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M. Micallef: ART COLLECTION 2014 PUZZLE COLLECTION

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Hey Y’All,

This just dropped into my inbox. I though you might like to know first.

Portia xx

M. Micallef: 2014 PUZZLE COLLECTION

A game of love..

 puzzle_en
No, you can’t down load it from here but this is what it said.

Grasse, France, June, 2014 – Parfums M.Micallef, renowned for their authentic Fragrances made in the French tradition of crafts and luxury. They’re launching the new ART COLLECTION with a duo of gourmand and sensual fragrances: PUZZLE N°1 & PUZZLE N°2.

The M. Micallef Company gives priority to qualitative and natural ingredients in its fragrances and magnifies each bottle in its art atelier. For 2014, Martine Micallef wished to honor the game of life and love…

“A jigsaw puzzle is a game of patience and enigma like the love between two beings building their life together. And now for you to seize the missing piece to your happiness ! »
Citation from Martine Micallef.

PUZZLE N°1

Head Note : Peach, Pink Berries.
Heart Note : Jasmine, Osmanthus, Vanilla Flowers
Base Note : Tonka Beans, Benjoin, Gaïac.

Puzzle N°1 is the most tender of the collection. It will make you discover soft and delicate notes of peach aswell as a pure bouquet of white jasmine flowers and osmanthus. Then, it will charm you by taking you towards a savoury bed of tonka beans and Javanese encens also know as Benjoin.

PUZZLE N°2

Head Note : Grapefruit, Blackcurrant leaves
Heart Note : Blackcurrant, Jasmine, Vanilla Flowers.
Base Note : Patchouly, White Musk, Vetyver.

Puzzle N°2 is the most carnal of the collection. It will seduce you first of all by its slightly acid notes of citrus fruits and then a delectable note of sensual and intoxicating blackcurrant. That union is enhanced by powerful and addictive notes of patchouli and white musk.

Jardins de Bagatelle by Jean Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1983

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Post by Poodle

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Hello APJ, I’m Dreaming of Spring

It’s supposed to be spring here. I was out playing in the dirt of my flowerbeds just days ago but today it’s cold again. Hopefully by the time you read this it will be spring. Until then I have to pretend with my perfumes. One that conjures up a bright spring day is ….

Jardins de Bagatelle by Jean Paul Guerlain for Guerlain 1983

Jardins de Bagatelle Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Jasmine, violet, aldehydes, lemon, bergamot
Heart: Gardenia, rose, orange blossom, tuberose, magnolia, ylang-ylang, orchid, lily-of-the-valley, narcissus
Base: Tuberose, cedar, vetiver, patchouli, musk, neroli

I’ve gone through a few bottles of this in my life. It was my signature scent in high school. I wanted to smell classier than the Impulse Body Spray the other girls wore. I figured something from Guerlain was a good bet. I hadn’t worn it since then but recently got nostalgic and bought another bottle.

Jardins de Bagatelle has always seemed to be an unlikely Guerlain to me. It doesn’t have the powdery notes I always associate with the brand and it’s classic perfumes. It’s a huge floral. Bear in mind this was released in the big 80’s and it has some of the intensity you’d expect but doesn’t smell dated.

Jardins de Bagatelle Guerlain Dynasty WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

At first spritz, I’m hit with a blast of aldehydes and citrus, big and lush in the top notes. I can definitely smell violet, jasmine and many other flowers. I’m okay with spritzing but I could see someone who likes a lighter touch perhaps dabbing on instead. The effect isn’t so much sniffing a bouquet as it is sticking your face into it. I will add that the perfume softens beautifully within an hour on me even though the opening is so bold.

Chateau de Bagatelle, Paris, FranceChateau de Bagatelle Photo Stolen Wikpedia

As much as I try I have a hard time picking apart the notes. Once it softens it’s like the flowers come and go. Imagine walking through a garden and as you meander down the path you catch a whiff of a rose here but just around the bend there’s some tuberose, oh wait, no, perhaps that’s gardenia. When I think I have almost isolated a note, it changes on me. It’s supposed to smell like a garden and it does. The flowers are bright and dewy. There’s also a certain amount of green to it as well which keeps it smelling cool and fresh. I always smell something that reminds me of tea as well even though tea isn’t in the notes. The perfume is beautiful down to the base and never turns soapy or dirty. As the flowers fade it becomes a cozy scent with a bit of warm musk and wood.

