With online shopping becoming more and more popular, buying perfume online can sometimes feel like a gamble. With no tester strips or the ability to spray on your wrist, you might think that buying a new fragrance is total guesswork.
The truth is, with a little extra knowledge on fragrance and accord types, you can still pick a perfume that is suited to you without needing to smell it first. Once you’ve mastered this, then buying a perfume without smelling it stops being risky and starts becoming intuitive.
Of course, whilst you’re getting to grips with the tips and terminology below, you can opt to purchase miniature or travel fragrances to test the perfumes before you commit to a full sized bottle - or just to help you identify the different fragrance types to find out which ones you like.
Finding a fragrance family
The first and arguably most important step in blind picking a fragrance is to understand the fragrance families. There are four main types:
- Oriental - these are rich and warm scent types. Often built around notes like vanilla, amber, and spice, these fragrances feel deep and luxurious with an element of mystery.
- Floral - as the name suggests, this family is soft, romantic and classic because they’re based on flowers like rose, jasmine, or peony.
- Fresh - these fragrances are clean, crisp and energising. Typically featuring citrus, green or aquatic notes, they are light, airy and easy to wear.
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Woody - warm, grounding, and sophisticated. Built around notes like sandalwood, cedar, and vetiver, woody scents are smooth and natural.
We break these down more in our ‘what are the different types of scent?’ blog which can help you identify what fragrance family appeals to you most. Knowing what these scent types represent is particularly important because people naturally lean towards perfumes that match how they want to feel. For example:
- If you want to feel confident, choose oriental or woody scents (warm woods, amber, spice).
- If you want to feel calm, choose floral or woody scents (soft musk, clean florals).
- If you want to feel energised, pick fresh or herby oriental scents (citrus, green notes).
By knowing how you want to feel, you can narrow down your options accordingly by looking at the notes.
Understanding the language of fragrance
If you don’t know how the note pyramid works, perfume descriptions can seem complicated, but they’re actually simple once you know what to look for. It can be simplified by saying every fragrance has three layers, with the top layer fading the quickest and the base layer the slowest.
- Top notes: the first impression (light, fresh, quick to fade)
- Heart notes: the personality (what the scent becomes)
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Base notes: the lasting impression (what stays on your skin)
In summary, if you’re choosing blindly, focus on the base because this is what you’ll be smelling the most. If you like the base notes, you’ll likely love the perfume.
Another thing to watch out for is the combination of fragrances known as ‘accords’. When you’re buying a scent without smelling it, accords become incredibly useful because they simplify complex note lists into something you can actually imagine. You’ll often see them mentioned in descriptions, especially in niche perfumery.
Here are some examples of the types of things you might see and what they really mean:
- Amber accord with vanilla and resins = warm, golden, and sensual with a soft sweetness
- Woody accord with sandalwood, cedar and patchouli = smooth, grounding, and understatedly elegant
- Smoky accord with woody notes and vetiver = charred and atmospheric with a mysterious edge
- Floral musk accord with jasmine and musk = clean, airy, and soft rather than overpowering
Once you start recognising accords, reading a perfume description feels less like guesswork, and becomes more like understanding a language. You’ll also be able to look out for words like ‘warm, spicy, clean’ in reviews to get an idea of what other people think of the fragrance, if it’s not clear from the base notes.
It’s important to know the difference between safe and statement scents, some fragrances are easier to blind buy than others. Safer choices include familiar scents like vanilla, citrus, and florals, where more polarising notes are leather, vetiver, oud and spices. That doesn’t mean you should avoid bold scents, it just means you should know when there’s slightly more risk.
Match your fragrance to settings and patterns
Often, a great fragrance isn’t universal, but situational. Think about where you’ll actually wear it and whether it is appropriate for that setting. For example, for everyday or work settings you’ll want something fresh, clean and subtle. For special occasions, something bold, memorable, and layered.
The right scent in the wrong setting can feel off. The right scent at the right moment feels effortless.
Trust your patterns
Chances are, you’ve already established fragrance preferences in things like candles, body washes, or previous perfumes. If you consistently gravitate toward fresh, sweet, or woody scents, trust that instinct when it comes to blind buying perfumes. Your taste is quite likely to be consistent, so it’s safe to assume that what you like in other areas, you’ll like in perfume too.
Choose authenticity
This point is less about the scent itself, but the authenticity of the fragrance. There are plenty of online deals offering big discounts on designer perfumes, but you need to choose a trusted retailer. If you choose us, you’re protected by our authenticity promise, which means you’ll never be sold a fake product. However, if you buy elsewhere online we’d recommend you read our ‘how to spot a fake perfume blog’ to ensure the deal you’re buying isn’t too good to be true.
Key takeaways on blind buying a perfume
To summarise all of the above, here’s what you should know before buying a perfume online without smelling it first.
- Know the fragrance families - oriental, floral, fresh, woody
- Understand the note pyramid - top notes, middle notes, base notes
- Learn about accords - how notes blend together and what this means
- Safe vs. statement scents - learn to identify more divisive scents from classically safe ones
- Consider context - Match your fragrance to where you’ll wear it (work, everyday, special occasions)
- Trust your patterns - Past preferences in perfumes, candles, or body washes can guide you
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Buy from trusted retailers - Ensure authenticity and avoid fakes
If you feel ready to take the leap and purchase a perfume without smelling it first, we have plenty of authentic fragrances to choose from. We also have clearance fragrances to choose from for even bigger discounts. So, whether you’re looking for a light EDT or a long-lasting parfum, there’s something for every taste and budget in our collection.