Review

Aqua Allegoria Jasminora by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2011

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Hey All,

As you know it’s summer down here but I also know that sometimes you need a spritz of springtime to wash away the winter blues. Here is one such, bursting with the freshness of spring, full of hope and sparkling like magic. I originally smelled this from a super frag fairy that added a little sample with something else , THANK YOU!!

 Aqua Allegoria Jasminora by Guerlain 2011

Jasminora FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Galbanum, bergamot, cyclamen
Heart: Calabrian jasmine, freesia, lily of the valley
Base: Musk, amber

Few words make me want to bypass a fragrance as quickly as clean will, fortunately I tried this before I read any reviews though when I did read reviews I have hazy recollections of reading them before. A few reviewers complained of the artificiality displayed here but after the sizzling bergamot and green snap & crackle of the galbanum pass the waxy cyclamen brings a plastic bridge to the heart flowers and I think it’s a perfect segue. If you are looking for a dirty, indolic or sensual jasmine then you need to look elsewhere, what we have here is only a nod to jasmine, the cleanest, clearest jasmine note while not smelling at all like the jasmine on the plant. Here we find the jasmine of imagination with all the nasty bits left on the cutting room floor. The heft of the musks creates an unrelenting freshness through the whole life, about 5-7 hours depending, of Aqua Allegoria Jasminora by Guerlain and is what fabric softeners dream of becoming when they grow up and blossom into fine fragrance. I completely miss even a hint of amber on my skin, the dry down is a transparent floral laid over the squeaky clean musks, so pretty and now but still deep enough to be a Guerlain.

Fresh, bright and clean is a great way to smell when Thierry Wasser has been at the helm and he hit a home run with Jasminora, my new Aqua Allegoria full bottle. The advertisement below has orchids and I do feel a certain night blooming orchid entrancement floating through Aqua Allegoria Jasminora by Guerlain even though it’s not noted.

If you want something that will be fragrant but unobtrusive then this could be a very good go to for you. I like the lack of heft that comes with the Aqua Allegoria line at Guerlain, it’s a shame this one was a limited edition but it is still out there on discount sites.Wearing jasminora to work would be OK I think unless you are in particularly fragrance phobic environs, perfect for dinner, shopping, sport or after and great for the guys too.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Further Reading NowSmellThis and PerfumeShrine offer differing views
Amazon has 7 x 75ml left for under $50 at time of writing
ThePerfumedCourt starts at $3/ml

Have you tried Jasminora or any of the Aqua Allegorias? How do you like their fresh and youthful style? Is there one you pined for that’s now discontinued? How do you feel about Limited editions?

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in APJ in 2012. it has been an awesome ride and I am THRILLED about 2013 and seeing what we can achieve in it. Resolutions? To be the best I can be even when I don’t feel like it. To a different, non judgmental, forgiving level of best. To be good to the people around me. To try to understand foolish, uncaring and selfish behaviours in others and do away with them in myself. Oh yeah! More money, less work.

HappyNewYear2013 luckywpPhoto stolen luckywp

Till tomorrow, Next year!!
Portia xx

Kashmir Spice by Serena Ava Franco for Ava Luxe

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Hey Hey Niche Nerds,

I was lucky enough to stumble across the Ava Luxe brand when SurrenderToChance were having their 40% off sale instead of Daily Chance Specials a while back and as soon as I got my nostrils around a couple I wanted MORE!! In true perfumista/addict/have no self control person style. The great news is that for an uber niche brand the prices are extremely affordable and sizes are also kept small so you can try 4 or 5 Ava Luxe frags for the cost of a mainstream offering.

Kashmir Spice by Ava Luxe

KashmirSpice FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

From the Ava Luxe site:
An alluring blend of exotic spices, cashmere woods, and incense. Turkish Rose absolute weaves it way through this sensual scent.
Featured Notes: East Indian spices, frankincense, myrrh, Cashmere woods, Turkish Rose Absolute, gaiacwood, amber.

