Fortunately for my wallet, I have never been much of a fragrance collector. There are a few scents that I love, and a handful that I go through phases with. I've only recently become less sensitive to scents, which is exciting (but also scary)! Somehow, I have a TON of fragrance samples, probably because stores give them out so often and I hardly use them! Over the last few weeks, I decided I really needed to try some of the ones I had with me! I will do a separate post on the Jo Malone scents I'm sampling as well. :)I have to warn you, I really am not skilled at describing scents. Still, I want to share my experience of these!
In general, I do not wear fragrances, but I typically prefer light and fresh scents. I love citrus - that seems to fit my mood most often, but light florals are nice too. Every once in a while I'll enjoy a light woodsy floral too. For reference, here is what I own & love:
- Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Mandarin Basilic
- Fresh Sugar Lemon
- Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia (especially mixed with Orange Blossom, which I don't own yet)
- Narciso Rodriguez for Her
- Ralph Lauren Style (which I believe is discontinued).
- YSL Elle (also discontinued!)
Hope that helps give you some insight into my scent preferences. Onto my experience with these samples!
Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Eau de Parfum: This smells AMAZING. It is clean and crisp and slightly citrus. It is not intrusive to me at all! I like this on my boyfriend as well. Unfortunately, the scent seems to wear off after a few hours, but my boyfriend says he is still able to smell it on me (close up) at the end of the day. I like this scent but it is just too pricey for me, especially if it doesn't last all day. I may invest in the body oil down the line - it is only $70, which is inexpensive in comparison!
Balenciaga L'Essence: This was too strong for me, and also reminded me of a fragrance from the 90's that I remember smelling as a kid. Can't remember what though, since I'm apparently terrible at remembering scents! According to the description, it has violet and vetiver. For me, it was too much floral, but I would like to sniff the other Balenciaga fragrance! Come to think of it, the sample I got last week might be Balenciaga Paris! Also, have you seen the bottle? It is very pretty!
Bottega Veneta Eau de Parfum: This one was also too strong of a floral for me. According to the description, it has notes of jasmine, plum, and pink pepper. Sadly not for me, but if you are a fan of jasmine or intense florals, it may be worth a try!
Chloe Eau de Parfum: I love how this smells on my best friend (clean, pretty, and not too sweet) but am not sure how I feel about it on me. This is one of those fragrances where I just can't decide. I know it doesn't smell the same on me, but it still smells nice. It's not intrusive, has a slight powdery layer that seems to disappear over time, and smells clean, which is a plus. I hesitate to put on perfumes after showering because I always feel like they won't work with the clean feeling I have - with the subtleness of Chloe, I don't feel this way! I may end up getting the rollerball if I think it'll work on me long term.
Have you tried these perfumes, or do you have too many other samples laying around? How about favorite scents? Please share! I'm a total fragrance newbie compared to many of you! :)