Tempted by perfume dupes? Common problems with cloned fragrances (and one fabulous solution).
Dupe (short for duplicate) perfumes are everywhere these days. Sometimes called ‘replica perfumes,’ or ‘inspired by,’ or ‘designer inspired,’ they’re taking over social media feeds, especially if you’ve ever shown any interest in buying perfume. And they’re undeniably cheap. But what are the drawbacks of buying a dupe perfume?
What are the problems with dupe perfumes?
Imitation perfumes are repurposed from original work by someone else. They’re copied from a creative perfumer’s years of training, experience and expertise and that perfumer isn’t asked for their permission.
Dupe perfume companies sometimes don’t invest in clear and honest labelling for their products, so ingredients lists may be missing or inaccurate. This means there are possible risks to your skin or health if you don’t know for sure that a replica fragrance complies to the strictest safety standards (as all my fragrances do)
Why shouldn’t I buy dupe fragrances?
If you believe in the power of original art, and respect creative thought and intellectual property rights, then buying a dupe perfume may make you feel uneasy, as all dupe fragrances are based on the work of an uncredited perfumer.
If an imitation perfume is cheap, it may have been made from very basic raw materials from potentially unethical or even unregulated sources. Ask yourself, are they safe for my skin?
Cheap dupe perfumes may potentially use a highly diluted concentration of 10% or less of perfume oil, which can change your experience of wearing fragrance.
Why are dupe perfumes so cheap?
Dupe fragrances are cheap because there’s no investment in creative perfumery - the development of something new and exciting. Perfumery is an art, and great art takes time…which has a value.
Many dupes are based on popular fragrances by huge companies—it costs these companies very little money (and time) to churn out thousands of litres of a fractionally tweaked perfume, often using the lowest cost raw materials.
Replica fragrances often use cheap packaging too. Pumps can be fragile, thin glass can break easily, and flimsy caps often crack.
Are dupe fragrances just as good?
Dupe perfumes are often simpler than your regular 'named brand - off the shelf' fragrances they’re based on. There will probably be less development of the scent over time, so the smell of what you spray can be very similar six hours later. Often lacking in complexity and contrast. Whereas expertly crafted original perfumes tell a story on your skin, gradually unfolding and developing over time.
Unless you spray a dupe perfume next to the original it’s inspired by, it’s hard to say how faithful the replica is. Original and aspirational perfumes often lean heavily on high quality, expensive, and sometimes rare ingredients, and it’s incredibly hard to replicate those complexities using basic perfumery materials.
What’s an alternative to buying dupe perfumes?
Shopping from authentic indie and niche perfumers with integrity who create really exciting fragrances with creativity and soul.
This is your gentle invitation to come and explore my perfumes. You can choose any five perfumes from my whole range in a Discovery Set. Who knows, you might find your next stunning scent there.
You’re guaranteed all my perfumes are:
● 100% original - made from my own inspiration, creativity, and skills
● Made with the highest quality raw materials
● Made to be as safe as possible for you to wear on your skin, following strict regulations. These include:- CPSR (Cosmetic Product Safety Report) and IFRA (International Fragrance Association) certification, safety tests and toxicology reports.
● Eau de Parfum strength - my fragrance concentrations vary between 20% and 25%, depending on the individual perfume
I am proud to support and comply with the voluntary Perfumery Code of Ethics—if a fragrance note is mentioned in one of my perfumes, you will smell that note. It may be subtle, but it is there and forms part of the overall fragrance experience.
We all have choices about where and how we spend our money. And sometimes it’s tempting to follow the crowd or look for a cheaper version of something well known. But you could be a courageous trailblazer and support an independent perfumer instead.
With my prices starting at £15 for a travel size bottle of handmade fragrance, buying from an independent perfume brand may be more affordable than you think.
I wonder which perfume you’ll fall in love with first?