Louis Vuitton
14 fragrances are widely sold as cheaper versions of this. Ranked strongest match first.
Fresh citrus and cedar with a metallic ambroxan edge — clean and modern
Main accords: floral, oud, rose, citrus, amber, woody. EDP
Widely agreedJean Lowe
Fantasme
The closest of the field in a blind strip test run past four people by an owner of the original and nine clones. It leans a little harder on the tea note than the original does; beyond that, testers struggle to separate them at all.
Widely agreedBujairami
Hectic
About 95 percent there, and the closest of the group in a blind test against the original. A second reviewer who owns the original and seven clones rates it an equal tie for best, with the only difference being that it leans a shade soapier than the original.
Widely agreedLattafa
Pride Art Of Arabia I
The opening is insanely close — people say it is hard to tell apart in the air. The tea note sits a little darker and denser, and the drydown drifts off and fades sooner than the real thing. Carry a decant rather than buying big.
Widely agreedArd Al Zaafaran
Saheb Intense
Ranked the best Imagination clone from opening to drydown, and cheap. Slightly brighter and sweeter than the original, by about 5%. It also holds the airy, light feel that the others lose.
Often citedAl Haramain
Amber Oud Aqua Dubai
Takes the soap note from Imagination and runs with it — the tea is gone and the soap is dialled way up. The loudest of the lot, a solid 12 hours, but the drydown goes its own way.
Often citedRasasi
Hawas Kobra
Rated 99% by some and sold on by others who found it off. Performance is the best of the group.
Often citedMontagne
Imaginary
Leans harder on the tea note than the original does. Close enough that in a blind six-way paper test the reviewer struggled to separate any of them from the original at all.
Often citedKhadlaj
Karus Blu Spice
It lasts longer and projects harder, but smells less exact.
Often citedArabiyat Prestige
Marwa
A real take on the original, and the one influencers pushed hardest — but how close it lands genuinely divides people who own both. One eight-way blind battle makes it a joint winner on closeness and quality; another owner of the original plus seven clones calls it an equal tie with the best, a shade soapier. Two others disagree flatly: one finds the ginger spicy and the performance poor, another says the citrus is louder than the original and the neroli is wrong.
Often citedBharara
Rome Imagine
Opens like the original with a very slight mintiness layered in, done well enough that it reads as an improvement rather than a flaw. Scored 9 out of 10 for similarity, and side by side with the best of the field nobody would separate them.
Sometimes citedFrench Avenue
Essence de Blanc
Catches the opening, then a strange herbal note takes over — it amps the tea the way Aqua Dubai amps the soap. Good if you want tea and soap, wrong if you want Imagination.
Sometimes citedGame of Spades
Full House
Divides the people who own the original. One calls it near identical on the opening, just less bright on the citruses; another, who blind-tested it against the original and eight other clones, says it gets the neroli wrong and puts its reputation down to hype.
Sometimes citedMykonos
Inception
Recommended warmly by some, and rated no better than middling by an owner of the original who blind-tested it against nine other clones alongside the real thing. It is in the DNA without being one of the closest readings of it.
Sometimes citedArmaf
Ventana Marine
Reads as the original crossed with Bleu de Chanel rather than a straight copy, and the build quality is the weak point. It also needs patience: about eight weeks of maturation before it comes good, and it is rough out of the box.
Ranking combines how widely wearers agree a fragrance is a dupe with how closely its notes and accords line up. “Strong match” means both signals agree; “loose match” means it is in the same family but noticeably different on skin. 8 of these link to a published source.
Jean Lowe Fantasme is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. The closest of the field in a blind strip test run past four people by an owner of the original and nine clones. It leans a little harder on the tea note than the original does; beyond that, testers struggle to separate them at all.
Bujairami Hectic is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. About 95 percent there, and the closest of the group in a blind test against the original. A second reviewer who owns the original and seven clones rates it an equal tie for best, with the only difference being that it leans a shade soapier than the original.
