Common questions
Everything you need to know before you start.
We can never exactly replicate a scent that has been made in the past by another brand. However, if you bring it in, or let our specialists know the notes, we can certainly show you scents in a similar direction! Feel free to make an appointment at one of our locations.
At Olfactory NYC we focus on fragrance. We bottle and blend our scents fresh, using simple bottles and skipping plastic wrapping. This means we can save on bottling, packaging and associated shipping and allows us to make high quality, luxury fine fragrance at an usually low price point
We work with some of the world's top perfumers, who use only the highest-quality ingredients, and every scent fully conforms to IFRA safety guidelines. The difference between us and other brands is who composes (you, with a Scent Advisor's help), not the quality of the materials.
Other brands make finished perfumes for you to choose from. They work with similar perfumers to us; the perfumer creates a variety of scents based on a brief and their teams select their favorite one to sell to their customers. That leaves many great scents on the cutting room floor that just didnt conform to that specific brands taste We make finished perfumes with you. We rewind that process and work with the perfumer to create a ‘core scent’ and then you’ll work with a Scent Advisor at on of our locations or At-home to make a final blend that fits you. Both approaches use similar caliber of raw materials and the same kind of classically trained perfumers; the difference is the final creative step
Other brands make finished perfumes for you to choose from. They work with similar perfumers to us; the perfumer creates a variety of scents based on a brief and their teams select their favorite one to sell to their customers. That leaves many great scents on the cutting room floor that just didnt conform to that specific brands taste We make finished perfumes with you. We rewind that process and work with the perfumer to create a ‘core scent’ and then you’ll work with a Scent Advisor at on of our locations or At-home to make a final blend that fits you. Both approaches use similar caliber of raw materials and the same kind of classically trained perfumers; the difference is the final creative step
All our studios have wheelchair-accessible entrances. Bathroom access varies by location. Contact us at hello@olfactorynyc.com if you have specific needs and we'll confirm.
3–5 business days to process back to your original payment method.
es, as long as your order hasn't shipped yet. Email hello@olfactorynyc.com — we'll cancel and refund in full. Refunds take 3–5 business days to appear on your original payment method.
Yes, as long as your order hasn't shipped yet! Email hello@olfactorynyc.com with the new address ASAP and we'll update it. You'll get a confirmation when your package ships.
It's normal for a fragrance to evolve slightly over time. You may notice some differences between an older bottle and a newly filled one, particularly during the first few weeks as the fragrance settles and matures. That said, if your scent smells significantly different from a previous order and you believe it may have been filled incorrectly, we're happy to investigate. We can provide a prepaid shipping label so you can send the fragrance back to us for evaluation. Once received, our in-house perfumer will review the formula and determine whether an error occurred during production. For full details, please see our Returns & Exchanges policy.
We offer one free exchange per custom scent within 30 days of purchase bring your scent back to a studio (or send it back) and we'll exchange it for another blend you'd prefer. If you'd rather return for a refund, we offer a partial refund excluding a $17.50 disposal fee for EDP and $20 for intense and shipping, since we can't restock custom scents. Full policy: olfactorynyc.com/pages/returns-exchanges.
Sorry about that — shipping and handling are sometimes outside our control. Send us a photo of the broken/damaged item(s) at hello@olfactorynyc.com and we'll resolve it as quickly as possible.
USPS gets overwhelmed during the holidays, leading to delays and tracking inaccuracies. If it's been more than 12 days since your order and your package still hasn't arrived, you can place a new order with overnight shipping to ensure on-time delivery — once the 20-day window lapses on the original, we'll refund the original and the priority shipping. If the original arrives during that window, you can return it for a full refund. Not perfect, but it gets the gift there on time.
USPS considers a package officially lost 20 days after shipment. If you haven't received your order by 20 days from the ship date, we can file a claim for a full refund or send a replacement — your choice. Reply to your order email and we'll start it.
USPS sometimes marks orders delivered up to a day or two early. Check in and around the area you usually receive mail (the box is small and may have been placed with regular mail). If it still hasn't arrived after 3 business days, email us at hello@olfactorynyc.com and we'll coordinate with the carrier. Your local post office can also contact the postal worker who made the rounds.
