Sweet Anthem GIVEAWAY WINNER

May 15, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hiya APJ,

Thanks for getting involved in another wonderful GIVEAWAY! Thanks to Sweet Anthem and Azar for organising.

Portia xx

Sweet Anthem GIVEAWAY WINNER

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Complete set of 1 ml of the Enchanted Fragrances
P&H Anywhere in the world

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

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a favorite fairy tale character and a perfume he/she might wear

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 14th May 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winners will be chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen amberinblunderland

rincoglionita

The winners will have till Monday 18th May 2015 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.

Tihota by Francis Kurkdjian for Indult 2006

May 12, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 69 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Fragrant Salutations APJ

I picked up 140 kilos of chocolate on Monday morning. The beginning of a batshit crazy week. As many of you know, or will have gathered, I make cookies for living. Sounds cool huh? Indeed it has opened many doors and I am thankful. I have been supplying a chain of groovy, funky restaurants for the last four years. There are stores in Cologne, Munich, Salzburg and Innsbruck. I work in a kitchen too small to swing a cat in, located at the back of our bike shop. Glamorous does not spring to mind. The company has ventured into the coffee shop business and asked me if I would like to make the cakes and muffins for them. Starting with one store, a second coming along sometime over the next six weeks or so, and a third at the end of the summer. I thought it over for a couple of weeks and decided to give it a go. It all sounds so exciting on Facebook, or when talking to people. I seriously think it might kill me.

I am sat here banging this out after the opening of the store in Innsbruck yesterday evening. I am determined to have this post went to Portia before deadline. That is one of my new goals. (In-between having my head stuck in the oven, I will NOT be late any more!) I just got back from delivering 4 cakes and 50 muffins and you know what? I am really scared that I cannot do it. I think I have bitten off more than I can chew. Don´t tell anyone. I shall see how it goes over the next few weeks and if I can’t do it without having to check into a loony bin for a break then I shall go back to just doing their cookies.

Tihota by Francis Kurkdjian for Indult 2006

Deadlines, Muffins and the Fabled Tihota – a Sweet Giveaway

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vanilla, musk

Whatever! Let’s celebrate by sharing some of the fabled Tihota from Indult. What could be more appropriate in a “baking post” than vanilla huh? I love vanilla. Indeed I work with three different types, Mexican, Madagascar Bourbon, and Tahitian. The Tahitian vanilla is extremely expensive, has a wonderful cherry aroma, and I use it sparingly. Indult´s Tihota uses Tahitian vanilla. Tahitian vanilla is truly the most fragrant of all vanillas, a fruity floral vanilla. Tihota means “sugar” in Polynesian, so between sugar and vanilla you nearly have a cake. Tihota is a proper vanilla scent. A vanilla perfume for vanilla freaks. It has a heavy sillage and despite being sweet and musky, it is quite adult. It is very rich and caramelly. If you don’t care to wear your vanilla this won’t change your mind, and you will have to enjoy vanilla in your baked goods. I cannot imagine there is anyone out there who doesn´t like vanilla in one way or another. Is there? Tihota has epic lasting power. Notes seem to be musk and vanilla although I have seen tonka bean mentioned. (Musk is funny stuff though. I get it more in the cooler months in Tihota.)

Photo Donated Val

Tihota reached cult status over the years, especially when it was discontinued. Fortunately though, the Indult collection is now under new ownership and the fragrances are once more available. They are presented under their original formulations, as created by Francis Kurkdjian.

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies and Olfactoria’s Travels
First In Fragrance has €160/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $6/.5ml

Fancy trying Tihota? How do you take your vanilla? Inhaling or eating?

24 hours ’til deadline. I did it!!!

Exhausted Bussis
CQ

Photo Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Tihota GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will receive:
1 x decant from Val’s Tihota bottle
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a favorite vanilla fragrance or food

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 15th May 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Tuesday 19th May 2015 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.

Enchanted Fragrances by Meredith Smith for Sweet Anthem

May 11, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 41 Comments

Post by Azar

Every year I find at least one new fragrance to love from Sweet Anthem, Seattle. In 2014 I fell for Lolita. This year Meredith Smith has created a collection of perfumes representing fairy tale villains and heroines. Here are my impressions of the four “characters” in her 2015 “Enchanted Fragrances” Collection.

Enchanted Fragrances by Meredith Smith for Sweet Anthem

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Black Queen – listed notes: Apple, Linden Blossom, Oakmoss, Tonka Bean.

