Behind the Box with Danielle Fleming of Olfactif + 3 Month Niche Perfume Subscription Draw

Danielle Fleming of Olfactif

Danielle Fleming of Olfactif (Danielle Fleming)

 When I was beginning my journey into niche perfumes, there were so many fragrances that I read about and wanted to try. Since I live in a small town there were few options. That’s when I discovered Olfactif, which is the first monthly niche and artistic perfume subscription service. Let’s go behind the box with Danielle Fleming Olfactif was the very first Niche Fragrance subscription box, starting in 2013 with just one box of 3 samples. As the subscribers grew, so did Olfactif – then offering a men’s and a women’s box monthly. In 2019 a Deluxe box with all 6 fragrances came. Olfactif offers a wide variety of  niche fragrances curated by Danielle Fleming and specializes in North American and European brands.  – Tony Burgess, Associate Contributor

Olfactif Deluxe Box fragrances

Tony Burgess: What is Olfactif? What are the benefits of this subscription service?

Danielle Fleming: Olfactif is the original niche perfume discovery service. We are obsessed with discovering uncommon scents and the creators behind them with a mission to connect the indie perfume brands with fragrance aficionados and those who are just diving into the exciting world of niche fragrances. We focus solely on niche fragrances and offer options for both men and women. We specialize in emerging US, Canadian and small European niche brands.

Olfactif offers niche perfumes in sample sizes

Scent Trek NOLA description cards (Danielle Fleming)

Tony: How do you choose what to curate for the fragrances? Is it based on time of year or trends?

Danielle: Curation is based on many factors. New launches, new brands, seasonality, ingredients, trends or really taking a deep dive with the theme (concept, ingredient focused, travel). One of my favorite ways to curate is thinking of it as a Scent Trek where the fragrance takes you somewhere, either literally or figuratively. For example, we did a theme called Scent Trek: NOLA, a New Orleans inspired curation that featured H2H Love Notes by Damien Escobar (perfect for sipping chicory coffee with your beignet in the morning in NOLA), then taking a leisurely walk through the garden district with Frassai’s Blondine (Yann Vasnier) (a stunning floral) and then escaping into the night with Nightscape by Ulrich Lang New York, where a heady patchouli meets a soft leather accord.

Olfactif Deluxe Box fragrances

Olfactif Deluxe Box (Danielle Fleming)

Tony:  Why does Olfactif have gender specific curations?

Danielle: Olfactif started in 2013 with one unisex box of 3 samples. As the brand began to grow, we had men (lots of men) inquiring that they wanted a box specifically for them, so that is what we did. Then in 2019, after more requests for a box that had all 6 fragrances of the month, we introduced our Deluxe box. The Women’s Collection is fragrances that go from unisex to a feminine tilt, whereas the Men’s Collection goes from unisex to a masculine tilt. For those that want to explore them both, we offer a Deluxe Collection which includes the 3 fragrances for men and the 3 fragrances for women, giving the subscriber all 6 fragrances of the month.

Best indie perfumers

 some perfumers who have worked with Olfactif throughout the years (can you name them all)

Tony: How does Olfactif differ from its competition?

Danielle: We are the only subscription box service that focuses solely on niche fragrances. In doing so, we are supporting these small niche brands in an industry that is heavily focused on mainstream & celebrity fragrances. We are helping them in ways they may not have been able to do on their own. On the consumer side, they can experience, in their own home, fragrances that they couldn’t easily find and are able to do that in the comforts of their own home at their own pace. They are discovering and supporting new and emerging brands and getting to know the perfumers, the creators, the people, behind them.