Free U.S. ground shipping on orders over $100 and on sample boxes. We only ship in the U.S. currently.
Orders typically ship within 3–5 business days. Engraved fragrances require an additional 3–4 business days for processing. You'll receive a shipping confirmation email with tracking information once your order leaves our studio.
A standard 50ml full size custom fragrance is $85 whether created in studio or at home with the At Home Custom Scent Experience. VIP or Date Night is $330 total for 2 people.
Yes! We offer special bridal appointments to help you find the perfect fragrance for your special day. To make an appointment, visit our wedding fragrance page. For bridal parties, wedding favors, and proposal boxes, we offer mini bottles in bulk quantities. You can learn more about all our wedding scent options here: https://www.olfactorynyc.com/pages/wedding-fragrance. Please allow at least 4 weeks of lead time for bulk + personalized orders.
At checkout, enter your gift card code in the "discount code or gift card" field. The gift card balance will apply to your order total, and any remainder you'll pay with another method.
Nope! Gift cards and experience vouchers never expire, so you can redeem them whenever you're ready.
Absolutely. If the recipient doesn't live near one of our studios, we recommend gifting the At-Home Custom Scent Experience instead. It allows them to create a completely custom fragrance from anywhere, at their own pace. The process begins with an Explorer Box featuring our core scents, followed by a Tinkerer Box with personalized variations based on their favorite fragrance. Once they've found the blend they love, they'll redeem their custom 50ml bottle—all without needing to visit a studio or send samples back. It's the same goal as our in-studio experience, a scent that's uniquely theirs, just designed to be completed from the comfort of home.
We offer two great gifting options, both at the same price point, and both ending with a custom fragrance that's uniquely theirs. In-Studio Gift Bottle We'll send an empty Gift Bottle personalized with the recipient's name. They can bring it to any Olfactory NYC studio and use it to redeem a full custom scent experience. During their visit, they'll work with a Scent Advisor to explore fragrances, test combinations, and create a signature scent that's bottled fresh on-site. It's similar to a gift card, but feels much more personal and memorable. At-Home Custom Scent Experience Perfect for someone who doesn't live near a studio or prefers to create at their own pace. The recipient starts with an Explorer Box of our core fragrances, then progresses through the Tinkerer Box process to refine their scent before ordering a custom 50ml bottle. Everything is completed from home, with no need to return samples or ship anything back. Both options allow the recipient to create a fragrance that's completely their own—the main difference is whether they prefer a guided in-studio experience or a self-paced journey from home.
Congratulations! The credits for each step of the At-Home Custom Scent Experience should be available in your account, provided the purchaser entered your email address as the recipient. Simply create an account or log in using that email address, and your credits should automatically apply as you move through the process. You'll start with your Explorer Box, then redeem your Tinkerer Box(es), and finally your custom 50ml fragrance using the same account. If you're unable to locate your credits or aren't sure which email was used when the gift was purchased, contact our team at hello@olfactorynyc.com and we'll be happy to help track them down.
No problem, you can do the at-home experience to choose a new fragrance. Same three steps as above. You'll need to send your current 50ml back, and we'll send your new one once you've reached that step in the process.
Some customers on the at-home journey need more than one Tinkerer Box before they land on their final blend. You can order another Tinkerer Box and make sure to write in the cart notes any specific accords or direction you want to go (e.g., "more woody," "more floral"). If you'd rather see 6 new blends of the same core scent, just say ”don't include any of my first blends”
The Explorer Box includes 9 different core scents in 2ml vials, giving you the opportunity to discover which fragrance family resonates most with you. Once you've selected a favorite core scent, the Tinkerer Box contains 6 unique blends built around that core, each taking it in a different direction. No two blends are exactly the same. Some customers choose to explore multiple Tinkerer Boxes, usually to explore unique blends around two different core scents, which is why the At-Home Premier Experience includes two Tinkerer Boxes, so 12 different blends.
