Sensual Orchid by Jerome Epinette for LM Parfums 2012

December 14, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 10 Comments

Howdy Crew,

Fragrantica says: LM Parfums is a French niche line of scented candles and fragrances… founded by Laurent Mazzoni. Most of the blogs I have read about this crew have been about their most expensive offering Hard Leather, and I do have a sample of it around here somewhere but the one that I am really interested in has very little written about it so far….

Sensual Orchid by Jerome Epinette for LM Parfums 2012

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Mandarin orange, almond, neroli
Heart: Orchid, jasmine sambac, ylang-ylang, peony, heliotrope
Base: Vanilla, musk, woody notes, cedar, labdanum, benzoin

The first thing that intrigued me about Sensual Orchid was the perfumer, Jerome Epinette has been the nose behind a bunch of blockbuster mainstream niche offerings: four of the Atelier Colognes, Bel d’Afrique and La Tulipe (coincidentally one of my BFF Kath’s fragrances) for Byredo, three of the LuckyScent Decennial quartet and a bunch of others I’m not familiar with. It’s quite a selection.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Almond and orange, like a cake, like a FRIAND!! MMMMMMM. Foody and sweet but still holding onto a very sensual bouquet. GAWD!!! I love it. What a wonderful opening that lasts for a good 15+ minutes before finally giving in to the heart. The flowers are sweet and sexy, a bit ripe and lovely banana-skin tones. I am surprised there is no coconut note because I get something very like it, a creaminess and the back of my throat has the same slight ache it gets when I eat dessicated coconut.

The dry down is soft, creamy woods. An oriental amber wash that is very nice. This lasts for hours and has me feeling very sexy and frisky. A real come-hither scent that would be knockout as a date night frag or a movies with intended partner. The elegant clean thrummmm of Sensual Orchid could definitely push someone over the edge from like to lust.

Photo Stolen DeviantART

From Osswald NYC: 20% perfume concentration “Like a feminine model on the catwalk, Sensual Orchid captivates your senses with its incredible aromas. The second essence of perfume will take you to the front of the stage. The carnal pleasures evoked by this sumptuous arrangement of natural sophisticated fragrances. A first subtle scent of citrus fruit and almond leads you into a refined heart of orchid, jasmine sambac, Lysilang, peony and heliotrope then leaves a voluptuous final touch made of vanilla, musk, blonde wood, white cedar wood, labdanum and benzoin.”

Further reading: Scented Hound and CaFleureBon
Jovoy Paris has €195/100ml
Osswald NYC has $225/100ml (Hey Hey Josie & Clement!!)

Have you tested any of the LM Parfums fragrances? Do you like their aesthetic?
Portia xxxx

Cartier – L'Odyssée and Making Of Documentary

December 14, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 6 Comments

Hello Beautiful People,
If ever there was a time where my writing was superfluous, this is it. Please enjoy these 2 Cartier movies. you may have seen one or both before but it’s worth having another look.

Photo Stolen thesnapassembly

Until we see you tomorrow please be good to yourselves and those around you,
Portia xx

(This is a Re-Blog from 24 November 2012)

Cartier – Behind the scenes of L’Odyssée

Cartier – L’Odyssée Mini Movie

Iris Tubereuse by Creed 2014 + Chicago Photo Essay

December 13, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Hey Hey APJ,

I’m not sure if you followed our adventures as we traveled across the USA in a diagonal from LA to NYC. Stop number 3 was in Chicago, Illinois. We had a few things on the agenda that needed doing. Number ONE was celebrating Anita’s (Musette from Perfume Posse) birthday. Which we did in high style, morning at the Chicago Art Gallery, Lunch in the Walnut Room at the old Marshall Fields (now Macy’s) and dinner at Hard Rock cafe (idea had by a Chicago native). We also had a meetup of the perfumista crew that started at Barney’s went to Neiman Marcus and ended in cocktails and Chicago deep dish pizza. We met some wonderful people, had a complete blast and fell head over heels in love with Chicago.

I also fell madly in love with two fragrances, the first of which is ..

Iris Tubereuse by Creed 2014

Photo Stolen CreedUSA

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Galbanum, orange, violet leaf
Heart: Tuberose, lily-of-the-valley, lily
Base: Musk, orange blossom, vanilla

What I didn’t expect on my travels was to find a new Creed that I want so desperately in my collection.

