My LV Clone Journey
I have assembled this collection of dupes for the Louis Vuitton brand because I really like LV scents (I own Orage and L’immensite), but I am not enormously wealthy.
They are from six different dupe houses represented here, including Game of Spades (which is difficult to see there on the right with their take on Imagination called Full House). There are hits and misses here for sure. But overall, this has been a fun and interesting adventure. I don't generally collect or buy dupes. I have many (100+) legit bottles from Chanel, Creed, YSL, Dior, and more PdMs than the average PdM boutique due to the fact that they have sunsetted quite a few scents. I do not have all the LV scents represented. I’m a male and prefer masculine-leaning scents. While I have a dupe of LV’s ‘unisex’ Myriad, that is as far as I am willing to go in the feminine direction.
A few global notes: I love LV fragrances and appreciate their commitment to this art form. I love the bottles, the sprayers, and the people at the boutiques have been nice to me when I’ve stopped in to smell what’s new. I hope the clones don’t stop them from doing what they’re doing, but I have to say they’re overall very impressive. Maybe some of the LV fragrances are more ‘cloneable’ than others? There are certainly more Afternoon Swim clones on the market than for Orage. The quality of the presentations between the clone brands are pretty stark.
The Dua Brand sprayers are fantastic but the AI art on the bottles is not to my taste. The Montagne design and presentation is purposely ‘generic’ and all business, but it works for me. Dossier bottles have a nice magnetic cap, but otherwise are pretty meh. KDJ can’t even bother to come up with a clever name to mask their clones. I don’t love the Jean Lowe attempt to mimic the look of the LV bottles, but it does make it easy to tell what they’re going for! The clear plastic part of the cap bothers me the most, though.
I don't have all the clones on the market by any means. In fact, this collection might only represent 20% or less of what’s out there! And there are new LVs like Ink Mark and Rain Tea that emerge seemingly by the month, and new dupes are released almost every day! So here is a snapshot of my journey to this point.
Apologies for including the Latafa bottle in this photo. That is meant for my YSL clone project!
Montagne CHILLY PACIFIC
This is superb! I am not terribly familiar with Pacific Chill, but I had a sample and wore it last year quite happily, trying a number of sprays and contexts. For me, it’s a wonderful summer scent. It’s fresh. Almost ridiculously fresh. Citrus + Apricot + Mint = Yummy. This is transporting, if not taking me to the Pacific, it is invigorating and reminds me of al fresco summer brunches. The OG performed just OK, but better than 90% of freshies. But, like, for all but a couple of LV fragrances, the price just kept me from buying a full bottle. It’s a luxury product and there is a very good likeness of it from Montagne. How close to the original? Very. I’d say 90% of the way there. It’s missing something, and it’s hard to put my finger on it, but I’ll guess it’s something to do with whatever makes the musky note. The Montagne is more of a Shower Gel than Something Special in that regard. This could be a placebo effect, but I just don’t get exactly the same uplifting feeling from it. Performance, however, is equal to the OG. The Montagnes are really strong in this area. It evolves well, with more mint and secondary floral notes coming through, and I’d say it held up for almost 6 hours. Not bad. Great for the gym or office as everyone around you will like this smell. 8/10
Montagne AFTERNOON DIVE
This smells delicious. Super close to the original, Afternoon Swim. 9.5/10 with maybe a touch less photorealism in the orange that the LV nails so perfectly. It is clean sweet and refreshing. Who wouldn't want to wear this on a summer day? It has a nice aquatic feeling that emerges as you wear it but it's not like it changes much as the day goes on. And fade it does just like the OG. No chance this stays on skin into the night if you spray in the morning. Unisex. Gym scent perfection. 10/10
Dossier AROMATIC GINGER
