Best Men's Colognes

Best Men's Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I've owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides. You can also follow me on: YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok!

Pacific Chill vs Afternoon Swim

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Louis Vuitton has a long list of fragrances for sale. Two of the perfumes that are sought after for warmer weather wear are Pacific Chill and Afternoon Swim. 

But, which of these popular options is the better one to buy? Which lasts longer? Smells better? Continue below for my full head to head comparison.

Tale of the Tape: Pacific Chill vs Afternoon Swim

Pacific Chill

Notes include: blackcurrant, lemon, orange, ambrette, cedar, coriander, basil, carrot seeds, peppermint

Read my review: Pacific Chill by Louis Vuitton

Afternoon Swim

Notes include: bergamot, mandarin orange, orange, ginger, ambergris

Read my review: Afternoon Swim by Louis Vuitton

 

Opening

Pacific Chill starts with a cold, sharp, and extremely fresh opening. Citrus notes take the lead, but it also has a prominent green element. Peppermint, coriander, and basil add a change of pace to the mix, creating an interesting first impression.

On me, peppermint dominates among these three notes, with the others playing supporting roles in the background. This balance shifts over time as the basil emerges more prominently, eventually replacing that minty aspect.

Blackcurrant enhances the sweet-tart personality that Chill projects and is quite strong for a while. But both mint and blackcurrant recede.

Pacific Chill evolves into a citrus and basil-focused fragrance. On my skin, the orange and citron stand out distinctly, accompanied by an apricot-like aroma that comes on.

Afternoon Swim kicks off with its orange notes front and center. I do smell mandarin, but another orange seems to have the upper hand, and there’s also a solid dose of bergamot.

I like the addition of the ginger note, as it gives Swim a bit more heft than just being another thin and quick citrus scent.

As it moves along, especially later in the wear, I get more of the bergamot on my skin versus the orange note and just enough of the ambergris to add a touch of saltiness to the composition.

Which is better?

With Pacific Chill, it certainly grabs my attention early on and I think that it’s got an interesting and at least somewhat unique profile.

Afternoon Swim has a simpler design to it. Very citrus heavy, but with a ginger addition that play well. Early on, it is a close contest, but I think I still prefer Afternoon Swim to Chill.

Edge: Afternoon Swim

Projection

Afternoon Swim is on the lighter end of moderate and will project 4-6 feet from the skin, at its peak, before drawing closer and closer. The good new is that it doesn’t become a skin scent until the tail end of its total wear time.

With Pacific Chill, it opens like an absolute bomb on my skin. Seriously, this one envelops me in a cloud of iced fragrance for about an hour. Then, it kind of goes into a lighter moderate mode.

It’s certainly got a steep drop off from what it starts off like versus how it finishes, but I was surprised I even got that much of a loud projection.

Between these two it’s an easy win for Chill, in this category.

Edge: Pacific Chill

Longevity

With Pacific Chill, it hung around for about 7.5 hours, on my skin. It could probably go a bit further, but that’s all I got from it.

Afternoon Swim well be more in the 5-6 hour range with its longevity. It’s pretty middle of the road and doesn’t last as long as Pacific.

Edge: Pacific Chill

Versatility

Seasonally, both of these work well in the late spring and summertime. But, neither of them is very formal or something that you’re particularly going to use dressed up. Maybe Chill has a cleaner vibe that can fit in better, in some scenarios.  

Pacific Chill qualifies as unisex, but I’d argue it leans more toward the feminine side. It doesn’t completely cross that boundary, but its fruity shampoo qualities certainly push it in that direction.

The same applies to Afternoon Swim, it’s also unisex.

Edge: Pacific Chill

Overall Scent

With Pacific Chill, I do really enjoy the unique opening act, and how all of those notes interact. I think of it as a cold and refreshing summertime drink. This got me interested when I initially tried it out for the first time, almost two years ago now.

Then, the back half isn’t as good. It’s more of a fruity shampoo sort of scent. Not bad, but it reminded me of Garnier Fructis (I think that’s the one that I remembering, anyway).

I don’t think it’s better than Afternoon Swim. In terms of which I’d rather wear, I’d pick that over Pacific Chill almost every time.

No, it doesn’t have the same level of performance as does Pacific Chill, but I think that the overall scent is better. Even if, fairly linear. I like the way Chill starts out, but the back half, I don’t like quite as much.

