Tag Archives: Chanel

by | October 4, 2021 · 12:00 am

Mood Scent 4: Into The Woods and Away

OOOOHHHHH! Our very last Mood Scent 4 week! All good things come to an end eventually and Mood Scent 4 has fallen victim to perfume ennui. We gave it our all and now there’s nothing left to give. I’m super bummed though because it’s been a wonderful time working in tandem with these three perfumed peeps. Thanks Esperanza, Megan and Sam for letting me be part of this cool kids collective. It was really nice to be part of a crew. I particularly loved how different our collections and perfumed directions were on the same topic, also those rare times when we snapped on a perfume. I loved the reckless running through my collection trying to find the exact five or six matches for a mood, note, moment. The sense of fulfilled completion after winnowing a huge list down and getting the post finalised, often with three or four overhauls after remembering a forgotten fave that fit the brief better or more interestingly. The fun of jumping over to the other members pages and seeing their choices, sometimes beating myself up for not going with what they chose too. It was a monthly labour of love and I will miss it, a lot.   Ironically our Into The Woods and Away theme seems to have coincided perfectly with our wave goodbye. So it is with melancholy heart I’ve chosen my woodsiest fragrances to share with you all today.

Can’t wait to read about your fave Into The Woods Perfumes in the comments too.

Sad but excited to be blogging with these three superstars one last time: Esperanza L’Esperessence, Megan Megan In Sainte Maxime and Samantha I Scent You A Day. Check theirs out too.

Mood Scent 4: Into The Woods and Away

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by | September 6, 2021 · 12:42 am

Mood Scent 4: Al Fresco Party Perfumes

OOOOHHHHH! Mood Scent 4 week! YAY! This month we sniff some Al Fresco Party Perfumes. Most of our readers being Northern Hemisphere have had a seriously warm summer so I am really excited to read what you have all been wearing for outdoor adventures, beaching, meals, BarBQs, rooftop parties and secret rendezvous. Here in Australia the cold is has been abating over the last month and we’ll be heading into the jaws of spring/summer again from now. YAY! Already we are seeing some days at 25C (77F) and over in the warmest parts of the day. As soon as Lock Down is over here in Sydney I’ll be getting my Al Fresco Party spritzing on like crazy!

Can’t wait to read about your fave Al Fresco Party Perfumes in the comments too.

So excited to be blogging with these three superstars again: Esperanza L’Esperessence, Megan Megan In Sainte Maxime and Samantha I Scent You A Day. Check theirs out too.

Mood Scent 4: Al Fresco Party Perfumes

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by | July 12, 2021 · 12:00 am

Mood Scent 4: Orange Blossom, Fruit and Branch

OOOOHHHHH! Mood scent 4 week! YAY! This month Orange Blossom, Fruit and Branch frags are our choice of genre. Thanks Esperanza, super choice. Oranges play a huge role in perfumery and the whole tree has been used over the centuries. Orange blossom, fruit, neroli, leaves and pettigrain all have their place in the perfumers organ.

Can’t wait to read about your fave Orange Blossom, Fruit and Branch frags in the comments too.

So excited to be blogging with these three superstars again: Esperanza L’Esperessence, Megan Megan In Sainte Maxime and Samantha I Scent You A Day. Check theirs out too.

Mood Scent 4: Orange Blossom, Fruit and Branch

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by | April 5, 2021 · 4:00 am

Mood Scent 4: Zesty Citrus!

(OK Everyone. This is my first time using the new WordPress block editor. ASSHOLES! Why did they have to screw with the way this works. SO annoying. Whoever made these changes deserves a measly, unhappy life. )

Hey there A Bottled Rose, It’s a Mood Scent 4 week. WOO HOO! This month the crew are looking at Zesty Citrus. The Northern Hemisphere moving towards warmer weather you’ll be grabbing out your Zesty Citrus frags any moment now! How exciting. As we’ve just come through the hot I have a list of some of the things I wore throughout. Of course it doesn’t have to be warm to wear them, some are perfect win her warmers or brighteners.

Can’t wait to read about your favourite Zesty Citrus fragrances in the comments too.

So excited to be blogging with these three superstars again: Esperanza L’Esperessence, Megan Megan In Sainte Maxime and Samantha I Scent You A Day. Check theirs out too.

Mood Scent 4: Zesty Citrus!

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by | May 11, 2020 · 12:00 am

Mood Scent 4: Super Power Scents

Hey there A Bottled Rose, It’s a Mood Scent 4 week. WOO HOO! This month the crew are looking at Super Power Scents. Super Powers! We all want them, dream we have them, fantasise about which ones we’d get if we had a choice and use perfumes to add what we sometimes feel we lack. Here are a few of my favourite perfumes that make me feel like I have super powers.

Obviously, these choices are subject to change, daily.

Can’t wait to read about your favourite Super Power Scents in the comments too.

So excited to be blogging with these three superstars again: Esperanza L’Esperessence, Megan Megan In Sainte Maxime and Samantha I Scent You A Day. Check theirs out too.

