DKNY Golden Delicious by Donna Karan

Best DKNY Golden Delicious by Donna Karan Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

DKNY Golden Delicious by Donna Karan is a floral woody musk fragrance featuring a crisp apple top note complemented by orange blossom and lily-of-the-valley. The heart blends lily, orchid, and rose, resting on a warm base of sandalwood, cedarwood, prunes, and musk. Those drawn to a fresh yet creamy floral with fruity facets should consider the balance of green apple, white florals, and soft woods when exploring similar scents.

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

Bergamask by Orto Parisi £155.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £8.00
  • Key notes:
  • lemon
  • lilac
  • lily-of-the-valley
  • musk
  • orange blossom
  • white musk
  • Tags:
  • #beast
  • #clean
  • Aromagroups:
  • citrusy
  • floral
  • woody

A rampage through a fantasy meadow. Lily-of-the-valley, orange blossom and lavender are crushed underfoot as you run riot across beauty. Lilac and lemon assert themselves in the carnage. Tonka bean and white musk ensures that this extrait strength perfume stays and plays.

2
Experimentum Crucis

Experimentum Crucis by Etat Libre d'Orange £240.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £8.00
  • Key notes:
  • apple
  • musk
  • patchouli
  • rose
  • Aromagroups:
  • aromatic
  • floral
  • woody

A rapturous rose, apple and patchouli perfume with a lick of honey. But the joyfully fresh effect of the composition is only part of the story. Experimentum Crucis has the most extraordinary projection and longevity, as well as a novel multidimensional architecture. As you wear it, scented castles of Experimentum Crucis form in the air, creating an invisible sanctuary for you and all who smell you.

3
Alamut

Alamut by Lorenzo Villoresi £140.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.00
  • Key notes:
  • amber
  • musk
  • orange blossom
  • rose
  • sandalwood
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • #powdery
  • #sexy
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral
  • woody

Heaven on earth: Alamut.

If we were to believe Marco Polo’s story - Alamut was the fortress and headquarters of the order of assassins. In Alamut among other things, according to Marco, the new recruits could experience the demo version of heaven. An assassin to be would be inebriates by some potion (even though Marco never mention which drug it was, highly likely it was hashish). Then the recruit would be taken to a pleasure garden with drinks, food and beautiful maiden. Afterwards the head of the order would explain that absolute loyalty and fearless determination would guarantee an afterlife of this kind.

Lorenzo Villorezi’s Alamut is an intense sensual rose resting on a cloud of ambergris.

4
California

California by Ampersand £60.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £4.00
  • Key notes:
  • apple
  • magnolia
  • rose
  • sandalwood
  • Tags:
  • #clean
  • #fresh
  • #normcore
  • Aromagroups:
  • citrusy
  • floral

California is a land of abundance: sunshine, flowers and fruits. The fragrance is a sunny swirl of magnolia, apples and lemons, all of which flourish in this west coast wonderland. Sandalwood and musk bridges the flora to the skin, turning you into a delivery system for smiles.

5
Orchid Mantis

Orchid Mantis by Zoologist £200.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £8.00
  • Key notes:
  • jasmine
  • lemon
  • orchid
  • patchouli
  • rose
  • sandalwood
  • Tags:
  • #clean
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral
  • woody

In the muggy shade of a tropical rainforest, an orchid sways seductively. Its glistening petals tremble in anticipation, inviting a passing butterfly to consummate the intimate act of pollination. Succumbing to the allure of the silken flower, the butterfly eagerly flits forward. But as it prepares to alight, the exotic bloom abruptly transforms. Delicate leaves contort into dagger-like forelegs, seizing the bug’s fragile wings. Before the butterfly can comprehend its fate, its head is devoured, crushed between the powerful jaws of the stealthy orchid mantis.

Orchid Mantis lures you into a fragrant illusion. Juicy pear, rich rose and heady jasmine entwine with basil and ylang to suggest the intense scent of orchids. This vintage style is set against the backdrop of a humid rainforest evoked by patchouli, moss, sandalwood and vetiver. An enduring musk serves as a reminder that beauty can also be beastly.

6
101 Parisian Bouquet

101 Parisian Bouquet by Bon Parfumeur £60.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £4.00
  • Key notes:
  • cardamom
  • lily-of-the-valley
  • musk
  • rose
  • turkish rose
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral

A bright, multi faceted, spring-like floral with a citrus edge featuring sweet Turkish roses.

Bon Parfumeur open olfactive dimensions and invite you to add your own story.

Try 101 for an effervescent bouquet of pink flowers.

Perfumer: Alexandra Monet 

7
Hanamizake (Watching Sakura & Drinking Sake)

Hanamizake (Watching Sakura & Drinking Sake) by J-Scent £122.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £6.00
  • Key notes:
  • apple
  • pear
  • raspberry
  • rose
  • Tags:
  • #clean
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral
  • fruity

Hanamizake refers to drinking Japanese sake underneath the cherry blossom trees while petals slowly flutter into your cup. The aroma of cherry blossoms and ginjo sake dances tipsily into the last musk note, summoning this serene hanami (cherry blossom viewing) experience.

