It’s the harsh reality of the fragrance industry that most of what you pay for is the brand. From packaging to celebrity endorsements to an advertising budget the size of a small country, a lot of popular fragrance brands are surprisingly unfocused on what’s in that little glass bottle.
I recently came across Milton Lloyd, a fragrance brand that formulates and distributes perfumes across the world with a singular focus on value for money. Frequently hailed online as an alternative to luxury scents, Milton Lloyd draws cost-conscious customers looking for a no-nonsense product.
Their brand attracted me because they point out that unlike even their competitors in the affordable fragrance market, they don’t burn money on billboards or instagram campaigns. All their work goes directly into the bottle in the form of the fragrance oils and formulation for great, lasting scents.
I got the chance to test dozens of perfumes across their two biggest fragrance lines. Perfumer’s Choice leans into current trends with a lot of their best-sellers. Colour Me focuses on formulations that evoke a strong atmosphere. Here were the standouts to me from each line, and my reasons why.
Perfumer’s Choice: No. 4 by Phoenix
£13.34 on Amazon UK or $20.96 on Amazon US
No. 4 by Phoenix is a playful unisex scent with a woody base, a hint of amber, and top notes of jasmine & saffron. It boasts 20% fine fragrance oil, at an Eau de Parfum standard, and this shows in how the scent lasts throughout the day. Phoenix smells lovely without being too girly, and it’s found a permanent place on my fragrance shelf.
Colour Me Red
£12.60 on Amazon UK or $19.79 on Amazon US
The Colour Me Collection showcases a wide variety of scents that seem to capture a mood, and this one is bright and rich. Colour Me Red shines with top notes of bergamot, peony & freesia, a heart of red fruits, violet, jasmine & carnation, and a base of orris, sandalwood & vetiver. Translation: it’s bold, floral and sharp. I found the Colour Me line just as long-lasting as Perfumer’s Choice, with descriptions that matched the scents really well. Have a look around for the right mood for you.
Essentials Kits
£5 on Amazon UK or $19.99 on Amazon US, or in set of 4 Essentials Scents for $30.
In the spirit of fragrance you can afford, Milton Lloyd also offers the Essentials collection. These are smaller bottles of their bestseller, but at a slightly lower concentration and at the best possible price. Essentials scents can be purchased separately, but a set of 4 is a great deal and encourages trialling and even layering different scents.
In general, Milton Lloyd impressed me with the variety and quality of its products.
My tip, if you’re interested, is to find the scent you’re looking for on Amazon. I found the biggest variety and best prices there, although Milton Lloyd’s own site had great descriptions and a fragrance finder tool. All the scents mentioned here can be found at the below:
Perfumer’s Choice: No. 4 by Phoenix – £13.34 on Amazon UK or $20.96 on Amazon US
Colour Me Red £12.60 on Amazon UK or $19.79 on Amazon US
Essentials: My favourite set of 4 Essentials Scents for $30.
Milton Lloyd Fragrance Finder Tool: https://uk.milton-lloyd.com/fragrances/fragrance-finder
