Rose Musc by Laurie Erickson for Sonoma Scent Studio 2007

February 5, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there APJ,

Reading about Rose Musc on the Perfume Posse made me laugh, Tom is hilarious. There are a LOT of rose fragrances in my collection, from my all time favourite rose Mohur by Neela Vermeire Creations through a bunch of Parfum des Rosines, a few oudh/rose frags, and some from independents, designer and niche. There’s something about roses that call to my soul. The ultra smooth, modern sheer heft of Voleur de Roses by L’Artisan Parfumeur to the dark, bitter, unfettered and pulsating Ballets Rouges by Olympic Orchids, I love them all. So if Tom rates it, though not for him, then I thought I better gran some and get it on me.

Rose Musc by Sonoma Scent Studio 2007

Rose Musc by Laurie Erickson

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Sonoma Scent Studio gives these featured accords:
Rose petals, amber, labdanum absolute, skin musks

Roses, Roses, Roses! big a full and fabulous. Blooming dark pink roses with their sweet and spicy, tart apple and plum skin overtones. You know the ones? Maybe 7 to a stem, fabulously opulent looking, as big as your hand and when you touch their open flowers the petals float off the bush leaving a carpet of cerise, as if the bush has been bleeding. Rose Musc is all of that and more.

The labdanum/amber warms the rose and bolsters it, keeping it vegetally sweet and engaging. Where Ballets Rouges is darkened by twig, branch and humus Rose Musc is lighter, smoother and more regal. You still know you are wearing an independent perfumers fragrance, there is none of the pasty and pastel hum drum of the department store designer, nor the delicately overproduced loveliness of the designer prive lines. Rose Musc is adamant, strident and over the top gorgeousness, an oldie-worldie rose that has a Mucha picture as its focus. I chose another Mucha picture that I think captures the soul of Rose Musc even better.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Laurie Erickson at Sonoma Scent Studio writes: …I wanted Rose Musc to be a true rose softened by a powdery musk base. I like the innocence of the rose paired with the dusky labdanum and musk. The blend has a very light touch of animalic notes.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Scent of Abricots
Sonoma Scent Studio has $75/34ml and very reasonable samples

Which is your rose? Have you tried any of the Sonoma Scent Studio work?
Portia xx

Vintage joy Parfum by Jean Patou: Live Video Sniff

February 5, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Happy Huffers,

Vintage joy Parfum by Jean Patou

Live Video Sniff

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tuberose, rose, ylang-ylang, aldehydes, peach, green notes
Heart: Jasmine, iris root, Bulgarian rose, lily of the valley, orchid
Base: Musk, sandalwood, civet

Joy is one of my favourites and I scour the web for bottles of it. We always do opening ceremony videos because some of them are fakes and we need to get refunds. We have had a couple of fakes this summer already. These counterfeiters do an excellent job too, it’s not till you spray the juice that you know.

Scotty and I on the lanai enjoying summer and smelling FABULOUS!

Eau Moheli by Olivier Pescheux for Diptyque 2013

February 4, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Fumie Family,

Do you ever look through your samples and find something you have absolutely no recollection of acquiring? Today’s fragrance was in a lovely little box with a 2ml manufacturers spritz sample inside, about 70% full. So I did what any self respecting perfumista would do, I spritzed……

Yes, I know the northern hemisphere is gripped by winter but todays offering will have you dreaming that you’re seated at the bar in the pool ordering dacquiris from the half naked barman at your favourite equatorial resort.

Eau Moheli by Diptyque 2013

Eau Moheli by Olivier Pescheux

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Floral notes, ylang-ylang, patchouli, pink pepper, ginger, vetiver, benzoin, incense

Green ginger, pink pepper and I would have picked coriander to open, a lovely sweet green fragrance with a hint of ylang’s creamy/banana/white flower underneath (Yes I know ylang is yellow but it gives definite white floral attitude). A lush and tropical opening. Here in Sydney we have some rain today and the world is muggy, Eau Moheli seems perfectly placed for the temperature and perfectly fits my mood of languid relaxation.

