[Sing Pao]

Miss Hong Kong Second Runner Up Priscilla Chik has been influenced by her mother and since she was young, has had an interest in perfume bottles, buildings and houses. After many years of collecting, she estimates that she has over four hundred perfume bottles, with many limited edition items, large and small, her favourites are the great figures of the Jean Paul Gaultier bottles.

Priscilla is pleased to show her collection to everyone and from the Eiffel Tower and the Leaning Tower of Pisa to the little house ornaments from around the world, they each have their own specialities. She says playfully: "If I could really have so many houses all over the world, then I would be rich, but before I can fulfil this wish, these little houses will do."

When did she begin to collect perfume bottles and little houses?

"I was influenced by my mother because she herself liked artistic pieces and she liked to travel, so each time my parents went away, they would take me and my little brother and sister with them, so we would always take time off school. I have always lived in Canada and I remember when I was six or seven years old, we started going to Europe and each time I would buy a lot of perfume bottles and little houses, especially if they were limited edition or no longer produced. My mum says to me that when she dies, she will pass on her treasures down the line as an heirloom. That means I will have to have a daughter because boys will not be interested in these things."

Have you ever calculated how much you have spent on these four hundred bottles of perfume?

"No I haven't! A lot of them are limited edition or expensive crystal bottles, so it is hard to work out." Among her many bottles of perfume, as well as the figure shaped bottles, her favourite is the Nina Ricci bottle with the two birds. Ever since she was young, she has been to many places around the world with her parents and seen a lot of things. She has found that in New York perfume counters, they like to use male salespeople, dressed in stylish suits to attract the female clientelle and this is different from other places. However, no matter what tricks the retailers use, she feels that the business depends on how pretty the bottle is and what features it has.

http://www.singpao.com/20040105/gossip/499217.html