Journey Man by Alberto Morillas + Pierre Negrin for Amouage 2014

October 3, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Frag Family,

There is no secret how much I admire Christopher Chong his curatorship of Amouage and think him excellent company. So when I first tried Journey Man, with its spectacular box and signature Amouage man bottle in ruby and gold I was saddened by my lack of instant and all moving lust. Expectation is a funny thing, sometimes I hype stuff in my head so much that they can never live up to the dream. It’s a bit of a killer actually so I thought it a good idea to grab a sample from my mate Nick at Libertine Parfumerie recently so I could revisit the fragrance with less expectation….

Journey Man by Amouage 2014

Journey Man by Alberto Morillas + Pierre Negrin

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Sichuan pepper, Bergamot, Cardamom, Neroli
Heart: Juniper berry, Frankincense, Geraniol, Tobacco leaf
Base: Tonka bean, Cypriol oil, Leather, Ambrox

Journey Man smells quite like a lot of other niche offerings for men, a hark back to the woodsy tobacco and smoke fragrances so popular for men in the designer genre. If GUCCI hadn’t forgotten how to make perfumes this could easily have been in their line-up and it sometimes through its life smells like it should have come from Tom Ford. I know we try to shy away from sexual mandate here at APJ but Journey Man really feels rugged, rough and ready yet smooth and cozy. Through the sharp and bitey pepper which tickles my throat just like it does in food, the tobacco that has a faintly green resinous quality and the brand new leather and woodsy burn the whole fragrance feels calm and unruffled. I can imagine a thousand would be lumberjack hipsters showering, trimming and combing their beards, moisturising, gelling, clear mascara-ing and spritzing from this uber glam bottle before dressing in their office attire in their walk through robes.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

By the time these imaginary hip gents made their way to work they would be a softly focused spicy tobacco that fades to lightly salted leather/woods throughout the day. By the time they hit the gym after work there will be a barely there, mixed with their own manly odours, whisper of the woodchoppers life left to entice the gentlemen gym junkies. Tired, pumped and freshly showered they would emerge like lumberjack butterflies from the gym to hang loudly and obnoxiously with a jar of beer at their local cruise and booze joint, eyeing each other off and making coded conversation till someone takes their physical fancy.

First line from intended? “You smell amazing!”

Below is my buddy Darren, he is EXACTLY what I’m talking about when I think of Journey Man. Darren is recently 100 days clean and his Instagram @bobbydazzler_ has photos and videos of him showing his joy at being clean and his abhorrence of wearing clothes. I swear 99% of the shots are him either standing or dancing in his jocks. Pretty freaking hot actually, go see.

What I’m left withof Journey Man next morning is a faded something, still woodsy and a little resinous. Very nice to wake up to. MMMMMMM

Further reading: What Men Should Smell Like and Non Blonde
Libertine Parfumerie has $445/100ml with FREE Australian Postage
LuckyScent has $345/100ml
Surrender To Chance have samples starting t $4/.5ml
Currently US$345 = AUD$495. That’s a saving of around AUD$50!

What is your favourite Amouage?
Portia xx

L’Amoureuse by Emilie Bouge for Brecourt 2010

September 30, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Trésor

(Ed: BTW Here’s the link to a story about Trésor in the Mac Campaign)

There are a handful of categories in fragrance which are often maligned by those whom may consider themselves connoisseurs of haute parfumerie (myself very much included) but there is one particular climate of olfactory exploration which may well get a bum rap that’s worse than them all: the fruity floral. The fruity floral has become somewhat ubiquitous and while that ubiquity can often come with a sense of fragrant ennui there can also be a sense of comfort and familiarity captured within these dulcet vapours. Just as I’d been delving into some research of the genre to further my understanding it so happened that I was fortuitous enough to receive a package from a dear friend, one which contained a very generous sample of L’Amoureuse from the Parisian house of Brecourt, easily one of the most exquisite compositions in the genre I’ve had the pleasure of wearing along my scented journey this far.

L’Amoureuse by Brecourt 2010

L’Amoureuse by Emilie Bouge

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, tangerine, black currant
Heart: Rose, jasmine, violets, raspberries
Base: Peach, lily, musk

L’Amoureuse opens on my skin with the sumptuous bravura of juicy blackcurrant, each berry positively glistening with rich and nectarous dew. The narcotic aroma of jasmine and her petals of luxurious ivory permeate the airspace alongside the citric effervescence of glowing tangerine, a combination which somehow reminds me of a smell from my childhood; the redolent aroma of a particular shampoo or other such potion that perpetuates the most splendid notion of lighthearted nostalgia. As the composition progresses the lush magenta petals of a blooming rose bouquet unfold and radiate their glowing aurora throughout the exquisite menagerie of aromas which preceded. The lambent sweetness of ripe peach amplifies the utter ebullience of delectably fruity damascones and makes way for the most unbelievably comforting drydown. A plush cloud of sensuous white skin musks alongside the delicate warmth of rich sandalwood are what remain after the spellbinding floridity of the heart begin to fade. It is in this splendid embrace that L’Amoureuse finally becomes one with the skin and exists as but a fond memory.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

