By Designer

Prada Paradoxe vs YSL Libre

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Libre and Paradoxe are two perfume series which have gained popularity over the past handful of years or so. Paradoxe is the newer of the two, having only spawned one other flanker, as of writing. Libre is a bit deeper in the game, with a few more scents released under its belt.

Since these two are so popular, I wanted to do a direct comparison posts of the original releases of each. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy, Libre or Paradoxe?

Tale of the Tape: Paradoxe vs. Libre

Paradoxe

Notes include: neroli, pear, tangerine, bergamot, orange blossom, white musk, jasmine, vanilla, amber, benzoin

Click here to try: Paradoxe by Prada

Libre EDP

Notes include: lavender, white musks, orange flower, vanilla, orchid

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 90ml/3oz, clear

Read my review: Libre EDP

Opening

Libre kicks of with a strong burst of the orange blossom (maybe some additional citrus fruit spritzed in) and the lavender, which will only grown more powerful. It’s soapy, somewhat musky, and has a definite creaminess throughout.

The main change that I get during the rest of the wear is the lavender becoming dominant and the musk coming out more. Very little orchid when compared to Intense and the vanilla isn’t a front and center.

Paradoxe opens up sweet, fruity, and luminous. The neroli is going to be a major factor in that first half of the hour, as the floral note.

But, on me, that quickly shifts more into the orange blossom’s direction, as we enter the middle act.

The fruitiness comes across more like an artificial candy versus a pure natural fruit. Some sparkling pear is in the mix, but lots of citrus influence (tangerine is the most powerful fruit, early) for the start of Paradoxe.

This will become more floral after the opening burst. Again, for me I get more orange blossom, even versus the jasmine. Neroli still has a presence, but the orange blossom is stronger at this point.

Which do I prefer? To me, I’ll go with Paradoxe. Both have strong uses of orange blossom, but I like the pairing of that floral note with the fruits of the Prada. It’s more pleasant than what I get with the YSL.

Not a massive preference for Paradoxe, but it does have the edge here.

Edge: Paradoxe

Projection

Libre has a strong opening, for a mainstream designer perfume. Not super heavy, but plenty of substance and a wide radius, in which it will be smelled. The rest of the wear, is on the stronger side of what can be considered moderate.

Paradoxe opens up a notch below Libre and stays firmly in the moderate camp the rest of the way.

Still, Libre has the higher highs and is stronger for much of the duration. Until those last few hours, where these two are about equal.

Edge: Libre

Longevity

With Libre EDP, I’ve always gotten 8-9 hours during testing, pretty much without fail. That version of the perfume doesn’t seem to go beyond that, but also not below it either.

Paradoxe is close to the same, but has a slightly higher ceiling than the YSL. I get 8.5-10 hours with Paradoxe, on skin.

It’s not by a massive margin, but the Prada takes the win here. Yes, Libre is stronger with its projection, but Paradoxe keeps on just a bit longer.

Edge: Paradoxe

Versatility

Both of these are very versatile daily wear sorts of fragrances. I don’t either of them would be the top choice for nightlife or date night use.

Seasonally, Libre fits in better for cooler autumn and winter. It can venture into the spring as well. Paradoxe isn’t built for the heat, but it performs deeper into the warmer season.

Maybe the advantage comes with Libre, the lack of sweeter notes, and it’s ability to fit into more semi-formal/office wear situations. Other than that, they’re about equal.

Edge: Libre (slightly)

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two fragrances do I prefer?

I’m not a massive fan of either of these fragrances. Each of them is fine. I prefer Libre Intense, to the original, and Paradoxe never struck me as amazing.

However, between these two, I’m going with Paradoxe.

Libre is nice enough. It’s much more of a floral focused scent. The dry down is going to be about the lavender note, with orange blossom at its side. Some vanilla, musk, etc. If you’re a lavender fan, you should consider it.

