Thanks to many of you, we have been holding regular draws for perfume samples, and today we have another generous offer from Bernadette. When Bernadette moved to a new city two years ago, she felt lost and disoriented, and it was thanks to small pleasures like perfume that she was able to weather the initial transition period. She would like to offer her collection of samples to one of you. She also thought that it might be fun if a winner tried the samples, maybe kept 1 or 2 (and possibly added a couple of samples of their own), and then passed the box onto someone else. I thought that it was a terrific idea.
How does it work: Bernadette and I will prepare two packages of samples. Hers will be for a reader in the US, mine–for a reader anywhere else in the world. So, to enter, please answer these questions: 1) where are you located? (US, Europe, Asia, etc., you don’t need to include your city or any personal details); 2) do you agree to pass the box onto someone else in your country/region? and 3) how you do go about sampling fragrances–in stores, mail orders, exchanges with friends, etc? The contest is now closed. I will pick two winners via a random number generator, and announce them this week.
When a winner is ready to pass the box onto someone else, they should get in touch with me. Since this is our first attempt to do something like this, please feel free to offer suggestions and your ideas! I think that it will be a lot of fun.
109 Comments
Amer: I am an EU citizen. I like this travelling box idea. Most of the samples I have are from stores or ordered online. Very few are gifts. I guess I don’t have many perfumista friends but I do have someone to forward the box to 🙂 October 24, 2014 at 7:16am
Victoria: I was thinking that once you decide to pass on the box, you will let me know and I will run a post like this to find the next person. This way we will keep track of the box’s whereabouts and allow others in the community to take advantage of it. October 24, 2014 at 8:22am
Shelley Minkoff: What a great idea. I read that there is an organization, that does this with books. Someone will leave a great read, in a public place, post location online, and an interested party will retrieve it. The book gets tracked, and you can follow its travels. For example, a book on a particular sport, may be left in a sporting good store.so,in this spirit of sharing, I would like to be included in this fragrance adventure. I live in the United States, and can continue the boxes journey. I discover fragrances through reading about them. I order samples online, or when I get to a target rich store, and make a purchase, I request samples. Sometimes they are good, sometimes mundane. I make decants for my friends. Are decants acceptable to donate, and are you selecting who will receive the box of samples, after the winner is ready to mail it out? October 24, 2014 at 3:40pm
Victoria: Yes, decants are definitely acceptable! How generous that would be.
Once a winner is ready to mail out the package, we can run a tread like this again and pick another winner.
I forgot to mention that the winner is picked randomly, which is the fairest way, I think. October 24, 2014 at 5:03pm
solanace: I live in Latin America, and would be willing to send the box anywhere in the world. In my country, it is practically impossible to get any samples, so I was thrilled to discover decant sites, which opened a new world for me. Perfume fairies have been extremely generous, and I could never thank them enough. Sometimes I get lucky on contests. That’s how I got to try Mohur extrait, the most beautiful rose I have ever encountered.
Thank you, Bernadette, and Victoria for this opportunity. The itinerant samples set is such a fun idea! October 24, 2014 at 7:34am
Hamamelis: What an absolutely lovely idea. I live in the EU and will happily pass on the box should I ever be so lucky to receive it! I sample fragrances through mail order, and when I am on holiday or outings in stores. I also try to make a point of consciously smeling if a friend has put on perfume and sample that way. Maybe the person who keeps 1 or 2 samples can write that on a small card or post-it, and which ones they put in return so there is a bit of a story developing. October 24, 2014 at 7:38am
Sofie: I like the idea about the notes, Hamamelis! October 24, 2014 at 7:53am
Connie: I live in the US and would love to try these and then pass them on to the next fragrance enthusiast. I generally go about sampling at the local stores and by swapping samples with other perfumistas. I don’t currently have the money to buy samples online. October 24, 2014 at 7:45am
Alessandra: Awesome!!!!! How about replacing the 1 or 2 samples one might keep for oneself with a sample of our own collection? It’s just an idea 🙂
1) I’m from the EU (Italy, for now); 2) yes, I absolutely agree with the exchange idea, it’s genius; 3) most of the time, I get samples directly at shops, or at the occasional perfume fair I try to go to every year… sometimes, I get samples from a fellow perfume-lover friend, and give one of my own samples in return… other times, if I am really curious about discovering a brand I cannot find anywhere geographically at hand, I also order samples via mail 🙂 October 24, 2014 at 7:45am
Sofie: It does sound like fun :-).
I live in Adelaide, Australia. Happy to pass on (and add a few samples).
