12 Days of PERFUME! The Best Gift for Fragrance Lovers!!

 

Elevate your Holiday Gifting Game 

with the Ultimate Fragrance Experience!

I just ordered 12 perfume samples from Scent Split and thought to myself when they arrived that it was the best "12 Days of Christmas" gift idea ever, and I had given it to myself. 🥳Of course, I found one that I loved enough to buy a full-sized bottle of (maybe 2 or 3, lol) and that makes the order even better. What if, I wondered, someone copied the concept of this gift idea for a loved one of their own? I'm sure the gift recipient would be so appreciative and excited!

Discover the perfect twist on the "12 Days of Christmas" with 

an unforgettable gift idea that will leave fragrance-lovers swooning.

Picture this: 12 exquisite fragrance samples from Scent Split, 

each a tantalizing olfactory journey waiting to be explored.

But here's the where the magic happens: You let your gift recipient select the 12 samples of their choice. When the order arrives, they get to sample them and let you know which ones they loved. You pledge to gift them a full-sized bottle of the one that steals their heart the most. 

This is not just a present; it's an experience that lasts well beyond the holiday season.

My 12 Days of Christmas Order
& 
My Thoughts on the Fragrances

As a fragrance-lover, there's just something about trying different fragrances that sends me over the moon. I swear there must be endorphins in them because trying scents makes me so giddy. When you find one that you absolutely love and want to buy, it makes the sampling that much more fun. 

You have to get your nose on some of these!

So, let's talk about the 12 I tried, in case you're interested. I have listed them in alphabetical order by name (not perfume house). Some were from perfume houses I'd tried before. Others were on a wish list for fragrance houses or perfumes that I wanted to try (the list is long, I have well over 1k pins of fragrances I have tried, or want to try pinned on Pinterest). 

1. Andalusian Soul from Merchants of Venice 

Fragrance Notes

Top: Acacia, Amber, Rum

Mid: Balsamic Accord, Cistus, Labdanum, Smoky Accord
Base: Amber, Sage, Vanilla

Thoughts: I am on the fence for this one, which means I won't make a full-sized purchase. This brand has been difficult for me to find in stores, so I was happy to find a split (thank you, Scent Split, that I didn't have to waste my money on a blind buy). 

I smell honey and a perfumy smell (if that makes sense) but it's light and pleasant, not a harsh 'perfumy' smell. The Amber and Acacia (warm, powdery honey) are easy to detect. For me, it's probably the honey note that has me shaking my head no. For some reason, I just can't find a perfume with a honey note that appeals to me. Don't get me wrong, this is a warm, calming scent that lasts forever. I'm sure it smells wonderful on others; honey is just not a note that I favor.

2. Bake from Akro

Fragrance Notes

Top: Lemon peel, Rum

Mid: Chantily Cream, Praline

Base: Vanilla, Brown Sugar

Thoughts: Everyone wants to smell like a lemon bakery item these days it seems (hands up high, jumping up and down because yes!! I do too!). Akro is a fragrance house that is all the rage right now in my online fragrance groups, and Bake is the crème de la crème (no pun intended).

The lemon is this is zesty and I like it!! The scent reminded me of something else, and then it dawned on me that it is similar to Hufflepuff, a fragrance I own from another fragrance house, only a little bit better because it has that zip of lemon peel that is so fresh and so good. When it dries all the way down, it doesn't smell like the Hufflepuff anymore, rather it is just pleasantly but not overtly sweet. I could own this one and be very happy. 

3. Black Dragon from Byron Parfums

Fragrance Notes

Top: Honey, Pineapple, Mango

Mid: Bourbon Vanilla, Cigar, Sandalwood

Base: Amber, Musk, Patchouli

Thoughts: Okay, this one is good! I like it, but let me note this is not a crowd-pleaser scent. It is far more refined than any mass-appealing scent you'll find on department store shelves. 

