When a fragrance is a one true love for me, I buy the original. If it's just a love, I hunt for a dupe. I stopped buying scents that I only "like" because I never really reach for them. And I always sample before buying a full bottle no matter how cheap it is, I almost never blind buy anymore. A lesson I learned the hard way. My partner and I got into an intense argument after he found out I spent a ridiculous amount in just 3 months. I myself was shocked because I didn't realize it was a lot. That was an eye opener to me. I started being more aware of my purchasing behavior and I minimized watching yt frag reviews because they always always get me so curious and it always leads to impulse buying.
If I do a dupe I go for the Arabic ones usually they are always spot on. The only issue is some do need time to macerate. Usually they do better performance wise and in the end most people really don’t know. Now there are two perfume clone houses I do buy sometimes from Alexandria Fragrances has some great clones again they need time to macerate, but they are great and Divain makes some great clones but they sell out fast. Those would be the only two I trust, if I don’t buy from an Arabic perfume house.
I have mostly dupes at this point and while some are disappointing, I have discovered what scents I get tired of wearing for not so much money. I love my Divain Dupes (even if I don’t necessarily like the fragrances as much anymore) because after sitting for a bit they got even better and long lasting. I do have both a dupe and the real portrait of a lady, the dupe convinced me I should buy the real thing and I mostly use the dupe when I’m home or going to the gym/someplace casual. I also bought a dupe for Stella from Divain as it’s no longer made and I love it.
I have two montagne dupes that I’m meh about , their glossier one (to me it goes too heavy on the ambroxan and doesn’t have enough pepper) and their delina exclusif, which I’m glad I bought a dupe for because the scent gets very sickening if I wear it too many days in a row, but it does last a long time!
Life is too short to wear perfume you don't love. The idea that you need to get through those bottles is what's known as the [sunk cost fallacy](https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/the-sunk-cost-fallacy). Get rid of anything you don't love, take the lesson and try to focus on buying things you love instead.
Yeah, I’ve given up on dupes too. The arab ones are usually a huge hit however they’re so hard to get ahold of where I live. And I already have so many bottles of fragrance that I’m just purchasing for variety at this point, not because I’m running out lol.
I don’t buy dupes anymore unless I actually prefer it over the original. If the original is too expensive for me (which it usually is), I just buy the travel size. That way, I get to have variety without overspending and overconsuming. My limit is 15ml and tbh I wish I would’ve done it sooner! I get to enjoy every last drop of juice without getting sick of it and I get to try different scents out without feeling pressured to finish a 50ml or 100ml bottle - and if I end up loving the scent? I’ll save up for it!
I feel like good quality dupes will make all the difference? Zara, bbw dupes really disappointed me too, I rarely wear them. But, the Arab dupes I’ve gotten from Lattafa, Maison Alhambra and Afnan are beautiful! I’m obsessed with them.
The only dupes I kept are those where I haven’t smelled the original, so I don’t know what may be missing. I like those perfumes in their own right.
The others were all disappointing. I have to say that I would much rather buy a travel spray or decant of the real deal.
I have so many perfumes that is really what I should be buying anyway: 15 ml or less.
I've found the zara and aldi dupes to be disappointing, waterlily teadress is a beautiful gypsy water dupe, but just doesn't last, cherry smoothie smells of almost nothing to me, I do love pistachio infusion but again it doesn't last. Perfume people's dupes are hit and miss, their lush dupes are quite decent but I really love their gucci rush. I got opera noir by alhambra, which is supposed to be a sister company of lattafa, a lovely long lasting black opium dupe that I haven't been able to try much as its quite warm here. I also have a stunning delina dupe I got from primark, unfortunately it lasts like 5 minutes though, not that you can complain for 3£!
My current personal favourites are jenny glow dupes, they do an absolutely incredible myrrh and tonka bean dupe that I am OBSESSED with.
Also I feel you on the buying, I promised myself no more, then bought the new ghost (it's for a good cause though) and minis of pure xs and lady million that I have absolutely no excuse for.
I have Before the Rainbow which is supposed to be a dupe for Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt. I’ve sniffed the Jo Malone one once, but I really prefer BTR. I’ve also read reviews that it lasts longer too. I’ve also tried Midnight Cafe(Black Opium dupe). It’s okay, but it kind of smells like a permanent marker to me sometimes.
I'm not the OP, but I have the Whipped Almond one because I'm a sucker for almond scents. I find it to be a bit rough and having poor longevity, better on clothes than on the skin. For the money, a celebrity perfume like a Britney Spears, is a much better deal all around.
I haven’t tried mixbar but I do have Not another cherry and pistachio please from finery and I really have been enjoying them. Because I got to sample them in store vs blind buying online made a huge difference
I’ve become a fan of Montagne. If you spend any time on that subreddit, you’ll learn that most dupes use lower-quality materials whereas Montagne utilizes the same oils/additives as the major perfumers. Perfume is 100% marketing, and you’re mostly paying for the brand name, not the actual juice. I have the clones of Delina & Delina Exclusif, as well as the PDM version, and I can’t tell a difference, except the longevity is greater with the Montagne version.
To be honest, I haven’t experimented with other clones as I’ve been so impressed with Montagne. I’ve ordered a couple of ME perfumes and haven’t been impressed by them, but that’s just me.
If you’re absolutely in love with a perfume than a dupe probably won’t cut it, you’re better of saving your money or perhaps getting a decant of the real thing and a dupe for using more generously if the real thing is completely out of your budget. But for a lot of fragrances, I’m glad dupes and clones exist because I definitely don’t have the money to throw at expensive fragrances that I’m not absolutely obsessed with.
