CQ Christmas/New Year Run Down with Vero + Guerlain

January 10, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Val the Cookie Queen

Happy New Year APJ Readers. Glad you made it.

Following a brilliant Christmas week with friends and family I got a fever. After eighteen years of running my business, and more than five years of The Cookie Run I called in sick and gave myself a week off. I was so excited to have a nine days on the sofa with telly and books you can´t imagine. Of course I have been unwell before but I self medicate with Advil and various forms of caffeine, hot or cold, and carry on. BUT a fever is a different kettle-of-fish and I took that seriously.

Book Depository

CQ Christmas/New Year Run Down with Vero + Guerlain

GARRULOUS JABBERING: A FEVERED WEEK

Christmas Week and Post Sickness Scents, including a Nasal Mystery.

In the days leading up to Christmas, and immediately afterwards I wore Vero Profumo´s Mito Extrait, a lot of the limited edition Chanel N°5 body oil
(absolutely to die for, stronger than an EdP), a decent amount of N°5 Parfum,and couple of good hits of Lutens La Myrrhe. Christmas Day I over-sprayed
Guerlain´s Vega, and wished I had a bottle of the stuff.

And then I had five proper sick days and couldn´t smell or taste a bloody thing. Not even the Italian menthol and licorice cure everything including leprosy throat lozenges. Nada. But lurking on a shelf in BlondesWunder`s bedroom was a box with a LUSH Tubereuse Kryptonite bath bomb in it. I could smell that
I promise you. So weird. It smelled the same pre, during and post sickness. Very mysterious don´t cha think?

Perfumistas’ evil eyes will no doubt notice the exquisite enameled blue and white spray in my photo. As I was getting better it turned up in the post,
a total surprise from a dear friend. It´s Mitsouko Parfum. I am perhaps the last person to find out how drop-dead gorgeous it is, but better late than never.
I may just have joined the snotty ranks of the “Oh no I couldn`t possibly, I only wear vintage Guerlain you know!” brigade.

I received samples of the Dusita perfume line in the post and I am curious to try them as and when I muster up the courage.

Official Naja pic.

2017 PLANNED KICKS

After a host of technical challenges, and it has been quite a ride, Vero Profumo´s NAJA will be launched. No precise date yet.
I will be meeting up with Portia and we are gonna go Italian together. Watch this space.
It is gonna be the year that I try attars. A whole new ball game for me.
And I am getting two more stores to supply with cookies. February and September.

2017. We´ll enjoy the ride together. What are you looking forward to?

Bath Bomb Bussis
CQ xxx

Official Naja pic. Done by: Kasia Jackowska @tierlirevolution Snake ring by Ania Anka Krystyniak.
All other photos donated and taken by Val the Cookie Quieen. Thanks love XXX

Kiki EdP GIVEAWAY WINNERS

December 16, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 1 Comment

Post by Portia

Hiya APJ,

Thank you to Val the Cookie Queen and Vero Kern for their amazing generosity. Want to try the fragrances? Surrender To Chance has a good selection of the EdPs to sample. LuckyScent and First In Fragrance have the full ranges.

Let’s see who won,
Portia x

Kiki EdP GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Kiki EdP decant from CQs bottle
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 15th December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winners were chosen by random.org

Greennote: Kiki decant

TaraC: BONUS EdP sample

The winners will have till Wednesday 21st December 2016 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

Val & Vero: Flying Visit: Photo Essay

December 12, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 25 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

VISITING VERO KERN.
ANOTHER FLYING TRIP TO ZÜRICH.
A FEW PHOTOS AND KIKI EDP GIVEAWAY

Seasonal Greeting APJ Readers, Lurkers and Investigators!

My ever willing husband booked a hotel, shut the shop and whisked me off to Zürich to visit Vero. We did The Salzburg Cookie Run together and kept on driving. Made it in well under six hours.

Val & Vero: Flying Visit: Photo Essay

Vero and Isi met us in the hotel for late afternoon tea. Chris and I had a dear friend who had a main role in the stage production of Dogville, modeled on the film from Lars von Trier. I had never the wish to see the movie, and was a bit apprehensive attending the theatre but it was absolutely brilliant. It was performed at the Schauspielhaus in Zürich. No piccies of that I´m afraid.

We met up with Vero in her home and visit her atelier the following morning. After half an hour Chris split and jumped on the old bike he brought in the boot of the car. (Obviously, duh!) Leaving me to spend two hours having a crash course in and a sniff of, a number of old vintage Guerlains. My appreciation of Vero´s inspiration and her own creations continues to increase. I am oftened asked if I have a favourite Vero Profumo perfume but I don´t. However I do have my first, second bottle of a Vero. It is the Kiki EdP and the one I have spent much of this year wearing. It is perhaps the least talked about of the Kiki Triptych but it´s fabulous, and we all need an erotic lavender don´t we?

