Surrender To Chance Gift Certificate

August 8, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 64 Comments

Hiya Happy Huffers,

One of the things I love MOST about this mad fragrance addiction I have is Sample and Decant Stores. The crew I use the most is Surrender To Chance. They have a great selection, reasonable postage rates and are friendly and helpful whenever I have a question. I know the gang that runs the business through the Perfume Posse Scentsation Bus Tour in May 2013. They are a fabulous and fun crew and they made me feel like family from, the first minute. As you may have noticed I look for family everywhere, surprising how often I find it too.

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Surrender To Chance Gift Certificate GIVEAWAY

Photo Stolen SmartDraw

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will get:
1 x $30 Surrender To Chance Gift Certificate

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 Surrender To Chance<<JUMP and find me a Fragrance and Manufacturer…………….. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie GIFT CERTIFICATE GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-330 #Perfume #Giveaway @Surrendertochan

Surrender To Chance Header

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 10th August 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 14th August 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their email address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Special THANKS to Surrender To Chance for these amazing giveaways. Please visit their site because they are so generous, friendly and helpful.

Karen Gilbert in Sydney!! September 20 2014

August 7, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hey There APJ Crew in Sydney,

One of my mates Karen Gilbert is coming to Sydney in September, so save the date Saturday September 20. I have begged and cajoled her into hosting her 1 Day Introduction To Perfumery Class here in Sydney. This is the event that Karen runs worldwide and it will be her first ever training day in Australia. A once off, one time only deal with someone who has worked in the fragrance industry for years as a Perfume Evaluator at IFF, then on to working as a perfumer herself and consulting for some of the world’s best known brands. Now Karen is writing, fragrancing, teaching and traveling the world. We are so lucky that she has agreed to host her 1 Day Introduction To Perfumery Class here in Sydney.

The day will be held upstairs in a wonderful old Sydney hotel that is famous in the area for its delicious food. Lunch will be provided; simple, hearty fare like creamy Italian pasta or Thai beef salad and there will be loads of fresh crusty bread.

The first FIVE people to book will get an autographed copy of Karen’s latest book Perfume: The Art and Craft of Fragrance. I will be buying these and getting Karen to sign them because I think the day will be splendid and the books will be a wonderful momento.

Just so you all know, I will be receiving no kickback for organising this event and that Karen is doing a very special price because it’s for me. Normally in the UK a day with Karen will cost guests around £200 each (that’s over AUD$350) and having Karen teach a corporate day is beyond my wildest dreams. You can book here 1 Day Introduction To Perfumery Class<<JUMP. Also, there are a very small amount of guest places for this event because Karen wants to make sure everyone gets as much of her attention as possible.

Can’t wait to spend the day with you getting a better understanding of fragrance and how the industry works. We will have a great time together, promise.
Portia xx

BookDepository AUD$19 delivered worlwide

BookDepository AUD$16 delivered worldwide

1 Day Introduction To Perfumery Class

I’m so excited to be running this 1 day perfumery class in Sydney Australia!

Do you want to create your own fragrance or just learn more about perfumery?

I have been wanting to run a class for my Aussie readers for ages so when Portia of Australian Perfume Junkies suggested fitting one into my September trip to Sydney I jumped at the chance.

For those of you who have never met me before you can read more about my background HERE

All my classes are very in depth with lots of industry insider tips as well as lots and lots of hands on practical experience. Many students who have done classes with other teachers and are still stuck find that even after the 1 day class it all makes sense and falls into place. I tend to tailor each day to the experience level of the group so each class is a unique experience. This class is suitable for beginners or more advanced students

1 Day Introduction To Perfumery Class

This introductory workshop in perfumery will give you the opportunity to gain a basic understanding of the history of perfumery and then work with a variety of materials to design your own fragrances. You will have plenty of hands on experience in blending and creating your own accords and finished fragrances. All materials and equipment are provided and no previous experience is necessary. All you need is imagination and a love of perfumery.

