Ambient Scent Wishlist for Santa

December 19, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Sandra

Hello dear APJ! How are you all doing?

The holidays are a around the corner and thankfully I am done with the shopping and just have to finish wrapping everything. We are having my parents over for Christmas this year and it will be special as my eight year old has not spent Christmas with his grandparents since he was six months old.

While I was telling my husband what I had bought for our son, he exclaimed that I am the most difficult person to buy a gift for! Seriously???!!! Me -difficult to shop for??!!! If he would listen to what I have been whispering to him (not so much whispering as it is me telling him what I wish for)… He was in Tokyo for a week and went looking but came back empty handed because he could not find it despite the fact that he had Japanese colleagues helping. He is off to Rome this week so fingers crossed… In all honesty I would love a new set of sheets and new bath towels but he says that he refuses to buy household items for Christmas – I understand his problem. So if I am honest with myself, perhaps I am a tad challenging to shop for.

The one luxury item that I am loving this year is ambient scents. So, while I am not holding my breath on receiving something scented for Christmas, I would love to share with you what has had me intrigued over the past six months.

Ambient Scent Wishlist for Santa

While buying the roses for the perfume talk at the school, I spotted a brand which was completely new to me. L’Objet. The florist carries the bath salts, bars of soap and room sprays. I started out smelling all of the bath salts and loved each one of them and would have bought one on the spot if I had not seen the room sprays.

L’Objet

The black bottle is heavy and has a white label with the name of the scent and two reliefs on either side of the name. Very modern and elegant. The one that came home with me is called Rose Noire which is all about the exquisite rose and tea with some added spices for good measure. I spray the room, the upholstery and sit back and dream of walking through a garden of rare fragrant roses. Divine. I will certainly be trying out the two other room sprays in the collection.

Mecca

Another brand that I have always loved is Fornasetti. Their incense sticks are subtle and leave the room scented for hours. This summer I splurged on the Fornasetti room spray Flora which leaves a scented trail of a white floral bouquet which I find stunning on a warm day. It of course helps that it comes in a gorgeous ceramic holder with a lid and looks like a piece of art.

Becker Minty

Cire Trudon is another brand that I started exploring this summer. I am eyeing one of their Christmas candles with the festive scents and colours of the ceramic holders.

There is a whole new world out there with home fragrances that I have yet to tap into. If I cannot have flowers every week, why not a room spray or a candle that brings a smile to my face.

Do you like to scent your home? Do you use candles, incense or room sprays? Any suggestions for me? I would love to hear what you have to say.

Be safe over the holidays.
Oodles of fragrant kisses, Sandra

Merry Christmas 2017

December 16, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Portia

To all who are celebrating, and those who are not, APJ wishes you a safe and peaceful holiday season. Here are some healthy young lads to help you celebrate. If they’re not your cup of tea for sexy time elf play then they double as handymen and will get all the stuff that needs doing around your house done. Now isn’t THAT the best Christmas Wish anyone ever gave you?

We are having a lovely warm day here in Sydney. Lunch with Kath’s sister & family and then a sneaky swim at her parents place. Jin worked Christmas Eve overnight so he is sound asleep till at least midday.

Fragrance wise I wanted something cool and calming, also something I had a small travel size to take with me for respritzes throughout the day. What better a choice than my lovely old standby Niki de Saint Phalle.

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Artemisia, mint, green notes, peach, bergamot
Middle: Carnation, patchouli, orris root, jasmine, ylang-ylang, cedar, rose
Base: Leather, sandalwood, amber, musk, oakmoss

FragranceNet has $22/14ml before coupon

So what did you wear for the festivities?
Portia x

Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts by Aftelier Perfumes

December 8, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Portia

Hey APJ Peeps,

It’s no secret how much I love baths. I find a 15-20 minute soak in the tub more relaxing that almost anything else you can mention. It’s a short sharp shot of bliss that can be done whenever a window appears. Quite often I will do all my chores at the end of a night because the days are hectic. It may be 2 or 3am after a busy day, working at night, getting the blog stuff done and then doing a few loads of washing or cleaning the kitchen. A great way for me to go from supersonic to sleepy tired is to have a bath with a warm drink, dry, moisturise, scent and bed. My head hits the pillow and lights out till the alarm goes off in the morning for the dogs feeding and walking.

Why have I rambled on yet again about baths? Well, Mandy Aftel has made some incredibly luxurious eating salts that I naughtily used a capful of in my bath and O M G it was a transcendent experience. Talk about sending me into the stratosphere; amazing! You need hardly any to scent the whole bathroom very softly and it is calming and head clearing. Do it as you get in the bath. Beautiful. SHHHH! Don’t tell Mandy I did it though.

Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts by Aftelier Perfumes

So, how are we supposed to use Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts? Follow this recipe and your family will think you are the best cook in the history of all cooks. I use one fillet each but your crew may like more.

4 large Snapper Fillets
1 x lemon cut into very thin slices
2 TBsp butter
2 x parsley fronds chopped finely
1 x crushed large garlic clove
Pinch white pepper
Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts

Baking Tray
Aluminium Foil

Pre heat oven to 180C
Mix butter, parsley, garlic and pepper together to make a paste
Tear 2 sheets of foil big enough to wrap 2 fillets each
Spread 1/4 of butter mix all over each fillet
Place fillets on shiny foil side
Put lemon slices top of fillets and close up the foil.
Pop onto bake tray and into the oven for 15-20 minutes (you know if your oven is a little slow or fast)

Make whatever salad or vegetable sides you like while fish is cooking

When the fillets come out of the oven they will be meltingly soft so be careful as you transfer to the plate
Add a sprinkling of Tarragon and Bitter Orange Finishing Salts
Add your sides

Serve and watch your family go crazy with excitement

I didn’t know this was going to be a post so no pictures were taken. SORRY!

Obviously your mileage may vary but this was a complete winner around here. Hopefully your crew loves it too.

From Aftelier only $15: Our sel gris is stone-ground by hand until it reaches a fine consistency; it melts into other flavors seamlessly, imparting a briny mineral richness. Sel gris French gray sea salt is hand-harvested from the clay-lined salt ponds in the Guérande region of France, giving it a soft grey color and mineral-rich moisture. These salts are not to be used during the cooking process, but rather to add a pop of flavor to everything from meat to salads to vegetables just before serving. These salts will lift the other flavors of a dish, making it special and delicious.

What a freaking great Christmas Gift for the friends and family that cook, and so affordable.
Portia xx

Top Five Hot Weather Fragrances: Gabriella 2017

December 6, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Gabriella

Hello perfumed peeps!

We’ve had quite sultry weather in Melbourne lately with temperatures over 30C for days straight. The heat has caught everyone by surprise, including me, as it usually doesn’t get this hot until January or February. The change was sudden too: one day I was in jumpers and coats and luxuriating in my dark rose and woody scents and the next day I’m sweltering in a sundress and wondering what perfume to wear. So, today I want to share my:

Top Five Hot Weather Fragrances

Fragrantica

Amyris Femme by Francis Kurkdjian for Maison Francis Kurkdjian 2012

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon leaf, orange leaf
Heart: Amyris, iris
Base: Vetiver, agarwood (oud)

The Parisian chic choice. Amyris Femme dazzles from the opening with bright and juicy lemon blossom coupled with soft iris and delicately spiced woods. It’s a joyous scent that is still incredibly elegant and poised.

Further reading: The Candy Perfume Boy
Mecca Cosmetica has 70ml/$228

Fragrantica

Carnal Flower by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle 2005

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, melon, eucalyptus
Heart: Ylang-ylang, jasmine, tuberose, salicylates
Base: Tuberose absolute, orange blossom absolute, coconut, musk

The sexy diva. Carnal Flower is the perfume equivalent of diving head first into a huge florist’s fridge brimming with creamy tuberose flowers. Lush tuberose is front and centre, but the eucalyptus provides a lovely green quality to the fleshy white blooms laced with a touch of coconut.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin
Mecca Cosmetica starts at 10ml/$84

Fragrantica

Lily by Florence Idier for Comme des Garcons: Olfactory Library 2000 (reissued 2017)

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Lily of the valley, freesia, syringa, dog rose buds

The lovely green one. I’ve struggled to find a good lily of the valley scent since the original Christian Dior Diorissimo was reformulated beyond recognition, but this may just be it. Here, the lily of the valley is very stemmy and verdant but devastatingly pretty.

Mecca Cosmetica has 50ml/$130

Fragrantica

Original Vetiver by Olivier Creed and Erwin Creed for Creed 2004

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Ginger, mandarin, bergamot
Heart: Vetiver from Haiti, Mysore sandalwood, Florentine Iris
Base: Musk, ambergris

The “It’s too hot for perfume” choice. Many vetivers tend to be on the heavier side but this is the soft caress of a feather on skin. Mandarin and bergamot keeps things bright and fresh with a touch of gentle iris and salty ambergris.

