Winner

Midnight In Paris on Perfume Posse, David Gandy DnG Undies Video, Winners Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hi Everyone!
The exciting news is that the Perfume Posse has taken another piece of my writing and put it on their site!! What an awesome feeling to be a guest writer on such an entrenched and valuable learning tool for perfumistas the world over. My smile is broad today. Go have a look at Midnight In Paris please and leave me a message so I know you’ve dropped by. Thrilled, I tell ya!

David Gandy in Dolce & Gabbana underwear 2008 just for a delicious bit of eye candy. Why not?

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THURSDAY COMPETITION WINNERS

Picture Stolen covenantbuilders

This week the deal was the most Twitter shout outs and we had a few. Only one person retweeted more than once and interestingly nobody onward tweeted from your tweets. So this week the second prize goes to the first retweeter.

Here’s what our 2 lovely winners receive:

2ml spray decant of Mackie by Bob Mackie
2ml spray decant of Dreaming by Tommy Hilfiger
.5ml spray decant of a Kerosene fragrance (remains of my samples)
.5ml decant of an Arquiste fragrance
P&H anywhere in the world

Picture Stolen berryreview

Amy Orvin had the most.
Tarleisio was first.

Congratulations to you both. Please get in touch with addresses so I can send your prizes by Wednesday 13.6.12 Midnight Australian EST or I’ll give you prizes to the homeless.

I hope the rest of your weekend is AWESOME!!
Portia xx

OMFG Paris Hilton!, Momento by Sicily, Winner Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hey everyone,

One thing I had to get out of the way is “According to Women’s Wear Daily, the blonde heiress (Paris Hilton) has sold $1.5 billion worth of perfume since 2004, the New York Daily News reported….There are more than twenty Paris Hilton Handbags and Accessories boutiques in Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates. She also has four stores in the Philippines. (In the Hindustan Times 2.6.12)” I took this from Nathan Branch’s Luxury Is A Trillion Dollar Industry in NZ. OMG!! Who knew? About to launch her 15th fragrance and all of them are still on sale and selling. So I guess Paris is laughing all the way to the bank.

Photo Stolen fanpop

SICILY (Piazza Duomo Ortigia Siracusa) by MOMENTO Italian Olfactive Landscapes 2008. This was the second fragrance in the Momento range and seems to have been the last. I don’t even see it for sale anymore so maybe it has been discontinued.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Green and freshly floral, it has been surprisingly enjoyable to wear on our cool Autumnal rainy day here in Sydney. The spiel runs that this fragrance is designed around a spring day, 6 March 2008, at the Piazza Duomo on the island of Ortigia, south of Siracusa. Not having been there I cannot verify the veracity of their claim but I do like the imagery it presents and am happy to suspend my disbelief.

ParcoMuseo Jalari Sicily piazza aromi e sapori1 (1)
Photo Stolen Flickr

According to Fragrantica the basic notes are: neroli, freesia, jasmine, immortelle, note of hay, cedar, amber, patchouli, myrrh and agarwood.

I get the fresh blast of neroli, the sweet bright and clear freesia and immortelle, green hay/grass and woods as it opens; not squeaky or screechy but a calm cool customer with nice sillage. The jasmine here is not the sexy deep jasmine you’ll find elsewhere more a clean sparkly highlight playing piccolo in staccato, this while the amber, myrrh and patchouli sing very quietly underneath to add size and shape to the fragrance without coming out as a set of star players. I smell no agarwood at all through the very long, delicious life of the fragrance, getting about 5 hours before it become a skin scent lost to me but discernible to TSO Jin.

THURSDAY COMPETITION GIVEAWAY WINNER

How did you win the swag this week? Just Tweet this Competition Page (http://australianperfumejunkies.com) and put @OzPerfumeJunkie in your Tweet so I know you’ve done it.

2ml Manufacturers Sample Chanel No 5 Eau Premier
1ml Decant L’Heure Convoitee II by Cartier.
1ml Decant Rasheeqa Concentrated Perfume Oil by Swiss Arabian.
.5ml Decant Myrrhe et Delires by Guerlain.
P&H anywhere in the world

Thank you to our contestants and the


Photo Stolen from sistersavealot.com

is Sharryn Stormonth.
You must get in touch by Wednesday June 6th 2012 or I will give your goodie bag away to someone else.

Have a lovely weekend all,
Wishing you the best of everything,
Portia xx

Scent Mum takes us Day Tripping! Winners Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hiya everyone!

