Samples

Linden: An Ode to Linden in Fragrance

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Post by ElizaD

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An Ode to Linden

Not rose, not lilac, not peony, not gardenia, not jasmine, not lavender, not lily, not carnation, not geranium, not mimosa, not freesia, sets my heart a leaping like linden. And many thanks to that wise city planner who years ago planted them along streets and in parks in the town where I live.

Linden Blossom Lime_tree Tilia WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

As the days start to grow long and the earth warms, the lindens blossom. The air is magical. As the wind moves, and the sun filters through the leaves, the trees seem to sparkle in their greenness. I could sit under a linden tree for hours watching bees work each tiny burst of cream-colored flower.

Perhaps it is because I love the real fragrance so much that I have been disappointed by the two linden-based scents I have tried. Fragrantica indicates there are many more to sample, but I am afraid each will let me down.

Linden Blond Tabac Voluspa FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Linden Blond Tabac by Voluspa

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Blond tabac absolute, lime (linden) blossom, tuberose, red grapefruit, woodsy notes, tonka bean

In my collection is a full bottle of Voluspa Linden Blond Tabac. It’s a lovely perfume on its own, sweetness mellowed by tobacco, but it doesn’t smell like linden to me.

Linden. Tilleul D`Orsay FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Tilleul (Lime or Linden) by D’Orsay

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon blossom, watermelon
Heart: Cyclamen, linden blossom
Base: Acacia tree, bee wax, hay

Tilleul by D’Orsay comes closer, and though it is purported to have a top, heart and base it’s very linear, warming to my skin as I wear it. It has decent sillage and good longevity, and if someone were to gift me with more, I would happily accept. Because now my brain recognizes the smell as the perfume Tilleul, and Tilleul is supposed to be linden, and linden makes me happy.

But I want to open a vial without knowing what I will smell inside, a blind test if you will, and find myself transported onto the grass under a linden. To be wrenched off my forward path to go in search of the tree that emanates such a lovely smell, as I do often when I am riding around town—I think I know each tree within a 2 mile radius of my home.

Is that too much to ask? Does such a thing exist? If you know, pray tell. It’s summer here now, and while the shade of a linden offers a cool respite, and the gorgeous heart shaped leaves still sparkle, the fragrance is just a memory.

Fragrantica has a wonderful article on The history of the Linden

And here is another way one might Experience the “intoxication” of linden flowers

So now it’s up to you. Do you have a favourite Linden Fragrance that I need to try, one that you love particularly or do you have memories of Linden trees too?
ElizaD x

(Ed: Dear ElizaD, you just taught me that Linden Blossoms are not from the citrus fruit bearing plant but a totally different species. I am the complete dumb ass. Ha Ha Ha Laughing. Thank You.)

RAOK: Random Acts Of Kindness in a Perfumista’s World

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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RAOK

Random Acts Of Kindness in a Perfumista’s World

I noticed “ROAK” trending on the Facebook Fragrance groups I belong to (Fragrance Guru Nation, Facebook Fragrance Friends etc.) It stands for Random Act Of Kindness.

In short, people give out sample vials, atomisers or bottles of fragrances, for free. Announced sometimes with a question or quiz people must answer, sometimes it’s first in, best dressed and BINGO! Some lucky member anywhere in the world gets to try new fragrances FOR FREE! Crazy, no?

For various reasons, I like having bottles in their original packaging. Recently I bought a perfume and to my surprise, the parcel included FIFTEEN 3ml decants!! A lucky dip. Was I going to be converted?!