As for how I go about sampling… Well, the ones I have so far are mini’s from travel sets (gifts) and samples with purchases. Wich are few, hence a small collection. There’s a mall in the centre of town that carries complete lines of a few houses (Tom Ford, Jo Malone, Chanel Les Exclusifs…) and a good selection of others , so on a rare free day I sometimes try to go there and sniff as much as possible. But so far I haven’t got any samples yet. I usually get strange looks for even asking when not buying :-). Oh well…
At the moment I’m quite happy to just smell as much as possible. But I’m thinking of dipping my toe in mail-ordering. Just to broaden my horizon a bit, I’m getting so curious about everything out there! First I plan to order a sample set from Atelier Cologne, to give me an idea about different colognes. The upcoming summer will be perfect for testing those. October 24, 2014 at 7:49am
Kandice: Softie, you might want to check out australianperfumejunkies.com. There are often giveaways, info on perfume happenings in Australia, and lots of great blog posts on perfume. Plus, Portia, who writes/runs the blog is totally awesome! October 25, 2014 at 9:06pm
Reg: What a great offer & such a nice idea to split the package and include non US readers.
1) I live in Germany
2) I’d be happy to pass on the box
3) I swap samples on parfumo.de which is a great way to try new fragrances. Most of the readers are German, but I have swapped with people from Italy, Switzerland, etc as well. And it’s easy! You can create a profile and a want list and offer what you have in return. October 24, 2014 at 8:02am
Marsha: I am in the US and I’ve ordered a lot of samples from Lucky Scent and a few samples from other indie perfumers. I don’t live near a major metropolitan area so store sampling is very skimpy. I would love to add some to the pile and maybe keep a few too. My only problem would be how to find the next person to pass it on to. Could I find someone on this blog? October 24, 2014 at 8:09am
Victoria: When you’re ready to pass on the box, please email me, and I will run a post like this one to find another person. I think that this will work best of all. October 24, 2014 at 8:21am
Jane: What a great idea!
I am located in the Netherlands and will gladly pass on the samples.
I usually try fragrances by ordering samples online.
Maybe it would be a nice idea if participants add a few samples when they pass them on? October 24, 2014 at 8:15am
Victoria: It would be a terrific idea! I will add it in. October 24, 2014 at 8:23am
Fiona: What a fabulous idea. I live in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa and will most certainly pass the samples on. I do most of my sampling in-store (I love handling the bottle – it is almost as important as the fragrance inside), however many of the perfumes you describe so vividly on this blog are sadly not available in our Cape Town stores. So all but one of my perfumes were purchased on overseas trips. Maybe it is time to take the plunge and test out mail ordering. October 24, 2014 at 8:36am
kayliz: Oh, fantastic idea, please count me in!
1) Europe (I’m in Germany)
2) Yes, I’d send it on (should we agree to post a tracking number here?)
3) Most of my samples were ordered from first-in-fragrance but I’ve recently started discovering parfumo, the online community Reg mentioned — so far I’ve been too overwhelmed by the wealth of members and swap permutations to start swapping anything, but it’s only a matter of time!
4) I’d definitely love to add samples. October 24, 2014 at 8:42am
Victoria: Tracking numbers might contain personal information of the receiver, depending on the service, so I’m a bit reluctant to make that kind of information public. And another aspect is that this idea is going to be based entirely on the honor system. October 24, 2014 at 10:43am
Jackie birch: I really like this idea! I am in Australia so most of my samples are bought online. I have many to pass on to fellow perfumistas if I should win. October 24, 2014 at 8:44am
Vanie: That is such a cool idea and a generous offer! I’m in Canada and would be happy to pass along the box. Most of my samples came from generous Sample fairies, as well as a couple of orders online and some visits to Sephora (I rarely get out of there without a perfume sample!) October 24, 2014 at 8:52am
loledinburgh: Hi!
First of all thank you both for this wonderful idea!
I live in Scotland and I’ll be happy to pass along the magic box in Europe or the Uk should I ever be so lucky to get it!
As for how I obtain samples is really a combination of: going to shops, sniff my friends’ necks and wrists (if they allow it ha ha ha) and try them on skin when I go to their places; also swapping via forums, and finally the decanting sites and the “evilbay” from time to time…
The ideas of keeping a diary of the used perfumes and the addition of a couple of new samples from our collection are fantastic; they put the box in the category of a portable library ( and for me as an avid reader this really speaks to me).
Have a lovely weekend ! October 24, 2014 at 8:55am
Sandra: This is a great idea. I am not in the need for any samples -but just wanted to give some nice information for any of my New York city perfume lovers. Yesterday I attended the hermes sample sale near Penn station and all the perfume was 50% off. Not sure what the inventory is like today- but they had mens and womens- I scored a refillable bottle of kelly caleche and 24 fouborg for half off, as well as some shower soap. October 24, 2014 at 8:59am
Jordi: A lovely idea!!