WOW!! Kashmir Spice goes on hefty and gourmand, it’s a big fat glorious wander through one of the fabulous spice stores in Northern India. Totally edible and smelling like a sweeter version of the first moment the spices hit hot oil in a pan Kashmir Spice is an assault on your senses that is both enticing and memorable. The amber, frankinsense and myrrh give a lively resinous counterpoint that is sweet, balmy and dusty (The dusty may be the spices actually) at the same time. The woods and rose play only background on my skin but on Jin the rose is quite prominent, maybe you have to be further than I can get to smell it, on him Turkish rose absolute is like honey and rosewater baklava. MMMM!

kashmirBoats ToshaliToursPhoto Stolen ToshaliTours

I get a medium life span of around 4 hours of fragrance but after that my skin still smells better than reality, just ever so slightly vanillic, for another couple of hours and then gone. Way too perfumed for close working, borderline for dinner and cinema but perfect for all other moments when smelling gorgeous is important. At these prices you can afford to wear it as your daily after hours go-to frag, Kashmir Spice would be on a current short list for my 10 Desert Island frags.

KashmiriSpiceMarket ABC.netPhoto Stolen ABC.net

I have worn Kashmir Spice to work a few times and it is a guaranteed compliment gatherer and people want to get in for a big ole snuffle of you, then they ask what it is that you smell of and where can they get it. Every time so far!

Further reading: I could only find reviews on Make Up Alley and there is love and hate in equal measure
AvaLuxe site has 15ml EdP/$30 and 5ml extrait/$27
SurrenderToChance has some of the range that you can sample EdP $3/ml Extrait or Oils $8/ml

Have you tried the Ava Luxe fragrances? Did any of them ring your bell?
Tomorrow is the last day of 2012! Soon it will be gone forever.
I want to wish all our readers a wonderful 2013 full of all the good stuff you wish for yourselves. Health, wealth and happiness! Take care of yourselves and those in your orbit.
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Jean-Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 2007

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Hello Happy Huffers,

This is another beauty that has languished unsniffed and unloved since it arrived and now I have a moment it has been getting some serious skin time. Coming from a split I have a wonderful 10ml for a very reasonable price plus postage, it was such a great deal I bought a few of Ruth’s decants at the same time. Thanks Ruth!!

Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain 2007

Spiritueuse DoubleVanille FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pink pepper, bergamot, incense
Heart: Ylang-ylang, cedar, bulgarian rose, jasmine
Base: Benzoin, vanilla

From the Guerlain site: “If a colour or fragrance were to be associated with each day, like the planets were in ancient times, sandal wood would be the Sun, saffron would be Jupiter, and without doubt vanilla would be Venus.” Jean-Paul Guerlain

From the outset Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain hits vanilla loud, it is almost a roll on perfume oil it’s so intense at first, then the bright citrus and dry incense float merrily through to add dappled light and shade simultaneously, and a breathy indolic undertone. As we move into the heart vanilla makes a comeback but this time it’s a softer, more refined and controlled vanilla surrounded by an ethereal bouquet that is present but unreadable except for a bright spicy lemon that could be part of the rose and still a breathy wash over all. The trimmings slowly fade as we head towards dry down and here I get something hot, sweet chocolate milk-ish till all that’s left is caramelised vanilla skin for hours.

HotChocolate thelaurelhedgePhoto Stolen thelaurelhedge

The lifespan can vary dramatically; sitting here at the computer or sleeping I get 7+ hours but when I wear Spiritueuse Double Vanille to work, shopping or cleaning it’s lucky to last 4 hours but spraying fabric gives it extra lifespan.

While not being a huge statement fragrance when wearing Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain you are decidedly fragrant, sensual, delicious and enticing. Very close or frag-phobic workspaces would find it unsuitable but I think most other pursuits would be good. It’s not strong enough to interfere with cinema patrons or your food but very high summer temps might make it cloying, it has been cooler the last 2 days here in Oz and Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain has been a perfect evening choice.

CaramelisedApple&ButtermilkCake food.ninemsnPhoto Stolen food-ninemsn

Further reading BoisDeJasmine and Olfactoria’sTravels

Spiritueuse Double Vanille by Guerlain is now part of the regular range and can be found in the biggest department stores worldwide.
I bought 10ml in a split on FacebookFragranceFriends from the amazing Ruth!
ThePerfumedCourt starts at $6.50/ml

Have you tried Spiritueuse Double Vanille? Does Guerlain do it for you as a house? How did you feel about Mr Guerlain, now retired, who caused offense during a TV interview in October 2010. Personally I applaud Guerlain’s taking the reins from him and handing them to Thierry Wasser in such a quick and decisive manner.

