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Sandalwood – A Precious, Ancient Oil

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 29 Comments

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Post by Suzanne R Banks

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An essential oil from a wood can draw us in to world of intrigue and secrets, ancient knowledge and divine scent. Wood oils bring an oil formulation together and can be considered “grounding” and “centering” – due to the fact the tree roots delve deep into the earth. Oils from woods have been used for thousands of years in sacred ceremonies, embalming techniques and in traditional healing. Cherish these beautiful gifts from nature.

Sandalwood – A Precious, Ancient Oil

sandalwood WATodayPhoto Stolen W.A.Today

Today most oils come from renewable plantations but in the case of Sandalwood we have seen a decline in the tree population for many years. Indian Sandalwood has been over farmed, which has lead to a crisis in the industry and in our forests. Illegal felling of young trees has lead to more stringent controls from the Indian government to help sustain production long term. This is the one driving factor in the huge price increase in the last 10 years, and is also the reason why the Australian Sandalwood industry is booming.

The Indian type “Santalum album”, and the Australian sandalwood “Santalum spicatum” have similarities but are wonderful in their differences. The Indian wood is the classic deep, sweet exotic scent that we have come to know and love and in the Australian oil, you can actually smell the bush. It really is beautiful. I use both oils, and both are considered to be premium oils and are more expensive than common oils.

Traditionally Sandalwood has been used for spiritual ceremonies and the spread of the use of this oil is claimed to have come hand-in-hand with Buddhism. If anyone has been to India you would know the widespread use of the scent in incense and temples, in soaps and perfumes.
It is used therapeutically to treat acne, urinary disorders and infections and as a nervine tonic to ease stress and anxiety.

There is also an oil produced called West Indian Sandalwood but this tree comes from a different species and is sometimes called amyris oil. I’ve never used this oil, and have never seen it anywhere. It apparently has a slight sandalwood scent (hence it’s name) and is used in perfumes and fragrant body products.

Indian Sandalwood will usually come in a 3% jojoba blend like Rose, Jasmine and Neroli. This means it is ready to go as a perfume but not good for putting in an oil burner. Oil burners and diffusers need 100% pure essential oils so when an oil is mixed with jojoba, the scent won’t escape the carrier oil and may also damage your diffuser.

sandalwood botanical.comPhoto Stolen Botanical

Try these simple recipes to invite peace, sacred sexuality and a connection to the divine:

Pulse Point Perfume

Mix together in a little bowl or saucer and anoint your beautiful self

“Good Luck Charm”
Sandalwood 3% in jojoba 3 drops
Mandarin 1 drop

“Gold”
Australian Sandalwood 2 drops
Rosewood 2 drops

sandalwood SandalwoodCompanyPhoto Stolen SandalwoodCompany

Scent Your Space

Add these oils to a classic oil burner or diffuser:
“Fluidity”
Australian Sandalwood 10 drops
Ylang Ylang 6 drops
Orange 9 drops

Sandalwood is an oil for softening the edges in your life. Breathe it in and you wont be disappointed.

Suzanne R Banks x

Ed: If you thought this was good go see the Suzanne R Banks site (LINK JUMP) or like her Facebook Page (LINK JUMP)

La Isla Del Sol by Jane Cate for A Wing n A Prayer Perfumes 2013

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Hello Happy Huffers,

There is a lovely lady, Jane Cate, tucked away in Menlo Park of the San Francisco Bay area in California. Her work is wondrous and I have written of it before for you all. Today I opened a package from Jane Cate to find samples of her three new fragrances for 2013, the first you can see reviewed on the Perfume Posse, but I saved this one for APJ because I’m, a selfish bitch and it’s my favourite. He He HE!

