Ombre Indigo by Mylène Arlan @ Robertet for Olfactive Studio 2014

August 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Tina G

Hi APJ,

I first laid eyes on Ombre Indigo in the lead up to Esxence in Milan, March 2014. I’d just written a few articles for APJ on Olfactive Studio scents, so nearly hit the floor when I spotted that they had a new one coming out! And the colour of that juice… oh my goodness… instant, unadulterated, WANT.

So, when I was gifted with a sample I was thrilled. And I couldn’t wait to try it. But when I did, I was hit with confusion. I didn’t love it. It was cloying and heavy and hurt my head. I didn’t really know what to do from there – I was supposed to be enthralled. Look at the colour of it, how could you not be? It is soooo pretty! What I didn’t realise at the time was that I was just at the beginning of one of the worst colds I’ve had in a decade, knocked me flat for about 2 weeks. The nose knows, it seems. I’ve come back to it under more friendly circumstances, and found the love.

Ombre Indigo by Mylène Arlan @ Robertet for Olfactive Studio 2014

Ombre Indigo Photographer: Gustavo Pellizzon

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Plum, saffron, pettigrain, tuberose
Heart: Vetiver, papyrus, leather, olibanum
Base: Benzoin, musk, ambergris

The opening for me is strong incense and dry woods, the papyrus lifting and separating the incense from darker plum underlying it. Occasionally I will burn frankincense or myrrh on charcoal bricks so when I say “incense”, that’s what I’m finding here, a resin smoke. And the plums are heavy, in a sweet decay where they’ve just turned inedible by a matter of days. That smell you get when plums look OK from the top, but when you pick them up their skin is moist and splits as you touch it.

The image I get from this is walking through a neglected and overgrown orchard. The trees that fruited have dropped their baubles in the overgrown grass at their bases. Other trees have died, and their branches bare. Walking through the orchard there is a dappled autumnal light scattering through the trees, and my skin is at once cooled by the shadow and warmed by the sun.

Photo Stolen Olfactive Studio

After about 2 hours saffron joins the undertones, and a clean but fleshy tuberose comes into the middle of the notes. The fragrance then settles at around 4 hours into a musky floral, powdery amber combo, which I find quite delicious. Some of the listed notes I’ve not quite found, but my sample has now run dry so I need to decide on next steps…

I’ve read reviews on Ombre Indigo that quite happily assign this to being a summer scent, but here in Australia in the dead of winter (as much as we have one) the incense and wood is comforting. I wore the fragrance on a crisp bright sunshiny-day walk along St Kilda Beach whilst being pummelled by Antarctic winds straight out of Bass Strait. Ombre Indigo had ensconced itself thoroughly in my scarf, which allowed me nuzzle down, breathe deeply and keep a smile on my face against the howling wind.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Now Smell This and Chemist In A Bottle
Olfactive Studio has a World Page where you can order wherever you are.
First In Fragrance has €85/50ml and samples
Peony Melbourne has $145/50ml

Do you have a favourite incense fragrance? What time of year does it work best for you?

Tina G xx

Passion Boisee GIVEAWAY WINNERS

August 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Hi there Juice junkies,

There is something deeply satisfying in having a giveaway that you all get excited about. Thank you everyone for being part of the fun. I am glad that we can work out 4 winners today. YIPPEE! THANKS to LibertineParfumerie, you guys rock my world.

Portia xx

Passion Boisee GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tangerine, nutmeg, rum, clove
Heart: Oakmoss, oak
Base: Patchouli, leather, cedar

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 Major Winner who will get:
1 x Passion Boisee 100ml bottle
(minus the Secondary Winners Prizes)
P&H Anywhere in the world

3 x Secondary Winners who will each receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Passion Boisee
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID 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

Go to Libertine Perfumes<<<JUMP and find me one of their Bath & Body Products and Manufacturer…………….. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 3rd August 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen dryicons

Passion Boisee MAJOR WINNER

Katherine Mittas

Passion Boisee SECONDARY WINNERS

Tara (via Twitter)

Nemo

Yin

The winners will have till Thursday 7th August 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.

