La Panthère by Mathilde Laurent for Cartier 2014

October 11, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Post by Anne-Marie

I first tried La Panthère in an airport hotel in Sydney. My colleague and I had missed a connecting flight to our home city. It was late, and we were tired and cross. But in the end I thought there seemed nothing for it but to relax, have a shower, order room service, and crack open a Cartier mini set I’d bought in Paris at Charles de Gaulle airport. Fun

It happened that I did not have internet access that evening, so I was testing blind.

La Panthère by Cartier 2014

La Panthère by Mathilde Laurent

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Rhubarb, strawberry, dried fruits, anise, bergamot
Heart: Gardenia, orange blossom, pear, rose, ylang ylang
Base: Musk, oakmoss, patchouli, leather

In the absence of this information I panicked a bit because the opening of La Panthère seemed strident, almost screechy. It reminded me of fragrances I dislike including Dior’s J’Adore and Miss Dior Cherie, and Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle. I thought I’d made a mistake. But during the night as I woke up momentarily here and there I was delighted in a drowsy way with what I could smell: a very intimate scent of warm contented skin, not animalic, but sexy as hell.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Gardenia is not something I know well, either as a flower or a perfume note so I can’t comment much on its use here except that I like it. And what saves La Panthère for me in particular is its chypre-like character. A lot of reviewers find it a chic, elegant, intelligent fragrance and I agree. Fruity chypre it may be, but La Panthère is too vivid and modern to really stand comparison with classical greats like Guerlain’s Mitsouko or Rochas’ Femme. It’s cleaner than YSL’s Yvresse and more supple than Badgely Mischka, which seems lugubrious next to La Panthère.

That brightness stays all the way through the life of the fragrance on my skin, and a few generous dabs from a mini lasts me ALL DAY. I could be extra-sensitive to notes like strawberry, rhubarb and pear – normally I hate them – and that’s maybe why La Panthère won’t quite leave me alone. I like it very much but by the end of the day I’m often rather tired of it.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Showering it off is like kicking off a pair of gorgeous but tight little shoes. Ahhh, that’s better. Looking back, I’m surprised I slept so well that first night I wore La Panthère . Like the shoes, La Panthère is wonderful to put on and wonderful to take off.

Further reading: Bois de Jasmin and Perfume Posse
FragranceNet has $83/50ml before Coupon
My Perfume Samples has $3/ml to $9/5ml

Do you have a ‘chic little shoe’ fragrance?

Until next time, keep spritzing!
Anne-Marie xx

Cartier – La Panthère, the feminine fragrance

OVERWHELMED – Help

October 9, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 52 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey Fabulous Fragrant Fanatics,

Recently I was feeling completely overwhelmed. Things had gotten behind because other things had taken priority and I was really feeling the push to get stuff done, and trying to do it on less than enough sleep. This is not a healthy way for me to function and I do know it but because things had to be done I put in the extra and got really crabby. You know that 3 year old inside of us that just can’t wait to come out and have a tantrum? Well, what do you know, out it came.

Anyway, when I’m feeling overwhelmed like that not only do I lash out at those around me but quite often I beat myself up too. They are often joined, I lash out at someone and then beat myself up for being the lowest scum in the universe. You know the familiar sinking feeling? So I thought what could I do to stop myself flowing down that familiar path? Answer. I’ll do a feel good post for the APJ crew that reminds me, and them, that we are not alone. Even though it looks bleak it will all be OK. No one is dead and everything else is fixable or finishable.

OVERWHELMED – Help

Even though it feels bad right now I know that tomorrow will dawn brighter, even if it’s only my attitude that’s changed.

Though I’m feeling crap right now and have 100 reasons to let it all go to hell if I can just push through to the other side of this current mountain of work, friends, life, relationship, home and environment then I will have a breathing space.

Cutting things into bite sized, doable chunks and working towards a goal is the best way for me to go forward. Also, sometimes a moment to reflect. I’ll go make myself a cup of coffee and concentrate 100% on making coffee, that will let my subconscious do some collating. It doesn’t always work but it does let me unwind a little and often a way forward presents itself to me before the mug is empty.

