This viral M&S scent smells just like Le Labo's Santal 33 - for £150 less

With similar warm and woody notes, this budget M&S fragrance is a close match to the iconic Santal 33 scent...

M&S Le Labo Santal 33 dupe
(Image credit: Le Labo)

On the hunt for a scent similar to Le Labo Santal 33? While the iconic perfume is beloved for its signature blend of warm woods and florals, a bottle of the smokey scent will set you back £168. However, according to TikTok, M&S offers a very comparable fragrance, for a fraction of the price.

Widely regarded as one of the best perfumes for women (whilst also being a unisex scent) Le Labo's Santal 33's good-smelling reputation truly proceeds it, with its warm blend of cardamon, Australian sandalwood, cedarwood iris and violet. 

Its musky and leathery dry down is truly the epitome of an autumn perfume but as mentioned, it is on the pricier side - costing £168 for 1.7 fluid ounces. Luckily though, fragrance lovers on TikTok have stumbled across a very close match to Le Labo's iconic 'skin-scent', over in M&S' beauty department.

The perfume in question is the Apothecary Warmth eau de parfum, which costs just £10  for 1.69 fluid ounces- compared to Santal 33's £168 price point - and offers similar notes of cardamom, cedarwood and sandalwood, along with a dash of spicy cinnamon. This is actually just one of the many best Marks and Spencer perfumes said to smell similar to other designer options.

@skin.ting

♬ original sound - Chloé 🧡

TikTok user @skin.ting said of the perfume, "It literally smells exactly the same, run do not walk," while another shopper chimed in the comments: "I can confirm this smells just like it!!! I ordered 3 and I'm so glad I did."

A third also added, "I have been saying this...IT'S IDENTICAL!!" However they did warn that the scent doesn't last as long as the original, so bear that in mind. If you're looking for ways to ensure your perfume lasts longer though, make sure to stop rubbing your wrists together and try layering it with a scent body lotion. 

Naturally, once this M&S perfume reached viral status on the app, with Le Labo fans catching wind of the affordable alternative, it swiftly sold out in stores but we're pleased to announce that it's back in stock online!

And, in case you already own this particular alternative or want to expand your collection of musky scents, there's another perfume garnering attention for its Santal 33-like aroma, this time from ZARA. 

Costing just £25.99, ZARA's Energetically New York offers a comparable blend of cardamom, jasmine and sandalwood and is part of the retailer's collaboration with Jo Loves. So, if you love Jo Malone perfumes, this could be a game-changer.

Naomi Jamieson
Digital Beauty Writer

Naomi is a Digital Beauty Writer from woman&home, where she covers everything from skincare to fragrance but specialises, particularly, in makeup and nail trends. Through her work, Naomi gets to share her trend expertise and share her own shopping recommendations and product reviews. Previously, she worked as a Lifestyle News Writer for My Imperfect Life magazine, where she used her savvy for TikTok to bring readers the latest beauty buzzwords, fashion movements and must-have products. 

Before that, Naomi split her time between both GoodTo and My Imperfect Life, whilst training for her Gold Standard diploma in Journalism with the NCTJ, for which she earned a Distinction. Interestingly though, Naomi actually has a background in design, having studied illustration at Plymouth University but leapt into the media world in 2020, after always having a passion for writing. Now, when she isn’t reporting on the best perfumes and latest beauty releases, you can find her drinking copious cups of coffee, drawing and probably online shopping...