Over the last year I've been able to try so many fragrances, and most of them down to sampling boxes. My favourites are the Discovery Boxes from The Perfume Society, and their latest is the Modern Classics Box* (£17.50 or £12.50 for subscribers). I subscribed to The Perfume Society as a VIP (Very Important Perfumista) just over a year ago and I love it. After the introductory Discovery Box (read about it here) which is included in the subscription, the boxes are pay-as-you-go, so you can choose which ones that take your fancy, and the subscription also gets you 8 digital issues of their fragrance magazine, The Scented Letter, as well as exclusive events and discounts. The lovely team at The Perfume Society are offering three readers a chance to win a year's subscription, so keep reading until the end for details on how to enter.
Over 2000 fragrances launch each year, and only a handful of those really become what's considered a classic. The Perfume Society have chosen a mix of fragrances that are classics in their own right, and those that they predict to take that title. Last year, I posted about The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club Classics box and I was a bit disappointed that it didn't really reflect what it was to be a classic - to me it felt like they'd put it all the fragrances they wanted to sell that season. Luckily, The Perfume Society's box doesn't disappoint, providing an interesting mix of scents, most of which were new to me.
Back in 2011, I was captivated by the Royal Wedding, having lost count of how many times I watched the young royals exchanging their vows on the BBC replays. Something I never gave much thought to however, was Kate Middleton's wedding fragrance, but when I saw that it had a place in the Modern Classics Discovery Box, I was very excited to try it. Illuminum White Gardenia Petals is the understated white floral took that coveted crown, Gardenia is a note that I completely fell in love with after smelling the Marc Jacobs for Women fragrance, however it's one that often gets overpowered by Tuberose in perfumes, which I'm not so much of a fan of. White Gardenia Petals opens with that classic coconutty accord (which is my favourite thing about the gardenia note, I love anything to do with coconut!), with an icy, slightly minty freshness to it. There's a hint of bergamot and cassis, before moving into the delicate white floral heart of jasmine, muguet (lily of the valley), white gardenia and ylang ylang, and ending on a slightly warmer base of amber and woods. It is a very clean floral, and smells very crisp and white, to match that of the wedding dress. There is also a bit of a lineny/cotton vibe to it, a softness stops it from being to overpoweringly floral. Although I'm not sure it's something I would wear often, I do like it, and I'm happy to have it in my sample collection for those times that I want a gardenia fix.
Despite hearing so much about Narciso Rodriguez For Her (from £59 for 50ml), it's one that I'd never previously tried. I own the dupe, Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely, so I was intrigued to see how it compared. It opens with top notes of peach and rose, which makes the scent more rosy than Lovely is. It has a slight boozy touch, which I can't quite work out, and it also has a bit of a weird licoricey note. It is very similar to Lovely, and because of that, I think I'm just a bit "over" it and certainly don't get the hype!
The next scent I tried was Cartier Basier Fou (£90 for 75ml), which is described as "a moment of sweet madness, the brush of a kiss, an orchid with balmy coloured facets. I've never tried any of the Cartier fragrances before, so I really didn't know what to expect. Baiser Fou, which translates as "crazy kiss" is based around the idea of the orchid flower, however an orchid is scentless, so it becomes a kind of fantasy note. To me, Baiser Fou has quite a tropical vibe, with accords of rose and passionfruit, with a hint of dry, woodsy tobacco and warm amber. Others have described it as the scent of lipstick, with violet and white chocolate, however that's just not something I pick up on. In general, I've not enjoyed orchid notes in fragrances in the past, finding them quite brash, but this is lovely and I would definitely wear this as a summer scent.
Marc Jacobs Daisy (from £55 for 50ml) is the one fragrance that I had tried before. I had a sample a couple of years back, but despite really enjoying it, I never got round to purchasing a full sized bottle. It has enjoyed great popularity, and spawned many flankers and dupes in the 10 years since its launch in 2007. Daisy is described as "a radiant, sparkling floral bouquet capturing the vintage edge of violet", and was a huge player in the floral fruity game (before *sigh* the gourmands took over). The opening is bright and indeed sparkling, with notes of strawberry and violet leaves. I never really remembered the strawberry being overly memorable, but it's all I could smell this time around! The scent then moves into the heart of violet petals and jasmine bouquet, with a base of musk and vanilla infusion. The violet, a note that can often be seen as powdery and a bit "granny", really takes centre stage here, and is modernised in this true classic. It is Daisy's popularity that really is its drawback, I smell it everywhere I go, on everyone. It is a nice, pleasant floral that's well suited to spring and summer and even though I enjoyed my previous sample, I don't feel the same way about it and I don't connect with it.
Next was a scent from a brand that was completely new to me, Angela Flanders Columbia Rose (from £55 for 30ml). The scent was inspired by the Columbia Road Flower Market, and celebrates the brand's 30 year reign at its Shoreditch site. Columbia Rose opens with Rosa Centifolia, before settling into the rich, spicy heart of the more robust Rosa Damanesca, combined with violet and clove bud. The base is again, rather ballsy, with a dominant note of aged patchouli, in addition to sandalwood, amber and musk. This reminds me of something inspired by times gone by, a Tudor Rose (or a historic costume of the era, Angela Flanders was, of course originally a costume designer), with its dusty, earthy finish. It is very powdery, and reminds me a lot of the Damask Rose candle from Farringdon & Forbes (read more here), however I prefer a fresher rose scent so this isn't to my taste.
