Taylor Swift

Incredible Things by Laurent Le Guernec for Taylor Swift 2014

/ pinkglitter0 / 26 Comments

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Kate Apted

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Hello APJ folk!
I went through a phase last year of buying up random perfumes to store in a pile of unopened ones under my bed. Someone suggested I buy things when I see them cheap and open them up in the future when I think I may like the sound of the notes. So, I saw Incredible Things on massive discount at a little chemist in a tiny shopping centre and bought it. About Christmas time I was feeling depressed through my enforced no-buy period and thought I’d open it to see how it compared with Ms Swift’s other very fruity and sweet offerings.

Instant love!

Incredible Things by Taylor Swift 2014

Incredible Things by Laurent Le Guernec

Incredible Things Taylor Swift FragranticaFragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Grapefruit, Pink pepper
Heart: Passion flower, Vanilla orchid, Suede
Base: Haitian vetiver, Madagascan vanilla, Musk, White amber

I imagine Ms Swift has a serious, contemplative side to her personality. Though she is marketed as girly and romantic, I think there is a marvellous deeper side to her. I glimpse this through Incredible Things. It is a quiet, almost serious scent, in that it does not project with laser like capability and does not pierce with high pitched notes. There is a calm leather and pale violet quality in the opening of Incredible Things. Her other scents are seriously sweet and hit me with an immediate punch to the front of my brain. Incredible Things slowly sings its way to me, and it is a welcomed relief.

Longevity is a problem with Incredible Things, I get about an hour of the leather and violet unfolding to a powdery floral, which then dies down to nothing after three hours. At the price this fetches, I can justify regular spritzes. I have tried spraying a lot on at one time, but it makes no difference to the opening effect. It is simply a serene scent that works best with two or three sprays, reapplied often. I find it is best applied and left to do its magic. I rarely lift my wrist to my nose. Projection is modest enough to allow people to notice I am wearing it, but loud enough for me to catch wafts of it now and then.

If Incredible Things were released by a niche house, I’d bet it would be more favourably received. The fact it is housed in a garish bottle and seated alongside the numerous celebuscents might contribute to the lack of noise over it. I must admit to being floored by the combination of notes done in such a demure yet classic manner. Especially given the harsh sweetness of Ms Swift’s other scents.

Now, let me tell you that the major notes (as listed by Fragrantica) are vanilla, suede, passion flower, musk, vetiver and orchid. It surprises me that vanilla is voted as the most prominent. I registered the florals and vanilla as a mild violet and I get a light trace of the vetiver, but I needed that pointed out by the notes list. Do I love it enough to be eyeing off a back up bottle.

Have you been surprised by a celebrity scent?
Til next love,
K xx

Celebu-Pet GIVEAWAY WINNERS

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

 

Heya APJ,

Woo Hoo! Another fabulous GIVEAWAY! You guys are so lucky. Thanks for getting involved and thanks for beiong a part of our APJ family.

Portia xx

Celebu-Pet GIVEAWAY

Incredible Things Taylor Swift FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pink pepper, grapefrui
Heart: Vanilla orchid, passion flower, suede
Base: White amber, creamy musk, Madagascan vanilla, Haitin vetiver

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 ml decants of four of the perfumes mentioned in this post. Here they are in the order of my personal preference:
1) Fender’s Holiday Berry Kiss
2) Fender’s Rainforest Cologne
3) Taylor Swift’s Incredible Things
4) Jennifer Aniston Lovalie
(Hmmm…I seem to prefer pet perfume to celebuscents!)
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 (portia underscore turbo @ yahoo dot com dot au) 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 us about your favorite pet perfume, celebuscent or most recent fragrance adventure!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 11th May 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winner was chosen by random.org

Winner Is amberinblunderlandPhoto Stolen amberinblunderland

JAYBEE

The winner will have till Sunday 14th May 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.

Pet Fragrance, Taylor Swift's Incredible Things

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

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Post by Azar

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No matter how much we love our furry and feathered friends, most natural pet odors (with the notable exception of Pionus Parrot Perfume) can sometimes be challenging to deal with.

That being said, Fender the dog is usually not a stink bomb. Even damp from PNW rain he maintains a pleasant furry scent with an intimate doggie sillage. There are times, though, for whatever reason, when he is quite ripe. On those days an immediate in-home bath or a trip to the groomer is in order.

