Review

SOTD 16-22 October 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 163 Comments

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

I’d like to try something new here at APJ, I see these SOTD (Scent Of The Day) threads all the time on Facebook and they are really good conversation generators.

SOTD 16-22 October 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:
Amouage Dia Parfum
DIOR Mitzah
Miller et Barter A Quiet Morning
Neela Vermeire Creations Rahele
Vintage CHANEL No 19 EdC
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Sunday.

Last Weeks Winner: FIRST WEEK!

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.

Go To It Crew.
Portia xxx

Saturday Question: What Do You Wear To Travel?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 65 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:

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 Do You Wear To Travel?

It’s an old conundrum for me. I’m never quite sure what is the best option and usually either madly overpack or go in the opposite direction and leave myself without any choice at all. There is the flying scent, daytime scent, evenings, dressed up, casual, something to impress and something for comfort. Really that is just scratching the surface too.

Here is my current Scent Box, ready for travel and adventures.

Recently I have twice packed my scent box that goes in my checked baggage and left it on my desk. This leaves me with only the couple I carry onboard and if I’m very lucky a couple I’ve stashed in my wetpack.

My Answer:

Flying: This is the hardest one for me. I have a few favourites for flying but the number one for ease and comfort is The Different Company Oriental Lounge. Unlike many oriental fragrances it is sheer and light but still manages to smell great and lasts for even the longest flight. Even though I’m a crumpled and rumpled mess I smell fresh and warm, totally huggable.

On my one and only ever First Class trip I was showering in the Bangkok Thai First Class Lounge but had left my glasses outside with Michael. I grabbed a decant at random and triple spritzed. It was Mugler A*Men. I was ridiculously fragrant through the whole journey. Thank goodness I was in first and not Economy, the close quarters could have killed someone.
On the way back I dropped my bottle of The Different Company Oriental Lounge in the same bathroom. HA! Very dramatic, but the place smelled fabulous.

Daytime: My favourite ever travelling fragrance for days is vintage Miss Dior parfum. It fits every situation and smells completely different to anything else I smell on people the world over. I know I bang on about it endlessly but it is seriously the best choice for me.

A very close second are Jacomo Silences PdT and Niki de Saint Phalle. These dry green chypres are also poles apart from what the world is wearing so without being freaky my scent stands heard and shoulders above the rest of humanity.

Nights: Amouage Ubar is the winner here. I don’t always take it with me but when I do it gets worn almost every evening. It is easily my favourite Amouage fragrance and it works in the heat or cool.

One that I try to take every time is Guerlain Mitsouko EdT. When I think comfort crossed with haughty grandeur Mitsouko wins hands down. I also have so much, bought every time I see a bargain, that I love the chance to get it out and use it up. No matter where I am or what is happening Mitsouko fits the bill and smells bloody terrific.

My Saturday Question to you is:

What Do You Wear To Travel?

 

 

Suede Osmanthe 5.1 by Pierre Guillaume for Parfumerie Generale 2017

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Niche Nerds,

A few weeks ago a Press Sample of Parfumerie Generale Suede Osmanthe 5.1 arrived in the mail. It was two days before I left for India so naturally it got put aside in the flurry of organising. I grabbed it again and took it to meet Rasei Forte and Kerri Clarke recently for lunch so I could also gauge their reactions. Sometimes I worry that my own adoration of Pierre Guillaume colours the way I smell his fragrances. They all seem so flawlessly created, smooth where they should be, shocking or inventive, weird and wonderful. Yet, he manages to make even his most challenging scents wearable, comfortable to wear even. That’s quite a trick.

Pierre Guillaume is a fragrance free-radical. Running his empire of four brands from two large compounds, not owned or funded by the big boys and almost everything is put together there as it comes to us. He tries to keep as much of the production French, including bottles and packing. The more I know about him the more impressed I am by his acumen.

Suede Osmanthe 5.1 by Parfumerie Generale 2017

Suede Osmanthe 5.1 by Pierre Guillaume

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Aldehydes, black tea, osmanthus, apricot, suede, cashmeran, musk

Imagine apricot jam (verging on a marmalade, there’s a tartness to the sweet), black tea and a brand new expensive leather bag. If you can remember these three scents olfactorally, then you understand the premise behind the opening of Suede Osmanthe 5.1. For once I am not talking about a sideways perfume style hint towards the fruity jam, here I can smell it like it’s warming on my toast. Enjoy this beautiful opening for less than 10 minutes.

Suede Osmanthe 5.1 is beautiful. Sweet, green, fruity, plush suede and very sexy. Imagine if Daim Blond was amped towards canned fruit in sugar syrup and greened out.