I hope this finds you as happy and well as it leaves me,
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Ormonde Woman EdP by Linda Pilkington for Ormonde Jayne 2002

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Hello Happy Huffers,

Not so long ago my mate Dionne sent me a fragrant care package of a few of her most cherished gems. Only one of those mini atomisers arrived empty and it was one that Dionne especially wanted me to try. Serendipitously on FFF there happened to be a split of the 4 travel sized 10ml Ormonde Woman EdPs going so I put my hand up for one of my own.

Ormonde Woman EdP by Ormonde Jayne 2002

OrmondeWoman FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, coriander, grass oil
Heart: Black hemlock, violet, jasmine absolute
Base: Vetiver, cedar wood, amber, sandalwood

Ormonde Jayne site says: Beginning and ending with the unique scent of Black Hemlock absolute – rarely used in such luscious quality and quantity – this utterly hypnotic, unconventional and mysterious woody essence is combined with jasmine and violet absolute to create a dusky, seductive perfume.

I love the green opening that seems to be warm. I know this makes little sense but that first few minutes rush is extraordinary. I don’t smell the notes as such but a sweet, warm, oily, green deliciousness reminiscent of freshly cut bell peppers is about as close as I can get to explaining what I smell. Floaty, ethereal and lively but dense at the same time, intrusive and rivetting.  When the initial rush changes Ormonde Woman remains green and sappy but the flowers come through and lift it beyond itself. If black hemlock is what makes this beauty shine then I wish more perfumers would use it.

Unfortunately my skin eats all traces of Ormonde Woman well before I’m ready to let go of it, and before the story finishes. I get no amber and very little wood and am fragrance free in around 2 hours. Other people find it a tenacious fragrance that lingers for ages. If I spray on fabric instead of skin I get 6+ hours and much more of a journey. The first 2 hours that I get is exquisite though, well worth trying and the Ormonde Jayne Sample Set is Ah May Zing!!

GirlGreen foundwallsPhoto Stolen Foundwalls

Further reading PerfumeShrine and CandyPerfumeBoy
OrmondeJayne’s site has 4 x 10ml Travel Sprays £64
PoshPeasant has 1ml/$6

I hope the silly season is not getting you down. It can be totally overwhelming at times. Don’t worry we’ll be over the drama and torment soon. Maybe try and look beyond the rubbish attached to Christmas and remember some really great messages that should come through like treat everyone well, take care of yourself and those around you and forgive. I’ve been trying to keep these in mind.

Happy Holidays to you all,

Portia xx

Linda Pilkington talks Ormonde Woman

Ormonde Jayne – Ormonde Luxury Perfume from Ormonde Jayne on Vimeo.

PG04 Musc Maori by Pierre Guillaume for Parfumerie Generale 2005

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

.

Gabriella

.

Hello APJ friends! I do hope you’re all having a great festive season and for those that celebrate Christmas, I hope Santa brought many scented goodies your way.
I respect the Parfumerie Generale line enormously. I might not own many full bottles of Pierre Guillame’s concoctions but I love how he makes the conventional extraordinary and makes the unconventional tremendously beautiful.
Take his version of tuberose, the sumptuous Tubéreuse Couture, where the ‘conventional’ tuberose is taken to new heights by the addition of sugar cane and papyrus. Or Bois Naufragé where the inspiration was a photo of a nude on driftwood. The unconventional idea of skin and washed up flotsam and jetsam is transformed into a transparent milky fig and woody scent that is much more than a day at the beach.

PG04 Musc Maori by Parfumerie Generale 2005

Musc Maori is his take on the conventional note of chocolate. Now, I am not sure about you, but I am not really a fan of gourmand scents. I’m also one of those weird women that missed out of the chocolate-loving gene when I was born. The taste of chocolate, let alone the thought of a perfume centred around it, doesn’t exactly set my world on fire.
Musc Maori, however, is much more than just a chocolate perfume. It is an exploration of all chocolate’s elements: its taste, its smell, how it makes you feel and the memories it brings.

PG04 Musc Maori FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these notes:

Cacao pod, tonka bean, amber, vanilla, white musk, woody notes, coffee, floral notes and green notes.

