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Portia
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Hey APJ,
This is news for all the Sydney perfume peeps. You have no idea how amazing the Libertine Sale is till you’ve been to one.
Libertine Parfumerie is hosting their SYDNEY Warehouse Pop-Up SALE
🌟For 3 days only, save up to 75% on selected fragrances, testers, candles & body products 🌟
Thursday 1st of June 4 – 7pm
Friday 2nd of June 8:30am – 5pm
Saturday 3rd of June 9am – 1pm
Address: 1-3 Taylor St, Darlinghurst, NSW, 2010
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Portia
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Hey there crew,
Thanks to LuckyScent for supplying the prize.
Let’s see who won.
Portia xx
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Rose absolute, White blossoms, Gardenia
This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 0.7ml Kai Rose Oil LuckyScent Sample (1/2 full from testing)
P&H Anywhere in the world
Entries Closed Wednesday 31st May 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Wednesday 7th June 2017 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
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Portia
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Heya Fumies.
You may notice I talk about Neela Vermeire quite a bit, and her perfumes Neela Vermeire Creations. There are two reasons for that. First and foremost I think the fragrances themselves are exquisite. There is something next level about them. I know how much love, drama and time goes into every drop that gets spritzed by perfumistas the world over. Not merely perfumes but labours of love. Bertrand Duchaufour has repeatedly said that Neela is his most exacting client. She has an idea in her head of what perfection is and follows that dream.
The second reason is because she has become, over the years APJ has been going, a friend. The reason I know how much time and heartache go into the perfumes is because we chat regularly and I hear some of the drama that you all never see. Perfectionism is a cross, striving to create reality from dreams is bloody hard work.
The problem though with blogs is there is so much stuff that’s new/wants to be shared/needs to be chatted about that the things that have really given us enormous pleasure get brushed aside in search of the immediate workload. So today I wanted to remind you all of a fragrance that can take me on journeys in my mind while lying on the couch, working, cleaning, walking through the sunlit streets, shopping, dining or anything else we manage to do in the day.
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Ambrette seed, Elemi resin, Cardamom, Carrot seed, Coriander seed, Black pepper
Heart: Hawthorn, Iris, Jasmine, Leather, Almond milk, Moroccan rose, Turkish rose, Violet
Base: Amber, Benzoin, Blond woods, Oud, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Tonka bean, Vanilla
The scent? Roses with spices and resins to jazz the jazziest to the top of the tree. Sweet, jammy roses that also wend through dry tea, sharp pepper, slightly boozy and creamy rich overblown cabbage roses. There is the snap of green twigs, a little grassy and the cool aloofness of carroty iris, leather, woods and smooth as glass resins. Add drops of bakery vanilla and barnyard oud, sweet sandalwood melds with milky almonds.
The day you wear it decides what will be the major backing players and every wear is its own special ride. The only think that’s guaranteed is roses, roses and more luscious roses. How they come is everytime different. The enormous amount of expensive roses in this bottle make it fir for this queen.
I can’t think of a better way to smell all day. Whether you are lazing in the sun or doing the chores, isn’t it nice to smell like you own the known world.
LuckyScent has $235/60ml
Neela Vermeire Creations has €125/2 x 15ml with European Shipping Included
Surrender To Chance has samples from $7/0.5ml
What do you wear to feel majestic?
Portia xx
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AF Beauty
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Perfume’s toughest critic – Sniffs with Lola
Hello there perfume-ees.
As I’ve alluded to before, I am in no way as sophisticated with my perfume choices as you all are – I am not adventurous or brave and tend to wear the same perfumes or variations thereof. However, I share a house with a real-life being who, given half a chance, I think could get VERY into the perfume scene, and what’s more, she is not limited to just sniffing the stuff. Let me introduce, Lola!
Lola is a 4 year old Abyssinian who loves food and naps – in that order, and is also partial to perfume, especially licking people wearing perfume. Her absolute favourite is Coco by Chanel – she will lick my arm like I might lick Ben and Jerry’s.
Her she is with some of my other favourites:
First, So Nude by Costume National. I really like this, it’s a strong scent and probably not daytime suitable, but I find it quite sexy and alluring. Lola likes it also.
This is one of my all time favourites, Elle by Armani, something I can wear daily without getting bored of it. Lola on the other hand couldn’t be less interested. I think the bottle (not being glass) didn’t interest her. Tough crowd.
