If you love fragrance, you know the satisfaction of spritzing on a coveted scent. However, sometimes, a three-figure bottle of perfume isn’t exactly attainable. This is where luxurious-smelling, affordable perfumes come into play—they have the chops to give you an everyday scent that won’t hurt your wallet. They can even help elongate the lifespan of the pricier perfumes in your collection (which you can opt to save for special occasions). Here, we’re sharing exactly what to look for when shopping for an affordable perfume, plus our top 13 affordable perfume picks to try, whether you love gourmands, musk, or anything in between.
Best affordable perfumes, at a glance
- Best overall: OUAI Melrose Place Eau de Parfum, $64
- Best skin scent: Glossier You Solid Perfume, $32
- Best cherry: Snif Tart Deco, $65
- Best gourmand: Le Monde Gourmand Pistachio Brûlée Eau de Parfum, $25
- Best vanilla: PHLUR Vanilla Skin Fragrance Mist, $35
- Best musk: Fine’ry I’m a Musk Fragrance Perfume, $37
- Best floral: Good Chemistry Magnolia Violet Eau de Parfum, $29
- Best warm + spicy: Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa 59 Perfume Mist, $38
- Best lavender: Being Frenshe Eau De Perfume Lavender Cloud, $37
- Best beachy: Vacation “After Sun” Eau de Toilette, $60
- Best citrus: LUSH Karma, $26
- Best under $20: Saltair Santal Bloom, $14
- Best discovery set: Henry Rose Discovery Set, $28
What to look for in an affordable perfume
Searching for the right affordable perfume comes down to a few factors: the notes, the price, and the finish. These three characteristics will ensure a more luxurious experience that can rival pricier counterparts. If an affordable perfume hits these marks consistently, it will easily become a regular part of your daily routine.
The notes: Affordable perfumes should have familiar yet unique notes and blends. This will make them feel as luxurious as the three-dollar sign bottle in your collection, but it also makes them comforting and reliable. Look for notes of vanilla, gourmands, florals, and citrus to satisfy sweet-scent cravings or musk, spice, and santal for a more savory finish.
The price: To us, an affordable perfume means no more than $65. This price point is attainable and makes these fragrances feel less intimidating when you need to re-up. And if you can find them at your local Target? Even better!
The finish: Perhaps the most important quality to look for in an affordable perfume is the finish and whether it’s long-lasting and not overly potent. A great, affordable perfume will last just as long as more expensive options and can still hold its own with a spray or two. You should also be able to layer a few applications of the scent without it feeling too cloying or strong.
Key notes: champagne, bergamot, rose
Scent Type: floral
This luxurious signature scent from OUAI earns the top spot in our hearts for the best affordable perfume. It has notes of champagne, bergamot, and rose, plus lychee, cedarwood, and white musk for an opulent finish that smells like a three-figure pick. It’s clean and fresh, and the ideal everyday scent for under $65.
Size: 0.34 and 1.7 fl oz
Key notes: sugar, cashmere wood, vanilla
Scent Type: warm and spicy
This fragrance mist proves that a luxe-vanilla scent can be affordable. This pick has a cult-following thanks to its decadent notes of sugar, cashmere wood, vanilla, and pink pepper. It also has a warm, creamy finish so good you’ll want to spritz it on at any time, whether it’s day or night.
Size: 3 and 8 fl oz
Key notes: lavender, sandalwood, cardamom
Scent Type: light floral
A calming, spa-like scent doesn’t need to break the bank, and this eau de perfume is proof. It’s formulated with essential oils, plus lavender, sandalwood, and cardamom for a laid-back, clean scent you’ll want to wear every single day.
Size: 2 fl oz
Key notes: musk, cotton blossom, sandalwood
Scent Type: musk
For an affordable perfume that captures the elegance of musk, we love this pick from Fine’ry. It has notes of fluffy musk, cotton blossom, and sandalwood that give off a dreamy, lightweight finish. The best part is that you can shop this pick at your local Target.
Size: 2 fl oz
Key notes: pink pepper, iris, ambrox
Scent Type: warm sheer
Skin scents play off of your natural scent, and Glossier You has nailed that very experience with its warm, sheer smell that has a powdery, subtle finish. The line’s solid perfume option is the eau de parfum’s affordable sibling with the same notes of pink pepper, wood, white floral, and ambrox for under $40.
Size: 0.11 fl oz
Key notes: magnolia, peony, amber
Scent Type: warm floral
Floral fragrance folks will love this affordable pick that has a sheer, warm floral finish. Magnolia, peony, and amber come together to create a luxe-smelling fragrance that’s light, fresh, and under $30. Bonus: the packaging is a unique chemistry flask, making it an eye-catching addition to your perfume stash.
Size: 1.69 fl oz
Key notes: notes of the brand’s signature scents Char, Flora Carnivora, Jake’s House, Queens & Monsters, Torn and Windows Down
A discovery set is a great affordable perfume option to test out various scents from a brand before splurging on one of their higher-priced fragrances. We love this discovery set from Henry Rose because it’s under $30 and includes six of the brand’s signature fragrances that fall in the citrus, floral, vanilla, and musk families, perfect for every type of fragrance lover.
Size: 0.05 fl oz each
Key notes: vanilla bean, pistachio crumbs, milky mousse
Scent Type: gourmand
In the world of dessert-like fragrances that smell good enough to eat, this one takes the cake (pun very much intended). With notes of milky vanilla mousse, pistachio, and vanilla bean, this affordable perfume screams gourmand in the best way, and for $25, we’ll buy it over and over again.
Size: 1 fl oz
Key notes: patchouli, brazilian orange, pine
Scent Type: citrus
If you like a bold, citrus scent, this affordable perfume by LUSH has you covered. It has notes of Brazilian orange oil, lemongrass, patchouli, and pine for a potent fragrance that feels luxurious and vibrant upon one spritz.
Size: 0.3, 1, 3.3 fl oz
Key notes: sandalwood, amber, musk
Scent Type: warm sheer
It’s often hard to find an affordable perfume under $20, so we’re holding on tight to this pick from Saltair. It’s a warm fragrance mist with notes of sherry amber, musk, and sandalwood for a luxe-smelling finish at a very wallet-friendly price. Plus, it’s 8 fl oz and will last you months to come.
Size: 8 fl oz
Key notes: black cherry, jasmine, vetiver, vanilla
Scent Type: warm fruit
An affordable cherry perfume doesn’t get much better than this pick by Snif, which has a sweet blend of black cherry, raspberry, rose, and vanilla. It also contains woodier notes like birchwood and vetiver which makes it smell expensive and upscale.
Size: 10 and 30 ml
Key notes: violet, vanilla orchid, sandalwood
Scent Type: warm + spicy
Vanilla orchid meets sugared violet and sandalwood in this mood-boosting perfume mist. It also contains notes of plum, florals, and cream for a gourmand touch, and is super affordable to re-up at under $40.
Size: 3.04 and 8.1 fl oz
Key notes: aloe vera, green tea, melon, tonic
Scent Type: beachy
There’s often a story behind luxurious-smelling scents and this affordable pick does just that at only $60. With notes of aloe vera, green tea, minibar gin, and resort towel plush, this fragrance transports you to a beachy island sunset in a wallet-friendly manner.
Size: 1 fl oz
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