Review

I Hate That Perfume Because… Sydney Perfume Lovers

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Hiya APJ,

A lot of what we as perfume, fragrance and scent lovers do is done solo. We read our computers, test, smell, enjoy and buy a lot of our fragrance alone. It’s one of the things I really love about the whole perfumista life. Never having to wait for anyone else to do what I love, smell scents. Sometimes though getting together and sharing the love is as much or, Gods forbid, more fun. Imagine a crew of about 12 frag hounds all sitting around eating, drinking, laughing and sniffing. That’s what happened today here at my house. I don’t know if you’ve seen online a thing called MeetUp? In our modern day, high pressure, quick moving, ever changing world sometimes we lose touch with those that are near and dear and find ourselves unable to create new ones, or maybe what you love is very niche and you’re looking for some mates to enjoy it with, whatever the reason a friend of mine Catherine de Peloux Menage (Writer, Fragrance Finder, Personal Scent Consultant and glamorous, great girl about town) decided she would start a crew of her own called Sydney Perfume Lovers – MeetUp. From the tiny germ of an idea there are now well over a hundred members, events scheduled regularly and we have created a Sunday Scent Salon in my home once a month where we come together about a fragrance related topic and have a wonderful morning tea, here’s how today’s went down.

Sunday Scent Salon: I Hate That Perfume Because

Sydney Perfume Lovers – MeetUp

So the topic this month was “I Hate That Perfume Because…” and we were challenged to find a fragrance that really irks us in some way, drives us batshit crazy when we smell it, gives us hives, creates confusion or any other reason that we hate it. There was a catch though, we weren’t there to be only negative, we had to provide an explanation that went further than “YUCK, Disgusting shit. Hate it.” We had to bring a reasonable argument and scent memory with us, and preferably the fragrance too so we could all tell what you were thinking when you gave your spiel.

WOW! We got some DOOZIES!!! People had really gone all out to obtain their anti-elixir and had their stories primed and ready.

I hate that perfume because#1

Some of the fragrances we hated included, L’Heure Bleue by Guerlain because it smells like urinal cakes. Fahrenheit because it smells like bug spray, Rexona Men’s Sport Deodorant because it’s cheap, nasty and ubiquitous, BVLGARI BLV Pour homme because it is a nasty mess and melange of everything unwanted in a fragrance, La Petit Robe Noire Parfum by Guerlain because it is nice for the first hour but then lasts eternally and becomes both sickly and boring at the end, Tweed by Lentheric due to family remembrances, Giorgio Beverly Hills because of its overuse in the 1980s but we all agreed that it smells rather lovely now having not smelled it for years, L’Eau d’Issey Femme because it is a solid wall of scent that lasts eternally and is a metallic, super sweet mess. There were others including an art book infused with the scent of fear obtained by putting swatches on the inside legs and armpits a men and making them do really scary stuff, then recreating those scents artificially for a book which was strange, subversive and extremely compelling.

I hate that perfume because#2

There was heaps of lighthearted banter and no one took offense, we all really had a great time and as always I feel like I’ve made some new friends. People who like something I am completely beserko about. Good people who I was lucky enough to spend some time getting to know today, a couple I’ve met before and some others who are already my friends. More than anything it reminds me how lucky we all are. Without the internet I would still be a completely solo fragrance lover, which can be nice but now I can share my love with people all over the world.

I hate that perfume because#3

Be it these lovely MeetUp Scent Salons we organise, on the Facebook pages, reading blogs and articles or here in this wondrous space (APJ) where I feel like there is a whole fragrance family where we can share our Cuckoo, fly our freak flag and generally unleash our love of fragrance.

I hate that perfume because#4

I hate that perfume because#5

I do apologise for my TERRIBLE photo taking, getting the lights in and rotten framing. We were having too much fun to be sensible and I am glad.

Today was great, you should think about starting a MeetUp where you are. Nobody has too many friends and you never know where your next BFF will come from. Should you wish to join us at a Sunday Scent Salon you must first join Sydney Perfume Lovers – MeetUp. We can’t wait to meet you and hear your stories over some great food, some champagne and tea.

Love and fragrant hugs from me,
Portia xx

 

Fanny Flambo: The Smoking Pussies Gang: Video

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Hi there APJ,

Sometimes while trolling the net I am lucky enough to fall across some gold. Seriously. This is doing the rounds and you may have seen it but I thought it worth a share.

