By Designer

Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming by Dior

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So, today, we have another entry from Christian Dior and the Miss Dior lineup: Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming. This flanker was released in 2016 and instantly became a popular name in the fragrance game. Does it actually live up to its popularity? How does it smell? What are the ingredients? Does Absolutely Blooming perform well? Please continue below for my full wear take and review.

What does Absolutely Blooming Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, peony, musk, pink pepper, black currant, and red berries

Click here to try: Christian Dior Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming Women’s Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

Before we get started on the review, let’s see what Dior says about Absolutely Blooming: Delectable red berry notes embroidered on a fresh peony accord and exalted by a profusion of rose petals from Grasse. The intensity of a delicious floral.

The opening of Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming starts off with raspberry and pomegranate notes, to go along with the white musk. It’s sweet and bright with a slightly musky undertone. The berry notes smell quite juicy and delicious and the sillage from the start is strong.

After 5-10 minutes, the floral notes really start to emerge, with the peony being the most noticeable early and then the rose coming up more later on in the wear.

Beyond that, there is also a black currant note that is quite sharp/sour, and adds to the fruitiness but takes it in a different direction.

Black currant can be kind of hit or miss for me, but I don’t mind it within this particular composition. There is some overlap between this Dior perfume and Si by Armani. Here, the sharpness of the fruit is tempered somewhat by the rose and peony, and isn’t allowed to run wild.

Finally, what I ultimately get from this perfume, is a feminine and fresh blend of rose, some peony, light musk, and a jockeying between the fruit notes. It’s got a juicy aroma throughout much of it but feels much more floral the closer my nose gets to the skin.

The fruitiness towards the end is more of an impression of sweetness, rather than the distinct juiciness or tartness of any of the individual notes in the mix. Absolutely Blooming goes from more of a fruity/floral to a floral with some fruit.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Absolutely Blooming actually has pretty darn strong sillage. Now, it tones down somewhat as time goes on, but at first it’s a strong fragrance. No performance problems with this one.

This can leave a nice scent trail, as you exit a room. Plus, the projection can be in the 5-7 foot range, off of the skin. Not a complete monster that will overwhelm, but I found the performance to be great on me.

Also, it lasts all day, and can hit double digit in the number of hours it will stay on one’s skin. For what you can often get with these sorts of fragrances, that is a fantastic level of performance. Not the elite of the elite, but one notch below.

I’m not sure of the exact total number of hours, but I’d say it’s probably 11-12, in my experience. It just works extremely well.

Seasonally, this is for the warmer months, of the year. Probably more spring than summer. However, I don’t think it’s bad here in winter time, it just feels a bit out of place. Anywhere from a mild climate to hot days, would be appropriate.

If this does happen to come across as sharper on your skin, the cold and crisp air of winter might make it more of a problem. But, the whole vibe of the fragrance feels better suited to the sun-drenched days of spring into summer.

This is fine for casual wear, work (just go easy), a night out, or romantic wear. It is very attractive and probably a bit sexier than the other Miss Dior offerings, at least in my mind.

Less of the pure floral mix or soapiness that those can tend to have. Maybe not the most overtly sexual or beastly perfume, but there’s just something attractive about it.

Absolutely Blooming does have a very versatile use case and can easily become a daily wear fragrance, for those that enjoy it.

Overall Impressions of Absolutely Blooming 

Overall, do I like Miss Dior Absolutely Blooming? Yes, I do. It is a great fruity floral mix with juicy berries and is grounded by a nice mix of rose and peony. It is playful, upbeat, and beautiful.

This perfume gives great performance and has a unique aroma while being familiar to the Miss Dior line of scents. I really have no complaints about this one and it conjures up positive feelings when I smell it.

Some, may not like the fruit notes here, but for most it seems to be a perfect blend. It simply does everything well, without any real glaring flaws about it.

If you want a stronger balance of floral notes, you should probably consider another scent. Otherwise, this is a great one and one of the top Dior releases.

Black XS for Her by Paco Rabanne

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Making my way through even more boxes of fragrance samples, I have another one for the ladies, even if it has been out a long time: Black XS for Her EDT by Paco Rabanne. This has been a fairly popular scent since its release in the mid-2000s, but does it actually live up to its reputation? In this post, I’m going to explore how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and if this eau de toilette is even worth a buy?

What does Black Xs for Her EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: cacao, cranberry, rose, musk, vanilla, patchouli, pink pepper, wood, violet

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Black Xs By Paco Rabanne For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 2.7-Ounces

My Full Review

Upon first sniff, the opening of Black XS for Her, really reminded me of the men’s version. Fruity and patchouli. The difference? The women’s version is so much better and toned down the patchouli to a more tolerable level.

