Phlur's "Lost Cause" has been put on Farewell Sale which means it's being discontinued. This is an absolute travesty, not just in my opinion, objectively speaking. Lost cause is a great perfume that fell victim to Phlur's lack of vision and marketing. It opens with bright citrus, elevated by bergamot before opening up with white florals and rhubarb that gives it a soft bite. The dry down is hauntingly pretty, ambergis and vanilla that seemingly appears out of nowhere. In my collection of 100+ fragrances (obviously including some of the finest from Dua), the humble Lost Cause is my signature scent and I am devastated to see it leaving.
And I'm not alone. Lost Cause rates as high as or higher than Phlur's most popular releases which include "Missing Person", "Father Figure", and "Vanilla Skin." Those of us lucky enough to have found it, love it.
It's a fragrance of the same calibur of Byredo, Le Labo, Jo Malone, and Diptyque but Phlur squandered it by limiting their focus on other launches at the time. I know, because I've built personal care brands from zero to $55m+ and can absolutely tell when amazing products fail to thrive due to a lack of thoughtful go-to-market.
While I love Lost Cause and would love to see it live on, I also believe that a dupe would be a strong performer in the Dua Brand Catalogue:
- It's a gender neutral fragrance that can be marketed to both men and women
- It's a year-round fragrance with no distinct seasonality
- Knowing how Dua fragrances perform, I know you can improve upon common Phlur issues that Lost Cause suffers from such as poor longevity and silliage
- Phlur is starting to be duped more (ie: Bath & Body Works released 2 distinct Phlur dupes this year in their Everyday Luxuries line, the only brand represented twice in that line) meaning there is growing interest in the brand and a market of shoppers looking for the same vibe at more affordable prices
- As I mentioned before, simply put, it's a great fragrance
