May 9, 2023 by AustralianPerfumeJunkies

Pichola by Neela Vermeire Creations

Hi there ULGers, There’s no secret that Neela Vermeire and I are close friends. We speak regularly on the phone, catch up whenever we find ourselves in the same cities and our husbands love each other too. I’m prefacing with this because the reason we even met was because I fell madly in love with Neela Vermeire Creations back in 2012 when her first trio was released. In 2013 the four of us happened to be in Vienna together and that was our first meeting. Yes, 10 years ago. It seems to have passed in a heartbeat. We had a couple of days overlap in London while I was there, as we stay in the same club we were both sprung on a super secret visit. Both of us were there for specific reasons and we didn’t catch up with most of our friends. Apologies to all that were missed. Hopefully Jin and I will see you all in November. Anyway, Neela passed me a decant of Pichola while we were there and I’ve been wearing it. Because Rahele and Mohur get most of the spritzes around here I’d forgotten this grand beauty. So I thought maybe you’d like to revisit it with me.

Pichola by Neela Vermeire Creations 2015

Fragrantica gives these featured accords:
Top: Neroli Clementine Magnolia Cardamom Saffron Cinnamon Bergamot Juniper
Heart: Tuberose Orange Blossom Jasmine Sambac Ylang-Ylang Rose
Base: Sandalwood Benzoin Driftwood

Yeah, it reads like a mid 80s kitchen sinker. No, Pichola may have a shit tonne of listed notes but they have all gone in to make something clear as a bell. So poised and perfect that it’s overlooked for fragrances less serene that feel more combative, strange, beastly etc etc. A radiant white floral that smells in the same family as Elie Saab, Gucci Guilty and Rush. There are more but I think Pichola does it better.

The sharp brightness of citrus and juniper matched with smooth green herbaceousnous give the white floral opening a springlike lift. it’s both refreshing and foresty. There is also a scratchy dry ache in my throat that often accompanies pepper or tea and I’m surprised at their lack of inclusion. This makes the traditional radiant white floral seem simple and unsophisticated by comparison (yes, I love them too and have well used bottles of all the above).

The heart is a mystery to me. Sure there is a lot of white flower action in the bouquet but it’s given a broad twist. My nose says vanilla but I’m wondering if it’s the ylang and sandalwood working together to give that impression. They are common tropical tropes added to give that island nights feeling and added to the benzoin may well be playing nose games with me. There is a sensuality to Pichola that is making me smile while I write this post.

Driftwood is such an interesting note. It could be suggestion but I find the sandalwood/amber/white floral base to be lightly salted. This represents seaside to me, and yes, fantasy dreams of tropical islands. Funnily, Lake Pichola that the fragrance is named for is freshwater. If you ever get the chance to stay in Udaipur Rajasthan do go spend a couple of nights in the Lake Palace Hotel. It’s fabulous. Then spend another two nights staying in a hotel on the outside of the lake so you can enjoy the view of the Lake Palace Hotel as well. The above advertising picture represents the smooth bright golden feeling that Pichola has for me so well.

Did you, or do you, wear Pichola?
Portia x

May 24, 2022 by AustralianPerfumeJunkies

Tasmania Getaway, Pics and Thunks

Hey ULG Crew, We created a personal long weekend with our mates Anna Maria and Johnny. Friday 7.25am flight to Launceston and Monday arrive around midday back in Sydney. We bought the flights for almost nothing months ago. It was our first time travelling as a foursome and only I had travelled with everyone before. I picked an old favourite hotel, The Grand Chancellor. It’s one of those 1990s built hotels with spacious rooms and lobby. Each room has two Queen sized beds and each couple had a room. The breakfast buffet is good and generous, without being brilliant, and we all had an excellent feed to start our days. Originally I had booked a small SUV but they gave us an upgrade to an enormous Nissan Outlander, it was like travelling in a lounge room.

Anna Maria and Johnny’s daughter Domenica was on the Australian MAFS 2022 series. They were interviewed a few times on the show and have become quite famous in their own right. They were recognised and had their pictures taken

Tasmania Getaway, Pics and Thunks

Our days were designed by meals. We all got to pick different food adventures.
Day one for lunch Jin wanted pies, a local sent us to Banjo’s Bakery and we went pie crazy. Delicious! Tasmania is famous for its Scallop Pies and all three of the others had one. After that Johnny wanted to get a shave by a barber so the rest of us went and had cocktails. Then we wandered the shopping district for a couple of hours, the stars getting papped left right and centre. Our hotel had $6 spirits for Happy Hour so we spent a leisurely hour or so drinking companionably. I’ll admit to getting a little tipsy. That night Johnny picked Kebabs for dinner. He’d seen a shop called King of Kebabs during the day and it stuck with him. It was such a strange choice but we sat instore and had the most wonderful Middle Eastern meals. We came back to the hotel, had a drink and watched the Australian Election unfold. Anna Maria, Jin and my team got up and won but Johnny’s crew were ushered out the door. He was devastated, we were quietly jubilant. OK, not so quietly. Yes, we are fully aware all politicians are lying pigs but at least the foundation of this new crew is Women, Climate and a Political Watch with teeth. They’ve been left a dogs breakfast financially and things will get austere here for at least a decade.

