Reviews

The Hierophant

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.Post by Suzanne R Banks.

The Hierophant – A Tarot Card Reading with Essential Oils

I must say when I was learning about the tarot I never really got a strong vibe for this card when it came up in a reading. Perhaps it was the religious imagery I didn’t like, even though the main figure seems quite kind and placid. The monks in the foreground are being blessed by the priest, holding a triple cross – religious overload! As with all tarot cards there are many symbols embedded in the image that spark reactions and hint to meanings of the card in general.

Hierophant V Rider-Waite-Smith_deck WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Anyway, The Hierophant is here to let us know that if we are studying, learning anything in any form, we now have the power to take it to the next level. It could also mean we need a deeper understanding of our spirituality and this could be the sign we need to take that step. This card also represents marriage ordained by the church and religious elders.

Are you being challenged by an authority figure or feeling controlled by an institution? If so, The Hierophant will show up helping you to release your feelings of being blocked by others. Maybe this is a time to keep your continuing spiritual practice (going deeper within) and allow others – who appear to have authority – continue on their path. It may also indicate that this is a time not to rock the boat, but to abide by the rules and laws that govern us. It indicates the opposite to having free will and being totally creative.

Hierophant V Rider-Waite-Smith_deck Rainbow_flag_breeze WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

It is a great card to meditate on now for those who are demanding marriage equality. We need balance with the relationship between the people, those in power, and our growing need for a deeper spiritual connection between us all. So I suppose this card is also about fairness and equality.

What essential oils could embody this card? The issues are fairness, marriage, deeper spirituality and the balance of power. Hmmmm.

 

Just use any mist bottle you can find

Just use any mist bottle you can find

1. Personal Aura Cleansing Mist & Room Mist

In a 50ml mist bottle filled with water add 25 drops of oil

“Will You Same Sex Marry Me”

Propose now, why wait?

Sandalwood Indian       8 drops

Petitgrain                       10 drops

Ylang Ylang                    4 drops

Rose Geranium           3 drops

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“My Own Mantra”

Release the bonds of traditional religions and find a deeper spirituality –

Cypress                    10 drops

Orange                    10 drops

Cedarwood Atlas    5 drops

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“I’ll Agree to Disagree”

Follow the rules this time to make it easier –

Lavender      8 drops

Ginger          8 drops

Lime              8 drops

Vetiver          1 drop

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Take a huge whiff to change your focus in seconds

Take a huge whiff to change your focus in seconds

 

2. Open The Bottle and Take a Huge Whiff

German Chamomile – instant relaxation

Palmarosa – being flexible with inflexible rules

Spikenard – a deep connection to spirituality

Juniper – release the old and unwanted

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Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas. See my article about intention.

Suzanne R Banks XXX

Suzanne R Banks Blog
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copyright suzannerbanks 2013

Fils de Dieu du riz et des agrumes Etat Libre d`Orange

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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This fragrance was a blind buy on ebay. I liked the idea of smelling something ricey and inspired by the Phillipines. I read about notes of ginger, coriander, lime and shiso. Coconut, rose, cardamom, jasmine, cinnamon and rose. Tonka bean, vetiver, musk, amber, leather and castoreum – They sounded intriguing and reminiscent of a good Asian inspired Spa menu…

Fils de Dieu du riz et des agrumes

by Ralf Schwieger for Etat Libre D’Orange 2012

Fils de Dieu du riz et des agrumes Etat Libre d`Orange FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica lists the following accords:
Top: Ginger, coriander, lime, shiso
Heart: Coconut, cardamom, jasmine, cinnamon, rose
Base: Tonka bean, vetiver, musk, amber, leather, castoreum

“Fils de dieu comes from the Philippines to spread a message of warmth and enlightenment. Here, find an innocent wisdom that points to dreams and liberation. This is the golden eye that reflects beauty and conflict, rapture and pain. Fils de dieu is an emotional fragrance, a scent that requires a sympathetic connection between the server and the served, the giver and the taker, and the willingness to exchange roles.” Controversially this fragrance was originally known as “Philippine Houseboy”

I did a sneaky snipe-purchase, getting the bottle for under $50.

Whist writing my review of Afternoon of a Faun, also by Etat Libre D’Orange I noticed it’s made by the same nose, Ralf Schwieger, in fact this was his first fragrance for them.

