shopping

Argan Oil – “Liquid Gold”

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Post by Suzanne R Banks

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Argan oil has become increasingly popular in the west in the past few years. The tree is native to south-western Morocco where it happily exits in drought conditions and is perfect for semi-arid soil. The native tree Argania spinosa also helps prevent soil erosion and even provides the perfect resting spot for goats.

Argan Oil tree-climbing-goats SemangatPhoto Stolen Semangat

In 2007 UNESCO added this wonderful tree to the endangered species act, but since then Morocco has planted many more argan trees to cope with demand. A body was established in 2002 specifically to regenerate the “Arganerie”, which refers to the native populations of trees in Morocco. At this stage I can’t seem to find if the UNESCO ruling has been altered, but the positive effects of new plantations of argan trees has already been felt, especially in regards to employing women.

Argan Oil – “Liquid Gold”

The oil comes from the kernels in the fruit which are split open by hand, mainly by local women. It is labour intensive which is one of the reasons the oil is more expensive than other oils such as sunflower, grapeseed and almond.

Argan Oil Argania_spinosa WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Sometimes referred to as liquid gold, the oil is high in oleic acid, similar to olive oil. The kernels are roasted if the oil is intended for culinary use (again, in similar ways to oilve oil in the Mediterranean region), but is left natural when the oil is to be sold for cosmetic uses.

Argan oil has really made an impact in hair care, but as with any cold pressed oil, it’s great for skincare too. I recently watched a YouTube instructional video by Aromatherapist Danielle Ryman. She makes her facial serum with almost all argan oil, only a few drops of rosehip oil and of course some essential oils. I also have a locally made face serum that contains, but is not limited to, argan oil. I haven’t used this oil straight on my face like I would with rosehip oil – but now I really want to!

Argan Oil argan-nut OneSpotAllergyPhoto Stolen OneSpotAllergy (Problems with this image use, please contact)

We must ensure that our demand helps build Morocco and not rape it of its natural resources. We are so desperate for new things, driven by our consumer attitudes, that we are always looking for the next best thing. Argan oil seems to fit the bill perfectly and various websites claims many properties. We must not forget that many carrier oils do the same thing, so as long as it’s sustainable, embrace this wonderful oil and try it in your new formulas. You could use this oil for –

* warm oil hair masks

* warm oil facial treatments

* face and body oil blends

* cuticle and nail treatments

and just about anything else you can think of.

Happy blending and remember to use your intention when you are creating your formulas. See my article about intention.

Suzanne R Banks XXX

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ime Natural Perfume: First Birthday Celebration!!

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WOW!!

Tonia from ime Natural Perfumes<<<JUMP got in touch this week and they are having a great GWP (Gift With Purchase) for the FIRST BIRTHDAY WEEK! We did a story about ime Natural Perfumes a while back on APJ and I fell madly in love with Erato, buying a bottle that has disappeared, all gone because I really enjoyed it and was spritzing with abandon (30ml in 6 months is pretty quick for a perfumista).

The GWP today is excellent. Who doesn’t need something in their bag to hold frags?

Go have a squiz.
Portia xx

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ime Natural Perfumes

ime Natural Perfume: First Birthday Celebration!!

Ime Promo Graphic for webPhoto Stolen ime Natural Perfume

The promo details are as follows:
– Free Gift with any purchase
– Limit 3 gifts per order
– gift valued at $26.00
– offer valid Fri 29th Aug – Fri 5th Sept
(Excl. individual 5ml bottles. AU residents only)
Gift – These very cool key purses are made totally of washable paper, that’s right, no animals were hurt in the making. They look like leather and they feel like leather, but are actually a very clever paper purse! They also fit a 30ml ime natural perfume bottle perfectly or the collections pack set of 5ml bottles. Very handy to have in your bag.

ime Natural Perfumes<<<JUMP

Shanghai Tang 20th Anniversary Art Collaboration Project

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Hi there Art & Beauty Lovers,

We have a book here in Australia, written by a buddy of mine Bruno Bouchet, The Beauty of Truth. It was about everyday items wrapped in the art of masters. You could have a Da Vince fridge, Picasso kettle, Pollock microwave. A bit like a Ben Elton book it was a fun look at the world of art, the world and snob value. There was a bunch of human interaction stuff too. I re-read it every now and then and laugh.

