The 7 Best Personalized Perfume Services for Discovering Your Signature Scent

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Crystal Schwanke

Socially Fragrant at Scent Chasers

Crystal enjoys investing in expensive perfumes and colgones, so she's usually wearing fragrances in social settings to make a statement. While other people are impressed with fancy jewelry, she can always tell a cheap perfume from an expensive one!

Latest posts by Crystal Schwanke (see all)

• How to Find Your Scent No Matter How Long You Have to Explore Fragrance - December 25, 2023
• The 7 Best Personalized Perfume Services for Discovering Your Signature Scent - December 24, 2023
• The Best Scentbox Alternatives You Should Try ASAP - December 23, 2023

The best personalized perfume services help you express yourself without saying a word. You can be as involved or hands-off as you want because of the range of services.

Sometimes, you’ll just take a quiz and get a recommendation from a long list of designer fragrances. In others, the quiz is thorough and matches you with a specific fragrance you won’t find anywhere else. Some go so far as to include you in a back-and-forth project through the mail where you keep tweaking the scent through a series of steps until you have precisely what you want.

My Top Picks at a Glance

Find Your Signature Perfume | Noteworthy Scents

Noteworthy Scents is your premier destination for exquisite, handcrafted fragrances that leave a lasting impression. Our artisanal scents are meticulously crafted to evoke emotions and memories, making each fragrance a unique and cherished experience.

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

How I Chose the Best Personalized Perfume Services

When choosing the best personalized perfume services, I considered:

• How detailed the quiz is since they need to have a good idea of who you are and what you like to make accurate suggestions
• How much you can ease into the decision (whether you could try samples before ordering a full-sized bottle, for example)
• Price for what you get

The Best of Personalized Perfume Services

Olfactory NYC

Best for: When you want to be as involved in making your own perfume as possible

If you live in New York City or are planning to visit, Olfactory NYC can help you create your signature fragrance in person (don’t forget to book a reservation). If not, they can still help you customize your scent at home.

Their process makes you the artist. You start with their core fragrances, choose your favorite, and then experiment with that one and additional notes until you’ve got the perfect scent. Once you’ve got a winner, you can order your 1.7 fl. oz. bottle using the gift card in the kit.

Pros

• There’s a gift card in the Explorer Box to put toward your full-size purchase.
• You have more control over the creation of your scent here than you do with other services.
• Complete sets are available with lotion, body wash, diffuser scent, and more. You’ll love this option if you like to layer your scented products for longevity.
• If you love the experimenting stage, you can get more Tinkerer Boxes for $25.00 each. This includes 3ml bottles of the original core scent you love most, plus six versions of it to try, mixed by a pro. There’s a gift card there, too, for you to put toward the purchase of a full-size bottle.
• You get to choose the label color and name for your fragrance.

Cons

• The Explorer Kit’s not cheap–$85.00–if you don’t follow through and purchase the full-size bottle with the gift card inside.
• Some people may feel more comfortable having someone else take their likes and dislikes and create a scent; here, the trial and error process is in your hands. 
• The gift set is also expensive, at $178.00.
• The custom process can take up to a month because there are several steps, so you’ll need to start well in advance if it’s a gift for someone else or you want your fragrance for a special event.

Every Human

Best for: Those who like a lot of options, might want guidance from a coach, and enjoy seeing how much of each note is in each perfume

Every Human has layers of personalized perfume options, from creating your own to tweaking any of the fragrances you’ve already purchased from them with new notes.

Suppose you want to dive deep into perfume creation and learn how to create your signature scent. In that case, you can even book an appointment with a scent coach to walk you through creating your perfect fragrance.

The quiz was almost annoyingly long, but it paid off. I’m not sure if they rank the matches based on how well they think you’ll like them, but my second and third ones were much more perfect for me than the first one (I’d say those two tied, and I’d love either one, depending on my mood), so be sure to check all the options.

You get to try all three for $50.00 (5ml of each), so you won’t have to narrow it down based on reading the notes alone. After you’ve tried them, you can purchase a 30ml or 50ml bottle of perfume.

