Fake Fragrance Showdown: Designer Imposters vs Instyle Fragrances

May 29, 2008

Fragrance knockoffs have been around since the '80s, when Designer Imposters released Primo, a knockoff of Giorgio Beverly Hills. Now there's competition in the form of Instyle fragrances — no relation to In Style. Both promise to deliver more eau for your dough, but which one comes out on top?

	Designer Imposters	Instyle	Advantage
Packaging	A brash melee of clashing colors adorns each box of perfume.	Minimalist; a typographer's nightmare of competing font weights and serifs.	Designer Imposters. At least they put a little effort into it.
Sales pitch	If you like [Actual Perfume], you'll love our knockoff!	An impression of [Actual Perfume]	Instyle. The writing makes it sound more artistic.
Best perfume name	With Exposé, Babe, and Yeah Baby, DI allows you to recall a '90s girl band, a movie about a pig, and Austin Powers.	Nothing! No names for these "impressions." Lame.	Designer Imposters, obviously.
Price	$9.49/ounce	$11.99/3.4 ounces	Instyle
But how do they smell?	Close, but no cigar. The scent is unmistakably cheaper than the original.	Pretty much the same, although the knockoff of SJP's Lovely was somewhat convincing.	Instyle

Perfume

39 Comments

2 years 26 weeks

I love scent, whether perfume, candles or roomspray, but I don't have much money, so when I saw the InStyle impressions at Walgreens, of COURSE I had to spritz some - and I have eventually smelled most of the women's ones. I have also purchased quite a few of them. I know they can't possibly smell just like the originals, but I do like a few of them. Truthfully, I can't compare them to the originals because I've never smelled the originals of most of them. My taste runs to the oriental spicy and somewhat sweet scents. My favorites are the InStyle impressions of Opium, the Cashmere Mist, and The One. I like all three of those well enough that I'm not even concerned about testing the originals. I've seen the prices on them and know I couldn't afford them anyway. I also like Juicy Couture (not so much the Couture Couture, though). On the other hand, there is something just bad in the CK scents. There are so many notes I love in them that I keep going back for a spritz. I want to like them, but sad to say both Eternity and Euphoria smell the best after you've washed them off and there's only a basenote scent left on the skin. Something in the top and middle of both of those is just irritating to both me and my sinuses. I don't know if that's true of the originals - haven't smelled them except for a magazine sample of Euphoria, which I loved. I also have tried the InStyle Sensuous and there is something attractive about it but a certain note that's pervasive and irritating also. However, in the case of Sensuous, I have a sample of the Estee Lauder real deal, and it also has something that's overbearingly irritating about it, so maybe that one's just not for me. I wouldn't expect an inexpensive "impression" scent to ever actually take the place of an original perfume, but some of them do really smell good as fragrances on their own, not just as copies. If it smells good to you, wear it. And if it costs $12.95 instead of $88, Yippee!!! :)

2 years 38 weeks

I bought for myself the the Instyle version of Light Blue trying to save a few dollars but then got the real deal as a gift. I compared them on me side by side and can't tell the difference at all. And the knock off lasts just as long. I have enough to last me for a while now but when I eventually run out I'll be going back to buy the knock off. And I've received nothing but compliments from people when wearing the knock off. I've worn a few bad knock offs too, believe me. Some of it really is absolute crap.

3 years 6 weeks

i got a ralph lauren cool version from jean phillippe, another knock-off brand. i gotta say that for some reason, it smells really bad now. possibly because i took it out of the box, and some light got in. or maybe the alcohol evaporated. I've noticed that the top note (first smelled) is very nice (alcohol), the heart note (middle smell, like a minute in) is horrible, his cross between synthetic musk and science lab - actually reminds me of benzene and its derivatives, which are carcinogenic. The base note, which shows up like an hour in, is good too though. i just can't stand it for that hour. But yeah, the top notes are heavenly, and the base notes are floral enough, even if they do not have any sort of nuance. but the middle.... yuck.

