By Designer

7 Best Smelling Hugo Boss Perfumes for Her

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Hugo Boss is a design house that has been around for ages and is still going strong. One of the highlights of this brand is their fragrance line for both men and women.

From this line, one can find very nice scent choices that are in the more moderate price range than something like Bond No. 9 for instance.

In this post, I want to put forth 7 Hugo Boss perfumes which could be considered the best smelling of the bunch. 

What are the Best Hugo Boss Perfumes for Ladies?

Note: It seems like there has been a lot of purging of product from the Hugo Boss women’s fragrance line.  Nonetheless, I’ll put forward my picks from the past, and link to them since they can be found elsewhere. I’ve added to this list, however, and retained some of the older scents.

Fresh Floral/Fruity Perfume

Femme 2.5 Oz Eau De Parfum Spray Women– Boss Femme is highlighted by floral notes such as freesia, rose, jasmine, and fleur de lys along with fruity notes such as tangerine and apricot.

It has a fresh floral scent that is good for everyday wear without being overbearing and the tangerine provides a subtle citrus undertone.

It opens with the mix of the fruit and floral notes before, the freesia and rose become the main attraction.

It’s a citrusy sort of smell with a bit of sharp black currant added, as well. Boss Femme is a fairly light fragrance, that fits in well during the day time, and can be safely worn every day.

A-lively Perfume

Boss Alive– Boss Alive EDP is the initial release from their newest line, which isn’t so new anymore. This one isn’t as sweet, but has more of a crisp juiciness and tartness, thanks to apple and plum.

Actually, I’m a bit reminded of their Boss Bottled No.6 for Men, due to that apple and cinnamon. Obviously, not the same, but I can certainly detect the similarities. This is indeed still feminine.

Jasmine and thyme are the heart of this scent. It’s initially fruity and spicy, then, it becomes a cleaner jasmine and woods in the dry down. While, still maintaining some level of sweetness throughout.

 

Sweet Orange and Chocolate

Boss The Scent Private Accord– Cacao and coffee team up here in a big way, along with a nice mandarin orange note. The coffee plays less of a factor, later in the wear.

This was probably the best offering from the ‘The Scent’ line of perfumes for her (Intense was also decent).

Update: They’re no longer on Boss’ website, so, it may have been discontinued. The newer ‘The Scent’ offerings, don’t strike me as being quite as good.

It is sweet and light, with a bit of a floral heart and some added spice. Not a super complicated fragrance, but a nice gourmand for those who love that orangey chocolate aroma.

I like that it never gets too heavy or overwhelming, even if that mean sacrificing a bit on the performance end of things. 

Sweet, Dry, Woody

Boss Ma Vie Pour Femme– Boss Ma Vie brings together the unique (cactus) with well worn ingredients like rose and freesia. It opens up with a fresh, green, and distinctive smell. You definitely get the full cactus experience, that is flanked by mainly the freesia. 

Ma Vie Pour Femme is a fairly light fragrance, that gives you sweet elements, with dry/fresh woodsy base notes. Up top, it does have a little bit of a sour tinge, but overall comes across as clean and very enjoyable.

The performance is good enough to last all day and one that can be worn in almost any situation. 

Best Winter Boss Perfume

Deep Red 3.0 Fl. Oz. Eau De Toilette Spray Women– Sexy and energetic with citrus notes provided by blood orange, mandarin, and clementine. Plus, black currant. Very sweet fragrance and the floral notes including vanilla become more apparent as it wears on.

As the dry down develops, the vanilla is joined by ginger, sandalwood, and white floral notes lead by tuberose. It becomes drier and warmer the deeper that you get into it. Yet, it is upbeat and rather sporty.

Deep Red is fresh and has a nice cold weather vibe, with good versatility, so that it can also be used as a nighttime scent. Sillage isn’t too heavy and has a solid wear time.

 

 

Unique Fruity Scent

Xx 3.4 Fl. Oz. Eau De Toilette Spray Women.– Blueberry, mandarin, rose, jasmine, musk, and amber. Semi-sweet fragrance but not overly so and also it’s quite feminine and fresh.

Plenty of jasmine and rose up front, but the mandarin, litchi, and blueberry are also sitting up top, giving XX a fruitier aroma from the start. What’s unique about this one, is that it also features basmati rice.

I’ve literally never seen that listed on any other fragrance (the basmati variety, at least), but it adds a bit of uniqueness to things. XX isn’t a very complex fragrance, but it is definitely one that can catch attention.

