Jil Sander Sun

Jil Sander’s Sun feels like one of those fragrances that has been around for ages and in truth, it has. Launched originally in 1989 it is still, 36 whole years later, one of the most iconic beachy fragrances you can buy. Its longevity in the market comes from the fact that it simply smells fantastic. Penned by perfumer (Frederic Malle , Davidoff Cool Water for Men), Sun perfectly captures the scent of sun kissed skin, evoking bronzed bodies baking on a golden beach. It’s warm, with waxy and heady ylang, but also soft and creamy with vanilla. But underneath that is a rich, animalic 1980s base that gives a sense of oomph. It’s gorgeous stuff.

Ghost The Fragrance

Perfumer (Dior’s Fahrenheit, Gucci Rush) created Ghost’s signature fragrance at the turn of the millennium. Whilst Ghost as a fashion brand is more well known for its vintage-inspired design, Ghost The Fragrance was incredibly forward thinking and modern. Overlapping rose, incense, and musk, Ghost is an airy, ethereal fragrance with a sweet, dewy quality set against a silvery, resinous backdrop. It is lightweight but incredibly diffusive, created in an abstract way that perfectly captured the cyber aesthetic of the year 2000.

Salvador Dalì Parfum de Toilette

Did you know that surrealist painter Salvador Dalì had a fragrance? Did you also know that it was created by the legendary perfumer , the nose behind iconic fragrances such as Kenzo Flower, CK One, and Gucci Bloom? Well, now you do. Dalì is a fantastic chimera of a fragrance. An opulent, powdery, mossy, resinous, and floral affair that wouldn’t feel out of place on the shelves of Guerlain or Chanel. It’s nowhere as near as abstract as a Dalì painting, but it is as warm and comforting as his colour palette often was, and for less than £30, it’s like owning a piece of art and olfactory history.

CK Be

Everyone talks about (rightfully so), but nobody talks about CK Be. Coming 2 years after the homogenous concept that was CK One, CK Be was all about individuality, encouraging the wearer to be themselves. OK fine, that’s all marketing speak that doesn’t really mean much, and in reality, it’s simply a fantastic modern fougère. CK Be is a clean, transparent lavender with hints of grass, sweet flowers, and woods. It’s lightweight, sparse, and mineral in a way that is beautifully ‘90s. Everyone may have been obsessed with CK One, but CK Be should definitely not be overlooked.

Rochas Moustache

Looking through Rochas catalogue of fragrances is like browsing the perfume Hall of Fame. They have hit after hit after hit, icon after icon after icon, banger after banger after banger. Moustache is one of them and this revamped Eau de Parfum version (which bears no resemblance to the original from 1949) is a deliciously on-trend masculine that pairs rose with chocolatey woods and a jolt of pink pepper. It feels elegant and handsome, but also energetic and cheeky. Moustaches are bang on trend right now and this sprayable one certainly is too.

Lalique Encre Noire

How is it that one of the greatest vetiver fragrances of all time is also one of the cheapest? For that question I have no answer, but what I can tell you is that Lalique’s Encre Noire is a cult classic at a ridiculously affordable price point. Inspired by black ink, the fragrance centres on a soft, smoky, earthy and rooty vetiver note carried on a waft of silvery smoke. Encre Noire is an understated, elegant skin scent that has an artsy flair. There’s nothing else quite like it.

Roger & Gallet Fleur de Figuier

To be honest, you could pick any of Roger & Gallet’s ridiculously affordable fragrances and include them in this list. All their scents are good, but Fleur de Figuier is easily their best. Created by perfumer (who needs no introduction), Fleur de Figuier is an incredibly vibrant and juicy take on fig that feels like you’re crushing freshly picked figs in your hand. It has a beautiful freshness to it, with citrus and greenery, all wrapped up in Kurkdjian’s signature waves of white musks. A pure olfactory delight at a bargain bin price.

Thomas Dunckley

Fragrance Expert, Copywriter, Trainer, Speaker, Podcast/Event Host, known as Making Scents Make Sense on social media and on perfumetok.