The Best Perfume Subscriptions

Monday, January 13th

2025 Perfume Subscription Reviews

Scentbox

• Standard: $9.72 for your first month, $16.95/month thereafter, for 1 fragrance (600+)
• Premium: $12.59 for your first month, $21.95/month thereafter for 1 fragrance (600+ standard and 250+ premium)
• Platinum: $17.75 for your first month, $30.95/month thereafter for 1 fragrance (1,000+ fragrances in total, including 250+ premium and 150+ platinum)
• Can also get a 2-or-3-fragrance-per-month subscription
• 8mL per fragrance
• Over 100 brands and 1,000 fragrances to choose from
• Can choose men's or women's fragrances anytime
• Free case every month
• Free shipping
• Free exchanges (5 per year)
• ScentBucks rewards program gives you 10% back on monthly membership fees

Scentbox makes trying on new fragrances about as easy-breezy as it gets. Fill up your queue with scents that you've been dying to try, and each month you'll get to see if the latest one in your mailbox works for you. We also laugh because Scentbox puts its perfume subscription like this: "Commitment issues, yeah same here... Go month to month & cancel anytime, we're not looking to tie you down, unless you're into that.” Okay then, Scentbox!

Mix-and-match among men's and women's scents

A perk offered by our favorite perfume subscriptions, including Scentbox, is open access to fragrances - regardless of whether they've been designated as a "men's” or "women's” scent. Not only does that let you switch up who gets the new one to try each month - maybe you've got a friend or a partner who also likes to experiment with cologne or perfume - but it also lets you think outside the box a little. Who says you can't rock something a little woodsy and fresh during your workout, then floral and sugary when it's time for your reservation at your favorite restaurant? Equal access = big win.

Tiered memberships for access to luxe scents

There are over 1,000 fragrances in the Scentbox selection, but they're divided in tiers. Some perfume clubs let you add on a higher-level scent for an upcharge whenever you like, but here you'll have to be signed up for that tier from month-to-month. That does mean that you're always paying for a luxury-level scent even in the months you choose from one of the standard scents. However, Scentbox is really transparent with which fragrances are in each tier (standard, premium, platinum): just click on the "view all” button as you look at the three tiers. For example, the standard level comes with 600 perfumes and colognes like A Girl in Capri by Lanvin and Armani Code. Premium scents include Alien by Thierry Mugler and Besos by Carner Barcelona, while Platinum fragrances on the list are 1827 (both feminine and masculine editions) by Clive Christian, Erolfa by Creed, and Xerjoff's Laylati and Lira, among others. And, with 600+ choices in the standard level alone, you could use Scentbox for a good long while before upgrading to premium or platinum, if you're trying to go in at the lowest possible starting price.

As low as $16.95/month

Whether it's standard, premium, or platinum, you'll get a 30-day supply (0.27 oz or approximately 125 sprays), and every perfume comes with its own new case. The first month will always come at a discount, and shipping is included in the price. For one fragrance per month, Scentbox's pricing shakes out like this:

• $9.72 for your first month, $16.95/month thereafter, for 1 standard fragrance (600+)
• $12.59 for your first month, $21.95/month thereafter for 1 premium fragrance (600+ standard and 250+ premium)
• $17.75 for your first month, $30.95/month thereafter for 1 platinum fragrance (1,000+ fragrances in total, including 150 platinum)

Also, at the top of the page where you choose your plan, you can toggle if you'd like to switch to a 2-fragrance or 3-fragrance monthly delivery. One for you, one for your partner, and one for that coworker who always forgets deodorant...

Up to 5 exchanges per year = huge perk

One of the most important advantages that Scentbox has over the other perfume subscriptions on our list is the ability to make exchanges. Who hasn't smelled a friend's signature scent and bought a bottle, only to find that it's not so pleasant when you wear it? And let's not even get started on the nose blindness after testing out a bunch of new fragrances, and how it leads us to commit to a perfume we wind up hating. With Scentbox, you can exchange your most recent shipment (no waiting until you've had it lying around for six months) for the next scent in your lineup - up to 5 times every 12 months. You don't even have to pay for the return shipping: just go into your dashboard, print out your prepaid USPS label, put it in an envelope (maybe even the Scentbox envelope it came in, if you've still got it handy), and send it off. If Scentbox were a person, we might just kiss them for being so flexible.

