Bohemia GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Hello APJ,

Another great response from you all. Thanks for getting on board and being part of the fun. Thank you also to Liz Cook at ONE SEED who is a wonderful, sweet and generous person. One day I hope to go see her workshop.

Bohemia GIVEAWAY WINNERS

one seed text logo

spring flowers

 

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

There are 2 prizes this week in our ONE SEED GIVEAWAY. Each winner will receive:

1 x 4ml manufacturers spray sample of Bohemia
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS.

All I needed was a HELLO, with how you follow for you to be eligible for the draw. There was an extra point for TWEETING and interestingly both our winners today TWEETED!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 8th September 2013 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Jin will pick a winner. (Sorry, it was Random.Org again because Jin was snoring his head off)

winners propercoursePhoto Stolen propercourse

Undina, LeatherMountain

The winners will have till Wednesday 11th September 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.

Didn’t win? Want to try the product? ONE SEED<<<JUMP

see uyou later today,
Portia x

Amber Pour Homme Intense by Prada 2011

Hey hey Girls & Guys,

I have a buddy Scott, he is pretty new to the perfume craving and has fallen deeply into the wormhole. Every now and then he brings me something to try. Isn’t that one of THE greatest things about having perfumista buddies? We all try different stuff and come back and comment, engage, love/hate, lemming and enjoy the whole process. Living in a big city makes it easy to face to face with people but even the fragrance boards on FaceBook have been instrumental in my finding of fragrance friends, all over the world so if I’m suffering insomnia there is someone around the world ready to chat. From a lonely little fragrance addicted person to part of a culture and community is a wonderful change.

Amber Pour Homme Intense by Prada 2011

Amber Pour Homme Intense Prada  FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Italian bergamot, Somalia myrrh, Indonesian patchouli, Madagascan vanilla, amber, patchouli, labdanum, vetiver, orange blossom, geranium, tonka, musk, leather, sandalwood, saffron

When I think Prada fragrance it’s often sheer, linear and smooth. A gentle wash of fragrance that can carry you from breakfast to ballroom and is so calm and contemplative that unless you are seriously waiting for progression to happen can basically run from go to whoa as a single piece. I love that whole aesthetic, simple and uncluttered in Prada’s design and think the brand is clever, innovative and middle tier luxe in their mass market offerings. Think Prada Candy and flankers, also the infusion range, very well put together and easy to wear fragrance with a moderate life and less than average sillage and scent bubble. You will smell good but not loud, which for much of the world is how they like their fragrances.

Amber Pour Homme Intense Prada FromTheNorth  FlickrPhoto Stolen FromTheNorth Flickr

Prada’s Amber Pour Homme Intense is a different kettle of fish. It opens strong and right off the skin jumps patchouli, myrrh, amber and vanilla with that spicy/plastic saffron and a backdrop of butter, that may be sandalwood or orange blossom or their combination. the bergamot only makes its presence known on my second application over the first later in the day and it could be the pretty rasp of geranium that I notice here too? I don’t know for sure but what I do know is that Amber Pour Homme Intense is weightier than all the other Pradas that I’ve tried, it smells more niche to me, a little less smooth and perfect, smokier and dirtier in a good way. More fun, adventurous and is there a little naughty? Like the moment in movies when finally the hair is let down, the tie and top button undone, where people start to forget their walls and start enjoying the moment. Not heavy, or cloying, there is still the Prada spareness but Amber Pour Homme Intense seems to be comfortable enough with itself that it might give a saucy wink or have a drink or do something unexpected, not outrageous but new. Do I make sense? Maybe a banker who takes their shoes off to feel the grass and sun at lunchtime or a director who decides that a Monday brainstorm at the pub at 4pm might provide better results than at a formal boardroom meeting, still a private room but less uptight. A lovely soft oriental fragrance that becomes very slightly skinnish towards the end of its life at around 4 hours.Have I noted that this is a perfectly unisex offering, please don’t think it’s for one or the other, Amber Pour Homme Intense is a good, very reasonably priced, everyone scent.

