Scentbird Review
Find Your Signature Fragrance Among Designer Perfumes
Scentbird Pros:
- With a Scentbird subscription, you’ll receive a credit to apply towards the purchase of a full-sized bottle every month.
- In your first Scentbird box, you’ll receive colored refillable perfume bottles that you can use for travel and keep your future samples.
- All the samples you receive are travel-friendly and meet TSA carry-on regulations.
- You receive a small card detailing the fragrance notes and inspiration.
- Scentbird has selections from both female and male fragrance collections.
Scentbird Cons:
- Subscriptions are not eligible for returns or refunds. (If your vials arrive in poor condition, you can contact Scentbird to replace them within 30 days of the delivery date).
- Prepaid subscriptions cannot be canceled before its end date.
- Navigating their website can be tricky, especially if you’re trying to personalize your monthly box.
To me, perfume is one of those things that becomes part of your identity. For example, the scent of lavender reminds me of my grandmother. My husband has been using Paco Rabanne’s One Million fragrance for years, so every time I get a glimpse of it, I’m reminded of him – that’s the power of perfume.
But, I’ll confess something: it’s hard for me to try new fragrances. Mainly because a new perfume comes with a hefty price tag that I’m too afraid to purchase online, just to see if I’ll like it. So, a subscription service like Scentbird seems like the perfect way to expand my fragrance horizons.
Scentbird is a perfume subscription box that sends subscribers four different vials of designer scents from refillable travel cases. After an initial quiz, Scentbird sends you samples of fragrances they think you’ll love. Today, the company has expanded to other verticals, including skincare, candles, makeup, and more.
For this Scentbird review, we chose to be a bit adventurous and let the Scentbird team send us their favorite recommendations for fragrances. We received a box with their current best sellers.
Also, I feel this is the perfect moment to add that I used to write hundreds of perfume descriptions for Perfumania. So, trying new fragrances is within my wheelhouse.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Scentbird
Scentbird was founded in 2013 and has its headquarters and operations center in New York City. They're a perfume subscription service that gives members exclusive access to over 500 designer fragrances. In Scentbird's words, they help you "date perfumes before marrying them."
Each month, subscribers receive a new fragrance in their mailbox that they can fit in their reusable travel case. Each 8 mL vial holds about 140 uses and can last up to a month, or just in time for your next month's box.
How does Scentbird work?
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The way Scentbird works is relatively simple. You can get started with a quiz to help you find fragrances that align with your preferences. Choose your first scent and activate your subscription. You’ll receive a refillable 8 mL bottle with a travel case that holds about 140 sprays, enough to last until your next order. Every month you’ll receive a new fragrance to try and the option to rate it, so they keep optimizing and personalizing your results.
How much does Scentbird cost?
All subscribers start with the base plans at $15.95 per month for one item of your choice. After the first month, you can choose to change your subscription to receive 2 items per month ($25) or 3 items per month ($35). Scentbird does offer multi-month subscription plans and upgrades that you can access once you subscribe.
Does Scentbird have different plans available?
In addition to having subscription levels based on how many items you wish to receive each month, they also have frequency plans available. If the thought of receiving a new fragrance every month seems like too much, you can change the frequency of your subscription to by-monthly or bimonthly.
How is a Scentbird delivery packaged?
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To my surprise, Scentbird isn’t a box per se. Instead, you get a small black bubble envelope to your mailbox that tightly has everything you need. All vials and travel cases come in handy velvet pouches that you can take with you anywhere.
My Fragrances
We tried an upgraded Scentbird box with four fragrances in total. Because we wanted to try different scents, we let them choose the most popular ones for us. Luckily, I received two feminine fragrances and two masculine ones, so I got to share this box with my husband.
John Varvatos - XX
4/5 stars
Full-Size Retail: $94
Notes: Cardamom, orange flower, and sandalwood.
Scentbird Description: John Varvatos XX is a new fragrance inspired by the celebration of style and music, the heart and soul of the John Varvatos brand. Bold and sophisticated, this masculine scent is infused with a relaxed yet sensuous feeling.
My Thoughts: This was a very masculine and seductive fragrance. I strongly recommend you test it before judging it by its scent on the bottle or on paper. My first impression was that it was too bold and strong. When I applied it to a piece of paper, it felt more sophisticated and elevated.
But, when my husband wore it, I could tell this was a fragrance that kept evolving over time, really long-lasting, and with deep woody notes.
Commodity - Gold
4/5 stars
Full-Size Retail: $105
Notes: Vanilla, benzoin, tonka bean, sandalwood, and molten amber.
Scentbird Description: Rich enough to bathe in, this decadent fragrance is an intoxicating journey to one’s innermost desires, thoughts, and impulses. Its warm gourmand scent is a luxurious blend of molten amber, balsamic benzoin, and sweet vanilla.
My Thoughts: I honestly wished this fragrance somehow smelled like gold – although I’m pretty sure gold is odorless. Instead, it was this clean, refreshing fragrance that felt a bit nostalgic. The vanilla was definitely a top note for this fragrance, with the sandalwood sort of sneaking out in the background.
It wears nicely, but this is a rather sweet fragrance that I don’t think is for everyone. Still, this is a fragrance that I would consider unisex, so you could share it with a partner, perhaps.
Oscar de la Renta - alibi
5/5 stars
Full-Size Retail: $105
Notes: Mandarin, juicy accords, aquatic accords, vanilla orchid, and sensual musk.