Generous rewards program

You'll also benefit from ScentBucks, this subscription's rewards program. You're credited with 10% of your subscription fee every month, and you can use it towards any purchase outside of your plan - like an extra atomizer, a full-size bottle of your new fave, and so on. There's no minimum amount you need to have accumulated in order to redeem it; just apply the balance to your cart when you get to the checkout page.

Consistently happy subscribers

Because our own experience with Scentbox was so superlative, we were shocked to see that the company received an "F” rating from the Better Business Bureau, despite having only 15 complaints filed there over the last three years. Compared with some rivals that have hundreds of complaints and still get an "A+”, it seems unfair to dock points from Scentbox for failing to respond to just two. Besides, in most other places you look (like Google reviews and Trustpilot), Scentbox consistently comes in with averages between 4.0 and 4.6 stars. There's the here-and-there complaint that a delivery didn't come or that an exchange didn't go off as smoothly as the customer hoped, but by and large you'll find that subscribers' experiences reflect ours: on-time delivery, super-easy queuing of scents, helpful recommendations for new perfumes to try, all with the benefit of making an exchange if a perfume you thought you'd like... isn't the right fit for your unique body chemistry after all.

#1 perfume subscription

We're pretty sure that you're ready to put Scentbox at the top of your list now - we certainly do. It's got unmatched flexibility compared with rival perfume subscriptions, the rewards program and case with every delivery are perks we can get behind, and we only canceled our own subscription when we needed to put our "fun money” elsewhere for a time. Scentbox continues to be our highest-rated pick among perfume subscriptions, and we can't wait to sign up again.

Purpl Lux

• 100% authentic fragrances from 600+ brands and 800+ scents
• 8mL of fragrance per delivery
• Can choose from both men's and women's scents
• $6.95 for your first month, $14.95/month thereafter
• $9.95/month when you pay for a year upfront
• Premium perfume available at a surcharge ($5 to $20)
• Free shipping
• Parent company (FragranceNet) is "A+” rated and accredited by the BBB
• Over 70,000 5-star reviews
• In business since 1997

Purpl Lux is the perfume subscription offered by FragranceNet, a well-known online retailer of deeply discounted perfumes, beauty products, even candles and aromatherapy. Since 1997, they've shipped over 30 million packages. And, Purpl Lux is one of our top picks among fragrance subscriptions.

Over 840 fragrances to choose from

Unlike some perfume subscriptions we've seen, Purpl Lux doesn't force you through a sign-up process just to see which fragrances they'll offer you when you set up your queue of scheduled scents. You can just jump right in and have a look. During our most recent visit, there were 841 to choose from, easily filtered by designer or gender, sorted by review count or new arrivals (among several other criteria), or simply searched for a favorite scent. Although Purpl Lux didn't have our all-time favorite, Ego Stratis by Juliette Has a Gun, there were 16 other options in that brand line. Our second-favorite, Eau Des Merveilles Bleue by Hermes, was indeed available in the Purpl Lux lineup.

Mix it up with men's and women's scents

We also really love that Purpl Lux doesn't restrict subscribers to just men's or women's scents. Maybe you'd like something soft and sweet one month and something more unisex and woodsy the next. Why not? It also gives you the flexibility of using this perfume subscription for multiple people in your household (after all, those teen boys can get pretty musty).

$9.95 to $14.95 per month

You won't break the bank with this perfume plan, either. The first month is just $6.95 and then $14.95 afterwards. But, once you fall in love with Purpl Lux and know that you want to keep the fragrance flowing long-term, you can pay for an annual plan upfront and it'll average out to just $9.95 per delivery. Shipping is always included in what you pay, regardless of the plan.

Available upgrades to premium perfumes

Just watch out for fragrances that have the "premium” designation. Those will be clearly indicated with the upcharge in bold right above where it says "Add to List”; you could pay $5, $10, $15, or $20 in addition to your regular monthly subscription fee, but those will always be for scents that are higher-end. (At least you know ahead of time which ones are going to be spendy if you wind up loving them enough to buy a full-size bottle later.)

Check out the reviews on each fragrance

While we couldn't find anything saying that Purpl Lux lets you swap out fragrances you wind up not liking, we did see plenty of attention given to customers leaving complaints - with company reps usually offering an exchange or a refund. You've also typically got scent reviews from other Purpl Lux/FragranceNet customers available to consider - which we always love to see when we need some guidance on trying something new-to-us.