sunset mosquePhoto Stolen Matthias Rhomberg Flickr

Further reading: Chemist In A Bottle talks about original Amber Pour Homme and Now Smell This talks Intense
FragranceNet has $42/50ml before coupon
My Perfume Samples starts at $3.50/ml

Have you tried either of the Prada Amber Pour Homme’s? Original or Intense? Do you agree with my unisex thought? Would you wear it?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

 

 

Bohemia EdP by Liz Cook for One Seed

Hey there Indie Perfume Lovers,

Just so you know ONE SEED is having a Gift With Purchase till Sunday 8/9/13 Australian EST

one seed text logo

spring flowers(plus 2 free samples of your choice with every order over $50 this week only)

In Australia we are gaining quite a perfume creation culture, one of my favourites is Liz Cook’s One Seed who also fly the 100% All Natural flag. Though I am not swayed by whether something is natural or created I know many of you are. There is something deep and real about good natural perfume that is so different from a lot of the fragrances we deal with on a regular basis that they are an acquired taste. Remember your first Serge Lutens after years of Elizabeth Arden or even mainstream CHANEL? It was quite a revelation and for many it took a while to recalibrate to this artistic and a little outrageous perfume ideal.

Bohemia EdP by Liz Cook for One Seed

bohemia One SeedPhoto Stolen One Seed

Top: Blood orange, pink grapefruit
Heart: Jasmine, apricot, rose
Base: Cocoa, tonka, black tea, amber accord, vanilla

From One Seed site: Both broody & playful; a bitter-sweet composition of alluring amber, smoked tea & dark chocolate set against luscious blood orange & vanilla tones, with a delicate heart of jasmine & apricot.

From the very first whiff I get JAFFA, a confectionary here in Australia that is chocolate/orange, like those yummy segmented chocolate oranges that the Christian segment of the world got in their Xmas stockings. I don’t get the tartness of grapefruit it smells more like a mildly bitter, dark orange chocolate. It doesn’t take very long, maybe 5-190 minutes for the jasmine to waft through sinuously. If you liked Olympic Orchids California Chocolate then this is a creamier, richer and less scratchy version, still dark chocolate but much milder and more processed. I find Bohemia to be the closest to a mass market niche fragrance that One Seed has yet produced, it opens intensely sweet gourmand then levels out to sensual foody, good enough to eat rather than cake or cookie, in the heart and dry down and could easily have come from Serge Lutens or Robert Piguet. In fact, Bohemia is even more intense and interesting than many of the modern day offerings from mass market niche houses.

bohemia One Seed ClockLady linda FlickrPhoto Stolen linda Flickr

After the initial 1-30 minute fireworks, depending on the day, Bohemia settles down to something warm, suede plush, elegant and lavishly chic. You know those people who make everything look effortless, great hair, well put together clothes without fussiness, who always look relaxed either in an Armani suit or jeans, at the races, beach, boardroom or buying yachts. It’s like they’ve worked out something in life, like they were given a playbook or thought so much about it when they were young that now they just coast secure in the knowledge that the hard part is over. This is the kind of person I think could wear Bohemia, or anyone who wanted to smell like that. It’s unusual, yes, but not wild, ridiculous or trying hard. This could very easily be a signature scent if you were that way inclined. AWESOME! I love the black tea that has a smoky vibe and cuts through the vanilla sweetness perfectly keeping it a little bit tough and edgy.

bohemia One Seed Incense Lady Gianni Cumbo  FlickrPhoto Stolen Gianni Cumbo Flickr

Another great thing about Bohemia is its longevity, I get around 5-6 hours of fragrant life and another couple of very close and skinnish scent. Nice sillage for the first two or three hours but never a huge scent bubble. After that it’s a friends and family scent, only those within your comfort zone.