This is a relatively new addition to my collection, Miu Miu’s debut perfume, light and floral which is definitely a journey away from my usual perfumes which are more oriental and musk. But it’s a lovely daily perfume, Lola had a sniff too, she quite liked it.
Ah, an oldie but a goodie, Tendre Poison by Dior. This is a perfume from my youth, I used to wear this daily from about age 18-25. Of course I had no idea Dior would end production – talk about devastation. I’ve been ridiculously lucky to be gifted two bottles of this last year and it’s as good as I remember. Lola is cautious and I understand, we don’t want to get too attached to a discontinued perfume.
And last but not least, a new iteration of the ever popular CK One, Gold. To be honest the bottle caught my eye more than the fragrance – but I like the fragrance too – a little alcohol-ly but it settles into a citrussy warmth on my skin – and Lola LOVES it, she gave the bottle a complete lick (yuck) – so I’ll know what to expect when I wear it. ☺
I hope you’ve enjoyed sniffs with Lola, until next time – what do your pets love you wearing?
AF Beauty
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Portia
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Hey APJ,
A few weeks ago I bought a couple of bottles from LuckyScent and asked them to send me their newest stuff as samples. I figured they are far better arbiters of the best of new fragrance than I am. It turned out to be a really good idea. I have dabbed them already and come up with a couple I’d like to wear fully and review. YAY! Don’t you love getting the low down on the newest?
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Rose absolute, White blossoms, Gardenia
Original 1999 Kai? Remember it? The glorious white floral that reminded a new generation of the BWFs existence? Gaye Straza created original Kai to remember the scent of her childhood holidays in Hawaii. At the time she had a boutique in Malibu, California. When she sold the store she kept the fragrance line and expended the original Kai scent product range. This is the first new Scent release from the brand since then.
ROSES! How I love roses. There’s currently one on my window sill that I was given 10 days ago and it’s still blooming happily. Well, maybe heading towards the end now but each morning it supplies glorious scent, soft but sweet and jammy rose scent.
Kai rose is a little bit similar. A clean, sweet, jammy rose, smells lilac or deep pink. You can even smell the soft velvet touch of rose petals as you bury your face in the blooms. A dry rose, not dewy at all, even a bit overblown and ready to drop all its petals.
Slowly the white flowers emerge and I’m reminded of original Kai but tempered all the way through with rose. Lovely.
Sillage is low and projection moderate. Can’t wait for the EdP which will be much more diffuse.
LuckyScent has $48/4ml rollerball & Samples
This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 0.7ml Kai Rose Oil LuckyScent Sample (1/2 full from testing)
P&H Anywhere in the world
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 us did you wear Kai? Do you still? OR What happy Kai memories do you have?
Entries Close Wednesday 31st May 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 7th June 2017 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
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Portia
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Hello Fellow Fumies,
I have had an idea. Well, actually I’m copying an idea from Olfactoria’s Travels. Once a week there used to be a Question. Everyone would chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it would be a generally fun events each week. Taking sides never meant taking offence and everyone kept it respectful and light.
I’d like to carry on that tradition, maybe you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.
OK, so you’re all sending me broke. Let’s UP THE ANTE! If we get over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card. Every comment will get a place in the draw, so if you comment purposefully on your own or another comment you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw the winner on Friday and the winner will be announced in next Saturdays question.
Send me an eMail to portia _ turbo at yahoo dawt com dawt au
I’ve been thinking about Full Bottles. A couple of weeks ago Rosarita313 brought up her love of buying smaller bottles of fragrance and it got me to thinking. My collection contains almost every size of bottle but do I have a preference? Then that led to the obvious next step, do you all have a preference? So let’s see who thinks what about Full Bottles.
Also, we are asking the question for today. Right now. this is not an enduring answer that we will hold you to in future. Don’t think too heavily about it but do please have some reasons why.
My answer:
I think I go three ways.
OK, these are delight and bane of my existence. When I’m in the rush of love and think this fragrance will suddenly supersede all others as my one & only favourite then I’ll often buy the 100ml full bottle or more. It’s also good if I want to Split the bottle or if a friend has already said that they’d buy some ml off me. Also when something is D/Cd then I’ll buy the biggest bottle available.
I bloody LOVE 30ml full bottles. It’s the perfect size for me in most of my fragrances. There’s enough that when you want to spritz you can do it lavishly. They don’t take up ridiculously large areas in my cupboard and there’s enough to make a couple of 2ml decants for my mates.
