I Tried ScentBox for a Month, and I Fell in Love With My New Scent

I’m extremely disloyal when it comes to my beauty buys, so I’m always looking to try out the next new product. This mentality also applies to fragrances, which I love to explore and switch up based on my mood, the season, and even time of day. But testing out new perfumes and colognes in stores is tough, as you can’t sniff multiple scents without your nose getting overwhelmed and the selection can be limited. 

To avoid these in-store scent hassles, I signed up for ScentBox, a perfume subscription box service that sends subscribers a new sample-sized fragrance each month to try out at their leisure. The service has hundreds of scents to choose from, many from popular brands like Marc Jacobs, Juliette Has a Gun, Burberry, and more. While the samples are, well, sample-sized, ScentBox is a great option for trying different scents without committing to purchasing a full-sized bottle.

How I Tested ScentBox

I signed up for ScentBox for a month, which granted me access to hundreds of scents, along with my choice of a single sample. When reviewing the popular service, I wanted to gauge how easy it was to sign up, how easy it was to navigate my options, and honestly, how simple it was to cancel—which can be a frustrating experience when you’re signed up for a subscription service. Overall, ScentBox excelled in each of these categories, making my experience truly positive. Thanks to the service, I was able to easily try new scents at a relatively affordable price, and I highly recommend it for anyone who’s looking to do the same.

Key Specs

• Base price: $16.95 per month
• Free shipping? Yes
• Delivery frequency: Monthly 
• No. of items per shipment: 1-3 samples per month depending on your membership tier
• Sample size: 8-milliliter bottle 

How Does ScentBox Work?

ScentBox is a perfume subscription service with three different membership tiers to choose from. Each tier sends subscribers a sample-sized (8-milliliter) perfume or cologne of their choosing each month. A standard, base-level subscription gives subscribers access to 600 scents for $16.95 per month. For $21.95 per month, you can upgrade to the premium tier, which comes with the same perks as the base plan, but you can choose from an additional selection of 250 premium scents. 

The top ScentBox tier is the platinum membership, which is $30.95 per month and gives you access to an impressive 1,000+ fragrances. This includes all of the 850 standard and premium ones, plus an additional 150 platinum-exclusive scents. If you want to try out multiple fragrances at the same time, you can upgrade any of the aforementioned plans to receive either two or three sample bottles per month, but you will have to pay between $10 to $20 extra for this perk. 

ScentBox is an extremely customizable subscription service, which I personally appreciated. Not only can you pick your membership level, but once you’ve subscribed, you have literally hundreds of choices in front of you. That’s the case even at the standard-level plan, which is the one I signed up for since it was the cheapest option. Once you’ve signed up and paid for your first month, you can begin adding fragrances to your queue so you always have something ready to go when it’s time for your next shipment. 

While having hundreds of options can be overwhelming, there are multiple ways to sift through scents. For starters, you can search for fragrances by brand, allowing you to easily browse popular names like Bond No. 9, Lanvin, and Chloé. Another way to filter results is to search by a single note or multiple notes from an extensive, varied list. So if you’re drawn to fragrances with hints of licorice, lilac, musk, tobacco, or geranium, you can easily search for similar scents using this method. 

If you’re still unsure about a scent, ScentBox's Scent Profile Quiz will also help point you in the right direction. The quiz asks you questions related to what aromas appeal most to you, what activities you enjoy doing, your music taste, and your relaxation style. Based on your responses, the service will generate a list of scents that you’ll likely enjoy. However, when I took the quiz, the service suggested 14 fragrances based on my answers, but a whopping 13 were unavailable because they were exclusively for either premium or platinum subscribers. 

