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There’s honestly nothing better than treating yourself to a new perfume. But it’s a well-known fact that some of the high-end versions can cost hundreds of pounds for a bottle, which isn’t always good news for your bank account.
I’m a perfume girl through and through, and could spend hours trying out different scents to add to my collection. This is exactly what I did at duty-free last year when I decided to splurge on one I’d wanted for ages – the iconic Le Labo Santal 33. So when I heard Aldi had brought out their own version of the cult favourite, I was keen to try it out to see how it compared.
The Lacura Sandalwood Eau de Parfum, coming in at just £9.99 for 100ml, caught my eye instantly. Compared to an eye-watering £234 for a bottle of Santal 33 the same size, it’s certainly a much more budget-friendly option.
The iconic fragrance, loved by celebs such as Jodie Comer, is a cult classic for a reason. It has such a unique scent – warm, spicy and smoky with hints of iris and cardamom, just one spritz lasts you all day, so it’s probably no surprise that it has such a high price tag. And probably the reason I’ve been somewhat rationing it since I got it.
I was hoping the Aldi version would have a similar scent so I could adopt this as my new handbag perfume, taking it wherever I went. However, when I took the cap off, my heart sank.
Instead of being made of metal like most perfumes are, the spray cap of the Aldi fragrance was clear plastic. This might be a small detail, but it instantly cheapened the product for me, as it made it feel more like a body spray than a luxurious perfume.
However, appearances aren’t everything – after all, it’s the scent of the fragrance that really matters. I gave it a quick spritz on to my wrists and allowed it to settle into my skin before giving it a sniff.
The similarities were there for sure. That spicy hit is the first thing that you smell, before it melts into an aroma that’s maybe slightly sweeter than Le Labo – something that makes it more casual to wear in the daytime.
It had those clear amber notes that I love so much about Le Labo, and it’s genuinely one of the closest alternatives I’ve ever smelled – on a par with the M&S Warmth collection.
However, the other downside was that it really didn’t last too long on my skin. Having said that, for £9.99, you really can’t complain. I took this bottle on holiday with me recently and it was great for just throwing in my bag and topping up whenever I needed to.
And if sandalwood isn’t your vibe, there are two other Le Labo-inspired scents to choose from.
I was most pleasantly surprised by the Black Intense scent. Another spicy yet sweet aroma, said to be reminiscent of the Le Labo The Noir, this is definitely more of an evening scent. I found the longevity on this to be slighly better than the Sandalwood too, which is always a bonus.
And finally, there’s Addition, a scent supposedly with similar notes to Le Labo Another 13. The floral notes were strong in this one, with a slight hint of fruitiness too. If you’re a fan of Baccarat Rouge then you’ll really like this.
All of the fragrances come in at £9.99, but as with all Aldi Specialbuys, snap them up while you can – they won’t be around forever.
