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Post by Portia
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Hey there APJ,
This week has been wonderful. Jin had 5 days off and we spent it happily hanging out, watching movies, cooking, BAR B Qing, eating, socialising, running around chasing Pokemon and in between that I worked, saw mates, shopped and read books. Seriously there aren’t too many weeks that are so full yet so utterly enjoyable. It’s a surprise that even after being with someone for years you can still have fun like kids and can still enjoy each others company as much as the first months when everything was new.
Portia’s Week July 2016: Story + Photo Essay
So this week started out as a Pokemon Go week. Here I am in the game in my first hour.
My BFF Kath, her sister, nieces and Jin looking super cute. During lunch we invite the nieces to come out to the Parramatta Winterlight Fair. They jumped at the chance.
There was even an Ice Skating Rink. You can see niece 1 and I are there but behind us are Jin & niece 2 having their first ever Ice Skating experience so they needed to use the penguins to help them stay upright. Embarrassingly I was the only one to fall.
Kath, Jin & the nieces on the Ferris Wheel. The girls were a complete joy to hang with. We lost track of time and didn’t get them home till nearly midnight. OOOOPS!
Saturday recuperating with the story of Daphne du Maurier’s family, a rollicking tale that I couldn’t put down.
Sunday morning and BFF Kath & I had our pedicures done, then Jin joined us for Yum Cha (Dim Sum).
Then, into a Lolita Lempicka Bubble Bath. What a lovely way to unwind, surrounded by violet sugared liquorice bubbles.
Over the remnants of Lolita Lempicka I heavily spritzed the Leather Angel. All the Angel fizz and a hit of smoky leather, a perfect drag queen scent.
We spent Monday getting haircuts and then Pokemon Hunting. Jin cooked surprise Spicy Pork Bar B Q and we watched Zootopia that night. Then I wrote the Trivia Q&A. Monday was fun.
LUSH Rose Jam Shower Gel makes fabulous Bubble Bath and this week I had three baths with it. My fragrances over the top were Mohur by Neela Vermeire Creations, Diabolo Rose by Parfums de Rosine and Guerlain L’Heure Bleu. All three were subtly changed and extra roses added through the remnants of Rose Jam.
It was Scott’s Birthday on Wednesday so we met Kerri for some CHANEL sniffing and afternoon tea. We all had single serve cakes, mine was a double chocolate custard filled profiterole. We gave Scott Harrods and Fortnum & Mason teas, a DVD and a DJs Gift Card.
Scott grabbed a 200ml CHANEL Coromandel from our favourite CHANEL SA Esther at David Jones Sydney City Store. Ask for her, she is a fount of knowledge and we love talking to her about the CHANEL fragrance range. We are particularly interested in the big change of the exclusives line later in the year from EdT to EdP. Sadly she was out of CHANEL No 22 200ml so I went down the road to the CHANEL boutique and bought mine there.
Wednesday night Jin & I did more Pokemon Hunting (I haven’t walked this much since our last holiday), had some Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup, did some evening grocery shopping and came home to watch Kung Fu Panda 3, which we really enjoyed.
Not so long ago they had this Bandit Silkening Shower Gel at the discounters for a song, I stocked up because it smells amazing, makes great bubbles and leaves my skin fresh and soft.
Over the remnants of Bandit I spritzed Exultat by Maria Candida Gentile. Incense and warmer, woodsy resins that is only mildly liturgical. Really easy to wear incense that lasts well and smells amazing.
Here I am tonight hosting Trivia (as a man!) to a full house smelling gorgeously of incense, resins and leather.
My mate Natalie from the now defunct Another Perfume Blog took me walking through the wilds of Mosman today to a fabulous restaurant, Burnt Orange, with a view to die for, both outside & in. Food was delicious and staff friendly.
Sydney put on a perfect winter day and I chose the lavender, herbal, resinous warmth of CHANEL Boy to accompany me.
Thanks for coming along for snapshots of my week. These are just the bits I remembered to photograph but I couldn’t have fit more photos anyway.
What fragrances or bath products did you use this week? Do anything interesting?
Portia xxx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Love your post, Portia. How come your Boy bottle is half full? I used some DIY body oils which is fun to make. Really enjoyed these photographs! Xxx Esperanza
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Hey there Esperanza,
The Boy 200ml was bought to split so I had about 45ml left which is diminishing rapidly.
Love doing DIY oils. Bet you smelled great.
Portia xx
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A frab write up Portia. I am so glad you grabbed 200 mls of Chanel. I’ve been quite worried you might run out of perfume. I’ve been drowning in Shalimar EdC. It’s amazing. So close to the extrait in the quality of notes. Knocks spots of the current edp. Indeed I will do a post on it. Who’d have thought the cologne would be that amazing. Leather and vanilla. No patchouli. Yuuuuuum.
