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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:
MrsGruber · 02/02/2018 17:21

The 'real life' pirate visited school today and smelt of rotten fish. Apparently you could still smell where he had been sitting 30 mins after he had left. He had biscuit with weevils and maggots too. Think we got off lightly....

CheapTarnishedGlitter · 02/02/2018 18:16

I wonder if weevils smell of TCP?

so I wish mine had gone shalimary...

SoFancy · 02/02/2018 18:30

Do you know what? I can still smell Pirate and...I quite like it Shock. Not fir that price, though

BluebellGal · 02/02/2018 20:52

Haha loved your review Kittens yep it’s definitely not something Jonny D would wear!

ThisYear · 03/02/2018 11:38

My box arrived yesterday at last, so eager to join in.

I tried it yesterday and it's so unlike any perfumes I own it was a bit of a shock to the nose!

My first thought was it reminded me of my dad. I have just found out he used to wear old spice so I definitely recognised the spicey aspect.

Today I am liking it more and have gone for a boob squirt. Can't stop sticking my nose down my top now! It's actually growing on me and although I don't have the ability (yet!) of identifying different notes I am enjoying how the smell changes after an hour or so.

I have very dry skin so the earlier posts about moisturising first are good to know.

SoFancy · 03/02/2018 11:46

Thats interesting, ThisYear because this morning I was trying to decide once and for all if I like Pirate or not, and I decided I would like to smell this on a man, just not myself.

I think it would be quite an interesting fragrance for a guy, as its quite sweet and unexpected.

CountFosco · 03/02/2018 12:12

Hmm. Maybe we should all spray our OH and see what the perfumes smell like on them. I've noticed much difference between DH and me when I've tried it (he's a bit resistant so I've not tried many) but over on the perfumista thread someone (sorry can't remember who) has noticed some perfumes smell very different on their DH.

OP posts:
BluebellGal · 03/02/2018 12:12

Welcome to new sniffers!

I agree with SoFancy even though I don’t go agree with gendering perfume (note that most niche houses don’t market separately to men or women) this one would suit my DH more than me. I wore it again last night and decided I don’t really like it that much. I can appreciate it but it’s the unstable rum (which morphs into TCP) that’s frustrating to me and I prefer dark heart of old Havana in the genre. I still rate the house quite highly and am keen to try more Atkinsons. As I said my favourite so far from them is 24 Old Bond Street

BluebellGal · 03/02/2018 12:15

Yes Fosco my DH smells a lot better than I do in many perfumes! He just smells great whatever he puts on - even challenging Beauforts (except Vie et Armis - yuk!). He is also a willing volunteer so going to spray him with Pirate today!

CountFosco · 03/02/2018 12:27

I am going to have a chat with DH and persuade him it's a science experiment. DD1 (10 and in full tomboy phase) declared today all my perfumes smell horrible. DD2 likes the vanilla ones.

OP posts:
BigPuddleOfFloofyCatOnTheFloor · 03/02/2018 13:51

Arrrr me hearties

Late to the party but courtesy of the lovely Calm I smell piratical! (Is that really a word Hmm)

For some reason that I can't really identify, it strongly reminds me of Black Opium, I see they do share vanilla and cedar but I wonder if it's just the mental association of a strong and weird opening (IMO) followed by a more pleasant vanillary dry down? I really enjoyed testing it but still think pirates should smell like Virgin Island Water Smile (I also thought I got TCP but was in a hospital at the time so...)

I'm really looking forward to trying the next one

I CANNOT believe the pirate sex noise thread (thanks count Smile) was 2005! 2005?!

I'm extremely jealous of Perfumistas who have willing DHs/DPs - mine will not wear scent at all (in fairness his skin doesn't like it) and resists all my attempts to pin him down and spray him. DS1 is a willing tester for me though (and my cat always seems to smell of perfume Hmm) but I want to test a theory I have about scent smelling different on tattooed skin/different coloured ink under skin and DS1 obviously doesn't fit the bill. Maybe I should anoint DH in his sleep and sniff him Grin I love men that smell yummy. Especially in lifts

MrsG you are going to have to explain further about the RL pirate?! Was it a kind of Horrible Histories re-enactment thing to engage students? Sounds like a great idea!

