How to Build Your Own Dupe-Shootout Flight
We already hand-pour nine clone-comparison sets, an original next to a set of its dupes, plus two note-focused sets with no clones at all. But you're not stuck with our exact lineups. Every fragrance in every set is also sold on its own as a 2ml decant, so you can build a custom flight around whatever question you're actually trying to answer. Here's how to think about it.
Start with a question, not a shopping list
A good flight answers one specific thing. "Does this $8 clone actually get close to the $20 original?" is a question. "What do a bunch of fragrances I've heard of smell like?" isn't, and it's how people end up with vials that don't teach them anything next to each other. Decide up front: an original versus its clones, one note across several houses, or one clone house's whole catalog against nothing at all.
Pick an anchor, then add three to five points of comparison
If you already own or have smelled a fragrance you like, that's your anchor. Buy a 2ml of it even if you own a full bottle, so you can compare it side by side without digging the bottle out every time. Our own sets range from three vials up to eight, and three is usually enough to answer a direct question. Eight only works because it isn't really a comparison, it's a full catalog tour of one clone house. Stop adding vials once you've covered the real options: a fourth clone that's a near-duplicate of one you already added just means more vials to smell in one sitting, and your nose fatigues faster than you'd think.
Worked example: the Xerjoff Naxos question, two ways
Our Xerjoff Naxos Clone Comparison Set ($27.90, 3 x 2ml) bundles Xerjoff 1861 Naxos with both clones we stock, about 10% under buying the three separately. But say you only care about one specific clone, not both. Buy the Naxos decant (2ml $16) alongside just Nusuk Ateeq (2ml $8) or just Paris Corner Emir Voux Elegante (2ml $7), whichever you're actually curious about. The pre-built set is the convenient, discounted default; the individual decants are there when your question is narrower than what the set covers.
When the pre-built set is the better deal
If your question matches one of ours exactly, buy the set. The Creed Aventus Clone Comparison Set ($48.60) bundles the original plus four Aventus clones, five vials total despite the handle's old "6" in its name, at roughly 10% under buying the same five decants one at a time. (We stock one more Aventus clone beyond these; our seven-vial Aventus Archetype Discovery Set goes wider if you want the fuller line-up.) Assembling that from scratch costs more for the same vials.
Note-focused flights work the same way, without any clones
Not every flight has to be about dupes. Our Vetiver Discovery Set ($57.60) lines up five original vetiver interpretations (including two different Tom Ford Grey Vetiver concentrations), no clones involved, just five answers to what vetiver should smell like. Build the same kind of flight yourself around any note you're curious about: pick three to five originals that lean into it, buy 2ml of each, and let your nose sort out which interpretation you prefer.
Taste it properly once you've built it
Spread the flight over more than one sitting, your nose fatigues after two or three fragrances and stops picking up real differences. Wear one at a time on skin rather than sniffing straight from the vial, and give each a few hours before judging it. A 2ml decant runs roughly 20 to 40 sprays, enough to test the opening and dry down without burning through the vial on day one.
The verdict
A DIY flight costs more than a matching pre-built set when one exists, since our sets are priced under buying the same decants separately. Build your own when your question is narrower than any set we sell, or when you want to combine fragrances across categories we haven't paired, like an original from one house against a clone from a completely different comparison. Either way, every decant is hand-poured from an authentic bottle in Regina. Orders over $55 ship free across Canada, and Regina orders over $25 qualify for free hand delivery.
Frequently asked questions
Is it cheaper to build my own flight or buy a pre-built set?
If a pre-built set already matches what you want to compare, buy that, it's priced under buying the same decants separately. Build your own only when your question is narrower or wider than any set we sell.
How many vials should a DIY flight have?
Three to five is the sweet spot for a real comparison. More than that stops being a comparison and turns into a catalog tour, which is fine, it's just a different kind of flight.
Do I need an original to build a comparison flight, or can it be all clones?
Either works. Most of our pre-built sets pair an original with its clones, but our Bujairami Louis Vuitton set is eight clones with no original at all, one clone house's whole catalog side by side. Build whichever kind answers your actual question.
What size should each vial in my flight be?
2ml is the standard for a comparison flight, roughly 20 to 40 sprays, enough to judge the opening and dry down without overcommitting before you know which one wins.
What do I do once I know which fragrance in my flight I actually like?
Size up on that one specifically, up to 30ml on most of our decants. If it's something we don't stock as a decant at all, our full-bottle sourcing page covers ordering a full, sealed bottle on request.
Do you ship these across Canada?
Yes. Every decant is hand-poured from an authentic bottle in Regina, Saskatchewan. Orders over $55 ship free Canada-wide, and Regina orders over $25 get free local hand delivery.
Atelier Elemental is an independent decanting service. Not packaged, filled, or endorsed by any of the brands named above. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.