The Black Queen introduces herself as a luscious, fruity concoction wrapped in the comforting warmth of grassy, dried linden blossom and velvety tonka bean. At first I wonder how such a beauty could be a wicked queen? After five minutes the truth is revealed as the villainess proffers her apple, a genetically modified peachy pomme, smelling of potpourri, scented candles and apple pie. As I am heading to the sink to scrub her away the Black Queen once again entices with oakmoss, vanilla, cream and a pinch of salt. I take another bite. Perhaps she is the poisonous gourmand I have been searching for – a fruit from Rappaccini’s garden. The Black Queen is a powerful, long-lived personality. I crave her opening and dry down and am developing a taste for the “toxic” apple.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Red Queen – listed notes: Cardamom, Fig, Honey, Leather, Rose, White Pepper

As Portia is wont to say “Pow – right in the kisser!” The Red Queen grabs attention with a jab of smoky leather and honey. Within moments the scent of deep red rose and dry white pepper add another punch to the honeyed leather. As Red Queen dries down she mellows out and bursts open with sweet fig and cardamom, finishing with a vague reference to white patchouli. This villainess is a big, take no prisoners, long lasting leather and I love her. Red Queen is a new take on two of Meredith’s older fragrances, the Queen of Hearts and Maleficent. I can also detect something of my mother’s personal Sweet Anthem creation – Ruby.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Briar Rose – listed notes: Beeswax, Rose Otto, Tomato Leaf, White Amber

Briar Rose offers very little of her namesake rose. She is all tomato leaf, beeswax and amber from start to finish. I adore tomato leaf in perfume and for years have enjoyed Briar Rose’s scent sister, Sweet Anthem’s Joan. The fleeting rose I detect in Briar Rose comes only with the finish. This heroine is essentially a linear, one-dimensional beauty with a moderate to strong presence and amazing longevity.

Photo Stolen Pexels

Snow White – listed notes: Osmanthus, Petit Grain SFN, White Musk, Vetiver

Snow White is a shy girl with a split personality. She greets the wearer with sharp, green petitgrain-neroli then suddenly warms to golden osmanthus suffused with apricot and vanilla. Too soon Snow White displays her icy nature, a chilly combination of ozonic notes, hints of heliotrope, vetiver, frozen dirt and musk. I usually don’t care for snowy accords in fragrances but Meredith has handled the phantom heliotrope and obvious musk with care, creating an airy, invigorating chill, light as a feather and fresh as frost. These personalities conflict for an hour or so, finally settling as new fallen snow, melting and drying after 8 hours to a thin, musky vetiver.

Sweet Anthem perfumes are available online at Sweet Anthem (USA), Anthropologie (USA), Pretty Indulgent (Canada) and in several retail shops across North America.

Azar xx

Photo Stolen AllSteele

Sweet A GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Complete set of 1 ml of the Enchanted Fragrances
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us a favorite fairy tale character and a perfume he/she might wear

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 14th May 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Monday 18th May 2015 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.

Shopping My Collection May 2015

May 10, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hey there Frag Family,

One of the few problems that comes with writing about fragrance is that you are constantly testing stuff, old and new, so you can write about it. This means that you neglect your collection. I can’t speak for you obviously but I find that many of my dearest loves languish, so this week I decided to have at least one part of my day in fragrance from my collection. So you know I have 3 major fragrance wearing times: Daytime, Work and Sleep. Sometimes I’ll spritz the same thing three times but rarely.

So this week I challenged myself to use some of my loves, here is how it went….

Shopping My Collection May 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Shopping My Collection Day 1:

Day: Ambre 114 by Histoires de Parfums: Lovely soft amber, lightly spiced and sandalwooded.
Work/Evening: Ambre 114 by Histoires de Parfums: ^^^ Enjoyed it so much I wanted to do it again
Sleep: Sweet Oriental Dream by Montale: Like an ambered Turkish delight. Super sweet but totally wearable.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Shopping My Collection Day 2:

Day: Ambre 114 by Histoires de Parfums: ^^^ Enjoyed it so much I wanted to do it again
Work/Evening: Shalimar Vint. Parfum + EdP by Guerlain: The one. the magic, the divine creamy lemon vanilla sorbet and cat
Sleep: Tuberose Diabolique perfume oil by Ava Luxe: White flowers with a very sappy green feel, heady and sensual. MMMMMM

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Shopping My Collection Day 3:

