Welcome to Fragrance Friday, where each week we’ll be keeping you abreast of the newest and most iconic releases in the dynamic world of men’s fragrances. Born out of the desire to showcase one of the most overlooked, yet versatile, elements of any discerning man’s style this weekly column will help you finesse your own signature scent. This week we focus on some of the best men’s fragrances under $250.
A few weeks ago we looked at some of the best affordable men’s fragrances under $100, with underrated value propositions like Coach Man EDT and Moschino Toy Boy EDT. An Eau de Toilette is about the best you can expect at that price point, but bump that up to $250 and you’re playing around with some great mid-range Eau de Parfums and Extrait de Parfums that are well worth the investment.
If you can’t quite justify the likes of Amouge, Creed and Roja, then dipping down to the $250 mark need not feel like a compromise. You’re still looking at some incredibly powerful, high-quality perfumes that nail the mark when it comes to consistency, longevity and projection.
These are my favourite current favourite fragrances under $250.
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Best Mid-Range Men’s Fragrances Under $250
Costume National Homme Parfum
I’ve featured Costume National Homme Parfum a few times before. And that’s not just personal taste. Both myself and colleagues in the BH office agree that this is one of our favourite perfumes of the past few years, and one of the only bottles in our collection that constantly sits at half-full due to overuse.
It’s an ever-reliable, everyday fragrance that strikes that perfect spot between luxury and affordable. Most of the best perfumes you can buy, as above, can be too expensive for most. I’d say $199 is a great price to pay for this zesty, fruity and fresh stunner.
Top Notes: Cardamom extract, grapefruit, bergamot oil
Heart Notes: Patchouli oil, cinnamon bark oil, vetiver extract
Base Notes: Musk, sandalwood, labdanum
Frapin Checkmate
P Frapin & Cie’s has a great track record when it comes to playing around in the mid-ranges, offering sophisticated and high-quality perfumes without the need to price hike with overly expensive ingredients. Checkmate is a great example of that reputation, skewing spring with scenes of woodlands, rivers and pastures worked by Anne-Sophie Behaghel as an elegant unisex fragrance that starts with a burst of cardamom and ends with head-strong woods like cashmere and cedar.
Top Notes: Cardamom, bergamot, lemon
Heart Notes: Leather, iris, heliotrope
Base Notes: Suede, woody notes, cashmere wood, cedar
Maison Tahite Vanilla2
Maison Tahite is fairly new when it comes to the Australian market, having only launched locally within the past few months. The creative Italian label specialises in more amber perfumes that push towards a natural profile, moving into more gourmand territory with a particular love of cacao and vanilla.
The latter is what’s always going to be more interesting to me since I’m a sucker for a good vanilla fragrance. Vanilla2 does not disappoint in that regard, building up this really nuanced, enveloping profile that’s complemented by sweet praline and powdery notes that aren’t overly sickly. The sillage on this is really elegant, a credit to the work of nose Marie Duchene.
Top Notes: Vanilla flower
Heart Notes: Vanilla, praline, powdery notes
Base Notes: Vanilla, benzoin
L’Artisan Parfumer Champ de Fleurs
Here’s another stalwart brand that can almost always be depended upon to deliver mid-range perfumes that punch much higher than their price tag. Champ de Fleurs is one of the best from the brand, but only if we’re talking about tastes that skew towards those really summer-minded, airy and fruity fragrances.
There’s not really much wood in here. Of course, you’ll get that reliable base of amber, musk and white cedarwood come through fairly fast, but it’s really all about the opening here with grapefruit and pear that really stick around well into dry-down and play nicely with jasmine, petal and wet muguet on the bridge.
Top Notes: Grapefruit, pear
Heart Notes: Jasmine, petal, wet muguet
Base Notes: Amber, musk, white cedarwood
Floris Neroli Voyage
Anyone who is familiar with Floris should already know what to expect from the oldest perfume house in the UK. Floris is all about that classic style, and neroli is just about as classic an ingredient as you can get. Not that there’s no nuance here, but Neroli Voyage really makes up for its fairly one-dimensional profile with a hard-won elegance that feels rewarding to have projecting off the skin.
I’d say every man needs at least one Floris perfume sitting on their shelf. There are lots of choices out there, including the peppery brilliance of the new James Bond-inspired Floris No.007. But there’s something about Neroli Voyage that perfectly captures the house’s identity in one very simple, charming scent. It’s a no-brainer when we’re talking about fragrances under $250.
Top Notes: Neroli, jasmine
Heart Notes: Ginger, fennel
Base Notes: Musk, oak, amber
