Hello frag fam, Joe Average here with a different type of review for you guys! This week I’d like to tackle some of the most well-known decant providers out there. Quick recap, a decant is where someone, or a company, rebottles a small bit of fragrance and sells it to the general public. This is seen as an “affordable” way of sampling what would otherwise be a very expensive “full bottle” purchase. You easily see commercials and endorsements for many of the bigger decant companies, but who can you trust? There are several companies that do this, as well as several individuals online in forums like Discord, Facebook, et. al. Well, I did a bit of my own research and I’m happy to report what I’ve experienced with five of the most well-known companies out there. Joe A. will give it to ya’ straight and hopefully this will help you! Real quick disclaimer (of course, you guys know all this I’m sure…) I don’t, nor ever have been, affiliated with any of these companies. I do not receive any royalties, commissions or kickbacks for my reviews. All of the information I provide is accurate to the best of my abilities and I’d be happy to discuss anything that isn’t clear. Now… The five companies I’ve decided to look at are DecantX, MicroPerfumes, Perfuum, Scents Angel and Scent Split. Now I know there are more, but just five is alot to review! I’ve looked at things like: available selection, available sizes, available shipping options, perks, discounts and prices for some of the most common fragrances. In the name of research, I ordered the exact same fragrance decant from each site on the same afternoon and will tell you the price I paid, how long it took to get to me, the packaging (shipping and of the fragrance) as well as other tidbits that I may think is important for you to know. There’s going to be a lot of information, so I’m breaking up the reviews, one per day. At the end of the week, I’ll have a summary sheet that I think I can attach as a pdf, if not; maybe I can do a link to it!

Today's SOTD is Parfums de Marly Percival, another sample that's been sitting in my decant box for several months. In fact, I'd almost forgotten I had it. Which is a shame, because this is a very enjoyable fragrance. Percival is primarily a spring/summer scent, but I think it works beautifully in autumn as well, particularly on days when I'm going to be out and about and want something clean, fresh, and easy to wear. The opening is a lovely combination of lavender and citrus, with a bright, aromatic freshness that gradually settles into a smooth blend of woods and musk. There's nothing particularly challenging about Percival, and I don't mean that as criticism. Sometimes you just want to smell terrific without giving the matter too much thought. And Percival certainly accomplishes that. I've been sampling quite a few of the Parfums de Marly fragrances over the past several months, and one thing I've discovered is that the house offers some very different experiences. Herod, Haltane, Althaïr, and Percival certainly aren't competing for the same occasions. Percival occupies that clean, versatile, everyday category, and it does the job very well. Would I buy a full bottle? Possibly, although at PDM prices, I'd certainly want to find a good discount. And if I'm shopping for a fresh fragrance from the house, the decision would probably come down to Percival versus Sedley. Both are excellent, and I don't think I could go terribly wrong with either. But with an already substantial collection, I'd have a hard time justifying both bottles. For now, I'm simply enjoying the opportunity to revisit a fragrance I'd almost forgotten about. Current status: A very pleasant rediscovery. Possible future purchase at the right price, with Sedley as its main competition.