Fanny FlamboPhoto wn.com

I have whole weeks when I feel like poor Fanny Flambo and this lucky man found her in a Pound Store. All I can imagine is the damage this doll could have done if we’d had her in our childhoods.

This is slightly NSFW

Portia xx

Fanny Flambo: The Smoking Pussies Gang: Video

 

Ma Folie de Noel (My Christmas Folly: Holiday no.6) by DSH Perfumes

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hi Ho Fumies,

I have a beautiful friend, Natalie, from Another Perfume Blog who gave me this very delicious fragrance. I had tried it and loved it a while back and though she loves it too it wasn’t getting the wear it deserved in her perfume wardrobe. I can’t stop spritzing, like an addict, and get a rush of happy every time I do.

Ma Folie de Noel by DSH Perfumes

(My Christmas Folly: Holiday no.6)

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

Ma Folie de Noel (My Christmas Folly; Holiday no.6) DSH Perfumes FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Star anise, whipped cream, incense

Star anise, Whipped Cream and Incense. The list is so short but Ma Folie de Noel is so much more than it’s featured accords. Sometimes simple is boring but not here. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz is a bit of a magician, in her capable hands we get an incense bomb that sits firmly in gourmand land, and though the incense is there through the whole ride it serves (on my skin) as a back ground to the lovely boozy and creamy extravaganza that I find completely reminiscent of an Egg Flip that my Mum used to make for us. I think I’ve written this somewhere before but can’t find where. Though it is star anise in the spotlight I get nuances of other fabulous spices like nutmeg, vanilla and a hint of Chinese five spice, the whipped cream has nods to caramel ice cream and there is a touch of brandy, maybe even a lovely rich honeyed scotch whiskey and always the cool wash of unburned incense floating underneath.

Ma Folie de Noel Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Egg Flip WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Though Ma Folie de Noel starts out big and lavish it softens out within an hour and after two hours I have a warm caramel glow left that stays around at that close level for ages. I miss the moment when I go back to smelling like only me but my guess is somewhere around the 4-5 hour mark. Ma Folie de Noel id totally wearable and I would say could even be worn in close working quarters, unless your office is frag phobic.

Ma Folie de Noel Dawn Spencer Hurwitz caramel-dessert PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Though Ma Folie de Noel is marketed as a Christmas scent I think we can skip all that and wear it year round, a cool evening in Spring would be equally as gorgeous. I have yet to try it in the full heat of summer but I’d like to, just to see.

Further reading: Another Perfume Blog and Fragrant Man
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz  site starts at $5 up to $70 and has a full range of ambient and body products to match.

Are there any frags you wear that are seasonal? Do you spritz beyond those seasons? Ever?
Portia xx

 

Id by Mendittorosa (Odori d'Anima) 2012

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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When my kids were very young they used to make “gift”. “Gift” is the German word for poison. They would use a glass jar and run around the house filling it with all kinds of things. Dishwashing liquid, soap powder, ketchup, flour, salt, pepper, honey, chocolate sauce, jam, and who knows what else. They would hide the jars somewhere on our balcony and wait a couple of days to see what would happen. As far as I remember they caught a few unlucky wasps, and the stuff bubbled up into a gooey mess, which I had to clean up. They have not gone on to create any fragrances.

Stefania Squeglia used to do something similar. Except we can call these olfactory experiments. Stefania would fill her glass jars with flower petals, water and women´s perfumes. She would hide the jars in the dark and wait a while to discover the fragrant results of her combinations, to see how the “odours” had changed.

SONY DSCPhoto Stolen FotoPedia

It was during a trip to Stromboli Island in 2011 that these memories were reawakened and served to inspire Stefania Squeglia to begin her creative career. “Mendittorosa Odori d’Anima” was born. The island is situated off the north coast of Sicily and has one of three active volcanoes in Italy, The Stromboli Volcano is the cornerstone of Stefania´s ideas, and influences her concepts and scents.

Menditorrosa is an Italian niche perfume house. There are five Mendittorosa perfumes, all extrait de parfum.

TRILOGY “For all things in life, there is a beginning and there is an end. But the end can also mark a new beginning.”

Alfa. Omega. Id. These three fragrances have been created to wear separately or combined.

NORTH AND SOUTH “Each north has it´s south, and each south, it´s north. Two opposites longing for completeness.”

North. South. These too can be worn alone or layered.