Topics Covered In The Class:

The History of Perfumery
The Sense of Smell and What it Means To Us
The Beginners Guide to Training your Nose
Classifying Fragrances
Top, Middle and Base notes and Why They Are Important
Creating Accords
Practical Blending Techniques
Naturals Vs Synthetics

By The End The Class You Will:

Have an understanding of the historical significance of fragrance
Have learned about the different ingredients used in perfumery
Easily be able to classify aromatic ingredients into the different fragrance families
Understand how accords are created
Have practised blending top middle and base notes
Have created your first fragrance

You can book here 1 Day Introduction To Perfumery Class<<JUMP

Ratios for Blending Essential Oils

August 6, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

Ratios for Blending Essential Oils

A Reminder of the Basics

Hi APJ

I have written about this before but I think we need a reminder of the correct ratios to employ when making aromatherapy skin care, baths, face masks, hair masks and anything else you can think of. I’ll also include the amounts to use in vapourisers and oil burners.

It is important to be exact and err on the side of caution when using essential oils on your skin.

It is not important to be exact when you are using essential oils in a vapouriser to scent a space.

Officially it is not recommended you use essential oils on your skin directly from the bottle!

Photo Stolen Pixabay

1. Nourishing Body Oil Blend

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil (approx 15 mls) in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. This is a standard ratio of 2.5% essential oils to carrier oil.

20 mls 10 drops

25 mls 12 drops

30 mls 15 drops

35 mls 17 drops

40 mls 20 drops

45 mls 22 drops

50 mls 25 drops

***** 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.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

2. Mist – For a Room or as a Personal Aura Mist

The same quantities as above. You can add more if you like but remember not to spray near your eyes.

50 mls 25 drops

100 mls 50 drops

150 mls 75 drops

200 mls 100 drops

Almost fill the bottle with water then add your oils. Shake before you mist. I don’t use emulsifying agents as I like to keep it simple. You can even just buy a mist bottle from a supermarket but once a plastic atomiser top and bottle have been used for essential oils you can’t re-use them. Don’t fill up the bottle with water and mist your plants as the residue may kill them.

Photo Stolen FotoPedia

3. An Oil Blend (or mask) for Your Face, Children and In Pregnancy

Use half the above ratio – 1.25% ratio of essential oils to carrier oil.

20 mls 5 drops

25 mls 6 drops

30 mls 7 drops

35 mls 8 drops

40 mls 10 drops

45 mls 11 drops

50 mls 12 drops

***** 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.

Pregnancy – Some oils are not recommended in pregnancy so it’s best to do some research if you are treating yourself, or ask the advice of an Aromatherapist. I have treated many women through multiple pregnancies and have had great results. The truth is that there are probably many more toxic chemicals in their home environments than essential oils but always use caution!

Children – Same for kids. They respond really well to essential oils but only use oils they like the smell of otherwise you may create a negative experience. You will have more positive results if you create a room/personal mist and gently mist around your child so they treatment is more fun and likely to work quickly.

Photo Stolen Flickr

4. In Baths

I would only use up to 6 drops of oil in a bath. I have tried many natural emulsification agents but none work 100%. I like to put the oils into mediums, then add them to the bath. Try adding your oils into –

Dead Sea Salt

Celtic Sea Salt

Coconut milk

Magnesium Salt (Epsom salts)

Bi-Carb Soda

A Natural Bodywash/liquid soap like Castille Soap

** I don’t recommend using essential oils in the bath with kids as it can sting their legs. The oils combined with the heat of the water can be too strong for their beautiful skin. (See me article “Aunty, something is biting my legs” – 10 things NOT to do when using Essential Oils” for more info).

Enjoy the process!

Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas. See my article about intention.

Suzanne R Banks XXX

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

Sacrebleu by Parfums de Nicolaï 1993

August 5, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

Hi APJ,

An oldie but a goodie. A wild ride that is filled with exciting twists & turns. This bottle is an older one from Michael Edwards and I feel very lucky to have it because now you can only buy the intense version. The formula has changed since this bottle was made, I’m sure it has quite a lot really.

Sacrebleu by Patricia de Nicolai for Parfums de Nicolaï 1993

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin orange, fruits, red berries
Heart: Carnation, tuberose, jasmine, cinnamon
Base: Olibanum, woody notes, vanilla, patchouli, sandalwood, peru balsam, tonka bean

Sacrebleu !

