Perfume Things 2015 & GIVEAWAY

Posted on December 16, 2015 by thinkingmagpie

The Perfume Magpie Winter Giveaway

The Giveaway is now closed!

I can’t believe one year has nearly gone. It was Halloween just the other day. I was admiring the cool autumn air just a few days ago. Then I received my first Christmas card!

It’s that time of the year again. Christmas is just around the corner and, guess what, no, I haven’t finished sorting out all the Christmas gifts yet. Don’t even mention cards! At least the Christmas tree is out and decorated and I bought a pot of gorgeous pink poinsettias. Tomorrow I’ll be off to Valencia for two days to enjoy some Christmas lights to boost my festive mood and for the last-minute shopping.

The thought of Christmas being here soon made me look back some of the things happened and, since I’m a frag-head, the perfume related stuff I encountered and appreciated this year. It seems like many bloggers make lists at the end of the year, so here’s mine. (If you are only interested in the giveaway, please scroll down to the bottom.)

Perfume Diagnosis Service

Nose

Nose | Image borrowed from Nose

I’ve tried their service only once so far but I’m very happy with them. It’s kind of fun to see what recommendations they come up with. From my first diagnosis, I received samples of Teint de Neige by Lorenzo Villoresi, 11 Semma by Odin, Loukhoum by Keiko Mecheri and Pure Eve by The Different Company. Unfortunately Pure Eve leaked in transit and made two other labels unreadable but their customer service was very kind and efficient. They immediately sent me the replacements. I will certainly try them again, perhaps regularly. My only wish for them is to add more new releases.

Pretty Bottles

Muse by Coty

I’ve been kind of collecting pretty perfume bottles. I don’t actively hunt for them but when I happen to be at antique fairs and shops, my eyes are always drawn to elegant looking crystal bottles and now discontinued vintage ones. One of the best finds of this year was Muse by Coty, just like the one in the advert. It was only £5! Yes, I know, I’m a magpie.

Perfumes I Tried and Liked A Lot in 2015

Some of these perfumes have been around much longer but I was only introduced to them in 2015. These brought me some joys and enriched my fragrance life in 2015. They are in no particular order. There would have been more added to the list if my organisation skills had been somewhat better.

Pichola by Neela Vermeire Creations

Released at Esxence 2015 in Milan. Bright, dewy and romantic. It’s dreamy like the bubbles in the champagne glass.
Nose: Bertrand Duchaufour

Vanille d’Iris by Ormonde Jayne

Released at Pitti Fragranze in 2015. This is THE vanilla perfume for me. It’s so smooth, creamy, and dead gorgeous. I absolutely adore it.
Nose: Geza Schoen

Salome by Pappilon Perfumery

Released in 2015. It’s all about the lust and the sensual seduction. A true temptress! Who wouldn’t want a bit of wild side in life?
Nose: Liz Moores

Chanel Les Exclusifs Misia by Chanel

Released in 2015. With the combination of rose, violet, and iris, I was destined to fall in love with Misia. Misia exudes femininity and confidence.
Nose: Olivier Polge

Brilliant Collection by DSH Perfumes

Released in 2014. There are four perfumes in the Brilliant Collection; Rubis Rosé, Fumée d’Or, Jacinthe de Sapphire, and Deco Diamonds. I found the joy of layering through this collection. My favourite is Jacinthe de Sapphire + Fumée d’Or.
Nose: Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

Rubj EDP by Vero Profumo

Released in 2010. “Playing with dynamite” was what came into my mind. Intense sensuality will make you sweat!
Nose: Vero Kern

Sleeping with Ghosts by Mark Buxton

Released in 2012. This is more like Sleeping with Angels than with Ghosts. Oddly, when I look at the individual note, this wouldn’t be something I would like. It was a surprise. I just love the names of Mark Buxton’s perfumes; I can’t help humming the tunes.
Nose: Mark Buxton

White by Puredistance

Released at Esxence 2015 in Milan. I’ve already written about the experience I had with White on this blog. If you are curious about it, please follow this link. This holds a special place in my heart.
Nose: Antoine Lie

Perfume Surprise of the Year… and GIVEAWAY!

Top & Bottom Right: A special gift box from Puredistance for this winter, Bottom Left: New presentation boxes for each Puredistance perfume | Photo by The Perfume Magpie & Puredistance

Throughout the year, I was delighted by some lovely perfume samples I received out of the blue. The biggest surprise arrived in November; I received an email from Puredistance, followed by a parcel. Inside I found an elegant presentation box complete with their entire line of perfume samples and a lovely letter & photos. I was so touched by this unexpected Christmas gift and needless to say, I was over the moon.(Puredistance is offering special versions of gift sets for the holiday season.They are absolutely gorgeous!! If you want eye-candies, take a look.)

So to share my delights and to spread a touch of happiness in this holiday season, I decided to host my first giveaway on The Perfume Magpie.

What Can You Win?

