Review

Chanel No. 22 by Ernest Beaux for CHANEL 1922

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HEYA APJ Family & Friends,

One cool morning in Paris out with Michael in early 2014 we stumbled across 31 Rue Cambon, CHANEL Headquarters and once home of Gabrielle Chanel. Inside I tried for the very first time Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 22, thinking it would be a soft and retiring scent like much of the rest of the Les Exclusifs de Chanel range I opened my shirt and 3 big blasts, one then on each wrist ( I really wanted to live this fragrance for the hour it would last on me) and……….. BOOM! Wowzas, damn near blew the back of my head off, I was incandescent with No 22 and Michael could still smell me across the room at dinner that night.

Les Exclusifs de Chanel No. 22 Chanel by Ernest Beaux for CHANEL 1922

Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 22 Chanel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica  gives these featured accords:
Top: Lily-of-the-valley, neroli, aldehydes
Heart: Oriental jasmine, rose, Comoro island ylang-ylang
Base: Haiti vetiver, Bourbon vanilla

Turned off? NO WAY!! It made me want CHANEL No. 22 like crazy. What a fragrance. So recently I was trotting through David Jones (the oldest department store trading under the same name in the same location in the world) with my girl friend Ainslie Walker and we came across the new CHANEL counter with all the lovely exclusives and parfums. YAY!!! The girl serving was so lovely, could not have been more helpful and wanted nothing more than to have us understand the range. Woo Hoo! An SA who knows their job. Delighted is an understatement.

Picture 2532Michael & I @ 31 Rue Cambon CHANEL (Photo donated by Michael)

I must say that I was definitely not in the market for product on this particular day. Had I been more financially flush this SA would definitely have had a sale. What I did get though was CHANEL No. 22 Extrait on my arm and on a porcelain. So that was about 2 weeks ago. Tonight I opened the porcelain expecting to get a base only reminder of CHANEL No. 22. WOW! My whole office is filled to the brim with this wonderful, green aldehydic like a glass filling with a fizzy, metallic, soda pop of a fragrance that is both bold and restrained. A cool character on a huge scale, that doesn’t make sense but that’s how it feels in this room right now. I am engulfed, happily, enthusiastically overcome by scent.

CHANEL SeedOfHappinessPhoto Stolen SeedOfHappiness

When I wear CHANEL No. 22 the aldehydes are the complete and utter star of the show, flowers are mown down, fruit is pulped and what I end up smelling is a metal/citrus/vanilla/vetiver creature. It’s a bit like putting snow in your mouth with a stainless steel spoon in a rose house with them all blooming. CHANEL No. 22 is one of the few vetiver fragrances where I get the soil/dirt/wood of the vetiver without salt hints, maybe the very dry vanilla cuts it?

Longevity? FOREVER! Sillage? You could ride the waves of it on water skis. Projection? It will blow the back of the heads from people in the next suburb, a little moderation with CHANEL No. 22 is probably a good idea. Of course I spritz with abandon some days and the world be damned.

CHANEL 22 CHANEL ginza Masaaki Komori FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Perfume Posse
You can try or buy CHANEL No. 22 at any of the stand alone CHANEL stores or a very few department stores.
Surrender To Chance has CHANEL No. 22 samples starting at $4/ml and Extrait at $8/ml

Are you a CHANEL No. 22 fan? Is it a bit overwhelming for you? Which in the line do you particularly like?
Have a great and fragrant day. Waft on my loves, waft on.

Portia xx

Mer & Mistral by Karine Dubreuil for L'Occitane en Provence 2014

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Hey Hey Crew,

Want to read what’s NEW NEW NEW!! L’Occitane will be releasing a brand new fragrance in the Collection de Grasse series in Australia during August 2014 and we have a special preview pack here at APJ! Woo Hoo! And today we will have FOUR winners!

