By Designer

Gabrielle Essence EDP by Chanel

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Gabrielle Essence is the follow up release to the popular Gabrielle by Chanel. It came out in 2019 and has enjoyed a good deal of attention itself. I purchased a sample of this scent, with my latest batch, in order to test it out and review it for the site. How does it smell? What’s different? Is it even worth a try?

What does Gabrielle Essence Smell Like?

Notes include: tuberose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, jasmine, coconut, peach, citrus

Click here to try: Gabrielle Essence by Chanel Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4 oz / 100 ml (Women) 

My Full Review

Gabrielle Essence opens up much better to my nose versus the original EDP. With that one, it seems harder to distinguish between notes, at first.

Essence doesn’t have the same sparkling brightness as the original, but the fruity notes are better and juicier overall. Not sharp, but smoothed out by the white floral notes, that make up the Gabrielle DNA.

This is a blend of peach and citrus, with a bit of coconut that becomes more noticeable deeper into the wear.

While the fruity opening is better here, it also is shorter lived to my nose. This one gets down to the floral notes rather quickly, but I actually like that phase of Essence.

The main difference with the floral notes for me is, Essence has a stronger emphasis on orange blossom and jasmine, at first. With the EDP, it was jasmine and tuberose. The tuberose in Gabrielle Essence doesn’t play that big of a role.

Eventually, the jasmine, orange blossom, and ylang-ylang are sharing most of the duties. That’s what I get for most of the rest of the wear. It’s a bit sweet and has a nice, but not thick creaminess about it.

Light musk and woodiness, at the base, but this is mostly all about those floral notes. Nothing overly complicated, just a variation of what you’d expect.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage with Gabrielle Essence is pretty moderate. It does project itself better than the original, but it isn’t a massive difference. Not super powerful and dries down fairly softly.

There will be a scent trail left behind you for that first hour or so. After that, it’s going to be more noticeable in a 3-4 foot radius from where you’ve sprayed Gabrielle Essence on.

I also get just over 8 hours of wear on my skin with Essence. Yes, it stays as a skin scent for a good chunk of that time, but it is still there…just not in full force. That’s about what it consistently seems to be. Maybe it’ll get to 9 hours, at times.

Seasonally, it’s at its peak in the spring. Summer and autumn are great, but the spring is where the Gabrielle perfumes shine. In the warmer air, this Chanel really hangs beautifully and you catch whiffs of the full floral array.

Gabrielle Essence is a versatile daily wear, just like the original. It isn’t super formal and can actually serve better as a casual or semi-formal scent. It’s a lovely and attractive scent, just not a super sexy club beast.

Overall Impressions of Gabrielle Essence

Overall, do I like Gabrielle Essence? I really do. It’s a beautiful perfume and better than the original (which I liked). Essence is a very well balanced and well put together floral. The fruity opening is great, without being over the top.

Also, I like how the floral notes are weighted in this one when compared to the original. It’s performance is a bit better, but that could’ve been bumped up somewhat. It’s not bad, by any means, just not outstanding. Both longevity and power are above average, however.

This is more than just a solid entry from Chanel. One that does everything well and has the versatility to become a daily wear for many women. More modern than some of their past releases, even if it’s not entirely unique.

It’s not their absolute best, but I enjoy what they’ve done with this Gabrielle series so far, and Essence in particular.

11 Best Smelling Bond No. 9 Perfumes

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After I wrote my post for the best Bond No. 9 fragrances for men, it became clear that I would have to do one for women as well.

The New York boutique house has even a larger selection of perfumes for women, so the task of cutting them down became even more difficult, so don’t freak if your favorite scent isn’t on here.

I narrowed it down to what I consider to be the ten best smelling Bond No. 9 perfumes for ladies and I think there is something on here for everyone to enjoy. Plus, I will link to my full review of each individual fragrance, as I write them.

Also, check out the men’s list because there are some unisex scents on there that are great as well.

Other posts to check out: Sexiest Women’s Perfumes, Top Smelling Ladies Fragrances

What are the Best Perfumes for Her by Bond No. 9?

Awesome Clean Daily Wear

Bond No. 9 The Scent Of Peace Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Fluid Ounce– A clean fragrance based on citrus notes whose airy aroma will have people wanting more. It opens with a blend of grapefruit and black currant, creating a juicy fruit-laced vibe that has a similar effect to D&G Light Blue, but better in my opinion.

The Scent of Peace is extremely bright and pleasant perfume, that constantly had me sniffing my arm during my testing of it.

Later on in the wear, lily and cedar note emerge among other florals, to create a green outdoorsy aroma. This second layer is in complement to the beautiful fruit top notes.

The Scent of Peace has light to moderate sillage with a solid longevity of around 7 hours, on my skin, at least. It utterly screams spring/summer, with it’s pretty composition, and the sweetness doesn’t have that ‘teenager perfume’ intensity. It’s refined yet playful.