Terrific reputation

Purpl Lux as a subscription and FragranceNet as a whole are highly-regarded. The company has a perfect "A+” and accreditation from the Better Business Bureau, responding appropriately to the 160+ complaints filed there over the last year (remember, they're shipping out hundreds of thousands of orders every year, so that's not a lot of issues in comparison). And, among the 75,000+ reviews on Trustpilot, where FragranceNet averages 4.1 out of 5 stars, the comments specific to the Purpl Lux perfume subscription are almost always super-satisfied. While every so often there's a package that doesn't get delivered - and reps are happy to fix the problem - most subscribers can't wait to get their next Purpl Lux perfume.

Close runner-up to our top perfume subscription

Purpl Lux has just about everything you could want in a perfume subscription: tons of brands from workday basic scents to top-shelf, night-on-the-town luxury fragrances; affordable pricing (especially when you pay for a full year upfront); and, fantastic customer service. About the only thing keeping this membership from our highest rating is the lack of free exchanges that you'll find with our #1 perfume subscription. Otherwise, Purpl Lux is almost guaranteed to be a month-to-month winner every time it comes in the mail.

Olfactif

• Designed for the adventurous and fragrance-curious
• Focuses on indie, luxury, and niche brands from around the world
• Every month's scents are centered around a theme
• $22 for three different 2mL fragrances (men's or women's)
• $40 for six different 2mL fragrances (three men's and three women's)
• Save 2%-5% when you prepay for 3, 6, or 12 months
• Free shipping within the US
• Members always save 20% on full-size bottles of featured scents, 10% on all other full-size bottles, and 10% on a la carte samples
• "A+” rated by the BBB
• In business since 2013

Olfactif has a question for you: "Why smell like everyone else?” Why, indeed. This perfume subscription isn't for the faint of heart (or nose?) or for anyone who loves buying everyday fragrances from the drugstore shelves. Instead, Olfactif focuses on indie, niche, and luxury scents from around the world, never including the same fragrance twice so that you can always be learning and experimenting. Some of their scents could help you "feel tranquil on a Sunday morning”, while others could "build up your swagger for an important meeting”. If you're adventurous, curious, and open to new experiences, Olfactif will be the perfect perfume subscription.

Curated selection of 3-6 themed monthly scents

When you set up your subscription at Olfactif, you really don't have to make too many decisions: this isn't the kind of perfume plan that makes you guess at what you'll like (or take a profile quiz), rearranging your queue all the time, and hoping you pick a winner. In fact, Olfactif knows that sometimes what they send you will be an absolute "no way” to your nose - and that's part of the experience. What this company does to perfection is scenter-ing (see what we did there?) every month's fragrances around a theme, often seasonal, so you might get citrusy bliss in the summer and woodsy, smoky musk in the late fall. If you've ever done any kind of tasting party - wine, chocolate, cheese, you name it - you'll be familiar with how Olfactif leads you on a journey, complete with cards describing each fragrance and a place for you to take notes on what you notice, like, or dislike. (Those cards also have a place for you to spray just a bit, so you can smell each one independently from the next - instead of trying to keep them separate on your forearms.)

Choose between men's and women's fragrances

So, the only input that Olfactif needs from you is whether you want three 2mL fragrances that are more traditionally for women, three for men, or the deluxe package that comes with all six monthly samples. We noticed that Olfactif regularly includes scents that are more unisex, both in the women's selections and the men's, so you really can't go wrong either way. (But we recommend the deluxe, from our own personal experience.)

$22 to $40 per month

And price? It's $22 for either of the 3-vial collections, and $40 for the combination set. Shipping is included in the price, but you'll need to add the extra Route Shipping Protection if you want more options if something is broken when it arrives or there's another delivery problem. We're not the biggest fans of that structure, but we're seeing it pop up all over the place, especially with smaller businesses who need to help manage their costs too.

Frequent discounts on offer

Over the years we've been customers of Olfactif, we've seen tons of opportunities to save. Usually around major holidays (like Christmas, Hanukkah, Mother's Day, and even Amazon Prime Days), you'll see offers for discounts - sometimes on full-size bottles of your latest Olfactif favorites, sometimes on samplers, and even occasionally on subscriptions. At the time of our most recent visit to the website, Olfactif was discounting literally everything, including subscriptions, by 25%. And, when you're a subscription member at Olfactif, there's an ongoing discount of 20% on any of the featured monthly scents and 10% on ones from previous months, so you can always save a bit on the perfumes and colognes that make people keep telling you how amazing you smell. Or, if you want to give someone their own sample to try, you can add the small vials a la carte at a 10% discount as well.

