Moschino Spring/Summer 2015 Fashion Show

October 12, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hi There Frag Fashionistas,

So do you want to hear about D R A M A? So in September Nikki Lipstick, independent fashion label, runs a catwalk show based on Barbie and does some supercute, fun and tongue in cheek Barbielicious styling. Next day Jeremy Scott sends his models down the runway in almost exact replicas. All hell breaks loose. Apparently Jeremy scott has been busted before for art theft, including a very excellent “I’m A Mess” slogan from none other than Nikki Lipstick, previously.

Photo Stolen NakidMagazine (Problem with using this image, get in touch)

Here is SS 2015 from Jeremy Scott for Moschino. All drama aside, I am LOVING IT! So drag, so fun, so silly and ultimately totally wearable by trannies everywhere. COOLIO!
Portia xx

Moschino Spring/Summer 2015 Fashion Show

Louis Vuitton Presents "When Los Angeles is a Man" mini movie

October 10, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Heya APJ,
Sorry this is late! As you already know I love the Louis Vuitton aesthetic and the fun they have with their advertising often has me smiling at their audacity, quirkiness and general bonhomie. While we await their fragrance let’s look at how they see their customer in an LA setting.

Lovely, and fun,

Enjoy,

Portia x

Photo Stolen FashionAvecPassion

Louis Vuitton Presents “When Los Angeles is a Man”

Floral Veil by Jean-Marie Santantoni for Grossmith 2012

October 9, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Gabriella

Hello fragrance friends,

Like my friend Val, I like to indulge in perfume games. Most weeks, you’ll find me re-doing my top 5 and top 10 perfume lists, imagining what celebrity scent I’d wear if that was the only available option on earth and so on. I’m also guilty of indulging in the occasional perfume questionnaire now and then, even though I’m likely to cringe or smirk at the signature scent that’s recommended to me. However, a certain scent kept cropping up on a few of these quizzes I completed that it got me intrigued. The fact that it had tuberose as one of the notes pushed me into buying a sample. The scent is Floral Veil by Grossmith.

Floral Veil by Jean-Marie Santantoni for Grossmith 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citrus notes, green accords
Heart: Geranium, rose, ylang, tuberose, vanilla orchid
Base: Cashmeran, amber, musk

Floral Veil opens up all joyous and spring-like. The sharpness of the green accords gives way to a dainty floral bouquet that’s cheerful, but still very well mannered. It’s the scene of an English garden from a Jane Austen novel: very pretty and restrained. You can picture the female heroine, perhaps Emma, drinking her earl grey tea under a parasol adorned in a dress of sunbleached blooms.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Despite the mention of tuberose in the notes, it’s sadly lacking on my skin. Here the floral is all about the ylang for me which gives the composition a solar quality. It’s the shimmering of sunlight on pale petals; their fragile blooms simmering and wilting in the heat. There’s a sense of airiness to the warmth here too: the white florals are breezy and relaxed rather than heady in nature.

Floral Veil is a tremendously pretty composition and while I like wearing it, I can’t help feeling that there are perfumes in this category that just work better on my skin, especially given the price point and longevity (around two hours). However, given its demure nature, this is nice office scent or a good pick for languid spring or summer days when you want to feel the earth under your feet and the warmth of the sun on your face.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Further reading: CaFleureBon and Now Smell This
Twisted Lily has $395/100ml and sample: $5/0.7ml

Have you tried Floral Veil or any other Grossmith? What perfume games do you like playing?

With much love till next time!
M x

Galerie de Parfum counter launch, Myer, Sydney City

October 6, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Post by TinaG

Sydney-siders were treated to a special event on 24 September – a meet up, *and* a launch! An invitation was opened up to ten lucky dedicated scentaholics through the Australian Perfume Junkies website, to attend the launch of the new Galerie de Parfum counter at Myer, Sydney City. With such wonderful hosts as Nick Smart from Agence de Parfum / Libertine Parfumerie and none other than our very own Portia Turbo we were definitely in for a bit of a treat.

