HAPPY MARDI GRAS 2017

March 4, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Portia

Hiya APJ,

Tonight is Sydney’s Mardi Gras. I’ll be hosting the Sideshow Glam Stands again with my mate Andrew Mercado. We basically do a running commentary for the event to about 2000 people who have bought seats in grandstands lining the route. they get food, toilets and commentators and all the money goes towards producing Mardi Gras. Most people know the parade but Sydney has a 2 week LGBTQI festival that includes theatre, events, art, picnics, tourist welcome parties, a parade and a parade after party. It is wonderful and I extend the welcome to you all next year for the 2018 40th Anniversary. It is going to be the biggest, brightest and best yet.

HAPPY MARDI GRAS 2017

Here I am arriving last year on the back of a Dyke’s On Bikes motor bike. One of my life highlights.

I know, you only care what fragrance I’ll be wearing tonight. I need it to last 10+ hours, smell great from beginning to end and be a comfortable ride. Though I may change my mind I’m thinking a bit fat overspritz of Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Nights.

So wherever you are, whatever sex you feel happiest with or being I want to wish you all a Happy Mardi Gras 2017.
Portia

Scent Diary: 30.1 – 5.2.17: Sample Week

February 5, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 8 Comments

Portia

Hey Crew,

So it’s Monday and I just realised last night I’m going on a cruise on Saturday. By the time you read this I’ll be deep in the South Pacific living it up. It was a mad scramble, as always, so the posts will be scarce. Not empty but less full definitely.

Sample Week Scent Diary 30.1 – 5.2.17

Monday 30:

Woke up this morning in a panic. I’m leaving on Saturday for the South Pacific Cruise and NOTHING is organised for my trip. I have to write 3 weeks of Trivia Q&A and get the blog set so you all have something to read while I’m off. It’s sample week so I did a huge 12 spritz of Atelier Cologne Camelia Intrepide. Very pretty floral tea scent, a creamy tea. Super fresh but comforting and with enough bells and whistles that I’m kept interested while writing Q&A. I spent so long at the computer my eyes went googly.

Then, because I was at the end of my tether, Kath, Alice, Jin & I went and tried a new pizza place that wins prizes in Napoli. The food was really good but it was just too hot to have any fun. I thought Jin was going to expire.

Having just had the most fabulous cold Lolita Lempicka bubble bath I decided to spritz Annick Goutal Les Colognes Neroli. About 2ml of it. Pithy orange peel and maybe cardamom?
One downer is that I’ll probably only get one more bubble bath from the LL.
More Trivia Q&A and off to bed in another glorious cloud of Annick Goutal Les Colognes Neroli, and that’s my 5ml done.

Tuesday 31:

OMG! So freaking hot. We let the dogs sleep inside with us last night. They’re well behaved and quiet on their inside beds. I took a couple of pics for Undina from Undina’s Looking Glass, hope you like them. BTW It’s Undina’s 6th blog-versary. Drop on over and say hi, you’ll get to meet her handsome owner Rusty.
Jinx (Jin’s dog) is the top shot and he’s saying, “Leave me to sleep please Daddy.”
Paris (my baby) is already awake and chewing his newest rope toy. Few things make him so happy as a new toy.

Jin surprised me with pancakes for breakfast, made from scratch and served with brown sugar and lemon juice. MY FAVOURITE!!! This is the Sunday dinner Mum used to make us when she ran out of money. We never knew and thought it was the biggest treat ever, still do. Look how pleased Jin is at making such a surprise. He’s having Maple Syrup on his.

I had to go get my sea sick pills, sleeping tablets, sunscreen and ginger tablets for the cruise. While I was there I grabbed a tetanus injection too, just in case. He took my heart rate and was so surprised at how perfect it was and then asked me to weigh myself which was only 113KGs. I was expecting 125KGs. So though I’m no skinny Minnie it felt like a real win. Anyway, as I was waiting for my script to be filled I noticed this Elizabeth Arden Cherry Blossom Green Tea tester and as I was scent naked proceeded to give myself 6 big blasts. Punching well above its $10/50ml price tag I found it a lovely dry floral tea. It gives me the same ache in the back of my throat that a cuppa of Green Tea does and smells quietly creamy and refreshing. Sadly it was gone after an hour but for that money…. NOPE. I did not purchase.

