Olfactif Subscription Box Review + Coupon – December 2016

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.

My Subscription Addiction paid for this subscription box. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

This review is of the Unisex Collection, $18 a month, box. 

The Subscription Box: Olfactif

The Cost: $18 a month

COUPON: Receive 15% off your first collection by joining their mailing list (it was a pop-up when I went to the site).

The Products: Three 2.25 mL sample spray bottles from three fragrance artists from around the world.

Ships to: U.S.

Check out all of our Olfactif reviews and other great fragrance boxes in the Perfume Subscription Box Directory.

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

Each Olfactif collection includes an information card about this month’s theme and the notes in the individual fragrances that were sent. This month’s theme was “’Tis the Season.”

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.

Each Olfactif collection comes in a custom black case.

Mmmm… by Juliette Has a Gun

(Pardon my dry winter skin.) Juliette Has a Gun appears fairly regularly in Olfactif collections. I usually like them (not 100% of the time, but often). This one is new to me and I’m a little undecided. Notes include neroli, raspberry, geranium orange flower, jasmine sambac, tuberose, iris, patchouli, and sandalwood. It doesn’t seem overly floral on me, and I do like the patchouli and sandalwood base.

Roses Elixir by Montale

This one is the most floral of the bunch. I will admit, my first impression was not great, because I am not usually a fan of florals. But I gave it a chance and it developed into something much more suited to my tastes. Notes in this one include rose, citrus, strawberries, jasmine, orange blossom, amber, musk, and vanilla. I think the amber, musk, and vanilla saved it for me.

Tardes by Carner Barcelona

This one was my favorite of the month, although I liked it better after it had been on for awhile (seems to be a common theme this month). This one has Egyptian geranium, rose, rosewood, almond, cedarwood, celery, plum, tonka bean, musk, and heliotrope. I think the woods and almond are what make me like this one. (If it was acceptable to wear almond extract as a fragrance, I’d be a happy camper.)

Verdict: This was a pretty good month from Olfactif. While not everything was perfectly suited to my taste, I thought the scents were complex and interesting and not exactly like anything I’ve tried before, which is why I started getting Olfactif in the first place. Half the fun is trying to guess the notes before I read the card (maybe I need a new hobby…).

What do you think of the December 2016 Olfactif collection? What was your favorite fragrance this month?