One Seed site: 5ml Travel Spray $14.95 or $97/50ml
9 x 1ml Complete Range Sample Set $35 including World Wide Postage

 

giveaway ThinkDigitalWorldPhoto Stolen ThinkDigitalWorld

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

There are 2 prizes this week in our ONE SEED GIVEAWAY. Each winner will receive:

1 x 4ml manufacturers spray sample of Bohemia
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 One Seed GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-1Wp I FOLLOWED @oneseedperfumes #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 8th September 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.
The winners will have till Wednesday 11th September 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.

Brie’s Tea + Fragrance: Harney n Sons + Calyx by Prescriptives

Post by Brie

.

Perfume and Tea Musings: My Introduction to Thai Cuisine

Calyx by Sophia Grojsman for Prescriptives 1987

Calyx Prescriptives FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Apricot, passionfruit, mint, mandarin orange, cassia, peach, mango, bergamot, grapefruit, papaya and guava
Heart: Cyclamen, lily, melon, freesia, orris root, jasmine, neroli, marigold, lily-of-the-valley and rose
Base: Musk, oakmoss, cedar, sandalwood and vetiver.

For the first thirty years of my life I resided in New York City. My first apartment as a young adult was within walking distance of a miniscule ten table restaurant called “Simply Thai”. It was owned and run by a fearsome threesome team :siblings from Thailand. The brother was the chef while one sister served as hostess and the other as waitress. This restaurant quickly became my weekly haunt. For $8.95 the early bird special offered up a glass of wine, an appetizer, main entrée and dessert. Every Friday evening my friends and I would devour chicken sate, pad thai and black bean ice cream. The fragrance I always wore on those special nights was Prescriptive’s Calyx. The perfume’s overripe, fruity/tartness, with a green tropical vibe perfectly suited the atmosphere and food in Simply Thai.

(Sadly, Calyx has been reformulated. I own a small vial of the current version. Although it bears the skeletal remains of the original, the overripe fruit, extremely tart concoction has been replaced with a milder, more floral, fresher scent).

Bangkok Tea by Harney and Sons

Bangkok Harney & SonsPhoto Stolen Steepster

Harney and Sons Bangkok, a green tea with notes of ginger, lemongrass, coconut and vanilla might appear to be an oddity: a schism between the green/spicy lemongrass and ginger combo and the creaminess of the coconut/vanilla mix. Nonetheless, the notes manage to come together to make this an unusually delectable tea. It is the perfect accompaniment to the Thai food and Calyx perfume.

My introduction to Thai food in this quaint little restaurant whetted my appetite and desire to explore other cultural and ethnically diverse cuisines which developed into a lifelong endeavor. When I drink Bangkok tea and wear my Calyx perfume, I reflect back to that time and place. It serves as a powerful reminder of how truly blessed I was to be surrounded by the very best of friends, great food and an unusual, fabulous, fragrance!

Harney and Sons site has Bangkok starts at as little as $2 for samples.
FragranceNet starts at $22/15ml for Calyx
Surrender To Chance starts at $5/2ml

Till next month,
Brie x

(Ed: Brie wrote these lovely musings in advance and will not be able to reply but Portia will if you comment)

Puredistance Sample

Hello lovely Fumies,

We have an excellent giveaway for you today, earlier in the year I hosted the SCENTSATION Bus Tour of Los Angeles for the Perfume Posse crew. It was an amazing day and all of us had a super great time. Our first stop was at the Lucky Scent brick and mortar shop Scent Bar where we had brunch and sniffing with several perfumers and promoters in attendance to lead us through their wares. We all got the most incredible goody bags and because I was hostess and a good shopper I got an extra. Inside were, and there still are, some outrageously amazing things. Today you get to be in the running for one of two sets of something extremely precious!!

