Hiya Posse, I thought instead of a review this week I’d note the things I wore and what to. We are in Spring in Sydney so both Northern and Southern hemispheres are hitting shoulder seasons. I find the crossover of wears is pretty good in these times. There are some lovely sunny days and cool evenings, wet days, grey days and frosty mornings both ways. I’ve started my Spritz Week at Friday because it’s the day after I post.
Spritz Week at Chez Portia
Friday: This morning I was having an attack of the Springs and doused myself in Guerlain Nerolia Vetiver. It’s such a pretty thing and lasts about 2 hours fragrant, another hour whisper and then gone. It was all study for the Celebrant’s course, reading the book that my review for DNA Magazine is due on Monday and getting myself ready for tomorrow’s wedding reception extravaganza. I was supposed to meet Jin out for drinks with his workmates but I got bogged down and completely forgot. Oh well, more Nerolia Vetiver please. HA!
Saturday: Today we celebrated the wedding of our mates Gary and Sam. It was held in Sydney’s iconic Botanic Gardens. Then I was MC for their Reception. A very ra-sha-sha event on the terraced top floor of Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art rooftop Harbourside Room. Jin and I were guests but I also had the joyful experience of hosting it in drag for them. Very freaking cool. If I’d finished my damn Celebrant training I could also have done the wedding but it was not to be.
I wanted to go with something that had really good longevity because it was going to be a full day/night event. Phaedon Tabac Rouge from a RuthK decant got the gong and I scored a basketful of compliments. WIN!
Sunday: Sunday daytime both BFF Kath dropped in for lunch. Our mate Tina was coming too but she has a cold and as much as I adore her, I will not be suffering through another bloody cold this year. Spritzed Olfactive Studio Ombre Indigo to wake up. Such a beautiful springtime amber. Finished reading Fourteen by Shannon Molloy and got my book review off a day early for the DNA Magazine deadline. YAY! An inspirational coming of age book for the LGBTQIA+ or anyone who suffers at the hands of bullies.
Work that night I was wearing the large salty fig that is Mugler Womanity. I forget how enormous and other this beauty is and may have over applied. Skunked the whole club. SOZ.
Portia’s BIRTHDAY on Wednesday! but we started celebrating on Sunday at Trivia.
HA! Birthday WEEK!
Monday: As always on a Monday it was house cleaning, clothes washing and trivia writing. What better way to make it delightful that drenching myself in some Darth Vader bottle version of Lancome’s Magie Noire?
This evening we went and did an Aquarobics class at the Sydney Olympic Aquatic Center. Afterwards I popped some Penhaligon’s Belgravia Chypre. A woodsy rose patchouli that smells very Oudh-y.
Tuesday: Wearing a thick juicy coating of Cologne Nocturne by Le Galion during the morning hours. That herbaceous cologne vibe kept me on track and smelling fine while folding washing and organizing stuff.
Had to go to the funeral of a childhood friend’s mother who was so warm and always welcoming when we all descended on the house en masse. The family was vegetarian, except on Sundays when they had bacon and brie bread rolls. It was hilarious, delicious and such a naughty thing for them. The kitchen had one of those booth tables and we’d all squish in. Her favourite colour was aqua so in her honour I wore Eau des Merveilles Bleue by Hermès
Work saw me bathed in DIOR Santal Noir, like a less bombastic, dryer Samsara. Smooth, dry, woodsy and creamy.
Wednesday: In honor of the day I wore Neela Vermeire Creations Rahele. It was my wedding perfume and always feels so right. Osmanthus and mossy leather with a whole bouquet to back it up. Elegant and zen.
Thursday: Fortuitously Sydney is way ahead of the USA in time so I got to put today’s morning spritz in too! YAY! Back working at my studies today and wanted something beautiful but a bit calm. The low key finale to Spritz Week is Sarah Jessica Parker Stash Unspoken. IYKYK… Look how little is left in that bottle. I’m buying myself a big bottle for my birthday.
Jin is taking me to the Darling Harbour Sofitel in the city tonight to celebrate! NICE! Dinner at another hotel I love, breakfast at the Sofitel.
So tell me something you did or spritzed this week, or both. I love reading what you’ve been up to.
Portia xx
Happy Birthday, Portia! I so enjoyed reading about your week. I’ve been trying out Portrait of a Lady, sample from my daughter. Kinda loving it.
Thanks Pam,
OHHHHH! Portrait of a Lady is bloody gorgeous. You smell fantastic.
