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Zara perfume dupes: These 10 high street scents will remind you of your favourite luxury fragrances
From Baccarat Rouge to Le Labo and Byredo, no one should be priced out of smelling this good
We're kicking off this look into Zara perfume smell-alikes with a quick disclaimer: we're not obsessed with dupes here at Cosmo. Sure, we love a budget-friendly alternative that captures the vibe of a luxe favourite – but let's be honest, some scents are just too unique to truly replicate. Plus, the recent wave of dupe hype on social media has led to some pretty shaky comparisons that don't always hold up.
That said, not everyone can justify spending £245 on a bottle of Baccarat Rouge 540 – and smelling amazing doesn't always have to come with a luxury price tag.
A sneak peek at some of our faves
Just like comparing the ingredients in skincare products, when it comes to fragrance, we've got the benefit of weighing up the differences between scent notes; this helps us figure out whether a cheaper option really stacks up against the high-end version. And one brand that keeps coming up in these comparisons? Zara. The high street heavyweight has earned serious praise for its chic, well-crafted fragrances that don't break the bank – even before people started drawing similarities to designer scents!
So, without further ado, below, we've shared some of Zara’s most buzzed-about eau de parfums: some smell near-identical to their designer counterparts, while others share a strong resemblance. But one thing's for sure, each one channels the same essence and energy as your favourite luxury fragrances, without the eye-watering price tag.
P.S. We've based our price comparisons on the closest available sizes, but we've also included the cost of the smallest bottle of the high-end version – just in case you're tempted to splurge.
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The frenzy over Baccarat Rouge 540 should be studied in the history books, and the hunt for an affordable alternative was next level. This is one of the most famous of the Zara comparisons and sharing notes of saffron, jasmine and amberwood, it's adding up. It doesn't last quite as long as the luxury cousin, but you could buy 11 bottles for the price of one, so top-ups won't be a problem.
Red Temptation, 90ml: £22.99
Baccarat Rouge, 80ml: £245
Treat Yourself to Maison Francic Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540: From £245 for 70ml
Byredo's Gypsy Water is a firm favourite of mine. But, when I'm low on le funds, a spritz of Zara's Waterlily Tea Dress does the trick. Sharing notes of vert de bergamot and spearmint, these fragrances are a citrus delight with a warm, woody undertone.
Waterlily Tea Dress, 100ml: £29.99
Gypsy Water, 100ml: £220
Treat yourself to Byredo Gypsy Water: From £150 for 50ml
With Zara's Energetically New York EDP, you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd spritzed Le Labo's fan-favourite Santal 33. Both fragrances share enticing earthy accords, stirring up an aura of spicy cardamon, jasmine and sandalwood.
Energetically New York, 100ml: £29.99
Santal 33, 100ml: £234.00
Treat yourself to Le Labo Santal 33: From £74 for 15ml
The girlies online are saying that this sexy floral scent smells exactly like Armani My Way and we do not disagree. With shared notes of tuberose, jasmine and cedar, any fans of the classic scent will love this.
Sublime Epoque, 30ml: £12.99
My Way, 30ml: £69.99
Treat yourself to Giorgio Armani My Way from £69.99
This £15.99, yes £15.99 eau de parfum is sultry and deep, sharing so much of what we love about YSL Black Opium. For that, you can thank notes of orange blossom and coffee, as well as sweet fruit accords. Gardenia is sweeter but we honestly love both.
Gardenia, 90ml: £15.99
Black Opium, 90ml: £125
Treat Yourself to YSL Black Opium: From £53.60 for 30ml
Fruity and sweet with the same top notes of bergamot and freesia, Zara's Oriental is a great choice if you love Victor & Rolf's Flowerbomb.
Oriental, 90ml: £7.99
Flowerbomb, 100ml: £130
Treat Yourself to Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb: From £95 for 50ml
Zara Ebony Wood, 100ml
Aromatic and musky, Jo Malone London's popular Wood Sage & Sea Salt was created to "bring the ocean closer to home". But, if a vacay to the seaside isn't within your price range, opt for Zara's Ebony Wood and feel transported with notes of grapefruit, cypress and pink pepper.
Ebony Wood, 100ml: £29.99
Wood Sage & Sea Salt, 100ml: £118
Treat yourself to Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt: From £55 for 30ml
Cherry; check! Tonka bean; check! Vanilla; check! Plum; check! Almond... check!
Comparing Cherry Smoothie's notes to the incredibly luxe Tom Ford Lost Cherry, it doesn't take a master perfumer to see that these two are going to smell pretty similar. It's a great alternative (and a whopping 17x cheaper), but full transparency, it is sweeter than Lost Cherry and doesn't have its rousing peppery notes. But seeing as most of us don't have the best part of £400 to spend on fragrance... We'll take it.
Cherry Smoothie, 30ml: £12.99
Lost Cherry, 30ml: £180
Treat Yourself to Tom Ford Lost Cherry: From £90 for 10ml
There's some debate about which fruity and floral Chanel Chance iteration this smells more like. Some are convinced it's just like Eau Fraiche, while others argue for Eau Tendre. The truth is it's a lot like both, which makes sense as the two fragrances are both reinventions of the original Chanel Chance. While Zara Applejuice shares jasmine and cedar with both, that grapefruit note aligns it more strongly with the Eau Tendre.
Applejuice, 90ml: £15.99
Eau Tendre, 100ml: £145
Treat Yourself to Chanel Chance Eau Tendre: From £104 for 50ml
Sharing notes of mandarin, jasmine, orange and lavender, fans swear this shares the elegant floral musk of YSL Libre. So if you're partial to Libre, you'll likely enjoy Golden Decade too.
Golden Decade, 80ml: £22.99
Libre, 90ml: £135
Treat Yourself to YSL Libre: From £55.20 for 30ml
Elena Chabo is Cosmopolitan UK's former beauty writer, working on everything from buzzy celeb news and trending beauty, to sincere first-person reviews and engaging video content for social media. She also creates meatier features and expert-led how-to guides, for print and online. Her passion for Black beauty, textured hair, and the ways beauty interacts with culture, society, identity and relationships, quickly took over her writing career and led her into beauty journalism. Following an MA in Magazine Journalism in 2017, she cut her teeth across various roles at Stylist Magazine, before taking on a Digital Writer role at Good Housekeeping. It was here that beauty took centre stage and she launched and ran the site's first stand-alone beauty section. Remaining at Hearst, she joined the Cosmo beauty team in 2022. Find her on LinkedIn.
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
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