Pet Fragrance

I have discussed doggie odors, as well as pet and people perfumes, at length with Fender’s stylist, “L”. Most dedicated pet parents know that perfumes made for people are not meant for dogs or cats. Some of the ingredients in our favorite fragrances can actually be harmful to pets. “L” has introduced me to several lines of pet perfumes and colognes. Some, like the offerings from Nature Labs, smell like designer fragrances. Her favorites for her clients include Arfmani, Aramutts, Ms. Claybone, CK-9 and Tommy Holedigger. I was also surprised to learn that Juicy Couture has come up with dog colognes and beauty products, the Juicy Crittoure line.

My preferred perfumes from Fender’s small collection include a discontinued seasonal beauty entitled Holiday Berry Kiss. HBK is, in fact, one of my favorite raspberry fragrances – for dogs or humans. Notes include sweet, tart raspberry, unripe pear, jasmine, rose and fresh water notes. I also enjoy Espree odor neutralizing Rainforest Cologne. This dog perfume is reminiscent of the gardenia and the other white florals in My Life by Mary J. Blige. While Fender rarely puts up with a lot of frou-frou, once in awhile he will tolerate a little spritz of Pucci.

Incredible Things by Elizabeth Arden for Taylor Swift 2014

Incredible Things Taylor Swift FragranticaPhoto Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Pink pepper, grapefrui
Heart: Vanilla orchid, passion flower, suede
Base: White amber, creamy musk, Madagascan vanilla, Haitin vetiver

A couple of months ago “L” was living through some very frustrating experiences. What better way to help a fellow perfumista than a gift of her favorite fragrance? She loves the perfumes of Jennifer Aniston, especially the first one, sometimes called Lovalie (2010). I believe that the clean, light soapiness of Lovalie must be a much-needed respite after long hours surrounded by heavy-duty animalic odors. I easily found this first Jennifer Aniston online but the second one, J introduced in 2014, was a bit of a challenge to locate. I finally tracked it down, on sale at my local Target store and purchased the last one in stock. Prominently displayed above the Jennifer Aniston section was Taylor Swift’s new fragrance Incredible Things (2014). I bravely gave myself a generous spray and was surprised and impressed by a beautiful, livable coconut and an eye-popping grapefruit spiced with pink pepper. The circuitous route to my discovery of Incredible Things reminded me that I never know where or when a new fragrance adventure will come my way!

Azar xx

Giveaway Kesha&CoPhoto Stolen Kesha&Co

Celebu-Pet GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 ml decants of four of the perfumes mentioned in this post. Here they are in the order of my personal preference:
1) Fender’s Holiday Berry Kiss
2) Fender’s Rainforest Cologne
3) Taylor Swift’s Incredible Things
4) Jennifer Aniston Lovalie
(Hmmm…I seem to prefer pet perfume to celebuscents!)
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.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Please tell us about your favorite pet perfume, celebuscent or most recent fragrance adventure!

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 11th May 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Sunday 14th May 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.

Pop Star Perfume Challenge

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 20 Comments

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Post by Trésor

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In lieu of my usual style of review I’ve decided to try something new this time around and take you guys on a little journey with me as I eschew my usual diet of niche obscurity and inky subversion for something a bit different. Instead I’ve decided to take 5 days to explore an area of fragrance which has become a bit maligned within the fragrance community: the pop star perfume. Here we go!

Pop Star Perfume Challenge

Fame

Day One: “Fame” by Lady Gaga (2012)

What I find so fascinating about Fame is what an incredible departure the actual composition itself is from the flacon in which it is contained. Judging from the inky black fluid and particularly aggressive, claw-like cap one would be coaxed into thinking that upon pressing the atomizer they would be met with a rather subversive brew but that’s simply not the case at all. Jammy apricots doused in saccharine sweet honey, bathed in the gentle aura of incense holograms and swirling tendrils of saffron spice. I’ve found this little potion rather pleasant to wear and I can see myself exploring it further in the future.

