Top 10 Cheapies? (<$30-40 fragrances for men)

[lair77]

The cheapie landscape has changed a lot. Several fragrances which were once worthy of inclusion on this list (i.e. Body Kouros, Rive Gauche, Live Jazz, Black XS and so much more) are now double or triple the price they used to be since they haven't been manufactured as much.

So, it's time for a 2022 update. My top 10 is:

1. Cool Water
2. Versace Pour Homme
3. Perry Ellis 360 Red
4. Just Me for Men
5. Paco Rabanne XS
6. Mont Blanc Individuel
7. Versace Dreamer
8. Armaf Milestone
9. Mugler Cologne
10. Armaf CDNIM

Mont Blanc Explorer is just a bit above the threshold, but if you can find a deal on it, I'd put it in the top 10.

Honorable mentions: Burberry London, Burberry Touch, Encre Noire, Tommy Bahama Set Sail St. Barts, Coty Aspen, Insurrection II Pure, Love & Luck, Unforgivable

 

[GoldWineMemories]

It's so hard to give recommendations now in this price range since 2020. I'd had said before Pour un Homme, Guerlain's classics, Sisley's Eau de Campagne. Yatagan is still at this moment in that price range, so that's my 2022 suggestion.

 

[hednic]

Lapidus Pour Homme
Burberry London

 

[Alonewithcologne]

1. Bentley for Men Intense
2. Perry Ellis 360 Red
3. Nautica Voyage
4. Armaf CDNIM
5. Mont Blanc Individuel

Edit: Encre Noir Extreme is good too.

 

[woodnotes55]

Have also found some much less popular than those you mention have still seen price increases once going discontinued. In most cases when found at the physical retailers/discounters they are still cheap, but in the second hand market they are marked up a lot and just sitting there mostly not selling as only the sellers believe they are worth that much more......

With the warning using discounter prices not retail, a lot of choices under $40 including:

Burberry London
Dunhill Edition
Dunhill for Men
Encre Noire (and possibly flankers too)
Ferragamo Pour Homme
Hanae Mori
Halston I-12
Halston Z-14
Jaguar for Men
Lalique LIon/Pour homme

 

[Strange Routine]

Azzaro Pour Homme
Giorgio For Men
Lapidus
Eau De Rochas
Versace L'Homme
Or Black
Quorum
Ungaro Pour Homme III
Aramis
Aramis Devon

 

[paul_alia]

In no particular order

Cremo spice and black vanilla
Cremo Vintage Suede
Cremo Palo Santo
Cremo Silver Water and Birch
Cool Water Intense
Cool Water Parfum
English Laundry Riviera
Original Penguin Premium Blend
Encre Noir
Paris Hilton for Men
Paris Hilton Gold Rush

 

[lair77]

These ones are on my to-try list: Jay-Z Gold, Bentley for Men, Armaf CDN Sillage, Cool Water Intense, Dylan Blue, Paris Hilton for Men, Gold Rush.

 

[Toxicon]

There are honestly a ton of good scents in this zone when looking at discounters (including the reliable discounters on eBay). Most of my favorites are older scents, many technically discontinued but available cheaply. Here’s a rough top 15 of excellent cheapies.

1. Encre Noire
2. Encre Noire a l’Extreme
3. Cacharel pour l’Homme
4. Jacomo de Jacomo
5. Roger & Gallet Open
6. Azzaro Pour Homme
7. Burberry London
8. Aramis Havana
9. Bentley for Men Absolute
10. Azzaro Visit
11. Quorum Silver
12. Cabochard 2019 (insane value)*
13. Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme
14. Versace l’Homme
15. Lalique Pour Homme (Lion) EDP

* technically feminine but it wears almost exactly like Aramis once you get past the unisex green floral top. Cannot imagine a better fragrance for $13.

 

[Owen Bawn]

Lalique White
Dunhill for Men
Dunhill Century
Bowling Green
Ferragamo Acqua Colonia Essenziale
Woods of Windsor Men
James Bronnley English Fern
James Bronnley EdT Original
4711 Wakening Woods of Scandinavia
Burberry London
A couple of these might be closer to $50 USD

 

[Martialisaragon]

Drakkar Noir
Oscar de la Renta pour lui
One Man Show
Sung Homme
Zino
and
Lomani pH
Taxi
Bogart Bogart
Bourjois Masculin Black Instant
as well

 

[sagebrush]

Cacharel pour l'Homme
Encre Noire and its flankers
Puig Quorum
Roger&Gallet Open
Jacomo de Jacomo

 

[hednic]

Cacharel pour l'Homme
Encre Noire and its flankers
Roger&Gallet Open
Jacomo de Jacomo

These are good ones!

