Samples

Fleur d'Oranger 27 by Francoise Caron for Le Labo 2006

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Heya All,

I have had this little stash of Le Labo since May 2013. A small crew of us went up to the Venice, LA store and were treated like royalty there. I purchased a couple of the small bottles which I’ll tell you about another time but the sweet manager of the store gave me some samples to take with me and I, churlish frag glutton that I am, never got to the samples. Well, now I have…

Fleur d’Oranger 27 by Francoise Caron for Le Labo 2006

Fleur d`Oranger 27 Le Labo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Orange blossom, petitgrain, bergamot and lemon

Opening with a zing of citrus, obviously, I find Fleur d’Oranger 27 to be a wonderful, fresh and fun cologne style scent. It is all pettigrain and bergamot for a moment and then it gets a soft orange blossom breathiness that at the same time is pithy and dry. This is smiley, happy juice and I feel invigorated and refreshed. There it stays for a while, pretty and sweet, slightly worn.

Fleur d'Oranger 27 Le Labo Orange blossom WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

As it wears on Fleur d’Oranger 27 becomes a bit bead head-ish and it NEVER smells at all cleaning fluid-esque. Great maintenance of the citrus throughout and there is something vegetal/herbal that isn’t explained in the notes and I have no idea what it could be, and I also get a prickling of spice, again no idea. I wish I had more to tell you but other than the spice and green-ness which comes and goes I basically get citrus from beginning to end. It smells good and I have enjoyed Fleur d’Oranger 27 but if you need massive development, a story, then you will be sad. Especially for the price. If though you want to smell like a happy burst of citrus for around 4-5 hours then Fleur d’Oranger 27 could be the one for you.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Best Things In Beauty
LuckyScent has $160/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4.25/ml

What is your Le Labo fave? Do you like Orange blossom as a note in general or does it send you screaming, reminded of toilets and dish washing liquids?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Cookie Princess Does London 2014! Photo Essay

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Post by BlondesWunder

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Hello Perfume Bitches!

It´s Cookie Queen´s daughter here, Cookie Princess, although I prefer BlondesWunder.

Finally catching up on our fab time in London. I have learned two things on this trip. First there are more amazing people on this planet than I had realised, and second, I am scarily, evolving into my mother.

Friday I spent three hours in Top Shop. This was traumatic for my mother. I ended up with a gray t-shirt. A freaking baggy, gray t-shirt, that looked nearly identical to the one which I was already wearing. What does that have to do with me turning into my mother? The glamorous CQ has been on the search for the perfect gray t-shirt for more than 35 years now. And now I am doing the same.

Hannah Grey TPhoto donated by Hannah

Let´s move to perfume now. Saturday morning awoke very early. After checking my Instagram for outfit inspo I ended up wearing my, uh, new gray t-shirt. Ms Cookie Queen, looking alike with our green parkas, jeans and combat boots, headed uptown for breakfast at the hotel with Portia and Michael.

Over breakfast we had a hilarious time. I have to admit I love to push my mother´s buttons and yes, I know how! Portia and Michael were laughing hard so I guess I am pretty funny. Thank you. (My boyfriend says I am not.) After a coffee, and a “what perfume are we gonna try today” kind of talk, we headed for Bloom Perfumery in the East End. But first us girls needed a loo. Well, we hadn´t peed for ten minutes.

Next stop Spitalfield Market. Portia and I headed into Benefit. Within 5 minutes he was firm friends with the SA and handing her the APJ business card. I don´t know how Portia does it, but as soon as she opens her mouth, strangers fall at her feet. So did I. I ended up with Portia and my mother with Flirty Michael.

Crappy Cartier FakePhoto donated by Hannah

As I wandered the market with Portia, I walked by a stand selling Cartier bracelets at only 20 quid. There was no way in hell that Portia would allow me to buy it. The fact that Portia spends a small fortune on not needed fragrance didn’t seem to count!! He lectured me at this point about how to spend my money, and what on! (I got it later with Michael anyway!!) And it looks fab.

Hannah high HairPhoto donated by Hannah

Eventually we met up again with Michael and my Mum and headed to All Saint´s, where Portia gave me big hair!!

Bloom LondonPhoto Stolen Bloom

Opposite the shop, was Bloom Perfumery. The SA´s saw use coming towards them and waved, knowing Mum from last year. I was dead, and after having sniffed one Phaedon, (smelled like the Hollister Women´s one to me), I spritzed it, loved it and sat down. Hardly keeping my eyes open, I only heard Portia and my Mum happily sniffing and huffing over over-priced perfume!!

