Hey A Bottled Rose peeps. Hello from slightly unrestricted lockdown here in Sydney, Australia. I’d like to take a moment to virtually hug anyone affected by C19, including your crew and loved ones getting sick. We are watching a lot of the world with sad dismay. In Oz we are now allowed to visit in pairs of adults with attendant children. Especially to help the aged, disabled, solo or depressed. It is a small but significant step towards normal life. Our new cases confirmed rate has dropped below 20 per day for all of Australia over the last week. To today we have had 95 deaths in total in all of Australia and only three of them under 60 years old. We know it’s not over yet but it definitely isn’t looking so grim.
What have I been doing with my week?
Quite a bit of phone time, both face and audio, with mates around the world and here in Oz.
Watching Netflix. Jin and I have watched After Life S2 together, a couple of Korean reality serials (nope, still don’t understand a word), The Fast & the Furious series 1-7, everything that has Dwayne Johnson (the Rock) in it and other odds and ends.
Sleeping. Staying up late watching TV means I also sleep in. Some days till 11am! Plus I have an afternoon nap most days. I know right, HEAVEN!
Cooking. With Jin working I have done a lot more of the cooking than usual.
Cleaning. I’m now giving the apartment its thorough clean once a week still but now I’m also doing a couple of mid week spruces. Spending so much time at home I want it to be nice.
Reading. I’m rereading Dune and finding it really hard because my eyes are having trouble with the light reflected off the page. I do have a Kindle but it feels so good to be reading a BOOK even though it’s also torture.
Running Turbo Trivia LIVE in Isolation on Friday and Sunday has been fun. If you’d like to join in go check the Turbo Trivia Facebook page for details. https://www.facebook.com/TurboTrivia/ Even if you can’t be there for it live you can still play the game later. Zoom with your friends and play against or with each other.
Wearing perfume! Here is a small selection of the stuff that I’m spritzing. I have been wearing a lot of the ends of decants as well, grabbing the last few ml and spritzing the whole lot! HUGE!
Hedonist Iris Absolute by Viktoria Minya
I’ve nearly finished my 15ml of Hedonist Rose Absolute. I sent a bit to friends I thought might like it and have worn it a LOT. Now I’m hitting the Iris version hard. It smells so good. For any iris averse peeps out there I think this might be your gateway drug. It’s iris but not as you know it. Darker, more mysterious and charred.
Gardelia by Bogue
No, I do not have a bottle. WISH I did. This crazy assed bottle is to freaking die for. Antonio very kindly gave me a decant before release and I’ve been eeking it out until lockdown. Suddenly I want to smell like this ALL THE TIME! Breathy, poopy gardenia done right. I have not yet had the courage to leave the house wearing this monster.
Granville by DIOR
The loveliest spring style green of them all. It seems to also be fitting my 2020 autumn lockdown.
Samsara by Guerlain
What is it about this OTT diva of a scent that grasps me so firmly? Is it the creaminess, the tropical vibe, the ultra deluxe glamour or the screaming madness? ALL of the above. Samsara is exactly how I want my sandalwood treated.
Tendre Nuit by Isabey
This strange and lovely sweet nothing by Isabey is now about 1/3 empty. I don’t know why I love it so much. Sweetly almond and stuff that just seems to hit the spot perfectly every time.
Misia EdT by CHANEL
Hiding away in its box unloved since my first mad crush on her, Misia is back in action. Lipstick style iris, all waxy, powdery and rose tinted. It’s hard to feel blue when you smell this fabulous. My favourite of all the makeup style fragrances. YUMMERS!
Also, I got challenged to do one of those Facebook seven days of photos. It was really fun to go through and pick some I loved. Here are four that didn’t make the cut. These are the three men I have long term loved. First is Paul, yes he was and still is a handsome rake. This photo was taken maybe 1991 at the inaugural DIVA Awards when the group I was in won Best Show! Second is Varun, also extremely handsome and with a body to die for, we spent an amazing couple of years in Sydney and then another bunch of years long distance because he had to move back to India to run his family’s hotel business. In this 2003/4 picture we are traveling India and up in Jammu Kashmir for our friends’ wedding. The last two are my gorgeous husband Jin. The man who has provided the easiest, most wonderful, fun filled years of my life. Of course it mayn’t last forever, as many beautiful things come to an end, but I enjoy every day we spend together and all our friends, plans, holidays etc. He is a seriously lovely man and I’m still gushy-gushy in love with him. First pic is at the Fullerton in Singapore 2016/7 and the second is Christmas 2018.