Puredistance Sample GIVEAWAY

Antonia Puredistance FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

From Fragrantica: Puredistance was founded by Jan Ewoud Vos in Vienna (Austria).
The choice to make Vienna the city from which Puredistance would gradually spread over Europe and the rest of the world is a consequence of the fact that only Vienna seamlessly fits the philosophy of the Puredistance concept.
Not only is Vienna the city of elegance and pureness, it also has for many centuries been a centre of art, attracting artist and free thinkers from all over the world. Notably the world famous Wiener Werkstätte (Wiener Werkstätte was a production community of visual artists, it was founded in 1903. by the artists Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser). The Wiener Werkstätte style is characterized by pure lines and minimal decoration.

 Giveaway Kesha&CoPhoto Stolen Kesha&Co

PUREDISTANCE GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

There are 2 prizes this week in our PUREDISTANCE GIVEAWAY. Each winner will receive:

4 x 1ml dab vials from PUREDISTANCE (Antonia, Opardu, M and I)
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 Puredistance GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-1Wc @puredistance #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 5th September 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.
The winners will have till Sunday 8th September 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.

Go To It!!
Portia xxx

Dangerous Complicity by Violaine Collas for Etat Libre d’Orange 2012

Hey frag hounds,

There has been a lot of talk about the two fragrances released around the same time by ELdO, Afternoon of a Faun and today’s offering. Having loved the Claude Debussy Prelude to Afternoon of a Faun as a child I will spend some real time with it, and the fragrance, soon for you. I really enjoy the name of the fragrance that we’ll be talking about today….

Dangerous Complicity by Etat Libre d’Orange 2012

Dangerous Complicity Etat Libre d`Orange FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one linew:
Rum, ginger, Chinese osmanthus, coconut, bay leaves, calamus, leather, patchouli, ylang ylang, Egyptian jasmine, Lorenox, cashmere wood, sandalwood

So you have probably read the back story of Dangerous Complicity, Adam & Eve: “By eating the forbidden fruit, complicity took on another dimension, and became dangerous. They lost their innocence and their paradise. The door was opened to carnal energy, they were liberated from restrictions, and they could now create their own version of Eden” The inspiration is a story that most Christians and many others are aware of. A good place to start but fraught because we all have our own preconceived idea of how that fall should smell.

Dangerous Complicity ELdO Adam + Eve WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Opens sprightly citrus, ginger, vanilla and tea-ish, like a milky chai. This is a surprise because everything I’ve been reading says that Dangerous Complicity is only dangerously generic. Not how Dangerous Complicity opens for me at all, um, HA HA HA HA!! Note to self, put your glasses on before you spritz! Ha Ha Ha HA HA HA!! I am an IDIOT. Hilarious. Sorry all I’ll be back to review this after my next bath.

OK Back on track and we have spritzed…….

So are these notes for real? I miss all ginger and rum completely but get a soft wash of very pretty flowers that are absolutely depthless. A fragrant solo soprano equivalent, floating and disconnected from anything earthly but without any of the chills and goosebumps. Soft, feminine and wispy, a winsome fragrance for people who don’t want to overshadow their own scent but enhance it with pretty waxy florals that float through the heart. Is this made for Asia? For schoolgirls? How did they get this name? Seriously, this is the perfumer who brought us Honour Woman by Amouage, at least this shows diversity, he he he.

I think Dangerous Complicity is called that because it’s Dangerous to Comply with the current trend for some drugstore offerings and some celebuscents: ethereal whispers of bland nothing. Or are the ELdO people proclaiming their outrage at the IFRA regs coming in and making a bland statement against what could end up being all we are allowed to have in perfume very soon? Remember the fuss when By Killian brought out the Asian Tales series? Was there the same outrage for this or was everyone so uninspired that they let it slide?

watercolour 2Photo Stolen  Flickr

Further reading: The Non Blonde
LuckyScent has $149/100ml and samples
Surrender To Chance starts at $4.50/ml

Have you tried Dangerous Complicity? Is it just not working on my skin? Please tell me that it’s not as banal as I am getting.
Portia xx

Tom Ford: Meet-Up with Matthew Tyler: International Director of Tom Ford Beauty

.