It’s impossible to experience all the fragrances and brands we read about, so RAOK’s enable us to sniff a bunch of newbies, for free! The risk is, of course, that the fragrances may not be in their original condition, contaminated or have experienced poor storage conditions such as heat/light (Ed: which can happen to bottles or decants and it is a risk every time you don’t buy brand new sealed bottles less than 3 years old)…but for the joy, I think it’s a risk worth taking. Here is a quick fun flirt with some;

02L`AirduDesertMarocain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Tauer – L’air Du Desert Marocain – I’d never smelt an ‘Andy Tauer’ before. Hooray! Instantly warm and balmy. coriander and a touch of sweaty cumin. The end of a dry hot day? Incense or dry woods like cedar. Sweet in the dry down. The spices continue to smolder. I am reminded of the Middle East. In particular when I spent a night camping in the desert in Egypt. Beautifully odd and a little creepy at times. (APJ LDDM Review<<JUMP)

1969 Parfum de Revolte Histoires de Parfums FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Histoires de Parfums – 1969 Parfum De Revolte – An empty vial, as it leaked en route, but can smell powdery peachy, vanillary sweet. It reads well on Fragrantica – cocoa, cardamom, rose, patchouli, clove, musk, apricot, coffee.

Pure Boadicea the Victorious FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Bodadicea The Victorious – Pure – Oooo yum, I’m having images of somewhere tropical. Fresh and fruit-spiced. I could drink this. So fresh and tropical but earthed by some deeper resins and woods. There’s some real strength to this one! Victory is mine! (well at least 3mls of it)

Fleurs d`Ombre Violette - Menthe Jean Charles Brosseau FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Jean Charles Brosseau – Fleurs D’Ombre Violette Menthe – Would have walked past this in a store, however this is a hit for me! I love the powdery woody violet notes immediately. The sandalwood is strong and buttery. The mint keeps the violets contemporary. Nicely balanced. I’d like this as bath oil. A few hours on, the freshness dies a little abruptly.

Tubereuse 1 Capricieuse Histoires de Parfums FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Histoires de Parfums – Tubereuse 1 Capricieuse – Had heard good things about this brand, but never worn them. Saffron, suede, menthol maybe a touch of tuberose, but not the pretty notes… I expected more. It isn’t pretty on me…? Anyone?

Frapin1270 Frapin FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Frapin 1270 you can read Portia’s APJ review<<JUMP. I discovered I do actually like fruity fragrance and have now even bought a full bottle from Peony in Melbourne.

So much fun!! A big thank you to Cassandra* for the hours of pleasure and new discoveries you have given me. I will always remember your kindness.

Ainslie Walker xx

*Name not changed, with permission

Eau de Magnolia by Carlos Benaim for Frederic Malle 2014

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Post by TinaG

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It is magnolia season here in Sydney, the wonderful lush simple blooms are opening up all over town and I’ve been pressing my nose to as many as possible trying to build up a scent memory of this gorgeous flower.

Eau de Magnolia by Carlos Benaïm for Frédéric Malle 2014

Eau De Magnolia Frederic Malle FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Magnolia, vetiver, patchouli
Base: Cedar, moss, amber

Eau de Magnolia is seducingly ethereal. It lives and breathes in the wisps of its silage, turning and teasing, flashing hints of scent which last as long as a breath.

I can understand people dismissing this fragrance quickly because of the familiarity of the top notes and the cologne nature. I nearly made that mistake too. But it is much more subtle and complex than that. It needs to be on skin, paper would do it no good at all. It also needs to be given a lot of air, sprayed at a distance, and needs a few wearings. The continuity of the fragrance is in the cool lemon, the warm magnolia, and a general ‘greeness”. It also has an aquatic aspect, but not marine, just open and clear. But the magic of this fragrance is in the way it changes.

Eau De Magnolia Frederic Malle citrus PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Over the top of the green/lemon strand, I get whiffs of different things – pepper, bergamot, lemon, moss, vetiver…. The image I get in my head is like playing with a heavy silk sheet, there is a linearity to it (the lemon/green base ) but when it moves, it has a mind of its own and it slides like a liquid. And like silk, different parts may catch the light and shimmer at different times. But it also can’t be forced, I gave myself a headache sniffing my wrist, but sniffing 20cm away worked wonders.