Yesterday (Sunday) while Jin was at work I had both Kath and Alice over for lunch. It was the first time the three of us have been together in about 5 weeks and it was absolutely terrific. We chattered and laughed a couple of hours away. I made us Boscaiola Pasta and Kath snapped this shot of it. I was too busy enjoying the girls company.
Hugs and love till next week when we have a Mood Scent 4 project for you all,
Tell me what you’ve been up to, wearing or making while in lockdown?
Portia xxx
A Bottled Rose 
Oh how I missed these. Some things do last forever!!!! You have a special love. Hugs, Portia. Good to hear your news.
LikeLike
Hey GinaT,
It’s really fun to do as well.
You’re right, some things do last forever. I’m not banking on it though and treating every day like it could be the last. Making sure he knows how grateful and in love I am. Trying to think of him in every equation (not my forte) and creating as harmonious a home life as is possible.
How are you coping with the pandemic? I remember you were put off from work for the duration. You OK?
Portia xx
LikeLike
Good to hear from you Portia, and that Australia is faring well and you are resuming some normalcy. I love that you found many things that brought you joy during the lockdown including smelling fabulous, there are some positives. And you’re blessed to have had three long-term loves!I am really enjoying heavy doses of so many of my fragrances that haven’t had much wear time lately. This past week was EL Youth Dew and Habanita. Today Jo Malone Vintage Gardenia and Bal a Versailles. My greatest joy remains walking/hiking/running with my dog. I’m so thankful I’ve been able to do this throughout the lockdown.
Sending hugs to you Portia!
LikeLike
Heya Kathleen,
Woo Hoo! You are singing my fragrant song. Youth Dew, Habanita and Bal a Versailles are all firm favourites of mine too. YUMMERS!
What would we do without our pets? They are so worth it. Can’t imagine being without them right now.
Hugs right back.
Portia xx
LikeLike
I am fortunate to be in SA where we aren’t locked down. So life is only moderately affected.
I’ve certainly been buying a lot more fragrance while everywhere has locked away their testers…
LikeLike
Heya sam,
SA being South Australia or South Africa?
You’re not locked down? WOW! How is that faring for the general population?
Portia x
LikeLike
South Aus. We’ve not had a new case for over a week now, and the impact here was significantly lower than the Eastern states in general. Several retailers still voluntarily closed, and most restaurants/cafe/bakeries etc were required to become takeaway service only. Sale of takeaway alcohol from licensed restaurants was legalised, which is a landmark change in state legislation.
The larger shopping centres are insane, with people forming large queues just to get into humdrum places like Target and Kmart. It’s quite a sight, and a laugh, especially when you can find a quiet store in the next suburb.
LikeLike
So interesting Sam how people have reacted, especially in the easy kind of lockdown you’ve all had in South Australia.
Sounds like you’re all doing OK down there. That’s good.
Sadly we’ve just had our June Ghan trip cancelled. I was looking forward to hanging out in and around Adelaide for a few nights.
Portia xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Portia
Australia has done so well to be affected so little by C19.
Every death is tragic but 95 for the whole country is quite something. There have been 488 deaths to date in my London Borough alone. I feel like I’ll have to keep my distance from people for the rest of the year.
You have so much love to give it’s wonderful you’ve experienced and have such gratitude for the grand romances you’ve had. You and Jin are so well suited, which I’ve seen up close.
Ive been wearing No.19 and Niki de Saint Phalle, both of which came from your collection. Green is really helping calm my nerves.
LikeLike
Hey Tara,
WOW! That’s a lot of people dead Tara. Fingers crossed for a vaccine that you can take.
What better way to live through a pandemic than in floral chypres? I think you might have hit the nail on the head.
I will wear No 19 in your honour tomorrow.
Hug Mum & Dad from me please.
