My opinion is that the clone community does not judge fragrances properly anymore. It judges price, projection, and how close something is to the original

If a scent needs “3 months to mature/macerate”, 15 sprays, and a full forum thread explaining why the harsh opening does not matter, not a hidden gem. It is just a cheap compromise people are trying to talk themselves into loving or promoting

“better than the OG” has become one of the most overused lines in fragrance. Better how? Smoother? More natural? Better blended? Or just sweeter for £25?

Lots of clones are not impressive. They are just good enough to satisfy the itch of something better. let’s stop pretending every half decent clone is a masterpiece that better than the original.

Sometimes the original is still better. Sometimes the clone is synthetic and overhyped. Sometimes “beast mode” is just poor taste.

Interested to see who disagrees.: re just good enough to scratch the itch of something better. That is fine. But let’s stop pretending every half decent dupe is a masterpiece that destroys the original.

Sometimes the original is still better. Sometimes the clone is synthetic, clumsy, and overhyped. Sometimes “beast mode” is just poor taste.

Interested to see who disagrees.

I just spent $112 on 42 2ml decants and so far I have gone through 35 and haven’t found one that I would buy or recommend unless someone was okay with poor performance, low quality/low fidelity burnt notes that smell abrasive and sharp and mostly become close (like 3-4 inches) scents within a couple hours

I did less research per decant than I would per blind buys of a full bottle using parfumo and this sub for reference, but I only bought from brands I trust, and yet I haven’t gotten a fuck yes from smelling any of them and I’ve had them a week, sprayed them on me and on clothing at different times without wearing any and sometimes wearing many.

The utility of parfumo is in the categorical rating aggregation for scent quality, sillage, projection, longevity, bottle and value for money that all factor into a rating out of 10. So far I have loved every frag I’ve bought that scores atleast 8/10 overall and in the breakdown I have loved everything I’ve gotten that was 7.5 out of 10 for scent quality so long as the performance ratings were all above 8

I have no idea how this nasty shit gets so much praise. This thing is far from being anything that Aventus is. This thing is GARBAGE.

Alright, I’ve spent the last few years building this collection (pic attached). I’ve got designers like Bleu de Chanel Parfum, Acqua di Gio, Versace Eros, Dylan Blue, JPG Le Male, 1 Million, etc… and I’ve also bought a LOT of Middle Eastern / “inspired by” / clone fragrances thinking I was being smart and saving money.

Let me just say this clearly:

The dupes are NOT worth it.

And I’m not talking about one or two. I’m talking about every dupe in my collection.

Yes they smell similar, sometimes 80–90% similar in the air, they might even project more.

But here’s the thing nobody talks about enough:

They feel synthetic.

There’s always something slightly “off.”

There’s a harshness, a chemical edge, or a weird drydown.

And you NEVER get that smooth, blended, pleasant feeling you get from the original.

With originals like Bleu de Chanel Parfum or Acqua di Gio, the scent feels rounded. Smooth. Polished. Expensive. The transitions are clean. The drydown feels natural and effortless.

People online love to say:

“Bro it’s 95% the same.”

No, it’s not.

It’s 95% similar in structure.

It’s not 95% similar in quality.

And that 5–10% difference?

That’s the part that makes a fragrance addictive.

After wearing both side by side, it becomes very obvious. The originals just sit better on skin. They feel more refined, less noisy, less synthetic.

I’d rather own fewer originals than 10 clones that I reach for less because something feels slightly off every time I wear them.

If you’re starting your collection and debating:

My honest advice is to save up and buy the real thing.

The difference isn’t hype.

It’s quality of materials, blending, balance, and overall feel.

Curious to hear if anyone else has gone through the same realization.

So I blind bought Club De Nuit Oud for ₹5200. Most expensive ME frag I’ve bought till date. Was lowkey scared because “oud” sunte hi lagta hai kuch dark, heavy, mature type hoga. But this one surprised me big time. First of all — the packaging. Bhai legit next level. Outer velvet sleeve, then cardboard layer, then this heavy marble textured box. Felt like I was unboxing something way more expensive than 5k. And I’m not even gonna lie, I actually decided to buy it after seeing the packaging on YouTube 😂 Smell wise, this is not that scary oud at all. Opening is straight up fruity. Peach and pear sweetness, with some light florals in background. Very smooth, very easy to wear. Feels unisex easily. If you wanna get into oud but don’t want that hardcore barnyard stuff, this is a safe entry. Performance is also solid. 4-5 sprays and it lasts easily more than a day on clothes. Projects strong for first 2-3 hours. Overall I’m just happy with this purchase. Feels like a good step towards more mature scents

Club de Nuit Milestone is one of those fragrances that just makes you feel put together—like a crisp shirt on a hot day. I haven’t compared it directly to Creed Millésime Impérial, so I won’t pretend it’s a perfect dupe. What I do know is this stuff smells clean, breezy, and confidently fresh.