Prepay and save

Another way to save is by prepaying for 3, 6, or 12 months. You'll get a discount ranging from 2%-5% that way. However, we'd suggest trying this perfume subscription for a month or two (maybe with a juicy seasonal promo discount) before taking the full plunge: these scents are super-niche and will provide a very different experience from sampling the Burberrys and Bvlgaris at the department store counter.

Subscribers love this perfume plan

Olfactif has earned the respect of the Better Business Bureau, demonstrated by the "A+” rating there. Better yet, there hasn't been a single complaint filed with the BBB. You can also see lots of happy reviews scattered throughout the Olfactif site, and none of the negative ones are filtered out - but we're happy to say that even so, this perfume subscription still earns an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars, as verified by Yotpo. While we didn't find a ton of reviews for Olfactif on third-party sites, their social media channels are full of posts with mentions and likes. And, during the course of our subscription, we had zero issues with any aspect of this perfume membership: everything was well-packaged and delivered on time, and it was no problem to pause, skip, or cancel whenever we needed. If it weren't for the fact that we needed to use our "fun money” on other things for a while, we would have stayed subscribed to Olfactif indefinitely.

Full bottles will be spendy

If we had to pick any kind of downside for Olfactif, it's this: you're going to fall in love with some really top-shelf scents here, and you might flinch when you see that they're often $100 to $200 for a full-size bottle. This is where we discovered Ego Stratis by Juliette Has a Gun ($150), Fruits of the Tree of Knowledge by 4160 Tuesdays ($110), and Honey Aoud by Montale ($180), and it was a good little while before we could afford to put those into our regular rotation.

Top perfume subscription for the adventurous

When you're ready to "graduate” from basic, boring perfumes that everyone wears and move into something a little more risky (and rewarding), Olfactif is ready to take you to the next fragrance level. We can't say enough good things about this perfume subscription, especially as a gift for adventurous types (like foodies, travelers, you know who we're talking about).

Scent Trunk

• Unique unisex scents from independent perfumers
• Choose each scent (manual subscription) or from one of two packages (automatic subscription)
• $18/delivery
• Can choose billing on the 1st of the month or from the date of activation
• In business since 2015

Anyone can smell like Marc Jacobs Daisy or the latest by Burberry, but how about "a scene in the mountains of Tibet” or "a grand Celestial Gala in the dramatically beautiful Butterfly Nebula”? That doesn't come in every bottle of perfume you'll ever meet, but it's part of the unique scent palette you'll discover at Scent Trunk. This Canadian company has been around since 2015 when two college friends decided they could bring a "modern online fragrance experience” to an industry saturated with the same-old-scents. Fashion yourself a modern collector of fragrances on the daring side? If so, you'll love the surprises of a monthly perfume subscription here.

Do you like to be in control?

There are three membership options at Scent Trunk, and your first decision is how much control you'd like to have over what you receive. If you're a hands-on kind of person, your best bet is the Original Edition. At the time of our review, there were 32 different fragrances to choose from, ranging from "mouth-watering” scents like Stroopwafel and Golden Cocoa, to dark-and-mysterious perfumes like Black Hemlock and Treemoss. Whichever "flavors” catch your attention, you're bound to be entertained and intrigued as you consider the notes of each perfume, the story behind them, and even the background of the perfumer who created the scent. Just be aware that you'll have to manually choose what you receive from one delivery to the next - this subscription isn't automated.

Ready for a surprise?

Your other option at Scent Trunk is to choose one of two curated selections that follow a theme (and, being completely honest, we were a little disappointed to see that it's the same two themes that Scent Trunk has been offering for years). The first theme is "Supernatural Future”, and it includes scents like Miss Layla's Truffle in January, Heather D'angelo's Neroli in March, and Shabnam Tavakol's Saffron in September. (We'll also point out that the subscription description referenced a $15/month price point, but it was still $18/month in the checkout and product selection section. Just FYI.). The second theme goes all the way back to 2021's collection in the "Botanical Machinist” series, with fragrances like Persephenie's Patchouli in December, Hans Hendley's Everlasting in July, and Loreto Remsing's Moon Jasmine in March.

