Buying perfume can put a dent in your bank balance and I was personally sick of being broke in the name of smelling good. But with quite a few perfume discount retailers out there, I found that I could get my favorite scents for a lot less.
Some websites offer better discounts but have shorter return periods whereas others aren’t as generous in their discounts but loyalty schemes make them a better option.
I’d definitely advise shopping around for the best deal.
I’ve spent an unthinkable amount of money on perfume over the years, as I’m sure you have. While it is never going to be a cheap product, there are ways to get a bit of money off your favorite fragrances.
I’ve found some real gems where you can purchase tons of designer and niche fragrances for a fraction of the cost. In this guide, I’ll review some of my finds.
15 Fragrance Discounters
Wondering where to get a discounted fragrance? The internet is littered with choice but you have to be mindful that some retailers offer better discounts than others. Moreover, you’ll need to factor in shipping costs and sales.
For the purposes of these reviews, I’ve looked for some common fragrances as well as those that are a little more difficult to get your hands on.
1. Luckyscent
I’m not going to lie, having read some shocking reviews of Luckyscent, I was a little hesitant to try this website out. On Trustpilot, I noticed issues with customer service, incorrect orders, and even watered down fragrances. However, it seems that for the latter, LuckyScent were willing to offer refunds or replacements so this sparked a little hope.
My initial thoughts when viewing the website were that this appeared to be one of the simpler perfume discounters. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed what an excellent selection of fragrances Luckyscent offered. If you’re a niche fan then there are tons of perfumes that’ll take your fancy here.
For example, I took a look at Un Oud by Obvious Parfums, a relatively new fragrance that’s probably not all that well known. Sure enough, it featured on Luckyscent but I was a little disheartened that they were charging MORE per 100ml than the actual manufacturer.
I wonder though, whether this is because Obvious Parfums only ships to France and the United Kingdom. If you’re buying in the USA, the bottles would have to be imported for retail and that’s going to up the cost. However, I also wonder whether it would be cheaper to have a European friend place your order and ship it to you. After all, the perfume was a whopping $25 more on Luckyscent.
They do stock some brilliant niche brands but this isn’t a website where you’ll find your classic designer perfumes like YSL, Chanel, Dior, and Armani. But I was beyond elated to find Lost Cherry by Tom Ford. However, the price, at $550 for 100 ml was no different than the official TF website so you’re not really saving anything.
The shipping costs for Luckyscent are also astronomical. Even if you spend more than $200, they still want $8 shipping, and that’s only if you live in the mainland USA. You could pay up to $65 for next day air delivery. For me, this is just all too much and there are far more affordable ways to get your hands on your favorite scents.
That said, if you are unable to buy directly from niche brands and can’t find your chosen perfume on other websites, this is a viable option. Just be prepared to pay for the privilege.
2. Maxaroma
Maxaroma is another niche perfume supplier that’s got a far better reputation than LuckyScent which drew me in from the off. However, the range of perfumes isn’t quite as vast as the previous website. I looked again for Un Oud and was unable to find it although Maxaroma did offer me an alternative suggestion in the form of Montale Oudrising.
I also liked that Maxaroma stocks a range of designer perfumes so if you’re looking for fan favorites, this is a great website. I chose Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire which is currently on sale on Maxaroma for just under $60. If you look on the official Guerlain page, you’ll see that it’s retailing for around $150. One thing I did notice, however, is that Maxaroma sells testers so that’s likely why the price is so low.
Maxaroma does ship globally but the price of this depends on where you live. Since this is a US based company, American buyers get free standard shipping on a lot of products. But if you live further afield, you could pay up to $25. Whether this is worth it or not is something you’ll have to work out when choosing your products and how much you’ll save.
I have seen a LOT of positive reviews for this company and most of them talk about the speed of delivery. This is something that is a major selling point for me as I want to be able to get my hands on my fragrance as quickly as possible.
I also love that there’s a loyalty program. When you purchase perfumes, you earn points which can later be redeemed against other purchases. It did not go unnoticed that there were a good number of payment options aside from debit or credit card which included AfterPay, AmazonPay and PayPal. I really like this versatility as I don’t always want to pay in the same way.
