Olfactif is a monthly perfume sampling subscription. Every month, you’ll receive a curated collection of three niche fragrances (2.25 mL for most, occasionally 1.75 mL) by perfume artists from around the world. You will also receive an $18 credit towards a full-sized purchase of one of the month’s featured fragrances.
Olfactif offers a unisex collection and recently began offering a men’s collection as well. This is a review of the unisex collection.
My Subscription Addiction paid for this subscription box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
The Subscription Box: Olfactif
The Cost: $18
The Products: Three 2.25 mL sample spray bottles from three fragrance artists from around the world.
COUPON: Receive 15% off your first collection by joining their mailing list (it was a pop-up when I went to the site).
Ships to: US
Check out all our Olfactif reviews and other great fragrance boxes in the Perfume Subscription Box Directory.
Each Olfactif collection comes with a card offering instructions on how to try out the fragrances.
It’s important to note that fragrances may smell different when you wear them than when you spray them on a card or piece of paper. They may also smell different on different people due to individual body chemistries.
Also, the fragrances develop and change over time, with different notes becoming prominent. “Top” notes form your initial impression but evaporate within a few minutes, so you may still love a fragrance even if you are not fond of the top notes. “Middle” or “heart” notes emerge after you’ve been wearing the fragrance for a few minutes up to an hour. “Base” notes are large, heavy molecules that persist for a long time. They are often richer than the top or middle notes, although they may contribute to how you perceive the top and middle notes due to their interactions with the other fragrance components.
The collection also included an information card about this month’s theme and the notes in the individual fragrances that were sent. This month’s theme was “Closer.”
Each Olfactif collection comes in a custom black case.
10 Corso Como by 10 Corso Como – I really liked this one. It includes the following notes: sandalwood, frankincense, musk, rose, geranium, vetiver, and rare Malay oud wood oil. I love, love, love sandalwood so this one is perfect for me. The frankincense is subtle (which is good because frankincense essential oil on its own can be a bit hard to take). I can see how this fragrance would definitely be unisex (the whole collection is supposed to be, but sometimes the fragrances tend to lean towards one gender or the other).
Puro Intense by Nejma – Last month’s collection included a different Cuban-inspired fragrance. But I think this one is a bit more to my taste. It’s a toss-up for me whether 10 Corso Como or Puro Intense is my favorite for the month, but I’m leaning towards Puro Intense. (Which is amazing as it’s the least expensive of the three. Usually I go right for the one that costs $250+ in a full-size bottle.) Notes: rum, lime, bitter orange, cinnamon, coffee, cocoa bean, cigar, mahogany, and burnt caramel. Tobacco is one of my favorite notes in fragrances (no idea why) but I also like woody and spicy scents and the citrus is at the right level here and balanced by the cocoa and caramel so that the fragrance is not too fruity.
Musc by Mona di Orio – Notes in this one include neroli, rose, heliotrope, tonka bean absolute, and precious musk. When I used to subscribe to Scent Trunk, this is one of the fragrances I received so I was already familiar with it. It’s unusual for a musky fragrance; it smells super powdery to me and not really all that floral. There is some note present when I spray it on paper that does not come through on my skin at all (which is unfortunate because I like that note). That’s body chemistry for you!
Verdict: This was an excellent month for me from Olfactif. Whoever selects the fragrances for this subscription has taste that is very similar to mine! I like that you get a voucher towards the cost of a full-size fragrance, although please note that the vouchers don’t stack – you use it that month or you lose it! The packaging is lovely, as well.
For the most part, I have received a lot of spicy, smoky, woody, herbal, and oriental fragrances from Olfactifover the past few months, and fewer sweet, strongly floral, or clean and fresh types of fragrances. That is fine by me, since I’m not a fan of strongly floral or clean/fresh fragrances. I haven’t been subscribing long enough to see what spring and summer fragrances would be like, so they may change things up a bit in the future.
What do you think of the February 2016 Olfactif collection? What was your favorite fragrance this month?
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