This is their take on L’Immensite which is my co-favorite LV with Orage. The OG version has a strong, spicy character that lasts all day. A few sprays and you are refreshed and energized. Citrus combined with ginger pretty much leads the way and stays strong all day long. There are other notes in the mix but the ambrox/amber underlies it all. OK, so how does Dossier compare? First off, I have a few scents from Dossier and I’m pleased with them. Zest for Life is a really nice unisex freshie that will make everyone around you, including yourself, happier. I also have a few of their non-LV clones, but Aromatic Ginger may be the best of the bunch. It is not 1:1 copy of L’Immensite but it is quite close. It is less fresh than the OG. The sharp ginger is toned down. It does seem to hold up pretty well in performance but again, it fades compared to the awesome original that stays true to its character all day. The scent profile is close to identical but if you want a true dupe go with Montagne’s version. For some like me who love the OG, this is a good thing! 9/10
KDJ Inspired SUR LA ROUTE
First up is on of the OG fragrances from the LV same bottle design line-up that debuted in 2018. This dupe is made by KDJ, and like the LV namesake, it is a unique take on a green scent. I have tried SLR from LV on my skin a few times and would say this is quite close to the OG. It is 8/10. The scent profile opens with a matched blast of grass and citrus. This grass note stays around much longer than the oranges but they make a great combination in my opinion. Note: When I first tried this out of the package, it was stunningly unbalanced. Maceration for a few days calmed down the initial “hay bale” smell and brought out the citrus. I gotta say, I didn't like this at first smell. Now I get nice freshness that lasts for hours and evolves. It has some ambroxan “lift” that creates decent sillage but it's not a powerhouse like Sauvage that screams you are wearing a scent to the whole office. It is has a mossy, green note that emerges as the day goes on. A bit like TdH, or LV Orage in that if conveys a damp, forest floor feeling. Like the name says it is a bit like going on a roadtrip! This is a well done patchouli note and the maker says there is some myrrh which gives it a resin-y quality and something that evolves nicely as it wears off after 6 or 7 hours. Would buy again. 8/10
Game of Spades FULL HOUSE
I don't own the OG Imagination. I was excited to try it at my local LV boutique, but I got a distinct, very unwelcome “bug spray” note that I can't smell. Others have said this, and it is not a reflection on LV quality. Plenty of top-quality scents remind people of dishwashing liquid or dryer sheets. But what about this clone? Well, first off I don't get the big spray note! I blindly bought this as part of a travel-size collection, and I instantly liked it. This is a very smooth and well-made fragrance. It has the weight and quality of a designer fragrance. Does it match the LV? It’s 6/10 on the closeness scale. It is missing some of the lift and power of Imagination. It is not as fresh or “clean-smelling” as either OG or Imaginary from Montagne. The tea note is there but it reads like a different tea variety. I have the travel-size small bottle, and that may play a role. Game of Spades has a winner here. But if you want a 1:1 Imagination dupe, this might disappoint. 8/10
Jean Lowe NOIR
This is a take on LV’s next most hyped fragrance after Imagination, Ombre Nomade. I found this Clone from Maison Alhambra to be pretty close to its dark inspiration. It's an Oud bomb, and there is some dark, leathery amber with a nice smoky edge that is definitely not for the gym. This is strong, cold weather stuff! I bought this about a year ago, and it has improved with time, but the LV's raspberry and floral notes are now all but missing. Itis about a 7/10 on the clone closeness scale. Not bad but judged on its own it is very nice. 8/10. Nice packaging and sprayer if a little too desperate to ape the style of the PG. Great value for an oud!
Montagne Cacti Garden
I can’t say I know this now-discontinued LV fragrance very well. I remember it as a properly unisex freshie that leans heavily into bergamot with unique lemongrass and mate notes. It doesn’t convey a cactus garden per se to my nose. What does a cactus smell like? A garden of them might have some warm sand notes and some cactus flowers. This Montagne smells vey good. I will not rate it for closeness to the OG as I don’t have a sample handy and my memory is not strong. That said, this does remind me of what I remember CG smelling like. It is a bit like visiting a botanical garden. The mate and ambery notes are there but those mostly just fade away. The sweetness and floral character linger, and are very nice, but fade and do so pretty quickly. I would guess you will get 5 hours max from this. This might be close to the OG, but again, I don’t have a bottle or sample handy to compare for sillage or staying power. I would say this scent is a nice addition to the collection but maybe not distinct enough to stand out from the other sweet citrus LV fragrances. I will give it 7/10.