It has a very unique, super light cigar and honey scent. It is sweet and very well-blended. It stays pretty linear for the opening and mid, and then at the drydown the delicious vanilla comes through. For those who are scared of patchouli, it's not overt in here (I wouldn't guess it had patchouli in it if I hadn't read the notes) but that's probably the note that makes it last forever. And just when I said there's not a honey fragrance I love (see review #1), this comes along. For this fragrance, I could happily make a 'honey' exception and would be happy to own a full-sized bottle.

4. BonBon Pop from House of Oud

Fragrance Notes
Top: Coconut, White Peach, Bergamot

Mid: Patchouli, Jasmine

Base: Musk, Precious Woods, Brown Sugar, Amber

I am still looking for a favorite from this house because I want to own one of their bottles. They are spectacularly handcrafted and no 2 bottles are alike. Quite simply each and every one of them is gorgeous. They are shaped kind of like an egg on a base, and then they are painted with a unique design or a rich color. The bottles look like pieces of art and/or collector items.

Thoughts: My hopes were high with this one because so many people said it smells like you are at the fair (which to me, meant it's sweet smelling).  This did smell a bit sweet after it dried down, but the journey to get there was doused with Benzoin (not a note that's in there at all, but that's what it smells like to me). A definite no for me. Dang it. 

5. Gourmand Bakhoor from Jousset Parums

Fragrance Notes

Top: Caramel, Milk, Smoke

Mid: Caramel, Hinoki Incense, Leather

Base: Toffee, Hinoki Incense

I am a huge fan of gourmand fragrances. I like most variations of sweet. Gourmand Bakhoor is sweet, creamy, buttery, milky complex and pleasant in the drydown and it's there that I really like it. The milky (almost sour creamy) journey to get there though, peppered with a sharp note that I don't like, makes it not worth it.  I don't want to love only part of my fragrance.

I know so many people rave about how wonderful this is, and after it dries all the way down (about 20 minutes), it is a delicious, slightly smoky crème brulée smell that I really appreciate. I'm a little impatient though, so to have a scent I don't like lingering for 20 minutes or so before the deliciousness kicks in, is not for me.

6. Morn to Dusk from Eau d'Italie

Fragrance Notes:
Top: Bergamot, Lily-of-the-Valley

Mid: Vanilla
Base: Musk

Thoughts: It's soft and very pretty. Not an unusual vanilla, but one I'd absolutely wear (often) if I owned a full-sized bottle. This is an easy reach that would be safe to wear most anywhere. 

7. Orza from Tiziana Terenzi

Fragrance Notes

Top:  Wild Berries, Coconut, Green Apple, Plum, Orchid, Mandarin Orange, Magnolia

Mid: Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley, Bulgarian Rose

Base: Caramel, Musk, Madagascar Vanilla, Sandalwood, Benzoin, Amber

Thoughts: This bottle is everything. I heard a rumor that the owner's sister is fine jewelry creator and may have had a hand in the design. It's definitely top-of-the-line luxe. A gold sea star drapes the top of the bottle, spilling over with gorgeous gold tips. If I were rating on the bottle alone, it would be a 10 out of 10. I love this design so much!

Sadly, this was an instant no for me. I strongly disliked everything about it. It's sharp, and way too strong. I've heard many perfume reviewers say this is a tropical paradise, but that was not the experience for me.. 

8. Peach Me from Bel Rebel

Fragrance Notes

Top: Bergamot, Orange, Osmanthus, Black Pepper, Clove, Cinnamon 

Mid: Peach, Mango, Coconut, Cassis, Burnt Caramel

Base: Vanilla, Cream, Opoponax, Tonka, Sandalwood, Musks

Thoughts: This is a fairly linear peach. I can perhaps detect a bit of mango too. It's pleasant. Soft (perhaps, a little too soft for me). Not at all, in your face. I wouldn't purchase a full-sized bottle, but I'd wear it if I owned it. Peach is hard to replicate, but this one is good. The only negative from me is the dry down has a little metallic to it that I don't love, but not enough to bother me for more than a few seconds.

