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These 4 high street perfumes from H&M smell surprisingly expensive - starting from £8.99
It’s giving luxury for less
Ok, I’ll say it: I am a fragrance snob. It’s the only area of my beauty routine I’ve ever been a bit snooty about. Good skincare on the high street isn’t exactly in short supply (Byoma, CeraVe, The INKEY List… ILY), and makeup is only getting better too (if you haven’t tried E.l.f’s new blush tints yet, do). Don’t get me wrong, there are some delicious perfumes sitting in the middle ground - take Cosmo favourite Floral Street, for example - but I just didn’t think high street perfume had caught up yet.
It was actually one of my favourite fashion brands that proved me wrong: H&M. Wanting to dip my toe into some gourmand fragrances without forking out a fortune, I found Posh Pistachio. At £9.99, it wasn’t a mammoth investment if I didn’t like it, right? Thankfully, I need not have worried.
Now fully on board - and surprised at its brilliant quality, TBH - I did some digging. I found that H&M produces their fragrances at a manufacturer called DSM-Firmenich. Chances are that the name will mean nothing to you, but here’s the thing: they employ some of the world’s best ‘noses’ to create luxe perfumes from brands that you’ll have definitely sniffed - and loved - before.
With that, I made it my mission to explore some of H&M’s most loved fragrances. The results were so surprising, that they might have just changed my view on high street fragrances forever.
Fragrance family: Sweet floral
Key notes: Orange blossom, jasmine, musk, marshmallow, vanilla
If you like By Killian’s Love Don’t Be Shy (Rihanna’s rumoured favourite perfume), you’ll love this. I expected it to be cloying and too sweet, but actually it’s really well-rounded, with some creamy, skin-soft musk and jasmine that keep things soft. Pretty and feminine, the vanilla note is comforting, and makes for a perfume that’s fresh, floral and super easy to wear. Consider this the brand’s crowd-pleaser.
Glowing customer review: ‘So gorgeous and expensive looking!’
Fragrance family: Gourmand
Key notes: Vanilla, ylang ylang, caramel, musk, cashmere wood
If you love gourmand scents (think those yum notes in Sol de Janeiro’s body mists), you’ll love this. There’s musk and a creamy cashmere note that splices through all the sweetness, giving it a warm, clean-skin dry down. I sprayed it on one of my jackets and could smell it the next day, which is pretty impressive considering its price tag.
Glowing customer review: ‘What a lovely warm vanilla scent. It wears well and hasn’t irritated my skin. The scent really lasts and is a perfect everyday perfume.’
Fragrance family: Powdery floral
Key notes: Cotton flower, musk, rose, jasmine, sandalwood
I loved this fresh, clean scent, which wears like a second skin and smells like a crisp, white (H&M, obvs) T-shirt. On days when I don’t want a loud fragrance that enters a room before I do, this is what I’ll reach for. It dries down to a sort of day-at-the-beach skin smell: warm, soft, sundried. SO good.
Glowing customer review: ‘So beautiful and fresh with a slightly powdery finish…my new go-to everyday perfume!’
Fragrance family: Fruity gourmand
Key notes: Orange blossom, bergamot, almond, pistachio, musk, tonka bean
The gourmand that converted me, this scent is as if a cherry bakewell and pistachio ice cream had a baby. There’s a lighter sparkly-ness of orange blossom and bergamot that stops it smelling too sweet, giving it a fresh quality that makes it feel great for summer. The musk and tonka bean means that even though it’s an EDT (that’s eau de toilette), it hangs around on the skin for a decent amount of time. If you like to layer your perfume, they also have a handbag sized body mist and hand cream, too.
Glowing customer review: ‘Ok, this is gooood. My boyfriend (who is usually completely nose blind) said he could smell this on me even after a long day at work. It’s not sweet enough to make you recoil but is sweet enough to smell delish. The tonka bean means it’s quite creamy, too.’
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