Jardins de Bagatelle Guerlain Severin_Roesen Victorian_Bouquet WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Monsieur Guerlain
FragranceNet has EdT $68/100ml after coupon
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $3/ml

Overall I’d say that Jardins is bright and beautiful. It doesn’t smell like every other floral out there. It’s one of the perfumes I pick when I want to feel pretty. I was afraid it would remind me of high school but I guess enough time has passed to allow me to wear it and think spring.

Until next time…

Hugs
Poodle x

Fragrance Masterclass with Michael Edwards July/August 2014

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Hi there Frag Buddies,

Here is one of the most exciting things I’ve had to tell you about, EVER! Michael Edwards will be hosting Fragrance Masterclasses in Melbourne & Sydney later in 2014. I’m so excited I’m fit to burst. The man inducted into the Fragrance Foundation Hall of Fame in 2009 for “the impact Edwards’ work has had across the whole fragrance industry”, Australian and Internationally. His book Fragrances of the World is in it’s 30th year of publication, from “what started as a small guide for retailers with just 323 fragrances has become the industry’s fragrance ‘bible’”.

Fragrance Masterclass with Michael Edwards July/August 2014

Everyone who meets Michael Edwards tells me that he is a very friendly gentleman, so happy to share his knowledge, his passion and extend the hand of friendship. I can’t wait to meet him at the Sydney Masterclass. To get one of the very exclusive seats at this once in a lifetime event Michael Edwards Masterclass<<JUMP

michael-edwardsMichael Edwards

Melbourne 22 July 9am – 5pm

Sydney 21 August 9am – 5pm

Price : AUD $645.00   Inc. GST (Single registration)
(2 or more registrations AUD $595.00  Inc. GST)
Registration fee includes:
  • Light refreshments and working lunch
  • Certificate upon completion

Attend the workshop and you will have the opportunity to buy Michael’s Fragrances of the World 2014 guidebook valued at $195 at HALF PRICE – only $97.50. Provided at the workshop.

Hopefully we’ll see some of you there, I think there will be a crew of APJ writers and readers. It will be a wonderful way to learn more about our passion, and you’ll make some buddies too hopefully.
Portia xx

 

 

Classic Mimosa by Camille Henfling Jr for Von Eusersdorff 2011

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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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Yeah, right. Classic Mimosa? Thoughts of wedding bouquets and baby breath fillers in my head. That is exactly what I want to smell of. Not.

I have had a good sized sample sat around in my perfume stash for a while now. I have disorders when it comes to fragrance, as we all do. I have a lot, and wear but a few, and I am apprehensive, nay, scared to death to try something totally new on my skin. Eventually I succumb.

Fresh out of the shower I took my chances and administered an ample spritz of …

Classic Mimosa by Camille Henfling Jr for Von Eusersdorff 2011

Classic Mimosa Von Eusersdorff FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Neroli, bergamot, green leaves
Heart: Mimose, violet, rose, sea notes
Base: Musk, orange blossom, vanilla

From the Von Eusersdorff  site: “Floral designs ubiquitous from the end of the nineteenth century are rare today ………… The design for the Von Eusersdorff label brings back the flower as the traditional ornament for fragrances.” “Inspiringly Different Fragrances.”

This is an enchanting fragrance. To say I was stunned would be an understatement. I didn´t see that coming. It is really classy and smells expensive. It is very feminine. Opening with a burst of citrus, it quickly goes into flower mode. Violet, rose, and of course the mimosa. None of the flowers really take a star roll. I can smell the violet because I am into violet at the moment and make an effort to locate it when I know it is in a fragrance. Despite how it sounds it is not overly sweet, and hovers in a gorgeous haze over the skin. As it goes into the dry down it does warm up with vanilla, and becomes a little musky. It remains fresh and light throughout, smelling as beautiful at the end as it did at the beginning. For spring, summer and the office and any other time you need a lift.

Classic Mimosa Von Eusersdorff Mimosa Flower Arthur caranta FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Camille Henfling Jr is the creative maestro behind the Von Eusersdorff label, and is actually a descendant of the Von Eusersdorff family. The German family traded in rare oils and flower essences for more than three centuries. Camille Henfling Jr. studied in Grasse to hone his skills, and stepped in to revamp the family business.