As soon as I collected my parcel from the post office I tore it open and sprayed it on my wrist. It was soft, powdery and ALMOST zesty..very citrusy, but more like the pith of a citrus fruit, not quite the fresh rind..possibly mandarine, tangerine and lime. I waited. I think I could smell some rice. Or something starchy, rounded. For a moment a glimpse of something from my memory…a year ago – eating “Thailands best” sticky rice and mango dessert in Bangkok..slightly ricey and very very slightly citrus-coconut.

Fils de Dieu Etat Libre D’Orange Thai Sticky Rice Mango WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Was it now heading down the route of an eu de cologne…? More pith, powder with some ginger and cardamom..softened by a hint of jasmine. Then it bent unexpectedly, to synthetic castoreum. The end….well not the end, actually, the castoreum hung around…dancing nearby was a hint of some slightly cheaper floral bouquet notes, a touch of sweet warmth..maybe cinnamon and amber and sweetened babypowder with a hint of citrus and slightly dirty, leathery castoreum….this combination of smells, conjoured all sorts of images..(Some I don’t like to see when in Asia) It is certainly soft, fresh enough and never going to be too strong in an office on a hot and humid day. For me however, what starts out as a beautiful hint at something different, ends up bland and boring.

Fils de Dieu Etat Libre D’Orange Zesting_an_orange WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Not one to give up, the next day I sprayed it on some smelling paper strips, and all day the wafts from that were AMAZING – soft and breezy reminding me of soft, cloudy, citrusy smells..a touch of pina colada coconut, sticky rice, some gingery lime salt scrub in a spa. Lime which in drinks always has a slight coconut scent to me. Sunshine. Happy thoughts.
The package has a sub heading; Files de dieu “du riz et des argrumes” son of god of rice and citrus – he brings the sunshine. On paper, both written and sprayed, yes he did.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Candy Perfume Boy
Etat Libre d’Orange has €69/50ml
LuckyScent has $80/50ml
Posh Peasant has samples from $4/ml

Has anyone had better luck than me on their skin? I would love to hear about it.
Ainslie Walker x

Fragrant Confession Time

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Post by Sister Mary Magdelene, Patron Saint of Perfumers

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Hello APJ! Have you got a habit? Lord knows I have. Confession time…

Fragrant Confession Time

I have been guilty of being quite set in my ways, feeling that certain fragrances have their season, or fit only certain social situations, even that they “match” with particular outfits or colours! (My Bandit ensemble is a favourite). A gorgeous friend has gone one further, making a beautiful dress in celebration of Ma Griffe. Now I know lots of people do this sort of thing: saving zesty summer spritzers for only the hottest days, categorising scents for business or parties or the gym.

All that is wonderful, and serves well most of the time, but lately I have wanted to mix it up, to experience my collection in new ways. I also wanted to avoid falling into unconsidered habits. And then, some days I just need help to decide…

I have my fragrance collection stored on a fragrance social networking site* that has a cute tool. It’s a way to make a random selection from the fragrances listed in your wardrobe. So… each day I ask the Random Button what I should wear.

And…? I have been selecting my SOTD like this for a month now, to entirely delightful results. I have worn much more broadly from my wardrobe, and from samples and decants at least as much as full bottles. This has been a great prompt to discover some “new” scents.

Parfum Sacre Caron Shopping.comPhoto Stolen Shopping.com

Taking my cue from this fragrance wheel of fortune, I have fallen into the waiting spicy balmy embrace of Parfum Sacré, I have floated on the criminally overlooked cool green florals of Givenchy III, Incense Rosé has risen above L’Air du Desert Marocain in my Tauer of love.

Eau d'Epices TauerPhoto Stolen Tauer

Recently I mentioned the unusually cool Spring and Summer weather where I am. Although in no way intended as a complaint, it seems that I was heard where it matters, and since we have been smote with a long and blistering heat wave. So fiery it’s been that I fancied I heard the thunder of Apocalyptic hooves, but thankfully it has transpired merely to be the clip clop of a Happy New Chinese Year.

Black Bvlgari FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

At the zenith of this heat, the Random Button decreed I should wear Bulgari Black. I do believe this fragrance is exulted in extreme heat. Rather than resisting the roasting, I made a cup of Lapsang Souchoung, unfurled and became one with the melting tarmacadam of the city, the scent of rubber, tea and vanilla swirling as I yielded.

