The index
About The D.I.
The D.I. is a search engine for people who already know what they smell like — and would rather not pay couture prices for a similar scent profile. We list the designer original, the bottles inspired by it from houses around the world, editorial notes, and a shop hop to that house. You see the shops in your own country first; overseas shops that ship to you have their own page, with postage.
What a “dupe” is here
A dupe on this site is a fragrance sold under its own brand — Fragrance Theory, Dupes & Co, Palermo, Jalù, Àerre, The Sweetest Lie, Scentstop and the rest of the Australian bench — compounded to sit near a famous profile. Designer names appear so you can tell which original the bottle is being compared with.
How we score
- Match % (desk estimate) — our editorial estimate of how close the listed notes and dry-down sit to the original, weighted toward heart and base. It is a judgement, not a lab test, and no alternative is identical to the original.
- Desk score (out of 5) — this desk's own estimate from the notes, wear and projection on file, shown as stars. It is not a customer review and not a verified purchase. On the desk's perfume pages the highest desk score is listed first.
- Shop reviews — in search, a bottle's stars with a review count are the house's own customer reviews for that bottle, read from its product page (we don't collect or edit them, and a house may moderate its own). Bottles with 5 or more reviews rank first by average, then those with fewer, then desk scores, then the rest.
- Value — match and savings versus the designer bottle per ml.
- Notes — an alternative's top, heart and base appear only when its house publishes them, linked to the house's own page. We never fill the gap with the original's notes or anyone else's.
- Bargains — an offer priced under the usual dupe street price, or a timed cut.
How we earn
The D.I. (The Dupe Index) is owned by Westbarn Pty Ltd. Some shop links are commission links: if you buy through one, The D.I. may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Inspirations are listed top-rated first — by the house's own customer reviews where its product page shows them, otherwise by our desk score; where ratings tie, houses we work with come first. As an Amazon Associate, The D.I. earns from qualifying purchases. Match bands are desk estimates, not lab tests. Designer bottle photos are retailers' product photos, shown for identification. The D.I. is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the designer houses it names; their trade marks are used only to describe what an independent fragrance was inspired by.
AIroma, our sister brand
AIroma (@airoma.scent) is an AI fragrance character that turns the index into short videos about notes, inspirations and price per ml. It has never worn or smelled a perfume and never claims to.
AIroma is an AI character. AIroma and The D.I. are both owned by Westbarn Pty Ltd. The D.I. earns a commission on some links.
How we earn from shop links, how we use designer names, and what a score means is on Legal.