Michael and I took a break at this point and went for yet another coffee.

BloomsPhoto donated by Hannah

By the time we came back, Tara, Freddie, Vanessa, Thomas and Nigel, Nick and Josh, were in full action. They were all awesome.

Lunch #1Photo donated by Vanessa (Bonkers About Perfume)

At 3 we headed next door to Poppies for fish and chips. The Bloggers sniffing, spritzing and sharing perfume at the table. I thought it was not appropriate in a restaurant, after scaring all the other customers away, but hey, what do I know??

Lunch #2Photo donated by Vanessa (Bonkers About Perfume)

The day ended at Selfridge´s and having to say goodbye after such a day, I was close to tears. So was my Mother, only she showed it. Of course I made fun of her.

I am moving to Sydney.

xoxo BlondesWunder

Absolue Pour Le Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2010

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Post by Chairman Meaow

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What do I know about Francis Kurkdjian and his work? Very little. I know that he’s a wiz with orange flower. That he is large on talent, not so much, perhaps, on affability towards perfumistas. I had ordered a set of samples from his house some time back, given each a cursory sniff, and decided that he was the creator of pretty and well constructed, if not entirely memorable perfumes. And with that, Francis Kurkdjian was relegated to the recycling heap of my olfactory landscape.

Absolue Pour Le Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2010

Absolue Pour le Soir Maison Francis Kurkdjian FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Maison Francis Kurkdjian lists the following accords on its website:
Benzoin from Siam, Bulgarian and Iranian rose, honey, incense absolute, ylang ylang, cumin, Atlas cedar and sandalwood

With the first huff, it was as if I had sat under the bodhi tree and received my perfumed awakening. All the references to rutting animals, bodily secretions, hind quarters and nether regions, things that I had read about but had yet not experienced to any meaningful degree, things that sounded repugnant and intriguing in equal measures, were all there, fleshed out in Absolue Pour Le Soir.

It started out innocently enough – some liquored rose, sandalwood, and soft, sweet honey. But wait, reader. It’s like that scene from that old comedy The Jerk where Steve Martin takes a long, slow swipe of Bernadette Peters’ cheek with his tongue. You just know that in a few moments, when the spittle starts to dry, things are going to start to get a bit smelly.

Absolue Pour le Soir Maison Francis Kurkdjian Bus Shelter WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Sure enough, the honey soon ripened, and started to acquire the tang of a pee-stained bus shelter. Absolue Pour Le Soir then took a turn for the bestial, and I had flashbacks of my dear departed cat, back arched and derriere quivering, fanning the scent of her backside as she lovingly slapped my face about with her tail. I smelled camels, whose scent had always struck me as being a little earthy, a little salty, and a little chocolaty. And underpinning all of this was an erotically charged, sweaty-musky whiff. A little later came the quite smoulder of incense, dampening the growl a touch.

Gott-im-Himmel. It was stunning.
I turned to the hovering sales assistant.
“This one doesn’t sell very well, does it?”
“No. It’s not very nice.”

Absolue Pour le Soir Maison Francis Kurkdjian Homeless_man WikipediaePhoto Stolen Wikipedia

I meandered into another shop and found that I had to severely limit my arm movements, lest my fellow shoppers catch wind of the scent and gain the impression that I had been caressing the butt crack of my local friendly hobo. And I realised with a pang that I wouldn’t have the confidence to wear this beauty out and about, this anathema to the masses, with their penchant for sterile odours.
Perhaps I’ll just content myself with dabbing discreetly. It can be my dirty little secret.

Did you? Have you? Would you? I mean, really………..

L'Eau d'Ambree by Daniela (Roche) Andrier for Prada 2009

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Post by ElizaD

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A perfume. Not a study, not an irony, not an invitation, or memoir, or a response. A perfume. A “your skin but better” plain old perfume. Friends, I give you

L’Eau d’Ambree by Daniela (Roche) Andrier for Prada 2009

L`Eau Ambree Prada FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Amalfi lemon, citruses
Heart: May rose, patchouli
Base: Amber, oppoponax, vanilla

L’Eau Ambree seems to be the forgotten child of the Prada line, which is unfortunate because it is a lovely, soft and warm, comfortable sweater of a scent. Not loud and boastful, yet still elegant enough to wear for many different occasions. I first learned about it from Katie Puckrik, one of the funniest perfume vloggers around.

