By Designer

Burberry Her EDT vs EDP

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Her is a very popular series from Burberry nowadays. It has spawned more than a handful of flankers up to this point in time. I’ve been familiar with the eau de parfum for quite a while, but wanted to compare it to Her Eau de Toilette, which I’d only encountered once. So, this is my page for that.

How does each of them smell? How long do they last? Which is the better perfume pick?

Tale of the Tape: Burberry Her EDP vs EDT

Burberry Her

Notes include: strawberry, citrus, raspberry, cherry, blueberry, wood, musk, amber, jasmine

Click here to try: Burberry Her Eau De Parfum Spray

Read my review: Burberry Her EDP

Burberry Her EDT

Notes include: pear, strawberry, black currant, pink pepper, peony, rose, honeysuckle, musk, cedar, lily of the valley

Click here to try: Her EDT at Sephora

Opening

Burberry Her EDP starts off with a strong use of its citrus and berry notes. The fruitiness is powerful in the early stages. Strawberry is the strongest note of the lot, with some additional raspberry and brightness of the citrus notes.

It can be sharp and sour versus being sugary sweet or anything. The floral notes aren’t all that strong, but there is a decent amount of jasmine at times.

EDT also has that strawberry note. However, it starts off with the pear note being the lead. Under that, I get more of the black currant than I do the strawberry. It’s fresh and kind of watery, with a touch of pink pepper breaking up the sweetness.

But, what I do notice between these two options, is that Her EDT uses its floral notes a bit more in the early stages. Lily of the valley is the main focus, though, I get some peony also.

Which is better?

I don’t have a huge preference for one versus the other at this early stage. But, I do lean more towards the EDT version. The pear, freshness, greenish qualities are a bit more interesting than what I get from EDP.

Edge: Her EDT

Projection

Her EDP kicks off things with a pretty strong ability to project and leave a scent trail in one’s wake. It will moderate in the back half of the first hour or so.

Still, it doesn’t feel weak ever, until we get to the absolute depths of the wear.

EDT actually comes close to matching what EDP does. It starts fairly strong as well. Maybe not as high of a peak, but it’s not completely weak either. It then follows the same sort of trajectory on the way down.

Edge: EDP

Longevity

Her EDP will generally hit the 7-8 hour range on my skin. Maybe it can go a little bit above 8 hours, at times, but not much. It’s actually been fairly steady for me over all of the testing of this perfume that I’ve done.

With EDT, it is once again, almost as good as the eau de Parfum. Yet, it still falls short. On my skin, I got about 7 hours out of this one.

So, maybe 60-90 more minutes of wear with Her EDP. Not a massive difference, but a win.

Edge: Her EDP

Versatility

Her EDP is one that I like in every season except for the summertime. I don’t think it holds up all that well in the heat and humidity. Meanwhile, EDT specializes in the warmer months of the year. It very much has a spring and summer vibe to it. Light and fresh.

Neither of these are formal wear perfumes, nor are they completely mature. More pleasant daytime wears, that skew a bit younger without being childish.

I don’t know if there’s an advantage here.

Edge: Push

her edp vs edt

Overall Scent

So, overall, which Burberry Her do I like more? EDP or EDT?

They’re not too far off from one another. Each fragrance has some things that I enjoy about them.

With Burberry Her EDP, I do like that opening fruitiness, as it does offer something somewhat different from Cloud and BR 540 which it often gets compared to. Not totally different, but sweeter and more tart, in that opening act.

The back half is fine. Nothing too original there.

I do think that I slightly prefer Her EDT to the eau de parfum version. Actually, I think Intense is better than either of these, but my pick is EDT out of these two. There are some other perfumes similar to Burberry Her.

With EDT, you don’t get much decline in the performance versus EDP. Also, I think the opening and back half of the perfume smells better. The opening of Her EDP was my favorite part of that scent, but EDT outshines it there too.

Winner: EDT

Joy Intense by Dior

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Joy Intense is the 2019 follow up the popular, but not super well loved, Joy by Dior. I have never done a review of this one, since I sort of forgot about the series, after the original was pretty much only decent. How does Intense fair? Is it an improved upon formula? Is the performance good? Is Joy Intense worth a try?