So unusual to me immediately. It’s tart! Like a tart berry. Redcurrant? Unripe raspberry? Bitter rind of tangerine, perhaps bitter orange rind too. A hint at jasmine/tuberose/vanilla, which sometimes to me is an expected crowd pleasing base, often kind of meh. I can smell frankincense resin strongly?!?!? With the berry and mandarin it feels Christmassy to me. I keep thinking “how weird”. I am getting something sooo weird I cannot pinpoint at about 30 mins in, its green, carnation and patchouli, but also a rubbery mouthful of some fruity flavoured bubblegum?…am about to run to wash it off and then *boom* things balance out a little. Sandalwood/frankincense/bitter orange, rounded off with some white floral jasmine and shy tuberose and a touch of well chewed fruit gum.

Photo Stolen Flickr

The gum eventually starts to give way and tonka bean rears its head with some vanilla notes and starts to get pretty. It’s like dessert has finally been served! Within the frankincense resin, the soft vanilla notes seems to glow angelic. The angel is casually hanging out, chewing on a blackberry and vanilla marshmallow. Finally I get some gentle spices, cinnamon and clove/eugenol, which works so well with the remaining citrus.

Great scent life, and the dry down is very Shalimar like a vintage Shalimar dry down and I could still smell a gentle bit of it in the morning. Projection and sillage were pretty good for most of the fragrant life, more like a natural or a fragrance that has lots of naturals rather than a strong synthetic fragrance. Though not one that I’d normally go for, I really like it and had to keep going back to sniff myself to see what it was doing. Interesting, lovely. Casual and easy.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Further reading: Now Smell This and Perfume Posse
LuckyScent has Sacrebleu Intense from $65/30ml
Parfums Neroli in Budapest has Sacrebleu from €50/30ml
Surrender To Chance has Sacrebleu Intense samples starting at $4/ml

A floriental but slightly crazy frag. Shalimer lovers should definitely give it a go.

Have you tried Sacrebleu?
Ainslie Walker

Ombre Indigo by Mylène Arlan @ Robertet for Olfactive Studio 2014

August 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Tina G

Hi APJ,

I first laid eyes on Ombre Indigo in the lead up to Esxence in Milan, March 2014. I’d just written a few articles for APJ on Olfactive Studio scents, so nearly hit the floor when I spotted that they had a new one coming out! And the colour of that juice… oh my goodness… instant, unadulterated, WANT.

So, when I was gifted with a sample I was thrilled. And I couldn’t wait to try it. But when I did, I was hit with confusion. I didn’t love it. It was cloying and heavy and hurt my head. I didn’t really know what to do from there – I was supposed to be enthralled. Look at the colour of it, how could you not be? It is soooo pretty! What I didn’t realise at the time was that I was just at the beginning of one of the worst colds I’ve had in a decade, knocked me flat for about 2 weeks. The nose knows, it seems. I’ve come back to it under more friendly circumstances, and found the love.

Ombre Indigo by Mylène Arlan @ Robertet for Olfactive Studio 2014

Ombre Indigo Photographer: Gustavo Pellizzon

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Plum, saffron, pettigrain, tuberose
Heart: Vetiver, papyrus, leather, olibanum
Base: Benzoin, musk, ambergris

The opening for me is strong incense and dry woods, the papyrus lifting and separating the incense from darker plum underlying it. Occasionally I will burn frankincense or myrrh on charcoal bricks so when I say “incense”, that’s what I’m finding here, a resin smoke. And the plums are heavy, in a sweet decay where they’ve just turned inedible by a matter of days. That smell you get when plums look OK from the top, but when you pick them up their skin is moist and splits as you touch it.

The image I get from this is walking through a neglected and overgrown orchard. The trees that fruited have dropped their baubles in the overgrown grass at their bases. Other trees have died, and their branches bare. Walking through the orchard there is a dappled autumnal light scattering through the trees, and my skin is at once cooled by the shadow and warmed by the sun.

Photo Stolen Olfactive Studio

After about 2 hours saffron joins the undertones, and a clean but fleshy tuberose comes into the middle of the notes. The fragrance then settles at around 4 hours into a musky floral, powdery amber combo, which I find quite delicious. Some of the listed notes I’ve not quite found, but my sample has now run dry so I need to decide on next steps…

I’ve read reviews on Ombre Indigo that quite happily assign this to being a summer scent, but here in Australia in the dead of winter (as much as we have one) the incense and wood is comforting. I wore the fragrance on a crisp bright sunshiny-day walk along St Kilda Beach whilst being pummelled by Antarctic winds straight out of Bass Strait. Ombre Indigo had ensconced itself thoroughly in my scarf, which allowed me nuzzle down, breathe deeply and keep a smile on my face against the howling wind.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Now Smell This and Chemist In A Bottle
Olfactive Studio has a World Page where you can order wherever you are.
First In Fragrance has €85/50ml and samples
Peony Melbourne has $145/50ml

Do you have a favourite incense fragrance? What time of year does it work best for you?