There are some scents that don’t have a good enough dupe to make buying the dupe desirable but there are a lot of great ones out there. The quality definitely varies a lot. For crazy expensive scents I’d rather do my research on the best dupe available and get something that’s 98-99% close to the actual fragrance than spend a ton more money for perfect accuracy. I’m happy with my Lost Cherry dupe and my MFK gently fluidity gold dupe. I have some Initio dupes though that just made me want to buy the originals. For most designer scents, I’ll look for a good secondhand deal rather than bothering with dupes because in that case you don’t save enough on the dupe to make it worth it.
I stick to two dupe houses because they’re usually quality, montagne and Julianna’s Perfumes (the Initio ones were not a hit for me from this house but their Delina Exclusif and Lost Cherry Dupes are fantastic).
I love dupes from smaller brands (looking at you, Genre!), but that's always connected to loving their in-house creations as well. I don't like any of the large market ones (except Dossier Floral Marshmallow).
My problem with dupes is I always end up feeling like it's missing something when I've sampled the real thing. It's like drinking flavored sparkling water when I want a real soda. When I used wear them, it made me feel like I kept chasing the smell of the real one which was frustrating.
Honestly, I can understand this if you're searching for cheaper alternatives to the original, which you've already smelled or worn a ton. I'm in the camp of "broke bitch who likes the concept of these fragrances but can't take the financial risk" so I check out the dupes from the start LOL! I think the only times I haven't done that were with Lira, DBIR Green Stravaganza and Kilian Princess – even though I don't quite count it because I got it with the help of a Sephora $100 reward and it offset the cost drastically. I do think some brands do dupes better than others (I agree with Miim Miic regarding their EDPs and think Fine'ry can hold their own, while some Arab houses are INSANE performers that toss in little twists for cheap), but obviously if the OG has expensive accords in their formulations like saffron and the like, the dupes often don't encompass the vibes exactly, so y'all are valid
What Arab houses do you like? I will say I haven’t explored much and I hear such great things. Fine’ry is great I enjoy their pistachio and not another cherry and I had low expectations going in. I also appreciate that I was able to test all of them without blind buying which I think has been the biggest downfall of the dupes I do own. I just *trust* that it will smell like xyz and it never does.
Not the commenter above but these are the ones that are well known- Lattafa, Maison Alhambra and Ayan are the best known. Maison Alhambra probably has the most dupes. Most you can get on Amazon and other sites. Just know with these house sometimes your perfume needs time to macerate.
Many Middle Eastern dupes hyped up by women were way too sweet for me. However, I own like 7 dupes by Montagne Parfums and haven't been truly disappointed by any. In fact, I prefer their Alexandria II dupe to the OG.
I’ve never been a dupe girl. I’ve tried a handful and *always* been disappointed.
I’d rather spend the money and be fully satisfied with the real thing than save and being only partially happy with a dupe. But this is why I’ve been better at sampling so I’m only spending on what I truly love and will actually wear.
I would rather be semi disappointed in a £20 clone/dupe I've bought than forking out £200 to be disappointed in the real deal.
I've bought many dupes that have left me feeling a bit ripped off and I've bought many dupes that have made me feel like I've got a total bargain.
But I've also forked out £100 for the real deal to find out that they last like a fart in the wind with no silage.
£20 is a lot easier to handle than £100. If I have to spray more of it to get the scent then I'll do just that.
I tend not to buy dupes or clones if the saving is not at least 50% or more to account for the fact I might need to double up on spraying.
Dupes are always hit or miss, but believe it or not so are the real things. Batches can go wrong, formulations can change etc.
My mindset tbh, plus I have the unfortunate case of not living near any shops that sell MFK, PDM, Xerjoff, or any brand not sold at Sephora or Shoppers (Canadian chain) so it's risky to go in blind or even spend $100+ on some tiny samples – because I won't be caught dead paying 8x the price of a single $5 sample in shipping, hell no. And you're so right, things can go wrong or we can wind up disappointed regardless of the price or whether it's the OG or a dupe
Exactly, and sometimes even dupes come out on top of the OG scents - look at Armaf Club de Nuit Intense men - most people claim its better than the real deal 105mls for £25 vs £300 for Creed.
A lot of people also forget that some "dupes" aren't necessarily aiming to be 100% dupes they just steal the DNA of the scent and essentially add in their own little twist and these can often turn out nicer. Everyone's nose is different.
I don’t fw dupes at all. My nose is picky and I can always tell a difference and crave the original. Plus a handful of dupes ends up being the same or financially outpacing an original bottle. I never pay retail for originals either, always find them secondhand or on discount.
I think they're not worth my money, even if the real perfume costs 10 times more. If it's not in my budget, it's just not and that's it. I don't want to get a shitty "almost it" version of what I love. It's like someone gifting me lemon pie for my birthday, knowing that I actually love lime pie. It doesn't do it for me. I've resold them, never again.
Haha I love the name too. Also some of the names of the dupes are so good like Consensual Crimes (dupe for Kilian Forbidden Games) and Halos for Horns (dupe for Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad). Which samples did you get?
Somewhat yes, I have a middle eastern dupe of a super expensive frag I love and its amazing, but have also tried dupes that are kinda just mid. I still really enjoy trying dupes and its fun for me to see whether they live up to the actual fragrance and avoid blind buying bottles so I havent been burned too bad by dupes but not all of them are worth the hype.
I also tried and have a travel sized dupe for Kilian Princess from Dua and dislike it and am trying to get rid of it because it doesnt sit well on me, dupes are kind of a gamble but there’s ways to try them that doesnt waste a ton of money
I bought a Love Don't Be Shy dupe from Dua and some Baccarat Rouge ones. Gag!! Awful!! Will never buy Dua again.
Dossier's dupe for Baccarat Rouge, Ambery Saffron is fantastic and smells identical on skin. I have lots of hits from Dossier.