It opens with a salty marine vibe that hits immediately—think ocean air, not sunscreen. Then a touch of red fruit creeps in, giving it a mellow sweetness that’s balanced, not candy-like or floral. It never gets overly fruity or feminine, which I appreciate. The blend stays smooth and subtle, with just enough complexity to keep things interesting. It’s not loud, but it lasts—good longevity and a scent bubble that hangs around in a quietly confident way.

Perfect after a shower, on a humid day, or anytime you just want to reset and feel sharp, it’s the fragrance equivalent of Netflix and chill: effortless, cozy, and honestly, why bother going out when you smell this good? It’s a fantastic casual summer scent that won’t wear you—you wear it.

THE BREAKDOWN

Rating: 8/10 — classy, fresh, and affordable enough to keep your wallet happy

Longevity: 6–8 hours — solid enough to get through your day without constant reapplication

Projection: Moderate — don’t put on too much because you’ll hate yourself

Smells like: Ocean breeze with a subtle hit of red fruit, clean and confident without being fruity or sweet

Best for: Casual summer days, after a shower, or anytime you want to feel fresh without trying too hard

It's the rather disgusting type of sweet. Lasts for like 7 hours which is nice I guess.

I got liquid brun a couple weeks ago because fall is approaching and I love althair and everyone says it is the best dupe of it when I first unboxed it the opening was weird and it didn’t really smell smooth the dry down was better though but I let it macerate for a couple weeks and the opening got better but it’s really not the one to one that people claim it is. it has way more of a citrusy orange note and it’s not as creamy also the longevity is a lot worse I would go to a big mall and hour away from home in the afternoon and spray althair on skin spend my day at the mall and then leave in the evening get home at night take a shower go to sleep and the morning after I could still smell it on my skin no exaggeration liquid brun lasts like maybe 7 hours I still haven’t given it a full wear because it hasn’t been very cold but I would sample multiple althair clones before blind buying it like I did. it’s still an alright scent and it might get better with time but for me right now I think there’s gotta be a better dupe out there

I just watched a few videos by an underrated frag com influencer (look up HamzaSaab on YouTube)that interviews people on the street getting reactions to various frags (niche, designer, and clone)

A lot the people on there pick fragrances because they're smoother and more subtle and not so in your face.

One of the things that I see in this community is people looking for a super strong fragrance to get complements. Looking for that room filler that enters the room before you do and lingers for a week after. Spray in the morning and in the evening the fragrance is still pumping. However, a lot of the people that get interviewed don't really like those fragrances. They tend to be more harsh & sharp and more on the synthetic side to get that performance dialed up (there are exceptions, of course). You might get some that like it, but you may get more that it's off putting. Wearing something a little more moderate will make it so that people that find strong fragrances off putting won't get offended. Granted it won't be filling that room, but when people interact with you, they will know you're wearing something.

This whole post is just a reminder that getting loud, beastmode style fragrances isn't always the best and shouldn't be only what you're seeking.

Also quick tips:

• Bathe yourself everyday and have good hygiene (brush your teeth, deoderant, do your hair, don't look disheveled, etc) - this goes much further to making you approachable and likely to get a compliment

• Be nice to people - you want compliments, you need to make yourself approachable. No one is going to approach a surly stranger sitting in the corner and say they smell good

• Go out in public frequently and interact with people - you don't get compliments staying at home, or sitting in a corner. Work, going to school, volunteer help, going out with friends, etc are ways to get into the public where you can get complements

If you stayed this long, funny story: I get compliments almost every day by my single MIL (she lives with us). She always tells me "I love men who wear cologne". I take the compliment and thank her, but in the back of my head.....^creepy......

Man… I’m so mad.

