14 Best Affordable Perfumes That Smell Expensive

Coming in right under $100, this GH Beauty Award winner was widely loved in the Beauty Lab. Missing Person features subtle musk, jasmine, and woods notes.

"This scent feels like an extension of me, rather than a perfume," a tester shared. "It's a little warm, faintly sweet, and enveloping, but somehow still airy—like a well-worn sweater you never want to take off." Some online reviewers find it too musky, so if you don't normally go for musky fragrances, you can opt for a different product from the brand (I love the $38 Heavy Cream and Caramel Skin body mists).

Looking for the absolute best deal on a perfume? Fine'ry offers a wide range of luxe-smelling fragrances at a bargain price. This particular scent is a favorite in the Beauty Lab, featuring notes of Mediterranean fig, ocean air, and salted sage. The sage's rich, almost musky scent brings softness and depth to the fragrance, while mixed with the fruitiness of fig.

"Very fresh, light, green, great for summer," a reviewer shares. Note that some reviewers find the fig scent too overpowering, but also share that it's a unisex option.

Loved for its mouthwatering scents, Sol de Janeiro offers a hair and body mist in one of the brand's most famous fragrances. "If I could use one body wash for the rest of my life it would be the brand's Brazilian Play Body Wash," GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Danusia Wnek reveals, though she finds it pretty pricey. One of her favorite things about that body wash is the scent, so "I love that they came out with a mist," she says, which is much more affordable. "This screams summer vibes and not in a suntan lotion way but a warm, gourmand, nutty way," she adds.

Plus, as an added bonus, at eight ounces, you're getting nearly quadruple the amount of product than many of the other options on this list. Online customers do find that the bottle packaging could be improved; some wish it weren't plastic and some find the cap too large.

RELATED: I Tried Sol De Janeiro's Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

A classy, classic scent that doesn't go out of style, Elizabeth Arden's White Tea fragrance can be a great go-to for more mature women. Thanks to a mix of Italian mandarin, sea breeze accord, white tea extract, Turkish rose absolute, madras wood, and musks, the woody floral scent is ideal for everyday wear.

It can transition from day to night and is also a favorite of GH Beauty Director April Franzino. "It is not a sweet type of perfume but more on the clear, musky type that appeals to me as a more mature woman," a reviewer shares. "It is not overwhelming by any means but does stay with me for many hours." Some find the smell too powdery.

Perfume oils are designed to last longer, so expect this roll-on oil to stay with you all day long. A pheromone oil, it's designed to work with your body's chemistry to subtly enhance your body's natural scent.

"This is a true 'no-perfume' perfume; it smells faintly sweet and warm, like clean skin," shares Franzino. The small rollerball format makes it easy to bring on-the-go or while traveling (though many online reviewers love it so much they wish it came in a bigger size). It's important to note that it's a unique, understated scent, so it may be difficult to smell sometimes.

Formulated without alcohol, Nautica's refreshing, marine-inspired fragrance is a steal. The long-lasting formula leans more masculine, but can be worn by anyone. It includes fresh and earthy marine notes, pinewood, and aromatic mint that is reminiscent of a cloudless day on the ocean. In fact, my friends and I have gifted this fragrance before, and it's always been well-received—it's super fresh and reminds me of summer.

From YouTuber and makeup artist Jackie Aina comes this sweet, birthday cake-like perfume. Warm and spicy, this fragrance is loved by consumers and experts alike. "If you love rich, sweet gourmands, you'll love this perfume," says GH Beauty Lab Reviews Analyst Chiara Butler. "It has notes of pear, raspberry, oud, and a very unique red velvet cake accord." Online reviewers say it doesn't last very long, so you'll have to reapply throughout the day.

My all-time favorite perfume, Wild Poppy by Nest New York is a blend of fruity and floral notes, including rose de Grasse, Himalayan jasmine, pear, raspberry, and apricot. I've been wearing this for years, and I love it so much I actually purchase and re-purchase this perfume myself and ask for it for Christmas or my birthday. I keep a travel-size spray in my carry-on bag so I can travel with it because I don't want to go anywhere without it. I just wish it lasted longer. The brand also offers other similarly priced perfumes that GH staffers love.

The ultimate portable fragrance, these tiny beads twist open to dispense the popular fruity-floral scents in a gel formula for toting and applying on the go. The single-use pearls are easy to use and travel-friendly thanks to their small size (if you're on vacation, you can even bring exactly the number of drops you need to help save even more space).

The classic floral scent includes notes of crystallized cloudberries, daisy tree petals, and driftwood. "It's so easy to carry around, and the scent is just perfect—super fresh and sweet but not overpowering at all," a reviewer shares. This tin comes with just 30 capsules, so you'll need to repurchase quickly if you use these every day.

RELATED: The Best Rose-Scented Perfumes

Fresh and sweet, L'Occitane's fragrance is easy to wear during day or night. "Green tea is one of my favorite fragrance notes—it's the perfect balance between freshness and softness," says Franzino. The eau de toilette features notes of orange, tea and white woods for a crisp and comforting scent profile. With so many five star reviews online, it's hard to find a customer who doesn't love this fragrance; however, some wish the scent could be stronger.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 is well-known amongst beauty lovers, often referred to as a favorite perfume that many reserve only for special occasions. However, it's also known as being pretty pricey. But, we have a solution: The hair perfume form of this coveted fragrance—an elevated blend of warm amber, woods and jasmine—lingers on strands and more, at a much lower price, though many say it doesn't last as long as the eau de parfum version. "It smells just like the actual perfume. Great way to finish a blowout," an online reviewer writes.

RELATED: The Best Hair Perfumes

Ever thought we'd be using biotechnology in fragrances? Future Society is doing just that. The brand uses genetic codes from samples of extinct botanicals from the Harvard Herbarium to create molecules of their fragrances. Then, perfumers can use these molecules to create scents that haven't been smelled in decades or even centuries. "I love the mix of dewy greenery and seawater opening notes that develop into smoky and soft florals and herbs," says GH Beauty Lab Director Sabina Wizemann. Some find the scent too strong.

Cherry perfumes are having a big moment lately. This one from The 7 Virtues is a perfect blend of warm, sweet, and fruity—I love wearing this in the winter or at night. It has notes of vanilla, which can sometimes be headache-y for me, but this just smells delicious and luxurious. It can be a little too sweet for me some days. You can also layer it with the brand's popular Vanilla Woods scent, another GH editor favorite.

"Soft" and "clean" are words often used to describe Philosophy's classic go-to Amazing Grace fragrance. With notes of bergamot and musk, it won't envelop wearers in an overwhelming cloud of heavy scents.

Whether your nose is sensitive to strong smells or you're looking for something subtle to wear every day, this lightweight option won't disappoint and is another one of Franzino's favorites. "It's super light and airy," a reviewer shares. "It has a nice, fresh clean scent with a little bit of floral and surprisingly lasts all day long. I've received a ton of compliments when wearing it." Take note, some find it to be too powdery or musky of a scent.