REMINDER: Michael Edwards Fragrance Masterclass July/August 2014

July 11, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 3 Comments

Hi there Frag Buddies,

In case you needed a reminder:

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

Melbourne/Sydney

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 Edwards

Melbourne 22 July 9am – 5pm

Sydney 21 August9am – 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

Cologne du Maghreb by Tauer Perfumes 2011

July 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

Hi there Niche Nerds,

As you may know already I really like Andy Tauer’s work. Not all of his fragrances work on my skin or to my nose but the ones that do are fantastic and I enjoy them very much. Usually with a Tauer fragrance you need to put aside a full day of wearing because they linger for hours and you will wake up next morning with a delicious Tauer-ade hangover on your skin. I never tried today’s offering last time it was released but Jeffrey Dame from Hypoluxe, the distributor through the Americas, asked if I’d like to try it. SURE, said I and a week or so later a pack arrived from Switzerland with a hand written note from Andy Tauer. COOL!!!

Cologne du Maghreb by Tauer Perfumes 2011

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, bergamot, clary sage
Heart: Rosemary, orange blossom, lavender, neroli, rose
Base: Atlas cedar, labdanum, vetiver, amber

I wore Cologne du Maghreb yesterday and I was surprised. Not because it’s lovely, it is but that’s not surprising. Not because it’s very required manly cologne-esque, it is that too. My surprise was how long it lasted on my skin. One of the things Andy Tauer is stressing is that this all natural fragrance is a short lived adventure. I got over three hours of fragrance, from top to dry down, then I couldn’t smell it but this morning I awoke and there it was the amber/wood had made it through the night and while drinking my first coffee of the day in the very cool morning temps I put my face into my top to suck out the cold air and add some hot and there it was. Faint but noticeable traces of Cologne du Maghreb.

Something else I love is that Cologne du Maghreb has a terrific scent story going from brightest, neon, dazzling citrus to dark, sweet, herbal, woodsy dankness. There are plenty of shades of floral, green, lavender, bracing and cuddly along the way and the whole fragrance has a smooth quality that moves beautifully between stages. No wonder Andy wanted to re-release this treasure, it’s great.

The experience was so fun that I decided to live it all again tonight. The picture below reflects my whole experience of Cologne du Maghreb perfectly. Bright, citrus, fresh, wet, green, shade, woods, sunlight, warmth, comfort.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Though the smell is different, what Cologne du Maghreb most reminds me of is my Dad. He was a Tabac Original by Maurer & Wurtz wearer and one of the things I loved about him was his smell. I still keep Tabac original around and often use the soap, deodorant and/or fragrance. So my question is, has Andy Tauer pushed an Eau de Cologne towards being an Aromatic Fougere?

From IndieScents: The Cologne du Maghreb is hand crafted and created in the traditional way of cologne making: With all natural and all botanical raw materials only. Essential oils, absolutes, resins and love find their way into this Cologne…..

Further reading: Chemist In The Bottle and Bonkers About Perfume
IndieScents has $85/50mlSurrender To Chance has samples starting at $5/ml

Have you tried Cologne du Maghreb? What did you think? Would you like to?
See below,

Portia xx

Photo Stolen kbaird

Cologne du Maghreb GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 winners who will each get:
1 x 1.5ml carded manufacturers sample of Cologne du Maghreb by Tauer Perfumes (both I have spritzed from for review purposes)
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 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 Eau de Cologne or Aromatic Fougere fragrance, experience, memory or why you would like to try this one.

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Cologne du Maghreb by Tauer Perfumes GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2WJ #Perfume #Giveaway @tauerperfumes

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 6th July 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 10th 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.

Louis Vuitton Presents The Spirit of Travel Campaign Film

July 4, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Well, well, well, Louis Vuitton.

Sometimes advertising people reach into me and grab one of my key concepts. This then makes me feel like I’m part of a movement, that I belong, part of a thought process that could become a credo. It’s extremely clever marketing and I wonder how many other people are taken in by it too. The feeling that a multi national profit driven money making machine is a part of you, or that it is riding the same wave as you. Interesting, and repulsive and gently alluring all at once.

Louis Vuitton has reached into me and grabbed “To Travel Is To Live” from deep inside me and created a film.

Here is what the Louids Vuitton people have to say: A new Louis Vuitton advertising campaign conjures the original spirit of travel for the next generation. The allure of the unknown, the thrill of exploration, the wonder of discovery — all are captured in a series of stunning images, shot in South Africa by Peter Lindbergh, styled by Carine Roitfeld, and starring models Karen Elson and Edie Campbell.