It was created by Daniela Andrier as were Infusion D’Iris in 2007 and Candy in 2011. I have tried all three and like them for different reasons: Infusion D’Iris is a lovely iris scent, and is a little sharper but more powdery; Candy has the same sweet balsam notes with warm musk and that wonderful caramel that makes me want to drench myself in it before cuddling; but for me, L’eau Ambree is the Goldilocks just right version–just the right amount of sweet and skin, but not too come hither or too standoffish.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

The top notes dissipate quickly on my skin, settling into the heart and dry down very quickly. In fact, this is one scent where I am not striving with every inhale to determine what is where. It just works. And in this world of too much information, too much stimulus, too much too much, that is what makes this scent so reassuring. Plus, it’s one perfume that I never mind smelling on my clothes the day after.

She's focusedPhoto Stolen Flickr

You can get L’Eau Ambree for a decent price. It comes in the complete line of layering options, from EdP to shower gel. Sillage is moderate and longevity is about 4 hours. Carry a rollerball and reapply if necessary. I also have layered this on top of Jovan’s White Musk to give it greater longevity.

Further reading: Daly Beauty and Now Smell This
FragranceNet has $40/30ml
My Perfume Samples start at $2/ml

What’s your comfortable sweater all occasion perfume?

Lovely by Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry for Sarah Jessica Parker 2005

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Post by Ainslie Walker

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Last year I read Chandler Burr’s book “A Year In The Perfume Industry, which I highly recommend. The book follows, every second chapter, Jean-Claude Ellena, in Paris, creating a new fragrance for Hermes…every other chapter takes us to New York, in 2005, where Sarah Jessica Parker is ‘art directing’ the development of her first fragrance, with the help of Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry from Coty. The book does far more than, but helps the reader to understand how perfumes go from someone’s idea, right through to sitting on the shelves in the mass market. It is jam packed with history, ingredients, methods etc etc. A must read!

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker 2005

Laurent Le Guernec and Clement Gavarry

 Lovely Sarah Jessica Parker FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Nectarine, bergamot, rosewood,  lavender, apple martini
Heart: White daffodil, orchid, orchid, patchouli
Base: Amber, cedar, woody notes, salt, white musk.

That brought me to actually smelling Sarah Jessica Parker’s “Lovely” – something I would NEVER have tried, as my preconceived ideas of it being massmarket/cheap/celeb etc etc kept me well away. My curiosity got the best of me, and I was intrigued however as the starting idea was Sarah’s favourite mix of scents which included Egyptian musk oil, a cheap drugstore scent and and expensive fragrance.

Lovely Matthew_Broderick_Sarah_Jessica_Parker WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

On first whiff I can really smell the Egyptian and white musks…this develops on skin over time and is a sexy, sultry intriguing part of the fragrance. There’s a touch of patchouli and spice adding to this which makes it sexy-cooling. I am also hit with some major ‘fresh and clean’ notes. Like a breezy layer on top of the sultry base. Reminiscent of the scent of shampoos I used as a kid…apple, orange, lavender, possibly a little peachy. Pretty, feminine, but somehow managing a womanly feel.

I feel like it has given me flashbacks of the bodyshop scents we wore in the 80s/90’s, first body lotions, special soaps, hairspray and the perfumes which came as part of make up sets. (Maybe a few cheaper ingredients in this one.) Descriptions and reviews mention woody, in particular cedar – I don’t get much…maybe some sandalwood…maybe a little cedar after 30mins or so.

Descriptions also mention addition of a ‘martini’ note…I’m not sure if that’s just marketing, but I agree, there is some subtle, salt/savoury edge (maybe a dirty martini) that keeps the sweet, clean musky frag from spreading too far and taking over a room, or in fact from being too ‘lovely’, and gives it more classy-sparkle. I’d call it a fresh floral musk, but putting my finger on which flower exactly deems almost impossible!! Rosewood? It is like a lighter version of Agent Provocateur’s first fragrance, less naughty, and without the depth.

lovely-Sarah-jessica-parker-ShoppingHeavenPhoto Stolen ShoppingHeavenDotNet

This fragrance is comfy, distinct and still classic in some way…wear it like your favourite jeans and heels combo, for any occasion, when you want to feel feminine AND comfortable.

Further reading: Scents Memory and Now Smell This
Fragrance Shop has $21/50ml
My Perfume Samples start at $2/ml

A 30ml bottle cost me $21. I almost DIED. At that price it is not only LOVELY but super affordable too. The packaging is so cute and great to throw in your handbag for use throughout the day as a top up. I am sure it would be great layered under or over some richer scents, especially with scents that don’t have much staying power…this one lingers and could in theory help hold those – have a play and let me know what works for you.