Galerie de Parfum counter launch, Myer, Sydney City

On arrival at Myer, I made a beeline for the new Agence de Parfum stand. I found myself dazzled by a wonderful display of familiar but often only internet-accessible fragrances – fantastic! We introduced ourselves to the group – some familiar faces and great to meet a bunch of new people.

Nick and Portia introduced us to Agence de Parfum, and then presented a mini-master-class of their three favourite scents each. We sniffed:

Batucada by L’Artisan Parfumeur

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Black Jade by Lubin

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Rappelle-Toi by L`Artisan Parfumeur

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

21 by Costume National

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Petit Fracas by Robert Piguet

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

1270 by P Frapin & Co

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Rapelle-Toi was a hit with most people, but I think my favourite of the above was Black Jade, a spicy incense rosy kind of concoction which I need to go back and test again….

Wonderfully lavish goodie bags were available for anyone who purchased 100ml bottle of fragrance on the night, a very generous introductory offer from Galerie de Parfum although I resisted temptation. An extra bonus was the gift of a full bottle of Rappel-Toi from the L’Artisan Parfumeur: Explosions d’Emotions range, which was won by Tim! Congrats!

There were some fragrances there which I’d heard about, however to date never quite been able to get my hands on, such as the Keiko Mercheri range, and Juliette has a Gun. Oliban by Keiko Mecheri was wonderful, such a rich and true frankincense (ie: Olibanum) note. I tried two of Juliette has a Gun on my skin, both totally different kinds of rose fragrances. Mad Madam was an amazing metallic rose which I really enjoyed for the first 2 hours, but I’m glad I gave it a run through as it lost the rose and ended up just being a bitter metallic which I didn’t enjoy so much. The other was Lady Vengance, a really full-bodied luscious rose. Fab. I’d like to go back and try more of that line though, such as Midnight Oud which smelt fantastic on Scott’s skin.

A fun evening! It was absolutely lovely to meet everyone, and thanks again to Nick and Portia for such a great launch.

Tina xx

Under My Spell Noelle by Benefit 2013

October 5, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Hiya All,

While in London earlier this year Val CookieQueen, Hannah BlondesWunder, Michael & I were on our way to BLOOM and we stopped by a benefit store. One spritz was enough to sell me on Under My Spell Noelle (hereafter Noelle) and so I bought a bottle for my BFF Kath, which she adores. Then I started craving it myself, for my own……. recently I was in our Myer, just a suburban mall about to close up for the night, roller door down, and as we walked past the Benefit counter there it was!!!! On special! only $29

Under My Spell Noelle by Benefit 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lingonberry, black pepper, cardamom
Heart: Violet, wild orchid, jasmine, vanilla flower, rose
Base: Patchouli, oud, black amber, vanilla, benzoin, raspberry

So I basically ran it home and have worn Noelle part of two days in a row and I think I got a super bargain. I’m worried because it’s only a 30ml bottle, should I grab another? Being in a metal canister there will be no light penetrating and I keep my stuff in fairly moderate temperatures, it should last for decades. There doesn’t seem to be a huge amount of naturals in here but that is purely guesswork. I love the bottle and the box, they’re super fun and I can imagine having one in a few years time and bringing it out, everyone surprised because they remember Benefit but didn’t credit them with having a fragrant winner.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

If this was an oil it would be fairly eastern but the alcohol gives it a better throw and sillage. There are still plenty of references to North Africa or the Western Asias. Imagine, you are in the harem and this gorgeous amber/wood/oud/jam fragrance surrounds you all, the dry, dusty heat of desert countries and the tinkle of fountains over mosaic tiles and splashing into pools filled with fish, lilies and lotus. Not a breath of air and you wish you could take off your skin and lie around in your bones.

