Stylish Italian Wood aims at Roberto Cavalli Oud Edition - the dark, smoky saffron-leather-oud oriental. The dupe captures the gravelly oud-and-incense backbone but renders it flatter and sweeter, with the dirty leather facet softened and projection that stays closer to the skin than the rich original.

Manos Gerakinis' Silver Oud is a divisive beast: some will swoon, others will run. It's a bold-as-brass, take-no-prisoners kind of scent that you'll either adore or recoil from. Definitely not a blind buy.