Perfume Dupes: Where I Stand

This is just my general thoughts on how I feel about perfume dupes, including Middle Eastern dupes and dupe brands.
Perfumes mentioned:
Burberry Goddess
Lattafa Angham
Paris Corner North Stag Expressions Quatre
Louis Vuitton Afternoon Swim
Maison Asrar Fakhama
Kilian Love Don't Be Shy
The Dua Brand White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies
Sol de Janeiro Cheirosa '71
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Makeup channel - / @kitschsnitch
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[@TopNotesofKat]

Also if you have tried Bujairami Perfumes, let me know your thoughts!

[@nellista]

Bujairami are fantastic! I am lucky though as their store is around 20 minutes away, so I can go I and smell them and choose what I like. So I have avoided getting things I was sure were going to be right up my alley, but when I went to the store were just out classed by others from left field.

[@ajk23ful]

I agree with you on the dupes, if they are straight out copying the packaging and whole deal its just a step to far especially when they seem to be mass produced poor quality products and most of the thougt and cost has gone into marketing and packaging replication. Something that is similar in scent or how it works but is marketed differently as its own product and different packaging its just consumers that are claiming dupes i dont have an issue with

[@myfragrancejourney1]

I agree with all you said. When they're blatantly taking the bottles, packaging, fonts etc on top of the scent itself - that is a no go for me. But when it is just taking the original as inspiration (heavy or not) and then coming up with something that isn't just a carbon copy I'm fine with that. One thing I love dupes for is "extending" my use of the original. Sometimes that means I'm layering the original and dupe (with a heavier amount of the dupe) or using the dupe on it's own after I've run out of the original to hold me over. In each case I'm happy to still own the original but that extra coverage from the dupe makes things more affordable for me in the long run.

[@jusblack_thabi]

I am obsessed with dupes and we can’t overlook the fact that these Middle Eastern companies have allowed many of us in “3rd world” countries to make an income and be able to feed our families. Even some of the fragrance creators make good money here on KZbin just by reviewing dupes, they too can feed their families or supplement their incomes, travel the world and have an improved quality of life. Fragrance houses even in the west dupe each other all the time and classist consumers don’t have issues with that. Essential parfums is essentially a dupe house but you never hear anyone complain, all they say Is it’s an affordable niche house, no!it’s a dupe house. Vibrato is a dupe of Tygar, Xerjof kbridge club and MfK gentle fluidity are both dupes of Montale intense café. Those outraged by dupes should keep the same energy for the duping happening in the west

[@sarahmoorcroft8826]

100% agree with your view on dupes ModelCo beauty and makeup revolution have always given me the ick

[@TopNotesofKat]

I have no idea why ModelCo hasn't been sued yet!

[@VictoriaEbert]

​@@TopNotesofKatI actually think they have been. Or at least they had to change their packaging a few times because of threatened legal action 😮

[@ktotogdeto7353]

One case where I am clearly for dupes, is if the original is not cruelty free and the dupe is. Second case is for perfumes which cost 500 dollars per bottle. It is just an insane price. Otherwise the dupe may be a way to try it out before committing. I think if the original perfumes would offer different sizes starting with 15 ml or 30 ml, it would be easier for people to start buying them. I bought Akro Rise in 30 ml and already half through it and will absolutely buy the bigger bottle after that. If I had to buy 100 ml right away, I’m not sure I would do it.

[@TopNotesofKat]

Yeah I agree. I do think some niche brands aren’t so crazy priced that you can fairly easily buy a smaller bottle, especially if there’s a sale (Akro is a good example of that), but others just make me cringe at the cost. I want a Parfums de Marly fragrance, but it’s very hard to justify for $498 for 75ml

[@user-fe4bn7dq7x]

When I am trying to duplicate a fragrance, it’s because it was discontinued or no longer easily available. So when the orange scented Nest Paradise was discontinued I bought Tocca Stella. Sephora stopped carrying this brand and I still have a full bottle as well as the hair mist. When those are gone I am going to try Guerlain Mandarine Basilic.

