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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 · 11/03/2018 10:16

Oh, and my favourite rose perfume is Papillon's Tobacco Rose.

OP posts:
LibertyBlue · 11/03/2018 10:36

I love the Ruth Mastenbroek Firedance and this is full bottle territory to me. I’m not really getting smoke but definitely a warming fire, plus a bit of leather. On my skin it’s mainly rose and oud - it’s really spectacular and reminds me of Francis Kurkdjian Oud Satin Mood - but without the Violets- one of my greatest perfume loves.

I’m very pleased it’s the Sniff for Mother’s Day as this is my kind of perfume.

This would be perfect for formal evening events.

LibertyBlue · 11/03/2018 10:37

Oh and I only sprayed once on my neck. The sillage is massive!

SoFancy · 11/03/2018 10:48

I tested this a few days ago, as I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend Mother's Day in something I didn’t know and love.

Woah. Intense. The rose is way too overpowering for my tastes and I don’t get smoke, rather an intense burnt smell like burning tyres.

I can see this is definitely the most interesting Sniff so far, but it’s not for me.

BigPuddleOfFloofyCatOnTheFloor · 11/03/2018 13:00

FGS I'm letting the side down, here. Following on from wearing the wrong perfume on the wrong day, I forgot about today Blush and the RM is the only one out of the box that I haven't sneakily previewed! I was so excited to try this one I didn't want to waste it so I saved it Hmm

I have though sprayed it on a Mouillette (thank you to whoever on the perfume thread who gave me the word for these, I hope I got it right Grin) but think it has to be on skin as it made me recoil Shock I shall test it properly tomorrow.

AnotherPinkiePieStory · 11/03/2018 13:08

OOoo what’s a Mouillette? I’m enjoying it more as day has gone on but not getting much longevity. What’s wrong with me?!?

BigPuddleOfFloofyCatOnTheFloor · 11/03/2018 13:12

I'm worried I got it wrong now Grin They are those little tester strips for spraying perfume onto. I only learnt it from someone on the main perfume thread and love using new words hopefully correctly!

Calmwhoknows · 11/03/2018 15:27

I sprayed on Firedance this morning and got strong rose/patchouli/Oud with no topnotes. Have several other strong rose perfumes and was ready for a lovely session comparing them. However, I have a nasty cold 🤧 and I just can’t smell the notes properly 😨. I will try again later in the week.

Judydreamsofhorses · 11/03/2018 15:43

I must be smelling something different. To me this is a soapy rose, which is pleasant enough, but I will never reach for again. Is my nose broken?

CheapTarnishedGlitter · 11/03/2018 19:27

Amazed by how different some of today's reviews are. The first five minutes or so I absolutely stank of having been in a small room with a coal fire in. Horrible. Held my nerve and some rose came in but nasty smoke smell lingered for an hour or so. Once that had gone the rose was quite nice and lasted well but I don't think it's nice enough to go through the smoke for.

MrsGruber · 11/03/2018 19:34

Floof - that's right. (Like a dippy egg solider I think?).

Firedance: wow! That's one strong leather note out of the trap. Quite a savoury smoke. I then, if I'm concentrating, do get a brief juicy apple, before the rose appears. I then had a moment of Nair, before the leather calmed down and a gentler temperament emerged. The heart reminds me of unlit incense cones. The rose and leather knit together to create quite a dense tweedy burr. (Sorry-I'm sure that only makes sense to me Blush).

This is enjoyable and distinctive. Not sure when I'd reach for it. My go to apple/rose/leather is the marvellous Traversee du Bosphore which is a lot lighter and sweeter.

But if you like the you like the big bad smoke note try Embers (is styrax a common denominator?).

MrsGruber · 11/03/2018 19:46

Sorry - that should've read, if you like the big bad smoke note...

MrsGruber · 11/03/2018 19:47

Thank you Count for being a great thread host. Flowers

Motoko · 12/03/2018 10:18

Rose? I hadn't read the notes, so I'm really surprised about this. All I got was incense. It reminded me of nag champa. I did like it though.