best perfume subscription services

Olfactif’s April 2021 Collection (Danielle Fleming)-both men’s and women’s

Tony: Tell us about April

Danielle: The April Theme is: Into Your Own: There’s something so sexy about wearing a fragrance that feels like you. You spray it on your bare skin, wait for a moment for it to develop and then you breathe in as your eyes close. In an instant, you connect to it. You become it; it becomes you. Confident, sensual, or overjoyed with happiness, you come ‘Into Your Own’ when skin and perfume meet. Let’s revel in that feeling! In the Deluxe Collection for April, you’ll begin with a soft and approachable skin scent, Pure White Rose (Montagne), driven by floralcy for clean femininity. Under $40 a bottle, be ready to be impressed. Now try Reed (Olfactory NYC, Harry Frémont), a true unisex fragrance with a cool, green vibe and a killer transparent patchouli dry down. Ready to switch it up? Roses Vanille (Mancera) is a straight up, bombastic blast of sexiness. This floral gourmand is certainly a stand out. Be ready to wear this all day. Head to London now, where Infatuated (ILK, Valerie Garnuch-Mentzel ) gives you a glimpse into love obsessed where wet grass and a rubber accord (think pencil eraser) meet & mingle in this almost lickable fragrance. Swing over to Italy for So Nude (Costume National, Dominique Ropion), a creamy tuberose that leaves your skin sultry and sweet. Your last stop is in Paris, as you finish your collection with Wood & Spices (Montale). Look for the edge in this one as sandalwood comes alive in spades.

Stay close, feel the fragrance; meet the fragrance where it meets you.

Disclosure April Subscription was purchased by me

 Tony Burgess, Associate Contributor

Olfactif monthly subscription service

Olfactif boxes ready to ship (Danielle Fleming)

Thanks to the generosity of Danielle at Olfactif, we have a draw for two USA registered readers (you must do this or your comment won’t count) for a 3-month subscription of either the Men’s or Women’s box. Please leave a comment with which you would like to win (men’s or women’s), if you’ve tried any of the April Perfumes or have any suggestions for niche fragrances you would like to see featured. Draw closes 4/9/2021

Contributor’s Note Olfactif is offering CaFleureBon readers a 25% discount off their first subscription box, using the code CFB at checkout. The code expires on April 30, 2021. April boxes must be purchased by April 15th. To learn more about the benefits of becoming a member please click here

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41 comments

  • I think I would prefer the men’s subscription as I tend to lean away from florals and more towards earthy, woody, and gourmand scents. In the USA. Thanks for a great into to something I was unaware of.

  • Brad Woolslayer says:

    I’d love to win the 3 month subscription for the men’s box. I’m not familiar with any of the April fragrances, but it’s always fun to try and discover new fragrances.

  • Derek Bedinghaus says:

    I would like to win the men’s box. I haven’t tried any of the fragrances featured. My thought for fragrances would be to feature more affordable niche fragrances like the Montale or Mancera fragrances so that people can start on the more affordable side of niche fragrances and decide if they would like to dive deeper from there.

  • I would love to win the subscription to the women’s box. I have tried Roses Vanille several years back and have been meaning to revisit so this would be perfect. I am constantly ordering niche samples to try so being gifted with them would sure be nice. Thanks this contest!

  • Didn’t know about subscription services for perfumes. Interesting idea, but wonder if this could cause olfactory information overload. I haven’t tried any of the April 2021 listed perfumes, though have tried other perfumes by Mancera and Montale. Would like to Ineke, Shawn Maher, Sarah McCartney, etc. featured, if they aren’t already. If I were to win this draw, I would choose a 3-month subscription of Men’s box. F

  • Didn’t know about subscription services for perfumes. Interesting idea, but wonder if this could cause olfactory information overload. I haven’t tried any of the April 2021 listed perfumes, though have tried other perfumes by Mancera and Montale. Would like to Ineke, Shawn Maher, Sarah McCartney, etc. featured, if they aren’t already. If I were to win this draw, I would choose a 3-month subscription of Men’s box. From USA.

  • I would like a female box, although I wear scents across the gender spectrum. Of the scents mentioned, I have tested So Nude and liked it.
    It would be fun to try a box built around different uses of the same accent notes, (e.g., cucumber in En Passant).

  • I’d love to win the 3 month subscription for the men’s box. I’m not familiar with any of the April fragrances.
    USA

  • I’d like the women’s subscription–love niche and natural scents. I am not familiar with any of the featured fragrances in the April box, but I so appreciate being introduced to new lines! In fact, I’m often surprised when others share something with me that I thought I wouldn’t like based on the notes….amazing discoveries happen this way! I would love Prosody London to be included, or others mixing synthetics and naturals in interesting ways. I liked Behind the Bottle on Facebook. Thank you!

