shopping

OMG!! Portia on Perfume Posse?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hello everyone,

This is a seriously BIG DEAL. Recently there was a shout out for, and after a small series of lost in the ethernet emails I was invited to submit, guest blog material on one of the world’s most popular fragrance blogs, Perfume Posse. Today is my first published Guest Spot on there and I am fit to WIDDLE myself with excitement.

I chose to write about a new kid on the block perfumer, his new perfume house and one of his most popular fragrances.
Carlos Huber (below, I know! HUBBA HUBBA) is the perfumer, Arquiste is his company and Aleksander the fragrance. So please scoot on over to PerfumePosse and have a quick squiz, there are more delicious Carlos Huber pics and the fragrance is so damn yummy. I’ll be tickled PINK if you leave he a Hello so I know you dropped in on me there.

Sometimes life just reminds you to be grateful, doesn’t it.

Have a great day, don’t forget to enter our THURSDAY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION
See you back here tomorrow,
Portia xx

Photo Stolen notablescents

Comme des Garcons series 6 Synthetic; Garage, Skai, Tar. LIVE Video Sniff!

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Hey Hey gang,

You may never have heard of the CdG series 6. They were deleted before I became a serious perfumista and though they have come into my radar area a couple of times I’d not ever thought of possessing them. There was so much else to be snorted that I really, really wanted to try.

Then, not so long ago, my mate Radium (AKA Robert Maxwell) asked if I knew where to procure such hard to find gems. So as an essay in “I can do that” I set out to. It wasn’t easy, in fact I could only find the 3 that Radium asked for at SurrenderToChance and so, as a great way to have them, smell them and share them, I offered to purchase if he would come and sniff them with me LIVE! for a video presentation. He jumped at the chance and here is the outcome. Do please enjoy.

Both the photos stolen from Number3store.com where you can but these 3 lovelies currently. Woo Hoo!

I must also congratulate the extraordinary talents of my BFF Kath who shot ans edited and TSO Jin who made it blog ready. You 2 are awesome, great joys and I’m lucky to have you both. XX

Much love,
Portia xxx

SUNDAY QUICKSNIFF REVIEW #3

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hiya all,

I wear a lot of perfume and write about surprisingly little of it, hard to believe isn’t it?  The Sunday QuickSniff Review page is opened on Monday morning and every time I spritz and am near the computer I’ll give a 3 sentence review with a rating out of 5 each for, well, see the key after the reviews.

BADGLEY MISCHKA EdP by BADGLEY MISCHKA 2006. Can someone please tell me what all the fuss is about this fragrance? (Tania Sanchez gives this a full page, 5 star rave? Was she smoking crack?) It is a pretty light fruity floral that is modern and fresh for a young girl or office wear. The dry down is scrummy though, all warm and delicious woods, almost a skin scent that lasts well and now I kind of get some of the fuss. FragranceNet has 30ml for $22 S=** L=**** D=**

LES HEURES DE CARTIER: L’HEURE CONVOITEE II by CARTIER 2011. This is a sparkling, bright, pretty floral with the crackling, whiplike carnation sitting in a fluffy bed of powdery iris and ever so spicy clove; moves slowly through its dance to end up traditionally wood and vanilla. Charming, playful and enticing, I can imagine a girl or granny wearing this Cartier scent, it does double time as fresh and antique, light and deep, prim and adventurous, intriguing. Buy at Cartier stores. S=**** L=*** D=***

SIRA DES INDIES EdP by JEAN PATOU 2006. To me this is one of the best of the modern soft light office friendly, no one can be offended, fragrances that I don’t really understand. It doesn’t say India to me though, more island; like the fantasy you have of how your 6 star, 150 staff, 40 guest maximum, no children, island paradise holiday destination should smell. This is a background hum of wealthy excess and the bottle is such a delicious classic. FragranceShop has 50ml for under $30 S=*** L=** D=***

VANILLA NOIRE EdP by YVES ROCHER 2010. WOW! Perfume! This is all the world’s best vanillas put together in a ramped up, sexy, glamour girl of a fragrance. It is warm, dark and dense, perfectly unisex and quite hard to come by unfortunately. Yves Rocher still has it. S=**** L=*** D=****


Photo Stolen from shirtsays

Scent, Obviously the number 1 priority here is how does it smell. My reviews are completely subjective and will differ widely from your own experience with the scent but it’s a good starting point. As yet I am not a trained perfumer so any and all descriptions are merely that, descriptions. There are plenty of blogs that offer technical details and chemistry, in 3 sentences I’ll pass.
Longevity, This is a biggie for me because like enfleurage where flower petals are left in fats to steal the scent, my fatty body works the same and eats it up, yum. So for a scent to last well on me, it will probably last a whole day on you and need a radioactive decontamination shower to defuse it from your skin.
Desirabilty, Wrapped up in this is scent, price, house, history, longevity, packaging, availability and a billion other things.

Photo Stolen from bittbox

* in any of these being the, “You couldn’t pay enough to spray this God awful stink on me again, it smells like public toilets in India, long time fridge malfunction while on Summer holiday and the vile stench of poverty all rolled into one.” You are putting innocent people in danger if you wear this.
** means it’s a nothing, wearable, boring, maybe the price is prohibitive for what you get or it’s ubiquitous. You should definitely get a sample of this to stop a buying boo boo.
*** is a perfectly good product that smells good and lasts a while at a decent price. You should definitely think about trying a sample or squirt but should you miss out your life will continue. Sample size worthy.
**** is the one you try, want a lot but can wait for a birthday/Christmas. It’s better than most of the stuff you’ve sniffed and may fill a void in your library. This is also an excellent decant product 5ml will get you through the season and maybe buy it next year.
***** meaning, stop reading this, grab your cash, credit card (or partners), roll the elderly or rob a petrol station and purchase this product. NOW! If you don’t have this fragrance you could die.

Hopefully this has given you a little inside track on fragrances to buy, want, avoid, sample. Isn’t scent the best fun EVER? What did you try this week?

Portia xx

Scent Mum takes us Day Tripping! Winners Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hiya everyone!

Today was AWESOME!! My BFF Kath and I went into town to meet the amazing Emma who was the MECCA manager for years, involved with setting the store up, bringing Le Labo out to Oz and making that run, grew the Frederic Malle business here and worked with him on Australian launches (and these are just the highlights as I remember them). She has also kindly offered to become my scent mother. I know, right! TOTALLY AH MAY ZING!!! Sorry, I know I’m shouting but I’m so terrifically excited. It’s been quite a day.

First stop was, of course, Mecca in the Myer building Pitt St Mall, Sydney. Amy was our SA and made sure we were well looked after, gossiping with Emma and doing workmates catch up. Brendan was also there but he was busy at the Le Labo bar and we only chatted to him briefly at the end while looking at the wonderful selection of Dyptique, Serge Lutens, Comme des Garcons, Kai, and a horde of others.

Brendan at the Le Labo Bar in Mecca

Emma asked me to pick some of the Frederic Malle that I was interested in sampling on paper so I pulled out;

Musk Ravager which to me was a nice girl version of Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens which is already in my library. I did take a sample of this though to try, and compare, at my leisure.

Fleur de Cassis gave me a sweeping, playful and deep look into cassis and mimosa and I would like to try this on my skin one day soon.

Portrait of a Lady was a spicy, fruity, floral that took my breath away because it’s so lovely. Powerhouse on the card, still pumping like crazy after 5 hours.

Bigarade Concentree is a little too citrus and wood, the rose doesn’t develop for me and nor does the grass, though I have only had it on a card. This is what Kath bought today and it is a terrific choice on and for her.

I know, crap shot of Emma and BFF Kath

Lipstick Rose is delicious and if I had not already Rosa Sur Reuse by SOIVOHLE and Ce Soir Ou Jamais by Goutal it would be adorning my collection now.

Noir Epices is lovely dark and spicy as the name hints but Eau D’Epices from Tauer fills that niche here.

Geranium Pour Monsieur is amazing, mint, geranium, spices, licorice, woods and cloves wrapped up in a cool incense. This is going on my FB list. What a lovely fragrance. Very mad I didn’t get a sample size of Geranium Pour Monsieur but will return.

Carnal Flower is, of course, divine. Unfortunately I just got Truth or Dare so there is no need for me to splurge so outrageously on even something as jaw droppingly gorgeous as Carnal Flower. I did take a sample size of this one too.

It was great having Emma with us, she knows the product back to front and was able to give us insights and interesting over views that you only get from  working in the industry. I should have had a tape recorder because much of it went straight out of my head. GRRRR! One really good thing was that Emma noticed 2 of the testers were off and so we got brand new ones to try. As you probably already know, lights and temperature changes are killer for fragrances, as is exposure to air. If you are serious about your perfumes a cupboard away from external walls, or even better a fridge, will keep your most precious babies fresh and ready for decades.

