Fracas Silkening Body Lotion by Robert Piguet

October 1, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Fragrance Fiends,

One of the ideas we grew up with in the 1980s was the idea of layering. I know it was a push by fragrance manufacturers to sell more product but that doesn’t lessen the fact that it really works. I know if I use a moisturiser that is infused with the fragrance I’m wearing that my fragrance will last longer and often have a richer texture. The added benefit is that my skin is soft and glamorous too, so touching it is an even more pleasurable experience.

Fracas Silkening Body Lotion by Robert Piguet

Photo Stolen Galaxy Perfume

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

I bought my bottle of Fracas Silkening Body Lotion a while ago online and I have about half left, it was around the $45 then and I have thought of it as a complete bargain. Sadly I can’t see it almost anywhere anymore except a couple of sets or pricey ones on eBay and the Robert Piguet USA site has them too. i think I’ll be stocking up next time I’m in the US.

For those that don’t know Fracas is a tuberose scent that takes all the super sweet, bubble gum bits of the flower and creates a fun and lighthearted blockbuster that will stop traffic.

So what’s so special about Fracas Silkening Body Lotion? Well it’s PINK! Light pink but pink none-the-less. It’s smooth and sinks into your skin in moments leaving it beautifully perfumed. You could wear the moisturiser alone if you wanted to be softly fragrant all day at work, only your really close intimates would really understand why you are particularly attractive today. It also gives Fracas EdT a much longer fragrant life cycle and boosts projection. Tonight at work I had a compliment on my fragrance after we’d been there over 2 hours, usually I find Fracas softens to a very muted scent by then. Clearly I was still pumping out the Fracas well into the second hour and that makes me happy. The photo below is how Fracas makes me feel: young, lithe, lovely and free.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Robert Piguet USA has $50/195ml
Galaxy Perfume has a 100ml EdT and 195ml Silkening Body Lotion Pack for $198

What do you like to layer in your scent wardrobe? Do you ever mix & match?
Portia xx

L’Amoureuse by Emilie Bouge for Brecourt 2010

September 30, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Trésor

(Ed: BTW Here’s the link to a story about Trésor in the Mac Campaign)

There are a handful of categories in fragrance which are often maligned by those whom may consider themselves connoisseurs of haute parfumerie (myself very much included) but there is one particular climate of olfactory exploration which may well get a bum rap that’s worse than them all: the fruity floral. The fruity floral has become somewhat ubiquitous and while that ubiquity can often come with a sense of fragrant ennui there can also be a sense of comfort and familiarity captured within these dulcet vapours. Just as I’d been delving into some research of the genre to further my understanding it so happened that I was fortuitous enough to receive a package from a dear friend, one which contained a very generous sample of L’Amoureuse from the Parisian house of Brecourt, easily one of the most exquisite compositions in the genre I’ve had the pleasure of wearing along my scented journey this far.

L’Amoureuse by Brecourt 2010

L’Amoureuse by Emilie Bouge

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, tangerine, black currant
Heart: Rose, jasmine, violets, raspberries
Base: Peach, lily, musk

L’Amoureuse opens on my skin with the sumptuous bravura of juicy blackcurrant, each berry positively glistening with rich and nectarous dew. The narcotic aroma of jasmine and her petals of luxurious ivory permeate the airspace alongside the citric effervescence of glowing tangerine, a combination which somehow reminds me of a smell from my childhood; the redolent aroma of a particular shampoo or other such potion that perpetuates the most splendid notion of lighthearted nostalgia. As the composition progresses the lush magenta petals of a blooming rose bouquet unfold and radiate their glowing aurora throughout the exquisite menagerie of aromas which preceded. The lambent sweetness of ripe peach amplifies the utter ebullience of delectably fruity damascones and makes way for the most unbelievably comforting drydown. A plush cloud of sensuous white skin musks alongside the delicate warmth of rich sandalwood are what remain after the spellbinding floridity of the heart begin to fade. It is in this splendid embrace that L’Amoureuse finally becomes one with the skin and exists as but a fond memory.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

With L’Amoureuse I get a moderate degree of sillage, nothing particularly huge but by no means existing within the realm of a skin scent. Longevity is about the same for me as well, I get a good 6 to 8 hours of wear before the fragrance disappears entirely on my skin though I am certain on warmer days I may very well be able to get a solid 10. I think L’Amoureuse would be the absolute ideal transition scent for someone making the journey from wearing only mainstream releases into the world of niche. It is wonderfully elegant, delightfully well made and created with a sense of familiarity that I think even those completely new to fragrance would find very appealing.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Scent For Thought
First In Fragrance have €69/50ml & samples
IndieScents have $85/50ml & samples

What fragrance would you recommend to somebody taking their first steps into the world of niche?

