By Designer

6 Perfumes Similar to Alien Goddess

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Alien Goddess has become a very popular flanker spun off from the extremely popular original Alien perfume from Mugler. Maybe its the coconut water or something else that people are into, but it just works.

However, you may want something a little different from Alien Goddess or Alien Goddess Intense. You might like aspects of that perfume, but not the entire thing. Or, you want something nearly identical for cheaper. Or, a similar style. In any case, this is the page where I will keep track of all the options that smell like Alien Goddess.

What Fragrances Smell Like or are Similar to Alien Goddess?

alien goddess review

Floral Swap

Metallique by Tom Ford– Right off the bat, this isn’t the same as Goddess. But, between it and Goddess Intense this does have much of the same note structure. Just different weightings and different effects.

Still, if you like Goddess the style of this Tom Ford perfume should appeal to you. Bright and cold aldehydes kick things off alongside the same bergamot and pink pepper notes that are found in the Mugler’s.

Heliotrope is also here. However, Metallique feels like more of a general floral blend that is paried with the musk, amber, and aldehydes. None of the tropical aspects are here without the coconut. But, you get a creamy vanilla and sandalwood in the base, that picks up the slack.

Famous Similarities

Fame by Paco Rabanne– Fame or Fame Parfum do have a good deal of overlap with the Goddess series. Fame Parfum is the better of the two Paco Rabanne scents, but I like Goddess Intense the best of all of them.

Instead of the coconut water found in Alien Goddess, we get mango. The tropical aroma and the floral aspects of these fragrances are similar, but not the same.

Jasmine, vanilla, and sandalwood are strong in the EDP version of Fame. The tropical aroma, doesn’t last long.

With Fame Parfum, you get a longer time with the mango and some fresh spice with pink pepper. The dry down with the jasmine and sandalwood also feels smoother. Not a replica of Alien Goddess, but inhabits the same style.

Cristal Connection

La Vie est Belle Soleil Cristal by Lancome– This is another one that has a pretty similar style and smell to Alien Goddess without being the same. It, Fame, and Goddess all inhabit the same category with differences in their blends. Maybe, Bronze by Ellen Tracy too.

With Soleil Cristal, you get a sparkling opening of citrus and coconut notes. It’s bright and lively without feeling like a sugary bomb.

I get some spice and more of the coconut note here, than the vanilla. Less creamy, with a fresher dynamic. Iris and ylang-ylang are the background supporters to the coconut and vanilla notes, clean with some powdery highlights.

I like this one, not fantastic, but can give you a slightly different look and mix than what the Mugler perfume offers. Soleil Cristal review

soleil cristal review

Rose, Coconut, Vanilla

La Nuit Tresor Nude by Lancôme– One that is like our target, but the big difference is in the floral note used. Rose versus the signature jasmine of the Alien series.

La Nuit Tresor Nude actually makes the strange pairing of rose and coconut work. How? Well, it’s more focused on the sweet and creamy notes than it is the floral. The rose is prominent in the dry down, when the vanilla starts coming through.

Early? Sweet and lotion-like coconut and the same bergamot as in Alien Goddess. But, it’s stronger in this Lancôme scent. I think this might be discontinued, but as of now its still plenty available online, if you’re interested.

Goddess Intense Sort of Smell

Donna Born in Roma Intense– This Valentino fragrance is more akin to Goddess Intense than the original Alien Goddess. Intense has a subdued bergamot citrus, less powder than the original, and a more substantial coconut.

Well, Born in Roma Intense doesn’t have the bergamot or coconut. However, the jasmine, amber, benzoin, and vanilla notes are all here.

To me, this is sweeter over the duration than is Intense. It doesn’t have the same level of soapiness in the dry down. Also, this one is more vanilla heavy than I get with the Mugler. After all, it doesn’t have the coconut.

No real price break is to be had. So, I’d probably go with this if you’re not a big fan of the coconut note, but like the idea of the rest of Alien Goddess Intense.

Ylang-Ylang Option

Replica Beach Walk– This Maison Margiela perfume isn’t exactly the same as Goddess, which may be a good thing. Here, you get a lot of overlap with it and Goddess Intense. But, there’s no jasmine.

Instead, that floral note is swapped out with a great ylang-ylang. The similarities are in the notes, but not necessarily how they’re constructed. Here, the scent feels more lotion-like, more like a salty beach day than the probably more well put together Mugler.

Personally, I’d go with the Alien Goddess series versus this one. But, this can be a viable alternative for people who still want the citrus, coconut, benzoin, and the like of the Mugler…just remixed into a different smell.

