Fleur De Rocaille by for Caron 1993

May 10, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hello GORGEOUS!!

I have quite a lot of the Caron fragrances. I like the way they smell, that they seem to be joined, the bottles and the packaging. There is something glamorous about the whole Caron thing that lures me in. I think it is a neglected icon that needs a Tom Ford to sweep in and resurrect their staus.

Fleur De Rocaille by for Caron 1993

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, gardenia, violet
Heart: Carnation, iris, rose, ylang ylang, lilac, jasmine, lily of the valley, mimosa
Base: Oakmoss, musk, cedar, amber, sandalwood

Fleur De Rocaille means flowering rock garden or flower of rubble. So, of course, I expected to be floated away on a hefty sparkling floral with stark and challenging depths that floated high and above a labdanum (rock rose) base. I expected goat, grass, greenery and twisted & tortured woods.

What did I get, the air at high altitude, it opens fizzy like a life saver mint which fits with how I expect the air to smell in a rock garden and then becomes the softest, sweetest and most fleeting fragrance I have in my memory. The note list reads like a 1980’s blockbuster and I am sadly deflated. Having said that there is a lovely section from about 30mins to 1.5 hours that to me is a soft lily, not the very fragrant ones, and some mimosa, after that I get sugar, something quietly green and amber but so sparse as to almost not be there. I wonder if this was made with the Chinese and Japanese markets in mind?

If you hate perfume but feel the need to have something on your dresser and that you must spritz before you leave the house then this is for you. You will not be overwhelmed, nobody will complain of you skunking even an elevator after a double quadruple spritz. I use the last 3 ml of my 5ml decant today in one wearing and only noticed that I was wearing fragrance intermittently, and no one else commented at all.

Photo Stolen AmazingHomeDesign

Further reading UnseenCenser
FragranceNet has 100ml around $45
MyPerfumeSamples has $2/ml or $7/5ml which is what I bought

I love the Caron vibe but feel it’s fading, with the new regulations I wonder how these houses will survive. What do you think? Will we miss the old ways in 20 years or will the people then be immune to it?
See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Dsquared2 Fall Winter 2013/2014 Full Fashion Show

May 10, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Hiya Huffers,

While the Dsquared fragrances don’t give me a huge wear life they are interesting and usually boundary pushers. This F/W 13/14 show is so classically beautiful but with wonderful and outrageous features that make it modern, so bang up to date. And so much of it elegant, beaded evening wear. Bravo! Sequins and glitter are back.

Photo Stolen MFVMag

I like that they have followed the LV 12/13 over-large hat look. It’s fun, silly and sometimes fabulous. The jewellery is astounding BTW. Enjoy.

Photo Stolen GloveLoveBlog

Portia xx
Dsquared2 Fall Winter 2013/2014 Full Fashion Show (Feb’13)

Dionne’s Spring + Fall Top 5’s

May 8, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 37 Comments

Post by Dionne

Greetings, fellow ‘fumies,
Portia wrote a post a little while ago (Portia’s 2013 Spring Top 10) listing her top ten for spring/fall, and I was intrigued to learn that she reaches for the same fragrances for both seasons, since they have warm days and cool nights in common. My own list for the two seasons is not similar at all, so instead you’re going to get a shorter list for each season.

Dionne’s Spring + Fall Top 5’s

Photo Stolen WallpaperPin

SPRING

Ahhh, my favorite season! Maybe that’s because it’s so welcome after six months of winter, and since it’s such a short, ephemeral thing that lasts only a month I always feel a combination of hope and wistfulness. Spring is when I reach for my light florals, and that in itself is a special event. Most higher-pitched florals don’t play well with my skin, so this list represents perseverance and many, MANY samples.

Après l’Ondée by Guerlain

This is the pre-2011 formulation, when heliotrope still sang alongside the iris and violet. So gorgeous that if I was forced to choose only one Spring fragrance, this would be it.

