Why shell out the big bucks on cologne when you can get something similar for cheap? That’s essentially the idea behind Dossier, a parfumerie that “makes premium fragrances accessible to everyone.” And they do a surprisingly good job at it.
Having the best Dossier perfumes is like getting your hands on Tom Ford, Maison Margiela, and Joe Malone for a fraction of the price. Even if you’re not all that interested in duplicating the world’s best-smelling fragrances, Dossier perfume still has a lot to offer.
Though occasionally considered somewhat linear, they’re all pleasantly formulated, easy crowd-pleasers that use ethically sourced, long-lasting, high-end vegan perfume ingredients. All of their colognes are packaged in small, neat bottles with clean labels and have a magnetic lid for easy, safe keeping. The company prides itself on transparency, craftsmanship, and excellent customer service, and the best Dossier cologne is a must.
Keep scrolling for the 10 best Dossier perfumes below.
Key Takeaways
For this quest, I began by poring over hundreds of photos, customer reviews, and all the top colognes blogs until I whittled my list down to the 10 finalists you see here. Overall, the best Dossier perfume is Woody Sandalwood because it’s best-selling, sensual, and has incredible longevity. For a juicy, fruity pop of something unique, check out Ambery Cherry.
Our Top Picks
Why it’s great: Like a warm hug, this unisex cologne is minimalist, sensual, and one of Dossier’s best-sellers. It’s a woody, warm, spicy, slightly powdery scent that is inspired by Le Labo Santal 33.
Utilizing high-quality Mysore sandalwood from India, the scent is built to highlight the wood’s creamy aspects, balancing it with the sharpness of other woods while enhancing its smoothness with a floral bouquet. Both bright and luxurious, it’s suitable for all seasons, smelling deeply of incense and fresh-cut trees with a hint of violet for a dusty, masculine vibe with seriously beastly longevity. Consider this Dossier perfume a new classic.
Who is this for? For the guy who wants to smell elegant yet comforting, and wants to garner respect by making a good impression.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: This has a more mellow scent than Santal 33, so don’t expect the exact same thing.
Top Notes: Violet leaves, cardamom | Middle Notes: Orris, ambrox, cedarwood, cypriol | Base Notes: Sandalwood, musk, amber | Type: Eau de Parfum
Why it’s great: Much like Creed Aventus, which it’s modeled after, Musky Oakmoss is a sensual, sexy masculine scent that will make her want to put on heels and greet you at the door. It captures your attention with a clean, fresh burst of energy at the opening thanks to apple and pineapple but quickly turns chypre thanks to bergamot, rose, and patchouli at its heart.
As the scent fades, it leaves you with soft, subtle musk-infused undertones and naturally wanting more. It’s a close, attractive scent that feels fresh, refined, and pleasantly surprising.
Who is this for? This Dossier perfume is perfect if you love that clean, earthy smell that boasts high sophistication concealed under a casual appearance.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: It’s been accused of smelling more chemical than the original inspiration.
Top Notes: Apple, pineapple, bergamot | Middle Notes: Rose, birch leaf, patchouli | Base Notes: Musk, oakmoss, amber | Type: Eau de Parfum
Why it’s great: Give off a warm whiff of wealth by spritzing on this deep, intoxicating scent packed with mystery, warmth, and a rather unique texture. Dossier’s number one scent starts things off with the scorching heat of saffron balanced by cedarwood and sultry amber with elegant floral hints.
Give her butterflies and garner tons of compliments with this sweet, sophisticated, and slightly woody cologne that costs a mere fraction of the Baccarat Rouge 540 cologne that inspired it. Perfect for smelling fresh and clean at night.
Who is this for? Perfect for the guy who wants to smell delicious and expensive with a slightly unique twist.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: This Dossier perfume may come off as somewhat cloying in the heat of summer.
Top Notes: Saffron, orange blossom | Middle Notes: Jasmine, plum, cedarwood | Base Notes: Oakmoss, fir balsam, amber | Type: Eau de Toilette
Why it’s great: Sweet and sexy like a Shirley Temple, this juicy cherry goodness makes a tantalizing statement. Things open up with a vivid burst of cherry and almond before making way for warming spices like cinnamon, clove, and fresh flowers at its heart. Vanilla and Peru balsam promote the rich amber structure of the dry down. It’s daring, it’s extroverted, and it’s got some unique gourmand factors that last 8–10 hours on the skin.
