Your Signature Scent Is a Click Away With the 18 Best Online Retailers to Buy Perfume (2024)

Although buying your new signature fragrance without sniffing it IRL first may seem strange, online scent shopping has a long list of benefits. Of course, the universally appealing convenience factor applies to all kinds of virtual purchasing. But as it pertains to perfume specifically—even luxury fragrances—the internet is also a veritable treasure trove for not only good deals and steals but also a place where you can discover a wide array of new and exciting brands that may not yet be available at the department or big beauty store where you’d otherwise be shopping. Not to mention that many sites offer different sampling and tester options, so you can take a scent for a test run before you buy a full-size.

We conducted hours of research to find the best online destinations to buy perfume, evaluating each retailer based on how robust its descriptions are, whether it offers fragrance samples, and more. We also consulted a fragrance expert to learn more about what to look for when perfume shopping online. The goal: To help you find the best places that will make you seriously rethink how you scent shop.

Of all the online department store options, this is one of our faves. Yes, the amazingly flexible Nordstrom return policy (no time limits on returns and exchanges) applies to fragrances, too, and you can even order online and pick up in-store if you’re really in a rush. They also offer a ton of store-exclusive perfumes and scents, such as Chanel Paris Les Eaux De Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent Saharienne, and Jo Malone Red Hibiscus Cologne Intense.Not to mention that they always hold the iconic anniversary sale every summer, where you can find hundreds of markdowns.

Those who love a good deal will appreciate the notably discounted prices and the plethora of coupons always available, making this a great pick for more affordable perfume shopping (you can find luxury favorites up to 70% off). Shipping is free, too, and there’s a good selection of samples, like Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, Viktor & Rolf ​​Flowerbomb Dew, and Versace Bright Crystal, that you can also buy.

Ever finally find a signature scent that you’re obsessed with, only to find out it’s been discontinued when you go to re-stock? Yeah, us, too. Search for it on this site since they have many fragrances available that were discontinued on other retailer sites. They also have a loyalty program where you earn a point for every dollar you spend, with discounts on future orders once you reach 100 points. Always an added benefit in our book.

The in-store fragrance shopping experience at Sephora is quite good, but so is the online version. There’s a quiz that can help you figure out what kind of fragrance you might like (great for those who just aren’t quite sure what they’re looking for), and plenty of brands and sizes are available. You can also return anything you don’t like within 30 days as long as it’s only “gently used.”

The tagline of this site is "date perfumes before you marry them." We can get into that. The subscription service lets you choose from over 500 designer and niche fragrances for $17 a month, you get one 8-milliliter spray—about a month’s worth of daily spritzing. You can also change the frequency of your subscription if monthly is too often for you.

The offerings on Ulta's site are helpfully divided by scent families—like floral, fresh, sweet, warm and spicy, and woody and earthy—on the fragrance landing page, making this a great pick for those who know what types of perfumes they like. They have a great loyalty program where you can receive discounts and rewards with every purchase, and you can return anything you don’t like (even without a receipt, as long as you paid with a credit card and/or are part of the loyalty program).

Neiman Marcus is a quiet luxury retailer known for its elegant, high-quality designer offerings—and its fragrance options are no exception. The robust selection includes bestsellers such as Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Tom Ford, Jo Malone, Givenchy, and Hermès—to name just a few. In addition to full-size bottles fit for your vanity, you can get travel-friendly rollerballs, gift sets, and even fragrance sample collections if you want to try out a few scents before committing to one.

With options to search the many offerings according to price, fragrance type, and notes, this is one of the easier sites to navigate and find your fave. We love that they have such an extensive selection for men’s cologne, including popular favorites like Dior Sauvage, Bleu De Chanel, and Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille.

The concept of clean beauty is nothing new, but it applies more and more to fragrances, too. With very rigorous standards as to what ingredients they do and don’t allow in the products they carry, you can feel confident knowing that any of the fragrances here are completely clean. The added benefit? This is a great spot to find all kinds of smaller indie brands (like Ellis Brooklyn, Sana Jardin, and Heretic) that you may not yet have heard of.

Just like the fashion offerings on this site, expect an ultra-chic, curated collection of sophisticated scents that are sure to both smell good and look great on your vanity. It’s a wonderful resource for beautifully packaged fragrance gifts (be they for someone else or for you—we won’t judge) like Gucci Moonlight Serenade or Diptyque’s limited edition Do Son. Just keep in mind that all fragrance sales are final.

Remember how you used to go to the Macy’s at the mall as a teen to stock up on Tommy Girl perfume? No? Just us? Anyway, the Macy's site is the place to shop now, with frequent amazing sales, plenty of sets, and a nice selection of travel-friendly rollerballs, too.

We appreciate that the wide variety of brands offered on this site range from the big-name mainstream options, like Maison Francis Kurkdjian, to smaller, niche companies, like D.S. and Durga. There’s a never-ending amount of choices for men, women, and home scents, too. If samples are your thing, you’ll be into the extensive array they offer. Oh, and if you spend over $150, you get five free samples with your purchase. Also helpful: The glossary, which breaks down the most commonly used fragrance terms, and their video library of fragrance reviews and tips. Because really, does anyone know the difference between an eau de toilette and an eau de parfum?