8
I am Trash | Les Fleurs du Dechet

I am Trash | Les Fleurs du Dechet by Etat Libre d'Orange £155.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £5.00
  • Key notes:
  • apple
  • rose
  • Aromagroups:
  • floral

Perfumer: Daniela Andrier (Givaudan)

All listed notes were subjected to an upcycling extraction process. What previously would be discarded was distilled again.

Pulp olfaction: waste not, discover new smells.

According to ELdO this is their Secretion Magnifiques which grew up and use the power of shock and eccentricity to draw attention to really important matters: environment and ethical consumption.

Upcycled or zero-waste notes in I am trash: rose neo-absolute, apple essense, Atlas cedarwood, sandalore, akigalawood, iso-e-super...

The resulting fragrance is a very pleasant perfume abstraction in which fruity vibes meet gently floral hints before going transparent woody. But still beware of Etat Libre d’Orange also mischievously revisiting the salty messy splutter of Secretions Magnifiques now and then in this formula.


The Sniff on I am Trash by Etat Libre d'Orange:

"[it] opens with the most beautiful and realistic apple note and it’s an utter delight. This apple smells really ripe, outdoorsy and fresh. When smelling it we were immediately transported to an allotment, picking up windfalls which are a bit battered and bruised in places but still mostly fine. I Am Trash smells like real apples resplendent with imperfections, rather than the perfect, sterile, waxy cold-storage apples you can buy in supermarkets which barely smell of anything at all."

Read the complete review

9
Lamar

Lamar by Kajal £170.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £7.00
  • Key notes:
  • amber
  • apple
  • magnolia
  • rose
  • vanilla
  • Tags:
  • #beast
  • #sexy
  • #sweet
  • Aromagroups:
  • edible
  • floral
  • fruity

In Arabic, Lamar means “liquid gold”, the legendary potion long sought by alchemists in search of immortality. This generous fruity-floral embraces the eternity of living in the moment. In creating Lamar, perfumer Mark Buxton said, “My inspiration was to create a rich, natural, warm, long lasting fragrance, by using high quality natural products. This gives a feeling of walking through a bed of roses or a jasmine field – very feminine and sensual.” Lamar opens with a festival of berries, apple and pineapple. The heart notes glow with jasmine sambac, Turkish rose, Bulgarian rose and magnolia. Vanilla, musk and amber supply the softest landing.

10
Macaque Fuji Apple

Macaque Fuji Apple by Zoologist £200.00

Not sure yet? Try a 1 ml sample for £8.00
  • Key notes:
  • apple
  • frankincense
  • hinoki
  • sandalwood
  • Tags:
  • #fresh
  • Aromagroups:
  • woody

Against the backdrop of a mountainous terrain, two communities share a peaceful coexistence. Yet despite their proximity, the societies are distinctly unique. Macaques cavort among the trees, grasping with delight at nature’s bountiful pleasures. From the quiet solemnity of a nearby temple, their human neighbours regard them, coveting the monkeys’ playful abandon. The macaques are all but oblivious, sparing only the briefest of curious glances at the pensive faces below before surrendering once again to their carefree revels.

Sweet notes of Fuji apple dance through a pine forest, welcoming you to Zoologist Macaque. Incense adds gravity with aromas of Hinoki woods and myrrh. The delicate balance between heavy and light results in an austere woody scent with mild hints of creamy sandalwood. Macaque is exuberance tempered by calm, sublimity buoyed by joy, a happy harmony of meditative bliss.

This perfume is a new interpretation by perfumer Mackenzie Reilly. The original version, designed by Sarah McCartney, is discontinued and no longer available.

Perfumer: Mackenzie Reilly

About DKNY Golden Delicious by Donna Karan

What are the key scent characteristics of DKNY Golden Delicious?
DKNY Golden Delicious combines fruity apple with floral orange blossom, lily-of-the-valley, lily, orchid, and rose, set on a woody musk base featuring sandalwood and cedarwood. It balances fresh green notes with warm, creamy woods and musk for a versatile floral woody musk profile.
How does DKNY Golden Delicious differ from the fragrances listed here?
DKNY Golden Delicious has a distinct combination of crisp apple, multiple white and exotic florals, and a warm woody musk base with prunes, which adds sweetness and depth. The fragrances listed share some notes but vary by emphasising different facets such as citrus, spice, powderiness, or resinous warmth, resulting in variations on the theme rather than direct matches.
Are these fragrances suitable for both day and evening wear like DKNY Golden Delicious?
Many fragrances similar to DKNY Golden Delicious can work for both day and evening, depending on their intensity and note emphasis. Fresher, cleaner options with citrus and light florals tend to suit daytime, while those with amber, vanilla, or powdery notes may be more suited to evening wear.