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Every so often, you may find yourself paying through the nose for perfumes. If you want to be absolutely sure that you love a fragrance before committing to a full-size bottle, a perfume subscription box is the way to go. Fragrance subscriptions allow you to sample everything from beloved department store fragrances to niche indie brand selections. The idea behind them is that you get to try out a small amount for a modest monthly price. They’re perfect if you want to find your signature scent, but they can also be handy if you like to switch up your perfume from time to time.
With so many perfume subscription boxes on the market, it can be a daunting task to pick the right one. We’ve looked into factors such as affordability, clean ingredients, and niche scents to present you with the best perfume subscription boxes out there.
Best Perfume Subscription Boxes of 2023
- Best Overall: Scentbird
- Best Variety: ScentBox
- Best for Scent Recommendations: Luxury Scent Box (LUXSB)
- Best on a Budget: Perfume.com
- Best for Clean Ingredients: Skylar Scent Club
- Best Plan Options: The Fragrance Club
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Best for Rare Scents: Olfactif
Best Overall: Scentbird
Key Specs
- Starting Price: $16.95/month
- Sample Size: 8 ml
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No. of Items Per Box: 1-3
Pros & Cons
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Wide range of brands to choose from, with over 600 scents
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Multiple subscription plans available
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You pick which fragrance ships
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Some fragrances are premium, which means they cost extra
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Cases cost extra after the first one ships
Why It’s a Top Pick
Scentbird takes the cake for the best perfume subscription service because it blends value, convenience, and variety. For $16.95 per month, the brand offers an 8-milliliter sample of a fragrance, which should last you about 120 sprays. That’s just the beginning plan, too — you can opt for a multi-piece plan and get up to three samples for $37 per month. Bear in mind that some fragrances may be listed as “premium,” which means that you could get charged $5, $10, or $15 on top of your monthly plan.
With picks from niche and designer brands, Scentbird features an impressive library of over 600 scents, and you can choose what ships. You even get a free sleek perfume case with your first fragrance, but you’ll have to pay for any extra future cases.
Best Variety: ScentBox
Key Specs
- Starting Price: $16.95/month
- Sample Size: 8 ml
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No. of Items Per Box: 1-3
Pros & Cons
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Can sample high-end and niche fragrances depending on your membership
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Can choose from your plan’s entire selection, as opposed to being restricted by gender
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Free exchanges available if you’d like to switch out a scent
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Some fragrances only available in more expensive premium and platinum plans
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Selection is locked in seven days before shipping
Why It’s a Top Pick
If you love to test out new perfumes and colognes, ScentBox offers a dazzling range for sampling unique scents. With ScentBox, you can potentially access over 1,000 fragrances, including niche brands. And while some services may make you choose between gendered selections catered toward men or women, ScentBox doesn’t restrict your choices. Here’s another bonus: If you don’t love a scent, you’re eligible for up to five free exchange shipments in a 12-month period.
Your access to more expensive fragrances will depend on your plan. With the standard plan ($16.95 per month), you can choose from over 600 designer perfumes to get your 8-milliliter atomizer of the month. With plans that are premium ($21.95 per month) or platinum ($30.95 per month), you can browse even more fragrances from high-end and niche designers. If you decide to add more to your monthly scents, you can additionally upgrade any of these plans to receive up to three scents at a time.
When choosing your fragrance (or fragrances), remember that your choice will be locked in about seven days before your monthly shipping date.
Best for Scent Recommendations: Luxury Scent Box (LUXSB)
Key Specs
- Starting Price: $15.95/month
- Sample Size: 9 ml
- No. of Items Per Box: 1
Pros & Cons
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Fragrance survey helps you narrow down your choices
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Automatically receive a reusable new case every season
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Good value when you compare price to fragrance volume
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Only one fragrance sample per month
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New subscriber deal requires two-month subscription
Why It’s a Top Pick
Luxury Scent Box (LUXSB) will give you the opportunity to choose your own fragrance each month, but it’s also the perfect service if you need guidance when beginning your scent journey. If you’re struggling with where to start, you can take Luxury Scent Box’s fragrance survey developed by specialists. After the survey, you’ll receive general recommendations from LUXSB’s library of over 550 scents. You can also retake the survey down the line just in case you find your taste evolving over the course of your subscription.