Do enjoy, please
Portia xx

Photo Stolen Flickr

Louis Vuitton Presents The Spirit of Travel Campaign Film

Alien Taste of Fragrance: Thierry Mugler 2011

July 2, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Hi Hi Hi APJ Crew,

I hope this finds you all happy and well. Some time ago I grabbed a few unloved bottles from Birgit at Olfactoria’s Travels. Every now and then she clears out some of her wardrobe to make way for new loves. I really love the Alien line, the Aqua Chic was a bit crap, and the Sunessence and Amber ones are particularly excellent on my skin though I don’t have bottles of either of them. I tried a buddies Taste and fell deeply in love but by then it had disappeared from our stores and hadn’t made it to the discounters yet, so right time, right place…

Alien Taste of Fragrance: Thierry Mugler 2011

Alien Le Gôut du Parfum: Salted Butter Caramel

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Sambac jasmine, caramel
Heart: Cashmere wood, solar notes
Base: White amber

OsMoz gives these featured accords:
Top: Citrus, spices
Heart: Jasmine, caramel
Base: Cashmeran, Amber

So, um, SALTED BUTTER CARAMEL!! Oh My Freaking Gawd! You had me at hello. Whenever I spritz Alien Taste of Fragrance instantly that hit of Salted Caramel Macaroons (which are Jin’s specialty, you can not even imagine how divinely delicious) makes me smile and my mouth water in remembrance. Just like the macaroons the whole experience is so good that it borders on overkill. No surprise there, Mugler is famous for pushing the boundaries as far as he can and then pushing some more.

Almost every time I wear Alien Taste of Fragrance a couple of people ask what it is and I have also had one Trivia mate that I know of go and buy a bottle. You know how some fragrances feel like they are made for you from the very first moment? That is how Alien Taste of Fragrance wears on me. It’s like a warm, sweet, comfortable jumper and filled with the kind of fun that only old friends can bring, fun that comes of knowledge.

Photo Stolen CreativityOnline (problem with the image? tell me I’ll remove it)

How does Alien Taste of Fragrance smell on me? Well, all the notes are present but I get some extras. After the initial caramel and spice opening I get a lovely creaminess, like the cream part of a Strawberry & Cream lolly. Fresh cream whipped with vanilla and sugar, yum. Then everything proceeds with more caramel and here I get the salt but not like salt, more a nod to where salt should be but through all this I get a very animalic, slightly urinous honey: this mixed with the caramel is utterly startling but fits perfectly into the fragrance and it lasts for quite a while. The amber is smooth a still sweet but there is a very manly, sweaty undercurrent in the dry down of Alien Taste of Fragrance that is both gorgeous and disgusting. Sometimes I have to check to make sure I’m not a sweaty mess.

Sillage is awesome for the first 2-3 hours, with good projection for that long too. I have to be careful not to overspray Alien Taste of Fragrance because it can become completely overbearing even for me. Lifespan can be up to 8 hours depending, this is one fragrance where an amber-ish lotion will give you far greater longevity. Using Halle by Halle Berry body lotion means that I will smell great until lunchtime tomorrow. For work? Keep the spritzes to a minimum, maybe just one on your chest so you can enjoy the magic.

I think I will finish my Birgit bottle fairly soon, that’s how much I’m loving it.

Further reading: Perfume Candy Boy and Katie Puckrik Smells
Beauty Encounter has $42/30ml tester
Surrender To Chance has $5/.5ml

So, are you a fan? Did you try the Alien Taste of Fragrance? Was it all you hoped?
Portia xx
.

Vetiver Extraordinaire by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle 2002

July 1, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Hi there Frag Family,

Do you ever read blog posts and think about the sly sexism of fragrance? We are taught through advertising images, sales people and our general community to think of certain things as Masculine or Feminine. I know this discussion goes on quite a bit but today’s fragrance is one that is sold towards the masculine side of the tracks and for many people that is right and proper. To me though it’s another way that we are manipulated to conform, which is not something I’m completely down with so I am asking all you lovely ladies to take a moment next time you are at the counter or sample site to have a go at this fragrance. With an open mind and a keen nose so you too can enjoy a fragrance that I think is worthy of your attention.

