Heya Perfume Posse, Portia from Australian Perfume Junkies and it’s hard to believe another great Christmas is over.
When my Mum died I was so lucky that my BFFs family took me in for their celebrations for ten years while I healed. In return and now that I live back in the family home it’s Christmas at my place. The whole family comes with Grandma, Nana, Pop, Aunties, Uncle, Mums, Dads, Siblings, kiddies and us. Every family is given a meat to bring and a salad, Jin and I also do booze and bread and my BFF Kath’s sister Jane does Ice Cream Christmas Pudding. These people are my family and it is so much easier for me to host than it is for them, plus we have a pool for entertainment, loads of grass to lay on and shady trees to sit under and it is the easiest Christmas I have ever been involved in. Everyone else is pleased because they don’t have to clean their houses for guests and clean up after them, we have it down to a fine art. This is our third year hosting and I love not having to leave the house.
Christmas Fragrances and New Years Eve 2013/4?
What did I wear for the Christmas season in 2013(I’m sorry to put everyone who doesn’t do Christmas through this boringness, I hope your holidays are excellent too)?
Christmas Eve
during the day is all about cleaning and wrapping, I am alone for most of the day so this year I grabbed out some Big Guns.
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
To get me in the mood I started with three hefty spritzes of Five O’Clock au Gingembre by Serge Lutens, it’s a modern bottle. I love the fizzy, tea and ginger interplay with the bright sparkling citrus and the rich amber chocolate as it dries down. I find Five O’Clock au Gingembre one of the easiest wear SLs and only get about 4 hours while cleaning in the Australian summer before it becomes a spicy/amber wash. The ride was totally fun though so I thought I would stay in the mood of spicy so
Photo Stolen Ebay
five dabs of my beloved Bellodgia Parfum, my juice is a little less orange than the picture above so I think it 21st century. Nevertheless it is exquisite, especially in the heat. It blooms and blossoms like nothing else I’ve ever smelled and over the wispy remnants of Five O’Clock au Gingembre it is killer. Smiling and humming while cleaning and wrapping, it was a fabulous afternoon. If you’ve not tried Bellodgia then it’s a carnation, cool white flower, clove and vanilla bomb that feels like you are a millionairess even when you’re doing the drudgery. Instant happy.
As the crew started to trickle home in the evening I had to get ready for work. I had pre warned the venue that I would be too busy to be a lady so I jumped in the shower and went to work as a dude. It’s summer here and though I wanted to stay in the Christmas spirit I also wanted to wear something that made a statement about my menswear, somewhat ironically I chose
Photo Stolen FragranticaChristmas Day
Photo Stolen FragranticaBoxing Day
This year I hope we all can learn better communication, understanding and listening skills.
Portia xx
I wasn’t too original in my scent selection for Christmas Eve it was Caron Nuit de Nöel vintage and Christmas Day I cracked open a sample of Lyric Woman. I’m not a Guerlain gal so I’d go with Amoureuse. For my NYE, I’m thinking Chanel 22 because it makes me smile and that’s always good
Hey there tomate farcie,
I haven’t seen you for ages. I hope you’re well and that 2014 is an excellent one for you.
SNAP! Nuit de Noel for Xmas and I do love Lyric though I only have a decant there is quite a bit of air in it.
Portia x
Portia Dear, thank You for sharing Your Christmas and Christmas scents:) with us!
Mine included Tea for Two on Ch. Eve, and a rotation among Fumerie Turque, Pardon, Arabie, Jeux de Peau, Back to Black, Fusion Sacrée, Botrytis and Imperial Opoponax during the holidays. I got Jeux de Peau and Micallef’s Autumn from the Hubby Santa, and I’ll be wearing those in the next few days. New Year’s Eve? Either Angel, if I decide to indulge on the food side, or Yvresse, if the bubblies happen to get my attention more:).
May Your (and of course all the Posse people’s) New Year be happy and successful, and may Your dreams all come true!
Hugs:
e.
Heya Elvie,
Tea for Two is an outstanding scent, I love its smoky depths and piccolo highs. You did very well from Santa, you must have been especially good.