I also can’t exactly say how it opens – my first wearing it was all fresh lemon, the second, bergamot and today it’s all about grapefruit. I strongly suspect that it would blossom more in summer too, not really a winter scent. I find myself standing at the window, looking at the crisp blue winter sky and longing for the warmer summer months.

Eau De Magnolia Frederic Malle Magnolia_grandiflora WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

I became enamoured with the magnolia fragrance last summer, having been introduced to Magnolia Grandiflora – Sandrine, and Michel, so much so that I purchased a full bottle of Sandrine. By way of comparison to Eau de Magnolia, Michel is the closer match with its waxy warmth, whilst Sandrine is crisp and dewy, said to mirror a magnolia bud waiting to burst open. Because of the depth of sillage of Eau de Magnolia, I can’t wear them side by side, it’s too confusing and I’m not sure what smells I’m getting from where. And to be honest, sometimes you don’t want to pick apart a fragrance too much, I just want to wear them and enjoy the added beauty and dimension they bring to my day.

Eau De Magnolia Frederic Malle magnolia pixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Another mistake I nearly made with Eau de Magnolia is that I originally thought that it lasted two hours on my skin. Not the case. I wore it to work, kept smelling lovely florals that were slowly turning woodsy, and after a gruelling 10 hour day I noticed wisps of fragrance still emanating from my chest. It was very comforting. Such a versatile and beautiful scent – I’m a fan.

Frederic Malle Europe has 3 x 10ml/€85 (Perfect for splitting)
Frederic Malle USA has 3 x 10ml/$125
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $7/ml

Who of you readers has tried Eau de Magnolia? Impressions?

Tina xx

Neroli & Orchidee + Mer & Mistral: L’Occitane GIVEAWAY WINNERS

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Heya APJ,

This L’Occitane giveaway seemed to inspire a whole bunch of you. I’m so glad. I hope this finds every one of you happy & well. I know some of you will not be either so fingers crossed for better days ahead.

Portia xx

Neroli & Orchidee + Mer & Mistral by L’Occitane

L’Occitane GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Mer & Mistral L`Occitane en Provence FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, tangerine
Heart: Cypress, pine, rosemary
Base: White amber, cedar, musk

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml decant of Mer & Mistral by L’Occitane (from my sample bottle)
1 x 5ml decant of Neroli & Orchidee by L’Occitane (from my sample bottle)
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

Please tell me your favourite fresh fragrance, or why you would like to try this one.

As always there was an extra chance for TWEETING

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 20th July 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

WINNERS berryreviewPhoto Stolen berryreview

Renee Groyer (via Twitter)

Patty Pong

MaryJane

Tracey

The winners will have till Thursday 24th 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.

Lyric Man by Daniel Visentin for Amouage 2008

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Heya Happy Huffers,

Today we look at a fragrance often given the boot or a meh from reviewers. I think it suffered from Amouage’s name as a bombastic, sillage and projection monster house. A crew you could rely on to blow the back of your head off and keep people around you confused, if not concussed. I too love their deep, rich and powerful fragrances but here is something different….

Lyric Man by Daniel Visentin for Amouage 2008

Amouage Lyric Man Amouage FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lime
Heart: Rose, angelica, orange blossom, galbanum, nutmeg, ginger, saffron
Base: Pine tree, sandalwood, incense, vanilla, musk

Straight out of the nozzle I get a citrus blast with that waxy feeling that saffron gives me (like imagine feeling the skin of a ripe healthy orange or the stem of a hyacinth, both of these feelings remind me of the smell I get from saffron) and before long I get a greenness that is probably angelica and some zing which I will attribute to the ginger, it all adds up to something only mildly rose-ish. Then something happens and the whole fragrance seems to shimmer and shift into galbanum mode. A soft, fuzzy, rounded galbanum that is nowhere near as cool as in CHANEL No.19, here on my skin is a warm and spicy galbanum with a very pretty rose holding it up. This is lovely. Lyric Man is the most casually wearable Amouage I have yet had on my skin.

