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.
This box was sent to us 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
Every Olfactif box contains an informational card detailing the fragrances and theme for the month. This month’s theme is “British Invasion!” which talks about how British perfumers, new and old, are coming back onto the scene recently.
There are a couple things that are very important to keep in mind when sampling perfumes: First, perfumes literally smell different on every person due to the way the fragrance oils play with an individual’s body chemistry. Secondly, there are many notes in each fragrance and perfumes are designed with a story and progression of notes in mind. The top notes are what you smell right away, the middle notes are what you smell about 10 minutes after spraying, and then the base note is what you smell about 30 minutes of wearing it and what stays with you throughout the day. Just because you might now love the initial scent doesn’t mean the fragrance won’t settle into something that you may really like.
Centrepiece by 4160 Tuesdays – This fragrance is actually exclusively sold in the U.S. through Olfactif! I really like this fragrance; it’s a floral that’s been sweetened up a little with honey and vanilla, then balanced with cedarwood and musk.I think it’d work great as a summer fragrance.
Jardin Mystique by Friedemodin – This perfume contains notes of cassis buds, bergamot, cut grass, jasmine absolute, lily of the valley, crushed leaves, patchouli, precious woods. Again, I really like this fragrance! It feels very light and springtime-ready. It’s definitely not overpowering and smells really fresh.
Golden Chypre by Grossmith – When I saw cardamom and nutmeg listed in this perfume’s notes, I expected it to be a spicier/heavier fragrance. However, it’s quite the opposite! Its other notes include rose, citrus, geranium, heliotrope, patchouli, vetiver, woods, amber, and musk. On my skin, I can smell the rose most, and this perfume is actually quite floral.
The Verdict: This month turned out to be probably my favorite whole box from Olfactif that I’ve tried! I haven’t encountered too many lighter fragrances in their boxes, and this month was all very easily wearable, light, and fresh. I also think Olfactif does a great job with their subscription: the packaging is really nice and I like that the cost of the box gets attributed to your account as a credit towards a full-size fragrance each month (the credits don’t stack up or carry over each month, though).
After trying a few months of Olfactif, I can say that Olfactif is great for exposing yourself to lots of different scents and it pushes you out of your fragrance comfort zone. Most of their featured perfumes so far haven’t been super sweet, so if you tend to strictly prefer sugary-sweet fragrances, this sub may not be for you. If you like learning more about perfumes, their creators, and the world of fragrance, this is a great box for that.
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