Fragrance discovery sets are one of the more sensible ideas the beauty industry has produced in recent years. Trying a scent on your own skin, living with it through a full day, seeing how it develops and whether you still want to be wearing it by evening, is the only honest way to know if something is worth the investment. Creed, whose fragrances sit at the more serious end of the market, have put together a Creed Men’s Inspiration Fragrance Set of five 1.7ml vials available at Space NK, and it is a very good place to start.
The five included are each worth knowing about individually:
Aventus
Opens with pink pepper, apple and Calabrian bergamot before settling into a woody base of cedarwood, ambroxan and oakmoss. It is the most recognisable of the five and has its devoted following for good reason.
Silver Mountain Water
This is a unisex scent that captures something genuinely cold and clean, with tea and a salty accord giving way to sandalwood and musk underneath. Quietly excellent.
Green Irish Tweed
Leads with peppermint and verbena, moves through lavender and geranium, and lands on warm sandalwood and cedarwood. Fresher than you might expect from the name.
Millésime Impérial
Is citrus and marine up top, polished and sophisticated throughout, with cedarwood and musk anchoring it at the base.
Original Vetiver
This is the earthiest of the five, green and woody with a white musk base that makes it surprisingly versatile across seasons.
Choosing a favourite feels beside the point when all five are this wearable. The projection and longevity on each are what you would hope for at this price point, and the vials last long enough to reach a proper verdict. As a way into the house, or as a travel companion once you have decided, this is thoroughly worth it.
