Yes folks, once again, Yvonne buys not one, but two fragrances unsniffed...

I just ordered Ava Luxe Black Coconut, and Ava Luxe Figuer. Why do I do this? Actually, I have been pondering this buy for some time now, but researching fragrances on the web can only take so you far. I was really torn between the two I bought and also, Film Noir, Wild Blackberry Musk, and Bohemian Rose.

During the past year, I've had not-so-great experiences with Ava Luxe Citrine & Chaos (lovely, no staying power on my skin,) but that can be said for countless fragrances, and many of Serna's fragrances work very well on my skin, so I figured I'd take a chance!

If they don't work for me, you all know that they will be turning up on the swap list, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed...

By-the-way, any thoughts here on the Wild Blackberry musk? I'm really curious about it...

I don't know these fragrances (yet) but it's great that there's a swap system to back you up. I really hope that they work out, and are worth your time. I'm just curious about whether this is something you did starting out in perfume, or if it gradually happened when you got more into it? I just ask because I would go broke if I started to do that. I can see it happening I must take precaution, haha.

I buy unsniffed ALOT. I am doing much better than I *was*, but still, on occasion, the notes listed in a fragrance can be *everything* I like, so I buy, only to find out that though I like all these notes, they may not work with me when all combined. LOL

I usually love coconut. Rarely ever do I dislike it, but there has been at least one time I bought coconut that it smelled so *very* synthetic and disappointed me! Much like the Spiritual Skies coconut....which was horribly unnatural smelling!

Good luck...I hope these work with your chemistry. There is nothing more disappointing than to purchase something that doesn't work for you....been there, done that.....ALOT!

This is a Time Honored Rite of Passage that all perfumistas go through--buying unsniffed! Some people (like me) are harder to train than others--even after all these years, I will still buy something unsniffed if it's cheap enough, especially if I feel like it will be easy to swap away later. The Perfumed Court is pricey, but less expensive than a full bottle, if you're disciplined enough to sample.

Sometimes it's just so much fun. A surprise package!!!

Here's hoping that you love your new additions to the family!

I learned early (and expensively) not to buy without testing on my skin first (let alone sniffing). I bought two full bottles of Creed (just sniffed on the card at the store). At home, the scents are great but only last 10 minutes on me. That was an expensive lesson. Fortunately, it was very early on in my new addiction love.

If I can't get a sample to try at home, when I can pay attention to it, then you really don't want to sell it to me.

Those sound great, actually. I've heard great things about Black Coconut. Unfortunately, for a lot of etailers, buying unsniffed is the only option, unless you want to order samples, wait for them in the mail, try them on, wait impatiently while you order them AGAIN, pay more shipping...etc.

This is precisely the problem I have. I do have an immediate gratification issue. I've bought full bottles of niche/expensive scent unsniffed four times. Two were a great buy (Fleur Poudree de Musc, Flirt by Note), one was meh (Musc Samarkand), and one was a colossal failure (L'Aterlier Immortelle). I guess it's like the lottery, what with the odds. I learned my lesson, though--I haven't done this in ages.

Nubka I'm wearing her Figuier today (she sent a decant with my last order) and although I'm not crazy about fig scents this one is GOOD! Other figs (L'Art. & Tam Dao) I've tried dry down to an overpowering CEDAR aroma, this doesn't. It's a tart fig scent with a fantastic green (vine) note running throough it.

I own Film Noir, it's probably my favorite from her. If you like leather then this is for you...it's straight up kinky, black leather!

I never buy unsniffed. One spray doesn't do it either. I have to WEAR it maybe for more than one time before I plunk down the $$.

Descriptions do NOT do it for me. It just gives me an idea if I'd like to try it. I have too many perfumes that I don't wear anymore. The ones I wear I wear often.

Black Coconut is good for layering, per Serena's description.

I know what you mean about the samples (at times, I'm just not patient enough to play the merchant/postal service waiting game...I want that ol' instant gratification! ) Believe me, though, I've spent a lot of $$$$ over at Perfumed Court on samples, lol!

Sometimes I can't always get a really clear picture from a tiny sample either. There have been a few times where I tried a sample (the dab on kind,) nursed it along for as long as I could, using up what precious little bit was in the vial, felt like it was working for me and that I could smell it for hours, only to buy a full bottle and still be disappointed by the lack of staying power! Or is it just that my nose adjusts too quickly to the fragrance - I can't smell it, but perhaps other around me can?

I don't mind sometimes taking a chance on Ava Luxe, because her prices are so great and I generally have good luck with them, but if I were buying something over, say, $50.00, I definately would not buy unsniffed!


Stinkerbell, thanks for the Figuier info! I've been looking for a dry, green, fig for a long time...

You know, until I joined this forum I had never bought anything unsniffed, despite being a life-long perfume addict, but now I'm starting to order things based on what I'm hearing - mad, I know. However, I also had no idea that places like The Perfumed Court existed and shipped to the UK, so that has been a true revelation. Well, that and how quickly a selection of samples adds up to over $100.........

I do hope you love your purchases, nubka!

Another sinner here. I don't have the answer. It's a mistake to order unsniffed, I know, but a cartful of samples at Lucky Scent or TPC adds up to serious perfume money. Moreover, I can go through a decant in nothing flat.

WHY DO YOU DO IT???????????????????????????????


I mean REALLY!???

Yup, that's what she said!

I don't know about Ava Luxe (unavailable in Frace) but the Wild Blackberry Musk sounds like a direct translation of L'Artisan Mûre et Musc?

As for buying unsniffed, unless it's long-lost rarity I need for my own instruction (need? only in our weird parallel universe) I abstain. But then, I live within half-an-hour of *lots* of goodies, so there's no virtue in my self-discipline.

hahahaha!!

I don't mind buying minis unsniffed. If they are not very good, there was no great loss.

right.

I used to be soooo bad about buying full sizes of scents unsniffed and untried, however, since I have discovered minis, decants, samples and the like, I have all but stopped making major money investments in scents I'm not too sure about. I usually try to get enough of a decant or sample for more than one wearing so I can get several impressions based on time of day, weather, environment, etc. and also more opportunities for feedback from those around me. If all is good, then and only then do I make the leap to the big bucks, full sized version.