.
Portia
.
Hiya APJers,
Rose Oud happened in the heart of the Rose/Saffron/Oud explosion. For some reason, though I love this combo madly, it completely passed me by. Maybe I smelled it but was overwhelmed by others in the line. Also being a Calice Becker should have had me paying attention.The Arabian Nights series was exemplified for me by Continue reading
.
Portia
.
Hi there Fine Fragrant Friends,
Tom Ford , even the name produces this weird reaction in me. I love that this out, gay, handsome man has taken the world by storm in a field that he never was trained for. On the other hand he seems like a complete head up arse twat totally obsessed with form. His fragrances for Estee Lauder create the same ambivalence within me. Many are lovely, others only for about 15 minutes till they collapse into quagmire or worse banality. It’s a long way Continue reading
.
Portia
.
Hello Fellow Fumies,
Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.
The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.
Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.
eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.
Gratitude. I think consciously saying Thank You for things reminds us how lucky we are. It’s easy to make a litany of complaint but it’s also easy to find things that are good. In the same way we thoughtlessly complain about lifes rotten moments, we need to thoughtfully be grateful for the good.
Most obviously I am grateful this year for Jin and our friends. They are the soul of my life, the blood that keeps everything functioning. Without their daily injections of time, fun, conversation, advice, reassurance and love this life would be worthless.
Work. Yes, I know that’s not most peoples gratitude point but I am so grateful for having work, helping others have work and all the fun we have while doing our job. Sure, like every job there are nights when I’d rather hurdle in a ball than leave the house but seriously, I have one fabulous job.
The climate here in Sydney. We have four seasons but none of them are dreadfully extreme. Though this year has been a little dry mostly we have a good balance of rain and sunshine. Even in winter we can get out and about, catch public transport or drive, meet friends and basically live. I love how much light we have and the length of the days. We are so lucky here and I’m totally grateful.
.
Portia
.
Hello Fellow Fumies,
Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.
The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.
Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.
eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.
It’s Christmas (and many other giving times) right now. Aside from our religious or secular beliefs we can all pretend that these times are about giving but seriously, it’s all about what you get to open. Come ON! Admit it. Even if only to us. We won’t judge. We are all greedy AF too. Well maybe not that extreme but wouldn’t it be nice to get exactly what you dream of for once?
So here’s your chance at a fantasy gift receiving. What do you get? Imagine yourself unwrapping it, the sheer incredulity that your crew got it SO right.
So let’s all give our one true hearts wish for fragrant gifts. Who knows, maybe they’re reading…..
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Rhubarb, vetiver, red berries, tomato leaf, incense, green apple, hazelnut, honeysuckle
The original Aedes de Venustas fragrance. In the purple bottle. I’ve wanted it since it was first talked about on the blogs and for some reason I never bought it. It was a glorious revelation when released, we all swooned. The bottle, the scent, everything was just right. To have this under the tree would be un-freaking-believable.
.
Portia
.
Hey All,
Mildly amusing story. When I was shopping at Surrender To Chance for my decants recently (it was a 5ml Friday Frenzy) and I thought I’d ordered Bois Bleu by Robert Piguet. Anyway, it turns up and I don’t really look at the label because I know what I ordered right? Wrong. So I’m sniffing myself as I walk the dogs this morning and I’m thinking to myself, “This is bloody familiar. I can’t quite place it but Bois Bleu smells EXACTLY like something I already have. Like, EXACTLY!!
Yeah dumbass, because you ordered Bois Noir, that you already have a paid retail for bottle of when Joe Garces was out here in 2012. Ha Ha Ha Ha ha. Sometimes I surprise myself. No sweat.
Then I noticed it never got a post of its own, so…….
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Gaiac wood, Cedarwood
Heart: Patchouli, Sandalwood
Base: Balsam, Labdanum absolute
Can we talk about the Piguet bottle please? It is the super coolest. Clean lined, easy to hold and spritz, nice heft and if you are a one bottle person this would make such a statement. Cunningly retro but wholly modern, it looks and feels like an old school movie stars fragrance.
PDI
Woodsiness, what Scott and I call Bro Woods. Here it’s tempered with patchouli in a luxurious dose and an earthy sweet labdanum. Bois Noir is a very chill customer, smooth and well worn, a comfortable fit. This is your favourite jeans after a weekend of wear, super comfy and a bit raunchy.
The woods manage to be dry pencils, tea chest and creamy sandalwood all rolled into one, then add some smoky incense. Hyper masculine scent that will smell fabulous on the girls. I’d love to smell it on a couple of my cool sexy girlfriends and some suits.
Longevity and projection are slightly above average, I can totally imagine Bois Noir as the hipsters choice.
