April New Idea 2023

Woo Hoo! Let’s see how my month went for April New Idea 2023. It’s only four months and I found myself really pining for the collection. Taking three days off after London and making sure I got to spritz from some of my faves helped me through. Isn’t it funny, once I wanted ONLY to smell the new samples and decants that arrived.

SORRY! There was no March New Idea $50 Surrender To Chance Voucher Winner

April New Idea 2023

A little recap for those who have forgotten.

This year I’m aiming to thunk five samples/decants a week. 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.

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 April New Idea 2023 went…..

FiF: First in Fragrance, 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. Day: Phaedon Dzhari: STC 2ml: Dates and woody amber. Doesn’t even come near to describing how beautifully this has been created. L O V E (but probably wouldn’t wear it much)
   Bed: CB I Hate Perfume Tea Rose: STC 2ml: The label reads true. A perfect tea rose. Clear, fresh and slightly green. Like
2. Bed: Costume National Scent: STC 5ml: This has changed since I first smelled it. Maybe it’s been over oxygenated? After 5 minutes it’s back to good. Like
3. Morning: DSH Perfumes Shimotsuki {Frosty Moon}: MS: This smells like fence palings and resins, there are florals but the orris is cardboard-ish and the white flowers aren’t your usual thick, tropical, alluring or breathy. Here we have something different. As always Dawn plays by her own rules and wins. Perfect for autumn. Now I have to get back to America to buy a bottle. L O V E
   Evening: Miller et Bertaux New Study (Postcard): STC 8ml: So much soapy citrus, backed by a delightful, dry wood. Is it like a postcard? No. Is it gorgeous? YES! It’s taken about 6 wears to get through the lot. L O V E
4. Day: V Canto Mea Culpa: Unknown: Very nice leathery amber with shitloads of patchouli. Like+
   Bed: DSH Perfumes L’étole de Vison {The Mink Stole}: MS: Dawn Spencer Hurwitz is a freaking genius. Furry, feral, fragrant like perfumes trapped in the fur. Both stunningly over the top up close and completely under the radar from arms length. Subversive. I want this so much. L O V E
5. Morning: I Profumi di Firenze Caprifoglio Rupestre: STC 2ml: Light citrus and floral. Very pretty. Like
6. Evening: Louis Vuitton Afternoon Swim: STC 2ml: Salty, spicy, slightly herbal, pithy citrus. Very nicely done. It’s really good but I prefer Issey Miyake L’Eau d’Issey PH. Like
7. Morning: DSH Perfumes UNKNOWN: MS: The black labels writing was completely removed. A very thick immortelle amber with some white flowers in the heart. Bloody good stuff. Love.
8. Day: Eris Parfums Ma Bette: MS: I used the whole 2ml. O M G! Finally I get Ma Bette properly. WOW! What a furry, sexy, vintage vibed beauty. ON THE LIST! L O V E
   Bed: Yves Saint Laurent Caftan: PG: Fruity, resinous, sweet amber. Like
9. Morning: Pozzo di Borgo 23 Janvier 1984: STC 5ml: Last ml, very syrupy. Herbal citrus with fig and a few bells & whistles. like
   Bed: Unknown: Resinous citrus and fir. Very smooth, beautiful. Damnit! LOVE
10. Morning: CB I Hate Perfume Tea Rose: STC 2ml: Found a second one. Even nicer in daytime. Very nice for plane travel. Understated pretty. Like
11. Arrive in London. These are all done in one day because I didn’t take date wearing notes while away. The plan was to do so but I was too busy living. Sorry. Though they occur here on one day they were spread over the 11 days
    Aftelier: Curious: MS: Autumn in a bottle. Cool, mulch, smoky and warmth. LOVE
    Aftelier: Vanilla Smoke: MS: Quoting myself from an old APJ Post: the EdP felt like a magical Shalimar restructuring. It’s my favourite so it was really nice to smell the Ultimate Smoke Shalimar with extra twists and nuance. LOVE
    By Kilian Dark Lord: STC 5ml: This has almost none of the notes off my skin. It reads as a beautiful, smooth, resinous leather. Very beautiful, lasts for ages and smells great the whole time. WANT. LOVE