When it comes to the actual product you’re receiving, LUXSB doesn’t skimp. For $15.95 a month, you get 9 milliliters of a fragrance, which amounts to about 150 sprays per month. Plus, you get a new fragrance case every quarter. As for things to consider, keep in mind that you will only be able to pick out one fragrance per month. Additionally, you need to be subscribed for at least two months if you opt for a new subscription discount.
Best on a Budget: Perfume.com
Key Specs
- Starting Price: $14.95/month
- Sample Size: 8 ml
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No. of Items Per Box: 1
Pros & Cons
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One of the lowest subscription prices available
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You pick what ships, but fragrance experts can also recommend fragrances for you
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Over 500 brands available, including both niche and designer fragrance houses
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Subscription options divided by gender
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Only one fragrance per month
Why It’s a Top Pick
Perfume.com’s monthly subscription plan is only $14.95 a month for 8 milliliters of fragrance in a travel-sized atomizer. This price is often lower during the first month thanks to deals for first-time subscribers, so you can try out the service without paying a pretty penny. If you find fragrances that you absolutely adore, you may even track down full-sized bottles on Perfume.com for up to 80% off the retail price.
Although Perfume.com offers a cheap perfume subscription, it’s a high-quality and trusted brand. In terms of variety, there are over 500 brands that you can choose from — think Prada, Guerlain, Cartier, and more. Each month, you get to pick which scent gets shipped. If you don’t choose a scent, Perfume.com’s fragrance experts will select a scent for you from the brand’s bestsellers.
One thing to consider is that you have to choose either a men’s or women’s subscription when you sign up, which could limit your options. You also only get one pick per month, which is worth considering if you like to switch fragrances often.
Best for Clean Ingredients: Skylar Scent Club
Key Specs
- Starting Price: $20/month
- Sample Size: 10 ml
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No. of Items Per Box: 1, with option to add more products
Pros & Cons
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Fragrance formulas are designed to be hypoallergenic
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Members get access to limited-edition scents
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Membership comes with discount perks, including savings on Skylar products
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Membership price is expensive
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Only get Skylar-branded products
Why It’s a Top Pick
Clean beauty enthusiasts who thoroughly research ingredients for red flags can feel at ease knowing that every scent from Skylar Scent Club is vegan, cruelty free, and hypoallergenic. Skylar designs its perfumes without any of the 36 fragrance allergens known to cause allergies and asthma or the 1,300+ ingredients restricted by the EU. Additionally, it lists out its ingredients rather than just labeling them as “fragrance.”
For $20 a month, Skylar Scent Club members receive a 10-milliliter rollerball with each shipment, plus perks like 20 percent off Skylar products and $20 per additional rollerball. The fragrance of the month will usually be available in limited quantities, so a subscription gives members exclusive access. Plus, the subscription is also relatively flexible; you can skip, swap, or add products without a fuss.
There are just a few things to keep in mind. The $20 monthly price tag is steeper than other comparable perfume subscriptions, and you have to pay $4.95 for shipping. Additionally, you only get to test out Skylar products, so you can’t try scents from other brands.
Best Plan Options: The Fragrance Club
Key Specs
- Starting Price: $14.99/month
- Sample Size: 10 ml
- No. of Items Per Box: 1
Pros & Cons
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Three plans available, including monthly, bimonthly, and annual options
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Perfume sample size is relatively generous at 10 ml
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Listings break down notes so you know what to expect from scent
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Limited fragrances available
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Sparse FAQ page for looking up subscription information
Why It’s a Top Pick
If plan variety is your top priority, The Fragrance Club may be the best fragrance subscription box for you. With this service, you can choose between a monthly ($14.99 per month), bimonthly ($17.99 every two months), or annual plan ($149.88 per year). The monthly plan is great for most people to get a feel for the service before committing. If you casually enjoy perfume but don't want to stock up on too many scents or spend too much money, a bimonthly plan could be right for you. At the other end of the spectrum, an annual plan may be worth investing in if you’re an avid perfume enthusiast who wants the best savings and the most variety.
Each shipment comes with a 10-milliliter bottle of fragrance, which is a relatively generous amount of perfume when you consider other subscriptions at a similar price. The listings also break down the top, middle, and base notes for each scent, so you have an idea of what the fragrance will smell like. The catch is that The Fragrance Club has a fairly limited collection, as both its men’s and women’s collections have under 40 scents each. The site is also sparse, featuring an empty FAQ page that doesn’t provide much specific information.