SA Amy & BFF Kath at Mecca

Then we went and stood in line at David Jones to have a picture taken with Nicole Richie, who also signed a pre-fab shot of herself. She was doing an in store to sell her new range of bags, sunglasses and jewellery. The bags were fun and well thought out, not ridiculously expensive and had great finishes that looked like you’d get 10 years heavy wear from them. Nicole was all business because I had 3 cards for her to sign but I wished her, “Painless, easy and harmless world domination,” and she immediately looked me straight in the eye and laughed, wishing the same for herself and sharing a tiny little real person connection time with me. It left a really good taste in my mouth. Nicole Richie, you have a fan.

After lunch downstairs in the David Jones Food Hall Emma had to go find herself a frock for an awards night so we parted ways.

Kath and I trotted back to Myer bumping into a dear old friend, Joe, at the CHANEL counter and he loaded us up with samples of cosmetics and a No 5 Eau Premier sample that is going in the Thursday Giveaway Competition next week because I already have 5oz here. It is good news that I have a buddy there because I’ve just learned that my No 5 Parfum spray is an out of date bottle and case necessitating a complete change next time I buy, unless Joe can find me an old one. My bottle and juice are about 15 years old so pre-reformulation and it will be quite a change sadly.

While we were in town I thought I’d go check the Clinique counter to see if they had the Aromatics Elixer 40th Anniversary Perfumers Reserve Edition Prestige Parfum Extrait. The last one!!! I have been asking at every Clinique counter I passed thinking the suburbs would have it but Sydney had it! YAY!! Purchase. Even the box is gorgeous. Opening Ceremony sometime this week! SCORE!! So happy. This may be the last one in Australia.

Photo Stolen idealo

One gripe for today though. Tom Ford doesn’t do samples. So, you want me to pay over $600 for a bottle of your fragrance and you can’t even give me a sample to see if I like it? You can shove your juice darling. Having had my bitch, the SA Joel was great, had no problem giving us the low down on the products we were interested in and happy to spray our cards for us, and us if we weren’t on a sniff mission. But, no samples?

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION WINNERS

This week instead of doing one big giveaway I thought I’d do 2 small ones. Both winning parties will receive

1ml Rasheeqa Concentrated Perfume Oil
1.5ml Vintage by Kate Moss EdT Spray Decant
1.5ml Hermessence Vanille Galante EdT Spray Decant
Plus P&H anywhere in the world

What did you have to do to be in the running to win these lovelies? Tell me a fragrance by a fashion house that you particularly love.

And the

Photo Stolen dryicons

are JESSE and COLLEEN. Congratulations! If you don’t get in touch with your details by midnight Wednesday 30.5.12 I’ll give your prize to someone else.

Well I’ve had a super great day. Now time for some dinner, cuddles and bed. I’ve earned it.

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

Hermes, Hermes, Hermes Reviews

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hey Hey Junkies,

Hermes, Hermes, Hermes; even the name sounds exquisite. Doesn’t it. Images of saddlery, silk, leather, shoes, clothing, bags.

Logo Stolen from madisonmuse

I had an Hermes tie once. It was lovely. Pale blue background, horses (not the proud stallions, no, these were the 14 hand 8 year old gelds of domestic pony clubbers) being ridden by very ordinary young men dressed in cream shirts and beige or fawn moleskins, some daringly sporting braces in red. this is my memory of the tie and if I could remember who I lent it to they could probably vouch for it’s accuracy, these ties were made to last. A friend also gifted me the Hermes box that a queen sized cashmere rug had traveled home in. It was placed around the apartment, and then house, like a piece of art, till it was destroyed in a minor domestic accident that had me hyperventilating and palpitating and everyone else trying not to laugh.

A couple of weeks ago I wandered into Sydney’s Hermes store to grab a squirt of their fragrances. I looked like a complete bogan, worn out jeans, holy jumper, thongs. Every piece that was visible had once been a designer piece that has lasted me years and though I look like a tramp, these clothes are so part of me I am finding it hard to let them go. there was a blond, buff, sparkly toothed vision smiling at me as the door was opened, looking for all the world like Hermes the messenger of the Gods had had his golden locks shorn and coiffed. It was astounding. His welcome was as warm as if I’d walked in wearing an Hermes suit he had personally sold to me.