Photo Stolen Flickr

On first spritz I get a lovely amber and faux oud, it smells great. The berry, pepper and cardamom are not really noticeable for me though there is a jammy, sweet, rose-ish vibe behind the base, which really plays at full speed through the whole life of Noelle on my skin. Yes there is a little movement, more in the way of light and shade rather than featured notes appearing so Noelle is fairly linear. In this particular case that is a good thing in my books.

Really, the base line of the notes is all I get. Patchouli, oud, black amber, vanilla, benzoin, raspberry in a very delicious combination. The only thing I get that’s not mentioned in the notes is a dark chocolate note that sort of wraps up the raspberry/rose accord.Projection is good for the first 1-2 hours and then Noelle becomes a softer, more intimate fragrance. You are still fragrant for at least another 3 hours and sillage remains quite good till then too. After that 5 hour period there is still a gentle wash of something but nothing discernible as a note.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Further reading: The Plastic Diaries
Myer Australia has Noelle online for $29/30ml
Benefit USA has $36/30ml

What is a bargain fragrance you may have picked up lately? Is it performing well?
Portia xx

DIOR Star by Beatrice Piquet for DIOR 2005

October 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Hey Hey Happy Huffers,

This one has completely flown under my radar. I think my vial may have come as an extra in my shopping from other perfumistas and today I grabbed it out because I adore the DIOR brand with its lavish perfume history of fabulous hits and tragic misses. I have absolutely ZERO recollection of this particular one though and it makes me wonder if we even got it here in Australia? Oh well, come try DIOR Star with me today………

DIOR Star by Beatrice Piquet for DIOR 2005

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin orange, petitgrain, bergamot
Heart: Peony, honeysuckle
Base: Almond, musk

Firstly the perfumer Beatrice Piquet is one I’ve not taken any notice of before yet she has a string of blockbuster hits to her name: Burberry The Beat Woman, Bulgari Rose Essentialle, L’Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme + L’Instant de Guerlain Pour Homme Extreme (LIDGE), Paco Rabanne Lady Million and Trussardi Uomo. From 1989-2011 pumping out regular mainstream and designer fragrances.

The note list for 2005 is pretty standard fare here, to be fair the notes could be from a mainstream fragrant release today. So it is with quite a few reservations that I spritz….

SMILE! A lovely fresh citrus burst, so bright and sunny. Nothing groundbreaking but really pretty and coherent. Flesh, rind and pith are all present in a very pretty and 100% unisex opening, a simple cologne-ish citrus that will have your blue day turn to blue sky. Great warm weather wear but I think DIOR Star would also be a wonderful pick me up when its Autumn of winter.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

The heart is a fairly nondescript floral bouquet, inoffensive and very wearable but it isn’t till the milky almond comes through that DIOR Star becomes interesting again. With the teeniest hint of citrus still smellable, a clean and wet bouquet and this lovely creamy almond playing through all of a sudden DIOR Star is beautiful. Sheer, transparent even, but a beautiful wash that is fragrant but could never overwhelm the people around you. This almond enhanced phase lasts for a while and then collapses into a laundry musk scent that is ubiquitous in perfumery nowadays. Not bad, just banal and still I can imagine it being a super work or close quarters scent. All good but nothing astounding to dry down.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Pretty but nothing amazing, DIOR Star does smell very nice and I think it would make an excellent gift choice for a first grown up fragrance, for office wear and/or for people who don’t really like to smell perfumey but like to spritz something to feel dressed properly. Though not a big scent the longevity is excellent and you can spritz & go for nearly the whole day.

FragranceX has $89/50ml

Did you ever get your sniff on DIOR Star?

Hermès: Observatory of Orange Boxes: Video Series #1

October 2, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

This is fabulous APJ Crew,

You want to talk iconic? The orange box is DEFINITELY an icon in and of itself. I had a blanket box from Hermès for years till it got ruined. I loved it so dearly, kept it on display like art, and in many ways the Hermès box IS art.

