Hi there A Bottled Rosers. Thanks again Tara for letting me infiltrate you inner sanctum.
I come from Australian Perfume Junkies and would like to share some of my all-time favourite fragrances. Each season, according to your Northern Hemisphere weather, I’ll tell you what I have that gets quite a bit of wear. So Portia’s Spring List will be like an all-star list.
Here’s a pic of Tara and me with Anna Maria, husband Johnny and youngest son Marc while she was out in Australia last year.
Portia’s Spring List
Spring! It means the end of wearing socks and tracksuit pants to bed. PHEW! In Sydney it often means some warm rainy days, one of my favourite combinations. Suddenly I am seeing the bulbs come up, the crabapples and cherry blossoms flower, people are generally smiling more and the feeling of renewal seems universal. I love that the days are warm and evenings cool so I can wear a range of fragrances.
A Quiet Morning by Miller et Bertaux
Saffron, woods, jasmine and rice create an uplifting woodsy fragrance. It’s very 21st century niche but wears so well on my skin and fits a springtime mood perfectly. It also has incredible happy memories of discovering it with Jin, Sandra and Birgit in Vienna back in 2013, then going back to buy it with Michael in 2014.
Eau Absolue by Mona di Orio
Eau Absolue is a queer fish. Citrus, orange blossom and resins float effortlessly over bay and woods. I always smell lavender in the mix too, though it’s not noted. Smooth like just cleaned glass and cool. My 100ml bottle is well over a third used, there may even be a backup bottle around here somewhere. SHHH!
Le Jardin de Monsieur Li by Hermès
A rainswept afternoon in the garden. This mainly minty citrus fragrance is a beautiful way to smell on warmer spring afternoons. The jasmine and musks give it buoyancy. Hard to wear Monsieur Li with a frown.
Ostara by Penhaligon’s
Ostara is the smell of spring. Narcissus in bloom. I completely understand why it didn’t sell well. It’s too obviously a soliflor of a scent people like to smell but not to smell of. Unless of course you are a hard core perfumista and it smells EXACTLY how we want to smell. Fabulous.
Shalimar EdC by Guerlain
Yes, it’s just like Shalimar EdT or EdP. Just a little less intense. It has excellent longevity and throw though. I love to wear it in spring. Just as an aside this EdC can be bought for peanuts on the discounter sites. I know Val the Cookie Queen is an EdC devotee also.
Y by Yves Saint Laurent
A cool galbanum floral chypre in the 1970s style. Full of oak moss and delightfully sheer. If Silences, CHANEL No 19 and Deneuve are way too over the top for you but you like the idea of a chypre then Y could be the perfect choice. You can only find it on eBay nowadays but it’s definitely worth looking for.
So, what are you guys wearing this Spring?
Portia xx
A Bottled Rose 
I am one of those people who want to smell of Ostara and all that is in it. Love Shalimar in all its incarnations, especially the older stuff from the 90s of which I have a drop left – is that vintage already? I may even have a mini of Y somewhere. Am in France at the moment where spring has also sprung. My wisteria is out!
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PS This spring I am testing a bunch of samples Undina gave me. Just wore Parfait de Roses by Lancome for four days’ straight!
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PPS Rogue apostrophe alert!
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Yay for the wisteria being out!
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YAY Vanessa, SNAP on the Ostara and Shalimar.
I class anything of the 20th century as vintage, so yes.
So freaking jealous of your French purchase. Please let me know if something cheap & cheerful pops up in the vicinity.
Portia xx
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I hardly wear anything these days, unfortunately… I‘m traveling for work all the time, and it’s easier with hand luggage, so I only take the next best sample I can find when packing…
But today I‘m at home, and it will be something utterly floral and sumptuous, like Roja Dove Danger, or Frederic Malle Iris Poudre. Or maybe Figues et Garcons by Nez a Nez, which is a delectable lovely figue.
You made me want the Y though 🙂 Sending lots of love from Vienna !
LJG
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Boo for too much travel and YAY for being at home Lady Jane Grey,
You have quite the selection in your choices, very freaking glam.
Y is worth the search. Get it before EVERYONE knows. It’s still quite affordable.
Hello to Vienna, my favourite city of them all.
Portia xx
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Fabulous list, Portia. It’s so good to have you here.
I love that we have such distinct seasons in the UK because picking perfumes to match is one of my favourite things.
Sadly, I like the smell of daffodils in Ostara but didn’t want to smell like them. I wanted it to be more like narcissus. Having experienced Vanessa’s sillage though, I can attest to it being great on her.