PDI
Further reading: Non Blonde and Persolaise
Libertine has $299/100ml FREE Australian Delivery
Surrender To Chance has $5/ml
Have you tried any of the modern Robert Piguet perfumes? Did they tickle your fancy?
Portia xx
.
Portia
.
Hello Fellow Fumies,
Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.
The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.
Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.
eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.
Do you have a wishlist? What’s at the top currently? Are you saving for some special things or are they going to be an impulse buy at the mall, or trolling the discounters late at night? Do you have separate wishlists for different things? Vintage, expensive, bargain, discontinued?
Still trying to work this list down to zero but instead of concentrating on fulfilling my list I tend to get distracted by new and shiny things. Especially if there is a sale or someone is selling a half bottle on the Facebook pages.
So here are my current Top 3 most wanted in bold. I can’t believe that Grandiflora Michel still isn’t in my collection, it’s a freaking masterpiece. SO, by New Year 2018 I’m going to try and own these 3 fabulous fragrances. Wish me luck.
My Three Next Full Bottle Purchases Will Be?
.
Portia
.
Hello Fellow Fumies,
Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.
The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.
Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.
eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.
Saw this one a while ago on a Facebook page and it tickled my fancy. This week we don’t have to keep it fragrance related but I would ask that we keep Medical or Relationship Saves, World Peace and Money out of the equation. Let’s make this fun, interesting and personal. Maybe something you’ve wanted but only as an “if I win the lottery” kinda thing. You might have a secret dream that you could make reality. Could there be a different work direction you could have taken that seems far more appealing now? A trip, extra child, bathroom renovation, perfume cupboard, backyard studio or granny flat, live in the country/city, study law or have your favourite chef in to cook for you every Sunday. Seriously, anything
I would ask Jin if we could move to a small town and have a garden. In the garden there would be enough room for an entertaining verandah, pool, vegetable patch, chicken coop, Hills Hoist clothes line and dog run.
Why a small town? Well, I’m not talking outback Australia with under 1000 people. Maybe I mean a larger town. It has to have the amenities: Supermarket, Hospital, Main Street, nearby Airport and all Utilities. Part of me likes the idea of having so much less invested in our bricks & mortar, the extra space and a vegetable patch to dig in. Doesn’t need to be a very big patch either. Room for a couple of fruit trees, some spinach, potatoes, peas/beans and herbs. Chooks have been on my wish list since childhood and I love the idea of the dogs having an easy care run.
.
Portia
.
Hello Fellow Fumies,
Every Saturday we have a Question, an idea purloined from Olfactoria’s Travels. Everyone gets to chime in with an answer, chat with other responders and it is a fun event each week. Taking sides never means taking offence and everyone keeps it respectful and light, even though we can sometimes trawl the depths.
The idea is you’ll see it on the weekend or chime in through the week. Hopefully you will come back and see if anyone has responded to your comment and you can reply to them.
Over 100 responses I will draw a $10 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Over 200 responses I will draw a $20 Surrender To Chance Gift Card.
Comment purposefully on yours or anothers comment & you’ll have a chance, random.org will draw on Friday.
eMail me at (portia underscore turbo at yahoo dot com dot au) with the eMail you’d like me to send your Gift Card to.
There are so many styles of perfume. Floral, Aquatic, Woody, Fougere, Oriental, Citrus etc. Plus there are piggy back groups like Woody Floral Musk or Aromatic Green. I have a few groups that I particularly gravitate towards and I’m sure you do too. Let’s question our own faves today and share,
From the bright citrus top to the furry, bitter oakmoss/leather/patchouli depths I love Chypres. They are so understated, dark and mysterious. Interesting because they stand apart yet somehow they make me feel at ease. A dry, calm waft of reason. Try wearing a Chypre when you are wandering an art gallery, everything becomes instantly more poignant, deeper, personal.
From Le Gallon Sang Bleu, Oriza L Legrand Relique d’Amour, Bottega Veneta EdP (I thought this was a leather), Cacharel Liberté and Aedes de Venustas EdP to the historical Deneuve, Miss Dior, Aromatics Elixir, Ungaro DIVA, Guerlain Sous le Vent, Robert Piguet Bandit, Niki de Saint Phalle, Paloma Picasso and CHANEL Pour Monsieur the chypre has long been something I loved. Some of my favourite chypres end up being classified under other groups, which is bloody annoying.
Green with the added levity of flowers. This is a broad spectrum, some of which I would put in the chypre pile. Nevertheless, Fragrantica puts them here. From the galbanum rich end and the mossy dry downs to the sweeping majesty of the floral with a hint of green. From aloof to prim, austere to pleasantly engaging they all call me. Different moods and weathers call for a different hint of whatever each fragrance holds personal in its fragrant folds.