Paradoxe’s opening I’ve already explained, but the balance in the dry down makes me want to choose it versus the YSL. It pairs the orange blossom with jasmine. Clean and somewhat soapy. But, you still get some of the sweetness from earlier, and the vanilla/amber base.

The performances are close enough, to be somewhat equal, and sort of cancels out any other advantage.

Winner: Paradoxe

Virgin Island Water by Creed

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Within the box of sample fragrances, I recently received (note: I’ve updated this page several times since), were several fragrances by Creed which I had yet to review on the site. One of them, is the popular unisex summer fragrance, Virgin Island Water. It was released in 2007.

This is a scent that screams time spent at the beach in some far flung tropical paradise. But, how does it perform? What does it smell like exactly? Is it actually worth the price of admission? Please continue reading below for my full take on Virgin Island Water, after wearing it.

What Does Creed Virgin Island Water Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, lime, rum, sugar cane, coconut, ylang-ylang, and ginger

Click here to try: Creed Virgin Island Water by Creed for Unisex – 4 oz Millesime Spray

My Full Wear Review

Upon getting my sample of Virgin Island Water, I immediately wanted to do a side by side comparison with Set Sail St. Bart’s, due to the similarities with these fragrances. I have tried both fragrances before but never had them together at the same time.

Virgin Island Water opens up with the lime and bergamot notes taking center stage, whereas the Tommy Bahama cologne is almost exclusively lime.

The opening is where the two scents are the most similar. I like Virgin Island Water better, as I feel the lime is less in your face, and tempered by the other citrus note and the coconut hanging around in the background.

It’s really the lime note that allows St. Barts to temporarily pass as a super cheapie VIW clone of sorts. The two scents also each have an alcohol note (tequila in St. Barts), which gives them another similar feel, but the quality difference is noticeable to yourself when wearing.

Anyways, the bergamot used in Virgin Island Water reminds me of it’s fellow Creed scent, Aventus. It really does blend well with the lime to create a beautiful citrus fusion.

After about 10-15 minutes of wear the creamy coconut takes over as the top dog in this scent and VIW starts to feel more like a suntan lotion.

It’s really like a sensory experience type of fragrance, it’s like being in the Caribbean on a beach with a drink in hand and a delicious smelling lotion covering your skin.

There are hints of jasmine and hibiscus, throughout the wear, but the floral notes are never out in full force. During the final dry down, it’s like a coconut rum lotion with some musk added in.

Sillage, Longevity, Versatility

Projection wise, it’s okay. It’s not a super strong scent but you’ll know it’s there for the first few hours. With these notes, I’m kind of glad it’s not a complete beast, as it’d probably too much.

It’s longevity is kind of meh, too. I’d say somewhere in the 4-6 hour range is what you can expect to get out of Virgin Island Water.

I get that this is a warm weather scent with some limited use cases versus others in the line, but that performance is pretty darn bad. It can make it difficult to justify paying full price for VIW, even if you completely love it.

When should this scent be worn? Summer. That’s about it. It’s a very good warm/hot weather scent, which is a bit rarer, so I think that it serves this niche well. Also, it is a unisex fragrance, and honestly doesn’t seem to lean towards one end or the other.

It’s a very balanced scent. I’d also say that this is a casual type of scent, I don’t think I’d be wearing it for any ‘serious’ functions or even a date. But, an outdoor party or beachy nightlife spot? Sure, I’d go for that.

VIW is mostly something to wear during the daytime to be refreshed and conjure up those memories of the island life.

Overall Impression of Virgin Island Water

Overall, is Virgin Island Water worth a purchase? I like the way it smells, but I don’t know that I like it for the price that Creed fetches. It’s honestly not one of my favorite Creed fragrances, but it is good.

The lime and rum are particularly likeable for me. The coconut is good, but it’s not my favorite aspect, especially how it plays off of the floral notes. Not bad or anything, just not the greatest either.

