February New Idea 2023

Woo Hoo! Let’s see how my month went for February New Idea 2023. After January’s success I was worried that the excitement might be hard to maintain. As Undina reminded me last month, it’s not as easy as it sounds to bypass favourite bottles for the unknown.

January New Idea $50 Surrender To Chance Voucher Winner = DinaC
Email me: portia (underscore) turbo (at) yahoo (dot) com (dot) au
I’ll send your voucher out ASAP

This year I’m aiming to thunk five samples/decants a week, so 20 for the month but that sounds too big so I’m carving bite sized chunks. More if possible, there is a tonne of them here to be dealt with. Every thunk is called a WIN, because let’s face it who doesn’t need a few extra wins? These are easy wins but hopefully will give us all a sense of accomplishment that will carry over into daily life.

February New Idea

A little recap for those who have forgotten.

How It Works

1. No matter what size the sample or decant it only counts as ONE win.
2. To count as a win the decant MUST be thunked. Yeah, I know but this is how I’m playing it. You can have your own rules if you like.
3. Multiples in a day are acceptable. So, if you empty something in the morning, another after work and another before bed that counts as THREE wins.
4. Manufacturer Travel Size is not a sample or decant.
5. At the end of each successfully completed month I am allowed to reward myself with a splurge from ONE perfume store. Yeah that’s right. Sure you can buy 20 things if it makes you happy but it has to be ONE etailer or retailer in ONE TRANSACTION.

I’m going to celebrate by giving away a US$50 Gift Voucher to Surrender To Chance for every successful month to one lucky random commenter. Cool eh?

So let’s see how February New Idea went…..

LS: LuckyScent, MPS: My Perfume Samples, MS: Manufacturers Sample, PG: Perfumista Gift, PP: Posh Peasant, RK: Ruth K, TPC: The Perfumed Court, STC: Surrender To Chance