Mer & Mistral by L’Occitane en Provence 2014

Karine Dubreuil

Mer & Mistral L`Occitane en Provence FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, tangerine
Heart: Cypress, pine, rosemary
Base: White amber, cedar, musk

From the USA L’Occitane site: A fresh breeze passes through the town of Grasse, which lies between the mountains and the sea. The mistral wind from the mountains, filled with the scents of the foliage in its path, blends with air from the Mediterranean, laden with sea spray. Inspired by this Provençal breeze, La Collection de Grasse introduces Mer & Mistral, an aquatic fragrance with soft ripples of aromatic notes. Zesty top notes of lemon and mandarin give way to a generous heart of cypress, pine and rosemary, so emblematic of the Mediterranean coast.

On my skin Mer & Mistral opens VERY fresh, good old fashioned, mens locker room in the 1990s: citrus and salty sea breeze. You know I am against fragrant gender boundaries but my scent memory is so strong with this style of fragrance because it takes me right back to my days in the gym, hanging their with mates or partner, hitting the showers and then in the locker room the guy getting dressed right next to me spritzing 4 or 5 times. It smells as much like a Mediterranean seaside resort town as it can without adding the bad smells, this is pure and fresh and even the herbal greenery is washed out in the sunshine of summer. I can imagine Mer & Mistral becoming a very easy wear go-to for anyone who needs to cool and refresh, or who wants to smell that way. It’s like a salty lemonade in India, I know it sounds weird but it is crazy delicious and here I am wearing it as a fragrance. What it does smell like to me is a subtle version of the current fragrance that I spritz through the bathrooms and laundry every Wednesday after I’ve finished cleaning, GANT Liquid.

The opening is big and fresh then Mer & Mistral calms to a lovely clean green woodsy fragrance and this part of its life last really well. Anyone who loves to smell like they recently bathed and are totally calm and cool will enjoy wearing L’Occitane’s latest. Where it ends is a slow overtake by the musks and a minimal warming through with the amber, otherwise Mer & Mistral stays very poised. I like the part about 2-3 hours in when everything gets a lovely powdery feeling, so cuddly soft. After about 5-6 hours depending I lose almost everything but my skin still smells as if it’s fresh from the pool/bath/shower and fit.

Mer & Mistral has a very CdG synthetic effect but on a softer, less combative level and I don’t feel courageous wearing it. Just healthy, happy and clean. I like it.

Whatever you do today, be nice to yourself. A little forgiving and very loving. You are worth it.
Portia xx

giveaway hemodernhomePhoto Stolen hemodernhome

Neroli & Orchidee + Mer & Mistral: L’Occitane GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml decant of Mer & Mistral by L’Occitane (from my sample bottle)
1 x 5ml decant of Neroli & Orchidee by L’Occitane (from my sample bottle)
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 me your favourite fresh fragrance, or why you would like to try this one.

Extra Chance?
Tweet:  Mer & Mistral, Neroli & Orchidee     

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 20th July 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 24th July 2014 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.

Waikiki Pikake by Brook Harvey Taylor for Pacifica

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Post by Poodle

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Pikake (pee’ kah keh) means peacock and is the Hawaiian name for jasmine sambac, a flowering bush that is prevalent on the Hawaiian islands and often used to make leis. It was so named by Ka’iulani (1875-1899), the last crown princess of Hawaii. She thought pikake were beautiful, just like the birds she named them after. As a young girl she lived on an estate near the ocean surrounded by trees, flowers, and her beloved peacocks.

Waikiki Pikake Pacifica Michael Bently FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Iliahi is Hawaiian for sandalwood and since Hawaii was known for its native sandalwood, one can assume she was familiar with those fragrant trees as well. Ka’iulani also had a white pony (doesn’t every princess?) which she rode by the ocean. She referred to Pikake as the flower of love and once said that she would only marry if she were in love and no other reason would persuade her. She was known for her strength as well as her beauty and grace. It has been said that it was impossible not to love her.

