What Is Making My Bath Bubble In August 2017?

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Portia

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Hi there Fumies,

As many of you already know I am a mad keen BATH person. I love the whole experience. Before I draw my bath I fully clean it, then as the water fills I make myself a cuppa to have while in there and make sure I have my Bath Glasses there for the phone games I love to play while soaking. I can happily spend an hour submerged and often do. It’s the best de-stress on earth.

What Is Making My Bath Bubble In August 2017?

Here is my current set of bath products to create the glamorous bubble baths I love so much.

Elizabeth Arden Sunflowers Shower Gel: Haven’t opened it yet but love the scent. A big pump pack for under $20!

Maurer & Wirtz Tabac Original Cologne: This is a cologne I put in the bath regularly if I have a late night bath. The smell is so lovely and leaves me softly scented for sleeping. It was my father’s scent and one of the things I loved about him most.

Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet Bath Oil: Soft, lightly scented skin that feels smooth as silk on your wish list? Penhaligon’s do it right. Very low on bubble but when you feel and smell this good, who cares. This is a very old bottle that I keep refilling.

Robert Piguet Bandit Shower Cream: Found this recently on some USA site for a very reasonable price so bought a few. Lovely leather bubbles with a spicy wood whiff. YUM

Olympic Orchids Amber & Labdanum Bath Oil: The most lavish bath oil on the planet. Perfect as a base to any fragrance with amber or resins and the scent is almost enough on its own to get you through the day.

Roger & Gallet Cedrat: Zingy fresh citrus that bubbles like crazy, you hardly need any to fill your tub and the fragrance lasts under an hour on your skin afterwards.

Guerlain Shalimar: The one and only. I am pretty sure you guys don’t need to be told how luxurious a Shalimar Bubble Bath is?

L’Artisan La Chasse aux Papillons: The prettiest white flowers lightly sweetened that really does smell like flittering butterflies in spring.

So what do you use to bathe? Do you have a special shower gel, soap, bubble bath? Shares please in the comments.
Portia xx

Black Currant Vanilla Body Wash by Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy

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Post by Portia

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Hey the bubblicious APJers,

I like to have bubble baths. For anyone who reads this blog regularly this is hardly news, but for newbies I thought it best you be told. I have bubble baths when I’m getting ready for work or if I’m stressed. Sometimes drawing myself a half bath when I just want to feel clean. In the summer it’s cool baths and in the other seasons as hot as I can stand it. There is something so energising and calming about being submerged and surrounded by bubbles. After my bath it’s a quick sluice under a cool to cold shower, no matter what the temp or season.

Black Currant Vanilla Body Wash

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy

aromatherapy-body-wash-foam-bath-black-currant-vanilla-bbwB&BW

Obviously my mates are on board with this great love of mine and recently AF Beauty bought me a bottle of Black Currant Vanilla Body Wash by Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy. They call it Sensual but I beg to differ, ain’t nothing sensual about this zingy little player. We are talking Ethyl Maltol heaven here: sugary, fizzy, zesty and fun.

It’s like bathing in a cross between Mugler’s Angel & Guerlain La Petit Robe Noire, very fizzy sugar, berries and praline. I like it. It creates a perfect base for any of the Angel line or its gazillion copy cats. I particularly like original Lolita Lempicka, Liberté by Cacharel, Miss Dior Cherie or even Truth or Dare over it. There’s not a huge difference made in their fragrant wear but a little extra zip and sizzle never hurt anyone.

black-currant-vanilla-body-wash-bath-body-works-aromatherapy-portia-bath

As you can see the Aussie back is darker and more lavish looking than its overseas counterpart above. This is taken from my bathtub with me inside, so it’s practically porn. He He he.

B&BW has this for a song, you don’t have to use it as bubble bath because it’s a shower gel too. There are also a wide range of extra products in the same fragrance range to choose from. All at that deliciously bargain B&BW price. NICE!

Do you like to have a bath?
What are your rituals?
Portia xx

Portia’s Week July 2016: Story + Photo Essay

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Post by Portia

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Hey there APJ,

This week has been wonderful. Jin had 5 days off and we spent it happily hanging out, watching movies, cooking, BAR B Qing, eating, socialising, running around chasing Pokemon and in between that I worked, saw mates, shopped and read books. Seriously there aren’t too many weeks that are so full yet so utterly enjoyable. It’s a surprise that even after being with someone for years you can still have fun like kids and can still enjoy each others company as much as the first months when everything was new.

Portia’s Week July 2016: Story + Photo Essay

Portia's Week July 2016 #1

So this week started out as a Pokemon Go week. Here I am in the game in my first hour.

Portia's Week July 2016 #2

My BFF Kath, her sister, nieces and Jin looking super cute. During lunch we invite the nieces to come out to the Parramatta Winterlight Fair. They jumped at the chance.

 

Portia's Week July 2016 #5

Portia's Week July 2016 #4

There was even an Ice Skating Rink. You can see niece 1 and I are there but behind us are Jin & niece 2 having their first ever Ice Skating experience so they needed to use the penguins to help them stay upright. Embarrassingly I was the only one to fall.

Portia's Week July 2016 #3
Kath, Jin & the nieces on the Ferris Wheel. The girls were a complete joy to hang with. We lost track of time and didn’t get them home till nearly midnight. OOOOPS!

 

Portia's Week July 2016 #6

Saturday recuperating with the story of Daphne du Maurier’s family, a rollicking tale that I couldn’t put down.

Portia's Week July 2016 #7

Sunday morning and BFF Kath & I had our pedicures done, then Jin joined us for Yum Cha (Dim Sum).