I’m not especially good at being told what to do, so I won’t claim I’m consulting the Random Button religiously. There are still days when I know I *have* to wear a certain scent. But I’m looking for a suggestion a lot more often than I thought I would. And enjoying the outcomes more than I imagined.

How about you? How do you select a fragrance to wear? Any quirky habits?

Confess!
Sister Mary Magdelene, Patron Saint of Perfumers

 

*I’m using Parfumo, which is great! Once you’ve loaded all your perfumes into your Wardrobe and Samples collections, you can use the Parfumo Assistant to suggest perfumes adjusting their settings for season, time of day, whether it’s a week day or weekend, even occasion (leisure, night out, business…) You can choose to include or exclude your Samples in the suggestions. The assistant gives 12 suggestions that you can then choose from. And of course you can mess about with it however you like: when it becomes really cold over winter I will be dialling up some spring morning suggestions just for some relief!

You can use your account to keep a record of what you wear (the accumulated record is visible only to you). If you do this religiously, you get an archive of how often you wear scents and what you rarely wear – great info for reminding you of neglected beauties, or for keeping tabs on what can justify its place on your shelves and what should be moved along!

Hard Leather by Jerome Epinette for LM Parfums 2014

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Post by SarahK

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Hello ‘fume fans!

Today’s fragrance is one that I confess I first sprayed with trepidation. I enjoy leather notes in perfume, but am not generally one for heavy animalics or smoky leathers, and some other reviews mentioned the words ‘sweat’ and ‘faecal’, making me hesitate. So, one small spritz later, I was rather surprised to discover a smooth, true leather. It is the rich saddle-leather of Chanel’s Cuir de Russie, though Hard Leather is all leather, with none of Cuir de Russie’s soap and flowers covering it. There is some stable and horse in here, and the top and basenotes are more cowboy than show-jumper (particularly with a more generous spraying than I tried at first) but nothing I would describe as truly dirty. Believe me, I’ve smelled dirty ‘fumes – some vintage Detchema had me retching in the 15 minutes that I managed not to scrub it – but I would say that L’Artisan’s Dzing smells dirtier than Hard Leather.

Hard Leather by Jerome Epinette for LM Parfums 2014

Hard Leather LM Parfums FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Leather, rum
Heart: Iris, honey
Base: Sandalwood, cedar, agarwood (oud), olibanum, vanilla, styrax

Hard Leather has a tarriness that I’ve also found in some other fragrances with oud notes, like Dior’s Leather Oud, and Kilian’s Pure Oud. I have a limited tolerance for tarry notes, but here it’s soft enough still to seem like rich leather, rather than bitumen, at least until the drydown. Even better, I do not get the harsh rubbing-alcohol edge that I have experienced from some other modern leather and oud perfumes. This is a rich fragrance, particularly in its heart, but there’s a cool iris in it that, for me, adds a feeling of hauteur and restraint. Apparently there are rum and honey notes in here, but I don’t really notice them. The fragrance is never sweet or boozy on me, so those elements appear to serve just to smooth out the leatherHard Leather LM Parfums Wikimedia and styrax, occasionally even creating an impression of musky blackberries.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Hard Leather becomes drier and somewhat ashy over the course of its life. This makes the drydown feel more animalic, chemical and masculine – if there’s a ‘dirty’ stage in the fragrance, this is where I experience it. I still find the scent fascinating, but I much prefer the heart of the scent, and the way I experience the drydown means that I probably wouldn’t wear this fragrance outside the house, particularly because it’s the drydown stage that lasts and lasts.

To me, the heart of Hard Leather evokes the aristocratic world of the early 20th Century – a mix of power, money, straitlaced manners and Hard Leather LM Parfums Armando_Gabriel_Couture_Corsetry Wikimedianaughtiness. In other words, it’s a class act, and if the scent stayed that way in the drydown, I would love it. This is a long way from some of the reviews I have read (witness, for example, the sweaty New Orleans summer stink that Hard Leather’s topnotes evoked for The Scented Hound!). It’s clear that this is a fragrance where existing associations and skin chemistry can make a big difference in how you perceive it. I find the top and heart very enjoyable, but the long-lasting base is simultaneously too dry and animalic for me. However you perceive it, I don’t think the scent is a complete sillage monster, but it does project well for several hours, and its arid drydown sticks around for the whole day.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: The Scented Hound and
First In Fragrance have €295/100ml and €9/4ml Samples

What’s your favourite leather fragrance?

