Hi Crew. We are in the summer heat here in Sydney. It’s gorgeous but there are days when I’d like to shirk my skin and lie around just bones under the fan. The heat itself is fine but the humidly tends to have me wilt just a little. So how does Shalimar fit into the heat? Well, I have a bottle of the extrait on my desk. It was a gift from one of my dearest friends. Whenever the world gets overwhelming I give myself a swipe on my forearm and suddenly everything seems less spectacularly oppressive. This year has had some significant bumps, mainly business related. Though I’ve run businesses for years I’m not actually very good at it. Fortunately my ideas have been good enough to push through my basic inability to function. Of course with every changing of the guard there are growing and dying pains. Study has also been a big part of the year and I’m poor at focus and time management, HA! That’s being generous. Seriously. Add to that the many plates spinning at any given time. Trivia, apartments, blogging perfume, cleaning house and laundry PLUS now studying and doing book reviews. One wheel gets shaky and my whole train collapses in a heap. I know, definitely the problems of the wealthy. I’m super grateful for everything we have. Also, fully acknowledged how fortunate we are in terms of home, work, love and friends. Jin recently moved up and across at his work and if I can get my bloody Celebrant Course done then there will be an extra cash stream to pick up the rising interest cost of the mortgage.
Sorry, I got sidetracked.
Shalimar Reflections
There are dozens of note list but here’s a pretty good summation:
Bergamot, lemon, iris, jasmine, rose, patchouli, vetiver, opopanax, tonka bean, frankincense, sandalwood, musk, civet, ambergris, leather, vanilla
This evening the world got overwhelming. Just too much input and it left me breathless.
SWIPE
Seriously, the relief to just let myself revel in the inimitable beauty of Shalimar extrait. Suddenly my shoulders unclench, my back straightens and I can quietly go have a lie down under the fan for 15 minutes and get lost in the fragrance.
Shalimar is also chock full of happy memories of Mum and some of her girlfriends that wore it as daywear. Big fragrant hugs and them all laughing, planning, chattering, sniping over lunch or afternoon tea. Not always happy, there were meetings of solidarity for all of life’s aches and pains, home troubles, illness or financial woes. Still, though there were tears, the love held them all together.
It has since become one of my go-to event fragrances. The event might be a big gig, party, dinner or it may be to make a mundane event like groceries and cleaning into something wonderful.
So with Shalimar I get not only to drift off with the scent but also a plethora of memories.
Do you have a fragrance that gives you surcease but also is full of magical memories?
Portia xx
Undina's Looking Glass 
I always love reading about your mum, Portia.
My mum’s perfume was Jean d’Albret’s Ecusson. When she went out to dinner with my father swathed in her glossy mink coat (I am so not into fur, by the way!), looking like a film star, she radiated this glorious perfume which lingered long after she kissed me goodbye. The bottle and even its Tudor inspired box were beautiful and appealing, and I would sneakily dab the dark liquid on my neck thinking nobody could possibly tell.
She also wore Chanel No 5 and Madame Rochas which I guess are sort of related to Ecusson, but it was Ecusson that lives on in my mind’s nose and brings her back so vividly.
Good luck with everything – and congratulations to Jin.
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HA! I love that you nicked some JillieCat. Did no-one ever say anything?
How were they all so bloody glamorous back then? It’s like the whole world was full of gorgeous screen sirens.
Portia xx
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Beautiful post, Portia. You mom sounds like an amazing person, and I love that Shalimar sort of transports you back in time.
Shalimar has this effect on me, too. So do some of the Annick Goutal scents-I love their packaging, and the scents themselves still feel really special to me. I wore Passion yesterday-I remember what my life was like when I wore it the first time, and how a friend borrowed it, and it smelled just divine on her. I remember smelling eau d’Hadrien for the first time, and I’ve never wanted something so madly in my life lol. I love how scents can remind us of who we were, and maybe even what we wore. Like you I can feel myself get lost in it and feel my shoulders unclench.
It’s never as hot here as what you’re describing-I lived through a 42 degree day once. It was so hot all day no one could move. But over night temperatures fell by about 25 degrees (yes-not a typo) and I woke up freezing. Anything over about 32 is too much for me.
Stay cool, you gorgeous human being :)
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Mum was a hotbed of contradictions Carole and my staunchest ally through thick and thin.
Annick Goutal fragrances were one of the first niche brands I fell in love with. Also, her story, what an amazing woman.
We went from the 42° to about 19°c overnight and then had a 23° day with rain yesterday. Weather has officially gone mad. Fortunately I can function at any heat but it does get hard doing makeup when you’re sweating bucketloads.
Portia xx
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I can’t tolerate humidity either, Portia. I completely understand. I completely shut down.
Funny you should mention “big fragrant hugs.” I miss those especially from my mother, but from any other family member who wore something new or interesting. They were the best kind of hugs ever.
I’m going to have to second you on your choice of Shalimar, then followed by Tabac Blond by Caron. I just love Tabac Blond’s meditative quality created by the leather and iris notes.
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Ahhhhh! Tabac Blond! Flaconneur! I just finished a decant of the early parfum. I’m not sure if it was vintage or vint-ish but it was utterly transportive.
We are following in the tradition of big fragrant hugs.
Portia xx
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Beautiful post, Portia. Shalimar sends me to blissful places, too. I feel similarly relaxed and lost in memories when I wear original L’Air du Temps, my mother in law’s signature scent.
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YAY for L’Air du Temps RR! So pretty. I have a couple of those beautiful white embossed canisters from last century. So elegant.
Portia xx
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Love Shalimar extrait, and was lucky enough to inherit a tester myself. Ideal for taking a moment, and glad it helped you decompress. I have no comparable mother memories to report, but I love the ambience and memories evoked by HOCB Immortal Beloved.
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WHOA! That Immortal Beloved bottle is gorgeous Vanessa.
So glittery
Portia xx
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