Special THANKS to LibertineParfumerie for these amazing giveaways. Please visit their site because they are so generous and helpful. If you wonder why they are sometimes more expensive than the discounters or OS retailers it’s because they are the only licensed company selling their fragrances in Australia; where you know you are buying new, fresh and genuine product. The cost of importing, and buying the right to import, alcohol based fragrances (and having the right to send alcohol based fragrances throughout Australia, which are illegal to send in the Australia Post air system) is expensive and they must cover their costs to bring you these luxury goods.

Oliver & Co Limited Edition Sample Set 2014

August 3, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hey there APJ,

If you love niche fragrance and enjoy the good stuff then this is for you. I love this crew.

Oliver & Co Limited Edition Sample Set 2014

DISCOVERY SET – 1# ONLINE EDITION OF 20

THE SET INCLUDE 7x10ml GLASS SPRAY VIALS OF:

ILLUSTRATED SERIES

M.O.U.S.S.E
LA COLONIA
VETIVERUS
RESINA
M.O.U.S.S.E II

NEBULAE SERIES

NEBULA 1
NEBULA 2

AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY – FROM 1st TO 6th AUGUST.
LIMIT ONE PER PERSON. ONLINE EXCLUSIVE.
THIS ITEM CAN’T BE PURCHASED ON PHYSICAL STORES.

67,00 €

Oliver & Co Site<<JUMP

A Case of Perfume Tampering

July 31, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

I am a fiend for vanilla perfumes, and will try nearly anything along that line. It happened not terribly long ago that I got a sample from one of the decant houses of a vanilla perfume from an independent perfumer, never mind which one. It was a pretty little perfume indeed, with some jasmine and fruit notes, a bit of bergamot, and a pleasant base of vanilla and white musk. For evening wear I love Tihota, the contralto diva of the vanilla world, but this one warbled along in a pleasant little alto. I decided that it would be perfect for office wear where my stronger vanillas won’t fly, and because I found it online at a bargain price I bought two small bottles.

A Case of Perfume Tampering

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Unfortunately, it became clear when the bottles arrived that a rather major reformulation had taken place between the decant that I had previously purchased and the new bottles. Or maybe this perfume is subject to significant batch variation, but whatever the reason, I had two bottles of something that I did not care for at all. The opening was still pleasant and attractive, but the vanilla was rather distant and sour and faded quickly, leaving me with nothing much to notice after the first 30 minutes. Foolishly, I had opened and tried both bottles before I was sure that something was wrong, so there was no reasonable option of returning them.

After some thought, I decided that I had very little to lose, and so I began tampering with one of the bottles. Leaving the opening undisturbed, I added a little bit of vanilla CO2 extract, and a modest amount of a commercial perfumers accord called “vanilla bean accord,” which I obtained from The Perfumer’s Apprentice. After several good shakes, I had something that I could spray and enjoy in a low-key sort of way, and that ended in a lovely vanilla skin scent which lasted several hours. I will be able to use it as a work scent, and eventually will probably do the same to the other bottle. As a bonus, I wore it one evening at home, and my husband noticed early the next morning that it had bloomed into an even more full and beautiful vanilla skin scent.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

I have read arguments against a simple intervention like layering, with some people feeling rather strongly that the perfume should be worn as created. All very well for perfumes that you like, but this was not one that I would ever have worn exactly as it came to me. And I clearly acknowledge that it would not be in any way okay to give out the name of the perfume, since I have altered it beyond recognition. However, for those of us who have some bottles sitting around that we don’t really care for and will never wear in their present iteration, is it wrong to make some creative changes? I don’t think so. It’s like changing a recipe; you can do anything you want with it, as long as you acknowledge that it is not exactly the recipe that the writer intended.

So I say, if you have aromachemicals and accords and essential oils and absolutes sitting around, and like so many of us you also have some perfumes that you are not wild about, but which have no significant resale value, go to town!

Have you ever tampered with a perfume? Do tell.

