miniature Archives - The Perfume Society

7 scented stocking fillers & mini gifts!

We go by the theory that absolutely nobody can resist a miniature size of something lovely, so whether you’re looking for Secret Santa presents, smaller gifts to give fussy family members or to fill up the stockings of scent-loving people in your life – look no further for a round-up of favourites…

What to buy the fragrance fanatic in your life who pretty much has it all? How about this stunning silver perfume bottle charm necklace – exclusive to us! It’s a limited edition piece from one of the rising stars of British jewellery, and will let them wear their passion with pride. It’s also small enough (and securely packed) to pop in a Christmas card to save on bulky postage!
Estella Bartlett Perfume Bottle Necklace £20

Also known as ‘spills’, our blotters are created from a special form of absorbent paper created to ensure that when it’s sprayed or dipped, it gives as accurate as possible a sense of what that fragrance smells like. Invaluable during a scent-shopping trip for eliminating ‘no-nos’ and helping you edit down to a selection of scents you might want to try on the body. Utterly indispensible for perfumistas on-the-go!
2 x Perfume Society Scent Blotter Packs £5

While these next three might be too bulky to fit into a stocking, we think they’re just perfect to split into several gifts (for the same person or different family members), to put inside home-made crackers or give as table/tree gifts – making them absolute bargains!

The opulent and extravagant perfumes in this box include offerings from some of the most interesting names in perfumery – including the most stunning mini bottle of Vince Camuto‘s Amore, the cult Philosophy Purity Cleanser, and a FULL SIZE huge bar of Green & Black’s Velvet Collection Orange & Almond Dark Chocolate. (We won’t tell if you keep that for yourself…)
The Velvet Collection Discovery Box (was £19 – now £12 when added to your basket!)

For intrepid travellers and anyone dreaming of sunnier days, with scents from Atelier Cologne to Moschino (in THE dinkiest mini you have to see) via Issey Miyake, État Libre d’Orange, Annick Goutal and more. The travel-friendly ‘extras’ this time are Molton Brown’s brand new (shareable) Coastal Cypress and Sea Fennel Bath & Shower Gel, plus Philosophy’s Exfoliating Facial Wash.
The Travel Edition Discovery Box (was £19 – now £12 when added to your basket!)

Curated with a masculine focus, here’s a whopping 13 fantastic fragrances like Creed Viking (winner of The Fragrance Foundation‘s Best Male Fragrance 2018), niche offerings from Nejma, Floris, Jack (Richard E. Grant’s fragrance line) and Shay & Blue King’s Wood. Plus, a FULL SIZE luxury shower gel from the niche house of Escentric Molecules worth £20 on its own!
The New Man Discovery Box £19 (£15 for VIPs)

Featuring eight of Molton Brown‘s best-selling eaux de toilette – each one beautifully showcases rare ingredients gathered from all around the world. From the iconic Black Pepper, Heavenly Gingerlily and Orange and Bergamot, to newer incarnations of Mesmerising Oud Accord and Gold plus so much more – there’s truly something for every taste, and this gift is certain to be highly appreciated.
Molton Brown Art of Fragrance Box £12.50

Perfect for travellers or those who want to carry fragrance in a handbag without lugging bulky botttles, each stylish, refillable Travalo spray enables you to carry up to 5ml of your favourite scent with you, wherever you go. Both the sleek metal Travalo Classic HD (£12.49) and chic leather Milano Elegance (£28) collections are approved for hand luggage and glass-free, to avoid risk of breakage. PLUS! Each Travalo comes with FREE postage!
Travalo Travel Sprays £12.49 – £28 FREE P&P

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Collectively obsessed with scent: you have to see this mega mini perfume collection!

Obsession isn’t just the name of a perfume – it’s a very good description of the fragrant madness that creeps in to every perfume collector’s life sooner or later. And there are many differing types… The completists – those who absolutely must have every single version of particular scent; the vintage fans who insist on owning (and sometimes wearing, if they’re in good enough condition) history, bottled. Talking of bottles, perhaps the largest collecting community within the perfume world are those who fill their homes (and garages, and sheds) with particular types of flacon – from ultra rare examples that reach eye-watering prices to retro scents in charmingly bizarre shapes – for these collectors, the perfume itself is actually secondary: they’re alllll about the bottle.

For the latest edition of The Scented Letter magazine, we focused on the mysteriouly enticing world of collectors and their collections – and one of the main images we used was kindly supplied by a VIP Subsciber, Phoebe Tan, who happened to mention ‘Oh yeah, my mum collects minis. She has quite a few…’ For “quite a few” please see the featured photo, above, and you’ll understand why we just had to interview Phoebe’s mum, Lindsay Yeo, to find out more.

