Perfume

Naja by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo 2017

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Salutations APJ

It might be fair to say that Vero Kern considers NAJA to be the jewel in her superb collection of fragrances. A triumph celebrating ten years of the .vero.profumo. perfume house. This is no mean feat in an age of disposable scents and the ‘here today, gone tomorrow, and forgotten’ releases. Behind the facade of promising pictures, engaging copy, and olfactive promises from hell to breakfast, this is one bitch of a business to be involved in.

I have observed the pleasure and the pain in watching Vero bringing NAJA to life. It is the inclusion of a small part of Vero Kern´s soul in each of her perfumes that give them their strength and vitality. How can one create with no heart?

The origin of NAJA is the Sanskrit NĀGA, pronounced with a hard “g”, meaning snake. NAJA is the genus of venomous snakes known as cobras. Vero took the attributes of these serpents as the inspiration for her jubilee creation, with their embodiment of two opposing symbols. Healing and death, order and chaos, life and destruction. Shamanism is a practice that involves the practitioner reaching an altered state of consciousness, a trance, to practice divination and healing. Tobacco is considered to be one of the shamans’ most powerful drugs and is found in many of their rituals.

Naja by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo 2017

Naja: Vero Profumo 10 Year Jubilee Scent: Floral Tobacco

Tobacco absolute. Linden blossom. Osmanthus absolute. Melon. A combination of contradictory elements.

GREEN, FLORAL AND TROPICAL! Let´s think South America, Caribbean, New Orleans. NAJA opens with a remarkable lime green surge, which is made up of Vero´s own citrus accord, including both neroli oil and bergamot. The neroli is sweet, and somewhat metallic with a green and piquant dimension, the bergamot both zesty and floral. Spices in the background, enhancing the lushness. Continuing the idea of contradiction the linden adds a bright floral as well as a honeyed shading, the osmanthus a flowery suede. As a consequence of Vero Kern´s understanding as both an aromatologist and aromatherapist, the tobacco absolute spreads its aromatic, golden and therapeutic warmth, and depth of character throughout NAJA.

“Take me in tender woman
Take me in, for heaven´s sake
Take me in tender woman,” sighed the snake
“I saved you,” cried the woman
“And you´ve bitten me, but why?
You know your bite is poisonous and now I`m going to die”
“Oh shut up, silly woman,” said the reptile with a grin
“You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in …..”
The Snake. Written by Oscar Brown Junior. Sung by Al Wilson.

I am indebted to Vero for having been allowed on the NAJA journey over the last two years, with all of its ups and downs.

Further reading: Bonkers About Perfume and A Bottled Rose
LuckyScent will have Naja when it comes in

have you tried any of the Vero Profumo scents yet? Have a favourite?

Jubilant Bussis
CQ

Methaldone by Rodrigo Flores-Roux for Aether 2017

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Portia

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Heya Fumies,

Life is a roller coaster. Jin and I had the most amazing trip around Europe last month. One of the highlights was catching up with Nicolas and Enno. They are the guys behind Le Galion and Aether Parfums. We took them out to Jin’s favourite Korean restaurant in Paris because we love them. Clever, funny, handsome and really passionate men about their fragrance, lives, love; just about everything. Seeing them is always a joy.

Methaldone by Aether 2017

Methaldone by Rodrigo Flores-Roux

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Metallic notes, incense, amber, woody notes, resins, musk

The Aether perfumes line is dedicated to using only captured molecules and they have done a very interesting job with this one. Methaldone is created to the brief of recreating the scent of hot metal.

My nose smells sparklers and cooking popcorn. So that’s my experience and these two leading images last in  my head for the first hour or so until the fragrance warms through with resins and sweet amber coming up from underneath and gradually taking over. Personally I am loving the way it smells and the way it lingers so tenaciously, especially on clothes and you’ll need to wash them before the scent goes. My washing basket has never smelt so good.

As you can see in the pic I’ve already used quite a lot of my bottle, it’s YUMMY!

I wore Methaldone last weekend to a party where it got 3 unsolicited compliments, which rarely happens for me in party situations. One friend coming in for an extra cuddle so they could smell it more. So Methaldone is a WIN!

Surprisingly for something that sounds so out there it is remarkably wearable and would be a superb go-to scent for everyday wearings.

