A former Boots fragrance counter worker has shared her top tips for buying perfume online, helping shoppers avoid the common pitfalls of blind buying. With spring approaching and Mother's Day around the corner, the expert recommends using discovery sets, fragrance quizzes, and flexible return policies to find the perfect scent from home.
One of the best value options is the LookFantastic Discovery Scent Edit, priced at £55. It contains six travel and mini perfumes from brands like Armani, YSL, and Prada, including a 15ml Armani bottle worth £33.50 alone. The set also includes a £55 digital voucher redeemable against a full-sized bottle of your chosen fragrance, making it excellent value for money.
For those with a preference for specific scent families, Cult Beauty offers four fragrance edits at £35 each: 'fresh and fruity', 'floral and fragrant', 'warm and woody', and 'sweet and sophisticated'. Each edit contains nine travel-sized perfumes totalling 42.9ml, with values ranging from £100 to £165. The warm and woody option is ideal for fans of deep, cosy scents.
Space NK's The Fragrance Library Edit, priced at £75, offers eight high-end fragrances worth £235, including 72ml of perfume from brands like Diptyque, Glossier, and Phlur. It also features a sample of the new Juliette Has A Gun Miami Shake. However, it does not include a voucher for a full-sized bottle.
For those curious about a specific brand, discovery sets like the Maison Margiela Memory Box from Sephora are ideal. Currently reduced to £30.60, it contains 10 x 2ml minis of popular Replica fragrances such as Lazy Sunday Morning and Jazz Club, totalling 20ml. This is much more affordable than buying a 30ml bottle for £62.
The expert also highlights indie brand Who Is Elijah, a female-founded and independent label worth exploring. With these tips, shoppers can confidently order perfume online and discover new favourites without the headache of testing on cardboard strips in-store.