The line was launched in 2010 with Classic Patchouli. Also included in the five fragrance line up is Classic Myrrh, Classic Vetiver and Classic Orange.

I have used up nearly 10mls now. Undisputedly fabulous. It is timeless, chic, elegant and smart. Just like me. Not.

Classic Mimosa Von Eusersdorff Mimosa WikiMediaPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: Smelly Thoughts and Epiphany
First In Fragrance have €115/100ml and samples

Seriously, I am thrilled to have discovered this. I shouldn´t get such set ideas in my head as to what is going to be good and what isn´t. So forgive me Mr Henfling for having procrastinated so long. If the others are as good as this I have a treat waiting. As patchouli remains my favorite note, that is going to be my next!

Classic Mimosa – highly recommended.

Bussis
CQ

Metamorphosis, an Hermès story: Video

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G’Day Gang,

I love how the big companies put out these fun films. Yes, their products are amazing, and yes I covet so many of them. See below pictured Ostrich Birkin. What I really love about these fils is that there are a wealth of creatives and artists making them. So much wonderful scope for the making of magic. That’s one of the reasons I search so many of these video-ettes out for you all, so they continue to have a need for artists to make magic. Oh, and because they are also fun stress relief.

Enjoy.

Portia xx

Hermes_Ostrich_Birkin_Bag WikipediaPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

Metamorphosis, an Hermès story

Luci ed Ombre by Giuseppe Imprezzabile for Masque 2013

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Shhh! Niche Nerds?

Something NEW? Something FABULOUS? I don’t know either. It just arrived and I want to test run it with you. Let’s do it together. Yes, I know, you need three or four wears to get a feel for a fragrance, sometimes your chemistry or the temperature is wrong, i know. Come on, let’s do it anyway and see how it is. It will be fun, even if it’s absolute shite, doesn’t matter…

Luci ed Ombre by Giuseppe Imprezzabile for Masque 2013

Luci ed Ombre Masque FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Incense
Heart: Moss, Tuberose, jasmine, ginger
Base: Patchouli, cedar, olibanum

The opening incense is warmer and sweeter than expected, a very spicy resinous and honeyed incense that matches none in my collection. So pretty and exactly a smell I could imagine myself wearing regularly. I just went and checked. Luci ed Ombre reminds me most of a Korean incense I have but it lacks the bitter undertones. My skin often skews fragrances a bit sweeter and I am glad in this instance because Luci ed Ombre is magic on my skin. I also get some sweet fruit in the mix like a canned peach or nearly over ripe, sun warmed mango straight off an Aam Wallah’s cart in India. The tuberose and jasmine are clean until you hit the full on heart and then we smell some breath, not a lot but enough to warrant mention, and the ginger playing back up after its zing in the opening is still a very pretty counterpoint to what is largely a resinous fragrance with what may be the moss acting as a mediator. Patchouli? I’m not really getting patchouli, this could very easily be me as we al know my sniffer is regularly off point, but I did do a comparison with my patchouli essential oil and there is no resemblance for me in Luci ed Ombre. Maybe it’s a super clean version aromachemical and I can’t get it.

 Luci ed Ombre Masque Mango Wallah Kiran Jonnalagadda FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Do you ever think something is absolutely heart stoppingly gorgeous but worry that it might be a little generic? This is my worry here. A couple of times while Michael & I were overseas I would pass him something that I was swooning over and he was totally meh, that’s just this aromachemical or that boring overused note and though I am quite good at trusting my own judgement sometimes when the magic is taken away, the sparkly washed matte, it can not be replaced or reignited. One of the things stopping me becoming a serious perfumista who knows all the notes and aromachemicals is how much understanding the process may dilute my total enjoyment of fragrance overall, that WOW Factor of a first inhale that is all about the joy. It would make me sad to lose that.

Luci ed Ombre Masque Tuberose Carolyn Jewel FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

So my vote here is GORGEOUS! A winner and as soon as I finish this decant a split or FB in my future, probably very near future.

Further reading: Now Smell This has the ad copy as an introduction to the range
First In Fragrance has €150/100ml + Samples
LuckyScent has $215/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

Have you jumped in and tried any of the Masque fragrances yet. I see there are some reviews on other sites about different scents in the range. Do you think it will be the next big thing?
Portia xx

 

CHANEL featuring Kristen Stewart: Making of

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Lovely APJ Peeps!

Here is a sneak peek at the creating of CHANEL’s newest Kristen Stewart advertising. Though I am no great fan of Kristen in this particular piece she shines and Mr Karl Lagerfield taking the shots and art directing make the whole piece feel like a historical event. I am loving the Americana in the fashion and enjoyed the video immensely.

I hope you do too.

Portia x

chanel-designer-fashion-zipper Jerine Lay FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

CHANEL featuring Kristen Stewart

Métiers d’Art Paris-Dallas advertising campaign: Making of

Hard Leather by Jerome Epinette for LM Parfums 2014

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Post by SarahK

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Hello ‘fume fans!

Today’s fragrance is one that I confess I first sprayed with trepidation. I enjoy leather notes in perfume, but am not generally one for heavy animalics or smoky leathers, and some other reviews mentioned the words ‘sweat’ and ‘faecal’, making me hesitate. So, one small spritz later, I was rather surprised to discover a smooth, true leather. It is the rich saddle-leather of Chanel’s Cuir de Russie, though Hard Leather is all leather, with none of Cuir de Russie’s soap and flowers covering it. There is some stable and horse in here, and the top and basenotes are more cowboy than show-jumper (particularly with a more generous spraying than I tried at first) but nothing I would describe as truly dirty. Believe me, I’ve smelled dirty ‘fumes – some vintage Detchema had me retching in the 15 minutes that I managed not to scrub it – but I would say that L’Artisan’s Dzing smells dirtier than Hard Leather.

Hard Leather by Jerome Epinette for LM Parfums 2014

Hard Leather LM Parfums FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Leather, rum
Heart: Iris, honey
Base: Sandalwood, cedar, agarwood (oud), olibanum, vanilla, styrax

Hard Leather has a tarriness that I’ve also found in some other fragrances with oud notes, like Dior’s Leather Oud, and Kilian’s Pure Oud. I have a limited tolerance for tarry notes, but here it’s soft enough still to seem like rich leather, rather than bitumen, at least until the drydown. Even better, I do not get the harsh rubbing-alcohol edge that I have experienced from some other modern leather and oud perfumes. This is a rich fragrance, particularly in its heart, but there’s a cool iris in it that, for me, adds a feeling of hauteur and restraint. Apparently there are rum and honey notes in here, but I don’t really notice them. The fragrance is never sweet or boozy on me, so those elements appear to serve just to smooth out the leatherHard Leather LM Parfums Wikimedia and styrax, occasionally even creating an impression of musky blackberries.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Hard Leather becomes drier and somewhat ashy over the course of its life. This makes the drydown feel more animalic, chemical and masculine – if there’s a ‘dirty’ stage in the fragrance, this is where I experience it. I still find the scent fascinating, but I much prefer the heart of the scent, and the way I experience the drydown means that I probably wouldn’t wear this fragrance outside the house, particularly because it’s the drydown stage that lasts and lasts.

To me, the heart of Hard Leather evokes the aristocratic world of the early 20th Century – a mix of power, money, straitlaced manners and Hard Leather LM Parfums Armando_Gabriel_Couture_Corsetry Wikimedianaughtiness. In other words, it’s a class act, and if the scent stayed that way in the drydown, I would love it. This is a long way from some of the reviews I have read (witness, for example, the sweaty New Orleans summer stink that Hard Leather’s topnotes evoked for The Scented Hound!). It’s clear that this is a fragrance where existing associations and skin chemistry can make a big difference in how you perceive it. I find the top and heart very enjoyable, but the long-lasting base is simultaneously too dry and animalic for me. However you perceive it, I don’t think the scent is a complete sillage monster, but it does project well for several hours, and its arid drydown sticks around for the whole day.

Photo Stolen WikiMedia

Further reading: The Scented Hound and
First In Fragrance have €295/100ml and €9/4ml Samples

What’s your favourite leather fragrance?

Tuberosa by Enrico Buccella for Les Voiles Depliees 2013(?)

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Hiya Fragrance Feinds,

You may remember my post about Michael & my time at First In Fragrance and how much fun we had, how welcoming they were and how much stuff we bought. It was a wonderful couple of days and we couldn’t have smelled more if we tried. Believe me, we tried!