So, I wouldn’t tell anyone else to not buy it. Some folks love it, but it has never particularly struck me as a ‘great’ perfume. Plus, not much in terms of being a high performance scent.

Personally, Set Sail St. Barts, while not exactly the same and not as high quality…is cheaper enough in price that I could substitute it. I have a full bottle of the Tommy Bahama cologne, so having VIW seems like overkill, especially since it’s so limited to one season of the year.

Update: I wouldn’t go for the Tommy Bahama option nowadays. I do now actually have a Dua Brand blend of this and Afternoon Swim by Louis Vuitton called, “Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters”. That is much cheaper and better than just VIW on its own (they also have a cheaper alternative of that).

Plus, I’d wear this mostly while outdoors anyways, and with heat and perspiration, it’d be hard to tell the difference between the two.

Since this is a unisex fragrance, I would also recommend Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc, over this. It is more of a women’s perfume (floral notes), but is honestly better than VIW, to my nose.

Velvet Incenso by Dolce & Gabbana

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Velvet Incenso is one of the entries from the ‘Velvet’ line of fragrances by D&G. This one was released back in 2018. I received a sample of it, with another batch order of other samples and testers, some months ago. But, I have been testing out this perfume to see what it’s all about. How does it smell? Perform? Is it worth a try?

What does Velvet Incenso Smell Like?

Notes include: elemi, black pepper, labdanum, incense, benzoin, amberwood, vanilla, patchouli, cashmere wood

Click here to try: Velvet Incenso

My Full Review

Velvet Incenso starts off with a kick of black pepper, smoke, and its resinous notes. Early, it’s elemi and balsam representing that aspect.

The incense is going to be a factor throughout. However, I’ve never found this perfume to be super smoky. Yes, it’s there, just not a heavy burning aroma.

That mix of balsamic, fresh and warmer spice is exactly what you’d expect out of a fragrance like this. You will also get a sweetness, which becomes more apparent as Velvet Incenso smoothens out.

The black pepper will begin to fade. In it’s place, vanilla will really peak through. Along with the amber and labdanum. Dry and warm, less of an intense punch like the early stages.

The amber, labdanum, benzoin, and elemi notes can be tough to distinguish at times from one another. Though, I do feel like each gets at least a little time in the spotlight, before they each recede back into the amber/resin/balsamic mass of notes.

As we dry down further, the becomes more about the incense. Incense embraced by a warm amber, some vanilla, and cashmere wood. It’s still got it’s smokiness, just without the spice of the pepper and some of the other notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one opens up strong, not insanely heavy ever, but the spice and smoke to hang around in the air well. I imagine with a full bottle, having the sprayer would help immensely.

Still, even with the sample this one projects well for that first hour. Then, it will turn moderate as we enter the middle act. Incenso does hold up well, however, never completely falling off in its performance. Just a steady decline.

With the longevity, Incenso lasted between 7-8.5 hours on my skin, each time that I wore it. It’s good, but never hit the double digit mark for me. I don’t think that’d be a problem for most people, however.

The versatility has its strong positives and some weaker points. Velvet Incenso is a true unisex fragrance. Anyone can wear this without issue.

It does have a better profile for colder weather. Yes, moderate climates work well, also. I wore it outside on a fairly mild evening and I thought that this perfume was lovely in those conditions.

When can it be worn? Well, that’s going to depend on when you want to smell like amber and incense. Probably not going to be a daily wear for most people. Not super formal or sexy, either.

Overall Impressions of Velvet Incenso

Overall, do I like Velvet Incenso. I do. It’s a niche fragrance for those who love the incense note, but still very approachable for everyone else.

I will say, that I do kind of prefer Encens Satin, to this one. The performance of that Armani is also better, even if Velvet is no slouch.

This one is very good, though. It’s got a nice balance between different notes and aspects. You get your warmth, spice, sweetness, smoke, etc. It all comes in different phases and is pleasant to wear throughout.

