10 Best Affordable Fragrances To Help You Find Your Signature Scent
Having a signature scent is not only iconic, it’s a subtle way to keep you in people's minds and in their memories forever. Smell is one of the strongest senses that humans experience, so it makes sense that you’d want your to stand out and tell a little about you in the process. If you’re about to stop reading because you’ve seen the prices of perfumes lately, don’t get discouraged; we’ve rounded up powerful, luxurious scents that are long-lasting and won’t break the bank in the process.
Luckily, as more and more brands sprout up, accessibility to affordable, high-quality perfumes is easier than ever. These are the best under $65 perfumes you can pick up now. Trust us, there’s something here for everyone—even if you’ve never dabbled in scents before.
1. Best Affordable Sweet Fragrance:
MEMOIRE ARCHIVES Work From Home Fragrance
Do you love waking up to the smell of deliciously frothy and sweet cappuccinos and baked treats? This fragrance is for you. We love that it emulates your favorite coffee shop by having notes of caramel, tobacco, and biscotti “baked” right inside.
2. Best Affordable Fragrance Dupe:
DOSSIER Floral Aldehydes ($29)
We’ve all heard of CHANEL No.5, that classic floral perfume that transcends generations and time, but did you know an almost exact dupe exists? Yep! DOSSIER, a fragrance brand that specializes in creating affordable fragrances modeled after luxury ones, created a spot-on dupe for CHANEL No. 5 called Floral Aldehydes. We find the standout scents in this fragrance to include bergamot, ylang ylang, neroli, sandalwood, rose, and vetiver. Together, they create a rich, warm scent that’ll turn heads.
3. Best Affordable Clean Beauty Fragrance:
5 SENS Life of the Party Eau de Parfum
Sometimes the secret to a great signature scent is a great product name. If you’re the life of the party, consider adopting this perfume as your go-to. It has notes of sacred sage, bergamot, hemp leaf, and blood orange for an irresistible, zesty mix.
4. Best Zodiac-Inspired Fragrance:
THE LYFESTYLE CO. Zodiac Perfume
If you’re totally lost at where to start for a signature scent, why not look to the stars? We love that THE LYFESTYLE made it easier than ever to find the scent that matches your essence with their zodiac-inspired line. If you’re bold like an Aries, your scent will have notes of energizing orange and intoxicating cedarwood. If you’re motivated and disciplined like a Capricorn, your scent will be filled with centering scents like sage, sea salt, and ambrette.
5. Best Affordable Floral Fragance:
KENSIE FRAGRANCE Eau de Parfum
You can pick up a 3.4 ounce bottle of this KENSIE fragrance for under $45, and with notes of rose, violet, and jasmine mixed with citrusy scents like peach and mandarin, this perfume is equal parts soft and energizing, for a signature scent that’ll make you stand out.
6. Best Affordable Cozy Fragrance:
VIOLETTE FR Avec Amour Perfume ($56)
Sensual, yet earthy, this scent from VIOLETTE FR has santal and vetiver base notes, ylang-ylang middle notes, and bergamot top notes that we can’t get enough of. It smells like love and makes us feel a little flirty when we’re wearing it, making it our perfect affordable perfume for date night or spritzing on love notes to someone special à la Marty in Grease (IYKYK).
7. Best Affordable Musk Fragrance:
THE BODY SHOP White Musk® Perfume Oil ($24)
THE BODY SHOP’s White Musk scent has been popular since the ‘80s and is still a hit today. While this musky scent comes in other forms like eau de parfum and eau de toilette, our favorite pick is the perfume oil. It's dispensed on a little glass stick and leaves the scent behind all day and night long.
8. Best Affordable Citrus Fragrance:
DIME BEAUTY CO Dans Les Bois® Perfume ($48)
The brand describes this perfume as feminine, bold, and intoxicating, and after one whiff, we stand by that description. You’ll smell warm tones of cedarwood yet notice there are fresh florals mixed within. The top notes are citrusy and fruity, thanks to blood orange blossom, lemon, and jasmine, while the scent is balanced out with scents like saffron, leather, and vanilla.
9. Best Calming Fragrance:
SKYLAR Lavender Hills Rollerball Fragrance
Nothing says relaxation like French lavender, orange flower, and freesia. We love that it comes in a roller ball applicator so you can easily apply it without having to spray something into the air. Plus, this travel-size is great to keep on-hand in your bag. You never know when you’ll have a need for your signature scent, but we’re guessing it’s at the board meeting when you’re presenting your genius to your boss.
10. Best Cheap and Clean Fragrance:
ELLIS BROOKLYN SALT Eau De Parfum Travel Spray ($32)
While the full-size scent of SALT has a slightly steeper price tag, you can try it out with the travel spray for only $32 (one of our fave ways into pricier perfumes!). If you’re dreaming of clean beaches and salty air, you’ll love the way SALT smells and makes you feel when you’re wearing it. It’s a clean, floral fragrance that takes us back to simpler times when we lived in the moment. All ELLIS BROOKLYN scents are vegan, cruelty-free, and sustainable. They also have a scent diary gift set if you’re looking to try a couple different scents for the same price.