Assembling a Sample Pass

That is a wonderful varied selection Schilling, and a very generous gesture. I wonder if people are not clear whether you would ship them anywhere, or just US?

Personally, I would like to try just one from your list (Ellen Tracy Bronze), so let someone else participate and I will pass this time.

But, I would like to thank you for your attempt and not taking things for granted.

I have already smelled many on the list, but not all. So it would be fun for me to check, but probably later in the round if there is still some juice around.

cacio

Love your Pu Pu platter idea! I may just steal it from you and do the same one of these days!

No need to sign me up; have tried most of these and need the rest of this month to narrow down my choices for my January aldehyde pass. Do want to tell you what a nice thing this is, very generous of you! Thanks for offering this; there are some real gems there. Hope you and your participants have lots of fun; I will make time to follow along!

Just wanted to say thanks for doing this pass, very generous!

Can I go after Kalli? I'd like to join. Lisa

Thanks Schilling for organizing this pass! I haven't tried most of these. I will go after Lisa.

Thanks for signing me up! I haven't tried most of those.

Oh, Alex, that's so sweet! But I must point out that encouraging you has been a very easy task for me! If I'm good for anything around here, it's recognizing an awesome budding perfumista when I see one. This gang needs to keep an eye on you- you're a quick learner and you've taken to some very challenging perfumes as if you'd been waiting for them all your life! Chanel and iris lovers, Schilling is your friend!

Also- smart move waiting until after Christmas to mail these. Not only is mailing slower right now, packages stand a better chance of being lost. Best to play it safe and wait a week.

Hey, just to let ya know I got the package, thanks again! I won't be testing the ones I've tried already to save the fume for others.

- - - Updated - - -

Samsara- warm, spicy sandalwood with a bit of powder to it. Notes I could detect, sandalwood, iris, vanilla, amber. Has some things in common with Must De Cartier but it's way less green. Could tell it was a stronger scent from the 80's/90's. I would say there is a soapy element to this. Some people have compared this to Tuscany Per Donna by Estee Lauder, which is a like of mine. I would say, yes, they are similar though I get more sandalwood in Sasmara. At first spray, I get alot of sandalwood and iris, a bit rooty and dense scent. Then it becomes more airy and floral. Got a nice violet in there, I like the violet in this one a lot. On initial application, seemed a bit dense and wasn't very crazy about it, though I kind of liked, it wasn't doing it for me. But after it dried down some it became something I really enjoyed. Then it became musky on the dry down which is something I could go without. Liked the midnotes on this one. Definitely a good one for colder weather.

Ellen Tracy Bronze- well, it definitely had a gold feel to it. Floral and I got something what I call 'off putting' green..geranium? I get, musk, woods, violet and I think, rose. The 'off' green didn't last long. Turned into a very nice floral scent. Powdery, I would say there is a good amount of violet in this, I like that. Ylang Ylang? And very woody, a couple of woods would be my guess. Sandalwood maybe and perhaps like a cypress or cedar, something like that. Just guesses lol. Something was 'mentholic' in there..not sure what caused that. Sometimes I smell something I would describe as mentholic and it sometimes ends up being a resin, or rose or a spice. Sometimes hard to pin point when that happens. This is mostly violet but has other floral notes I can't quite pin point. Nice violet-y floral. Some musk to it, which again, could go without the musky notes. Lovely florals in this but it's main player is violet. If you like violet, worth checking out. Was thinking this was an older scent but looks like it came out in 2011, that being said, I have more appreciation for this..as it's not a dainty, candied, fruity musk like a lot of 'mainstream' releases as of late. Don't really see it for sale at department stores online..discontinued? Kind of a bummer if this was discontinued. I would say overall, it's a like as well. I would say to Twolf, maybe it's worth getting a sample.


2 out of 2! Not bad! lol.

