2023, we bid you adieu. Donatella Versace, Our Lady of Scented Excess,1 wants to help you move into 2024 with a clean slate and a clean conscience. Do confess what you bought in the 4th quarter (October, November and December) of 2023; Donatella's mercy knows no bounds.
Note that if you have javascript disabled, you won't be able to vote in the poll, but you can still record your purchases in the comments.
My purchases...
....never happened, all year. This is the first year since I fell down the rabbit hole in 2003-ish that I failed to buy any perfume whatsoever. And guess what, I still have more perfume than I can use up during my lifetime.
As always, report your purchases in the comments if you dare! And as always, we don't include samples or gifts, and you can count miniatures, decants and bottle-splits howsoever you like (I usually count them as half bottles). Samples don't generally count at all, even though some of us spend considerable sums obtaining them.
1. Why does Donatella host (against her will, mind you) the damage polls? There is no real reason other than the picture of her perfume collection, which shows that she indulges regularly at the perfume counter. The image, by the way, is originally from Allure magazine and appears here courtesy of Blogdorf Goodman.
I started keeping track of my purchases in 2015. After reviewing them recently I noticed some things. One, I had a decant of Saturday I have no memory of, Two, Perfume prices have increased so much in the past nine years, and Three, my spending has decreased every year except one. In 4th quarter 2023, I bought:
CSP Aloha Tiare, a 30ml tester
Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit, 100 mls that I split on NST. I still have some left if anyone wants some.
Arquiste Indigo Smoke, 10ml
Akro Bake, 30ml
Total spending for the quarter $318
Total bottles 4
Interesting statistics – thank you for sharing them. I remember thinking recently that $50 is the new $20 when it comes to so-called perfume deals. Maybe I will be inspired to better track my sample hoard, too.
I was amazed at the price increases. For example, in 2015 I paid $109 for Jovoy Les Liturgie des Heures and today Luckyscent wants $200.
Yes, it’s quite horrifying. I’m glad I started collecting in 2000 and not 2024.
These are some great ones!
I didn’t realize you’d bought Indigo Smoke—my new favorite. How are you liking it?
I bought it blind because you liked it so much, but it doesn’t thrill me. I’ll probably swap it at some point.
I was doing so well until October rolled around, and I went to Paris, and that was the end of that. Even with a masterful display of restraint, I ended up with
Fragonard Vetiver, $51
Fragonard Eau du Séducteur, $51
Serge Lutens Écrin de fumée, $160
and should we count room sprays? They’re perfume for the house. If so,
SL La Dame de Heian [aka The Japanese One], $88
SL Mesk el-laïl [aka The Arabian One], $88
SL Pierres Sèches, Laine et Cuir [aka The Scottish One], $88
And when I got home, because it was finally in stock after months of waiting,
Lush Let The Good Times Roll, $42
Total $568 ($304 if we’re not counting the parfums d’ambience, but really, I think I should). Kind of a shock, actually. I’m not expecting to travel at all in 2024, so I should be able to manage a zero. Fingers crossed. (Like Robin, I have enough to last me for the rest of my life and then some.)
Given that you were in Paris and given how much perfume is available in Paris, I think you were remarkably restrained 🙂
I agree with Gaynor.
I agree: your Paris spend was within reason!
Yay for perfume spending in Paris! No better place. 🙂
I was good up until about 2 weeks to the end of the year and then I purchased
The Legend of Mysore $134
Chengmen $250
mostly full Djelem $130
I had a rough December and I just ended up rewarding myself for getting through it
Always good to reward yourself. I did the same thing.
Just got a 1 ounce bottle of Clinique Happy and the rollerball too.
Happy is a good one to purchase. I made some more for this spring and summer.
I had a very difficult end of year which didn’t help with my perfume purchases.
I got Guerlain Iris extrait ( a gift from my husband) don’t know if it counts.
Divine Vanille
Kurkdjian a la rose elixir and Oud Satin Mood elixir sets because they were on sale .
I am now reading Germaine Cellier’s life (a cartoon book in french) and would love to try out her creations, Bandit in particular.