Tuberosa by Enrico Buccella for Les Voiles Depliees 2013(?)

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hiya Fragrance Feinds,

You may remember my post about Michael & my time at First In Fragrance and how much fun we had, how welcoming they were and how much stuff we bought. It was a wonderful couple of days and we couldn’t have smelled more if we tried. Believe me, we tried!

First In Fragrance 2014 #8Beate, the most wonderful, warm and clever lady.  SO knowledgeable.

By the end my nose was broken, completely burned out. Today’s fragrance was one I tried after complete and utter burnout, it sang to me through my anosmia and filled me with joy.

Tuberosa by Enrico Buccella for Les Voiles Depliees 2013(?)

Tuberosa Les Voiles Depliees FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange, neroli
Heart: Tuberose
Base: Amber, patchouli

From the man who brought us the Cerchi Nell’Acqua and Sigilli lines and created Alambar for Laboratorio Olfattivo comes his newest line Les Voiles Depliees. A sensibly priced range that comes in blocky, sleek, modern, funky 50ml bottles. The bottles are not beautiful nor particularly comfortable to hold, and the labels are less than glamorous too with no company name just the fragrance. It all seems like the prototype has been put out on the sale racks, I feel something decidedly unfinished about the whole experience.

I tell you what though, take the fat, square plastic lid off and give yourself a squirt. Just one will be enough. And SWEET! This is the loveliest soapy orange that I’ve ever smelled, there is a lolly-ish tinge to it too that reminds me of pink musk sticks and a synthetic squeal that makes me think of hairspray. I am smiling while sitting here typing. Having worn Tuberosa for about an hour tonight already I am well into the tuberose heartland, it’s super sweet and still green, there is a run your finger down a daffodil leaf, sappy green-ness that is both waxyTuberosa Les Voiles Depliees Tuberose Wikipedia and verdantly lush. This tuberose is fun and flirty with a sensual warmth floating through the heart. Cleaner than I usually like, not a lot of breath or bed head, and wearable without ruining dinner.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Longevity is great, even on my usually scent hungry skin I’m getting over 5 hours fully fragrant. Nice journey, though the patchouli is so clean I hardly even notice it, no I don’t notice it at all unless there’s a smidge hiding beneath the amber which isn’t a large player either. Tuberosa is a white flower highlight fragrance, not a soliflor because there is a byplay between the tuberose and orange, I also get some lovely banana reminders (like those banana lollies) and whispers of other tropical fruits.

I’m pretty sure that Tuberosa is built around aromachemicals with only a very few naturals or isolates mixed through but still it is pretty, fun and totally wearable. I layered it after a good couple of hours with Chillum by La Via Del Profumo and together they were a fabulous match. All the dirt and raunch that has been removed was back with a vengeance. AWESOME!

First In Fragrance has €60/50ml and samples

Have you tried the line? Do you know any of Enrico Buccella’s work? Does any of it stand out for you?
Please chat with me, I love to read your views.
Portia xx

 

DIOR Addict 2014 Ad Campaign + Review

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Heya Fragrance and Visual art lovers,

Sometimes the advertisements are even more iconic than the scents. Did I just write sometimes? Anyway, here is a fabulous set up: Russian catwalk model Sasha Luss, photographed by Ryan McGinley for Christain DIOR. I grabbed this from one of my favourite fashion online mags: art8amby.

Dior Addict 2014 #2

Dior Addict 2014 #4

Dior Addict 2014 #1

Dior Addict 2014 #3(source)

DIOR Addict by Thierry Wasser for DIOR 2002

Dior Addict Dior FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin leaves, mulberry flowers
Heart: Night queen flower, Bulgarian rose, orange flower
Base: Bourbon vanilla, sandal wood, Tonka bean

Victoria at Bois et Jasmin sums DIOR Addict up perfectly: While my relationship with Addict is ridden with ambivalence at best, I would rather be intrigued by a fragrance than bored.