Pros

• Coaching is available.
• The pricing is reasonable at $50.00 to create your own perfume or cologne.
• The questions are interesting, like what kind of setting you grew up in, where you live now, your style, what you like to do, and so on. The questions give them a good glimpse at who you are.
• The quiz is thorough (and long, comparatively speaking).
• The results give you the breakdown of the notes present in each scent by percentages. For example, my first match was 19.8 percent sandalwood 2.0, 15.3 percent oud 2.0, etc., all the way down to vanilla at the end, at 1.8 percent. I only found out how much I wanted this for every fragrance online when I saw it.

Cons

• You have to register to explore the Create Your Own section, which means spending time creating an account when you might just be curious right now, and possibly getting on another email list (you’ll have to check the box to opt in, though).
• I wish the fragrances they recommended at the end of the quiz had more to go by than a letter, two numbers, and a scent ID at first glance to offer more of an indication of what they smell like. However, you can edit and name them yourself, and the note breakdowns are informative enough.
• The shipping cost (for me, at least), was painful–$15.00.
• No returns or refunds

Scent Crafters

Best for: When you already have a general idea of what you like, but you want to tweak it

With Scent Crafters, you’ll start by letting them know your favorite scent name or category. They allow you to come up with your own three-note recipe, or they’ll create one for you based on your favorite fragrances.

You can customize the bottle a bit, too. For example, you can choose a gold or silver cap and the cap’s shape. You can also add a message to the label, which makes it suitable for gift-giving or daily affirmations. 

Pros

• You’re more involved with the note-choosing and bottle aesthetics here than in most places.
• For something customized, the price is lower than I expected ($39.99).
• You can remove the logo from the bottle.
• You can add notes to explain what you want, so you’re not limited to sending them the primary scent and three scent notes (yours or their suggestions) and left just hoping for the best. 
• You can start with one of their recipes and customize it, so if you generally like what they’ve put together but you want to change one note, you can do that by choosing the type of note you’d like (feminine, masculine, exotics, fruits, etc.) and then selecting a specific note from a short list.
• You can try samples of your own creation or leave it up to the experts.

Cons

• I couldn’t get it to do anything when I entered my favorite fragrance’s name, but the scent category option worked fine.
• There are only a few scent categories to choose from, and I’d like to see a few examples for each one to make sure we’re on the same page.
• I wish you could change the font and size of the message you add to the bottle. It looks out of place without the logo, but I don’t love the logo on it, either.
• Sample kits are expensive. Pricing starts at $47.97 (but that’s for three custom samples, not just one).

Maison 21G

Best for: When you want to be involved in choosing the notes, but don’t want to be overwhelmed by too many options

Maison 21G is interesting because they allow you to choose two notes, but you get to decide how much of each to add if you go the DIY route. You can choose the notes by family, popularity, mood, or whether they’re the top, heart, or bottom notes.

There’s also an option to list notes alphabetically if you know exactly what you want. I found browsing through them by family to be most exciting, personally.

They’ll mix it for you and spare you the work or send you a bottle of perfume base and two oils so you can customize your scent even more. If you just want to dip your toe in the perfume creation waters, you could even opt for one of their perfume sets that they’ve already put together, then customize it by the amount of perfume essence you add.

Pros

• Though there aren’t tons of notes to choose from, there’s such a range of options that there’s something for everyone.
• They provide in-depth information about the notes once you click on them, like how long they tend to last, how they transition throughout the day, and their personalities (this could be tied to the mood you’re trying to evoke). Then, you get a description so you can imagine what it’s like and how it will perform. 
• They even include videos called Visualisation of Scent for each note, and let me tell you–they’re effective! I went through several and felt like I was having a different experience each time.
• This one truly makes you feel like an artist or a “nose” if you embrace the process.
• You’re not on your own. Once you pick your first scent, they’ll recommend others that interact well with it for your second one.
• It’s what’s inside that counts, but you still get to design the bottle, too, including the image, the name of the fragrance, and the font it’s written in.

Cons

• It’s expensive–$110.00 for the set of two oils and perfume base or the done-for-you bottle (about 1 fl. oz.).
• Notes are limited–you’ll pick two. 
• Shipping is only free if you spend $100.00, but that will be fine when you create your own fragrance.
• There’s a discovery kit if you’re looking to explore beyond what the Create Your Perfume process entails, but it’s expensive at $185.00. Still, you do get 34 2.5ml scents to experiment with, so if it’s within your budget, it could be one of the best options for creating exactly what you want. There’s also a five-scent discovery set for $65.00.