Tonight for work emptied a sample vial of Emeraude Agar by Atelier Cologne on my arms & chest. Opening very pepper & bro-woods generic, dry down is lovely salty driftwood and creamy sandalwood. I can’t believe it has ended up so gorgeous. Review to follow. 6 hours later I’m still gorgeously fragrant.
Sending off a sample of Oriza Legrand Reve d’Ossian and while making up the pack gave myself a spritz. Perfectly posed Catholic liturgical incense BOMB! Love it. Why didn’t this beauty get more love?

Wednesday 1:

Today is all about getting stuff done. All the invoices, postage, tidying the house and doing the laundry pre-holiday. All of it today. This morning I’m wearing Black Afghan by Mad et Len, a pepper rich, woodsy oudh. It came in a LuckyScent Sample Pack. Review to follow.

In the afternoon I decided something cooler was in order and recently I had an Amouage Opus III arrive. When these beauties first came out I found them less than thrilling. In a full 180 degree turn I now I seem to have suddenly realised their magic, since falling so heavily for IX & X. IX being a full retail purchase last year, couldn’t wait because I loved it so much. Opus III is a chunky violet/waxy/lipstick, smoke and hairspray fragrance and a fair whack of green/resinous animalics.

Duck dinner with TinaG & Alice (A F Beauty) because I’m cruising on Saturday. We had soups, a whole duck as pancakes and then San Choy Bow, desserts. Excellent farewell. Jin has officially stolen my L‘Occitane Cedrat L’Homme and it smells terrific on him. An aquatic wood, yum.

Thursday 2:

Cleaned the house, washed the linen and some last minute clothes, blogged and organised and did stuff that took forever but feels like I’ve only slightly dented the list. Have worn so much fragrance today for blogging purposes and now at 4pm I’m sitting in the middle of a fog of Surrender, the Dominique Durban creation for Surrender To Chance. BLOODY HELL! It’s the thickest, most chewy jasmine I ever smelled, unbelievable petrochemical opening that becomes this incredible jasmine soliflore. You MUST get some.

Friday 3:

FINISHED all posts for APJ while I’m gone by 10am, that’s about 5 hours ahead of my planned schedule. BIG relief.
Fragrantly I’m wearing Spiritus/Land by Miller & Bertaux. Ginger, pepper, incense and woods. It’s beautiful. This crew is woefully unrecognised for their lovely work.
Now some minor cleaning, packing and organising. Tonight Jin & I are going to wander down the road to town and get some dinner, maybe have a wine, come back here and snuggle on the couch watching TV.
Here are my Travel Fragrances for the cruise….

Back:Mohur EdP, Divine EdP, Mitsouko EdT, Vaninger, Stash, Miss Dior parfum, Niki de Saint Phalle EdT, Bombay Bling EdP
Front: Epice Marine, Cuir d’Ange

You’ll notice every one of these is a manufacturer travel size of 30ml or less. Please take note perfume creators. If you make it small, I will buy it. 15 – 30ml is perfect for travel, respritzing and having handily in handbag or backpack.

Saturday 4:

Sunday 5:

Moving: Vienna To Rotterdam 2016

January 4, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Sandra

Happy New Year APJ! May 2017 bring peace, love and joy to our lives.

Let me just come right out and say it. Moving is terrible. Leaving the comfort of my flat and all the luxuries of the known has been the most challenging aspect. Please do not take this post as a complaint, rather as a funny side to the moving experience.

Moving: Vienna To Rotterdam 2016

The bandaid has been ripped off and we landed safely in Rotterdam. The movers got us into the house and then promptly abandoned us at 2 pm stating that they did not want to unpack all the boxes because there was not enough flat surface to place the items on! WTF?! Seriously – we have four floors!!! Too emotionally spent to argue with them, we let them go home. Now, imagine us climbing, sometimes on all fours, the three crazy steep stairs with boxes – no stairmaster is needed. We have it in the house and no health club membership will be necessary.

One major challenge with which we are faced is figuring out what foods are safe for my allergic son. To give you an example – the first night in Rotterdam we mistakenly thought that a sushi restaurant would be safe. The waitress tried telling us to leave because she could not handle my request. All I wanted to know is why there was egg in an avocado maki! The manager came and told me it was because all the sushi has mayonnaise. Really?! I kindly requested that he makes the maki without the mayo and voila we have safe food! So, it will take us several weeks to get our bearings and figure out which grocery stores have the right foods for us and which restaurants we can visit.