Who is this for? Delicious spiced cherry calling your name? This Dossier perfume is perfect for the guy who wants to smell unique yet warm and cozy and doesn’t want to be ignored.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: It might be too sweet and strong for some, especially outside of winter and the shoulder months.
Top Notes: Cherry, almond, cinnamon | Middle Notes: Cloves, rose, jasmine, plum | Base Notes: Peru balsam, tonka bean, vanilla | Type: Eau de Parfum
Why it’s great: Sweet and inviting with a close scent trail, this is what you spritz on before a night at the fireside jazz club. It’s really a tobacco scent but with the fruity and sweet honey aspects highlighted and lifted up by a touch of ginger.
I love the way that this Dossier perfume unfolds at the base for lots of depth, thanks to vanilla, tonka bean, dried fruit, and cacao. Perfect all year long but shining best in winter. I love it for the confident man on date night.
Who is this for? For the opulent, assertive gentleman who wants a tobacco scent offering something unique.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Though similar overall, the vanilla here isn’t as rich as Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille.
Top Notes: Tobacco, ginger, apricot | Middle Notes: Honey, vanilla, cacao | Base Notes: Tonka bean, dry fruits, blond woods | Type: Eau de Parfum
Why it’s great: It’s not your typical citrus scent found in summer but rather embodies an airy hike along a sobering seaside cliff. With floral, minty, earthy, and camphorated notes, it’s a natural, evocative scent that inspires confidence and calms like an outdoor spa.
The trail opens up with a lively mixture of fig, grapefruit, and marine notes with a mineral salt accord that mimics the ocean’s briny breeze. Notes of ambery driftwood give a safe and pleasant dry down. Overall, it’s a light scent inspired by Joe Malone Wood Sage and Sea Salt, that happens to be one of Dossier’s bestsellers.
Who is this for? One of the best Dossier perfumes, this is for the guy who craves a fresh oceanic touch of the outdoors without having to hunker down in the dirt.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The longevity is lacking a little bit here.
Top Notes: Fig tree, grapefruit | Middle Notes: Marine notes, ambrette | Base Notes: Clary sage, amberwood | Type: Eau de Parfum
Why it’s great: The only thing that gets me excited about the cooler months is this creamy melted marshmallow scent that is less polarizing than the original Maison Margiela By the Fireplace. Like burning woodfire at dusk, it’s an inviting aroma that’s wonderfully layered, utilizing vanilla to round out the smoke.
A spicy, sparkly opening gives way to woody notes with a touch of comfy gourmand accords at its base centered around chestnut. This Dossier perfume is perfect for creating a cocooning sensation that will last all day.
Who is this for? This is the scent for evoking a warm yet evocative feeling, like a cup of hot cocoa spiked with bourbon on a snowy day.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: It may be too vanilla for some.
Top Notes: Pink pepper, orange blossom, cloves | Middle Notes: Chestnut, guaiac wood, cade wood | Base Notes: Vanilla, Peru balm, cedarwood | Type: Eau de Toilette
Why it’s great: This amazing Dior Sauvage-inspired scent captures the unmistakable masculinity you’re after for a whopping $90 cheaper. Many say that it’s just as good as the original, and because it’s clean and outdoorsy fresh, it’s my favorite for an everyday signature cologne. It’s a classic fougere scent with a touch of sparkle from the highly nuanced star anise. An easy staple with serious longevity to last for hours.
Who is this for? If words like ‘classic’, ‘masculine’, and ‘fresh’ are your must-haves, then this Dossier perfume is for you.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Some find it to be a strong scent, which can be tempered with spritzes.
Top Notes: Bergamot, pepper, star anise | Middle Notes: Lavender, nutmeg, geranium | Base Notes: Patchouli, amberwood, vetiver | Type: Eau de Toilette
Why it’s great: By nature, oud scents are warm, earthy, and natural, but Fougere Oud feels unique. That’s because it takes a traditionally masculine fragrance structure and adds fougere elements like citrus and patchouli to add fresh and green notes to the mesmerizingly deep and warm spicy leather aspects of oud. This Dossier perfume is a gorgeous, tasteful, unisex scent that is a crowd-pleaser—not overwhelming, pleasant, and timeless.
