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"Something old, something new" Part 1.1 BBC Perfume Documentary

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hello lovely APJ Crew,

Over the next few Sundays we we”ll be able to watch 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. Two of the fragrances talked about in the doco are Guerlain’s Shalimar Parfum Initial and Loud by Hilfiger. We watch as Loud is released for the first time and go through the creation of it. Also we get a rare glimpse into Thierry Wasser’s rise to the head perfumer at Guerlain, and the fall of Jacques Guerlain. Very interesting.

Shalimar Parfum Initial Guerlain FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Enjoy,
Portia xx

“Something old, something new” Part 1 BBC Perfume Documentary

Surrender To Chance Gift Certificate

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 64 Comments

Hiya Happy Huffers,

One of the things I love MOST about this mad fragrance addiction I have is Sample and Decant Stores. The crew I use the most is Surrender To Chance. They have a great selection, reasonable postage rates and are friendly and helpful whenever I have a question. I know the gang that runs the business through the Perfume Posse Scentsation Bus Tour in May 2013. They are a fabulous and fun crew and they made me feel like family from, the first minute. As you may have noticed I look for family everywhere, surprising how often I find it too.

giveaway TheTruthAboutMummyPhoto Stolen TheTruthAboutMummy

Surrender To Chance Gift Certificate GIVEAWAY

Stars_Gift_Certificate SmartDrawPhoto Stolen SmartDraw

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will get:
1 x $30 Surrender To Chance Gift Certificate

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 so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Go to Surrender To Chance<<JUMP and find me a Fragrance and Manufacturer…………….. NO DOUBLE UPS!!

Extra Chance?
Tweet: GIFT CERTIFICATE GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-330  

Surrender To Chance Header

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 10th August 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Thursday 14th August 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their email address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Special THANKS to Surrender To Chance for these amazing giveaways. Please visit their site because they are so generous, friendly and helpful.

Alameda by Aurélien Guichard for Robert Piguet 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Hi Hi APJ Crew,

There is no reason why but today’s fragrance slipped through the cracks and I never smelled it before. Luckily I was in David Jones (Australia’s loveliest Department Store chain) and my mate Gary at the Libertine counter was wondering what I hadn’t smelled from the Robert Piguet range. Normally I grab and sniff them immediately since Joe Garces, the Piguet CEO (I think he’s still there), came down to Australia and talked us through the range. He was so intensely in love with his product and fiercely proud of it that it made me really appreciate Robert Piguet in a new light. Now I try to give every one of their frags at least a sniff.

Alameda by Aurélien Guichard for Robert Piguet 2013

Alameda Robert Piguet FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Lily, rose, orris
Base: Patchouli, amber, castoreum

WHOOSH! So Alameda opens with a bright, fizzy, sugared orange. It reminds me a bit of the Liberte by Cacharel opening but a little less in your face. There is a warmth to Alameda that is quite vanilla/animal and it’s there right after the burn off of the fireworks. I love this fragrance. My nose gets a lovely refined orris and the whole scent becomes creamy and earthy for a while. Imagine if the softest, finest cashmere scarf feeling was a fragrance: This smell is what I imagine it would be. Both ultra luxe and elegant, warm, inviting yet not bold, not a statement fragrance. Alameda is the smell of coming home to love, now a honeyed sweetness that is mildly naughty, lived in, and perhaps some breathy lily has joined the fun.

From here we get a very clean patchouli and the base notes swirl around together for a while. Alameda stays like this for a while, it’s sexy and wearable. I could imagine it being worn by guys and girls and being a hit for both sexes. There’s a beadhead-ish-ness about Alameda that I find particularly inviting, a whisper of sweat and sleep in the little curls of hair at the back of a head in the morning.

Alameda Robert Piguet Men Bed Cloudyfan DeviantArtPhoto Stolen DeviantArt

No mention of musks in the notes but I think there are. My nose may be playing tricks but there is a very nice clean musk vibe that sits well beside what I imagine is the castoreum. The amber is absolutely non confrontational, smooth, warm and creamy. To be perfectly honest I think the short note list has a load of glaring omissions but as you know my nose tends to get a bit wonky. My head is telling me that some of this creaminess could be coming from a sandalwood and something else a little lactonic, also a lovely almond meal smell. Then all that’s left is a beautiful amber that fades to skin.

So here’s a weird moment. Alameda is not on the Robert Piguet site. I have also trawled the web looking in most of the usual places, retail and discounters, and could only come up with two points of sale. OK I have information from Nick at Libertine. “I think Alamedia is exclusive to the UK but after smelling it I begged for our market to have it. I love it. It’s been such a big seller so far.”

Alameda Robert Piguet Amber Helen Cook FlickrPhoto Stolen Flickr

Further reading: Parfumistan and Katie Chutzpah
Libertine Parfumerie has $239/100ml including Australian P&H
Selfridges & Co has £135/100ml

I used the last of my generous sample tonight to write this piece. I can definitely see a bottle of Alameda in my very near future. Thanks to Gary at the Libertine counter in David Jones Market St Sydney for my sample.

Have you tried Alameda? If so what did you think? If not, which of the Robert Piguet line do you like?

