Madagascan Jasmine by Michel Roudnitska for Grandiflora 2015

September 9, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Fabulous Fumies,

Can you believe I live in the same city as Grandiflora yet I’ve never set foot in the place? Well, sadly it’s true. Not because I’ve purposely stayed away but I just never seem to be in that part of town without a time budget, or I’m there after hours for work. It is on my bucket list to get there though so hopefully sometime soon I’ll be able to show you some pics of a visit. Till then I’ve finally been to Surrender To Chance and grabbed myself a decant.

Madagascan Jasmine by Grandiflora 2015

Madagascan Jasmine by Michel Roudnitska

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Jasmine, Green notes, Musk

The first person I knew that had Madagascan Jasmine was Ainslie Walker and I tried it at her place but was woefully under impressed. I’m not sure what my problem was but even then I felt maybe I was missing the point. I was.

Madagascan Jasmine opens green, yes, I know that that term covers a lot of ground. It’s the green of tearing soft, fleshy, succulent leaves. The green of hedging camellias, rubbing your nail down the long thin, dark green leaves of clivia, the metallic green of clean kitchen basins and the extreme yellow green of narcissus. It’s also white, the white of the jasmine growing over the side fence, the white of expensive little bathroom soaps, Lily of the Valley white and the soft plush white of clean flannelette sheets. Laundry musks but done as a binding note rather than a solo performer. Though they are huge and in your face they seem to buoy the rest and keep it floating and radiant.

WikiMedia

Imagine being sandblasted by scent, it’s so full on that it rips away your skin and bones leaving you a sheer, bodiless, cloud of scent. If you close your eyes while wearing Madagascan Jasmine I think it could take you anywhere. The most gorgeously engulfing jasmine and it lasts well too. Almost as adamant as Tawaf by La Via Del Profumi.

Beyond beautiful.

PDI

Further reading: What Men Should Smell Like and Persolaise
Peony Melbourne has Au$185/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5.50/ml

What is your Jasmine?
Portia xx

CHANEL N° 5 L’Eau by Olivier Polge for CHANEL 2016

September 8, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello APJers,

Release date in Australia is September 15 for the newest CHANEL fragrance. I have been lucky enough to grab some early release carded testers. One for me and three for you. This is my own first test drive.

CHANEL N°5 L’Eau by CHANEL

CHANEL N°5 L’Eau by Olivier Polge

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, mandarin, orange, neroli, aldehydes
Heart: Rose, ylang-ylang, jasmine
Base: Cedar, white musk

OK everyone, so this is my first wearing. I am notorious for hating things till I get to know them and spend some time with them. Unless they are the rare instant loves.

Imagine a simple cologne from one of the mid priced brands like Body Shop, put a lot of it on, really spray the shit out of it, then have someone walk past you wearing CHANEL No 5. Right. Smell the air as they walk past and CHANEL No 5 is quite noticeable with the citrus herbal top. Smell the air in one minute so there’s the merest trace of CHANEL No 5 and still some citrus. Smell again in one minute and you are left with a lightly citrus and floral white musk fragrance. In 5 minutes more you are left with musk and you smell like your laundry. Now, for every minute you just did that multiply by 10 minutes and that’s basically how CHANEL No 5 L’Eau wore for me.

Olivier Polge has created CHANEL NO 5 for people who hate to smell CHANEL No 5. It’s not bad. It’s quite pretty and beautifully blended but it doesn’t have my heart singing either. It smells like a cologne and wears like one too. CHANEL No 5 L’Eau could come from the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria line, except the top is reminiscent of CHANEL No 5.

It’s going to be a huge hit.

You want to smell it? Get yourself to a CHANEL counter or enter our competition below.
Portia xx

N°5 L’EAU: the announcement film – CHANEL

CHANEL N°5 L’Eau GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Carded Manufacturers Sample CHANEL No 5 L’Eau
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.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us your favourite CHANEL fragrance (old or new) or which one you’d like to try

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 10th September 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 14th September 2016 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

SPRING! in Sydney + Australasian Artisan Botanical Perfume Expo

September 7, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

Hi APJ,

Spring has arrived in Sydney. Here are a couple of the flowers in my area.