Also, they use cranberry in this one in lieu of lemon. I was having a hard time distinguishing the cranberry note, until it struck me that the opening had elements of another men’s fragrance, Polo Red.

Make no mistake, however, Black XS for her is a wholly feminine perfume and it starts off hard. That cranberry note is tart and delicious. It’s joined by the aforementioned patchouli, rose, and that semi-sweet cacao.

These are the notes which dominated this eau de toilette for the first 30 minutes or so. It’s funny, I don’t really smell the rose at all after this point, and it’s usually one that hangs around for the long haul.

I definitely like the pink pepper note here, that comes along later in the wear. It really does a great job at playing off of the cranberry note and adding a layer of warm spice with the mus

k. Also, I guess this has tamarind as an ingredient also. But, I’m not really familiar with exactly how that note smells. A bit spicy, I believe.

As it dries down, I get more of that raw cacao aroma, musk, and patchouli.

The cranberry becomes less prevalent and Black XS takes on a different kind of vibe. It’s sweeter and less tart, cacao and vanilla will do that to a perfume.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the early phase is pretty strong. At least it feels that way, because of the cranberry note. Again, it changes as it moves along and feels much more moderate to my nose.

So, at the start it can feel as if it’s been over-sprayed. Unless you really did pour it on, this perfume will settle down.

The longevity was actually good on my skin, I got at least seven hours out of Black XS, maybe a tad more. For what this is, that’s not bad at all. Since it’s really not a daily wear fragrance, you probably won’t need it to go 10+ hours in almost any scenario.

Seasonally, this is built for winter, or late autumn. Cold weather all the way. It would seemingly be a mess in any conditions that are too warm.

This isn’t an office kind of scent either. Black XS is great for the nightlife. It is youthful (not total teenager but twenties) and actually smells really sexy and appealing.

As a guy, I would love smelling this on a woman. It’s so sweet and has that gourmand edible quality to it. This Paco Rabanne perfume isn’t some complicated masterpiece, but it sure strikes a chord.

Overall Impressions of Black Xs for Her

Overall, would I recommend trying Black XS for her? Yes. That is of course, provided you enjoy berry-laden, warm, sweet, and chocolatey fragrances. It’s not really going to be an everyday wear, since it doesn’t fit into all of those situations.

However, for nights out? Yep! This stuff hangs beautifully in the wintertime and again for sure has sex appeal. Give it a look.

The performance is above average and the aroma is really darn attractive. A bottle is usually not too expensive either, so it can find a spot in one’s rotation, without having to shell out the cash.

This is much better to me than the men’s version. The cranberry and cacao are actually quite nice up top. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy that as much as I did, but the patchouli and vanilla come in and really provide great support.

It’s a mix of sweet gourmand and earthy light spice. The rose note doesn’t really do much on my skin, but maybe other people will get more of that note.

Burberry Sport for Women

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In today’s review, we have an entry for the ladies from the Burberry lineup: Burberry Sport for Women. It was released in 2010, so it has been around for a while at this point, but is it any good? What are the notes? What does it smell like? Does it perform well? Please continue below for my full take on this perfume.

What does Burberry Sport for Women Smell Like?

Notes include: sea salt, honeysuckle, mandarin, magnolia, cedar, ginger, musk

Click here to try: Burberry Sport Perfume for Women Eau de Toilette 1.7 fl. Oz

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Burberry Sport is heavy on the mandarin orange note and this is paired with sea salt. It does have quite a beachy feel to it, like a sea breeze coming on shore.

This is paired with ginger, which gives it a bit of a fizzy drink quality. After 5-10 minutes, the orange note settles down, and the white florals emerge. That opening is nice, feels familiar to me, but I cannot think of the perfume it resembles.

I get a lot of honeysuckle and some magnolia, but mostly the former. Burberry Sport is fresh and clean with some slightly spicy musk undertones.

I must say that the honeysuckle is very nice here. Even within a rather simplistic composition, that note stood out to me.

The composition is bright, sunny, and upbeat. To me, the fragrance is pretty darn linear, and there isn’t really any changes to my nose beyond this point.

In the end, I get a salty mandarin, ginger, honeysuckle, and a dash of musk. Together, it is pretty soapy and fresh.

I do enjoy the sea salt and ginger notes, especially. When paired with mandarin, it puts out a really great vibe.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is toward the lighter end of things, but I’d call it moderate. It’s not going to blow the doors off of anything, but it isn’t completely weak either. Not quite sheer, but not an insane cloud of fragrance.

