This post and review is a rather exciting one… It’s my first review to have a * next to it. Yep, this is my first product sent to review and boy is it amazing and as the title reads, it’s The Fragrance Shop Discover Club 5th Edition*.
I was asked by the lovely Steph at Sparkle PR to review this and I gladly accepted! I love reviewing things and I also love perfume, so this was just my ideal first product to review on my blog.
I test ran the Discovery Club box over a week and over the week I really couldn’t wait to tell you all about this! First of all I shall talk about the box itself and what it’s all about and then I shall go onto the perfumes for both women and men that I received in my Discover Box!
So, without further ado, let’s get on with this review, which I warn you is going to be VERY long, but well worth a read!
The Discovery Box has been available for a year now, this being the 5th box. Boxes cost £5 each and you receive a new box every quarter, which you can cancel receiving at any time!
Inside the box you usually receive 5 perfume samples for both men and women, but with box number 5, you will receive 9! As well as that you also receive a booklet with some further information about the Discover Club, as well as vouchers for each perfume inside of the box itself. The vouchers are all worth £5, so with 9 samples you have £45 worth of savings in there!
So for £5 a box, could it get any better?!
So onto what samples are in the 5th Edition, I know I pretty much love them all.
This box is called the “Christmas Classics Box” and boy did they put in some classics! I love this box and it contains one perfume I own, one I have wanted since the day it came out, two I own in their EDP versions and some I have smelt in the past and thought about buying in the future, but as of yet, never have.
As I mentioned, there are 9 samples in this box, 6 are for women and 3 are for men so he can have something too! As well as that they’re all EDT scents, which makes a pleasant change for myself, as a majority of my perfumes are infact EDP’s. It was a real treat trying out all the scents in this box over a week and I rather liked the males ones on my boyfriend too.
For women you have:
Jean Paul Gaultier – ”Classique”
Nina Ricci – Nina
Gucci – Gucci Guilty
Thierry Mugler – Angel
Thierry Mugler – Alien
Givenchy РVery Irr̩sistible
For men you have:
HUGO BOSS – HUGO MAN
HUGO BOSS – BOSS BOTTLED
Issey Miyake – L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme
Now there are a hell of a lot of samples for me to talk about here, but I’m going to try and keep each one as short as possible, but at the same time making sure to talk about everything.
Female perfume samples:
Jean Paul Gaultier – ”Classique”
Launched in 1993, Classique has become a true icon in the fragrance world. The supremely seductive oriental floral fragrance pays homage to the beauty of women with its corset inspired design. A sweet and bold EDT.
An old friend of mine used to own this and before a night out I gave it a spritz on my neck and I can tell you the scent lasted all night, which impressed me seeing as this perfume is an EDT. It’s a very warm scent and something I’d personally only use during the autumn and winter months. As well as warm, it is somewhat musky and this is down to its base notes containing vanilla and amber. It’s a very grown up and seductive perfume, one to definitely use for Valentine’s Day or a romantic evening. I have contemplated buying this in the past but never made the plunge, maybe soon I will.
Nina Ricci – Nina
A magical scent captured inside a glass apple. Nina offers charm and enchantment with a dash of seduction in what is a fresh floral fruity fragrance.
A few Christmases ago, my brother actually bought me a 30ml size of this and I still own it, even though it is running out! This is a beautiful light perfume and perfect for anyone who doesn’t like anything heavy, but wants something that will stand out. I find that the bottle for this is misleading, as whilst DKNY – Be Delicious is in an apple shape bottle and smells of apples, this doesn’t in my opinion. This being said it does contain red toffee apple in its heart notes but alongside that there are also some lemon and lime top notes to give it a slight zesty scent. What makes this perfume different from Be Delicious is the base notes, which contain cotton musk to give it a slight musky smell, but at the same time this keeps its citrus scents. It’s a beautiful perfume and I can definitely see me buying this again and with a 30ml bottle costing less than £30.00 (£27.99) it’s well worth buying!
Gucci – Gucci Guilty
Gucci takes as a catalyst its iconic entwined G’s and brings us a heroine who regards this emblem as an incitement to subvert. For this most contemporary of rebels, Gucci is the brand of sex and power. In Gucci Guilty, this woman discovers the very scent of defiance.
I have wanted this perfume ever since it came out! Alongside Thierry Mugler and Chanel, Gucci is next to them in my top 3 for favourite perfumes. I smelt this when it first came out and eventually over time whenever I have been near a Gucci counter I have looked at this perfume and smelt it and just wanting to buy it… But I never have. This is a gorgeous floral EDT perfume, which lasts just as long as an EDP and as well as it being floral, Gucci describe this as a “modern and daring Oriental Floral” which is right up my street! The notes for this fit to the type of fragrance it is with the top notes being mandarin and pink pepper, heart notes being peach, lilac and geranium and finally the base notes being amber, patchouli, and more lilac, and geranium. I have to say that this perfume no longer reminds me of Envy Me, but of an aftershave my boyfriend owns, so when I wore this one of the days at work last week, it just reminded me of him. This is a gorgeous scent and will have heads turning! I need to have this in my perfume collection by the end of the year.
