Review

How Do You Scent Your Home?

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Post by Erica Golding

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Hello fellow fragrance lovers!

Today I’m wondering, how do you scent your home? Our quarters are our own personal atmosphere, an oasis from the spiraling chaos of routine. It’s fun to express yourself by decorating your air space!

How Do You Scent Your Home?

Aside from the typical candles, incense sticks, and Scentsy warmers (which I display and use proudly), there are some other fun and creative ways to liven up the ambience.

brume-d-oreiller-parfums-de-nicolai-linen-sprayParfum de Nicolaï

Luxe atmosphere/linen sprays are such a delight! Right now I have several favorites in my collection from houses such as Black Phoenix Trading Post, Parfum de Nicolaï and Sucreabeille. The fragrances are unique, unexpected, and great conversation starters! Don’t forget the L’Artisan Amber Balls too.

lartisan-amber-ball-300gL’Artisan

Another fabulous experience is burning resin incense on charcoal tablets in a censer. There is nothing that compares to real frankincense tears and myrrh resin cloaking a room in divine perfume. Be safe and try not to burn the place down! And it’s smart to crack a window open, smoke alarms can disrupt one’s zen. 😉

bag_of_frankincense_at_dubai_spice_souk-wikicommonsWikiCommons

Have you ever used an oil burner? A while back, Nocturne Alchemy released some limited edition Offering Oils specifically formulated for warming in an oil burner, no dilution necessary. I just light a tea light under the suspended glass dish, and soon the aroma is dancing around the room. The scents are purely euphoric, and they are by far my favorite way to fragrance my home. I hope they decide to make more someday, my little hoard is starting to dwindle.

Lastly, I’d love to hear your opinions on ultrasonic aroma diffusers like the Muji. I’m curious and very tempted. If you have one, do you use it often, or did you lose interest once you played with it a few times? Do you have any brands you recommend (or would advise against)?

I hope you are cozy and well-scented, and that you are enjoying the company of loved ones this holiday season.

So tell me in the comments below, how do you scent your home?

Fragrant hugs,
-Erica

Vert Boheme by Tom Ford 2016

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Post by Robert Herrmann

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Hello my dear Fragrant Community,

In times of great global upheaval, be it political financial or social, people often look inwards and we tend to surround ourselves with things and people that can offer comfort and succor. For many of us that manifests in the perfumes we choose to wear, a scent that reminds us of a safer time in our lives, gentler living instead of days full of stress and drama

For me it seems that I favor vintage and vintage-style perfumes. Perfumes that remind me of my dressed-up-cocktail-party-dab-of-Patou Mother or maybe the wet tweed/leather and spicy green fougere or aquatic cologne of my Father, and later my own all-night drug-fueled party and disco dancing nights at the gay bars of pre-AIDS San Francisco. A very heady time and place indeed when anything was possible and everything was available.

So recently reaching blindly into my decant box, I pulled out one of one new Tom Ford Private Selections called Vert Boheme, and honest to god it was exactly the blanket of comfort I needed and was searching for! Serendipity at its finest.

Vert Boheme by Tom Ford 2016

vert-boheme-tom-ford-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Galbanum, mandarin, magnolia, honeysuckle, muguet, violet leaf, gustavia superba (heaven lotus), oakmoss, vetiver, white musk

Vert Boheme is a very green and waxy smelling white floral, almost the love-child of Jean Patou Joy and Chanel 19 or Cristalle. It opens on my skin with a huge blast of bitter green galbanum, tempered quickly by sweet citrus and floral honeysuckle and lily of the valley. Staying quite linear it all settles down into an almost cologne-like watery floral and mossy scent reminiscent of a men’s scent from the late 60’s or early 70’s. The heaven lotus adds a level of early glamorous indolic beauty that is prominent thru the drydown.

