Wednesday Waftings: Sampler Set Review – The 7 Virtues Peace Blend Box

I’m so pleased to review and share The 7 Virtues Peace Blend Box perfume sampler with you. I love the story behind this natural, vegan, cruelty-free line of fragrances. Creator/Journalist Barb Stegemann was initially inspired by her best friend, a solider who was seriously injured while on a mission to help liberate women & girls in Afghanistan. She began her peace-promoting movement by writing a book titled “The 7 Virtues of a Philosopher Queen – A Woman’s Guide to Living & Leading in an Illogical World.” The book’s focus was to empower women to harness their buying and voting power to reverse issues of war and poverty.

Ms. Stegemann then focused on creating her fragrances by sourcing perfume ingredients from farmers from war-torn and rebuilding countries including Haiti, Rwanda, and India. A documentary titled “Perfume War,” was also created to highlight Ms. Stegemann’s story, I’ve definitely added it to my list of interesting films to check out!

The Peace Blend Box

The sampler box contains (fittingly) 7 fragrances from the line (ed. note: that amount of fragrances was at the time of writing this post, the present-day sampler set now contains 5 fragrances). The set is citrus-heavy so those who favor those types of fragrances will fall in love with this sampler. These scents are all on the lighter side and are, therefore, excellent choices for office and other close-quarter environments. I will describe each scent a bit further and give my 2 cents on how I liked them below.

Find it here:

Peace Perfume Discovery Set (at The 7 Virtues)

Orange Blossom (heavily discounted on 11-3-2023, may be on the way out)

• Top Notes: tangerine, mandarin, grapefruit, lemon, bergamot, petitgrain
• Middle Notes: jasmine, orange flower, orris, orange blossom (neroli)
• Base Notes: vetiver, labdanum, amber
• Ethically sourced from: Afghanistan (rose natural essential oil)
• Benefit: helps protect girls from forced marriage

As you can see from the notes listed above, this scent is jam-packed with a ton of citrus! I would describe it as a spicy, zesty citrus scent, heavy on the orange/neroli. This fragrance is very fresh and refreshing. It has a similar feel to Bastide’s oft-utilized scent formula of citrus + spices. ‘Aromatic citrus’ might be a good way to describe it.

This is easily a unisex scent that leans spring/summertime, in my opinion. Though the fragrances in this collection are eau de parfums, I find the projection is quite light for all of them. They tend to be more intimate/close-to-the-skin scents. They’re also not terribly long-lasting and seem to fade after a few hours (common for natural and citrus scents) so you’ll need to reapply throughout the day. However, the prices are very reasonable and the scents also come in a handy travel-sized rollerball which makes reapplication a breeze. Overall, this is a nicely done citrus scent!

Find it here:

Orange Blossom – 11ml travel rollerball, 50ml (at The 7 Virtues)

Rose Amber (heavily discounted on 11-3-2023, may be on the way out)

• Top Notes: pink pepper, cassis (blackcurrant), neroli, bergamot, davana (sweet, tea-like smell, reminiscent of dried fruit)
• Middle Notes: rose, cinnamon, orris, jasmine, lavender
• Base Notes: amber, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver, patchouli
• Ethically sourced from: Afghanistan (rose natural essential oil)
• Benefit: farmers earn twice the income growing rose instead of the illegal poppy crop

The first spray is a burst of equal parts rose and amber and I’m impressed at what a good job they did at highlighting both notes. It’s interesting; it actually smells more like the rose from a distance and more like the amber up close. The cinnamon works really well here and there’s a little something else here that’s reminiscent of cloves to me. This scent has a nice, warm, slight sweetness to it.

They recommend blending it with the Orange Blossom so I tried it and it’s very spicy! For me it overly highlighted the pepper and kind of just smelled like a woodsy mish-mash. It already leans a bit masculine on me so I definitely prefer it by itself. I think there’s enough going on with the rose, amber, cinnamon, and other notes that it really doesn’t need to be embellished. But it was fun to try! Layering can sometimes build a very cool scent. And this was just on my skin, it may be completely different on yours.