Further reading: Katie Puckrik Smells
Libertine Parfumerie has $339/75ml

Fragrantica

Rosa Greta by Fabrice Pellegrin for Eau d’Italie 2017

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Litchi, white tea
Heart: Rose bud, Damascus rose infusion
Base: Cedarwood, ambrox

The summer office scent. Made to commemorate Greta Garbo’s disappearance from the paparazzi in the Amalfi Coast in 1938, Rosa Greta is joyful but still very elegant. Lychee and a gorgeous tea note lend a vibrancy to soft rose.

Mecca Cosmetica starts at 100ml/$204

So what are your favourite perfumes for when the mercury starts to rise?

With much love until next time!

G x

Wood Infusion by Goldfield & Banks 2017

November 30, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 36 Comments

Portia

Hello Fumies,

Here is a delightful surprise. Australian crew Goldfield & Banks has a brand new scent on the market. It’s so new not even Fragrantica has the deets yet. We are very excited here at APJ to be one of the first to get our sniffers on it. We also have a chance for 10 lucky readers to get a sample sent to their home with love from Goldfield & Banks and APJ.

Wood Infusion by Goldfield & Banks 2017

Goldfield & Banks give these featured accords:
Australian Exotic Woods, Sweet Orange, Iris Italy, Agarwood, Lavender Australia, Patchouli Indonesia, Musk, Amber

Smooth, a soft woodsy patchouli with a very pretty lavender undercurrent. The sticky sweetness of orange on your lips after eating quarters floats effortlessly over the top, as if you’re smelling the fragrance through it. Cool and calming, the creaminess of sandalwood and resins keeps everything luxe and expensive.

Wood Infusion is so beautifully constructed with the heft of some of the early by Kilians but add in the clean blending perfection of Mona di Orio and the interesting combination of ingredients that only an independent perfume house can do. Here’s the thing though, Wood Infusion smells like the very best of the price lines released by so many of the fashion houses (DIOR, CHANEL, Armani et al) but BETTER. So much better.

From Goldfield & Banks: Inspired by the lush nature of the balmy heritage listed Fraser Island in the Pacific Ocean, Wood Infusion is a celebration of all wood species found around the island. This fragrance is an exotic infusion of Australian woods enriched with Sandalwood Album, Iris and velvety Agarwood (Oud Wood).

Goldfield & Banks has $229/100ml
City Perfume has $229/100ml (10% Discount Code: AFG17 and FREE AUSTRALIAN EXPRESS SHIPPING)

Wood Infusion GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week there will be 10 winners who will receive:
1 x spray Goldfield & Banks Wood Infusion decant
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 where you would wear your decant of Goldfield & Banks Wood Infusion

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Monday 3rd December 2017 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 7th December 2017 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

Padre Aura: Nera Orchidea Candle + Discount Code

November 23, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Portia

Hi there crew,

My mate Thierry is director at City Perfume. Recently I was coffee-ing with him and he was really excited about his line of candles. Full of enthusiasm, Thierry has worked hard to make quality products at an affordable price. Going through the range together it was easy to become bundled up in his joy and they do smell good.

Padre Aura Nera Orchidea Triple Scented Soy Candle

The line is based on fragrances, it’s a cool concept. They take a few popular perfumes from the same genre and create an analogous simple scent that has a few of the crossover notes. So the candle I chose, Padre Aura: Nera Orchidea, has a few notes from Tom Ford Black Orchid, Tom Ford Velvet Orchid, Narciso Rodriguez and Bvlgari Jasmin Noir. While it smells unlike any one of them particularly it does resemble parts all of them.

Padre Aura: Nera Orchidea gives a fruit sweetness over spicy white florals and vanilla.

One of the things I like about these candles is they don’t have the heavy, thick scent trails so many other brands leave. I don’t want my apartment overtaken by candle fragrance, what I want is a scent to neutralise man, food and dog smells and leave the place smelling fresh, inviting and loved. Padre Aura: Nera Orchidea does this perfectly. Burn the candle for an hour till the top of the wax is liquid, then blow it out. The warm wax will continue scenting your home for a couple of hours afterwards at a low level.

You get approximately 80 hours burn time and with the double wick the wax melts nearly to the edges. The wick doesn’t discolour the candle and there is only a little smoking at blow out. There are a bunch of selections in the range that are similar to such fragrant luminaries as Coco Mademoiselle, Alien, Aventus, Spice Bomb and many more.

City Perfume has offered APJ readers a 10% DISCOUNT CODE* (AFG17) and FREE AUSTRALIAN EXPRESS SHIPPING if you spend over $150

Padre Aura: Nera Orchidea is $59/400gm

So what is your candle of choice?
Portia xx

*Discount excludes CHANEL products

Vanille Tonique by Mark Evans for Evocative Perfumes 2014

November 22, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Kate Apted

G’day APJ folk!