Nomad by Bond No. 9

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Nomad is a perfume released by Bond No. 9 New York back in 2021. I recently bought a sample of it as part of a lot and wanted to test out thing scent, to see what its all about. It’s one of the better looking bottles from the brand, but does the contents inside actually match up to the looks? How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Nomad by Bond No. 9 smell like?

Notes include: quince, blackcurrant, pear, rose, oud, orris, violet leaf, vanilla, amber, sandalwood

Click here to try: Nomad from Bond

nomad bond review

My Full Review

Here’s how Bond describes it: Capturing the free spirit of New York’s dreamy wanderers. A strong, sensual, statement-making oud, with modern fruity notes and luxurious amber.

The opening here is sharp and fresh with a light watery mix coming from the pear and violet leaf notes. Blackcurrant, quince, and rose are kind of a lot to handle all at once. Especially, when they’re amped up to 1000 like they are in Nomad.

Man, this stuff goes on super powerful. Once some of the initial top has burned off, it will be more like a rose water, and much more tolerable.

Oud and rose are going to dominate. On my skin, I get a ton of the oud. I don’t mind it here, even if it isn’t a personal favorite note of mine. I could do without the pairing of it with rose, which has been done countless times by seemingly every designer.

The next phase is a slightly rosy oud with a bit of a powdery orris coming through. Spraying on clothes, I get more powder than on my skin. In either case, it’s only slight.

Nomad is sweeter less sharp, increasingly woody with some sandalwood coming into the picture and an amber base.

That’s basically the tail end of it. Woody, somewhat sweet and rosy, with an amber note having a larger role.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Nomad starts off monstrous with its projection. But, it’ll be quite strong for the rest of the way before declining into a skin scent deep into the wear.

That opening act is massive. Plenty of scent trail left behind, great projection, while not feeling super heavy. The slight aquatic aspect helps it from bogging everything down too much.

Nomad lasts forever on my skin. On a jacket, it’s still projecting a few feet, days after I sprayed it. It’s absolutely awesome with it’s performance. Not sure how long it actually goes on skin, but I’ve easily gotten 13+ hours before I scrubbed it.

Suffice to say, if you enjoy Nomad, you get your money’s worth.

Seasonally, autumn through spring. How deep into springtime, depends on where you live. I wouldn’t want this on, when it gets too hot outside. But, slightly chilly to moderate temperatures is where this Bond seems at its best.

This is also a true unisex. They did a great job a creating balance with appeal for anyone who likes this style of perfume.

It might not be the most versatile scent, due to its strength and the somewhat polarizing nature of oud and rose fragrances. Can be a bit much for the office, when you go beyond a few sprays.

Not super dressy or formal, but Noma has enough substance to be considered well put together. It’d be good for certain nighttime wear, lounges and things like that.

Overall Impressions of Nomad

Overall, do I like Nomad? Really, it’s not for me at all. Not a big rose and oud guy, but designers keep on cranking out these formulas, so I sort of have to review them.

Nomad is a beast, which can be both good and bad, depending on where you land with this scent.

I like the middle and dry down more. It’s somewhat softer and more balanced, without the harshness of the opening act. That’s when you get the best of everything. Still sweet and fruity, but with a fully developed oud taking center stage and some orris powder.

Nomad isn’t going to be a Bond No. 9 that enjoys a wide mass appeal. For some percentage of people, this is going to be perfect for them. Others, will be overwhelmed. I would suggest getting a sample before committing to hundreds of dollars spent, on a full bottle of Nomad.

A few bucks up front can save you from having an expensive paperweight on your shelf, if it turns out that you hate it.

New York Nights by Bond No. 9

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New York Nights is a perfume which has gained a lot of popularity since its release back in 2017. It’s among my favorite Bond No. 9 scents, especially in the unisex part of this brand’s lineup. I bought another sample of Nights in order to finally do a proper review for the site. How does it smell? Does it last long?

What does New York Night Smell Like?

Notes include: gardenia, carnation, jasmine, patchouli, sea notes, sandalwood, caramel, coffee

Click here to try: New York Nights by Bond No.9

My Full Review

The opening here is interesting, as you get notes from every phase of the wear coming through to add their own statement.

To me, what stands out as interesting are: gardenia, aquatic notes, and the caramel. It’s a sweetish blend of flowers, with a smooth and somewhat thick blend of that caramel/coffee accord, and the freshness of sea notes.

Now, the sea notes here aren’t going to give you seaweed smells, like some of the others from Bond No. 9. However, it along with that caramel give you saltiness and just a general sense of freshness.