 

[Marty McFly]

ST Dupont Be Exceptional
Mandarina Duck Black Extreme (or Black)
Al Rehab Silver
Missoni Wave
Ferre L'Uomo
Diesel Bad Intense
Cool Water Intense
Montblanc Legend Spirit
Rochas Man
Diesel ++

I would have included Hawas but I looked it up and it seems to average around $50.

 

[Mr. dB]

I'm might go over a few bucks here or there, also testers are available for some of these that get them close:

Issey Miyake L'eau d'Issey Homme
Carven L'Eau Intense
Costume National Homme
Drakkar Noir
Drakkar Intense
Ferragamo Acqua Essenziale Colonia
Lalique Homme (lion)
Davidoff Cool Water
Azarro Chrome Aqua
Al-Haramain Detour Noir

Not only is this list affordable, but it covers a lot of bases.

 

[Ken_Russell]

Many great names already, also adding (though not certain if enough for a top 10) in no particular order:
most Bogart fragrances including but not limited to PH and One Man Show, Chevignon Brand and Best of Chevignon, Yardley Citrus & Wood as well as English Blazer-sometimes also released under the brand of Yardley while at other times by Parfums Bleu, Faconnable Homme, Azzaro PH l'Eau as well as other flankers from the same house and range, but also Azzaro Sport as a non PH Azzaro scent, Brut, Davidoff Champion, Salvador Dali PH, Ungaro for Him

 

[woodnotes55]

Just realized I left off Grey Flannel!!! Inexcusable!!!! If I have to stick to 10 then remove one of the two Dunhills, maybe Dunhill for Men and add Grey Flannel.....

 

[motorcade]

Lapidus Pour Homme

This!

Not sure about the current prices but assuming these remain affordable, here's my other nine (in random order):

Puig Agua Brava
Jovan Sex Appeal
Lomani pour Homme
Jaguar for Men
Atkinsons English Lavender
Azzaro pour Homme L'Eau
Boucheron pour Homme EdT
Giorgio for Men
Tabac Original EdC

 

[Zenwannabee]

I love lists like these. My current faves, off the top of my head:

—Quorum
—Giorgio Beverly Hills PH
—Jaipur EDP
—Boucheron pour Homme EDT or EDP
—Obsession
—Aramis (and most of the Aramis line)
—Azzaro PH
—Versace L’Homme
—Cool Water
—Tabac
—Paul Sebastian PS

Honorable mentions: Pierre Cardin PM, Black Suede, Stetson, Lomani PH, Michael Jordan Legend, Joop!, Mont Blanc Individuel

And always on my countertop: Brut and Old Spice… 🙂

 

[milkbaby]

Off the top of my head, my personal top ten faves under $40:
1. Rochas Moustache EDP
2. Burberry London
3. Liz Claiborne Bora Bora Exotic
4. Cremo Bourbon & Oak
5. Calvin Klein Obsession
6. Elizabeth Taylor Passion for Men
7. Lattafa Raghba Wood Intense
8. Lalique Le Parfum
9. Afnan Rare Carbon
10. Calvin Klein Eternity
Honorable mentions: Drakkar Noir and Lapidus Pour Homme

Ask me again in 2 days or maybe 2 hours, and the order and even the perfumes may change... 😅

 

[Brooks Otterlake]

Cremo Vintage Suede

This one is very, very good.

 

[lair77]

This post has made be try out Mont Blanc Individuel some more. I'm loving this. It's moving up higher and higher on my cheapie list. My decant of it is nearly empty, and I feel a sadness. Will get a full bottle.

 

[PASCUAL]

ferragamo pour homme
ferragamo uomo
zegna forte
ch chic

 

[Mr G]

1. New West
2. Tommy
3. Eternity
4. Boss Bottled
5. Bentley Intense
6. Bentley Absolute
7. Drakkar Noir
8. Lapidus
9. Azzaro
10. Detour Noir

 

[Eilenberg]

There are honestly a ton of good scents in this zone when looking at discounters (including the reliable discounters on eBay). Most of my favorites are older scents, many technically discontinued but available cheaply. Here’s a rough top 15 of excellent cheapies.

1. Encre Noire
2. Encre Noire a l’Extreme
3. Cacharel pour l’Homme
4. Jacomo de Jacomo
5. Roger & Gallet Open
6. Azzaro Pour Homme
7. Burberry London
8. Aramis Havana
9. Bentley for Men Absolute
10. Azzaro Visit
11. Quorum Silver
12. Cabochard 2019 (insane value)*
13. Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme
14. Versace l’Homme
15. Lalique Pour Homme (Lion) EDP

* technically feminine but it wears almost exactly like Aramis once you get past the unisex green floral top. Cannot imagine a better fragrance for $13.

