Hey Hey Posse, Woo Hoo! First month of Decant Demolition 2025 and we have lift off. 32ml of decants emptied! Now it’s up to you to comment your way into a chance at a US$50 Surrender To Chance Gift Voucher
Decant Demolition 2025 January
My Challenge
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 of 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 for my DD2025.
Your Challenge
Play along. Use up some decants/samples/bottles. Pass those unloved extras on to others or leave them in your workplace bathroom for people to take.
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 or Got It. It must be a pertinent comment to the Decant Demolition 2025 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.
January Empties
Fleurs de Glace by Olympic Orchids 5ml
Cannot tell you how much I’ve been loving this weird assed green thing. Right to the dregs, and now wishing I’d bought 200ml of it. Fleurs de Glace is an unsung masterpiece and I wish it was still available so you could all try it. Icy cold floral crystal shards undercut by a non bakery vanilla. Exquisite.
La Fumee Ottoman by Miller Harris 8m
Thank everything I found a bottle of this now discontinued beauty online. La Fumee Ottoman is an amber incense fragrance with loads of bells and whistles. “(An) explosive opening quickly morphs into a lovely sweaty patchouli and here I smell hints of roses. Kind of like potpourri. Dry, dusty rose petals and I also smell anise seed pods. WOW!”
Musc by Mona di Orio 5ml
Another gone forever beauty. Musc has grown on me so much while wearing this decant. Its scent has become more nuanced and textural as I’ve worn it more often. I feel beautiful while being bathed in its loveliness and kick myself for selling on my bottle. GRRR! This was a fabulous Decant Demolition refind.
Paris: Roses de Bois by Yves Saint Laurent 5ml
With the signature Paris violet, rose, lily and iris base and a very few bells and whistles added Roses de Bois takes me back to my Mum wearing it for a while. She really was a breath of fresh air in it and I loved to cuddle in close and breathe her in.
Vaara by Penhaligon’s 10ml
I remember getting this decant and spritzing it a couple of times. A softly honeyed floral bouquet and I was all YAWN! Well, rediscovering it I was using it to scent my Christmas Cards and it was suddenly more than I remembered. Still not really my style but very nicely put together and pretty.
OK! Over to you crew. What did you wear? Did you thunk? Have you loved what someone else has worn, or hated it?
Let’s chat about our January Decant Demolition 2025.
Portia xx
Thunked my ancient decants of Tauer Lonestar Memories and L’air du Desert Marocain. They had been rattling around in a pouch for over a decade!
Oh man , I would LOVE to win , aka snag a perfume! I cant buy perfume as of later- no budgret!- kids! And a my first grand baby, lol. So I have like 2 bottles, and nothing fancy either. I dig anything woody, papery , books, iris, etc.. I am having trouble finding decent shipping rates to me here in Canada 🙁 I am however, addicted to looking up perfumes, and reviewing though. A LOT.
Christa from nfld at gmail dot com, if anyone wants to do me an ace? I’ll pay for untracked shipping. 🙂 It’s cheaper.
PS ADDICTED to your site/blog lol
I love this project! I forces me to whittle down the clutter 🙂 In January I was able to finish off the following:
*Tocca Giulietta perfumed hair mist travel spray (easy, this is one of my most complimented scent ever), I also have two fb’s and several shower gels
*Tory Burch Tory Burch travel rollerball – love this one, will have to find a fb somewhere, I think it may be discontinued?
*Franck Boclet Vanille deluxe sample – interesting vanilla with a citrus and spice top, I love Boclet scents and debating repurchase of Icon
*Colornoise sample set – the only one I would consider is Circus Peanut, very realistic and lots of fun, but I don’t care for the drydown
*Jennifer Aniston Jennifer Aniston decant – would consider repurchase at a good price, also discontinued
Fabulous work VerbenaLuvvr,
That original Tory Birch was lovely. The bottle is gorgeous too.
