Fave frugal fragrances

Sylvia, back in the day, dined on tea and toast for many weeks to re-up her signature fragrance, Guerlain's Liu, ferried to Toronto by a flight attendant girlfriend with a Paris route. She was rescued from extreme deprivation by dinner dates—she accepted every invitation. (The etiquette hints at the era, early '80s.)

I once suggested she shop department-store brands, a nice Lancôme, perhaps. Sylvia looked at me like I'd suggested she wear jeans to work.

Times change; Sylvia has retired, Liu is discontinued. When I recalled her old habit, she plucked a bottle of Origins Ginger Essence from her fridge (where Sylvia always keeps her perfumes), and said, "Fifty bucks."

I'm always hunting for inexpensive but delightful daytime fragrances. Splashing on a satisfying $35 to $70 scent is a particular pleasure. Some women hunt for low-cost dupes of beloved but expensive bottles. That's a mug's game; better to scout for a pleasing scent that stands on its own.

"Where is the Jean Naté of 2018?", I wondered. Still around, a Big Gulp-sized bottle for the price of a takeout lunch—but the scent that permeated my undergrad library so that books smelled of it no longer earns a passing grade. Thanks, Frédéric Malle.

I asked Kay and Gwen of the marvellous online decant store perfumeniche.com if they knew of any such treasures; Gwen generously sent a list. Some are listed as mens's scents, but you can wear them too. Order decants from perfumeniche.com, or spring for full bottles at discounters like Amazon, Marshall's and Kohl's.

Bulgari Black, one of Gwen's "desert island picks"; "tea, cedar, amber—and rubber"
Yatagan by Caron : "assetive, swarthy, exotic, powerful"
Dirty English by Juicy Couture: "deep, dark and delicious"

Lolita Lempicka Au Masculin, "a great anise-based fragrance"

Indi by Katy Perry, "soft, intimate, subtle and sexy"

I'd also add 

Quartz for Women, by Molyneux: a classic woody/white flora

Lovely by Sarah Jessica Parker;  I stockpile it—a light, graceful bouquet
UPDATE: BUYER BEWARE. I stockpiled 6 bottles, bought online from a reputable discounter and stored them properly for 1-2 years. Not one of these bottles had the slightest scent except alcohol. I opened them  one after another, in disbelief, and had other persons validate my experience.) If you buy "Lovely" anywere, open it right away to check that it is OK. Also the juice should be pale pink, and mine were colourless. (Could be counterfeit.)


My original bottle was from the days when Coty produced the product; the scentless ones were distributed by Lancaster and Lovely Distribution Inc. later licensees.

Sarah Jessica Parker Stash, pricier than Lovely because it's an eau de parfum, and harder to find. "Aromatic, smooth and silky".
(The SJP scents are available in decants from perfumenniche.com.)

Gwen noted that many high-end makers now offer 15ml-30ml travel or promotional sizes, which makes access more affordable—unless you fall in love and then face the music for your full bottle of By Kilian Back to Black.

Let's hear your picks!

If you have a punch-above-its-weight favourite that sells for $US 50 ($CDN 65) or less per bottle (I'm not specifying bottle size), please share the name.

Whether it delivers for the rest of us depends greatly on body chemistry and the accords each person likes, but at least we'll know what to try!