Portia

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Hello Australian Perfume Junkies and friends, Scent Diary is a fantastic memory tool. Looking through some much earlier Scent Diaries over the 2025 Xmas break reminded me how good our life is. It also inspires me to live life as fully as possible so there are things to talk about. This is a win.

Your involvement is key. Hope you enjoy it and will let me know what’s happening in your lives too. What I really loved about original Scent Diary was the interaction with perfumistas around the world, and their interactions with each other. Scent Diary became a friendly conversation hub and it was epic. We can disagree but keep it nice and try not to give or take offense. Right now the world needs a web of friendships and connection more than ever.

Jin and I have made so many friends, near and far, through perfume. So let’s reunite the old and welcome some new friends too.

Scent Diary: 9.3-15.3.2026

Monday

Cleaning day starts with putting the dark towels and bathroom mats on to wash. Then dusting the house’ art and various other bits.

Spritzed Aether Methaldone. So fabulously weird. MMMM. About halfway through my bottle. Totally discontinued. This is a very sad story.

Jin is now home on Mondays so I have to find him morning jobs to do so I can vacuum. Today he’s taking my BFF Kath’s Dad to a medical appointment. Before that we had a cuppa together and watched a Busan travelogue by an Aussie Vlogger. There were so many things we are yet to do there. A list has been started.

While I wait for Jin to go I’m doing a spot of blogging/commenting and getting the Trivia Q&A sorted.

House is vacuumed. Printed Trivia sheets for the week.

Starting on some advance Q&A for jackpots and runs.

Jin had stuff to do so I got to pick Dad up from the doctor. Then we took his car for a drive to keep it running right, filled it with gas and got to have a chin wag. It was a lovely hour or so.

Home. STARVING! Lunch, yes my Pumpkin Soup. The bread had gone white mould, damnit! I cooked some bacon and onions to stir through too. DELICIOUS!

Dogs fed and walked. It’s 2.30pm.

More blogging and advance Trivia Q&A.

Spritzed some Sisley Eau de Campagne. Perfect humidity beater on this warm, muggy, sprinkling day.

We went for Vietnamese dinner with Jin’s bestie Matt. Sorry, no pic. It was nice to catch up.

Jin feeling a little poorly. He showered, took a night tablet and went to bed.

I sent this weeks Trivia Q&A to the Queens and did some blogging.

Bath, read Persuasion, spritzed DIOR Santal Noir. Forgot how lovely it is, actually I’m not sure I ever knew. I enjoyed it so much that my Undina’s Looking Glass post is about Santal Noir next fortnight.

Sleep

Tuesday

Something I found this morning that may interest you. It’s a write up by the lovely Vanessa on Bonkers About Perfume of a perfume themed talk I gave for Perfume Lovers London about matching modern fragrances with fabulous historic women. With International Women’s Day this week I thought you might like to have a read.

Wore Dioriviera from an STC decant.

Loads of office work and follow ups today.

Hit the bath at 2pm. Tried to dye my beard but it was a dismal failure. Now I look homeless.

Wore L’Artisan Safran Troublant to work. Smells so good

Jin came home but basically had a nap.

Face, Work, Home.

CHANEL Jersey to bed.

Wednesday

Went to the bathroom this morning and had forgotten about my sad beard dye job. It’s awful. Hardly recognized myself.

Big sprays of A Drop d’Issey to cheer myself up.

Got some low key running around to do today. Groceries, some jewellery being fixed and appraised, and some invoice preparing.

Dogs fed and walked in the glorious sunshine. It’s steamy humid after some rain but so good to be outside.

I’m going to enjoy a spot of calm.

FINISHED Persuasion! Started rereading The Elenium by David Eddings. My physical compendium fell apart a few years ago so I’ve rebought it on the Kindle. So good to be back in this world.

Watched the second Jurassic World film. Not as awful as memory had it. Pretty sure the third is a disaster. It’s next.

ANNOYING! I stuffed up and two posts dropped on Undina’s Looking Glass. Very annoyed at myself. Well, I say very annoyed, really I’m just eye rolling at myself. I don’t think it’s happened before in the nearly 15 years of blogging. So going to give myself a pass.

Work. Spritzed Boucheron Jaipur homme liberally. Smooth and elegant. TOTALLY unisex.

Home. Dogs fed and walked. Jin in bed. Blogged a little, comment answering and leaving.

Gave myself a couple of swipes of CHANEL Coco vintage extrait. MMMMM

I’m bushed. Bed.

Wanted to mention that today Maxi Shield had her funeral and procession down Oxford Street. What an incredible farewell to a queen that meant so much to so many. She was Sydney’s most famous Drag Queen of this generation and a lovely person. We were buddies early on but her star rose as mine waned so we moved in different circles. My mind is crowded with so many fun memories of her, hard to sleep. Fly high love. This was her publicity shot for when she worked with Turbo Trivia, what a cool kid.

Thursday

Woke. Hit the supermarket. Car to Mechanic.

Serge Lutens Poivre Noir.

Gave the house a tidy up because my mate Miranda is coming.

Lunchtime spritz of DIOR Dioriviera. What would we at do without Surrender To Chance?

Miranda came and we lunched. Then he walked me through his two sound systems. OMG! So much to know, it’s really involved. HA! This will take a bit of learning. The catch up was wonderful, I’m so glad we are friends.

