I'm a Perfume Snob, But These Affordable Fragrances Smell So Expensive
I have a confession to make. Since starting my career as a beauty journalist, I've acquired quite a collection of fragrances over the years. Due to the nature of the job, I've been lucky enough to receive lots of expensive fragrances, from Byredo to Jo Malone, and I've developed quite high-end taste. It was only when standing in the lines of some of my favorite high-street stores recently that I really took notice of the affordable fragrances available. And in recent years, they have seriously upped their game.
While we love treating ourselves to premium fragrances, we also love finding an affordable gem to add to our perfume collections.
With brands such as Jo Loves (which was founded by fragrance royalty Jo Malone) pairing with stores like Zara, affordable fragrances have shed their sickly sweet reputation and become seriously sophisticated. In fact, you can probably find a perfume dupe on the high street—or at least something very similar—for the most popular fragrances nowadays. So you don’t always have to break the budget to smell expensive. Whether you like clean-smelling fragrances or fruity scents or want to find your signature perfume on a budget, high-street brands H&M, Marks and Spencer, Other Stories, The Body Shop, and Zara are really leading the way for more affordable perfumes.
To help you find your new high-street fragrance, I've found the best sellers from each store and put them to the test, matching them and their notes to their more expensive counterparts. And I have to say, these are now permanent fixtures on my fragrance shelf alongside my premium favorites.
The Best Affordable Perfumes
1. Marks and Spencer Sea Salt Neroli
I'll hold my hands up and say that I've previously overlooked Marks and Spencer's fragrances, and it was only when I started writing this article that I came across the diverse collection that it has. Sea Salt Neroli is an M&S best seller, and I can totally see why. It smells so much more expensive than its $16 price tag suggests, and it's one of the best salty fragrances I've found. It's salty yet refreshing—like slicing open an orange or sipping a zesty, salt-rimmed margarita. If Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino and Jo Malone's Wood Sage Sea Salt cologne had a baby, this would be it.
Smells similar to:
This citrus scent is reminiscent of sitting on the breezy Amalfi Coast with an Aperol spritz aperitif in hand. The top note of bergamot mingles with mandarin orange, lemon, and bitter orange for a zesty spritz before drying down with herbaceous lavender, rosemary, and myrtle. It then paves the way for delicious African orange flower, neroli, and jasmine. The warm base notes of amber, ambrette, and Angelica are subtle yet beautiful. It's no wonder it's such a popular fragrance.
This is one of my favourite Jo Malone London scents. It's aquatic smelling, like a brisk walk along the British coastline on a windy day. The sea salt notes are tempered with earthy sage, which is ideal if citrus scents aren't usually your thing.
2. Other Stories Neon Rush Eau de Toilette
Fruity fragrances aren't usually my thing, but when my nose caught this, it reminded me of Tom Ford's Lost Cherry. This has top notes of sweet ruby cherry and pink pepper, which dry down to a sensual mix of florals such as frangipani, orchid, and jasmine sambac. The base notes include tonka bean, vanilla, and musk, which make this fragrance very long-lasting for its reasonable price tag. Many of these notes also feature in Tom Ford's Lost Cherry, but it comes in at a fraction of the price.
Smells similar to:
Jammy cherry and syrupy liqueur notes are juxtaposed with with Turkish rose and jasmine sambac, making it a sweet fruity scent that also smells sensual.
3. The Body Shop Rebel Rosebud Eau de Toilette
If you're a fan of rose fragrances, then I implore you to try this fragrance from The Body Shop. Far from your nana's powdery rose scent, this is beautifully moody and modern. It's warm and floral with long-lasting wear throughout the day. It's also certified vegan, and 87% of the ingredients are of a natural origin.
Smells similar to:
Heady Damask rose is enveloped in smoky oud and warming clove, which makes this fragrance intoxicating in the very best way.
Turkish rose, cinnamon, and amber make this fragrance a modern-day classic.
