By Designer

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.

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.

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.

11 Best Tom Ford Perfumes for Women

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Tom Ford fragrances fall into the more very expensive designer category of perfumes. They tend to be less synthetic and contain more ‘rare’ notes than other mainstream scents. However, Tom Ford also produces some really great scents for women.

These perfumes tend to stand out and make a statement, which can be a good or bad thing depending on the person wearing it.

The scents on this list will be more along the lines of a signature perfume for the right lady and not all of them will have universal appeal.

Favorite Ladies Fragrances by Tom Ford

Popular Fragrance Choice

Tom Ford Black Orchid By Tom Ford For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4-Ounces– Dark, rich, and spicy. A loud and sensual gourmand fragrance featuring notes of black truffle, black orchid, plum, and patchouli.

Not quite feminine nor is it over to the masculine side of fragrance either. This one can be loved or hated, but it is bold and sexy, nevertheless.

Black Orchid is not only a top level fragrance with its sillage, but it seemingly lasts forever. Yes, Tom Ford fragrances are priced on the higher end, but you get every penny’s worth with this perfume’s performance.

It’s sweet, it’s dark and dry, it’s smokey, and then powdered. Black Orchid has a lot of personality and the composition has a very well done complexity. Marvelous.

Best Overall

Tom Ford Noir Pour Femme Eau De Parfum, 3.4 Ounce– A more moderate gourmand than Black Orchid. Noir has an alluring vibe created by the smooth vanilla notes, the floral notes like rose, and the sweetness of orange.

A beautiful fragrance that is soaked in amber, has a creamy tone, on top of smooth sandalwood. Noir Pour Femme is much more of a cold weather fragrance and hangs in the air wonderfully without being too in your face about it.

Noir Pour Femme has a lot of overlap with Noir Extreme for Men. Less intense at the start, but that beautfiul dry down is pretty close to one another. Noir Extreme is one of my favorite men’s offerings from this brand, so, it makes sense that I would enjoy this too.

This is probably my personal favorite and what I’d say is the best smelling. That being said, it is a fragrance for the colder months, which isn’t going to work well in heat. So, if that really applies to your living situation, I’d go with something else.

Cherry Delicious

Tom Ford Lost Cherry Unisex EDP Spray 1.7 oz– Lost Cherry has become recently very popular and it’s pretty easy to understand, once you smell it. Well, assuming you like sweet cherry.

The newer releases like Cherry Smoke and Electric Cherry, weren’t nearly as good as this one which kicked off the use of this note.

It starts off with that sweetness, but warm and with a thicker aroma. The cherry at the start, is very much like a liqueur or the syrup from Dr. Pepper’s Cherry flavor.  Amaretto and cherry syrup, yep, really reminds me of that Dr. Pepper.

Then, that will subside and the almond note will move in. The cherry liqueur seemingly gets replaced by a more naturalistic cherry aroma. Less thick, more fresh with some added spices.

The sillage however, is pretty light to moderate. Some folks have had a problem with performance, but it lasts 7-7.5 hours, on my skin. Again, not with a massive projection throughout.

Nonetheless, this one smells delicious, and for sure one to test if it sounds like something you’d like. Lost Cherry Full Review

Best Summer Tom Ford Perfume

Tom Ford Eau de Soleil Blanc Spray, 3.4 Ounce, Eau de Toilette Spray– Soleil Blanc features floral notes: jasmine, ylang-ylang, and tuberose. Also, a unique pistachio, and enough amber to make it inviting.

Soleil opens with that coconut note, and a very juicy bergamot, with an underlying tuberose floral note.

These ingredients pair well and add the sweet creaminess of the perfume, but this is made spicier by the cardamom and just a hint of warm pink pepper.

As it moves along, the floral notes really begin to emerge and blend with a creamier and less sweetened coconut note. A very light warmth and spice is there from the cardamom. It has really good performance and delivers that day at the beach vibe to perfection.

The sillage isn’t super strong, but Soleil Blanc will last for 10+ hours. Eau de Soleil Blanc is the flanker to this. It has more of a citrus opening and sun tan lotion dry down. I only tried that one, once. So, I’m not positive which I prefer, as of this update.  Soleil Blanc Full Review

Most Interesting

Tom Ford Velvet Orchid Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Citrus sweet, smooth, and floral at the start. This is a great and seductive perfume which lightens and brightens as a scent during the dry down period.

