Smelling good is essential for everyone, and during the winter, you can take out the sweeter, stronger fragrances. And luckily, smelling great doesn’t have to be expensive as well. But what are the best cheap winter fragrances for women?
What To Look For In A Winter Fragrance
The winter is a lovely season. With shorter days and lower temperatures, the world becomes a cozier place. This season also houses some of the nicest days of the year as well. Think of Christmas or New Year’s Eve, where everyone always seems to be happy.
During this cozy season, you should make sure to wear a beautiful, fitting fragrance. And for a fragrance to fit this season, there has to be some depth to it. A great winter fragrance is usually on the stronger side, which is needed, otherwise, the lower temperatures will overshadow the scent. These stronger scents are usually on the sweet or spicy side, consisting of warm notes such as amber, vanilla, or cinnamon.
These types of notes create a warm and cozy scent that goes perfectly with the colder months. These types of fragrances are also great ones to wear to those special days, such as Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
Overall, a perfect winter fragrance should have some depth to it, consisting of a rich and strong scent. Of course, it should not be an offensive, overpowering fragrance, but it should be noticeable. Below are some of the best winter fragrances for women. And the best part? These ones are very inexpensive, making them accessible to anyone!
1. Ariana Grande Cloud
Scent: Ariana Grande Cloud is a fantastic fragrance with a close resemblance to the popular fragrance Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540. This fragrance opens with a sweet and toasted scent with a bit of freshness in there. This creates a beautiful, addicting scent that only becomes nicer. A little while after the opening, the sweet, sugary scent is accompanied by a woody undertone, leaving you with an overall stunning, sweet, and beautiful-smelling fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Ariana Grande Cloud are lavender, pear, and bergamot. The middle notes are vanilla orchid, praline, whipped cream, and coconut. The base notes are musk and woody notes.
Best for: Ariana Grande Cloud is a fantastic fragrance with a sweet and slightly woody scent. Such a scent works perfectly during the winter, where this fragrance will easily pierce through the low temperatures. During the winter, this is an amazing fragrance for casual daytime wear, but it also works lovely at night or even in a formal setting. Overall, this is a beautiful fragrance and a great alternative to the more expensive Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540.
Ariana Grande has many more amazing perfumes. Click here to see a list of the best Ariana Grande perfumes!
2. Guerlain Shalimar
Scent: Guerlain Shalimar is an interesting fragrance with a fresh and balsamic scent. This fragrance opens with a fresh and citrusy scent, supported by some floral notes. A little while after the opening, though, this fresh scent is accompanied by stronger, sweeter notes. Hints of vanilla, resins, and woods create a much warmer and denser scent. Luckily, this smells absolutely amazing. Nearing the dry down, an undertone of animalic notes is added, leaving you with an overall fantastic fragrance and a true classic.
Notes: The top notes of Guerlain Shalimar are lemon, bergamot, cedar, mandarin, and citruses. The middle notes are rose, vetiver, jasmine, patchouli, and iris. The base notes are civet, musk, tonka bean, incense, opoponax, sandalwood, vanilla, and leather.
Best for: Guerlain Shalimar is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the milder winters. Even though this fragrance is quite dense, it also has a freshness in there as well. This makes it perfect for those winters where it isn’t too cold. During those winters, this fragrance is perfect for a mature woman to wear either casually or formally. This fragrance has a mature vibe to it, making it work best when worn by someone confident and successful.
3. Britney Spears Fantasy
Scent: Britney Spears Fantasy is a fantastic fragrance with a sweet and tropical scent. This fragrance opens with an exotic scent of sweet fruits, creating a tropical vibe. A little while after the opening, some gourmand notes are added, such as white chocolate and cupcake. These give the fragrance a sweet and warm scent, blending in perfectly with the fruits from the opening. Nearing the dry down, an undertone of woody notes makes itself known, but you mainly get this gourmand scent of tropical fruits.
Notes: The top notes of Britney Spears Fantasy are quince, litchi, and kiwi. The middle notes are white chocolate, cupcake, orchid, and jasmine. The base notes are orris root, musk, and woody notes.
Best for: Britney Spears Fantasy is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the winter. This fragrance has a sweet and exotic scent, which makes this fragrance perfect for those cold winter days. During the cold winters, this fragrance is perfect for casual daytime wear, where the gourmand scent will provide you with a youthful and cozy scent. The youthfulness in here also makes it a great nighttime fragrance as well.
4. l’Occitane En Provence Eau Des Baux
Scent: l’Ocitane En Provence Eau Des Baux is a gorgeous fragrance with close resemblance to the very popular fragrance Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille. This fragrance opens with a warm and sweet scent of vanilla, supported by a few woody notes. In the opening, there are also some spices present, giving the fragrance a bit of depth. Nearing the dry down, though, you mainly get a warm and sweet scent of vanilla and woods that smells very similar to Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille.
Notes: The top notes of l’Occitane En Provence Eau Des Baux are cardamom and pink pepper. The middle notes are incense and cypress. The base notes are tonka bean and vanilla.
