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Post by Portia
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Hello Fumies,
The eternal holiday question; What Perfumes Should I Take? Every year I try and get myself to pick the perfect scents. You know, weather appropriate, walking, shopping, dinner, drinks, casual, dressy, cool, hot. It’s a very fine line we perfumistas walk and to try and have the right frag for the right time is a really fun experiment in scent.
Obviously if you choose wrong it’s not going to negatively impact your holiday but the sweet feeling of scenting success can definitely add a pleasurable lustre to already fantastic adventures.
Holiday Perfume Packing
Japan & South Korea Oct 2016
So our destinations for this very special Jin & Portia 5 year anniversary jaunt are Tokyo 3 nights and South Korea for 5 nights (I think). We got an insanely good deal to fly with Korean Airlines that takes us to Japan via South Korea for less than it costs to go to South Korea directly. We decided to use the money we save on the fare to stay for a few nights in Tokyo where Jin has never been. AWESOME!
Then we are off to South Korea to see Jin’s parents. His Dad has had some heart problems over the years so Jin likes to make sure everything is OK every year. Something that really impresses me about Jin is that he sends some money home to his parents every month, so does his brother from Slovakia where he works in the car manufacturing industry. It has completely changed their parents life from poor working class to comfortable land and home owners.
We are also going to steal Mum & Dad away for a night in a fancy hotel somewhere. Last year we took them to a 5 star spa hotel for the first time in their lives and there was a wildflower garden and bonsai place that Mum had long wanted to visit nearby. They would only let us take them for one night but it was really fun to spend that time with them. It got to the point though that we had to take menus and stuff away from them because they were getting upset by how much everything cost. Even though they have almost no English and I zero Korean we manage to communicate and Jin does double time as interpreter as well.
Anyway, on to fragrant choices. Here are my list:
Ambre Narguilé by Hermès 15ml Travel: Warm & crunchy amber.
Eau des Merveilles by Hermès Rollerball Decant: An easy wear, softly salted, resinous wood.
Niki de Saint Phalle 10ml Travel: Comfortable floral green chypre.
O/E by Bogue Profumo Decant: Freaky citrus and skank drilled over woods, resins and tobacco.
Salome by Papillon Artisan Perfumes Decant: Naughty animalic leather chypre.
Trayee by Neela Vermeire Creations 8ml Travel: I feel that this spicy floral incense will fit the bill this holiday
Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdT Decant: ALL the aldehydes and a bunch of creamy white flowers with a tropical lilt.
By the time you read this we are already in South Korea, probably getting ready to come home.
Are you going on holidays this year or next? Where to? What fragrances would you take?
Portia xxx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
I love that you’re treating Jin’s parents again and that you’ve taken Salome 🙂
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Hey Tara,
Treating them is joy. Spending any time in a family so filled with love and generosity of spirit, fun and warmth is so soul feeding.
Salome has felt way too BIG for Korea. I’m meeting a perfumista tonight and going to pass on my decant to her. Hopefully she will find as much joy in it as I have.
Portia xx
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Hi Portia, In 17 days I’m off to Morocco for 2 weeks. I’ve been umming and aahhing about what to take and have decided on easy to wear fragrances, perhaps Ma griffe, no5 l’eau & intimately Beckham because this holiday is less about what I will take but rather what I might bring back!
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Hey DebB,
Have an amazing time in Morocco. 3 choices sounds excellent, you’ve covered green and aldehydic citrus. Don’t know the Beckham but I love them so must be nice.
Portia xx
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An old saying goes “how a man treats his mom is how he’ll treat his spouse”. Jin is great. I’m so happy for you. I love Trayee and Anything Hermes. Have you tried Gallop? I love it! Fingers crossed that I get it for my birthday this month.
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Hi there Katherine,
That saying is fairly accurate. Jin is great.
I did try Galop but I can’t remember what it was like. Everyone is giving it such a rave though that I might have to go back and try it again.
Portia xx
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I am wearing Anubis today and loving it. Your fragrance choices do not really seem safe for Japanese and Korean cultures. They are mostly bombastic in terms of sillage 🙂
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Hey Fazal,
Interesting that you say that.
I am mostly wearing Niki de Saint Phalle. Soft furry chypre is perfect for Asia.
Portia xx
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SO will it be ok if I wear relatively powerful perfumes whenever I am lucky to be in Korea and Japan?
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So beautiful how you treat Jins parents! So loving and kind. Of course your perfume choices are amazing… as is your trip 💕
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Hey Anna-Maria,
They are the ones who have welcomed me unreservedly into their wonderful family. Treating them to new experiences is the least I can do.
TBH my joy is watching theirs.
Yes, the trip has been beautiful. So much fun.
Portia xx
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Portia, I loved reading this post and the following one about your time in S Korea. Jin’s family looks SO loving and sweet; it’s such a treat to be able to spoil people, isn’t it?
Do his parents like perfume?
I’m headed to Italy in a couple of weeks; getting my decants ready!! 😀 ❤
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Hey Mel,
Thank you.
Yes, they are really good people, treating people to new things is always fun.
The first year we went I put together a really wonderful beauty and fragrance hamper for his Mum. She promptly gave everything away. So no to the frags.
Have fun in Italy, which cities are you visiting?
Portia xx
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