If ALL full bottles came in a 10 or 15ml Travel Bottle then my whole collection would be made up of them. They are by far the easiest. I love spending a few minutes before leaving on holiday picking a suitable selection. They fit beautifully in my carry on luggage and are also good in my pocket if I’m out for the day and into the evening. A sneaky spritz before my next adventure and I’m good to go.
So my question to you is
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Kate Apted
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Hello APJ
Autism is a funny disorder in that it affects each individual with it differently. A common theme is that of sensory processing; in that some senses are heightened in some folk and lessened in others. You will meet autistics who abhor strong smells, including perfumes, and are literally ill around them. Others have a heightened sense of smell and seek olfactory stimulation at any opportunity. I am the latter. I smell , and touch, everything.
I have another aspect of my autism that causes me a bit of social confusion. I have hardly any awareness of my emotional state at any given time. Through constant self vigilance, I have learned there are a few general states of being I can recognise; namely, anger, sadness, happiness and illness. I am getting better at recognising signs of slightly more nuanced emotions, like melancholia, grief and contentedness.
The interesting part of my love of perfumes is that I can readily attribute emotions to scents. It is one way I can more easily identify what state I am in. For instance, if I choose to wear Paloma Picasso, I know that I am feeling assertive, or if I am wearing Safari, I am feeling like a teen. I can get emotionally close to perfumes and colours and music, in ways I cannot with people, or the basic, human part of myself. Whereas I have trouble relating to people, I readily relate to scents.
I can even go so far as stating that I create relationships with my scents. I get to know them and their personalities. I have a mother scent (Selperniku by January Scent Project), a best friend scent (Queen of Hearts by Queen Latifah), a confidante scent (Apres l’Ondee by Guerlain) and a daughter scent (Chloe Signature by Chloe). I do not talk to my scents as such, but if I am craving the need for a hug, I’ll wear Selperniku. I cannot stand physical touch, so it acts as a virtual, olfactive hug. I get the same sense of comfort others describe hugs as giving.
Face blindness is another of my quirks. About half the people I meet, or know, I can readily recognise using an aspect of their physicality, such as the sound of their voice, the gap in their teeth, a gangly walk, or a particular cap s/he may wear often. For others, I have to learn their patterns. But one way I can get to know and recognise people is via their scent. Some people have very distinctive smells that I find comforting and reassuring. I can also get to know that person on a more intimate level by judging their health based on how they smell. I know my children are ill long before symptoms become present. They emit an odour particular to certain illnesses. My eldest has a head cold odour and my youngest has a haemophilia odour. It is invaluable to me for I often miss the symptoms for days before I understand my boys are ill. As they have autism as well, communication is not their biggest strength!
In the way that I use glasses to see long distance and my son occasionally uses crutches to walk, my sense of smell is necessary for my functioning in the world. It helps me make sense of the world and find my place in it. I often say I’d rather lose any sense before my ability to smell. I’d be absolutely bereft without being able to understand and interpret the world through olfactory sensory input.
I think every perfume is more than just a nice smell or a way to promote one’s identity; looking at you Beast Mode alpha males! There is a story behind every scent created and a tale the perfumer wants to tell. Perfume is an art form, as so many of you know. Scents are given as gifts for many reasons, and scent memories are created that transcend wealth, culture and even time! For me, scent goes beyond even that. It is my most fluid form of communication and a tool for me feel grounded in reality. It speaks for me in the way verbal, and often written communication, does not. I wish perfumes would become the Lingua Franca of the world.
Kate X
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Portia
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Hey there Niche Nerds,
A while back my mate Sonya was having a clear out. One of the fragrances that I loved when I first smelled it but never came back to again is today’s scent. You know how that happens yeah? You’re MADLY in love with it when you spritz it in store, you buy a 2ml decant and use it up but before you pull the trigger on your credit card something else gets you excited and you move on. TBH I wish that would play out a bit more often for me, HA! I’d have 1/3 the collection currently in this house.
Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin, Plum, Cinnamon
Heart: Absinth, Damascus rose
Base: Iris, Patchouli, Musk, Fur
Plum and cardboardy iris are my first whiff, it’s VERY stage make up smelling. We used to use pots of carmine lipstick and they smelled remarkably like this. The rose waltzes in underneath the radar and gradually makes itself known. Personally I think of absinth as far more herbal and astringent than the soft focus booziness in Moulin Rouge, it feels more creamy cocktail-ish or even that drink that you have at Harry’s bar in Venice; the Bellini. Sweet and lightly sparkling.
