Hey Hey Posse, You may remember in 2023 I tried to use up as many samples and decants as possible in the New Idea series. Though there was remarkable usage I hardly made a dent in the ridiculous amount of 2ml+ decants lying around here unused. Shockingly, I’ve even added more in the 12 months since. It’s time to get some done and dusted and clear up some space. This perfume/office/dressing room is starting to look like a hoarders hovel. So let’s try Decant Demolition 2025.
Also, it feels like the conversation between perfume people is dying and I miss the fun, the excitement and the camaraderie of really chatting about perfume with perfumistas from around the world. Somewhere over the last few years it seems to have become lost except in a very few pockets. I think Now Smell This is the only blog left that gets that kind of traction. So let’s try and make Decant Demolition 2025 a place where scented conversation thrives.
Decant Demolition 2025
I’d like to repeat the New Idea process in 2025 but make it different. Instead of having a number of single thunks, for Decant Demolition 2025 I’ll be trying to drain 30ml of juice every month. In any configuration from 15 x 2ml to a 30ml decant. This does not include bottles bought retail, they must be decanted perfume into a spray receptacle 2ml or more. They must also be finished by ME! No giving stuff away. Although Random Acts Of Kindness are encouraged they do not count.
Also, in the interest of driving fragrant discussion and your own thunking there must be 40 comments that are not mine. Yes, you read it correctly. 40 comments, and not lazy, spammy bumps like an OK to Got It. It must be a pertinent comment to the discussion at hand. You can answer someone else’s comment. Ask them a question about their comment. Add your own thunks, thoughts on my thunks. Tell us a story about something fragrant that links with previous comments or the post. The secondary (but most important) goal of Decant Demolition 2025 is to reanimate perfumista conversation and engagement.
Should I make 30ml and there be 40 comments that comply. I will give away a US$50 Surrender To Chance Gift Voucher each month.
I hope you’re as excited about Decant Demolition 2025 as I am.
So, what do you all think? Are you onboard for some spritzing fun?
Portia xx
I have a drawer (organized), and several bowls full of decants as well as 5 ml. There’s no way the 5 MLS are going away in this lifetime. Ha! I’ve dozens upon dozens. But all the half-dried and dessicated, tucked away 1, 2, 3 ml sprayers and daubers, need to go bye bye. I’m all in.
Oh Shiva-woman,
You are singing my song.
BUT it’s only January 7 and I’m making inroads on a couple of 5 and 10ml that are near empty anyway. So looking forward to getting them thunked.
Hope to see loads of you this year. With your wealth of experience I know you’ll have so much to contribute.
Portia xx
Cant wait to hear your comments! Decants are a blessing and a curse, a temptation and an opportunity. I am always curious and open to experimentation but I have rarely found a true gem through a sample.
Hey Cristina,
Yes on all counts except I have fallen deeply and hard for decants and samples. They are the joy and Bain of my existence.
Let’s empty a bunch together this year.
Portia xx
Heya Portia and the Posse peeps!
I love the challenge of using my decants. They collect all around my house. I tried to organize ONCE. I tried to do your Thunk / New Idea 2023, but I am not great at writing daily and reviewing the way you do.
I will commit to wearing down my decants and samples, and try to pop over to see how the experiment is going. I did something shocking yesterday. I chunked a 1/2 sample after wearing it to bed the night before. It was meh. I am in a clear the decks, life’s too short to smell blah or yucky mood. I went to a funeral today, and I have a crystalline sense that life is short and precious.
In 2023, Portia, your New Idea inspired me to pour samples on myself with abandon, living large, using things up instead of saving them. I want more of that energy. Be well fragrant people!
Hey there HemlockSillage,
No need to chronicle your thunks here like a blog post. Drop in, tell us something you wore, finished or loved and then go comment on others comments.
Hope you do get through some of your stash with us but the important things is involvement.
Sorry you had a funeral. Hope you’re doing OK. Life is short, even if we live to 100.
See you around here a lot for Decant Demolition 2025.
Portia xx
I’ve long been a keen reader of Perfume Posse (since maybe 2009?!), and I’m so glad that this blog is one of the survivors – after about 15 years of following along, maybe it’s about time I contribute!
This is a great idea for encouraging perfume conversation, and I’m keen to join in. I’ve got plenty of samples that need attention.
WOO HOO Gaynor!
Welcome to the commenter family.
This is really exciting.
Can’t wait to read, comment and everything with you.
Portia xx
i dont have many samples, but a bunch of decants, maybe i will demolish some of the older samples. but i love hearing about your thunking adventures
Tanja,
that will be excellent.
Portia xx
Hope that qualifies! A demolition of forgetting the beauties in bottles.
All relevant comments to the discussion of fragrance and interactions will qualify.
