If you like
Lime Basil & Mandarin
Jo Malone London · 1999
Sharp lime and green basil with a peppery, herbal edge.
5 indie picks
Undernotes
Comparisons
65 comparisonsOne featured each day
One mainstream fragrance at a time, described in our own words, answered with independent alternatives that share its notes. No dupes, no affiliate links: just small houses working the same accord.
Herbal & Aromatic. Lavender, sage, mint, tea and the herb garden.
If you like
Eau Sauvage
Dior · 1966
A lemon, herb and moss cologne from the 1960s that many still reach for.
5 indie picksIf you like
Gypsy Water
Byredo · 2008
A pine, incense and vanilla scent that smells like a forest walk.
5 indie picksIf you like
Eros
Versace · 2012
A loud, sweet-mint masculine that still dominates club and date-night wear
5 indie picksIf you like
Wood Sage & Sea Salt
Jo Malone London · 2014
The scent people mean when they ask for something that smells like clean skin after the beach.
4 indie picksIf you like
Libre
Yves Saint Laurent · 2019
The scent people cite when they want lavender to smell feminine rather than like a barbershop.
4 indie picksIf you like
Colonia
Acqua di Parma · 1916
The classic Italian citrus cologne people mean when they ask for something clean and old fashioned.
5 indie picksIf you like
Le Male
Jean Paul Gaultier · 1995
The barbershop lavender-and-vanilla scent that defined a generation of men's fragrance.
5 indie picks
About these comparisons
Well-known fragrances are named here for one reason: they are the shared vocabulary most people have for a smell. We describe the accord in our own words, then point at independent houses working the same territory. There are no logos, no bottle photographs and no affiliate links, and Undernotes is not affiliated with any house named on these pages.