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Perfume dupes are in the spotlight

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Perfume Dupes are in the spotlight

Roz Wicks
November 5th, 2022

UK consumers are looking for perfume dupes

At of the beginning of October 2022 the term ‘perfume dupes’ had increased 650% in the UK on Google Trends, and Aldi, Zara, Lidl and M&S ‘perfume dupes list 2022’ were all breakout search terms.

This is no big surprise. The UK is in the middle of a ‘cost of living crisis’ so more beauty and fragrance consumers than ever before are looking for cost savings on their ‘luxury’ items.

The perfume dupe market now

These days, tastes for fragrances have changed and lots of consumers are interested in dupes of Jo Malone (there are more Pomegranate Noir types on the market than possible I think), dupes of the latest Tom Ford (Lost Cherry is everywhere) and the runaway success of Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 (which, by the way, Arianna Grande’s bestselling scent is very reminiscent of) proves that we definitely have a more sophisticated consumer market than ever before.

However, the ‘classics’ and ‘new classics’ are still very much in demand. Chanel No5, for example, Coco Mademoiselle, plus everyone in the UK’s new favourite (it was the number 1 selling UK scent in 2021) YSL Black Opium, not to mention Marc Jacobs Daisy variants, Lancôme La Vie Est Belle types, Le Labo Santal 33 and many versions of Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million and various flankers.

Men’s scents are also being duped by the plenty too, although mainstream media articles do concentrate on woman’s scents more than men’s. Boss Bottled, Tom Ford Tuscan Leather, Bleu de Chanel, Creed Aventus, Dior Sauvage, Paco Rabanne One Million and Carolina Herrera Bad Boy are all in the dupe spotlight.

The current trends and future of perfume dupes

Over the last year NPD has been talking about ‘premiumization’ and noting that the trend for more potent versions; EDP’s, Parfums and intense versions, is causing an uptick in fragrance spending; “Sales of fragrance juices in the first half of 2022 with a retail price over £125 now equate to 11% of the mix of total fragrance sales compared to 7% of the mix of total fragrance sales in the first half of 2021″.

What this means for the dupe market is that versions of well liked ultra prestige, indie and niche fragrances will be in demand at a fraction of the original cost, so next year I’m fully expecting to see Phlur’s Missing Person everywhere!

Let’s talk scents

So what’s trending in fragrance dupes?

Well first up we have Zara. This brand’s perfumes have been around for a while now, but they’ve been getting more attention lately thanks to TikTok. In fact, videos about the perfumes in the range have 44.7 million views at the time of writing.

TikTokers have identified a similarity between Zara’s Oriental and Viktor & Rolfe’s iconic Flowerbomb perfume, Zara’s Amalfi Sunray and Tom Ford’s Neroli Portofino, Zara’s Red Vanilla and Lancôme’s La Vie Est Belle, Zara’s Rose Petal Drops and Parfums de Marly Delina, Zara’s Santal Glow and Byredo’s Mojave Ghost and Zara’s Soleil Decade and Estée Lauder’s  Bronze Goddess. The list most definitely goes on!

Then comes Marks and Spencer whose perfumes were a recently featured in The Sun newspaper.

According to fans of the scents; Midnight Blossom is a Black Opium type, Velvet Rose is a dupe of Chanel No5, Warm Neroli captures Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million, Pink Pepper is a Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle type while Soft Iris is the brands take on Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle, oh and if Le Labo’s Santal 33 is your scent signature you could give Marks and Spencer’s Apothecary Warmth a try (maybe that’s why it sold out last year)!

Men’s launches are also getting the dupe treatment and Aldi launched a £7 imitation of Creed’s £285 Aventus perfume in time for Father’s Day 2022.

This launch came a few months after the discount supermarket released Lacura Lady Pour Femme – a rumoured dupe of Carolina Herrera’s Good Girl, Lacura Atom; a dupe of Escentic Molecules Molecule 01 and Lacura Dark Blossom; YSL’s Black Opium.

