Fragranova
Fragrances Similar to YVES SAINT LAURENT NU
Same accord family · 12 picks ranked by shared notes
Quick Answer
The strongest note-overlap match is Nabeel Al Bashiq, sharing 7 core notes. Note overlap is not the same as identical smell, but if you love Nu's structure, these are its closest neighbors in our catalog.
Shared notes ≠ identical smell. We rank by overlap in accords and notes, but two fragrances can share most ingredients and still smell distinct (concentration, ratios, and the perfumer's hand all matter). Picks with a Verified Clone badge are mapped by our community as true smell-alikes; the rest sit in the same olfactory family.
Yves Saint Laurent Nu is built on warm spicy, fresh spicy and aromatic. Below are 12 fragrances from our catalog that share the most of that note structure. None of the picks below are designated clones. They share notes and accord structure with Nu, but two fragrances can share notes and still smell distinct. Treat this as "same family", not "same smell".
Same Olfactory Family
Shared notesThese share Nu's accord family and note structure. None are community-verified clones, so think of them as "in the same neighborhood" rather than "identical smell".
- #1
Nabeel · 2022AL BASHIQ
join_inner 14 shared notesstar 4.1 / 5 (1588)Shared accords: woody, aromatic, fresh spicy, balsamicShared notes: Bergamot, Vetiver, Cardamom, Incense, Musk - #2
Calvin Klein · 1985OBSESSION
join_inner 14 shared accordsstar 3.7 / 5 (33827)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Bergamot, Vetiver, Incense, Musk, Jasmine - #3
Gucci · 1998ENVY FOR MEN
join_inner 14 shared accordsstar 4.5 / 5 (11442)Shared accords: woody, powdery, aromatic, fresh spicyShared notes: Vetiver, Cardamom, Incense, Musk, Jasmine - #4
Oscar de la Renta · 1977OSCAR
join_inner 13 shared accordsstar 3.9 / 5 (7706)Shared accords: woody, powdery, aromatic, fresh spicyShared notes: Bergamot, Vetiver, Musk, Jasmine, Sandalwood - #5
Eisenberg · 2000I AM
join_inner 13 shared accordsstar 3.9 / 5 (6583)Shared accords: woody, powdery, aromatic, floralShared notes: Black Pepper, Bergamot, Vetiver, Musk, Jasmine - #6
Halston · 1975HALSTON CLASSIC
join_inner 13 shared accordsstar 4.1 / 5 (5949)Shared accords: woody, powdery, aromatic, floralShared notes: Bergamot, Vetiver, Incense, Musk, Jasmine - #7
Balmain Beauty · 1979IVOIRE DE BALMAIN
join_inner 13 shared accordsstar 4.1 / 5 (4142)Shared accords: woody, powdery, aromatic, floralShared notes: Bergamot, Vetiver, Incense, Musk, Jasmine - #8
Maison Alhambra · 2022NO. 2 MEN
join_inner 13 shared accordsstar 4.3 / 5 (517)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Bergamot, Vetiver, Cardamom, Incense, Musk - #9
Afnan · 2016TRIBUTE BLUE
join_inner 13 shared accordsstar 4.2 / 5 (2205)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, aromaticShared notes: Bergamot, Vetiver, Incense, Musk - #10
La Perla · 1987LA PERLA
join_inner 13 shared notesstar 4.3 / 5 (4093)Shared accords: woody, aromatic, floral, fresh spicyShared notes: Bergamot, Vetiver, Cardamom, Incense, Musk - #11
Zoologist Perfumes · 2017CAMEL
join_inner 12 shared accordsstar 3.9 / 5 (10069)Shared accords: woody, powdery, musky, balsamicShared notes: Vetiver, Incense, Musk, Jasmine, Sandalwood - #12
Penhaligon's · 2005OPUS 1870
join_inner 13 shared accordsstar 4.3 / 5 (6459)Shared accords: woody, powdery, aromatic, fresh spicyShared notes: Bergamot, Cardamom, Incense, Musk, Sandalwood
How we rank, and why this isn't a dupe list
We rank by a weighted overlap of dominant accords (50% of the score), shared notes across all pyramid positions (30%), and shared base notes specifically (20%). Base notes carry weight because they drive what you smell hours into the wear.
But shared ingredients don't guarantee identical smell. Two fragrances can list the same notes and still smell completely different. The perfumer's ratios, the materials they sourced, and the supporting molecules all change the result. That's why we split this page into two sections.
Verified Clones are fragrances our community has explicitly mapped to Nu in our Clone Lab. These are the only picks on this page we'd call true smell-alikes. The Same Family picks share its note structure but should be treated as "if you like Nu, you may like..." rather than direct dupes.
Looking for verified dupes specifically? Visit the Clone Lab for community-mapped alternatives across the catalog.