I tallied up the value of my perfume collection the other day. It went into the thousands! I’m not ashamed to say that I spend a lot on perfume but I admit that I could do better at bagging a bargain. As a result, I started exploring clone houses and spent a lot of time researching ALT Fragrances perfumes.
For very reasonable prices, they had a good selection of dupes available. So, I tried and tested several of them and did a little digging into the brand.
If you’re keen to start using ALT Fragrances but want a bit more info before you do, then this guide is for you. I’ve put together all the most important nuggets I dug up as well as some mini-reviews of my favorite ALT Fragrances.
First Off: Is ALT Fragrances Legit?
Whenever I buy from a new company, I like to check out whether everything is above board. Know that ALT Fragrances does not claim to sell direct copies of the scents you know and love but “premier alternatives that are based on some of the world’s most iconic scents.”
Once you know this, it’s easier to take an objective look at what you’re getting. This demonstrates that yes, ALT Fragrances is 100% legit and you will receive exactly what is advertised; an ‘inspired by’ fragrance.
Overview Of ALT Fragrances Reviews
When I began looking into ALT Fragrances, my hopes were dashed pretty quickly. I started by taking a look at their Trustpilot reviews and with an overall score of just 2.1, things were not looking good. However, I always like to see for myself so I continued with my research.
One of the things that I noticed when reading Trustpilot reviews was the number of people that their package never arrived. Even worse, when attempting to contact ALT Fragrances to discuss the matter, they were not met with the customer service one might expect. This is certainly off-putting.
This is just one review site so I decided to also check out SiteJabber. The reviews were largely the same. People talking about a lack of ways to contact ALT and missing orders.
I took a look on the ALT Fragrances website myself and found that there is a contact email address, [email protected]. The response times are not in line with what a big brand should be providing. Trying to find a contact phone number for ALT was like trying to find a needle in a haystack just more impossible.
The good news is that you don’t need to contact ALT if you want to return an order. The website offers a self-service return portal which takes away a lot of the hassle. That said, the returns policy is a little strange as you’ll only be offered store credit and never a refund if you don’t like the product. It is also important to note that returns are only possible in the USA and that sale items cannot be returned.
It has been difficult to find many good reviews about ALT Fragrances. I mean, there are several glowing reviews on the brand’s website but they’re hardly going to display the bad ones, are they? I did manage to find some excellent reports on judge.me where people gave praise about the excellent quality of the scents and how long they last.
“Excellent scent and the pricing is ridiculous compared to the original. No need to spend all that money on the real thing!”
“Just amazing fragrance. No words to describe it. Alt make the best inspired perfumes, they last until you shower no kidding””
“Love the smell. 5 stars”
Source: judge.me
My 5 Favorite ALT Fragrances
I have to admit that the perfume quality from ALT Fragrances is pretty good. Considering the price, you’re getting perfumes that have semi-decent longevity and performance and smell very close to the originals. Negative reviews about customer service suggest avoiding this brand. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get your hands on some great fragrance dupes. Here are some of the top dupes for popular fragrances that you can find at ALT Fragrances.
1. Crystal 23 – MFK Baccarat Rouge 530
Unless you’ve been living under a rock in the last few months, you’ll notice that Maison Francis Kurkdijan’s Baccarat Rouge 530 is trending EVERYWHERE. And I mean everywhere. But at $625 for 200 ml, it’s a bit of a bank breaker.
ALT Fragrances offers their dupe for just $39 and I’ve seen a lot of people talking about how similar it is. When I smelt it, I would not have been able to tell the difference and unless you actually took part in making the original, I doubt you will either.
Aside from being remarkably similar, Crystal 23 is a decent little performer. I noticed how long the scent lingered for without being too over the top. However, I should point out that, as is the case with a lot of ALT Fragrances, the bottle lid has a tendency to break.
2. Cherry Smash – Lost Cherry Tom Ford
If there’s one thing that Tom Ford fragrances are known for, it’s their intensity and longevity. Alright, there are some that are a little gentler, like Soleil Blanc, but Lost Cherry is one of the more powerful ones. So how does the ALT clone measure up?
Well, let’s just say I was disappointed. This is an incredibly strong smelling perfume that rivals the intensity of the original. That said, while it’s intense, I do think it could last a little longer. Still, for $49, I don’t mind if I have to reapply halfway through the day.
In terms of whether it smells the same, I could hardly tell the difference save from the fact that this one is maybe slightly sweeter. But if you aren’t familiar with Lost Cherry, this isn’t something you’d pick up on.
