Hey there Crew. I’m so sorry this post is late and I have no excuse at all except my organisational skills have taken a beating over the summer break here in Sydney. It’s finally got really hot here and we are also getting some very humid days. Sticky heat is nice but I’m glad it’s not always like this.
Jin and I are back at the gym and swimming and doing aquarobics. It’s so nice to have the venues back open again and both of us have some weighty covid kilos that need to get gone ASAP. In the heat of summer being immersed in water is my ultimate relaxation, even when logging the laps or panting my way through an aquarobics class.
This week a couple of mates and I went down to the Nations Capital, Canberra, to see the Jeffrey Smart exhibition at our National Gallery. We arrived 30 minutes early and a snaffled one of the volunteer guides and she took us on a whirlwind of some important pieces in the galleries main collection. It was a very interesting capsule look at their important works. Then for the Jeffrey Smart I asked if there were Guided Tours and the boy on the door said, “Look for the badge that says “Ask Me About Jeffrey Smart.” OK, so I saw a couple of those badges on women chatting to each other and asked if they could take us around and explain. WOW! One woman, Jenny, was so excited. We went right to the beginning of the exhibition and for the next hour she transfixed us. So much information, we really got a deep dive into Jeffrey Smart, his use of colour, space, lack of story. We watched as his paintings evolved and progressed through the years. From his first watercolour self portrait at 19 to his very last oil painting, just before he died. I loved him before but now I’m in awe. (Above picture is the book of the exhibition.)
Baiser Volé EdP by Cartier 2011
The last few days I’ve been wearing Baiser Volé because it’s soft, dewy lily on open is refreshing and bright. I love the way it warms on my skin over the next 30 minutes and becomes a warmer, resinous lily. It starts to smell like a Georgia O’Keefe painting. Interesting, abstract, light and dark pushing against each other. It’s a quiet explosion of the dream of lily. Perfect for summer but also surprisingly good in the cooler months. Mathilde Laurent has such a way with fragrance, Cartier is lucky and clever to have her.
See you next fortnight.
Do you wear a lily soliflor, or any fragrance with lily as a note?
Portia xx
Undina's Looking Glass 
I love lily frags!
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YAY Gina!
I love YOU!
Portia xx
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Love this one. Have had my bottle from shortly after its release.
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Hey there Cassieflower.
SNAP! Yes, mine is from quite early on too. When it first hit the discounters it was going for a very happy song.
Portia xx
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I had a decant of DK Gold but I thunked it
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LOVE DK Gold Brigitte. There’s a couple of bottles here somewhere. thanks for the reminder.
Portia xx
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Interestingly, even though I like lilies (as in flower), I don’t like lily note in perfumes. It’s not a hard “No” – I can do it in principle, especially when blended well with other notes, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.
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Intersting Undina,
Many lilies in life give me a bit of a headache if I’m around them for any length of time. Especially Casablanca lilies, which I adore. It’s a bummer.
So getting them in perfume that doesn’t attack me in the same way is nice.
Portia xx
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I totally love Baiser Vole.’ It’s so pretty and refreshing. I only discovered it last year. All those years of enjoyment I missed! It’s a favorite for me now.
The art exhibit sounds amazing! So glad you got to see it and learn so much about the artist and his works. I really miss going to art exhibits. Trying to get hubby to just get in the car and go! We have a good supply of N95 masks and we’ve had all our vaccines and boosters, so there’s no reason not to explore.
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Hey there RR,
You are living proof that it’s never too late. It’s nice to read about someone finding a fragrance long after its release date, how did you come across it?
Oh yes, you must. there’s nothing that gets me out of myself so easily and totally. Art with a good guide is as close to transcendental meditation as I’ll ever get.
Portia xx
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I discovered it through the fragrancenet.com sampling program, where you can get a 10 ml travel spray each month of various fragrances that you pick. I had tried all the Hermes and others I could think of so I thought, I should try Baiser Vole’ since so many people love it — I like florals, so I would probably like it. Good choice, wow, is it beautiful! After going through the travel bottle very quickly I bought a big bottle, which I plan to enjoy a lot this coming summer.
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That’s such a happy frag story RR.
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I love Baiser Vole and think I still have a sample somewhere. And I do like lilies in most of their guises, except a very cheap and cheerful LOTV, say. I have fond memories of jogging in Canberra, and encountering old men playing chess on giant boards. We also visited an art museum there – It may even have been the National Gallery – I remember a lot of First Nations art, as I believe it is now known? It is great to hear things are opening up down under.
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HEY Vanessa!
Yes, the outdoor chess players used to be very famous. I’m not sure if they still do.
Did you ever jog around the huge lake? There’s a running track that seems to have constant use.
If you were in a large gallery with loads of First Nations art then I’m thinking the National Gallery was where you were.
BTW, I loved your latest Bonkers About Perfume post on the full circle of perfume addiction. You’ve inspired me to seek out Libre and My Way next time I’m in a department store. Thanks.
Portia xx
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