1. Wearing, not thunking
2. Wearing, not thunking
3. Bed: Vintage Caron Bellodgia EdT: PP 1ml: Amber candied carnations with a light hit of ass. Heavenly. L O V E Posse post
4. Morning: Acqua di Parma Iris Nobile: PP 1ml: A pretty iris watercolour. Calm, relaxed and touched with a bouquet that features mimosa. Like
5. Day: Atelier des Ors Larmes du Désert: MS: Smoky, bright woods over a patchouli/amber base. If you are bored with amber or don’t have one then this could be a very attractive new sniff. LOVE
   Bed: Olfactive Studio Panorama: MS: Bright bitter green opening, bloody fantastic, all the greens. Panorama warms through to resinous sweetness as it dries down. My memory of this is so different. L O V E
6. Morning: Profumum Roma Acqua e Zucchero: MS: This tastes in my mouth rather than smells through my nose. It’s like white chocolate. So sweet I think a diabetic coma might be coming on. So thick. Like (but don’t wan’t to smell like this)
   Lunch: THUNKED a 30ml Lolita Lempicka EdP. Not counting it but VERY bloody exciting anyway.
   Evening: Roxana Illuminated Perfumes The Green Knight: MS: Sweet and fizzy turns to greenery and rich humus. From the forest to the jungle. A dark green animalic wonderland. Bloody terrific. Love
   Bed: Une Nuit Nomade Click Song: MS: Amber with bells and whistles and an interesting metallic fishy backtaste. Like (quite a lot actually)
7. Morning: Montale Blue Matcha: MS: WOW! Not what I was expecting at all. A smooth, milky, white floral smelling take on matcha tea that has a very slight saltiness. From the notes I was expecting something more woodsy/leather but the heart is surprisingly low key. Like
   Evening: Sucreabeille Beekeeper’s Daughter: STC 2ml: Honey, herbs and woods. Like
   Bed: Sulinotes Yuzu: STC 2ml: Last ml. Pithy citrus. Like
8. Evening: Annick Goutal Rose Splendide: STC 8ml: Yes rose, yes splendid. Green, lightly spiced, fruity rose, elegant and mellow. 8ml is a bloody lot. I’ve been wearing this almost exclusively between other things. Pretty sure I have a bottle too. Like a lot
9. Day: Unknown: 2ml decant: Aldehydic floral with amber underneath. Like
   Evening: Atelier des Ors: Iris Fauve: MS: Interesting take on iris. Love that spicy cardboard and carrots opening, then it warms through to a dry amber. Like.
10. Nope
11. Bed: Louis Vuitton Turbulences: STC 2ml: Very nice but wholly underwhelming for the price. Go buy Sand & Sables for $6. Like
12. Morning: Cristian Cavagna Murice Imperiale: MS: OMG! This is one of the best aquatic florals I ever smelled. Fresh greenery, lightly spiced flowers and brine. OUTSTANDING! On the To Buy List. L O V E
    Evening: Miller et Bertaux Study #17: MS: Such a pretty aromatic. Slightly minty greenery and citrus over a mossy carnation. Like
    Bed: DIOR Vanille Diorama: STC 2ml: Vanilla with a few bells & whistles. Very reminiscent of Jacomo Art Collection #2 but a refined version. Perfect if you don’t have a vanilla forward fragrance. Like (Jacomo is better)
13. Day: Eric Buterbaugh Apollo Hyacinth: STC 2ml: LOVE this, would have bought a bottle if it wasn’t a blasted splash. Hyacinth with a very dirty narcissus heartbeat. LOVE
    Bed: Tom Daxon Resin Sacre: STC 3ml: Just a ml left. If burning baubles of tree resin are your jam, mixed in with a healthy dose of animal then you, like me, will be smitten. LOVE
14. Day: Amouage Jubilation XXV: STC 2ml: Dregs. Smells so rich and amazing. What’s left smells like a resinous amber with some oudhy type darkness. Like
15. Morning: Vintage Guerlain L’Heure Bleu: STC 2ml: Dregs, went on thick, rich and unbelievably pure. Like the most exquisite extrait. LOVE
    Evening: Vintage Guerlain Shalimar: STC 2ml: Dregs. Again, unbelievably pure, rich and burnished. Not strong but really deep. LOVE
    Bed: Diptyque L’Eau de Tarocco: STC 2ml: Citrus with soft rose petals that warms to amber. Like
16. Day: Keiko Mecheri Canyon Dreams: STC 2ml: Very Shalimar reminiscent but there are differences. Like
    Bed: ETRO Shall Nur: STC 2ml: Fruity, herbal, smoky woods. LOVE
17. Morning: Lorenzo Villoresi Mare Nostrum Aura Maris: STC 2ml: Herbal citrus. Bright and refreshing, it seems simple on first spritz but adds some really interesting floral and darkly herbal nuances before warming to amber woods. Like
    Evening: Ava Luxe Tuberose Diabolique parfum: STC 2ml: More than half used or evaporated. OMG! This is utterly divine. Tropical tuberose lightly spiced and warmed through with vanilla heavy amber. A hint of petrol overlays the heart making it even more bewitching. L O V E
    Bed: AbdesSalaam Attar Perfumes Aalacho N°2: STC 2ml: Dregs. WOW! Another amazing perfume. This is a breathtaking. Animalic, urinous, honeyed, tobacco, castoreum, moss. All smoking gently and floating over dark woods. TO BUY LIST: LOVE