Post by Ainslie Walker

.

Tom Ford Fragrances with Matthew Tyler – International Director of Tom Ford Beauty

Organized by Catherine Du Peloux Manage of Sydney Perfume Lovers

Hi APJ, Ever wondered what a Meet Up group is like? Me too and I wanted to see how the Sydney Perfume Lovers group worked. Arriving at the ground floor of David Jones, met with Moet and sat at a glamorous oval marble table, by the gorgeous ladies of Tom Ford, is my kind of Thursday evening! And this was just the start…

If anyone has seen Tom Ford, his every movement is considered, every last detail of his attire-perfection, his hair immaculate…poised, elegant, sexy. An ICON. One who has dared to, with confidence, define his own style of fashion, film, cosmetics and of course fragrance.

The apothecary bottles surrounded us, with their 23 carat gold labels gleaming at us, sophisticated and intriguing.

Matthew arrived, and was introduced by Catherine. He looked sharp, manicured, perfectly dressed head to toe in Tom Ford!

Tom Ford Meet Up #1

We were given an insight into Tom Ford – the man. The designer, originally a trained architect, has extreme passion for detail, quality and perfection. (Watch the film he directed, A Single Man). Tom Ford is a leader and master in fashion and even with his perfumes and cosmetics, he makes no mistakes. Matthew pointed out, Tom Ford tried every shade of every lipstick and eye shadow before he approved them for sale!! (Unfortunately no photo’s available…!)

Onto the fragrances, not surprisingly each is a showstopper and even it’s packaging feels exquisite. These fragrances are for the discerning, the stylish and the bold. Somehow Tom Ford is able to bridge a gap back to the strength and glamour of fragrances from a bygone era. He is acclaimed for being the first to bring Oudh to the masses, where it has stayed at the top of his best sellers.

Tom Ford Meet Up #2

The Private Blend range are unique, being constructed as single heart notes, wrapped in secondary notes. The traditional top/heart/base note structure ignored. Only rare and precious ingredients are used.

Out came the Tom Ford ladies with their sparkling white trays, sample cards all lined up and given out.
Neroli Portofino: transporting us to the coast of Italy’s Riviera, including visually, the azure bottle.
Jasmine Roug: so voluptuous and sensuous, made with Jasmine Sambac Absolute and presented in a red glass bottle to signifying confidence and seduction of the potential wearer.
Oudh Wood: Rare, distinctive and exotic…a blast from the Middle East.

Tom Ford Meet Up #5

We learnt part of the private blend range is The Jardin Noir collection, inspired by the dark elicit pleasures experienced in a garden at night. (OH MY!).
Café Rose: the best selling “whore of the range” (Matthew Tyler said “for the lady who is always available for men’s darkest desires”…!)
Ombre de Hyacinth: floral, green, moist and dark, the shadows of a regal garden.

Tom Ford Meet Up #6

The Signature Collection is distinctive yet mainstream.
Black Orchid: containing all things black. Black truffle, fig, plum, blackcurrant and orchid. Its unfolding smell, go on and on, down into a deep black, milky, gourmand accord!
Violet Blonde: exuding old school Hollywood glamour.
Sahara Noir: encapsulates smoldering smoky frankincense, burning on an alter.
Grey Vetiver: traditionally masculine but loved by all the meet up on this evening, with Catherine picking up the nutmeg hidden in the blend.
Noir: which is the most personal to Tom Ford, designed to mirror the duality of his public and private personalities. Its crisp bergamot and verbena citrus top notes, pepper, nutmeg and patchouli middle, eventually giving way to a warm leathery vanilla dry down.

Tom Ford Meet Up #3

Before we disappeared into the night we were given generous goody bags with 5 x 2ml samples.

