Top Five Scents for Turbulent Times

April 23, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello fragrance peeps! It’s good to be back on APJ after some time away. And my, can I just say how crazy my life has been since my last post. It has been a rollercoaster ride indeed! In just over a month, I’ve turned 40 and had an amazing birthday, had a shocking time at work, had flu, had gastro on top of flu, experienced more craziness at work, fallen flat on my face and bruised myself from head to toe, been thrilled that Mr M was awarded a terrific new work contract in Melbourne, resigned from my job, made a joint decision with Mr M to move to Melbourne, given notice on our rental and booked the removalists. As I write, I am surrounded by boxes and packing tape and getting prepared for moving day at the end of the month…

Top Five Scents for Turbulent Times

In all this hubbub of activity I have found that my perfume choices have narrowed. When things are crazy, I don’t tend to try scents that overly challenge me or anything new. So today, I would like to share my top five scents that have got me though the turbulence of the past few weeks:

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

1. Champs Elysees by Jean-Paul Guerlain 1996

My “everything-feels-overwhelming-and-I-want-to-feel-supremely-happy-again” scent. I have the lovely Miss Portia to thank for this gorgeous recent addition to my collection. The radiant mix of mimosa, rose and peach is as sparkling and uplifting as the fizz of champagne and the sun’s golden rays. It’s hard not to have a smile on your face when wearing this and it’s a damn sight cheaper than therapy.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Blackcurrant, almond, anise, melon, peach, violet
Heart: Lilac, lily of the valley, hibiscus, almond flower, rose, mimosa, peony
Base: Almond tree, cedar, benzoin, vanilla, sandalwood

Further reading: Scents Of Self and EauMG

Beauty Encounter has $20/30ml EdT, $55/50ml EdP and $125/30ml Parfum
Surrender To Chance only have $5/.5ml Parfum

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

2. Datura Noir by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2001

My “Oh-my-God-I feel-trapped-and-want-to-get-away” scent. Datura Noir’s sultry vibe means that there’s an island holiday at hand whenever it all gets just a little bit too much. However, Datura is so much more than your typical tropical suntan vibe scent: the almond and myrrh lend a mysterious edge to the steamy mix of tuberose and coconut.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Coconut, tuberose, tonka bean, almond, lemon blossom, mandarin orange, musk, chinese osmanthus, heliotrope, myrrh, vanilla and apricot.

Further reading: The Scented Hound and SmellyThoughts

Luckyscent has $130/50ml and Mecca Cosmetica has $148/50ml
Surrender to Chance has $3.99/.5ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

3. Fleurissimo by James Henry Creed for Creed 1956

My “I-don’t-know-what-perfume-to-wear-today-and-I-don’t-want-to-have-to-think-about-it” scent. Creed Fleurissimo is my absolute scent of choice nowadays, so much so that I’ve almost finished a 75ml bottle in under six months. Supremely elegant and yet unbelievably airy and light; a soft wash of pastel tuberose underscored by whispers of rose and violet.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Tuberose, Bulgarian Rose, violet, Florentine iris
Base: Ambergris.

Further reading: Perfume Smellin’ Things and Sweet Diva

Luckyscent has $275/75ml and Libertine Parfumerie has $289/75ml
Surrender to Chance has $3/.5ml

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

4. Isabey Gardenia by Panouage 2006

My 40th birthday present and my “little-bit-of-luxury” scent. Despite being a gardenia fan, it took me a long time to go from like to love on this. It’s more of white floral medley than a gardenia soliflore per se, but it does what it does beautifully. A heady and warm mix of ylang ylang, gardenia and rose, Isabey Gardenia manages to be impeccably chic and comforting at the same time.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: african orange flower, ylang-ylang and tangerine
Heart: iris, jasmine, gardenia and rose
Base: musk, sandalwood and amber.