The performance is good. Not ever reaching elite levels for me, but you’ll know that its there and it can last a full workday.

I’d say that Velvet Incenso is worth trying. The price is high, so, I’d definitely recommend tracking down a sample before committing to a full purchase. But, I don’t think you’d be disappointed, if you’re in the market for this sort of perfume.

Hudson Yards by Bond No. 9

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In today’s review, I am going to do another entry by Bond No. 9. This time, it will be a ladies’ fragrance, Hudson Yards. It was released back in 2014 As usual, I will cover what the notes are, how it smells, develops, when it should be worn, if the performance holds up, and if it is indeed worth a purchase.

Reviewing Hudson Yards: What does it Smell Like?

Notes include: musk, rose, peony, lily of the valley, iris, orange blossom, litchi

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Hudson Yards Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 oz

Full Wear Review

Right off the bat, you’re dealing with a very floral fragrance. However, at the start there is a bit of juicy fruit provided by the litchi. Hudson Yards opens with a blend of the lily of the valley, peony, and rose.

I don’t think that the litchi is particularly strong. Though, it is quite noticeable at the start, and gives Hudson a somewhat different aroma than what we eventually end up with.

It seems to my nose at least, that the peony and rose are stronger at the start than the lily of the valley, which then takes over as the dominant player.

The floral notes have a ‘green’ kind of aroma to them but I don’t think that it is overplayed like some of the other floral Bond No. 9 perfumes that I’ve sampled in the past. It gives you that fresh dewy aroma, not quite a full aquatic but like a nice misty morning in the flower garden.

It’s a very springtime scent that is bright and upbeat while wearing. This one has a fairly similar style to High Line, not the same smell, but in the same ballpark.

As it moves on, the other florals become detectable (namely the iris), and Hudson Yards gets that powdery aroma that is so common to ladies’ perfumes. There is also a slight musky undertone but it’s not too noticeable for me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s a moderate scent. You’ll know that Hudson Yards is there, but it is definitely not a bomb, by any means. I’d say it’s stronger than Bond’s Brooklyn that I tried out the other day.

Hudson will project itself about 4-6 feet from where you spray, then, draw closer towards that area as the sillage softens up. The performance in terms of leaving a scent trail or staying detectable by others for a good amount of time is above average.

I would also rate the longevity as quite good but not great. I’m more or less getting seven solid hours of wear from Hudson Yards. Testing it out a few times, it doesn’t seem to go any further than that, but will sometimes only hit the 5 hour mark.

Seasonally, this is a dead ringer from spring/summer. It reminds me of sunny days and gardens. It’s rather sophisticated, as well. So, Hudson Yards can be worn casually or on more dressy occasions without ever feeling out of place.

I wouldn’t call it a ‘sexy’ kind of fragrance but I do find that it is really pretty and pleasant to be around. It’s mature, without being stuffy and old lady-like. It’s a nice floral, with fresh and greenish vibes, that peak out during the wear.

Anyhow, you should be able to get plenty of use out of this one.

Overall Impressions of Hudson Yards

Overall, would I recommend Hudson Yards? Yes, to floral lovers. This could be a great addition to anyone’s rotation for the warmer months of the year. I don’t think that it’s an amazing, must have scent, but it does everything very well.

Smells nice and has an interesting composition. The performance is pretty good, could be better, and that might be a hinderance for some looking to give this perfume a go.

Personally, I like the opening with the peony and litchi notes, more so than the middle where the lily comes through more. The iris finish is also a nice touch, giving this a somewhat different feel and a more balanced aroma.

Is it worth the high price? Probably not for most people. If you can get it cheaper or a smaller sized bottle, it may be worth a look for spring and early summer wear.

It’s not good enough for those who are looking for a floral to blind buy. There are cheaper options to get your feet wet with. Still, Hudson Yards is one worth checking out if it sounds interesting.

