Perfume Sampler Sets Are Helping Me Build the Fragrance Collection of My Dreams
No more blind buying for me.
As someone who has a rather comical (or concerning, depending on how you look at it) number of perfumes, I can readily admit that no one needs this many bottles of fragrance. While my excuse is that it’s my job to know the latest and greatest on the market, I’m also sympathetic to the average fragrance enthusiast who simply loves dabbling in the space. Still, what’s a girl to do when she wants to smell all the scents but needs to budget both her funds and the space in her apartment? Find the best perfume sampler sets, of course.
Travel-sized perfume sampler sets are a fantastic way to see if you like a perfume that you’ve been eyeing on your wishlist, while also trying out other scents from the same brand. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone into a department store, dead set on a specific perfume, just to find that there are two others that I love as much. Every time it happens, I proceed to get the most intense analysis paralysis. On top of that, there have also been times when I’ve jumped the gun and blindly bought a full-sized perfume, just to realize that I don’t actually like it as much as I thought. The bottle then ends up sitting in the back of my perfume cabinet, never to see the light of day again.
I don’t know about you, but I’m trying to be much smarter with my money, so I’ve been on the hunt for the best perfume sampler sets that are actually worth adding to your collection. The search has yielded some serious gems, and of course, I’ve made them all easily shoppable via the list below. From some tried and true classics to a few niche brands that will add an eccentric flair to your fragrance wardrobe—and make experimenting with fragrance layering much easier—keep reading for the best perfume sampler sets actually worth the money.
This Sephora sampler set is so popular that it appears to have moved from a seasonal holiday offering to a year-round one. It’s for good reason, too—this is one of the best deals out there. The set comes with 11 sample vials, and after you’ve tried them all, there is a voucher that you can use to redeem the full-sized version of your favorite option. Every time I gift one of these sets, it ends up being a hit.
Mind Games has slowly become one of my favorite niche brands, and this set is a fantastic way to try out a few scents from both the masculine and feminine lines. It comes with J’Adoube, my favorite perfume from the line of all time, plus nine other fragrances for you to play around with.
Commodity’s relaunch is one of my favorites of the past year, and that is primarily because of one of my favorite scents from the brand, Milk. This set comes with three different versions of the scent in different strengths (or what the brand calls scent space projections). There are also four additional perfumes to choose from, so you can get a feel for the rest of the formulas in the line. Gold is another favorite of mine that is a definite crowd pleaser.
My love for this brand knows no bounds, and once you get your hands on the discovery set, you’ll understand why. Each scent is built around a particular fragrance note, so all the additional ingredients are meant to highlight the main character. Crystal Saffron is my obsession, but then again, so is practically every other scent in this discovery set, so I say just try them all.
I personally come from a household of Tom Ford stans, so believe me when I say that this is one of the best sampler sets out there to gift for yourself or a loved one. Black Orchid, Soleil blanc, and more are featured in the set that only retails for $32. It’s the perfect little offering to show someone you were thinking of them.
This line of samples from Maison Margiela features some of my favorite, crowd-pleasing scents from the designer house. By the Fireplace, Jazz Club, Lazy Sunday Morning, and more are all included, and they are all meant to evoke memories of the specific places each scent was named after.
One of my favorite clean at Sephora perfume brands is 7 Virtues. Not only does this kit offer samples of almost the entire line, but each scent also layers perfectly together, allowing you to get ultra creative with your custom scent before committing to the full sizes.
Described as a functional fragrance brand, this Nue Co. sampler offers some of the brand’s best-selling scents that are said to have an impact on your mood. Whether you believe in aromacology or simply want to feel like you smell good naturally, you can’t go wrong with adding this to your cart.
This kit contains Noyz’s entire fragrance lineup, perfect for getting a feel of the brand’s identity. Plus, layering any of these with the fragrance milk will have you levitating into a very well-scented universe.
I’d be surprised if you've never heard of this niche brand, but just in case you haven’t, this set is the perfect place to start your journey. The popular African Rooibos and the sensual Harlem Nights scents are included in this discovery set, plus three other scents, one of which is an exclusive peek at the brand’s latest addition to the lineup.
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