Where to find perfume samples

Test driving a scent before buying a full-sized bottle is such a good idea. The solution: affordable perfume samples.

It’s handy to know where you can get your hands on perfume samples, because who wants a graveyard of expensive unused perfume?

These websites and brands enable perfume experimentation without the full-bottle-cost commitment.

ScentBird

ScentBird allows you to choose from over 350 designer perfumes including brand names like Gucci, Prada, Escada and Fendi. The online perfume destination only offers 100 per cent authentic fragrances from authorized vendors, or scents directly from the brands so you will never have to worry about getting a knock off perfume.

How does it work? First you have to subscribe. There are different types of subscriptions ranging from monthly ($14.95) to yearly ($162) plans. Unfortunately, you must be a resident of the US to receive samples, so us Canadian perfume lovers are out of luck for the time being.

After subscribing, you get one fragrance per month that is 8 ml. With your first shipment you will get a free, sleek metal case to put your perfume bottles in. Since there are so many fragrances to choose from on Scentbird you can specify what kind of scent you’re looking for—spicy, fresh, fruity— or choose from different perfume personalities like flirty, elegant or mysterious. www.scentbird.com

Pinrose

If you feel like trying a perfume off the beaten path, check out Pinrose. The company makes their own fragrances that are free of phthalates or parabens. The brand is also animal-, cruelty- and gluten-free. Before buying a $55 (50 ml) perfume on Pinrose, you can try Pinrose Petals which is their version of samples. A Petal is a small sachet that contains a dose of fragrance. If you order the starter kit ($9) you can get the entire Pinrose Collection of 10 fragrances in these small petals.

In order to find what scent you want to try, the website uses visual cues and sound that relate to each fragrance. Moodboards, sounds and descriptions all help you determine the character or vibe of each scent, making it easier for you to pick your favourite before actually smelling it. It’s a creative way to find the right scent for whoever you’re picking a spritz for. Alas this is another perfume source that is for US residents only. www.pinrose.com

Commodity

What’s unique about Commodity? You can either wear their fragrance alone or you can mix multiple perfumes by layering them and create your own scent cocktail. Pick from two collections—black (complex, moody and intense) and white (bright, airy and easy). As for samples, you can try all 10 of the brand’s scents with one of their try-at-home kits. They offer three different Fitting Kit options with different pricing and bottle size for each. Commodity is available at Sephora in Canada.

Olfactif

If you want to smell (almost) one of a kind and are into niche perfume then you’re at the right place. Olfactif offers perfume brands including Laudana Nero, Otis & Me and Anvers. By subscribing to Olfactif you will receive three deluxe sized “hardest-to-find” perfume samples every month from niche artists around the world. Sample sizes are 2.25 ml and each come in a glass spray vial—perfect for on the go perfuming. Not only will you get samples, the brand also gives $18 credit to put toward every bottle of a featured scent. A monthly subscription is $18, three months is $51 and a 6 month subscription is $96—though the purchase price of a regular sized bottle will depend on the brand. www.olfactif.com

Perfume Niche

This Canadian-based website offers 1 ml perfume samples and offers brands like L’Artisan Parfumeur and Serge Lutens. The best part? You don’t need to subscribe to this service to reap the benefits of perfume sampling. The price of each 1 ml sample depends on the brand, but many are between $4 and $8. You can also check out their blog where they announce a new fragrance addition to the sampling program every Monday and Friday. www.perfumeniche.com

My Perfume Samples

The My Perfume Samples website offers different sample sizes—you can choose from 1 ml, 3ml and 5 ml. With over one thousand fragrances, My Perfume Samples is a great place to search for something new. Look for brands like Calvin Klein, Vince Camuto and Bvlgari. They offer fragrance for women and men, as well as gift sets, empty glass vials and decant kits. www.myperfumesamples.com