The next one is really hard. You have to take everyone else out of the equation except you and your needs. Sometimes you need to say enough and walk away from a situation. Only you can ever know if you are walking away or giving up and what anyone else has to say about it is none of your concern. You may have to tell them this calmly and rationally, then walk away from them till they process.

If you’ve walked away or if you’ve pushed through the mountain then you’ve earned a breather, a space. It may be only one hour, a pedicure, a moment when you spritz some incredible fragrance on yourself, put on a 3 minute song in your living room, close your eyes and dance like you did when you were younger (you’ll be puffed at the end but exultant). It may be taking 3 minutes out of your day to read APJ, whatever your space or reward is then you need to understand that you are gifting yourself this moment. It’s a pat on the back for doing your best. Drink in the joy of that special thing you do.

Lastly for this post, and maybe most importantly……

Just in case you were wondering, I feel 100% better right now. My mind is a bit clearer and I have a rough idea of how I’m going to move forward. Now it’s time to make myself a coffee and really enjoy the process of both making and drinking.

Be well, we love you.
Portia xxx

Best Stress Relief Scents

October 7, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Post by Suzanne R Banks

Often smelling something is enough to create change in emotions and stress addiction because scent works powerfully on our mind, body and brain function. Stress can become a habit that we get used to rather than a trigger to help us survive, and in turn we get adrenal and cortisol overload. This is not good! Smell something good to break your habitual mind reactions.

Best Stress Relief Scents

Photo stolen Pixabay

Stress Relief: Marjoram

Oreganum marjorana

Little leaf, big scent, great results. Marjoram has been used in herbal medicine for centuries, and comes from a time when our food was our medicine. This beautiful herb essential oil will help everyone from babies to the elderly with its stunning aromatic medicine.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Keyword: relief

Marjoram is wonderful for:
grief
any kind of physical stress
soothing emotional pain and angst
help induce sleep
muscle pain
period pain
headaches

Stress Relief: Frankincense

Boswellia carterii

Another botanical substance that has been used for a long time, made popular by stories from the Bible, is a must have for stress relief. This essential oil which is steam distilled from the resin has a deeply calming effect by inducing longer, slower, deeper breaths. This leads to a meditative state of mind creating Alpha brainwaves to help you chill out.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Keywords: meditation, truth, preservation

Frankincense is great for:
restful sleep
meditation
relaxing
connecting to your youthfulness
helping us see the bigger picture
moving us away from a busy mind
asthma attacks and sufferers
coughing and not being able to breathe very well

Stress Relief: Chamomile

German Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)

Both chamomiles are wonderful for stress relief but work in slightly different ways and have distinctly different scents. Roman chamomile has an intense honey-like sweetness whereas German chamomile is very deeply herbaceous.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

Keywords: cool down and less tension more inspiration

German chamomile is good for:
restlessness
inducing sleep
settling anger
emotional healing
reducing inflammation in the body
physical heat

Roman chamomile is good for
soothing tiredness
softening inflexibility
relaxing the body as a whole
allowing tension to subside
reducing cramping in the body

The best and easiest way to use the oils is to open the bottle and take a whiff, also in oil burners or even if you put your foot over the shower drain and a few drops in, breathe deep.

If you’re wondering why I haven’t included lavender in this article it’s because I know that you know it’s a really great oil for stress relief – well done!

Check out my YouTube Channel too, thanks.
Suzanne R Banks xx

Suzanne R Banks Blog
Suzanne R Banks Aromatherapy
Suzanne R Banks FaceBook

Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Amazon USA Amazon AU Amazon UK

September: full of luck and love.

October 6, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

September: full of luck and love.

I was a lucky lady during September: surviving a car accident, winning a bottle of perfume AND finding a favorite fragrance dramatically discounted. It’s been peculiar experiencing first hand, concussion and shock. My sense of smell was fortunately still intact after a big bump to the head, even stronger for some time– apparently due to primal instincts of “fight or flight.”