As with the others, projection is intimate, so these make great scents to wear in an office environment/close quarters with others. You’re not going to be blasting people away with your fragrance. Overall, this scent feels very autumn-like to me. I quite enjoy it and think amber and rose lovers alike should give this one a try!

Find it here:

Rose Amber – 11ml travel rollerball, 50ml (at The 7 Virtues)

Vetiver Elemi (heavily discounted on 11-3-2023, may be on the way out)

• Top Notes: bergamot, grapefruit, elemi (resin substance with a clean, green scent reminiscent of fresh pine needles with citrusy and coriander undertones)
• Middle Notes: cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, jasmine, geranium, rose
• Base Notes: vetiver, cedarwood, patchouli, amber, moss
• Ethically sourced from: Haiti (organic & fair trade vetiver essential oil)
• Benefit: helps sustain farmlands devastated by the 2010 earthquake

This is vetiver done really, really well. Fresh and green, just as you would expect and want from vetiver. Vetiver is not a usual go-to for me but I love it paired here with the resinous elemi. The initial spray of this fragrance has a spicy little kick from the cardamom, cumin, and nutmeg. But as it dries down, you get a nice sweetness from the amber. As it dries down further, the clean-smelling cedar and deeper base notes come forward and it’s very pleasant.

Vetiver can lean quite masculine and is a note frequently found in men’s colognes. But this smells wonderful on ladies, too. I think this would be fine to wear year-round with maybe a slight spring/summer lean. I don’t typically reach for a vetiver but this is a really nice one and quite unique.

Find it here:

Vetiver Elemi – 11ml rollerball, 50ml (at The 7 Virtues)

HONORABLE MENTION: Grapefruit Lime (looks to now be a discontinued fragrance)

• Top Notes: orange, lemon, sweetie grapefruit, lime, basil, petitgrain
• Middle Notes: juniper, muguet, cumin, neroli, bamboo, green tea
• Base Notes: amber, moss, sandalwood, cedarwood
• Ethically sourced from: Israel (sweetie grapefruit essential oil) and Iran (lime & basil essential oils)
• Benefit: promotes peace

Another citrus/herbaceous mix. I get a powerful lime at the opening and then as it dries down, the herbs really come out strongly – I believe it is the tea and cedarwood but it really comes across on my skin more as herbs you would cook with. As it’s drying down, it smells more and more like I’m wearing a lime-based rub that you would rub on chicken before you grill it, lol! It’s gotta be the cumin doing that. As it dries down even further, the spiciness does finally fade a bit and we’re back to the beginning with the lime taking center stage. For someone who really loves lime, this will be their jam.

This is a very fresh scent and can definitely be worn by both men and women alike. To me, it screams spring/summertime. A great choice for folks who love uplifting, citrusy scents and especially lime.

(ed. note: this fragrance no longer appears on The 7 Virtues’ website and appears to be discontinued. Best bet to find it will probably be to look for a reputable seller on a marketplace site such as Mercari or eBay.)

Find it here (maybe?):

Grapefruit Lime (search on Mercari)

Grapefruit Lime (search on eBay)

Patchouli Citrus (heavily discounted on 11-3-2023, may be on the way out)

• Top Notes: black pepper, peach, cassis, mandarin, bergamot
• Middle Notes: peony, rose, geranium, jasmine
• Base Notes: patchouli, amber, moss, sandalwood, cedarwood
• Ethically sourced from: Rwanda (organic & fair trade patchouli essential oil)
• Benefit: gives widows and adult orphans their economic independence

Initial spray = very strong patchouli but in about 2 seconds, the patchouli is all but gone as a mixed floral scent boldly takes over. It’s interesting, a sandalwood/musky scent is what projects, but if I bring my wrist up close to my nose, it’s all slightly sweet tropical jasmine. I do get more of the peony as it further dries down and I love that. Patchouli is truly nowhere to be found after the initial first few seconds, but I’m ok with that, lol! I’m not the biggest patchouli fan, though I am fine with it hanging in the background doing its job: bringing some depth/interest and prolonging the scent.