I have more Bandit than I will ever use — I love it but it is not terribly work-friendly for me so I do not wear it often. If you are in the CONUS, PM me and I’ll send a sample. k w e l s h (followed by numerals nine nine nine) at gee mail.
Thank you very much for your offer but I am in Canada.
Oh, crud — I’m sorry. Wish I could just toss a parcel across Lake Ontario to you (of course if you’re out west, even that would not work).
How wonderful to receive the iris extrait as a gift! Gifts don’t count. 🙂
What a great hubby!
Oops, I counted my gift bottle, but then I pretty well bought that for myself (I put it on my wishlist and the money came out of my account). And two splits that I didn’t count. So basically, just Boudicca Wode, which was the gift.
I was briefly tempted by Ormonde Jayne’s 30% off sale on Woman, but I’m still not sure I need a FB, even at a good price.
My wallet is happy and my heart is sad that I was unaware of that sale!
Having been wild in the first half of 2023, I bought only one bottle in December — a repurchase of an old favourite, L’Instant de Guerlain pour homme in EdTz and I couldn’t be happier.
It’s always good to pick up an old friend!
Especially one who smells that good…
Ugh, Donatella, don’t make me list all the vintage stuff I bought!
In my defense, only one of these (Amazone) cost more than $40, which in perfume math is free (?)
Amazone edp
Ysatis
Diptyque Virgilio
Halston cologne
Helena Rubenstein Courant
Anne Klein Blazer
Leonard Tamango edt
Capucci Filly edt
Liz Claiborne edt
Weil de Weil pdt
Rochas Femme pdt
Givenchy III edt
Private Collection pdt
Montana parfum de peau edt
It looks as if you’ve had a lot of very reasonably-priced fun!
Sure did!
I always try to find a pdt version of something. And, Amazone, Ysatis, Liz Claiborne – all in all a great list!
Me too. There are a lot of good options out there!
Nothing in Q4 for me, though I did (as posted in an earlier set of comments) cave and buy a bottle of Rose Jam shower gel. Both Mr. Skal and I are at the point where the amount of stuff we have gives us panic attacks, which makes it easier not to bring in more. I am sure I will get either a BUB of Roísín Dubh or a different Cloon Keen fragrance when we are back in Ireland this fall, but otherwise, I have no hankerings. (How long will that feeling last?)
I bought Rose Jam recently too…I got sick of it for a bit, let myself run out, then started craving it 🙂
I didn’t buy anything in the last quarter. I’ve still got a few things I wouldn’t mind owning, but they can wait. Or so I tell myself.
I’ve never managed an entire year without purchases.
I didn’t think I ever would go a whole year!
I have two FBs to confess to Donatella:
Arquiste L’Or de Louis
Scherrer 2
L’Or de Louis was a birthday present from my mother, but she gave me some money and I chose the present, so I think there’s some confessionable action there.
Scherrer 2 was a cheap unsniffed purchase. I like Scherrer so much that I decided it’s worth taking a punt on others from the brand. Scherred 2 isn’t as fabulous, but I like it a lot. I’d describe it as a dense floral.
I really need to try that Arquiste!
Nothing really interesting. I got a 5ml decant of Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit from the splitmeet and 10ml dupes of Jo Malone Honey & Crocus and Oat & Cornflower from Oil Perfumery. Those two were really disappointing since they do not even smell a bit close to the original. Unfortunately, the Jo Malone English Field collection was a limited edition and nowhere to be found. Otherwise, I would have purchased full bottles.
I didn’t get much in 2023, and I am sure it will be the same in 2024.
That’s a shame about the Oil Perfumery.
I have a couple of their oils and they are pretty decent, but those two “Jo Malone” are really bad.
I bought all kinds of things I am too embarrassed to confess, completely went off the rails for the last quarter of 2023. I will say I bought Francesca Bianchi Encounters which was lovely, as well as SL Écrin de Fumée and Meo Fusciuni Viole Nere, which were a couple of favorite new releases. 2024 is the beginning of my 3 year perfume hiatus. I have enough perfume to last 10 lifetimes.