Day: Lys Soleia by Guerlain:
Work/Evening: Un Matin d`Orage by Annick Goutal: Bright spicy white floral with a sandalwood and (musk/vanilla?) base
Sleep: Un Matin d`Orage by Annick Goutal: ^^ Loved it.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Shopping My Collection Day 4:

Day: ——-
Work/Evening: Kokorico by JPGaultier: Chocolate patchouli with an earthy vetiver backdraft. I think this should have been a huge hit for JPG
Sleep: Neroli & Orchidee by L’Occitane: Spritzed like crazy. I love this juicy fresh and warmly sensual frag. So simple and easy to wear for sweet dreams.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Shopping My Collection Day 5:

Day: Rima XI by Carner Barcelona: I think it’s the mint in the opening over the warm, sweet vanilla and resins that gets me every time.
Work/Evening: Rima XI by Carner Barcelona: ^^^ Really loved it this morning
Sleep: Vintage Mitsouko PdT by Guerlain: I could try to parse this glorious Queen but I think I’ll leave it to smell elegantly MMMMMitsouko.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Shopping My Collection Day 6:

Day: ~~Fille en A~~ Sorry interrupted when I was about to spritz, didn’t happen
Work/Evening: Miss Dior vintage EdT: OMFG! This is gorgeous beyond my expectations and it has a funky, resinous, amber/chocolate note that is very surprising. Whoa! BIG!
Sleep: Miss Dior vintage EdT on my chest/ Mer & Mistral by L’Occitane on my hand backs

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Shopping My Collection Day 7:

Day: Aqua Allegoria Tiare Mimosa by Guerlain: I love the gently white florals with only a touch of breathiness in this lovely springlike spritz.
Work/Evening: Fille en Aiguilles by Serge Lutens: Boozy, fruity, spicy roses. Awash in heavenly vapours. MMMMMM.
Sleep: Eau de Magnolia by Frederic Malle: Citrus, soft white floral and sheer warm dry down. A perfect finish to my Shop My Collection week.

Want to sample these lovelies? Try Surrender To Chance and My Perfume Samples

Do you ever find yourself wearing the samples and neglecting your bottles? Does it worry you or are you cool with that?
Portia xx

Byredo: Portia's Favourite 5 Byredo

May 10, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Hi Crew,

As you know I am now writing fortnightly for the crew at My Perfume Samples. Can’t express fully to you how proud I feel to be asked to write for them. Excellent crew with great prices and service. This week there is also a wicked Byredo GIVEAWAY!.

Portia’s 5 Byredo Favourites – My Perfume Samples

Please go check out my personal favourite Byredo fragrances. They all have special meaning through my own enjoyment or because they are my close friends fragrances. Byredo has excellent quality and interesting mixtures yet still retain the wearability that I love in a good fragrance.

Portia’s 5 Byredo Favourites – My Perfume Samples

While you’re there please leave me a hello so I know you’ve dropped by, your response is your entry into the GIVEAWAY.

Also, It makes me happy to see you all around the web.

Portia xx

Rose Pivée by L`Artisan Parfumeur 2015

May 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hey there Fragrance Fiends,

Embarrassing story. I was given a 15ml pre release sample of this by Nick from Libertine Parfumerie to review if I liked it. The bottle is simple and nondescript and the writing in gold so since there was so much bigger and boxed stuff in my swag that day I have completely overlooked this one. What a dumbass.

Rose Pivée by L`Artisan Parfumeur 2015

Rose Pivée by Bertrand Duchaufour and Stephanie Bakouche

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Basil, lilac, carnation, hay, magnolia, may rose, patchouli, violet leaf, amber

Green and sparkling herbal opening that feels a little citric and aldehydic, spicy carnation reacts beautifully with the herbs feeling like the new days dawn and yes, there is a lovely fruity rose creeping in that smells like it’s warming in the morning sun. A crystalised rose, completely unsweetened, cool and sophisticated and I get a flawless lemon blossom that floats through the heart absolutely effortlessly. A creamy lemon silk chiffon scarf drifting through the rosiness and a little hint of breathy indole too.

Photo Stolen Geograph

Weird, after about 4 hours all I smell is a fluffy white musk that feels clean and fresh like laundry just out of the dryer.

Having read a bunch of reviews now it’s interesting that so many people call Rose Privée a chypre. I get none of the earthy, bitter or mossy dry down you’d expect from a chypre here at all. Clearly my skin or nose is not giving or getting some notes that are completely obvious to noses that I trust much better than mine. All I get is a soft and fluffy musk, clean and neat. BUM!

