best high street fragrances?

[Bargello]

About 5 years ago I stopped buying the designer fragrances for £££ and switched to high street, first the discontinued Isis/Aqua from M&S, then a nice one from Zara (can't remember hte name but it's pink).

I really am a convert and think all that money I spent on high end perfume was such a waste. Can anyone recommend other high street places with their own perfume brands? Not interested in "smell a likes", just decent products which smell nice and don't cost a small fortune.

I love the Lush Twilight body spray and use it instead of perfume. M&S have a lot of really lovely scents.

Some of the Elizabeth Arden ones are quite nice, 5th Avenue isn't groundbreaking but always smells good and the Green Tea ones are fab in the summer. Also Agent Provocateur if you like vintage rose. And SJP Lovely used to be everywhere but that was because it's so good. Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger also do some good reasonably priced ones. Tommy Girl still smells amazing to me.

Red Jeans by Versace is only £17.

Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely really is lovely, it smells very much like Narciso Rodriguez
Have you tried Avon? They have some great perfumes.

I like Fragonard from M&S and I've been quite impressed by the & Other Stories new perfume range (around £30 I think).

I bought M&S Pink Pepper today to try on the back of a similar thread. Inexpensive and lovely. They had a set for £14 which has 30ml sizes of 3 different scents; Pink Pepper, White Coconut and Velvet Amber which is great as a taster or for small holiday sizes. They also do one with Soft Iris, Warm Neroli and Spiced Bergamot.

I also went in Next and was pleased to see they still do my favourites - Eau Nude, Cashmere and Just Pink.

So many good inexpensive fragrances around now, why pay more?

Charlie Red, Vanderbilt and M&S's Florentyne are some of my favourites.

I have been to the Fragonard factory in France - amazing place! Lots of good recommendations on here so thank you all. Just checked in hte bathroom - the Zara one I like is called Orchid.

I wanted to go last time we were there but couldn't convince DP 😭

I second &OtherStories, I usually go in for a sniff and skoosh as I go past the shop

Superdrug , I get one that is a Santal blush dupe… £12 vs £200 for the Tom ford version. I wouldn’t have found it without looking for a dupe but like quite a few of their perfumes

Yes Zara ones are lovely. I love M and S both neroli and white coconut ones. Think Im done with pricey perfumes as scent doesnt last

We don't have an Other Stories shop near me, the only Scottish one appears to be in Edinburgh.

I do agree that the good high street ones are every bit as good as the designer, which just aren't worth the money.

Just Pink Next. Pink Pepper M and S

Another vote for Next Cashmere! I also have Perpetual Oud from Zara, it's gorgeous and lasts brilliantly. The last is just as important to me as the fragrance - I never reapply during the day, and I'm not interested in something that's disappeared in 2-3 hours

I agree with you OP, there are some really brilliant high street fragrances around. The price of some higher end fragrances has become pretty extortionate - I'm thinking of Tom Ford, Frederic Malle, Kilian. Up to 200 quid a bottle! Shocking

My go to value perfumes are Zara _ Golden Decade (I always get comments on how nice I smell when I wear it!) Rare Gold by Avon and Emeralds and Diamond by Elizabeth Taylor.

Love this one, as well Stash by SJP. very layered and expensive smelling perfume, I think it might actually be discontinued!

Have also discovered the Elizabeth arden white tea perfume as well as Tommy girl, both just lovely

Red temptation from Zara (bakkarat rouge dupe)
Rouge from next (Armani si dupe)

I see some of the brands are now making 8-10ml bottles which I prefer. I know it makes the “per ml” cost even more insane but I like to switch between perfumes and if there is a high end one I like I don’t really need 100ml at £200

Other Stories have a nice perfume range. M&S I know has been recommended but definitely like some of theirs still.

Next Orchid is (or rather was) a dupe of Bombshell by Victoria's Secret.

I find it a little sad that most high street perfumes are basic rip offs of designer scents.

On one hand it's great to make excellent scents more accessible for people.

On the other hand, I'd love to sniff something NEW from a high street shop.

In my experience, the only high street perfume that lasts are the Zara ones.
I love some of the M&S ones and I just bought a gorgeous one from Mango but you have to spray lots and lots and it still doesn't last all day.

if you like Zara ones, check out the ones in Stradivarius too they are pretty good

my only gripe is that when you run out Zot if the time zara have discontinued it

neroli sea salt M and S