Buying guide

From a decant to a full bottle

Updated 2026-09-01Scento Editorial Team

The short answer

Wear the decant for two to three weeks and count how often you actually reach for it. If it earns a regular place in your rotation, buy the full bottle from the fragrance house's official boutique or an authorised retailer. A Scento decant starts at €4.41, so you confirm a scent on your own skin before committing to a full-size bottle — no subscription required.

Authenticated decants, hand-poured from sealed original bottles — no subscription required
The maths

How much of a full bottle is a decant?

Scento pours three sizes. Here is how many sprays each gives, roughly how long it lasts at a spray or two a day, and what fraction of a standard bottle it represents.

DecantApprox. spraysDaily wearShare of a 50 ml bottleShare of a 100 ml bottle
2ml~30 sprays~10 days4%2%
5ml~75 sprays~25 days10%5%
8ml~120 sprays~30 days16%8%

Spray counts are approximate — actual sprays vary with the atomiser and how heavily you apply. Percentages are simple volume arithmetic: a 2 ml decant is 2 ml of a 50 ml or 100 ml bottle.

Where to buy

Where to buy the full bottle

Once a decant has earned its place, buy the full size from a source that guarantees a genuine, current-batch bottle.

The house's official boutique

The fragrance house's own website or counter is the surest source — freshest stock, full returns, and the exact concentration you tested. Best for niche houses that sell direct.

An authorised retailer

A department store or a retailer the brand lists as authorised carries genuine stock, often with loyalty perks or a gift with purchase. Check the brand's stockist list if you are unsure.

Scento's role

Scento is a decant retailer, not a full-bottle shop — its job is the 8 ml decant that tells you whether the full bottle is worth buying. Across 1,000+ fragrances you can test almost anything on your own skin first, then buy the full size from the house or an authorised retailer with confidence.

Does testing first save money?

Usually, yes. A full bottle of a niche fragrance is a real commitment, and skin chemistry means a scent you loved on a blotter can turn on you by hour three. A Scento decant starts at €4.41, so the cost of finding out is small.

  • A 2 ml decant from €4.41 lets you live with a fragrance for about a week and a half before you decide.
  • You only spend full-bottle money on the scents you have confirmed you will actually wear — not on a blind buy that ends up shelved.
  • Testing several decants for the price of one bottle is how most people find the one worth owning.
FAQ

Decant-to-bottle questions

How do I decide when to buy the full bottle?
Wear the decant for two to three weeks in the conditions you would actually wear it — work, evenings, the season you bought it for. If you keep reaching for it and it performs on your skin, it has earned a full bottle. If you forget about it, you have saved yourself a blind buy.
How much of a full bottle is a 2, 5 or 8 ml decant?
A 2 ml decant is about 30 sprays — roughly 4% of a 50 ml bottle. A 5 ml decant is about 75 sprays, about 10% of a 50 ml bottle. An 8 ml decant is about 120 sprays — a full month of daily wear, and around 8% of a 100 ml bottle.
Where should I buy the full bottle?
From the fragrance house's official boutique or an authorised retailer — that is where you are guaranteed a genuine, current-batch bottle with full returns. Scento sells decants, not full bottles, so once you have decided, the full size comes from the house or an authorised stockist.
Does trying a decant first actually save money?
For most people, yes. A Scento decant starts at €4.41, so testing costs very little compared with a full bottle you might never finish. You commit to the full size only once the scent has proven itself on your skin.
Do I need a subscription to try before I buy?
No subscription required. Scento is a straight decant retailer — buy a single 8 ml decant, wear it, and decide. There is no monthly plan and nothing to cancel.
Decants from €4.41 · ≈ €3.37/ml

Try it first, then buy the bottle you are sure of

Authenticated decants in 2, 5 and 8 ml, hand-poured from sealed original bottles. No subscription required.