Choosing the perfect perfume and aftershave: DIALECT's expert picks

Choosing the perfect perfume and aftershave: DIALECT's expert picks

‘Inspired by’ fragrances: sniffing out our best scent alternatives Reading Choosing the perfect perfume and aftershave: DIALECT's expert picks 9 minutes

A scent can lift your mood and boost your confidence, as well as expressing your personality and individuality. Some may also choose a fragrance based on its nostalgic associations with the past. 

So no wonder perfume has been a vital part of the human experience for years. However, when it comes to today’s leading brands, the top products certainly aren’t cheap. Yet duplicate fragrances provide an alternative, offering scents with an identical smell and of a similar quality for a much smaller price tag. 

At DIALECT Fragrances, we specialise in these items, with aftershave for men and perfume for women, plus we have extensive experience in the sector. Here, we take a look at some of our most popular scent types, to help you make an informed choice about your next fragrance. 

Each of the aromas below could be incorporated in the base, middle or top notes of the scent. Top notes are what hits your nostrils when the fragrance first touches your skin. Next, the middle notes kick, forming the perfume’s essence. Base notes last the longest and are what you remember most. Each of these notes adds a particular quality to the product. 

Our High Quality Perfume Dupe Scents

Vanilla Perfume

Vanilla fragrances could be perfect for you. These distinctive perfumes vary from sultry and smoky to sweet, syrupy and sugary, so there’s bound to be one to suit your own style. You can also use vanilla-based perfume to balance a product with a fresh or citrusy aroma. 

Vanilla notes in perfumes are creamy and comforting – and you don’t need to worry about smelling like a cake or an ice cream. The scent is a lot more complex and intricate than that of a simple vanilla extract. Mood-enhancing and truly genderless and timeless, vanilla is distinctive yet subtle and great when layered with other aromas. We offer a Spicy Vanilla Obsession (Inspired by YSL’s Black Opium) and Salted Vanilla (inspired by Paco Rabanne’s Olympea) perfume for women.

Rose Perfume

A rose-based scent is something which, again, transcends time. It can smell spicy, fruity, woody, earthy or floral and the association this flower has with love and romance is hardly new. Indeed, people have distilled aromatic oils from the petals for thousands of years. Both men and women wore rosewater colognes in the nineteenth century. Since then, scientists have discovered that essential rose oil incorporates over 400 separate components. 

Rose perfumes are also hugely versatile, providing a comforting warmth when it’s cold or refreshingly lightness in summer and spring. In autumn, consider a fragrance combining rose with spices such as clove or cinnamon, or amber. Discover DIALECT’s Rose Macaron perfume dupe of Parfums de Marly’s Delina today.

Amber Perfume

In terms of perfume, amber is typically associated with warm, spicy notes such as ginger, cinnamon and vanilla. At the same time, it’s regularly blended with woody notes from sandalwood or cedar, plus musk to give sensuality and depth. The scent is warm and sweet, incorporating a blend of natural and synthetic ingredients, including benzoin and tonka bean. The result is also rich and spicy – and comforting, making amber fragrances ideal for autumn and winter. Amber also adds depth and fullness to perfumes. 

The warm top note of an amber scent is warm and inviting, sweet and resinous. The middle notes bring in a nuanced complexity and you may be able to smell spiced warmth and sweetness or a hint of a floral aroma. Finally, the base notes are deep and resonant. At DIALECT we offer an Amber Fusion (inspired by Baccarat Rouge 540) perfume as well as an Amber Dream’s (inspired by Mugler’s Alien) perfume dupe.

Floral Perfume

Few fragrance families rival florals’ lingering appeal. After all, flowers’ use in perfume dates back to ancient civilisations. This is a diverse scent family, yet each one is unique. Theres a floral scent for everyone, from a classic rose-based perfume to modern takes on the concept. 

Typically, products based on blooms tend to be light, feminine and fresh. Equally, they’re frequently light, bright, energising and reminiscent of spring. Yet some also have a spicy or sweet edge, according to the species on which the fragrance is based. You can also layer these scents to create a signature aroma – and while they’re usually thought of as summery, there’s no reason why you can’t wear them all year round. Think light and citrusy for summer or spring, something spicier in autumn and a rich, bold product for the winter months. (But wear something floral that you love whatever the time of year.) 

Go for a dramatic floral fragrance for a big night out, something more subtle for a more understated occasion. Equally, some of these products can take you from office to date evening seamlessly. We sell a Floral Harmony perfume which is inspired by Chloe’s Chloe perfume.

Citrus scents

The history of these fragrances goes back to the 1400s, when only royals could afford perfume. 

