So after five long years I’ve finally completed my Journalism degree. Hip hip hooray!! After producing Brink Magazine I was commissioned to write a few articles for The Anglo Celt, but for the moment I am free and now and the lack of assignment deadlines has given me the urge to Stumbleupon and Pinterest to my heart’s content. Last week I discovered this website called Saphir Parfums (www.saphirperfume.com) This company are dedicated to creating copycat or “dupe” perfumes, for a fraction of the price of brand name fragrances. A 25ml bottle costs €8.99 and a 200ml bottle costs €24.99. They claim to be scientifically similar in the composition of over 70 popular fragrances but would they smell the same?? I just had to find out, so I scent (see what I did there) off for some samples.
First off here is a list of their fragrances and their popular counterparts.
1. Eau De Saphir Eau De Rochas (Rochas)
2. New Romantica Anais Anais (Cacharel)
3. Rubi Aire De Loewe (Loewe)
4. Folie Opium (YSL)
5. Noches De Paris Paris (YSL)
6. Lady Godiva O De Lancome (Lancome)
7. Saphir 27 Carolina Herrera
8. Saphir 29 Chanel No 5 (Chanel)
9. Saphir 40 Tresor (Lancôme)
10. Select One The One (Dolce & Gabbana)
11. Agua De Mayo CK-One (Calvin Klein)
12 .Saphir 21 212 (Caroline Herrera)
13. Saphir Woman Hugo Woman (Hugo Boss)
14. Saphir Elle Emporio Elle (Giorgio Armani)
15. Nuovo Saphir NOA (Cacharel)
16. Elegance J’Adore (Christian Dior)
17. BLonda Allure (Chanel)
18. Brotes Woman Classique (Jean Paul Gaultier)
19. Vedette Agua Fresca (Alfaroma)
20. Ancora Angel (Thierry Mugler)
21. Acqua Donna Acqua Di Gio (Giorgio Armani)
22. Select Woman Dolce & Gabbana
23. Luxury Miracle (Lancome)
24. Happy Halloween (J. Del Pazo)
25. Blue Woman Ultraviolet Woman (Paco Ra
26. Prestige Coco Mademoiselle (Chanel)
27. Apple Lolita Lempicka
28. Pink Flower Kenzo (Kenzo)
29. Saphir Donna Burberry Classica (Burberry)
30. SPH Woman DKNY
31. Black Femme Armani Code (Giorgio Armani)
32. Select Blue Light Blue (Dolce & Gabbana)
33. Due Amore Amor Amor (Cacharel)
34. Oceanyc Woman Ralph (Ralph Laureen)
35. Touche Touch of Pink (Lacoste)
36. New Mazurca Eternity (Calvin Klein)
37. Furor De Saphir Euphoria (Calvin Klein)
38. SPH Green Be Delicious (DKNY)
39. Guirnalda L’Eau D’ Issey (Issey Miyake)
40. Saphir 25 Nina (Nina Ricci)
41. Saphir 50 CH (Carolina Herrera)
42. Saphir For Her Narciso Rodriguez For Her
43. X-Woman Black XS (Paco Rabanne)
44. Toy De Saphir Tous
45. Rich Woman Lady Million (Paco Rabanne)
46. Siloe Chloe
47. Idile De Saphir Iris De Prada (Prada)
- Brisaroma Paco Rabanne
- Armonia Armani (Giorgio Armani)
- Marco Fahrenheit (Christian Dior)
- Agua De Mayo Esencia (Loewe)
- Boxes De Saphir Hugo (Hugo Boss)
- Brotes Man Le Male (Jean Paul Gaultier)
- Acqua Umo Acqua Di Gio (Giorgio Armani)
- Select Man Dolce & Gabbana
- Ved Man Agua Fresca (Alfaroma)
- Saphir 21 Man 212 Man (C. Herrera)
- Blue Man Ultraviolet Man (Paco Rabanne)
- Boxes Dynamic Boss (Hugo Boss)
- Absolute Rochas Man (Rochas)
- Boxes Moving Boss in Motion (Hugo Boss)
- Ancora Man A-Man (Thierry Mugler)
- Oceanyc Man Polo Blue (Ralph Lauren)
- Alone Solo (Loewe)
- Armonia Black Armani Code (Giorgio Armani)
- SP Man Allure Sport (Chanel)
- Guirnalda Man L’Eau D Issey (Issey Miyake)
- Select Blue Man Light Blue (Dolce & Gabbana)
- X-Man De Saphir Black XS (Paco Rabanne)
- Rich De Saphir 1 Million (Paco Rabanne)
- Saphir 50 Man CH Man (C. Herrera)
- Select One Man The One(Dolce & Gabbana)
- Life De Saphir Diesel
I decided on ten fragrances, six female scents and four male scents. Here’s my verdict.