On another note, I know that I am short – but I feel positively elflike here. Both men and women tower over me! We needed to buy a step stool to actually climb into the bath tub – my legs are just not that long. My husband placed one step stool on every floor as there are even light switches I cannot reach on tippytoe. Don’t even get me started on the cupboard space in the kitchen – I don’t remember what I placed up top and cannot even see all the way up there from the ground.

With all the stress and now culture shock setting in, I have two favourite perfumes giving me the much needed comfort and hugs.

Knowing how stressful this would be, I decided several weeks before the move that for the five or six days that it would take to pack, move, stay in a hotel and then move into the house I would be fragrance free.

Guerlain

Once unpacked, I spritzed Shalimar EdP lavishly and was in scented heaven. It has grounded me when I found myself wanting to whimper in a corner.

Guerlain

At night I require an extra dose of sugar and reach for Spiriteuse Double Vanille which sends me off to dreamland with its wonderful boozy vanilla cloud.

All in all, I am excited about the adventure and am looking forward to discovering new places and meeting new people. The Dutch are some of the friendliest people I have ever met. People smile and are willing to help us and most go out of their way when we explain that we are newly implanted foreigners in their country.

Here are a few pictures of the last night in Vienna and then my first impressions living in this vibrant city. If you are interested, you can follow my Instagram (vienna_living) to catch a glimpse of my latest discoveries.

Merry Christmas APJ 2016

December 25, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 22 Comments

Portia

Hey there APJ Fragrance Family,

I know heaps of you don’t celebrate Christmas, loads of you will be solo or in an unhappy grouping. Some will be fighting so hard to keep afloat that Christmas will pass us by. This time of year can be a freaking bitch. So much expectation, from outside and in, relentless media hype and you can’t go to a mall without being bombarded. For any of our readers that are in any of these boats my heart goes out to you.

My only advice to you is Do Something Special For Yourself. Make sure you take a moment to treat yourself, doesn’t have to cost money, could just be one minute alone in thew bathroom to spritz a fragrance and enjoy its top notes. Whatever, take a little moment for you.

PDI

Merry Christmas APJ

What scent was I going to wear? Nuit de Noel by Caron. It was TOOO HOT for that so I chose Geranium Pour Monsieur by Malle. PERFECT!

What are we be doing?

Lunch with my BFFs family at our place. Here are some pics of the fun.

Lunch was an informal buffet with loads of fabulous food and booze. We all just sat around and laughed and chatted. Those bloody jokes in the crackers were really funny this year, we were all groaning and laughing in unison, so silly but fun.

Present opening time. We were all spoiled rotten and loved it. Really fun and thoughtful presents, very happy here.

My surrogate Mum, Kath’s mum has become mine. We have a wonderful time and I love her so much. Isn’t she beautiful.

This guy. He’s a really good egg. He also does the BEST pork and crackling, BLOODY DELICIOUS!!

How was your Christmas? Yes, if it was shit feel free to vent. We love that too.

Portia xxx

HOLIDAYS!! South Korea 2016: Photo Essay

November 13, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 31 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi there APJ,

It feels utterly sinful to be frolicking on holidays while the world implodes politically and in so many other ways. Still, here we are in South Korea with Jin’s family and friends.

Here are a few of the billions of photographs I’ve taken. Come see a slice of South Korea, its people and some fun things to do on a seven night getaway. Can I also tell you that South Korea is still incredibly affordable.

HOLIDAYS!! South Korea 2016: Photo Essay

Pick up from Ulsan station. You can’t tell but Mummy & Pappa are thrilled to see us. It’s very late at night.

Breakfast in Yangsan. You’ll notice the family has Pork Soup and I have a Croissant. I know, I’m a Philistine.

Visiting Grandma who has Alzheimers. 4 generations of family, from two branches, sharing love and special moments. Grandma remembered Jin so he was over the moon. We had bought her a bunch of Japanese sweets and treats because she studied in Japan when she was a teenager (unheard of for a woman in that time).

On our way to the mountains with Mummy & Pappa to see the autumn leaves. Sadly the leaves were not 100% co-operative because it’s been a really weird season. We did see some lovely colour and every new vista was so picturesque.

