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: 9.10 – 15.10.2017

October 15, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 44 Comments

Portia

Hi there Fragrance Family,

I don’t know why but there are hardly any pics of this week. I did as much as ever but seem to have forgotten to take happy snaps. That makes this weeks post much more perfume centric.

I’ve also started watching The Good Wife on Netflix and have been reading Vikram Seth’s A Suitable Boy. Both have been really enjoyable.

Book Depository

Scent Diary: 9.10 – 15.10.2017

Monday 9:

Jumped out of bed, rushed the dogs around food and walking. Sprayed a load of Penhaligon’s Ostara and smelled fabulous.

Jumped in the car and headed for my lovely girlfriend Sue’s, grabbed Wendy on the way and we had the most marvellous morning tea. I had a jacket made for Sue in India and so she decided to put on a magnificent spread. It was absolutely divine and I ate like a starving person. SO YUMMY!

There were mini crustless sandwiches, buttered fruit cake, fairy cakes and sausage rolls. All hand made from scratch by Sue. We talked about her days as a caterer and career as a teacher. We even had a business idea Drag Queen High Tea Hens Parties! Imagine how fun that would be.

After that I grabbed Anna Maria and we drove up the Blue Mountains to a Perfume Sale, where I bought a few things. Don’t get excited, only the Mona di Orios (Oiro & Carnation from 2006) are destined for me, the rest are Christmas gifts.

While Anna-Maria and I were shopping I asked her if she’d ever been to the Hydro Majestic. OMG! She hadn’t so we decided to pop up there and have a look. Secretly I was gunning for us to have High Tea there. He He he. TWO lavish tea parties in one day. We had the Champagne High Tea and it was stellar. Anna-Maria is the best company and we laughed and chattered the afternoon away. It was excellent fun.

Got home and really wanted to fall into a diabetic coma but Jin had organised to go to Kath and Alice in the evening to fix their electrics, and Kath’s shower screen.

We were so tired after that that there was no energy for dinner, nothing decent open at 10pm and we saw the golden arches. McDonalds it was. Delicious but, you know, awful, but DELICIOUS!

DEAD

Tuesday 10:

So, there was NO WAY I could then write this weeks Trivia Q&A because my mind was mush so up at 5am to start. Though I was still a bit groggy the work got done in time for Scott to arrive bearing coffees.

We went through some boxes and did a big cull for sale. Sorry, there are only available to Australia. There’s a Sale Doc on Aussie Fragrance Network on FB if you are Aussie and something grabs your fancy. Most are used but almost all are back up bottles of fragrances that I’ll probably never use the original bottle up.

Wore some vintage Guerlain Shalimar Parfum to bed and asked myself again why I wear anything else.

Wednesday 11:

I gave Jin a small amount of money for our Anniversary this year and his Christmas present to buy a shitty little run around car. He has been having a marvellous time looking up websites, meeting owners, test driving and genuinely enjoying the whole experience. Every couple of days he has been giving me updates about it and he is wholly invested in finding a bargain but workable car.

I have no recollection of Wednesday day at all. Seriously. I must have been sleepwalking. I know I took the dogs walking because I took a pic of Paris looking so happy as he sits on command.

I also indulged in a fruit salad, banana, apple, watermelon, cantaloup, pomegranate seeds and dates smothered in Greek yoghurt and honey. So freaking delicious and fulfilling.

Thursday 12:

We spent the early morning looking at complete wrecks for Jin’s car obsession. So no new car today. Bloody hell, the things people think are worthy.

My mate Aunty Sonni died. She left the house to friends. It’s in a VERY nice part of Sydney that I always used to tell my Mum I’d live in one day. We went to have a look at purchasing it but once we did the math it was going to make our very comfortable life a tight budget fit. Neither of us want to give up the luxury we currently enjoy so it’s a no. BUMMER!

I did have a fragrant arrival. Something I’ve been Jonesing for a while and it’s getting rare as hens teeth so I finally bit the bullet and bought it. It’s such a bummer because I remember when these babies were being run out and I could have got it for less than half the price I paid. Trust me to wait till now to fall in love. GRRRR! Tom Ford Ombre de Hyacinth.

My day was spent waving some CHANEL Antaeus Pour Homme vintage EdT, what a bloody gorgeous fragrance. Total immersion for the first 20 minutes and then a perfect scent story to dip into over the next few hours at will.

Friday 13:

Jin came home with a car. He had been talking to this guy and wife around the corner from his work. The car was a good price so he and a couple of his car savvy mechanic workmates jumped in the van and went round to see it at dinner time. They went over the car with a fine toothed comb, test drove it and were given the complete history of servicing receipts in a folder. The car is immaculate, looks brand new and drives beautifully. A 2002 Daihatsu, baby blue for nearly half the amount Jin had to spend. So I bought his first year of insurance and he will be getting new number plates.

