Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit websites. They help websites remember your preferences and understand how you use the site.

How We Use Cookies

We take a privacy-first approach at ScentVerdict. We use minimal cookies: the ones the site needs to work, and analytics that counts visits so we can improve the site. We do not use advertising cookies, and you can switch analytics off at any time.

Types of Cookies We Use

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the website to function. They cannot be disabled.

Cookie Purpose Duration
sv_consent Remembers whether you have switched analytics off, and that you have seen our analytics notice 1 year
.AspNetCore.Session Maintains your session state (if logged in) Session
.AspNetCore.Antiforgery.* Security token to prevent cross-site request forgery Session
sv_country Stores the country you chose for prices and delivery, set only when you choose one 1 year
sv_country_banner Remembers that you closed the banner suggesting shops for the country you are browsing from Session

Analytics Cookies (On Unless You Opt Out)

These cookies tell us how many people visit, which pages they read and how they found us, so we can decide what to improve and what to write next. We use them only for that. Under the UK's Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, analytics used solely to produce statistics that improve a website does not need prior consent, provided you are told about it and can object easily and for free. So analytics is on by default and you can switch it off at any time (see Managing Your Preferences).

We use Google Analytics (GA4), set up so that Google acts only as our processor:

Cookie Purpose Duration
_ga Google Analytics - distinguishes unique visitors 2 years
_ga_* Google Analytics - maintains session state 2 years

If you opt out, Google Analytics is not loaded and the cookies above are removed.

Our Own Visit Counter (No Cookies)

We also count page views ourselves, without cookies, to show which perfumes and pages are most read. Each count records the page, the site that referred you, and a scrambled (one-way hashed) form of your IP address and browser so we can filter out bots and repeat refreshes. We cannot turn the hash back into your IP address, and we remove it after 30 days, leaving only the count. Switching analytics off stops this counter too.

Affiliate Cookies (Third-Party)

When you click on "Where to Buy" links, you may be redirected to retailer websites. These retailers may set their own cookies for tracking affiliate referrals.

ScentVerdict does not control third-party cookies. Please refer to each retailer's cookie policy for details:

Managing Your Preferences

You can switch analytics off, or back on, at any time with the button below or the "Cookie settings" link at the bottom of every page:

Browser Settings

You can also control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

Be aware that blocking all cookies may affect website functionality.

Learn more about managing cookies in your browser:

Do Not Track

"Do Not Track" was never finished as a standard and browsers send it inconsistently, so we don't treat it as a reliable signal of what you want. It has no effect on this site either way.

Use the "Manage Cookie Preferences" button above instead - that's the setting we actually act on. If you switch analytics off, no analytics cookies are set.

Updates to This Policy

We may update this cookie policy if we add new features or change our tracking approach. Check this page periodically for updates.

Last updated: September 2026