With full-sized bottles costing £170, the prices are more expensive than the likes of Jo Malone and Chanel.
Victoria Beckham Beauty’s luxury perfumes are certainly popular with fragrance fans, but are not the cheapest on the market by a longshot. With full-sized bottles costing £170, the prices are more expensive than even the likes of Jo Malone and Chanel.
Luckily, Victoria Beckham Beauty is offering a way for shoppers to try the former Spice Girl’s dreamy scents before committing to a 50ml or 100ml bottle. Coming in at £30, the Original Collection Fragrance Discovery Set features three of the brand’s bestselling scents, working out to £10 apiece.
Inside the set shoppers will find mini bottles of Portofino ’97, Suite 302 and San Ysidro Drive. While the travel-friendly scents are only 2mls each, it should last up to 20 sprays, offering plenty of opportunity to trial the fragrances on skin.
Portofino ’97 was inspired by the early days of her romance with husband David Beckham, reports the Mirror Victoria said: “When David and I first met, we kept our relationship under wraps.
“This was when I was in the Spice Girls, when we were enormously successful all around the world, and David was playing for Manchester United. In 1997, we decided to take a trip to Portofino. I remember the light, I remember how the hotel smelled and how exciting that time was. I remember it all like it was yesterday.”
Portofino ’97 features notes of Calabrian bergamot and black pepper, a heart of sea notes, amber, and incense, and a soothing base of musk, vetiver, and patchouli that is said to ‘whisk you away’ to the luxurious Italian destination. It shares some similarities with Byredo’s Bal d’Afrique, although it’s worth noting that Bal d’Afrique is slight more fruity.
The Original Collection includes Victoria Beckham Beauty’s original collection of fragrances: Portofino ’97, Suite 302, and San Ysidro Drive in 2ml parfum vials designed to reflect the design of the full size fragrance bottles.
Victoria has continued to draw inspiration to her line from her and David’s connections to different cities with Suite 302, which takes loving moments in Paris as it’s inspiration. She commented: “This fragrance captures the memories of David and I in Paris. This is the city we sneak off to, it is always our happy place, whether for an occasional weekend, or a birthday, or anniversary, I’ve always felt a natural connection to Paris.”
The scent pairs black cherry with red pepper at the heart before moving into a floral heart of violet and rose. It finished with bold black leather and tobacco at the base.
The final scent in the set is San Ysidro Drive, inspired by her family’s time in California. She shared: “San Ysidro Drive signifies a time in my life that was full of new beginnings and self-discovery whilst living in California.
“It was revitalising, calming, peaceful. I think we captured that essence with this fragrance with an intense rush of passion fruit and pink peony, ocean air infused with rich rose absolute, saffron flower and agarwood, and black amber and vanilla.”
This one opens quite bright with notes of passionfruit and saffron before easing into a heart of rose and jasmine. It settles into an earthy base of oud and black amber.
Victoria Beckham Beauty also offers the Signature Collection Fragrance Discovery Set for £40. It contains the same fragrances of the Original Collection but with a bottle of 21:50 Rêverie also included.
The newest release from Victoria Beckham Beauty, 21:50 Rêverie inspired by a moment whole on holiday that changed Victoria’s life back in 2001. She said: “21:50 Rêverie represents a profound instant of change in my life in 2001.
“With this fragrance – a dark, raw vanilla – I am taken right back to an otherworldly night on the island of Java where thousands of tea candles surrounded us. A luscious, earthy scent was in the air and the flames twinkled like flickers of my new life ahead.”
The amber-woody fragrance opens with notes of vanilla followed by middle notes of plum. Deep and seductive, the ‘genderless’ fragrance is grounded by earthy cedarwood, tonka beans, and vanilla.
There are many perfume discovery sets on the market, and some others arguably offer better value for money. Charlotte Tilbury released a collection of fragrances that aim to evoke emotions. 10ml bottles are available for £20 each or there is a trio for £48 that offers three of the best sellers.
Maison Margiela also offers a range of scents inspired by cities and moments in time in their Replica range. Sephora is currently offering a set of three best-selling scents inspired by Brooklyn, Chamonix and Montreal for £65.
Victoria Beckham’s trio of fragrances is currently £30 on her site and has an average rating of 4.3 out of five from across 1,790 reviews. It’s been dubbed a ‘no-brainer’ with one shopper saying: “I am delighted with this item. It was great to be able to try all of the VB fragrances and, while I have my preferences, I will use them all. This is a no-brainer, can’t go wrong item.”
A second wrote: “I had tried San Ysidro and Portofino 97 before and loved them. Who knows Suite 102 would be my favourite scent on earth. Very nostalgic, very ‘90s, ‘Heathers’, Clive cigarettes and going to shows. A perfect Gen X scent.”
While a third said: “Not sure whether it’s me, but they all smell the same. I was expecting them to be different and hope to find a favourite as lots of people rave about them.”
