My Perfume Samples – New Atomisers

October 31, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Hey there APJ Crew,

When I’m looking for mainstream, and some niche, fragrances my first stop will be My Perfume Samples. I love that they get cheaper if you buy more than 1ml, often by more than half! They are reliable, packaged beautifully and the range is really good of stuff you often can’t get at the niche sample stores.

My Perfume Samples – New Atomisers

The crew at My Perfume Samples have recently changed to plastic atomisers so I wrote asking why they would do this and if there had been appropriate testing done to make sure their precious cargo was not being contaminated. Here’s their response….

From My Perfume Samples: The plastic atomizers that we use are completely sterile and safe. The plastic used in our atomizers is food grade plastic. It has been approved to package water and food products so it is completely safe to hold the perfume that you will spray on your skin.
We tested the atomizers for several months, carrying samples in our bags, purses, storing in our vanities and a number of other places before introducing them to our customers. We wanted to be sure that the fragrances retained the same exact scent as when we decanted them into the sample bottle. Once we were able to confirm that the smell of the scent in all of our samples was retained over many months in a number of storage conditions we began using them to decant customer orders.
We do not re-use the atomizers on different scents and do not recommend refilling an atomizer with a scent different from the one originally decanted into it. Some customers have expressed success doing this and reuse the plastic atomizers with their own fragrances however, we have not tested this with the plastic or glass atomizers.
We believe the plastic atomizers to be superior to the glass that we previously used because they are food grade, easier to screw open and closed, have a wider mouth for refilling, the spray is more consistent and we have far less damage occurring in transit.

Here are some of their great prices:
Light Blue Femme by Dolce & Gabbana: $2/ml up to $7/5ml
Sensuous Nude by Estee Lauder: $2.50/ml up to $7.50/5ml
Tubéreuse Criminelle by Serge Lutens: $3.50/ml up to $10.50/5ml
Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne Intense by Jo Malone: $5/ml up to $15/5ml

I think those prices are incredibly reasonable.

Portia xx

Moon Dust by MiN New York 2014

October 29, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Trésor

All of my closest friends will tell you that I am particularly fond of nightfall. How with the sepulchral toll of the bell reverberating upon the witching hour my neurons electrify and I feel alive, in tune and illuminated by the muses once more. Along with this nightly revivisence comes an exquisite and pensive solace, a period of magnificent alleviation where I can be with my own thoughts and allow myself the time to experience a cherished potion who’s vapours are for my nose and my nose alone. It is now when I reach for the transcendent and beguilingly abstract and set off on a journey beyond corporeal manifestations. It is now when I reach for Moon Dust.

Moon Dust by MiN New York 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Leather, soil tincture, musk, benzoin

As you step out of the airlock and on to the ashen lunar terrain you are received by the unmistakable aroma of flint striking cold, galvanized steel and releasing a lambent display of sparks into the atmosphere. Glacial and mineralic, this sequence is in the same breath both galactic and so deeply familiar. Moments later your body is enraptured within the fluidic chill of water rushing through a labryinth of river rocks, polished like glass by eons of cosmic erosion. It is this phase in particular which brings tears to my eyes, the reminiscence of playing with rocks in the small brook nestled behind my grandparent’s home as a child. A simple memory of absolute peace and splendid joy.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

An almost iridescent haze of tobacco infuses the air and scintillates as if imbued by wet earth flecked with shards of precious, gleaming stone. It is an exquisite oscillation of a tangible, native realm and that of another dimension, one both rigidly industrial and poetic in its beauty. As you begin your descent back down to the Earthly dominion you can feel the brisk ozone of the stratosphere filling your lungs, an invigorating aurora and olfactory contrast I’ve never quite experienced before. As your feet finally rest upon terra firma a cloak of tarry, ink hued musk rises from the dust below and kisses you with lips lacquered with a candied nuance of benzoin. It is within this human aura that Moon Dust becomes evanescent and bids the senses a resplendent farewell.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

This fragrance is not so much a prototypical perfume as it is a conceptual olfactory expedition, defying convention while preserving an enigmatic enchantment that is only present within creations authored with a great deal of love and profound passion. If you are one who revels in the midst of an vanguard splendor I urge you to spend some time experiencing this contemporary aromatic landscape.

Further reading: Colognoisseur and What Men Should Smell Like
MinNY has $240/75ml

The vapours of Moon Dust are diffuse but not at all audacious, with a longevity of around 6 to 8 hours on my perfume devouring skin.

