Trust Me: These 19 Affordable Perfumes Smell Really Expensive

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.

Key notes: Marshmallow, sesame, tonka bean, milk

Commodity is fast becoming one of the Who What Wear UK team's favourite fragrance brands, with each scent coming in three intensities (Personal, Expressive and Bold) to suit your preferences on how far you want your fragrance to project around you. Milk is Who What Wear UK's beauty editor, Eleanor Vousden's current favourite. "Milk (Expressive) is the most delicious vanilla-steeped milky scent I've tried," she says. "It melts into the skin with a sweet (but not saccharine) creamy trail that has since gotten me compliments whenever I wear it."

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. Again, there are plenty to choose from depending on your scent preferences, but this one made the cut as it gives a similar vibe to Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540, with notes of orange blossom, coffee and vanilla.

Key notes: Violet fit, muguet musks, blonde woods

This delicious gourmand scent captures the sweetness and warmth of a cup of spiced tea, making it a wonderful choice for this time of year. Imagine stepping into a cosy coffee shop and sitting down with a creamy mug of hot chai, and that's exactly what this smells like. It's velvety, softly spiced and rich with amber woods—and it far defies its £24 price tag.

Key notes: Apricot flower, jasmine, vanilla bourbon, moss, caramel

Lovers of sweet, gourmand perfumes that are good enough to eat will love this. It reminds me a bit of Dior Hypnotic Poison with blooming apricot flower, jasmine, smooth vanilla bourbon, moss and a swirl of mouth-watering caramel. It's one of Vousden's favourite Zara perfumes. "When I first spritzed this in the store, I couldn't believe how luxurious it smelled. It's like molten vanilla and caramel with a hypnotic twist of jasmine," she says.

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. 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.

Key notes: Coconut, vanilla, vetiver, exotic ambrosial

This fragrance smells of tropical islands and Pina Coladas, so even if you don't have a winter getaway booked, you can still be transported to paradise.

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.

Key notes: Milk vanilla mousse, pistachio, vanilla bean

Pistachio scents are big news at the moment, and this perfume is not to be missed. Nutty notes are beautifully balanced by vanilla bean and creamy milk vanilla mousse, making this smell almost good enough to eat.

Key notes: Orange blossom, vanilla, magnolia

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. It's also a favourite of beauty director Shannon Lawlor's. "This stuff is basically French chicness, bottled. To me, it smells like liquid gold—it is creamy and warming, with a defiant sun-soaked element, for sure. However, unlike other solar perfumes of its kind, it never verges into a territory that seems sticky or sweet. Instead, it is intense and possesses a depth that has the scent clinging to your skin as though it were made for you. Not only do I consider this one of the most expensive-smelling affordable perfumes, but I consider it one of the most expensive-smelling perfumes full stop."

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.

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. 

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 scent and affordability. It's another favourite of our beauty editor. "The original Glossier You is the ultimate skin scent," she says. "It was originally designed to become one with your natural skin chemistry (think you, but even better), and you'll see this in notes, too. None of the four notes takes centre stage here; instead, they all play a supporting role in the background to complement one another and your skin."

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.

Key notes: Neroli, mandarin, musk, sea salt

Out of all the expensive perfumes our beauty editor owns, it's this one that gets her the most compliments on the regular. "Despite owning a lot of niche and luxury fragrances, it's this affordable scent from M&S that my boyfriend and colleagues always notice and compliment me on," says Vousden. "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."

Key notes: Jasmine, blood orange, amber, peony, vanilla, cedarwood

Opting for a celebrity scent is a great way to get an affordable perfume that still smells amazing. Case in point with Cosmic by Kylie Jenner, which unfurls on the skin with creamy jasmine, glowing amber and a hint of vanilla.

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.

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.

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 sexy, 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.