Best Perfumes for Women

7 Best Baby Powder Scented Perfumes for Her

by

Baby powder is an aroma that most of us are familiar with and have had memories of, since our earlies stages of development. That soft and delicate scent, almost instantaneously brings about thoughts of being clean. As such, that style of smell, is pretty popular in the fragrance world. It’s not super dominant or anything, but happens often enough to be its own niche.

In this post, I am going to give seven options, for perfumes that are scented like baby powder. I have already done the men’s list, so, check that out too for more options (that aren’t overly masculine).

What are the Best Ladies Perfumes that Smell like Baby Powder?

Classic Kenzo Powder

Flower by Kenzo for Women – 3.3 Ounce EDP Spray– Kenzo Flower is a very popular fragrance and has been for a long time now. It also happens to have an aroma that pretty closely approximates baby powder.

It’s a bit sweeter and creamier, than the real thing, which is to be expected with vanilla and black currant notes. However, the violet and rose, give Flower a very powdery finish that is quite soft and comforting.

The opening act, is probably the least like our target, but it settles down into that fresh powdery scent. The rose note isn’t overwhelming here, either. So, don’t expect it to be heavy, in that regard.

Prada Iris

Prada Milano Infusion D’Iris Eau de parfum Spray Women by Prada, 3.4 Ounce– Less of a heavy powdery iris note here, but one that is very clean, fresh, with lovely citrus notes in support. The iris being kept in check somewhat, actually works to this fragrances advantage.

Orange flower, mandarin, neroli, and cedar come together to create a beautiful Prada fragrance with a soapy/powdery sort of dry down. Infusion D’Iris is woody and green to go along with the iris note, which create a soft ,and airy gem of a perfume.

Coming back to this one again recently, it really comes across as being dry and a freshly clean sensation. The iris and cedar note in the final stages is utterly wonderful.

Sweet Gourmand Powder

EAU DE CHARLOTTE Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Eau de Charlotte is a wonderfully unique yet simple blend of floral notes, vanilla, and cacao. You get a strong mimosa in the start of the perfume, then the floral aroma shifts more to lily of the valley.

Even the cacao note, gives Eau de Charlotte a drier quality versus a creamier refined chocolate sort of smell. It does give a slight variation to what we’re going for but still close by.

Meanwhile, the clean and sweet undertones, create a powdery and ever so slight gourmand scent. This one is light with decent performance and a cheerful disposition. Not an exact replica of baby powder, but an interesting take, nonetheless.

Guerlain Baby Powder and Cream

Shalimar Eau De Toilette Spray for Women by Guerlain, 3 Ounce– The EDT version of Shalimar goes much more in the baby powder direction, than does the EDP. The opening features a nice citrus top, provided by bergamot, before the other notes fully emerge. In this one you get: iris, tonka bean, and vanilla.

Obviously, that iris is going to give you a powdery finish, while the tonka and vanilla bring that creamy sweetness. The citrus note, sets this one apart, and give Shalimar EDT a nice distinction from the rest of the lot. Shalimar is refined, classic, and mature without being stale.

The opening has a dynamic feeling to it, with the citrus and a greater influence of the other floral notes. Actually, some earthiness is present early on. Not a lot, but detectable. The dry down softens and becomes more weighted towards powdery and vanilla touches.

Donna Karan Clean Fragrance

Cashmere Mist By Donna Karan For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4-Ounces– Suede, vanilla, and sandalwood come together to create a powdery sort of aroma. Later, Cashmere Mist becomes a bit muskier, but the EDP has less of that than the other versions.

It is fresh and clean, with an amber and sandalwood dry down. The jasmine/sandalwood, gives it a somewhat soapy quality, but it’s more of a powder overall.

Very soft and cozy wear. The undertones are floral and woody versus anything coming across as sweet. Clean, powdered, and comfortable with a nice performance level.

Floral Make-Up Bag and Baby Powder

Paris By Yves Saint Laurent For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 Oz.– A classic from YSL named after the city and provides a wonderful floral experience with very powdery qualities. Now, this one kind of mixes that lipstick/makeup bag sort of powder with a more traditional baby powder, probably leaning more towards the former.

However,  the rose, mimosa, and heliotrope notes ebb and flow in terms of power and can definitely change how this comes across. This used to be a heavier powdery fragrance, it’s still there but not to the same extent, from the last time I checked in.

Paris does have an old school feeling, but I’ve always found it to be a charming perfume.

paris

A One Note Perfume

Demeter by Demeter Baby Powder Cologne Spray 4 oz– Demeter is a brand that sells perfumes, specifically designed to smell like a specific note or product. The results can be hit or miss, but this one, definitely captures that baby powder aroma to a tee.

It is essentially that fresh and slightly sweet aroma in a spray perfume form.

