Perfume samples are small vials — usually 1 to 2 ml — of a fragrance, offered by brands and shops so you can wear it before buying. A decant is perfume transferred from a full bottle into a smaller one, often by a reseller or by a friend sharing a bottle. Discovery sets gather samples of several perfumes from one house, and travel sprays are small versions of a full bottle. All of them let you test a fragrance on your own skin over several days, which is the most reliable way to choose.

Why samples are worth it

A perfume reveals itself over hours and days, on your skin, in your life. A few minutes at a counter cannot show that. A sample:

  • lets you wear the perfume for a full day, through its dry down;
  • lets you try it in different weather and settings;
  • costs far less than a full bottle you might not finish.

See How to Test a Perfume Before You Buy It for how to use one well.

The kinds of small perfume

Dab vials

Tiny glass vials with a stopper or wand. Fine for testing, though dabbing applies the perfume differently from spraying: less spread, less alcohol lift, a slightly more concentrated spot. Expect it to seem a little closer and stronger than a spray.

Spray samples

Small atomisers, usually 1–2 ml. Closer to the full-bottle experience.

Discovery sets

A box of samples from one house, sometimes with a voucher towards a full bottle. An efficient way to explore a range.

Travel sprays and minis

Small versions of the full bottle, often 5–15 ml. Useful once you are fairly sure, and for travel; see Can You Bring Perfume on a Plane?.

Decants

Perfume poured or syringed from a full bottle into a smaller atomiser. Decants let you buy a few millilitres of perfumes that do not come in samples, but they come with cautions (below).

A sample is a week of a perfume’s life with you. That is worth more than any description.

Buying decants safely

Decants from strangers can’t be verified. If you buy them:

  • Choose established sellers with clear information about where their bottles come from.
  • Expect some variation — the perfume is only as good as the bottle it came from and how it was stored.
  • Be wary of very low prices, which may mean diluted or counterfeit perfume.
  • Check that the container is clean and labelled with the perfume’s name and concentration.

Decanting your own perfume

Decanting part of your own bottle into a small atomiser is handy for travel and for a bag. Use a clean glass atomiser or a funnel or syringe made for the purpose, label it, and keep it out of heat and light like the original. See How to Store Perfume.

Using a sample well

  1. Apply it the way you’d wear the full bottle — neck, chest, inner arms — not just a dab on the wrist.
  2. Wear it on an ordinary day, in your usual places.
  3. Note what you notice at intervals, and what others say.
  4. Wear it a second time before deciding.
  5. Compare fairly — if you are choosing between two, wear them on different days, or one on each arm.

Common questions

How many wears are in a sample?

A 1 ml sample gives several applications; a 2 ml spray perhaps ten to fifteen sprays.

Do samples smell the same as the full bottle?

They should, if they come from the brand. Dab vials may seem slightly different because of how the perfume is applied, and decants depend on their source.

How long do samples last?

Small vials are more exposed to air than full bottles once opened, so use them within months rather than years, and keep them closed and cool. See Does Perfume Expire?.

Further reading

Samples are step five of our method in How to Choose a Perfume, the best defence against a disappointing blind buy, and often the kindest form of perfume as a gift. Brands and perfumers who make samples for clients will find the practical side — filling, labelling and records — in RUŌOD Lab’s How to Make Perfume Samples.