Frankincense

December 25, 2019December 10, 2019 / AustralianPerfumeJunkies / 31 Comments

Narth

Hello friends, Narth here enjoying the Holiday season. Like many of you I plan my holiday fragrances with great glee, though Nuit de Noel in 40c weather was definitely a mistake! This year I was thinking about the Magi gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. I have Comme de Garcon’s 888 for the gold, many frankincense choices and I’m sure I have a BPAL somewhere heavy on myrrh. Maybe I’ll try layering them! Today however I am on a frankincense kick. I have three very fine examples of what a treasure frankincense can be when it’s the dominant note in the fragrance.

Frankincense

Continue reading →

Scent Diary: 25.12 – 31.12.2017

December 31, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Portia

Hello Australian Perfume Junkies,

CHRISTMAS! Fragrance, friends, chosen family. There were adventures and excitement enough for a month.

Scent Diary: 25.12 – 31.12.2017

Monday 25:

Jin came home from work at 5.30am and we had our Christmas moment then.It was lovely. He got some cool Aussie Bum undies, Petrol Cards to fill up his real present which was a car earlier in the year and a couple of T-Towels from his Parramatta Ells football team. I scored 9 pairs of my favourite glasses from Italian brand Campo Marzio in myriad colours, Jin imported them from the South Korean shop in Seoul. VERY freaking cool present buying.

I wanted to smell yummy for the mini Christmas so Rouge Hermès. It was a good choice, soft white floral with a few bells & whistles. Not to mention how Christmassy the bottle looks.

Dogs got a new chew toy each, fed and walked.

While Jin slept I went to Kath’s Mum & Dads to meet Kath and have a quiet christmas morning hang out. We did presents there too and Dad was Jin’s Secret Santa so he got 2 bottles of Spanish Rosé, Lindt chocolate balls and a Bunnings Gift Card.

Lunch with the rest of Kath’s family. It was nice to wander in, eat, do presents and leave. SO EASY!

Home and Jin was awake so we hung out and watched some shit movies together. Dinner was leftovers. HAPPY afternoon and night.

Tuesday 26:

Serge Lutens Clair de Musc from a decant. Yes, I do have a bottle but found this old 5ml decant that needed finishing. Going clean and fluffy for Boxing Day.

Off to Kath’s Mum & Dad’s place for early Boxing Day shenanigans. We stayed to have lunch with everyone and then split. From there I went and collected Wendy and Jin, she and I all hung out into the early evening. We ate a scruffily delicious cheese, ham & fruit platter while watching How To Train A Dragon and drinking lashings of tea.

10 hours later I can still smell soft musk wafts from Serge Lutens Clair de Musc but I’m wanting something else. Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely has won the day and I’m basking in its comfortable glow.

Wednesday 27:

We were woken by the apartment block across from us at 6.40am, they were having a right old barney. Screaming and fighting. It was pretty crazy but not up to their usual standards where I call the police. It raged on for 30 minutes.

Being wide awake I went and got the dogs and they came and snoozed with us on the bed. I’m changing the sheets today so no worries.

Feeling so lazy. It’s hot and humid. How about some James Heeley Esprit du Tigre?

This afternoon I added vintage Miss Dior EdT to go see Jumanji with Eve, Lola and Jin. I admit to being fairly unexcited to see it.

O M G! Jumanji was freaking EXCELLENT!! Cannot tell you how much I enjoyed it. The Rock and Jack Black totally steal this fun romp of a film. I was on the edge of my seat through quite a lot of it and laughed heartily.

IMDb

We came home and had some lunch with a delicious McLaren Vale Spanish inspired red wine and then watched most of Happy Feet till Lola started falling asleep. To be honest, I don’t drink very often so the heavy red wine sent me off to bed to sleep it off too.

Jin woke me at around 8.30pm when he came to bed and so now I’m up and awake. About to walk the dogs on this cooler summer evening. I thought a triple spritz of Peau d’Allures by Starck a perfect choice, green, boozy, swampy with a lovely ruinous undertow. This bottle was a gift from my friend Tim and I adore it.

Thursday 28:

Fort & Manlé Charlatan this morning. Maybe because I showered yesterday it smelled a bit funkier, a little pissy and hairy mannish. It was a good ride.

Yum Cha with Kath, Alice, TinaG and Tim. It was nice, chatty and fun.

You’ll note Alice was wearing the birthday earrings Jin picked out for here. SO CUTE!!

Came home and crashed on the couch. Ate Christmas Cake with cream and custard and watched Daniel Radcliffe in 2013 film Horns. It was OK, one thing I did notice was that after a minute he became this new character and had successfully sloughed off Harry Potter for me.

Jin came home and we had pizza for dinner while watching The Danish Girl (2015) with Eddie Redmayne. IMDb gives this blurb: “A fictitious love story loosely inspired by the lives of Danish artists Lili Elbe and Gerda Wegener. Lili and Gerda’s marriage and work evolve as they navigate Lili’s groundbreaking journey as a transgender pioneer.” Heavy and deep, we were moved by their plight and Gerda’s unstinting love.

IMDb

For bed I gave myself a solid dousing in Niki de Saint Phalle. It’s parched greenery helps to dry this muggy night.

Friday 29:

It was already warm this morning when I walked the dogs. They were puffing so much that I brought them home after only walking around the block. They gratefully came inside afterwards and sat on their beds in the cool.

Thinking tropical I went for Guerlain Lys Soleia. It was a good fit.

Hung out with Jin, Kath and Mum and had a swim with Kath in this outrageously muggy heat. It’s drier than the last couple of days but trying to get stuff done means I’m sweating much more.

Jin and I had KFC for lunch that we grabbed on the way home. It was freaking delicious.

