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.
