Olfactif is a monthly perfume sampling subscription service. Every month you will receive three niche perfumes in 2.25 ml spray bottles from perfumers around the world. At the first of the month, Olfactif reveals the featured theme, artists, and fragrances. They will continue to post content about the selected perfumes all month long while you try them out. In addition, you'll also receive a $18 credit toward the full bottle purchase of the featured fragrance.
The July theme is "The Sun, The Moon, The Stars." It's amazing how much we rely on these celestial phenomena, but probably have always taken them for granted. The perfume samples included in the box are fragrant representations of the sun, moon, and stars. Please note that this box was kindly sent to us for review purposes. No compensation was received, and all opinions are my own.
Subscription: Olfactif
What's Included: 3 niche perfumes in 2.25 ml spray bottles from perfumers around the world.
Price: $18 per month ($17 per month with 3-month subscription, $16 per month with 6-month subscription, and $15 per month with annual subscription).
Ships To: US only.
Read more Olfactif reviews.
The box comes with a card with simple instructions on sampling the perfumes. When testing perfume, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, fragrance oils react differently to each individual's body chemistry. The scent from the same perfume may vary on different people. Secondly, perfume is described to have three notes: top notes, middle notes, and base notes. The notes unfold over time, from the top notes leading to the middles notes and finally, the base notes during the final stage.
Top Notes - This is the initial burst of scent and your first impression of the fragrance when it contacts your skin. Therefore, the top notes are very important to the selling of perfume. Top notes are light, volatile, and evaporates very quickly. It is generally defined as fresh, bright, or sharp. Bright fruity and citrus scents are commonly used for top notes.
Middle Notes - Once the top notes evaporate, the middle notes emerges. Middles notes are richer, somewhat heavier and less volatile than the tops notes. It usually appears anywhere between two minutes to an hour after applying the perfume. Middle notes linger longer and are known as the 'heart' of the fragrance. Typical ingredients for middle notes are lavender and rose.
Base Notes - Base notes, in conjunction with the middle notes, gives the fragrance its signature. Musk, wood, and plant resin scents are often used in the base notes to bring depth to the fragrance. Base notes are comprised of ingredients that boosts and hold the top and middle notes. The notes emerge about thirty minutes after the application, and leave the longest traces of fragrance.
Inside the actual box containing the perfume samples, there's a detail card about the current month's theme, perfume names, and descriptions of each perfume.
Product: Fils de Dieu (État Libre d'Orange)
Fils de Dieu is an unisex fragrance. According to the perfumer, the inspiration for the scent came from the warmth of the Philippines. Thus, this perfume represents "the warmth of the sun" in the theme. Fils de Dieu opens with gingery lime, coriander and shiso. However, the top notes disappears very fast and is replaced with a nutty scent from the coconut. After waiting for thirty minutes or so, the fragrance is definitely musky. Although the scent is not overwhelming or strong by any means, I can detect it hours after using it. In fact, I can still smell it after showering! Notes include ginger, coriander leaves, lime, shiso, coconut rice, cardamom, jasmine, cinnamon, May rose, tonka bean, vetiver, musk, amber, leather, castoreum.
Product: Me, Myself & I (Ego Facto)
Me, Myself & I represents "the glow of the moon." It is a tuberose-based floral fragrance for women. While I wasn't a fan of the initial notes, I started warming up to the scent when the middle notes kicked in. This unique blend of tuberose and fiery vetiver is smoky and thick, but seems to work well with my body chemistry. Notes include hemlock flower, basil, tuberose, lavender, vetiver root, and guaiacwood.
Product: Romantina (Juliette Has A Gun)
Juliette Has A Gun is a perfume line from France, and Romantina is their first floral based fragrance for women. In this box, it represents "the twinkle of the stars." Its notes are refreshing and sweet at the same time, which is probably due to the blend of orange blossom and jasmine. After sometime, it settles into a musky vanilla scent on my skin. Notes include orange blossom, jasmine, rose, iris, osmanthus, patchouli, musk, and vanilla.
Final Thoughts: While I prefer citrus notes and perfumes from the Fresh fragrance family, these perfumes proved to be an interesting and enjoyable experience. My favorite is the unique tuberose and vetiver blend from Me, Myself & I. It appears to work extremely very well with me. After about thirty minutes or so, the scent seems like it's naturally part of my skin. Fils de Dieu and Romantina are stronger, and the base notes stuck around for a while. However, I don't think they fit me quite as well as Me, Myself & I. What I really liked about this subscription is that they sent samples of perfumes that I never thought to try. Most of the fragrances I am exposed to are common designer ones from large department stores like Bloomingdale's or Saks Fifth Ave. If you love perfumes and want to try out more niche or unique blends, you'll definitely enjoy Olfactif.
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