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Portia
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Hi APJ,
Food and fragrance are the orders of the week. A few catch ups but mainly quiet as Jin recovers from tonsillitis. Loads of fun frags though.
Scent Diary: 29.5 – 4.6.2017
Monday 29:
Early this morning when I went to bed I lavishly spritzed Cacharel Liberté. I love it zingy sizzling citrus and it wears beautifully in the hot or cold. I’ll never understand why it wasn’t a bigger hit. The bottle is fabulous, it smells amazing and Gisele Bündchen was the spokesmodel? Even the name is good. As you can see I go through quite a lot of it, bottle number 3.
Jin was complaining of getting sick last night and then through the night kept waking up, unable to breathe. This morning he went to the doctor and his tonsils are so swollen they are blocking his airways. Antibiotics for a week. I hope they put him in hospital and rip them out. Poor boy has suffered at least once a year since we got together but never this bad. If not in Australia I’ll fly him home where they are not so stupidly precious about the procedure.
For the dog walk I thought I needed something a bit rosy so the first rose frag that I noticed was Agent Provocateur EdP. I grabbed it and spritzed with abandon. It was a stellar accompaniment to the crisp morning air, sunlit and sparkling.
Sick Jin & I went for sandwiches and hot chips to the local cafe. They girls there are so friendly. It was yum.
This afternoon I suddenly got the urge to douse myself in Bulgari Eau Parfumee au The Noir. It’s tea but with a woody leather and rose tint. I like it a lot, especially in the heat but very nice at 18C too.
Kept spritzing more and more Bulgari tonight while writing Q&A.
Tuesday 30:
Finally, it’s 3.30am and I’m finished the Q&A and sent them all out. All I can think of us how much I want an incense fragrance to ramp up the leavings of the bulgar. So Maria Candida Gentile Exultat was the obvious, and best, choice for my mood. You’ll excuse me while I drift away please?
Saw this yesterday and can’t stop laughing about it. So funny.
Jin is officially off work for a couple of days. Unlike his usual illnesses he is not a whining baby. He must be really sick. Bloody doctors in Australia won’t remove them anymore unless it’s life or death. ASSHOLES!
No scent because it will fight with the lavender & eucalyptus in the burner.
DRAMA! While going in to the bathroom to get ready for work the bath mat slid from under me and I landed on the tile on my knee. It was so fast. Suddenly I’m lying on the ground moaning and in real pain. It was yuck. Anyway, poor old Jin was in a sound drugged sleep and I woke him with my yammering. This wheezy, disembodied voice comes to me from the living room, “You alright?” Even though I was most definitely NOT alright it was amusing enough to get me off the floor to reassure him that I’d live.
Tonight for work I wore Cartier L`Heure Brilliant VI and enjoyed its glittering zing.
I know it will be battling the houses current ambience but I’m going all out with Miss Dior vintage parfum and EdT for bed tonight. I’m worth it.
Wednesday 31:
Last night before bed I ate a couple of donuts. Woke up this morning with a sugar hangover, and a sore knee.
Basically today was a write off. With Jin sick and me having a day off we slowed around the house all day watching TV and relaxing.
Dinner was Chinese Take Away and it was freaking gorgeous.
Thursday 1:
Today was HUGE! Jumped out of bed and doused myself in about 8 spritzes of Oriza L. Legrand Oeillet Louis XV from a sample in the pack you can buy from them and they ship to the world.
Walked the dogs then ran back inside, jumped in the car and fled. Saw this beautiful creamy coloured bottlebrush flowering in our winter.
First stop was Showcase in Sydney’s historic Rocks area. That’s where I buy my Drag make up. It was an expensive but necessary morning shop.
Next up I visited Bronwyn of Gascoine & King candles who is also the importer of Etat Libre d’Orange here in Australia. We went for coffees and some cake at the Bourke St Bakery and talked about our friends, lovers, businesses and new products. It is always fabulous with Bronwyn and we have some super luxe giveaways coming up from her. WOO HOO!
BFF Kath is home sick so I dropped in there to see her on my way to the next adventure. Short but sweet chats and cuddles with Ruski, her Groodle.
My last partner Varun and I lived with a really amazing girl, Rose. At that time she was a chef at the College St Marriot Hotel where Varun went from restaurant bus boy to night manager in the two years we were together. It was a meteoric rise and we were all proud of him. After the Marriot Rose moved to the Millennium Hotel, then onto a catering company where she got them a shitload of awards and where she really got her name in the minds of movers & shakers. She moved to Singapore and did some stuff there until she was poached by Nobu in Europe where she was overseeing chef for a few years. The Dictator of Azerbaijan stole her to be the top dog in his restaurants, hotels and family kitchen and after 4+ years working for him she decided it wasxc time to come back to Sydney.