24 Hermes- Orange, rose, woods. Pretty floral. Floral with some sparkly citrus. I get orange and rose..then becomes powdery. I get a white/creamy or suntan/sunscreen lotion note...what is that? lol, anyone else get that? Smells exactly like some kind of drug store lotion, not sure what. Lol, I looked up the notes, not sure why I got rose? I haven't sniffed in a bit, lol. It says there is gardenia..maybe that's what is causing that 'sun lotion' note. This doesn't put me off like most fumes with gardenia. That's a big accomplishment. It's playful at first with the citrus, then becomes more sophisticated with the floral mix. It's really not bad..could go without the lotion vibe but probably my most liked scent with gardenia in there. As it doesn't have that weird turn that most gardenia scents take for me. Something counteracts it before it happens or is counter balanced with other florals. I kind of like it but the lotion note is a little not up my alley. Other that that, pretty alright. Not sure if I'd wear cause of the lotion-y note.

So far, no very bad experiences. Yay.

- - - Updated - - -

Chypre by Coty-

Has a vintage-y scent to it. An older powerhouse of sorts. Strong! I get a lot of woods..sandalwood? Powdery vintage-y scent. Gets soapy. Really soapy! Of course, that big oakmoss note..reminds me of Lasso by Jean Patou, though I think Lasso is sweeter, and has a lot of leather. Lol, basically, that vintage-y oakmoss vibe is what's in common here. Both animalic as well. I have a lot of appreciation for this one but not something I would wear necessarily. Something urinous and animalic to this? Adds some dirtiness to the scent. Like I said, I appreciate but probably wouldn't wear. One worth checking out though.

Iris Silver Mist Lutens- ...one word, pass. This really wasn't good to me at all. Not sure if I am a huge fan of iris focused scents but this one took the cake. Lol, put this on and hubs said, 'oh, you smell awful!'. LOL. Slick, plastic-y iris. Woody iris. Didn't get much else. Sorry, not my cup-o-tea. Have to say, not a huge fan of hardly any Lutens scents. I think I've only really liked Feminite Du Bois so far.

Oh, I informed Schilling that something must have happened to the Rue Chanel vial..it all leaked out somehow perhaps and there is no perfume to be found in the vial. I tried sniffing the vial to get any notes, I would say pretty green element to it..and some woods. Don't care for the green part of it but kind of like the woodiness to it. That's all I really got from the vial.

Great reviews!

What is all this lack of appreciation for the wonderful Chypre? This is the mother of them all, the platonic idea of chypre-ness. Could something have turned? I have a bottle myself, so looking forward to compare...

Rue Cambon should have smelled floral, with some green and some apricot and peach skin (ie not too green a la Chamade, but with a certain fuzziness). But rich and complex, likely people used to synth moderns would have declared it "perfumey".

cacio

cacio

Due to allergies running amuck after some sniffs, I will have to end this sniff early, as I think I need a break from perfumes for a bit. Really seemed to kick into gear after smelling that Coty.. Civet? No doubt they used real cat when this was made. I don't think I have SaNielsen's address, maybe she could send it? Thanks.

Sorry to hear of your allergy. Civet is not the biggest player in Chypre. The main players are bergamot, labdanum, and oakmoss. Bergamot doesn't really create allergies (more like photosensitivity), but oakmoss can, as IFRA happily discovered. Did you spray on skin or paperstrips?

cacio

hello , i see you are not fans of Iris silver mist what a pity!!
its such a beauty! Iris as flower is really different from other flowers, its very expensive ingredient and it smells a bit like some woody note, may seem "simple, boring, odourless" kind of scent, but i like it so so much for beeing so different, and not offensive, but very natural....like its taken out of the ground with root , but SL one is like bit more "perfumed up", smells more juicy then 28 La Pausa from Chanel......


and 31 Rue Cambon is citrusy at the start , but the drydown is a lot about patchouli, its woody in that sense, and it took me probably few months before i understood it its complex, and reminded me in its structure and some kind of seducing beauty of Shalimar! the opening starts with blast of bergamot, the heart is woody- floral,and the drydown is ambery patchouly, it one of my favourites! and it last all day

schilling, please no worries.. it happens..maybe I do have an issue with oakmoss, idk. Too bad if that's the case, I do like oakmoss!