CHANEL No 19, Jacomo Silences, Robert Piguet Futur, Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Jasminora, Byredo Green, Estee Lauder Private Collection, Naomi Goodsir Nuit de Bakelite and Nicolai Parfumeur Le Temps d’une Fête are just a few of the floral Green collection I own.
Oriental was the first real fragrant love of my life. Vanilla with resinous overtones in almost any combination and with most additives work for my psyche and my skin. You want to see me go Ga-Ga over a scent on first application, show me a new, beautiful Oriental.
Guerlain Shalimar and Oriental Brulant, Caron Bellodgia, Amouage Library Collection Opus IX, DIOR Privée Amber Nuit, Hermès L`Ambre des Merveilles, Art Collection by Jacomo #02, L’Artisan L’Eau d’Ambre, MFK Grand Soir and Huitième Art Collection Ambre Céruléen are a smattering of the bottles here in the oriental range.
.
Portia
.
Hi there Punsters,
Just so you know Au Bord de L’eau means “At the water’s edge”. It’s not a joke on the way it sounds when I say it, A Bordello. Or is it? That is the top of my mind now that I’ve seen the name written as a heading on my WordPress editing board. Yep, I am an 11 year old boy hiding in a 49 year old drag queens body.
It’s been interesting to see the new directions L’Artisan has forged since the Puig buyout. While not totally sold on the kooky animal head lid set I do love a couple of the new Natura Fabularis privée line, 32 Venenum and 9 Arcana Rosa. Haven’t smelled them all yet but those two were very nice.
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Bergamot, lemon, violet, musk, orange blossom, rosemary
Sharp citrus opens, it’s tart and lip puckering at first then mellows quickly into a sweet and fizzy version of itself. Orange blossom and musk keep the journey into the heart of the fragrance smooth. Refreshing, without all the modern wet or cucumber tropes. The orange blossom is only ever so slightly breathy, mainly it is clean and suede-ishly plush. There is something of a summer storm about Au Bord de L’eau, all bright and light and then a cooling, breath of wind rushing ahead of the clouds. The fragrance cools just a little.
A green herbaceousness creeps in and makes everything interesting. It could well be rosemary but it has no rosemary smell as I know it. Certainly doesn’t speak to me of the bush or on potatoes and lamb, honestly I would be more inclined to call it a smooth basil scent but that could easily be the way everything, especially the iris, has been placed around it. No matter what it is I think you’ll find Au Bord de L’eau a very easy wear, spritz and respritz summer fave that will take you from board room to dinner date comfortably.
For a cologne style the longevity is quite good and on clothes it is tenacious.
Just to be clear, Au Bord de L’eau doesn’t smell like A Bordello at all.
Further reading: Colognoisseur and Love To Smell
Sweet Fern has $189/100ml
Surrender To Chance has samples from $3.89/ml
Are you excited by the new things Puig is doing with the L’Artisan range?
Portia xx
.
Portia
.
Hello lovers of Underrated Fragrances,
Somehow Sigilli has slipped through the cracks. The fragrances mainly come from the early 2000s but Khanbaliq was released in 2013, it’s the most modern offering from the house and not all of the fragrances are available on the Sigilli website anymore.
Jin and I discovered the brand in Venice on our first big holiday together. There is a maze of shops behind the Piazza San Marco and somewhere in there is an extremely well stocked little perfumery, run by two sisters. I purchased Pyrgos at that time but since have wished that I grabbed a couple of others.
Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Bitter orange, ginger, cinnamon, coriander
Heart: Cloves, plum, fir, pine tree, peony
Base: Peony, violet, ambergris
Spicy oranges and a slightly bitter chocolate smell. Pine and my nose is telling me patchouli, a breathy and earthy smelting that could be the ambergris. A weird dissonant herbaceous green and mentholated woodiness wars with the citrus and fruits. It’s an interesting fragrant contrapuntal effect. Unusual without being challenging, straight through the heart.
PDI
My surprise in Khanbaliq is that while projection is not enormous it is still very good at changing the smell around me. It also fills the room when I leave and return. Insidious, it seems to march off my skin and try to fragrantly populate whatever area i’m in.
A really good nod to some older fragrances. Breathy indole, some animals and a beautiful bouquet tempered by greenery. I am surprised there are no white flowers mentioned because Khanbaliq gives the feeling they are in there somewhere. Though the nod is to vintage I feel that it may be the clarion call of a style we are about to see i the fragrant world. A return to having some ass in our fragrances.
According to Wikipedia: Khanbaliq (or Dadu) was the capital of the Yuan dynasty, the main center of the Mongol Empire founded by Kublai Khan in what is now Beijing.
First In Fragrance has €95/100ml
Surrender To Chance have samples from $3.50/ml
Australian Perfume Junkies 