Tina G xx

Passion Boisee GIVEAWAY WINNERS

August 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Hi there Juice junkies,

There is something deeply satisfying in having a giveaway that you all get excited about. Thank you everyone for being part of the fun. I am glad that we can work out 4 winners today. YIPPEE! THANKS to LibertineParfumerie, you guys rock my world.

Portia xx

Passion Boisee GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tangerine, nutmeg, rum, clove
Heart: Oakmoss, oak
Base: Patchouli, leather, cedar

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 Major Winner who will get:
1 x Passion Boisee 100ml bottle
(minus the Secondary Winners Prizes)
P&H Anywhere in the world

3 x Secondary Winners who will each receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Passion Boisee
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Go to Libertine Perfumes<<<JUMP and find me one of their Bath & Body Products and Manufacturer…………….. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 3rd August 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen dryicons

Passion Boisee MAJOR WINNER

Katherine Mittas

Passion Boisee SECONDARY WINNERS

Tara (via Twitter)

Nemo

Yin

The winners will have till Thursday 7th August 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.

Oliver & Co Limited Edition Sample Set 2014

August 3, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hey there APJ,

If you love niche fragrance and enjoy the good stuff then this is for you. I love this crew.

Oliver & Co Limited Edition Sample Set 2014

DISCOVERY SET – 1# ONLINE EDITION OF 20

THE SET INCLUDE 7x10ml GLASS SPRAY VIALS OF:

ILLUSTRATED SERIES

M.O.U.S.S.E
LA COLONIA
VETIVERUS
RESINA
M.O.U.S.S.E II

NEBULAE SERIES

NEBULA 1
NEBULA 2

AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY – FROM 1st TO 6th AUGUST.
LIMIT ONE PER PERSON. ONLINE EXCLUSIVE.
THIS ITEM CAN’T BE PURCHASED ON PHYSICAL STORES.

67,00 €

Oliver & Co Site<<JUMP

Passion Boisee by Jeanne-Marie Faugier for P Frapin & Co 2007

August 1, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 60 Comments

Hello Fragrant Family,

My mate Nick from Libertine Parfumerie sometimes gives 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!

Passion Boisee by Jeanne-Marie Faugier for P Frapin & Co 2007

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tangerine, nutmeg, rum, clove
Heart: Oakmoss, oak
Base: Patchouli, leather, cedar

Before anything else I want you to know how much I love the Frapin bottles. Heavy, great shape, excellent atomiser that gives a super blast. The whole packaging has been beautifully thought out and will look great as a gift or as the single bottle of scent on most mens counters. Not that women wouldn’t wear Passion Boisee, or any Frapin, but I can definitely see the men falling in love with the whole aesthetic.

So my nose gets a lovely gust of citrus, booze and a cool note that reads to me like pipe tobacco for a short while which then softens off considerably within 20 minutes and becomes a very light, forest floor over skin scent. Passion Boisee becomes a barely there shimmer of depth, an extra hint of the wild. Subtle to the point of subconscious. I pretty much lose the ability to smell Passion Boisee after an hour on myself but when sprayed on Jin it is a completely different beast and every time I come close to him its presence is noticeable and damn sexy. Powerful and sexy undertones, like pheromones.

I don’t get much play through the notes after the initial fireworks. I get cool forest, jungle floor, masculine, slightly animal and a feeling of power. I imagine this smell is how a jungle tiger feels. There, not there, camouflaged yet deadly and powerful. I think Passion Boisee would make an excellent work or date scent, a very under the radar reminder that the wearer is dangerous and focused and hungry.

If you like to proclaim your fragrance wearing in no uncertain terms then I think Passion Boisee will be too soft, too quietly confident.

