Create Your Custom Scent From Home

The Explorer Box includes 9 different core scents in 2ml vials, giving you the opportunity to discover which fragrance family resonates most with you.

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

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.

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.

All our blends are formulated at Eau de Parfum strength (15–25% fragrance oil). We also offer the option to intensify your scent at up to 20-30% fragrance concentration (Extrait de parfum strength)

We can never exactly replicate a scent that has been made by another brand, but if you bring it in (or let our specialists know the scent/notes), we can show you blends going in a similar direction.

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!

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.

Yes, you can select “Gift Option” in the cart and input their email address. Also at checkout, set the shipping address to theirs. We'll send it directly with no pricing receipt.

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.

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. If you're unable to locate your credits, 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.

The At-Home Custom Scent Experience unfolds in three steps, allowing you to create your signature scent at your own pace: 1. Explorer Box Start with 9 core fragrances created by some of the world's top perfumers. Wear them, compare them, and discover your favorite. 2. Tinkerer Box - Next, you'll receive a Tinkerer Box built around your chosen core scent. Inside are custom variations that take the fragrance in different directions. You can leave notes like 'more woody' or 'more floral' to help guide the blends. 3. Final Scent - Once you've found your favorite blend, it's time to order your custom 50ml fragrance. Using the information provided with your Tinkerer Box, you'll select your accord, choose a name and label color, and we'll bottle your scent to order. The Explorer Box, Tinkerer Box(es), and final 50ml fragrance are all included in your At-Home Custom Scent Experience.

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. Some customers choose to explore multiple Tinkerer Boxes - which is why the At-Home Premier Experience includes two Tinkerer Boxes, so 12 different blends.

The Explorer Box is the first step in the process. It contains all 9 of our core scents, allowing you to discover which fragrance family you enjoy most. Once you've chosen a favorite core scent, the Tinkerer Box becomes the next step. It contains 6 unique blends built around that core scent, each highlighting different fragrance accords and taking the scent in a different direction. In short: the Explorer Box helps you choose your favorite core scent, while the Tinkerer Box helps you customize and perfect it before ordering your final 50ml fragrance.

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.'