Adelaide, South Australia with TinaG + Photo Essay

November 21, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by TinaG

Hi APJ,

I’ve been travelling a lot this year, and last week was for work in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. I thought I’d share my journey and fragrance choices for the trip, along with my travellers notes.

Adelaide, South Australia with TinaG + Photo Essay

Fragrantica

Day 0 – For the flight down I wore Junky by Jardins d’Ecrivains. A friend gave me this sample a while ago but I hadn’t tried it before now. It’s supposed to have a cannabis note, maybe its fresh picked cannabis? It’s nothing I recognised. The fragrance felt a bit ordinary to me, a green based floral with iris & violet. Pretty, but I was expecting more. How we interpret the meaning in the name is probably the selling point, we’ve all got some level of addiction, don’t we?

Cocktail at 2KW

Fragrantica

Dinner on the first night was at a trendy top floor bar and restaurant, 2KW. Scent for dinner was Daim Blond by Serge Lutens. I wanted to wear something with a backbone but not so much of a monster it affected other people or my enjoyment of the meal. This suede/peach frag was perfect for a casual but upmarket restaurant meal with colleagues (well, they are all friends, really).

Fragrantica

Day 1 – I was a bit nervous going in to the work event so I chose Muschio, Santa Maria Novella, for its warmth and comfort. It was a great choice, gave me a bit of oomph to get through the day.

There was an dinner at Adelaide Town Hall that was semi-formal. I wore black on black with a brass coloured double chain long necklace and rock-star high heels from Nine West. It’s been ages since I dressed up and I felt totally uncomfortable. Haha! Swapped the heels for flats to walk there which was much better, and a respritz of Muschio helped. Fun night.

Fragrantica

Day 2 – Adelaide was getting warmer as the week wore on, so Precision and Grace: The Beautiful Mind Series was my choice for today. It’s got a great fresh pear/jasmine/osmanthus thing going on, but I swear I get a blast of lemon in the opening as well. Perfect refresher. It has been the highest complement-receiver of any fragrance I own, and it did receive a comment on the day. Yay.

That afternoon a friend & I walked across town to the Haigh’s chocolate factory. The walk was 40mins each way (slightly longer with a few Pokémon critters to catch on the way back). I respritzed Precision and Grace as it was still 32 degrees centigrade out there…

Adelaide is know as ‘the city of churches’ and there is one in almost every corner in town. The city is very flat, and surrounded on each side by parkland, which made for a pleasant walk. Haigh’s was great, I got a bunch of their experimental chocs and factory seconds which they package up – only available at the factory, they don’t ship these out.

Chocolates at Haigh’s

Fragrantica

Because of the Pokémon factor we only had 15 minutes to get changed before dinner, so in lieu of a shower I wore Borneo 1834 by Serge Lutens. It smelt bloody brilliant on dusty sun-kissed skin over the top of the base Precision and Grace musks. Damn sexy if I do say so myself.

Inside Casablabla

Drinks and dinner were down Peel Street in the city, a must-visit if you’re in town. My friend & I shared an alcoholic lychee iced tea at Casablabla, a mixed cultural tapas bar. Dinner with the crew was at a restaurant called Peel Street (same as the street name). Fabulous meals, like my fave the banana flower blossom salad, and it had amazing options for those on special diets because everything was made fresh.

Fragrantica

Day 3 – The last day I went for another osmanthus-based fragrance, Inlé by Memo. I really like this as a travel scent, I wore it almost exclusively when travelling in South Korea with Portia & the crew two years ago. It’s light enough to fit most circumstances, but has an inherent beauty. The work day finished about 3:30 for us as we caught a cab for a flight back to Sydney.

So grateful for the opportunity to have experienced our sector work event in a great city with amazing people. I learnt so much.

Do you have a favourite travel fragrance?

Till next time.

Tina G xx

(Ed: Photos donated by TinaG unless specified. Thanks TinaG, they’re fab)

Stress and Perfumes!

October 26, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 26 Comments

Post by Sandra

Hi there fellow perfume aficionados. Hope ya’ll are doing well.

We received a life changing phone call a couple of weeks ago and it is now official – we are moving from Vienna, Austria to Rotterdam, The Netherlands! Yikes! I thought I would never leave Vienna, and yet here I am planning our move which comes unfortunately during the holidays this year.