Today was AWESOME!! My BFF Kath and I went into town to meet the amazing Emma who was the MECCA manager for years, involved with setting the store up, bringing Le Labo out to Oz and making that run, grew the Frederic Malle business here and worked with him on Australian launches (and these are just the highlights as I remember them). She has also kindly offered to become my scent mother. I know, right! TOTALLY AH MAY ZING!!! Sorry, I know I’m shouting but I’m so terrifically excited. It’s been quite a day.

First stop was, of course, Mecca in the Myer building Pitt St Mall, Sydney. Amy was our SA and made sure we were well looked after, gossiping with Emma and doing workmates catch up. Brendan was also there but he was busy at the Le Labo bar and we only chatted to him briefly at the end while looking at the wonderful selection of Dyptique, Serge Lutens, Comme des Garcons, Kai, and a horde of others.

Brendan at the Le Labo Bar in Mecca

Emma asked me to pick some of the Frederic Malle that I was interested in sampling on paper so I pulled out;

Musk Ravager which to me was a nice girl version of Muscs Koublai Khan by Serge Lutens which is already in my library. I did take a sample of this though to try, and compare, at my leisure.

Fleur de Cassis gave me a sweeping, playful and deep look into cassis and mimosa and I would like to try this on my skin one day soon.

Portrait of a Lady was a spicy, fruity, floral that took my breath away because it’s so lovely. Powerhouse on the card, still pumping like crazy after 5 hours.

Bigarade Concentree is a little too citrus and wood, the rose doesn’t develop for me and nor does the grass, though I have only had it on a card. This is what Kath bought today and it is a terrific choice on and for her.

I know, crap shot of Emma and BFF Kath

Lipstick Rose is delicious and if I had not already Rosa Sur Reuse by SOIVOHLE and Ce Soir Ou Jamais by Goutal it would be adorning my collection now.

Noir Epices is lovely dark and spicy as the name hints but Eau D’Epices from Tauer fills that niche here.

Geranium Pour Monsieur is amazing, mint, geranium, spices, licorice, woods and cloves wrapped up in a cool incense. This is going on my FB list. What a lovely fragrance. Very mad I didn’t get a sample size of Geranium Pour Monsieur but will return.

Carnal Flower is, of course, divine. Unfortunately I just got Truth or Dare so there is no need for me to splurge so outrageously on even something as jaw droppingly gorgeous as Carnal Flower. I did take a sample size of this one too.

It was great having Emma with us, she knows the product back to front and was able to give us insights and interesting over views that you only get from  working in the industry. I should have had a tape recorder because much of it went straight out of my head. GRRRR! One really good thing was that Emma noticed 2 of the testers were off and so we got brand new ones to try. As you probably already know, lights and temperature changes are killer for fragrances, as is exposure to air. If you are serious about your perfumes a cupboard away from external walls, or even better a fridge, will keep your most precious babies fresh and ready for decades.

SA Amy & BFF Kath at Mecca

Then we went and stood in line at David Jones to have a picture taken with Nicole Richie, who also signed a pre-fab shot of herself. She was doing an in store to sell her new range of bags, sunglasses and jewellery. The bags were fun and well thought out, not ridiculously expensive and had great finishes that looked like you’d get 10 years heavy wear from them. Nicole was all business because I had 3 cards for her to sign but I wished her, “Painless, easy and harmless world domination,” and she immediately looked me straight in the eye and laughed, wishing the same for herself and sharing a tiny little real person connection time with me. It left a really good taste in my mouth. Nicole Richie, you have a fan.

After lunch downstairs in the David Jones Food Hall Emma had to go find herself a frock for an awards night so we parted ways.

Kath and I trotted back to Myer bumping into a dear old friend, Joe, at the CHANEL counter and he loaded us up with samples of cosmetics and a No 5 Eau Premier sample that is going in the Thursday Giveaway Competition next week because I already have 5oz here. It is good news that I have a buddy there because I’ve just learned that my No 5 Parfum spray is an out of date bottle and case necessitating a complete change next time I buy, unless Joe can find me an old one. My bottle and juice are about 15 years old so pre-reformulation and it will be quite a change sadly.

While we were in town I thought I’d go check the Clinique counter to see if they had the Aromatics Elixer 40th Anniversary Perfumers Reserve Edition Prestige Parfum Extrait. The last one!!! I have been asking at every Clinique counter I passed thinking the suburbs would have it but Sydney had it! YAY!! Purchase. Even the box is gorgeous. Opening Ceremony sometime this week! SCORE!! So happy. This may be the last one in Australia.

Photo Stolen idealo

One gripe for today though. Tom Ford doesn’t do samples. So, you want me to pay over $600 for a bottle of your fragrance and you can’t even give me a sample to see if I like it? You can shove your juice darling. Having had my bitch, the SA Joel was great, had no problem giving us the low down on the products we were interested in and happy to spray our cards for us, and us if we weren’t on a sniff mission. But, no samples?

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION WINNERS

This week instead of doing one big giveaway I thought I’d do 2 small ones. Both winning parties will receive

1ml Rasheeqa Concentrated Perfume Oil
1.5ml Vintage by Kate Moss EdT Spray Decant
1.5ml Hermessence Vanille Galante EdT Spray Decant
Plus P&H anywhere in the world

What did you have to do to be in the running to win these lovelies? Tell me a fragrance by a fashion house that you particularly love.

And the

Photo Stolen dryicons

are JESSE and COLLEEN. Congratulations! If you don’t get in touch with your details by midnight Wednesday 30.5.12 I’ll give your prize to someone else.

Well I’ve had a super great day. Now time for some dinner, cuddles and bed. I’ve earned it.

See you tomorrow,

Portia xx

Yves Saint Laurent Revolution Movie, WINNER ANNOUNCED

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are having a super great weekend. Today a group of us went for Pedicures and Yum Cha. I am currently sporting Lime Green toenails and a HUGE belly, so full it hurts.

THURSDAY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION!

To be in this weeks Competition Giveaway you had to leave a short comment on your favourite gamekeeper, in life, film, novel or story, or if that was too hard just a Hello in the comments. We had a great bunch of stories, gamekeeper and otherwise.


Photo stolen from WildBunchAdventures.com

Here are the 6 great prizes

1.5ml spray decant of Annick Goutal’s Passion
3ml spray decant of Fracas for Men by Robert Piguet
1.5ml spray decant of Eau Mega by Viktor & Rolf
1.5ml spray decant of Bud Parfums Gamekeeper
by Kilian Water Calligraphy manufacturers sample (remains)
Aedes de Venustas EdP manufacturers sample (remains)

Plus P&H anywhere in the world.

AND THE


Photo Stolen from sistersavealot.com

is StMurphy, who is the gamekeeper: you must get in touch by Wednesday 23.5.12 or I’ll give your prize to someone else.

YVES SAINT LAURENT REVOLUTION

As my nose is still out of action this movie has nothing to do with Perfume or Fragrance. It is the Yves Saint Laurent Revolution lipstick ad. 1000 types of fabulous, like a Burton cartoon, maybe it is. Probably not. So the Making Of comes first and then the movie proper.

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did,

Portia xx

The Making of Amor Amor by Cacharel ad, WINNER ANNOUNCED

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

Hey all,

Thanks for leaving your wonderful stories on Thursday, I enjoyed reading all of them and hope you’ll continue to come read and comment here at AustralianPerfumeJunkies.

THURSDAY COMPETITION GIVEAWAY!!

To win you had to leave a message in Thursday’s comments about an exceeding expectations retail/hotel/service experience. This is what our winners will receive.

  • Each of our 4 winners will receive a 3ml spray decant of GUCCI RUSH 2
  • One each of the 4 winners will also receive a 1.5ml spray decant of either Chanel No 5 EdP or Liberte by Cacharel, or 1ml manufacturers sample of River Town by SOIVOHLE or a surprise Tommi Sooni
  • Plus free P&H anywhere in the world

Our winners this week are.


Photo Stolen from sistersavealot.com

Tara, Vinery1, KillerRabbit and Annie

Please send your addresses to portia underscore turbo at yahoo com au
You have to get in touch by Wednesday 16.5.12 midnight Australian EST or I will give your prize to someone else.


Photo Stolen from Cacharel

Here’s a little present for you all. I don’t know about Amor Amor by Cacharel but the making of the ad is lovely, the kids are so believable in their making of roles.

Have a super lovely weekend. I have a new thing starting on the blog tomorrow, it’s an idea that’s been percolating away in my dizzy head for a while now. Please come and look and give me some feedback about it. I would be honored by your input.

Love and gratitude that you have bothered to drop by,

Portia xx

Giselle talks Liberte by Cacharel, WEEKLY WINNER ANNOUNCED

/ australianperfumejunkiescom

Hi Gang,

We had a wonderful set of COMPETITION GIVEAWAY responses this week and I enjoyed reading them all. Some great and personal stories you shared. In the prize pack;

Opus Oils Jitterbug Perfume Parlour Venus perfume oil sample

1.5ml decant spray of Miss Boucheron EdP

1.5ml decant spray of Guerlain Terracotta Voile d’Ete EdT

Part manufacturers samples of Parfum d’Empire Cuir Ottoman EdP and Ambre Russe EdP

plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world

Tonight’s


Photo Stolen from sistersavealot.com

is Penny Cascio

Congratulations Penny! Please get in touch by Wednesday May 9 or I’ll give your prize to someone else.

In the video offering tonight Giselle Bundchen talks about life, love and Liberte by Cacharel (orange, patchouli, white flowers, vetiver, bergamot). A surprisingly effortless conversation with depth and understanding, Giselle shows she is more than the images we get of her in the press. I enjoyed watching it and I LOVE Liberte (Portia’s APJ Review), which is sadly discontinued but available at many of the online fragrance sale stores (FragranceNet 2.5oz under $40)

Have a great Saturday, see you tomorrow,
Portia xx

PS> I am not affiliated with any of the companies I extoll.

Miss Boucheron review, Competition WINNER ANNOUNCED

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Hey gang

I hope your weekend is treating you well. Life is good here in sunny autumnal Sydney, crisp and cool. We keep having Bar B Q’s in case it’s the last one before winter really digs in. I love Bar B Q’d sausages and mushrooms. We even ate outside in the sunshine

I’m wearing Miss Boucheron today for fun. It’s a fruity flowery nothing that was so discounted on the net that I blind bought a 50ml refill Eau de Parfum. The noses behind this scent have such good stuff in their repertoires that I felt justified in ignoring Luca Turin’s one star scathing dismissal of the whole product. Anne Flipo (2012 Lady Million Eau de Toilette, 2010 Acqua di Gioia, 2006 YSL  L’Homme, 2005 Fleur D’Oranger) and Dominique Ropion (2012 What We Do In Paris Is Secret, 2005  Carnal Flower, 2005 Alien, 2004 Pure Poison, 1991 Amarige) have such an outstanding history that I wanted him to be wrong. He’s not 100% wrong, in all honesty. It’s similar to plenty of other fragrances, has pink pepper, bergamot and pomegranate as its top notes and is supposed to go through the floral to white suede; but all I get is a waxy flower after a couple of hours that stays for a while, quite nice, and then gone.

Don’t get me wrong, it is a perfectly wearable scent and nobody will be hurt by your wearing of it. It was designed to be an inexpensive fresh fragrance to bring some younger custom to house Boucheron.  You will smell bright and flowery with a little musky & pink peppery sparkle. I will use this bottle up but will probably not buy another. I may become addicted to it though and have to. Never say….


Photo Stolen from supermodels.nl

Now Smell This has done a wonderful review back when Miss Boucheron first appeared, Fragrantica has the skinny.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Here’s what you had to do and what you’ll be winning should you be our lucky contestant. I’m so sad we don’t have prizes for everyone who entered, thank you all for contributing. I enjoy reading your responses more than you could know. THANK YOU! We’ll have another giveaway next Thursday, see you then.

Please give us a short perfume memory in the comments about you, a friend, colleague or relative’s favourite old school perfume (pre 2000) WINNER Lindaloo for her beautiful Mum story.

1.5ml spray decant Casmir by Chopard
Manufacturers sample COURAGE by One seed
1.5ml Posh Peasant decant spray of Parfumerie Generale; Jardin de Kerylos
1.5ml Posh Peasant decant spray of Diptyque; Philosykos
1ml Posh Peasant decant of Ambre Russe by Parfum d”Empire

Tell your fave CELEBUSCENT WINNER Mark Evans for SJP’s Lovely

1.5ml manufacturers sample spray Haute Claire by Aftelier Perfumes
Aftelier Perfumes Apricot and Lemon Candle in a Tin
Gucci; 2ml decanted sample spray Gucci by Gucci pour homme
Estee Lauder; 2ml decanted sample spray Brasil Dreams
Jessica Simpson; 2ml decanted sample spray Fancy Nights
LUSH Cosmetics; 1.5ml decanted sample spray Orange Blossom

Plus postage and packing to anywhere in the world. You must get in touch before Wednesday 2.5.12 to claim your prize or I’ll give it to someone in the street!

Have a wonderful fragrant weekend all. Enjoy!

Portia xx

Scent Science and WINNER Announced

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 2 Comments

An introduction to the Science of Scent. This is an interesting short course in “how we smell” theories. Light and informative. Neil Morris and Luca Turin are both interviewed about their perfume practice and theories.

This weeks winner is receiving by mail.

1ml spray remains of manufacturers sample Eau de Maroc EDP by Aftelier Perfumes

1.5ml spray decant Mandgradore EDT by Annick Goutal

1.5ml spray decant Carriere EDP by Gendarme

1.5mml spray decant Muscho Nobile EDT by Nobile 1942

and a SURPRISE manufacturers spray decant of Bamboo Harmony by Kilian. Brand new and fresh off the press, sent directly from their HQ. This is part of by Kilian new Asian Tales fragrance range. I have kept the Water Calligraphy half of this amazing sample set for myself and had a small test spray of your Bamboo Harmony which seems to be a warm spicy aquatic to me on its only mini application.

The winner today is UNDINA from Undina’s Looking Glass.

I know you didn’t want to be entered Undina but I am also surpised and inspired by people who look like they have an amazing team working for and with them, especially when it is mainly their own hard work, perseverence and drive that has made their dream come true. If you really don’t want to win I will redraw but please do win.

Carriere EDP by Gendarme, Grand Neroli by Atelier Cologne. Reviews. Competition WINNER

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Hey Everyone

Here are 2 citrus fragrances from my LuckyScent Spring 15 2012 showbag. I have not been much of a citrus person but am becoming acclimated to its zesty rush and the fun of it. I am taking for granted that LuckyScent is sending me the best of.

CARRIERE EDP for women by GENDARME

Fragrantica has all the notes and stuff, while LuckyScent also has it for sale.

Photo Stolen from Gendarme

Bright, fresh, warm, citrus opening! I know that doesn’t make sense but I think the lemon and lemon blossom opening is sweet and warming. A welcoming opening, rather than an austere aloof one. My memory of the Gendarme original scent is that it is a lot less robust that this EDP. I think the Lavender, Lily and Jasmine give Gendarme’s Carrier for women EDP a prettier and softer citrus adventure over the incense of the original. It still has elements of mens cologne, which I love here, but in a ladylike way. LuckyScent calls it fresh and refreshing, and they are right.

Photo Stolen from Wikipedia

From Gendarme site

You’ll never know how beautiful fragrance can make you feel until you wear Carrière. This elegant yet professional fragrance embodies the powerful and yet luxurious modern woman with the aroma of jasmine and lilac.

GRAND NEROLI by ATELIER COLOGNE

Grand Neroli by Atelier Cologne is a 12% Cologne Absolue concentration.

Photo Stolen from alanilagan.com

Lifted wholesale from LuckyScent
Beautiful, transporting, dream-inducing neroli, in all its giddily romantic glory. Neroli comes from orange blossoms – those white flowers that glowed like stars against the green leaves and transformed the spring air of our childhood into a magical elixir.

Photo Stolen from NeroliOil.org

I don’t know about transporting or dream inducing but the opening does remind me of playing around the orange tree as a kid, the smell of broken citrus leaves and twigs as Mum would shape the tree each year, my sister and I picking the flowers and the first pulling back of the ripe orange skin before you’d bite. The vanilla, musk and amber walk in quickly here and warm the whole fragrance up, pushing the citrus aside. In fact the fragrance makes such a definitive change it could be 2 different scents; there is still a citrus but warm and welcoming. Now, at the 40 minute stage, getting a soft powdery scent, almost like the smell of freshly washed kids in summer.

Of the 2 fragrances that I’ve tried today Grand Neroli wins on storyline and Carriere wins on lifespan. Citrus are notoriously short lived but Carriere stayed for hours.

COMPETITION GIVEAWAY WINNER!

“What is your dirty little perfume secret?” got some wonderful replies but none so stupendously and happily dirty as our winners favourite, Can Can by Paris Hilton!!

THE WINNER IS

sujaan212

In the winners pack all measures are approximate;

1 x manufacturers sample pot of Roxana’s Illuminated Perfumes, Hedera Helix

1 x 5ml manufacturers sample One Seed, Freedom EDP

1 x 2ml decanted spray sample Estee Lauder, Youth Dew

1 x 1ml remains manufacturers sample Bottega Veneta

1 x .5ml decanted sample spray L’Artisan Parfumeur, Passage D’Enfer

plus postage and packing anywhere in the world that it’s legal to send to
Thanks for dropping by and sharing the inside of my head.

Portia xx

A little present. EGOISTE by Chanel.

GIVE AWAY WINNER!

/ australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

Here was the GIVEAWAY post

If you leave me a message in the comments section, one random lucky commenter will win a sample of Little Stars and Osafume (see below), I will draw the winner Sunday March 25 around Midnight Sydney, Australia time. Winner announced in Sunday nights blog, winner will need to get in touch with postal details by Wednesday March 28 or I’ll use the samples myself.

Here’s a pic of the little vials of GORGEOUS!!

Our lucky winner tonight was Sigrun from FragrantFanatic and I’m so excited for her. Sigrun, please get in touch with your address so I can send your stuff tomorrow!

You have till Wednesday midnight Sydney time or I WILL use the samples myself!!

Much love and thanks to all participants.

I hope your day is full of good stink,

Portia xx