Way back in January 2021, Kevin wrote that 2020 had been the year of overpriced, overhyped scents: "Never have I smelled so many $250, $350, $450 perfumes that reminded me of $10 scented candles." Based on various online "gift guides" that have scrolled past my eyes lately, I can't say that late 2024 is looking any different. I'm less and less impressed by arbitrarily high prices. Here at NST we've been saying "under $100 is the new 'free'" since 2009; in that spirit, here are three fragrances I've encountered over the past year or so that live up to their descriptions, feel accessible to scent-curious shoppers and sell for less than $100 for a full-sized bottle. 

First: I initially came across the Cra-yon fragrance line at the Liberty department store in London and made a mental note to find out more later. Cray-on started showing up in the United States soon after that trip, and I picked up a bottle of Art Life at a perfume swap event in New York. (Swap meet-ups are the Gen Z version of the early-2000s message-board swaps!) Cra-yon was "founded  by Christine and Niclas Lydeen, French/Swedish fragrance pioneers" and comes across as a welcoming, upbeat brand that doesn't take its own cool-kid vibes too seriously. Art Life's composition includes notes of mandarin, bergamot, lemon, grapefruit, lily, neroli, rose, fig, cedar, powdery musks, vetiver, soft woods and tonka for a mood of "creativity and positivity." So, how does it smell? It's initially tart and figgy (with a greenish fig note, rather than a coconut-milk take on fig), totally all-gender and cheerful, with a longer dry down of soft neroli and sheer cedar. I hope Cra-yon will become more widely available in my part of the world, because I'd like to be able to recommend this brand to more acquaintances.

Another fragrance that I tried at a scent swap, coincidentally: Snif Natural Talent. This one is billed as "charisma in a bottle," and while I'm not exactly sure what that's supposed to mean, I would say that Natural Talent is a pleasing osmanthus fragrance. (Its listed notes include apricot, clementine, iris, jasmine, suede, osmanthus flower, sandalwood, cashmere wood and cistus.) On my skin, Natural Talent starts off smelling like the skin of a ripe apricot, then deepens into a surprisingly smooth, warm blend of black tea and soft leather and a longer dry down of dried apricot and skin musk. It lasts just as well, if not better, than most osmanthus fragrances I've tried (including Hermès Osmanthe Yunnan and Atelier Cologne Love Osmanthus) and it doesn't break the bank. I've tried a few other Snif fragrances and wasn't especially impressed, but I like this one a lot, and I can't help but respect the brand's approachable identity and sense of fun. I'm glad I picked up a sample at a swap and even gladder that a fellow swapper (thanks, L!) recently gifted me with a gently used full-sized bottle.

My third pick is something the mysterious Instagram algorithms suggested to me: I saw a post announcing Maison Millais's upcoming pop-up in Manhattan, realized I'd be nearby on that date, and decided to make a stop. I sniffed Eloise au Plaza (rose petal jam and lemon zest) and Citiette (a better-dressed sibling to Glossier You), then ended up purchasing New York Nostalgia, which has notes of rose, iris, powder, benzoin and ambrette. I'd describe New York Nostalgia as "dry-cleaned iris": it unfolds as a dose of iron-steam aldehydes, a pastel sketch of a floral wrist corsage and a base of very clean white musk. All the Maison Millais scents have a freshly scrubbed feeling, which fits their target audience of young women who embrace "balletcore" style and the "aesthetic" of Sofia Coppola films; this brand is an ode to the kind of charmed Manhattan girlhood that most of us experience only through books and tv shows. If New York Nostalgia were a handbag, it would be a satin clutch; if it were a shoe, it would be a kitten-heel sandal. Something not very practical or durable, that is — but in this particular New York fantasy, you're probably taking a car, not mass transit, so it's a non-issue. Sometimes I enjoy wearing something that isn't particularly "me," especially if the price is right.

Please feel free to recommend your own favorite "affordable treat" (I've never really liked the expression "cheap thrill") fragrances that ring in under $100!

Cra-yon Art Life is available as  50 ml (about $75) and 100 ml (about $100) Eau de Parfum at the Cra-yon website. Snif Natural Talent is available as 10 ml ($25) and 30 ml ($65) Eau de Toilette at the Snif website. Maison Millais New York Nostalgia is available as 30 ml Eau de Parfum ($69) at the Maison Millais website or Anthropologie.

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