Notes include: Blackcurrant, Grapefruit, Cedarwood, Hedione, Musk, Lily of the Valley. Read my Scent of Peace Review

scent of peace

Night on the Town

New York Nights by Bond No.9– New York Nights is one from Bond that I didn’t try out for a long time, but it quickly became an absolute favorite of mine.

Gardenia, caramel, and aquatic notes start things off here. Strange combo? Maybe, but it’s great. Smooth, sweet, with a freshness/saltiness.

I get a spiciness from carnation and patchouli, especially as this one transitions into being more of a standard floral with the gardenia and jasmine notes. The aquatic notes fade away, the caramel loses some steam, and you get more sandalwood and patchouli.

It’s not one that everyone will love, but it seems to have plenty of fans and I think it’s worth trying out. New York Nights review

Most Popular/Best Seller

Chinatown New York by Bond No.9 For Womens Eau De Parfume 3.3 oz– A spice laden perfume which is further blended together but floral and fruity notes to evoke the experience of Chinatown.

It opens with a white floral twosome of tuberose and gardenia, that is balanced out a top note of bergamot citrus and peach blossom, which prevents it from having that super floral quality.

The cardamom really sets Chinatown apart from many other perfumes and adds a layer of depth, that takes it to another level of attractiveness.

This Bond No. 9 perfume is best in the cooler months of the year through springtime. The heat doesn’t really do it any service. However, the rest of the time, Chinatown could be a signature scent for a lot of women.

Notes include: Bergamot, Peach Blossom, Guaiac Wood Gardenia, Cardamom, Vanilla, Tuberose, Peony, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Orange Flower, Cedarwood.  Chinatown Full Review

chinatown

Gorgeous Jasmine Gourmand

Tribeca by Bond No. 9– This one has become very popular since its release, a few years back. It gets attention for its similarities to Baccarat Rouge 540, but they are ultimately fairly different perfumes.

This one has a great blend of caramel, cacao, and hazelnut. Mainly, the nutty accord and more of the caramel versus a chocolate smell. Tribeca is warm and creamy, but isn’t a heavy fragrance, as it kind of hangs gently in the air around you.

Next, the jasmine will really come into play. A very beautiful rendition of the flower, joined by a potent ambroxan note, that doesn’t feel annoying. The dry down is kind of woody/mossy, but it’s mostly about the jasmine.

The initial sweet notes are still there, just not with the same intensity.

Fruity, Aquatic, Rose

Bond No. 9 Gold Coast for Women Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Gold Coast is a fantastic and somewhat newer release from Bond No. 9. As a spring and summertime wear, Gold Coast is a fresh and semi-aquatic fragrance with juicy notes, such as watermelon.

Lychee and apple add a further crispness to the scent, before the rose note really starts to move in. The lychee and watermelon are the strongest of the fruity notes and it feels more like a fruity/floral.

It’s clean, light, and fresh with a bit of vanilla creaminess coming through the base.

The final stage is a sandalwood and musk infused rose note, with the remaining fruitiness still coming through. Very nice wear and well worth a try.

Great Casual Springtime Perfume

BOND NO.9 ASTOR PLACE EDP SPRAY 3.3 OZ– Smart, pretty, and unique. Astor Place delivers as a go to fragrance for women who like floral notes that don’t overpower but do perform.

It features a zesty bit of mandarin orange as the top note, which sits on top of the floral composition made up mainly of: violet leaf, freesia, and red poppy.

The florals really dominate the first few hours of the wear, before the scent turns more musky and woody with the teak note, but the freesia seems to stick around the most. Astor Place is a low key fragrance in terms of its projection, but is one that will last around 8 hours.

It has an upbeat feel and great for casual or everyday wear. Notes include: Amber, Mandarin, Violet Leaf, Teakwood, Iris root, Freesia, Musk, Red Poppy. Full Astor Place Review

astor place

Nights with a Spice

Chelsea Nights by Bond No. 9– Another one like Tribeca, that starts out with cacao and hazelnut. This time, the cacao is stronger, and it for sure goes in a different direction than its compatriot.

Chelsea Nights isn’t a sugary chocolate bar, though. It’s got great touches of saffron, oud, a light rose, and myrrh. Yes, it’s sweet but it has a cinnamon sort of kick that comes through, warmth, a bit of smokiness floating underneath.

The end has a good deal of suede and vanilla. It has settled down in terms of both spiciness and sweetness. Smoother and creamy. Chelsea Nights hits so many different levels with its depth and is well worth checking out.

Garden Greenish Floral

Bond No. 9 Madison Square Park By Bond No. 9 For Women Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4 oz– A light and crisp floral which comes in the cool, hot pink bottle.

An airy fragrance yet long-lasting perfume, Madison Square Park,  is at times grassy, blueberry-laden, and then rose dominant.

It really does have the sensation of a day in the park, in that it is green, with that light aroma of flowers in the air.