Joining you in embarrassment.
I will remind you 🤣
Thank you, I am counting on it!
😻
I would love to try a hiatus for a year even, but I don’t know if I can do it or not.
Low or no buy for me! I have exceptions though, especially for indie perfumes.
I hope you aren’t taking a hiatus from commenting here (says the gal who has had spotty commenting at best over the last few months). 🙈
I bought two perfumes in the fourth quarter, both with discounts. A bottle of Jones Road Shower for $36 from their website and a 0.34 oz travel size bottle of Estée Lauder Tender light for $32 from Bloomingdale’s.
My sense of smell has returned finally and my first inclination was to buy all the perfumes to celebrate. Instead, and more sensibly so, I am going to do what I originally planned for 2024 which is to use up my extensive collection of samples and also wear the bottles of perfume I already own. I’ll see how long I can go without making a purchase. To me it is admirable to go an entire year without a perfume purchase and good for you for accomplishing that.
I enjoyed Tender Light, and several other of that line from EL.
I bought a couple items on sale during the post-Thanksgiving sales:
-Ormonde Jayne Osmanthus, 50 mL
-‘l’Artisan La Chasse aux Papillons, 10 mL
Two beauties!
Lady Donatella will be happy.
My damage this quarter:
Guerlain Imagine
Guerlain Tonka Sarrapia
Guerlain Feve Gourmande
LV Myriad
LV Ombre Nomade
YSL Babycat
Diptyque Benjoin Boheme
Chanel Gabrielle Essence
Ex Nihilo Oud Vendome
Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit
You had an amazing quarter, so many beautiful scents!
You got some great ones!
It’s a lovely list, enjoy.
Gorgeous list. Spray lavishly and enjoy!
A great list…lots of vanilla and gourmands! 😍
I bought so much during the 3rd quarter I couldn’t confess. ( even though most were super deals)
This quarter I claim 3 bottles.
1. Gucci Envy
2. Mugler Wonder Bouquet
3. Jo Malone Rose and Amber. I used some point perks for this, and I haven’t opened it yet. I did really enjoy my sample but I am going to test it again in store before I decide to keep it.
Third Quarter twin – but it was so much fun!
But the hangover was a doozy! 🤣
Wonderful to get Envy, you’re the one who told me about this perfume.
I love it so much. I can’t wait to wear it in the spring. Did you try it?(sorry if I forgot)
No, never tried, I keep my eyes open for a reasonably priced bottle.
I found it on auction. It must have been a slow night because there wasn’t much competition.and I won.
Oh, glad you found Envy!
I committed to a no-buy about mid-November, which lasts until I travel to a family wedding later this month. But starting in October I still managed to get in Donatella’s good graces as follows: partial bottles and (mostly) vintage minis, all less than $10 – DKNY Woman (not the grey sculptural bottle, the older cheapie), Angel Pivoine, Avril Lavigne Black Star, Laura Ashley Dilys, SJP Lovely, Cher Eau de Couture, JLo Glow, and Vent Vert. Bottles of 30mls or more – Angel Violette $58.85, No. 19 Poudre (100ml, $85.59 – though I don’t really want back-ups, the price was right from a good seller I will wear it more maybe), Germaine Monteil Royal Secret $90.50, Kelly Caleche (partial) $15.50, Lattafa Tharwah Gold $30, Lattafa Nebras $56, and a FragranceNet travel spray of Poeme. Angel Pivoine and Nebras were the big favorites. Believe it or not I’d never tried Glow or Lovely and I was glad to find I enjoyed both and appreciate why they are popular. The Poeme travel spray is a back up, but I wanted to compare it with my vintage bottle – was happy to find it smelled great and was very much Poeme.
Those Angel flankers are divine!
Good to know about Poeme.
Many goodies in there. I too have a vintage Poème, a little 30ml and I do enjoy it time to time.
You found some great scents!
