Buying perfume online without smelling it first

Buying perfume online almost always means buying without smelling it first. It sounds like a gamble, but it only is if you treat it like one. By taking a systematic approach, you will find the right scent with surprising reliability, as the selection can be radically narrowed down using just a few characteristics. Five steps, in this order, and two mistakes that cause the majority of wrong purchases.

Step 1: Buying perfume online means family before notes

Start with the fragrance family, not the list of notes. Two perfumes with identical notes can smell completely different; two perfumes from the same family are almost always in the same realm.

Step 2: Check the concentration

An extrait behaves differently to an eau de toilette, even with the same composition: denser, longer-lasting, and to be used more sparingly. If you do not bear this in mind, you might be surprised by too much or too little. The differences are explained in our article on Extrait de Parfum.

Step 3: Read descriptions sceptically

"Sensual", "seductive", "elegant" say nothing. Only concrete details are useful: which family, which concentration, which notes in which phase, how strong the projection. Everything else is atmospheric text.

Step 4: Consider the season

A fragrance ordered in December arrives in December. If you buy a heavy amber in the height of summer, you will probably find it too much, even though it would be perfect in November. See our article on summer fragrances.

Step 5: Clarify returns beforehand

With perfume, the rule almost everywhere is: returns only unopened and with the original seal intact. This is not a trick, but a matter of hygiene. Knowing this beforehand changes how you approach the purchase. Our rules can be found under Delivery & Returns.

The two most common mistakes

• Buying based on reviews. Longevity and projection are extremely skin-dependent. What "lasts forever" on thirty people might disappear on you after three hours.
• Ordering too much at once. No one can properly evaluate three new fragrances at the same time. The nose tires, and everything blurs.

The upshot

A blind buy becomes predictable as soon as you think in terms of the fragrance family rather than the product name. Taking two minutes to narrow it down saves most of the hassle.

Narrow down your direction