Since the 70’s was my “coming-of-age” era, that’s very likely why it resonates with me so profoundly on so many levels. It feels as familiar to me as a well worn pair of bell bottom jeans and platform shoes, reminding me so much of “home” and a happy time in my life, that it almost brings me to tears with the memory of my parents and my own foolish youthful days.

vert-boheme-tom-ford-diahann_carroll_julia-wikicommonsWikiCommons

Nothing groundbreaking but beautiful none the less and a welcome addition to my fragrance wardrobe.

Further reading: GQ Magazine and Perfume Posse
LuckyScent has $225/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/0.5ml

Have you tried any of the new Tom Ford Vert series?

giveaway TheTruthAboutMummy

Tom Ford: Vert Boheme GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 4ml decant of Vert Boheme
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 you would wear with your Tom Ford: Vert Boheme.
(Don’t worry about realities like money, figure, age or anything. Let your imagination run wild)

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 22nd December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 28th December 2016 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

 

Noir Epices by Michel Roudnitska for Frederic Malle 2000

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Post by Claire Vukcevic

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Hi APJ folk!

We’ve been enjoying an amazing autumn here in Ireland. Lucky enough to live in the most sheltered spot on this rain-sodden island, we spent most of October and November trawling the long, golden beaches and kicking over the leaves in castle parks. The sun never stopped shining, temperatures barely dipped below 15 degrees, and we were all in such a damn good mood. Then one day, driving back from a jaunt to Kilkenny, I made the fatal mistake of saying, “And imagine – the kids haven’t been sick even once!”

Jesus.

Naturally, there hasn’t been a dry tissue in the house since. There’s been the flu, chest infections, and a torn cornea that necessitated an emergency hospital visit and a hefty bill (no health insurance). More familiar with hospital waiting rooms than I’d care to be, I have developed a perfume strategy that helps a bit. I wear powerfully radiant, antiseptic fumes that march ahead of me, wiping whole rooms down with Dettol before I enter, and whisper “Do not fuck with me” to receptionists.

Noir Epices by Frederic Malle 2000

Noir Epices by Michel Roudnitska

noir-epices-frederic-malle-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange, rose, geranium
Heart: Nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, cloves
Base: Sandalwood, patchouli, cedar, vanilla

Yeah, so, I’m wearing a lot of Noir Epices. It is a difficult, somewhat prickly perfume – a sort of stripped-down, Vorsprung Durch Technik version of Coco. Re-engineered to remove all the sweetness and ballasting amber; it’s the perfume equivalent of whittling a comfy sofa into a Philippe Starck chair.

noir-epices-frederic-malle-ngv_design_philippe_starck_w-w-_stool-wikicommonsWikiCommons

In the opening notes, a hot pink rose stumbles onto the scene, flushed and boozy, washed down with the metallic sheen of geranium leaf. It is intensely beautiful to me at first because I get the impression of fullness – the bitter greenness of the geranium balanced by the rose, and the dry, peppery spices are backed up by rich woods. Singed orange peel and clove burn through spices, florals, and woods, purifying the unclean air around me and excoriating the flesh around open wounds. Noir Epices is the answer to the plague.

I feel fierce when I wear this, but eventually the very things that make me feel protected wear me down. Wearing Noir Epices is like putting a pure vitamin C serum on your face – the burning feels good because you know that it is active, but at the same time, the discomfort is real. Noir Epices has all the trappings of a rich spice oriental – the acidity of spilled orange juice, dry pomander woods, black pepper, an excitable rose – but completely lacks the underpinnings. There is no amber, vanilla, or creamy, hefty woods to round this out in the base, and while I understand that its appeal comes from this woody weightlessness, I would wish for a kinder, more forgiving ending. Noir Epices is a stern judge of character.

noir-epices-frederic-malle-ku_kai-chih-wikicommonsWikipedia

Longevity and sillage are outstanding, 7 hours at the least. I recommend Noir Epices to anyone in need of a magic potion to ward off illnesses, and to fans of spicy, dry orange-rose pomander fragrances such as Coco and Maharanih.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Non Blonde
Mecca has $217/50ml with FREE Australian Shipping
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $8.69/ml

What do you guys use to banish the sickies?