Further reading: Scent for Thought and The Black Narcissus

Luckyscent has $165/50ml
Surrender to Chance has $3.99/.5ml

Le Parfum de Therese Frederic Malle Fragrantica

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

5. Le Parfum de Therese by Edmond Roudnitska for Frederic Malle 2000

My scent of joy and rapture. Every time I wear this, I wonder why I don’t do so more often, such is its beauty. Others have done such a wonderful job of describing this luscious chypre that I don’t have much more to add to the conversation, except that I absolutely adore it.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Fruity aquatic accords, tangerine, melon
Heart: Rose, plum
Base: Cedar, vetiver, leather

Further reading: The Non Blonde and Olfactoria’s Travels

Mecca Cosmetica starts at $155/3 x 10ml
Surrender to Chance has $6.99/ml

So, what do you think of my top five? What are your choices when life gets a little crazy?

With much love till next time!
M xx

Id by Mendittorosa (Odori d'Anima) 2012

April 22, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

When my kids were very young they used to make “gift”. “Gift” is the German word for poison. They would use a glass jar and run around the house filling it with all kinds of things. Dishwashing liquid, soap powder, ketchup, flour, salt, pepper, honey, chocolate sauce, jam, and who knows what else. They would hide the jars somewhere on our balcony and wait a couple of days to see what would happen. As far as I remember they caught a few unlucky wasps, and the stuff bubbled up into a gooey mess, which I had to clean up. They have not gone on to create any fragrances.

Stefania Squeglia used to do something similar. Except we can call these olfactory experiments. Stefania would fill her glass jars with flower petals, water and women´s perfumes. She would hide the jars in the dark and wait a while to discover the fragrant results of her combinations, to see how the “odours” had changed.

Photo Stolen FotoPedia

It was during a trip to Stromboli Island in 2011 that these memories were reawakened and served to inspire Stefania Squeglia to begin her creative career. “Mendittorosa Odori d’Anima” was born. The island is situated off the north coast of Sicily and has one of three active volcanoes in Italy, The Stromboli Volcano is the cornerstone of Stefania´s ideas, and influences her concepts and scents.

Menditorrosa is an Italian niche perfume house. There are five Mendittorosa perfumes, all extrait de parfum.

TRILOGY “For all things in life, there is a beginning and there is an end. But the end can also mark a new beginning.”

Alfa. Omega. Id. These three fragrances have been created to wear separately or combined.

NORTH AND SOUTH “Each north has it´s south, and each south, it´s north. Two opposites longing for completeness.”

North. South. These too can be worn alone or layered.

Id by Mendittorosa (Odori d’Anima) 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Mendittorosa gives these featured accords:
Top: Ravensara
Heart: Jasmine, Iris
Base: Birch, Oud, Labdanum, Cinnamon

I would not be comfortable writing about each one of the fragrances as one needs a good length of time to feel what the perfumer intends.
I chose to spend a few days wearing “Id” as I felt an immediate attraction to the concept of this perfume. The locals of Stromboli Island refer to the volcano as “Iddu” from which Stefania named this perfume. This was the fragrance that first brought Mendittorosa to life. I lived on a volcanic island in the Atlantic for 2 years and love the idea of a perfume that has been inspired from volcanic surrounds. “Id” was launched in 2012.

Photo Stolen Flickr

“Id” is an oriental. The notes include ravensara, jasmine, iris, birch, oud, labdanum and cinnamon. I had to look up ravensara and you can too. It is a plant that grows in Madagascar and I was not familiar with it. Don´t be put off by the oud (!) or any other note that you may think you don´t care for. This is so beautifully formulated that no one note is dominant. It is very warm and I found it to be energizing. It unfolds over several hours and ends up being quite musky. Good for guys and gals. And the bottles are stunning.

I wanted to check these out at the Esxence last month, but didn´t get the chance. I am extremely grateful to “Aus Liebe Zum Duft” (First in Fragrance) who rectified that and took the time to send me samples of the Mendittorosa collection.

Mendittorosa has a new perfume in the pipeline. “Le Mat”. One to look out for.

First in Fragrance has €185/100ml and samples
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

The Mendittorosa Collection is available in a number of countries in Europe, a couple of places in the US, Kuwait and Saudia Arabia.
They will soon be available from Mendittorosa.

Did you hear of these or try any in the line yet?

Have a good week.

Bussis
CQ

Antonio Banderas Spirit for Woman 2005

April 21, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Katrina

As winter approaches we had our first cool day yesterday after what has seemed like a never-ending summer. Finally time to put away my summer scents. My summer fragrances are fresh, light and breezy. I like to wear fruity florals and aquatic style perfumes when the weather is hot. As the weather cools I prefer warm spicy perfumes. The perfume I reached for today is one I prefer to wear in cooler weather…….

Antonio Banderas Spirit for Woman 2005

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the following notes.
Top: Citrus, plum
Heart: Peony, freesia, orange blossom
Base: Sandalwood, musk

I love all the notes listed here and when I bought the perfume untested I was so happy to find that it was all that I hoped for and more. Antonio Banderas Spirit for women is warm, spicy, sensual and classy.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Spirit opens with gorgeous rich deep plum and spicy sandalwood. These are strong notes but the perfume is not at all overpowering. The perfume develops with pretty floral notes that undertone the sandalwood. The floral notes add a touch of femininity to the perfume although they are quite subtle. I love sandalwood and this woody note dominates the fragrance for me. The perfume dries down to a warm spicy musk that lasts for hours. Spirit is just as sexy and classy as Antonio Banderas himself.

The sandalwood and spice make Spirit smell a bit masculine. Men could definitely wear Spirit for women despite the pink, curvy bottle. Spirit for women smells unisex but there is also a version of Antonio Banderas Spirit for men.

Photo Stolen FilmWeb
(Problem using this image? Tell me, I’ll remove immediately)

Antonio Banderas Spirit for women is an award winning oriental perfume produced by Puig. Spirit won a US FiFi award in 2006 for Fragrance of the Year – Women’s Popular Appeal category.

FragranceNet has Antonio Banderas Spirit for Woman under $9/30ml

For more celebrity perfume news and reviews, check out my website Celebrity Perfume

Katrina xx

High Flying Adored: Antonio Banderas Live

Resina by Oliver + Co. GIVEAWAY WINNERS

April 21, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hi there Fabulous Fragrantists,

We have had a lovely response to the Resina by Oliver + Co. GIVEAWAY. Thanks for getting on board and having a go. I think you’ll be mighty impressed with the brand. They are making interesting frags that skew a little different even to niche but are all easy wear and smell great.

Portia xx

Resina by Oliver + Co. GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tolu balsam, elemi, myrrh, labdanum, opoponax, jasmine sambac, incense, benzoin, coffee, christmas tree or flame tree, mace, rooibos tea, tonka bean, star anise

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 2ml decant of Resina by Oliver + Co.
1 x 2ml decant of Mousse II by Oliver + Co.
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me a memory that involves resins, incense or a fragrance that includes either that you happen to love.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie ~~Resina~~ by Oliver & CO. GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Ex #Perfume #Giveaway ~~#Oliver&Co~~

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 20th April 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen berryreview

Azar, Christine W

The winners will have till Thursday 24th April 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

The Osmotheque: Versailles: France 2014 Photo Essay

April 20, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 52 Comments

Hey Gang,

I wanted to share the most wonderful photo that was taken of Jean Kerleo, Patricia de Nicolai, Michael and I at the end of our incredible time at the Osmotheque. This is one of my life highlights. Meeting the perfumer, Jean Kerleo, that created 1000 and Sublime for Jean Patou and Knowing for Estee Lauder and Patricia de Nicolai, one of my favourite independent perfumers in a place that keeps many fragrances that have been lost and the memories of how they were produced. I cannot tell you enough how moving and magical the day was.

Anyone can book a course at the Osmotheque, we booked an English course (which was very easy to organise) and it was an incredible afternoon. Our contact was Florence Crenn info@osmotheque.fr and Florence could not have been more lovely or helpful. We organised to pay cash on the day but there are other ways to do it.

We chose to spend the morning at Versailles Palace and do the Osmotheque in the afternoon. Perfect choice. We caught a train from Paris to Versailles and then a cab from Versailles Palace to the Osmotheque. From the Osmotheque we walked to a different station to catch the train back to Paris, don’t buy a return ticket.

The Osmotheque: Versailles: France 2014

Well, how was our day? What went on? Jean Kerleo, ex Helena Rubenstein and Jean Patou perfumer and founder of the Osmotheque, was our host with the help of his buddy and translator Will. It was completely mind blowing and the work they do at the Osmotheque to archive and house the world’s most famous fragrances in their original formulations is not only extraordinary it is necessary for the continuation of perfumer knowledge. Also, the Osmotheque needs people like you and us to go and do the classes so they have money to continue the great work they are doing.

If you are a French speaker you can buy a ticket to many forum classes with the teachers at the Osmotheque, including Jean Kerleo and Patricia de Nicolai. If you have English you must book a class with an English speaking teacher. We were asked to pick a number of fragrances that we’d like to smell in their original form (L’Origan, Iris Gres, Shocking and Patou Pour Homme were among out favourites today) and your teacher will bring a few others that they think may be of interest (Suprise sniffs included nearly 60 year old deer musk, Crepe de Chine, L’Heure Blue and 1000). You get a 2 hour class and it was just Michael and I. One of the most incredible fragrance experiences of my life.

I got the feeling throughout the day that Michael’s incredible ability to smell nuances and notes in fragrance got us so much extra lovely treatment. Jean Kerleo and Michael were really having a great old chat and I was a bit of flotsam eddying in their fragrant streams of consciousness. It was like watching two science geeks talking shop and I think I learned more in that afternoon about smells, scents, perfume and fragrance than in my whole life leading up to it. A lot of it pops back into my head if I am reading something on a blog that has something to do with their conversation. Finally a piece of puzzle will fit or a concept will become clear.

We got a touche wit every fragrance named and individually wrapped in a plastic paper bag. Also we bought an Osmotheque book each which is FULL of interesting and useful history and classification knowledge.

As you can see by the end of the day Michael was completely stuffed. Stuffed, satiated and full of the joys of adventure.

Want to read more about the experience? Bois de Jasmin and Versailles Tourism

The Osmotheque is a must do for any perfume lover. Get in touch with Florence Crenn info@osmotheque.fr

Portia xx

Live Your Dream by Anna Sui 2009

April 19, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Hello Lovely APJ Family,

Today’s fragrance is said to be named for Anna Sui’s motto. It’s also the reason I bought it. If I was to really have a “MOTTO” it would probably be something as banal and obvious as this. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that what’s important is quality of life, and quality of life for me is remembering to make sure the life I live is as much MY dream as I can make it. Sure, there will always be some mean, ungrateful, torturous or awful people who like to come and besmirch your buzz, trample your dreams and grind your good deeds into dust. Those people are sent to try us. Without them we would not need to look for the good, it would be everywhere. So with all that rubbishy blather behind us it’s time to….

Live Your Dream by Anna Sui 2009

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Floral notes, white pepper, lily-of-the-valley, water lily
Heart: Jasmine, Bulgarian rose
Base: Sandalwood, tonka beans, musk, cedar, teak wood

Right. I bought this bottle back in 2009 or 2010 and it gets used only rarely but when I crave it I wear it for 3 or 4 days and then it goes away for 3 months or more till my next Live Your Dream inkling. My bottle is 30ml and I’ve not even used a quarter yet. Speaking of the bottle it is the campest, kitchiest thing with vintage roses/retro-molding, little girl cum Barbie doll stylings that has always struck me as a little Lolita-esque. This is a girl/woman bottle and I could imagine it being in the purse of Anna Nicole Smith types.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