18. Morning: ETRO Messe de Minuit: STC 2ml: 1/2ml Citrus, smoky incense and honeyed resins. Bloody good stuff. Smells deep and rich and really expensive. The dirty amber/incense base shines through from the heart to dry down. Next morning the incense, wood and amber are still huffing gently, this is unbelievably good stuff. TO BUY LIST. L O V E
    Bed: DIOR Couturier Granville: STC 2ml: Very first release Granville. Fizzy lemon and greenery over a white musk and woods base. A perfect foil to Sydney’s currently very hot nights. Love
19. Morning: Lanvin Arpege: STC 2ml: I’m surprised this hasn’t turned. Beautiful aldehydic floral with touches of fruit and a tender amber/woods dry down. Like
    Evening: Hermès 24 Faubourg: PP 3ml: Much more ass than my current bottle. A sensual, lightly breathy tropical white floral with all the bells & whistles. So weird that no one commented on it at work tonight. Love
20. Morning: DIOR Couturier Milly-la-Foret: STC 2ml: WHY did I never buy this. A perfect replacement for Worth Courtesan when mine runs dry. GRRRRRR! Love
    Evening: Guerlain Habit Rouge l’Eau: PG 3ml: Such a beautiful rendition of Habit Rouge. I bought a bottle after using about 1/3 of this decant and the forgot about it. Sadly, it’s so hot & humid it lasted about an hour. Love
    Bed: Gorilla Perfumes Sikkim Girls: STC 3ml: 1ml of VERY orange brown perfume. WHOA! Tropical, vanilla heavy white floral. Cool but also kinda disgusting. Like
21. Morning: Miller Harris Coeur d’Ete: PP 1.5ml: OOOH! Choc Banana! with hint of crisp pear over a very light creamy woods base. What a happy surprise. Like
    Bed: Teo Cabanel Alahine: PP 1ml: Gorgeous vanilla and stuff. Swiped this beauty years ago and bought a bottle. LOVE
22. Morning: DIOR Couturier Mitzah: STC 2ml: Herbal vanilla-rich amber over smoky incense and patchouli. LOVE
    Evening: Bond No 9 New Haarlem: PP 1ml: Wore it to work and all night people were asking me what it was. Every time I sat down I got this amazing huff of perfume out of my shirt. This sample is well over a decade old, I can’t imagine it still smells so amazing. Coffee amber Tonka. Love
23. Wearing, not thunking
24. Morning: Miller Harris Noix de Tubereuse: PP 2ml: Tuberose & amber with a few other bells & whistles. Rich, breathy, warm and heady with a delightful green counterpoint. The opening is swoon worthy and my eyes want to roll into the back of my head. An involuntary AHHHHH! L O V E (want)
    Afternoon: 1000 Flowers Reglisse Noire: PP 1ml: Minty liquorice with all the trimmings and a soft vanilla dry down. I used to have a bottle of this. Sadly in this humid heat it lasted all of 40 minutes. Love
    Evening: CHANEL Cristalle EdP: PP 2ml: This has aged beautifully. Still bright, fresh and green but it smells deeper than the bottle I bought Jin for his birthday. Like
    Bed: DIOR Couturier Grand Bal: STC 3ml: Less than 1ml dark oil. Thick and rich plastic white flowers. Nothing like my bottle. I think it’s gone off. Sad.
25. Morning: CHANEL Chance: MS: Pretty. I smell nutty musks and powder. Like
    Afternoon: DIOR Couturier Eau Noire: STC 2ml: This early incarnation has so much coffee, spiced. Leather, vanilla and gorgeous liquorice hints. What a fragrance! I’d forgotten how bloody good. L O V E
    Bed: Guerlain Mademoiselle: RK 10ml: The last of this beautiful gem. Sweet powdery iris and stuff. Lasts about 35 minutes. LOVE
26. Thunked a Bulgari Men in Black shower gel
    Morning: Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir: PP 1ml: pretty, lasted about 30 minutes. Meh
    Day: Miller Harris Vetiver Bourbon: PP 1ml: Boozy Vetiver, interesting, almost coffee. I’d love to smell this now, it feels full of the good stuff from then. Love
    Bed: Parfums de Rosine Rose Kashmiri: PG 2ml: So bloody luscious. Roses, spice, herbs, greenery and resins Loved this sample so much I bought a bottle and a backup years ago. This sample has aged to perfection. OMG!  L O V E
27. Morning: Hermès Un Jardin En Mediterranee: MPS 5ml: Citrus, fig, sharp woods. Refreshing, uplifting and perfect for sweaty last days of summer mornings. Love
    Evening: Carven Ma Griffe vintage: STC 2ml: Icy cold green aldehydic floral. I’m so glad to have used it and basked in its beauty. L O V E
    Bed: CB I Hate Perfume Fire From Heaven: MPS 3ml: Last ml. Smoky, soapy, incense and woods. Gorgeous and a little shower gel-ish. Like
28. Day: Coty Muguet des Bois: STC 2ml: I had a bottle of this and moved it on. SHAME on me. Beautiful. Love
    Evening: Diptyque L’Eau du Trente-Quatre: Funny story. I have a bottle of this and use it regularly. Had you asked me I would have told you it’s by Hermès. Delightfully off centre fruity woods. Love
    Bed: Diptyque Philosykos: PP 1ml: Delectable fggy wood thing. I have a bottle and wear it very infrequently. Like

Well, SUCCESS! Even MORE than last month. 55 samples/decants thunked. So please leave a comment with something you thunked in February for February New Idea. I’ll pick a winner randomly. Then announce in the next New Idea 2023 post,
Portia xx