I’m in Portia! My goal is to wear every perfume in my collection at least once this year. No thunking, just wearing.
No problem. Just come on in and talk about what you’re wearing, comment on what others are wearing and thunking. Be a part of an alive and vibrant conversation Hamamelis.
THAT will be the big win here.
Portia xx
I was just thinking that I need to re-visit all of my samples and decants, and I reading perfume talk from fellow perfumistas. Looking forward to Decant Demolition and perfume discussion!
Kathleen, it will be so good to have you doing Decant Demolition. You have so much knowledge and perfume history.
This is going to be fabulous.
Portia xx
This sounds exciting! I’m in. I don’t have a ton of samples, but certainly more than I should be storing so this will give me a kick in the rear/motivation to use them, discuss, and move on.
Woo Hoo! Pam,
It’s going to be a really interesting experiment. Glad to have as a part of it all.
Portia x
Samples! I both love and hate them. It’s always so joyous finding something amazing, and it’s easy knowing which ones are scrubbers. It’s all those ones sitting in the purgatory basket (was that Robin from NST?), the ones you know you didn’t love but you have to make a decision to keep or move on.
Good on you, Portia, I’m keen to read everyone’s thoughts, I’ve been away for a while from the perfume-o-sphere but it’ll be nice to sit and chat with you all once a month.
Welcome back deviish2,
Let’s empty the purgatory basket in 2025. Imagine how that will taker the weight off your mind.
Portia x
Sounds like a great idea!
Thanks TC,
Let’s get thunking and chatting.
Portia x
What a lovely idea. I have read along your 2023 decant journey and I am looking forward to being part of it in 2025.
EXCELLENT Gudrun,
Hope to see loads of you.
Portia xx
This could be fun. I cannot be a part of the thumping though. I have a small box of samples and small decants and if it gets too full I use them up somehow (not on me) or give them away. The few I hate, I throw away. 8 – 10+ ml decants are scents I seriously like and want to be sure a bottle might be in the future or they are too expensive to buy a full bottle so a decant will do for now.
You don’t need to thunk to be a part of the fun Maya. You just need to come along and chat to commenters. Bring your bonhomie and be a part of the fun.
Portia x
(tried to comment last night but my iPad is apparently a spam machine again.)
I love the idea and will look forward to reading about it. While no saint I am pretty good about getting rid of samples. If I don’t use them up reviewing them I scent my pillows a car with them or give them away (I took a page from your thunk-fest!)
I think you are a saint Tom.
YEEEESSS!!! I’m so happy you brought this project back and I totally agree about the fragrant conversations. My favorite fb group disintegrated after a big blow-up between main members a couple of years ago and I still haven’t found a comfortable replacement. Most social media seems to be about influencing or selling/swapping. Count me IN! 🙂 All my samples and many decants these days end up in the rolling box but I still do have loads of travel sprays needing to be thunked. Happy New Year Everyone!
Hi there VerbenaLuvvr,
So glad you’re coming along for the ride. You will bring so much knowledge and fun to the table. YAY!
Really happy.
Portia xx
DNEM but I am mos’ DEF in! I’ve noticed an uptick in Posse commenters over the last few months – and I’m thrilled! I’d like to see it continue. I think all of us are so overwhelmed with the demands of Social Media that ‘good conversation’ often gets tossed aside. Here’s hoping we can remedy that!
Everything crossed for that Musette. We can build it and hopefully they will come.
Portia xx
This sounds wonderful. I’m just starting to use surrender to chance for samples
Careful Jenn, it’s a slippery slope. Hopefully you will have a fabulous time interacting with the crew. I’m sure some will want to send you some of their misfire samples and decants too.
Surrender To Chance are the best BTW. They are my friends and I love them.
Portia xx
OK, I’m a little nervous about my ability to achieve these goals but am willing to give it a try. My word for the year is CLEAR so I think this challenge is nicely aligned!
I think you can DEW EEET! I’ve been spending the last few days ‘clearing’ and it feels amazing!
Yes, creating space for wonder Musette.
Hiya LemonCake,
Don’t sweat. I need to thunk the perfume, you need to be the commenter and tell us what you’ve spritzed, thunked, bought, loved, loathed. THEN you need to go answer other comments and show them all some support.
If this works like I’m hoping, we will all have a year of excellent perfume conversation, get to know each other a little, find some new friends and have a blast.
Some of the people I’ve met through perfume continue to be my dear friends, all over the world, we try to visit as many as we can every vacation. To say perfume people changed my life is no understatement.
Portia xx
Yesss! Definitely in! This is the best news of 2025 so far?
I already added a to-be-thunked column to my perfume wardrobe spreadsheet in December to motivate decluttering of samples&travel sprays. This will definitely motivate me with that (or lead to further compulsive sampling…)
Happy New Year everyone!