You’d think these scents were all about zesty, fresh aromas or smelling like an actual citrus fruit, or perhaps bergamot. But there’s more to this fragrance family than that. Think lemongrass, some flowers and herbs and even some slightly bitter or leathery aromas. 

Light and lively, not to mention timeless, citrus perfumes can lift your mood and energise and revive. And they’re typically associated with warmer times of year. (Pair with richer, deeper scents like pine or cedarwood during the cooler seasons.) 

Traditionally, the scents to evoke with this fragrance family includes clementine, orange, bergamot, grapefruit, orange, bergamot, lemon and lime, among others. Our Citrus Untamed perfume product is inspired by Dior’s Sauvage product for men.

Honey Perfume

Honey’s distinctive smell varies depending on its floral origin. Typically the notes are warm, fruity and slightly caramelised. Combined with floral, woody, amber or leather notes, or gourmet ones including vanilla, caramel or chocolate. 

Honey-based fragrances are usually warm, richly luxurious and comforting. Our Honey Temptation perfume product for women is inspired by Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million perfume.

Peach Perfume

The peach fruit has been used as a key perfumery ingredient for hundreds of years. Its fresh, sweet fragrance creates a product that’s fruity and indulgent. It goes well with other fruity or floral scents, while also balancing woody aromas well. 

Peach is a comforting scent which can also evoke nostalgia and happiness – it’s a really relaxed perfume. Discover our Peach Brulee perfume inspired by Tom Ford's Bitter Peach.

Jasmine Perfume

Native to India, jasmine’s scent is sweet and rich. It is often used to add warn, oriental notes to a fragrance. It can also be rich, intense and musky. There’s just something very romantic and seductive about jasmine, one of the flowers most commonly used in perfume, leading to bewitching products for both men and women. 

There are scores of varieties of the jasmine flower, and its floral notes can also be combined with something fruity or spicy. When combined with other aromas, jasmine adds richness and depth to create a sophisticated elegance. DIALECT offer a Jasmine Waterfall perfume which is a Dior J’adore perfume dupe.

Woody Perfume

Behind woody fragrances are notes derived from wood materials including trees, resins, moss, roots and some leaves and grasses. Rich and warm, woody fragrances often form base notes because of their aromatic heft. They are often combined with floral or citrus top notes. These fragrances add sensuality to the autumn and winter seasons, and can suit men and women, with cedarwood and sandalwood among the most popular varieties. 

Woody scents are ideal for evening wear and are divided into ‘mossy’ products with a sweet, earthy undertone, or ‘dry’ woods with a smokier, more leathery aroma. DIALECT offer some wood scented perfumes including Vibrant Woods which is inspired by Creed’s Aventus, Chic Sandalwood (inspired by Le Labo’s Santal 33) and Aromatic Sagewood (inspired by Jo Malone’s Wood Sage & Sea Salt).

Aromatic Perfume

With their fresh, clean scent, aromatic fragrances combine herbal notes, from sage and lavender to mint and rosemary, among others. These perfumes are highly invigorating and can also be blended with citrus, sweet or warm scents. One way to think of these perfumes is as rustic scents which we often find in the garden. Discover out Aromatic Reverence fragrance for women inspired by YSL’s Libre perfume.

Discover our high quality Dupe Perfumes today

At DIALECT Fragrances we offer a wide and diverse range of inspired by perfumes from some of the world’s top brands and scents. Contact our specialist perfume and aftershave team today to discover the best fragrance for you. Our focus is on customers, the quality of what we sell and ethical trading. Equally, we offer plenty of perks such as free UK delivery when you buy three or more items, a robust returns policy and three-for-two deals. 

Our Best Sellers

Our Best Seller 3 for 2 Offer | Inspired by MFK's Baccarat Rouge 540 | Inspired by Creed's Aventus | Inspired by Le Labo's Santal 33 | DIALECT's Romantic Blossom | Inspired by YSL's Black Opium | Inspired by Jo Malone's Wood Sage & Sea Salt | Inspired by Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille | Inspired by Tom Ford's Black Orchid | DIALECT's Sparkling Bouquet | Inspired by Lancome's La Vie Est Belle | Inspired by Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino | Inspired by Dior's Sauvage | Inspired by Dior's Miss Dior | Inspired by YSL's Libre | Inspired by Mugler's Alien | Inspired by Chloe's Chloe | Inspired by Tom Ford's Bitter Peach | Inspired by Parfums de Marly's Delina | Inspired by Thierry Mugler's Angel | Inspired by Gucci's Bloom | Inspired by Paco Rabanne's One Million | Inspired by Paco Rabanne's Lady Million | Inspired by Marc Jacobs' Daisy | Inspired by Paco Rabanne's Invictus | Inspired by Dior's J’adore | Inspired by Paco Rabanne's Olympia.