Slán,
Claire

Libertine Parfumerie: Amouage Bracken Man + JHaG Mmmm…

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Post by Portia

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Heya Mass-tige Frag Hags,

Last week Ainslie Walker & I had a day out together seeing the Map Of The Heart range, catching up with Bronwyn of Gascoigne & King Candles (where I did some Christmas shopping) and seeing our mate Paige at Libertine Parfumerie.  Paige took half an hour out of her extremely busy day to show us the newest stuff in store. There was quite a bit but two particularly stood out for me as excellent.

New at Libertine Parfumerie

Bracken Man by Olivier Cresp + Fabrice Pellegrin for Amouage 2016

bracken-man-amouage-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, cypress, lavender, nutmeg, cloves
Heart: Geranium, sandalwood, cedar, cinnamon
Base: Patchouli, musk

A old school swirl of citrus & herbs leads you into a plush spiced lavender that grows creamier and more comfortable as it wears. If Don Draper from Mad Men could wear something made today that is totally reminiscent of yesteryear but done with a depth and finesse not seen back then I reckon he would choose Bracken Man. It skips all the sweet tropes of the style and gives me dry, warm stylised macho-ness. I would follow someone wearing this in the street or a mall just to revel in the sillage. MMMM

Libertine has $399/100ml

mmmm-juliette-has-a-gun-fragranticaFragrantica

Mmmm… by Juliette Has A Gun 2016

Libertine gives these featured accords:
Top: Vanilla,  jasmine
Heart: Neroli essence, tonka bean
Base: Ambroxan

When I first spied Mmmm… I was ready to hate it instantly because of the stupid name and the pink on the bottle which reminds me of cough syrup. BLEAUGH!

Silly me, it’s bloody fun and fabulous. The vanilla that opens is headily offset by the clean jasmine and warm tonka. Ambrosian has its flirty now you smell me, now you don’t game of hide & seek so sometimes I’m smelling bakery and others sweaty love fest bodies. Super nice work JHaG.

Libertine has $209/100ml

Libertine Parfumerie site has an extraordinary range and FREE AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING over $100. They are always great supporters of APJ and we love them. Also you get a BUNCH of samples with every order.

If you’re in Sydney they also have the last day of their Pop Up Sale Store on Saturday!

What’s new on your radar right now?
Portia xx

 

giveaway TheTruthAboutMummy

Libertine Samples GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 1.3ml Bracken Man spray sample
1 x 1.3ml Mmmm… spray sample
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 your favourite fragrance from either Amouage or Juliette Has A Gun

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 18th December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 21th December 2016 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

 

A Scent by Daphne Bugey for Issey Miyake 2009

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Post by Anne-Marie

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Hi everyone,

I ignored Issey Mikaye’s A Scent when it came out. I was happily immersed in niche and vintage sampling then, trying all I could of the latest darling releases: Andy Tauer sample sets, Parfum d’Empire, Parfums de Nicolai … Lutens … the latest Chanel Les Exlcusifs … I practically camped outside the letter box waiting for L’Artisan Traversee du Bosphore to be delivered (it didn’t work for me sadly), and a gift of a bottle of vintage Miss Dior was a thrill beyond words.

A Scent never stood a chance. I tried department store testers but tended to agree with reviewers who generally seemed underwhelmed.
Well, recently I picked up a small bottle for $10 from a shop selling off a bunch of testers. Why not, at that price? Get it while you can…

A Scent by Issey Miyake 2009

A Scent by Daphne Bugey

a-scent-by-issey-miyake-issey-miyake-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives thee featured accords:
Amalfi lemon, lemon verbena, jasmine, hyacinth, Virginia cedar, galbanum

A Scent opens with a tang of citrus followed quickly by a realistic evocation of hyacinth, very bracing, but not as bitter as actual hyacinths can smell. After that the fragrance relaxes and I smell mixed clean green florals over a gentle base of musk (not listed as a note). Longevity is good and sillage moderate. I wore it on warm day during a long car journey and found it a refreshing but gentle presence over several hours, with nothing to offend my fellow travellers.

a-scent-by-issey-miyake-blue-hyacinths-pdiPDI

The hyacinth is what pleases me about A Scent. I recognise it distinctly but it is not as heavy as the other hyacinth perfume I know well, Guerlain Chamade. A Scent is frequently compared to other great classics, Chanel Cristalle and No 19, and not favourably. ‘Nice, but not as good as … ‘.

