Perfume buying guides
Before you buy: how the famous perfumes compare, what each note smells like and how to choose a scent you have never smelled.
Featured guide
What is oud? What oud perfume smells like, and sixteen to try from soft to dark
Oud is the dark resin that forms inside agarwood, and in perfume it smells woody, smoky and resinous. What it is, what it smells like, and sixteen oud perfumes laid out as a ladder from soft to dark.
Start here
Decants and sizes
What is a perfume decant?
A decant is original perfume moved from its bottle into a smaller one. How 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants work, and why wearing one first beats a blind buy.
Decant or full bottle? The price per ml, worked out
What a perfume decant costs per ml next to a full bottle, worked out from the 10ML catalogue, and when each one is the better buy.
Travel size perfume: 10ml minis and how to fly with them
Mini perfume in travel size: the original perfume in 10ml and 30ml sprays, plus the 100 ml cabin rule and what goes in checked bags when you fly.
Perfume dupes
The perfume dupes list
Every dupe in our guides next to its original, priced per ml.
Perfume dupes for men
Perfume dupes for women
Choosing a perfume
How to choose a perfume without smelling it
Six steps to choose a perfume you cannot smell: read the notes, know your scent family, start from the moment, check concentration, then wear a 3ml decant.
The best niche perfumes to try as a decant
Niche perfumes worth wearing before you buy the bottle, picked from the 10ML bestseller list, in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants.
The best niche perfumes for women
The niche perfumes for women our shoppers choose most, from houses that put the perfume first, each one a 3ml, 10ml or 30ml decant of the original.
The best niche perfumes for men
The niche perfumes for men our shoppers choose most, from houses that put the perfume first, each one a 3ml, 10ml or 30ml decant of the original.
Most expensive perfume: the record bottle, and the dearest per ml you can try
The most expensive perfume in the world is a one-off bottle from 2005. The ones you can buy are dear per ml, so we group the dearest in our catalogue by style.
Chypre perfume and the other fragrance families, explained
What a chypre perfume is, how a fougère differs, and what the seven fragrance families mean, with one or two perfumes from each family to wear before you choose.
How to find your signature scent in three steps
Find your style with three small decants, live with two finalists for a few weeks, then keep the one you miss when it is gone. A shortlist of twelve to start from.
How to test perfume in store without pressure
Start on labelled paper strips, try your favourites on skin, then leave before deciding. A calm store-visit method, with useful phrases and five perfumes to practise with.
Fragrance notes
What is oud? What oud perfume smells like, and sixteen to try from soft to dark
Oud is the dark resin that forms inside agarwood, and in perfume it smells woody, smoky and resinous. What it is, what it smells like, and sixteen oud perfumes laid out as a ladder from soft to dark.
Best vanilla perfumes 2026: 17 picks by the vanilla you like
Vanilla is not one smell. Seventeen vanilla perfumes grouped by style, boozy, ambery, gourmand, creamy, powdery and fresh, compared side by side, with picks for men and women and a way to find yours.
White musk perfume: what musk smells like, and 19 to try
White musk smells clean, soft and close to the skin. What musk really smells like, the three kinds you will meet, and nineteen musk perfumes grouped by style, from clean white musk to warmer musky perfumes.
Sweet perfumes: 14 gourmands from caramel to coffee
Fourteen gourmand perfumes grouped by the sweetness they are built on, caramel, coffee, praline or fruit and honey, and how to find your level of sweet before you buy a bottle.
Wearing perfume
Eau de parfum vs eau de toilette (and extrait): what changes, and which strength to try
Eau de parfum carries more perfume oil than eau de toilette, and extrait de parfum more again, but one name on two strengths often hides two formulas. What each label means, and how to wear both before you choose.
Long-lasting perfumes for women 2026: 14 by community vote
Fourteen long-lasting perfumes for women, grouped by style, with each one's community longevity vote stated plainly, and how to see the staying power on your own skin before you buy a bottle.
What is extrait de parfum? Strength, wear and whether it is worth it
Extrait de parfum is the most concentrated strength a house sells. Here is what the label means, how it wears next to eau de parfum, and six extraits compared at price per ml.
Does perfume go off? Shelf life, signs it has turned, and how to store it
Perfume does go off, but slowly: there is no hard use-by date, and heat, light and air do the damage. How to tell a bottle has turned, how to store it, and why a small bottle never gets old.
Perfumes side by side
Which Sauvage? Eau de Toilette vs Eau de Parfum vs Parfum vs Elixir
Six Sauvages side by side: Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, Parfum, Elixir, Eau Forte and Extrait. Compare them by notes and season votes, then try two as decants.
Ombre Leather vs Tuscan Leather: the soft one and the loud one
Two Tom Ford leathers, a decade apart. Ombre Leather is the smoother, quieter one; Tuscan Leather is rawer, fruitier and louder. Here is how they differ and how to choose.
