Fragrant Get Together at Portia’s

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Post by Michael

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So today a group frag-aholics descended upon the lovely Portia’s place for an all in frag fest – and it was amaaaazing!

Madeleine, Margeaux, Dino, Emma, Glen, Portia and my self played fragrant pass the parcel.

Kicking off with the salty transparent vetiver that is Celine Ellena’s Sel de Vetiver for The Different Company. Not my style by any stretch but a lovely little number to get the day started. This was closely followed by the classic Jean Paul Guerlain: Vetiver which is considered the benchmark vetiver by many. The pungency of this one really shines through when compared to CE’s modern piece.

From there it was onto the very green Les Colognes Hermes Eau de Gentiane Blanche, a very Green and a little floral number from Jean Claude Ellena at Hermes.

Onto some classics, and seeing the analogy between sister fragrances that legend has coming from the same Russian recipe, with some vintage Chanel No 5 EdC (which everyone but Portia poo-poo’d!) and the classic floral L’Aimant by Coty (generally considered just OK but way better than the #5).

(Ed. Some of the reactions to No 5 included: Older Statement Floral, Very Soapy, Skanky Bum Floral, EWWW Yuck! What is THIS?)

Siovohle’s Leather Krem was another interesting and very different fragrance – smokey suede-y vanillic, a tough and dark pleasure. Somehow it smelled better on the strip than on my skin but others had better luck.

On and on from there, there were various Annick Goutals (Duel, Eau de Sud, Mandragore), Cartier, ELDO, Aftelier (Parfum de Maroc), Tauer (Lonestar Memories) and many many MANY more!

Madeleine also brought some of her unloved fragrances, in a coupe of small boxes, and we descended upon them like seagulls on a lonely chip! Margeaux got himself some Ambre Sultan – he’ll be smelling amazing in its dry, resinous, herbal, ambery goodness. Portia, of course, showed total restraint and only purchased four…..FOUR fragrances! Lipstick Rose by Frederic Malle, for which I harbor a secret love, was one of Portia’s grabs and I’m totally jealous!! Amoureuse by Delrae, Arabie by Serge Lutens and a current EdP formulation of Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue made up the rest of Portia’s bargain haul and Madeleine threw in a half bottle of KAI as a thank you! Jealous!!

After that a few other of Portia’s buddies dropped in and there were home made nachos for dinner and Portia had also made a champagne punch that we went through jugs of so there was a lot of fun and laughter during dinner. Including star turns from our youngest member Lola who decided telling jokes was what dinner tables are for.

After most of the crew had left I was asked if I had done my monthly piece for the blog, shamefecedly I admitted to my unfinished post and Portia made me sit down with iPad and keyboard and write about today, so here it is. Sorry there are no photos of us all, we were having too much fun to capture it.

All in all it was a wonderful day full of fragrances, laughs and Portia’s tasty nacho’s! More days should be like these.

Mx

All pictures from Fragrantica