#4: Zara Fragrances

This week’s pick in my 52 recommendations is Zara fragrances. They’re easy to test in-store, easy to replace, and low-commitment enough that you can experiment without overthinking it. If you like rotating scents or matching fragrance to season, outfit, or mood, Zara makes that simple. It’s a practical reminder that smelling good doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive.

Most colognes from designer brands cost what they cost because of the name on the bottle. Zara figured out that most people don't actually care about prestige as long as the scent is good. Their fragrances run between twenty and forty dollars and some of them are near-duplicates of much more expensive scents because they work with legitimate perfumers, including Jo Malone and others from the Spanish perfume house Puig. The variety is solid too. Fresh daily wear stuff, heavier evening scents, seasonal releases. I rotate through three or four of them depending on mood and occasion. None of them smell cheap. The longevity isn't amazing compared to luxury fragrances, but at these prices you can spray liberally without guilt.

The trick is ignoring the prestige game entirely. You're buying liquid that smells good, not a logo or a fancy box. Walk into any Zara store and there's usually a fragrance section, or browse online at Zara's perfume section for men or women. If you want to research specific scents before buying, Fragrantica has reviews on basically every Zara fragrance ever made.