About $22/month

All of the perfume subscriptions at Scent Trunk cost $18 per delivery, and shipping fees are calculated when you check out. In our test zip code in the southern US, our shipping cost was $4.68, bringing our monthly cost to $22.68. That's pretty steep when you consider that you're only getting about 100 spritzes from your 5mL spray bottle (and paying $4 to $8 more than many competitors on our list) - but then again, this is designed to be a luxe experience, and you get what you pay for. Also, you've got the option of paying on the first of the month or every month on the date you activated your Scent Trunk subscription (the 16th of the month).

Save 10% when you sign up for emails

You could score a bit of savings at Scent Trunk. Just keep an eye out for a pop-up when you first land on the site: if you give them your email address, you'll get a 10% discount on your first order and exclusive offers in your inbox. We're not 100% sure that the discount applies to both subscriptions and one-off orders of full-size fragrances, but it's worth a try.

Limited but positive reviews

As you might guess, this niche perfume retailer doesn't have the buzz of thousands upon thousands of customer reviews, but what's out there is typically enthusiastic. Even though not every scent is going to land for every wearer - body chemistry, personal preference, and style are all factors - Scent Trunk customers agree that the company delivers on its promises. You'll never doubt the quality or the artistry behind the perfume you receive here, even if a particular fragrance doesn't wind up in your regular rotation.

A bit lacking in variety over time

Beyond the price point, which isn't really a huge issue for what you're getting at Scent Trunk, our only other hesitation with this perfume subscription is the lack of variety. As we mentioned, it was a bit of a shock to see the same 12-fragrance rotation from all the way back in 2021 - drawing from what seemed to be the same selection as the choose-it-yourself scents. We even double-checked Scent Trunk's social media channels to make sure they hadn't gone out of business. (Fortunately, their socials had posts left within just a few days of our review, so no worries there.)

A fun way to experiment with 30+ new scents

If you're absolutely bored with brand-name perfume and are dying to break out of your fragrance rut, Scent Trunk could be your solution. We're huge fans of supporting indie perfumers and experimenting with cutting-edge scents, and this subscription has that vibe. However, there's at least one rival on our list that, frankly, does that better - with seemingly unending variety from one month (and one year) to the next. You've got nothing to lose by giving Scent Trunk a go for a while, though, because it'll take you nearly three years to work your way through all of the perfumes they offer. We give this subscription an above-average rating.

Perfume

• Over 500 brands
• 0.27 fl.oz in each bottle
• Options for both perfume and cologne
• $7.47 for the first month, $14.95 for subsequent shipments
• Free shipping
• In business since 1995
• "A” rated by the BBB

Perfume has been offering discount perfumes over the internet since 1995. Their inventory consists of more than 13,000 brands - not just the classics like Chanel and Donna Karan, but also throwbacks like Liz Claiborne (remember the triangle bottle designs from the 80s?) and niche labels like Desigual and Amouage. To make it even easier to find a fragrance that you love without having to commit to a whole bottle of it, Perfume provides a subscription option too.

You can't see everything until you sign up

We're still a little annoyed by how Perfume sets up their subscriptions. First off, you have to choose a plan for women or for men - there's no mixy-matchy goodness here, unfortunately. But even more irritating is the fact that you can't even see which specific "exclusive fragrances” might be included in the 500+ brands unless you move forward with creating an account on the Perfume site. Sure, we're fans of Prada, Versace, Dior, and Guerlain just like the next person, but it's a disadvantage not to show off what's on offer (and to make people give up their info first).

Best-sellers aren't that impressive

Even when you choose "Get Started Now”, you only get to queue up your Perfume subscription with a curated selection of their best-sellers. We're not sure about you, but Elizabeth Arden Red Door and Calvin Klein Eternity aren't really avante-garde or exciting in our book. It leaves us wondering if the entire "portfolio” of perfumes here skews older (we spotted White Diamonds and even the drugstore favorite Exclamation by Coty). Then again, because so many people shop here for full-size bottles of fragrance, you'll have hundreds of customer reviews to help you sift out the winners from the stinkers (literally).

Under $15/month

You may also be drawn in by the pricing at Perfume. Your first delivery automatically comes at a 50% discount ($7.47), and then the following months are priced at $14.95. Just keep in mind that you only get 0.27 fl.oz in the vial, while some rivals give you 0.30 fl.oz (we think that's about 120 vs. 150 sprays). Shipping is included in the price, and from what we can tell, you get a new atomizer/case - in one of seven different colors - each time your perfume arrives. Given that some competitors only give you one free case at the start of their subscriptions, Perfume pulls a bit ahead by not making you swap out your glass vials every time you get a new scent.

