Olfactif Review

Wednesday, September 11th

2024 Perfume Subscription Reviews

Olfactif

• Choose a subscription with 3 fragrances for women (or "adventurous men" ), 3 fragrances for men ("traditionally masculine and unisex" ), or get all 6 curated scents in the Deluxe plan
• Subscribers get discounts on a la carte sample vials and full-size bottles
• Rewards program
• "A+" rated by the BBB
• In business since 2013

Olfactif calls itself "the original niche perfume discovery service for women and men" . Unlike the majority of the perfume subscriptions out there, this membership won't offer all of the designer brands and scents you're familiar with. Instead, each month's delivery comes with three 2 mL spray vials of Olfactif's curated selection from independent perfumers around the world. If you're adventurous and want fragrances that almost no one else is wearing at the moment, this could be the perfect perfume membership for you.

A fragrance experience like no other

Every shipment comes with extensive information about the artists who created each scent, smell guides, and much more. You can also preview what Olfactif has to offer through its social media channels. For example, one year's October perfumes were all centered around a Salem (Halloween/fall) theme, with descriptions like "the perfect accompaniment to your cloak and dagger with a chameleon-like drydown that has people lowering their masks and winking with acceptance" . Um, yes?!

All monthly scents are pre-selected

You also won't have to spend any time deciding which fragrances to include in your perfume subscription here, since they're all selected for you and they're the same for all members. Your only decision is if you'd prefer to receive the women's collection (though Olfactif thoughtfully says that it's also suitable for "adventurous men" ), men's collection (described as consisting of scents that are "traditionally masculine or unisex" ), or the Deluxe plan that comes with all six monthly fragrances. But, if you'd prefer to have some control over the fragrances you receive, you can always buy individual sample vials a la carte through the Olfactif online store as well.

Surprisingly affordable

Your scent adventure with Olfactif is not nearly as expensive as you might think, considering that you're getting three or six niche perfumes or colognes: $19 for either of the three-vial subscriptions or $38 for the Deluxe set. You can save a little extra (from 2-5%) if you prepay for a 3-, 6-, or 12-month plan. And, as an Olfactif subscriber, you're always entitled to a 20% discount on full bottles of any monthly featured fragrance, 10% on all other full bottles, and 10% on a la carte samples.

Rewards program discounts

Also, every purchase through Olfactif - including monthly membership fees and purchases through the shop - earns you Scent Points. You'll automatically get 200 points when you create your account, and you can get extra points for writing a review, sharing Olfactif on social media, and so on. Redeem them for discounts on full bottles, sample packs, or candles - just not towards your subscription itself.

Gift a subscription - even to yourself

If you don't want your Olfactif subscription to automatically renew at the end of the membership term you selected, consider setting up your plan as a gift (treat yourself!). That's important because we found a few complaints from customers saying that it was difficult to get their perfume subscription canceled, and that they were billed repeatedly after that request had been made.

Cost per month

• $19 for three 2mL scents (choose men's or women's)
• $38 for Deluxe (all six monthly scents for men/women)
• Save 2-5% when you prepay for 3, 6, or 12 months

Complaints are a thing of the past

But, any other complaints we found about Olfactif seem to have been resolved over the years. No phone number to contact the company? You'll now find that number right where you'd expect it, under the Contact Us link (along with a support email address and online form, if you prefer). Prefer only more traditional men's or women's fragrances? No problem: you can always choose one or the other.

Well-liked by adventurous types

And, the compliments for Olfactif are recent and plentiful, especially if you look through the verified buyer reviews at the bottom of the Subscriptions page. No one seems to particularly mind that there's no returns or exchanges here, because they're so pleasantly surprised by the scent experience overall. So many subscribers say that their Olfactif membership has helped them to become well-educated on perfume and cologne in ways that traditional subscriptions can't touch: since the selection is curated, you're given the chance to try notes and ingredients that you might have rejected on name alone, discovering what you do and don't like. And, because each box has a theme that doesn't revolve around any particular note, you're never stuck with three (or six) scents that all smell like the same thing.

Best perfume subscription for niche fragrances

We give Olfactif our highest possible rating. Anyone who's serious about exploring unique fragrances will love trying out 3-6 carefully-curated niche scents each month, plus the sizable discounts on any you think are worth getting as a full bottle. While we had to hold back our first-place ranking because Olfactif isn't going to be what most people think of when looking for a perfume subscription (name-brand designer perfume), we think it's the perfect membership for anyone who wants to experiment and turn some heads by smelling absolutely unique.