Vanilla? Yuck, no thanks!

I hate vanilla in perfumes. End of story. It belongs in foods and reminds me of endlessly of vanilla ice cream and vanilla flavoured rice puddings. Just don’t bring me a bottle and ask me to try it if it is vanilla centred. But then one day…

I bought a sample set of Mark Evans’ Evocative Perfumes; the alcohol based scents. Out of a solid sense of duty to the effort gone by Mark to make all the scents in the pack, I felt I owed it to him to try every single scent. Even the dreaded one called Vanille Tonique. I sprayed with my breath held and forgot I was even wearing it minutes later.

Vanille Tonique by Evocative Perfumes 2014

Vanille Tonique by Mark Evans

Vanile Tonique begins in a very humble, quiet way. There is nothing booming about it in the way some other vanillas open. It eased its way to my nose about 15 minutes later with a slightly spiced, non sweet glow. I actually had to wrack my brain to think of what I was wearing. I was running errands that day and quite busy, so it had slipped my mind. I got home to find out what I had sprayed. Aha! Vanille Tonique. Oh. No.

I lasted out the few hours of the day til shower time to gauge the development of Vanile Tonique; desperate to find a reason to hate it. I sprayed all of Mark’s other creations on cards and tried each of them again. As much as I love several other of Mark’s scents nothing captured me quite like Vanille. I had to admit by shower time that the mildly buttery development and the simmering spices were a love. My body heat had amped up the voracity of the whole composition without once making the vanilla sweet or overpowering. And though not a powerhouse, it had accompanied me in my shadow the whole 6 hours. It had trailed off to a skin scent by 5 hours, but I find I get bored of scents by then.

PDI

A week later, at Tafe, I had been craving something, but I wasn’t sure what. I grabbed a few of the Evocative samples and smelled them at all the red lights on my way to Tafe. Vanille Tonique still stood out. It was exactly what I was after. I ordered a bottle during my break and as I ate my food, I pondered on what had shifted in me. I smelled my arm and it did not interfere with my appetite.

One of the things I totally deplore about sweet, gourmandish scents is that they do affect my desire to eat. As a half-arsed body builder (that is another story), I have to fit a certain number of calories into my day. Vanille Tonique doesn’t ever interfere with my food and appetite. As projection is arm’s length, and the spices are what bring the subtle heat, the vanilla is left to be what it is. Just a delightful, somewhat sensual, warm glow that does not have that hyper vanilla of ice cream.

PDI

Further reading: Australian Perfume Junkies
Evocative Perfumes has $40/12ml oil + Samples from $4

Are there any gateway scents that have completely spun you around? Are there any notes you still won’t try?

Kate xxx

Boxwalla October Beauty Box

November 14, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Val the Cookie Queen

November Greetings APJ

From L.A. The Boxwalla October Beauty Box
From L.A. to New York, from New York to L.A.

I chatted a lot with the charming Lavanya as she was in the process of setting up www.theboxwalla.com. Talking about it is one thing, and doing it quite another. Two years on Boxwalla continue to offer four different subscription boxes; the Beauty Box, Food Box, Film Box and Book Box. The boxes themselves are superb. Boxwalla have them made by a small company in India, who make the paper from cotton scraps. Tree-free handmade paper. I keep my decants in an empty box. They are very strong and tough.

Boxwalla October Beauty Box

The October Beauty Box is nothing short of divine. I am most impressed that products are either full sized at least a large travel size. I am not partial to tiny samples that you need to rip open with your teeth, squeezing out the three drops from within. Boxwalla´s Beauty Boxes treat you to amazing green beauty products. We have most certainly moved on from what my daughter and I refer to as “Müsli products” which we wouldn´t touch with a bargepole.

The October Beauty Box showcases www.hforlove.com products. The Rapha Harmonizing Cleanser feels stimulating on the face. I wear a lot of makeup, which I chose to remove in my normal way. I followed it up by massaging the cleanser into my face, soothing my skin and removing with a hot flannel. Skin is noticeably softer each time I use it.

The Propolis Regenerative Mask felt wonderful, I don´t know if anything has regenerated yet as I have only used it once! The Kinu, a decadent body balm is so good, leaving my skin hydrated and amazingly soft for hours. It smells divine, laced with essential oils of grapefruit, cedar wood, bergamot, rosemary, and vanilla.

Shipping within the US is free, and Boxwalla ship their boxes abroad too, with the exception of the food box. Fifty bucks every two months? Worth every cent and more.