Further reading: Fragrant Moments and Smelly Thoughts
Peony Melbourne currently has $95/100ml (That’s over 50% discount!!)
First In Fragrance has €105/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Passion Boisee GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 Major Winner who will get:
1 x Passion Boisee 100ml bottle
(minus the Secondary Winners Prizes)
P&H Anywhere in the world

3 x Secondary Winners who will each receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Passion Boisee
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Go to Libertine Perfumes<<<JUMP and find me one of their Bath & Body Products and Manufacturer…………….. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Passion Boisee: P Frapin & Co GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-324 #Perfume #Giveaway @LibertineParfum

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 3rd August 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 7th August 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.

Hypnotic Poison EdT by DIOR GIVEAWAY WINNERS

August 1, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hi Scent Hounds,

Excellent response this week, and what a wonderful giveaway. Azar always finds the good stuff, it gets me excited too.

Portia xx

Hypnotic Poison EdT by DIOR GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Hypnotic Poison by Annick Menardo: 1998 version

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Apricot, plum, coconut
Heart: Tuberose, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose, brazilian rosewood, caraway
Base: Sandalwood, almond, vanilla, musk

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 2 ml spray decant of the 1998 version of Hypnotic Poison EdT
1 x 2ml spray decant of the historic Italian referred to at the beginning of this post
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please leave a comment about your favorite re-discovered oldie and/or your take on any version of Poison or Hypnotic Poison.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Hypnotic Poison EdT: DIOR 1998 #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-313 @Dior #Perfume

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 31st July 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by Azar putting all names on paper and pulling two from a hat. Hey Presto!!

Photo Stolen propercourse

NennaO

Elia

CONGRATULATIONS! Many thanks to everyone for their oldies and for their memories of Poison!

Azar xx

The winners will have till Sunday 1st August 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.

A Case of Perfume Tampering

July 31, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

I am a fiend for vanilla perfumes, and will try nearly anything along that line. It happened not terribly long ago that I got a sample from one of the decant houses of a vanilla perfume from an independent perfumer, never mind which one. It was a pretty little perfume indeed, with some jasmine and fruit notes, a bit of bergamot, and a pleasant base of vanilla and white musk. For evening wear I love Tihota, the contralto diva of the vanilla world, but this one warbled along in a pleasant little alto. I decided that it would be perfect for office wear where my stronger vanillas won’t fly, and because I found it online at a bargain price I bought two small bottles.

A Case of Perfume Tampering

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Unfortunately, it became clear when the bottles arrived that a rather major reformulation had taken place between the decant that I had previously purchased and the new bottles. Or maybe this perfume is subject to significant batch variation, but whatever the reason, I had two bottles of something that I did not care for at all. The opening was still pleasant and attractive, but the vanilla was rather distant and sour and faded quickly, leaving me with nothing much to notice after the first 30 minutes. Foolishly, I had opened and tried both bottles before I was sure that something was wrong, so there was no reasonable option of returning them.

After some thought, I decided that I had very little to lose, and so I began tampering with one of the bottles. Leaving the opening undisturbed, I added a little bit of vanilla CO2 extract, and a modest amount of a commercial perfumers accord called “vanilla bean accord,” which I obtained from The Perfumer’s Apprentice. After several good shakes, I had something that I could spray and enjoy in a low-key sort of way, and that ended in a lovely vanilla skin scent which lasted several hours. I will be able to use it as a work scent, and eventually will probably do the same to the other bottle. As a bonus, I wore it one evening at home, and my husband noticed early the next morning that it had bloomed into an even more full and beautiful vanilla skin scent.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

I have read arguments against a simple intervention like layering, with some people feeling rather strongly that the perfume should be worn as created. All very well for perfumes that you like, but this was not one that I would ever have worn exactly as it came to me. And I clearly acknowledge that it would not be in any way okay to give out the name of the perfume, since I have altered it beyond recognition. However, for those of us who have some bottles sitting around that we don’t really care for and will never wear in their present iteration, is it wrong to make some creative changes? I don’t think so. It’s like changing a recipe; you can do anything you want with it, as long as you acknowledge that it is not exactly the recipe that the writer intended.

So I say, if you have aromachemicals and accords and essential oils and absolutes sitting around, and like so many of us you also have some perfumes that you are not wild about, but which have no significant resale value, go to town!

Have you ever tampered with a perfume? Do tell.

FeralJasmine xx