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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:
CountFosco · 08/02/2018 13:07

Connock or Vince Camuto though????

Another wearing Avery E again. I do like the drydown of this. Might have to try some more Iris scents.

OP posts:
Motoko · 08/02/2018 14:19

Camuto comes before Connock if we're doing it alphabetically.

positivepineapple · 08/02/2018 15:40

Thanks BlaWearie!

CheapTarnishedGlitter · 08/02/2018 16:54

Surely Vince is after Connock? I wonder if there's an "official" convention?

BluebellGal · 08/02/2018 19:04

Yep I was thinking Vince Camuto would be at the end, but I guess it doesn’t really matter?

So I was on the tube earlier and this lady was sitting next to me - wasting what I thought was a lovely tea/eastern fragrance. Very soft and sort of ethereal. Was about to ask her what it was. Then she got off. I could still smell this tea scent. Then realised it was me!! It was the Avery E. 10 hours after application I suddenpy got tea on the drydown. Very strange and not had this ghost effect with any perfume before. It’s giving off the most wonderful Eastern aura which reminds me of Bulgari The vert - anyone remember that? Think it was the first tea frag I ever tried back in early noughties

BluebellGal · 08/02/2018 19:04

*wearing not wasting!

Motoko · 08/02/2018 19:21

Well, it was tea that I got from it today. It was very strong when I first sprayed it, but continued for hours later. Now it's more floral-y.

CheapTarnishedGlitter · 08/02/2018 19:40

We'll have to remember this as an idea for for The Big Sniff II: 1 scent, 7 days. How does a scent change over a week?

CountFosco · 08/02/2018 20:41

Cheap I was thinking about this, I tend to wear samples for one day at a time but for more interesting scents it would indeed be good to see how our relationship with them develops. >5ml samples required for that though! And if you didn't get on with them a week could be quite painful. Or if you had to wear a skanky perfume all week to work Blush.

OP posts:
CheapTarnishedGlitter · 08/02/2018 21:13

Good point Count! I'm already wobbling about Violetday tomorrow as have to be serious at a meeting. What if the next sample is totally inappropriate??

CountFosco · 09/02/2018 16:48

Itwillallbeokintheend which did you take away after the rest of us not deciding? We'll go with that one!

OP posts:
ItWillAllBeOkayInTheEnd · 09/02/2018 16:54

Connock. And I had a pre-packing sniff. Yum!

MrsGruber · 09/02/2018 21:59

Having been stretchered out of The Big Sniff last week with flu, I'm back in the game Smile. Well, having a tenative first sniff at least...so catching up with Avery E...

Gorgeous bottle. All samples should be 4ml by law! Nice peppery bite to the cedar opening. Then I get the juicy red berries, but they are quite subdued. And then it becomes a very powdery floral (think I get a hint of leather in the background but that might just be because I know it's there...). The sense of airy space within and between the stages of this perfume are one of the most interesting things about it. Plus it does seem to smell different when sniffed up close to the skin (modern dry wood/floral) and when smelt from more of a distance (bit more 70s/80s drugstore floral). Curious.

For a comparision featuring dry woods, fruits, rose and a hint of leather and iris, try L'Artisan's Traversee du Bosphore.

BluebellGal · 09/02/2018 22:38

Glad you’re back in the game mrsgruber and enjoyed hearing your thoughts on Avery E along with everyone else’s

SoFancy · 10/02/2018 09:51

Did we reach a consensus on tomorrow's sniff?

MrsPestilence · 10/02/2018 10:19

Connock Andiroba Eau de Parfum tomorrow

Connock Andiroba Eau de Parfum tomorrow

Connock Andiroba Eau de Parfum tomorrow

That is what ItWill has packed Grin

SoFancy · 10/02/2018 10:30

MrsP - Ive sniffed Vince Camuto (cheat! cheat!) and I'm bloody hoping its Connock, to be honest Grin

explodingkittens · 10/02/2018 12:19

I think I must like Avery E more than I think I do, because I wore it to bed a couple of times last week and have just had a quick squirt of it whilst catching up on the thread.

Today it seems quite a bit sharper and 'fuller' than it did the first time. Quite a heady bouquet actually, but perhaps I've just overdone it Grin. I'm certainly getting more woody notes than previously too. I like it when a perfume does this - develops and changes the more you wear it. I like to be kept on my toes by perfume!

So overall I think it's a thumbs up from me but it's not FB-worthy.

Looking forward to tomorrow - hope Connock is a goodie! @SoFancy - I haven't tried the Camuto but from the packaging it's not too promising Grin

MrsPestilence · 10/02/2018 21:54

Another quick run of Avery E. Sprayed it in the bath and then applied more after. Really brings out the iris and tonka.

Thursday, I sprayed Pharrell Williams girl in the bath and applied Avery E after, iris overload (in a good way).

Not FB worthy, mainly because I already have two iris & wood based perfumes. If I didn't, then maybe. It has grown on me with successive wearings.

MrsGruber · 11/02/2018 08:38

Have started sniffing the Connock. Hope I am on the right one?

So far a big opening whoosh of freshly chopped green plus peppery aromatic citrus, shifting into a big 'natural green' violet note with a hint of herbal lavender underneath. (At this point this is not sweet at all).

AnotherPinkiePieStory · 11/02/2018 08:49

Frantically waiting for DH to wake so I can get sample from bedroom to start sniffing!

BluebellGal · 11/02/2018 09:33

The Andiroba is very fresh and green - a lovely contrast to all the woody and gourmand perfumes I’ve been wearing in this cold weather. With the sunshine today, it feels like spring is on its way! Lots of greenery and citrus, pretty sure I can smell the pink pepper too, some flowers are starting to peak through - no woods yet.

CountFosco · 11/02/2018 09:35

Some of you have already started but yes, today is indeed Connock London Andiroba.

Smelling notes from TPS:
Aside a rainforest, where does this take you...?
What colours immediately come to mind for Andiroba?
Can you think of a friend Andiroba would be perfect for?
If you could fly anywhere to seek out an ingredient, where would you go?
Which three words best sum up Connock London Andiroba to you? Lush? Mysterious? Leafy? Over to you...

OP posts:
CheapTarnishedGlitter · 11/02/2018 09:42

Anyone else got a ropey sample bottle for their Andiroba? Nothing terminal but mine doesn't have a tubey bit inside so I have to hold it upside down to get anything out! Took me a while to realise Blush

On paper this is a total winner for me. Definitely got leaves and pepper to start with - was like sticking my nose in a bag of rocket leaves. Getting the violet now but no citrus so far. An agreeable start.

CountFosco · 11/02/2018 09:45

My first impression is different from Mrs G. I initially got a big blast of honeyed citrus which was lovely (reminded me a bit of AC Polemo Paradis). Then it becomes more floral (but quite fresh still) with a background of pink pepper.

OP posts: