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The Big Sniff

560 replies

CountFosco · 21/01/2018 19:57

Welcome to The Big Sniff!

Some of us on the Perfumista threads have decided it might be fun to have a synchronised perfume smelling. The idea is once a week, probably a Sunday, we all try the same perfume and post our opinions here. We’re very friendly so don’t worry if you’re not an expert (I’m definitely not!), the idea is to have some fun.

We’ve contacted The Perfume Society and have wangled a 20% discount on a mixed box of 9 perfume samples (plus a hand cream, some cleanser and a bar of Green and Black chocolate - what’s not to like?). The Box we’re going for this time is The Velvet Collection. All you do is visit The Perfume Society website, Add The Velvet Collection to your cart and use the coupon Mumsnet (we’re original like that!). The box is normally £19 (or £15 if you’re a VIP subscriber), but with our discount it is £15.20, (or £12 if you’re a VIP subscriber of The Perfume Society). There are some other lovely boxes on sale at the moment which come highly recommended by some of our Perfumistas and would make lovely gifts or to keep for yourself not enabling at all oh no

If you are interested then sign up here and get over to The Perfume Society and order your box. We’ll do the first Big Sniff on Sunday 28th January. Oh, and before you eat all the chocolate have a look at the sniffing notes, there’s some on the chocolate as well.

The contents of the box are as follows:
• Atkinsons Pirates Grand Reserve 1.2 ml eau de parfum(full size £120 for 100 ml)
• Floral Street Chypre Sublime 1.5 ml eau de parfum(full size £55 for 50 ml)
• Connock Andiroba Eau de Parfum 1.5 ml eau de parfum(full size £75 for 100 ml)
• Avery‘E’ 4 ml pure perfume (full size £90 for 30 ml)
• Lalique Rêve d’Infini 1.8 ml eau de parfum(full size £72 for 100 ml)
• Map of the Heart Gold Heart v.4 1 ml eau de parfum(full size £150 for 90 ml)
• Ruth Mastenbroek Firedance 2 ml eau de parfum(full size £90 for 50 ml)
• Vince Camuto Amore 7.5 ml MINIATURE eau de parfum(full size £60 for 100 ml)
• Valeur Absolue Rouge Passion 1.5 ml eau de parfum(full size £59 for 45 ml)
• philosophy purity made simple 3-in-1 cleanser for face and eyes30 ml lotion (full size £19 for 240 ml)
• Cochine White Jasmine & Gardenia Hand Cream5 ml (full size £24 for 100 ml)
• Green & Black’s Velvet Edition Orange & Almond Chocolate 100 g

OP posts:
CareFusion · 04/02/2018 10:15

I sprayed about 2 hours ago. First 1 min thought it was identical to Chanel no 5, which I like, then it changed to woodiness and now sort of jasmin/ woody. Not getting plums or fruit at all.

SoFancy · 04/02/2018 10:18

I’m going through give this another spray today

Buntyforgirls · 04/02/2018 10:34

I found this one difficult at first- couldn't pick out anything just a musky, quite uninspiring fragrance. Determinedly kept sniffing and thought cherries - pleased as quite close to strawberry/ fruity. Further sniffing made me thing of something woody . No floral notes. Not my fav.

Buntyforgirls · 04/02/2018 10:36

No wait- I think maybe I can smell Jasmine, and that's not a note I think (I'm new-still exploring) I like and is why it's unappealing at the mo

Calmwhoknows · 04/02/2018 10:37

I already tested this, before today, but have made notes! It opens with a citrussy note, not much, just a brightness. Fairly quickly it turns to a hazelnutty chocolate, like the middle of a soft-centre chocolate, then includes sweet iris and jasmine. The drydown turns musky and reminds me somewhat of SJP’s Covet. I love the iris in this, but I have other irises, and I have Covet if I want a floral with hints-of-chocolate perfume.

Opening: 4/10
Drydown: 4/10
FB: No

Motoko · 04/02/2018 11:15

Just sprayed it. My nose is a bit blocked, but what I can smell at the moment is slightly peppery and something...medicinal? Disinfectanty? I think I'm getting a touch of dark chocolate too. It's odd.

Will see what it smells like later.

BigPuddleOfFloofyCatOnTheFloor · 04/02/2018 13:20

Agent Provocateur Fatale? This is what the Avery E reminds me of...it may just be me though. Will check the notes!

AnotherPinkiePieStory · 04/02/2018 14:49

ARGH can’t find my sample. Maybe it is in a handbag as 4ml is a good one for keeping on me.
Curses. I was thinking of this thread before I went to sleep last night!
You guys have definitely led me into a perfumed rabbit hole. I’m listening to Fume chat and ordered about 6 bottles on PP! DH now knows what a package marked with a yellow sticker means!