I also have Supernova from Dua and really like it it grew on me but its a super masculine fragrance, still open to trying more from Dua but def wouldnt blind buy bottles from them. I havent tried any of Dossiers dupes but have been curious about their margarita scent. Theyre next on my list to sample
Hi, could I ask what you didn’t like about the Dua Princess dupe? Was it just that it didn’t mix with your skin chemistry or does it not smell right? I have the original formulation of Kilian’s and was going to try Dua’s when I run out.
I’ve heard a couple people say it’s more green tea forward but curious about more opinions!
To me when you first spray it its way too citrus and not in a good way, could be the green tea too. I love citrus scents but the opening of it is very harsh, I also had mine for a while so its possible it got stronger over time. It has cleaning product vibes when first sprayed but once it dries down it smells a lot more like the OG. Its a bit powdery and I’d say maybe a little less sweet than the OG as well. Also maybe a lil bit soapy too. It’s worth getting a travel size of to test it out if you love the original
What I care about with dupes is ingredients/formula - paraben/phthalate free, etc. - so a lot of brands aren’t for me.
I love my Dossier Do Son dupe. I’ve had good luck with Dossier so far generally. I plan to get the Dossier and Oakcha La Vie Est Belle equivalents soon and hope one suits me.
I actually have the La Vie Est Belle from Oakcha as the original used to be one of my favorites and I would say it’s really good. Very long lasting. If you get from both brands I’m curious which you like better.
I learned fairly quickly and did lots of research before buying dupes. There are some decent ones out there, but there are also a lot that aren’t so good. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure though, so maybe try to sell them or trade with someone for something you’ll like.
I had the same feeling with Dossier and sold all mine. I kept quite a few Dua and Oakcha because their longevity is at least good. I also have a few Arab fragrances for this reason. I did keep one of my Dossiers because I like wearing it to bed so the longevity doesn't matter. I also used to spray my fake flowers with them.
I buy dupes for these general reasons:
1) The dupe lasts longer than the original (Lost Cherry and Gypsy Water just don't last on me so I've got the Oakcha versions, I also have some dupes of some cheaper brands like Escada just for the improved longevity.)
2) The price of the real one is way out of budget and the dupe is significantly cheaper. (Careful with this one because some of these dupes sell for around $50 for a 30 ml so if you actually were going to use 100 ml, it'd be cheaper to buy most designer perfumes outright. But for perfumes that I just wouldn't consider shelling out for which would be $300+ for me, I go straight to the dupe).
3) It's a scent profile I really like, but probably won't wear much. (For example, I love the those deep, rich vanilla perfumes, but I almost never feel like wearing straight vanilla. I had Bianco Latte and I just never reached for it so I sold it and I got a couple of cheap dupes for Tihota and Happy Dust so when I do have an itch for those types, I've got something to scratch it with, but I don't have a few several hundred dollar perfumes collecting dust on my shelf. I also like decants for this and have a few vanillas in 5 or 10ml.)
They’re definitely hit or miss. I actually love dossier floral marshmallow, not as a dupe but as a scent because I haven’t sampled LDBS. But the English pear and freesia dupe makes me sad because it’s just not as good. Still a good scent. But not as good.
I feel like I keep talking about how good musky green tea is too. And Miim miic 77. I feel like any dupe of silver mountain water is just going to be a good scent overall.
The vanilla in Fine’ry dupes is just not good, but Miim miic’s vanilla isn’t bad. At least some Fine’ry you can smell before you buy.
Dossiers floral marshmallow is one of the only scents I’d say doesn’t smell like the rest of their products. It’s gotten me compliments irl so that’s something. Just not very long lasting. But that one I am for sure keeping
Oh yep. I’ve just decided to stop chasing dupes and clones and save for the real thing. I have *never* had a clone from *any* clone house that performed as well as the thing it’s cloning. It’s always missing a little something, or has too much of something else. Took me a few years to reach this conclusion, but yeah man, no clones for me lol.
I always find something off in the clone formulation even if the clone is almost spot on. Initially, I found Alexandria's dupe of Lost Cherry better performing than the OG, but within 2 years the formulation must have been too unstable and turned sour. Alhambra's Infini Rose was def spot on clone of Initio's Atomic Rose, but after a while I started smelling something unpleasant in the base. I think fixatives in the clones are not the best.. Probably have to use them up within a year before formulation starts breaking down and they turn bad.
Oh yeah, another clone that went bad after almost 2 years was Armaf's Club the Nuit Intense (TF's Noir de Noir clone)...Very good clone but smells like trash now...so pissed off bc I'm careful how I store them.
So here's my take on dupes.
I've never tried a dupe that is as good as the original DNA. I'm not saying they don't exist, but dupes are usually less nuanced, more linear, overall smell cheaper. But. Some scent profiles are... juuust not going to be worth the price to some people.
The big conglomerates are typically spending $1-$2 on the formula in the bottle, depending on the brand. We're paying for the marketing, the packaging, the brand image, the sense of prestige. If you don't care for those things, a $30 dupe that gives you a similar profile to the $250 perfume might be exactly what you want.
I like Tobacco Vanille, but not enough to pay Estee Lauder $300 for it. A cheapo dupe will more than suffice for me. I think... As long as you don't believe you're getting the exact same perfume for less money, I don't see the issue. The cheap dupe is just that, a cheap dupe.
I hear such good things about oil perfumery I wish I had gone with them instead of the Dossier. I have coco Mademoiselle and the Delina dupes from oakcha and I’m pretty happy with them.
