Vetiver Des Sables by Montale 2004

July 16, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Fumies,

Mondale gets some love from perfumistas but they also get a whole bunch of snark. Mainly due to their seemingly endless range, the oh-so-Montale-synth-oudh and their bro-woods. I get it, an enormous range with only the merest difference between them and so many having the half life of uranium, they are an easy target. What sometimes gets lost in the sneer is that they also do some really yum frags. I own a few bottles Dew Musk, Sandflowers and Sweet Oriental Dream. There are a couple on my list too Red Vetyver and Intense Pepper. Today I found this sample in my box and thought it might be fun to give it a whirl, you’ll be getting a first impression ride with me

Vetiver Des Sables by Montale 2004

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Vetiver, mahogany, sea notes, Indian spices

Salty woods. An aquatic woodsy summertime dream. Vetiver Des Sables is a spicy and salted version of the 1990s aquatic. A grown up version that leans heavily on the buff middle management lunchtime gym locker room. The opening is so refreshing and seaside reminiscent, even having that weird greasy petrol and electrical sparks vibe from the outboard motors. I can see why this has been soundly panned because it is such a synthetic feeling blend but it isn’t bad to me.

Respritzing over the top I find the vetiver (grassy, dry reeds, everlasting daisy, salty woodsiness) is much more pronounced. It has some smoky qualities and the spices make a better showing (maybe cinnamon, ground black pepper, cardamom and/or paprika) giving Vetiver Des Sables more nuance and a warmth not experienced on the first spritz, it’s cool and fiery which is a wonderful combination. I also detect some orange zest and dark rum through the heart, but I could be fantasising.

Donated by my BFF Kath

I’d like to smell how this is on a woman. I think it could be very Catherine Hepburn on the right person. It’s certainly interesting and better than I expected after reading some fairly unimpressed reviews. If you already hate Montale fragrances Vetiver Des Sables will probably not change your mind but if you are on the fence or like their work then you’ll find this one of their more easy wear fragrances, it’s aimed at the men and I can easily place it on almost any guy who likes to smell like the modern image of manliness.

Once the open and heart have calmed down Vetiver Des Sables becomes a fairly linear cool vetiver/woods scent, imagine how just picked up from the beach at night driftwood would smell if you could amp it up 10,000x. That’s basically it. Or, better yet, here’s a pic of my mate Michael, he looks EXACTLY how Vetiver Des Sables smells in dry down. Enjoy!

My mate Michael looking like some hot driftwood

Further reading: Scent For Thought and Scent Critic
First In Fragrance has €94/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Do you do Montale? Which ones have caught your fancy?
Portia xx

Poet’s Jasmine by Ineke Rutland for INeKE 2011

July 15, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Frag Family,

Do you know how some houses feel like a really good fit for you right from the start. Even the name and the nose feel spookily familiar the first time you read or hear about them. Maybe you see their bottles or someone sends you a sample and you swoon? From the very first review I read about Ineke I really thought it was going to be a good fit for me and when I finally got some samples they were. Not the all encompassing, eye rollingly gorgeous, over the top WOW of this first Amouage or by Kilian that I tried but a deeply comfortable, easy to wear, fits all occasions feeling that has continued with each one I try.

Somehow though today’s fragrance completely passed me by and I don’t know how I missed it…

Poet’s Jasmine by INeKE 2011

Poet’s Jasmine by Ineke Rutland

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citrus fruit, star anise, rosemary, absinthe, wormwood
Heart: Frankincense, jasmine, cardamom
Base: Henoki wood, guaiac wood

This was part of a set put together by INeKE for Anthropologie, which I think is a chain of stores in the USA?. Hang on, google-ing it now. OK, Anthropologie are a fashion and beauty store who are mid-priced with some expensive and cheap lines. I was impressed with some of their fragrance offerings for the price point, clever.

Clean, green and woody opening, sharp and lightly sweet. Interesting and it has a kind of lacquer vibe, as if the wood is being varnished. Maybe that is Inez’s way of playing the alcohol in absinth. I like it, the sharpness is mildly repellant but also enticing. Remember the smell of texta pens at school, very slightly reminiscent of them.