Things are a little better but didn't want to sniff too much more. But while I was packing these up, I did a couple quick sniffs..Chergui and Between the Sheets. I like the rich, sweetness of Chergui, I thought it was vanilla..but I guess it's honey, lol..I really didn't mind this one. I also got iris and incense. Tobacco, honeyed goodness. Between the Sheets? I got between the pineapple slices, I got all pineapple..and a little passionfruit..but mostly pineapple. Thanks for letting me sniff these!

Yep, I'll claim those words about ISM, Schilling! It is funereal to this nose. Just not an iris I need!

Remember, this is real, pre-reformulation nonsense oakmoss in Chypre. Most new frags that claim moss contain a tiny smidgeon of the real stuff, or use tree moss only. Chypre is not civet-y, though.

Sent out samples. I sniffed Ellen Tracy again before sending it out..not sure if I was a fan the second go around! Mmm, interesting.

Got the samples today. Woot! I already own Chergui, so I won't use that one. Have also tried Chypre before.

Oh, Samsara, I tried...just too sharp for me, like it has quinine in it. I can't find a Guerlain I like other than Spiriteuese Double Vanilla. My go-to sandalwood will remain Tam Dao.

Iris Silver Mist: oh, no, no, no! Like slicing through a green jungle vine hoping for water and getting cabbagey vodka instead. I don't think iris is good for me.

24 Faubourg -- this smells familiar. I think a teacher of mine wore it. Nice, but smells like somebody else!

Cuir de Russie: a realistic leather, like antique car seats. The opening seems a bit down'n'dirty for a Chanel.

Very much fun so far, thanks for including me! Lisa

- - - Updated - - -

OK, I've had myself a sniff-fest! Here are the rest of my noobie impressions:

Tauer Incense Rose': Andy could make me a rose lover with this one. Niiiice. Like a potpourri done right. Deep and dark but not sad or brooding.

Ellen Tracy Bronze: I think I may be anosmic to something in this. All I get is faint powdery woods.

Gucci Guilty Woman: Guilty but not ashamed. This would be good to wear with a power suit and a smirk (I lack both!)

Sonia Rykiel: just too sweet

Bulgari Blv Notte: meh

Bulgari Jasmine Noir: I don't smell jasmine...is there something wrong with me?

Demeter Gin and Tonic: short burst of something vaguely citrus-y, then gone

Demeter Between the Sheets: let me preface by saying I didn't know it was referring to a mixed drink, so I expected fresh cotton of some sort, sprayed it on and thought ?FRUIT. Looked it up in the directory here, and *face palm! Pleasant enough, maybe for high summer.

Narciso Rodriguez for Her Musc Extreme: this is like a very pale Ariane by Avon, very much not "extreme", but gentle and close to the skin. And lastly:

Mugler's Le Gout de Parfum Womanity: weirdly pleasant. Like Japanese red bean paste sweets only strong, perhaps if they were made into rum babas. Interesting and unique but ? wearable.

Will be sending the pass along to southerngardens this coming week. Thanks so much to Schilling for the chance to sample such a variety. I hope I can start a sample pass in the future. Lisa

Hello All!

The Sample pass arrived yesterday. After unwrapping all of the samples and gathering them together, I feel a little overwhelmed!!!! But I will just have to take them a one by one! I am not one with a refined nose that can review frags note by note, but I am learning to write down my impressions of a frag my own way. Get back to you soon!

Southerngardens

Hi Everyone! I managed to finish the sample pass rather quickly because I have another pass sitting on my coffee table just waiting, but I did not rush and not give each frag it's attention it deserved! I hope you enjoy my reviews?

Chypre by Coty- Top Notes:Bergamot, Sage, Civet Heart Notes: Orris root, Jasmine, Rose Base Notes: Oakmoss, Labdanum
The fragrance that started a whole olfactive family, the chypres. Created in 1917 and reportedly discontinued permanently in the 1980s, people can now only wonder how a chypre is supposed to smell. Actually, it is quite different and in many ways better than the new genre.. The overall impression starts out green and spicy, sage coupled with bergamot. Then a big, round, floral heart emerges, with rose and jasmine, followed by a base with a huge dollop of oakmoss (now restricted in perfumery). The whole is well-sweetened with labdanum. Any perfumer who thinks he or she can make a chypre by putting together clashing notes has missed the point and should smell this mellow beauty. There are no sharp edges. The whole is warm, earthy, sweet, musty, smooth, and powerful.