Best for: l’Occitane En Provence Eau Des Baux is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the cold winters. This fragrance will provide you with a warm and sweet scent that will easily pierce through the lower temperatures. During the winter, this fragrance can be worn pretty much all the time. It’s warm and cozy enough for casual wear, but luxurious enough for formal wear. On its own, this is an amazing fragrance, but its also a great alternative to the more expensive Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille.
5. Aquolina Pink Sugar
Scent: Aquolina Pink Sugar is a beautiful fragrance with a sugary sweet scent. This fragrance immediately opens with this sugary sweet scent, creating a happy and uplifting vibe. After the opening, some fruity notes are added, providing the fragrance with even more sweetness, while still keeping it balanced and inoffensive. In the dry down, a beautiful scent of caramel is added, which takes over the sugary sweetness. Overall, a gorgeous fragrance with a happy and sweet scent.
Notes: The top notes of Aquolina Pink Sugar are bergamot, raspberry, fig leaves, and orange. The middle notes are strawberry, cotton candy, red berries, licorice, and lily of the valley. The base notes are sandalwood, caramel, tonka bean, vanilla, and musk.
Best for: Aquolina Pink Sugar is a sweet and youthful fragrance that’s made for younger women. Because of the sweet scent, this fragrance works nicely in the winter, but this fragrance also has an airy vibe to it, making it work best during a milder winter. During those milder winters, this fragrance is perfect for teenage girls or young women to wear to pretty much any occasion. There really is no going wrong with this happy-smelling fragrance.
6. Thierry Mugler Angel Muse
Scent: Thierry Mugler Angel Muse is a gorgeous fragrance with a strong scent of sweet patchouli. This fragrance immediately opens with this scent of patchouli, creating a sweet and slightly spicy scent. Quickly after the opening, a scent of chocolate makes itself known, blending in perfectly with the initial patchouli. In the dry down, the sweetness is toned down a bit with the addition of the note of vetiver. The vetiver provides a balancing, earthy scent, leaving you with an overall beautiful fragrance.
Notes: The top notes of Thierry Mugler Angel Muse are pink pepper and grapefruit. The middle note is hazelnut cocoa spread and the base notes are patchouli and vetiver.
Best for: Thierry Mugler Angels Muse is a truly fantastic winter fragrance with a sweet gourmand scent. This fragrance fits in perfectly with those extra cold winters, where it will provide you with a warm and cozy vibe. During those extra cold winters, this fragrance is perfect for everyday wear, during both the day and the night. The sweet scent does have a seductive vibe to it, making it work great during nights out as well. Overall, a fantastic fragrance with lots of versatility, perfect for the cold winters.
7. Calvin Klein Obsession
Scent: Calvin Klein Obsession is a fantastic fragrance with a warm and spicy scent. This fragrance opens with a strong scent of spicy cinnamon, supported by a few citrusy notes. After a little while, warm hints of amber can be detected, giving this fragrance a beautiful oriental vibe. Nearing the dry down, a subtle sweetness is added, leaving you with an overall fantastic fragrance. Not only does this fragrance smell great, but it also smells luxurious and expensive, making this an amazing cheapy.
Notes: The top notes of Calvin Klein Obsession are basil, peach, lemon, vanilla, bergamot, mandarin, and green notes. The middle notes are jasmine, orange blossom, sandalwood, cedar, oakmoss, coriander, rose, and spices. The base notes are vetiver, vanilla, civet, incense, musk, and amber.
Best for: Calvin Klein Obsession is a fantastic winter fragrance, perfect for any woman. This fragrance has such an easy to wear scent that there’s hardly a time where this one will seem out of place. It’s great for casual daytime wear, it’s great for nights out, its great for a date, and it’s also luxurious enough for any formal setting. Overall, a stunning oriental fragrance that works great for any woman, in any situation.
8. Zara Oriental
Scent: Zara Oriental is a fantastic fragrance with a warm and sweet scent. This fragrance opens with a bright and slightly fresh scent of caramel. After a little while, the scent becomes a bit darker and sweeter with the addition of vanilla. The notes of vanilla and caramel blend in perfectly and create a truly beautiful scent. Nearing the dry down, a soft undertone of spices makes itself known, but with this fragrance, you mainly get a beautiful, cozy, and elegant scent of caramel and vanilla.
Notes: The top notes of Zara Oriental are bergamot, freesia, and rose. The middle notes are jasmine and vanilla. The base notes are patchouli, musk, and caramel.
Best for: Zara Oriental is a fantastic fragrance with a warm and cozy scent. Such a scent is perfect for the cold winters and will easily pierce through the lower temperatures. During the cold winters, this fragrance is perfect for casual daytime wear, but it also works lovely in the evenings as well. You could even wear this fragrance to a night out or date if you’d like. Most Zara fragrances aren’t sold online, though, and if they are, they’re usually a bit more expensive, so make sure to give this a try in a Zara store near you!
9. Bvlgari Jasmin Noir
Scent: Bvlgari Jasmin Noir is a gorgeous fragrance with a sweet scent of white florals. This fragrance opens with a fresh and green scent, which is quickly supported by a lovely scent of jasmine. Along with the jasmine is a musky undertone, giving the fragrance some weight. After a little while, warm notes of almond, vanilla, and amber make themselves known, giving the fresh scent of jasmine a sweet background. This leaves you with a rich and beautiful fragrance with a sweet scent of jasmine.