Below we have a fab giveaway, thanks to Nicolas & Enno, get to it
Portia xx

 

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Methaldone by Aether Parfums
P&H Anywhere in the world

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

Please tell us where you would like to wear Methaldone 

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Wednesday 12th April 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 19th April 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

Iris Fauve by Marie Salamagne for Atelier des Ors 2017

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Portia

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Hey there Niche Nerds,

Atelier des Ors is one of Ainslie Walkers fave modern houses. While she was writing regularly for APJ I knew she would grab the newbies and give us a post about them. It meant there was a house I could totally ignore. So it was really fun at Esxence to meet New Zealand born blogger Megan from St Maxime, who also does PR for the company, so she could personally take me through the range. While I was there with Pia and Nick and I got Fume Royalty’s blow by blow account of why the scents are so good as well as the PR spin.

Iris Fauve by Atelier des Ors 2017

Iris Fauve by Marie Salamagne

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, cinnamon, iris
Heart: Patchouli, Haitian vetiver, cypriol oil or nagarmotha
Base: Myrrh, musk, labdanum, liatris

Iris! the opening of Iris Fauve is that cool, crisp, cardboard and autumn air cleanness that I associate with the best and most beautiful iris-centric scents. Slight citrus and patchouli background noise and a lightly salted grassy green vetiver but iris above all.

My mind is throwing me pictures of the layers of puff pastry, as if as I go down into the heart of the fragrance there are tiny, wafer thin layers of iris root with warm scented air rushing over them that create this comfortable, cosy iris scent. Light enough to capture the Asian market yet full enough to satisfy me Iris Fauve seems to have depth and breathtaking lift.

After the first 15 minutes Iris fauve seems to melt into my skin and become one with my fleshy humanity, a welcome whisper of beauty lying just above the skin. Here it seems to have a leatheriness too, hints of Cuir d’Ange and Cuir de Lancome, those softly and elegantly produced well loved gloves.

People that I respect are saying that this is an iris masterpiece, while I won’t go that far I think if you have previously found yourself iris-averse then maybe this treatment could change your mind. I get zero of the bread/carrot/earth on my skin that iris so often throws.

Flickr

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Non Blonde
Peony Melbourne carries the range
Surrender To Chance has samples from $4.25/0.5ml

Do you know the Atelier des Ors fragrance house? What are your favourite Iris perfumes?
Portia xx

New Study (Postcard) by Miller et Bertaux 2017

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Portia

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Hey APJ,

We have spoken before here about Miller & Bertaux. I think them a woefully underlined fragrance house that do fun and interesting scents that are edgy but wearable. I have bought bottles of A Quiet Morning, Shanti Shanti and Spiritus/Land. Woods, Incense & Balmy/Spicy/Green Woods. Because they release with little or no fanfare I have missed a few years worth of new frags.

That was rectified at the Esxence in Milan last week where Miller et Bertaux had a stand. Sadly I was so overwhelmed by Esxence as a whole I couldn’t really focus. So without being able to really stop, converse and sniff I did go and tell the man at the counter how much I loved their work. The guy was so thrilled he gave me a full set of their samples to try. YAY!! Including the newest release New Study (Postcard).

New Study (Postcard) by Miller et Bertaux 2017

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Green orange, lemon, grapefruit, grass, white peach blossom, precious woods, fig, coconut milk, fig leaf

So whoever names these frags needs a good slap around the head, the newer names are hardly engaging. They seem like punchlines to jokes we’ll never hear. It’s a bummer.

The citrus jumps out at you right from the start. It’s lip puckeringly tart and has a sweet, pithy background which helps keep the whole fragrance grounded. It’s a smily and welcoming opening that gives me a goofy grin.

It’s not long before the citrus is joined by the coconut and fig and it’s unusual that these two additions don’t make the scent go tropical or even Mediterranean but create a coziness, a warm friendly lived-in feeling.

So I’m now looking at the name of the fragrance, Postcard. As I’m one of the last people on earth that sends postcards every holiday it’s like a lightbulb has gone on in my head. The citrus is the air mail adventure of the postcard, the war foggy-milk bit is the arrival and all the good feelings that engenders and then the dry down is a warm, woodsy/sweet-fig-milk that could be the life of a postcard on the fridge in the kitchen that gets looked at every time someone opens the fridge and brings a smile.

Yes, I’m probably full of shit but there you have it.

