Review

Lys Mediterranee by Edouard Flechier for Frederic Malle 2000

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Hey All,

Back in December EmmaKate did a review of Lys Mediterranee and I was so inspired that when I was in Vienna, shopping with Birgit and Sandra from Olfactoria’sTravels, and one of the shops (Pure Day Spa) were offering mixed 10ml travel sets I jumped on it and grabbed some. En Passant, Carnal Flower & Lys Mediterranee.

LysMedierranee FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sea water and ginger
Heart: Angelica, orange blossom, lotus and lily
Base: Vanilla and musk

The opening burst is so transportative, not to anywhere particularly, just away. Remember back in the 1980’s when you would walk into a restaurant and at the door they would have this ENORMOUS floral architectural extravaganza? This is one of those restaurants but located on a completely untrammeled beach and the salty air is fresh and cool. There’s a great restaurant down on the uncool side of Ibiza where all the locals gather for paella and nobody speaks English, the food costs nothing and the waters that the restaurant are built over are so clean you can count the sand grains. It smells like that with flowers.

OverWaterRestaurant TravelBlogPhoto Stolen TravelBlog

I can understand why so many people love this beautiful fragrance, and I am quickly becoming a convert. This is day 3 of wear.

After the beautiful, slightly loud opening Lys Mediterranee settles into what will be its most long lived section on my skin, the heart, which is pretty and linear. The flowers all play beautifully together and though each one has moments I think they are hard to read separately and just enjoy the beauty and serenity as it washes over me in waves. I get why EmmaKate thinks this would be perfect Bridal fragrance. It swoops effortlessly and flies behind in breathtaking but tasteful sillage. I would spray this on the petals the flower girls throw before you walk down the aisle and then bathe myself in Lys Mediterranee.

As it dries down the musk remains unsmellable to me but I do get a soft warm vanilla pushing through the flowers that slowly takes over the fragrance while it fades. 5-7 hours of smellable fragrance, less in the heat of the day, more for night wear.

BeachWedding HoustonWeddingPhoto Stolen HoustonWedding

Further reading Olfactoria’sTravels and PerfumeShrine

FredericMalleInternational has 50ml €115 or 3x10ml €75
In Australia MeccaCosmetica has 50ml $218 or 3x10ml $142
SurrenderToChance starts at $6/ml

I know you’ve tried one or more of the Frederic Malle range, what was your favourite? Do you own a bottle? Have you maintained your composure and kept to samples or decants? I love the 10ml trvelers and getting a mixed set made the decision easy, just like buying splits or big decants.

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

BOMBAY BLING! By Bertrand Duchafour for Neela Vermeire Creations 2011

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Guest Post by Val The Cookie Queen

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BOMBAY BLING! By Neela Vermeire Creations 2011

Healing Greetings to all you APJs

BOMBABY BLING!
www.neelavermeire.com
More than just a perfume.
I have panic attacks. They used to be bad. Really bad. I have learned, over the many years, what they are, how they happen, different methods of easing them, and most importantly that I am not actually going to drop dead on the spot! Fab. Except that once in a while, they sidle up behind me, and BAM, whack me over the head. Such was early last Saturday morning. Gand Mal Seizure!! Breathe, ignore it ……..

Cartoon-panic-attack PorchiasWishPhoto Stolen PorchiasWish

After dressing I found myself desperately reaching for Bombay Bling! ) I don´t usually want any scent after an attack.
I sprayed it on, and OMG, perfume-peeps, I kid you not. Forsooth. It was sumptuous. Gorgeous. An explosion of colour. Vibrant. Healing. Soothing. The sour greenness of the mango immediately calmed my soul! Absolutely bloody gorgeous. Exxxxxxpensive. Mmmmmmm.

Colour-explosion wallChainPhoto Stolen WallChain

It enveloped me in it´s caress all day. I was wrapped in a silk sari. Safe. The mellowness of the tobacco, sandalwood and vanilla comforted me for hours. (You need to check out Neela´s site.)

