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These 6 Vegan and Cruelty-Free Perfume Dupes Will Satisfy Your Nose and Wallet

Bianca Piazza - Author
By

Published Dec. 1 2023, 12:34 p.m. ET

Photo of Dossier's Floral Aldehydes perfume in front of a textured floral background
Source: thatfrenchislandgirl/Instagram

When cheekily asked what she wears to bed during an interview, Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe revealed that she slept in just a few drops of Chanel N°5 (which once contained civet cat musk oil). She helped make the luxury eau de parfum an iconic and recognizable scent for over a century. According to a 2011 NPR piece, a bottle of the floral fragrance is sold every 30 seconds. That's pretty impressive, especially considering it smells like a rich old lady.

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Unfortunately, vegan baddies and cruelty-free beauty lovers can't live their Marilyn fantasies, as Chanel still engages in animal testing. Other beloved perfumes, like Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium and Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille, fail to treat animals with kindness, which totally stinks.

Luckily, many ethical fragrance brands sell copycats of popular scents — and they're typically cheaper than original stuff. Here are a few of our favorite vegan and cruelty-free perfume dupes.

Product image of several different perfume bottles by Good Chemistry
Source: lovegoodchemistry/Instagram

Torrid Day by Oakcha ($30 - $45) — a dupe for Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille

Vegan and cruelty-free fragrance house Oakcha proudly offers scents "inspired by the best, priced for the rest." Its unisex Torrid Day extrait de parfum is inspired by Tom Ford's intoxicating Tobacco Vanille scent. With notes of tobacco, vanilla, cocoa, and tobacco leaf, the paraben- and phthalates-free fragrance will give you a warm and smoky hug.

We suggest spraying this sultry fragrance far from clothing, as it is a bit oily.

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Floral Aldehydes by Dossier ($29) — a dupe for Chanel N°5

Known for "clean, ethically sourced, long-lasting, [and] high-end perfume" that doesn't break the bank, Dossier's Floral Aldehydes eau de parfum would likely fool Marilyn. The feminine Chanel N°5 dupe is described as "a sophisticated, powdery veil" with top notes of aldehydes, neroli, and bergamot, middle notes of ylang ylang, jasmine, and May rose, and base notes of vetiver, sandalwood, and orris.

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Dossier uses recycled materials, has gone plastic free, and partners with the Give Back Box nonprofit to reduce waste and utilize returned product.

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Perfect Scents – Inspired by Yves Saint Laurant’s Opium by Instyle Fragrances ($15) — a dupe for YSL’s Opium

Product photo of Perfect Scents – Inspired by Yves Saint Laurant’s Opium by Instyle Fragrances
Source: Instyle Fragrances

Instyle Fragrances makes vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben- and phthalates-free dupes at uber-affordable prices. The brand's Perfect Scents collection offers an eau de toilette YSL Opium dupe — literally called "Inspired by Yves Saint Laurant’s Opium" — that boasts "fruity notes of plum and mandarin, layered with exotic spices, and finished with rich amber."

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Though the Black Opium dupe is no longer on the official website, What the Fab recommended the Inspired by Yves Saint Laurent’s Black Opium spray cologne, which is currently available via Amazon and Walmart.

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Magnolia Violet by Good Chemistry ($28.99) — a dupe for Marc Jacobs's Daisy

Considering Marc Jacobs Daisy is a flirty, sweet-smelling favorite, we'd like to introduce you to Magnolia Violet eau de parfum by Good Chemistry: a PETA certified cruelty-free and vegan company free of parabens, phthalates, propylene glycol, and GMOs.

Unlike the previous offerings on our list, Magnolia Violet doesn't claim to be a dupe, but Teen Vogue did some investigating. If you're interested in smelling like magnolia, peony, and amber, give the romantic scent a try.

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Cloud by Ariana Grande ($26 - $65) — a dupe for Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540

Though fans were upset that her Starbucks “Cloud Macchiato” wasn't vegan, Ariana Grande's Cloud eau de parfum is, as per Perfumeson.com.

As discovered by TikTok's "beauty fairy god mother," Matt Randon, the pop star's "inspiring, dreamy, [and] playful" scent is a dupe for Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge 540. Even though the Parisian fragrance house is technically cruelty-free, a 1.2-ounce bottle of its perfume goes for a steep $205.

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Emanating top notes of lavender, pear, and bergamot, middle notes of coconut, praline, and vanilla orchid, and base notes of cashmere, the Grammy winner's scent will leave you smelling elegant and delicious.

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Sea Salt & Neroli by Marks & Spencer ($9.79 - $15.79) — a dupe for Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino

Product image of Sea Salt & Neroli by Marks & Spencer
Source: Marks & Spencer

With notes of sea salt, mandarin, neroli, and musk, Marks & Spencer's Sea Salt & Neroli eau de toilette is described as sweet and spicy, allowing fragrance lovers to experiment with scent families. And though it's practically a dupe for Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, Who What Wear wrote that the M&S perfume smells as if "Tom Ford's Neroli Portofino and Jo Malone's Wood Sage & Sea Salt cologne had a baby."

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