Smelling good can be an expensive business, especially when it comes to perfumes. With designer or well-known perfumes reaching the low to mid hundreds in price, they just can’t be considered affordable. Especially if you are someone who likes to have several options or a variety of scents. Though it is true that a lot of cheaper perfumes on the market have no longevity or smell synthetic, there really are some gems amongst the rubble out. As someone who likes to smell good and collect perfumes, I take great pride in finding affordable but amazing fragrances, that I can share with all you ladies and gents, that will have you feeling like a million bucks, but for a lot less!
So, if you’re looking for perfumes that won’t break the bank, but perform like they should have, here’s the first part of my affordable fragrance’s series.
Noa by Cacharel is a floral woody musk fragrance. I picked this up during the Black Friday sale, and though typically not my usual scent profile, I actually quite enjoy it. This has a lot of notes and even though, considering its base note, I thought it would be slightly sweeter, this leans heavily on the floral side. However, that floral is a very clean, soapy scent. It gives off a ‘I’ve just stepped out of the shower’ kind of vibe, or similar to fresh dove deodorant. As it dries down, you do get the hint of the peach and vanilla notes in there, but to me atleast it remains a very sharp, clean scent. This is a very casual perfume, inoffensive and suitable for any type of occasion. It also works well when layering scents.
I adore this perfume, and think it’s almost a crime that I don’t see it talked about more often. I personally steer more towards sweet, gourmand scents, but this is a citrus fragrance that I will repurchase time and time again, as a long as the formula remains the same. It just smells so delicious and inviting. It’s the kind of fragrance you could wear to the office, but also on a hot date. The opening is like a burst of juicy citrus fruits, before drying down into a sweet vanilla and grapefruit. It definitely has projection, lasting around 4-5 hours on my skin, but sticking to my clothes all day. If you pick up any of the perfumes listed, I would say definitely grab this one.
This is a beautiful and classy, floral perfume that smells far more expensive than it is. It just exudes maturity and elegance, but in a youthful, uplifting way. This has quite the mix of notes, and I do think a few are simply overpowered in the concoction, but atleast for me, the lilac and linden bloom are the most potent. Both the initial spray and the dry down are lovely, and this really is a pretty long-lasting fragrance, with relatively good projection. It is definitely wearable as an everyday perfume, so if you are looking for a sophisticated and affordable floral fragrance, definitely pick this up.
I know that celebrity fragrances are notorious for being cheap and synthetic and, that is true in quite a few cases. However, there are some celebrity lines that hit the mark, and the Fantasy collection by Britney Spears is definitely one of those. Especially, if you are into sweet, gourmand scents. I picked this up in a sale, after taking a quick look at the notes on Fragrantica. Though I didn’t have the highest expectations, I was blown away. This smells good enough to eat. It’s a creamy, delicious scent that leans heavily on its cupcake and white chocolate notes, without being nauseating or cloying. It’s very girly, and though I know some would consider this a ‘childish’ fragrance, I actually think it’s amazing and wear it confidently. I mean, who doesn’t want to smell like a snack? Pair this with a vanilla or coconut-based lotion, and you are absolutely set to smell amazing all day. Out of all the celebrity scents I have tried, this is by far my favourite, and has me wanting to get my hands on the rest of the Fantasy flankers.
High street perfumes bare the same notoriety as celebrity perfumes, many unfortunately just aren't very good. However, Zara has been turning quite a few heads with their eau de toilettes of late and I decided to dip my toe in, taking a gander in store so I could actually smell them before purchasing. There were a few in there that I quite liked, but the one that caught my attention is Gourmand Addict. This is a chypre fruity fragrance, with only three notes. Yet this small blend makes for a creamy peach and soft patchouli fragrance with so-so longevity. It is simply a very pretty scent, that will sit well with gourmand and fresh scents lover alike. You’ll find it’s a fragrance you just throw on and don’t really think about, perfect for cosy days indoors or chilling with friends.
This scent is a bit of a gamble, as it definitely isn’t for everyone. To me, this is a fruity floral delight. It screams 90’s child, friends and fun. The peach, apricot and black currant notes are incredibly dominant and, though it does have a bit of synthetic tang to it, this dries down into powdery, fruity scent. This is an incredibly strong perfume, and will enter the room before you do. It's definitely a particular mood scent, the kind where you’d throw on a pair of dungarees to sit down and watch your favourite episodes of Friends. However, on the other hand, this perfume can be heavily cloying, or irritating if you have a sensitive nose to very strong, sweet smells, so please keep that in mind.
Please stay tuned for the next part of the series and thank you for reading!
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