FragranceNet has $9/10ml RollerBall

Killer Queen Spring Reign

Day Two: “Killer Queen: Spring Reign” from Katy Perry (2015)

I actually purchased a bottle of Killer Queen: Spring Reign just for the packaging alone, I thought the facets of the jewel-like bottle reflected light in the most lovely way; dancing off the edges of the glass in lambent pirouettes. I am saddened to to say, however, that I didn’t have the same affection for what was contained inside. On my skin Killer Queen: Spring Reign reads very much as a functional fragrance, something that is in my humble opinion better suited to a fabric softener or shampoo; laden with screeching laundry musks and nondescript candyfloss florals. Though the formula isn’t without beauty, graced with a delicate flourish of may rose, I found that on my skin it registered at a rather jarring pitch that remained present the majority of its life on my skin.

FragranceNet has $19/50ml

M

Day Three: “M” by Mariah Carey (2007)

I will admit right now, M by Mariah is one of my absolute favourite celebrity fragrances and one I have worn consistently since its launch back in 2007. I would easily count it among my roster of favourite comfort scents. Before you take away all of my fumehead street cred, do try to remember that it was authored by Carlos Benaim who’s also responsible for gems like Frederic Malle’s Eau de Magnolia and A Lab On Fire’s Liquidnight. M opens on the skin in a delicious, beautifully confectionary cloud of toasted sugar and unctuous marshmallow. Delicate threads of creamy gardenia weave throughout and a gossamer haze of salty skin musks that cascade gracefully upon tendrils of luminous incense.

FragranceX has $23/50ml

Incredible Things

Day Four: “Incredible Things” by Taylor Swift (2014)

First impression: Boy, is this ever sweet! Sweet and rather sharp but beneath this visceral flashbang of neon saccharine there is something that I find so incredibly comforting. It takes me a few minutes to recalibrate and begin to decipher just what that is. Dewy grapefruit makes way for a dense, oozing vanilla and unexpectedly…suede! A genuinely lovely, buttery soft suede hidden beneath layers and layers of tooth-aching sweetness. Did I mention that it’s sweet? There is a tender current of coconut running throughout as well which calls to mind the fragrance of vintage tanning oil. The dry down of this little potion also takes a rather unexpected twist, beneath the expected menagerie of clean musk and crystalline amber there is a twist of vetiver! How unusual for a fragrance of this nature. I look forward to wearing this again and seeing what other surprises it may have in store.

Amazon has $41/50ml

Truth or Dare

Day Five: “Truth or Dare” by Madonna (2012)

Now this one, this one I like a lot! I am actually on my second bottle. Truth or Dare from Madonna is easily another of my favourite celebrity fragrances and if I am being absolutely honest it’s one of my favourite tuberose fragrances as well. Right out of the gate Truth or Dare captivates with one bloody gorgeous aria of voluptuous, dewy tuberose underscored by an exquisite gardenia; so creamy that you can almost imagine the glorious tactile sensation. Lush jasmine emerges from beneath, her essence in fusion with glistening droplets of oozing benzoin that dance sensually in radiant sunlight. Her last moments on the skin are spent as a plush cloud of warm, vanillic musk. I’d easily recommend this to any lover of tuberose. Top marks for Truth or Dare.

FragranceNet has $24/Gift set

To sample these fragrances try My Perfume Samples

Would you take the Pop Star Perfume Challenge? What fragrances would you choose?
Trésor xx

10 Celebrity Scents for Christmas

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments
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Guest Post by Katrina
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Hi APJ
Katrina from CelebrityPerfumeStore with a big thank you to Portia and the crew for welcoming me to the APJ family and giving me the opportunity to share with you my obsession with celebrity perfumes.
10 celebrity scents from 2012 to help with your Christmas shopping.  I’ve started with sweet “fruitchouli“ scents for any younger readers. The fragrances become less juvenile as the list goes on and you will find perfumes to suit more mature tastes.

10 Celebrity Scents for Christmas

1. Selena Gomez by Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez is the first perfume by Selena Gomez who has appeared in a number of children’s movies and is Justin Bieber’s ex-girlfriend.  Selena Gomez is the sweetest, fruitiest option with barely a hint of a floral note.
Top: raspberry, orange, pineapple, peach
Heart: Freesia, Cosmone musk, dewberry
Base: vanilla, amber, chocolate, coconut
2. Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend
In case you have been living under a rock the last few years, Justin Bieber is the pop singing tween idol from Canada.  Justin Bieber’s Girlfriend is his second offering.  Girlfriend is similar to the first Justin Bieber perfume called Someday but the fruity opening is lighter and fresher than Someday and the creamy floral notes in the original have been played down. The young celebrity couple only recently split so you might need to check who’s on Team Bieber or Team Gomez.
Top: mandarin, blackberry, pear, strawberry
Heart: Freesia, star jasmine, apricot, orange blossom
Base: vanilla orchid, musk, white amber
3. Wonderstruck Enchanted by Taylor Swift
Wonderstruck Enchanted is the second fragrance from country singer Taylor Swift.  It is sweet, fruity and girly and comes in a gorgeous red bottle with charms around the neck.
Top: wild berries, pink poppy, passionfruit
Heart: peony blossoms, sugar-glazed champaca petals, freesia
Base: white musk, vanilla, blonde woods
4. Pink Friday by Nicki Minaj
For Nicki Minaj fans.  Honestly who else would want that perfume bottle staring at them from their dresser?  Pink Friday starts out sweet and fruity then moves on to jasmine and finishes up with soft vanilla and caramelised pear.
Top: star fruit, Italian mandarin and boysenberry
Heart: Lotus, jasmine
Base: caramelized pear, vanilla, musk, woody notes
5. Britney Spears Fantasy Twist
Pop-singer Britney Spears needs no introduction.  She is currently a judge on the X-Factor in the US and is cashing in on her renewed popularity with a new fragrance release.  Fantasy Twist by Britney Spears is two fragrances in one – neither of them new.  The original Fantasy in the pink half and Midnight Fantasy in the blue half.  Fantasy is a rich delicious gourmand perfume and Midnight Fantasy is lighter and fruitier.
6. Lady Gaga FAME
FAME by Lady Gaga was the biggest celebrity perfume release for 2012 and I’m sure there are plenty of little monsters that would be willing to get out of bed on Christmas morning for this one.
Notes: Belladonna, incense, honey drops, saffron, apricot, Sambac jasmine, tiger orchid
7. Nicole by Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie’s Nicole would make a lovely gift because it comes in a beautiful bottle and the perfume is easy to wear with a citrus opening leading to soft patchouli.
Top: blackberries, oranges
Middle: golden amber, Moroccan rose, lily of the valley, papyrus
Base: cashmere, sandalwood, sugared patchouli, vanilla absolute
Watch my review on YouTube.
8. Elixir by Shakira
Elixir is a gorgeous earthy woody fragrance.  We have well and truly moved on from “fruitchouli” territory here.  I’ll be reviewing this one soon.
Top: orange blossom, black pepper
Middle: peony, freesia, peach
Base: amber, musk, styrax, brown sugar, white cedar extract
9. Kate Walsh Billionaire Boyfriend
What single girl wouldn’t appreciate a Billionaire Boyfriend for Christmas?  Billionaire Boyfriend is the follow up to Kate Walsh’s original Boyfriend, which received some great reviews.  Billionaire Boyfriend is richer and heavier than the original.
Top: bergamot, tangerine, green leaves
Heart: black jasmine, velvet orchid, gardenia, patchouli flower
Base: amber
Here is a review of Billionaire Boyfriend at Musings of a Muse.
10. Truth or Dare by Madonna
For Mum.   Truth or Dare by Madonna is anything but a typical celebrity perfume and targeted at a more mature audience.
Top: gardenia, creamy tuberose, neroli
Heart: jasmine, benzoin, white lily
Base: vanilla absolute, caramelized amber, musk
Thanks for reading and taking a look at the wacky world of celebrity perfumes.  Please check our blog (http://celebrityperfumestore.com/) or vlog (https://www.youtube.com/user/CelebrityPerfume?feature=mhee) more celebrity perfumes.
Happy Shopping
Katrina xx
Where to buy:
FragranceX.com has Selena Gomez (50ml for $33), Lady Gaga FAME (50ml for $60.52), Nicole Richie (100ml for $36) and Madonna’s Truth or Dare (75ml for $60.99).
FragranceShop.com has Nicki Minaj Pink Friday (100ml $58.95), Lady Gaga FAME (50ml for $53.45) and Shakira Elixir (50ml for $36).
Kate Walsh Billionaire Boyfriend is exclusive to HSN.
Justin Bieber Girlfriend and Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Enchanted are available from shops in the US (Sephora), Australia (Myer) and the UK (The Perfume Shop)
All notes and photos stolen Fragrantica