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Recommended Fragrances under $40

When I joined B&B in December 2012, it was invaluable in learning about traditional wet-shaving, which led to my current passion for fragrances. If you think there are a lot of choices for wet-shaving products, that's nothing compared to the number of fragrances to choose from. An old thread was devoted to Favorite inexpensive fragrances under $35. I'm including the link because it was and is a great reference. I am still always on the lookout for inexpensive, but good frags, but as a newbie, it was really helpful. Fragrance samples are a good way to go, but often a blind-buy of an inexpensive frag can be a reasonable choice. Of course, it is always safest to try before you buy. So, allowing for inflation, here is my list of recommendations for fragrances $40 or less. To allow for a wide range, I think I would go as small as 1 oz. bottles. I am providing the name of the fragrance, volume, and a price (rounded up to the nearest dollar) that I have verified on the internet (primarily online discounters, Amazon, or Ebay). I'd love to see your recommendations!

Agua Brava, 3.4 oz., $15 (A recent acquisition and I'm kicking myself for not trying it sooner. Nice pine note plus a base like Quorum's, but not a powerhouse. This definitely goes into the rotation.)
Aramis EdT, 3.7 oz, $26 (Old school, powerhouse especially before dry-down, mellows out however.)
Azzaro Pour Homme, 4 oz., $30 (A great, affordable fougere.)
Bentley for Men, 3.4 oz., $30 (Another recent acquisition. Beautiful, and a favorite of mine and SWMBO.)
Brut EdC in glass bottle, 3 oz., $16 (A richer "barbershop" fougere. So underrated, just don't say what it is when you're asked.)
Canoe EdT, 8 oz., $28 (Classic "barbershop" fougere.)
Cuba Gold, Blue, Red, and Orange, 4 x 1.17 oz., $14 (yep, four 1.17 ounce bottles for $14!)
Encre Noir, 3.4 oz., $30 (Lovely vetiver scent.)
English Leather Cologne, 8 oz., $24
Grey Flannel, 4 oz., $17 (You see a love-hate relationship on B&B, really strong note before dry-down, I like it, but couldn't wear it everyday.)
Guerlain Vetiver, 3.4, $39 (The classic vetiver.)
Lagerfeld Classic, 5 oz, $15 (Powdery, musky. Better than Jovan Musk. I only wear it occasionally.)
Malizia Uomo Vetiver, 1.7 oz., $14 (A drugstore scent in Italy, I'm told. Vetiver with a nice citrusy opening.)
Old Spice Classic Cologne, 4.25 oz., $14 (I haven't tried the Shulton or foreign versions. I did have to buy an old ceramic bottle for transfer. :redface-new:)
Pierre Cardin Pour Homme, 8 oz., $26 (Huge bottle, what a bargain! I love this and it has a permanent spot in my rotation.)
Pino Silvestre, 4.2 oz., $16 (Truly piney, neat-looking bottle.)
Pour un Homme de Caron, 4.2 oz., $35 (Lavender & vanilla. Beautiful, classic scent.)
Quorum, 3.4 oz., $13 (Beautiful, rich scent. Powerful, just apply judiciously.)
Sung Homme, 3.4 oz., $14 (Powerhouse, imho. I liked the scent, similar to Irish Spring soap, but I did not replace it when finished.)
Stetson Original Cologne, 1.5 oz., $8 (Not especially "masculine", a nice floral for men. I did not replace it when finished.)
Tabac EdC, 10.1 oz., $24 (Another hotly debated fragrance. The EdC seems to have a better reputation, and is not at all weak.)
Taxi, 3.4 oz., $11 (Wins the ugly bottle award, but it's a very easy-to-wear scent, similar to Irish Spring soap.)
Zirh Ikon, 2.5 oz., $13 (I liked this, but did not replace it when finished.)
 
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Correction:

Pierre Cardin Pour Homme Monsieur, 8 oz., $26 (Huge bottle, what a bargain! I love this and it has a permanent spot in my rotation.)

