The Scent Trunk Experience: Part 1

by: Jodi Battershell

I made the acquaintance of the Scent Trunk guys late last summer, when we published an announcement about this new men's fragrance subscription box. Scent Trunk was initially created by founders Alex Lam, Connor Rowe, and William Yin, as part of Queen’s University's Summer Innovation Initiative (QSII). Although the service was only three months old when I wrote about it last August, it was clear that the guys had done their homework regarding the fragrance industry and were in it to win it.

Founder Will Yin summarizes the Scent Trunk mission for us: "Scent Trunk is for people who want to experience more through fragrance, and who want to be unique.  We only offer niche fragrances because we believe those are the most interesting. We offer three per month because each fragrance makes you feel differently, some people say that they choose a scent for the day depending on their 'vibe.' Scent Trunk itself gives off a very modern, relaxed vibe and a lot of people like that."

As Scent Trunk approaches its first anniversary in business, I was invited by the Scent Trunk team to take another look. I'm delighted to see that they're still in business (startups in any industry have such a high failure rate in their first year, and Scent Trunk were pioneers of a sort, as the first to offer a men's fragrance subscription box). Not only are they still in business, but they're growing and thriving and expanding, with ambitious plans for their next year in business and a commitment to excellence in customer service.

Something new on the site caught my eye: an online magazine with features about fragrance, men's grooming, men's fashion and self-improvement. There are interviews with professionals from all of these industries, including our very own Elena Knezhevich.

My husband and I browsed the site and were impressed by the tone and design of the articles. Mr. NLS is mid-40s, casually interested in topics like men's grooming and fashion, and a fragrance fan as well, though not on par with my level of fanatacism. The articles, were brief, informative, well-designed and with catchy graphics, such as the "How to Groom Your Beard" image above.

What's missing (thankfully!): "panty-dropper" type articles and "lad magazine" style editorial. The Scent Trunk team may be young but they're classy and take pride in being gentlemen.

"We wanted to keep it subtle and sophisticated," Will comments. "We wanted to provide a place where our community, people who believe in our vision, and what we stand for, could improve themselves." Will also gives a shout out to Tresor Prijs, who has been writing most of their articles, "just because of the passion for fragrance. Without Tresor, we would not be where we are today."

Even better evidence of the service's success: from the handful of brands available at startup, the Scent Trunk offering has expanded considerably. I counted 31 brands listed as Featured Partners on my last visit, ranging from classic European houses such as Rancé 1795 and Costume National, to beloved niche houses like Demeterand Ineke. Natural perfumers like Forager Botanicals, JoAnne Bassett and Esscentual Alchemy are available alongside modern mixed media brands such as Dueto andImaginary Authors. American Indie houses like CJ Scents, PK Perfumes and Olympic Orchids are included, and the offerings from Canadian houses reflects the growing niche/indie fragrance industry in Canada, represented by newcomers like Nerd,Zoologist Perfumes and Jazmin Saraï. I even found a few new-to-me brands on the site: House of Orpheus, Roberta Andrade and Note Fragrances.

Will Yin of Scent Trunk gives props to the brands who took a chance on the venture. "We have great partners," he says. "I'm going to say that again, we have great partners. They believed in us when we had no subscribers and they still believe in us. We started by cold calling fragrance brands, and we still do sometimes. But now that we are gaining some more exposure, a lot of brands are contacting us!"

I asked if site members had a particular favorite brand or fragrance, and Will's response says a lot about the niche/artisan fragrance industry. "It's all over the place, and I think that just goes to show that when you take the big brand name out of the question, and focus on the scent, people have very different tastes."

THE SCENT TRUNK EXPERIENCE

One of the advantages to sites like Scent Trunk is the opportunity to enroll, browse, shop, read and engage from the comfort of your home. (With a cat, if you wish.)

Mr. NLS took the tailoring quiz on the site and was shown some statistics of his aroma preferences, which suggest nearly equal affinity for both Fresh and Woody fragrances, with preferences for Oriental and Floral bringing up the rear. In general he is open to fragrances in any category and has a varied collection of niche, mainstream and even mass market bargain fragrances. Overall, registration was a breeze and the whole process, including the quiz, took just a few minutes.

In Part 2, we'll see what the Scent Trunk team delivers based on his answers to the quiz questions.

While we wait, the Scent Trunk team gave us a little "preview" of the experience with their Spring Trunk. Shipping from Canada to the U.S. was quick and the packaging ensured its contents arrived safely.

Inside the signature black Scent Trunk box was a small velvet bag and some printed cards with info about each of the scents: seasonal appropriateness, time of day to wear, sillage and longevity. Each of the selections in the Spring Trunk was a spray sample (a plus in my book, though not an absolute requirement) and generously sized between 1.5 ml and 3 ml. The Spring Trunk scents were a pleasant mix of moods and styles, and all but one were new fragrances for us.

Spring Trunk Selections: Yesterday Haze, Blood Sweat Tears and Cyber Garden

Imaginary Authors Yesterday Haze is aleady one of our favorites and more is always welcome. Atelier De Geste Blood Sweat Tears and Costume National Cyber Gardenwere novelties for us. Blood Sweat Tears has become a springtime go-to scent for Mr. NLS.

Could all three scents in the Spring Trunk be worn by a woman? Absolutely, and more news to come on that front in The Scent Trunk Experience: Part 2, where we'll also see what fragrances arrive based on the answers to Mr. NLS's quiz and profile and learn more about Scent Trunk's plans for the coming year and beyond.

Thank you to Scent Trunk for the Spring Trunk and the opportunity for a first-hand experience of the service.

All images except Mr. NLS and fragrances: Scent Trunk