You can get a bottle for $20-30, but don’t expect much in the way of development, or insane performance. However, if you want just a pure capture of that scent in perfume form, this is it.

Best Les Eaux de Chanel Fragrances

by

Chanel released its line of perfumes under the Les Eaux de Chanel banner starting a few years ago. There are currently five fragrances with the designation and I grabbed samples of them a few months ago.

Since then, I’ve tested out these scents, and wanted to create a post ranking them. The following is my current standings and I’ll update this page if I change my mind or any new releases are brought to market in the future.

What are the Top Les Eaux de Chanel Perfumes?

The Best

Paris-Venise by Chanel– Paris-Venise is my pick for the best of this Chanel line. My number two pick was a close challenger, but I think Venise pretty easily surpasses the other options.

Venise features notes of neroli, vanilla, and tonka bean. It kicks off with a great citrus accord, ylang-ylang, and a powdery mix of iris and violet. It’s fresh, unique, and a dynamic summertime wear.

The citrus, iris, and ylang-ylang (plus other floral notes) are most prominent in the opening act. Then, as it settles, you get the softer sweet and creamy notes coming through. With enough of the iris/violet combination to make it interesting. Paris-Venise is a very beautiful fragrance.

Lime and Basil Wonder

Paris-Deauville by Chanel– Deauville secured the number two spot without much trouble. After testing each of these perfumes, I kept coming back to this gem, time and time again.

Lime, lemon, and mandarin orange start things off here. But, it’s not a purely citrus fragrance, as there is also a prominent basil note and an overall green aroma in Paris-Deauville. The main notes are lime, basil, and patchouli.

That’s the trio for most of the wear. There is a floral aspect to this with a bit of rose and jasmine, but they really aren’t that major in the mix.

I get about 7 hours of wear on my skin. Deauville is a pretty simple scent, that’ll be a spring and summer wear, but it’s a really great use of lime. Read my full review

Green Gin Forest

Paris – Édimbourg– Paris–Édimbourg is the next in line and the top Eaux des Chanel for men. The others on the list, outside of Biarritz maybe, are pretty darn feminine.

This one is also the most unique. With this we go green and really fresh with notes of juniper and cypress, producing a gin-like aroma. It’s bright and woodsy, with the vetiver playing a larger role in the latter stages.

Vanilla adds a light creamy and sweet touch to the fragrance and helps to keep it more in the unisex camp. If you don’t want to go with a citrus or citrus/floral wear from this line for the summer, check out this, because it could be your number one pick. Paris-Edimbourg Review

Zesty Neroli

Paris-Riviera by Chanel– Riviera could easily be in the third spot, but I ultimately decided that I liked the unique aspect of Edimbourg more.

Paris-Riviera is a citrus floral perfume, with top notes of orange, neroli, and petitgrain. I recognize that Chanel orange note immediately and the neroli reminds me of the various Tom Ford summertime perfumes.

Riviera is quite zesty and uplifting in the early stages with a slight fresh spiciness to it. As it wears on, this Chanel will become more about the floral notes. Jasmine will eventually overtake the neroli, but it is a pretty even split.

The tail end becomes muskier with a late kick from the sandalwood note to add a further dryness to the mix. While I like Biarritz listed below, Riviera is better and lasts longer, so it’ll get the number four spot.

Hyper-Citrus Aquatic

Paris-Biarritz– Paris-Biarritz starts off with a powerful blast of cold citrus notes. Here it is going to be grapefruit and mandarin orange, according to Chanel. However, there is also very clearly a lemon note in here and it’s actually the strongest at the beginning.

Underneath that, what I think may throw some folks off, is the aquatic note in here. There is an oceanic aroma, not super strong, but it’s there and gives this a different feel. Lily of the valley and vetiver are present in the dry down.

I’m giving this one the bottom spot, even if it’s not a bad fragrance. Actually, I like it quite a bit. However, there are better options on this list that have a similar style and other Chanel fragrance that are also close to this.

Paris-Biarritz does have that awesome ice cold citrus and aquatic aroma that I like. Ultimately, the performance isn’t good enough and it doesn’t do anything better than the others on the list. Really, the 3 to 5 spots could be up for grabs, but this is how I’ve landed after using each for a while.

Heures d’Absence by Louis Vuitton

by

Heures d’Absence is the last Louis Vuitton perfume from my large sample batch, that I needed to review. Yes, I now have to track down all the other releases, but I’ve now gotten around a dozen scent reviews from this designer. Is Heures d’Absence saving the best for last? What does it smell like? How long does it last? Is it actually worth a buy?

What does Heures d’Absence smell like?

Notes include: mimosa, jasmine, May rose, balsam of Peru, sandalwood, musk

My Full Review

Let’s see how Louis Vuitton describes this perfume: A beautiful escape through the flowery fields of Grasse. Heures d’Absence is an invitation to let yourself go and enjoy those moments when time suspends its flight. An enchanting break we would love to last forever.

