We'll only be looking at real perfume's. That means that they should be somewhere between 15-30% perfume oil and should last for 4-12 hours. We're not looking at eau de toilette's as even if you can get big names on the bottle, the quality is normally a lot lower and they often don't last more than 2 hours. Unless you're planning on carrying a bottle with you all day eau de toilette is not only impractical, it actually doesn't represent good quality or value. 100ml of a real perfume can last months with daily wear, even an expensive eau de toilette however can be gone in under a month. These cheap perfumes from the big brands also tend to include cheaper ingredients than their off label counterparts which make up our list of the best cheap perfumes. That means we won't be covering eau de toilette versions of parfum. In short this is really a guide of how to smell rich without breaking your bank account, aka bougie on a budget. And in most cases nobody will ever know you're not wearing the original, we won't tell if you don't.
Best Clones - 540 Clone - Black Orchid Clone - Angel Clone - Lady Million Parfum Dupe
We’ve picked out some examples and put together a way to score them. We’ll be judging them for the following: - Scent Profile- Adaptability- Staying Power- Reviews- Value These factors influence how successful a clone perfume is, so let’s take a look.
Want to know more about Perfumes?
Usually perfumes are described as 3 sets of notes, these are called top notes, mid notes and base notes.
The top notes are what you smell first, these are usually sweeter, citrusy or more floral, base notes are normally your muskier scents which you smell last and mids are the notes that sit in between.
If you want something which smells good but don’t want a premium price tag, Inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540 is a good pick. Copycat made a tribute to the original scent and nailed it, making this a great choice for ladies who want something alluring but subtle.
This has a floral fragrance and is made to be quite nice. As a smell, the clone perfume does a good job of capturing the essence of the original. You’ll notice the smells of saffron, jasmine and exotic amber wood. The entire aroma is pretty Eastern-inspired which makes it a good choice.
As a perfume choice, this is pretty adaptable. Copycat themselves market it as being a fairly unisex brand, so right off the bat, you can tell that it was made to be flexible. However, regarding when you can use them in different situations, it’s important to acknowledge that this kind of smell is the best for the summer when it’s quite light and breezy as it's got quite a refreshing scent.
As a product, this lasts as long as you’d expect it to last. When it comes to your usage of the perfume, it’ll be around for an hour or two if you’re just sitting around and enjoying life. Naturally, the more physical activity you do, the faster the smell dissipates. Plus, warm air makes the smell wear off quicker, which is problematic.
Generally speaking, the reviews for this are incredibly positive, which is why we've marked it as the best cheap perfume out there. Copycat Fragrances have the whole product line pretty much nailed, and their reviews are a testament to this. There were a couple of negative reviews are mostly people complaining that things don’t smell exactly like their high street counterparts, but we've smelled the two side by side and can simply say they're incorrect as do 99% of the reviews on Trust Pilot.
In terms of value, you're getting 100ml of full Parfum for £49, we'd say that's a solid price point as even with daily wear this should last a few months, and considering it will make you smell like you're wearing something that costs 6 times that much it's top marks for longevity. Executive is possibly the best cheap aftershave all round.
For this option will be taking a look at another Copycat clone. This one has been inspired by Black Orchid. Like anything that you might get from Black Orchid nowadays, it is pretty good and looks amazing, just without the price tag. It is one that we would recommend you give a go, and there’s plenty to explore.
There are plenty of different smells to explore with the Inspired by Black Orchid option. It’s definitely a very floral fragrance, much like others in the Copycat collection. There are notes of gardenia, as well as blackcurrant. The blackcurrant, in particular, helps to give it a very floral scent mixed in with the aftertaste of fruit.
As a perfume, this is reasonably flexible in terms of where you can use it and where you can not. It is best suited to an evening event because it is quite exotic and relatively intense. However, it would be suitable for other social affairs. It’s definitely a social option because there are many characteristics that make it highly intimate.
With regards to the staying power of this particular fragrance, you can expect it to last quite a long time. If you choose to wear the fragrance to a social event in the evening, which is where it is able to perform the best, then the temperature is cooler than in the middle of the day. Therefore, the fragrance takes a little while longer to dissipate.