ScentBox Cost

Since ScentBox has three different membership tiers that each allow you to customize how many scents you want per month, prices vary immensely. The following is a complete cost breakdown of each plan, including upgrades:

• Standard Plan: $16.95 per month
• Premium Plan: $21.95 per month
• Platinum Plan: $30.95 per month
• Standard Plan (2 fragrances per month): $28.95 per month 
• Premium Plan (2 fragrances per month): $36.95 per month
• Platinum Plan (2 fragrances per month): $56.95 per month
• Standard Plan (3 fragrances per month): $40.95 per month 
• Premium Plan (3 fragrances per month): $52.95 per month
• Platinum Plan (3 fragrances per month): $77.95 per month

I chose the entry-level, standard plan with one sample per month. Considering there are 600 scents at that membership level, I figured I’d be sure to find something I liked at a low-ish cost, especially considering that I don’t tend to finish my full-size fragrance bottles. 

I should note that when I signed up for ScentBox, the service was offering a special that dropped the total cost for my first month to $9.72. However, after the first month, each monthly shipment will cost the normal $16.95 rate for the standard plan. Although you only receive a trial size fragrance, it should last for a full month of daily use, which happened in my case (I got 30+ spritzes). 

Delivery and Packaging

ScentBox ships its recurring subscription boxes four times a month, so depending on when you sign up, your sample will go out on the 7th, 14th, 21st, or 28th of the month. You’ll get an email notifying you when your package ships, along with a tracking number so you can watch your delivery. The mailers are sent via USPS first-class mail, and though the company asks that you allow seven to 10 days for delivery, my package arrived in just four. 

My single fragrance arrived in a small, gold bubble mailer with the ScentBox logo on one side.  Inside was a slim black cardboard box, which is completely recyclable. My fragrance was safely tucked within a small metallic atomizer that can be twisted open and closed one-handed. I even flipped it around a bit to test its security, and it stayed closed, with no liquid leaking out. ScentBox’s FAQ page states that your first month delivery comes with a “signature keepsake box,” but mine was missing.

Quality and Ease of Use

ScentBox is easy to navigate thanks to its multiple filtering options and thorough quiz. Additionally, my delivery was right on time, and best of all, I was happy with my chosen perfume: Oscar de la Renta Bella Blanca. One thing that I wish was included was information on the scent, such as when it launched, what it smells like, etc., but the only thing in there besides my perfume was the packing slip. 

However, this piece of paper was important, as it did mention the company’s generous exchange policy. If you’re unhappy with your scent after trying it out, you can go to your online account and choose “manage exchanges” for a free exchange. Just bear in mind that the company won’t exchange scents with a large amount of fragrance already used, and you have to start your exchange request within 15 days of receiving your product. 

Pros and Cons

Pros

• A wide selection of fragrances to pick from 
• A new atomizer travel bottle is included with each fragrance 
• You can cancel your subscription at any time 
• Shipping is always free no matter your membership tier
• Subscribers earn ScentBucks Rewards that can be used on individual purchases
• The company will give you a free sample scent if you refer a friend  

Cons

• Base plan doesn’t give you access to hundreds of premium- and platinum-tiered scents 
• If you forget to add a fragrance your queue, you’re automatically sent the scent of the month 
• No additional information about your fragrance is included in your shipment

Who’s ScentBox Good For?

ScentBox is a brilliant option for someone who likes to constantly try new perfumes and colognes. It’s reasonably priced, and with hundreds of fragrance options at your disposal, it’s almost impossible that you won’t find something that appeals to you. Since it’s a monthly subscription service, you also don’t have to worry about committing to something long-term, and canceling can easily be done through your account settings. Again, ScentBox is great if you want to try a new scent for a month or two before committing to purchasing a full-sized bottle of fragrance.

Final Thoughts

While I really enjoyed my ScentBox experience, there are two main drawbacks to ScentBox to be aware of. First, you may experience fragrance FOMO if you don’t pay for the higher-tiered plans, as the service will still recommend scents locked behind premium and platinum memberships even if you have a standard plan. The other downside is that if you love having beautiful perfume bottles adorning your bathroom counter, a travel atomizer won’t quite cut it. 

Despite these cons, I still felt good about the scent the service recommended. Shopping for scents was satisfying, even without my being able to smell anything! Overall, the service offers a streamlined and budget-friendly way to explore new perfumes with zero commitment.