Portia x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Portia I Love these photos of you and Jin.💖
I have never met your other loves, but will say your and Jin’s love story is so inspiring and grounded. Lucky to have each other xx
Interesting choices of perfumes
LikeLike
Hey there Anna Maria,
Maybe when you come to India with me we can hang out with Varun. He’s a good guy.
I’m bummed that I didn’t write this tonight because Amor amor would have been in thew list.
Love you buddy,
Portia xx
LikeLike
I am truly astonished by the low death rate – how on earth is that even possible and why aren’t we following Australia’s lead??!!
Is Abottledrose the new APJ? With you and Val now here, it seems you have “combined blog households” for the lockdown and presumably beyond? 😉
I LOVE seeing pictures of people’s exes and people when they were younger, so thanks for sharing these.
LikeLike
Hey Vanessa,
I really think we have been incredibly lucky in Australia. Considering how much Aussies love to travel and that the disease started smack bang in the middle of our summer holidays where the schools get 6 weeks and Uni gets 3 months. Incredibly lucky.
HA! A Bottled Rose has always been an APJ outpost. Both Tara and I came through the Olfactoria’s Travels blog together. Val is so part of the Aus/Oz/UK frag movement of the 20teens that we have all ended up there. Tara is such a good sport (and sort) and invited us in. Who could ever say no to Tara?
Glad you liked the pics. Next week is Mood scent 4 and after that I have some favourite Drag Through The Ages pics for you.
Hugs,
Portia xx
LikeLike
PS Am not familiar with Tendre Nuit, but partial to Isabey’s Fleur Nocturne.
LikeLike
I have a couple of big bottles of Fleur Nocturne. I bought a back up in the original bottle because I think it was so beautiful.
Portia xx
LikeLike
Thanks for all the photos and perfume news! I have and enjoy the last 3, Tendre Nuit, Samsara and Misia (although they are all back in California). Here in Montréal I’ve been wearing lots of Guérlain & 4160 Tuesdays. We are the New York City of Canada, with 25% of all the deaths from Covid in Canada here. Needless to say we are not going out much, just groceries every few weeks and walking the dog. We did have a couple of nice days where we got out on the bikes, but believe it or not they are predicting more snow for Thursday. ?!?
Doing lots of reading and watching Youtube videos, waiting for this to be over.
LikeLike
Hey TaraC,
O NOO! Sorry to read that about Montreal! How bloody awful for you all.
Guérlain & 4160 Tuesdays will get you through just about anything I reckon.
What are you reading?
Portia xx
LikeLike
Reading mostly travel stories and stuff about meditation. I’ve been doing yoga for several years and thought meditation might be a good additional practice.
LikeLike
Is it doing what you hoped?
LikeLike
Actually yes, it is helping me calm my mind and reign in my negative emotions.
LikeLike
Amazing. So happy to read this. Good luck with its continued success beautiful.
Portia xx
LikeLike
Yayyy, it’s a Portia Diary. Good to see it again. I’m glad that you’re doing well there in your blissful domestic bubble. You’re keeping busy enough with your online quiz. Isn’t technology just amazing. We may not be able to meet friends and family but we can still be in constant contact and still see each other. Aus has managed to keep a good handle on the virus situation given the relatively low number of infection and fatalities. We’re a minute speck of a country in comparison and have higher figures, but not the catastrophic situation that was initially predicted. We’re in week 7 of lockdown and will be for two more weeks. After that some businesses can get going again, starting with construction and landscaping. The only businesses open here at the moment are supermarkets, pharmacies, a few takeaway food outlets and hardware stores. I’m not going back to work before mid August. At least the weather has been very kind, I’m getting lots of walking done, doing some online Pilates/yoga sessions. Also drinking more alcohol at home than I would normally. Oops😊 Hubby and I are rocking along nicely, though I think he’s getting a bit spoiled by having virtually all of his meals handed to him. I don’t mind though, he’s working as normal and also has final college year exams this month. And nobody we know has gotten sick. Fingers crossed.
I’m wearing even more perfume than usual. Spraying several times a day. Delighted that you’re wearing that Bogue Gardelia. I can throw in my endorsement behind yours. It’s exceptionally gorgeous. You sent me a sample a while back. I have been a bit naughty on the buying front. But I have stopped now. Continue to enjoy your quieter life and give my regards to the lovely Jin. xx
LikeLike
YAY Cassieflower,
You were SPAMMED. Sorry about that.