Fruity Aquatic Fragrance

Hugo By Hugo Boss For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 1.3 Ounces– A juicy/aquatic type of perfume that is dominated by fruit notes like apple, berries, and peach. Hugo Woman is clean, soft, fresh, and has some light floral notes to complement the fruits.

The fruit notes start out the top of the perfume, with a crisp and juicy aroma of mainly, the apple and melon notes. It smells fairly aquatic at this stage, quite light, and hangs gently in the air.

As it dries down, Hugo Woman reveals more flowers: jasmine, hyacinth, and lily and very light woods. It’s a great everyday wear option for the warmer months, as it is office safe, pleasant, and versatile.

9 Best Escada Perfumes for Her

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Escada is a fashion house that is absolutely prolific in the women’s fragrance sector. They have released dozens of perfumes over the past 3-4 decades and as such it can be hard to narrow down the best of the bunch.

In this post, I am going to present nine of what I consider to be the top smelling fragrances from the brand. I’ll try to keep it updated over time, in order to bring in newer scents, and move off of the ones that are discontinued.

What are the Best Pefumes by Escada?

Sweet and Attractive

Escada Magnetism By Escada For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 2.5 Ounces– Sweetness of fruits such as berries, other fruits, and some rich gourmand undertones blend with some light spices and green notes to create a sexy and intoxicating fragrance.

Sensual, strong, long lasting. Magnetism is a sweet perfume with vanilla and caramel notes, but also is lined with basil and other green outdoorsy notes, to create a unique balance.

The dry down gives off the aroma of berries, light vanilla/caramel, and a powdered smell. Magnetism has really good performance, without being too overpowering.

Candy without the Tropics

Candy Love– A lot of the Escada fragrances, really go heavy on the tropical fruity notes and/or flowers. Candy Love does have fruits, but it is much more of a gourmand candy perfume than others on the list.

It has an apple note up top (and also berries it smells like), with a base of vanilla and whipped cream. A bit crisp and fresh, with a light rose note included. But, this one is about the fruity sweetness with a creamy finish.

Very cute and has more of an innocent vibe than something like Rockin’ Rio. Pretty simple and more along the lines of a teen perfume, but still quite nice. The vanilla and whipped cream dry down, especially.

Flor del Tequila

Flor del Sol by Escada– Up top, you get tequila. A strong shot mixed with orange and grenadine notes, which give it a fruity aroma, that will also be plenty powerful. It’s crisp and boozy, almost a melon-like aroma, but just not quite.

The middle features a dahlia floral note, which doesn’t strike me as being all that dominant, ever in the mix. It’s there adding a different sort of sweetness versus the fruitiness, but didn’t seem massive.

It’s a sweet, energetic, somewhat bitter, and fun perfume to wear. Flor del Sol is mostly straightforward and linear in its development, but as another summer wear option, I like it.

Flirty Party Scent

Escada 100 Ml EDT Spray, Rockin Rio, 3.3 Fl Oz– Citrus and floral notes that give Rockin’ Rio a very tropical feel as the name would indicate. Pineapple, pina coloda, sugar cane, tangerine, and papaya are the highlights.

Rockin’ Rio is a fantastically delicious summertime scent, with an upbeat and sunny aroma.

This is the kind of perfume that you would wear casually to a party or outdoor event, not an office or close quartered environment.

Rockin’ Rio has a very large sillage with plenty of pineapple, papaya, and a sugar note running throughout. Probably best for younger ladies, who want a fun and flirty scent.

Tropical Fruits and Florals 

Miami Blossom– This one opens up with a juicy mix of watermelon and pineapple. It’s more sweet than it is sharp or tart. Very fresh fruitiness with berry undertones.

The beginning is super tropical with those fruits, along with jasmine and tiare flower. The fruits will lose some of their steam and the floral notes will take over to finish, with a bit of woodiness/musk in the base of the fragrance.

But, the floral notes won’t be the main attraction here. The pineapple seems to fade away more so than the watermelon, which is interesting.

Really bubbly and fruity, great for summer, not overpowering or too sugary. Casual wear that has a great energy to it for the hotter days.

Mango Based Goodness

Escada Taj Sunset by Escada for Women 3.3 oz Eau De Toilette Spray Another sweet tropical fruit based perfume but this one is softer and more mellow than Rockin’rio with a anchor of mango.

