Samples

Buying Single Perfume Notes + GIVEAWAY

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 70 Comments

Hiya all.

I don’t know if you ev er think about the solo pieces of a fragrant puzzle? Recently I was buying some Scent Strip Cards for sampling fragrances wit the crew from Perfumers Apprentice which they sell for around $5/100. They also have a selection of single note oils, now there are many different accords used in perfumery for each facet of fragrance here they use just one of those accords and they seem to be mainly synthetic creations. Nevertheless they are an interesting thing to have samples of in case you can’t discern a note particularly well and want a correlation point. Perfumers Apprentice also has selections of aroma molecules that you can buy but I’ve not tried them yet.

(Ed: This post jumped up on the blog too early so if you’ve read it before, apologies. This is it’s right time)

Perfumer's Apprentice logo

 

From Perfumers Apprentice site:
What are Fragrance Oils?
Fragrance Oils are blends of Aromachemicals and Naturals that have been diluted for ease of use. They are easy to work with because they actually smell like what they are named after.
There are two reasons, however, that professional perfumers do not use Fragrance Oils.
1. Because they are pre-diluted by the manufacturer.
2. Because they are of unknown composition, with the manufacturer not bound to continue making the same product the same way.

Single Perfume Notes: Fragrance Oils

Perfumers Apprentice Frag Oil#1

These are so reasonable priced at around $3.50/15ml

Almond: Almond oil is a bitter almond smell like marzipan but it also has the milky quality behind it that makes almond so alluring. I can see when I smell this where so many perfumes use almond as a smoothing agent and a dry down component.

Carnation: Carnation is a sweet/buttery/pepper combination, not nearly as spicy as carnation in my head but I can see where Bellodgia by Caron gets its carnation fix now.

Geranium: Geranium smells like rose to me, the spicy, fruity, dry peppery rose that reminds me of but it not really like my garden geraniums.

Honey: The sweet, animal, urinous scent of perfumers idea of honey, normally this particular blend doesn’t seem like fresh honey to me but today when I opened the bottle to sniff it made my mouth water in anticipation and left and back taste in my mouth like I’d eaten honey. MMMM

Peony: Peony smells like perfume to me, not like a peony at all. It reads to my nose as a complete and finished fragrance and I have used it on myself as such. It’s pretty, light, fizzy and fun and smells like there was a lot of it in Burberry Brit.

giveaway ThinkDigitalWorldPhoto Stolen ThinkDigitalWorld

Fragrance Oils GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

We will have 2 winners for this draw. It would be more but postage is outrageous! Each winner will receive

1 x 1ml sample vial of all 5 Fragrant Oils (Almond, Carnation, Geranium, Honey, Peony)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

All I need is you to tell me your favourite perfume note and how you follow for you to be eligible for the draw.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Tuesday 8th October 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Jin will pick a winner (unless he asleep or studying then I’ll use random.org).
The winners will have till Friday 11th October 2013 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.

Good Luck Everyone,
Portia xxx

Sous Le Vent by Jean Paul Guerlain 2005

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Hey Everyone,

While in Paris recently we went to the Guerlain counters in Galleries Lafayette. One of the new fragrances I was introduced to by our gorgeous SA was today’s offering. Not wanting to madly buy at Galleries Lafayette and saving myself for the Guerlain Flagship Store on the Champs Elysees I didn’t grab a bottle of it. We left the Guerlain store till our last evening, thinking it would be the Paris highlight. Sadly, that afternoon they started their renovation and we were unable to go in and purchase. No worries said I, next January I’ll come back and get one…….. DISCONTINUED!!!!! So off to my mate Ruth K, now at least I have 5ml.

Sous Le Vent by Guerlain 2005

Sous Le Vent FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lavender, tarragon and bergamot
Heart: Green notes, jasmine and carnation
Base: Iris and woodsy notes

Originally created by Jacques Guerlain in 1933, re-orchestrated by Jean Paul Guerlain in 2005 for the renovated flagship Guerlain store on the Champs-Elysees which has been fully renovated again in 2013. The style here was a chypre, named for Cypress the island and its evergreen trees, goats, crisp flowers, fresh sea air and dark mossy, earthy, fruit groves. The 2005 reformulation has taken much of the darkness and depth.