La Isla Del Sol by A Wing & A Prayer Perfumes 2013

A Wing & A PrayerPhoto Stolen Etsy

Jane Cate gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot
Heart: Orange blossom, honey absolute and sweet orange
Base: Amber and tonka tincture

La Isla Del Sol means Island of the Sun and the bergamot opening is sweet, tangy and already slightly resinous, very much like sitting in cool, sunny parkland in the morning near a citrus orchard. It’s lovely, lively and invigorating: a soft and sexy cologne-esque opening that hints at warmth beneath. As the sun warms up the day and thebodies there is a very animalic orange blossom/honey accord that feels slightly feral as if it’s going to turn fecal but never crosses the beauty line into disgusting. There is a definite hark back to old fashioned perfumery in La Isla Del Sol, I really feel that it has depths that are lacking in much of the market today, even some of the niche lines are becoming castrated by their success, not so here.

The amber and tonka move in slowly and take over the whole beautiful production leaving only the smallest trace memories of citrus till about 4-5 hours later I am ready to respritz.

I cannot believe that the A Wing & A Prayer crew can make such fabulous scents at these amazingly good prices, do go check them out. You’ll thank me for introducing you.

A Wing & A Prayer Mini SamplerPhoto Stolen Etsy

A Wing & A Prayer have an Etsy Shop (<<JUMP) where you can grab their fragrances. A great was to get to know them is to buy the Mini Sampler Set with 3 x 4ml spray or roll on in your choice from the whole range for only $10!! What a BARGAIN!

Kisses, hugs and love till tiomorrow,
Portia xx

Fat Electrician by Antoine Maisondieu for Etat Libre d’Orange 2009

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Hello Fragrance Friends,

You may or may not know that my partner is an electrician, or sparky as we call them in Australia. I had longed for today’s fragrance for ages, just because I thought it would be funny to have in my collection. I grabbed a decant and drained it in record time so then I decided it was absolutely and utterly FB worthy. Every now and then Parfum1 has a 20% off sale and when they had one recently I was all over it like a rash, and here is one of my purchases. Sadly they no longer have stock of

Fat Electrician by Etat Libre d’Orange 2009

Fat Electrician FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Vetiver, olive leaves, marron glaces, vanilla, opoponax and myrrh

From the ELdO site: His beauty would have been his greatest asset. A midnight cowboy, his splendor was consumed in the service for others. Now, a fat electrician in New Jersey, he is cursed with the memory of his glory days. Because all beauty carries within itself the knowle­dge that it cannot last…

Well, there is a LOT of online discourse about the names and backstories of the ELdO range. My opinion is that it’s fun and harmless story creation at its best. I don’t know the people involved but they seem silly and naughty, not afraid to push a boundary and are creating engaging perfumes that are essentially wearable, with a couple of notable exceptions. Here are my imaginary before & after Electricians, he he he!

Fat Electrician 24SevenElectricsBefore Photo Stolen 24SevenElectrics

Fat Electrician Him.UKAfter Photo Stolen Him.UK

How does Fat Electrician smell? On my skin it opens all diesel and woods, which they say is the vetiver, dirty and dark with a greenness and balsamic sweetness all smooshed in together. There is also a metallic tang that reminds me of the years we used to take LSD, that initial metallic almost blood-ish taste as you chew your cardboard. OMG! I just physically shuddered at the memory. Imagine wearing Tam Dao in a mechanics garage, yes? That’s Fat Electrician.

Fat electrician has quite a bit of space between the notes, interestingly it feels both dense and light and bears absolutely no resemblance to my electrician or his ass crack. I get earthy, dirty vetiver and some slight softening and sweetening as the fragrance lives. The resins are not really getting much of a workout today though. Perhaps the cool air does Fat Electrician no favours, I get less growth and the story is far less interesting that in the 20+ celcius weather where it blossoms beautifully. Looks like I’m going to have to put this baby into the return to wear at Spring box and relegate it to the back of the cupboard. DamnIt! I was hoping for a fabulous winter extravaganza with Fat Electrician.

Fat Electrician SUCCUBUS COFFIN LaurieFlowerPhoto Stolen LaurieFlower

Later the same day: WOW! There is a definitely fresh hewn wood with beeswax polished, finished products and some smoky charred wood nearby. I’m about 3 hours in and suddenly Fat Electrician has started to give me its beauty. In the cool air the life is extended by HOURS! and the release is slower and way more interesting. BRAVO ELdO.

