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Cheap alternative to REFLECTION MAN by Amouage?

post #1 of 39
Thread Starter 
Yesterday I got a sample vial of REFLECTION MAN by Amouage and I inmediately felt in love with the scent, but their prices are ridiculous, so I was looking for the most similar scent to this one...
Thanks in advance!
Regards.-
post #2 of 39
I can't think of anything offhand that really smells much like Reflection. (Which is why a have a bottle. That, and my wife's eyes got really wide when I tested it. ) L'Artisan Parfumeur Dzongkha is not a "smell-alike" by any means, but for me it does elicit some of the same vibe. Dzongkha isn't exactly cheap, but it's still far less dear than the Amouage. If it's the pepper you like in Reflection, you might want to sample Villoresi's Piper Nigrum. Really an altogether different type of scent, but it shares a prominent note or two.
post #3 of 39
I dont know which Reflection I sampled (Woman or Man) but it smelled similar to Joop! Homme and Cristobal.
post #4 of 39
JPG Fleur du Male is the closest thing I can think of, but unfortunately not nearly as good. Reflection for man is brighter and more refreshing and it doesn't have the le male-ish dry down of Fleur du Male, but I can't figure out any other scent which would be closer to it.

Regards,
-Tero-
post #5 of 39
Bond's Saks for Him is in the same boat, but with a different top note. The dry downs are pretty similar on me, but the Bond is a little weaker. Sorry...that doesn't help much with the price issue though...
post #6 of 39


/thread.
post #7 of 39
Prada's Ambre pour Homme is not inexpensive by any shot yet is similar. Honestly, there just isn't a real replacement for it that I'm aware of. Here's how I justify it the price of Reflection Man: I'm pretty comfortable paying for a morning cup of coffee at Starbucks. 3-4 sprays of Reflection Man costs about 1/3 that and I don't use Reflection Man more than 4 times per week. And it's 1/10 the price of smoking a pack of cigs a day in the US. One could buy a bottle of Amouage every 6-7 weeks for the price of that unfortunate addiction.
post #8 of 39
The first time I smelled R Man, I thought of Escada Magnetism. Not the same smell, but maybe the same 'vibe' and level of intensity, sweetness, character.
post #9 of 39
I just sampled Reflection Man today. To me it smells like a lighter version of Paco Rabanne 1 Million, even though the notes do not match. Does anyone else get this?
post #10 of 39
Love the way you simplified the reality, of how we often forget the costs of other purchases we buy. Fantastic! =0)....Amouage could seem expensive,yet 100ml of edp could easily last you around a year and beyond.
Personally ,ive spent far more on cigarettes and weekends out in the past,and now that those days are gone, i think i may splash out on some quality ingredients that lasts alot longer than a fleeting moment.

Im new to bn,so hi to you all.

What brought me here was my searching for Amouage reviews,Memior man,Reflection...Ive seen mostly enlightening reviews and information on this site across the board,and ive picked up 1 good tip so far which in many ways i came across myself...And its this!..If you like the scent and you feel comfortable,taken on a journey and could easily be with yourself whilst wearing said fragrance,then thats the one for you.
Having said that,its always good to share opinions .
post #11 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fipple View Post

Love the way you simplified the reality, of how we often forget the costs of other purchases we buy. Fantastic! =0)....Amouage could seem expensive,yet 100ml of edp could easily last you around a year and beyond.
Personally ,ive spent far more on cigarettes and weekends out in the past,and now that those days are gone, i think i may splash out on some quality ingredients that lasts alot longer than a fleeting moment.

Im new to bn,so hi to you all.

What brought me here was my searching for Amouage reviews,Memior man,Reflection...Ive seen mostly enlightening reviews and information on this site across the board,and ive picked up 1 good tip so far which in many ways i came across myself...And its this!..If you like the scent and you feel comfortable,taken on a journey and could easily be with yourself whilst wearing said fragrance,then thats the one for you.
Having said that,its always good to share opinions .

