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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:
opalmum · 26/01/2018 06:48

I'm in! What a great idea, thanks OP for setting up the discount. Just ordered mine. Looking forward to learning something new, and sniffing out a possible new fav.

Silverstreaks · 26/01/2018 09:59

It's here! I was starting to wonder if it would arrive in time. I've had a look but not read the bumf or opened anything - delaying gratification. The chocolate has been moved to a safe place as the dog was twitching his nose.
Really looking forward to this.

OCSockOrphanage · 26/01/2018 10:11

Looking forward to reading this but can only participate vicariously as I have spent too much buying jeans to try that I have no spends left for perfume until some are refunded.

BluebellGal · 26/01/2018 10:23

You are very restrained Silver! I think I ripped the chocolate open straight away. Worth checking the chocolate notes as there’s an exercise which is worth trying

BluebellGal · 26/01/2018 10:25

Fun fact - Jo Fairly who started the Perfume Society started up Green and Blacks chocolate with her DH. They sold it a few years ago but I imagine still have a link, hence why it’s been included in the box.

lasttimeround · 26/01/2018 10:53

Mines finally here. Took a while - just to warn others. Looking forward to this.

MrsPestilence · 26/01/2018 12:17

Mine arrived this morning Grin
Ordered Sunday, posted Monday, arrived Friday. Not bad really.

Taking the Purity away with me, it is my favourite wash off cleanser.

BluebellGal · 26/01/2018 17:42

The hand cream is really lovely but teeny tiny!

explodingkittens · 26/01/2018 17:46

Here you are! Have been offline for a few days and misplaced my perfume mojo, plus am very very skint due to a 6-week month and too much perfume buying pre-xmas

But! Have just ordered the box and am very excited to start smelling like a pirate, assuming my box arrives in time. Lovely to see lots of perfumista names and lots of newbies too, thanks @count for setting us with the discount.

Wtfdoicare · 26/01/2018 17:59

I've also ordered the box and am very excited to start sniffing. My order was completed on Tuesday, so going by postal times it should be here tomorrow or Monday I hope.

BluebellGal · 26/01/2018 18:52

Welcome back kittens!

explodingkittens · 26/01/2018 18:54

Hi @bluebell! This is fun, isn't it? Grin

BluebellGal · 26/01/2018 19:59

Yep should be good fun kittens I think we’ve got around 25 people signed up Smile

CountFosco · 26/01/2018 20:22

I feel like I'm getting lots of undeserved praise here, it was BluebellGal who contact TPS and organised the discount. I merely wrote lots up there ^^^

OP posts:
Judydreamsofhorses · 26/01/2018 20:57

I emailed PS today to chase up my box. It was ordered on the 13th and i have had nothing beyond the confirmation email. ☹️

opalmum · 26/01/2018 21:04

Oops, thanks also to BluebellGal!

BluebellGal · 26/01/2018 21:56

Blush and thanks to Fosco for setting up the thread. The Perfume Society were lovely & enthusiastic - so wasn’t much effort tbh. The other place I tried was Bloom Perfumery - also lovely and offered 10% - but we decided on TPS because Bloom were all niche whereas TPS box is more mixed (and it had chocolate!).

BluebellGal · 26/01/2018 22:16

Judy that’s a really long time ago! Your box has definitely got lost in the post. Perhaps give them a call?

AnotherPinkiePieStory · 27/01/2018 08:06

I’m getting excited! And fallen down the perfume rabbit hole..... listening to fume podcasts too. Eek!
The folk at the TPS were lovely but terrible at replying to emails or phones. I ended up joining twitter to tweet then. Replied within about an hour after that! Might be worth trying Judy ?!?

CareFusion · 27/01/2018 08:43

I'm excited too.... but my box will not be here until mid next week hopefully. Will try not to sulk on sunday!

I'm trying to think about perfume and scents....may I ask how long a little 1ml sample spray lasts? And how many sprays do you all apply per application and where do prefer to apply? I think I normally do 4 sprays in total each 1 each side of neck and 1 both upper inner wrists. I have heard about people spraying a mist of perfume and then walking through it but this seems terribly wasteful to me. All advice welcome...i remain a novice!

MrsGruber · 27/01/2018 08:51

Morning All - just to say for more fragrant talk, do pop over to the long-running Lovely Friendly Perfume thread. We always enjoy hearing about what people are sniffing Smile.

Amrapaali · 27/01/2018 08:56

I've ordered! Can't wait..

MairzyDoats · 27/01/2018 09:04

Oh I'm sorely tempted by this, how long did the box take to arrive? I'd love to learn more about perfume, I lurk on these threads occasionally but everyone sounds so knowledgeable it's a bit daunting... It's difficult to find unusual fragrances in the usual places I find. I'm stuck on Liz Earley no. 15 which I adore but it would be nice to find more that I like.

puppydogmummy · 27/01/2018 09:19

I’m in! Ordered yesterday so hopefully get in time for second Sunday sniff. Such a fab idea Smile

CountFosco · 27/01/2018 09:36

MairzyDoats the boxes arrive within 3 to 5 working days. We're only testing one perfume a week and so yours should definitely arrive in time for next Sunday. I think and hope there will be people joining as we go along so just try the Pirate perfume when your box arrives and post your impressions later this week.

OP posts: