Best Perfumes for Women

Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi by Kilian

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I’ve been working my way through posting up reviews of as many of the by Kilian fragrances that I can. Still in the early stages, but I’ve really wanted to spend some time with each and get a good sense of how each develops.

Today’s entry is the exhaustingly titled Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi released in 2015. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is this Kilian perfume worth a buy?

What does Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi Smell Like?

Notes include: ylang-ylang, gardenia, sandalwood, mandarin essence, neroli, tuberose, orange blossom

Click here to try: By Kilian Voulez vous coucher avec Moi Eau de Parfum 50 ml 

My Full Review

Let’s see how Kilian describes this perfume: Elusive, elegant, a scent that lasts well into the evening, with its radiant gardenia headspace and ylang-ylang, blooming with tantalizing tuberose…

The opening of Voulez feels fairly rosy to me, with a nice bit of powder also coming through. Not overly so, but it is there and is noticeable. I’m not always the best at picking up individual floral notes, but the ylang-ylang seems pretty distinct to my nose within these first few minutes.

Then, it becomes much more geared toward the orange blossom, gardenia, and neroli. At that point, it is slightly sweet with less of that initial powdery aroma. The orange flower is noticeable at the very beginning, but it becomes more prominent to me a few minutes in.

On my skin, this By Kilian fragrance takes a while to truly reveal the direction it wants to go in. It’s a few initial waves of varying floral blends, before it really settles on ylang-ylang, gardenia, and tuberose.

Those three are going to be the main attractions here. Sitting on a base of musk, sandalwood, and some vanilla (even if it’s not listed). So, opening the ylang-ylang stars. Later, I get more of the tuberose (but ylang-ylang is persistent). Finally, it ends with the gardenia, giving it a creamy sweetness with the woods, musk, and vanilla.

Once I get past the first few waves, it’s pretty much set in stone how it’s going to smell, just with some maneuverings between the main three floral notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s above average. It certainly doesn’t come across as a bomb on my skin. It sticks pretty close by and has a nice scent bubble of 3-5 feet for me. Solid, not crazy or anything.

Voulez-vous Coucher does perform well, however. I get 8-9 hours of wear from it during the day. That’s about what I should expect for the price and Kilian usually doesn’t disappoint with the performance on a majority of these scents.

Seasonally, this would work anytime outside of the high heat of summer. Summer nights, probably, just avoid the day. Ideally, I’d like this as an autumn perfume, that leans toward use in the nightlife.

While many Kilian fragrances are unisex, this is one of them that goes much more in the feminine direction. As a man, I wouldn’t wear this (outside of having to test it for the site), but it’d work well for a woman that I’m dating.

That being said, this is an attractive perfume, but I don’t really find it to be ‘sexy’. It’s a sweet floral that has more of a nighttime vibe, while being versatile enough to wear during the day. I don’t know, maybe other folks find this to be seductive, but to me it’s another pleasant floral blend.

Overall Impressions of Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Moi

Overall, do I like this perfume? I like it, but don’t love it. I especially hate having to type out that long title. Smell wise? It’s a very nice scent, it feels familiar and quite a bit like many other white floral perfumes, while still retaining its own identity.

The powdery aspect and the sweetness that comes off of this fragrance, does kind of get on my nerves. It’s not something that I need to scrub or anything, but it’s not my favorite.

Based on the name, I was expecting something sexier. Instead, it seems more like an update to an older style of perfume.

It doesn’t have a massive projection off of my skin, which is weird, because I read a few reviews and folks said this was really strong. Maybe, it’s just me? Though, it did stick around for a good while.

I can’t say that Voulez-vous Coucher Avec Moi is a bad perfume. It’s actually pretty good across the board, which to me, is a problem for the price point.

It doesn’t make my top ten from Kilian, so, unless you’re a really big floral fan or of these particular notes…I’m not sure it makes sense to blind buy.

Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet by Dior

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I have a boatload of new samples to get through and write up reviews on. However, I’m still working my way through a box of older samples to post on the site, including today’s entry: Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet EDT.

This is one of the many flanker perfumes that has branched off from the original Miss Dior lineup, but how does this scent fair? Continue below for my full wear take.

What does Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet Smell Like?