If you are in Sydney and would like to participate in these wonderful events, no perfume knowledge needed just a love of fragrance in all forms, Meet Up Sydney Perfume Lovers<<< JUMP

Big thanks to Catherine! (Ed: Who also supplied all the photos)

Ainslie Walker xxx

Champaca Absolute by Tom Ford 2009

.

Post by Gabriella

.

Hello fragrant friends!

Well, we’ve been very lucky here in Sydney. It’s supposed to still be winter but we’ve had gloriously warm weather with some days reaching the mid-20 celsius level. As a result, some of my favourite winter perfumes have sadly been neglected and my big white florals that I save for the warmer months have been getting a good workout. Because of this I have been looking for something new for the summer months, something that still falls within the white floral category but has something that is just that little bit different.

Champaca Absolute by Tom Ford 2009

Champaca Absolute Tom Ford FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accordfs:
Top: Cognac, bergamot, dyer’s greenweed
Heart: Champaca, orchid, violet, jasmine
Base: Vanilla, amber, sandalwood, marron glace

My search led me to Tom Ford’s Champaca Absolute. I thought it would be the perfect choice as I already love Tom Ford’s grandiose aesthetic and adore his Black Orchid and Velvet Gardenia. Reading reviews, I was expecting a full-blown diva of a scent akin to the others. Champaca Absolute opens with a big blast of sweet booziness which quickly recedes before the bergamot and champaca come out to play. The citrus tempers the sweetness of the champaca and lends a joyous feel to the composition. One pictures the regal blooms of magnolia petals warmed by spring’s first rays of golden sunshine; their petals creamy but haughty, holding their poise within the liquid warmth and sprays of dust motes in the air.

Champaca Absolute Tom Ford Magnolia Tree Allen McGregor FlickrPhoto Stolen Allen McGregor Flickr

About half an hour in, the jasmine comes to the fore, further sweetening the composition. It is at this point where the perfume becomes lush, heady and vibrant. Despite the sweetness and fullness, Champaca Absolute still remains supremely elegant. It is very much a ladylike perfume and wouldn’t be out of place with a grey cashmere twinset and pearls.

The drydown, on my skin is still champaca, but with just a dab of vanilla. It quietens down quite considerably and I really don’t get the rich gourmand facets that many others speak of.

What I love most about Champaca Absolute is a sense of nostalgia. It takes me back to being eight years old, in my grandmother’s bathroom in England. It was my first trip overseas and it was a big adventure. She has lots of gorgeous bath and body products that I adored to sniff and explore and each morning, after her bath, I’d go in to wash my hands before going out for the day and the humid air would be filled with the most gloriously bright floral scent; a melange of my grandmother’s bath gel and dusting powder. Champaca Absolute is that smell to me.

Champaca Absolute Tom Ford purple bathroom betterhomeandgardenPhoto Stolen betterhomeandgarden

My only disappointment is that it’s not as loud or diva-esque as I’d expected. It wears extremely close to my skin and I want just that little bit more sillage and oomph. Perhaps it will when the mercury gets a bit higher. I expect hot flesh will give me that vava voom I so crave. If that happens, Champaca Absolute will be perfection.

Further reading: Perfume Smellin’ Things and Bois de Jasmin.
Champaca Absolute is available at David Jones in Australia $290/50ml (Most big city department stores with an Estee Lauder counter)
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml.

Have you tried Champaca Absolute? What are your favourite Tom Ford fragrances?

With much love till next time,
M

Girlfriend by Justin Bieber 2012

.

Post by Katrina

.

Hi APJ,

I really like this perfume. I wore it a lot last summer when it seemed like the perfect summer fragrance. But now in winter, wearing it for this review I’ve found that I enjoy wearing it all year round.

Girlfriend by Justin Bieber 2012

Girlfriend Justin Bieber FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: mandarin, blackberry, pear and strawberry.
Heart: pink freesia, star jasmine, apricot and orange blossom
Base: vanilla orchid, luminous musk and white amber

Justin Bieber won big this year taking out US Fifi Awards in 2 categories. Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend, the second fragrance from the Biebster, won both ‘Fragrance of the Year – Women’s Popular’ and ‘Consumer Choice – Women’s’ categories.