So, I’d personally pick Afternoon Swim between them. The Dua Brand does have their inspired version of the scent called, Gone Swimming. I bought a bottle of Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters from them, which is a blended version of this Louis Vuitton with their version of Virgin Island Water…and it’s fantastic.

Pacific Chill has an alternative called: Chilling by the Pacific. 

If you want the Louis Vuitton experience, at a cheaper price and with better performance, I highly recommend getting a hold of one of the Dua versions.

Winner: Afternoon Swim

Ranking Uomo Born in Roma Colognes

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Uomo Born in Roma is the men’s side of the very popular Valentino Born in Roma fragrance line. There are now more than a handful of colognes that have been released by the brand, but which is the best smelling of them? Which is the right option for you?

Uomo Born in Roma Fragrances Ranked

Note: This is the list as of now. I have yet to try the newest release, nor have I gotten a hold of the now discontinued ‘The Gold’ Born in Roma cologne. I will update, as soon as I come across those scents.

The Best Roma

Born in Roma Intense– To me, this is the best of the bunch thus far. I wasn’t expecting much from it, following my testing of the EDT version, but Intense surprised to the upside.

Now, do I think it’s a great fragrance? No. I don’t think any of these Valentino colognes are amazing, Born in Roma Intense is just a clear cut number one among the rest.

Intense opens with fresh sweetness. The original was sweeter with more Invictus vibes, but they share similarities.

The major difference is the lavender note running throughout, which keeps it from becoming too candy-sweet, though it still flirts with that territory. I  really appreciate the lack of mineral oil/saltiness accord that gave me headaches in the original.

After 20 minutes, Intense becomes a balanced lavender and vanilla combination that feels almost unisex.

The dry down is lavender and vetiver on my skin. Vanilla and amber provide support, but it’s much less sweet and more of a floral/fougere aromatic. Clean and easy to wear. Intense review

Warm and Cozy

Yellow Dream– I’m not sure that I have much of a preference between Yellow Dream and Coral Fantasy or Green Stravaganza. It might be recency bias, but I would probably lean more toward wanting to wear Yellow Dream.

Is it a great Born in Roma scent? It’s sort of like a better and warmer version of Stronger with You Freeze. Lots of overlap in terms of smell and style between Uomo Yellow Dream and that series from Armani, particularly with Freeze.

At no point am I offended by it, while at the same time I’m never quite wowed by this cologne either. It’s just nice, warm, and wearable.

There are points of the development where the gingerbread, pineapple, spice, and vanilla are working together in concert quite well. This is a cozy wear that should be popular with those who like a sweet and spicy gourmand for the autumn and winter months.

The Rock

Rockstud Noir– I’m pretty sure that this edition is already discontinued. It’s a better version of the original EDT, mixed with elements of the Ralph’s Club scents and Y Le Parfum.

But, I think I’d rather wear the YSL scent than this one. Polo? It’s a toss up. I like the opening here more, I think.

If you’re a fan of the original EDT, you’ll probably really enjoy this one. I’m not, but I do like this more as a cologne.

You do get a powerful start from the bergamot here. It is actually stronger and juicier than what Green Stravaganza provides. It’s backed up by sage and ambergris.

It has a clean and somewhat blue-ish sort of freshness to it. This is probably the most versatile daily wear of the bunch. That opening with the full bergamot and sage is when this is at its peak. After that? Fine. Not too interesting

Green Fresh

Green Stravaganza– Imperfect. Simple. Green Stravaganza really had an opportunity to be a great cologne, but instead is slightly better to me versus the rest of the list. Really not much separating it and Yellow Dream, for example.

What’s good here? The bergamot. It’s like YSL Myslf (at the start) without the major floral note. Instead, you get the citrus freshness with a light touch from a coffee accord.

It’s fresh, somewhat earthy and greenish at times thanks to the inclusion of the vetiver note. The dry down has a soapy/amber finish to it.

The simplicity here is at the same time a mark against it and also a selling point. It’s steady throughout, in terms of my enjoyment of it. But also, I don’t feel like it reaches the same highs as Yellow or Coral Dream.

A Fantasy

Coral Fantasy– This is the Born in Roma that I was really wanting to try out, when it was released, and the fragrance does open up with a pretty interesting aroma.

The crisp red apple note is the star, with its sweet and juicy scent getting paired early on with cardamom and some spices.

That red apple note is great with the cardamom and bergamot, lending some warmth and slight lemon-like fruitiness of its own with the spice. The sage is another major note.

