Secret Scent Box

Secret Scent Box

If you're in the market for a new scent but feel overwhelmed when it comes to choosing what seems like an endless selection, then Secret Scent Box might be just the ticket. Secret Scent Box is a subscription service for men and women wanting to try out new luxury perfumes or colognes without the hefty cost of having to purchase the full sized bottles... and without the dizzying headache of being sprayed with 20 different scents at your local department store whilst trying to find the perfect one.

It's also an ideal gift for someone who likes a bit of variety when it comes to scents. You know, that person who has that extensive collection of colourful perfume or cologne bottles lining their dressing table and isn't loyal to just one. This is ideal for them, as by the time they get bored of one, they will be on to an entirely new scent! Below we'll take a look at what exactly you get with Secret Scent Box, when to expect it and how much it's going to cost.

At A Glance Info
What's in the box? Three 3ml perfume or cologne samples
How often does it come? Monthly
Sent from UK
Website www.secretscentbox.co.uk

Secret Scent Box Review

By Kim (Spring 2017)

Secret Scent Box Spring 2017 Box

I received my Secret Scent Box a couple of days after it was sent. The box it came in is definitely small enough to fit through any letterbox, so there is no worry of missing it if you're out when the postman arrives. I'll be honest, it really was much smaller than what I was expecting, but the moment I opened the parcel and saw the beautifully presented black box with the company's logo embossed in silver, I knew there were good things to come in this small package.

First Impressions

Embossed Secret Scent Box

The box itself is excellently presented on both the inside and the outside with the scents themselves protected in a foam base and clearly printed so that you know which scent is which. Upon removing the lid of the box, I was greeted with a sturdy card indicating that the box is the 'May Edition – For Her'. I think I even did a little excited squeal at that point. It really does look quite impressive.

What I Received

Perfume selection in the Secret Scent Box

The Secret Scent Box website correctly details exactly what you'll receive in the box, which is three 3ml fragrances, along with cards that detail the scents and give you a snapshot of what the full-sized version bottles would look like. The cards are extremely well done and if you were to subscribe for a year, you could even keep notes on the backs of each to remind you which ones were your favourites.

Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb in Bloom

Sample of Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb in Bloom

I'll be the first to admit that I've never actually heard of Viktor & Rolf, but I'm really no fashionista either. I had a quick gander on their website and it seems they have been around in the fashion business for over 20 years now. The scent, Flowerbomb in Bloom, is spectacular and I was surprised by how much I liked it. The card details that its top notes consist of mandarin, pomegranate and pink pepper, middle notes are rose, jasmine and freesia, and base notes are amber, vanilla, patchouli and oud. I'm not entirely sure what all of those things are, but together they smell magnificent! I am actually considering buying the full sized version of this, as it is stunning. This is a brand I would have never discovered without the help of Secret Scent Box.

Paul Smith's Extreme for Her

Sample of Paul Smith's Extreme for Her

Paul Smith's Extreme for Her was my second favourite scent in the box. I recognised the name, as I'm sure I've seen a few Paul Smiths on the high street but I guess it never occurred to me that they would also have such lovely fragrances. This one has top notes of blackcurrant, green tea and bergamot, middle notes of cassia, freesia and lily of the valley with base notes of amber, patchouli, vetiver and cedari. The smell is subtle and understated, as well as elegant and definitely not as potent as the other two. Again, I would have never tried this one without the help from our friends at Secret Scent Box.

Calvin Klein's Eternity Moment

Sample of Calvin Klein's Eternity Moment

Calvin Klein is a name we've certainly all heard, having been around since 1968. The Eternity Moment scent I received is calming, but definitely not to my personal taste. Top notes include melon, lychee and raspberry, middle notes are jasmine, water lily and chinese pink peony and the base notes consist of sandalwood, musk and cashmere wood. The scent of it reminds me of being in a luxurious spa about to get a relaxing massage but I feel that's not something I would want to wear everyday.

Other Bits

The cards for each scent are incredibly useful, as you can see what sort of notes make up your fragrance. In the two that I really liked, I found quite a bit of crossover with freesia (a flowering plant) and patchouli (an herb in the mint family) making up some of the notes. I didn't even know what patchouli was until now, so I really have learned quite a bit with just this one box. I'm also thinking that anything with notes of wood maybe aren't for me. Whilst I like the smell of sandalwood, I don't necessarily want to smell like a health spa myself.

In Sum

Secret Scent Box Spring 2017 Box

Secret Scent Box is nicely presented and well executed. I would highly recommend the Secret Scent Box for any lady or gentleman looking for a fun and affordable way of discovering a new perfume or cologne or maybe just for someone who likes a bit of variety with their fragrances. I was surprised by how rewarding a little box of perfume samples could be and I was so pleased to discover a couple of brands that I would have never even thought to try! As for how long the bottles last, it seems that these little bottles pack a lot of punch and one spray from them seems plenty sufficient to give you that extra bit of elegance in your day.

How Does it Work?

Secret Scent Box works like most subscription boxes in that you pay a monthly fee for a monthly box. Whilst you can only opt for the auto-renewing subscription, if you're looking to send a one-off gift box, you'll just want to make sure you cancel the subscription before the next one appears. Every box is sent around the 7th of each month, so just be sure to cancel before that time if you're just after one box. The boxes easily fit through a letterbox too, so there's no worry about missing the parcel if you're out at work or taking the dog for a stroll.

What Do You Get?

Every month you'll receive a box (of either perfume or cologne depending on what you selected) of three 3ml mystery fragrances chosen by Secret Scent Box themselves. These tiny bottles give out at least 35 sprays each, meaning there's over a 100 sprays in every month's subscription. This is more than enough to last you the month, if not longer.

The types of brands you'll find in your mystery fragrance box tends to be some of the more popular luxury scents, including Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Dior, Gucci, Prada, Armani – just to name some! These scents normally tend you set you back something like £50 a pop for the full sized version (often more!), so if you're wanting to explore the luxury fragrance market, Secret Scent Box offers an affordable way of doing this and we think the mystery of what you're going to receive really adds to its charm.

In addition to the scents, you'll also receive helpful cards that detail each fragrance, including top notes, middle notes and base notes – things like mandarin, black currant, rose, vanilla, or sandalwood that make up the fragrances. Pretty soon you might even start to piece together what scents you prefer and which you're not keen on just looking at a bottle and seeing what notes create its scent.

Options

There are really only two options with Secret Scent Box and that's either a box of cologne samples for men or a box of perfume samples for women. Simply select which box you are interested in receiving by clicking on either 'Women's Box' or 'Men's Box' in the top bar of the official Secret Scent Box website. Both are the exact same price but simply differ in whether you're looking for perfume or cologne.

Examples

In the May 2017 box for Women's perfumes, there was Viktor & Rolf's Flowerbomb in Bloom, Paul Smith's Extreme for Her and Calvin Klein's Eternity Moment.

In a Men's box of colognes, you'll see things like Paco Rabanne's 1 Million, Tom Ford's Noir and Calvin Klein's CK One Summer 2016.