Floral Street Discovery Set

Have you ever really wanted a new fragrance but have been so overwhelmed with the sheer number available in all kind of wonderful descriptions, families and concoctions? Right now I am obsessed with Floral Street fragrances, especially their newest launch Electric Rhubarb which I reviewed on my blog here. 

Floral Street can be found nestled in the heart of Covent Garden and it is described as being a brand built on the streets of London and one which is about breaking with tradition. It’s about peeling back the curtain of the secret world of fragrance. It’s about ease, modernity and joy. For me, what Floral Street has done is challenge my view of comfortable fragrances and instead convinced me to change things up and reach out of my comfort zone and I have just the product to do that with.

Meet the Floral Street discovery set (£14), a mini scent wardrobe which contains a 1.5ml sized bottle of all eight perfumes from Floral Street, excluding Electric Rhubarb.

 So inside you will find London Poppy, Wonderland Peony, Neon Rose, Wild Vanilla Orchid, Iris Goddess, Chypre Sublime, Black Lotus and Ylang Ylang Espresso.  All of these fragrances have been created by Jerome Epinette, one of the finest perfumers in the industry and someone I have been lucky enough to meet and listen too. Jerome is known for his mastery of natural ingredients and created each one of these scents using prized raw materials which have been sourced and synthesised by the iconic fragrance house Robertet.  Each fragrance tells its own story and each one is all fused with the dynamic energy of London and each one has an incredible 20% perfume oil level which not only makes these scents long-lasting but is also the reason they capture your attention.

The fragrances from left to right with their descriptions are:

• London Poppy - Described as being a love letter to London: a city as tough as ever-lasting poppies. A city that sees the sun through the clouds, a scent that opens with a bright beam of light. Sicilian lemon and Florida orange bring the zing. A salt-spray marine note adds an unexpected sea-facing view. The ultimate urban mood-lifter. London Poppy sits within the floral family.
• Wonderful Peony - Described as being a sweet floral stuffed full of peonies, pink berries and violets. A shot of cedarwood lends a woody-balsamic warmth, while vetiver injects the tiniest hint of hazelnut. Sophisticated, not soft. Captivating not cute. Wonderful Peony sits within the Floral Family
• Neon Rose - Described as being for the fiery, quirky, striking and expressive. Like freshly-chopped jasmine and roses draped around your neck. And yet, no roses were harmed in the making of this showpiece - these buds were cooked up in our lab for extra punch. Super-clean, super-floral. Neon Rose sits within the Floral Family.
• Wild Vanilla Orchid - Described as being a vanilla, but not as you know it. A raw-edged confection of creamy vanilla beans, blossom, cassis and citrus, dressed in a bunch of just-plucked jasmine. Offsetting the lingering sweetness; bamboo and sandalwood bend and fold underneath. Laid-back but exquisite. White tulle and high top, in fragrance form. Sits within the Oriental Family.
• Iris Goddess - there’s nothing shy about these violets. An explosion of powdery petals collide with ripe red fruits. Black vanilla, warm musks and earthy carrot seed bring exoticisim and depth, sparkling lemon zest and red chilli pepper add a jolt of life. Other-worldly and mystical. From the forest to the desert. An adventure in a bottle. iris Goddess sits within the Chypre Family.
• Chypre Sublime - Because Floral Street never smelled a flower they didn’t like, they loaded almost all of them into this un-put-down-able blend. Purified damask rose, violets, patchouli and geranium tap their feet. Olibanum – used to awaken the spirit in meditation – offers a resin-soaked wooden table for the flowers to perch on. A fragrance for musicians, painters and poets. Chypre Sublime sits within the Chypre Family.
• Black Lotus - Described as being the classic English-Rose dressed in a black leather jacket. Intoxicating, spirited, bohemian and alive. Complex and multi-faceted, the sweet honeyed scent of centifolia rose adds depth to lighter, spicy nuances by way of red peppercorn and saffron. Once smelt, forever adored. Black Lotus sits within the Oriental Family.
• Ylang Ylang Espresso - Described as being for the rebels. The thinkers. And the leaders: a powerful fragrance with its own electric current. A strikingly modern blend of red rose, ylang ylang and jasmine cross paths with a soothing cloud of just-brewed coffee, fresh cream and Sichuan pepper – sustainably harvested from the foothills of the Himalayas. A fragrance to get lost in. Ylang Ylang Espresso sits within the Chypre Family.