The transition into the next phase, does come on early. The initial fruitiness will begin to fade. Geranium freshness will permeate, the lavender and tobacco notes will begin to show up, and the red apple will be a role player.

At this point, it is a colder, drier, freshness. Overall, I don’t think it’s that much better than the EDT. A nice enough fragrance, but ultimately was a disappointment to me. Coral Fantasy review

roma coral fantasy review

Original Roma

Born in Roma EDT– The original is okay to me. The first few times I tried it out, I got a headache from it. After that, it was fine, just not all that great nor is it very original for much of the wear.

Born in Roma smells a lot like the original Invictus and Invictus Aqua in the opening act. Roma has that same artificial candy-like sweetness.

The difference is that it is toned down in the Valentino and there aren’t any citrus notes, as in Invictus. Instead, this one gives me a very prominent mineral accord (like mineral oil’s smell) and violet leaf (which is also in Invictus Aqua).

With that, some light ginger, salt, and some sage also come through. It’s not an aquatic and the mineral accord is the equivalent of the Invictus ambergris.

The back half is where Born in Roma begins to have its own personality. Less of that candy-like sweetness and more of a soapy/fresh clean scent. The main notes that I get throughout are: violet leaf, mineral accord, vetiver, and wood. Born in Roma review

7 Best Paris Hilton Perfumes

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There has been plenty of things which have been said or written about Paris Hilton either good, bad, or down right ugly. One thing that should be said and admitted is that she isn’t as dumb as she’s played up on TV in the past and she has kind of quietly amassed a very strong brand over the past 10 years.

Her fragrance line for both men and women have been a resounding success by any metric and despite the public perception of her personally, her fragrances are actually very well made. I have put together this list of what I consider to be the top 7 best perfumes by Paris Hilton.

Other posts for women’s perfumes: Best Celebrity Fragrances, Sexiest Perfumes for Women

Favorite Paris Hilton Perfumes

The pace of the releases has slowed greatly over the years, but she is still releasing new scents now and then. Usually, the newer ones do start out at a higher price point before being available at discounters.

Popular Choice

Just Me Paris Hilton By Paris Hilton For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4 Ounces– Very clean and light scent with floral and vanilla notes. Just Me has a feminine charm and elegance that will draw plenty of positive attention.

While it does have that vanilla and even raspberry notes, it isn’t a very sweet fragrance for the most part. Pink pepper gives you a warm spice, with further sandalwood, and other woody ingredients during the dry down.

Plus, a prominent rose, leading the floral end of things. The wood is at the heart and supports the raspberry top note, before the floral notes take over that role. Just Me Review

just me

Top Winter Fragrance

Paris Hilton Can Can Eau De Parfum Spray 3.40 oz– Can Can is a perfume that is really fun and has a highly attractive quality to it. Great for a night out. The nectarine note is wrapped in a warm amber embrace and joined by other sweet fruit notes.

It takes on a sugary sort of aroma when all paired with the musk and floral notes. Can Can plays that role of a engaging perfume on colder nights of the year.

The opening does have a somewhat tart aroma, but thereafter, it does get sweeter and the amber increases in strength. When that takes place, it has an almost cotton candy sort of aroma.

Notes include: cassis, clementine flower, wild orchid, nectarine, musk, orange blossom, woods, amber. 

can can

Best New Paris Perfume

Ruby Rush– This was brand spanking new for 2022, but Ruby Rush immediately ranked among the best from Paris.

This is more expensive than the others, at least initially, so she may be doing a KKW-like rebranding. Iconic was released in 2025, but this one is still better, if you can find it around.

Anyway, cherry is the star here. More like a sweet and syrupy sort. Not to the same extent as something like Lost Cherry, but it is sweet and fairly tart. This is joined by whipped cream and vanilla. So, basically a creamy cherry perfume.

Underneath that, is light floral notes and musk. Hibiscus and lily are the flowers here. Though, I didn’t find them to be ever really gaining that much of a foothold.

Underrated Scent

Tease By Paris Hilton Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4-Ounce– Tease is an energetic and flirty fragrance that is a really great find for the price.

I really like the notes of this one and indeed all of these perfumes from Paris Hilton, they really do have unique qualities from most other fragrances and maintain simplicity.

It opens up with apple, peach, and bergamot which gives Tease a nice crisp top. Then, those notes fade, and the tuberose and jasmine notes take over.