Notes: The top notes of Bvlgari Jasmin Noir are gardenia and green notes. The middle notes are jasmine sambac and almond. The base notes are musk, patchouli, amber, precious woods, licorice, and tonka bean.
Best for: Bvlgari Jasmin Noir is a truly fantastic fragrance to wear during the winter. This fragrance has such a rich and elegant scent of sweet jasmine that perfectly fits in those cold seasons. Due to the elegance, this fragrance is perfect for a formal occasion, perfect for a confident and elegant woman. Of course, this fragrance also works nicely in a casual setting as well. There’s just no going wrong with this one.
10. Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina
Scent: Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina is a beautiful fragrance with a soft and slightly sweet scent. This fragrance opens with a lovely scent of fresh rose, supported by a fruity undertone. A little while after the opening, other floral notes are added, giving this fragrance a truly feminine feel. When this fragrance starts to dry down, it becomes a bit sweeter and creamier. Overall, this fragrance is on the sweeter side, but it is quite light and soft, giving it an inoffensive and pleasant scent.
Notes: The top notes of Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina are redcurrant and pink pepper. The middle notes are peony, rose, and jasmine. The base notes are patchouli, pannacotta, and musk.
Best for: Salvatore Ferragamo Signorina is a fantastic fragrance to wear during the milder winters. Even though this fragrance is somewhat sweet, the freshness from the florals and the overall light feel makes it work better when its a bit warmer outside. During these milder winters, this fragrance is perfect for casual everyday wear, but it works just as nicely in the office as well. Even though anyone can easily wear this fragrance, it does lean more towards slightly younger women.
11. Zara Gardenia
Scent: Zara Gardenia is a fantastic fragrance with a sweet scent of florals that’s often compared to that of Yves Saint Lauren Black Opium. This fragrance opens with a scent of florals and fruity sweetness. Quickly after the opening, more sweetness is added in the form of vanilla and patchouli. These give the fragrance an oriental, gourmand-like scent that smells amazing. When this fragrance starts to dry down, it doesn’t really change much anymore. Luckily, the scent that’s there is already amazing!
Notes: The top notes of Zara Gardenia are peach, tangerine, lemon, bergamot, and raspberry. The middle notes are gardenia, white flowers, and jasmine. The base notes are musk, cedar, vanilla, cashmere woods, and patchouli.
Best for: Zara Gardenia is a fantastic fragrance with a sweet and youthful scent, making it a great winter fragrance for younger women. Even though this fragrance is somewhat youthful, it is actually a versatile one as well. You can easily wear this fragrance casually, either at night or during the day, but it works just as nice in a formal setting as well. Overall, this is a fantastic fragrance and a much cheaper alternative for the popular Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium. Most Zara fragrances aren’t sold online, though, and if they are, they’re usually a bit more expensive, so make sure to give this a try in a Zara store near you!
12. Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy
Scent: Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy is a beautiful fragrance with a sweet scent of fruits. This fragrance immediately opens with this sweet scent of fruits. Quickly after the opening, some fresh florals are added, balancing out the fragrance a bit. After a little while, the freshness starts to fade away and the sweet fruits become more pronounced. Nearing the dry down, a warm and sweet scent of amber and vanilla is added, leaving you with an overall beautiful, sweet, and sensual scent.
Notes: The top notes of Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy are raspberry, plum, and sour cherry. The middle notes are freesia, orchid, and iris. The base notes are vanilla, musk, and amber.
Best for: Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy is a great fragrance with a sweet and youthful scent. Such a scent is perfect for the cold winter days, as it provides you with a warm and uplifting vibe. During the winter, this fragrance is best worn by slightly younger women, where it works as a fantastic nighttime fragrance. Wear this when you’re out clubbing, hanging out with friends, or maybe going on a date, and this fragrance will make you smell amazing.
How Many Winter Fragrances Should You Have
A winter fragrance is a pillar in everyone’s fragrance collection. With its sweet and rich scent, they’re perfect for the colder months or for nighttime wear, but, in all honesty, wearing the same fragrance every day can become quite boring after a while. Even though you don’t need to own more than one winter fragrance, it is recommended.
Having a few winter fragrances gives you the option to switch things up a bit. Maybe wear one for casual occasions, have one for more formal occasions, and one for nighttime wear. And this doesn’t have to cost a lot of money as well. The fragrances listed above are all very affordable. However, you could also explore the niche side of fragrances.
Niche fragrances are generally considered as ‘better’, ‘higher quality’ fragrances. This isn’t always the case, but most niche fragrances do have a more sophisticated scent. They do cost a bit more, but you also get a bit more. If you’re interested in the best niche winter fragrances for women, you can read this article I wrote here!
I have also written a large list of the best winter fragrances for women in general, which you can find here! From these lists, you can create a stunning winter fragrance collection, allowing you to switch things up every now and then. I’d recommend you take a look at the fragrances listed above and see which of these winter fragrances would fit you perfectly!