Though this fragrance is called Patchouli Citrus, the peony note is the star of this show for me and I am SO here for it! Because this is so floral, I’m going to call it more feminine and daytime. I think this can be easily worn year-round but would be an especially lovely springtime scent. I liked this one A LOT more than I thought I would from just seeing the name!

Find it here:

Patchouli Citrus – 11ml rollerball, 50ml (at The 7 Virtues)

HONORABLE MENTION: Jasmine Neroli (looks to now be a discontinued fragrance)

• Top Notes: aldehydes, bergamot, peach, neroli, ylang-ylang
• Middle Notes: carnation, honeysuckle, jasmine, rose, tuberose, orris
• Base Notes: amber, benzoin, labdanum, moss, soft woods
• Ethically sourced from: India (jasmine essential oil)
• Benefit: provides financial assistance that supports agriculture

I smell the jasmine, tuberose and ylang-ylang immediately, there’s no mistaking those beachy floral notes! The orange enters the picture in the dry down and it’s really nice. As the scent further dries down, I find the powdery orris does start to take over a bit. There’s something almost ‘toothpastey’ about it for me, it’s really odd. I have a feeling this is just something weird it’s doing with my personal chemistry, though. There’s literally nothing in the notes that should be making it smell like toothpaste, lol

Another feminine-leaning floral, I could see wearing this as a daytime or date night scent year-round but particularly in the summer. Since she’s a little ‘off’ on my skin, this wont be the one for me but I think most who enjoy white and yellow florals will really enjoy this scent.

(ed. note: this fragrance no longer appears on The 7 Virtues’ website and appears to be discontinued. Best bet to find it will probably be to look for a reputable seller on a marketplace site such as Mercari or eBay.)

Find it here (maybe?):

Jasmine Neroli (search on Mercari)

Jasmine Neroli (search on eBay)

Vanilla Woods

• Top Notes: pear
• Middle Notes: rose
• Base Notes: vanilla, amber, caramel, benzoin
• Ethically sourced from: Madagascar (organic & fair trade vanilla essential oil)
• Benefit: provides education and health care

This fragrance is their top seller and with one whiff, you will understand why! It is positively yummy. I blind bought a rollerball of this a few months ago, which was my introduction to the line. Of course, vanilla is my favorite so I’m probably a tad biased but this scent really is THAT good! It’s the perfect blend of boozy bourbon vanilla and woods. Not too woodsy but not too sugary sweet, this perfume is the proverbial Goldilocks-esque ‘just right.’

Because this is so well-blended, I think women and men alike will enjoy wearing this. I proudly wear my vanilla fragrances year-round but for those who prefer to follow a stricter ‘guideline,’ this would be considered autumn/winter-leaning. This is a cozy, enveloping scent and would be perfect to wear at home, sipping a hot chocolate in a cozy blanket after a bath. Though I think it would be equally enjoyable to wear out for an evening of cocktails and jazz. It’s a versatile fragrance that’s definitely a favorite of mine!

Find it here:

Vanilla Woods – 1.7ml sample, 10ml travel-spray, 11ml travel rollerball, 50ml (at The 7 Virtues)

Vanilla Woods – perfume oil (at The 7 Virtues)

This collection has a few other fragrances not featured in this particular set that I’d love to try: Santal Vanille, Lotus Pear, Blackberry Lily, Coconut Sun, and Cherry Ambition. I’m especially excited about the Santal Vanille, hoping it’s a close cousin to my beloved Vanilla Woods.

Have you tried anything by this goodwill-promoting perfume house? It’s pretty awesome to see a brand that’s trying to do so much good in this world. I certainly wish them the very best in their peace-making endeavors! 🌎☮

This post contains affiliate links, meaning when you click the links labeled as such and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.