I might be in a position where I get to test Tom Ford and Chanel fragrances as if they’re Dove aerosols, but I’m well aware that my perfume collection would have been significantly smaller if I had to buy these smelly wonders myself.
This made me round up my favourites of the more reasonably priced perfumes that I have on my beauty shelves. Not only do they make good gifts and are they softer on the pocket for younger users; they’re all perfectly good options for anyone as everyday scents. Only three budget-friendly options made it onto the list because trust me, some of the cheap & cheerful perfumes areΒ vile. But let’s focus. Here are my three favourites:
essence Like a Trip to New York
essence Like a Trip to New York is a light, fruity floral with just a slight hint of spice that thankfully prevents it from being overly sweet. It’s fresh, not seasonal at all and can suit just about anyone although it’s pretty light; making it a good option for younger wearers that are still figuring out just exactly how many spritzes are an appropriate number (2-3, by the way).

Available from Clicks and DisChem, R89 for 50ml (!!), R59 for 10ml.
Justine Cantare Spanish Nights EDP
Justine Cantare Spanish Nights EDP is a warm, soft, somewhat musky floriental fragrance. It has quite a bit of depth for a fragrance in this price range, and makes for a lovely evening & winter fragrance.

Available from Justine consultants, around R400 for 50ml
Gossip Girl Spotted! EDP by Scentstory
I’m not even going to lie, I prolonged opening this one for the longest time because I just couldn’t get over a fragrance inspired by a TV series about teenagers. When I eventually did get over it I was pleasantly surprised. Gossip Girl Spotted! is simultaneously zesty and sweet, with citrus, floral and berry notes. It dries down to a pretty-girl powdery finish, and the bottle is really chic when you remove the charm.

R295 for 50ml, exclusive to Edgars.
Any budget smellies I should have on my radar? I remember loving SO… Inspired and Coty’s blue Exclamation perfumes in my early teens, although I doubt either of those exist any more. And ALL the knock-off versions of CK One. There was also a really fresh perfumed gel (possibly from Avroy Shlain) that I really liked, but for the life of me I can’t remember what it was. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go wash off the seven perfumes I just sprayed myself with/vomit – whichever one comes first.
C xx
Thanks for this π as much as I love the expensive perfumes, cheap ones are good too π
Def going to give the Gossip Girl a try – huge fan of berry π
Author
Gossip Girl is surprisingly sophisticated, and essence is so fresh for everyday wear (and hardly double the price of an aerosol spray).
This is great and so relevant. I don’t want to drop 1k on perfume so this helps.
Author
Thanks for the feedback. We all have our poison – my mom will happily buy the most expensive skincare products, but she’ll buy shoes and clothes that are dirt cheap (we’re talking supermarket stuff).
I sniffed the essence perfume after reading this and OMW it smells exactly like the first proper grown up fragrance I ever owned: that citrusy original DKNY in the skyscraper bottle. Needless to say I bought the essence perfume (was the last bottle as well!). Thanks for the tip!
Author
You’re right, it is quite DKNY-esque – maybe that’s why they named it NY? Glad I could be of service π