London and Paris

This is Perfume Parlour's budget version of FCUK Him, a fresh aromatic fougere that built a following as an affordable daily driver. It opens crisp and green with basil, lavender and rosemary - herbal and a touch soapy, exactly as the original does. The middle is the most interesting stretch: sage, green pepper and tea leaf knit into a minty-herbal accord that feels surprisingly distinctive for the money. The drydown softens into vanilla, patchouli and a dry woody ebony note. Against the original the dupe is a hair more synthetic and linear, and since FCUK Him was never a beast to begin with, longevity here lands around modest-and-close - a few hours of arm's-length wear before it becomes a skin scent. None of that really matters for what this is: an inexpensive, inoffensive herbal-fresh signature for everyday casual and office wear, easy to reach for and easy to like.