Waikiki Pikake by Brook Harvey Taylor for Pacifica

Waikiki Pikake Pacifica FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Pikake (jasmine), sandalwood

The perfume Waikiki Pikake is all about jasmine and sandalwood. There’s a definite tropical feel to the fragrance but without the fruitiness commonly associated with tropical scents. The jasmine here might just be a gateway drug for people who are usually afraid of it. There’s nothing here that says “dirty girl”, it’s more a beautiful jasmine fit for a princess. Never having been to Hawaii I imagine this is what the Pikake flowers smell like on an ocean breeze. Green leaves and ocean waves mingle with the jasmine and then swirl around a heart of warm, creamy sandalwood. A perfectly clear day in an island garden is what comes to mind but overall this isn’t a smothering white floral. It’s reminiscent of new love, fresh and innocent. On my skin it wears nicely in the heat without becoming overwhelming. Oddly it seems the heat tones it down but you might have a different experience. Waikiki Pikake wears somewhat linear on me, not changing much but gradually softening and fading away. I love it as a bedtime scent but I think it could be worn anytime.

Waikiki Pikake Pacifica Jasminum_sambac WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

My first sniff of this came from the body butter that I found at the discount store. That’s one thing I love about Pacifica, companion products. I love layering my scents once in a while and having a body cream that matches my perfume is so much easier than trying to coordinate which scent goes with which. That being said, you could easily get just enough fragrance from the body butter alone. I had the body butter first and loved the fragrance and the longevity of it so I bought the perfume to go with it.

Pacifica has Waikiki Pikake in $12/10ml roll on and loads of other stuff too.

So tell me, do you have a favorite Pacifica scent? Have you tried this one? Ever been to Hawaii and is it as fabulous as I think it would be?

Until next time…hugs.

poodle

Shalimar by Guerlain 1925

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

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Post by Erica Golding

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Hello! My name is Erica, and I’ve enjoyed a lifetime obsession with scent. In all my journeys, I never gave Shalimar a chance on my skin. Shalimar, the bottle waiting patiently at practically every perfume counter, mysterious yet familiar. Recently, I was inundated with a torrent of love for this perfume by fans of all ages, all over the world. In the face of such genuine devotion, who was I to resist? I headed straight to a perfume counter, and my first impressions of modern-day Shalimar EdP are as follows:

Shalimar by Jacques Guerlain for Guerlain 1925

Shalimar Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citruses, mandarin orange, cedar, lemon, bergamot
Heart: Iris, rose, vetiver, jasmine, patchouli
Base: Civet, musk, tonka bean, opoponax, leather, incense, vanilla, sandalwood

This scent opens with a citronella-like, sharp, insect-repellant bergamot. I just really don’t like the beginning. Much brighter on the card than on my skin. The aroma becomes a little more interesting after settling. Nicely spicy, but with some undertone that comes across as almost rubbery. I’m still not into it, but I admit that I am starting to be hypnotized by the unique, complex puzzle of it all. I keep sniffing, curiously. Later, the fragrance begins to warm into something more harmonious with my aesthetic. I am starting to sense precious woods, amber, and sandalwood, maybe a waft of vanilla as well.

Later still, even more attractive, almost like vanilla pipe tobacco.

And then….

Yes.

Now I understand. It takes about 30 minutes to get there for me, but – wow. Gorgeous and singularly exceptional, yet hauntingly familiar. Woods and amber with a hint of vanilla, but so much more that defies my recognition. Indescribable. A sensual poem.

Shalimar Blue Water Ad Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Next, I sought out vintage bottles. My first scores were EdC in the “watch” bottle and Parfum in the “rosebud” bottle. I decided to review them side by side:

Shalimar EdC:

A quieter, softer opening. Morphs into soft vanilla incense tobacco magic within a few minutes. Fades fast on my skin, a quiet haze that hugs my body closely and shares its presence only with those I allow in that space.

