The end of winter draws closer (it is technically already spring even if it does not feel like it). I figured that now would be a good time to discuss one of the more popular winter scents in my online and real-world social circles: By the Fireplace by Maison Margiela. More specifically, I would like to put together a recommendation list for fans of BTF who are looking to expand their horizons or take that "next step" in their fragrance journey.
Several fragrance content creators and influencers have done recommendation lists, taking one popular fragrance and listing similar things that people might enjoy. Personally, I am a fan of The Fragrance Apprentice's "If You Like _____, then You Might Like These 5 Fragrances" series on YouTube, so I will be borrowing that format for this discussion. No, I did not and will not ask for permission, please go touch grass.
We will be covering five different categories for these recommendations.
1. Clone - A fragrance that is a very close duplicate of the original product.
2. Alternative With a Twist - A fragrance that is similar to the original product, but ultimately takes a different approach.
3. Note Sibling - A fragrance that shares a prominent note/ingredient with the original.
4. Further Adventure - The logical "next step."
5. Wild Card - A fragrance that you may or may not actually like if you enjoy the original, a recommendation for the more adventurous folks.
By the Fireplace is a woody, vanilla fragrance that captures the essence of its name, opening strong with warm smokiness and settling down into something cozy and sweet. Wearing it is like roasting marshmallows in the cabin during a winter storm. Although it is something I enjoy, it can get cloying when it is not absolutely freezing outside, so I have never owned more than a travel-sized amount.
Maybe you are like me, and you appreciate the scent for what it is but you can not bring yourself to wear it as often as you would like. Maybe you absolutely love it and are close to finishing up your bottle, and you are open to buying something different. Either way, there is something in this list for you.
Clone: Campfire Nights by Alexandria Fragrances
Finding a straight-up clone of BTF was a bit challenging, as there are plenty of similar scents out there, but few that can be interpreted as identical. I would take this recommendation with a grain of salt; it is the only one I have not smelled for myself. But Alexandria is a pretty well-known cloning operation, and many Fragrantica reviews generally say it is the closest to BTF than some of the other comparisons you can find on the website. It is also cheaper and evidently a better performer.
Alternative With a Twist: A Whiff of Waffle Cone by Imaginary Authors
If you are like me, and find BTF to be a bit too cloying and heavy, then I would recommend this. AWOWC takes the smokey and sweet woodiness of BTF and dials it all the way down for a softer, more personal experience. Its woody profile comes from the note of amyris, which makes it less dessert-ish than its name implies. Some people have said that the woodiness creates a celery-like accord for them, so just keep that in mind when sampling this. Other pros include decent longevity and a solid price point ($65).
Note Sibling: Stronger With You Absolutely by Emporio Armani - Chestnut
This was a challenge. I own plenty of fragrances that share BTF's top notes of pink pepper and orange blossom, but all of them are too different to make an earnest comparison. The middle note of chestnut is one of the more prominent accords, but I do not own any chestnut fragrances. What I did own, however, was a sample of Stronger With You Intensely. For the purposes of this discussion, it should be a decent proxy to Stronger With You Absolutely, the fragrance that actually does have a chestnut note in its composition along with the shared note of vanilla. It is not cheating if I make the rules.
But yes, Stronger With You Absolutely is a warm and thickly sweet gourmand fragrance. Comforting and mass-appealing, you are given the boozy accords of rum instead of smoke and fire. Out of all of these selections, it is the most different in terms of objective smell, but still the most functionally similar.
Further Adventure: Oud Mood by Lattafa
Hear me out. A rose, saffron, and oud fragrance? Why would this be the next step after finishing my bottle of BTF? What makes Oud Mood special is how it takes the classic Middle Eastern formula and marries it with the smokey, woody, and sweet identity of BTF. It has a distinctly different opening from BTF, as one would expect, but over its journey it takes you to a warm bonfire and offers you a plate of sweet, unfamiliar desserts that are ultimately delicious. Also, it is extremely inexpensive with no sacrifice to its quality or performance, lasting at least 12 hours on my skin.
Wild Card - Split Decision: Memoirs of a Trespasser and A City on Fire by Imaginary Authors.
This is technically cheating, I know what I said earlier. But many adventurous people have their own limits or boundaries. So I am offering two options, one for the mildly adventurous, and one for the most audacious.
Memoirs of a Trespasser is a pretty popular selection in the fragrance community. It takes the principles of BTF and takes them in the indie/niche realm. Wearing this is like sitting by the fireplace while surrounded by hundreds of dusty old books. A cake has just been removed from the oven in the neighboring kitchen, ready to be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is quite pleasant, but the notes of clay and benzoin make the "old book" vibe prominent, so it is a relatively challenging wear. You may love it, you may hate it. Get your hands on a sample.
A City on Fire is a fragrance for the most chaotic of us. It is the spirit of Darth Maul in his relentless pursuit of revenge against Obi-Wan Kenobi (and everyone else). The fireplace in By The Fireplace just lost control and has now set the whole block on fire. Smoke and ash, smoke, ash, smoke, and of course, more ash. That is just the opening. It settles into something more of a barbecue pit. Eventually you might pick up a whiff of some wild berries. This is a shining example of what we mean when say that Fragrance is art. It is different, it is bold, but it is well-crafted and intentional. If you want to choose violence, choose this.
So yeah. I had a lot of fun coming up with this list, and I want to offer my thanks to George aka The Fragrance Apprentice for creating this cool concept. If you like this concept, and you want to see more, check out his channel here, and let me know if there are other fragrances you would like me to build recommendations around.
Be well.
-The Fragrance Maven
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