Scentbird Description: Glamorous, feminine, captivating. Inspired by the duality of women today, Oscar de la Renta Alibi Eau de Parfum evokes modern glamour. Fresh mandarin, elegant vanilla orchid, and sensual musk come together for an unforgettable and effortless oriental scent.
My Thoughts: Out of the bunch, this was my favorite fragrance, one that I could see myself wearing every day. The juicy accords are definitely there, and you get this revitalizing feeling while smelling it. To me, this fragrance is worth the entire subscription, considering the full-size bottle retails for $105.
Confessions of a Rebel - Get A Room
5/5 stars
Full-Size Retail: $110
Notes: Red apple, mandarin, cypress, liquid vanilla, and clary sage oil.
Scentbird Description: All heat and plenty of skin, this scent layers mandarin, smooth woods, liquid vanilla, clary sage oil, and a bite of forbidden apple.
My Thoughts: Another one of my favorites. This fragrance is fresh and fun, perfect for the last days of summer. It’s a bit more challenging to tell the top notes of this fragrance, but you can tell it has a fruity heart. I think this is the ultimate daytime fragrance, or workspace fragrance (if that’s allowed at your office), or that weekend fragrance when you want to feel fresh and energized.
What do MSA reviewers say about Scentbird?
Because I don’t want this Scentbird review to be just about my experience, I want to share some previous MSA reviews of my teammates in the past.
Ragan’s Scentbird review
"The estimated value of my fragrance this month is $15.47. This is just about the same as the monthly cost of the subscription. This subscription is highly customizable, however, and your value can be a lot more if you research fragrances before adding them to your queue. With a fragrance subscription, though, maximizing value is not always the number one concern, because if you hate an expensive fragrance, it’s not a good deal, but if you love an inexpensive fragrance and will wear it, then there is value for you."
What do MSA readers say about Scentbird in their reviews?
At MSA, we also love sharing what our readers have to say about their favorite subscription boxes. Scentbird was founded in 2013 and has changed a lot since then, so it’s good to refresh what everyone’s thinking about this box.
“I like it, I've had it for quite a while now, great perfumes and cases and good customer service that gets right back to u within a day.” – mmiller1118
“I subscribed to Scentbird for almost a year, but the site was so user-unfriendly that I canceled.” – Diane
“Scentbird is a great subscription service. I am a perfume addict, and I like picking my own scents out for my queue. The bottles last quite long, more than one month per scent, and I put perfume on s couple of times a day. I have discovered in over a year at least 3 scents that are must-haves for me.” – Carleigh
Are there alternatives to Scentbird?
While Scentbird is considered one of the first to introduce perfume subscription boxes to the market, they aren’t the only ones today. Different companies have perfume subscription boxes showcasing niche, consciously crafted, and high-end perfumes using a subscription model. Let’s explore some of them.
Scentbird vs. Wicked Good Perfumes
Wicked Good Perfume curates consciously crafted fragrances. Each month you receive a new perfume, along with scented bath and body products, as well as some home products. They focus on handcrafted, cruelty-free, and vegan products.
- Cost: Wicked Good Perfumes starts with a monthly subscription at $33 + free shipping. They also offer pre-paid subscriptions for 3 months ($99) and 6 months ($179).
- Personalization: Unlike Scentbird, Wicked Good Perfumes only sends out mystery boxes, meaning you can’t choose the fragrances that you’ll receive each month.
Scentbird vs. Luxury Scent Box (LUXSB)
LUXSB – Luxury Scent Box is a subscription box offering niche perfume and cologne. Each month you’ll receive a 30-day fragrance supply with a reusable travel case to go with it. They currently have over 500 designer fragrances and niche perfumes to choose from.
- Cost: For LUXSB, their subscription starts at $15.95 for a one-month supply. However, they also have “premium fragrance charges” that add $5 to your monthly subscription box when you choose a premium fragrance.
- Personalization: Once you become a member, you can choose the fragrance of your preference from a long list of options. There’s another option to let LUXSB choose for you, very much like Scentbird.
Scentbird vs. Skylar Scent Club
Skylar Scent Club is a monthly subscription that lets you discover clean, limited-edition fragrances. Their fragrances are free of parabens, SLS, phthalates, animal-derived ingredients, or synthetic dyes. By focusing on clean-only fragrances, they’re perfect for anyone with sensitive skin or anyone interested in clean beauty in general.
- Cost: Skylar Scent Club only offers one monthly subscription that starts at $20 for one rollerball fragrance. There’s an option to add additional rollerballs and more products with a 20% discount.
- Personalization: Skylar Scent Club has a fragrance quiz that you can take for recommendations. But unlike Scentbird that makes choices for you, they ask you to select from a selection of recommended fragrances.
Is Scentbird worth it?
For some people, it might be with it, but not for everyone. In my humble opinion, Scentbird is worth it if you choose to get three vials every three months. This will give you plenty of time to experiment with different fragrances and even ask for female and male picks to share with your partner or someone else.
At $15.95 per month for a single fragrance delivered every month, it seems like too much. However, if you’re one to try different scents all the time, it might be worth it after all. If not, I still suggest giving it a try, especially if you have your eyes set on a premium fragrance that you aren’t quite sure about yet. Scentbird offers you an opportunity to test-drive-it before you buy it, and that’s worth it to me.
Give Scentbird a Try!
Have you ordered Scentbird? What did you think of the fragrance choices? Let us know below!
Want to learn more about Scentbird? Check out all our Scentbird details and reviews.
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