Review

2017 Top 5 by Cookie Queen

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Yuletide Greetings APJ

Although there has been a ton of new stuff launched this year I cannot pretend to have been interested in much of it. I try to select a few that spark my passion out of a sea of dross. Call me a bitch, I really don’t care. My selection comes in no particular order. If was to chose one that heads my short list, there would be no prizes for guessing which one it would be.

2017 Top 5 by Cookie Queen

Naja by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo

Please note that Naja is a voile formulation and not an edp. In truth it is parfum strength and needs to be treated as such. I feel a deep connection to Vero Kern and had the privilege of accompanying her on the creative voyage as she brought Naja to life. It was a bloody hard trek. Completion took nearly three years of pleasure and pain. The rich tobacco and deeply fragrant osmanthus is narcotic.

Superstitious by Dominique Robin for Frederic Malle

Freaking fabulous. Jasmin, rose, peach, amber, incense, a vetiver that melts into patchouli.
All wrapped in waxy aldehydes. I was stopped at traffic lights the other day, and took a moment to close my eyes and sniffed my wrist, until I could breathe in no more.
As the car behind me beeped, and I opened my eyes, I saw the bloke in the car next to mine staring at me. I am still laughing. My ten mls has nearly gone.

811 Absolute by Mathilde Bijaoui for Giovanna Antonelli Perfumes

A deeply aromatic spicy oriental. This was the surprise of the year. If it hadn’t been for The Silver Fox telling me to get a hold of the collection, I would have written off the perfumes
Fronted Giovanna Antonelli, a Brazilian actress. I mean, really? The 811 lingers for hours on the skin, and I swear there is a golden tobacco running through it. I took the bottle to my hairdresser a couple of
weeks ago to grab a SOTD shot for Instagram (yep, I am a sad person) and left with every stylist wearing it. Came home and did two decants.

Black Perfecto by La Petite Robe Noir for Guerlain

Commercial and fairly mainstream – meaning I can buy it in a store not 3 km away from me. Black tea, black cherry, black licorice and an marvelous black bottle. With the almond and a slight smokiness it´s just the bizz in our frosty and foggy winter. I would go so far as to say I wouldn’t wear it in the summer

L’Animal Sauvage for Marlou

This is the first perfume from Marlou. Claire from Take One Thing Off recommended I give it a go.
I wore a musk from the head shop when I was about seventeen. My mother would tell me that I stank like a polecat. And really since this time I have not explored the musk shelf, although I did use up 10mls of MKK from Lutens a couple of years ago.
This is sexiness pure, wrapped in florals that lie to you.

I have also worn a lot of Hiram Green´s Arbolè Arbolè, Malle`s Portrait of a Lady and Dries Van Noten, and Luten`s La Fille de Berlin.

Perfumista highlights 2017 would be meeting Portia and Jin in Milan, and finally making it to Aus Liebe Zum Duft/First in Fragrance up in Germany.

Perfume tips for 2018 would be Dusita`s Fleur de Lalita and Hiram Green´s Slowdive.

That’s it. A fabulously scented year, as always.
Tune back in on the Feast of Stephen. I´ll give away something you might like.

Thanks for tuning in.
Have a Cool Yule.
Misteltoe Bussis.
CQ

 

(ED: Photos by Val)

SOTD 11 – 17 December 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 170 Comments

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

I see these SOTD (Scent Of The Day) threads all the time on Facebook and they are really good conversation generators.

SOTD 11 – 17 December 2017

The idea is you’ll chime in through the week with whatever scent you are wearing. You don’t need to be super knowledgable, have high faluting tastes or be a published author to comment. Just tell us what fragrance you’re wearing, smelling, buying etc.

You probably won’t have time to write every scent, every spritz but whenever you feel the mood take you share your current spritz and a few things about it. Maybe you love/loathe it, want it, are excited by the notes/bottle/SA who sold it: WHATEVER! As always here at APJ, taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

Over 100 responses I will draw a Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)

This week:

  1. Neela Vermeire Creations Pichola
  2. Hermès Monsieur Li
  3. Bogue Gardelia
  4. Guerlain Meteorites
  5. Vintage Bal a Versailles EdT

Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Sunday.