Libertine Parfumerie will have it in Australia when it comes in

A cozy version of fig, very nice and wearable. I could imagine it becoming a very easy go-to frag for someone who likes to have really unusual, hard to find brands but also wants to smell office appropriate.

Do you know Miller & Bertaux?
Portia xx

 

David Jourquin Leather Fragrances: First Impressions

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Sandra

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Hey there APJ!

Hope ya’ll are enjoying life. I am getting used to my new home and am adoring the Netherlands in the springtime. Magnificent blooming trees and flowers, people smiling and spending time outdoors, and warming temperatures make me happy.

Who likes leather? Anyone? I have discovered that I really enjoy wearing perfumes with a leather note. Enter David Jourquin…

David Jourquin Leather Fragrances: First Impressions

David Jourquin perfumes are pretty new to me. I tried two when they first came out but then I promptly lost the two samples and forgot about them. Shame on me!

David Jourquin is quietly giving us a wonderful collection of sumptuous leather perfumes from his house. To put it simply, David Jourquin has envisioned a perfume house dedicated to the multiple facets that the smell of leather has to offer. This is coming from his childhood scented memories and from his life as an adult.

A big shout out to the team at Aus Liebe Zum Duft and their generous giveaway of sample packs of the six perfumes that they carry from the house. I have now had the great pleasure of sampling these beautiful perfumes.

Here are my first impressions. Let’s see if any strike a chord with you.

Fragrantica

Cuir Altesse by David Jourquin 2014

Altesse was created by Cecile Zarokian as the nighttime duo together with Cuir de R’Eve. It is a bit spicy and sharp to begin with. The patchouli starts out a bit too strongly for my tastes but it warms up as the hours pass and then becomes one with the rest of the ingredients. I find Cuir Altesse more daring and sexy than its counterpart Cuir de R’Eve. It is not necessarily only for high heels and red lipstick – this can be worn on any occassion.

Fragrantica

Cuir Caraïbes by David Jourquin 2015

One of the more recent releases, Cuir Caraïbes opens up fruity and tart which surprised me. But the spices quickly join the party and warm it up. It does become sweeter soon after spraying it but not to worry – the sugar fades to the background again. Throughout the development I can detect a wonderfully subtle ginger vibe. The dry down is a warm cocoon surrounding me. Love it.

Fragrantica

Cuir de R’Eve by David Jourquin 2014

This perfume was created by Cecile Zarokian as a daytime duo together with Cuir Altesse. It is leather mixed with a few fruity and floral notes to make it elegant and refined. The base is warm, enveloping and comforting with a hint of fruit to keep it interesting. I could see myself using this on a regular basis. Just gorgeous.

Fragrantica

Cuir Mandarine by David Jourquin 2011

Daytime version of the duo for men together with Cuir Tabac. It leans masculine and opens tangy with a smidge of lavender. The start is quite big and loud on my skin but gets quiet within 20 minutes and projects softly. Cuir Mandarine sang on my husband’s skin and he now declares that he likes leather perfumes.

Fragrantica

Cuir Solaire by David Jourquin 2015

One of the more recent releases. Sunny opening that lasts throughout its development. This definitely feels like I have been sunkissed at the beach and then went out on the town. It has a touch of orange blossom and jasmine which does bring to mind sandy beaches and the sea. I can imagine that Cuir Solaire will be excellent with warm temperatures and sunshine.

First In Fragrance has the whole set to sample or buy

 

Do you like leather in perfumes? Do you have a favourite?

Until next time. Happy spring and autumn to everyone.

Kisses. Sandra

Musc 25 Los Angeles by Frank Voelkl for Le Labo: City Exclusives 2008

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TinaG

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Hi APJ!

I’m off travelling again soon! Yay for holidays!

Last year I reviewed Le Labo – City Exclusives Poivre 23 London just before I visited that majestic city. Just in case, you know, I fell in love and needed a bottle. These things can happen! So I thought I’d give the City Exclusives, Musc 25 Los Angeles a run through before my trip in April. Which, I’ve got to say, I’m really really looking forward to.