Look at that happy face. How could you not love this goofy, handsome, sweetheart?

Dentist day! Went to town for a teeth clean. I love my dentist, so handsome and careful.

Today was spent wandering in original Fendi. one of my great perfume loves. There have been a new rush of Fendi to the market but it doesn’t have the size or longevity of the original, I have a few of both and this one is the real deal. Blow the back of your head off, happily.

TinaG’s birthday today and I am in charge of the birthday present shopping from the four of us. WOO HOO! I walked around the whole ground floor of David Jones City Store and finally settled on CHANEL. No 19 Shower Gel and Body Lotion, a mascara and lip gloss. Beautifully boxed and presented by Laura.

It was a huge hit. TinaG was so excited. YAY!!

We had dinner at our favourite Chinese restaurant Liu Rose. It has the same decor from when I was a toddler and used to come with my parents because it was two doors down from my parents jewellery, watchmaking and gift store.

The birthday cake was Bomb Alaska. OMFG! I seriously couldn’t finish my piece. Amazing.

For bedtime I spritzed some Guerlain Mitsouko EdT. Perfect bedtime scent.

Saturday 14:

At the computer most of this morning surrounded in a cloud of Guerlain Champs Elysees EdT. It is so dewy, fresh and elegant. I don’t understand why more people aren’t raving about it.

Had the most fabulous LUSH Rose Jam bubble bath, moisturised with Madonna Truth or Dare Naked lotion and spritzed Bal a Versailles EdT like crazy. I’m a little bit fragrant, Good Night. XX

Sunday 15:

Early morning wake up spritz of Neela Vermeire Creations Pichola.

This morning I was up early to give the house a quick zjush because my mate Evie came over for brunch while daughter Lola had singing lessons nearby. We walked the dogs and grabbed coffees from the local parklands coffee shop, chatting with residents and dogs along the way. I love the village atmosphere of North Parramatta. Then we came home and had a yummy brunch of left over chicken ratatouille chopped small and mixed with mayonnaise, cheese and lettuce on fresh wholegrain bread. Delicious.

Now I’m back at the computer organising blog posts till I get ready for work tonight.

Bubble bath in LUSH Rose Jam and work fragrance courtesy of DIOR Mitzah.

How was your week? What went on? Anything, any little tit bit that you want to share, we love to read it. Jump into the comments below. I can be fragrance related or not, help us get to know you just a little please.
Portia xx

Airport Perfume Story

September 18, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 5 Comments

AF Beauty

Hello peeps!
If you’re like me, you regard packing as a dark art, regardless of all preparation and planning, SOMETHING will be forgotten at home – for me the thing I forget most frequently is perfume. 😦

However, luckily, for the people who live in Sydney – or near another well stocked airport, you can find a range of exciting smellies to enjoy from their sample ranges and be on your way – often smelling a little different because you’re not sampling your favourites, so you can add the excitement of new smells to your journey, yay!

I recently returned from a trip to the Gold Coast, so I was lucky to have a large and quiet store almost to myself at Sydney where I tried a few perfumes…

Airport Perfume Story

The first, a brand I’ve not heard of before, Shay & Blue. A British brand, packing not dissimilar to Pecksniff; I started with a perfume called Shay & Blue Blacks Club Leather, which I DID NOT LIKE at all. It is not my thing, but I can imagine it is popular with the right crowd. I moved to another in the same brand called Shay & Blue Blood Oranges, which was orangey and citrusy, very nice.

I then moved onto a Michael Kors perfume, Michael Kors Sexy Ruby, really I was only attracted to the bottle, it was a lovely shape and colour, like a ruby – makes sense. I didn’t spray any of this on myself because I had a sniff of the bottle and wasn’t impressed. I now can’t remember why, but I tend to have immediate reactions to smells, so I just go with it!

Perusing the Amouage range – I sniffed a number of them, most of which I didn’t enjoy – I am fussy, can you tell? But I did notice the ones I preferred were also the most expensive – most of them costing more than double the price of my flight (!!) – so, I moved on from those to Tom Ford which is pricey, but a bargain in comparison!

Tommy Ford <3… always draws me in because of the turquoise bottles, my favourite colour, I feel like the inside of the bottle MUST be as gorgeous on the inside as the out. I started at first with my usual favourite Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, but I was distracted by another I’d not noticed before, Tom Ford Fleur De Portofino. This is relatively new, to me at least, I hadn’t spotted it on previous visits. I had a good spray of that, probably at least $10 worth up and down my arms, it was so light and citrusy, I was properly sniffing my own arms for hours afterwards like a weirdo.

I think I will start saving my pocket money for this one, I am often caught in the trap of buying something good and well-priced rather than amazing and a bit more expensive, but I think in terms of the joy it would bring me each day, the Tom Ford would be well worth it.

So tell me, what fragrances do you search out at the airport? Found any unusual favourites? Or do you use the airport as a good way to test new fragrances for yourself? What’s your MO?!
AF Beauty xox

(Ed: All photos supplied & taken by AF Beauty.)