Anyway, enjoy these lovely pieces from China.
Portia xxx

Shanghai Tang 20th Anniversary Art Collaboration Project

Stolen lock, stock & barrel from art8amby. You need to know what’s happening in fashion>>>art8amby.

Shanghai Tang celebrates its 20th anniversary as the global curator of Modern Chinese chic with a series of collaborations with visionary creative talents.

Shanghai Tang: A Garden of Vibrant Dreams

Inspired by the beauty of nature, Shanghai Tang released a captivating pop-art short film entitled “A Garden of Vibrant Dreams” that will take you on a mesmerizing journey through a series of six artworks by the talented Shanghai-born artist Jacky Tsai. His recent works include an exquisite large blue and white porcelain egg for Faberge Big Egg Hunt in New York City, which was auctioned in Sotheby’s New York in April 2014.

The mystic spiral made of round artworks imitate a hypnotic fall where one enters a world within a world (mise-en-abime). The original cinematic music by Charlie Nguyen Kim combines sounds of the East with a modern twist.

The six original artworks (Lotus Porcelain, Flying Tiger, Ginger Flower, Carved Dragon, Petrol Rainbow and Mix Landscape) were inspired by the beauty of nature and filled with colourful energy which reflect the optimism of modern China.

Shanghai Tang 20th Anniversary3

Shanghai Tang 20th Anniversary1

Floral Play captures attention with the opening gates of leaves, followed by acrobats and ballerinas dancing on tree branches, among a kaleidoscope of butterflies, forming a surreal universe embracing the vitality of life. The sudden splash of ink introduces the world of peaceful Lotus Porcelain inspired by Chinese porcelain. Carved Dragon grown from Chinese motifs of wiggly tree branches and birds on a glowing red sunset.

Shanghai Tang 20th Anniversary2

Shanghai Tang 20th Anniversary4

The vibrant vegetal universe of Ginger Flower takes you through a tunnel of birds, dragonflies, and koi fish to come together in a picturesque portrait. Petrol Rainbow set in the landscape of an iceberg with dolphins and gold fish and colorful valley. Last but not least, Chinese acrobats and Western performers work together jumping and swinging up in the sky to celebrate the prosperous Chinese New Year on a festive background of Chinese lanterns and dancing lions for Flying Tiger.

Shanghai Tang 20th Anniversary5

Shanghai Tang 20th Anniversary6

The Jacky Tsai x Shanghai Tang collaboration inspired a limited edition capsule collection of apparel and accessories for women and men. These include the traditional qipao dresses, box clutches, cashmere shawls, porcelain dining set, home products, iPad and iPhone cases and even skateboards.

Source art8amby.

Jean Paul Gaultier for Lindex Fall Winter 2014 Ad Campaign

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Ok Fashionistas,

When I was studying fashion, and after, one of my favourite designers was Jean Paul Gaultier. His fun, sexy, silly and naughty street to couture ranges would always make me smile. When I moved to London in the mid 1990s I went a little crazy on the Gaultier. I had a cow print skivvy in cashmere, some navy blue stirrup tights with huge JPG badge appliques, a stripy very low v necked striped midriff top and a couple of belts. It looks like he has brought all his signature fun and nautical signatures into this Lindex range. Great to see him back on board.

Jean Paul Gaultier for Lindex Fall Winter 2014 Ad Campaign

I grabbed this piece from my fave fashion image crew: art8amby

 Raven haired model/singer Karen Elson stars in the new campaign image of Jean Paul Gaultier‘s collaboration with Lindex along with the namesake designer himself. The images were shot by Jason Kibbler. (source)

Jean Paul Gaultier for Lindex Fall Winter 2014 Ad Campaign1 Jean Paul Gaultier for Lindex Fall Winter 2014 Ad Campaign2 Jean Paul Gaultier for Lindex Fall Winter 2014 Ad Campaign3

 

 

Pink Gardenia by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes review

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Post by FeralJasmine

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Some of my earliest memories of growing up in Louisiana involve gardenias. My mother had a big bush in the front yard, and I can recall at about age 4 moving nearer to an open flower, then away, then closer again, testing the scent at different distances. Sheer bliss. True gardenia scents are still my favorite, and I want them realistic. Accordingly, I am a sucker for any gardenia scent that comes along. At least, for sampling. I have finally learned that over 90% of them are major disappointments, and I no longer EVER blind-buy bottles of new gardenia perfumes. I think I have gotten most of my gardenia errors to new homes, but there may still be a few in the back of the closet, silently mocking my gullibility.