Notes include: Calabrian bergamot, peony, Damsacus rose, musk, and more

Click here to try: Christian Dior Miss Blooming Bouquet Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of this fragrance struck me as absolutely lovely. I’m not a huge fan of florals, but I do like peony more than most, and especially how it blends with the Calabrian bergamot from the beginning. The citrus note just sits on top of the floral array creating a slightly juicy aroma. Here’s how the sample insert from Dior describes Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet:

A bouquet of delicate Peony and Rose notes honed by the freshness of Calabrian Bergamot and adorned with a lacework of White Musks. The caress of a fresh floral.

The freshness of the bergamot is quite accurate, I think that this note is wonderfully done within the composition. It’s a very feminine type of scent, utterly soft, and a floral without the ‘greeness’ of a lot of other perfumes within this category.

The musk note, which can often come across as spicy and heavy, is actually light and appropriately accompanies the peony and rose notes. It provides a solid base but doesn’t ever get loud or try to take over the aroma.

As it dries down, Blooming Bouquet becomes more floral than fruity, since the bergamot begins to fade somewhat. What is left is a bright and pretty scent, that is stylish without become overly girly or like an old lady floral.

The peony feels stronger towards middle to end of the wear. It ends up as a pretty and light fragrance with the brightness and citrus ingredients sitting underneath.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this Miss Dior is a light affair. I don’t think that it is weak, just softer and airy. It sticks around, in a more intimate scent bubble, and isn’t going to venture across the room outside of using a monster amount.

On my skin, the longevity wasn’t a problem, I could catch whiffs of it for up to 7 hours throughout the day. Good but not amazing, though, it would work just fine for most people’s purposes. I do wish that it had more, but it’s not a complete ripoff or anything.

This is a pretty versatile perfume. Blooming Bouquet is light enough to be worn at work or school. It an be worn casually or formally. It’s very attractive, more delicious, than sexy.

However, I found myself really attracted to this perfume and would love to smell it on a woman I was dating. It’s probably just not one for the night club scene, where louder fragrances seems to be all the rage.

Seasonally, Miss Dior Blooming Bouquet is for the warmer months of the year. It’s bright and has a springtime vibe to it. The emergence of flowers and the bit of juiciness of the citrus, just exudes an upbeat and elegant charm.

On the whole, I’d say it works in spring through early autumn. Winter, you may want to go with a scent with a heavier profile.

Overall Impression of Blooming Bouquet

Overall, do I recommend this fragrance? Yes. It is a very good all around perfume. It obviously smells great but has a subtlety, which allows it to be a solid everyday wear choice. Is it super unique?

Not really, but not every fragrance has to be some stand out, in that regard. This is a soft and beautiful floral that doesn’t get too green or overly musky. It’s simple and low key great within that simplicity. Well done, Dior.

The opening bergamot note is a highlight for me and the interplay with the rose and peony notes is great. The sillage is light, but it has pretty good longevity, as it can last for most of a work day. Blooming Bouquet would be a great pick up as a mostly everyday wear.

This is definitely one of the best Miss Dior releases and one that you can’t really go wrong with as an easy to reach for daily wear. Unless you really don’t like rose and peony, there’s not any real reason to avoid giving it a try.

Mille Feux by Louis Vuitton

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Mille Feux is one of the perfume releases which Louis Vuitton brought to market back in 2016. It also happens to be one of scents that has survived being cut from the lineup thus far. I bought a bunch of sample decants of Vuitton fragrances a few months ago and gradually posting my reviews since. I finally cracked open Mille Feux, recently, and put it through its paces. How does it smell? Is it worth a buy?

What does Mille Feux Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, raspberry, osmanthus, iris, saffron, jasmine, rose, patchouli, sandalwood

My Full Review

Let’s see how Louis Vuitton describes this perfume: An incandescent fusion of raspberry and leather creates an ode to light. A golden ray, a starlit sky, the aurora borealis: light contributes to the magic of travel.

When I saw that Mille Feux (thousand lights) had leather and raspberry in its notes, I immediately thought of Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather or Godolphin by PdM, with the saffron. However, this Louis Vuitton perfume comes across quite differently from those two, even while sharing plenty of overlap.