I need to get on ebay for vintage bottle of Y. Sounds like I need to make a blind buy.
I’m wearing my vintage Vol de Nuit edt today. I wear it any time of year but it fits spring the best. Your Niki de Saint Phalle has also been getting a ton of wear as has Chanel No.19, obviously.
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Thanks Tara,
No worries about the Ostara darling. More for me.
I have some Y. If you come meet us on the continent in May I could bring you a little bottle………
You have quite the collection of elegant spring frags on hand. I can see you spritzing and swanning gracefully into a nearby pub to have a late lunch one afternoon, solo. Sitting at the bar and chatting to the barmaid. Being all aloof and glamorous.
Portia xx
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Yep. I do love the Shalimar EdC. I understand that it was only made for the US market? I got it dirt cheap on A****n. It’s gorgeous. I dunno if I have any spring frags. Hmmmmmm. Maybe Eau de Magnolia. But Blondeswunder stole it. And I crack out the Vero EdP’s when winter is over. Love ya. ❤️
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I didn’t know that about the Shalimar EdC Val, interesting.
You might need to steal that Eau de Magnolia back.
Love you
Portia xx
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I haven’t tried Ostara. I love Shalimar.
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Next time I send you something remind me to pop some Ostara in Matty,
Portia x
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Thank you so much Portia XXXX
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Still in gorgeous Tenerife. I wore Eau Absolue yesterday, it is such a great scent and fitting the Mediterranean so well. This morning vintage 19 Edt. I have Ostara, will wear when back home, and Shalimar EdC but need to give that more time. I wore Y in my early twenties. I wear Eau de Camille in spring, often on one or two days I wear Diorissimo when the lilies of the valley are in bloom. I’m sure I will wear a lot of Mito and Rubj this spring too.
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Are you loving Tenerife Hamamelis?
Yay! I wore Eau Absolue this morning. Isn’t it freaking divine?
Eau de camille is a perfect spring option and ALL the Vero’s are spring ready.
Portia xx
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It is!
Tenerife is very beautiful, and our hotelroom overlooks the Atlantic in a sort of infinity way. Stunning. We went stargazing (Tenerife being one of the three best stargazing spots on the planet) and we made a boat trip to see pilot whales. We saw many of them, close to the water surface, they were asleep!
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Right. It’s on the bucket list. thanks Hamamelis!
Portia xx
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It’s not really spring in Montréal yet, but when it warms up a bit I will wear SL Bas de Soie and Fleurs de Citronnier.
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Hey TaraC,
Bas de Soie is gorgeous, lovely spring choice. I like Fleurs de Citronnier on other people much more than on me. If you wear it near me I will snuggle in and huff you merrily.
Portia xx
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Your list gives me more to read about and research Portia! And I’m going to hunt down some Y, sounds right up my alley.
We keep getting snow storms but had a few warm spring days in between and wore Silences, Niki de Sainte Phalle, Cristalle Vert, Noa, 1957, and Prada Iris.
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Kathleen,
If that is your list of spring faves then Y is definitely going to fit in perfectly. I’m surprised it doesn’t get more blog love.
Portia xx
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Love your list ,P!! I have been wearing lots of NOA, Pour in Homme and Tracy Reese.
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Thanks Brigitte,
Is the Pour un Homme the Caron? YUMMY if it is.
Portia xx
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Love lists: they allow me to play mind games selecting mine, negotiating with myself on what should get on the list and what could be left out.
My spring perfumes… I don’t know. Less ambers, more florals. But since each perfume gets just 1-2 appearance during any given season, it’s hard to define favorites.
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Hi there Undina,
Yeah, I love the fun of making lists too. It runs around in my head for a few days. I go through my collection and get to remember things I wear a lot.
The whole adventure is engaging and satisfying.
Portia xx
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Ostara is beautiful, and I love my bottle bought from someone who regretted having made a blind buy.
I only vaguely remember Y by YSL, but guess it will be perfect for spring.
With the cool spring weather we usually have, the scents still need to be rather robust. I’m wearing Week-End by de Nicolaï today, we have + 12C outside and some blue sky. Zoologist Panda would have been another perfect choice.
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Hey Ingeborg,
I have Weekend hidden away here somewhere too. thanks for the reminder.
Portia xx
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It is definitely unisex. Did you try the earliest version, Week-End à Deauville? I think that had a few more nuances than the one I have got.
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