I’m sure I’m not the only one who was first drawn into Marc Jacobs Perfect by its bottle design. I was in a department store and I saw it on the shelf and thought to myself “Ok, so I have to know what that smells like.” Sure enough, the fragrance matched the bottle with its playful, whimsically light fragrance with tart fruit accents throughout. To me, it felt like the perfect smell to lighten up my days at the office.
Unfortunately, after seeing the price tag it was hard not to feel like I had been catfished. Luckily, I went home and found that I could easily find fragrances that had that playful edge without the not-so-fun cost. With a little bit for every woman, we’ve got 5 dupes of Marc Jacobs Perfect.
Watch this video to discover Marc Jacobs Perfect dupes:
What We Are looking for in Marc Jacobs Perfect
Debuted in 2020, Marc Jacobs Perfect was made to celebrate the uniqueness of everyone’s personal style. Mixing tart, fruity elements with cozy florals, the fragrance has remained popular for its light and playfully feminine feel.
To my nose, this is a great fragrance to wear to spring picnics at the park or summer brunches. It is a playful, feminine fragrance that begs for warming spring and summer days. Its light airiness is also suitable to wear as a signature scent in the office.
Opening with rhubarb and narcissus, the fragrance feels sweet yet has the cutting burst of rhubarb to add some tartness to the structure. To my nose, the opening has a subtle hint of banana, though it is not technically in its official olfactory notes. The scent gets light and creamy with almond milk as its middle before drying down into cashmeran and cedar. There is a floral quality to the drydown that feels light and feminine paired with the otherwise tart fruit opening. To me, this sensation creates an “opposites attract” type feel to the overall fragrance and feels well rounded.
With a bottle design that screams fun-loving with a decorative cap accent of a bouquet of bananas, dice, shoes, and other shapes, it’s hard to pass up getting the brand name. If you can get over not having the wacky bottle design, I have certainly found some fragrances that can get you this playfully whimsical scent without paying the price. Here are 5 fragrances that are perfect at being Marc Jacobs Perfect.
5 Dupes of Marc Jacobs Perfect
1. Dossier Floral Rhubarb
Taking the fruit notes and florals to a whole new level, Dossier is less airy with its structure but certainly delivers if you want something more impactful. Opening with the tart rhubarb, orange blossom, and peach, there is a sweetness mixed with the tangy-ness of the original. The fragrance then dries into daffodil, milk almond, and narcissus which is creamy and floral. The daffodil shines through making this drydown feel green and fresh. The base notes of cedarwood and musk add just a touch of earth to this overall floral finish.
While all the notes seem to pack more punch in Floral Rhubarb than the original, I find this fragrance doesn’t last incredibly long. Thankfully, the price makes this fragrance guilt-free when it comes to reapplies. If you were wanting something a bit more sweet and floral, this is the heightened version of Perfect.
2. Zara Tropical Boost
A surprising dupe from the famous clothing brand, Zara Tropical Boost sounds like it would be taking a lot of liberties on the original structure, but actually, I think this is a good contender for an identical dupe.
Opening with pineapple, grapefruit, and mandarin orange, you get the same tart, sweet combo just with a different edge to it. I like the citrus because I think it actually cuts through the fragrance more than the rhubarb used in Marc Jacobs. The middle notes are almond milk and jasmine which give off the same milky bouquet that you would expect. Drying down into a woodsy musk, to my nose the back half of this fragrance is almost identical to the original.
Despite adding a citrus forward opening, I think the subtle changes in Zara Tropical Boost are worth a try. For only a fraction of the price, I think this fragrance could still fool anyone on the street who is a Marc Jacobs fan.
3. Oil Perfumery Impression of Perfect
Known for being the fragrance house for active lifestyles, Oil Perfumery’s rollerball design lends itself really well to this fragrances’ day to day versatility.
Opening with rhubarb and narcissus, there is a floral aspect to this structure right out of the gate that is overshadowed in the original. It then dries into almond milk, cashmeran and cedar which all lend the fragrance to feeling clean and fresh. The creaminess of the almond milk mixes well with the rhubarb and makes the fragrance feel playful and airy.
4. Bath & Body Works Open Sky
As a longtime lover of Bath & Body Works from my childhood, I was pleasantly surprised to find this dupe that really stood up to the original. As light and refreshing as the original, Open Sky trades rhubarb for a raspberry opening that feels tart and sweet, but not too overpowering. The fragrance then dries into violet and vanilla, which create a great mix of florals and a touch of sweetness.
To my nose, this fragrance is the perfect scent for anyone who wants something less intense and just wants the breezy, clean feeling that comes from the original. The fragrance is incredibly affordable and comes in everything from Eau de Parfum to candles, so it is easily versatile for any aspect of your life.
5. Divain-648
To be honest, out of all the list, this gets my vote for the closest to the original. Extremely bright and feminine, Divian opens with a tart rhubarb and narcissus and then dries into almond milk, cashmere and cedar.
I love that the drydown in this fragrance feels creamy yet refreshing. There is a clean feel to it that I think is perfect for a signature scent. My only complaint would be that the sillage is more intimate than I would like, but it is certainly a fragrance that would be perfect for workdays in the office.
I would like to conclude by saying
Finding a fragrance that can be a daily signature scent isn’t easy. There has to be some sort of versatility to it that makes it both stand out yet be light enough to not overpower the workplace. Marc Jacobs Perfect strikes the perfect balance of being clean, playful, and airy. It is undoubtedly a structure that is reminiscent of light spring days.
While it’s hard to pay Marc Jacobs’ prices when you know you are going to run out quickly, you don’t have to settle for splurging to keep your signature scent. They might not have the cool bottle design or brand name to show it, but these five fragrances will hold up both as the perfect playful scent, while also being endlessly affordable to keep wearing day in and day out.