the cult niche-y brand du jour before the onslaught of Jo Malone et al. I used to love visiting and exploring the bathroom of my Mum and Dad’s well-heeled friend that was full of the gorgeously scented, prettily wrapped products. This soap, however, was the standout to me, a pretty, demure soft green English rose scent all wrapped up in a lovely raspberry candy-coloured translucent bar.

Rosewater and Glycerin soap is available from Look Fantastic (delivery worldwide) GBP £6

Photo Stolen Priceline

3. Clairol Final Net Hairspray

Now, I’ve been getting my hair highlighted since I first escaped the confines of my school uniform and it’s the one indulgent thing I’ve kept up and saved for, whatever my financial circumstances. While I’ve since largely moved on to the much coveted Elnett hairspray, a whiff of Final Net and its slightly tacky chypre-eqsue smell will always take me back to those exciting times when going to the hairdresser was a real treat and I felt like a real blonde bombshell.

Final Net is available from Priceline from $4.75/50g

Photo Stolen Priceline

4. Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover

I’m a weird one that would much rather indulge in doing my own nails than get a professional job, so the slight acrid whiff of nail polish remover has been a part of my weekly or fortnightly at-home ritual. While I’m also weird in that I love the smell of remover in general, Cutex Nourishing beats them all. It’s a lovely soft vanilla-y scent which manages to really dial down of the harshness of the acetone, plus it actually gets off all nail polish with one quick swipe.

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover is available at Priceline $3.83 (with promotion) and pharmacies worldwide.

Photo Stolen CultBeauty

5. Embyolisse Lait Crème Concentré

This is a cult moisturiser for many beauty bloggers and fashion magazines and it’s not hard to see why. It’s a great all-purpose moisturiser that works beautifully under makeup and doesn’t cost a bomb. But the icing on the cake for me is the subtle, sublime scent. It’s a green vintage-y floral that is a little like Anais Anais and just has this elegant je ne sais quoi vibe. Whilst the scent fades really quickly, it’s a real treat to look forward to on those days you can’t be bothered getting out of bed.

Lait Crème Concentré is available at Adore Beauty, $35 and Cult Beauty(ships worldwide), GBP £20

So, what are your favourite everyday scented beauty products or scented cheap thrills?

With much love till next time!
M x

Minimising Stress and Freak-Outs with Scent

February 4, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

Hi there APJ,

If you are feeling stressed, anxious, or unable to cope as well as you usually do, then scent can help you. It is worth noting though, that if you are stressed, it can be really difficult to garner the energy to help yourself – even just a little bit.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Minimising Stress and Freak-Outs with Scent

In this case I still definitely recommend the use of essential oils, as their healing power is unstoppable, so to invite you to heal yourself, it’s best to use the easy methods which are:

1. Open The Bottle and Take a Huge Whiff

Self explanatory and easy! This may be enough to change your focus (even slightly), and hopefully help you to feel a bit better about things. This method is especially good if you are really freaking out.

2. Put A few Drops Of Oil into the bottom of the Shower

This works in a similar way to just taking a whiff straight from the bottle, but if you’ve got an extra minute, it will give you a completely different experience. Your whole body will be immersed in an essential oil steam. Energetically this will cleanse your aura and have a positive effect on your mind and emotions. Just cover the drain with a cloth or your foot for a couple of minutes, and breathe in the medicinal goodness.

3. Sample

Put a couple of drops onto a scarf, handkerchief or cotton pad and take it with you, or tuck it into your pocket, or your bra. The scent of the oil will help support you through the day, people will comment on how lovely the scent is (then you’ll feel slightly better about life in general), the energetic presence of the oil will bring a sense of calm, and it’s really easy too!

Photo Stolen SlowTech

Minimising Stress and Freak-Outs of Others with Scent

If you can help a friend or a partner who is stressing or freaking out, you could employ these methods which are easy for you, but could be monumentally hard for your friend at a time of stress and unrest.Something this simple can help begin the turning around.

1. Nourishing body oil blend

Usually I say “For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.” But you could make this little blend and massage someone’s hands or feet to help them chill out.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

2. Scent Their Space

Use 25 drops of oil In a traditional oil burner with a candle, or a diffuser, in your friend’s personal space to help them feel more comfortable. It is easy for you, but could be too much for them at this moment.
A drop of oil can be essential

A drop of oil can be essential

Which oils?

