If you’ve been around for a while you’ll know that I’m embracing a more frugal lifestyle after years of splashing the cash. These days, I don’t like paying a high price for smelling nice, so I thought I’d round up five of my favourite cheap perfumes for you:
(It’s worth noting that these would also make great Christmas presents as well!)
SJP Lovely
First off is a celebrity fragrance. I’m not normally one for celebrity scents (not since spritzing myself liberally with Fantasy by Britney Spears when I was 16…) but I received SJP’s Lovely perfume as a gift a couple of years ago, and it really does smell lovely. Clue’s in the name, I suppose.
It’s so nice that I recently repurchased it when it was on offer at Boots. It normally costs around £20 for an 100ml bottle (but the prices are fluctuating quite a lot at the moment, so make sure you shop around) and it seems to last forever.
Notes of: Mandarin, bergamot, rosewood, lavender, and apple Martini.
Aldi Lacura Feminie
You’ll know if you’re a regular reader that I’ve written about this absolute bargain before, but I couldn’t exclude it from this list, could I? Aldi’s very own Chanel Coco Mademoiselle dupe is a mere £6.99 a bottle – when you can actually get your hands on it. The real deal is a whopping £110 for the same size bottle, so it’s an incredible bargain.
It smells amazing, lasts all day, and it’ll get you compliments. What’s not to love? The only downside is that it’s rarely available due to it being of their ‘special buys’.
Notes of: Orange, mandarin orange, bergamot, and orange blossom.
Lidl Suddenly Madame Glamour
And then there’s Lidl’s own Coco Mademoiselle dupe too, which is even cheaper than the Aldi version, would you believe? The bottle is a little smaller, and it doesn’t quite smell the same as the Aldi one, but it’s lovely nonetheless. It’s an incredible £3.99 a bottle.
As cheap perfumes go, it’s a steal. It doesn’t last as long as the Aldi version, but it is even cheaper. Plus, unlike the Aldi one which is a very rare special buy, this is on offer all year round. Get yourself to Lidl to grab a bottle.
Notes of: Orange, mandarin orange, bergamot, and orange blossom.
Fragrance and Glamour No. 614
I found this amazing vegan perfume shop based in Southport when I was scouring high and low for a dupe for my favourite Jo Malone cologne scent. (Earl Grey and Cucumber, FYI.)
At £19.99 for 100ml, it costs less than half of the price of a bottle of JM Cologne. (There are also other bottle sizes, if you’re looking for something smaller and cheaper.) If this isn’t a fantastic little shop to pick yourself some cheap perfumes from, I don’t know what is.
The scent lasts all day, I get lots of compliments on it. (Well, from the people who get within 2m of me, I do.) And it’s almost a complete dead ringer for the original.
They’ve got loads of different dupes on their website. It’s well worth a look if you want to smell scrumptious on a budget. Find No. 614 on Fragrance and Glamour’s website here.
Notes of: Jasmine, bergamot, red apple, and cucumber.
Coty L’Aimant
Last up is this old girl. Coty L’Aimant is one that I’ve recently written about. It’s been around since 1927, so it’s really stood the test of time.
It does smell more traditional (i.e. a bit of a ‘Granny-ish’ scent that I’d also associate with Chanel No. 5) but some people love that, and if you’re one of them then this is for you.
A 50ml bottle cost me a mere £5.99 from Fragrance Direct. (And it’s currently £4.99.) If you’re buying it from Boots or somewhere like The Perfume Shop, you’ll have to pay £10.49, but it’s still pretty cheap for a perfume, isn’t it?
Notes of: Bergamot, neroli, peach, strawberry, and jasmine.
Cheap doesn’t have to mean nasty, does it?
What are your favourite cheap perfumes?