Musc Maori’s opening is much more intriguing and complex than the whiff of a freshly opened chocolate bar.
Languid floral notes (which I suspect here is orange blossom and a little jasmine) combine with the cacao and tonka bean to create a vivid impression of entering a really good chocolate shop. The refrigerated air is perfumed with the sweetness of rows upon rows of prettily decorated and delicately flavoured chocolate nubs. It is at once rich, yet transparent, like an aerated veil of all varieties of the sweet: from plain dark to milky white; from raspberry fondant to orange crème.

The woody notes then underscore the floral sweetness but lend a tart, slightly astringent vibe that is almost crunchy in nature. It reminds me of my younger years when I did in fact enjoy the occasional tube of Smarties or two: biting into the brittle candied shell to devour the silky milk chocolate inside. It also evokes a flood of memories of birthday parties. There’s the sweet, powdery acidic smell of packets of balloons. There’s the scented melange of jelly sweets, chocolates and plastic trinkets in the take-home lolly bags mixed with the remnants of the perfume the mother wore when she carefully packed them the night before.

maoricarving 3news.co.nzPhoto Stolen 3news

Musc Maori then develops a strong lactonic character, but it’s not hot milk or even hot chocolate I smell. The milk note here is tepid with the gentle aroma of white flowers. Masses of jasmine and gardenia blooms steeped in white liquid. The drydown is the soft chocolate mixed with gentle musk and woody notes: the scent of a young child’s skin after a Friday night chocolate treat and a bath: warm, tender and sweet.

I find Musc Maori to be a compelling perfume to smell and experience. It’s one that really surprised me because it is just that much different from anything else I have tried. But while it has taken me on a lovely olfactory journey and evoked strong memories, it’s still not something I would actually want to smell like. I’ll keep a vial handy for the memories, but full bottles are for true chocolate connoisseurs only.

cacao healthpostPhoto Stolen HealthPost

Further reading TheCandyPerfumeBoy and Olfactoria’sTravels
Perfumerie Generale’s site starts at 30ml/€59
SurrenderToChance starts at 1ml/$5
.
Have you tried Musc Maori? What are your favourite gourmand scents or ones with chocolate notes? Have you tried any perfumes recently that have inspired strong memories of childhood?
With much love till next time,
M x

Christmas with the Stars

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

.

Guest Post by Katrina

.

Katrina from Celebrity Perfume Store (<<JUMP) and I absolutely love Christmas; it’s my favourite time of year. I love the food, the lights and decorations, gift giving and especially celebrating with family and friends.

Tonight after enjoying a traditional turkey Christmas dinner with friends I will stay up late to wrap the gifts I have bought for my kids. I will put them under the tree and eat the cookie left out for Santa. It’s so exciting – I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.

Christmas with the Stars

I plan to start Christmas day with a spritz of Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend. It’s such a fun perfume making it a great choice for Christmas day. Opening the slinky like canister to spray the bottle inside is like opening a Christmas present any day of the year. The fresh citrus and berry opening of Girlfriend will go perfectly with my bubbly and OJ as I watch my kids burst with excitement opening their presents. See my Justin Bieber Girlfriend perfume review (http://celebrityperfumestore.com/index.php/2012/12/justin-bieber-girlfriend-perfume-review/) to find out more.

Girlfriend by Justin Bieber 2012

Girlfriend FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these notes:
Top: mandarin, blackberry, pear and strawberry.
Heart: pink freesia, star jasmine, apricot and orange blossom.
Base: vanilla orchid, luminous musk and white amber.
.
Christmas Day is going to be a scorcher here. In this hot humid weather my perfume doesn’t seem to last long whatever I wear. I’ll take the opportunity to switch fragrances later in the day. Unless I find that much wanted bottle of Kate Walsh Boyfriend under the tree I will probably wear Lady Gaga Fame for our family Christmas celebrations. I find Lady Gaga’s perfume more intense in this hot weather and get a lot more incense from Fame than when I first wore it in the cooler months. Maybe its time you revisited Lady Gaga Fame if you haven’t tried it with the change of season.
.

Fame by Lady Gaga 2012

Fame FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these notes:
Notes of Belladonna, incense, honey drops, saffron, apricot, Sambac jasmine and tiger orchid
.
FragranceX has Justin Bieber Girlfriend 100ml for $59 and Lady Gaga Fame starting at $51 for 50ml.