Photo Stolen Flickr

I love it when luxury brands give us whimsical and fun pieces. These little Hermès snippets are so far from what I expect of the old school, stylish and magnificent house of Hermès that when I saw the first one I laughed out loud. This is exactly what I love about the modern age of Guerilla marketing

Enjoy,

Portia xx

Hermès: Observatory of orange boxes – Observation 01

Hermès: Observatory of orange boxes – Observation 02

Hermès: Observatory of orange boxes – Observation 03

Hermès: Observatory of orange boxes – Observation 04

Cuir Cannage by Francois Demachy for Dior 2014

October 1, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 21 Comments

Hello Fashion conscious Fumies,

OOOOW! When I first heard about Cuir Cannage it was a thrilling excitement. I couldn’t wait to get my sniff on it. Immediately I knew it was coming I emailed our Australian DIOR marketing arm and was told I would be contacted on arrival. Well, frankly I couldn’t wait for them, I went and ordered from Surrender To Chance a lovely 3ml spritz. It just arrived, WOO HOO! Let’s wear it together for the first impressions……

Cuir Cannage by Francois Demachy for Dior 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange blossom, ylang ylang
Heart: Jasmine, rose, leather, iris
Base: Leather, Juniper (cade oil), birch

Instant leather on spritz like you are looking inside a new handbag for something, then a cool green sappy-ness then a warm wet suede shoe (all this happens in about a minute) and then I get a beautiful, sensual night flower that is the fatty orange blossom & the ylang, neither is wholly itself and they’re blended so beautifully that they create a whole new flower, glorious. This section lasts much longer than you’d expect from an opening and I’m really glad.

Photo Stolen Helen’s

The leather is new and very slightly earthy when it comes in, a soft and supple leather that I think anyone could wear. Smoked and tanned it reminds me of a very softened and gentrified Knize Ten. There is no fruit note to sweeten it like the Bottega Venetta and it’s not as plush and rounded as CHANEL’s Cuir de Russie but it is lovely and I can imagine it being worn by the boys to work and on dates. The girls will smell super retro in it and I can’t wait to smell Cuir Cannage on some of them, elegant and razor sharp cool. The girls will certainly stand out when wearing Cuir Cannage, nice one DIOR.

Photo stolen Pinterest

Further reading: Colognoisseur and Black Narcissus
Surrender To Chance has $3/ml
DIOR has 125ml, 250ml and 450ml available (450ml? WTF!)

How did Cuir Cannage live on you?
Portia xx

Karen Gilbert: 1 Day Masterclass : Photo Essay

September 29, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Hi there Perfumistas!!

Last Saturday saw a crew of us doing a One Day Fragrant Masterclass with the amazing Karen Gilbert. To say I learned a lot is a complete understatement, Karen is so knowledgeable, has the most incredibly diverse history within the fragrance industry and has the gift of making everything seem so simple and gives clear and concise instructions. I work best under those conditions and it seemed that everyone was drinking in the knowledge and we had a super fun time.

Karen Gilbert: 1 Day Masterclass : Photo Essay

Topics Covered In The Class:

The History of Perfumery
The Sense of Smell and What it Means To Us
The Beginners Guide to Training your Nose
Classifying Fragrances
Top, Middle and Base notes and Why They Are Important
Creating Accords
Practical Blending Techniques
Naturals Vs Synthetics

The first part of the day was meeting us, giving us some theory, history, insider gossip and news, information that has taken me a few days to percolate because it was completely jam packed. We broke for lunch, which was Sydney pub fare and that gave us a moment to really connect with each other and bond.

Then we went back to the classroom and started meeting accords, molecules, notes and learned a very basic how to for fragrance creation. Karen had brought both natural and synthetics for us to learn about, which was a total bonus. We were able to smell 3 different aldehydes, a bunch of fragrant fillers and smoothers and some that could increase diffusion and volume. It was engrossing stuff and we had so many questions. Each question led to 10 others so we were getting knowledge that only the rarest few are privy to. I cannot tell you enough what an excellent experience the day was or how giving and nurturing Karen Gilbert is. To be honest, I don’t know how Karen supplied so much stuff for the ridiculously small amount of $295 for the day. It was overwhelming how much choice we had when it came to creating our personal fragrances.

