These 9 M&S perfumes could be designer but for £12 each, they're a steal
These aren't just affordable perfumes; these are M&S affordable perfumes...
While known for its stylish clothes and delicious picnic food, Marks and Spencer is also home to an array of affordable fragrances, many of which have been compared to designer blends. And having tried a plethora of M&S perfumes first-hand, these are our nine favourites that certainly smell more expensive than they are.
When it comes to investing in a new long-lasting perfume, we often resign ourselves to spending a little more. After all, many of the best perfumes for women bear designer names, like Chanel, Dior, and so on, but that's not to say cheap perfumes with impressive sillage and similarly chic notes can't be found. The best Zara perfumes are a testament to this, with several of the brand's scents touted for being reminiscent of pricier blends. Another high-street retailer with a similar stock of deceptively luxe-smelling fragrances is Marks and Spencer. The brand actually expanded its collection this year with the Studio perfume line, which features an array of very modern, unisex eau de parfums, but the original lineup still boasts some gems.
Gems which many shoppers also claim rival premium fragrances, all for £12 or less. So, if you're in the market for a new signature, but one that could easily be factored into your weekly shop or grabbed while on a mission for picky bits, these are the 9 M&S fragrances we'd recommend - having tried them all.
The 9 chicest-smelling M&S perfumes to add to your collection
RRP: from £8 for 30ml | Notes: iris, jasmine, bergamot, amber and patchouli
Delicate and warm all at once, M&S' Soft Iris is a bouquet of powdery florals layered over hints of sparkling citrus and rich amber. Its standout note is, as the name suggests, iris, so if you're a lover of elegant and airy iris perfumes, this is definitely a scent for you. Despite its softness, it really lingers and is the sort of blend that lends itself to every occasion, never failing to feel expensive.
Smells like: Chanel Mademoiselle - it's widely touted as a cheaper alternative to the iconic blend, and I can attest that it bears a familiar floral, ambery warmth to it, having smelt and worn both.
RRP: from £12 for 50ml | Notes: cardamom, cinnamon, cedarwood and sandalwood
For all our woody perfume lovers out there, this warm and spicy number is definitely one to add to your collection - especially if you're looking for a budget-friendly blend to wear every day. It layers cardamom with cedarwood and sandalwood to create a very sophisticated and earthy, unisex signature.
Smells like: Le Labo Santal 33 - there are definite similarities in these two aromas, coming from someone who owns both. My husband has actually taken to wearing this one daily, reserving Santal 33 for special occasions.
RRP: from £8 for 30ml | Notes: Sea salt, neroli and musk
Fresh, salty and clean, this scent reminds me of quaint coastal cottages and strolls along pebbled beaches. It sparkles to life with bursts of juicy mandarin and neroli, before warming on the skin with hints of sea salt and musk. It's subtle but so chic, truly smelling far more luxe than that £8 - £12 price point would suggest. I'd really recommend this for those seeking an everyday airy perfume or an effortless and salty summery scent.
Smells like: Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Seasalt - many have dubbed this scent to be a good swap for the iconic Jo Malone fragrance, as it does boast similar salty and woody facets.
RRP: from £8 for 30ml | Notes: orange, coconut, vanilla and amber
The epitome of a summer perfume, this sunny scent opens with nuances of lemon and orange before salted coconut and creamy vanilla notes emerge. It's soft but radiant, with warm sun-soaked notes of amber that really ground this blend.
Smells like: Maison Margiela's Beach Walk - while not a perfect match, in my opinion, it does exist in the same genre. It's what I would define as a solar perfume and carries similar sunny notes of citrus, coconut and vanilla. If you also like perfumes like Floral Street's Arizona Bloom, this will be right up your alley.
RRP: from £8 for 30ml | Notes: White flower, mandarin, amber and tuberose
Marrying musky white flowers with warm amber, Midnight Blossom does possess a certain nightime-y quality to it. It's sultry and chic, with elegant hints of jasmine and tuberose. It's far richer than some of Marks and Spencer's flowery fragrances, ideal if you're searching for the perfect date night signature.
Smells like: YSL's Black Opium - upon first sniff, I was instantly reminded of the iconic floral-gourmand from YSL's collection. It's similarly alluring and effortlessly chic.
RRP: from £8 for 30ml | Notes: pink pepper, orange blossom, patchouli, vanilla and amber
Another option for floral fans, this elegant scent blends pink pepper and orange blossom with warming notes of patchouli, smooth vanilla and amber. It's uplifting and a little bit spicy, which makes this perfume feel very versatile - it lends itself to the daytime just as well as it does the night.
Smells like: Chanel Chance - while some say it bears similarities to Lancôme La Vie est Belle, I'm reminded more of Chance, but either way, it's very luxe-smelling
RRP: from £8 for 30ml | Notes: Neroli, bergamot and musk
Another lovely summer option, this fragrance combines bright neroli with crisp bergamot and a sun-warmed sort of musk base. It's subtle but luminous, ideal if you're looking for a stylish but no-fuss scent to wear this season.
Smells like: Paco Rabanne Lady Million - many online say that these two smell very similar, so if you're a fan of the iconic fragrance, M&S's Warm Neroli might be well worth a spritz.
RRP: from £8 for 30ml | Notes: rose, oud and tonka
Calling all oud perfume fans, this M&S smells so rich and expensive and yet, like the rest of the collection, can be yours for either £8 or £12 depending on the bottle size you go for. It blends soft hints of rose with warm oud and tonka to create a scent that is moody and smooth but not heavy or overpowering. 'Soft Oud' is truly the perfect name for it, and while I don't tend to gravitate towards oud, this is actually one of my favourite Marks and Spencer perfumes.
Smells like: to me, there are traces of other oud-y fragrances in this blend, but the softness is quite unique. I think if you want a luxe rose perfume, this is well worth the buy
RRP: from £8 for 30ml | Notes: frangipani, rose and vanilla
Sweet and warm, this sunny number blends tropical notes of frangipani with elegant rose, which offsets its opening burst of juicy sweetness very well. Vanilla emerges as the blend dries down, which adds this sun-warmed, skin-like quality to it.
Smells like: Sweet Frangipani, like Soft Oud is another M&S perfume that has familiar traces, but I can't quite put my finger on what it reminds me of. That said, many fans online draw similarities between it and Gucci Rush.
How we tested M&S' perfumes
As with all our fragrance features, we tested each scent first-hand, wearing it on our skin for full day and monitoring how the notes developed and lasted.
Some of these scents have also been on our radars and in our collections for some time now, especially those that bear similarities to our favourite designer blends. M&S' Apothecary scent in Warmth, for instance, has been a long-lasting favourite of Digital Beauty Writer, Naomi Jamieson, as it smells similar to Le Labo Santal 33, which she also loves, but can't bring herself to restock at its £172 price point.
How to choose the right M&S perfume for you
Choosing a new signature is very much a personal decision, as scent is subjective. That said, being aware of what notes or fragrance genres you tend to gravitate towards can help to narrow things down.
If you love warm, ambery floral fragrances, for instance, Soft Iris will likely appeal to you, but if you favour sweeter, more gourmand perfumes, Sweet Pistachio might be more up your alley - as it possesses notes of vanilla and, of course, nutty pistachio.
Helpfully, M&S's original line-up has the key notes printed right there on the front of the bottles, so you get a quick insight before you even smell them, which is especially ideal if you're shopping online.