DIGITAL CAMERAPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

As we get further in to the fragrance wear it warms considerably and I can’t work out why, it could be orange blossom, vanilla and sandalwood but Lyric Man is blended beautifully and I think the whole lot just sing alongside each other in a lovely harmonious whole. The heart is where I feel Lyric Man really shines in a completely unpretentious way. I can imagine it becoming a very easy wear, go to fragrance for a guy or woman. Daniel Visentin has made a fragrance as smooth as a piece of green glass, long rubbed by the seashore and transparent yet still quite dense. The notes so ethereal yet intertwined beautifully and very late in the development the musks come through giving the feeling of having been worn, lived in, healthy yet used body smell. All this overlaid with a subtle spicy rose, a woodsy greenness.

Amouage Lyric Man Picnic R Barraez D´Lucca FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Yes, I can understand that expectations were not met with Lyric Man but if you put all that aside and wear it just for itself it is a lovely fragrance. A soft, muted, wearable fragrance that I think you could wear even to the office, unless you have a frag-phobic workplace. For dates and dinner, killer, and quite an unexpected scent. I think it could be the hook that catches your partners attention and though there are plenty of unisex roses out there now none are like Lyric Man.

Further reading: What Men Should Smell Like and The Non Blonde
Libertine carries the Amouage line for Australia and has 100ml/$364 Delivered within Australia
Beauty Encounter has 100ml/$220 deep discount currently
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

michael-edwardsI would like to thank Michael Edwards for generously giving me his Lyric Man. Don’t forget Michael Edwards Masterclass: Sydney & Melbourne<<JUMP. If you are in Sydney or Melbourne DO NOT MISS THIS. These opportunities do not come along very often….

Lyric Man,who knew that Amouage could nail comfortable and casual so well? Have you tried it? Do you have a favourite Amouage?
Portia xx

Chanel No. 22 by Ernest Beaux for CHANEL 1922

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HEYA APJ Family & Friends,

One cool morning in Paris out with Michael in early 2014 we stumbled across 31 Rue Cambon, CHANEL Headquarters and once home of Gabrielle Chanel. Inside I tried for the very first time Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 22, thinking it would be a soft and retiring scent like much of the rest of the Les Exclusifs de Chanel range I opened my shirt and 3 big blasts, one then on each wrist ( I really wanted to live this fragrance for the hour it would last on me) and……….. BOOM! Wowzas, damn near blew the back of my head off, I was incandescent with No 22 and Michael could still smell me across the room at dinner that night.

Les Exclusifs de Chanel No. 22 Chanel by Ernest Beaux for CHANEL 1922

Les Exclusifs de Chanel No 22 Chanel FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica  gives these featured accords:
Top: Lily-of-the-valley, neroli, aldehydes
Heart: Oriental jasmine, rose, Comoro island ylang-ylang
Base: Haiti vetiver, Bourbon vanilla

Turned off? NO WAY!! It made me want CHANEL No. 22 like crazy. What a fragrance. So recently I was trotting through David Jones (the oldest department store trading under the same name in the same location in the world) with my girl friend Ainslie Walker and we came across the new CHANEL counter with all the lovely exclusives and parfums. YAY!!! The girl serving was so lovely, could not have been more helpful and wanted nothing more than to have us understand the range. Woo Hoo! An SA who knows their job. Delighted is an understatement.

Picture 2532Michael & I @ 31 Rue Cambon CHANEL (Photo donated by Michael)

I must say that I was definitely not in the market for product on this particular day. Had I been more financially flush this SA would definitely have had a sale. What I did get though was CHANEL No. 22 Extrait on my arm and on a porcelain. So that was about 2 weeks ago. Tonight I opened the porcelain expecting to get a base only reminder of CHANEL No. 22. WOW! My whole office is filled to the brim with this wonderful, green aldehydic like a glass filling with a fizzy, metallic, soda pop of a fragrance that is both bold and restrained. A cool character on a huge scale, that doesn’t make sense but that’s how it feels in this room right now. I am engulfed, happily, enthusiastically overcome by scent.

