“So long, farewell …… I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye … ” Rodgers and Hammerstein.

/ cookie queen / 65 Comments

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Val the Cookie Queen

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Dearest APJ

Just over six years ago I met Portia in a café in Vienna.  He had posted on APJ that he would touring Europe and that if anyone wanted to meet up with him then cool.  As fate would have it, Vienna was a part of his trip.  Most of you readers know the story.

There is no doubt in my mind that we knew each other in a former life.   This did not feel like a first meeting.  During the course of our non-stop chatter I asked jokingly if he wanted me to write a post or two on APJ.  He said sure, twice a month, alternate Tuesdays.  Boom.  I became Cookie Queen on the spot, and we went and bought a bottle of Coromandel to cement the deal.

IMG_0575

VIENNA 2014

It would not be an exaggeration to say that blind date changed my life.  From meeting Vero to having my radio show, and so much in-between.  I have covered a lot of it in my years of blogging.  I am me, Portia is she, and we pretend nothing.  We are in real life as we are in our posts, except louder.   And that has been the key to the wonderful community that Portia founded here on APJ.   It brought out the real in everyone.

I could blab on forever, sobbing into my Shalimar but no!  A time to build up, a time to break down.   Shit happens and we need to make way for more.

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LONDON 2018

I thank you all for the love shown to me, for helping me to become the person that I am now.  Perfume is the link, but never the whole story.   I am not sad that I won’t be writing about perfume so much, I lost a part of that joy when Vero died.  Not the pleasure of fragrance, but the desire to really write about it.  Moving onto working with Hiram Green will be next thing and that really excites me.  Once a junkie, always a junkie huh?

I am not gone.  I will still be writing my Strange Tales on A Bottled Rose, and staying  perfume themed on my Instagram @armadilloscookiequeen.    And if you have time you can tune into my live radio shows, first and third Fridays of the month.  The livestream link is always in my Instagram bio.

I thank my family for putting up with me.  For sniffing my wrists a million times, for patiently accepting the amount of time it actually took to prepare and write a post.  For  ignoring my tears and tantrums and screaming about deadlines.

Portia.  I love you.

Ciao APJ.

Goodbye Bussis.

CQ. 

I do have one more Tuesday in February and I have never missed a deadline and have no intention of doing so now.  I am gonna dig out a bunch of my favourite photos and just post them.  xxx 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOTD 3.2-9.2.2020

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies / 117 Comments

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

A SOTD (Scent Of The Day) thread is a really good conversation generator. The idea is you’ll chime in through the week with whatever scent you are wearing. You don’t need to be super knowledgable, have high faluting tastes or be a published author to comment. Just tell us what fragrance you’re wearing, smelling, buying etc. and how it makes you feel and/or anything else about it that tickles your fancy.

You can also comment on everyone else choices too. It’s great to tell someone how much you love their choice, ask for more info about it, the house or perfumer. There’s someone here from around the world 24/7 and perfume people love to chat.

SOTD 3.2-9.2.2020
Continue reading →

Mood Scent 4: Floral Fragrances

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies / 45 Comments

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Portia

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Hey there APJ,

It’s Mood Scent 4 week. WOO HOO! With the first Monday of the month the crew are looking at floral fragrance. It’s a broad and deep selection and winnowing it down to best in show has been  big deal for me. These choices are subject to change, daily. Can’t wait to read about your favourite florals in the comments too.

So excited to be blogging with these three superstars again:  Esperanza L’Esperessence, Megan Megan In Sainte Maxime and Samantha I Scent You A Day. Check theirs out too.

 

Mood Scent 4: Floral Fragrances

Continue reading →

SOTD 27.1-2.2.2020

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies / 166 Comments

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Portia

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Hi APJ,

A SOTD (Scent Of The Day) thread is a really good conversation generator. The idea is you’ll chime in through the week with whatever scent you are wearing. You don’t need to be super knowledgable, have high faluting tastes or be a published author to comment. Just tell us what fragrance you’re wearing, smelling, buying etc. and how it makes you feel and/or anything else about it that tickles your fancy.

You can also comment on everyone else choices too. It’s great to tell someone how much you love their choice, ask for more info about it, the house or perfumer. There’s someone here from around the world 24/7 and perfume people love to chat.

SOTD 27.1-2.2.2020
Continue reading →

Scent Diary: 20.1-26.1.2020

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies / 40 Comments

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Portia

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Hey there APJ Crew,

This week was a Sample Only Week. Using up a bunch of the samples lying around here unloved. The idea has been to put the whole .7ml (or whatever is left of a decant) on at once and wear it. I drop the lot in my hand, rub it together after shave wise and then pat it on my chest and arms. Effective. These samples have been purchased from First In Fragrance, Surrender To Chance or LuckyScent and a couple were frag friend gifted.

Continue reading →

Saturday Question: What Are Some Good Saturday Questions?

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies / 135 Comments

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Portia

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Hello Fellow Fumies,

At APJ we have a Saturday Question. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it’s a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.

The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back regularly and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them. The aim is to generate real conversation and connection even though we are scattered around the globe.

Continue reading →

L’Homme Ideal Cologne by Guerlain

/ AustralianPerfumeJunkies / 10 Comments

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Narth

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Hello friends, it’s Narth here reminiscing about a recent perfume frenzy in perfumeland. I was walking past a small perfume stand in a shopping centre, the sort with everything ON SPECIAL and where at times some real gems show up. Stuck in the middle of all the Joops and Rober Cavallis was a Guerlain I had never noticed before and it was only 20.00! After a bit of phone research I bought it, ripped it open and sprayed myself all over. This was fantastic! I posted about it in perfumeland and seemingly simultaneously did many other people. And that’s when the frenzy began as information flew about as to where to find more bottles, could you still buy it on the website? Was it really that wonderful? Were we all lemmings? It was fabulously fun and I bought five, three for myself and two for gifts.

Guerlain L’Homme Ideal Cologne 2015

The Frenzy and The King

Top: Orange, Bergamot, Pink Pepper, Grapefruit
Middle: Almond, Neroli
Base: White Musk, Vetiver

This scent, now sadly discontinued is a multifaceted freshie which truly has earned the moniker THE KING because it’s such a wonderfully affordable treasure. It’s bright and creamy, not in stages but all the way through. The almond is impressive. It’s not a marzipan but rather the white smooth interior of the nut. That and the white musk are always there, providing a beautiful backdrop to the citrus. It’s a fantastic hot weather scent and on cooler days it surprises with its depth.

Perfume frenzies are a lot of fun.. and a lot of pain, depending on your wallet and how likely you are to have regrets over being caught up in them. During my BPAL days I was on that frenzy train monthly. Yes there’s an addictive element, a definite high with the ordering, the searching, the speculating about notes. Nowadays these bursts of excitement mostly pass me by. I’ll look at my phone and whatever amazing thing appeared is already gone. And while I’m okay about that because I am now supposedly a responsible consumer of perfume I very much enjoyed my Guerlain L’Homme IDEAL frenzy and if I find another one I’ll be buying it!

Tell me your perfume frenzy stories, triumphs or tragic misses!

Bye for now,
Narth xx