It’s a shame because the first hour or so is absolutely lovely and as I have my Aunty Tracey here with me too we are both adoring the opening and keep resptitzing so the opening hour can be relived over and again. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon/evening really especially when you add to it a very healthy serve of Take Away Chinese with Jin & Kath in the middle.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Do I love Rose Privée? No, but I do like it very much. Will I be buying a bottle? I think Rose Privée a little soft and innocent for my tastes though I think it a perfect gifting fragrance or office scent, the quality is lovely and the soft whisper of spring it conjures smells really beautiful on my Aunty. If you like to be subtly scented then Rose Privée may be a perfect choice for you.

Further reading: Megan In St Maxime and Bois de Jasmin
Libertine Parfumerie has Rose Privée
Parfum1 has $120/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5.40/ml

Roses, roses, roses! What are your favourites?
Portia xx

La Religieuse by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2015

May 7, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hi APJ,

Jasmine is such an important scent for me. Like gardenia, jasmine is the scent of my childhood summers in Sydney. Jasmine blossomed all around the neighbourhood and in our backyard. It was the scent of swimming in our pool on a long, sweaty December night; it was the scent of walking the dogs in the early summer evening when the humid air would gently caress the white petals and fill the pale sky with their intoxicating perfume; it was the scent of carefree and happy, languid days.

And yet, when it comes to perfume, jasmine is a really difficult note for me. The indolic nature of the flower tends to overwhelm on my skin, turning the scent from something that should be magnificently beautiful to something that more resembles, say, cat’s pee. Jasmine can often go so wrong on me, sour, sharp and just generally dreadful. I’ve tried so many in an effort to capture that wonderful scent of my childhood, often to no avail.

La Religieuse by Serge Lutens 2015

La Religieuse by Christopher Sheldrake

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Jasmine, musk, civet and incense

Therefore, it was with a mix of trepidation and excitement that I tested the latest release from Serge Lutens, La Religieuse, some weeks ago. I’d read that it was a softer jasmine than the houses other offerings: A La Nuit and Sarassins, but would it be a mess on my skin or would it be that gorgeous soft jasmine that I really wanted?

I can happily say its the latter. La Religieuse is one of the only new releases lately that has gone straight on my full bottle to buy list, it is that beautiful and perfect to me.

Photo Stolen Flickr

I find the notes list quite misleading because the scent for me is a light, green and sweet jasmine. La Religieuse opens up sharp and slightly indolic but with a beautiful verdancy that keeps my nose to my wrist. The overall effect is of being enveloped into masses of jasmine bushes awaiting to bloom – you get the green, lush smell of the leaves and just a promise of scent from the delicate white unopened tendrils.

The jasmine then comes to the fore and it’s quite fruity and playful, underscored by the almondy powder scent of mimosa. It’s this slight marzipan-sweet vibe that I find unusual and beautiful and such an interesting twist and contrast to the green to white floral vibe. It’s a fairly linear scent, somewhat quiet and yet resolute and yet joyful at the same time.

La Religieuse may not please those who like big, thick indolic jasmines, but it’s just a perfect scent for me that has just felt completely right every time I’ve worn it. It’s also a good choice for any occasion, light enough for the office, elegant enough for a little black dress and comforting enough for those days when one just wants a sense of solitude and peace.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Further reading: Persolaise and Perfume Posse
Luckyscent has $150/50ml
Surrender to Chance has samples starting at $4.50/0.5ml

Have you tried La Religieuse? What did you think? What are your favourite jasmines? What perfumes remind you of your childhood?

With much love till next time!
M xx

Rosa Damascaena: 10 Fragrant Rose Oil Recipes

May 6, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

“Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.“
Gertrude Stein

Rose essential oil is sometimes referred to as Attar of Rose or Rose Otto. It is steam distilled and the most expensive way to buy rose oil. Many other rose oils are actually “absolutes”, which refers to the way in which the scented oil has been extracted. This method is not very natural, often with chemicals used to extract the scented essence.

I’m hoping that one day soon we will start to see more CO2 extracts of rose available, which are more environmentally friendly (even though it doesn’t sound like it), and actually extracts more of the plant or flower than steam distillation does. Check out my article “What are CO2 Extracts in the World of Aromatherapy?” for more info.

