How we score

A clone is paired with an original only when at least two independent sources say it imitates that perfume: for example the clone house's own description, specialist retailers, published reviews or long-running community comparisons. We record those sources for our own checks. One mention is not enough, and a clone that buyers compare with several originals is paired with the one most sources agree on.

We list a clone even when it is not a close match, if it is widely sold as an alternative: the score tells you how close it really is.

The similarity score, from 0 to 100, is our editorial estimate of how close the clone smells to the original over a full wear: the opening, the heart and the drydown, not just the first spray. It is our own judgement, informed by the sources above, and never a number copied from another site. As a guide:

• 90 and above: hard to tell apart in normal wear; differences show side by side.
• 80 to 89: very close in character, with a clear difference in one phase or in strength.
• 70 to 79: the same idea and the same family, with differences most people notice.
• Below 70: inspired by the original rather than a close match.

Each pairing also carries a short note on how the clone differs, and the clone we would buy for an original is marked Our pick. Our pick weighs similarity, price and performance together, so it is not always the highest score.

Notes, the year, the perfumer and the concentration come from each house's own listings and major retailers, cross-checked where they disagree. Accords, longevity, sillage, the best seasons and times of day, and our rating are editorial estimates on fixed scales, set in the same way for every perfume so they can be compared across the register.

Prices are typical retail prices for the bottle size shown, in US dollars, at the time we last checked. The saving is the difference between the typical price of the original and the clone. Prices change often and vary by country and retailer, so treat them as a guide and check the retailer before you buy.

No house, retailer or advertiser can pay for a pairing, a score, a rating or a place in a list. Shop links that may earn a commission are chosen after the score is set, and they never change it. See the affiliate and advertising disclosure.

If a score, note or price looks wrong, tell us on the contact page with a link to the perfume and, ideally, a source. We review every report, update the register when the evidence supports it, and the change shows on every page that uses that pairing.