Mood Scent 4: Super Power Scents

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by | May 4, 2020 · 12:00 am

Portia’s Lockdown Loveliness

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

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by | April 6, 2020 · 12:00 am

Mood Scent 4: Wellbeing Wonders

Hey there A Bottled Rose, It’s a Mood Scent 4 week. WOO HOO! This month the crew are looking at Wellbeing Wonders. OK, hopefully we are all in some kind of lockdown and crew taking it seriously. Australia seems to be taking a very lasses faire attitude so far but I think that will become more rigid as the disease progresses here. Already Covid19 has changed the way we interact, work, shop, live and love. I’m off for the foreseeable future. Jin is still working on the trains, they are essential service. I’ve started meeting friends across the road in our cemetery, 2m apart on picnic rugs. It’s BYO food and beverage. LOVELY sitting in the warm autumn sun or the dappled shade. So, what fragrances are we thinking about to help our mind stay healthy in this time of mainly solitary living? Are we choosing meditative, fun, deep, warm or comforting scents? Maybe we want super weird or bombastic things that we could never wear in the workplace? Are you revisiting, culling, testing or going with what you know? My line up is eclectic for different moods.

Obviously, these choices are subject to change, daily.

Also, while this is a lighthearted look at isolation, illness and the current pandemic: on a serious note: Please Stay Home. As much as you, or your work, can. The less people you interact with the less transition of this insidious and hideous virus can occur. If you get Covis19 and go to hospital none of your friends or family can visit. You will die alone with tubes sticking out of you and not enough people to care for you. Please Stay Home.

Can’t wait to read about your favourite Wellbeing Wonders in the comments too.

 

So excited to be blogging with these three superstars again:  Esperanza L’Esperessence, Megan Megan In Sainte Maxime and Samantha I Scent You A Day. Check theirs out too.

 

Mood Scent 4: Wellbeing Wonders

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by | April 3, 2019 · 7:00 am

Vintage Chanel No.19

Notes: Galbanum, Bergamot, Neroli, Iris, Rose, Lily of the Valley, Jasmine, Leather, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Musk.

I was surprised when Lila (formerly of Perfume Lovers London) said that Chanel’s No.19 was her comfort scent. I had the impression that it was rather austere and aloof. Iris and galbanum with their cooling breeze aren’t most people’s idea of cosy.

Then last summer I had the opportunity to try the vintage EdT and Parfum from Portia’s extensive perfume collection. These were a very different experience to the modern incarnations. I was immediately swooning and bought both bottles.
No.19 was launched in 1970 and the perfumer was Henri Robert who also composed Cristalle and Pour Monsieur for Chanel.

Now winter is behind us, I’m wearing it day after day and I never seem to tire of it. I have even come to find it comforting – not in a cosseting way but in a calming, steadfast way.

It might seem superficially tender with its soft, airy aura of new shoots and delicate flowers but first looks can be deceiving. Like all the greats, it has a distinct personality. No.19 feels willowy yet unshakeable: you can rely on her to possess grace under fire. Her roots go deep into the ground. She has a quiet, inner confidence that feels like an olfactory safety net.

Aldehydes may not be listed but I sense something like them in the vintage versions. The body of the perfume is draped in a cocoon of silk. What really marks this out as belonging to another era however, is the presence of oakmoss. It’s lamented by perfume people for a reason. It’s such a rich, complex material with great depth and a dash of black magic.

Galbanum is such a tricky note. While I like the idea of green stems in theory, when it’s a major part of a perfume I often find it too sharp and harsh, overwhelming the rest of the composition. However, this is Chanel galbanum which is quite a different beast. It must be about as smooth and refined as galbanum can get.

No.19 is an incredibly cohesive fragrance. Every aspect feels streamlined and in harmony. The iris is bound up with the other chief accords and I picture green, blue and white intertwining strands. The base is a pleasing contrast of soft woods, earthy vetiver, low-key leather and feline musks.

Even though I enjoy the EdT, the Parfum is incomparable. It really blooms into a lush, slightly powdery, haze on the skin that has a similar feel to Chamade by Guerlain. The galbanum is also taken to another level to the point where it’s practically green syrup. It is eye-rollingly gorgeous.

Like spring, No.19 gives me hope. There is a chance of renewal after the bleakness of winter. An inner strength that was always there throughout the dark times surges to the surface when there is no longer a need to take cover. It is the chance to live rather than merely survive.

no 19

How do you feel about No.19?

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by | November 13, 2018 · 7:00 am

A Mini London Meetup – Photo Essay

Last weekend Val the Cookie Queen and her fabulous daughter Hannah (aka Blondes Wunder) landed in London for a flying visit. I met them on Friday afternoon and we had a chilled time after healthy fast food at Leon.

We got on the tube to Oxford Circus and similar to last time, Val and I installed ourselves in the Topshop cafe while Hannah trawled the rails. We had goods to exchange. Val brought me perfume but I was more excited about the world’s best cookies. I immediately ate three which showed great restraint on my part.

 

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Val’s first sniff of the vintage Chanel No.5 I brought back from Sydney for Portia.