Shalimar Parfum:

A sharp, bold opening. Spicy, and the citronella note is not as bright as with modern EDP but surprisingly still pronounced. Throw is fairly intense, yet somehow focused for me – not a diffusive cloud of fragrance, but a moonbeam piercing the humid summer night’s sky. The aroma drifts into a powdery stage before reaching the equilibrium of the true intent of Shalimar: a warm, almost indescribable perfume that slows my breathing and makes me feel powerfully magnetic. Sultry, mysterious, dark, thickly sensual.

Shalimar Guerlain Shalimar_gardens WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

Shalimar lasts anywhere from 5-8 hours on my skin. It is definitely an evening, date-night fragrance by tradition ~ and I am a very non-traditional person, so I wear it whenever and wherever the hell I please! That being said, I often crave it at night and wear it as my midnight aromatherapy.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies EdC and Australian Perfume Junkies Parfum
FragranceNet has $48/74ml EdC and other selections
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Shalimar Collection Erica GoldingErica’s Shalimar Collection Photo Donated Erica Golding

I hope you have enjoyed my account of how I lost my Shalimar virginity; and I hope that I’ve either conjured precious scent memories of your own, or piqued your interest in sampling this beauty for your own first time.

With warmly fragrant hugs,
Erica Golding

Junky by Anais Biguine for Jardins D’Ecrivains 2014

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Some perfume names give us a preconceived idea of the vibe of the fragrance in question. I was keen to get my nose on this from the minute I heard of it. I was born at the end of the fifties which threw me into the Punk Generation at exactly the right time. Had I been born earlier I like to think that I would have been part of the Beat Generation. This group consisted of a groups of American post World War II writers who came to the fore in the 1950s. The main elements of this “Beat” culture included experimentation with drugs, an interest in religion, alternative sexualities, a rejection of materialism and some unrestrained portrayals of the human condition. The best known writers and examples of the Beat Literature are probably William Burroughs (who wrote Junky), Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac.

Junky Jardins d’Ecrivains Jack_Kerouac WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

It was Kerouac who coined the phrase “Beat Generation”. Thanks to the punk era into which I was thrown – I was turned onto the Beat Generation literature. Junky, Naked Lunch and On the Road being my top three reads.

Junky by Anais Biguine for Jardins D’Ecrivains 2014

Junky Jardins d’Ecrivains FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords:
Top: Hemp, Palisander Rosewood, Galbanum
Heart: Iris, Violet, Gardenia
Base: Cashmeran, cedar, vetiver, incense, juniper, moss and myrtle (From Jardins D’Ecrivains box: Cashmeran, Cedar, Javanese vetiver, Sweet myrrhe, Frankincense, Cade, Moss)

So Jardins D’Ecrivains taking on Junky as a literary influence for a perfume was really quite formidable and perhaps a little abstract.

Green, green, green. Thick and ferocious. Straight to the amygdala, located deep within the brain. The hemp, combined with galbanum is legally intoxicating. Sticky and skunky and did I mention green?. I wish this moment would last forever but that might be too much to bear. It slides effortlessly into the beautifully smooth middle notes. This is very pleasurable and comfortable. Heady but controlled. Three beautiful floral notes intertwined one with another. And then the comedown. In this case, it is soft and sweet and lasts some hours. Quite dry, but a narcotic sweet feel nonetheless. It harks back to the opening green notes. A clever twist. It´s funny what a name can do. I was wondering if Jardins D’Ecrivains had called this Peter Pan, would it have made my experience any different? I think not. It would have just have been a wasted Peter Pan!

Junky Jardins d’Ecrivains neon_green_butterfly_falls EpicIV DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Jardins D’Ecrivains succeeded with the Junky vibe. I was impressed with the journey that Junky takes you on. From the instant hit, to the agreeable middle, and a peaceful descent. Unlike the real thing.

Absolutely worth checking out. You could read the book too.

With thanks to First in Fragrance who rushed me a generous sample upon request.