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Heya Val,
HA! Yes, it’s forever a struggle with so little perfume around here.
Yes, the old Shalimar EdC is really special. I’d love to know how old those bottles are. Please do write a post.
Portia xx
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It’s the current brand new one. And I’m addicted.
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The Shalimar Cologne EdT?
Portia x
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Nope. Eau de Cologne.
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Interesting Val. I thought they’d discontinued it a while back.
OOOH exciting.
Portia xx
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I love this Portia…a peak into your week and your frag choices…more more more I say!!
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Heya Anna Maria,
Thanks for dropping by and commenting. See you Sunday.
Portia xx
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Wow, you fit so much into your days!
I am hanging out to try Boy, but it is nowhere in Perth to sample. Will have to wait.
I have been enjoying baths with Kniepp Lavender essence, quite cheap but really relaxing.
Favourite body indulgence is Bottega Veneta body cream, both scent and texture tick my boxes.
Stay warm!
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Hey JackieB,
Boy is lovely, smells good, not groundbreaking but super comfortable and I am wearing it a lot.
It’s currently 23C at 11.30pm in the middle of July. No need to keep warm at all.
Jin uses Bottega Veneta, it’s one of his signatures. The shower gel is lushly fragrant too.
Portia xx
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I know this was an extraordinary week but I’m with Anna Maria – more like this please!
Very clever of you to borrow nieces for the fair, they are the best. Those penguins are such a clever idea. I was also the only one who fell last time I tried to ice skate at Somerset House. Fab setting though.
I didn’t know the Chanel Exclusifs were being converted to edps. Interesting. I’ve never had a problem with longevity but I know a lot of people do.
How wonderful that you got to walk and lunch with our Natalie too. What a social week.
Loving Jin’s new hairstyle and you’re looking great too.
I spritzed some Rose Jam on skin at PLL last night and thought of you. Nick appreciated your vicarious hug too 🙂
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Hey there lovely Tara,
We talked of you with love today at lunch. MADLY in love with Natalie, she is so clever and funny. We nattered non-stop for hours.
We love nieces to pieces. Bloody Hell, falling is hilarious. I’m assured of winning the clumsy prize because I always think I’m 100% more brilliant at stuff than I am. He he he.
Yes, September/October is the change over for CHANEL. In Australia the 200ml will go from AUD$350 – $470. It’s a big jump, so I’m stocking up.
Jin is cuter than ever, what a modern dude he is.
Hope was Rose Jam perfume?
Portia xx
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Natalie is a joy. I really miss her.
Rose Jam was too sweet for me as a perfume but a lot of fun. I’d prefer it as a bubble bath. I’ve been using Beautiful by Lush and I love it.
Ha, I hadn’t even thought about a price hike for Chanel as a result, but of course that would happen. Thanks for the info.
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You are the essence of fun. Love the walks and bath updates, and the books and fairs, this past week of yours sounds like my ideal. Hotter and more humid here than humanly possible so it’s cramped my style a bit. Not to mention the RNC. Sprang for a FB of Ma Bête by Eris, and wreathed in some samples of which I wrote my last post til the New Year. Next on the agenda a suite of blue jewelry, and some black to prepare for the colder season, photography, looking ahead to messing with a separate site. Plus working on lost wax method, got a silver pendant back from the casters, more to do filing and polishing, plus working on the apartment, replacing some big things.
Got some tassels I ordered, thinking of using them to hold fragrance in necklaces. Saw Ida, will soon see Maggie, so there’s much more to come. Love these pieces incorporating perfume into everyday. xoxo
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Heya Lucy,
Ma Bette! So lovely. It will smell killer on you, subtle and elegant. YUM!
New York is not made for the 7 weeks of crazy summer heat. There’s something so caged about it then for me.
Wow! Can’t wait to see all your new beauties.
Portia xxx
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Love your article & photos 🙂
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Thank you *sophi*
Portia xx
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Thanks for the glimpse into your busy week Portia! It was a lot of fun reading it. Glad you enjoyed it so much with all your senses. It was so funny seeing you in a skating rink on ice while we are here dying of heat. The A/C is working overtime.
The bubble bath pictures from the bathing tub are sooo funny 🙂
I’m already looking for a Lush Rose Jam shower gel based on your review earlier this week…
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Hey Neva,
Yes, it never seems quite real seeing the opposite hemispheres weather. Tonight it’s 23C, absolutely unreal in the middle of winter. We are warm too.
YAY! Glad you liked the Bubble Bath pix, I always smile when I’m doing them. Kind of weird.
Rose jam is gorgeous. I hope you get your hands on some.
Portia xx
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Portia!
