• Le Labo is known for its luxury fragrances, including its famous Santal 33 scent.
• However, perfume fans say there's a dupe on the market: Jungle Santal from the Target brand Fine'ry.
• I tried both products and found they were similar in almost everything except the price.

Sitting at my desk with a cat on my lap, I slowly typed each credit card number into Le Labo's website.

Buying a sample of the brand's Santal 33 fragrance made me feel like I was entering a club I've long been an outsider to. The perfume, which can cost up to $1,095 for a bottle, is favored by celebrities, businesspeople, and other fragrance fans.

I was reminded of the scent — and the fact that I'd never smelled it — while interviewing successful men about their favorite colognes. Many of them mentioned Le Labo.

To feed my growing curiosity, I tried the brand's most popular scent. While I was at it, I figured I'd also experiment with a potential dupe: Jungle Santal by Target's fragrance brand Fine'ry.

Quickly, I realized that Le Labo fans might want to switch to the cheaper alternative.

Santal 33: a fragrant and expensive status symbol

I ordered my Santal 33 sample — which cost $12.79 with shipping and tax — on a Thursday morning, and it was delivered to my doorstep the following day.

Despite its minuscule size, the sample embodied Le Labo's understated aesthetic. The glass tube was wrapped in cardboard, and a yellow sticker displayed its ingredients and origin.

I've heard many fans say that Santal 33 is "refreshing" and "smells expensive." One social-media user said the scent reminded them of a pricey hotel in New York City.

Though I originally expected something light, almost like a spa scent, I altered my expectations after reading the perfume's description on Le Labo's website.

With notes of iris, violet, sandalwood, and leather, maybe it would smell sharp but floral, with a lingering musk.

I didn't expect the perfume to smell like pickle juice — a comparison that social media has shown is common among Santal 33 critics and fans alike.

Cat Chen, the founder of the fragrance brand Skylar, previously told BI that the reason perfumes can smell bad to you and great to others is likely related to your body chemistry — or, more specifically, your skin type and pH balance.

In my experience, the fragrance first smelled deeply earthy with a floral touch. As it settled, the musk kicked in, creating a mixture that reminded me of a spice cabinet and, again, an open jar of pickles.

I found it unpleasant and overpowering. Ultimately, it was not for me.

Once the perfume was on, its odor could not be ignored. So, I put my distaste aside and tested the scent's lasting power.

It was most fragrant in my hair, where I could smell it strongly for the first two hours I wore it. Four hours after application, the scent had nearly vanished from my skin.

I even asked friends and family if they noticed my perfume. They said they only smelled it faintly when we hugged.

The quick fade in scent surprised me. If I had spent $107 on the smallest bottle of Santal 33 or $1,095 on the largest, I'd savor every spray.

Purchasing the sample also did not include a coupon to save a few dollars on a larger bottle — a fairly standard practice in the perfume industry. Representatives for Le Labo did not respond to a request for comment.

Target's version isn't exactly the same — but it's close enough

Fine'ry doesn't claim to make dupes, as it told Fast Company in April. The brand aims to bring luxury scent trends to consumers shopping at a lower price point.

Still, on "PerfumeTok" — the fragrance-obsessed side of TikTok — numerous fragrance fans have said the brand's Jungle Santal perfume, sold at Target as a $29.99 perfume and $14.99 body mist, matched Le Labo's Santal 33.

I ordered the more expensive bottle that Thursday, which arrived by Sunday morning.

I was quickly impressed. The perfume, packaged in a plastic-wrapped box with a modern design, looked more high-end than expected from a big-box chain.

One spray proved that the Jungle Santal perfume isn't an exact dupe for Santal 33 — but they're similar. Both scents feature notes of cardamom and wood and are equally strong and musky.

While Le Labo's perfume quickly reminded me of pickles, Fine'ry's initially smelled more masculine with a stronger spice. Still, when the two fragrances settled on my skin, they were almost indistinguishable.

One thing I preferred about Fine'ry's scent is that the perfume features a note of black oolong tea, which I felt calmed the fragrance.