FeralJasmine xx

Captured In Amber EdP & Extrait by Shelley Waddington for En Voyage Perfumes 2014

July 29, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

I don´t like amber. It´s not for lack of trying. I always thought I would be the perfect amber babe. After all I adore patchouli and it´s the same right? Actually it´s not. When I fell for Captured in Amber I thought that the amber part of my brain had finally been unlocked. I got hold of 5 different ambers ready to love them all. I didn´t. I found them as flat and one dimensional and nauseating as they ever were. It is not my wont to knock other perfumes/perfumers but suffice it to say they included Dior´s Mitzah, which is just not made f or me. (I think Dior can handle it!). Not my cup of tea. Or should I say chocolate?

The Spanish conquistadors first brought chocolate to France in 1615. It was only for the nobility and upper bourgeoisie. It was all the rage at the Court of Versailles. At that time it was cheaper to buy a prostitute than it was chocolate. Chocolate was recognized for its aphrodisiacal qualities so I have know doubt that there were those who purchased both! In 1770 when Marie- Antoinette married Louis XVI, she arrived at the court with her own chocolate maker along with the title “Chocolate Maker to the Queen”. Cocoa beans only became accessible to the public in the 19th century.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Shelley Waddington informs us that Marie Antoinette also took a little ambergris in her hot chocolate. Marie-A also wore perfume using ambergris. Madame du Barry supposedly bathed with ambergris to attract Louis XV. It was known as “dragon´s spittle fragrance” in ancient China, and was believed to ward off the black plague in the Middle Ages. It too has been attributed with aphrodisiac power as well as healing properties.

Captured In Amber EdP & Extrait by En Voyage Perfumes 2014

Captured In Amber by Shelley Waddington

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Ambergris, labdanum, vanilla, tonka bean, floral notes, spices, woody notes, olibanum, resin, peru balsam, tolu balsum, benzoin, patchouli, myrrh, dark chocolate

Captured in Amber is part of the Souvenir de Chocolate Trio from En Voyage Perfumes. It is utterly delicious, three dimensional and not a hint of powder to be seen. So with chocolate and ambergris? We have an erotic fragrant bomb on our hands.

CAPTURED IN AMBER: EDP

It goes on in a powerful chocolate, sweet, veil of perfection, a nosegasm. It is rounded and complete. A 3D effect. Although it is rich it is not cloying. Very grown up and sensual but comforting too. After several hours of subtle spicy development it slowly ends up being salty and musky, which is how I imagine real ambergris to be. Nevertheless there is till a dusting of chocolate there. It reminds me of the crushed cocoa nibs that I use to bake with. Chocolatey but not sweet. The components of Captured in Amber EdP are blended to perfection. A seamless fragrant ride. This needs to go straight onto naked skin. Skin enhances.

Photo Stolen Flickr

CAPTURED IN AMBER: EXTRAIT

Not just a stronger version of the EdP. This is not as sweet and is made to be annointed. It is so rich, distinctive, highly seasoned, poignant, smoooooth, and erotic ……… gorgeous!! I would hardly call it an amber, as to my untrained amber nose, the amber doesn´t make a clear appearance until after a couple of hours. I cannot lift my nose away from my wrist.

The Extrait is quite thick, but didn´t seem like an oil. It intrigued me so I got in touch with En Voyage Perfumes and asked Shelley what it was.

Shelley uses an alcohol based perfume carrier. This is blended with another non-oil ingredient that smooths the sharp blast typical to alcohol, and this is somewhat thick. Because it is an extrait, the resins and some of the other ingredients are heavier and thicker than the more typical perfume materials. That´s enough secrets of the trade huh?

En Voyage Perfumes have a selection of Captured In Amber<<JUMP

For the first time I am Captured in Amber.

