Jean Paul Gaultier has one of the most recognizable fragrance lines in existence. The torso-shaped bottles are iconic, and the fragrances inside them — Ultra Male, Le Male Elixir, Scandal — are among the most worn in the world. Those bottles are also why clones of them look nothing alike: the shape is protected even though the smell is not.
JPG fragrances aren't the most expensive designers, but buying multiple flankers adds up fast. Here's how to get the JPG experience for less.
Ultra Male Dupes
JPG Ultra Male ($90) is sweet, bold, and unapologetically gourmand. Pear, lavender, mint, and vanilla create a sweet-aromatic profile that has been a night-out staple since 2015. It's loud, it's sweet, and it gets compliments.
Best Pick: Afnan 9PM (~$18)
Afnan 9PM is widely considered the definitive Ultra Male clone. The sweet lavender-vanilla opening is close. The pear adds a similar fruity sweetness. Where 9PM differs is in the dry down — it's slightly more linear and less complex than Ultra Male's development.
But here's the thing: 9PM might actually be the more wearable version. Ultra Male can be aggressively sweet. 9PM keeps the sweetness at a slightly more manageable level while maintaining the same addictive quality.
Performance is excellent — 8-10 hours with room-filling projection. At $18, it's one of the best value fragrances in the entire budget market.
Runner-up: Lattafa Ramz Silver (~$12)
Lattafa Ramz Silver captures the sweet, aromatic Ultra Male DNA at an even lower price. Less refined than 9PM but still recognizably in the same family. Good for anyone on the tightest budget.
Runner-up: Maison Alhambra Glacier Ultra (~$18)
Maison Alhambra Glacier Ultra targets Ultra Male directly. The sweet lavender and vanilla are present. Slightly cooler and less gourmand than 9PM, which some people prefer.
Le Male Elixir Dupes
JPG Le Male Elixir ($110) is the most concentrated Le Male flanker — lavender, vanilla, honey, tonka, and tobacco. It's sweeter and richer than Ultra Male, with a boozy, almost gourmand quality. Performance is nuclear — a true beast mode fragrance.
Best Pick: Armaf Club de Nuit Lionheart Man (~$25)
Armaf Club de Nuit Lionheart Man targets the Le Male Elixir DNA. Mint, lavender, vanilla, honey, tobacco — the note breakdown reads almost identically. The sweetness level is comparable, and the tobacco in the base adds the same smoky warmth.
Lionheart Man has quickly earned a reputation as one of Armaf's best releases. Performance rivals the original — 10+ hours with heavy projection. At $25 vs $110, the value is obvious.
Runner-up: Lattafa Habik For Men (~$15)
Lattafa Habik For Men targets Le Male Essence de Parfum — the discontinued leather-spice version. The cardamom-pepper-lavender-leather combination is present. If you miss Essence de Parfum and can't find bottles anymore, Habik is your best bet.
Scandal Dupes
JPG Scandal (women's) ($85) is blood orange and mandarin into honey, gardenia and orange blossom, over beeswax, caramel and patchouli. That beeswax is what makes it read sticky rather than merely sweet. Long lasting with strong projection — a night-out scent, and not a subtle one.
Best Pick: Maison Alhambra Candid (~$18)
Maison Alhambra Candid captures the sweet honey-caramel-floral profile. The orange blossom is present and the overall sweetness matches. A solid clone at a good price.
For Scandal by Night, try Maison Alhambra So Candid. And for Scandal Pour Homme, So Candid Pour Homme is the match.
La Belle Dupes
JPG La Belle ($90) is the feminine counterpart to Le Male — pear and bergamot up top, a floral-leather middle, then vanilla, vetiver and amber. The leather note is what keeps it from being another sweet pear scent. Long lasting with strong projection.
Best Pick: Maison Alhambra Glacier Bella (~$18)
Maison Alhambra Glacier Bella captures the sweet pear-vanilla combination. Less green than the original but the gourmand sweetness is right. A pleasant, easy-to-wear feminine fragrance.
Complete JPG Dupe Map
| JPG Original | Price | Best Dupe | Dupe Price | Accuracy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ultra Male | $90 | Afnan 9PM | ~$18 | 85% |
| Le Male Elixir | $110 | Armaf Lionheart Man | ~$25 | 80% |
| Le Male Essence | Disc. | Lattafa Habik For Men | ~$15 | 75% |
| Scandal (women) | $85 | MA Candid | ~$18 | 80% |
| Scandal by Night | $90 | MA So Candid | ~$18 | 75% |
| Scandal Pour Homme | $85 | MA So Candid Pour Homme | ~$18 | 75% |
| La Belle | $90 | MA Glacier Bella | ~$18 | 75% |
The 9PM Effect
Afnan 9PM deserves special mention. Like Lattafa Khamrah for Angels' Share or CDNIM for Aventus, 9PM has transcended its "clone" status to become a respected fragrance in its own right. Fragrance communities discuss it alongside the original rather than beneath it.
At $18, it's one of those fragrances everyone should try at least once, regardless of whether you own Ultra Male or not. The sweet lavender-vanilla combination is one of the most universally appealing scent profiles in men's fragrance.
Which JPG Dupe Should You Start With?
It depends on your vibe:
- Club/party: Afnan 9PM (Ultra Male clone) — sweet, loud, compliment magnet
- Date night: Armaf Lionheart Man (Le Male Elixir clone) — richer, more sophisticated
- Going out (women): MA Candid (Scandal clone) — sexy, sweet, attention-grabbing
All three for under $60 total. The original JPG versions would run you $285. That's over 80% savings for fragrances that are genuinely close to the originals and, in the case of 9PM, arguably better suited for heavy rotation.