Musc 25 Los Angeles by Le Labo: City Exclusives 2008

Musc 25 Los Angeles by Frank Voelkl

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Aldehydes, patchouli, musk, vetiver, lily-of-the-valley, cedar, rose and ambergris

The weirdest thing happened on first sniff. I instantly thought of Kingston, Ontario, Canada where my family spent a year. I don’t know what it was that triggered the reminder. Musc 25 opens with a heavy white musk, so maybe there was something environmental? A washing powder? House hold detergents? No idea. At any rate it was a one off, but interesting.

So, yes. Bam! White musk and quite a light, green-grey ozonic aldehyde which turns soapy in around 10 minutes. The white musk, to me, is cold and austere, a light grey colour. It’s one of my least favourite scents, I must admit. So soapy aldehydes and white musk aren’t really doing it for me however there are hints of concrete, plants and roses layered nearly imperceptably behind this, which makes me think it does needs a bit more skin time.

WikiMedia

At around 2 hours I’m still sniffing my arm closely trying to get more than white musk out of this as it’s swamping it for me. There’s a hint of funky animalic saltiness. I notice ambergris listed in the notes but it’s missing the waxiness that I associate with that smell. I’m seeing in my mind’s eye perhaps a reflection of my Airbnb searches – up above the city of Los Angeles, a residential area on the Hollywood Hills. Once formal gardens have been left to go wild so there’s a bit of shrubbery and strangely some pink azaleas. Huh. That is a weirdly specific image……

At about 4 hours as a skin scent the florals die back but the pinkness increases as I start to pick up another softer musk which has the effect of drawing your attention inwards rather than looking out over the horizon of the city. As I know I’m anosmic to a lot of musks it makes me wonder if there’s more in there I can’t smell.

WikiMedia

Further reading: Perfume Smelling Things and Perfume Posse
Le Labo in Venice (1138 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291, USA) or a couple of other spots in LA
Surrender To Chance has samples from $6/0,5ml

I’ve worn Los Angeles Musc 25 a few times now and I’m a bit conflicted. It’s really not my kind of thing but it’s still been interesting to wear, if that makes sense? It is really the heavy white musk which is my issue but otherwise the mix of concrete, ozone, saltiness, shrubbery, roses, and the softer musk in the dry down leaves me intrigued. Will I buy a bottle? Perhaps not but I’d like to wear the fragrance in the town it was created for to see whether there is an enhanced sense of place.

Do you have any memories of a place having a particular smell?

Till next time,
Tina G

Clandestine Clara by Sophie Labbé for Penhaligon`s 2017

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Portia

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Hey Hey Lovers Of NEW!

Another from the Libertine Parfumerie Pack. There’s been loads of chatter around the Portraits collection with its wildly provocative storyline including fortune, scandal, infidelity and homosexuality. Woo Hoo! Jackpot! Loving the fun Penhaligon’s seems to be having under the Puig banner. Not so sure about the heavy animal lids which would be Ouchie WaWa dropped on unshod morning feet and do definite damage to tile if dropped from hand height in the bathroom and mark wooden floorboards elsewhere. The idea is good though, if only they were bakelite or if they offered an animal free lid. Anyway, they have two new additions to the family Roaring Radcliff (a spiced run & tobacco scent) and Clandestine Clara.

Clandestine Clara by Penhaligon`s 2017

Clandestine Clara by Sophie Labbé

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top:  Rum, Vanilla
Heart: Cinnamon, Musk
Base: Amber notes, Patchouli

Boozy vanilla, spicy and wet. The opening smells like uncooked biscuit mix that you lick off the beaters and spatula. Much more interesting than the original four Portraits collection with that unusual Play-Doh vanilla/patchouli from Jacomo Art Collection #2 with the yellow lid and L’Artisan’s Dzing!. I love it there and here, so unexpected and funky.

Once the parts have come together the heart stays fairly linear. Not a problem, I am enjoying this spicy patchouli and vanilla/amber melange. It’s quite different when I put my nose to my wrist and when I have it at arms length, close up Clandestine Clara is all about this salted plastic patchouli but further away it’s much more about the boozy vanilla. Oh, I do like this a lot.

Thinking about who would wear Clandestine Clara and in my mind it skews quite boyish, yes even though I don’t believe in such things. So I can easily imagine it being a unisex creation. Maybe because I’ve worn Jacomo Art Collection #2 for years and often to art stuff as it’s a bit of an out of the square scent I find myself imagining a very cool couple wearing this. Maybe as their weekend couple scent and brunching, then wandering galleries, meeting friends and meandering through springtime cities in utter comfort together.