As a fragrance, this is considered to be 90% authentic to the original product that created the iconic aroma. Therefore, this is quite popular with a wide range of both men and women. Like many fragrances that Copycat have created, this is marketed as a unisex product. It has very favourable reviews, generally speaking, making it a good choice for people to explore. There are very few detractors from its overall quality, which is quite pleasing to see.
As a copycat fragrance, this is reasonably priced. You should expect to pay a little over £50 for 100 mL of fluid. This is quite good, in the grand scheme of things, especially when one considers that you don’t need much for each use, and it is a high-quality smell. For that reason alone, the slightly higher price (lots of copycat products clock in just under £50) is generally considered to be worthwhile.
For this product, we are in the realm of The Essence Vault. This is a perfectly good, reliable brand, and this next product, Inspired by Angel, is a good example of a quality product. It’s quite rich and has a very complex scent profile.
As a product, this manages to replicate the original smell of its High Street counterpart quite well. It’s very fruity, with a lot of vibrant, summary smells coming through as part of the fruit elements. Smells that immediately come up are mandarin, apricot, passion fruit, and peach. If you consider yourself to be a fan of a good fruity product, then this is the fragrance for you.
As a product, this is fairly adaptable. You can use it in a range of different places, and it’s quite flexible. The lighter, more floral smells are counterbalanced by much more intense and exotic undertones, so it’s the kind of fragrance that gradually becomes more interesting as time goes by. This makes it suitable for a range of different events because it keeps changing.
The thing about this particular fragrance is that it has many complex layers to it. Therefore, even when the initial burst of fruity fragrance has faded away, you are left with a more intense base layer. With that in mind, this makes it quite a good fragrance because it lasts for quite a while. Even when the initial fruit smell has faded away into the background over time, you’re still left with the residual intensity of the base tones, and this makes it very effective. It sticks around for about 5 hours so similar to an EDP legnth.
As a product, this is highly popular. Clearly, quite a bit of time and effort went into it, and the reviews certainly seem to reflect that. Generally good reviews all round.
When it comes to price, people will be pleasantly surprised to know that this is one of the more affordable fragrances on the market as a clone product. You’re going to be paying under £35 for 100 mL, which is very affordable. It’s a rather pleasant surprise when you consider the fantastic quality of the product and its overall effectiveness.
If you want to feel expensive but don’t want to have to spend large amounts of money, then this fragrance is definitely a good choice for you. It’s The Essence Vault's number 27, inspired by Lady Million. This is a great product, and it does have quite a bit going on for it. You can tell that this is one of the more premium fragrances available because it makes you feel great and smells incredible.
At first glance, this is a very fruity kind of product. It has a good scent, with lots of popular fruit scents permeating both the top and middle notes. You can smell good things like raspberry and mandarin orange, neroli, jasmine and gardenia. There are definitely some floral influences in there, but the bulk of this profile is quite fruity.
Lady Million is definitely one of the more interesting options. It's not the most adaptable of fragrances, best suited to daytime wear and warm weather due to it's crisp floral nature, but defintely a good scent to have at home. It’s easy to work with, and the different types of smells that are available are highly effective. We could definitely see it fitting into a wide range of social events and days out and about.
What immediately makes this stand out from the crowd is definitely its staying power. Of course, you do have the fruity and floral perfume elements that people encounter at first glance, but when they fade, and they will, you’re left with a much more subtle wooden smell. It’s quite a nice option, particularly as it does manage to offer up quite a few unique aromas. As a result, this lasts for a few hours.
As a product, this manages to be at the same high quality as most offerings are from this provider. It’s clear that The Essence Vault have the value nailed with this one, and it definitely smells like the part. Consequently, there are lots of glowing reviews for this. People frequently mention how strong the fragrance is, how long it lasts, and how closely it resembles the high street counterpart. These are all good things that you want to hear about your perfume of choice!
For a product which is designed to make you smell like a lot of money, it certainly doesn’t cost a lot of money. You’re going to be looking at less than £35 for 100 mL of perfume, which is a good deal. 100 mL will last you quite a while, especially if you reserve this for social events and days out. The only catch is that the originals EDT is one of the better ones, although we would still recommend the Lady Million dupe.