Photo Stolen from giantbomb

I asked to see the fragrances. “Mens or womens?” he asked casually.
“Do you think they care who wears them?” me. There was no wide eyed surprise just a moment to distill and a bigger smile, “What would you like to try?”
“Herm Essence,” I reply in Australian. He touches my arm to get my attention and says softly in the correct tones, “Our Hermessence range is great, you’ll love it,” and opens a drawer with testers. It was done so nicely and without fanfare. I am grateful to him and will purchase on Saturday, as a Thank You.

Recent arrivals in my Mail Box included 3 Hermes 15ml mini bottles from Olfactoria’s Travels wardrobe cleanout. They are all so different and wearable. I am enjoying them all.

Kelly Caleche EdT 2007 Jean-Claude Ellena. This is a surprising leather that smells on my skin like the leather, glue, colours and stitchery inside the back of brand new high heels, never worn, straight from box and tissue paper. The flowers and fruits big moment are all over for me so quickly, around 15 minutes, and then play such a light backing track to this almost patent leather smell. Kelly Caleche has been worn on my chest for the last 2 days and I have enjoyed it immensely.


Hermessence Vanille Galante EdT 2009 Jean-Claude Ellena. Vanille Galante has a sharp, dark, almost camphorous, awkward and riveting scorched pot-pouri beginning that burns the hairs out of my nostrils. As it mellows down to a softer tone the vanilla peeks out, then hides, then peeks out again in an interesting waltz with the flowers and woods. Maybe I smell cognac wafting from somewhere, like I’ve left a balloon on a table near the fire, or maybe the perfumers notes mislead me but now it’s in my head I can almost taste it. Sadly, while I have enjoyed wearing Hermessence Vanille Galante, this will probably never reach any kind of high rotation because other Vanillas in my library live better for me.

Les Colognes Hermes Eau de Gentiane Blanche EdC 2009 Jean-Claude Ellena. This smells of ivy, fresh cut hedges on gardener days and humus, the flowers and incense are cool and stark the most bare, green, haughty and aloof you can imagine. This is a bracing spring splash in a salt water pool, that OOH as you go in but as your body adjusts and acclimatises to the water it becomes comfortable, deliciously refreshing. There is a warmth in this fragrance that filters in as your skin mellows and softens it. Les Colognes Hermes Eau de Gentiane Blanche is my favourite of the 3, I will wear this frequently.

Here is Hermes World Home Page that can direct you to any of their country websites. FragranceShop has some great deals on Hermes fragrances.

Do you have a favourite Hermes fragrance or a story of your introduction to the Hermes brand? Please share with us, often the comments are more interesting than my posts and I love reading your fragrant thoughts. Currently I am torn between Santal Massoïa or Jardin en Méditerranée as my Thank You buy for that sweet Hermes God working in the Sydney Store. HELP!

Much love,

Portia xx

Denyse Beaulieu: The Perfume Lover

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hi Snifffters,

I have recently finished Denyse Beaulieu’s book “The Perfume Lover”. Denyse has been a long time blogger on Grain de Musc and a perfume afficianado, teaching “Understanding Fragrance” courses in London, living and working in Paris. She is a bit of a hero and writes many of her blog posts in English and French.

Unfortunately I am a bit under the weather today and my nose has gone on strike for smelling because it’s already full.

So instead of talking about perfume, I thought perhaps that I would tell you a tiny smidge about Denyse’s book. I found it a delightful and entrancing page turner, teaching me a lot of history, some of the perfume making process, and a whole bunch of side related trivia that you have to be on the inside track to know. Like a perfumed version of a rag trade novel. Behind this font of knowledge though is the story of how a perfume came to be from a vivid recollection of youthful dalliance Denyse had enjoyed in Spain, some of her loves through time and the scented thread holding all together.

Many of you don’t read novels, I know. This is such an easy read that few of you will find it in any way challenging. You may learn some new vocabulary though, which will stand you in much better stead next time you are faced with a pushy salesgirl or the incredible gamut of fragrances available currently. It will also give you some hints of great perfumers and the companies they have created for, who to look out for and what they put into the juice. All knowledge is power, right. For you ladies your buys will look more savvy and for the gentlemen the same holds true. Imagine being able to surprise a loved one with something they’ll cherish or brag about your own splendid choice of fragrance.

Buy The Perfume Lover (after the jump) from Book Depository in hardcover for around $21 delivered to your door. It is also a sensational gift. I was going to write this about a fortnight before Mother’s Day because it is a perfect book for gifting. Beautifully bound, writing not too small, light and entertaining while still informative.