Portia xx

Dior Couture Autumn-Winter 2014-15 Fashion Show

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hi All,

Raf Simons is doing some wonderful stuff at DIOR. I love his finishes and treatments. He has reinvented the crinoline, interesting sleeves like seed pods for balsam, mini skirts with cool shape-seams and scalloped edges. Coats, gowns, palazzo pants and wide belts. I love the looks and the colours. Here is a 4 minute video of the shows highlights.
Enjoy,

Portia xx

raf-simons DIOR TelegraphUKPhoto Stolen TelegraphUK (problem using this image, please tell us)

Dior Couture Autumn-Winter 2014-15 Fashion Show

Neroli & Orchidee + Mer & Mistral: L’Occitane GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Heya APJ,

This L’Occitane giveaway seemed to inspire a whole bunch of you. I’m so glad. I hope this finds every one of you happy & well. I know some of you will not be either so fingers crossed for better days ahead.

Portia xx

Neroli & Orchidee + Mer & Mistral by L’Occitane

L’Occitane GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Mer & Mistral L`Occitane en Provence FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, tangerine
Heart: Cypress, pine, rosemary
Base: White amber, cedar, musk

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 4 winners who will each get:
1 x 5ml decant of Mer & Mistral by L’Occitane (from my sample bottle)
1 x 5ml decant of Neroli & Orchidee by L’Occitane (from my sample bottle)
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID 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 so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell me your favourite fresh fragrance, or why you would like to try this one.

As always there was an extra chance for TWEETING

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Sunday 20th July 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

WINNERS berryreviewPhoto Stolen berryreview

Renee Groyer (via Twitter)

Patty Pong

MaryJane

Tracey

The winners will have till Thursday 24th July 2014 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.

Jimmy Choo Fall Winter 2014 Ad Campaign

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hey Fashion Fiends,

What could be better than seeing a new Jimmy Choo campaign? Well, it could be that Kit Harrington has taken the job, it seems Nicole Kidman has stepped aside, so nice to have a sexy guy in her place.

Down the bottom is a very lovely Mini Movie of Kit Harrington in his Jimmy Choos.

Enjoy,
Portia xx

Jimmy Choo Fall Winter 2014 Ad Campaign

As always I have grabbed this from my Go-To fashion forward blog: art8amby

Actor Kit Harrington (27) from Game of Thrones is replacing Nicole Kidman as the new campaign face for Jimmy Choo, shot by Peter Lindbergh on location in a Los Angeles home designed by the architect John Lautner.

“Kit has an innate confidence and projects a playfully rebellious nature,” said Sandra Choi, Jimmy Choo’s creative director. “He has an overtly masculine style that feels effortlessly cool, and a great sense of humor, and beneath that intensity he is a true gentleman.” (source)




Jimmy Choo AW14 Men’s Campaign starring Kit Harington

Aqua Sextius by Cécile Zarokian for Jul et Mad Paris 2014

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

OK Happy Huffers,

Today a beautifully presented silver spray sample arrived from the Jul et Mad crew. Can I tell you from the beautiful and detailed packaging that I already feel like I am having an uber luxe experience. It all feels so finished and thought out. Then I went to look up the perfumer Cecile Zarokian whose name rang only faint bells for me till seeing that she has been quite prolific and done some fragrances I know well: Amouage Epic Woman, Tango for Masque and Pink for Undergreen. Curiouser and curiouser I decided to do a first spritz piece for you today. Come with me and try ….

Aqua Sextius by Cécile Zarokian for Jul et Mad Paris 2014

Aqua Sextius Jul et Mad Paris FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Citrus zests, bergamot, mandarin, orange, grapefruit, tea notes, mimosa blossom
Heart: White flowers, sea notes, fig, pine tree resin
Base: Labdanum, amber(gris), cedar, guaiac wood, oak moss, musk

So the structure reads very much like a chypre, lets call it a modern chypre. The fragrance is in parfum concentration and I have to give a big fat bravo to Jul et Mad for doing 5ml, 20ml and 50ml bottles. It means that you can test, enjoy and have choice to suit your budget. So important now that fragrance is becoming increasingly expensive.

How does Aqua Sextius smell on my skin? Well, the opening is fun and fizzy citrus, very smile inducing and sweet. The mimosa is clean and adds some warmth to an otherwise cool sweetness and the whole opening is effortlessly wearable. I can already imagine it becoming a go-to for the opening alone. I am reminded of another fragrance but can’t put my finger on which one. If summer, or the dream of summer, could have a scent then Aqua Sextius could definitely be it. this is scent of the fun summer that you want always to remember, like a scent-track.