The Dua Brand THE NEW WORLD
This is a Dua brand was not one I was familiar with before my collecting mania kicked in recently. The bottle and sprayer are fine but the ‘romance novel’ style AI-generated art (I’m assuming here) is not to my taste. That said, I have more than just these four Dua LV dupes and more are on the way! I think they're on to something. This is “extrait” which I guess means more oil in this perfume, but I'm not sure I can tell the difference in the longevity or sillage here. This is a very close (9/10) dupe of Neauveau Monde from LV. It has to be said the NM is one of my least favorite LVs. I have other leather fragrances (Dior Fahrenheit has been a favorite of mine for decades) and this just seems to be not for me. Oud + leather just might be too much for my nose. Or else this is just too animalic and raw. Yes, it evolves into a calmer scent with some fruity notes that emerge over the first hour or so. At times I get a classy old library smell but then it turns animalic on a dime. Later in the day I pick up some green patchouli in there but it's offset by that off-putting leather/oud at every turn. I don’t think it’s Dua’s fault. This is the one that LV fans seem to pass by and it wouldn’t shock me if it joins Cactus Garden in taking early retirement. In the meantime, this is a winter/evening fragrance that won’t get many sprays from me. 6/10
Montagne METEORITE
The LV Meteoré is a tough one to categorize for me. I can’t say I know the fragrance well. It is one I’ve sampled on skin at the boutique and brought home a paper sample. But that is hardly a deep understanding of all the subtle goodness of what many consider the best Imagination alternative offered by LV. It is impossible to argue that it isn’t a citrus-forward fragrance with great performance for a freshie. I’ve heard some people get 8 hours plus from Meteore, and who am I to say that’s not true? I recall some spices and woods in the drydown, and I got a ‘blue’ fragrance vibe from it, along with a strong metallic note. So what do I think of Meteorite? I think it pretty much nails the OG, and I’ll say it’s a 9/10 copy. Do I like this take on it? That's the real question. Yes. Sort of. Meteorite pairs a ’basic’ citrus scent with something like vetiver or clary sage note…or maybe it’s ISO-E Super, Cashmeran, or Ambroxan. Whatever it is, it gives me mixed feelings. Do I like it as much as Imaginary? No. I'll cut to the chase: to me, this smells like Hermes H24, with a bit of Sauvage or another Blue fragrance like Loewe Cobalt 7 mixed in. I get a little Kajal Homme III. Which is mostly OK with me! I like all of those. But I’m not sure I will wear this much. I prefer ‘blue’ and fresh fragrances like Loewe C7, Percival, and BDC. But it’s very wearable, nice and inoffensive…I know I’m damning with faint praise…it’s just not my jam. 7/10
KDJ Inspired NUIT DE FEU
LV is a designer fragrance maker, but this is one of their niche offerings. It is not a mainstream choice for sure. I have only smelled it once in boutique store and did not try on my skin. I had a sample on paper and decided this incense-heavy offering wasn't for me. But I respect the creativiry here! I love Oud and dark and smokey fragrances but I don't need to spend the LV premium for this as I have several ouds and incense-heavies at different price points that do the job for me. Indonesian Oud from Zegna and Terroni by Orto Parisi and Encre Noir from Lalique to name a few. So what about this dupe of the same exact name? I think it’s OK. The leather + amber + smokey + oud are all there. I’d rate it very close to the original, 8/10. The smell of this KDJ itself I’ll rate at 7/10 since it just isn’t inspiring to me. I can’t quite put my finger on why but I’ll say that it’s sort of neither one thing or the other. It’s a blend of the notes that don’t seem to benefit from blending.