Id by Mendittorosa (Odori d’Anima) 2012

Id Mendittorosa FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Mendittorosa gives these featured accords:
Top: Ravensara
Heart: Jasmine, Iris
Base: Birch, Oud, Labdanum, Cinnamon

I would not be comfortable writing about each one of the fragrances as one needs a good length of time to feel what the perfumer intends.
I chose to spend a few days wearing “Id” as I felt an immediate attraction to the concept of this perfume. The locals of Stromboli Island refer to the volcano as “Iddu” from which Stefania named this perfume. This was the fragrance that first brought Mendittorosa to life. I lived on a volcanic island in the Atlantic for 2 years and love the idea of a perfume that has been inspired from volcanic surrounds. “Id” was launched in 2012.

Id Mendittorosa Stromboli Island Marco Lazzaroni FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

“Id” is an oriental. The notes include ravensara, jasmine, iris, birch, oud, labdanum and cinnamon. I had to look up ravensara and you can too. It is a plant that grows in Madagascar and I was not familiar with it. Don´t be put off by the oud (!) or any other note that you may think you don´t care for. This is so beautifully formulated that no one note is dominant. It is very warm and I found it to be energizing. It unfolds over several hours and ends up being quite musky. Good for guys and gals. And the bottles are stunning.

I wanted to check these out at the Esxence last month, but didn´t get the chance. I am extremely grateful to “Aus Liebe Zum Duft” (First in Fragrance) who rectified that and took the time to send me samples of the Mendittorosa collection.

Mendittorosa has a new perfume in the pipeline. “Le Mat”. One to look out for.

First in Fragrance has €185/100ml and samples
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

The Mendittorosa Collection is available in a number of countries in Europe, a couple of places in the US, Kuwait and Saudia Arabia.
They will soon be available from Mendittorosa.

Did you hear of these or try any in the line yet?

Have a good week.

Bussis
CQ

Antonio Banderas Spirit for Woman 2005

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Post by Katrina

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As winter approaches we had our first cool day yesterday after what has seemed like a never-ending summer. Finally time to put away my summer scents. My summer fragrances are fresh, light and breezy. I like to wear fruity florals and aquatic style perfumes when the weather is hot. As the weather cools I prefer warm spicy perfumes. The perfume I reached for today is one I prefer to wear in cooler weather…….

Antonio Banderas Spirit for Woman 2005

Spirit for Woman Antonio Banderas FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the following notes.
Top: Citrus, plum
Heart: Peony, freesia, orange blossom
Base: Sandalwood, musk

I love all the notes listed here and when I bought the perfume untested I was so happy to find that it was all that I hoped for and more. Antonio Banderas Spirit for women is warm, spicy, sensual and classy.

Spirit for Woman Antonio Banderas WikiPediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Spirit opens with gorgeous rich deep plum and spicy sandalwood. These are strong notes but the perfume is not at all overpowering. The perfume develops with pretty floral notes that undertone the sandalwood. The floral notes add a touch of femininity to the perfume although they are quite subtle. I love sandalwood and this woody note dominates the fragrance for me. The perfume dries down to a warm spicy musk that lasts for hours. Spirit is just as sexy and classy as Antonio Banderas himself.

The sandalwood and spice make Spirit smell a bit masculine. Men could definitely wear Spirit for women despite the pink, curvy bottle. Spirit for women smells unisex but there is also a version of Antonio Banderas Spirit for men.

Spirit for Woman Antonio Banderas Evita FilmWebPhoto Stolen FilmWeb
(Problem using this image? Tell me, I’ll remove immediately)

Antonio Banderas Spirit for women is an award winning oriental perfume produced by Puig. Spirit won a US FiFi award in 2006 for Fragrance of the Year – Women’s Popular Appeal category.

FragranceNet has Antonio Banderas Spirit for Woman under $9/30ml

For more celebrity perfume news and reviews, check out my website Celebrity Perfume

Katrina xx

High Flying Adored: Antonio Banderas Live

Live Your Dream by Anna Sui 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Hello Lovely APJ Family,

Today’s fragrance is said to be named for Anna Sui’s motto. It’s also the reason I bought it. If I was to really have a “MOTTO” it would probably be something as banal and obvious as this. Sometimes you have to remind yourself that what’s important is quality of life, and quality of life for me is remembering to make sure the life I live is as much MY dream as I can make it. Sure, there will always be some mean, ungrateful, torturous or awful people who like to come and besmirch your buzz, trample your dreams and grind your good deeds into dust. Those people are sent to try us. Without them we would not need to look for the good, it would be everywhere. So with all that rubbishy blather behind us it’s time to….