Best for Rare Scents: Olfactif
Key Specs
- Starting Price: $20/month
- Sample Size: 2 ml
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No. of Items Per Box: 3 or 6
Pros & Cons
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Unique niche fragrances that are different from mainstream department store picks
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Receive a variety of scents per month, as opposed to just one sample
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Subscribers get membership perks such as discounts off on full bottles
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Vials are small
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Monthly collections are curated, so you can’t pick what goes into them
Why It’s a Top Pick
Popular scents garner attraction for a reason, but sometimes, you just want something a little different. Featuring brands such as 4160 Tuesdays and Amouage, Olfactif is ideal if you’re looking for niche fragrances that are more one-of-a-kind than mainstream department store picks.
With an Olfactif membership, you can receive three or six new scents in each monthly shipment. Here’s how the two plans break down: For $20 per month, you can get three scents per month with either the Men’s or Women’s plan. For $38 per month, you can get all six fragrances of the month from the Men’s and Women’s collections. An Olfactif membership also gives you a few discount perks, like full access to 20 percent off full bottles of featured scents, 10 percent off other full bottles, and 10 percent off à la carte samples.
One thing to consider is that the vials are small — you get 2 milliliters per vial, so you can’t spend very long getting to know each fragrance. Also, keep in mind that the collections are curated, so you can’t choose what you get unless you add on extra samples.
Final Verdict
Offering something for anyone interested in fragrances, Scentbird is our pick for the best monthly perfume subscription. This brand is perfect for fragrance novices who want to find their everyday scents among designer perfumes, but it also features more exclusive smells for fragrance connoisseurs who love niche scents. Plus, the subscription plans can be adjusted to how many perfumes you want — you could opt for as many as three samples per month. With a good range of scents and flexible plans, Scentbird has established itself as a juggernaut in the fragrance subscription space.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What Brands Do You Get in a Perfume Subscription Box?
You can get a wide variety of brands from a perfume subscription box. Often, you can choose from different brands, which usually include designer, celebrity, and niche ones. Other times, the subscription service picks out a couple of fragrances of the month for you to sample. Olfactif, for example, provides recommendations for indie and high-end luxury brands. Some subscription boxes, such as Skylar Scent Club, also send out limited-edition perfumes from their own brand.
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Do Perfume Subscription Boxes Come With Full Bottles?
Full-size perfume subscriptions are not common. In most cases, monthly perfume subscription boxes send samples in atomizers or rollerballs with eight to 10 milliliters of fragrance. After trying out a particular perfume, you may be able to get a full-size bottle (typically 30, 50, or 80 milliliters) with a membership discount.
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Does Perfume Expire?
Perfumes last about two years, but proper storage can help extend their shelf life. When you spray your perfume, air can get into the bottle and oxidize the fragrance. Oxidation can change the color of the fragrance, turning it a darker hue. It can also alter the smell and make it more sour or metallic. Perfumes with green, citrusy, patchouli, and fruity notes are particularly sensitive to oxidation, so you want to keep an eye out for these scents.
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Where Should You Store Your Perfume?
Exposure to direct light, heat, and humidity can degrade a fragrance. To keep your perfume fresh, place it in a dark, cool, and dry space. If possible, it’s a good idea to store your fragrance in its original box to protect it even further. Additionally, remember to recap your perfume after every use to limit its exposure to oxygen.
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How Can You Make Your Perfume Scent Last Longer?
One way to make your perfume scent last longer throughout the day is by spraying your pulse points on your wrists, inside your elbows, behind your ears, behind your knees, and on the nape of your neck. These areas give off heat and can make your fragrance develop faster. It also helps to spray on moisturized skin, as fragrance sticks onto moisturized skin better than dry skin.
Methodology
We reviewed more than a dozen perfume subscriptions to find the best ones for different types of customers. Each company was judged on the following criteria:
- Average cost
- Shipping fees
- Scent and brand variety
- Sample sizes
- Number of plan options
- Membership perks
- Access to customer service
Companies with a wide range of designer and niche fragrances were given extra points in the scoring phase. Cost was also a leading factor, as was customer support and the ability to customize one's subscription.