Trust Me: These 14 Affordable Perfumes Smell Really Expensive
For under £40, these perfumes know how to attract compliments.
I always knew that I liked perfume, but it wasn't until my last house move, when my perfume collection required an entire packing box, that I realised how much I truly love it. Sure, I was able to part with a couple of out-of-date bottles, but most of my stash felt too precious to cull. The thing about perfume is that it's so personal. Scent is linked so closely to memory that even if you've only worn a perfume a few times, you can evoke a past time and place with just one spritz, whether it's a holiday perfume or your wedding day fragrance.
The problem? Perfume is expensive. Of all the products I've collected over the years, my perfumes are worth the most, and unfortunately, I have expensive taste in scents. Byredo, Tom Ford, Maison Margiela… Most of my favourite perfume brands will set you back at least £150 for a bottle. Trust me—I know how ridiculous that sounds, especially as someone who spent her early teenage years buying knockoff bottles of Thierry Mugler Angel, and CK One from the market, dousing herself in Impulse Thrill, and circling J.Lo Glow in the Boots Christmas catalogue.
That's not to say there aren't plenty of fantastic, affordable perfume options out there, though. There are. In fact, with perfumers such as Jo Loves founder Jo Malone CBE collaborating with Zara, there are plenty of purse-friendly perfumes to rival my more expensive favourites—you just need to know where to look.
Keep scrolling for my edit of the best affordable perfumes. They may be less expensive, but take my word for it: these are just as good as the luxury ones.
14 Best Affordable Perfumes 2026
- Best Overall: Zara Red Temptation, £23
- Best Gourmand Perfume: Phlur Vanilla Skin Hair & Body Mist, £39
- Best Floral Perfume: Floral Street Neon Rose, £29
- Best Musky Perfume: The Body Shop Black Musk, £35
- Best Holiday Perfume: Nuxe Sun Delicious Fragrant Water, £16
1. Zara Red Temptation
Key notes: Saffron, coriander, bitter orange, praline
Zara perfumes are something of a beauty editor's secret, and trust me—the scents truly defy their modest price tags. There are plenty to choose from depending on your scent preferences, but this one has to be our top choice. Notes of orange blossom, coffee and vanilla make for a truly intoxicating fragrance that everyone will be asking after.
2. Phlur Vanilla Skin
Key notes: Pink pepper, lily, jasmine petals, vanilla, sandalwood, benzoin
Cool-girl-approved fragrance brand Phlur offers up so many incredible hair and body mists that smell incredibly expensive—but Vanilla Skin gets our pick as a warm and cosy scent for the season ahead. Of course, no surprises for guessing that the star of the show is vanilla, but this isn't your classic gourmand perfume. Instead, this is a musky and intoxicating blend of spicy pink pepper, heady florals and dry woods which combine to create an elevated skin scent.
3. Floral Street Neon Rose
Key notes: Apple blossom, Sichuan pepper, jasmine, juniper berry
It might sound obvious, but a good hack for finding high-quality but affordable perfumes is to purchase them in smaller sizes. London-based perfume brand Floral Street offers all of its scents in travel-friendly, 10-millilitre bottles, which is a great way to confirm that you really love a scent before committing to the full-size version. I'm a big fan of this brand for unusual scents, but I think Neon Rose is a real crowd-pleaser—a fresh, green floral fragrance.
4. The Body Shop Black Musk
Key notes: Pink pepper, ylang-ylang, musk, vanilla
I'm pretty sure every girl who grew up in the '90s would be familiar with The Body Shop's White Musk perfume (it's still available, by the way!). Trust me, though—this black version is like white musk's cool older sister. It contains sweet pear, spicy pink pepper and heady bergamot, and it smells incredible. Honestly, I had a colleague who used to wear this, and I lost count of the number of times people asked her what she was wearing. It's that good.
