Emmie Chats – Fragrance Sample Finds

Happy Friday, y’all! I’m back with another fragrance chat. This time, I’m talking all things fragrance samples. I’ve picked up a few new travel sized fragrances recently in the lead up to winter. And the three that I’ll be talking about today cover all my bases. I have one that I’m currently addicted to, one that is gorgeous in small doses, and one that is a big skip for me. Let’s get into it!

ELLIS BROOKLYN APRES EDP – $51.00 for 10ml
NOTES – Top: Juniper Berries, Cardamon, Saffron. Middle: Bourbon Whiskey, Guaiac Wood, Suede, Labdanum, Praline, Violet. Base: Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Patchouli, Musk.
We’ll get the pass out of the way first, I picked this up off of the recommendation of Peta Marine over on TikTok. As she had recommended a few fragrances that have since become favourites of mine. This however, sadly no.

Apres is a very wood heavy fragrance, with some spicy, boozy notes in the mix. And it’s supposed to evoke the feeling of staying in a ski chalet. Sitting in front of a roaring fire with a glass of bourbon in your hand. Unfortunately for me, it’s almost like a punch to the nose whenever I wore it. I couldn’t make it pass one spritz without wanting to wash it off. I wish that the cardamon and vanilla notes were more prominent. As it might make it somewhat more palatable. But as for right now, this is a skip for me.

KAYALI VANILLA ROYALE 64: SUGARED PATCHOULI – $38.00 for 10ml
NOTES – Top: Rum, Vanilla Orchid, Jasmine. Middle: Vanilla, Spicy Notes, Creme Brulee, Leather, Tonka Bean, Rose. Base: Patchouli, Agarwood, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Amber, Musk.
Longtime readers will know that Kayali’s Vanilla 28 is one of my favourite straight up vanilla perfumes of all time. It’s easy to wear, no nonsense, and I always get a ton of compliments when I do wear it. So, I was delighted to see that she was expanding the vanilla range with Vanilla Royale :Sugared Patchouli. Right up until I saw the notes. Thanks to Apres, I quickly learned that I didn’t jive well with woody, boozy notes. And while this didn’t have as many woody notes, the rum did give me cause for concern.

Fortunately, my worries quickly vanished when I tried it. Because holy moly! This is absolutely beautiful. Vanilla Royale is basically Vanilla 28’s sexy, sultry older sister. Yes, the rum note is there and noticeable. But there is enough other sweet stuff balancing it out. All to create a vanilla fragrance that is unlike anything that I’ve ever tried before.

Which then begs the question. If I like it so much, then what is the problem? The issue for me is that this fragrance is a) intense and b) lingers. I’ve worn this on clothing, washed that clothing, and am still able to smell it. I can only wear 1-2 spritzes at a time otherwise it does get to be a bit much for me, personally. So the 10ml will last me ages. I usually am ok with blind buying Kayali fragrances. But this, you might want to try first.

DEDCOOL FRAGRANCE NO. 1 “TAUNT” – $48.00 for 15ml
NOTES – Top: Dew Drop, Bergamot. Middle: Floral Notes, Cassis. Base: Vanilla, Amber
Dedcool finally launched at Mecca a few weeks back. This is a fragrance house that has been on my radar for a hot minute. Their aesthetic is just so cool. And out of their entire range, I knew that Taunt was the most up my alley, scent wise. Well, yeah, I’ve had this for two weeks now and I’m a quarter the way through the sample. It’s just so fucking good. What can I say? I’m an easy lay for bergamot, vanilla, and amber.

In all seriousness, it does smell like something from my childhood (fellow 90’s babies who own this, can you back me up?). And it’s such an easy one to chuck on. It doesn’t have the widest scent throw, but it does last a good long while on me. I can see this one working for a lot of people because, like I said, it’s just so easy to wear. I am currently on the waitlist for the full size. And I will be buying that without question.

And those are some of the fragrances that are/were in my fragrance rotation. What perfumes are you currently loving? Let me know in the comments!

Cheers and love
Emily xo