I looked into returning an item and was very pleased to see that this is totally free (as long as the product is still in an acceptable condition, of course.) You’ve got 30 days to return and you’ll get a full refund. This is one of the most hassle free returns I’ve seen across all discount fragrance sites.
3. Notino
Notino is a website that serves all of the European countries. I started by looking for a bottle of the classic Chloe fragrance which was nicely priced at £33.75 for a 30 ml bottle. This was almost half of the full price so I was very pleasantly surprised.
This did get me thinking that there would be a catch; but there wasn’t. In fact, upon viewing my cart, there was even the offer of a free gift. The choices included things like a bracelet or a Chloe pouch; very impressive! So then, surely they were going to catch me out on shipping?
Nope! Shipping was just £3.99 which is pretty standard and there were a few payment choices including PayPal and even bank transfer. There weren’t as many payment options as some other sites I looked at and there’s no option to pay in installments but at these prices, I don’t think you’d need to.
So, onto my search for more difficult to find fragrances and I looked for Dior Eden Roc to no avail. However, when searching for the niche brand, Roja, I was pleased to find a huge range of options including Amber Aoud at £420.50 for 100 ml compared to the £595 Roja Parfums were asking on their website.
One thing that really stood out to me was the guarantee of genuine products and this is reflected in the brilliant reviews of the company. Plus, with a 90 day return period, that’s one of the most generous I’ve seen.
I personally feel that Notino is one of the best discount perfume retailers. It’s just a shame that they only operate in Europe.
4. FragranceX
I’d heard a lot of good things about FragranceX and with 4.3 out of 5 on Trustpilot, I had high hopes. Upon entering the website, I was instantly offered a further 15% off if I signed up for emails. If you don’t mind receiving mail then it’s definitely worth it, even if you cancel your subscription after you place your order.
The range of products on FragranceX is really impressive. I went for a bottle of Si by Armani as this is one of my favorite fragrances. For 30ml, they’re asking $71 which isn’t the biggest saving in the world since I found this at full price for a little over $72. That said, I think this is a brilliant choice if you’re looking for travel sprays as there are tons of really affordable samples with a mini spray of Si at just $35.
But what about perfumes that are harder to come by? Niche brands? Well, the women’s version of Creed Aventus was pretty easy to find here and came with a saving of 28% – that’s very welcome on such a pricey perfume.
Standard shipping in the USA is $5.95 or if you spend more than $35, you’ll get it delivered for free. However, for the rest of the world, there’s a shipping calculator that works out what you’ll pay according to the number of items in your cart. It’s worth weighing these shipping costs up with the savings to see if you are actually getting a good deal.
I was also a little dismayed at the returns policy. While you can return your item within 30 days, FragranceX will deduct $5.95 from your refund for the privilege. Personally, I think there are far too many intricacies involved with the ordering and returns process for this to be somewhere I’d regularly shop.
5. Perfume.com
I have heard a lot of good things about Perfume.com and it’s no surprise since this company has been operating since 1995 and has more than 19,000 excellent Trustpilot reviews.
So, off on my search I went and decided to take a look first at some common perfumes. I looked for Versace Bright Crystal which was selling for around $49 for 50 ml which is a good deal compared to the $77 Versace are demanding on their official website. Plus, there’s even a little 20% off voucher you can use by entering your email address and signing up to the mailing list.
This was a seriously impressive discount so I wanted to look for other perfumes to discover their full range. They have most of the well-loved niche brands such as Byredo, Diptyque, and of course, Creed, and I found that all of the prices were considerably lower than the websites of the brands.
With that in mind, I had to question what the shipping costs would be. Would they boost the price so much that the discount faded to insignificance? No, they didn’t! In fact, Perfume.com offers free shipping in most instances. However, since they deliver to more than 220 countries, there may be tax fees involved but there is a handy calculator that’ll give you a clear idea of what you’ll need to pay.