Trésor x

Catamara Rosarium of Rosarium Blends: Interview

October 27, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Azar

Catamara Rosarium is the perfumer, ritual artist, alchemist and master herbalist behind Rosarium Blends. She not only creates stunning, magical natural fragrances and incense but also offers an extensive line of philtres, salves, essential oils and related items as well as consultations on the Rosarium Blends websitehttp://rosariumblends.com/.

Photo Donated Catamara

I met Catamara and her partner, distiller and perfumer Marcus McCoy (House of Orpheus), at the second Annual Seattle Artisan Fragrance Salon in May. Catamara generously provided me with a number of samples to take home. I have fallen in love with her rich, energetic fragrances and will be writing more about them in the coming months.

Today it is my pleasure to ask Catamara a few questions for APJ.

I have been wondering about your background in alchemy, herbalism and magick. Did you grow up in the craft? When did you realize that you were drawn to these ancient arts and sciences?

I have been drawn to the craft since I was a young girl though I didn’t have any way to access any real information or know anyone who did until my late teens. I became profoundly immersed into various traditions from 1997 to present. My passion for making herbal concoctions began about 10 years ago and I’ve become deeply obsessed with the ancient arts and sciences involved with alchemy and the herbal arts ever since.

What does it mean to you to be a ritual artist?

I started using the term ‘ritual artist’ as a way I felt best described dance collaborations I was involved with in times past. I integrated tribal belly dance movement with the invocation of particular deities or god forms during the performance –therefore I wasn’t just belly dancing, I was invoking and embodying that energy as an integral part of the performance. The term ‘ritual artist’ has transmuted and has been more directly focused into my work in the plant kingdom. All of my formulas are created in a ritual setting during specific astrological elections, planetary hours and lunar cycles. Each product I create has specific energies I invoke ritually while concocting, drawn down into the matter to charge and assist in furthering the embodiment of the charm.

How does alchemy and your working knowledge of the elemental processes figure into the creation of your natural perfumes?

Every plant has specific energies that can be worked with magickally. My formulas are first determined by researching all plants and the lore that may be specifically related (in varying ways) to the formula I wish to create. I do not simply mix scents together because they smell good, I focus first on the energy I want to alchemicalize by combining what I know of each with the other. The process of knowing how much of each scent I select to blend thereafter is an intuitive process.

Your fragrances are created with the help of carefully crafted charms and powerful spiritual personalities and are designed to be used to manifest specific, life changing results. With that in mind do you consider your natural perfumes appropriate for everyone to enjoy casually as beautiful personal scents?

People are attracted to scent for a variety of reasons. When speaking to customers about which blends they are drawn to (before knowing what it was designed for), I often find them to be pleasantly surprised when they learn of the meaning and how it applies in their current life circumstances. While my blends are carefully crafted for various purposes, they will work with great success if worn with intention and on a subtle level. Otherwise I do believe they can be enjoyed and worn casually, and believe that if someone is attracted to the scent it is likely they will appreciate the effects as well.

Can you describe your relationships with green intelligence and the spirits of the plant kingdom? Do disciplines like vegetalismo and curanderismo figure into your work as a perfumer?

Each plant has an intelligence or genii connected to it, is a great teacher, and there is a myriad of ways to connect with them. My relationship is that of a student and they direct me in which ways to work with them. My work with Vegetalismo has introduced me to perfumes shamans work with during ceremony, of which my partner and I have created two blends inspired by this, ‘Agua de Palo Santo’ and ‘Agua de Flora’. Curanderismo factors in by my emphasis on creating blends that have a psycho-spiritual healing effect to cause change.

I have been enjoying the beautiful photos of your “poison garden” on facebook. (Poison gardens remind me of the Nathaniel Hawthorne short story “Rappaccini’s Daughter”.) As a gardener I am well aware that at least half of the plants I cultivate are poisonous. These plants are, for the most part, simply protecting themselves with alkaloids, saponins etc. Why do you maintain a poison garden and what have you learned from keeping a garden devoted specifically to poisonous plants?

I have always been drawn to the beauty, blessing and bane of those plants that are deemed ‘poisonous’. I love sitting with them through all cycles of their life, during the day and nighttime hours in communion and meditation. I am fascinated by the complexity of their blooms, seeds, roots, thorns, leaves, vines, etc, each with purpose. I believe everything is a poison and can harm you in excess. The poison garden requires deep respect, honor, intuition and knowledge.