Cabochard is a fragrance that I have had on my to-test list for months. Can you comment on how feminine it is?

 

[Toxicon]

Cabochard is a fragrance that I have had on my to-test list for months. Can you comment on how feminine it is?

I’m getting more comfortable wearing unisex florals myself (as a guy) and I really like it, but I would say the top notes lean feminine (galbanum plus jasmine, ylang ylang, and rose), while the base swerves closer to the “masculine” leather chypre base from Aramis. The EDP leans more feminine than the EDT; the EDP is a bit smoother overall, more floral, slightly rounder and heavier in the base. The EDT is initially louder, sharper, greener, and less floral, so it feels closer to a masculine; it doesn’t last quite as long but it hits that Aramis leather note much sooner.

I love both, to be honest, though they are very close to Aramis overall. If you don’t like the green galbanum opening and leather base of Aramis, you won’t like Cabochard either. It’s a distinctly old fashioned style of perfumery, but beautiful if you’re in the mood for it. And the 2019 Cab reformulations are particularly well done for the price.

 

[DeathArrow]

Aramis
Grey Flannel
Azzaro pour Homme
Paco Rabanne pour Homme
Bogart Signature
Ted Lapidus pour Homme
Al Rehab Lord
Al Rehab Dakar
Quorum
Basile Uomo
Malizia Vetyver

 

[ultravisitor]

Boucheron Jaipur Homme

 

[hednic]

Off the top of my head, my personal top ten faves under $40:
1. Rochas Moustache EDP
2. Burberry London
8. Lalique Le Parfum

These three are very nice!

 

[N.CAL Fragrance Reviewer]

Burberry London, Thierry Mugler AMEN, Davidoff Cool Water

 

[The Colognnoisseur]

In alpha order:
1. 1-12
2. Aramis
3. Azzaro Pour Homme
4. Chrome
5. Cool Water
6. Encre Noire
7. Grey Flannel
8. Quorum
9. Tommy
10. Z-14

 

[Coriolan48]

Valcan Kanebo
Arden Men Sandalwood Elizabeth Arden
Insense Ultramarine Givenchy

and sometimes
Mr. Blass Bill Blass

 

[milkbaby]

Burberry London, Thierry Mugler AMEN, Davidoff Cool Water

Good choices but it's getting hard to find A*Men under $40 at discounters unfortunately. I'm also wondering if it's potentially on the chopping block as it seems to be an online only exclusive at least in the US? Someone please correct me if I'm wrong...

 

[Dandydude]

10 good ones
Fragrance of Ireland Patrick
Azzaro Pour Homme
Lalique Pour Homme
Nautica voyage
Mugler Cologne
Tabac original
4711
Rasasi Woody
Rasasi Shurah
Rasasi Hawas

These also come to mind
Ungaro Pour L’Homme III
Egra
Daarej
Enteeba
Lalique white
Encre noir sport
Geir ness
Cool water
Perry Ellis 360 red
Old spice
Tabac Original
Carvin Vetiver
carvin Homme

 

[SixCats]

Hi all, 2023 "best (actually outstanding) low cost" Fragrances:

Lalique Encre Noire (and flankers)
Pinaud Lilac Vegetal
Gray Flannel
Tabac
Halston Z-14
Boucheron pour Homme
Attar 96 Majuma Perfume Oil
Bogart (offerings)
Salvador Dali Cologne
1881 by Nino Cerruti

SixCats!

​

 

[Bauhaus]

Jacques Bogart – Bogart
Dunhill – X-Centric
Ted Lapidus – Lapidus pour Homme Black Extreme
Roger & Gallet – Open
Arrogance – Arrogance Uomo
Geoffrey Beene – Grey Flannel
Lomani pour Homme
Alfred Sung – Sung Homme
Al Rehab – Lord
Al Rehab – Dakar

 

[Sebadov]

1. Authentic Moment Man by Abercrombie & Fitch.
2. Paco Rabanne Black XS (before reformulation 2018) - Cheap at least in my country.
3. Armaf CDNIM EDP.
4. Animale animale
5. Lapidus

 

[banusist]

No particular order (and based off grey market, not MSRP):

Versace l'Homme
Sung Homme
Aramis Devin
Dunhill Edition
Bijan Men
Quorum
Roger & Gallet Open (honestly, the whole line)
Calvin Klein Escape
Grey Flannel
Juicy Couture Dirty English

 

[Mythrol]

There are some great suggestions already in the thread. What I wanted to highlight is there are some amazing Middle Eastern clones out there in this price range. Some fragrances that I thought I’d always be buying or that I was disappointed in the quality drop has been nearly or totally replaced by cheap clones that to my nose are just as good as the original.

 

[kreteknose]

Do any in this price range have real projection?