REVIEW: Juliette Has a Gun Fragrance Discovery Kit...

I often talk about my penchant for perfume as a passion, which it most certainly is, and my (possibly excessive) collection is a testament to my desire to continuously surround myself in a wide variety of fragrant clouds, no matter the time of day or whatever I'm up to activity-wise. But it's also a fascination - these exquisite elixirs that gifted men and women around the globe spend months and sometimes years perfecting can alter my mood in a split second, and turn dreary into dreamy with one tiny spritz. And so I'm in an endless pursuit cycle for the next concoction that will send my spirits soaring. It can be an expensive addiction, so when I stumbled upon a sample pack of eight fragrances created by the great-grandson of Nina Ricci for $39, it was in my Adore Beauty cart in a heartbeat ♥...

I had heard and read a little about this range before, well one in particular - Moscow Mule - mainly gals saying they don't wear anything else any more, so I was both intrigued and excited to sample so many for such a reasonable price in this Juliette Has a Gun Discovery Kit...

It's quite an impressive presentation - the box contains eight glass vials with spray caps, all with the perfume name printed on the tube. The larger one is 4mls ("Not a Perfume") and the other seven are 1.7ml, all made in France. Each vial fits into its own unique slot that has the fragrance name and the main note(s) inked into the cardboard base...

Also in the pack is a very thoughtful and useful cardboard brochure with a descriptive sentence or two of the fragrances, and pictures of the full-size bottles - reminiscent of those leaflets inside a box of chocolates, so you know which one to go for, and what to leave for someone else. On the back is a picture of the founder, Romano Ricci, and some interesting information about him and his background, and you can read that in the pic further down the page...

But let's get on with the best part, the actual scents, in the order they are presented in the box...

Not a Perfume

The unusual name comes from the fact that apart from ethanol, there is only one other ingredient - Cetalox, which according to my friend Google is a synthetic form of the ambergris scent. It's the base of many other fragrances on the market, but Mr Ricci wanted to present it as-is - a modern, minimalist fragrance that is allergen-free. On my skin, it smells like the most beautiful clean powdery musk but apparently manifests differently on everyone, depending on your body chemistry. Long-lasting, comforting, sheer genius ♥♥♥...

Mmmm...

Launched in 2016, this is my least favourite - very heavy on the jasmine and vanilla, it's a gourmand that's just a bit too sweet for me. Main ingredients on the leaflet are Neroli, Raspberry, Tuberose & Iris Butter, although the box says Jasmine, Vanilla & Raspberry. This is probably the only one in the kit that extends beyond the body - i.e. it's a tad intrusive on the surrounds ♥...

Anyway

The Green Lime in this one is refreshing and uplifting, but only on the initial spritz and about 10 minutes after that - doesn't last anywhere near as long as the others, but that may just be me and my skin. Also contains Hedione & Musk, but I honestly can't smell anything much at all after half an hour ♥...

Sunny Side Up

This is gorgeous - Vanilla and Sandalwood with a hint of Jasmine, and a dash of coconut. True to its name I find this crisp, so cheerful and fun, and yet it has an air of sophistication. I'm a huge sandalwood fan, which is probably why I love this so much. Launched in 2017, I would definitely buy the full-size bottle of this smile-inducing scent ♥♥♥...

Moscow Mule

Inspired by the famous cocktail, this delicious scent has me wanting to head to the bar to try its namesake! This has a crystalline quality, not unlike Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline or Versace Bright Crystal Absolu. I can see why it's a firm favourite. Also launched in 2017, the notes are ginger, lime and bergamot on an amber base, just my kind of warm weather citrusy floral fragrance. Longevity is not on a par with Bright Crystal, nor is it anywhere near as intense, but it's a beauty all the same. Actually, I've spritzed it again on my wrist an hour ago, and I can't stop sniffing it lol! ♥♥♥...

Mad Madame

Interesting, glam, and more exotic than any of the others, but not my style. There's a sourness to the initial spritz that doesn't appeal, but then again I'm rarely ever grabbed by a chypre. This has quite a buffet of ingredients - Rose, Blackcurrant, Freesia, Patchouli, Tuberose, White Musk, Vanilla just to name a few! Mind you it does improve dramatically after 5 minutes, long-lasting and more intense than some of the others, but it's all a bit too rich-elderly-lady for me ♥...

Lady Vengeance

Created in 2006, this is the oldest of the set. Rose, Vanilla & Patchouli all the way - very big on the rose, but it's a stunning rose, so soft and romantic, and in no way cloying or heavy. I'm a little puzzled by the name though - my nose doesn't pick up anything vengeful at all. The ad apparently said "Rock meets Romance" but to me, it's just pure clean romance, although the patchouli does deliver a kick of spice after the dry down ♥♥...

Another Oud

Love this one, and it's the one I've worn the most since the pack arrived - the Raspberry fades pretty quickly, but the Bergamot keeps the fruit flag flying until the Oud Wood and Musk pick up the beat, which is not long after the initial spray. I was expecting this to be a heavier oriental style and more woody and spiced, but it's actually quite crisp and zingy. Simply divine, one I would wear all year round, and actually the raspberry comes back in about an hour. This one is on my Christmas list ♥♥♥...

Overall I would call these fragrances "personal space scents" - if you want to walk into a room and instantly let people know you've arrived, then I doubt these are for you. They are more subtle, more body-enveloping, yet long-lasting...

To summarise, I think this is a fab collection, and what a brilliant gift for someone that adores musky, woody fragrances and doesn't want a scent that's too loud. The beauty of these is that they lend themselves to layering with other fragrances, particularly Not a Perfume, but they are all eminently wearable on their own. I'm delighted that out of the eight, there's only three that I'm not jumping up and down about. Highly recommended! ♥♥♥...

Have you tried any fragrances from the Juliet Has a Gun range?

Take care of you,

kats xxx