What does Dior Joy Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: neroli, bergamot, Grasse rose, jasmine, vanilla, sandalwood, musk, tonka bean

Click here to try: Dior Joy Intense

joy intense review

My Full Review

Here’s how Dior describes it: Floral fireworks, concentration of joy. The dazzle of juicy citrus mingles with colorful sparks of Grasse rose and jasmine, heightened by an enveloping, woody echo of sandalwood tinged with vanilla.

The original Joy has a blend of peach and orange up top, that Intense lacks. Sure, you get citrus influence here, but the bergamot doesn’t seems as strong as the other two.

Early on, I get a lot of the jasmine, neroli, and powdery aroma that was in the original. Here, the jasmine shows up earlier. There is still indeed a freshness to this one early on, the bergamot is there, creating a bright and sparkling undertone.

As we get to the next phase, Joy Intense is fully displaying its jasmine and Grasse rose combination. With that is the vanilla and tonka bean notes. Very much a floral-vanilla, at this point.

Has some sweetness and creaminess, but it’s mostly a light powder/musky aroma wrapped around the floral core.

For the rest of the way, it’s kind of like the original. Jasmine really stands out. This time, there is more vanilla, less powder in the dry down than Joy. None of the patchouli. It’s hard to tell, but I feel like less of a sandalwood influence in Intense.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This is the stronger of the Joy fragrances, as the name suggests. It’s definitely strong in the opening, but isn’t massive really. You will get a scent trail for a few hours, good projection, but not a super heavy scent.

It’s solidly above average throughout the wear, though.

With the original Joy, it lasted up to about six hours on my skin. Does Intense do a better job of sticking around?

Yes, but, it’s nothing to crazy. Maybe 7.5 hours or so. A definite improvement, but it still doesn’t blow anything out of the water. Though, I am glad that this one is better than the disappointing performance of the original.

Intense covers much of the same ground that the original does. However, I will say that it’s a notch below, as I would skip wearing this in the summer. The rest of the year is fine, but the original (while not being a pure summer wear), holds up better in the heat than this.

Pretty much a daytime sort of wear, that can fit in anywhere without causing any offense.

Overall Impressions of Joy Intense

Overall, do I like Joy Intense? I do. This version certainly isn’t amazing, but it is better than the first. Both in terms of smell and it’s performance. It’s a lot more balanced across the board.

The jasmine and vanilla dominance, isn’t exactly the most original fragrance out there, but it smells quite nice. The citrus isn’t too powerful of an influence, just a touch to highlight the rest of the composition.

It’s got enough of a difference from the first Joy, to be worth checking out, if you didn’t care too much for that one.

I probably wouldn’t want to pay full price for a bottle. However, if you can find Joy Intense at a discount, it’s a good perfume from Dior that you could get plenty of use out of.

Mon Paris Lumiere EDT by YSL

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Mon Paris Lumiere is another entry from the fairly long-running YSL series. This perfume was released in 2022. I got a sample of this a while ago, with another order of fragrances, so I tested it out for a full review. How does Lumiere smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Mon Paris Lumiere Smell Like?

Notes include: Isparta rose, lemon, jasmine, datura, white lotus, patchouli, musk

My Full Review

Here’s how YSL describes it: A chypre floral aquatic, as radiant and vertiginous as being loved under Parisian skies. The hypnotic fragrance of datura flower is embraced by the radiance of the white lotus flower and the elegance of the Isparta rose heart absolute. The scent of ecstatic love, a clash of light for an everlasting trail. 

Lumiere opens up bright, sweet, with an aquatic/ozonic accord underneath. It makes the floral notes seem like they’re floating in water.

Early, it’s notes of lemon, white lotus, and the datura. A few minutes in, I get some jasmine, but that never feels super powerful in this mix. At least on my skin.

It’s a tad odd, when I smell it sometimes, but I think Lumiere works. I do like the fresh and energizing aroma that this has, even if I’m not sold on the early lemon use.