I am in EU and would love to pass the box anywhere in EU and add some of my own. I sample mostly through stores and on ocassions online. October 24, 2014 at 9:12am
Lindsay: I love this idea- a roaming and evolving set of samples!
I’m in the US, and would be happy to pass the box along to someone else.
I’m fairly new to perfume, so most of my samples have come from stores thus far (though I do have an ever-growing wishlist on one of the decant sites that I really should start ordering from…).
Thanks to Bernadette and Victoria for their generosity and this genius idea! October 24, 2014 at 9:13am
Lynn: I live in the U.S. I’ve been passing on packages of samples to friends for several years; they love getting the boxes and passing them on to other friends. But what a wonderful idea to keep track of where the boxes are at each stop! Thank you. October 24, 2014 at 9:13am
Laurinha: Thanks for the draw!
1) I am located in Europe
2) I agree to pass the box onto someone else in your country/region, should I win!
and 3) I usually order samples via mail, unless I’m on a fragrant trip in Paris and boutique owners are feeling generous ^_^ October 24, 2014 at 9:15am
JanLast: This is what it is all about! I’m in the US, I am more than willing to pass the box along, and always willing to add more samples. There are a few places here to obtain samples, but I love ordering from the individual perfumer. We have two fabulous perfumers (at least) right here in Colorado. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz and Amber Jobin are working their magic in Boulder, Surrender to Chance is an addictive on line source for samples and my many perfume friends around the world fill in the gaps. October 24, 2014 at 9:18am
Kate: I love this idea. Sharing perfumes with friends (and recommendations with strangers!) is one of perfume’s great additional pleasures! I live in the continental U.S., and I agree to pass the box on to someone in my region along with a sample or two of my own. I like Hamamelis’s note idea too — I often do this when I share books, just a little post-it on the cover noting what’s particularly great.
Sometimes my friend and her baby and I go to a department store or to a smaller shop near us that carries perfume and smell strips until we find something that seems good enough to spray on. Then we smell each other’s wrists.
Sometimes I see something reviewed here and order a sample of it from Luckyscent. Elisa’s reviews, on her own blog and then here, were some of my first guides as to what I might like to try.
Last time I was wandering around in a larger city than mine, I ran across a couple of stores that carried fragrances and went in and sniffed a few things. I posted a little while ago about finding a batch of vintage samples at a big indoor antiques market, and I plan to check for perfume if I visit such a place again.
My sister just sent me a few single-use samples — perfumed ads from magazines.
And occasionally I’ll smell something wonderful on someone when I’m out in public and work up the courage to ask them what it is. They usually respond very sweetly. October 24, 2014 at 9:27am
Kate: p.s. The baby tries to grab the perfume bottles and eat the sample strips, of course. October 24, 2014 at 9:50am
rainboweyes: That’s a wonderful idea, Victoria!
I’m in Germany and I’d pass on my samples within Europe – of course replacing those I’ve kept and adding some more. Most of my samples are from First in Fragrance and Essenza Nobile. October 24, 2014 at 9:36am
Vishishta: Nice idea! I live in the U.S. and would happily pass on samples. Currently I sample perfumes in department stores and small niche stores near me in Berkeley, CA. I am always amazed at the range of perfumers now working.
Recently I was in Ireland and noticed the women wearing a very soft, powdery scent. I didn’t see it in our brief hurried shopping in Dublin, but would love to know what it was. Any Irish perfumistas who might know? October 24, 2014 at 9:45am
dp: I know what it is like to move and look for familiarity in the foreign. How interesting to do so with fragrance. I live in the US, would love to share the samples, and I sample fragrances whenever I can, as I don’t live near a store that sells anything other than “body spray” and celebrity scent du jour. October 24, 2014 at 9:46am
Jordi: That celebrity scent du jour made me laugh 🙂 October 24, 2014 at 1:06pm
Bernadette: Yay! It is great that people are excited & am grateful to Victoria for putting this together and all she does for the perfume community 🙂 . If this works, the next traveling box can be for discontinued/pre-reformulated scents as they are much harder for people to get the opportunity to sniff. So much fun–it should be shared! October 24, 2014 at 9:55am
limegreen: This traveling set is such a wonderful idea, thank you, Bernadette and Victoria! A traveling set of discontinued and/or pre-formulated samples also would be so great for many of us.
The note idea is great — the connection with others in the community is wonderful, I have certainly enjoyed it! (As with many others on this forum I have very few fragrance friends “offline” (this is an actual term that some Millenials use!).
I am not participating in this draw but from my recent experience in shipping the giveaways I would like to share information about US shipping perfume samples for those who may be unfamiliar with the process. It was new for me and may be new for others.
1. US Postal Service is the best way — it has to be by ground (First class, Parcel Post) and cannot be by air (No priority mail, flat rate) and therefore has to be handled in person. You cannot use the automated system.
