There is no denying we all love a good beauty dupe. There is a certain kind of satisfaction that is felt when you discover a little known beauty buy that rivals its high-end counterpart – all for a fraction of the price. Aldi has earned a reputation for dominating the dupe arena in recent years, its broad Lacura range offers everything from a dupe for Sol De Janeiro’s iconic Brazilian Bum Bum Cream to a £5 dupe for Paco Rabanne’s Olympéa Eau de Parfum, which has taken #perfumetok by storm. Likewise Zara's perfume dupes never cease to amaze us, but there is another high street hero offering up under-the-radar fragrance dupes that deserves your attention, too.
Swedish native brand & Other Stories applies its same off-duty, cool-girl minimalist style to its beauty offerings. The H&M sister brand is somewhat a treasure trove for high quality beauty discoveries minus the hefty price tag and has been known to have made body mists cool again, and even made the rounds on TikTok after launching a Baccarat Rouge dupe. And the brand is back again, this time with a dupe for a niche cult classic fragrance.
& Other Stories Moon Fiction Eau de Toilette, £29, has been dubbed a dupe for Byredo's widely loved Gypsy Water, £200. While the latter is a coveted classic adored by those in the know, including beauty editors and celebrities alike (Rosie Huntington-Whiteley declared it her all time ultimate fragrance), & Other Stories' comparable version is a spellbinding equivalent for those looking for a woody, aromatic scent that captures a sense of mystery.
Moon Fiction offers the same citric top notes, with bergamot and lime soon giving way to a warm base of ambroxan and sandlewood. It bears all the same fresh, earthy and subtly decadent hallmarks of its niche designer twin and even its clean, minimalist bottle equipped with rounded black cap will have you mistaken. Not bad for a feel-good scent under £30. We’re not going to pretend it’s a dead ringer for the cult classic original – stalwart fans of Byredo’s Gypsy Water certainly won’t be swayed – but if you’re after a cheaper scent fix and merely a flavour of the stuff, this could be worth a punt.
Shop: & Other Stories Moon Fiction Eau de Toilette
www.stories.com
If you're on the hunt for a fresh, woody scent with musky undertones, this designer niche dupe may be it.
www.cultbeauty.co.uk
This well-loved classic is a favourite among beauty editors and celebrities a like. A mix of earthy, woody notes and warm undertones makes it s fool-proof choice.