The big question when I set out to do a Noteworthy Scents review: Is Noteworthy legit, or will they send me something generic that doesn’t match my preferences?
I was eager to try Noteworthy because I try so many different fragrances on my own; sometimes, it’s nice to just sit back and let someone (in this case, AI) match you with a scent that seems tailor-made to your preferences.
They’re not creating and customizing these for every customer (they have a bank of 17 scents to match you with), but it could feel that way.
Bottom Line Up Front: Is Noteworthy Scents Worth It?
Yes! I loved Noteworthy and it gave me a chance to try new scents without the commitment of buying the entire bottle!
I wouldn’t dive right in and order a full-size bottle without trying the samples first because I’m all about keeping fragrance purchases as low-risk as possible.
I rarely buy a perfume without trying it a few times first to see how it wears and works with my body chemistry.
I recommend taking the quiz and ordering a sample kit because they did an excellent job matching me with fragrances I liked.
Three of the fragrances they sent me were such winners that I had difficulty deciding which one I should get in the full-size bottle. The other one–and I knew they were sending a “wild card” scent–was a scrubber.
Noteworthy perfume captivates the senses with its intricate blend of rare and exquisite ingredients, leaving an indelible impression that lingers in the memory long after it has faded from the skin.
Recommended read: How to Find the Best Fragrance Subscription Boxes
Features of Noteworthy
You get a personalized discovery kit with four scents to try, chosen just for you based on your quiz answers, and the cost of the kit goes toward the price of the full-sized bottle you choose (a nice cost conscious touch in an otherwise pricey fragrance inudustry).
If you already know what you like and just want to try four fragrances, you can build your own sample kit with four fragrances. You’ll get a $25.00 credit for your next purchase with this box.
You can purchase the signature sampler with 17 scents if you want to try them all. You’ll get a $25.00 credit to apply toward your 3.3 fl oz full-size bottle or two travel-size fragrances.
Each fragrance (on the site and the cards you get with the samples) has notes clearly listed and a description of the vibe or experience of the scent. You can see what that looks like if you click “What’s Inside” on the Signature Sampler page.
Noteworthy Scent Pros
- The generous refund policy. Trying Noteworthy Scents is relatively low-risk.
- You don’t have to wander the aisles of a store, sniffing and spritzing different fragrances–they narrow it down for you immediately.
- There’s enough of each fragrance in the Discovery Kit to try for several days, so you can be sure you’re in love before you order a whole bottle.
- Shipping is fast and free.
- The bottles are enormous–3.3 ounces.
- What you pay for the Discovery Kit goes toward the purchase of your full-size bottle.
- You can build your own Discovery Kit instead of having Noteworthy choose for you.
- Fragrances last hours on your skin (almost all day for me, even with dry skin).
Noteworthy Scent Cons
- When you return an item, you’ll have to pay a restocking fee unless the item was damaged or you were sent the wrong thing.
- The kits are personalized, but there are a limited number of fragrances to be matched with.
- Though the matches were spot-on for me, I’d like to see more than 17 fragrances in their line-up for a more customized experience.
- Based on the notes listed, the fragrances didn’t smell the way I expected them to.
- While good, the return/refund policy could be more streamlined and straightforward.
How Does Noteworthy Scents Work?
Take a Quiz
You’ll love this part if you’re a quiz nerd like me. It asks things like the month and year you were born, your gender, the country you spent most of your childhood in, what type of environment (urban, rural, or suburban) it was, whether you’re introverted or extroverted, colors you like, types of trips you enjoy, when you tend to wear fragrance, how you feel about particular notes, whether you love certain scents (like mothballs, tuna, chocolate, beer, peanut butter, etc.), and more.
Get Matched with Scents
I hope you like surprises! You won’t see which scents you’re getting until you open the box.
I like that you can try out several fragrances for days before committing. Sometimes, shopping in department stores or online can make you feel rushed to decide if you can’t get your hands on a substantial sample. There have been fragrances I’ve regretted buying because I thought I liked them after one spritz and the time it took to wander around the store.
