Bvlgari Tygar dupes

What is Tygar?

Tygar is a men's fragrance by Bvlgari. It came out in 2016, as part of the brand's Le Gemme collection of high-end scents.

Fragrantica credits it to Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, the same perfumer behind many Louis Vuitton scents.

Le Gemme bottles are named after gemstones, and each one looks like a cut stone. Tygar is named after tiger's eye, a striped brown and gold stone.

What does it smell like?

The note list is short. The top is grapefruit, and the middle is ginger and ambrette.

The base is ambroxan, musk, vetiver and patchouli.

Bvlgari itself sums it up as fresh grapefruit over deep ambergris. In plain words, it is a huge, juicy grapefruit over a clean, warm, slightly salty musk.

On Fragrantica, the most liked points from reviews are a "luxurious summer scent" and a "realistic, juicy" grapefruit opening.

It is less simple than it sounds

One Reddit owner tested Tygar side by side with eight similar scents, and wrote one of the most useful reviews of it.

They said "grapefruit over ambergris" is accurate but "massively undersells the complexity." They had read that Tygar is like a heavy Middle Eastern scent layered over a Western fresh scent, and found that this holds up.

The key is the ambrette. It is a seed with a soft, musky smell, and here it gives Tygar a skin-like warmth under the citrus.

That owner said the ambrette makes it feel like someone blended Le Labo Another 13 with a grapefruit.

What is ambroxan?

Ambroxan is the material in the base that gives Tygar its long, clean glow. It was first made to copy ambergris, a rare material that forms in sperm whales and washes up on beaches.

Real ambergris is very rare. Ambroxan gives a similar warm, salty, skin-like smell, and it lasts for hours.

It is in many modern fresh scents, from Dior Sauvage to Molecule 02. Some people smell it strongly, and some barely smell it at all.

The owner who tested nine Tygar-style scents said they do not register ambroxan strongly. So the drydown may feel stronger to you than it did to them.

How it changes on your skin

The opening. A massive, refreshing burst of pure grapefruit. It does not last long in this pure form.

The middle. Ginger adds a spicy sharpness, and the musky ambrette arrives. This is where Tygar projects most and where it really becomes itself.

The drydown. The ambrette fades into a softer musk over ambroxan. It stays clean and noticeable.

The same owner measured its performance at about seven hours, and called it excellent for this style.

Why grapefruit is hard to make last

Grapefruit is one of the freshest smells in perfume, but also one of the quickest to fade. Its bright top notes float off the skin fast.

To make a grapefruit scent last, perfumers anchor it to something heavier. In Tygar, that anchor is the ambrette, musk and ambroxan.

This is why the dupes differ so much. Each house picked a different anchor, so each one smells and lasts differently once the grapefruit fades.

Why people love it

It is a rare fresh scent that feels expensive. Reviewers often call it a luxury summer scent.

It is clean but not boring. The grapefruit is bright and real, and the musky middle gives it depth.

On Fragrantica it holds a very high rating, close to four and a half out of five. Love votes far outnumber everything else.

Why some people don't

Some find the ambrette and musk "muddy." Even the owner who tested all nine said the ambrette muddies the vibe for them, and they would prefer a straight fresh scent.

Others simply find it costly for a citrus. Tygar sits in Bvlgari's high-end line, so it is far more expensive than most fresh scents.

How long does it last?

Very well for a citrus. Most citrus scents fade within a couple of hours, but Tygar's musky base keeps it going for most of a day.

It is noticeable in the air during the first hours, then settles closer to the skin.

When to wear it

Tygar is made for warm weather. Summer and spring get by far the most votes on Fragrantica, and winter gets few.

It is mostly a daytime scent, but it works on summer evenings too. It suits the office, holidays and anywhere you want to smell clean and fresh.

The dupes

Tygar has many dupes and "inspired by" scents. The surprise is how different they all are from each other.

The owner who tested nine of them wrote: "There is no perfect dupe of Tygar." Then they explained which one to pick for what.

Here is what they and other owners found.

Closest overall: Lattafa Pride Al Qiam Silver

This is the closest copy. The owner who tested all nine said "the overall vibe tracks almost the whole way through."

