Checklist · 10 picks · 4 categories

fragrance starter

Edited by Zach · updated Oct 30, 2026 · How I pick

Links to Amazon are affiliate links. I earn a commission if you buy, at no cost to you, and it never decides a pick. How I make money

Sampler box Maison Margiela REPLICA Memory Box Sampler Set Best for sampling a lot of scents at once$25-50Shop at Sephora Store link, not an affiliate link.
Rollerball set Rare Beauty Mini Perfume Set Best for a rollerball for your bag plus a spray for home$25-50Shop at Sephora Store link, not an affiliate link.
Cheap first bottle Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Scent Spray Best for a cheap, clean everyday scent$15-25Shop on Amazon

Affiliate link.

Buying a full bottle of perfume off one sniff at the mall is how you end up with an expensive thing you never wear.

Start small instead. Discovery sets give you a handful of minis to wear for a day each, so you learn what you actually like: warm, fresh, sweet or something weird and wonderful. Rollerballs are the next step, a small dose of one scent you can reapply from your bag. The sets here come from PureWow's and NBC Select's gift lists, and the perfumes, the Dior roller and the solid perfume are from Shop TODAY editors' favorites. Each card shows the drawback that was called out, or says so when there isn't one. Start with a discovery set, then buy the full bottle of the one you keep reaching for.

Who this is not for. Skip this if you already know your signature scent and just want a gift; the Beauty Gifts page has wrapped-and-ready picks.

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Tell me what you can spend. I pick a tier for every item, essentials first, and show what is left. The first amount covers everything you need at the cheapest tier.

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Estimates based on typical prices, checked Oct 30, 2026. Prices change; see the store for today's price.

The must-haves

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01 Sample first

the first pick is the one I would start with

Compare these 3

Pick	Tier	Price	Best for	Evidence
Maison Margiela REPLICA Memory Box Sampler Set	mid	$25-50	sampling a lot of scents at once	Limited evidence
Boy Smells Fragrance Discovery Set	budget	$25-50	trying a whole brand for the price of a few lattes	Limited evidence
Phlur Mini Perfume Sampler Set	mid	$25-50	trying the viral Missing Person next to three other Phlur scents	Limited evidence

Best discovery set

mid pick · 10 minis

Maison Margiela REPLICA Memory Box Sampler Set

Best for sampling a lot of scents at once

On PureWow's list of perfume sets worth gifting: ten Replica scents, from Lazy Sunday Morning to Jazz Club, in one box.

Heads up. No outlet has reviewed discovery sets head to head; with ten scents, it can take a while to try them all

Limited evidence. No outlet has named this one yet. It is here as a reasonable option, not a reviewed one.

$25-50

Shop at Sephora

Store link, not an affiliate link. I don't earn from this one.

budget pick · 5 minis

Boy Smells Fragrance Discovery Set

Best for trying a whole brand for the price of a few lattes

On PureWow's list of perfume sets worth gifting: five small samples of Boy Smells scents, so you can wear each one for a day before committing.

Heads up. No outlet has reviewed discovery sets head to head; the samples are small, so plan on a few wears each

Limited evidence. No outlet has named this one yet. It is here as a reasonable option, not a reviewed one.

$25-50

Shop at Sephora

Store link, not an affiliate link. I don't earn from this one.

mid pick · 4 minis

Phlur Mini Perfume Sampler Set

Best for trying the viral Missing Person next to three other Phlur scents

On PureWow's list of perfume sets worth gifting, which notes a former PureWow editor ranked all four of these scents in their top ten, including the viral Missing Person.

Heads up. PureWow gives no drawback detail for this one

Limited evidence. No outlet has named this one yet. It is here as a reasonable option, not a reviewed one.

$25-50

Shop at Sephora

Store link, not an affiliate link. I don't earn from this one.

02 On the go

Compare these 3

Pick	Tier	Price	Best for	Evidence
Rare Beauty Mini Perfume Set	mid	$25-50	a rollerball for your bag plus a spray for home	Limited evidence
Glossier You Duo Perfume Gift Set	splurge	$50-100	fans of Glossier You who want it in their bag too	Limited evidence
Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet Roller Pearl	splurge	$50-100	a designer scent in a bag-friendly roller	1 outlet

Best rollerball

mid pick · Travel spray + rollerball

Rare Beauty Mini Perfume Set

Best for a rollerball for your bag plus a spray for home

On PureWow's perfume set list: a travel spray plus a rollerball of Rare Eau de Parfum, so one scent can live at home and one in your bag.

