MarkusBoggy

First encounter: A friend sends me some perfume samples that I test without looking at the scents. One of them is barely bearable; it smells incredibly chemical, artificial, and sickly sweet... I actually have to wash it off my forearm. It is "Sunrise on the Red Sand Dunes | Zara"

A few weeks later, I get to smell Imagination for the first time and I am absolutely thrilled by this complex, spicy freshness. "This scent is supposed to be the original to Sunrise...? They have nothing in common!" I think to myself and pull out the sample of Sunrise again. I spray the last few drops from the atomizer onto my forearm: "Strange! I actually don't find the scent bad at all."

A few months later, I order another 5ml of Sunrise and suddenly I am enthusiastic about this scent. About this unique, spicy freshness that I don't perceive as sweet or chemical at all...

It is my best friend's wedding. A beautiful day in June. I have known for weeks what I will wear: a light gray suit, white shirt, white sneakers, and the special detail: a dusty pink bow tie and suspenders. And Elysium!

Some time ago, I got a 5ml sample of this fragrance and was thrilled. So fresh and so multifaceted! Light yet serious. Elegant yet casual. The best blue fragrance I know!

So, at 11 o'clock, I apply a few sprays, wisely pack the travel atomizer, and leave the house. I smell wonderful, but unfortunately, the performance of this fragrance is so poor that I have to reapply throughout the wedding (about every 3 hours). We celebrate into the night, and by around 2 o'clock, my travel atomizer is empty...

Of course, one cannot expect 14 hours of performance from a fresh fragrance, but the fact that I really need 5ml to maintain a modern projection did surprise me negatively. Especially considering that this perfume costs 15€ for just 5ml.

PS: At the wedding with around 100 guests, I received exactly 1 compliment.

I am new to the perfume game and was actually just looking for a new scent for summer... So, I received some samples from my perfume-savvy buddy Luke, including Allure Homme Edition Blanche. I immediately fell in love with this citrusy, creamy, fresh scent and wished to smell like that all summer long. Unfortunately, the longevity deeply disappointed me :(

Then, I stumbled upon Dua in this forum and sought out this dupe. In a direct comparison on the skin (one spray each), I must admit that the original seems a bit more refined at first. With Dua, the lemon is almost too intense. After an hour, the scents are nearly identical. After two hours, things look different: Dua has transformed into my dearly beloved fresh lemon cake, while the magic of Chanel has almost completely faded and is only perceptible up close. After four to six hours, Chanel is already a thing of the past, and Dua is still holding strong!

Of course, you can get a bit more out of it with several sprays on clothing. Nevertheless, the performance of the dupe simply puts the original in the shade.

Conclusion: If you don't care about the brand and simply compare quality and performance blindly, Dua is way ahead!