Chanel Cuir de Russie- Top Notes:Bergamot, Mandarin, Orange blossom Heart Notes: Jasmine, Rose, Ylang-ylang Base Notes: Birchwood
I was preparing myself for a strong leather scent, bigger and bolder than what I've previously tried. I was amazed to discover that this is a unisex and soft leather, nothing like Bandit by Robert Piguet or Cabochard by Gres.
This is leather with pretty floral and soapy nuances. I find nothing like what some have described; there's no animalistic qualities, (at least to my nose), no saltiness and no bitterness.
This is leather with pretty floral and soapy nuances. I find nothing like what some have described; there's no animalistic qualities, (at least to my nose), no saltiness and no bitterness.
It almost smells inky to my nose, like a room filled with regal, black leather armchairs, big red cedar tables and ink-wells, with a vase filled with jasmine, ylang ylang and rose sitting near a window overlooking a courtyard.
Cuir de Russie has great lasting strength, however the sillage is extremely intimate and subtle, making it somewhat difficult to detect at times. All in all, a beautiful powdery and floral interpretation of a leather classic from Chanel.

Bulgari Blu Notte-Top Notes:Bergamot, Galangal, Mandarin ,Heart Notes: Acacia, Iris, Tobacco blossom, Vodka, Basenotes: Amber, Dark Chocolate, Amber

BLV NOTTE, too, defies categorization and combines chocolate with an unexpected array of aromatic notes. If I were forced to select a category, I'd have to call this an aromatic oriental fougère, but even that would be misleading. BLV NOTTE is downright eccentric.

Do I like it? Well, yes, I guess I do. I find it not exactly beautiful but totally fascinating. BLV NOTTE is both masculine and feminine without being either. It combines aromatic, gourmand and oriental components with green and floral notes. There is so much sheer complexity here that I find myself studying this composition as I wear it, trying to wrap my nose around it, but never quite catching up, as the individual notes come and go and wax and wane in utterly unpredictable ways.
I cannot truly say that I love BLV NOTTE, but I respect its deviant nature and will continue to explore its undulating twists and turns.

Sonyia Rykiel for Women-Top notes: black currant, pineapple, mandarin, ylang-ylang and passion flower, Heart notes: honeysuckle, rose, lily-of-the-valley, violet, jasmine, rosemary, iris and patchouli, Basenotes: sandalwood, cedar, tonka, vanilla, amber and benzoin
Passion flower and spice dipped in orange marmalade...Ok.

I don't enjoy it.I believe it's messy.

I shares similarities with something very familiar as it dries down. It could be JPGaultier. mix it with Dali-Dalimania and you get Rykiel...

Confusing, not a perfume that sends a clear message, or feels really intoxicating or has a clear artistic vision...Dizzy. I have to wash this off because it’s making me nauseated!

Iris Silver Mist by Serge Lutens-Benzoin, Clove, Iris, Labdanum, Musk, Sandalwood, Frankincense, White amber, Cedarwood

I didn’t like this at all period. It smells like bugspray mixed with paint thinner!

Narcisco Rodriguez for her Musc Collection Intense: Top Notes: Jasmine, Orange blossom, Ylang-ylang, Heart Notes: Musk, Amber, Base Notes: Vetiver, Vanilla, Honey, Woody notes
This has to be the essential Musk Perfume. No one in my honest opinion captures the note of musk than Narcisco Rodriguez. It's translucent to the point of a clear skin scent due to the presence of osmanthu’s sweetens the musk base, bergamot adds the zest and tinges of amber dries the top 20 minutes later. Narcisco turns woody. The Final verdict, It's Chic, Sexy, Clean And Modern but avoids the fake facade of the candy scent that has taken the perfume world.

Chergui by Serge Lutens- Amber, Hay, Honey, Iris, Leather, Musk, Clary sage, Rose, Sandalwood, Tobacco leaf, Juniper berry, Frankincense

Most of the notes here seem sort of expected for a sweet oriental unisex perfume with massive sillage and longevity - the amber, leather, musk, tobacco, incense, etc., but I feel like the hay is responsible for that interesting little twist in Chergui's personality that makes it instantly recognizable.