I kind of have an idea what osmanthus smells like, Jin is far more able to pick it than I. To me it is like a creamy green floral but Jin says I have not really captured the interest or essence of osmanthus in my short description. So, obviously, Your Mileage May Vary.

Parfumerie Generale has from €68/30ml
LuckyScent has $125/50ml and Samples

Which is your favourite Pierre Guillaume scent?
Portia xx

 

Dolcelisir by L’Erbolario 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

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Erica Golding

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Scented greetings to all of you lovely people out there!

How do you feel about sweet, gourmand perfume? Do you enjoy radiating deliciousness, or are you nauseated by cloying fragrances?

Love them or hate them, sugary vanilla scents are still as popular today as they were when Angel and Pink Sugar came onto the scene. Personally, I have fun wearing candied perfumes, although I am fairly selective (perhaps even picky). The scent I chose for today has been the subject of many conversations in the fragrance community. It’s been compared quite frequently to Hermés Ambre Narguilé. It also reminds some people of scents like Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, L’Occitane Ambre, and more.

Dolcelisir by L’Erbolario 2010

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, orange, caramel, rum
Heart: Jasmine, rose, immortal, lily of the valley, cinnamon, sugar cane, cocoa powder
Base: Patchouli, vanilla, benzoin, tonka, amber, musk

Ahhhhh, sweet elixir indeed! Warm apple pie. On my skin, Dolcelisir is very similar to Ambre Narguilé. I deathmatched them side by side on my skin several years ago, and found them to be scent siblings. If you’re obsessed with every facet and nuance of Ambre Narguilé, then Dolcelisir probably won’t serve as a substitute for you; however, if your appreciation is casual, Dolcelisir is an excellent alternative at an affordable price point.

Dolcelisir is a warm, boozy, syrupy-sweet vanilla spice perfume with a healthy dose of musk. The throw is very loud and intense, and wearlength is over 6 hours on my skin. I don’t typically categorize scents as seasonal, but this beauty is perfectly suited for cool autumn days. Dolcelisir is a celebration for those of us who still ride the pumpkin spice train when the first leaves change color, despite the haters!

WikiMedia

Further reading: Scented Apprentice

Do you have a favorite gourmand guilty pleasure fragrance? Confess! You’re in the circle of trust 🙂

Love and light,

Erica

Some PERFUME BARGAINS You Should Know About

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Gang,

Perfume Bargains are the best. These two fab things are definite EVENTS!

Some PERFUME BARGAINS You Should Know About

Neela Vermeire Creations SALE!

If you are in Europe or have a perfume mule that lives or is visiting then this is for you.

So, it’s kind of a secret but I told Neela that I was going to give all the APJ peeps a go.

FREE SHIPPING and 10% OFF Neela Vermeire Creations

Now THAT is something to get really excited about. My best bet is to buy some Take Two Travel Sets and share them with your buddies! Shop at Neela Vermeire Creations

Maison Montage

If you are Sydney, Blue Mountains or Lithgow then you need to hop a train or grab your car and get to

Maison Montage
164 The Mall
Leura NSW 2780

They are currently having a fabulous sale on all their brands and individual items that haven’t been super sellers for them. There are original 2006 Mona di Orios like Oiro and Carnation, Atelier Colognes from Orange Sanguine through to Santal Carmin and a bunch of great Travel Sets from them. Rance, L’Artisan Perfumeur and a few more.

They have a spectacular collection not on sale too. Creed, Keiko Mecheri, Dear Rose, Helmut lang, Penhaligon’s and more.

Also a terrific assortment of soaps and candles, linens, homewares and incredible Amber from Poland.

 

Good deals, Get going
Portia XXX

 

L’Insomnuit by Robert Piguet 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Crew,

You may know how I love splits? It’s when one person buys a bottle, decants out portions and sells them on. They are a wonderful way to test a load of fragrances for not much more than the price of the juice. It can get addictive though and I regularly spend a hunk cash on them.

The past creative director of Robert Piguet, Joe GarcesI left some really happy memories. He came to Australia a few years ago as Piguet was re-establishing themselves as a fragrant player and held some super fun Master Classes. Joe told us stories of the creation and recreation of the piglet line and how each fragrance came about. It was fun but also riveting listening, he knew how to engage us and answered questions. I already loved Bandit and fracas but this opened a whole new world for me and the others present.

So, when Robert Piguet launches something new I try to get to it as soon as possible.