Rose is now the top chef in the Lotus group of restaurants here in Sydney and she invited TinaG & I for lunch today so she could gauge the way the restaurant runs with real patrons. We ate SO MUCH! Tried all the delicacies and were given top flight service by our waiter Ben. It was really interesting to hear the stories of the dishes and why this was so good or why that one was sent back and the chef told to take it off the menu for today because the meat wasn’t as good as it should be. These guys take good food really seriously. I only put in pictures of the most spectacular, there was at least 3 x this much food.
Then I went to Libertine Parfumerie for their SALE! I was a glutton but Nick gave me something incredibly special to give away on APJ. VERY excited about that.
At this point I was running HOURS late and got home in time to quickly wash my face, hug Jin and ran out to work as a man. Work was heaving tonight, 50+ patrons at Kings Park tavern and there was loads of bantering and fun. It wa a stellar evening. I wore Exultat by Maria Candida Gentile and it was the perfect woody/incense combo for the evening.
Home, walked the dogs, having a cup of coffee and about to have a very hot bath to soak all todays grime off. I’m bushed.
Friday 2:
A few things arrived in the post today but nothing so exciting as this vintage Rochas Femme parfum. It is a propellant bottle so the first 20 seconds are a mess but then……. bloom. Absolutely gobsmackingly gorgeous.
Jin and I spent the day around the house. We only left it to take him for Vietnamese Pho Soup. I walked the dogs though, he stayed sick on the couch. Can’t wait for him to fully recover
Saturday 3:
Good day today. Jin went back to work and I got to organise the weeks blog posts.
I’m also trying to create some order out of my chaotic office. I’m nearly shoulder deep in fragrance here. CROWDED.
I did take a Gilmore Girls break though because there is so much of the early episodes I missed. Having come in halfway like I did the whole back story is made apparent. My enjoyment levels are going through the roof.
While watching mind numbing TV I also ate Chinese reheats for lunch. BEST thing about getting chinese is having reheat lunch for the next two or three days. I added a can of corn kernels while they were in the frying pan. YUMMY!
This afternoon I wanted a cool amber fragrance. Van Cleef & Arpels Ambre Imperial was the perfect choice. It’s sparse, airy and unlike any other amber in my collection. It never gets bakery, gluggy or creamy but does warm through slightly as it dries down to resinous woodsiness. It’s the ultimate hot weather amber but is also very nice in the crisp, cool of evening. It was never a hit, I read zero rave reviews and it isn’t amber in the traditional sense but if you see it, put some on your skin.
Then I had a bath. It was deliciously hot and frothy with LUSH Rose Jam bubbles. Nearly finished this years stockpile. The wait for Christmas releases starts soon.
For bedtime I have gone absolutely crazy with vintage Guerlain Shalimar extrait, decanted from my bottle and spritzed. I am leaving a coruscating trail of fragrance every time I move. It’s ENORMOUS!
Sunday 4:
Walking the dogs this morning and I came across this beautiful rose. The light was hitting it in such a way that it had become ultra violet. As it caught my eye it was trying to burn my retinas out. It even had some spice tea and rose scent. There is no filter on the pic, you can kind of see what I mean but it was so much more freaky in life.
It’s cool but sunny today. I’m wearing Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin. It’s perfect. Longevity is appalling so I keep resproitzing every 40 minutes or so. Very satisfying. I love the anise/wet violet combo.
Yet again in LUSH Rose Jam bubble bath. Over the faint remnant I multi spritzed from a split decant of MFK Amyris (pretty sure it’s Femme). Did you know that the Amyris tree is also called Torchwood because it is super inflammable AND the resin it produces is Elemi. HA! I looked it up on Fragrantica. No wonder it smells familiar.
Now it’s your turn. How was your week? Do anything fragrant or interesting?
Tell us all about it, we love to read what you’re doing too.
Portia xx
Australian Perfume Junkies 
Love this reading it is like when you ring me and say “I’ve got 10 minutes!” Then catch me up on stuff 💜 x
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HA! That’s almost exactly the news you would get in a 10 minute catch up too.
Hope you’re recovering well Ainslie. Heal quick.
Portia xx
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What a stunning rose picture! Numinous. Made an order to Indiescents and it arrived in three days including weekend. Now have 4170 Tuesday “Who Knew?” and friends have exotic samples.
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Thanks AnnieA,
Loving that IndieScenys were so good to you.
Portia xx
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Scent Diarys are fun, but I wrote for a different reason. Get those tonsils out. I had tonsillitis every winter throughout my childhood and my throat was always sore to one degree or another. When I was 18 my tonsillitis was so bad I passed out. My doctor told me that when all the infection was gone, I should have them out. I did and it was one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I am far away from 18 now and I have NEVER had even a mild sore throat since then.