Lindsay: ‘I first became interested in perfume when I went shopping in a department store about 30 years ago. There was a promotional event for Lancôme where I did a questionnaire that proposed one of their perfumes to match my personality. The winning one was… Magie Noire. I really loved it. Before this, I used to hate perfumes because people around me wore very heavy fragrances (this was in the 70s). But this event made me discover that I just hadn’t found a perfume I truly liked! That same day I bought my first full size perfume which came with a miniature bottle that caught my eye…’

Once the fragrant bait has been taken, it’s a short step to full-on perfumista status, we’ve long known. And Lindsay mused how it was ‘…funny I still have the full size bottle long after it was emptied.’ Of course we had to know how many she had stashed, and Lindsay confessed: ‘I just went to count and I currently have close to 500 bottles (most of them are minis!). This is the first time I’ve counted and I am quite shocked, actually.’
When asked what set her on this miniature-perfume collecting path, Lindsay explained ‘I really only wanted to collect the miniatures so initially I would buy full-size bottles for the minis. The first few I bought were: Magie noire by Lancome, Paloma Picasso , Lou Lou, Anais Anais by Cacharel, Ysatis by Givenchy, Ruffles by Oscar De La Renta, Gucci No.3, Beyond Paradise by Estee Lauder. Years later I found shops that sold the minis on their own – without the need to buy the full-sizes – and that is how I started collecting. It’s kinder on the pocket!’

So what exactly does a collector look for in a bottle – what catches their eye and makes them think “I MUST have that!”? For Lindsay… ‘I look out for interesting designs. [NB: The “lighter” shaped bottle, above, is a particular favourite of Lindsay’s.] To me, perfume bottles are pieces of art! They are so beautiful. Miniatures are not easy to come by so I really treat them all as treasures.’

Phoebe Tan with her miniature-bottle collecting mum, Lindsay Yeo.

Clearly, the passion for perfume runs in the blood, as Phoebe Tan first became interested in chemistry and then – when she made the connection between science and the art of perfume – she was totally hooked. Now setting her heart on a career in fragrance, Phoebe has been studying (and is soon to graduate from) for her MSc Cosmetic Science’ at London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London. And having sniffed some of her “course work” examples, we’re pretty sure Phoebe’s own fragrances will be added to future collector’s scent stashes…
Written by Suzy Nightingale

Luxury Perfume House Collections: immerse yourself in glorious scented stories (with FREE postage & packing!)

Obviously we love nothing more than exploring hard-to-find perfume houses and word-of-mouth niche boutiques, but absolutely nothing fully immerses you in the style of a fragrance brand like plunging in to a tempting Discovery Set and exploring their myriad delights.
We believe that perfume is an art form, and as such these scents deserve to be savoured before you can truly decide which you adore and cannot live without a full-size of. And if this exploration can be carried out from the comfort of your sofa? All the better, surely…
So as well as our own Discovery Boxes, we are honoured to now carry a selection of Brand Boxes – discovery sets from brands we already adore, and think you will too.
So instead of trawling countless websites (and worrying about the total shipping costs if you’re tempted by several from different places!), browse the fantastic selection we have gathered for you. All helpfully located in one place, they come with FREE POSTAGE AND PACKAGING no matter how many you choose – the perfect presents for your perfume-loving friends are only a click away. (And may we suggest you throw in a treat for yourself, too?)
PS: If you’re a VIP Subscriber, don’t forget to be logged in to recieve your special price!
Just-launched in our shop, this is a beautifully presented set of oppulent scents by a decadently brilliant, British niche house. Including their best-sellers and an array of fabulous fragrances for both sexes to fall in love with, we can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t succumb their charms…
Ormonde Jayne Discovery Set VIP Price £43/Non-Subscribers £48 for 12 x 12ml
Hand-crafted in England, created from the essences of real flowers, fruit and spices, we invite you to explore this British brand’s most-loved scents: pocket-sized and beautifully presented in their signature blue and white stripes.
Shay & Blue Precious Miniatures VIP Price £55/Non-Subcribers £65 for 5 x 10ml

Discover the vivid interpretation of some of perfumery’s most precious ingredients, with scents specially created by leading perfumers in this colourful selection of bestsellers. Embodying Molton Brown’s mantra of ‘London via the World’, exotic ingredients include ylang ylang from the rainforest of Madagascar, Tahitian tamanu oil and precious oudh…
Molton Brown’s The Fine Art of Fragrance VIP Price £10/Non-Subscribers £12.50 for 8 x 1.5ml

This incredibly cool conceptual brand – bringing together film, literature and fragrance – is expressed here via beautifully-presented trial sizes. Enclosed you’ll find a ‘fragrance menu’, inviting you to browse at leisure 10 unique scents – and looking for all the world as indulgent as a box of chocolates, but with zero guilt!
Roads Luxury Kit VIP Price £70.20/Non-Subscribers £78

Breezing straight in from the beautiful Catalonian city of Barcelona we have the signature scents of Santa Eulalia, a favourite must-visit concept boutique (and one of the oldest stores in Spain). Named after the patron Saint of Barcelona, these four perfumes depict moods that effortlessly evoke the essence of the city and the spirit of the Mediterranean itself…
Santa Eulalia Discovery Kit VIP Price £70.20/Non-Subscribers £78 for 4 x 10ml

The super stylish house of Agonist present the perfect selection to fully explore their house, with each scent thoughtfully created from rare ingredients and masterfully composed to refelect their artistic yet emotional inspirations. Having appeared in several of our own Perfume Society Discovery Boxes, this is your opportunity to dive fully in to this fragrant wonderland…

Agonist Discovery Kit VIP Price £55.80/Non-Subscribers £62 for 10 x 2ml eau de perfume
Whichever sets you’re seduced by, we know you’ll find a new favourite…