Best cheaper perfumes?

[52inJan]

I used to love an M&S perfume loads, then it was discontinued. I've have heard Zara do good ones. I can't afford high end perfumes but really want something nice that lasts, for myself and also as gifts for friends. What are the best high st perfumes in your opinion?

I like some of Elizabeth Arden's. Green Tea smells wonderful but doesn't last well on me, White Tea does though and smells almost as nice. Red Door is heavier so possibly more of an evening one than an everyday. I definitely wouldn't wear it in summer. And I wouldn't give Lidl perfume as a gift but their 'Suddenly' Chatou perfume really reminds me of Chloe which has a lovely grapefruity fresh scent. I've seen a few people say it doesn't last as well but it definitely does on me.

Zara Hypnotic Vanilla smells incredible!

Yodeyma do some really good dupes, I’ve had a few but the best ones have been Temis which is a copy of Olympea (I’ve had the original Olympea before too, and the dupe is bang on and lasts ages), Boreal which is Baccarat Rouge 540, Luxor which is YSL Libre. They’re all numbered now rather than names, but if you have a google you will find the lists of them all and what they smell like

I get dupes of real perfumes when things are tight. I use some called verset and always been so pleased. I got Si Armani and Jean Paul gaultier

Next I like the just pink one.

Mango have some lovely ones. Zara’s fashionable London, New York something and ebony ?? Are great too.

I love Floral Street perfumes. You get a lot of the smaller sizes in beauty bags so there are often loads for sale on Vinted at good prices.

Try Noted Aroma for great long lasting dupes - make sure you get the eau de parfums though

I really like some of the & Other Stories fragrances (Sardonyx Fire, which is rose based, and The Lost Chapter are my favourites). They all come in an eau de toilette spray or a roller ball oil formulation and the oil in particular lasts well and is less than twenty quid. The M&S ones are nice but the ones I liked never lasted as well.

Zara and Next do some lovely perfumes that are very reasonable. I especially like Zara - Fields at Nightfall which is a dupe for Zadig & Voltaire - This is Her! It’s only £20 for 100ml

I used to love the unfortunately named M&S perfume "Isis" 😂I now use the cheap & cheerful Sarah Jessica Parker's Lovely, lasts really well and gets compliments.

I came on here to say Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker….you can get it for an absolute bargain and it smells lovely ( no pun intended ) and it smells more expensive than it is by far….

I used to love isis too!

I have a mixture of high end, middle of the road and dupes.
Perfume parlour are fabulous for dupes.
Zara are meant to be good and I think i might grab a couple next weekend when I am in Birmingham. Might start my own thread on it actually.

M&S perfumes all smell great but they don't last.

Clarins Eau Dynamisante. I think it’s £28 for 50ml and £44 for 100ml full price but it’s often on offer. I have lots of high end perfumes but love this just as much.

Zara fashionably London is gorgeous. Always get comments

What about older but good perfumes? Eg Anais Anais L’originale, Cerrutti 1881, Rive Gauche etc? And yes to Elizabeth Arden Green Tea range. Some of the older classic Estee Lauder perfumes like Modern Muse can sometimes be picked up cheaply in TK Maxx or discount sites.

Personally I’m not a Zara fragrance fan because they all end the same on me - a cheap sickly smell. I prefer Next fragrance, although I miss the ones they’ve discontinued especially Enchanted and Candied Flowers which was to my nose, a superior version of La Vie Est Belle. However some of the current crop are pleasant enough.

But what about some of the classic French ranges like Fragonard or Roger & Gallet - often available in M&S or some little local chemist shops. Fleur d’oranger or Bois d’orange from each respectively are very nice and a little different.

Thanks everyone! Loads for me to research and try out

Next, Zara, &other stories, h&m

The original EA White Tea is my daily go to, and I have just bought two flankers that I got on sale.

The WT Rose is so beautiful. And it lasts ages on me. Again a close scent so not overpowering.

I also received the Mandarin one. I really do like this one a lot, BUT within about 20 minutes it is just gone! The first few times I thought I was just nose blind, but no, no one else could smell it either.

I went into Zara just before Christmas as my ds asked me to help him buy his gf a gift. I was so underwhelmed at their perfumes now. I used to buy them years ago, haven't been into a store to test them for a good few years now. The pp above who said everything seems to be similar, I agree. Something has changed there and not for the good.

M&S Sweet Pistachio perfume is my new favourite

Zara Gardenia is gorgeous and pretty much identical to YSL Black Opium.

Other Stories perfumes are great too.

Agree, and the ‘Paradise’ is good everyday, it’s a dupe of a Paco Rabanne apparently.
Next sell minis of their Fragrances OP so you can try them out before buying large
the matching shower gels are all on three for two atm as well

Zara Gardenia is lovely, as per pp

M&S Pink Pepper - I always get compliments when I wear it.

My go-to perfume is Truth by Calvin Klein. It smells a lot more expensive than it is, and lasts well. I also love Pleasures by Estée Lauder.

I love Truth it smells like fresh grass to me. And the bottle is gorgeous ❤️ I like eternity moment too