BombayBling fragranticaStolen from Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives the featured accords:
Top: French labdanum, caraway, mango, litchi, blackcurrant, cardamom
Heart: Jasmine, rose, tuberose, yang-ylang, gardenia, frangipani
Base: Virginia cedar, sandalwood, leather, patchouli, woodsy notes, vanilla

Guys and Gals! Olfactoria describes it as “Happiness in a Bottle.”
It is sooo much more than that.
Bombay Bling! should be available on prescription.

See you soon,

Val the Cookie Queen

Want some Bombay Bling samples or a bottle? Order from the e-boutique in www.neelavermeire.com

Aldehyde 44 by Yann Vasnier for Le Labo 2006

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Gabriella

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Aldehyde 44 by Yann Vasnier for Le Labo 2006

Hello fellow perfume lovers!
I hope you are well and have had a terrifically fragrant time since my last post. Today I want to share my thoughts on Le Labo’s Aldehyde 44. Aldehyde 44 is part of Le Labo’s city exclusives range and is only sold at Barney’s in Dallas, Texas. However, news came out late last month that since the Dallas Barney’s is closing, the fragrance is to be officially discontinued as of March 31.
I find this sad news as this is such a unique and exciting fragrance. The perfume has conjured up so many images and feelings in my mind that, news of its discontinuation aside, I felt compelled to write about it.
Unlike some of the Le Labo offerings, Aldehyde 44 stays true to its name, and if you don’t like aldehydes, this is one to stay clear of. But if you love aldehydes, get your hands on some of this juice before it disappears completely.
Aldehyde 44 Le Labo for women and men
Photo stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Aldehyde, musk, jasmine, tuberose, woodsy notes, narcissus, neroli, vanilla and ambrette (musk mallow)
In contrast to other aldehyde-rich fragrances, such as Chanel no 5, Baghari by Robert Piguet or Serge Lutens La Myrrhe, the aldehydes here aren’t tempered by any floral notes on first whiff. These are aldehydes pure and clear. The effect is more effervescent and glowing than the sparkly, champagne-like effect in the aforementioned fragrances.

The opening is sharp and bright, bringing to mind the effect of dropping an alka seltzer in water and that searing nostril effect you get from the fizzing lozenge as it dissolves.  Images also come to mind of the heat mirages over searing bitumen roads in the outback or the white light-type effect one experiences when entering the bright sunshine on a hot summer’s day from a darkened room: retina piercing, hot, clean and white.

In fact, Aldehyde 44 for me is a story of white. I wore it one weekend recently when Mr M and I went to see a Neo Impressionist exhibition in Melbourne. The Neo Impressionists technique of pure colour juxtaposition and pointillism in their works gave the white on the canvas a distinct luminosity and enhanced optical brightness. The feeling of this perfume on skin is much the same.
All this may make Aldehyde 44 sound a bit quirky, but the fragrance is still supremely elegant. The soft white florals give depth to the composition and add to its overall radiance. The jasmine, tuberose and neroli are so well blended here that it is hard to identify individual notes, but their subtle nuances add a smoother, gentler sensation, akin to that of silk on skin. The drydown is all about musk which rounds out the overall clean glowing feel.
MoschinoAndreCourregesss IntoTheFashion…jpgCourrèges/Moschino Photo Stolen IntoTheFashion
If Chanel No 5 and other aldehyde perfumes speak of the classical elegance of a well-cut black suit or the nipped-in waist of the post- World War Two era, then Aldehyde 44 is all about the modern, fresh take of 1960’s fashion. When wearing it, I’ve been reminded of the Courreges fashion line and its bold, futuristic elegance. The house was all about geometric shapes, new materials such as PVC and rubber, miniskirts and also, a little white dress.
Aldehyde 44 is the perfect olfactory equivalent.
Due to its discontinuation, Luckyscent has Aldehyde 44 stocked until the end of March, starting at US$290/50ml.
Surrender to Chance starts at US$4.99 for 1/2ml.
Have you tried Aldehyde 44? What are your favourites from the Le Labo line?
Until next time!
M x

L’Eau Par Kenzo by Olivier Cresp for Kenzo 1998

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Guest Post by EmmaKate

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L’Eau Par Kenzo by Kenzo 1998

This fragrance marks the beginning of my love affair with all things fragrance.