But many people would find A Scent easier to wear, I think. It is green all the way through but without sharpness or bitterness, and anyone worried about dirty moss or wet stones need have no concerns here. It reminds me a bit of Estee Lauder Pure White Linen but without the herbal shampoo accord that makes PWL a bit banal for me.

Miyake reportedly does not like fragrance and this one is said to be inspired by the smell of Japanese mountains. It smells clean and cool, damp but not watery, and conforms with Miyake’s minimalist aesthetic.

a-scent-by-issey-miyake-hiroshige_a_mountain_in_the_snow-wikicommonsWikiCommons

A Scent is not a masterpiece, but if it sounds like your thing, grab it while you can. Yes – it’s discontinued, but widely available at the online discounters. There’s a pink flanker, A Scent by Issey Miyake Eau de Parfum Florale. That one is still on the market but I have not tried it. Do comment if you have.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Perfume Shrine
FragranceNet has AUD$23/47ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Green fragrances can be tricky to wear. Do you have a favourite?
Until next time, keep spritzing everyone!
Anne-Marie

Three Kings and Christmas Season Fragrances

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

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Post by TinaG

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Hi APJ!

Christmas is a week and a bit away yet, but somehow feels like it’s tomorrow. To help us get into the holiday season I thought I’d take a look at some traditional Christmassy scents. Hard to choose just one sometimes! But let’s take a look.

Three Kings Fragrances

Let’s take a look at what fragrances the three kings may have worn to match their scents.

larmes-du-desert-atelier-des-ors-fragranticaFragrantica

Gold: Larmes Du Désert – Atelier des Ors
The beautiful sun-rayed bottles with flakes of real gold make wonderful perfumed snow-globes. Pick it up & give it a shake, preferably while standing in sunlight. What do they smell like? I can’t remember, I was too mesmerised by the sparkles.

oliban-keiko-mecheri-fragranticaFragrantica

Frankincense: Oliban – Keiko Mecheri
Frankincense is sometimes referred to as olibanum/oliban , and the perfume of that name by Keiko Mecheri has a fabulous, photo-realistic frankincense note which smelt like it had been grabbed straight from the burning censer. I’m gonna be bold and put it out there as a must-sniff for this incense note. Portia has done a lovely Oliban review

wazamba-parfum-dempire-fragranticaFragrantica

Myrrh: Parfum d’Empire – Wazamba
Wazamba opens resinous and sticky, almost a honeyed amber with an interesting apple note. This settles to a straight-up dry myrrh throughout the dry down. Myrrh is an interesting resin to burn, it has a cool greyness about it. Wazamba manages to capture this incense wonderfully.

Christmas Season Fragrances

Christmas in the southern hemisphere is VERY different to that up north so some thought needs to go into what to wear on the big day.

aqua-allegoria-winter-delice-guerlain-fragranticaFragrantica

Winter: Guerlain – Aqua Allegoria, Winter Delice
Winter Delice is a walk through a European mountain forest, fir and pine. It it well balanced and eminently wearable. It is unfortunately discontinued but bottles do pop up from time to time.

at-the-beach-1966-cb-i-hate-perfume-fragranticaFragrantica

Summer: CB I Hate Perfume – At The Beach 1966
This is a day at the beach, suntan lotion, salt spray and warmth. I’ve only sniffed this from a friend’s sample but it left such a strong impression of summer’s past – a great frag to try for a flashback.

What fragrances are you grabbing as we head directly into the holiday season?