What does this famous fragrance smell like on me?

The opening is green, bright, soapy and citric and as soon as you put it on it smells like a Guerlain, heavenly, rich, beautifully blended and the citrus crescendos over the top of the herbs like a wave that peaks, breaks and then recedes. It’s like the world has disappeared and I am sitting alone on the lovely rock mount, under the tree in the picture below but there’s no salt just fresh, bracing air.

Lone Cypress Tree DanielPaulKleinPhoto Stolen DanielPaulKlein

The heart melds seamlessly and the citrus comes back at quite unexpected times to say hello, as the opening notes say farewell Sous Le Vent quiets and softens. The floral heart is pretty but unremarkable on my skin, actually I think my skin is eating some of it because it smells quite thin, maybe I am anosmic to the notes? I have a lovely floral wash that has nothing discernible. I was hoping for much more of the animal, labdanum and also mossy darkness. I understand that the world has changed and that it’s not possible to use those products anymore, still I am sad.

Please don’t think I do not love Sous Le Vent. I do love it and once I got over the initial surprise I have been able to visit and spend time really enjoying what it is. It still carries an amazingly bright and wonderful opening, though it softens considerably upon repeated wears it’s quiet dignity has impressed me and I think I am getting more of an understanding of the elegance that Sous Le Vent delivers. Perfect scent for glamour occassions but not so rigid it couldn’t be worn as a daytime signature scent. It is pricey at around the $300 mark, if you can get it, but if someone was rich, only wore a few scents and didn’t spend all their money on collecting then I think it makes sense to have a scent that is this perfectly proportioned and while harking back to the old days is still bang up to date.

I have a 10ml decant and that will probably do me till it’s re-released.

Sous Le Vent Cyprus Goats FlickriverPhoto Stolen FlickRiver

Further reading Olfactoria’sTravels and BoisDeJasmin
Sous Le Vent can be bought at very select Guerlain boutiques worldwide, I have not seen it in Australia though.
SurrenderToChance starts at $7/ml

I’m sure Sous Le Vent is old news to you, how did you enjoy the experience? Or if you haven’t tried it, will you?
Till tomorrow, be nice to yourself,
Portia xx

Spanish Geranium (vintage) by Andre Fryse for Lanvin

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 77 Comments

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Post by Azar

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Spanish Geranium by Lanvin

Hello APJ,

Spanish Geranium (Geranium d’Espagne) was created for Lanvin in 1925 by the brilliant perfumer Andre Frysse.  It sold for a short time, became unavailable for many years, was revived in the 1950’s and finally discontinued around 1970.  The 20th century actress Joan Crawford (“Mommy Dearest” to some) was reported to have said of Spanish Geranium that it was one of the three fragrances she “would never want to live without”.  The other two were Royall Lyme by Anthony Gaade and Estee Lauder’s Youth Dew.  Jungle Gardenia was also one of her favorites.  Unfortunately for Joan (and for the rest of us) Spanish Geranium and the original Jungle Gardenia that she loved so much are long gone while more mainstream, crowd-pleasing fragrances, like Royall Lyme and Youth Dew, remain.

spanish geranium lanvin

In the 1960’s my mother was given a bottle of Spanish Geranium Eau de Lanvin (an EDT).  She favored Arpege so gave me free access to the SG, which I used with a heavy hand.  The scent of Spanish Geranium, as well as the characteristic Lanvin accord, are burned into my memory.  In those days my application of this fragrance was so liberal that one of my music comp professors actually took me aside on a hot Spring day and advised me on the appropriate use of perfumes and colognes.  I remember his exact words and often ignore them.