Within this collection, there is something for everything. Whether you like your florals, your musks, something with a hint of spice, something more earthy, something a little bit out of your comfort zone or even just something new that you are yet to discover.  This fragrance discovery set has given me the opportunity to move away from a department store and fragrance shops to try each one of these fragrances within the surroundings I am more likely to frequent.  Whenever I try a fragrance, unless I have purchased it before, I would never buy it immediately after trying it in a store because it never quite smells the same, they are all mixed in together with the surrounding air, what other people are wearing and other factors.

Having tried all eight of these fragrances, there isn't a single one I dislike, even Wild Vanilla Orchid surprised me because I cannot stand the heavy scent of Vanilla, it gives me a headache, this but scent was light on the vanilla and smelt wonderful of Jasmine, which happens to be one of my favourite fragrances notes.  Despite not disliking any of these, there are two which I absolutely adored and they are Black Lotus and London Poppy, both smell absolutely differently but they are both just divine and I have no doubts will be added to my growing collection.

Aside from fragrances, Floral Street has quite a collection of Body Creams and Body washes, which all match the fragrances within this discovery set, but I recently noticed a huge arsenal of Candles and Reed diffusers too, so those I am looking forward to getting to know over time, again as with the fragrances, there is a lot of choices.

This Discovery Set is priced at just £14 here and the fragrances themselves are priced at £22 for 10ml and £58 for 50ml. Each Floral Street fragrance comes tucked inside a ground-breaking pulp carton with an embossed lid, made from recyclable paper packaging and held together with a re-usable brightly-coloured band. A totally recyclable and biodegradable box - a first for the world of fragrance. The box can then be re-purposed to store jewellery, crystals, herbal teas, as a seed tray for plants and herbs - and just about anything else. All of the fragrances as also Cruelty-free and Vegan too.

From the descriptions given above, do any of the fragrances capture your attention?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

SANA JARDIN The world’s first socially-conscious, luxury fragrance house

I absolutely love discovering new fragrances. I like being to take a fragrance away to see how it smells on my skin an hour or two after it has been applied, rather than right there and then in a shop.  I was recently introduced to Sana Jardin and it has been quite the journey. Sana Jardin is described as being the world’s first socially conscious fragrance house created by Amy Christiansen Si-Ahmed. Amy created the business primarily as a vehicle for social change and the company sits at the intersection of social impact, luxury and the economic empowerment of women, which personally, I think is really quite something.  It launched in 2017 at Harrods with a collection of 7 Eau de Parums.  

Each fragrance within the collection is described as being one which exudes nature’s most exotic scents and harnesses the healing power of essential oils, whilst remaining free of artificial colourants, parabens, phthalates and formaldehyde. 

With 7 fragrances to try, it could become a bit overwhelming to try and choose the one you like the most, but thankfully, Sana Jardin have a perfect way to get yourself acquainted with the brand and to choose your favourite(s) and that is with this Discovery Set which features seven sample (2ml) sizes of the brand’s signature scents and here they are:

The first fragrance is Berber Blonde and is described as being "Glittering rays of golden sunlight emanate light, love, and happiness". If you like a light and fresh fragrance with a few green notes thrown in, then this will tick all of those boxes for you. It opens with top notes of Bergamot, Orange Bigarade and Petitgrain Bigarade which give it that instant citrussy hit.  The heart notes of Neroli and Orange Flower Water Absolute intensify that citrussy orangeness but adds some warmth before the base note of Musk, bring the sharpness of the orange down a notch and it settles just beautifully on the skin.