It’s a white floral with fruity undertones and a nice sandy beach vibe going on. Notes include: Apples, Peaches, Bergamot, White Flowers, Amber And Hot Sand. 

tease

Creamy Floral 

Electrify by Paris Hilton– Electrify is another fragrance that has been released by Paris, over the past few years. This one takes a group of floral notes, led by magnolia, and pairs them up with vanilla and a bit of coconut.

But, before all of that we get a juicy fruit opening with some apple, orange, and a somewhat tropical vibe between the coconut and cyclamen.

Magnolia will be the star, but peony and rose also make an appearance. To me, the rose is pretty light and doesn’t make much of an impact. A very nice and sweet fruity floral scent, with a creamy dry down.

Light Floral Perfume

Fairy Dust by Paris Hilton for Women – 3.4 Ounce EDP Spray– A well-balanced, sweet perfume with light and airy qualities which seem to match the fragrances name. Blend of floral and fruit notes including: orange blossom, peach nectar, vanilla cream, and pink peony.

The orange blossom and peach nectar are noticeable up top and have an appealing aroma, that is surrounded by the other floral ingredients. As it moves along, Fairy Dust takes on more of a powdery quality, but not baby powder level.

Towards the middle of the wear, gardenia and peony seem to take hold, and this is a close to full-on floral scent.

fairy dust

Best Summer Perfume

Heiress by Paris Hilton for Women – 3.4 Ounce EDP Spray– Heiress is a light and fresh perfume full of fruity notes which help it to shine. The name is obviously a play on her life and fame but is a surprisingly wonderful fragrance.

It opens up with a blast of citrus and passion fruit, with a bubbly champagne note, from the opening act. It is a candy-like sweet fragrance, with some lighter clean floral notes, that come through during the middle part of the wear.

It’s not a powerful fragrance overall, but it does hold up well enough.

Notes include: Passion Fruit, Orange, Peach Granita, Vetiver, Tiare, Tonka Bean, Mimosa, Champagne, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Dewberry, Ylang, Grenadine, Blonde Woods, Violet.

heiress

8 Best Smelling Coach Perfumes for Her

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Coach is mostly known for their luxury leather goods. Though, the past 10 years or so, they have been getting deeper into the fragrance game. The men’s colognes have been popular thus far, but they follow on the heels of the ladies’ perfumes.

In this post, I want to cover that aspect, and give 8 options for what could be considered the best smelling Coach fragrances for women.

What are the Best Ladies Coach Perfumes?

Note: Some of these are no longer produced, as Coach has changed their lineup. Though, you can generally still find bottles of each of them…plus, I’ve included newer and highly available options. 

Best Summer Coach Scent

Coach Floral Eau De Parfum, 3.0 Fl oz– Coach Floral is obviously going to have a helping of floral notes, but, the main attraction here is actually pineapple. There are some other citrus fruits in the opening act, but the sweet pineapple is the one that hangs around and dominates this composition.

It’s soft with a lovely hit of gardenia, some jasmine, and a touch of rose. All of this is held together by musk. It’s still a floral perfume, but a fruity/floral, that smells really great and has is very versatile.

Coach Floral isn’t a groundbreaking entry. Though, you get a light, sweet floral perfume for when the temperatures rise. More of an easy to wear scent that you don’t have to put much thought behind. Coach Floral Review

Best Dreams Release

Coach Dreams Sunset– I like the original 2020 Dreams release (listed below), but I think that Sunset grabs my attention more so. The only real overlap between them though, is with the pear note.

In sunset, it is a pear sorbet, that pairs with tonka bean and vanilla, to add to that creamy feeling. That along with a bergamot top, makes this Coach perfume have quite a delicious start. 

Sunset isn’t too heavy with that creaminess, and so, it can really fit in a variety of climates and is really able to be a daily wear. It is more of a pretty scent versus anything sexy, but I really liked it.

The dry down is much less of the pear note and goes more into the floral/woody direction. Magnolia and to a lesser extent jasmine, with that vanilla/tonka finish. Decent longevity with a moderate citrus. Not groundbreaking, but a lovely scent overall.

Great Springtime Floral

Coach Signature Eau De Parfum, 3.3 Fl oz– Coach Signature EDP is a floral dominant scent, with a light guava undertone. It’s a sweeter type of floral, with orange blossom, honey, and guava, keeping it away from being a ‘greenish’ sort of smell. Floral/fruity with emphasis on the former. 