We stayed in the faded grandeur of the Jirisan Spa Land. Though the decor was tired and the maintenance on the gardens and building had lapsed we could still see what it was designed to be. Beds and rooms were comfortable and spacious. The spa baths were clean and neat and the family loved their time in the waters which left our skin soft and lightly fragranced with minerals and salts.

On our way home from BarBQ dinner in the village that night we saw some strange arguments and a boozy customer screaming. As we left the next morning the site was crawling with Police & CSI. Jin’s Dad got out and explained what we’d seen last night. We were all called into the Cop Shop for questioning and to give statements, also to identify the miscreant. It was super fun.

While Mummy & Pappa were in with the cops Jin & I went exploring and found this wonderful shrine. The plaque below explains everything. Nice find in rural South Korea.

The tip top of the highest mountain in South Korea you can drive to the top of. We wandered around, had some noodles and coffee. It was a great cheap family adventure. How handsome is Jin’s Dad?

Back in Busan they are having a Chrysanthemum show. While all the usual types were there I had never seen them trained into the tortured Bonsai experience. They look freaking amazing and I am now inspired to try it at home.

Jin thinks it looks like an ice-cream but I think it looks like a Butt Plug, making this photo extra creepy.

Dinner with one of Jin’s childhood BFFs Kinam in the Westin Chosun, Busan. We have stayed in this hotel and I really love the way they keep the 5* dream alive. Dinner in the Camellia Restaurant is always gorgeous.

Mummy & Pappa’s apartment block.

While shopping we found these crazy ETRO paisley slippers. VERY Roja Dove!

Hanging out playing Transformers with another of Jin’s BFFs, Jungyon, and her daughter. Loud screaming laughter ensued.

So next day we are off to the famous Kijang Crab Market in Busan. Below is a Korean Crab that came as a GWP for the huge monster King Crab we bought for lunch.

Yes, here it is. You can’t really see but the top of the shell was easily 3 of Jin’s hands. ENORMOUS! Mummy & Pappa had never had a King Crab before but their friends had talked of it for years after having the experience. I was completely unaware of this when I asked Jin to find out what the most delicious and meatiest crab they had. Not being a seafood eater my knowledge is pretty sparse.

Here they both are cooked and cut, ready for eating. You have no idea how much meat there was. The three of them ate till they were absolutely disgustingly full, then they ate some more. There was still a third of the meat left which will make delicious seafood salad over the next two days. Mummy & Pappa now have bragging rights for the next decade.

Then we went to the seaside Haedong Yonggungsa Buddhist temple. It’s about 100 steps down and on the way I managed to get a coin into the wishing pot, after many tries. We bought some candles to light and prayed for all of you, our friends, family and the world in general. I think in light of this weeks events that the world will need every ray of light.

Tonight I put my foot down. Dinner at HOME with the family. So we trooped out to Mummy & Pappas little farm with Jin’s BFF Jungyon & daughter and we gorged on Korean BarBQ, drank Whiskey & Soju and generally had a fabulous time celebrating Mummy & Pappas 4oth Anniversary and our 5th Anniversary, which are spookily only 5 days apart. Jin & I had procured a bunch of Roman Candle fireworks and we had a fabulous display after dinner. The whole night was magical and fun.

Back to Seoul tomorrow and then home.

Fragrantica

Been wearing Niki de Saint Phalle almost exclusively. It really seems to fit South Korea.

It’s been great. What’s your favourite family meal?
Portia xx

Holiday Perfume Packing Oct 2016

November 10, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 13 Comments

Post by Portia

Hello Fumies,

The eternal holiday question; What Perfumes Should I Take? Every year I try and get myself to pick the perfect scents. You know, weather appropriate, walking, shopping, dinner, drinks, casual, dressy, cool, hot. It’s a very fine line we perfumistas walk and to try and have the right frag for the right time is a really fun experiment in scent.

Obviously if you choose wrong it’s not going to negatively impact your holiday but the sweet feeling of scenting success can definitely add a pleasurable lustre to already fantastic adventures.

Holiday Perfume Packing

Japan & South Korea Oct 2016

So our destinations for this very special Jin & Portia 5 year anniversary jaunt are Tokyo 3 nights and South Korea for 5 nights (I think). We got an insanely good deal to fly with Korean Airlines that takes us to Japan via South Korea for less than it costs to go to South Korea directly. We decided to use the money we save on the fare to stay for a few nights in Tokyo where Jin has never been. AWESOME!