Bond has released several bouquet or greenish floral perfumes and this is one of the best. Others like the I Love New York Marriage perfume, was too much for my nose. Way too green and not as balanced as Madison Square Park.

Notes include: hyacinth, rose, blueberry, grass, vetiver, and more.

madison square park

Bold Powdery Rose

Bond No. 9 Broadway Nite Eau De Parfum Spray 100ml/3.3oz– Energetic and exotic are two words which come to mind when describing Broadway Nite. A very floral scent that starts out with the heliotrope, rose, and rose notes.

This is joined by an undercurrent of vanilla and musk. Vanilla, musk, and iris are of course going to create a pretty powdery aroma. As such, if you’re not a big fan of florals or powdery scents, probably stay away from Broadway Nite.

This is more of a niche sort of perfume than the others on the list. Still has its fans, but not for everyone. Notes include: Rose, Honeysuckle, Iris, Aldehyde, Green Violet, Cedarwood, Musk, Sweet Amber, Heliotrope, Vanilla Beans. My Full Review

broadway nite review

Awesome Fresh Gourmand

Greenwich Village by Bond No. 9– Greenwich Village is a great release from Bond and one of the best that they’ve put out over the past few years.

This one starts out with a fresh fruitiness, with a somewhat tropical aroma. Lychee and mandarin orange with a bit of watery/aquatic feeling from the waterlily note. Cassis is also present up top. It’s both fresh and sweet.

The dry down gets warmer with praline, vanilla, and musk. The latter stages give you a nice creamy gourmand perfume.

Greenwich Village has a sugary vibe to it at times, but also a floral heart and a really fresh kind of scent…all at the same time. Very interesting, nice performance, but not super powerful.

Cold Weather Gourmand

BOND No 9 Nuits De Noho, 3.4 Ounce– A complex and seductive scent that can add a great deal of sophistication to a woman’s style. Nuits de Noho opens with a pineapple and vanilla mix that sits in the middle of a patchouli wrapping.

It’s gourmand and has a sweet, baked goods sort of quality to the aroma. The patchouli and musk are pretty strong for the first 15 minutes or so before, this Bond No. 9 perfume settles itself into something sweeter and gentler.

To me, the floral notes like jasmine, are powdery and green but mostly stay in the background to only come out a brief whiffs.

This has a lot of similarities to something such as, Angel by Thierry Mugler. Nuits de Noho is more suited towards colder weather.

Notes include: Mandarin, Pineapple Leaves, Bergamot, Rosewood, Grey Musk, Vanilla, Patchouli, Jasmine. Nuits de Noho Full Review

nuits

10 Best Christian Dior Perfumes for Women

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Christian Dior has been an iconic brand since the start of the 20th century. After Christian Dior, died Yves Saint Laurent took over as head designer at the company before launching his own iconic fashion house. Dior makes beautiful and classy perfumes for women and ones which either fit specific occasions or more broad everyday usage.

For this list, I have selected what I feel are the top choices from their women’s line of perfumes or the unisex options. Keep in mind, some do get discontinued from the main lineup, but are still available at some places.

Also, Dior does change up the formula’s of some perfumes every once in a while, but keeps the same name. So, you might get a different experience depending on which year you get it. I’ve tried to update, as needed.

What Are the Best Smelling Ladies Dior Fragrances?

Bold Best Seller

Hypnotic Poison by Christian Dior for Women 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray
Warm, complex. seductive. This is one sexy fragrance and includes notes of sandalwood, vanilla, musk, almonds, moss, and many more. There are many flankers from the Poison line of perfumes and this is the best of the bunch, in my opinion.

Yes, the others are also very nice too, and should be considered if you don’t want a warm gourmand-like fragrance such as Hypnotic Poison.

The vanilla and almond lead the way and offer a sweet, creamy, and nutty aroma. Sandalwood provides the main support, along with another sweet creamy note, in coconut.

Hypnotic Poison is quite bold and will last all day on one’s skin, without any issue. This is a warm and enveloping scent, so, be careful with over-spraying at the office or such places.

Delicious Dior Privee

Fève Délicieuse– This is a unisex option from Dior’s Privee line of fragrances. I gave the nod to Ambre Nuit in my men’s list of the best Dior colognes, as I think that one would appeal to more men than Feve. But, that’s another awesome choice for ladies.

This one is sweet, warm, and has an awesome tonka bean note. Well, that, along with: caramel, vanilla, cherry, coffee, praline, and chocolate among floral notes. It’s sweet, but it never comes across as a baked goods gourmand, on my skin.

There are powdery qualities, lavender and rose touches, and a rather distinct herbal spiciness in the dry down. This one is kind of different, but feels familiar.

I never tried the older version of Fève Délicieuse, so I’m not entirely sure if it changed a great deal or what. But, this is a great little perfume.