Once the opening fireworks burn down a bit Eau Moheli becomes more about the ylang but now it’s riding a crisp green vetiver and cleanest patchouli. This is my favourite part of the fragrance life. Not groundbreaking but extremely pleasant to wear, Eau Moheli becomes a fresh green with white flowers, still tropical and maintaining it’s island paradise holiday feel. I’m surprised coconut isn’t mentioned as a note.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

I feel that Diptyque, once at the vanguard of niche perfumery, has become a much more mainstream offering. If you were not a perfumista and you asked an SA for something tropical but more grown up and elegant than the Escada or Bronze Goddess lines then it would be a complete revelation to be shown Eau Moheli. It’s a beautifully smooth, easy wearing tropical fragrance that never skews to over ripe fruit of suntan lotion and would be excellent sniffed as someone walked past you.

As the fragrance progresses it gets a sweet resinous patchouli glow and I would say a healthy dose of musks for smooth vetiver dry down, very pretty but completely unchallenging for the hardcore perfume enthusiast. Ultimately an extremely wearable beauty with good projection and longevity.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Now Smell This and Bois de Jasmin
LuckyScent has $98/100ml and Samples

Do you have an easy wear tropical fragrance?
Portia xx

Stella by Jacques Cavallier for Stella McCartney 2003

February 3, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Willa Zheng

There is something about Stella that makes grown men swoon and hearts aflutter. If I have a fragrance that elicits compliments from the opposite-sex more than any other, this is it. Interestingly, when I studied in Glasgow during the winter of 07, there was barely a day when I wouldn’t catch a whiff of Stella in the streets. For Stella is nostalgic, welcoming and yet modern.

Stella by Stella McCartney 2003

Stella by Jacques Cavallier

Released in 2003, at first exclusively amongst Stella McCartney’s fashion friends, it was a tribute to her recently-deceased mother, Linda McCartney. Stella McCartney’s inspiration was the big, fragrant, olde-worlde roses that her mother used to buy and fill the rooms with their scent. At the time, big bold rose fragrances had fallen out of fashion so Stella McCartney’s Stella was a standout in department stores and became an instant top-seller for Yves Saint Laurent Beauté, which owns Stella McCartney brand fragrances.

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rose oil, peony, tangerine
Heart: Rose
Base: Amber

To the casual nose, Stella is dripping in rose oils and velvety rose petals. Stella is a big, heavy, wet rose. Rose fragrances can sometimes smell sharp and old fashioned. However, Jacques Cavallier (L’eau d’Issey, JPG Classique) circumvented that by softening it, making it more romantic and modern by adding notes of peony (which smells rosey but not really), galaxolide (an airy, clean, soapy kind of musk. Think shampoo and laundry powder. We are in the age of Sophia Grojsman and the monolithic fragrances she popularised, afterall), mandarin (so the fragrance opens citrusy and it adds a dash of the sweetness you’d find in real roses) and amber (to lock it all in).
Given that simple structure, Stella is a fairly linear fragrance. There is more zest and sweetness at the start, moving to a sheer, rosey, amber-musk drydown. At its core, Stella creates the olfactory effect of a plush, musky, live rose viewed through misty amber glass. You smell clean, classy, romantic and all woman.

Flickr

Given the romantic soft impressions left by Stella, you wouldn’t think it would have massive silage. But its scent molecules are heavy and are robust enough to be picked up and carried by wind to enthral your amore. Stella can be detected for 8-10 hours on my skin, but a re-spray is recommended after 4 hours to keep those compliments coming.

Of course, to trip people up, a man could totally wear Stella by Stella McCartney. A man who wears Stella knows how romance is done. He is sensual and frankly, irresistible. Just saying.

Unfortunately, like most great perfumes of the past, this fragrance has been reformulated. This review is based on the original version from my own personal collection.

Flickr

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Katie Puckrik
FragranceNet has $69/50ml before Coupon
My Perfume Samples have $3/ml

What do you think about Stella? Do you have another favourite amber-rose fragrance?
Willa

NB: If you shop at My Perfume Samples from an APJ link I get a kickback.

Wild Spruce and Tobacco by Karyn Gold-Rheineke for Pirouette Essentials

February 1, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello APJ,

Seattle perfumer Karyn Gold-Rheineke brings a wealth of knowledge to her line of botanical fragrances, soaps and lotions. Before launching Pirouette Essentials in 2009 Karyn worked for many years in herbal apothecaries and as a massage therapist. Her knowledge of aromatherapy has been central to the creation of her fragrances.