As a self described “Sorcerous, Hermetic, Alchemist, Tantric, Witch” how do you view the world of mainstream perfumery? Is there any magic left in the corporate world of scent?

The beautiful thing about scent is that it is linked to our brain and connects to our memory. It is deeply connected to our emotional state and has an impact on our behavior whether we realize it or not. Once we have made a connection with it, scent can instantaneously transport us to times past and give us a feeling of comfort, arousal, love, hate, rage, etc. Scent can have positive effects on our mood, reduce stress, trigger arousal, increase self-confidence and much more. This is truly amazing and I believe that any scent whether hand crafted by a witch or artisan perfumer, or mass-produced in the corporate world, has the ability to effect people and trigger emotion or feelings within.

Rosarium Blends have a terrific selection in their Rosarium Blends online shop<<JUMP

Thank you so much, Catamara, for taking the time to enlighten us here at APJ. I am looking forward to reviewing your fragrances in a future post.
Azar

*All pictures donated by Rosarium Blends

1270 Frapin GIVEAWAY WINNERS

October 27, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Hey Crew,

Thanks for jumping on board this one. I hope you all are loving our spectacular giveaways lately. I think there are a good cross section of products we are getting out there for you to try. As always we do it with you in mind as a thank you for you support and love.
Portia xx

1270 Frapin GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Dried orange, pineapple, hazelnut, resins, dried plums, cocoa, tonka, coffee
Heart: Lime blossom, linden tree, pepper, spices, dried fruits
Base: Wood, Guaiac wood, white honey, vanilla

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml 1270 by Frapin decant
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 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 about a sweet or boozy fragrance that makes you smile, either because you wear it or because it has happy associations

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3hb 1270 by Frapin GIVEAWAY #Perfume #Giveaway @LibertineParfum

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 26th October 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen quiltelegance

Undina (via Twitter)

Bradley Woolslayer

The winners will have till Thursday 30th October 2014 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.

Piguet Fracas vs Versace Blonde: Perfume Smackdown

October 26, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by Willa Zheng

Hello APJers,

This series is as much as for myself, to navigate, curate and ultimately cull my collection to a more sane level. Let’s begin.

Fracas vs Blonde: Battle of the Tuberoses – Perfume Smackdown

Fracas 3.0 and Donatella’s MK II

Few fragrances inspire the near obsessive devotion as the fans for Robert Piguet’s Fracas. Maybe that’s because it’s so different to other offerings on the market or because of the type of women who wear it (Madonna, Courtney Love, Isabella Blow, Marlene Dietrich). Ever since Fracas went downhill in the late 70s (and later discontinued), several such women took it upon themselves to recreate this iconic take-no-prisoner carnal fragrance.

The legend on the internet goes that Fracas was one of Donatella’s favourite fragrances. When Versace wanted to launch a fragrance in 1995 in honour of Donatella, they knew that they needed to create something just like Fracas, which was at the time traded by Adrien Arpel and smelt unlike Germaine Cellier’s creation. The perks of being a Versace!

But then the Robert Piguet brand got sold to Joe Garces of Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics, who hired Pierre Negrin to resurrect Fracas faithfully in an IFAS-compliant form in 1999. With Fracas back on the counters, Donatella retired her Fracas Mk II.

Portia has reviewed the Blonde EDT here in the past. I own the Parfum and will be battling this against my Fracas EDP bottle, circa 2012.

Fracas vs Blonde Opening experience

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

BaseNotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, Mandarin, Hyacinth, Green notes
Heart: Tuberose, Jasmine, Orange Flower, Lily of the valley, White iris, Violet, Jonquil, Carnation, Coriander, Peach, Osmanthus, Pink geranium
Base: Musk, Cedar, Moss, Sandalwood, Orris, Vetiver, Tolu balsam

The opening of Fracas is like being smacked in the face with a pot of makeup. It’s a swirling jumble of carnation, jasmine, geranium and lilac, tied altogether by mandarin. It’s loud, brash, and jaggedy.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Gardenia, Pitosporum, violet, orange blossom, bergamot
Heart: Tuberose, daffodil, ylang-ylang, carnation, pepper
Base: Benzoin, sensual musk, civet, sandalwood

Versace Blonde opens as a cashmere-soft (violet) buttery gardenia-orange blossom with ripples of a sheer green hyacinth juice running through its vein. Blonde is noticeably greener than Fracas. It’s very harmonious, sensual and confident. The Versace Blonde woman (or man) is sexy, she knows it and she doesn’t feel the need to flash that fact in your face.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Fracas vs Blonde: The main event

Fracas becomes less muddled after 30minutes. There’s creamy orange blossom and dewy honeysuckle weaving through a jasmine and iris-violet cosmetic powder base. It sinks, attempts to get up and then falls into a creamy orange blossomy puddle again. That watery thin creaminess, mixed with cosmetic powder scent, reminds me of another classic white floral, White Shoulders.