Yikes! I came up with 9 bottles; one more and I would have been in the next higher category! Mostly it was Shiseido perfumes not readily available in the US. I got Koto, Memoire, Myth of Saso, Hanatsubaki Kei Sumire, and a small bottle of Mai extrait. I also picked up a mini Chamade extrait, a vintage EA Blue Grass, a mini of YR Rose Ispahan, a bottle of YR Mandarin Fraiche EdT, and a bottle of Phlur Missing Person. This last one is a “skin musk” type of scent that is probably not terribly original or unusual, but I find it very comforting. I had low-buy years in 2020 and 2021, and a no=buy year in 2022 (probably the first such year in my life since at least 8th grade), so I guess I was sort of making up for my restraint of the last few years.
I too have Koto and Mémoire, m’y Mémoire is a splash, I fine it soft and lovely, Koto resembles Diorling imo.
Yes, Memoire is a very soft, light floral aldehyde. I find I can apply it very liberally without it becoming overwhelming. There seem to be a couple of different bottle styles; mine is the one with curved sides, not the cylindrical one.
I checked, my bottle is curved too, so we’re twins😀
I was very bad in the fourth quarter. I bought 6 bottles that I know of for sure.
Dame Duality $58
Guerlain Mitsouko EDT $96.99
Guerlain Shalimar MI (3 bottles) $135 a bottle
Mugler Angel $150
Total $709.99
I have enough perfume for quite a while. I think next quarter I will do much better😉
Just my opinion, but a Mitsouko purchase is never wrong. 😊
Neither is Shalimar, in any of its incarnations. 😉
It’s funny because I have never worn Shalimar. Why I am so attracted to this one, I do not know.
Agreed! 😊
Yes, I do like it.
Yay for 3 bottles of Shalimar MI! I love that one. ❤️
I do too. That’s the problem🤣
Forgot my BUB of Dusita Splendiris.
I didn’t buy anything during Black Friday, my total is 6, no 100ml
Cartier So Pretty 50ml £43 I would have paid any amount as the seller was my favorite cat charity
Vintage Corday Toujours Moi 60ml £37 I have two of this brand (The other one is Fame) and they are both lovely perfumes
L’Occitane Eau d’Iparie 50ml £31 became my favorite incense
Gucci The alchemist’s garden oil 20ml A Kiss from Violet £60 so beautiful
Vintage Prince Matchabelli Beloved 30ml £11 I’d never heard of it before
Caron Fleurs de Rocaille extrait 25/30ml £25
Oh I have never heard of Beloved either! It’s exciting to find lost treasure.
Calypso remembered the ads for it. If you come across it don’t hesitate to buy, I bet it’s even cheaper in the US, the scent is intact, it’s a floral with a very pronounced civet base.
I have a couple vintage bottles of Fleurs de Rocaille! Never see it mentioned here (that I recall, at least)
It’s so distinctive isn’t it, yes, I don’t see it mentioned either.
Some unintentional perfume spending happened over here.
1) 10ml split of Tauer’s Nexium- intentional spending.
2) Essential Parfums Divine Vanilla 10ml travel spray- intentional spending.
3) Accidentally ordered TWO 10ml bottles of Essential Parfums Nice Bergamot. Have no clue how I did that, but I like it so I guess all is not lost!
I THINK that’s it but I don’t keep track. I’m a complete disgrace to Our Lady and I’m sure at some point she may banish me to a perfumeless land where the only scents available to wear are dependent on your dryer sheet choices…
Oops! Forgot JM Ginger Biscuit 10ml from a split!
Did you get both Nice Bergamot at the same time? Or were they separate orders?
Both at the same time. I looked at the receipt and sure enough, I had ordered two. I’m not too mad about it though, because it reminds me quite a bit of Azemour Les Orangers by PdE.
Geez. A lemming just ran by. 😩
Pretty much all decants for me, 5-10 ml each from swapmeet and splitmeet. Philosykos, Ginger Biscuit, Niral, Dusita Splendiris, 1957, Rose Ikebana and Osmanthe Yunnan. And squeaked in one mini of Todd Oldham from eBay.
Mini Todd Oldham twins!