I love the fact that perfume.com also sells testers. These are bottles with less than perfect packaging and will earn you even bigger savings. Unless you’re buying fragrance as a gift, I think that the condition of the box really doesn’t matter.
Returns can be fully refunded (excluding shipping costs) within 30 days of purchase. However, since it’s your responsibility to return the package to the company, you’ll incur some of your own postage fees. If you’re buying from anywhere other than the USA, this probably won’t be worth it so I’d advise you not to blind buy from this website.
6. FragranceNet
Before I get into anything else, I wanted to discuss the terrible reviews about customer service when using FragranceNet. People are complaining about late or missing deliveries as well as a lack of contact regarding issues. This did put me off slightly but I’m all for giving a company a fair try before making a decision and there was a seriously redeeming quality that came in the form of variety.
Upon searching ‘women’s perfumes’ I was confronted with over 10,000 results. Clearly, there’s plenty of choice. I was easily able to find all of my favorite scents like Calvin Klein Obsession, Flowerbomb by Viktor and Rolf, and Angel by Mugler.
Let’s see how the prices compare. We’ll take a look at Angel which sells for $163 for 50 ml and beats the $180 on the Mugler website. However, for this particular perfume, I did notice that, if you become a Mugler member, you can buy direct for the same price as FragranceNet without the risk of terrible customer service.
However, another aspect that I thought really boosted the credibility of FragranceNet was how many payment options there were. On top of this, there’s the option of free shipping in the USA on orders over $59. If you’re an international user, then you’ll need to use the shipping calculator to find out whether this is worth your while.
7. Fragrance Direct
I have used Fragrance Direct many times over the course of my perfume journey. One of the things that attracts me is the ‘pay in installments’ option using Clearpay or Klarna. If you’re looking for cheap perfume that you don’t have to pay for upfront then this is a great way to save money.
I’ve never really had a problem with finding the fragrance I want on this website and I recently purchased a bottle of the new Prada Paradoxe for around $12 (£10), cheaper than the regular retail price. There’s even an additional 10% discount for students and if you sign up for emails, you’ll get tailored deals directly to your inbox.
I noticed that the choice of perfumes drops completely for US users and that’s because of delivery laws which I’ll explain shortly.
If you’re in the UK, you’ll find that you have far more choice. Looking through the US Fragrance Direct website, I was hard pushed to find favorites like Libre by YSL which is a fragrance I’d have expected to be able to access.
That said, even on the UK site, I found it difficult to find anything from a brand like Penhaligons so if you’re shopping for a seriously high-end fragrance, this might not be the website for you.
Fragrance Direct ships to Europe, Australia, and North America, and the shipping fees are very low. However, sadly, for US users, the company doesn’t ship perfumes due to aviation regulations so you’re only able to buy things like body lotions, make up, and other beauty products from the site.
I did like the fact that you get up to 60 days to return your products if you’re not happy and this is totally free.
8. Perfumania
When I entered the Perfumania website, I was given the option to enter my email and get a further 5% off. I thought this was a bit stingy as most retailers were offering at least 10% off when signing up for the mailing list.
But onwards and upwards and I discovered a great range of designer fragrances including Daisy by Marc Jacobs. This was selling for $74.95 with a saving of 16%. Although it is difficult to make an exact price comparison as MJ doesn’t actually sell the perfume directly on its website but directs you to other (full priced) retailers.
Perfumania has some glowing reviews online that talk about the high standard of customer service. Customer service seems to be one area that a lot of discounters fail so I was really pleased to see this.
There’s a clearance section of the website offering further discounts. Although they were mainly celebrity perfumes and lower end brands.
The whole process of ordering was super simple and you get free shipping when you spend more than $59. Perfumania isn’t an international site so this discounter is only suitable for US customers.
9. Nordstrom
I know what you’re thinking; Nordstrom isn’t a discount perfume website. Correct! But it has frequent sales that you can use to your advantage when looking for a new signature scent.
I had been looking on a lot of discount sites for Penhaligon’s scents but to no avail. Nordstrom has almost the full range of these luxury perfumes but they do retail at the same price as on Penhaligon’s website; $265 for 100 ml of Halfeti.