Spanish Geranium is a bracing, in your face, almost masculine rendition of its floral namesake.  The top notes are a combination of the familiar scent of the flowers and foliage of the zonal geranium (Pelargonium zonale) and the crushed leaves of the hybrid spicy rose geranium (P. ‘Graveolins’).  Citrus, perhaps unripe lemon or bergamot, and what might be pepper add a sparkle to the floral mix.  The opening never truly fades, giving Spanish Geranium the illusion of a soliflore, which it definitely is not.  After about five minutes oakmoss, palmarosa and a touch of patchouli join the geraniums, eventually drying down to a light amber, a woody resin and something animalic, perhaps civet.  The entire SG fragrance mélange floats on the same Lanvin accord that supports Arpege and My Sin.  I can’t really describe this accord, but if you have used vintage Lanvin you will know what I’m talking about .The sillage can vary between quite intimate to moderate and the longevity up to 4 hours on my skin and more on clothing.

Spanish Geranium Lanvin Geraniums

When I first tried Spanish Geranium I thought it was the strangest fragrance I had ever experienced.  Admittedly I was quite young at the time but, even now, I find SG to be hauntingly beautiful and (for lack of a better word) just a little bit “odd”.  I LOVE odd!  Perhaps you will too! Remember that this is a very vintage EDT. It has faded somewhat but has not turned.  What I perceive to be a fascinating, odd smell is the same scent I’ve encountered, bottle after bottle, from my first sniff over 50 years ago up to and including what I’m enjoying today.

Further reading: Cleopatra’s Boudoir
The Perfumed Court has .5ml in with 6 other Lanvin fragrances from $28

I just asked Lucie Joly (the Assistante Chef de Produit, what does that title mean?) if there would be a modern revival.  She was very cordial but said that an SP revival was not in the works right now, thanks for asking and she would let me know if they decided to do a reissue.  I suppose it doesn’t hurt to put a “bee in their bonnet”. It might be interesting to see what kind of Spanish Geranium would emerge to suit modern tastes and restrictions. When I think of a modern revival of SP I get the the image of a strange mutated butterfly with a vague memory of another life as something else.  This image was probably a result of reading Ellen Covey’s most recent post referring to butterfly memory, among other things.

AzarX

 giveaway hemodernhomePhoto Stolen hemodernhome

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

There will be 2 winners this week, each will receive:

1 x 2ml decant from my stash of Spanish Geranium EDT
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

To be eligible just leave a comment about anything related to geraniums or pelargoniums and mention how you follow the APJ’s (e-mail, wordpress, whatever).

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Vintage Lanvin Spanish Geranium GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-1Vs @LANVINofficial #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday October 6th 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
The winners will be chosen by B-Azar or by Gomez the pionus parrot from same sized folded papers on a tray.
The winners will have till Wednesday 9th October 2013 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.

DATES FIXED! OOOOPS! Naughty Portia with the cut & paste

 

Mandragore Pourpre by Camille Goutal + Isabelle Doyen for Annick Goutal 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 96 Comments

Hello Fragrant Fumies,

Just recently Natalie from Another Perfume Blog landed in Sydney and to welcome her I took her and another buddy out to a couple of SALE Stores. While at a particular one we found this gorgeous purple bottle of Annick Goutal reduced to next to nothing, I begged for the Tester and got it for even less! So now I have a huge amount of it and think it’s only fair to share the largess.

Mandragore Pourpre by Annick Goutal 2009

Mandragore Pourpre Annick Goutal FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives rthese featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, mint, star anis
Heart: Aromatic herbs, spices, amber, rosemary, geranium, black pepper
Base: Heliotrope, incense, patchouli, myrtle

Sweet minty fresh opening and it’s a fun herbal blast. Mandragore Pourpre is supposed to be reminiscent of the deep, dark, enchanted Mandrake Root that looks like a person and can change your life for good, a poisonous, hallucinogenic, aphrodisiac all in one root. No wonder people think it’s bewitched. From my reading Isabelle Doyen has said more of the Harry Potter Mandrake than the old world witchy tales. Because of the sweetness cutting through the green it doesn’t give me much darknesss, though it becomes spicy and tingly through the heart with all the pepper and geranium the ambers warmth keeps it friendly and cozy. My skin even makes the dry down soft and powdery rather than the cool incense and earthy green I was expecting. Clearly it’s me because everyone else seems to have had a different ride. Still a green-ish powder but hardly any incense, to my nose anyway.
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Mandragore Pourpre Annick Goutal Mandrake GoldenArmorjpgPhoto Stolen GoldenArmor

