Portia
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Hello Australian Perfume Junkies and friends, It’s been six years since I last did a Scent Diary. Lately there has been a little “wonder whether it would be fun to do again” in my brain. It’s a LOT of work but what it does do is inspire me to live life as fully as possible so there are things to talk about. This is a win.
Hoping you enjoy it and will let me know what’s happening in your lives too. What I really loved about Scent Diary was the interaction with perfumistas around the world. Jin and I have made so many friends, near and far, through perfume. So let’s reunite and welcome some new friends.
Scent Diary: 2.2-8.2.2026
Monday
Morning: Eau de Campagne by Sisley
Afternoon: After reading Undina’s Saturday Question and finding out INeKE will be closing down I’m wearing Chemical Bonding. Terrible name, fabulous perfume. Old photo, juice level now in the silver band.
Dinner: Bois Blanc by Frapin. It was on the cutting block but it’s too good to sell. I’m keeping it.
Bed: A Drop d’Issey by Issey Miyake. Cannot get enough of this super weird lilac, almond milk and rice cooking steam fragrance.
Woke up late. One of our dogs (Momo) has a tummy problem and had left a big sloppy present on the balcony. Luckily Jin was first responder. After he cleaned up he gave them a walk and then brought them in and had them jump on my bed, where they promptly found their spots and I cuddled them for an hour and lightly snoozed. What a heavenly way to awake.
For context, Jin’s days off are Sunday and Monday. That’s why he’s home.
Currently in the midst of culling the perfume wardrobe. The whole living room is a sea of bottles and boxes. So many unicorns. Culling is hard but having to dodge boxes filled with perfumes in boxes in the perfume room/office is even harder. The first 25 are up on our local FB page and some are already sold. Fingers crossed.
I made a couple of important Trivia phone calls. After 13 years we had one of our gigs finish and both the players and I are really missing our weekly catch ups and having a fun evening in friendly competition. We have been to two clubs that we like and today was phone call day. Told to email details to both clubs! Very bloody exciting.
Jin is off playing golf today at his newly joined, ra sha sha golf club. This will be his first round taking a friend as guest. It’s a big deal and I’m so excited for him loving this hobby. Here they are at the 18th hole. How freaking happy are they?
Writing Trivia Q&A.
When Jin got home he was ravenous so we hit our favourite Korean BarBQ. We were so busy cooking, eating and catching up on the days events I forgot to take a pic. Soz.
More Trivia Q&A
Started doing the Laundry at 10.30pm. Yeah, I know. It’s easier to do with no distractions
Tuesday
Morning: Assam of India by Berdous
Day: Evening Edged in Gold by INeKE.
Work: Volupté by Oscar de la Renta
Bed: Guerlain Mitsouko EdT (3JO1 1993 or 2003)
Didn’t get my Trivia finished last night so up at sparrows fart to get it done. I knew there was work to do but looking up Q&A sent me down internet wormholes.
Also did the bulk of the clothes/towels washing and hanging. Tomorrow is bed linens.
You may know my mate Lisa has been given an ALS diagnosis. Expected lifespan from detection to death is outer limits 48 months. She’s not taking it lying down. She fighting for her life. We are doing a weekly podcast on it. ALS: To the Moon and Back. It’s on most streaming services. Come have a listen.
We did an episode today, it was fun and a little heartbreaking.
One of our dogs, Momo, has some runny poo. We think she ate something naughty on a walk or around the house. She is pooping on the balcony, something she’s not done since the first month we brought her home. Poor baby. On the walk today she pooped till it was basically mucus like water. Let’s hope that’s the end of it.
Had my lunch and watched some Bridgerton. I’m currently rewatching it from the beginning. Up to Season 3! Then I can watch the latest installment. Woo Hoo!
Jin came home. Plonked himself in front of of Korean TV and fell asleep.
My upper right eyelid has had a spectacular sty. Almost disappeared now. I’m not going to work in drag tonight again. Hopefully next week.
Had my bubble bath and got seriously summer with Volupté by Oscar de la Renta. So bloody gorgeous
Work was fun.
Home to a few little mucky poos on the balcony. Fasting them tonight. Chicken mince and pumpkin for small meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner tomorrow.
Wanted to get some work done on my next installment of Sales Doc but chose to let myself enjoy the internet, some Bridgerton and my book before bed.