Vetiver Extraordinaire by Dominique Ropion for Frederic Malle 2002

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, bitter orange
Heart: Pink pepper, cloves, vetiver
Base: Sandalwood, cedar, oakmoss, myrhh, musk

Well, straight off the spritz the fun, wet, citrus is so intense that I feel almost as if I have spritzed a cologne, that instant burst of feel good refreshment that orange is known throughout the aromatherapy world grabs me a whisks me to my happy place. I think the pink pepper and clove come in pretty quickly to add a zingy spicy whirl and the whole experience is very foody, but not in a bakery way. There are all foods that we eat and it comes through here for the initial 5 minute rush of fireworks before the composition is grounded by the slightly salty, grassy, wet earthy addition of vetiver. Though this aspect arrives it is never dank or dark, there is a light breeziness to Vetiver Extraordinaire, a more interesting and nuanced take than Guerlain’s Vetiver with a much longer lifespan and speaking of lifespan L’Artisan’s Coeur de Vetiver Sacre, while having a sensational story also isn’t much of a longevity monster either.

Photo Stolen Flickr

Vetiver Extraordinaire grabs what I feel is the essence of vetiver, an amazing plant originally from India but now grown and used all over the world for such important stuff as fighting soil erosion, cleaning polluted water of deadly metals and detergents and stabilising hills as well as as a crop. Few people talk about the saltiness of vetiver, I wonder if I am the only person who gets that particular correlation? I find something very clean seaside air in Vetiver Extraordinaire that wants to wrap me up and fly me away.

In dry down I find Vetiver Extraordinaire a very clean wood, slightly herbal. I can’t put my fingers on exactly what happens here but it remains fresh, without the many poor connotations that that has come to include in modern fragrance writing. Clean in a very nice human way, no I’m not making sense and can’t explain it any better, sorry.

Photo Stolen DeviantArt

Vetiver Extraordinaire is both interesting and long lasting. I get more than 5 hours fragrant to my nose, longer in cool weather or the evening and a second spritz an hour or so later will add hours to that. Projection is very good for the first 30 minutes and then it comes close, by the end it is a mere whisper of fresh skin overlaying your personal fragrance. Ladies should take this fragrance and wear the freaking hell out of it, wonderful for everyone.

Further reading: What Men Should Smell Like and Perfume Shrine
Aedes de Venustas had $280/100ml
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $7/ml

What gender boundaries do you cross already? Do you like to mix it up and play with scent image? Did you try Vetiver Extraordinaire by Frederic Malle or any other vetivers that caught your fancy?
Do leave a comment, we love to read your thoughts too,
Portia xx

NEW!! GUERLAIN L'Homme Idéal est un mythe. Son parfum, une réalité: Video

June 30, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Woo Hoo!

Here you go gang. This was released to YouTube Yesterday! Love the stylings and the music. How about you? What do you think?
Portia xx

NEW!! GUERLAIN: Video

L’Homme Idéal est un mythe. Son parfum, une réalité

The Ideal Man is a myth. His perfume, a reality!

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Royal First Class Cabin Set GIVEAWAY WINNERS

June 30, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hi there APJ,

THANK YOU to our lovely 6 entrants. Well, this was clearly not a winner of a giveaway. It was very poorly subscribed to but I am glad that there are a few of you who thought it would be fun and lavish to have such a thing. OK, so who won?

Royal First Class Cabin Set GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 winners who will each get:
1 x Thai Royal First Class Cabin Set
P&H Anywhere in AUSTRALIA

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone in AUSTRALIA who follows Australian Perfume Junkies 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 holiday destination. It could be one you have been to or one you dream of. There are no time or financial constraints, just a dream, where would you go, for how long and who with?

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie Thai Royal First Class Cabin Set GIVEAWAY http://wp.me/p3PURw-2Vg #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Sunday 29th June 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by random.org

Photo Stolen thegarfieldshow-diary

Willa

Camilla Sheridan

Mark Evans

The winners will have till Thursday 3rd 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.

Balenciaga Fall Winter 2014 Ad Campaign

June 29, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Good Morning Frag Heads,

Here is one of the most beautiful and inspiring images of fashion this season. Gisele Bündchen looking like a rocker cross pixie plotting her next move in a crystal cave of reflection. Hair shorn and very androgynous looking, it could be a poster for a modern take on Peter Pan.

Balenciaga Fall Winter 2014 Ad Campaign

As so often is the case I found this at my go to fashion image news page art8amby

Balenciaga’s dark ad campaign for fall features Gisele Bündchen, who in February walked the brand’s runway show in a rare catwalk appearance.