It has inspired me to go and find a couple of the mentioned perfumes too.
Is there a book I need to read about perfume that you adore, please leave it’s title and author in the comments.
Much reading pleasure to you,

Portia xxx

Miss Dior Cherie Review

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hey hey,

How good was Evie C’s interview with Aussie Perfumer Howard Jarvis of Bud Parfums yesterday?

I found this somewhere on FaceBook a while ago, or maybe one of my friends sent it to me. Thank you to who ever it was. Every now and then I come back to it and worry about how silly we are as a race. Will the earth survive us?

MISS DIOR CHERIE

Photo of Natalie Portman Stolen from beautysorority

On a completely other track. Below is the incredible Natalie Portman for Miss Dior Cherie. I love her most in the bath with sunnies. HILARIOUS! Don’t you think so?

For me Miss Dior Cherie was too Fruit Tingle-esque, it sizzled away on my skin and though others thought it almost gone; every time I went to sniff, there it was larger than life but not in a good way. This is what the girls of today like to wear and good luck to them. My question though is, “Aren’t there a hundred fragrances out there that smell almost the same but half the price?” On a $20 bottle of Ambre de Cabochard the bow is cute, here I find it offensive and desperate, even though I know it’s a re-representation of an old school Miss Dior bottle. I’m sorry to anyone who loves this fragrance, it just did not work on my skin or for my nostrils. And, of course, because I hated it, it lasted on my skin for HOURS! which has made me tetchy with the whole shebang.

Yes, not a great literary endeavor today, nor is it sufficiently objective, sorry. Didn’t like it, can’t pretend. You may love it, try it at any department store for free. The DIOR SA’s are usually lovely, helpful and smiley.

Have you spritzed something lately that tried your patience? Tell me in the comments, I love to read others tales of fragrant torment too.

Have a lovely day all,

Portia xx

Liz Zorn’s SOIVOHLE: reviewing the uber-niche

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hi Everyone,

I hope this finds you happy and well but if not, remember; It gets BETTER.
Recently I came across an interesting niche perfume company. I can’t remember where I heard or read the name but I was intrigued. Googling today I couldn’t find anyone in my blog reader list who’d written about SOIVOHLE and now I’m completely flumoxed. When I wrote to Liz Zorn the ranges creator I mentioned Muse In Wooden Shoes but now I can’t find the pithy intro about how they have the best named fragrances of all time, interesting new potions etc etc. If you were the person that put me onto this crew; Thank You! Seriously, I went and purchased smallish sprays of Harbinger and Rose Sur Reuse and am gasping at the contradictions in one and the divine, must wear it again, can a fragrance really smell this good-ness of the other. (So update- I found the piece and if you click Muse In Wooden Shoes you can read it)

SOIVOHLE = Sending Out Inspired Vibrations Of Healthy Loving Energy (pronounced See-Vo)

Liz Zorn the creative genius behind the SOIVOHLE range describes herself and her motivations on the website thus:

“I have always been somewhat of a dreamer, the old saying I suppose, that artists live in their heads. I am no exception, if I were not constantly mulling over ideas about my next project, I might be able to get to that Zen place everyone raves so much about. In the moment, I can do that. For an artist it is the process or being in the creative zone. A place where the intangible becomes tangible. Where ideas (the head stuff) gets worked out in real time. I can not remember a time in my life when I was not on a mission. I am a purpose driven individual. A pragmatist that lives in her head. A practical dreamer.”


Columbine: Liz Zorn 2000 from http://www.lizzorn.com

Liz Zorn comes from a fine arts background, is a poet, painter, photographer, songwriter, is featured in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who of American Women. As if that’s not enough for one lifetime, now Liz is conquering the fragrance world with delicious, confrontational, sparkling and story filled scents, some of them all four at once.

Liz uses both natural and synthetic ingredients in her fragrances, in many the naturals are alone, in mixed media compositions synthetics are blended with naturals. Currently she is having to add all the IFRA restricted ingredients to her labels so you can make your own choices.