Further reading: Now Smell This and Perfume Posse
FragranceX has $104/50ml
My Perfume Samples starts at $3/ml to $9/5ml

Did you run away screaming, roll your eyes or move in for a closer sniff? Have you walked past again and again over the last 12 years? Aren’t you the least bit curious?
Portia xx

Impromptu by Roxana Villa for Roxana Illuminated Perfumes 2014

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Post by Azar

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Impromptu by Roxana Villa for Roxana Illuminated Perfumes 2014

This week I had a great time interviewing Roxana Villa of Roxana Illuminated Perfume. I learned so much and also had the opportunity to try samples of her 2014 re-issue of Impromptu. (ED: Here are links to Azas wonderful interview Roxana Villa #1 and Roxana Villa #2)

As a pianist I understand the term “impromptu” to refer to music that seems improvisatory but is actually very carefully designed to give the impression of being created on the spur of the moment. A musical impromptu is usually a shorter solo piece without extensive formal development, seemingly just “tossed off” by the composer as a reflection of a fleeting mood, impromptu Roxana Illuminated Perfumesjpgemotion or memory. On her website Roxana describes the creation of her first Impromptu (2012) fragrance as a kind of spontaneous amalgam of scents. She relates how she used a botanical version of an historic leather accord by the early 20th century “father of aromatherapy” René-Maurice Gattefossé combined with a variation of her own Chaparral perfume and a number of other purposefully affordable elements to develop a new fragrance. From this information the first Impromptu seems indeed an improvisation, a truly ex-temporaneous creation, almost impossible to faithfully reproduce in every detail. In contrast, the new version that I tried is obviously a well-considered and thoughtfully crafted perfume composition using “over 30 individual plant essences and three complex accords”. http://issuu.com/ladyroxana/docs/impromptu

That being said – I thought I knew what to expect from just about any botanical fragrance. From my very first sniff of Impromptu these preconceptions were totally blown away! I was almost shocked by the sillage and pleasantly surprised by the longevity, depth and sophistication of this new fragrance.

The re-issue of Impromptu is available in three formats: Perfume, EDP and solid perfume. Each version tells its own story, revealing different facets of the perfume’s profile. Of the three I find the perfume strength to be the brightest, most focused and lively. It opens, for a fraction of a second, with a sunny mimosa that is immediately overtaken by what I perceive as lemon balm but what is probably citronella, lemon geranium, petitgrain and myrtle. Artemisia, galbanum and immortelle feature prominently as the perfume evolves to its heart of leather, choya laban and labdanum. This darker side settles close to the skin for several hours eventually drying down lightly to a combination of orris, smoky vanilla, benzoin and balsam.

The EDP opens with similar green and sunny top notes (artemisia, citronella, basil, galbanum, immortelle/helichrysum) but develops a darker, more somber heart reminiscent of a forest floor of dry leaves, mushrooms and cedar wood laced with labdanum, leather, myrrh and the smoky choya. Strangely, the EDP last longer on my skin than the parfum, up to 8 hours and at least 12 hours on clothing, finishing as dusky vanilla, honeyed balsam, choya, incense and various woods.

The solid perfume is the most intimate of the three. The initial and mid notes are once again dominated by citronella, artemisia, galbanum, balsam and leather but this time homogenized ImpromptuLB Roxana Illuminated Perfumesin honey and beeswax with very little change over the life of the scent. (BTW I love the handy little pots that Roxana uses to package the solid samples.)

Each presentation of Impromptu seems suited to a particular time of day. The bright and focused perfume works best for me in the morning and early afternoon. I prefer to use the solid and the EDP in late afternoon and evening to help relax and to create an atmosphere of contemplation and meditation. In all three versions the citronella and what I perceive to be something like a green camphor (probably the myrtle) help to project the fragrance beyond the skin creating a surprising cloud of fragrance around the wearer. As the cloud evaporates it is drawn back to the skin creating an almost visible aura of scent.

Despite the name Impromptu and the sunny opening I find this fragrance to be serious, reflective and sophisticated. It is not overtly sexual but instead magical, fascinating and alluring, almost androgynous and suited to either a man or women. Roxana chose to represent her new fragrance with the image of the griffin, the mythological creature of two natures, sacred to the sun.