What does Oud Wood smell like? Oud Wood vs Tobacco Vanille, note by note
Oud Wood is dry wood and soft spice; Tobacco Vanille is tobacco leaf wrapped in vanilla and cacao. Here is how the two Tom Ford scents differ, and how to settle it with two small decants.
What does Aventus smell like? Aventus vs Absolu Aventus and Aventus Cologne
Aventus is dark fruit over smoky birch, Absolu Aventus adds warm spice, and Aventus Cologne turns to mandarin and mint. How the three Creed scents differ, and how to choose before you buy a bottle.
Perfume houses
Nishane perfumes: which one to try first
Ten Nishane perfumes for men, women and everyone, sorted by character and season, so you know which 3ml decant to order first.
The best Jo Malone perfume for women and men, by style
Ten Jo Malone London scents grouped by style, from salty and fresh to dark and spiced, plus the pairings worth trying and how to wear two small decants before you buy a bottle.
The best Diptyque perfumes, and a first three to try
Nine Diptyque perfumes grouped by style, from green fig and bright orange to rose, soft musk and warm sandalwood, with a first three to wear before you buy a bottle.
Best Creed perfumes 2026: 12 by style, beyond Aventus
Twelve Creed perfumes grouped by style, from bright citrus and sea to green classics, warm woods and evening florals, and how to wear them before you buy a bottle.
Occasions, seasons and gifts
Perfume gift guide 2026: picks they will actually wear
Perfume gift guide 2026: 10 picks for her, for him and for anyone, matched by scent and budget, each in a 10ml decant.
Christmas gifts for employees: an original perfume for everyone
Give every employee an original designer or niche perfume in 3ml or 10ml. Ready-made team sets, a written quote, bank transfer and a company invoice.
Best perfume for men 2026: 23 picks, classic to new
The best perfume for men is the one in the style you already reach for. Twenty-three men's perfumes by style, compared side by side, an "if you wear this, try that" ladder, and what aftershave means.
Best perfume for women 2026: 23 picks, classic to new
The best perfume for women is the one in the style you already love. Twenty-three women's perfumes grouped by style, classics and newer launches, compared side by side, and a three-decant way to find yours before you buy a bottle.
Christmas perfume gifts: give three to try, not one guessed bottle
A full bottle is a guess when you cannot smell it first. How to read someone's taste from what they already wear, and sixteen perfumes to build a gift of three small bottles.
Unisex perfumes worth sharing: scents that sit well on both of you
Fourteen unisex perfumes a couple can share, grouped from fresh and green to warm and dark, and how to wear one together before anyone buys a full bottle.
More guides
Amouage Purpose 50 sample: a 3ml wear test, Purpose compared and 3 to try next
An Amouage Purpose 50 sample in 3ml gives you around 60 sprays to judge the 2025 extrait on skin. See how it differs from Purpose, follow a four-day test, then try three more originals.
Guerlain L'Heure Bleue sample: 3ml test and 4 originals to try next
A Guerlain L'Heure Bleue sample in 3ml gives you around 60 sprays to judge its ozonic notes, orange blossom, iris and vanilla on skin. Follow a five-day test, then try four more originals.
Maison Crivelli Tobacco Carnaval sample: a 3ml wear test and 4 originals to try next
A Maison Crivelli Tobacco Carnaval sample in 3ml gives you around 60 sprays to judge its tobacco, smoke and spices on skin. Follow a five-day test, then try four more originals.
Givenchy L'Interdit Elixir sample: a 3ml wear test and 4 originals to try next
A Givenchy L'Interdit Elixir sample in 3ml gives you around 60 sprays to judge black cherry, rum, oak and vanilla on skin. Compare it with Absolu and Intense, then try Lost Cherry and Love Delight.
Research and data
10ML 2026 Perfume Price Report
What the same perfume costs across EU countries, niche against designer per ml, gift sets against bottles: 10ML’s 2026 report, each figure sourced and dated.
10ML Price-per-ml Index 2026: what perfume costs per ml
What perfume costs per ml in 2026: medians at 3ml, 10ml and 30ml, niche vs designer, and official full-bottle prices of the same perfumes. Free CSV and JSON.
Black Friday perfume deals 2026: are they real?
Are Black Friday perfume deals real? 34 popular perfumes tracked at 13 European shop sites, each sale price against the shop’s own pre-November price.
Why is perfume so expensive? Where the money in a bottle goes, per ml, in 2026
Filed accounts, EU tax tables and supplier price lists show where the money in a perfume bottle goes in 2026, and which popular cost claims no reputable source backs.
Perfume samples price per ml in 2026: travel sprays, minis, discovery sets and decants, measured
10ML priced the travel sprays, minis, refills and discovery sets of 24 perfumes on 12 official EU house stores in October 2026 and set them beside its own decants, per ml.
