Everyone loves a designer bottle of perfume, but no-one really likes the designer price-tag that comes with your favourite scent.
That's why it has become quite common these days to look for some of the best designer dupes on the high-street that give the same results without breaking the bank.
Quite a few budget retailers are now offering their very own bargain answers to some of the most beloved perfume brands of all time, including Chanel and Jo Malone.
One perfume that has caught significant attention from beauty enthusiasts has been Home Bargains very own 99p Exotique fragrance from their Madonna range.
The perfume went viral on social media recently, with shoppers on TikTok claiming that it smells exactly the same as the iconic Mugler perfume, Alien.
Personally, I'm a huge fan of beloved Thiery Mugler scent and it's usually one of my go-to scents for whenever I am about to head out the door, even if I'm just going to the supermarket.
That being said, at a retail price of around £57.63, I will happily test out a budget priced dupe that is meant to smell exactly the same as the iconic scent.
Which is exactly what I did, as I headed to my local Home Bargains to try out their Madonna Exotique fragrance to compare it with my favourite purple fragrance.
Since I had a bottle of Alien kicking around in my house I thought that there wasn't much to lose by picking up the budget version and, quite frankly, more perfume is always a good thing in my home.
After seeing all the reviews online, I was quite excited to see if Home Bargains budget dupe was really worth all the hype.
The packaging
Let's start with the packaging first, because quite a few fans on TikTok were claiming it was not only the scent that was familiar, but also the packaging and the bottle.
Looking at the two packages and bottles, I can't really disagree with that last part and the similarities were the first thing that really stuck out to me, as they were quite noticeable.
The packaging the bottle comes in is eerily similar and, like a few shoppers on TikTok, I was wondering how they managed to get away with how eerily similar the two packages are.
From it's white and gold background to its fancy writing logo font, Home Bargains gives a good go at making their own budget dupe look like a much pricier version.
As for the bottle itself, Mugler's iconic deep purple talisman style shape was not to be seen on Home Bargains dupe fragrance, but maybe that would have been pushing the similarities a bit too much.
The fragrance
I'll start this off by being honest - I struggled to find the similarities between the two fragrances.
To be absolutely fair, I didn't go into this expecting to be blown away by how amazing the Home Bargains version was, because at 99p you can't really expect designer results, can you?
That being said, as fair as I tried to be, the Exotique fragrance doesn't quite compare to the iconic Thierry Mugler version and neither does it pack quite the same punch.
The Mugler fragrance is a rich and powerful floral-woody fragrance that is, to me anyways, instantly recognisable on whoever has decided to wear it.
The Madonna Exotique fragrance was overall a bit lighter with a less distinctive scent and the actual fragrance itself didn't last very long.
The fragrance itself did have hints of floral tones to it, but it was missing that extra woodsy and amber notes that just manages to elevate the iconic designer version.
I tested a few sprays on my wrists and I found that, while it initially smells nice, it disappears rather quickly and I'd probably find myself 'refreshing' the fragrance throughout the day.
For me, perfume isn't supposed to fade very quickly and a good fragrance should still linger to your skin and/or clothes.
That being said, if this fragrance was not being compared to Mugler's Alien, then I'd be inclined to say that it's an alright perfume for just 99p.
At such a bargain price you are pretty much getting what you pay for, but it still got a nice light scent that may be better for those who prefer there perfumes to not be overpowering.
The verdict
Do I think that the Home Bargains Exotique fragrance is a designer dupe for Thierry Mugler's Alien?
Personally, no I don't.
I'll be fair to the budget retailer's fragrance, because Alien is such an iconic scent to pretty much everyone these days that it is hard to compete against.
I realise that at 99p, I couldn't really expect it to be exactly the same as the designer but I did expect to see some similarities following the reviews online.
Aside from the packaging, I wasn't greeted with the same seductive and powerful floral fragrance that I have come to know and associate with Alien.
Overall, I didn't dislike the Madonna Exotique fragrance and I think that you get exactly what you pay for in the end.
If you're looking for a designer perfume dupe, this isn't it.
But, as I realise that fragrance is all about personal preferences, then the Madonna Exotique is perfect for anyone looking for a light floral fragrance - just be prepared to have to use a few more sprays than you would usually use.
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