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

TWO bottles of discounted Maison Martin Margiela – Untitled were awaiting me in packages when I arrived home from hospital and I wore nothing but for days. Perfectly strange, earthy and uplifting, it suited my surreal state.

Margiela’s intention was to reinterpret greenery after rain. It gives me the feeling of holding my face up to the sky and it being washed with big plodding drops of fresh rain. Ahhhhhh the ultimate cleanse. I visualize fresh, wet, pounding summer rain running off bending plants, yet a musky, sweet white floral heart is present all the while. Lurking in the undergrowth is the better parts of the smell of smoking. Not tobacco. Just mysterious smoke. Galbanum, fierce and green is complimented perfectly with bittersweet orange. Jasmine adds sumptuous pretty, floral and sweet notes that cedar and musk bring back to earth, deepening and giving an irresistible otherworldly edge.

Gorgeously avant-garde, listed as containing boxwood, galbanum, bitter orange, incense, jasmine, cedar and musk. Apparently no vetiver, however it’s a definite must try for vetiver fans. A scent that rarely gets a mentioned on fragrance forums, yet for me is stand out, always receiving numerous compliments. Completely unisex – in fact my dad has already “borrowed” one of my bottles!

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

From my hospital bed I entered Mona di Orio’s instagram competition and a few days later I received notification I had won!! Completely spaced out, I pondered my weird week’s luck. The full bottle of Rose Etoile de Hollande, beautifully packaged (old packaging) was with me within a few days from Europe – a very generous gift. Named after the worlds most fragrant climbing rose species, which Mona studied, growing outside her window in Cabris, France. I had never smelt it before, yet doused myself in it recklessly. A spine-tingling, sparkling, deep rose hit my system. Aldehydic, reminding me of the rich rose component of vintage Chanel Number 5. I am pleased by the natural tones and earthiness in the heart of this fragrance. I feel as if my nose is buried deep deep inside the bosom of a red rose. Deep enough to even smell the fizzy peachiness of its just forming fruit. It is beyond than that though; with additional layers transpiring over time. Smoky eugenol (clove), cedar, patchouli and leather contribute an edgy and carnal feel to this voluptuous beauty. Eventually it powders down, yet remains fiercely rosy sparkling into the evening like a vast and starry night.

How was your September? Do you love fragrances that take you from planet earth to elsewhere in 1 sniff? Which are you favorites?

Magnum Iris by Ramón Béjar 2014

October 4, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Post by Portia

In December 2014 Jin, Kath and I were in NYC for Thanksgiving, it was so fabulous and fun. We even got to do some Black Friday shopping which was scary and exciting. Kath decided that she wanted to buy shoes on Black Friday from Macy’s, sheesh! Can we talk about D R A M A? That is NOT the way I want my shopping experience to go.

OSSWALD 2014

Josie @ OSSWALD 2014

Anyway, there was a perfume groupies meet up organised at OSSWALD NYC with a bunch of the New Yorkers and Birgit of Olfactoria’s Travels. There I was introduced to the beautiful eponymous line Ramón Béjar. The bottles are even more desirable in real life, heavy and cool to touch. They feel weighted in ceremony when you spritz, these mothers have gravitas in spades.

Magnum Iris by Ramón Béjar 2014

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Iris, bergamot
Heart: Violet, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base: Haitian vetiver, sweet notes, musk

Magnum Iris opens cool and wet like the softest and most luxurious facets of iris have been blended with the cool sweet wetness of peony, and a hint of chill mountain air. It doesn’t take long for the iris to warm into rooty earthiness and I think the violet helps the fragrance to hint at leather. Through the heart I am reminded strongly of Prada Infusion d’Iris but not so austere. My nose and skin miss all except a hint of the flowers in the heart and mainly get a lovely byplay between a dry smoky vetiver and classy iris with a hint of yeastiness. Later I get soft, fluffy musks with still a whisper of iris, the blending is seamless and I feel like I’ve been wearing the fragrance that the rich of NYC would wear if they knew about it. So cool, urbane and under the radar luxe.