4. H&M Sunray Eau de Toilette
I've previously written about my love of fragrances that smell like expensive sunscreen, and this totally fits the warm, sun-kissed scent criteria. You only have to read the reviews of this affordable perfume to see its appeal. It's a solar floral that instantly takes you to days spent at the beach. H&M doesn't list the notes of this scent, but I can detect sea salt and white florals, which give it its beachside aroma. It reminds me a lot of Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess and Tom Ford Blanc de Soleil.
Smells similar to:
A fragrance classic for a reason, this instantly transports you to the beach. Zesty Italian bergamot unfurls into jasmine sambac, coconut, and frangipani before drying down to cashmere wood, musk, and alluring amber.
Smells like sailing on a luxurious yacht in the middle of the Mediterranean surrounded by sparkling seas. Solar florals combine with creamy coco de mere and warm amber.
5. Zara Energetically New York
Jo Malone herself (who has since gone on to be the founder of Jo Loves fragrances) has created fragrance wardrobes for Zara, and I'm obsessed. This particular one is part of Wholesale Replica Bag collection, which is inspired by cities around the world. In my opinion, this smells very similar to Le Labo's cult-favourite Santal 33. It has notes of expensive-smelling sandalwood and smells fresh and aquatic to me, much like a clean-smelling fragrance. It's the ideal kind of perfume to wear day to day.
Smells similar to:
Loved by fashion insiders and beauty editors alike, this fragrance has notes of sandalwood and cardamom, which give it its clean-smelling scent.
6. The Body Shop White Musk Eau de Toilette
This is The Body Shop's best-selling fragrance, and during the '90s, it cemented its status as a cult scent. It's still as loved today thanks to its timeless notes of vegan musk, aldehydes (which give fragrances that clean scent), and a soft floral touch of jasmine. When I smell this, it reminds me of those clean, fresh-out-of-the-laundry types of scents that make you smell like you but better.
Smells similar to:
The Body Shop's White Musk has a similar effect to Eccentric Molecules Molecule 01. Much like how White Musk uses musk to make your skin smell like you but better, this reacts differently on everyone to enhance your own natural scent.
White Musk smells very much like Juliette Has a Gun's Musc Invisible. Notes of cotton flower and musk make these two fragrances sisters.
7. Zara Red Temptation
This is another standout from Zara's growing fragrance collection. This is a beautiful rich gourmand fragrance that still smells sweet yet sophisticated. Jasmine, saffron, and amber notes smell similar to the likes of Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540.
Smells similar to:
Rich amber is paired with sweet florals in this iconic fragrance.
8. Pharmacia Blush d'Orchidée
Upon smelling this, it instantly reminded me of Marc Jacobs's Daisy and even a little bit of Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. This easy-to-wear floral smells like a springtime day spent under blue skies. Expect to smell notes of star jasmine, heliotrope, raspberry champagne, orchid, orange, and sandalwood.
Smells similar to:
Marc Jacobs Daisy is a fresh floral, which smells similar to Blush d'Orchidée.
This article originally appeared onBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing UK at an earlier date and has since been updated.
Eleanor Vousden is the beauty editor for Who What Wear UK. She was previously deputy editor at Hairdressers Journal, health writer at Woman Home and junior beauty editor at beauty website Powder. She has also contributed to Wallpaper and Elle Collections with written and styling work.Working as a beauty journalist since 2015 after graduating in fashion journalism at the London College of Fashion, she has been highly commended at the BSME Talent Awards for her work on Powder and also contributed to the title winning Website of the Year at the PPA Awards.Eleanor’s journalistic focus is to provide readers with honest and helpful beauty content. Through words, video and live broadcast, she has interviewed several celebrity makeup artists, hairstylists and top dermatologists throughout her career, as well as celebrities such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Scarlett Johansson. She has a particular interest in finding solutions for acne and eczema, which she has experienced firsthand. She has also amassed a large collection of fragrances and can never say no to a new candle.When she’s not writing or testing Wholesale Replica Bag beauty product or treatments, she’s on the seafront in her hometown of Brighton and Hove, where she lives with her partner and her miniature dachshund.
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