Esxence 2019. Heading to Milan.

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hey APJ

I am heading to Milan for the Esxence – The Scent of Excellence 2019 international event, dedicated to artistic perfumery.  (artistic perfumery – covers a lot of stuff  – hahahahaha) Blondeswonder is coming with me as my professional carer, or manager, depending which way you want to look at it.   We are gonna get the night train down to Milan.  We are  way excited for this as we both love trains, but neither of us have ever had a sleeper cabin, or whatever they are called.  We leave Salzburg at 22.00 and get into Milan at 09.00.  The train station is across the road from the hotel, and the hotel to the show is about a ten minute walk.   What am I gonna be doing?

Esxence 2019.  Heading to Milan.

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Friendship and Radio Break my Vero Profumo Silence

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hey APJ.

“Perfume whispers to our noses, speaks to us intimately, makes connections with our thoughts.”    Jean-Claude Ellena 

I have found it quite difficult to wear Vero`s perfumes since she passed away in December.  I have done, but not felt comfortable with it, and so have left them in my Vero box.  This happens to be a huge Chanel box, which always made Vero laugh.  Unexpectedly this past week blew me right out of this mourning phase.

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Friendship and Radio Breaks my Vero Profumo Silence

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Perfume, Punk, and Cookies.

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hey APJ Perfumistas, Music Fans, and Cookie Monsters

I am gonna be interviewed live, on a local radio station on the 15th of March.  Talking about perfumes, punk, and cookies.  I am so freaking excited I asked Portia if I could share the news with you.  I mean, what is the definition of local radio in 2019 huh?  You can all listen to it online anywhere in the world.

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Perfume, Punk, and Cookies.

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1957 by Olivier Polge for Les Exclusifs de Chanel 2018

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hey APJ

I was in Vienna last week to see the New York based band Brass Against.   The Resistance Tour.  They were performing in a small club, maximum 350 people.  The band play covers of classic songs by Audioslave, Tool, Back Sabbath, Rage Against the Machine …….  They are political in a time where a lot of bands sit on the wall twiddling their thumbs, not wanting to upset their fan base.  Brass Against are not here for the Instagram likes.  Hardcore and absolutely brilliant; as mind-blowing as when I first saw The Clash.

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Brass Against.  Wake Up!

As luck would have it the venue was a mere ten minutes walk from the Chanel Exclusif counter.

1957 by Olivier Polge for Les Exclusifs de Chanel 2018

“In a society where speed is everything, perfumes are judged in a couple of seconds, as if at a glance.  The hastiness of these assessments upsets me: a perfume can only tell its story when it is smelled and worn.”  JEAN-CLAUDE ELLENA   Continue reading

My Perfume Wardrobe. Core Collection.

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Greetings Perfumistas

“I need to know what comprises your perfume wardrobe as I endeavor to bring mine back to a reasonable amount of bottles.”  Brigitte APJ Family Member

The above was in answer to a comment I made on Portia´s recent Saturday Question: Perfume Buying Rules.  I have a fairly small collection both for a perfumista and a blogger.  And I have spent some time gathering my thoughts as to why that is so.  After all, I am an absolute perfume junkie.

My Perfume Wardrobe.  Core Collection.

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Scenting Gigs, The Rampage, and MMA.

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hey Guys

I have not had proper training session at the gym for a couple of weeks, due to a hurt knee and a strained neck.  I am actually in a filthy bad mood because of it,  but no time to really feel properly sorry for myself as the last week was so busy.  This is a fifth Tuesday which is not a normal CQ Tuesday so I will take the liberty of telling you what went down.  You will need to excuse the few dodgy photos.

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The Electric Perfume Acid Test

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Val the Cookie Queen

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“She comes in colours everywhere, she combs her hair, she’s like a rainbow ..”  1967.  The Rolling Stones.

Hey Happy Trippers

Perfume is my drug of choice, these days at least.   As I was writing up my recent psychedelic special in Strange Tales Part II,  I got to thinking about what fragrances I consider as trippy.

Do colours smell?  Are they light, or dark, or sparkly?  Do they appear in layers?  Do they move?  Can you taste them?

The Electric Perfume Acid Test

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Hermessence Cèdre Sambac EdT by Christine Nagel for Hermès 2018

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Hey APJ

I seldom binge watch anything on TV.   I don’t have the attention span, nor the time, and am pretty fussy about what I watch.  Not that I wanna appear as a snotty bitch, I am an EastEnders fan after all.  Still it is autumn and cookie season is in full swing.  I spend a lot of time in my kitchen, which makes it ideal for hammering my way through several hours of TV, as I make and weigh hundreds of dough balls.

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Hermessence Cèdre Sambac EdT by Christine Nagel for Hermès 2018

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