Pirouette

All of the Pirouette Essentials are handcrafted products designed “to help balance the body, mind and spirit” and created with the finest pure, botanical essential oils and plant extracts. When I am not feeling 100% my first go-to fragrance is Pirouette Essentials Wild Spruce and Tobacco.

Wild Spruce and Tobacco by Pirouette Essentials

Wild Spruce and Tobacco by Karyn Gold-Rheineke

Fragrantica

Pirouette Essentials gives these featured accords:
Top: Spruce, bergamot, fern
Heart: Spice, smoke, leather
Base: Vetiver, tobacco, roots

In 2014 The Men’s Journal listed Wild Spruce and Tobacco as one of the best scents for men to wear during the winter. On the Pirouette Essentials site Wild Spruce and Tobacco is listed under Men’s Favorites and is even offered as part of a gift set that includes a scent matched shaving soap.

Pirouette $42

As far as I’m concerned this versatile fragrance is a unisex scent for all seasons! In springtime the woody aromatics, green fern and vetiver resonate with new life and growing things. During the summer months Wild Spruce and Tobacco keeps me comfortable with the cooling effects of evergreen trees and the refreshing, astringent qualities of bergamot. The smoky mists of autumn are reflected in the fragrant heart of smoke and leather. The brisk, invigorating winter air and the cozy warmth of the holidays are echoed in the spruce, spice and tobacco. I am amazed how the ambient temperature and humidity change my perception of Wild Spruce and Tobacco from one season to the next.

From Pirouette Essentials: Aromatherapy Blend: Balancing & Spirited: Forest fresh wild spruce with bewitching, deep roots of smoky tobacco, leather and a wink of spice. A wonderfully rich, unisex scent for earth lovers alike

Pirouette $12

Pirouette Essentials also offers beautifully packaged lotions and fragrant soaps. My favorites are Karyn’s gift sets of four soap miniatures available in three collections – Botanicals, Earths and Blossoms

Pirouette has Wild Spruce & Tobacco from $7/2ml

When Portia gets home from her holidays we’ll do a draw.

Azar xx

Guerlain: Rue de Saint Honoré 2016: Photo Essay

January 31, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 38 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there Guerlainophiles,

The Place Vendome store is closed. Sad but the good news is that they are re-opening there at a smaller venue, work to commence soon.

In the interim Guerlain have opened a lovely new store on the Rue de Saint Honoré. It opened last Thursday! So new there is no name on the front. Jin & I had to follow our noses. Inside the crew were extremely friendly and helpful. Our particular hostess was Coraline and she wanted us to have the ultimate Guerlain experience.

Guerlain: Rue de Saint Honoré 2016

Ostensibly I was going in to gran a Nahema parfum and a bottle of L’Heure de Nuit. It didn’t quite pan out that way because there was NEW STUFF! But I did manage to grab the Nahema parfum, There is a new exclusive and I fell heavily so I swapped out my L’Heure de Nuit for a Promenade des Anglais! Fig, Iris and Citrus over a seemingly marzipan base. Freaking gorgeous!

The real surprise was the new multi coloured glas bottles in the exclusives bee bottles. They are 125ml and you can choose any of the 7 or so colours and put in one of the 18 scents. Once you have made your selection your choice of fragrance s then decanted into your bottle from a large industrial urn, like a 21st century Caron adventure, and packed safely away for traveling. It’s quite the experience. As always, Guerlain delivers a magical and exciting ride.

The choice was interesting and it took me nearly half an hour to finally decide on Cuir Beluga. Here is how our afternoon panned out in pictures. You can only get these bottles at the Rue de Saint Honoré store and they are not sending any. It’s a limited offer so get to paris QUICK!

Enjoy,
Portia xx

Guerlain: Rue de Saint Honoré 2016

Photo Essay

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens: LIVE Video Sniff

January 29, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello My Lovelies,

This was a Blind Buy! Yes, I know, that’s the way to penury but I was pretty sure I would adore it. So you guys get to come along for my initial Opening Ceremony and sniff!

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens 2001

Datura Noir by Christopher Sheldrake

Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords:
Coconut, tuberose, tonka bean, almond, lemon blossom, mandarin orange, musk, chinese osmanthus, heliotrope, myrrh, vanilla, apricot

It’s always fun with Scotty on the lanai and as usual we blunder through a fragrant masterpiece missing all nuance and generally behaving like a bull in a china shop.