Collected the car.

Fed and walked the dogs in glorious sunshine. It’s at that really lovely Indian Summer part of Autumn. 25°C/77f with a breeze.

Jin came home and we grabbed his gear. Set off for the Golf Course where we meandered around the first nine holes. Jin just having a hit. Playing three balls at a time. I was playing with my phone and he got a REALLY long putt in, right from the very edge of the green. When he asked if I saw it, and noted me on the phone, his face fell. Two gents on the next fairway yelled that they had seen it, and amazing! Well, Jin was walking on air the whole time after that. I don’t wan’t to play golf but love walking the course with him.

Oatlands Golf Club sells more of these electric buggies than any other course. Golfers get a special discount so OF COURSE Jin needed one. It makes me deeply happy that he has a hobby that’s healthy and fun. I’m hoping he will also make some friends at the club that he can play with.

We came home and I’d decided we were having Vietnamese Rolls for dinner. Everything was bought and the two of us set to, doing our parts. Tonight was pretty light on, and the sauces are not pictured. SO delicious, and nutritious.

We hit the couch with the dogs and watched Jin’s Rugby League team (the mighty Parramatta Eels) win their match. It was a nail biting, edge of the seat clash and so satisfying.

Jin hit the bed.

Had a long, leisurely, super hot salt bath. Both iodised table salt and Epsom Salts.

I fed and walked the pups. Got to reading my book. The Elenium. Came out to make a cuppa and a Soju bottle dived for freedom. I caught it with my toe. Saved the bottle, smashed my toe. OUCH! Please ignore my beat up pedicure, tomorrow was supposed to be the day. Looks like it might have to wait till Monday.

Spritzed Sha-Lemur, Guerlain’s Shalimar Madagascar. It was a gift from my mate Tim and every time it gets the spritz I’m reminded of his amazing generosity.

Friday

Not quite sure what’s up with me but today when the alarm went off I did not want to get out of bed so hit off. Woke at 10.30am! Feeling a bit wobbly. Grabbed the dogs and had a cuddle on the couch. Now ready for the day.

In honor of my Perfume Posse post I’m wearing Sunrise in Cadaques by Salvador Dali this morning. LOVE that ambergris open.

Fed and walked the dogs. Another spectacular day.

Today is Podcast day with the lovely Lisa Wright. Called ALS: To The Moon and Back. We discuss Lisa’s diagnosis, battles both with herself, specialists and bureaucracy. We also chat about our lives, loves and the current concerns. Here’s the Buzzsprout link to all the episodes.

My Sunrise in Cadaques is still pumping away quietly but I’m feeling like wearing something bolder so I hit Juliette Has A Gun Midnight Oud. One of my favourite rose/oud/patchouli/amber combos. It may even be my favourite. There’s quite a bit of air in this bottle.

Jin came home. He discovered his home tool kit has gone missing. Every now and then we accidentally leave our garage door open, he thinks someone came in and nicked it. He’s had almost everything in it since his apprentice days. So at least 15 years. His thoughts: That stuff owes him nothing and has been incredibly good to him. Time for a new home, clearly. Now he gets the joy of buying new. This man is a freaking saint.

We watched the footy together, I made left over Vietnamese Rolls.

During the second game I hit the bath. Full on, boiling hot, bubble bath. Such deliciousness. I lay there playing dumb games on my phone and thinking how bloody fortunate we are.

When Jin went to bed I started re-watching Turning Point. The Kate Hudson basketball series. It’s such a fun watch and I couldn’t stop. Full binge mode. There’s only two eps left.

GAH! Now it’s 3am! I’m up early for the Art Gallery with Evie.

Elizabeth Taylor Diamonds and Emeralds.

BED!

Saturday

Up early (for me) at 7am. Did the house chores. Walked the dogs.

Gave myself a hefty sporting of CHANEL Boy.

Off to town via train. Bumped into our mate Gary on the station. He’s off to work driving trains. So glad to catch up.

Met Eve at the Art Gallery of NSW. We booked the three week lecture series: Big shots: iconic portraits, street and fashion photographs with journalist and photographer Dr. Tony Maniaty. Week one was 13 iconic portrait photographs. Most I’d never seen but Eve knew more than half. I wasn’t allowed to take pics but we enjoyed the talk and the photos. At the end of the three weeks all the pics will be listed for any of you interested to see the choices. Then we walked the gallery. Had some lunch. Wandered some more, shared a sweet treat, and walked our way down to Circular Quay to get transport home.

Jin collected me at the station and we did the back 6 holes of the golf course. Him hitting, me accompanying him. Saw this gorgeous duck family.

We had Sushi Train for dinner, watched some footy and went to bed.

I spritzed Tom Ford Bois Pacifique from my STC sample.

Sunday

Lazy wake up this morning. Jin brought the dogs in after giving them their morning wee and I snoozed with them for another hour. HEAVEN!

Maria Candida Gentile Exultat. I wanted the Sunday rush of incense and woods.

We had Korean BarBQ lunch with BFFs Kath and Phil but had so much to catch up on that I completely forgot to take pics.

Here’s Kath’s only pic.

Came home. Watched the footy. Had leftover Vietnamese Rolls.

Bath time.

 

I came to the computer to get this week tidied up and start on Trivia Q&A.

 

 

How was your week? Let me know what you’ve been up to too.
Portia x