Portia xx
I am playing along! I gathered all of my spray decants that are dwindling, every few days grabbing one to use up. My thunks in January included:
L’Artisan Vanille Absolument
Tauerville Amber Flash
Tauerville Incense Flash
Hiram Green Lustre
Lolita Lempicka Illusions Noire Si Lolita
Aedes des Venustas Pelargonium
Dame Black Flower Mexican Vanilla
Guerlain Cuir Beluga
Estée Lauder Private Collection
Serge Lutens Fumerie Turque
Serge Lutens Gris Clair
Most of these were nearly empty/evaporated. Date back to a
number of years ago when I was active daily on NST and participated in a lot of swap meets and split meets. I wish I had been better about using them up when they were fresh. The saddest was the L’Artisan, which was the remnant of the broken full bottle – sad to see that one gone.
WOW MMKinPA! That is a stellar lineup. Some seriously cool kid decants thunked. Congratulations.
Does it feel freeing?
Portia xx
I’m tidying up my nightstand drawer and am trying to use up some samples and decants that live in there. I finished (but then…reordered more) Arquiste Anima Dulcis. I wore that to the first opera gala I went to with my now-husband so I feel like I need some of this on hand. It’s beautiful and cozy, but doesn’t turn too sweet on me. Maybe a FB in my future. I also found a mostly-dried out decant of Dzing!. It seems to be discontinued now? Too bad, it was a fun one.
Ever the conundrum we perfumistas live Calrayo! Finish and buy the bottle of finish it and remember it lovingly. Anima Dulcis is one of my favourites from the line. Rich and thick but wearable at all times. YUM!
Portia xx
I have Dzing! in my box to use up. Almost dried too. Although I thought it was a little weird to wear, at least on me!
I used up my Mona di Orio samps eons ago and could kick myself that I didn’t get a couple of bottles while I still could. Paying for shelter is such a bore..
What was your favourite MdO Tom?
Portia xx
It has been fun to keep a list in anticipation of this!
I emptied a few samples, but I probably used only about 1 ml of liquid – I like to dab just tiny amounts numerous times to give me a chance to properly think about the perfume. I emptied the last drops from:
L’Ame Perdue from Le Galion – gorgeous floral, this is on my buy list
Kerosene’s Copper Skies
Guerlain’s Bois Mysterieux
Private Teahouse from Chasing Scents – this is on my list of possible purchases
Immortelle from Manos Gerakinis – I’ve just bought a bottle
Orange Sirocco from Les Indemodables
Gold Rose Oud from Tiziana Terenzi
OOOHHHH! Nice work Gaynor.
I love L’Ame Perdue and Bois Mysterieux enough that there are bottles here. The Chasing Scents distributor went bust here in Oz but I enjoyed their range immensely.
Portia xx
I am not actively trying to finish decants or samples. I get my 8-10 ml decants to see if I need a bottle of something I’ve already sampled. There are some that I still like but don’t want a bottle. I just gradually use them up.
I was looking at some small samples that are in my positive pile. You and many others raved about Mohur Extrait. I finally got a small sample. It’s marvelous! Will be getting a 9ml decant, but this time it’s because the bottle is too expensive right now. dnem
Hey Maya,
Oh yes. Mohair Extrait is divine. What a sensational fragrance. The 9ml will probably last you a lifetime. One spritz and I’m fragrant all day and night.
Portia xx
Your post made me think about Paris – the original YSL scent. I loved it back in the day and now am wanting to check out the Rose de Bois. I managed to thunk a bunch of samples (Bombay Bling – so fun!; Feb 14 1912, Soliel Invisible, Fire at Will – still like Tihota best for vanilla; Neroli Botanica, Jasmin Satin and Fzotics’s Au Dela Narcisse – described as vintage but not my cup of tea). Wearing Epic Woman today – which can be a little dangerous because it always makes me feel like I can accomplish anything and everyone should get out of my way!
I wore Paris back in the day and I still have a bottle, and there are days in late winter/spring where nothing else will do!
I have a Paris flanker called Paris Jardins Romantiques that I love. For a while they released a new Paris flanker every year.
YAY Lemoncake,
What a Thunk-Fest! Jin wears Bombay Bling, it is bloody gorgeous on him. After smelling it on him it just doesn’t bloom like that on me so I leave it to him.
Epic Woman! You probably can accomplish anything with that on.
