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 + free shipping. Save with 3, 6, and 12-month subscriptions.
The Products: Three 2.25 mL sample spray bottles from three fragrance artists from around the world.
Ships to: U.S.
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Each Olfactif collection comes with little cards detailing the month’s theme and providing a little more information about the monthly selections. This month’s theme is “Taste.” There are also little testers now (a touch I definitely appreciate).
There was also an advertisement for the Olfactif/Vosges truffle collection. Although I believe this was released for Mother’s Day, it is still showing as available on the Olfactif site.
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.
Pure Gold by Montale (buy a 50 mL bottle for $120)
This is allegedly a citrus-dominated fragrance but I am picking up the base notes more (e.g., white musk, patchouli). My sense of smell has been a little out of whack lately, though, thanks to the lingering effects of a sinus infection. I did enjoy this one quite a bit and think it is more “unisex” than some of the other fragrances Olfactif sends in their Unisex Collection. Notes include neroli, Egyptian jasmine, Italian mandarin, apricot, white musk, vanilla, and patchouli.
Archives 69 by Etat Libre d’Orange (buy a 50 mL bottle for $90)
Etat Libre d’Orange is an Olfactif favorite; you’ll see their fragrances a lot. This really sounds like something I would like, on paper, but there’s some note that is a little off for me. I think it might be the camphor. This does wear a little better as the day goes on so I will definitely get use out of it. Notes for this one include: mandarin, berries, pink pepper, tangerine, pepper leaf, orchid, plum, benzoin, camphor, incense, patchouli, and musk.
Aoud Violet by Mancera (buy a 120 mL bottle for $160)
This was actually not too powdery for me despite the floral notes and spices. (I’m not a fan of powdery fragrances.) This did have some citrus, greens, and florals, but they combined into something I enjoyed quite a bit (I am normally not big on any one of these, especially greens). I think this was actually my favorite fragrance of the three, this month. Notes here include: bergamot, spices, greens, violet, patchouli, agarwood, vetiver, amber, and moss.
Verdict: This was an interesting month from Olfactif. There wasn’t really an immediate stand-out favorite, but I enjoyed different aspects of each of them. It is getting to be later in spring, almost summer, and I prefer warmer, spicier fragrances. Since Olfactif is at least somewhat seasonally focused, this is getting to be the time of year when florals are appearing less and warmer scents and notes are taking over. I definitely saw that in this month’s selections.
What do you think of the May 2017 Olfactif collection? What was your favorite fragrance this month?
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