The opening of Iris Tubereuse is a big fat punch in the nose of galbanum, there is other stuff but my skin boosts the galbanum beautifully. Then the green is peeled back to let the most glorious white florals emerge, or bloom really. Green notes and white flowers. You had me at hello. This is heady and deliriously big for about 20 minutes, reminding me of the 1980s: big hair, big shoulder pads, bold colours, cinched waists and spike heels (and that was the men!!).

After that initial burst of WHOA enormous Iris Tubereuse settles into a warm, lush, tropical evening stroll. A little breathy, slightly sweaty and humid. Very little iris (or violet leaf) to be smelled on my skin, but that could be me missing it completely. The vanilla/musks in dry down are pleasant and totally unchallenging, this is the least interesting part of iris tubereuse yet I can see that being part of its attraction to the mainstream buyers.

The very handsome young man at the David Jones Libertine counter told me it was his best seller for young women buying their own and all men buying gifts. Interesting. I would happily rock this, and I love the bottle.

My sample came from Libertine Parfumerie who have live sites in both David Jones and Myer, Sydney City Stores.
Libertine Parfumerie has AUD$385/100ml with FREE SHIPPING in Australia (Christmas Delivery cut off December 22)
Creed in the US has US$300/100ml
Surrender To Chance have samples starting at $5/.5ml

Portia xxx

Chicago 2014 Photo Essay

Kim, Jin, Kath, Musette & I at some cool live music bar. Great food & service, can’t remember the name damnit! (Shaw’s Blue Crab Lounge)

At the Neiman Marcus Creed counter. I have no idea what happened to my Barneys photos

My new boyfriend. Looks after the Patou fragrances but I can’t remember his name. Let’s just call him Mr Turbo (Richard Gonzalez)

Julie R and I in the cool of the evening.

DRINKS!!!

Deep dish Pizza.

The crew at the end of the day. we’d lost quite a few along the way. These are the stayers.

My favourite American artist, Georgia O’Keefe. Here are my three favourites from the Chicago gallery of her work.

You have no idea how enormous this piece is, you can still feel reverberations of this look above the clouds from a plane in modern works.

Musette’s BIRTHDAY lunch at the Walnut Room. The extra lady told us there would be a very short wait. We got to the line and the other people said over 40 minutes. We went and chewed her out about that and were seated immediately due to ir being a Very Special Birthday. Thank You Macy’s. Food was really yummy too.

Cookie Queen’s GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

December 13, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 4 Comments

Heya Crew,

WOW!! Incredible response.

Thank you so much Val for sharing your amazing stash.

Portia xx

Cookie Queen’s GIVEAWAY WINNERS!

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get a selection of samples (NO you don’t get to choose)

Samples included are:
Chanel Exclusifs
Phaedon
Amouage
Mona di Orio
Nobile 1942
Parfum d’Empire Ambre Russe
Rania J Ambre Loup
Roger Dove (much as it pains me to give these away)
Nu_bes
Ramon Monegals

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone worldwide who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us your favourite fragrant find of 2014

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3r6 Cookie Queen Christmas GIVEAWAY #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 12 December 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen from Val’s dead armadillo

Photo Stolen markmontanoblogs

THINKING MAGPIE

MHEK

The winners will have till Monday 15th December 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

OUT With The GIVEAWAY WINNERS

December 12, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 11 Comments

Hey APJ,

Another wonderful giveaway hosted by Azar. These are super wonderful and I hope whoever wins them gets loads of pleasure from their prizes.

Don’t forget to check out Azar’s online up and recycling store offering all kinds of goodies for sale at thier online shop Random Acts of Recycling<<JUMP.

Portia xx

OUT With The GIVEAWAY WINNERS

WHAT COULD YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 Winners who will each get:
1 x bottle mentioned below, NO you don’t get to chose.
P&H USA Mainland ONLY

Fragrance Republic 01/02 Vapeur de Tubereuse by Julie Masse, 2013.

15 ml EdT, new

Jacomo Silences by Gerard Goupy and Jean Claude-Niel, 1978.

30 ml vintage EdT, no box

Nicole Miller Frenzy by Caroline Sabas, 2009.

15 ml new in box.

HOW DID YOU WIN?

Open to everyone in the USA mainland who follows AustralianPerfumeJunkies via eMail, WordPress, Bloglovin or RSS. Please leave how you follow in the comments to be eligible. I must be able to check that you follow so if you have an email address on your gravatar that’s different to your follow address then please email me so I know. Yes, you can start following to enter, in fact it’s encouraged.