L'EauParKenzo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Green lilac, mint, reed, mandarin orange, red pepper
Heart: Water lily, amaryllis, white peach, rose, pepper, violet
Base: White musk, cedar, vanilla

I was sitting in the perfume connection, in a group interview for Christmas casual positions and they were testing our noses. They sprayed about 12 fragrances and I can tell you nothing about them, except for l’eau par Kenzo. This fragrance struck me from the very first moment I smelt it. It is light and fresh, with a slightly spicy edge. It opens with a cucumber/watermelonesque fresh aquatic feel, dries down with a subtle peppery warm feel.

When I wear L’Eau Par Kenzo I feel clean, fresh and summery. I have this sense of calm joy, like walking through the shallow waters of a tropical beach.

tropical-beach ClearViewTravelPhoto Stolen ClearViewTravel

It is my quintessential fragrance, so much so that when a friend has worn this out she has been told she smelt like me. I have even been snorted by a good friend in David Jones (Ed: one of our prestige department stores in Australia) whilst wearing it. 😉

It is a very easy fragrance to wear that makes you feel great!

L’Eau Par Kenzo is becoming harder and harder to find. If you see it buy it!

FragranceNet has 50ml around $35

See you next month,
EmmaKate

Here is the ad

Pure White (Original) Cologne by Olivier Creed VI for Creed 2011

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Hello APJ,

We had a great day here yesterday, a bunch of friends around for a BarBQ enjoying the last warm weeks before we start to head towards the cooler months. Ten great friends all eating Jin’s famous BarBQ Chilli Pork, sausages, salads and bread rolls. We all drank heaps of sweet fruity wines, couchon reisling and moscato and laughed the day away. These are the days I will remember and cherish, like perfect gifts to mull over and reminisce about. We are so blessed.

Pure White (Original) Cologne by Creed 2011

pure-white-colognePhoto Stolen CREED

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: lemon, bergamot and grapefruit.
Heart: galbanum, neroli and pear.
Base: gray amber (ambergris), white musk and rice.

Just a little back story: Pure white Cologne was introduced last year as Original Cologne so that the people who bought it in the first year would have a fabulous collectors item. That is a fun idea but so annoying because now all other reviews are now out of date which strikes me as a bad marketing move.

The citrus opening is sweet and bright and hugely gorgeous, enough to attract orange beetles I reckon. Unleavened citrus beyond anything I’ve ever smelled and fun to boot. It takes a while for the next phase to become noticeable because it creeps up slowly and stealthily through the magnificent wonder that is the opening. What I first get is a softening of the citrus for a soft pear waft, it is both sweeter and dryer that the opening and green rather than sugary. That doesn’t make sense but it is the way I read the progression. It may hark back to fragrance of yesteryear but to me this is fun freshness, a beautiful green smoothy of a fragrance, a sweet and sour bite that says, “Though you are dressed  in a suit and fully, handsomely masculine, you are also edgy, naughty and spontaneous.” I expect a cologne to have little lasting power but Pure White Cologne by CREED outdistances many of its EdT and EdP counterparts and smells like money has been spent on the ingredients. As it should for the asking price. I am getting about 3 hours of fragrance and about the same of warm skin scent, though I get no hint of the rice in the base.

If we had an unlimited budget or were 3 fragrance happy then Pure White Cologne would definitely make the short list for a summer fragrance.