Similar to Black Orchid? Yes. However, it is less intense, and has a sweeter and boozier profile. Warm rum with thick honey, creamy vanilla, and the floral bouquet led by the orchid note. Quite rich with a dark depth.

Top Woody Perfume

Tom Ford Santal Blush Eau De Parfum, 1.7 Ounce– Woodsy and spicy fragrance that airs towards Oriental. Santal Blush is pretty unisex and a fragrance designed for sandalwood lovers.

It’s very clean and fresh with powdered elements and the aforementioned spices sitting underneath. Mostly though, Santal Blush is a woody fragrance, first and foremost. At times, it is creamy. Other times, it’s musky. Overall, it is simply great.

Easy to Love Citrus and Floral

Tom Ford Sole di Positano Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 oz– The Acqua version is the more recent release. It’s much lighter and slightly different to this one. However, I think the original Sole di Positano is the better of the two.

Zesty citrus blend up top that is dominated by a mix of orange notes. Slight greenish and herbal spice sitting underneath that, but not to the same extent as other Tom Ford citrus offerings.

Jasmine and ylang-ylang really emerge later on. But, with the orange blossom and neroli, this one still retains a balance with its citrus beginnings.

A great spring and summer option with decent, but not amazing performance. Sole di Positano Review

Just Peachy

Tom Ford Bitter Peach by Tom Ford Eau De Parfum Spray (Unisex) 1.7 oz Men– Bitter Peach is a newer edition to the list, but I think that it’s well worth putting on and gives a different experience from the other options.

I was also tempted to put Soleil Neige on, but that while enjoyable, never reaches a higher level.

You get a lot of the peach as expected, early on. However, it is flanked by orange and patchouli notes, as well.

It is a ripe peach, with that bitterness, and a great gourmand package of vanilla and patchouli. The former gives the juicy fruit a creaminess and is joined by floral notes including heliotrope. The peach is the main star and the scent is quite bold and provides a very long lasting wear.

Top Floral Perfume

Tom Ford Jasmin Rouge eau de parfum for women 1.7 oz– Jasmin Rouge is a jasmine sambac led floral perfume with warmth and underlying spices from notes like cinnamon, ginger, and sage.

The jasmine is mostly paired with ylang-ylang and this is wrapped up in a nice amber on top of smooth wood.

Jasmin Rouge has a moderate and refined sillage, which won’t overpower, but does have a terrific modern floral aroma. This Tom Ford is very well blended and at times the supporting notes won’t really stand out from one another.

Though, this is one of the top fragrances for those who love jasmine. Jasmin Rouge Review

Sweet Wintertime Scent

TOM FORD Tobacco Vanille Eau de Parfum 50 ML(1.7 OZ)– One of the absolute classic presentations of a fully developed tobacco note blended with sweet elements, like the namesake, vanilla. It’s warm and bold and extremely pleasant to wear.

Tonka bean, dried fruits, and cacao join some spices to help round out the main tobacco/vanilla combination.

Tobacco Vanille is another beast performer by Tom Ford. It will last all day and doesn’t take much to have it be noticed.

I used to enjoy this one more, in the past. It’s still good, but doesn’t capture my attention in the same way it once did. Very worth checking out, though. Tobacco Vanille Review

Best Leather Fragrance

Ombré Leather Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7-oz.– Ombre Leather is a new 2018 release, but one that I’m really enjoying. It is unisex, maybe slightly masculine, but from online store reviews plenty of women are wearing this one.

This fragrance is very dry and warm, with leather being the main star.

However, it is joined by amber and moss, that play the background. Jasmine is quite noticeable and plays amazingly off of the leather note.

I do personally like this Ombre Leather more than the Parfum version. That edition utilizes a violet leaf note, giving things a slightly different vibe. It is still very good, though.

Super smooth and rich leather, like an enveloping jacket. A moderate wear with an overall clean aroma, but with an earthy dirtiness underneath. Awesome. Ombre Leather Review