Hiya POSSEEEEEEE! Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies in the Posse with an Australian crew Tommi Sooni and their 2012 release Passerelle. Every now and then there is a spate of interest on the blogs and boards in this wonderful company, I love today’s offering and hope you enjoy the read.
Passerelle by Tommi Sooni 2012
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica givers these featured accords:
Top: Jasmine, paperbark, tea tree, honey, myrtle, boronia, silver wattle or mimosa
Heart: Yellow roses, honeysuckle, golden trumpet, Chimonanthus or Wintersweet
Base: Australian sandalwood, petit grain
From Tommi Sooni: Our intention: to create a distinctive perfume with links to classic French perfumery, an Australian perfume that reflects the unique floral notes of our native flora. But where to begin? To go forward you must also look back. By researching the history of colonial Australia we discovered the French also sent explorers south, not to conquer but to enrich French culture with the natural wonders of Terre Australis…. The word Passerelle is French for bridge or catwalk, a name befitting a perfume that is both fashionable and a fragrant link between two cultures.
Photo Stolen FreeAussieStock
The fragrance goes on fresh and bright green with the Aussie flowers and petigrain contrasting and combining beautifully. Passerelle feels like real old school perfumery to me, the stuff you find in perfectly preserved vintage purchases. There is a definite womanly, human background and Steven informs me there is a civet accord hiding here. The tea tree is also adding a soft base note below and through the orgy of flowers and glorious, almost alpine flight of fantasy over the top. This is a wholly wearable scent; sexy and alluring but cool and serene. There are definitely facets to Passerelle that will take time and wear to discover.
Photo Stolen Richard Taylor Flickr
This is world class perfumery and Passerelle could proudly sit beside Serge Lutens, Tauer or Parfums de Nicolai in your cupboard or on your dresser. Different, vital and Aussie. Congratulations Tommi Sooni, this one feels like a winner.
Tommi Sooni has $180/50ml (Australia)
LucktScent has $185/50ml
Posh Peasant starts at $7/ml
It’s wonderful to show you an Australian fragrance company that’s competing with the big boys of the world, have you tried any of the Tommi Sooni range?
Portia xx
Disclosure: This is an edit from another piece written back in 2012. I was wondering why I was so familiar with this fragrance as I was writing, and then it dawned.
Oh geez, another temptation for the sample list! Does it really conjure up a aussie vibe for you as well as vintage. What’s not to love, including that awesome bottle?
Yes Maren,
There is a definite Aussie twist, and there is a very noticeable nod to vintage fragrances too.
Be prepared though for a thoroughly modern fragrance that is spectacular in its own right without being too over the top.
Portia xx
I love Passarelle. Almost as much as I love Eau de Tommi Sooni II, which is among my very favourite fragrances ever. The whole line is amazing quality and, yes, very classic but not at all dated. I agree that Passarelle is along the same lines as Le Temps d’une Fete (another of my faves), but where LTduF makes me think of spring flowers and grasses in a meadow, Passarelle is the smell of fresh cut flowers in a florists shop. The brand sells samples on its website and ships worldwide – that’s how I got to try them.
Hey SarahK,
YOU ARE IN KOREA????? Anya Ha Seo.
Portia xx
Haha, yes, annyeong haseyo from Seoul 🙂
Thanks for the follow-up review on Passerelle, Portia. This one has been on my FB wish-list for quite some time after an amazing sampling session with the awesome Steven Broadhurst (the man behind the brand).
I am intrigued by your mention of smelling juices at the Osmotheque alerting you to how your vintage scents have ‘gone off’ – I would *love* to hear much, much more on this topic – pretty please :-))
XoXChristine
Hi there Christine,
I have done better than that. I kept the nearly 50 touche in wax paper bags separately. Look out for a GIVEAWAY somewhere soon, there may even be two.
VERY jealous you got to meet Stephen Broadhurst, he seems charming via email.
Portia xx
Oh, I wish I had heard about this company last year. My sister and her husband spent 6 weeks in Australia before Christmas, and would have bought some of this perfume for me had they known about the brand and found it while out shopping. I even liked the bottle design! And they did have a wonderful time along the Australian coast, if you wonder!
Hello Ingeborg,
What luckies your sister and husband are, I live here on the east coast od Australia and some mornings even I can’t believe my good luck.
The good news is that LuckyScent has the brand and does samples too. As does the Posh Peasant.
Portia xx
I’ve sampled a few of the Tommi Sooni perfumes, including Passerelle and I liked them a lot. They do have a nice old school vibe to them. They have that “real perfume” character. There’s another Australian company, Urban Rituelle, that also is really nice, but I think that one is more of a bath products and home scent kind of perfumery. I do have their Cucumber and Linden Perfume (doesn’t smell like cucumber at all) and I wear it a lot in the summer.
MaryK,
I can never smell cucumber in fragrance either, or very rarely, and what part of the cucumber do they mean? The skin which is green, dry and sharp, the pulp which also is green but wetter and sweet, or the seeds which are a little nutty?
Unban Rutuelle, my eyes are now peeled.
Portia xx
SERIOUSLY Y’ALL ARE KILLIN’ ME. I have to stop reading descriptions of old-school florals. I should be happy with what I have.
I think they have more than met their goal…their fragrances all have that “real” perfume vibe ( old-school, I guess is what I mean) and yet they’re also more interesting than older perfumes often were. I’m very impressed with the house overall, and am anxious to try this one!
Hi there Tammy,
Nice to see you. Yes, old school but new. Totally. I think they are like the old school frags were originally.
We went to the Osmotheque in Versailles oin our holiday and it was very interesting to smell the fragrances as they were originally. I now realise that many of my vintages are actually off. Still lovely but changed by time and oxidation. It was a BIG surprise.
Portia xx
I liked Passarelle – didn’t get as much ‘yellow rose’ as I would’ve liked but it is very, very pretty – and, I agree, very Old School Perfumery (which I like a LOT). Tarantella is still my favorite, with that lovely leather note!!!
xoxoxoA
Hey Musette,
I am so glad that you know the brand at all. Yes Passarelle is really delicious, though I have longevity issues with it.
Portia xx
P() B(*&#%JOP)(*&% STOPPPITTTT. I keep saying I don’t need another lemming. But… yellow roses (my favorite) and honeysuckle? And old-school retro? GET. OUT.
Sigh. Guess this one goes on the sample list. My wallet hates you.
Ignore my stupid wallet. *I* love you. MWah.
Ha Ha ha! Excellent MalsNano86,
Love returned in spades.
I think you may like this knowing the Le Temps d’Une Fete is one of your faves. They’re very different but have some similarity in feel. On that subject, have I ever thanked you for bringing LTdUF to my attention. I really enjoy wearing both modern and pre reformulation, though I think the top notes of the old are starting to sour a little it’s 5 minutes of odd for 4 hours of magic. THANK YOU!!
Portia xx
Oh, I must try this. I love the concept of Australian flowers and the hint of civet sounds wonderful.
Cheers!
Hi there BevFred,
It brings something new to the table in a beautiful, old fashioned way. I am pretty proud of my fellow Aussies for this one.
Portia xx
Howdy, Portia! I have not tried this one, but must soon. I do really like the Tommi Sooni II; such a lovely green and vanilla scent. And I love that such great perfumes are coming from Down Under — yay, Australia!!
I loved Tommi Sooni II also Ann, this is along the same lines in heft but with a VERY Aussie twist. I think you’ll enjoy it. Definitely YAY Australia.
Portia xx
This sounds absolutely wonderful! I’m a huge fan of unique Aussie flowers… they have so many totally different kinds there, I love to see them in the wild some day. I’ve never tried any of the Tommi Sooni range but now it’s on my next “must sample” list 🙂
Hi ThinkingMagpie,
I thought with the monika ThinkingMagpie that you might have been an Aussie abroad. One of our smartest and naughtiest birds in Australia is the black & white magpie. They are terrors but loveable and can learn enormous amounts of sounds and to talk rationally if in captivity.
Portia xx