 

 

Val on Argyle Street with Liberty in the background
The Great Frog
The Great Frog
Queen lights at Canaby Street

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On Saturday morning I met Val at the back entrance of Liberty on Canaby Street. We’d be spending the day with Nick of fragrance consultancy Olfiction and Thomas, The Candy Perfume Boy who was coming down from Milton Keynes with his lovely husband, Nigel.

 

 

Before they arrived, we went into the store and had a look at Le Labo. The new Tonka 25 is very soft and quiet – likely to appeal to those craving something comforting. Val checked out Vetiver 46 which was better than most in that genre for me. (Later Thomas and I had a laugh about the fact that people regularly tell him that they wear a perfume called Santal 33 that nobody else knows about).

 

 

 

We spent some time at the Frederic Malle counter where Val and I always seem to gravitate. As a collection, it’s hard to beat, especially when it comes to niche.

 

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Val’s friend Rosie joined us and became totally smitten with Portrait of a Lady. We were shown the new 30ml atomisers which are a nice addition. Prices vary depending on the perfume: Musc Ravageur is £85 while Carnal Flower is £122.

 

 

 

Thomas and Nigel arrived.

 

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Thomas checked out the Christmas limited edition coloured bottles.

 

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Nick found us after having to get an Uber thanks to a cancelled train. He was due to be on QVC at 6pm for Miller Harris. We regrouped outside and decided to head to Muji to buy some atomisers for Val.

 

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Lunch was at Nando’s. I rarely eat there but luckily I was with aficionados. I had the Fino Pitta with Peri Peri salted chips and it was so good I didn’t stop to take a photo. Before the food arrived we did what my friend Natalie calls ‘table spritzing’. Not to be encouraged in public but we were seated in a corner away from other people. Nick had brought the strangelove nyc perfume samples for Val. Believe me when I tell you the vicinity smelt of oud from then on (it was good oud though).

 

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Next stop was the bakery Crumbs and Dollies in Kingly Court for Nigel. Hannah found a vegan cupcake too.

 

 

 

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Nick and me outside the bakery. He gives excellent advice and is a great listener.

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At this point it began to rain. We made it to Champion for Hannah to get some jogging pants and then went on to Selfridges as the downpour got considerably heavier. Nick had to shoot off to QVC once we got to Oxford Street.

Our last sniff was at the Chanel counter. Bien sûr! We looked at the limited edition red bottles which photograph beautifully but I found a little underwhelming in reality.

 

 

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Check out Blondes Wunder’s excellent beauty channel on YouTube here.

 

I’m currently experiencing extremely high levels of anxiety thanks to a house move so to spend time with such wonderful people was just what I needed.

 

 

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by | April 12, 2017 · 7:00 am

In Rotation: Spring 2017

My perfume choices have been all over the places lately thanks to the changeable weather we’ve been experiencing in the UK this spring. As I write this on Monday 10th April, yesterday was 25 degrees Celsius. For that one day heatwave, I spritzed Dita Von Teese EdP for its tropical flowers, hint of spice and oriental-lite base. Today, it’s back down to 15°C so I’m returning to usual perfume programming which currently consists of the following: –

 

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Vaara, Penhaligon’s

Notes: Quince, Rose Water, Carrot Seeds, Coriander, Saffron, Rose, Freesia, Magnolia, Peony, Honey, White Musk, Cedar, Sandalwood, Benzoin and Tonka Bean.

On mild spring days I’ve been testing out my bottle of Vaara. I bought it when a friend was selling off her perfumes and I picked it up for not very much at all. Still, I’ve been re-assessing my collection, spurred on by Vanessa’s brilliant 20 ‘desert island’ scents post and wanted to check that it warranted a place on my shelf. So far so good. The fabulously unique start of quince, saffron, carrot seed and sparkling rosewater hangs around much longer than I feared, before moving into the rosy heart.

 

28 La Pausa, Chanel

Notes: I can’t find a notes list, but there is A LOT of Iris Pallida.

This huge 200ml bottle was generously gifted to me by the same friend I bought Vaara from.  It’s the original EdT which is no longer available.  Val the Cookie Queen and I tried out the new EdP last year and although it got off to great iris start, it all too quickly dried to down to a squeaky clean vetiver. Maybe the Parfum formulation is a better though. Unlike a lot of people, I’m fortunate in that the EdT lasts reasonably well on me.  This elegant iris feels just right for early spring with its floral-woody character and silky, slightly powdery texture.  28 La Pausa is the refined orris choice.

 

Antonia, Puredistance

Notes: Jasmine, Rose Essence, Ylang Ylang, Orris, Ivy, Galbanum, Vanilla and Vetiver.

Green florals like Antonia are another staple for me when March finally comes around. It’s luxurious, sun-lit and incredibly well blended. Quite a few green fragrances have a rather mealy-mouthed character, owing to the unforgiving nature of galbanum. However, Antonia is lusciously full-bodied and surprisingly warm. This spring goddess is resplendent in emerald with delicate flowers laced through her hair. Thanks to B for my bottle.

 

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What fragrances have you been wearing lately?

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