Hey there Fragrance Lovers,

Is there anything as day-to-day exciting as getting a parcel in the mail? I have to go down to the Post Office to get mine because now that I live in an apartment I find it much safer to have everything redirected to a Post Office Box. So the whole thing is a weekly adventure and I’m never quite sure if there will be only letters or some packages. Let’s face it, anything not a bill is a cause for celebration.

Fragrant Things That Arrived This Week

So I did get a box this week and it was chock full of exciting fragrance. I had asked Franco at Lucky Scent to find me a bottle of my long-coveted and recently discontinued in any online store I could think of bottle of 24.9.11 by Hilde Soliani. He’s such a sweetie that he tracked it down for me so what else could I do but order a couple of extras as a special Thank You, and also to make the shipping seem less incredible.

24-09-11 by Hilde Soliani 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Calamus (milky, green, cinnamon like grass root), amber, frankincense, myrrh

24-09-11 is part of the Hilde Soliani The Invisibles range, meant to compliment your own fragrance and enhance your confirm your presence. What a stunning way to think of perfume. In reality though 24-09-11 is way too fragrant to be melded with your skin and enhance it, you will be decidedly and lavishly fragrant when wearing this. the opening is sweet and spicy, a non edible radiant caramel incense. Warm and lush and ever so slightly discordant, as if it’s about to topple over into disgusting over sweetened caramel slice at any moment but the green calamus and the incense win out and keep it delightful, wearable and distinguished.

Eau Absolue by Mona de Orio 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, clementine, petitgrain
Heart: Geranium, java vetiver oil, bay leaf, pink pepper
Base: Cedar, musk, labdanum

BZZZZZZZ! The citrus opening is loads of fun but kept from being a zingy space cadet by whispers of the resins to come even in the first minute. While I sit here in a balmy Sydney summer evening I am enjoying the very unexpected opening. I have read a few reviews before writing tonight, which is not something I usually do, so my expectations were for something quite different, something more mainstream and fizzy. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This is, as I should always expect with a Mona di Orio fragrance, something quite densely layered with everything in the notes list all at once and what will happen is certain accords will get precedence on occasion.

Tokyo Bloom by The Different Company 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Dandelion, galbanum, basil, blackberry (cassis)
Heart: Cyclamen, star jasmine
Base: Guaiac wood, musks, amber

This is interesting, it opens as sharply as hairspray and is a wonderful awkward blend of green, milky, musky, spicy and fizzy tones that I’ve never met together before yet still manages to smell GREAT! I was expecting an aqueous nothing and am beyond pleasantly surprised. You must at least take some time to try this marvelous, well priced, fragrance. A lovely modern interpretation of the Eau de Cologne style.

As you can see these beauties have been on the list for a while. Boy is it nice to have them in the stable now. Today I wafted Eau Absolue and really loved it. Like a scented princess.

What has arrived for you lately?
Portia xx