Mimosa pour Moi by L’Artisan Parfumeur

I did a major sampling of the mimosa note, and out of about 14 contenders, this was my favorite. And oh, such a tender thing. Fuzzy yellow pom-poms in a bottle.

Heure Exquise by Annick Goutal

The prettiest of my green quartet, this floral green pulls off the trick of freshness and elegance at the same time. The highest praise my Scottish father-in-law would bestow on something was the phrase, “Oh, that’s just lovely,” and that’s what this is.

Le Temps d’une Fete by Parfums de Nicolai

Supposed to be a green floral, on my skin the green doesn’t really show up because narcissus and hyacinth in all their lush glory has completely taken over the conversation. Heady stuff and just a hint of naughty.

After My Own Heart by INeke

I adore the scent of lilacs so it’s no surprise my very first bottle after falling down the rabbit hole was After My Own Heart. I must respectfully disagree with Coco Chanel – sometimes I DO want to smell like a flower. And after comparing AMOH with the lilac bush outside my window…. oh yeah, I definitely do.

Photo Stolen WallpaperPin

FALL (Autumn)

It’s harder for me to choose specific Fall fragrances because I usually wear the same ones this season that I do in Winter, with one exception. My favorite perfumes are the spicier, warmer fragrances, and after a few months of fresh, floral, green or fruity options, I’m ready to give all my snugglies a go again.

Jour Ensolleilé by Sonoma Scent Studio

This is THE fall fragrance for me. Laurie Erickson combines orange blossom with tuberose and jasmine in a way that’s golden, and it’s the perfect match for the rich sunshine filtering through the trees.

Tilda Swinton Like this by Etat Libre d’Orange

Ginger, pumpkin, maple syrup and all things orange, this is the way celebuscents should be made.

Kyoto by Comme des Garcons

It turns out that incense + green tea + vetiver = a Zen state of mind. Calming and reflective.

Traversée du Bosphore by L’Artisan Parfumeur

At first smell, it’s sweet Turkish delight, but give it a whirl and you discover there’s some intelligence under the hood as well as the leather, saffron and tobacco come to the fore. It’s the Dolly Parton of gourmand fragrances.

Ormonde Woman by Ormonde Jayne

OK, now I’m really cheating, because this isn’t a Fall fragrance by any stretch; it’s my signature , my Holy Grail. It’s just that the Lady gets worn less in the summertime and I’ve missed her. Dark green forests wrapped in amber, a one of a kind.

Photo Stolen WallpaperPin

SurrenderToChance has samples and decants of all of these beauties if you’d like to try any of them. Samples start from as little as $3/ml and they are a great way to test a fragrance.

So, what are your top five? Do you reach for the same thing in Spring and Autumn like Portia, or do you mix it up like me?
Dionne

Perfume + Tea: Musings + Pairings #2

May 6, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 84 Comments

Post by Brie

Perfume and Tea Pairings

For those of you in “perfumeland” who know me well I need not reiterate that SonomaScentStudio is my absolute favorite perfume house EVER (surpassing Chanel, Guerlain, etc). In my opinion every fragrance that the perfumer Laurie Erickson has created thus far is outstanding. Given my new found love for naturals and essential oils I have been hounding Laurie for quite some time to add natural fragrances to her line. My wish came true when she released Cocoa Sandalwood this past winter. Now, following in its footsteps is the recent release of all natural Spiced Citrus Vetiver.

Sonoma Scent Studio Naturals-Spiced Citrus Vetiver

When I wear Spiced Citrus Vetiver my mind instantly envisages a ballet. Not surprising, given that I was once a professional ballet dancer. Please join me in this production as the curtain rises.

Photo9 Stolen SSS

Fragrance Notes: Blood orange, bergamot, ginger CO2, cinnamon bark CO2, clove bud absolute, jasmine sambac absolute, osmanthus absolute, Sri Lanka vetiver EO, Indonesian vetiver CO2, Virginia cedar, Indian Mysore sandalwood EO, vanilla.

