#scentbird

[li0nandth3lamb]

guys the scent bird twilight perfume is so yummy smelling…but i can’t tell if it smells the way i think twilight would smell

[wisegenxers]

The Truth About Scentbird and Perfume Subscription Boxes

Perfume subscription boxes are the new “little treat” that shows up in your mailbox every month, promising designer

[candlelightceremony]

Dear Perfume/Fragrance fans:

Does anyone have suggestions for a fragrance that smells like earl grey tea? Or is just super bergamot heavy? I’ve been on the hunt for years and finally found a scent from Demeter that hits the nail on the head but lasts like 30 seconds :/

[planethanna]

scentbird 2024 advent calendar

shot by adrianna favero / props lead dominique pagan, assisted by me

[planethanna]

prop styling for scentbird 2024 advent calendar

shot by Adrianna Favero / props lead Dominique Pagan

[passionfruitmango]

Ive never seen a more desperate ex than scentbird

[the-four-humors]

Scentbird + Heretic Nosferatu first impressions

My Scentbird order arrived while I was at work! So I wanted to give my first impressions of the company, as well as the fragrance I chose. This isn't quite a full review; I'll wait to do a full review until I've used the service for a couple months.

The Service

At the time I signed up they were offering 50% off the first month, which was nice, but it was on one of those fake countdown timers that just resets when it runs out or you refresh the site, which is annoying and predatory.

They offer a quiz to let you build a scent profile, which I guess could be useful if you don't know where to start, but the questions were really vague/metaphorical. Like, what is "Timeless and Classic" supposed to convey as a scent option? I was expecting more focused questions around scent profiles, which would have been more helpful. However, I took the "Masculine" quiz, the "Feminine" quiz may be more robust.

They let you set up a queue of fragrances, which, as someone who constantly forgot to select Hello Fresh meals each week, was a nice option to have.

Regardless of which gendered option you choose on the quiz, you can order fragrances from any category. I like this.

Good god they try to upsell you. There were at least 4 upsells when I finally went to check out, all of which were expensive and none that were necessary. One of them, a subscription for a new atomizer case each month, is downright wasteful.

Now, while I am someone who can get got by subscription services (I used to do Birchbox and I've done Hello Fresh), I am NOT someone who responds to upselling very much. It is very easy for me to say "No thanks." So I didn't do any add ons, and I won't be ordering any fragrances that come with an additional cost. But if you reading this are susceptible to Dark Patterns, stay away from this company.

The Scent

For my first scent, I chose "Nosferatu" by the brand Heretic. Yes, partially because it sounded Goffic, but also because the notes listed on the site genuinely sounded like something I would enjoy. Those being:

Petrichor

Lilac

Violet absolute

Vegan ambergris

I tried out the scent - probably used too much of it but I was excited and don't know how to use fancy fragrances - and I quite like it!

I don't actually know how ambergris is supposed to smell, so idk if the synthetic version compares to the real deal. But I'm very familiar with the smell of petrichor, lilacs, and violets.

Now, when I think "petrichor," I think of more of a wet dirt kinda smell, so I was thinking this would smell... well... dirtier. But instead it has more of just a general wet, rainy smell. After that, the lilac comes through.

Now, I have a massive lilac bush in my front yard, so I REALLY know the smell of lilac. This doesn't so much smell like fresh lilac flowers, though. The petrichor smell mixes with the lilac to make a wet floral kind of smell - in fact, it smells a lot like how my house smelled when I made lilac syrup in April, when I first added the flowers to the sugar mixture but before they had infused and turned sweet. Which, I was obsessed with that smell and that syrup, so this is nice!

That said, I made that syrup right after a break up so there is something very melancholic about it lol, though I know that's just me.

The violet absolute (which apparently is an extract that is made from violet leaves, not the flowers) adds to that wet plant matter vibe.

As I said, I've never smelled real ambergris so I don't know what that's adding, but there's definitely something under that wet plant smell that gives it a bit more depth.

A quick look at Heretic's own website gives me the impression this is meant to be a gender neutral scent. It's floral, but doesn't smell like the pure lilac perfume my mom always wears, so it doesn't strike me as being very feminine. But it also doesn't have those rugged, woody masculine kinda smells, either. The copy on Heretic's website makes it sound like it's for classy, kinda horny goths of any gender.

First impression is that I like it! I'm gonna wear it for a month and see how I feel, but I don't think it'll be something I go buy a full bottle of, because I'm just not a huge florals kinda guy.

Oh also either I used too much of it or my dog is slightly allergic to it, because I put it on then took her outside and she kept sneezing. She stopped when we got back inside, so it might have been bad air quality but I really think it was the fragrance.

[tierramichelle]