What we love: The offerings are broken down into super helpful categories here—by price, what’s trending, deals of the month, and more. You get free shipping over $59, and returns can either be sent back or brought back to one of their retail stores throughout the country (though they do have to be unopened, FYI).

This newcomer on the scene is not only a shopping site, but a company launching its own fragrance brands. These range from celeb and influencer fragrances to niche options like CBD fragrances. In other words, the goods you find here you won’t find anywhere else. Either way, the descriptions of all the fragrances are clear, concise, and very helpful, making it easy to get a sense of what the perfume you’re considering actually smells like.

Those who prefer a hands-off approach to shopping will appreciate that this month-to-month subscription service offers an option where you simply get a new “fragrance of the month” each month. You can also complete a survey about your preferences and let them choose for you, or pick your own—$30 will get you two 9-milliliter spritzers per month.

Walmart used to carry only drugstore brands, but the big-box retailer is now an online destination for many high-end beauty brands. In terms of fragrance, this means you can buy premium perfume by Juicy Couture, Calvin Klein, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, and Gucci—often at a sweet discount. There are many mid-price-range options, too, like Elizabeth Arden, Montblanc, Ariana Grande, and Dossier.

Amazon has just about everything, so it should come as no surprise that it's a go-to destination for perfume shopping. The online mega-retailer carries women's fragrances at various prices, including full-size bottles, travel-friendly spritzers, and gift sets. We like that you can read buyer reviews and take advantage of fast (often free) shipping and easy returns with a Prime membership.

Pro tip: Do some digging to ensure you're always purchasing from an Amazon-approved retailer. If a product has bad or seemingly fake reviews, is priced suspiciously low, or is advertised with poor image quality, it's most likely an Amazon scam. Other signs to look for are odd seller names, a recent create date on the seller account, and abnormally long shipping times.

In addition to skincare, makeup, and haircare, Bluemercury offers an impressive selection of fragrances, including perfume, eau de toilettes, and cologne from brands we love. We're talking Lake & Skye, Oribe, Diptyque, Jo Malone, and Vilhelm Parfumerie.

What to Look for When Buying Perfume Online

  • Samples: Many perfume online retailers offer free samples or samples you can buy inexpensively to try out a fragrance, such as Fragrancenet and Luckyscent. Isolating fragrance samples might be a more effective way of trialing scent as oftentimes, when you're sampling perfume in the store, you might mix scents and not get the most accurate read on each particular fragrance on its own.
  • Preferences: It’s helpful to know what types of scents you gravitate towards (florals, woody, etc.) since many sites do—very helpfully—categorize their olfactory offerings according to those. “Usually they will list out the top/middle/base notes,” says cosmetic chemist Ginger King. “If you like those notes, you should like at least 80% of how the fragrance will smell (the other 20% being dependent on the concentration of ingredients).”
  • Description: Fragrances will have a description of their notes, so it's important not only to pay attention to these descriptions but understand what they mean. Each fragrance is made of layers called notes. There are top or head notes, which are the first impression of the fragrance and the fastest to evaporate; the middle or heart notes, which are the foundation of the fragrance, and base notes, which are the last notes to evaporate and typically associated with what's called the dry-down of a fragrance. Many brands will offer fragrances for women, men, and unisex options (although we don't believe any scent is gender-specific!). Sephora and FragranceX have some of the best, most detailed product descriptions for perfumes on their websites.

FAQ

  • How do you buy perfume without smelling it first?

    Read the descriptions with an understanding of top, middle, and base notes. Fragrance blogs can also be helpful when it comes to reviews of scents. Remember, however, that fragrance is subjective, so it's more important to look for objective claims, like what notes make up a fragrance, as opposed to whether or not someone likes or dislikes it. If you don’t know what notes to look for, King recommends doing research on your current favorites. If you find two notes in a new fragrance that are also in your top perfume, there’s a good chance that you’ll like it. She also points out that many online fragrance retailers have quizzes to help determine which are the best for you, so you should definitely take advantage of those if they are available.

  • What are common fragrance notes?

    Typical top notes, your first impressions, are usually light and alluring. They tend to be made up of summery scents like orange and lemon, as well as herbal essences like lavender, basil, or sage.
    Typical heart notes, making up your fragrance foundation, are usually warm and full-bodied, like rose, neroli, and cinnamon.
    Typical base notes, long-lasting notes that make up the dry-down, are vanilla, musk, and sandalwood.

Why Trust Byrdie

Byrdie contributor Melanie Rud has over a decade of experience in the beauty industry, writing for some of the biggest magazines and websites out there. She considered dozens of retailers for this roundup, and, after careful research and pouring over reviews, named these places the best to buy fragrance online.

Byrdie commerce updates writer Shannon Stubbs conducted additional research for this article. She has several years of experience testing and recommending beauty products, with expertise in skincare, body care, and makeup. She's been a writer at Byrdie since 2022. She also spoke with an expert for more insight:

  • Ginger King, a cosmetic chemist and the founder of Grace Kingdom Beauty, a cosmetic development company.
Your Signature Scent Is a Click Away With the 18 Best Online Retailers to Buy Perfume (2024)

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