9. Queening from Mind Games

Fragrance Notes

Top: Clean Cotton Accord, Cypress, Apple

Mid: Orris, Rum, Saffron

Base: Whipped Vanilla Bean, Fluffy Musk, Coconut

Thoughts: Mind Games blew onto the scene and sent everyone into a frenzy with their scents. I'm not sure if it was the marketing, or the PR samples going out to people, or what, but it was on everyone's conversation list. The concept of the chess piece bottles lends itself well to fragrance collectors. 

I have tried 2 from this brand (Double Attack and this one). Just like the other one I tried, this one is so good! Sexy, date night good. I catch the clean apple scent in the opening. The mid has a nice blend of Orris and the aged, sweet Rum (I don't catch any Saffron) but you're still getting the fresh apples too. The dry down is where it goes from playful to special occasion/sexy.   Orris and Vanilla always smell good to me, but this one is special. I do want to say though, that this turns into a skin scent pretty quickly. For the price point, that is something you need to know. Do I want a full-sized bottle? YES, yes, I do! I'm so glad Mind Games is on the perfume scene. They deserve all the attention they are getting and more!

10. Santal Complet from Fragrance du Bois

Fragrance Notes
Top: Lemon, Coconut

Mid: Violet, Black Pepper

Base: Musks, Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla

Thoughts: I know there are no 'for her' or 'for him' scents anymore and that everyone should just wear what they like, but to me, though this is very refined and beautiful (as all Fragrance du Bois scents are), it also leans masculine. It's light and pleasant and it was a (female) friend who recommended it to me, so I know women are wearing it, but to me...this is something I want to smell on a man.

11. Silky Woods from Goldfield & Banks

Fragrance Notes

Top: Ceylon Cinnamon

Mid: Agarwood Ylang-Ylang Madagascar

Base: Tahitian Vanilla, Sandalwood, Tobacco Leaf, Incense

Thoughts: Goldfield & Banks has been making its way around the fragrance community too, in terms of popularity. Seems everyone has tried them but me. So, I ordered 2 samples from Scent Split that I wanted to try. 

To me, Silky Woods smells like band-aids and leather, not in an obnoxious or loud way, but definitely in a noticeable way and it's a no for me.

12. Sunset Hour from Goldfield & Banks

Fragrance Notes
Top: Mandarin, Peach, Raspberry

Mid: Jasmine Sambac Absolute, Ginger, Pink Pepper

Base: Sandalwood, Cashmere, Benzoin

Thoughts: Again, I have been wanting to try this house for awhile, so I was disappointed that this too was also a no. Sunset Hour reminds me of something from my high school or young adult years when it's first applied. It's pretty.  A little 'perfumy' but not at all screechy. It's nice enough but not something I'd want to purchase. It's very familiar, not at all unique. When it dries down though, it's a screechy perfumy scent that I do not like at all. It has a fan base, so don't take my word for it. Try it if you've got it on your list of scents to sample. Everyone's taste in scent is wildly different. And of course, that's a good thing.

You Need to Gift this to the Fragrance Fans

 on your Holiday Shopping List!

This is the kind of gift that takes a little planning, but makes the recipient oh, so very happy. If you have a fragrance lover/collector on your holiday shopping list, I can pretty much predict this would be the perfect gift for them.

The idea is to: 

• Let them choose 12 scents from Scent Split (this will be the fun part for them)
• Tell them you will purchase a full-sized bottle for them of the one they love the most.
• Purchase the bottle
• Wrap it in gorgeous paper 
• Top with some shiny ribbon and a beautiful bow

Now, the person you have purchased a full-sized bottle of fragrance for, will have a scent you know they love and they will think of you year-round every time they see or use it. For perfume/cologne-lovers, this is the holiday gift that dreams are made of...

Scent Split offers various sizes of high-end, niche and hard-to-find fragrance samples. I would choose the smallest size, since it suits the particular purpose of this gift idea so perfectly well, however, you could order one of the larger sizes, especially if the person you are buying for prefers to spray his/her samples rather than dab.

Visit Scent Split to get started with your order today.

Time is of the essence with a gift like this, and although Scent Split has fast shipping, you also need to give the recipient time to select their order. 

Happy Gifting!! 

Place your order today at 

SCENT SPLIT