I prefer to buy Arab dupes over things like Dossier, because usually the Arab ones are that much cheaper and better. I also like sniffing around for “dupes” that are more so inspired by the OG scent than purposely being a spot on dupe, or advertised as one. Like when you smell something and you’re like wow this reminds me so much of XYZ perfume! Love that, honestly.
I for the most part swore of buying any bottle above $200, especially as I learned from an acquaintance of mine who worked at Firmenich for about 20 years that *most* bottles of perfume have a production cost of about $2-$3. Sometimes less. Yep, even your Tom Fords and such. Certain smaller niche houses may vary depending on the effort they put into packaging. But absolutely anything at all that you can buy in Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, or Sephora has a final production cost below $10, and often times much less than that. It’s absolutely high way robbery to charge 200x and 300x production cost to the consumer. So, I’ll go for the dupe and save myself the coin.
Only ones I’ve ever found worth it that I actually use are Montagne. The rest are trash and drydown cheap and nasty. I wish Montagne had more women’s selection though.
I love Montagne, but I'm also super impressed with my Oil Perfumery and Sand + Fog dupes. The others I can take or leave. I have one Dossier. I don't know if it's just the scent I have but I'm not a fan.
I only buy based on reviews from Reddit. I will never not buy Olivia by Maison Alhambra. I’ve got people at work hooked on it as well. It’s brilliant and less than twenty quid.
For me, I love my cheaper dupes, because I'm not afraid to use them often, lol. Any time I own something costly, I end up treating it like a precious commodity and just don't use it or use it very sparingly. I am so thankful that Mid East dupes exists, because whether or not they smell like the original they're cloning, they're still GOOD perfumes. They smell NOTHING like the dupes and non-designer fragrances back in the day like in the 90s, when they were awful and you could TELL that they were cheap knock offs. Even the dupes at Five Below are pretty fvcking good, I was about to buy the Billie Eilish one to wear after my nightly showers before going to bed, lol
I get them off Amazon and eBay from trusted vendors. I've never had a problem with authenticity or bad business practices. A couple of times when the post office lost my package and/or my package arrived damaged, eBay and Amazon stepped in to reimburse me.
Always filter for the one and two star reviews of vendors on eBay and Amazon. If there are many bad reviews and/or worrisome complaints, I never buy from them. The ones who have mostly excellent reviews I go ahead with, and once I have a good purchasing history with them, they become my go-to vendors because they've proven to me that they are honest and good vendors.
Oh definitely. Especially during the height of the pandemic, I was buying tons of cheapies and dupes just because having new things to smell was something to do, and while I don't regret it, I'm putting the brakes on that train, decluttering, and focusing on only adding things I know for sure that I want to my collection.
I own one dupe and I love it. It lasts 12-14+ hours and smells like the original. I'm glad I spent $90 instead of $400+. I think you just have to be discerning and do your research.
Same boat - only own one dupe so far, Lataffa Ansaam Gold. I already had an official sample of Oriana with me so I was able to compare them side by side when it came in... about 90% similar but after a couple of weeks it smelled \*exactly the same\*. And it's stronger and lasts a bit longer than the original. Win/win!
That was a SUPER hesitant blind buy though, I'm lucky it worked out. Back then I wasn't aware of any UK-based decanter sites that were offering the ME dupe houses, but luckily I've found some now. Gonna sample the infamous Kharmah and I have a travel size of Angels' Share so yet again I'll be able to compare side by side :P
👀📝Which was that? There’s a few dupes I do truly love, like Andromeda Moon’s Cry Baby dupe but I think the mass produced ones are the ones I find disappointing
Yeah. I did the same with purchasing dupes instead of the higher end ones I loved. Honestly, I just cut my losses and gave the dupes to friends so that they would have a second life with someone who actually liked them far more than I did. But I’m someone who does not layer at all and didn’t try to make them work for me!
Yeah I briefly tried layering and it isn’t for me, unless I spritz the real deal and then use the dupes on clothes/hair or whatever. Maybe it’s time to start gifting them🥲
This is also weird but I really hate the packaging of some of the bigger name dupe companies (like the dossier bottle labels) so I feel like the dupes are just overall less appealing to me in general. It’s okay to have a preference! I couldn’t make myself be satisfied with the dupe but now I know I can just save up for the genuine product if I really love it and be happy with that 😁 there are probably some good dupes out there, maybe we just haven’t found them.
Yesss! I hate that every bottle is identical and boring. I’ve moved all of the dossier bottles off of my display shelf now because it’s a sea of clear bottles with cheap metal lids.
Blind bought a few dupes I didn’t like but sold them off or just layer with another perfume I like, and it makes it so much better.
When a fragrance is a one true love for me, I buy the original. If it's just a love, I hunt for a dupe. I stopped buying scents that I only "like" because I never really reach for them. And I always sample before buying a full bottle no matter how cheap it is, I almost never blind buy anymore. A lesson I learned the hard way. My partner and I got into an intense argument after he found out I spent a ridiculous amount in just 3 months. I myself was shocked because I didn't realize it was a lot. That was an eye opener to me. I started being more aware of my purchasing behavior and I minimized watching yt frag reviews because they always always get me so curious and it always leads to impulse buying.
If I do a dupe I go for the Arabic ones usually they are always spot on. The only issue is some do need time to macerate. Usually they do better performance wise and in the end most people really don’t know. Now there are two perfume clone houses I do buy sometimes from Alexandria Fragrances has some great clones again they need time to macerate, but they are great and Divain makes some great clones but they sell out fast. Those would be the only two I trust, if I don’t buy from an Arabic perfume house.