In the opening adagio the graceful pas de deux of our principal ballerina (vetiver) and her leading male dancer (blood orange) is supported by a pas de trois of soloists (ginger,cinnamon and clove) who jete around the couple whilst the corps de ballet (jasmine, osmanthus, cedar, sandalwood and vanilla) pirouette stage left and stage right. The prima ballerina (vetiver) does not take center stage in this ballet but rather bourees around the all the other dancers throughout this ballet.

Vetiver (Suzanne R Banks’s blog post on vetiver) is an essential oil that I have recently grown to adore (The Fragrant Man). Laurie’s usage of vetiver has been masterfully blended in an utterly unique way. The vetiver is subtle yet appears throughout this composition, constantly changing on my wrist. A gracefully executed fragrance that is perfect for both male and female fragrance wearers. Given that it is all natural, Spiced Citrus Vetiver sits close to the skin and is the perfect scent when one does not want to offend the ‘perfume adverse” crowd. For a natural eau de parfum longevity is excellent on my skin.

Photo by Brittany and Courtney

Organic India Tulsi Tea (Original)

I pair Spiced Citrus Vetiver with Organic India’s Original Tulsi Tea. Tulsi, or holy basil, is renowned in India as an herb with healing properties that relieve stress and protect the immune system. The earthiness of this tea lends itself beautifully to the grassy quality of the vetiver in Spiced Citrus Vetiver.

Do grab a cup of this relaxing tea whilst wearing Spiced Citrus Vetiver : sit back and enjoy the ballet!

Perfume and Tea Pairings GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

1 x 1ml samples of Spiced Citrus Vetiver and my all natural essential oil blend “Ginza in the Rain” as well as a sampling of a variety of Tusli teas
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who leaves their favourite perfume note or essential oil in the comments section.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie @SonomaScent @brie108 Brie’s Perfume & Tea GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p2fQBU-1Ar

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 10th May 2013 9pm AusEST and winners will be announced in a separate post then.
Winners will be chosen by putting names on same sized papers, folded similarly, put on a tray and Brie’s family will pick a winner.
The winners will have till Monday 13th May 2013 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.

Chile Vanilli By Brent Leonesio for Smell Bent

May 5, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Hello lovelies,

Make no mistake, I am a Smell Bent fan girl. I love their fun and interesting take on fragrance, their gorgeous Chairman and their price point. Smell Bent’s modus operandi is to spend all their money on the juice and little on the packaging, next to nothing on advertising. Now that is a sensible niche game plan to me, and it’s generating worldwide interest. Recently I dropped by the website a grabbed a couple of their perfumed oils.

Chile Vanilli By Smell Bent

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Patchouli, Vanilla, Cinnamon

Firstly, I love the little oil pots from Smell Bent with their glass want applicator in the lid, it feels very new and ancient at the same time: this is how the Indian and Arabic oils are often presented and it’s really easy. Another wonderful thing about oils is that you get a longer wear time and slower development of the fragrance, though in Chile Vanilli’s case not really important because on me it wears quite linear. A lovely soft, warm blend that is perfect for Spring and Autumn. Today Sydney is a little brisk and I am feeling cuddled and coddled in a divine dry dessert fragrance that is delicious without being overly food-ish, though there are bakery moments towards the dry down. I think the patchouli, which is not excessive, keeps the composition grounded and earthy.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Though Chile Vanille is fragrant, it will not skunk those around you, especially in the oil form. I think it would be a perfect work, date, dinner scent where you want to smell fresh, clean, warm and inviting but not announce your perfumista status too loudly. In oil form there is less projection though any length of time spent somewhere and you will be smellable, soft but invasive.

For a complete list of the current, and often changing, Smell Bent choices go to the Smell Bent Site (<<<JUMP) my Chile Vanilli 8ml Oil was around $20, super good value for money!!

