Imagine this scenario. You’ve been wearing the same fragrance for years and you feel like a change. You spot an expensive brand online you’ve heard everyone raving about. It’s really expensive but, on a whim, you order it. It arrives – you hate it! Argghhhh! You should have bought a decant first!

What are fragrance decants? A fragrance decant is a small sample bottle of a specific perfume. You can order a decant of virtually any fragrance online at a fraction of the price of a full-sized manufacturer’s sealed bottle. However, there are a few things to beware of with any perfume decants as discussed below.

How are decants produced?

Perfume and any other type of fragrance decants are rarely sold by manufacturers. They are typically bought from private sellers who simply decant from the largest sized bottles of fragrance as these are the best value for money. When someone orders a decant from a seller, they pour the required amount into a decant bottle and sell it at a price that ensures they make a profit.

Decant sizes

There are various decant sizes and their prices depend on the price of the fragrance itself.

1 ml decants

These are the smallest and cheapest fragrance decants you can buy. Depending on how liberally you spray it one, this size will provide 2 to 3 applications. To give you an idea of the amount, a standard teaspoon holds 5ml of fluid, so you will receive less than a quarter of a teaspoon! A tiny amount.

It’s difficult to estimate how much you will pay because it depends on the price of the fragrance you choose but here’s an example:

• A 1ml decant of Dior Sauvage can be purchased for approximately $3.00. A 60ml (3.4oz) bottle is approximately $100.

You should expect this decant to be a plastic or glass vial which is literally a tiny tube with a plastic stopper for a lid.

1.5 ml decants

1.5ml decants may come in a glass or plastic vial or mini-spray.

This is the smallest size some sellers supply and is equivalent to a quarter of a standard teaspoon. A vial will provide you with 3 to 5 applications but a mini-spray delivers smaller applications and you can get up to 18 applications from it – enough to help you decide if you like the fragrance enough to buy a whole bottle.

• A 1.5 ml decant of Dior Sauvage can be purchased for approximately $4.50 in a vial or $5.25 as a spray.

2.5 ml decants

A 2.5 ml decant is usually a glass or plastic spray bottle. Each light spray delivers a small amount and you can squeeze up to 30 applications from 2.5 ml.

• A 2.5 ml spray decant of Dior Sauvage can be purchased for approximately $9.00 as a spray.

3 ml decant

There’s not much difference between a 2.5ml and 3ml decant. You’ll find some companies offer one size and some offer the other. 3 ml gives up to 36 applications.

• A 3 ml spray decant of Dior Sauvage can be purchased for approximately $11.00 as a spray.

5 ml (1/6 oz) decants

A 5ml decant is equivalent to one teaspoon. This doesn’t sound like much but can give you up to 60 applications.

• A 5 ml decant of Dior Sauvage can be purchased for approximately $15.00 as a spray.

8 ml (1/4 oz) decants

An 8 ml decant is equivalent to a quarter of an ounce and can give you up to 96 applications.

• An 8 ml decant of Dior Sauvage can be purchased for approximately $22.00 as a spray.

15 ml (1/2 oz) decants

A 15 ml decant is equivalent to half an ounce and can give you up to 180 applications.

• A 15 ml spray decant of Dior Sauvage costs approximately $43.00.

30 ml (1 oz) decants

A 30 ml decant is equivalent to an ounce and can give you up to 360 applications.

• A 30 ml spray decant of Dior Sauvage costs approximately $80.00. I think in this instance I would find another $20 and buy a 60 ml (3.4 oz) manufacturers sealed bottle.

Table of common decant sizes and applications from each

When to buy decants and when not to

It’s a good idea to buy a decant before buying a very expensive niche fragrance to ensure you like the smell of it on your skin.

For example, 50 ml of Creed Aventus is $325 which is a lot to spend on a fragrance you might decide doesn’t smell good on you.

On the other hand, a 5 ml decant of Aventus is approximately $55. This may sound like a lot of money but you’ll have 60 applications to play with. Apply it twice a day and it will last a month and will have cost you less than the price of a cup of coffee each day.

With lower-priced fragrances, you may find the price of a whole sealed bottle is not much more than a decant. Always compare the price per milliliter of a decant to that of small bottle.

Choosing a fragrance decant seller

There are many ways to purchase decants online. Here are the main three:

Decants from Amazon

There are plenty of fragrance decants being sold n Amazon. Before you buy, look carefully at their reviews. Also compare the one you’ve chosen to others to ensure you get one at the best value.