The second fragrance I tried was Tiger By Her Side and this one turned out to be the most popular with friends when I wore it.  Described as being "Seductive, mysterious, connect and unleash your true power and innate wildness".  If you love a Floriental fragrance then this one is right up there to try.  I love the opening notes of Bergamot, Cinnamon Bark and Coriander Seed because together they are quite powerful but warm notes.  The middle notes of Rose Absolute, Benzion Res, Siam and Patchouli Heart are just as stunning with the rose, for me, being the dominant scent. The base notes of Labdanum red, Vanilla and Olibanum are sweet but the overall scent isn't overdone by the Vanilla.  It also happens to work well, really well in fact with Berber Blonde layered over the top.

The third fragrance is my second favourite fragrance out of the box and it is Savage Jasmine and anyone who knows me will know that I love the scent of Jasmine and love a product, especially a fragrance which features Jasmine as one of its notes.  This fragrance has the following Description "Captured at the moment petals unfurl and unleash their exotic, heady scent into the balmy night air". It opens with notes of Clove which dies down really quickly having given you a bit of spice and warmness before the heart note of Jasmine Absolute opens the fragrance up and does its magic. If you have any fragrances with Jasmine in them, it is one of the most uplifting smells I have ever come across and it is just beautiful. The base notes of Musk, Tobacco Absolute Balkan Low Nicotine finish off the scent to give it that exotic scent. 

The 4th Fragrance is Sandalwood Temple and admittedly this scent is everything I imagined it not to be.  Described as follows: Invoke the cosmic, sacred and sensual.  This fragrance opens with Bergamot, Neroli and Orange Water Absolute which I wasn't expecting but when it is mixed with the middle notes of Cedarwood Heart and Cedarwood there is something quite calming about this scent and the base notes of Guaiacwood which on its own is a beautiful scent as it is sweet, it is woody and also spicy and powdery all at the same time but mixed with Sandalwood Album and Vanilla the sweetness comes through and it is a really lovely fragrance.

Up next comes Celestial Patchouli and again, this is one of the fragrances I got the most comments on when wearing.  Described as being "Intense, rich and gathers global explorers attracted to the mystical elements of the cosmos". Opening with Coriander seed as the sole note and it gives the fragrance a warmness before the middle notes of Orris, Osmanthus and Rose Absolute bring about a floral aroma which isn't too overpowering because the base notes of Cypriol, Cedarwood Bark, Leather Patchouli and Sandalwood bring about a hint of spice, greenness and whilst the rose is still there in the background, it is, for me, the scent of Orris that I can detect the most.

The fragrance that is second to last out of the box is the one with the most intriguing name and that is Nubian Musk and my absolute favourite out of the seven. Described as being an "Intoxicating raw scent of skin amplified in the heat of passion, limbs intertwined".  It opens with the sole note of Grapefruit Blossom which is just stunning in its almost Marmalade like scent that hits you before the middle notes of Jasmine Sambac (which I adore on its own as well as in a fragrance), Rose and Sandalwood work to bring about an almost woody scent before the base notes of Musk, Vanilla Bean Extract, Vetiver, Patchouli and Cypriol come to life and just create an incredible floral with a hint of fruitiness and it is just incredible. If I was to pick a favourite, it would without question be this fragrance, I absolutely love it and it is the first vial I finished and I felt truly sad about it.

The final fragrance is Revolution De la Fleur and it is my third favourite out of the box. Described as being "Tropical and exoctic for the feminine muse with a sensuous presence and a flower in her sun kissed hair" and it is a floral fragrance which a soft fruitiness to it.  Opening with the top notes of Rose and Frangipani you have both the floral and the fruity notes right here and they are for me, dominant notes throughout.  As the scent dries down the middle notes of Neroli, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine come through the middle and they are delicate scents which add a stronger touch of floralness before the base notes of Vanilla Bean Extract and Sandalwood come in and thankfully don't overpower what is a beautiful fragrance, but rather intensify what is already there.

So there we have seven fragrances which are all very different despite sharing some of the same notes such as Sandalwood, Vanilla Bean Extract and Neroli. What I have really loved is the chance to try them all and whilst I appreciate that some people are not a fan of these sample vials, I am a huge fan of them and it is through them that I have found some fragrances I would never want to be without in my stash.  I like that Sana Jardin has created a discovery kit and that it features all seven fragrances from the range. They are a luxury and you will find that 100ml bottle costs over £150 with a 50ml bottle being around £95 so before spending that kind of money, I want the option of having something I can wear for a few days here and there to see how it works with my skin and how long it lasts. 

