The Bug by Lush

Best The Bug by Lush Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

The Bug by Lush is an aromatic aquatic fragrance combining the sharp freshness of elemi and galbanum with spicy black pepper and warm labdanum. Its base of sandalwood and tonka beans adds creamy depth and subtle sweetness. Those drawn to The Bug's balance of resinous, spicy, and woody notes may find interest in fragrances highlighting elemi, galbanum, and sandalwood with varying smoky, fresh, or sensual accents.

New to Bloom? Get 10% off your first order with code NICHE10
1
Berbera

Berbera by Nissaba £125.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.67
  • Key notes:
  • black pepper
  • elemi
  • incense
  • myrrh
  • pink pepper
  • smoke
  • Tags:
  • #smoky
  • Aromagroups:
  • spicy
  • woody

The finest gum extracts from Somaliland — frankincense, myrrh and opoponax — combine in this resinous and sophisticated scent. Berbera is a powerful woody amber suitable for layering, as is common in the Middle East, as well as a standalone manifesto. Opoponax brings nuances of leather and old wood, myrrh swirls in a cola note, and frankincense soars high and dry. A charred-around-the-edges fragrance to uplift your soul and deepen your mystique.

2
Liqueur Charnelle

Liqueur Charnelle by Pierre Guillaume Black Collection £116.67

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • cedarwood
  • cognac
  • elemi
  • pink pepper
  • tobacco
  • tonka beans
  • Tags:
  • #sexy
  • Aromagroups:
  • spicy
  • woody

The five major aromas that give Cognac its unique flavor are vanilla, prune, caramel, orange and apricot. Some can also detects floral and fruity notes in its bouquet, such as dried linden blossom, vine blossom, dry vine shoots and pressed grape with hints of violet and vanilla.

Inspired by this cornucopia of notes, Liqueur Charnelle is a voluptuous, deeply sensual accord in which the perfumer offers a “cognac bouquet” of spices, blond tobacco and powdery woods. Suave and vibrant pink pepper, elemi and black pepper enhance tonka bean and raspberry notes…

Pair this perfume with the indulgent Liqueur Charnelle hand and body wash infused with the same fragrance.

3
401 Prune Velours

401 Prune Velours by Bon Parfumeur £50.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £3.33
  • Key notes:
  • cinnamon
  • elemi
  • sandalwood
  • Aromagroups:
  • edible
  • woody

A boozy, sparkling amber in a company of sandalwood and delectable dry fruits.

Bon Parfumeur open olfactive dimensions and invite you to add your own story. Try 401 if you like iridescent voluminous ambers hinting at ambergris, candied fruit nuances and sweet boozy sandal.

Perfumer: Nathalie Koobus

4
Breathe Out 01.02

Breathe Out 01.02 by Neydo £66.67

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £4.17
  • Key notes:
  • elemi
  • frangipani
  • incense
  • sandalwood
  • sea salt
  • snow accord
  • Tags:
  • #clean
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • marine
  • woody

In your dream, you’re an alpine snowboarder. The fresh air gives you a headrush as you carve effortlessly through the pristine snow. A cave emerges, and you unclip your board to enter the darkened space, overwhelmed by the unexpected sensation of salty steam billowing out of the hidden hot spring. The air has a metallic quality. Breathe Out conjures a kaleidoscope of contradictory sensations—the chilly bite of mountain air, the mineral steam of geysers, and the heady tropical sunshine of frangipani, summoning the paradox of nature’s tranquility against its danger.

Perfumer: Soizic Beaucourt

5
Sous Le Pont Mirabeau

Sous Le Pont Mirabeau by Etat Libre d'Orange £129.17

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • ambergris
  • cedarwood
  • elemi
  • fig
  • sandalwood
  • sea salt
  • violet leaf
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • fruity
  • marine
  • woody

L'espérance est violente.

Mirabeau, what a pretty word, peculiarly Parisian, suspended above the Seine. It composes a memory, joins another bank, and returns by following its trail of sandalwood, pink bay and cedar. In the heart of the City of Light, on the way to the twilight of the day, there is a bridge, a poem and a perfume.

A discreet and symbolic bridge, of the master-builder spirit which transcends borders, becoming better by coming together. Those solid foundations of cedar, sandalwood and orcanox span love and musk.

A poem as slow as it is violent, expressing the brutal and desirable hope of the one who would like to believe, of the one who wants to love. Vanilla, I write your name on the water, with muffled traces of incense and violet green.