First in Fragrance has €93/100ml and samples

“Silence is only frightening to people who are compulsively verbalizing.” William S. Burroughs

Bussis
CQ

Aqua Sextius by Cécile Zarokian for Jul et Mad Paris 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

OK Happy Huffers,

Today a beautifully presented silver spray sample arrived from the Jul et Mad crew. Can I tell you from the beautiful and detailed packaging that I already feel like I am having an uber luxe experience. It all feels so finished and thought out. Then I went to look up the perfumer Cecile Zarokian whose name rang only faint bells for me till seeing that she has been quite prolific and done some fragrances I know well: Amouage Epic Woman, Tango for Masque and Pink for Undergreen. Curiouser and curiouser I decided to do a first spritz piece for you today. Come with me and try ….

Aqua Sextius by Cécile Zarokian for Jul et Mad Paris 2014

Aqua Sextius Jul et Mad Paris FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citrus zests, bergamot, mandarin, orange, grapefruit, tea notes, mimosa blossom
Heart: White flowers, sea notes, fig, pine tree resin
Base: Labdanum, amber(gris), cedar, guaiac wood, oak moss, musk

So the structure reads very much like a chypre, lets call it a modern chypre. The fragrance is in parfum concentration and I have to give a big fat bravo to Jul et Mad for doing 5ml, 20ml and 50ml bottles. It means that you can test, enjoy and have choice to suit your budget. So important now that fragrance is becoming increasingly expensive.

How does Aqua Sextius smell on my skin? Well, the opening is fun and fizzy citrus, very smile inducing and sweet. The mimosa is clean and adds some warmth to an otherwise cool sweetness and the whole opening is effortlessly wearable. I can already imagine it becoming a go-to for the opening alone. I am reminded of another fragrance but can’t put my finger on which one. If summer, or the dream of summer, could have a scent then Aqua Sextius could definitely be it. this is scent of the fun summer that you want always to remember, like a scent-track.

FigsPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

It’s not long before we get salty fig and resins, here there is a soft, elegant reminder of Womanity; sensual and not in your face at all like the Mugler. Here we are treated to similar parts but put together for an unstructured creamy linen suit and a pistachio T-Shirt rather than the spiky, shoulder padded, OTT and aggressive tone of Mugler. While Aqua Sextius is infinitely more wearable I think I prefer the Womanity at this point, for me anyway. Aqua Sextius is light and spare, clean and fresh in the modern 2014 new vision of such things. It feels bang up to date and has a lovely sillage. That’s basically how it stays on my skin for hours, just getting quieter and parts of the fragrance slowly falling by the wayside. At every point I find Aqua Sextius very wearable and non confrontational. It is interesting enough for a perfumista, but more importantly I think almost everyone would think this a fabulous gift.

laughingPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

After about 8 hours, yes EIGHT hours, I am left with a slightly salty wood waft that is barely discernible. Very sexy: if I didn’t know better I would think it was my own smell. It’s not my own smell, it is a beautiful mask.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Colognoisseur
Jul et Mad have 3 sizes all in a Parfum concentration: 5ml/€22.50, 20ml/€95, 50ml/€230 (All with postage inclusive!! To the world)

One of the comments I really love is about the name: Empliau writes, “Aquae Sextiae was the Latin name of Aix en Provence. Aqua is feminine in Latin and requires a feminine adjective. Aqua Sextius is simply impossible and grates upon the ear.”

Have you tried the lovely little beastie?
Portia xx

 

Lolita Lempicka: Elle L'aime 2013

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Hey Hey APJ,

Today we are wandering the mainstream halls of department stores. Yes it’s designer fragrance day and I was surprised to see a lovely new bottle in the designer section last year. Earlier this year I gave myself a quick spritz. Lolita Lempicka is a favourite mainstream house because they are often edgy and boundary pushing. Their original Lolita Lempicka, Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin and L de Lolita Lempicka Coral Flower have been favourites of mine through smelling on my mates. So, how did the new one measure up?