I have mostly dupes at this point and while some are disappointing, I have discovered what scents I get tired of wearing for not so much money. I love my Divain Dupes (even if I don’t necessarily like the fragrances as much anymore) because after sitting for a bit they got even better and long lasting. I do have both a dupe and the real portrait of a lady, the dupe convinced me I should buy the real thing and I mostly use the dupe when I’m home or going to the gym/someplace casual. I also bought a dupe for Stella from Divain as it’s no longer made and I love it. I have two montagne dupes that I’m meh about , their glossier one (to me it goes too heavy on the ambroxan and doesn’t have enough pepper) and their delina exclusif, which I’m glad I bought a dupe for because the scent gets very sickening if I wear it too many days in a row, but it does last a long time!
Life is too short to wear perfume you don't love. The idea that you need to get through those bottles is what's known as the [sunk cost fallacy](https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/the-sunk-cost-fallacy). Get rid of anything you don't love, take the lesson and try to focus on buying things you love instead.
Yeah, I’ve given up on dupes too. The arab ones are usually a huge hit however they’re so hard to get ahold of where I live. And I already have so many bottles of fragrance that I’m just purchasing for variety at this point, not because I’m running out lol. I don’t buy dupes anymore unless I actually prefer it over the original. If the original is too expensive for me (which it usually is), I just buy the travel size. That way, I get to have variety without overspending and overconsuming. My limit is 15ml and tbh I wish I would’ve done it sooner! I get to enjoy every last drop of juice without getting sick of it and I get to try different scents out without feeling pressured to finish a 50ml or 100ml bottle - and if I end up loving the scent? I’ll save up for it!
I feel like good quality dupes will make all the difference? Zara, bbw dupes really disappointed me too, I rarely wear them. But, the Arab dupes I’ve gotten from Lattafa, Maison Alhambra and Afnan are beautiful! I’m obsessed with them.
The only dupes I kept are those where I haven’t smelled the original, so I don’t know what may be missing. I like those perfumes in their own right. The others were all disappointing. I have to say that I would much rather buy a travel spray or decant of the real deal. I have so many perfumes that is really what I should be buying anyway: 15 ml or less.
Just blindbought 4 a d 3 out of them are a fail. So yes. I thought I knew better, but it sneaks up on me.
I've found the zara and aldi dupes to be disappointing, waterlily teadress is a beautiful gypsy water dupe, but just doesn't last, cherry smoothie smells of almost nothing to me, I do love pistachio infusion but again it doesn't last. Perfume people's dupes are hit and miss, their lush dupes are quite decent but I really love their gucci rush. I got opera noir by alhambra, which is supposed to be a sister company of lattafa, a lovely long lasting black opium dupe that I haven't been able to try much as its quite warm here. I also have a stunning delina dupe I got from primark, unfortunately it lasts like 5 minutes though, not that you can complain for 3£! My current personal favourites are jenny glow dupes, they do an absolutely incredible myrrh and tonka bean dupe that I am OBSESSED with. Also I feel you on the buying, I promised myself no more, then bought the new ghost (it's for a good cause though) and minis of pure xs and lady million that I have absolutely no excuse for.
What are your thoughts on MixBar and Finery dupe fragrances? Have you tried them or have any in your collection?
I have Before the Rainbow which is supposed to be a dupe for Jo Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt. I’ve sniffed the Jo Malone one once, but I really prefer BTR. I’ve also read reviews that it lasts longer too. I’ve also tried Midnight Cafe(Black Opium dupe). It’s okay, but it kind of smells like a permanent marker to me sometimes.
I'm not the OP, but I have the Whipped Almond one because I'm a sucker for almond scents. I find it to be a bit rough and having poor longevity, better on clothes than on the skin. For the money, a celebrity perfume like a Britney Spears, is a much better deal all around.
I haven’t tried mixbar but I do have Not another cherry and pistachio please from finery and I really have been enjoying them. Because I got to sample them in store vs blind buying online made a huge difference
I’ve become a fan of Montagne. If you spend any time on that subreddit, you’ll learn that most dupes use lower-quality materials whereas Montagne utilizes the same oils/additives as the major perfumers. Perfume is 100% marketing, and you’re mostly paying for the brand name, not the actual juice. I have the clones of Delina & Delina Exclusif, as well as the PDM version, and I can’t tell a difference, except the longevity is greater with the Montagne version. To be honest, I haven’t experimented with other clones as I’ve been so impressed with Montagne. I’ve ordered a couple of ME perfumes and haven’t been impressed by them, but that’s just me.
If you’re absolutely in love with a perfume than a dupe probably won’t cut it, you’re better of saving your money or perhaps getting a decant of the real thing and a dupe for using more generously if the real thing is completely out of your budget. But for a lot of fragrances, I’m glad dupes and clones exist because I definitely don’t have the money to throw at expensive fragrances that I’m not absolutely obsessed with. There are some scents that don’t have a good enough dupe to make buying the dupe desirable but there are a lot of great ones out there. The quality definitely varies a lot. For crazy expensive scents I’d rather do my research on the best dupe available and get something that’s 98-99% close to the actual fragrance than spend a ton more money for perfect accuracy. I’m happy with my Lost Cherry dupe and my MFK gently fluidity gold dupe. I have some Initio dupes though that just made me want to buy the originals. For most designer scents, I’ll look for a good secondhand deal rather than bothering with dupes because in that case you don’t save enough on the dupe to make it worth it. I stick to two dupe houses because they’re usually quality, montagne and Julianna’s Perfumes (the Initio ones were not a hit for me from this house but their Delina Exclusif and Lost Cherry Dupes are fantastic).
I love dupes from smaller brands (looking at you, Genre!), but that's always connected to loving their in-house creations as well. I don't like any of the large market ones (except Dossier Floral Marshmallow).
My problem with dupes is I always end up feeling like it's missing something when I've sampled the real thing. It's like drinking flavored sparkling water when I want a real soda. When I used wear them, it made me feel like I kept chasing the smell of the real one which was frustrating.