White Cattleya by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2015 + GIVEAWAY

January 25, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 66 Comments

Post by Azar

Happy New Year APJ!

I am a citrus junkie. I love eating and smelling the new crops of grapefruits, pomelos, lemons, limes, oranges and tangerines that come into our local markets in November through early December. I also adore the flowers of the early winter blooming (Northern hemisphere) Cattleya orchid hybrids that, coincidentally, often smell like citrus fruits or flowers. On December 15th Ellen Covey introduced her new White Cattleya fragrance happily coinciding with the arrival of fresh citrus in the stores and the opening of cattleya blossoms in greenhouses everywhere.

White Cattleya by Olympic Orchids 2015

White Cattleya by Ellen Covey

Olympic Orchids

Olympic Orchids give these featured accords:
Citron, lemon, neroli, jasmine, heliotrope, orchid accord, light vanilla, musk.

White Cattleya was created as a wedding fragrance but to me it is the ultimate semi-gourmand citrus perfume opening with an oily-sweet lemon zest. Imagine the pores of a yellow lemon rind exuding droplets of fragrance and you have an idea what I smell right off the top. There are almost fifty varieties of lemons grown commercially these days. In our local stores we see a lot of “Meyers” lemons (a lemon x orange hybrid), “Villafranca”, Florida’s leading lemon and “Eureka”, the top US commercial variety. For me the zesty, sweet opening of White Cattleya is very close to the fragrance and flavor of the sweet Persian lemon “Limoo Shirin” (C. limetta). This mildly sweet, slightly bitter, low acid fruit has a smooth, thin skin and is about the size and shape of a tennis ball.

Wikipedia

As we all know certain citrus top notes are flighty and evaporate within moments of application. Not so in White Cattleya. What I perceive as Persian lemon zest stays in place on my skin for at least 30 minutes before its starts to shift to the scent of one of my favorite Italian liqueurs – Limoncello. As Limoncello comes to the fore I begin to detect one of my least favorite florals, the dreaded heliotrope. Fortunately for me, the gooey sweet marzipan aspect of heliotrope is tempered with jasmine and the tenacious citron. The floral/citrus heart of White Cattleya stays in place for hours, eventually morphing (but not fading) to an ethereal vanilla and musk. White Cattleya is a powerful fragrance with strong to moderate sillage, easily lasting for 14 to 16 hours. Also, on my skin, it does not wash off even after a hot shower. If you are not a lemon lover, be careful how you apply this fragrance! That being said, lemon and jasmine scents are both known to sharpen our wits and help us feel better about ourselves

Further reading:
Olympic Orchids has $65/30ml + Samples

Azar X

myprettypaints

White Cattleya GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 5ml refillable purse spray of White Cattleya
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged. 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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us if you love or hate lemons. BTW – have you tried the new White Cattleya?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 14th January 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Sunday 17th January 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.

Shower Time Fun + Beauty

January 24, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by AF Beauty

Hi APJ,

So, in the last few years there has been a bit of a move towards products which can be used in the shower in order to save time and make you feel amazing. For me, the verdict is still out on whether they do actually save money or make you feel amazing.

Shower Time Fun + Beauty

First up, Nivea In-Shower Rich Body Lotion. I’ve had this in my shower for about a year. The bottle is massive to start with – and while that might sound great, let me tell you two things. First, massive bottles are difficult to handle with wet shower hands. Second, massive bottles cause massive bruises when you drop them on your feet. (You’re welcome.)

Well, ONCE you’ve managed to dispense some product, then you need to apply and actually it’s not too bad. It has the classic Nivea aroma, which is comforting to me. The product is thick and feels a little waxy as you apply. It’s a very difficult texture to describe – initially you’d not notice anything different to a standard lotion, but if you rub your hands together it feels that you’ve rubbed your hands in lip balm! That said, if you apply as instructed and rinse, basically don’t rub your hands together, it’s not too noticeable.
Once out of the shower your bod is, undeniably, softer and smoother although I did find some parts didn’t sink in as well as I expected.

An hour after the shower and the Nivea scent is gone, which is a bit of shame. However, all that said, I will make more of an effort to use it again and when I run out; I’ll try a different variation. I’ll also look for a pump-action dispenser for my inept hands!