The mango is buoyed by citrus and a base note of sandalwood. It is a very fruity fragrance, but a more discrete, and mature one when compared to the one above.

This one has some good sillage and the longevity is also better than average. The orange note is pretty noticeable at first, before it becomes more of a mango show.

Fruit Blend with Jasmine/Freesia

ESCADA MOON SPARKLE by Escada EDT SPRAY 1.7 OZ– Has a youthful and sort of girly air to it. Moon Sparkle is a moderate and sweet scent that isn’t a tropical fruit fragrance. You get apple and strawberry with floral notes of freesia and jasmine.

Strawberry is paired with a bit of a sharp black currant note at the top and the fruit notes later drop off some. There also is a peach note or just the aroma, which comes in more during the dry down.

Overall, Moon Sparkle is sweet, with very good performance. This is somewhat like Miami Blossom, so that could be an alternative, if this is no longer available.

Tropical Drink with Hibiscus 

Sunset Heat-Another moderate and sweet scent for the summertime. Similar makeup to Taj Sunset, but this one dries down with a hibiscus note, that takes over the composition to an extent.

At the top, you get the mango and pineapple, as the strongest fruit notes. It’s rather like a drink, with a juicy/nectar quality to how Sunset Heat smells. This is definitely one of their better tropical sort of perfumes. There is a nice coconut, that furthers that beach drink kind of aroma.

Pineapple seems to be the note that wins out, in terms of strength, by the end. Earlier, it is much more of a mix.

Update: This is one that seems to be difficult to find around nowadays. I wouldn’t overpay, if you happen upon a bottle of Sunset Heat.

A Balanced Berry Blend

Escada Sexy Graffiti (Limited Edition) Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Ounce– A lighter to moderate and sweet affair that is highlighted by strawberry, raspberry, violet, vanilla, and grapefruit. Yes, Sexy Graffiti is alluring, while the others on the list are more of an edible fruity mix.

The raspberry and strawberry have a similar quality to the other perfumes on the list, but when it dries down the violet, vanilla, and cashmere notes really come into their own.

It can be harder to come by a bottle of this nowadays, but it is still available.

Women EDP by Calvin Klein

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So, Amazon randomly sent me a sample of the latest Calvin Klein women’s fragrance (note: I’ve updated this since), titled appropriately enough: Women. Released in 2018 Yeah, sure. Beyond the highly original name, I was actually curious to know how this one smelled, and whether or no there was a good perfume inside the sample vial.

As usual, I have worn it, and now have shared my thoughts below on everything Calvin Klein Women.

What does Women by Calvin Klein Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, cedar, black pepper, eucalyptus, orange blossom, musk, ambroxan, tea, and more

Click here to try: Calvin Klein WOMEN Perfume For Women 3.4 fl.oz(100ml) Eau De Parfum Spray

My Full Wear Review

Calvin Klein Women starts with an ultra-sharp citrus mix of lemon and grapefruit. It actually reminds me of a more feminine Sauvage, in that respect.

It seems like after every designer put out their version of a Sauvage clone for men, the women’s side had to also start adding heavy citrus and ambroxan and pepper to everything.

It comes across as strange though. Super citrus with spice, kind of messy. All of this sits on top of cedar wood and has a slight herbal tinge, from the tea note.

However, that sort of aroma at the start doesn’t last too long before Women shifts into more of a spicy orange blossom fragrance. I feel at times, as though I’m smelling bits of Light Blue by D&G, within this perfume’s DNA, but it never fully commits to smelling exactly like that fragrance.

As it dries down, I get more grapefruit than the lemon note, to go along with cedar and some floral notes…mainly, the aforementioned orange blossom, but a few others also.

The cedar seems to grow stronger the further along in the wear you are and the citrus still has that super sharp quality to it.

Once that initial blast wears off, Women becomes a very wearable, albeit not spectacular scent. I like the citrus, orange blossom, and fresh cedar pairing. Not too sharp anymore, but has a great cleanliness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Calvin Klein Women starts off really strong, and then dries down soft to moderate. It was weird how much it settled down from that huge sillage it has at the beginning. So, it’s ultimately a fairly moderate fragrance.

It’s one of the quickest turnarounds that I’ve ever experienced. Seriously, it bombs at first, and it settles into something lighter in record time.

Longevity was pretty good, somewhere in the 6-7 hour neighborhood on my skin, not great but usable. CK fragrances, tend not to be ones that go on for double digit hours. Depending on the price, the value of having this scent can vary a loot.

