I tried the best perfumes under £10 – the winner was a £5 fragrance that’s a dupe for a £95 cult favourite one
JUST like with most beauty buys, such as foundation and skincare, we often tend to assume that the more high-end the perfume is, the more luxurious you will smell.
But what if there was no need to fork out a fortune on fragrances – and you could make heads turn with budget-friendly perfumes that are all under £10?
Well, luckily, some customer-loved supermarkets, such as Lidl, have made this possible, with their aromas often dubbed as ”dupes” by shoppers.
However, before be dive into the world of aromas, it’s essential to have a little lesson of what eau de parfum and eau de toilette really mean – and is there any difference?
When shopping for a new fragrance, you will most likely have come across four types of fragrances – these are eau de parfum and eau de toilette, as well as eau de cologne and eau fraiche.
Although these descriptive labels may not mean much to you, they typically reveal which has the highest amount of perfume oil – with eau de parfum being on top.
This mean you can usually expect the aroma to last for up to eight hours, whilst the other three will typically need topping up throughout the day.
Now, it’s time to have a look at bargain-hunting beauty lovers can get their hands on for less than a tenner – and there are a few replicas of posh cult favourite names, too…
Madame Glamour Eau De Parfum, 75ml
Price: £5.25
Recently, the discount retailer delighted fans with their new perfumes hitting the store shelves, all priced at an affordable £5.25.
The new collection, which celebrates the (super)market’s employees, also includes Madame Glamour Eau De Perfum, which has been said to be a close match to Chanel Coco Mademoiselle (£116, 100ml), according to fans.
But although the packaging and the price are different, how do the two scents compare?
Whilst it’s not entirely a copy of the designer version, Lidl’s Madame Glamour has some similarities, boasting notes of sweetness and some floral accents.
Another major win to point out is that the perfume also lasts for a decent amount of time on your skin – and it even survived a sweaty gym session!
Femelle Eau De Parfum, 75ml
Price: £5.25
Arguably a personal favourite on the budget-friendly list, Lidl’s Femelle Eau De Parfum has been dubbed a ”dupe” of Lancôme’s La Vie Est Belle.
Unlike the bargain version, its posh sister will set you back by an eye-watering £96 for a 50ml bottle – but is there any need to spend a mini fortune for the high-end perfume?
The budget version blends together patchouli, iris and vanilla, and I couldn’t get over how beautiful the aroma was – and there were several compliments throughout the day, too, as my friends kept asking what I had sprayed on.
Chalou Eau De Parfum, 75ml
Price: £5.25
Another perfume I kept reaching for over and over again during these last few weeks was Lidl’s Chalou Eau De Parfum, which immediately took me back to my Chloé Signature days.
The cult favourite high-end version has long been fragrance I’ve repurchased several times – but no longer, as this £5.25 aroma smelt just like the real thing.
Similar to Chloé Signature Eau de Parfum, which retails at £95 from Boots, is a very feminine floral fragrance, with notes of sweet lychee, as well as rose essence – an aroma that reminds you of summer.
My friends, too, approved of this Lidl bargain – however, the only minus point to note is the scent needs topping up throughout the day.
Lovely Eau De Parfum, 75ml
Price: £5.25
According to bargain lovers, Lidl’s Lovely Eau De Parfum is believed to be a budget-friendly dupe of Dior’s J’Adore – another firm favourite I always make sure to spritz on whenever walking through the duty-free before catching a flight.
Just like the posh sister, which sells for almost £120 for a 100ml bottle, this fragrance is very summery and floral, perfect for a date.
Although, one thing to note is that it does have a rather boozy aroma to it at first – however, it does wear off pretty quickly, revealing the perfume’s true clean and fresh scent.
Artiscent Atelier Eau De Parfum Patchouli Passion, 50ml
Price: £10
The high street retailer Superdrug has long been a favourite amongst shoppers looking to up their make-up bag game on the cheap – and now the retailer has also added a whole new range of budget-friendly perfumes to their shelves.
One such scent which has been described by customers as ”divine”, is their Patchouli Passion perfume that sells for £10.
It’s not just the chic white packaging and bottle that I loved – the refreshing and summery aroma was amongst the winners, too.
The £10 perfume, which some reckon is another dupe for Lancôme’s La Vie Est Belle, boasts floral notes and is the perfect everyday scent that’s not going to be too overpowering.
My only disappointed – as also noted by some beauty lovers – is that it doesn’t last long, so you will need to re-spray it throughout the day.
For the relatively low price though – especially compared to Lancôme’s £79 (50ml) – you can’t really complain.
Artiscent Atelier Eau De Parfum Lily Amour, 50ml
Price: £10
Another fantastic perfume I got my hands on was Supedrug’s Lily Amour, which, like the rest of the range, is also created in Paris, France.
Although the 50ml bottle may appear small, doesn’t mean it’s not mighty – its jasmine and water lily notes are sure to make heads turn wherever you go.
The very feminine perfume – which you can bag for £6.66 if you have the Superdrug Beautycard – also features an explosion of zesty mandarin, with a hint of musky vanilla.
What’s more, bargain lovers have also compared the £10 scent to posh Chanel Chance – a 50ml bottle of which will set you back by around £72.
Again, just like with Patchouli Passion, I did find that the scent disappeared within less than an hour – but given it’s more than seven times cheaper than its high-end version, I can’t grumble too much.
Artiscent Atelier Eau De Parfum Vanille Blush, 50ml
Price: £10
If you’re a fan of Dior’s cult favourite Forever & Ever (£114, 100ml) and can’t seem to find it anywhere, this little number is for you.
Dubbed a ”dupe” that’s ”lovely”, Vanille Blush has already received dozens of positive reviews, rounding up to 4.5 stars online – and I can totally see why.
Initially, I was rather sceptical and feared that the aroma would be a blast of alcohol – and would even smell like ”a room freshener” as one disappointed customer had warned online.
But turns out, there was no need to worry, as this perfume is well-blended, featuring tones of blackcurrant, jasmine, cedarwood and must – what more could you ask for?