Rose Sur Reuse: Eau de Toilette


Roses are ubiquitous in fragrance, like musk, bergamot, orange blossom and patchouli. Roses are also hard. It is hard for me to like a rose fragrance although when I say that there are a few in my library (No 5, Shalimar, Samsara, Rush, Dreamer, Tresor, Fracas and others) and mostly they are old favourites revisited regularly, but none of these feel like a rose soliflor. I know it’s Rose and Tuberose but for me the rose is way on top throughout the lifespan of Rose Sur Reuse. This is an intoxicating fragrance; warm, boozy and musty it springs to life warming on my skin to a symphonic boom. It is a gentle but pervasive scent. Every now and then as I move a rush of spicy gorgeous bursts from my top and surprises me with its rich and voluptuous tapestry of roses. It’s a changing, never cloying or too rose-ish, fragrance that dances along beside you for around 5 hours when it dries down to a whisper of the orient. This is as FBW as a scent can get. Liz and her crew tried for an all weather rose scent and I think they’ve found it, this was released in 2012 so you’ll be the first person you know with Rose Sur Reuse. To me, a very accessible fragrance that fills a void I never thought I would have. Rose Sur Reuse notes are intense roses and tuberose, black raspberry accord, cinnamon, cloves, violet and a light oriental base.

Harbinger: Mixed Media Demi Absolute (18-22% concentration)


I am surprised that my assessment of Harbinger as a perfume of contradictions is exactly what the website says (moment to huff on nails and buff on jumper) in its opening gambit. Maybe I remembered from buying. This is a grown up scent that I think is currently beyond my ken as a baby perfumista. I don’t particularly like the slightly fetid smell of the sea in this fragrance, it’s a little bit like summer yabbying on the salty mudflats of my childhood in Coal & Candle Creek, is this cumin? The Muse In Wooden Shoes says it smells dirty and sexy but I don’t get it. I think I’m missing a major point though. I cooked with cumin tonight for dinner and it didn’t smell like this in the Tupperware or pan. I will come back to this bottle and try it again in a while. I do love its journey, there is a sweetness and lightness about Harbinger that I enjoy but like its name I feel that there is another scent coming that does not seem to appear on my skin. The notes on the site list cumin, honey absolute, white roses, Saigon cinnamon, ripe peaches, white orchid, roasted coffee beans, caramel, labdanum absolute, radiant musk accord and SOIVOHLE’s own Chypre base. (These notes sound more like Tobacco & Tulle smells, it’s like they were mixed up) Interestingly, Fragrantica doesn’t mention cumin but has caraway instead. This fragrance is tenacious, nearly 12 hours and still powering away in a softer, less invasive way but I am still not loving it.

Tobacco & Tulle: Natural Absolute extract (30-50% concentration)


This is a delicious wonder, it smells like fresh, hot, buttered raisin toast to me; quite close to apple crumble. I can’t believe these notes give such a fruit, yeasty, cinnamon, buttered and toasted, almost a burnt, scent. Warm, cosy and inviting but with some darkness and depth underlying, notes include tobacco absolute, tuberose absolute, earthy natual musk from hyrax tincture and ambergris. This is a showstopper of a fragrance, I used the merest dab from a sample wand and it has filled my senses to overflowing with deliciousness. I probably used too little but Tobacco & Tulle was gone after 4 hours with no traces left. I will try it again soon and edit this post if more juice equals more staying power.

OK update, yes I had too little perfume for my perfume hungry skin. Using more gives me lasting power around 5-6 hours before I lose all sense of it.

Rivertown Road: Absolute Pour Homme


A sample vial of Rivertown Road was my Free Gift with purchase. The spiel says inspired by rivers, river towns and river people. Headstrong, Independant and Proud! It rides the fence between Chypre and Fougere.
It is a warm lusty fragrance that speaks to me of river towns in Vietnam, Thailand and India, especially the Kerala riverboat adventures. It’s almost like the Indian fragrance oils. So many flowers, leaves, twigs and spices all in one place, it is hyper fragrance for fearless adventurers. Bold and bright, Rivertown Road burns an indelible trace across my memory rewriting much that has gone before. The notes on the site read like a roll call of everything ever put into a fragrance
Opening Notes: French Lavender, Dominican Bay, Key Lime, Bergamot
Heart Notes: Dry White Violet, Seville Lavender Absolute, Jasmine Sambac, Green Roses, Saigon Cinnamon, Mimosa Absolute, Tobacco Absolute, Carnation Accord, Foin Coupe (mown hay) Absolute,  Tonka Bean Tincture
Base Notes: Tolu Essence, Animalic Musk, Cedar Wood Oil, Sandalwood, Frankincense, Haitian Vetiver, Beach Ambergris, Liquidambar, Nutmeg Absolute, Oakmoss Accord, Aged Patchouli

You want to try this fabulous crew? Click> SOIVOHLE and it will take you to the Home Page.

Thanks for reading all the way. It was a long one today.