Scent Diary: 17.7 – 23.7.2017

July 23, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Portia

Hey APJ,

Most of my week was taken up with sewing and creating new stuff for a gig on Friday night. there were also great moments and fun with friends and fragrance. Honestly I’ve been too swamped to take photos or really document my week in any detail, sorry. You’ll see some of the main protagonists though.
Portia xx

Scent Diary: 17.7 – 23.7.2017

Monday 17:

TinaG is still in hospital but looking 100% improved. This is the view from the end of her corridor, doesn’t Sydney City look like a fairytale and how blue is the sky. We went and hung out in the patients common room, Alice joined us and we had a really nice visit.

From the hospital Alice & I went off to the Estee Lauder Staff Shop. I was hoping to find some discontinued Tom Ford frags, particularly Ombre de Hyacinth but there was only a small selection. I only walked away with Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess travel set and Tom Ford London, which became my SOTD along with a few other things I spritzed while there. Alice grabbed a few bits and bobs but was particularly pleased that her HOLY GRAIL moisturiser was $50 cheaper there. So happy chappies all round.

Jin was working so I grabbed dinner. I thought you should know that while we do eat fabulous foods from around the world generally, SOMETIMES we love to eat rubbish. So tonight I didn’t even want to leave the house so Dominoes Pizza delivered. Thin & Crispy Hawaiian, Pepperoni, Spicy Chicken and a Garlic Bread. Tasted so good and filled me up YUM!

Trivia Q&A writing night. I started earlier today and got quite a bit done before my usual start time. Wearing more Atelier Cologne Tobacco Nuit to write questions and I’m about halfway through my 10ml decant. It’s a really lovely wearable fragrance that doesn’t steal my concentration when working but smells good in the coffee breaks.

Tuesday 18:

Today was a write off. BUSY running and getting shit done. Sewing the foam bits for my new headdress and work.

Morning: Guerlain Black Perfecto

Work: Cacharel Liberté

One exciting thing happened. I finally got a little cuddle with one of my long term crushes at work tonight. He He he. Poor boy spent the whole time saying his girlfriend would be furious. He should bring her next time so she would know that it was all in the fun of an evening and not being unfaithful.

Bed: Miller & Bertaux A Quiet Morning

Wednesday 19:

Weather is perfect. Dog walk was warm, sunny and uneventful.

My mind is preoccupied. Friday night I have a gig that has decided it will be a Super Hero Party. I don’t know if any of you have noticed but all the superheroes are buff. No fatty superheroes. So I’m having to create my own version of a superhero. I’m calling her Super Chunky. Maybe Super Ceded. Anyway, I’m off to get the gear to create this new hero. GAK! Wish me luck.

My search for a superhero fragrance today is CHANEL Antaeus. This stuff is SOO good.

Jin loves Krispy Creme. Today I bought him a box. Well, I say I bought it for him but four of them are for me. One each of the fancy ones. Jin’s favourites are the regular ones but he will force himself to eat fancy if they’re there.

A Guerlain Shalimar bubble bath and then spritzed lavishly with Guerlain Shalimar EdP for work.

Wendy and I had dinner together before Trivia at Greystanes Hotel. We had 8 teams to start with tonight and it was a fabulously fun evening. I really love the crew that comes to play there and the food is FABULOUS!

Thursday 20:

SEWING!!!!

Roger & Gallet Cedrat bubble bath, Guerlain Mitsouko EdT & parfum.

SEWING and HOT GLUEING!

Friday 21:

Sewing. My pointer finger has two hot glue blisters. Ouchie WA WA.

Morning: MORE Guerlain Mitsouko

Tonight was the big gig. Sydney Stingers, the gay waterloo team are fundraising for their 2018 France Gay games Adventure. I had a new frock and new wig for the night and drenched myself in Madonna Truth or Dare. No, I only have this photo from the night and it’s not in the new outfit! GRRR!

Saturday 22:

Miller et Bertaux A Quiet Morning

RECOVERING!

Jin and I got Chinese food and watched Despicable Me.

Tonight is one of my BFFs, Scott’s, BIRTHDAY! I hate house parties but I love Scott so I felt honour bound to drop in and say hi. It was a fabulous party with the backyard turned into a Disney Fairy Garden and the Disney Princesses as the houses backdrop.

Sunday 23:

Lay in bed, walked dogs, went to Pedicures with my mate Rose. YAY! We wandered IKEA afterwards and I got some incidentals.

After Pedis we grabbed some lunch and went visited our other mate Phil and hug at his place for a while.

Then home, bath and work. I had a lovely Robert Piguet Bandit bubble bath, used Amouage Dia lotion and Guerlain Black Perfecto EdP. Was swamped with fragrant compliments and everyone LOVED the new hair. I hope you do too.