That stuff lying around the barn that horses eat . . . who would have thought?

Chergui accomplishes a unisex status by doing what lots of other unisex perfumes try to do but fail, which is to come right to the brink of femininity (or masculinity, depending on which side you start on) and then backing off mere molecules shy of going over.

I love the stuff.


Bronze by Ellen Tracey- Top Notes: Bergamot, Green apple, Lemonade, Mandarin Heart Notes: Honeysuckle, Lily-of-the-valley, Orange blossom, Violet, Violet leaf Base Notes: Coumarin, Heliotrope, Musk, Vanilla, Cedar

BRONZE reminds me a lot of Dsquared SHE WOOD: water, woody violets in a pleasing, slightly sweet composition with a bit of an oriental feeling to it. So why is SHE WOOD a famous perfume and BRONZE relegated to the dust bin of perfume history in less than a year?

I don't know. But let us violet lovers simply rejoice that this sort of trouvaille can be had for so little money. Although this perfume is not niche, it is solid designer fare. I would rank this as equivalent in quality to any of the Salvatore Ferragamo perfumes. This means, too, that there is a bit of luck to a spritz. Sometimes it will go well, and sometimes there will be a bit of an unpleasant waft, especially up top. But the drydown is worth the wait, and I am happy to have picked up a gift set of this obscure but enjoyable designer fragrance. I thought it ok , but not something I would go out of my way to buy.

Incense Rose by Andy Tauer- Top Notes: Bergamot, Mandarin, Rose leaf Heart Notes: Castoreum, Orris root, Frankincense Base Notes:Ambergris, Labdanum, Myrrh, Patchouli, Vetiver, Cedarwood


It's a rather rich, smokey take on the scent of incense and rose, with a touch of strong, resinous cedar and amber.
I'll start by saying that Incense Rose can be unisex. The intense woodsy notes makes this perfect for men due to its somewhat masculine qualities.

This fragrance does tend to be cloying, however I like my scents strong and powerful. From the very opening, Incense Rose hits you with its massive sillage.
The top notes are mostly a mixture of intense earthiness, fruity clementine and tart-like rose. As it settles, the earthiness takes on a rather green-like approach, almost mossy in a sense, and the incense appears.
The incense is of the burning kind. Smokey, exotic and smooth. When placed alongside the rose note, the incense blends well, creating an atmosphere that does remind me of a bohemian trinket shop.
I'm a rather creative type of person, very much influenced by art, theatre and music. Therefore I feel as if Incense Rose captures this side of me perfectly. Richly exotic and heady scents describe my career industry well, especially the wild side of it.
For those that love incense, you will most likely enjoy this, however for those that are rose lovers, this may or may not appeal to you. I haven’t made up my mind.


HERMES 24 Faubourg EDP- Top Notes Bergamot, Hyacinth, Orange, Peach, Ylang-ylang Heart Notes: Gardenia, Iris, Jasmine, Orange blossom, Black elder Base Notes: Amber, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla

It is quite obvious that this fragrance hasn't been composed by the Hermes regular, Jean Claude Ellena. 24 Faubourg has in fact been blended by the marvelous Maurice Roucel and is devoid of any vegetal undertones. This is a beautiful and classic floral composition that exudes elegance by the plenty.

The florals are so well blended in this composition that it proves rather difficult to name any particular flower. I assume it's the gardenia that gives it a creamy feel and the violet which gives it a hint of green like freshness. A big, juicy and rich orange accord, which is more pulpy than citrusy, compliments the florals perfectly. 24 Faubourg is a classy fragrance, yet one that is also warm weather appropriate, however I think you can wear it in winter too.

Although primarily a white floral, 24 Faubourg doesn't smell like one to me. It's more grounded, spiced up with a touch of amber and vanilla. It goes on very smooth and stays this way throughout its development. Honey and peach feature only in the heart, where it adds a subtle sweetness that I can't help but admire. This was lovely!