So, what does Live Your Dream smell like? Lily, water, vases of lilies, greenery, fresh fruit (maybe pear or cantaloupe), rain, cold metal, cutting a bell pepper, plastic, lily of the valley (leaves and flowers), wet grass, air conditioned rooms are the impression the first few minutes give me. An unnatural, aromachemical melange that is sheer but weighty, very good sillage and projection for the first 2 hours until it calms to a dull roar. I love the way the industrial wet flowers give way to something only a little warmer that feels like it might be some resinous vanilla reinvention. This does not smell very real at any time, nor does Live Your Dream smell like there is very much money in the juice, it skirts the cleaning product aisle but never really goes there, it feels like it might though at any minute. It’s weird wearing a fragrance that you’ve had in your collection for a long while and for the first time trying to dissect it, instead of floating along and enjoying the ride.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Through the heart I get much more of a peony smell than rose or jasmine, it’s that lovely sweet and watery vegetal feel that fresh bunch of peonies from the florist have. Powder is here too, but more like the smell of some powders that the powder or texture of powder, still it makes me think powder. Then at around the 4 hour mark Live Your dreams stops smelling of anything in particular and becomes an incredibly soft murmur of wet, green, resinous wood that has no real distinctive notes but is more a close to the skin wash.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Reading this post you would think I don’t like Live Your Dream, but I REALLY like it, I love it. Live Your Dream fills a space that I crave.

FragranceNet has $26/30ml before coupon
My Perfume Samples have $1/ml

Are there some cheapies that you adore in your cupboard? How much wear do they get?

Resina by Oliver Valverde for Oliver + Co. 2012

April 18, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 46 Comments

Hey Hey Crew,

Before I went overseas this year I received a lovely pack, with excellent presentation, from Oliver & Co. and it is a four pack of their 10ml samples in what was called a Discovery Set. I bought them for €25 but can now find no samples on the site anywhere. Grrrrrr. Some things I love about the Oliver & Co. brand are their very clever FREE SHIPPING TO THE WORLD and their reasonable prices, €95 the highest for the Illustrated Series. That’s less than buying 100ml of Shalimar EdP by Guerlain in a Department Store.

Resina by Oliver Valverde for Oliver + Co. 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Sweet, spicy and furry warmth is what jumps off my skin immediately with a herbal tea, accompaniment but more than anything I get lovely and interesting mixtures of resins, a full on version of the ones you stand in before and during ballet classes to give you traction. This is how Penhaligon’s Iris Prima should have opened and ended. It’s not often I feel I can smell the leaves and bark of the trees that the resins are procured from but here in Resina there is a definite waft of green that cuts through the sweetness, though sweetness is not meant in a cake or biscuit way but in a sweet wax way.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Then the chocolate, very realistic chocolate, adds its song. The chocolate is a fun twist that never takes over and is only noticeable after the first while if you look for it. It’s not one of the notes though so I could be dreaming. My skin also throws a very slightly breathy jasmine and a little bit of curried star anise, but maybe it’s my using star anise in curies that provides the link. The copy says hypnotic, dense and carnal: I can see and smell all those images. It is densely packed with pieces that play togetrher in beautiful harmony, there is a certain fleshiness or humanity and a furry feel and i think it could become extremely hypnotic if someone you were already falling in love with wore Resina. It would imprint on your memory and is enough unlike any other scents in its style that you would be a stand alone scent memory.

Fragrant? Yes but not a seriously heavy scent for all its density. Wearable, sexy and interesting. I get good longevity too at around 5-6 hours before I’m left with a soft amorphous wash of nearly nothing.