Portia xx
Loved reading your Christmas story. And totally agree about using great perfumes for ourselves. Washing the dishes can be a much nicer task if you are listening to music and catching whiffs of Shalimar or Amouage Gold. I have no idea what I’ll be wearing during NYE, we can either have a very warm night or a tropical storm, so let’ s see… Wishing you an year full of joy, peace and health, sweet Portia! And great fragrant trips!
Solanace,
It’s always nice to see your flag by your name. MMMM Tropical Storms can be sexy, in movies anyway. I’m sure they are mighty annoying in life.
The only things we wash here are cutlery and the pots & pans, everything else goes in the water saver dishwasher. One of my great joys is packing it and unpacking it, the whole jigsaw of fitting as much as possible in is fun for me.
As you mentioned Shalimar and it’s on the list I’m taking it as a vote
Portia xx
My vote is for Amoureuse! It’s remarkable – smells like nothing else and is POTENT. Lots of love, joy and prosperity to everybody here in the upcoming year!
AMOUREUSE!! Is this the first vote? Thanks Lisa D. I love it so much and it the naughtiest lily I’ve ever encountered.
A great year for you too full of things you love.
Portia xx
It looks like Vol de Nuit is winning the New Year’s Eve vote hands down, but I’m going to cast a vote anyway for Aftelier’s Wild Roses. I think it’s a great summer fragrance, and it has so many unexpected notes along with the rose. Have a very happy new year, Portia!
Thanks Janice,
Yes Wild Roses is in a class alone. Mandy Aftel can brew that’s for sure.
Happy 2014 to you too.
Portia xx
Hi Portia sounds like you had a crackin’ Christmas. I’m in Brisbane so our Christmas day is very similar – lots of ham, prawns, salads and a few bubbles. The trick is staying cool in the air conditioning. We do have a get a slightly weird mix of snow/sun/surf Christmas images at this time of year in Oz. I’m a bit fond of the Aldi adverts with surfing Santas. Those from the northern hemisphere could check them out on You Tube http://youtu.be/OyXuALLw18k
As to perfumes for New Year, I’d go for Vol de Nuit – only because I haven’t tried it and it’s from Guerlain, one of my favourite perfume houses.
BTW we have our own ice cream Christmas pudding. It’s a family recipe but we tinker with it every year just for fun.
Heya Jennie,
YAY a Brissy reader, that is excellent. Those Aldi ads are hilarious. What a coup for the advertising agency that thought of it. There are some very sexy Santas in that vid.
Ice Cream Christmas Pudding is an Aussie Tradition. The ONLY way I can fit more in after gorging myself for hours amid the chat, laughter, excitement and all else that goes on.
Vol de Nuit is a form favourite. Cool.
Portia xx
Howdy, Portia, and happy Boxing Day to you! Thanks for sharing your wonderful holiday with us — sounds like it was just about perfect. And that ice cream pudding — yes, yes to sharing the recipe! As for NYE, you will smell amazing whatever you wear, but I have a soft spot for Vol de Nuit. DH has this week off (hooray!) but will have to work all next week 🙁 so NYE will be a quiet but nice one at home with my son and perhaps a few friends. I’ve been fragrantly zig-zagging all week between Lyric Woman, Prada Infusion d’Iris Absolue, Chanel Coromandel, Alambar and the new Teo Cabanel, Barkhane.
Ann,
I am gagging to try the Barkhane. I think Jeffrey Dame is organising for me to meet with the Teo Cabanel crew while I’m in Paris in February, that will be super exciting. You have the greatest fragrance choices, I bet you are the elegant woman that others aspire to be.
Vol de Nuit, noted.
Nice to see you and I hope your 2014v is sparkling and relaxed all year.
Portia xx
Please give us the recipe for ice cram pudding. I vote for Ballets Rouges. No reason. I shall wear vintage Opium on New Year’s Eve. Why not!
Vintage Opium is a sensational NYE choice Ellen. You will shine in it.
Sadly I do not have the Ice Cream Christmas Pudding recipe but I think it’s a big bottom layer of Rum & Raisin Ice Cream with added fruit mix, then a layer of Caramel Ice Cream with lolly honeycomb crushed into it, and the top is French Vanilla and something, but I really don’t know and Jane is NOT sharing.