Gin & Tonic by Demeter for Women- Sweet soda, Juniper[RW1] berry

The perfect light summer fragrance if you want to smell like an alcoholic beverage!. The initial scent is punchy tonic and juniper, with a lovely zesty tonic note in the dry down. Sillage is low to moderate (depending on how liberal you are with spraying!) and longevity on me was 3-4 hours

Bvlgari Jasmine Noir EDP- Top Notes: Gardenia, Green plant juice Heart Notes: Almond, Jasmine sambac absolut Base Notes: Precious woods, Glycyrrhiza, Tonka bean

I had heard so many people rave about this scent prior to testing it. I had really hoped that I would be raving too, unfortunately this was not so.
I really wanted to experience that warm, smokey, musky jasmine that everyone has been talking about, yet all I got was a predictable and fleeting blend of gardenia and jasmine which really didn't surprise or amaze me in the least.
Sure, Jasmin Noir is a nice, pleasant, inoffensive scent, yet for me it didn't push too many boundaries. I wanted elegance and style, just like the bottle conveyed, but I was surprised by how light and short lasting this fragrance turned out to be.
I'm afraid I can't hold back on my disappointment. Jasmin Noir is neither mysterious, dark, alluring or intriguing. I'm really not impressed.

Between the Sheets by Demeter- Guava, Mango, Orange liqueur, Passion fruit, Rum, Lemon juice
A synthetic fruit punch with an awkwardly bad lasting power. This works great as a room spray, but it doesn't qualify for being worn on my skin.

Gucci Guilty for women- Top notes: Manadarin , Pink Pepper, Heart Notes: lilac , peach, Base Notes: Amber, Patchouli
It’s pleasant enough, but incredibly boring, leaving me longing for something with much more depth. Where is the patchouli I was looking for in Guilty? There is a lot missing from Gucci Guilty’s composition.It doesn’t have much in the way of sillage. Nor does it have much lasting power that’s of an impressive nature. I am disappointed and truly underwhelmed . It’s predictable, but pleasant none the less.

Samsara by Guerlain- Top Notes: Bergamot, green notes, peach, ylang-ylang, lemon Heart notes: Orris Root, Jasmine, Narcissus, Rosa, violet Base Notes: Amber, Iris, Musk, sandalwood, tonka bean, vanilla

Quite an alluring frag that has stood the test of time though it’s been reformulated. It’s been hailed as one of the most popular frags over the past two decades.
There is a lot of rich woody notes and smokey incense to balance everything out nicely .Particularly in the drydown, Samsara has a soapy yet spicey like quality that I admire.
I wouldn’t call Samsara loud or particularly bold type of scent. Instead it is rather intimate and mysterious. I feel those qualities make it all that more appealing. I am a confident fragranxe wearer and ,so, I would wear this, but I would not recommend it for the average male.

Le Gout de Parfum Womanity by Thierry Mugler- Top note: Fig chutney, green notes, citruses Heart Notes: Anamilic notes, fig, caviar, seawater Basenotes: Opoponax, strawflower, vetiver, cedar

Womanity opens to a grandiose fruit salad-lots of fig. pears,and grapes, maybe some pineapple with little to no hesperdic accords.
As long as the fruit basket stays , I’ll sing the praises for Womanity. I don’t get any of the fishy caviar or seawater.
Unfortunately this fruity combo gives way to a milk and honey and coconut aroma, reminiscent of cheap shower gel that doesn’t go well with my nose. I like milk and honey in some combos, but not coconut. So, when this happened I wanted to scrub it off! Yuck

Just got the packet - will comment in coming days.

cacio

Can't wait to hear your impressions Cacio!

It's the weekend so I just started to smell.

Guilty woman: not for me. It opens as the usual fruity floral, then, on my skin, it goes straight to the drydown, which happens to be an unremarkable, almost unpleasant woody amber.

Ellen Tracy Bronze: interesting, at first I perceived it in the mold of other "beach" frags, recalling European tanning lotions. Vaguely ambery, almondy (heliotropin like materials), but here with a touch more sweetish fruits and flowers. Edit: as it goes it seems to become more sweet and woody, and not a "beach" frag. Funny how first impressions can deceive.

