Whether you’re buying perfume for personal use or as a Christmas gift, the hardest decision is usually not the brand but the size. However, Boots has made my choice easier bycutting the price of the 100ml version of one of my favourite fragrances – and it’s only 11p more expensive than a 50ml bottle.
Kylie Jenner’s first fragrance, Cosmic, launched at Boots in March and quickly became the store’s fastest-selling perfume launch of 2024. Despite my usual avoidance of celebrity perfumes, this one quickly earned a spot in my regular rotation due to the many compliments I receive when I wear it.
Usually priced at £34 for 30ml, £43 for 50ml or £55 for 100ml, it’s already a reasonably priced scent compared to other famous brands like Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent and Dior. But all three sizes have been discounted for Black Friday, allowing me to stock up and finish my Christmas shopping.
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Now, a 30ml bottle is less than £30, priced at £28.90, while the 50ml bottle is now £36.55. The largest bottle, 100ml, has a larger discount and currently costs £36.66, which is just 11p more for a bottle twice the size. It’s almost as cheap as the 30ml bottle at full price, reports the Mirror.
The perfume is described as a ‘magnetic ambery floral’, featuring top notes of sweet star jasmine and fresh blood orange, enriched by deep golden amber and red peony. The fragrance is completed with warm, comforting notes of cedarwood and vanilla musk, which shoppers describe as ‘smells sweet, feminine, and not too overpowering.
I started wearing Cosmic in the summer, and it’s seen me through from the warm sunny evenings of August right up to these colder weeks. Typically, I go for quite sultry scents with notes of wood, leather and spice.
I enjoy those almost aftershave-like notes, so the sweet floral scent of Kylie Jenner’s perfume was quite a departure from my usual favourites – but a refreshing one, at that. I’m accustomed to quite potent perfumes, but Cosmic is incredibly subtle in comparison, so much so that I often can’t really detect it on myself after an hour or so beyond a lingering sweetness.
However, whenever I wear it, everyone around me seems to notice – especially my fiance, who can’t stop praising me whenever I wear it. I love that it makes its presence known without being overpowering. Because it’s relatively inexpensive compared to others I own, I’m quite happy to be generous with the application to satisfy my own mind, too.
The scent has been a hit with fans, garnering over 1,400 five-star reviews. One satisfied customer wrote: “After seeing reviews, I finally caved in to purchase. I love Kylie and support all of her products, but for perfumes, I’m more picky. This did not disappoint. It smells sweet, feminine, and not too overpowering.”
Another fan shared: “I purchased this fragrance about 2 weeks ago. I truly wear it every day. It is the perfect sexy scent for everyday wear. I will say, I spray A LOT and it’s not overwhelming. Scent doesn’t seem to last all day..so I just purchased the body mist and a small on-the-go bottle to re-up when needed. This is my new favourite scent.”
A third penned: “Absolutely beautiful perfume. An elegant scent that’s not too overwhelming but smells gentle and soft. I also love the shape of the bottle, unusual and pretty.”
However, not everyone was as impressed, with one shopper leaving a three-star review, stating: “This perfume is very sweet and warm smell, almost nauseatingly so. I was not impressed with how long it lasted either.”
For those looking for other celebrity scents to try, our resident fragrance fanatic, Jada Jones, recommends Billie Eilish’s Eilish, describing it as: “It’s a perfect gourmand. There’s vanilla but also a dash of cocoa that really rounds it out.”
The perfume is a great choice for young women, with its sweet and spicy notes making it perfect for everyday wear. One reviewer said: “It’s sweet but doesn’t cross the line into sickly, thanks to some woody and spicy notes lingering near the base. Whenever I’ve worn it on dates, I’ve received compliments, and friends often ask me what I’m wearing. I think it’s a good option for late teens and women in their 20s and 30s and definitely a treat for under the Christmas tree – I’m actually expecting my dad to ‘surprise’ me with it.”
Another popular choice is Britney Spears Fantasy, which has been a favourite among women for almost 20 years.
Shopping writer Lauren Codling said: “It never crossed my mind to choose any other celebrity perfume besides Britney Spears Fantasy – the iconic fragrance that graced nearly every teenage girl’s dressing table back in the day. Nearly two decades after its initial launch in 2005, Fantasy still stands the test of time; it’s the ideal balance of fun and sophistication, transporting anyone who wears it back to the good ol’ carefree days of BlackBerry phones and frosted eyeshadow.”
Alternatively, fans of the new Wicked film may prefer Ariana Grande’s Ari Eau de Parfum Spray, which is currently on offer at Amazon for £24.45, down from £40. The bottle has a Glinda-inspired design, while the scent itself is described as having ‘sparkling fruits and an ultra-feminine floralcy’.