Live Your Dream by Anna Sui 2009

Live Your Dream Anna Sui FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Floral notes, white pepper, lily-of-the-valley, water lily
Heart: Jasmine, Bulgarian rose
Base: Sandalwood, tonka beans, musk, cedar, teak wood

Right. I bought this bottle back in 2009 or 2010 and it gets used only rarely but when I crave it I wear it for 3 or 4 days and then it goes away for 3 months or more till my next Live Your Dream inkling. My bottle is 30ml and I’ve not even used a quarter yet. Speaking of the bottle it is the campest, kitchiest thing with vintage roses/retro-molding, little girl cum Barbie doll stylings that has always struck me as a little Lolita-esque. This is a girl/woman bottle and I could imagine it being in the purse of Anna Nicole Smith types.

Live Your Dream Anna Sui Beyonce quleen1907 DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

So, what does Live Your Dream smell like? Lily, water, vases of lilies, greenery, fresh fruit (maybe pear or cantaloupe), rain, cold metal, cutting a bell pepper, plastic, lily of the valley (leaves and flowers), wet grass, air conditioned rooms are the impression the first few minutes give me. An unnatural, aromachemical melange that is sheer but weighty, very good sillage and projection for the first 2 hours until it calms to a dull roar. I love the way the industrial wet flowers give way to something only a little warmer that feels like it might be some resinous vanilla reinvention. This does not smell very real at any time, nor does Live Your Dream smell like there is very much money in the juice, it skirts the cleaning product aisle but never really goes there, it feels like it might though at any minute. It’s weird wearing a fragrance that you’ve had in your collection for a long while and for the first time trying to dissect it, instead of floating along and enjoying the ride.

Live Your Dream Anna Sui Peony PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Through the heart I get much more of a peony smell than rose or jasmine, it’s that lovely sweet and watery vegetal feel that fresh bunch of peonies from the florist have. Powder is here too, but more like the smell of some powders that the powder or texture of powder, still it makes me think powder. Then at around the 4 hour mark Live Your dreams stops smelling of anything in particular and becomes an incredibly soft murmur of wet, green, resinous wood that has no real distinctive notes but is more a close to the skin wash.

Live Your Dream Anna Sui Peony_nebula WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Reading this post you would think I don’t like Live Your Dream, but I REALLY like it, I love it. Live Your Dream fills a space that I crave.

FragranceNet has $26/30ml before coupon
My Perfume Samples have $1/ml

Are there some cheapies that you adore in your cupboard? How much wear do they get?

Resina by Oliver Valverde for Oliver + Co. 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 46 Comments

Hey Hey Crew,

Before I went overseas this year I received a lovely pack, with excellent presentation, from Oliver & Co. and it is a four pack of their 10ml samples in what was called a Discovery Set. I bought them for €25 but can now find no samples on the site anywhere. Grrrrrr. Some things I love about the Oliver & Co. brand are their very clever FREE SHIPPING TO THE WORLD and their reasonable prices, €95 the highest for the Illustrated Series. That’s less than buying 100ml of Shalimar EdP by Guerlain in a Department Store.

Resina by Oliver Valverde for Oliver + Co. 2012

Resina Oliver & Co. FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tolu balsam, elemi, myrrh, labdanum, opoponax, jasmine sambac, incense, benzoin, coffee, christmas tree or flame tree, mace, rooibos tea, tonka bean, star anise

Sweet, spicy and furry warmth is what jumps off my skin immediately with a herbal tea, accompaniment but more than anything I get lovely and interesting mixtures of resins, a full on version of the ones you stand in before and during ballet classes to give you traction. This is how Penhaligon’s Iris Prima should have opened and ended. It’s not often I feel I can smell the leaves and bark of the trees that the resins are procured from but here in Resina there is a definite waft of green that cuts through the sweetness, though sweetness is not meant in a cake or biscuit way but in a sweet wax way.

Resina Oliver + Co. WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Then the chocolate, very realistic chocolate, adds its song. The chocolate is a fun twist that never takes over and is only noticeable after the first while if you look for it. It’s not one of the notes though so I could be dreaming. My skin also throws a very slightly breathy jasmine and a little bit of curried star anise, but maybe it’s my using star anise in curies that provides the link. The copy says hypnotic, dense and carnal: I can see and smell all those images. It is densely packed with pieces that play togetrher in beautiful harmony, there is a certain fleshiness or humanity and a furry feel and i think it could become extremely hypnotic if someone you were already falling in love with wore Resina. It would imprint on your memory and is enough unlike any other scents in its style that you would be a stand alone scent memory.

