Midday light, clean dry air, the feel of sun-dried cotton against skin — Sun Bleached hovers like an atmosphere. Citrus and ginger snap like fresh laundry in the breeze. Ylang-ylang, jasmine, and magnolia glide smoothly through the warmth. Ambroxan and white musk conjure neither powder nor soap — just a clean-skin aura.
Best MEM by Bogue Alternatives & Similar Perfumes
MEM by Bogue is an oriental fougère that blends multiple variants of lavender with citrus notes like grapefruit and mandarin, layered over a complex base of animalic and resinous elements such as civet, castoreum, ambergris, and labdanum. Floral touches of ylang-ylang, champaca, rose, and geranium add depth alongside warm woods and vanilla. Those attracted to MEM should focus on fragrances that balance aromatic lavender and citrus with animalic and amber-rich accords for a similarly sophisticated experience.
Love In A Mist by NuWilds £66.67
- Key notes:
- cardamom
- grapefruit
- lavender
- mint
- rosemary
- vetiver
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
This fragrance captures the essence of a Chinese summer — the tingling mint and cool eucalyptus of dusky mountain air, the aromatics of shiso, lavender and chamomile as the darkness deepens, the grounding woods and greens of cypress, vetiver and galbanum. A dream of summer rewritten — nostalgic and gently magical.
Perfumer: Jin Yongshan
Brume d'été by Marie Jeanne £50.00
- Key notes:
- lavender
- mandarin
- peppermint
- petitgrain
- rosemary
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- citrusy
Perfume: Sidonie Lancesseur
A body mist with refreshing essential oils of mandarin, rosemary and petitgrain. Marie Jeanne created a fairly novel format of a very gentle, pleasant mist which lends a boost of citrus freshness to sooth and delight the senses and mind.
Shiny Amber by Anna Zworykina £108.33
- Key notes:
- ambergris
- benzoin
- champaca
- vanilla
- yuzu
- Aromagroups:
- vintage/old school
- woody
Anna's blends are more like smell experiences or perfume escapes, pure fun for connoisseurs looking for something beyond perfumes created with the help of modern synthetic materials.
Being natural only blends, the perfumes have a very peculiar projection: close to skin, quiet but excitingly complex upon a closer sniff.
Please note: 15 ml and 8 ml EdPs come with a spray and the 4.5 ml perfume comes in a tiny splash bottle.
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Please be aware that natural perfumery has to be patch tested before continual wear.
(these fragrant materials reanacted the Shiny Amber story):
Neroli e.o.
Ginger fresh e.o.
Lemon juice e.o.
Yuzu bitter e.o.
Jasmine sambac abs
Benzoin e.o.
Benzoin abs.
Vanilla CO2 extract
Champaka CO2 extract
Labdanum abs.
Tonka bean abs.
Saffron abs.
Important notice:
Anna Zworykina’s blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes). Her blends are sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).
Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in her 100% natural perfumes may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Anna Zworykina’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). This said, Anna Zworykina has acquired a huge fan base over many years and people interacted with her blends for quite a while now. We are not aware of any reports of any skin reactions so far.
However, Anna advises that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.
Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Anna’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.
Civet by Zoologist £200.00
- Key notes:
- amber
- civet
- coffee
- labdanum
- orange
- ylang-ylang
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- leather
- unconventional
As the sun sinks over the dense tropical forest, civets emerge warily from the thickets. Under a carpet of narcotic flower blossoms, a smattering of coffee berries peppers the ground. The moist air is heavy with mossy aromas that penetrate every crevice, but the musky scent of the civets dominates; their marked territory daring one to enter at one’s own risk.
Civet pays homage to the age-old ingredient, civet, as well as chypre perfumes of bygone days – perfumes that refused to be intimidated by raw, alluring, animalistic musks. Civet is a moody and complex brew entwined in mystery. It opens with a spicy floral accord, threaded through with dark coffee tones. Slowly it prowls forward, unraveling base notes of leather, moss and vanilla that combines with distinctive civet musk to create a bewildering, sophisticated scent with the promise of a sultry nighttime rendezvous.
Perfumer: Shelley Waddington
Divine Dancer by Exaltatum £108.33
- Key notes:
- champaca
- galbanum
- magnolia
- musk
- rose
- sandalwood
- violet
- violet leaf
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- vintage/old school
I was inspired while visiting Kew Gardens in London in May. Every May there are hundreds of blooming magnolia trees in different sorts, sizes, scents and colours. Usually it is a very rainy season and my inspiration was to create a scent of the water and rain on magnolia trees.
The symbol of this modern perfume is an American modern dance pioneer Ruth St. Denis. She is not only a very talented performer, but also very feminine.
Divine Dancer is an ethereal, watercoloured, light, fresh, feminine floral perfume. It is modern and vivacious fruity floral scent .