3. Petal Explosion – Victor & Rolf Flowerbomb
Flowerbomb is one of the modern woman’s most favorite perfumes and it’s hailed for its intensity and longevity. I tried Petal Explosion, the ALT Fragrances dupe to see how it matched up.
At just $29 a bottle, this has to be one of the best value for money clones I’ve managed to get my hands on. That becomes even more true when you consider that it’s one of the longer lasting ALT perfumes. It’s also surprisingly strong.
As with the Tom Ford dupe, I did find that this version of Flowerbomb was a little more sweet than the original. But again, I don’t think this is something people would notice. It’s a perfume that will get you a lot of compliments and it’s so similar to the OG that people will probably ask if that’s what you’re wearing.
4. Bold Love – Love Don’t Be Shy Kilian
If you’ve ever purchased a bottle of Love Don’t Be Shy, you’ll know how pricey it is! Where the original could cost you up to $265 a bottle, you can get this dupe from ALT Fragrances for just $49; but is it worth it?
I’d say that this was one of the best clones from this brand and it scores 4.4 out of 5 on the ALT website so it seems I’m not the only one to think so. This is a super sweet scent that mimics Kilian’s classic perfume to a T; there’s really no telling the difference.
Bold Love is incredibly long lasting and easily outperforms any other ALT perfume I have tried. It projects beautifully and will definitely get you noticed in a crowd. If you have always wanted to wear LDBS as a signature scent but didn’t like the idea of spending a small fortune, ALT offers a viable alternative.
5. Farouche – Dior Sauvage
I’m a woman but I’m partial to using men’s perfume when the scent is nice. Dior Sauvage has long been one of my faves so I was excited to see how the ALT clone performed. At $39, I was happy to be saving a significant amount of cash but what about the scent and performance?
Well, Farouche is indistinguishable from Sauvage. As a fragrance I am very familiar with, I thought that this would be the one that I could tell apart; I was wrong. Even when wearing it, people mistook it for the original so there are no complaints from me where similarity is concerned.
Farouche is also very powerful and lasts a very long time. I only needed a couple of sprays in the morning for the scent to be potent all day. It clings to your clothes like nothing else!
Where To Buy ALT Fragrances
Your main port of call to purchase ALT Fragrances should be the official ALT Fragrances website. If all those reviews about lost orders have put you off, don’t worry. It is possible to get your hands on ALT Fragrances in other places.
Occasionally, I find ALT products on Amazon. They don’t seem to be constantly in stock which means you might not always find what you’re looking for.
But the best alternative place to buy ALT Fragrances seems to be eBay. Here, I was able to find a huge range of products from various sellers and the choice was far greater. Many of the products are brand new but of course, there are used bottles for sale which allow you to get even more of a bargain.
Controversy Over ALT Fragrances
ALT Fragrances is based in Miami, Florida, and was founded by young entrepreneur Michael Saba. While the brand has done exceedingly well, it took just one post on Instagram last year to throw their reputation into the fire.
One beauty influencer on IG explained that she would no longer be supporting ALT Fragrances which she further explained in her YouTube video. Essentially, this influencer had been promoting the fragrances for some time and was a part of ALT’s affiliate program. However, she had issues with their affiliate links and was not paid the commission she was owed. This of course, painted the brand in a bad light but things were not about to get any better.
The founder of ALT Fragrances recently faced accusations of sharing racist and homophobic content on social media, most notably Twitter. Additionally, the brand was accused of removing any negative comments from its Instagram account in order to paint itself in a better light. While there is no hard evidence to prove either of these points, the damage that rumors can do is immense.
ALT Fragrances Compared To Alternatives
Dossier is by far one of the best alternatives to ALT Fragrances and has a 4.6 score on Trustpilot. I noticed that many reviews praise the customer service, an area where ALT falls short. The prices are a little higher with the MFK Baccarat Rouge dupe being $10 more on Dossier.
I’ve also heard a lot of people talking about how they’ve moved from ALT to DUA. The fragrances from DUA are quite a lot more expensive than both Dossier and ALT with the aforementioned MFK clone retailing for $65. The reviews on DUA are mixed and seem to be at either extreme. Some stating amazing customer service and excellent fragrances while others say the service is terrible and perfumes smell weak. To conclude, I believe Dossier is the best option if you’re looking for a great alternative to ALT Fragrances. While it might be slightly more expensive, the quality of both the products and consumer service make up for it. If you’re looking for something higher-end, then perhaps DUA can fit the bill but be prepared, as the prices can be quite steep.