L’Insomnuit by Robert Piguet 2016

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Plum, Bergamot, Fir balsam
Heart: Orris absolute, Iris concrete, Oud
Base: Cedarwood, Cypriol, Tonka bean absolute, Sandalwood

Tonka, fir and iris compete for opening honours. A very interesting dry, sweet, powdery, woody mix that doesn’t remind me of anything else as it opens. It seems to be its own thing. Basically a wood extravaganza but slightly bakery-esque. The iris is very dry, slightly cardboard, and a little earthy but the interesting juxtaposition of the tonka sweetness (I think there is some vanilla too) and the creamy sandalwood make it so unusual to me.

From the notes I thought this next pic would be exactly what the fragrance would smell like but L’Insomnuit is far more interesting than that.

PXHere

 

Oudh? I don’t smell any oudh, like seriously zero oudhishness. The plum also passes me by.

There is a recurring moment through the heart of L’Insomnuit where I am suddenly reminded of Eau d’Italie Morn To Dusk. A similar golden treacle heft, so dense and gooey, thick and rich. Not the same but the feeling is similar and equally as extravagant.

For anyone who likes vanilla but is bored of how it is usually sent out in the 21st century this could be a nice not quite so super sweet option. Longevity is excellent, sillage moderate to good. I’d love to smell this on a really manly man in wrestling outfit, suit or overalls. It would definitely be an attractant.

WikiCommons

Further reading: Fragrance Daily
Libertine has $299/100ml FREE Australian Delivery
Surrender To Chance has samples from $5.50/ml

Do you have a favourite Piguet?
Portia xx

 

 

100ml La Fille de Berlin by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

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Portia

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Heya APJ Crew,

Lots of people have been bitching about the brand new bottle and I understand that nobody likes change. I also understand that if you have a set of Serge Lutens bottles that this is not going to fit. What did you do when you changed to CDs? Yes. This is the excuse you needed to get a new set. I do like that price per ml has gone down. I think that is really classy of Shishedo, when every body else is aspirational pricing their arses out of my ballpark. Serge Lutens is still making a fabulous, affordable product. Now I can uberspritz my La Fille De Berlin with no thought to running out.

When the new bottle was first available in Paris I got my bottle but things have been so hectic around here I didn’t get time to write you my thoughts.

La Fille de Berlin by Serge Lutens 2013

La Fille de Berlin by Christopher Sheldrake

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rose, geranium
Heart: Palmarosa
Base: Oakmoss, honey, patchouli

Cherry roses and pepper on opening with a softly metallic twang. Interesting how quickly it dries out. On Tina’s skin it stayed a crisp snap of cutting of a rose stem, violet and geranium – much cooler, where my skin the honey has taken over almost immediately and you can definitely smell the dryness of palmarosa. Smells expensive. So many Serge Lutens are freaky – this misses out on the freaky and is a very expensive rose + glam. Unusually for Serge, the honey is clean and not so animalic. We’re not smelling any of the bees or the wax on either of our skins.

La Fille de Berlin makes me smile. The rose is deep and burnished and a little bit boozy.

So fragrant yet La Fille de Berlin isn’t in your face, it manages to be quite a heavy perfume but restrained. It hits my dressed up evening button but I’ve also been enjoying wearing it in the warm spring daytime air around here.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and EauMG
Mecca has some $171/50ml and $294/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples from $6/ml

What do you think of the new 100ml bottles?
Portia xx

Ambre Mythique by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

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Portia

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Hey Hey Amber Lovers,

It’s turning cooler in the northern Hemisphere and we are still having cool nights in Sydney. A fragrance that seemed to miss getting much attention last year when it was released Ambre Mythique is another wonderful amber from a house that does them so well.

Many of us went through an amber stage very early in our perfumista career so we tend to think we have tried everything and what the hell could they do different or better than some of our favourites? I think that the MPG gang have succeeded in adding a new twist, also for those AMBER HATERS this could very well be the change in amber that’s needed to get you across to the dark side.

Recently I grabbed this out with Rasei of Forte & Manlé and Kerri while at lunch and the both agreed that Ambre Mythique is a very special amber.

Ambre Mythique by Maître Parfumeur et Gantier 2016

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top:  Bergamot, Geranium, Coriander, Frankincense
Heart: Myrrh, Lavender, Cistus
Base: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Tonka bean

Nowadays MPG feels sadly neglected, good call to finally get around to updating bottle and lid. This new look is a cool reimagining of their gaudy old style, while a little of the whimsy remains.

The opening is a herbaceous twist in the amber theme, very interesting, like they’ve done complimentary sprays on each arm of a fougere and an amber fragrance. Totally enjoying the dryness over the crunchy sweet amber that is also cut by the patchouli. I am LOVING this. Quite unique.