Ballets Rouges, your vote is noted.
Portia xx
My vote is for Ballets Rouges too.
More tears than laughter for me this Christmas and I’m just glad it’s over. I started the day in Noel au Balcon but once that wore off I was scentless. New Years Eve is just another night for us and I’ll most likely be asleep before 10pm so I’m not planning any special scent for that night. I hope you have a great NYE.
Thanks for your vote Poodle.
Sorry to hear there were tears and drama buddy. Hopefully it will all clear up soon.
The reason I host the NYE night at a club out of the city centre is because I hate NYE and decided to do an Anti NYE party for people who wanted to spend the night in good company, regular food prices, somewhere to park and no traffic or crazies on the way home. It has been working very well for four years now.
Portia xx
That sounds like a perfect NYE to me.
Hugs.
How could I resist voting for Ballets Rouges? Here’s wishing you the happiest of New Years!
Ellen Covey, you’ll be happy to know I wore Ballets Rouges today while buying a Motor Bike!
Yes indeedy.
Everything great for you Ellen, always.
Portia xx
Hey there Portia,
First off, Happy Holidays to you and yours! I really liked your post and could imagine you in each of the settings you described. It is so generous and kind of you to host for all the big gang. Really lovely — kudos and blessings to you for spreading so much joy and love to others! 🙂 And it sounds like you smelled great each day.
I came down with a head cold on Christmas Adam (according to my daughter, that’s what you are supposed to call the day before Christmas Eve. Get it? Adam and Eve?) In spite of the cold and my nose running like a faucet, I wore Bois des Iles on Christmas Eve when we went out for Chinese food at our favorite Chinese food restaurant. Christmas Day I didn’t wear any scent. Firstly, in case I received any as a gift. And secondly, there was no point. Still stuffed up. Today, Boxing Day, I’m wearing Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile edp. It’s super lush, gardenia-like iris, very feminine, which suits my outfit: pink tweed skirt, orchid sweater, frilly pink apron and hot pink rubber gloves. I’ve been hand-washing the china, crystal and sterling from last night’s dinner for the family. Now it’s time to go out and hit a couple of after-Christmas sales.
For New Year’s Eve, I pick Vol de Nuit for you. I love the oakmoss & galbanum of that one. It’s classic and fierce, which makes it a perfect fit, yes? 😀 For myself, I’m not sure. Maybe a sensual skin scent like NR for Her edt. Our tradition is to stay in and watch movies while eating luxurious snacks and sipping bubbly. Happy New Year to you!
BUMMER DinaC!
I’m sad your nose went south for Christmas. I love the AdP Iris Nobile, have a bottle and love that I can spritz like crazy and it just gets richer, not stronger. Crisp. Excellent.
I hope you did well in the Sales. we got there today and I hardly bought anything, though sorely tempted. I did buy a motorbike though, that was fun. Get it in January sometime. WOO HOO!
Portia x
Gee, thanks Portia 🙂 , just when I start to think I’m becoming knowledgeable about this perfume thing, I peruse your list and discover I have only smelled 2, yes that’s right, JUST 2 of the fragrances on it! ACK!!! Some many perfumes left to smell… I keep a notebook of samples that I have smelled/tested over the last several years and the number is up to 740 and I’m still such a neophyte! Loved your list of what you wore Christmas eve and Christmas day, happily I was familiar with most of those and you picked yummy scents! Soooo, based on my “expert” opinion ( tee hee), you should wear Vol de Nuit, because a) the name is just perfect for New Years Eve and b) it is such a spacious, lovely oriental with such a fullness to it at the same time – grand, mysterious and glamorous!
You are welcome Lynne Marie,
With thousands of new perfume releases every year it is extremely hard to keep up. I too suffer from complete neophyte-ism when I read Patty and Musette on the subject of their choices. Meeting them at the LA ScentSation blew my mind. I learned more in a bus trip than I’d learned to that point, it was awesome.
Vol de Nuit is a great choice. Thanks.
