Start with one question
Before opening a sample, ask what you hope to find. You might want something fresh, an intimate warmth, or a perfume that feels unlike the ones you already know. Treat that preference as a starting point rather than a rule the perfume must obey.
The Perfume Society's smelling guidance recommends exploring beyond a quick first sniff and trying a sample on skin. Our suggestion is simple: give each perfume enough attention that you can remember it on its own.
Notice the opening, then return
If you use a blotter, label it. Smell the opening without deciding immediately whether the perfume is yours. Return after it has had time to settle, then notice what has changed. Use ordinary descriptions: brighter, warmer, softer, more woody, less sharp.
When wearing a sample, follow its application directions. Try it during an ordinary day rather than only in a hurried comparison session. You may notice it differently at your desk, outdoors or when returning to a room. A single encounter does not need to settle your opinion.
Keep comparisons small
Try a manageable number of perfumes and give your attention a break between them. If two appeal to you, wear them on different occasions and compare what you remember. A short note about the opening and later impression is often more useful than an elaborate score.
You do not need to recognize the named materials. Notice whether you want to smell the perfume again, whether it feels comfortable close to you, and whether its changing character holds your interest.
Choose the format that suits the decision
At Oilboros, a 1 ml sample bottle is $7. It is an entry into a composition. The 10 ml spray is $50; the 30 ml large size is $130. Each is eau de parfum. Choose the sample when you are still getting acquainted, and a larger format when you know you want to spend more time with it.
There is no universal number of wears we promise from a sample. Application and use vary. Natural origin also does not establish a fixed wear time, so we do not use it to promise how many hours a perfume will last.
Two directions in the current collection
Dill opens fresh and green, then reveals softer floral edges and a warm, gently sweet depth. Oilboros No. 18 places a rounded woody heart within floral powderiness and an almost edible richness.
Visit the sample page for a side-by-side comparison. The house works in small, limited batches, so return to the current collection when you are ready to choose.