Here is a shot of the lovely, movie star good looking Chairman at Smell Bent, Brent Leonesio. If that’s not a good reason to go check out the Smell Bent Site then I don’t know what is.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Until tomorrow, Be Nice To Yourself.
Portia xx

Safran Troublant by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2002

May 4, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 50 Comments

Hello Fellow Fume Heads,

Sometimes I read other people’s reviews and I am swept away by their incredible love, moment, articulateness or sheer joy at a perfume. It’s like the love is transferred by osmosis through their excitement. Safran Troublant is a case in point, I read a terrific post and could almost smell the fragrance while reading, at that same time I was ordering some splits from my favourite split enabler, Ruth K on FFF, and wondered if she had a bottle lying around that she would like to share 5ml of. Oh yes she did, in its old packaging and everything. YIPPEE!

Fragrantica has Bertrand Duchaufour and BaseNotes has Olivia Giacobetti responsible for creating Safran Troublant. Mystery!!

Safran Troublant by L’Artisan Parfumeur 2002

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Passion flower, sandalwood, red rose, vanilla, saffron, sugar and ginger.

What a terrific scent. It is so calm, collected and unpushy. When I wear Safran Troublant it encases me is a glorious and interesting magic that is sweet and delicious without being particularly edible, though foody it is. Does that make sense? The spicy rose, ginger and vanilla are what I smell most through the whole life of the fragrance but I think the saffron is just not a note I’m familiar enough with to really understand how it fits here. Sometimes people mention that there is a clean plastic-ish smell to it, well I often find that in roses too, are they the same? Is it a particular molecule that gives me this reaction? Dunno gang but I love it.

Photo Stolen EdibleCrafts

Some of the bloggers have called this a comfort scent, a warm blanket to wrap yourself in on a cool day but I find it much more aloof than that. It’s a cool Autumn day filled with rain here in Sydney and I am not feeling the warm wrap effect at all. Sweet, yes, warm, no. Rather a cool sweetness, a green sweetness, Safran Troublant feels like an expensive sweetness that relies on sophistication and prior knowledge to enjoy it fully. Like Bach, so pretty and intricate to listen to but when you start to study him it becomes a math equation, a geometric vision in sound. L’Artisan is often like that for me. Very pretty and wearable by almost everyone till you start to try and dissect what it is you love and it is so far out of my knowledge realms that all I can do is go back to, “I really enjoy how I feel when I wear it.” Curiously, I smell it for hours and hours but the people around me say it’s too faint to discern, interesting huh?

Photo Stolen LayoutSparks

You will not skunk your colleagues or dinner guests even if you, like me, spritz with abandon. Safran Troublant is an introverted perfumistas scent, not that you are unsmellable but it flies under the radar.

Further reading GrainDeMusc and the reason I got my hands on some Safran Troublant was the recent post at Kafkaesque
L’Artisan Parfumeur has 100ml/$145
Libertine Perfumes in Australia has 100ml/$169 including postage in Australia. Good deal!
SurrenderToChance starts at $4/ml

Has it ever happened for you? Read a review and can’t help but buy the fragrance? Which fragrances have you done it for and are you happy with your purchase?
Till tomorrow we wish you only good,
Portia xx

Bellodgia EdP, Parfum & Oil by Ernest Daltroff for Caron 1927

May 3, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 32 Comments

Hey Hey Stink Monkeys,

Do you ever fall so in love with a fragrance you want to own EVERY available strength and vintage? I have a couple of fragrances that that has been the case for me. Guerlain Shalimar, CHANEL No 5, Versace Blonde, Boucheron Trouble and

Bellodgia EdT, EdP, Parfum & Oil by Ernest Daltroff for Caron 1927

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Carnation and rose
Heart: Jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and violet
Base: Musk, clove, vanilla and sandalwood.