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Hey Maya,
Yes. 100%. Trying to get doctors in Australia to perform the operation is difficult though. I’m all for ripping the bloody things outta him. Mine are gone in my childhood and I have never once missed them too.
Portia xx
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You are so lucky to have the opportunity to try all that food!
Well, I didn’t have an interesting week compared to yours, but I did smell a few new (to me) things. Eau des Merveilles Bleu – LOVE! Classique Wonder Woman – no comment. Francesca Bianchi – Of the 3, Angel’s Dust was my favourite. Reminded me of Iris Siver Mist. Also picked up some Bronze Godess body oil at the outlet mall.
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Oh yes SunnyDay,
We know how lucky we are. It was one of those unexpected life thrills.
I really liked Eau des Merveilles Bleu also and Bronze Goddess is one of my summer staples. You have me intrigued about Angels Dust
Portia x
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Fab fragrant week, Portia. It was so special to join you and Rose for a wonderful lunch. OMG that bamboo desert! Thank you, it was great to see you and wonderful to meet Rose.
And wow, no wonder you stopped for that beautiful rose photo, it’s stunning.
My fragrant win was trying Champaca by CdG. Amazing fragrance. So soft & gentle, total contrast to the austere black bottle.
Tina G xx
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Yay Tina!
Yeah, that lunch was special for me too. Two hours of non stop eating, chatting and laughing, what a way to spend an afternoon.
That rose is from outer space, freaky.
I never tried Champaca, should I put it on the list?
Portia x
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Uneventful week, though I loved my Tafe block session. We had Heavy Automatics team come out for 2 days to help us dismantle and reassemble an Allison 4000 series Gen IV truck automatic transmission. I used this time to explore Fort & Manle’s samples. The Mr B’s Purple Hat was most liked by the boys in my class. The Amber scent had very polarised opinions. A love-hate.
I wanted to see how Mitsouko 2015 parfum projected, smelled etc so I put some on my 14yo son. Very different experience to having it on me. I picked it up for hours each time I walked past him. Interesting. So much more peach on him too. It gets ambery on me.
My youngest son (12) wore Sylvaine Delacourte’s Floentina. Given his testosterone levels are raging, I didn’t know if it would work on his musty skin. It does! Doubles the musk. He found it ok, but prefers colognes and O de Lancome.
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Hey Kate,
What is a TAFE block session? So good that you wore your Fort & Manle fragrances for them. I hope we get a post on the different reactions, cool idea.
Mitsouko! My dear sweet love. EVERY man should wear it, at least once.
OMG! 12! Thank goodness I don’t have to do that again. It’s hard to think when your body is changing so quickly.
Portia xx
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Jeff and I adopted a kitten last week. Whoa-it’s like having a rambunctious toddler in the house! Cute as a button (Maine Coon with extra toes <3) but man, I gotta get me some cat scissors! I don't dare wear my rainbow sandals. Ouch!
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HA! New members of the family are fun, scary and a big time sucker.
Good luck with your kitty Claudia.
Portia xx
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I’m glad to hear Jin is feeling better! I can’t believe I have heard almost nothing about Bvlgari au the noir. I love the sound of a hint of rose and leather, and I also love au the Rouge (another one you don’t hear much about).
This week has been pretty light on perfume since I’ve been trying to avoid getting a cold (and failing) but I did get my new FB of five o clock au gingembre!! I finally caved in and bought it after reading on APJ that they were taking it out of the export line, thank you for the heads-up!!
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Hiya Nemo,
au the Rouge is a post written by TinaG a couple of years ago here on APJ. It still manages to come in top 10 reads some months. I think it’s an underground hit.
Five o clock au gingembre! Great choice, isn’t the opening fabulous? Good on you for getting one.
Portia x
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This must have been the week of maladies. I discovered a sore on my leg, had the doctor look at it and take a biopsy. I don’t have the result yet but hope it will be negative.
Positive news on the perfume front: I successfully bid on a vintage L’Air du Temps coffret with EdT, Parfum & Soap. I’m also expecting AdP Ginepro di Sardegna sometime this week. Now I’m going to hunt down a bottle of vintage Je Reviens. Man, I have to live to 500 years to use up all my perfumes.
I’m curious what you bought at the Libertine warehouse sale.
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Hi Ingrid,
Fingers crossed your leg is nothing important.
Woo Hoo on the L’Air du Temps. It’s so pretty, good choice.
You know, I am so disgusted at my frag gluttony this week that I can’t even open the Libertine carry bag. Scott is coming on Tuesday, we can look through it together.