After that I basically fell into a food coma and didn’t snap out of it till 9pm. While food coma-ing I started watching Luther on Netflix.

BTW, did you notice Netflix has been removing content? A few times this fortnight I’ve gone to rematch stuff and it’s disappeared. BUMMER!

Tonight I wear Sarah McCartney 4160 Tuesdays Up The Apples and Pears. Fun and freaky. LOVE it.

Saturday 30:

Stayed up VERY late watching Luther on Netflix. Idris Elba is my new celeb crush. Let’s get him to make a fragrance. I’ve put on some Gres Cabochard parfum in his honour.

So I fell asleep watching Luther and woke up with a mouth that tasted like the bottom of a cat litter box. GAH! Awful, ran straight for the bathroom to clean my teeth.

Feeling a little more human after feeding and walking the dogs. L’Artisan Batucada got some skin time today. I don’t understand why this is not lauded as a freaking genius perfume. It smells like a Pine Lime Splice, an Australian ice block with pine lime icy coat and creamy vanilla ice cream inside, with a hint of coconut. Batucada is YUM!

Went and had a coffee and baklava with my mate Nikki but TOTALLY forgot to take a photo. We chattered away a very happy hour.

Back home and doing some blogging for next week. Wearing a melange of scents.

Cool bath. No bubbles, just Radox Bath Salts.

Alice sent me this genius Scarf Knot map.

Sunday 31:

2am and I’m for bed. Tonight I’m wearing Estee Lauder Beyond Paradise Blue to bed, from the teardrop bottle that I love so much. That cold gasoline opening that melts into a white floral waterfall with lightly creamy and lavender touches.

It’s New Years Eve. I have a bunch of running around and organising to do but before I get started on all that I’m meeting Kath at her Mum & Dads for a SWIM!

Today I’m rocking Tom Ford Jasmine Rouge. It requires respritzes every two hours but that’s part of the fun!

Tonight I’ll be at Parramatta RSL ringing in the New Year with my besties Kath and Phil. Can’t think of a better way to do it. Can’t decide on my fragrance for tonight yet but I’m thinking Madonna Truth or Dare or Mugler Taste of Alien.

I would like to thank everyone involved in Australian Perfume Junkies. If you write, read, comment or are in any way involved THANK YOU for making 2017 a really wonderful year. Got to meet a few more of you too this year which is always special.

Wishing you and your crew a fun and fragrant 2018 chock full of all the good stuff and hardly any of the other.

It’s YOUR turn. What’s happening in your world?

Did you do anything Fun or Fragrant, with Friends and Family or maybe even had some less than Fabulous news you want to share? How is or was your New Year?
Now’s the time, in the comments below.
We love to read what’s happening to YOU.
Portia xx

Scent Diary: 6.11 – 12.11.2017

November 12, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 28 Comments

Portia

Hello APJ Crew,

So much fragrance this week. A real cross section of my collection. Everything else has been happily low key. I enjoy the cessation of our usual madness for a week of calm and peaceful. There were still friends, food and fun. It was Melbourne Cup week and spring has definitely sprung around here.

Scent Diary: 6.11 – 12.11.2017

Monday 6:

Sat up watching The Good Wife till 2.30am munching on chocolate and chips. I know, NAUGHTY! It was gloriously relaxing though. Before I hit the hay a sneaky spritz from a decant of Montale Aoud Amber Rose, guess what? It smells like a jammy rose, synth oud and some treacly thick amber. Fairly disgusting and fun, I like it. Certainly cleared my head of any other thoughts before sleep.

Today I went and got the dogs back from the trainer, they were pretty happy to see me. As I arrived to collect them the heavens opened up and it bucketed down. Now my car smells like wet, happy dogs. Not the worst smell in the world but it is persistent.

This morning I spritzed with Miller et Bertaux A Quiet Morning. It’s a niche-y saffron/woods affair and I love it.

In the afternoon Jin and I went to look at a house we want to buy. It’s pretty darn good. Now we need to make sure our ducks are all lined up. Fingers crossed.

Then Jin went to work and I watched MORE The Good Wife till Trivia Q&A time.

Lez Nez Turtle Vetiver Front from a decant was my spritz de nuit. Loving it sick. Mechanical grass at its finest.

Tuesday 7:

Tuesday morning and I’ve been up since just past dark. I’m bathed and shaved. The dogs are fed and walked. It’s jacaranda time here in Sydney. I was in a hurry this morning so I didn’t walk to the shot of the purple lined boulevard but here’s a single specimen, blooming like crazy.

Today is Melbourne Cup in Australia, the race that stops a nation. What else would I be wearing than Parfum d’Empire Equistrius.

Just started doing my face for my daytime gig for the big event. It’s going to be a bit sweaty in our humid spring heat. GAK! Day drag is so gruesome.

Obviously we had a ball. 90 people, a band, me, buffet, booze and loads of silliness. Anna-Maria and husband Johnny were there, which made it extra special.

Came home, undressed and lay on my bed in a full face of make up till it was time to get going to Parramatta RSL for Turbo Trivia. We had a ball but my feet are SO SORE!

After a full day and night in drag I came home bushed. Straight into a bath I plonked then decided on Guerlain Santal Royal as my evening fragrance.

Jin and I went grocery shopping. Now I am going to bed, falling asleep at the computer.

Wednesday 8:

Bloody delivery woke me up. I’m up doing a little computer catching up but going back to bed for an hours snooze. Sneaky decant spritz of Ramon Monegal Agar Musk.

Evan came over today and helped me decant the Tom Ford Tobacco Oud. Currently I, the house, the street and the suburb are awash in this wonderful fragrance. Not very oud-ish though, sweet and creamy. So wearable.

Here we are for the Instagram crew @the.hug.project showing happy hug bliss.

