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Scent Trunk’s philosophy is to support niche perfumers by giving them the worldwide exposure through e-commerce that it’s hard for them to secure at the mass-market department store fragrance counter. Scent Trunk also has a #fightdepression campaign going on. Since scent has the power to change mood, and 1.5% of us suffer from persistent depression, they’re donating 1.5% of sales to fight mental illness.

CEO William Yin was kind enough to send us a Scent Trunk to sample based on our Scent Profile and we were very happy with what we received! Focusing on citrus and woods, our matches were Amouage Interlude Woman, Perfumes by Terri Elegance Sombre, and Dueto Perfumes Lady Cool. The samples were neatly tucked into a velour drawstring pouch and accompanied by handy little informational cards listing notes, longevity, and sillage. Scent Trunk certainly delivered on their promise to expand our fragrant horizons!

Now they’d like to do the same for you. We’ve got an Exclusive Sniffapalooza Invitation Code for you, which will snag you a $7.00 gift credit when you create an account. Just use THIS LINK to sign up!

And as a special treat, we’re having a SCENT TRUNK THREE MONTH AUTUMN SUBSCRIPTION GIVEAWAY! Just leave a comment and tell us about your favorite fall fragrances. One winner will be chosen at random on Friday, September 18, 2015.

Good Luck!

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When the good folks at Commodity offered to send us their Fitting Kits to try out, we weren’t quite sure what to expect. Our first thought was that it was just another mix-and-match set of unfinished fragrance notes to play around with, layer, and create something unique on our own. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Boy, were we ever wrong! Each of these babies is a well-blended, beautifully finished fragrance that makes a statement of its own. The only thing wrong with Commodity was that every time we’d find a scent we loved (Pinot!) we’d try another and love it even more (Tea!) There are ten Women’s and ten Men’s fragrances, with a little bit of overlap (Moss, Gold, Paper), but it’s really not necessary to pay any attention to the gender categorizations – all are wearable by anyone!

Would you like to win your very own Fitting Kit? And once you’ve sampled them all – a 100ml bottle of your favorite Commodity fragrance?! We thought so! Just read through the scents and their descriptions below and leave a comment telling us which one you’d like best! One lucky winner will be chosen at random on Monday, June 30.

Tea – Sicilian Lemon, Bergamot, Freesia, Muguet, Jasmine Sambac, Sandalwood, White Musk

Moss – Ozone, Petitgrain, Italian Bergamot, Elemi, Eucalyptus, Oak Moss, Orange Blossom, Cashmere Woods, Cedarwood, White Musks, Amber

Mimosa – Red Orange, Mandarin, Grapefruit, Black Pepper, Sheer Jasmine, Geranium, Tonka Bean, Heliotrope, Ylang Ylang

Gold – Bergamot, Juniper Berries, Camphor, Amber, Haitian Vetiver, Benzoin, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Nubian Musk

Paper – Iso-E Super, Smooth Woody Amber, Cedarwood

Ivy – Black Currant, Pink Pepper, Lime Blossom, Coconut, Green Iris, Violet Leaves, Pink Water Lily, Heliotrope, Blue Orris, Vetiver Absolute, Sandalwood, Musk

Rain – Italian Bergamot, Lemon Verbena, Jasmine, Freesia, Lotus Blossom, Water Musk, Sheer Woods, Vetiver

Dew – Italian Mandarin, Peach Nectar, Melon, Pear, Jasmine, Laroda Plum, Orchid, Turkish Rose Essence, Violet Petals, Musk, Warm Madagascar Vanilla, Cedarwood, Blackberry

Magnolia – Water Lily, Dewy Greens, Pink Grapefruit, Eucalyptus, Magnolia, Ylang Ylang, White Violet, Rose Absolute, Caramel, Labdanum, Oak Moss, Musk

Pinot – Bergamot, White Peach, Orange Flower, Bulgarian Rose, Creamy Musks, Amber, Indonesian Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver Haiti, Vanilla Bean

Cloth – Italian Bergamot, Lemon, Melon, Glacial Spring Accord, Rosemary, Verbena, White Lavender, Lavender, White Musk, Patchouli, Oak Moss

Cane – Cardamom, Grapefruit, Rosemary, Cedar Leaf, Ylang Ylang, Tuberose, Vetiver, Cedarwood, Leather

Wool – Mandarin, Grapefruit, Apple, Basil, Fresh Ozone, Cedarwood, Lavandin, Armoise, Amber, Haitian Vetiver, Gray Musk, Bourbon Vanilla

Whiskey – Bergamot, Lemon, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Sage, Ivy, Dark Musk, AMber, Cinnamon, American Oak

Gin – Bergamot, Watery Nuances, Eucalyptus, Jasmine, Blonde Woods, Leather, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Musk

Book – Cucumber, Eucalyptus, Bergamot, Lavender, Amyris, Amber, Sandalwood, Haitian Vetiver, Balsa, Guaiac

Oak – Chinotto Orange, Ceylonese Cinnamon, Jasmine, Nutmeg, Olibanum, Oakwood, Patchouli Orpur, Amber, Haitian Vetiver

One Entry Per Person. Sorry, US Only.