Pink Gardenia by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz for DSH Perfumes

My Gardenia Fetish part III: DSH Pink Gardenia

Pink Gardenia DSH Perfumes FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Gardenia, tuberose
Base: Ambergris and musk

No doubt I will continue to sample new gardenia scents as they emerge, but there are a few favorites that I regularly wear and count on to scratch my gardenia itch. The tragically discontinued Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia is my favorite nighttime scent, and in the daytime I love to float around in Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s Pink Gardenia. She has a few gardenias, but the Pink is the closest to the real thing. The eau de parfum is a lovely soft sweet gardenia that soon settles down fairly close to the skin. Real gardenias in their homeland have a definite fungal undertone that smells a bit like moist Southern loam. When a gardenia scent seems “not real,” often it’s because the scent is too clean. Pink Gardenia has a bit of the fungal note, but it’s faint. This one will evoke the flower but won’t cause your coworkers to wrinkle their noses.

Pink Gardenia DSH Perfumes Gardenia Tatters FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

The Pink Gardenia parfum is rich, intense, and comes across as slightly less clean. It is a fully opened flower, lovingly placed on your skin by your lover’s hand. It wears close and soft and dries down to a glorious skin scent. I want this one badly, but what I want to do with it is put it all over myself, and at over $100 for 5ml I can’t afford that. Unless I were to use the whole bottle in one gorgeous binge, and oh, how I enjoy fantasizing about that. But it is lovely and hypnotic and covetable, and you can bet that it’s on my “to buy” list.

Pink Gardenia DSH Perfumes Gardenia oom_endro PixabayPhoto Stolen Pixabay

Further reading: Now Smell This and
DSH Perfumes starts at a $5 sample vial, for $80/30ml EdP

I have already written to Ms. Hurwitz expressing my hope that she will never discontinue this scent. The EdP is my own bottle (likely the first of many) and a small sample of the parfum was kindly provided by the perfumer. My opinions remain firmly my own, especially when it comes to gardenias.

FeralJasmine xx

BBC Perfume Documentary Part 3 "The Smell Of The Future"

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Hey Hey

Over the last two Sundays we showed the “Something old, something new” Part 1 BBC Perfume Documentary and “Bottling The Memory” Part 2 BBC Perfume Documentary. Today we”ll be able to watch the last of these 3 wonderful documentaries. You’ll need to grab a cuppa/juice/wine and maybe some breakfast/lunch/dinner and settle in for an hour, there are no ad breaks but you can pause and come back through your Sunday.

Shem el Nessim Grossmith FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Grossmith, Axe and Avon. From the royal houses of the middle east to the ghettos of Brazil we are taken on a tour of innovation through some very different price points and customer bases. I particularly enjoy this very glammed up go to whoa fragrance build as we follow Ann Gottleib the AXE fragrance evaluator as she tries to predict a Brazillian blockbuster. Cool video.

Enjoy,
Portia xx

BBC Perfume Documentary Part 3 “The Smell Of The Future”

Kashan Rose by Emilie Coppermann for The Different Company 2013

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Hi there Frag Fiends,

One of the companies in the fragrance world that I really love is The Different Company. I bought some of their 10ml travelers from Zsolt at Le Parfum in Budapest in 2013, and then dropped my Oriental Lounge in the Thai First Class Lounge Shower Room in Bangkok early 2014 (I know, what an asshole I am) but the lounge never smelled better. I still wear Sel & Vetiver regularly and will one day own a FB of Tokyo Bloom. There never seems to be a lot of reviews for The Different Company, they fall through the cracks. Well, I just grabbed Kashan Rose from Surrender To Chance and I think you should know about it, a very reasonable price for 100ml of top quality niche fragrance.