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Leave a comment about anything you collect

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3qZ #Perfume #Giveaway @NicoleMillerNYC @FragranceRepub #Jacomo

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 11th December 2014 10pm Australian EST
Winners were chosen by pulling names from a sunhat (Update: Fender was eager to choose the winners today so we didn’t do the sunhat! He touched his nose to the names)

Laurels – FR 01/02

dremybluz – Silences

Janet in California – Nicole Miller Frenzy

I had nothing to do with Fender’s choices. I simply put the names in a row on the floor (face down just in case – he is smart dog) and he picked the winners in the above order.

I will send these out as soon as possible but, with the holiday mail as it is, the winners might not receive their prizes until after Christmas.

Azar xx

The winners will have till Sunday 14th December 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Apple Brandy by Sidonie Lancesseur for by Kilian 2013

December 11, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 18 Comments

Post by Poodle

Recently I received a sample of Apple Brandy from a perfume pal who lived in NYC. This is the perfume that is exclusive to the New York By Kilian boutique. I find the exclusivity of certain scents frustrating for obvious reasons but since it showed up on my doorstep I gave it a try.

Apple Brandy by Sidonie Lancesseur for by Kilian 2013

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Featured accords:
Apple, rum and plum accord, oak, labdanum, ambroxan, cedar, vanilla

At first sniff, Apple Brandy is full of apples and boozy amber fruit. The apples seem almost candied but the sweetness quickly moves from candied to caramel. It’s vanilla caramel wrapped around a juicy red apple. It’s not quite what I’d call brandy just yet but more like mulled wine from the plum note which also keeps the apples from smelling too fresh and crisp. There is a smokiness and a touch of amber that also prevent the sugar from taking over. The oak and cedar are noticeable even early on in the perfumes development and give it a rich, warm feeling. Imagine when you take a sip of a beautiful amber hued brandy and you can feel it warming you from the inside out. There seems to be a tiny bit of spice, maybe a touch of nutmeg. Apple Brandy has the makings of a great cold weather perfume. The scent seems to walk that fine line between a scent I want to smell like and a scent I want my home to smell like. (It would make a great scented candle.)

Photo Stolen Pixabay

As the fragrance develops the changes are slow and subtle. I wouldn’t call it completely linear but if you’re looking for a roller coaster ride of notes rising and falling you won’t find it here. The apples and fruit gradually slide away and the woods take on a tobacco like feeling at times. This is where it reminds me of brandy, when the oak-y woods blend with the fruit. The vanilla starts to become more noticeable but the caramel and candy that were present in the top notes have faded considerably.

Photo Stolen Pixabay
Photo has nothing to do with the scent I did think it too gorgeous to pass by though

I had to dab Apple Brandy on from a sample and got reasonably good projection. I was catching whiffs of caramel apples and liquored sweetness most of the morning. By early afternoon my skin was still scented softly with a wonderful woody vanilla. I’ve seen reviews say that this perfume was very boozy but my skin didn’t bring out that part of the perfume I guess. I don’t think I would have to worry that someone would think I’d been drinking.

Photo Stolen WikiCommons

Further reading: Now Smell This and Ca Fleure Bon
by Killian has €150/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $7/.5ml

Overall I do like this perfume but can’t say it’s interesting enough to justify the price. I’d wear it if I had it but I won’t be splurging on a bottle anytime soon.
Have you tried it? Did you like it? Do you like exclusive perfumes?

Until next time…
Poodle

Noir de Noir by Tom Ford 2007

December 10, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 9 Comments

Post by Trésor

Those who know me well know that I’m a bit of a day dreamer, spending many an hour within my tremendously ornamented flights of fancy. Out of all these splendid dream sequences there is one which I am particularly fond of and replay time and time again. I am sitting in the Hemingway Bar at the Hôtel Ritz in Paris, it’s just past the witching hour and I am returning from an event somewhere near Place Vendôme that’s run a bit late. The room is dimly lit, the diaphanous golden aura refracting through the crystals on my Chanel Haute Couture gown as I sip my favourite cocktail, a French 75.

A man sits next me, ruggedly handsome with the kindest eyes of piercing sapphire and asks for my name. When I go to respond I am beguiled by exqusite vapours rising from his chest, a hypnotic cirrus of inky petals against warm skin. It takes me a moment to collect myself and then I realize that this is something I’ve smelled before, a familiarity so unequivocally beautiful and close to my heart. He is wearing Noir de Noir.

