Coeur De Vétiver Sacré by Karine Vinchon Spehner for L’Artisan Parfumeur 2010

November 16, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Haefennasiel

Hello there! I’m Haefennasiel (obviously not my real name – but I love J.R.R. Tolkien, and this is my elven nom de plume), and this will be my first time to officially review a perfume. But before we begin, my apologies – this is a long overdue guest review that should’ve come out months ago if only a hectic work schedule and stress on the homefront hadn’t gotten in the way.

Coeur De Vétiver Sacré by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Bergamot, orange, black tea, pepper, ginger, coriander, saffron, dates, dried apricot, incense, osmanthus, rose, iris, vanilla, vetiver, tarragon, sandalwood, white cedar, guaiac wood, amber, tonka , labdanum, castoreum, musk

I actually requested for something quite different so I was surprised when I opened the package sent by Australian Perfume Junkies. However, things worked out for the best when I tried out my sample of L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Couer De Vétiver Sacré. My curiosity was piqued because I didn’t know what vetiver was (in the face of amateurish ignorance, research is a very handy ally). After a bit of Wikipedia-ing, I found out vetiver is related to lemongrass (locally known in our neck of the woods as “tanglad”). I became even more curious because we use this as a stuffing ingredient for roast suckling pig! Am I going to reek of pork? However, I was pleasantly and fragrantly surprised …

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I kept the sample next to my keyboard as I worked, sniffing at it in between my lessons. And I was certainly glad I did because I almost immediately felt more relaxed and calm after every sniff. There was an initial pleasant dried-herb scent that was gentle and grassy. I later detected a black tea note, as well as very faint hints of dried ginger and mint. But despite all these elements, there was nothing food-ish or gourmand (much less, roast suckling pig!) about this perfume, and it’s more like a lovingly handmade potpourri.

Photo Stolen Pavel P. Flickr

The sillage wasn’t very strong (probably because I only dabbed a little bit of it to make the sample last), but it stayed comfortably close to my skin. This scent invokes impressions of being in a quiet, secluded corner of a forest. It’s thickly wooded and a bit dim, but there is nothing evil or sinister here. Shafts of sunlight penetrate through the trees bathing the area in a soft, warm glow. The ground is covered with soft damp moss, making it a perfect place to rest and meditate.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Olfactoria’s Travels
FragranceNet has $49/50ml before coupon
The Posh Peasant starts at $4/ml

H x

L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse 2013

November 15, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Hey Hey APJ Crew!!

You may remember recently we did a L’Occitane Divine Cream Review and Challenge, you can watch the progression in L’Occitane Divine Cream Challenge Week 1 and L’Occitane Divine Cream Challenge Week 2 where we challenged you all to grab a sample and see how it left your skin in 2 weeks. At the time L’Occitane also sent me a set of four of their La Collection de Grasse fragrances to try and if I wanted to APJ could review them. Well, I WANT TO! These fragrances are beautiful, wearable, spritz and go winners. Let’s meet them:

L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse

La Collection de Grasse Miniatures Set Photo Stolen L’Occitane

Pictured above is the L’Occitane 7.5ml La Collection de Grasse Miniatures Christmas pack, an excellent choice and currently only $35 on the L’Occitane Australia Site

Jasmine & Bergamote by Karine Dubreuil 2013

Fragrantica gives these featuired accords:
Top: Bergamot, pettigrain, mandarin
Heart: Egyptian Jasmine, jasmine
Base: Sandalwood, cedar

This opens with sheer, watery citrus and the jasmine already floating below, like fresh water from the tap and cut sappy flower stems. Pretty, fresh, light and wearable Jasmine & Bergamote was grabbed by my assistant Katie and getting it back, nearly one third used already, was quite a chore. Jasmine & Bergamote is way too simple for my tastes but Katie can’t stop raving about how much she loves it. It smells wonderful on her and I can see why she likes it, the clean brightness that washes over everything is like a spring sunlit early evening warm but turning cool. Katie has bagsed the bottle, could I give a better recommendation?