Longevity is around 4-5 hours, on my skin. That’s not great, but a few extra sprays could bump that number up somewhat. Honestly, the performance is lacking with normal application, so I wouldn’t pay a high price for a bottle of Sport.

Seasonally, Burberry Sport is a warm weather fragrance. So, spring or summer is when this would be at its best. It does sit nicely in the air while walking outside, even without a huge sillage.

However, it is light and attractive enough, to be of use in a variety of situations. It’d be a nice choice for an everyday wear for office work or at school. It can also be used casually or for a sporty refresher.

Overall Impressions of Burberry Sport for Her

Overall, do I like Burberry Sport for Her? I think that it’s a nice fragrance, but it isn’t amazing by any stretch of the imagination. It is a clean and pleasant sort of fragrance, when you want something that is simple and low key.

You get a lot of the mandarin note, so if that’s not your thing, you’d be well served to skip this. It has florals but they aren’t too powerful in this one. Even the honeysuckle, isn’t overwhelming. It has its moments, but shares power for a lot of the wear.

It’s linear, well blended, and a nice little scent. The performance isn’t the best, but  Burberry Sport could certainly serve its purpose.

The highlights are the sea salt and ginger, which go well with the mandarin orange. It loses some of its charm, when it gets a bit more soapy and musky later on.

Again, though, not really all that much development. I don’t think this is made any longer, but, it might be worth a shot at a heavy discount from the online retailers.

Light Blue for Women by Dolce & Gabbana

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Here in my latest batch of reviews on this site, I wanted to tackle another ladies’ fragrance, Light Blue by Dolce & Gabbana. This has been one of the most popular perfumes for women for over a decade now, and I wanted to see, just what it is about this scent that keeps demand so high.

I mean, I’ve come across the fragrance seemingly countless times with women, over the years. It’s really piqued my interest. In this post, I give my impressions on its opening, its dry down, how it smells, its longevity, and my overall feelings about this fragrance.

What does D&G Light Blue for Her Smell Like?

Light Blue by D&G Perfume for women

Notes include: rose, apple, musk, lemon, jasmine, and more

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue By Dolce & Gabbana For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 3.3 Oz

My Full Review

The opening of Light Blue is a bright citrus affair, which is held together by the lemon and apple notes.  I also distinctly noticed the rose note, that gave it a slight floral take on the predominantly citrus open.

It is a very crisp and refreshing scent at first, and I can see why, this is such a popular choice in the summertime. Light Blue doesn’t come on too strong or pungent in my opinion, however, it isn’t completely weak either.

The lemon is the main player here and while the apple is strong it is sort of the backup. It provides that watery juiciness and lighter feel to the composition. I really like the opening, even if it can be sharp, as I find the lemon to be nice with its sort of sugary lemonade aroma.

When it dries down, I feel that Light Blue loses some of its charm. It seems to become a more earthy/floral/woodsy scent, although the lemon doesn’t fade away.

It is still light and clean but just doesn’t feel as beautiful as it does during the opening and the apple note is almost completely gone. That said, it is still a perfume which smells quite good, just not as much as it does at first.

The dry down picks up some muskiness, which is all to common with these sorts of citrus scents. I also get some woody base notes, jasmine, and that rose note from the opening.

Cedar provides that smooth freshness at the base of the perfume and is really quite nice, when paired with the floral notes. Finally, the musk and the lemon dominate things, until it fades away completely.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s not a beast, as the name ‘Light Blue’ suggests. However, it is still quite noticeable and it for sure, didn’t become just a skin scent when I tested it out.

At first, it does have a decent amount of ability to create a scent trail. It’s not heavy or a ‘thick’ kind of fragrance. Instead, that initial sharpness is just noticeable. Plus, the perfume can project itself a good ways away.

Yes, that distance will come in closer, but it will have a nice scent bubble for much of the wear.

In terms of longevity, this fragrance just keeps going, which you sometimes don’t expect from something that isn’t a heavy perfume.

It’s one of those can be sprayed on in the morning and be there until you shower in the evening. This is part of the reason that Light Blue has been so popular for so long. On my skin, it is in the 10+ hour range. Don’t know when it ends exactly.

I would say that this is best for the spring/summer months, which is what it was designed for. However, it pretty much is a year round scent, that you can spray on and forget about.

It’s got good versatility, for work, school, or just casually hanging out. Not really a night club fragrance or date night perfume, but it’s nice enough to garner complements, even if it’s not really ‘sexy’.