The next scent is one that again is very popular, Kenzo Flower By Kenzo (from £66 for 50ml), which launched in 2000. This fragrance is inspired by the poppy flower which, as with the orchid mentioned above, is scentless. It has top notes of blackcurrant and pink pepper, which adds a spiciness, before moving into a fleeting floral heart of Bulgarian rose essence and violet. It is the base which dominates the fragrance, with white musk and creamy vanilla, giving it a clean linen scent. I read a couple of reviews of this scent, and quite a few people said that it had quite a baby powder/baby wipes vibe, and I totally get that too. I do like Flower By Kenzo, but it's not the kind of fragrance I typically wear. I have smelt Kenzo Flower In The Air which seems lovely, and I'd definitely like to give that one a go.
The last fragrance comes in the form of Yardley English Freesia. Described as a refreshingly light citrus floral, it opens with a myriad of florals and citrus fruits, including bergamot, mandarin, freesia and cypress, as well as the distinctive lemon and lavender, which gives it quite a unisex vibe. The heart contains freesia again, as well as ginger and pepper, making the scent feel dry despite being very soapy. The base continues that, with sandalwood, musk, olibanum (frankincense) and amber crystals, which warms the fragrance as it dries down. It smells very clean and unassuming, and whilst it's a nice scent, it is definitely more suited to a bath product rather than a fragrance.
As always the Modern Classics box comes with a few little beauty treats, which is always a lovely touch. The first was the Minnies Literally Love It Shimmering Body Lotion, in the new range from TOWIE's Sam & Billie Faiers' boutique. This has a fresh, yet sweet scent that I could neither put my finger on, nor find any kind of description, but I found it a little overpowering (I don't usually go for body lotions of perfumes, as this always tends to be the case). That being said, it is affordable at £4.50 a tube, and is available from The Perfume Shop.
As always the Modern Classics box comes with a few little beauty treats, which is always a lovely touch. The first was the Minnies Literally Love It Shimmering Body Lotion, in the new range from TOWIE's Sam & Billie Faiers' boutique. This has a fresh, yet sweet scent that I could neither put my finger on, nor find any kind of description, but I found it a little overpowering (I don't usually go for body lotions of perfumes, as this always tends to be the case). That being said, it is affordable at £4.50 a tube, and is available from The Perfume Shop.
On the other end of the spectrum comes a skincare product, the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Eye Cream (£29.50). I always love getting samples of eye creams, as they end up being a really decent percentage of the full size, and usually last for ages. I've never tried anything from the Philosophy skincare range, but I've heard really good things and this seems lovely. It has a lightweight, yet creamy consistency, and feels both refreshing and hydrating on the skin. Thumbs up so far!
Overall, I really enjoyed The Perfume Society Modern Classics Discovery Box. Although it was quite floral heavy, many of the scents were perfect for spring. As always, there were scents I wasn't too hot on, and then a few that I liked. I didn't really enjoy Angela Flanders Columbia Rose or Yardley English Freesia. I didn't mind Marc Jacobs Daisy or Narciso Rodruiguez EDP, but for me because they were so familiar, I'm a bit "over it". On the other hand, I enjoyed the two white florals, Flower By Kenzo and Illuminum White Gardenia, although I'm not sure they're something I would wear. The scents that came out on top, and the two that I will be putting into my rotation of fragrances are Cartier Baiser Fou and L'Occitane Terre de Lumiere. Both really excited me and I am looking forward to wearing them properly. Look out for them in my Scent Diaries series, which gives a look at the scents I am wearing day-to-day.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Perfume Society Modern Classics Discovery Box. Although it was quite floral heavy, many of the scents were perfect for spring. As always, there were scents I wasn't too hot on, and then a few that I liked. I didn't really enjoy Angela Flanders Columbia Rose or Yardley English Freesia. I didn't mind Marc Jacobs Daisy or Narciso Rodruiguez EDP, but for me because they were so familiar, I'm a bit "over it". On the other hand, I enjoyed the two white florals, Flower By Kenzo and Illuminum White Gardenia, although I'm not sure they're something I would wear. The scents that came out on top, and the two that I will be putting into my rotation of fragrances are Cartier Baiser Fou and L'Occitane Terre de Lumiere. Both really excited me and I am looking forward to wearing them properly. Look out for them in my Scent Diaries series, which gives a look at the scents I am wearing day-to-day.
Three winners will receive one year's subscription from The Perfume Society, which includes an introductory Discovery Box, 8 digital copies of The Scented Layer, exclusive events and discounts.
There are a variety of entry methods, some mandatory and some extra, as outlined in the Rafflecopter widget below.This giveaway will be UK only, and it will remain open from 31st March 2017 for two weeks until 14th April 2017 at 0:00 GMT.
The winner will be drawn at random using the Rafflecopter widget providing the entries have been completed correctly, and notified via email on the 15th April. The winner will be given 28 days to respond, to keep it fair and in line with current guidelines. In the event that the winner does not respond within this timeframe, a new winner will be chosen.
The winner's email address will be passed over to my contact at The Perfume Society, who will be responsible for sending out the prize. As always, I never discriminate against compers and you are more than welcome to enter any giveaway on this blog.
Good luck!
- Post contains PR samples (*) -
- This does not affect my views and I will always give my honest opinion of a product -