Further reading: PerfumeSmellin’Things and I really like the ambivelence of EauMG’s review too
EtatLibreD’Orange currently has 69€/50ml with FREE WORLD SHIPPING!!
SurrenderToChance starts at $4.75/ml

Where do you stand on the ELdO range? Are you outraged or amused by their names and stories?

We hope to see you tomorrow,
Portia xx

Boudoir by Martin Gras for Vivienne Westwood 1998

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Post by FeralJasmine

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Hi APJ,

I did my undergraduate work at a university that was famous for its campus viburnums. Unfortunately it was even more famous for its student suicide rate, and many of them seemed to occur during the viburnum season, although I trust it had more to do with final exams than the flower itself. For me, on my way to exams, the extraordinary, penetrating, sweet and spicy scent of the viburnum was encouraging. It seemed to act on me as a kind of aromatherapy, and sometimes I would stand next to a bush in full bloom, huffing it up like fragrant crack. Those are times that I still remember as moments of pure beauty, when everything else steps aside and joy wells up in an fleeting but perfect moment. So naturally, when I tumbled into the perfume obsession, I began looking for a perfume that would express that scent.
For those who might be interested in a viburnum scent, the perfumes that list this note are:

Boudoir by Martin Gras for Vivienne Westwood 1998

Boudoir Vivienne Westwood FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

BaseNotes gives these featured accords:
Top: Viburnum, mandarin, bergamot
Heart: Rose, tobacco flower, coriander, orris
Base: Vanilla, sandalwood, amber

Boudoir. That’s it. One. It’s from the line of Vivienne Westwood, the punky fashion designer. Her firm still sells a reformulated version and here are the listed notes: viburnum, bergamot, mandarine, rose, tobacco flower, heliotrope.
I have the original version, and here’s a more accurate list of the notes: viburnum, heliotrope, powder, slight spice, skank. Faint but unmistakable skank. Like I was scurrying on my way to an exam, sweating slightly, and got laid under a viburnum bush. Which, I assure you, never happened. At least partly because it would have made me late for an exam.

Boudoir Vivienne Westwood Viburnum 66SquareFeetPhoto Stolen 66SquareFeet

There are viburnums that aren’t fragrant, and then there are the heavenly fragrant ones. If you have never smelled one of the fragrant viburnums in bloom, I can only describe it as creamy heliotrope with spice, especially nutmeg. It’s a sweet scent, you will have gathered, and if you dislike sweet scents then no doubt you’ll dislike this one as well. And I can’t pretend that this perfume smells exactly like viburnum, because nothing does. There is a strong sweet opening, then wafts of near-viburnum with faint undertones of skank, then a somewhat powdery and slightly spicy drydown. On my scent-eating skin, the whole show lasts about 90 minutes.

Boudoir Vivienne Westwood Bridal TheBestFashionBlogBoudoir Vivienne Westwood Bridal2 TheBestFashionBlog Westwood Bridal Photos Stolen TheBestFashionBlog

Now, let’s talk price. Some companies seem to hike the prices of their perfumes to create an aura of unattainability. I’m not thinking of anyone in particular here, just anyone whose initials are Killian Hennesey. If you want the priciest, then save your pennies and best of luck to you. But if, like me, you love a bargain, there are many to be had among the older scents that are all over Ebay. I have to add that most of these former mainstream scents are better than any mainstream perfume released within the last dozen years. Think back to the days when aquatic and ozonic notes weren’t around, melon barely ever appeared, and nobody aspired to smell like fabric softener. That’s what you get when you buy older scents. Some are dirt-cheap, and some are only moderately cheap. This one is moderately cheap. The old one and the reformulation are easy to tell apart; the original is cognac-colored and the reissue is pink. I’ve never tried the reissue, because my little flask of original will probably last for years. If you have no prior history with viburnum, the scent may not mean much to you. To me, it brings back those exciting nerve-wracking days when nothing, not career, not home life, nothing, was in place yet. I wouldn’t want to live there now, but I do enjoy visiting.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Portia on APJ
FragranceNet has $48/30ml before discount
PoshPeasant starts at $3.50/ml

FeralJasmine x

RUBJ EdP by VERO KERN 2007

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Sensual greetings APJs

If I wasn’t a small part of this perfume subculture, I feel very sure I never would have heard of, let alone smelled, the incredible creations of today’s perfumer, who is so amazing..