Unique Woody Spiced Perfume

Dune By Christian Dior For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Ounces
A lovely and elegant scent dating back to the early 1990s. It is fresh, sensual, and great for the warmer months.

Dune is dry and woody with sandalwood, rosewood, and amber being the main highlights. There are spiced notes and undertones of vanilla, which keep it sweet.

Dune is a very smooth and a pretty low key scent. It doesn’t have the same intense sillage, as Hypnotic Poison, but is still solid throughout.

This one could be a unisex fragrance, with its woody tones, and serves as a great change of pace from the usual popular fare.

However, there is enough of a feeling of brightness and some great floral additions that keep Dune far enough in the feminine camp. Mostly, it’s about amber, spices, and wood…just tied together in a more complex package. Dune Review

dune

Dark Vanilla Floral

Dior Addict by Christian Dior for Women – 3.4 Ounce EDP Spray
Mandarin, rose, and vanilla give this a sweet oriental aroma that is sure to please. A refreshing, slightly spicy, and feminine perfume. There are of course two versions of Addict, an Eau de Parfum, and EDT.

The EDP is more of the vanilla note, leading the way, within the composition. It doesn’t have the jasmine, of the EDT version.

The EDT is much more floral than the EDP, which is more focused on the vanilla note. The EDT opens up with jasmine and mandarin orange being the most noticeable ingredients. It’s clean and has a soapy quality.

The mandarin isn’t a juicy sort of scent, it’s not fully ripe, and has green edge to it. The composition comes across as fairly dry.

Then, the vanilla and sandalwood notes come out later., but play a background role. The performance is quite good, and Addict EDT, is versatile.

I’ve linked the EDP version above, as that is the more popular of the two, and smells better to me. My full review of the EDT version: Dior Addict Review

addict

The Fun and Youthful Poison Girl

Poison Girl Unexpected– Yes, Poison Girl has been the more popular pick. However, I enjoyed this flanker to a greater extent than the original. Update: I think this is discontinued now. I wouldn’t overpay for it, but grab a bottle if it’s reasonable.

Poison Girl Unexpected kicks things off with a pair of citrus fruit notes: lemon and blood orange. These a paired with tonka bean, vanilla, and ginger. It has a creamy and candy-like smell, with an additional saltiness provided by the ginger note.

What’s great about this, is how it transitions. Damascus Rose and ginger become the leaders and an almond/hazelnut blend gives this a nice underlying nuttiness.

Sweet, but not annoyingly so, and a really nice creaminess and overall performance. Poison Girl Unexpected Full Review

Sweet Honey, Fruit, Tobacco

Tobacolor by Dior– This is another unisex wear from the La Collection Privee. Tobacolor is a very sweet, warm, smoky, and rich perfume.

It is led by notes of plum and peach up top. Warm, ambery, thick with honey, almost like a jam.  The sweetness and smoky aspects here can pack quite a punch, early on, but Tobacolor will settle down…while retaining that essence.

As it dries down, the aroma actually does get drier. Dried fruits, cured tobacco, some spice, that smoke, and all wrapped up in the amber note. The performance delivers and that sillage stays pretty darn strong, even after the big open.

Warm and Sweet Peaches

Dolce Vita By Christian Dior For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.4 Oz.– Dolce Vita was a 1990s release from Christian Dior. This one is a bit spicy, but not overbearing, while also being warm and sweet. Peach, sandalwood, cinnamon, and cardamom help to create this effect among other notes.

The base is very woody with rosewood to go along with the aforementioned sandalwood note. Layered on top of that is cardamom and cinnamon, which give it the spicy kick and warmth.

Finally, the peach note gives Dolce Vita, its sucrose sweetness. It’s all sort of a modern take on a classic kind of formula. The sandalwood note is really great, when it has its time, within the composition.

dolcevita

Dior Floral/Fruity Perfume

J’adore By Christian Dior For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4 Ounces
A very popular and great choice for daytime wear. Floral notes including jasmine, freesia, and ylang-ylang blend with slight fruity undertones to create a clean and bright perfume.

The floral notes open up with a bit of a water aroma attached to them. I get lots of ylang-ylang, jasmine, orchid, and freesia.

The rose really never was noticeable to me in this fragrance. While the flowers dominate the fragrance overall, there are fruit notes in here to help balance things out.

Mainly, plum and melon. J’adore is a softer perfume, though, not weak and it will indeed last 8+ hours on one’s skin. This is the type of perfume that has versatility and can serve as an everyday wear for a woman.  Read my full J’adore review

jadore

Ever-Changing, Still Popular

Miss Dior for Women by Dior 3.4 oz EDP Spray– So, Miss Dior EDP is one of the fragrances that keeps being updated. As of writing, the latest is the 2021 edition. See below, for more historical updates to this post.