Fragrant? Yes but not a seriously heavy scent for all its density. Wearable, sexy and interesting. I get good longevity too at around 5-6 hours before I’m left with a soft amorphous wash of nearly nothing.

LuckyScent has $145/50ml

Portia xx

Giveaway Kesha&CoPhoto Stolen Kesha&Co

Resina GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 2ml decant of Resina by Oliver + Co.
1 x 2ml decant of Mousse II by Oliver + Co.
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 a memory that involves resins, incense or a fragrance that includes either that you happen to love.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Resina by Oliver & CO. GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Ex #Perfume #Giveaway #Oliver&Co

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 20th April 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 April 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.

 

Desert Blush by Harry Fremont for Nomad Two Worlds 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

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Post by TinaG

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Hi APJ,

Australia is an amazing country, and no part I find more fascinating than the Australian outback. The landscape is incredibly awe-inspiring. I have fallen in love over and over again, with the stretches of ancient dry desert plains, the rocky crags, the unusual endemic plants and animals that call this country home, and the privilege of sharing some of the dreamings of the first people of this land.

Desert Blush Nomad Two Worlds Australian_Outback WikiMediaPhoto Stolen from WikiMedia

I was very interested to hear about a fragrance line, Raw Spirit, from Nomad Two Worlds which includes some classic Australian flora notes such as boronia and Australian sandalwood in their scents.

Desert Blush by Harry Fremont for Nomad Two Worlds 2014

Desert Blush Nomad Two Worlds FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Australian Boronia, ylang-ylang, osmanthus, jasmine petals, violet, Australian sandalwood, musk and cedar wood

A creamy-peach blush of osmanthus strikes the first chord on opening, supported by an ultra-dry cedar and sandalwood that feels like the wood has been has been placed in the searing heat of the day, along with something astringent and banana-like which I can’t readily place. During the next half hour boronia comes through, followed by delicate hints of a sweet violet and jasmine. Boronia is an Australian native plant, typically with small flowers around 1cm in diameter. The image that this scent provides me with is of the brown-yellow flowers, a classic native variety. The scent of boronia is lemony/woody –small waxy flowers on tough wood stems. Boronia as a scent has waned in popularity from a peak the mid-80’s where it was found in fragrant household products like guest bathroom soaps – you rarely see it around these days which is why I was excited to see it listed as a note.

SONY DSCPhoto Stolen Flickr

Desert Blush is described as being inspired by the Western Australian Desert at sunset. The image that Desert Blush brings to me is one of the mulga woodlands, dry red earth with tough scrubby plants and grasses, but plenty of them. The way the scent dries down really does remind me of being outside in the outback as evening falls – the woody notes take a step back, the softer floral scents which had been baked away in the sun’s heat are allowed to breath in the slowly cooling air. Longevity in this fragrance and the Raw Spirit range is excellent – after settling, it stays on my skin for at least 8 hours and I still get hints on my skin if I’ve left it on overnight.

Desert Blush Nomad Two Worlds Sunset-Strike MichaelSeebeckPhoto Stolen MichaelSeebeck

The approach which Russell James, the founder of Nomad Two Worlds, has taken with the project’s art, photography, and products is one of cultural respect and authenticity, ensuring that Indigenous artists receive royalties for their work, and donating 10% of profits to the Nomad Two Worlds Foundation for support of artists from Indigenous and marginalised communities around the globe.

Nomad Two worlds has $35/7.5ml EdP

The fragrance line of Raw Spirit stays closely within the framework of supporting communities. Of the four fragrances I sampled all donate part of their proceeds to sustainable agricultural projects – Desert Blush and Wild Fire to Indigenous Australian (Aboriginal) projects, with Bijou Vert and Citadel supporting Haitian projects. Fragrance with a conscience. I like it.

Tina G

Cristalle Eau Verte EDT by Jacques Polge for CHANEL 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

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Post by ElizaD

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What I will be wearing at the starting line.

In two short weeks, on April 21, and along with 35,999 others, I will be toeing the line for the 118th running of the Boston Marathon. Yes, this floral and musk girl is also a runner. I have given lots of thought to what I will wear, my outfit, my favorite hat, my lucky necklace, and this year, a little spritz of something to carry me through the challenging parts and more importantly, the emotions of the day.