I always meant to try it, then someone posted about it last week or the week before. Restrained myself from buying a larger (80% full) bottle or multiple minis since I haven’t actually smelled it before.
Collecting CP points with Gucci Rush today.
I hadn’t made any perfume purchases since mid-2021, so Q4 was pretty hefty (I unleashed the perfume Kraken):
FULL BOTTLES
1 LO Vanagloria
2 BV BV
3 LL L de Lolita Lempicka
4 Gres Cabochard
5 Rochas Femme Rochas
6 Guerlain Shalimar extrait
7 Les Indemodables Musc des Sables
8 Jovoy Psychedelique
9 Guerlain Shalimar Millesime Iris
10 Molinard Tubereuse Vertigineuse
11 Masque Milano Luce ed Ombre
12 Masque Milano White Whale
SMALL FORMATS
1. Scent of Woods Santal Umeshi
2. SoW Vanilla in Bourbon
3. SoW Praline in Maple
4. Oil Perfumery inspired by Spirit double vanilla
5. OP inspired by Lost cherry
6. OP inspired by Coromandel
7. The Different Co Sel de Vetiver
8. SoW Mycelium in Chestnut
I’ll count the decants/purse sprays s 1/3 of a bottle, so rounding that up to 3 bottles yields a total Q4 acquisition of 15 bottles. Gulp.
My FB purchases include:
– 2 BUBs (L de Lolita Lempicka and MM Luci ed Ombre)
– 4 blind buys: Molinard Tubereuse Vertigineuse (mild regret), MM White Whale (happy), Cabochard (happy), Femme Rochas (happy)
– 50% had been on the wishlist for a reasonably long period of time (this includes the BUBs)
I hope to keep my entire 2024 budget to what I spent above.
Thanks for reminding me of Gucci Rush!
In other random musings: I was just served an ad from Twisted Lily for an ELDO I hadn’t seen before: Frustration.
Horrible name! What’s next? Stress? Crippling anxiety due to the state of the world?
Notes include “ pure rhum jungle essence, pure vanilla jungle essence”. What’s the difference between regular vanilla essence and vanilla jungle essence?
Frustration is indeed a weird name, but there are so many weird names now that it seems relatively tame 🙂
This explains jungle essence…it’s essentially a modern version of headspace technology:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/through-lens-mane-focus-jungle-essence-technology-mane-2rv1e
Ha – Crippling Anxiety. No thanks on that one!
I did some damage in Q4…a whole bunch of bunch of samples, a few discovery sets and some travel sprays plus the FBs below. I can’t resist the annual FragranceBuy sale at Thanksgiving and usually allow myself a few cheapish, blind buys to keep things exciting. 😉
1. Jasmins Marzipane and Devotion – not blind
2. Molinard Jasmin, Chopard Casmir, Lolita Lempicka Lolita Land – blind
3. Pistachio Biscotti perfume from Pistache Skincare bought blind based on a review I read for their body butter; it’s yummy and smells like pistachio cookies
Also bought samples of the Guerlain extraits I am working my way through.
I kind of blame Q4 spending on the squirrel/chipmunk/nesting instinct where one must acquire and hide extra nuts for the long, unpredictable winter. 🐿 🌰 😁 Granted I am in southern CA but we do get rain from time to time. 😆
I had that same squirrel instinct when I went crazy vintage hunting. With the way prices are going up I kept thinking “what if I can never buy perfume again?!” I had to stock up. Lol.
This is the problem. My hoarding instinct is easily triggered.
I was most restrained last quarter! I only bought two splits (less than $30 each), and one small travel size (about $10 with coupon). I think that counts as perfume math free, or at most one full bottle added up. 😋
I think splits and swaps have gone a LONG way in helping me rein in my spending this past year. So, thanks NST community!
Agree that splits and swaps are really helpful! And you can make a friend while participating.
💕🌸
Like other people here, JM Ginger Biscuit is now mine all mine, and I also bought Casamorati Bouquet Ideale and P&P’s Arid at Scentrique’s anniversary sale.