Iris silver mist: I own this one already, but was curious to smell because apparently it was reformulated. This smells similar to mine, a big iris with the carrot, root, and bread aspect all loud and clear, and supported by sharp synthetics that add to the power.

Jasmin noir: clearly not true jasmine, which is rare in modern perfumery (and has been banned too). It's more generically woody-floral to my nose though, I concur with previous sniffers.

Demeter gin and tonic: as many Demeters, does what it says on the bottle. For about 5 seconds. After which it disappears.

cacio

I'm with you on this - at least early with Tom Ford there was an attempt to create stuff that was popular and good - and the two are indeed standouts. After that, nothing.

cacio

Hahaha, Pu Pu platter! This thread is helpful; it's weeding out less fragrances for me to test in the future.

New batch:

Sonia Rykiel for woman: the top is very dry, violet and blackcurrant leaves, aromatics, not bad, but almost unfriendly. Then some sweet comes out and it becomes more traditionally woody floral. Re-reading the previous comments, I'm a little puzzled because I usually don't like fruity, but this one didn't strike me as being particularly sweet. Perhaps I'm anosmic to the sweet aromachemical in it.
Demeter Between the sheets: somehow, from the name, I was expecting a laundry musk. But it's a surprising citrus-grapefruit spritz. Then disappears shortly after contact, as usual with most Demeter.
24 Faubourg: rich, old style floral. With some green and sharp florals, but not too much, with some deeper ambery florals, but not too much, above all, thick, almost oily. The feel is elegant, formal, no relaxation here. Very good - I can see myself wearing this.
Narciso Rodriguez Mus for her Intense: pink musk. Clearly a superclean musk, but with floral overnotes, or perhaps it's just the musk that happens to smell like this. Smooth, and in the genre a good one. But clearly not for me.
Womanity gout de parfum: I don't own womanity, so I cannot compare exactly how this differs from the regular one, to me it smells very similar, that is, a weird but interesting marine, salty fig focaccia. As it often happens, Mugler perfumes are not shy in trying new combos. This one is compelling, in part because of the novelty, and yet, not 100% successful to my nose. I keep wondering whether the idea could be perfected. At the same time, every time I smell it I find it interesting, so who knows, perhaps it's just a matter of getting used to it. I've always been puzzled by the relation between fig focaccia and womanhood - there is one in the Italian language, but the perfume is French so it cannot be that.

A few missing - actually, I just noticed that some have the label completely smudged, so it'll be fun - I'll see if I can match smell and perfume, also based on previous comments.

cacio

- - - Updated - - -

Now the unlabelled. I identified easily Tauer Incense Rose, which I own. Very good rose incense. The incense is clean, almost fizzy, the overall impression is of great cleanliness, with a touch of the Tauerade in the background (the dry flinty signature of many Tauers), but subdued.
Chergui: also identifiable (plus one can see the letters with some effort on the label), rich vegetal tobacco, with dry hay grassy notes and an oriental ambery vanillic drydown.

This leaves two vials. One is a long one and is empty. Another one has some liquid. MIA are Bulgari Blu and Samsara. Will smell tomorrow.

cacio

I am sorry for the late response everyone, but I have not felt well and have been doing Dr. visits and it has slipped my mind! Cacio, If I remember correctly there was a empty vial in the batch when I received it and I must have left it in, sorry! I hope you mean that the Samsara and Bvlgari Blue are the last two you haven't gotten to and not that I misplaced them and they aren't in the package?
Anything is possible because I suffer from chronic pain, had two sample passes come in at one time and had two of my own going out! Whew! I'm afraid I was not the best sampler in this pass!

Southerngardens

No, the vials were there. just the label was too smudged. Anyway, we figured out one of the unlabelled was Bulgari Blv. Whcih, apart from a semi-interesting chocolate note, isn't really something I usually go to.

And then I forgot to comment on Cuir de Russie (I didn't spray the vial because I have it already). Supersmooth leather to my nose. The edt is more floral than the parfum, which is even smoother, warm, and skin like.

thanks again to schilling for organizing this pts!

cacio