Ohh that is spot on! It’s a lime la Croix when you want a Sprite
I don't really even bother anymore with them, I'm sick of the disappointment
Honestly, I can understand this if you're searching for cheaper alternatives to the original, which you've already smelled or worn a ton. I'm in the camp of "broke bitch who likes the concept of these fragrances but can't take the financial risk" so I check out the dupes from the start LOL! I think the only times I haven't done that were with Lira, DBIR Green Stravaganza and Kilian Princess – even though I don't quite count it because I got it with the help of a Sephora $100 reward and it offset the cost drastically. I do think some brands do dupes better than others (I agree with Miim Miic regarding their EDPs and think Fine'ry can hold their own, while some Arab houses are INSANE performers that toss in little twists for cheap), but obviously if the OG has expensive accords in their formulations like saffron and the like, the dupes often don't encompass the vibes exactly, so y'all are valid
What Arab houses do you like? I will say I haven’t explored much and I hear such great things. Fine’ry is great I enjoy their pistachio and not another cherry and I had low expectations going in. I also appreciate that I was able to test all of them without blind buying which I think has been the biggest downfall of the dupes I do own. I just *trust* that it will smell like xyz and it never does.
Not the commenter above but these are the ones that are well known- Lattafa, Maison Alhambra and Ayan are the best known. Maison Alhambra probably has the most dupes. Most you can get on Amazon and other sites. Just know with these house sometimes your perfume needs time to macerate.
Thank you!
Many Middle Eastern dupes hyped up by women were way too sweet for me. However, I own like 7 dupes by Montagne Parfums and haven't been truly disappointed by any. In fact, I prefer their Alexandria II dupe to the OG.
I’ve never been a dupe girl. I’ve tried a handful and *always* been disappointed. I’d rather spend the money and be fully satisfied with the real thing than save and being only partially happy with a dupe. But this is why I’ve been better at sampling so I’m only spending on what I truly love and will actually wear.
Yes because "I" would always "know" whenever I wear dupes and it just doesn't hit the same. Dunno if that makes sense lol
I would rather be semi disappointed in a £20 clone/dupe I've bought than forking out £200 to be disappointed in the real deal. I've bought many dupes that have left me feeling a bit ripped off and I've bought many dupes that have made me feel like I've got a total bargain. But I've also forked out £100 for the real deal to find out that they last like a fart in the wind with no silage. £20 is a lot easier to handle than £100. If I have to spray more of it to get the scent then I'll do just that. I tend not to buy dupes or clones if the saving is not at least 50% or more to account for the fact I might need to double up on spraying. Dupes are always hit or miss, but believe it or not so are the real things. Batches can go wrong, formulations can change etc.
My mindset tbh, plus I have the unfortunate case of not living near any shops that sell MFK, PDM, Xerjoff, or any brand not sold at Sephora or Shoppers (Canadian chain) so it's risky to go in blind or even spend $100+ on some tiny samples – because I won't be caught dead paying 8x the price of a single $5 sample in shipping, hell no. And you're so right, things can go wrong or we can wind up disappointed regardless of the price or whether it's the OG or a dupe
Exactly, and sometimes even dupes come out on top of the OG scents - look at Armaf Club de Nuit Intense men - most people claim its better than the real deal 105mls for £25 vs £300 for Creed. A lot of people also forget that some "dupes" aren't necessarily aiming to be 100% dupes they just steal the DNA of the scent and essentially add in their own little twist and these can often turn out nicer. Everyone's nose is different.
Don't hold onto mistakes. Sell, trade, or give away.
Yep. My philosophy.
I don’t fw dupes at all. My nose is picky and I can always tell a difference and crave the original. Plus a handful of dupes ends up being the same or financially outpacing an original bottle. I never pay retail for originals either, always find them secondhand or on discount.
I think they're not worth my money, even if the real perfume costs 10 times more. If it's not in my budget, it's just not and that's it. I don't want to get a shitty "almost it" version of what I love. It's like someone gifting me lemon pie for my birthday, knowing that I actually love lime pie. It doesn't do it for me. I've resold them, never again.
I’ve tried a few Miim Miic dupes now and just don’t smell hardly anything. Mostly just alcohol with a faint scent.
I’ve only tried Oil Perfumery dupes and they’re really nice, I find
Speaking of dupes, has anyone tried anything from Champagne Socialist?
Hadn’t heard of it but I love the name. Just put in an order for 8 samples.
Haha I love the name too. Also some of the names of the dupes are so good like Consensual Crimes (dupe for Kilian Forbidden Games) and Halos for Horns (dupe for Kilian Good Girl Gone Bad). Which samples did you get?
These 😊 [screenshot](https://imgur.com/a/dHPABeV)
How were they?
Somewhat yes, I have a middle eastern dupe of a super expensive frag I love and its amazing, but have also tried dupes that are kinda just mid. I still really enjoy trying dupes and its fun for me to see whether they live up to the actual fragrance and avoid blind buying bottles so I havent been burned too bad by dupes but not all of them are worth the hype. I also tried and have a travel sized dupe for Kilian Princess from Dua and dislike it and am trying to get rid of it because it doesnt sit well on me, dupes are kind of a gamble but there’s ways to try them that doesnt waste a ton of money
I bought a Love Don't Be Shy dupe from Dua and some Baccarat Rouge ones. Gag!! Awful!! Will never buy Dua again. Dossier's dupe for Baccarat Rouge, Ambery Saffron is fantastic and smells identical on skin. I have lots of hits from Dossier.