Magnolia & Mure by Karine Dubreuil 2013

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, blackberry
Heart: Magnolia, rose
Base: Patchouli

Here we have a very interesting blackberry opening that is full on and in your face, a tart reminder of Enchanted Forest but a gentler, less intimidating version that is extremely modern and sheer but with a great sillage a scent bubble. Noticeable without being intrusive Magnolia & Mure is a true perfume of the teen years of the 21st century and if you want to smell in tune with the times I think it an excellent choice, a fruit-chouli that I enjoy!! Very hard to believe. The heart and dry down are surprisingly still filled with the sizzle of blackberry till the uber clean patchouli quietly fades to nothing. I can imagine Magnolia & Mure being a good gateway fragrance too for the young ready to step away from celebuscents and into the world of fine fragrance.

The Vert & Bigarade by Karine Dubreuil 2013

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bitter orange, green tea
Heart: Mate, thyme
Base: Musk, cedar, hay

The citrus and tea opening is tart, fresh, sparkling and very Eau de Cologne-ish. So delightful and very wearable, I can imagine this becoming a simple, no nonsense go-to fragrance for anyone who wants to smell fresh, vibrant and relaxed. The green continues into the heart and only warms through slightly in the dry down into a soft, clean, woodsy musk. The Vert & Bigarade is not a hugely groundbreaking fragrance but it is a good bet for someone taking their first steps outside the regular department store fare that wants to smell good and not have to worry. Excellent work choice and I think a LOT of gym bags will be sporting The Vert & Bigarade after the gift giving season.

Vanille & Narcisse by Karine Dubreuil 2013

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Black current, bergamot
Heart: Gardenia, narcissus
Base: Tonka bean, vanilla

This is the fragrance that sent me looking for the L’Occitane people in the first place. I can’t believe it’s not 10 x the price in a very chi chi niche perfume line. This has all the interest and elegance of a much more expensive fragrance with a very soft black current and citrus open that is sweet but not that modern hyper-sweet, diabetic with one spritz and the black current showing none of its urinous tendencies. I think the open is tamed by the flowers in the heart and cake sweet rather than lolly sweet vanilla base, Vanille & Narcisse could easily be a Guerlain Aqua Allegoria, CHANEL Exclusive or a DIOR Couturier, it could even be a Patricia de Nicolai.

L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 2 winners who will receive one used for review purposes only bottle of L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse (NO you don’t get to chose)

1 winner will receive:
Magnolia & Mure EdT 75ml
P&H Anywhere in the world

1 winner will receive:
The Vert & Bigarade EdT 75ml
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.

To be eligible for the draw just mention how you follow the APJs and tell us any L’Occitane product that you’ve used or like the sound of

Extra Chances?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie L’Occitane La Collection de Grasse GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2cr #Giveaway #Perfume @LOCCITANE

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 17th November 2013 10pm Australian EDST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 21st November 2013 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.

Interview with Karine Dubreuil, Perfumer for L’Occitane En Provence.

Presenting La Collection De Grasse

Jacinthe et Rose by E. Coudray 1983

November 14, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Poodle

Hello to all my friends down in Oz!

As I’m writing this, the leaves are turning and it feels like fall out there but those of you down under are shaking off the winter chill and spring is in the air. One of my favorite scents of springtime is hyacinth in bloom. I have a few in my yard and I sometimes pick them and bring in a cluster to perfume the house a bit. This past spring I tried to find a perfume with hyacinth as a major note. I stumbled across Jacinthe et Rose online and even though it had peach in it I blind bought a bottle. I know, I know, shame on me. Blind buys are bad.

I had a coupon.

I am weak.

And no, I’ll never learn.

Jacinthe et Rose by E. Coudray 1983

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Top: Vodka, peach, hyacinth, bitter orange
Heart: Peony, orange blossom, jasmine, ylang-ylang, rose
Base: Sandalwood, musk, vanilla, vetiver, cedar

At first spritz it reminded me of something, but what? Each time I tested it I couldn’t place it. Then it dawned on me. Once upon a time Victoria’s Secret was a lovely store that played classical music and their merchandise was not marketed towards teens. Those were the pre-Pink days. In addition to a wonderful perfume called Victoria, they also carried a line of bath and body products which I think were called Secret Garden. Even their fruity scents were good. One of those was Peach Hyacinth.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Jacinthe et Rose reminds me of Peach Hyacinth. I’d completely forgotten about it until now. It’s not a dead ringer for it but there are some similarities. At first spritz it’s a quick blast of peach and hyacinth. It’s not as peachy as I remember Peach Hyacinth being but it’s close enough to trigger my memories of it. You already know my fear of peach and this was one of the few that smelled like peach and not pee on me. The hyacinth was pretty strong in Peach Hyacinth too. I can smell some hyacinth here but I wish it was a bit more pronounced than it is. Soon, Jacinthe et Rose veers away from my remembrance of Peach Hyacinth and becomes a slightly powdery but well balanced bouquet. This is the point where the rose really shines. The juice is pink and honestly that’s the perfect color for it. Soft and delicate are words that come to mind. This is a ladylike scent. There’s nothing dirty here at all. It’s pretty and clean. If you’re a fan of powdery florals this might be for you but if you like dark and dirty Jacinthe et Rose won’t fit the bill.