 

Giveaway myprettypaintsPhoto stolen myprettypaints

Impromptu GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week’s draw is for one prize that includes
1 x sample set of the re-issue of Impromptu including the perfume, EDP and the solid perfume
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 leave a comment about one of Roxana’s fragrances or on your experience with botanical perfumes in general.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Impromptu: Roxana Illuminated Perfumes GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Kg #Perfume #Giveaway @RoxanaVilla

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 4th May 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen any fab way that Azar decides
The winners will have till Thursday 8th May 2014 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.

Azar xx

Jasmine Awards Australia 2014 + Photo Essay

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 71 Comments

Hey there APJ,

Imagine, it’s the 21st of January 2014 and I get an email from Jordan River of The Fragrant Man, and a contributor here at APJ. Normally an effusive writer, even in emails, I was surprised to get this “These are the Australian Jasmine Awards for Fragrance writing” and a link. Now I love hosting awards ceremonies, or even chaperoning nominees, and the whole general hubub of excitement that these things generate. Through the years I have been nominated for many awards and won a few too but I find the whole experience debilitating. Australians may understand me when I write Ja’mie from We Can Be Heroes, played by Chris Lillie. For everyone else when awards come knocking I turn into a freak. I pretend to the world they mean nothing but inside I do a complete about face and it becomes my whole universe, eating me up night and day and when it comes to the awards presentation I am so invested that losing can send me into a downward spiral. Let’s just say I prefer not to put myself in that position.

On the other hand, what a splendid opportunity for the rest of the APJ crew to get a spotlight moment. I zipped off an email to everyone that writes for us to send in their posts as entries. I didn’t note that the author had to be in Australia to be considered so a few of the crew entered but were very politely told no. I’m not sure how many did enter but Ainslie Walker put in a few of hers, she couldn’t decide on one and I told her my favourite post so she put that in and a couple of others. Then we basically forgot about the whole shebang.

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Jasmine Awards Australia 2014

Then Ainslie gets a reminder that she has been nominated and asked if she was coming, to which she asked if she could take me. Everything always feels safer, easier and more fun with a friend and at that time we hoped Chairman Meow would be joining us also (BUM, she couldn’t make it). It was all arranged, right down to our outfits and fragrance choices both of which changed on the morning of course. Did I mention MORNING? 8 am. I know that doesn’t sound early to you all but I’m not home and out of drag till 11pm, I need to do my blogging and generally wind down so it’s usually around 3am I hit the hay. 8AM dressed. ready, in town at venue is basically unheard of for me.

When we walked in, Ainslie in an aqua parachute silk dress with rolled over shoulder sleeve slits and a huge Vivienne Westwood bag in matching aqua and purple looking super elegant and spiffy and I in a black skivvy, jeans a deep, deep aqua sports coat and bright aqua longline handmade shoes it was clear that we were OTHER. Fiona Keogh greeted us and showed us where to sit, bummed I didn’t get a photo of the girls together, thanks Fiona for being a sweetheart. What we walked into was a fashion plate show of extremely thin, gorgeous mainly women in cocktail dresses, hair perfect, makeup as heavy as a drag queen with that totally natural look and all about the tonal shadings and tricks. WOW! We’d walked onto the set of Dynasty.

Without doing a head count there were about 100-120 uber fabulous people in the room and they all seemed to know each other. We were lucky enough to be at great seats on a central table towards the back with a view of the stage, room and butterflies within as well as Darling harbour directly over our shoulders. We shared with some lovely people who made us feel very welcome right from the start, Rozy was on Ainslie’s right and Koula Zerefos was on my left. I wish I had taken notes but what they do has completely fallen out of my head, as have the names of the other groups at our table SORRY!

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You may not have noticed in the photo essay but Ainslie WON!!! Yes, we have a Jasmine Award winning writer here at APJ. There were 6 awards and Ainslie took home Best Blog Post for her Tom Ford: Meet-Up with Matthew Tyler: International Director of Tom Ford Beauty post. WOW! Other winners were from tomes as illustrious as Vogue Australia

The whole event was totally fun and Ainslie was perfect, so poised and confident. As you can see she also managed to schmooze most of the room including the judges, hosts and fashion and beauty icons from some of the biggest magazines and houses. A complete triumph and my pride for and in Ainslie is boundless.