This is the older perfume release, that uses the Coach EDP name. It came in a bottle that was more square and had a grayish color to it. 

Coach Signature is mostly about the floral notes and having a clean presentation. Green-ish,  soapy, with a citrus touch in the opening act. Signature is a really bright and upbeat perfume, that doesn’t do anything poorly.

What you do get, in terms of flowers is: mimosa, jasmine, orange blossom, and violet. As it dries down, there is some bits of wood, and a light powdery finish. It’s a very well put together and all around good performer.

Wildly Familiar 

Wild Rose– This one has a lot of similarities with other popular fragrances on the market, but it does what it does quite well. 

Wild Rose starts with a bright, fruity opening where bergamot pairs nicely with red currant. The tart sweetness of the currant complements the stronger citrus notes in the beginning.

Despite the name, the rose isn’t particularly prominent here. What’s there is soft rather than a deep, rich red rose.

The dry down shifts away from the Delina similarity toward something more like Her and Baccarat Rouge 540. Jasmine becomes more noticeable, while ambroxan and a dry mossy quality bring in elements from both fragrances.

Coach Wild Rose delivers amber, fruits, light florals, and a touch of moss in a well-balanced composition. The performance is also above average. So, if you like those other mentioned scents, here’s a potential alternative. Wild Rose review

wild rose review

Most Popular/Best Selling

Coach Coach New York, 1 Fl Oz– So, the names of Coach scents, can be somewhat confusing. This is a newer scent, using the Coach name, as the entry above does.

However, the two perfumes, go in completely different directions. This one features notes of pear and raspberry, going less floral, but still including notes such as rose.

The raspberry here is very dominant early, giving it a sweet aroma, with a smooth suede note included. In the dry down, it is a slightly fruity mix with a lot of clean-ish smelling flowers. At this stage, it is more about the pear with a bit of a powdery aroma from the floral notes.

Performance wise, Coach EDP is solid with 7-8 hours of wear and a good ability to project, without the sillage being overwhelming. It’s sort of deceptive, as it is actually stronger than it can seem while on the skin.

Classic Coach Scent

Coach Poppy- Coach Poppy has been an extremely popular fragrance over the past decade. It’s a very wonderful blend of sweet and freesia, with a light cucumber finish.

The cucumber gives the perfume a crisp and watery tone, with the freesia stepping up more and more, during the latter stages of the wear. The early part of the composition, consists of a nice marshmallow, vanilla, and other candied aromas.

It’s not an overly sweet and heavy smell, the other notes keep things light. Towards the end, it’s closer to a lightly sweet floral with a noticeable woody base.

Poppy is getting more difficult to track down nowadays, but is a still worthwhile acquisition, if you can get a reasonable price. 

Best Smelling Coach Perfume

Poppy Wild Flower– I don’t believe that they still make this flanker to Poppy, but Poppy Wild Flower was a very nice addition to the lineup. Bottles are still floating around, however.

Wild Flower kicks off with some juicy mandarin orange and peach. These top notes are surrounded by a hit of pink pepper and some floral notes. It’s a part time fruity/floral, as this one shifts much more toward the floral end of the spectrum, not too long after the opening.

You get freesia again, with lily of the valley, iris, and jasmine. It’s clean and has a softer sillage, with a creamy vanilla note coming in to round things out. Wild Flower has a warm profile and hints of spice to keep things interesting.

If you can find an inexpensive bottle, this is a great pickup for daily wear purposes. I’ve seen bottles online, as of this update for less than $50. Poppy Wild Flower was an absolute classic from Coach.

Easy to Wear Fruity Floral

Coach Dreams 1.3oz Eau de Parfum Spray– I do now prefer the smell of Sunset versus this original Dreams edition.  However, it still is a nice addition to the lineup, though not super amazing.

What is it? An easy to wear and somewhat unique floral that, can be a solid option for younger women in particular. 

Coach Dreams opens with its fruity notes (bitter orange, mostly) in full effect. However, underneath this is greenish desert notes, such as cactus flower and Joshua tree. But, what it ultimately turns into is a gardenia-led floral perfume.

It is pretty simple, but has plenty of uses within that. It starts fruity/floral and moves into being a white floral perfume with dewy and greenish elements. Coach Dreams Full Review

11 Best Raspberry Scented Perfumes

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Raspberry is one of my favorite berries in perfumery (and to eat), but there aren’t too many scents where it is actually the main focus. Usually, it will have a role to play in support of whatever the key ingredients might be.