Rosa Damascaena: 10 Fragrant Rose Oil Recipes

Photo Stolen Flickr

On to some recipes.
I will give you some recipes using Rosa Damascaena 3% rose oil and some using pure rose oil. Rose oil is mostly sold already mixed in a 3% ratio with jojoba mainly because of the cost. See my article for more info on 3% blends in jojoba.

1. Rosa Damascaena: Facial Oil Treatment

Mix one or two drops of essential oil in one teaspoon of carrier oil. You can warm the oil slightly first if desired – it will be very relaxing! Massage your face and rest for 10 minutes. You can also place a cool or warm wet face cloth on your face as a compress over the oil mask. Remove excess oil with a tissue or cloth if necessary.

Rose 3% 6 drops

Rose pure 2 drops in a teaspoon of oil

2. Rosa Damascaena: Pure Pulse Point Perfume

In a little dish mix these oils and anoint your pulse points or chakras – 3 drops of essential oils and dilute with a few drops of carrier oil – always patch test first!
*All with 3% rose oil

“Sense and Sensibility”
Rose 3% 3 drops
Rose Geranium 1 drop
Nutmeg 1 drop

“Lovin Myself”
Rose 3% 4 drops
Lemon 2 drops

“Queen”
Rose 3% 6 drops
Indian Rosewood 1 drop (Dalbergia sissoo)

“Single Pointed Intention”
Rose 3% 4 drops
Orange 1 drop
Patchouli 1 drop

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

3. Rosa Damascaena: Nourishing Body Oil Blend

For a coat of your body use 3 teaspoons of carrier oil in a little dish and, add 7 – 8 drops of essential oil. It’s always best to patch test first, before you apply all over.

***** Always put the drops of essential oil into the bottle or dish first, then add the carrier oil. It gives the scents time to create a synergistic fusion.

For a 50ml bottle of oil add 25 drops and see my articles “Ratios for Blending Essential Oils – A Reminder of the Basics” and “Aromatherapy – It’s Easy as 1 2 3”

*All with 3% rose oil so the ratios from my standards above, will differ slightly

“Softly”
Rose 3% 6 drops
Peru Balsam 2 drops
Bergamot 2 drops

“One Fine Day”
Rose 3% 6 drops
Geranium 2 drops
Juniper 2 drops

“Wish”
Rose 3% 9 drops
Neroli 3% 4 drops

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

4. Rosa Damascaena: Personal Aura Cleansing Mist & Room Mist

In a 50ml mist bottle filled with water add 25 drops of oil

(depending on the packaging you have, you may need to use a little alcohol -like vodka- at the bottom of your bottle first, so the oils disperse into smaller drops to prevent clogging the atomiser top. I’ve found sometimes it works just with water, and sometimes it doesn’t – very annoying!)

*All using pure rose oil

“Pure Magic”
Rose 6 drops
Ylang Ylang 4 drops
Mandarin 8 drops
Cypress 7 drops

“Wild”
Rose 8 drops
Black Spruce 8 drops
Australian Sandalwood 7 drops

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas. See my article about intention.

Check out my YouTube channel too, thanks.

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

Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Amazon USA Amazon AU Amazon UK

La Chasse aux Papillons by Anne Flipo for L`Artisan Parfumeur 1999

May 3, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hi there Spring Lovers,

For all my love of L’Artisan and my high regard for their pioneering and delicate beauty for some reason I never bothered much with today’s offering. It was too ephemeral, not high octane enough and in compariso to my big time white florals it was a pip squeak. The other week though Nick from Libertine Parfumerie gave me a RollerBall and asked me to give it a whirl and so it was with trepidation that I thanked him and took possession of this lovely slim yet hefty glass bottle, sized so perfectly for handbags and even top drawers of desks, a perfect emergency back up.

La Chasse aux Papillons by L`Artisan Parfumeur 1999

La Chasse aux Papillons by Anne Flipo

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine, lime blossom, white flowers

Expecting to be annoyed by the fleetingness of La Chasse aux Papillons as I have been in the spritz version it came as a big surprise that the roller application does not burn off so quickly. I think it allows you to get more juice on your body and the lack of frisson and aeration could mean that it lifts more slowly. Whatever the reason I am getting around 4 hours of noticeable white flower with projection, not enormous after the second hour but I remain softly fragrant.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

How does La Chasse aux Papillons smell? Well, imagine a room full of white flowers. You have tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine all together in a massed display. It’s a warm spring afternoon so you’ve opened the living room doors and outside the grass is rippling in a soft breeze and you are happy. Maybe you’ve stolen a slice of orange off the table but all the meat has been eaten and you are left with the white pith and rind and as you stand in the doorway there are waves of white flowers that float out from the house and then when the wind changes what you get is fresh air, grass and citrus floating back around you yet still there is the all pervading gothic smell of the death of white flowers. It’s both light as air and heavy as the crisp red cotton damask table cloth, tranquil and languid. You feel both energised and enervated, it’s like the heavy charged air before a storm and similar in texture to that shimmery green that often happens after one.