RUBJ Eau de Parfum by VERO KERN 2007

Rubj EdP Vero Profumo FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured notes:
Top: Neroli, passsionfruit, mandarin, bergamot
Heart: Cumin, Basil, African orange flower, tuberose
Base: Virginia cedar, oakmoss, musk

If I wasn’t a small part of this perfume subculture, I feel very sure I never would have heard of, let alone smelled, the incredible creations of Vero Kern. Vero Kern takes time to create her fragrances. Time to develop them. She says that it scares her; launches every six months. Claiming scents are new, but in fact they are just rehashes of old ones. She gets bored of continually seeing many of the same ideas behind new releases.

Rubj EdP Vero Kern luzernerzeitungVero Kern Photo Stolen luzernerzeitung

Vero Kern has a spirituality about her (to me) which becomes more apparent in mature women. I love it. She inspires me. A creative artist. Plus she always looks fabulous! Awesomely cool. I want to be just like her as I get older.

I watched part of an interesting interview with her. Ms Kern say she likes to put “something that is a little bit disturbing” into her fragrances. A note that people cannot identify. Sometimes it may disturb in a positive way and sometimes in a negative way. She goes on to say, “A characteristic perfume has to have this disturbance, otherwise it is flat.” She tries to avoid this certain flatness. “For the eccentric and flamboyant.”

RUBJ is everything but flat.

Rubj EdP Vero Profumo PinterestPhoto Stolen Pinterest

RUBJ is what I would have wanted on my wedding day.

This is über-sensual. Depending not on the intellect or the spirit. Carnal, fleshly, exquisite, beautiful, unchaste. A fragrance so enrapturing and captivating, I am smitten. Voluptuous. Gorgeous. What more can I say?

Further reading PerfumePosse and Olfactoria’sTravels
LuckyScent has $220/50ml EdP
SurrenderToChance has the original 3 EdPs in the range as a sampler from $14/3 x .5ml

I expect 7.5 mls of RUBJ Extrait in the post tomorrow. Untested. Because sometimes you just have to.
(Ed: Editing this post inspired me to buy the Rubj EdP in LA at Scentsation. You are a wicked temptress Val. XXX)

Love
CQ

Fracas by Germaine Cellier for Robert Piguet 1948

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 19 Comments

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Gabriella

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Hi APJ,

In my ever changing and expanding fragrance collection, there’s one particular perfume that deserves pride of place. Other scents have come and gone, but Fracas by Germaine Cellier for Robert Piguet has been a mainstay for me for 15 years. It hasn’t been a smooth ride, but my altercations with this perfume have been mostly due to circumstance and other people rather than my own feelings of the scent.

My Fracas Story – Fracas by Robert Piguet 1948

Fracas FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

I acquired my first Fracas bottle not long after the scent was reintroduced in 1998, before online shopping and the first fragrance blog. Until then, I’d worn popular scents available in department stores and Fracas’ exclusivity enthralled and enchanted me. It was expensive, only available in one boutique here in Sydney, had a cult following and was one of my idols favourites – British model Sophie Dahl. And it looked so chic in the shiny black bottle.

Fracas Robert Piguet Ad vk.comPhoto stolen vk.com

I returned to the Sydney boutique time and time again to catch beautiful whiffs while I saved my hard earned pennies to buy a full bottle. Fracas was going to be my fragrance, something that I loved rather than a perfume that all my girlfriends wore or something to impress a boyfriend. I still remember the thrill when that bottle was finally wrapped lovingly in tissue paper. I was all woman now, and nothing was going to stop me. I proudly put some on before going down to dinner that night. I was still living with my parents at that stage and thought I’d wow them with my new acquisition.