All of the fragrances are free from artifical colours, parabens and formaldehydes.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

The Perfume Society: Scent with Love

I am obsessed with perfumes and I am possibly one of the only people you know that has a love of perfume samples. I am choosy about what I will and won't wear, it is rare that I fall in love with a scent on the very first spritz and I detest trying out a perfume in a department store, to me it gives a false impression as to what that scent is and it needs to be given the chance to settle on your skin and breathe before a decision is made as to whether or not it is for you.  So for me, a sample should be something you try over a few days, ask a few people what they think and then make a decision as to whether or not it is added to your wishlist or shopping basket.

The latest The Perfume Society box called Scent with Love is a subscription that would make the perfect gift and treat for someone like me and with Valentines Day looming around the corner, well all I am saying is... do it!

Inside this box you will find something for everyone and it features some pretty amazing brands and there are two sneaky previews of some soon to launch perfumes from Ellie Saab and Shay and & Blue included.

Ellie Saab Rose Couture launches in February and I adore it already. With top notes of orange blossom, peony and rose with heart notes of jasmine, rose, vanilla and fruity notes with a base of sandalwood and patchouli. It has everything I want in a perfume, it is just beautiful and is one I am very likely to purchase.

Shay & Blue's English Cherry Blossom launches in March and has top notes of bergamot, pink cherry blossoms and green mandarin with a heart of black cherry, honeysuckle and iris with a base of cherry wood. I am new to Shay & Blue perfumes, having never tried them before. When I first tried this I wasn't at all keen, but given the chance to settle on my skin and breathe, it was only then that I could appreciate how truly wonderful a scent it is. If you like something which is both citrus and floral, then this is one to look out for.

4160Tuesdays Sex Goddess (2.25ml) - This is another brand that I am not at all familiar with, so I was intrigued to see what all the fuss was about. Sex Goddess has top notes of peach and blackcurrant, a heart of strawberry and geranium with a musk and vanilla base. I have to admit, that this is not a scent for me, the vanilla base is a little too much for my senses and vanilla and I do not go together at all. That said, I know my mum would absolutely love this as a scent, it is quite a fruity scent and the musk gives it that little extra bit of sass. 

Moschino Fresh Couture (1ml) - Is quite possibly the weirdest get kookiest perfume designs I have ever seen. When it first exploded onto the blogs, I wanted to try it for myself and until now, havent managed to track it down. It has top notes of bergamot, mandarin and ylang ylang with a heart of raspberry, white peony and osmanthus with a base of cedarwood, ambrox and white patchouli. Again as soon as I tried this I loved it. The White Peony mixed with bergamot and Mandarin make for a scent that I would happily wear all day everyday and it has been added to my wishlist to purchase.

Narciso Rodriguez for Her (0.8ml) - I haven't worn this scent for a very long time, infact an ex of mine used to absolutely love it and he used to buy it for me. It has top notes of peach and rose, a heart of amber and musk and a base of sandalwood and patchouli. The rose and peach make this a truly wonderful scent for me and it has been nice to be reacquainted with such a delightful scent.

Agonist Vanilla Marble (2ml) - this is everything I should hate in a scent but it is one that makes me want to eat a Cherry Bakewell! It has top notes of vanilla, almond and tiare flower with heart notes of orchid, white fig, amber and patchouli with a base of sandalwood, vanilla, benzoin and tonka bean. I am personally not too sure I would buy it as a perfume, but I can imagine it would make the most wonderful candle.

L'Artisan Mure et Musc (1.5ml) - this is the first time I have come across a L'Artisan perfume and I really like it an awful lot. It has top notes of lemon, orange, basil and lavender, heart notes of blackberry and jasmine with a base of musks, patchouli and oakmoss. The combination of both fruit and musk make this a delightful scent which is perfect for a spring day, it isn't too over the top and it is distinctive enough in scent for people to ask what it is you are wearing.

