How about some affordable alternatives to famous niche perfumes?

There is a perfume I want to buy, but it is a bit pricey, so I am thinking of purchasing a cheaper copy first to get a feel for the scent nuances before making the final purchase. However, it will likely be very different from the original, right? I would love to try the genuine product before buying if there were a place where I could sample it, but there isn't really anywhere suitable to do so... Sigh...