OK, you’ve read my week, time to tell us about yours please. Big, little, good or bad; share a story with us. We love to read about you.
Portia xx

Ombre de Hyacinth by Calice Becker for Tom Ford 2012

July 7, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 17 Comments

Portia

Hiya Designer lovers,

Today we are looking at one of the Private Blend Jardin Noir series. The only one of the group still on the Tom Ford website is Cafe Rose but the others are still available at the discounters including this one.

I don’t tend to try all the Tom Ford fragrances because I think his pricing policy is taking the piss. Yes, they are lovely, some could even be classed as modern masterpieces but the consistent price jumps, bringing out a bunch at a time, the lack of consistent availability due to discontinuations and that it’s really just a jumped up Estee Lauder brand all make me a bit grumpy with them.

Anyway, all that aside, when I was in the USA in 2013 these were relatively new. Tom and I spent a moment sniffing them and I liked a couple but couldn’t remember which. So I bought a set of decants. I don’t know why but the set got put aside unopened and they have just resurfaced.

Ombre de Hyacinth by Tom Ford 2012

Ombre de Hyacinth by Calice Becker

Fragrantica

Parfumo gives these featured accords:
Top: Galbanum, Magnolia, Violet leaf, Frankincense
Heart: Hyacinth, Jasmine, Pink pepper
Base: Benzoin, Galbanum, Musk

My Google translate says Ombre de Hyacinth means Shadow of Hyacinth.

Bitter, smooth green with a very slight taint of sweetness. Galbanum gives a dark furriness here and is offset by the lightness and crisp snap of violet leaf. Quickly coming in is the hyacinth but to me it’s like running your thumb down the stalk of the flower and smelling the wet sappiness. The frankincense is resinous rather than could stick, woods or smoke and helps the galbanum feel ultra glassy.

Ombre de Hyacinth hyacinth pezibear pixabay PDI

My skin throws only the merest soapiness until well into the heart and the vegetational greenness stays, overriding it and giving the impression of drinking clean, fresh water from a snow melt stream. Yes, Ombre de Hyacinth stays dark for me. The fluting notes of violet & hyacinth are overshadowed by the bitter shade of galbanum. This makes them both more interesting because you have to follow your nose to find them. Also, I’ve never noticed them dealt with in this way before.

Soapy? Not really what I think of as soapy but the scent in deep dry down does seem to lose focus and becomes an amorphous, slightly pea scented wash. Not bad, but not nearly as amazing as the first 3-4 hours. What though do I expect? That’s a pretty good run before boredom sets in. Maybe it’s me and not the scent that has become less excited?

Ombre de Hyacinth lasts exceedingly well. Once the fragrance has died down it stays at that level, fragrant within a 30-ish cm radius and a whisper outside that, for hours and hours.

WikiCommons

Further reading: Non Blonde and Perfume Posse
Feeling Sexy Australia has AUD$325/50ml FREE Australian delivery
Surrender to Chance has samples starting from $4/0.5ml

What do you think of the Tom Ford Private Blend range? Do you own any? Which is fave?
Portia xx

Scent Diary 24.4 – 30.4.17

April 30, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 23 Comments

Portia

Hey Hey Frag Family,

This week has been a watercolour about getting life back to normal. We are both back working, looking after the dogs, trying to scrape together time and see our friends. There have been a few losing control moments, where everything has seemed to spiral and grow overwhelming, skating the edges of darkness. Jin still seems to be existing in the fog lands of grief but we will come out OK.

Scent Diary 24.4 – 30.4.17

Monday 24:

Jin and I both had the day off today so we decided to go into Parramatta and get my hair cut and his sexual health tests done.

From there we trained into town to organise our trains across Australia trip later in the year. We are hoping to do the Indian Pacific from Sydney to Adelaide, then the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin. It’s already heavily booked so Jin has to get his motor running to make it happen in 2017.

Todays fragrance was brought to you by IUNX Splash Forte. I’m nearly out.

After that we wandered around Broadway & Chippendale seeing the new areas opened up as public green spaces, foodie areas, shopping and how much the UTS university has spread. It’s the most modern and happening part of Sydney right now and reminded us of Asia with its high rise apartments and shared green (faux grass) living areas. High density living which still manages to feel spacious.

We caught the train in and back and felt pretty good about using that much less petrol and not clogging up the roadways.

I wore Parfum d’Empire Equistrius tonight. LOVE it. One of the best iris + scents I know.

Tuesday 25:

Woke up, walked dogs, cleaned house. THEN I spritzed a bit of Daniel Barros Cuir Mojito. Freakiest damn shit I ever smelled. LOVE IT! Perfectly named, smells like drinking booze in a horsetack shop. Bit rangier than an Hermès event.

