Smelling perfumes at a store and then getting a sample to decide if we want more, or ordering a sample of a perfume we got curious about, is the regular route new perfumes take to join our collections. But sometimes perfume or beauty orders come with samples we didn’t choose ourselves. This week’s question is about those samples.
Saturday Question #279:
Have You Ever Bought a Perfume from a Surprise Sample?
Would you have tried it if it hadn’t been sent to you? Do you still have that perfume?
My Answer
I came up with this question earlier this week while unpacking a package from Sephora.
The main reason I order online instead of going to the store just a 10-minutes drive from where I live is that I can choose a couple of samples with any order and get another larger sample with a minimum purchase. Had they made it easy to do the same in store, I would have saved them money on delivery and gone to the mall. But since they don’t, I order online. The samples that I choose are always skincare or makeup. I haven’t done an exact count, but it feels like in one out of two orders they substitute the requested sample with a perfume sample. And I don’t like when that happens: I just don’t know what to do with those mass-market perfumes. I try them when they arrive even though I know that I won’t like them. I don’t. And after that, they just sit in my drawer. Unlike a lotion that I can use on my hands or feet if I don’t want to apply it to my face or a makeup sample that is a one-use packet that I’ll try and forget, there’s no use for perfumes I don’t like. But it’s hard to throw away a full sample.
Mentally going through all the years and samples, I can think of a single perfume that fits that question – a long-discontinued Tiempe Passate by Antonia’s Flowers. As I described in the post My First Niche Perfume: Tiempe Passate by Antonia’s Flowers, I got a sample of this perfume with another purchase at a store that didn’t even carry it. So if it weren’t for that random sample, I might never have tried it. I still have that bottle and wear this perfume from time to time.
How about you?
Undina's Looking Glass 
Yes I’ve done this. I bought the original PG Praline de Santal direct from PH & it came with samples of Coze & Tonkamande. Over time I bought both & DH gifted me a large bottle of Tonkamande.
Tonkamande is still with me. PdS & Coze were both moved moved on
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I don’t think I smelled Cozy, but for the other two I had samples, I think, at the same time because they were released at the same time, and everyone was talking about them. Both were nice, but I didn’t love any of them enough to buy a bottle.
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Interesting question, Undina. I’ve done this once that I can recall. I received a sample of D600 from Carner Barcelona and enjoyed it so much that I had to purchase a bottle. I wouldn’t have had the brand on my radar if I hadn’t gotten the sample.
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I think D600 is the only perfume from the brand that I actually liked. I have a decant of it. But for me, it was one of the brands that I explored – both via samples and at stores while traveling.
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I’m trying to think of any surprise samples I’ve received, and the only ones that come to mind are the ones that one of the big fragrance discounters always includes, of their own brand. So I can’t say if I’ve ever bought a perfume based on a surprise sample! Like most perfumistas, I do love samples, but I normally choose them myself including by buying discovery sets.
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This is my modus operandi with samples as well. And even with this approach, most samples are not to my liking. So, random samples have even worse chance.
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The answer is probably, but it doesn’t come to mind. However, I occasionally sell mini perfumes and large unused samples on Ebay. Recently I sold someone a sample, I think from the Vilheim brand. I have taken to the habit of including a partially used sample in these packages, since I can’t sell them, and it gives the receiver an extra sample to try. On my feedback review the person wrote that they had blind bought the larger sample I was selling, and didn’t care for it. However they loved the extra sample I had included and were going to seek it out to buy. I wish they had named what the sample was, as I couldn’t remember!
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Since it was a partially used sample sample, it means that you either didn’t like it or loved it and bought a FB. I suspect it was the former ;).
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I’ve just gone through my list to check, and it turns out I’ve done this several times! I suppose it’s a numbers game.
The first was when I visited the 4160Tuesdays studio for the first time and bought a bottle of Red Queen. At the time, perfumer Sarah McCartney had just released a new collection, so with that purchase she gave me two samples, one of which was Drive Them Wild. Three years later, I bought a bottle of Drive Them Wild at Perfumology in Philadelphia, and it’s been my favorite from 4160Tuesdays. (It’s being discontinued, unfortunately…)
The other two were both from a generous goodie bag of samples I received when ScentXplore was still virtual, in 2021. I fell in love with Ray-Flection by Masque Milano on first sniff, as it smelled like dried fruits and tea. Bought a bottle and eventually went off it, although I managed to finish the bottle. A larger sample of Interlude 53 Man by Amouage accompanied me on many trips in all kinds of temperatures, and when it was finally used up, I bought a bottle!
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My best example would be a sample I received as part of an order from Lucky Scent in 2010. It was Reflection Man by Amouage. I revisited that sample for over a decade before finally making a full bottle purchase. It wasn’t because I didn’t like it; it’s probably the only perfumer I’ve considered for so long before committing. It remains one of my favorite perfumes from the brand.
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Hey Undina,
many of my perfume bottle buys have come from gwp samples. I’m not in Australia right now so can’t go through the collection looking but here are a few:
Murice Imperiale by Cristian Cavagna came as a sample with a Fragrance and Art Sweden order, as did EauMer from Pekji (I think so). Many of my early buys from First innFragrance Germany inspired fb buys too. Until I got a free sample of Amouage Library X it had sounded like it wouldn’t suit but once sprayed OMG.
there are many more,
Portia
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Hi Undina,
This is my first commenting on your blog. I came across this question after typing some stuff since I am bored in this cafe (also, your blog came several times these past few months).
I had several perfumes from this question alone… (great question!).
First, it is You or Someone Like You from Etat Libre d’Orange. Beautiful, fresh mojito. A friend sent a sample and I just loved it. I am a junkie for freshie perfumes.
The second would be Gris Charnel from BDK Parfums. Beautiful scented water… I thought. I have the extrait. Nice for going out. 😊 After that, Sea Salt Caramel by Bohoboco Perfume also stole my heart. Samples are dangerous! Phew! Quite nice gourmand with a twist. Unique, chic, and sexy.
Hope you are having a good week.
Cheers.
Rifki.
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