Anyway, the newer 2021 version is a pinkish coloring highlighted by iris and rose notes. It’s powdery with plenty of vanilla and other sweetness. To me, it doesn’t stray way too much in any direction, Miss Dior remains classy and beautiful…just with a different style.

The dry down is more about the rose and peony than it is the iris. But, with the tonka bean, vanilla, iris, and musk combination this does retain some of its powdery qualities. Peach and apricot are really light, but present in the start of the wear.

Old version: A very feminine and versatile fragrance which feature Natalie Portman in the ads for it. It is a sweet scent for a woman who likes to carry herself with a certain level of class. Notes include: pink jasmine, strawberry sorbet, green mandarin.

Note: Dior has reformulated this perfume and released a newer version in 2017. It’s different now, here is my review on the 2017 update.

missdior

Top Miss Dior Pick

Christian Dior Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming Women’s Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– This is currently the best Miss Dior perfume that they have released to date. It’s got an opening of pomegranate and raspberry to go along with musk.

Later, the floral notes of peony and rose emerge, with the semi-sharp black currant.

Absolutely Blooming becomes more rose dominated later on, but its not overly so. It works within the blend of fruit notes and musk. The sillage on this one is strong and will last for over 10 hours on the skin.

The fruit notes go from the main attraction, to being a complement, to the floral ingredients that give the scent its name.

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

10 Best Smelling Dolce and Gabbana Perfumes

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Here is our list of the top eight perfumes from the Italian design house Dolce & Gabbana. It is kind of tough to narrow down this brand’s fragrances to just a handful because they not only have a ton of options, but also a ton of decent to very good scents.

D&G doesn’t make too many ladies’ perfumes that miss the mark entirely. So, I’ve selected ten of them, which I feel stand out from the pack.

What are the Best D&G Perfumes for Her?

Best New D&G Perfume

The Only One Intense by Dolce & Gabbana Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 3.4 Ounce– Dolce & Gabbana have had a lot of forgettable releases in the recent years. Not necessarily bad, just nothing to write home about.

However, The Only One series has been very nice, especially the 2020 Intense version. Actually, it’s pretty similar in some respects to The One Desire, listed below (that one is more of a sweet gourmand, this is more floral creamy).

Sweet, creamy, white floral notes, with a light citrus/apple start. It’s got plenty of jasmine in there as the main flower. Vanilla, cashmere wood, and coconut give it that milky warm embrace.

Not too heavy and can actually venture into warmer weather. Maybe not the height of summer, but it’s not a bad reach in the spring. Fantastic performer.

Dark & Sweet

Dolce & Gabbana Eau de Parfum Spray, The One Desire, 2.5 Ounce
Sexy and sultry, for the woman who commands attention anywhere she goes. It’s not a heavy and obnoxious scent, rather, one that is light and invigorating but memorable.

The One Desire opens with a sweet caramel note to go along with vanilla, white floral notes, and an undercurrent of citrus fruit. The result is a creamy and feminine scent that takes a different direction than does the original The One perfume, which it is based on.

It has a gourmand quality that is delicious and appropriate for colder weather due to its sheer coziness. Notes include: bergamot, mandarin, lychee, lily of the valley, tuberose.

the one desire

Best Selling

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue By Dolce & Gabbana For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Oz
One of the most popular fragrances for women. Light blue is airy, light, and subtle. Great for casual wear.

From the start, Light Blue is a bright and shimmering perfume with a crisp apple note and tart lemon, providing the top. It’s a very clean scent that loses some of its fruitiness and moves into more of an earthy floral scent as it dries down, the rose note is particularly noticeable.

Notes include: rose, apple, musk and jasmine. Light Blue while not a heavy perfume by any means, has great longevity, and can go all day on one’s skin.  My Review of Light Blue for Women

light blue

Lovely Flanker

Light Blue Italian Love– Light Blue gets a new issuance every year, sometimes with slight alterations, some with major. This is one of the former, but a really great addition to the Light Blue lineup.

Italian Love has a zesty lemon note, with sweeter hints coming through, and less of the apple note than the original above. The musk mallow and sandalwood here give Italian Love a creaminess, especially once that initial citrus burst has faded a bit.

It’s fresh, but not as sharp as the original can be. The woods are there and really come through in the dry down of the scent. Still, it has a light summery feel that simply works well.

Gorgeous Amber Perfume

Velvet Amber Sun– This one is a part of D&G’s more expensive Velvet series of fragrances. I like Amber Sun the best, as it gives me something different and really shows off one of my favorite notes, amber.

This one has a very light ylang-ylang floral note in the opening act, that is subdued by labdanum and vanilla. Fairly sweet early on, with a smoky and light Oriental spice to it. Cinnamon and a bit of coriander.

The incense-like smoke doesn’t dominate the composition. Instead, it gets woodier, warmer, somewhat creamy, with a balsamic resinous touch to wrap things up. The performance is long-lasting, but Velvet Amber Sun can be a tough bottle to track down. For sure, one of Dolce’s best.

