Fewer fragrances are quite as recognisable as Chanel’s iconic Coco Mademoiselle . Its pink geometric bottle has been ingrained in pop culture, while its scent has become synonymous with luxury and elegance.
Priced at £136 a bottle, it’s not one that many can afford to splash out on for an everyday fragrance, but Marks and Spencer shoppers reckon they’ve found an inexpensive alternative that smells strikingly similar to the designer brand.
The high street favourite’s Discover Soft Iris perfume costs only £6 for a 30ml bottle, or £10 for 100ml , making it at least £126 cheaper than its designer rival.
Shoppers have left glowing reviews of the budget beauty buy, praising its inexpensive price tag, floral fragrance and similarity to Chanel . One said: “This is lovely, gorgeous smell. It really is a dupe for Chanel! Bought in the sale, so even better price than normal.”
Another wrote: “Very nice. I use this range as my everyday fragrance and this fragrance is very similar to one if my favourites: Mademoiselle. Very pleased,” while a third added: “Smells just like a much more expensive perfume l wear. Ideal for day to day use- excellent value for money.”
I just so happened to have both the Chanel fragrance and M&S spritz in my beauty collection, the first of which I had saved my Boots Advantage points for, and the latter was included in the Marks and Spencer Summer Beauty Bag for 2023.
Before hearing of its ‘dupe’ status, I had sprayed the Soft Iris eau de toilette and found it to be extremely familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it until I stumbled upon the reviews. Spraying my Chanel Coco Mademoiselle alongside it, they were undeniably alike.
The reason for their similarities is a few choice fragrance families, with both of the scents being quite citrusy, with base notes of amber and patchouli. Each of them also features bergamot and orange blossom, as well as aromatic vetiver.
While Chanel’s is described as “a spirited and voluptuous scent” that “immediately awakens the senses” with notes of jasmine and rose, the M&S Soft Iris floral notes are slightly different, pairing jasmine with iris - where it gets its retail name.
Even shoppers who weren’t aware of its likeness to the designer scent have loved its freshness for summer - and while some say it lasts ‘hours’, others wish it lasted longer.
Another happy shopper said: “I received this as part of an offer with marks and Spencer. It's a lovely fresh summery fragrance. It's very fresh and citracy. Not expensive at all. Perfect size for popping into your handbag. I would highly recommend this product.”
And some love the Discover range so much they’ve been mixing and matching their scents, writing: “I have purchased three different Eau de Toilette so far and like them all good size and price and smells can’t say much more than that just that I am happy with my purchase.”
From the very same range, Marks and Spencer’s Warm Neroli also smells ‘near-identical’ to Paco Rabanne’s Lady Million for a fraction of the cost, while reviews suggest Midnight Blossom is akin to YSL’s Black Opium , and Pink Pepper rivals Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle.
Either way, they’re a super affordable fragrance perfect for popping in your bag or in the car for everyday wear so you can save your expensive perfumes for special occasions. You can shop the full M&S Discover range here.