Wikipedia

Then we are off to South Korea to see Jin’s parents. His Dad has had some heart problems over the years so Jin likes to make sure everything is OK every year. Something that really impresses me about Jin is that he sends some money home to his parents every month, so does his brother from Slovakia where he works in the car manufacturing industry. It has completely changed their parents life from poor working class to comfortable land and home owners.

We are also going to steal Mum & Dad away for a night in a fancy hotel somewhere. Last year we took them to a 5 star spa hotel for the first time in their lives and there was a wildflower garden and bonsai place that Mum had long wanted to visit nearby. They would only let us take them for one night but it was really fun to spend that time with them. It got to the point though that we had to take menus and stuff away from them because they were getting upset by how much everything cost. Even though they have almost no English and I zero Korean we manage to communicate and Jin does double time as interpreter as well.

Anyway, on to fragrant choices. Here are my list:

Fragrantica

Ambre Narguilé by Hermès 15ml Travel: Warm & crunchy amber.

Fragrantica

Eau des Merveilles by Hermès Rollerball Decant: An easy wear, softly salted, resinous wood.

Fragrantica

Niki de Saint Phalle 10ml Travel: Comfortable floral green chypre.

Parfumo

O/E by Bogue Profumo Decant: Freaky citrus and skank drilled over woods, resins and tobacco.

Fragrantica

Salome by Papillon Artisan Perfumes Decant: Naughty animalic leather chypre.

Fragrantica

Trayee by Neela Vermeire Creations 8ml Travel: I feel that this spicy floral incense will fit the bill this holiday

Fragrantica

Vintage CHANEL No 22 EdT Decant: ALL the aldehydes and a bunch of creamy white flowers with a tropical lilt.

By the time you read this we are already in South Korea, probably getting ready to come home.

Are you going on holidays this year or next? Where to? What fragrances would you take?
Portia xxx

Immortelle de Corse by Claire Chambert for L`Occitane 2011

October 16, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Claire Vukcevic

G’Day lovely-smelling APJ people!

Have you ever nicked a perfume from your parents or siblings? I have. Well, I’m too scared of my father to lift his Terre d’Hermes parfum. But I’ve mentally placed post-its on it just in case, you know… My mother has no interest in perfume, but like any good mum, is given loads of it and stacks it all up at the back of her wardrobe.

Now, I used to joke that the only perfume I’d be likely to inherit from my mum would be a half-used bottle of Eternity. But it turns out that she only likes No. 5, and so I was free to take her vintage No 19 EDT, vintage Je Reviens, and a bottle of Opium that she tried to persuade me not to take “because it must be 40 years old at this point and no good at all.” Ha!

Also among the bottles I re-housed for her was L’Occitane’s Immortelle de Corse. I had never heard of it. A quick search on eBay, however, told me that it’s pretty rare and that people pay up to €200 for it. But I don’t think I’d ever sell it because it’s G…G….G…Gorgeous.

Immortelle de Corse by L`Occitane 2011

Immortelle de Corse by Claire Chambert

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Corsican immortelle
Heart: Honey, rose, black tea
Base: Corsican immortelle, benzoin, iris, musk

I’m a big immortelle fan, to the extent that I grow it in my garden and own pretty much every perfume iteration of the note. To me, it smells in turn of delicious hay, tea, leather, maple syrup, honey, booze, curry, and sometimes dried grass. It is not a simple, one-dimensional smell, so that’s why I think it’s not redundant to own more than one fragrance that features it.

PDI

Initially, Immortelle de Corse smells like whiskey mixed with Acacia honey. The rich booziness that rolls off the topnotes remind me somewhat of the Scottish whiskey note in Like This, which also features immortelle, but with less smoke and gingerbread, and more of a simple, liquid honey.

There is a maple syrup-like chewiness to the honey that’s pitched halfway between amber and burned sugar, but the accord never comes off as heavy or sickly. Immortelle can be slightly cloying, but here the potential clinginess of the maple-honey note has been cut with notes of black tea, which introduce air and smoke.

There is also a dry, powdery iris evident in the drydown, which joins with the delicious smell of sun-baked hay and benzoin to make you think of lazy harvest afternoons, smoking on a shady veranda and looking contentedly at all the haystacks you’ve just built. Basically, it’s a cornucopia of harvest smells – wine must, honey, booze, hay, and tea.