Till next time!
Tina G xx

Map Of The Heart: Meeting Sarah Blair

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Post by Portia

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Hi there Art Fraggers,

Way back in February of this year 2016 I was at the Tranoi Paris with the Le Galion boys, Neela Vermeire, Pierre Guillaume and Ulrich Lang. I know right. It’s like a name dropping extravaganza. Ulrich was trying to introduce me to a new brand called Map Of The Heart that I had walked past, looked at, squirmed with revulsion and wandered on. They have the fragrance in bottles shaped like hearts. No not the cutesy hearts of childhood and Hello Kitty. NOPE. These are replicas of anatomical hearts created by master bottle maker Pierre Dinand, and frankly BLEAUGH. They remind me of the cow and sheep hearts Mum used to get to feed the dogs and cats of our childhood, gawd I thought they were SO disgusting. Seriously…….. GAK.

So the other day Ainslie Walker invites me to the grand Opening of a new Aussie fragrance company called Map Of The Heart. Sadly I’m busy so we cruise on down the day after Opening Night (yesterday) to the new Liverpool St Darlinghurst pop-up shop. I hadn’t really thought about the brand we were seeing much because I like to be surprised and we walk in and…….

Map Of The Heart: Meeting Sarah Blair

yes, you guessed it. The bloody ghastly HEART BOTTLES! Ha Ha Ha Ha.

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-11

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-4

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-8The bottle is unbelievable comfortable once it’s in your hand. It feels right and is so easy to spritz.

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-1Myself, Ainslie & SA Jodie sniffing the range

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-7

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-6The room is so stark white that the light seems diffuse & milky and in the centre is this beat up vintage Jaguar with boxes spilling out.

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-2

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-3

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-5The red heart in the centre is their best seller worldwide. It’s a fruity fizz fragrance, a fruit-chouli. Very accessible for the modern fragrance shopper.

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-12Sarah Blair is very articulate about her company and the heart designed bottle. She is passionate about creating an interesting and slightly challenging brand and though a lot of what she says is very cerebral and art/visual/international jet-set speak she has really thought about what she wants to say with the Map Of The Heart brand above and beyond becoming a successful business venture. I find her engaging and we were really sad that there was a time budget because Sarah Blair needs closer investigation.

Ainslie always knows the way to talk to business people and perfumers so I found out lots of interesting stuff that I would never even have known to ask. Bravo Ainslie.

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-10Sarah also took my loathing of the bottle completely in her stride. Once she started to explain her motives it all made some sense to me. Still I’d rather eat my foot than have that bottle in my home. I did ask if there is going to be a Travel Set with regular bottles in the future and they are currently talking about making that happen.

map-of-the-heart-nov-2016-9

What was my favourite of the brand? Gold Heart.

gold-heart-v-4-map-of-the-heart-fragranticaFragrantica

Gold Heart V.4 by Map Of The Heart

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pepper, cardamom
Heart: Milk, saffron
Base: Woody notes

If you’ve ever tried Costume National’s 21 then you already have an idea of how Gold Heart smells. It’s a bit simpler, less confronting and all together an easier wear than 21. I found it so effortlessly wearable in 35C heat yesterday and found its staying power very good too. The milky saffron last to nearly the end when a nondescript woody dry down hums along merrily and very quietly.

Further reading: Megan In St Maxime and Colognoisseur
Map Of The Heart has $250/90ml

Have you seen, or heard of, this brand? What do you think of the hearts?
Portia xx

Guerlain with Tea & Scones

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Post by Portia

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Hey Crew,

Do you ever get together with frag buddies? I have met so many wonderful & varied people in the fragrant world, a few of them turning into lasting and close friends. I’ve also had some of my long term besties come out as frag nerds too. So irregularly there are get togethers with one or more buddies. Yesterday was special because someone I’d only ever interacted with online is in Sydney and she had bought a bottle of perfume from me. What else could I do but ask her around for Morning Tea and a sniff? So Latai came and we had a lovely time, well I had a lovely time and I think she did too.

