Olfactif is a monthly perfume sampling subscription. Every month, you’ll receive a curated collection of three niche fragrances (2.5 mL for most, occasionally 1.75 mL) by perfume artists from around the world. You will also receive 20% off full-sized purchases of the month’s featured fragrances as well as 10% off other full-sized bottles and a la carte samples. Olfactif currently offers women’s and men’s collections.
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 Women's Collection, $20 a month, box.
The Subscription Box: Olfactif
The Cost: $20 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.
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 comes with individual cards detailing the month’s theme and providing more information on the monthly selections. This month’s theme is “Into the Mountains.”
You’ll also get some testers to sample the fragrances before wearing them.
There was also a little more information on how the subscription works.
Finally, there was a card with more information on a rewards program they’ve instituted.
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.
Idyllwild by Ineke – Buy 75 mL for $95
Notes for this one include cypress, rhubarb, tea, smoke, fir, sage, and sequoia. This one is a little more masculine than the others in the collection (the women’s collection is also advertised as being for “adventurous men”), I think because of the woody notes. The fir, in particular, stands out to me, the smokeless so. This is definitely a good scent for winter and reminds me of evergreen forests.
Ormonde Woman by Ormonde Jayne – Buy 50 mL for $150
Notes here include cardamom, coriander, grass, black hemlock, violet, jasmine absolute, vetiver, cedar, amber, and sandalwood. This fragrance house is known for using notes that aren’t typically used by other fragrance houses (black hemlock in this case), which is fun for me. This is another warm scent that works quite well for me. I think I am mostly liking the spice, cedar, and sandalwood, but the black hemlock adds a little something that I find quite nice, as well. (Naturally, the most expensive fragrance for the month agrees with me.)
Captured by Candlelight by 4160 Tuesdays – Buy 50 mL for $90
This one includes notes of cognac, cinnamon, toffee, fruity notes, beeswax, and oak. This one is supposed to smell like Christmas pudding (includes spices, dried fruits, and brandy). I have never had British Christmas pudding (anyway, it is usually made with suet, which is definitely not vegetarian…), but I can still see where they are coming from. This one smells like caramel to me – very sweet from the first spray to some time later, but with something warmer in there (hence me using the term “caramel” instead of sugar) and the cognac is apparent as well. I like sweet fragrances and this one is a little more complex than simple caramel.
Verdict: This was, overall, a good month for me from Olfactif. I liked each of the three scents, for slightly different reasons. Olfactif fragrances are seasonal, though, and fall/winter are my favorite seasons for fragrances, with all the warmth, spiciness, and woods that pop up.
What do you think of the November 2017 Olfactif collection? What was your favorite fragrance this month?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.