The good thing about buying via Amazon is the protection they offer if you have any genuine problems with the seller or product quality.

Decants from ebay

You will find many, many decants available on ebay. Some are from online shops and some are being sold privately. Again, don’t rush into a purchase. Look carefully at the sellers reviews and compare prices.

If you have any issues, ebay is very good at resolving disputes and does tend to favor you, the purchaser.

Decants from online shops

Online shops are in the best position to sell the cheapest decants. They can buy the largest bottles at the best prices so their decants really should be the best value. Of course, this isn’t always the case so do shop around for the best price and always look for customer reviews.

Decants aren’t just for sampling a fragrance

Don’t think of decants as just a way to sample a new fragrance. They also provide a cheaper way to own an expensive fragrance. If you can’t afford a whole bottle then a decant is a cheaper option. They’re just not always the best value.

If you want to own lots of different fragrances but can’t afford to, decants offer the perfect solution. The bonus is you won’t have the problem of fragrances going bad before you’ve had a chance to use them up.

With decants you can afford to wear a new perfume every month or even every week if you really want to.

Decanting your own fragrances

If you like a particular fragrance but can’t afford to own the whole bottle you could buy it, decant some for yourself and then sell the rest as decants.

If you pick the right size you could end up being able to own a fair amount at no cost!

Here’s an example of how the price of fragrance decreases when you buy larger bottles. I’ve picked Creed Aventus and used current prices from their website. These are, of course, subject to change.

Thought you would have to initially spend $1600, here’s how your could keep 250 ml for yourself and sell the rest to recoup your $1600.

• Decant yourself 200 ml into a clean bottle with a screw cap
• divide the remaining 800 ml into 8 bottles of 100 ml and sell at $200 plus post and packaging to recoup your $1600

There are plenty of empty bottles on Amazon you can use to decant fragrance into. These 100 ml glass spray atomizers are ideal.

You could choose to decant small sizes but, obviously, this is more hard work to sell.

The method above will work with any fragrance but just make sure to research how well it sells when decanted first.

What Are Fragrance Decants? – Conclusion

Fragrance decants are so much more than just a way for sellers to supply perfume samples. You can buy them if you can’t afford a whole bottle, use them to carry small amounts of your favorite fragrance anywhere or on holiday and even use them to share a bottle of cologne with friends.

The bitter orange tree is an evergreen with dark leaves, sharp thorns and wonderfully orange-fragranced white flowers widely used in the perfume industry. Two popular perfume ingredients are created from the flowers of the bitter orange tree: one is neroli and the other is orange blossom.

What perfume smells like orange blossom? Many perfumes from the chypre and floral oriental families use the smell of orange blossom in their top notes to add a citrus freshness to their floral bouquets. You’ll find some of the best examples of perfumes that have an orange blossom smell reviewed below.

But first, here’s a little bit more information about the essential oils created from bitter orange blossom.

Neroli Essential Oil

To obtain the orange-scented essential oil known as neroli, freshly-picked white flowers from the bitter orange tree are steam distilled. It takes thousands of petals to capture just a few ounces of neroli essential oil which makes it an extremely expensive ingredient.

The scent of neroli is honey-sweet and floral with hints of citrus. It’s a long-lasting fragrance with fixative qualities that makes the perfume it’s added to last longer on the skin.

Orange Blossom Essential Oil

To create orange blossom oil, a solvent extraction process is applied to the same fresh flowers. This oil has a sweeter and more citrusy aroma than neroli.

If you’ve ever wondered what exactly orange blossom smells like in a fragrance, it is best described as a sweet, soapy citrus note that reminds you of the smell of the flower as it grows on the bitter orange tree.

The Best Orange Blossom and Neroli Perfumes

Neroli and orange blossom perfumes are my favorites. I’m currently wearing Neroli and Orchidee by L’Occitane and you can find more about this below.

In no particular order, here are 9 of the best orange blossom perfumes you can buy.

Neroli & Orchidee by L’Occitane EDT

Neroli & Orchidee is my current favorite. It’s a sophisticated mix of neroli from bitter orange blossom and Madagascar orchid. This sweet floral fragrance is perfect for daily use and has gained me more compliments than any other perfume I’ve ever worn.