Had a lovely nap in the afternoon with Paris. We cuddled up and slept for nearly 2 hours.

Jin and I went for dinner at a nearby Indian place. Food was excellent and as neither of us were very hungry we shared and entree, main and rice with a garlic naan each. HEAVEN!

Sorry I forgot to take pics today.

Thursday 9:

O M G! Suddenly;y it’s 5.30am and I’ve been watching The Good Wife for hours. Heavily spritzed Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon and off to bed.

Walking the dogs this morning I noticed this Crepe Myrtle trunk looking like a Van Gogh painting in the early morning sun.

This is my happy view from the back of the pack most mornings. Jin was with us today and his boy Jinx was really pleased.

Worked tonight and wore James Heeley Esprit du Tigre. I thought I smelled amazing but no one noticed.

Got home from work and there was this glorious smelling bunch of Muraya (faux orange) in a little vase on my desk. I have been so engrossed in other stuff I missed it but the smell was overpowering and I thought I’d broken a BWF vial or decant. It is intoxicating. Jin is such a nice man sometimes; what a thoughtful thing to do. Yeah, I feel pretty lucky.

Friday 10:

Up with the birds. Fed and walked the dogs. Spritzed a LOT of Guerlain Vetiver. It’s soft dry green-ness with a hint of salty oil and a cozy fur dry down were perfect for todays warmth.

Jumped a bus and train on my way to Sydney City.

Met with the Accountant this morning. It was FAR less dramatic than I expected. PHEW!

Lunch and a wander around the NSW Art Gallery with Rose. She’s such good company.

Then we went to David Jones Food Hall and had some fabulous Cheeses, Fruit, Bread & Biscuits and Proscuito with a very nice Prosecco.

Home to walk the dogs quickly and found these lovelies from LuckyScent. I had a fun cyber shopping moment a week or so ago.

Off then back out the door to meet three generations of Chaloners. Mum, Eve and Lola. We had a rushed dinner with a star appearance by Jin and then the four of us went and saw Murder On The Orient Express. Sumptuous but ultimately Kenneth Branagh ruined what could have been a fun frolic. He was so annoying that I found myself drifting off.

Saturday 11:

SIX YEARS with Jin. Yes, today is our Anniversary. I was going to take him to a super luxe fine dining restaurant where we would spend a fortune to eat tiny portions of God-knows-what overlooking Sydney’s magnificent harbour. Then I got to thinking about Jin. He is not really that guy. I’m sure he would enjoy the experience but then on the way home he’d make me stop for a burger at McDonalds because he’d still be hungry. Then I thought we could do our favourite Korean BarBQ but it just didn’t feel special enough.

We have mates who own and run a fantastic seafood restaurant in Darling Harbour, Blue Fish. Jin loves seafood and it’s on the water looking across at Sydney CBD. Not expensive but good food served attractively.

I’ll pick him up after work. We can get a train and then wander down to Darling Harbour as the sun sets, which shimmers off the city buildings and water. We’ll have a cocktail at one of the bars then slowly meander to a late-ish dinner and I’ve asked if they’ll do a Happy Anniversary dessert plate.

Hopefully the night will feel like a delicious but low key event full of love.

What else for a special night but a LUSH Rose Jam bubble bath and Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur. I will be a spicy rose delight.

I’m pleased to tell you the night was a success. We had Daiquiris, Seafood, Creme Brûlée on a Happy Anniversary plate. The weather was perfect and we sat by the water watching the world go by and chatting amiably. It was exactly the way we like it, low key but fun and yummy. Best of all we were together.

Sunday 12:

Lazy day around the house. Jin was up and off to work by 4am.

Walked the dogs for an hour and bumped into locals I know along the way, it was a beautiful sunshiny morning.

Came home and did some laundry, computer stuff etc

At 11am I found myself hungry and there was a banana in the bowl. All I’d had so far was a large glass of 50/50 cranberry juice and water when I awoke. This banana was so perfect. Sweet like candy, not too soft, large enough to satisfy. YUMMY!

In honour of my delicious banana I went and grabbed some Guerlain Mahora and spritzed lavishly. MMMMMMMMM The ylang has such banana and I’m wafting it joyfully.

Had a Niki de Saint Phalle bubble bath and used Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely fragrance for work tonight. Excellent fit for a cool spring evening.

So what’s happening in your world? Did you do anything Fun or Fragrant, with Friends and Family or maybe even had some less than Fabulous news you want to share? Now’s the time, in the comments below.
We love to read what’s happening to YOU.
Portia xx

Scent Diary: 16.10 – 22.10.2017

October 22, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Portia

Hey Hey All,

In the week before a holiday I am seriously busy trying get everything ship shape. We did manage to have a life, eat out, wear a bunch of fragrances but I’m only 70% concentrating on living. The rest of my head is organising and planning, making lists and ticking things off.

Scent Diary: 16.10 – 22.10.2017

Monday 16:

Monday morning and my bladder woke me a couple of hours early. He He he he. I’m now wide awake so doing FaceBook, Australian Perfume Junkies and some other computer updates/comments/posts. It’s so calm at this time of morning I feel like more work gets done due to lack of distraction.

A couple of cheeky spritzes of the new DIOR PrivéeJasmine de Anglais from a decant. It’s a very pretty white floral, clean and uncomplicated. Reminds me of something else that I can’t put my finger on exactly, maybe an Annick Goutal?

Jin and I had our first Real Estate guys in to look over the apartment. They were very interested in the place but think we will not see as much for it as we hoped in the current market. Still, the money is not to be sneezed at. Apparently the market in our area is stabilising and maybe even dropping a little. That’s cool. Seeing another guy tomorrow, let’s wait for his appraisal.