For some people, the sweetness mixed with the floral top notes, gives them a ‘banana’ or ‘banana bread’ sort of aroma. I get that somewhat, but on my skin New York Nights is much more of a distinct caramel with some roasted coffee.

That being said, that banana effect does pop up for me, from time to time.

Actually, I tend to get more of a spicy kick from the patchouli and carnation notes. This carnation does come across very much like clove here.

As we get into the middle act, Nights will become more of a standard floral. Most of the spice is gone, as are the sea notes. That’s kind of a disappointment, but I still like the result of this scent.

Gardenia and jasmine with sandalwood/patchouli, and a more equal mix of the coffee and caramel notes. The caramel loses some of its ground to its fellow base note.

The end of the line is a general sweetness with indistinct floral notes. Nothing too much stands out for me, at this point. It’s pleasant and wearable, but it all comes together into a mass.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

To me, this has a fairly strong start. It settles into something that is only a bit above average. But, I get good projection when I spray it on clothes and leave the room. I can certainly detect it from afar and it leaves a scent trail when I wear it.

That won’t be the case for the entirety, as Nights will start to be more of an intimate scent. I never find it weak, it just doesn’t have that beast in it.

On my skin, this will last somewhere in the 7-8 hour range. It seems to land more towards the former, rather than the higher number.

Seasonally, I do prefer this one the colder days and nights of the autumn and winter months. More nighttime, as the name suggests. I think it’s fine for most in the spring, also. I’d stay away from massively humid and hot days.

It’s not so heavy that it’s stuck to cold weather only. You can venture a bit with NY Nights.

This one is listed as unisex, as are a lot of others from this brand. It leans feminine, but still quite wearable by almost anyone. If you don’t like the sweeter scents or florals, then, you can probably safely ignore Nights.

Overall Impressions of New York Nights

Overall, do I like New York Nights? Yes, again, it’s one of my favorites from Bond. However, it won’t be for everyone, even if it is a popular perfume.

For some guys, this may be too feminine. For people in general, you might get too much of that banana and lotion kind of smell, and that could also put you off to Nights.

The performance for the price is decent, but definitely not spectacular. If it were cheaper, I’d recommend that people blind buy this one. Since it isn’t, I’d recommend trying it out if you’re really interested. New York Nights could be one that you absolutely love.

For me, the floral is blended very well with the caramel and coffee accord. Those two, along with the sea notes draw me into that opening act. Some jasmine and carnation are around as well, giving this some depth beyond being a one note gardenia perfume.

This is a really good scent for the right person. It’s still quite mass appealing, but there will always be a sizeable contingent that New York Nights just doesn’t mesh well with. For me, it’s a delight.

Belle D’Opium by YSL

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Belle d’Opium is a Yves Saint Laurent perfume that I’ve liked for a long time. However, since it came out back in 2010 and is discontinued, I hadn’t come across any in years. Luckily, I saw a sample for sale online recently, and bought it to do a full review.

How does Belle d’Opium smell? Does it last long? Is it worth tracking down a bottle?

What does Belle d’Opium by YSL Smell Like?

Notes include: Casablanca lily, mandarin, gardenia, incense, pepper, tobacco, peach, rose, amber, patchouli, vanilla, sandalwood

belle d'opium review

My Full Review

Here’s how Yves Saint Laurent describes it: The thrill of bewitching, a new oriental. An overdose of rare and precious ingredients: the narcotic scent of Casablanca Lily blends with spice swirling incense and mysterious overtones of a Nargileh accord. A true olfactory manifesto.

An interesting feature of this perfume is the Nargileh accord. Basically, creating the effect of hookah, with a smokiness, spiciness, and tobacco note. Perhaps, even a flavored smoke with the mandarin, peach, and other fruits.

After that opening act, the next phase is a sweet white floral blend with a decent amount of peach lurking underneath the lily.

While it doesn’t feel as smoky or spicy, as it did at the start. The ‘Nargileh accord’ still does have a presence here. It’s a light tobacco at this point, without as much influence from the incense.

The mood really matches that purple bottle. The fruity blend is feeling pretty jam like, at this point. Almost boozy, with how it can come across on my skin. Just not a hyper-sugary sort of sweetness.

The white floral notes are a tug of war between the lily and the gardenia. Though, I do really like the balance between them. Jasmine, is around.

As we transition, the patchouli note and amber will come out more. It does have a ‘fruitchouli’ perfume smell for a good portion of the wear. I like it, I think that it’s a fine example of the type versus a lot of others out there nowadays.