Company has a good track record overall

Reputation-wise, Perfume makes a solid showing with an "A” rating from the Better Business Bureau. There were just 33 complaints filed with the BBB over the last 3 years, and that "A” grade means that Perfume gets the BBB's approval for responding to those issues promptly and appropriately. And, on Trustpilot alone, this scent shop has gotten a commendable 4-star average across nearly 20,000 reviews, with 83% of ratings coming in at a perfect 5 stars. It's a good sign that Perfume reps respond to complaints on the Trustpilot platform as well.

Perfume subscription can be hit-or-miss

On the other hand, when we dug deeper to find reviews specific to the subscription option at Perfume (since the vast majority of customers leave comments about buying full-size bottles), we weren't consistently impressed. One reviewer said she absolutely loved the fragrance that came with her first delivery and couldn't wait for the next one, but several others said that they felt like they were getting cheap, watered-down versions of scents they know very well. As one customer said, why would you pay $15/month for a knock-off when you can pay $10 for it at a drugstore? We don't think Perfume is actually diluting their fragrances, but there seems to be something about their decanting process that can leave an "odd, overpowering alcohol smell” that doesn't exactly scream "luxury perfume”.

Just okay as a perfume subscription

Perfume comes in with a "just average” rating in our review. We appreciate the lower-than-rivals pricing and the new case included with every delivery, and there are certainly some scents we know and love in the inventory. We're just not confident that their subscription really competes well with services landing higher on our list: some of the "best sellers” offered in the initial lineup are, indeed, cheapie drugstore scents that remind us a little bit too much of our mother's teen years (or our grandmothers). You could safely keep Perfume as an affordable backup option, but we wouldn't sign up here until we'd checked out some of the classier and/or edgier subscriptions that are out there first.

The Fragrance Club

• About 40 perfume options to choose from
• 100% authentic fragrances
• $18.95 for monthly deliveries
• $19.95 for bi-monthly deliveries
• $189.48 for an annual (prepaid) subscription
• Free shipping on all clubs
• Cologne subscription also available
• In operation since 1997

In operation since 1997, The Fragrance Club is structured like most perfume subscriptions on our list: you create a queue of scents that you like, and you get a monthly delivery of a 10mL bottle that lasts for approximately 150 sprays (roughly 30 days' worth). There are options for both perfume and cologne, and you can decide if you want to set up your subscription for monthly or bi-monthly deliveries. Your first shipment comes with a free leather "casing” for safe storage of your perfume, and you'll never pay for delivery (shipping is included in the price of each subscription).

Under $20/month

Speaking of the price, what does The Fragrance Club charge? You'll have to decide if you want to set it up for monthly or bimonthly deliveries, and if you'd like to pay as you go or in full for a year. Here's how the pricing shakes out:

• $18.95/delivery for month-to-month perfume (or cologne) subscriptions
• $19.95/delivery for every-other-month subscriptions
• $189.48 for a prepaid annual subscription (12 deliveries)

Extremely limited selection

Those prices are pretty comparable with rival perfume subscriptions, but the selection at The Fragrance Club is beyond disappointing. When we went to set up our membership, there were only 37 perfumes to choose from, and some of them were really old-fashioned for our tastes - like 5th Avenue by Elizabeth Arden. Most of the selections were from Vince Camuto, Oscar De La Renta, Kenneth Cole, Jimmy Choo, and Coach. Those are decent, reliable brands, but you'd go through a third of the available fragrances here in the first year. It definitely lacks the variety we expect to see when we sign up for a perfume subscription.

Not many details to guide you

And, when you click on an individual fragrance that might be one you want to try, you'll get fragrance notes (that are sometimes misspelled... like "rasberry leaf”...in addition to many other site typos), and that's about all. The Fragrance Club doesn't have a place for other subscribers to leave their honest assessment of the perfume, so you're really on your own here.

Refunds only after the first month

What if you get a scent that just isn't right for you? The Fragrance Club's terms say that you can request a refund within 30 days of joining. In other words, if Month #1's perfume is just perfect, but Month #2 delivers one that you can't stand... you're out of luck. That's a big downside compared with at least one rival subscription that lets you make a certain number of no-cost exchanges every year.