Go give em hell,
Portia xx
Portia, I’ve been reading your blogs for years and love imaging the scents you describe. I have probably 50 samples knocking around due to you! Starting my own clean out today. My favorites are the vintage Guerlain.
Hiya Ellen,
Thank you.
Vintage Guerlain will blow your skirt! Enjoy the rewearing and experience of using something that will never be replicated. Such a luxurious feeling.
Portia xx
Hi Portia, did Vaara remind you of Mohur? I have always been curious, and love most of Duchaufour’s work. Is there enough difference to warrant buying Vaara? It is such a shame about Mona di Orio’s demise, when to buy and when not to buy is the question…I am on ‘the wear what I have challenge’, and I enjoy it immensely. Just wore all my Goutals, and it taught me to mistrust my memory where fragrance is concerned. Quite a few: un Matin d’Orage, Myrrhe Ardente, Neroli, Eau de Charlotte, Ninfeo Mio are a lot nicer than I remembered. Such a nice surprise! I moved to my Chanels, currently purring in vintage 19 extrait. I wore 19 poudre and also enjoyed that much more than I thought I would.
AG — one of my favorite go-to lines. I had a bottle of Ninfeo Mio and swapped it away, now I regret it and want a replacement.
Heya Hamamelis,
I suppose it might have correlated if you made Mohair a cologne and added a shit tonne of peony? Vaara is nice but too wan for my taste whereas Mohair is textured, rich and a bit of a prima donna.
LOVE Annick Goutal oeuvre. What a beautiful brand. The idea to wear a certain house right through is very appealing.
No 19 extrait! PURRRRrrrrrrRRRRRRR
Portia xx
I have almost finished a bottle of Bulgari blue tea! Am also inspired to bring in an unwanted bottle to work.
YAY for nearly finishing a BOTTLE! Amazing work AnnieA.
Yeah, let them all use it in the bathroom or steal it. No matter, it will be one less thing for you to worry about.
Portia xx
I haven’t used anything up but it’s orchid frenzy over here — actual orchids, two of which are fragrant (a cattleya and a brassavola that looks like it’s waiting to be pollinated by tiny pterodactyls). What a reminder that they’re as old as the dinosaurs. I adore orchids even though we’re very much in the wrong climate here, so lots of fussing over them re humidity. I think I bought my first fragrant cattleya back in the day when I was first getting into perfume! Xo
WOW! Lucky you. Fragrant orchids win the room.
I learned something recently about magnolias. Did you know they were around before bees so beetles have to pollinate them! Isn’t that amazing?
Portia x
Oh I wish I could experience Fleurs de Glacé. That sounds amazing! I think I have a decant from Olympic Orchids around here somewhere but doubt it’s that one. I’ll have to go deep diving. I’ve been going through samples of BPAL (thunked Hellcat which matched my mood and now moving on to Oblivion) and Possets (not doing it for me because they all smell so much alike…must be something about the base). These are all small 1ml samples so getting through 1 about every 3 days.
Nice work Carolyn,
Three thunks is progress.
Yeah, Fleurs de Glace was super interesting.
Portia xx
January is my deep cleaning and decluttering month, so this fits right in nicely Portia. During last month I gave my collection a hard look. Sold Guerlain L’Instant, gave away a Serge Lutens mini and a Dior Exclusive sample and some other samples. It’s Murphy’s Law that we seem to collect, or be given, the kind of samples we have no interest in, right? Here are the large samples I wore in January: Nanadebery Green, AdP LotV, Balenciaga Le Dix, Brown Girl Jane Bahia, AG Rose Splendide, Arielle Shoshana Monday, and Diptyque Do Son. I don’t think I thunked any of them yet. Maybe in February! I’m a lightweight when it comes to spraying.
Yay for deep cleaning and decluttering DinaC. I find it hard to let things I’ve loved go. People and things. Also, I have to remind myself constantly that that way lies an episode of HOARDERS!
Whoa! You wore a bunch. Did any of them speak to you?
Portia xx
I love Le Dix and bought a vintage mini of it.
Your description of Fleurs de Glace sounds intriguing,and reminds me how dangerous these posts are. I can feel the sampling frenzy kicking in?