Not so. “Oh my god, what is that AWFUL perfume you have on?” was my mother’s reaction. Dad and my brother also looked suitably unimpressed. I told them in vain of the story of Fracas and how it had been inspired by Rita Hayworth but they just didn’t budge. Such was the level of dislike for my scent that my brother actually renamed it with an expletive (I’ll allow you to use your imagination here): “Oh no, you’ve got that awful *&^% #$$ perfume on again.”

Thus, Fracas and I became clandestine. She now accompanied my on my morning gym visits where I could spray with abandon without my family’s misgivings. However, one day, I managed to smash an almost full bottle on the changing room floor. I was mortified and more disturbed still when I saw dozens of girls recoil in horror at the pungency and loudness of the tuberose. That changing room had my scent on it for months.

Fracas Robert Piguet Elegant Stripper photo-cursPhoto Stolen photo-curs

Fast forward some time and suddenly it seemed like every woman was in on my secret. Fracas became ubiquitous and our relationship went more underground. I refused to wear it out now, only sneaking a precious few drops when I could enjoy it at home alone. It would be my guilty pleasure after coming home from work; my comfort scent that I would put on to wear to bed.

Just as my relationship with Fracas has changed, so too has the scent on my skin. All those years ago it was a bold, brash diva: tuberose with a capital T, a scent that was incredibly beautiful but that took no prisoners. Now Fracas is sotto voce on my skin, it opens up with the bright orange blossom and tuberose before the buttery goodness melds with my skin and becomes one with it. It sings so softly now that I can pretty much wear it without provoking comment.

So it was much to my surprise when I did get one sometime last year. I’d spritzed some on before hopping into a taxi to meet my fiancé. The driver turned to me and said: “What are you wearing? You smell lovely, like a lady.” I told him it was Fracas and she was very much a lady indeed.

Further reading The Candy Perfume Boy and Bois de Jasmin

Fracas is now not so exclusive and available readily online at outlets such as FragranceNet, $68.19/50ml.

Have you tried Fracas? Which one of your fragrances takes pride of place in your collection?

With much love till next time!
M x

Scarlet by Cacharel

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hello my lovelies,

I’ve had this video knocking around and kept forgetting to share it.

IndianWedding angpal.blogspot

Arrived safely in India, Stayed a couple of days in Delhi to do some shopping and organising for my mate Varun’s hotels and a new property the family is developing. Yesterday the main thing we did was buy lights for 2 floors of hotels and 3 residences. BEDLAM!!! Then to cap it all I drove the car about 20kms in peak hour traffic! I know, I am amazing. It was not without incident though, plenty of good natured swearing and screaming, a near car crash and a couple of whisper touches by other cars and some bikes. Hair raising but fun

Enjoy the video.

Portia xxx

Scarlett by Cacharel

Leaving for India! What fragrances did I pack?

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 34 Comments

Hey Crew,

It’s time to pack bags and jet off again.I have written and sent all my Trivias to the girls. There are some REALLY curly Q&A this time ladies. The APJ family has worked overtime to make sure all their contributions are ready to launch while I’m gone, they’ve all been edited and pictures, notes and all the frills have been added and linked. THANK YOU GUYS!! My clothes are all washed, the beds are changed, food has been bought, prepared and frozen and I am almost ready to go. The plane leaves at 10.15 and I am writing to you from 2pm. How organised is that? Normally I’m throwing crap in my bags as we should be leaving.

incredible-india_1822 incredible-india-1 Taj Mahal

This trip I know there wont be much fragrance shopping like in Europe or LA sop I’ve decided to do a decant set for my travels 5ml & 8ml. It’s always so hard to choose and today is no exception. So what made the cut?