But if you sign up for email alerts, you’ll be notified of when things are on offer. I can’t guarantee that these luxury brands will be included but I did find one of my favorite scents: Libre by YSL in the Holiday Sale with up to 15% off the normal retail price. Time to stock up? Yes, I think so!
The great thing about shopping with a trusted brand like Nordstrom is that the customer service experience is reliable. Shipping is free across the United States including to Alaska and Hawaii plus you have the option to pick up in store if you prefer. Returns are hassle-free although it can take up to 14 days to process your refund.
One of the things that really makes Nordstrom stand out is their rewards system. If you regularly shop here then it’s worth signing up for the Nordy Club where you’ll earn points called ‘notes’ every time you spend. These can then be redeemed against future purchases, saving you more money on fragrance.
There’s also a Nordstrom credit card and when you sign up, you get a $40 voucher. However, since there are a good number of payment options, I’d think carefully about taking out a credit card if you don’t need to.
10. Sephora
Sephora is one of the bigger beauty retailers online and offers a wide range of health and beauty products, including fragrance. Now, don’t be fooled. In most cases, you’re going to pay the RRP but there are regular sales on the website which are worth checking out.
From my experience, the perfume sale seems to only cover minis, so you probably shouldn’t bother unless you’re looking for a gift set or traveling spray. But the savings are decent. For example, the mini Good Fortune and Flowerbomb gift set by Viktor and Rolf were on sale at just $30 which gives you a saving of $20. The perfect gift idea for the holidays!
Sephora ships pretty much everywhere in the world and has recently added the UK to its list of destinations which has really excited beauty influencers on platforms like TikTok. In the USA, you can get free shipping on all orders although there’s an option to upgrade to fast delivery for a fee.
But having ordered from Sephora in the past, the delivery time is usually only a few days so unless you’re in a real hurry, I’d just be patient and save on the shipping fee. There’s also an option to buy online and pick it up at your local store.
You can return an order up to 30 days after purchase for a full refund or up to 60 days for online credit. I noticed that during the holidays Sephora even extends its returns period which again reiterates my point that this retailer is great for shopping for fragrances during the holiday season!
11. Ulta
Every time I visit Ulta, I see some type of discount code proudly displayed on the Ulta website. The last time I checked, the offer was $10 off when you spend $50. Additionally, across the entire website, you get free shipping when you spend $35 which is a great saver. But again, as with the previous retailer, note that Ulta only ships to the United States.
I think Ulta is great for fragrance gift sets and has a lot of samples which is great if you don’t want to spend a lot trying to find your new signature scent. When it comes to full-sized bottles, there’s a really nice range of perfumes including well-known perfumes like Miss Dior.
This perfume retails on Ulta at $90 for 30 ml which is the exact same price you’d pay directly from the brand. Not really a discount then, is it Ulta? That said, with the discount code on the homepage, I was able to get this for $80 so it’s not all bad.
Now, I cannot write a review of Ulta without mentioning the somewhat horrific reputation this retailer has earned itself online. Incorrect orders, no contact when there’s a problem, staff with little knowledge or willingness to assist; the list goes on. I personally didn’t have to deal with any of this so I can only go off what I’ve heard. All I’ll say is err on the side of caution especially considering that Ulta suggests making any returns in store even for online purchases which means making a special trip.
12. Amazon
Amazon has got to be one of the most well-known retailers in the world and while it’s not necessarily a discount website, you can find some good deals here. Where I’ve struggled to find some of the higher-end perfumes that are generally only available directly from the brand on other sites, Amazon comes through in a lot of cases.
For example, I tried looking for Oud Ispahan by Dior which came up as the first search item. The problem? The seller was trying to flog it for almost double the price of Dior; no thanks!
But what about more common fragrances? Well, how about Good Girl by Carolina Herrera? Again, it was super easy to find and there were lots of options at varying prices. On Amazon, you can get a 50ml bottle for around $82. On the official CH website, you’re looking at paying $98 for the same perfume so this is a clear saving.
