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 