As I was going through my products before my recent move, I realized something.
I am a serious hoarder!
I had a lot of expired products, and even for the ones that didn’t have an expiration date, I still knew they were due to be discarded.
This was further proven when boyfriend was putting away the kitchen items and found, and I quote, “Tea from 2007. 2007 BABE!”
I just hate throwing things out, guys. Like the authentic Chinese black tea from my old neighbor who invited me over for a traditional tea and chit-chat after I asked to borrow a screwdriver to put together my roommate’s shoddy Ikea bed? That was only two years ago. Who cares if the box says 2007 on it!
Tea aside, I really needed to go through my products before this move, and when I got to my perfumes, I noticed that I had almost completely full bottles of Victoria Secret Body Mist, something I had been into for a while, circa 2009.
I was an especially loyal fan of Fresh & Clean, with the matching body lotion.
I knew they were old, but I wasn’t sure just how old until I opened them and detected something quite unlike the apples and lilies described on the label. Instead…they smelled mostly like alcohol. I hadn’t kept them in the best places. They were often housed on windowsills where they were exposed to sunlight.
So away they went, along with an old bottle of Calvin Klein for women that had also seen better days.
Despite the fact that, nowadays, I prefer body oils and lighter perfumes, I don’t turn my nose up at unique sets from established companies, which is why I was curious about the new Spring Mini Eau de Toilette Spray Set ($48) from Vera Bradley.
The first time I opened the set, I was struck by the familiar packaging. It was just the kind of thing I associate with Vera Bradley.
The brand was founded in 1982 by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia Miller, and while best known for their uniquely patterned bags, they’ve expanded to include accessories like wallets, cosmetic cases, jewelry, stationary and, recently, perfume!
The set here includes four fragrances in a purse-friendly 10 ml. Each scent is said to “evoke” a different feeling or emotion.
All of the scents in the set are also available in 50ml and 15ml sizes.
Upon opening the box itself, I could definitely smell…something. I wasn’t sure which perfume it was and thought that one of them might be leaking or have a loose cap. Getting the individual vials out of the box was rather difficult and took some prodding, but I eventually got them free.
Appleberry Champagne
Appleberry Champagne, while at first seeming not to have any specific scent, leaves a nice crisp hint of apple after it’s allowed to rest on your skin.
Cotton Flower
Cotton Flower, unfortunately, didn’t have the same result. It reminded me heavily of other “cotton” scents I’ve known in the past (think Bath and Body Clean Cotton) and faded quickly.
Macaroon Rose
Macaroon Rose was surprisingly light and floral, as you might expect, but disappointed me in its overall bouquet. The rose scent was more of an idea of what a rose scent should be and didn’t include any of the myriad undertones that rose scents are known for (like bergamot, vanilla, and tobacco, to name a few of my favorites).
Vanilla Sea Salt
Vanilla Sea Salt turned out to be one of my favorites, oddly enough (odd for the sole reason that vanilla is possibly my least favorite scent, ever), because I find it to be easily overdone, especially in perfume (and candles!), but this formula was pleasant and reminded me of vanilla sugar cookies.
Overall, I’m not sure how I feel about the lasting effects of Vera Bradley’s perfumes. They don’t seem to last longer than an hour or two at most for me, and what remains after that isn’t very strong. I think I’d be more interested in their body lotions or the candle options they have.
What are your favorite perfumes and scents? Are you a fan of Vera Bradley products?
I really need to have a serious clearout as well before the move. I bet I will find some tea from 2007 as well, hidden in my kitchen cupboard. I know for sure that I still have Chai I brought back from Nepal, a trip I made before I started dating my now-husband, with whom I have two children already…
*makes mental note to sniff this!* 🙂
I wonder how they stack up to my current fave Tom Ford Neroli Portofino.
I just smelled that Tom Ford scent the other day at Sephora and it is a DREAM.
Those all sound good! Especially the Vanilla Sea Salt!
Vanilla Sea Salt was my favorite of the bunch. It wasn’t cloyingly sweet the way certain vanilla products tend to be.
These sound intriguing! Thanks for the review!
I like, but not love, Vera Bradley. I’ve got some of the small quilted accessories and a piece or two of the larger luggage (bought on clearance because I think they’re ridiculously overpriced, lol), but I’ve not tried the other stuff.
I’m personally not a fan of EDT formulations, honestly. They tend to be very short-lived on my skin, even the higher-end ones. I’ll admit to being a total perfume snob. I love high-end and niche perfumes, and I’m a massive fan of amber, violet, iris, and incense. My favorite perfumes right now are Dior Mitzah (a truly beautiful amber in La Collection Privee that is sadly discontinued) and Heely Iris de Nuit (turns into a great iris and candied violet scent on me). I am also lusting after Coolife La Quatrieme Parfum, Memo African Leather, and The Different Company I Miss Violet, but I haven’t saved up enough to get them yet.