Finding a perfume that smells expensive without actually requiring a small financial crisis at the checkout feels like a big win right now.
For anyone who loves the world of designer fragrance but winces at the price tag, Melbourne-based perfume house Brian Morgan might be the best choice for you.
The Australian-owned label creates fragrances inspired by some of the most recognisable names in the perfume world, but prices every 60ml bottle at $35.
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And this is not a tiny bottle designed to live permanently at the bottom of your handbag.
Every Brian Morgan fragrance is Certified Australian Made, blended and bottled in Australia, and made with a 25 per cent perfume oil concentration.
According to the brand, that concentration is higher than the typical 15 to 20 per cent found in many eau de parfums, with the fragrances designed to provide around six to eight hours of wear.
The result is a fragrance proposition that is pretty easy to understand: 60ml, 25 per cent perfume oil and $35.
What does Brian Morgan actually smell like?
The range covers everything from warm and woody unisex fragrances to fresh, masculine scents and sweeter feminine perfumes.
For fans of Le Labo Santal 33, Brian Morgan has a unisex fragrance inspired by the cult favourite, while another unisex option takes inspiration from Maison Margiela Jazz Club.
There is also a scent inspired by Byredo Mojave Ghost, as well as fragrances inspired by Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille and Oud Wood.
For men’s fragrance, the range includes scents inspired by Bleu de Chanel and Creed Aventus Absolu.
Women’s fragrances include options inspired by Prada Paradoxe and YSL Libre.
It is worth stressing that these are Brian Morgan’s own formulations and the brand is not affiliated with any of the designer perfume houses mentioned above. They are simply designed as interpretations inspired by those fragrance profiles.
That makes the range interesting for anyone who already has a designer favourite but wants an affordable alternative for everyday wear.
Because, realistically, nobody needs to use a $400 bottle of perfume for every trip to the supermarket.
The cost makes a difference
The $35 price tag is obviously the headline grabber, but the bottle size and concentration are worth looking at too.
A standard perfume bottle is often 50ml, while Brian Morgan offers 60ml for $35.
That extra 10ml may not sound dramatic on paper, but when you are buying fragrance for everyday use, every spray counts.
Then there is the 25 per cent oil concentration, which the brand positions as a key point of difference. Brian Morgan says its perfumes are designed to last for six to eight hours, although longevity will naturally vary depending on the fragrance, skin and how it is applied.
An Australian-made alternative worth knowing
Brian Morgan is proudly Australian-owned and based in Melbourne, with its perfumes blended and bottled locally.
The brand is Certified Australian Made, which gives the range another selling point for shoppers who like to spend their beauty dollars with Australian businesses.
And at $35 a bottle, the range also sits comfortably in the giftable category.
A 60ml perfume for under $50 could work for Christmas gifting, Kris Kringle exchanges, birthdays or the friend who somehow always manages to smell incredible.
The range is available online through brianmorgan.com.au, with shipping across Australia and free shipping on orders over $140.
There are also physical stores at 208 Swanston St in Melbourne CBD and Westfield Knox.
Luxury, as Brian Morgan puts it, does not necessarily have to come with a luxury price tag.
At $35 for 60ml and a 25 per cent perfume oil concentration, this Melbourne label is giving fragrance shoppers another option: buy the designer bottle, or spend considerably less and explore an Australian-made scent inspired by the same fragrance world.
For anyone who likes their perfume collection varied, their wallet intact and their beauty purchases made a little closer to home, that is a pretty tempting proposition.