Both experiences result in a custom scent that's uniquely yours, but they offer different advantages. In-studio, you'll work one-on-one with a Scent Advisor who guides you through the process and helps you create a finished fragrance in a single visit. You'll leave with your custom scent bottled that same day. The At-Home Experience gives you more time to explore. You'll sample scents over days or weeks, wear them in different settings, and refine your preferences at your own pace before choosing a final blend. It's especially popular with people who enjoy discovery, experimentation, and taking a hands-on approach to the creative process. If you'd like expert guidance from home, you can also schedule a virtual consultation with a Scent Advisor. Virtual consultations are included with the At-Home Concierge Experience and can also be added on to a standard At-Home Custom Scent Experience. To compare the two experiences and find the best fit for you, visit our How it Works page
We're very sorry about that. Because every bottle is labeled by hand, occasional stamping errors can happen. We're happy to either send you a prepaid shipping label so we can re-label the bottle for you, or send you a replacement label that you can apply yourself at home. Either way, we'll also add $10 in store credit to your account for the inconvenience.
Our perfumes are IFRA-compliant and formulated for general use. We always recommend speaking with your doctor before introducing a new fragrance during pregnancy. For sensitive skin, test a small amount on your inner arm and wait 24 hours. As these are custom blends, each scent will react with the wearer differently.
Yes, always
Vegan and cruelty-free, we never test on animals.
Our core scents are developed by some of the world's top perfumers. Many of them trained in Grasse, France, and several have composed scents for luxury and niche houses you'd recognize including Le Labo, Tom Ford, YSL etc. Our in-studio Scent Advisors are then trained on the full accord library and the craft of composition, but the blend you leave with is yours, not theirs!
Each Tinkerer Box should ship with a printed card listing what's in each sample. If yours is missing or you've misplaced it, email hello@olfactorynyc.com.
Absolutely! If you've created an account, log in and check your order history, where your custom scent may be saved. If you haven't created an account yet, you can create one here using the same email address used for your purchase, and your order history should appear automatically.
We offer several ways to explore before committing to a full-size fragrance. You can get any individual core scent in a sample with a full credit toward a full size scent. Our Explorer Box includes all 9 core scents, allowing you to discover your favorites at home. From there, you can either visit a studio to create a custom blend based on your preferred core or continue the process from home with a Tinkerer Box, which contains personalized variations built around that scent. Only after you've found a blend you love do you order the final 50ml bottle. You're never asked to commit to a full-size fragrance without first experiencing it.
Yes, you can definitely reorder your blend! Log into your account (olfactorynyc.com/account/register if you haven't created one) and you'll see it in your order history as long as you’re using the email address you used at time of purchase. You can also navigate to our customizer, select the product format you’d like to order your blend in, provide us with your name and scent name, and we’ll find it for you. If you're still having trouble, feel free to contact us at hello@olfactorynyc.com and we’ll help you find it.
Our fragrances are a blend of natural and designer molecules, all compliant with International Fragrance Regulation Association (IFRA) standards. With that said, there's always a chance of irritation if you have a strong allergy to any number of natural ingredients (cinnamon, hazelnut, etc.). Check out our ingredients page for more details. We offer one free exchange per custom scent within 30 days of purchase, just bring it back to the studio or send it back, and we'll exchange it for another blend. If you'd prefer a refund, we offer a partial refund since we can't restock custom scents.
It's normal for a fragrance to evolve slightly over time. You may notice some differences between an older bottle and a newly filled one, particularly during the first few weeks as the fragrance settles and matures. That said, if your scent smells significantly different from a previous order and you believe it may have been filled incorrectly, we're happy to investigate. We can provide a prepaid shipping label so you can send the fragrance back to us for evaluation. Once received, our in-house perfumer will review the formula and determine whether an error occurred during production. For full details, please see our Returns & Exchanges policy.