As you may have guessed by the heading I have different versions of this amazing fragrance. This is the order I fell in love with them: EdT, EdP, Parfum and then by luckiest chance the original Oil. I will often layer Bellodgia with oil on wrists, parfum behind knees and EdP on chest, my EdT has about 2 sprays left and never gets pulled out any more, though I did just order a new 30ml one with the purple leather coating, YUMMY. Each one is from a different vintage by the smell of them and the oil is absolutely killer, even the slightest scraping will keep me deeply fragrant with sillage that fills a room in moments. You can smell it on your person but it stealthily creeps around a room until it takes over and becomes the rooms scent, then it lingers for hours.

Funnily, Bellodgia was released as a softer, less in your face sister to much of the Caron work. Nowadays you would be hard pressed to find a young girl willing to be so fragrant and bombastic. My how times have changed. Though Bellodgia has been reformulated there is still a very good nod to the oldest of my collection, the oil which was completely sealed when I received it so not too much air let in to destroy it. I love the opening, so rich with promise and pungent.The crisp minty crackle of carnation cutting through the floral bouquet and vanilla. There is a real rose note that is both spiced and sweet, I think the bouquet is amped towards making a lifelike but still cryptic version of rose, the cloves from the base help too.

I don’t really get the white flowers in the heart but I think that’s my terrible nose, the rose is superstar on my skin and the violet, earthy green and fresh, seems to serve as a counterpoint rather than a feature. Then into the warm and deep dry down where I think Bellodgia really comes into its own, the musk (and I think the oil has the real deal) vanilla and woods all seem to lay a deep downbeat while this fantastical spicy rose maintains its hold for hours and hours.

Do you want to feel like a fabulous flapper, a naughty, nascent beauty ready to pounce upon an unsuspecting world? Bellodgia will definitely put you in the mood, no matter how unlikely we are ever to fit into that category. Dreaming is free.

Photo Stolen StyleIconic

Further reading BoisDeJasmin and Olfactoria’sTravels
EssentialMall has the purple leather encased 30ml EdT for $33
SurrenderToChance has a selection of Bellodgia including vintage EdT, EdP & Parfum

Till tomorrow, we hope all is light and joy in your house. If it’s not though, like the rainy weather it will clear. Promise!!
Portia xxx

Villeroy + Boch – LoopArt Project

May 3, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hello Fragrant Fumies,

I am often inspired by the depth of commitment shown by artists. It is rare though that a multi national company shares this view or that they give us stories of such behaviours. Here is a 6 minute mini movie by the Villeroy & Boch brand. One I have loved for years because of their fun and often gorgeous tablewares that so many of my friends families used as we were growing up. It shows how the company has been created with the idea of art as king and how they keep that idea going into the 21st century. Inspiring and interesting.

Photos stolen Villeroy & Boch

Portia xx

Villeroy & Boch – But Different!

2nd Glance #1 – LoopArt Project

Celtic Fire by Anastasia Brozler for Union 2012

May 2, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Hello Fragrance Buffs,

This crew started up last year and they are getting quite a following. Unfortunately I can’t get into their site to get more info.

EDIT: From the Union Fragrance site thanks to Val the Cookie Queen: Anastasia Brozler is Union’s gifted and passionate Creative Perfumer. Anastasia’s background is in bespoke perfumery, creating personal scents for a coterie of international clients from princes to ballerina’s, actors and politicians. She has established a reputation as the woman that can achieve the impossible from re-creating the scent of your favourite car to that of your grandmother’s handbag!

Celtic Fire by Union 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accord:
Top: Oak, balsam fir and pine needles
Heart: Marmite (unnamed on Fragrantica)
Base: Birch, myrtle and peat

Righto! Before we start to talk about the fragrance the bottle looks AH MAY ZING in the photo and I am tempted to lash out and grab myself one before I’ve even tested how good the juice is. I KNOW!! Outrageous.

Sometimes when a fragrance arrives, and I grabbed this decant from SurrenderToChance in a Weekly Chance Special, like Celtic Fire did today I am unreasonably excited. Having read loads of reviews when the brand launched last year and most of the scentbloggosphere was going completely SpazLaLa for them and falling over themselves to add platitudes to praise, I now am at a fever pitch. Honestly, this is not a good way to start a fragrance experience.