A perfume to save us, fish us silently out of the water, bringing us above the Seine, our spirits on the water of our essences, bergamot and pink berry mingled with fig in a glass bottle, fiercely reuniting bodies in unison with souls, coming back to her by following her wake.

6
Hey Bitch!

Hey Bitch! by Ourte £95.83

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • black pepper
  • labdanum
  • leather
  • orris (iris root)
  • sandalwood
  • vanilla
  • Tags:
  • #beast
  • #sexy
  • Aromagroups:
  • edible
  • leather
  • woody

“Hey Bitch! You smell fucking good.” In Perfume World, that’s what we call a result. Hey Bitch! raises eyebrows with its dissonance between buttery, blowsy orange blossom and tough, bitter leather. Tangy rhubarb at the top snaps its fingers in your face, before dissolving into a blur of suedey iris and milky sandalwood. The dance between bitter and sweet keeps you on your toes throughout, conjuring hints of…what? Photocopier ink? Coffee? For sure it conjures ambered black leather, Bitch!

7
Panorama

Panorama by Olfactive Studio £116.67

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • fir
  • galbanum
  • labdanum
  • violet leaf
  • wasabi
  • Aromagroups:
  • green
  • woody

 

For their 7th fragrance, Olfactive Studio have taken inspiration from a photograph of the famous Sheats-Goldstein house in L.A. Built in the 1960s by architect John Lautner the house is built into the hillside, creating a seamless link between the natural environment and a man-made structure.

Panorama opens with an unusual savoury accord of spicy wasabi, creating a hot haze that shimmers over a lush canopy of cut grass, bamboo and lemon.

Bright fig illuminates the densely green undergrowth before fading into a smooth warm base of myrrh and labdanum whilst fir balsam echoes the urban rainforest of the opening notes.

Panorama, an olfactory view like no other.

8
Autoportrait

Autoportrait by Olfactive Studio £116.67

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • elemi
  • oakmoss
  • vetiver
  • Aromagroups:
  • woody

A fresh woody perfume with crisp cedar and oakmoss in the coniferous company of elemi and frankincense resins. Autoportrait is a good example of how frankincense can be used in a modern way for its fresh coniferous value, without going into a churchy or oriental interpretation.

9
Bo

Bo by Liis £133.33

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.67
  • Key notes:
  • cedarwood
  • elemi
  • incense
  • tobacco
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • #savory
  • Aromagroups:
  • woody

There is a California artist enclave where residents regularly remove the road signs to get there — a hidden bohemia. Redwood pine, cedar and guaiac wood evoke the coastal forest. Incense, tobacco and vanilla beans bring the town to life. Wear Bo for IYKYK mystique.

10
Dangerosa

Dangerosa by Reserve en Afrique 1934 £125.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.67
  • Key notes:
  • artemisia
  • elemi
  • frankincense
  • geranium
  • rose
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral
  • green
  • woody

Enter the realm of dangerous flora, where flowers bloom hungrily and fatal nectar beckons. Beneath smooth leaves, sharp thorns await. This is nature’s exquisite revenge, where beauty becomes an irresistible danger. This fragrance opens with the peppery-lemon of elemi and bitter green artemisia. A bloody rose unfurls alongside its scent kin Egyptian geranium, their metallic facets softened by velvety osmanthus. Resin, incense and woods lends authority. 


Réserve en Afrique eaux de parfum feature responsibly sourced naturals, and are free from parabens, phthalates, UV filters and colorants. Their natural alcohol base is derived from beetroots, and they are a PETA-listed vegan & cruelty-free brand.

About The Bug by Lush

What makes The Bug by Lush unique among aromatic aquatic fragrances?
The Bug combines sharp resinous notes like elemi and galbanum with spicy black pepper and warm labdanum, sandalwood, and tonka beans. This creates a balanced aromatic aquatic scent that feels both fresh and warmly textured.
How do the fragrances similar to The Bug differ from it overall?
While they share key notes like elemi, sandalwood, galbanum, and black pepper, these fragrances introduce distinct elements such as incense, tobacco, fig, or leather. These differences shift the character toward smoky, fresh, sexy, or green directions rather than duplicating The Bug’s exact profile.
Are these fragrances suitable for someone who enjoys the fresh aquatic aspect of The Bug?
Several fragrances listed offer fresh or aquatic nuances, such as Breathe Out 01.02 and Sous Le Pont Mirabeau, which include sea salt and fresh green notes. However, others lean more into smoky, woody, or sensual qualities, so choice depends on the specific aspect of The Bug you prefer.