Bergamot – calm, relieve mild anxiety

Chamomile – calming, soothing, medicinal

Cinnamon – sweetness, love what you do for work

Fennel – be kind to yourself

Frankincense – breathe deeply and relax

Geranium – cheery, helps improve downward spiraling moods

Lavender – calm, solidarity and strength

Lemon – gentle, refreshing

Marjoram – grief, emotional pain relief

Rose – Queen of oils to help with all stress issues

Rosewood – flow of love in the heart centre

Vetiver – absolute grounding, cooling to the hot emotions, stops kid’s tantrums

Ylang Ylang – release anger and frustation

…. and really, any oil that you love and can help you (or your friend) out.

Good luck.

Best wishes.

PEACE.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Suzanne R Banks xx

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

(Ed: CONGRATULATIONS to Suzanne whole blog Suzanne R Banks just hit 150,000 views. Nice one my friend. XXX)

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

Amazon USA Amazon AU Amazon UK

Here and Now: Tamara Dean: Special Event Announcement

February 3, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Post by Portia & Ainslie Walker

Here and Now: Tamara Dean: Special Event Announcement

An Immersive Experience
Viewing: February 5-7 by registration HERE<<JUMP
Address released 24 hours prior

~~Opening Night February 4 2015 6-8pm~~ Fully Booked

Award winning artist and photographer Tamara Dean’s Here and Now Exhibition opens on 4th Feb and is already booked out for the opening night.
There are still places on Thursday and Saturday bu you must register quick.
APJs Ainslie Walker has scented the exhibition, collaborating with Tamara Dean for this fully immersive exhibition and says the experience “involves getting lost, at one with your primordial senses heightened”

Artist bio: Tamara Dean is an Australian artist whose practice explores the relationship between humans and the natural world. In 2013 she was selected for the ArtOmi International Artists Residency, New York. Works produced during this residency won first prize in the 2013 New York Photo Awards – Fine Art series category. Dean’s works have been widely exhibited both nationally and internationally.

Her work has featured in the Hamptons Art Fair, NYC, 2014, Melbourne Art Fair, 2014, Fotofever Brussels Art Fair, 2012 and Pingyao Photography Festival, China, 2012 as well as at leading Australian galleries including Inheritance 2009 and Hijacked 2 – New Australian & German Photography 2010, both at the Australian Centre for Photography; Sydney Now – New Australian Photojournalism, Museum of Sydney 2007; Terra Australis Incognita at Monash Gallery of Art.
Dean is currently Artist-in-Residence at UNSW and is represented by Olsen Irwin Gallery, Sydney and JHB Gallery, New York.

The Sydney Perfume lovers Meet up group, run by Catherine du Peloux Menagé are gathering their forces and attending the exhibition on Thursday evening 5.2.14. They will be privy to a special talk by Ainslie and Tamara and a keepsake of the evening to take home.

Catherine from the Sydney Perfume Lovers Meetup says:
“The artist Tamara Dean has collaborated with one of our members, the talented Ainslie Walker, to create an innovative art installation ‘Here and now’. Our senses will be heightened (including the sense our group is all about, naturally) as we take in the artwork and each one of us will have a different perspective. To say more would be to detract from the evening so you’ll just have to come along to be part of it.
We’ll experience the installation one person at a time, then Tamara and Ainslie will talk to us about the inspiration and ideas behind the installation, as well as the process of creation, over a drink . ‘Here and now’ will take place in the Kensington area of Sydney. The exact location has not yet been disclosed (not even to me!) and I will let you know the address by email nearer the time.
You will take away a special gift which will remind of your experience of the evening by stimulating your limbic system in a unique way. Intrigued? See you there. “

If you prefer to come at a different time or with your friends register with the details below:

1725 Casanova by Magali Senequier and Gérald Ghislain for Histoires de Parfums 2001

February 2, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Post by TinaG

So, who is Casanova? If you follow the story in this scent, Casanova doesn’t stand out in a crowd. He’s the type of person you’d easily walk past in the street and not notice directly. But he knows himself – he is cool, calm, and confident. Dressed immaculately, the quality material of his suit and shirt shows that he has a refined taste and attention to detail. But it’s more than that. He has a subtle charisma which is alluring – once noticed. And he knows it. Catch his eye, and you’ll find a deep, challenging sparkle which you’ve taken a few steps towards involuntarily, drawn in like a house mouse to candy.