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As a dedicated equal-opportunity fragrance lover, nothing makes me more excited than test-driving a new fragrance! It’s been a few weeks since I received my box of Love2Love Eau de Toilettes and Body Mists from Coty’s marketing company (see Part 1), and I’ve had a chance to live with these beauties and get all up close and personal with them.

Here are my fragrant thoughts…

Orange Blossom + White Musk I have to say, perfumer Maurice Roucel did a phenomenal job creating the cleanest, most pristine orange blossom I’ve encountered – no doubt due to the veil of lovely white musk, creamy orris and smooth sandalwood running through it. This one screams ‘wedding’ to me… mine or someone else’s!

Freesia + Violet Petal I’ve always loved violets in perfume… to me they smell vintage yet modern and often remind me of the Choward’s violet candies my grandmother carried in her Chanel purse. Which can sometimes be too sugary-sweet… but perfumer Sophia Grojsman got it just right with a lush bouquet blend of Turkish rose, peach blossom, lily petals, sheer musk, heliotropene and freesia. This is the perfect potion for serious seduction, it’s unbelievably sensual in a very un-obvious way.

Jasmine + Sparkling Mimosa This cocktail of a fragrance by perfumer Richard Herpin is probably the most me of the collection – floral (but not too), fruity (just a touch of raspberry), with a burst of effervescence on top. It makes me want to dance on a table, which I suppose classifies it as the perfect date-night scent!

Fresh Rose + Peach Perfumer Calice Becker is one of those perfumers I collect – I want to own everything she creates! She has a marvelous way of interpreting emotions and imagery through smell – and her rendition of Fresh Rose Peach brings to mind the velvety softness of a rose petal melded with the juicy pulp of a ripe peach. You can both inhale and taste it! This is the one I gave my mother for Mother’s Day – it is so evocative of sensory things she loves.

#love2lovewalmart #bstat  Win a Fantasy Date-cation!

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Notes:

Top: Bergamot, Green Amber, Pink Pepper

Middle: Iris Absolute, Jasmine Sambac, Hedione, Paradisone

Bottom: Leather, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Benzoin

Impressions: Bright top notes quickly give way to a paper-dry iris almost as soon as the spray hits the skin. When Iris Prima further settles, the jasmine and vanilla dance around the leather, while hedione and paradisone help maintain a certain lightness. Grounded by sandalwood and vetiver in the final drydown, Iris Prima leaves a most enjoyable scent that stays fairly close to the skin. It’s reminiscent of the warmth of a favorite perfume left behind on the cuff of a butter-soft leather jacket.

Thanks to Victoria & Celene of Penhaligon's for Iris Prima

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Notes:

Top: Bergamot, Neroli, Lime

Middle: Coco Essence, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang

Base: Vanilla, Myrrh, Sandalwood

Impressions: After the bright citrus opening, Elle L’Aime warms to a yummy chocolate-laced confection. The soft floral accord becomes apparent as the cocoa settles, blending beautifully with the warm vanilla. Sandalwood and myrrh round out the scent in the final drydown. Perfect for the crisp autumn weather to come. And how sweet is that gilded leaf atop the cap?! Elle L’Aime has earned a place in my Fall Fragrance Rotation.

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Top: Tangerine orange, geranium, sage, rosemary, artemisia

Middle: Ylang ylang, rose, sandalwood, lily of the valley, magnolia, mint

Base: Coconut, vanilla, musk, moss

Impressions: I was pleasantly surprised by the softly sweet drydown of this well-composed scent. Ylang in Gold had me sniffing my wrist again and again throughout the day.  This perfume stayed close to the skin, with a creamy sweetness from the vanilla/coconut/ylang and smooth grounding from the sandalwood and musk. The stunning full-size bottle is hand decorated with specially designed Swarovski crystals, and the fragrance is flecked with golden dust.

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I’ll be whipping up this popular Super Bowl snack:

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It was 13 degrees in New York City a few weeks ago, and we had a dusting of snow yesterday, so I finally feel like winter has arrived!  Now I want to immerse myself in total winterness, and that starts with building a fragrance wardrobe that will create a mood of cold, metallic, powdery, frozen, crystalline iciness for me to waft around in like the scent-happy snow bunny that I am.

I was inspired to research fragrances with the word winter (hiver in French) in the title… and was amazed at how many there are! I’ve cleared a shelf in my perfume armoire, and have commenced with adding the following frosty scents to evoke some seasonal sillage….

CB I Hate Perfume Winter 1972 – Perfumer Christopher Brosius’ portrait of a memory in time boasts notes of a field of untouched new fallen snow, hand-knit woolen mittens coated with frost, a hint of frozen forest and sleeping earth.

DSH Perfumes Epices d’Hiver –  Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’ comforting and cozy interpretation of Winter spices is like a warm cup of tea in your hands on a frigid day. Woods, earthy patchouli, and a botanical ambergris mesh beautifully with davana, stargazer lily, jasmine, nutmeg and pink pepper.