LuckyScent has $145/50ml

Portia xx

Photo Stolen Kesha&Co

Resina GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 2ml decant of Resina by Oliver + Co.
1 x 2ml decant of Mousse II by Oliver + Co.
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me a memory that involves resins, incense or a fragrance that includes either that you happen to love.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie ~~Resina~~ by Oliver & CO. GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Ex #Perfume #Giveaway ~~#Oliver&Co~~

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 20th April 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 24th April 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Desert Blush by Harry Fremont for Nomad Two Worlds 2014

April 17, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by TinaG

Hi APJ,

Australia is an amazing country, and no part I find more fascinating than the Australian outback. The landscape is incredibly awe-inspiring. I have fallen in love over and over again, with the stretches of ancient dry desert plains, the rocky crags, the unusual endemic plants and animals that call this country home, and the privilege of sharing some of the dreamings of the first people of this land.

Photo Stolen from WikiMedia

I was very interested to hear about a fragrance line, Raw Spirit, from Nomad Two Worlds which includes some classic Australian flora notes such as boronia and Australian sandalwood in their scents.

Desert Blush by Harry Fremont for Nomad Two Worlds 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Australian Boronia, ylang-ylang, osmanthus, jasmine petals, violet, Australian sandalwood, musk and cedar wood

A creamy-peach blush of osmanthus strikes the first chord on opening, supported by an ultra-dry cedar and sandalwood that feels like the wood has been has been placed in the searing heat of the day, along with something astringent and banana-like which I can’t readily place. During the next half hour boronia comes through, followed by delicate hints of a sweet violet and jasmine. Boronia is an Australian native plant, typically with small flowers around 1cm in diameter. The image that this scent provides me with is of the brown-yellow flowers, a classic native variety. The scent of boronia is lemony/woody –small waxy flowers on tough wood stems. Boronia as a scent has waned in popularity from a peak the mid-80’s where it was found in fragrant household products like guest bathroom soaps – you rarely see it around these days which is why I was excited to see it listed as a note.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Desert Blush is described as being inspired by the Western Australian Desert at sunset. The image that Desert Blush brings to me is one of the mulga woodlands, dry red earth with tough scrubby plants and grasses, but plenty of them. The way the scent dries down really does remind me of being outside in the outback as evening falls – the woody notes take a step back, the softer floral scents which had been baked away in the sun’s heat are allowed to breath in the slowly cooling air. Longevity in this fragrance and the Raw Spirit range is excellent – after settling, it stays on my skin for at least 8 hours and I still get hints on my skin if I’ve left it on overnight.

Photo Stolen MichaelSeebeck

The approach which Russell James, the founder of Nomad Two Worlds, has taken with the project’s art, photography, and products is one of cultural respect and authenticity, ensuring that Indigenous artists receive royalties for their work, and donating 10% of profits to the Nomad Two Worlds Foundation for support of artists from Indigenous and marginalised communities around the globe.

Nomad Two worlds has $35/7.5ml EdP

The fragrance line of Raw Spirit stays closely within the framework of supporting communities. Of the four fragrances I sampled all donate part of their proceeds to sustainable agricultural projects – Desert Blush and Wild Fire to Indigenous Australian (Aboriginal) projects, with Bijou Vert and Citadel supporting Haitian projects. Fragrance with a conscience. I like it.

Tina G

Cristalle Eau Verte EDT by Jacques Polge for CHANEL 2009

April 16, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Post by ElizaD

What I will be wearing at the starting line.

In two short weeks, on April 21, and along with 35,999 others, I will be toeing the line for the 118th running of the Boston Marathon. Yes, this floral and musk girl is also a runner. I have given lots of thought to what I will wear, my outfit, my favorite hat, my lucky necklace, and this year, a little spritz of something to carry me through the challenging parts and more importantly, the emotions of the day.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Most of you are probably aware of the events at the finish line of last year’s Boston. I was not there, so I can only imagine what it was like, and my heart broke at the thought of anyone being impacted by the devastation that the bombs caused. I don’t usually wear perfume when I run, unless it’s the last breaths of what I put on earlier in the day, but this year it seems fitting to be wrapped in a little comfort and to make a statement with my whole self as I run, resolved to do my best in this purest expression of human competition.

So, I laid all my samples and bottles out on the top of my vanity and my choice is….