Not exactly, which is why your Scent Advisor will always test your final blend on your skin before it's bottled. While blotters are helpful for evaluating the overall structure of a fragrance, skin chemistry can subtly affect how certain notes develop, project, and linger over time. During your experience, you'll smell potential combinations on blotters first, then test your favorite blend on skin and have the opportunity to step outside, get some fresh air, and experience how it wears in a more natural environment. This helps ensure you're confident in your scent before it's bottled. If you'd like even more time to live with a fragrance before committing, our At-Home Custom Scent Experience may be a better fit. The process unfolds over 3 steps, based on customer preference, allowing you to wear different blends multiple times, experience how they evolve throughout the day, and refine your preferences at your own pace before selecting your final custom scent.
Our scents are Eau de perfum concentration so should last 6-10 hours on your skin. However, everyone's skin is different and as these are custom blends they can interact with your skin in different ways. If you are unlucky in how your scent lasts, you have 2 options. Every custom scent comes with one fee exchange, so just come back and try again. Alternatively, you can upgrade to an Intense version of your scent where we up the concentration to “Parfum” (8-12 hours on skin)
We do not allow food or drink (other than water) in the space, as it will compete with the scent you are trying on and may interfere with others' experience as well.
Yes — for teams that aren't in one of our studio cities, we ship a scent kit, including pre-curated unique blends, to each participant in advance and host the session over video. A Scent Advisor leads the group through the same accord-exploration and personalization process, and each participant gets a 50ml bottle of their own blend shipped after. Popular for remote team offsites, client gifting events, and milestone celebrations. Minimum group sizes and pricing are based on attendee number. For more information, please reach out to us here: https://www.olfactorynyc.com/pages/events-page. We’ll provide a quote based on your team size
Yes! We offer various experiences for a host of different event types. If you’re interested in hosting an event at one of our locations or having us come to your event location (for bridal parties, birthdays, brand activations, corporate events and more) you can fill out the form here: https://www.olfactorynyc.com/pages/events-page.
We offer private VIP sessions at select locations. You can visit our locations page here to navigate to each location which will list the different appointment types available. The VIP Experience offers a private bar, wine, and the full customization experience for you and your guest.
Our system will often cancel duplicate bookings, if you receive a cancellation email even though you did not cancel, it is likely you already have booking on file for that day
If you don't see times that work, we also accept walk-ins at all locations, there may just be a short wait if it's busy. Let us know if you have any questions.
You can cancel or reschedule up to 24 hours before your appointment via the link in your confirmation email, any deposit will automatically refund. Within 24 hours we're unable to cancel or reschedule, since our team prepares in advance for each visit. If something comes up day-of, we accept walk-ins at all locations.
No worries, we have a 15-minute grace period. If you're more than 15 minutes late, we'll treat it as a walk-in, and there may be a short wait
Skip the perfume that day if you can. Heavy scent on your skin will compete with what you're trying. Coffee, mint, or a strong meal right before can dull your nose. Otherwise, come ready to explore!
Wait times depend on the location and the day. Most of the time it doesn't exceed 10 minutes, but we can't guarantee a specific time. If the team estimates more than a 10-minute wait, they'll add you to a wait list and text you when it's your turn.
Yes, we accept walk-ins at all locations, there may just be a short wait if it's busy. To skip the wait, book ahead at https://www.olfactorynyc.com/pages/all-locations.
We believe in a guided customization process. While other venues offer the experience of building a fragrance from scratch using individual raw ingredients which is wonderful, if you're a perfumer, we take a different approach. We partner with some of the world's top perfumers, who have spent years mastering their craft, to create the foundation of your scent. From there, we work closely with you to build on top of it, ensuring you'll love the result the day after your visit, a month later, and a year down the road. Think of it like getting a custom garment from a tailor. They start with a base and adjust it precisely to your measurements. You're not weaving the fabric yourself we bet you’ll end up with something better than if you had!
You’ll explore our core fragrances, choose your favorite to build upon, then you’ll work with a Scent Advisor, who will help you craft a scent unique to you. You’ll test unique accord combinations on blotters, then on skin, even stepping outside to get a real sense of how it wears on you. Once you discover your perfect blend, we’ll freshly bottle it while you select a label color and choose your name. Then we will save your blend on file and you can explore other products in your custom scent