The citrus and floral notes makes this one seem like it’s suited to be worn on the warmer days of the year. Though, it could be safely worn whenever. It just really feels like a spring/summer sort of fragrance.

I’d call it a casual, everyday wear. One could probably wear it to work, but it’s not a nightlife or date kind of perfume.

Overall Impressions of Women by CK

Overall, do I recommend, Calvin Klein Women? Ehhh, it’s okay. I hate how this perfume starts out but I think it gets better as it goes along. Although, even then, it never blows me away. You get a citrus/woody fragrance with floral and herbal spice undertones.

I feel like it strays more towards unisex, than something designed specifically for women. But whatever, I didn’t design their marketing campaign. It’s decent, though. This Calvin Klein isn’t anything special.

The one strength that it really has is how easy to wear and versatile it is. It does everything else decently, but this one isn’t original, nor will it knock your socks off.

If you’re a big fan of Light Blue or similar scents, this might be one to check out. Goes in a different direction with the orange blossom, but has a style that is reminiscent of that popular D&G perfume.

Libre L’Absolu Platine by YSL

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Libre L’Absolu Platine is the latest version of this YSL line for 2023. I really hadn’t heard about it, but I saw an ad with Dua Lipa, and so ordered a sample of this a few weeks back. I’ve been testing this one out, to see how it stacks up versus other entries in the Libre series. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is L’Absolu Platine worth a buy?

What does Libre L’Absolu Platine Smell Like?

Notes include: citrus, lavender, orange blossom, white lavender, vanilla, amber

Click here to try: Libre L’Absolu Platine

My Full Review

Here’s how YSL describes it: The iconic structure of Libre, a tension between cool Diva lavender heart from France, crafted for Yves Saint Laurent Beauty and sensual orange blossom absolute from Morocco, reinterpreted in vibrantly metallic way. A juice with an exclusive concentration within the Libre range, enriched with a unique aromatic white lavender accord fashion by the master perfumers.

L’Absolut Platine starts off with cold and slightly metallic aldehydes coming through. Citrus, lavender, and orange blossom are all in the mix from the start.

It sort of reminds me of the beginning of Soleil Neige by Tom Ford. That one is a snowy cold with citrus and orange blossom. Platine is a metallic cold with an additional lavender note. Oh, this one is much more influenced by the classic aldehyde floral perfumes of the past.

Early, the orange blossom strikes me as being slightly stronger in the mix. That will quickly reverse and this one will have its various lavender notes coming in to dominate the blend.

I do like this cold and refreshing start. It’s pretty captivating, in that first hour or so.

After that, the lavender really comes into its own. That feature note, with the orange blossom still sticking around, and Platine smells a lot like the original Libre. Different, but strong similarities.

To my nose, L’Absolu Platine has less of the vanilla in the dry down. It is there, but not as much as what I got with Libre. Plus, the aldehydes still give this one a chilled brightness versus the original. Sort of soapy clean.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

L’Absolu Platine does start off very strong, with a powerful projection and a nice cloud around you, as you go about your day. Quite in line with what you get from the rest of the series.

However, I don’t think it maintains it’s strength as well as Libre or Intense. This YSL is a tad weaker than its predecessors.

The longevity here is somewhere in the 7-8 hour range, on me. On a t-shirt, this is like most everything else, and will go forever.

I do find it to be a step below both Libre and Libre Intense, in terms of its performance. Not bad, by any means, but both of those were great for mainstream designer perfumes.

Seasonally, autumn through mid-spring would be best for L’Absolu Platine. It’s a bit much for the summer months, but I like it in the cooler temperatures that I’m experiencing right now.

It is like Libre in its use cases. Daytime wear that can transition into evening. Has an attractive quality, not sexy, and isn’t a nightclub sort of scent. But, can be a signature or daily wear for many people.

So, L’Absolu Platine is a pretty darn unisex fragrance. Seriously, if you’re someone who though Libre EDP was ‘masculine’ this might seem even further in that direction.

Personally, I think the use of aldehydes keeps it more in the middle, but I can see how some who like more standard ‘girly’ perfumes might be put off by this.

Overall Impressions of L’Absolu Platine

Overall, do I like Libre L’Absolu Platine? I do like it more than Libre, but less than Libre Intense. I have a Le Parfum review to finish, but I’m not sure that Platine passes that one either.

I do think the start is interesting and it’s the highlight for me. I like that chilly and metallic sort of aroma that I get with the citrus and emergent floral notes.