Oh yeah my first spring flower woo hoo! Jasmine on the front verandah.

Lovely wattle in Sydney

Gorgeous wild freesias

Australasian Artisan Botanical Perfume Expo

October 23rd ~ Sydney

We are getting really excited about the inaugural Australasian Artisan Botanical Perfume Expo ~ October 23rd ~ Sydney. We are botanical perfumers from the southern hemisphere passionate about the beauty of natural, BOTANICAL perfumes. Be part of the revolution of natural fragrance, beauty, sensuality, health and wellbeing.

WHEN Sunday, October 23, 2016 from 11:00 AM to 3:30 PM (AEDT)

WHERE Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre – 16-18 Fitzroy Street

Kirribilli, NSW, 2061

** close the to Kirribilli train station with lovely cafes in the village.

INCLUDED IN YOUR TICKET

A variety of teas to enjoy

Award winning dark chocolate mousse by Yalla (Gluten and preservative free)

fruit and more.

Gifts given out during the day by Lord Foppington

and

A door prize will be drawn at 2pm for one attendee to the value of $500 (Winner must be on site to receive the gift)

BUY EVENTBRITE TICKET HERE

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.
Suzanne XXXX

Suzanne R Banks Blog
Suzanne R Banks Aromatherapy
Suzanne R Banks FaceBook

Sample GIVEAWAY Sep 2016 WINNER

September 4, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Post by Portia

Woo Hoo APJ!

Loads of you came along and got involved in this one. Great to see so many of you. I hope life its treating you kindly wherever you are.
Portia xx

Sample GIVEAWAY Sep 2016 WINNER

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The winner will receive one each of these samples:
Manhattan Rose by Krigler
Fiore del Dragone by Tesori d`Oriente
Poopoo Pidoo by Egofacto
Jamais le Dimanche by Egofacto
Le Americhe Caribbean Fruits by Compagnia Delle Indie
Bleu de Nice Santal by PierSaintPier
Equinox Bloom by Penhaligon’s
Opus X by Amouage
San Francisco by A Wing & A Prayer
Dreams & Visions by A Wing & A Prayer
Bella by A Wing & A Prayer
Coeur de Vetiver scare by L’Artisan
Holiday No. 14 by DSH Perfumes
JaLouSie by perfumes Lalun
Vetiver des Sables by Montale
Aoud Lime by Montale
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 3rd September 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

Tarena

The winner will have till Wednesday 7th September 2016 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.

First (Vintage Parfum) by Jean Claude Ellena for Van Cleef & Arpels 1976

September 3, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Vintage Lovers,

Some days when the post arrives and a long awaited and expected package is finally in my hands I get a little tremor of uncertainty. Will this be the real deal? Will I have spent my hard earned (OK only mildly) cash on a winner or a bummer? The other day was just such a day, arriving opened and lightly used was a vintage extract that I had extremely high hopes for……

First (Vintage Parfum) by Van Cleef & Arpels 1976

First Vintage Parfum by Jean Claude Ellena

Van Clef & Arpels

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, Bergamot, Raspberry, Mandarin, Peach, Black currant
Heart: Carnation, Hyacinth, Orris root, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-valley, Narcissus, Orchid, Tuberose, Turkish rose, Ylang-ylang
Base: Amber, Oakmoss, Honey, Musk, Sandalwood, Tonka bean, Vanilla, Vetiver, Civet

When First was released I was 8. Being in Australia we may have got it around then but it wasn’t really on my radar. At that time I was completely unaware of anything except that my Mum was the most beautiful and smelled the best of all the Aunties and all the other Mums. The reason I bought this perfume bottle is that I have memories of First being around through my teen years in a general sort of way. I don’t think Mum had it but some of the ladies in my sphere did, there were definitely bottles of it in my vision.

I had a modern EdT that basically bludgeoned my nose to headache with its opening cacophony and I wondered if an older perfume would be less ferocious.

PDI

How does it smell? Richer, less aldehydic at the opening though they are still a fizzy, slightly oily metallic patina over the fruits. First perfume is less about the opening though and more about the heart, as if it can’t wait to get to the white and yellow flowers. Once this jasmine-centric heart arrives it’s swoon time. So beautifully blended that my main reading is jasmine supported by other white flowers and creamy, slightly banana ylang. I’m sure better noses could parse it more succinctly. You have no idea how freaking gorgeous first perfume is. Unbelievable, eye-rolling, deep breath till I think my hand might get sucked up my nose fabulous.

The heart lasts for ages before I start to notice it becoming more honeyed and sweeter. I can’t decide if it’s sandalwood or a combination of other things. I do smell furry oakmoss and a lovely dose of animal, soft and plush. From just 3 dabs on my hand this baby lasts all night and I can still smell whispers of an animalic vanilla/amber in the morning.

Flickr

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Non Blonde
I found my bottle on eBay
Surrender To Chance has extrait samples from $19/0.5ml

Have you had the pleasure?
Portia xx

Massive Sample Sept ’16

September 1, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 56 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey There APJ!

I have a bunch of samples that I have tried, written about and loved or not. Some are carded manufacturers samples, shop bought decants, gifted decants etc. They are lying around in my office and will probably never be looked for again. A couple of them are only half full but others are only 2 spritzes used or brand new, some I have bottles or doubles of. There are .7ml all the way up to 3ml. So what better way to share the love than a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!!

Sample GIVEAWAY September 2016

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us a perfume on your wish list.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 3rd September 2016 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Wednesday 7th September 2016 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.

Myrrh Casati by Melanie Leroux for Mona di Orio 2014

August 30, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Perfume Peeps.

Myrrh Casati! How did it take me so long to find you? I have hazy recollections of this being released. Mainly because it’s the first MdO not created by Mona. Here’s where it all gets weird because I remember the fragrance being soundly trounced by loads of reviewers. Woo Hoo! So my wallet breathed a sigh of relief that I need not try one fragrance. PHEW! Then, recently I was on Surrender To Chance seeing what was available and about and suddenly, seemingly without even trying, I had bought a couple of really big 8ml decants: Grandiflora Madagascan Jasmine and ………

Myrrh Casati by Mona di Orio 2014

Myrrh Casati by Melanie Leroux

Myrrh Casati Mona di Orio Fragrantica Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Peruvian pink pepper, Guatemala cardamom, Saffron, Licorice, Siam benzoin, Somalian myrrh, Somalian frankincense, Indonesian patchouli, Indian cypriol, Paraguayan gaiac wood

Spicy, dry spices, walking through the spice markets in India or Dubai. A melding of heat, dust, humanity and spices. Cardamom! I can smell it plain as day, as if I pulled a pod from its Tupperware to put into a curry or soup. Saffron and woods. It’s like market day here in Sydney and I smell amazing. All the resins come together in Myrrh Casati and create a balmy, smoky cushion for the spices to rest on.

Myrrh Casati Mona di Orio Curry Spices PDP Pixabay Pixabay

The fireworks burn off after about 15-20 minutes and Myrrh Casati and it softens off to a comfortable, warm, resinous fragrance, only lightly spiced. Totally wearable and beautiful. The woods are present after a while, they smell fresh hewn but dry, no greenness here at all. Woods and resins float over you and around you softly but insistently. Myrrh Casati is calm, like being in a South Korean temple on a hill in the morning quiet when there’s just you, the monks and whatever your idea of god is. Incense, woods, lingering balms used for polishing, clean air and an internal conversation.

From Luckyscent: Inspired by Marchesa Casati, the legendary patron of the arts and muse of eccentricity, known for her extravagant dark fashion and lavish fetes replete with exotic animals, gilded servants, and an infectious waft of incense and mystery that surrounded her.

