Portia Turbo of Australian Perfume Junkies is to Perfumeland, what color is to a rainbow. She is loud, fun and simply adorable. She is also generous, warm-hearted and a fabulous writer.
Let’s give the stage to the fabulous Miss Portia!
Photo credit: PetezImages
A good day starts with… Lunch? A lazy wake up without an alarm and a quiet lie in and think while halfway between sleep and awake.
I’d never leave the house without… sadly it’s my phone, wallet and my toenails painted.
I always feel good when… there feels like enough time to do everything that needs to be done. Also the hour I have to myself after cleaning the house every Wednesday, BLISS!
My favorite thing in the world is… there are so many things vying for top place, I’m going to cheat and give you three even though there are ten at the top. My friends, work, dog.
The next thing I want to buy is… built in cupboards and glass front shelves along one wall of the dining room with a stone benchtop. Currently there are three beautiful 20+ dining sets and all the accompaniments crushed into cupboard space way too small.
The place I always come back to is… home. The place I am residing in is the one I was brought home from the hospital to when I was adopted. On and off through my life I have come back here to live and it is wonderful.
My personal style is… eclectic, style free, a boho mish mash of fabulous odds and ends from around the world.
My favorite perfume… Shalimar by Guerlain, in all its forms, strengths, years of production, nothing has matched it yet for me.
When I travel, I… find friends wherever I go.
To relax I need… a darkened room with something comfortable to lie on.
I like to gift people with… my time. It’s the most precious thing I have to give away. I’ll only be on earth for 60-100 years, if I give you some of that then you have the most precious thing I have to give.
When I have a bad day, I… shout, grumble & snarl at people and generally enjoy myself immensely.
I find my inspiration… everywhere.
Something I would never want to miss… a bath! I love to have a bath every day and couldn’t imagine a house or apartment without one.
My last mistake was… major mistake was picking the crew who renovated our bathrooms, laundry and kitchen. They took me for a ride.
In my fridge there is always… milk, cheese, pickles, mayonnaise, garlic, potatoes, onions, carrots, shallots. Everything else is subject to change.
On my nightstand I keep… books (there are always dozens unread and you’ll still often find me buried in an old favourite), phone & charger and tissues because I hate getting out of bed to blow my nose.
The perfect weekend starts with… a pedicure and yum-cha with the crew, we try to do it fortnightly.
My role model is… Helen Lawson from Valley Of The Dolls by Jacqueline Susann.
Something I always want to be asked in questionnaires like this is… who is your favourite artist: I have a few but the ones I own that I really love are Gloria Petyarre, Charles Billich and Norman Lindsay. 2 very Australian artists and one imported to Australia.
Portia (out of costume) and I in Vienna
Isn’t Portia a hoot (a hoot and a half, as the husband would say)?
I would love to join Portia and her crew on a Saturday for yum-cha, a concept of Chinese brunch that I only learned about from her.
My life is richer for knowing Portia – Perfumeland is too!
Olfactoria's Travels 
Thanks for getting Portia to reveal just a little bit more about herself. Yes, she is a hoot and a half. Love her and all the crew at APJ.
Me too, such a refreshing blog!
Portia has a lucky ability to find friends even without traveling 🙂
Thank you both for the enjoyable interview!
The picture (you both look lovely!) suggests that at that moment there were two photographers taking your picture at the same time. Am I right?
Undina, you are alway right of course! 😉 It was indeed Jin and the husband photographing us at the same time, I’m smiling at Jin, Portia flirts with the husband! 😉
Hey there lovely Birgit,
This was totally fun to do and reading back I find them to be a very fair assessment of self. You pick good questions.
That photo is great, you look so ethereal and elegant, what a joy it is to know you. Thanks for being my friend. Wearing Songe d’Un Bois d’Ete in your honour, and writing about it already.
BUSSIS and hugs,
Portia xx
Hey there, Miss P!
I’m glad you are enjoying Songe, I’m glad to know you are giving it a good home.
Thanks for being such a good sport and doing this interview for us. Bussis und Küss die Hand, Gnädige Frau!
Portia has a truly unique approach to perfumes. I just love AustralianPerfumeJunkies!
Me too, Daniel!
Great interview with an Australian National Treasure. Remember when (someone I will not name) thought Portia looked just like you in the second photo? (Not realizing Portia’s alter ego).
Haha, yes, that was funny indeed. 😀
I like the thought of Portia as a national treasure.
Wonderful interview with the wonderful Portia!
Thank you, Nat!
A great write-up about a great person – and I love your outfit, Portia! =D
Thanks! I agree about the outfit! 🙂
Seldom does someone walk into your life, and open up a door into a new dimension. Portia did that for me and I am eternally thankful. Bussi. Val xxx
How very well put, Val! I’m glad I got to meet you as well once you walked through that door.
Likewise my dear. 🙂
What a wonderful interview–I adore Portia and APJ! Thank you for shining a spotlight on all the fabulousness.
You are welcome, laurels. Portia is a force of nature!
Portia sounds like an absolutely adorable person ! Next time she visits Vienna pls don’t keep her for yourselves only …
I hope she’ll be back eventually, then we’ll all meet up!
Portia is a sweetheart for sure. Thanks for the wonderful interview!
Thanks for reading, Steve!