Incenso

Velvet Incenso– This one is another of the Velvet lineup and more of a niche interest than something for everyone. Nevertheless, Velvet Incenso is a great perfume.

It’s a blend of resinous notes: amber, labdanum, elemi, benzoin with smoky incense, vanilla, and some cashmere wood. It’s not overly smoky, but has a great sweetness and balsamic embrace that makes Incenso a cozy wear during autumn and winter.

It’s also not completely flat, as it has a slight peppery kick up top and some further spice from a few other notes. Yet, it’s tame and utterly wearable. The incense note is the star, but the balance here is too good, for it to be solely about that. Incenso Review

Fresh Fruity Floral

D&g 3 L’imperatrice Ladies – Edt Spray 3.3 oz– Fresh and sweet from the fruity and floral notes. This is a great everyday casual alternative to a scent like Light Blue.

L’Imperatrice 3 has almost an aquatic feel to it due to the abundance of watermelon and kiwi notes, particularly in the opening hour or so.

These two are also joined by rhubarb, which gives this D&G fragrance, a distinct quality. It’s youthful, bright, and has some underlying floral/musk to give L’Imperatrice some needed depth. Notes include: kiwi, watermelon, musk, pink cyclamen.

3 l'imperatrice

Balanced Daily Wear

Dolce & Gabbana The One By Dolce & Gabbana For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 2.5 Oz /75 Ml.
Classy, feminine, and all around a great smelling perfume for women. The One is much more fruity than is The One Desire. Peach, litchi, plum, and bergamot play support staff to the prominent vanilla note.

This is all wrapped up in a warm amber note, which gives The One a sumptuous baked goods quality.

As it dries down, this perfume has a woody powdery aroma that smells delightful. Notes include: plum, vetiver bergamot, fruity floral, Madonna lily, muguet, lychee, jasmine, vanilla.

dolce_gabbana_the_one_for_women

Best Winter D&G Perfume

Dolce & Gabbana Pour Femme Intense Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 oz
Warm and complex scent that was released in 2012.  It’s a dynamic blend of exotic notes that give confident women the chance to stand out.

It’s another sweet gourmand type of fragrance with marshmallow being the main attraction this time. However, it’s not just about the sugary sweetness as Pour Femme Intense has a bouquet of floral notes from tuberose to neroli to orange blossom.

All of this sits on top of a sandalwood base which gives it a smooth woody aroma in the background. Notes include: green mandarin, neroli, tuberose, orange blossom, sweet marshmallow.

dolce pour femme intense

Best Light Blue?

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense For Women Eau De Parfum Spray 3.3 oz– Yes, the flanker for the original Light Blue, needs to be on the list. It is at least the equal to its predecessor, and for many, it is the superior of the two.

The citrus top of lemon is really great and it is joined by the usual crisp apple note. Intense is fresh, clean, and sparkles with its bright personality. The musk is light and it features the same amberwood in the base, as the men’s version does.

Light Blue Eau Intense feels more ‘aquatic’ than the original, even without over marine notes, similar but with a bit more bite. Not really for those who don’t like citrus, that can feel ‘sharp’, at times.

It doesn’t have that rose note of the original, which is the main difference, but does include more jasmine. Light Blue Eau Intense Review

Alright, that’s going to do it for the current version of this list. I will come back and update it, every so often, when a new release from D&G is worthy of being included. As for now, these options should get you started, toward finding a great Dolce perfume to wear.

13 Best Chanel Perfumes for Her

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Chanel is a luxury brand that has been around for over 100 years now and it’s still going strong. It is not only famous for its designer fashions on the runway but also in the fragrance department.

This French luxury brand has seemingly countless classic and super famous scents that have defined entire decades. For this post, I have selected thirteen Chanel perfumes, which I consider to be the best smelling of the bunch.

Of course, with such a limitation (yes, it still is ‘limited’ in scope), there’s always going to be scents that I’ve missed. There are too many Chanel fragrance variations, discontinued perfumes, and such that it is almost impossible to give a complete account.

However, this is certainly a good place to start, with the modern versions at least. Here is my men’s list of the best Chanel for Him.

What are the Best Smelling Chanel Perfumes for Women?

Musky Floral

Chance By Chanel 3.4 oz Eau De Parfum Spray For Women– Chance comes in both an EDT and EDP version created by perfumer Jacques Polge. The EDP is the one that is linked, however, both of these options are obviously very similar. The EDP is very floral with notes of vanilla, iris, and jasmine leading the way.

It also is more subdued and cleaner than the EDT version, as the patchouli isn’t as much of a pure standout.

Chance gives you some floral sweetness and warm spice with the pink pepper, patchouli, and musk notes giving it some greater depth. Musk, vanilla, and the jasmine come to be the main players of Chance and together form something that is refined and moderate in its sillage.