Blonde, by contrast, becomes more radiant, a wedding bouquet of every white floral you can imagine – a la Giorgio Beverly Hills. It’s heavy on the jasmine, made dry and green by the addition of lily of the valley, hyacinth and daffodils. There is also tuberose and ylang ylang. However, it is all very smooth and even, like a creamy white bar of triple milled Jasmine-Lily pebble soap.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Fracas vs Blonde: Drydown

The biggest difference between Fracas and Blonde exists towards the end. Fracas develops a distinctive dry soothing sandalwood with a little bit of oakmoss and vetiver. It’s rubbery, woody and my mind is tripping. Without a doubt, FM’s Carnal Flower was based on the drydown of Fracas. Very carnal indeed.

Versace Blonde parfum by this stage is very faint, and smells like you’ve had a shower with the aforementioned soap. It’s linear, clean and frankly unremarkable.

Surrender To Chance has samples of both for your own Smack Down

Have you tried them? What is your verdict?
Willa X

Mademoiselle Guerlain by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2014

October 25, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Heya Lovers of Fine Fragrance,

Today I want to look at a decant I’ve had lying around here for a while but never seem to get to. Why has it lain forlorn and unloved? Who knows, sometimes it happens around here. What I did do yesterday after my bath though was spritz myself and WOW! So I spritzed again for work and now I am wearing it again. Masterpiece? Naah, but enjoyable? YES

Fragrantica says: Mademoiselle Guerlain is chic, elegant, cheerful Parisian scent. It is launched in 2014 in the exclusive Guerlain collection, but in fact it is the same fragrance as La Petite Robe Noire 2 from 2011 in a new bottle and a new name.

Mademoiselle Guerlain by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Galbanum, bergamot, lemon
Heart: Iris, orange blossom, marshmallow
Base: Vanilla, leather, white musk

There hasn’t been very much written about Mademoiselle Guerlain except to announce its coming and to tell us its history. As you may know I love Guerlain and most of their offerings work for me on some level so I was super dooper excited when told they were going to re-release the LPRN2 that I was 100% sure would be a million times more me than LPRN original, which I like very much most days but sometimes it’s like being suffocated by a macaroon.

Photo Stolen Flickr

I have spent a couple of days wearing Mademoiselle Guerlain now. Its green opening is at once sticky and cool, like the first gulp of a soft drink on a warm day. Refreshing but not thirst quenching. Interesting……. This initial frisson sadly lasts too briefly and the sugar enters like Pez or pastilles wrapped in marshmallow. Reads as if it’s TOTALLY disgusting, right? It’s not, it is sweet and fun and youthful, though not particularly sophisticated. Slowly the orange blossom, vanilla and iris bloom together underneath the sweetness and now you can feel that the whole fragrance has a lovely depth, here is where Mademoiselle Guerlain becomes a Guerlain. Something better than its contemporaries, frankly it is beautiful. Lavish but subtle, you won’t skunk people with Mademoiselle Guerlain unless you are in a fragphobic environment. Fragrant but not imposing or intimidating, Mademoiselle Guerlain will never be mistaken for a 1980s BIG WHITE FLORAL. Pretty and delicate, lovely and wearable through the heart I feel that Mademoiselle Guerlain could have been a best seller if offered in a less expensive flaccon and size.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Dry down is an intimate, musky and fluffy confectionery barely tempered by a hint of leather, after 6 hours I am still softly fragrant and putting my head into my top to smell I can definitely get wafts. Nothing stands out to me at this point but it’s a sweet and attractive wash rather than discernible notes. Nothing earth shattering but very nice, wearable in that modern sweet white musk way. I guarantee that Mademoiselle Guerlain will be a hit if you gift it, even to the least interested in fragrance, as long as they like sweet fragrances. There is nothing new or confrontational in the dry down for them, it could very well be a better quality celebuscent ending.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Further reading: Perfume Shrine
Guerlain Flagship Stores and some large Department Stores have Mademoiselle Guerlain
My Mademoiselle Guerlain came from a split, thanks RuthK
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $3.30/.5ml