Photo Stolen Libertine

There is a breathy, indolic quality to La Chasse aux Papillons, but the breath and flesh of a healthy young person. L’Artisan has tried to capture in a bottle the fun of a summer day with kids chasing butterflies and laughing. I find La Chasse aux Papillons too crisp and refreshing for summer, in my mind we are definitely in spring and the world is bursting with growth and promise. Am I crazy? Nobody mentions that there is a lovely wallop of musks in the dry down, am I smelling it wrong? Considering La Chasse aux Papillons was created in 1999 it is surprisingly modern and hasn’t dated at all.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

I wore about five of my 7.5ml over Jin and my Singapore & South Korea 2015 trip. It was perfect for planes, shopping, eating and sight seeing. I would get soft wafts from my neck and arms that made me smile and melt inside a little every time. Never overpowering and excellent to counteract the ghastly stench of a longish plane ride, a little dab on my hand and the world smells beautiful again.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and EauMG
Libertine has $54/7.5ml
L’Artisan UK has £15/7.5ml
L’Artisan USA has $25/7.5ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Have you spent time with La Chasse aux Papillons? Are its softly muted white flowers your style?
Portia xx

Ambre Vie by Christi Meshell for House of Matriarch 2012

April 30, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by FeralJasmine

I love amber and there is probably no note that I wear more regularly. I have different ambers for different seasons, but I adore them all. I am considering adding Ambre Vie to my line-up and am weighing my decision and seeking enablement.

Ambre Vie by Christi Meshell for House of Matriarch 2012

Ambre Vie: Soft Amber Waves

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Ambreine (labdanum), resins, mimosa petals, davana (artemisia), costus, amber, natural musk

Ambre Vie is an all-natural vanillic amber. It’s beautifully smooth and opens with a soft wave of spices and mimosa, but nothing dramatic. From the moment of spraying it smells somehow “settled,” as if it has melded with skin. I find it very hard to differentiate the various spice notes from one another. The labdanum is smooth and supple. The vanilla is there from the beginning, but it is soft and low-key and serves just to round out the amber. There is a dessert-wine, Tokai-like note which is probably the balsamic note referred to on Fragrantica. There are soft sweet powdery undertones, which I love in amber perfumes. On me it’s very soft and work-appropriate. Over the course of an hour the winey and mimosa notes disappear and the powder is a little more pronounced, but other than that it’s pretty linear. The remarks on House of Matriarch’s website refer to the drydown “becoming mysteriously stronger with time,” and all I can say is, not on me. It’s a skin scent within 90 minutes and gone at the two-hour mark.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

A commenter on Fragrantica calls it a “reference amber” and I agree with this. It’s like your perfect pound cake recipe that, while not being in any way unusual, is always delicious and never lets you down. Another Fragrantica commenter, Deadidol, says “Like its closest analog, HdP’s Ambre 114, this scent utilizes more than 100 materials to achieve its effect, yet the result is largely free from bombast. There’s musk lurking beneath, but it merges with the buttery tones of the base to keep from announcing itself too loudly. Similarly, soft, smoky notes appear alongside what seems to be clove, but these notes never get close enough the surface for full recognition.”

When I dream of the perfect workhorse amber perfume to suit all occasions and seasons and never call unwanted attention to itself (while inviting the wanted kind!), it’s pretty much like Ambre Vie. I wish it were more intense and lasted longer, and if it did, I wouldn’t be deliberating, I would be buying. I suspect that this is unique to my perfume-eating skin, because commenters have reported that it does last several hours on them. But ultimately I will almost surely buy a bottle because it is so very pretty, so well-made, and so right.

Photo Stolen SteamRadio

Further reading: hausofwaft
House of Matriarch starts from $24/3.3ml

Speak to me of amber! What are your favorite perfumes based on this lovely note?
FeralJasmine x