Olibere Parfums

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

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