Best Perfumes for Women

Fame Parfum by Paco Rabanne

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Fame Parfum is the follow up to the original Fame release from Paco Rabanne. This one was released in 2023. I got a hold of a sample of this newer perfume, in order to test it out, and review it for the site. How does it smell? Does Fame Parfum last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Fame Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: mango, jasmine incense, musk, pink pepper, bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood, benzoin

Click here to try: Fame Parfum

My Full Review

Fame Parfum definitely does smell quite a lot like the original. One of the main differences that I notice, is an amped up mango note at the start.

The one in the original was short lived. Here, is sticks around for longer, and this Parfum version is a bit of a heavier scent. Still, I don’t find it to be completely enveloping.

Early, it’s a blend of sweet and spicy, with the tropical fruity influence having the upper hand. Then, things will shift and I start to get more patchouli and jasmine on my skin.

The pink pepper is still there a bit, the mango will also hang around. However, neither has the same level on influence for the rest of the wear.

For me, the dry down is mostly about the jasmine and sandalwood notes. There’s still a light fruitiness, some incense hanging about, and fuzziness from musk and benzoin.

Feels like a warmer and clean kind of perfume, with some different weightings versus the original Fame. This is sort of a Polo Black style, but for women. Lots of overlap in the notes between those two.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Fame Parfum does have slightly heavier profile than the original, which was pretty moderate. However, the projection here is much better and sticks around at this higher level for a longer bout of time.

Not massive with how it’ll go across a room, but still above average and it’ll take a good while before it starts to degrade into a skin scent.

The longevity here is really good and indeed better than the original. On my skin, it’ll last somewhere in 8.5 hour range. On clothes, it’ll go into the double digit range pretty easily.

The good thing about this fragrance, is that it can basically be worn in all seasons. The tropical nature of the smell is great for warmer days in spring and summer. While, it has enough substance with its heavier notes to do well in the cold.

I’d probably stay away from the extreme heat with it, but Fame Parfum does walk the line, and manages not to turn terrible in most climates.

Like its forerunner, Parfum is more of a pretty daytime wear. Not a formal fragrance, but it could work for just about anything else you’d want to wear it for during the warmest days. It’s attractive without being super sexy, a romantic, or nightlife wear.

fame parfum review

My Overall Impressions of Fame Parfum

Overall, do I like Fame Parfum? I think that this is an improvement versus the original (which was decent). Though, it’s not far and away better than the previous incarnation.

It’s clean and tropical, with a great use of the mango note, early on. After that, it becomes much more of a floral and fruity blend with a good amount of sandalwood coming up from the base.

This Fame line has a similar style to the Mugler Goddess entries. This one is about equal to the EDP of that, but I prefer Goddess Intense to any of them. Again, they’re only similar and not the same.

All around, I think this is good and worth checking out if you like the original or anything of this sort. It’s not amazing, but Parfum does everything well and has no obvious weak points.

Vanille Abricot by Comptoir Sud Pacifique

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Vanille Abricot is a fragrance from Comptoir Sud Pacifique which has been popular for a long time. It was released all the way back in 1993 and is still going strong. I’ve been planning on doing a whole host of reviews of scents from this brand and got a sample of Vanille Abricot to kick things off.

How does it smell? Does Vanille last long? Is this classic fragrance worth a try?

What does Vanille Abricot Smell Like?

Notes include: jackfruit, papaya, apricot, sugar candy, vanilla

Click here to try: Vanille Abricot by Comptoir

My Full Review

Here’s how Comptoir Sud Pacifique describes it: An irresistible accord that is velvety, sensual, rich and fragile. A subtle contrast between tender fruit and a bitter heart note. Just like the sun at the exact moment when it dries the myriad drops of water on your skin after a dip in the water and when it burns the teakwood under your feet on the decks of sailboats anchored at port.

The vanilla and sugar candy are prominent from the start. I was expecting there to be a strong representation from the fruit notes, but they don’t seem to get the top spot, at least on my skin.

I do get a slightly tropical smell and the apricot itself is distinct. However, this is a warm and sugary baked goods kind of aroma. To me, Vanille Abricot is like a cookie. It’s more sweet, rather than being juicy and fruity.