3 years 26 weeks

Lord knows I've tried to like the knock off fragrances, but they NEVER smell like the real thing to me. I have yet to find a cheap copy of Light Blue that smells exact! Even if they please my nose at first, when I actually sniff the imposter vs. the real deal side by side I can always tell the difference. They usually get the top notes right, but they miss the bottom notes completely.

3 years 40 weeks

I HAVE FOUND THE INSTYLE FRAGRANCES OR THE IMPRESSIONS OF THEIR FRAGRANCES TO BE AMONG THE BEST I HAVE EVER USED.. I AM TRYING NOW TO CONTACT SOMEONE WHO WILL LEAD ME TO THE PEOPLE I NEED TO SEE IN PLACING THEIR CHANNAL NUMBER 5 FOR WOMEN IN A FRAGRANCE LINE I WISH TO START... I FIND IT IS SO NEARLY EXACT A MATCH IT IS HARD TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE.. I HOPE THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WILL READ THIS AND HELP ME TO GET IT STARTED IN MY CITY AS IT IS SMALL BUT GROWING BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS;; AND THE NAME AND THE BOTTLE AND THE PACKAGING IS TREMENDOUS I WOULDNT CHANGE A THING ABOUT IT ... I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY OUR WALGREENS IS DISCONTINUING THEIR LINE ... I WILL BE HAPPY TO RESTART IT UNDER THE GIBSON NAME ... OUR PRODUCT SELECTION IS SMALL AT THE MOMENT BUT GROWING AS WE SPEAK... INSTULE WONT YOU PLEASE GET WITH ME ON THIS PRODUCT... I LOVE THEIR TWO FOR ONE SALES AT $11.99 AND DO DO MOST OF OUR ECONOMICALLY CHALLANGED PEOPLE WHO CAN NO LONGER PAY THE OUT RAGEOUS PRICES THAT ARE BEING SET IN THE FRAGRANCE MARKET... PLEASE CONTACT ME ... JOYCE I. GIBSON... 940-592-5687... I WILL BE MOST ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT AND INSTYLE FRAGRANCES......GREAT PRODUCTS ... FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVENT TRIED THEM YOU SHOULD ...

3 years 41 weeks

some of the knock off stuff isn't so bad, and the real stuff is severely overpriced, you're just paying for the name and packaging more than anything else

3 years 51 weeks

I tried the "Angel" from InStyle and was hooked. For some reason, it smells really good on me, and everyone always asks me what it is that I'm wearing. Some of them smell really horrible (SJP, White Linen and the Light Blue versions suck), but the Glow also smells nice and light. I have an arsenal of fragrances that range from the high-end brands to the inexpensive. I have been wearing scents long enough to know that it really doesn't matter how much the stuff costs (for example, White Diamonds smells AWFUL on me, and so does Opium, Poison, Chanel #5, and the real D & G Light Blue). Whatever the fragrance, if it agrees with your body chemistry, stick to it.

amloveaffair 4 years 19 weeks

ahahahaha I remember the one that smelled like cotton candy!

dazzleme 4 years 32 weeks

Oh, and sugaslime, I feel you. I understand how you feel about not feeling like you should pay a ridiculous amount for a brand name when you can get a basically the same from a lesser name. And you should always do what makes you feel good.

dazzleme 4 years 32 weeks

I have used some of the knockoff fragrances from Designer Imposter-Wanna Play?, Confess- and they weren't that bad. Can they give the designers a run for their money? No. I discovered Instyle like a year ago, and they seem to better at copying designers than Designer Imposter. Everyone wants the real thing and I'm no different. Sometimes you have to settle however. But when you can afford the real thing, definately, snatch it up!

Bella Donna 4 years 45 weeks

My eyes (and ears) hurt from reading posts in caps... 8)I've seen these, should I say not-so-real, & the real-deals jostle on the same shelf at Wal*Mart. Like, CK One, & an "impression" of CK One side-by-side.. it's amusing. & if paying for a non-fake is hurting your wallet then buy a 5/6 ml travel size for 6 bucks. Remember, a little goes a long way esp. if you bathe every day :D !!