Lunch at our favourite cafe. We shared a Burger with the Lot and some Chicken Salt & Vinegar Hot Chips. Delicious. Half each was exactly enough, we even left some chips on our plates.

Had a ONE HOUR LONG bubble bath in Radox Bath Salts and Bath and Body Works Rainkissed Leaves, like standing in a sprint rain shower in the garden.

Night Guerlain Champs Elysees EdP. Fruity violets, mimosa and dewy lilac fluffed up with powder. Perfect for writing my Trivia Q&A.

Bed The Different Company Oriental Lounge

Tuesday 17:

Scott came over for office day today. There was hardly anything to do so we chatted, had lunch with Jin and pottered around. It was a really no sweat, fun day.

Jin’s knee has turned to shit. Poor little bastard has done some ligament damage at work. He’s not a happy camper but we are keeping it iced and resting him as much as possible.

Super lavish bubble bath in La Chasse aux Papillons L`Artisan Parfumeur. Madonna Truth or Dare lotion and I can’t bloody remember what fragrance I wore. Sorry.

Diptyque 34 for Bed

Wednesday 18:

TRIVIA Q&A

Jin’s Korean Chicken Curry left overs for lunch. YUM! On toast! Added peas, so AUSSIE! SHHHH Don’t tell him.

Heeley Cuir Pleine Fleur, dry, velvety soft leather. So fricken luxurious.

Dinner with Jin who ordered enough for four people. Dooley’s Catholic Club in Lidcombe where Jin worked for a couple of years. Everyone was so happy to see him and there were shouts from the kitchen. Food was delicious. We ate most of it too. YUMMM

Jin was given a porcelain pendant from Neela Vermeire. It hung in his wardrobe until he got a new car. Now his car smells of Neela Vermeire Creations Bombay Bling. It’s very freaking cool. See him peeking in the rear view mirror, so cute.

Thursday 19:

Woke up to a Perfume delivery. We recently found a site selling 1 litre demijohns of Tom Ford. I created a split among the Aussie Fragrance Network crew, 900ml sold in under 24 hours. Woo Hoo!

BUT the Window Fix guy had left a card. GRRRR! Sure I’d been sleeping but a couple of good knocks on the door or buzzing the buzzer would have had me ready for action. Now I have to pay for him to come again. So bloody annoying.

It’s a Niki de Saint Phalle kinda day. Sometimes only a chypre will do.

I am so sad today. Keep having fits of tears. Why is the world going to hell? How can the Church and Politicians say they are for us, the people, then not cure poverty or end war? How are there kids growing up illiterate in 2017? Why is Health Care so ridiculously expensive? How did business get to rule us so effectively? Why do I have to ask 26 million people if Jin and I can be married?
If I feel like this, one of lifes lucky ones. How bad must it feel for the less lucky?
Helpless is how I feel, helpless to create change in a world that seems to have gone bad.

For my bath I used Boucheron Trouble, Madonna Truth or Dare lotion and I’m spritzing myself with Le Galion Sang Blue. As close to an eighties menswear fragrance as is possible in 2017, yet curiously modern. Got a lovely compliment from one of the barmen as he hugged me goodbye, “You smell so good”

Bedtime tonight? Bal a Versialles from my 15ml vintage parfum bottle. SO GOOD!

Friday 20:

Woke up this morning to the long awaited sound of rain. We have been bone dry all through winter and spring, this is a much needed drenching. I love the sound of medium level driving rain that sounds like it can keep the level up for hours, especially as I wake up in my own time, curled up warm and safe in bed under my duvet. Wonderful way to wake.

Morning spritz Histoires de Parfums Ambre 114. Simple crunchy amber, thick and luscious.

Chained myself to the computer and did Trivia Q&A and Blog Posts,. Drank LOADS of tea & coffee. Organised some giveaway stuff and generally made some headway with the list of to dos.

Had a spectacular order from Surrender To Chance arrive. Some fabulously interesting stuff to be reviewing and wearing. Woo Hoo! Now I have about 4 fragrances spritzed on different points of my body. Interestingly Ramon Monegals Cotton Musk seems to be the dominant player, who knew a white musk could be so insistent?

It’s late, the computer is going fuzzy as I try to read and blog. G’Night all. Radox Bath, then bed.

Saturday 21:

Bloody Hell! I thought after my bath, “I’ll just watch one episode of the Good Wife to wind down.” It’s now late and I’m spritzing Phaedon Tabac Rouge from a decant to sleep. Night.

Woke up to the Jehovah’s Witnesses buzzing my apartment block. Our intercom doesn’t let me hear what people are saying so I let them in, thinking it was a delivery. I told them that the JWs stole my sister and she won’t talk to me. Rang me the night before her wedding to tell me she was getting married but didn’t want me to attend. For the first time that I’ve told them this story they seemed genuinely moved, they apologised. It was a very nice moment but I still sent them on their way, nicely though.

Here are the boys at their favourite hour, feeding time.

In the saddle again early to get the blog organised.

We leave on Monday for a Ghan and Indian Pacific trip. Our six year anniversary present to ourselves. Neither Jin nor I are perfect. We are slobbish, sometimes grumpy, manipulative, unhearing or aggressive for no reason and we are full of human frailty. I’m really happy we’ve been able to navigate six years, there’s no promise of a happy ever after but I’ll gladly take a comfortable right now.

Covered in a bunch of fragrances and reviewing. I love this, so fun.

Kath and Scott joined Jin and I for dinner tonight. We had Chinese takeaway, so obviously I was thrilled. Loads of laughs and chattering away on topics from politics and religion through to fragrance, work, lives and families. It was such a fun night I completely forgot to take pics, sorry. Kath gave me this one of our food.