LAST WEEKS WINNER: JackieB

Send your address to portia_turbo AT yahoo DOT com DOT au

 

Go To It Crew.
Portia xxx

Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdC WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

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Portia

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YAY! A wonderful competition, thanks for getting involved crew.
Let’s see who the winners are!
Portia xx

Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdC WINNERS

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, Lily, Lily-of-the-valley, Neroli, Orange blossom, Tuberose
Heart: Jasmine, Nutmeg, Rose, Ylang-ylang
Base: Iris, Vanilla, Vetiver, Frankincense

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdC decant (from my bottle)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 10th December 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

ClaudiaS

Alice

Hamamelis

The winners will have till Thursday 14th December 2017 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

Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts by Aftelier Perfumes

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

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Portia

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Hey APJ Peeps,

It’s no secret how much I love baths. I find a 15-20 minute soak in the tub more relaxing that almost anything else you can mention. It’s a short sharp shot of bliss that can be done whenever a window appears. Quite often I will do all my chores at the end of a night because the days are hectic. It may be 2 or 3am after a busy day, working at night, getting the blog stuff done and then doing a few loads of washing or cleaning the kitchen. A great way for me to go from supersonic to sleepy tired is to have a bath with a warm drink, dry, moisturise, scent and bed. My head hits the pillow and lights out till the alarm goes off in the morning for the dogs feeding and walking.

Why have I rambled on yet again about baths? Well, Mandy Aftel has made some incredibly luxurious eating salts that I naughtily used a capful of in my bath and O M G it was a transcendent experience. Talk about sending me into the stratosphere; amazing! You need hardly any to scent the whole bathroom very softly and it is calming and head clearing. Do it as you get in the bath. Beautiful. SHHHH! Don’t tell Mandy I did it though.

Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts by Aftelier Perfumes

So, how are we supposed to use Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts? Follow this recipe and your family will think you are the best cook in the history of all cooks. I use one fillet each but your crew may like more.

4 large Snapper Fillets
1 x lemon cut into very thin slices
2 TBsp butter
2 x parsley fronds chopped finely
1 x crushed large garlic clove
Pinch white pepper
Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts

Baking Tray
Aluminium Foil

Pre heat oven to 180C
Mix butter, parsley, garlic and pepper together to make a paste
Tear 2 sheets of foil big enough to wrap 2 fillets each
Spread 1/4 of butter mix all over each fillet
Place fillets on shiny foil side
Put lemon slices top of fillets and close up the foil.
Pop onto bake tray and into the oven for 15-20 minutes (you know if your oven is a little slow or fast)

Make whatever salad or vegetable sides you like while fish is cooking

When the fillets come out of the oven they will be meltingly soft so be careful as you transfer to the plate
Add a sprinkling of Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts
Add your sides

Serve and watch your family go crazy with excitement

I didn’t know this was going to be a post so no pictures were taken. SORRY!

Obviously your mileage may vary but this was a complete winner around here. Hopefully your crew loves it too.

From Aftelier only $15: Our sel gris is stone-ground by hand until it reaches a fine consistency; it melts into other flavors seamlessly, imparting a briny mineral richness. Sel gris French gray sea salt is hand-harvested from the clay-lined salt ponds in the Guérande region of France, giving it a soft grey color and mineral-rich moisture. These salts are not to be used during the cooking process, but rather to add a pop of flavor to everything from meat to salads to vegetables just before serving. These salts will lift the other flavors of a dish, making it special and delicious.

What a freaking great Christmas Gift for the friends and family that cook, and so affordable.
Portia xx

 

 

 

Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdC

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 46 Comments

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Portia

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Hi Vintage Vamps,

There’s something incredibly special about vintage. Sure, I know people bang on about them changing over time and that you’re not smelling the perfumers original intent. BAH Humbug. I’ll enjoy fragrance any which way I like and please don’t try and ruin my fun. Chasing the elusive, finding a near perfect gem, wearing something never to be created ever again that has been kept sometimes for over a century. THAT is fun, exciting and special.

Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdC

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, Lily, Lily-of-the-valley, Neroli, Orange blossom, Tuberose
Heart: Jasmine, Nutmeg, Rose, Ylang-ylang
Base: Iris, Vanilla, Vetiver, Frankincense

This is the cleanest vintage CHANEL No 22 EdC I’ve smelled. The aldehydes are still fizzy and a little oily as they rise off my skin in combination with the most magnificent bouquet. What can I smell? White flowers and creamy ylang over incense and a bunch of stuff I can’t place or name. What they smell like for me is CHANEL No 22.

I can tell you how it feels to wear it though. Carefree. Like a burst of warm sunshine on a gloomy day. Maybe the thrum of your blood through vines after a hearty belly laugh. Lunching with friends somewhere cheap and cheerful with a water view.

Warm winds, hot sand and a convertible car ride.

Sure, No 22 EdC is a glamour puss, bold and sophisticated. It does seem to me when I wear her that she may be all that but when it’s a 22 day she’s on holidays. It may be nearest beach or it could be the Greek islands, wherever no 22 lands she’ll be welcome.

Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdC GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdC decant (from my bottle)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us what your favourite CHANEL fragrance is

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 10th December 2017 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 14th December 2017 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

Top Five Hot Weather Fragrances: Gabriella 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

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Gabriella

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Hello perfumed peeps!

