Using Fragrance Samples

[Songwind]

I got some samples of the colognes from St. John's Bay Rum, which come in little sample vials w/ a plastic stick. Great for smelling, but I don't know if an EdC is strong enough for that stick applicator to really do the job.

I put some on the way my wife does her BPAL perfume, and the scent was lost almost immediately.

So I ask you, more experienced members - how do you use samples that come in those little vials?

 

[The Chandos]

I typically place my wrist over the opening and turn it over. I get a nice dab of perfume that way. If the longevity is short or if I have a hard time smelling it, I'll do two dabs, or three, or maybe even four. Sometimes I even rub my wrists together to spread it out. The sample vials give you a good idea of what the scent will smell like and sometimes I've taken the vial and dumped it into a small inexpensive plastic atomizer to see what the scent smells like or if it does differently when sprayed. It kinda has to pass that initial dab test first, though, for me anyway. L'Artisan Parfumeur is one fragrance line that immediately comes to mind as something that smells much stronger and lasts much longer when sprayed. Their sample vials are nearly worthless on me.

 

[Schad]

I throw them a way. If it isn't spray it's worthless to me.

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

If it's a fragrance I think I'll like based on what I can smell from the vial, I'll transfer it to another little vial with an atomizer top to test properly by spritzing. You can get mounds of these atomizer vials for song at fragrance decanting supply places. The effect I get from spraying is sometimes vastly different than what I get from dabbing, so if I'm serious about a fragrance then I have no problem committing less than a dollar for a proper sprayer vial.