I Drove All Night
It is a rare event to have a perfumer visit the Antipodes.
Carlos Huber was in town this week to launch Arquiste at World Beauty in Auckland.
I drove for 8 hours to the launch to buy L’Etrog. I drove through an entire forest that I had never heard of, sharing the corrugated gravel road with wild horses, opossums and sheep and then over a switchbacked, hair-pinned mountain range at 30km/h. Thank you iPhone for the short cut. I never knew one could get lost in a country this small. By the time Auckland was reached L’Etrog was sold out.
Fortunately Carlos was still on hand to go through the rest of the range which now includes a candle by Cire Trudon. Not being a big candle lover I surprised myself with an instant purchase: Mérida is a guava like you have never eaten or smelled before. This is guava wood, fruit, and blossom with mahogany and cedarwood notes. Finding an alternative to L’Etrog was a two day process. This is a photo report. The interview will follow in due course.
Carlos Huber, World Beauty
Carlos with Mary and Benny from World Beauty
It’s a wrap.
Anima Dulcis, Boutonnierer no. 7 and Mérida
A Man who makes potions in a traveling show…
Your Song
Bernie Taupin
Elton John
Carlos, you can tell everybody this is Your Song.
Vaya con Perfume,
Jordan River
Carlos’ next launch Down Under is at Peony in Melbourne.
Clayton from What Men Should Smell Like is currently running Seven Days of Arquiste; expect a review each day as there are 7 fragrances in the Arquiste range.
Day One L’Etrog
If you want to know what men should smell like on Twitter, Clayton is the one to ask.
Clayton and I are off to the opera later this month. Any guesses what we will be wafting at Madame Butterfly?
Further Reading
I must say I haven’t smelled such a seductive conjurer of a perfume in quite some time.
Ines
All I Am A Redhead
Reviews
Fleur de Louis at The Chemist in the Bottle
Boutonniere no. 7 reviewed at Notable Scents
Boutonniere no. 7 at Australian Perfume Junkies
Anima Dulcis and Fleur de Louis at Australian Perfume Junkies
Anima Dulcis reviewed by Kafka
Anima Dulcis reviews by The Scented Hound
L’Etrog at EauMG
L’Etrog at The Non-Blonde
The Fragrant Man 
i adored the slide show…especially the sniffing part! What a journey you had getting there though!
” I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words, how wonderful life is while your in this world”….singling the song in my head right now, Jordan!
Brie, it’s a little bit funny this feeling inside. I’m not one of those who can easily hide. Have you seen the movie Moulin Rouge?
I’m not quite sure we poor mortals can survive two such handsome men at the same time with their handsomeness magnified and amplified. And then you throw in the perfumes?? No, forget the perfumes. What handsome men! 😀
I might have driven all night to meet Carlos Huber myself but… LOL….. you poor thing, the hairpin curves, the forest, the opposums…. *grin.* I laughed so much when I read “an entire forest that I had never heard of” — I’m laughing all over again in fact. ROFL. I’m sorry you missed out on L’Etrog, but YAY for Anima Dulcis! That said, those bags look bigger than for just 3 perfumes….. 😉
PS- Forget the magnificent Elton John and his song. Cindi Lauper’s “I Drove All Night” is one of my all-time favorites!
Agreed, Kafka two gorgeous men! And one I know for sure is as beautiful on the inside as well 🙂 !!
I am laughing too, with you. Céline Dion had a dance remix out of the same song. I danced all night.
Great post Jordan. I love a good shopping story! Thanks for the link to my Arquiste post. I am thoroughly enjoying my journey through each of these seven fragrances. I’m dropping by Auckland early next week before Melbourne, so hopefully we can catch up and exchange Arquiste stories. Enjoy your weekend xC.
I see a restaurant with hot pink silk walls. You are very welcome and see you real soon.
What a day!! You are the luckiest man alive right now.
Portia x
Peony is such a short plane ride away Portia!
Naah, I have to be in Sydney at some point this year.
Portia x
So glad you went home with Merida! I love the entire Arquiste line and am currently saving up for Anima Dulcis. So lucky to have been sniffed by Carlos Huber! He is adorable!
I know Daisy…I was thinking the same thing…How I would love to have my tiny wrists sniffed by those two men!!! (hubby doesn’t care for perfume so he would never sniff my wrist 😦 !)
From a man who snagged you wearing Drakkar Noir? There must be a perfume lover buried in there somewhere!
Yes, well you know how the juice journeys over time. Gotta keep sniffing.
So sad you drove that far and then they were sold out of the one you wanted. It looks like you made up for it with some other nice things in the end.
L’?. Lol.
I’m with Kafka on this – you are both so very handsome. 🙂
It was great fun reading about your experience and looking at the photos.
P.S. I have to say I love Carlos’ shoes.
He is very detailed, and pleasantly grounded. Perfect shoes for a conjurer. I never (almost never) read reviews until I have smelt the scent. We had a similar scent experience Ines.
Me too. I don’t want my opinion to be influenced when I get to smell a perfume and I don’t think it can be disregarded once you read someone thoughts on it.
How exciting! Thanks for the tour and the pics. I can smell it through cyber… 🙂
What a clever nose you have Brigitte. You are more advanced than our dear friend Google who can only jest about such things.
Dear Jordan
An eight hour drive for a perfume event?
You surely are the most dedicated follower of fragrant fashion in the Southern Hemisphere!
Enjoy the opera.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Un bel dì vedremo to you Mr Dandy. Can nobody guess what Clayton and I will be wafting through the opera? I will be posting about what woman waft at the opera. I suspect acres of Angel sillage.
You look so happy with your collection of small bags. I love it. I love the sniffing pictures 🙂
Welcome Scented Hound. What a fine nose you have. Thank you for zoomin’ in.
I agree with everyone – my new definition of eye candy – two gorgeous men sniffing gorgeous perfumes 🙂 I’m wearing Anima Dulcis now, currently my top favorite, it’s deeply satisfying.
May I quote you Reneetamara when I post the review?
Yes, indeed, Fragrant Man, I’d be honored.
Thank you Fragrant Man for your time and your purchases!!! Very honoured! And thank you all for the (*blushing*) comments!
Honored too Mr Huber. Some of the comments were indeed blush-worthy. Safe travels to you.
Pingback: Guest Post by Carlos Huber – Smelling Waiheke Island | The Fragrant Man·
Pingback: Introducing Hannah – A Fragrant Awakening | The Fragrant Man·
Pingback: Cire Trudon Candles!!! For you, for giving, for Christmas! « AustralianPerfumeJunkies·
Pingback: Christmas Gift Idea 3 – Cire Trudon – Scented Candles | The Fragrant Man·
Pingback: One of the 5 Hottest Guys in Perfume… | The Fragrant Man·
Pingback: A Mary Christmas | The Fragrant Man·