A confession: I used to think that perfume discovery sets were a ripoff. They are technically made up of samples that you could, in theory, get for free. That, however, would require a lot of assertiveness and an abundance of chance that said samples even exist—and if they do, that you've properly convinced the salesperson that giving them to you would ensure a full-size sale. So why do all that work when you can spend a not-unreasonable amount of money—generally between $50 and $80—and guarantee yourself the full experience? My first foray into sample sets happened last year in Florence; I couldn't decide between several Matiere Premiere scents, and the salesperson suggested I instead go with a custom discovery set before I commit. That worked out for several reasons: one, it was much less money and two, I ended up not loving any of them enough to commit to a full bottle, so I feel like I still came out ahead. The other happy accident, though, is that I discovered a set is a fun way to try out fragrance layering. And so a new addiction of sorts began.
First, a little about Perfumehead
On a fragrance snobiness scale of 1-10, I am probably around a 7. You will not catch me wearing anything sold in a Sephora or Ulta—not to mention a drugstore—but I am not necessarily seeking out the most obscure cult brands either. I first heard about Perfumehead from Violet Grey, which is one of the most discerning beauty retailers on the planet. Perfumehead is based in L.A., and I hate to make this comparison, but they're like a west coast version of D.S. & Durga—both brands use scent to tell a story in a Big Mood way, with irreverent names, high-quality ingredients, and an antiestablishment approach that often pisses off industry veterans. Now more widely available at select department stores and multibrand retailers, Perfumehead is still quite expensive, with 30 ml perfumes going for $250 and 10 ml rollerballs at $115—prices that make the $80 Discovery Set seem like a relative bargain.
The Icons Discovery Set
I bought the Violet Grey version of this set last year around the holidays. (The only difference is the cover!) It contains nine 2ml spray bottles of every scent in the Perfumehead line, except for 1272. Here's what I think of each one, from favorite to least favorite.
Reine des Anges: This is the most sophisticated scent of the bunch, a chypre with rose, saffron, and vetiver. It reminds me a lot of my favorite scent of all time, Diptyque Eau Capitale.
Room No.: It had me at "inspired by the Chateau Marmont." I get strong tea and incense notes from this one—not something I usually go for—and it's particularly nice layered with Cosmic Cowboy.
Canadian Tuxedo: An ambery, woody, "skin"-type scent, I find this sexy in a very outdoorsy way. I loved it best layered with Reine des Anges, to add some warmth and depth.
Cosmic Cowboy: Heavy on the cinnamon and musk, this is one of Perfumehead's top-selling scents. It has a certain debauchedness; if the boozy Gucci Rush (R.I.P.) were a fuzzy navel, this would be a shot of whiskey.
Alone Together: While all of Perfumehead's scents are unisex, this one reads more masculine than others, as it's heavy on the green citrus, with a mossy base. It's not something I'd usually go for, but this was one of the biggest surprises in the bunch.
La La Love: The fragrance industry is having a big gourmand moment right now, and while I tend to find a lot of vanilla-heavy scents cloying, this one is nicely balanced with some smoky notes.
Xanaboud: Like most oud-heavy scents, this one comes on with a slightly screechy note I can't quite place—it kind of reminds me of a bathroom to be honest—but once it mellows out, it's very leathery and spicy.
Moonflower: I have night-blooming jasmine growing all around me in San Francisco, and while so many perfumers have tried to capture it, they never quite get the earthiness right. That said, layering this with Xanaboud is an unexpected delight.
Somewhere: I really wanted to like this one—it has bergamot, vetiver, and sandalwood, which are some of my favorite notes—but unfortunately it also has cumin, and that overpowers everything else for me.
My honest review
While there are always exceptions, I generally believe that when it comes to fragrance, you get what you pay for. Perfumehead definitely uses high-quality ingredients—the scents have incredible staying power, and none of them trigger my partner's migraines, which is a true test of quality, if you ask me.
I've been using scents from this set two or three days a week since the beginning of the year, and while I finished off my favorite four, I still have quite a bit left in the remaining five scents. I have since slowed down my pace, but I do think I will eventually finish all but Somewhere (oof, that cumin note). I think that's pretty good bang for the buck, considering I started with about 18 ml of perfume in total.
Of course, the true test is whether I'd commit to a full size of any of these. If I had never smelled Eau Capitale, then I would definitely go for Reine des Anges, but the former is a slightly better (in my opinion) expression of the same idea. Room No. and Canadian Tuxedo are more unique to me, but not necessarily in a I-can't-live-without-them way. That said, the $115 rollerball is much easier to stomach, and all of my favorites are offered in this format—I'd definitely consider any of those. But you know what would really seal the deal for me? A voucher to put toward a full-size scent of your choice—note for any fragrance companies reading this!
Where to buy the Perfumehead discovery set
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