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Fragrance is quickly becoming one of my hobbies. However, I rarely figure out if a scent is worth purchasing by testing it at the store. I can only sniff a couple things before getting overwhelmed or coming down with a headache, and of course there’s no way to properly evaluate the scent’s development over time while standing at the Sephora counter. That’s why I ended up ordering Sephora’s Clean Perfume Sampler Set. It came with multiple samples of “clean” (unregulated marketing term) fragrances plus a voucher to redeem for a full size bottle at no extra charge. It was a great way to try different scents, really taking the time to explore each one at home, and then cash in the coupon for one of them in full size. Plus, most of these bottles retail for more than the set, which saves some money.
When choosing this sampler set, I expected to redeem the coupon for Sparkling Sugar (based on watching lots of TikToks about it). My “safe” choice was Skylar Peach Fields, because I’ve smelled it previously and liked it. But completely unexpectedly, I ended up falling in love with Commodity Gold+ Perfume, also available at Sephora.
Commodity Gold+ Bold is a warm, woody and spicy unisex scent.
Top notes: saffron, oakmoss
Middle notes: vanilla
Base notes: nutmeg, patchouli
The bottle is dark glass with a copper accent. The metal lid is magnetic, creating a satisfying click every time I cap the perfume. The entire presentation of this is luxurious and stunning, from the padded black box to the shiny copper details. It definitely feels and looks expensive. As a huge bonus, it’s not feminine - I prefer the clean, minimalist designs of what’s traditionally considered a male aesthetic. But I also don’t believe that things like fragrance, beauty, or anything else should be gendered. Just get and use what you like.
All Commodity perfumes come with a stated Scent Space. Choose from Personal- (less is more scent that only you can pick up), Expressive (a perfect balance of longevity and projection, for you and a few around you), or Bold+ (the most intense version, for you and everyone around).
My impressions
Typically, I don’t like warm, spicy scents and patchouli often reminds me of a yoga studio in need of a deep clean. However, I fell in love with Commodity Gold+. It starts out as a somewhat spicy, ambery scent that reminds me of cinnamon, but then dries down to a delicious, warm, interesting aroma. It makes me think of baked goods yet not in a literal, straightforward fashion. It’s like an elevated warm cookie - sweet, interesting, and complex. The scent after about 20 minutes onward is why I got the full size. It’s delicious and lasts for 6+ hours.
My 9yo is a ruthless critic. She regularly tells me my pricey fragrances smell like “toxic waste”. Sigh. Imagine my surprise when one day she went “what do you smell like? I like it!”. I was wearing my sample of Commodity Gold+. She didn’t know I’ve been trying something new, didn’t see me spray it, and I didn’t ask for feedback. It was completely spontaneous and unexpectedly nice. That sealed the deal! I redeemed my sampler set coupon for a full bottle after that.
And despite the “for me and everyone around me” intensity description, I don’t walk around in the cloud of this scent. I don’t think it's disruptive to my friends, coworkers, or family. I also only spray it twice - once on each forearm - so it’s quite possible that it could project a lot more for someone who sprays heavier than that. I have tried a sample of another fragrance, Milk, in the Expressive version, and I can’t tell the difference in projection and longevity between that and my Gold+. Perhaps the true difference is noticed when comparing different intensities for the same scent.
While this is a perfect Fall / Winter fragrance, because it’s so warm and cozy, I plan on using it all year when I need to feel extra scrumptious. Quite often, buying things and using them are two different hobbies, but that’s definitely not the case with Commodity Gold+ - I reach for it all the time!
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Commodity Gold+ Bold Perfume ingredients: SD Alcohol 40-B (Alcohol Denat.), Parfum/Fragrance, Aqua/Water/Eau, Benzyl Salicylate, Evernia Prunastri (Oakmoss) Extract, Limonene, Linalool, Eugenol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
