Do you buy original perfumes, dupes or a mixture?

[Readinggirl]

What perfumes do I like. Do U wear dupes or the original expensive perfumes? I like 'surprise' perfume, which is supposed to be very similar to scandal. I also like black opium (can't justify paying the price though). I have dupes of it, although my hubby did buy me a small bottle of the original, which I use for special occasions. Just curious if people buy originals or dupes or a mixture?

That’s fine, it’s horses for courses, isn’t it?

@Starlightwarrior I’ve bought from them and always been happy with my purchases.

My fave brand is 4160Tuesdays - they aren't cheap but AFAIK they don't get copied!

@thebinkster,thanks for that; I think I'll take a chance!

I guess it’s more about buying into the brand vision and ethos rather than the literal packaging? (I’m actually a lecturer in marketing - I just can’t express myself very eloquently today!) I like the Le Labo bottles with the labels and and the “clean” vibe, but I don’t love the brown cardboard boxes. As said above, totally horses for courses though!

A mixture. I have never found a dupe that is as good as the original, but I simply can't afford expensive perfumes; by my standards 'expensive' means those that are over £100 for 50ml. There is one I am desperate to have at about £116 for 50ml but I simply can't justify that kind of money for a consumable item much as I dream of having the lovely smell available when I want it. I've searched online and can't find any dupe with decent reviews.

I've never found any if the ones I like have been copied.

I also will not buy anything from a perfume company that charges a pink tax, more for a "women's" perfume than a " men's", like Parfums de Marly. $290 for 2.5 oz of Althair vs $410 for 2.5 oz of Athernaïs or $250 for 1 oz of Delina at store and it's there online too. That's sexist bullshit.

I love the Le Labo aesthetic & having my name (or a message from dh) on the bottle!

@DisrobeDatrobe which one is it? I'm curious now

I have smelled the Aldi Jo Malone dupes & they are not the same! Even the candles don't smell right.

Dh bought the lime basil & mandarin hand soap & there's at best a resemblance but it's no where as nice as the original

Same. I probably would buy dupes if the ones I've tried hadn't been disappointing. I'm quite a mean shopper; I hunt around for offers and will wait for a sale on my favourites.

I have full-sized bottles of Coco Chanel: my lifetime 'signature' scent; D&G The One - my second affair with this; and Eau Dynamisante, which seems to have changed, so I shan't replace it. Samples: too many to mention!

Mixed here too - I use noted aromas for dupes and these are amazing - I have the one which is a dupe of Halfeti

I always used to buy high end luxury perfumes - amouage, MFK, private blends etc but over the last few years I’ve been buying Arab brands which cost 20% of the price and last so much longer as they have a higher oil content. I also discovered a U.K. brand that I won a free bottle of which is marketed as oil based dupes of luxury fragrances and have since repurchased as gifts for others and a new scent for myself. Safe to say I’m no longer a perfume snob in terms of brand but I’m still very particular about scents and quality.

No dupes. I love rose/tuberose scents and heavy ‘old fashioned’ perfumes like Mitsouko and Chanel CoCo.

I wear byredo, Guerlain, LbTy and Chanel, or much more affordable originals by monotheme.

I used to work in a weird shop that sold Estee Lauder dupes. They were popular but horrible, and not even cheap.

A mixture
some of my favourites have been discontinued- Alien Essence Absolue, Agent Provocateur Fatale Pink, Ralp Lauren Woman…
I have bought successful dupes of the first two- I then bought a dupe of Gucci Flora because I wear it daily but it’s expensive to ‘waste’ for work- the dupe lasts longer than the original on me.
but I can’t find a replacement for RL Woman!

Originals. I react to a lot of products these days. Not just perfumes. Shampoo, shower gel.

Luckily I have two DILs who buy perfume for my birthday and Christmas. The last perfume I bought was Estée Lauder it went rancid very quickly. So EL can take a running jump.

I do this too. Roger&Gallet are great too, particularly for summer fragrances.

Older perfumes that no longer have the ‘new price premium’ attached and are less commonplace are also great.

I think many of us search for dupes because a much loved fragrance has been discontinued. I mourn Estee Lauder Sensuous Noir and Givenchy’s Eau De Mademoiselle de Givenchy.

Why do dupes endure if the original is gone?

Also - if you're (collective you) wearing a dupe & someone admires it, do you say its a dupe?

@Whattinger
Excellent question!
I usually tell people it’s a dupe but once or twice, in my weaker moments, I’ve said it’s the original!

No dupes but my very favourite is only 30 per 100 mls. I'm not saying what it is as I have to hunt it down 😂

I only buy cruelty free vegan perfume so this straight away discounts most of the main brands/perfume houses.

There are lots of niche companies that are cruelty free and do amazing scents and I also use some of the dupe companies for copies of well known perfumes. No luxury branding or posh bottle is worth animal cruelty, there are so many alternatives out there.

The perfume I get the most compliments on is L'Occitane body lotion. Smells of roses.

I think for me, when it comes to perfume, the phrase ‘reassuringly expensive’ remains significant.

This afternoon I asked Google AI about a frustratingly obscure US perfume house - and we had a nice chat about my empty bottles and the difficulty of getting hold of any of it here. Then it said if I wanted a similar type of scent I could try … some random thing on Amazon, costing £21. When I protested that I would fear for my skin, it readily agreed and said my instincts were correct there. 🧐🧐🧐

I don’t care vastly about once or twice a year paying ridiculous amounts for a tiny amount of liquid - because at least I can be fairly sure it’s gone through all the right checks, and there’s someone to sue if it damages me.