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy
Libertine has
LuckyScent has $240/75ml + Samples

What do you think of the lids? Does Clandestine Clara tickle your fancy?
Portia xx

Sunflowers In Sunlight: Equistrius

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Portia

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Hey APJ,

I went looking for this picture today because I’m wearing Equistrius by Perfume d’Empire and it feels and smells like the most fabulous summer day. You know, the afternoon as the full scorching blast of the day goes and before it becomes chilly. The sun is still up and there may be a light breeze to help with the cooling.

Sunflowers In Sunlight: Equistrius

I don’t know about you but this picture sums to capture the feeling of Equistrius perfectly. Warm, cool, dappled shade, fresh air, healthy plants and soil, sitting near a freshly cut woodpile perhaps. Someone is making tea and you are softly, quietly happy inside. Content.

PDI

Equistrius by Marc Antoine Corticchiato

Equistrius Parfum d`Empire FragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Iris, violet, green notes
Heart: Iris, chocolate, woody notes, powder, rice
Base: Amber, sandalwood, vetiver, suede, ambrette (musk mallow)

Back in 2014 I didn’t love Equistrius, now I have a FB. It’s beautiful.

If you get a chance try it. Expect it to take a while to love it but when you do……

Portia xx

“My CHANEL Ballerinas”

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Portia

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Woo Hoo!

Sometimes you need to buy the most extravagant of its kind and then wear it like it’s from Target. That has been a sideline motto of mine since fashion school.

What’s the use of having the best if you don’t get the enjoyment of using it, living in it and ultimately wearing it out?

Portia xx

“My CHANEL Ballerinas”

Spring-Summer 2017 ballerinas

Soulle Ambar by Shelagh Foyle for Floris 2013

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Portia

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Hey there crew,

Libertine Parfumerie sent me their Winter 2017 Season Update. I have a bunch of some of their new-to-Australia and brand spanking new stuff to look at. I think that they have newly brought Floris onboard in 2016 as one of their houses so that’s really exciting. Not having spent much time with the brand, except a quick sniff through in Fortnum & Mason last year, it will be good to get to know them better. I’m pretty sure that Floris are not marketing to me personally as a consumer, the brand seems a little safe and buttoned up British but I will be happily shown to be wrong.

Soulle Ambar by Floris 2013

Soulle Ambar by Shelagh Foyle

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, galbanum, pineapple, mastic/lentisque
Heart: Pink pepper, geranium, jasmine, mellow/sweet clover
Base: Amber, vanila, musk

Soul Ambar is a new one to Australia and as I love amber in fragrance I think Paige from Libertine thought it might be a good place for me to start. Let’s see….

Woo Hoo! Sweet citrus with a pineapple hit is a wonderful, fun, uplifting opening the segues beautifully into smooth, glossy green galbanum. The fruits don’t leave exactly but become something harmoniously part of the green.

A burst of pink pepper, a real, fun, pepper grind of it. While having that fun pink pepper fizz it comes along and dries Soulle Ambar out. The fruit punch is still extant but now playing chorus with the bouquet. Flowers come together in a softly cool florist melange that gives me thoughts of fresh cut peonies and greenery.All this action has taken place in under half an hour and I feel the real heart has arrived. Without being mean the heart reminds me of the opening of some of the Tocca perfumes. It has that similar wet non floral bouquet, but here it’s in the heart and lasts very effectively.

WikiCommons

Soulle Ambar is a floral green scent through the heart. Nothing groundbreaking or sensational but a comfortable, floral, green that feels beautifully crafted and with enough of a story to have some interesting light & shade.

At about the 40 minute mark the amber/vanilla comes through as a light undercurrent of warmth, it takes centre stage but Soulle Ambar maintains a fresh green hint till I lose the scent completely.

I don’t think this is made with die hard perfumistas in mind. It’s a fine fragrance, smells good and would be an excellent choice for a person whose main aim is to be prettily fragrant. I could imagine buying it as a gift for my non perfumista friends and them using it solely as a spritz & go all day scent till the bottle was empty and then buying it again.

Flickr

Libertine Parfumerie has $179/100ml and FREE Australian Delivery
First In Fragrance has €72/50ml + Samples

Have you spent any time with Floris fragrances? Any that you like, love, own?
Portia XX