The next phase, is more floral and musky. Less of the ozonic aspect and the citrus will start to fade. It becomes more rosy, less lotus, and the jasmine is still involved. Not dominated by any of the floral notes here. Everything seems balanced for the duration.

Basically, Mon Paris Lumiere will end with it’s floral notes, freshness, patchouli, and musk. Not super deep or complex.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This is a lighter and fresher scent, but Mon Paris Lumiere isn’t one that is super airy or non-detectable. Actually, overall between it’s ability to leave a scent trail and just project more generally, is a bit above average. At least, for a couple of hours.

On my skin, this one will stick around for 6-6.5 hours. It’s nothing that’s going to be a beast performer. It’s just pretty much okay, across the board.

Seasonally, Lumiere is a warm weather perfume that’s built for spring and summer. It’s not as heavy as others in the series, so, this YSL can be a good change of pace for those who like this formula and want a springtime variant.

It’s more of a daytime wear. It’s not very formal, but it’d work for most circumstances and can be worn by any age. There’s nothing here that is going to be off-putting for most people.

Overall Impressions of Lumiere

Overall, do I like Mon Paris Lumiere? It’s pretty good. It’s probably somewhere between the original and Mon Paris Intensement. I liked Intensement more than the first one. Lumiere isn’t doing anything wholly different or better than either, however.

The lemon and white lotus combination, in the early stages is nice enough. There’s nothing here that blows me away, but this is a likeable release from YSL.

Likeable at full price? Probably not. If another from the Mon Paris series is one of your signature scents, you’ll almost certainly like this one. If you didn’t care for one the others, this one isn’t likely to make you a new fan.

A pretty good perfume, with fairly average performance. Get it for a discount, if you can. Or, just skip it entirely.

Alien Eau Sublime by Mugler

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Alien Eau Sublime is one that I missed, when it came out back in 2017. So, when I saw a sample of it available, I purchased it in order to do a review for the site. I really didn’t have much knowledge about what this one was all about beforehand. How does Eau Sublime smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Alien Eau Sublime Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, solar notes, heliotrope, galbanum, orange, jasmine, tiare flower, cherry blossom, amber, vanilla, cashmeran, vetiver, orange blossom

My Full Review

Here’s how Mugler describes it: A luminous and refreshing fragrance, an energizing cocktail which stimulates the senses.

While they’re not the same, this Alien perfume actually reminds me of Libre L’Absolu Platine, in its opening act.

Citrus, solar notes (instead of the YSL aldehydes…similar), orange blossom. Here, though, we get the usual Alien jasmine note versus the lavender of Libre. Not the same, but a reminiscent style. This Mugler, came first.

Once that part is out of the way, Eau Sublime feels like a less dense and more summer acceptable version of the original Alien.

Tiare flower, vanilla, jasmine, and that orange blossom really come through. This becomes a white floral mix, with some remaining light citrus sweetness, and a bit of amber coming through.

On my skin, I don’t get much of a powdery aroma. The heliotrope seems muted. But, spraying this one on a shirt, does make that aspect pop some more. For me, I get a creamier blend of tiare and vanilla, on skin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The original Alien can be an absolute bomb and also has some really heavy qualities about it. Sometimes, it’s pretty cloying in the heat.

Alien Eau Sublime is lighter and doesn’t get bogged down. However, it still produces a nice scent trail and can project itself well. Definitely above average with its strength, just not massive.

The longevity is good, not amazing. On my skin, Eau Sublime can hit around the 8 hour mark without trouble. It doesn’t seem to go much beyond that, if at all.

Seasonally, this Mugler is built more for the spring and summer months. It’s got that light citrus and white floral blend, without all of the heaviness, that will work well once it gets somewhat warm outside.

It’s fine for any age, but I’m not sure that Eau Sublime will appeal too much to younger women. It may be better to go with something like Alien Goddess, for some people.

Eau Sublime is fine as a daytime wear. It can fit in fine in most places, it’s not too formal of a scent. But, it also won’t stand out as being anything offensive. This isn’t really a nightlife wear and I don’t find it to be ‘sexy’ at all.

