You don't need to spend a lot on a bottle to smell good. Some of the most wearable, compliment getting fragrances out there cost less than a fancy dinner, and decanting them means you can try one for a few dollars before deciding if it's worth a full bottle. Here are eight we actually rate.
Nautica Voyage
Nautica Voyage ($6 for 2ml) is the fragrance that taught a generation of guys that fresh and clean doesn't have to be boring. It's not complicated. It works.
Armaf Club de Nuit Intense Man EDP
Armaf Club de Nuit Intense Man EDP ($8 for 2ml) is the fragrance community's go to answer for "I want something like Creed Aventus but I don't want to spend Creed money." It's not a perfect match, but it's close enough that most people in a room won't clock the difference.
Lattafa Asad
Lattafa Asad ($6 for 2ml) takes on Dior Sauvage Elixir's spicy, syrupy intensity at a fraction of the price. Heavy hitter, long wear, good for cold weather.
Dolce and Gabbana Pour Homme
Dolce & Gabbana Pour Homme ($11 for 2ml) is an old school barbershop citrus that's been around for decades for a reason. If you want something that smells like a classic cologne and not a modern niche release, this is it.
Montblanc Legend
Montblanc Legend ($7 for 2ml) is a safe, mainstream, office appropriate scent. Nobody will love it and nobody will hate it. Sometimes that's exactly what you want.
Rochas Moustache EDP
Rochas Moustache EDP ($7 for 2ml) is a modern reboot of the 1949 original: pink pepper and mandarin opening into cedar and rose, settling into a warm benzoin-vanilla-patchouli base. More oriental-woody than old-school barbershop, with real depth for the price.
Rasasi Hawas Black
Rasasi Hawas Black ($9 for 2ml) is a solid, wearable pineapple and woody scent that punches above its price.
Lattafa Khamrah Qahwa
Lattafa Khamrah Qahwa ($6 for 2ml) is a coffee forward, cozy fragrance for people who want something sweeter and warmer than a standard cologne. Good cold weather option.
The straight answer
All eight are available as 2ml decants, so you can test one for a few dollars instead of gambling on a full bottle sight unseen. Free shipping to the provinces over $55, flat $12.99 under that, and free hand delivery in Regina on orders over $25.