That’s where the dupe game comes in, right? Everyone’s hunting for that Debaser fix without bankrupting themselves. But here’s the thing…and this is just my opinion, so take it with a grain of salt… sometimes these “dupes” are just, well, *sad*.
Like, I get it. The lure of luxury for less is strong. Perfume Nez is even talking about it! They even talk about dupes for Philosykos. Which is also a fig fragrance. But seriously, is it worth it to get something that *smells* vaguely like Debaser but lacks the actual *magic*? That indie rock vibe they talk about? (Side note: I’m not totally convinced I get the indie rock thing, but whatever…)
I think a lot of the time, the “dupes” end up smelling like… cheap coconut air freshener. Or like someone tried to make a fig Newton in their basement and things went, well, wrong.
And the thing is, when you buy a dupe, are you *really* getting a deal? Like, think about it. You’re potentially supporting companies that are, let’s face it, ripping off someone else’s creative work. D.S. & Durga put in the time, the effort, the *money* to create Debaser. They created it! To me, that’s kinda ethically questionable.
Now, I’m not saying everyone needs to only buy niche perfumes from fancy boutiques. I’m not *that* bougie (or broke, lol). But maybe, instead of chasing the perfect dupe, we should focus on finding fragrances we *genuinely* love, regardless of whether they smell exactly like Debaser or not. Maybe there’s some other green-figgy-coconut-ish scent out there that vibes with you more. Maybe you’ll discover something *better* than Debaser! And hey, you’ll be supporting a brand that’s actually doing its own thing.
Or, you know, just save up for the real thing. I mean, if you *really* love Debaser, maybe just start putting aside a few bucks a week. It’ll take a while, sure, but you’ll eventually get there. And think of how good it will smell when you finally own the real thing!