You do not need to leave the package open for inspection. There is no extra charge for special handling. (You just have to stand in line.)
2. FedEx or UPS will only handle perfumes/samples at their centralized location (where they can X-ray the package). At their regular stores, they will open your package to check for flammable and therefore dangerous materials. They will not ship perfume at these stores.
I hope people won’t shy away from participating in this draw because they may be uncertain about shipping perfume samples. It’s really a fun and enriching connection (not the USPS one though!). October 24, 2014 at 10:58am
Victoria: Thank you so much for your tips! Plus, ground service is not that expensive and it’s fairly reliable. A delivery confirmation is a good idea too, since if the package is misplaced along the way, having something to track is useful. October 24, 2014 at 11:19am
limegreen: A tracking number was included in the postage costs (first class). I did not pay extra for delivery confirmation, however, as I felt a tracking number was enough.
Just FYI:
Not all the postal service workers know the regulations about perfumes (anything with alcohol). One of the postal workers told me that the limit was 1 oz (30 ml) for perfumes and asked me “how much” I had in each package. I tried to do quick math in my head (all those 1 ml sample vials!) and then realized that she was wrong! I told her that I didn’t think it was a 1 oz limit and she went to ask someone. Whew. October 24, 2014 at 8:04pm
Bernadette: Thank you, limegreen, for the shipping info. It helps to know this. If anyone has tips for shipping internationally, that would be nice to know as well. I am hoping that the discontinued scents will be sent around the world. October 24, 2014 at 3:14pm
limegreen: There may be a problem.
I got this from the USPS website:
Perfume − Perfume containing alcohol is prohibited on air transportation, and can only be shipped domestically via surface transportation. Perfume containing alcohol is prohibited in international shipments. October 24, 2014 at 8:05pm
stina: Yes, a second traveling box focusing on discontinued/pre-reformulated perfumes (there has GOT to be a shorter way to say that!) is a fabulous idea!
I don’t need to be included in this draw (I have a backlog of samples at the moment), but I have a reasonably good selection of vintage/discont’d perfumes and plenty of decanting supplies, and I’d be more than happy to start the second box.
I’m in the US, so it would have to be US only I suppose (as per limegreen’s shipping info).
A traveling perfume archive, for the price of ground shipping – brilliant!
And thanks so much for providing the impetus/forum for this, Victoria… October 25, 2014 at 12:52pm
Victoria: How kind and generous of you, Stina! October 25, 2014 at 3:24pm
kayliz: Re discontinued / pre-reformulated:
I bought a package of decants recently and was a bit miffed to see that the Miss Dior Cherie was labelled 2010 — pushing it for a decant, I thought. Then Elisa posted right here about, among other things, the virtues of Miss Dior Cherie pre-2011, and I felt a) humbled and b) very glad to have been enlightened!
I’d love to pass it on, and I have a sample sprayer I can fill with some much loved P.Nicolai Le Temps d’une Fete. October 24, 2014 at 7:44pm
Anka: Wonderful, thank you, Victoria and Bernadette, for this idea and the platform to implement a traveling sample box! The perfume community is awesome!
I am located in Europe (Germany, Berlin) and would of course agree to pass the box onto someone else. My samples are mostly from First in Fragrance and perfume shops. I think it’s a good idea to also add some samples to the box. October 24, 2014 at 10:24am
SylviaP: Lovely idea! I’m in the US and would love to be part of this exchange. I usually sample through Sephora and Neiman Marcus. A lovely associate at NM is very generous with samples – I always try to purchase my FBs from her. Have enough samples to add to several boxes!! October 24, 2014 at 10:31am
Kat: I would love to be included in the draw!
1) I live in the US
2) I would be very willing to send the box to the next winner
3) I mail order all of my samples, mostly from Lucky Scent & Surrender to Chance–plenty of interesting ones to share for the next draw! 😀 Thanks for this wonderful idea!! October 24, 2014 at 10:40am
Kaarie: I am a US citizen and I would love to add samples to the box and pass it along to others. I think a created list would be wonderful. I receive my samples from stores and through purchases. Traveling boxes are a wonderful idea! October 24, 2014 at 10:44am
P: That sounds wonderful. I live in the US (Chicago). Sampling fragrances is a wonderful way to get through a gray cold day in the winter!!! I will share the samples and add some of my own. I get samples from internet sites and at stores. I LOVE fragrance and everything about it. My indulgence in life!!!!! October 24, 2014 at 10:45am
Susan Minnicks: I have a box of samples I’d love to share; I’m in San Diego, California October 24, 2014 at 10:48am
sunmisun: This is such a wonderful idea — especially for SAHMs that have little income and a new and insatiable desire to try every perfume known to man. 🙂
I’m in the US. I would definitely agree to pass on the samples to someone in my country! So far I’ve been buying samples online since the mall closest to me has limited fragrance collections. October 24, 2014 at 11:17am
Julie: Count me in! I am in the U.S. as well. Thanks for the wonderful idea!! October 24, 2014 at 11:19am
Mer: Great idea! I’ve heard of groups of BPAL aficionados doing this as well. I particularly like Hamamelis idea of writing a note, especially if the note stays with the travelling package and thus tells a story about everywhere it’s been!