Photo Stolen pbase

How did it smell and make me feel? Smokey, like, bonfire BarBQ and charred meat: Birch-tar-y like freshly treated leather hides awaiting stitching, The pine needles pass me by but there is a mulchy, freshly turned earth, sexy gardener sweat accord at the start that has a curious sweetness and the heart is almost pretty and not nearly so aggressively manly. Marmite? Like Vegemite? Really? A salty, tangy, sweetness that I suppose, with auto-suggestion on, you could call Marmite. It makes me feel interesting and alluring, not because it’s sexy but because it is so far removed from what people smell like, so to smell like this is enticing. I do get slight reminders of Interlude Man but not the moaning ecstasy that it engenders. I would be extremely comfortable wearing Celtic Fire and have enjoyed wearing it over two days, before and again after getting ready for work. My decant is dry.

Celtic Fire softens considerably after the first 2 hours and becomes a smell of bushfire or bonfire night on your clothes. It is murky, sweet, smoky, animalic and still very beautiful. Staying like this for hours and hours and I can’t pinpoint its leaving because it has become me so slowly. I am surprised that no one has commented on Celtic Fire over my two days of wear, maybe it doesn’t project as far as I thought?

So even though I was in a fluster of over-excitement it didn’t diminish my enjoyment, Celtic Fire has passed with flying colours.

Further reading TheBlackNarcissus and TheCandyPerfumeBoy
Available online at Selfridges (100ml/£125) and HenriBendel (100ml/$185)
SurrenderToChance starts at $5/ml

Did you try this line yet? And??

See you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Escale à Portofino by Francois Demachy for DIOR 2008

April 30, 2013 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Hello Happy Huffers,

In todays post we look at a fragrance that I’ve always thought of as a mid summer spritz to cool, calm and collect myself. I have rarely worn it in the cooler months and then only for memories of summer. It has always felt beautifully blended but today for the first time I am wearing it for review purposes.

Escale à Portofino for DIOR 2008

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, petitgrain and lemon
Heart: Almond, orange blossom and juniper berries
Base: Cedar, cypress, galbanum, caraway and musk

BANG! WHOOSH! Citrus opens bright, effervescent and audacious. A sparkling and fun fizz that says summer is around the corner, we are gripped by spring, life is good and wonders will never cease. For a fun pick me up to any blue day then Escale à Portofino is the antidote. A big cheesy smile in every spritz. We maintain a green freshness as the juniper berries sweep in but my skin and nose doesn’t register the orange blossom except as background voices to the lovely green snap of those berries, and the citrus stays around for a very decent length of time into fragrance life.

Photo Stolen WallpapersCraft

When the almonds come through its a sweet milky surprise, woodsy too, adding a lovely depth to what is essentially a very cologne-esque adventure. I am surprised that Escale à Portofino hasn’t been marketed more directly to the men, it would be a perfect masculine as well as being a lovely feminine. The dry down never registered with me before today, it maintains its green heart but warming and unsweetening slightly and becoming a bit more herbal. Very interesting. A very Green Tea scent to close, gorgeous whispers and wafts before finally, gone.

My main qualm with Escale à Portofino is that usually when I wear it the lasting power is terrible, around 3 hours maximum. Today though when worn with the express purpose of reviewing it I got over 6 hours of fragrant life, interesting. This may be better in mid seasons rather that the heat or cold? Today is a lovely 20 degrees celcius with the sun shining and I feel like I have made a new fragrant friend, the whole life of Escale à Portofino got more interesting and longer.

Photo Stolen Fragrance-Oil

Further reading BoisDeJasmin and Olfactoria’sTravels
FragranceNet has $55/75ml
SurrenderToChance starts at $3/ml

Don’t you love it when an old favourite that you’ve worn for ages at a certain time changes its face for you? What frags have done this for you?
Portia xx