The first time I got a whiff of Le Labo Rose 31, I was on a bus in the south of France commuting to work. It was an Autumn morning and at one point a breeze came through the window and all the sudden a hint of spicy musk and rose filled the bus. After trying to find out who was wearing it, I finally pinpointed a woman in front of me. We got talking, and I found out that she lived in Grasse, the small town where Le Labo is manufactured. After breaking down and asking her which scent she was wearing, she laughed and told me despite being so close to Le Labo headquarters, she was actually wearing a dupe she had found. It was ironic to say the least and certainly had me fooled.
No matter whether you live right next door or across the world, we can all agree that despite their unique and alluring fragrances, Le Labo isn’t the most accessible for the wallet. Still, it doesn’t make us want to miss out on the mysteries of Grasse Rose and woody oud any less, so in honor of my newfound fragrance friend, here are 10 dupes that can fool even the most local Le Labo wearers.
What We Are looking for in Le Labo Rose 31
Le Labo has based much of its fragrance line on how fluid they can be with their personality and their styles. Rose 31 is no exception to this legacy as since its release in 2006, the scent has risen in popularity for its genderbending quality and intriguing structure.
Made from 31 ingredients, the scent centers around the Centifolia, or Grasse, rose which permeates the entire structure. Despite its bouquet centerpiece, the rest of the structure is settled into warm spices like cumin and then wood oriented notes like guaïac wood, oud, and cedar. The result is a fragrance that is equally feminine with a strong masculine base, which feels sensual and mysterious.
Because of the scent’s sort of yin and yang style with a masculine meets feminine quality, I find that the scent is perfect for crisp autumn days where the spice can really shine or warming spring afternoons where the rose can really take center stage.
Unfortunately, despite Le Labo’s ability to create signature fragrance-worthy products, their price tag isn’t always as accessible. Because I personally can’t say goodbye, I’ll share my top 10 favorite dupes that keep my life just as rosy as the original.
10 Dupes of Le Labo Rose 31
1. Dossier Floral Rose
I’m giving away the best option first. Being the original dupe that I had smelled on the bus in Grasse, Dossier’s version of Rose 31 has certainly wowed me from the get go. A very deep, mysterious feeling structure, it opens with rose and cumin and then dries into a smoky incense and musk. There is a nice amber note to the dry down as well which overall makes the fragrance feel warm and spicy.
What I like about Dossier’s Floral Rose the most is not only does it closely resemble the original Rose 31, but it actually has better longevity and it feels closer to a signature scent because there is a bit more lightness in this fragrance than the original. It still holds that same unisex fluidity, but it has just a touch more openness so that you can wear this anytime, anywhere.
2. Crabtree & Evelyn Femme de Force
More feminine in my opinion than its Le Labo counterpart, Femme de Force still holds that deep rose note with guaïac wood and musk to deepen it into a woody scent. In the opening there is a burst of citrus and cassis which makes the base of the rose seem a bit more sweet and fresh. The drydown is where this dupe really shines in my opinion as it mixes this bit sweeter opening with a nice grounding earthy musk.
More of a fragrance for spring than it is for a signature scent, I still find this fragrance to be a great, feminine counterpart to Le Labo. The longevity might be a bit lighter due to the more refreshing top notes, so be ready to reapply during your day.
3. Dua 31 Shades of Rosa
This big win on this dupe is the longevity, which lasted all day for me with no problems. As expected, the rose is the center of the show for this structure though I find the spice from the cumin is bolstered with the use of frankincense and cedar. It’s a nice smoky take on the original Rose 31.
The dry down is the perfect earth and musk tone and I find that the smoke notes from the opening help this transition. With the deeper smoke and woods elements, I would recommend this fragrance for fall days more than spring, but it’s still versatile enough to be a signature scent.
4. Dojo Candles Josephine Josephine
I’m usually a dupe house kinda girl, but after poking around on Etsy, I am starting to find some gems in the handcrafted fragrance market. A handmade fragrance and candle shop, Dojo Candles makes a cheap but powerful alcohol-free version of Rose 31.
Another dupe that leans more feminine, this fragrance is rose all the way. There is a deep bouquet at the beginning that dries down into spice and woods rather than having those notes intermingle in the opening. It’s a great fragrance if you wanted to have a bit more of a sweeter side to the otherwise unisex-oriented original.
5. Alexandria Damascus Rose
If you wanted the spice of cumin to take more of a backseat in the original, Alexander has got you covered. Damascus Rose is a bit creamier than the Le Labo fragrance with the use of vetiver in the opening and then drying down into a nice oud and incense.
The smokiness of the incense takes the place of the cumin in my nose which makes this fragrance feel like it could be worn in both a day or night setting. The longevity is powerful and I personally love that the sillage doesn’t lose any of the key notes that make up the entire structure.
6. Champagne Socialist Inspired by Rose 31
This was recommended to me by a friend partly because of the brand name but also because they make insanely cheap dupes that are of great quality. A handmade boutique, this fragrance captures the spicey bouquet of rose and cumin in the opening and then dries down very nicely into a creamy mix of oud, vetiver, and musk.
My only complaint is that the sillage is not that strong especially on the spice notes, so be prepared to reapply if you want the lasting effect. This brand is insanely cheap and compact though, so it’s perfect for if you are on the go and need to reapply to get your desired sillage.
7. Oil Perfumery Rose 31
Another brand that keeps the practical side of their fragrances in mind, for how portable this fragrance is, the scent is incredibly long lasting and honestly might not need another reapply for the day.
Mixing rose and cumin in the opening and then drying down into an earthy oud and guaïac wood, the fragrance does a great job highlighting the more masculine notes of the original Le Labo fragrance without giving up the more feminine aspects of the rose bouquet.
8. Wicked Good Rose 31
There have been some other smoky fragrances on this list, but I think this one takes the cake for the smoke elements. This fragrance comes off as a bouquet of roses in a smokey log cabin in the fall. Maybe not for everyone, but to me, it emits what I loved about the original: a sense of place with both elements that feel soft and feminine as well as strong and earthy.
To my nose, the two main notes are rose in the opening and then oud and cedar in the drydown. It isn’t quite as strong as Le Labo, but it does have a good sillage that is noticeable when you walk past.
9. Surrender to Chance Rose 31
Unlike many of the others on this list, the rose is more muted throughout, taking a back seat to the spice of cumin and a dry woody scent. Despite the rose being more subtle, the fragrance is still unisex and adaptable. This fragrance has a warming effect to it with the amount of emphasis on the spice, so to my nose this is the perfect scent for a fall day.
This fragrance is very long lasting with the spice notes and has a great woods-oriented sillage that feels earthy and warm. It won’t be too overpowering so you can definitely wear this to the office or on your day-to-day.
10. The Dupe Spot Our Duplication of Rose 31
A handcrafted, small batch brand out of Melbourne, Australia, the brand took all aspects of the original fragrance to heart and even created a bottle design almost identical to Le Labo.
A heavy rose fragrance, there is some nice spice in the opening from the cumin and the dry down has a nice deep woods note from agarwood and musk. There is a creaminess from the structure as well from the vetiver.
On a Final Note
To me, Rose 31 can feel like the perfect fragrance structure. It’s feminine but then transforms into a deep mysterious woods note that feels masculine and warming. It’s no wonder that it has gained so much popularity, especially with younger generations.
It’s hard to want to have the newest “it” fragrance when you can’t handle the sticker shock, but that’s no reason to stop yourself from having a fragrance you can’t live without. If these dupes have convinced me of anything, it’s that you can get designer fragrance quality for way less money, and might even find a scent even better than the original along the way.
