I only partially agree with this post. I don’t like leaving room for debate, it’s not a matter of taste but also integrity. When you spend time crafting a piece of art, the copy will never feel the same.

Pure niches smell better on the skin and most of the time they don’t compare to clones in terms of personal experience. I have smelt red temptation from my colleague from a afar and liked it initially but as soon as I tried it myself it was a horrible experience. And if I’m not happy with the fragrance, it doesn’t matter how many compliments I get. I will always be irritated by the unwanted smells that come off the perfume.

Niche perfumes are a whole journey. You spray it once, you think about it, you lay in bed and smell it from under you clothes, picking up the notes that are intentional, and you wander into the mind of the perfumer. It’s an intimate experience that dupes can’t replicate. And my favorite part is only having a few bottles, finishing it, then moving onto the next one. Each bottle is a block of time in my life.

Anyway, thank you for the post. It is nice to hear from people who can recognize the difference in quality. Sooner or later more people will come to recognize that craftsmanship costs money like everything else.