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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:
BluebellGal · 31/01/2018 00:05

Oh dear, Atkinson’s not getting much love on the Big Sniff. I don’t know the house very well but believe they are a heritage brand like Penhaligons. I have only tried 3 now, but I love No 24 Old Bond Street (on FB wish list for summer), it’s so beautiful and uplifting to wear. A different style entirely as it’s a fresh cologne.

www.fragrantica.com/perfume/Atkinsons/24-Old-Bond-Street-18976.html

Motoko · 31/01/2018 12:58

Yay, my box arrived!

So far, I don't mind it. I'm getting something floral, though not sure if it's the jasmine or heliotrope, or a bit of both. Also cedar, and after a few minutes, i got the playdoh! Not too much luckily, as much as I love the smell of playdoh! No TCP yet.

After spraying it, husband walked in the room and started sniffing, but other than saying it was quite strong smelling, didn't say if he liked it or not.

I'm surprised that I can smell the notes that I can, because I've come down with a bit of a cold, so my nose is snotty, although not blocked. First cold I've had in years too, so sod's law I've caught one now when I could do with having clear airways!

BluebellGal · 31/01/2018 13:03

Yeay Motoko glad it arrived... finally!

Wtfdoicare · 31/01/2018 13:14

My scores for Pirates’ Grand Reserve:
Opening: 6/10 (I like the smell on me. Interesting and strong, and yes I get the TCP)
Dry down : 4/10 (disappointing - sweet, distant and slightly boring)
FB: No, not at the price.

Wtfdoicare · 31/01/2018 13:15

Meant to add, I am also getting a whiff of dirty sex on the opening. No idea why that came to mind!

flimp · 31/01/2018 18:35

My box finally arrived (so pretty!) and omg it's SO TCP! What is that please? Anybody know?

It dried down to something more gentle and vanilla, but not much sillage and it didn't seem to last very long for me. I prefer something that I can get whiffs of for a few hours at least.

I'll try the boob squirt technique tomorrow I think and see what happens.

Buntyforgirls · 31/01/2018 20:56

Thank you for this thread- I have been wanting to learn more about perfume having recently started to "get into it"! -so this is a perfect opportunity! Refrained from reading thread until today so that I can play along.
Box arrived today- I smell sugary vanilla and... TCP!
(Quite ve----ry pleased with myself for getting that- I am a very inexperienced sniffer!). What is the TCP?

CountFosco · 31/01/2018 22:04

I've had a look at the notes again to determine what is giving us the TCP smell.

TCP smells because of the phenols in it. So I would suspect what we are smelling is the top of the vanillin (a phenolic aldehyde). But it could also be the heliotrope, or the jasmine. Or maybe a combination, the intent being to give us the rum smell but for some of us it's more of a TCP smell.

OP posts:
MrsGruber · 31/01/2018 23:21

Count - I think there might be two things going on: there is a distinctive accord (think it's vanilla/tobacco and perhaps patch) which is very similar to an aspect of Hyperbole, (but it appears there with greater clarity). Its almost like a not so sweet but still syrupy cough medicine. There's also a herbal burr in the background - the geranium and clary sage?

BluebellGal · 01/02/2018 00:07

I’m wearing Madonna truth or dare Naked thud evening and it’s gorgeous- it’s like minty chocolate on me

BluebellGal · 01/02/2018 00:07

^ thank you to Calm for sharing a sample with me Smile

flimp · 01/02/2018 12:40

Well I'm very disappointed with the Pirate Boob Squirt. Two sprays in the cleavage exactly two hours ago and I can barely smell anything.

And unfortunately I can't bury my head in my own boobs to get a sniff Sad

wowfudge · 01/02/2018 13:01

Ime if you can easily smell your own perfume after a couple of hours, you are probably wearing too much or it's very strong, or both!

flimp · 01/02/2018 13:08

really fudge do you think? Shock

But that's what I like about perfume; the pleasant wafts I get throughout the day! I'm not wearing it for other people...

So do the people around me hate me for my stench???

CountFosco · 01/02/2018 13:14

My officemate just told she got an unexpected whiff of her own perfume. I can't smell it. I don't think it necessarily follows that if you can smell it it's too much/too strong.

OP posts:
wowfudge · 01/02/2018 14:09

You'd have to ask them @flimp Wink. It's one thing to smell someone else's perfume as they walk past or you go into the same room as them, quite another if you can tell they are somewhere in the building the moment you step inside.

BlaWearie · 01/02/2018 18:29

Well. I persevered with Pirate. Today is my 3rd day, and it smells completely different. Much less floral, much more tobacco. Not sure why that would be, perhaps my nose was slightly blocked earlier in the week. I don't think I like it any more than I did, but at least it's interesting now!

BluebellGal · 01/02/2018 19:45

Excellent explanation there Fosco can tell you’re a scientist Grin I find it fascinating how perfumers create the smell of something, using completely unrelated components.

creaturefeatures · 01/02/2018 20:57

Oooh ooh ooh...have just seen this thread. Am going to join late to the game as I've just ordered.

I'll catch up when it arrives!

CountFosco · 01/02/2018 21:24

using completely unrelated components

Wikipedia on aroma compounds. There are certain families of chemicals that smell.

OP posts:
SoFancy · 02/02/2018 09:04

Still waiting for my box to turn up. Ordered last Thursday....

SoFancy · 02/02/2018 10:06

Ooh it just arrived! Grin.

I’ll have to catch up with the Pirate one tomorrow as just drowned myself in Guerlain L’Instant Magic and enjoying the cosy vibe too much.

Excited!

SoFancy · 02/02/2018 12:38

OK, I couldn't resist trying out the Atkinsons Pirates Grand Reserve. Just one spray on the back of my hand. Resisted looking at the notes or reading too many of your reviews.

First blast was straight up rum and definitely the rough sort that I imagine Jack Sparrow enjoying. Then very quickly I got cocoa. Much sweeter than I'd expected. I quite liked this stage, considering I usually dislike chocolatey notes.

I then had about 20 minutes of the weird TCP/chocolate/vanilla smell. Not good. Then about 20 minutes after that I got a Shalimar-ish vibe. Felt like a Guerlain (heliotrope and vanilla?). After an hour it has faded to a weak tobacco and vanilla. Not my cup of tea at all.

I found sniffing this quite fun, actually - a less serious fragrance than I had imagined, with some weird little stages. But tobacco is one of my least favourite notes (ex-smoker!), so I wouldn't wear this.

explodingkittens · 02/02/2018 14:00

Box finally arrived today so am late to the party but gave myself a squirt of Pirates and...bleaugh.

Got a smack of cocoa and then a brief whiff of vanilla with the TCP/playdoh/baby lotion vibe coming through for the next couple of hours. And now it's a nasty spiky wood which is becoming horribly reminiscent of the cats' litter tray. I like cedar when it's soft like pencil shavings but this is quite, quite nasty.

if this is a pirate, then it's Captain Pugwash not Johnny Depp.

wowfudge · 02/02/2018 15:13

Yes to the cat litter - the wood pellet stuff! I knew it reminded me of something.