If you’re a scent commitment-phobe like me, then purchasing samples of fragrances provides the ideal opportunity for you to try before you buy and perhaps dip your toe into a world of scent that may have otherwise been financially out of reach. I tried Fragrance Direct UK because the site had good reviews and they stock brands I wanted to try such as Byredo, Tom Ford and Essentric Molecules at reasonable prices but there are other websites that may be worth a try and Ebay also have perfume samples available. The samples come in a purple velvet pouch and arrive pretty promptly.
The original fragrance is decanted into spray bottles and you can choose your sample size from 1ml up to 5ml, with some fragrances offering 10ml options. Prices are dependent on the scent but most start at around £4 with a 2ml sample costing around £5.70. It isn’t something you could do every month but as someone whose fragrance collection features mostly autumnal or wintery scents it was perfect for me to order a few samples to try for summer without committing to a full bottle.
I like quite niche brands and don’t want to always smell like everyone else but as these brands more often than not have a rather hefty price tag it’s good to try a few of them out before parting with cold, hard cash. The perfumes I’ve tried so far are Gypsy Water and Pulp by Byredo, Molecule 01 by Eccentric Molecules, Eau de soleil blanc by Tom Ford and Jardin d’Amalfi and Virgin Island Water by Creed. I love them all but there are a couple of clear favourites, one being the unique Molecule 01 which I ended up purchasing a full 30ml bottle of this month. Byredo’s free spirited Gypsy Water is definitely going on my birthday list but I’m equally in love with the burst of ripe fruitiness that is Pulp. Creed’s Virgin Island water is the perfect light summer fragrance with notes of coconut and the Tom Ford scent reminds me of suncream with a sensual edge so is ideal for summer nights.
Whilst I’m here I should really address the lack of blogging. I just haven’t felt inspired to write, I’ve felt a bit lazy and life has taken over. I also feel like Instagram has replaced blogging for many people and I’m sad to admit that. Maybe we just don’t have the attention spans to sit and read a blog post anymore? With this in mind, I’m not sure how many people will actually read my little blog but I suppose I shouldn’t let that stop me doing something I enjoy. Is anyone else still blogging on regardless?
Chelsey Prentice 