Shoppers Drug Mart released a new edition of their fragrance sampler this past Christmas season. Being the perfume aficionado that I am, I sprang for this during Boxing Week. The box is C$75, but the certificate is good for a standard 50 mL / 1.7 fl. oz bottle (the fragrances in this sampler are marked at the $80 price point, so after taxes you're saving just over C$5 if you opt to buy the sampler!)
This is the outside of the box - I'm already excited
Inside the box, you'll find the 10 vials of perfumes, a (somewhat) handy fragrance guide, and the gift certificate. The certificate itself has space for you to rate each fragrance on a scale of 1-5 (1 being you dislike, 5 being you love), as well as a simple questionnaire asking about your experience.
These are the sizes of the vials - pretty standard
The fragrance guide includes the scent compositions, as well as what the 50 mL bottles will look like. They even include the synopsis of each perfume's "scent story"
I bought this thinking it would be an easy-peasy decision... I had had my eye on Honey and Bejeweled for a while now. I had spritzed both before, and I wasn't able to tell if I truly liked them.
Let me just tell y'all right now: it's not as easy-peasy as it seemed!
Lemme break it down for you:
1. Honey by Marc Jacobs: This is a very lovely and feminine scent. I found it wasn't too overpowering, and the scent dry down worked well with my body chemistry. The fragrance itself has fruits, honey, vanilla, and wood scents (as stated in the fragrance guide). I ended up trading my certificate in for this! (To see a more in-depth review, check out my post for this fragrance)
2. Lacoste, Eau de Lacoste: Surprisingly this scent ended up being my second choice, right after Honey. The only reason I ended up not getting it is because the scent itself, although lovely, wasn't as strong when coupled with my body chemistry.
3. Very Irrésistible, Givenchy: This scent everyone loved on me. Although it was nice, I found the roses in it became very overpowering. I constantly could smell it on me. Furthermore, I found it was very similar to Lancôme's La Vie est belle (which I purchased during Boxing week - for an in-depth review, please check out my posting).
4. Be Jeweled by Vera Wang: This was originally my second choice, as I didn't get a chance to properly test it the first time I was able to. It's definitely fruity, and I found the champagne undertones were lovely. The bottle in the brochure, as well as in-store always captivated me. However, the perfume itself doesn't last very long. I found after 2 hours I could barely smell it... even my family couldn't really smell it, unless they literally smelled my wrist or my neck. *sigh* This would be a lovely perfume, if it could last longer.
5. Viva la Juicy by Juicy Couture: I know a lot of people like this scent, and I know a few people who own it and swear by it. However, I found on me it smelled too much of vanilla (a scent I don't really care for, unless it's in very small doses).
6. Untold by Elizabeth Arden: How do I sum up this one? I know: Old Lady. Now I remember why I try to stay clear of these types of scents, as it reminds me of the day I smelled Red Door for the first time (let's just say the scent stayed in my nostrils and made me sick).
7. Down Town by Calvin Klein: Ugh. This one wasn't even memorable. It starts off weird at first, but when it dries down it smells like other fragrances.
8. Ralph Lauren Big Pony #2: Surprisingly, this was a nice scent. I found though it smelled a lot like a Victoria's Secret fragrance (I used to work for VS, and for some reason Big Pony #2 reminds me of Aqua Kiss).
9. Prada Candy L'Eau: This one is sickeningly sweet. I had to scrub it off... even then, it stuck on my skin for almost 2 hours :(
10. Calvin Klein Euphoria: Megh. Too strong for me... Just like Down Town, this one's no big thrill.
If you've been on the fence about buying a fragrance sampler from Shoppers Drug Mart, I'd encourage you to try it! You may end up finding a great new fragrance :)
Have you ever tried a fragrance sampler, whether this one or another? What was your experience like? Which scents would you hope to see in other fragrance samplers? Share your comments below!
2. Lacoste, Eau de Lacoste: Surprisingly this scent ended up being my second choice, right after Honey. The only reason I ended up not getting it is because the scent itself, although lovely, wasn't as strong when coupled with my body chemistry.
3. Very Irrésistible, Givenchy: This scent everyone loved on me. Although it was nice, I found the roses in it became very overpowering. I constantly could smell it on me. Furthermore, I found it was very similar to Lancôme's La Vie est belle (which I purchased during Boxing week - for an in-depth review, please check out my posting).
4. Be Jeweled by Vera Wang: This was originally my second choice, as I didn't get a chance to properly test it the first time I was able to. It's definitely fruity, and I found the champagne undertones were lovely. The bottle in the brochure, as well as in-store always captivated me. However, the perfume itself doesn't last very long. I found after 2 hours I could barely smell it... even my family couldn't really smell it, unless they literally smelled my wrist or my neck. *sigh* This would be a lovely perfume, if it could last longer.
5. Viva la Juicy by Juicy Couture: I know a lot of people like this scent, and I know a few people who own it and swear by it. However, I found on me it smelled too much of vanilla (a scent I don't really care for, unless it's in very small doses).
6. Untold by Elizabeth Arden: How do I sum up this one? I know: Old Lady. Now I remember why I try to stay clear of these types of scents, as it reminds me of the day I smelled Red Door for the first time (let's just say the scent stayed in my nostrils and made me sick).
7. Down Town by Calvin Klein: Ugh. This one wasn't even memorable. It starts off weird at first, but when it dries down it smells like other fragrances.
8. Ralph Lauren Big Pony #2: Surprisingly, this was a nice scent. I found though it smelled a lot like a Victoria's Secret fragrance (I used to work for VS, and for some reason Big Pony #2 reminds me of Aqua Kiss).
9. Prada Candy L'Eau: This one is sickeningly sweet. I had to scrub it off... even then, it stuck on my skin for almost 2 hours :(
10. Calvin Klein Euphoria: Megh. Too strong for me... Just like Down Town, this one's no big thrill.
If you've been on the fence about buying a fragrance sampler from Shoppers Drug Mart, I'd encourage you to try it! You may end up finding a great new fragrance :)
Have you ever tried a fragrance sampler, whether this one or another? What was your experience like? Which scents would you hope to see in other fragrance samplers? Share your comments below!
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