Photo Stolen Pixabay

OK, just chatted with Josie at OSSWALD NYC and she tells me that Magnum Iris is the second most popular in the line and that it’s her favourite. That’s high praise from a woman who deals with fragrance every day. I’m not sure Magnum Iris is a very good fit for me, maybe because it’s so elegant and refined, but I have enjoyed wearing it.

Photo Stolen PDI

Magnum Iris could easily be the perfect signature scent for work. You are fragrant and it’s really good, just flying under the “PERFUME” radar and becoming part of your own smell but infinitely better. I bet if the high powered gym at lunch crew got a whiff of Magnum Iris the change rooms would smell of it for about 5 years.

Further reading: EauMG
OSSWALD NYC has $295/75ml

Have you tried the line yet? HURRY!
Portia xx

CHANEL Two Tone Shoes: Making of Film

October 2, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Post by Portia

Hey there APJ,

I love to watch craftsmen. The way they make the impossible for me seem so easy and commonplace. How they are so involved in the creation of their product and the rendering of their craft that there is a kind of graceful flow to every movement. Of course, at CHANEL they employ artisans of the highest calibre and in this 2.2min film it shows. Gorgeous McGorgeous!!

Photo Stolen CHANEL

Enjoy,
Portia xx

Making of the CHANEL Two Tone Shoes

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

TEA TOWEL GIVEAWAY WINNERS

September 25, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Post by Portia

This was a fun one APJ. Thanks for all getting involved.

Vintage Beauties samples the winners will be getting are:
Quelques Fleurs by Houbigant
Mitsouko parfum by Guerlain
Oscar by Oscar de la Renta
Magie Noire by Lancome

Let’s see who won!
Portia xx

TEA TOWEL GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 5 winners who will receive:
Tea-Towels (some will be Aussie or International)
4 x Samples of Fragrance from my collection (Vintish/Vintage Beauties)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 24th September 2015 10pm Australian EST
Winner were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen brooklodge

Fifi

Lavanya

jalesley

Pats

odbayar

Azar (extra)

The winners will have till Sunday 27th September 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Miu Miu – AT LAST!!

September 22, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Post by Ainslie Walker

The unveiling of Miu Miu’s debut fragrance transpired this week in Australia. Very few notes are mentioned and immediately descriptions read as brazen: promising a bold marriage between retro-flower lily of the valley and modern aroma-chemical akigalawood. Perfumer Daniela (Roche) Andrier created the lily of the valley accord with rose absolute, synthetic green notes and real jasmine then fused it with akigalawood, which is extracted from patchouli oil. Apparently the fragrance was accepted only after 1200 attempts!!

Miu Miu by Daniela (Roche) Andrier for Miu Miu 2015

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lily of the valley
Heart: Jasmine, rose, green notes
Base: Akigalawood

I first smelt lily of the valley at Petersham Nursery in London a few years ago. End of the season, the plant was looking forlorn, droopy and weathered. Exuding from it was the most exquisite and captivating scent. Green, cool, fresh, earthy, dewy, lightly floral, citrus-rose top notes with jasmine nuances (omitting headiness). Cheerfully understated. It’s little wonder Miu Miu chose to revive this beautiful retro flower and give it a modern shakeup.

My next “run in” with Lily of the Valley was whilst watching TV series Breaking Bad. Walter White pondered exterminating drug-lord Gustavo Fring whilst peering at a potted plant beside his backyard pool. “THAT’S LILY OF THE VALLEY!!” I squealed, jumping out of my chair, recognizing the little white bells. Soon after in the show, Jesse’s girlfriend’s son falls suspiciously ill of Lily of the Valley poisoning and Walter White is to blame! I took to Google and sure enough the reality is lily of the valley is a toxic, exquisitely delicate, scented beast. A Snow White apple, of sorts!!

The Miu Miu brand has always explored juxtapositions and contradictions. They twist rules within their designs encapsulating the demure and the outrageous, the delicate and the bold, seriousness and lightheartedness and of course: retro versus modern. So, why wouldn’t they release a first fragrance based around a flower with bite?!