We’ve had quite sultry weather in Melbourne lately with temperatures over 30C for days straight. The heat has caught everyone by surprise, including me, as it usually doesn’t get this hot until January or February. The change was sudden too: one day I was in jumpers and coats and luxuriating in my dark rose and woody scents and the next day I’m sweltering in a sundress and wondering what perfume to wear. So, today I want to share my:

Top Five Hot Weather Fragrances

Fragrantica

Amyris Femme by Francis Kurkdjian for Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2012

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon leaf, orange leaf
Heart: Amyris, iris
Base: Vetiver, agarwood (oud)

The Parisian chic choice. Amyris Femme dazzles from the opening with bright and juicy lemon blossom coupled with soft iris and delicately spiced woods. It’s a joyous scent that is still incredibly elegant and poised.

Further reading: The Candy Perfume Boy
Mecca Cosmetica has 70ml/$228

Fragrantica

Carnal Flower by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle 2005

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, melon, eucalyptus
Heart: Ylang-ylang, jasmine, tuberose, salicylates
Base: Tuberose absolute, orange blossom absolute, coconut, musk

The sexy diva. Carnal Flower is the perfume equivalent of diving head first into a huge florist’s fridge brimming with creamy tuberose flowers. Lush tuberose is front and centre, but the eucalyptus provides a lovely green quality to the fleshy white blooms laced with a touch of coconut.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin
Mecca Cosmetica starts at 10ml/$84

Fragrantica

Lily by Florence Idier for Comme des Garcons: Olfactory Library 2000 (reissued 2017)

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lily of the valley, freesia, syringa, dog rose buds

The lovely green one. I’ve struggled to find a good lily of the valley scent since the original Christian Dior Diorissimo was reformulated beyond recognition, but this may just be it. Here, the lily of the valley is very stemmy and verdant but devastatingly pretty.

Mecca Cosmetica has 50ml/$130

Fragrantica

Original Vetiver by Olivier Creed and Erwin Creed for Creed 2004

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Ginger, mandarin, bergamot
Heart: Vetiver from Haiti, Mysore sandalwood, Florentine Iris
Base: Musk, ambergris

The “It’s too hot for perfume” choice. Many vetivers tend to be on the heavier side but this is the soft caress of a feather on skin. Mandarin and bergamot keeps things bright and fresh with a touch of gentle iris and salty ambergris.

Further reading: Katie Puckrik Smells 
Libertine Parfumerie has $339/75ml

Fragrantica

Rosa Greta by Fabrice Pellegrin for Eau d’Italie 2017

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Litchi, white tea
Heart: Rose bud, Damascus rose infusion
Base: Cedarwood, ambrox

The summer office scent. Made to commemorate Greta Garbo’s disappearance from the paparazzi in the Amalfi Coast in 1938, Rosa Greta is joyful but still very elegant. Lychee and a gorgeous tea note lend a vibrancy to soft rose.

Mecca Cosmetica starts at 100ml/$204

So what are your favourite perfumes for when the mercury starts to rise?

With much love until next time!

G x

Wood Infusion WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

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Portia

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Hey crew!
Thanks to the Goldfield & Banks peeps for their generosity we have a slew of winners today.
Portia x

Wood Infusion WINNERS

 

Goldfield & Banks give these featured accords:
Australian Exotic Woods, Sweet Orange, Iris Italy, Agarwood, Lavender Australia, Patchouli Indonesia, Musk, Amber

Goldfield & Banks has $229/100ml
City Perfume has $229/100ml (10% Discount Code: AFG17 and FREE AUSTRALIAN EXPRESS SHIPPING)

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 10 winners who will receive:
1 x spray Goldfield & Banks Wood Infusion decant
P&H Anywhere in the world

 

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Monday 3rd December 2017 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

Ingrid

Lynda Allen

Shiva-woman

hage kay

Carolyn Kubea

Andrew

Kate Apted

Fazal

Melanie

Chocolate Marzipan

The winners will have till Thursday 7th December 2017 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

SOTD 4 – 10 December 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 169 Comments

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

I see these SOTD (Scent Of The Day) threads all the time on Facebook and they are really good conversation generators.

SOTD 4 – 10 December 2017

The idea is you’ll chime in through the week with whatever scent you are wearing. You don’t need to be super knowledgable, have high faluting tastes or be a published author to comment. Just tell us what fragrance you’re wearing, smelling, buying etc.