Next time: We go to New York: Aroma M Geisha Marron Eau de Parfum

From sea to shining sea.
Roasted marron bussis
CQ

(ED: All Photos supplied by Val. XX)

Au Bord de L’eau by Fabrice Pellegrin for L`Artisan Perfumer 2017

November 3, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Portia

Hi there Punsters,

Just so you know Au Bord de L’eau means “At the water’s edge”. It’s not a joke on the way it sounds when I say it, A Bordello. Or is it? That is the top of my mind now that I’ve seen the name written as a heading on my WordPress editing board. Yep, I am an 11 year old boy hiding in a 49 year old drag queens body.

It’s been interesting to see the new directions L’Artisan has forged since the Puig buyout. While not totally sold on the kooky animal head lid set I do love a couple of the new Natura Fabularis privée line, 32 Venenum and 9 Arcana Rosa. Haven’t smelled them all yet but those two were very nice.

Au Bord de L’eau by L`Artisan Perfumer 2017

Au Bord de L’eau by Fabrice Pellegrin

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Bergamot, lemon, violet, musk, orange blossom, rosemary

Sharp citrus opens, it’s tart and lip puckering at first then mellows quickly into a sweet and fizzy version of itself. Orange blossom and musk keep the journey into the heart of the fragrance smooth. Refreshing, without all the modern wet or cucumber tropes. The orange blossom is only ever so slightly breathy, mainly it is clean and suede-ishly plush. There is something of a summer storm about Au Bord de L’eau, all bright and light and then a cooling, breath of wind rushing ahead of the clouds. The fragrance cools just a little.

WikiMedia

A green herbaceousness creeps in and makes everything interesting. It could well be rosemary but it has no rosemary smell as I know it. Certainly doesn’t speak to me of the bush or on potatoes and lamb, honestly I would be more inclined to call it a smooth basil scent but that could easily be the way everything, especially the iris, has been placed around it. No matter what it is I think you’ll find Au Bord de L’eau a very easy wear, spritz and respritz summer fave that will take you from board room to dinner date comfortably.

WikiMedia

For a cologne style the longevity is quite good and on clothes it is tenacious.

Just to be clear, Au Bord de L’eau doesn’t smell like A Bordello at all.

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Love To Smell
Sweet Fern has $189/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples from $3.89/ml

Are you excited by the new things Puig is doing with the L’Artisan range?
Portia xx

Beach Hut Man by Elise Benat for Amouage 2017

November 1, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Portia

Hi there Niche Nerds,

When I heard the name Beach Hut Man I laughed out loud. Not because it’s funny but because I was so surprised. The new direction that Amouage is going in is interesting. No one can say that Christopher Chong is afraid of change, experimentation or surprise. Having built up a stable of hefty, Arabic inspired, gloriously fabulous perfumes in the Amouage house he then moved to produce the Library series. They took me a while to get but others were much faster learners. Now he is bringing The Midnight Flower Collection which started with Bracken.

Beach Hut Man by Amouage 2017

Beach Hut Man by Elise Benat

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mint, orange blossom, galbanum
Heart: Vetiver, moss, ivy
Base: Myrrh, patchouli, woody note

interesting, like a chic mint patty being eaten while sitting on the damp grass under a tree near the compost heap. There’s also a note I’m smelling quite a lot in modern niche that is woody, warm and slightly electric. It’s a funny note because it jumps over everything else for me, thank goodness I really like it. Something warm and cosy about sit yet largely space age. Maybe it’s the idea of the smell of burning sand and baking driftwood?

Beach Hut Man Amouage wreck_wood_metal_rusted_weathered_decay_beach PXHere PDI

I really like how Beach Hut Man smells. It has this electro mint thing, a green, dank, earthy space smell and this weird woody/salty/glassy smell. Interesting.

One thing it doesn’t smell is finished. There felt like no synchronicity was ever reached, no full melding and blending of the parts. It’s like they are warring factions, unresolved and unhappy to be in the same perfume. I’m no perfumer, or even a real connoisseur, but Beach Hut Man smells slightly lazy and/or amateur to me. (Ducks) It smells like a newly minted indie frag, a boundary pusher, a slap. It in no way smells like a super smooth finished product from a mass-tige brand sold in department stores. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. It’s raw, a bit rough, weird and eminently wearable.

PDI

Will I wear my decant? Yes, I’m so bloody intrigued that I’m taking it with me on holidays. By the time you read this I’ll probably have bought a bottle.

Further reading: Persolaise and Brooklyn Fragrance Lover
Libertine has $435/100ml FREE Australian Delivery
Surrender To Chance has samples from $4.59/0.5ml

Are you interested in trying this one?
Portia xx