This is a ‘can do’ daily wear fragrance, that can easily cover your bases, in terms of usefulness. It’s definitely not a niche perfume and has obviously struck a chord with its mass appeal.

It may not be the most original scent to go with anymore, but a great deal of that is precisely because it can be worn in so many scenarios.

Overall Impressions of Light Blue for Women

Overall, Light Blue is a safe casual wear perfume that is clean and inoffensive. It doesn’t require more than a few sprays to do its job.

I wouldn’t really call this an evening wear or romantic fragrance (though not out of place either), but this Dolce & Gabbana is one that can be worn to school or the office by ladies of any age group.

Another solid option and perhaps even more versatile is Bright Crystal by Versace. Light Blue really is a great starter perfume for women, as it does everything well enough, and isn’t some extreme scent that folks will either love or hate.

The lemon and the apple in the opening act are the highlights for me. Crisp, bright, and sharp…but it has a charm to it and I dig the smell.

It has sort of become the no-brainer go to scent for a lot of people over the years. That’s why there’s been so many cheaper alternative perfumes like Light Blue released over the years.

Is it going to stand out as something new? Nope. It will provide you with something easy to wear and versatile at a good price. Sometimes, that’s all you need.

Carat by Cartier

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Carat by the famed jewelry designer, Cartier, sort of flew under the radar after its release in 2018. I’ve had a sample of this perfume for a while and really only recently decided to try it out. What does it smell like? Is Carat worth a try? How does this fragrance perform?

What does Cartier Carat Smell Like?

Notes include: hyacinth, tulip, bergamot, violet, mimosa, lily, and more

Click here to try: Carat by Cartier

My Full Wear Review

How Cartier describes Carat: The radiance of a diamond on the skin, the luminous fragrance of a flowering rainbow. 

Cold. Fresh. Green…this is how Carat by Cartier starts off. It’s like a mix of mint, vetiver, and stems. Not that any of these notes are actually in this composition, but that’s the impression that it gives off. 

Carat feels sharp, in its opening moments and icy, is the way I would describe it. You have to understand from the description, that the goal was to create a floral fragrance based on the colors of a rainbow. As such, it all blends together into something which can be difficult to pick apart.

The brightness early on comes from a combo of the pear and the bergamot notes. Again though, neither really stands out as distinct, but if you’ve experienced the scents before you get the impression that they’re in the mix.

At times, I get lots of tulip. Then, mimosa. Then, hyacinth. These are the main floral notes that I can distinguish. The rest of the blend? Super clean with soapy/powdery elements depending on how long it has been on your skin. 

I like the energy in this scent. Easy to wear, somewhat familiar, but has a distinct quality due to how it all comes together. 

The end is more floral, green, and a tad watery. Sort of like a bouquet sitting inside a vase. Hyacinth and some violet is mostly what I pick up in the latter stages.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sharpness and power it displays in the beginning, is pretty misleading. It actually is a lighter moderate perfume. More than a skin scent, but not an absolute powerhouse.

Longevity is pretty good. On first try about 5 hours. Second try, almost 7. Not spectacular, but it has the potential to be a solidly performing scent. I’d say, I would probably get closer to 7 more often than not.

 

Seasonally, this would be best in warmer weather. Not necessarily the hottest days of summer, but definitely a springtime wear. It is more of a ladies perfume, however, it is pretty unisex. Not really girly, in its overall flower arrangement. 

Casual, daytime, work, semi-formal. Carat really isn’t a nightlife or romantic wear perfume. Versatile, but not for every occasion.

These sorts of greenish floral perfumes, aren’t particularly sexy. But, they can be fun to change things up with, by going for something that is more naturalistically fresh in how it comes across.

Overall Impressions of Cartier Carat

Do I like this scent? I do. It’s a pretty unique experience and a different take on the usual floral perfumes. I really like that opening blast of cold freshness. Also, the way that it is so well blended at times, that it becomes a completely distinct scent.

The performance is pretty good, but not great. The aroma itself is better than average. I did like this Cartier, but I’m not in love with it. This probably isn’t going to appeal to a mass audience, but plenty of people will like it, and it is worth a shot.

The opening is really bright and does live up to that carat name. As it moves along, it’s got a bouquet like feel to it. The watery greenish aroma with bursts of tulips, hyacinth, and the other floral notes.

Crisp, fresh, soapy, and floral. All in a big step by step process. I don’t know if it’s one to pay full price for, but at a discount, Carat could be a nice play…if it sounds like your type of perfume.