In one image from the campaign, shot by Steven Klein, a moody-looking Bündchen, her typically long locks apparently shorn and slicked, sports thigh-high patent boots against an infinitely reflecting backdrop of cracked mirrored surfaces.

“This is how I see Gisele for Balenciaga; strong, powerful, mysterious and uncompromising,” Balenciaga artistic director Alexander Wang said of the campaign.

Behind the makeup look is Diane Kendal, while Anthony Turner styled the hair for the shoot. (source)

Givenchy: Dahlia Divin Fragrance 2014 Ad Campaign

June 27, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hello Frag & Music Lovers,

Here is a pretty sensational pairing. Givenchy, once the home base of Audrey Hepburn, has taken a new and modern beauty as its face. Although I have loved Alicia Keys voice since “Fallin'” when she was a meer slip of a girl now having seen some recent interviews I am completely smitten. Alicia offers smart, sassy, soulful and a whole truckload of other positive things. I think her a role model for generations to come. Fingers crossed.

Portia xx

Givenchy Dahlia Divin Fragrance 2014 Ad Campaign

I grabbed this tasty piece from my Go-To fashion blog that keeps me way ahead: art8amby

Grammy-winning singer Alicia Keys is sitting pretty is a Riccardo Tisci-designed embellished champagne-hued gown for the new fragrance campaign of Givenchy Dahlia Divin. The prices range from $65 to $110 a bottle, with a Skin Dew option for $53. (source)

Roja Dove: Amber Oud 2012 + Lily Extrait 2014

June 24, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 46 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Roja Dove

THE EMPEROR´S NEW PERFUME OR IS MY NOSE KNACKERED?

Roja Dove Amber Oud 2012 and Lily Extrait 2014

The nose behind these two fragrances is Roja Dove “Master Perfumer”. Fragrances rumoured to be made by Roberetet, a company that works with an international team of 32 perfumers. The whole line of Roja Dove´s work interests me not. On saying that I have had a secret desire to try at least a couple of them to see what, if anything might actually warrant the price.

Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor´s New Clothes was published in 1837 in Denmark. The phrase “The Emperor´s New Clothes” has become a standard metaphor for just about anything that smacks of showy pretentiousness, social hypocrisy, hollow ostentatiousness, pomposity and so on. The more something is praised the more it can become a thing of great, but perhaps imagined, beauty ……….

Photo Stolen BookDepository ($6.75 including postage)

I swapped cookies for generous samples of Amber Oud and Lily Extrait.

Roja Dove: Amber Oud 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, lime
Heart: Jasmine, rose, yang-ylang, fig
Base: Agarwood, birch, cinnamon, oakmoss, patchouli, saffron, sandalwood, ambergris, civet, musk, orris root

Amber Oud falls into the oriental spicy fragrance group for men and women. It costs around 655 Euros for 100 mls.

Wow.

Sound fabulous? It is nice, harmonious and safe. Read – boring. For a perfume that uses Oud in it´s name, I would expect to see a more dominant use of it. There is nothing unique about this.. Call me snotty if you will but I would desire something that cries out “fabulousness and originality” if I was paying that price for it. It is quite smooth, but is smooth enough? I read that it´s a beast, luxurious, undeniably exquisite, opulent. Hmmmmm. Emperor´s New Perfume? Or is my nose is knackered?

Roja Dove: Lily Extrait 2014

Photo Stolen First In Fragrance

First In Fragrance gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon
Heart: Jasmine, lily, rose, tiare blossom, lily of the valley, carnation, ylang-ylang
Base: Clove, woods, vanilla, musk.

About 365 Euros for 50 mls. “I have always loved the exotic, enveloping, carnal, sensual warmth of this majestic flower.” Roja Dove. Oh.

It starts off a lot like Serge Luten´s Un Lys, which I love. It grooves along with the similarity for about an hour or so. Then the Lily Extrait takes a sharp turn into sweetness, where the Un Lys
gets musky and dirty. Lily Extrait stays sweet and pretty and linear. It does remind me of an übersweet bubble gum that I used to chew as a kid and I cannot get that out of my mind. The longevity of it is epic. I got at least 14 hours out of it. I could still smell it in the morning. I am singing the great Lonnie Donegan´s hit “Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour on the Bedpost Overnight?” as I write this.

First In Fragrance has both to sample

So for a good 1000 Euros, that is about $1350 I could have both of these, including the nice bottles? Astonishing.

Meanwhile, back to the football.

Bussis
CQ