I loved trouble spirits! What I really liked about this brand was that the scents were all different and I could actually smell them! I've been trying to find a brand that I could wear regularly but most of the ones I've tried were too subtle and I could really only smell the alcohol. This is great if you want to find something from this brand you want to buy but are between a few different options. I really thought vanilla virtue was going to be the one I loved but then troubled spirits has a warm spice scent that I absolutely loved
It’s my first time trying this brand but I heard so many good reviews, so I had to try. My absolute favourite is “Sex and Jasmine”. It’s a Great floral fragrance that has incense type to it. Take me to my childhood memory when I smelled incense sticks that family friend brought from India.
The best part that is: its long lasting fragrance on my skin. I will definitely buy a full bottle.
This discovery set is beautifully curated, featuring each sample packed carefully into a ziplock bag and cards with descriptions/scent notes for each. Love the cards, such a clever way to do this! Each perfume is unlike any other I have ever smelled, which is exactly what I hoped. My favorites were Fruit Thieves, Fin de Siecle, and Grasslands. Some others don't work for me at all, but I noted which ones to pass on to friends. If you want to get acquainted with Paraphrase's offerings, I think this set is an excellent way to do so!
Very happy with this sample set, and want to commend their customer service. My package got delayed at the border (US) and was redirected back to Paraphrase. I thought I would have to wait another 1-2 weeks, but they immediately sent a new one out with express shipping and it arrived within a few days.
I had 10 scents in my set and didn’t get Fruit Thieves which was the scent I was most curious about, but its not a big deal. The rest are what I was hoping for - natural and unique. There are some really cool notes that I’ve never smelled in colognes/perfumes and soft woods is the most incredible mild forest smell. Perhaps the first woody cologne that doesn’t smell too much like pine sap and actually makes me reminisce on alpine camping. Just saw that US shipping is suspended but I hope get a full bottle one day:)
Love being able to try all the scents before purchasing a larger bottle. I definitely have some surprise favourites!
Sex & Jasmine: an incredible scent, I guess I like vanilla (who doesn't) - this is my top 3 of *all* scents Paraphrase has made.
Eros Fig: lovely
Fruit Thieves: I wanted to love this one, but it just doesn't work on me (it's great though)
Smoked Bloom: not for me :(
Fin de Siecle: not for me :(
Vanilla Virtu: the first time I tried it I wasn't sure, and the second time I fell in love.
Troubled Spirits: I love this one, it feels like sitting by a fire in the winter.
Soft Woods: strong at first and tempers quickly, a delight.
Gilded: I quite liked this once, but sadly my dogs liked it more (and wouldn't leave me alone).
Burrow: a nice smoke to it, but is quite subtle which works well.
Grasslands: perhaps it is because I live on the prairies, but this one didn't do it for me.
Every single scent in the Hidden Woods set is so special and each pulls me into a different state of mind.
Will bestow many magic points in a sometimes disenchanting world.
Pretty good only really a fan of a couple of the scents but was a great experience and as advertised. Some scents felt unfinished
Really liked soft woodss, grasslands and burrow! Wasnt a fan of the other scents tho. Quite alcoholy amd strong at first but dries down nice.
Beautiful pacaging
so many great fragrances that smell really fresh and natural. a lot of these are probably too on the fruity side for me, but i was happy to try them!
It's taken me almost a month to decide that Troubled Spirits is for me. I am happy to wear every scent in the Hidden Woods set which is fairly unusual for me. I tend towards one scent for long periods of time before I start looking for change. I expected to love Gilded and Vanilla Virtu but find they don't catch me in moments the way Troubled Spirits does.
Kinda sad, i where like ultra hopeful for this perfume company. The only one truly smelling like what is described is Vanilla Virtue, it wasnt that bad. But the rest dont smell to me like it should or what is said on the website. Recommend for people who like churchy / fresh style smell.
Love all of the scents I've tried so far. The Vanilla Virtue is a bit strong for me, but Burrow and Grasslands are a new favourite. Once I try them all a few times, I'm sure I'll be buying a full bottle. Love that this is a Canadian brand with the types of scents I was looking for.
Gorgeous scents. Very unique — some to a point that they could be slightly offputting fore those who prefer more conventional fragrances, but i appreciate the different notes. Every scent in this pack has good longevity, too.
I love all of these scents and the packaging is beautiful. It's hard to pick a favorite!
Surprised me with this set. I thought I would like the other one better, but I actually found the Strange Garden scents to be better. My two favorites were Fin De Siecle and Eros Fig. not really any bad ones in this set to be honest.
My two personal favorites were Vanilla Virtue and Gilded, but they were all so different. Lovely landscapes and nature scenes being evoked, and the performance is solid.
This gift set which I bought recently has given such pleasure as I choose a scent every morning to accompany me through the day. This is my first purchase from Paraphrase but not the last.
The variety of fresh scents is amazing and I enjoy each one. No favourite as yet. Many thanks. Phyllis Mary Bell
Amazing scents
All the scents are so amazing, there wss only three rhat werentnto my taste. Soft woods and fruit theives are some of my favourites
I'm so glad that I ordered the full discovery set instead of just the individual samples I was eyeing on the website. I instantly loved Eros Fig, like I predicted. However, I was delightfully surprised and enchanted by Smoked Bloom, which I will be ordering a full bottle of to wear for evenings to come. Grasslands and Burrow were also highlights. Paraphrase scents have verve, depth, and point of view. I will be coming back for more!
I bought the discovery set because I am moving away from Edmonton and I wanted to capture memories of this beautiful Prairie city. In the set, I got works of art. I was most excited to try Sex and Jasmine (wanted something dirty and jasmine is incredible) and Grasslands.
The hay note in Grasslands was so incredible.
But the one that stole my heart was Fin De Siecle .
While I am do not go to church anymore, Fin De Siecle took me strait back to the mysticism of the Orthodox church. The spicy incense rising in the air as prayers ascended to heaven. The rose, while not a "clean" rose, smelled like the rosewater used to purify the icons. This perfume was a spiritual experience.
My other favourite so far was Fruit Thieves. It smelled so good I had an urge to bite into my flesh as though it were the flesh of the fruit.
Looking forward to trying some of the others in cooler weather.
All of the scents are so masterfully blended, unfolding a story throughout the day.
I would very much recommend the discovery set because some of what you may want, may not smell as expected on the skin, and some of the ones you may not consider could surprise you.
I enjoyed most of the scents in the discovery collection, alot of them are very off putting on the first spray but they age on the skin so wonderfully. I really enjoyed: Gilded, grasslands, soft woods and smoked bloom.
I loved the product and the entire package as a whole. I am still experiencing each fragrance on its own daily but I think that Fruit Thieves will be my summer 2026 fragrance. I can’t get enough of it!
Great way to see if you like the scents however they are a bit expensive especially if you do not use most of them because if the scent is not for you.
I absolutely loved these perfumes. The unisex feel made them even more fun because I was able to share most of them with my husband, and we both found scents that worked beautifully on us in different ways. I love that they feel unique and atmospheric without being too overpowering or overly traditional.
Amazing cant wait to get full bottles of grasslands and fig!