Wednesday
Morning: Mitsouko remnants
Day: Bulgari Jasmin Noir Essence. I’m bloody lucky this is discontinued. Choc licorice amber over amorphous floral fruity sweet nothings. Sounds ghastly, smells AH MAY ZING.
Work: Cabochard by Gres
Bed:
Woke to some sloppy poo on the balcony. Walked dogs, fairly empty. PHEW!
Went for my pedicure. Well overdue. LOVE the calm alone time just having a little self pamper. Yes, I know my feet are bashed up Hobbit like affairs. SOZ
Bought some pumpkin and chicken breast. Boiling them up to make sick doggo soup. Hopefully it will calm the poo-nami.
Did a bunch of around the house type stuff. Worked on the great perfume cull.
Went to work
BED
Thursday
Morning: Pacific Rock Moss by Goldfield and Banks
Bed: Evening Edged in Gold by INeKE
Today was really fun. Thursday has been my traditional day off for a few years now and I like to fill it with friends and low key adventures. This is the kind of day that made me want to start Scent Diary again. I was having these fantastic days and there was no real record of them. Looking back on some of the old posts over the Xmas break made me realize what an extraordinary tool they are to give me a snapshot of my life.
This morning Ersilia and Maria arrived at the butt crack of dawn, or very nearly. Maria drove us to town to see the Dangerously Modern exhibition at AGNSW. Based around women artists of Australian descent or multi return visitors who travelled to Europe between the years 1890 and 1940. Trailblazing, fearless women who travelled Europe and the UK in packs for safety and worked tirelessly on their arts. It was a time of huge shift. The six week steamer cruise between Australia and Europe, instead of six months on sailboat, made it all far easier. These women brought a new, intimate, feminine approach to art and were heavily influenced by the European masters. It’s SUCH a good exhibition, I think I’ve been through it 10 times so far. I’m a member, so it’s all included. Another mate, and working artist, Jean Luc joined us too and his insights were very interesting, on top of the tour guides.
Then we lunched in the bustling Member’s Lounge.
Jean Luc and I wandered the 20th Century collections for a while afterwards and then I had a super secret rendezvous with a girlfriend who eschews any pictures. We had what Aussies call High Tea and the rest of the world calls Afternoon Tea at our famous QVB building, the the QVB Tea Rooms.
You’ll note in the first pic that the historic coloured glass panels are in place. Recently the building’s owner tried to get them removed for a cleaner, modern look but public outrage stopped it. YAY!
Afterwards I met up with Joanna, who had bought some perfume of my FB Sales Doc. We hit Penhaligon’s, Creed and Parfums de Marly before we had to skedaddle to our next adventure. We were having so much fun that I forgot to take photos. I’m so sorry. Yes, I know it’s called Scent Diary. We got carried away.
I did score this fabulous set of Parfum de Marly Les Extraits samples. Joanna got a Greenly sample. Can’t wait to get my sniff on these. Go see Michael at the Strand Arcade Parfum de Marly store if you’re in Sydney. He’s the best. Tell him Portia sent you.
We then hit my favourite Sydney bar at the Kimpton Margot. It’s the lobby area of the hotel and fabulously Art Deco, with 21st century reimagined 1970s Deco interiors. The staff are friendly and the drinks only moderately expensive. Joanna and I were joined by longtime friends and ex APJ writers Eve and TinaG. My wedding to Jin, Best Man Phil was a late entrant. He thought he’d be too tired but was able to join us. Big YAY!
After drinks, Eve, Phil and TinaG came down to a newly discovered noodle bar in the heart of Sydney and we gorged on noodles, dumplings and the others had tofu. We were having such a good time catching up and discussing EVERYTHING that there were no photos taken. SOZ.
Here are Phil and TinaG as we head to the train station to make our ways home.
Jin, the superstar, collected me at the Parramatta train station. We came home, brushed teeth, Jin hit the sack, I joined and had a chat and then he went off to sleep.
Watched some Bridgerton
I’m totally bushed. Few Gilded Lily spritzes and off to bed and fell into a dead people sleep.
Friday
Morning: Nothing
Day: Pichola 2022 by Neela Vermeire Creations
Evening: Umbra by Ramon Monegal
Bed: A Drop d’Issey
Up early. Walked the dogs.
Worked on my Sale Doc and separating the keep from cull. There are now seven boxes of perfumes to go. I’m being as ruthless as possible, even though I’m also keeping so many.
Followed up on the two clubs we are hoping to get Turbo Trivia into. One has sent the prospectus on to their overarching club conglomerate. Fingers crossed. Was told it’s better to call the other on Monday. Cool.
Jin came home. We watched some Winter Olympics together. he is sports mad and can watch any of it. Sure he has favourites but he gets excited for them all, mainly for the players. He gets really emotionally involved. It’s cute.
We also changed the bed linen together. I spent a couple of hours washing and drying it all. Sheets on the line till near dry and then a burst in the dryer. Doona covers straight in the dryer. It’s so hot here that the sheets were almost dry anyway, but I like the soft touch they get in the dryer, even for 10 minutes.
We went to our favourite Vietnamese restaurant for dinner. Very nice. At the end of the year we are taking Jin’s Mum and Dad to Thailand for their 50th Wedding Anniversary. On our way home we are spending three nights in Vietnam. Jin is treating himself/us for his beautiful present and grand gesture to Umma and Appa. I’ve not been there in nearly 20 years so am very excited to go back.
Home for more Winter Olympics while I continued culling perfumes and making up boxes of keepers.
Watched some Bridgerton till 4am! Jin came out to get ready for work and was completely shocked. HA! So enthralling. Finished Series 3, ready to start the new one.
Bathed, bed.
Saturday
Day: Sunrise in Cadaques by Dali
Golf: Assam of India by Berdoues
Bed: Boucheron woman EdT
Slept so late! Being up till 4am tends to discombobulate my body clock.
Walked the dogs straight away because today is 37°C (99f) and I didn’t want them to expire en route. They’re old. Good news. Momo’s poo is firming up. Steamed pumpkin and chicken is good. Now she’s better I’ve done another batch with rice as well.
Tidied this place up (boy clean, not mother in laws first visit). Vacuumed the living areas and Jin’s room. I’ll get to my side of the apartment tomorrow.
Invoicing. Last month and this month. Boring but necessary. Got sidetracked and did almost zero.
Lunch
Jin arrived home, we both had afternoon naps.
I wandered 12 holes of golf with Jin. It had come over cloudy and temperatures dropped to about 33°C. There was a cool breeze and the walk was really good. We chatted and I kept score for him. It’s a hilly course and we were both sweating like farm hands. Very satisfying.
The garden crew are amazing and there’s a huge variety. Mostly Australian natives but some surprising beauties like these South African Proteas. There is even a little citrus orchard that were in full bloom, the scent was utterly intoxicating.
Then we had Red Rooster Chicken for dinner. It’s like a better than KFC choice but equally as delicious. Their hot chips are the best fast food hot chips I’ve had anywhere. MMMMMMM
We watched a little Winter Olympics, Jin went to bed where we talked for about half an hour then he fell asleep.
I fed and walked the dogs.
Now I’m utterly wrecked. Going to have a bath and then bed.
Sunday
Morning: Ambergreen by Oliver & Co
Day: Gucci Bloom Acqua di Fiori
Bed: DIOR Vanilla Diorama
Very slow morning. Pottered around getting almost nothing done.
Jin is working. Once a month he has to be on site to make sure the crews that come to fix his home depot are all looked after and kept safe. They can only do some of this stuff on a Sunday when there are no workers in the office building.
My BFF Kath came over for sandwiches and catch ups at lunchtime. It’s a fairly regular Sunday afternoon event. It’s a lovely couple of hours two way download and laughs. We walked the dogs. Kath really hates having her photo taken but I stole this pic from her instagram. You can just see me in the kitchen window.
Had some quiet reading time and a bubble bath.
Went into town to meet one of my fabulous girlfriends Rose (Rose Ang, chef, look her up). We used to live together with my last long term boyfriend in the early naughties. Anyway, she is in Sydney for 36 hours and we had dinner in Darling Harbour. Jin surprised us too.
OK, there was the first Scent Diary back in action. Hope you enjoyed it.
Tell us about your week, what perfume you wore and who you got to spend your time with. Can’t wait to read your stories.
Hug
Portia xx
Australian Perfume Junkies 