Noir de Noir by Tom Ford 2007

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords in one line:
Agarwood (oud), patchouli, tuber (truffles), saffron, vanilla, rose, oakmoss

The genesis of this potion is through an unimaginably beautiful sequence of tarry black rose petals so rich in their nocturnal hue that they capture all light that dares to touch their obsidian velvet alongside an earthy and brilliantly sumptuous note of black truffle. The petals of the rose are so rich with their precious essence that they appear to glisten in the darkness with their elixir collecting as crepescule dewdrops as the truffle adorns them with just a whisper of soil and musk. As the composition begins to gain some levity you are received by a luxuriant dark chocolate and what I can only describe as a romanticised vision of red wine, all of the tannins removed. This marriage can border on confectionery but only in oscillating bursts, never cloying or distracting from the inky and atmospheric soul of this wicked brew. The grounding element for all of these, on my skin, is the aromatic copper flash of saffron which lends warmth and a particular radiance that keeps this from being one big heap of base notes.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

As time progresses something so intoxicatingly vanillic begins to emerge. It’s not the edible vanilla of a sweet and delicate madeleine but something a shade sinister and of the Earth. Though this fragrances toys with the illusion of innocence it keeps its claws firmly planted within the realm of splendid seduction. As Noir de Noir begins its final descent you are greeted with a pulchritudinous menagerie of that same black truffle atop a captivating patchouli that’s been dusted by what, to my nose, smells of vintage cosmetic powder you would find in the handbag of a Hollywood starlet from a bygone era. It is within this magnetic embrace that Noir de Noir finally fades into the skin and you are left with but a sweet memory of the time you’d spent together.

Photo Stolen Wikipedia

Noir de Noir lasts about 8-10 hours on my skin but if I am feeling trigger happy I can push it up to around 12. The sillage is quite considerable, this fragrance is exceptionally dense and rather opulent so do expect other’s to be aware of its presence. You can however dab it as you would an extrait de parfum for a more controlled and subdued application.

Further reading: Perfume Posse and Fragrant Man
LuckyScent has $215/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/ml

If you have a thing for rose as I do I urge you to give this gem a go, I can almost guarantee you won’t regret that you did.

Have you tried Noir de Noir? Have you a favored Tom Ford?
Trésor xx

Cookie Queen's Caring Christmas!

December 9, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 56 Comments

Post by Val the Cookie Queen

Cookie Queen’s Fragrant Year 2014

The year started with a visit from Portia Turbo-Gear and Michael dropping by and staying for a few days. We had a blast and they got to come along on the Salzburg Cookie Run.
They headed off for a week´s travel around Europe and we got to meet up again in London, for the now near legendary Blogger´s Meet at the fabulous Bloom Perfumery in London´s
Spitalfields area.

Meeting so many bloggers in the flesh was nothing short of amazing.

Tara of Olfactoria´s Travels and Vanessa of Bonkers About Perfume and I have since become proper friends and I flew back to the UK in July to meet up with them again. This time there was only the three of us which which was a little less hectic than the Bloom Party and we got to know each other better. I adore them.

I went to Milan for the Esxence, The Scent of Excellence Fragrance Fair in Spring and to the Pitti Fragranze in Florence in autumn. These events are within driving distance of my home, which is consolation for having to spend a large part of my life speaking German.

I took regular trips to Vienna to meet up with Birgit and Sandra from Olfactoria´s Travels. Intimate fragrant breakfasts together.

So dear readers, a you might imagine I have got quite a stash of samples, and the truth is I have more than enough and would like to give some away.
Living in the heart of Europe allows quick access to many of the new releases and I hope that someone, one of you, can get to sample something that you find difficult to get hold of.

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

My favourite perfumes this year? The three Rozys from Vero Profumo. Now there´s a surprise..

January will mark two years since meeting Portia, who has become such an integral part of my life. Nearly two years as Cookie Queen. What have I learnt? That when pushed,
people will swop most anything for cookies!

Have a peaceful Christmas season. Take some time out to smell the coffee and be thankful.

Mistletoe Bussis
CQ

Cookie Queen’s Caring Christmas GIVEAWAY!

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 2 Winners who will each get a selection of samples (NO you don’t get to choose)

P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Tell us your favourite fragrant find of 2014

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3r6 Cookie Queen Christmas GIVEAWAY #Perfume #Giveaway

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Friday 12 December 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen from Val’s dead armadillo
The winners will have till Monday 15th December 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

Out With The Old AND Out With The New!

