This Willy Wonka Factory of a Discovery Set gives you an enormous 36ml of fragrance, all laid out in a sexy monochrome display case. It's hard to know where to start, but let's just say I won't cry over spilled Milk here.
First things first, Commodity has this clever method of taking their classic Expressive range and then dialing the sillage, longevity, and layered notes, either up or down. For me, this works across the spectrum of scents and I have full bottle contenders in each category. Just about.
The comprehensive discovery set comes with considered extras, an intuitive booklet to thumb through and take notes along your journey, and test strips. But we all know skin blend is truly where it's at.
Let's get into it.
Book
The expressive Book is heavy on the sandalwood to me and I'm a fan. Definitely wood-based that turns ever so slightly sour on my skin. If you were a signature scent type of person, this could be your thing.
The + Book, I don't get smoke, but there is some alcohol-y bourbon or rum note in the top, that'll be the tea that comes through and it's delicious. I'd drink it before I'd wear it.
The - Book is nice. It's tea, but minus tea. Iso E might be the star here and it stays close to your own scent radius.
Full Bottle Purchase Verdict: If I had to choose it would be Expressive.
Gold
There's a smashing of juniper here on Gold Expressive's first spray which always catches in my throat. I don't dislike it but I'm not sad when it moves along its merry way. Although not listed as a note, this turns cocoa-ish on my skin, and mixed with vanilla it is indeed quite pleasant.
Gold- almost instantly disappears, I have to squash my nose against my skin to get a whiff, which granted, is pleasant. Fresher than expressive at first, it's not long before that headless horseman, vetiver, rides in. The vetiver even overtakes the sandalwood, which in my experience is pretty rare. Bah Bowm.
Now Gold +. I imagine a shirtless Jason Momoa wearing this, fresh from the shower after a long day on his Harley, standing at the kitchen making orecchiette from scratch, pouring me a glass of vintage cabernet merlot. It's sexy, kind of soapy and leathery, very much leaning masculine.
Full Bottle Purchase Verdict: Gold + is gorgeous. and so very different from the other Golds.
Velvet
There is a neo-noir horror film from the 80s called The Believers, great movie, kinda voodoo, spooky vibes. From memory, there’s a thread in the storyline where someone brushes a character's cheek and over time a large spot develops on her face. Eventually, the spot gets bigger and a bunch of tiny spiders erupt. This is exactly how I feel about anything Patchouli on my skin and Velvet has patchouli.
I don’t want to be harsh, at first it has a very serious rose note which I adore – mainly because I’m not a floral person at all, but this rose was dark and soft. Then straight away the patchouli bursts the top and middle notes like a star AFL player through a banner on Grand Final Day.
Full Bottle Purchase Verdict - No thanks.
Milk
aaaahhhhh. Milk. The viral Milk. Gosh, maybe I am lactose intolerant after all.
The Expressive is cute. It's light and sweet and sure the marshmallow is there but after a quick dry down, I get hit with a pretty pedestrian wood. I do adore a tonka bean accord, but where are you, my bean?
The - is probably my favourite out of this set, and that is probably more indicative of my indifference to most gourmands. It's gentle, lactonic for sure, and then falls fast asleep on vanilla.
The + is too much for me. I get big smoke which is fine if there's flame and wine in hand. Sadly, a chiminea doesn't come in the set.
Full Bottle Purchase Verdict: Milk-
Moss
I wear my perfume in a very specific way and one of these days I will write about that, but it does pertain to the Moss family – Expressive, +, and -.
Sometimes, comparing fragrances is like comparing bread – sure we still make it but the basics are the same. Base, middle, and top notes are used across a gazillion fragrances and the likelihood of something being similar is frankly, pretty high. To me, Moss is straight-up D&G Light Blue. I wore Light Blue for years and it is undeniable.
But let me be clear, Commodity is not a Dupe house, in my opinion.
Across both are cedar, amber, and musk, and these come through for sure. I was praying for some sort of deeper petrichor note or a dark, moist earth. Didn’t happen.
Hours later, all traces have left the building aside from a very faint yet pleasant powdery musk residue from Moss -. Damn, Moss, I wanted to love you. Maybe it's me and not you.
Full Bottle Purchase Verdict: For the feint musk, I'd go Moss -
Paper
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? I don't even need to split these out because every bottle is just stunning. Say what you will about Iso E, it will always have a rent-free space on my décolletage. BUT if I absolutely had to gripe and it's a big but, the + has vetiver and that's a train I would be happy to miss in most instances.
My formula for paper has been Expressive and -, fresh and light and so, so clean.
Full Bottle Purchase Verdict: 100% yes to Expressive and -Paper and +Paper. Yes.
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