The official L’Occitane site lists the featured ingredients as neroli essence and orchid absolute with fragrance notes of mandarin, neroli, and iris. When you apply it, you’ll immediately pick up the light citrus floral note of neroli mingling with the sweet powdery note of orchid.

Neroli & Orchidee can be worn by anyone of any age who loves perfume with orange notes. It is a sophisticated citrusy floral, not too sweet, and slightly soapy. Because it’s an eau de toilette, it doesn’t have great longevity. Its projection is about 6 feet and is not at all overpowering.

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne for Women

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne has a fresh clementine opening scent and middles notes of orange blossom and waterlily. It has a beautiful floral and citrus aroma, perfect for daily wear, especially in summer.

If you like neroli orange blossom fragrances, Orange Blossom Cologne is a perfect choice. It’s a favorite of many celebrities too. If you’re searching for a perfume that smells expensive but really isn’t, this certainly ticks that box. Just bear in mind as it’s cologne, it needs to be applied after 2 or 3 hours.

Honey by Marc Jacobs

Honey by Marc Jacobs is a fruity floral fragrance. It features a fresh pear and mandarin orange scent in its top notes. The middle notes are honeysuckle, orange blossom, and peach. The base is a warm, sweet blend of vanilla, honey, and wood.

If you like a sweeter orange blossom fragrance, Honey may be the one for you. Its mix of warmth and freshness means it is a fragrance that goes with any season.

Love Story by Chloe

Love Story by Chloe is a feminine and flirty fragrance. It opens with the sensual aroma of neroli, followed by a floral heart of orange blossom and jasmine and finally a cedarwood base.

The overall smell of Love Story is fresh yet sophisticated. It has great longevity and just the right amount of projection. It doesn’t overpower the whole room but does enchant those you get close to – perfect for date night!

Mugler Cologne by Thierry Mugler

Mugler Cologne by Thierry Mugler has the soapy fresh, citrus fragrance of a traditional cologne. Though it is unisex, the base is quite floral.

The sweet citrusy aroma from the combination of bergamot and neroli gives this fragrance an intoxicating summery feel. As it dries down you’re left with a sensual white musk base.

As this is a cologne, you do need to reapply it every few hours.

24 Fouberg by Hermes

With fragrance notes including orange blossom, jasmine, tiara flower, ylang ylang, and iris, Hermes 24 Fouberg is a warm, floral perfume.

The soapy orange blossom aroma is very apparent and is backed by a mossy, sandalwood and patchouli base. Like the Hermes brand, this fragrance is aimed at mature women but could equally be worn by someone younger.

If you like orange blossom, patchouli and honey perfume this one definitely has that vibe.

Fleur du Male by Jean Paul Gaultier

Fleur du Male by Jean Paul Gaultier is an aromatic fougere for men that is not a typical masculine fragrance. It could almost be classed as unisex.

It can be best described as an explosion of flowers featuring orange blossom, that dries down to a vanilla base. Fleur du Male is long-lasting and has a good projection. One application lasts at least 8 hours.

If you have been searching for a long-lasting orange fragrance that has vanilla, orange, and jasmine, try Fleur du Male and you won’t be disappointed.

Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford

Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford is a unisex fragrance with cirtusy top notes of bergamot, mandarin, lemon, and bitter orange and middle notes of orange flower, jasmine, and neroli – it’s no wonder it has a beautiful orange aroma.

This refreshing, almost heady fragrance suits warm, sunny days. Being Tom Ford, it is quite expensive so may be one you would save for special occasions.

Girl of Now by Elie Saab

Girl of Now by Elie Saab is an oriental floral fragrance. The name suggests it’s a younger woman’s fragrance but it honestly isn’t. It has a fruity opening, a flowery middle and dries down to a sensual patchouli base. Patchouli fans will love this touch.

It feels like a special occasion perfume. A generous application of Girl of Now will last on your skin all day and on clothes even longer. The packaging is appealing and the bottle is just gorgeous – this would make a perfect gift.

What Perfume Smells Like Orange Blossom? – Conclusion

We’ve picked 9 perfumes to help you with your quest to find a perfume that smells of orange blossom. There are plenty more out there but these are leading favorites. Some are aimed at women and others are definitely gender neutral though may be too florally for those who like to smell particularly masculine.

If you love cinnamon fragrances, the best cinnamon fragrances for women suggests 8 ideal choices.