Most noticeably, they lasted the same amount of time, about four hours, on my skin.

The Fine'ry perfume did seem to fade more dramatically. Whereas Le Labo's perfume slowly drifted away, the more inexpensive fragrance seemed to lose a large chunk of its scent every half hour.

Representatives for Fine'ry did not respond to a request for comment.

Money versus fragrance

What's considered a good perfume will always be a matter of personal preference. While I like sweet gourmand scents, others despise anything in the category.

So, I can't say I enjoyed wearing either fragrance simply because I'm not a fan of musky, spicy scents.

However, based on lasting power, price, and aesthetics, it's hard to see why fans wouldn't swap Le Labo's pricey perfume for the Fine'ry option.

It lasted as long as the more expensive fragrance, was packaged in a pretty and minimalistic bottle, and cost significantly less than the designer option.

• Business Insider spoke to two perfume experts about the most popular scents this winter.
• Gourmand — anything that smells like food — will still be in for the winter.
• Frankincense creates a cozy atmosphere and can have a nostalgic vibe.

Although fall and winter have some overlapping qualities, the seasonal shift can impact what scents people are reaching for as falling leaves turn to snow.

Business Insider spoke with two professional perfumers about the best fragrances to wear this winter.

Here's what they said.

Gourmand scents continue to shine.

Kelsey Hodgson, a perfume salesperson who's been working in the industry for nearly nine years, told BI that gourmand scents — anything that smells like food or drinks — have been trending all year and will continue into the winter.

"There's a very dry vanilla scent that's very popular," they said. "It's very easy, wearable, and very close to the skin."

Hodgson also mentioned that many brands are pushing the envelope with edible scents by introducing bread, milk, and creamy notes instead of just sweet ones.

They recommend Fleur Éclair by Régime des Fleurs for a vanilla scent with cardamom and cocoa notes or Etat Libre d'Orange's Story of Your Life for a fragrance with brioche notes.

Frankincense offers richness for the colder weather.

Hodgson said frankincense becomes very popular in the winter. For some, it's reminiscent of the nostalgic scent of church incense used around the holidays.

The perfumer told BI that it's a more elevated take on a cozy scent, and it's much richer than a simple vanilla.

Because of this, frankincense-based perfumes are heavier and project more easily through layers of sweaters and coats.

Explore more woodsy fragrances.

Wood aromas can come across as generic, but Hodgson said they always seem to be on-trend.

Hinoki is having a moment, offering a pine element with clean and fresh notes. Although it's not a heavy wood, its fragrance is almost like an elevated Christmas tree, perfect for the holiday season.

Hodgson likes Jo Malone's Hinoki & Cedarwood Cologne Intense, which combines frankincense and hinoki, and Hinoki Fantôme from Boy Smells.

'Tis the season for dark botanicals.

Agustine Zegers, an olfactory artist who founded Agar Olfactory, enjoys darker botanical scents, such as poisonous herbs and frozen peatland, that almost have a witchy quality.

The perfumer recommends Hemlock by Quartana Parfums, which mixes notes of pink pepper, vanilla, crushed leaves, cinnamon bark, and more to achieve a subtle yet unique olfactory experience.

Tonka is a scent to watch right now.

Hodgson told BI that tonka is a trending scent that lies somewhere between the gourmand and wood families.

The bean offers notes of cinnamon, warm cedar wood, and dark vanilla, creating a well-rounded unisex fragrance.

Le Labo's Tonka 25 almost smells like a cashmere sweater to Hodgson.

"It has a really cozy, indulging quality to it," they said.

Lean into colder perfumes for winter.

Although many associate the colder months with the aroma of Christmas cookies and toasty campfires, Zegers recommends looking for scents that harness the "raw experience of winter" with cold, industrial notes.

"Go that kind of unexpected angle and get a little bit of that frigidity," they said.

The perfumer likes Inexcusable Evil by Toskovat, which combines warmer woods with notes of cold rain on concrete.