Much love,

Portia xx

PS All pictures from the SOIVOHLE site

DIOR: Shanghai Spring/Summer 2012 highlights

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Hey Fellow Fumeheads,

Having adored it all my life I studied Fashion in the 1980’s and there is a thrill still left for me in the words Yves Saint Laurent, Vivenne Westwood, Hermes, Donna Karan, Gucci, Thierry Mugler, Louis Vuitton, Gianni Versace and of course Christian Dior. There are many more names that could have been in this list but these names are the ones that have stuck in my head and which I associate with the longing I felt for high fashion while having neither the budget, body or where with all to be it. There was a spate of label purchasing through my 20’s and 30’s of usually off beat, unwanted, ready-to-wear pieces that had found their way to the discount stores in Europe and the USA, some house store sale shopping and the very rare in-season piece that I couldn’t live without. What I did do through these years though was buy ties, shoes, belts and fragrance from the big guys, giving me a taste of my dreams without losing the shirt off my back.


Photo Stolen from gatshfros.blogspot.com

For the rest I have stolen runway ideas and thrown them into my costumes; a collar, cuff, colour or treatment that moved me each season. Not to be up to date but because I was inspired by the bevy of amazing things done. Most of it was grown out of and handed down to the next generation and sometimes I see a newbie in bits and pieces of something I made 20 years ago.


Photo Stolen from internationalposter.com

My favourite designer purchase I ever wore was a gold/orange and dark coffee Thierry Mugler footed catsuit with the Thierry Mugler TM as the LV in open mockery of Louis Vuitton luggage. It was funny and silly and I wore it a lot. Its first ever wear was at the Cannes Film Festival to be interviewed by Ruby Wax while we were there promoting Priscilla: Queen of the Desert in 1994, or 1995? Cool huh?


Photo Stolen from egodesign.ca

Why have I included this long and seemingly pointless preamble? I came across this awesome video of the Shanghai DIOR show from March and realised that I am completely without a fragrance from Christian Dior in my Wardrobe. I love Diorissimo, Dune, J’Adore, Poison, Eau Savage, Fahrenheit and Dior Homme but have not purchased any of them for years, maybe because it’s so easy to go to a counter and get a squirt when the mood takes me, maybe not. It seems a glaring omission and I think I’ll have to rectify it during the week.

No reviews or anything today. Sorry. It’s Sunday and sunny and I want to be out among it. Wearing Soivohle; Rosa Sur Reuse and am quite liking it though. Maybe I’ll review it for you someday.
Have a super lovely day,
Portia xx

Please enjoy this short and sweet look at Shanghai DIOR Spring/Summer 2012.

Parfum d’Empire, Fragrance Reviews

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 7 Comments

Hi Stinkophiles,

Today we are looking at 4 of the Parfum d’Empire range of fragrances. I’m glad I’ve had a couple of days to do this because they have been so delicious, interesting and fun to wear, not to mention totally enjoyable to look up on different sites all the reviews, chatter, science and mystery surrounding them. Considering how little we know about the perfumer Marc-Antoine Corticchiato there is a wealth of information about his fragrances, which has made my job easier and harder in equal measure. What to put in, what to leave out, what is true, fantasy, science, madness or necessary to give a complete picture? The samples were bought from the Parfum d’Empire website, all of them were purchased late 2011 and I had tried only a couple and from that have 2 unopened bottles awaiting a suitable opening ceremony.  I hope you enjoy this short journey through about a third of the range. This is not a favourite list it is merely a random snapshot of the magicians art of fragrance in one house. I will give you my first impressions in words then work through the fragrance as my often wonky nose takes me through each perfume. Come.

Eau de Gloire EdT

The first fragrance that Parfum d’Empire brought to the world in 2005, modeled on Marc-Antoine Corticchiato’s scent memory of his boyhood home Corsica, literally translated as Water of Glory and dedicated as an homage to all those who’ve left their homelands to go into the world and conquer. Especially to his own home island boy Napoleon Bonaparte.


Photo Stolen from telegraph.co.uk

Bracing, Citrus, Salt, Squeaky, Floral, Masculine

WOW! This opens with a powerhouse icy cold screech of bergamot, citrus twig and broken branch and briny sea air then the herbs and flowers come and take the edge off. As the rosemary, lavender and star anise waltz in they warm the scent slightly but still it stays cool and laid back. I don’t believe in fragrances for the sexes but I keep imagining Eau de Gloire on a very masculine man though I would love to see how it smells on a woman. There is a squeaky dissonance here, the trilling of the citrus which lasts well into the heart of the fragrance and the rumbling of the incense, anise, oakmoss and tobacco. Unfortunately my nose misses the tea and leather in the composition completely, maybe you will have more luck. At about 3-4 hours I get more soft and flowery notes over the various resins, this fragrance grows more interesting and textured as it matures. At 7 hours it is soft as butterfly kisses and almost as ephemeral.

