For those who have ever wondered what Taylor Swift smells like, it has long been rumoured to be Tom Ford’s Santal Blush.
According to Harpers Bazaar, the global pop-star is said to have been wearing this scent since at least 2010. In fact, the 35-year-old also seemed to confirm this was true when mingling with guests at the 2024 VMAs earlier this month.
However, the woody perfume does come with a matching luxury price-tag of £220 for 50ml at Sephora UK. For Swifties looking for a cheaper alternative, we have found one on Amazon that is said to “smell exactly the same” for £200 less.
The Sweet Santal (50ml) from fragrance company Armour Scents costs just £20 and has rave reviews that praise it as “the closest” ‘dupe’ for Taylor’s go-to perfume. At £200 cheaper for the same-size bottle and similar scent, this isn’t a perfume to sniff at.
Said to be “90 percent similar to the original”, Santal Blush boasts an infusion of creamy sandalwood and spices – the exact same that Tom Ford’s scent is famed for. The oriental scent is completed with “intoxicating” florals and “sumptuous” woods to round out the fragrance.
Despite its budget price-tag, the “dupe” perfume has been crafted from luxurious oils that allow it to “last all day and night”. It’s also completely vegan and cruelty-free, so it’s an ideal choice for those who like to make ethical choices.
Those who have snapped up Sweet Santal have taken to Amazon to compare it to the £220 designer scent, with some saying it “smells exactly like the original” and that they “couldn’t tell the difference.”
One five-star review read: “Smells exactly like the original. Lasts all day and night, you can still smell it the next day!! Very little needed, great value, love this!”
A second read: “Pleasantly surprised! I honestly wasn’t expecting much until I sprayed and was quite frankly shocked at how accurate the fragrance was. Really happy with my purchase so much that I don’t think I will buy the original again. The dupe actually is much stronger, so you only need a small spray compared to the original which is a very faint scent.”
Someone else raved: “Love this, it smells amazing on me and great value for the money I paid. The scent is very much like the ‘real thing’, a beautiful soft fragrance for either men or women. The only difference is this scent only lasted about 4-5 hours, but that’s not a problem for me, when I consider I paid £230 for 100ml of Santal. Will buy again.”
Another Tom Ford fan said: “I couldn’t tell the difference. Fantastic product I would definitely use this company again. The closest in scent to the original product.”
While there weren’t any negative reviews, one shopper who said it was “nice” didn’t think it was similar to Tom Ford. They wrote: “Really lovely scent, not exactly like Tom Ford but it’s a nice perfume.”
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Purchase the Sweet Santal luxury inspired perfume (50ml) for just £20 on Amazon here.
Another budget-friendly “dupe” for the designer perfume is the 421 Fragrance from The Essence Vault. Costing £26.95 for a larger 100ml, it also boasts sandalwood as its main ingredient.
If you’re a fan of woody, spicy fragrances, then Estee Lauder’s Desert Eden also uses sandalwood and florals to create a similar scent. You can bag a 40ml refillable bottle for £78 at Boots.
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