Longevity is great – about 6 hours on me, when it fades into a leafy, curried warmth that is pure immortelle. The kind of person I see enjoying this would be a fan of other autumn harvest fumes such as Botrytis, Volutes, and Frapin 1270.

Wikipedia

Summer Holiday Smells 2016 + Photo Essay

August 31, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 14 Comments

Post by Sandra

Hiya APJ!

I hope ya’ll are enjoying a summer or winter break and that life is good for you.

Summer vacation started and my son and I left the house at 0400 to get to the airport to catch the first flight on our way to Seattle. It had been 2,5 years since my last trip to the US to see family – to see my sister’s new home in Seattle.

I hope you enjoy my olfactory and visual trip of my travels this summer.

Summer Holiday Smells 2016 + Photo Essay

One of the first smells that I encountered was the airplane petrol that hits me every time I get to the airport and puts me right into vacation mood. I love it.

Summer Holiday Smells: Seattle

Smell of the BBQ at home and the smoke of the fireworks on the 4th of July on Lake Union.

Smell of flowers and raw fish at Pikes Market. Crocosmia with the vibrant red flowers have a very distinctive smell. The hydrangeas so big and colourful..

Smell of tossed Copper River salmon at Pikes Market. Seriously – we picked out the fish we wanted to buy and the fishmongers put on a show of tossing the fish to each other. The Copper River salmon was sublime.

Smell of the wet trees at Mr. Ranier National Park and fresh clean mountain air. I could actually smell the fresh water cascading down the waterfall at Paradise.

Smell of my hand after squeezing a ripe apricot at a roadside farmers market and of the juice from a Rainier cherry after biting into it. The Rainier cherry is incredible in its texture, flavor, sweetness and juiciness.

Smell of the lowest of the low tides at Carkeek Beach and searching for crab under the rocks – seaweed, moss and anemones on my fingertips. We found a largish crab and all sorts of little crabs.

Summer Holiday Smells: Atlanta

Smell of hand disinfectant and medicines at Urgent Care and doctors offices while getting my son’s broken arm in a cast. But we got to see colourful Australian Gouldian finches and their babies.

Heat and humidity creating a wall of comfort for me outside while everyone else ran for the AC. The humidity has a smell in Atlanta. Try to describe it? Sorry.

Smell of sun screen and chlorine every day. Yes – waterproof casts exist and we went swimming every day. That is what I enjoyed as a child and obviously so did my son. Vienna is not warm enough to have warm swimming pools outdoors.

Smell of the steam coming off of the side walks and roads after an afternoon thunderstorm and shower. How I miss the thunderstorms!

Smell of fresh boiled shrimp and cocktail sauce. Reminds me of my summer on Tybee Island where my friend’s parents caught 70 pounds of shrimp and all of us kids had to peel them all.

Sound of the cicadas in the trees. The night comes to life and the sound is magical and takes me back to my childhood in Atlanta.

I had forgotten of how abundant Crepe Myrtle trees are in Atlanta. They were in full bloom and my favourite colours were bright pink and deep red.

Perfumes I wore during the trip – Chanel Beige in Seattle and Neela Vermeire Creations Ashoka and Pichola in Atlanta.

All in all it was a great trip. Next summer vacation perhaps a different destination with sights, smells and sounds that will make memories for a lifetime.

I would love to hear from you. How are you doing and which perfumes are you reaching for?
Sandra

Family, Friends and the Smell of England

March 15, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 42 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Family, Friends and the Smell of England

MY FOLKS.

My parents came to visit me each year between 1992 and 2003. My children were always extremely excited and would hang over the balcony railings waiting to see their car arrive. It was a thousand miles door to door and they always drove. I begged them to fly but they always replied that they needed the car to bring all the stuff for us. My father would fall out of the car, a fair shade of grey having driven the whole way. My mother would be bouncing, the excitement of seeing the kids nearly too much to bear. And up they came, three flights of stairs, lugging suitcases and cardboard boxes full of England.
Weetabix, Ready Brek, Branston, spaghetti hoops, salt´n´vinegar crisps, twenty packs of Trebor Extra Strong Mints, extra strong Cheddar,
Marks´n´Sparks undies, Action Man, Barbie, newspapers, a bunch of roses out of the garden wrapped in wet paper towels, sprigs of rosemary and a bundle of English lavender from the from of their home.

