Smells Like Fall, Costs Like Zara: The Perfume Dupe Edit

Autumn is an intermediate season. It’s not too cold and it’s not too warm either. The air thickens, the light softens, and the fresh florals start to feel too light, while deep notes like wood, amber, and musk suddenly make sense again. The crisp citrus of summer slowly gives way to tobacco, tonka bean and sandalwood.

We associate autumn perfumes with intimacy. They hug your skin and invite you in. Warm scents have a sense of nostalgia, a need to feel held as everything outside changes. After all, fragrance has always been the most personal form of clothing.

But this fall, we’re getting tired of investing in ridiculously expensive designer bottles. We still choose to invest in ourselves with more approachable fragrances. And Zara’s ducks, some better than the originals, come to the rescue. Here are our recommendations.

golden decade

We’ve all heard about YSL’s Libre. For a while, it was the internet’s most beloved fragrance, but of course Zara had to fool us. We actually think the results will be very close this time. Golden Decade shares the same top notes of orange and mandarin, a heart of jasmine, and a warm base of vanilla and amber. It’s seductive yet perfectly balanced.

energetic new york

Speculation continues online that all New York residents smell like Le Labo’s Santal 33. Naturally, Zara agreed and named the duck Energetic New York. The scent is a blend of sandalwood, cardamom, leather, and jasmine. Lively, urban freshness.

incense sunset

“Incense Sunset” has the atmosphere of being bottled at dusk. This is Zara’s answer to Byredo’s Black Saffron. Both have a smoky, warm scent centered on cedarwood, fire, suede, and citrus, and are addictive. But Zara’s version feels like burnt orange silk, the scent of a just-extinguished candle. Mysterious but comfortable.

hypnotic vanilla bloom

Perfume aficionados seem to believe this is a duck to Dior’s Hypnotic Poison, but we’d argue that Zara’s scent is much better, with strong notes of vanilla, wood, pear, and cashmere. Hypnotic Vanilla Bloom has a warmer, creamier feel that feels like a sweet, sensual hug on a cold day.

bohemian oud

This blend shares similar DNA with Maison Margiela’s Replica by the Fireplace. ZARA’s Bohemian Oud has notes of agarwood, cocoa, vanilla, incense, leather, and pepper. While the replica focuses on chestnut and sweetness, Zara’s version is lighter, warmer, freshly spicy, and infinitely comfortable enough to wear every day. Proof that affordable things can smell expensive.