Back at the computer now blogging. FULL and fragrant. Good day.

Sunday 22:

Today I got a postcard from Val the Cookie Queen. What a freaking great surprise. Busses = kisses in Austrian

Chinese Reheats. Is there any better consumable anywhere? Throw it all into a saucepan together with some oil and water and mix it up. DE LIC IOUS!

Spritzed lavishly with Guerlain Champs Elysees tonight. I smell freaking gorgeous.

Worked tonight. Varun gave me a beautiful necklace for my birthday so I wore it this week. Isn’t it fabulous?

How was your week? Please share some things that went on: family, food, fun or fragrance. We love to read about your weeks too.
Portia xx

Scent Diary: 4.9 – 10.9.2017

September 10, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Portia

WHIRLWIND WEEK APJ,

Getting ready, getting out, getting here. It’s been so bloody hectic and 100% fun. Yes, there have been some surprises, not all of them ultimately happy ones, but that’s what holiday adventures are all about. This is hope I would love to live, travelling the world in search of experience. Meeting new people and having a momentary connection, or making new friends. Heaven.

Scent Diary: 4.9 – 10.9.2017

Monday 4:

Getting ready for going away

In the evening Alice, TinaG and Phil dropped around and it was great to see them even though I was preoccupied.

A Press Sample of Parfumerie Generale Suede Osmanthe 5.1 arrived in the mail. It is unutterably beautiful. Sweet, green, fruity, plush suede and very sexy. Imagine if Daim Blond was amped towards canned fruit in sugar syrup and greened out.

Fragrantica

Tuesday 5:

Running around and getting the final things done. Scott came over and helped, Jin was of work so we ran around together. It was fun. I love these guys.

Jacomo Silences PdT was my daytime accompaniment. Excellent mossy chypre. It was about AUD$11/30ml spray from FragranceNet and smells divine.

Worked, back in drag tonight after 2 weeks out with my ankle. All seems good now.

Neela Vermeire Creations Trayee was my choice for work tonight and I smelled utterly fabulous. There were moments when I drifted off into frag head land. BLISS!

Packed the bags tonight. Cleaned the fish tank. Emptied all the bins for bin night. Cleaned up our dining table and put all my fragrances into my perfume room. Folded the washing and put it away.

Just before bed I spritzed some vintage CHANEL No 5 EdP. Sleepy time.

Wednesday 6:

Took the dogs out to the kennels because Jin will be working weird hours and the boys really like their regimented life. They also love going back out to the trainers to brag about their forever home adventures. I wore vintage Caron Infini that comes in a pressurised spritz. The initial aldehydes have become shrill, oily and metallic but one minute in and HEAVEN! My mate margo reckons it’s early 1970s PdC from a gift set. Very cool.

Home for some lunch. The last of the Chinese reheats.

Here are my hairy Hobbit feet and lavish red nail polish. I’m ready for India now.

Keihl’s Original Musk lotion, Olympic Orchids Amber/Labdanum Bath Oil, Cuir Pleine Fleur James Heeley was my bathing ritual for the flight. Fragrant but hopefully not IN YOUR FACE.

Got my gear together and Jin took me to the airport. Happy to be going, sad to be leaving stuff. You get it, I know.

The American Express Lounge is not so much fun solo. I nearly drank them out of sparkling and still water. Hydration pre flight.

Historic entertainment units on China Southern. Actually it was nice not being bombarded with movies from less than a metre away and I got some solid reading done too. Finished Handmaid’s Tale and started on some new thing that was recommended but I’m not sure whether I even understand it yet.

The staff were so good, no problems, full of smiles. I enjoyed the flights immensely.

Thursday 7:

ARRIVED Delhi Airport.

We stayed in Gurgoan and had dinner there.

Showered quickly at night and doused myself in vintage Miss Dior parfum.

Friday 8:

Hotel breakfast, more vintage Miss Dior parfum then off for a flight to Assam. Arrived safely, though the kangaroo style landing left me in doubt of our ultimate survival for a few moments. Careening around like a drunken sailor with St Vitus Dance.

We ordered an Uber who drove us the four hours into the mountains of Meghalaya state, to the capital Shillong. We only stopped once but the scenery on the journey was absolutely breathtaking. The middle shot is a boarding school, the most spectacular grounds and scenery.

For some reason Varun was expecting a tiny town perched atop a mountain, much like McLeod Gang was back in 2001 when we visited. Sadly it is a HUGE city. Well, sadly for Varun, I’m very happy here. The hustle and bustle leaves NYC for dead.

At night we wandered the markets and had Mo-Mos. A selection of steamed chicken and fried pork.

Saturday 9:

We woke at around 5am and set out on an adventure walk around 5.30am. Varun had found a nearby lake park with a walking track around the gardens. Lodki Park was designed and built by the British while they were here and it seriously looks like time has stood still since then. We wandered around it for about an hour then came back to the hotel for breakfast.

Spectacular hedges of dahlia glowed in the cool morning mist, they lit up the walk and reminded me how precious the gift of adventure is. I’ve never seen such a display and these hedges dotted the walk all around the lake and through the parklands.

Breakfast! Yeah, I know it doesn’t look like much. That’s because it’s my third helping of dal, vegetables, yoghurt and paratha. Happy place reached.

Todays excursion was to the wettest places on earth, Mawsynram and Cherrapunji. What better time to see them than in monsoon. The heavens did not disappoint. We drove through clouds more than half the day with sporadic clearings. When it rained it bucketed down and the rest of the time it drizzled and spritzed. Not terribly cold until you got into the winds.

We hiked to some spectacular waterfalls, three sets in all but we only got real photographable vision of one set.