Stress is of course the norm now but so is the anticipation and excitement. I have lived a largely nomadic lifestyle until I landed in Vienna and got married. Being a global nomad brings its challenges but also its treasures. Home is everywhere. Learning a new language and culture feeds my soul. Meeting new people and making new friends adds color to my life. As I grew up living in a number of countries I find the process of moving painful but the end effect and the nesting period exhilarating. For my husband and son it will be a different experience and I have to try and make it as smooth as possible for both of them. Hence, the stress.

Stress and Perfumes!

Perfumes have always given me a sense of comfort – a cloak in which I am invisible and I can be stronger than I am currently feeling. Here are a couple of perfumes I have been frequently wearing lately.

Fragrantica

Micallef Cuir Vanille has given me a shield with which I protect myself. I can face the day knowing that the leathery vanilla will be there to soothe my anxieties.

Fragrantica

Guerlan Cuir Beluga is my old trusted friend whose shoulder I can lean on for support and guidance. The soft suede laced with vanilla done as only Guerlain can do.

I tend to reach for amber or vanilla in stressful situations, but the other day I encountered a stunning perfume which made me feel like I was prepared for anything that may come. I wore Hermes Le Galop and was blown away at its morphing capabilities. It started out all fruity and slightly sour then moved to a leathery suede which made me feel strong. In the evening I noticed that the gorgeous gentle rose tinged with suede. My world seemed ok.

Fragrantica

Last but not least – Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur – deep velvet red cushions embroidered with royal purple and golden threads. I rest my head and breathe a deep sigh of relief. Home.

Fragrantica

My husband has turned to Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan – it smells completely different on him – smooth, rich, dry amber deliciousness. He has never before been complemented by a man on his choice of perfume until the other day … .

Fragrantica

My son, seven years old, has always enjoyed a spritz or two of Hermès Un Jardin Sur la Toit until recently when he keeps wanting a spritz of Stéphane Humbert Lucas 777 Mortal Skin. It must be that he is also needing an extra layer of perceived protection with all the stress.

Fragrantica

As the moving date nears I will find it interesting which perfumes I will reach for most. Let me leave you with some of my recent pictures of Vienna which has been home for 22 years.

What perfumes do you wear when you are under a lot of pressure and stress? On another note, have any of you shopped for perfumes in The Netherlands? Any suggestions?
SX

Serge Lutens Wax Samples GIVEAWAY WINNERS

October 9, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Portia

WOO HOO APJ!
This was an excellent giveaway! Thanks so much to Serge Lutens Palais Royale for their generosity.

Let’s see who won,
Portia xx

Serge Lutens Wax Samples GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x complete set of Serge Lutens Wax Samples
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Saturday 8th October 2016 10pm Australian EST
Winners will be chosen by random.org

Lissette

Nikki R

Laurels

The winners will have till Wednesday 12th October 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

Serge Lutens Wax Samples

October 6, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey APJ,

Earlier this year Jin & I were treated to a morning of sniffing the Serge Lutens Bell Jar collection at the Palais Royal store in Paris. We were led upstairs by our glamorous hostess and treated to one of the most incredible experiences that I’ve enjoyed through my perfumistahood. Usually only done for groups of four or more and the expectation is that you will shop like crazy at the end. Obviously we did, buying for ourselves and friends, leaving with 7 or 8 bell jars. Elvira was our hostess and I tell every group that I know is going to Paris and loves fragrance to book the Masterclass. Should you be going to France and wish to book this marvellous fragrant adventure there is a Serge Lutens Contact Page, attention Elvire.

At the end of the class Elvira gave me three complete packs of the wax samples to give away on APJ but I only just found them again. The wax samples are not meant to be worn, they are to give you an idea of how the late heart and dry down will smell. It’s not an exact science and your body will change the way the scent progresses a little too but for an idea of how a fragrance smells it’s pretty good.

Serge Lutens Wax Samples GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will receive:
1 x complete set of Serge Lutens Wax Samples
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

Please tell us which is your favourite Serge Lutens fragrance or the one you’re most interested to try?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Saturday 8th October 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 12th October 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

Lavender: Three Lavenders To Relax With

September 11, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Post by Anne-Marie

Hi all

A member of an Australian perfume group on Facebook recently posted this remark:
“I just had a little stress out so I bought myself a perfume. Has this helped you before? My cupboard is full of fragrances.”

So you can imagine the answers. Yes, yes, yes – from many people, including me. (“Better for your health than alcohol or chocolate.”)
We buy perfume to de-stress, and as a little act of self-nurturing to bring beauty into what can feel like a cold, unfeeling world. You know this; I don’t have to labour the point. One member did admit: “I stress out on what to buy and wear so it’s a vicious but good circle.” I can identify with that too. I find owning too much stuff is stressful in itself.

