FAQ

Don't see your question below? Drop us a note at support@olfactif.com, and we'll get back to you in a jiffy.

Absolutely! Each month you'll automatically get some amazing benefits:

  • 20% off all monthly featured full bottles
  • 10% off all other full bottles
  • 10% off all à la carte samples and sample packs

Just note that these benefits disappear when you cancel your account.

Your collection will ship between the 1st and the 15th of each month. We ship via the USPS, so we can’t tell you the exact day your shipment will land in your mailbox. We can tell you that shipping could take as long as 10 days, although it rarely takes that long. If you've just signed up and it's before the 15th of the month, we'll ship out your collection immediately (depending on availability). Otherwise, we'll hold your order for the following month's collection. But if you sign up after the 15th of the month and you're really dying to try the current month's collection, drop us a note at support@olfactif.com. We'll see what we can do!

To get your subscriber discounts, simply log into your account from the homepage. You'll automatically see special subscriber pricing on the product pages once you are logged in.

Subscription are available in four options for the Men's and Women's Collections:

  • Monthly: $22/month, billed monthly, cancel anytime
  • 3-month pre-paid: $64.68 (save 2%)
  • 6-month pre-paid: $128.04 (save 3%)
  • 12-month pre-paid: $250.80 (save 5%)

Subscription are available in four options for the Deluxe Collection:

  • Monthly: $40/month, billed monthly, cancel anytime
  • 3-month pre-paid: $117.60 (save 2%)
  • 6-month pre-paid: $232.80 (save 3%)
  • 12-month pre-paid: $456.00 (save 5%)

Pricing include everything in your collection (excludes sales tax where applicable) and your subscription ships for free in the US ($9.95 additional for Canadian subscription orders).

Monthly subscriptions are billed monthly and automatically renew each month. You can edit, pause, or cancel at any time.

Pre-paid subscriptions are pre-paid (billed once at the time of order) and auto-renew after each period (3, 6 or 12 months). You can also edit, pause, or cancel at any time. Gift subscrptions DO NOT auto-renew.

Plus, each month you'll automatically get some amazing benefits:

  • 20% off all monthly featured full bottles
  • 10% off all other full bottles
  • 10% off all à la carte samples and sample packs

We get it. Maybe you are sipping mojitos on holiday, honeymooning in the Alps or maybe you just need a break. Totally cool. To pause your subscription (aka skip a month or more), log into your account and click on "Manage Subscriptions." Click on " Manage," then click on " View/Pause Upcoming Orders." Follow this video for a step-by-step tutorial.

 

Although we hate to see you go, subscriptions can be canceled at any time. There are no cancellation fees. Canceling your account does not provide you a refund for any paid boxes, nor does it stop a pending charge. Your cancellation will go into effect for the following billing cycle. Once your subscription is canceled, subscriber benefits, including discounts, will disappear upon cancellation.

To cancel your subscription, log into your account and click on " Manage Subscriptions." If you have a prepaid 3, 6, or 12 month subscription, find your subscription and click on " Manage," then " Auto-Renew Settings" in the drop-down. You can set your subscription to not auto-renew after the current subscription ends. Follow this video for a step-by-step tutorial.

*Just note that the monthly cut-off for cancellation is the 15th. If you cancel on or before the 15th of the month, your cancellation will take effect immediately. If you cancel after the 15th, you'll receive one more collection before your cancellation takes effect.Preparing collections for shipment takes time, and after the 15th we've already procured the perfume and begun prepping your collection.

Purchases of full bottles, fixed-term subscriptions (3, 6, and 12 months), and other items are not refundable or exchangeable. (However, the month-to-month subscription can be canceled at anytime.) If you wish to transfer your 3, 6, or 12 month subscription to someone else, we can arrange that. Let us know at support@olfactif.com.

We do not require you to set up an account when you place an order or sign up for our subscription service. Because of this, if you didn't set up an account when you placed your order or subscribed, you will not have an active account (even if you get emails and shipments from us).

How do you know if you have an account? If you have an account, once you log in, you will be able to see your orders, see subscriber pricing and manage your subscription. If you attempt to log in and it tells you don't have an account, then you didn't set it up when you placed your order for products or a subscription. No worries though, we've got you! Simply email us at support@olfactif.com and request that we send you an "Account Invite". We will then send you an email with instructions on how to set up your account so you can manage your account, orders and subscriptions.

Perfume is certainly a personal thing. The way you experience a perfume might be very different from the way your friend experiences it. But there’s something else that we like to help people understand about perfume, and it’s this: You might not really think what you think you think. (Got that?)