We had Masala Chai to celebrate. Hint for India travel: buy a large bottle of mineral water and get them to make your tea with this. Saves dirt in your coffee. This place was every sort of gorgeous and the kids who run it super sweet.

We also went into a cave complex. It wasn’t terribly long, about 150m, but there were some very low and tight squeezes. We also ended up knee deep in water a couple of times and the rest was climbing over rocks. All done in bare feet. Sadly it wasn’t really photographable but it was an amazing experience.

Varun had chicken Mo-Mos and chilli jam at a roadside stall. I was feeling a bit queazy from driving the winding mountain ranges so I just drank water.

We stopped at a town and looked around a bit. Some dog started barking at me. That never happens, they always love me. I was extremely downhearted by it.

As we drove home the clouds closed in around us. Visibility was about 10m at the most. It was beautiful and eerie, like floating. Amazing trip.

We wandered around to the City Family Dhaba, Shillong’s #1 recommended restaurant. Everybody we spoke to told us it was a must visit. It didn’t disappoint either.

We were so full at the end we couldn’t even finish the garlic Naan. Sacrilege!!

Varun: What do you want to listen to
Portia (being a smart arse) Karen Carpenter of the Carpenters
Music comes on: It’s Gonna Take Some Time by the Carpenters

Consider this smart arse put in his place. SNAP!

Then we hit the club on the roof of our hotel. Varun and I danced until my t-shirt was dripping wet. We sat for a while and then I needed a shower and then bed. Bloody hell. I’m DEAD!!

Sunday 10:

Couldn’t sleep last night. The dogs of Shillong must be having gang territory wars. It sounded vicious and intense and continued for hours. From the sounds there were dogs being torn apart. Terrifying. Every time I thought it had stopped and drifted towards the lands of nod another round would begin.

So I am sleepless and a trifle sweaty this morning.

Best fixer for that? Jacomo Silences. Freaking perfect.

SORRY I’m a bit late posting this addendum! Out all day. Had a wonderful time seeing more waterfalls and lakes.

This is our Shillong driver Yuvraj, his name means prince destined to be king. He has perfect English and is excellent company, we have asked him to drive us tomorrow and day after too.

Varun took this shot. I think it a very flattering likeness.

We had lunch at the poshest place in the whole area. Took our lovely driver there with us and we all sat and chatted companionably while stuffing our faces. I made the hotel staff pull a table and chairs out of the restaurant onto the verandah so our view and the breeze would be wonderful. It was a huge drama but once we were settled it was absolutely amazing.

Hey! So what have you been doing? Tell us all in the comments below please. Anything, fun, fragrant, friends, family or food related. ANYTHING! Tell us about your week.

Portia xx

Summer Scentsations: Heat Busters

September 5, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

TinaG

Hi gang!

Last year I struggled to find fragrances which I could wear on a daily basis, which cut through the ridiculous heat of summer. I gravitated towards modern watery aquatics and fruits. My mainstays were Hermès – Un Jardin Apres La Mousson, and L’Artisan Parfumeur – Mandarine, and the occasional blast of Serge Lutens – Borneo 1834 for sultry evenings.

I was discussing summer fragrances with friends recently – Here’s a list of a few that we talked about for our wish lists:

Summer Scentsations: Heat Busters

Fragrantica

Heeley – Sel Marin

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, lemon, green notes
Heart: Salt, sea water, sea grass, moss
Base: Musk, cedar, leather.

I’ve been craving more of this fragrance – I had a quick sniff last year when I was in the UK. There was something intimately sexy about it – underlying clean funkiness, like a salty sun-kissed person’s chest at the end of a very active day. A far cry from your regular ‘marine’ fragrance.

Fragrantica

Estée Lauder – Bronze Goddess

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bergamot, ginger, mandarin
Heart: Indian samba jasmine, coconut, jasmine
Base: vanilla, cashmere wood, musk, amber.

I know that this is a general favourite for summer, but both my friend and I weren’t all that familiar with it. We will get together and split a bottle when the next round hits the shelves. I think this would definitely cover off the tropical beach coconut vibe for a summer’s day.

Fr Fragrantica

CB I Hate Perfume – At The Beach 1966

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Coppertone, North Atlantic, wet sand, seashell, driftwood, boardwalk.

This transports me back to the days of kicking around the beach as a kid. I remember using Coppertone, usually SPF 2 of 4….. I don’t know how we didn’t get absolutely toasted. This perfume smells like a day at the beach. Totally. It’s brilliant.

Fragrantica

BeauFort London – Fathom V

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Juniper berries, tangerine, black currant, green notes, soil tincture
Heart: Thyme, lily, jasmine, ylang ylang, ginger, cumin, black pepper, mimosa
Base: Patchouli, vetiver, oak moss, salt, incense, atlas cedar, amber

My friend Kerri recently purchased the BeauFort London – Come Hell or High Water discovery set, which in itself is magnificent. It is a leather roll with generous 7.5ml travel sprays of each of their fragrances. I had been lusting after this for a while so I was both dead jealous and super excited to have a look at them. The green hit in the opening of Fathom V is a mix of bright freshly cut flowers and deeper greens, which we likened to walking into a cool florist shop. I need to spend more time with all of this range, they are both amazing fragrances and an intriguing aesthetic.

Fragrantica

Le Labo – Lys 41

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Jasmine, tuberose, lily, woody notes, vanilla, musk

Lys 41 is a beautiful cool white floral. The lily is subtly sweet and there’s nothing I find overpowering. There’s a time in the morning just before the sun rises where a blue-grey haze lights up the frosted panelling of my bedroom door. I’ve been finding myself spritzing Lys 41 at this time as part of a gentle fragrant wake up, and then re-spritzing throughout the day while the sun moves through its daily arc casting different shadows and colours through the house. I really enjoy it and I will definitely be bringing this routine over into the summer months.

