Olfactif is a monthly perfume sampling subscription. Every month, you'll receive a curated collection of three niche fragrances each month (2.25 ml sprays of each) from perfume artists around the world. You will also receive an $18 credit toward the full-bottle purchase of a featured fragrance.
Olfactif sent us this box for review purposes. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription Box: Olfactif
The Cost: $18/month
The Products: Three 2.25 ml sample spray bottles of 3 niche fragrances from perfume artists around the world.
Ships to: US
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your Wish List or Subscription List!
Every Olfactif box contains an informational card detailing the fragrances and theme for the month. This month’s theme is “That Which We Call a Rose.”
The fragrances:
Lady Vengeance from Juliette Has a Gun – this fragrance is designed to be “a sophisticated expression of undeniable femininity, confident and divinely sensual.” I liked this one, even though it’s far from my usual preferred category of perfume. It’s definitely a warm, sophisticated statement fragrance.
Rose Cut from Ann Gerard Parfums – this fragrance also contains notes of rose, patchouli, and vanilla, but also pink pepper, rum, oakwood, peony, and others. This fragrance seems quite front-loaded: initially, there’s quite a strong impact but softens as it settles and wears well. However, this one smells very much like incense to me so if you love incense, you’ll love this, too.
Mohur from Neela Vermeire Creations – Mohur has a really interesting story behind it. It’s meant to embody and be a dedication to “the mix of all the best of Mogul and the British Raj – a complex period in history for Indians which saw the flowering of unique gifts of the arts, music, and education.” It comes across much differently than the first two; it has intricate notes ranging from roses and vanilla to leather and black pepper, so it’s a little spicy in addition to the floral flavors. (This fragrance was also only a 1.75 ml sample, due to the precious nature of the ingredients.)
Verdict: The world of fragrance has always seemed similar to the world of wine to me – both involve the intentional creation of something with multiple layers, notes, and flavors. Both also require practice and attention to determine the many notes and intricacies of each. Fragrance isn’t something I’m highly practiced in, so I like the breakdowns and information Olfactif provides with their boxes (quickly reading the websites for each scent is also a very helpful thing to do).
I like the idea of a perfume sampling box, and I think Olfactif does a great job of it: I adore the packaging and the fact that the cost of the box gets attributed to your account as a credit towards a full-size fragrance. Part of me wishes that there could be some light customization of the fragrances sent to you, but I know that this would extremely limit/complicate their ability to present themes to you every month. Also, like I said before, there’s definitely some value in exposing yourself to more fragrances and learning more about them.
What do you think of the idea of a perfume sampler box? Are you familiar with any of these featured fragrances?
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