Heures d’Absence opens up with a scent that is a sweet floral clean, with a nice hint of juicy raspberry up top. Now, the fruit isn’t too strong, but I do appreciate its presence in the mix.

So, there apparently was a perfume from Louis Vuitton with this same name back in 1927, but I don’t know if this is a remake or the brand just reusing the name.

Among the floral notes, mimosa and jasmine are the strongest here. Also, Heures is quite musky giving it a further soapy clean kind of vibe. The third floral note is May rose and its plays a minor role here.

Jasmine will come to be the main attraction, but it shares that title with mimosa early on.

The fruitiness and sweetness settle down somewhat and the aroma becomes greener with a powdery smell coming from the mimosa.

There isn’t too much complexity with Heures d’Absence. The scent turns into a classic soap aroma with a strong freshness and a watery semi-aquatic finish to it. It’s sweetness makes it feel very feminine versus some of the other more unisex entries from Vuitton.

Finally, it dries down pretty green with sandalwood playing a larger role. In the end, it is a musky jasmine sitting on top of a base of sandalwood.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

To me, the performance of Heures is one of its top qualities. For a floral, it has strong sillage, in the early stages of the wear. It’s not a complete sillage bomb, but it projects well in the first few hours.

On my skin, it becomes pretty moderate thereafter, and isn’t a skin scent. I was always aware of its presence on my skin, right until it finally began to fade.

When was that? Well, the longevity is close to 10 hours. I don’t think it crossed the double digit mark during any of my tests, but Heures d’Absence came as close as it can to accomplishing that. One of the longer lasting Louis Vuitton perfumes that I’ve tested.

Seasonally, stick to the spring and summer months with this one. The sweetness, freshness, and general clean feeling might be too sharp in the air on colder days.

This is a versatile daily wear. It is inoffensive and can be worn casually or to the office or just around town. It’s not a sexy perfume and not one that’s really going to standout or be a nightclub monster.

Heures d’Absence is low key and understated, which can be exactly what some women are looking for.

Overall Impressions of Heures d’Absence

Overall do I like Heures d’Absence? It’s fine. It smells nice enough, but isn’t all that exciting. I don’t think that its worth the price of entry. That being said, it is a versatile and well performing fragrance, so it can be a worthwhile choice for some.

This Vuitton scent has a classic style and gives you a clean floral aroma, packed with plenty of jasmine.

I like the raspberry in the opening and the mix of the sweetness with the semi-aquatic qualities of this fragrance. The rest of it is something that I feel like I’ve experience a thousand times before, at a cheaper price point.

There’s nothing here that is all that memorable for me. It’s definitely not a bad perfume by any stretch. However, it doesn’t particularly move the needle.

Cœur Battant by Louis Vuitton

by

Cœur Battant is a Louis Vuitton fragrance release for women, which came out in 2019. It’s one of the dozen-plus sample perfumes that I bought from this brand in order to review them. This is one of the last of that batch and I have come back to it off and on, over the past six months. How does Cœur Battant smell? When should it be worn? How long does it last?

What does Cœur Battant Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, jasmine, narcissus, patchouli, ylang-ylang, ambrette

My Full Review

Let’s see how Louis Vuitton describes it: Fresh pear and white flowers waft you away into the whirlwind of life. Like a wave of emotion sweeping through you, Cœur Battant is an invitation to listen to your heart and live every moment with passion. 

Cœur Battant starts off with its pear note out in full force. Very juicy and it smells great, helping to give this perfume an aquatic character right from the start. The ambrette note is ever-present in the mix and plays an early supporting role for the pear.

However, the patchouli is probably the second strongest note, in the beginning of the wear. It’s a fruit-chouli sort of scent early on, with aquatic touches. But, these notes will wain and the white floral notes rise to join the pear.

Jasmine is the strongest of the floral notes at first, but the perfume becomes much more balanced with narcissus and ylang-ylang. It has a nice sweetness and the floral notes don’t ever come across as too heavy nor green.

The final dry down is mostly a light floral with the remaining ambrette coming through. The floral notes, at this point are really distinguishable from one another, to my nose. There is some type of mossy note in this, as well. But, it’s really not that strong in the composition.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is pretty light as a whole. However, not a skin scent. It does project itself well enough to create a scent bubble around you. Cœur Battant does have very nice performance, it’s just never a complete powerhouse with its sillage.

Cœur Battant lasts anywhere from 7-9 hours, depending on the day. That’s what I consistently got out of the fragrance during testing. Never went beyond that, never stalled out early. By no means amazing, especially for the price, but it works for most scenarios.

Seasonally, this could probably be worn year round. It might be a little too bright and aquatic for super cold days in winter. However, it’s excellent in the spring and summer months.