Welcome, Fipple! And good points about the way we view our various expenditures in different ways -- it's good to stop and try to gain some perspective.
post #12 of 39
A little cheaper you could try APOM from Maison Francis Kurkdjian , theres a similar vibe going on
post #13 of 39
When I smell Reflection Man, I get this "middle-eastern le male smell". Not in a bad way, like a Middle Eastern Cab Driver douced in Le Male with bad BO.. but rather, Le Male combined with luxurious middle eastern aroma's.
post #14 of 39
Another one for Arabian Nights
post #15 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by hednic View Post

Another one for Arabian Nights

I own both Reflection and Arabian Nights, and I don't detect much, if any, difference between the two.
post #16 of 39
Surprised no one has suggested Custo Man (Francis Kurkdjian). Worth checking out.
post #17 of 39
Arabian Nights? No no no no no. Ok, yes, it's similar - it's like Reflection Man minus the genius. If it is attempting to mimic Reflection it failed - it's more a mockery.
post #18 of 39
I'm going to bring the ultimate blasphemy against Reflection. A $20.00 bottle of Jacomo Rouge. I've been alternating between both of these as a test and after a wearing JR for 3 days and RM for 4 days they are similar to the point where other people couldn't tell the difference. Six to eight inches away they're very similar. Sticking my nose to my skin is another story of course. For those that think Arabian Nights is similar, how similar are we talking?
post #19 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by silentrich View Post

I'm going to bring the ultimate blasphemy against Reflection. A $20.00 bottle of Jacomo Rouge. I've been alternating between both of these as a test and after a wearing JR for 3 days and RM for 4 days they are similar to the point where other people couldn't tell the difference. Six to eight inches away they're very similar. Sticking my nose to my skin is another story of course. For those that think Arabian Nights is similar, how similar are we talking?

I'll have to add this one to my test list. Arabian Nights is considerably more aquatic smelling than Reflection. It smells almost like chlorine. Reflection is more smooth...more pepper and a creamy sandalwood. I promise you-if you appreciate Reflection for what it is, Arabian Nights will not suffice. And I am a fan of Arabian Nights, but there are not very close, by any means. I have side tested them SEVERAL TIMES, as Reflection is my favorite fragrance, and I have compared the two very objectively, but I just don't get it.
post #20 of 39
I've almost sprung for a bottle of Reflection Man several times Larwiz. I've sample pretty much every Amouage and it's not the best smelling fragrance they make, but it's the most wearable which is why I like it the best. Thanks for the info on Arabian Nights. If you get a bottle of Jacomo Rouge tell me what you think.
post #21 of 39
+1 Custo man

Prada amber pour home + light version of Egoiste = Amouge Reflection
post #22 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larwiz View Post

I'll have to add this one to my test list. Arabian Nights is considerably more aquatic smelling than Reflection. It smells almost like chlorine. Reflection is more smooth...more pepper and a creamy sandalwood. I promise you-if you appreciate Reflection for what it is, Arabian Nights will not suffice. And I am a fan of Arabian Nights, but there are not very close, by any means. I have side tested them SEVERAL TIMES, as Reflection is my favorite fragrance, and I have compared the two very objectively, but I just don't get it.

Completely signing this statement.
I have a sample of AN and wore it a couple of times. They are not alike.
Both play some very intense, somwhat cloying creamy vibe but while AN IMO is bold beyond imagination, RM is anything but. Smooth, mellow, just very nice.
I couldnt see myself enjoying AN on the other hand.
I also would love to try Jacomo ROuge, please report back, larwit
post #23 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by silentrich View Post

I'm going to bring the ultimate blasphemy against Reflection. A $20.00 bottle of Jacomo Rouge. I've been alternating between both of these as a test and after a wearing JR for 3 days and RM for 4 days they are similar to the point where other people couldn't tell the difference. Six to eight inches away they're very similar. Sticking my nose to my skin is another story of course. For those that think Arabian Nights is similar, how similar are we talking?

Yes! Now that you mention it Silentrich, Jamomo Rouge is quite similar! Forgot about that one.
post #24 of 39
For anyone interested in Jacomo Rouge. Scented Monkey.com has a 1.7 oz for $12.00, plus you get an extra 6% off which comes to around $11.00 shipped.
post #25 of 39
i dotn think Jacomo rouge smells anything like it.. rouge could be called a distant relative of Le Male and A*Men..

50%of reflections smells of Fleur du Male and another 50% Geir by Geir Ness.. i think you would be more satified with Geir ...saying so, they are the closest i can think of.. not exact replicas
post #26 of 39

Taco Bell
+ Joop Jump
post #27 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by jenson View Post

i dotn think Jacomo rouge smells anything like it.. rouge could be called a distant relative of Le Male and A*Men..

