Sample set review - Obvious

I acquired this set included in a bunch of free samples that were given out in a promotion by C.O. Bigelow (If you spent a certain amount, they threw in a bunch of free stuff). I had heard of the brand before, but it wasn't one I really had on my radar. Une Verveine was the only one I had on my test list, and it turned out to be one of the best in the set.

Consistent with the minimalist theming of the house, the samples came in a white cardboard box with embossed lettering. Once opened, the vials are stacked almost touching each other with a small flap separating each one. Expensive for a discovery set at $50, but you get 16 frags; each one comes out to just over $3 which isn't bad at all. Unfortunately the sprayers are the Xerjoff/PDM type that squirt out approximately 0.00000001 ml per spray so you have to spray 15 times to get the effect of 4 or 5 normal sprays. And even then you don't get exactly the same effect as spraying the bottle, or a decent decant.

It seems like the fragrances are split into three collections: the "High Standards" collection, which have brown bottles, wooden caps, and opaque white labels, and are priced at $200; the "Must-Haves" collection which has clear bottles and labels with cork caps, priced at $140; and the "Capsules" collection, whose bottles are similar to the Must-Haves except for the writing, which is colorful, and are priced at $170. Seemingly the High Standards are deeper and more potent, while the Capsules are based on specific gourmand flavors, and the Must-Haves are based on single perfume notes, and are not very powerful.

In my last two sample set reviews I started with my favorites, but let's change it up for this one for suspense's sake:

16. Un Musc - Just unpleasant. Weird spicy notes (ginger? cumin? turmeric?) over very basic musk accord, doesn't even last. 3/10

15. Milk & Matcha - Oddly doesn't smell anything like either of its names. A floral, fruity, creamy scent that just feels bland and wouldn't feel out of place in a drug store. 4/10

14. Un Poivre - Another weird spicy kind of smell, this time caraway, Kitchen-y vegetable scent, drying down to vetiver. Not really peppery. 5/10

13. Scoville - We go from a fragrance named "a pepper" that is not peppery to a scent that is probably the most photorealistic chili pepper scent on the market. Why would anyone want to smell like this? Not rating it super low since it is clearly done well, and I suppose it did what it set out to do. 5/10

12. Une Fleur d'Oranger - Too many floral scents have obnoxious sweetness attached to them nowadays. Would be a nice citrusy white floral if it was turned down a little bit. 5.5/10

11. Un Bois - A little too minimalistic for my taste, even though I guess it's the name of the game here. Cedar, vetiver, and ambroxan that doesn't really go anywhere. 6/10

10. Une Figue - Very subtle fig leads into a woody sunscreen vibe. Quite weak and nondescript. 6.5/10

9. Frida's Thorns - Smells like a Bath and Body Works candle masquerading as a perfume. There is a nice patchouli-cacao-rose thing going on here, but it is overshadowed by some bland synthetics. 6.5/10

8. Une Pistache - Yet another case of a fragrance named after a note but doesn't really contain it: the cardamom, carrot, and especially the sandalwood are more prominent here. Not bad but not great. 7/10

7. Une Vanille It's just some playdoh-y vanilla. Smells fine, but no one is gonna smell this and think, "I gotta have it!" Oh and it's got terrible performance. 7/10

6. Une Rose - The fresher, soapier version of Frida's Thorns. I think the rose accord they use does marginally better here, but not much. It's alright, not as bad as the ratings suggest, but not a must-try by any means. 7.5/10

5. Un Patchouli - Probably rating this lower than I would had I been a patchouli fan; it's a great accord, I just don't like the scent that much. Patchouli and dusty chocolate; a less obnoxious Boccanera. 7.5/10

4. Un Oud - Your run-of-the-mill Western oud, inspired by greater scents like Haltane and Oud Wood Eau de Parfum. Again, not bad, but doesn't impress a whole lot. 7.5/10

3. Une Verveine - Nice but unoriginal. It's essentially a cross between Renaissance and Nio. Spicy green notes with some sweet citrus. Performance is not bad for a freshie but falls flat when compared to the two Xerjoffs. Budget option if you can't afford those. 8/10

2. Himalayan Spell - Really nice smoky leather scent. On first wear I was getting more fruity/sweet notes, but on subsequent wears the smokiness really came through. Give this one a chance! 8.5/10

1. Malfa Walls - Another that I had to wear a few times to get the full effect of; on first wear I found it very similar, almost redundant to Golden Green but a lot more smokiness and incense has been coming through recently. Perhaps I had gotten nose blind to some smoky aromachem and got over it, between the first and latest wearing of these last two. Whatever the case, this is a good fragrance, and complex and long-lasting to boot. 9/10

I'd probably only recommend my top 3, so I don't think this discovery set is worth it, as most of the fragrances are quite poor, quality and performance-wise. But Himalayan Spell and Malfa Walls I think I'd recommend to anyone who's looking for a nice dark leather scent.