Perfume

Shopping in Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary

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Hey from HOLIDAYS!
We are making our crazy way across the continent of Europe. It’s two glorious weeks in and we’ve seen five countries so far!! WOW!

VIENNA

Early last week Jin and I were lucky enough to be invited on a breakfast and perfume shopping spree with the gorgeous Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels and her friend and fellow perfumista Sandra who has traveled the world and landed in Vienna. The girls are both gorgeous, friendly, fun and totally up to date in perfume. It was like hanging out with a couple of encyclopedias, and they have sniffed EVERYTHING!! Seriously.

We started at the Central Cafe in Vienna which is as beautiful as a cathedral and the food was SCRUMMY, that means good. The girls has tea, we had bacon and eggs. Yummy.

Then to Le Dix-Neuf, Vienna’s newest niche store, where I tried quite a few new frags from a host of lines currently near impossible to get in Sydney. It was bliss, the SA was really knowledgeable and helpful but it was Birgit who led my nose to NUDA, the recently discontinued jasmine bomb from Nosamatto and VolkaMaria by WeinerBlut (Blood of Vienna) that I can’t wait to wear at home, just to tell people the name.

We went to loads of other places, Le Parfum, Pure Day Spa where I bought the Frederic Malle mini trio of Carnal Flower, En Passant and Lys Mediterranee.
We were absolutely captivated by Duft & Kultur where they had an enormous Niche selection including A Quiet Morning by Miller & Bartaux, Jin adored it and I can see him getting a bottle soon.

There was more, including Hermes, Robert Horn’s Ledermanufaktur and others but no buys just looking. Birgit and Sandra had busy days ahead so the peeled off and we went home EXHAUSTED, even though it was barely lunchtime. Thank you Vienna, thank you ladies.

BUDAPEST

Only a three hour train trip and we are in the heart of Budapest!
There are two famous niche perfumeries here.

The first, Neroli, is next street along from the Mecure Hotel and the lovely Ursula is helpful and fabulously knowledgable. I was lucky enought to bump into the owner, Aron, while there too and have a quick chat. He is sexy and cool, left a life of journalism to run a niche perfume shop seven years ago and has a fabulous selection including the Naomi Goodsirs. Ursula gave me some wonderful Montale samples and they ship to the world for only 10 euro!!

Croisette is the second, owned by Zsolt like the G in George-olt. Zsolt is a perfumer and was so bright and bubbly Jin and I both fell in love. He is all about creating gorgeous and interesting scents but bespoke. They also have a wonderfully curated range.

I haven’t made my niche purchases with them yet but there is an incredible sell out store just opened in the Shopping Passage and we scored some INCREDIBLE bargains including L’Instant, Samsara and Homme body washes by Guerlain, a Lolita Lempicke Au Masculine after shave balm and am Aromatics Elixer for about 5 Australian Dollars each! Quite a fabulous score and I do love a posh body wash.

We are doing the laundry today and finalizing Niche Purchases so there will be more to photograph next Saturday. We are loving Budapest, it is an architecture lovers dream, the people are friendly, it is inexpensive to eat even in the best restaurants two courses and drinks is coming to less than 100 Aussie dollars. We are doing loads of sightseeing and walking.

This post was much better in the first two drafts that the iPad deleted because I forgot to save after every paragraph. Thanks for putting up with my long post if you’ve made it thus far.

Loads of love Portia xxx

Encre Noire Pour Elle by Christine Nagel for Lalique 2009

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Hello Happy Huffers,

When I saw this bottle and the ad I just hoped I was going to love the frag enough to purchase the lot. The bottle is so simple and the writing exquisite. I was pre disposed to at least like …

Encre Noire Pour Elle by Lalique 2009

EncreNoirePElle FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sicilian bergamot, Indonesian ambrette, freesia
Heart: Turkish rose, Chinese osmanthus, honey, fruity aromas, Kephalis molecule (amber and tobacco-like aromas)
Base: Haitian vetiver, Texas cedar, musk

The opening is quite a startling ZING of citrus and then everything joins in for a moment before settling. Encre Noire Pour Elle then makes the bergamot sing above the ambrette (musk mallow) and I can’t detect any freesia because the rose comes storming in, a vanillic, boozy, spicy and sweet rose that is soft enough to be prim yet powerful enough to be noticed. No wall flower but a controlled, well bred, dark horse of a fragrance that will surprise you throughout its wear with new and interesting nuances but never being outrageous or intrusive.