  • GennyLeigh says:

    I’ve heard of fragrance subscriptions but I’m not familiar with Olfactif. I do like to purchase sample bags from sites like luckyscent on occasion. From the description, I would love to try the woman’s box. I haven’t tried any of the April selections but Reed sounds phenomenal. Commenting from MD, USA.

  • KMBfragrance says:

    This is such a smart idea, and I’m glad to know this exists. I would love to win the men’s subscription. I haven’t tried any of the April fragrances, but would suggest both Teo Cabanel and Hiram Green as excellent houses to feature.

  • This is such a wonderful service — I love the focus on niche. I would choose the men’s box. I’ve smelled So Nude on my wife but the others I’m not as familiar with. Thank you for this opportunity and for the code! USA

  • AleksCipri says:

    This was a very interesting read. I think this is a great idea. I of course knew about Olfacif although I’m not subscribed. There are just so many great niche brands and you can never sample them all. I like the April’s choices and interestingly I haven’t trie any of them yet. Even though I’m a woman I tend to prefer fragrances that are a bit masculine leaning if we follow some general conventions. So if I’m picked I would for sure subscribe to the men’s version of the box… I think they should try to put brands that are hard to sample in the US or those that you can boy buy in very expensive sample sets. I would love to see Baruti, Masque Milano, or Zoologist fragrances in the box. Best from Illinois, US.

  • I’ve always wanted to try one of the subscription services, but I’ve never taken the plunge. Ofactif’s focus on niche perfumes makes it particularly interesting; there are so many niche fragrances these days and I end up smelling so few of them…in part because there are so many that sound like they’re worth sampling. A service like Olfactif solves that problem by choosing them for you. I’ve never tried any of the April Perfumes. If I win the draw, I’d want the men’s box. I’m in Oklahoma, USA. And I’ve liked the CaFleurebon Behind the Bottle page on Facebook. Thanks, as always, for the draw!

  • I’d like to try for the men’s box. I’ve never tried any April Perfumes but I would love to test out new niche fragrances as someone rather new to the sphere.

  • I haven’t tried any of the April offerings and I have no suggestions, there are just too many. I’d like to win the men’s set. US

  • I haven’t tried any from April yet. I guess that’s why sometimes we should have someone curating for us so we can get out of the usual box. I would like to see niche perfumes from other continents as well. I would like to win men’s box. (US)

  • I’ve heard of Olfactif and their great service and I have been curious ever since. Interestingly, I haven’t tried any of the April 2021 choices. I would love to win the women’s box subscription! I live in the DFW area. Thank you!

  • A niche subscription box sounds fantastic! Like Danielle, I’m a perfume lover living in a small town. No opportunities to experience niche perfumes. Discovery sets have been my only option at this point. I would love to try the Women’s box! I live in the US.

  • I would love to win a woman’s subscription! The Mancera fragrance Roses Vanille saounds incredible. I love that someone is picking new fragrances that I probably would not try myself. Some of the niche fragrances that are hard to get in the states would be fun! California

  • Helloooo and Greetings from Ft Lauderdale Florida (USA) Iwould love to win the mens collection!! I like unique sexy and unisex fragrances!!
    Thank you!!

  • what a wonderful option to discover niche fragrances! i’d love the Olfactif for women. what i love most about niche fragrances are the stories behind the brand and their inspirations. thanks!

  • chrisskins says:

    So exciting! I’d like the woman’s set if I am selected. I haven’t tried any of the April scents but am a huge Dominique Ropion fan. I’d like to see St Clair samples added. I live in the USA.

  • Oh wow. Somehow I had never heard of of Olfactif! I would love to win the Women’s box. To be honest, I’m not really clear on what makes a fragrance “niche” but I’m going to give a stab and suggest Brooklyn Emporium Suedois as part of a box. It is amazing and more people should try it. I’m going to go look into subscribing right now. Thank you!
    I am in Kansas.

  • I haven’t tried any of the featured perfumes and I love that Olfactif focuses on niche bands. I’ve tried a couple of subscription boxes but they tend to be heavy with department store fragrances and the kind of things you find in abundance at discounters like Ross/Marshalls. I’d chose the Women’s box if I won. I thought it was great to see some of my favorite brands on their site including DSH, Dame, and Tauer. I’d like to see them add attars like Rising Phoenix or Sultan Pasha. I’m in the US.