Ava Luxe Tuberose Diabolique Parfum
Caron Royal Bain de Caron
L’Artisan Parfumeur Cote d’Amour
Iunx Splash Forte Friction de Iunx
Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur de Male
Tauer L’Air Du Desert Marocain

I am also taking from Neela Vermeire Creations a bottle of Bombay Bling. How could I not? And a Vintage Chanel No 5 Parfum.

'Incredible_India'

So I just watched this video below and I’m crying like a baby, its been nearly three years since I’ve been back to India am I’m so excited to get back and see my buddy and his family and the magic that is India. I can almost smell it it’s so real in this little Incredible India ad. I can’t believe I’m going back……

See you tomorrow!!
Portia xxx

All photos stolen from the Incredible India Campaigns

Rêve by Van Cleef n Arpels 2013 Ad Campaign

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 15 Comments

Hi APJ family,

This new fragrance launching May 2013. This girl in the picture, Anabela Belikova, is so fresh and pretty and doesn’t look like a bag of bones on heroin. I love her look and she makes me want to try

Van Cleef & Arpels Rêve Fragrance 2013 Ad Campaign

Reve Van Cleef & Arpels FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pear and neroli
Heart: Osmanthus, peony and lily
Base: Sandalwood and amber

Image via TFS. Stolen with huge thanks from art8amby

Camilla Akrans photographed top catwalker Anabela Belikova for the latest fragrance campaign from Van Cleef & Arpels, Rêve.

 

Grigioperla Essence by Pierre Bourdon for La Perla 2009

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

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Post by Margeaux

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Hi all you lovely smelling people. This is my 5th review for APJ and I hope you’re enjoying reading them as much as I am enjoying writing them. I seem to have had no real structure or direction when purchasing scents until Portia started sharing his love of perfumes and I realised there was so much more to learn and get excited by. Today’s frag is one that I discovered quite by accident but I have fallen mightily in love with.

Grigioperla Essence by La Perla 2009

Grigioperla Essence La Perla FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Cypress, Pink Pepper, Bergamot
Heart: Magnolia, Lavender, Jasmine
Base: Pine tree, Thuja, Oakmoss, Vetiver, Cedar

Grigioperla Essence for Men was created in 2009 by master perfumer Pierre Bourdon. Now that little titbit had completely passed me by til just now, as I started to research for my review. He was the nose behind more than 40 fragrances but probably best known for the commercial smashes of YSL’s Kouros (1981) and Davidoff’s Cool Water (1988). Amazing, right?

Woody, much? I do love my woody scents, and this was precisely why I bought this one completely on spec (unsmelled).

I’ve just blasted three big juicy sprays onto my forearm to get a good whiff of it going and I just love that super cypress and pepper opening. Wow. Wow. It wakes me up and makes me feel so good. Like the day ahead is one that I can do anything with. Grigioperla Essence settles quickly into the lavender and jasmine – they gently play together while running down the side of a fresh meadow.

Lavender Jasmine FrenchRevolutionFoodPhoto Stolen FrenchRevolutionFood

The magnolia takes a little longer to get there but when it does, it joins the flowers to add a sense of masculinity that it would otherwise lack. I think the combination is delicious.

The final phase brings together the last of the woody notes, and for me, it’s where this fragrance really shines. There’s not one ingredient that takes centre stage here, but they all work together to create a harmonious forest of smell that I find incredibly sensuous. They aren’t heavy but exude a freshness and crispness, much like a cool autumn morning on a wooded track. I just love it.

Grigioperla Essence La Perla Chopped Wood wikimediaPhoto Stolen wikimedia

A lot of other reviewers have mentioned the poor sillage, and I have to agree. It does fade quite quickly and is basically non-existent around 4-5 hours. I like to think that my skin loves it as much as my nose and just gobbles it right up, hungry for more. My poor little 50ml bottle is already nearly empty but a replacement is so reasonable. It seems its not stocked widely these days, which is a shame, because this is very wearable and enjoyable.

EssentialMall starts at $23/50ml

See you soon, M x