There is a fair nod to cleanliness, once the opening decides to sit back and the rose while continuing to scintillate becomes fresh and dark, hinting at deep cool recesses and verandahs in palaces and cloisters while outside all is warm and sunny. As the heart progresses it warms and sweetens more but is never remotely noire. Even as we turn to dry down it’s all sweetness and light woods, not scary, exhilarating or naughty like I would hope a noire could be, not a new argument. The musks really shine as clean white now and it all starts to genteely fade. Pretty soon I am alone with my skin and searching for a new frag to spritz.

Maybe 3 hours on a good day, my skin eats Encre Noire Pour Elle. The sillage is there but soft, the scent bubble after the first hour is small, you have to be close to notice how good Encre Noire Pour Elle smells. This is a seductresses fragrance in my mind because you need to be so close to enjoy it at all. You could wear Encre Noire Pour Elle even in a fragrance phobic workplace and tell them it’s your moisturiser. It’s so reasonably priced though at the discounters you can respritz like crazy.

EncreNoire our lle ImperialParfumPhoto Stolen ImperialParfum

Further reading GrainDeMusc and 1000Fragrances
FragranceNet has 100ml/$36
MyPerfumeSamples starts at $2/ml but I bought $7/5ml great deal!!

Do you ever fall in love with the ad and want the fragrance merely for its magical imagery?

I think we are in Venice today, it is my first time there and I’m writing to you from early January, Australian summer. You are reading this and we are in the middle of European winter. That is an exciting thought,

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

BLV Pour Homme by Alberto Morillas for BVLGARI 2001

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Hi Flitter Sniffers,

How lucky am I? One of my buddies Scott and I talk fragrance all the time. Recently he asked if I’d tried BVLGARI BLV Pour Homme ansd I had to admit that I hadn’t because while I love the BVLGARI aesthetic and loads of their jewellery, am thrilled that they basically invented tea fragrances and think their bottles are gorgeous I have suffered from too available snobbishness and not really sniffed the line at all. What did he do to rectify the problem? Gave me his own bottle which has clearly been loved to 20% left. Honoured? Yes I am…

BLV Pour Homme by BVLGARI 2001

 BLV FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Ginger, cardamom
Heart: Tobacco blossom, tobacco,, juniper, gingko
Base: Grey teak, sandalwood, cedarwood, musk

Many, no to be honest a couple, of the reviews I read about BLV Pour Homme were dismissive of it saying it is predictable, boring and unimaginative. Compared to WHAT?? Opens warm and ripe, a sexy and spicy welcome that gets its sparkle on quickly and you can smell the cardamom clear as day. When the initial rush calms down you are left with a green, wet, slightly boozy and powdery fresh scent that stays that way for a while before the woods demand your attention, they’ve been there all along but the other accords were too big to let them shine. It’s a warm and dry finale that will linger till tomorrow morning, I never seem to get to the end. There is always a small whiff of fresh woodiness left that is way more lovely than my skin.

Too hefty for a fragrance phobic work but anywhere else BLV Pour Homme by BVLGARI is a winner. Not nearly as ubiquitous as it was in the early 21st century, and it’s a deeper and more expressive fragrance than most of what is offered now. BLV is a lady killer, caveat emptor! I love to wear BLV and snuggle on the couch too, it’s that6 kind of fragrance, loving myself sick.

BLVpourHomme perfumeblvdPhoto Stolen perfumeblvd

Further reading NowSmellThis compares BLV with  Lutens: 5 o’clock Gingembre
FragranceNet has 50ml $32 before discount
SurrenderToChance starts at $3/ml

Have you tried BLV Pour Homme? Do you know someone who wears it? Does the BVLGARI line entice or repel you?

Here is proof not to judge until you have spritzed.
Till tomorrow, take care of yourself and those around you.
Portia xx

Sandflowers by Montale

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Hey APJ Peeps,

This is a much awaited sample. I thought I had ordered it in the SurrenderToChance Montale carded samples sale but I must have forgotten to put it on the list and the only place I could find a sample was Posh Peasant. Thank goodness I did..

Sandflowers by Montale

Sandflowers FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Sea water, juniper, sandalwood, oakmoss

From ThePoshPeasant: Sandflowers is an unusual and stunning combination of sea notes from the ocean combined with the coolness of juniper berries on a base of sandalwood and oakmoss for a fragrance reminiscent of sunshine, sand, salt water and peace.

