YOU may have seen social media posts raving about perfume “dupes” – cheap brands which are supposed to smell similar to designer fragrances.
But are any of them really as good as the originals, and will they save you money?
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The Sun asked an independent perfume expert to carry out blind smell tests of popular perfumes and their high street “dupes” to see if the budget versions lived up to the originals.
Noemie Maury is a senior fragrance evaluator who has worked with major fine fragrance and toiletries brands for over a decade.
“High street chains can create perfumes cheaply by buying them from big fragrance manufacturers which grow their own ingredients in-house,” says Noemie.
“Because they use oils from flowers they grow themselves instead of importing ingredients, they save on costs and can create fragrances for high street brands at a discount price.”
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Although this keeps costs down, it means the range of ingredients used in cheaper perfumes can be limited.
Noemie explains the main smell in budget perfumes may also come from just one or two strong but relatively cheap ingredients, like vanilla.
It means they can lack the depth and complexity of more expensive brands which use a wide variety of more expensive ingredients.
As the smell, names and bottle shapes of branded perfumes are protected under copyright law, cheaper brands can’t produce exact replicas.
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But they can create budget versions which smell similar – these are described as being “inspired by” a popular branded fragrance.
Shoppers who spot bargain “inspired by” fragrances often share the news on social media, describing them as perfume “dupes”.
We wanted to test if you get what you pay for when it comes to perfume – or if any “dupes” rival the originals.
For the tests, we sprayed all the products onto tester sticks and asked Noemie to review them blind, without knowing which was which.
She tested them immediately and then again 15 minutes later, to check out their staying power.
Here are her verdicts…
YSL Black Opium – up to £80 cheaper
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- Brand: Black Opium by Yves Saint Laurent eau de parfum, £90 for 90ml from The Perfume Shop
- Dupe: Bespoke London Woman Spiced Pear & Warm Amber eau de parfum, £9.99 for 100ml from Superdrug
- Dupe: Discover Midnight Blossom eau de toilette, £10 for 100ml from M&S
Noemie thinks the M&S version smells similar to Black Opium. “It has a bit more of an incense and woody note to it, but it’s a similar approach,” she says.
But she feels the Superdrug version is very different. “It’s got more of a vanilla milk smell – it’s not bad but it’s quite different and stronger,” she adds.
But after 15 minutes, only the Black Opium perfume smells the same.
Noemie thinks the Superdrug version has developed a strong vanilla smell, while the M&S version has faded away to almost nothing.
VERDICT
At a tenth of the price, M&S’s Midnight Blossom is a good alternative to YSL’s Black Opium if you want a sudden burst of scent.
But for real staying power, only the original will do.
Marc Jacobs Daisy – up to £80 cheaper
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- Brand: Daisy by Marc Jacobs eau de toilette, £92 for 100ml (available in Boots)
- Dupe: Revolution Goddess eau de toilette, £12 for 100ml from Superdrug
Noemie thinks the cheaper Superdrug perfume is “a pretty good match” for the original.
“It’s got some harsher notes in it, while [the original] is softer and more floral, but its strength and profile are similar,” she explains.
After 15 minutes, she thinks Daisy by Marc Jacobs has improved: “The smell has bloomed, it’s beautiful, rich and balanced,” she says.
But she feels the Superdrug version had become “thinner”.
VERDICT
With the Superdrug version costing 87% less than the Marc Jacobs classic, it’s definitely good value for money if you’re looking for a similar scent.
But you’ll need to reapply much more frequently as it doesn’t have the staying power of the original.
Jo Malone – up to £111 cheaper
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- Brand: Jo Malone Lime, Basil & Mandarin cologne (unisex), £118 for 100ml
- Dupe: Hotel Collection No1, Lime, Basil & Mandarin eau de parfum, £6.99 for 100ml
Noemie thinks the Aldi version is easily as good as the branded one. She feels the smell is slightly more like shower gel but is pleasant, green and woody, while the Jo Malone one is “weaker and more aromatic”.
After 15 minutes the smells of both have developed. She feels the Jo Malone version contains more lime but is missing mandarin scents.
“I personally prefer [the Aldi version],” she says.
“It’s rounded, more balanced and with more wood and mandarin. In terms of strength, they are similar.”
VERDICT
The Aldi version wins hands-down. It was one of the cheapest perfumes we tested at just £6.99 – but the quality was so high, it was difficult for the expert to distinguish it from the real thing.
Lancome La Vie Est Belle – up to £108 cheaper
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- Brand: La Vie Est Belle by Lancome eau de parfum, £125 for 100ml from The Perfume Shop
- Dupe: Artiscent Atelier Patchouli Passion eau de parfum, £16.99 for 100ml from Superdrug
In a blind smell test, Noemie can tell straight away that the Superdrug version is the cheapest.
“It smells diluted, cheaper and less rich,” she explains.
“It’s a similar smell but lacking the depth. It’s also fainter.”
She describes the fragrance as like a “distant cousin” of the Lancome original – “They’re related, but not close,” she adds.
There’s not much difference after 15 minutes. “The [original] is richer, full and it blends together well.
“The [Superdrug version] has much less to it – it’s weaker,” she says.
VERDICT
Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle may be seven times more expensive than the Superdrug version, but you’re better off saving up to buy the real thing.
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle – up to £134 cheaper
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- Brand: Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel eau de parfum, £136 for 100ml
- Dupe: Discover Soft Iris eau de toilette, £10 for 100ml from M&S
- Dupe: Scentalis Miss Conduct eau de parfum, £4 for 100ml from Poundland
On first impressions, the Poundland version seems similar to the Chanel original.
“It is similar with peach and vanilla notes but on the sweeter side with more of an ice cream scent,” explains Noemie.
But she’s not impressed by the M&S version. “It’s missing a lot of notes,” she adds.
“It’s a similar profile to [the original] but it’s been really diluted. It’s less fruity, less rich and much weaker.”
But after 15 minutes, it’s clear the Poundland perfume’s smell has deteriorated.
“It doesn’t compare now, it just smells like vanilla ice cream – any other depth has gone,” Noemie says.
However, she thinks the M&S version has developed to become more like the Chanel original – although it’s still much weaker.
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VERDICT
There is no replica for the Chanel classic but at £136 for 100ml, the price is out of reach for most of us.
If you’re looking for something similar, Noemie thinks the M&S version is a fair alternative – but you’ll need to use more and reapply it more frequently to get similar strength of scent.