Day two we dropped into the Farmers Market across the road from the hotel. Again they were recognised and asked for photos, very bloody cool. I really wanted us to go out to the Lake District in the heart of Tasmania. I’d found The Great Lake Hotel and it sounded wonderful. Set right on one of the great lakes (much smaller than the US versions). This meant we also got to spend 1.5 hours in the car seeing Tasmanian scenery from urban, to farming and the hills and plateau. It was good. We had a table in the middle of the room, views of the lake and felt like we were in the action. Service was so friendly but slow as a wet week. Food was some of the best pub food I’ve had. Fortunately we had so much conversation and fun that the wait to be served and then for food to come sped by. On our way back we took a two hour detour to get the Best Vanilla Slice in the world from the bakery in Ross. It was well worth the drive. That slice was earth shatteringly delicious. Anna Maria chose Indian food for dinner. Neither Johnny nor she had ever had it. There was a restaurant called Pickled Evenings, #3 on Launceston Trip Advisor. We also had a couple of mates join us, Morag and Ward, so that lent an extra festive air to the evening. I kept the food choices very simple. Opened with Onion Bhajis and Potato Samosas. Mains were Veg Biryani, Butter Chicken, Beef Vindaloo (mild) and Goat Curry. It was a fine entree for them and only a little too spicy.

Day three we were up bright and early, busy day ahead. Today we were going to head north along the Tamar River. First stop was the Beaconsfield Mine, site of the 2006 cave in disaster and rescue. The Museum there is a wonderful memorial and there are some very eerie and saddening parts. Straight from there we went to Australia’s only Seahorse breeding centre and then next door to the Platypus and Echidna rescue. Both had excellent tours and we learned a lot. Lunch in a real, old fashioned riverside Fish & Chip restaurant chosen by Jin. Another thing Anna Maria and Johnny had never done was a wine tasting, so we found a popular Cellar Door nearby and the three of them had a wonderful hour while I watched and enjoyed it immensely. They were bloody hilarious and the hostess managed them brilliantly. Both couples have a case winging their way towards us as we speak. Being a Sunday night most of the restaurants were closed. We were going to introduce Anna Maria and Johnny to Vietnamese but the best close choice open was a very ra sha sha Chinese. Service, food, atmosphere and design were bloody wonderful. They were woefully understaffed due to C19 but still managed us, our food and the whole evening perfectly. We drank a couple of bottles of wine from our Cabbage Tree wine tasting that Jin had bought to celebrate our adventure.

Day four we had a leisurely breakfast and bumped out. The flight home had the best turbulence I’ve experienced in decades. It was a wild ride into Sydney and I loved every second. Poor Jin was a bit green by the time we got off though. Grabbed our bags, hugged everyone and holiday done. Jin and I spent the whole afternoon and night discussing what a perfect getaway and how much fun we had.

My Pics

Anna Maria’s Pics

Perfume

Wore Hermès Eau des Merveilles for the flight down. It’s salty, warm, mineral waft was perfectly understated and lasted till my nighttime change.

In the end I took these perfumes.
Atelier des Ors Rouge Saray: Wore this every evening on the trip. It was a perfect accompaniment to the dry chill night air. Spicy woods with a soft fruity sweetness, all mellowed by a vanilla patchouli. Beautiful. I thunked the decant, now desperately want a bottle.
BDK Bouquet de Hongrie: Didn’t wear it.
Diptyque Rose de Mai: Didn’t wear it.
Diptyque L’Ombre dans l’eau: Was supposed to bring this, thought it was stolen first morning by the cleaners. Thank goodness I didn’t kick up a fuss. It was here on my desk the whole time, hiding behind the Marveilles. BUMMER!
Guerlain Mademoiselle: When I first got this decant I was all meh. It has bloomed into a ridiculously beautiful marshmallow iris, so powdery and warm. I also get some roses in the heart that aren’t mentioned in the notes. Sadly it becomes a very soft wash in an hour and I can hardly smell it. Wore it on the last day and on the plane ride home. I won’t be buying another but absolutely loved it for this holiday.
Le Labo Neroli 31: First two days I wore so much of this and FINALLY thunked the decant. It’s nice but there are a million citrus type scents that smell better on me for much less money. It just does not live on my skin and I won’t be rebuying.

How ever did we fit so much into so little time? It was a really relaxing few days despite being jam packed and now I’m refreshed and ready for action.

Are you looking forward to a break? Has this given you some ideas? Where would you spend a few days nearby?
Portia xx

April 12, 2022 by AustralianPerfumeJunkies

Jin and Portia Indian Pacific Rail Adventure

Hi there Looking Glassers, Sorry I’ve was MIA for a couple of weeks. I really thought I’d got myself on top of everything before leaving on our grand across Australia train journey but I didn’t have a post locked in for here. Thought I’d done it but had not. No excuse. Sorry all.

