10 Affordable Fragrances so Good and Cheap, You’ll Be Spritzing With Abandon
They say smell can evoke the strongest of emotions. Certain scents can remind you of a moment in time and provide a sense of nostalgia no other thing can. And your favorite person can “smell” like home and provide a sense of comfort and warmth. But we’ll be the first to admit that finding your signature fragrance is tough. What’s even harder is finding affordable fragrances with most perfumes being upwards of $100. But lucky for us, the fragrance part of the beauty industry is only becoming more accessible.
As more brands crop up, we’re finding new scents that we love and even dupes for popular luxury perfumes. To give you the inside scoop on cheap perfumes that smell anything but cheap, we’ve rounded up a list of the best affordable perfumes (all $65 or less!) that we love. Keep reading to find your new favorite. Trust us, there’s something for everyone!
1. Best Affordable Signature Scent:
GLOSSIER You ($64)
Glossier You is arguable one of the most popular and recognizable affordable fragrances. GLOSSIER was one of the first direct to consumer beauty brands to launch a fragrance at an accessible price point. They likely made this product with its shelfie-worthy quality in mind, never knowing how cult-followed it would become.
The thing we love most about You is that it smells a bit different on everyone, hence the “You” in its name. At first whiff, we’d describe it as smelling like pink pepper, which is light and bright as a top note, then smelling more woodsy and a little sweet the longer we wear it. The grand finale once it settles is a white floral scent as the bottom note. The best way we can describe this fragrance is that it smells familiar, which is perfect for a signature scent.
2. Best Affordable 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 Woodsy Scent:
SNIF Sweet Ash ($65)
Sweet Ash is our go-to when we want something low key that still lasts all day. It’s sweet and earthy with hints of tonka bean, patchouli, and vanilla that lasted us from our morning coffee all the way through happy hour. The best part, though, is that you can try this fragrance for free and if you don’t like it—just send it back! If you decide to keep it, it’s just $65 and will last for months on end since you only need a little spray or two at a time.
4. Best Affordable Fragrance Rollerball:
DEDCOOL Milk Layering + Enhancer Travel ($30)
We’re obsessed with DEDCOOL’s mission to create gender-neutral fragrances that layer well with other scents we already own. We’re equally as obsessed with their best-selling scent, Milk, which smells like bergamot, white musk, and amber. DEDCOOL likes to say “It smells like you, but better,” and we couldn’t agree more.
5. Best Affordable Floral Scent:
OUAI Melrose Place Eau De Parfum ($64)
If you like bright floral scents like us, then this should def be your new fragrance. It’s a rich, rose-smelling fragrance with hints of bergamot, lychee, cedarwood, and white musk—the perfect fresh and floral scent for a day-to-night transition.
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 Perfume:
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 Scent:
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 Cheap Perfume Mist:
SOL DE JANEIRO Brazilian Crush Cheirosa 62 Perfume Mist ($38)
If you’re on #beautytok like us, you’ve probably seen this hair and body mist blowing up on your FYP! It smells sweet like a tropical vacation with vanilla and salted caramel scents, and for just $38, we were blown away by how incredibly long the scent mist lasts. It smells similar to the brand’s cult-followed Brazilian Bum Bum Cream, so if you’re already a fan of that, you will definitely love this affordable fragrance version.
10. Best Cheap and Clean Scent:
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.
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