CHANEL SeedOfHappinessPhoto Stolen SeedOfHappiness

When I wear CHANEL No. 22 the aldehydes are the complete and utter star of the show, flowers are mown down, fruit is pulped and what I end up smelling is a metal/citrus/vanilla/vetiver creature. It’s a bit like putting snow in your mouth with a stainless steel spoon in a rose house with them all blooming. CHANEL No. 22 is one of the few vetiver fragrances where I get the soil/dirt/wood of the vetiver without salt hints, maybe the very dry vanilla cuts it?

Longevity? FOREVER! Sillage? You could ride the waves of it on water skis. Projection? It will blow the back of the heads from people in the next suburb, a little moderation with CHANEL No. 22 is probably a good idea. Of course I spritz with abandon some days and the world be damned.

CHANEL 22 CHANEL ginza Masaaki Komori FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Perfume Posse
You can try or buy CHANEL No. 22 at any of the stand alone CHANEL stores or a very few department stores.
Surrender To Chance has CHANEL No. 22 samples starting at $4/ml and Extrait at $8/ml

Are you a CHANEL No. 22 fan? Is it a bit overwhelming for you? Which in the line do you particularly like?
Have a great and fragrant day. Waft on my loves, waft on.

Portia xx

Shalimar by Guerlain 1925

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Post by Erica Golding

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Hello! My name is Erica, and I’ve enjoyed a lifetime obsession with scent. In all my journeys, I never gave Shalimar a chance on my skin. Shalimar, the bottle waiting patiently at practically every perfume counter, mysterious yet familiar. Recently, I was inundated with a torrent of love for this perfume by fans of all ages, all over the world. In the face of such genuine devotion, who was I to resist? I headed straight to a perfume counter, and my first impressions of modern-day Shalimar EdP are as follows:

Shalimar by Jacques Guerlain for Guerlain 1925

Shalimar Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citruses, mandarin orange, cedar, lemon, bergamot
Heart: Iris, rose, vetiver, jasmine, patchouli
Base: Civet, musk, tonka bean, opoponax, leather, incense, vanilla, sandalwood

This scent opens with a citronella-like, sharp, insect-repellant bergamot. I just really don’t like the beginning. Much brighter on the card than on my skin. The aroma becomes a little more interesting after settling. Nicely spicy, but with some undertone that comes across as almost rubbery. I’m still not into it, but I admit that I am starting to be hypnotized by the unique, complex puzzle of it all. I keep sniffing, curiously. Later, the fragrance begins to warm into something more harmonious with my aesthetic. I am starting to sense precious woods, amber, and sandalwood, maybe a waft of vanilla as well.

Later still, even more attractive, almost like vanilla pipe tobacco.

And then….

Yes.

Now I understand. It takes about 30 minutes to get there for me, but – wow. Gorgeous and singularly exceptional, yet hauntingly familiar. Woods and amber with a hint of vanilla, but so much more that defies my recognition. Indescribable. A sensual poem.

Shalimar Blue Water Ad Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Next, I sought out vintage bottles. My first scores were EdC in the “watch” bottle and Parfum in the “rosebud” bottle. I decided to review them side by side:

Shalimar EdC:

A quieter, softer opening. Morphs into soft vanilla incense tobacco magic within a few minutes. Fades fast on my skin, a quiet haze that hugs my body closely and shares its presence only with those I allow in that space.

Shalimar Parfum:

A sharp, bold opening. Spicy, and the citronella note is not as bright as with modern EDP but surprisingly still pronounced. Throw is fairly intense, yet somehow focused for me – not a diffusive cloud of fragrance, but a moonbeam piercing the humid summer night’s sky. The aroma drifts into a powdery stage before reaching the equilibrium of the true intent of Shalimar: a warm, almost indescribable perfume that slows my breathing and makes me feel powerfully magnetic. Sultry, mysterious, dark, thickly sensual.

