Trust Me—These 16 Affordable Perfumes Smell Really Expensive
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This perfume recently went viral on TikTok as a dupe for a certain sandalwood designer scent that is over 10 times the price tag. It's consistently going out of stock, so act fast.
My sister introduced me to this fresh, fruity perfume and it truly is a delight. With hints of apple, orange and pink grapefruit alongside a floral bouquet or rose, jasmine, violet and peony, it's vibrant and uplifting.
Following the arrival of Sephora in the UK we had to include at least one of their perfumes in our offerings. The travel size is useful to keep on you for touch ups throughout the day, or to test-drive the scent before committing to the bottle. Combined, the pear, jasmine and freshly-cut grass are lush and vibrant.
Zara perfumes are something of a beauty-editor secret, and trust me—the scents truly defy their modest price tags. Again, there are plenty to choose from depending on your scent preferences (Nude Bouquet is another favourite of mine), but this one made the cut as it's essentially a straight-up dupe of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, with notes of orange blossom, coffee, and vanilla.
Two of our editors laid out their favourite perfumes of all times and both mentioned this scent. The key notes of dark rum, honey, and vanilla bean are balanced to perfection, creating a tantalisingly scent. The expertise of the formulation is evident in the fact that this sweet scent doesn't feel cloying.
It might sound obvious, but a good hack for finding high quality but affordable perfumes is to purchase them in smaller sizes. London-based perfume brand Floral Street offers all of its scents in travel-friendly, 10-millilitre bottles, which is a great way to confirm that you really love a scent before committing to the full size. I'm a big fan of this brand for unusual scents, but I think Neon Rose is a real crowd-pleaser—a fresh, green floral.
I'm so impressed with what a sophisticated scent this is, considering the price point. With powerful base notes of patchouli, amber, and vanilla, it's warm, vibrant, and makes a genuinely head-turning evening scent.
I'm pretty sure every girl who grew up in the '90s would be familiar with The Body Shop's White Musk perfume (it's still available, by the way!). Trust me, though—this black version is like white musk's cool older sister. It contains sweet pear, spicy pink pepper, and heady bergamot, and it smells incredible. Honestly, I had a colleague who used to wear this, and I lost count of the number of times people asked her what she was wearing. It's that good.
Way more than bath bombs and fresh face masks, Lush have a decent offering of affordable perfumes too. This sandalwood and olibanum scent is a fabulous autumn or winter fragrance.
It won't last as long as a proper eau de parfum, but there are some incredible body mists on the market right now if you don't mind committing to some top ups throughout the day. This sweet, cherry-blossom scent is as uplifting as it is calming and makes a great addition to my desk-side beauty stash.
I'm a huge fan of Estée Lauder's iconic Bronze Goddess perfume which comes out every year, but this affordable scent from French skincare brand Nuxe is a close second. It has notes of orange blossom, vanilla, and magnolia, and has that vibrant, tropical feel that gives me an instant mood boost on grey, drizzly days.
Yes, it's another Marks & Spencer scent—what can I say? They're brilliant. This is one of the richest perfumes in the range and it's perfect if you love expensive-smelling, spicy amber scents with hints of bold white florals.
This beautiful scent smells so expensive, it's hard to believe the price. It's light, floral freshness is cut with a sweet warmth that makes this a versatile perfume for all seasons. Delicate but wonderfully powerful at the same time, it's deceptively modern.
I have a sweet spot for vanilla scents and this one from Huda Beauty's fragrance line Kayali is up there with the best of them. It's creamy and sugary (thanks to brown sugar and Brazilian tonka) but also heady with florals from vanilla orchid, patchouli and musk. But most of all it's utterly comforting and available in a petite 10ml bottle for on-the-go application.
I am a real sucker for a Sol de Janeiro mist and wore the Radiance Perfume Mist all last summer. This one bottles the brand's trademark gourmand scent—a mouthwatering blend of caramelised vanilla, toasted macadamia nut, coconut blossoms and sea salt. It is totally joy-inducing and the perfect antidote to the winter weather.