Outdated but should be getting a new look soon

We can't really say that The Fragrance Club is at the top of its game. When we started browsing its perfume subscription options, we found that one option was the "2019 Get Started” package (which, you may notice, is more than a few years ago). That's not exactly a good sign, so we reached out to make sure the company is still in operation - especially since, on their socials, the last "signs of life” were almost a year prior to this evaluation. The only other way to contact The Fragrance Club is via email, and somewhat surprisingly, we did get a response: "Yes we are still in business. We actually are erasing and relaunching our socials these next few months to change appearance slightly. Sorry for the inconvenience."

No recent feedback

But, unsurprisingly, there's not really any current feedback to speak of for this perfume subscription. Listing with the Better Business Bureau? Not that we could find. Facebook reviews? Nothing over the last year (and prior to that, it wasn't exactly what we'd call "enthusiastic”). Trustpilot? No listing we could spot.

Lots of room for improvement

We won't say that this is the worst perfume subscription out there - at least the company responded when we reached out, and maybe they'll truly be new-and-improved in the near future with that relaunch. But, with a number of rivals out there who have consistently delivered amazing scents and gotten tons of rave reviews from subscribers, The Fragrance Club has a long way to go before it can move up from our below-average rating.

Luxury Scent Box

• Subscriptions cost $15.95/month
• Can save by prepaying
• Free shipping
• 9mL (0.30 fl.oz) in each delivery
• Hundreds of perfumes from classic and niche brands
• Can choose from women's and men's fragrances (mix-and-match)
• 100% authentic fragrances
• In business since 2016

The backstory of Luxury Scent Box (or LUXSB for short) is one to love: the company founders took their beauty industry experience and used it to create OC Perfumes, a fragrance boutique that allowed them to get to know their clients and match them with the perfect scents. LUXSB emerged from the boutique in 2016, using a detailed survey to help online customers find new signature perfumes.

Traditional and niche perfumes available

As you might expect from a perfume subscription with a boutique background, the scents available through LUXSB go well beyond the basics of Burberry and Calvin Klein - although you'll find plenty of those traditional favorites too. But, you'll also be able to experiment with more niche perfumers, like Amouage, Comptoir Sud Pacifique, Galimard, and many more. There are hundreds of options available through LUXSB, and as you browse it's easy to see which ones are in stock, trending, cruelty-free, or new arrivals. And, if you like to mix-and-match between men's and women's scents, you can do that anytime with this subscription.

Get recommendations or choose freely from hundreds of perfumes

LUXSB is happy to help you explore fragrances that will be a perfect match for your style. Take the quiz during the signup process and see what recommendations you get. Of course, you are also allowed to add any perfume you like, without having to follow what LUXSB suggests.

Rich details on each scent

And, as you start exploring the many scents available here, you'll have lots of insightful details to consider - from top, mid, and bottom notes, to the story of the perfumer, and any available reviews from other LUXSB subscribers.

A la carte upgrades on offer

Luxury Scent Box also features ultra-luxurious scents that are at a higher price point. You'll see those designated as Premium, Ultra Premium, Gold Premium, and Platinum Premium; the surcharge for each one is $5, $10, $15, and $30, respectively. Each time you choose an upgraded fragrance, you'll get a new fragrance case; LUXSB only sends you the case with your first shipment with regular perfumes, expecting you to swap out the glass vial that comes with each new monthly delivery. (That's a downside; some of Luxury Scent Box's rivals give you a shiny new case each and every time.)

Month-to-month or prepay for a discount

However, the pricing model at LUXSB is a little odd. The basic month-to-month plan is $15.95 per month. Or, you can prepay, but it's not for a timeframe - instead, you'll essentially "load” your account with $100 or $200 and get a $10 or $20 bonus applied to your account. Your monthly perfume subscription costs will be deducted from what you've prepaid. The good news is that, either way, your shipping is always included.

No returns or exchanges

And, if you get a fragrance you don't like? Whether it's a classic like Calvin Klein Eternity or something new-to-you like Marc Antoine Barrois' Ganymede Extrait (a Gold Premium scent), you're keeping it - because LUXSB doesn't offer returns or exchanges for any reason.

The lights are on, but is anyone home?

Unfortunately, we're also not very confident that anyone is home at Luxury Scent Box anymore. Its Better Business Bureau profile was designated as "being updated” when we checked recently. The website copyright is 2020, and LUXSB's socials were dead after April 2024. The toll-free number still goes to the right place, but no one picks up at any of the extensions, and you'll be directed to voicemail. Although customers may have been huge fans of this perfume subscription several years ago, that definitely doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

Skip this perfume subscription

LUXSB has many of the hallmarks we look for in a fantastic perfume subscription: reasonable prices, a wide variety of classic and niche fragrances, and the added perk of being able to mix-and-match between men's and women's scents. However, that's all pretty moot if no one is picking up the phone and your order potentially goes off into the void. We'll keep an eye on Luxury Scent Box in the future, just in case they experience some kind of revival... but until then, this perfume subscription seems to essentially be dead in the water.

