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If you asked me about my signature fragrance, the only answer I could give is whatever tiny fragrance sample is rolling around the bottom of my purse that day. For primarily financial reasons, the grasshopper-sized complementary samples that come with most beauty purchases anywhere are a preferable option to a $60-$200 full size perfume bottle.
When you do have the spare dough for something full size, it's an intimidating task to select the perfect glass vial from the dozens of options on the shelves. Are you sure you want to smell like this for the next several months? Depending on the size, years?
The idea of finding the right fragrance for you is an attractive endeavor; that concept of a signature, memorable scent that yells you. But to try different perfumes and see what impression they make mixed with your personal body chemistry can be a lengthy and expensive process.
This is where Scentbird comes in.
A monthly subscription service of the fragrance variety, this $14.95/month program sends you a large .27 oz sample of a fragrance from your customized list of picks. To give you a sense of scale, the usual tiny spray samples that come with your Sephora purchases hold .04 oz. I wasn't even through a quarter of my Malin + Goetz Bergamot sample before I got the next month's delivery of Issey Florale by Issey Miyake. I had to put my subscription on hold for a few months, which cost me no extra charge and I can restart it anytime, with my customized list of fragrances still in place.
The first sample you receive comes in a reusable case that holds the sleek glass bottle in place. When it runs out, you simply slide out one bottle and replace it with the next. After spending $30 over a two month period, I easily had the next 6-12 months of daily fragrance covered. Not to mention the value of sampling luxury brands like Issey Miyake, Tom Ford, Narciso Rodriguez for the same price of cult classics from Tocca and Burberry.
A tiny .04 ml sample is enough to see if you like a fragrance for a couple days. Having a larger size without committing to a $100 purchase allows you to really live in the fragrance for weeks over time and see if you fall in love with it. Even if you don't find one worth marrying, you can swap them according to the mood at hand for a scent that evokes whatever version of you you're feeling that day.
The one downside is the aesthetic benefits shapely perfume bottles typically provide. The packaging is not pretty. The reusable case is functional and logical, but looks more like a cigar case. That being said, the utilitarian packaging is uniform across every sample, forcing fragrances to stands on their own merits and guaranteeing that you find a scent that you love for all the right reasons.
(Cool Stuff is a new feature at Willamette Week where we feature product reviews, roundups, sales and other commerce and shopping-oriented content. All Cool Stuff reviews are editorially independent, meaning we provide honest reviews and aren't paid by the brands we write about. If you do choose to purchase something after following one of our links, Willamette Week may receive a commission, which helps fund our journalism.)