Kashan Rose by The Different Company 2013

Kâshân Rose by Emilie (Bevierre) Coppermann

Kashan Rose Different Company FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sage, litchi, pink pepper, cardamom
Hearet: Persian rose, hawthorn, peony
Base: Ambrette, sandalwood, musk

Pink pepper done beautifully. A sweet, wet fruity opening that is made interesting and unusual with what I think is a nod to sage & cardamom but really just reads as a herbaceous green-ness to me. It offsets a very realistic fresh litchi, just peeled from its cocoon. Transparent fragrance, like a shimmering fine silk sari, wraps me delicately but I am still obviously fragrant.

Kashan Rose Different Company kashan rose festival IranReviewPhoto Stolen IranReview

Luminous, that is the word that comes to my mind while wearing Kashan Rose. The colour of the juice is almost exactly the colour you would expect it to be. A fresh pink, light, bright, bubbly and effervescent. The rose when it arrives is a soft garden rose, light and cool and softly green like a fresh cut, not too fragrant garden rose. Very pretty, though a bit sheer for my taste. I can imagine Kashan Rose becoming a favourite work scent, or a first scent for a young woman. The mother of two next door would swoon for Kashan Rose, I will give her my decant and she will drain it in a week. Like the picture above, the rose petals are floating on air. A whispered swish of fragrance that is subtle but noticeable, especially up close.

Tonight I wore Kashan Rose to work and though no one commented I did get soft wafts through the night and now that I’m home I can still smell what I think must be hawthorn and some lovely musks, there may be sandalwood but I don’t get it prominently. Yes, even at the 6 hour mark there is still some fresh rose.

The nitty gritty, will I buy a bottle? Though I really like Kashan Rose very much the answer is “probably” not for me. Why? Well, I have a LOT of rose fragrances from Red Roses to Mohur, Diabolo Rose to Sa Majeste la Rose and on to Midnight Oud. That’s just off the top of my head. This sheer, transparent rose seems too prim for my flamboyant tastes. I will be buying Kashan Rose for friends though. It’s a great price, wonderful scent and the packaging is super luxe. They will be thrilled to have something so unavailable here in Oz.

Kashan Rose Different Company Persepolis001 WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

First In Fragrance has €90/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

I am leaving you with a 35 second video of the Kashan Rose & Rosewater Festival 15-31 May each year. This is something I would DEARLY love to do.
Portia xx

Rose & Rosewater Festival, Kashan

GUCCI: Modern Mod Movie

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Hiya Fashion Hounds,

When I was studying fashion in the 1980s GUCCI was mainly about shoes and the house had become a bit of a white elephant. It was a slow downward spiral stopped mainly by the arrival of Tom Ford in 1994. There were 10 glorious years of freaking fabulous and though GUCCI is still pretty cool it is slowly sinking again.

Gucci-Fall-2014-Mod-coats LittleLuxuryListPhoto Stolen LittleLuxuryList

Then they go and do a fun ad like this. One of my favourite historical fashion styles was the MOD, from the 1950s & 60s it was a totally cool look featuring loads of black & white with maybe a touch of softest pink cashmere, girls with black eyes and white lips, leather, stretch and boots. Super cool look riding along on a Vespa. There was a brief revival of the look here in Sydney in the 1980s and there were a few MOD (Ska) bands around at the time too.

So here GUCCI goes and modernises the look making it fun and colourful! What a twist.

Enjoy the new ad,
Portia xx

Gucci Presents: Modern Mod

GUCCI shop Vienna pbr10021 FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Gucci Envy by Maurice Roucel for GUCCI 1997

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

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Post by ElizaD

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An Old Friend

I don’t know about you, but sometimes my senses get worn out from trying new things. After my post about linden perfumes I ordered Zeta by Andy Tauer, and of course had to get three other Tauer samples so I could fill that cute little shipping tin. It just seemed wrong to get only one to try. Ten days later my vanity was strewn with little vials, and my nose was starting to itch.

