The gift of fragrance

Ever since I was a little girl I have loved perfume.  I recall trying all the perfume testers at the local drug store on my wrists, when out shopping with my mum and grandma.  Grandma would wrinkle her nose and tell me that it smelled like "cat" by the time I had finished.  No doubt referring to the pungent scent of cat urine. That didn't stop me however from having a quick spritz of whatever was on the counter in the cosmetics department, as I walked by.  Even today, if I'm in a department store, I can't resist, but nowadays I limit myself to one fragrance, not twenty!

So imagine my delight, when for Christmas Mr. C. bought me the ideal gift for the perfume tester addict!

This is the fragrance sampler! Inside there are ten tester vials of some of the most currently popular perfumes, and a certificate which I can redeem for a full sized bottle of perfume, once I have picked my favourite.

Every day I have tried a new perfume, noted my own responses, and those of Mr. C.  I have been surprised by some of the results - we haven't always agreed.  Considering Mr. C. is sensitive to some fragrances, I want to be considerate when choosing a perfume that I will be wearing around him.

We have gone through all the fragrances once, and I will repeat our favourites until we narrow down the final choice.  Some women look at their make-up bag of goodies as their chance to "play" - and these ten vials have been my playtime.  I have certainly gotten more enjoyment out of this gift, as I hunt for my new perfume, than if I had just unwrapped a bottle of my regular perfume on Christmas Day.

Bearing in mind that every perfume smells different on everyone, taking into account your own personal body scent, body temperature, chemistry etc.; and that not everyone likes the same fragrance.  Some women love vanilla, I personally don't want to smell like a batch of cookies. Below I have listed the ten fragrances and our observations so far.

Honey by Marc Jacobs
Quite nice. Light. Hint of "old fashioned" to it. Mr. C. like this too and it was very nice over the course of the day as it warmed to my body.

Eau de LaCoste by LaCoste
Nice, light, sporty. Mr. C. liked it too.  Think I might like this better than Honey so far, but will need a repeat day to be sure.

Very Irrestsistible by Givenchy
Light, floral, pleasant. Mr. C. didn't care for it.  He said it made him want to sneeze.  Sorry Givency, this one is off the list!

Be Jeweled by Vera Wang
Very sharp and citrussy. I didn't care for it from the initial application and Mr. C. disliked it immediately. Sorry Ms. Wang, love your wedding dresses, but not this perfume.

Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture
Light, nice, earthy finish.  It was "OK" but nothing special. Mr. C. felt the same way.

Untold by Elizabeth Arden
Very pretty, light, lovely fragrance. Mr. C. really liked it too, the only downside was that it wasn't very long lasting and after an hour I could barely smell it.

Down Town by Calvin Klein
Soft, pleasant. A lovely "every day" fragrance, but not a stand out "wow" special occasion scent. Mr. C. liked it, and agrees with my overall impression.

Big Pony #2 by Ralph Lauren
I found this perfume very sweet and cloying - I didn't like it immediately.  Mr. C. on the other hand liked it.  It was very long lasting however, I didn't need a second spritz later in the day and could still smell it on my skin late at night. Typical for a perfume that I didn't like!

Candy by Prada
I liked this perfume immediately. Soft, light and reminded me of powdery softness and was reminiscent of a fragrance my mother used to wear (which may be why I liked it).  It was quite long lasting however Mr. C.'s immediately reaction was a firm "No".  He said the perfume made his nose start to tingle the moment he smelled it.

Euphoria by Calvin Klein
A second perfume by Calvin.  I have worn this particular fragrance previously and have quite liked it.  The whole point of this exercise however was to find a new perfume, although this would be a good fall back if I can't find something that I really like to use my gift certificate for.

Another week and I should have a final decision!