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

January New Idea 2023 samples April New Idea

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

April New Idea 2023

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

  • Neva says:

    You put such a pressure on me, Portia 😀
    I went on a cruise and took only samples and decants with me. I sprayed like there’s no tomorrow and managed to thunk only two decants: Creed’s Milessime Imperial and F. Malle’s Salle Gosse, which is an interesting scent smelling like baby oils. I also thunked samples of Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche, which is wearable in all occasions, that’s why I took it with me. The other two were Delina la Rosée (too overpowering and I like it less than the basic Delina) and Blue Cypress by Goldfield&Banks – a lovely fresh perfume with lavender and cypress.

  • Kathleen says:

    Your fragrant month is incredible. Thank you for sharing your reviews, such a fun read! Isn’t Romanza incredible? It has been on my FB wishlist. And DSH The Mink Stole, amazing. I’ve kept up on my thunking. My favorite sample this month has been vintage YSL Paris. One of my first fragrances in the mid 80s, and it smells as I remember. Gorgeous rose.

  • Dina C. says:

    Thunked my sample of Gucci Tears of Iris (love) and a couple pots of Trinny London lip gloss this month. (Loved both and ordered more) Great reading about all the things you wore this month, Portia. A super variety.

    • Portia says:

      Hey there DinaC,
      Gucci Tears of Iris! So bloody good. It’s the only bottle I own from the Gucci price line so far. YUM !
      Portia xx

  • finanna says:

    Impressive thunking Portia! Romanza and Dzhari are awesome!

    Just 11 samples for me this month, BUT I also finished an eyeshadow palette (Urban Decay Naked) ?

    Milano Fragranze Panettone: just wonderful, need to sample more from this line. If you have ever made biscotti with freshly grated orange peel you’ll feel the sticky dough in your hands when you sniff this. Beautiful drydown that verges on tangy. Best of the tested, I’d buy a bottle if I didn’t have too many.

    Bohoboco Vanilla Black Pepper: Vanilla is there, takes a lot of effort to figure out black pepper. Vanille Insensee by Atelier Cologne is way better.

    Keiko Mecheri Peau de Pêche: Radiant peach. Strong like.

    CSP Souffle des Indes: if I ever want a fruity gourmand that is not too pushy I’ll get this. If only they’d make this in 10ml bottles…

    Ligne St Barth Vanille West Indies: lovely dense vanilla gourmand. If I didn’t have Madera (Omnia Profumo) I’d buy this.

    Edeniste samples (all of the scents from this brand are really well done and the concept is interesting but so far no massive urge to upgrade to a full size)
    *Rose Fatale: jammy patchouly rose a la Portrait of a Lady
    *Edeniste Vanille Irrésistible: reminded me of L de Lolita Lempicka in a good way
    *Vétiver Imaginaire: nice clean citrusy vetivery
    *Jasmin Cruel: my favourite of the line, finally a jasmin I can love (so many other white florals in this). Not cruel, simply beautiful!
    *Lifeboost – Wellbeing: pleasant green easygoing moodbooster
    *Lifeboost – Happiness: pleasant hairspray-fruity (in a good way)

    I was naughty and rewarded myself with a blind buy of l’Eau de Papier because I needed a soft scent for formal occasions and a sample set from Technique Indiscrete (running out of samples soon and I really want to try their saffron scent so why not get all 30 or so…).

  • alityke says:

    I am in awe!

  • March says:

    I get so much secondhand enjoyment reading this. I did some minor sniffing yesterday and just wasn’t getting what I know was there under my nose! I’m admiring your determination on this project!

    • Portia says:

      Bummer about your sniff system March, it must be so frustrating.
      Glad to be giving you vicarious sniffs.
      I’m seriously hoping I can keep it up all year.
      Portia xx

  • Musette says:

    Oh, my darling! What a lovely, to think of me when you wear No5 edt. I am honored. Thank you!

    DNEM but I have been thunking like a lima bean – my ‘heartbreak’ thunk (because after today it will be gone) is LV’s At the Beach. Dunno why…but I absolutely ADORE this. A.D.O.R.E. I learned of it via Surrender to Chance (omg. what an excellent place, yes?) and it’s just so damb PRETTY! Perfect for Spring. And phenomenal apres-swim.

  • AnnieA says:

    Wow, all that and a trip to London! I keep thinking that I’d like to smell like a manure-nestling mushroom but maybe not. The last month was hard as I finished Zoologist Civet and Papillon Anubis as well as a couple of others.

    • Portia says:

      HA! Smelling like a manure nestling mushroom is much nicer than we’d imagine.
      Nice thunking.
      Portia xx

  • Tara C says:

    I thunked a decant of Mona di Orio Suede de Suede. Lovely stuff but I’m not buying perfume for the forseeable future, too many bottles.

  • cinnamon says:

    No thunkage. Dark Lord is all that, isn’t it 🙂 I need to try the MH Figue Amere again. And there’s a candle of this I need to smell.

    • Portia says:

      Dark lord is now on the To Buy List Cinnamon. As soon as this years travel binge is done and paid for.
      Portia xx