Here’s what we mean: You might think that you really dislike gourmand scents because they make you feel like a walking stick of cotton candy. We get it. But trust us—you might have a very different reaction when you see how one of our fragrance artists creates a complex, elegant gourmand.

And we actually get pretty excited when we hear someone say, “Rose perfumes smell like old ladies.” If that’s you, you’re in exactly the right place, because we’re going to introduce you to some roses that will change your mind forever.

In other words, the goal of Olfactif is not to confirm your preconceptions about perfume. It’s to turn them upside down, expand them, and push you into new, exciting territory.

Your monthly collection contains three spray vials, each 2 ml in size. You should get more than 40 sprays from each vial of 2 ml, giving you 15-20 days of wear per vial.

A la carte samples are also 2 ml.

You might want to check out this blog post, but here's a short version: When trying a scent for the first time, apply it to one wrist, and keep smelling. Note how the scent smells at various stages: immediately after application, a few minutes later, several minutes later, an hour later. Because of the way the scent is composed, you’ll likely pick up different notes in the beginning than you will in the dry down.

Ideally, you’ll apply just one perfume at a time and spend at least several hours smelling it before you apply another. Some scents are stronger than others, and you won’t be able to appreciate a lovely, quiet scent if you overpower it with something much louder on the other arm. But if you absolutely can’t wait, we recommend four viable test spots: the insides of both wrists, and the insides of both elbows. They’re far enough from each other that you won’t accidentally apply two kinds of fragrance to the same spot, and they’re also easy to lift to your nose so you can isolate the scents and smell them individually.

Great question, and here’s our counter-question: Are you sure you don’t like it?

There are only three rules when trying a perfume. Uncap the vial, smell the wand, then:

  1. If you like it, put it on.
  2. If you’re not sure, put it on.
  3. If you hate it, definitely put it on.

Why? You’re probably accustomed to trying on perfumes at department stores. Mainstream perfumes are in the unenviable position of having to compete with the hundreds of bottles that crowd around them on the counters. That why they often are designed to give away the whole story on the first spray: to convince consumers to make an impulse purchase on the spot. Niche perfume is often different. In most cases, what you smell in the first 10 seconds will be different from what you’ll smell after 5 minutes, and it will keep changing over the hours. This is part of the joy of experiencing niche perfume.

Bottom line: Judging a vial by its top notes is like judging a novel by its first page. Good perfume rewards an open mind.

The answer depends on whom you ask. The simplest definition of niche is that it’s harder to find and harder to discover. That's in contrast to mass-market perfume, which is easy to find in department stores and at major beauty counters around the world.

Actually, we have quite a few bottles of mainstream scents on our shelves. (Lookin' at you, Hypnotic Poison!) And some of the talented perfumers we will feature here have also created mass-market, mainstream perfumes that have been commercial and critical successes. But what we love about the niche world is that artists frequently have much more control over the fragrances they create. They don’t create according to the trend of the moment, and they care deeply about the quality of their work because it becomes a part of their own brand.

They also don’t treat perfume as a mere beauty product but as a piece of art that has the power to move, surprise, shock, and inspire. Mainstream perfume marketing often appeals to your desire to be attractive to potential mates (which is a nice side effect, we suppose, but certainly not the main point). If niche perfume had a big marketing budget, it would likely appeal to your sense of individuality, your appreciation for art and originality, and your desire to smell wonderful things simply because they make you happy. Whether that's better or just different is a matter of your perspective.

We worked with packaging experts to create well-cushioned, sturdily constructed packaging and an outer mailer that should prevent any breaking. We also use vials that close very tightly to prevent any of that precious juice from leaking. But hey, things happen. If you discover a problem when your collection arrives, send us a note at support@olfactif.com and we'll make sure you get a replacement right away.

Your spray vials are not meant to be opened after we seal them. They'll lose their seal, and you'll be left with a leaky vial.

With deepest condolences, we do not recommend it.

Absolutely! Olfactif takes great pride in working directly with the brands, perfumers and distributors of niche perfumes. All of our scents are 100% authentic, coming directly from the brand or the brand's distributor.

If you didn't create an account when originally created your subscription, simply create an account using the email address that you used when you subscribed. (That part is important.) On your account page, click on "manage subscription." You'll be able to track shipments or cancel or pause you subscription.

Need to reset your password? Not a problem. Login to your account on the website. The login button is on the upper righthand corner of the site. On the Customer Login page, you will see ' Forget your Password'. Click on that link, enter your email and hit Submit. A password reset email will be sent to you.

reset password

Alternatively, send us an email at support@olfactif.com and we will send back a reset password email with instructions.

