I love hosting small parties. They are the perfect occasions to try something new with a few friends.
Wine tastings are normal and always a crowd pleaser. I especially like hosting chocolate tastings; this is easy for a small group and usually costs under $30. One summer Mr. Jupiter and I infused vodkas and hosted a vodka cocktail party (strawberry was the favorite, but sage was an acquired taste). Once I even bought miraculin tablets and had a Flavor Trippin’ Party.
But I am a firm believer that variety is the spice of life. This is when I thought that perfumes would be fun if it could be affordable, say…fewer than $100. Hell, under $50.
Disclosure: This site contains affiliate links; I may earn a tiny commission from purchases.
Enter the Demeter Fragrance Library. They make hundreds of affordable and true-to-scent fragrances that are the perfect blend of chemistry and nostalgia. I know some don’t like nostalgia (like Chuck Bryant), but most find comfort in familiar scents.
If you have not heard of Demeter, click on this link to their A-Z library in a new tab. Look it over and come back here.
…can it be bottled? Yes.
Some scents may not hold a lot of mystery. Lavender probably smells like lavender. But what’s this, Snow?! What does Snow smell like, can it be bottled? Yes. What’s the difference between Humidor and Pipe Tobacco? SUSHI?!
This is why I love Demeter. They have considered what others only see as absurd and they make them reality. True dream weavers here folks. This is where the sample party fun comes in. Purse vials are under $5, and yes -sales do happen. Usually if one of my favorite scents is on sale I buy a small bottle of fragrance or massage oil, then grab a few samples for my own curiosity. This is how I fell in love with Linden.
I aim to buy two samples per person
For a proper sampling party I aim to buy two samples per person, and it’s manageable to provide 10 samples for five people. If the monetary hit is a bit much, just let them know that you are asking for a small $5 supply cost from each person -or you can ask them to bring a snack to share- so you’re not shouldering the entire cost yourself. If party hosting is new territory for you, swing by The Emily Post Institute. They have thoughtfully covered tons of topics from being a great host to being a great guest.
I like to spring this on the friends and make it a silly surprise. If someone falls in love with a scent, let them keep it! Bonus: if you record who -loved- which scent then you can always give them a full bottle on their birthday or similar. The last time I did this it started as a ladies night, but became co-ed. The men had fun guessing the scents, and we were all surprised to learn that Lobster was kind of nice and Curry smelled better on the men than the women.
Do you get bored with wine tastings? Do you like hosting other kinds of sample parties? I am always looking for fun new ideas, and I always value the voice of experience. Leave a reply below, I would love to hear your thoughts.
- Still thinking about fragrances? Check out: Unboxing Sephora Play!
Lady Jupiter 
I love this! Just read about Demeter (and another brand that is escaping me at the moment) and I was intrigued not by the smells like flowers that you kind of expect, but by the ones like “the library” and “at the beach 1966.” Smells that evoke a memory and not just a scent to wear everyday.
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I wonder if the other brand is Replica? I LOVE their fragrance Beach Walk, it smells like sunscreen and salt. (I survive on the samples that I get from Sephora when I order online.) I wish I had thought about surprising you with a little Demeter party -because now that I think about it, it IS right up your alley 😀
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