PDI

Amber and other incense-y resins make very nice warm and cool juxtapositions, a little bit animal and funky too. Honeyed and furry. The whole fragrance is plush and lavish from beginning to end. Amber Mythique even smells great in warm weather,  currently Sydney is around 26C (79F) and I feel like I’m wearing the freshest amber ever. The lavender is a surprise and reappears intermittently throughout my wear right through to dry down.

Comfortable and unusual, safe for work but interesting enough to spend 3 hours on the couch enjoying the ride.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Megan In St Maxime
LuckyScent has $190/120ml and Samples

Do you amber?
Portia xx

Baie Rose 26 by Frank Voelkl for Le Labo 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

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Portia

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Hi there Niche Nerds,

Todays fragrance was released as the Le Labo Chicago city exclusive. You may remember that I find the Le Labo adventure somewhat wankerish. The whole, we’ll mix it for you in store so it’s fresh shit doesn’t wash for me. Just because the ingredients haven’t been blended yet doesn’t make them any fresher, AND it takes months for the damn fragrances to settle properly after you buy them. It’s all a big fat GRRR for me.

Nevertheless when Le Labo get it right they do make some fairly spectacular frags.

One of my mates was doing a decant cleanout and I was lucky enough to buy this baby from them. There’s only about 2-3ml left in a 15ml so it has been well loved.

Baie Rose 26 by Le Labo 2010

Baie Rose 26 by Frank Voelkl

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Rose absolute, Pink pepper, Musk, Cedar, Aldehydes, Ambrox, Clove, Pepper

Victoria from Bois de Jasmin taught me something in my reading today, “baie rose means pink pepper in French”. AHA! So not only is Le Labo doing its usual name it something and have it smell like something else trick but there is also a pun in action. Clever. Funnily, both the pepper and rose are front & centre for most of the scent.

So here we smell the interesting by-play between rose and pink pepper.

The opening is all rose and metallic sparkling aldehydes shimmering over the pink pepper. It’s a meaty, thick and dense scent that also manages to feel lightweight and airy. Haughty and powerful are the two words that keep coming to my mind while wearing Baie Rose 26, also masculine (which is weird because I try not to subscribe to frag gender unless it punches me in the face wit it).

PDI

Baie Rose 26 is cool, in both the frosty and fun refinement explanations. It has a space age feel about it and a metallic twang, the best way to present roses in my mind.

I get fleeting correlations to other roses CK Contradiction Woman, Amouage Opus X and Oriza L. Legrand Royal Fillet. Not same obviously but there are resemblances.

The musk, ambrox, wood dry down is far less exciting that the first hours of Baie Rose 26 life. It doesn’t implode into banal but it isn’t a showstopper. A comfortable, safe scent that lasts and lasts with a hint of rose.

PDI

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Non Blonde

Did you ever get to try this beauty?
Portia xx

Saturday Question: What Perfume Do You Wear At Home?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 94 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:

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:

While I was away I noticed a comment on one of our APJ posts and it got me thinking. I can’t find it now but the gist of the comment was “I only wear that fragrance inside my own home when I know I’ll have the house to myself.” CURIOUS! So then that led me to thinking about my own perfume wearing and I think there are some scents I tend to wear wholly and solely for my own enjoyment.

Also, because I associate a fragrance with someone or that fragrance has a very specific era.

Let’s not limit this to ONLY wear because you won’t wear it outside for whatever reason. What do you LOVE to waft around the house in by yourself, what brings you great joy just by having it there to spritz for yourself?

My answer:

Vintage Opium by Yves Saint Laurent

Yes, I know it’s absolutely gorgeous but Opium is my BFF Kath Mum’s fragrance. Yes, I loved it well before meeting her but I feel so naughty wearing her signature in  the world. Her 100%, doesn’t even own another perfume, signature. It’s getting harder and harder to find the good stuff for her but I have a small backup supply. Mum prefers to spritz so I’ve kept this original beauty for myself, you have no idea how bloody fabulous it smells.

 

Black Saffron by Byredo

This is a freak show but I love it. I do wear Black Saffron outside the house but then the magic of the ride is a bit lost on me. At home I get to really enjoy the way it works. My mate Pia Long expressed it best, “Starts out fruity floral and ends up road dirt.” Yep, nailed it. A very nice innocuous opening and you end up being tarred and tarmac. Nothing is quite like it.

Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia by Guerlain

Guerlain hasn’t really done an Aqua Allegoria with such a personality since Lys Soleia. It’s a tropical ylang and lily combination backed by vanilla and a slight dry palm and salt air giving it interest and depth. I wear it around the house all year and it instantly gives a happy sheen to the day. Particularly good for making cleaning day smell beautiful.

My Saturday Question to you is:

What Perfume Do You Wear At Home?