Life around 4 hours max but fragrant for the first 2-3 hours with good sillage but only moderate projection. If you sit with a group for about 10 minutes they will start asking who smells good after 9 minutes. So it’s a bit of a creeper in company.
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Edited from the Annick Goutal site: An olfactory creation born of the fascination felt by Camille Goutal and Isabelle Doyen for the mandrake. A plant which had magical and aphrodisiac virtues in ancient times. Mandragore Pourpre  fuses aromatic and Cyprus scents.
Illustrating a darker and more mysterious facet of the mandrake, different from the original Mandragore whose fragrance is based on refreshing and woody scents. A contrasting interpretation for an ode to mystery. A spicy, sensual and captivating composition.
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Further reading: Now Smell This and Grain de Musc
FragranceNet has $90/100ml before coupon
The Posh Peasant starts at $4/ml

Mandragore Pourpre Annick Goutal MimiFrouFrouPhoto Stolen MimiFrouyFrou

Giveaway lavanyasrecipesPhoto Stolen lavanyasrecipes

Mandragore Pourpre by Annick Goutal GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

We will have 3 winners this week. It would be more but postage is outrageous! Each winner will receive

1 x 5ml decant of Mandragore Pourpre by Annick Goutal EdT
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

All I need is a HELLO with how you follow for you to be eligible for the draw.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @AnnickGoutal_FR Mandragore Pourpre: Annick Goutal GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-21D #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 3rd October 2013 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Jin will pick a winner (unless he asleep or studying then I’ll use random.org).
The winners will have till Sunday 6th October 2013 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.

Good Luck Everyone,
Portia xxx

 

Parfum Sacre EdP by Ernest Daltroff for Caron 1991

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Hello Fragrant Friends,

I have had this beautiful fragrance in my wardrobe for a while, it is often grabbed for but then I think, “Oh No there’s only 30ml” and go for something else. As it’s been an unusually warm winter down here in Sydney the warmers have largely stayed in the closet. As you are about to go into Autumn up there in the Northern Hemisphere though, and I decided to wear this beauty, it is time I gave you a heads up on how it wears for me….

Parfum Sacre by Caron 1991

Parfum Sacre Caron Shopping.comPhoto Stolen Shopping.com

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cardamom, pepper, mimosa, cinnamon
Heart: Clove, orange, tincture of rose, jasmine
Base: Myrrh, vanilla, musk

Caron has chosen an interesting name for Parfum Sacre. Every person on earth has a different version of what’s sacred in their heads, combined of their upbringing, study, travel, personal thoughts and doctrine. Ernest Daltroff had his work cut out for him and I wonder what the brief was? It was 1991 so CdG wasn’t yet taking the incense by the horns and Lutens had only begun the idea of his Palais Royal. From my readings it appears that Bellodgia is an Italian town on Lake Como, somewhere near George Clooney’s Laglio house I’d hope. Could he be considered sacred? Plenty of people adore him….

Parfum Sacre Caron George Clooney House Lake Como LonnyPhoto Stolen lonny

So how does Parfum Sacre smell? On my skin it is bright, spicy and waxy at first, sharp and herbal as it burns off giving me a lovely pepper, cardamom and clove burst that if it was a good deal sheerer could be a modern wash opening, but it’s dense and fragrant, lovely in its complexity though I think I miss quite a bit of the nuance because the jasmine, cinnamon and rose are not featured players to my nose. The myrrh is king down the end and Parfum Sacre lasts for hours and hours. Even my scent hungry skin keeps it there, WOO HOO!