I’m not going to rake over the issues of addiction and obsession today, though. I’m interested in hearing your thoughts about what perfumes, or notes, you actually find relaxing. What helps you ride through the stress and anxiety of any given day? I’ll start.

Lavender: Three Lavenders To Relax With

Lavender is widely thought of as calming. Agree? For me it’s a maybe. If it’s very pungent I find lavender distracting and unpleasant.

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lavender, rose, lemon, grapefruit, rose geranium, orange blossom, sandalwood, heliotrope, vanilla, musk

CHANEL Boy is an exception; there it is too refined to be offensive, and interestingly a lot of lavender sceptics seem to be making allowances for Boy.

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Iris, tonka bean, amber, lavender, woodsy notes, incense

And Serge Lutens’ Gris Clair, now. This! A modern classic in the lavender genre. I don’t find Gris Clair cold or ashy, as some people do. One sniff and I lift my mental gaze from daily troubles and look into the middle distance to a calmer place. Lavender-scented clean cotton drying in the sun. Grey early light over green hills, the promise of a lazy summer day. I think I do generally associate lavender with sunshine; or at least, I like lavenders that bring out this quality.

LUSH Cosmetics

There must be countless lavender bath and body products but I’ll mention just one: Lush Serendipity Soap. Again, this is a gentle lavender, blended with chamomiles. It’s more restrained than your average Lush product but I notice that the scent does linger in the bathroom and it’s a nice way to ease into the day.

It’s the sense of space and perspective that I value in lavender. It offers thoughts of things bigger than self. Beauty in simplicity. Perfumes can relax us because we just love them. They can have this effect regardless of notes and accords. If you know a perfume well and you have written your story into it, and it into yours, it will greet you like an old friend.

So over to you – what do you reach for when you when the world crowds in on you?
Until next time, relax and keep spritzing!

Bas de Soie by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2010

June 24, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by Portia

Hiya Fumies,

For some reason I have always overlooked todays fragrance. Not sure why. Nothing about it has ever jumped out at me but I’d also never read the notes list. Having fallen truly, madly and deeply in love with Apollo Hyacinth by Eric Buterbaugh Florals it suddenly seemed necessary to try another hyacinth fragrance and Serge Lutens often creates the benchmark, so it was to his that I gravitated.

Bas de Soie by Serge Lutens 2010

Bas de Soie by Christopher Sheldrake

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Iris, galbanum, hyacinth, spices, musk

One year when we were kids my Mum splurged on a packet of Hyacinth bulbs. We were great gardeners, Mum & I, and spent whole weekends together creating and recreating the garden. Sydney is a funny climate and most bulbs get one year of fabulous and then rot in the ground. Anyway, this year the Hyacinths came up and were a beautiful blue, Mum was thrilled. Bas de Soie reminds me of the feeling that Mum & I had really achieved something to have these beautiful flowers to show for our efforts.

Bas de Soie reminds me of that spring. It’s alive, fresh, hopefull springlike green opening is so like the sap of freshly cut hyacinths. It has that glorious galbanum which smells both incredibly cool and aloof while also giving me a smooth, resinous, shiny and reflective smell. I am explaining it very badly but hopefully you understand.

Pixabay

Iris is green and only lightly powdery. Actually it’s like the cool spring morning air blowing through the lovely green and grey leaves of the iris, that makes the flowers shiver of their impossibly long stems. Then the startling cascade of colour, a positive riot of purples, yellows, oranges and pinks.

About 30 minutes in and then Bas de Soie changes. It warms through slightly, while still being green and light as air, maybe the spices and musk but it feels woody and earthy.

Now you will be fragrant, people will smell you, but there is little chance of your fragrance ever skunking anyone if you’re wearing Bas de Soie. It’s a very pretty floral. Maybe if CHANEL No 19 is a bit too severe then the friendliness of Bas de Soie could quite well be a better fit for you.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Megan In St. Maxime
LuckyScent has $135/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/0.5ml

Do you have a hyacinth fragrance you love? Maybe something that smells so fresh and new?
Portia xx

Perfume Favourites & Chasing Dreams

February 9, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Post by BlondesWunder

Hi APJ,
Mum´s in Vienna with Portia today so you are stuck with me.

Favourite Frags

Currently I use about five perfumes. Anymore than that and i couldn’t make a decision of what to use each morning/evening. Before i started to care about perfume, I clearly remember my Mom buying a Bvlgari perfume and thinking how ridiculous it was to spend that much money on a bottle of “smell good”. Does anyone really care about how you smell?!