Lolita Lempicka: Elle L’aime 2013

Christine Nagel and Serge Majoullier

Elle L'aime Lolita Lempicka FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, neroli, lime
Heart: Coconut, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, myrrh

Can I first say how terrible I think the name is when you aren’t French. Elle L’aime? Isn’t that like “Pretty Lame”? or “So Lame”? What a crap name.

Elle L’aime, for those that are wondering means “It’s Like”. So what is Elle L’aime like? Well, the fragrance is pretty and wearable. The citrus opens with a zing and already there is a beautiful fat coconut note pushing through, it’s very gourmand on my skin. Like a Lemon Meringue Pie with Coconut sprinkles and Vanilla and Biscuit base. All ice cream delicious. Fun.

As the very slightly breathy jasmine and the thick, glutinous, fatty ylang oozes in all slinky-like they are paired very nicely with the citrus remnants and the coconut. Though I am pretty sure there aren’t a LOT of natural parts in this recipe the whole vibe is surprisingly dense and the sillage is quite noticeable though you have to sit somewhere for nearly a minute before the fragrance pushes its way out from you. The jasmine and ylang heart is surprisingly green, maybe remnants of the neroli(?), but it feels like some kind of sappy leaf has been torn and it’s just a hint behind the rest of the fragrance.

I think Elle L’aime will be a perfect first grown up fragrance or a lovely addition to your easy wear, spritz and forget wardrobe. In fact, though they don’t smell much the same I am reminded of Annich Goutal’s Songes, a sugared version made in the 21st century perhaps.

They have done a nice job on the sandalwood, it has some lovely facets of the Australian sandalwood but there’s probably not much of the real deal, if any. It’s warm, buttery and cuddly and has a lovely softly polished age to it that sits very well with the vanilla and of myrrh I can see no sniff or scanty scent. But that could very easily be me, my nose is notoriously wonky.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

The girl in the picture is well chosen as representative. Elle L’aime is pretty, creamy, at once lovely and perfectly groomed, she is probably arriving at the party in this shot and will not change overly throughout the night. I imagine her leaving only very slightly mussed and a little less expectant, perhaps even a little sparkle from the dancing and the kissing. While hard core perfumistas will probably be bored to tears by Elle L’aime because it is in no way challenging or outrageous. If the job of perfume is to smell good then Elle L’aime is doing a good job. I smell lovely right to dry down in well over 5 hours till Elle L’aime is just a quiet hum of something close to nothing….

Further reading: Now Smell This and NYMag: The Cut
FragranceNet starts at $37/38ml after coupon
My Perfume Samples has $2/ml to $7/5ml

Do you ever go mainstream? Which designer fragrance house in department stores will get your attention when you wander through? Do you await a particular crews latest? Does a bottle ever capture your attention?
Portia xx

Amber Absolute by Tom Ford 2007

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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I acquired today’s fragrance last week in the midst of my “whale excitement”, it has now become my “go to” fragrance of the month. Every time I wear it, there are positive comments. I find I get that with anything animalic, smoky or “mysterious”. It’s a fragrance many wouldn’t dare to buy off the shelf, as it may not seem instantly pretty, but once worn or smelt on someone else, the depths and layers come alive.

Amber Absolute by Tom Ford 2007

Amber Absolute Tom Ford FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Amber, incense, vanilla, olibanum, labdanum, woody notes

As we would expect from Tom Ford, the box and the bottle is distinctive, mysterious and understated. It looks black, but held up to the light it’s actually a dark, dark amber colour. The label is gold-plated. I love holding the bottle in my hand. It’s cold, solid and sends a small shiver of excitement into me every time I pick it up.

Amber Absolute is delicious and sultry, warm and engulfing. In fact I would happily bathe in it! I love it as a winter scent. It makes me feel cosy, yet glamorous. There’s strength to it, akin to a sip of spiced rum. It’s a more old school kind of a smell, one of old wooden ships and incense…explorers on the high seas. It’s definitely unisex.