Shalimar Guerlain Shalimar_gardens WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiCommons

Shalimar lasts anywhere from 5-8 hours on my skin. It is definitely an evening, date-night fragrance by tradition ~ and I am a very non-traditional person, so I wear it whenever and wherever the hell I please! That being said, I often crave it at night and wear it as my midnight aromatherapy.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies EdC and Australian Perfume Junkies Parfum
FragranceNet has $48/74ml EdC and other selections
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Shalimar Collection Erica GoldingErica’s Shalimar Collection Photo Donated Erica Golding

I hope you have enjoyed my account of how I lost my Shalimar virginity; and I hope that I’ve either conjured precious scent memories of your own, or piqued your interest in sampling this beauty for your own first time.

With warmly fragrant hugs,
Erica Golding

Junky by Anais Biguine for Jardins D’Ecrivains 2014

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Some perfume names give us a preconceived idea of the vibe of the fragrance in question. I was keen to get my nose on this from the minute I heard of it. I was born at the end of the fifties which threw me into the Punk Generation at exactly the right time. Had I been born earlier I like to think that I would have been part of the Beat Generation. This group consisted of a groups of American post World War II writers who came to the fore in the 1950s. The main elements of this “Beat” culture included experimentation with drugs, an interest in religion, alternative sexualities, a rejection of materialism and some unrestrained portrayals of the human condition. The best known writers and examples of the Beat Literature are probably William Burroughs (who wrote Junky), Allen Ginsberg, and Jack Kerouac.

Junky Jardins d’Ecrivains Jack_Kerouac WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

It was Kerouac who coined the phrase “Beat Generation”. Thanks to the punk era into which I was thrown – I was turned onto the Beat Generation literature. Junky, Naked Lunch and On the Road being my top three reads.

Junky by Anais Biguine for Jardins D’Ecrivains 2014

Junky Jardins d’Ecrivains FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords:
Top: Hemp, Palisander Rosewood, Galbanum
Heart: Iris, Violet, Gardenia
Base: Cashmeran, cedar, vetiver, incense, juniper, moss and myrtle (From Jardins D’Ecrivains box: Cashmeran, Cedar, Javanese vetiver, Sweet myrrhe, Frankincense, Cade, Moss)

So Jardins D’Ecrivains taking on Junky as a literary influence for a perfume was really quite formidable and perhaps a little abstract.

Green, green, green. Thick and ferocious. Straight to the amygdala, located deep within the brain. The hemp, combined with galbanum is legally intoxicating. Sticky and skunky and did I mention green?. I wish this moment would last forever but that might be too much to bear. It slides effortlessly into the beautifully smooth middle notes. This is very pleasurable and comfortable. Heady but controlled. Three beautiful floral notes intertwined one with another. And then the comedown. In this case, it is soft and sweet and lasts some hours. Quite dry, but a narcotic sweet feel nonetheless. It harks back to the opening green notes. A clever twist. It´s funny what a name can do. I was wondering if Jardins D’Ecrivains had called this Peter Pan, would it have made my experience any different? I think not. It would have just have been a wasted Peter Pan!

Junky Jardins d’Ecrivains neon_green_butterfly_falls EpicIV DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Jardins D’Ecrivains succeeded with the Junky vibe. I was impressed with the journey that Junky takes you on. From the instant hit, to the agreeable middle, and a peaceful descent. Unlike the real thing.

Absolutely worth checking out. You could read the book too.

With thanks to First in Fragrance who rushed me a generous sample upon request.

