High Rotation Perfumes: Portia July 2018

Hey Posse. Let’s have a little squiz at my current wears. High Rotation Perfumes are usually five or six fragrances that are on High Rotation at any one point. Things I grab because right now they seem to fit my mood, state of mind, yearnings, work and life. It is winter here but all of these have managed to remain cross seasonal loves.

High Rotation Perfumes: Portia July 2018

High Rotation Perfumes Portia July 2018.jpg

Anna Sui Live Your Dreams:

Yes, I know. Live Your Dreams is hardly a niche offering. Doesn’t matter, I love it. Mainly a plastic, soft, wet lily of the valley and jasmine with a very light base of amorphous, woodsy nothings. Don’t come here if you’re looking for the best of everything, it’s not here. As a refreshing, bright and fun lily spritz though it works a treat. I’ve had this bottle for a few years now and every so often it comes out for a month or so and gets some wear then, like right now.

Etat Libre d’Orange Fat Electrician:

Originally bought for Jin. He liked the name but not the scent so I reappropriated it. Using the oily and dark facets of vetiver and burnished with a few other notes ELdO managed to make a scent that smells like the zing of a fuse switch blowing. Metallic, smoky, warm and dusty all at once with a hint of grease.

Penhaligon’s Belgravia Chypre:

Patchouli, rose and labdanum with a slight pink pepper zing to open. Belgravia Chypre is not particularly chypre-ish to me but it is bloody wonderful. I was given this bottle at a Press Launch a couple of weekls ago and you can see how much is already gone. Wears beautifully in the cool but I think it will do a great job in the summer months too.

Parfumerie Generale Querelle:

Another vetiver, this time wearing with a smoky incense and woodsiness that warms through the base. Querelle becomes a skin overlay for me. Potent and sharp to begin it becomes a soft focus manly scent full of light and shade. Only in my collection for a short while it has been getting a lot of wear lately.
Lee, March & Patty tried it too.

Tom Ford Ombre de Hyacinth:

Imagine a desiccated jungle, dry and parched, that is also cold to touch. I don’t understand how this fragrance ever got released by a group as sales focused as Estee Lauder. Here Tom Ford opens with a green scent that sucks all the moisture and warmth from the room and doesn’t relent till it’s almost gone and warm amber whispers under.
Sadly Tom hated it, well was disappointed.

Yves Rocher Rose Oud:

A cheapy buy in Paris 2017 while shopping with Jin. Rose Oud is a very polite oudh with only a slightly sweaty armpit feel that is also met by the warmth of resins and a cool, jammy rose. Oudh haters, I think you will be able to wear this amiable scent. I also love how long it lasts, humming away softly. Rose Oud has been my Monday night scent lately as I write Trivia Q&A for the week.

Surrender To Chance has some of these to try

So what are your current High Rotation Perfumes?
Portia xx

  • John Parodi says:

    I’m obssesed with Twilly, also in heavy rotation Osmanthe Yunnan, Boy, Neroli36, and Cedre Sambac.

  • Neva says:

    I like Fat Electrician very much. The name was so intriguing when I first heard of it so I had to order a sample a few years ago.
    I’ve finally bought Bronze Goddess and it’s the Eau Fraiche version so it’s light and I spray it all over my body, hair and clothes during the day. Amazing! I feel so comfortable wearing it in the heat. In the evenings I wear my favourite dry chypre – Christopher Street from Charenton Macerations and Jo Malone’s fresh Blackberry & Bay.

    • Portia says:

      Oh Neva!
      I love Bronze Goddess in ALL its iterations. they never make a yuck one. You smell fabulous.
      Portia xx

  • Monika Goodrich says:

    Love the rotations noted above! Here in hot and humid South Florida, I’m wearing rotating Chanel’s L’Eau, Diptyque Do Son, Kai, Byredo Blanche and in the evenings when its a little cooler, Byredo Flowerhead. If I’m feeling particularly vampy and have a special evening, my all time favorite, FM Carnal Flower!

  • Musette says:

    this was such a fun read, Portia! I am particularly intrigued by the Tom Ford, based on your description – will have to check that out!

    My rotation is a bust. No5. More No5. Amouage Gold. Even MORE Amouage Gold. Body products for all of them. Jean Nate. Avon Skin So Soft because of the squickton of mosquitoes. Vodka. Because of the heat. xoxoxo

    • Portia says:

      Glad you enjoyed it Musette.
      No 5 and Amouage Gold. Big guns for the heat. I bet you smell fabulous.
      I have a theory about mosquitos. I don’t think they like sweet blood. Jin is attacked mercilessly and I might have one bite in a week.
      Portia xx

  • Marie says:

    So glad to see APJ back alive! 🙂

    I like to wear Sycomore in the heat, it is nice and crisp and just a dream! Also, Un Zest de Rose works well, I only wish it would last longer

    • Portia says:

      Thanks Marie,
      Un Zest de Rose is excellent. Funny you say it doesn’t last long, I find it sticks around very well. The way our bodies react to fragrance is an ever expanding source of surprise to me.
      Portia xx

  • Cara says:

    For some reason I’ve been reaching for Lancome’s Mille et Une Roses over and over this summer – and I never thought of it as a summer fragrance before.