Portia xxx
Ice cream christmas pudding sounds amazing 🙂 as do the other elements of your Christmas celebration. I haven’t tried any of the choices for New Years eve perfumes except Shalimar (which sounds like an excellent choice) but I look forward to seeing which one wins!
One of the few perks of being in airports a lot for holiday flying is being able to browse the duty-free stores and try perfumes. I always have a list in mind to look for, but my favorite so far has been Eau de Merveilles, which was not one I actually expected to enjoy so much. Perhaps more of a summer perfume than Christmas or New Years, but definitely one I want to try again.
I will take that as a Shalimar vote Nemo.
Eau de Marvielles is a stunner but in the quietest, most lavishly selfish way. It’s fragrance for you and your lovers. MMM
Portia xx
oh, crappity! Forgot to vote! Vol de Nuit, bay-bee!
xoxoxoA
Versace Blonde is on my must sample list! Had a quiet Christmas, since my family lives several states away–visited at Thanksgiving, and didn’t feel like facing the airport again. Wound up testing Eau Premiere against Liu–they are very similar, the Eau a bit more lemony, the Liu more powdery.
I vote for Shalimar for NYE (Amoureuse might be too much if you work up a sweat). I used to only appreciate it on others, but have evolved to love it on myself! I’m about to apply a quick spritz as I head out to shovel the driveway (if my nose can detect it under all the layers of clothing). Wishing you a fab New Year!
Oh Caroline,
You must have a go at Versace Blonde, you can still grab 15ml of the extrait for under $40 at FragranceNet.
Thanks for the Shalimar vote. I do love it and it has such good and fond memories for me. I bet you smelled GORGEOUS while shovelling.
Portia xx
My beloved Portia! I’m so glad you had a lovely Christmas! Mine was deliberately quiet, as you know. El O is on his way home from visiting his mom & sibs today and we’ll have a quiet Boxing Day present exchange. I was in Gold body cream and extrait all day – and it was wonderful. Then, post evening shower, I became obsessed about revisiting Diaghilev. So I did. Glorious! As if Liz Zorn’s Centennial had hot monkey sex with contemporary Mitsouko…and Jubilation 25 filmed the whole thing and put it on Youtube.
Today…..I dunno. I’ve got a date with the chicken coop around 4p, when it climbs to a staggering 30F. In the meantime, I think I will dab a bit of Moss Breches, see how that sits. What do you think?
xoxoxo to you, my darling!
Musette,
I think that you are one of the greatest girls on earth. Your choices in fragrance are always fancy, and you love to make me smile, which I am right now.
Merry Christmas, yes it was, I’m glad to hear yours was as planned and happy for it.
Love you heaps,
Portia xx
I always forget that you guys have Christmas in summer. I can’t imagine the holiday season without snow. Can I be a total do of us and ask if your Christmas paraphernalia is all marketed with warm, beachy stuff in mind? I’ve seen a few funny dolphin themed Christmas cards from the far south of the US, but in the northern parts, Santa and holiday lights are the only things that cheer up the dirty city snow…
I’m a complete perfume noob, so I’ve just been test driving Chanel Mademoiselle for a few days. I know I know, how pedestrian! But you don’t even want to know what I was wearing before. I wanted to treat myself to a more sophisticated perfume as I make a lot of other important Big Girl life changes (diet, fashion, body care) This is the first perfume where I’ve actually noticed layers of notes that reveal themselves over the day. I wish it lasted longer, but I love reaching for that pretty little bottle… I find it a little masculine at the core – I’m used to sickly sweet stuff – and I love that! So for the New Year I’m going to start purchasing samples and a ticket for the Perfume Crazy Train 😀
Sorry, damned tablet hates when I make up words. I meant to ask, can I be a total *doofus
Hey there Matsukaze,
AnnaMarieC got it right. We give funny beach santa and also traditional snow trees and mountains on our cards. We have a cold meat feast for the crew that come and this year we also had someone bring about 3kg of king prawns which everyone, except me, went mental for.
Coco Mademoiselle is a fine fragrance, ageless, fun and frivolous. For longevity grab a Coco Mademoiselle Body lotion and layer, it will add hours to your wear time.