3 bottles is not bad at all, and congrats on joining the Ginger Biscuit bandwagon 🙂
I was fairly restrained.
– a travel spray (10 ml) bottle of Shay & Blue Blackberry Woods because I went through a blackberry phase and just couldn’t find the “right” one. This one wasn’t the right one either, but at least it was small.
– a decant from DSH Perfumes UPCYCL program
– a split of Ginger Biscuit from the splitmeet (thanks, Foxbins!)
– samples from LuckyScent and Osswald (I have to count these on my spreadsheet per my own bookkeeping rules)
Don’t worry, Donatella, I plan to do a bit more damage in 2024.
She is counting on you!
Big bottle of POAL (I was, um, a bit tipsy), as if going big would change the fact that I feel self-conscious every time I wear it. Oh, and a big bottle of Passage d’Enfer Extreme.
Tipsy perfume buying! That cracked me up.
Not the first time, though I usually content myself with samples.
This is the danger of being able to shop on your phone + the ease of ApplePay/PayPal/ShopPay, etc. not enough hurdles 😂
I bought way more than I expected to this quarter, but I’m a sucker for a good deal and got all but one of the bottles at a significant discount:
Imaginary Authors Yesterday Haze 14ml travel bottle
Regime des Fleurs Falling Trees 100ml bottle 70% full
Fzotic Vetiverissimo travel spray 9ml
Lord of Misrule 30ml bottle 90% full
Carner Barcelona Palo Santo 50ml bottle 60% full
These are all from the split meet:
Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit 10ml
L’Artisan Parfumeur Iris de Gris 5ml
Eris Parfums Mxxx. Extrait de Parfum 5ml
Parfums de Nicolai Iris Medicis Intense 5ml
Kayali Yum Pistachio Gelato 5ml
American Perfumer Diane St. Clair Call Me 5ml
Two bottles for me this quarter:
PIerre Guillaume Tonka Bodykon, at Scent Bar in Los Angeles, when I was visiting my daughter
Imaginary Authors Blend No. 83
They are both well made, but honestly, after reading this post, I’d rather have a bottle of Ginger Biscuit! Never satisfied…😂
Well, I bought five full bottles, but three of them were for Mr. G! I have finally succeeded in dragging him down the rabbit hole with me, at least a little way. It started with my travel sprays, but now he has actual bottles that are all his own. First it was Italian Leather, because the tomato leaf note reminds him of his dad. Then came L’Air du Desert Marocain. My travel sprays of those were dwindling rather rapidly, so FBs had to be acquired. And then I blind-bought a bottle of IA Whiff of Waffle Cone for him (which I admit to borrowing on occasion) because IA is local to me and I like supporting locally owned businesses, and because it was a LE collaboration with the Salt and Straw ice cream people. The two purchases for me were a FB of Omnia Ambra and the inevitable FB of Francesca Bianchi Under My Skin.
Berdoues Assam of India 10 ml.
That’s all!
I bought Ambrosia Imperiale in 4th quarter 2023. I was already over my limit of 3 per year, so I let it all hang out. This was an unusual purchase for me because it was a blind buy, something I typically don’t do. I was so obsessed with the banana cream description that I caved. I quite like it, though I think it is something else in the mix (maybe the saffron?) that is super interesting to me.
Not sure how I will do in 2024 for purchasing. Surveying my collection, it seems I wear the purchases from the last 5-8 years much more than the earlier ones. Probably this reflects evolving tastes. More than limiting the expense, I am wanting to make sure I wear everything I purchase but this gets more challenging as the collection grows.
Wearing Bianco Latte sample today, still vetting vanilla samples, something I started a year ago. I am off this week and the cloudy, wet day is perfect for all the household tasks I need to do.
I do love to hear about a successful blind buy.
Wandering by a bit late… I bought one FB for me (Tom Ford Myrrhe Mystere) but I had a birthday this past quarter so that doesn’t count; and one FB for my husband (Creed Aventus) but gifts to others don’t count; and I sold one FB. So, -1??? Donatella despairs…
Hmmm. Do we need to start a support group? 😂