With L’Amoureuse I get a moderate degree of sillage, nothing particularly huge but by no means existing within the realm of a skin scent. Longevity is about the same for me as well, I get a good 6 to 8 hours of wear before the fragrance disappears entirely on my skin though I am certain on warmer days I may very well be able to get a solid 10. I think L’Amoureuse would be the absolute ideal transition scent for someone making the journey from wearing only mainstream releases into the world of niche. It is wonderfully elegant, delightfully well made and created with a sense of familiarity that I think even those completely new to fragrance would find very appealing.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Scent For Thought
First In Fragrance have €69/50ml & samples
IndieScents have $85/50ml & samples

What fragrance would you recommend to somebody taking their first steps into the world of niche?

Until next time, my darlings.

Trésor, xx.

Todd Oldham by Parlux 1995

September 28, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello APJ,

This week I am revisiting my favorite family in the Parlux clan, the boozy, amber-y, fruity scents originating with Anne Klein II ( 1985 by Yves Tauguy), continuing to Todd Oldham (1995 by Jeffrey Dame et. al.) and finishing with Todd’s “daughters” (so to speak), Queen Latifah (2009) and Jessica Simpson Fancy Nights (2010), both by perfumer Steve DeMercado. This particular Parlux – Five Star Fragrance family template never seems to die. It is re-born and reformulated, renamed, repackaged and sent out into the world every decade or so to recapture our imaginations and put yet another small dent in our pocket books. Obviously I don’t have the space to write about the whole family today so I will limit myself to the second generation – Todd Oldham.

Todd Oldham by Parlux 1995

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, mandarin orange, peach
Heart: Jasmine, cinnamon, rose, fruity notes
Base: Musk, sandalwood, patchouli, amber, benzoin

Let me tell you a little about Todd Oldham:
In case you missed the 1990s (or were still dusting cobwebs off the moon at the time) Todd Oldham, designer of super fun and funky fashions, launched his first clothing line in 1989 and was hugely successful in ready to wear throughout the 90s. These days he continues to surprise and delight us with his interior designs and creative crafts for children and adults. This week I have been busy insulating the greenhouse with bubble wrap and found Todd Oldham’s video on creating t-shirt designs with this same bubbly material to be timely and appealing.

Todd Oldham the fragrance was put together in 1994/95 by the designer himself with the help of Jeffrey Dame, then VP of Sales and Marketing at Parlux.

Here are my perceived notes: Peach and Bananas! Over-ripe, dark, sweet bananas combined with squishy peach, at bit of orange and something oudy and woody. The opening is luscious and thick, a scent reminiscent of orchards at harvest time, redolent of rich, heavy, fruits verging on ferment and decay. This boozy fruit cocktail cools to banana cream pie perfumed with patchouli and spiced with cinnamon. As Todd Oldham dries down he morphs into one of my favorite synthetic flavors – banana Popsicle. This effect is much lighter than the initial peachy/banana/woody blast but still a far cry from my granddaughter’s fruitchouli! The sticky Popsicle lingers for several hours before it melts and warms again into a balsamic and amber-y confection with hints of rose and sandalwood.

Todd Oldham, although not as insistent as “daughter” Queen Latifah, is still a powerhouse fragrance. One spritz extends well beyond my personal space for at least an hour before settling down for the long haul, 8 hours or more on skin and forever on clothing.

Now back to the bubble wrap! Azar xx

Photo Stolen manoneileen

Todd Oldham GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

Today’s giveaway: There are two prizes.

One US resident winner will receive one extremely cute, 6.5 ml, boxed, vintage Todd Oldham EdP mini.

One NON US winner will receive one 2ml decant spray of Todd Oldham EdP and one 1ml decant of vintage Anne Klein II EdP.

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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

To be eligible please tell us how you follow APJ and if you are inside or outside the US.

Also give us your take on any of the fragrances mentioned in today’s post or a fave from the 1990s.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 1st October 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Sunday 4th October 2015 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.

Beauty You (might) Need To Translate!

September 27, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by A F Beauty

Allow me a moment of comedy:

What do you call someone who speaks three or more languages?

Multi-lingual

What do you call someone who speaks two languages?

Bi-lingual

What do you call someone who speaks one language?

English!

Beauty You (might) Need To Translate!