Until next time, my darlings.

Trésor, xx.

Beauty You (might) Need To Translate!

September 27, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by A F Beauty

Allow me a moment of comedy:

What do you call someone who speaks three or more languages?

Multi-lingual

What do you call someone who speaks two languages?

Bi-lingual

What do you call someone who speaks one language?

English!

Beauty You (might) Need To Translate!

Yes, so my heritage is English and I speak only one language, to my shame. What this does mean though is that there is a whole selection of beauty products where my purchasing choices are dependent on guess, hint or, if I’m lucky, a translation sticker on the back of the product! So here’s a couple of products I’ve bought on hint or guess which have been amazing:

Hada Labo Tamagohada AHA and BHA Exfoliating Cleanser – Japanese

Luckily for me, this was positioned front and centre in a pharmacy in Singapore with AHA and BHA in the largest letters on the pack, so I was immediately drawn to it. My skin copes pretty well with acid treatments, so I figured that it would also be OK with the cleanser. It’s texture is not dissimilar to Estee Lauder Perfectly Clean – but it is slightly softer and lathers easier. But the exciting part of this product is that the moment you wipe your skin clean, it is C-L-E-A-N – you have properly exfoliated without any abrasion –your skin is smoooooooth and lovely. I use this about once a week almost as a treatment rather than daily – I personally think my skin wouldn’t tolerate it so well on a daily basis – the acids are more powerful than any other I’ve bought in a cleanser. I’ve had the pack for just over a year and it’s still going (even though I bought three on a whim!)

Hwansaenggo Bird’s Nest Pearly Brightening Gel Mask – Korean

This purchase was a pure guess under time pressure – the shop was about to close and I wanted to buy everything, as usual. So I picked up a few bits that caught my eye, and lets face it, Heaven Grade Ginseng – who wouldn’t want this!?

I cracked this mask out of the pack – it’s like an actual mask that sits on the face, you don’t apply it per-se. I peeled off the backing layer and applied to my face thinking it was a bit crinkly with the other plastic layer on it and thought it wasn’t sitting very well against my skin – and then it dawned on me that duh, I was supposed to remove both plastic layers. Genius. I’m here to make the mistakes so you don’t have to!

The mask then sat lovely against my face, felt lovely and soft and smelled good. After about an hour – probably double than advised (I was watching TV!), I peeled off and my skin looked great. Definitely plumper and fuller – this would be a great mask to apply before a big night out.

I totally love the excitement of finding a new product, especially one that hasn’t been translated into English, I feel like I’ve found a secret that no one knows! I’ve got a few more of these in test at the moment, will tell you about a few more next time – but what secret buys have you found?
A F Beauty XXX

Inside the Wardrobe of Olivia Palermo

September 25, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

I’m not sure if you all know who Olivia Palermo is? US socialite and model turned beauty/fashion blogger off the back of a turn on MTV reality TV show: The City. She now seems to have her finger in everything.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Here is a fun and interesting look into the wardrobe of a modern mavin of style.

Enjoy.
Portia xx

Inside the Wardrobe of Olivia Palermo

NEW STORE: Arielle Shoshana

September 20, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Crew,

Especially those in the USA, there is a brand new perfumery in town. My mate, blogger from Scents Of Self, glam girl and general fragrant fiend Arielle (Ari) is opening her first store in Washington DC. The Grand Opening Party is on October 3rd 2015! If you’re in the area you MUST drop in and hug her from the APJ crew.

NEW STORE: Arielle Shoshana

I was her very first customer and for a one time only special event she let me buy, and sent all the way to Australia, Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Absolue Pour le Soir. I am totally thrilled by the speed she delivered in, loads of cute stickers on my package, a bunch of interesting samples as well as my beautiful bottle of skankalicious sexy good times horny juice.

Some of the range includes:
Neela Vermeire Creations
Atelier Cologne
Etat Libre d’Orange
Maison Francis Kurkdjian

and many more…….

Mosaic District

2920 District Avenue

Suite 145

Fairfax, VA 22031

Please go have a look at Arielle Shoshana Scented Luxuries site, prices are competitive and Ari is such a sweetie. Let’s help a fellow frag maniac begin something new, create a place for perfumistas to shop by a serious perfumista. Ari, I’m so proud of you and proud to call you my friend.