Guerlain with Tea & Scones

We decided early on that as Latai had not spent much time in the Guerlain fragrance vault that we should focus our noses there for the day. So I thought it might be interesting to take her on a Semi Ages of Guerlain tour.

3701e53f-b8c0-4bed-a06e-0e7c72148db2

We started with a few of the most well known vintage extraits, Vold de Nuit, Mitsouko & Shalimar. With this set I also got Latai to smell modern Samsara extrait that Jin & I bought recently in Japan.

From there I jumped to a couple of my most loved masculine Guerlains: Vetiver and Cologne du 68. Interestingly Vetiver turned out to be one of Latai’s favourites of the day and we really enjoyed its light oily grassy scent.

We also tried Vega but it was absolutely not to her taste and she scrubbed it off.

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Then the last two from the Guerlain range we smelled were vintage Chamade extrait and for something totally up to date Promenade des Anglaise, which turned out to be her absolute favourite of the day.

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Halfway through I made some scones that we ate with fresh whipped cream, home made apple and raspberry jam (thanks to my mate Linda, YUMMY) and lemon curd. This washed down with some very lovely tea that Latai brought to share.

It was a really nice, zero fuss, fun day: full of silliness, laughter and fragrance.
What brand would you choose to sniff for a day with perfumistas?
Portia xx

Russian Festival Of Indie Perfumers 2016

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

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Post by Robert Herrmann

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Hello Fragrant Friends!

Today I’m looking at a few very interesting samples I just received, entries for the Russian Festival Of Indie Perfumes. How cool is that??!!

Russian Festival Of Indie Perfumers 2016

2nd Annual

Created and spearheaded by one of the leading Russian natural perfumers and authors, Anna Zworykina, the Russian Festival Of Indie Perfumers now enters its second year. This is a way for perfumers using natural and some synthetic materials to connect with perfume lovers world wide. Samples are sent out to reviewers and bloggers far and wide in the hopes of bringing attention to the vibrant and growing natural perfume scene in Russia.

anna-zworykina Anna Zworykina

The first festival was held last year with “Rose And Water” being the theme.

The 2016 theme is “Mad Tea Party” with tea being the prominent note, and the 25 perfumers involved were each given an arbitrary perfume classification (Black Tea Chypre, Green Tea Cologne, Black Tea Fougere et al..) and various types of tea (Green, White, Russian Black, Red Rooibos, Herbal, et al..), and just 11 weeks to create a natural perfume based on their given brief.

And may I just say that I love Tea-centric scents, so this was a no-brainer for me! Bring out the dancing Oolong perfume!!

russian-festival-of-indie-perfumers-2016Photo Donated Robert Herrmann

I’ve chosen a few to tell you about….

1.) Shambala by Galina Ani (Oriental Black Tea)

An easy love for me, this one was, with its tarry darkness and smoky Lapsang Souchong vibe. Imagine a pot of black tea brewing over a charcoal brazier, and that’s what this is. Really lovey, and brings to mind Gorilla Perfumes Breath Of God, but without the airy ozonic feel. Dries down to a warm ambery dried fruit scent. Loved it!

2.) Ginger Jasmine Tea by Anna Zworykina (Herbal Tea edc)

A perfect cologne for when the weather is warmer, resplendent with bergamot and citrus. A lovely and fairly straightforward men’s style edc. Classic citrusy (Yuzu?) bracing opening, settling down to a mossy green base. A non-indolic Jasmine, wild rose, spicy ginger, and incense hiding in the background. The citrus and jasmine lasted quite a long time on my skin, and was still evident upon awakening the next morning. Now THAT’S what you want from an edc… pretty, spicy, fresh, herbal and long-lasting.

3.) Japanese Linden Tea by Anastasia Denisenkova (Green Tea Fougere)

Exactly as you would expect a Japanese-themed tea perfume to smell. Minty cool and slightly mentholated, almost toothpaste but held in check by a gorgeous citrus and floral vibe. Light and ethereal, with linden blossoms falling from a tree and floating in a still clear pond. Mingling with the steam from a freshly poured porcelain cup of green tea, and the faint smell of tea cakes and rice powder. Yup, it took me there, and further. Gorgeous!