But, I wanted to create a list of women’s perfumes where the raspberry actually gets to shine. I’ll continually update this page, as I find more viable options.

Favorite Smelling Raspberry Fragrances

Raspberry and Litchi Blast

Angel Nova– Angel Nova isn’t a pure play on the raspberry note, but it is plenty prominent in the early stages, especially.

Raspberry and litchi come out of the gate strong in this version of Angel. Also, I think there might be some mango in there also, giving a bit of a tropical aroma. The opening and into the middle of this has plenty of juicy fruit to go around.

It does get drier, earthier, and more floral as you get into the latter stages. So, less of the raspberry note, more Damask rose, wood, and benzoin. But, this is a perfume I really liked, that may give you enough fruit to make it worthwhile to try. Angel Nova Review

Rose Jam

Rose Rouge by Van Cleef & Arpels– Yes, rose is going to be a major factor in this one. Though, Rose Rouge is a very fruity take on the rose genre. Blackcurrant and raspberry lead the way, to create more of a fresh jammy aroma versus just straight fruit juice.

Very edible and has a sugary finish to it, thank to the vanilla, patchouli, and chocolate notes coming from the base.

This Van Cleef perfume is more of an autumn and winter’s wear versus some of the lighter summer far on the list. That rose is great. Not overwhelming, but delivers the floral contribution perfectly among all of those sweeter notes. 

The raspberry tends to stand out more in the middle and towards the end of the wear. It does have to fight a bit for attention during that opening act. 

Bold Ozonic Raspberry

La Vie est Belle L’Elixir by Lancôme– This one is interesting and may not be for everyone. But, L’Elixir is a very nice flanker from this series and has plenty going on.

The opening is sweet and bright, with raspberry and bergamot coming in hot. But, the juiciness seems somewhat diluted by the presence of the liquor and violet leaf notes. It’s like a fruitiness that has been squeezed into a somewhat fizzy mixed drink.

Though, this one is bold and has plenty of power in the opening act. Candy-like sweetness and a base note of cacao butter, that is joined by a bit of leather.

Is it a heavy winter scent? Not exactly, as its ozonic qualities freshen this La Vie est Belle perfume up and make it wearable for summer too.

I don’t think everyone is going to enjoy this one, but if you want another powerhouse raspberry option, this can fit the bill.

Sweet Raspberry Marshmallow

Ari by Ariana Grande– Ari is a sweet pick that goes beyond just the raspberry note, pairing it with marshmallow and pear. Fluffy, sugary sweet, with a sparkling quality about it. 

Ari starts off with the raspberry being the strongest. It is quite fruity in the beginning, with further grapefruit and pear additions, to the mix. It’s really got a vibe, like a Juicy Couture perfume. Very fruity top, with a sweet gourmand touch.

I like the way that this one balances these sweet notes versus some of her other perfumes, which can be more youthful.  Still, a fun and upbeat scent.

Then, after a bit of time passes, that’s when you get more floral influences. Vanilla orchid comes through a lot, a touch of musk, and that fluffy marshmallow. Ultimately, it’s orchid, marshmallow, raspberry, and pear. Quite nice, well worth a try for the price. My Full Review of Ari

Dot Dot Dot

Juliette Has A Gun MMMM Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Fl Oz– MMMM… is a fragrance that might be difficult to request verbally at the store, but gives you a juicy raspberry opening and vanilla and caramel throughout.

The vanilla, really starts to come through after 15-20 minutes and is joined by the heliotrope and iris notes, to really give it that mix of powder and creaminess. It’s pretty straightforward thereafter, with added sandalwood and musk.

It becomes quite light and has a powdery finish in the dry down, when most of the sweetness has burned off. There’s still a touch of that raspberry note though.

It does often get compared to Hypnotic Poison by Dior, and the similarities are for sure there. Mostly, it just lacks the almond. 

Angelic Paradis

Angels’ Share Paradis by Kilian- While I still prefer the original Angels’ Share to Paradis, this one does have a very nice raspberry liqueur note that fits perfectly for what we want in this context.

Angels’ Share Paradis opens with a boozier aroma than the original. The cognac and raspberry liqueur really stand out compared to the apple and cinnamon punch from the first Kilian release. It’s more alcoholic, sweeter, and lacks the same spiciness.