GOOD LUCK PRINCESS!
Portia xx

Inside Vogue Fashion Editors Wardrobes: Film

September 20, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there APJ,

Wardrobes! That breeding ground of clothes, the stockpile of a life well lived. Memories of people, travel, times, adventures. Every piece of clothing I own has a story and I treasure all of them, which has made the culling harder and harder over time. Having to keep two wardrobes for two sexes is also a bit demanding. It got to the point where I had to make myself some rules. 10 pairs of shoes for each sex, one in and one out theory. Don’t wear it for a year? Let it go….

Photo Stolen Flickr

I freaking LOVE this series. How great! Recently we saw in Lily Allen’s wardrobe and it was even better than expected, such diversity. In this little piece we are given a sneak peek into two VERY DIFFERENT fashion editors/personalities wardrobes. It’s almost as if they came from different tribes but yet they both do the same job for the same company. Interesting and fun. Inside I harbour both these people who I think are pretty extreme, can’t wait to read what YOU think and how you treat your wardrobe in the comments.

Portia xx

Inside the Wardrobe of the Vogue Fashion Editors

Bel Respiro by Jacques Polge for CHANEL 2007

September 16, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

Post by Trésor

Sometimes there is a fragrance that one is taken with, right from the get-go. It’s a bit like finding the perfect pair of black leather pumps or a flawless white shirt, a seemingly simple task but one that in reality it’s never quite so easy. They have to click, tick each box and do so with a comfortable, effortless sensibility befitting their impeccable nature. A sublime marriage of fit, form and fabric that so fluently weaves its way into your life and exhibits as not only an immediate appreciation of fine craftsmanship but as the beginning of a lifelong affection. For me, this is how it began with Jacques Polge’s Bel Respiro for Chanel, a pure manifestation of not only incredible fondness but what it means to be consummately and so unapologetically chic.

Bel Respiro by CHANEL 2007

Bel Respiro by Jacques Polge

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Green notes, flowers, leather, grass

The opening of Bel Respiro is, in my opinion, SO bloody Chanel. If you just so happen to be as irrationally obsessed with fragrance as I am (and I sincerely suspect you are) then you know just what I mean. It’s so good, in fact, that it may very well reside within the selection of some of the most beautiful top notes I’ve ever smelled in a fragrance. Upon the first push of the atomizer one is met with a diaphanous aura of desaturated emerald, exquisite in its verdancy but whisked away into a realm of subtlety and utter grace. There is a sunlit radiance emanating from the surface, not particularly warm but a palpable sensation of luminosity and effervescence.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

The elegant austerity of silken iris soon follows, infusing the composition with an air that feels again so deeply “Chanel”, beauty of the highest order but beauty that has not made an effort to appear as such; it simply is. Pastel hued petals of lilac and rose redolent of a delicate herbal astringency follow suit and create what smells to me of a subdued kaleidoscope of ephemeral floralcy. A flourish of suede reveals itself beneath glorious fractals of efflorescent aroma, but only as an accent much like the the double-C on the button of a vintage tweed jacket. The dry down smells of transparent resins alongside a slightly amplified trace of the aforementioned suede and the scintillant glow of soft white musk.

Photo Stolen Flickr

The longevity and sillage, for me, are largely dependent on how much one applies. A spray or two yields a relatively evanescent outcome, close to skin and lasting just a couple of hours but with a proper dousing in the stuff as I much prefer (quelle surprise!) I can get about 5 hours and a nominally more potent sillage. Bel Respiro is certainly not, as the boys like to say, “beast-mode” but that is where its beauty lays, in gossamer undulations of fragility and grace.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Smelly Vagabond
Bel Respiro can be found at most large department stores and stand alone CHANEL boutiques
CHANEL Online has $160/75ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

Have you fallen for any fragrances right from the beginning? What was it about them that beguiled you?

Until next time, my darlings.
Trésor xx

L’Occitane Immortelle: 28 Day Divine Renewal Skin Program

September 13, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by AF Beauty

L’Occitane Immortelle

28 Day Divine Renewal Skin Program

Opening the product was VERY EXCITING. I had no idea what was in the box, it being given to me by the lovely Portia to review. I cracked the cellophane and opened the box and saw the four panels of oil before me. Quite possibly the most extravagant packing I’ve ever seen for what amounts to 28ml of oil!