Well how wrong I was! Several years later I fell down the rabbit hole. Perfume is for me first!
It’s not only the smell, it is the story and feeling that comes with it.

I prefer to use perfumes in cooler weather and so wear more in the winter season.

Right now I sport:

Fragrantica

Serge Lutens. La Fille de Berlin

Vero Profumo. Rubj Extrait

Fragrantica

Chanel. Eau Premiere No 5

Fragrantica

Guerlain. Gourmande Coquin

Neela Vermeire Creations. Pichola

Lolita Lempicka de Lolita Lempicka (I have very little left, does anyone have some for me? I have been through five bottles since I was 14 years old. It was my first perfume.)

Flickr

Chasing Dreams

My dream since childhood is to work with makeup. A few weeks ago Sandra from Vienna took me into a MAC store and made me ask if they were hiring people. I got a business card.

To my surprise they called a week later and invited me to their recruitment day in Vienna. I was asked to bring my own model and brushes. I was the only unqualified person out of seven.

Within a week I received a call offering me a full-time job in the stand alone MAC store in Salzburg. Needless to say I burst into tears.

Blondes Wunder by Val

I am beyond excited and of course a little nervous, I can not believe they chose me!

I will keep you updated.

Love xoxo BlondesWunder

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens: LIVE Video Sniff

January 29, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello My Lovelies,

This was a Blind Buy! Yes, I know, that’s the way to penury but I was pretty sure I would adore it. So you guys get to come along for my initial Opening Ceremony and sniff!

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens 2001

Datura Noir by Christopher Sheldrake

Fragrantica

Fragrantica Gives these featured accords:
Coconut, tuberose, tonka bean, almond, lemon blossom, mandarin orange, musk, chinese osmanthus, heliotrope, myrrh, vanilla, apricot

It’s always fun with Scotty on the lanai and as usual we blunder through a fragrant masterpiece missing all nuance and generally behaving like a bull in a china shop.

Christmas with Uncle Serge Lutens

December 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Poodle

When people talk Christmas perfumes, Nuit de Noel always seems to come up. While lovely, I don’t think it smells the least bit like Christmas.

Enter Serge Lutens. He’s got your holiday moments bottled.

Christmas with Uncle Serge Lutens

Baby it’s cold outside. Spritz on L’eau Froide. This smells cold like a winter night. A night so chilly that it makes your nose burn so you pull your scarf up over your face and the smell of cold mixes with your warm breath and skin. Cool notes are balanced with pepper and ginger in this one.

Photo Stolen Torange

On my skin Arabie smells like a traditional holiday candle. Or maybe potpourri. It’s warm with dried fruits and what I think of as mulling spices. I don’t really like wearing this but I do like smelling it if that makes sense. It doesn’t work on my skin but I love it on clothing and other people. If I had more than a sample I’d use it as a posh room spray.

Let’s deck the halls and put up the tree with Fille en Aiguilles. Quite possibly my favorite foresty scent. Pine needles, fir, and incense with a tiny touch of sweetness from the stewed fruits that Uncle Serge does so well. Reminiscent of a Christmas tree but the fruit notes and incense prevents it from smelling like an air freshener.

The tree’s up. Time for a cuppa. Five O’Clock au Gingembre is on the menu. Bergamot, ginger, and honey swirl together to warm you from the inside out. I don’t find this to be a true tea scent but rather more like tea time. Evokes the scent of spicy holiday tea blends that I can’t see to get enough of at this time of year.

Photo Stolen FreeStockPhotos

Love holiday baking? Break out the Jeux de Peau. Jam filled cookies, toasted yeasty bread with butter, syrupy fruitcakes… It’s like grandmas kitchen on steroids. Jeux de Peau starts buttery sweet but ends on a spicy note. It’s everything but the calories of the holiday dessert table.

We always went to midnight mass on Christmas and that’s what Amber Sultan makes me think of. It’s not really a churchy fragrance. It’s more about amber and spice notes. This reminds me of the swirl of perfumes that I’d smell in church. All the ladies wearing their very best for the holiday. A mix of fur coats, perfumes, and that undercurrent of incense that permeated the walls in every catholic church.

It’s late. The fire’s all but gone out and it’s getting chilly. Time to rest and dream about what Santa might bring you. How can you sleep with the clatter of reindeer on the roof? How about a little Gris Clair? This perfume has the scent of lavender and smokey notes. Not a light bedtime scent really, but with all the excitement and holiday stress you might need a big lavender.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Surrender To Chance has all the Serge Lutens samples

What perfumes make you think of the holiday season?