The key differences I notice are in the tonka bean and moss notes. The moss gives Paradis a fresher, woodsy quality the original lacks.

While the oakmoss isn’t dominant, it’s persistent and plays its supporting role effectively. The tonka bean also appears enhanced in this version. The longer I wore it, the more prominent the tonka became, especially during the middle phase.

But, the raspberry liqueur is our focus here and you get plenty of time with it. Not the cheapest option on the list, but worth trying if you can.

A Dose of Leather Too

Tom Ford Tuscan Leather Eau De Parfume Spray for Men, 1.7 Ounce–Tuscan Leather is obviously going to focus on the leather note. But, there’s more to it than that.

You not only get the main note, but also, a nice juicy raspberry, and an amazing saffron. Tuscan Leather has got a very similar smell to, Godolphin by Parfums de Marly, which is another awesome cologne.

Though, this one does give you the raspberry to balance it out more.

The focus is on the leather, which is rich and smooth, and a near perfect use of the note. Tuscan moves into a warmer feeling scent with a depth and darkness. Amber gives the leather a nice partner later on, there’s a dash of smokiness, and the sweetness of raspberry.

The sillage starts off, quite powerfully, but ends up a moderate overall. The longevity on the newer bottles, seems to hit the 8 hour mark of longevity, for me. It used to be a few hours better, but still very good. Tuscan Leather Review

Beyond Raspberry

Beyond Romance from Ralph Lauren– Beyond Romance is a great sweet and sugary perfume. It kicks off with the raspberry note, that is joined by some light citrus touches.

Black vanilla, rose, and cashmeran gives this one a slight powdery hint…that sort of comes across like marshmallow for a part of the wear. Still different than something like Ari, however.

Raspberry and vanilla are the dominant notes, with musk and cashmeran finishing things off. The floral notes are rose, jasmine, and lily of the valley. Though, none of them play too major of a role in Beyond Romance.

Decent power and performance, just not spectacular. The scent itself, is. If you enjoy this sort of perfume, it develops a nice balance without becoming too childish with its sugary aroma. Beyond Romance Review

 

Striking Midnight

Tresor Midnight Rose Edp Spray 2.5 Oz– The Lancome Tresor series is wildly popular and Midnight Rose is one of the best. It also, happens to feature a great raspberry note.

Midnight Rose is a sweeter and sometimes sharper variation of Tresor. Raspberries and rose are the main attraction of this sweet/sugary fragrance. With a rather bold projection to start, a little goes a long way.

Beyond the fruity raspberry, creamy vanilla, and familiar rose note; there is also a spiced warmth of pink pepper and musk underlying the whole thing. Not a thick scent, but one that has a solid longevity, and very good overall performance..

Lovely and pretty.  The pink pepper note sort of holds down the middle, while you get the vanilla/rose combo, and the somewhat tart aroma of the berries. Very attractive fragrance, that has good versatility, that can go daytime or into the evening.

Miss Dior

Christian Dior Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming Women’s Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Absolutely Blooming is my favorite of the Miss Dior line. The raspberry get joined by musk and a great pomegranate note, early.

It, along with black current, give it more of a tart aroma than you might otherwise have. However, this is still a great perfume for those who want raspberry.

This is currently the best Miss Dior perfume that they have released to date. It’s got an opening of pomegranate and raspberry to go along with musk. 

Absolutely Blooming becomes more rose dominated later on, but its not overly so. It works within the blend of fruit notes and musk.

The sillage on this one is strong and will last for over 10 hours on the skin. The peony note also diversifies the floral array somewhat.

The raspberry goes from the main attraction, to being a complement, to the floral ingredients that give the scent its name.

Absolutely Blooming is a very good choice for the spring and summertime. It is highly versatile, attractive, and performs well all around. Read my full Review

Because It’s Fruit

Armani Because It’s You– This Armani scent is very sweet and we also get a dose of lemon early on. The citrus may scare some folks off, because that with the raspberry is pretty intense.

But, the perfume itself is simply pretty, on the whole. The raspberry gets to do more of its own thing, as the scent develops and a vanilla note, has a calming influence on some of that initial citrus aroma from the lemon and neroli. 

Interestingly, while sweet and creamy, this doesn’t feel too heavy later on. Actually a nice bit of freshness and some rose really revealing itself in the mid.

Performance is great. Strong and long-lasting for a designer perfume of this sort.