The heart of Poet’s Jasmine is only lightly jasmine on me, much more about the woods, greenery and incense. Jasmine is here but it’s shrouded in mystery, not instantly discernible as itself.

Plot’s Jasmine is awkward on me. I can’t think who would be the target market for it. I really like the interesting juxtapositions and the frisson between the notes, the sharp green and cool incense that seem to push against the very clean, robo-jasmine effect. Not a loud fragrance but noticeable because it’s so unexpected.

Further reading: EauMG and Now Smell This
First In Fragrance has €39.90/15ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml

First In Fragrance €19.90 5 x 2.5ml INeKE Sampler

Did you ever get on board the INeKE scent train? Did you have a favourite? Does Poet’s Jasmin sound like it might be your thing?
Portia xx

Mure et Musc by Jean-Francois Laporte for L’Artisan Parfumeur 1978

July 14, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Hey Fragrant Family,

Jean-Francois Laporte founded L’Artisan Parfumeur in 1976. It was among the first of the niche lines, maybe even the first, and it started producing in 1978 with some very interesting fragrances that many of you will either have tried or own: L’Eau d’Ambre and Mure et Musc are both still available and the 1979 introduction L’Eau d’Navigateur was only discontinued this year. Let’s have a look today at what is known as the first ever blackberry fragrance.

Mure et Musc by L’Artisan Parfumeur 1978

Mure et Musc by Jean-Francois Laporte

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Amalfi lemon, orange, mandarin orange, basil
Heart: Blackberry, red berries
Base: Musk, oakmoss

1978 was a very good year, it’s the year that my partner Jin came into the world. No matter what happens with us over time I will always have a soft spot for 1978 because of him.

So Mure & Musc, the first time a perfumer decided to add a sparkling fruity aspect to musk, what a weird choice to add screechy, urinous blackberry to something as softly animal as musk. Yet, it’s a perfect pairing and one that has become more and more common over time, basically fruity musks are all you can buy in the laundry department nowadays.

Here we get a shimmering sparkle of fresh citrus with a soft creamy herbaceousness that leads to slightly squeaky and zingy berries. Already from the very first minute the musks play a fluffy soft and grounding powderiness that keeps Mure et Musk on the dry side. Considering how sheer and delicate the whole fragrance is the lasting power is excellent, especially if you happen to spritz your top as well as yourself. Dry down is furry and friendly, people write about woodsiness, I get very little of that. It’s all cuddly musks and oakmoss to dry down with the merest sweetening from the fruit.

I wish I’d thought to bring Mure et Musc on our trip to Tasmania last weekend, it would have been the perfect scent for the cool temps outside when we stayed in the low Head Lighthouse Keepers Cottage right on the bluff overlooking the meeting of Bass Straight and the Tamar River. We loved it with my childhood mate Evie and her daughter Lola. You can see I’m wearing the Green Beanie made for me by Vanessa at Bonkers About Perfume, best investment I ever made. Kept my head warm and so soft, it also is made exactly for my head so no slippage or creeping. Thanks Vanessa. She’ll make you one too, very reasonable price, pop on over to her blog & ask.

My Mure et Musc is from vintage 15ml(?) manufacturers sample spritzers with the original curvy inverted cone lids, I’m not sure how the modern one fares.

Further reading: Bois et Jasmin and Olfactoria’s Travels
Libertine Parfumerie has $186/100ml with FREE Australian Postage
Surrender To Chance has samples of the EdC starting at $6/ml

Mure et Musc GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 15ml manufacturers samples of Mure et Musc
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 a L’Artisan fragrance that you love, or why you’d like to try Mure et Musc

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 16th July 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 20th July 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.

Le Musc Et La Peau GIVEAWAY WINNERS

July 11, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Post by Portia

Heya APJ,

We love getting the very newest out for you all to try. Winners below.
Portia xx

Le Musc Et La Peau GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Bergamot, ambroxan, musk, aldehydes, rosemary, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, cedar, tonka bean

LuckyScent has $125/50ml + Samples

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x 2ml decant Le Musc Et La Peau (from my Press Sample)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 16th July 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Angela Pritchard

Azar

The winners will have till Wednesday 20th July 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.

Note Fragrances GIVEAWAY WINNERS

July 8, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

Woo Hoo!

Thanks to Azar and Note fragrances. what a wonderful giveaway.

Let’s see who won,
Portia xx

Note Fragrances GIVEAWAY WINNERS

From what I understand, Blood Orange Chocolat will not be released until September but you can contact Note Fragrances for more information.

Scent Trunk has $74/60ml

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x 1.5ml decant of Blood Orange Chocolat by Note Fragrances
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 7th July 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Roslyn

Fazal

The winners will have till Sunday 10th July 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.

Blood Orange Chocolat by Danielle Fleming for Note Fragrances 2016

July 4, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 37 Comments

Post by Azar

Hello APJ,

I tend to shy away from perfume brands that incorporate musical notes (or any reference to music) in their logos and advertising. I suppose this aversion has to do with too many years of teaching piano, too many cute “note” themed gifts, numerous tedious encounters with impossibly cumbersome, experimental notations and a general overdose (year after year) of trendy, interdisciplinary synesthetics involving perfume, performance art and music. Enough of that! Suffice it to say that I would never, on my own, have discovered the Note Fragrances brand, had it not been for my subscription to the sampling service Scent Trunk. (Sampling services are grist for yet another mill!)

Skipping the logo, the romance and the back-story, here are my impressions of Note Fragrances’ Blood Orange Chocolat:

Blood Orange Chocolat by Note Fragrances 2016

Blood Orange Chocolat by Danielle Fleming

For me, Blood Orange Chocolat is all about the sandalwood, specifically Australian sandalwood (S. spicatum or a very good likeness thereof – but “no quote me, I might be wrong”*). I do get an initial rush of blood orange, followed by a potent, lingering mélange of chocolate, tonka, hazelnut, honey and a short squeeze of lemon! But it is the edgy, spicy, raw and dusty mineral quality of S. spicatum (I doubt it is the buttery S. album or another sandalwood – once again “no quote me, I might be wrong”) that blasts this otherwise pleasant and unremarkable gourmand into an entirely different dimension and category. To my nose, Blood Orange Chocolat, despite its name, is not a gourmand fragrance at all. Instead it contrasts chocolate, hazelnut, honey and citrus against the fragrance profile of Australian Sandalwood.

There are various sandalwood oils around here and I don’t really need a chocolate-y, vanilla-sugared version of any of them. But I just have to have more Blood Orange Chocolat! Why? There is a distinct similarity between the dusty honeyed accord in this perfume and the scent that Gomez, the Pionus parrot, emits when he is happy or excited. How can I resist?

Wikipedia

I have to tell you, though, that not everyone around here shares my opinion. Daughter Lauren recently made the trek from New Hampshire to the PNW. One evening, with granddaughter Allie, we enjoyed a sniffing marathon. For both Allie, Lauren (and Brad too) Blood Orange Chocolat was nothing more than this: Sweet blood orange and chocolate.

From what I understand, Blood Orange Chocolat will not be released until September but you can contact Note Fragrances for more information.

Scent Trunk has $74/60ml

BTW – Happy 4th!

Are you wondering if this perfume would work for you or which sandalwood was really used to make the fragrance? Today you have a chance to find out!

Azar xx

*Andy Bumatai from the Daily Pidgin Show

Note Fragrances GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x 1.5ml decant of Blood Orange Chocolat by Note Fragrances
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please describe your favorite chocolate-y or gourmand fragrance

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 7th July 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 Sunday 10th July 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.

Cult Of Scent GIVEAWAY WINNERS

July 4, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

Hey Hey APJ,

A huge thank you to Jocelyn Fullerton of Cult of Scent for her generosity. Great response from you guys and really excited to get to the winners.

Let’s do it,
Portia xx

Cult Of Scent GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Cult of Scent

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x 1ml decant Cult Of Scent: Sweet Libertine
1 x 1ml decant Cult Of Scent: Hedonist
1 x 1ml decant Cult Of Scent: Something Beautiful
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 3rd July 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winner were chosen by random.org

Ellen M

Jackie B

SaffyIsHere

The winners will have till Wednesday 6th July 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.

Moonlight Patchouli GIVEAWAY WINNERS

July 4, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

Hi there APJ,

TinaG & I completely forgot to draw this so here it is.