KDJ Inspired AU HASARD
This is one from LV that doesn't get much attention. I never hear people on the social platforms mention it with the big LV heavy hitters like Imagination or Ombre Nomade. The OG reminded me of something like what if Dior Fahrenheit and Santal 33 had a baby. That isn't a bad thing in my book! I own and love those two fragrances. But, like a lot of people, I don't need something this expensive if it's going to be so non-distinctive. The KDJ take on the LV is right down the middle. I'd say at least an 8/10 likeness. I get some of the same Fahrenheit/Santal 33 vibes from this as the real thing. Same petrol/dill notes at times which is a good thing in my book. Performance was just OK for something like this. After 6 hours there wasn’t much left and the sillage is only strong at the start. It's leather and sandalwood alright but maybe from different suppliers compared to LV. The feeling it gives me is not as uplifting as I would like. It seems cozy rather than energizing. Not a bad thing for a fall/winter feeling but like I said, I have other options I prefer. 6/10
The Dua Brand #BEACH VIBES
This is a dupe of On the Beach. It opens with a blast of lime, and eventually, you can smell the neroli and lime together. They make a nice pairing. They say this is Yuzu, but it doesn't land the way other Yuzu fragrances I know well (I have L'eau d'Issey) do. That said I am not a regular Yuzu fruit buyer. It smells fruity to me for sure. This is not a 1:1 copy of the LV, but it is mighty close. The LV citrus has more of a photorealistic yuzu than lime on the opening. The LV (which has a lovely bottle and no hashtag in its name) also dries down with a different woody note (LV has cypress...I get more pine from the Dua), but they are close. 8/10 for being true to the OG. The Dua performs well for a freshie. It is a great gym scent and would be a great thing to wear on a beach vacation. I love this smell, frankly. Performance is pretty good. Puts me in a great sunshiney mood. I rate it highly because I think the LV is going out of production, and this is a keeper. 9/10.
The Dua Brand CALI LIFE
This is a dupe of LV California Dream, and it is very close to the original. 9/10. Do I like the OG? Uh, yeah. It's a nice, truly unisex, orange-forward sorbet-white musk freshie. I really like the LV love for California because I, too, love California. I lived in SF for a few years and think of the place often. This dupe and the OG reminds me 100% of SoCal. It is a Sunny Summer Day (despite it being February) in a bottle. It is evocative of orange tree-lined streets, and the Dua delivers great value here. Much cheaper than a flight to LAX and a few nights at a hotel on Sunset. I love the very realistic orange here, with even the nice oily peel notes coming on strong. The musk might be the same exact variety of LV, but it is splitting hairs to carp about it. It's right on and very nice. Performance is very good for a freshie, but a lot of the sharp citrus fades away, of course. You get a nice sherbet musk thing as the day goes on so don't quibble. I like. Take a trip to the left coast with a few sprays. 8/10.
Montagne LVRS
I know the LV OG here pretty well, but I don't own it. It's a newer one from the brand, and I was excited to try it given its provenance and the published notes. It doesn't disappoint. I was close to buying a full bottle or a decant, but I settled for a sample found on eBay. I am a fan of L'immensité and Santal 33, which seem to inspire it, but now I have settled for the clone... but should you? This is a fine-smelling fragrance. Smells high quality. Woody. Masculine-leaning. Bright. I'll rate it 9/10 for closeness to the original. The difference, again, lies in the variety of woods and some of the x-factor ingredients that make the LV worth considering. But for a value, it's hard to beat this Montagne. So fresh on the opening (galbanum mixed with citrus) and the dry down, a woody base is really enjoyable. It truly evolves as the day goes on and lasts 6 + hours. 8/10.