December 8, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 30 Comments

Post by Azar

Dear APJ,

I have been collecting and hoarding fragrances, jewelry, shoes, you name it for many years. While sorting through this vast inventory of neglected treasures I’ve come to realize that certain recurring patterns of behavior have contributed a lot to the creation of my monster stash. I can’t help but wonder if you deal with similar issues. For example:

Have you ever succumbed to the hype surrounding a new fragrance, drained your sample to the dregs, purchased the bottle and then relegated it (after a cursory sniff) to your perfume storage where it most likely will never be seen or smelled again? No? You have nothing new and abandoned at your house? OK.

Then what about this? One night you find yourself trolling for fragrance online when you happen to see an old flame on sale for a song! You snap her up but when she arrives you realize you have outgrown your vintage love. Yet another perfume is relegated to the cool, dark cupboards in the lower floor.

Here is a third scenario: You are digging around in those cool, dark cupboards searching for a back up for the current favorite that is running low. You can’t find it anywhere. OMG! In a panic you order another only to realize that there are at least two extra 100ml bottles waiting in the wings? Yes?

BTW, I really have fun recycling my perfumes through these give-aways. The extent of my trove was causing me considerable concern until a friend, in the same fix, advised me to think of our “stuff” not as an embarrassment but as an opportunity to recycle, repurpose and redistribute our treasures. Soon we will be offering all kinds of goodies for sale at our online shop Random Acts of Recycling<<JUMP. And yes, that was a shameless plug!

Happy Holidays!!

Azar xx

Out With The Old AND Out With The New – A Give-Away

Fragrance Republic 01/02, Jacomo Silences, and Nicole Miller Frenzy

Today I will be giving away three fragrances. One is “New and Abandoned”, another “Old and Unloved” and the third perfume is an “Accidental Extra”.

The “New and Abandoned”

Fragrance Republic 01/02 Vapeur de Tubereuse by Julie Masse, 2013.

15 ml EdT, new.

Listed notes: Rose Absolute, Tuberose Absolute, Cocoa Resinoide.

The perfumer, Julie Masse, tells us that she “…wanted to create a vaporous, almost ethereal tuberose…”. 01/02 is just that – light, ethereal, vaporous and perhaps a bit vapid. I always like my tuberose bombastic, carnal and indolic! What was I thinking when I ordered this one? It is simply not for me (but it may be for you)!

Now for the “Old and Unloved”

Jacomo Silences by Gerard Goupy and Jean Claude-Niel, 1978.

30 ml vintage EdT, no box.

Listed notes: Orange blossom, galbanum, bergamot, lemon, green notes, cassia, iris, jasmine, narcissus, hyacinth, rose, lily of the valley, vetiver, musk, sandalwood, oakmoss, cedar, ambrette.

I am wearing Silences right now so I suppose I still love her a little bit! However, when it comes to green vintage scents I have always preferred Niki de Saint Phalle.

And lastly the “Accidental Extra”

Nicole Miller Frenzy by Caroline Sabas, 2009.

15 ml new in box.

Listed notes: Cassis, orange, aldehydes, gardenia, ylang ylang, orange blossom, violet leaf, black patchouli, oakmoss, cedar wood, amber.

I maintain a serious stockpile of this deeply discounted (and discontinued?) fragrance. From my perspective Frenzy is the very best of the ubiquitous fruit-choulies. It is quite dry, though, and almost “unisex”. Perhaps it would be better to describe it as a fresh, modern chypre?

Photo Stolen hemodernhome

OUT With The GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 3 Winners who will each get:
1 x bottle mentioned above, NO you don’t get to chose.
P&H USA Mainland ONLY

HOW DO YOU WIN?

You must tell me how you follow APJ

and

Leave a comment about anything you collect

Extra Chance?
Tweet: @OzPerfumeJunkie http://wp.me/p3PURw-3qZ #Perfume #Giveaway @NicoleMillerNYC @FragranceRepub #Jacomo

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 11th December 2014 10pm Australian EST and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by pulling names from a sunhat
The winners will have till Sunday 14th December 2014 to get in touch (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with their address or the prize will go to someone else.
No responsibility taken for lost or damaged goods in transit.

New York City with Jin, Kath & Portia 2014 + Photo Essay

December 7, 2014 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 33 Comments

Hiya APJ Crew,

We are home!! Three weeks whirlwind tour of the United States of America went by like a fabulous, crazy, fun filled, roller coaster ride. One of the most action packed and intense holidays of my life. So much so that when I look at my pics there are hardly any!! Basically these are all the shots I took. Though trying to keep these in chronological order I think they have moved around and it was all such a blur that I honestly can’t remember what happened when.