Yes, so my heritage is English and I speak only one language, to my shame. What this does mean though is that there is a whole selection of beauty products where my purchasing choices are dependent on guess, hint or, if I’m lucky, a translation sticker on the back of the product! So here’s a couple of products I’ve bought on hint or guess which have been amazing:

Hada Labo Tamagohada AHA and BHA Exfoliating Cleanser – Japanese

Luckily for me, this was positioned front and centre in a pharmacy in Singapore with AHA and BHA in the largest letters on the pack, so I was immediately drawn to it. My skin copes pretty well with acid treatments, so I figured that it would also be OK with the cleanser. It’s texture is not dissimilar to Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean – but it is slightly softer and lathers easier. But the exciting part of this product is that the moment you wipe your skin clean, it is C-L-E-A-N – you have properly exfoliated without any abrasion –your skin is smoooooooth and lovely. I use this about once a week almost as a treatment rather than daily – I personally think my skin wouldn’t tolerate it so well on a daily basis – the acids are more powerful than any other I’ve bought in a cleanser. I’ve had the pack for just over a year and it’s still going (even though I bought three on a whim!)

Hwansaenggo Bird’s Nest Pearly Brightening Gel Mask – Korean

This purchase was a pure guess under time pressure – the shop was about to close and I wanted to buy everything, as usual. So I picked up a few bits that caught my eye, and lets face it, Heaven Grade Ginseng – who wouldn’t want this!?

I cracked this mask out of the pack – it’s like an actual mask that sits on the face, you don’t apply it per-se. I peeled off the backing layer and applied to my face thinking it was a bit crinkly with the other plastic layer on it and thought it wasn’t sitting very well against my skin – and then it dawned on me that duh, I was supposed to remove both plastic layers. Genius. I’m here to make the mistakes so you don’t have to!

The mask then sat lovely against my face, felt lovely and soft and smelled good. After about an hour – probably double than advised (I was watching TV!), I peeled off and my skin looked great. Definitely plumper and fuller – this would be a great mask to apply before a big night out.

I totally love the excitement of finding a new product, especially one that hasn’t been translated into English, I feel like I’ve found a secret that no one knows! I’ve got a few more of these in test at the moment, will tell you about a few more next time – but what secret buys have you found?
A F Beauty XXX

Dark Horse by Dame Perfumery Scottsdale 2015

September 24, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Erica Golding

Scented greetings to my kindred spirits!

Today I am sparkling in a haze of friendly, approachable confidence. I feel bright and serene, energetic and focused. This is because today I chose to spritz my sample of:

Dark Horse by Dame Perfumery Scottsdale 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, cinnamon
Heart: Jasmine, carnation, rose, cloves
Base: Guaiac wood, vetiver, vanilla and musk

This fragrance is loosely marketed with an air of masculinity, but as with all of Jeffrey’s Artist Collection offerings, Dark Horse can be effortlessly worn by all genders.

I am enamored with this surprising juxtaposition of two scents I normally enjoy only as accents: citrus and spice. They are both finely tuned and harmonized with careful attention. The solar tone features fine shimmering bergamot, sun-ripened lemon, and warm vetiver. The spice is composed of cinnamon and clove (and I suspect nutmeg too), but they are not loud, sharp, or overpowering as they often are in perfumery. The spices are soft and subtle, caressing your skin and your spirit.

Photo Stolen Dame Perfumery Scottsdale

The modern elegance and attractiveness of Dark Horse is centered within its personality. This EdP is easygoing and laid back, but cleanly put together. Brilliant, cheerful, and living in the moment – this is the Dark Horse wearer.

Dame Perfumery Scottsdale says: A scent full of raw charisma; quite unpredictable and completely charming. Animal magnetism at its best. Smooth, balanced and …

Further reading: Looking Feeling Smelling Great
Dame Perfumery Scottsdale has samples $10/7ml, bottles $65/50ml

Have you tried Dark Horse? How about New Musk Man/New Musk Oil (next on my list of must-try)? I’d love to hear your experiences with Dame Perfumery fragrance!

Love and light,
Erica

Cuir Amethyste by Michel Almairac for Armani Privé 2005

September 19, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Post by Portia

Heya Fragrant Fumies,

I came late to the Armani Privé line, it wasn’t until 2011 that I first got my sniff on them. Jin and I had been doing some shopping and one of the nearby malls had the first Armani Privé line in it’s own area that I’d seen. To be honest, I had worn Armani Pour Homme and Emporio Armani Lui in the 1980s & 90s but nothing from the line had spoken to me for years and I figured that the quality of the fragrances had nose dived considerably like so many other brands. It was the bottles that caught our attention with the lovely simple black squares, the smooth cool rocks on top and gold plaques very much like the front door of an expensive restaurant or doctors/lawyers/dentists. We spent a lazy half hour sniffing them all and I had two favourites, Cuir Amethyste and Bois Encens.