First I took a vacation, during which the only fragrance I wore was a sultry mix of Coppertone SPF 50, sea salt and my own skin warmed by the sun, but when I returned home, I stowed all the samples back in their tin and pulled out my old friend, one of the few perfumes of which I own a whole bottle…or about a third of one now.

It’s crisp, it’s light, cool mornings, warm days, and mellow nights, flip flops and hair in a pony tail. I love to spray it behind my knees and let it extend my summer even after I have returned to work. It’s so simple, and sadly, discontinued.

Gucci Envy by Maurice Roucel for GUCCI 1997

GUCCI Envy Gucci FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, peaches, freesia, magnolia, pineapple
Heart: Lily of the valley, hyacinth, jasmine, violet, hyacinth, rose
Base: Cedar, oakmoss, musk, sandalwood.

With all those notes, you’d think it would be a big hot mess, but Envy is really quite easy to wear.

On first spray, the bergamot and peaches perk up my senses, and I am reminded of another favorite, the original Chloe by Karl Lagerfeld. In fact, these two perfumes evoke the same late summer floral and fruit fest, but Envy is less likely to offend at work—some day I will just spritz a heady perfume with abandon, but that is a thought for another post. Eventually the top notes are joined by the flowers and then the whole thing warms on my very cool, dry skin. The top and heart notes never fade completely, but are wonderfully mellowed by the oakmoss and sandalwood. It’s this last stage that makes Envy so fun to wear…it helps me growl.

GUCCI Envy Gucci tiger_eye annemaria48 DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

Longevity is great on me. As for sillage, honestly, I can never tell how far I project my perfume. No one has ever gone running out of the room when I enter, and people don’t generally comment on what I am wearing. But then again, I don’t wear perfume for other people, I wear it for me, so if I can smell it, I am likely to say that sillage is pretty good.

Some day I will open my perfume cabinet, and that long slender bottle with the missing cap will be empty of its green tinted juice. That will be a sad day. For now, I will just enjoy this lovely thing and be grateful for those of us capable of making liquid art.

GUCCI Envy Gucci Glass Art WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Perfume Posse
FragranceNet has $55/30ml before coupon
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $3/ml

Do you have any perfumes that have been discontinued? Do you search for replacements, or just celebrate that you knew them and move on?

ElizaD

Rose Cut by Bertrand Duchaufour for Ann Gerard 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Heya Cool Cats,

So here is the latest buzz frag. It seems to be a complete hit.

Rose Cut by Bertrand Duchaufour for Ann Gerard 2014

Rose Cut Ann Gerard FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Aldehydes, rum, pink pepper
Heart: Rose, peony, patchouli
Base: Vanilla, oakmoss, benzoin

I was a little let down by how Rose Cut performed on my skin. It was a lot like quite a few other fragrances from Voleur de Roses by L`Artisan Parfumeur, Gucci Rush, Narcisso Rodriguez for Her, Etc Etc. Yes, I know they are different scents and wear quite differently but that luminous aquatic floral has been done much more comfortably for my skin than this. It’s pretty, bright and fun and I think it will get a huge following. In fact if the other reviews are anything to go by this is definitely a winner. The bottles look so elegant and I really like the whole Ann Gerard aesthetic. Can I also say that I may be a bit snarky because I was expecting so much and my chemistry has let us both down tonight.

rose-cut--ann-gerard Yellow Rose WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

So it’s now about half an hour later. I was reading and put my chin on my hand and was like, What Is That Fabulous Smell? It is Rose Cut. After a very nice, simple opening Rose Cut becomes a lovely soft clean patchouli, floral bouquet with a touch of sweet resin that is a little human, worn and healthy. I’m surprised there is no mention of musk or leather in the notes because both seem very apparent and for such a soft fragrance it is remarkably noticeable. I wish it was slightly heftier though.

rose-cut--ann-gerard Marilyn_Monroe_Niagara WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Rose Cut is lovely through the middle. Soft focus, beautiful and quite distinctly memorable. A bit like Marilyn Monroe above and definitely flesh and pink coloured. MMMMMM.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Chemist In A Bottle.
First In Fragrance has €125/60ml
Surrender To Chance has samples from $4/.5ml

How do like Rose Cut? Have you yet put it on your skin? Did it live for you? Would you like to try it?
Portia xx