From the CREED site:
New in CREED’s Royal Exclusives Collection, Pure White Cologne evokes men’s styles in Victorian England: clean grooming, tailored white shirts and lives made richer by quality goods of impeccable detail.  Pure White Cologne wraps the client like a garment stitched to his exact proportions, fitting and superb in every respect, a complement to his innate style and a statement of his high standing.  Pure White Cologne has been compared to a burst of English mist, a fine and clean sensation on the skin like when a train blurs past, sending a gust of cooling moisture onto every pore, as in the 1844 J.M.W. Turner painting, “Rain, Steam and Speed.”

J_M_W_Turner_-_RainSteamandSpeedJ M W Turner Rain, Steam and Speed Photo Stolen WikiMedia

The CREED site has 30ml $205
SurrenderToChance starts at .5ml/$3

Do you wear any of the CREED line? Have you tried this one?

Till tomorrow,

Portia xx

Lalique by Sophia Grojsman 1992

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Hey Stink Junkies,

Someone who has inspired me from the background for many years is Rene Lalique, it’s a name that comes up in art, jewellery and glass collection circles but often is also linked to the rise of Coty as a fragrance brand.

From rlalique.com: Lalique is remembered for his jewelry and his glass. But his greatest accomplishments were born in his recognition of the changing world in which he lived. His life spanned the entire period from the Civil War to World War II and as his world changed, so did Lalique. His amazing turn of careers and fields put him in the forefront of the new mass production. He was a jeweler, he was a glassmaker, he was an artist. But his great accomplishment was to combine those talents with foresight and innovation to not just serve markets, but to create them. In the process, Lalique would become a world class industrialist with an industrial ability on par with any other of his rich talents and achievements.

Lalique 1992

Lalique FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Chinese gardenia, Sicilian mandarin orange, black currant, blackberry
Heart: Peony, Tunisian orange blossom, magnolia, Bulgarian rose, ylang-ylang
Base: Indian sandalwood, vanilla, amber, Yugoslavian oakmoss , cedar, Tibetan musk

I like the warm, spicy fruit and citrus in the Lalique opening, there is a kind of plastic gardenia flowing through the lot that to be honest smells inexpensive. In fact Lalique smells like a mid range to good celebuscent. Wearable and perfumey, quite pretty and I could imagine it being a go to scent for a non perfumista, a respray handbag scent or a gym bag scent for fragrant touch ups after a workout. I know, damning with faint praise.

The heart is a fresh, ultra clean bouquet that is well blended and I do like it, for the price it is a very wearable fragrance. Though you are fragrant with a moderate sillage you will not be skunking anyone in your vicinity because Lalique perfume is not a loud, bombastic fragrance after the initial 15 minutes, it sits quietly near your skin and occasionally wafts out to you. I do not get any one flower but hints of the orange blossom float to the top sometimes, which is very pretty and not salacious at all.

Maybe back in 1992 this was a bigger, broader and more shoulder padded fragrance, it feels like there might have been some massive cost and quality cuts as the product became less in demand. I get very little of the offered notes in the base, rather it seems an attenuated whisper compared to the notes list. It is a soft and warm woody vanilla dry down that is common among many of the less expensive fragrances.

As a perfumista do you need to smell this? No. Would you wear it? Maybe. I have a few fragrances that I wear when the inspiration, situation or my own headspace is unsuitable for the grand story that some perfumes provide. This is exactly that kind of frag, spritz and forget, respritz after it’s disappeared. With my 5ml decant I think that I will be happy and probably never finish it, though if there’s one thing I’ve learned about this addiction it’s never say never.

LaliqueVase huubgeurtsPhoto Stolen huubgeurts

FragranceShop has 50ml around $25
MyPerfumeSamples has $2/ml or $7/5ml

LaliqueBottle ParfumsRaffyPhoto Stolen ParfumsRaffy

Do any of the Laique fragrances play a role in your fragrance library? Maybe Encre Noir or Amythest? Do you have any of the vases etc? I can only dream of owning the fabulous pieces while I wear my Lalique perfumes.