The enameled perfume bottle is Vero’s vintage VdN. She wears it a lot, it flows in her blood!

( Ed: Vero glamour bookmarks! HEAVEN!)

The orange Moroccan ceiling light is in the hallway of her apartment.

The stencilled rose is in Vero’s aromatherapy massage room, her own artwork.

I just might have come back from Zürich with a few drops of the new Vero Profumo, one that has been delayed for a number of technical reasons. I know what I will be wearing on Christmas Day. Have you got your seasonal fragrance planned?

Peace, Love and Yuletide Bussis
May next year bring far less woody accords.
CQ

Kiki EdP GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x Kiki EdP decant from CQs bottle
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 us where you would wear your Kiki by Vero Profumo

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 15th December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 21st December 2016 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

Cookie Queen: Perfumes I Have Worn In 2016

November 8, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Good Day APJ.

What is a REAL blogger anyway?

Over the years I have thoroughly enjoyed bloggers’ roundups of best perfumes including what have they have been wearing. Not considering myself a proper blogger it did not occur me that I could do my own list. However, it will be four years with APJ for me next year so bloody hell, I will award myself the status of “blogger”

Cookie Queen: Perfumes I Have Worn In 2016

I do not wear samples. I try samples out on my left wrist, and if I get over excited perhaps on both wrists. I only wear perfumes that I have full bottles of. (All perfumistas have idiosyncratic behaviours – don´t you?)

Fragrantica

VERO PROFUMO. All of them of course! Most worn this year would be the Kikis, I nearly finished a bottle of the juicy, delicious, erotic, sadly under-rated Kiki EdP. The Kiki Extrait is laced with ambergris and is so divine I worked my way through at least 15 mls of it. The Kiki Voile a Prozac of a perfume. 🙂

HERMÈS. I received a bottle of Hermès Doblis as a gift at the beginning of the year, a belated birthday present. Probably the most exquisite perfume I have ever been given. Also in heavy rotation was the Muguet Porcelaine. This stunning lily-of-the-valley is wonderful in cool weather. Cuir d’Ange, a favourite for the last couple of years, was worn as much ever. And more recently Osmanthe Yunnan also fab in cold weather, although if you believe all you read you would be forgiven for assuming it is a summer scent.

Fragrantica

CHANEL. Bois des Iles Parfum and EdT. Cuir de Russie Parfum and EdT. Misia EdT. Coromandel EdT. And the heliotrope heavy Boy EdP.

GUERLAIN. Shalimar Extrait Vintage, Shalimar Extrait current. Shalimar Eau de Cologne.

Fragrantica

AROMA M. Geisha Noire EdP and Oil. Vanilla Hinoki EdP and Oil.

LANCÔME. Cuir de Lancôme.

BEST PERFUME AWARD 2017

Hermès Galop d’Hermès Parfum

I don´t want to get carried away with my newfound status as a real blogger so I will only select one. Without a second thought it goes to Hermès Galop d’Hermès Parfum. A poised and elegant perfume. The rose, the quince, the saffron and leather. It´s a work of art.

There are a number of new fragrances that I did try and enjoy, but they did not make the full bottle grade. I love the scene, the people, the perfume shows, and the vibe of the fragrant world. But the many hundred of new launches have me running for cover. I do own other perfumes, including a number of Lutens but this was not their year.

What perfumes do you REALLY wear huh? I am über-interested.

Real Blogger Bussis
CQ

Vero Profumo EdPs. Kiki, Rubj, Onda

May 24, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Hey APJ!

I recently read yet again, that the Vero Profumo Rubj Extrait and Voile contain cumin and passionfruit notes. They do NOT. I hope that clears things up. Let´s talk about the Eau de Parfums shall we?

Vero Profumo EdPs. Kiki, Rubj, Onda

The Vero Profumo Eau de Parfums were launched in 2010, following on from the original three superb Rubj, Kiki and Onda Extraits. It is interesting to note that Vero created her extraits in 2007 long before it was fashionable to do so. Vero commented at the launch: “The new perfumes are not the diluted version of the extraits. An EdP needs a structure highlighting more the top notes as opposed to the base notes, the aim of course still being to the keep the original style of the extrait intact.”

The EdPs are delightfully carnal. “I replaced the animals notes with the unique scent of the passion fruit …….. it lends a sensual and erotic
lightness to the composition.”

Fragrantica

KIKI EdP by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo

Lavender Ess, Bergamot, Citron, Passionfruit.
Lavender Absolute. Geranium.
Caramel. Patchouli. Ambre Gris.

Fragrantica

ONDA EdP by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo

Bergamot, Citron, Mandarin, Ginger, Coriander, Basil, Passionfruit.
Iris, Ylang Ylang, Honey.
Vetiver Bourbon, Patchouli, Musk, Cedar Wood, Ambre Gris.

Fragrantica

RUBJ EdP by Vero Kern for Vero Profumo

Bergamot, Mandarin, Neroli, Passionfruit.
Orange Flower Absolute, Tuberose, Basil, Cumin.
Cedre, Mousse d. Chène, Musk.

The luscious passionfruit links the three perfumes, adding to their communal seductiveness.

“……. The proximity of beauty to ugliness is never clearer than in tropical fruit. Perhaps because they have to compete with powerful smells of decay for the attention of birds, tropical fruits have decided to play dirty. Adding tiny amounts of rot on an otherwise conventional fruity smell is as invigorating as finding out that a theoretical physicist colleague was once a stripper ….” Luca Turin 2009

Lustful, earthy, warm, and voluptuous, the EdPs are very upbeat and sexy. For the eccentric, the flamboyant, and those who want to release their inner lasciviousness.

LuckyScent has the range
First In Fragrance also
Surrender To Chance has samples

“He Who Dares, Wins.” Del Boy Trotter.

Passionate Bussis
CQ

Cookie Queen + Portia on Tour: London/Vienna 2016

March 29, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Greetings APJ Readers.

Each time I attend some perfume related gathering I intend to take lots of pictures.

Cookie Queen & Portia on Tour

London/Vienna 2016

Fact is I suck at it. I am overwhelmed by everything that is going on and never quite get it together as I planned. Still, the following pix will give you an idea of what went on. Tara has covered the event brilliantly on both A Bottled Rose and Australian Perfume Junkies.

Dr Fox, partner-in-crime, therapist, and she’s driving me to Milan.

Poppies Fish & Chips, Spitalfields. Second visit together. ?

Spitalfields Market.

“How do I look Val?”

Bonkers, Lady Jane Gray and me way in the background.

Grant (Basenotes). Antonio Gardoni (Bogue). Lila (Perfume lovers London). Val & Portia. Chris the Cookie King taking photo.

My dearest friend Kirk about to get a nipple twist.

Lady Jane Gray. Smitten.

My favourite shot.

Purchasing a bottle of Neela Vermeire creations: Pichola at retail in Vienna.

Vero Profumo: Kiki.

Val, Anna Maria, Sandra, Portia at a fabulous Greek restaurant

After dinner sniff of the newest Le Galion: Cologne Nocturne.

Val, Sandra, Anna Maria, Birgit and Portia brunching at Le Bol.

BlondesWunder arrives in Vienna 22:00. To a Portia welcome of donuts & tea.

Around the time that you are reading this I am either packing my bag or on the road to the Esxence in Milan. I have a theory. Three days in Milan, six decent pictures each day, eighteen pictures. That ought to do it. Plus some pictorial updates on social media. My hands are shaking already.

Arrivederci.
Bussis.
CQ

Perfume Favourites & Chasing Dreams

February 9, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Post by BlondesWunder

Hi APJ,
Mum´s in Vienna with Portia today so you are stuck with me.

Favourite Frags

Currently I use about five perfumes. Anymore than that and i couldn’t make a decision of what to use each morning/evening. Before i started to care about perfume, I clearly remember my Mom buying a Bvlgari perfume and thinking how ridiculous it was to spend that much money on a bottle of “smell good”. Does anyone really care about how you smell?!

Well how wrong I was! Several years later I fell down the rabbit hole. Perfume is for me first!
It’s not only the smell, it is the story and feeling that comes with it.

I prefer to use perfumes in cooler weather and so wear more in the winter season.

Right now I sport:

Fragrantica

Serge Lutens. La Fille de Berlin

Vero Profumo. Rubj Extrait

Fragrantica

Chanel. Eau Premiere No 5

Fragrantica

Guerlain. Gourmande Coquin

Neela Vermeire Creations. Pichola

Lolita Lempicka de Lolita Lempicka (I have very little left, does anyone have some for me? I have been through five bottles since I was 14 years old. It was my first perfume.)

Flickr

Chasing Dreams

My dream since childhood is to work with makeup. A few weeks ago Sandra from Vienna took me into a MAC store and made me ask if they were hiring people. I got a business card.

To my surprise they called a week later and invited me to their recruitment day in Vienna. I was asked to bring my own model and brushes. I was the only unqualified person out of seven.

Within a week I received a call offering me a full-time job in the stand alone MAC store in Salzburg. Needless to say I burst into tears.

Blondes Wunder by Val

I am beyond excited and of course a little nervous, I can not believe they chose me!

I will keep you updated.

Love xoxo BlondesWunder

Cookie Queen on Portia, Perfume & Packing Less

January 26, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Happy Australia Day APJ!

My bag is packed and I´m ready to go. Lalalalalala.

Portia, Perfume & Packing Less

I am leaving on a small jet plane tomorrow for London, and I have packed very little. I am positive that any able-bodied adult going away for a few days can easily get all their stuff into a 10 kilo cabin bag. No? Try it. It is liberating. You are instantly more mobile, probably better off as it usually costs for checked baggage on the economy flights, and you reduce the risk to zero that your bag will end up in London, Texas. Straight through the gates and no eternal lining up with thousands of people to check your bag in, thus saving on meds.

I am so excited to see Portia and Jin. Have you ever had a Portia hug? I feel inextricably linked to him. It has been just over three years of a friendship that changed the direction of my life. As you may know from a previous APJ post Portia Turbo will be presenting a Perfume Lovers London event on the 28th of January. Whoo-bloody-hoo!! I shall have a couple of batches of fudgey white chocolate chunk brownies stuffed into my small case to celebrate. Easier to travel with than cookies.

I want something new to wear something for the event. A few drops from the lab testers of the up and coming Vero Profumo tobacco fragrances should suffice.

Not going to take any other perfumes with me. I have no doubt at all that my leather perfume pouch will fill up very quickly on its own.

As you read this I am running around Salzburg like a chipmunk on crack, delivering cookies.

My husband is coming with me, without his bike.

I am also taking my therapist with me. Not in my suitcase. She bought her own ticket.
All bases covered I believe.

Great British Bussis
CQ

Val CQ’s Christmas Giveaway 2015: Hermès + Vero Profumo

December 22, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 59 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Hi APJ

All in all 2015 has been quite a perfumed year. I went to the Esxence in Milan and had a seriously fun perfume extravaganza trip through the USA. I have deepened my friendship with several perfumista bloggers (you know exactly who you are) and am incredibly thankful for that. It has enriched my my life.
I have tried quite a number of new perfumes although nowhere near the amount that proper perfumistas do! I am as fussy as ever. I fell in love with Geisha Noire from aroma M and have recently discovered that Neela Vermeire´s Pichola is fabulous in the cold weather.

All my favorite blogs have wonderful lists of what to buy for Christmas, the top ten favourites of the year, not to mention gift buying guides. I can only refer you to them, as I am not capable of coming up with anything that detailed!

As is well known, I mostly wear Vero Profumo and 2015 saw no change in that. I am über-excited at the upcoming launch of the new VP fragrance, have been lucky enough to try it and can only say if you love leather, tobacco and a dash of red apple you are in for a serious treat. And that is just the EdP.

Val CQ’s Christmas GIVEAWAY 2015

Hermès + Vero Profumo

Photo Donated Val

I want to share what I love this year. Proper decants out of my own bottles. I have chosen Mito EdP from Vero Profumo and Cuir d’Ange from Hermés. (I used up three travel sizes of it before I got a full bottle from my husband for my birthday.) It is such a soft and intimate leather.

January is going to be fabulous this year. Portia and I and our various friends and many others will be meeting up for the
Perfume Lovers London event at the end of the month. I will also be visiting with my own family, aunt and uncle, cousins and my brother. It will be a chance to meet perfume people that I have online friendships with too. And yes of course I know what perfume I am gonna be wearing.

Photo Stolen Flickr

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

So let us don our gay apparel.

Bussis and strength for 2016.
CQ

Photo Stolen manoneileen

CQ Xmas GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have one winner who will receive:
1 each decants Mito and Cuir d’Ange (from Val’s bottles)
P&H Worldwide

HOW DO YOU WIN?

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

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us any favorite quotes or Christmas carols? Mito or Cuir d’Ange?

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 24th December 2015 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winner will have till Monday 28th December 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.

Cookie Queen in Vienna: December 2015: Photo Essay

December 8, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

I have just returned from three days in one of my favourite cities. Time spent with my daughter and friends. Sniffing, shopping, eating delicious food.

Cookie Queen in Vienna: Photo Essay

December 2015

Vienna is a beautiful city, now uneasy and troubled. There is no way of ignoring the refugee crisis. Make no mistake, it is very uncomfortable.
Guerlain exchanged my broken bottle of Shalimar Extrait and I gave a man and his dog who found themselves having to beg, a little money. Perplexing.

Start with the Vienna Christmas Lights