First In Fragrance 2014 #8Beate, the most wonderful, warm and clever lady.  SO knowledgeable.

By the end my nose was broken, completely burned out. Today’s fragrance was one I tried after complete and utter burnout, it sang to me through my anosmia and filled me with joy.

Tuberosa by Enrico Buccella for Les Voiles Depliees 2013(?)

Tuberosa Les Voiles Depliees FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Orange, neroli
Heart: Tuberose
Base: Amber, patchouli

From the man who brought us the Cerchi Nell’Acqua and Sigilli lines and created Alambar for Laboratorio Olfattivo comes his newest line Les Voiles Depliees. A sensibly priced range that comes in blocky, sleek, modern, funky 50ml bottles. The bottles are not beautiful nor particularly comfortable to hold, and the labels are less than glamorous too with no company name just the fragrance. It all seems like the prototype has been put out on the sale racks, I feel something decidedly unfinished about the whole experience.

I tell you what though, take the fat, square plastic lid off and give yourself a squirt. Just one will be enough. And SWEET! This is the loveliest soapy orange that I’ve ever smelled, there is a lolly-ish tinge to it too that reminds me of pink musk sticks and a synthetic squeal that makes me think of hairspray. I am smiling while sitting here typing. Having worn Tuberosa for about an hour tonight already I am well into the tuberose heartland, it’s super sweet and still green, there is a run your finger down a daffodil leaf, sappy green-ness that is both waxyTuberosa Les Voiles Depliees Tuberose Wikipedia and verdantly lush. This tuberose is fun and flirty with a sensual warmth floating through the heart. Cleaner than I usually like, not a lot of breath or bed head, and wearable without ruining dinner.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Longevity is great, even on my usually scent hungry skin I’m getting over 5 hours fully fragrant. Nice journey, though the patchouli is so clean I hardly even notice it, no I don’t notice it at all unless there’s a smidge hiding beneath the amber which isn’t a large player either. Tuberosa is a white flower highlight fragrance, not a soliflor because there is a byplay between the tuberose and orange, I also get some lovely banana reminders (like those banana lollies) and whispers of other tropical fruits.

I’m pretty sure that Tuberosa is built around aromachemicals with only a very few naturals or isolates mixed through but still it is pretty, fun and totally wearable. I layered it after a good couple of hours with Chillum by La Via Del Profumo and together they were a fabulous match. All the dirt and raunch that has been removed was back with a vengeance. AWESOME!

First In Fragrance has €60/50ml and samples

Have you tried the line? Do you know any of Enrico Buccella’s work? Does any of it stand out for you?
Please chat with me, I love to read your views.
Portia xx

 

NEWS! NEWS!! Kentucky Bourbon Rose by SOIVOHLE 2014. Limited Edition

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Hello lovelies,What a wonderful bit of excitement this is. Liz Zorn has done a short run of 25 bottles of extrait and we are the first in with the news. Thanks Linda for the tip off. Below is stolen directly from the SOIVOHLE website and if you are buying here is the contact email sales@soivohle.comPortia xx

Kentucky Bourbon Rose

This Saturday is Derby Day. To be precise Kentucky Derby Day. To celebrate my Kentucky roots and birth state I am releasing Kentucky Bourbon Rose on Saturday. This is a Numbered Edition of 25/4.5ml bottles.

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We will have a pre-order period beginning today. Included in all pre order packages will be an  early release 11ml atomizer of our Spring 2014 Limited Release: Magnolia 826 eau fraiche. Magnolia 826 will be available mid-May.

If we sell out during the pre-launch all orders will ship with the Magnolia 826.

Orders placed with a May 3rd or later date stamp will not have the Magnolia 826.

There are only 25 bottles in this edition that was created over a period of years. A fine Kentucky Bourbon was tinctured with organic Mexican Vanilla Beans to create the carrier/base for the parfum.

Rose Absolutes from Morocco, Bulgaria and Egypt were blended with a harmonious accord of spices including a touch of clove and cinnamon, with a natural oakmoss accord that included green and brown oakmoss. The concentration is +50%.

To insure that this is a truly artistic work there was no formula kept, no notes taken or measurements of any kind recorded other than the amount of carrier to materials used.

Kentucky Bourbon Rose will never be made again..