The rest of the way, has a lot of the DNA of the original with a boosted lavender note and the remaining aldehydes helping to set it apart.

That being said, I’m not sure that you need this one, if you already have Libre. I think it’s at a higher price point too, so, no real need unless you’re a collector.

For others, I think that it is worth trying, especially if you’re a lavender fan. It’s a somewhat different take and one that I enjoy more than Libre EDP.

L’Absolu Platine isn’t one that I’d recommend on a blind buy. More of a test and see if you vibe with it.

Goddess EDP by Burberry

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Goddess is one of the newer releases from Burberry, that came out in 2023. It wasn’t a perfume that I had heard much about going into testing, but I bought a sample anyway to check it out. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Goddess EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, vanilla, cacao, ginger, vanilla absolute, vanilla caviar

Click here to try: Goddess by Burberry

My Full Review

Here’s how Burberry describes it: Burberry Goddess is a unique gourmand fragrance led by a confident and powerful multi-faceted trio of vanillas. Enriched with a luminous lavender top note, the scent exudes a rich, layered personality that’s instantly memorable.

So, upon spraying this one I’m immediately hit with a wonderful gourmand aroma. Fresh and not overbearingly heavy, however. The ginger does a nice job at breaking up the vanilla dominance.

Ginger and a cacao note add a great mix to the aroma early. Goddess feels cold with a lightness that I enjoy. I’ve seen this get compared to Mon Guerlain, but they’re are not the same, while having a similar style.

I mean, in the dry down, both are all about that lavender and vanilla. Still, smell differently. But, this one  also doesn’t have jasmine, tonka bean, or patchouli. Cacao and tonka bean, play a similar role…but aren’t exactly the same and don’t have the same aroma.

The lavender also begins to show itself early on. It’s really tamed by all of the vanilla. I was worried that this might take a Libre path, with the lavender, but the note is balanced quite well in Goddess.

It’s interesting that there are three types of vanilla in this perfume. Can I tell them apart? I mean, not really. The ginger burns off and the middle is more about the lavender and vanilla pairing.

The very tail end of the perfume is a vanilla-centric scent. Though, it feels like a standard creamy vanilla note. So, I’m not getting any real distinction between the types.

Burberry Goddess isn’t very complicated and there isn’t really any development here, after this point.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Goddess is not a massive projector or one that is super heavy. You’ll get an intimate scent bubble for most of the wear a decent radius of reach in the early goings.

It’s not weak, solidly moderate, until the last few hours of wear when it becomes a skin scent.

The longevity is somewhere in the range of average. For me, it was 6-6.5 hours of total wear from this Burberry. It’s okay, not great.

On clothing, you will get 3+ more hours, but it doesn’t seem to want to stick to skin. My skin, isn’t the type that ‘eats up’ fragrances either. I routinely get 10+ hours from other scents.

Seasonally, I do think that this fragrance isn’t too heavy or cloying, that it gets stuck solely in the autumn or winter. On a moderately warm spring day, I think that Goddess would hold up just fine.

I would skip out on wearing this in the heat, though.

It’s strength is with its versatility. It isn’t hyper sweet or too bold, so, it’s safe for most occasions. It’s attractive enough for the nightlife, even if you might want to go with something more dynamic.

It’s attractive and somewhat sexy, so, you could spray it before a date as well. Goddess isn’t the most formal fragrance, maybe have something else for really ‘dressy’ situations.

It also works for a wide age range. Not too mature for the younger set, but not too juvenile for older women either.

Overall Impressions of Goddess EDP

Overall, do I like Goddess by Burberry? I do like it. It’s not anything that’s crazy unique or complicated, but it is a mainstream perfume that is going to do well and have plenty of fans.

The name doesn’t really fit, what the actual scent is. You might expect something bolder, sexier, etc. Not to say this is a bad perfume, it certainly isn’t.

I like the opening and how it keeps things fresh and light. Not a heavy or overbearing use of the vanilla and lavender, just quite pleasant to spray on.

It’s not a great performer, though. For me, it’s okay, pretty standard issue. On skin, it’s probably not going to go past six hours for most people.

But, if that’s not too much of a problem for you, Goddess is worth trying out. Maybe test it in store or wait for the price to hit discount levels, over the next year or so.

If you’re not a vanilla and/or lavender fan, I don’t think there’s anything here that would change your mind. As such, you can also probably skip this initial Goddess release.