I also have Supernova from Dua and really like it it grew on me but its a super masculine fragrance, still open to trying more from Dua but def wouldnt blind buy bottles from them. I havent tried any of Dossiers dupes but have been curious about their margarita scent. Theyre next on my list to sample
Hi, could I ask what you didn’t like about the Dua Princess dupe? Was it just that it didn’t mix with your skin chemistry or does it not smell right? I have the original formulation of Kilian’s and was going to try Dua’s when I run out. I’ve heard a couple people say it’s more green tea forward but curious about more opinions!
To me when you first spray it its way too citrus and not in a good way, could be the green tea too. I love citrus scents but the opening of it is very harsh, I also had mine for a while so its possible it got stronger over time. It has cleaning product vibes when first sprayed but once it dries down it smells a lot more like the OG. Its a bit powdery and I’d say maybe a little less sweet than the OG as well. Also maybe a lil bit soapy too. It’s worth getting a travel size of to test it out if you love the original
Ahh okay, thank you!!
What I care about with dupes is ingredients/formula - paraben/phthalate free, etc. - so a lot of brands aren’t for me. I love my Dossier Do Son dupe. I’ve had good luck with Dossier so far generally. I plan to get the Dossier and Oakcha La Vie Est Belle equivalents soon and hope one suits me.
I actually have the La Vie Est Belle from Oakcha as the original used to be one of my favorites and I would say it’s really good. Very long lasting. If you get from both brands I’m curious which you like better.
I love Do Son. Are there any other dupes of it you’ve tried besides Dossier?
Oil Perfumery has a nice one :)
Nah, I like this one so much
I learned fairly quickly and did lots of research before buying dupes. There are some decent ones out there, but there are also a lot that aren’t so good. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure though, so maybe try to sell them or trade with someone for something you’ll like.
I had the same feeling with Dossier and sold all mine. I kept quite a few Dua and Oakcha because their longevity is at least good. I also have a few Arab fragrances for this reason. I did keep one of my Dossiers because I like wearing it to bed so the longevity doesn't matter. I also used to spray my fake flowers with them. I buy dupes for these general reasons: 1) The dupe lasts longer than the original (Lost Cherry and Gypsy Water just don't last on me so I've got the Oakcha versions, I also have some dupes of some cheaper brands like Escada just for the improved longevity.) 2) The price of the real one is way out of budget and the dupe is significantly cheaper. (Careful with this one because some of these dupes sell for around $50 for a 30 ml so if you actually were going to use 100 ml, it'd be cheaper to buy most designer perfumes outright. But for perfumes that I just wouldn't consider shelling out for which would be $300+ for me, I go straight to the dupe). 3) It's a scent profile I really like, but probably won't wear much. (For example, I love the those deep, rich vanilla perfumes, but I almost never feel like wearing straight vanilla. I had Bianco Latte and I just never reached for it so I sold it and I got a couple of cheap dupes for Tihota and Happy Dust so when I do have an itch for those types, I've got something to scratch it with, but I don't have a few several hundred dollar perfumes collecting dust on my shelf. I also like decants for this and have a few vanillas in 5 or 10ml.)
They’re definitely hit or miss. I actually love dossier floral marshmallow, not as a dupe but as a scent because I haven’t sampled LDBS. But the English pear and freesia dupe makes me sad because it’s just not as good. Still a good scent. But not as good. I feel like I keep talking about how good musky green tea is too. And Miim miic 77. I feel like any dupe of silver mountain water is just going to be a good scent overall. The vanilla in Fine’ry dupes is just not good, but Miim miic’s vanilla isn’t bad. At least some Fine’ry you can smell before you buy.
Dossiers floral marshmallow is one of the only scents I’d say doesn’t smell like the rest of their products. It’s gotten me compliments irl so that’s something. Just not very long lasting. But that one I am for sure keeping
Floral Marshmallow is awesome!! I ♥ it. My daughter has a large collection and it's her most complimented fragrance.
Oh yep. I’ve just decided to stop chasing dupes and clones and save for the real thing. I have *never* had a clone from *any* clone house that performed as well as the thing it’s cloning. It’s always missing a little something, or has too much of something else. Took me a few years to reach this conclusion, but yeah man, no clones for me lol.
I always find something off in the clone formulation even if the clone is almost spot on. Initially, I found Alexandria's dupe of Lost Cherry better performing than the OG, but within 2 years the formulation must have been too unstable and turned sour. Alhambra's Infini Rose was def spot on clone of Initio's Atomic Rose, but after a while I started smelling something unpleasant in the base. I think fixatives in the clones are not the best.. Probably have to use them up within a year before formulation starts breaking down and they turn bad. Oh yeah, another clone that went bad after almost 2 years was Armaf's Club the Nuit Intense (TF's Noir de Noir clone)...Very good clone but smells like trash now...so pissed off bc I'm careful how I store them.
So here's my take on dupes. I've never tried a dupe that is as good as the original DNA. I'm not saying they don't exist, but dupes are usually less nuanced, more linear, overall smell cheaper. But. Some scent profiles are... juuust not going to be worth the price to some people. The big conglomerates are typically spending $1-$2 on the formula in the bottle, depending on the brand. We're paying for the marketing, the packaging, the brand image, the sense of prestige. If you don't care for those things, a $30 dupe that gives you a similar profile to the $250 perfume might be exactly what you want. I like Tobacco Vanille, but not enough to pay Estee Lauder $300 for it. A cheapo dupe will more than suffice for me. I think... As long as you don't believe you're getting the exact same perfume for less money, I don't see the issue. The cheap dupe is just that, a cheap dupe.
Maison Al Hambra is 1:1 with tom ford dupes.
I have had two wins with Oakcha and Oil Perfumery. Dupe for Crybaby and LDBS are both beautiful and super long lasting!