Niche perfume price per ml in 2026: how much more niche costs than designer, measured
How much more niche perfume costs per ml than designer, measured across every perfume 10ML stocks, checked on official house bottles, with the 2026 luxury niche perfume market size.
Who owns perfume brands in 2026: 89 houses mapped to their groups, licences and revenue lines
A 2026 ownership map of every perfume house 10ML sells, read from annual reports, SEC filings and press releases. It separates who owns a brand from who makes its perfume under licence.
Shop decants by occasion
Perfume samples in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml: the original, decanted
Perfume and fragrance samples of original designer and niche perfume, decanted into 3ml, 10ml and 30ml sprays. EU delivery, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Summer perfumes
Summer perfumes from the 10ML catalogue: the bestsellers wearers vote for hot days, in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants, so you can wear one before you buy a bottle.
Autumn perfumes
The best autumn perfumes by wearer votes: vanilla, amber, patchouli and woods, in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants filled from the original bottle.
Winter perfumes
Winter perfumes from the 10ML catalogue: the bestsellers wearers vote for cold days, in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants, so you can wear one before you buy a bottle.
Spring perfumes
Spring perfumes from the 10ML catalogue: the bestsellers wearers vote for mild days, in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants, so you can wear one before you buy a bottle.
Daytime perfumes
Daytime perfumes from the 10ML catalogue: the bestsellers wearers vote for the day and the office, in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants, to try before a bottle.
Night perfumes
Night perfumes from the 10ML catalogue: the bestsellers wearers vote for evenings and nights out, in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants, to try before a bottle.
10ml perfume decants
10ml perfume decants filled by hand from the original bottle: about 200 sprays, small enough for any bag. Shop the bestsellers, each with its 10ml price.
30ml perfume decants
30ml perfume decants filled by hand from the original bottle: about 600 sprays, at a lower price per ml than 10ml. Shop the bestsellers with their 30ml price.
Comparisons, data and how we work
About our decants: original perfume, filled by hand
How 10ML decants are filled by hand from original bottles, sealed and labelled, shipped across the EU, and covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Perfume decant shops in Europe: prices per ml compared
Where to buy perfume decants in Europe: 10ML and eleven other shops, with sizes, delivery and the 10ml price per ml of the same three perfumes.
10ML vs Scentbird: one-off decants or a monthly vial
10ML and Scentbird compared on sizes, price per ml, commitment and delivery, with sources: one-off decants in 3ml, 10ml and 30ml, or a monthly 8ml vial.
10ML vs Surrender to Chance
10ML and Surrender to Chance compared on decant sizes, prices, sets and where each ships from, with a source and check date for every fact.
10ML vs Notino
Notino is a perfume and cosmetics retailer; 10ML sells 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants. See sizes, samples, delivery, returns and prices side by side.
10ML vs Rafinad
Rafinad is a niche perfume shop that also hand-decants samples; 10ML sells 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants. Compare sizes, samples, delivery and prices.
10ML vs Parfumproben-Online
Parfumproben-Online is a German decant shop selling 1ml to 10ml; 10ML sells 3ml, 10ml and 30ml. Compare sizes, delivery, returns and prices.
10ML vs TestYourParfum
TestYourParfum is a German-language shop for 2, 5 and 10ml perfume samples; 10ML sells 3, 10 and 30ml decants. Compare delivery, returns and prices.
10ML vs Parfinity
10ML and Parfinity compared: 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants against 2ml samples and full bottles, with prices, shipping and returns side by side.
10ML vs Decants.es
Decants.es is a Spanish shop selling 1 to 10ml perfume decants; 10ML sells 3ml, 10ml and 30ml decants. Compare sizes, delivery, returns and prices.
10ML reviews: is 10ML legit?
Is 10ML legit? The company facts behind 10ml.com, its Dortmund address and contacts, how orders ship and refunds work, and where to read independent reviews.
Comparing your options
An alternative to a perfume subscription
Typical subscriptions charge a set monthly fee for one fixed size. 10ML decants are bought per order, in 3ml, 10ml or 30ml, with no commitment.
Build your own perfume discovery set
Your own perfume discovery set: pick perfumes from any house as 3ml or 10ml decants, instead of one house’s box of vials. Here is how the two compare.
An alternative to blind buying a perfume
A blind buy is a full bottle bought unworn. Why they go wrong, what a 3ml or 10ml decant step costs, a four-step wear test and when a blind buy makes sense.
Wear it for a week, not ten seconds.
Designer and niche fragrances in 10ml decants, so you can live with a scent before you commit.
10ML is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the perfume houses whose fragrances we sell.
For developers: the free perfume API and MCP server · Perfume MCP server: free, one URL, no API key