Buy Your Sample Sizes
The sample box contains four fragrances Noteworthy has matched you with based on your answers to the quiz. It’s $24.99.
Get Your Full Bottle
Once you’ve decided on your favorite scent, the shopping process is the same as before. Go in, find the fragrance you like the most, and add it to the cart.
Before you check out, add the code from the card that came with your samples to get your $25.00 credit. Pay, check out, and wait a few days–that’s it. The whole shopping process with Noteworthy is smooth, in my experience.
My Experience with Noteworthy
Ordering and Shipping
In a word, the ordering and shipping were flawless. Shipping only took a few days, and the packaging was lovely.
Economy shipping was free. If you want your order faster, there’s an Express option, but for me, the free shipping was fast enough to save the $25.00 it would’ve cost to have it here in one or two days.
Unboxing
I loved the black and white packaging; opening the box felt like a gift. You’ll see four samples standing up once you lift the lid to get to the kit inside. Each has its own card to tell you the notes and vibe of that fragrance.
There’s information about how to get the most out of your samples, like applying to hydrated skin and not rubbing your skin after you’ve applied the scent.
Also, a card in the Discovery Kit tells you how to apply your $25.00 credit (there’s a code you’ll need to enter).
The full-sized bottle comes in a similar box, and the bottle inside is nestled inside a corrugated cardboard sleeve to keep it safe. There’s another card with additional tips for enjoying your perfume.
What They Sent (and Was It a Match?)
Nothing smelled the way I expected it to based on the notes listed on the site, but I liked the notes listed, and I liked most of the scents they sent me. I could pick out some of the notes in some of the fragrances (grapefruit and leather really stood out), but the one I went with smelled like sweet/tart candy, more than the floral scents I expected. It’s not a loss since I liked the samples (in other words, they still matched me well), but it was surprising.
The four perfumes I got were:
602: Baises rose, jasmine, and ylang-ylang. It smells sweet and immediately made me think of Sweet-Tarts candy. It was the first one I tried, and I suspected it’d be my favorite right off the bat. It’s not a dupe, and it’s less sweet, but its vibes remind me of Kilian Love Don’t Be Shy. It’s feminine and youthful.
232: Grapefruit, leather, and vetiver. I suspected this was the wild card at first, and I was intrigued by the notes. I imagined it’d be too masculine for me. Still, there was a surprising sweetness, like the most delicious red grapefruit broiled with brown sugar on top, and it was warmer than I expected. The dry-down reminded me of many of my perfumes, like Black Orchid and other floral vanillas. I enjoyed the drydown, which lasted most of the day but was faint by the end.
866: Bergamot, vetiver, and tonka. Once I sniffed this one, I knew it had to be the wildcard, and I didn’t care for it on my skin. It was too masculine for my taste and reminded me of Irish Spring soap. Once it settled, the sharp citrus note mellowed out, and a bit of sweetness crept in. It started to remind me of sour candy but still felt like a cologne. Nothing is wrong with this fragrance, but it’s “not me.” It was too fresh and aquatic, different from what I usually enjoy.
743: Tuberose, magnolia, and musk. This was in my top two in what was almost a tie. It was more floral and mature than 602, less sweet, and the most expensive-smelling. It was fresher than I expected (more like apples than soap) but not a “fresh” scent like 866. This one seemed to grow in intensity for the hour after I sprayed it every time. It ends up settling into something warm, spicy, and creamy. Unfortunately, this one gave me a slight headache, so I decided against a whole bottle.
I took some time to try the three I liked before I decided which full-sized bottle to order. The 602 was the winner.
Spraying the Perfume
I didn’t have any trouble with any of the nozzles on the samples or the full-sized bottle.
Each one delivered just the right amount of perfume, and the spritzes were neither too much of a fine cloud-like mist nor a stream that made a mess on my skin and dripped everywhere.
