Perfume is a fabulous gift to receive at Christmas especially when it's from a luxury brand that we may not often splurge on ourselves. But choosing a fragrance for someone else is certainly not an easy task. Picking up among hundreds of new fragrances on the market can be overwhelming plus you never know if it's a good match with the person who will be wearing it unless you know exactly her preferences. If you are unsure and still wondering what will suit her best what if you could buy something a tad more special and offer her a whole olfactive journey with different mini size niche perfumes?
A discovery set from The Different Company is not only an exquisite gift she will for sure adore but she will also appreciate you for introducing her to a new world of fragrances.
The Different Company is a French perfume house founded in 2000 by Jean Claude Ellena and Thierry de Baschmakoff, a worldwide recognized luxury goods designer. Jean Claude Ellena hardly needs any introduction but for those of you who don't know he is one of the world's most renowned perfumers, a legend in the world of luxury scents, with over 50 years experience in the industry. He is the nose behind some of the most prestigious perfumes from brands such as Cartier, Bulgari, Armani, Van Cleef & Arpels, Frederic Malle to name just a few and has been Hermes' in-house perfumer for more than ten years. I'll admit that Eau de Merveilles is still one of my all time favourites, I just haven't find one perfume to like more but I am always open to try something new.
Today The Different Company team include eight internationally renowned perfume designers and they now have three collections of 28 unique perfumes made of the finest ingredients.
Needless to say I was more than thrilled to sample the creations of so many top perfumers. It took me nearly two months to feel them all and get a little background of each one but testing a different scent every day was definitely a fascinating experience I thoroughly enjoyed. I am not going to describe them all here, you can read more on The Different Company website but I'll mention just a few that I really liked.
I Miss Violet - is described as a leather, flowery fragrance and it's my favourite of all. I personally find leathery notes a bit heavy and masculine in general but this gorgeous perfume has such a great blend of ingredients that make the leather accord gentle enough; it feels more like a soft suede mixed with iris, powder and a slight hint of lipstick which adds a more velvety vibe to it without making it overly feminine though.
This is definitely a very complex perfume hard to describe, with strong impact, a bit overwhelming if you use too much, powdery and a touch bitter at the same time, yet very elegant and glamorous.
Top notes : Violet, Basil, Mandarine, Champagne, Nutmeg
Middle notes : Osmanthus, Violet Iris, Mimosa,
Base notes : Leather, Mahogany, Vanilla, Musk, Ambergris
After Midnight - is a sensual and quite an atypical perfume I completely fell in love with. This is an evening type of scent but without being loud or heavy; it's soft and feminine, slightly spicy and powdery, a bit sweet but not overly sweet. It is pretty light in terms of sillage, I'd say it's a rather subtle kind of fragrance yet complex and mysterious.
It begins with a fruity-floral, slightly citrusy note that gives a sparkling and bright vibe to it at first but then it becomes sweeter and warmer. The fresh notes give way to iris, neroli and jasmine mixed with a subtle amber accord and a sensual hint of musk. It may sound a bit like too many notes altogether but they all blend into each other so smoothly that after it dries down you can't really pick a predominant note. Just a warm, sensual, skin-like scent that's very discreet, refined and classy.
Top notes : Bergamot, Angelica, Neroli,
Middle notes : Iris, Jasmine, Cinnamon
Base notes : Benzoin Balm of Siam, Ambrette seeds, White Musk
Jasmin de Nuit - a very nice fragrance created by the daughter of Jean Claude Ellena, Celine Ellena. It is a sweet kind of perfume but despite the name I wouldn't class it as a jasmine scent, this is rather spicy-oriental. The jasmine is hardly perceptible, I find that the dominant note is amber mixed with spices.
There is a certain creaminess to this perfume I really like, it's very feminine and delicate with a bit of a vintage vibe to it I'd say but without feeling outdated. A cozy and elegant scent perfectly suited for winter.
Top notes : Bergamot, Mandarin
Middle Notes : Jasmine, Cinnamon, Cardamon
Base notes : Golden Amber, Sandalwood, Patchouli
Osmanthus - another perfume by Celine Ellena that's really lovely. It's a fruity-floral type of scent, fresh, creamy and a bit soapy at the same time. The open notes are airy and citrusy with a note of green tea. The dry down is sweet fruity and a bit woody with a sensual note of musk. A great day to day fragrance that's very easy to wear in any season.
Top notes : Bergamot, Mandarin, Orange
Middle notes : Osmanthus, Rose
Base notes : Musk
I really hope this helped to inspire some of your Christmas gifts in case you are stuck for ideas. You can find The Different Company discovery set on line on www.thedifferentcompany.com.
And in case you are looking for a beauty gift or makeup inspiration, you can also check out this post :
The Perfect Red Lipstick For Christmas
Happy Christmas shopping!! 🙂
xx
**This post is not sponsored or affiliated.
