From what I’m seeing scrolling through the internet, the word “cheap” gets thrown around quite loosely. Some folks call a Fragrantica article about “inexpensive perfumes” related, which is a total stretch, right? Like, those are just *decently* priced, not bottom-of-the-barrel bargain bin stuff. And then eBay’s popping up, which, okay, *maybe* you could snag a deal there. I wouldn’t trust anything that smells “too good to be true” though, you know? Perfumes ain’t exempt from the ol’ fake-market shenanigans.
Honestly, I reckon the best bet, if you’re strapped for cash but still want to sniff some Prada Olfactory goodness, is decants. Olfactory Vault, the first thing mentioned, sounds promising, right? Basically, you’re buying a small sample, a “decant”, of the real deal, instead of the whole fancy-pants bottle. It’s like… trying a bite-sized piece of a really expensive cake before committing to the whole darn thing. Makes sense, yeah?
Now, here’s the thing. “Cheapest” also depends on *what* you’re after. Are you after a citrusy bomb? Something woody and mysterious? The articles are saying Prada Olfactories have all these options, but I haven’t smelt them myself. It really boils down to what kinda vibes you’re feeling.
My personal (totally unqualified) opinion? Don’t cheap out *too* much. A garbage perfume experience is worse than no perfume at all. It’ll just leave you feeling all… bleh. Better to save up a little longer and get a decant of something you actually *love*, even if it’s a smaller portion than you originally wanted. Trust me on this one.