5. Nuxe Sun Delicious Fragrant Water
Key notes: Orange blossom, coconut, tiare flowers, vanilla, musk
I'm a huge fan of Estée Lauder's iconic Bronze Goddess perfume, which comes out every year, but this affordable scent from French skincare brand Nuxe is a close second. It has notes of orange blossom, vanilla and magnolia, and has that vibrant, tropical feel that gives me an instant mood boost on grey, drizzly days.
6. Marks & Spencer Velvet Amber
Key notes: Neroli, amber
Marks & Spencer scents are absolutely amazing. This is one of the richest perfumes in the range, and it's perfect if you love expensive-smelling, spicy amber scents with hints of bold white florals.
7. Caudalie Thé Des Vignes Fragrance
Key notes: White musk, neroli, ginger, orange blossom, jasmine
This beautiful scent from Caudalie smells so expensive; it's hard to believe the price. Its light, floral freshness is cut with a sweet warmth that makes this a versatile perfume for all seasons. Delicate but wonderfully powerful at the same time, it's deceptively modern.
8. Glossier You Solid
Key notes: Ambrox, ambrette, musk, iris root, pink pepper
If you love Glossier You and its unique ability to carve out a personalised scent for all, it might be time for you to pick up their refillable (yes, refillable) travel-friendly, solid compact. Oh, so heavenly both in fragrance and affordability, it's the ultimate skin scent for everyday wear.
9. Saltair Santal Bloom Body Mist
Key notes: Sandalwood, rose, jasmine
Saltair's body mists are one of my favourite discoveries of the year, and Santal Bloom is the perfect comfort blanket scent (if your comfort blanket is a designer cashmere throw that is). The expensive-smelling blend of sandalwood, heady jasmine and lush rose gives it a potency that you'd be forgiven for thinking was an eau de parfum, and it really lingers on the skin for hours too.
10. M&S Sea Salt & Neroli
Key notes: Neroli, mandarin, musk, sea salt
Out of all the affordable perfumes we've tested, it's this one that gets us the most compliments on the regular. It's refreshing and zesty, but with a musky sea salt base that makes you feel like you've taken a brisk walk along the coast.
11. Kylie Jenner Cosmic
Key notes: Jasmine, blood orange, amber, peony, vanilla, cedarwood
Opting for a celebrity scent is sometimes a great way to get an affordable perfume that still smells amazing. Case in point: Cosmic by Kylie Jenner, which unfurls on the skin with creamy jasmine, glowing amber and a hint of vanilla.
12. Ouai St Barts Hair & Body Mist
Key notes: Dragon fruit, orange blossom, tuberose, musk
This is a summer holiday, bottled. It's fruity, coconutty and utterly heavenly. As a hair and body mist, it's surprisingly long-lasting, but you may find you need a few extra spritzes to make it last all day.
13. Zara Cocoa Sunset
Key notes: Whipped cream, milk chocolate, vanilla
Zara's cocoa-themed perfume range offers a range of grown-up gourmand scents in the chicest of bottles. Cocoa Sunset is particularly delicious with smooth hints of whipped cream and vanilla throughout.
14. & Other Stories Nocturnal Tales
Key notes: Grapefruit, cypress, lavender, tobacco, osmanthus, tea, vetiver, vanilla, cedar atlas, suede
& Other Stories has always been my go-to destination for unique and expensive-smelling fragrances on the high street, and Nocturnal Tales will appeal to anyone who loves woody perfumes and anyone who hates smelling like anyone else. It's a woody scent at heart, but it has a sensual, warming aroma thanks to notes of tobacco and vanilla. It smells so expensive and reminds me a lot of a designer fragrance that is over four times this price.
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear UK, we know that beauty isn’t one-size-fits-all. Our editors have tested thousands of products over the years—spanning skincare, makeup, hair and nails—and work closely with trusted experts including dermatologists, makeup artists and leading industry insiders to ensure every guide is well-researched, inclusive and relevant to you.
We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they’re affordable favourites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how and what we’d truly recommend to a friend.