The juniper and salty sea shore, clean swept after a storm and early morning before the seaweed starts to fume ferociously. Sandflowers also gives me a sweetness, reminiscent of green cordial, and something a little sugary in contrast to its basic savoury nature. A bit like sweet Vietnamese rolls with salt crystals in the butter you’ve slathered on, causing your arteries to slam shut with a clang but your tastebuds to jump for joy. Not a BIG Montale extravaganza but a quiet, interesting verging on weird, fragrance that doesn’t necessarily evoke each note at any given time but a variety of combinations that work so harmoniously that individual notes are lost, except the salt which cuts across everything.

Sandflowers is such a departure from what I expect a Montale to smell like and I’m wondering if that is what makes it seem so special to me. I was predisposed to liking it from a couple of extremely positive reports I’d read but they didn’t explain the complete lack of any rose or oudh, Sandflowers is a sweet and sour scent. A gourmand in the broadest sense because though it’s not exactly an edible odour, it is definitely a smell that you may know from a morning at yum cha. Yes, I am crazy. No Sandflowers is not bad, it is wonderful. F.B. Wonderful!

I get moderate 4-7 hour wear from Sandflowers by Montale, longer if I wear it as a double coated spritz about an hour apart. Being such an unusual scent, not perfumey at all, I think it would fly under the radar at work, I want to smell this on a really athletic person after they’ve showered at the gym, I wonder if the extra salt and blood pumping would enhance the beachside effect positively. I know this is a totally weird thing to say but I feel like this is the fragrance that I can wear to be myself, there’s no perfume reference for Sandflowers and it’s beautiful on its own merits, no need for comparison or conjecture.

sand+flowersPhoto Stolen myworldthrumycameralen

Further reading ISmellThereforIAm and PerfumeSmellin’Things
ParfumsRaffy has 50ml/$75
ThePoshPeasant starts at $3.50/ml

Sandflowers IS an unusual beauty and one I recommend you try. Are you ever surprised by a fragrance houses releases? Does one from a house stand out to you as completely different? Tell me, I love to read about the unusual stuff, please.

Till tomorrow I wish you something lovely, go find it, smile when you do.

Portia xx

Fig Splash EdT by Yann Vasnier for Marc Jacobs 2008

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Hello Stink Monkeys,

Many of you are stuck in the grip of winter with no end in sight but down here it is 32C swimming, Bar B Q and sunbathing days. Whether you are sweltering or wish to be reminded of the long hot days of summer then I think I’ve found the answer. Currently as ubiquitous as oudh, fig seems to be everywhere in fragrance currently but this one is light and bright and reminiscent of summer, enough to warm your heart.

Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs 2008

FigSplash FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Fig, yuzu (long lasting bitter dry grapefruit), cypress

I enjoy the short story that Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs tells. Ripe fig, not very bitter citrus full of sugar and the crackly green woody backbeat of the Cypress. From the notes you would expect a fresh light, cologne-ish fragrance but just like figs themselves, Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs is a more complex story, there is something deep hidden beneath the fresh burst of fruit that hints at autumn, a warmth, a yeastiness that centres the fragrance and makes it interesting and lovely. Don’t get me wrong, this is a very simple and enjoyable easy wear fragrance that would suit anyone, young or old, man or woman. Modern, translucent and pretty, without being a super sugar sweet girly fruit-choouli nothing.

While it is all this, Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs is ultimately very forgettable on me. I am lightly fragrant with a soft sillage and small scent bubble, I know I smell nice but unlike Mandy Aftel’s Fig or Hermes, Un Jardin en Mediterranee, I don’t feel enfolded or engaged. Even Diptyque, Philosykos which I didn’t particularly like moves me more.

I know, it reads like I hate it, I don’t. I like it. Wear it and it is perfect for summer or as a reminder of those lovely warm, fruit filled, on the terrace eating days. This decant will not last the summer.

If you want something not too sweet, not too fragrant and not too anything else then Fig Splash by Marc Jacobs could be the one for you. A great office-safe, pretty something that is better than a lot of the dross out there. Spritz with abandon too because the bottle is E NOR MOUS and cheap in the discounters.

fig mandmwallacePhoto Stolen mandmwallace

Further reading NowSmellThis does an introduction and that’s all I could find
eGlobalBeauty has 300ml/$57 delivered
SurrenderToChance starts at 2ml/$4

Do you have a favourite fig? What would you wear to remind you of summer, or if in the Southern Hemisphere what are you wearing to beat the heat?

I’m off to the pool, then definitely some more Fig Splash!! Wish you were here.
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Dior Homme Shadow Movie by Willy Vanderperre

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Hiya,
Here’s one for the boys and the ladies, and men, who love them. This was originally one of my favourite masculine fragrances, the 2011 reformulation has changed it and at least DIOR was kind enough to give us a complete heads up about it all. It is different, and that is sad but still a worthy fragrance to hold the masculine mainstream at DIOR.