50%of reflections smells of Fleur du Male and another 50% Geir by Geir Ness.. i think you would be more satified with Geir ...saying so, they are the closest i can think of.. not exact replicas

Perhaps it is a case where people are sensitive to a certain chemical that each shares, and thus the similarity between the two seems more pronounced than it is to those who smell the scent as it was intended by the perfumer. I've had this problem with Reflection and a handful of other scents. For instance, I'm sure that Ultraviolet Man and Tauer's LdDM share some chemical in the heart (some labdanum/ambergris synthetic, I think), and I'm quite sensitive to the note so I definitely see some similarity between the two (although I would not go anywhere near the idea of saying they are, overall, similar scents) even though most people tend to notice all the differences and proclaim that the scents are *nothing* alike. I find them much different in weight and scent profile but do find that similarity in the heart due to my sensitivity to that chemical.
post #28 of 39
Timaru, I'm glad you agree. And I'll definetely let you know if I find Jacomo Rouge to be similar to Reflection. At under $20, I would hope that it was so I could stock up! :-) I'm conaidering getting it blind for my dad for father's day.
post #29 of 39
Joop! Pour Homme is the closest, IMO. I dont get the Arabian Nights, Fleur du Male and Jacomo Rouge connections at all - unless they have changed the scent drastically as I only know Reflection in the older bottles.
post #30 of 39
Sniffed Dior Hypnotic Poison for the first time today, and the drydown reminded me of Reflection Man. The former is perhaps a touch cruder, noticeably foodier, and devoid of that pink pepper note, but they seem to share a sedate milky-vanillic background that calls to mind reams of office printer paper stacked away in a dim, fusty storeroom.

I must confess that I do not especially care for Reflection, perhaps due to lack of understanding. Nevertheless, HP struck me as more beautiful and more fun, and I will definitely be revisiting it.
post #31 of 39
I'll have to give Hypnotic Poison a try. It's funny though: we often see threads asking for inexpensive versions of fragrances we adore, but at the end of the day, chances are: you're not gonna find a near carbon copy of your favorite fragrance at a fraction of the cost. Now the GIT fans lucked up with Cool Water, lol, but other than that, this kind of resemblance is hard to find. And even if you find something close, if you can detect the difference, and the inexpensive fragrance is lacking a note or two that you do care for in the other fragrance, then on some level, you will feel like you are settling, and that won't sit right with most...
post #32 of 39
Le male
post #33 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larwiz View Post

I'll have to give Hypnotic Poison a try. It's funny though: we often see threads asking for inexpensive versions of fragrances we adore, but at the end of the day, chances are: you're not gonna find a near carbon copy of your favorite fragrance at a fraction of the cost. Now the GIT fans lucked up with Cool Water, lol, but other than that, this kind of resemblance is hard to find. And even if you find something close, if you can detect the difference, and the inexpensive fragrance is lacking a note or two that you do care for in the other fragrance, then on some level, you will feel like you are settling, and that won't sit right with most...

Just don't sniff up close to the skin and you'll never be disappointed. I usually let cheaper fragrances air out in the opening for at least 5 minutes before I take a whiff. I'll mention another Jacomo fragrance since you brought up GIT. It's Jacomo Deep Blue and the drydown smells like GIT more than any copycat fragrance I've tried. I'm still buying a bottle of GIT, because I love the top notes, but it's damn close.
post #34 of 39
Quote:
Originally Posted by Larwiz View Post

It's funny though: we often see threads asking for inexpensive versions of fragrances we adore, but at the end of the day, chances are: you're not gonna find a near carbon copy of your favorite fragrance at a fraction of the cost. Now the GIT fans lucked up with Cool Water, lol, but other than that, this kind of resemblance is hard to find. And even if you find something close, if you can detect the difference, and the inexpensive fragrance is lacking a note or two that you do care for in the other fragrance, then on some level, you will feel like you are settling, and that won't sit right with most...

I agree with all of that.

I tend to view Reflection as a vanilla-woody fragrance chiefly of interest for being much drier and less sweet than it might have been. If this aspect is what sets it apart for you, then Hypnotic Poison's more gourmand, come-hither approach will be a disappointment. The thing with HP was that I sat there sniffing and thinking, "I know I have smelled the accord at the center of this drydown somewhere before..."

I'll have to check it out again but at this point, I would cautiously endorse the notion the two are related. Which, as you say, is really only about as good as it gets.
post #35 of 39
I have almost every Amouage. Reflection I don't care for. I agree with the person who compared it to the new Paco Million....but lighter
post #36 of 39
any updates on this one?!? i heard joop jump has a few similarities?!?
post #37 of 39
can anyone else confirm the similarities with Jacomo Rouge?
post #38 of 39
Always thought Fleur du Male was v.similar.
post #39 of 39
le male+1 million
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