Wonderful smiles! What a great week and no better way to spend time than with the people most loved
This week – today – is B’s B’day. A big one too! We were going to go here and then there but, after everything, just decided to spend the day together cooking. Today I am enjoying the last of the Blood Orange Chocolat and eagerly awaiting the arrival of my own bottle of Lush Rose Jam shower gel
Thanks again for the smiles!
Azar xxx.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Brad. hug him tight from me please. Congratulate him on his attainment too.
Yes, time with my crew is always time well spent. Sometimes my luckiness is overwhelming.
Portia xx
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Portia, what a fabulous post, cheered me tremendously! Please do more of these! You’ve inspired me to troll the discount stores for hidden bath treasures. My favorite shot is that one of you with Sydney in tha background and those marvelous clouds.
Much aloha,
Fifi
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Hey Fifi,
So glad to have cheered you up. I will do some more of these posts as busy weeks happen.
There are usually some great bargains to be had at the discounters. I love trolling them for gems.
Thank you, I really liked that shot too. Sydney is pretty gorgeous from a host of angles. Lucky.
Portia xx
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Thanks for sharing! I’m envying your winter as it swelters in the mid 90s here in NYC. I want to be taking hot baths (except I have no tub-horrors, I know), and eating soups, and ice skating. Such a lovely week and cuties all around!
I found an old (?) bottle of Samsara Bath Essence on the dusty/dirty tester shelf in a perfume discounter(and a bottle of Shalimar PdT). I’m not sure how the Samsara is meant to be used as it’s not quite soapy or oily. In any event, I ran some through my hair after I washed it, than barely rinsed. My hair smelled pretty good for 2 days!
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Hi there ElisaP,
NYC is made to flee from in summer, I feel for you. My first trip there was in summer and I found it extremely claustrophobic. Still shopped till my feet bled though.
Samsara Hair Oil!! OMG! Yes, it was probably a silkening bath oil that would soften and scent your skin while bathing. Very Ra Cha Cha.
Portia xx
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My word, you didn’t half pack a lot into your holiday week, and you were in Mosman, where I used to do physical jerks! With Natalie – waves! I do think you suit that hat, though I may be biased, hehe. Winter is clearly no obstacle to having an end-to-end blast. 😉 xx
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PS Mosman the koala waves too…;)
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Hello to Mosman the Koala. Yes, we were BUSY! It was fun.
Vanessa, that beanie has been my constant companion. It’s the very same green as my eyes and it transfers attention to them, getting regular compliments on both.
It’s hardly winter really. Last night was 23C at midnight. Unreal.
Portia xx
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the exultat reminds me I have yet to test sideris which I bought months ago 🙂
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Great Fazal,
Can’t wait to read what you think.
Portia xx
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In my defense, I wore Chanel Cuir de Russie for the very first time yesterday and was blown away. I got the formula that existed just before it moved to les exclusifs line. Chanel batches are challenging but I think my bottle is from 2004. It is certainly quite different from my expectations and I don’t get it why it gets compared to Knize Ten by some because it is in quite different style. I have boatloads of Knize Ten but I think I like Cuir de Russie a little more. Def. need more of this. How does the formula in Les Exclusifs line compare to the one from early 2000s if someone has experienced both?
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Hey Fazal,
Cuir de Russie is lovely. A little bit too genteel for my taste but so wearable and easy going. My issue with the modern is its soft projection and lack of sillage. Perfect work leather.
Portia xx
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I love when you go out and do fun things with people. I’m happy to read about your adventures. Looks like you had a great time.. The high point of my week was going to the gun range and shooting a 9mm pistol. My instructor said he would have given me an A+ if he was grading me. It was so much fun and I was so relaxed. Very therapeutic. For perfume that night I wore La Fin du Monde for the gunpowder note of course.
Xoxo
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OMG Poodle! That is a sentence I never thought I’d read here on APJ! You’re a regular gun toting Calamity Jane! Well, you’re set if we have a Zombie Apocalypse.
La Fin du Monde is an excellent choice after shooting everything up. A+ indeed.
Portia xx
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I only plan on shooting paper targets but if there is a Zombie situation I’ll do my best. Lol.
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You’re definitely on our Apocalypse Team Poodle.
Poodle xx
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I love all of your posts 🙂 The fun ones, the contemplative ones, the smell good ones, the tough ones. This post was really fun to read and view. Thank you so much for sharing!! I love the winter carnival picture…how beautiful. I am in the northern ridiculously hot hemisphere and do envy you the cooler weather!! 🙂 I have been wearing Lush Karma, Kikkam Girls, Death & Decay and showing using their Happy Hippy shower gel. I just realized (after over a year of being in town) that we have a Lush store 🙂 lol…
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Argh…typo…should be Sikkim Girls…
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Hey there Carolyn,
Thank you. we love having you as part of the APJ family.
LUSH! What would we do without them. Great products, reasonably priced. I have a small Happy Hippy too.
Portia xxx
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