I have no decants atm (I finish them on arrival), but still need to work through my sample stash so I am trying to thunk 2-3 samples each month.
January empties:
Holy Mountain (Apoteker Tepe): smells like I slept by campfire before going to orthodox church. Want!
Coeur d’Ylang (Comptoir Sud Pacifique): pleasant, but Nuxe dry oil ticks the same boxes for me
Forever Amber (Technique Indiscrete): beautiful dryish amber, really enjoyed this<3
WOW! You got some lovelies on your body this month finanna,
Lemming on that Holy Mountain. Sounds beautiful.
Portia xx
I’d chosen Guerlain L’Heure de Nuit to thunk. Evaporating but half the 10ml decant left. Not there yet as DH isn’t keen, he says it smells like his maternal grandma. I suspect she wore L’Heure Bleue. He describes her as self important, self centred & she lived in a very large house. I suspect she bullied his mum mercilessly.
I love L’heure de Nuit. Managed to snag a bottle shortly before it was discontinued.
Me too. But I’ll have to wear it whilst DH is in hospital overnight having his chemo.
Hey Alityke,
OMG! Guerlain DCd L’Heure de Nuit? Bummer. It is so pretty.
Better to use than lose.
Bummer about DHs GM. Hope he is doing OK
Portia x
What a pity that La Fumee Ottoman is discontinued. Would like to have tried that one. I am making my way through the Eris discovery set and chose Mx. today because I find it quite comforting. My dog is having a small surgery today and the sueded sandalwood and cacao of Mx. is soothing my nerves a bit.
Hi DoesItHorse.
AHHHHHHHHH I love Mx, it’s on my To Buy list.
Good luck with the supper, I hope best outcomes.
Portia xx
DNEM – but I’ve been wearing some of my Amouage Attar decants – not likely to finish them, though, because a) I don’t wanna and b) I really enjoy them.
Currently revisiting Saffron Hamra (which I always call Saffron Mamba because (insert shrug emoji) – it’s dry greenness is lovely this changeable time of year!
Musette! Those Amouage Attars are so good. I was offered a couple of testers way back when they were DCing the original series but I knew someone who really wanted then so I told them to give them there. REGRET!
A few years ago I bought the set in one ml from Surrender to Chance but have been too careful and stingy to ever use them
Portia xx
Oooo!!! I have the sampler set of those attars! Thanks for reminding me!!!
Hi all. Am I the only one who doesn’t like to thunk stuff? I like to keep things for comparison, like a little scent library. Now, if decants/samples are evaporating or turning, that’s different. I sometimes pour samples into my laundry loads, especially sheets and towels, to use them up but I didn’t thunk anything in January.
PS – sorry if this is a duplicate comment, I’ve been having difficulties posting here.
Ha! Ms A – I do that, too! I also ‘rinse’ out decants/samples and use the water in my EO mister.
It’s probably why my house always smells like a whorehouse on payday 😉
How do you use fragrance in your laundry? Do you pour it in with the detergent or does it go in the fabric softener tray?
I put it in with the detergent. Even scrubbers smell better this way but the effect is subtle.
I’m going to try this! Thanks for the tip.
Just yesterday I spritzed a bunch of scent into the bath water before taking a bath. It was a scent that is older, neglected, not a favorite. Frankly, I’d like to use it up. Adrienne Vittadinni Venezia. It’s jasmine, lemon and sandalwood, but very wan. Like the dial is turned to 1. Made the bath smell nice. I might try your sheets and towels trick with it.
That sounds like a GREAT way to use up something you don’t actively love but aren’t going to wear!
Yeah, I like this idea too.
Hey Rosarita,
We all get the WP rejections now and then. I usually restart the computer and it all works fine.
If it’s something innocuous and I won’t wear it out then Jin gets it sprayed on his bedlinen when I change the sheets. He likes it and I use up a bunch of stuff. Win Win.
Portia x
I used to keep for reference – and still have lots of little dab samples that are fine. I’m working through my mostly empty sprays for this project – almost all due to evaporation. Also trying to limit my samples to things I REALLY want to give another go to, rather than keeping around if I was meh to start. Dumping in laundry sounds like a good solution to use up!