Starting with NYC because it was the easiest to grab photos from. I hope you enjoy the ride.

Portia xx

New York City with Jin, Kath & Portia 2014 + Photo Essay

At night we met up with Brian who helped us find our way to dinner on the tube. We went to Lombardis (?) Pizza and dined with the lovely Lucy R. It was an excellent way to meet NYC.

We thought it was important to see the Statue of Liberty so caught the Statten Island ferry early on Thanksgiving Day. It’s FREE! Got some great shots and had some fun and silly time together on the trip. I was a bit tired and grumpy at this point.

For Thanksgiving Dinner we had the buffet at The Roosevelt Hotel where we were staying. The Roosevelt is a great choice for a hotel in NYC if you want some where central and reasonably priced. DO NOT go there if you like to take baths, they are DISGUSTING and they flake & peel while you’re in them. We did get 2 upgrades because of the baths and ended up in a suite with a view ( the bath was still freaking shit though). Thanksgiving Dinner with the two most important people to me in the world, pretty special. We all gave thanks for each other and our incredibly blessed lives. BTW I had the best Apple Pie of my life here, nothing before it even prepared me for how incredible it was going to be.

The staff at the Roosevelt were excellent, at every point we were treated with courtesy and friendliness, I recommend you stay there if you like to shower.

Jin had a secret New York City agenda that we were unaware of until we arrived. He had to see Carrie Bradshaw’s stoop from later series of Sex and the City. While there he also wanted desperately to lean on the pole and have a Marlboro Light (even though he doesn’t smoke. This resulted in head spins and delirium). There was a very lovely young girl doing exactly that and Jin asked if he could have one of her ciggies. One happy boy…. Around the corner is the Magnolia Bakery where Carrie would sit and have cupcakes so off we went to indulge. We did get to Friends building but I forgot to take a picture.

All this stuff is right near Christopher Street, the home of the Gay Rights Movement. It was here that the famous Stonewall hotel was where the Lesbians and Black Drag Queens took on the NYC Police and rioted. Interestingly it was the day of Judy Garland’s funeral.

That evening we wandered through Central Park and got 40 minutes in the Guggenheim. I took them to the first floor where we saw some very interesting Impressionist works from the Thannhauser Collection, Wang Jianwei: Time Temple sculptural pieces and ZERO: Countdown to Tomorrow 1950s–60s. Clearly we didn’t spend a lot of time with them but it was nice to see a couple of impressionist works that were new to me, particularly a Picasso, Woman Ironing (La repasseuse): Paris, 1904.

Photo Stolen Guggenheim (Problem using image, get in touch)

OSSWALD welcomed us with open arms. Josie and Clement were incredibly kind, helpful and funny. It was a fantastic get together. Birgit and Michael of Olfactoria’s Travels, Poodle who is one of our APJ North American correspondents, Brian, Gaia and Ori of The Non Blonde, Abdulla and Miryam (working for the Qatar consul in Dubai on their honeymoon), Francesca, Daisy of CoolCookStyle, Arielle from Scents of Self, Kevin Guyer (ex CHANEL), Patty (FleurDeLys) and others. I am so embarrassed to have forgotten a couple of names, please PM me with them because I would love to put you in.

What did I buy? Long have I had Cozé by Perfumerie Generale on my radar so I bought a 30ml (bravo for the smaller sizes Pierre G) and Liquer Charnelle by Huitieme Art in 50ml, also Pierre G.

Then we hit Bergdorf Goodman. I had a mission. The CHANEL counter. When I told the girl in CHANEL in Sydney the Pure Perfume is not a real term but a marketing invention she refused to serve me so I thought FUCK HER! Hideous creature! So it was a New York City must do. The Parfum &Eau are now happily in my collection. BLISS!

On our last day in NYC Carlos J Powell of the Goodsmellas and Peace, Love & Perfume and I organised to meet up in Brooklyn at Twisted Lily. We wanted to do a couple of LIVE Video Sniffs, check them out if you get a chance. we are complete freaking idiots. What a great time.

Eric who owns the store was friendly and welcoming and the range is excellent.

I met my next boyfriend too, Rich from Goodsmellas, hubba hubba!

Straight from Twisted Lily we returned to the Roosevelt Hotel, checked out and then I bought this signed Lithograph and we left the USA till next time. What a wonderful city NYC is, chock filled with Ah May Zing people and places. This is just a mini snapshot, we did SO MUCH MORE!

Be well crew,
Portia xx

All photos my own unless specified.