Thierry Mugler – Angel
Angel, the first fragrance by Thierry Mugler, is a voluptuous oriental gourmand with a truly beautiful bottle resembling dazzling stars cut from a night blue sky.
This is an iconic perfume and one that either perfume lovers love, or hate. I know my friend Poppy hates it, whilst I love it! I have the EDP version of this, so to be able to try out an EDT was a nice change and in one way pleasant. An EDP can sometimes be too much, but that depends on how much you apply! This was the first fragrance by Thierry Mugler and to be honest, I don’t think he needed to bring anymore out! Although I’m glad as Alien is amazing and one of my favourites. BUT ignoring that, this is a mouth-watering perfume and contains yummy heart notes of fruit and honey and even yummier base notes of vanilla, chocolate and caramel. Angel is a scent that cannot be forgotten and is extremely unique, the perfect scent for anyone going on a first date, he’d never forget you.
Thierry Mugler – Alien
Distinctive and mysterious, yet comforting and soft. The EDT conveys passion, sensuality and the essence of absolute femininity with a rich floral woody with a magical trail for a fragrance that is truly out of this world.
Probably my all time favourite perfume, although the version I own is the EDP. Another unique smelling perfume and the second fragrance by Thierry Mugler. The EDT version of this is a lot softer than the EDP and yet lasts just as long on the skin, which was a lovely surprise. This is a citrus fragrance mixed with musk, which is really nice! The top notes contain mandarin orange and citrus, whilst heart notes and base notes contain jasmine and amber. There isn’t much I can say about this perfume, other than how much I love it already in its EDP version, as well as its EDT! This is will be perfect for summer when I just want something light to wear and with a 30ml bottle I can quickly throw it into my bag to spritz whilst out and about. Therefore I can really see me buying this with my £5 voucher! It costs £31.50 for a 30ml size and with my £5.00 voucher it’ll only cost me £26.50… Bargain, much?!
Givenchy РVery Irr̩sistible
A very dynamic sensual fragrance possessing the elegant floral top notes of rose and the exotic daring combination of peony and rose fantasia. A very appealing feminine scent by Givenchy.
This is probably the only women’s perfume sample in this box that I’d never smelt before until spraying the sample onto my skin. It was the first one I tried and I have to say, I really do like it. It’s a lovely light floral scent and something that can be worn whenever, whatever time of day! This contains lovely notes, top notes including star anise flower and verbena leaf, heart notes including rose garden, peony and centifolia rose, and finally base notes including more rose with passion, fantasia and emotion rose. For a floral perfume it does have some slight zesty scents in there and that’s due to the top notes. I really quite like this perfume and it’d be lovely to spritz on during the warm summer months. This is another perfume I have been contemplating buying with my £5.00 voucher as the 30ml costs £34.50 without the voucher, so with it this would only cost £29.50!
Male perfume samples:
HUGO BOSS – HUGO MAN
Fresh, sharp and extremely masculine, HUGO is about living life on your own terms with a certain irreverence. It is created not for those who go with the trend of the moment, but for those who seek a style of their own. The chunky glass bottled is topped off with a masculine metal topper, capturing a fresh, lively scent.
Although I don’t wear male perfumes, HUGO BOSS is one of my favourites on mine, alongside Paco Rabbane, Chanel and Diesel. I’ve never smelt this one before until opening the sample to give it a sniff and boy, do I want my boyfriend to pick this up! It’s a gorgeous, fresh, and very masculine smell, it’s the sort of scent that when you smell it on a man, your knees tremble! Jared Leto does the advertisements for this aftershave, which is just perfect really. 😛 But aside from that! The notes for this aftershave are lovely! Top notes contain grapefruit, green apple and mint, which quite frankly make my mouth water! Heart notes contain lavender and jasmine, which sound rather feminine and finally the base notes contain musk and pine needles. Overall this perfume sounds delicious but also smells delicious too! This would make a perfect Valentine’s Day presents for your loved one, or even a Christmas or birthday present. If my boyfriend doesn’t buy this for himself, I know I will! To me he looks gorgeous, so for him to smell like it too, is just an added bonus. 😉 This only comes in one size of 40ml, but for £26.50 a bottle it’s damn cheap, but for the money it smells beautiful!
HUGO BOSS – BOSS BOTTLED
A true male iconic fragrance that remains as popular now as its launch in 1994. The juice is fresh and sharp with a warm woody base whilst the bottle offers a sleek, uncomplicated but very masculine look.