Heads up. PureWow gives no drawback detail for this one

Limited evidence. No outlet has named this one yet. It is here as a reasonable option, not a reviewed one.

$25-50

Shop at Sephora

Store link, not an affiliate link. I don't earn from this one.

splurge pick · Full bottle + rollerball

Glossier You Duo Perfume Gift Set

Best for fans of Glossier You who want it in their bag too

On NBC Select's Sephora gift list: a full-size Glossier You bottle plus a travel-size rollerball for on-the-go reapplications.

Heads up. NBC Select gives no drawback detail for this one

Limited evidence. No outlet has named this one yet. It is here as a reasonable option, not a reviewed one.

$50-100

Shop at Sephora

Store link, not an affiliate link. I don't earn from this one.

splurge pick · 0.7 oz

Dior Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet Roller Pearl

Best for a designer scent in a bag-friendly roller

Shop TODAY's most functional packaging pick: a light, fresh Miss Dior scent in a gorgeous roller bottle with a good applicator.

Heads up. Needs to be reapplied

1 outlet. Shop TODAY most functional packaging.

$50-100

Shop at Sephora

Store link, not an affiliate link. I don't earn from this one.

03 Everyday scent

Compare these 3

Pick	Tier	Price	Best for	Evidence
Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Scent Spray	budget	$15-25	a cheap, clean everyday scent	1 outlet
Skylar Vanilla Sky Eau de Parfum	mid	$25-50	sensitive skin that wants a vanilla scent	1 outlet
Phlur Missing Person Eau de Parfum	splurge	$50-100	the full bottle once the sampler wins you over	Limited evidence

Best perfume

budget pick · 1.7 or 3.4 oz

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Scent Spray

Best for a cheap, clean everyday scent

Shop TODAY's budget-friendly perfume: a clean, long-lasting scent spray.

Heads up. Doesn't come in a rollerball

1 outlet. Shop TODAY budget-friendly perfume.

$15-25

Shop on Amazon

Affiliate link.

mid pick · 0.33 or 1.7 oz

Skylar Vanilla Sky Eau de Parfum

Best for sensitive skin that wants a vanilla scent

Shop TODAY's pick for those with sensitive skin: a long-lasting vanilla scent with a hypoallergenic formula.

Heads up. Shop TODAY gives no drawback detail for this one

1 outlet. Shop TODAY best for those with sensitive skin.

$25-50

Shop at Sephora

Store link, not an affiliate link. I don't earn from this one.

splurge pick · 0.3 or 1.6 oz

Phlur Missing Person Eau de Parfum

Best for the full bottle once the sampler wins you over

Shop TODAY calls it a viral favorite: a warm, unisex scent that smells expensive.

Heads up. Not for everyone, so try the mini first

Limited evidence. No outlet has named this one yet. It is here as a reasonable option, not a reviewed one.

$50-100

Shop at Sephora

Store link, not an affiliate link. I don't earn from this one.

04 Make it last

Best solid perfume

mid pick · 7 g

Noyz 12:00 The Solid Perfume

Best for touch-ups without a liquid in your bag

Shop TODAY's pick to help your fragrance last: a refillable solid perfume that's easy to apply and helps your scent last longer.

Heads up. Reapply to keep the scent going

Limited evidence. No outlet has named this one yet. It is here as a reasonable option, not a reviewed one.

$25-50

Shop on Amazon

Affiliate link.

means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Broken link, wrong price range or an outdated pick? Tell me

Questions people ask

What's a perfume discovery set?

A box of small samples from one brand, so you can try several scents before buying a full bottle. The Replica Memory Box has ten scents; the Boy Smells set has five.

Rollerball or spray?

Rollerballs are small and easy to reapply on the go; sprays cover more. Shop TODAY's editor liked the Elizabeth Arden Green Tea spray but wished it came as a rollerball, while the Dior roller pearl won for its packaging.

How do I make perfume last longer?

Reapply during the day, or add a solid perfume. Shop TODAY picked the Noyz solid perfume to help your fragrance last, though you'll still need to reapply it.

fragrance starter

plan my budget pick an amount ↓

The must-haves

01 Sample first