    DSH Perfumes Cuir et Champignon: MS: Opening is poopy, earthy, strange and addictive. Mushroom compost that becomes sweet, warm leather. Like a sweaty muscle man has just taken off his leather jacket. This was the only fragrance I wore on holiday that anyone commented on. There is some high pitched clove above all the depths that I find utterly intriguing and keep sniffing down my shirt top to re-live. LOVE
    L’Artisan Sur L’Herbe: STC 5ml: There was only a ml left and it was basically oil. Citrus is king here with a green floral. The added strength of evaporation made it last infinitely better than it did when first tried. Like
    Louis Vuitton Imagination: STC 3ml: Very nice. Missing the first two words in thew name though “lack of”. Cologne reinterpreted. Like
    Maison Francis Kurkdjian Cologne Pour Le Soir: STC 2ml: Just as furry, sweet, amber and divine as remembered. I have a bottle at home. LOVE Posse post
    Miller Harris Figue Amere: PP 2ml: Fabulously weird salty green monster that does smell figgy but with all the bells and whistles. On my To Buy List. LOVE
    Miller Harris Geranium Bourbon: PP 2ml: Sharp green spicy geranium against boozy vanilla. Like
    Serge Lutens Périlleusement Vôtre: STC 3ml: Oud and rose over warm amber and much other goings on. A good Serge, like his older work. thick and tantalising, warm and cozy but with spikes. Why is this so expensive? LOVE
12. London
13. London
14. London
15. London
16. London
17. London
18. London
19. London
20. London
21. Arrive home in Sydney
22. Nope
23. Nope: Did finish an Hermès Monsieur Li travel shower gel.
24. Nope
25. Morning: L’Artisan Histoires d’Oranger: STC 8ml: Took a few days to empty it all. Very nice, sweet orange juice and orange blossom. Like
    Evening: Aether Carboneum: STC 2ml: I think this might have given up the ghost or maybe I’m anosmic. Though I was only spritzing about 1/2ml it’s almost not there. EDIT: During the night Carboneum bloomed and it became a compliment getter. 4 separate people mentioned how lovely it is. I too could smell it after about 40 minutes. I was still getting gorgeous whiffs next morning. Love
26. Bed: DSH Perfumes Je Suis La Lune {I am the Moon ; a jasmine perfume} Nocturne no.1: MS: Very lightly skanky, breathy, tropical jasmine. This is bloody gorgeous. Love
27. Day: Unknown: The handwritten label has completely bled out. It’s a vanilla/amber, resinous aquatic with herbal and spicy highlights. OMG! I think I know what it is. Diptyque Benzoin Boheme. Maybe?!? Love
    Evening: Atelier Cologne Encens Jinhae: STC 8ml: Spicy rose and resinous incense. I also have a couple more of these bought in an STC sale. Love
    Bed: Masque Milano Romanza: STC 2ml: Dregs, just a little oily sludge at the bottom. WOW! A beautiful, old school aldehydic floral leaning towards an untraditional chypre feeling. How did I miss this gorgeous beauty?!? LOVE
28. Day: Nasomatto Narcotic Venus: STC 2ml: The opening is definitely narcotic white flowers, big, cool and green tinged. It opens beautiful to a sensual heart and then collapses into almost nothing. Like
    Evening: Ulrich Lang Nightscape: MS: Sci Fi perfume. Feels like what Buck Rogers might have worn. Love
29. Morning: Vintage CHANEL No 5 EdT: STC 2ml: Ahhhhhh! Makes me think of Musette. Perfection. L O V E
    Afternoon: Hermès Elixir des Merveilles: STC 2ml: Salty, resinous, sweet amber confection. So bloody more-ish. I really want this but know it’s going to sit unloved, passed over for the other ambers that get regular spritzes YUM! Love
    Bed: Olfactive Studio Vanilla Shot: FiF: Strange, beautiful, scratchy, herbal vanilla with plastic and coffee-like undertones. Amber dry down. I remember buying a bottle immediately after first trying this sample. LOVE
30. Morning: Estee Lauder Youth Dew Amber Nude: PP 3ml: Soft focus reimagining of Youth Dew with a skin like amber base. Pretty. Like
    Evening: The Party in Manhattan: STC 2ml: Old school white floral gorgeousness. Don’t know why IO never bought a bottle. Fabulous. LOVE
    Bed: Le Labo Yang 49: STC 8ml: After 15 minutes wears all patchouli on me. HEAVEN! Very polarising scent, people love or loathe it on me. L O V E

Well, SUCCESS! 39 thunks this month! So please leave a comment with something you thunked in April for April New Idea 2023. I’ll pick a winner randomly. Then announce in the next New Idea 2023 post,
Portia xx