Ainslie + Portia Jasmine 2014

2014 Jasmine Awards – Winning Articles

Jasmine Award for Journalistic Excellence
Sigourney Cantelo
‘Distilling Provence’ Vogue Australia
July 2013

Best In-depth Feature on Fragrance
Sigourney Cantelo, Vogue Australia
Distilling Provence

Best Short Feature on Fragrance
Aimee Leabon, Prevention magazine
Heaven Scent

Best Visual Story on Fragrance
Sarah Brooks-Wilson, Instyle Magazine
Instyle Fragrance Awards 2013

Best Practical Guide to Fragrance
Sigourney Cantelo, Vogue Australia
Scents of Style

Best Online Feature on Fragrance
Kristina Ioannou, dropdeadgorgeousdaily.com.au
Eaux so In Love

Best Blog Post on Fragrance
Ainslie Walker, AustralianPerfumeJunkies.com
Tom Ford Meet Up

This is just the beginning Ainslie Walker.

Portia xx

Intense Cafe by Montale Paris 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

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Post by Greg Young.

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The house of Montale is pretty much all about wood. Especially aoud. Occasionally Pierre Montale will deign to include a stray gourmand, amber or leather note but really this Operation Iraqi Freedom house is for fans of wood. Especially aoud.

If the theory that packaging is a guide to the marketing strategy holds, then the house of Montale is also all about blokes. Especially DIYers who always have the oxy-acetylene torch or a spot welder ready to go, or those capable dads who are the first to set up the gas barbie on the weekend. At a pinch, their market may include Master Chef fans who wield a mean blowtorch in front of a quivering creme brulee.

Montale bottles are the blokeiest in the market.

If you are going to review Montale fragrances this is the time of year to do it. If you’re doing it around Easter, there is an obvious candidate: Chocolate Greedy. Fortunately, I was able to evade that cliche, but only because I don’t have any. As I write this Chocolate Greedy is almost the perfect, most succinct description of my current state. A missed opportunity to pair feast and fragrance, that’s for sure.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Intense Cafe by Montale Paris 2013

Intense Cafe Montale FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Floral notes
Heart: Coffee, rose
Base: Amber, vanilla, white musk

Instead I chose another of Montale’s atypical fragrances, the oriental gourmand Intense Cafe. Having had a big Easter celebration on at home, I felt that its warm vanilla would be more suitable on a pleasant autumn day than a big beefy aoud.

Intense Cafe is described by Montale as “A truly enticing fragrance. Brilliant Floral Notes reveal a surprising heart made of Delicate Rose and Sensual Coffee. This perfect duo leaves a very beautiful sillage of Vanilla, Amber and White Musk.” 

This one gets a pretty warm reception on Fragrantica, notably among men of my generation. Young ‘uns seem unimpressed, and it doesn’t seem to get much love from the ladies at all. Perhaps it’s the packaging. Consensus on Fragrantica is that rose predominates here and vanilla and coffee share a roughly equal second billing.

Intense Cafe Montale Rose PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Rose and coffee are among my favourite notes, so Intense Cafe should be right down my street, but I feel that it doesn’t really deliver in that way. It opens with the kind of warm coffee made at Starbucks, laced with vanilla flavouring and then served to coffee drinkers who don’t really like coffee. Far from Intense, this scent is like a mellow cafe au lait in a New Orleans riverside jazz cafe compared to New Haarlem’s ristretto in a New York hipster haven.

Which is not to say it’s bad, just that a luscious vanilla rushes to the fore and shoves the coffee to the sidelines, yelling “pick me, pick me”. Intense Cafe pretty quickly becomes intense vanilla, with a thorn’s-edge of rose to prick at the sweet gourmand. On this day, for this occasion, walking around in warm sweet vanilla was no bad thing.

Intense Cafe Montale Coffee Paul Wilkinson FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Where Intense Cafe really does deliver is on Montale’s vanilla and amber promise. It’s 12 hours after I put this on, and I can still smell a trace of vanilla on my wrist, but a big waft of it is still there on my shirt. There are no longevity issues with this one. So even if you don’t like wood, especially aoud, Pierre Montale still has one for you.