Till tomorrow I wish you health, wealth and happiness,

Portia xx

Amyitis by Mona di Orio 2008

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Hey Hey Fragrant APJ Family,

Recently the lovely Ruth K from FFF had a bunch of splits going and another one I grabbed was never on my radar, I had never heard of it or remember reading anything about it or anything. It was the name that I instantly fell in love with. It said to have been inspired by The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, built to please the queen Amyitis.

Amyitis by Mona di Orio 2008

Amyitis FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cumin, heather, green pepper and green notes
Heart: Iris, violet, Guiac wood and Virginian cedar
Base: Saffron, opopanax, oakmoss and amber.

Though Amyitis is in no way how a working farm smells it does remind me in some small way of running over the fields in sheep and wheat country in outback New South Wales on my relatives property with my sister when we were kids. I smell wet vegetation and healthy soil, recently turned. Woods and flowers blended on the breeze that carries a hint of summer, maybe a reminder.

I love the story but think that there needs to be a more dessicated counterpoint to truly capture the story of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, yes they were lush and green but they were surrounded by dry desert and rock weren’t they?

It warms towards its close and becomes deep and tranquil and surprisingly warm. Maybe 5 fully fragrant hours and much longer as skin scent. I have enjoyed the ride immensely.

Valley pickyWallpapersPhoto Stolen PickyWallpapers

Further reading PerfumeSmellingThings and PerfumePosse

I can’t find Amyitis for sale anymore but SurrenderToChace has .5ml/$5

Till tomorrow be well and happy.
Portia xx

Premier Figuier Extreme by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2004

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Howdy do all,

This is another of the bottles I picked up while in Budapest, this time under the Meridian Hotel in Zsolt’s shop, La Parfum (Deak Ferenc Utca 16-18). Zsolt was so friendly and helpful that we bought this and two of The Different Company’s 10ml travel sizes, more of which later.

Premier Figuier Extreme by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2004

PremierFiguierExtreme FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

BaseNotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Fig tree leaves, gorse bush flowers
Middle: Almond milk, figs, sandalwood
Base: Coconut milk, dried fruit, stone pine

I have a wonderful love affair with the L’Artisan Parfumeur range. To me they are interesting and beautiful without being unwearable in public or too intense so my concentration slips each time I get a waft. Coupled with their affordability and originality I am a fan.

Premier Figuier Extreme is an incredible almost photo realistic look at the fig from the ground up, or in fact from the leaves down. It takes us on a journey through the leaves, fresh, rubbed and torn, to the bark and branches, the fruit in all its sweet milky glory and then the earth and humus in the base. Though this is how the story reads to my nose there is never through the whole life of Premier Figuier Extreme where you can’t smell figs, the fruit, at some stage of their development all the way up to being in a pie.

Longevity is good too. I can still smell myself fragrantly wafting 5-6 hours after I spritz, which I do with abandon because it is tastefully quiet so you can have it all to yourself or go crazy and let the world know. A respritz at the 1-2 hour mark almost doubles its lifespan and I can smell it next morning, warm and sweet and funky.

Completely unisex and sprayed sparingly it would even suit most workplaces, unless they are absolutely frag-phobic.

Figs MarketsOfMelbournePhoto Stolen MarketsOfMelbourne

Further fig reading BoisDeJasmin and Olfactoria’sTravels

Parfum1 has Premier Figuier Extreme 50ml/$120
GraysOutlet has old packaging Premier Figuier (notextreme) 50ml/Aus$95
SurrenderToChance starts at $5/ml

As figs are so common in fragrance these days do you have a favourite? Does the note work on you?

Till tomorrow wishing you a glimmer of joy and happiness somewhere unexpected in your day.

Love,

Vetiver by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1961/2000

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Hey All,

This is one of the crazy bargains I found while on our tour of Europe. The bottle below is the one and it was hidden away in a tiny little Budapest corner parfumerie for a song. It was my first European purchase of fragrance with Dune Esprit de Parfum, which I will introduce you to soon.

