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Fragrance is such a personal thing. I review new options often because they are something I truly enjoy but I always have to explain about skin chemistry & scents smelling different on everyone. Samplers like the Sephora Favorites Bottled Dreams Fragrance Sampler for Holiday 2014 are such a perfect gift- lots of options & actually usable sizes. With some big brands like Balenciaga, Juicy Couture & the oh-so-popular Elizabeth & James Nirvana options this set is also on trend. Check out the 8 fragrances in this sampler & which FULL-SIZED options were my favorite…& my husband’s! 

When looking for a new fragrance I tend to drag someone else along- often it is Ryan, my husband. Poor guy. I figure he is the one who will smell me most & sometimes another nose can pick up different notes I might have missed. He is VERY opinionated as well so it is pretty helpful! In this set you get really decent-sized deluxe sizes & with the certificate in the box you also get to choose a FULL-SIZED fragrance as well! I urge you to really pay attention to your booklet. Not only does it have a lot of helpful notes about each fragrance but it also lists the size of the full-sized perfume you’ll be getting. I highly suggest looking up each fragrance you’re interested in so that you can get the best value!

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black (Sample size is 0.24 fl oz rollerball )(Redeems for full-size 1.0 fl oz)- Alluring, rich, & tight-roping the masculine line. I loved this- super deep & smells luxe but definitely only cold weather for me since it is so warm. Ryan liked this one more when mixed with the Nirvana White.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White (Sample size is 0.24 fl oz rollerball )(Redeems for full-size 1.0 fl oz)- More of a feminine, light, fresh floral scent. I actually preferred this one mixed with Nirvana Black. Since the samples in this set are such a good size I’m going to continue mixing them & invest in a full-sized duo if I run out.

Gucci Guilty (Sample size is 0.16 fl oz )(Redeems for full-size 1.0 fl oz)- On paper this sounds like a scent I’d love (confident, mandarin, lilac) but it smelled awful on my skin.

Balenciaga Florabotanica (Sample size is 0.25 fl oz )(Redeems for full-size 1.0 fl oz)- Incredibly unexpected & complex- & the bottle is stunning in the full size as well. This is a Turkish rose fragrance mixed with lots of greenery & velvet. A complete surprise to both Ryan & me.

Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline (Sample size is 0.17 fl oz )(Redeems for full-size 1.3 fl oz)- This bottle is my least favorite- very difficult to open & shut! Ryan moved right on from this one- we both found it underwhelming on my skin & not as interesting as the others.

Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy La Fleur (Sample size is 0.17 fl oz )(Redeems for full-size 2.5 fl oz)- Definitely the youngest scent in the bunch with sparkling notes, honeysuckle, jasmine, & reminds me of everything girly. It doesn’t last on my skin very long unfortunately.

Lancome La Vie Est Belle (Sample size is 0.14 fl oz )(Redeems for full-size 1.0 fl oz)- Let’s start off with our definite least favorite…I could only wear it 30 minutes before I absolutely had to wash it off. The patchouli & gourmand smells absolutely anicent on me. I felt like a flashback sitting on a floral couch.

Burberry Body Tender (Sample size is 0.15 fl oz )(Redeems for full-size 2.0 fl oz)- Upon smelling this I instantly though “I could wear this daily” which is rare for me. Soft, crisp, dewy, with touches of rose, apple, & a tad of musk which actually worked for me although I ended up preferring & purchasing the original version.

 

My one complaint with this set is that these are all decanter-style bottles & not spray nozzles besides the two rollerballs. In fact- the Elizabeth and James rollerballs from this set are available currently for $24 on the Sephora website here. I actually went back & bought a second Sephora Favorites Bottled Dreams Fragrance Sampler since I fell for not 1…not 2…but 3 fragrances from this set. My husband’s favorite scent was the Balenciaga Florabotanica so he got that for me on our anniversary with my pass & told me to buy another kit! I love the Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy La Fleur scent despite not wearing worth a darn & being very young- for 2.5 oz I’m willing to reapply. I bought a huge bottle of the Burberry Body perfume from another retailer.

You can purchase the Sephora Favorites Bottled Dreams Fragrance Sampler from Sephora currently for $58 ( $125 value ) & the certificate inside will let you exchange for a full-sized fragrance of your choice from the set in store.