Cristalle Eau Verte Chanel Boston Marathon Logan Ingalls FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Most of you are probably aware of the events at the finish line of last year’s Boston. I was not there, so I can only imagine what it was like, and my heart broke at the thought of anyone being impacted by the devastation that the bombs caused. I don’t usually wear perfume when I run, unless it’s the last breaths of what I put on earlier in the day, but this year it seems fitting to be wrapped in a little comfort and to make a statement with my whole self as I run, resolved to do my best in this purest expression of human competition.

So, I laid all my samples and bottles out on the top of my vanity and my choice is….

Cristalle Eau Verte EDT by Jacques Polge for CHANEL 2009

Cristalle Eau Verte Chanel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sicilian lemon, bergamot
Heart: Magnolia, neroli
Base: Musk, jasmine, iris

I received a sample from the lovely ladies at the Nordstrom counter and have fallen in love with this easy to wear perfume. It’s citrusy, a bit spicy and very feminine. It’s also light, so it will hopefully not offend those around me, but leave a soft trail as I pass people in the last miles of the course, and will be a fragrant mantra, a reminder of what is beautiful. It’s a little like Bvlgari Eau Parfumee au The Vert, a little like Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, but decidedly more feminine, less unisex. Sillage is moderate.

Cristalle Eau Verte Chanel Green abstract PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

The lemon is of course the first to appear, and that’s why I chose this over some of my other more heady favorites. It gives a crispness that will be welcome in the early morning before the race begins. As I log the miles, Cristalle Eau Verte will unfold and by the time I reach the fabled Newton Hills and then the finish, will have dried down to just a whisper of spice and flowers.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Grain de Musc
Galaxy Perfume has $90/50ml
Posh Peasant has samples starting at $4/ml

People have often asked me why I run. I run for the same reasons that I wear perfume: It makes me happy; it allows me to express myself; it helps me give my best self; and most importantly, it reminds me that there is loveliness in this world, I just have to open my heart and welcome it in.

What is your thing that helps you to see the loveliness in the world?

ElizaD

Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

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Post by Maya

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Hey APJ,

Spring seems to have finally arrived and everyone’s dark mood has lifted. Now suddenly, there is growth again and instead of dirty snow we see green. And I got a cold! Or allergies. Unbelievable! I’m not prone to allergies, but you never know. I do know that my sense of smell has weakened. I still get sharp notes and the overall tone of a fragrance but not enough to review it.

So my thoughts went from smell or the lack thereof to perfume and magic and the wonderful memory of how my perfume love came to be…… When I was in my early teens, we had a very beautiful neighbor, Rehle, whose children I would baby sit. Despite our age difference, she and I became good friends. It was a friendship that would last for many years, even when she moved out of state. One day she called me over. She said she had something to show me. Her boyfriend had come back from a trip to France and had brought her a gift. She held the gift gently in long, lovely fingers. It was her treasure.

Joy by Henri Almeras for Jean Patou 1930

Perfume Magic

Joy Jean Patou FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tuberose, rose, ylang-ylang, aldehydes, pear, green notes
Heart: Jasmine, iris root, Bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, orchid
Base: Musk, sandalwood, civet

She told me it was the most expensive perfume in the world and she wanted to share it with me. Jean Patou Joy, pure perfum in the classic bottle. I had never heard of it.

She gently pulled the dauber out. I remember the perfume on the dauber was almost molten, golden. Then the most beautiful smell I have ever experienced wafted up at me. It seemed to shimmer like thousands of tiny lights. She dabbed some of this magic on me and on herself.

Joy Jean Patou Carina Nebula NASA FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Joy is my perfume magic. Did it really shimmer? It did for me. The top notes were almost alive. It was and still is beautiful on my skin. Have I ever dabbed or spritzed Joy and followed its development or looked for notes? Never. I know all I need to know.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and The Non Blonde
Surrender to Chance has Joy Parfum samples starting at $7/.25ml
(You must try your Joy in store because only recently P&G sold Patou Perfumes to a crew that is revitalising the brand)

Rehle is gone now, but every time I wear or smell Joy I think of her. I see her forever young and beautiful and vibrant and I start to smile. I feel happy. Jean Patou named his perfume well – Joy.

Do you have any perfume magic?

Maya
xx