Adverts show beautiful actress Stacey Martin, stunning bottle and cute kitten. I get it: I felt like a kitten from the moment I saw and touched my bottle of Miu Miu. Seriously! I spent the whole day playing with it, cooing and purring all the while. Distinctive, combining a modern pop feel with a classy retro edge. Coordinating gold, cream, pillowed eggshell blue glass and contrasting them with a large spot of translucent red perspex. Indeed the bottle design is a piece of art.

On first sniff it was clean and pretty. A sheer green floral. I was lost for words and burst into nervous laughter. The anticipation was too much. Wearing it I experience an elegant sweet rosy heart, dewy green apple – yet slightly creamy and a touch of tart rosehip fruit. Utterly surrounded by joyful white floral, lily of the valley. Remaining somewhat linear, with intriguing depth after time. Cool, dark, green-peppered wood – the akigalawood…a new experience for me. The lily of the valley borderlines’ on shrill, before it becomes soapy and rounded, surviving right until the end.

If Miu Miu’s aim was to capture the spirit of the brand they have, ageless and contemporary. Alluring and possibly polarising it’s no fruity floral crowd pleaser and yet hovers close to “safe.” A fresh, youthful, sophisticated and slightly peculiar floral with fun peppery wood effervescent undertones.

Further reading: Candy Perfume Boy and Now Smell This
Miu Miu is available places, um, no idea…..

What do you think?
Ainslie Walker XXX

Life, Friends, Collecting, Tea Towels

September 21, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 45 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there Beautiful APJers,

Friday is my birthday so I thought we should do something special and only mildly fragrant.

My life is pretty blessed, without going into great detail I feel pretty lucky and have been given an enormous amount of advantages and every now & then good fortune has shone down too. The friends that have shared my life are amazing, fun, self sufficient, supporting, driven, caring, whole hearted and thoughtful (as in Full Of Thought) people with whom I share the big & small triumphs and tragedies, time and sometimes cyberspace. My work is fulfilling and suitable, homelife is sunny & comfortable and I get to travel regularly.

Something that is quite obvious is how much I love to collect things, each piece in the house has a memory attached (or several) and even my wardrobe is filled with happy memories and momentoes, wearable pieces of my personal history and a joyful life shared around the world. There is art collected from nearly 30 years of world travel, my parents 6 seater Royal Doulton mid 1960s wedding-gift starter set is now a nearly full 20 seat set with all add ons. Books have been culled by 50% need another 30% to fit into this apartment and you know how crazy my fragrance collection is.

In that same way I started collecting Tea-Towels. Tea-Towels are the ubiquitous collection for travelers because they are light, transportable, reasonably priced, useful and beautiful. Every time I grab one from the drawer I can instantly see where I bought it or who gave it to me (yes, once people know you collect they feed your collection on their holidays too). I try to use them all in rotation but it is becoming less possible to see any one towel even once a year, which is starting to make me a little sad, which in turn is diminishing my enjoyment. There is also a question of space in the new apartment.

Time to cull. The Tea-Towels have all been washed. The ones that I grab and can be bothered to iron (yes, I know but I find ironing Tea-Towels zen) will get to stay and the rest will be making journeys around the world to grace your kitchens.

So here’s the deal, I know some of you also have Tea-Towel collections and many of you use them only as things to wipe dishes and tidy messes. It doesn’t matter how you use them, or if you’ve never used one before in your life. Here is a chance to be sent a little bunch of Tea-Towels that have my and my friends love, travels, home and away happy memories. What you will be getting is a little package of joy that can be used every day, just throw them in the washing machine after use and they come back to life ready to be used and loved again.

Photo Stolen kbaird

TEA TOWEL GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 5 winners who will receive:
Tea-Towels (some will be Aussie or International)
4 x Samples of Fragrance from my collection (Vintish/Vintage Beauties)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

Please leave in the comments below your country and your fragrance today.

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 24th September 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Sunday 27th September 2015 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.