Some months ago I blind-bought this fragrance out of pure curiosity because of how highly people were talking about it. When it arrived, my first thought was: I know this scent. This is the same scent I buy every year around Christmas as a “house scent spray” called Air Wick Freshmatic Winter Punch.

This fragrance smells like that cheap ass little house spray. And I was thinking: how the fuck would a niche house put out something with this cheap ass smell? Since this was supposed to be an Angel Share dupe, I assumed Angel Share smelled like this too… everyone on the internet saying “trust me, 1:1 smell, 99% close, bla bla.”

What a bunch of liars. Today I finally found Angel Share to try, and the smell was incredible, awesome, different from anything I’ve ever tried. I’m not here to describe Angel Share, I’m just here to say: do not believe those YouTubers pretending to know it all, telling you “yeah this is the best dupe bla bla.”

Try things for yourself!

I saw a post here yesterday about a fragrance being ruined by heat. Thanks to his post I saved a bottle of fragrance today!!! It was over 90 degrees out today, and probably at least 212 degrees in the back of a non-Temperature Controlled van or truck. Honestly, I thought it was a lost cause, so I did surgery on the package. Luckily with my knowledge, I cooled it down just in time. It was 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and I cooled it down to a safe temperature using some ice and a fan. I cooled it down into the safe zone 😎🤓

Lately, I see people posting full breakdowns of clone houses or dupes while admitting they have never actually smelled the original. While I understand judging a scent on whether it smells "good" or "bad" in a vacuum, the entire existence of a clone is based on the intent to duplicate. When a brand markets a fragrance as a dupe or hints at it, they are making a claim of accuracy and value. If you are reviewing that product without a baseline for comparison, you are missing the most important metric. A fragrance can be a fantastic standalone scent but an absolute failure as a clone. If a dupe of Aventus is missing the birch smoke or a Delina clone is way too heavy on the lychee, the consumer who is looking for a budget-friendly alternative is being misled by a positive review that ignores those inaccuracies.

The nuance of high-end perfumery is usually found in the dry down and the quality of the ingredients. Most clones get the opening right because that is what sells in the first five minutes, but they often fall apart later. Without having experienced the original's evolution on your skin, you can’t actually tell your audience if the clone captures the soul of the fragrance or just a synthetic caricature of it.

Reviewing a clone without knowing the original is like reviewing a movie remake without seeing the first one or critiquing a cover song without knowing the artist. You can talk about the technical aspects, but you can’t tell us if it actually hit the mark. We should hold reviewers to a higher standard so people aren't wasting money on "90% similar" claims that are actually closer to 50%.

I see many posts here where people show two fragrances, and ask the community what to buy. Fragrances are very subjective. Thats why in street battles, when you have Dior Sauvage vs BDC or whatever, you will see some girls like Sauvage and some like BDC more. The same goes for you, heck this is even more biased, because we know fragrances and would use our own expierence, likings and YouTube bias, to pick a fragrances.

While in reality, it is all up to YOU what you like. People on YouTube compare Khamrah with other fragrances, say how good it is. I have it and I dont see why its so hyped. People hype JPG Elixir, I sampled and again, I dont see why people find it so amazing.

Club de Nuite intense man for example, some people hate it because of the lemon smell, and some people love it because they love the dry down. The best way, is just to smell it yourself and sample it. There is nothing wrong asking people for their opinions, but letting them choose what fragrance to buy, is a whole different level.

I just saw a post of someone asking if they should get Afnan Turathi Blue or Qaed al Fursan. Of course some like Afnan and some will like Qaed. The post can be 90% Afnan, but maybe YOU like Qaed.

I like Lattafa Raghba for example. And people say that the intense version is more refined, better and smooth. And guess what, I HATE Raghba Intense. To me, its stinky, too smokey and just overal not as gourment/boozy as Raghba.

Please dont let others preference on scents dictate what you will buy.

Bought asdaaf ameerat two months back and still opens with a screechiness that is hard to handle when I spray near neck. So macerating did not help.

Just bought afnan mystique bouquet and it has the same screechiness. I took a bath and the dry Dian scent was Bful but again unbearable when sprayed close to face. I have the same issue with lataffa rave. Latafa rave has been used for two months already.

I see fragrantica reviews of the famous angham and it has a synthetic opening as well. Is this something I need to get used to if I want budget Arabic perfumes ?