FigsPhoto Stolen Wikipedia

It’s not long before we get salty fig and resins, here there is a soft, elegant reminder of Womanity; sensual and not in your face at all like the Mugler. Here we are treated to similar parts but put together for an unstructured creamy linen suit and a pistachio T-Shirt rather than the spiky, shoulder padded, OTT and aggressive tone of Mugler. While Aqua Sextius is infinitely more wearable I think I prefer the Womanity at this point, for me anyway. Aqua Sextius is light and spare, clean and fresh in the modern 2014 new vision of such things. It feels bang up to date and has a lovely sillage. That’s basically how it stays on my skin for hours, just getting quieter and parts of the fragrance slowly falling by the wayside. At every point I find Aqua Sextius very wearable and non confrontational. It is interesting enough for a perfumista, but more importantly I think almost everyone would think this a fabulous gift.

laughingPhoto Stolen WikiMedia

After about 8 hours, yes EIGHT hours, I am left with a slightly salty wood waft that is barely discernible. Very sexy: if I didn’t know better I would think it was my own smell. It’s not my own smell, it is a beautiful mask.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Colognoisseur
Jul et Mad have 3 sizes all in a Parfum concentration: 5ml/€22.50, 20ml/€95, 50ml/€230 (All with postage inclusive!! To the world)

One of the comments I really love is about the name: Empliau writes, “Aquae Sextiae was the Latin name of Aix en Provence. Aqua is feminine in Latin and requires a feminine adjective. Aqua Sextius is simply impossible and grates upon the ear.”

Have you tried the lovely little beastie?
Portia xx

 

GUCCI Oud by GUCCI 2014: Ad Campaign

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Here it is gang,

Here is the thing that almost NONE of us have been waiting for. Yes, Gucci is releasing an Oudh fragrance. It’s being sold as a Gucci by Gucci flanker. My fingers are crossed, maybe it will surprise us all. To be fair I always get people sniffing about and asking when I wear GUCCI Guilty and even GUCCI Envy Me II is nice. GUCCI by GUCCI is a real lovely floral amber spritz. Maybe it will be nice…

Portia xx

GUCCI Oud by GUCCI 2014

Gucci Oud Gucci FragranticaPhotos Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pear, raspberry, saffron
Heart: Bulgarian rose, orange blossom
Base: Oud, patchouli, amber, musk

Lolita Lempicka: Elle L'aime 2013

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Hey Hey APJ,

Today we are wandering the mainstream halls of department stores. Yes it’s designer fragrance day and I was surprised to see a lovely new bottle in the designer section last year. Earlier this year I gave myself a quick spritz. Lolita Lempicka is a favourite mainstream house because they are often edgy and boundary pushing. Their original Lolita Lempicka, Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin and L de Lolita Lempicka Coral Flower have been favourites of mine through smelling on my mates. So, how did the new one measure up?

Lolita Lempicka: Elle L’aime 2013

Christine Nagel and Serge Majoullier

Elle L'aime Lolita Lempicka FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, neroli, lime
Heart: Coconut, jasmine, ylang-ylang
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, myrrh

Can I first say how terrible I think the name is when you aren’t French. Elle L’aime? Isn’t that like “Pretty Lame”? or “So Lame”? What a crap name.

Elle L’aime, for those that are wondering means “It’s Like”. So what is Elle L’aime like? Well, the fragrance is pretty and wearable. The citrus opens with a zing and already there is a beautiful fat coconut note pushing through, it’s very gourmand on my skin. Like a Lemon Meringue Pie with Coconut sprinkles and Vanilla and Biscuit base. All ice cream delicious. Fun.

As the very slightly breathy jasmine and the thick, glutinous, fatty ylang oozes in all slinky-like they are paired very nicely with the citrus remnants and the coconut. Though I am pretty sure there aren’t a LOT of natural parts in this recipe the whole vibe is surprisingly dense and the sillage is quite noticeable though you have to sit somewhere for nearly a minute before the fragrance pushes its way out from you. The jasmine and ylang heart is surprisingly green, maybe remnants of the neroli(?), but it feels like some kind of sappy leaf has been torn and it’s just a hint behind the rest of the fragrance.

I think Elle L’aime will be a perfect first grown up fragrance or a lovely addition to your easy wear, spritz and forget wardrobe. In fact, though they don’t smell much the same I am reminded of Annich Goutal’s Songes, a sugared version made in the 21st century perhaps.

They have done a nice job on the sandalwood, it has some lovely facets of the Australian sandalwood but there’s probably not much of the real deal, if any. It’s warm, buttery and cuddly and has a lovely softly polished age to it that sits very well with the vanilla and of myrrh I can see no sniff or scanty scent. But that could very easily be me, my nose is notoriously wonky.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

The girl in the picture is well chosen as representative. Elle L’aime is pretty, creamy, at once lovely and perfectly groomed, she is probably arriving at the party in this shot and will not change overly throughout the night. I imagine her leaving only very slightly mussed and a little less expectant, perhaps even a little sparkle from the dancing and the kissing. While hard core perfumistas will probably be bored to tears by Elle L’aime because it is in no way challenging or outrageous. If the job of perfume is to smell good then Elle L’aime is doing a good job. I smell lovely right to dry down in well over 5 hours till Elle L’aime is just a quiet hum of something close to nothing….

Further reading: Now Smell This and NYMag: The Cut
FragranceNet starts at $37/38ml after coupon
My Perfume Samples has $2/ml to $7/5ml

Do you ever go mainstream? Which designer fragrance house in department stores will get your attention when you wander through? Do you await a particular crews latest? Does a bottle ever capture your attention?
Portia xx