Portia's Week July 2016 #8

Then, into a Lolita Lempicka Bubble Bath. What a lovely way to unwind, surrounded by violet sugared liquorice bubbles.

Portia's Week July 2016 #9

Over the remnants of Lolita Lempicka I heavily spritzed the Leather Angel. All the Angel fizz and a hit of smoky leather, a perfect drag queen scent.

Portia's Week July 2016 #10

We spent Monday getting haircuts and then Pokemon Hunting. Jin cooked surprise Spicy Pork Bar B Q and we watched Zootopia that night. Then I wrote the Trivia Q&A. Monday was fun.

Portia's Week July 2016 #11

LUSH Rose Jam Shower Gel makes fabulous Bubble Bath and this week I had three baths with it. My fragrances over the top were Mohur by Neela Vermeire Creations, Diabolo Rose by Parfums de Rosine and Guerlain L’Heure Bleu. All three were subtly changed and extra roses added through the remnants of Rose Jam.

Portia's Week July 2016 #12

It was Scott’s Birthday on Wednesday so we met Kerri for some CHANEL sniffing and afternoon tea. We all had single serve cakes, mine was a double chocolate custard filled profiterole. We gave Scott Harrods and Fortnum & Mason teas, a DVD and a DJs Gift Card.

Portia's Week July 2016 #13

Portia's Week July 2016 #14

Scott grabbed a 200ml CHANEL Coromandel from our favourite CHANEL SA Esther at David Jones Sydney City Store. Ask for her, she is a fount of knowledge and we love talking to her about the CHANEL fragrance range. We are particularly interested in the big change of the exclusives line later in the year from EdT to EdP. Sadly she was out of CHANEL No 22 200ml so I went down the road to the CHANEL boutique and bought mine there.

Portia's Week July 2016 #15

Portia's Week July 2016 #16

Wednesday night Jin & I did more Pokemon Hunting (I haven’t walked this much since our last holiday), had some Vietnamese Pork Noodle Soup, did some evening grocery shopping and came home to watch Kung Fu Panda 3, which we really enjoyed.

Portia's Week July 2016 #17

Not so long ago they had this Bandit Silkening Shower Gel at the discounters for a song, I stocked up because it smells amazing, makes great bubbles and leaves my skin fresh and soft.

Portia's Week July 2016 #18

Over the remnants of Bandit I spritzed Exultat by Maria Candida Gentile. Incense and warmer, woodsy resins that is only mildly liturgical. Really easy to wear incense that lasts well and smells amazing.

Portia's Week July 2016 #19

Here I am tonight hosting Trivia (as a man!) to a full house smelling gorgeously of incense, resins and leather.

Portia's Week July 2016 #20

Week July 2016 #21

Week July 2016 #22

My mate Natalie from the now defunct Another Perfume Blog took me walking through the wilds of Mosman today to a fabulous restaurant, Burnt Orange, with a view to die for, both outside & in. Food was delicious and staff friendly.

Week July 2016 #24

Sydney put on a perfect winter day and I chose the lavender, herbal, resinous warmth of CHANEL Boy to accompany me.

 

Week July 2016 #25 CHANEL Boy

Thanks for coming along for snapshots of my week. These are just the bits I remembered to photograph but I couldn’t have fit more photos anyway.

What fragrances or bath products did you use this week? Do anything interesting?
Portia xxx

Rose Jam Shower Gel by LUSH

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Post by Portia

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Hi there APJ Bathers,

Yes, you’re reading it right. That ultra cool, Limited Edition, shower gel that you just missed out on because they usually sell out in SECONDS is back. Be quick.

Rose Jam Shower Gel by LUSH

ROSE JAM SHOWER GEL 100G LUSHLUSH

LUSH says: Inspired by our love for roses and the benefits of nourishing Argan Oil, this shower gel is as decadent as it gets! Skin brightening Goji Berry Juice and Sicilian Lemon give your skin a boost, while Rose Oil and Rose Absolute leave it soothed, softened and beautifully fragranced. A luxuroius way to start each day. 

Sure, the blurb is nice but I wait till the afternoon to bathe because I get ready for work, which usually happens at night. One of the ways I really love to pamper myself is by drawing a bath. Now what better way to laze away the better part of an hour than laying in the warmth (or cool in summer) of a glamorously scented bubble bath? NONE! I tell you truly that it is the most relaxing, turn off the world, indulgent me time that I have.

ROSE JAM SHOWER GEL LUSHPortia in the bath

Rose Jam Shower Gel makes a wonderful bubble bath. It foams well, smells great and leaves me with a soft skin tinged with the fragrance of a sweet garden rose in full bloom that then creates the perfect base for some of my favourite rose scents. Mohur by Neela Vermeire Creations, Rosa sur Reuse by SOIVOHLE, Ballets Rouges by Olympic Orchids, Diabolo Rose by Parfums de Rosine, Midnight Oud by JHaG and Agent Provocateur to name just a few of my faves, there are oodles more.

I bought my Rose Jam bottle in the sale at the end of the last time it was in. The last bottle too because I thought I should get an extra and by the time I went back in the next day to get another they were sold out. Anyway, I bought it and tried it and thought it was awful. So it sat here for ages unloved. Not so long ago as I was organising the frag room I stumbled across it again and have been using it a couple of times a week since. The sweet jammy rose is so much like putting your nose right up to a garden rose that is in full bloom, so simple but also so incredibly nuanced.

LUSH Australia has $18.50/250g

Do yourself a favour. Go grab it.
Portia xx