Affordable autumn fragrances (that smell way more expensive)

Perfect-for-fall perfumes that won't blow your budget.

Sep 20, 2024

As promised, today’s edition is devoted to deliciously warm, budget-friendly scents that will instantly make you feel cosier. Something to spritz with abandon before heading out the door - warmer, sweeter, spicier — and definitely autumn-ready.

Before we dive in, a cosy welcome to all new subscribers who have joined us over the last few days — I hope The Midlife Beauty Edit feels like a welcome treat whenever you find it in your inbox. I’m so delighted you’re here.

Getting warmer

Earlier this week, when I opened up our Chat (come and say hi!) for paid subscribers, a scent that came up as an autumn/winter favourite was Maison Margiela’s REPLICA Jazz Club, which was described as a “warm, unisex scent which I feel I can only get away with when it’s colder with lots of layers”.

Researching this edition, I couldn’t resist a spritz of the woody REPLICA Autumn Vibes — and the irresistibly seasonal By The Fireplace (currently available in a limited edition, shimmering gold bottle).

(Speaking of smoky, fireside-inspired scents, have a whiff of D.S. & DURGA’s scented candle in Portable Fireplace, if you’re in Space NK or happen to come across it. Oof, it’s AMAZING.) I digress.

The REPLICA range is incredible in the way it powerfully captures a season/memory/vibe, although it definitely doesn’t fall into the “affordable spritz” category. (As a side note, the Dossier collection includes fragrances “inspired by” some of the REPLICA ones. And I’ve found an even cheaper, high street alternative to the autumn one — read on!)

Follow your nose

As prices for prestige perfumes seem to scale higher all the time—much as I love them, and will always cover all price points, including the timeless Chanels, intriguing new indie brands, beautiful Diptiques et al—the low-to-mid priced “juices” are just getting better and better all the time. (And I’m not talking here about dupes or derivatives, but original, standalone scents.)

While the quality of ingredients, concentration, and longevity will, obviously, vary hugely, it’s always worth remembering that many high street perfumes have been created by the same names behind seriously spendy ones.

Hopefully, the shopping list below will give you a starting point for test-spritzing when you’re out and about—I’ve grouped the scents into brands, with the aim of making things easier—and I’d love to hear of any of your own discoveries. With our growing, wonderfully international readership, I’d LOVE for us all to chip in with great finds and favourites, from wherever we are.

M&S

Apothecary Warmth Eau de Parfum (£12, 50ml)

Part of the essential oil-based Apothecary collection, this is The One that consistently gets compared with Le Labo’s iconic Santal 33 (£170 for the same size). Bringing all the cosy vibes, key notes in this soft, warming scent are cardamom, cinnamon, cedarwood and sandalwood.

What I love, too, about the Apothecary range is the opportunity to layer-for-less with accompanying body products, including body wash (lovely for warming up on cold, dark mornings) and a hand cream (£5 for a very decent sized, simple-looking aluminium tube to stash in your handbag, and see you through the season).

Orange Blossom & Amber Eau de Toilette

Wool berets off to M&S, again, for its super-impressive DISCOVER range of fragrances, which come in a huge array of fragrance families and are famously evocative of high end perfumes.

Orange Blossom & Amber Eau de Toilette is part of the DISCOVER INTENSE selection, and if you’d told me I’d just sprayed myself with a burst of the sweet and cosseting Chanel Coco, I’d believe you (and I have the OG on my dresser). Here, key notes are amber—a big fragrance trend this season—jasmine, and ylang ylang. This one has longevity, too. It hits exactly the same, autumn/winter night out note—the kind of scent that lingers on scarves, and makes me think of black velvet party dresses.

A warm, soft floral with an unmistakably musky base, Midnight Blossom Eau de Toilette has been mentioned in the same breath as Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium, while Soft Oud is soft, sweet and cosy, with a heart of oud, rose and tonka bean and a warm, lingering base of amber and vanilla.

Another plus with M&S DISCOVER is that you can also buy sets of mini samples, in little wallets (they do the same for the acclaimed men’s fragrances.)

Also, all M&S scents are vegan, and cruelty-free.

ZARA

Bohemian Oud Eau de Parfum (£12.99, 30 ml)

This one has drawn comparisons with the Maison Margiela REPLICA By the Fireplace, mentioned up top, as a high street offering that captures the same, cosy mood (if not a dupe as such). If you like intense, heady and a bit incense-y—there are also notes of chocolate and black pepper—this is worth a test-spritz.

Gardenia Eau De Parfum (£9.99, 30ml)

We’re in sweet, warm and spicy YSL Black Opium territory again here. Key notes in this version include orange blossom, vanilla and coffee.

The Body Shop

Black Musk Eau de Toilette (£20, 30ml)

Put all memories of 80s mix tapes and ra-ra skirts out of your mind: this is not White Musk.

Deep, rich and warm, this blend includes spicy pink pepper, ylang-ylang and cruelty-free musk to create a creamy, intense fragrance. So, the polar opposite of summer’s breezy citrus splashes.

& Other Stories The Lost Chapter Eau de Toilette (£29, 50 ml, or £15 for a small roll-on)

This one stopped me in my tracks in-store in Oxford the other week. & Other Stories is renowned within the industry for its beautiful, complex scents that belie their high street price points, and this is a great example.

In this case, notes of sandalwood, tonka bean, cardamom and cumin combine with woody, smokey notes that have resulted in comparisons with Tom Ford’s Cherry Smoke. I didn’t know this at the time of testing it, and just loved it for its warm, perfect-for-autumn cosiness.

Do you have a go-to scent (or more) when the season turns, and your cosiest sweaters come out?

**The cosy of dreams. Photo Sézane, via Pinterest**

I’d love to know!

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