Perfume dupes in South Africa: what you are actually buying

If you have typed “perfume dupes South Africa” into a search bar, you most likely already know the scent you want and would like it without the guesswork. Fair enough. This guide covers what a dupe actually is, how one is made, what to check before you buy one here, and how to find the one that suits you. Some of it points to us. Most of it is simply useful, wherever you end up buying.

What a perfume dupe actually is

“Dupe” is short for duplicate. It is the word everybody searches for, and it is also a bit misleading.

A dupe, or inspired-by perfume, is a fragrance built to follow the character of a well-known designer scent: the same family, the same main notes, the same general mood. It is not the original. It is not made by the original house, it does not come out of their factory, and it does not come in their bottle.

We say “inspired by” because that is what it is. dlt/02, inspired by Dior Sauvage, is our take on that scent: bergamot and a great deal of pepper, lavender and vetiver keeping it dry, ambroxan underneath. If the original is your scent, there is a good chance you will like ours. It is still ours, and we will never tell you it is theirs.

How inspired-by perfume is made

Almost every perfume you have ever worn, designer or not, is two things mixed together.

• Fragrance oil. The concentrate. A blend of aroma materials, some natural and some made in a lab, that gives the perfume its smell. This is the part that took someone a long time to get right.
• Perfumer’s alcohol. A high-grade ethanol prepared for fragrance. It carries the oil, helps it lift off your skin so you can smell it, and then evaporates.

The ratio between the two is the concentration, and it is the single most useful number on a perfume label. More oil generally means a scent that stays on the skin longer and shows more of its heart and base. Less oil means something lighter that fades sooner.

Ours are all eau de parfum at 20% fragrance oil. That sits at the top of the range usually published for eau de parfum, which runs from roughly 15 to 20%.

Perfume dupes South Africa: what to check before you buy

Most of the disappointment people have with perfume dupes in South Africa comes from not knowing what was in the bottle before it arrived. Six things to look for, from any seller, before you pay.

1. The concentration, written down

A seller who knows their concentration will tell you. If the product page does not say, ask. “Long lasting” is not a number. “Eau de parfum, 20%” is.

2. Eau de parfum or eau de toilette

These two words are not decoration. Eau de toilette is usually somewhere around 5 to 15% oil, eau de parfum around 15 to 20%. Neither is a rule, but if the original you love is an eau de parfum and the inspired version is an eau de toilette, expect it to read lighter and fade sooner. The label tells you that before you spray anything.

3. The size you actually need

A 50ml bottle is the sensible way to try a scent you have not worn before. A 100ml is for the one you already reach for every morning. We sell every scent in both, and the per-bottle price drops the more bottles of one size you buy, so it is worth thinking about the two or three you would wear rather than just the one.

4. Where it ships from, and how long it takes

Check that the seller actually delivers where you are, and how long it takes. Ours are couriered from Cape Town to anywhere in South Africa in 2 to 4 working days, with free delivery from R500.

5. The returns policy, before you need it

Read it before you pay, not after. Many shops will not take back a bottle once it has been opened, for obvious reasons, so know where you stand on a scent you have never smelled.

6. How it behaves on your skin, not on paper

A paper strip shows you the first few minutes and very little after that. Perfume changes on skin. Spray once on the inside of your wrist or elbow, leave it alone, and smell it again after half an hour and again after a few hours. The opening is what sells a perfume in a shop. The dry-down is what you live with all day.

Inspired-by vs original, in plain terms

This is the question behind most searches for perfume dupes South Africa has, so here it is without any spin.

• The original is made by the designer house to its own formula. That formula is not published. Nobody outside the house is working from the actual recipe.
• An inspired-by perfume follows the notes the original is known for and the overall character it is built around. Expect the same family and the same mood. Do not expect a copy.
• The bottle, box and name are different. Ours are numbered, dlt/01 to dlt/63, and the number is the name.
• Why people choose inspired-by. To wear a scent they like every day without rationing it. To try a direction before committing to it. To own more than one, so Tuesday and Saturday do not have to smell the same.

If a seller tells you their version is identical to the original, that is a claim they cannot prove. We would rather you knew exactly what you were buying.

Perfume dupes South Africa: finding your match with the scent finder

There are 63 scents in the range. Nobody should have to read all 40 descriptions to find theirs. The scent finder sorts them into five families, and you can filter by the one you already know you like.

• Fresh. Citrus, sea air, clean musk. dlt/01, inspired by Armani Acqua di Gio, and dlt/40, inspired by Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue, live here.
• Sweet. Vanilla, tonka, cinnamon, coffee. dlt/06, inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male, is the one people have been wearing since they were nineteen.
• Dark. Leather, tobacco, oud, things that suit low light. dlt/20, inspired by Tom Ford Oud Wood.
• Floral. Rose, jasmine, orange blossom, from soft to very large. dlt/22, inspired by Chanel Coco Mademoiselle.
• Amber. Warm, glowing, slightly resinous. dlt/13, inspired by Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540.

If you already know the designer scent you wear, find it by name. Every product page says which scent it is inspired by, so you are never left guessing which number is which.

Frequently asked questions

What does “dupe perfume” mean?

It is a perfume made to follow the character and main notes of a well-known designer fragrance. “Dupe” comes from duplicate, but a dupe is not the original and is not made by the original house. “Inspired-by perfume” is the more accurate name.

Is an inspired-by perfume the same as the original?

No. The designer’s formula is not published, so an inspired-by perfume follows the known notes and the overall mood. It sits in the same family. It is not a copy, and any seller who says it is identical is making a claim they cannot back up.

How long do perfume dupes last on skin?

It depends mostly on the concentration and on your skin. An eau de parfum generally stays longer than an eau de toilette, and heavier notes like vanilla, amber and oud stay longer than citrus. Ours are eau de parfum at 20%. Be wary of anyone promising you a number of hours, because nobody can promise that for your skin.

Where can I buy perfume dupes in South Africa?

We are in Cape Town and courier to anywhere in South Africa in 2 to 4 working days, free from R500. Start with the scent finder, or browse the full range in the shop.