If you’ve ever ordered from the website Fragrancenet, you have undoubtedly received at least one sample of their “exclusive” fragrances: Exceptional Because You Are and Simply Belle. They throw those into every order, often with the dinky little plastic purse mirror or the (more useful) emery board for nails.
I never wear those samples; sometimes I collect them with little travel supplies like shampoo, to donate to shelters or clothing banks. But today, in honor of Thunking Thursday, I am wearing and thunking Exceptional. I’ll thunk it even if the vial’s not empty, because it is just — meh. It’s only $35.74 for 100 ml with the usual Fragrancenet coupon, but I have better ways to spend $35.74. For example, for the exact same amount, one can buy a 3 oz. tester of Jicky eau de toilette on the Fragrancenet site. I rest my case.
What is Exceptional like? It’s not unpleasant. It has a synthetic citrusy opening, followed by what one commenter described as “a musky little floral.” That’s about all, but it’s okay. I wouldn’t be able to pick out any particular flower notes without prompting — maybe a little freesia? And then a light synthetic musk that fades away within a few hours. I wouldn’t go out of my way to wear or buy this, but if I wanted a fragrance and this was all I happened to have in my purse, or the other options were too strong for where I was or what I was doing, I’d wear it.
Thunk! Have you ever actually tried this one, or its sister Simply Belle? Did you thunk anything more interesting this week?
Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilities 
You might be the only perfumista to try those fragrances! My sample of the week (but not thunked) was Byredo Flowerhead.
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I just might be, lol!
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I tried it a few years ago but honestly don’t remember how I felt about it-LOL!
I thunked a full bottle of Reglisse Noire, a decant of Santal Nabataea and samples of Heart of Darkness, Viettieane, Angelique and Tobacco Rose. All were wonderful.
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I remember getting that sample with one of the orders but it didn’t even occur to me to test it. I know, it’s snobbish of me but I couldn’t help it.
On any other day/week I would have answered that there were no “thunks” for me: if not to count sending samples off to other homes, I rarely thunk anything: I do not wear perfumes from samples (so, the way I test them 0.7 ml sample might last a dozen of tries – which rarely happens with any perfumes.But today, without realizing it would happen, I finished a bottle (30 ml) of Hugo Boss Deep Red that I had for years.
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I haven’t thunked anything either X
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I’ve never actually tried the Fragrancenet samples, but I always seem to get the purse mirror! Thank you for testing it — at least the rest of us us know what it smells like now!
I thunked my Floris Honey Oud sample.
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I have tried both the Fragrancenet samples, and they are not bad, but not FB worthy. Simply Belle is a very pretty peachy floral. Pleasant smelling samples that I don’t care to wear, I dump on a sweater in my closet or on the top rim of a lampshade if the fragrance won’t stain. It really is a nice way to scent a room.
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Good idea!
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