Aromoshelf: Perfume App

The Beta Reality: What Works and What Doesn't

The app opens to a clean interface with three main tabs. The first screen shows your collection shelves, empty by default. The second tab is the discovery section with a search bar and filters. The third tab holds your profile and settings. Adding a perfume requires typing the name, brand, or notes. The database returns matches from a catalog that reportedly exceeds 35,000 fragrances. The AI advisor appears as a separate section, requesting ratings on scents you have tried. The recommendation engine then suggests new perfumes based on those ratings. The process seems straightforward until you try to save a perfume to a custom shelf. Some users have reported that perfumes do not always save correctly, or the search function fails to find established brands. The app is in test mode, which means these issues are acknowledged by the developer.

The beta label is not hidden. The Play Store description clearly states that some features may still be evolving and occasional bugs may occur. This transparency is unusual for a free app. The developer, Oleksandra Dovgopola, appears to be a solo or small-team operation based in Ukraine. The app's website shows regular updates, with version numbers climbing from 3.21.1 to 3.79.1 over several months. Each update brings bug fixes and performance improvements, along with new features like seasonal shelf filters and a "Where to Buy" tab. The pace of development suggests active maintenance, but the beta status means the app is not yet production-ready for all users.

How the AI Advisor and Scent of the Day Work Together

The Scent of the Day feature asks you to log which fragrance you are wearing each day. You can add notes about the weather, your mood, or the occasion. Over time, this creates a personal scent diary. The AI advisor uses this diary as training data. When you rate a perfume, the AI learns your preferences. If you log a woody scent on a cold day and rate it highly, the AI will suggest similar woody scents for future cold days. If you log a fresh citrus scent in summer and rate it poorly, the AI will avoid that profile in summer recommendations. This feedback loop is the core of the app's intelligence. The more you log, the better the recommendations become. However, the AI is only as good as the data you provide. If you log inconsistently or skip ratings, the recommendations will be generic. The app does not explain this dependency clearly, which can lead to disappointment for users who expect instant, accurate suggestions from the start.

The interaction between these two features creates a workflow that is not described on the Play Store page. You must first build a collection by adding perfumes, then log your Scent of the Day, then rate the perfumes you have logged. Only after this cycle does the AI start to personalize. New users who skip the logging step will see generic recommendations that may not match their taste. This is a practical limitation that emerges from using the features together, not from a single feature's standalone behavior. The app's value increases with use, but the initial experience can feel underwhelming until the AI has enough data.

Performance, Ads, and the Free Model

The app is completely free with no ads. This is a significant differentiator from many perfume apps that rely on in-app purchases or subscriptions. The free model is supported by the developer's personal investment, as there are no visible revenue streams within the app. The absence of ads contributes to a clean, distraction-free experience. The interface is minimalist, with soft colors and simple typography. Navigation is intuitive, with a bottom tab bar for the main sections. The app does not request unnecessary permissions, which is a plus for privacy-conscious users. However, the lack of revenue model raises questions about long-term sustainability. The developer may introduce paid features in the future, but there is no indication of this in the current version.

Performance is generally smooth, but there are reports of occasional glitches. The app may freeze when resuming from the background, or search results may take a few seconds to load. These issues are consistent with a beta product. The developer has released multiple updates addressing stability, and the frequency of updates suggests a commitment to improvement. The app's database is extensive, with over 1,000 brands and 35,000 fragrances according to the website. This scale is impressive for a free app, but the database may not be complete for niche or discontinued perfumes. Users with large collections may find that some of their perfumes are missing from the catalog, requiring manual entry.

Database Scale and the "Where to Buy" Feature

The app's database growth is documented in the news section of the website. In one update, the developer announced 800 brands and 30,000 perfumes. A later update increased this to 1,000 brands and 35,000 fragrances. The database includes both mainstream and niche brands. The "Where to Buy" tab is a newer feature that shows retail options for perfumes. This feature is currently in beta and may not cover all regions or retailers. The integration of shopping links is a logical next step for a perfume app, but it also introduces potential conflicts of interest. The app does not currently display affiliate links or sponsored content, but this could change in the future. The database updates are frequent, with new brands added regularly based on user suggestions. This community-driven approach helps the app stay relevant, but it also means the database quality depends on user contributions.