Jin and I had our mate TinaG over for lunch, it was a fun catch-up after her USA holiday. I forgot everything closed on ANZAC Day here so I grabbed a loaf of bread from the local Convenience Store and we had ham, cheese, tomato waffle sandwiches and loads of tea. TinaG had bought us some souvenir USA chocolate and we made that our dessert. We were having so much fun I forgot to take photos so I text and asked them for a car shot, this is what they sent……

The only thing new-to-me that TinaG wanted was Ulrich Lang Lightscape so I thought she better have 5ml. VERY happy girl.

For work I heavily spritzed my Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin. I have gone through a couple of decants and saw it for a good price in someones sale list a while ago so I jumped on it. Not really much different from the rest of the range, male and female centric, but I do like the bottle.

Wednesday 26:

Sleep in. I know, gloating is so unattractive. 8.22am my body woke up of my own accord. It was a blissful rising from the depths of slumber. I feel alive, awake, refreshed and ready for the day. A couple of spritzes of Armani Prive: Cuir Amethyst and I’m ready to feed and walk the dogs in the cool autumn sunshine.

Today is about playing catch-up on the blog so I’m kind of desk bound. It seems very naughty and ungrateful to be inside on a day so gorgeous. I’ll have my lunch in the park across the road to make up for it. Almost ZERO catch up done but the sun was lovely.

Boring for you but exciting for us, new screen door! Now we can have full cross ventilation through the apartment. This is a BIG win. We ordered the damn thing in January but then we were overseas and when we came back he was booked out for mornings weeks in advance. So today it finally arrived and I am so happy. Yeah, little things.

Work tonight in the original Agent Provocateur EdP rosiness. This frag is so good and still cheap as chips. I predict it will become a very expensive, highly sought after vintage in 40 years time.

Going to bed before midnight! Unheard of. Keiko Mecheri Un Jour d’Ete and a sleeping tablet. Fingers crossed for 8 hours of blissful sweet nothingness.

Thursday 27:

WOW! Woke up at 7.49am and it was like rising from the dead, surfacing from deep slumber is beautiful when your body does it of its own accord. That’s only my second sleeping tablet this year but sometimes I need to get the ultimate sleep, this was it.

Sun is shining on a newly chill Parramatta, the air is crisp and frosty. I can still smell soft, floral/vanilla hints from last nights Keiko Mecheri Un Jour d’Ete, I’m not wanting to smell exactly like that this morning and am happy to divert slightly so I’m hitting the Tom Ford Vert Boheme.

This evening it’s all the fabulous shit with Thierry Mugler A*Men Kryptomint. PHWOAR! Outrageous.

Friday 28:

It’s Friday morning and Jin has arrived home from work. Apparently I left the door to the apartment open last night and now I have the heebejeebees, as if people were wandering through here last night. To dispel any lasting discomfort I gave myself 5 big spitzes of Ramon Monegal Umbra. It’s a non candy kinda sweet, herbal concoction. Very grounding and beautiful.

For lunch I wanted to add some candy so some Guerlain Spiritueuse Double Vanille was a perfect, sweet, boozy, vanilla custard slice. Already more than halfway through my 10ml decant but I’m pretty sure when it’s done I won’t repurchase. It is fabulous but the wearings are few & far between.

Tonight it was Ainslie Walker’s birthday. We had too much food & fun to take any photos but I wore DIOR Mitzah. Loads of it. I was 100% fragrant. Fuck the world, I smelled so good.

Saturday 29:

DIOR Mitzah. Still smelling it as I wake up and lay peacefully in bed in half slumber.

Today I’m trying to get as much of next weeks blog done as possible. Having no post ready on Friday and then doing a half assed job after arriving home from a beautiful dinner upset me. I’m finding it hard to shift the disquiet so my best plan is to action myself out of the angst hole.

Currently I have a couple of the Miller et Bertaux fragrances on my fingers because there’s going to be a Monday GIVEAWAY. Finishing a sample of a Dawn Spencer Hurwitz on the wrist that has been on the back burner to review for a while now, review next week. There’s also some Maison Francis Kurkdjian from 2016 on my left forearm. I like having a few scents around my person, especially if I know them, it helps compare & contrast and brings out things I’d otherwise miss.

Jin and I were going to see Guardians of the Galaxy 2 but decided at the last minute we would rather stay home, get pizza and watch a Gilmore Girls marathon. It was super fun. We just slothed around the couch. I had a very hot bath, we fed and walked the dogs. I can’t think of a nicer way to spend a Saturday night.

There was some very late night drama though. Our BFFs Mum fell over during the evening and broke some ribs and fractured her arm. Bloody hell, getting old is tough. Thankfully fully insured and close to good hospital care but nevertheless……

Sunday 30:

This morning Paris, my perfect, gorgeous, smart and beautiful dog decided to wee in the carpeted stairwell as I was locking our front door. Thank goodness Jin was with me to catch it happening so we could run him outside quickly. So I spent some time while they were walking cleaning that mess up. What a way to wake up on a Sunday.

