Scents have an uncanny ability to trigger memories and emotions in a way that other beauty products do not. So it’s no surprise that many beauty lovers find fragrance to be an innately personal category. Thanks to these perfume subscription boxes, you can have fun exploring your scent preferences and layering perfumes, typically without committing to a high-priced, full-sized product.
We reviewed dozens of popular perfume subscription boxes, noting their costs, selections, delivery cadences, and other factors, such as the tools they use to create your personal scent profile. The clever subscriptions that made our list turn the department store salesperson chasing you down with a sample-spritzed piece of paper into a stress-free, at-home experience that lets you reimagine your fragrance palate every month (or every few months, depending on your preference). Ahead, find the subscriptions we think are worth a try.
Price: First month $9; $17/month | Size: 8 mL | Items Per Box: 1-3
We love Scentbird’s mission of helping to eliminate the clutter of half-used fragrance bottles on our vanities. You can browse and select a favorite scent from a catalog of over 600 designer and niche fragrances. Plus, they come delivered in travel-friendly, 8-milliliter vials filled with about 140 sprays to get you through weeks of use and then some. The vials fit snugly in a chic atomizer case included with your first order, designed for on-the-go spritzing (you can lock it to prevent accidental spraying in your bag).
From forever fragrance classics by Gucci, Prada, and Acqua di Parma to noteworthy new scents from Tom Ford, Tocca, and Fresh, Scentbird’s extensive selection invites you to discover new fragrances or revert to tried-and-true favorites each month. You’ll also receive monthly suggestions tailored to your scent preferences, and you can continue to add favorites to your queue to enjoy them month after month. And if you happen to stumble upon your forever favorite, you can purchase the full-size bottle and cancel the subscription portion at any time.
Price: First month $10; $20/bi-monthly | Size: 10 mL | Items Per Box: 1
Let’s face it, some days we are spritzing old favorites from our perfume collection, and these samples can pile up quickly. The Fragrance Club gets it and offers bi-monthly shipments. Plus, when your sample weighs in at 10 milliliters—about 25% more than competitors—it’s sure to last you well past that one-month cutoff mark.
To start, you create a fragrance queue including three preselected offerings that will be curated in upcoming deliveries (with the option to swap and make changes along the way). Some of the company’s selections are from Versace, Gucci, and Coach, and new scents are updated regularly (we do wish the scent library was a bit larger though). Your welcome package will come with a fancy atomizer available in black or white, with gold trim detailing—and an insert bottle with your selected fragrance. The best part: your order ships within 24 hours of purchase.
Price: First month $10; $17/month | Size: 8 mL | Items Per Box: 1-3
Don’t let the vague similarities confuse you—the Scent Box monthly service also delivers a convenient fragrance sampling experience, with almost double the arsenal of scents to choose from as Scentbird. Subscribers can browse an extensive mix of trending, classic, and coveted scents each month from luxury perfume brands like Byredo, Chloe, and Creed. Once you select a fragrance or two, Scent Box delivers an eight-milliliter refillable travel atomizer to your doorstep, filled with a 30-day supply so you can spritz all month long.
There are higher-tiered plans: Premium ($21.95/month) and platinum ($30.95/ month) get you access to more high-end and niche fragrances. You can also upgrade any plan to get up to three scents at once. Once caveat: your plan will be locked in seven days before your shipping date, so be sure you like what you’ve got in there before then.
Price: $17/month | Size: 9 mL | Items Per Box: 1
In 2016, Luxury Scent Box rolled out nationwide, and the sister-founded brand relaunched (and renamed) itself LUXSB. Its fragrance expertise is evident from the moment you enter the site. There’s an impressive selection of scents including department store favorites, hard-to-find scents, and buzzworthy brands that are tough to track down (like Juliette Has A Gun, TokyoMilk, or Jimmy Choo).
As a member, you can choose your fragrance for the month, select from a lineup of generated recommendations based on your preferences, or get picks directly from one of the brand’s fragrance experts. you’ll receive a 9-milliliter spray to fit into your reusable case, which Luxury Scent Box provides every season in your February, May, August, and November boxes. Once you find a scent you love you can purchase the full-sized bottle at a membership discount.
Price: $60/seasonal; $80/one-time | Size: Mix of full size and minis | Items Per Box: Varies
Margot Elena is the name behind the brands Lollia, Library of Flowers, TokyoMilk, and The Cottage Greenhouse—whose products you have likely stopped to sniff while browsing through Anthropologie, thanks to their eye-catching packaging and aromatic scents. The seasonal assortment includes products from the four Margot Elena brands. For $60 for three months, you will get either full-sized products or minis, along with a bonus surprise gift ranging from a trendy nail color to a greeting card, cosmetic bag, candle, or tunic. With upward of $200 worth of products packed into each box, it’s not hard to see the value.
The extensive range of pampering products will have you indulging head-to-toe with delicious fragrances and candles, scented oils and creams, and pampering aromatherapy. The ornate packaging also makes these products some of the most giftable on earth, so even if the perfumes don’t fit your scent preferences, it may be a welcome surprise for a friend.
What We Like
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Educated on different scent palettes
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Three different subscription plans
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Selections curated to your specifications
Price: $18/month | Size: 5 mL | Items Per Box: 1
Unlike other fragrance subscription boxes that require you to fill out your preferences from the start, Scent Trunk helps you discover them from the get-go. The brand aims to showcase the art of perfumery by educating you about scent families, notes, and layering, allowing you to explore and curate a custom product to meet your preferences. The company offers the Discovery Palette which includes six different fragrance families to sniff—citrus, wood, aromatic, floral, amber, and chypre (the green, earthy family). You then decipher your top picks and least favorites to guide Scent Trunk’s curators in crafting the perfect scent for you.
In addition to the discovery palette, the company offers an Original Editions Subscription. Each month, one of its 25 scents is sent to you so you can discover curated scents from unique fragrance ingredients. You’ll fill in your preferences using an online guided scent test, which resident fragrance experts will use to curate a scent that genuinely matches your preferences. We do wish the sample size included with the monthly subscription was a bit more comparable to others on this list, but we love the bespoke nature of the fragrance selection process.
What to Look for in a Perfume Subscription Box
- Sizable Scent Library: If you’re signing up for a regular perfume subscription service, you’ll want to have a large and varied scent library to choose from. The subscriptions typically boast hundreds of perfumes across a wide variety of brands and scent families, but some can be more niche or bespoke, meaning you might run out of fragrances you want to try after a few months. On the other hand, some services offer several subscription tiers that give you access to more (or more high-end) scents if you pay a higher premium.
- Scent Recommendations: If you’re newer to fragrances, or hoping to explore ones outside your typical rotation and don’t know where to start, a subscription that offers a quiz or customer service to help you narrow down your picks is often useful. A subscription that allows free returns/exchanges so you don’t ever end up with fragrances you don’t love is even better.
- Product Size: Most perfume subscription boxes offer sample or travel-sized scents so you can try a bunch without paying too high a price. Some also have full-sized products so if you love a sample and want more, you can easily purchase the larger amount, often at a discount.
Why Trust Byrdie
Lindsay Colameo Peragallo has over 10 years of experience writing, editing, and testing products in the beauty space. She once launched a monthly beauty box subscription service, so she’s intimately familiar with how the subscription business model works and passionate about curating beauty items that she knows consumers will love. Often called “the beauty guru,” Lindsay is the go-to expert for all beauty products for her friends, family, and coworkers. She took a deep dive into perfume subscriptions for this article.