1725 Casanova by Histoires de Parfums 2001

1725 Casanova by Magali Senequier and Gérald Ghislain

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, citruses, grapefruit, licorice
Heart: Lavender, star anise
Base: Vanilla, almond, sandalwood, cedar, amber

1725 Casanova opens with lavender and multi-citrus top notes, primarily smoky bergamot and grapefruit, with a fleeting touch of amber. After 15 minutes a dark green, moist, sticky liquorice joins the lavender. The impression I get from the liquorice is that of a thick glossy black stick which has been snapped in half exposing the softer centre.

The oily fresh lavender mingles with the liquorice and lifts it up, preventing it from being too overpowering. At half an hour an almond comes through – thankfully only lasting to the hour mark before it subsides back to lavender/liquorice, and the bergamot which has lost its smokiness and become much more orange in nature.

Photo Stolen Flickr

The fragrance has an air of alcohol about it, which I can’t quite place until I realise it is just like basic aftershave. The absence of any herbaceous notes in 1725 brings a grey, austere effect to the fragrance. The effect is a smoothness of a well-cut good quality men’s suit. There is an almost transparent cedar in the background, which gives an anthropogenic slant to the scent. The cedar is refined, dead, cut and shaved into a cupboard or a set of draws in a room, almost undetectable but providing a sense of presence to the room.

I originally felt that 1725 had a longevity of around 5 hours, but I realised later that after that time the remaining skin scent sticks around for about 12 hours. This base still contains the lavender but gains vanilla. The combination of vanilla and lavender in the dry down has an oddly gourmand feel to it. So, overall, this feels like a relatively ordinary scent. But who ever said ordinary can’t be interesting? I wore this on a warm summers day, respritzed quite a few times, and the combination of lavender, bit of dust and residual oils from my skin created a clean muskiness that neither my skin nor the fragrance alone would have shown.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Casanova is the man you’ll find standing quietly at a bar, watching a group of young men acting up and playing the fool to try and get the attention of a group of young women. He doesn’t need to do anything – just smiles and watches whilst stirring the ice in his drink. Slowly, one of the women notices him, and starts watching back. And another. Who is this silent stranger? They move over to chat. Eventually, the group of guys have given up, and Casanova is still standing at the end of the bar, which is now lined with ladies all talking quietly, sipping on their own drinks, and waiting for their chance to get closer to him…

Further reading: Chemist in a Bottle and Olfactoria’s Travels
Parfum1 has $36/15ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml

Have you tried 1725 Casanova by Histoires de Parfums? Is it on your list?

Tina G xx

Rosa sur Reuse by Liz Zorn for SOIVOHLE 2012

February 1, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Heya Perfume Junkies,

SOIVOHLE (pronounced See-Voh) is an acronym for Sending Out Inspired Vibrations Of Healthy Loving Energy. What an amazing place to start for a fragrance house! Liz Zorn, the nose and also a famous American artist brings a joyful, light filled exuberance to fragrance and being an independent has less regulation than the big boys. Translated, that means when Liz says there is oakmoss in her creation you are getting the good stuff. Many of her fragrances have an old school feel simply because she can use ingredients not seen in fragrance this decade in the retail chains.

Liz is selling off the Mixed Media section of the fragrance business and is going to concentrate on the naturals. I wrote recently about her Alpha Musc and how I was ordering back ups of my two special favourites Rosa sur Reuse and Jasmine Summer. Really I do not want to live without them so I now have an EXTRA backup of Rosa sur Reuse, and the prices are so cheap!!

Rosa sur Reuse by Liz Zorn for SOIVOHLE 2012

Photo Stolen SOIVOHLE

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tuberose, red rose, red berries, parma violet, jasmine, lily, lilac, orchid, oakmoss, vanilla, woody notes, musk

So I write about Rosa sur Reuse fairly regularly on the facebook fragrance boards (Aussie Fragrance Network (Aus) or Facebook Fragrance Friends (USA) are good ones) but haven’t reviewed it on APJ. I don’t know why but I thought I had done a review here…..

