Trust Me: These 18 Affordable Perfumes Smell Really Expensive

I always knew that I liked perfume, but it wasn't until my last house move when my perfume collection required an entire packing box that I realised how much I truly love it. Sure, I was able to part with a couple of out-of-date bottles, but most of my stash felt too precious to cull. The thing about perfume is that it's so personal. Scent is linked so closely to memory that even if you've only worn a perfume a few times, you can evoke a past time and place with just one spritz.

The problem? Perfume is expensive. Of all the products I've collected over the years, my perfumes are worth the most, and unfortunately, I have expensive taste in scents. Byredo, Tom Ford, Maison Margiela… Most of my favourite perfume brands will set you back around £100 for a bottle. Trust me—I know how ridiculous that sounds, especially as someone who spent her early teenage years buying knockoff bottles of Thierry Mugler Angel, and CK One from the market, dousing herself in Impulse Thrill, and circling J.Lo Glow in the Boots Christmas catalogue.

That's not to say there aren't plenty of fantastic, affordable perfume options out there, though. There are. In fact, with Byredo's founder Ben Gorham working with & Other Stories on its perfume offering and Jo Loves founder Jo Malone CBE collaborating with Zara, there are plenty of purse-friendly perfumes to rival my more expensive favourites—you just need to know where to look.

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(Image credit: @EMMAHOAREAU)

Keep scrolling for my edit of the best affordable perfumes. They may be cheap but, take my word for it—these are just as good as the expensive ones.

The Best Affordable Fragrance and Perfumes on the Market

1. Marks & Spencer Apothecary Warmth Eau De Parfum

2. Zara Applejuice Eau de Toilette

3. By Rosie Jane Leila Eau de Parfum

4. Zara Red Temptation

5. Noted Aromas Mojave

6. Ellis Brooklyn Bee Eau de Parfum

7. Floral Street Neon Rose Eau de Parfum

9. The Body Shop Black Musk Eau de Parfum

10. Lush Shade Perfume

11. Rituals The Ritual of Sakura Hair & Body Mist

12. Nuxe Sun Delicious Fragrant Water

13. Marks & Spencer Velvet Amber Eau De Toilette

14. Caudalie Thé Des Vignes Fresh Fragrance

15. Glossier You - Solid

16. Kayali Vanilla|28 Eau de Parfum

17. Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa '71 Perfume Mist

This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated.

Mica Ricketts