Did you ever try La Petite Robe Noire 2 when it was available? Are you a fan of the original La Petite Robe Noire? What do you think of the Bee Bottle and pink juice?
Portia xx

1270 by Sidonie Lancesseur for Frapin 2010

October 24, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

Hi there Perfume Junkies,

How are you all? Hopefully happy and well. If not happy, remember emotions are like rain, you can’t control them and they will pass, hugging you from here. XXX

We have talked about 1270 on APJ before, have loved its sweet, shimmery, boozy fun. I was going through stuff and found a really big decant that had come from Dalbir at Aussie fragrance Network on FB me ages ago. What better way to celebrate a find than to share it around.

1270 by Sidonie Lancesseur for Frapin 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Sweet and sugared glace fruits, dipped in booze and pepper, fizzy, fun and fabulous. I am finding myself more and more in love with the fruity sweet frags lately. How did I come so late to this?

A little of the fun of Angel and Liberté but softer and gentler. A small reminder of a Serge Lutens boozy fruit opening too. Yet for all these reminders 1270 manages to be its own animal, something young and lovely that will grab you in its sugared embrace and sweep you off to the ball, there’s even an animalic honey. You want to smell a little like the masses but BETTER? 1270 offers a gold plated version that dries down to a lovely sweet vanilla for me.

Photo Stolen Flickr

If you are a serious perfumista who wants a three ring circus and all the bells and whistles I think this is about as close as a sweet fruity frag will take you, for anyone who merely wants to smell sweet and intoxicatingly alluring then 1270 should be on your list, to be honest you’ll probably want to buy a pallet of it.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Another Perfume Blog
Libertine Parfumerie has $199/100ml (with FREE postage in Australia)
First In Fragrance has €110/100ml and samples
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

I think you should at least give 1270 a whirl, you may just be surprised,

Portia xx

Photo Stolen sassisamblog

1270 Frapin GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml 1270 by Frapin decant
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us about a sweet or boozy fragrance that makes you smile, either because you wear it or because it has happy associations

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3hb 1270 by Frapin GIVEAWAY #Perfume #Giveaway @LibertineParfum

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 26th October 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 30th October 2014 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.

Absolue Pour Le Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2010

October 23, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Erica Golding

Hi! Today, I would like to share my love for an intensely sexy work of art that has been getting a lot of steady attention.

Absolue Pour Le Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2010

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Maison Francis Kurkdjian lists the following accords on its website:
Benzoin from Siam, Bulgarian and Iranian rose, honey, incense absolute, ylang ylang, cumin, Atlas cedar and sandalwood

The first time I sniffed Absolue Pour Le Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian (affectionately dubbed “MFK APLS” in fragrance circles), I was popping open a sample vial gifted to me from a precious new friend. She had tucked it into a packet labeled “Favorites,” and that was the only sales pitch I needed. However, when I opened the vial and sensed the first waft of fragrance, all I could think was that it was too much for me – too intense, too animalic, too concentrated. A few days later, upon reading glowing praise in a review, I decided to try the Cologne Pour Le Soir sample that she had also included in the same packet. The simpler composition and cologne dilution of this fragrance allowed me to experience the key notes without being overwhelmed, and unlocked my heart. Passionately, I enjoyed the cologne’s thickly rich dark honey, incense with musky resins, and amber’s benzoin woody-vanillic swirl. I thought to myself, if the cologne was so magical on my skin, then I should give the Absolue a chance.

Photo Stolen Flickr

The next night, I graced my skin with one drop from the wand-capped vial of Absolue Pour Le Soir. It blossomed into an incredibly deep, powdery honey, a viscous scent with accents of warm precious woods and spices, and a haze of resinous incense drifting lazily. It’s the honey that made me purr, it’s truly sensual – erotic, honestly. There was a hint of rose in the opening that made me think of rose petals floating in a bathtub, a luxurious excess that yields simple, pure delight.