Who is this for? Like a tall pine tree, the guy who wears this wants to be seen as comfortable, reliable and well-liked by all.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: I do wish that there was more longevity behind this scent.
Top Notes: Rosewood, tobacco, pink pepper, cardamom | Middle Notes: Oud, patchouli, vetiver | Base Notes: Tonka bean, labdanum, cedarwood | Type: Eau de Parfum
Why it’s great: Similar to Hermes Terre d’Hermes, this is a robust statement-maker that I picture on the mature man. It’s a reliable woody, aromatic green, and slightly smoky scent with vetiver root that gives it a resinous essence.
Notes of grapefruit and pepper boost the energetic freshness aspects of vetiver, while patchouli and oakmoss enhance its deep, earthy tones. The opening fades fast, but it lingers on the skin with a lovely flow that I would consider both fine and complex. This Dossier perfume is perfect for family events, special occasions, and smelling downright masculine.
Who is this for? For the older, sophisticated man who pictures himself as a trustworthy captain at sea.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Some feel that the scent doesn’t last very long.
Top Notes: Orange, grapefruit, pink pepper | Middle Notes: Black pepper, vetiver, geranium | Base Notes: Patchouli, Oakmoss, Benzoin | Type: Eau de Toilette
Buying Considerations for The Best Dossier Perfumes
Longevity
Nobody wants a cologne that fades fast. Fortunately, I’ve highlighted the longevity aspect of each Dossier perfume above. Some will give you an impressive 8–10 hours on the skin (looking at you, Amber Cherry and Woody Sandalwood); others peter out after 5–6 hours. That might not be a deal-breaker for you if you really love a scent, but it’s absolutely something to consider if you want a scent to last you all day and then some.
Season
Nothing is worse than spritzing on a warm, nutty, and sweet creamy cologne in the dog days of summer. Paying attention to the season a Dossier perfume shines best in, regardless of how great it smells, will save you a lot of strife and potential embarrassment. Luckily, there are plenty of Dossier perfumes on this list that work all year round, which makes an investment even more worth it.
Similarity to Luxury Brands
You might love a Dossier perfume because of the way it smells, but many people turn to the brand to get the same olfactory experience as a luxury offering without having to pay hundreds of dollars. So, how closely the inspired cologne smells to the original is important to people. If that matters to you, pay attention to that analysis of my descriptions and head over to the reviews for an even more in-depth comparison by customers who have already purchased and worn the cologne.
How We Chose
Plenty of perfume brands claim to offer clean scents that smell divine and last forever, but oftentimes, these claims are unfounded. So, wherever possible, I chose the best Dossier colognes that have garnered the highest ratings and pleased customers the most. I chose to highlight Dossier as a brand for several reasons. After sifting through their entire product catalog, I’m confident that I brought you my top 10 choices.
Price: Regardless of which Dossier perfume you choose, they all have great price points. That makes offering affordable, good value products pretty easy to readers.
Transparency: The best Dossier perfumes stand out because they are open about their operations, ingredients, and pricing. This makes me feel more comfortable promoting their scents to you.
Craftsmanship: Finally, Dossier focuses on ethically sourced ingredients in the perfume region of Grasse, France. All ingredients are high-quality without the staggering price tag.
Why Trust Us?
Thanks to copious amounts of research, in-house writer Rachel Cascella is a nose that knows best. She has combined nearly two decades in the fashion and beauty industry with her love of perfumes and penchant for study to bring you in-depth reviews and recommendations on the world’s most beloved and best-selling scents. She has already offered the very best from Coach and Calvin Klein, just to name a few big brands.
Final Verdict
The best Dossier perfumes should be long-lasting, smell great all year long, and project a slightly masculine vibe. Woody Sandalwood is my top pick because it does all of that while lending an air of comforting sensuality that has made it a best-seller.
FAQ
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Most people agree that Dossier perfumes are well-formulated, high-quality, and smell great, with some smelling identical to the scents they’re meant to duplicate.
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Following strict cosmetic safety recommendations, Dossier perfumes are ethical, sustainable, non-toxic, and cruelty-free.
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