Scentbird

• Over 700 fragrances to choose from
• $16.95/month
• 8mL (0.27 oz) in each delivery
• Can save 50% on your first month (timed offer)
• Cologne also available (as a separate subscription, no mix-and-match)
• Free case with your first order only
• In business since 2013

Scentbird has been delivering top-shelf fragrances since 2013. Founded by Mariya Nurislamova, a speed reaching coach and former professional ballroom dancer with a passion for perfume, this subscription can bring over 700 scents right to your home.

Hurry if you want to save 50%

When you start browsing the Scentbird site, you might spot a promo saying you can save 50% on your first month. Awesome, right? However, it comes with a high-pressure countdown timer; if you don't decide to subscribe within 20 minutes of browsing the site, too bad for you. (If you can't tell, we don't love those kinds of tactics.)

No mix-and-match between men's and women's fragrances

But, continuing onward, as you set up your Scentbird profile, you'll indicate if you prefer feminine or masculine scents - both perfume and cologne are available here, but you can't mix-and-match within one subscription. You can also take their scent profile quiz anytime you like - at the beginning of your subscription, if you'd like some suggestions, or later on if you feel like your tastes may have changed.

$16.95/month

You won't get quite as much perfume from Scentbird: where many rivals include at least 9mL of fragrance in each delivery, this club only gives you 8mL (0.27 fl.oz). You also only get a case for your perfume vial with your first delivery; you're expected to reuse it as each new fragrance ships (which can be a pain if you don't use all 130 sprays of the last one you received - you'll have to swap them out and store them somewhere they won't get broken). But, this perfume subscription is a bit cheaper at $16.95/month, compared with some competitors who charge $18.95+, so you do the math and decide if you'd rather pay less or get more fragrance.

Impressive selection

Another great resource is Scentbird's Discover section of the website. From the notes library and fragrance family library to the fun "scent horoscope”, you can get all kinds of ideas about where to take your scent style next. It's also where you can take a peek at the brands in the selection through this perfume subscription - it literally goes from A(cqua di Parma) to Z(irh). Scentbird makes it easy to try classic scents you've always heard about but never owned (like Versace Bright Crystal Absolu or Michael Kors Wonderlust), or try something lesser-known but amazing (like Juliette Has a Gun Ode to Dullness or the latest premium scent from Amouage). But, speaking of "premium”, pay attention to the fact that some perfumes come with a surcharge - they're considered luxury fragrances, and the extra will be added to your monthly bill.

No exchanges or returns

If you get a fragrance that you don't love, can you return or exchange it with Scentbird? Unfortunately, that's a no. That's pretty common within the perfume subscription industry, but there's at least one service on our list that gives you a certain number of swaps per year. If there's something defective or damaged, though, you can reach out to Scentbird's customer service team and they'll take care of it.

Worst possible reputation with the BBB

With all of that, are you wondering why we've given this company such a low rating? Scentbird lands at the bottom of our list because of its reputation. Not only does the company get an "F” rating from the Better Business Bureau, but there's also a whole alert on the BBB site saying that there have been numerous complaints about the site accepting subscription orders but never shipping out the perfume. It's unfortunate that the BBB had to make that kind of notice, because other reviews for Scentbird are decent, if not universally positive. On Trustpilot, for example, this perfume subscription platform comes in with a 3.7-star average. Some members love the packaging, the ability to pause their subscription when needed, and the ability to try new fragrances so easily. On the other hand, more than 25% of the ratings on Trustpilot are just a single star, and many of them were left within just a few days of our evaluation. Those complaints ranged from accounts being canceled out of the blue to customers continuing to be charged after canceling.

Not a perfume subscription we'd trust

We just can't get past that "F” rating and alert from the BBB. There's no excuse for Scentbird to take people's money and then not deliver the perfume. And, in a marketplace where there are more than a few trustworthy options with tons of variety (hint: you'll find them at the top of our list), Scentbird only stands out in a bad way - giving you less perfume in every delivery, assuming your orders arrive at all.