CountFosco · 03/02/2018 14:15

I'm really looking forward to trying the next one

Grin You and me both Wink

OP posts:
SoFancy · 03/02/2018 16:40

What’s the next Sniff? I’m ridiculously excited. DH (also sadly a zero-interest-in-fragrance kinda guy) is finding my excitement highly amusing.

CountFosco · 03/02/2018 17:18

It's alphabetical by perfume house so Avery 'E' tomorrow.

OP posts:
CountFosco · 03/02/2018 17:21

DH smells good as a pirate Grin.

OP posts:
BlaWearie · 03/02/2018 18:33

I'm coming down with a cold. What poor timing 🤒

CareFusion · 03/02/2018 18:37

Joining in. Got my box today! Such a long wait its been horrible.

Spent a few hours as a pirate this afternoon and really quite liked it. I've got a feeling I'm going to like everything as I don,t have much experience of wearing perfume for the last few years and anything new seems interesting and different. I really hope I can start to detect different notes and types along the way. it smells warm and woody to me, with a bit of smokiness and spiciness. fleeting chocolate every now and again and yes to hints of play doh but no TCP. I can still smell it now 6 hours later. I'm still quite liking it!

Looking forward to tomorrows new sniff

CareFusion · 03/02/2018 18:53

Just look at tomorrows sample. Avery e. Its a 4ml sample and says on the bottle pure perfume. Is this stonger than EDP? Should I try to use less than my normal 2 squirts? It would be £8 for this sample on their website! Gosh this is a potentially expensive new hobby!

Motoko · 03/02/2018 22:17

My score for Pirates is
Opening: 6/10
Drydown:5/10
FB? No, I need to be head over heels in love with a perfume to pay for a full bottle.

I marked it down on the drydown, as it became very subtle and only lasted a few hours.
I do like it though, so can see the sample getting used up.

CountFosco · 04/02/2018 08:20

GOOD MORNING PERFUMISTAS!!!! It's week two and today we are smelling Avery E. Post your opinions as and when.

Smelling Notes from TPS:
If you designed your own perfume store, how would it look?
How long before its floral bouquet appears on your skin?
If this perfume was a person, how would they be dressed?
Where could you see yourself wearing this fragrance?
Which three words best sum up Avery E to you? Juicy? Evocative? Luxuriant? Over to you...

OP posts:
CountFosco · 04/02/2018 09:29

Just sprayed and I'm (reading the notes and) getting the plums and some dryness which I guess is the iris and maybe the leather (not strong leather thankfully). There's just a touch of warm spice in there as well but not sure what that is (like when you put cinnamon in plum crumble).

OP posts:
explodingkittens · 04/02/2018 10:00

Have given Avery E a good squirt...and then another. And another. Maybe just because I've got a bit of a cold, but I don't think the sillage is very good. Having said that, it's a rather nice, warming plummy scent so far. Unchallenging, vaguely spicy, comforting. A nice Sunday 'fume. Will be interesting to see how/if it develops.

SoFancy · 04/02/2018 10:12

Morning Sniffers.

Avery E. Hmmm. I may have cheated and sniffed this last night Grin. Very sweet initial stage of sugared berries and faint leather. Really didn’t like it. Like LVEB in a leather jacket.

About half an hour in it started to smell a LOT like a celebrity fragrance I really rate - Sofia by Sofia Vergara. Juicy plum with vanilla and woods in the background. But in that same leather jacket. I don’t love leather as a note and here it didn’t feel properly blended.

Sofia is about 25 quid for 100ml, this is 90 for 30ml. And leathery. So it’s a nope.

(Also, I may also have cheated and sprayed another sample from the box on one hand and Avery E on the other last night. The other (unnamed) fragrance is still lingering some 12 hours later. Not a trace left of the Avery).

lasttimeround · 04/02/2018 10:13

This one's odd. I don't smell much on squinting. I was expecting something strong and interesting instead it reminds me of something bog standard (but pleasant) but I can't quite place what.
However, over an hour of wearing it is get lovely wafts of something both plummy and fresh but that smell isnt on my skin when I sniff. I'm rather beguiled by thus weirdness

lasttimeround · 04/02/2018 10:14

Squirting not squinting.

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