When I was younger I was obsessed with Ryan Reynolds and so much in love with him that the only reason I smelt this back in 2011 was due to the fact that Ryan Reynolds started to do the advertising for it. It smelt lovely at the time but I prefer the NIGHT version to this one, but that’s just me. Also I’m pretty sure my boyfriend owns this and whilst it smells lovely, I prefer other aftershaves to this one. This being said it still smells gorgeous and whilst it is somewhat similar to HUGO MAN, this one is just a tad lighter. The top notes include oakmoss, bergamot, apple and lemon to give it zesty scent. Heart notes include cinnamon and mahogany to give it some warmth and finally base notes include sandalwood and oakwood, with some vanilla to give it a lift. It’s a gorgeous scent and for a 30ml bottle it costs just under £30 at £29.99! I recommend that if you like the smell of this one, to smell the NIGHT version as it smells delicious.
Issey Miyake – L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme
Since 1994, L’Eau d’Issey Pour Homme has become a hallmark of sophistication in the world of fragrances. It awakens the senses with its blend of citrus, precious woods and spices. The pure, energising scent is perfect for a modern, independent man.
Top Notes – Fresh and energizing yuzu, a Japanese citron
Heart Notes – Spicy nutmeg and cinnamon
Base Notes – Woody, Masculine amber tobacco, sandalwood and vetiver
I think I’ve heard of this before in the past, but I never gave it another look as with all ignorance, I don’t recognise the name so I can’t be bothered to look at it… Plus it’s for men! The sample I got is the sport version, which isn’t mentioned in the booklet or anywhere for that matter… So I wonder if I was sent the wrong one… Even if I was it doesn’t bother me much, as my boyfriend is being given all the samples anyway. Either way this aftershave is gorgeous! It smells really fresh and reminds me of summer, which is nice of course. As I received the sport version I’ll be mentioning the notes for both and as you can see, I have already mentioned the original versions notes above. I don’t at ALL like the sound of the original and quite frankly I’m glad that I received the sport version as it smells a lot more fresh and citrus than the original, which sounds far too musky and reminds me of a hot car on a winters morning that has too many vanilla scented air fresheners… This was my childhood by the way! SO the notes for sport! Top notes include grapefruit and bergamot to give it its citrus scent, heart notes include nutmeg to give it warmth and freshness, and base notes include vetvier which give it an elegant smell as well as character and depth. Overall I rather like this aftershave… But I still prefer HUGO MAN more!
So now that I have covered all 9 samples that you receive in the 5th Edition Discover Club box, I’ll let you know which female (okay two female scents, I couldn’t pick one!) and male scents won…
Drum roll anyone?
Jean Paul Gaultier – ”Classique”, Givenchy – Very Irrésistible and HUGO BOSS – HUGO MAN
Out of all the women’s samples, “Classique” lasts the longest out of them all and reminds me of something, that I can’t quite put my finger on, probably something from my childhood! I would love to pick up a bottle of this, but right now I can’t really afford it… Which is a total shame as I have my £5 voucher! I guess I’ll have to pop in store soon and see what bargain I can get.
I couldn’t pick one and the other sample I rather liked was Very Irrésistible! I’d never smelt this before and it was a real treat to smell and try out over the week whilst I was at work. It didn’t last as long as I’d have hoped but I know if I were to keep a small 30ml bottle in my bag I’d be able to spritz this whenever I do so wish. Also I really want a new perfume for summer and I think this could be it!
Finally we have the male sample and I could only pick one! This was the first one I smelt and I don’t think anything else could compete as this just smells divine! It’s a gorgeous fresh and sexy aftershave and one I’m DYING for my boyfriend to buy! I know he said that he liked the idea of buying a new aftershave and as I have vouchers, he may as well use one. This aftershave is pretty affordable and with £5.00 knocked off, it would be a bargain he would be silly to pass up on.
So, after what seems like one of my longest reviews, what do I think of The Fragrance Shops Discover Club 5th Edition? Well I LOVE it and I really can see me subscribing to these since receiving this one.
I had thought about it a year ago when they first came out, but I never did go through with it, which I now regret, but I guess the term, “No time like the present” springs up here and as soon as the 6th Edition is released, I’ll be ordering it straight away!
If you’re interested in the Discover Club 5th Edition, or even the concept of samples in a box, then definitely click this link to head over to The Fragrance Shop’s website to tell you all about it and even order your own!
If you’re planning on getting yourself one, I suggest you do it soon as at the end of February the vouchers in the booklet run out, so I assume a new box would be coming out. But even so, you can always wait and pick up the 6th Edition if you do so wish!
So, what do you think of the Discover Club boxes? Have you ever bought any before, if so, what did you think of it? Let me know in the comments down below and if you have any questions, please ask away!
Until next time, take care all!
*Product sent for reviewing purposes.
P.S. Apologies for how long this post was, but I wanted to make sure to cover everything! 😀
There Might Be Coffee 