Autumn is the season of in-betweens. Not quite cold, not quite warm. The air thickens, the light softens, fresh florals start to feel too light, while deeper notes like woods, amber and musk suddenly make sense again. The crisp citrus of summer slowly gives way to tobacco, tonka bean, and sandalwood.
We associate fall perfumes with intimacy, they sit closer to the skin, invite you in. There’s a sense of nostalgia in warm scents, a need to feel held as everything outside changes. Scent after all, has always been the most personal form of dressing.
This Fall though, we’ve grown tired of investing in hilariously expensive designer bottles. We still, choose to invest in ourselves, just with more approachable fragrances. And Zara’s dupes, some even better than the originals, come to the rescue. Here are our top picks.
Golden Decade
We’ve all heard the talk around YSL’s Libre. For a while, it was the Internet’s most-loved fragrance, and of course, Zara had to give us a dupe. This time, we actually believe it’s a very close match. Golden Decade shares the same top notes of orange and mandarin, the heart of jasmine, and a warm base of vanilla and amber. It’s seductive, yet perfectly balanced.
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Energetically New York
There are endless speculations online that everyone in New York smells like Le Labo’s Santal 33. Naturally, Zara fed into that theory and named its dupe Energetically New York. The fragrance blends sandalwood, cardamom, leather and jasmine. A lively and urban kind of freshness.
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Incense Sunset
There’s something about Incense Sunset that feels like dusk bottled. It’s Zara’s answer to Byredo’s Black Saffron. Both cedarwood, fire, suede and citrus centered, are smoky, warm and addictive. Yet Zara’s version feels like burnt orange silk, the scent of a candle that’s just gone out. Mysterious but comforting.
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Hypnotic Vanilla Bloom
Perfume lovers seem to believe that this is a dupe for Dior’s Hypnotic Poison, but we’d argue that Zara’s take on the fragrance, with its strong notes of vanilla, wood, pear and cashmere, is far better. Hypnotic Vanilla Bloom feels warmer, creamier, like a sweet, sensual hug against the colder days.
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Bohemian Oud
This blend shares a similar DNA with Maison Margiela’s Replica By the Fireplace. Zara’s Bohemian Oud carries notes of agarwood, cacao, vanilla, incense, leather and pepper. While Replica leans heavier on chestnut and sweetness, Zara’s version feels airier, warm, freshly spicy and infinitely more wearable for every day. Proof that affordable can smell expensive.
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