Brand: Flavia
Unisex · EDP · £25
Inspired by Tom Ford Lost Cherry.
Tom Ford Lost Cherry vs Flavia Cherry Illusion

Cherry Illusion, formerly sold as Cherry Lust, is Flavia's interpretation of Tom Ford's Lost Cherry, matching that fragrance's bitter almond and black cherry opening over a jasmine sambac and Turkish rose heart. Product Overview Cherry Illusion is a unisex eau de parfum from Flavia, launched in 2023, built to capture one of Tom Ford's most celebrated modern releases. It opens on bitter almond, cherry and cherry liqueur, a rich, boozy fruit start that mirrors Lost Cherry's own signature black cherry and cherry liqueur pairing closely. Scent Profile The bitter almond and cherry opening is dark and syrupy rather than bright, cherry liqueur giving it a genuine boozy depth. Jasmine sambac and Turkish rose form the heart, a rich, opulent white and red floral pairing that softens the fruit without losing its intensity. The base is where Cherry Illusion builds real complexity, cedar, cinnamon, clove, patchouli, peru balsam, sandalwood, tonka bean, vetiver and vanilla together create a warm, spiced, resinous finish that closely tracks Lost Cherry's own sandalwood, vetiver and cedarwood drydown. Technical Structure and Development Bitter almond, cherry and cherry liqueur dominate the opening, dark and fruity. Within the first hour, jasmine sambac and Turkish rose take over, adding floral richness. From the mid point onward, the extensive spiced woody base settles in, and Cherry Illusion spends the majority of its wear in this dense, warm, resinous phase. Performance With a base this heavily built, Cherry Illusion performs well for its price point, projecting through the fruity floral opening before settling into a rich, long lasting skin scent from the spiced woody base. Wear Scenarios - Cooler weather and evening wear where a dark, boozy cherry suits the occasion - Anyone who wants Lost Cherry's DNA without Tom Ford's private blend price tag - Special occasions calling for a rich, memorable fruit floral signature - Layering with lighter florals or woods that could use a fruity, spiced anchor Scent Family Positioning Cherry Illusion sits in the boozy dark cherry gourmand lane defined by Tom Ford's Lost Cherry, one of the most widely interpreted modern niche fragrances, built on bitter almond and black cherry over a jasmine and rose heart and a dense spiced woody base. Inspired By and Style Comparisons A European retailer describes Cherry Illusion directly as a successful clone of Tom Ford Lost Cherry, and the note structure supports this closely, the bitter almond, cherry and cherry liqueur opening paired with jasmine sambac and Turkish rose is a close match to Lost Cherry's own celebrated pyramid, making this one of the more faithful interpretations in Flavia's catalogue on note matching grounds. Flankers and Variations Cherry Illusion was previously sold under the name Cherry Lust before being renamed, and exists within Flavia's catalogue alongside a separate release, Cherry Ghost, a distinct smoky cherry composition rather than a flanker of this fragrance. Market and Community Reception As a direct interpretation of one of Tom Ford's most talked about recent releases, Cherry Illusion benefits from strong underlying demand for the Lost Cherry style, with retailers explicitly marketing it on the strength of that connection. Its close note match to the original gives it a clear position within the crowded field of Lost Cherry interpretations, appealing to wearers seeking that specific boozy cherry and almond profile without the niche price tag.
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Style Lane
Maison Alhambra Lovely Cherie
Shared notes: Bitter Almond, Jasmine Sambac
See Maison Alhambra Lovely Cherie →
Flavia Peach Honey
Dossier Ambery Cherry
Inspired by Tom Ford Lost Cherry
1 review with an average rating of 7.2 out of 10.
Cherry Illusion positions itself within the decadent boozy-fruity gourmand territory popularized by high-end niche releases. The composition leans toward a rich, evening-appropriate profile, trading fresh fruitiness for a dense, liqueur-soaked cherry backed by bitter almond and warm florals. While the top notes emphasize sweetness and almond facets, the progression stabilizes around a resinous, spiced foundation of tonka, woods, and Peru balsam. The overall blend strikes a balance between mass accessibility and sultry niche architecture, avoiding excessive medicinal edges while maintaining the characteristic gourmand warmth. From a technical performance standpoint, Cherry Illusion delivers moderate longevity typical of entry-to-mid tier Eau de Parfum clones. Projection is prominent during the initial hour, driven by the volatile cherry and boozy synthetic accords, before retreating closer to the skin as the spiced woods emerge. Wearers can realistically anticipate a six-to-seven-hour total lifespan, functioning predominantly as an intimate scent bubble after the initial transition phase. Within the broader dupe market, Cherry Illusion serves as a budget-accessible alternative for enthusiasts seeking the Tom Ford Lost Cherry aesthetic without financial overextension. The competitive advantage lies primarily in its formulaic fidelity to the source pyramid, presenting a functional, recognizable approximation of the original profile. It suits autumn and winter evenings, social gatherings, and casual date nights, appealing largely to unisex fragrance wearers who favor deep, sweet, and resinous olfactory profiles.
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Flavia is owned, formulated, and manufactured by Sterling Perfumes, a massive and highly reputable fragrance conglomerate based in Dubai, UAE, which also owns sister brands like Armaf and Hamidi.
Most Flavia fragrances are formulated as heavy Eau de Parfum (EDP) or concentrated Extrait de Parfum strengths, providing an impressive average skin longevity of 6 to 8+ hours.
While Flavia creates several standalone Middle Eastern compositions, they are widely celebrated in the fragrance community for high-quality alternative inspirations (clones) of luxury niche fragrances.
Flavia Cherry Illusion is a dupe of Tom Ford Lost Cherry. It interprets the original scent profile using high quality alternative ingredients at a fraction of the price.
Flavia Cherry Illusion opens with Bitter Almond, Cherry, Cherry Liqueur, moves into Jasmine Sambac, Turkish Rose, and settles on a base of Cedar, Cinnamon, Clove, Patchouli, Peru Balsam, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Vetiver, Vanilla. It is built to capture the character of Tom Ford Lost Cherry.
Flavia Cherry Illusion is EDP with a community longevity score of 6.8 out of 10 and a scent accuracy score of 7.4 out of 10. It offers a budget friendly alternative to the original.
EDP stands for Eau de Parfum. It typically contains 15 to 20 percent fragrance concentration, giving stronger performance and longer longevity than EDT. Most Middle Eastern clone brands release their fragrances as EDP, which is a significant reason they tend to outperform designer equivalents in longevity and projection at a lower price point.
Extrait de parfum, also called pure parfum, contains the highest fragrance concentration, typically 20 to 40 percent. It lasts the longest, projects most richly, and develops the most complex dry-down. Bujairami releases all its fragrances as extraits, which is a significant part of why the brand has developed such a strong reputation for performance.
Maceration is the process of fragrance molecules fully integrating and settling after production. A newly bottled fragrance can smell sharp, synthetic, or unbalanced because the individual ingredients have not yet harmonised. Leaving a bottle to settle for two to four weeks is standard practice in the fragrance community. Remove the cap and let the bottle breathe overnight to accelerate the process. Most heavy Middle Eastern releases benefit significantly from maceration.
A blind buy is purchasing a fragrance without having smelled it first, based on notes, reviews, community consensus, and comparisons to fragrances you already know. The Atlas compare tool, scent accuracy scores, and community reviews are specifically designed to reduce the risk of a disappointing blind buy by giving you data before you spend money.