It’s August and there’s still a lot of Summer to be had. Don’t start thinking about your Fall collection while there’s still beach visits with your friends and BBQs with your family to go to. While the days ARE getting shorter, the heat and bright sunshine is still here so let’s keep those summer fragrances front and center. We still can’t seem to find relief at the pumps or even the grocery store, but I bring you good news with my top 5 Summer cheap fragrances that won’t dent your wallet but will surely get you compliments.
All of these fragrances (except for one) can be purchased right here at Decant House in sizes from 2ml to 10ml. The full retail prices I will give will be prices on discounters that will be average prices I’ve found throughout a handful of sites.
1. Missoni Wave - EDT for around $48
I grabbed a bottle of Missoni Parfum a while back and was floored at how amazing that scent profile was. I told all my friends about it but they had no clue who Missoni even was, and honestly, neither did I. (They are a worldwide luxury fashion company based in Varese, Italy. Now I know.). So when I saw Missoni Wave on a Youtuber’s review channel, I blind bought this fragrance right on the spot without hesitation. 6 months later I now see it on everyone’s top 10 lists for the summer and it’s earned it’s place especially on my shelf.
Missoni Wave is a citrus aromatic scent that smells like a perfect marriage between Chanel Allure Homme Sport and Versace Pour Homme. You will hear a LOT of Youtubers and reviewers mention this and it’s crazy how accurate this really is. It’s creamy like Chanel while bright, clean and fresh like Versace. Sea notes, citrus, lavender, clary sage and oakmoss are the heavy hitters here and while it is an EDT concentration, the scent lasts around 8 hours. On average this bottle can be fetched for as low as $48 on discounters for the 100ml size.
2. Nautica Voyage - EDT for around $20
This is the only one that’s not currently listed on DH’s website, and honestly, it’s only because the price on this is so inexpensive, it’s cheaper for you to go buy a full presentation than a decant. This bottle is so cheap it should be a crime considering how amazing this scent is, especially in the summertime.
$20 is all it takes to get a 100ml bottle of Nautica Voyage and I think it’s really a steal for what it offers. This is a green fragrance that’s fresh & clean but I wouldn’t categorize this as a shower gel fragrance like Mugler Come Together or Prada Water Splash. Apple, green leaf, lotus and musk are the main notes but I also get a strong cucumber scent in here as well. The fragrance lasts and lasts and lasts all day into the night without quitting. It’s a beast fragrance and should be in everyone’s collection if it’s not already.
3. John Varvatos Artisan Blu - EDT for around $35
Up next, we have Artisan Blu from John Varvatos and this one was a surprise for me. I really wasn’t a fan of Artisan or Artisan Pure but this one had just a little something more in the scent profile to keep me going back for more. Keeping with the blue bottle mistake most of these fragrance houses make, I can confirm this is NOT a blue fragrance even though it’s called “Blu”, it’s color is blue, the net around it is blue…it is not. It’s a green, fresh, citrusy fragrance that is packed with summer aromatics including lavender and clary sage.
You can pick this bottle up at around $35 for the 125ml size and usually around $30 for the 75ml size. Longevity on Artisan Blu sits right around 6 - 7 hours or so. While you may need to re-apply in the evening, I personally noticed I could smell it throughout the day with only around 3 to 4 sprays. Your mileage may differ. All in all, it’s a great cheap fragrance that you should give a try!
4. Montblanc Explorer - EDP for around $50
Creed Aventus. We’ve all heard the name, we’ve all smelled it (if you haven’t, buy a decant here before you blind buy the full bottle!) and we’ve all heard of the countless times this fragrance has been cloned. Doing a quick search on Google you can find countless fragrances that “fit the mold” with Aventus with fragrances such as Afnan Supremacy and even the more expensive Hacivat by Nishane. But Montblanc Explorer is the closest to not only the scent of Aventus, but even down to the look of the bottle makes this the best clone, in my opinion.
Bergamot, pink pepper, clary sage and ambroxan are the main notes to Explorer and even though this fragrance was released in 2019, it’s still on a lot of summertime lists for a lot of people and mostly because it’s such a fresh, clean scent that lasts all day long. The only real key ingredients missing on Explorer is pineapple and birch, but nose to nose it’s so close. Explorer isn’t by far the cheapest clone, but at around $50 for a 100ml bottle with the scent profile under that Aventus-esque hood, it’s a good bargain to me.
5. Rochas L’Homme - EDT for around $30
Last one up on this list is Rochas L’Homme and I feel like I came to this party a bit later than most. After smelling Moustache EDP I knew that Rochas was a great fragrance house and as soon as I saw L’Homme I had to grab it. Blood orange, pineapple and juniper berries are the top notes but when it dries down that tonka bean and patchouli settle in really nice. This fragrance is a great all-day summer fragrance with a perfect blend of fresh yet woody/spicy undertones that carry it all the way into the night.
On average, this fragrance will cost you around $30 for 100ml, which is a real bargain for a fantastic blue fragrance that gives you around 7 hours of longevity.
There you have it! My top 5 summer cheap fragrances that won’t break your bank but will surely get you compliments! Do you have any of these on this list? What would you add? Comment below!