Motoko · 04/02/2018 15:02

Well, it appears that this one has an effect like catnip on the cats (one of them anyway)!

Mittens, who never sits on my lap, has just spent the last five minutes sniffing my wrists, and then rubbing her cheeks really hard on them. Now, she's laid on my legs and is quietly purring.

That was unexpected.

puppydogmummy · 04/02/2018 15:07

Just got my box yesterday such a treat !
A complete amateur when it comes to scents but here goes.....

CheapTarnishedGlitter · 04/02/2018 16:45

Happy Sunday everyone!

Well, this is an interesting one!

Very first reaction was "nice" but before I could start thinking about what it actually smelt off, it'd completely gone. Then about five minutes later I started getting red fruit wafts which danced around before settling to an agreeable powdery floral skin scent.

Resquirted and got herbal opening notes - really don't remember that from first time around.

Don't think this is FB worthy but I do like it and will definitely revisit the sample. Should be nice as the weather improves...

BluebellGal · 04/02/2018 17:30

I like Avery E - a nice treatment of Iris which is one of my favourite notes. It is soft, powdery musk. It has a gentle sillage and 4 hours after the last squirts (I used quite a lot today) it’s settled into a skin scent. It is more like a nicely scented body cream - I can only smell it if my nose is touching my arm. So even though it smells really good, it’s underwhelming due to the very low level of sillage.

BluebellGal · 04/02/2018 17:32

I’m thinking about Motoko’s cats being able to smell it/ being drawn to it. Perhaps this is like iso super E - a scent other people can smell but the wearer usually can’t? Or maybe I’m talking nonsense and this just has a very subtle sillage!

BluebellGal · 04/02/2018 17:39

My mum just said she could smell it when I’m standing next to her Hmm

BigPuddleOfFloofyCatOnTheFloor · 04/02/2018 18:02

In the interests of cat related research, I petted my cat in the SOTD and pretty much got the feline equivalent of "fuck off" Grin I did disturb her napping on top of the wardrobe where she shouldn't be though...

Motoko Mittens is such a cute name for a cat!

I cannot make up my mind about the Avery. It really does remind me of Agent Provocateur Fatale, but I think it's just the red fruits and my inexpert nose that can't distinguish much else Hmm It has made me eager to try the others though. I'm really in awe of those who can distinguish and identify subtle notes.

I prefer Mary Greenwell Plum. I love that one.

I'm really enjoying the concerted Sniff! And lovely to have enabled/recruited unearthed some more Perfumistas.

Wtfdoicare · 04/02/2018 18:18

I am also getting soft powdery musk a couple of hours into the drydown, which admittedly is quite weak now. I like it, it is completely inoffensive and not overly fruity or floral. I can't smell any leather.

CountFosco · 04/02/2018 18:32

Mine settled into iris. Very pleasant. Glad I've got 4ml of this.

Bunty I have a Bath and Bodyworks Cherry Blossom perfume and it smells very like this initially (before the florals kick in) I think plum and cherry are quite similar noses.

OP posts:
puppydogmummy · 04/02/2018 18:53

There was such a difference in the smell “in the middle” to the beginning and end I found it almost unpleasant kind of discinfectanty. But it’s now a lovely soft powdery smell that I love

puppydogmummy · 04/02/2018 18:55

Also thought Fred my dog was showing a bit of interest in the scent but realised it was just the chocolate bar in the box

Judydreamsofhorses · 04/02/2018 19:51

I was so late receiving my box that I didn't post about Pirate (which I actually quite liked, but definitely not enough for a full bottle) so am straight into Avery. My kind of thing, powdery, forgotten wardrobe in a great aunt’s house, wafting off an old fur coat. It’s not got much oomph for being pure perfume, has it? My cat is entirely non-plussed.

SoFancy · 04/02/2018 21:00

I tried it again today and although it’s inoffensive, it’s not a go-we for me. It’s like a generic fruity millennial fragrance with a lick of leather that doesn’t match up. No lasting power on my skin, either. Pirate was more fun Grin.

Really interesting hearing all your views, though. This was such a good idea!

SoFancy · 04/02/2018 21:00

Go-we = go-er

SoFancy · 04/02/2018 21:01
MrsPestilence · 04/02/2018 22:18

Sprayed some this morning and then the day went wonky.
Squashed sharp plums, made me want to wear Mary Greenwell's plum.
Next time I checked - iris. Reminded me to wear Iris Nazarena some time this week.
Mellowed into a musky skin scent.
Quite pleasant, strange that it kept reminding me of other perfumes. Have reapplied just in time for bed.

MrsPestilence · 04/02/2018 22:18

Motoko have you got a Moppet also?