I’m hoping we do a serious declutter in 2025 finance and then reward ourselves in 2026. I am fully aware too of the irony that we are doing a thunkfest but the prize each month is MORE DECANTS! Ha Ha ha ha. My evil plan revealed.
Portia xx
Ha! I miss all the chat too… it was fun to wake up and see a bunch of comments. I fobbed my HUGE collection of samples and decants (alphabetized by house) off on Musette before one of my post-divorce moves, I simply did not have the space or the energy. So I made them her problem hahaha. This is a great idea!
and it was very much appreciated – and you also SUCK! (bwahahaha!) because now they ARE my problem – a lovely, lovely problem… but … (where’s that shrug TRex when I need him?)
HA!
Delegation is key March. Inspirational in fact.
Portia xx
Yes! On board the Good Ship Decant Demolition! I’ve got many small samples, too, that are cluttering up my space waiting to be tested and/or worn.
Let’s get them empty then DinaC,
Can’t wait to see the thunks you have.
Portia xx
I am in! These are some serious goals. The results should be fun!
Hey there leahscoffee,
The perfume goals are for me, the comment goals for you. Hopefully you’ll empty some of your excess decants over the year too. I’m already chugging through the remains of a 2012 Roja 10ml decant. It’s pretty good too.
I’m excited to have you on board.
Portia xx
One thing I noticed this past year doing my 366 project is that my small decants are rapidly evaporating. Those little sprayers just don’t last as long and I made a mistake in not sealing them up in plastic ziplocks, I think. I’ll join you in the effort to go through them since they will probably disappear anyway, may as well enjoy. Interspersed with repeat wears of my favorite bottles, though! Happy New Year everyone!
SO EXCITED you’re coming along to join the fun MMKinPA, I loved following your Insta 365 last year. Can’t wait to see what we can get through in 2025.
Of course wearing your bottles as well. Tell Usa about them too in the comments.
Portia xx
Hi, Portia. I love reading your reviews. I find that I try a sample and if I’m not crazy about it I put it somewhere and forget about it. Eventually it becomes discontinued!
Have you thought about organizing your samples to by vintage vs still available? I find that if I like something and I don’t buy it it can become dced.
Also, your reviews are works of art and maybe aspiring to that every day is too much. Could you make yourself a questionnaire?
I’d join you in this project but it would take me a year to find where I put the samples!
Looking forward to reading what you write, Portia!
Hey there JillS,
Thank you.
That’s a fabulous idea about organizing them. Maybe wait till I’ve denuded the cupboard a bit. I can’t even imagine right now.
You don’t need to review anything to comment. Just tell us something you wore, comment on what others are wearing, get in there and chat. It’s becoming a lost art amongst the perfume community and it was such a wonderful vibrant part of the experience. Coming to the computer at any hour, dropping a comment or two, coming back an hour or day later and doing it again, replying to replies and making friends.
Hope to see you here a lot.
Portia xx
I have samples that should probably be divested (not so much decants). I can participate that way. I really did enjoy your sample thunk posts over the year you did them and look forward to this.
Excellent Cinnamon,
Whatever you can get yourself using will make space for other choices, or just make space.
YAY for either.
Portia xx
I’m in! The few years on APJ when we chatted every day across the globe were the happy days of my life. When was it? 2016, 2017…??? I knew more about the lives and families of Brigitta, Marcella and the other girls than I knew what was going on at my home 😀
I’ve recently piled up quite some decants because I need a new kick every now and then and I can’t find something full bottle worthy 🙁 so, let’s get rid of the decants!
Hey Neva,
Yeah, APJ went from 2011 through 2018, maybe 19? We had two cyber attacks that really broke the momentum, killed a lot of our loyal readership and made me sad. What an amazing time we had. There are SOTD threads that hit 650 comments, it’s really bonkers how much we all had to say and I miss it terribly.
Glad to have you aboard,
Portia xx
PS: Just went and looked. We closed APJ writing Feb 2020.
Great idea, Portia.
I have been part of a local group of perfumeistas, 3 friends much younger than me, for a couple of years. Now the French woman is moving ? and I will miss her pronunciations and enthusiasm, so I will try to be more present on the Posse.
I bought a small decant of Imaginary Authors Dipped in Chocolate at the NST split meet and it’s my current obsession. It has cardamom and somehow the opening has this floral incense scent that I guess is the cardomom interacting cleverly with other notes to smell like incense (to my nose.) The chocolate is a dark dusty cocoa. Highly recommend!
Really sorry to hear you frag buddy is moving Rosarita, losing friends in proximity is a bummer.Glad though that it will mean we get more comments from you, it’s always a joy to have you here.
Portia xx
Sounds bloody wonderfully smelly and incredible! I’m in! I too miss the chats x
YAY Margeaux!
