SCENT PICK & MIX
As online shopping increases, perfume samplers are becoming more readily available. Given you can’t smell a new release through a screen, buying a sampler with a number of small vials for a lesser price means you can try a number of options from a brand instead of ‘buying blind’ and committing to a full bottle. Once you have them you can wear each for a number of days to find out what really feels like you. We love the new one from boutique fragrance label The Virtue. With a headquarters and store in New Plymouth, creator Brooke Lean is responsible for a collection of evocative perfumes inspired by places and moments special to her. Two of the best? Back Beach, a salty scent with a velvety rose heart that summons Taranaki’s wild and beautiful west coast spot of the same name, and Narcosis, an intoxicating Sichuan pepper, rose, and amber mix.