Bussis
CQ

Hypnotic Poison EdT by Annick Menardo for DIOR: 1998 version

July 28, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 66 Comments

Post by Azar

Today’s review and give-away were supposed to have been about the contents of a very large bottle of an historic Italian EdT. I have decided to reserve judgment on this fragrance until I get to know it better. There is plenty of juice to play with. I have been spraying it liberally on myself, on B-Azar, Fender, on the towels and linens and have even considered using it as a room freshener. Needing a substitute victim for this post I began digging around in the chaos of my perfume storage and came upon something red, black and squat, about 50% remained in the 100 ml bottle. Just one spray filled the room with romantic memories. – the original version of Dior Hypnotic Poison, EdT.

Hypnotic Poison EdT by DIOR

Hypnotic Poison by Annick Menardo: 1998 version

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Apricot, plum, coconut
Heart: Tuberose, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose, brazilian rosewood, caraway
Base: Sandalwood, almond, vanilla, musk

The first version of Hypnotic Poison was created for Dior in 1998 by Annick Menardo (responsible for Lolita Lempicka and Bulgari Black among others).

My immediate experience of HP was rich vanilla and a lot of fruit, a not quite edible compote of plum, coconut and vanilla drying down to jasmine and a bouquet of flowers that were too mixed up to sort out. At the heart bitter almond (the scent of cyanide), caraway, various woods and an impression of spices were reminiscent of the original version of Dior Poison. The startling opening and scary sweet vibe of the first Poison were barely noticeable but still obvious enough to make this semi-gourmand sister scent a truly hypnotic contradiction between the delicious and the dangerous. Hypnotic Poison may have been one of the earlier fruity florals but has very little in common with the syrupy concoctions available today.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

If you happen to have a bottle of this early version gathering dust, resurrect it immediately! I’m sure you will remember, as I did, why you enjoyed it so much. I have no experience with the newer 2008 version – L’Elixir Hypnotic Poison by Francois Demachy. Do you know this one? Does it work for you?

YUM! I am now going to have another spray-bite of this almost poisonous and not really forbidden fruit!

Azar xx

Photo Stolen lavanyasrecipes

Hypnotic Poison EdT GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 2 ml spray decant of the 1998 version of Hypnotic Poison EdT
1 x 2ml spray decant of the historic Italian referred to at the beginning of this post
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please leave a comment about your favorite re-discovered oldie and/or your take on any version of Poison or Hypnotic Poison.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Hypnotic Poison EdT: DIOR 1998 #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-313 @Dior #Perfume

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 31st July 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 1st August 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.

Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel GIVEAWAY WINNERS

July 28, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hi there Perfume Junkies,

I hope you that got on board with this giveaway had some fun with it. I loved reading your stories and can’t wait to see who’s won.
Portia xx

Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Chamomile, aldehydes, orange blossom, bergamot, coriander, palisander, green notes
Heart: Lily-of-the-valley, jasmine, rose, ylang-ylang, tuberose, orris root, carnation
Base: Sandalwood, oakmoss, vetiver, musk, coconut, patchouli

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will each get:
1 x 1.5ml decanted vial Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me your own Aromatics Elixir story, or why you would like to try this one.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2ZB #Perfume @Clinique_Oz @Clinique_US

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 27th July 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners will be chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen markmontanoblogs

Jaybee

Patty Pong

SaffyIsHere (Via Twitter)

Jillie

The winners will have till Thursday 31st July 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.

Fille en Aiguilles by Christopher Sheldrake and Serge Lutens 2009

July 27, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Hos, Frag Hos that is.

Today I am chatting about a fragrance that has been on my radar for a while. I remember testing it when it first came out and LOVING it but I think at the tiome I was financially recovering from some holiday and it was an inconvenient purchase moment so it went on the list. Special thanks to Michael Edwards for gifting me his bottle.

Fille en Aiguilles by Christopher Sheldrake and Serge Lutens 2009

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Pine needles, vetiver, bay leaf, spices, fruit, incense

WHOO HOO! Spices, stewed fruit, pudding. When Fille en Aiguilles opens it is all about food for me and this amazing moment lasts about 5 minutes until the incense comes on in and dries the whole shebang out. The incense is dry and smoky, unisex and rose-ish.