Heretic Parfum

Best for: People who love unusual quiz questions and want to be matched with an equally unusual scent

Heretic Parfum has a quiz that’ll help you find an ideal scent for yourself or someone special. Eight questions seem like what you’d expect (favorite types of scents and flavors) at first, but then they introduce your zodiac sign to the mix in the middle and ask which of the seven deadly sins you’re most guilty of toward the end.

Those made the quiz stand out to me, though I wonder how much pull they have in pursuing a perfect signature fragrance.  

Pros

• Natural fragrance
• The quiz pointed me toward a fragrance I’d already been drawn to several times (Dirty Vanilla), so it seemed accurate.
• These are layerable scents–and they recommend different options when you click on one you might like–which means you can get an even more personalized fragrance (or more than one, as you mix and match a few favorites depending on the occasion).
• The discovery set is reasonably priced at $30.00 for four samples. 
• Simple glass bottles with black lids give a minimalist, clean vibe juxtaposed with interesting, borderline naughty names like Scandalwood and Dirty Santa (limited edition). They know their audience and aren’t afraid to talk directly to them.

Cons

• I wish the quiz had more than eight questions and would let you choose more than one answer in some cases (for example, I like floral, smoky/amber, and woody scents, but I had to choose just one). 
• These are expensive–$65.00 for 15ml (about .50 fl. oz.) or $165.00 for 50ml (about 1.7 fl. oz.). There are 10ml rollerballs for $45.00, too.
• I wish the discovery set had more scents to explore since they can be layered.
• To get free shipping, you must live in the continental United States and spend $125.00.
• Returns are only allowed if the product is defective or damaged.

Noteworthy

Best for: Those who want to be matched with fragrances they’ll love and want to ease into finding their signature scent

Noteworthy Scents eases you in instead of asking for a lot of money upfront. Their quiz is one of the more detailed ones I’ve seen, with questions I didn’t expect.

Once you’ve answered, you can purchase a four-sample kit of fragrances their AI has matched you with (from their 17-scent collection) for $24.99. If you want a full-sized bottle of one, you can purchase a 3.3 fl. oz. bottle of it and use the $25.00 voucher in your sample box toward the purchase, effectively making the samples free.

Pros

• The quiz is more thorough than most others, with a few unexpected questions.
• I liked three out of four of my samples.
• You ease into the commitment with a reasonably-priced sample kit.
• The price of the sample kit applies to the purchase of the full-sized bottle.
• If you don’t like the samples, they’ll send you more for free.
• Fast shipping
• Packaging makes for a lovely presentation for the samples and large bottle.

Cons

• There are only 17 scents they can match you with now, and I’d love to see more.
• Based on the notes, some of the fragrances didn’t smell the way I expected them to.
• Full-sized bottles are expensive, and I wish they offered 1 oz. or 1.7 oz. options, which could cost less and feel less intimidating to use up.

Find Your Signature Perfume | Noteworthy Scents

Noteworthy Scents is your premier destination for exquisite, handcrafted fragrances that leave a lasting impression. Our artisanal scents are meticulously crafted to evoke emotions and memories, making each fragrance a unique and cherished experience.

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Henry Rose

Best for: People who want to be told exactly which fragrance they’ll love out of a small number of options, taking out all the guesswork

Henry Rose works a little differently. You can choose a complete sample kit with 12 of their fragrances for $45.00, or just go for six at a time (the warm kit or the fresh one, if you already know which type of fragrance you prefer in general) for $28.00. If you’d like to take a quiz, they’ll match you with a single fragrance at the end.

The quiz asks about the types of fragrances you usually like, what mood you want it to evoke, whether you prefer sunrise or sunset, and your flavor preferences.

At the end of the quiz, you can apply an offer code to your full-size bottle ($120.00 before the discount). There’s also a travel spray option for $35.00. Of course, you could always keep their recommendation in mind and still buy the discovery set. The full-size discovery set also includes a $20.00 off coupon.

