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Luckily some brands are defying those outdated rules by introducing huge variety to their shelves – something Marks & Spencer is doing brilliantly right now. In their new Discover Intense collection, rich and heady flavour combos such as Gardenia & Vanilla and Mandarin & Ylang Ylang (both £6) grip onto skin far longer than anything I’ve tried from M&S in the past.

“For Discover Intense, we’ve optimised the level of fragrance oils for a longer lasting scent,” says Marks & Spencer Head of Beauty Tara Singleton. “The concept is worked on for several months in close collaboration with a renowned UK based perfumer, the notes selected and levels of oils are tinkered with until each fragrance hits its desired sweet spot, full of individual character.”

In Westfield London and Stratford, the pop-up fragrance boutique Adopt is an Aladdin’s cave of affordable perfumes developed in France using over 90% natural ingredients and the very best high-tech synthetic molecules. Whilst names such as ‘Fairyland’ and ‘Midnight For Her’ won’t appeal to niche fragrance hipsters, who cares? They’re £9.99, there are hundreds to choose from, some are made by iconic perfumers such as Olivier Cresp (who made Angel) and esteemed nose Daphne Bugey (who creates for Issey Miyake and L’Artisan Parfumeur), and they really cling on. My favourite, Oud Ambre, is rich and decadent with warm spices and smoky, churchy resins.

At Boots, a new range by Scentology includes Vanilla Latte & Velvet Woods (£9.99), which might not carry the gravitas of a Guerlain or Penhaligon’s masterpiece, but wow, it’s delicious and lastS ages. It has that suntan lotion escapism vibe from coconut cream and lickable vanilla, with a shot of fresh, nutty espresso that you’ll adore if you’re into YSL Black Opium.

As for the ick-factor, it seems like we’ve all been conditioned to think that low-cost perfumes are inferior when the truth is we’ve been peddled a lie to believe ‘the demand isn’t there’. It is there, 95% of fragrance-loving consumers proved it. So how can we inspire more of this creativity?

“Transparency and education!” says Nick Gilbert. “As an industry, we owe it to our customers to teach them more about how wonderful and exciting our world is, and what materials smell like and do, so that people are more engaged and less intimidated by perfumery.”

“More transparency about ingredients,” echoes Marcia Kilgore. “It’s an outdated notion that fine fragrance has to come with expensive bells and whistles, the fancy department store counter and the glitzy gold packaging. Isn’t it what’s on the inside that counts?”

Thinking outside the bottle matters too, says Frank Voekl. “The fragrance industry can become more democratic through size and through different formats. For example, Dior Sauvage is offered in a body spray format (£32), making it more affordable than the Eau de Parfum (£92) and allowing the brand to reach a wider audience. When I was a teenager, all the brands back then would have a soap bar. That’s what I would buy from Azzaro! Being passionate about perfumery, it was a way for me to experience luxury and fragrance without buying the Eau de Parfum.”

Shop our edit of the best Black Friday fragrance deals.

Here are 11 affordably priced and brilliant perfumes that you’ll definitely want to shout about.

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