L’Occitane Immortelle First week: Gentle Exfoliation

My first point of note was the instruction booklet which detailed very specific instructions on how to apply the oil, down to a pre-application inhalation of the oil aromas. The first oil smells very green and plant-like, not unpleasant. The second, and most surprising revelation was that 1ml of oil is a HUGE amount. I did as instructed, dropped the oil into my hands, rubbed, inhaled and applied – and lo, I was an oil slick! The oil felt a little grainy and took a while to settle in. Having applied at night, it did sink in overnight, but I was still a bit oily in the morning. At this point I wasn’t using any other moisturiser on top of the oil. Towards the end of the week I realised I was starting to get tiny spots on my cheeks and forehead.

L’Occitane Immortelle Week Two: Hydration and Nutrition

Immediately on this week I noticed the aroma was a lot sweeter than the previous week, much less plant-like and more flower. I really liked this week’s oil although, given the choice, I would probably only choose to apply half the amount. Because the pods are “single serve” there is no choice but to apply once open.

L’Occitane Immortelle Week Three: Balance

At the start of this week, I’ve not noticed a huge difference in the oil from week two. The aroma is comparable, still sweet and light. The texture is slightly less fine than week two, but this is almost imperceptible. Nightly, I am still an oil slick but the spots have ceased.

L’Occitane Immortelle Week Four: Renewal

By week four I had started to apply a tiny amount of moisturiser on top of the oil in an attempt to encourage more absorption and to prevent the oily residue on the skin. At week four, I can’t tell the difference between the previous three weeks in both texture and aroma.
But with all this, how was my skin? That’s really the question! Well…. overall, not great. Towards week four I had started to dwindle in my commitment to the product. My skin texture had lost some smoothness and I was really missing my usual routine. I didn’t perceive the benefits each week proposed to offer. But in defence of this product, I used it in almost isolation, just after cleansing my face each night, unlike almost any other product in my arsenal. And in fairness, the reviews of the product on the L’Occitane website shows that people truly love it – I am completely open to accepting that not every product works in the same way for everyone.

I would love to see the best oil in this collection sold in a bottle by itself with a dropper and to be able to use that oil in amongst other products. (And now I check, I see they now do this at L’Occitane)

Will you try this set? Do you use other facial oils? Which ones and how do they suit you?
AF Beauty xx

Anne-Marie Sniffing in Paris 2015

September 13, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Anne-Marie

Hi All

Last month I spent about a week in Paris on a work trip, all expenses paid. This is NOT the sort of thing that normally happens to me, and right up until I boarded the plane I was expecting the dream to evaporate. But no, I got there, and had a fabulous – albeit hurried – trip to the City of Light.

Photo Stolen Flickr

The Pompidou Centre. Sadly, I did not have time to venture inside.

Anne-Marie Sniffing in Paris 2015

I was with a colleague and we were traveling and in meetings nearly all the time. We had very little time for sightseeing and shopping, but, well, it’s amazing what can be achieved with a bit determination!

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

We were staying at Les Halles and working in the Marais. This made it easy for me to get to my most longed-for shopping destination – a Nicolai boutique. Nicolai Parfumeur Createur was one of the first niche brands I fell in love with but never for an instant did I believe that I would step over the threshold of one of its Parisian boutiques. Well, I did, and it was as delightful as I had always dreamed. Purchases? 30 mls each of Fig-Tea, Weekend in Normandy, and some Vetyver soap.

Photo Stolen GoogleMaps

I must admit a grand fail though. I walked right past the Serge Lutens boutique in the Palais Royal and I was too scared to walk in. Okay, time to confess that I’m not a fan of the brand and never have been. I can’t afford one of its darned bell jars even if I wanted one. The shop exterior creeped me out. And I had a meeting at the Australian embassy later in the afternoon and could I turn up there reeking of Moroccan souks and stewed fruit? No. Just no.

But I stopped at the Parfums de Rosine boutique and was nearly – but not quite – charmed into purchasing Une Zeste de Rose. After that I was quite content with a cup of mint tea and a slice of cake in a café opposite Uncle Serge’s little shop. Tea and cake in the Palais Royal and strolling through the gardens were the highlights of the trip.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

As for perfume sniffed on the street, I smelled a lot. Most of it I could not identify but I’m certain I got a whiff of Narciso Rodriguez for Her, and twice I smelled Terre d’Hermès quite distinctly. Once was as I was queuing for coffee at Gard du Nord, and once in the hotel lift at my hotel.