You probably won’t have time to write every scent, every spritz but whenever you feel the mood take you share your current spritz and a few things about it. Maybe you love/loathe it, want it, are excited by the notes/bottle/SA who sold it: WHATEVER! As always here at APJ, taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

Over 100 responses I will draw a Scent Sample Pack (from my collection)
This week:

  1. Divine EdP
  2. Rouge Hermès
  3. Goldfield & Banks Wood Infusion
  4. Aedes de Venustas Palissandre d’Or
  5. Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdC

Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Sunday.

LAST WEEKS WINNER: MmkInPA

Go To It Crew.
Portia xxx

Saturday Question: What Are Your 3 All Time Fave Movies?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 140 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.

Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.

Last Weeks Winner: Didn’t make 100 responses

eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.

Saturday Question:

What Are Your 3 All Time Fave Movies?

OK, totally off topic but I feel like I’m in a film rut. Basically I watch a couple of oldies that I adore and the DC and Marvel series. It’s been a long while since I bothered to see anything much at the movies except the Kingsman sequel (awful but hilarious) and some dreck on planes.

A bit of background history. When I came back from the UK at the end of 2015 Mum kindly offered to have me back at our childhood home. My sister had moved out and taken all the VHS Video Cassettes except a very limited selection. Mum and I only really like a few of the movies but two of them could always be relied on for entertainment on so many levels. We must have watched my first two choices 40 times each or more in the 6 years we had before she died. I still love them and can watch them again and again.

My Answer:

The Colour Purple: 

The story of Celie’s life, a coming of age. Every time I’m completely and utterly captivated. Every character built and portrayed to perfection, cinematography, music, everything. Love it.

Stage Door: 

Rich girl Katherine Hepburn wants to be an actress so she slums it with the rest of the wannabe starlets in a hostel for young actresses. It’s a star studded cast with young Lucille ball, Ava Gardner, Ginger Rogers and a slew of others. Some of the funniest lines, arch zingers and some tender moments.

Muriel’s Wedding: 

You’d think because I was part of Priscilla it would be my favourite Australian film, nope. Muriel’s Wedding is freaking hilarious. Everything about it is perfection. It was shot in and around Sydney in places I used to haunt, has the most spectacle;ar cast and is a genius gem of 20th century Australian comedy.

My Saturday Question to you is:

What Are Your 3 All Time Fave Movies?

 

 

Sacred by Teone Reinthal for Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

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Portia

.

Hi APJ,

In Australia we hear often of a natural perfumer that perfumistas who like become evangelical about. Teone Reinthal is her name and her natural perfumes come up on Facebook pages constantly. Till now I have been remiss in my trying of her work but recently she sent me a few samples to try. I was going to do a faves post with Moonlight and Ritual but as I wore Sacred it became thew focus of a full post. Not an easy new love by any means, a challenging, haunting scent that affronted and comforted me. So I’ll come back to the others but today I thought you should read about Sacred alone.

Sacred by Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume

Sacred by Teone Reinthal

Sacred by Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
West Australian Sandalwood, Tasmanian Boronia absolute, Far North Queensland Red Desert Rosewood, Tiwi Islands/Northern Territory Blue Cypress, South Australia Honey Myrtle, New South Wales Nerolina

Orange scented wood varnish, gasoline, green bark stripped from trees and lawnmower clippings open Sacred. It’s a full on, powerful, picks you up by the neck and shakes you initial blast. My advice is to wait a minute before going in to sniff, it will blow your nose.

Once the initial fireworks dissipate Sacred becomes a very interesting piece of perfumery. It’s sold as an all natural fragrance and that’s really surprising because of its size and longevity. Australia has interesting soil, very red and clay, the reed is like our blood because we have so much iron in it. That gives our plants a distinct theme. Even when Indian Mysore Sandalwood is grown here’d the fragrance gets a pugnacious and punchy opening never smelled in its native home. That’s the opening of Sacred, almost an attack.

Sacred by Teone Reinthal veeterzy pexelsPDI

As it moves into the heart Sacred become like maple syrup, as if the sacred woods have been mined for their heart juice, their sap. It’s thick and luxurious yes surprisingly its projection becomes quite close. Sillage stays good for a couple of hours and if you sit somewhere,  Sacred will hue the air around you softly but distinctly.

Breathy undertones come in under this sap sweet heart and give an added depth with green torn branches and bruised leaves.

Sacred is the kind of fragrance only an independent perfumery can release. It’s wild, untamed and raw. Though Sacred is blended beautifully there’s no soft focus sheering off of interesting and challenging notes. Sacred smells like a challenge, a beautiful, alluring, life on the edge challenge. Right to the base Sacred never becomes an easy beauty and I like it for that.

Sacred by Teone Reinthal Jon Bunting tree FlickrFlickr

Teone Reinthal Natural Perfumes
Teone Reinthal Natural Perfumes Sacred can be found in the Limited Edition section from $25/2ml

Have you tried Teone’s fragrances?
Portia xx