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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:
Gatekeeper · 24/01/2018 20:37

18th century pirates would smell like unwashed body and hair, rotting teeth, rum, tobaccy, scurvy and syphillis Grin

I've ordered !

MrsGruber · 24/01/2018 23:33

There is a 'real life pirate' coming to talk to our school. We've all had to contribute via Parentpay (hope they can convert it into Dubloons for him). I will ask DC to have a good sniff and report back.

Did think this was slightly odd - not sure they'd be so keen to host land-based criminals?

BluebellGal · 25/01/2018 10:57

MrsGruber your school is inviting in a real life (Somali?) pirate to talk to your kids and asking you to pay for the privilege? Hmm

I still can’t smell anything (terribly blocked up) really hoping it clears by Sunday.

43andcounting · 25/01/2018 11:37

I would love to join you! I have ordered and just have to hope it arrives in time for the first Big Sniff.

What a terrific idea and thank you count for going to the trouble of organising a discount.

I love perfume but am still searching for my signature scent(s). I am hoping this experiment will help me develop the knowledge and vocabularly I currently lack so that I can better articulate what I am looking for in a scent.

Looking forward to it Grin

Calmwhoknows · 25/01/2018 12:00

Perhaps he is a reformed pirate, MrsGruber, who now just takes school parties out on boat trips! I’m sure he has changed his bad habits as well. So, top notes would be citrus (to prevent scurvy) and marine notes; middle notes would be leafy greens (from the roof garden on top of the captain’s cabin) and nicotiana flower (tobacco plant, in memory of the tobacco which he has given up, so as not to smoke in front of the children); and base notes coconut (for roughage) and leather.

Bluebell, sorry to hear about your non-working nose. 🙁 I recommend Olbas Oil and also the strongest Jakeman sweets (the ones in the black packet).

64BooLane · 25/01/2018 12:48

Afternoon all ... just pondering when my box might arrive.

Do those of you who've ordered from PS before find delivery pretty quick? (Assuming pirates don't intercept the goods)

64BooLane · 25/01/2018 12:48

Get well soon, Bluebell!

BluebellGal · 25/01/2018 13:07

Thank you Boo TPS can be a bit slow with delivery compared with other online stores - they take about 3-5 working days. Don’t worry if it comes next Monday you’ve still got nearly a week to smell and post about smelling like a pirate!

BluebellGal · 25/01/2018 13:12

Just been through and counted up that we have 18 people signed up to the Big Sniff (plus the possibility of some lurkers). That’s great! Looking forward to it (if my sinuses ever clear!)

MrsPestilence · 25/01/2018 15:34

I ordered my box on Sunday. Got an e-mail on Monday morning saying my order was completed (assume that means posted). Still waiting.
Hopefully it will arrive tomorrow (before I go away).

Calmwhoknows · 25/01/2018 16:14

MrsPest, I think mine took 5 working days.

CoolCarrie · 25/01/2018 16:18

Mine is on its way! Are we reviewing one perfume per week? My samples won’t be here until next Friday as we are in South Africa.

MrsGruber · 25/01/2018 17:00

Yes, that's how he was described in the letter home, but they haven't said which of the high seas he sails on. Calm - I hope you're right. Wondering how we'd feel about a highwayman/woman?
And now wondering if there is a related perfume...

CareFusion · 25/01/2018 17:01

I've joined you all,, bit late to the party as only ordered today but v excited to learn more about perfumes and what types etc I like and how to recognise scents and noses etc. Complete novice here. Thanks for organising and arranging discount. Hope delivery quick.

BluebellGal · 25/01/2018 18:34

Welcome carefusion great to have you on board!

BluebellGal · 25/01/2018 18:41

I know we start the first sniff on Sunday, but sniffers who get their boxes a bit later can just post during that week. Should work out well I think.

Have we decided on scoring then? Don’t want to look bossy, happy to go with another schema, but I suggest ...

Opening - 10/10 (for novice sniffers... this is the first 30-60 min when you get the top notes)
Drydown - 10/10 (when the heart and bass notes start to sing and mix with your skin chemistry - generally you get a different scent to initial spray - 1-4/6 hours)
Full bottle worthy Yes/No

Thoughts?!

ThisYear · 25/01/2018 18:58

I've just ordered mine too. I'm also a novice but am eager to learn.

BluebellGal · 25/01/2018 19:00

Welcome CoolCarrie yes one a week- the plan is to try a new perfume on a Sunday and post thoughts on here

Motoko · 25/01/2018 20:13

Sounds good to me BluebelGal. It's nice and simple.

As I'm still very much a novice, most of the time I still can't pick out individual scents from a perfume, other than whether it's sweet, spicy, green smelling etc, so I just think about whether I like it or not!

I can score out of 10 for the opening and drydown though.

CheapTarnishedGlitter · 25/01/2018 20:36

Very excited, and hello to everyone who has joined in!

Scoring looks good to me to. My reviews usually go along the lines of "nice, "lovely", "ok" so this seems good. Obviously if I do pick out notes of seawater or sweat I'll comment though!

Calmwhoknows · 25/01/2018 21:02

It all seems very sensible Bluebell! It should be an interesting thread 😊

MrsGruber · 25/01/2018 22:14

Thank you Bluebell. There definitely seems to be a thing about romantic wrong do-ers. I found Highwayman, Brigand, Band of Outlaws, and of course Bandit.

CountFosco · 25/01/2018 22:18

Might be fun to say which notes we think we can smell (I for one will be reading the official notes and seeing what people think on fragrantica as well) and seeing how our impressions compare. Some perfumes I can list quite a few if I've read the notes before applying and others I'll just smell one thing which can be lovely or very very bad.

How full bottle worthy? 30ml or 100ml? TBH it's often cost that determines that for me.

OP posts:
BluebellGal · 25/01/2018 23:23

Yep will definitely be discussing notes and genre/ scent family

Totally agree Fosco although I have Francis Kurkdjian top of my FB wish list even though its highly unlikely I’m going to part with £200 to actually secure it!

Motoko · 26/01/2018 01:03

The handy thing with the Perfume Society boxes, is that they include sniffing notes for each perfume. I often refer to them.