Juicy Couture I am Juicy Couture (1.5ml) - I have never been a fan of any of the Juicy Couture fragrances to date, I find them a little too synthetic in scent and most definitely not for my age group. This offering has top notes of raspberry, pomelo and passionfruit with a heart of gardenia, heliotrope, rose de Mai and sweet pea with a base of musk, woods and amber. I think my god daughter would love this rather than me.

Taylor Swift Incredible Things (1.5ml) - Again, not a scent to which I would personally purchase for myself but I don't dislike it. It has top notes of grapefruit and pink pepper, a heart of suede, passion flower and vanilla orchid with a base of musk, vetiver, white amber and vanilla.

This is such an incredible box with some amazing scents enclosed but there is also two extra little enclosures which make this more truly incredible.  There is a sample Vial of Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Firm & Revitalise Dry Body Oil which can be used before or after your bath or shower, blended with your moisturiser and used as a welcome skin-soother, post-hair removal. And alongside being intensely nourishing for your skin it sinks in incredibly quickly and I have been so impressed with this sample, that it is on my list to explore more. 

The second extra is a 30ml tube of Time Bomb Hand to Hand Combat Hand Cream. In this weather, we all need as much hand cream as we can. Time Bomb’s advanced formula combines top ingredient that plump and smooth the skin on your hands, ‘feeding’ cuticles to keep them soft and snag-free. It combines vitamin E, essential fatty acids, pea extract and the multi-tasking wonder ingredient, argan oil.

If this sounds like a box you want to explore more, it costs just £12.50 for VIP Subscribers and £17.50 for non-subscribers and you can find it right HERE.

If you love fragrance, then you'll love our Discovery Club

A few weeks ago a received an email inviting me to join The Fragrance Shop Discovery Club, have you heard of it?  If not, this is the description:

"If you love fragrance, then you'll love our Discovery Club.
Our exciting new club allows you to explore the very latest fragrance launches from the comfort of your own home. For just £5 per quarter, each edition comes with fragrance samples for you to try, details on each of the fragrances included, as well as discount vouchers so you can make some big savings on all the scents featured."

Then in a bit more detail you are told:

• Exciting fragrance samples delivered straight to your home
• £25 of exclusive member discount vouchers inside
• A selection of the top fragrance brands
• Only £5 per quarter
• No commitment - cancel at any time!

So for £5 per quarter, which is not a lot of money, especially when my first box was free, it was too tempting not to take part, so I duly signed up.  Today my box arrived, which is really quick and I was quite surprised at how lovely the box was and how well made it is, all too often people are complaining that their beauty boxes are all flimsy and break... this one is very well made as you can see below.

Then once you have opened the outer packaging and have found the box inside, it is loving wrapped with this dark blue tissue paper with a silver seal featuring the initials DC on it, clearly standing for 'Discovery Club'.  Then once inside the paper, this is what you find:

Inside the box there two booklets.  The first one features details and information on all of the samples you will find in your box and those details include what sized bottles, how much they cost and a short paragraph on each.  The second booklet is your voucher booklet and in this you have 5 x £5 off vouchers for each of the five fragrance samples you have in the box.

As this is my first box, I was quite excited to find out which fragrances I would find in my box.  I love perfume and I love testing perfume, so for me this is really a great idea to have signed up too and to be honest inexpensive.  My fragrances this quarter are:

• Vera Wang Lovestruck Floral Rush - It is a prequel to the Loverstruck Story
• Roberto Carvalli - Just Carvalli - Described as sexy and provocative
• Juicy Couture - La La - Described as being funky, punk and a rock fragrance with heaps of spirit
• Lacoste - eau de Lacoste Pour Femme - Described as being modern, iconic and breathtakingly simple
• Nina Ricci - Nina L'Eau - Described as being a fresh new offering for Spring

So this is what is in my box and should you wish to read more about them, you can do so by clicking HERE. 

As these fragrances are just samples you get a smallish bottle containing around 4fl oz which you can see more clearly here:

I am really pleased with this box and I love the fact I have new samples to test and try out without having to go into a shop and cover myself in perfumes to see if they smell okay on my skin.

If you think this is something you would like to sign up to, you can find the link HERE along with further information.

So what do you think to my box? Are you a subscriber? 

Will you subscribe?