What fragrance will you wear for Christmas? What perfume do you hope to find under the tree?

The holidays are a perfect time to catch up on perfume reviews so please check out my blog at Celebrity Perfume Store (<<JUMP) for celebrity perfume news and reviews. Whatever your plans I hope you have a fun, meaningful and safe Christmas and New Year.

Katrina xx

Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend Movie

Lady Gaga and Steven Klein full movie. Beyond anything else you’ve seen. Only about 5min is movie the rest is credits.

Royal Bain De Caron EdT by Ernest Daltroff for Caron 1941

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hello Frag Hags,

I love a fragrancce that comes with a could-be-true story. It’s a great ice breaker, predisposes me to want to like the frag and lets me know some reasons why it may smell like it does. Anybody not frag obsessed, or a Perfume Bore as my BFF calls me when I get started, will think that I’m mental but it does give perspective and added interest, for me anyway. Just so you know I am reviewing a modern iteration 125ml EdT that cost me less than some 3ml decants I’ve bought recently.

Royal Bain de Caron by Caron 1941

RoyalBainDeCaron FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lilac, rose
Heart: Opoponax, benzoin, incense
Base: Sandalwood, amber, musk, vanilla, cedar

This post was inspired by BoisDeJasmin: Simple Summer Pleasures: Cologne Bath. I was so impressed by the idea of putting a couple of tablespoons of cologne into the bath and remembered reading about how this was designed for some millionaire, at a time when that meant something, who wanted his bath to smell like the champagne (Champagne was the original name but the word became unusable)  he had been bathing in. So it was an easy match, even though Royal Bain de Caron is an EdT it doesn’t matter. Remember, when I read this in the Northern Hemisphere it was summer but down here in Oz we were in the grip of winter and I wanted something not quite so fresh and light for my bath.

Royal Bain de Caron opens with a sparkling, warm, boozy richness that is more like cognac than champagne but it’s probably a hark back to the days of champagne being super dooper sweet. The vanilla, amber and sandalwood all give a spectacular overture which then leads to a very sweet amber-ish floral bouquet that merely hints at the lilac and rose in the notes list because all the resins completely engulf the florals on my skin. Almost linear after the first rush and decidedly unisex, it smells darker, richer and spicier on TSO Jin than it does me. If I spritz myself after the bath with a decanted atomiser of Royal Bain de Caron the fragrance life is around 5-7 hours depending on the day and remains warm and inviting to the very end.

A great statement fragrance, warm and sparkling. I think too fragrant for office work and definitely way too in your face for perfume-phobic workplaces, still it would not be overly intrusive for recreational closeness like theatre, cinema or dinner.

TheBath AlfredStevens Art.comTheBath by AlfredStevens Stolen Art.com

Further reading EauMG and PerfumeSmellingThings
FragranceNet has 125ml/$28 BARGAIN!!
ThePerfumedCourt starts at $3/ml

Do you like to be completely and utterly decadent sometimes? What is your favourite way to feel ridiculously luxe on a budget?

Hopefully the world is giving you lemonade.
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Noir Patchouli by Gerald Ghislain for Histoires de Parfums

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Hey Hey Fellow Fumies,

I am finally getting to some things I’ve had for ages but haven’t had the time to enjoy fully because life has been hectic. Happily hectic. Then I got the dreaded sinus lurgy and my nose went on strike so it’s nice to be fully functioning again. One of the frags that slipped through the cracks when it arrived but is now getting a bit of skin time is

Noir Patchouli by Histoires de Parfums

NoirPatchouli frsagranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Patchouli, coriander, cardamom
Heart: Patchouli, bouquet of flowers, juniper berries
Base: Patchouli, musk, vetiver, foam, leather, vanilla

Histoires de Parfums site says: The patchouli flower, grown in the East, exhales an intense and bewitching scent from its leaves. Wooded, Chypre like, this elixir stimulates the senses. A breath of mystery, as deep as black absorbing the light.

Called a Woody Chypre but I though there should be a citric opening, labdanum middle and mossy base? Is the modern take allowed to do away with all three? The very first whiff I get here is vanilla, it is fleeting but immediately comforting. Following closely come the herbs making an interesting green melange with the patchouli; green and rural like a healthy, freshly turned compost heap, earthy. The juniper berries soon add a sharp sparkling counterpoint and I think the rooty/salty vetiver is already showing its colours. My body completely eats all floral traces, there is nothing pretty here, though the whole fragrance is entrancing. I’ve been sitting here happily huffing away at myself and staring into space while my hand backs alternately and then simultaneously waft past my nose. Rich, rugged and raunchy are the three words I am constantly saying in my head, and powerhouse.