You can get samples of most of the at Surrender To Chance

So how about you, APJ? What have your worn this summer, or are planning to?

Till next time,
Tina G

Best Of Fragrant NEWS!! In My Inbox

December 11, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey gang,

It seems the frag companies are sending about 200 pieces of news a day at the moment. I’ve sifted through and found you some stuff that I thought VERY exciting.

Best Of Fragrant NEWS!! In My Inbox

A new release, sone excellent Travel Sets and a DISCOUNT CODE!! If this list doesn’t get your Gifting or selfishly wanting juices flowing then I don’t know what will.

Rahele by Neela Vermeire Creations AVAILABLE!

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Osmanthus, woody notes, spices, floral notes, herbal notes, leather, oakmoss

I can’t see it yet on the NVC site but I bet they are working double time to make that happen. So exciting. Neela tells me sometime this week! WOO HOO!

Olympic Orchids Perfumes DISCOUNT CODE

Olympic Orchids Perfumes

Any order totaling $15 or more will receive a 20% discount in either the flagship store or the original boutique.
Enter the code DECEMBERSALE at checkout. The code is good now through December 25.

Olympic Orchid Perfumes are discontinuing Arizona, which will be slightly reformulated and re-released under a new name early next year. In the meantime they are selling the remaining stock at discounted prices.

Parfums de Nicolaï Discovery Kit 6 x 1.5ml

Parfums de Nicolaï only €29

The NICOLAÏ Discovery Kit with :
– 1,5ml of Patchouli Intense
– 1,5ml of Ambre Cashmere Intense
– 1,5ml of Musc Intense
– 1,5ml of New-York Intense
– 1,5ml of Fig-Tea
– 1,5ml of L’eau miXte

Annick Goutal Travel Set & Gift Coffret

Eau d’Hadrien

Annick Goutal €55

Eau d’Hadrien Travel Spray set

Travel Spray case with 2 x 8ml Sprays. Gorgeous for resproitzing the ephemeral Eau d’Hadrien

Annick Goutal Gift Coffret €50

Eau d’Hadrien Gift Coffret

Gift Coffret contains Shampoo 50ml, Conditioner 50ml, Body Lotion 50ml, Shower Gel 50ml, Soap 50g in the Eau d’Hadrien scent. VERY nice, I quite like one of these for myself TBH.

James Heeley Discovery Set

The crew at Heeley has put together a little coffer of some of their most popular Eau de Parfums – 5 x 15ml Natural Sprays
Sel Marin . Hippie Rose . Cardinal . St Clement’s . Menthe Fraiche

I can’t think of a better way to get to know this brand which flies under the radar a but. You all know how much I love Travel Size Sprays. Heaven.

See anything that takes your fancy for you or gifting?
Portia xx

5 Neglected Warm Day + Cool Night Fragrances

October 15, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 12 Comments

Post by Portia

Hey there APJ,

So it’s a Mid Season again. YAY! These are my favourite bits of the year. Autumn and Spring. Why? Well, though I do love the warmth and freezing cold I find life much easier between 20C and 30C as top range heats. Dressing for the day is easier and you only need a comfy old jumper or hoodie as standby for cooler evenings. I also seem to function better physically and mentally in the Mid Seasons and I often feel more inspired to create positive change in my life.

It’s great for fragrance too because almost everything goes, here are some things that I love for these glorious days. I’ve chosen some fragrances that seemed to get a lot of attention when they were released but then have been basically ignored ever since. Yes, I talk about them but I rarely see them mentioned elsewhere so here’s a friendly reminder of some of my Mid Season loves.

5 Neglected Warm Day + Cool Night Fragrances

Fragrantica

Mitzah by DIOR

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Coriander, rose, spices, cinnamon, labdanum, vanilla, honey, patchouli, incense

Mitzah opens all hot smoky spices and incense, with unmentioned leather and tobacco notes. Not an intense journey through the perfume with mountainous peaks and troughs, while there are definite start middle and end notes it’s more of a progression. The kick at the start warms slowly and languidly through mildly sweet towards a honeyed amber dry down.

Fragrantica

The Aoud by Mancera

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Geranium, sandalwood, saffron, incense, rose, agarwood (oud), leather, ambergris

Oudh, geranium and sandalwood are triumphant kings through the story of this fragrance for me, their characters working in tandem and against each other to keep The Aoud interesting and unusual. Though rose is a featured note it doesn’t play heavily here, more a light accompaniment with the leather, saffron and incense. Blooms in the heat and is cuddly at night.

Cuir Pleine Fleur James Heeley Fragrantica Fragrantica

Cuir Pleine Fleur by James Healey

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Italian bergamot, Violet leaf, Cinnamon
Heart: Mimosa, Hawthorn, Suede, Rose, Honey
Base: Vetiver, Castoreum, Birch, Atlas cedar

Cuir Pleine Fleur is one of the easiest leathers I’ve ever smelled, friendly, well worn kid gloves and while being fragrant it is never overpowering or uncomfortable. A green leather, if you can believe it. I am loving it this season because it has a cool edge for warm days and the soft and,alias make it cozy in the cool.

Fragrantica

Indian Wood by Parfumerie Generale

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Sandalwood, vetiver, moss, spicy mint, nutmeg, cardamom, coconut milk, lemon zest

Chai! Sweet, milky, spicy and warming but with a green facet that gives it a papery rasp and picks Indian Wood up. This sweetness comes from the sweetness of milky woods, piquant spices and the warm memories of cooking. Even though this is a gourmand it’s green dryness keeps it from overwhelming in the heat.

