Should Clone Fragrances Exist?
By Marcus Mitropoulos
2 minute read
Theres one fragrance that’s been cloned more than any other…
The world of fragrance love comes with many archetypal people. There are those who want to collect every single bottle to ever exist, people who love single categories of fragrance and even those who find one and stick to it until they’re finished.
For a lot of us, fragrances are a confidence boost and addition to our personality. But like any hobby, it can become obsessive and eventually expensive.
Clone fragrances can be categorized in a few ways. Some deem clones as direct copies with a slight twist that mirrors or mocks a popular fragrance. For example, many frag heads think Prada Luna Rossa Carbon and Dior Sauvage smell peculiarly similar.
But clones can be fragrances that outright copy a fragrance and do not feel ashamed about it. Just as Scentual Obsession has fragrances known as the formulation of Invictus Aqua 2016 and formulation of Polo green.
So why purchase clones? Well, the king of all fragrances, Creed Aventus, costs around $410 CAD at Nordstrom for a 50ml bottle. For a fraction of the price, you can own a 99% clone called Club De Nuit Intense by Armaf.
You don’t believe me? Even Jeremy Fragrance said he couldn’t pick out the difference if someone were to walk by him with CDNI on. Now that’s high praise.
Two other great clones are Enigma Bois Noir EDP and Montblanc Explorer. Explorer is another great Aventus clone that follows 99% of the same formula as Creed. Although, Explorer portrays softer notes than Aventus.
Enigma is Rasasi’s more affordable brand. This particular fragrance is an even stronger carbon copy of Invictus, in comparison with Hawas by Rasasi. Enigma Bois EDP forgets the clean opening that is a staple in Hawas and immediately jumps into sweetness. This fragrance features a unique note of watermelon!
Oud 24 Hours - A Black Orchid Clone for <$20
Clones are a great option for people who can’t quite afford the real thing, or quite frankly, just don’t want to hash out hundreds of dollars for a single fragrance. I am a firm believer in having 5 versatile scents as opposed to one king scent like a Parfum De Marly Layton or Creed Aventus.
People often question the ethics around cloning fragrances. They judge the idea that a master perfumer could get their scent ripped off and sold at a fraction of the price. But like any industry, great performance is meant to be copied.
Just as Kobe mirrored Jordan, and factories produced fake Off-White sneakers, there will always be a copycat that just isn’t as good as the real thing.
- Marcus