My daughter gave them her room and it would become England, nestled in our Austrian apartment. When they left
for the long trip back home she would ask me to leave the bedding on because it smelled of Nana and Grandpa and that made her feel safe.
And then they passed away.

WikiMedia

MY FRIENDS.

Dear friends, K and B, slipped into the once a year visiting slot. They flew and brought crisps, cheese and the smell of England. Security, memories and love. And then B passed away.

Wikipedia

MY FRIEND.

K still comes. He flies and brings newpapers, peppermints and the smell of England. He left a week ago. The kids are grown up and gone now.
I shut the windows, pulled the blinds down and closed the door. As each of my children have dropped in I have had them go into the room and inhale deeply. “England.” they say.

WikiCommons

Earth. Sage. Mint. Rain. Salt. Rose.
This is England.

St George Bussis
CQ

Boxing Day 2015

December 26, 2015 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Post by Portia

Hi All,

You have survived Christmas or you didn’t celebrate. Either way it’s over for another year. Boxing Day is here in Sydney.

So Christmas here was a lovely, laid back affair. We ended up with only ten people at table and it was a perfect size. There was loads of room for everyone and no elbows getting in each others way. Jin & I were up quite late getting the apartment organised and having an event spurred us on to get some things done that had been on the list since we moved in. We both slept like logs and then up bright and early to do finishing touches. Jin also had to get his dessert ready so we could throw them in the oven when we needed to.

Photo Donated Kath Waples

This year we did something new. Every family had to bring a salad, meat and dessert. It was all planned in advance so we had a fabulous selection and everyone had enough. It cut down on prep time for everyone and meant that we all arrived feeling much less stressed than usual. Jin made mango dacquiris to start us off on the right foot and they were particularly potent so by the time we sat to dinner everyone was feeling convivial. There were a selection of sparkling white or moscato with lunch and still or sparkling water, add garlic bread and a serve yourself buffet and you have an idea of how it all went.

Christmas Tree & Presents

In between courses we did presents. My lovely haul included a new wallet, reading light, back armour for my bike jacket, gift cards and LOADS of chocolates!!!

Dessert was extravagant. Jin cooked mini apple pies with cream and Jane, my BFFs sister, created an ice cream cake with 4 layers and that was drizzled with ice magic and sprinkled with berries, we didn’t even bring out the Christmas Cake and there was something else but I didn’t even notice it. With dessert I percolated some coffee and made some Irish breakfrast tea and we sat around chatting and laughing.

Ma & Pa Waples

CHANEL No 5 was the fragrance de jour but to be honest I was so busy organising and eating that it was background hum, it’s completely faded now but I’m thinking that a bath is in order and then I’m craving vintage Mitsouko by Guerlain.

Photo Donated Kath Waples

Boxing Day 2015

Today we are having a sleep in and then going for a swim with the same crew we spent lunch with today. Perfect! It feels like a Liberté by Cacharel kinda day but I’m wavering and think that maybe I’ll wear Skin on Skin by L’Artisan, Teo Cabanel Alahine or V Intense by Piguet.
It’s days like today that remind me how freaking lucky I am in so many ways.

What did you all get up to and what frags did you wear?
Portia xxx

Australian Perfume Junkies

Olfactory Opinions from Oz

Family

HAPPY MARDI GRAS 2017

HAPPY MARDI GRAS 2017

Scent Diary: 30.1 – 5.2.17: Sample Week

Sample Week Scent Diary 30.1 – 5.2.17

Monday 30:

Tuesday 31:

Wednesday 1:

Thursday 2:

Friday 3:

Saturday 4:

Sunday 5:

Moving: Vienna To Rotterdam 2016

Moving: Vienna To Rotterdam 2016

Merry Christmas APJ 2016

Merry Christmas APJ

HOLIDAYS!! South Korea 2016: Photo Essay

HOLIDAYS!! South Korea 2016: Photo Essay

Holiday Perfume Packing Oct 2016

Holiday Perfume Packing

Japan & South Korea Oct 2016

Immortelle de Corse by Claire Chambert for L`Occitane 2011

Immortelle de Corse by L`Occitane 2011

Immortelle de Corse by Claire Chambert

Summer Holiday Smells 2016 + Photo Essay

Summer Holiday Smells 2016 + Photo Essay

Summer Holiday Smells: Seattle

Summer Holiday Smells: Atlanta

Boxing Day 2015

Boxing Day 2015