So I never get the pine. I get the FEELING of walking through pine needles. That dry, dessicated, rustle and shimmery crackle of the pine needles under my feet. It’s a soft but freaky feeling underfoot that is both comforting because it was a commonplace experience in my childhood and freaky because I’ve felt nothing on earth yet that I could compare it to. Many of the beaches in Sydney have conifers of one kind or another on their foreshores and we would run through them and kick them and make whole games and stories with our trucks, cars, barbies, whatever was at hand. Instead of the scent of pine needles I get a balsamic vinegar, a sweet and sour edge that is quite alluring, inviting me to stick my head in my T-Shirt and really enjoy the scent.

Photo Stolen TripAdvisor

My skin throws a boozy undercurrent too, maybe it’s the fruit, warmed, sweetened and spiced that reminds me of mulled wine. Actually Fille en Aiguilles goes dry and moist in waves, such an interesting fragrance. Sweet/Sour, Light/Shade, Dry/Moist a multiple contradiction re-proving Sheldrake and Lutens genius partnership. A circular scent that grabs the notes and rearranges them in different groupings and asks you again and again, how about like this, or like this, or like this? You sniff deeply to find out how it smells and by the time you’re ready to sniff it again it has changed itself like a chameleon and you must run to keep up. In the end I let myself float on a sea of Fille en Aiguilles, just a beautiful fragrance that I really love.

I usually get excellent scent longevity from Fille en Aiguilles, though not always and I don’t know why. First hour is pretty big but then it calms beautifully. You will be decidedly fragrant and could easily skunk your office if you aren’t careful. Depending on your work of course, I find it perfect for hosting a trivia night.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Smelly Thoughts and EauMG
Beauty Encounter has $89/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

I am overwhelmed every time I wear Fille en Aiguilles by its loveliness but it could easily be a comfortable wear for someone who merely wears fragrance, rather than a perfumista. A lovely rich and warm scent and I would have bought my Mum a bottle of Fille en Aiguilles had she still been around and I am pretty certain she would have drained it dry and asked for more.

Have you tried it? Did Fille en Aiguilles sing for you? Was it overwhelming or did you think it too like some of his other releases?
Go on, leave a comment. I love to read your thoughts.

Portia xx

Alameda by Aurélien Guichard for Robert Piguet 2013

July 26, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Hi Hi APJ Crew,

There is no reason why but today’s fragrance slipped through the cracks and I never smelled it before. Luckily I was in David Jones (Australia’s loveliest Department Store chain) and my mate Gary at the Libertine counter was wondering what I hadn’t smelled from the Robert Piguet range. Normally I grab and sniff them immediately since Joe Garces, the Piguet CEO (I think he’s still there), came down to Australia and talked us through the range. He was so intensely in love with his product and fiercely proud of it that it made me really appreciate Robert Piguet in a new light. Now I try to give every one of their frags at least a sniff.

Alameda by Aurélien Guichard for Robert Piguet 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Lily, rose, orris
Base: Patchouli, amber, castoreum

WHOOSH! So Alameda opens with a bright, fizzy, sugared orange. It reminds me a bit of the Liberte by Cacharel opening but a little less in your face. There is a warmth to Alameda that is quite vanilla/animal and it’s there right after the burn off of the fireworks. I love this fragrance. My nose gets a lovely refined orris and the whole scent becomes creamy and earthy for a while. Imagine if the softest, finest cashmere scarf feeling was a fragrance: This smell is what I imagine it would be. Both ultra luxe and elegant, warm, inviting yet not bold, not a statement fragrance. Alameda is the smell of coming home to love, now a honeyed sweetness that is mildly naughty, lived in, and perhaps some breathy lily has joined the fun.