The Sephora store in the Marais was nothing grand, but I had fun exploring Yves Rocher (the brand is not sold in Australia), and picked up a bottle of Oriental Shower Oil – so decadent! Perfume shopping concluded with a Cartier mini set bought duty free on the way home.

How about you? Do you have Parisian sniffing adventures to share?

Until next time, have fragrant fun!
Anne-Marie xx

(Ed: Sadly Anne-Marie’s photos were in a form I was unable to translate to WordPress so I had to add some stock shots)

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès 2015

September 12, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Post by Portia

It’s time to bid farewell to Jean-Claude Ellena at Hermès. I’m sad because he really came to embody so much of what I think Hermès is famous for: the interesting, not fashion, best of, made to last, made to use, made to love and for people who can still feel love. JCE being the nose at Hermès felt like their visions were aligned, sheer beauty could sum up Hermès or Jean Claude Ellena’s fragrances for Hermès. Here is Le Jardin de Monsieur Li: his last opus for the company, his last fantastical garden……

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Hermès 2015

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Jean-Claude Ellena

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Kumquat, jasmine, mint

The garden series are polarising, as much of Ellena’s work is. One of the interesting things about them is that we have been able to see into this particular artists creative journey with some of these scents through his own, and others, written words. Though we know little it’s more than we know of other perfumers and that for me makes JCE a bit of a mate, a friend or acquaintance that has let me a little behind their eyes into the workings of their brain. WE have been there when the unripe mango triggered a fragrance, through some of the depressing routes that led to failure and we also know something of his love of fragrance, his bringing home freaky scents the kids asked for, the love for his wife and his engaging personality that has made him a fragrance lovers household name.

So, how does Le Jardin de Monsieur Li smell? Bittersweet, ethereal, sweet and cool, sparkling yet curiously oily too. Le Jardin de Monsieur Li is about drinks in the shady garden in the afternoon as the sting of the days heat abruptly cuts off, the gardeners are watering or maybe there’s just been an afternoon storm so the air is clearer, less dusty and the fragrance has changed from dust to fecund wet earth and grass and you have a champagne fruit punch that is so delicious and the first one hardly even touches the sides of your thirst. Refreshing, lifting, light and elegant, Le Jardin de Monsieur Li is a fond and fervent farewell.

Photo Stolen Hermès

The Le Jardin de Monsieur Li artwork looks like they have a new artist too. The modern/retro feel of the watercolour is so much more computer-generated looking than previous pictures and while I think it lovely there is a feeling that the Hermès crew is already moving on from the JCE years. Moving away from the lovely home made feel of the naughties and into a more hipster/art-without-creativity/big-business-boring feel for the future. It’s a shame if it’s true, one of the things I love about Hermès is their quaint and homey version of world domination. The free spirit has been caged and trained.

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Perfume Shrine
Hermes stores and some larger department stores carry the Jardin range
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

What is your favourite Jean Claude Ellena fragrance for Hermès?
Portia xx

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

shopping

Fracas Silkening Body Lotion by Robert Piguet

Fracas Silkening Body Lotion by Robert Piguet

L’Amoureuse by Emilie Bouge for Brecourt 2010

L’Amoureuse by Brecourt 2010

L’Amoureuse by Emilie Bouge

Beauty You (might) Need To Translate!

Beauty You (might) Need To Translate!

Inside the Wardrobe of Olivia Palermo

Inside the Wardrobe of Olivia Palermo

NEW STORE: Arielle Shoshana

NEW STORE: Arielle Shoshana

Inside Vogue Fashion Editors Wardrobes: Film

Inside the Wardrobe of the Vogue Fashion Editors

Bel Respiro by Jacques Polge for CHANEL 2007

Bel Respiro by CHANEL 2007

Bel Respiro by Jacques Polge

L’Occitane Immortelle: 28 Day Divine Renewal Skin Program

L’Occitane Immortelle

28 Day Divine Renewal Skin Program

L’Occitane Immortelle First week: Gentle Exfoliation

L’Occitane Immortelle Week Two: Hydration and Nutrition

L’Occitane Immortelle Week Three: Balance

L’Occitane Immortelle Week Four: Renewal

Anne-Marie Sniffing in Paris 2015

Anne-Marie Sniffing in Paris 2015

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Jean-Claude Ellena for Hermès 2015

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Hermès 2015

Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Jean-Claude Ellena