It opens with the sweetest grapefruit of the group, then settles quickly. The ginger is the spiciest of all, so expect a ginger-forward scent.

The big difference is the ambrette. Al Qiam does not have it, and uses a heavier musk instead, which feels similar but smells different.

It lasts less, at around five hours. The tester joked that its bottle is "aggressively tacky" and best hidden.

Better than the original, for some: Montagne Tygr Cologne

This was the tester's top pick of all nine, scored even higher than Tygar itself.

They said it feels like it was made by someone who read Bvlgari's description but never smelled Tygar. It is a straight, clean grapefruit over ambroxan, with no ginger and a light cedar.

So it is not really a copy. It is a simpler, happier version of the idea, and it lasts six to seven hours.

The catch is that it often sells out.

Pure grapefruit: Maison Alhambra Sceptre Bronzite

Sceptre Bronzite is the most straightforward grapefruit of the group. The tester wrote in their notes: "Bronzite is GRAPEFRUIT."

It smells strongly of alcohol for the first five minutes, then clears. There is almost no ginger and little base.

It lasts only three to four hours. But if you just want a clean, happy grapefruit scent for less, it does that well.

Different takes: Rue Broca Théorème and Afnan Turathi Blue

These two smell close to each other, and both move away from Tygar in the same direction.

Neither opens with a clean grapefruit. They have a blurry, slightly candied fruit, then a woody, spiced drydown with something like clove.

The tester ranked Théorème above Turathi Blue, and called it great value if you want spice and wood. A popular reply in that thread agreed, but said fans of Turathi Blue often disagree.

Turathi Blue splits opinion the most. One online list rates it 95 percent the same as Tygar, while the nine-way tester ranked it last.

Pick either one as its own woody fresh scent, not as a Tygar copy.

Other names you will see

Sospiro Vibrato often comes up in Tygar talk. The tester called it a related scent with louder ginger and white flowers, not a clone.

Louis Vuitton L'Immensité and Goldfield and Banks Ingenious Ginger also get mentioned. Both are different perfumes in a similar mood.

Alexandria Fragrances Black Panther is named by some as their favourite Tygar clone. We have not seen a full side-by-side yet, so we do not list it.

Tygar vs Sospiro Vibrato

These two are compared all the time, so it helps to know the difference.

Vibrato also opens with a big grapefruit. But it adds white flowers right away, and its ginger is louder and spicier.

The nine-way tester called Vibrato a "compliment magnet" with massive projection. They also said that on some days it smelled like lemon furniture polish to them.

Tygar is cleaner and more musky, while Vibrato is louder and more floral.

Both are loved, and the tester scored them almost the same.

Which should you buy?

Buy the original if you love the musky ambrette middle and want the most complex version.

Buy Al Qiam Silver if you want the closest copy for much less, and do not mind respraying.

Buy Tygr Cologne if you want a cleaner, simpler grapefruit that some prefer to the original.

Buy Sceptre Bronzite if you just want a bright grapefruit for hot days.

Skip the list if you dislike strong citrus or musky skin scents.

Is it worth it?

If you wear fresh scents most of the year, many owners would say yes. Few citrus scents feel this rich or last this long.

If you only want a simple grapefruit for hot days, a dupe may be enough. Sceptre Bronzite or Tygr Cologne give you most of the joy for far less.

And if you are unsure, start with a small sample. Tygar's musky middle is the part people either love or find muddy.

Tips for wearing it

Spray it on skin, not clothes. The ambrette and musk need warm skin to show.

Respray the clones in the afternoon. Most of them last less than the original.

Try it in heat before you buy. Tygar shines when it is warm, and can feel thin on a cold day.

Newer versions

Bvlgari has since released other versions, including an art collaboration edition and a stronger Extrait. This page and its dupes cover the original 2016 Tygar.

The bottom line

Bvlgari Tygar is a bright, juicy grapefruit over a clean, musky base. It is one of the most loved luxury fresh scents for summer.

No dupe copies it perfectly. Al Qiam Silver is the closest, and Montagne Tygr Cologne is the one some people like even more.