Beautifinous.

Hey guys! So, it’s been a while, but not to fear - Christmas is nearly here! And what does Christmas bring? Christmas gift idea blog posts of course! But hey, what I’m reviewing today doesn’t necessarily have to be a lovely gift idea for someone you care about, it can be a little monthly treat for you too. Interested? Of course you are! Let’s see what I’m talking about.

If you’ve been following the blog over the years then it probably comes as no surprise to hear that I am a fan of subscription boxes and I love perfume. So what better thing than to combine those two? Today I’m here to review the Scentful Surprise Perfume Subscription Box which is a subscription box that provides you with two surprise samples of designer fragrances each month.

I’m going to focus the post around the idea of the subscription box and the process but I will also write a little bit about each of the fragrances for those who are interested in what they are like.

If you’ve never tried a subscription box of any kind, you may be wondering about the perks or benefits of them. Subscription boxes allow you to basically try before you buy. It can be a nightmare to spend a fortune on something to then not like the product or get on with it and then it eventually it gets thrown out. But let's talk about it from a perfume perspective more specifically.

Generally, perfume is not a cheap thing to purchase. It’s also something that needs time to be tested. Fragrance is made of up notes and these notes are structured into a pyramid of top notes, middle/heart notes and base notes. Without over complicating this post, I’ll simplify it by saying that this means that throughout the day a scent will change. The same perfume can also smell different on each individual due to skin chemistry and not every person will love the same fragrances as one another. In fact, I’ve always thought of it as a very personal purchase - it’s something that can accentuate a style, feeling or mood that you want to give off. These are all major benefits of having access to a fragrance subscription box; you can try each perfume in your own time, see how it evolves throughout the day, really learn to see if it’s for you.

How do the boxes work though? Well, you can sign up on the Scentful website for the box of your choosing and you can decide whether to pay monthly or to pre-pay for three or six months (these options will save you money overall). Once you're signed up, you will receive a Scentful box every month. Each box is also designed to be small enough to fit through your letter box too, so not to worry if you're out on delivery day. 

For this post, I received the Scentful Surprise Perfume Subscription October 2020 box and within it I received Fever by Jimmy Choo and Angel Muse by Thierry Mugler. Both are releases from within the last few years which means that they're not necessarily focusing on new products. I also love that they both have a cooler season vibe (more on that a bit further on in the post) which tells me that there is thought here - these fragrances are selected for a purpose. 

I absolutely love the presentation of the box. The box is matte black and has the Scentful logo on it in gold. You lift the lid to a black card that contains information on each scent and underneath the card you will find your two sample bottles. It looks luxe, so you feel like you're treating yourself (or someone else) with a quality gift. 

In regards to the amount of perfume you receive, I would agree that you're getting a months worth of perfume. However, this will also depend on how heavy you are when you spray it on! If you like to douse yourself in scent then you will obviously get less use out of the two 5ml bottles. With that said, this means that it will also depend on the fragrances received. If the perfume has low longevity then you may need to spray more on throughout the day, or if it sits close to the skin you may spray more on to try to extend its reach (this is called its sillage). 

Let's now check out what the fragrances themselves are like. I’ll discuss the description of each scent and then give a quick synopsis on what I think about them. 

Angel Muse is described as a gourmand-vetiver (sweet-masculine woody) fragrance. Vetiver is usually seen as more of a "masculine" note, so see this as a redefinition of that note and bringing something new to women's perfume. 

Angel Muse has an interesting description on Fragrantica that I like. If you're aware of the original Angel fragrance by Thierry Mugler then you will know of its powerful, gourmand scent. Here is the quote that I like from Fragrantica:

Notes include grapefruit and pink pepper at the top, hazelnut chocolate spread in the heart (so Nutella) and patchouli and vetiver sitting in the base.

Angel Muse definitely has throwbacks to the original Angel (that patchouli and the chocolate spread nodding to the heavy chocolate and patchouli of the original), but it has its own personality.

This perfume has a lovely sillage. It’s not too overbearing and it doesn’t fill a room, but it is heavy enough for those around you to notice that you’re wearing it. It’s less powerful than the original Angel (and many of its flankers!), but definitely stronger than your average perfume. After the gorgeous scent of it, my second favourite thing about Angel Muse is the longevity. After spraying on in the morning, you can still smell it in the evening.

I’ve received a bunch of compliments whilst wearing this one and I think it’s a beautiful fragrance choice for the cooler months if you want to add a layer of  sweet cosiness and warmth without being overly sickly (to the extent of something like Bonbon by Viktor & Rolf - but if you prefer that sweeter type of scent then that's a great choice for you). I'm a big fan.

Compared to Angel Muse, Fever is more fruity yet still primarily sweet. It opens with a blend of fruit top notes and as it settles the sweetness takes over. It is described as an oriental vanilla (a fragrance type that I loved so so much in the past so it now takes me back in that sense). 

Top notes include plum, lychee and grapefruit (what a beautiful top note combo!), vanilla orchid, heliotrope, orange blossom and jasmine in the heart and vanilla, benzoin, coffee, hazelnut, tonka bean and sandalwood in the base. 

Fever has good lasting power but not to the extent of Angel Muse. The sillage is also lower on the scale so it sits closer to the skin. 

I would say that most people may lean towards this perfume as a nighttime scent. It does have that going out for dinner or a night out on the town vibe, but you could also wear this in the day time (something that I have been doing and loving still). 

Out of the two fragrances I would also hazard a guess at this one being more universally liked than Muse. Thierry Mugler do tend to release more love it or hate it fragrances and Jimmy Choo's Fever is by far the more "safe" fragrance out of this duo. It's hard to dislike. 

Overall, I think that the October Scentful Surprise Perfume Subscription Box is a great combo for this time of year. You’ve got your super cosy scent to wear along with your big snuggly jumpers with Angel Muse and something for the evening (if you’re able to get out during this lockdown!) in Fever.

I absolutely love having a new fragrance subscription box available to recommend. I may be a tad biased when it comes to recommending perfume-related things as I love fragrance, but I do believe that if you are interested in perfume in any way or know anyone who is, this would be a lovely, new way to experience it. You can try scents for longer to really get a feel for them and maybe you can find your new signature! Always a win.

If I’ve managed to sway you, you can check out the subscription offers at the Scentful website.

What are your thoughts on the Scentful Surprise Perfume Subscription Box? Which subscription boxes are your favourites?

Let me know in the comments below!