What We're Looking For In A Good Cheap Perfume

We'll only be looking at real perfume's. That means that they should be somewhere between 15-30% perfume oil and should last for 4-12 hours. We're not looking at eau de toilette's as even if you can get big names on the bottle, the quality is normally a lot lower and they often don't last more than 2 hours. 

Unless you're planning on carrying a bottle with you all day eau de toilette is not only impractical, it actually doesn't represent good quality or value. 100ml of a real perfume can last months with daily wear, even an expensive eau de toilette however can be gone in under a month. 

These cheap perfumes from the big brands also tend to include cheaper ingredients than their off label counterparts which make up our list of the best cheap perfumes. That means we won't be covering eau de toilette versions of parfum. 

In short this is really a guide of how to smell rich without breaking your bank account, aka bougie on a budget. And in most cases nobody will ever know you're not wearing the original, we won't tell if you don't.  

Best Clones
- 540 Clone
- Black Orchid Clone
- Angel Clone
- Lady Million Parfum Dupe

Best Overall

We’ve picked out some examples and put together a way to score them. We’ll be judging them for the following:

- Scent Profile
- Adaptability
- Staying Power
- Reviews
- Value

These factors influence how successful a clone perfume is, so let’s take a look.

Cheap Perfumes FAQ

Want to know more about Perfumes?

What Are Perfume Notes? 

Usually perfumes are described as 3 sets of notes, these are called top notes, mid notes and base notes. 

The top notes are what you smell first, these are usually sweeter, citrusy or more floral, base notes are normally your muskier scents which you smell last and mids are the notes that sit in between. 

Inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540 - Best Baccarat Rouge 540 Clone

If you want something which smells good but don’t want a premium price tag, Inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540 is a good pick. Copycat made a tribute to the original scent and nailed it, making this a great choice for ladies who want something alluring but subtle.

Inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540 Scent Profile

This has a floral fragrance and is made to be quite nice. As a smell, the clone perfume does a good job of capturing the essence of the original. You’ll notice the smells of saffron, jasmine and exotic amber wood. The entire aroma is pretty Eastern-inspired which makes it a good choice.

Inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540 Adaptability

As a perfume choice, this is pretty adaptable. Copycat themselves market it as being a fairly unisex brand, so right off the bat, you can tell that it was made to be flexible. However, regarding when you can use them in different situations, it’s important to acknowledge that this kind of smell is the best for the summer when it’s quite light and breezy as it's got quite a refreshing scent.

Inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540 Staying Power

As a product, this lasts as long as you’d expect it to last. When it comes to your usage of the perfume, it’ll be around for an hour or two if you’re just sitting around and enjoying life. Naturally, the more physical activity you do, the faster the smell dissipates. Plus, warm air makes the smell wear off quicker, which is problematic.

Inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540 Reviews

Generally speaking, the reviews for this are incredibly positive, which is why we've marked it as the best cheap perfume out there. Copycat Fragrances have the whole product line pretty much nailed, and their reviews are a testament to this.

There were a couple of negative reviews are mostly people complaining that things don’t smell exactly like their high street counterparts, but we've smelled the two side by side and can simply say they're incorrect as do 99% of the reviews on Trust Pilot.