Montagne CITY OF LIGHTS
City of Stars from LV reminded me of YSL MYSLF, with a more feminine-leaning profile. The OG is on of their So Cal tributes and this is a powdery take on fresh citrus scents like Afternoon Swim. This clone that I'll rate 9/10 for accuracy starts off quite citrus-heavy, but right away, it gives fancy vacation vibes. It settles down with summer in a bottle, powder note that never quits. A nice, feminine floral peaks out after a few minutes, and I get a whiff of sunscreen and beach sand. The lasting power of this is not great for me (under 6 hours) as it becomes more feminine and powdery as the day goes on. 7/10
Montagne HARMONY
This a take on LV Symphony, a fruit-forward unisex fragrance with a ginger heart that I recall reminded me of Tygar when I tried it about a year ago in the boutique. I like it. The citrus is hard to pin down in the LV, but some claim it is not to be bergamot or grapefruit but something more exotic. Whatever they do at LV, the staying power of this freshie is right up there with the best. The Montage is one of many dupes for this popular choice with one of LV's madcap caps. The cap and packaging here are plain as can be. The scent, however, is very close to the LV. 9/10. Fresh and very, very likable. Perfectly unisex in my opinion. Everyone will smell good wearing this. It is not weak. The projection from a few sprays is excellent. There is a bit of dryer sheet scent that emerges when the sharp citrus dries down but smelling like clean clothes with some fizzy Sprite mixed in is not a bad thing in my book. This Montagne is a no-brainer purchase. 9/10
Jean Lowe AZURE
This is a very solid Afternoon Swim clone. I think it’s not quite as good as the original or Afternoon Dive from Montagne but it’s close. I’ll say the performance here isn’t quite as good as the Montagne. But they both smell 9+/10 to the OG. This is a fresh scent with a very pleasing mandarin citrus and ‘blue’ vibe that smells much more expensive than it is. Maybe a bit more lemon here than photorealistic orange peel, but you will like the feeling you get from this. There is some ginger ale in there to give it something more than simply citrus notes and bath gel pleasantness, but you won’t mistake it for Vibrato or L’immensité. It may lean a bit too hard on chemicals, but however they got there, I’ll go back for that happy, summery sense memory it gives of walking through an orange grove, feeling any day. 8/10
The Dua Brand SERENADE
This is a dupe of Symphony from LV. I think it smells a lot like the OG but I don't know it terribly well. I’m sorry I don’t have a lot to say about this, it is a new purchase and I find it a bit feminine-leaning for my taste. I get a very accurate citrus and then a muddle of floral and herbal notes that just don’t work for me. 6/10
Montagne IMMENSITY
This is my second dupe of L’immensité. It is fantastic. If you like the original, get this. It is uncannily close to it. Lasts just as long. But this is you like the LV is all I can say. 10/10
The Dua Brand DESERT FLOWER
This one from LV is too feminine for me. Someone said this take by Dua was less feminine so I took a flyer on it. And they were right. This is very feminine and floral for my nose and I don’ wear it. I get soft bubble bath rose and jasmine here and almost none of the expected oud and oriental notes advertised so I use it as a bathroom deodorizer. It works fine for that purpose. I’m not going to rate this, sorry. 4/10
The Dua Brand GOLDEN HOUR AMBER This is the Dua Brand take on the newest LV Oud and Amber fragrance. It is not an easy one to dupe as this is perhaps the most complex fragrance in the LV line. This is maybe 8/10 as far as closeness to the OG. It is a hard one to duplicate. It smells good though. Very long lasting and strong. I’ll give it 9/10 for longevity. The scent is one that works best in winter or cold weather for me. This is pretty great value. This has some very realistic orange that I don’t remember in the LV. The LV is an incredible bomb of Oud. Check out the recent Fragrantica review of this for their opinion. I like the OG more than this dupe but both bring a bit too much “darkness at noon” feelings for me on these bright spring days. 8/10
Yom & Layl Thunder Finally a dupe of Orage! This is the one fragrance that got me into LV. In my opinion it is along with L’immensite, their best one and my original bottle is running low. I have never heard of Yom & Layl. I found them by Googling “Orage Dupe”. Petrichor is the thing here. It is very close to the OG, 8/10 in that respect. Longevity is excellent. I got all day wear from it.
I find this to be very special and the bottle is unique and attractive to boot. 9/10