Frederic Malle L’Eau d’Hiver –  The scent I reach for when I want to feel like I’m snuggled in a pure, white snowdrift looking up at a blustery blue-grey winter sky. Jean-Claude Ellena’s creation is coldly comforting marriage of angelica, jasmine, heliotrope, iris, honey, hawthorn, carnation, and white musk.

Thierry Mugler Angel Winter Star Extrait de Parfum – Yet another incarnation of the fantastic Angel and the iconic star-shaped flacon. Notes are vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli, citrus, melon, peach and plum.

Yves Rocher Folie de Saisons Fantaisies d’Hiver – Created as part of a 1997 collection, this hard-to-find fragrance has been described as a velvet icy flower, with notes of violet, wood, vanilla, and water accords.

For Strange Women Winter Kitty –  Somebody get Katy Perry on the phone… quick! The fragrance house, For Strange Women, describes this as a botanical perfume inspired by felines, fireplaces, and snowflakes – an artisan rendition of the sweet, slightly musky smell of a kitty who went out for a Winter walk  and came back with chimney smoke and brisk air lingering in her fur. Notes are vetiver, wood, frankincense, Moroccan rose, mint, Douglas fir, and vanilla bourbon.

Coty Vanilla Fields Winter Perfume – Created in 1993, this flanker to the original is a blend of vanilla and white jasmine.

Kenzo Fleurs d’Hiver – Created in 2008 as an homage to precious Winter flowers, Fleurs d’Hiver is a powdery, creamy mélange of mandarin, violet leaf, mimosa, camellia, Hellebore rose, patchouli, and vanilla absolute.

Yosh Winter Rose – Another beautiful interpretation from the perfumer’s perfumer… the divine Ms. Han! Winter Rose is an aromatic tapestry inspired by Yosh’s travels through turkey, evoking dreamy landscapes of lush textures and colors, spice markets, a saffron-colored cashmere wrap, desert caves, ancient ruins, and heady roses from Isparta.

Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Winter Delice – Created in 2000, this is an elegant mix of pine, rose, gingerbread, and incense that often is described as smelling like Christmas!

CLEAN Winter –  The creators of the CLEAN line aimed to capture the scent of snowflakes falling on the tip of your nose and a steaming cup of hot cocoa to warm your sun-kissed rosy cheeks with notes of frosted hyacinth, bergamot, star anise, blonde woods, and white musk.

Ayala Moriel Bois d’Hiver – Perfumer Ayala Sender warm composition geared to men (but that doesn’t deter me from wearing it!) utilizes incense, woods, fir, pine, pimento, tolu balm, juniper berries, myrrh, orange blossom, sage, Moroccan rose, bitter orange, jasmine, cedar wood, grandiflorum, and rosemary.

Ayala Moriel Fete d’Hiver – Ayala celebrates the festival that is winter with the soft powdery feeling of snow and warming by a fireplace on a furry rug with notes of amber, pimento, otto rose, sandalwood, Moroccan rose, bitter orange, rosewood, incense, gardenia, and nutmeg.

Givenchy Ange Ou Demon Le Secret Poesie d’un Parfum d’Hiver –  Created in 2011 as part of Givenchy’s Poetry of a Winter Perfume series, this floral gourmand combines notes of the holiday season such as candied orange, cinnamon, gingerbread, and praline with green tea, sambac jasmine, honey, ginger, musk, and guaiac wood.

Givenchy Very Irresistible Poesie d’un Parfum d’Hiver –  This spicy floral seasonal flanker to the original Very Irresistible opens with an orange thread embraced with star anise, cinnamon, ginger, rose, licorice, vanilla, and tonka bean.

Givenchy Very Irresistible Cedre d’Hiver – This 2010 woody blend recalls a layer of soft white snow clinging to cedar branches amid a stark, icy landscape with a fusion of Atlas cedar, Virginia cedar, sandalwood, amber, cassis, star anise, magnolia leaf, rose, and frankincense.

Eau d’Italie Sienne l’Hiver – Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour takes us on another of his sensory journeys, this time to the medieval streets of Winter in Siena.  Opening with fresh, torn autumn leaves, Sienne l’Hiver unfolds with accords of black olive, French straw, white truffle, iris root, violet leaf, geranium, woods, coal-roasted chestnuts and white musk.

M. Micallef Les 4 Saisons – Perfumer Martine Micallef’s warm, powdery blend  has vivid top-notes of lemon, neroli, citron, petitgrain, and orange evolving into a sensual pairing of ylang ylang, jasmine, iris, cinnamon, almond, vanilla, cedar, sandalwood, cumin, violet, elemi, oak, white musk, orange blossom, and benzoin.

Van Cleef & Arpels Les Saisons Hiver – Launched in 2004, perfumer Alberto Morillas’ spicy green floral unisex scent is inspired by the serenity of winter nights and the essence of unity during the holidays. Notes are lime, white pepper, cardamom, white musk, amber and green lemon.

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