Cristalle Eau Verte EDT by Jacques Polge for CHANEL 2009

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sicilian lemon, bergamot
Heart: Magnolia, neroli
Base: Musk, jasmine, iris

I received a sample from the lovely ladies at the Nordstrom counter and have fallen in love with this easy to wear perfume. It’s citrusy, a bit spicy and very feminine. It’s also light, so it will hopefully not offend those around me, but leave a soft trail as I pass people in the last miles of the course, and will be a fragrant mantra, a reminder of what is beautiful. It’s a little like Bvlgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert, a little like Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, but decidedly more feminine, less unisex. Sillage is moderate.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

The lemon is of course the first to appear, and that’s why I chose this over some of my other more heady favorites. It gives a crispness that will be welcome in the early morning before the race begins. As I log the miles, Cristalle Eau Verte will unfold and by the time I reach the fabled Newton Hills and then the finish, will have dried down to just a whisper of spice and flowers.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Grain de Musc
Galaxy Perfume has $90/50ml
Posh Peasant has samples starting at $4/ml

People have often asked me why I run. I run for the same reasons that I wear perfume: It makes me happy; it allows me to express myself; it helps me give my best self; and most importantly, it reminds me that there is loveliness in this world, I just have to open my heart and welcome it in.

What is your thing that helps you to see the loveliness in the world?

ElizaD

Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

April 14, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Post by Maya

Hey APJ,

Spring seems to have finally arrived and everyone’s dark mood has lifted. Now suddenly, there is growth again and instead of dirty snow we see green. And I got a cold! Or allergies. Unbelievable! I’m not prone to allergies, but you never know. I do know that my sense of smell has weakened. I still get sharp notes and the overall tone of a fragrance but not enough to review it.

So my thoughts went from smell or the lack thereof to perfume and magic and the wonderful memory of how my perfume love came to be…… When I was in my early teens, we had a very beautiful neighbor, Rehle, whose children I would baby sit. Despite our age difference, she and I became good friends. It was a friendship that would last for many years, even when she moved out of state. One day she called me over. She said she had something to show me. Her boyfriend had come back from a trip to France and had brought her a gift. She held the gift gently in long, lovely fingers. It was her treasure.

Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

Perfume Magic

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tuberose, rose, ylang-ylang, aldehydes, pear, green notes
Heart: Jasmine, iris root, Bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, orchid
Base: Musk, sandalwood, civet

She told me it was the most expensive perfume in the world and she wanted to share it with me. Jean Patou Joy, pure perfum in the classic bottle. I had never heard of it.

She gently pulled the dauber out. I remember the perfume on the dauber was almost molten, golden. Then the most beautiful smell I have ever experienced wafted up at me. It seemed to shimmer like thousands of tiny lights. She dabbed some of this magic on me and on herself.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Joy is my perfume magic. Did it really shimmer? It did for me. The top notes were almost alive. It was and still is beautiful on my skin. Have I ever dabbed or spritzed Joy and followed its development or looked for notes? Never. I know all I need to know.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and The Non Blonde
Surrender to Chance has Joy Parfum samples starting at $7/.25ml
(You must try your Joy in store because only recently P&G sold Patou Perfumes to a crew that is revitalising the brand)

Rehle is gone now, but every time I wear or smell Joy I think of her. I see her forever young and beautiful and vibrant and I start to smile. I feel happy. Jean Patou named his perfume well – Joy.

Do you have any perfume magic?

Maya
xx

Australian Perfume Junkies

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4. Isabey Gardenia by Panouage 2006

5. Le Parfum de Therese by Edmond Roudnitska for Frederic Malle 2000

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HOW DID YOU WIN?

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Azar, Christine W

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Resina by Oliver Valverde for Oliver + Co. 2012

Resina by Oliver Valverde for Oliver + Co. 2012

Resina GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

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Desert Blush by Harry Fremont for Nomad Two Worlds 2014

Cristalle Eau Verte EDT by Jacques Polge for CHANEL 2009

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Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

Perfume Magic