This was why I returned to this crazy world of perfume after a few years of diverting my moula elsewhere- because everything’s being discontinued! Things I never thought would be, like Amouage Fate ?, so I had to grab all my wishlist before they’re gone too. Luckily I have a Md’O coffret from way back when (where DID all the coffrets go?) so have a wee bit of Musc, but missed that Miller Harris. Maybe a good thing. But I do dread actually going through my samples in case I find beautiful ghosts…
Hiya Lynley,
Yes, the search for beautiful ghosts can be heartbreaking, not to mention the costs involved.
I love to buy a coffret but then they invariable sit here untouched. I’m crazy and need to get going on them.
Portia xx
I also had a slow start to January – a fall while traveling in December (at the Acropolis no less!) has led to this week’s knee surgery with all the prepatory yuck in between. I had hoped to get more organized and to downsize, yet here I am at 4 am my time with an ice pack, some rice pudding, and painkillers. Still, I did manage to say goodbye to a few older samples that had gone “off.” Its a start, and I have hopes for a more productive February.
Sorry to hear about your fall and your knee surgery. I’ve had two knee surgeries and that’s some major pain, keep taking your meds.
Maggiecat –
TOTALLY sympathizing with your fall and subsequent surgery, etc..
…but may I just say (in all seriousness) what an elegant explanation!
‘Why did you have to have knee surgery?’
“I fell. At the Acropolis”
I know, right!? At least a decent backstory! Not for me the generic tumble off a curb or skid on ice. Nope. Tripped at the Acropolis!
Hope the surgery has gone well Maggie & you didn’t have to wait for months for it. Always a good thing.
I’d love a scent that smells like a really good home made rice pudding. A couple of years ago we went out to celebrate the January family birthdays. I choose rice pudding with tonka stewed prunes. Deeply delicious! If only Guerlain could bottle that smell
Oh Maggiecat, I’m so sorry about your injury. Sending good vibes that you recover quickly and completely.
BUMMER on the Acropolis fall, do you think the Gods knocked you over in a fit of pique that you smelled so divine?
“Ice pack, some rice pudding, and painkillers.” feels like a perfect recovery mode.
Portia xx
Well, I disappeared two samples. Bond No 9 Chinatown used to be so out there and interesting. Now, it’s nice. Too bad. Anyway, sort of middle of the road ambery thing missing the floor wax and old-style grocery store smell aspect. By Kilian Love Don’t Be Shy. Boy, is this fun. Cotton candy up top, then sweet oriental. Completely understand why Rhianna loves it. Really enjoyed the sample but no need for a bottle.
Congratulations Cinnamon,
2 is better than none.
Even better when you finish top decants and don’t need to buy a bottle.
Happy outcomes.
Portia xx
The only decant that I managed to thunk was that last little bit of my Patou Joy extrait. It’s a beautiful rose jasmine thing that is incredibly slutty. My mother took and emptied the 3ml decant of En Passant. She really likes the concept of En Passant but not enough to spend $85 on a travel spray. Let’s hope I can actually do better in February. Because I bought a Discovery set from Luckyscent.
I’ve bought many discovery sets from Luckyscent! I think my favorite has been the one from Francesca Bianchi. Which one did you get?
Snagged the Rogue Discovery set. Was thinking about the Hiram Green Discovery set but I will get that at a latter date.
Highly recommend the Hiram Green. I haven’t yet sniffed the very latest but do love the older perfumes that have tried.
I have a edp of Joy. Were you able to compare the extrait to the edp?
Wondering how different the two are.
The extrait is a little deeper and richer than the edp. You can’t find the extrait anywhere that isn’t charging a mortgage payment.
Mmmm, I really appreciate Joy, too. It has that classic perfume timeless scent. I have a tiny mini of it. Plus my mom’s name is Joy, so that makes it fun.
Woo Hoo! On your Joy Extrait! ” It’s a beautiful rose jasmine thing that is incredibly slutty. ” HA! Nailed it Eldarwen22.
Yeah, $8.50/ml seems steep. I’m with Mum.
Portia xx