Introducing ScentSamples.com.au

I know that some girls grow up watching their Mum’s apply their makeup and layer their fragrances.  I don’t think my Mum ever wore lipstick, much less owned even one shade.  I think her perfume repertoire consisted of roll-on Mum deodorant.  Actually I can probably say the same for my Nan.  I don’t remember her being a make-up person either.   Both very natural beauties.   I do remember my Nan wearing the Mum brand cream deodorant though, the one you rubbed on (before the roll-on and eventual spray cans) and I remember how I loved the smell on her.  You know how sometimes you smell roses and think of your Nan’s garden?  Well not me.  I remember the Mum brand deodorant cream.  I guess it’s funny how the distinct fragrances you remember from childhood stick with you.

My Mum was not really a perfume wearer so I’m not sure where I got my love of perfume from.  I have been a perfume lover for as long as I can remember.  For people that know me, I’m known for it.  My knick name is Smelly.  I guess it comes from my name Melissa – you know how it works – Melissa, Mel, Melly, Smelly.  But then it fit because of my love of fragrance too.  Smelly in a good way.  When I was in my teens and strapped for cash, I would buy the Impulse sprays – the Musky one that everyone wore and that would suffice as my “perfume”.  As time went on I moved up to Exclamation by Coty.  Remember this one ladies?  I can’t remember many girls that didn’t wear this stuff in high school.  Oh and Tabu I think was another popular one at the time.

I remember being in Coles or Action as a teenager and buying a small bottle of French perfume made by Bic, the company that make lighters.  I remember there being about 4 different varieties – blue, green, red and maybe another one.  I tried them all but particularly loved the blue one.  I managed to buy it for ages until they discontinued it.  I would still love to buy some if anyone knows where to find them.  I don’t  know what it was – the amazing first spritz on your wrist, the strangers commenting on your gorgeous fragrance or the fact that the bic bottles were so incredibly cheap.  Can we really explain why we love a fragrance so much?  What is your favourite smell?  What memories are associated with that smell?

In my early 20’s, Red Door by Elizabeth Arden became my signature scent.  For people that knew me back then, they still remember that fragrance as being “mine”.  I loved it then and I still do today.  My first big perfume purchase was with one of my first pay cheques as a 17 year old – Poison by Christian Dior.  I did like it but it was not to become a favourite.

You know how some perfumes just do it for you and others don’t?  I guess part of the reason that I wanted to start this business was for women like me that love perfume and want to try new ones all the time.  But I don’t want to spend upwards of $100 or more on a perfume that I don’t really love or doesn’t stick with my skin chemistry.  The idea is to buy a smaller perfume sample size in 1ml, 2ml, 3ml, 5ml or 10ml sizes to try out as many perfumes as you like.  If you hate it, at least you haven’t spent a lot of money.  While it’s great to get a free sample at the perfume counter, (do they still give them out?  I haven’t been into Myer or David Jones for a long time) the sample size sometimes is not enough.  Maybe you need to test it 2 or 3 times before you know for sure whether you love it and generally the 1ml samples are dab on and don’t give the same effect as the spray bottles.  Well, in my humble opinion anyway.

Do you know what fragrance family category you love?  It can be confusing.  Some women know what they like and if they know that family a fragrance falls into, they have an idea of whether they’ll like it or not.  I just worked out something recently about myself.  Without knowing it, I was drawn to perfumes with a Tuberose scent.  I also make soy candles and have a Tuberose fragranced one that is my favourite.  My all time favourite perfume is Versace Blonde, which has unfortunately been discontinued.  It has Tuberose in it.  Of course I didn’t know this at the time but now I understand that I like it and am drawn to it.

What about you?  What is your favourite fragrance?  Do you have a favourite fragrance family category?  I am very much a floral girl. I occasionally stray out of the floral realm but I always come back to it.  What does that say about me?  I don’t know.  I think I read somewhere that floral would have to be the most popular of the fragrance families for women.  Maybe you love Orientals?  Woody Moss?  Citrus?  Fruity Florals?  Well, whatever your preference I hope that I can help you with your sampling experience.  Let’s have some fun experimenting.

I’ll talk to you soon.

Mel x