Noir Patchouli’s heart is a beautiful mixture of patchouli, healthy young mans hot day and hard work sweat and a cologne-ish brightness above it all. Maybe there’s a hint of lavender? Perhaps a little something bovine and flatulent, that sweet muggy fragrance of an animal barn in the morning sunlight. The leather is creamy as we wander, or meander rather, back to inedible soft vanilla, but Noir Patchouli remains a hefty unsuburban, free and wild fragrance till the end.

I get really good life of about 6 hours very noticeable scent before it turns skin-ish and combines beautifully with my own body scent, giving the impression that this is how I smell in real life for another 4 hours. I really would LOVE to smell this on a couple of my girl friends because though aimed at the boys I think Noir Patchouli would be devastatingly killer on a woman. Far too fragrant for close proximity work or anywhere fragrance phobic, super great for date night. I’m going to wear it for wrapping Christmas presents.

DarkLady gayatriforumPhoto Stolen gayatriforum

Further reading TheNonBlonde and OlfactoriasTravels
Histoires de Parfums site has 60ml €87
SurrenderToChance starts at $5/ml

Do you have a favourite patchouli fragrance? Have you tried this? Tell us about it in the comments because we love to converse.

Do you ever stop and take 3 really deep breathes to clear your mind? Do it now. I find it lets heaps of stress go in about 10 seconds.
Till tomorrow,
Portia xx

Cote d’Amour by Celine Ellena for L’Artisan Parfumeur 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Hello lovelies,

Do you ever go and check out SurrenderToChance Daily Chance Specials? I try and have a quick squiz a couple of times a week because sometimes you can grab a bargain on things that slipped under your radar, were too expensive originally, you wanted but forgot or were always in your wish list. Here is one such find that I read about when it was released, was interested, didn’t get immediately, forgot. Same old story, with thousands of fragrance releases each year some really excellent stuff is bound to get swamped by bigger advertising budgets.

Cote d’Amour by L’Artisan Parfumeur

CoteD'Amour FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Salt flower, green tangerine, pink grapefruit
Heart: Dune immortal flower, rosemary, cypress, gorse blossom, rose, broom, heather
Base: Laburnum, maritime pine, floated wood.

Super Luxe Spa is how I would describe Cote d’Amour. There is a beachy, seaside, relaxed ambience about it that instantly brings a smile and sigh of contentment. The salty and sweet/acidic citrus opening warms into a light, dry, breezy floral on my skin alongside a herbaceous bouquet with a little old fashioned suntan lotion thrown in for good measure. The fresh vanilla dry down happens around 3-4 hours and is so unusual in itself with whispers of the green woodsy notes and salt shimmering against each other in the background. Then Cote d’Amour leaves me with a very faint salt skin tang for another hour or so before I completely lose it.

619-00821200Photo Stolen MasterLife

An card carrying, certified, eco friendly, natural and organic perfume! WOW! There is another on L’Artisan’s lists L’Eau de Jatamansi that is more Natural-In-Your-Face smelling but until I read on the net that this was a natural fragrance I had no idea, for a L’Artisan this gets quite a long life span too. Cote d’Amour is interesting, unusual and pretty while maintaining a completely unisex wearability, if I were a one perfume per season type of person this could very easily be my summer choice, or to remind me of the scents of beachside summer holidays. I think you could happily wear Cote d’Amour anywhere, including close office work unless they are severely fragrance phobic.

Sadly it seems that they have discontinued Cote d’Amour on the L’Artisan website but it’s still available very reasonably at some discounters online.

Beach independantVoyagerPhoto Stolen IndependantVoyager

Further reading KatiePuckrikSmells
eGlobalBeauty has 250ml/$145 including shipping
SurrenderToChance starts at 1ml/$3

Did you try Cote d’Amour? What do you think about eco friendly fragrance?