Portia xx
A Happy early birthday to you! Mine is coming up as well and I’m already considering what new (or backup) scents might be coming my way. Enjoy your celebration!
Thanks MaggieCat.
Hope you get exactly what you want for your birthday.
Portia xx
Happy birthday week, Portia! I love the way you celebrate and this look into what you spritzed. I’m wearing Ferme Tes Yeux, and it is a bigger than life growly floral on me. I like to think you’d approve. Best wishes for a fantastic new year of life!
FULL approval here HemlockSillage, you’ve piqued my interest.
Thanks for the good wishes,
Portia xx
Oh I love that one. Is it true it’s out of production!
Wishing that all the joy, good cheer and happiness that you put out comes back to you a thousand fold on your birthday!
MzCrz,
Thank you.
It has already been a delightful whirlwind.
Portia xx
Happy Birthday Portia!! Loved reading about your spritzes. I’m wearing Puredistance Warszawa sample today. It’s really nice. Yesterday was vintage Lanvin My Sin. A great oldie.
YUM DinaC, Warszawa is gorgeous,
My Sin! I had a beautiful parfum of it many years ago and gave it to one of my besties. I think she still wears it.
Portia xx
Happy Birthday, darling!!! I really enjoyed your week’s perfume journey (I might borrow the idea – full credit will go to you, I promise)
Have an absolutely lovely weekend with Jin – give him a smooch for me.
xoxoxo
and… aren’t you and I seasonal opposites? We’re going into Autumn.. so aren’t you going into Spring?
Or am I confused…
HA! No, it’s me. Problem fixed. Sorry to turn you about.
Portia xx
whew!
Happy birthday Portia! I stayed at the Sofitel in Darling Harbour when I visited Sydney, such a gorgeous place!
Hey Tara+Mc,
Woo Hoo! We love the Darling Harbour Sofitel. It was raining on and off and the view was just gorgeous in shades of grey.
Portia x
omg SO many thoughts! First of all, that wedding sounds absolutely delightful! Hahahaha that Darth Vader bottle always cracks me up. I think I gave away my Merveilles and I’m regretting it, some days it’s the perfect scent. I should try that SJP unspoken, it’s cheap as chips online. Thanks for the journey!
I’m still reeling from what our friends spent on their wedding. It boggles the mind. It’s what they both dreamed of though and went of beautifully. There were even surprise fireworks that were for some other event but were just across the harbour.
Stash Unspoken is so easy breezy, yeah I think they are selling it out now.
Portia xx
I admit to having sprung for Guerlain Shalimar Millesime Jasmin. Hadn’t planned on it but a wonderful IG perfume friend sent me a few mls. Beautiful!
OOOOHHHHHH! I haven’t even sniffed it yet but am SO EXCITED to Alityke.
Portia xx
Review is now up on alitykescents. In summary starts citrusy green fresh. Works through fresh jasmine, animalic jasmine the leathery jasmine. Ends on golden sparkly vanilla & musk.
More OG Shalimar than previous Millesimes
What a fun post. I am still in mostly can’t smell but a few more things are discernible: citrus cologne vaguely and incense perfume without any of the oomph. Oh, and I get whiffs of where the dog pees in the garden. Still, better than nothing.
BUMMER about your sniffer gone wrong Cinnamon. Hope it clears up this week.
Portia xx
You’re in autumn? Why did I think you’d be in spring? Aren’t you heading into Summer while we’re going into winter?
I thought so too — Portia will get us up to speed I hope.
Seasonally confused here, too!
Portia wrote it at the end of the previous post too…..”As you’re all hitting spring up in the north”….., so maybe it is us. 🙂
HA! NOPE It’s me. SOZ
GAH! It’s me Tom. I’m time divergent currently, it seems. Fixed in the post.
Portia xx
With that $50 STC gift card, I had gotten a bunch of samples and decided to give the Shalimar Millesime Vanilla. To my nose it that the original Shalimar and SDV got together and this is the end result. I wasn’t too enthused with it. It seems in the past couple years, Guerlain has been releasing all these Shalimar flankers and I can’t keep up and nor afford the $140 price tag. Last week was my birthday and went to see Les Miserable. Wasn’t a big fan of the singing style of the troupe that was preforming. So I couldn’t exactly figure out what was going on and I think that it was a little too long for me. I wore Infusion d’Iris for the play. I wasn’t willing to clear everyone out with Coromandel that night.
Good call on the Millésime Vanilla Planifolia, it really is like Shalimar and SDV procreated. BUM you didn’t love it, I did.
HA! You should have Coromandel-ed the shit outta them.
Portia x