I’m wearing Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir. I find it a neutered, prettified version of the Le Soirs and it reminds me of Pierre Guillaume’s work, in a complimentary way. Review to come.

Off to work this evening. I’m thinking it might be a Versace Blonde evening but yet to be fully decided at this point.

Scent Diary 17.4 – 23.4.17

April 23, 2017 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 36 Comments

Portia

Hey there Frag Crew,

This week I was hoping for a quiet, relaxing, get shit done and maybe even get ahead of the game but then …… life. So instead of calm & collected it ended up being crowded and cluttered. HA! Loads of fun though, filled with food, friends, a rally and I got some really yummy scents on my skin too.

Scent Diary 17.4 – 23.4.17

Monday 17:

Easter Monday morning and the weather is beautiful. Sunshine is out and we took the dogs for their morning walk. I thought 1889 Moulin Rouge by Histoires de Parfums would be a good choice. It was very nice wandering the quiet North Parramatta streets at 9am. That sweet iris/rose lipstick pluminess was most noticeable this morning, really front & centre. On previous wears it has smelled less intense. I quite like the sweet musky dry down too. Pretty. Bought it from Sonya in one of her sales, thanks girl.

Jin’s been on the couch snoozing and watching re-runs of Gilmore Girls and I find myself strangely drawn to it in a way I never was when it was current. Fortunately he went back to work tonight. Structure will help him back on track.

My evening has been spent swathed in the magic that is Atelier des Ors Aube Rubis. OMG! Where has this sensational beauty been my whole life. Freaking gorgeous.

Monday is Trivia Q&A and Blog day/night.

Tuesday 18:

It’s around 1am. I’m halfway through my Trivia Q&A but I’ve been listening to music, hanging on FaceBook and generally dithering. I’m thinking of spritzing fragrance and my mind instantly went to Neela Vermeire Creations Mohur EdP. Fiendishly good, fruity roses, spice, greenery, incense and oud. Now I’m ready for questions. I’m a bit surprised at how much air is already in my latest bottle, I love it so much and usually overspritz like crazy, serves me right.

YAY! It’s 4am and my Trivia Q&A are done, dusted and sent to the crew. PHEW! More Mohur and a late night snack before bed.

This was the perfect autumn morning for walking the dogs. Sunny and warm, hardly anyone around at 9am. The dogs loved it and I found camellias in bloom. I wanted something barely there this morning so went with Parfumerie Generale 4.1 La Musc & La Peau. It’s pretty and fresh, softly soothing and perfect for sunshine.

For work tonight I’m wearing Burberry Brit Woman EdT & Extrait because I feel the need for sweet. I don’t know why I’m putting it back in its box. Seems to be my current craving.

Wednesday 19:

Another glorious Sydney Autumn day. I’m wearing a couple of dabs of vintage Guerlain Shalimar extrait.

Jin has finally finished his retraining to be an electrician on the NSW Country Trains. It’s a promotion to full team member and a pay rise. He is trying to brush it off as inconsequential but this is a really big deal. It was supposed to take 6 months but due to unforeseen work circumstances the whole crew has been held back. One really good thing is that Jin will be getting the pay rise backdated from the start of the year. That means that quite a bit of the extra money spent to go back to Slovakia and all the things he paid for and facilitated while helping the family deal with our sister in laws suicide will be covered by that lucky windfall. He left the house today in a cloud of vintage CHANEL Antaeus, I think he’s going to be OK.

For work this evening I chose Amouage Opus X. The arctic rose and screechy hairspray fragrance full of woods, ylang and resins. Perfection.

Thursday 20:

Thursday morning and I’m up early in the cool of the half light. I’ve been trolling the net and found some wonderful bargains but held myself firm and only put my name down for a split of Amouage Bracken Woman. I got the dogs inside and they are both curled up on their beds in the living room while I tap away at the keyboard in my office. There’s a coffee in hand and the lingering taste of breakfast cereal in my mouth, wondering if I should also do toast but then think I’ll have that as a morning tea after my 9am dog walk.

The weather is cooling considerably and I’m wearing a decant sent to me by my mate, the gorgeous Robert Herrmann who is a moderator at FaceBook Fragrance Friends and now writes reviews at CFB, when he did a giveaway here on APJ no-one collected the prize so he sent it to me. It’s Tom Ford Vert Boheme, greenest of the green and curiously fitting for an autumn morning. As you can see there is quite a bit of air in the bottle. I like it a lot.

Had a scream tonight as the madcap hostess for a Guerrilla Anti-Fashion Parade as a protest against Levi Strauss using dock workers in Madagascar that are being paid $40/month. Levi’s has 7 factories on Madagascar. The company ICTSI that runs the docks gets $200/container moved, the Dock workers get 2 cents. Their safety gear costs 3 months pay so they never buy it and many of them have to live & sleep under a nearby bridge between shifts.