It does have a more youthful vibe, but it doesn’t ever feel cheap or too much like a teen fragrance. Good for wear during the daytime. Can be worn casually, semi-formally, or to work for some folks.

Cœur Battant isn’t a nightlife perfume and isn’t what I’d call sexy. Sweet, pleasant, and easy to wear.

Overall Impressions of Cœur Battant

Overall, do I like Cœur Battant? Yes, it’s one of my favorites from the women’s side of things by Louis Vuitton. It’s not the greatest scent ever or one that everyone will be clamoring to wear, but it is a enchanting scent as a whole.

Fresh, sweet, somewhat aquatic. There is plenty of development packed into the entire wear and Cœur Battant needs some time to truly reveal itself. In the end, it is interesting, dynamic, and fairly unique.

It gives you familiar notes, with its own style. A very versatile perfume.

If you don’t like patchouli or pear, you can probably skip this one. To me, the patchouli isn’t bothersome, and it’s not one of my go to notes either. Maybe not a blind buy, for the price, but it is one of the safest LV fragrances. Give it a try.

Update: Checking in here in 2024, Cœur Battant is still being sold by Louis Vuitton. So, I guess I wasn’t the only one who really liked this perfume. Some of the others which came out around this time period, did get axed from the lineup.

Cloud 2.0 Intense by Ariana Grande

by

Cloud Intense (aka Cloud 2.0) was released in 2021 as a follow up to the super popular Ariana Grande perfume of the same name. Bottles were kind of scarce to come by for a while, with the limited release, but I grabbed a decant from eBay in order to test it out. How does Cloud 2.0 smell? Does it last longer? Is it actually worth the buy?

What does Cloud Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, bergamot, musk, ambroxan, praline, whipped cream, vanilla orchid, coconut, cashmeran, wood

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Cloud 2.0 Intense Eau De Parfum Ulta Exclusive 3.4 Ounce 

My Full Review

Cloud 2.0 opens up very similar to the original. Though, less of the sparkling pear note is present in this new formulation. It is bright, sweet, and quite clean with its aroma.

The ambroxan is present, after a few minutes. That is a noticeable difference with 2.0, how much play the ambroxan gets here. The lavender also feels smoother and stronger here, on my skin. The lavender in the first Cloud could come across as pretty rough/harsh, but it’s quite nice in this one.

When we get to the second act, I do notice more of a difference. Cloud Intense is creamier and less of a fluffy ‘cotton candy’ scent. While the lavender starts off stronger, it settles more into the background versus its predecessor.

The whipped cream, praline, vanilla, and coconut play a stronger role during this period. I do like this slight change in the structure. Smooth and pleasant.

Finally, we get to the dry down stage. The Cloud 2.0 dry down is basically the original with more wood and musk. Much of those sweeter and creamier notes have begun to evaporate and that is what you’re left with.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Cloud Intense does indeed open up with a powerful sillage, not too much more than the original, but it’s noticeable. It packs a punch early on, though, it will quickly quiet down and reside most of the wear rather close to the skin. It’ll project 3-4 feet, it seems like.

On my skin, I get 7-7.5 hours of wear from Cloud 2.0. It goes for longer than the original formula, maybe an hour more versus what I get with that.

An improvement? Yes, but definitely didn’t come across as a powerhouse in comparison or even versus the Kurkdjian fragrances.

Seasonally, the autumn through the springtime is when Cloud 2.0 will shine. I like it better in a bit cooler temperatures, but it is fine so long as it isn’t crazy hot outside.

This is more of a daily wear that can venture into the nighttime. It isn’t a formal fragrance and has more of a playful character without being too girly. Cloud Intense isn’t strictly a teenager’s perfume, but is probably going to be worn in much more casual situations.

Overall Impressions of Cloud Intense

Overall, do I like Cloud Intense? I do. Though, I’m not a huge fan of the original Cloud, I did like this 2.0 a bit better. It has a deeper profile and an overall smoothness in comparison.

Update: Cloud Pink is a bit better than both, in my opinion. But, this still has the best performance.

The lavender note is preferable in the 2.0 version. It gets a boost, isn’t as harsh, and then plays more of a background role. I do like the creamier and more voluminous style that Cloud Intense has, much to the credit of the ambroxan and vanilla.

That being said, it isn’t miles better. If you already have Cloud, there’s no real reason to get this, unless you are a collector. Especially, considering the prices for this newer version. Maybe they will come down in the future, but just get the original and save yourself some money.

Sure, they’re not exactly the same perfume, just close enough, and not a significant enough difference to justify paying that much more for a bottle. If the performance was way better, it might be a different story. It’s really not a wide gap in that category, in my experience.

I do like Cloud Intense, however. It is the better of the two Cloud fragrances, but still not among my favorite of the Ariana Grande lineup.