Louis Vuitton Imagination costs £260 for 100ml on Louis Vuitton's own UK site, and its perfumer spent about five years building it. Here is what it smells like, how long it lasts, and the £40 way to wear the same citrus-and-black-tea signature every day.
Imaginaire is our take on Imagination by Louis Vuitton. 35% Extrait, 7+ hours guaranteed, 60-day money-back. Try the 5ml for £6.99, or the 50ml at £40 (buy any 2, get 1 free).
| Louis Vuitton Imagination | Aromara Imaginaire | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £260 for 100ml | £40 for 50ml, £6.99 for 5ml |
| Concentration | Eau de Parfum | 35% Extrait |
| Wear time | No longevity guarantee | 7+ hours, guaranteed |
| If you do not love it | Louis Vuitton returns policy | 60-day money-back |
| Where to buy | Louis Vuitton boutiques and site | aromara.co.uk, UK delivery |
A perfumer with time to spare
Imagination is the work of Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, Louis Vuitton's master perfumer and the nose behind Ombre Nomade. He works from Les Fontaines Parfumées in Grasse, and Louis Vuitton's own product page carries his line on the project: "For five years, I'd been dreaming of revealing the beauty of ambergris and expressing the quintessence of its amber note in a way that's of-the moment and devoid of nostalgia." Five years on one fresh fragrance is almost unheard of. It shows what an unhurried brief and a near-unlimited materials budget can buy.
The art of contrast
The idea at the centre of Imagination is a contrast that sounds simple and is hard to pull off: bright citrus against the dry, grown-up bitterness of black tea, anchored by ambroxan, the amber note he describes chasing in that quote. The black tea is the clever part. It stops the citrus turning sweet or simple and gives the whole thing a dry elegance.
The technical trick is that Imagination projects hard, some wearers call it nuclear, while still feeling airy. Strength without heaviness is one of the hardest things to do in perfumery, and it is exactly what five years buys you.
What Louis Vuitton Imagination smells like
It opens with citron, Calabrian bergamot and Sicilian orange, zesty and bright. The heart brings Tunisian neroli, Nigerian ginger and a touch of Ceylon cinnamon, warm and slightly spicy. Then the signature: Chinese black tea, ambroxan, guaiac wood and a thread of olibanum, dry, woody and radiant. Clean and uplifting but never thin. Released in 2021, it has become one of the most quietly admired fresh launches of the decade.
Why does Louis Vuitton Imagination perfume cost £260?
You pay for the Louis Vuitton name and for about five years of work by its master perfumer, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud. On Louis Vuitton's UK site, Imagination is £260 for the 100ml atomiser, with complimentary engraving. It is sold through Louis Vuitton's own boutiques and site rather than the usual perfume counters. For a fresh scent, that is a serious outlay, which is why so many people who fall for it in the shop go looking for a way to wear the citrus-and-tea signature daily without the boutique price.
Imaginaire: the 35% Extrait interpretation
Our Imaginaire is built around the part of Imagination that makes it special: the zesty citrus opening, the warm ginger-and-neroli heart, and that distinctive tea-and-amber drydown. Our notes run bergamot, citron and orange up top, neroli, ginger and cinnamon through the heart, and tea, amber and musk in the base.
The difference is concentration and price. Imaginaire is a 35% Extrait, so the citrus and tea last through the day rather than fading in the first hour, the usual fate of fresh fragrances. Here is why concentration matters most for fresh scents. It costs £6.99 for a 5ml or £40 for 50ml, against £260 for the original. We wrote a full side-by-side here: the best Louis Vuitton Imagination dupe in the UK, reviewed.
Guaranteed 7+ hours, 60-day money-back. If you can tell it from the original, you get a refund.
Try Imaginaire from £6.99, or 50ml for £40 →
Frequently asked questions
What does Louis Vuitton Imagination smell like?
A citrus-aromatic. Citron, bergamot and orange up top, ginger, neroli and cinnamon in the heart, and a dry base of Chinese black tea, ambroxan, guaiac wood and olibanum. Fresh and uplifting with real depth and longevity.
How much is Louis Vuitton Imagination in the UK?
£260 for 100ml on Louis Vuitton's UK site (checked September 2026), sold through Louis Vuitton boutiques and louisvuitton.com rather than high-street perfume counters.
Who created Louis Vuitton Imagination and when?
Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, Louis Vuitton's master perfumer, created it in 2021 after roughly five years of development, built around the contrast of citrus, black tea and ambroxan.
What is the best LV Imagination dupe in the UK?
Aromara's Imaginaire carries the citrus-and-tea signature at 35% Extrait with a 7+ hour guarantee, for £6.99 (5ml) to £40 (50ml), against £260 for the original. Buy any 2 bottles and get 1 free.
Why is Imagination considered special for a fresh fragrance?
Fresh fragrances usually fade quickly and lack depth. Imagination uses a high ambroxan base and a black tea note to project powerfully and last while still feeling light, which is technically difficult and took years to achieve.
Related reading
- Best Louis Vuitton Imagination Dupe UK: Imaginaire Reviewed
- Best Louis Vuitton Dupes UK
- The Strongest Perfume Dupes in the UK 2026
- Best Perfume Dupes UK 2026: The Complete List
Aromara is an independent UK fragrance house. Our fragrances are original compositions inspired by the character of well-known designer scents. We are not affiliated with Louis Vuitton, and all trademarks belong to their respective owners. Every Aromara fragrance is made in the UK at 35% Extrait concentration, with a 7+ hour longevity guarantee and a 60-day money-back promise.