Photo Stolen T.Kiya Flickr

I wish I could say I smell all the notes in this but other than the main characters I really can’t. It’s very well blended to my nose and linear. I’m sure plenty of people with better noses than mine could pick this one apart but its not that important to me to smell everything in it.

First In Fragrance has 100ml/€73 and Samples
Jovoy Paris has 100ml/ €56 (sadly they do not send to Australia)
GraysOutlet (in Australia) has $103/100ml

While I do like Jacinthe et Rose I’m not in love with it. It doesn’t have much lasting power on me but few things do, and it just gradually fades away.. I like the fact that the rose doesn’t get sour on me and stays fresh. It is a very pretty perfume that’s worth a sniff. On those days when I’m feeling demure and feminine it will be the perfect potion I’m sure.

Poodle x

Teo Cabanel New Mini Movie

November 14, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Hiya Frag Hags and Friends,

Teo Cabanel sent me a link to this fun mini movie showing part of the Teo Cabanel experience. It’s fun and the girl is definitely an aspirational choice, I’d give my left nut to look so pretty.

Barkhane by Jean-Francois Latty for Teo Cabanel 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Calabrian bergamot
Heart: Cumin, geranium, curry tree
Base: Patchouli, vetiver, agarwood (oud), labdanum, myrrh, tonka bean, vanilla, musk

No, I haven’t tried it yet but the notes look FABULOUS!!!

If you want to buy Barkhane you can, at Teo Cabanel’s site. €95/50ml or €120/100ml and they send to the world.
LuckyScent also has $130/50ml

Enjoy the mini movie,
See you later,
Portia xx

Ashoka by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2013

November 13, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Namaste Fragrant Friends!

It is hard not to be influenced by what you read, especially regarding a keenly anticipated new perfume, as Ashoka surely was. The fourth fragrance from Neela Vermeire Créations. I was so impatient to try it that I dropped Neela Vermeire herself a message, asking if I could beg, steal or have a sample. I was thrilled to receive a positive answer and in no time at all Neela had packed me up a small fragrant package and sent it on it´s way. It is clear to see that Neela herself is a perfumista, because she enclosed not only a spray sample, but a dab sample too! That really thrilled me. It offers me a much more intense impression of perfume. Top notes are so beautiful, and often fleeting and they linger on a little longer when dabbed.

Ashoka by Bertrand Duchaufour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Surrender To Chance gives these featured accords in one line:
Lotus, rose, water hyacinth, fig leaf, parsley leaf, Osmanthus absolute, cassie absolute, iris, incense essence, Jasmine sambac, fig milk, geranium, ylang-ylang, Fir balsam absolute, myrrh, cedarwood, sandalwood, vanilla accord, ambre gris, birch, Haitian vetiver, leather, styrax, heliotrope

Readers, as Jane Eyre would say, it was not love at first sniff. Exactly my point. The general impression that I had picked up was that it was, hmmmm, simpler, more approachable, soft, user-friendly …… Absolutely not. In fact, the exact opposite. It is so deep, and multi-faceted, that I have not been able to put pen to paper until nearly three weeks after starting to wear it. I have drained both samples. Love at first sniff, is of course, absolutely exciting and creates an instant lemming. This is a little like listening to music for me. If I love a song on the first hearing I find that I tire of it quite quickly. Instant perfume love does´t always last. I am generalizing of course, but it is often the case. What follows are the feelings I have after wearing the perfume until empty!