Bella Donna 4 years 45 weeks

My eyes (and ears) hurt from reading posts in caps... 8) I've seen these, should I say not-so-real, & the real-deals jostle on the same shelf at Wal*Mart. Like, CK One, & an "impression" of CK One side-by-side.. it's amusing. & if paying for a non-fake is hurting your wallet then buy a 5/6 ml travel size for 6 bucks. Remember, a little goes a long way esp. if you bathe every day :D !!

sugaslime 4 years 47 weeks

NOW I DON'T MEAN TO TAKE OFFENSE TO ANYONES PERSONAL POSITIONS BUT COME ON, TALK ABOUT RIPOFFS WHY IN YOUR RIGHT MIND SPEND ANY MORE THE 12 BUCKS ON A FRAGRANCE. 45 BANGERS IS A LOT OF G. FOR WHAT? NOT MUCH MORE THAN WHAT YOU GET WITH INSTYLE I GOT MINE AT WALGREENS, YEAH LAUGH, IT'S NOT THE MALL OR SAC'S 5TH AVE. BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD AND COME ON THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT....

sugaslime 4 years 47 weeks

NOW I DON'T MEAN TO TAKE OFFENSE TO ANYONES PERSONAL POSITIONS BUT COME ON, TALK ABOUT RIPOFFS WHY IN YOUR RIGHT MIND SPEND ANY MORE THE 12 BUCKS ON A FRAGRANCE.45 BANGERS IS A LOT OF G. FOR WHAT? NOT MUCH MORE THAN WHAT YOU GET WITH INSTYLEI GOT MINE AT WALGREENS, YEAH LAUGH, IT'S NOT THE MALL OR SAC'S 5TH AVE. BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD AND COME ON THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT....

sugaslime 4 years 47 weeks

INSTYLE IS THE BEST! YOU ZOMMBIES GOTTA TRY IT! STOP BEING TAKEN BY THE MACHINE. PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE IT DOES THE MOST FOR YOU. GET REAL PLEASE!!

sugaslime 4 years 47 weeks

INSTYLE IS THE BEST! YOU ZOMMBIES GOTTA TRY IT! STOP BEING TAKEN BY THE MACHINE.PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE IT DOES THE MOST FOR YOU. GET REAL PLEASE!!

sugaslime 4 years 47 weeks

I think the Instyle fragrances are pretty good, I don't have a lot of cash to spend and it's better than the cheap stuff at BBW I like Angel and Lovely I'm not a snob that has to have all that. I believe it's all the same stuff and the con is the expensive REAL fragrances, what a rip come on, let's get real INSTYLE IS COOL!

sugaslime 4 years 47 weeks

jennjennnbubba 4 years 49 weeks

only the real stuff for me, not knocking the knock off but I have just never had good luck with them. I have never heard of the InStyle but DI is awful!

kahribar 4 years 51 weeks

Only the real stuff, like it was mentioned, if not then why bother?

duplinger 4 years 51 weeks

You cant imitate the originals and sacrifice ingredients!! Impostarsare cheap and smell cheap!! Not to mention they give me a headache!! oh well I tried "huff"

duplinger 4 years 51 weeks

You cant imitate the originals and sacrifice ingredients!! Impostars are cheap and smell cheap!! Not to mention they give me a headache!! oh well I tried "huff"

chiquita29 4 years 51 weeks

I have one of these sitting under my bathroom sink lol. A nail salon gave it to me as a free gift for being a first time customer. I've never used it and never plan on using it. I love perfumes too much to waste my time on one of these cheap knock offs. Yuck. I just got it out, it's "Our version of Chanel No 5 by Jean Philippe Paris" lol. This is going in my goodwill box now...

chiquita29 4 years 51 weeks