Lattafa Pride Art Of Arabia I is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. The opening is insanely close — people say it is hard to tell apart in the air. The tea note sits a little darker and denser, and the drydown drifts off and fades sooner than the real thing. Carry a decant rather than buying big.
Ard Al Zaafaran Saheb Intense is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. Ranked the best Imagination clone from opening to drydown, and cheap. Slightly brighter and sweeter than the original, by about 5%. It also holds the airy, light feel that the others lose.
Al Haramain Amber Oud Aqua Dubai is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. Takes the soap note from Imagination and runs with it — the tea is gone and the soap is dialled way up. The loudest of the lot, a solid 12 hours, but the drydown goes its own way.
Rasasi Hawas Kobra is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. Rated 99% by some and sold on by others who found it off. Performance is the best of the group.
Montagne Imaginary is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. Leans harder on the tea note than the original does. Close enough that in a blind six-way paper test the reviewer struggled to separate any of them from the original at all.
Khadlaj Karus Blu Spice is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. It lasts longer and projects harder, but smells less exact.
Arabiyat Prestige Marwa is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. A real take on the original, and the one influencers pushed hardest — but how close it lands genuinely divides people who own both. One eight-way blind battle makes it a joint winner on closeness and quality; another owner of the original plus seven clones calls it an equal tie with the best, a shade soapier. Two others disagree flatly: one finds the ginger spicy and the performance poor, another says the citrus is louder than the original and the neroli is wrong.
Bharara Rome Imagine is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. Opens like the original with a very slight mintiness layered in, done well enough that it reads as an improvement rather than a flaw. Scored 9 out of 10 for similarity, and side by side with the best of the field nobody would separate them.
French Avenue Essence de Blanc is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. Catches the opening, then a strange herbal note takes over — it amps the tea the way Aqua Dubai amps the soap. Good if you want tea and soap, wrong if you want Imagination.
Game of Spades Full House is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. Divides the people who own the original. One calls it near identical on the opening, just less bright on the citruses; another, who blind-tested it against the original and eight other clones, says it gets the neroli wrong and puts its reputation down to hype.
Mykonos Inception is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. Recommended warmly by some, and rated no better than middling by an owner of the original who blind-tested it against nine other clones alongside the real thing. It is in the DNA without being one of the closest readings of it.
Armaf Ventana Marine is widely sold as a dupe of Louis Vuitton Imagination. Reads as the original crossed with Bleu de Chanel rather than a straight copy, and the build quality is the weak point. It also needs patience: about eight weeks of maturation before it comes good, and it is rough out of the box.
Jean Lowe Fantasme is the closest we have on record. It is the one wearers name most consistently. The closest of the field in a blind strip test run past four people by an owner of the original and nine clones. It leans a little harder on the tea note than the original does; beyond that, testers struggle to separate them at all.
Yes — 14 of them, including Jean Lowe Fantasme, Bujairami Hectic, Lattafa Pride Art Of Arabia I. Each is listed above with what it gets right and where it falls short.
No. A dupe is built to the same idea, not the same formula, and cheaper materials usually show in the opening and in how long it lasts. That is why every entry here says how it differs instead of giving a percentage. Of Jean Lowe Fantasme, for instance: The closest of the field in a blind strip test run past four people by an owner of the original and nine clones. It leans a little harder on the tea note than the original does; beyond that, testers struggle to separate them at all.
Fresh citrus and cedar with a metallic ambroxan edge — clean and modern It opens on Tuscan Iris.
Imagination opens with a blast of Sicilian citrus that quickly meets a sharp, almost metallic ambroxan note. This is not a traditional citrus fragrance. The cedarwood and amber in the heart give it structure and warmth. There is a slight aquatic quality that keeps it feeling airy. The dry down is smooth with woody musks and a faint sweetness. This leans masculine and modern. It works equally well in a boardroom or on a weekend. One of the more versatile options from Louis Vuitton.