However, during the dry down the patchouli does become more of a factor, and pairs surprisingly well with that soft jasmine. Chance has very nice performance and the ability to last for a standard workday or most other normal occasions. Chance EDP Review

Top Winter Fragrance

Chanel COCO Eau De Parfum Vaporisateur Spray 3.4 OZ / 100 ml– Coco is another fragrance with a lot of warmth and spice to its scent. This perfume is best served in the crisp and cold months of fall and winter.

Notes include coriander, rose, sandalwood, tonka bean, peach, amber, and cloves. Coco is bold, enveloping, and lasts forever and ever (especially the vintage bottles).

The floral (jasmine, rose, ylang ylang) and orange notes give it a subtle sweetness that isn’t the usual perfume blast of ‘loud’ smelling fruits or sugary candy. Rose and cloves are wrapped in the warm embrace of amber, which radiates beauty.

Coco is a rich and complex fragrance that defines class and has done so since the 1980s. May not be the best choice for younger ladies, though, some could still pull it off.

Coco eau de parfum is one of this brand’s offerings, that exudes the term luxury, and is probably something that most folks associate with Chanel. Yes, this stuff is powerful, spicy, and can be too much for some people.

However, it is an absolute classic with fantastic sandalwood, and an all day and into the night longevity. Grab a bottle and wear it dressed up.

Les Eaux de Chanel Pick

Paris-Venise by Chanel– This is going to be my pick from the Les Eaux de Chanel line of scents, at least for women. Paris-Venise gives you that familiar Chanel feeling, while being completely unique in its presentation. Other options like Paris-Biarritz, are a bit too close to smelling like Chance.

Venise is headed up by notes of neroli, vanilla, and tonka bean. With that is a nice citrus accord, added to powdery iris and violet, giving Paris-Venise a great freshness that can safely be worn into the summertime.

The citrus, iris, and ylang-ylang (plus other floral notes) are most prominent in the opening act. Then, the dry down features the softer powdery/creamy base notes that really help to set this one apart.

Plus, nice hints of white musk. Complex, while being totally light and easy to wear. Great! Venise Review

Other Les Eaux de Chanel Option

Paris-Deauville by Chanel– I’ve been spending a lot of time with samples of the Les Eaux de Chanel line lately, and Paris-Deauville, has quickly become a favorite.

It’s a summery citrus with lime and the mandarin orange note from Coco Mademoiselle. But, it changes things up with a wonderful basil freshness, light patchouli, and some green notes.

The lime and mandarin are fairly equal early on. That will shift more towards the lime which gets paired with the basil. Mandarin orange and lemon sit underneath that. It’s very uplifting and reminiscent of a summer’s day.

I get about 7 hours of solid wear out of it with a nice bit of projection. Paris-Deauville is a unisex scent, that gives you a lovely and pretty unique, albeit simple profile. Deauville Review

The Classic Chanel Scent

Chanel No.5 for Women – A standard classic within ladies fragrances. I mean, is this ever not going to be a best seller? Elegant, feminine, iconic and all stored within that famous bottle.

Floral and woodsy upon the drydown and it can be a bit repulsive to some at first (or not work at all for their body chemistry). However, when it works and has had some time to develop on the skin, it is beautiful. Personally, I’ve never experienced that, an old school vibe for sure but an outstanding floral scent.

There are a few different versions of No.5 and it of course has undergone slight reformulations over the many decades since its release, so this all can have an impact as to exactly what perfume you get. The Parfum is the original release created by Ernest Beaux 100 years ago.

The Other Classic Coco Option

No.22 EDP Les Exclusifs de Chanel– The formula for this one dates back to 1922 with Coco Chanel and Ernest Beaux. You could also go with No.19, which is probably more popular, but No.22 is the better perfume.

This is the EDP ‘Les Exclusifs’ version. A bit less expensive, but still has great performance.

This one is focused on tuberose but is blended with an array of floral notes and a cooling and refreshing addition of aldehydes up top. At first, 22 has a greenish sort of feeling. Then, the usual cohort of jasmine/ylang-ylang/rose that Chanel is famous for comes in.

22 does have powdery qualities like No. 5, but much less so, with some sweetness also coming from the base. Not too heavy or ‘old lady-ish’, despite its older formulation. No. 22 still comes across as a stylish and modern luxury perfume.

A Lion of Chanel

Le Lion de Chanel– The more that I tested this one out, the more that I liked Le Lion de Chanel. It’s not my favorite, nor one that I’d want to wear all of the time. But, I do think that this perfume is worthy of a spot on the list.

It opens up with labdanum, amber, and a nice burst of citrus. The first two give this one a warmth and smokiness, that contrasts well with the bergamot and lemon.