I’d love to participate 🙂 I live in Belgium, and have a bunch of samples that could certainly find a better match.
I get samples from stores and online. October 24, 2014 at 11:24am
Lora: I’m in the US, I would be happy to join the fun and add to the sampling exchange! And I most often have to order samples because I don’t live in a very big city.
Thanks for the generous offer! October 24, 2014 at 11:38am
Trudy: What a nice idea! The concept of trying new fragrances from the “traveling samples” and then adding our own before sending them on to the next participant is a great one. It’s like being part of a club and something nice to anticipate. Love the idea. I have quite a few samples from the Perfume Court, Lucky Scent and from the generous and lovely sales associates at Nordstrom and (occasionally) Neiman’s who will (usually) happily make a sample of any fragrance you’d like. When you are considering, say a Tom Ford or actually any whole bottle, it’s nice to have a trial run before shelling out at that price point! Count me in! October 24, 2014 at 12:07pm
Trudy: Oh and I especially like Hamamelis idea of a brief note. Fun to know where the samples have traveled. October 24, 2014 at 12:12pm
Victoria: Me too! I like that idea as well. October 24, 2014 at 2:19pm
Gabriela: I live in Brazil.
I have some samples I’d love to share.
I normally get my samples from Luckyscent or perfume stores.
Thank you Victoria. October 24, 2014 at 12:16pm
sharon: What a great idea!
I live in South Africa and certainly have a lover of perfume to pass on to.
My sniffing is mostly done in store so it would be awesome to have samples. Just immersing myself in this delicious perfume journey. October 24, 2014 at 12:21pm
ChristineB: This is such a fun idea. I live in the UK. I get most of my samples online, but whenever I’m out and about I try to have a sniff of things in shops. I also like the idea of writing a note and contemplating, if I were to win, what samples I would add. October 24, 2014 at 12:22pm
El: Great idea! We do this in our local perfume club all the time actually. Hence, I have quite a few samples from friends. Naturally, most are from shops – both online and “real” ones. I’m Europe-based 😉 October 24, 2014 at 12:29pm
Delacey Tedesco: I love this idea! I live in Canada and would be happy to pass the box along, with added samples, should it come my way. I usually get samples by asking at the department store or sephora, but as I live in a smaller city, the options are pretty limited. Whenever I go to bigger cities I try to get samples of things that I can’t get locally. I’ve avoided ordering samples online because I’m afraid that if I start I’ll get totally out of hand !
My best samples, though, came from a perfume fairy godmother after a freebie offer didn’t work. She sent me an amazing package of sample based on what I described as my likes and dislikes. Working my way through that has been the highlight of my summer 🙂 October 24, 2014 at 12:39pm
allgirlmafia: I live in the US.
I think this is an excellent idea and I agree to pass it on.
I usually experience my perfumes via ebay.. I will read a stirring review (usually on here) and then hunt for a reasonable price from a highly rated seller. When searching for vintage I usually purchase minis. They are generally less expensive that way. October 24, 2014 at 12:40pm
Sharyl Morris: I am in the US, and YES, I will pass the box on to someone else (and even add a few of my own, if that’s allowed–I need to purge my collection!). Most of my samples are via mail order from sample companies (Surrender to Chance) and individual perfume houses (Atelier, Demeter, etc.) October 24, 2014 at 12:44pm
johanob: Great idea!Sharing our love of fragrance in a PAY IT FORWARD manner:LOVELOVE.
I’m in South Africa,and although perfumistas are few and far between here,I definitely have candidates in Johannesburg and Durban to pass the box onto!With some of my own samples of course!Good luck everyone. October 24, 2014 at 12:52pm
Ashley Anstaett: I live in the U.S. and I think a traveling sample box is a perfect idea. I get most of my samples through Surrender to Chance, emailing the manufacturers (which is usually not successful, but persistence can sometimes pay off), and swaps with other people. I would love to pass the box on with some extra goodies. It’s such a wonderful idea. October 24, 2014 at 12:53pm
Bethany: I am in the US and yes, I would love to pass them on to someone else! I usually order samples online, sometimes make them from testers at Dept stores.
Great idea! October 24, 2014 at 1:21pm
Melissa: I am in the US, and I love this idea! I would be willing to add in some samples (and a note) to pass on as well. Most of my samples are decants from The Perfumed Court or sales associates. I usually sample via mail order, purchase from the manufacturer if possible.