The dry down is a sugary vanilla with some slight hints from the fruit notes. Very simple perfume, but enjoyable.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This Comptoir Sud Pacifique perfume doesn’t have a huge radius of projection, nor does it feel like a heavy perfume, even with its sweet and sugary scent.

It will hit maybe the six foot mark as far as its peak reach. Then, it will end up being a more intimate fragrance, in the 2 to 3 foot range for much of the duration.

On my skin, this perfume will stick around for 5 to 6 hours. Doesn’t want to go beyond that, it seems. Performance is middle of the road with Vanille Abricot.

Seasonally, this is light enough and has just enough of a fruity influence to be fine in warmer weather. I wouldn’t call this a pure summer scent, but it might work on certain days. Mainly, a more mild autumn and spring day would seem appropriate to wear this.

It can be worn by any age group. It’s not so immature that it is limited to teenagers. It’s light enough to be worn in a lot of different scenarios, but may not always be formal enough. More of a daytime wear versus a nightlife star.

Overall Impressions of Vanille Abricot

Overall, do I like Vanille Abricot? Yes, it’s not a complicated fragrance or one that is going to appeal to everyone, but if you like sweets…this Comptoir perfume delivers the goods.

This one is less about the apricot and much more tilted towards the very sugary vanilla note. Still, even with that being the case, Vanille Abricot is a scent that can be enjoyable from time to time.

The performance is pretty average, so don’t expect much on that front. It’s a nice smell that more than likely isn’t going to last the equivalent of a full work day.

It’s worth checking out if this sort of perfume appeals to you. The price for a bottle usually isn’t too high, so, a blind buy might not be too much of a stretch. It may be too boring for some or too sugary for others.

But, Vanille Abricot has stuck around long enough to have capture a mass audience, so it’s pretty darn safe to get without a lot of regret.

Twilly d’Hermes Eau Poivree by Hermes

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Twilly d’Hermes continues to spawn flanker fragrances from its popular name and formula. Today, I want to write a bit about Twilly d’Hermes Eau Poivree which was released by Hermes back in 2019. How does this perfume smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Twilly d’Hermes Eau Poivree Smell Like?

Notes include: pink pepper, rose, patchouli

Click here to try: Twilly d’Hermes Eau Poivree

My Full Review

The pink pepper comes on quite strong in the beginning. I wasn’t expecting a heavy spice, when I first tried Poivree, but that’s what I’ve gotten each time.

That will calm down, but then, Poviree will move into its earthy, woodsy, rosy phase. The patchouli note is quite strong in the mix. The spice of the pink pepper does soften, but the rose note isn’t massive on me.

It’s a lighter and lovely rose, paired with a powerful patchouli note, and the pink pepper. There is some sweetness here and this isn’t completely a patchouli play throughout. Just be ready for something a bit on the rougher side in the first hour.

Later, it will dry down with more rose , and it’s an easier to appreciate basic floral perfume.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does start off with some punch. The pink pepper and patchouli phase, really does have some good reach and ability to leave a scent trail. As I’ve said, it does have a heaviness to it.

Then, it will become a slightly above average projecting and lighter moderate perfume. It will sit pretty much in that 3-4 foot range for most of the wear.

On my skin, Eau Poivree will stick around for up to 6.5 hours. Somewhere within range of that number, each time that I’ve tried it. It’s okay, but nothing really that going to blow away your expectations.

Seasonally, this Hermes seems like it can fit in well, pretty much anytime outside of the height of summer. It wouldn’t be too awful then, either, but I think that Eau Poivree would be at its worst.

Autumn or any mild weather, is ideal for this.

So, Twilly d’Hermes Eau Poviree, isn’t a perfume for everyone. It lacks a lot of the mass appeal that you get with the original. Some are going to be turned off by the patchouli and/or pink pepper.

Others, will think this one comes across as being too mature. It definitely seems to skew that way, at least it’s style is more of an old school flavor. Plus, it’s a daily wear type of fragrance and nothing built for nightlife or romantic wear.

Overall Impressions of Eau Poivree

Overall, do I like Twilly d’Hermes Eau Poivree? It’s fine, but it’s not my favorite from these Twilly perfumes.  The original EDP and Eau Ginger are both better fragrances than this one. Poivree will have a much more limited fan base versus those two.

