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7 best Aldi perfume dupes that smell just like designer fragrances and last all day – starting at £6.99
Because forking out hundreds of pounds for a scent isn’t always realistic!
After years of refusing to try perfume ‘dupes,’ I’ve lately come around more. I love fragrance, and some of my all-time favourites are luxury buys, but I also acknowledge that given the ongoing cost of living crisis and concerning inflation rates, forking out hundreds of pounds for a scent just isn’t always realistic currently. With affordable alternatives, however, that doesn’t always mean you have to go without. Supermarket brands such as Aldi and Lidl offer interesting substitutes for a fraction of the price.
The brand is known for its ‘Special Buys,’ which are only in stores for a short period of time. When it comes to its perfume line-up, there have been plenty of these, from Le Labo to Maison Francis Kurkdjian copies. Aldi also has a year-round permanent collection, which you’ll likely recognise as the line that features the famed Jo Malone London dupes. I tried a range of the perfumes to make sense of Aldi’s dupes, offering honest reviews and opinions along the way. Note that every scent featured is (or will be in the near future) available in-store.
How I tested the best Aldi perfumes
As mentioned, I am a big fragrance fan who is pretty hard to impress. Perfume is one of my biggest passions, and as a beauty editor of over ten years, I have smelt a LOT of them. When testing each of Aldi’s perfumes, I first perused the notes used within each formula before spritzing. I then smelt each and wore them over the course of the day (separately, of course) to judge their longevity. Lastly, I wanted to really get a sense of which more expensive perfumes they are said to be dupes of, judging from my own opinion.
Blush Bouquet Eau de Parfum 100ml, £6.99
Smells like… Gucci Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Eau du Parfum 50ml, £84
Savings: £77.01
Confession time: I am a huge fan of Gucci’s Floral Gorgeous Gardenia fragrance, which is not typically ‘me’ due to its being so pretty and feminine – but there’s just something about it. I was floored at how similar Aldi’s version was.
If I did a blind test without knowing about its now-viral comparison, I would know right away what it’s been designed to smell like. So for this reason, it gets a big tick from me. I am, however, a bit of a perfume bottle snob, and given how much I adore Gucci’s, this one just doesn’t cut it on my fragrance shelf! You know what they say though: don’t judge a book by its cover.
Notes: ‘Delicate Pear Blossom mingles with the tangy sweetness of red berries and bright Italian mandarin, while a lush bouquet of gardenia, jasmine, and frangipani is grounded by the earthy richness of patchouli.’
What reviewers say: “If you’re after a bold, youthful fragrance, this could be for you.”
Empress Eau de Parfum 100ml, £6.99
Smells like… Rabanne Olympéa Eau De Parfum 80ml, £104.33
Savings: £97.34
When looking at the notes Aldi’s Empress and Rabanne’s Olympéa share, there is admittedly quite the crossover. Both feature sandalwood, vanilla and jasmine, resulting in an olfactory experience (when spritzing the Aldi version) that is certainly reminiscent of its more expensive counterpart.
The bottles are also noticeably similar, from the colour of the pink elixir inside to the spherical shape of the glass. For me, this is far too sweet and settled up my nose uncomfortably – but I don’t tend to get on with sweet scents in general.
Notes: ‘Boasts base notes of vanilla, tonka bean and sandalwood paired with delicate floral notes of iris, peony, and lily of the valley.’
What reviewers say: “A great dupe I’d highly recommend.”
Cardinal Red Eau De Parfum 50ml, £5.99
Smells like… Maison Francis Kurkdjian’s Baccarat Rouge 540 35ml for £170
Savings: £164.01
I know people who both love and hate MFK’s iconic Baccarat Rouge 540. But even for those who can’t get enough of the scent, they may rarely wear it due to its hefty price tag: in short, it’s an expensive habit. While I’d always advocate for investing in luxury perfumes you adore and will wear every day, in this economy sometimes that’s just not possible. For this reason, Aldi’s Cardinal Red is a worthy dupe to fill the void: it replicates the warmth and sweetness of the OG fairly well.
That said, it doesn’t last long on the skin (IMO), and you can tell it’s not been made with the love and care (and luxury touch) of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, so it’s important to manage expectations.
Notes: ‘Offers a symphony of saffron and jasmine notes, underscored by hints of amberwood and cedar, creating an amber floral yet woody signature scent.’
What reviewers say: “Cardinal Red is BR540 [Baccarat Rouge 540], it's so accurate and has incredible longevity – and it's only £6.00.”
Ambition 100ml, £6.99
Smells like… Givenchy Gentleman Society 100ml, £85
Savings: £78.01
For fans of Givenchy’s beloved Gentleman Society, this can be a more affordable stand-in for times when the real thing might be a little out of reach. It’s incredibly warm and woodsy, making it a nice addition to your Autumn/Winter fragrance wardrobe, featuring notes of sage, cardamom and French narcissus. It may not be an exact dupe for Givenchy’s, but I have to admit I took to this one well.
Notes: ‘An intriguing blend of fresh herbal and deep, musky notes. Invigorating cardamom, sage, and French narcissus awaken the senses.’
What reviewers say: “This smells unreal and the scent lasts for hours.”
Je Suis Femme 100ml, £6.99
Smells like... Lancôme La Vie Est Belle 100ml, £91
Savings: £84.01
Je Suis Femme has been heavily lauded as a like-for-like with La Vie Est Belle, and for good reason. The fragrance has notes of blackcurrant and pear (the same top notes as the Lancome bottle), which give it a sweet and delicate scent. It then blends jasmine and orange blossom to bring depth to the fragrance. It's a great date-night scent as it's soft and feminine, but also a great option for spring since it's light and fresh.
Notes: Blackcurrant, pear, jasmine, orange blossom
Hotel Collection Peony Blush Eau de Parfum 100ml, £6.49
Smells like… Jo Malone London Peony & Blush Suede Cologne 100ml, £125
Savings: £118.51
This was always going to be a bit of a hard sell for me, because I’m such a fan of Jo Malone London’s version, which is one of my favourites from the brand’s extensive line. With Aldi’s version, you can definitely tell it’s been designed to smell like Jo Malone London’s, and there are certainly similarities. But it’s just not as warm, a little too sweet and slightly synthetic in my opinion, so not my favourite.
Notes: White flowers, apple, peony and soft suede.
What reviewers say: “It’s nice, bright and floral; a pretty convincing dupe.”
Hotel Collection Pomegranate Eau de Parfum 100ml, £6.49
Smells like… Jo Malone London Pomegranate Noir Cologne 100ml, £125
Savings: £118.51
Aldi’s fragrance range is perhaps best known for its year-round Hotel Collection, which tends to dupe popular Jo Malone London colognes and candles. This one – which is an attempted replica of Pomegranate Noir – is often touted as one of the most impressive supermarket scent copies ever.
I do have to admit that it smells very similar, and while I’m a huge JML fan who’d always back buying the real thing, I can’t deny the two have a lot in common.
Notes: It has "top notes of raspberry, pomegranate, plum, rhubarb and watermelon, sumptuous middle notes of lily of the valley, jasmine, rose, pink pepper and cloves and luxurious base notes of virginia cedar, patchouli, musk and amber.”
What reviewers say: “I replaced my Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir perfume with the Aldi one and I honestly can’t tell the difference in the scent. However, the Aldi one lasts LOADS longer – I find that JL wears off after a few hours nowadays whereas it used to last far longer when I first started using it.”
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