Fragrantica gives you the low down but Olfactoria’s Travels really does this lovely fragrance justice.

Osmanthus Interdite EdP

The French missionary and plant hunter, Jean Marie Delavay in the mid 19th century “discovered” Osmanthus (O. fragrans), a native of the GuiLin area of China (GuiLin means “Forest of Osmanthus” in Chinese). Osmanthus is a fast growing “bushy” tree that can grow 20 feet tall and 8 feet wide with glossy leaves and clusters of small, highly fragrant, yellow tubular flowers. Traditionally a symbol of love and romance and one of the 10 famous flowers in China and Taiwan.

Photo Stolen from trax2

Green, Crisp, Fresh, Light, Cold tea, High florals.

Osmanthus Interdite, which means Forbidden Osmanthus, is like arriving late for the presentation of tea during the cooler days of  jasmine and rose blooming. Honestly, I don’t smell jasmine and rose as I know them in life, this is an aloof, cool and soft scent on my skin, not a clean scent but reminiscent of cleanliness. Discernible and noticeable without a fanfare or scream, this is no bombastic floral. It is an old perfumed leather pair of driving gloves kept in perfect condition but worn, used and loved. The leather notes are far gone but you still can almost smell them, do I make sense? Almost as if they have become soaked with the wearers tea scented perfume and bodily fragrance over time, on top of a soft floral fragrance impregnated into the leather pre-purchase. They work side by side to create an intriguing unisex dichotomy through the heart. At the 8 hour point and there is still a whiff of something lovelier than me, faint and clean.

Here is Fragrantica and Abigail at I Smell Therefore I Am gives a 5 star rating to this luscious juice. WOW!

Wazamba EdP

Wassamba or Wassahoumba is a percussion instrument or disc rattle played rhythmically in loud, penetrating pulses by dancers during ceremonies in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Made of gourd and white wood the Wassamba usually weights about half a kilo.


Photo Stolen from ancestralmemory.com

Char, Sparkle/fizz , Olive green, Incense, Bark, Intense

Once the initial screaming, burning rush of Wazamba cools it becomes another perfume, churchy and sepulchral. It reminds me of years spent in Roman Catholic churches and the theatre and drama of religion. I think it’s interesting that many ceremonies of religious and tribal spiritual cleansing over the world smell similar. Having never been to West Africa personally, a neighbour once bought back a good luck talisman in the form of a fragrant pillow of woven grasses with smokey herbs, spices and incense inside, this has almost the same smell. What a powerhouse of memory and reflection Wazamba has been for me. A fragrance that wanders through a thousand shades of itself, more a journey than a scent. You must try this. Wazamba gave its all for about 5 hours and then became a skin scent, discernible to my partner as something other but lost to me.

Fragrantica for the notes and accords, but you must take time to read the Perfume Shrine‘s review, it covers everything and more, that I wish I could have said. Snaps!

Cuir Ottoman EdP


Photo Stolen from settemuse.it

Heat, Medicine, Booze, Fire, Hot new patent leather, Rubber, Road tar

OMG!! This opens like a Banshee wailing on my skin. It’s infernal and smells like I imagine being in Paul Chenavard’s (1807-1895), Inferno di Dante would smell like if they were burning tyres and a road in the background while drinking Kentucky bourbon in a hospital. I can’t believe I am smelling these things and wish I had a fragrant Godmother here so I could talk it through. WOW! Awesome MC AWESOME! After about 15 minutes Cuir Ottoman starts to breathe a bit, there’s air between the notes and I have a moment to think, leather, sweet leather and the flowers have arrived. There is a softening and prettying of the abrasive opening, we are covered in luscious leather and blossom and root. By the one hour mark we have arrived at the seraglio, beautiful full lipped sweating women, incense, hookah, floral unguents, leather and horses. There is still a beautiful ride and drydown to dark vanilla and spice but that is hours and hours away.


Photo Stolen from believerwoman

The Scented Hound has done a lovely review of Iskander by Parfum d’Empire today also, go check him out,

Hopefully you’ve enjoyed our mini trek through the Parfum d’Empire range. I think I’ll do another set of four next month for you all,

Happy, fragrant and loving hopes for your day,
Portia xx