Perfumes are going beyond the traditional boundaries. As of 2025, the creation of new scents has become a trend and could possibly be the best option against luxurious brands. There’s been an increase in sustainability, personalization, and creative formulas for the alternative scents, which is becoming more popular and brings money to the table. The market of alternative perfumes has a range of scents that suits everyone’s preference.
Slingo has listed their best next perfume dupes, but consider taking a look at ours.
1. Sustainable and Clean Perfumes
More and more people are now aware about the environment and sustainability. That means many clients are looking for more eco-friendly perfumes that focus on using natural ingredients, avoiding harmful chemicals, and incorporating morally good practices. Perfumes like “clean perfumes” tend to be free from artificial scents, phthalates, and parabens, which makes them eco-friendly.
The Herbivore Botanicals is one of the brands that has gained attention as a clean perfume; it’s also skin-friendly and has recyclable packaging. It’s made from plant-based scents and uses natural oils and essential botanicals that give a fresh and organic scent. Their Phoenix and Solaris collection is created using those elements.
2. Personalized Perfumes
A lot of brands are providing specific scents that are based on individual preferences, making the person’s experience of choosing a scent more personal and different in 2025.
Powered by technology, Pura is a fragrance company that can create personalized scents through its smart diffuser. Users will use an app to sync with; from there, they can choose their desired scent, adjust the intensity levels, and even create personal scent profiles. Their company allows their users to experiment with different mixtures of notes to find their ideal scent.
Scentcraft is another brand that allows customers to create their own scent by choosing from various ingredients. They have to answer a scent profile quiz, and once that’s done, they receive a scent that matches their type and personality.
3. Clean and Vegan Perfumes
These are perfumes that don’t have animal ingredients and don’t focus on testing their products on animals. These are sometimes made with plant-based ingredients and are cruelty-free, yet they produce a scent that smells expensive.
Recently, Phlur became one of the top vegan and cruelty-free perfume brands. Their perfumes, like Sintra and Missing Person, were created without any form of animal testing, artificial colors, or parabens. They are committed to being feasible and being honest gained them loyal customers who look for alternative perfumes.
Clean Reserve is another popular brand that creates responsibly sourced ingredient perfumes. Their Warm Cotton and Sel Santal perfume have no artificial ingredients, and the packaging is made from recycled materials.
4. Synthetic and Lab-Made Perfumes
These perfumes are made by a futuristic approach, which pushes the boundaries of how perfumes were originally made. They are created using engineered molecules, and modern chemistry creates a result of a creative smell that might not be achieved through natural ingredients alone.
The brand Ex Nihilo is a high-end perfume that works with creating unique scents with the use of synthetic ingredients and molecular design. Their Amber Sky and Fleur Narcotique perfumes are examples of ingredients created in a lab. Their perfumes are known for having that complicated but elegant scent, which is a great choice for people who like to experiment with futuristic scents.
5. Unisex Fragrances
As the world is becoming more aware of gender inclusivity, unisex perfumes have also been in demand. Their scent allows anyone to use them since they aren’t specifically categorized as “masculine” or “feminine” perfumes.
One of the brands that has started the gender-neutral scents, along with having minimalistic packaging and creative scents, is Byredo. An example of their gender-neutral scents is their Bal d’Afrique and Gypsy Water perfumes. Their scents are subtle, have sophisticated notes, and are universally appealing. Thanks to their unisex perfumes, this allows people to love their own preferences despite societal expectations.
6. Niche Perfume Houses
Indie brands are becoming more popular because they create limited-edition collections that focus on artistry, rare ingredients, and individual scents. They’re also an alternative option for customers who want to find their preferred scent.
Diptyque is a favorite indie brand that captures perfume enthusiasts because of its artistic scent, while Amouage is known for its high-end, exotic scents, bold and complicated mixtures.
Philosykos and Baies perfumes from Diptyque are some examples of their complex and high-quality products. They can mix natural and artificial elements and create complicated scents that can stand out from commercialized perfumes.
Amouage’s perfumes, like Interlude Black Iris and Reflection Man, are powerful scents that go beyond the common scents.
In 2025, there are going to be more alternative perfumes or dupes that fit every individual’s preferences. These dupes will not only be unique and diverse in terms of scent profiles; they will also contribute to a more sustainable, ethical, and personalized approach to scents.