Ainslie Walker XXX

Stella by Jacques Cavallier for Stella McCartney 2003

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Post by Maya

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Hello APJ,

I have very little interest in most celebrity scents. I know it’s not fair and I am probably missing some very good fragrances, but there are too many out there and others interest me a lot more. Perfume is a thing of emotions and sometimes visual images for me. It appeals to senses other than smell, which is part of it’s beauty. It can evoke memories. It can awaken feelings. It can create new or revive old visual images. It can create or change a mood. Each scent does something different. Once in a while, I perceive a fragrance as color/s.

Stella by Jacques Cavallier for Stella McCartney 2003

Stella Stella McCartney FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tangerine, rose, peony, amber

I tried Stella by Stella McCartney out of simple curiosity and I’m glad I did. It is a scent that I see as shades of pink with a bit of bright yellow in it. It’s uncomplicated and demands nothing. There are times when that is exactly what I want. I also like that the rose smells natural, not artificial. On my skin, Stella opens as a bright rose with wisps of amber floating up. There are some subtle hints of barely-there mandarin. The amber warms up slightly as the scent progresses but the rose stays strong.

Stella McCartney 2010 UK in France FlickrPhoto Stolen UK in France Flickr

This is a spring and summer perfume for me. It’s bright sunshine and light. Stella is uplifting and cheerful and yes, pretty. I like to wear it when I’m out and about – shopping, doing errands, meeting a friend for lunch. I would actually wear it just about anywhere and I do. It’s one of my go-to perfumes.

After about 5 hours, it fades somewhat. It’s still there, but much closer to the skin and lingers for about another 3 hours. I can spritz and forget about it, knowing I will be surrounded by a lovely scent that is unlikely to offend anyone. I should add an interesting aside: to my nose, this is a true ROSE perfume, but several friends say that to them it’s a light floral and they can’t pick out any individual flowers including roses. They all like it though.

Stella McCartney larosaperlata DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: Now Smell This
Beauty Encounter has $82/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Do you have any fun, easy to wear, go-to perfumes?

Maya x

Mixing It Up – Layering Scented Oils USA Giveaway WINNERS

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Post by Azar
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Hello APJ,
This was meant to be for Valentine’s Day but stuff got in the way for Portia.  Happy BELATED Valentine’s Day to everyone!!!
Azar xx
Azars Dog

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

Today we will have two USA winners:

The first will receive:
A full, unopened 20 ml bottle (exp. 1/2018) of the Swiss Arabian CPO Noora (Divine Light).
P&H in the USA

The second will receive:
A sample set of 5 fragrance oils from Olivine Atelier
P&H in the USA

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone in the USA 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

If you leave any comment about mixing and/or layering you will be eligible for today’s draw!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Scented Oil GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2pM #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 13th February 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by

I placed all of the little slips of paper face down on the floor, stepped back and instructed Fender the dog to “touch”. I gave the command a second time and here’s how it panned out.

Winners thegarfieldshow-diaryPhoto Stolen thegarfieldshow-diary

JMR, winning the new 20ml bottle of Swiss Arabian Noora

Claudia wins the 5 sample set from Olivine Atelier

 

Congratulations to the winners!
The winners will have till Wednesdayday 20th February 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.

Patchouli Intense by Patricia de Nicolai for Parfums de Nicolaï 2009

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Hoiya Perfumed Peeps,

Going through my stuff in the cleanup I came across dozens of samples and manufacturers carded stuff that never got a sniff. I don’t know hot this one got overlooked, it’s on a huge card with beautiful pictures and this from Patricia de Nicolaï: Patchouli oil is an essential oil of great importance in my perfumer’s palette. Among all woody notes, it is the most sensuous. Here I wanted to work with patchouli in a very unusual way, with an accord rose-geranium, on a deep amber vanilla and incense body.