I have a few super sweeties that I wear too, maybe you should try Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil, it has a soft, intoxicating sweetness. Short lived but great fun to respritz, the bottle is gorgeous.
Portia xx
Hopping in as a fellow Australian – there is a weird mix of northern and southern hemisphere Xmas traditions here. You do see lots snow themed stuff (which to me is really silly, but whatever). But there are lots of adaptations as well, notably a Christmas carol about Santa’s sleigh being drawn by kangaroos. Some Australians adhere to the tradition of a hot sit-down lunch of chicken and turkey and so on, but it’s becoming much more common to have an informal BBQ. Australians love seafood at Christmas. We had pan-seared salmon, asparagus and salad. So yummy, and quick to prepare in hot weather. Backyard cricket after lunch is common, for those who have not fallen asleep after all that food and booze.
Jane’s ice cream Christmas pudding sounds gorgeous!
I’m still pretty much a perfume noob so the layering technique is unfamiliar to me. Last night though, after wearing vintage Tabu parfum for the day, I dabbed vintage Nuit de Noel on one hand and vintage Jicky EDT on the other.
I loved reading about your Christmas custom and tried to imagine Christmas in hot weather. Isn’t it nice to have perfume to keep you company while doing the cleaning and other preparations? That is one of my favorite uses for perfume – just a little something to make work seem festive.
So, my picks for your New Year’s Eve? I’m a huge fan of Vol de Nuit though I also admire and wear Ballet Rouges, and Amoreuse is a big scent so it might be perfect for a big night. Will you be performing?
Best wishes got the New Year, Portia!
Welcome to the fabulous, fun and extremely lavish hobby of fragrance Martha.
My only 2 pieces of advice:
Make A Monthly Budget AND STICK TO IT!!
Sniff ALL the samples in a pack before buying more. Don’t need to use them all just make sure you know each fragrance for recollections sake.
As to wearing fragrance for drudgery, I am a keen wearer of my BEST fragrances for housework and washing, love to dab on some vintage Shaimar parfum for the grocery shopping and can be seen at all hours of the night and dayam always drenched in something gorgeous for the ironing, which I find peculiarly zen.
As to NYE, yes performing. 6.30pm Trivia and then from 9pm-1am hosting TRANNYoke (Karaoke run by a tranny). I will get a half hour break to spritz and powder down and can’t wait. Thank you for your votes, what will you be doing NYE?
Portia xx
What Portia Said about the fragrance hobby. You’ll be stunned at how quickly this can – and will – get away from you, run amok through your wallet and your life. One minute you’ll be looking at a small bag of samples…and the next, you’ll wonder why you have a closet full of perfume!
xooxA
I’ll be going to a restaurant with some friends for the evening. This restaurant is out of town and expensive so it is one I go to only once in awhile.
And, yep, I am listening to you and Musette about the going down the rabbit hole. I got a bit carried away last month and just received a shocking credit card bill. Yikes! But, I love the stuff I bought so I’m not suffering buyer’s remorse. It was Mona di Orio Vanille, vintage Coty Emeraude, vintage Dana Tabu, Parfums de Nicolai Vanille Tonka, and Atelier Orange Sanguine. However, paying with plastic is a scary habit because it is waaay too easy.
Great choices!
WOW!! That monthly haul is about what a regular person spends on perfume in 3-5 years. Great choices and you are so lucky to get vintage good stuff in the USA Martha.
I hope you enjoyed your night out
Portia xx
Oh Portia, only you could put Fleur du Male and Nuit de Noel in the same paragraph!
Your Christmas sounds fabulous too.
Our family trekked across the continent to our elderly parents who appeared bemused by the rush of activity and large plates of Sydney Rock Oysters and lobsters which materialised!
Husband wore my gift of Interlude Man and I wore Epic. We were the Amouage power couple!
Happy 2014 to all!
Epic is a great choice for Summer Christmas.
Sydney was blissfully cool for Christmas Day and so though it was still warm enough for t-Shirt and no shoes it meant that Nuit de Noel was not overwhelming.
You did do it posh with oyster & lobster. Very nice indeed.
Portia xx