DIOR Homme by Francois Demarchy 2011

DiorHomme2011 FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lavender, sage, bergamot
Heart: Iris, amber, cacao
Base: Vetiver, patchouli, leather.

I hope you love the movie, like I do,
Portia xx

Dior Homme Shadow Movie by Willy Vanderperre released 13/9/12

Shopping In Prague, Czech Republic

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Hey Ho Gang,
As you can see Jin and I have been doing our bit for the Czech economy. The DUNE Esprit de Parfum and Guerlain Vetiver were our first buys from a wonderful and quite mad perfume lady who reminded us of Sophie from “2 Broke Girls” a total hoot called Evita!!

Next day we went to Yves Rocher because my mate Birgit from Olfactoria’s Travels sent me a Vanilla Noire recently and I am totally loving it. Now it has a sister.

Cartier, another Birgit enable, came as a 4ml sample with some stuff I bought and it’s been rolling around me head awaiting a European tour. Jin is falling in love with VI but no one so far has had a sample for him to live with and I refuse to let him spend that kind of money without a few wears. Even though we are on holiday and he pouted, beautifully, for nearly a whole afternoon. The Cartier crew were fabulous with us coming back 3 days in a row before we bit the bullet.

Jil Sander Sun is a complete impulse buy and I am so happy that I did, it’s full of youthful memories of days spent at the beach with the family.

Lastly, Jin saw Bottega Veneta for 20% off and couldn’t resist. It smells beyond amazing on him and I have loved my 2 large decants to dregs so it will be getting double skin time at Chez Turbo. That was from Sephora at the main Prague Railway Station. The girl there was so friendly that we decided she deserved a sale.

We also spent some sniffing time at a parfumeurie called Madeleine which was awesome fun with Boris but the prices were beyond our ability. it’s a shame.

We are having a great time. Tomorrow we are in Vienna, going to dinner with Birgit and her husband.
I hope you are all really happy and well too.

Portia xx

Rosae Mundi by Profumum Roma 2012

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What’s HAPPENING everyone?

Well, more brand spanking new stuff is happening here today. You may know that lately I’ve been having a bit of a rose explosion in my library. All of a sudden I can’t get enough of them and I’d like to thank Neela Vermeire for reminding me that the rose is Empress with her glorious Mohur.

Rosae Mundi by Profumum Roma 2012

Rosae Mundi FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accord in one line:
Rose, patchouli, vetiver, cedar

LuckyScent describes Rosae Mundi thus: Sometimes a rose fragrance can take a quiet and docile path, blushing and giggling with an innocent and soapy freshness. Classic and traditional – she’s a safe bet and a loyal friend. Rosae Mundi is not that rose fragrance, and prefers not to show up to her boring parties. If she did decide to show, she’d kick down the door in a low cut dress and demand a man and a martini.

PinkRoseWeddingCake showusyourcakesPhoto Stolen ShowUsYourCakes

The first whiff of Rosae Mundi by Profumum Roma is not about the rose at all but cedar, patchouli and vetiver!! Licorice? A sweet and sugared rose emerges through the tangle of herbaceous woodsiness. Like a marzipan rose. I don’t get that the ad copy sells Rosae Mundi as a bad girl fragrance. This is nice, sweet as cherry pie, the innocent and fresh face of rose. A musky rose that hints more at confectionary that sexy siren, it does though have that wonderful perfumey smell that men can identify and compliment and I could imagine it being quite addictive if he was already enamoured. In fact, if this was your signature scent it would be totally transportative when you wear it for those around you. Though it’s not a huge factor during the heart I get something Gothic and haunting that weaves around for a while, it is an interesting by story and it also has a rose water baklava undercurrent at times too. The vetiver gets a little coastal towards the end and the musks are very noticeable, which is unusual for me.

Pretty good scent bubble, when I wear Rosae Mundi Jin can smell it from the moment he walks in the house, and the sillage is excellent leaving a rippling wake, I think a bit too fragrant for office work but great to wear for lunch and by the time you return safe enough to work in. I lose track of Rosae Mundi after about 4 hours but Jin can still smell it on me.

RoseWoman layoutSparksPhoto Stolen layoutSparks

NowSmellThis has to say of the line: Italian niche line established in 1996 by the grandchildren of Celestino and Lucia Durante, who had established a chain of stores featuring hand-made soaps, fragrances and the like. Today the Profumum line produces 15+ fragrances, has several boutiques in Rome and is sold in selected stores across Italy.