As I have been getting to know APLS more intimately and being more courageous with the volume I apply, I have fallen completely in love, sailing past infatuation and into blind devotion. It’s not for everyone, proceed with caution – the intensity and unrepentant sexuality of this perfume can be challenging, especially if you aren’t prepared for it or dive in too deep, too fast. However, for those of us who have synchronized our souls to this extraordinary aroma, it can bring us to tears.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

In my opinion, this is primarily an evening fragrance, although I’m sure true lovers rock this at any hour of the day. The fragrance is concentrated, and lasts a long time on the skin with impressive throw. A little goes a long way, no need to slather and Sex Panther everyone in your wake! Wear this when your focus of the night is romance, and wear it with pride and confidence.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Australian Perfume Junkies
LuckyScent has $185/70ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this perfume, as I am aware it can be a love-it-or-hate-it fragrance! Are you brave enough to try a drop on your skin?
Warmly fragrant hugs,
Erica

Terracotta le Parfum by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2014

October 20, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Post by TinaG

I have been blessed in my youth to have travelled more than the average teenager, having spent time in the tropics away from the major cities. Terracotta unexpectedly gave me a glimpse back to that time. I was lucky to gain a sample of the 2014 le Parfum, and tested it blind, so really didn’t know what to expect. It quickly laid itself bare, beckoning, and began telling me its luscious story.

Terracotta le Parfum by Thierry Wasser for Guerlain 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, coconut, tiare flower
Heart: Jasmine, ylang-ylang, orange blossom
Base: Musk, vanilla

Terracotta le Parfum opens with the most wonderful tiare flower. Tiare has facets which could be compared to frangipani, although it is a form of pointy-petalled gardenia. It has a full bodied fragrance, but deep in its heart is the touch of a strange, slightly uncomfortable greenness, that just takes the edge off the headiness and provides a bit of breathing space. Along with the tiare, a rich jasmine bursts forth, which is beautifully balanced being neither overly indolic nor squeaky clean.

Photo Stolen Flickr

The warmth of these opening flowers is amazing, it feels like the individual blooms have been resting in the sun, to be woven into a lei and gently placed around my neck. I can feel the sunlight captured in the moist waxiness of the petals. There is a touch of orange blossom in the silage, which I don’t find close to my skin, which accentuates the impression of being surrounded by the thick heavy tropical air.

At around 2 hours I can smell a subtle, slippery coconut note with a hint of skin-generated musk in the background. It makes me feel like I’ve just applied the sheerest layer of moisturiser into sun-tinged skin at the end of a lazy day. The whole effect is intoxicating enough to gently disengage me from the normal barrage of everyday banality and just…. relax, smile, breath, and enjoy.

I have fond memories of the tropics, having spent some of my formative years in Papua New Guinea. Terracotta le Parfum particularly invokes images and memories of a visit we made to an active volcanic island off the north coast of PNG.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Next to the black sand beach are long swaths of well-manicured lawn, a residual feature of the colonial management of the copra oil plantation. This scent finds me walking bare-footed on the spongy grass past the white-washed main house, holding a lei of tiare & jasmine up to my nose and breathing deeply – although there is no need to, the humid air is filled with the smell of flowering frangipani trees and the deeper richness of the jungle spreading up the hill behind the house. Strung up between two coconut trees is an old gnarled sun-bleached rope hammock, which I wander over and roll in to. Lying in the shade, no sense of being too warm or too cold, cares being washed away by the tiny ripples of waves against the shore, breathing in the richness of the waxy blooms: there is not really any place closer to heaven on earth.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Chemist In A Bottle
Guerlain quickly sold out and I have read that Terracotta le Parfum will become regular range
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $7/ml

Tina xx

Evocative Perfumes GIVEAWAY WINNERS

October 20, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hey there Crew!

Firstly: THANK YOU to the incredible generosity of Mark at Evocative Perfumes. Please go and check out his site and try some of his marvelous creations. You will be well rewarded for your time and money, these fragrances are lovely.
Good Luck everyone.

Portia xx

Evocative Perfumes GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get:
1 x Evocative Perfume Oil Sample Sets (Aquarelle, Imogen, Olibanum, Evelyn’s Rose, Fleur de Magnolia)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Go to Evocative Perfumes and tell me any fragrance they sell online and a note that it contains. NO DOUBLE UPS!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Evocative Perfumes GIVEAWAY @EvocativeParfum http://wp.me/p3PURw-3hl #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 19th October 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen prospectsplus

Damir Gašljević (via Twitter)

Sun Mi Fontaine

The winners will have till Thursday 23rd October 2014 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.