An independent fragrance guide, funded by readers

Why the site exists

Sarah Haddad spent six years behind a fragrance counter. The same thing happened every week: someone would walk in, smell four bottles in ten minutes, buy the loudest one, and never wear it again. Perfume is expensive, the labels are confusing, and most advice online is written by people who have never worn the scent for a full day.

Sarah Perfumes is the opposite of that. We wear the bottle. We write down what happens. Then we tell you plainly, including the parts brands would rather we left out.

How we test

• Two full days of wear on skin, on separate dates, in different weather. Paper strips are used only for a first impression.
• Longevity is recorded as the hour the scent can no longer be smelled at arm's length, not the hour it fades to a whisper.
• Projection is judged by how far away another person notices it in a normal room at around twenty degrees.
• Scores weigh five things: the smell itself, longevity, projection, versatility and value for money.
• Bottles are bought at retail price or tested from decants we pay for. Brands cannot buy a score.

Who writes here

Sarah Haddad leads all testing and writing. Every article carries an author name and a last updated date, and we revisit older guides whenever a formula is reformulated or a price changes significantly. If we get something wrong, we correct it in place and note the change.

How we pay for it

Some links to retailers earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. That commission never changes a score, a ranking or a verdict. You can read the full affiliate disclosure if you want the detail.

Talk to us

Questions about a bottle, a correction, or a scent you want us to test? Use the contact page and we read every message.