I'm a little embarrassed to admit I've been confusing the two names. I meant Pour Monsieur (the left photo) and I was unaware of that there is a Pour Homme (the right photo) which I have never tried.

pierre cardin pour monsieur.jpgpierre cardin pour homme.jpeg
 
Fantastic list. Definitely something to save as future reference. Thx for posting. Unfortunately I have nothing to add in. But I appreciate the list and the work that went into it.
Thank you for responding. The thread has languished, but maybe others, like Multum in Parvo will contribute! That's what I'm hoping for. :001_rolle
 

Ron R

I survived a lathey foreman
I have some Ach Brito Lavanda cologne, aftershave. It has a nice mild scent of lavender & woodsy base notes and this company has been making it for Generations. Priced around $28 US at Fredrihan Canada, good company to deal with online.
Nothing over whelming scent wise and should not upset some folks in the office environment settings IMO, its more for personal gratification pleasure scent IMO. I decanted & cut with W.Hazel some & always spray some from a 50ml mister mid arm also for testing strength longevity. It has some staying power but not a strong fragrance.
SOTD,  Sep 27th 2021.jpg

Have some great shaves!
 
I have some Ach Brito Lavanda cologne, aftershave. It has a nice mild scent of lavender & woodsy base notes and this company has been making it for Generations. Priced around $28 US at Fredrihan Canada, good company to deal with online.
Nothing over whelming scent wise and should not upset some folks in the office environment settings IMO, its more for personal gratification pleasure scent IMO. I decanted & cut with W.Hazel some & always spray some from a 50ml mister mid arm also for testing strength longevity. It has some staying power but not a strong fragrance.
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Have some great shaves!
Very informative, thanks!
 
Halston Z14 can be had for around $20-$25 for the set of Aftershave & Cologne, in a fairly generous bottle size. Love the smell, and it has some staying power. - Bonus points that my wife really like the scent as well.

Give Stirling Green a try, it's their interpretation of the original Polo (Green). Never used genuine Polo, but Stirling's Green smell awesome, possibly my favorite scent, and lasts all day. Sadly it's seasonal and hit or miss if they're making it, but simply awesome smelling.
 
Some great ones on these lists. I don’t see Cool Water yet, so I’ll mention that one, which is a great inexpensive fragrance.

I’ll also mention that you can get Dunhill Icon (the original, 2015 version) 1.7 oz for ~$30.00 at discount sites. It is a very fresh EDP that combines a citrus burst reminiscent of 4711 with a barbershop lavender and oak moss combo (there’s a generous dose of real oak moss in it!), vetiver, and oud. It’s one of my personal faves.
 
I just got a bottle of Art of Shaving Oud suede “intense cologne” in the mail! Yes it’s stupid expensive at retail, but there are 1oz bottles on Ebay for around $25 plus shipping right now. It’s really strong and long lasting, the label isn’t lying! Lol I like it so much I’m thinking about nabbing a 3.3 oz bottle a seller has for $60!
 
I have a bunch of cheapie EdTs, which I purchased from the likes of Ross and Marshall's. Among my favorites are Burberry London, Salvatore Ferragamo Pour Homme, Nautica Blue Sail, and Geoffrey Beane Grey Flannel (I got an 8 oz. bottle for $10 🙂).

I started my journey into the cheapies when I was in high school with Calvin Klein Eternity, Calvin Klein Escape, and Hugo Boss Hugo. Unfortunately, the reformulations have changed the scent and performance of these EdTs. They're not worth the purchase price any more, IMHO.

For clones, I really like English Laundry. In fact, of the English Laundry EdTs I've tried, I really like London and Windsor a lot. Riviera and Tahitian Waters are also both pretty good. That said, I could not stand Notting Hill.
 
FrangranceX.com has 3.4 oz bottles of Aramis Devin for about $24. The reformulated version, but still pretty good juice to me. They have a bunch of the other Aramis flankers for pretty cheap, too. I assume all are decent. I hate that they reformulated Havana, but I do not think it is a bad scent even reformulated.

Various of the Art of Shaving's current scent offering have showed up at TJ Maxx, very aggressively priced--under $40 if I recall--but very, very hit or miss. I only own the Vetiver Cintron, which I think is great. But I think I have sampled all the others and I think they are all high quality. If I found them at TJ Maxx I would probably buy any of them.
 
FrangranceX.com has 3.4 oz bottles of Aramis Devin for about $24. The reformulated version, but still pretty good juice to me. They have a bunch of the other Aramis flankers for pretty cheap, too. I assume all are decent. I hate that they reformulated Havana, but I do not think it is a bad scent even reformulated.

Various of the Art of Shaving's current scent offering have showed up at TJ Maxx, very aggressively priced--under $40 if I recall--but very, very hit or miss. I only own the Vetiver Cintron, which I think is great. But I think I have sampled all the others and I think they are all high quality. If I found them at TJ Maxx I would probably buy any of them.

I really need to try Aramis Havana. I’ve heard great things about it for some time.
 
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