Haven't been able to wear it today yet, as the cat is curled up asleep by the box, and I don't want to disturb her! When she moves, I'll have a spray and see if I can get any rose.

LibertyBlue · 12/03/2018 11:40

I’m fascinated by the different things everyone is smelling with this perfume- this must be one where skin chemistry plays a big part in how it smells. Such varied reflections on the thread. I’m wearing 4160 Tuesdays Another Kiss By The Fireside today and they are reminiscent of each other, sharing some similar notes

UnnecessaryFennel · 12/03/2018 13:25

Agree that skin chemistry must play a huge part! I love AKBTF but, as I may have mentioned upthread Wink, really do not love Firedance in any way at all. Fascinating stuff, though.

Silverstreaks · 12/03/2018 13:57

On initial spray this was a green, wet wood fire swiftly followed by a dusty sweet smell. Now ten minutes in it's soft and smokey, definitely rose and a slightly dirty hard tan leather bag. I think i like it.

Motoko · 12/03/2018 15:32

The cat finally moved, so I was able to get to the box the perfume is in!

Today, it smells very different to the last time I tried it. I can smell the powdery rose and still some incense. I also noticed the lemon when I first sprayed it.

It doesn't seem to have much sillage now, a couple of hours after spraying, I have to sniff my wrist, or I get a little whiff when I move my arm about.

I'm not as keen on it this time around. I preferred it when it smelt more incensey. I mean, it's nice as a rose, but whereas before I was thinking it was FB worthy, now it's just one that I'll wear, but won't miss when the sample is used up.

wowfudge · 13/03/2018 14:25

Not keen on this at all - so much patchouli it smells like an incense shop. I didn't want to put it on myself as I had a meeting and didn't want to knock everyone out!

MrsGruber · 17/03/2018 18:07

Is it Rouge Passion tomorrow? Losing track...

CountFosco · 18/03/2018 06:19

Good morning. Our penultimate SotW is Valeur Absolue Rouge Passion. It's a dabber rather than a spray this week.

TPS smelling notes:

What are you most passionate about in the world?
When would you choose to wear Rouge Passion, and why?
Do you choose perfume to boost your moods? Which ones?
Does this perfume conjure up a specific colour, in your mind?
Which three words best sum up Valeur Absolue Rouge Passion to you? Warming? Exotic? Resinous? Over to you...

OP posts:
pestilentialboundary · 18/03/2018 08:47

Oooh, found the bottle. Was not expecting a dabber.

pestilentialboundary · 18/03/2018 08:54

Someone is going to spill this one everywhere. The lack of spray or even dabber is interesting.

However, the juice is lovely. Yellow florals, a bit of ginger, tonka beans and resins. Warm, sweet but not sickly. It smells a bit like something I own, just can't think what.

IFancyASliceOfCake · 18/03/2018 10:20

Um, I ended up spilling half of this over my hands Grin. Guilty as charged!

I got overpowering (unlisted) patchouli/praline/musk at first and it reminded me of Angel. Within 20 minutes, though (considering I have an entire hand covered in the stuff!) it has died down to a pleasant but very very weak floral/tonka scent, slightly lipstick-ish, barely any projection.

I don't get any ginger or ylang. I love ylang and I love big yellow florals, but I don't get either. If I sniffed this completely blind, I would have said this was a mainstream 'pink' perfume aimed at young women.

Meh.

Thank you for this Big Sniffing experience, though, everyone! Ive really enjoyed trying out different perfumes and hearing all your thoughts. And thank you Count for pulling it all together Flowers

pestilentialboundary · 18/03/2018 11:04

Yep, two hours in and this is a light musk, little bit of flowers, some tonka. Shame, I liked the opening.

Interesting, some of my favourite perfumes have a not so good opening and then settle down to something rather nice. This does the opposite. Maybe they would layer well.