In accordance with law, we charge sales tax on all purchases that require it.

All purchases, including but not limited to: full bottles, samples, deluxe atomizers, sample packs, and gift cards, are not refundable or exchangeable. All sales are final. We highly encourage you to purchase samples prior to your full bottle purchase to ensure you are happy with the fragrance you purchased.

Fixed-term subscriptions (3-, 6-, and 12-months) are not refundable or exchangeable. (However, the month-to-month subscription can be canceled at any time.) All subscriptions can be paused as well. If you wish to transfer your 3-, 6-, or 12-month subscription to someone else, we can arrange that. Let us know at support@olfactif.com.

Damages in transit, lost or stolen packages are a huge bummer, we know. We process and pack your order with care and once it leaves our facility it becomes the responsibility of the carrier, not us. That is why we offer Route Package Protection with each order and it is automatically added to your cart.

Keep Route Package Protection in your cart during checkout and your order will be covered for a replacement or refund. If you toggle off/do not select Route Package Protection with your order, your order will not be refunded or replaced by us, however you may file a claim with the carrier.

Defective merchandise will be replaced. All defective claims must be made within 14 days of receipt of merchandise for a replacement. Please email support@olfactif.com to report the defect.

If your subscription is active but you don't see special subscriber pricing displayed when you're logged in, send a note at support@olfactif.com. We'll help you out.

Each order may have only one discount code. But if you have a gift card, you may combine that with a discount code in a single order.

For subscriptions, we accept Visa, Mastercard, and Discover. Paypal is an option on all nonsubscription orders.

If you've recently updated your billing information, you'll see a $1 hold -- not a charge -- on your credit card. That's because the only way for our system to check that your updated card information is correct is to run a test "charge." That $1 hold will disappear within a day or two. (And again, it's not a charge.)

Yes we do! All monthly collection boxes ship for free to the United States ($9.95 additional for Canadian subscription orders). We also offer free shipping on samples, atomizers and full size bottles for orders $150 and over, no code needed, within the continental United States. Shipping is free over $250 into Canada.

Your monthly collections are shipped via USPS. Monthly subscriptions ship between the 1st and the 15th of each month. The USPS will deliver your shipments without requiring a signature, but we’ll provide tracking information so you can know when to expect them.

All other products (full size bottles, al a carte samples, & sample packs, etc.) may ship via USPS, UPS, or FedEx. We'll always send you a shipping notification so you can track your package as it makes its way to your door.

At this time, we ship to the United States, the US terriories, APO/FPO addresses and Canada.

Our shipping rates are as follows:

Shipping to the continental United States, APO/FPO:

  • Monthly subscriptions ship for free.
  • Non-subscription orders (full-size bottles, samples, atomizers, etc.) receive free ground shipping for orders $150 or more.
  • Full-size bottles ship for a flat rate of $15 per order, regardless of how many bottles are in your order, so stock up!
  • A la carte samples, deluxe atomizers and sample pack shipping rates vary by the number of items in your order.
    • Up to 5 items: $6.65 Ground; $8.55 Priority
    • 6-10 items: $7.85 Ground; $9.45 Priority
    • 11 items or more: $8.55 Ground; $12.65 Priority

Shipping to Hawaii and Alaska:

  • Monthly subscriptions ship for free.

Shipping to Canada:

  • Monthly subscriptions ship for $9.95 each month.
  • Full-size bottles ship for a flat rate of $25 per order, regardless of how many bottles are in your order, so stock up!
  • A la carte samples, deluxe atomizers and sample pack shipping rates vary by the number of items in your order.
    • Up to 5 items: $14.65 Ground
    • 6-10 items: $16.85 Ground
    • 11 items or more: $18.45 Ground
  • We are not responsible for any taxes and duties that might be charged upon delivery and we are not able to estimate these fees.

Of course! When your monthly collections and all other purchases ship, we’ll send you an email notification with your tracking number.

Waiting is the hardest part, isn't it? When monthly collections ship (the 1st to 15th of every month) they can take up to 10 days for the collections to arrive at your door. They usually don't take nearly that long, but it's possible. All other products (full size bottles, al a carte samples, sample packs, etc.) typically ship out within 2 - 4 business days. During the peak holiday seasons and promotional times, shipping times may be delayed due to the heavy volume of orders. At times, full bottle purchases may ship directly from the perfumer and may cause a delay in shipping.

While Canadian processing times are the same as the United States, Canadian orders can take 2-3 weeks to reach your door once they leave our facility.

It also can take 24 - 48 hours from the time you receive your shipping notification to be scanned into the tracking system, so don't worry if it doesn't show up right away. But if you're concerned that something may be wrong with your shipment, drop us a line at support@olfactif.com, and we'll investigate to make sure things are on track.

As soon as you realize this, give us a call at 570-800-5750 or email at support@olfactif.com and we will do our best to make the change before it ships out. If it has already shipped out or has come back to us, we will glady update your address in our system, however you will be responsible for the reshipment of your order; so please make sure you enter the correct address during checkout.

  • Extrait de parfum: The most concentrated. Aromatic compounds make up about 15 – 40% of what’s in the bottle (typically about 20%).
  • Eau de parfum (EDP): Aromatic compounds make up about 10 – 20% (typically about 15%).
  • Eau de toilette: Aromatic compounds make up about 5 – 15% (typically about 10%).
  • Eau de cologne: Aromatic compounds make up about 3 – 8% (typically about 5%). Citrus notes tend to play a leading role in colognes, and you don’t find a lot of heavy base notes.

It sure does. Men and women can—and do—both wear cologne and perfume. The mass-market perfume industry has just made you think otherwise. In fact, most scents marketed to men are eau de toilettes (EDTs) and eau de parfums (EDPs), not colognes.

Regardless of whether you choose the women's or the men's subscription type, all of the scents that we curate are made with men and women in mind because niche artists don't buy into that men's-scents-vs-women's-scents thing. They just make scents for people.

We also encourage people to wear whatever they like, regardless of how mainstream marketing has stereotyped certain fragrances and notes. You're a woman who loves to wear tobacco? You're among friends. You're a man who's tempted by a dark rose? Go forth and be fragrant.

The word "notes" describes the elements of a scent. You've probably heard of many notes and know some that you love. Violet, rose, vanilla, leather, birch, labdanum, and gardenia are all notes. Some notes are what we call "fantasy" notes, which means they're an olfactory illusion. Imaginary Authors is wonderful at this; in Yesterday Haze, the listed notes include "orchard dust." And now that we've suggested it, you'll smell it in there.

Top notes are the lightest weigt molecules that float up to your nose first. They often include bubbly little molecules like aldehydes and citruses. Heart notes are a little heavier, and they can include florals. Basenotes, like woods and spices, are the heaviest molecules that sit around on your skin for a long time.

First, you have to understand a bit of chemistry.

Top notes are the lightest weight molecules that float up to your nose first. They often include bubbly little ditties like aldehydes and citruses. Heart notes are a little heavier, and they can include florals and greens. Basenotes, like woods and spices, are the heaviest molecules that sit around on your skin for a long time.

Now that you understand that, you can imagine how you'd smell different elements of a scent at different times. One of our favorite examples of this is Ashoka by Neela Vermeire Créations, a masterful composition by Bertrand Duchaufour. It tells the story of the Indian emperor Ashoka, who led a brutal, battle-scarred life of warring and conquering until he experienced a change of heart later in life, eventually embracing the peaceful life of Buddhism and helping to spread that philosophy throughout his empire. The perfume opens almost violently, with a clash of sword on leather battle gear and the smoky fires from burning villages. Soon, a tiny stem of green pushes through the ruins and grows into something gently floral. The perfume gradually turns toward soft, smooth woods and comforting spices and evokes a sense of peace. It's a perfect retelling of its subject, and it's magic to experience.

You can earn Scent Points by making purchases, celebrating a birthday, sharing content, writing reviews, and referring friends.

  • Create an account = 200 Scent Points
  • $1 spent = 1 Scent Point
  • Share on Facebook = 50 Scent Points
  • Write a review = 50 Scent Points
  • Refer a friend = $10 off

Rewards are awarded as follows:

  • 500 Scent Points = $5 off
  • 1,000 Scent Points = $10 off
  • 2,500 Scent Points = $25 off

Nope! But because subscribers earn points every time their subscripton renews, subscribers can earn points faster.

You can redeem your Scent Points on full bottles, à la cart samples, sample packs, and candles. Scent Points cannot be used toward subscriptions.

While we would certainly love for you to be a subscriber, you do not need to be one to purchase any of our other products. So if you are looking to grab a few samples, found a sample pack you love or need a full-size bottle (or two), you can do that without a subscription.

We do however highly recommend you check out becoming a subscriber as subscribers get 10% off all bottles and samples all of the time and 20% off featured fragrances of the month as well as early access to deals and new launches! Subscribe here.