Welcome to Fragrance Friday, where each week weโll be keeping you abreast of the newest and most iconic releases in the dynamic world of menโs fragrances. Born out of the desire to showcase one of the most overlooked, yet versatile, elements of any discerning manโs style this weekly column will help you finesse your own signature scent.
Itโs all well and good to really sink your toes into the world of niche perfumery, but itโs expensive as well. Brands like Amouage, Creed, Kilian and BDK charge hundreds of dollars for the privilege of building a quality signature scent. But donโt go thinking menโs perfume is a hefty investment all the time. There are quite a few great options out there if youโre looking for affordable menโs perfumes that play under (or at least around) a budget of $100.
Iโve pulled together six of my favourite affordable menโs fragrances, most of them well-known but some surprisingly flying under the radar. Some of them, like Dior Sauvage, might require you to compromise a bit when it comes to the size of the actual bottle, but if youโve got a tight budget then you need to accept at least some sacrifice.
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Affordable Menโs Perfumes & Fragrances Under $100
Coach โManโ EDT
Coach really dialled in one of the best affordable fragrances for men of the past decade with the woody aromatic profile of โMan.โ The Eau de Toilette was launched in 2017, a collaboration between perfumers Anne Flipo and Bruno Jovanovic who present a really sophisticated and satisfying blend of fruity notes like pear and grapefruit bridging over to spicy cardamom and coriander before dipping down to a slightly restrained woody base that wears close to the skin.
You can often find this one for under $100 but when itโs not on sale youโre looking at $101. Thatโs close enough to qualify Coach โMan EDTโ for this list of the best affordable menโs perfumes.
Top notes: Pear, kumquat, bergamot, lavender, grapfruit
Middle notes: Cardamom, geranium, coriander
Base notes: Ambergris, suede, amberwood, Haitian vetiver
Paco Rabanne โ1 Million Luckyโ EDT
Paco Rabanne still has one of the best-selling fragrances of the modern age with โ1 Million Lucky,โ a woody fragrance that was refined and reimagined in 2018 by perfumer Natalie Gracia-Cetto. For many men around the world, itโs possibly the single best affordable fragrance of the past few years, and while thatโs certainly up for debate itโs also tough to argue against.
Those gorgeous plum and grapefruit notes on the top help build up a really fresh, pleasant profile before dipping a bit deeper with nutty notes like hazelnut blended with the sweetness of honey, cedar and cashmere. On the base youโve got the usual suspects of amberwood, patchouli, oakmoss and vetiver to bring it home with style. Itโs a great option when youโre looking for affordable menโs perfumes.
Top notes: Plum, ozonic notes, grapefruit, bergamot
Middle notes: Hazelnut, honey, cedar, cashmere wood, jasmine, orange blossom
Base notes: Amberwood, patchouli, oakmoss, vetiver
Moschino โToy Boyโ EDT
Highly underrated when it comes to good quality affordable menโs perfumes is Moschinoโs Toy Boy.โ A surprise when it was released in 2019 and still something that deserves more attention. The designer market likes to play it safe when it comes to fragrances, but Moschino took some appreciated bold moves here with creative director Jeremy Scott commissioning perfumer Yann Vasnier for a unique woody spicy profile.
Youโve got pink pepper, pear and a lovely Indonesian nutmeg on the top although they all whisp away quite quickly to make room for magnolia, clove, flax and a prominent rose note that could be a bit too strong for some blokes. It isnโt cloying though, especially when the base kicks in with a lot of sandalwood, amber and Haitian vetiver.
Youโll typically find Moschino โToy Boyโ for a bit over $100 but often Chemist Warehouse throws it up on sale for around $90. Right now, you can find it for cheap on Amazon.
Top notes: Italian bergamot, green pear, elemi, pink pepper, Indonesian nutmeg
Middle notes: Magnolia, rose absolute, clove bud, flex flower
Base notes: Haitian vetiver orpour, cashmerean, sandalwood, ambermax, musk
Viktor&Rolf โSpicebombโ EDT
Viktor & Rolf โSpicebombโ is often one of the first ones that pop up when youโre looking for the best menโs perfumes under $100. Thatโs no mistake; what Olivier Polge achieved with this very warm, spicy and intensely likeable fragrance is nothing short of impressive given the price point.
Launched in 2012, Viktor&Rolf โSpicebombโ makes great use of its opening, all fuming with pink pepper and elemi blended nicely with bergamot and grapefruit before morphing into this really spicy profile of cinnamon, saffron and paprika. Itโs the middle that sticks around for the longest here, blanketing the woody base and living up to the perfumeโs name as the profile sinks into tobacco, leather and vetiver notes.
Top notes: Pink pepper, elemi, bergamot, grapefruit
Middle notes: Cinnamon, saffron, paprika
Base notes: Tobacco, leather, vetiver
Dior โSauvageโ EDT
By now you should be very familiar with Sauvage if youโre in the market for affordable menโs perfumes. Youโve no doubt seen the billboards plastered all over the world with the face of the menโs perfume, Johnny Depp. Even before the Johnny Depp vs Amber Herd defamation case, Dior was reportedly selling one bottle every three seconds. This now makes Dior Sauvage the best-selling perfume of all time. And itโs not without reason.
While Dior Sauvage Elixir is the newer, stronger version, if youโre on a budget it doesnโt feel like a compromise going for the Eau de Toilette. Perfumer Francois Demachy leans hard on a juicy, fresh version of bergamot for the standout note in this pleasant profile, making it work well with pepper for the opening before seamlessly doubling down on spice with Sichuan pepper and then bringing out the freshness of lavender, cedar and labdanum.
Top notes: Calabrian bergamot, pepper
Middle notes: Sichuan pepper, lavender, pink pepper, vetiver, patchouli, geranium, elemi
Base notes: Ambroxan, cedar, labdanum
Giorgio Armani โCodeโ EDT
While Acqua di Gio, which celebrates 25 years in 2022, maybe the best-recognised name from Giorgio Armaniโs considerable fragrance line, no one should overlook what the designer house has done with Code. And although the house plays it fairly safe with Giorgio Armani โCode,โ this is one incredibly versatile everyday perfume that can be adapted for almost every occasion, whether thatโs as a casual office fragrance or an upscale dinner fragrance.
Top notes: Lemon, bergamot
Middle notes: Star anise, olive blossom, guaiac wood
Base notes: Leather, tonka bean, tobacco
Menโs Affordable Perfumes โ Frequently Asked Questions
What are some great men's perfumes under $100
If youโre on a budget, some of the best menโs perfumes under or around $100 include Viktor&Rolf Spicebomb, Dior Sauvage and Giorgio Armani Code.
What is the difference between an EDT and EDP?
EDT stands for Eau de Toilette and is slightly weaker in concentration than an EDP, which stands for Eau de Parfum. If youโre looking for affordable menโs perfumes then youโll usually find that they are all Eau de Toilettes.