The Wear Time
On average, these last around six to eight hours on my skin. If I seek the scent out on my wrist, I can smell it longer than that, but no one else would detect it. I definitely don’t smell them the next day, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
I like to switch up my perfume almost daily, so if something’s lingering on my hoodie or jacket, that interferes. As far as perfume lasting on my skin until the next day, that’s neat, but I’m going to shower and reapply anyway.
The Bottle
The bottle design is beautiful. It’s simple and clean, rectangular-shaped, with a simple black cap. It feels sturdy (you still won’t want to drop it since it’s glass), and the nozzle works perfectly.
Be aware that the cap fits so snugly on the bottle that you may want to twist it to get it off. I think that’s what caused my bottle to leak all over the inside of the box when I laid it on its side after recording the unboxing video. The cap has loosened up a bit since then.
It didn’t leak in transit, so it was something I did. Watching the video back and knowing how the bottle felt in my hands, my best guess is that I twisted the nozzle loose while trying to get the lid off.
I’m not sure I’d trust the bottle for travel because I wouldn’t want my luggage to smell the way my office did for a few days (it’s a nice scent, but not in that amount). However, Noteworthy offers travel sprays, so that could be the solution if you travel a lot.
Quality of the Fragrance
This is the only place I’m torn on whether Noteworthy Scents is worth it.
On one hand, I love the process and the scents I got to try. It’s nice to have help choosing a fragrance based on all the little things that make me, me, rather than what’s popular or what smelled great on someone else.
That said, sometimes the perfume smells as if it has a higher alcohol content than you might find in other similarly-priced fragrances. However, I don’t know if that’s true. I especially noticed it when the bottle leaked (hopefully, that won’t happen to you, though!). I don’t always notice it on my skin. Either way, it doesn’t drastically affect how long the fragrance lasts on my skin.
These fragrances are less intense than most of the designer fragrances I have in my collection (but stronger than, for example, Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue) and don’t have the projection of ‘powerhouse’ fragrances.
I don’t say that to say these are lacking or not high quality fragrances, though–just letting you know what to expect. Suppose you’re sensitive to stronger scents or work in an office setting. In that case, you don’t want your scent to be loud, and this level of intensity and projection could be perfect.
How Much Do Noteworthy Scents Cost?
- The Discovery Kit is $24.99, whether you choose the personalized one or build your own. You’ll get a $25.00 voucher in the box with it to use toward your next purchase. If you make another purchase, your sample kit is basically free. There’s a money-back guarantee if you don’t like any of the scents.
Discover your perfect fragrance in just 5 minutes! Take our quiz and get 4 expertly-crafted scents tailored to your unique preferences.
- The Signature Sampler with all 17 scents is $49.99 and comes with a $25.00 voucher toward your next purchase. You won’t be able to get a refund on the Signature Sampler if none of the scents strike your fancy, so starting with four in a Discovery Kit is lower risk.
This Signature Sampler is your ticket to explore our entire collection of Noteworthy fragrances.
- Full-sized bottles (3.3 fl. oz.) are $124.99, but you have the option to make less of a commitment with a travel-size ($39.99) or travel-size with refill ($59.99). Refills are also available for $49.99 (for two refills).
- I love how you can ease into these scents to make sure it’s love before you drop a ton of money on them.
Noteworthy perfume captivates the senses with its intricate blend of rare and exquisite ingredients, leaving an indelible impression that lingers in the memory long after it has faded from the skin.
Since Noteworthy Scents has been on my radar, I’ve seen a lot of discount codes, so there’s a chance you can get away with paying less than the prices listed here.
It’s also less expensive than a lot of fragrance sampling sites. Just the other day, I paid almost as much for a single sample of around the same size as Noteworthy charges for the Discovery Kit.
Granted, I was choosing a specific fragrance, which was a perk. However, if you don’t know exactly what you want to try, it’s worth checking Noteworthy out as an aspiring fragrance enthusiast.