Portia x
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I enjoy reading your scent diaries very much, hoping that poor Jin is feeling better. We were very lucky to have a doctor that was willing to take my daughter’s tonsils out when she was 12, she had been sick all the time and was so much better when those pesky things were out. I am wondering about the Bulgari black tea as I like all the others and am wearing the white tea right now, and I’m jealous of Claudia with her Maine Coon kitten! Our last cat was a MC, they are just the best.
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Thanks Rosarita313,
Jin is on the mend, he was even making jokes again yesterday.
The black tea is very nice. Refreshingly dry yet quite mellow also.
I’m not sure we even get maine Coon cats here in Oz. Bum.
Portia xx
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Sounds like you two have really been in the wars. I hope you’re all better now.
By comparison, I had a very quiet week. I’m just counting the days down to when the baby arrives. Should be a grandad within 3 weeks!
My scent story for the week:
Monday: Vintage Rochas Macassar. A huge old-style frag. I have to use this sparingly. as I only have a mini, but I do love to get it out occasionally.
Tuesday: Phaedon Tabac Rouge. At times I think this is even better than Tobacco Vanille.
Wednesday: HdP 1740. Just yum. A fantastic leather, even manages to make me forget my immortelle aversion.
Thursday: Tauer Lonestar Memories. Definitely an “outside” fragrance, this will get more air time now I’m no longer in the office.
Friday: Serge Lutens Ambre Sultan. Not my first choice of ambers, but nice.
Saturday. Amouage Opius III. Love this long-lasting yellow floral in the cold.
Sunday. L’Artisan Seville a L’Aube. Honeyed orange; one of my all-time favourites.
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Hey Greg (GRANDAD!! How exciting),
Yeah, hopefully the wars are done for this season.
Tabac Rouge is freaking amazing. No wonder it’s the one Phaedon that everyone focuses on.
Lonestar Memories turned on me after a few wearings, no idea what happened. I think you’ve got my moved on one.
Ambre Sultana! YUM!
Seville a l’Aube, wow you have had some seriously wonderful frags this week. Like a fragrant cool crew.
Portia xx
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hhahhaha, that picture of gays using shield to defend against god’s wrath is too goood 😀
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Hey Fazal,
I KNOW RIGHT!! I chuckle at it as well. Too good.
Portia xx
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Hope Jin is back in good form now Portia!
My week started with a cold bleak and dreary Monday so I wore Comme des Garçons Black for a warming peppery kick to get me through the work day. When I got home I changed into comfy clothes and put on a jumper which was gloriously clovy wafting Kenzo Jungle L’Elephant from the last time I’d worn it. Later after dinner and bedtime routines with my son I switched to my default Le Petite Robe Noire (LPRN) lotion for bed.
On Tuesday I didn’t feel like I’d had enough sleep so I wore Juliette Had A Gun Gentlewoman for a orangey almond. Kind of like perfume tonic. It lasted through my workday and my French class and I got home late and pretty much changed into my jammies and LPRN lotion and headed for bed.
Wednesday I wore Guerlain’s Encens Mythique de Orient, which I love, but it was just the wrong day for it – too cold – and I wished I’d chosen something spicier like Chergui or 5 O’Clock Gingembre instead. Work then we made teriyaki chicken and fried rice for dinner and played computer games till my son’s bedtime.
Thursday I wore Chergui to combat the cold but was dismayed to see my sample was almost empty. Train was cancelled due to a breakdown and it was freezing waiting for the next one. Only just made it to wirk on time and spent my first meeting trying to defrost and making a mental note that winter is here and it’s past time to break out the gloves and hat! Left work early pick up my son and drive him across town for another dental appt then afterwards we went to visit my Grandpa who was back at the aged care centre. Then back home for take away chicken packs for dinner (son’s choice), more computer games and bedtime. Logged onto ebay after he was asleep and the furst thing to catch my eye was a partial bottle of Chergui listed at a fair price! Serendipity! Score! Wore LPRN lotion to bed.
Friday wore a spritz of Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille along with gloves to combat the cold and smelled delightfully similar to rum soaked xmas pudding 😉 Work really dragged but afterwards caught up with some workmates for a few drinks which was nice then back home for a late pasta dinner.
Saturday was super busy packing to travel for work on Sunday and doing washing and buying groceries for my hubbie and son snd making them a picture checklist so they’d remember all the stuff to take to school (swimming week!) and remember to check the cat’s food, water and litter. I wore Comme des Garçons 8 88 from a sample as part if the NST friday challenge. Nice peppery green wood but not FB worthy for me.
Sunday we spent all day at hubbie and son’s karate grading and I caught a taxi from there to the airport. Wore a discreet spritz of 5 O’Clock Gingembre for the day and the flight…and there ends another week.
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OOOOH! Big week at Chez Lillibet!
Lovely frag choices, Particularly love Chergui and 5 O’clock. Weird that the Encens didn’t work in the cold for you, BUM!
Portia xx
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