By the time I realised that Cuir Amethyste was my favourite Michel Almairac had reworked the idea in a sweeter, suppler version for Bottega Veneta and I was so lost in its spell, especially when it became Jin’s signature, that Cuir Amethyst was forgotten. Step in Aelfrik, I bought a decant from him recently and my love is rekindled sevenfold……

Cuir Amethyste by Armani Privé 2005

Cuir Amethyste by Michel Almairac

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, coriander, rose
Heart: Birch, patchouli, violet
Base: Benzoin, incense, Bourbon vanilla

How could I forget this glorious and majestic beauty, it’s so damn good I just want to lick myself all over and then cuddle up in a ball and suck in the divine scent of myself until I am breathed away on a whisper of wind. I SMELL SO GOOD!

My nose gets sweet citrus, leather and patchouli straight away, the mix is a little bit oud-y and Cuir Amethyste shows me little of anything else up front. Slowly I get a cool, bitter hint of burnt incense and then after about 5-15 minutes depending on the day I get a friendly little violet tap on the shoulder and suddenly Cuir Amethyste is an old, much loved leather bag with some powder and lipstick traces. Cool and friendly, like when we were sent looking in Mum’s bag for coins to buy ice-cream as kids, it’s a real memory scent for me. Maybe that’s why I love it so much.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Later, much later the vanilla/amber combines with the leather to create the perfect skin scent, the scent you wish your skin had. A fleshy, endearing, healthy breath that warms and sweetens my own body fragrance to something compelling and luscious.In the morning there is still a whisper of leather handbag and makeup, I love Cuir Amethyste so much.

When I finish this 10ml there is a bottle in my future.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Cuir Amethyste
Cuir Amethyste by Armani Privé is available in large department stores

Did you fall for any of the Armani Privé line? Which and why?
Portia x

Good Girl Gone Bad by Kilian 2012

September 18, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

Post by Portia

WOO HOO! Another pack arrived from my mate Nick from Libertine Parfumerie. A package from Nick is ALWAYS a sweet surprise and he is a lovely guy who wants to have the best range of niche fragrances for Aussies to choose from. Today we are celebrating that Nick has managed to import the by Kilian range to Australia and now it is exclusive to In Store Shoppers at Harrold’s Sydney & Melbourne. Near pissed myself with excitement when I heard and had to keep it under my hat for a while. Now you know….

Good Girl Gone Bad by Kilian 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Jasmine, osmanthus, may rose
Heart: Indian tuberose, narcissus
Base: Amber, cedar

So I have an apology to make to by Kilian. I completely dismissed this fragrance when it came out. My reasoning was sound: a soft focus tuberose that opens lightly green and finishes sweet vanilla white flower was hardly groundbreaking, nor was it even slightly outrageous, it wasn’t even a little confronting. Now all of that is true, I do have high expectations of Kilian Hennessey’s brand because quite a lot of it is absolutely glorious, back arching, eye rolling, throat achingly beautiful and when his company makes something so safe and delicate I need to readjust my perceptions and levels.

Fracas Light would smell something like Good Girl Gone Bad. The heart is a very similar bubble gum tuberose only slightly greened through yet her we find no indole but an almost ylang-ish banana butter, a creamy and fatty smooth textured tuberose that is clean. Interestingly it’s not the sheer, radiant white flower that is so popular but a heavy, thick fragrance made spare, given some space between the notes as if you are smelling it from a couple of steps away. Good Girl Gone Bad is not the glutinous mass of Truth or Dare either (that I love) but a warm, illuminated, golden white floral that floats softly and insistently around me in a languid, pale, golden feeling aura. Not synæsthesia but a feeling, like warm sunshine that unfrosts you as you stand with your back to it, it feels golden though in fact it’s colourless.

Kilian, Tom, Portia, Christina, Barbara, Andrew @ LuckyScent 2014

So then, here’s the question I often ask myself, would I cough up for a bottle? The answer is twofold. Yes, if I didn’t already have so much tuberose in my collection, much of which wears bigger and more outrageous (one of the reasons I love it so much) but some like Nuit de Tubereuse and La Chasse aux Papillons that wear silkily sensual like this, though they are quite different. I would definitely buy this as a gift though for friends who like white flowers but cannot wear the big guns, it would also make a magical bridal scent, even the bottle is perfect for that special day.

The more I wear Good Girl Gone Bad the more of a hold it’s getting on me……. Maybe I would wear a bottle worth…….

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and EauMG
Available in Australia exclusively in store at Harrold’s Sydney & Melbourne
LuckyScent has $160/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy