Fragrance

Foxy by DSH Perfumes
by

Foxy by DSH Perfumes

Hey Hey ULGers! It’s no secret how much I love Dawn Spencer Hurwitz and her DSH Perfumes but because of shipping restrictions it’s becoming harder and harder to get her fragrances here in Oz. So I’ve turned to Surrender To Chance to find decants. Clever, eh? Foxy is such a perfect name for a sexy animalic. While I also love the word vixen, foxy has panache. I’ve written often of Dawn’s perfume, here’s the most recent: Souvenir de Malmaison.

Foxy by DSH Perfumes 2017

Foxy by DSH Perfumes

 

Some of the featured accords include:
Animal notes, Amber, Spices, Beeswax, Whiskey, Benzoin, Cumin, Leather, Thyme, Oak, Apple, Valencia Orange Flower, Peach, Jasmine

DSH Perfumes site has this to say: A smart, sexy, and playful retro-nouveau animalic fragrance that features the fur accord paired with a spiced – boozy beginning, and a rich, ambery drydown.  You will definitely feel FOXY in this!

I am loving the tag retro-nouveau. Vintage style done with modern sensibilities. Something Dawn does so well, also the Eris line treads this ground beautifully too.

So, how does Foxy wear for me?

Boozy, spicy, animalic opening with honeyed sweetness and it reminds me of walking past a Chinese BarBQ store. It’s charred, fleshy and very beautiful. Like a quarter used vintage perfume that’s been kept in a cupboard and aged slowly.

The heart is vintage sweet with a hefty hit of bed head and sweaty pre-shower morning all riding a boozy, old school wave of tinned fruit. To say I’m swooning is an understatement. THIS is how I like my perfume to smell.

Dry down remains boozy and animalic with a huge helping of what smells like labdanum rich amber. It’s not dirty but it is skanky, in the best possible way. YOU MUST TRY THIS!

Foxy by DSH Perfumes

 

Totally unisex with moderate projection after the initial fireworks, longevity is good to excellent: day dependent. Foxy ages beautifully on the body, just spectacular.

Did you know that Dawn now has a
DSH Perfumes Etsy site that ships WORLDWIDE?

I know many of you are Dawn fans, what are some of your favourites?
Portia xx

Ombre Indigo by Olfactive Studio
by

Ombre Indigo by Olfactive Studio

Hi there ULGers, I know we’ve chatted about this perfume before but I’ve been wearing it a few times on sunny winter days here in Sydney and have been thinking what a perfect summer amber it is. As you’re all suffering mild heat stroke up there in the Northern Hemisphere I thought you might need something just like this to help moderate your internal temperatures.

I’m up to my neck in study this month, trying desperately to get this stupid Celebrant Course done. Yes, I know that I’m super lucky to get the chance. Also that once done I’m good to go eternally. Right now though it’s touch going. So bad that I am paying my mate Penny to come help me get it all done. She’s running 15 minutes late so I’m taking this moment to finish the post that needs to be up in a few hours. PHEW! Sometimes the universe provides.

Ombre Indigo by Olfactive Studio 2014

Ombre Indigo by Olfactive Studio

Olfactive Studio gives these featured accords:
Top: Petit Grain, Bigarade, Tuberose Absolute, Saffron, Plum Accord
Heart: Vetiver Essence, Papyrus Essence, Leathery Notes, Incense
Base: Benzoin Resin, Ambery Notes, Musk

Perfumer Mylène Alran is not well known and is yet to have a super big hit but has done a couple of perfumes each for Berdous, Zara, Bottega Veneta and Chloe.

The opening of Ombre Indigo is a frozen block of very lightly salted sea water. I know, but it is amazing. You can already smell the wood, vetiver and leathery amber riding underneath. What it conjures in my mind is the old wooden boats that used to go to the poles. As perfume openings go, it’s a standout.

As the opening burns off the dark, woody amber takes precedence and the heart is the change from frosty to cozy depths. It’s amber but not like the vanilla rich sweetnesses that we perfumistas love so much. In Ombre Indigo it is shadowed and cool. That is where we end up. Dry down is this feral amber that over the course of the day slowly becomes a barely there skin scent.

Next morning there are soft remnants. Amazing.

Ombre Indigo

My bottle is the old one. There has been considerable use since this pic was taken in 2022.

Unisex but leaning towards a modern traditional masculine. So wearable and beautiful.

Did you ever Ombre Indigo?
Portia xx

Fortnight Perfume Wears
by

Fortnight Perfume Wears

Hi Crew, It’s my Tuesday fortnight already and I’ve completely dropped the ball. There are three half finished posts awaiting attention in my Drafts Folder but I’m still trying to get a bead on the fragrances. So here is a picture of most of the perfumes I wore in the last two weeks.

Fortnight Perfume Wears

Are any of these loves, likes or loathes of yours? Do the houses speak to you? Do you wish you’d grabbed any of the now DCd beauties?

Also I did the Boy George look again this week. LOVED my make up this night so thought I’d take a pic. I was wearing Hermès Eau de Citron Noir. It’s mid winter here so this outfit is one of my warmest and it gets a lot of winter wear.

Also, here’s a quick hello from the dogs who now own this apartment and have all the best spots. They’re both in their 10th year, getting old, stinky and rickety. What was once not allowed is now permissible. We will be lucky to have them another 12 months. What are rules in the faces of these beautiful hounds?

The white spot girl is Momo, Jin’s baby, who has decided MY BED is the comfiest spot in the house. She only came to us last year. Her Dad went into care and no-one would take her. Jin saw her on our local greyhound FaceBook page and they were worried that she’d have to go to a pound where old dogs are usually euthenised on arrival. We got her that weekend.

This used-to-be black guy is Paris, my true love, who has taken the prime spot on the couch. You’d think he is watching the TV with us. Paris came from a trainer mate of mine with another Greyhound Jinx (Jin’s) who got cancer. Jin was heartbroken.

So what have you all been wearing? Clothes or fragrance. How are your pets doing?
Portia xx

Happy Busy Life
by

Happy Busy Life

Hi crew, I’d seriously put aside time to write but it has slipped through my fingers. Happy Busy Life has had me in its bear claws. Not sure how many of you are longtime readers, or even care, but my not perfume blogging life is as a Drag Queen. Yes, that has been my major source of income since 1988 and continues to this day. Turbo Trivia is the weekly event I run and have some other gorgeous Drag Queens working all over Sydney under its banner. Personally I work 4 nights, Sunday through Wednesday but also manage to pick up some extra gigs here and there hosting other things.

Currently (though I’m on a bit of a sabbatical) I’m also studying to become a Wedding Celebrant. In Australia it’s a really big deal. Cert 4, one year and loads of hours each week. There’s just 5 real life fake weddings to go and then to be approved by the Governor General’s office. I’m both excited and terrified about the prospect and have been arseing about. Next month I’m hoping to get it all done and dusted.

The reason I’m giving you this life update is because I find myself at 2am on Tuesday morning here in Sydney with nothing prepared to go up later on today. So thought you might like a couple of recent pics of events I’ve been hosting and what perfume has been getting the spritzes with each outfit. Please remember that it’s been Autumn and just hit Winter so many of the choices are cool weather leaning.

Happy Busy Life

First shot is Sunday Night Turbo Trivia at Austral Bowling Club. As you can see, feathers are my fave! On this night I was drenched in Neela Vermeire Creations Eshal. Tuberose with a zillion bells and whistles. Perfect for this slightly OTT outfit.

Happy Busy Life

This is my early years Boy George look, Before he got really outlandish with the huge hats and shirt dresses. This night was a Jaipur PH by Boucheron night. It’s a creamy spice bomb that wears so beautifully. It surprises me that it’s not a bigger perfumista hit. In this photo I’m with some of the girls who have played Turbo Trivia at Club Parramatta for well over a decade.

Happy Busy Life

This weekend my mate Jason married the love of his life. Jason and I were in shows together at the Albury Hotel for a few years spanning the century divide. He flew me up to Brisbane on the Saturday afternoon, I got dressed, hosted his reception and partied a bit with the crew, up again at 5am to get a plane back to Sydney because I was working again Sunday night. Here I am with Australian singer and cabaret performer Rhonda Burchmore who was the entertainment for the night. She’s legendary and Jason was one of her dancers for years, he also danced in the movie Moulin Rouge and others. I wore Olibere Parfums Escapade a Byzance because I wanted something opulent and fabulous to match the occasion.

Happy Busy Life

So, there you have it. three looks and three fragrances that got some wear in my life lately.
What have you been wearing?
Portia xx

Lady Day by Maria Candida Gentile
by

Lady Day by Maria Candida Gentile

Hi there ULGers, Lady Day by Maria Candida Gentile was a gift from my perfume buddy Scotty. He was complaining about how polite and pretty it is and felt that he’d never wear it. I offered to give it some wear and see if it was more me. Yes, selfless, caring individual that I am. HA! also greedy bitch who wants to have ALL the perfume.

Lady Day by Maria Candida Gentile 2012

Maria Candida Gentile site gives these featured accords:
Top: Galbanum
Heart: Gardenia
Base: Balsam

I wore Lady Day the next day after my acquisition. Considering how short the advertised note list is I was surprised by the depth and texture of the fragrance. There was something very repellant in the first wear, an unease that felt like malaise or the slip from sadness to melancholy. Normally I’d be glad and give the perfume back but Lady Day isa so strange. I wanted to smell that feeling again. Did it REALLY smell like that or was it projecting my own preconceived ideas of the Billy Holiday story.

The opening is green, smoky and sweet. The green is smooth like beach glass and super cool like frost. It has a smoky texture that also smells like the feel of old burned wood ash in a BarBQ. So silky but with the acrid scent of char. The sweetness is uncomfortable, a bit ripe sweat and whispers of confectionary like those strawberry and cream lollies we had as kids. Yes, I told you. Strange and unsettling but Oh SO More-ish.

Lady Day Maria Candida Gentile

The heart of Lady day feels more floral but not gardenia. It smells like a bunch of wildflowers picked while out walking and dandelions. It’s so pretty and calming. A bit like your first sip of chamomile tea, that fresh but green/tart warmth. Poor description, I know.

Dry down smells to me like smooth greenery and some vanilla rich amber. It’s very calm and serene at this point.

Longevity is better than moderate and though not a powerhouse Lady Day does give a soft wave of sillage after the first 30 minutes that lasts a few hours before becoming very close to your body.

Strange but alluring, like much of Billy Holiday’s music. I will not be returning this bottle, I’m captivated.
Did you ever try Lady Day? or have a favourite Maria Candida gentile?
Portia xx

Escapade a Byzance by Olibere
by

Escapade a Byzance by Olibere

Hi there ULGers, A perfume crew that is rarely cited on the scentbloggosphere is Olibere. I’m not sure why. Here are my thoughts. They’re not a huge conglomerate with millions to spend on hype, they don’t use influencers, they’re a bit too good for the modern perfume bro but not classic or strange enough for the super perfumista crowd. I’ve got a couple of faves from them but today I thought we could talk about Escapade a Byzance.  Mainly because this year it turns 10 years old ! That’s a big deal in modern perfume years. Especially from a fairly under the radar house. I’ve had a 20ml travel of it for a while and it gets enough wear that it’s nearly half gone.

From Olibere: “A gourmand, warm, spicy and carnal fragrance, which will take you to the heart of a Moroccan souk. Perfume inspired by the film « The sheltering sky », shot in Morocco.”

I’m also loving that the brand’s blurb and my recent Morocco holiday are so well aligned.

Escapade a Byzance by Olibere 2015

Escapade a Byzance by Olibere

Olibere gives these featured accords:
Top: Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Saffron, Ginger, Cumin, Citrus
Heart: Cypress, Carnation, Incense
Base: Vanilla, Benzoin, Musk, Amber, Patchouli, Vetiver, Atlas Cedar

Opening is a warm vanilla rich amber that is given some extra spicy bells and whistles and interestingly the ginger gives it a very sharp green spiced effect, like biting into really expensive bitter dark chocolate ginger. It’s such an attention grabbing first few minutes.

Once we head to the heart Escapade a Byzance becomes a fragrance wholly blended to become itself, rather than outstanding notes. It’s a surprisingly dusty melange of spices, flowers, woods and a smoky overlay on a base of patchouli/amber. Today I’m wearing it in 27C/80f and it is blooming beautifully. I love that the bells and whistles last longer than just the opening and head with us into dry down.

Escapade a Byzance by Olibere

Dry down becomes more about the patchouli and a raunchy musk. The amber, spice and smoke are much more noticeable as the heft of Escapade a Byzance lowers. Maybe two hours in and the fireworks have calmed. I’m still fragrant 7 hours later but at a much lower projection. Now I need to move a bit to get a proper huff out of my top.

Unisex but leaning traditional and with excellent longevity. Does Escapade a Byzance remind me of being in a Moroccan souk? Yes and no. This is a fantasized glamorous rendering that amps up all the good bits and leaves out most of the cooking and less attractive parts. So a beautiful, technicolor dream of a Moroccan souk.

Do you know the Olibere Parfums brand?
Portia xx

 

Grenadille d’Afrique by Aedes de Venustas
by

Grenadille d’Afrique by Aedes de Venustas

Hi there ULGers, Another find in the Decant Demolition 2025 oeuvre Grenadille d’Afrique by Alberto Morillas is one of the much lesser known Aedes de Venustas fragrances. It was released in 2016 and had a flurry of scentbloggosphere reviews and then radio silence. So it’s quite nice to refind it, even though about 70% has evaporated and it’s definitely had oxygenation. I’m seriously loving this extrait version though and you can still find it available at Aedes and other major niche retailers.

Grenadille d’Afrique by Aedes de Venustas

Grenadille d'Afrique Aedes de Venustas

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Bergamot, Lavender, Violet, Juniper, Vetiver, Labdanum, African blackwood, Vanilla, Musk

Lavender, Juniper and dry grass vetiver all jump out immediately when I spritz Grenadille d’Afrique. This is a calm and classy fragrance with no screech or overwhelming fireworks at opening. A smooth, clear, cool and unusual opening. Like walking into a very expensive wooden hotel in the mountains that has a spa on site and forests outside. I can smell the beeswax and resins used to keep the wood pristine.

Grenadille d’Afrique or Grenadilla of Africa, means African Blackwood. A small tree from the driest parts of Africa, Senegal and Eritrea to South Africa that is threatened with extinction from overharvesting. The wood is used in musical instruments and furniture.

Once we reach the heart a spicy, charred wood emerges. It’s dark and meditative. Deep. Slowly it sweetens as the vanilla and labdanum come through. Not amber or candy sweet, just a lift. A smoothing off and rounding of the ingredients. Now Grenadille d’Afrique starts to smell very expensive.

Dry down is very nice too. An amorphous vanilla/woodsy fade to nothing

Did you try, or buy, Grenadille d’Afrique? Might you?
Portia xx

No. 09 L’Eau Blanche by IUNX
by

No. 09 L’Eau Blanche by IUNX

Hiya ULGers. Yes, here’s another decant found in my Decant Demolition 2025 adventure over on Perfume Posse. I’m one of the few who ever had a good experience with the staff at the Paris IUNX store. Obviously the grumpy old guy was a steaming turd but Anna Maria and I happened across a delightful girl one day that had come to Australia and knew her family through a job she had in Oz. It was utterly surreal. If you remember the stupid bottles their fragrances were housed in? Totally unacceptable, top heavy towers that fell over and smashed if you looked at them. Idiocy. So I only bought the travel size and only Splash Forte. Then they closed their doors for the second or third time and died. Once when we were in the shop with old grumpy guts salesman and the gorgeous Denyse Beaulieu two women of some Asian heritage came in and bought complete sets each of the big unsteady bottles. It was so cool and a LOT of $$$. We were gobsmacked. Anyway, on to L’Eau Blanche. My decant is from a Surrender To Chance sale a few years ago and has probably evaporated 60% so I’m writing about an oxidized extrait version.

No. 09 L’Eau Blanche by IUNX

These were the featured notes:
White Iris, Floral Notes, Teak Wood

Olivia Giacobetti is a famous nose. She created such fabulous firsts as Premier Figuier and Tea for Two at L’Artisan, Costes Hotel fragrances, Malle En Passant and Hermès Hiris and many more. Her IUNX range was very low key but beautifully subtle, I called them introverted perfumes and stand by it. Funny thing though, the hard core perfumistas went ape shit for them. While I was still pushing the envelope with intensity and weirdness the cool crew were eating this up. I think it’s how I came to them.

Soft iris but not a heavily woody or bready open, much more like scrunching up crabapple and stock petals, maybe even a couple of roses. It’s powdery like running a petal across your cheek but also a little vegetal and sappy sharp, like broken hyacinth stems. There is a feeling of the modern designer peony fragrance but done for a much more discerning client. Imagine a stark rendering of CHANEL No 18.

No. 09 L’Eau Blanche by IUNX

This oxidized extrait version of L’Eau Blanche is wearing so close to my skin but when I move it scents the air magnificently for the briefest moment and then fades to memory until I move again. Heavenly. You’ll note I’ve been wearing it almost to the dregs and LOVING IT!

Did you ever get your sniff on L’Eau Blanche?
Portia xx

 

Smell Bent. Do you remember?
by

Smell Bent. Do you remember?

Hey there Crew. The gorgeous Brent Leonesio created a perfume house called Smell Bent. I’m not sure when but the first perfume I can see released on the web is 2009. He was well known for creating uber niche, fun packed fragrance that punched well above their cost but in really simple packaging. Brent would take an idea or note and push it about as far as it could go. Then he’d do a new version and push it in a completely different direction. All came with crazy images, often hand drawn. Back in the days when it was easier and cheaper to send internationally I bought loads. His sample packs were extremely affordable and in searching my decant boxes I’ve found some doozies. So today I thought we could look back at a house closed in 2021 that helped form my love of fragrance outside the obvious choices.

These are just a few of the sample decants I have from the brand.

Smell Bent. Do you remember

Smell Bent. Do you remember? 2009-21

Bollywood or Bust: Rose, sandalwood and a shit tonne of spices. Also un-noted is a whisper of ripe melon and a hint of white floral. This must have had only one spray before I bought a bottle (now long empty)

Franken Smellie S12#599: It’s a musk melange apparently but I also smell some white floral stuff swilling around in there. Yes, it’s a crazy mess but I love it and wish there was MORE!

Liberty for All: This was created as a fundraiser for Liberty Wildlife in Arizona. Loads of citrus and then a forest background underpinned by a very Australian smelling sandalwood.

Tokyo Mama Fizzzzz: All the citrus drizzled lovingly over some very dark woods. It’s sharp and as the name says, fizzy. With only a little bit of fine tuning I could imagine this being part of the Tom Ford line.

Werewolf Lumberjack: Sharp woods, green, just sawed and a slew of musky humanity mixed with wet dog. Sounds ghastly, wears so sexy. Can’t believe I didn’t buy a bottle.

 

I’m pretty sure some of you perfumistas must have had a Smell Bent moment?
What are your favourite memories?
Portia xx

Saturday Question: Best Perfume Names?
by

Saturday Question: Best Perfume Names?

Hello Fellow Fumies,

At ULG we have a Saturday Question. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it’s a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back regularly and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them. The aim is to generate real conversation and connection even though we are scattered around the globe.

Undina has found herself unwell so I’m filling in today.
Portia xxx

Saturday Question: Best Perfume Names?

SO MANY amazing names for the scents we wear. From the simple to the sublime and ridiculous. Some are long, short, crazy, meaningful, over the top and others are zippy, attention grabbing, exotic, creative, thought provoking, impossible to say or descriptive. What are your favourites? What makes you take notice (or cringe)? What makes you want to tell your friends what you’re wearing? Is the name important at all?

My Answer:

OK, for me the name should be easy to say, simple to remember and hopefully not stupid or douche-y. An evocative name that falls easily off the tongue and inspires interest. Some good ones include: YSL Opium and Rive Gauche, DIOR Granville and Miss Dior, Gucci Bloom and Guilty are all stellar. I like Special For Gentlemen by Le Galion, Slowdive by Hiram Green, Black Saffron by Byredo, Patou Joy and Exultat by Maris Candida Gentile.

I think my favourite name of them all is Shalimar by Guerlain.

Named for the famed Lahore Mughal garden created for Shah Jahan, who also had the Taj Mahal built in honour of his favourite wife. Shalimar Bagh was built in the 1640s and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and major Pakistan tourist destination. When I spray Shalimar all of that names history runs through my wearing of it and I often think about my time in India visiting the relics of past rule.

Just as an addition. One perfume I never bought because the name seemed so dumb and I would have hated being asked what it was: I Love My Man by Dear Rose. If it had have been even a slightly better name I would definitely own a bottle and probably a back up.

My Saturday Question to you is:

What are the Best Perfume Names?