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: 23.3-29.3.2026

Monday

I woke at 2.30am. Hung the laundry and put another load on. Found myself wide awake. I’ve still got Malle Promise from last night on my chest but wanted something different so I grabbed the Sisley Eau de Campagne decant and spritzed my wrists. Very satisfying. Cuppa, blogged, book.

Back awake at 8am, hit the snooze and slept till 9. Lovely.

Jin is home today and coughing. It sounds very chesty. Monitoring his progress.

Went to the toilet and by habit opened my phone. Gah! Did my Morning Routine: 10 Minutes, even though I’d already busted #1. No drama. Life is about living through the mistakes.

• Don’t Touch the Phone
• Get Sunlight in My Eyes
• Drink Water
• Move Body 3 Minutes
• Set One Intention
• Avoid Negative Input (TV, Socials, Arguments)
• One Small Win

Started my week with Neela Vermeire Creations Pichola 2022.

Straight to the desk, left some friends WhatsApp voice messages and hit the Trivia Q&A. Monday is ACTION DAY!

Jin wanted to go to the mall and have some lunch. I tagged along. He had that pick and mix Chinese soup that looks like laksa but isn’t. This enormous bowl will be three meals.

I grabbed a meat pie from Pie Face. My fave.

Home, Jin went off to play golf.

Finished the Trivia Q&A by 4pm.

Time to dust and vacuum the house.

Jin came home in time to take us off to Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre for Aquarobics. He was feeling really beat so he hit the saunas and spas, I did the class. So good.

Wearing both Veil by Oliver & Co and Cedre Atlas by Atelier Cologne. Veil is too full on and weird by itself tonight, once Cedre Atlas joins it became less freaky and settled into lovely.

Bed, night.

Tuesday

Slept in. Beautiful sunny morning. Had to do some phone stuff before my Morning Routine: 10 Minutes because it was super time sensitive. Got my Morning Routine: 10 Minutes done. Intention is to really enjoy Trivia tonight. Suck up every drop of what a fabulous job I have and do.

Spritzed Gris Dior. What a pretty, sweet nothing it is. I’m about halfway through the bottle but think it might be off to greener pastures soon.

Dogs fed and walked. Today was so glorious, thought you’d like a photo. That’s straight off my phone, no filters. The graveyard across the road from our apartment block, a Magritte sky and the skyscrapers of Parramatta. Dogs were so happy.

This pic just came up on my computer from our recent holiday with Jin’s Dad, Mum and Aunty. Such a happy, perfect representation of them all.  Made me smile and I thought you could all do with a shot of a happy family.

Doing some blogging and Trivia organising.

Had a steaming bubble bath.

Hit myself with a lavish application of Le Galion Bourrasque. Such a satisfying spicy amber rose. It feels like an elevated indie production. Suave.

My bloody sty has come up again. No drag tonight.

It was a bit quiet at work. There were some complaints about the price of food. It seems we have lost a couple of teams to a competing hotel, even though the Trivia is shit. Apparently the food is better and considerably cheaper. I emailed the venue and have offered a couple of suggestions. Fingers crossed.

Home, blogging.

Fed and walked the pups.

A couple of swipes of vintage CHANEL Coco.

BED!

Wednesday

Up at sparrow’s fart to get the car to the mechanic.

Did my Morning Routine: 10 Minutes.

Single spritz of Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Lys Soleia. What a freaking beauty.

Took the car to Josh, my mechanic.

Also had to get to get my car rego done. Caught the tram down to the Service NSW in Parramatta CBD. Had it done and dusted in under 30 minutes, friendliest counter lady.

Walked home in the glorious sunshine.

Picked up the Hart & Hedi sample pack from the Post Office. Very excited. There are now three Sample Packs awaiting attention. The Parfums de Marly Les Extraits was given to me by Michael, the Strand Arcade stand alone store manager. I paid full price for the other two, independent Sydney perfumeries. Arakyal has one that I really loved on first try in a crowded room. Hart & Hedi will be a totally new adventure. Exciting times.

Did some blogging.

Took this very cool photo of light through bottles on my desk.

BATH TIME!

Heavy spritzing of ZARA Vetiver Pamplemousse. Fresh and bite. Perfect for this Indian summer here in OZ.

Tonight was banging at trivia. Almost a completely full house. Jin brought Aunty Ann, her friend Valda and his BFF Matt. I grabbed Kath’s dad. They made a dream team and were only 2 points off a prize. There were two big tables behind me too, including Jin & crew.

Looks like we have a new Sunday home too. Lockie’s Hotel at Leppington are hung ho. Woo Hoo! This is excellent news.

Home. Hung with Jin in bed as he went to sleep. Fed and walked the dogs.

Computer stuff, including today’s update. Saw this AI house. I know it’s not perfect BUT it does look like the starting point for something I think we could live in. Maybe, one day.

Today was full.

Spritzed Tom Ford Oud Minerale from my FragranceNet decant tonight for bed. Satisfyingly salty darkness.

Thursday

Up early. Did my Morning Routine: 10 Minutes. Added a couple of extra stretches. Feeling good.

Calvin Klein Contradiction Woman. Frosty space roses. This 100ml bottle has about 5ml left in it. My second bottle finished. It’s so easy and was recommended to me by a friend.

Walked the dogs.

Did an ALS: To the Moon and Back podcast session with Lisa Wright. Today we went super far ranging and hit everything from teeth to politics and so much in between. It was fun for us, hope it is for you.

