My foray into the world of niche

Indeed you have assembled a good list of BN darlings, The Giraffe!
Some time ago I did quite the same, ordered the sample kit from lusciouscargo.com, and here's what I got: some of the samples were the original stuff (Santal Noble), just like the ones you get at your local store, and some (Tea for Two) were 1 ml vials decanted manually and placed into tiny zip bags to avoid leakage. I also received a complimentary sample I had not requested.

Have a good time with your new samples!

If you ever make it to New York than you should find your way to the actual Aedes store. It is an amazing time and the two guys are so very helpful. I am pretty sure that Aedes samples are just vials that you have to dab on your skin.

It looks like you have compiled a good list of very well reped scents on the boards.

Out of what you picked, my favorites are:

Tea for Two
Voleur de Roses
Santal Noble
Neroli Sauvage
Chergui (just ordered a bottle)
Safran Trablant

Well enjoy your stuff. You are a smart man not to buy things blind. Samples are always fun to play with anyway. ;D ;D

Excellent selection of samples. Before making up you mind about any of them, be sure to try them out several times. Having so many new frags arrive at once can be a bit of a workout for you nose. Several times when I have received large sample orders I have found that some frags didn't impress me much at first and then later on they became one of my favorites.

I hope you have fun when everything arrives!

MY LIST
1. Santal Noble
2. Chergui
3. Daim Blond
4. Tea for Two
5. Philosykos
6. Piper Nigrum
7. Musk (LV)
8. Voleur de Roses
9. Bleecker Street
10. Incensi
11.Safran Troublant
12. Feuilles de Tabac
13.Neroli Sauvage

Excellent excellent list, Giraffe. You're sure to be happy while they're in the mail--happiness is a new scent in the mail, after all.

I wish I were you, as a matter of fact. Think of the fun of waiting for a new sensory experience I've never had before just out of reach while it takes its sweet time in a boring brown packing envelope. All those samples like flowers never smelled before on the top of jungle trees hidden in the amazon, and they're making their way to you. Lucky skunk. I wish I could smell these for the first time all over again.

Anyway, you're in for a disappointment. That's the way it always works. Count on really liking two of those right away but wondering what's the deal for all the rest of them. Count on thinking Basenotes is a crazy place with people with small brains in it--what can they be thinking? What a let down, you'll exclaim!

Just two of them will be as good as the ones you love and have already. Then you'll get bored of those two. Then you'll keep sniffing the others hoping to finally get struck with what Basenoters smell but it won't happen. Then when you're out wearing one of them, late in the day, when you're thinking of something else, what happens will suddenly be pretty cool.

The best part right off is that you'll get to smell these things straight up and on your own, and your opinion will be every bit as good as any on this forum. You'll know the thing itself, and you won't know it through the screen of our words about the thing--our words are even misleading to us when we write them too, since they aren't the scent itself. Now you'll know and you won't any longer be reading words and just wishing for as simple a thing as smelling it yourself so that could judge the magic or bull yourself.

I really look forward to the excellent thoughts and reviews you'll write about these batches of samples and all the batches yet to come.

Welcome to the great fun.
--Chris