Prestige Coco Mademoiselle (Chanel)
This is my mum’s favourite fragrance….when I walked into the house wearing Prestige she immediately asked me where I had found her secret stash of Coco Mademoiselle (CCM). It smells identical to CCM, sweet and flowery and it lasts for hours. For those who want the scent of Coco Mademoiselle without the hefty price tag I could not recommend Prestige enough.
Agua De Mayo CK-One (Calvin Klein)
CK-One used to be my fragrance of choice, an ex boyfriend had a bottle of it and I used to steal a spritz of it here and there. It’s such a classic unisex scent, citrusy but in my opinion borders on the manly side. Agua De Mayo recreates this balance perfectly and the fragrance lingers long after it has been applied.
Select One The One (Dolce & Gabbana)
A dear friend of mine used to cloak herself in this perfume, I can vividly remember sitting beside her in secondary school and being overpowered by the smell. Select One has the exact same spicy scent as D&G’s The One, however after been worn for a couple of hours it fades to a less intrusive musky scent, which is much more palatable in my opinion. I will definitely be recommending Select One to my friend- for my sake!!
Elegance J’Adore (Christian Dior)
I love everything about this fragrance. It’s so glamorous and opulent; it’s sweet but not sickeningly so. It lasts for hours and then fades to a delicate musky scent which smells. I can find no difference between Elegance and J’adore except the colossal price difference. I will definitely be ordering a large bottle of Elegance from Saphir.
SPH Green Be Delicious (DKNY)
I love the freshness of SPH Green. The scents of apples, sandalwood and rose really come through in this fragrance. It is a perfume I would wear on a daily basis as it’s so subtle yet fresh and clean. I need to order a large bottle of SPH Green as soon as possible!
Saphir 29 Chanel No 5 (Chanel)
I can understand why Ms Monroe wore this and only this in bed- it’s so strong it will stay on the sheets for weeks! Of course Chanel No 5 is a classic and Saphir 29 has recreated the scent impeccably- no easy feat as there are so many different notes in Chanel No 5. When first applied it emits a strong musky odour which leads to a sweet powdery scent after a couple of hours wear. Saphir 29 is a must buy for fans of Chanel No 5.
Rich De Saphir 1 Million (Paco Rabanne)
My boyfriend has not stopped wearing Rich De Saphir since it arrived in the post. It is a woody fragrance of sandalwood with hints of lemon and mint. It’s the perfect blend of musky and sweet and lasts for hours. Even after a long day of work he comes home and the scent still lingers. I will definitely be purchasing a large bottle of Rich De Saphir for Christmas!!
Brotes Man Le Male (Jean Paul Gaultier)
This is my personal favourite. I’ve always loved the look of the John Paul Gaultier sailor bottle, but have never been a fan of the price! Brotes Man smells of lavender, mint, cinnamon and vanilla and these all combine to create a sensual and irresistible scent. Cannot recommend Brotes Man highly enough!!
Boxes De Saphir Hugo (Hugo Boss)
This is the fragrance that I am most familiar with. My dad has worn it for years. Boxes De Saphir have nailed the scent! In fact I replaced dad’s bottle of Hugo Boss with Boxes De Saphir and he couldn’t tell the difference! It has the same warm woody fragrance and lasts for hours. That’s Dad’s Christmas present sorted!
Armonia Black Armani Code (Giorgio Armani)
Armonia Black captures the oriental spicy hints of Armani Code. It’s quite a heavy scent so is more suited to night time wear. It is almost overpoweringly strong when first applied but fades to a pleasant musk after an hour or so. Fans of Armani Code will love Armonia Black.
So overall I think that Saphir have done an amazing job with their fragrance range, It’s perfect for those who want to smell luxurious at a fraction of the price, believe me the only difference is the packaging! Try it out for yourself!