So, in summary I think we can all agree the dupe market is looking in fairly good shape for the future, especially those scents feature heavily on TikTok and similar platforms. It will be interesting to see what 2023 brings…


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A TikTok favourite fragrance

#PerfumeTok is driving new fragrance sales and favourite scent choices

popular vanilla fragrances
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#PerfumeTok is driving new fragrance sales and favourite scent choices

Roz Wicks
September 6th, 2022

The scoop about #PerfumeTok

Nobody could argue that the pandemic and COVID 19 fundamentally changed the way we think about smell. Not being able to smell was a sign of COVID and, even more disturbingly, the potential possibly of not regaining that key sense was enough to make people stop and think about how important smells and scents really are.

At the beginning of the pandemic every market analyst feared the worst for the fragrance sector and predictions were pretty grim. Consumers on the other hand decided something completely different and home fragrance, and fragrance in general started going crazy. Fine fragrances were affordable, and comforting luxuries, whilst candles and diffusers were used to lift spirits and denote living, relaxing and working from home spaces whilst we were all stuck indoors.

In 2021, perfume sales skyrocketed by as much as 45% according to reports from market research firm NPD Group, thanks to a boom in demand driven by the pandemic, despite the spike in perfume prices by 15% due to the supply chain crisis.

At the same time fragrance on TikTok REALLY started trending, and pretty soon, #PerfumeTok was born.

As we know hashtags are the easiest way to follow anything you may be interested in on any platform that uses them and when they ‘go big’ they do it with style – #perfumetiktok has 3.1 billion views, #perfumetok a very respectable 1.2 billion views and #fragrancetok has 220 million views and counting (as of me writing this in August 2022).

So what’s everyone loving? Well, mostly reviews, nosing around peoples collections and also dupes, dupes, dupes. TikTokkers are sharing the hottest news in fragrance, plus ‘where can I get copy of this fragrance for a tiny fraction of the original price’? So lets explore what’s ‘hot’ on the platform. 2 things which stand out to me? TikTokkers must not be eating (or are maybe sitting in the dark) because some of these perfume collections are Expensive (with a capital E) and also everyone loves a bit of comfort (amber, vanilla, marshmallow, warm woods and coffee are definitely trending). Anyhoo. Let’s go.

TikTok’s Favourite Scents

First up; The viral sensation: Maison Francis Kurkdijan Baccarat Rouge 540 (you can find a bit more about its popularity by clicking here), which sells for around £200 per bottle. Its an amber floral scent (that category is HUGE right now from Gen Z onwards) and includes top notes of Saffron and Jasmine, middle notes or Amberwood and Ambergris and base notes of Fir Resin and Cedar. The perfume that almost broke tiktok though was its ‘dupe’ – Zara Red Temptation (according to TikTokkers) which retails at £19.99.

tiktok fragrance trends

Next up we have Glossier You EDP – a genderless scent that is designed to smell like you: soft, warm, familiar. the brand says; “We designed everything about it to feel open ended, like it’ll grow with you no matter where you are in your personal evolution. This is not a finished product. It needs you”.

How to describe Glossier You? It’s a floral woody musk with pink pepper—the bright, sparkling, spicy top note that makes a good first impression. Then you get into the woodsy, slightly sweet heart of the scent that comes from ambrette seeds and warm, ambery ambrox (a synthetic molecule that’s comforting, sensual and palatable in equal measure). It’s balanced with iris, a white floral, for a creamy freshness.

genderless fragrances

Now lets swap to another much loved fragrance sensation – Kayali Vanilla 28 ($118). If you didn’t know, Kayali is the fragrance brainchild of makeup guru, Huda Kattan (beauty entrepreneur and huge social media personality) and her sister Mona. Kayali is an Arabic word that means ‘imagination’ and generally, the fragrances are inspired by the middle east. However, this one doesn’t have any of the oud notes that are perhaps more typical of that genre. This scent is an amber vanilla fragrance with notes of vanilla orchid, jasmine, brown sugar, tonka bean, amber, musk, amberwood and patchouli. TikTokers claim it’s sweet, easy to wear, and works perfectly for layering.

popular vanilla fragrances

Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium is one of the most popular modern fragrances around – in fact it was boosted to the UK’s No1 bestselling scent for women thanks to TikTok. Sales in 2021 were £19.4m and for a scent launched in 2014 that’s quite exceptional. The scent (which is based around coffee and has 24 flankers to date) is classified as an Amber Vanilla with notes of Pear, Pink Pepper, Orange Blossom, Coffee, Jasmine, Bitter Almond, Liquorice, Vanilla, Patchouli, Cedar and Cashmere Wood. 