LuckyScent has 100ml/$265 or .7ml/$5

Are the roses taking ovewr your life too? Is there something in particular that has caught your attention? Please share, we love golden perfumista nuggets to pan for.

Waft on gentle perfumistas, till tomorrow,

Portia xx

Narciso Rodriguez For Her EdT by Christine Nagel and Francis Kurkdjian 2004

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Hey Happy Huffers,

This is one of my favourite go to scents. It seems to be a good fit for almost anything. Dressy, casual, close or far. It never interferes with what I’m doing or those around me yet it also manages to garner compliments often when it gets some public skin time. And while that happens a bit, with no other fragrance is it so regular. I have also got other people in my orbit hooked on its luscious softness.

Narciso Rodriguez For Her EdT 2004

NarcisoRodriguez FragranticaPhoto stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: African orange flower, osmanthus
Heart: Amber., musk
Base: Vanilla, amber, vetiver

Whenever I get the first waft of Narciso Rodriguez for Her I immediately feel light, lovely, happy and thankful that I am a perfumista and that Narciso Rodriguez for Her came into my life. It’s a little like the feeling as you take off in an airplane to go somewhere lavish and interesting. SWOOSH up my nose flows a translucent shimmer of what I always thought was a sweet rose but it turns out to be African orange flower and osmanthus! Oh well, I’ve been wrong before. The musk is already there, soapy and sugary like musk sticks that we ate as children. I still eat them sometimes! Jin can’t eat them because to him they are exactly like eating cheap Korean soap from his youth.

The amber I get on my skin is sweet and dry, no bitterness just a creamy vanillic amber that presents as smooth and cool as the big fat opaque pale eggs of low grade amber that I find so distinctive and beautiful in jewellery. Together the whole blends during the heart to give the impression of beautiful skin fresh from the pool, just dried so still damp but slightly salty and the blood is pumping so the flesh is warming quickly. I find the heart of Narciso Rodriguez for Her to be nearly narcotic in its peaceful pleasureability. I swoon with a Stendhal syndrome effect because it’s so damn lovely. When I wear Narciso Rodriguez for Her I sometimes wish I could be a one frag person, don’t worry it doesn’t last.

How did they get it so sheer and so hefty? Sillage is fabulous and the scent bubble is too yet it’s never overwhelming and I think it a perfect working scent, as well as the sexy come hither scent, and one you can pick the kids up from school in. It seems there is nowhere that would be inappropriate. No wonder this has been such a popular, game changing scent.

imagesPhoto Stolen sevanya

Further reading PerfumeShrine takes you through all the variations available and BoisDeJasmine contrasts it with sister scent SJP Lovely
FragranceShop has 50ml/$48.50 after discount
MyPerfumeSamples starts at $2.50/ml up to $7.50/5ml

Have you spent some time with Narciso Rodriguez fragrances? Do you have a favourite iteration?

Thanks for wandering through my fragrant musings,
Love to you and yours,
Portia xx

Narciso Rodriguez Spring/Summer 2013

Songes by Annick Goutal + 25:43 by LUSH + Louis Vuitton = FABULOUS!!

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Hey Stink Monkeys,

I’ll tell you a secret. I love Songes by Annick Goutal but I know it won’t last a full work night on me so I under layer on my stomach and backs of knees with LUSH 25:43. The Annick Goutal lasts about 2-3 hours and then 25:43 takes over and they are brilliant together. Every time I wear them as a duo people ask, compliment etc.

Songes by Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2005

Songes FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Frangipani, tiare flowers, jasmine sambac absolute, ylang-ylang, French vanilla

A floaty, dreamy, white night flower and vanilla glamourpuss of a fragrance that is fun, festive and elegant for the flirty seductress that you are inside. Songes will let her out and make the world aware of your intentions.

25:43 by Mark and Simon Constantine for LUSH 2012

25:43 FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tonka bean, lime, lemongrass, ylang-ylang, myrtle, vanilla, litsea, hay

Still dreamy but less float and more heft. Greener and more resinous 25:43 is way more tenacious and really starts its most beautiful section at about the 2 hour point where the vanilla, tonka and ylang shine to a soft vanillic whisper at about 6 hours that lingers and lingers.

This mini movie has nothing to do with today’s topic but it’s too lovely to let slide another moment. Till tomorrow, ENJOY!!
Portia xx
Louis Vuitton Presents 2012 Digital at a Glance