If you want to feel like a retro glamour movie star making a grand entrance and smelling like a billion dollars then Parfum Sacre is for you. NSFW unless you work alone or in a very airy office, Parfum Sacre can and will skunk if over applied. I was overly generous the other night at work, someone came in to give me a hug and started coughing with eyes streaming. It was a decidedly unglamorous moment and I felt really bad for him. It was the closeness I think but certainly less than ideal. So be careful with Parfum Sacre, sparingly unless you know you have 4 good hours of uncloseness. After 4 hours it calms to a dull roar and is pretty acceptable but still unsuitable for close working conditions or dining. Needless to say Parfum Sacre is one of my all time favourite cool weather fragrances, ever!!

Parfum Sacre Caron Gustave Moreau_-_The_Sacred_Elephant Google_Art_ProjectPhoto Stolen GoogleArtProject

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Another Perfume Blog
FragranceNet has $35/50ml unboxed before coupon.
Surrender To Chance has modern EdT & EdP from $3/ml, Older Version from $4/ml and Vintage Extrait from $15/.25ml

Parfum Sacre Caron St_Margaret_Mary_Alacoque_Contemplating_the_Sacred_Heart_of_Jesus WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Are you a Parfum Sacre fan?

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Note on new Bellodgia reformulation from Perfume Shrine: Nothing to do with Parfum Sacre: Piu Bellodgia means “more Bellodgia” in Italian (fitting language since the original Bellodgia was inspired by the Italian countryside) but doesn’t appear to add more oomph to the already rich bouquet of the classicCaron Bellodgia. Reworked by Richard Fraysse, this was a composition that needed to adhere to the new IFRA directives on the regulation of eugenol/isoeugenol (spicy components used in fragrance replicating carnations, such as this one). The newer version is rosier than I get from my old bottle (which is a fuller floral symphony), with less of the spicy kick.
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Parfum Sacre Caron Allah-eser-green WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikimedia

Sydney Botanic Gardens: Sydney Perfume Lovers Perfume Walk 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hi there APJ Crew,

There is something very internal about being a perfumista, a collector of fragrance and bottles, stalking the internet and spritzing selfishly and often for you alone. The only way to make perfume more fun is to get involved with the rest of the perfumistas in your area, some deep dark perfumistas and some still skirting the edges of the woremhole. It’s amazing how much fun, laughter and interest there is in sharing the experiences of discovery and knowledge.

Portia xX

Catherine + Mary Perfume Walk

Sydney Perfume Lovers Perfume Walk 2013

Sydney Botanic Gardens: Saturday 12th October 10am-12.30pm

Perfume consultant Catherine du Peloux Menagé teams up with Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney volunteer guides Mary Threlfall, Jill Paterson and Rosemary Roberts for a talk and walk. Learn about the plants used to make perfumes and the process of extracting scent.

Catherine Perfume walk cistus and iris

Catherine will also explain the fragrance wheel and the role of synthetic scents. This is a perfect way to simply and easily expand your fragrant vocabulary and knowledge. It will give you a clearer picture of fragrance styles you may like and also open up new doors into personal scenting you may never have traveled through.

Catherine Fragrance Wheel

Then be guided through the Garden to explore fragrant plants. Below is a picture of Catherine with your three guides through the gardens, don’t they look sweet and fun?

Catherine + Guides Perfume Walk

Where, What and How Much?

Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney Joseph Maiden Theatre, Sat 12 Oct, 10am–12.30pm

Members: $35, Non-Members: $40

All Sydney Perfume Lovers get the $35 Members price!
Yes you can join today for FREE JOIN SYDNEY PERFUME LOVERS<<<JUMP

 For Bookings Phone 02 9231 8182 or visit rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/foundationandfriends

Anat Fritz’ Tzora by Geza Schoen for Anat Fritz 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

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Post by Azar

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Dear APJs,

Never in my wildest, most fragrant dreams could I have imagined that one day I would be tempted to purchase a perfume that was named after a kibbutz and tucked into a hand made sock! If this image isn’t strange enough just try to picture the following: A geriatric shopper mobbed by several young sales associates all attempting to provide the most thorough customer service in the history of office supply stores. If you can imagine either of these scenarios perhaps you too have tried ……

Tzora by Anat Fritz 2012

Tzora Anat Fritz FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Black currant, clary sage, bergamot, pepper, magnolia, osmanthus, jasmine, cedar, vetiver, patchouli, musk and moss.