Ran out the door to catch up with my mate Tim Tam. We went to a perfume outlet store. Yes, we shopped. I’m absolutely disgraced but LOVED it. Only spent $80 more than I’d envisioned being my upper limit but mostly it’s gifts, well some are gifts.  Then we hit a closing down store that has been a mainstay through my adult life. Peter’s of Kensington is having a huge clear out. LOVED so many things and bought none. We did have lunch there though. I’m so sorry but there are no photos. We were having WAY too much fun.

Then I did a perfume drop off to my mate Fionn at this fabulous Newtown hotel. He had bought a couple of my frags from the sales docs. YAY! The whole place is thoughtfully designed, a bit of a rabbit warren. Gave them my trivia card. YAY!

Home quickly. We had a cracking thunder and lightning storm with full on deluge. It was Biblical.

Spritzed Le Galion Sang Bleu, the original that smells like vintage DIOR Fahrenheit. OMG! It’s just gorgeous.

Jin and I met our friend Jin (the tattooist) and her BFF Jas at a Korean restaurant in Lidcombe where the specialty is Steamed Pork and Boiled Pork Trotters. They come like an Indian Thali. Meat in the middle, surrounded by side dishes. While I didn’t hate it, it’s not my favourite. The others went ape shit for it. We drank beer and soju together. YUM!

Afterwards we went to a nearby hotel for drinks. Jin and Jin talked about his next tattoo. A half leg of the Alice in Wonderland story with Korean flowers and some lunar year animals again. It’s going to be super cool.

Home. Fed and walked the dogs. Jin was in bed so I went and chatted to him for about 15 minutes.

Came, blogged, answered some emails.

Finished up a decant that had lost its sticker. Spicy, woodsy, amberish thing that smells like something designer from the 1980s for men. Very nice. No idea what it is. I smell SO GOOD!

Book, bed. Night.

Friday

OOHHH! It’s a lovely brisk morning. Rainy, cloudy and cool. The grass but not frost but the air feels like it should be. Our two old dogs were positively frisky on their wee walk.

Did my Morning Routine: 10 Minutes. My intention today includes. Finish two blog posts, visit 5 venues and leave my Trivia card and start on the book I’m supposed to review for DNA Magazine due next week.

At the computer, ready to get blogs done. YAY!

Left arm: Dries Van Noten Rock the Myrrh from STC decant

Right arm: Immortelle Solaire by Les Indemodables, also STC decant

Jumped in the car and met my Kings Park Tavern girlfriends. It’s been at least 20 years of friendship. They are so fabulous and we always have the best catch ups. I’m so angry at myself for not taking a picture. These women are really important to me. Especially Sue and Lizzy. While at the club I gave in my business card. The girls also gave me two other venue names to check out. On my way home I dropped in and met with the managers. Very productive.

Got home around 4pm. Jin had just arrived home and had taken full ownership of the couch with the dogs. He was off to ZZZZLand for an hour so I hit the bead and did same.

We then headed out for dinner at our favourite local cheapy Thai restaurant. YUM!

Afterwards I hit a boiling hot bubble bath. With the bar heater on. It suddenly turned very cool and blustery today. It’s dropped to 13°c, I know hardly freezing but quite cool after our 30°C+ days. Jin and I are LOVING IT!

Jin went to bed, he is bushed.

I’m wearing, and blogging Solar Lavender by Issey Miyake for Perfume Posse next month.

Starting on my book for review, g’night.

Saturday

It was HARD to get started this morning. Did the quickest Morning Routine: 10 Minutes, couldn’t see the sun on the doggy walk because it’s a super cloudy 14°C today.

by Kilian Sweet Redemption today. Met him once at Lucky Scent in LA. He is such a sexy vampire.  We all swooned just a little.

Into town for the last of the Photography Lecture series. Today is Fashion. I’m excited to see what we get to study. 13 photos from the history of fashion, in B&W.

Bus and train to town.

Attended our last lecture in the AGNSW Photographic Series. this week was the Fashion installment. While I applauded most there were a few amazing pics that felt like they were missing with their places taken by less iconic but historically maybe more influential. Pic one is me waiting on the gallery steps for opening. The clouds are blowing past and blue sky is coming. Then Eve, Jenny and I met in the Members Lounge before and after the lecture.

Afterwards Eve and I went around the Ron Mueck exhibition again. Every time it becomes more unsettling.

Home, ONE little spritz of Olympic Orchids Olympic Amber. There has been some evaporation and what was already a big fragrance is now so thick and rich that one spritz is enough to fill the room. So beautiful, but I have to be carful.

Had a nap. Watched footy with Jin. Had KFC for dinner.

Fed and walked dogs.

Double spritz of Nina Ricci L’Air du Temps extrait. SO GOOD! I bought a few of these in the naughties and am only now getting around to wearing some. So beautiful.

Bed

Sunday

Straight out the bed and took the dogs for a walk. The morning is bright and cool. Took them double their usual route and they loved it. By the end Momo had had enough though.

Solar Lavender by Issey Miyake again. It’s so lovely.

Jin wanted to go swimming but I was not into it.

Headed off to lunch with Kath, Jo and Michael at our favourite old school 1970s Australian Chinese. I was the first to arrive as the doors opened. Within 20 minutes the place was jumping.

Jin went off to see a Korean movie with his BFF Matt and my/now our mate Evie. I was reading but fell asleep.

Woke up and the two dogs had jumped up and were happily asleep with me. HA!

Jin came home, we watched some TV. He went to bed. I kept reading.

Heavy spritzing of Neela Vermiere Creations Mohur. HEAVEN!

 

 

 

So, how was your week? What did you spritz, buy, do, eat, read, look at or anything else?
Tell me a story from your week please.
Portia xx