What a lovely idea this is, thank you! October 24, 2014 at 2:14pm
Theresa: What a fun idea! I live in the US. I would be happy to pass on most of the samples, plus some of my own. I get many of my samples from department stores – Nordstrom’s is particularly generous – but I have also sent away for some. thanks for the thrill of the contest! October 24, 2014 at 2:52pm
Ankica: I usually do this with my samples (I get hands on samples through various perfume swaps). I tried them and then I pass it on for other people to try it out. 🙂 So I would love to have new samples to try and pass it on. What if I like more than 2? Maybe I can add some of mine in case I like more than you suggested to take. 😀
I am located in Germany and can send it anywhere – especially in EU. October 24, 2014 at 2:58pm
VeronicaV: 🙂 I live in the US and would be glad to pass on the samples, as well as add some of my own. I get my samples from Perfume Posse. It’s very exciting as well, as I have never smelled any of the fragrances that Bernadette is kindly sharing. It would be a real treat, because I have been in massage school since June and we are not able to wear scent of any kind. I have missed it so and am looking forward to December, when I graduate and can wear them once again. Thank you. October 24, 2014 at 4:35pm
Jordi: Maybe would be helpful to have a small list of destinations once the starting winner is chosen to speed things up a bit since the next destination will be known beforehand. Also to avoid random destination repetitions and to help keeping track of where the pqckage is abd where is going next. After the small list is over you could run another draw. When I used to share bootleg live music recordings we used that system.
Most national mail systems have a track number and website to see where the package is, I think it would be a good idea to give that number to you victoria and to the next receiver. October 24, 2014 at 4:38pm
Victoria: If anyone wants to do that, they are welcome to organize things further. Unfortunately, my own time is very limited, so the only thing I’m happy to do is to send the first package and to provide the forum for others to send theirs.
I really don’t want to track packages for anyone. This idea is based on the honor system and I trust enough in the people here to feel that I don’t need to double check. In other words, Bois de Jasmin’s responsibility for the package ends once I drop it off at the post office. 🙂 October 24, 2014 at 5:00pm
Sofie: Fair enough Victoria, I think we can all appreciate how busy you must be…
I do think Jordi’s idea is quite sensible though. Instead of you having to organise a draw every few weeks for each box, maybe when the first person is known, you can include a short list of e-mail addresses of people in the same country/continent. That way we can get in touch with each other locally, arrange things from there and once the box is ready to leave the area, we can contact you again for another draw.
I don’t know how comfortable people would be with this system? October 25, 2014 at 6:34am
Victoria: It is fine with me, of course, as long as others want to do it this way. But in this case, you don’t need me to organise any more draws, since there will be a list of people already and I presume that the participants can decide who the next person to receive the box will be. You can just pick a person off that list randomly or decide based on the geographical proximity, etc.
The one advantage of my original proposal is that new people can join in over time and that the whole community can see what’s happening with the box. When we post a new thread like this, for instance, the box holder can share their thoughts and notes on perfumes with everyone.
But again, it is all up to you and I’m happy to do it either way. October 25, 2014 at 7:26am
Bernadette: I like the idea of new people being able to “join in over time & that the whole community can see what’s happening with the box”. It will be fun to read their posts & if multiple drawings are done, then we can see what samples are currently being offered 🙂 . Thanks, V. October 25, 2014 at 9:36am
Hamamelis: Me too! The community factor is such an added bonus. Even though the EU box will not be passed on to South Africa for instance, the variety of where we are all located is in my mind so special. It will be fun to read the different ‘box’ posts. October 25, 2014 at 11:28am
Victoria: Someone from South Africa or Asia could start their own box. It is a good way to make friends too! 🙂
But for my box in this thread, I will include everyone who is not in the US. I will select a winner randomly. October 25, 2014 at 3:23pm
Jordi: Thanks Victoria for your time. I didnt want to add more things for you to do, I just thought it’d be easier for you to run a new draw after the initial list is complete so new people can join the sharing abd maybe a picture or extracts of the travelling note in the box so everyone can share the experience even if they are not participating or to see how each box evolves on its own. Of course I will collaborate in anyway I can with this and will be glad however it is done 🙂 October 25, 2014 at 4:45pm
Victoria: We can try it any way we like, and we can always adjust along the way. For this round, I will select two people via a random number generator, and for the subsequent ones, we will see what will work better. October 25, 2014 at 5:08pm
Reg: I also don’t like the idea of over-organizing the whole thing and it would be nice if we kept Bois de Jasmin involved, so new people can join in and we can share our thoughts. Let’s keep it simple and fun! October 25, 2014 at 4:49pm
rainboweyes: Yes, I think it will work best this way too. October 25, 2014 at 7:02pm
Miranda: What a great idea for a giveaway! I live in the US.