It will go from juicy to drier and earthy. It’s got a solid dose of patchouli and almost a leathery quality with how all of the notes come together. Musk, amber, patchouli, smoke. It’s an interesting fragrance to wear. Not for everyone, but a nice change of pace from pure floral perfumes. Le Lion de Chanel Review

Most Popular Chanel Perfume

Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau De Parfum spray For Women 3.4 OZ.– The current popular star of the Chanel lineup and one that enjoys more of a universal appeal and can be more broadly worn than some of the other options on the list.

Coco Mademoiselle is sweeter blend of citrus and floral notes that has enjoyed immense popularity since its release. It has an aura of femininity with a strong heart of patchouli and musk.

Mademoiselle features some bright and clean citrus top notes and floral notes led by rose and jasmine. The patchouli is the main attraction in this one, however, it is tempered by the sweeter notes including vanilla.

It has extremely good sillage (a few sprays will do) and also provides all day longevity. Coco Mademoiselle has spawned a bunch of its own flanker fragrances, which are also great, but the original still takes the cake. Read my Full Review

Best Light Summer Scent

Chanel Chance Tendre Eau de Toilette Spray For Women 1.7 OZ./ 50 ml.– Bright, fresh, and girly. Chanel Chance Eau Tendre has a citrus base of grapefruit and quince to go along with sweet floral notes. This is probably the most popular of the Chance flanker fragrances by Chanel.

It’s mostly a floral fragrance that is highlighted by citrus notes to give it more balance. Iris, jasmine, and hyancith are a part of the floral bouquet.

Chance Eau Tendre is a much lighter fragrance than anything else on the list, but that light airy aroma, doesn’t mean that it lacks staying power. It’s just not a heavy bomb, but one that is a great option for everyday wear.

It is still very crisp, due to the citrus top notes, but it doesn’t have that usual sharpness that grapefruit can cause. Eau Tendre is very smooth with a dry down period that can be somewhat powdery (iris) and with a healthy dose of musk. Again, it’s not a heavy fragrance, so the musk isn’t going to be an unbearable mess.

Most Underrated Chanel

Chanel – Allure Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 3.4 FL OZ– Chanel’s Allure has a slightly exotic and oriental vibe to it. Smooth vanilla pairs with peach, orange, and bergamot. A very clean and sexy fragrance that lasts a long time and draws complements.

This is another case, where the EDP and EDT versions are similar but different. The Allure EDP has more vanilla and a warmer vibe (plenty of amber) than the EDT, which gives off more of the bergamot and orange notes with May rose in the florals (it’s also lighter). Either version one selects, you will received a beautiful and sensuous fragrance, under the Allure banner.

Allure EDP opens up with a nectar aroma of peach and then a lighter touch of the citrus notes. The fragrance is warm and sweet from the start, with the vanilla coming in early for a supporting role.

Then, as it dries down, you get more of the floral heart notes like jasmine, peony, and magnolia with touches of base notes like vetiver. Still, the peach and citrus, are the dominant factors in this scent. The whole thing comes together as creamy, smooth, and wonderfully enveloping.

The Best Gabrielle

Gabrielle Essence by Chanel Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4 oz / 100 ml (Women)– The original Chanel Gabrielle was pretty good, but it didn’t really reach the top of the list. Essence is a much better fragrance, which blends classic elements with enough modern touches to be enjoyable.

Tuberose, ylang-ylang, orange blossom and other white floral notes eventually combine to be the main focus of this fragrance. However, it opens up with citrus and some juicy/tart berry notes, that are truly delicious. There is a peach note and overall sparkling quality up top.

The performance is decent, but not an elite scent by any means, in that regard. It does smell very nice and has a great deal of versatility. Gabrielle Essence Review

Unisex Floral Woods

Bois des Iles by Chanel– Bois des Iles is definitely less ‘girly’ than many of the other entries on the list, but is still an utterly fantastic fragrance. It features a spicy top (coriander) and awesome sandalwood accord with milky, powdery, and creamy highlights.

The floral notes here are secondary, but present. Aldehydes are the other star of the show, along with the sandalwood. Orris lends the powdery touch and is joined by ylang-ylang.

It settles down into a woodsy and amber-laden perfume, with a warmth that is great on an autumn or winter’s day. This one is something different, but well worth a try, if you’re into woody parfums.

Spice, Sweet, Beauty

Coromandel by Chanel– Coromandel is a scent that I’ve been getting into more lately. There are different variations of this scent: Parfum, EDP, and les Exclusifs. Each is going to give you a slightly different formulation and intensity.

Though, I’m pretty sure les Exclusifs and the older bottles of EDP are the same, at least they smell that way.

Each of them, features an awesome patchouli note, with a warm mix of amber/balsamic/oriental notes (benzoin, frankincense), and a gourmand finish…usually the white chocolate will come through the most. Spicy and warm, especially early on.

The Exclusifs or EDP (whichever is available) tend to be a sweeter formulation with more of an emphasis on the vanilla and white chocolate touches. Meanwhile, the Parfum version feels woodier and denser than the others. Coromandel Review