    • Portia says:

      You know I never smelled Mille et Une Roses Cara,
      Can you tell me a little about it?
      Portia xx

      • Illdone says:

        Hi Portia, sorry to reply instead of Cara. You have to smell the Deux Mille et une Roses (no confusion I’m talking the the year 2000 version). Im really not a fan of rose scents in general but this is to dy for. I ve got a full bottle for reference sake that I’m not even going to open but there ‘s another bottle half used in my stock that I would gladly send you a decant of!
        I m not going to bore you with the notes of the scent , those can easily be found online but you have to smell this!

        Everything you like and mentioned throughout the years as favourites always are mine too so now I’m likely to try the Anna Sui and the Yves Rocher (sigh) 😉

        Just let me know where I should send the sample.
        If there s anything else you couldn t get your hands on till now let me know also, I ve got quite a vintage scent library, bragging not intended.

  • grizzlesnort says:

    Santa Maria Novella EVA because it finally hit the high 80s here. I must say I am not a fan of citrus scents but this one is a big exception. Citrus with all the edges taken off. De Profundis– put it on and crank up the air-conditioning. Oh, yeah. Nice! Put on your sunglasses to look out the window. Stay inside until October. CDG Kyoto because it inspires cool calm calm when I do have to go outside and I’m otherwise a sweaty mess.

    • Portia says:

      HA HA HA “Put on your sunglasses to look out the window. Stay inside until October.” Hilarious Grizzlesnort.
      Portia xx

  • hczerwiec says:

    I’ve been on a kick of wearing Rive Gauche, vintage Dioressence, and Sisley’s Eau de Soir lately.

    • Portia says:

      Hello HCZERWIEC,
      My mate Scott wears Rive Gauche a lot., It suits him so perfectly I can never wear it myself because it just doesn’t measure up on me.
      Portia xx

  • Rosemary says:

    Etat Libre d’Orange You Or Someone Like You is fitting my summer like a dream! Also lots of Jardins d’Ecrivain LA Dame aux Camelias, and SL Rose de Nuit.

    • Portia says:

      Hi Rosemary,
      I didn’t see my You Or Someone Like You in the cleanup. I have to go back though and find it. Good reminder. It’s excellent.
      Portia xx

      • Neva says:

        You or Someone Like You was my summer holiday scent last year. It was perfect and I emptied my 30 ml bottle soon. Now that you’ve mentioned it, maybe I’ll go for it again. I haven’t found another summer love meanwhile.

  • March says:

    Oooh, what a great list! Your description of the Anna Sui made me laugh out loud…. I love Fat Electrician (the scent and the name) and Querelle has really grown on me.

    • Portia says:

      YAY! Making you laugh is a WIN March.
      Fat Electrician, so cool. Even saying thew name makes me smile.
      Portia xx

  • Ingeborg says:

    My current rotation includes Kurkdjian Amyris Femme, L’Occitane Pamplemousse-Rhubarbe ( even have used this as a room spray, because unsure if it will keep much longer), Korres White Tea, Bergamot and Freesia and an absolute love for warm weather: Dior Escale à Pondichéry. I have also used some refreshing Guerlain samples sent to me by Sandra, so usually no more than two days in a row with any one scent.

    • Portia says:

      Hey there Ingeborg,
      How generous is Sandra. What a gorgeous woman.
      I have a nearly empty 10ml decant of the Amyris Femme. So luxurious.
      Portia xx

      • Ingeborg says:

        Perfume people generally are generous people, or perhaps I’ve only been lucky? I avoid discussions with snarky remarks.

        Amyris is rated very favorably by my friends, not boring, but pretty.

  • brionyhey says:

    It’s so hot here in London at the moment, my current rotation is: Eau du Sud, Ormonde Jayne’s Tiare, Chanel 1932, Honour Woman, Penhalligon’s lovely but discontinued Ostara and Seville a l’Aube.

    • Ingeborg says:

      Ostara in the heat? Must try that, I don’t think I ever tried it in outdoor temperature higher than 18C at the most. Seville is very nice, but powerful, in the heat!

    • Portia says:

      Hi there Brionyhey,
      Eau de Sud! I love it too. It rarely gets talked about anymore and is such a wonderful scent. Thanks for the reminder.
      Portia xx

  • M says:

    My current high rotations are:
    Malle Une Rose
    HdP Tubereuse 3 Animale
    SL Jeux de Peau (perfect for the coldest, most bleak days)
    And Bracken Woman whenever I wander past a tester in the wild. 😉