I’ve gotten some samples from online decanters, some from going to stores in person, and yet others from trading with other perfumistas. October 24, 2014 at 4:40pm
silvrolive: 1. I live in the US
2. I am happy to pass the box on, most likely with some additional samples.
3. My samples come from decant websites, contests (I feel lucky!), gifts with purchases, and swaps with other perfume lovers.
I actually relish the opportunity to pass on samples to a good home, whether by mail or in person 🙂 October 24, 2014 at 6:01pm
Rene Groyer: I live in Cape Town ,South Africa and get my samples from various shopping malls at the cosmetic counters.Trying different samples is so much fun and its become a hobby for me.The traveling samples box is a great idea for us fume lovers. October 24, 2014 at 7:04pm
Iliana: My country is Mexico. Yes! I agree to pass the box to someone who appreciate perfumes as I do, spreading beauty to the world!. And about samples, it’s hard to get them here. Yes, we have large stores but they only sell commercial fragrances and it’s quite difficult to obtain samples from them, so the only way is to get decals on magazines or vía online. And there’s nothing about niche perfumes. Which make me sad because I still don’t have the chance to know how special are they 🙁 October 24, 2014 at 8:04pm
Agnes Eco: Very nice of Bernadette and you! I live in the US and I’ll be happy to pass on the box to someone else. I get my samples from stores here and abroad when travelling. October 25, 2014 at 12:31am
Undina: I don’t want to participate (I have a pile of an untested samples so I just can’t deal with batches) but I wanted to comment that I love the idea! I hope people will self-organize and each box makes at least several trips. October 25, 2014 at 4:22am
Chris: Great idea, here are my answers: 1) Thailand, where it is a niche desert. 2) Yes, share and share alike! 3) I sample fragrances wherever and whenever I can. October 25, 2014 at 5:49am
Gentiana: What a terrific idea!!!
So, answering to the questions:
1) I live in the E.U.
2) Yes,supposing I win, I agree to pass the box to someone else, and to add some samples to it. Probably I will use about 2/3 of them, I already have a few of the ones in the list.
3) My samples come from various sources:
– internet orders from niche houses
– internet discounters for miscellaneous
– bonuses to my purchases in the perfume shops
– nice SA-s who already know me and my passion for perfumes
– exchanges of samples and decants with friends
Please cont me to the draw, Thank You ! October 25, 2014 at 5:57am
Natalia P: Hi Victoria, I love the idea! Im from Brazil and answering your questions, all my samples are from shops when I buy a perfume they give me one. But I only have 4 samples, all my perfumes are bought, very unfortunately, hahhaha.
I try perfumes in shops and its very unpleasent because the salesperson will always stay beside me speaking non stop and asking: “is this the one youre taking?”, “which kind of perfume you like?”, and making faces at how i am not pleasing them. I have to take courage to experience the perfumes and even so the shops only have the commercial ones and when you ask for something they dont know they make a face.
How good would it be to be able to go to a place and try out a hundred perfumes freely?
I love this giveaway idea and of course Id pass it to another user afterwards. Spreading the love! October 25, 2014 at 10:11am
Janet in California: It sounds like a perfect reason to go through my samples! I live in the US and i usually get my samples as extras from splits or from generous SA’s. I will happily pass the box on with more samples. October 25, 2014 at 11:33am
Kelly: 1) US
2) Of course, a thoughtful, wonderful idea!
3) I have mostly been ordering decants online from Ebay, The Perfumed Court, etc. I am still a grad student so full bottles, aren’t in my budget very often. I just participated in my first swap meet on another perfume blog and it was great fun! I also have found many friendly SAs at Neiman Marcus, Sephora, Nordstrom’s etc. who give me samples! 😉 October 25, 2014 at 1:11pm
Ingeborg: What a fun idea. I think it is a good idea to add a note with impressions of a few of the included perfumes. I live in Europe, outside the EU. I would be willing to pass the box of samples on should it end up here.
I do get a few samples from a friend from time to time, and when shopping abroad. Most of the time I still have to order samples online, and lately most of them ended up being not to my liking (a note list says little about the finished product), so I have some niche samples to pass on, too. Sampling is a fun part of the perfume hobby and makes it accessible to most people. October 25, 2014 at 7:21pm
Kandice: Oh what a fun and great idea! I live in the US and would be happy to pass the box on within the US.
I get my samples from all over. I like to get miniatures when I can since that gives me a little more to sample. I often find these on EBay. I also order samples from sample houses and independent perfumers and sometimes win samples on blogs like this. I also sniff my way around any store I go in October 25, 2014 at 9:18pm
Vanessa: I’m located in the US & I would be more than happy to pass on the box to someone else within the country.
I think that this is an incredibly brilliant idea! What a treat to share & experience!