Overall Impressions of Alien Eau Sublime

Overall, do I like Eau Sublime? It’s fine. I’m not too enthralled this one. It’s not nearly as enjoyable as the original Alien or some of the more unique flanker releases from over the years.

It’s pretty basic, as a white floral scent. That opening is kind of like Libre Platine, but I’m not a huge fan of that either. Everything here is ‘just fine’. Eau Sublime is somewhat likeable, has decent performance, etc.

I like the dry down better. The jasmine, tiare flower, and orange blossom work rather well together with the vanilla and surrounding notes.

This one came out back in 2017, so, it’s discontinued anyway. Unless you’re a major fan of Alien, there’s no real reason to chase this one down. Now, if it sounds like your style and you can get a good discount on a bottle, go for it. Otherwise, it’s not a must have.

Dylan Purple Pour Femme by Versace

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Dylan Purple is the latest release from the Pour Femme side of the series. It came out in 2022, without too much hype, but quickly became another successful entry from Versace. I’d been waiting to get a hold of this one for a review and finally bought a sample to test it out. How does Purple smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Dylan Purple Smell Like?

Notes include: bitter orange, pear juice, bergamot, purple freesia, pomarose, mahonial, cedar, ambrofix, belambre, sylkolide

Click here to try: Dylan Purple on Amazon

My Full Review

Purple opens up with a juicy blend of fruits. Mainly, it’s the pear and the bright bergamot. Bitter orange is present, but doesn’t ever seem to pop like the other two.

Underneath that, you’re going to get some of its floral notes from the start too. First thing that I notice, is the purple freesia. It adds a further aquatic kind of aroma to the top fruity notes.

Purple is another fresh and clean perfume. The muskiness here isn’t all that great, however, and it doesn’t veer completely into a straight body wash sort of wear. Though, it can straddle that line.

Purple is sweeter than I thought it’d be. Kind of balanced with a cedar freshness and the various types of ‘amber’ notes that emerge from the base. Never feel too heavy, but they are there.

Pear, bergamot, and ambroxan with the impression of floral notes. The middle notes never seem to become all that distinct in the mix. Yes, that freesia, but even that falls back into a floral blend.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The reach of this one isn’t a ‘smell you in the next room type’ of perfume. Though, this does have a decent amount of projection, safe to call it a bit above average.

It’s not a heavy fragrance. Lighter to moderate without ever bogging you down with its scent.

On my skin, I get just above 6 hours. Like around 6.5, it just doesn’t go beyond that for me during the times that I tested this Versace out.

Dylan Purple does have a more youthful vibe. The clean, fruity, and simplistic scent tends to do that. As such, this could be a great option for the younger set. Probably a bit more towards that side of the spectrum than say Dylan Turquoise.

But, it’s not so immature that someone older couldn’t wear it. If you want this kind of clean-ish and borderline shampoo type of perfume, this is a good mainstream bet that isn’t super expensive.

Purple is a daily wear fragrance or one that you can put on casually. It’s not a super sexy nightlife wear or a serious formal affair.

dylan purple review

Overall Impressions of Dylan Purple

Overall, do I like Dylan Purple? Yes, I do. I’m not too high on any of the Dylan Pour Femme scents. However, I do like them all to some extent. This, might be my favorite (this or Blue).

None really stand out as being great to me, though.

Yes, it’s not all that complicated and the fruitiness comes doesn’t come across as naturalistic. But, I really do enjoy the way that it smells, way more than my first impressions. I kept right on wanting to smell Purple throughout the day.

I think the sweetness is what keeps me into it. That and the overall balance of the notes. It doesn’t feel hyper-fresh on me or ever like it’s too much to stand any longer.

The performance is pretty mid. Not going to be anything to write home about. It’s good enough for most purposes, so, if you like the smell of Purple it shouldn’t be too much of a disappointment.

If you liked the rest of this series, you’ll probably enjoy Purple. If you didn’t, I don’t think this will change your mind, since it doesn’t do anything radically different.