Sounds like you guys have a very decent handle on C19 too. Only two weeks of lockdown to go? AMAZING!
I must REALLY love you if I shared even a drop of my precious 5ml of Gardelia. Wear it in the best of health.
Will hug Jin from you in the morning,
Portia x
LikeLike
Hmmm, think my comment may have gone to spam. It might pop up later.
LikeLike
It did
LikeLike
Portia, it’s so lovely to see you with your diary 🙂
I’m glad to hear that Australia is doing well. It’s especially important since you’re heading towards winter. Hopefully, it’ll be getting even better.
In California it seems we if not plateaued with the number of cases but “flattened the curve.” We have 4 more weeks of shelter-in-place but the parks are supposed to re-open in the next several days, so I hope to go for a hike on the upcoming weekend.
I wear perfumes and re-test a lot of older samples. I’m getting more decisive about those that I plan to pass on.
Thank you for sharing the pictures and mini-stories. I hope there are many-many more years of your great pictures with Jin (that you’ll keep sharing with us). And, please, no “defeatist thoughts”: shoot for “forever” now and deal with whatever you might need to deal when/if you ever have to.
Hugs ❤ ❤ ❤
LikeLike
Hi there Undina,
Lovely to see you here.
YAY, I hope you all can get back out of the house to visit nature again. Fingers crossed.
You know, I don’t think of it as defeatist. More like living in the moment with full gratitude. I have hope for the long term.
One day we are going to meet and I promise to shower you with hugs, if you’d like them.
Portia xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a rain check! 🙂 (I am a hugger)
LikeLike
Wonderful
LikeLike
Hi Portia! Glad to see you and Jin are doing alright!
My region (south of Russia) has been in lock down since 31st of March, but there are still a lot of people here (and all over the country) who don’t believe the dangers of COVID-19 which is very disconcerting.
I didn’t use to go out before so my life hasn’t changed that much. I do miss going shopping and the cinema. Dang, I could’ve been watching Black Widow tonight 😦 It’s okay, though. Hope we’ll all get through safe and sound.
As for the perfumes, I’ve been mostly wearing my faves: Guerlains, Dusitas, Miss Dior (sotd!), and Patou.
LikeLike
HEY Diana!
So good to see you.
Yeah, it’s interesting here in Sydney. Most people at the supermarket, post office and walking around our area don’t wear masks. I haven’t worn one yet. Jin was wearing one for a couple of days on our way back from Thailand in Feb because he had a scratchy throat but he went and got it checked as soon as we arrived home, all clear.
Thank everything we have so much choice of TV here in Oz. Do you guys have Netflix or any of the streaming services?
Sounds like you’ve got your scent game on high. Miss Dior! One of my faves.
Portia xx
LikeLike
Hey, Portia!
Yeah, sure we have Netflix and stuff, I just meant the actual cinema-going, you know, staring at a huge screen in the dark 🙂
I’m glad to see that Australia’s numbers are pretty low, please keep it that way.
Oh, by the way, I’m wearing one of your fragrant presents: Attar Maulana, such a beauty!
Take good care of yourselves!
XX
LikeLike
You know Diana, I’m much more partial to watching stuff at home. I like to pause and pee or grab a coffee and chat about what’s going on before moving onto the next step.
YAY! Are you loving the Attar Maulana? What does it smell like on you?
Portia xx
LikeLike
Portia,
I won’t deny the pleasure of being able to push the pause button and doing whatever I feel like 🙂
Attar Maulana has so much going on: there’s this animalic thing plus something cumin-y (reminds me of Rose Poivree), but the best thing about AM is an incredible rose! So good. I keep sniffing my wrist 🙂 Thank you!
Could you please tell me if it’s Abdes Salaam Attars? I’ve found there’s also Attar Maulana by Via del Profumo or something like that, not entirely sure which one it is (or maybe it’s the same brand).
LikeLike
Same crew Diana, I don’t know why he changed to Abdes Salem Attars.
Glad you’re enjoying it.
Portia xx
LikeLike
Thank you for the info, Portia! I really like it nad probably will brag about on Instagram some day 🙂
Diana XX
LikeLike
HA! Perfect. X
LikeLike