6 Best Smelling Nina Ricci Perfumes

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This is our list of the best smelling ladies fragrances by design house Nina Ricci. This fashion firm has existed since 1932 and in that time span has produced some wonderful perfumes that carry on to this day.

For this list, I have chosen six of the best and as always have linked each out to its page on Amazon.

Also, see: Sexiest Perfumes, Christian Dior Best Scents

What are the Best Nina Ricci Perfumes?

Classic Ricci Fragrance

L’air du Temps by Nina Ricci for Women 3.3 oz Eau de Toilette Spray– This perfume dates back to 1948 and is a soft floral scent. It’s not for everyone but can work very well for some women, perhaps, one that is more mature and wants to shy away from the high energy/seductive perfumes.

L’air du Temps has obviously undergone plenty of changes over the decades. It’s hard to say what it originally smelled like, as notes and formulations differ. Nowadays, this perfume will give you a light clove note, surrounded by jasmine, carnation, rose, among other floral ingredients.

It dries down with a musky aroma, that’s light and when paired with the floral notes, gives L’air du Temps a clean soapy quality. It still has a classic character, that’s going to be different from what many are used to in more modern scents. 

l'air

Bold Citrus Floral

Nina Ricci – Ricci Ricci Eau De Parfum Spray 30ml/1oz– On the flip side of the first entry, Ricci Ricci is a bold, powerful, and long lasting scent that is full of confidence and life. Careful not to use too much of this stuff but the right amount will bolster a woman’s mood.

Ricci Ricci kicks off with a sharp bergamot note, that gives this composition a bold opening. It is flanked by rhubarb and an array of floral and fruit notes. It’s strong and somewhat sour, while being juicy.

Later on, it lightens up somewhat and you get a great sandalwood and patchouli. Enough spice and juiciness to keep it interesting.

ricci ricci

Most Popular Ricci Perfume

Nina By Nina Ricci For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 2.7-Ounces – A beautiful blend of notes contained in that famous apple shaped bottle. It is a clean, sweet, and feminine perfume that works great for warmer months and is versatile enough to use for almost any occasion.

Nina gives you a mix of apple and citrus notes, fairly balanced initially, before the apple fully takes over. It’s got a youthful and delicious sort of aroma, that’s easy to wear. There is a bit of chocolate with some musk and floral notes. It’s still light and clean, not overly warm or chocolatey.

nina

Wild Rose and Musk

Mademoiselle Ricci by Nina Ricci for Women 2.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– An exciting fragrance from Nina Ricci, that combines florals such as wild rose and other interesting ingredients like pink pepper and some woodsy notes.

The sweetness isn’t really candy-like in its presentation but it certainly grabs attention.

This one gets musky and blends with the rose note, which when combined with the other notes gives it a powdery aroma.

Then, there is the warm, but not too intense spiciness of the pink pepper. Mademoiselle Ricci is fairly simple, but also an attractive wear.

madem
 

 

Best Ricci for Younger Women

Premier jour by nina ricci eau de parfum spray 100ml, 3.4 Fl Oz– A light and sensual experience. Premier Jour is a warm floral scent that never overpowers but gives off an air off class and confidence.

There is enough sweetness to be interesting, but the opening act is upbeat and lively. Led by gardenia but also with sweet pea and orchid.

Sitting on top of light sandalwood and musk. This is a nice starter fragrance for a younger lady. Youthful, but not cheap or annoying to have on.

premier

Rose Nina

Rose Extase by Nina Ricci- Pink rose, red berries, and vanilla. This Nina Ricci perfume is a fun and delightful mix of juicy, creamy, and floral notes.

The opening is a mix of being super sweet and actually fairly tart. The raspberry and red berry blend, do come on strong. But, it settles, you get more rose, vanilla, and musk. At times, it feels creamier. Then, you get bouts of powder.

Clean and pretty easy to wear once it settles. Not nearly as high as quality as the Parfums de Marly. It’s got more of a youthful vibe versus some of the past entries on this list, but it’s worth trying out.