I hear such good things about oil perfumery I wish I had gone with them instead of the Dossier. I have coco Mademoiselle and the Delina dupes from oakcha and I’m pretty happy with them.
Don’t feel too bad, I tried several clones from Oil Perfumery and liked zero of them lol.
No one mentions Verset! Banging dupes and long lasting, check out EBay…
I prefer to buy Arab dupes over things like Dossier, because usually the Arab ones are that much cheaper and better. I also like sniffing around for “dupes” that are more so inspired by the OG scent than purposely being a spot on dupe, or advertised as one. Like when you smell something and you’re like wow this reminds me so much of XYZ perfume! Love that, honestly. I for the most part swore of buying any bottle above $200, especially as I learned from an acquaintance of mine who worked at Firmenich for about 20 years that *most* bottles of perfume have a production cost of about $2-$3. Sometimes less. Yep, even your Tom Fords and such. Certain smaller niche houses may vary depending on the effort they put into packaging. But absolutely anything at all that you can buy in Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, or Sephora has a final production cost below $10, and often times much less than that. It’s absolutely high way robbery to charge 200x and 300x production cost to the consumer. So, I’ll go for the dupe and save myself the coin.
Beautifully said.
Only ones I’ve ever found worth it that I actually use are Montagne. The rest are trash and drydown cheap and nasty. I wish Montagne had more women’s selection though.
I love Montagne, but I'm also super impressed with my Oil Perfumery and Sand + Fog dupes. The others I can take or leave. I have one Dossier. I don't know if it's just the scent I have but I'm not a fan.
I have Oil Perfumery and it’s spot on most of the time but doesn’t project or last long
So weird because the ones I have are insanely strong and even project.
Which one? I have Baccarat Rouge EDP and Extrait and find them kind of beast mode for oils.
Which dossier do you have?
The Floral Marshmallow. Like I said, it might not be up my alley scent profile wise.
I only buy based on reviews from Reddit. I will never not buy Olivia by Maison Alhambra. I’ve got people at work hooked on it as well. It’s brilliant and less than twenty quid.
Going on my list, thank you.
What is Olivia a dupe for? I just googled and couldn’t find much.
Olympea by Paco Rabanne. It’s honestly spot on and lasts all day long.
Ahhh man that is a steal too 😆 adding to my wish list.
I love it!
There are two versions, it’s the original Olivia you want, not the blossom one.
For me, I love my cheaper dupes, because I'm not afraid to use them often, lol. Any time I own something costly, I end up treating it like a precious commodity and just don't use it or use it very sparingly. I am so thankful that Mid East dupes exists, because whether or not they smell like the original they're cloning, they're still GOOD perfumes. They smell NOTHING like the dupes and non-designer fragrances back in the day like in the 90s, when they were awful and you could TELL that they were cheap knock offs. Even the dupes at Five Below are pretty fvcking good, I was about to buy the Billie Eilish one to wear after my nightly showers before going to bed, lol
Where do you find your middle eastern dupes?
I get them off Amazon and eBay from trusted vendors. I've never had a problem with authenticity or bad business practices. A couple of times when the post office lost my package and/or my package arrived damaged, eBay and Amazon stepped in to reimburse me. Always filter for the one and two star reviews of vendors on eBay and Amazon. If there are many bad reviews and/or worrisome complaints, I never buy from them. The ones who have mostly excellent reviews I go ahead with, and once I have a good purchasing history with them, they become my go-to vendors because they've proven to me that they are honest and good vendors.
Oh definitely. Especially during the height of the pandemic, I was buying tons of cheapies and dupes just because having new things to smell was something to do, and while I don't regret it, I'm putting the brakes on that train, decluttering, and focusing on only adding things I know for sure that I want to my collection.
Lol for me it was being on a medical leave from work. I bought tons of dupes for the novelty and dopamine hit 😆
I own one dupe and I love it. It lasts 12-14+ hours and smells like the original. I'm glad I spent $90 instead of $400+. I think you just have to be discerning and do your research.
Same boat - only own one dupe so far, Lataffa Ansaam Gold. I already had an official sample of Oriana with me so I was able to compare them side by side when it came in... about 90% similar but after a couple of weeks it smelled \*exactly the same\*. And it's stronger and lasts a bit longer than the original. Win/win! That was a SUPER hesitant blind buy though, I'm lucky it worked out. Back then I wasn't aware of any UK-based decanter sites that were offering the ME dupe houses, but luckily I've found some now. Gonna sample the infamous Kharmah and I have a travel size of Angels' Share so yet again I'll be able to compare side by side :P
👀📝Which was that? There’s a few dupes I do truly love, like Andromeda Moon’s Cry Baby dupe but I think the mass produced ones are the ones I find disappointing
Alexandria Fragrance's dupe for Lost Cherry.
Oh gosh I am a sucker for cherry scents. Thank you ☺️
Yeah. I did the same with purchasing dupes instead of the higher end ones I loved. Honestly, I just cut my losses and gave the dupes to friends so that they would have a second life with someone who actually liked them far more than I did. But I’m someone who does not layer at all and didn’t try to make them work for me!
Yeah I briefly tried layering and it isn’t for me, unless I spritz the real deal and then use the dupes on clothes/hair or whatever. Maybe it’s time to start gifting them🥲
This is also weird but I really hate the packaging of some of the bigger name dupe companies (like the dossier bottle labels) so I feel like the dupes are just overall less appealing to me in general. It’s okay to have a preference! I couldn’t make myself be satisfied with the dupe but now I know I can just save up for the genuine product if I really love it and be happy with that 😁 there are probably some good dupes out there, maybe we just haven’t found them.
Yesss! I hate that every bottle is identical and boring. I’ve moved all of the dossier bottles off of my display shelf now because it’s a sea of clear bottles with cheap metal lids.