Why Aussies are flocking to this 'hidden gem' at the back of a convenience store in Sydney
- A perfume prodigy is wowing fans with his handmade dupes of popular scents
- READ MORE: The hidden Japanese convenience store in Sydney
A humble grocery store in Sydney is the home of a master perfumer with a reputation for making on-the-spot dupes of any fragrance.
A world of scent lies at the end of the Rockdale convenience store's grocery aisle, where Ali Jalloul of Jalu Fragrances promises 'A-grade inspiration' dupes, made to order.
With bottles filled with every kind of exotic perfume, the colourful counter looks like the home of a mad scientist with a fancy for fragrance - and it has been pulling in droves of fans from all over Sydney since it opened three years ago.
Safa Abouradi's visit to the scent shop famed for 'amazing perfume dupes' was viewed 1.1 million times after being posted on TikTok.
Safa, who has worn Yves Saint Laurent's best-selling Black Opium fragrance for five years, requested a dupe of her favourite scent.
Ali had only to smell the luxury women's fragrance beloved for its notes of intense coffee and seductive florals for a few moments before telling Safa: 'I know I can make it.'
After twenty minutes of mixing and tweaking different scents, Mr Jalloul had perfected his clone of the YSL designer perfume which retails at $282 for 90 ml.
'This is me trying the perfume and let me tell you, it was identical, I've been wearing Black Opium for five years and I know how it smells,' a delighted Safa said.
Ali Jalloul of Jalu Fragrances mixes custom blended and designer dupe perfume from his busy counter at the back of a Sydney convenience store
Perfumer Ali Jalloul took only twenty minutes to recreate the coffee-floral scent of YSL's best seller, Black Opium
Safa Abouradi couldn't believe how accurate the Jalu Fragrance dupe of her YSL favourite was
Jalu Fragrances is easy to miss, hidden at the back of Nobby's Discount store in Rockdale
Ali Jalloul has been obsessed with fragrances ever since he was a child, and has been making perfume dupes for Sydneysiders in the know for three years
'When I say I've found a hidden gem - I really mean it,' she added.
People commenting were impressed to discover that the Sydney perfumer charged Safa $70 for his version of Black Opium - over $200 cheaper than the original.
Fans of Jalu Fragrances agree that Ali has an uncanny ability to replicate most popular fragrances.
'Almost all of his fragrances that I have tried are really close to the originals, two that I own are clones of Louis Vuitton Ombre Nomad and Imagination, and both are great,' one man said.
'He's lovely and the perfumes are spot on,' another woman agreed.
Ali Jalloul of Jalu Fragrances mixing perfume to order at the back of a Rockdale convenience store
Jalu Fragances make dupes of well loved classics by Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent and Chanel
One fragrance lover was excited to discover that it was possible to recreate a favourite, discontinued scent.
'OMG, I have a tiny bit left of a perfume that isn't made anymore! Definitely going to check this out.'
The Jalu Fragrance website lists an extensive range of 'for him' and 'for her' fragrances with many replications of best selling scents from brands such as Tom Ford, Chanel and Louis Vuitton.
People wanting to know if the dupes lasted as long as the original perfumes were told that the scents lingered for as long, or even longer.
Mr Jalloul spoke to Femail about his obsession with scent that began when he was a child smelling his mothers and fathers fragrances.
The first perfume he ever loved was Black XS by Paco Rabanne.
While Ali can recreate fragrances from smell, he typically relies on formulas to keep up with demand for his perfumes which has been exploding in recent years.
Mr Jalloul names Baccarat Rogue 540 by Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Creed by Adventus as his most requested women's and men's dupes.
Jalu Fragrances can be found tucked away at the back of Nobby's Discount Store in the southern Sydney suburb of Rockdale.
The current cost of living crisis has seen a rise in the popularity of designer dupes - with many people having to cut back on luxury spending as mortgages, rents and grocery prices skyrocket.
Beauty dupes from bargain retailers such as Kmart continue to be popular with cash strapped Aussies.