Similar Fragrance Options to Try
- Scentbird: Scentbird is a monthly perfume subscription where you can get travel sizes of luxury fragrances you’ve probably heard of or seen advertisements for. Scentbird pricing starts at $16.95 per month, but you can often find coupons that make the first month cost less. You start with a quiz, and they make recommendations. Still, you can ultimately choose any fragrance (or fragrances–up to three) you want.
- Henry Rose: Henry Rose has five fewer options than Noteworthy, but if they have a perfect match for you, that won’t matter. You can try all 12 for $45.00 and get a code for $20.00 off. You can also get a set of six (warm or fresh scents) for $28.00. They will also match you to a fragrance. The quiz questions were interesting, but I wanted to choose more than one answer in cases where it wouldn’t allow it. Instead of a discovery kit, you get a single recommendation from them at the end of the quiz, but their recommendation was promising. You can get a $35.00 travel size or pay $120.00 for a full-sized bottle.
- Sephora’s Fragrance Finder: This isn’t the most sophisticated option as far as fragrance quizzes go, but it’s a start, and they’ll make you a free sample if you visit a store. I took the quiz and was underwhelmed, but it could be a good starting place for someone new to fragrance who lives close to a Sephora store. If you don’t like shopping online–or prefer not to shop online for fragrance–this is worth checking out.
Noteworthy Fragrance FAQs
Question: What’s the difference between Noteworthy and Scentbird?
Answer: Noteworthy has its own selection of fragrances (17, as of this writing) that it matches you with based on your answers to a quiz. With the Discovery Kit, you’ll get four samples of their recommended fragrances in the mail for $24.99 (with a $25.00 credit for your next order). You won’t know what you’re getting until they show up unless you choose to build your own kit instead of having their AI choose for you. You can also buy travel-sized and full-sized bottles outside of their recommendations if you’d like.
Scentbird has you take a quiz and then recommends designer fragrances you might like (not their own line). You pay for one to three travel sizes per month with their subscription. You can choose whichever scents you want and schedule them for the months you’d like to receive them.
Question: How much is a full-size bottle from Noteworthy?
Answer: The full-sized bottles are $124.99. If you’ve purchased a Discovery Kit and have a code to redeem for the amount you paid, you’ll spend around $100.00 once ready for the full size.
Question: What if I don’t like any of my Noteworthy scents?
Answer: The Noteworthy refund policy is generous if you know where to start. You’ll be able to get your money back if you purchase a personalized Discovery Kit, or you’ll have the option to get four new scents or apply the $24.99 toward a Signature Kit. A Signature Sampler won’t give you the same security, as they don’t offer refunds on those.
If you purchase a full-sized bottle and don’t like it, you can return it for a refund, minus a restocking fee, within 30 days, as long as it’s barely been used.
According to their refund policy, you must contact Noteworthy before sending your product back.
Give It a Try
My Bottom Line: Is Noteworthy legit? Yes and it’s worth trying.
Does that mean everyone will love it? No. However, it’s so low-risk to try four of their fragrances they either select for you or you choose from their list of options, it’s worth trying, whether you’re a signature scent kind of person or prefer to mix it up. If you’re incredibly non-committal when it comes to fragrance, you could just stop at the samples or stick with travel sizes.
Was 602 my signature fragrance? No, but I don’t know that I’ve ever had one or that I ever will. I enjoy having it as an option in my rotation, though.
Trying it (and others) was a much more convenient process than spraying something on in the store and either making a decision then or making several trips to try it before making a purchase (or deciding not to).
Noteworthy perfume captivates the senses with its intricate blend of rare and exquisite ingredients, leaving an indelible impression that lingers in the memory long after it has faded from the skin.
Further Reading on Scent Subscriptions:
- Scentbox vs Scentbird: Which Scent Box is Better?
- The 6 Best Scentbird Alternatives Guide
- Scentbird vs MicroPerfumes Compared: Which One Is Best?
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