Wikipedia

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Chemist In A Bottle
Luckyscent has $195/75ml
Peony Melbourne has $245/75ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/ml

Did you try it when Myrrh Casati was released, or since? What were your impressions?
Portia xx

Myths GIVEAWAY WINNERS

August 28, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

Heya Crew,

Thanks for getting involved. Do go check out Libertine Parfumerie if you’d like to purchase in Australia, the ship for FREE!
Portia xxx

Myths GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Chrysanthemum, Iris
Heart: Rum, Rose, Vetiver, Elemi resin
Base: Labdanum, Ash, Leather

Libertine Parfumerie has Myths $399/100ml
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $4/0.5ml

Myths Woman by Amouage

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Narcissus, Violet leaf, Galbanum, Chrysanthemum
Heart: Carnation, Patchouli, Ambergris
Base: Leather, Moss, Musk

Libertine Parfumerie has Myths $399/100ml
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $4/0.5ml

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Sample Myths Man by Amouage
1 x Sample Myths Woman by Amouage
P&H Anywhere in the world

These are remains of 2ml samples bought from Surrender To Chance used for reviewing

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 27th August 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

flowergirlbee!

The winners will have till Wednesday 31st August 2016 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.

Stercus by Alessandro Guiltier for Orto Parisi 2014

August 26, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Portia

Heya APJ,

So I have had this decant rattling around my sample box. It’s hand written and has the First In Fragrance unicorn sticker, plus the date 05/16 so I’m thinking May this year. Really, I don’t know how it got to be there as I haven’t ordered from this wonderful people this year at all (OOOPS! Sorry guys). It is a mystery. If someone remembers why I have it could they enlighten me please?

LIGHTBULB!! TinaG, is this from you? WOW! Thank you.

Stercus by Orto Parisi 2014

Stercus by Alessandro Guiltier

Fragrantica

Well it opens sweet and balmy. Coffee, urine, woods, birch, honey and balmy resins are my guesses. It’s a pretty aggressive introduction to Stercus and has the smell of animals and urine soaked hay after a flatulent night in the barn. I smell something that I’ve smelled before with Roxana from Illuminated Perfumes when we were composing a Feral Feet accord back in 2013. Well, I say we but it was her composition with Tom Pease and I egging her on to greater heights of outrageous.

Is this a natural perfume? It has a bit of that feel too, the dark, dank, murkiness that makes many of them so enveloping and deep. Labdanum and an oudh-ish barnyard seem to be the heart that still maintains a honeyed sweetness, the feral bits not the pretty modern sweet kind. Is it tobacco? Could be but honestly I am pretty lost. Why don’t we talk more about how Stercus makes me feel?

PDI

Stercus feels cold, alone and windswept. Imagine you are caught out in a very large and wooded park at dusk after a cool sunny autumn day. Now you’ve stayed too long feeding the ducks, the light is dwindling, the wind now has no sunlight to cut its icy blast and you are not dressed for the change. The leaves have fallen from many of the trees and they are stuck wetly to each other. As you walk briskly over them you disturb the smell of their decomposition and close by there is the smell of possums, or maybe it’s a fruit bat roost. That is how Stercus affects me, there is my vision.

Eight hours later and I’m still surrounded by a soft fog of Stercus. It’s green, sweet and funky. Still has the call of wilderness stamped upon it. Beautiful.

Flickr

Further reading: Scented Hound
First In Fragrance have €138/50ml
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $7.80/ml

Do you like your fragrances just a little feral? Which one do you love?
Portia xx

Sang Bleu GIVEAWAY WINNERS

August 21, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

Hey there beautiful people,

I get really excited when I can bring you new and fabulous fragrances. Thanks for getting involved.

Let’s find out who our winners are.
Portia xx

Sang Bleu GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Galbanum, orange, bergamot, lemon, wormwood, rosemary, eucalyptus, geranium, jasmine, rose, violet, pink pepper, carnation, cedar, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver

Le Galion has €140/100ml and send to the world!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x 10ml decant of Sang Bleu by Le Galion
3 x 1ml decants from the Le Galion range
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 20th August 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Patty Pong

Bolortsetseg

The winners will have till Wednesday 24th August 2016 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.