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Ashoka opens with an incredibly beautiful and bright burst of fig which is heavenly. It does´t take on a milkiness until about ten minutes in, if not more. There are so many other things going on, that I don´t have the words to describe them. Nor doI wish too. I don´t really care to dissect perfume. Firstly, I cannot do this, and secondly it takes away from the seductive pleasure, which is why I wear perfume. Suffice it to say though, I can detect a an enduring rose, especially with dabbing it. A soft leather accord slowly creeps in, mingling with it all. Now I am only just learning to detect leather notes, and had I not seen this listed, I don´t know if I would have noticed it for what it was. It is voluptuous and sumptuous, and makes the complete perfume an absolute delight. Indeed a fulfillment, which is what I believe Emperor Ashoka discovered on his road to conversion journey into Buddhism. How magnificently Neela Vermeire and Bertrand Duchaufour managed to convey this emotion.

Photo Stolen Dimitry B. Flickr

My parents split up in 1970 and my siblings, mother and I went to live with my grandmother for a few months. (London) My grandmother was an incredibly amazing, open-minded woman, who spent most of her life as a single-parent, divorcing back in the early fifties. She had a lodger living in her home at the same time as we were there. This lady was married to an Indian gentleman. He was a businessman and spent a lot of time away, visiting every few weeks or so. We never went into their room, located on the upper floor of my grandmother´s home. It was a great mystery to us kids! We would occasionally pass them going up or down on the stairs. Mr Ray, for so was his name, always smelled wonderful. Naturally I have no idea of what he used to smell that way. Whatever it was, some of it is in Ashoka. I can see myself as a ten year old small girl, captured by this elegant gentleman´s bouquet. He used to bring me sandalwood figures. How I wish I had kept them. Ashoka awoke a slumbering memory. I can only say thank you, and the three week journey was a trip!!

Photo Stolen Paolo Crosetto Flickr

I have slowly grown to love it.

Thank you Neela Vermeire Créations for the opportunity, and the magic it created.

H. G. Wells wrote of Ashoka in his book The Outline of History, “Amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history, their majesties and graciousnesses and sereneties and royal highnesses and the like, the name of ASHOKA shines, and shines, almost alone, a star.”

You can buy Ashoka at
Neroli Budapest 59,800Ft/60ml
LuckyScent $260/60ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $7/.5ml

A perfectly named perfume.

Namaskar
CQ

Peety by Angelo Orazio Pregoni for O`Driu 2013

November 11, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 47 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello APJ,

When autumn arrives in the Pacific North West I head for my stash of vintage, spicy orientals. This fall I’ve been using a lot of Basile EDP (I prefer it to Opium), Lagerfeld KL (the perfume strength) and my new favorite spice with a twist, the Italian, musky oriental O`Driu Peety.

Peety by Angelo Orazio Pregoni for O`Driu 2013

A Review and a Problem

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tobacco, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, tonka bean and pink pepper

I’m sure all the scent savvy APJs are well aware of the quirky marketing that pushed Peety, for a brief, smelly moment, to the forefront of the fragrance blog-o-sphere. Just in case you haven’t heard, Peety can be your very own personal fragrance (be-spoke, so to speak) simply by adding approximately 1ml of your very own pee to 49ml of Peety. Yes! That’s right! Perfumers have been doing this forever. What’s a little pee among friends compared to musk pods, whale poo (and goo), civet secretions and African stone?

After a brief flurry of Peety excitement, repulsion and even outrage, not much more has been said about Peety. To make up for that, here is my brief review of O`Driu Peety:

Before personalization Peety is definitely a classic, animalic oriental. On my skin the top notes are a quick blast of sweaty cinnamon, perhaps some clove, bitter orange and pink pepper. This spicy mélange dries to a luscious blend of jasmine, tobacco and rose eventually finishing with sandalwood, dark patchouli and oak moss or some sort of mossy lichen. Amber and tonka bean seem to float through the life of the composition, in varying degrees, from beginning to end. The sillage is moderate to strong and longevity at least eight hours on the skin and considerably more on clothing.

Photo Stolen hemodernhome

Peety by O`Driu Problem + GIVEAWAY

Here a question for you, a sort of “story problem”. I have never been employed as a lab rat. I’m not particularly good at math, hate measuring things and am notoriously cheap when it comes to buying fragrance. I would like to purchase a full bottle of Peety but I don’t want to add pee to more than 1ml of the scent. In order to personalize Peety it is necessary to add 10 drops of urine to 49 ml of fragrance. Keeping in mind that 1ml can contain from 10 to over 20 drops (depending on the dropper size), what approximate fraction of a drop of pee would I have to add to a 1ml decant to make O`Driu’s Peety my Peety?