My experience with Tzora began with Olfactif’s September Sample Collection (Pleasant Promenade by S. Poncet, Siam Proun by Ellen Covey and Tzora, the kibbutz in a sock). Tzora proved to be a pleasant enough fragrance. The musky woods, wafting in and out of my scent consciousness, caused me to suspect that the cassis and peruvian pepper (among other notes) were laced with GS’s “signature” aroma chemical, iso-E-super. On a whim I loaded my skin with 2 hefty sprays and went out on my morning errands.

My first stop was the bank. The usually serious bank teller gave me an odd look and then greeted me with a big smile and a sparkle in her eyes. Everywhere I went people were in a great mood, smiling, laughing and wanting to chat. I attributed all the friendliness to a day of sunshine and headed for my last stop, the office supply store.

Anat Fritz' Tzora Shopping Assistants limerickrose2012Photo Stolen limerickrose2012

I walked into the store in a big hurry, made a beeline for the tape aisle, found what I needed and was just about to zoom over to bubble wrap when a young man appeared, determined to help me find what I already had in my hand, a single roll of packing tape. He insisted on carrying it for me! Usually, when I shop at this store, I have been carefully ignored and prefer it that way. I made my way to the next aisle where another salesman joined the first. Eventually I managed to pick up not only all the supplies I needed but six very helpful young men as well. I was becoming a little self-conscious. Didn’t these guys have anything better to do with their time? Were they trying to look busy for the management or were they just helpless moths attracted to the flame that is Azar? Other customers were staring, coming closer and smiling. It was then I caught a whiff of myself. AHA! All the attention and solicitous customer service must be a reaction to the perfume that Geza Schoen had created for Anat Fritz and that I had so recklessly applied earlier in the day.

Anat Fritz' Tzora Shopping michigan.govPhoto Stolen Michigan.gov

Further reading: The Perfume Diary
LuckyScent has $150/100ml
The Perfumed Court starts at $5/ml

Yes, it felt great to be waited on, smiled at and chatted up but would I want such treatment every day? Why not? $150 for 100ml of Tzora, the kibbutz in a sock, seems a small price to pay for so many smiles and such great customer service. Now here’s a question. Have you had any interesting public reactions to the scents you wear (perfumes, pheromones, aroma chemicals, whatever)? Try not to go too private or explicit with this one.

Azar xx

Beyonce Heat by Claude Dir and Olivier Gillotin 2010

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

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Post by Katrina

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According to People, the “Heat” collection of signature scents from Beyonce has been named the best-selling celebrity fragrance brand worldwide. The original Beyonce Heat was released in 2010 and to date there are 5 fragrances in the heat line. The latest special edition heat is The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour Limited Edition. Today I am reviewing the first fragrance in the Heat line.

Beyonce Heat by Claude Dir and Olivier Gillotin 2010

Beyonce Heat Beyonce FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Beyonce Heat features the following notes according to Fragrantica:
Top: Red vanilla orchid, magnolia, neroli and peach
Heart: Honeysuckle, almond and musky cream
Base: Sequoia wood, tonka and amber

Heat opens with a burst of sweet peach. The peach is strong and sweet. As the sweetness of the peach softens the floral notes and a soft creamy musk get stronger. Beyonce Heat becomes warm and earthy as it lingers on my skin. I prefer wearing Heat on hot days when the gorgeous base notes really open up. In cooler weather I don’t get much more than peach from the fragrance and it lacks the warm, sultry feel which is what this perfume is all about. During summer the peach is complemented with vanilla and amber and it smells rich, warm and sultry.

 beyonce-heat SheKnowsEntertainmentPhoto Stolen SheKnowsEntertainment

The original Heat in the red bottle was one of the first celebrity perfumes in my collection. The advertising for the original Beyonce Heat shows Beyonce looking very hot indeed.