Having survived the end of the Mayan calendar I wonder what kinds of change we can all expect? I’m hoping that schools, hospitals, libraries and universities will be given more than enough money every year and that all spending on warmongering will cease due to lack of interest and need. I doesn’t hurt to put it out there.
See you tomorrow.
Portia xx

What Would You Bring Baby Jesus?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

.

Guest Post by Jordan River

.

Kia Ora AustralianPerfumeJunkies,

This is Jordan River from Way Down Under in New Zealand. I am the Fragrance Editor at Express Magazine and Portia writes our Fragrance column. I know you’ve discovered Portia. Here is how I found her. Earlier in the year I was reading graindemusc as you do, constantly, and noticed a comment from a Portia in Australia. Minutes later AustralianPerfumeJunkies was zoomin’ onto my screen at the very moment we were looking for a fragrance writer. 72 days later Portia was Published!
If you want more Portia in your life you can read her latest column here .

Noora, Nazareth and Gold

This season this magi is presenting Noora, Nazareth and Gold to the baby Jesus who is known as The Prophet Isa in the lands of frankincense and myrrh.

Noora is a mukhallat with rose, jasmine, marigold, mimosa, saffron, red berries, oud, sandalwood, musk and vanilla, none of which I can smell. Marketing Imagination. More like plum, orange, honey, ginger with a delightful zephyr of hyacinth. Very synthetic in the modern way but this Swish Arabian is also very enticing. So enticing that when I received a complimentary sample with another purchase from Saudi Arabia I ordered a full flacon the next day. And what a flacon! With a perfect applicator! Endure the shriek of an opening for a dazzling dry down which will have you camel riding, star following and hearing angels sing. Musette thought it was like an unidentifiable blossom dipped in wild honey but maybe she was describing herself? Noora means Divine Light.
You may also like Swiss Arabian’s Zahra. A Marigold Oriental. Sumukorento describes it thus; Like Egyptian musk oil + The Boucheron Trouble drydown. Love that. I thought Oils are all about constant reapplication, but no they are not.

Noora

Nazareth. This is a scent I discovered last year at a perfume masterclass in December. It stayed on my mind. Not realizing it was a seasonal release I couldn’t buy it in March when it was still blowing through the scentmills of my mind. Then just last week I was an hour early for a meeting and wandered into World where they were unpacking their annual supply of this scent. Nazareth is a candle by Cire Trudon, a Christmas candle which wafts a whisper of frankincense and billows of cinnamon, orange, and clove from a ruby red holder. Burn for a hour, an hour before you want a scented room. Trim that wick before reigniting. Bees and other pollinators receive protection from this candle as a percentage of sales goes to Terre d’Abeilles.

Nazareth

Gold – well I am going with the gold bukhoor burner to smeek some oud chips from Ensar.

gold

If you prefer ‘through alcohol’ rather than through smoke then Amouage Gold Man has been described as Chanel No. 5 for Men. And it is. Not me but I know an Australian DJ who will be receiving my unattended bottle. Hi Calvin.

Amouage Gold man

Perfumistas, what scented gifts would you bring to Bethlehem?
Wishing you, The APJ Family, Scent Serendipity this Season.

Magi

Waft on through the day , waft on through the night,
You’ll never waft alone on the world wide web.
Thank you for having me on and at APJ.

Jordan River x
All Photos supplied by author

Shopping:
Noora and Zahra can be found at http://perfume.zahras.com for $US15. This PDF based website is challenge to navigate!
The Nazareth candle is $NZ159 from World and World Beauty in New Zealand, $AUD105 from Peony in Melbourne who also deliver anywhere in Australia http://www.peonymelbourne.com.au/store-location or for international readers see http://www.ciretrudon.com/en/accueil.php
Oud Wood Chips for burning are periodically available at http://ensaroud.com/
Amouage Gold Man $342 from Libertine http://www.libertineparfumerie.com.au/amouage/gold-man/w1/i1013908_1001286/
Or sample from http://surrendertochance.com/amouage-gold-man/ for $3.99

Other reviews:
Noora and Zahra – already mentioned (Perfume Posse and Fragrantica)
Ensar Oud Wood Chips http://gaharu.com/showthread.php?50-What-s-on-your-burner-today/page2&highlight=Chips
Nazareth – http://notablescents.net/2012/01/28/cire-trudon-nazareth-candle-review/
Gold Man – http://www.basenotes.net/fragrancereviews/fragrance/26121740/p2