Further reading: The Non Blonde and Ca Fleure Bon
LuckyScent has $120/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4.50/ml

What Montales have you tried? Does coffee sound good in a perfume to you?
Greg X

I Hate That Perfume Because… Sydney Perfume Lovers

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 48 Comments

Hiya APJ,

A lot of what we as perfume, fragrance and scent lovers do is done solo. We read our computers, test, smell, enjoy and buy a lot of our fragrance alone. It’s one of the things I really love about the whole perfumista life. Never having to wait for anyone else to do what I love, smell scents. Sometimes though getting together and sharing the love is as much or, Gods forbid, more fun. Imagine a crew of about 12 frag hounds all sitting around eating, drinking, laughing and sniffing. That’s what happened today here at my house. I don’t know if you’ve seen online a thing called MeetUp? In our modern day, high pressure, quick moving, ever changing world sometimes we lose touch with those that are near and dear and find ourselves unable to create new ones, or maybe what you love is very niche and you’re looking for some mates to enjoy it with, whatever the reason a friend of mine Catherine de Peloux Menage (Writer, Fragrance Finder, Personal Scent Consultant and glamorous, great girl about town) decided she would start a crew of her own called Sydney Perfume Lovers – MeetUp. From the tiny germ of an idea there are now well over a hundred members, events scheduled regularly and we have created a Sunday Scent Salon in my home once a month where we come together about a fragrance related topic and have a wonderful morning tea, here’s how today’s went down.

Sunday Scent Salon: I Hate That Perfume Because

Sydney Perfume Lovers – MeetUp

So the topic this month was “I Hate That Perfume Because…” and we were challenged to find a fragrance that really irks us in some way, drives us batshit crazy when we smell it, gives us hives, creates confusion or any other reason that we hate it. There was a catch though, we weren’t there to be only negative, we had to provide an explanation that went further than “YUCK, Disgusting shit. Hate it.” We had to bring a reasonable argument and scent memory with us, and preferably the fragrance too so we could all tell what you were thinking when you gave your spiel.

WOW! We got some DOOZIES!!! People had really gone all out to obtain their anti-elixir and had their stories primed and ready.

I hate that perfume because#1

Some of the fragrances we hated included, L’Heure Bleue by Guerlain because it smells like urinal cakes. Fahrenheit because it smells like bug spray, Rexona Men’s Sport Deodorant because it’s cheap, nasty and ubiquitous, BVLGARI BLV Pour homme because it is a nasty mess and melange of everything unwanted in a fragrance, La Petit Robe Noire Parfum by Guerlain because it is nice for the first hour but then lasts eternally and becomes both sickly and boring at the end, Tweed by Lentheric due to family remembrances, Giorgio Beverly Hills because of its overuse in the 1980s but we all agreed that it smells rather lovely now having not smelled it for years, L’Eau d’Issey Femme because it is a solid wall of scent that lasts eternally and is a metallic, super sweet mess. There were others including an art book infused with the scent of fear obtained by putting swatches on the inside legs and armpits a men and making them do really scary stuff, then recreating those scents artificially for a book which was strange, subversive and extremely compelling.

I hate that perfume because#2

There was heaps of lighthearted banter and no one took offense, we all really had a great time and as always I feel like I’ve made some new friends. People who like something I am completely beserko about. Good people who I was lucky enough to spend some time getting to know today, a couple I’ve met before and some others who are already my friends. More than anything it reminds me how lucky we all are. Without the internet I would still be a completely solo fragrance lover, which can be nice but now I can share my love with people all over the world.

I hate that perfume because#3

Be it these lovely MeetUp Scent Salons we organise, on the Facebook pages, reading blogs and articles or here in this wondrous space (APJ) where I feel like there is a whole fragrance family where we can share our Cuckoo, fly our freak flag and generally unleash our love of fragrance.

I hate that perfume because#4

I hate that perfume because#5

I do apologise for my TERRIBLE photo taking, getting the lights in and rotten framing. We were having too much fun to be sensible and I am glad.

Today was great, you should think about starting a MeetUp where you are. Nobody has too many friends and you never know where your next BFF will come from. Should you wish to join us at a Sunday Scent Salon you must first join Sydney Perfume Lovers – MeetUp. We can’t wait to meet you and hear your stories over some great food, some champagne and tea.

Love and fragrant hugs from me,
Portia xx