Levi Strauss is actually a great company with an excellent ecological and workplace agreement history. In 2016 they were ranked #1 in the world for their supply chain code of conduct. Unfortunately the dock workers don’t come under that umbrella and are being treated abominably. The few workers, 43 in all, who have been trying to get better conditions were all fired. It’s a shemozzle and we think that with a multinational like Levi Strauss on board they could help to push ICTSI and governments in the right direction.

Feel free to pop into your local Levis store and tell them how disappointed you are in their ethical double standards in Madagascar.

What fragrance was I swathed in for the evening? Reem Acra EdP. Big, radiant white floral with all the bells and whistles. Done with a very clear nod to vintage but in a super modern way. You can get it for a steal on the discounters now.

Friday 21:

Big day off today. Up, breakfast , fed & walked dogs, got ready, spritzed DIOR Mitzah, out the door by 8.30am to meet my mate Evie for a morning stroll through the Art Gallery of NSW and a guided tour of some of their permanent collection, then to the dentist, had a wander around the department stores (bought the Mon Guerlain Shower Gel and learned how to get my Diptyque Rose de Mai squirter to work, tried 32 Venenum by L`Artisan Perfumer) then hanging with Alice and having Peking Duck!! We are not quite sure what Alice had in mind with the chips but it looks like she is trying to make a chip moustache. We ate the WHOLE DUCK between us.

Amazing day but now I’m pooped. Walked nearly 14,000 steps today. That’s a lot for lazy old me.

Saturday 22:

SATURDAY! I promised myself to Jin this morning. He has been working nights since Monday and it’s his first day off. Today we are going to be able to celebrate his promotion. So I grabbed the makings of French Toast. It’s one of his all time favourite breakfasts and it’s so easy to make. Today I’m adding some off the bone ham, a big dollop of fresh made guacamole and a mushroom, onion, ham stir fry.

I’m just about to take the dogs for a walk. The day is cool and lovely, I’m multiple spritzing Lolita Lempicka EdP down my shirt before I go. On the walk I came across these amazing flowers on a large shrub fully in bloom, heavenly.

Jin’s best friend Matt called and is taking him out to the Rugby League this afternoon so I get to blog and nap. YAY!!! Aren’t they cute in their Parramatta supporters outfits? Such boys.

Then tonight I’m taking him out for Korean BarBQ. A real date night, first one since I went on the cruise in February. Poor Jin was so tired, he fell sound asleep in the car on the way home, snoring and all.

Sunday 23:

WOW! How is it Sunday already? This week has sped by.

This morning we organised to catch up with mates. Sydney really turned on the most spectacular autumn morning for us and I made Jin take a photo out the car window.

I wore my vintage Jean Patou 1000 EdT. Perfect accompaniment to a morning a fun.

We had Pedis & Yum Cha. Kath & I had our feet attended to, then Jin and Phil joined us for lunch in the food court.

Fell asleep and missed my make up cues. Went to work at Austral Bowling Club as a guy wearing Guerlain Moscow. It also has a bit of a Mon Guerlain vibe.

Hung out there with Anna-Maria and her husband Johnny. Anna-Maria was Jin and my 2016 travelling companion through Europe, you might remember that we all met up with Tara of A Bottled Rose?

So how was your week?
Try any new fragrance? Rediscovering old one?
Do something or go anywhere exciting? Watch any good TV or read a book?
Come on, share. I love to know what you all have been up to too.
Portia xxx

Tom Ford: Vert Boheme GIVEAWAY WINNER

December 23, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom

Hiya APJ,

Thanks Robert Herrmann for being so freaking generous. Lovely response and can’t wait to see who our winner is.
Portia xx

Tom Ford: Vert Boheme GIVEAWAY WINNER

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Galbanum, mandarin, magnolia, honeysuckle, muguet, violet leaf, gustavia superba (heaven lotus), oakmoss, vetiver, white musk

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 4ml decant of Vert Boheme
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Closed Thursday 22nd December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT
Winner was chosen by random.org

Olivia

The winners will have till Wednesday 28th December 2016 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

Vert Boheme by Tom Ford 2016

December 20, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 61 Comments

Post by Robert Herrmann

Hello my dear Fragrant Community,

In times of great global upheaval, be it political financial or social, people often look inwards and we tend to surround ourselves with things and people that can offer comfort and succor. For many of us that manifests in the perfumes we choose to wear, a scent that reminds us of a safer time in our lives, gentler living instead of days full of stress and drama

For me it seems that I favor vintage and vintage-style perfumes. Perfumes that remind me of my dressed-up-cocktail-party-dab-of-Patou Mother or maybe the wet tweed/leather and spicy green fougere or aquatic cologne of my Father, and later my own all-night drug-fueled party and disco dancing nights at the gay bars of pre-AIDS San Francisco. A very heady time and place indeed when anything was possible and everything was available.