[@justilou1]

@@user-fe4bn7dq7x Mandarine Basilic is fab. Being discontinued at Sephora Aus atm and heavily discounted atm. Orange Soleia also sublime. (All Guerlain still available at DJ’s, btw)

[@kaylap2637]

Completely agree with your opinion! I felt guilty for using so much of my partners $500 Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille (which i’m obsessed with by the way) that I bought a blatant rip off dupe to scratch that itch because I cannot justify spending $500 on a fragrance. Ethically it didn’t sit super well with me but Im really glad I bought it. That’s what prompted me to order Bujairami, particularly because I’ve used a sample of Akro Bake and LOVED it but couldn’t justify a full priced bottle. It’s the same with the Ginger Biscuit fragrance from Jo Malone as it’s limited edition and actually not possible to buy anymore so I wanted to try their interpretation of it. I will report back! I’ve tried a few MCO products over the years of products that I’ve owned and finished the original of but have never found them to be on par. I honestly think they’re a waste of money and better investing in the original which is easier to do with a $60 bronzer vs a $500 perfume, in my opinion

[@TopNotesofKat]

I agree. I think the "dupe" makeup is just duping the look of the product, and never matching the formula. There is a HUGE difference in the price of original makeup and perfume, makeup is an expensive interest, but perfume can quickly put someone in debt.

[@elizabethg1901]

I am for dupes when I want to try out a scent profile and either the sample of the real scent is still pricy for a small trial or I can't get a sample. So then I will get the dupe if available to determine if I want to pursue the OG. Another case for dupes; I used up a tiny sample of Byredo's Gypsy Water and really liked it but performance was lacking and it is super $$. So I tried a dupe 1. Less expensive 2. Hoping for better performance. I like oil perfumery dupes. Oakcha sprays have been a little disappointing though.

[@persistentfantasy]

I haven’t been as happy with the dupes I’ve tried if I’ve gone looking for something cheaper than the original- for example I blind bought Angham because I love Burberry Goddess, but it gave me an instant headache and smells awful to me! I’ve learned I always need to sample, no matter what, and I’m better off getting a smaller bottle of something I really want if it’s pricey. BUT I do have a wide range of price points in my collection - I buy what I like 😊

[@TopNotesofKat]

Oh that’s sad to hear about Angham. Hopefully it gets better for you with age. I also buy what I like, but I can’t justify $500 fragrances personally

[@cwynn1547]

I completely believe the Middle Eastern brands have a better product, but I am so limited in what I can order because it has to be ground shipping. Not even Selfridges could get a fragrance refill to me, got turned around and sent back by customs. No matter what the fragrance is, it will be in the niche shops together with the real ones because the import problem is the same either way, and the cost is in the price tags.

[@TopNotesofKat]

Oh that's such a bummer, hopefully you can get a local ME frag store/distributor open near you soon!

[@melissaclark6490]

I know The Perfume Oil Company which Aussie based takes inspiration and out their own twist on high end fragrances which smell amazing. I have the same feelings if they out rightly claim to dupe or exact copy I don’t like it

[@jayadora]

I have some dupes that out preform the og, for example. Club de nuit man intense limited edition is a spot on dupe for creed adevntus, and last longer than creed. I prefer dupes to things I just can't afford, or that are discontinued

[@TopNotesofKat]

I completely agree! I have a dupe for baccarat rouge 540 that performs better than the $600+ extrait!

[@CosmeticsComedy]

I can't give Tom Ford $400 for the 30ml Electric Cherry. But any Middle Eastern house that can supply me the same profile for under 100 bucks can have all my money. If those that have the money by all means, give it to Mr Ford. We are given a choice. Just like many can't afford a smart car like a Tesla or Mercedes, you can get a smart car by Toyota or Hyundai.

[@ericadubach1974]

if you're able to, private blends has a TF inspired collection on sale in lil bottles, there's 8 bottles i think? i'm a filthy enabler xD

[@TheCurlShack]

Its just a shame that these companies charge 400 or more and the scent doesnt last and then the dupes are making them last longer which is crazy they need to make their products more potent like back in the days.