The tail end for me, is a sweetish blend of more of the lily than gardenia. Amber with sandalwood, less of the patchouli, and perhaps a dab of vanilla to tie it all together.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does have some substance. It’s not massive, but it’ll leave a scent trail and can project quite far at times. It’s sort of weird. Belle d’Opium will feel like a strong fragrance, then, be absolutely light at other times.

All in all, it’s above average, but seemingly not capable of blowing the doors off with normal spraying.

The longevity for me is good, but not great by any means. Somewhere in the 7-7.5 hour range, on my skin. At times, you expect this to be more of a beast, but Belle never fully takes on that role.

Seasonally, Belle is built for autumn through early spring. Maybe late spring, if you live in a colder area. This YSL has a good amount of body and a thicker feel without being overly heavy.

Still, enough to it to where the heat and humidity of the summer months wouldn’t be too appealing.

Belle d’Opium is well put together, but not formal. It has a sensual and nightlife kind of vibe mostly, but not super serious or stuffy. A bit more than the usual casual fare, great for certain parties or evenings out for cocktails.

Overall Impressions of Belle d’Opium

Overall, do I like Belle d’Opium? Yes, this is one of my favorite releases from the women’s side of things at YSL. It was kind of a shorter lived fragrance, somewhat forgotten now, but it was a gem.

The opening with the fruits, hookah, and white floral notes is great. I love how the fruit notes come across here and the gardenia and lily play off of one another.

The performance is above average, but not too much so. It’s not exactly a weak point, since that aspect is still quite good, it just could’ve been better.

Is it worth picking up? Since the remaining bottle go for nearly $200 each, as of posting, it probably won’t be worthwhile for most people to get one for themselves. Collectors or just those who want to get deeper into the fragrance hobby, and missed this, could do well with this perfume.

My Way Parfum by Giorgio Armani

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My Way Parfum is the 2023 release from Armani in this My Way line of fragrances. I bought a sample of this a few months ago to test out and see how this edition held up and even if it was worthwhile to check out. After putting it through its paces, how did Parfum stack up? Does it last long? Is it any good?

What does My Way Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: iris, bergamot, orange blossom, vanilla, tuberose, ambrette, cedar

Click here to try: My Way Parfum

My Full Review

It’s been a long time since I’ve tried the original My Way. I wanted to do a comparison between and this Parfum version, but wasn’t sent the sample that I ordered. As such, I don’t want to try based off of memory alone.

This one opens up with some incredibly light citrus (bitter orange mostly) , that will be overshadowed by iris, orange blossom, and musk. Tuberose comes out more for me, later on.

However, it’s a musky and powdery mix, on my skin in the early stages. Between the bitter orange and muskiness, I’m not too keen on the opening.

But, the tuberose and vanilla move in to replace much of the influence of these opening notes, and I start to like Parfum much more.

It’s mostly about the tuberose and iris from here on out. Vanilla, is third and all of the other notes just provide various levels of support for the rest of the wear.

At some point, the tuberose takes the majority of the weighting from the iris, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does indeed have some power. While it’s not as heavy as Si Intense by Armani, which I also tested, it does have a better ability to project and leave a scent trail.

Parfum doesn’t degrade as fast as that one and it also has a higher peak, in terms of its reach.

On skin, this one gets me about 9 hours of wear. On clothes, it’ll go on and on like many other fragrances. But, it’s still very good just on skin alone.

Seasonally, this one is great pretty much year round. Probably avoid wearing Parfum on the hottest days. Outside of that, it has enough substance and balance in the colder months, but not getting bogged down when its slightly warm.

It’s nothing that’s going to be for the nightlife or that is particularly sexy. However, it’s good for day to day wear, work, casual, and things of that nature.

Overall Impressions of My Way Parfum

Overall, do I like My Way Parfum? Somewhat. The opening isn’t all that great, but I do like the dry down. The musk and iris in the beginning, is not something that I really liked. Even if, I tend to love iris as a note. Just doesn’t work for me here.

It does get better when the iris and tuberose start to blend and the other notes fall by the wayside. It’s a lovely white floral perfume at that point, with some cedar freshness, and less of the ambrette.

The performance seems to outstrip the actual smell itself. Like, the performance is quite good, but the scent is pretty good but nothing remarkable.

It’s worth a try, if it sounds interesting to your personal tastes. But, I don’t think that this Armani is going to be one that everyone needs to get a bottle of. There nothing here that most people would miss out on, but not trying My Way Parfum.