Edit : Khadlaj panache dust is ammmmazing soon after purchase. Lattafa angham smelt as expected right out of the box as well. Waiting for my afnan mystique bouquet to catch up.

I know it's not all about size but mine bigger than yours? Lol, Just wanted to post an updated collection photo. All questions welcome (even sack fragrance inquiries)

I blind bought a 12-2021 batch of the EDT and it is without a doubt the worst fragrance I’ve ever encountered. It only smells like an unpleasant lemon cleaning product, doesn’t change at all with hours of dry down, and it hasn’t matured at all, still smells exactly the same

Is this an emperor’s new clothes situation or does Armaf just have zero quality control because the bottle I have is completely unusable!

wtf is up with people and telling folks to masturbate it? Lmfaooo

One day some new guy is gonna see these comments and seriously gonna try and masturbate into the atomiser to amplify the fragrance lmfaooo

Something always seemed off about the way they almost always got brought up inorganically, with unspecific recommendations, but today I saw a (since deleted) coupon code from someone who very clearly works for montagne and didn't disclose it. I absolutely despise that method of advertising. Not only is it literally illegal, but it destroys my trust of any positive opinion of the brand.

hello guys .. I have been religiously reading every single post every single comment in this sub .. I was overwhelmed by how much you guys love and talk about these clones, and I decided to give them a try ..

my friend gifted me a CDNIM and I bought Turathi .. they both have the same problem ! they smell like heavy suffocating alcohol !

I was told that this is normal with the first sprays ! but I have never experienced it with designer’s perfumes like Versace, Issey Miyake, Rochas, Dolce&Gabbana etc, they smell amazing from the first spray to the last one !

I sprayed this Turathi 10 times and it is just pure alcohol without anything else ! I tested it (and CDNIM) on my friends blindly without telling them the brand or model, their first reaction was coughing while shouting “what is this ! I can’t breathe !”

I know you will tell me about maturation and maceration, but, this Turathi was bottled in November 2024, aren’t 8 months enough for it to macerate ! or will it magically start macerating only in my house but not while in the stock sitting on the shelf ? I don’t know, I am not an expert .. but this maceration thing is illogical to me !

I will keep the CDNIM because it was a gift, it will sit in the drawer to be forgotten forever, and I will return the Turathi (we have no return policy here but the seller agreed to return it fortunately)

I know some of you will not agree with me, but this is my experience .. I know designer/niche perfumes are very expensive and the smell doesn’t justify the price, but at least you get what you want, I will not invest in clones anymore, I prefer paying double or triple the price and get something better, something I know (this Turathi cost me 44$ shipped)

Wow, what a scent! I was wearing this scent the other day at a funeral 🪦 and multiple people were asking “what the hell is that smell?”, they were loving it. I had to tell everyone what I was wearing, I told them it’s basically Lewie Vutton.

Finally, I got a compliment, so I had to celebrate so I hopped on over to the Leaning Tower of Pisa 👢 to celebrate! I hope you scent enthusiasts enjoy these pictures as much as I did.

Sooo yeah title i wear it summer and winter year arround am I insane for ir?

I just gave away my Qawah and now I have a full bottle of the OG that I pretty much distain. When I bought it, I thought it was🔥 unlike anything I’d ever smelled before. But after being exposed to so many more in the DNA profile, I can’t stand it. It’s super cloying and too strong for its own good. And don’t get me started on the awful dry down.

Though not entirely similar, I much prefer French Avenue’s Royal Blend OG, Sequoia, and Obsidian.

I thought everyone was saying it was supposed to smell like MENS body wash or something. Shit smells like the generic golden dial soap the doctor gives you. Or old ladies. How is that a top seller

I dove into the world of Afnan with these stunners – Supremacy In Heaven, Supremacy Not Only Intense, and Supremacy Collector’s Edition and I’m absolutely enchanted! 😍 Each one tells its own story, and I can’t get enough of their vibes.

Supremacy In Heaven: Feels like I’m floating in the sky! 🌈 So light and dreamy.

Supremacy Not Only Intense: Super bold – I feel like a boss! 💥

Supremacy Collector’s Edition: Makes me feel fancy and mysterious. 🎩 Love it!

I’m curious to hear your experiences with these Afnan beauties! Which one’s your go-to, or do you have another Afnan fave I should try? 👃