Patchouli Intense by Patricia de Nicolai for Parfums de Nicolaï 2009

 

Patchouli Intense Parfums de Nicolai FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Patchouli, oakmoss, bergamot and musk

Oooh sizzling citrus rush at the open and then quickly it calms to a green, woodsy, earthy scent. No Essential Oil style patchouli from the oil burner here folks. This is forest floor in the just warming, still brisk weather. Sunlight dappled meanderings with no destination till tea time. Pretty and unisex, I can imagine Patchouli Intense could become very addictive if smelled on a new partner or someone you have recently met. It must be the combination of oakmoss and patchouli that gives such a parkland woods feeling. Though there are no flowers named I get some distinctly floral leanings mixed in too, like a marigold (tagettes) flower about half an hour after you crush/crumble it up. I keep thinking the word “verdant” and cannot for the life of me put it into a sentence that reads remotely real. Damnit! I think the word lovely and it does indeed conjure in my mind images of the merry growth spurt that is spring. Now that I’ve thought spring I also get a feeling from Patchouli Intense that is a lot like holding baby budgerigars when you are hand rearing them, they get a particular powdery, earthy, clean, alive smell as their feathers start to fuzz up. Though Patchouli Intense doesn’t smell like that, the feeling, the essence of the experience feels remarkably similar.

Patchouli Intense Parfums de Nicolai Baby_Budgie wikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Booze? I get a boozy, casual wisp of something alcoholic, maybe dark rum? It coruscates out through the earthy middle ground. I also get almond milk and something a little sweet. As Patchouli Intense dries down it dries out and gets a very lived in feel, a musky, dusky, dusty cooling like the inside of a forgotten attic filled with the scent of the death of books, leather, wood and fabrics. Then it starts to fade and somewhere between 5-6 hours I can no longer smell it at all.

I have found in my three wears that an extra spritz at the 3 hour mark will more than double the fragrant life of Patchouli Intense, I can spritz before dinner, eat, hang, sleep. Then when I wake up in the morning I can smell it all over again, beautiful and sensuous the patchouli and musk have made sexy smell babies. MMMMMMMM

Patchouli Intense Patricia de Nicolai Fountain_Grass DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Patricia de Nicolai has worked a wonder in this beautifully nuanced, soft but rugged, comfortable scent. It nods vigorously to mens cologne from a bygone era but is smoother, more sophisticated and easier to wear. This is the kind of scent I would have bought my Dad if he was still alive and Mum would have stolen more than half the bottle because it’s so good.

Further reading: Per Fumus
LuckyScent has $65/30ml
Parfum de Nicolai has €153/100ml

The more I wear Patchouli Intense the less masculine it reads to me, this is a totally unisex beauty, if you like a soft friendly patchouli then this could be the one.
Portia x

Champs-Élysées by Jean Paul Guerlain 1996

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Hey there Frag Hags,

So much hate for this lovely scent. I have managed to find a couple of other lovers in further reading but the majority don’t like it. Apparently people think it loud, really? I just don’t get loud…..

Champs Elysees by Jean Paul Guerlain 1996

Champs Elysees Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Blackcurrant, almond, anise, melon, peach, violet
Heart: Lilac, lily of the valley, hibiscus, almond flower, rose, mimosa, peony
Base: Almond tree, cedar, benzoin, vanilla, sandalwood

I have a story, it’s a little bit embarrassing because I’m worried you are all going to kick me to the perfumista curb. I have Champs-Élysées in EdT, EdP and Parfum strengths and also have the body wash. I love it so much and you can get it at the discounters for NOTHING!! Like, seriously, they almost pay you to take their excess stock off their hands. I bet there are a dedicated few who love and wear Champs-Élysées almost exclusively and they are going to be GUTTED when it dies the death of the unloved scent, discontinuation. My belief is that 10 years after this is axed it will be worth a fortune. That core of lovers will be bereft and RICH.

Champs-Élysées Guerlain Champs-Élysées WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Today I’m wearing a 2011 Champs-Élysées EdP, it’s the 75ml and while I adore the bottle design, to me it harks back to the art deco era but there is a stupid, ugly whilt plastic shoulder and neck that gives the air of a budget $3 “Smells Like” scent from the dollar shop.

Straight out of the gate I get a watery melon backed up by the soft waxy plastic feel of mimosa, that recedes into the background quite quickly as a sweet milky green-ness flows through. Champs-Élysées is so GIRLY! Soft , fresh, innocent and totally animalic or humanity free. The cleanest of all my Guerlains I can understand why hardcore perfumistas eschew its sheer, even prim and airy charms, there is only floating, no heft or pushiness, just a breeze blowing through that happens to be beautifully scented. The almonds milk stays softly insistent through Champs-Élysées life and is the closest thing to a grounding force that it has. This is what 60% of the celebuscents are trying to be and I can imagine it being a perfect first grown up fragrance for a teen or tween.

