Hey there POSEEEEEE! It’s Portia from AustralianPerfumeJunkies with a fragrance from one of my favourite independent perfumers. Zeta by Andy Tauer is a limited edition work.  A new direction for his work in a softer and less intense vibe. My favourite from his range is Auburn, though I adore L`Air du Desert Marocain, Eau D’Epices and Lonestar Memories and, to be frank, was worried before I first sampled Zeta that it would not stack up to the traffic stopping bigness of his other work…..

Zeta by Andy Tauer for Tauer 2011

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Lemon, bergamot, orange
Heart: Ylang-ylang, orange blossom absolute, neroli, linden blossom, rose
Base: Orris root, Mysore sandalwood, vanilla

Citrus, brisk, sweet and sharp with a soft and fluffy pithiness and the weird, other-world-ish tang of linden all combine in the opening of Zeta to create a powerful, sparkling, dizzyingly austere opening. This is the scent I imagine Jodie Foster wearing in her role as Delacourt in 2013 film Elysium. She is the toughest and most ruthless ruler who will go to any lengths to keep her precious Elysium safe. As always Jodie is flawless in her role, even though the character is deeply flawed. Zeta’s green-ness is both the ice cold steel and the feral, ferocious jungle animal that Jodie plays. Terrifying but alluring, exotic and deadly. This is what deadly nightshade should smell like, here is what a Triffid’s genitals smell like. WOW!

Quite unexpectedly Zeta turns pretty, all the notes that previously were screaming bloody murder have all dropped their intensity and it’s as if a decision to work together has been formed. Suddenly my nose is bombarded with beauty. Soft breathy whispers, a spicy rose and tropical flowers mingle with the sparkling citrus and create a very enticing siren song. Is this linden that I’m smelling? I don’t know but whatever the bouquet is it feels smooth and finished. A very elegant central heart of fragrance that is both quite distinctly unusual and strangely familiar.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Much is said about Andy’s Tauerade and the longevity of his fragrances. Zeta is not one of these FOREVER fragrances that you can smell when you wake up in the morning, and often after 2 showers. I get regular 5-7 hours of noticeable scent on my skin and the base is a sweet wash of fragrance for me rather than a cumulation of notes, very pretty.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Alembicated Genie
Tauer has $135/50ml
Andy also has his 5 x 1.5ml Discovery Set for about $33
LuckyScent has $150/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/.5ml

DON’T FORGET our MeetUps through the USA in November 2014

Check the Portia Across America 2014 itinerary out <<<JUMP

SCENT BAR LA Wednesday NOVEMBER 19 2014 with Killian Hennessy MeetUp 5-7pm

BARNEYS + NEIMAN MARCUS CHICAGO Monday NOVEMBER 24 2014 MeetUp Barneys (Beauty Downstairs) 1.30pm

OSSWALD N.Y.C Saturday NOVEMBER 29 2014 MeetUp 2-4pm

TWISTED LILY BROOKLYN NYC Sunday November 30 2014 MeetUp 11am-1pm