One of the best things about Amazon is the speed of delivery. In most cases, your perfume will be with you the next day. The longest you’ll have to wait is a few days and if you’re not happy, it’s so easy to return a package. In my experience, Amazon returns have gone smoothly and the money is back in my account promptly.
Generally speaking I think that you do have to be careful when buying perfume from Amazon as it’s so easy for sellers to list (very convincing) fakes. Therefore, I recommend checking out the reviews on each fragrance you’re tempted by before committing; if something seems too good to be true then it probably is.
Unlike some other discount perfumers, customers don’t have the luxury of using Klarna. However, Amazon does offer a pay in three plan dependent on credit, although this is only available on larger orders.
13. Strawberrynet
To be honest, I hadn’t heard of StrawberryNet until recently. But what I found surprised me. For starters, the range of fragrances was brilliant, with brands like Serge Lutens, Bond No 9, and Kilian among the ranks.
So I decided to compare Kilian prices and for a bottle of Good Girl Gone Bad, you’re paying $267 for 50 ml. Surprisingly, this was around the same price as the official Kilian website so I was a little disappointed. That said, you get 10% off your first order, which somewhat reduces the price.
If there was one thing that made me want to leave the StrawberryNet website while browsing it was the annoying pop up chat in the corner. It kept beeping every few seconds and started to drive me crazy; not a way to keep people looking in my opinion.
But something did redeem this minor annoyance and that was the option to join the StrawberryNet points system. As you’d expect, you get points on purchases which you can use to get money off in the future. So, while the prices aren’t that discounted at Strawberrynet, if you buy a lot of fragrance, you’ll benefit from this in the long run.
It’s great that there are so many payment options on this website, and over $50 gets you free worldwide shipping.
14. La Belle Perfumes
La Belle Perfumes has been in operation as a wholesaler since the mid 80s so it’s certainly one with a lot of experience. I instantly spotted fragrances that I know and love, like Alien Goddess and Jimmy Choo. There’s also a clearance section with well-known scents from brands like Hugo Boss and Mont Blanc.
But I was surprised by how many luxury fragrances I found. Some discounters don’t stock many of these brands, but I found Delina by Parfums be Marly in a 75 ml bottle for a whopping $33 less than the RRP. For fans of Creed, Green Irish Tweed was on La Bella Perfumes for almost $200 cheaper than anywhere else.
So, what’s the catch?
So far, I haven’t seen one. The fragrances are all 100% genuine and you even get free shipping on orders over $150. Yes, that’s a little more to spend than other sites but there aren’t any others that offer these kinds of discounts. Yet bear in mind that international shipping may cost more and you’ll need to contact the company for more details.
If there’s one thing I didn’t like, it’s that you only get a 21 day return period which is nothing compared to the 90 day returns from Notino. Still, that’s a small price to pay in my opinion.
15. Perfume Direct
With free shipping on larger orders and a 10% discount available right away, Perfume Direct certainly feels like it’s worth checking out. I actually ordered a bottle of My Way by Armani from this website a few weeks back and the delivery was super speedy and came with a free sample of another perfume.
On this website, I found many favorites such as Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier, Dior’s Poison Girl, and Alien by Mugler. However, I grew annoyed that there weren’t such classics as Chanel No 5. But they did have some niche brands like Juliette Has A Gun and Bond No 9 which isn’t something you always stumble across on discount sites. Nice touch!
You don’t have details of the RRP on Perfume Direct as on other websites such as Fragrance Direct. However, it only took a quick check on Google to see what I was saving which wasn’t as much as I’d had hoped – I’m talking a couple of dollars. Still, money off is money off, right?
Perfume Direct is another website that offers Clearpay and Klarna and plenty of other payment options like PayPay and various credit and debit cards. However, as far as I can see, this discounter only operates in the UK.
It’s a good thing I didn’t want to return my product as the returns process involves getting in touch with the customer service team for ‘further advice’. While I haven’t used the returns service myself, I have read many positive reviews regarding customer service on Trustpilot so while it’s a little more hassle than some websites, it’s not complicated.