I’m offering 2 prizes.
Prize A: 1 x Puredistance Sample Gift Set.
A winner will receive Puredistance I, Antonia, M, Opardu, Black, and White 2ml each in an elegant white gift box. If you haven’t tried their perfumes yet, this will be a great chance.
Prize B: 1 x Custom Made Leather Case to carry your perfume samples/decants plus an assortment of perfume samples and decants.
There are only 3 of these leather cases exist in the entire world. I have one, obviously, and another lovely perfumista has one; the last one can be yours. I haven’t decided which samples & decants will be included but will be a mixture of niche and mainstream.

Giveaway Prize A: Puredistance Sample Gift Box | Photo by The Perfume Magpie

Giveaway Prize B: A Leather Case for Samples + Assortment of Samples & Decants | Photo by The Perfume Magpie

What You Need To Do To Enter The Draw:

To enter, let me know which prize you’d like to win and answer the question in the comments; “What was your best perfume find in 2015?” or “What was the greatest thing happened to you in 2015?”

Also, this is not mandatory but if you could like The Perfume Magpie Facebook page or follow The Perfume Magpie blog, I would greatly appreciate it.

Closing date and Small-ish Prints
I: The entry will be open till 8pm (Central European Time) on Saturday 26th December;
II: 2 winners will be randomly selected;
III: The winners will be announced on The Perfume Magpie blog (www.theperfumemagpie.com) , Facebook and Twitter on 27th December;
IV: If you are the winner, please get in touch with me at thinkingmagpie at gmail dot com or through the contact form of this website. If the winner has not contacted me by Monday 31st December, the prize will go to someone else;
V: Open worldwide;
VI: You know what it’s like with some postal services… Sorry but I cannot be responsible for the lost or damaged prize in transit. Also please be aware that it may incur customs charges and etc.

A Stroll Down Memory Lane: Puredistance WHITE

Posted on June 12, 2015 by thinkingmagpie

Magpie & Puredistance WHITE | Illustration by The Perfume Magpie

White clouds are moving fast across the endless blue sky, the seasons are rapidly changing day by day. The fields are now dotted with crimson poppies, alkanets, and bee orchids surrounded by the abundance of white wildflowers. Now I can see the signs of fast approaching summer everywhere. As I watched the swallows crisscrossing the sky, I found myself reflecting on the ephemerality of life and everlasting memories we create along the way. Every single moment we lived through has been stored somewhere inside of us, even though we don’t recall them in our busy daily lives.

I got into this somewhat pensive state just after I tried the newly released fragrance WHITE by Puredistance.

Puredistance WHITE | Photo by The Perfume Magpie

A sample of Puredistance WHITE arrived in a beautiful white presentation box on one beautiful morning. Inside the box, I found a white satin sachet and a little white flower next to it. Enclosed card said “The main idea behind the creation of Puredistance WHITE Perfume has been to create a perfume so beautiful and positive that it gives the wearer an instant flow of happiness.” How beautiful is that? I like the idea of “happy perfume”. I gave a little sniff to the sample vial and sprayed it on my wrist.

The breath of spring. That was my first impression I got. Luminous rose and sparkling bergamot, completely in harmony with each other, rose up and enveloped me. The next were buttery orris and sweet tonka, I could smell them emerging from the background. It’s so smooth, soft, blight, and luxurious, like a piece of beautiful silk scarf. Then, something told me to stop analysing it and just experience the wholeness of this fragrance. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

The images of the flowering fields, the sunshine through the spring haze, and the dandelion parachutes dancing in the breeze filled my mind. A gentle, happy spring afternoon. Pure joy.

Flowering Field | Photo by The Perfume Magpie

And then, those images changed and shifted. I saw the flashes of our wedding on the red rock, two of us lazing around on the beach, visiting the ancient temples, hiking up the volcanoes, watching the sunset together… Memories from the past flooded through me, and with the memories came the intense feelings of happiness. I was seeing other places and times, and above all, smiles. I was happy, we were so happy, and my heart ached… I opened my eyes with tears rolling down on my cheeks. WHITE had opened a floodgate of emotions that have been waiting to be released.

I’ve never experienced or expected to have such multitude of emotional reactions from a fragrance. All the memories were joyful, beautiful and full of love; just like this exquisite Puredistance WHITE.

I went out for a walk to mull over what had happened. The sense of happiness and aches in my heart were still there. The sun was now going behind the blue shadows of the mountains. The breeze rose, the wildflowers swaying in the rosy evening light and I caught a whiff of warm musky scent of WHITE. Everything around me was breathtakingly beautiful. I allowed myself to surrender to the intense beauty of the moment. I wondered if this beautiful moment too would be stored somewhere inside me as a memory, and one day, it would spring up in an unexpected moment in the future.

Life is ephemeral; it literally comes and goes in the blink of an eye. I told myself to remember to live for the day and, most importantly, appreciate its subtle splendour every single day.

* I wrote this blog post several weeks ago but I couldn’t bring myself to publish it for unknown reasons. – Yukiko

Nose: Antoine Lie

Notes: Rose de Mai from France, Tonka bean absolute from Venezuela, Orris absolute from Italy, Sandalwood from Mysore, Bergamot from Italy, Musk, Vetyver from Haiti and Patchouli from Indonesia

It is available in 17.5ml Perfume Extrait, €155.00 from Puredistance.

Read what others are saying about Puredistance WHITE.
Bonkers about Perfume, Kafkaesque, Perfume Posse, Chemist in the Bottle, CaFleureBon, The Scented Hound, Colognoisseur, Eiderdown Press

Disclosure: Review is based on a sample I received from Puredistance.

Puredistance Holding a Competition

Posted on April 25, 2014 by thinkingmagpie

Puredistance I

Just a quick note.

The lovely people at Puredistance let me know that they are now hosting a Puredistance I giveaway!

This April, Puredistance is celebrating their first perfume, Puredistance I. This elegant and airy floral scent is perfect for Spring and they are giving us the opportunity to win a 17.5ml perfume spray.

All you have to do is to “take a photo that you feel captures Spring perfectly” and share your picture on their Facebook or Instagram. You can be as creative as you want. The closing day is 30th of April.

For more information, go to Puredistance Facebook page.

I’m wishing you a good luck!

Puredistance I – 17.5ml

Puredistance M : Review

Posted on April 6, 2014 by thinkingmagpie

Puredistance M — Illustration by The Perfume Magpie

It was love at first sniff… It’s really unusual for me. And with my second try, I fell in love with M even deeper. Even my husband who is usually nonchalant about perfume caught a whiff of M and said “This one is nice. What is it?” This comes close to a miracle in my household!

What are the words I’m looking for to describe Puredistance M? Exquisite, impeccable, rich, luxurious, elegant, sophisticated, glamorous, sensual, delightful…

Photo: Borrowed from Puredistance

It is a unisex perfume but it sounds like it’s leaning towards masculine side according to the Puredistance website;

“Puredistance M is sumptuous, sensuous and complex, but at the same time noble and sophisticated… M is inspired by the stylish comforts of the interior of a grey Aston Martin… The warm smoothness of the blend is incomparable. The composition purrs softly along, weaving the leather accord into the road-map of spices, woods and resins. Enveloping and comforting as it is, M, with its elegantly smoky leather, has a hint of excitement and danger, which is just how it should be, in a fragrance inspired by Bond’s car.”

But, BUT!! To me, the image I get from M is not masculine, not James Bond, but a strong woman who knows her intelligence, sensuality and the power of her own femininity. A woman, who doesn’t bend to the opinions of the others, stands firm, believes in herself, and yet has the flexibility to play along with the different roles if it suits her.

Painting by Mark Spain — http://designyoutrust.com/

Puredistance M opens on my skin with a swirl of citrus and oriental spice. Within a few minutes, rich rose, jasmine and cinnamon emerge and create a velvety air. At this point, I was so sure that I could detect some cardamom and cumin but neither of them were listed on their official notes. After a while, among the pleasant, somewhat enigmatic oriental ambience, slightly smoky leather, patchouli and vanilla start to join in the dance.

M is a complex and sophisticated perfume. From the beginning till the end, it announces its presence in a captivating way but never shouts or screams for the attention.

I’m completely enchanted.

Photo by Jeanloup Sieff — http://www.jeanloupsieff.com/

The notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Rose, Jasmine, Cinnamon, Patchouli, Mosses, Cistus, Vetiver, Patchouli, Vanilla, Leather and Musk.

M is made from a high concentration of perfume oil (25%), Perfume extrait, and it was made in London by the Master of Perfume Roja Dove.

Puredistance Website: http://www.puredistance.com/

Grinning Magpie

Posted on March 20, 2014 by thinkingmagpie

Can you see my grin? I’m sure you can!

Puredistance Sample Gift Set – Photo by The Perfume Magpie

Recently, Puredistance held a giveaway for the International Women’s Day aaaaand GUESS WHAT? I WON IT and received a gorgeous sample gift set on Monday! (Just imagine, a woman with silly grin dancing around the house, scaring her hubby and neighbours dogs off…) Yay!!

Inside the elegant white box, there were five 2ml spray samples of I, M, Opardu, Antonia and Black. I nearly kissed the postman when he gave me this. Thank you, Puredistance!

Puredistance is an exclusive perfume house based in the Netherland, launched in 2007. Their timeless and elegant Master Perfumes are created by renowned five Master Perfumers. They are only available as Pure Perfume, or Extrait in other word, in concentrations between 25 – 32% Perfume oil. In a world where so many things are short-lived and focusing on quantity over quality, mass over individual, Puredistance takes totally opposite stance. Their luxurious perfumes are created with the highest quality materials and they are ageless. The words Nouveaux Classiques come into my mind.

Photo by The Perfume Magpie

I’m savouring them, each one, each day. I’ve tried Opardu and M so far and they are just exquisite. I’ll post my thoughts on their fragrances one by one in the near future. Now I’m gonna have more sniff!

The Perfume Magpie

Obsession with Perfumes…

Category Archives: Puredistance