A Merry and Fragrant Christmas to you all!
Poodle

Sarrasins by Christopher Sheldrake + Serge Lutens 2007

July 22, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Liam

Sarrasins: A severe perfume.

There are a lot of noir scents on the market. Or better put, there are a lot of noir flankers on the market. Tom Ford’s Noir, Chanel’s Coco Noir, and Van Cleef and Arpels’ Cologne Noire to name a few fumes.

The word noir, whether it’s used to mod a title or used as a title on its own really fascinates me.

On one hand, noir and nuit go hand-in-hand and evoke feelings of a cool and steely midnight in winter. On another, noir seems to be a term impetuously placed on labels as it suggests a darkened fragrance that is largely more severe.

Unfortunately, this is not the usual case. Coco Noir is described as a ‘nocturnal baroque scent’ … with grapefruit?! No no no. That’s not noir. That’s a flirtatious teen girl late at night.

Sarrasins by Serge Lutens 2007

Sarrasins by Christopher Sheldrake + Serge Lutens

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Blossoms
Heart: Carnation, jasmine
Base: Musk

Sarrasins is noir. True noir. Sarrasins wraps me in its beauty and then strangles me gently. A metallic note opens floating ephemerally at the top of the overdosing of rich moreish jasmine. I suspect a drop of aldehydes lifts the fragrance and adds some initial space in the beginning, as the narcotic flower begins to bloom on the skin. This effect, a floral dipped in a touch of something artificial, reminds me of Serge Luten’s masterful Tuberuse Criminelle where a scene plays out on the skin as a murder occurs in a room full of tuberose flowers. This almost bloody accord is further tweaked with something undeniably clean – a Luten’s style musk note; camphoraceous and cool.

From here, the jasmine reveals itself emerging like a spike from the skin. It poses danger but never cuts as it is placated with its innate white floral creaminess. Thus its sweet and indolic moments are to be expected and these are spiced with a carnation note that recalls many early vintage scents I have smelled before. Despite the linear nature of the scent, the jasmine note pulls itself down into darker regions. It sways between dead and alive like flowers limply wilting and wrinkling like old leather.

‘Warm’ is best used to describe this stage, underscored with a majestic leatheriness and animalics as the jasmine showcases its green facet – here we find resolution between two clashes that learn to exist together in harmony. The sweetness now comes off as fruity and herbal, yet it appears to forever colour itself nostalgically purple and melancholically grey with its impossibly dusty undertones.

So, a noir scent like Sarrasins recalls something tender, tragic and emotionally palpable. Longing but not obtainable. It’s everything you expect from the Serge Lutens’ aesthetic and the noir labelling, a style of fragrance possessed only by truly the most exhaled scents. Anyway, evil is not a bad descriptor at all…

Photo Stolen Pixabay

In terms of longevity and sillage, Sarrasins trails me like a spectre. Close, intimate, and radiating energy and a cold stately mood. Moderate.

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Smelly Thoughts
Serge Lutens can be purchased at Serge Lutens online or in most larger department stores
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

So! What do you think a true noir perfume is?

-Liam (turning 18 soon – how should I spoil myself?)

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Serge Lutens

Adelaide, South Australia with TinaG + Photo Essay

Adelaide, South Australia with TinaG + Photo Essay

Stress and Perfumes!

Stress and Perfumes!

Serge Lutens Wax Samples GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Serge Lutens Wax Samples GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

Lissette

Nikki R

Laurels

Serge Lutens Wax Samples

Serge Lutens Wax Samples GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

HOW DO YOU WIN?

HOUSEKEEPING

Lavender: Three Lavenders To Relax With

Lavender: Three Lavenders To Relax With

Bas de Soie by Christopher Sheldrake for Serge Lutens 2010

Bas de Soie by Serge Lutens 2010

Bas de Soie by Christopher Sheldrake

Perfume Favourites & Chasing Dreams

Favourite Frags

Chasing Dreams

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens: LIVE Video Sniff

Datura Noir by Serge Lutens 2001

Datura Noir by Christopher Sheldrake

Christmas with Uncle Serge Lutens

Christmas with Uncle Serge Lutens

Sarrasins by Christopher Sheldrake + Serge Lutens 2007

Sarrasins by Serge Lutens 2007

Sarrasins by Christopher Sheldrake + Serge Lutens