FragranceNet has 100ml for $25.19

If you haven’t seen it before you must check out Cinderonce – the story of Cinderella told through Beyonce song but the Fairy Drag Mother really steals the show. Enjoy!

Check out my website for Celebrity Perfume News and Reviews

Katrina xx
The Making Of “Beyonce Heat” Commercial. VERY COOL!


Beyonce performs SINGLE LADIES on Good morning America. FLAWLESS

Forbidden Games by Kilian 2012

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Hello Fumies and Friends,

There was a lot of kerfuffle when by Kilian brought out his newest set of fragrances “In The Garden Of Good And Evil”, we were all expecting way too much because of by Kilian’s history and price point. To be fair on the poor guy he did open with beyond amazing fragrances: Back to Black and Sweet Redemption being my two faves so far. Then came the Asian Tales, which for me were a complete and utter flop. So as a comeback series “In The Garden Of Good And Evil” needed to be so far above the bar, include new directions and exquisitely crafted fragrances. I have read Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil by John Berendt a couple of times and seen the John Cusack, Kevin Spacey and Jude Law film many times because I love The Lady Chablis. In my mind I hoped for something outrageous and dark, brooding dankness that was glossed over with beauty.

Forbidden Games by Kilian 2012

Forbidden Games By Kilian FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Apple, peach, plum, cinnamon
Heart: Bulgarian rose, bourbon geranium,  jasmine
Base: Vanilla, honey, opoponax

I am glum. With Forbidden Games I had hoped that the jasmine, honey and to an extent vanilla/opoponax were going to undercut the fruit with a dirty, fleshy, breathy, urinous backbeat that would naughtily and subversively poke fun at the many fruity fragrances already in the market. Something gorgeous and devilish, a finger raised fearlessly at the quagmire of fizzy fruit cup crap. Sadly this was not to be. Forbidden Games leads us and our expectations astray, we get a very pretty, sweet, fruity and only the merest hint of anything not being ultra nice. I was hoping for Serial Mom but I got Mrs Brady.

Forbidden Games is not a bad scent, actually it is flawless in its genre, and will be perfect for those uber rich Dads to gift daughters and wives (They are giving their mistresses the Arabian Nights and L’oeuvre Noire collections). Especially good for a gateway fragrance that will take a girl to a perfumista woman. The packaging and copy are fabulous, of course, and they didn’t just release this for fun so there must be a clientele out there buying Forbidden Games, let’s hope so for the company’s sake.

Forbidden Games by Kilian Forbidden Fruit Michelangelo, Ceiling Sistine Chapel WikiCommonsPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

My skin eats most of Forbidden Games in the first half hour of application and after that I need to take a really up close focused whiff of myself to get anything much. If you like the idea of spritzing yourself with perfume and the initial rush of sweet, fruity girlishness but can’t or don’t want to wear fragrance at work then this could be for you. Fireworks and then the merest whiffle of something that is soft enough to pass off as body lotion because offices are so drying, don’t you know.

Forbidden Games by Kilian Forbidden City Tormod Sandtorv FlickrPhoto Stolen Tormod Sandtorv  Flickr

Further reading: The Non-Blonde and Patty really made me think about my review at Perfume Posse
Lucky Scent has $245/50ml or $145 for refill
Surrender To Chance starts at $4/.5ml

I am yet to try the rest of the “In The Garden Of Good And Evil” set but my buddies on FFF tell me there are a couple of perfect gems hiding in the range, my next “To Try” will be In The City Of Sin. How did they fare on you?
Portia xx

Forbidden Games by Kilian Midnight Garden Good evil MoviePilotPhoto Stolen MoviePilot

Pheromones! AbdesSalaam Attar for La Via del Profumo

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

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Post by FeralJasmine

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APJ, I Believe in Pheromones!
In my remote youth there was a perfume called Pheromone. It was sold through little ads near the back of the Sunday paper magazine section, and it promised to make the wearer irresistible. It played heavily on the fact that most people had vaguely heard of pheromones but knew nothing about how they worked or even what they actually were. Some of the ad copy, as nearly as I can remember, indicated that the opposite sex would swarm around you without knowing why, and you would not be able to smell this elixir on yourself but you would know it was working because of the reactions of those around you. At first this sounded terribly appealing to a 13-year-old prone to a bit of puppy fat, but fortunately I had no checking account at the time, and when I eventually got one I had long since forgotten about Pheromone, which was probably distilled water and a little alcohol anyway.