So recently reaching blindly into my decant box, I pulled out one of one new Tom Ford Private Selections called Vert Boheme, and honest to god it was exactly the blanket of comfort I needed and was searching for! Serendipity at its finest.

Vert Boheme by Tom Ford 2016

Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Galbanum, mandarin, magnolia, honeysuckle, muguet, violet leaf, gustavia superba (heaven lotus), oakmoss, vetiver, white musk

Vert Boheme is a very green and waxy smelling white floral, almost the love-child of Jean Patou Joy and Chanel 19 or Cristalle. It opens on my skin with a huge blast of bitter green galbanum, tempered quickly by sweet citrus and floral honeysuckle and lily of the valley. Staying quite linear it all settles down into an almost cologne-like watery floral and mossy scent reminiscent of a men’s scent from the late 60’s or early 70’s. The heaven lotus adds a level of early glamorous indolic beauty that is prominent thru the drydown.

Since the 70’s was my “coming-of-age” era, that’s very likely why it resonates with me so profoundly on so many levels. It feels as familiar to me as a well worn pair of bell bottom jeans and platform shoes, reminding me so much of “home” and a happy time in my life, that it almost brings me to tears with the memory of my parents and my own foolish youthful days.

WikiCommons

Nothing groundbreaking but beautiful none the less and a welcome addition to my fragrance wardrobe.

Further reading: GQ Magazine and Perfume Posse
LuckyScent has $225/50ml
Surrender To Chance has samples starting at $4/0.5ml

Have you tried any of the new Tom Ford Vert series?

Tom Ford: Vert Boheme GIVEAWAY

WHAT CAN YOU WIN?

This week we will have 1 winner who will receive:
1 x 4ml decant of Vert Boheme
P&H Anywhere in the world

HOW DO 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

Please tell us what you would wear with your Tom Ford: Vert Boheme.
(Don’t worry about realities like money, figure, age or anything. Let your imagination run wild)

HOUSEKEEPING

Entries Close Thursday 22nd December 2016 10pm Australian EdsT and winners will be announced in a separate post.
Winners will be chosen by random.org
The winners will have till Wednesday 28th December 2016 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

Office Friendly Fragrances Snapshot 22.10.16

November 7, 2016 / australianperfumejunkiescom / 16 Comments

Post by TinaG

Hi APJ!

I realised something this week – that my occasional slumps in fragrance enthusiasm could be linked to changes in season. I had been wearing Borneo 1834 and Cuir Ottoman (thanks, Val!), but then haven’t felt like anything & gone fragrance free for a week. Today, something clicked back in to place and I felt like something floral & airy. I’d never really put 2:2 together, but it makes sense.

Wikipedia

So I grabbed something ultimately office-friendly, then I thought – I wonder what my colleagues are wearing today? I cheekily snuck around the office, asking the question, and found I was greeted with a big smile & loads of enthusiasm! Yay! Here’s today’s snapshot:

Office Friendly Fragrances Snapshot 22.10.16

Fragrantica

C0 (me) – Mandarine by L’Artisan Parfumeur

I’m wearing this like lolly-water today, re-spritzing with abandon.

C1 – Pink Grapefruit – The Body Shop

This is the fragrance which triggered the conversation as I could smell it walking into the work area. It was not sprayed in the office, had been wearing from home. Beautiful.

Fragrantica

C2 – CK One – Calvin Klein

I used to wear CK One, and can smell it in public at 60 paces, but this didn’t strike me so hard. It had settled a bit & had a predominant peppery note. Great stuff.

C3 – NIL

But yesterday was: Bel Respiro (EdT) – Chanel. I gave C3 this sample and this was its first wearing. Jury is out, it’s a bit intense compared to other fragrances she wears but she’ll give it a few more try’s to see if it might work.

C4 – Rose The One – D&G

This fragrance is now discontinued and it’s a fav of C4. She keeps it close by, bottle & box in her desk draw.

C5 – Oscar – Oscar de la Renta

This is C5’s signature office scent, wears it all the time. Cool!

Fragrantica

C6 – Lovely – Sara Jessica Parker

Yay! SJP getting some air time. This made me happy.

C7 – NIL

Nil today, but I know Trèsor by Lancôme is a fav of hers, a mini is close at hand. I had sent her an article on Isabella Rossellini & the fragrance’s history back in June.

C8 – NIL

C8 said he used to have time to wear cologne to work, but since his son came along priorities have changed in the morning routine. Colognes come out now for special occasions only.

Fragrantica

C9 – Orchid Soleil – Tom Ford

I didn’t actually have the conversation today with C9, but I’m adding her in because we discuss perfume often. Before this she wore Black Orchid, both are fab on her but I do know when she walks into a room without me looking! Hehe.

I’m so glad I asked! Made for some fun conversations and I got to know my workmates just that little bit better. We’ve got a great crew.

What is the fragrance you reach for the most in a professional environment?

Have a fantastic start to the week.
Tina G xx