I get most of my samples from either the fragrance website or department store (Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, etc). A couple of years ago, I was fortunate to be able to attend the Nordstrom Fragrance Festival – which was amazing. It was in the beginning of my journey into the world of fragrance – I hope to go again in the future, having experienced and cultivating my Nose since then! I also do share samples with some friends & colleagues (we work in fragrance)! October 26, 2014 at 2:12am
K.T.J.: Wonderful idea, Victoria and Bernadette! 1) EU; 2) Yes, will pass box on and add some Jo Malone and others to box; 3) Stores, Luckyscent, exchange with friends. October 26, 2014 at 6:41am
Awfulknitter: This sounds like such a good idea! I’m in the EU and would love to take part – I’d be delighted to pass on the collection of samples with some additions. At the moment I do most of my sampling in-store (particularly in duty-free, you’ve got to do something to pass the time!) and by mail order. October 26, 2014 at 6:47am
Jessi: I would love to try the traveling sample box. I am in USA and would be more than willing to add more samples to the box. I have a ton of samples that I have aquired from online orders, swaps, splits and from friends and family. I really have a ton!! This sounds fun. October 26, 2014 at 10:18am
BeccaA: What a great idea to pass the samples around. I’m in the US and would love to participate. I have ordered samples online to try, often after reading your reviews. I have recently moved and will be able to go to stores to sample now. I’d be happy to send samples to someone in the US or anywhere in North America actually. October 26, 2014 at 10:18am
Marcella: I live in Spain, Europe. I agree to pass the magic box to anyone living in the same region. I mostly visit stores to sample fragrances otherwise it will became a very expensive hobby I can’t afford now. October 26, 2014 at 10:36am
Lubka K.: I am in EU.
I would like to win this box and to pass these samples to my friend later.
I have very few samples, I ve got them mostly in parfumery during my shoppings. It is quite difficult to get any in my country. But it is great way how to find new interesting fragrance… Lubka October 26, 2014 at 10:47am
Katja: I am in EU and would gladly send the box to someone in Europe! I normally sample fragrances in department stores and of course I always sniff all fragrances at friends’ houses (though sadly I don’t have many perfume-loving friends). This travelling box is such a nice and fun idea! 🙂 October 26, 2014 at 11:57am
Sil: I’m from South America, and it’s very hard for me to try new fragrances, since we pretty much only get the big commercial brands here (and only their most recent releases, at that!). So, if I want to try anything different, I’ve got to pay for it, and that’s not always easy to do.
And that’s why I really like your idea of passing the samples to someone else, giving them the chance to try new smells. October 26, 2014 at 4:42pm
Sarah: Hi Victoria, I’m in the UK and I’d be happy to pass on the box to someone in the UK or Europe and add some of my own samples. I try out perfumes in my local department stores and pharmacies and buy samples from online sample stores. I also get miniatures from ebay. Thanks for this lovely idea 🙂 October 26, 2014 at 6:39pm
Christiana: What a wonderful idea!
This certainly appeals to my romantic soul.
I am in Australia and I shall indeed agree to pass them on when the time comes.
I like to go into independant perfumeries to smell, try and maybe pick up a sample or two if I can! I prefer the more botanical varieties of perfumes myself, but love to at least give the more commercial ones a go! October 26, 2014 at 9:56pm
Sandra: Great idea. Would love to sample & share, Iwiil gladly do do.Thanks! October 26, 2014 at 10:36pm
Sandra: Whoops, i live in the US October 26, 2014 at 10:37pm
K.R.: I love this idea because after a long hiatus of wearing only Le Labo Gaiac 10 and Prada Benjoin, I just recently dug into the kitchen midden of samples I’ve been collecting since…well Victoria lived in New Haven. lol Long story short, I’m in the U.S. and will forward the package to here or there with the inclusion of samples begged, borrowed and purchased from the far corners. I love traveling oxytocin or pants or samples. October 27, 2014 at 2:42am
Danaki: I live in the UK. I started my perfume obsession about two years ago. Usually I sample in store and nice, helpful SAs are happy to help me sample as much as possible, write details on cards, etc. Superb ones give me samples to try. Not so helpful ones are reluctant to give away samples but would not mind if I’m already buying a bottle of something else, e.g. a re-fill of my Angel, etc. Recently, I’ve started buying 1ml samples online from perfume stores, and I’m considering ebay for more samples – but these tend to be the brands I can’t find where I live – sadly I don’t live in London. Right now, I can’t seem to find a way to get (affordable) samples of Parfums de Nicolai without legging it to the big smoke. Ah well…
To me being able to sample is a privilege and would happily pass on samples and add more of my own (vials I’ve gotten or bought and I’m happy to part with). Let the sampling rounds begin!! October 27, 2014 at 8:08am