Mine ended up being these accords/notes:
Top: Coriander, lemon, Virginian cedar
Heart: Ylang ylang, orange blossom absolute, listea cubeba (May chang), P.E.A.
Base: Labdanum, galbanum, oakmoss

PEA is a synthetic aromachemical that gives lift and brightness to the naturals. Often used in perfumery apparently to add volume and enable diffusion. I used 4 drops and the difference to heart of the frag was astonishing.

Photo Donated Ainslie Walker

I have been spritzing my fragrance quite a bit and am so happy with the outcome. As I said on Facebook: Perhaps Malle, YSL or Hermes will never be knocking on my door asking for recipes but I think it’s a rather lovely, simple fragrance.

From a one day class I wasn’t expecting to learn so much. I think it will help enormously with my own purchasing in the future and definitely gives me some insights that I will put towards my blogging. I would take the class again in a heartbeat, I know that I will learn even more next time.

Portia xx

Caleche Parfum + EdT by Guy Robert for Hermes 1961

September 28, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hello Fumie Family,

Recently there was a sale down in South Australia. Early 21st century Caleche Parfum by Hermes refills for a staggering $10, in their cellophane! OMG! So the excitement here was quite expected. I know I should have bought a few but I only got my friend Susan to grab me one and for Dinner on Friday night I decided it was the perfect accompaniment.

Caleche Parfum + EdT by Guy Robert for Hermes 1961

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, lemon, bergamot, cypress, orange blossom, neroli, mandarin
Heart: Iris, gardenia, ylang ylang, rose, lily of the valley, jasmine
Base: Sandalwood, tonka bean, musk, amber, oakmoss, cedar, vetiver

Caleche EdT by Hermes (Vintage)

This is one of the bottles that I was given by Michael Edwards. Kept perfectly and the fizzy citrus and white flower open is devastatingly beautiful. Sheerer and a touch more green than I remember but so fragrant and rich. The buzzing, metallic overtones of aldehydes that lighten and throw the citrus is breathtaking and I swoon.

This is opulence, the feeling of running your hand over very expensive leather and silk brocades. When the flowers fully arrive they are a bouquet, it takes a much better nose than mine to pick them and I think the oakmoss lays a smoothing veil over all. Later, the shiny patina of the resins and smooth undercurrent of woods comes in but they are soft and furry to fade.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Caleche Parfum by Hermes (Vint-ish)

Now imagine the above twice as intoxicating. Thicker, richer and treacle thick that is more diffusive to open, in fact one tiny little spritz fills the room with fragrance instantly, and wears more animalic and honeyed (though honey is not a note listed). Caleche Parfum has 100% more growl, is way less bright and glittery, creates a warmer and more intense ambiance and is in every way more luxurious. Though I think my EdT may be older than the Parfum there is a burnished depth in the Parfum that makes me feel ultra sensual. Like looking into those incredibly glossed parquet floors made of 10 different woods, loads of light and shade but over all an extremely beautiful whole fragrance.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Lasting power is excellent too, having worn the Parfum to dinner Friday I spritzed at 6pm and was still deliciously fragrant at 1am when I got to bed. So much so that I curled up against my forearm and fell into blissful sleep almost immediately.

Caleche is definitely a brocade fabric, full of life, glitter, colour and movement. It shimmers and glistens like canary diamonds under LED lights. All the notes come together in a beautiful, sparkling fizz of a fragrance that is like champagne cocktails at brunch.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Further reading: The Black Narcissus says it all perfectly, better ever than I could.
FragranceNet has $89/50ml EdT (old packaging) before Coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples EdT $3/ml Parfum $7/.5ml

Are you a fan? Is Caleche something you like? Maybe your family has a Caleche wearer?
I’d love to read your Caleche stories too, leave them below in the comments.

Portia xx