From here we get a very clean patchouli and the base notes swirl around together for a while. Alameda stays like this for a while, it’s sexy and wearable. I could imagine it being worn by guys and girls and being a hit for both sexes. There’s a beadhead-ish-ness about Alameda that I find particularly inviting, a whisper of sweat and sleep in the little curls of hair at the back of a head in the morning.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

No mention of musks in the notes but I think there are. My nose may be playing tricks but there is a very nice clean musk vibe that sits well beside what I imagine is the castoreum. The amber is absolutely non confrontational, smooth, warm and creamy. To be perfectly honest I think the short note list has a load of glaring omissions but as you know my nose tends to get a bit wonky. My head is telling me that some of this creaminess could be coming from a sandalwood and something else a little lactonic, also a lovely almond meal smell. Then all that’s left is a beautiful amber that fades to skin.

So here’s a weird moment. Alameda is not on the Robert Piguet site. I have also trawled the web looking in most of the usual places, retail and discounters, and could only come up with two points of sale. OK I have information from Nick at Libertine. “I think Alamedia is exclusive to the UK but after smelling it I begged for our market to have it. I love it. It’s been such a big seller so far.”

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Parfumistan and Katie Chutzpah
Libertine Parfumerie has $239/100ml including Australian P&H
Selfridges & Co has £135/100ml

I used the last of my generous sample tonight to write this piece. I can definitely see a bottle of Alameda in my very near future. Thanks to Gary at the Libertine counter in David Jones Market St Sydney for my sample.

Have you tried Alameda? If so what did you think? If not, which of the Robert Piguet line do you like?

Portia xx

Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel by Trudi Loren for Clinique 2006

July 25, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Hello Gang,

You may or may not know but Michael Edwards, the man who writes the annual frag bible: Fragrances Of The World, recently opened the doors of his home and gave an enormous amount of fragrances away. A lifetimes collecting that he has been trying to give to a museum or collection but sadly no one could take it without it costing him a fortune. I was one of the lucky ones invited in so over the next few months I will be able to write about some fairly obscure or discontinued things. Today I get to write about a flanker to one of my favourite fragrances. There is quite a lot of it strewn around this house in different guises and thanks to Michael I can chat about another…

Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel

by Trudi Loren for Clinique 2006

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Sweet, green, herbal and metallic all at once is how Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel opens on my skin. The gel form is very cool, as in cool and aloof, less boisterous but no less nuanced and lovely. Philtre Sensuelt feels less enormous than the 1971 release Aromatics Elixir fragrance but you will be fragrant. Grandly, deliriously and exceedingly fragrant. I have been dabbing a drop on each hand back and I can smell it for hours, going through its story.There is a little bit of the crazy, hot glamour of Leilani Dowding in Aromatics Elixer usually and this version is no different, a prowling siren both elegant and vampish. A coltish beauty that smells untamed, unfettered, free and liberated.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

We are offered an enormous top, heart and base story in the notes and though Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel does change, the change is not as profound as you would expect reading the list. Even in the farthest reaches of dry down at 9 hours, where it is just the merest hint of itself upon my skin, I can still recognise the fragrances opening fireworks though seriously depleted in heft. Also, the blending and sheer weight of ingredients tends to confuse my clunky nose so I don’t get a note list but a complete fragrance. What I smell most of the wear is Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel as a complete unit, a smell all its own but at times I do get a whiff that I can recognise and pinpoint. Sparkling, metallic, cold spoon in mouth aldehydes, spicy carnation, herbs as a group more than singularly, woods etc do come and go in intensity.

Longevity is good, I can still smell fragrance quite close but noticeable; even after 6-7 hours of sleep. The sillage is less powerful and projection less formidable than the Aromatics Elixir perfume but don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s a retiring wallpaper scent. No, this is a fragrance with personality that hints of world travel and exotic adventure.

I would like to thank Michael Edwards for generously giving me his Clinique: Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel. Don’t forget Michael Edwards Masterclass: Sydney & Melbourne<<JUMP. If you are in Sydney or Melbourne in late July or August 2014 DO NOT MISS THIS. These opportunities do not come along very often….

Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will each get:
1 x 1.5ml decanted vial Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet Philtre Sensuel
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me your own Aromatics Elixir story, or why you would like to try this one.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Aromatics Elixir Sheer Velvet #GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2ZB #Perfume @Clinique_Oz @Clinique_US

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 27th July 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 31st July 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.