The Scent File Method
How we score fragrance dupes — and why you can trust it.
What we score
Every fragrance dupe in our database carries two scores from 1–10. We never average them into one number, because doing so would hide the trade-off that matters most.
Accuracy— how closely the dupe matches the original's scent profile, top to base.
Longevity— how long the dupe lasts on skin in normal wear.
A 9/10 accuracy dupe that lasts two hours is a completely different proposition from a 7/10 dupe that lasts all day. We show you both, so you can decide which trade-off you're willing to make.
Where the scores come from
Scores are aggregated from three sources of community consensus:
- Reddit— r/fragrance and r/fragranceclones blind test threads and dupe roundups.
- Fragrantica— review aggregates and clone discussions on the original's page.
- Blind test communities — independent reviewers who test dupes blind against the original.
We weight recent threads more heavily than older ones and discount outliers. Reviews posted by the dupe's seller or any party with a financial stake are excluded.
Score confidence
Not every dupe in the database has the same depth of evidence behind its score. We tier each one honestly so you can weight what you're reading.
40% of the 976dupes we track currently carry community-derived scores. We're backfilling the rest by reading more threads. The Method page will update as that number climbs.
How we stay independent
The Scent File earns affiliate commissions when you buy through our links to retailers. That is how the site is funded.
The commission rate has no effect on rankings. Scores are set before any affiliate link is added. We do not rank dupes by payout, and we do not accept payment for inclusion or position.
If a dupe with a higher commission rate scores 6/10 and a dupe with no affiliate program at all scores 9/10, the 9/10 ranks first. The score is the score.
What we don't do
No brand deals. No sponsored placements. No paid rankings. No single composite score that hides the accuracy-vs-longevity trade-off. No reviews from sellers.