I Found Three Perfume Brands That Actually Live up to Their Hype — and They’re All Under $100

Welcome to Skimm Tested, a series where we put viral products to the test and give you our honest, unfiltered reviews.

What I Tested…

• Scent Lab

  • Pistachio Dream ($38)

  • Smokey Haze ($38)

  • Cheeky Rose ($38)

• by/rosiejane

  • Rosie ($29+)

  • Leila Lou ($29+)

  • Dylan ($29+)

• DedCool

  • Fragrance 03 “Blonde” ($90)

  • Fragrance 01 “Taunt” ($90)

  • Madonna Lilly ($90)

Why I Tested…

How I Tested…

I wore each brand’s perfumes in a few different settings, from the office to evenings out. I took note of how long each scent lasted, how it layered with others, and whether it lived up to the brand’s promises. Since fragrance can be subjective, I paid attention to how the scents fared in different contexts — and, of course, how many compliments I got.

Test Results...

• Scent Lab: With an arguably Gen-Z aesthetic and the lowest price tags of the three brands I tested, Scent Lab’s fragrances blended a subtle complexity with wearability. They lasted on my skin from morning well into the evenings, and their very reasonable price points enabled me to layer a few. I loved Pistachio Dream’s fresh-from-the-bakery almond-vanilla notes. I also liked layering Cheeky Rose — a not grandmother-y, fresh floral — with Smokey Haze, a smoldering, ambery tobacco scent. 

• by/rosiejane: by/rosiejane feels like Scent Lab’s millennial clean-girl older sister. I first thought of these as “everyday” scents, however I found myself getting more hooked on this brand over time. Everything from the brand somehow smelled both familiar and exciting. Rosie, a straightforward rose-musk, and Leila Lou, a grown-up pear with jasmine notes, both reminded me of the soapy smell of freshly-washed hair. Dylan, a cedar-frankincense musk, made my roommate come out of her room to ask what smelled so good after I applied it. 

• DedCool: There’s a striking individuality to all of DedCool’s fragrances. On the first spray, Fragrance 01 “Taunt” reminded me of the first scent I ever purchased for myself — Bath and Body Works’ Warm Vanilla Sugar — but it settled into something far more mature and interesting with notes of amber and bergamot. Fragrance 03 “Blonde” and Madonna Lilly both had an electric sharpness to them, the former leathery and almost fruity, with notes of juniper, violet, and raspberry, and the latter floral and peppery, with sandalwood and cardamom.

Sidenotes...

• Scent Lab: Scent Lab’s “customizable perfume potions” win the award for the most inventive sets. They’ll bundle two scents, plus an empty bottle so you can create your own customized “potion” — a definitive win for my inner Strega Nona. 

• by/rosiejane: I’m impressed with by/rosiejane’s commitment to sustainability, which spans from clean ingredients and eco-friendly packaging to a recycling-rewards program. The fact that their scents are climate neutral and vegan make wearing them feel even better.

• DedCool: DedCool describes their genderless products as “functional,” with scented laundry detergents, room/linen sprays, and air fresheners, so their laid-back but sophisticated scents can follow you everywhere. 

The Fine Details...

• Shop Scent Lab at shopscentlab.com.

• Shop by/rosiejane at byrosiejane.com and sephora.com.

• Shop DedCool at dedcool.com and sephora.com.