4.) Marsala Chai by Elena Markova (Oriental Black Tea)

Yes you read that right, MaRsala not Masala, this is a black tea to be sipped in the late afternoon, a tea meant to represent the ruby-red glow of the color Marsala, based on the wine of the same name. A black tea tinted with rose petals and redolent of ozymanthus, sandalwood, lychee, and benzoin among others. Slightly boozy and acidic floral note supported by citrus and wood. But aged wood, like the walls of the evenings paneled library where the steaming hot tea is served.

There are so many more to try, but I fear I’m getting tea drunk and might stay up all night!! Do you have any tea-scented perfumes you love? DO tell! But first, let me just put the kettle on…..

See you soon schnooki cookies,
Robert Herrmann

Elixir des Merveilles by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès 2006

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

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Post by Claire Vukcevic

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Hello APJ!

Christmas time is a-coming! Time to talk about orange scents, in other words. First up – Elixir des Merveilles.

Elixir des Merveilles by Hermès 2006

Elixir des Merveilles by Jean-Claude Ellena

elixir-des-merveilles-hermes-fragranticaFragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Peru balsam, vanilla sugar, amber, sandalwood, tonka bean, patchouli, Siam resin, caramel, oak, incense, orange peel, cedar

God, Elixir des Merveilles is such a weird perfume. The first time I tried it, I remember thinking –this right here is why people hate perfume. It was overly rich, sweet, muddy, with all the elements jumbled together in that overdone blur that defines “Rich Bitch” perfumes to me. The second time I tried it, I thought “I should learn how to read labels better” because I’d been aiming for the Ambre bottle.

Third time round, something clicked for me and I began to like it. Now I have odd, sudden cravings for it. I think it’s because I was finally able to figure out its structure. There are two sides to Elixir des Merveilles – the syrupy orange peels dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with sea salt on one side, and on the other, a massively butch clutch of resins and moss. It’s basically a super-gourmand grafted onto a super hairy-balled aftershave.

elixir-des-merveilles-hermes-natalie-greco-clown-shoes-flickrFlickr

Both sides are as oversized as clown shoes. The oranges dipped in caramel and chocolate are sweet to the point of being grotesque. One minute you think it’s gorgeous, the next you think, Christ, this stuff is absolutely gross. The sprinkling of what feels like celery salt over the treacly mass is probably one step too far. I swing between feeling repulsed to wanting more. The countermanding element is rather chypre-like: a brusque, musky cedar, smoky balsams and resins, moss. It’s really quite dry, bitter, and smoky.

The exaggerated forms of the two parts give the perfume a cartoonish Jessica Rabbit shape. It’s like watching an overloaded plane trying to take off or Kim Kardashian walk across the road in a tight skirt. You half fear it’s going to topple over any minute. But somehow the whole thing seems to hang together and work quite well. It’s a great winter gourmand, and the oranges and resins make me think of Christmas and oddly, Theorema.

Just don’t put this on if you’re not in the right mood for it, because it sticks like glue and seems to grow grander by the minute. At times, I find it enveloping and rich – just right for a cold winter’s day. But at other times, it begins to wear me down. When my hand glides over the small bottle of it that I bought, I have to think twice before putting it on.

elixir-des-merveilles-hermes-winter-woman-loganart-pixabayPDI

 

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Non-Blonde
Hermes stores and department stores stock Elixir des Merveilles
FragranceX has it around the $100/50ml mark
Surrender To Chance has samples from $3/ml

What about you guys? Do you have any perfumes that you hesitate before putting on because they are either such a huge commitment? Or because sometimes you enjoy them and other times they make you want to hurl? M/Mink and Myrrhe Ardente are both a little like Elixir des Merveilles in that way for me.

Slán!

Claire

Claire also writes for Take One Thing Off<<JUMP