[@ericadubach1974]

i think the closest dupe i can see is the Delina/Delilah - same pink bottle and tassel, but typefont is not the same (if i remember rightly), but honestly i'm on a budget and if a Middle Eastern perfume has captured the scent i'm looking for then i will get into it over the inspo or dupe because i simply do not have the bucks to chuck. Also i discovered a kiosk in Highpoint for La Milas perfume, so if you're that way you can sample them after browsing their online store. They do have some differences to Private Blends.

[@TopNotesofKat]

Is that the little makeup stand that has a couple of middle eastern fragrances or a different kiosk?

[@notimportant123]

I agree! A lot of the ME dupes are better than the OGs. Dupes for Delina Exclusif (Armaf Imperiale), Dama Bianca (Junoon Noir), Oriana (Destino) even this LDBS (Fakhama), the Khair line (Kayali) are all better than the originals (which I also have). The American dupe brands aren't as good (Oakcha, Dua, etc.)

[@nusaibahibraheem8183]

Western consumers love dupes, which is why these brands are making them. But actually there are MANY more middleeastern perfume brands that have been around for a long time making their own perfume.

[@notimportant123]

@@nusaibahibraheem8183 I know. I was born and lived in ME.

[@marielle7505]

I don't see much wrong with brands taking inspiration from an existing fragrance. You see that in fashion all the time. That is just how the market works. When a lot of niche fragrances cost close to $300 or even above that, I don't feel bad about looking for something similar but cheaper elsewhere.

[@DeannasWorld]

Great video. Depends on the brand. There are a few I wouldn’t touch cos I think they are terrible.

[@TopNotesofKat]

Names please! 👀

[@justilou1]

I am going to buy from the store in Brunswick because they don’t proclaim that any of their fragrances are dupes or even “inspired by”….

[@TopNotesofKat]

And the quality is 👌

[@justilou1]

@@TopNotesofKat and Tom Ford doesn’t need my $$$

[@Mamabearperfumechannel]

Hey friend!🙋🏻‍♀️🥰🥰🥰🥰 in my opinion, im ok with fragrance dupes if they are duping the multimillion dollar companies that are try to rip us off with their absurd prices. Like a Tom Ford. But I wouldn’t personally support any dupes that are trying to copy a small business perfume house just trying to make a living. Or a reasonably priced perfume house that donates part of their proceeds to good causes, like the 7 virtues. So for me personally, it just depends but I know everyone has a different opinion on the subject and I respect that🤓🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@TopNotesofKat]

I agree with that. Also if a brand has a reasonably priced perfume and a great reputation, there’s no real reason to hunt down a dupe in my opinion ❤️

[@notimportant123]

I will also say that "dupes" are part of free market capitalism. So if we support unregulated pricing, ie brands setting their own exorbitant prices with enormous profit margins, then we are logically obligated to support dupes as well.

[@TopNotesofKat]

Fair point!

[@VictoriaEbert]

Have you tried Whif dupes? I'm on their mailing list and have been tempted but not pulled the trigger.

[@TopNotesofKat]

No I haven’t, they look a little cheap imo and they are generally duping designer fragrances that you can often get on sale or at chemist warehouse

[@VictoriaEbert]

@TopNotesofKat yeah, good point actually. Probably won't bother!

[@TopNotesofKat]

I’d probably only do it if they were duping something that you can no longer get. Otherwise keep an eye out for sales on the designer versions ❤️

[@bajgierb]

Are there scent splitting companies in Aus? They buy full bottles of the very high-end perfumes and sell them off in 1, 2, or 5 ml alloquots. I can find such companies in Europe and the US.

[@TopNotesofKat]

Some yes. They are a great way to sample very expensive perfumes if you can't try them in store, but they can get expensive too!

[@nusaibahibraheem8183]

Most Middleeastern fragrances aren't dupes. It's this sudden popularity in the west that has resulted into some middleeastern companies making dupes for the western markets because that seems to be what westerners prefer, dupes of popular brands. There are many fragrance companies you probably haven't even heard of that have their own perfumes that have nothing to do with some popular designer perfume. Tom Ford is literally a dupe brand of many middleeastern fragrances but you will never hear the accusation going that way.

[@TopNotesofKat]

Sorry I didn't mean to imply that most were dupes, I am fully aware that they have original fragrances and that they are great! This video was just about dupes, which is why I stuck to discussing dupes.

[@Queenofcats36]

It's a shame because SDJ make a perfume in their original scent, but not other scents! I also can't stand ModelCo because of the copying.

[@TopNotesofKat]

Yeah hopefully they will expand the perfume range in the future, but I think they just focus on the body sprays because they are more popular.

[@samanthacosgrove8739]

Imo i dont think dupes are a problem since most of the time the person buying the dupe wouldnt have purchased the original anyway. The only time I have an issue with it is when the company making the dupe tries to insist its their own original creation. I ordered a sample set from a small company, who, said that the creator started the company because she wasnt happy with everything on the market and wanted to invest in making her own unique creations. Tell me why every perfume in that sample set was a dupe for a sephora best seller except the br540 dupe. Dupes are fine but I feel like the companies producing them should give credit where credit is due. I give a bit more of a pass to the middle eastern brands, however, because western designer brands have been ripping off of arabian fragrances for decades.

[@TopNotesofKat]

Yeah I wouldn’t be happy with that, very cheeky!

[@TheRealSDP27]

I went down a rabbit hole on the Dua website this weekend. Have you joined the Facebook group?

[@TopNotesofKat]

No, I’m honestly on the fence about the brand and the international shipping price is almost criminal, so it’s unlikely going to be an order I place again

[@RaniaMich]

For me its a diffucult subject. On the one hand I'm thinking the person who buys ariana grande's cloud is NOT maison kurkdjian's client, but then what if ariana s cloud becomes more known and people with the money to purchase the original one, don't, and instead spend it on ariana? 🤣 I'm definitely not able to afford baccarat rouge atm but i did get cloud, and every time i get asked about it i tell them what it is but then tell them im too poor to buy to original. And then i feel bad because it feels like I'm promoting a dupe. 😂😭

[@TopNotesofKat]

I think MFK is making plenty of money, I don’t think you need to feel bad haha ❤️

[@RaniaMich]

@TopNotesofKat i know i know its just ethics damn it.

[@tuesdaybwilliams]

I think you're drawing arbitrary lines for what is acceptable. In both situations with a good quality dupe, whether riding coat tails or not, they make products more accessible to those that can't normally afford the product. If the product being duped is worth it's price people will still buy it, if it doesn't...well they should have never had such a high price point. If someone can do it cheaper, just as good, it's fair play.

[@TopNotesofKat]

This is just my personal opinion and where I choose to draw the line, but I understand that this line may vary for everyone. It may also be a pretty hazy line in the fragrance community because most dupe brands aim to deliver good quality alternatives at a lower price, whereas in other industries that simply isn't the case - ie makeup and fashion where they often copy higher end brands and deliver horrible quality items. So I don’t believe my line is arbitrary, but I think it applies less to the fragrance industry than it does to other industries. To me, the distinction lies in the intent behind the product. On one hand, some products aim to replicate the look and allure of a higher-priced luxury item while cutting costs on quality -capitalising on the prestige of the original without delivering the same value (again, this is less common in the fragrance world, besides in the fake market). On the other hand, most dupe fragrance brands try to match or even exceed the quality of the original without leveraging its image or popularity to sell their product. Which I thoroughly support as it makes good quality fragrances more accessible to the average consumer. Besides in the fake market, this line isn't a big deal, but I know some people have very strong opinions with dupes and I wanted to express where I stand with them so people can understand what types of fragrances I will and won't review on my channel.

[@apsarka71]

I have one dupe in my collection: for Carolina Herrera Good Girl. I just could not buy this hideous shoe 😅

[@TopNotesofKat]

🤣🤣🤣

[@belindah6554]

Couldn't care less about a dupe, even the obvious ones. l have the Mco Beauty mist #4 which lasts all day on me to very expensive niche perfumes that have been gifted to me. They're lovely to have & enjoy but I don't see the value in them personally when they hit the $200+ mark, I'd rather invest my money elsewhere. Brands are all in business to make a profit, l don't feel the need to be loyal to them with my $$

[@Motley14]

At Target in the States they have a dupe-ish brand called Finery. Some of the names are cheeky (such as Without a Trace is their version of Phlur Missing Person lol) but their perfumes are all $30 and the matching body mists are only $15. That I can get down with. I will never have $335 for Baccarat Rouge 540 but the $30 Target dupe -- count me in. I'm not HUGE into perfume and fragrance prices are too out of control for my amateur interests. For me with a slight interest (I own like 5 perfumes) I'm very happy to buy dupes or cheaper alternatives to expensive perfumes. I like to smell nice but I have no desire to be elitist or expensive about it.

[@TopNotesofKat]

I agree. I am ok with spending more on a special fragrance (I have one on my wish list at the moment, it might be a birthday present to myself) but if a cheaper version exists that I like more… it’s a no brainer!

[@dawn2764]

Interesting! I haven't tried any of the middle eastern fragrances but I have tried 3 of the major dupe companies (one of them I tried 8 fragrances bc they kept getting my order wrong). All of them were awful! I don't know if I'm just extra sensitive but I noticed more chemical smells and I feel like all of them went a bit skunk on me - like maybe the base notes are wrong. There may be some okay ones out there but I haven't had luck

[@notimportant123]

FWIW Middle Eastern dupes are miles better than the American dupe companies like Dapper, Oakcha, Dua, Julianna's etc. Those companies feel noticeably lower quality in their ingredients (and bottles). The good ME dupes are very high quality. But those aren't always the hyped ones like Lattafa, Paris Corner. Khadlaj, Al Haramain, Armaf have great quality.

[@brookef2368]

I'm not a fan of dupe fragrances, they aren't paying for the skill or creativity of the perfumer. Without this we'd have no innovation or experimentation. They simply copy using scientific equipment & tweak the formula to either be cheaper or if they do the decent thing they might adjust the fragrance enough that at least it could be called an inspired by.

[@TopNotesofKat]

I understand and respect that viewpoint; however, I don't believe it justifies charging a tenfold markup for that skill and creativity. Middle Eastern brands also craft unique, high-quality fragrances without pricing them at $500 per bottle. Much of the pricing seems to come down to prestige.

[@BarryTheP]

Many dupes are made by well known perfumers, but they are not usually credited. Some of the newer Armaf fragrances have listed the perfumers, such as Quentin Bisch

[@brookef2368]

I totally agree prices are out of hand but to me there is a still a huge quality difference. Amouage has the ingredient quality of Guerlain Arts & Materials line but all of the Lataffa etc. I've tried are closer to celebrity fragrance quality. For my taste - too synthetic, screechy, rough around the edges, in some cases only smell of perfumes alcohol at first spray. Great if people find something they like that is in their price point but none of this excuses ripping off other brands IP & especially branding.

[@TopNotesofKat]

@@brookef2368 if you spray them occasionally and get them to sit for a couple of months they tend to smell more similar to the quality of the original, less alcohol/screechy. They cut costs by not letting them age before selling ❤️

[@brookef2368]

@@TopNotesofKat I have a 1 year macerated Kamrah with a broken lid (poor packaging design - another common issue). Hasn't improved with age unfortunately! Any takers?! 😆 Don't get me wrong, cheapies have their place. I bought Pear Potion after seeing your review but I did test it first. Smelt good from first sniff. If it's a knock off I didn't know, hopefully not 😊 P.S I also didn't know Kamrah was a dupe when I bought it