ysl black opium

We all know that celebrity scents lost their sparkle and skin care is the thing now in celebrity land, but one scent that seems to have made it through is Ariana Grande’s Cloud. The perfume is constantly flying off the shelves, which is no surprise given the singer’s hold on Gen Z and its affordable price tag. It’s classified as a floral-fruity gourmand scent. At first spray, you get the lavender blossom, juicy pear, and bergamot, but creamier notes like crème de coconut, praline, and blonde woods soon creep in. This gourmand is an absolute crowd-pleaser that is affordable without smelling super synthetic – according to the TikTokkers.

ariana grande fragrances

YSL Libre was described by Allure magazine as a scent that ‘smells like the kind of woman whose finances are together’, and with a campaign that was fronted by singer, Dua Lipa – this is definitely a punchy, powerful fragrance. TikTok’s Pearl from Perfumed To Death describes it as ‘absolute elegance’ and the perfect perfume for the professional. This warm floral scent includes notes of lavender and orange blossom with a touch of vanilla extract. It’s easy to wear, refined, and still accessible — all the trappings of a solid signature scent and an easy must have in the TikTok world.

Dua Lipa for YSL Libre

Talking of sophistication TikTokkers are loving gender neutral Replica’s Jazz Club (and so do I – I’ve just spritzed it to remind me). The idea behind this scent is that with one spray you will be transported back to a dark, smoky, boozy New York jazz club in the 1920’s. It does just that. Rum, tobacco, and vanilla are brightened with the addition of primofiore lemon, neroli, sage and pink pepper in one of Maison Margiela’s most adored offerings from its Replica line.

replicas best selling fragrances

Tom Ford Lost Cherry (launched 2018) versus Zara Cherry Smoothie (launched 2022) made the rounds on TikTok filling up feeds as the majority of people declared it a good alternative to the uber pricey scent. Tom Ford’s version tops the chart among TikTok users. heady-meets-fruity fragrance with Top notes of Sour Cherry, Bitter Almond and Liquor, middle notes of Plum, Turkish Rose and Jasmine Sambac and base notes of Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Peru Balsam, Cinnamon, Benzoin, Sandalwood, Cloves, Cedar, Patchouli and Vetiver.

Zara dupes Tom Ford Lost Cherry

Gypsy Water (£127) is the smell of fresh soil, deep forests and campfires. It wants to evoke the dreams of a free and colourful lifestyle, surrounded by nature. It has top notes of Bergamot, Juniper & Pepper. Heart notes of Incense, Pine Needle & Orris. Base notes of Amber Sandalwood & Vanilla. Created to be a homage to Romany life, this unisex cult fragrance combines outdoorsy notes of pine and sandalwood as well as subtle moments of citrus to cut through any heaviness. It smells just as fresh and relevant now as it did when it launched 14 years ago. 

a cult favourite fragrance

Now who the heck doesn’t want to smell like Rihanna. Apparently no-one on TikTok. Kilian Love, Don’t Be Shy Eau de Parfum (£185+) is widely known as one of Rihanna’s favourite fragrances. The scent is described as a sticky-sweet floral gourmand that marries neroli and orange blossom with a sugary marshmallow accord. If it’s good enough for Rih/RiRi, it’s good enough for us all as per #perfumetok rules.

Rihannas favourite fragrance

Delina is one of Parfums de Marly’s best sellers. This unapologetic floral brings together bergamot essence, rhubarb, and lychee with Turkish rose, peony, cashmerean, and musk. It’s super-refined but still playful and slightly mysterious. She’s pricey at around £205 but TikTokkers say if you like florals (especially for the peony fans out there), you will no doubt fall in love with this. 

TikTok favourite fragrance

Last, but not least, just in case you thought TikTokkers only had a sweet tooth/nose, we get a blast of tropical fruit that is on every good #perfumetokkers collection shelf; Vilhelm Parfumerie Mango Skin Eau de Parfum. The scent launched in 2018 with notes of Mango, Orange and Violet, Frangipani, Mango Blossom, Ylang-Ylang, Black Currant, Musk, Red wine and Civet.

A TikTok favourite fragrance

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