Amber Absolute Tom Ford schooner PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Amber Absolute makes a statement, whilst also crowd pleasing, with it’s coumarin and vanilla bean notes, though avoids becoming overpoweringly or generically sweet. I love that the notes remain savory, so to speak, and I think it’s amped up incense and old woody church/ship smell is behind this. It nods quite a lot to TF’s Sahara Noir…Olibanum/woods/balsamic…It’s this part that I think divides the love or hate for this fragrance. I don’t think many would remain on the fence about it. There’s dry salt air from go to whoa. It’s robust and full, a little goes a long way. During the dry down (8 hours or more, later) it gets a more leathery and animalic then tapers to sweet, powdery and a little smoky-vanilla. There’s treemoss and oakmoss, but not enough for it to stand out too much, just enough to let the other ingredients ride on their back.

Amber Absolute Tom Ford Humpback Whales National Marine Sanctuary FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

It’s good, really good. It’s not really doing anything too new, but doing it really well. That ‘niche’ colliding with ‘mainstream’ thing that TF does so well. That “smells expensive” thing he also always seems to nail. Marketed as the strongest, most concentrated amber, I rule out real ambergris is in the ingredients list, but it is an ‘amber’, that plays with the elements of raw ambergris.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Olfactoria’s Travels

A little ode to Ambergris:
“It’s hard not to fall in love with ambergris. Here is a solid lump of whale feces, weathered down—oxidized by salt water, degraded by sunlight, and eroded by waves — from the tarry mass to something that smells, depending on the piece and whom you’re talking to, like musk, violets, fresh-hewn wood, tobacco, dirt, Brazil nut, fern-copse, damp woods, new-mown hay, seaweed in the sun, the wood of old churches, or pretty much any other sweet-but-earthy scent”

Floating Gold Christopher Kemp BookDepositoryChristopher Kemp’s Floating Gold: A Natural (and Unnatural) History of Ambergris $22 delivered from BookDepository

Sadly Amber Absolute has been pulled off the shelf and discontinued…the TF house says, fragrances, like fashion, (and whales) have their seasons…

Ainslie xx
http://www.ainsliewalker.com

Rosae Mundi by Profumum Roma 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

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Post by SarahK

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Profumum is known for the strength, the depth, and the often sweet, gourmand nature of its fragrances. I find some of their fragrances far too rich for my blood (including their famous Ambra Aurea, though it is adored by many) but I am in love with Rosae Mundi. Portia has already reviewed this scent here, but I wanted to offer another take on this dark rose.

Rosae Mundi by Profumum Roma 2012

RosaeMundi FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

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

Rosae Mundi made me sit up and take notice from the very first spray. It’s a glorious perfumey, patchouli rose, which for some reason immediately brings to my mind the cool, dark spaces and stony walls of a soaring gothic cathedral. The aura created by the top notes is more than just a scent to me, it’s a physical space.

Rosae Mundi Profumum Roma Gloucester Cathedral GeographPhoto Stolen Geograph

Within five minutes, Rosae Mundi has developed a berry overtone that I find familiar: it’s the sweetness and muskiness at the heart of Kilian’s Rose Oud, though Rosae Mundi feels less neon bright and more earthy than the Kilian creation and contains no oud note. Not that I think Kilian’s Rose Oud contains much oud either… An hour or so in, the berries sitting on top of the patchouli rose become juicier and the powdery muskiness gets yet more pronounced. At this stage it’s quite hypnotic. Portia’s review of Rosae Mundi mentioned that this scent could be transportive for those around somebody who wore it as a signature scent, and I totally agree. Beneath its sweet rose facet, this is a deep and meditative scent experience for me. My nose is glued to my wrist for the first 4 hours! During the dry down, the scent continues for a long time as a musky-mossy rose and soft berry mix. At this stage, if the scent were fabric, it would be a dark red velvet. In the far dry-down the rosy patchouli becomes a soft candle-wax that lasts for several more hours.

Rosae Mundi Profumum Roma red velvet IndianWeddingSitePhoto Stolen IndianWeddingSite

Like all the Profumum fragrances that I have tried, this is potent stuff. A couple of sprays will last all day on me (20+ hours), with a good scent trail for the first few hours.