We have planted some lovely spicy and jammy smelling small floribunda yellow roses on mum’s grave that seem to need zero care to put forth enormous stems of flowers throughout the season. The brilliant flowers in front are everlasting silk ones that my Aunty changes every season but you can see the sprays growing up the back filled with rosebuds. We were the first at the cemetery to ask if we could plant a garden in mum’s grave in 2001 and since then it has become a bit of a thing. The newer graves all look so bright and lovely and though we would visit Mum regularly anyway it does give us an extra reason and a thing to do while we are there. I must look like a complete MADster doing the gardening, watering, burning incense and Hell Bank Notes and quietly chatting to my Mum the whole time.

Strawberry sweetness like a strawberry cola over a beautiful big jammy rose

The sweetness that opens is the most luscious stylisation of roses ever. Though it’s so much more than a rose smell, that kind of makes Rosa sur Reuse even more photo-realistic. You know when you are smelling roses in the garden? Even roses on the same bush at different times in their bloom or throughout the day will have quite distinctly different fragrances. So in my mind it says, “Maybe there is a moment when a real life rose smells EXACTLY like this.” Intoxicating and beautiful there is no mistaking that you’re wearing a perfume, even one spritz of this EdT is a dense scent, of course when I’m home I give it 2 on the chest and one on each wrist and then I am a WALL OF ROSES! Maybe this is what it smelled like in Sleeping Beauty’s enclosure?

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

After the initial fireworks burn off, around the one hour mark, I get a green-ness that speaks to me of fresh cut rose vegetation and maybe even the woody green scent of stem too. It bolsters the fruity rose and gives a new dimension to Rosa sur Reuse. As we head towards dry down, the woods and vanilla move in to replace the fruit with a soft focus warmth but my skin never lets me lose sight of the fact that this is first and foremost a rose soliflore. I get 5-7 hours of wear depending on the day and Rosa sur Reuse stays heavily fragrant until during its last hour it fades to nothing.

SOIVOHLE still has loads of the Clearance Sale items left and you can get 11ml of Rosa sur Reuse for $12.50! While you’re there check out Liz’s other magnificent stuff aty drop dead gorgeous prices.

Portia xx

Australian Jasmine Awards to be DISCONTINUED

February 1, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

NEWS to hand this week. A very sad day for Australian Fragrance Journalism. We are so glad that our very own Ainslie Walker is a Jasmine Award Winner and hoped that some others in the crew could claim like status. Maybe we should start our own Awards APJ, what do you think?
Portia xx

Australian Jasmine Awards to be DISCONTINUED

PRESS RELEASE

January 2015

JASMINE AWARDS TO BE DISCONTINUED

After 10 years of recognising Excellence in Journalism about Fragrance, a decision has been made to discontinue the Australian Jasmine Awards.

Over the past decade, the Jasmine Awards have recognised very creative and distinctive fragrance features and articles from some of the Industry’s most respected journalists. While highly supported in years gone by, changes in the media landscape obligate a new direction
and a refreshed approach to fragrance communication strategies.

The Australian Fragrance industry would like to thank all the former entrants and generous sponsors for their support and contribution to the success of the Jasmine Awards over many years. The industry will continue to work very actively and directly with the Beauty Media and Supporters from print, online and social media, as it always has, to promote the wonderful world of fragrance
and its unique properties for consumers.

Passport à Paris by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes 2013

January 31, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hi there APJ Crew,

I have been slack, yes a slackard am I, but FINALLY I am getting to a beautiful set that Dawn Spencer Hurwitz sent to me through one of our fabulous APJ writers Willa Zheng. We had coffee and a sniff yesterday afternoon and she reminded me that I had to write up the DSH stuff immediately. So when I first sniffed the package here is the one that took my breath away immediately and I LOVE Paris, match made in heaven

Passport à Paris by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Lemon, bergamot, lavender, palisander rosewood, mandarin orange, jasmine, Bulgarian rose, orris root, clover, Australian sandalwood, amber, vanilla, coumarin, ambergris, Indian patchouli, civet

From DSH Perfumes site: My fragrant ode to two perfume greats of Paris, circa 1885: Jicky and Fougere Royale. Inspired by Claude Monet’s “The Beach at Trouville”, this universal perfume could be worn by both men and women on their holiday as well as about town. Passport a` Paris utilizes aroma molecules vanillin and coumarin. considered quite modern at the time.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Lovely, deep, burnished woods and resins lift off with a citrus side order. It must be Paris in spring or summer because while Passport à Paris is all of these beautiful things there is a dark and funky undertone. Through reading the notes I find that lavender is the component that I could smell but not identify, though now I know what it is I am smacking my head. Of course it is, a lightly sugared and vanilla’d lavender that is both charmingly warm and very slightly minty cool, a happy juxtaposition that keeps me on the edge of my nose wondering which way it will fall.

One of the lovely things Jin & I did in Paris in 2013 was have a hot chocolate banana waffle under the big Ferris Wheel, there is something here of that happy memory. The beauty, majesty, cool air and hot waffle: both cake and crispy caramelisation, the squished banana and drizzled chocolate. Jin was in heaven and when I had a little bit I could understand how happy he was in that instant, it was such a pure and unsullied moment that I had to capture it. One of those “God, I love him” snippets of time.

Jin eating hot choc-banana waffle Paris Feb ’13

So while I can make out the correlation between Jicky and Fougere Royal what I smell when I’m wearing Passport à Paris is my own special shared moment.

For those fiercely anti-natural you may find Passport à Paris, though full of courmarin and vanillin, to feel a little like the heft and deeper lay of a natural. This could never be confused with a mass market fragrance offering and I think Dawn never wanted it to. This is a beautiful, tonal, mesmerising fragrance that feels like it is still in touch with the earth and the power of natural perfumery. I love the soft, furry, powdery dry down too. What a beautiful ending, around 5-6 hours till I can smell no more…..

DSH Perffumes have EdP (which I reviewed) and Parfum strengths starting at only $5

Are you a Dawn Spencer Hurwitz fan? Do you have a favourite? Maybe you’ve tried Passport à Paris, what were your impressions?
Portia xxxx

5ml Fabulous Fragrance Fridays at Surrender To Chance

January 30, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom

So APJ,

It’s Friday!! What does that mean?

5ml Fabulous Fragrance Fridays at Surrender To Chance<< JUMP

From $2.99 – $32.99 for 5ml. All heavily discounted and on sale today.

Some examples?

At $32.99 for 5ml

By Kilian Light my Fire – In the Addictive State of Mind
By Kilian Smoke for the Soul – In the Addictive State of Mind

At $18.99 for 5ml

Arquiste The Architect’s Club
Serge Lutens Fille en Aiguilles
Slumberhouse Vikt EDP
Tauer Perfumes L’air du Desert Marocain

At $12.99 for 5ml

Frapin Passion Boisee
Le Labo Jasmin 17
Montale Orient Extreme

At $5.99 for 5ml

i Profumi di Firenze Manto di Rugiada
La Prairie Life Threads – Gold
Maison Berdoues 1902 Eau de Cologne Premium Collection Cardamom
Molinard Vanille Patchouli

At $2.99 for 5ml

Bvlgari Blv Notte Pour Femme
Ciel Perfume FR2 – Red Pomegranate
Comptoir Sud Pacifique L’Homme
Costume National Scent

5ml Fabulous Fragrance Fridays at Surrender To Chance<< JUMP

So go visit my friends at Surrender To Chance and grab yourself some serious BARGAINS!!!
Portia xx

SmackDown: Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria vs 4711 Acqua Colonia

January 29, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Willa Zheng

Hello Perfumistas,

In the quest for the perfect orange cologne to splash about in summer, I am smacking Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic (2007, Marie Salamagne) against its cheaper drug store dupe, 4711 Acqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil (2010) this month. To me, the perfect orange cologne is like mint julep on a hot day – refreshing, uplifting, but not cloying sweet.

SmackDown

Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Clementine, orange blossom, ivy, green tea, bitter orange
Heart: Peony, chamomile, mandarin orange, basil
Base: Sandalwood, amber

vs 4711 Acqua Colonia Blood Orange & Basil

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Blood orange, basil

SmackDown: The hit

Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic opens as a blast of the sweetest, juiciest mandarin juice. Five seconds later, the bitterness from the rind emerges. And it continues to push through and dominate, until you’re like: ‘hold on, I’m smelling a bundle of kitchen herbs sitting next to a plate of oranges and mandarins on the kitchen table’. Mandarin notes are typically sweeter than orange notes, so it was an inspired idea to pair this with basil to temper the sweetness. The overall effect is cheerful, fresh but not cloying sweet.

Blood Orange and Basil opens as a blast of synthetic room-fragrance-like blood orange and alcohol.
It is sweeter and more bitter than Guerlain. Whereas a soothing blend of herbs like chamomile, green tea and ivy become noticeable in Mandarine Basilic after a few minutes, you can’t really detect the basil in 4711 unless you really look for that green note. To a blind sniffer, it is an uplifting, orange with jasmine scent.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

SmackDown: The wake

An hour later, my impression of Mandarine Basilic can be best described as sweet and musky. Fragrantica’s description of its middle notes is pretty apt. Yes, there is still the sweet juicy mandarin and herbaceous basil, but they’re now the supporting players to the chamomile and soft floral peony notes anchored by sandalwood and amber. Those notes set the soothing and comforting experience for the rest of the wear of this juice. Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is surprisingly tenacious for a citrus EDT. 6Hrs+

Unsurprisingly, you can’t really smell 4711 Blood Orange and Basil half an hour later. Junkies are advised to reapply to continue to enjoy the bursts of happiness.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

SmackDown: Verdict

Guerlain’s Aqua Allegoria Mandarine Basilic is the clear winner for me, not just in terms of its longevity and complexity, but because it hums so soothingly, melding with the chemistry of the wearer. It’s an exemplary idea of what the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria line can achieve – creating beautiful, affordable, naturalistic fragrances from quality ingredients.

Surrender To Chance has Mandarine Basilic samples from $3/ml

In any case, if you’re after a flutter, 4711 is a cheap thrill that will bring a smile to most wearers’ face. Just keep splashing, baby.

What is your perfect orange?
Willa Zheng xox

Tubereuse Criminelle by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 1999

January 28, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Post by Trésor

Have you ever in your life encountered a fragrance which so emphatically mirrors your personality to the point that it seems to capture your very essence within those precious drops of sacred aromatic dew? I feel incredibly lucky to say that I have. From start to finish, this wicked brew embodies my identity in a way which no other fragrance I’ve experienced truly has. From the incipient beryl glow to depths of the exquisite drydown, it seems to manifest “me” and coincidentally enough was the very first bottle of niche fragrance I’ve ever bought for myself (unsniffed, no less!). You already know from the title which fragrance I am speaking of, the inimitable Tubereuse Criminelle from our dear friend, Uncle Serge Lutens.

Tubereuse Criminelle by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 1999

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine, orange blossom, hyacinth, tuberose, nutmeg, clove, styrax, musk, vanilla

The opening sequence of Tubereuse Criminelle is perhaps my favourite in the entirety of perfume and also what’s come to be one of the most polarizing among the fragrance community. On my skin the inaugural fusillade is a breathtakingly intense bravura of jasmine petals which have been profoundly doused in densely mentholated gasoline. I’m often told I am rather strange for this, but I absolutely adore the smell of gasoline so this entire progression is a bit euphoric to me. I relate to this genesis so deeply because I feel her and I are so much the same in this way, just a little off the beaten path.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Upon occasion I sense the slightest hologram of orange blossom but if I am being absolutely honest with you I have never been sure if it’s actually there or if I am imagining it simply because it’s included on the list of notes. Beneath the icy petrol fumes lay a tuberose, one who’s beauty beguiles me and leaves me breathless. You can detect every facet, every single atom of her velvet white petals and the narcotic ambrosia bleeding from within. This is, in my opinion, the most beautiful realization of tuberose I have found within a fragrance and worth every ounce of praise it receives.

Photo Stolen Flickr

As the composition progresses something quite fascinating begins to happen, the tuberose seems to further and further meld with the skin but never loses the depth, splendour and unadulterated hypnotism that drew me in so close before. Around about the fifth hour on my skin I can detect just the most delicate tendrils of softly spiced vanilla rising off of my skin. The note is not confectionary in any way, shape or form but a beautifully Lutens-esque vision of a skinscent that leads the way into Tubereuse Criminelle’s final breath on the skin.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

This isn’t a fragrance that wears a terribly long time on my skin, about 5-6 hours, usually and the sillage is quite moderate. Though not incredibly long, the journey is magnificent and I wouldn’t trade a second of it for the world. From the initial glacial zephyr which greets you to her intimate swan song, Tubereuse Criminelle remains a study in the paradoxical nature that defines the very best of the offerings from the house of Serge Lutens.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Australian Perfume Junkies
MeccaCosmetica has $166/50ml (in Australia)
Serge Lutens had €166/75ml
My Perfume Samples start at $3.50/ml up to $10.50/5ml

Have you fallen under the Tubereuse Criminelle spell?
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