Girlfriend Justin Bieber WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

The packaging for this perfume is fun and playful. The cross section of the purple bottle is heart shaped and it slots into a colourful canister that reminds me of a slinky. Fun! Taking the bottle out to spray makes me feel just a little happier.

The perfume starts fresh and fruity with citrus and crisp pear. Girlfriend is sweet but not overly. As the perfume evolves the floral notes come out and the fruit changes to what smells like honeydew melon to me, although it should be apricot based on the fragrance notes listed. The base notes of the fragrance are quite soft and the fresh sweetness stays until the end.

Girlfriend Justin Bieber milagrosschmidt DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: EauDeLucy and AccentGirl100
Fragrance Shop has from $26/30ml
My Perfume Samples starts at $2/ml

Which other celebrity perfumes won awards this year? Check out my Celebrity Perfume Website to find out.

Have any of you APJ readers tried Girlfriend? If not I challenge you to give it a try!

Katrina xx

ED: I added the Beaty & The Beat video because I think it’s SUPER FUN!

Womanity by Alexis Dadier and Mane for Thierry Mugler 2010

Hey Hey APJ Friends and Family,

Are you ever too freaked out by a bottle, fragrance name or even advertising to go near it? For years now I have steered clear of today’s fragrance because the name felt like such an obvious Drag Queen thing. It’s like Thierry and his crew were delving for drag expression, rather than feminine power or woman as equals or even the power of woman. Let’s put some ripe fig that when cut looks like a woman’s vagina “Snicker, snicker”, lets put some fishy caviar in “snicker, snicker” and lets call it the most beyond UBER womanly word we can invent “Snicker, snicker” and the Drag Queens will love it. HA HA HA HA!! Back slapping and belly laughs all round.

That was how I had envisaged the creation of

Womanity by Thierry Mugler 2010

Womanity Thierry Mugler FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Fig fruit, caviar, fig leaf, fig wood

Why then am I writing about Womanity? What changed? Well mainly I changed. I had had a couple of decants and run through them in no time, ashamedly, then it was there in the store day before yesterday as a tester and I spritzed it like crazy. I thought, “In for a penny, in for a pound!” This is day two surrounded by its rich figgy/saline goodness, its rich sweetness cut through with wood and salt that is so beautiful and dramatic because I went back today and bought a bottle. Womanity is an elegant and fun fragrance that is exactly as two faced as we all are, light/dark, strong/weak, sweet/savoury, good/bad. All the parts that go to make us up seem to be reflected in the very short Womanity story that lasts forever. I can’t remember such staying power in a fragrance and so linear that I woke up this morning, after spritzing in the afternoon and having a bath before bed, still smelling of Womanity. Extraordinary!!

Womanity Thierry Mugler PaperBlogPhoto Stolen PaperBlog

How does it make me feel? It feels like a second skin actually. A beautiful, magical, alluring and enchanting second skin. After about 10 hours my own sweaty smell comes through and makes it a thorough skank fest, deliciously and naughtily unkempt. In fact I smell like morning me plus salty fig. Disgusting but oddly compelling, Jin thinks I smell FAN TAS TIC! I smell salty/briny and sweet fig jam with a woodsy whisper and sweaty bloke. I would love to smell how Womanity worked on a male athlete, I would love it even more if it was called something else. Candy Perfume Boy says, “‘Womanity’ is intended to be a portmanteau of the words ‘Woman’ and ‘Community’” which kind of clarifies the thinking and gets me at dead wrong but I still think it’s dumb.

Further reading: The Candy Perfume Boy and Perfume Shrine
FragranceNet starts at around $12/10ml and has $31/50ml before coupon
My Perfume Samples starts at $2/ml

Were you scared off by Womanity or did you love it from day 1?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx