Sample GIVEAWAY May 2016

May 12, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 68 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey There APJ!

I have a bunch of samples that I have tried, written about and loved or not. 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. So what better way to share the love than a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY!!

Sample GIVEAWAY May 2016

Photo Stolen hemodernhome

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

The winner will receive one each of these samples:

Eric Butterbaugh Apollo Hyacinth
Tauer Sotto La Luna Tubereuse
Romance by Ralph Lauren
ELdO Remarkable People
Lutens Laine de Verre
YSL Splendid Bouquet
DIOR Ambre Nuit
Stella McCartney Stella In Two Peony
Osmonde Jayne Vanille d’Iris
Amouage Opus IX
Bulgari Jasmine Noir
Diptyque Eau Moheli
No 1 solid perfume
Mark Buxton Wood & Absinth
Tom Ford Noir

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 perfume on your wish list.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 15th May 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 18th May 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.

Day Out In Sydney: Photo Essay

May 6, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there Fumies,

Scott and I had a big day out yesterday in Sydney city. Sadly we could not make it on time to the Penhaligon’s Breakfast but it looked amazing and we would have LOVED to be a part of it. What a fabulous arrangement in a sunny outdoor courtyard. Congratulations Libertine Parfumerie.

Men’s Biz

We first hit Men’s Biz in the Strand Arcade where our mate Liam is currently curating their fragrance range. I also wanted to take advantage of the APJ 10% Discount. We sniffed loads and chatted, met the owner(?) Nathan and the crew, fell madly in love with loads of frags and had a generally convivial time. Yes, I succumbed and bough Iris Cendre by Naomi Goodsir, feeling particularly good because she is an Aussie who has made it on the world stage.

Liam, Scott & I overwhelmed by choice

Nathan (the boss) joins us, he is sweet and handsome

Sniffing the wares

Men’s Biz has a great selection of all grooming products

Liam’s first Sydney sale goes to me. YAY! 10% APJ Discount too.

Men’s Biz Discount Code!

A special gift for Australian readers – a 10% coupon code from Men’s Biz. Enter ‘APJ’ at the checkout.

Next we went and visited my girlfriend Jolanta in DIOR’s stand along store on Castlereigh St. She had text me earlier this week and told me she was holding me some of the newest DIOR Privee range samples for APJ (review and giveaway coming). La Colle Noire is said to be a spicy rose and I can’t wait to smell what they’ve done.

Christian Dior

Isn’t Jolanta beautiful? She is a Polish Australian and is the DIOR Ambassador here in Sydney, Sexiest voice ever.

Yes, I shopped. The long overdue purchase of Fève Délicieuse that I have talked of incessantly finally took place. Woo Hoo! I now have an enormous amount and can spritz with abandon.

After DIOR we made a quick sidestep into Hermès and visited my mate Gene. I thought I took a couple of picks but clearly I haven’t. As always Gene was super helpful and grabbed us samples of the newest fragrance (review and giveaway upcoming) Hermessence Muguet Porcelain. It’s really pretty and a clean, aquatic lily of the valley. It smelled WAY better on Scott than me but Monsieur Li is absolutely To Die for and had I not already done my budget I would have shopped there too. Next time.

Then we hit my favourite department store, David Jones. We went to the CHANEL counter and Esther was so sweet and helpful. It was touch and go whether I would finally buy Misia but I kept strong. The Guerlain girl was nice but busy, they did have a partial bottle on sale of one of the gold rimmed bottles but I did not succumb. Bravo me.

Yves Saint Laurent

THEN, we went looking at the Yves Saint Laurent section because Scott wanted to try the Black Opium flankers and I wanted to see their new ultra glam range. After finding the Oriental Collection ridiculously overpriced originally it is good to see that they have dropped the prices, now retailing at $180/80ml which is infinitely more reasonable. There we were greeted by the very glamorous Sonja who was excellent value and really knew her stuff.

We did find the newest Le Vestiaire des Perfumes range which really felt like YSL has hit the luxury nail on the head. $230/125ml and the fragrances we tried were smooth and very luxe, not especially groundbreaking but the smell good. My favourite that I very nearly bought was their Caftan; a fabulous sizzling citrus opening with enough resins and balms beneath to warm the cockles of any perfumistas heart.

Isn’t Sonja gorgeous. We will be going back to do some serious shopping with her in the very near future.

The three we tried were Caftan, Caban and Tuxedo.

And we have a winner. I like that YSL have brought out this range but I really wish they’s started with 2 and built it up over time. Insta-ranges are getting ridiculous.

Anyway, that was our super fun day out yesterday. For those that wonder, yes my knee was less than comfortable today but I really was grateful to Scott that we got out of the house and did some fun stuff.

Do you guys ever go on a frag expedition?
Portia xx

Capricci GIVEAWAY WINNERS

May 6, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Crew,

I am enjoying the fun over here at APJ currently. Loads of great giveaways.
Good Luck.
Portia xxx

Capricci GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will receive:
1 x Capricci by Nina Ricci sample from my bottle
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 5th May 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winner were chosen by random.org

Lindaloo

Bernadette Winfield-Gray

CONGRATULATIONS!! The winners will have till Sunday 8th May 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.

Gucci No 3 by Gucci 1985

May 4, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Willa Zheng

It’s no great secret that I love feminine florals and my fragrance wardrobe at home is lined with them. However, every once in a while, a fragrance comes along that is such a departure from everything you already own and thought you liked, and yet you fall in love with it regardless. A love at first sniff. That’s the case with this dearly discontinued fragrance from the House of Gucci.

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, coriander, green leaves, bergamot
Heart: Tuberose, orris root, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, rose, narcissus
Base: Leather, amber, patchouli, musk, oakmoss, vetiver

Gucci No 3 opens aldehydic, green and citric. Then, a melange of powder (orris root), white flowers (so heavy, so many that you can’t really tell apart the tuberose, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley, and narcissus) and rose push through; and before you know it, you’re smelling like an expensive piece of soap, the kind you’d buy in department stores to give as gifts in yesteryear. Think vintage Arpege.

But whereas Lavin Arpege has a sweet sandalwood, ambery base thus classifying it as a floriental, there is no denying that Gucci No 3 is of the chypre family. Chypre fragrances are all about the balanced contrast between their fresh, sparkling opening notes and their bitter, dark, woody heart. Gucci No 3 is no exception.

Pixabay

The heart merges about thirty minutes in when the fragrance pivots. It becomes darker, more bitter, as the heavy oakmoss base pushes through. On the skin, it’s warm (amber), deep (patchouli), slightly smoky (leather), dry (vetiver) and woody.

Gucci No 3 is the smell of a modern day Marlene Dietrich. She is a woman who is sure of herself and yet is a little bit mysterious. She is sophisticated, worldly and well-groomed. Who wouldn’t mind being a woman like that?

As mentioned earlier, this fragrance has been discontinued for about 15 years and full bottles, alas, are selling for a small fortune online. My bottle is a bit flat in the drydown due to its age. Depending on the condition of your bottle, you’ll get about 6 hours of strong wear and moderate to heavy sillage from the EDT.

YouTube

Further reading: Post Modern Perfume
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/ml

Gucci No 3 is truly the chypre for the woman who doesn’t normally ‘do’ chypre. It’s another reason, really, for us to toss Michael Edwards’ fragrance wheel to the wind and just smell everything.

Have you got a favourite Chypre fragrance?

Ames Soeurs GIVEAWAY WINNER

May 1, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

OMG!! I completely freaking forgot to do the draw for this. SORRY EVERYONE!

Here is our lucky winner below.

Portia xxx

Ames Soeurs GIVEAWAY WINNER

Net-A-Porter

Net-A-Porter gives these featured accords:
Top: Tamarind, Grapefruit, Cypress
Heart: Rose Bulgar, Ginger, Orange Blossom
Base: Cedarwood, Incense, Amber, Sweet Musk

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 5ml Ames Soeurs rollerball decant
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 24th April 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winner was chosen by random.org

amberinblunderland

LENA

The winner will have till Tuesday May 3rd 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.

Gri Gri GIVEAWAY WINNERS

April 30, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

Hey crew,

Don’t you LOVE getting the chance to try new things? Me too. Thanks to Gri Gri Perfumes and Val the Cookie Queen for their remarkable generosity.

Let’s find out who our winners are
Portia xxx

Gri Gri GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Sample each of Gri Gri Perfume (One of the three fragrances in the line. NO you don’t get to choose)
P&H Worldwide

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 28th April 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

thegarfieldshow-diary

Tara

Undina

Fanny

The winners will have till Monday 2nd May 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.

Pour Homme by Louis Monnet for Van Clef & Arpels 1978

April 29, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Fragrance Fans,

Now don’t be put off by the Pour Homme because this is a very sexy unisex only seems masculine on the men. It’s bracing herbal opening hides a chypre base with oriental overlay. Don’t believe me, come for a sniff.

Pour Homme by Van Clef & Arpels 1978

Pour Homme by Louis Monnet

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Basil, bergamot, green notes, juniper berries, marjoram, thyme, lavender, sage, caraway, citrus notes
Heart: Guaiac, patchouli, vetiver, jasmine, orris, rose, carnation, spices, artemisia, cloves
Base: Amber, castoreum, incense, leather, oak moss, musk, labdanum, coconut

One of my first ever fragrant memories is of my Mum giving me a 5ml mini of Pour Homme by Van Clef & Arpels for my birthday. That 5ml lasted me till Christmas of that year when I was given my first ever full bottle, also from Mum, of Aramis. I have a pretty modern bottle and though it’s not exactly the same as my memory the basic scent structure is still there. I can remember the thrill of this completely adult concept, men’s scent. My Dad always smelled good because he wore Tabac Original by Maurer & Wirst so being a fragrant man was not an alien idea.

So how does Pour Homme by Van Clef & Arpels smell to me in 2016? Firstly I get a wonderful herbal opening that sparkles enough to give me a little aldehydes question. It’s rich, green, herbal and bracing but soft (in a touch rather than size sense) and smooth enough that anyone who loves a good green will really enjoy it. This is something that I could easily imagine a Katharine Hepburn or Julia Roberts sporting, a casual, dignified, elegant fragrance that speaks of country estates and effortless grace. A fragrance of time gone by.

Flickr

The heart is a woodsy and rich adventure with still plenty of green and a quiet floral bouquet shimmering above. A dry tea rose and the snap and crackle of carnation, both perfectly surrounded with spices and herbs. The base with its warmth of amber cut through by the smoke and leather, my recollection is that the base was much furrier and more animalic originally but the current creamy amber woods is very nice too. Lasting power is excellent and Pour Homme by Van Clef & Arpels has a wonderful sillage, not overwhelming but noticeable. The perfect scent for a workplace that wants their staff to smell nice without punching people in the nose or making huge grand statements. Towards dry down I get a lovely clean mens soapy feel that lasts until next day. Excellent value and I think you could buy it as a gift for a non-perfumista guy and be guaranteed that he will rock it.

Pixabay

Further reading: From Pyrgos
FragranceNet has $30/50ml before Coupon

Do you have any infallible mens scent alternatives that you like to wear or smell on the guys around you?
Portia xx

Guess by Marciano by Barbara Zoebelein for Guess 2007

April 28, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Frag Heads,

You know when you’re going through your fragrances and trying to find stuff to add to your sale doc? You come across something that you can not remember smelling, or the smell of, from when you got it and it’s sat there unloved ever since. You spritz and WOW!!! All of a sudden your searching comes to a swoon filled halt and….

Guess (Woman) by Marciano by Guess 2007

Guess by Marciano by Barbara Zoebelein

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Star fruit, Curacao orange liquor, grapefruit, cardamom
Heart: Peony, pink honeysuckle, jasmine
Base: Vanilla, musk, woody accords

Guess Woman by Marciano is really crunchy and chewy vanilla toffee and amber with a wash of florals piping high above in descant and a fun citrus buzz murmuring in between. It lasts really well and once the sweet citrus booze burns off you are left with a wonderful toffee and vanilla ice cream style floriental. Wearing it the last few days I have not gone a group without a frag compliment, it’s uncanny. Every time I do something new someone asks what my fragrance is or says I smell really nice.

And I CAN’T GET ENOUGH!!

Yes, it seems for this tiny moment in time I have found a new favourite. There are stages where Guess by Marciano could be a caramel aquatic. I know. It sounds disgusting but the thing is. It’s fabulous. I’m enjoying it’s initial spritz, it develops nicely and ends on a sweet woodsy nothings whisper about 5 hours later. What’s not to love?

Food Network

Further reading: Pop Sugar
FragranceNet has $21/100ml before Coupon

I can’t stop spritzing myself with Guess by Marciano. There is a room with some of the world’s most expensive, celebrated and lavish fragrances and I keep spritzing a $20 bargain bin wonder. Hilarious.

What have you fallen madly in love with that’s bargain bin?
Portia xx

Gri Gri Fragrances: Esxence 2016 Discovery

April 26, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Anaïs Biguine is the creator and nose behind the rather lovely Jardin d’Écrivains perfume house. The three Gri Gri fragrances are her latest creations. I have been wearing them for the last couple of weeks and feel them well worthy of some attention. The stand stood out beautifully at the Esxence. The ladies were professional, knowledgeable and extremely friendly.

Gri Gri Fragrances: Esxence 2016 Discovery

Eau de Parfum for Tattooed Skin by Anaïs Biguine 2016

There are three perfumes in the collection. They each take inspiration from the long history of and geographically diverse art of tattooing. Ink as an art form, across cultures and through the ages.

I am not familiar enough with each perfume yet to go into any depth but the following will give you an idea of what Anaïs Biguine has created.

MOKO MAORI EdP
Tussock grass. New Zealand Flax.
Fern. Kowhai. Manuka.
Lichen. Kanuka.

TARA MANTRA EdP
Saffron. Cardamom. Hing.
Patchouli. Ajowan.
Lotus. Jasmine. Agarwood.

UKIYO-E EdP
Genmaicha. Yuzu. Aralia.
Daphné. Green tea.
Sakura. Ashibi.

Each perfume succeeds at representing the different artistic style, and master skills of tattooing. From needles to bamboo. Spiritual, theatrical and peaceful.

Ink Free Bussis
(maybe one day)
CQ

I have a samples of each fragrance, the ladies at Gri Gri were very kind. I know how annoying it is to feel attracted to a perfume that you can not get hold.
I will pop a sample of one of the collection in the post to three different APJ peeps.

Let me know what actually attracts you to a totally new fragrance. The perfumer, the story, the bottle ………. And which of the Gri Gri appeals to you?

kbaird

Gri Gri GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x Sample each of Gri Gri Perfume (One of the three fragrances in the line. NO you don’t get to choose)
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged. 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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Let me know what attracts you to a totally new fragrance. The perfumer, the story, the bottle ………. or which of the Gri Gri appeals to you?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 28th April 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 1st May 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.

Ames Soeurs by Joya + The Book Of Lost Fragrances by M.J.Rose 2012

April 22, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Fumies!

Something I find quite a few frag heads also love is reading, we are sensualists and love to dream. Today I’m looking at a fragrance inspired by a book, a book I enjoyed immensely. It’s a fun, fast paced thriller style pot boiler that has a very generous smattering of perfume and perfumer inside knowledge. Always nice to combine two loves.

Ames Soeurs by Joya 2012

Net-A-Porter

Net-A-Porter gives these featured accords:
Top: Tamarind, Grapefruit, Cypress
Heart: Rose Bulgar, Ginger, Orange Blossom
Base: Cedarwood, Incense, Amber, Sweet Musk

Ames Soeurs opens on me as a soft citrus and white flower, lightly laconic and breathy but not overly. It’s a mild mannered fragrance that is pretty and sweet, but not in a confectionary sense. Though I become less able to smell it after about an hour it has good projection and people notice it on me and comment favourably. The orange blossom and amber are the stars of the show for me and I could imagine Ames Sours becoming a popular go-to scent for someone who likes to smell nice but doesn’t want to smell overly perfumy. It shares a mood with such light and lovelies as La Chasse aux Papillons by L`Artisan Perfumer, Guerlain’s Aqua Allegorias and some of the Heeley fragrances.

Lasting power is excellent for a natural fragrance and I would never have guessed it to be one by the smell.

Net-A-Porter has $40/10ml roll on

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J.Rose 2012

Book Depository

From Book Depository: Jac L’Etoile is plunged into a world she thought she’d left behind when her brother, coheir to their father’s storied French perfumery, makes an earthshattering discovery in the family archives, and then suddenly goes missing–leaving a dead body in his wake. In Paris to investigate his disappearance, Jac becomes haunted by the legend of the House of L’Etoile. If there is an ancient perfume developed in Cleopatra’s time that holds the power to unlock memories of past lives, possessing it is not only worth living for…it’s worth killing for, too.

kbaird

Ames Soeurs GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 5ml Ames Soeurs rollerball decant
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a book you would like to see a fragrance created around…..

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 24th April 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 Thursday 28th April 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.