Feromone pour Femme by La Via Del Profumo

Feromone pour Femme La Via del Profumo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords in one line:
Amber(gris), tuberose, civet, jasmine, vanilla

All those memories came back when I was browsing the website of La Via Del Profumo and came across Dubrana’s creation Feromone pour Femme. The website copy suggests that pheromones from animals may ” have been used by man since dawn of time for pharmaceutical purposes and to enhance one’s appeal and sexual energy.” Well, I don’t know about you, but my appeal can generally use a little enhancement these days, so I ordered a sample from Surrender to Chance.

The stated notes are genuine ambergris and civet, “perfected with a sensual accord of the perfumes of jasmine, tuberose, and vanilla.” I doubt that I have ever worn anything with authentic ambergris in it, so I put it on with happy anticipation.

Feromone pour Femme by La Via Del Profumo Lorando Labbe FlickrjpgPhoto Stolen Lorando Labbe Flickr

At first it seemed like a charming white floral, rounded out with some vanilla. The ingredients were clearly top-notch. I could detect the civet but it was subtle. I wasn’t able to detect ambergris as an individual note. I just noted that the florals seemed a little rounder and plusher than I had expected. After half an hour it was fading, which is short-lived even for an all-natural perfume, and I thought my curiosity about it had been satisfied. Nice, no big deal.

Then for the next ninety minutes or so, the scent played with me. It would reappear unexpectedly, then seem to be gone again. It would waft past my nose on a light breeze but seem absent from the wrist where I applied it. It would seem lean, then lush and even a little fatty. It was a will-o-the-wisp, leading me out into the unknown where I would drift around gradually losing my reason until I plunked down 212 American dollars for a 50ml bottle. If you think I would do that in my right mind, you don’t know how cheap I really am.

Feromone pour Femme by La Via Del Profumo Dove DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Cautiously, I bought a tiny decant and sprayed it about a bit. Same experience. Now you smell it, now you don’t, and each time you catch a whiff it seems a tiny bit different. I’m fascinated. I don’t know if this is the effect of true ambergris. If I ever had a chance to talk to Dominique Dubrana, the perfumer/magician who made it, the only questions I would want answered are “Did I imagine all that? And if not, how the hell did you do it?”

I still don’t know if I will spring for a full bottle, but a larger decant is in my immediate future. This perfume perplexes me. I can’t figure it out. I want to keep trying. And please, somebody, tell me how sniffing solidified whale vomit (Ed: sorry FeralJasmine it comes from the other end) can pull me toward financial lunacy. It seems as blind and unreasoning as…well…love, I guess.

Feromone pour Femme by La Via Del Profumo Ambergris FragranticaPhoto & Following Info Fragrantica

WHITE/GREY Ambergris  
- Product which has a white or partly white coating and a light interior color. Normally pieces of this type are smaller in size (they have been in the ocean longer). The fragrance will have at least some sweetness
STANDARD Ambergris 
- This product is normally brown/grey or ash in color. It will have a good fragrance but still a little strong. Pieces can be larger. You can often notice some layers in the material.
LOW QUALITY Black Ambergris – This type can be very hard, firm or soft.
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I couldn’t find any other reviews sadly
La Via Del Profumo has €59/16ml and €161/50ml
I’ve ordered a tiny precious vial of pure ambergris tincture to investigate the ingredient on its own. I will keep thinking about it. Monsieur Dubrana, this thing isn’t over between us.

FeralJasmine x