Pros

• Even the six-sample sets have a $20.00 coupon inside.
• The notes in the fragrance they recommended for me (Sheep’s Clothing) were right up my alley.
• There’s a wide range of scent types, from Char, labeled as a Smoky Amber, to Smyth, marked as Green Apple/White Woods. There’s everything from fresh to warm, and the descriptions are vibrant enough to help you imagine what each fragrance smells like (though I’d still take the quiz for help finding a match).
• There are several routes to find the perfect fragrance for you–a discovery kit, a travel spray, a travel spray duo, or a full-size bottle.

Cons

• There are only 12 scents you could be matched with.
• I’d like to see different combinations of sample sets with six fragrances. I’m usually drawn to warm fragrances, but my woody-floral match was in the Fresh box.
• The full-size bottles are expensive at $120.00 for 1.7 fl. oz.

Honorable Mention: Sephora

Best for: People who live near a Sephora store and are new to fragrance (or who’d rather not search for their perfect scent online)

• Pro: If you live near a store, you can try several on paper strips in just a few minutes, narrow it down to your favorites, and get a free sample or two. Much quicker than going back and forth with an online store.
• Con: Their quiz is pretty basic, so the results may be less customized to your preferences than other options.

I only recommend Sephora to people who are very new to the fragrance world who may not have strong opinions on some of the more detailed quiz questions, or for people who have a lot of experience testing fragrances, who may already be familiar with the designers and notes that’ll show up in the quiz results.

The first group could benefit from starting wide with a more basic quiz and narrow things down over time as they learn what they like and dislike. They may also appreciate the ability to go into a Sephora store, spritz their recommendations on paper strips, and then ask an employee for a free sample of one or two of their favorites.

I’m part of the second group. I’ve sniffed or sampled so much that I have a good idea of what the perfumes they recommend for me smell like (or at least whether I tend to like that designer’s fragrances).

Sometimes, when looking for a specific type of fragrance, I’ll take the Sephora quiz to see what pops up. Occasionally, it’ll remind me of a perfume that I know is perfect but forgot about, or it’ll point me in the direction of what to try the next time I’m in the store.

FAQs

Question: Is it Possible to Get a Custom Scent Made?

Answer: Yes, you can have a custom scent made. Expect to pay more than you would if you were just matched with a scent that matches your personality and style, though.

Question: How Much does it Cost to Make Your Own Perfume?

Answer: If you’re using a site like the ones on this list, you could pay under $50.00 to get started. Once you start getting into more involved processes and larger bottles, the price goes up.

Question: Is Scentbird Worth it?

Answer: Absolutely, Scentbird is great, especially if you don’t have access to stores where you can go sample the scents in person. This is a low-commitment option, and it’s fun to switch up your fragrance every now and then (at least until you find your signature scent, if that’s what you’re looking for). You won’t be creating your own personalized scent here. Still, you can use it to find your signature scent faster, thanks to the quiz, recommendations, and ability to see what’s out there, all in one place.

Question: What is a Professional Perfume Maker Called?

Answer: A perfumer, though in some cases, you may see them referred to as a “nose.”

How Involved in Creating Your Own Perfume Do You Want to Be?

Suppose budget’s no issue as long as you get a scent you love. In that case, the best personalized perfume service for you will involve you as much as you feel comfortable. If you’d rather fill out a quiz and have them match you with a fragrance they already have, Noteworthy, Henry Rose, or Heretic Parfum will be the way to go.

Suppose you love being involved and want to be as hands-on as possible. In that case, I’d go with Olfactory NYC (remember it can take a while to land on your perfect scent because it is so involved), Every Human, or Scent Crafters (in that order).

Maison 21G is a good middle ground where you get to participate, but there’s less of a chance that you’ll feel overwhelmed.

Find Your Signature Perfume | Noteworthy Scents

Noteworthy Scents is your premier destination for exquisite, handcrafted fragrances that leave a lasting impression. Our artisanal scents are meticulously crafted to evoke emotions and memories, making each fragrance a unique and cherished experience.

Buy Now

We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Continue reading:

• How to Find Your Scent No Matter How Long You Have to Explore Fragrance
• Noteworthy Scents Review
• Best Perfumes Available at Walgreens