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M&S’s TikTok-approved perfumes rival Chanel, Marc Jacobs and more

These eau de toilettes have been likened to a range of designer scents

Lois Borny
Wednesday 22 May 2024 11:43 BST
Prices for the high-street scents start from £10
Prices for the high-street scents start from £10 (iStock/The Independent)

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You can always rely on the high street for purse-friendly riffs on cult favourite products, and one retailer that’s been known to deliver in the olfactory department is Marks and Spencer.

The smoky warmth eau de parfum from the M&S apothecary range racked up views on TikTok owing to its striking resemblance to Le Labo’s santal 33 (£168, Cultbeauty.co.uk). But the retailer has since launched two new scents for the summery months – one of which is likened to Tom Ford fragrance soliel blanc (£187, Lookfantastic.com), while the other is said to be similar to Loewe’s Paula’s Ibiza eau de toilette (£77, Selfridges.com).

While designer scents can set you back more than £100 a pop, you can buy these Marks and Spencer options for just £10. All of the fragrances we have listed here are vegan-friendly, too. Whether you prefer plumping for fruity or floral, musky or fresh, adore Marc Jacobs and Le Labo or prefer a Carolina Herrera scent, these are the M&S fragrances to have on your radar.

Read more: Best perfumes for women, from sandalwood to florals

M&S apothecary warmth eau de parfum: £12, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

M&S’s Le Labo-inspired scent has fast become a cult classic. Hailing from the high street stalwart’s apothecary range, M&S’s warmth parfum blends aromatic notes of cardamom, cinnamon, cedarwood and sandalwood to evoke a scent that rivals santal 33. Infused with essential oils, the warming fragrance comes in a 50ml bottle – the same size as Le Labo’s, yet the M&S version costs almost £150 less.

Buy now

M&S sunset eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

Compared to the popular Tom Ford fragrance soliel blanc (£187, Lookfantastic.com) is a newcomer to the M&S line-up, sunset eau de toilette. Sounding like summer in a bottle, the limited edition fragrance is described as sweet, fruit and spicy by the retailer, with pistachio and tonka bean (which, to us, sounds nothing short of dreamy).

Buy now

M&S sunrise eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

A fresh new edition to the M&S fragrance line-up is its sunrise eau de toilette. Likened to the far more expensive Paula’s Ibiza eau de toilette from designer label Loewe (£77, Selfridges.com), this could be just the tonic if you’re looking for a light, summery scent to wear during the day. For only a tenner, you can expect to enjoy scents of bergamot and soft white florals with a spritz of this.

Buy now

M&S black pepper eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

If you’re looking for an inexpensive alternative to a popular eau de toilette for him, this black pepper scent has been compared to Davidoff adventure (£24.75, Amazon.co.uk) on TikTok. M&S has noted that its eau de toilette marries notes of vanilla with amber, resulting in a warm, sweet and spicy scent. 

Buy now

M&S white coconut eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

Sol de Janeiro fans have most likely been all over the new cheirosa 59 delícia drench scent, but if you’re a Brazilian crush cheirosa 62 devotee (£17.60, Lookfantastic.com), this eau de toilette is said to be similar. With sea-salted coconut and exotic white flowers, sweet blossom and iced citrus nuances, it’s described by M&S as boasting tropical notes with a warming base.

Buy now

M&S midnight blossom eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

An alternative to the YSL black opium eau de parfum (£77, Boots.com), which is well-known for its black coffee and vanilla fug, this midnight blossom eau de toilette blends notes of sweet jasmine, tuberose and amber for “soft florals and warm, musky undertones”, according to M&S.

Buy now

M&S velvet amber eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

The grown-up sister to M&S’s now-discontinued velvet rose perfume, the velvet amber scent is being hailed an even better rival to Chanel’s iconic no5 scent (£136, Boots.com). Offering a high street alternative, you could add M&S’s velvet rose to your online basket 12 times before it matched the price of the designer offering. Described as a “rich amber scent” by the retailer, expect fragrant top notes of neroli blended with bold white flowers.

Buy now

M&S soft iris eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

With TikTok claiming this eau de toilette strikes a strong resemblance to Chanel’s coco mademoiselle scent (£136, Chanel.com), M&S describes it as a “delicate floral fusion”, with iris, jasmine and bergamot alongside orange blossom and vetiver, amber and patchouli as the base. Plump for this over the designer fragrance and you will save more than £100.

Buy now

M&S gardenia and vanilla eau de toilette: £12.50, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

If you love daisy by Marc Jacobs (£52, Boots.com), TikTok reckons you will love this purse-friendly eau de toilette. M&S’s scent pairs notes of vanilla and sandalwood alongside sweet and floral grapefruit and gardenia, which the retailer describes as flowery and charming. The eau de toilette is out of stock at the moment, but you can sign up to be notified once it’s available again.

Buy now

M&S warm neroli eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

TikTok believes the store’s warm neroli is a rival of Paco Rabanne’s lady million scent (£78, Boots.com). The cheaper alternative is characterised by similar notes of neroli and citrus. Touted as being a fresh fragrance with earthy tones, the budget 100ml buy is described as elegant and warming. Sadly this one is currently out of stock, but we’re hoping it’ll return soon.

Buy now

M&S fresh mandarin eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

This fresh mandarin eau de toilette is said to offer an affordable alternative to Carolina Herrera’s good girl (£86, Boots.com), which has been billed as “intensely seductive”. M&S’s scent features fruity cassis, orange flower and mandarin as the main event, with jasmine, ylang ylang and rose for a floral accompaniment to sweet tonka bean, vanilla, amber and sandalwood. While the eau de toilette is out of stock at the moment, sign up to be notified once it’s available again.

Buy now

M&S pink pepper eau de toilette: £10, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

Calling to Lancome’s la vie est belle perfume (£92, Lookfantastic.com), M&S’s pink pepper scent is more than 90 per cent cheaper. The designer scent is loved for its rich, fruity fragrance, with M&S’s cheaper version balancing the same orange flower blossom and jasmine notes, layered over a sweet base of vanilla, amber musks and patchouli. As this scent is so popular, it’s flown off the virtual shelves and isn’t in stock, but you can sign up to be notified once it’s available again.

Buy now

M&S red berries and rose eau de toilette: £7.50, Marksandspencer.com

(M&S)

This red berries and rose eau de toilette from M&S has been likened to Giorgio Armani’s Sì (£92.20, Amazon.co.uk) owing to its sweet scent. With red berries and rose teamed with warm base notes of vanilla and amber, at just £8 this high street scent is an absolute steal. Owing to its popularity, the scent is out of stock. But you can sign up to be notified once it’s available.

Buy now

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Want more inspiration? Check out our review of Chanel’s coco mademoiselle hair perfume

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