A few weeks ago, I decided to take a chance and try ordering from the London-based fragrance brand, thomson carter. In addition to perfumes/colognes, they sell body wash, body lotion, and reed diffusers for the home.
Thomson Carter sells a variety of women’s, men’s, and gender-neutral fragrances in different sizes and different product sets to try. All are EDPs (eaux de parfums). Because I didn’t want to be stuck with a full-sized bottle of perfume that I might end up not liking, I chose their Trio Box which comes with three 10ml spray bottles, which costs $49.
When you order, they also include two sample size vials to try. My order was for 10ml each of the following:
- rouge avenue
- postcard from
- kashmiri court
My two sample spray bottles, each 2ml. Were:
- Shelby Lane
- Rouge Avenue (I thought this would be the one I liked the most, and I don’t! I should have got Lilium Bloom, their new spring scent. Oh well.)
rouge avenue
rouge avenue This is listed as a women’s fragrance by Thomson Carter, although I definitely think men can wear it too. Its key notes are:
- pink chilli
- Jasmine
- cedar
Thomson Carter describes the emotional part of Rouge Avenue as follows:
“The first date flutters, the moment just before you close your eyes, the thrill of anticipation. Rouge Avenue is a scent made for candle-lit corners and midnight rendezvous. Spicy notes of pink pepper intertwine seamlessly with delicate jasmine and warm cedar to create this seductive scent.”
I don’t know, I rouge avenue It smells heavily of fruit, although it is believed to create “an aura of sophistication and sensuality”. I don’t like it, but it seems to be the favorite scent of Thomson Carter users.
postcard from
A unisex fragrance, postcard from Its main notes are:
As you may remember, I love amber scents, so I thought this might be a sure bet for me. and I like it!
The perfumer’s inspiration for this fragrance was:
“When you get off the plane, the warmth, the golden hour, walking out into the night.”
More descriptors include: warm, fragrant, exotic and delectable. When it comes to fragrance I’m definitely a sucker for sensations.
some people might say that postcard from A fragrance for autumn/winter and evening. However, I wouldn’t be limited in wearing it.
kashmiri court
Also a unisex fragrance, kashmiri court It has the key notes I gravitate towards:
- cashmere
- vanilla
- Bergamot.
The perfumer’s inspiration for Cashmere Court was:
“The glow of the street lamps in the cool evening air, the cashmere brushing against your skin, and the creamy vanilla warmth beneath the bright bergamot, soft, luminous, impossibly comfortable.”
This fragrance seems to live up to the description and descriptors: it opens with the bright sharpness of bergamot and the soothing comfort of cashmere and vanilla underneath that. kashmiri court Suits me. I wear it day and night. I think this is a close-to-the-skin, year-round scent.
Shelby Lane
a masculine scent, Shelby Lane The following key notes are included:
- vetiver
- Sandalwood
- Deep musk.
It smells like this:
“A walk in the forest in autumn, twigs breaking underfoot, a sip of coffee.”
As a traveler, I can relate to that inspiration, and I love the notes of the fragrance. Shelby Lane Opens with vetiver, and the drydown brings sandalwood and dark musk. Frankly, I would love to smell this on a man. In fact, I’m going to try to talk Jeff (who never wears fragrance) into trying it.
Gift Qualification and Packaging
While Thomson Carter’s round glass, silver-topped spray vials are simple and gender-neutral with their black labels. The full-size bottles are also gender-neutral and simple and come in heavy glass round bottles with black lids and labels. To me, they’re not luxurious or elegant, but their simplicity can be attractive.
Still, the outer packaging is quite impressive. Even though the Trio Box with three 10ml spray containers that I ordered is a relatively small purchase, it came in a white, heavy cotton, drawstring logo dustbag.
Inside was a black cardboard sleeve with a sturdy black flip-top presentation box with a magnetic closure inside. There was also a logo-embossed envelope with a thank you note inside that looked almost like an invitation to a fancy event.
Certainly an impressive first look at the Thomson Carter, and perfect to gift anyone on any occasion.
However, by the way thomson carter is a British brand, I had no trouble ordering and receiving my package, and there were no additional tariffs to pay. Wow!
on a slightly different note
Over the past year, I’ve noticed that, after the initial scent cloud after applying a fragrance, I can no longer smell any fragrance I’ve put on. This includes the beasties (ie strong perfumes) that I have as well as closer to the skin scents like Hellenist Parfums Les Bras de Morphie.
In fact, the scent doesn’t really last on my skin the way it used to when I was younger, even two years ago! I looked up “do perfumes fade more quickly on older people”, and the answer was undoubtedly yes. Boo, what a bummer. I learned that dry skin definitely produces less sebum or oil and there’s nothing to trap odor. For me, applying body butter first doesn’t make much of a difference. I think I can save money because there is no point in buying more perfumes!