Portia is such a lovely person. Thank you for the insight. Wish I could meet up with her more regularly.
Yea, it is looooong way to Sydney… But maybe we are lucky and can go to Hermès with her again one day (and in costume please!). 😀
Great interview! She is a hoot and a half for sure and one of the nicest people I’ve “met” in perfume land.
She has the ability to immediately make you feel like you are among friends.
Really wonderful stuff. Portia seems to have her priorities in order and makes the most of life. She’s a great role model!
I agree, she lives life to the fullest.
Hey Tara!- I was just thinking of you..We were planning our trip in December to India and were looking at doing a few days in London on the way back.Haven’t finalized yet. Is that a reasonable time to be in London (end of December)? Ofcourse, I’d love to meet you if we do make it (And you are available)..I commented to Birgit that we are going to take everybody’s cue and actually plan trips around people in perfume land..haha. So of course when we were thinking of London, I thought of you..:)
Yay, so great to know a few thing more about Portia now 🙂
She’s an interesting person!
Definitely.
I am honoured to be a loyal frag hag and fellow Aussie!
Nice to know more about the lovely Miss P.
Aussies are an incredibly friendly people. I have yet to meet a grumpy one! 🙂
Portia’s answer to your “I like to gift people with” question is so beautiful!! It says so much about what we know of her. Loved hearing that Portia is a fan of the daily bath, too. Baths are for beauty queens, which she certainly is!
Typing this comment while in the bath, I couldn’t agree more with your last sentence, Suz. In fact, I also agree with your first and second. 🙂
Thank you for this interview! I find Portia to be so open and honest and forthcoming that I feel I know her a great deal better than someone I have never met. And how the heck can one person look so glamorous and feminine in one photo and so hunky and masculine in another? Really!!! I only hope that some day I can meet Portia in person, share a meal and talk away for hours!!!
Tora, you are saying exactly what I think. In person Portia is very masculine indeed, but when in drag it is a complete transformation. Amazing!
Oh, I love learning more about Portia! I enjoy reading her on Perfume Posse and APJ. Hilarious. I feel the same about Shalimar…..and the gift of time answer is wonderful to contemplate. Thanks again, Birgit, for this terrific series.
Hilarious and deep, Portia plays perfectly in all registers.
Dear Birgit,
I’m such a fan of Portia and learned so much about her from your great interview. Thank you!
Portia’s gift of her time, the importance of home and finding inspiration everywhere really resonate and help me to realize how blessed I am too, every day.
Azar
Hello Azar,
I was touched by her concept of home as well. It is refreshing and admirable to see somebody so honest and grateful.
I love the video perfume reviews that Portia does with the rest of the Australian Perfume Junkies! Hope she will be a speaker at a Sniffapalooza in New York in the not-too-distant future
I wish I could have been in LA, when Portia hosted the bus tour. If she ever does a NY Sniffapalooza, I’d do everything to attend!
Glad Undina got to the bottom of that photo puzzle – I was about to ask the same thing!
Props to Portia for cleaning his place every Wednesday – if only his discipline were catching…;-)
I admire that too! I love the feeling of bliss when the house is clean, only I experience it way to seldom. 😉
Portia is so alive, she gives us a lot of energy, she’s great, another great meeting, thanks to both of you!!!
So true, Florence. Her energy is infectious!
Portia seems like a darling! A good day starts with..lunch!..haha..love it!
I feel really bad that I missed the Posse get together in LA (I was at a conference in Florida that weekend..). Hopefully next time.
I was just telling my husband the other day that we should start planning our travel around people in perfume land..So maybe I’ll get to see you in Vienna (if we plan a trip there)..;-)
Oh yes, do come to Vienna!
Travel plans in our house always take perfume locations and people into consideration, it’s such fun to meet all these lovely people in real life.
Bravo Both!
What an intriguing review… and how right you are about baths and Shalimar Portia… wouldn’t a both of Shalimar be divine? The golden age of Hollywood must have had them.
Thank you Brigit for bringing us these insights.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
A bath with Shalimar – what a decadent luxury, I’d love it!!!
Dearest Both
Surprising really that one was never made, or perhaps it was… I shall go researching.
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Through her blog, Portia sends expansive Australan style all over the world, and perfume wouldn’t be nearly so much fun without her. Thanks for the profile!
Totally, Portia brings joy to Pefumeland through her unbridled enthusiasm.
What good taste Portia has! 🙂 Shalimar happens to be my favourite perfume as well (in all possible varieties).
You two would recognize ech other by smell! 🙂
Yaaaaaaaaaaaay for Portia!!!!
Wonderful interview! I have dim sum or yum cha with my grandfather every Sunday. The next time you are in New York, or the next time we are both in Australia, let’s all go!
“Role Model – Helen Lawson from Valley of the Dolls” Absolutely Love it! Great profile on Portia 🙂
I adore Portia, She is like a sister to me in so many ways. (Right honey?) Thank you for spotlighting our Perfumeland’s very own Auntie Mame! Portia really knows how to Live Live Live!
That she does for sure!
It’s great to see Portia interviewed here, I’m glad to see how much she’s appreciated. One of the things I love about APJ and Portia’s approach is her “equal opportunity” sniffing. Just got a sample of Jessica Simpson’s Fancy Nights because of her review, and I think I’ll wear it today in her honor.