MACY'S FRAGRANCE SAMPLES: BERRY, CHERRY, FRUITY, CHOCOLATE, AND VANILLA ROULETTE

Some of these samples from Macy's don't have many notes listed, so I didn't put them in a blockquote.

VICTOR & ROLF FLOWERBOMB PRETTY PEONY EDP

Sweet berries. I thought it was raspberries because it reminds me of pink lemonade. Apparently, it's strawberries. It has the cotton candy and floral (duh!) DNA of Flowerbomb. It's a little powdery. Sometimes, everything together smells plasticky. A rich, peony musk. Oof, that dry-down is a little funky and medicinal. 

YSL LIBRE BERRY CRUSH EDP FRUITÉE

More coconut than raspberry, which makes a quick, perfunctory appearance after spraying. If you don't like the above because it's too sweet, Berry Crush is a more grown-up "berry" fragrance. More orange blossom than lavender, that's the core of YSL Libre. I don't smell much of the vanilla. For something called Berry Crush, it's overwhelmingly more orange blossom and coconut than raspberry.

JUICY COUTURE VIVA LA JUICY ELIXIR EDP 

Wild Berries Coulis, Mandarin, Lush Gardenia
Jasmine Sambac Absolute, Jasmine Grandiflorum, Sweet Brown Sugar
Warm Tonka Bean, Benzoin Resin, Sandalwood, Creamy Musk

Nostalgic and plastic. It smells like Middle School and the girls carrying an entire bottle of Bath & Body Spray in a Michael Kors bag/huge tote bag. A cheap berry scent (the card said wild berries) that's quite solar and creamy, likely from the tonka bean. The jasmine note is subtle and doesn't fight with the other notes for attention. It gives me a headache. One of my least favorite offerings from Macy's.

BALMAIN DESTIN DE BALMAIN EDP

Natural Strawberry, Baies Rose (Pink Pepper)
Peony Accord, Lily
Sandalwood Accord, Patchouli, Musk, Ambrexolide

I smell the strawberry, but I can't call it natural. It smells more realistic on paper, but not on the skin. The scent is a little powdery, but the dominant note is peony. Surprisingly, I can't smell the lily. No sandalwood, but I smell the patchouli. I've definitely smelled something similar to this perfume, but I can't put my finger on what. Users on Fragrantica have reported Little Flower from Régime de Fleurs, but it lacks the tea note, and I don't think this smells as good as Little Flowers.

COACH CHERRY PARFUM

Dark Cherry, Italian Mandarin, Pink Pepper
Jasmine Sambac, Magnolia, Rose
Patchouli, Tonka, Ambrofix

Cherry syrup, like the ones for snowcones, also jumps ship as soon as it can. Patchouli that reminds me of La Vie Est Belle, but doesn't make me nauseous. Smells a little like Flowerbomb. I didn't expect it to be as fresh and light, considering how the bottle looks. Fresh, citrusy, floral.

EMPORIO ARMANI POWER OF YOU EDP

Passionfruit (Maracuja), Bitter Orange, Lemon
Frangipani, Solar Notes
Madagascar Vanilla, Benzoin, Labdanum

Passion fruit is definitely there. While I love the fruit and the scent, it doesn't mix well with my body chemistry and smells a bit like BO. Warm vanilla and solar notes. I'm not familiar with what Frangipani smells like, so I'm looking at The Perfume Society's post. I don't smell anything gardenia-like or floral, but I definitely smell something peachy, creamy, and fruity, though it could just be the top and base notes. Do I find the scent sexy? Kind of; it's enhancing my natural muskiness, which could be appealing to some. If you're in dire need of a tropical vacation, spray this to be transported away. The dry down is very warm and cozy: dreaming of a tropical vacation, but pulled back to your winter reality.

JUICY COUTURE JUST MOI EDP

Cacao Blossom, Magnolia, Sweet Plum Nectar
Crème De Cacao, Vanilla Orchid, Jasmine Sambac
Cacao Bean, Vanilla-Ambrox, Creamy Sandalwood, Warm Musk

Never smelled cacao blossom, so I don't know what to look for. Creme de cacao, so I should be looking for a chocolate liqueur smell. I don't smell chocolate at all! If the cacao bean they are trying to capture is from a freshly cracked open cacao pod and not yet processed (fermentation, drying, and roasting), maybe that's what this perfume smells like, but I don't know what a raw cacao bean smells like. That's niche, even for me. There is a tang to it, which confuses me. Why is it so fruity when there are so many creamy gourmand notes? Are they perhaps trying to capture the berry notes you may pick up in a bar of chocolate? Too far-fetched! There's no woodiness either. I'm guessing all I'm smelling is the plum nectar and jasmine-magnolia combo. 

MARC JACOBS DAISY WILD EAU SO EXTRA EDP

Blue Banana Accord, Pear Nectar Accord, Italian Bergamot, Chocolate Daisy ScentTrek
Jasmine Sambac Absolute India Orpur, Chocolate Viennois Delight, Orange Flower Accord
Vanilla Accord, Ambrofix, Sandalwood Spicatum Australia Orpur, Trio of Vetiver - Vetiver Haiti Orpur, Vetiver Indonesia Orpur, Vetiver des Sables Oil India Orpur

Oh, noooooo! That banana blossom with the chocolate does not smell good on my skin. I smell like a chocolate banana. The musk of those two, with the floral notes of jasmine and orange flower, smells like compost or you're eating something sweet at the park, but you drop it into the grass. This is not a floral-gourmand combo that works. It's like in smoothies, where the banana is the dominant flavor.

Once the chocolate banana smell goes away, it's the pretty Marc Jacobs Daisy we're familiar with. It has a very strong floral musk that reminds me of lilies. I was watching a podcast and was pleased to learn that I'm not the only one who associates the flowers with funerals. Still, I was surprised to discover the association is because lilies are strong enough to mask the smell of decay... Makes sense, but still quite morbid.

I give the brand props for doing something interesting to stand out from the monotonous berry/vanilla gourmand designer perfume market, but this might be too big a swing.