Further reading: NowSmellThis
LuckyScent has $265/100ml and samples

Have you tried Rosae Mundi? Are roses your thing? What’s your favourite rose?
SarahK xx

(Ed: SarahK will be taking a break from APJ. She is currently pregnant and finding her nose has gone a little wonky. We all wish her the best of luck with the whole shebang and can’t wait for her return)

Shalimar: Ode a la Vanille Sur la Route du Mexique by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

OK,

My mate Chairman Meow not long ago told me about this fragrance being sold for a song at FragranceNet. I was interested but at the time I’d just returned from Europe and was already thinking about our next adventure in Korea. There has been plenty of chatter about the differences in the Ode a la Vanille range with Madagascar (known as ShaLemur by the perfumistas) coming out as the clear winner from the group. Today’s offering has been called too close to the original, uninspired and lackluster. Well, I think that depends on what you are after and your expectations….

Shalimar: Ode a la Vanille Sur la Route du Mexique by Guerlain 2013

By Thierry Wasser

Shalimar Vanille Mexique Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Caramel, chocolate, incense, iris, opoponax, vanilla, tonka bean

Here’s the deal for me. I love Shalimar. They all sing to me on some level. Shalimar: Ode a la Vanille Sur la Route du Mexique (hereafter known as Mexique) is pretty, furry, sweet and glamorous. Close to Shalimar original? Yes, they could be sisters, where the others are probably cousins. How I think though is that Shalimar original has changed over the years too, the Shalimar we bought in 1930, 1970, 2011 and now in 2014 are all different. Sometimes the differences have been subtle and at other times the fragrance bears a more distant relationship. Though I have no knowledge of how Thierry Wasser works, or any of his reasonings, my mind has made some completely unsubstantiated jumps to conclusions. Please read the following paragraph as a story, not as truth:

I think Thierry Wasser has been playing around with Shalimar to try and get it back to what is more like the original intent of Guerlain. Over the years the tweaks and turns, the different perfumers, the availability of ingredients and now regulations had changed what we bought as Shalimar in 2011 to something still lovely in and of itself but at a far remove from the sensual, dusty, creamy, furry, animal, confection that it was. Having smelled his recreation of the original Shalimar at the Osmotheque in February I wonder if he was inspired by being able to make his houses mainstay fragrance as close as he could to the original formula. So did he, Mr Wasser, then decide to see if he could reinvent the masterpiece? Are we now getting the batches that were made as test runs? Could these be the lead up to what I think is one of the loveliest Shalimars in my coillection, 2013/4, where the growl is back, the lovely and brilliant opening already infused with a tiger that stalks the fragrance till the very last gasp in dry down? Are these the beauties that were lovely but not Shalimar enough?

Shalimar Vanille Mexique Guerlain Mexico Rod Waddington FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

So here I am with a 5ml atomiser of Mexique from My Perfume Samples. I have worn it a coup0le of times and the first hour and a half is mesmerisingly beautiful. I spritz before work and find myself transported to another world, this is like Shalimar: Taste of Fragrance. What was already an ice cream laden gourmand has become a modern chewy choc-caramel lolly, similar but dry and  lacking the HUGE zing of citrus that is so Shalimar, Also missing from Shalimar and found in the Mexique is a furry, mannish, animal purr: a darkness. I get a quirky amberish, macaroon type sweetness that is both crispy and gooey simultaneously, like big coffee sugar pieces that you crunch in your mouth with the dregs of your coffee. It also seems slightly weightless, as if it’s missing some of the important base notes and its lifespan is also considerably shorter at under 4 hours fragrant on my skin, leaving a trail of sweet nothings for a little while longer.

FragranceNet has $46/50ml
My Perfume Samples starts at $3/ml to $9/5ml

Do I love Mexique? Is it different or special enough to FB? To be honest, I have just ordered one.
Portia xx