Next up, a newbie in Australia, St Tropez In Shower Gradual Tan. At a pretty expensive price point compared to other self-tan products ($40!!) I was expecting good things from this. I ordered on a pre-order and was thrilled when it arrived. I went to use it the first time after the gym in the shower at work one day. I have to get lifts into the basement at work to use the showers, it would appear that the lift destination is actually the Antarctic, it’s freezing!

The instruction for this product is to apply with the shower off and let it sit for three minutes. Let me tell you, three minutes in the cold shower without water is actually eternity. I tried this a few times and I was bargaining with myself on how long I would be able to stand the cold. I have no idea how this is so popular in the UK where it’s freezing!

The product still had that biscuity smell of self-tan and I didn’t really notice a change, I guess because I couldn’t tolerate the wait.
Personally I would prefer to use an out of shower self-tan and tolerate the smell.

I’d love to hear if there are any fans of either product here?

Eau de Cédrat by L’Occitane 2015

January 22, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Portia

When Eau de Cedrat (I call it Cedrat in my head, so we’ll use that for this post). When Cedrat was first released by L’Occitane I was given some of the range to try. I kept the Shower Gel and Soap for myself and gave the rest to friends or in giveaways so other people could try the products and give me feedback. One person said they are so impressed that they already went to a L’Occitane store and purchased more of the range, another friend loves the fragrance and has used quite a bit of his bottle and I went and repurchased at full retail a new shower gel.

Eau de Cedrat by L’Occitane 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cedrat bark, bergamot
Heart: Blue ginger, nutmeg
Base: Cedar, cashmere wood

Currently I have drenched myself in Cedrat to combat the humid night heat we are having in Sydney at the moment. Don’t misunderstand me, I love the heat and relish the Sydney summer. Night time though I find it hard to sleep in muggy heat, it’s 1am and still 21C (70F) with 86% humidity so I’ve slipped into my office and spritzed liberally. A cool, sharp, sweet citrus opening that is bold and energising, clear bergamot with almost no breath or pith that runs headlong into zinging, singing ginger. They are quite the pair, fizzing merrily away like a lemon squash and yet managing to be refreshing.

Cedrat is not nearly as nuanced or storied as a cologne, it’s a bright and forthright citrus fortified by a few bit players that help it maintain buoyancy. I’m fragrantly wafting off to bed now, Jin has installed new ceiling fans and it would be rude not to go lie under one with him. I know that there will be a very slight waft of amorphous woods and a hint of citrus left tomorrow morning.

This is a perfect gift for anyone who is aware of their appearance but not deeply into the whole vanity trip. A casual, easy care set that means you or your partner can have a single scent right through the bathing and living process. Easy peasy, looks and smells great and it won’t break the bank.

Further reading: Mr Neo Luxe and Red Lips Blue Eyes
L’Occitane Australia has the range from $8.50 up

Do you love a fully integrated regime?
Portia xx

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Review

Rose Musc by Laurie Erickson for Sonoma Scent Studio 2007

Rose Musc by Sonoma Scent Studio 2007

Rose Musc by Laurie Erickson

Vintage joy Parfum by Jean Patou: Live Video Sniff

Vintage joy Parfum by Jean Patou

Live Video Sniff

Eau Moheli by Olivier Pescheux for Diptyque 2013

Eau Moheli by Diptyque 2013

Eau Moheli by Olivier Pescheux

Stella by Jacques Cavallier for Stella McCartney 2003

Stella by Stella McCartney 2003

Stella by Jacques Cavallier

Wild Spruce and Tobacco by Karyn Gold-Rheineke for Pirouette Essentials

Wild Spruce and Tobacco by Pirouette Essentials

Wild Spruce and Tobacco by Karyn Gold-Rheineke

Guerlain: Rue de Saint Honoré 2016: Photo Essay

Guerlain: Rue de Saint Honoré 2016

Guerlain: Rue de Saint Honoré 2016

Photo Essay

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens: LIVE Video Sniff

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens 2001

Datura Noir by Christopher Sheldrake

White Cattleya by Ellen Covey for Olympic Orchids 2015 + GIVEAWAY

White Cattleya by Olympic Orchids 2015

White Cattleya by Ellen Covey

White Cattleya GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

Shower Time Fun + Beauty

Shower Time Fun + Beauty

Eau de Cédrat by L’Occitane 2015

Eau de Cedrat by L’Occitane 2015