Vetiver by Guerlain 1961/2000 (dates vary)

VetiverGuerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, coriander, lemon, mandarin, and neroli
Heart: Vetiver and cedar wood
Base: Tobacco, walnuts, pepper, and Tonka bean

I love the citrus opening with the coriander giving a soft herbaceousness that stops Vetiver being a citrus parody. This burst of freshness is so compelling and lasts well into the heart of the fragrance playing a sheer overlay as the earthy, grassy, wood-ish heart filters through. I had no rural connection with Vetiver until I read the Guerlain spiel below. Till then I had always associated the freshness with the sea and could detect a slightly salty twang throughout. It’s funny how suggestion works because now I smell wet grasses and earth. Morning, Vetiver by Guerlain smells like morning. A crisp sunny morning that offers some great incentive to get out from under the covers.

Not particularly long lived, I get 4 hours of being able to smell it but Jin says there is a remnant for much longer. I think a perfectly unisex fragrance that bridges the earthy, fresh and clean divide without being that modern ubiquitous sport fresh or laundry fresh. You will smell distinctively alive.

4a39e04f1ea9b,Green-FieldsPhoto Stolen SpiceWallpaper

Here is the Guerlain copy (which I think is a little overblown):

Under the veranda, he looks at a sky daubed with clouds.  The storm breaks. From the earth emanate contradictory scents. The smell of wood, intensified by summer’s humid warmth is shot through with sparkling, heady notes. He loves the feel of cool linen on his skin. He loves to be here.  He loves VETIVER and he knows why: For the authentic strength of vetiver, which reveals the soul in a single breath.

Further reading WhatMenShouldSmellLike and NowSmellThis

FragranceNet starts at 50ml/$34 before any discounts
MyPerfumeSamples has 1ml/$2 to 5ml/$7

GreenFieldsBYPharaun333 SpiceWallpaperPhoto Stolen SpiceWallpaper

Do you have a favourite Vetiver fragrance? Have you tried Guerlain’s version?

Till tomorrow,
Don’t forget to take a moment to do something you really love.
Portia xx

Pure DKNY 2010

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Heya Scentaholics,

Pure DKNY 2010

When Pure DKNY came out it was sold as a fragrance helping Ugandan women through creation of farming and production of vanilla beans. A worthy cause. There was also much talk about the use of recycled glass and paper in the packaging and that it was all biodegradable. Excellent small steps towards sustainability, but also great leaps in awareness. When you have a company that is viewed as fashion forward by not only the high rollers but also mainstream then the message is heard loud and clear across the financial divide.

DKNY Pure FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Ugandan vanilla, dewdrop floral petals, lotus and Bulgarian rose
Heart: Jasmine, freesia and orchid
Base: White amber, sandalwood and vanilla in water

Pure DKNY opens so clean and bright that it can burn out your olfactory system. That first fragrant burst is a watery, clean, fresh burst of fun. If you don’t like the style then stay far from Pure DKNY because it is an overdose. Usually I am not into it but for some reason Pure DKNY captures my attention and keeps it. I love the way it gives off a super saturated lightness filled with flowers that only hint at themselves, it’s a bouquet. The warmth of the vanilla and amber comes in early and slowly but surely takes over the whole composition leaving you with a pretty over-skin-scent that remains as a barely there whisper for about 5 hours till I completely lose it. There has been some talk on the blogs of boring and lack of imagination, while Pure DKNY will not change the world with its outrageous newness I think there is a compelling case for a fragrance that does smell good, is wearable and very pretty. It is a step away from the usual DKNY big fat feature fragrance here and I think the watery aspect will deter many perfumistas but I went through my decant so quickly that there is now a bottle in my collection.

Totally office friendly, wearable for any occasion.

Further reading NowSmellThis and PerfumePosse

FragranceShop has a 100ml EdP tester for around $41
MyPerfumeSamples has 1ml/$2 up to 5ml/$7

Did you ever try Pure DKNY or any of its flankers?

Thanks for wandering through my fragrant thoughts with me.
Portia xx