Juliette Has A Gun: Discovery Kit

Sephora happily keeps adding more and more niche perfume houses to its fragrance line up, as well as offering wonderfully sized sample sets of those lines. Juliette Has A Gun pinged my radar in my perfume wanderings the past few years but I never really sampled much other than Romantina, which came in one of my Olfactif boxes. During my birthday gift card splurging back in December, I knew this Discovery Kit would be mine. At only $15 for 8, 1.7 ml spray vials I was ready to swipe the gift card. 

The packaging is excellent, fitting in a 6 x 6 box with a placard on nice cardstock detailing the scents and notes, in addition to the names and notes being underneath each vial. 

Not A Perfume- Note: Cetalox

A simple lovely note that reminded me most of a clean cottony musk. Very fleeting though, ideal for an office friendly fragrance.

Anyway- Notes: Green lime, hedione, musk.

Light citrus notes that create a soft feminine cologne, along the lines of orange water. Short longevity on my skin.

Gentlewoman- Notes: Neroli, almond, musk.

The neroli is fresh and green with no sharp edges. The almonds have a clarity and slight floral tone, no sweetness or cherry hints. Another transparent, gauzy musk that wears lightly and effortlessly.

Miss Charming- Notes: Rose, musks, wild fruits.

This is not the sweet jammy rose I have been wearing of late. A powdery pink blossom with a misting haze of juice from freshly sliced fruits. Clean, fresh, youthful without being sweet.

Romantina- Notes: Jasmin, orange blossom, musk.

Review can be found here.

Mad Madame- Notes: Rose oxyde, blackcurrant bud absolute, ambroxan.

A surprisingly technicolor fragrance that wakes up the senses. Ultraviolet black currants and glowing fuchsia rose petals light up the air with lively scent. After the flavorful fruits tame their enthusiasm ambergris hovers in a light and clean form to take over the duration. 

Lady Vengeance- Bulgarian rose, patchouli, vanilla.

Soft focus rose blended with polite patchouli, a dash of clear vanilla. This Lady Vengeance works undercover. A perfect first date scent. 

Midnight Oud- Notes: Oud, saffron, rose.

The boldest and sassiest of them all, Midnight Oud is one I can really sink my teeth into. Oud opens the scent with heavy heart wood, marbled in ebony ash, scars from past fires. The rose in this particular scent is jammy. A little sweet and sticky but not apparent until later, after the ghost of oud remains. Once again, the requisite clean musk lies in the drydown.

From this fairly comprehensive sampler I sense a theme of cottony musk that weaves through these scents that makes them immeasurably easy to wear. They are not challenging or intellectual but sometimes it is nice to spray on a fragrance and not have to be in the "mood" for it, or feel like it is wearing you versus you wearing it. Of these scents I would most likely want Mad Madame for further dating to get a better feel for her and Gentlewoman or Anyway as summer scents, and for some reason Lady Vengeance had the best longevity of them all and kept peeking out from my blouse to greet me at the most random moments, catching me off guard in a most pleasant manner. Which of these call to you? Do you have a favorite Juliette Has A Gun?