Fortunately Guerlain, while keeping Champs-Élysées light and youthful, has done it with such a deft hand that it is ageless, the lilacs and peonies through the heart blend beautifully with the return of mimosa and if you are 16 or 600 years old I think you will be pleased, if this is what you are after. Normally my skin sweetens scents but here I get the almonds all the way through and the woods and vanilla play only supporting roles as an amorphous chorus.

Surprisingly, for something so ethereal and wispy, Champs-Élysées has good longevity and 5-6 hours go by before I lose the scent completely. The sillage is quite mild as is the projection, I think you could wear Champs-Élysées to work as long as the space is not confined or your workplace completely fragrance averse. Really, I don’t get the loud thing, not loud on me at all.

Further reading: Scents Of Self and EauMG
Beauty Encounter has $20/30ml EdT, $55/50ml EdP and $125/30ml Parfum
Surrender To Chance only have $5/.5ml Parfum

Are you a Champs Elysees lover or a hater? Please leave your feelings and a short why in the comments. No judgements made on any answers, either way, as long as you keep it respectful.
Portia xx

The below photo is me standing outside Guerlain 68 Champs-Élysées, Jin and I decided to leave it to the last night we were in Paris February 2013. That afternoon it closed for renovation!! I KNOW!! This photo was the last thing done just before I broke down crying like a little bitch. Poor Jin, he had his hands full. It still makes me sad, thank goodness I have been back to Paris, in fact all going to plan I have just left it for London. From the Sydney Summer of my writing I have everything crossed that this time I will have been able to cross the threshold.

Guerlain CLOSED Champs-Élysées 2013

Le Temps d’Une Fête by Patricia de Nicolai for Parfums de Nicolaï 2007

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Hey Gorgeously Fragrant People.

Le Temps d’Une Fête (Time for a Party) is a fragrance I discovered through The Muse In Wooden Shoes, who adores it and writes so lovingly of it that I really felt I would like to know it but it was always shunted out of the Shopping Basket at the end of an online shopping extravaganza in favour of something more pressing. Then came the news that it would be either discontinued, or made limited distribution, and I realised it may be now or never.

Le Temps d’Une Fête by Parfums de Nicolaï 2007

Le Temps d'une Fête Parfums de Nicolaï FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Galbanum, opoponax
Heart: Narcissus, jasmine
Base: Oakmoss, sandalwood, patchouli, woody notes

Phwoar!! Just recently I was lucky enough to grab an old bottle of Le Temps d’Une Fête and the difference in opening sequence is astounding. Here I find immediate and awesome ZWOOOSH of narcissus, like you’ve crushed a flower in your hand with back ups by the resins creating a feeling of leaf pulp too, maybe even a bit of bulb. I also get a fruity, fun and waxy vibe floating through. More intense and deeper than my current edition, which I like very much BTW but they are like two similar sisters. If you were to meet them solo they would look alike but to see them together there are a bunch of differences. Patricia de Nicolai has made this very spare note list work super hard and Le Temps d’Une Fête is a full bodied sensual diva of a fragrance, in both old and new forms but now I completely understand where The Muse In Wooden Shoes is devastated at the changes.

Le Temps d'une Fête Parfums de Nicolai Sunflower_Pollen WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Someone on Fragrantica describes Le Temps d’Une Fête as having “pollen like skankiness” and I think that sums the earlier hour or so but as it starts to head into its late heart/early dry down that skankiness becomes the clearest ringing bell of narcissus, so lovely and so innocent smelling. Like a young person on the verge of discovery, restrained, pretty, sweet even but underneath beats a heart just learning its power.

The base reads warm, soft and buttery for me. It may be the summer heat that gives it that feeling. What I do get through the whole life of Le Temps d’Une Fête is a shine, luminescence, radiance, a feeling that something wonderful could happen while wearing it. Time for a Party? Yes indeed!

Le Temps d'une Fête Parfums de Nicolai Lockwood Mansion WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

I get around 4-5 hours from Le Temps d’Une Fête, though the last hour is not really fragrance but a hint that I smelled quite good earlier. First two hours had good projection and sillage before in moved to a quieter register and began the fade. Where would I wear Le Temps d’Une Fête? Date night, as a pick me up, reading, shopping, cleaning. Anything that could be enhanced by smelling beyond incredible is a good time for a sneaky spritz.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Now Smell This
LuckyScent still has it $45/30ml and $115/100ml
Surrender To Chance starts at $3/ml

Have you spent some time with Le Temps d’Une Fête? Did you think it was time for a party?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx