Hiya APJ Crew,
We are home!! Three weeks whirlwind tour of the United States of America went by like a fabulous, crazy, fun filled, roller coaster ride. One of the most action packed and intense holidays of my life. So much so that when I look at my pics there are hardly any!! Basically these are all the shots I took. Though trying to keep these in chronological order I think they have moved around and it was all such a blur that I honestly can’t remember what happened when.
Starting with NYC because it was the easiest to grab photos from. I hope you enjoy the ride.
Portia xx
New York City with Jin, Kath & Portia 2014 + Photo Essay
At night we met up with Brian who helped us find our way to dinner on the tube. We went to Lombardis (?) Pizza and dined with the lovely Lucy R. It was an excellent way to meet NYC.
We thought it was important to see the Statue of Liberty so caught the Statten Island ferry early on Thanksgiving Day. It’s FREE! Got some great shots and had some fun and silly time together on the trip. I was a bit tired and grumpy at this point.
For Thanksgiving Dinner we had the buffet at The Roosevelt Hotel where we were staying. The Roosevelt is a great choice for a hotel in NYC if you want some where central and reasonably priced. DO NOT go there if you like to take baths, they are DISGUSTING and they flake & peel while you’re in them. We did get 2 upgrades because of the baths and ended up in a suite with a view ( the bath was still freaking shit though). Thanksgiving Dinner with the two most important people to me in the world, pretty special. We all gave thanks for each other and our incredibly blessed lives. BTW I had the best Apple Pie of my life here, nothing before it even prepared me for how incredible it was going to be.
The staff at the Roosevelt were excellent, at every point we were treated with courtesy and friendliness, I recommend you stay there if you like to shower.
Jin had a secret New York City agenda that we were unaware of until we arrived. He had to see Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop from later series of Sex and the City. While there he also wanted desperately to lean on the pole and have a Marlboro Light (even though he doesn’t smoke. This resulted in head spins and delirium). There was a very lovely young girl doing exactly that and Jin asked if he could have one of her ciggies. One happy boy…. Around the corner is the Magnolia Bakery where Carrie would sit and have cupcakes so off we went to indulge. We did get to Friends building but I forgot to take a picture.
All this stuff is right near Christopher Street, the home of the Gay Rights Movement. It was here that the famous Stonewall hotel was where the Lesbians and Black Drag Queens took on the NYC Police and rioted. Interestingly it was the day of Judy Garland’s funeral.
That evening we wandered through Central Park and got 40 minutes in the Guggenheim. I took them to the first floor where we saw some very interesting Impressionist works from the Thannhauser Collection, Wang Jianwei: Time Temple sculptural pieces and ZERO: Countdown to Tomorrow 1950s–60s. Clearly we didn’t spend a lot of time with them but it was nice to see a couple of impressionist works that were new to me, particularly a Picasso, Woman Ironing (La repasseuse): Paris, 1904.
Photo Stolen Guggenheim (Problem using image, get in touch)
OSSWALD welcomed us with open arms. Josie and Clement were incredibly kind, helpful and funny. It was a fantastic get together. Birgit and Michael of Olfactoria’s Travels, Poodle who is one of our APJ North American correspondents, Brian, Gaia and Ori of The Non Blonde, Abdulla and Miryam (working for the Qatar consul in Dubai on their honeymoon), Francesca, Daisy of CoolCookStyle, Arielle from Scents of Self, Kevin Guyer (ex CHANEL), Patty (FleurDeLys) and others. I am so embarrassed to have forgotten a couple of names, please PM me with them because I would love to put you in.
What did I buy? Long have I had Cozé by Perfumerie Generale on my radar so I bought a 30ml (bravo for the smaller sizes Pierre G) and Liquer Charnelle by Huitieme Art in 50ml, also Pierre G.
Then we hit Bergdorf Goodman. I had a mission. The CHANEL counter. When I told the girl in CHANEL in Sydney the Pure Perfume is not a real term but a marketing invention she refused to serve me so I thought FUCK HER! Hideous creature! So it was a New York City must do. The Parfum &Eau are now happily in my collection. BLISS!
On our last day in NYC Carlos J Powell of the Goodsmellas and Peace, Love & Perfume and I organised to meet up in Brooklyn at Twisted Lily. We wanted to do a couple of LIVE Video Sniffs, check them out if you get a chance. we are complete freaking idiots. What a great time.
Eric who owns the store was friendly and welcoming and the range is excellent.
I met my next boyfriend too, Rich from Goodsmellas, hubba hubba!
Straight from Twisted Lily we returned to the Roosevelt Hotel, checked out and then I bought this signed Lithograph and we left the USA till next time. What a wonderful city NYC is, chock filled with Ah May Zing people and places. This is just a mini snapshot, we did SO MUCH MORE!
Be well crew,
Portia xx
All photos my own unless specified.
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Just so fabulous Portia….my hubby & I were in the US for 4.5 weeks in Oct/Nov including a week in NYC….that city is as magic as I always knew it would be…..lucky enough to go to the amazing Caron boutique where I bought French CanCan & Narcisse Blanc extrait…..Chicago was so cool too 🙂 x
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WOW!! We didn’t get to the Caron shop Chris, I missed it EVERYWHERE this year. One day though.
In Chicago it snowed on our heads, amazing.
Portia xx
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We drove from NYC to Chicago with an overnight stay in Cleveland OHIO!!! had to say that coz I’m a huge Drew Carey show fan lol mental traffic heading into Chicago….6 lane freeway peak hour YIKES!!! GPS & hubby were totally in control 😉
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Amazing. Thank goodness Jin knows how to drive both sides. I would have been TERRIBLE!
I bet Cleveland was interesting.
Portia xx
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PATTY! Patty (otherwise known as fleurdelys) was at Osswald, happily basking in the sunshine that is Portia!! Had such a great time meeting you and other bloggers and fellow perfumaniacs. Perfume people are the best people!
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Hey Patty!!!
There’s a photo of us now too. I am so glad I didn’t write what I thought your name was. Thanks you for the memory jog and thaty you for coming and hanging. I felt like i had landed in the Cool Kids area.
What a great day.
Portia xx
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It was fun to bask in that Portia sunshine wasn’t it? Really great to meet you too!
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Fantastic. I’m going with you next time. Bussi. xxx
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WOW Val. The only thing that could have made it more amazing is if you’d been with us. That would have been beyond sensational.
OMG! Hyperventilating just thinking how much fun NYC would be with YOU.
Portia xx
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I must say, I appreciate the detail about the baths at Roosevelt. Often overlooked I am sure. Also, everyone looks like they are having SO much fun 🙂
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Hey Nemo,
It was worth having shit baths for the amazing upgrade.
Fun, I think you mean F U N! It was a great time. Wonderful.
Portia xx
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Sounds like such a great time! Your comment about staying at the Roosevelt if you like to shower made me laugh. Thanks for sharing the ups and downs of your trip for those of us who couldn’t be there.
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Kandice,
The hotel is perfect in most ways, central, great restaurant, friendly staff. I will stay there again.
How great would it have been if you’d come hang with us? One day.
Portia xx
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the only thing better than this would’ve been me joining you in NYC! SO glad you all had such a good time. Jin & his ‘landmarks’ LOL!
Love you ALL!
xoxoxoA
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Heya Beautiful,
How cute is Jin!! What a freaking sweetheart. Kath & I would never have sought those things but having done them it is a wonderful, simple memory that we will all treasure. He was so happy, probably one of the happiestb moments of his trip.
We love you too.
Portia xx
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How fun! Loved following your journey, and especially had a grand time meeting you all in LA at Scentbar! Loved you picked up 22 :D. I am sure it was a bit of a major slog at times but so wonderful to have enjoyed the Kilian evening with the gang. XXOO
Barbara
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Barbara!!
Hey beautiful. Hanging with you at Scent Bar and dinner afterwards is one of my LA highlights. I am so glad we met. I have been wearing your amazingly generous CHANEL No22s and the CHANEL No 5 since I got back. WOW!
Portia xx
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fun pix. I’m so glad you all had such a great time here and it was delightful to meet you.
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Hey Pretty Lady Francesca,
Thank you so much for coming to hang with us on both occasions. I love the photo of you at OSSWALD, so glamorous.
For those reading, the flowers on Francesca’s navy top are embroidered and they are gorgeous, as is Francesca.
Portia xx
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What a wonderful whirlwind of fun, Portia – much like yourself 🙂
You hung out with so many cool people I’d love to meet. Getting to do that is even better than the perfume.
Congrats on the No.22 and Coze. Great NYC souvenirs.
Oh and Jin is too cute in that SatC pose! xxx
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Hi there Tara,
Great to see you.
Really, we did get to hang with a LOT of the frag cream. They would be so glad to meet you too. It was a blast, now home for some quiet time.
Jin = C U T E! That boy is hilarious.
Portia xx
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N°22 is also in my collection now (with Coromandel, Sycomore, Eau de Cologne, 31 Rue Cambon and Bois des Îles, I have now 6 x 200 ml. of the Exlusifs 😉 !!
How is the perfume (extrait) version of the N°22, in comparison with the “eau de toilette” ?
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Hi there Nymphomaniac,
WOW!! That is an impressive CHANEL line up.
The extrait is creamier and richer, the aldehydes wear less metallic and more voluptuous for me. Wearing them together I get a rounder, less spiky overall wear.
Portia x
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Sounds like a whirlwind of delights Portia! Looks like you caught up with some fab friends. Love the beard too!
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Hi Melita,
I LOVE to see you here. Are you well?
Thanks on the beard front. I am enjoying it immensely.
Whirlwind is right, still processing the good times.
Portia xx
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Great trip report and I love No 22 parfum – have only sniffed it once, mind. I can also confirm it is ‘a thing’!
I would have been happy to read about your Cleveland stopover, having spent more time there on aggregate than anywhere else in the US. 😉
The photos have a great sense of movement to them – and no, that isn’t code for ‘a bit blurry here and there’.
And what an amazing cast of fumeheads you met in NYC – you couldn’t fail to have a blast.
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Hey there Vanessa,
22 Parfum is to die for. I was also gifted a very generous decants of vintage 22 on my travels. BEYOND!
We didn’t do Cleveland, it was Chicago.
Yes, the NYC crew were amazing, so fun and friendly.
Portia xx
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Hi Portia,
Thank you for sharing the FUN! I would love to meet everyone in person one of these days! but for now keep the photos coming.
Azar xx
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Thanks Azar!
One day we will meet you and make a fabulous event of it.
More photos next week.
Portia xx
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Osswald was such a fun afternoon! So glad I went. It was such a whirlwind day though. It must be the year for No.22 because I bought that on my last trip to NY in October. (not the perfume though). I was shocked when I didn’t buy anything this time. I was just so indecisive. I guess I was just so distracted by your fabulosity I couldn’t focus on fragrance. Hugs to you my dear!
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I was so flumoxed when I first saw you Poodle. In all honesty I had figured that you weren’t coming so when you did I was COMPLETELY surprised.
What an amazing day.
22 = amazing.
Portia x
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SIMPLY AMAZING! Can’t wait to see you!! x
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What a great trip, despite the lack of a good quality bath (which is a must for me as well)! Good call on the Cozé and Liqueur Charnelle, I have and love both. Yum! Wish I could have joined you at Scent Bar but 6 hours in the car to and from San Diego on a work night was not possible. Hopefully next time!
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