August New Idea 2023

Woo Hoo! Let’s see how my month went for August New Idea 2023. August! WOW! We’ve been at this for 8 months and at the start of our 9th. This really feels achievable. I hope some of you are still playing along. You know you can just do a couple of thunks a month to be a part of the fun and go into the draw to win a US$50 Surrender To Chance Gift Voucher, right? Comment below with a couple, a few or a slew of thunks to be eligible.

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

August 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 August New Idea 2023 went…..

FiF: First in Fragrance, LiP: Libertine Parfumerie, LS: LuckyScent, MPS: My Perfume Samples, MS: Manufacturers Sample, P1: Perfume 1, PG: Perfumista Gift, PP: Posh Peasant, RK: Ruth K, SG: Split Group, STC: Surrender To Chance, TPC: The Perfumed Court

1. Day: Le Couvent Maison de Parfum Cologne of the Missions: MS: All the vanilla. Then add some crunchy vanilla heavy caramel amber. Like
   Bed: Teone Reinthal Natural Perfume Mary Jane: MS 5ml: Dark, earthy, green and resinous fragrance lit gently by white flowers. Like (A lot)
2. Morning: IUNX Splash Forte: STC 5ml: This is number two and I can’t find the other one. Draining the last drops of this beauty has me sad. L O V E
   Evening:  Oliver & Co (now called Avant-Garden Lab) Resina: MS: Spicy resinous amber with a lovely smoky backdraft. I have a bottle of this. Love
3. Day: Evyan White Shoulders: MS 7ml:  Classic vintage aldehydic floral. Elegant and a little OTT. Love
4. Nope Thunked my 50ml bottle of Detaille Bois d’Oud! Freaking Ah May zing!
5. Nope
6. Nope
7. Nope
8. Day: Parfums de Marly Nisean: MS: Nice enough. Smells like a LOT of one of those ubiquitous base notes with a few bells and whistles. Amber and scratchy woods. Like
   Evening: Nettare di Sole Guerlain Aqua Allegoria: STC 5ml: White floral bouquet, some fruit and hints of water. I really wish there was some salt in here. Like
9. Morning: De Gabor Geisha Diva: MS: Luscious radiant tropical white floral over amber. This was such a perfect foil for the heat and smells of India. Love
10. Nope
11. Day: L’Artisan Coeur de Vetiver Sacre: RK 10ml: Slightly sweet, spicy vetiver woodiness with a smoky incense backdraft over a vanilla base. Love
    Evening: Alessandro Dell’ Acqua Man: Unknown: Very pretty masculine style citrus. It was a bit overwhelmed by India. Like
12. Nope
13. Nope
14. Nope
15. Day: Montale Amandes Orientales: STC 5ml: While this wasn’t a love for me at home, in India it bloomed so beautifully and made me swoon. NOW I really want a bottle but know it will never get a spritz at home. LOVE
    Evening: Pont Des Arts À Ce Soir: MS: Amber with a narcissus opening. OMG! Heaven. WANT!!
16. Morning: Ormonde Jayne Champacca: MS: This is pretty, green with white flowers and a honeyed growl. Like
    Evening: Jean Charles Brosseau Ombre Rose: PP: So strange to be smelling this very French fragrance in India. All that powdery, fruity rose and iris was quite the dichotomy. Ombre Rose held up beautifully and I’m wondering if it still smells as good, and will it smell as good in Sydney? LOVE
17. Nope
18. Day: Armani Prive Cuir Améthyste: SG 10ml: Fruity leather gorgeousness. Wearing this swanning around Singapore with Rose and Jin was a perfect fit. Last, perfect dregs on the plane home. LOVE
19. Nope
20. Nope. Finished an Aramis Travel Shower Gel
21. Nope
22. Morning: Eris Belle de Jour: MS: Creamy, spiced white flowers with a suggestion of a sea breeze. beautiful and so wearable. Love
    Bed: Miller Harris Hidden on the Rooftops: STC 1ml: Sweet greenery with a softly animalic woody base. Lasting power is extraordinary, though quiet later on. Like
23. Morning: Creed Angelique Encens: STC 1ml: I remember loving this so much and then it being DCd before I grabbed a bottle. Testing now is a let down. Amber with a few bells and whistles. Like but not like I thought I did
    Evening: DIOR Cruise Collection Escale a Parati: STC 5ml: Just 1.5ml left. Wore it all. Bright, refreshing, pithy citrus with a little snap of mint and sweet nutty base. Like
    Bed: Parfum de Nicolai Carre d’As: STC 5ml: I used most of this up already so only got one wear. Herbal and lightly minty with a lovely dark green, almost bitter edge. Dry down is tobacco and dusty greenery. LOVE
24. Nope
25. Nope
26. Nope
27. Nope
28. Nope
29. Morning: Pierre Guillaume Cologne Grand Siecle 07: STC 5ml: There was just a smidge in the decant. My memory of it is quite different and I think the citrus had gone a bit oily and nasty. Washed it off
    Morning: Caron Nuit de Noel vtg EdT: STC 5ml: This was a perfect foil for the remnants of Cologne Grand Siecle. The spiced fruits and flowers embraced and overwhelmed any last vestiges of yuck. OOOHHHH NUIT DE NOËL, how I love you.
30. Day: Une Nuit Nomade Memory Motel: MS: This was the sample I fell in love with that was the catalyst to buying a bottle. The bottle scent attacked me and gave me the irrits something awful. THIS smells amazing. GRRRR! LOVE
    Bed: Guerlain Metalys: STC 5ml: This had evaporated to about 2ml so I got a vintage extrait smelling version of Metalys. It’s hard to put into words how freaking beautiful my wears of this spicy floral vanilla is. LOVE (like sell a kidney to have more love)
31. Day: Oriza L. Legrand Violettes du Czar: MS: OH YES! Violet and leather. It’s like the perfect perfumey combo. Both winsome and assertive. Add the Oriza powdery goodness and you have a MUST HAVE freaking beauty. On the list, right near the top. L O V E

What did I splurge on in celebration? Le Galion L’Astre and Cristian Cavagna Maurice Imperiale from Fragrance & Art. There should be full posts about them in September!

YAY! August is done, we are 2/3 the way through New Idea 2023. 25 thunk wins for August, plus a shower get and 50ml bottle. Please leave a comment with something you thunked in August for August New Idea 2023. I’ll pick a winner randomly, then announce in the next New Idea 2023 post,
Portia xx

You can read the whole story so far if you hit the links below.
New Idea, January, February, March, April, May, June, July