  • Thank you for the opportunity to win a subscription. I’d like to win the men’s box as I have been yearning for Montale’s Wood and Spices. My suggestion would be to Tom Ford Metallique which blew me away but I don’t see to much chatter on it. I’m in USA

  • wallygator88 says:

    this is an interesting article about a service I was totally unaware of.

    I would love to see brands like Barrister and Mann, Chatillon Lux, House of Mammoth etc.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • I think that discovering this company could be very useful for me when I’m ready to do a lot of purchasing of niche fragrances (at least samples). I appreciate Danielle Fleming’s generosity. I would like to win the three month subscription of the men’s box. I haven’t tried anything from the April perfumes list. I might like to see fragrances from Agatho or Roja Parfums featured. I live in MD., U.S.A.

  • I would love to see Boyd’s of Texas be featured as one of the niche houses in a subscription boxes. Wet grass and rubber? Where do I sign? A woman’s box would be great. Receiving a subscription would be such a pick me up. I love Mancera”s Roses Vanille. I only have a sample size right now and it is sexy. Namaste from Texas

  • Bryant Worley says:

    I would like to win the Men’s subscription, as I really enjoy spiciness. I really appreciated learning about Olfactif, as I heard nothing previously.

    As for the fragrances, I would like to try Mancera Roses Vanille and Montale Wood & Spices,

    I live in Waldorf, MD, USA.

  • Mary Shean says:

    I would love to win the subscription for the Women’s box. All your April picks are wonderful. Thank you for this opportunity.

  • Carol Dimeck says:

    I would like to receive women’s
    Would you consider to carry Pierre Guillaume or musc de madame?
    Is have not tried any of the April scents I do like a nice close to my skin scent and nothing to heavy so they sound great!

  • I’ve just recently tip-toed into the world of niche fragrances. Especially loving gourmands. I wish I could afford them all! Would LOVE to win a set like this. Thank you for sharing and allowing customers to purchase samples before they fully commit!

  • Meghan Cowling says:

    I might prefer the women’s box, but I am new to this fragrance obsession so my olfactory appetite is insatiable! I just want to get my nose on everything. I haven’t tried/sniffed any of the April fragrances yet. I think what I like most about Olfactif (based on what I learned from this article) is that it eliminates the problem of choice for the subscriber. Maybe this isn’t a problem for other people, but I can spend hours and hours and hours trying to choose which fragrances to try from other subscription services and while that can be fun, it can also be a bit stressful for an obsessive like myself. It seems nice and relaxing to put your trust in someone else to show you some great niche offerings in a world of endless choices. Still, since you asked, some niche houses I’ve been wanting to try are Vilhelm Parfumerie, Floraiku, Fort & Manle, Fragrance du Bois, Hermetica, Olympic Orchids,… it’s endless!

  • Again, I posted this same comment not long ago without realizing I wasn’t logged in. (The shame!) Please forgive my double post, but I want it to count.

    I might prefer the women’s box, but I am new to this fragrance obsession so my olfactory appetite is insatiable! I just want to get my nose on everything. I haven’t tried/sniffed any of the April fragrances yet. I think what I like most about Olfactif (based on what I learned from this article) is that it eliminates the problem of choice for the subscriber. Maybe this isn’t a problem for other people, but I can spend hours and hours and hours trying to choose which fragrances to try from other subscription services and while that can be fun, it can also be a bit stressful for an obsessive like myself. It seems nice and relaxing to put your trust in someone else to show you some great niche offerings in a world of endless choices. Still, since you asked, some niche houses I’ve been wanting to try are Vilhelm Parfumerie, Floraiku, Fort & Manle, Fragrance du Bois, Hermetica, Olympic Orchids,… it’s endless!

  • I’d love to try out this monthly subscription! I would definitely want the woman’s scents. There are so many niche scents I’ve been wanting to try such as Guerlain Les Absolus. Orlov Paris and Precious Liquid.

    I live in the US.

  • I would LOOOOOOVE to win the women’s box so much.

    I would like to see niche houses like Initio and Parfum De Marly, Byredo, Veronica Gabai, Vilhelm Perfumes, Strangers Perfumerie and so many more

    Plsss pick me