Here’s a few pics and some commentary on our trip. After being locked down, postponing this trip three or four times because the borders to Western Australia remained closed et al. We FINALLY got on the Indian Pacific. It was worth the wait.

Indian Pacific Rail Adventure 2022

First pic is me catching the train to meet everyone at Central Station. Jin had his car at work and it’s so much easier to leave mine at home. Also, I even love riding the suburban trains.

Here we are at Central station. Martin came with us on the trip and his partner Jane stayed home to look after the dogs.

We always like to have a sneaky champagne as the adventure begins.

These pics are all taken from the train as it’s moving. They do no justice to the majesty and fabulous colours of central Australia.

We stopped at Cook, population 4! The boys did photography and I wandered around. It was once a thriving town but now mainly desolate.

The Bar Car and Dining Car were VERY social on this trip. We loved hanging out and getting boozy with everyone.

Once in Perth we met up with my childhood friend Eve and her daughter Lola. We did Rottnest Island together. I don’t know why I took hardly any photos. It was a lovely day. We took the Hop On Hop Off Bus around the island, met Quokkas and saw loads of fauna including dolphins, seals and birdlife. We also wandered around the last km or so on the way back to the jetty. Definitely worth a visit.

Back in Perth we took in the AGWA. They are having a month dedicated to First Nations artists called Blacklight. The guide was less than good, bummer. Upstairs we loved the permanent sculpture garden.
Also art but not at the galleries, the Prickly Pear mosaic mural caught my eye.

Jin, Martin and I drove a couple of hours to see the natural rock formations of the Pinnacles. Left over from a time when the area was sea bed, I think they are the calcified, petrified leavings of coral reefs. We had SPECTACULAR skies to add drama to every photo./ I was driving and the boys jumped out taking incredibly artistic shots. Mine were all taken on my iPhone from the car. None of them have been doctored in any way, that is exactly as the camera saw them.

It was a wonderful adventure and if you ever get the chance, jump at it.

Where will you be holidaying next?
Portia xx

May 18, 2021 by AustralianPerfumeJunkies

Jin and Portia: The Ghan Train Trip 2021

Hey Crew. Jin and I have been trying to get back on this train for over a year. There have been three previous dates, all postponed due to C19. Finally it’s happened. So I thought you might like a few photos and some small commentary. We were away for nine fun filled nights. A few in Darwin, three on the Ghan itself and one in Adelaide. We flew up to Darwin and back from Adelaide. I know your first thought is “What perfumes did you take?”

I thought it might be a good time to wear some of the decants I loved but have lain forgotten in the mad rush for new around here. All these decants (Except Rouge Saray, sent by my beautiful buddy Megan In Sainte Maxime) are quite old in my collection and really need to get worn. It seems my selection is VERY vanilla heavy. No problem. It’s one of my favourite notes. It’s like I’ve picked four vanillas on four very different points of the spectrum. One thing they all have in common though is how beautifully created they are. Also how easy wear and versatile, yet interesting statement pieces as well.
Coeur de Vetiver Sacre by L’Artisan Parfumeur: Vetiver, tea, incense sweetened by vanilla/amber. This was the most worn of the selection in daytime. It’s sheer yet interesting beauty went so well with the trip.
Mon Precieux Nectar by Guerlain: Vanilla heavy white floral with almond & incense.
Rouge Saray by Atelier des Ors: Spiced fruits and fairy floss over a patchouli/vanilla base. Very ra sha sha. I wore this to almost every evening event and had compliments every time. So beautiful and noticeable.
Neroli 36 by Le Labo: White floral citrus backed by a lightweight vanilla.

One of our friends, Martin, was our travelling companion on the journey. He’d always wanted to do The Ghan and when his wife Jane heard we were going she pulled out all stops to get him on ours. It was excellent having him on the trip and it made the whole adventure even more special. The photos below are a mixed bunch taken by all three of us. By this stage I’m not sure who took what.

The class we travelled on this trip was Gold Superior. There were only two of these larger cabins on the train, the rest of the Gold class has less floor space. There is a higher glass, Platinum, but we think the Gold Class bar car is infinitely more fun. Quite pricey for a four day holiday but there is no more comfortable or fun way to see the centre of Australia. My pictures hardly do the whole trip justice and don’t show any of our four night stay up in Darwin. Also, all food and booze are included in the price. VERY dangerous! I drank more alcohol in the four days than I’d drunk for the whole year beforehand.

Jin and I are currently planning our next adventure, also on a train with the same company. This time from Perth to Adelaide ands then up to Brisbane. That’s how much we enjoyed the experience.

As a final aside, how freaking gorgeous is my husband Jin? He’s a bit of a fool in some of the pics but he is so charming and lovely the whole train fell under his spell. Every morning or evening the staff and voyagers would fall over themselves to greet him and he had smiles and chats for everyone. It was like travelling with a celebrity. We had a beautiful time and now we are back home, refreshed and ready for another few months of work and life before the next adventure.