Iris though is king in Moulin Rouge, from top to bottom it dominates, quietly but insistent. One of the things I really love about Moulin Rouge is its understated smellability. Though you are fragrant and people can smell you it does not feel intrusive or overpowering, somehow it manages that fine line of smelling fabulous but not intrusive.
Skewed towards what we think of as a feminine fragrance I think it an excellent choice for the guys as well. I can easily imagine it being a signature scented point of difference for a man in an office.
Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Non Blonde
ParfuMaria has €95/60ml
What is your favourite olde world makeup scent?
Portia xx
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Portia
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Thanks for getting involved APJ.
It was nice to run this giveaway. Old from Oliver & Co wrote to say thank you. Isn’t that thoughtful? He’s a honey.
Good luck everyone,
Portia xxx
This week there will be 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 0.7ml Oliver & Co Dunard LuckyScent Sample
1 x 0.7ml Oliver & Co Gincense LuckyScent Sample
1 x 0.7ml Oliver & Co La Colonia LuckyScent Sample
1 x 0.7ml Oliver & Co M.O.U.S.S.E. LuckyScent Sample
P&H Anywhere in the world
Entries Closed Wednesday 24th May 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 31st May 2017 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
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Blondeswunder
Val the Cookie queen
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Hey APJ Family, Happy Tuesday!
As soon as Mummy and I landed in Brexit we met up with the lovely and good friend Tara. She whisked us straight to Brick Lane
for some Indian food. I had aubergine drenched in some kind of spices sauce. It was sooooo good that I asked how they prepared
the aubergine. Turns out they freaking deep fried it twice. THAT´S WHY! Hahahaha.
Of course we were sniffing and sharing our thoughts over dinner because Indian cuisine isn´t fragrant enough alone. 🙂
The next day, after two cups of English tea and countless visits to various loos along the way, we finally made it to the Frederic Malle store. I was very pleased to see a handsome, well put together young male SA, Pawel. Sadly for me he has an Italian boyfriend. Should have known! We got to smell and spritz perfume all over our bodies. I couldn´t chose so just went with Carnal Flower, Dries Van Noten, Eau de Magnolia, and Malle`s newest, Superstitious.
Of course when I had no more skin space I discovered Lipstick Rose. OH MY GOOOSH. So good. So soft. So me. Pawel was nice enough to give me a 3.5ml sample bottle to try it properly. Tara, Mummy and I were ready to kill with our sillage as we left for our pre-booked tour of Highgate Cemetery. We ended the day in Camden Market eating street food and chips.
The Thursday saw us meeting a close family friend of ours, Kirk, The Softboy Scentmaster. (My mum pulled him down the rabbit hole a couple of years ago.) Somehow our plans got changed and Mother dragged us back into the Malle store. I grabbed four spritzes of Dries Van Noten and covered my hair in the Carnal Flower hair mist. (Which I need in my life!) We then proceeded to the Gielgud Theatre just off Piccadilly, to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime. It was absolutely brilliant. (We kept smelling each others necks and arms, and getting looks from the people around us. I mean, haven´t they ever seen people smelling each other every two seconds in public?)
Early evening we got to meet up with The Candy Perfume Boy and his lovely husband, on the bank of the Thames outside the Tate Modern.
Even though I am 22 and my Mother occasionally drives me nuts (mostly because I seem to be turning into her) we had the best time in London. And I was so happy to see Tara again, she is one of the strongest women I know, and I so look up to her and what she has achieved. How great it is to find such friends and peace and joy in perfume.
What are your FM favourites? DO you like perfume to be private or do you like letting people know?
Hugs
Blondeswunder
PS. Mother here – What can I add? I bought 10mls each of Dries Van Noten and Une Rose. I came home with big decants
of La Pausa 28, OJ Champaca, and Goutal´s Songes EdT and a Papillon´s Dryad sample. A non-perfumista friend went crazy for Outrageous! I missed Vanessa from Bonkers being able to join us, but shit happens. I feel blessed to have a daughter that actually wants to go away with me for a few days, she lights up my life with her humour and sunny character. CQ xxx
(Ed: Thanks for the photos Val and Hannah. Love them all)
Australian Perfume Junkies 