I like the back half when the intensity has fallen a bit by the wayside. The opening is fine, but the pink pepper and patchouli come on too strong for my taste.

That balanced rose, sweetness, and patchouli part of this one is nice enough.

Still, it’s a fragrance with an okay performance and one that you’d probably want to test out before committing to a full bottle. For the retail price, Eau Poivree isn’t going to be one that most people will want to pick up.

It’s fine, not great, and not a true mass appealing fragrance.

6 Perfumes Similar to By the Fireplace

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By the Fireplace is one of the most popular fragrance from the Replica line by Maison Margiela. It is a winter staple with a sweet and smoky blend of chestnut, cloves, vanilla, and more.

While it’s a great scent on its own, you might want an alternative to it at some point. Either something that smells similar or is a cheaper ‘inspired by’ option. This is my page on the site dedicated to both for By the Fireplace.

What Fragrances Smell Similar to Replica’s By the Fireplace?

Stoking the Fire

Dua’s Fireplace– Fireplace is the Dua Brand’s take on the By the Fireplace formula. They also have other combination fragrances that mixes this scent with other popular perfumes.

If you’re looking for an inspired by aroma at a cheaper price point, Dua’s Fireplace can definitely hit the mark.

It’s going to have the same notes overlapping with the Maison Margiela fragrance and they usually get the weightings of each of them pretty much correct. As always, it may not be 100% the same, but Fireplace will be close enough that the differences are negligible.

As an extrait de parfum concentration, this also means that the performance should be improved or at least equal.

Cozy Chestnut

Woody Chestnut by Dossier– Here’s another inspired option, this time from Dossier. They usually make some really nice fragrances based on popular designer scent and this one is no different.

Woody Chestnut is made up of the same notes, which they describe as smelling like, ‘a cup of cocoa on a snowy day’. Well, that’s the effect that we’re looking for with a replicant of our Replica target.

The price point is great here, since they currently have one size of this formula (as of writing). Well worth the try.

A Night Out

Campfire Nights by Alexandria– Here’s yet another option that tries to mimic much of what you get with the Maison Margiela scent.

I haven’t tried this one from Alexandria, but I have tried others from them and they do a fantastic job at getting close to the designer originals.

One thing I do like about them, aside from the high quality, is the options as far as sizing goes. You can get a hold of a larger bottle or start smaller for cheaper.

Nutty Velvet

Velvet by Commodity– The one that we’re looking for is the Velvet which comes in the black bottle. It is sometimes listed as Velvet Expressive, don’t buy the white bottle if you want something like By the Fireplace.

Is it one to one the same as our target? No. It does have a lot of overlap, though, and uses some close substitutes in the process. For instance, here it is an almond instead of chestnut.

Velvet is also softer with a greater powdery finish to it. Heliotrope provides that. There is also a light coconut note up top. Still quite a bit of the vanilla, woods, but less of an ambery dry down than Fireplace.

Oh, and a rose note to boot! Again, this one is not the same. However, it hits some of the same beats, but with a rosier and woodier aroma.

Melting into Winter

Melting Embers by Oakcha– I’m adding this Oakcha inspired take on By the Fireplace to the list. I haven’t tried this one out and I do still need to get a hold of some Oakcha perfumes like this to put them through their paces.

However, they have a good reputation of coming close to matching the fragrances that people are after.

The price is within the same range as the Dua and the Dossier options, maybe somewhat cheaper or more expensive depending on any promotions these brands are running when you’re checking.

A Little Different, A Little Oud

Ameer Al Oudh Intense– This one isn’t an exact match of Fireplace. However, it does a really good job at providing a similar experience, while maintaining uniqueness of its own.

Ameer Al Oudh Intense is woodier, has some smokiness but perhaps not the same roasting quality, and still has a good sugar and vanilla mix. One thing it lacks for sure, is the chestnut note of the Replica fragrance.

I figured that it would have more oud and therefore a greater smokiness, but that’s not the case. The oud is there, but is pretty light. Still, this is a warm and comfortingly sweet woody fragrance, with good performance and inexpensive price point.

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