The Divine Dancer perfume is dedicated to one of the first American modern dance and ballet performers Ruth St. Denis.
Her vibrant and spirited art of dance, influenced by the East and South Asia, her divine body move and incredible costumes made Ruth St. Denis a worldwide well known star. Her body projects as Temple of femininity.
When the dancer emerged from the darkness of the stage, her presence was immediately captivating, the air suddenly fragrant with her appearance. Adorned in jewels from head to toe, radiant in a special gold sari, her hair crowned in jasmine, she is an embodiment of divine feminine, mirroring the images of goddesses of Lakshmi and Saraswati but with the talented Ruth St. Denis touch of modern dance and ballet movement.
T-Rex by Zoologist £200.00
- Key notes:
- animalic notes
- cade
- champaca
- civet
- fir balsam
- laurel
- patchouli
- smoke
- vanilla
- Aromagroups:
- leather
- unconventional
- woody
A sultry heat wafts across the land, lapped up greedily by the abundant flora that thrives in its midst. Trees soar to majestic heights and plants flower for the first time, their petals spreading to give birth to a world rich in diversity. The Cretaceous period comes of age against a backdrop scorched by wildfire and lightning strikes. Over this turbulent landscape, a massive predator looms. Giants rule the earth, but even giants can be cut down within the powerful jaws of the fearsome tyrannosaur. Standing tall, the terrifying beast fears nothing, until that pivotal moment when a fire in the sky signals the end of their deadly reign.
Zoologist Tyrannosaurus Rex is a gargantuan scent that sinks its teeth into the world of delicate fragrances and rips it wide open. Primitive woods and florals seize you and snatch you away to an ancient era. Smoky, charred wood warns of the danger of smouldering fire, setting your senses on edge, while droplets of metallic rose oxide offer a chilling premonition of blood-lust. The mighty Tyrannosaurus Rex is sometimes menacing, sometimes fascinating, but never, ever ordinary.
Resonant by Oddity £141.67
- Key notes:
- ambergris
- gaiac / guaiac wood
- ginger
- metallic notes
- petitgrain
- yuzu
- Aromagroups:
- citrusy
- green
- marine
A kaleidoscope of metal, volume and zest, with zest provided by yuzu. Alive in an ethereal dream of shimmering clarity, Resonant pulses with addictive hot iron and ozonic citrus, sharpened with ginger.
Master perfumer
David Chieze
Sun Bleached by Insenf £104.17
- Key notes:
- ginger
- mandarin
- sun lotion
- white musk
- ylang-ylang
- Aromagroups:
- citrusy
- marine
Nerosa by Laboratorio Olfattivo £100.00
- Key notes:
- castoreum
- chypre
- geranium
- labdanum
- leather
- oud
- rose
- Aromagroups:
- floral
- green
- spicy
David Maruitte
“Nerosa is a perfume realized with David Maruitte in 2011, but at that time we believed that Laboratorio Olfattivo was not yet ready to launch a fragrance like this. Today instead, Nerosa can perfectly enter in our Black Collection, thanks to the depth, wealth and strength of its formula. A fragrance whose energy is noticeable and whose enveloping sillage is strong.”
Roberto Drago
Kajal III by Kajal £162.50
- Key notes:
- ambroxan
- grapefruit
- lavender
- lemon
- neroli
- rosemary
- Aromagroups:
- aromatic
- citrusy
Symbolically, three is a powerful number which represents the wholeness of a completed cycle — the past, the present, the future. We are not defined by our hardships, but by how we confront them: the discipline of optimism, the courage of resolve. Kajal III, with its burst of ginger and citrus anchored by cleansing lavender and enfolding amber, has been created to honor all forms of determination and fortitude.
Perfumer: Kevin Mathis
About MEM by Bogue
- What makes MEM by Bogue distinctive within the oriental fougère family?
- MEM combines multiple lavender variations with a rich blend of animalic notes like civet and castoreum, alongside ambergris and a complex floral heart. This combination creates a unique balance of aromatic freshness and deep, resinous warmth not commonly found in typical oriental fougères.
- How does MEM differ from the fragrances listed here?
- While each fragrance shares some notes with MEM, none replicate its full complexity. MEM is distinguished by its layered lavender variants, animalic components, and a resinous ambergris base, resulting in a multifaceted oriental fougère that these alternatives approach only partially.
- Are these similar fragrances suitable for those sensitive to animalic notes?
- Some fragrances on this list, such as Civet, T-Rex, and Nerosa, feature pronounced animalic elements similar to MEM and may not be suitable for sensitive individuals. Others, like Brume d'été and Resonant, offer fresher, cleaner profiles with less or no animalic intensity.