My day is officially made. Do I need to send you some extra decants for thunking?
Portia xx
I shall be carrying on with my intermittent British Indie & Niche Series. I have so many to work through.
Now the worst has happened regarding DH’s sarcoma returning I need to keep my mind & hands busy.
I will likely pick up my knitting project again, inflamed hands allowing
Alityke, I’m so sorry to hear about your husband….and your inflamed hands. I hope you are able to finding distraction as necessary.
Thank you Rosarita. The hands are always inflamed but the blanket is on huge needles & I can grip those. Just need to keep Mr Jarvis from thinking the wool is a game
Mr Jarvis sees the joy YOU get playing with it. Of course he wants in
How fun! I was planning on working through my travel sizes this year but I might throw in my samples, as well, in the spirit of your challenge! I haven’t bought much in the past year and have big savings goals for 2025 so this’ll be a good way to refocus!
Julia, you can be spritzing whatever you want. The 30ml Decant per month is my goal. Whatever your goal is just drop in and tell us how you’re going, what you had a success with or chat to our other members. It will be like a family across the dinner table without all the drama.
Portia xx
30ml a month! That’s a lot of spritzing!
You’re making me think of all my gazillion samples that I did attempt to work through but got overwhelmed and admittedly a bit frightened that I’d put on a dud and have regrets so I kind of abandoned it. And some that I really liked I looked up to find that they’re discontinued… that’s how old some are.
So yes. I doubt I’ll get through 30ml but I will also try to thunk some.
I look forward to hearing what you get though and will update a bit over here too…
Well, most of my decants are used, evaporated a bit and not the full quota so even a 10ml decant may only have 2ml in. The whole decant size is the measure though, so…
Also, YOU don’t need to do 30ml. All you need to be is a relevant commenter to be a part of this. even if you come by to say “Damnit! I tried with these two decants but did not get to the bottom.” Or comment on another persons comment about their choices, good outcome, poor outcome, just comment. Bring back the years where we all shared the love and made it fun.
Portia xx
I am on board with this! I finally got all my boxes out of storage and can now start organizing and downsizing(hopefully) my belongings! I have accumulated so many fragrance samples and it seems that they really are like tribbles, growing exponentially (please forgive the Star Trek reference).
I know that I have even more fragrance samples coming with my most recent Ulta purchase. (They had a GWP) I would be interested to know what samples you are using up.
Happy New Year to you all!
HA! Star Trek references welcome Michelle. They’re meaningless to me but there are people right now laughing at your jape.
Excellent to have you on board. Get spritzing those decants.
Portia xx
Tribbles were so cute but made breeding rabbits look amateurish.
HA! Hilarious Alityke. Kinda like Gremlins?
I’m sure the Tribbles episode from the original Star Trek series will be on t’interweb somewhere. Even if you have no interest in sci-fi the OG Star Trek with Shatner, Nimoy & Nickels is beyond camp & hilarious. Lots of quizzing inspiration too. Tribbles is the most hilarious though!
The Trouble with Tribbles series 2 ep 15
I watched them as a youn get person but have no memory of it except how handsome William Shatner was and how they could have done a lot better with costuming. I may go search it out though, for fun.
Do it. Do it. Do it.
Maybe save it for a day when you’re feeling meh. An hour’s hilarity!
I’m going to scroll through theTV apps to watch when DH is having chemo xxx
HA! You have pushed me over the edge. I will watch it next time I hit YouTube
I am in. I made a commitment to use up my Amouage body butters. The texture of mine have started to get a little strange but they still smell good. I really should start looking at my decant/sample stuff and wearing them instead of wearing Lyric and no 5 so much.
Fantastic Eldarwen22,
OH NO on the body butters. Lucky for you the cold months are perfect baby butter weather.
Portia xx
I have the rest of an Amouage Epic body milk which I bought in a set for my 50-th birthday. It still smells wonderful and I will be turning 60 this year!
WOW Neva, that’s some seriously good longevity.
Portia xx
Do you mean me or the body milk? 😀
HA!
I love both of the motives behind this! I was just thinking that I need to do something about the overflow of decants here, and I love talking about perfumes with others as crazy as I am. Finding others who cared about scents as much as I did was life changing – I might be nuts but there are Others Like This Too.
Let’s tidy up and have fun!
MaggieCat! So glad to have you aboard.
O M G! I remember the joys of finding you all somewhere around 2010. My eyes wee instantly opened, and my mind, and my WALLET! HA
Portia xx
I’m in. I’m been trying to use up sample vials (I shudder to think how many sample vials and decants I own) over the past year and need encouragement to stay the path.
Excellent Carolyn,
We’ll be excited to have you on board. A little push every month will be good for us all. Also, even if we don’t make it we can all have a bloody good moan! YAY
Portia xx