Don’t forget, if you are a winner
*Winners will be asked to provide a mailing address to me on the email address (apjfeedback {at} gmail {dot} com)
*Within 2 weeks of receiving your decant, please write to the email address (apjfeedback {at} gmail {dot} com) providing a one-paragraph review of your experience testing the frag.
* Let me know your screen-name as I will use your feedback in a future article.
TinaG & Portia xx

Moonlight Patchouli GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cacao, patchouli leaf, woodsy notes
Heart: Iris flower, Bulgarian rose
Base: Fruity notes, leather, suede

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 5 winners who will receive:
1 x 2ml decant Moonlight Patchouli by VC&A
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 1 July at 9pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Pats133

Neva

Greg

Bridget

Koyel

WINNERS

*Winners will be asked to provide a mailing address to me on the email address apjfeedback (at) gmail (dot) com.
* Within 2 weeks of receiving your decant, please write to the email address apjfeedback (as above) providing a one-paragraph review of your experience testing the frag.
* Let me know your screen-name as I will use your feedback in a future article.

No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Œillet Sauvage by Anne Flipo for L’Artisan Perfumer 2000

July 3, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Hard To Find Addicts,

There is a special place in many perfume collectors hearts for the very rare, the discontinued and the earlier iterations. Though I do have some rare birds in the collection it’s about trying the scent for me rather than owning a bottle so a couple of ml will usually satisfy my curiosity. Sometimes though the desire will bite hard and I will move heaven and earth to own the bottle, often laughing at myself for my utter lack of self control.

Today we are looking at a case in point. It was rare as hens teeth, often talked about in hushed, reverential tones and the people who loved it went to any extreme to get some. Then they rereleased it and because it had become less interesting than it originally was people stayed away, now it’s been discontinued again. I bought mine from a mate who often splits, RuthK, and she has told me it’s an older bottle from the original lot! WOO HOO! Today is my first wearing. You get to come along on the olfactory journey with me today. YAY!!

Œillet Sauvage by L’Artisan Perfumer 2000

Œillet Sauvage by Anne Flipo

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Pepper, Pink pepper
Heart: Carnation, Rose, White lily, Ylang-ylang, Aegean wallflower
Base: Cedar, Musk

Pepper & peony are how Fillet Sauvage opens for me, but pretty quickly the slang fronts up giving a creamy floral warmth. Then quite clearly through that floats carnation, that cool, fresh, powdery feel of carnations against your cheek and in your nose. It contains the light flowers and the sharp undertone. When I press my nose against the fragrance it’s much more realistic carnations, as I move away it becomes a tropical floral. It smells to me like there is some coconut and banana hidden in the depths, and palm leaves.

PDP

Œillet Sauvage is quite heady through the heart, not loud or bombastic but the scent is warm and spicy. Like a bouquet that has some soft jasmine and tuberose, carnations, yang, some coniferous greenery and palm leaves. Actually, Œillet Sauvage could have been one of the early Annick Goutal scents. It has a very similar proud elegance, sultry and still prim, like there’s a vamp hiding underneath the prettiness. A tigress waiting the perfect time to pounce.

No wonder this was talked of with such reverence. It is absolutely gorgeous. What a shame its gone.

Further reading: One Thousand Scents
eBay sometimes has bottles
Surrender To Chance has modern samples starting at $4.50/ml

What is your discontinued gem? Do you love carnation?
Portia xx

Dior Eau Sauvage: Tribute to a Legend: Video

July 2, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there APJ,

Christian Dior’s Eau Sauvage has been a staple mens fragrance, gracing their bathrooms and bureaus since 1966. It has survived the changes in fashion and fragrance with tweaks and reformulations. Still it contains hints of what it was while also smelling very nice on the people who love to wear it. Even now when I ask someone who smells particularly good what they’re wearing the answer is sometimes Eau Sauvage.

DIOR has done a lovely video below to celebrate its eternal cash cow. Bravo. 50 years is quite an achievement. Here’s to 50 more.

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, basil, bergamot, cumin, lavender, fruit
Heart: Jasmine, rose, carnation, iris root, coriander, patchouli, sandalwood
Base: Oakmoss, vetiver, musk, amber

Dior Eau Sauvage: Tribute to a Legend