Fragrantica

Divine EdP by Divine Parfums

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Tuberose, peach, coriander
Heart: Orange blosson, rose, spices, patchouli, gardenia, jasmine
Base: Sandalwood, vanilla, musk, oakmoss

Big White Flowers and peachy/coriander skank bomb. The tuberose is excellent and lushly indolic, I am always surprised there is no ylang here because I am reminded of its sensual lushness, maybe it’s the orange blossom/tuberose melange.

LuckyScent or First In Fragrance have most of these babies

What do you wear Mid Season or what do you love that isn’t talked about much anymore?
Portia xx

Cardinal by James Heeley for Heeley 2006

June 15, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 27 Comments

Post by Poodle

I went to a Catholic grammar school. Many of my childhood memories are of being in church. Damn, it seems like there was always a reason to have to go to mass. I have to admit I hated it. We’d even be taken to church during school hours to practice singing so that at mass Sr. Carmeline would be happy and convinced that we were loud enough for God to hear. She was a large, scary woman and had this giant bell she would ring to get our attention. The bell meant business, let me tell you, but that’s another story altogether.

During Lent there wasn’t much singing but we had to go to the Stations of the Cross every week. To a kid it was dreadfully boring, but I loved Lent because there was more incense. Incense was my favorite part of church by far. I still love my incense perfumes in times of stress and when I mentioned Cardinal in my last post Portia asked me to tell you more about it.

Avignon was a blind buy for me and I fell hard for it. It was all dark. brooding, churchy incense. It was love. On my quest to acquire more incense fragrances I stumbled upon Cardinal and found another to love.

Cardinal by Heeley 2006

Cardinal by James Heeley

Fragrantica

Heeley gives these featured accords:
White Linen . Baie Rose . Black Pepper
Labdanum . Frankincense . Myhr
Vetiver . Grey Amber . Patchouli

Cardinal is a church incense but it’s more like church on a sunny winter’s day. I remember sitting in church and it was usually cold. If you were strategic you’d try to sit near a window. You wanted to be in that ray of sunlight streaming through the stained glass. It would offer some warmth which was hard to come by in those big, old churches. Cardinal is a lot like that. It has dustiness and cold damp stone notes along with the incense but there’s also that visible ray of sunshine.

Mount Pleasant Granary

It’s all about the aldehydes. They tend to brighten and freshen up a perfume and that’s exactly what they do here. Add to that the amber in the base and Cardinal becomes a much warmer, happier take on incense. My only complaint is with the lasting power. On my skin Cardinal isn’t a powerhouse and it doesn’t last very long. Some days I may get a couple hours out of it but not others. It does linger on clothing nicely. Your mileage may vary.

If you love Chanel No 22 as I do but have always wished the incense was a bit more pronounced then I think you might like Cardinal. If Avignon always seemed a bit too masculine to you then Cardinal’s floral notes and brightness might be just perfect. Yes, it’s still contemplative and calming but it’s also hopeful, like going into dimly lit church, lighting a candle, saying a prayer, and walking out into the sunshine.

Geograph.UK

Further reading: NST and Olfactoria’s Travels
Healey has €125/100ml and sends to the world
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5.40/ml

Have you tried it? Do you like it? What’s your favorite incense?

Hugs
Poodle

Coccobello by James Heeley for Heeley 2013

March 16, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 24 Comments

Post by Poodle

It’s painfully cold out. I’m not going to say its freezing because we dropped below that about 30F degrees ago. The wind is making it feel worse but by the time you read this I will be slightly warmer I hope. I’ll be heading towards spring and you folks down under will be trying to hang on to your summer.

Coccobello by Heeley 2013

Coccobello by James Heeley

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Palm leaf, gardenia
Heart: Coconut, sea salt, vanilla
Base: Virginia cedar, benzoin, sandalwood

I knew nothing of this scent when I received it in the mail. I glanced at the name and gave it a spray expecting something gourmand with either cocoa or coconut, something cozy to warm my heart. What I wasn’t expecting was a blast of green and saltiness. Oh sure, there’s some sweetness in there as well but instead of a warm fuzzy blanket, Coccobello is a trip to the beach.

PublicDomain

Coccobello opens with the smell of crushed palm leaves. It’s potent and a bit harsh at first. Don’t go sticking your nose into it just yet or you might go running for the sink to wash. If you hate green notes the opening might be a little difficult but it doesn’t linger here for long before some other notes shine through. The coconut starts to emerge but it is also green and unsweetened. It’s not the coconut oozing with sugar that I’m used to smelling. There’s a faint gardenia note but it’s quite subdued and never enters big white floral territory. It adds sweetness but not in a sugary way. Now drench all that with salt water. I smell a hint of cedarwood as well. At no point do I think dessert, cocktails, or anything fruity which is the usual direction of beachy tropical perfumes.

Once my initial shock of it not being a sweet gourmand wore off I enjoyed Coccobello as a beach scent. As you wear it the perfume loses the sharpness of the palm note and takes on the aroma of sun warmed skin cooled by salty water. It calls to mind Bronze Goddess by Estée Lauder but Coccobello seems far more unisex to me. Guys, if you’re looking for a coconut scent that isn’t too girly this might be it. For those of you who find typical beach or tropical perfumes too sweet, fruity, flowery, or aquatic I think Coccobello might be worth a sniff. I will say again that that heavy green up front might be a deal breaker for quite a few folks. I know salt is also a love/hate note for a lot of you too. This is a grown up tropical scent and I think it deserves more attention than it gets but I can understand it will be challenging for some.

Pixabay

Coccobello reminds me of summer, suntan lotion, and the beach. Right now all of those things seem worlds away.

Further reading: Olfactoria’s Travels and Scent for Thought
LuckyScent has $180/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $5.40/ml

What perfumes have you tried that were completely different from what you were expecting?

Hugs
Poodle