First in Fragrance has €93/100ml and samples

“Silence is only frightening to people who are compulsively verbalizing.” William S. Burroughs

Bussis
CQ

Aqua Sextius by Cécile Zarokian for Jul et Mad Paris 2014

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OK Happy Huffers,

Today a beautifully presented silver spray sample arrived from the Jul et Mad crew. Can I tell you from the beautiful and detailed packaging that I already feel like I am having an uber luxe experience. It all feels so finished and thought out. Then I went to look up the perfumer Cecile Zarokian whose name rang only faint bells for me till seeing that she has been quite prolific and done some fragrances I know well: Amouage Epic Woman, Tango for Masque and Pink for Undergreen. Curiouser and curiouser I decided to do a first spritz piece for you today. Come with me and try ….

Aqua Sextius by Cécile Zarokian for Jul et Mad Paris 2014

Aqua Sextius Jul et Mad Paris FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citrus zests, bergamot, mandarin, orange, grapefruit, tea notes, mimosa blossom
Heart: White flowers, sea notes, fig, pine tree resin
Base: Labdanum, amber(gris), cedar, guaiac wood, oak moss, musk

So the structure reads very much like a chypre, lets call it a modern chypre. The fragrance is in parfum concentration and I have to give a big fat bravo to Jul et Mad for doing 5ml, 20ml and 50ml bottles. It means that you can test, enjoy and have choice to suit your budget. So important now that fragrance is becoming increasingly expensive.

How does Aqua Sextius smell on my skin? Well, the opening is fun and fizzy citrus, very smile inducing and sweet. The mimosa is clean and adds some warmth to an otherwise cool sweetness and the whole opening is effortlessly wearable. I can already imagine it becoming a go-to for the opening alone. I am reminded of another fragrance but can’t put my finger on which one. If summer, or the dream of summer, could have a scent then Aqua Sextius could definitely be it. this is scent of the fun summer that you want always to remember, like a scent-track.

FigsPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

It’s not long before we get salty fig and resins, here there is a soft, elegant reminder of Womanity; sensual and not in your face at all like the Mugler. Here we are treated to similar parts but put together for an unstructured creamy linen suit and a pistachio T-Shirt rather than the spiky, shoulder padded, OTT and aggressive tone of Mugler. While Aqua Sextius is infinitely more wearable I think I prefer the Womanity at this point, for me anyway. Aqua Sextius is light and spare, clean and fresh in the modern 2014 new vision of such things. It feels bang up to date and has a lovely sillage. That’s basically how it stays on my skin for hours, just getting quieter and parts of the fragrance slowly falling by the wayside. At every point I find Aqua Sextius very wearable and non confrontational. It is interesting enough for a perfumista, but more importantly I think almost everyone would think this a fabulous gift.

laughingPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

After about 8 hours, yes EIGHT hours, I am left with a slightly salty wood waft that is barely discernible. Very sexy: if I didn’t know better I would think it was my own smell. It’s not my own smell, it is a beautiful mask.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Colognoisseur
Jul et Mad have 3 sizes all in a Parfum concentration: 5ml/€22.50, 20ml/€95, 50ml/€230 (All with postage inclusive!! To the world)

One of the comments I really love is about the name: Empliau writes, “Aquae Sextiae was the Latin name of Aix en Provence. Aqua is feminine in Latin and requires a feminine adjective. Aqua Sextius is simply impossible and grates upon the ear.”

Have you tried the lovely little beastie?
Portia xx

 

GUCCI Oud by GUCCI 2014: Ad Campaign

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Here it is gang,

Here is the thing that almost NONE of us have been waiting for. Yes, Gucci is releasing an Oudh fragrance. It’s being sold as a Gucci by Gucci flanker. My fingers are crossed, maybe it will surprise us all. To be fair I always get people sniffing about and asking when I wear GUCCI Guilty and even GUCCI Envy Me II is nice. GUCCI by GUCCI is a real lovely floral amber spritz. Maybe it will be nice…

Portia xx

GUCCI Oud by GUCCI 2014

Gucci Oud Gucci FragranticaPhotos Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pear, raspberry, saffron
Heart: Bulgarian rose, orange blossom
Base: Oud, patchouli, amber, musk