Mille Feux opens up with a much more intense and sweeter raspberry than does the Tom Ford. It’s bright and juicy, more feminine, and the osmanthus only adds to its brightness. LV says that the osmanthus, has a pear-like quality, and I do pick that up.

Underneath that, is obviously the leather note, which is great. I really enjoy the interplay between the fruity notes and the leather. It’s interesting that at times, Mille Feux has somewhat of a fruit-chouli vibe, as the patchouli note is pretty prominent.

It’s probably fifth place overall behind the osmanthus and saffron. The saffron note, makes this scent lean much closer to Godolphin than Tuscan Leather, just a womanly fruity/floral version of that fragrance.

For the dry down, I get a base of leather and patchouli. On top of that is the remaining raspberry and blend of floral notes. What’s nice is during these latter stages, I can pick out rose and some iris in the mix.

At this point, it takes some focus to really distinguish, but the notes are there.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This Louis Vuitton perfume is pretty light to moderate with its sillage. Don’t expect a powerhouse that projects like crazy, it’s going to stay pretty close to the skin for the entirety of the wear.

To me, this was the biggest disappointment with this fragrance. I wish the power had been amped up more, because the actual scent is lovely.

The longevity though, isn’t bad. While it isn’t a strong perfume, Mille Feux does stick around for over 8 hours. Not insane longevity, but it doesn’t disappear super quickly. It’s light and not always noticeable, but it is actually there.

Seasonally, the fragrance can work in winter through springtime. The summer might be a stretch, depending on how hot it gets in your locale. Maybe, as a nighttime fragrance it could work. Though, I’d generally keep it to the rest of the year.

It’s not a heavy fragrance that only works in the cold, however.

It is pretty versatile. Not a formal scent or a club beast, but it wouldn’t be entirely inappropriate elsewhere. Mille Feux is an attractive perfume, not necessarily sexy, but it is enjoyable to be around.

Overall Impressions of Mille Feux

Overall, do I like Mille Feux? I really do. I’m a fan of Goldolphin by PdM, so this fruitier version of that style of perfume, is obviously going to have appeal for me.

Mille Feux is more distinctly a woman’s scent, though. It’s two biggest weaknesses are perhaps its lack of unique style and how underpowered it is. I wish that this LV fragrance had more power behind it, but it just doesn’t.

What does it do well? The raspberry and osmanthus up top. The leather note. The saffron isn’t too heavy, but adds a nice touch. Heck, even the very light iris to give it some slight powdery quality. The aroma itself is great.

Is it worth buying a full bottle? Eh, maybe. If you want a quality fruity leather scent, I would for sure check it out. The lightness of the perfume, might be a hinderance for many looking to purchase it. On aroma alone? It’s a yes.

3 Perfumes Similar to Chance Eau Fraiche

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The Chance line from Chanel is very popular. These perfume do offer something a bit different from one another, so, if you want them all the costs can get somewhat out of hand.

Chance Eau Fraiche is a great option for the summertime and if you want a comparable aroma or  just something similar for cheaper there are alternative options out there. For me, I haven’t found the exact same thing, but there are similar fragrance choices to be had.

What Perfumes Smell Similar to Chance Eau Fraiche?

Pretty Close Designer 

Versace Versense By Gianni Versace For Women Edt Spray 3.4 Oz– Versense by Versace is a pretty popular scent with the type of citrus and woody aroma we’re looking for. The opening notes are dominated by bergamot and mandarin, while it gets later support from cedar and fig.

It has a very similar aroma to Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche and Light Blue Pour Femme. Though, it leans more towards Eau Fraiche than it does the D&G.

The floral notes in this one share the jasmine, much like our target, but you also get a good amount of lily and some narcissus blended in also. Is it a complete match? No, but Versense gives you a more affordable option that covers many of the same bases.

Light Blue Plus Eau Fraiche

Bond No. 9 The Scent Of Peace Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Fluid Ounce– The Scent of Peace isn’t exactly the same Fraiche, but it does share some similarities in its presentation. Also, it quite often gets compared to D&G Light Blue, sort of splitting the difference between these two scents.

What it has in common with the Chanel, is the grapefruit, cedar, and musk notes. Also, the floral heart gives it a similar structure. The Scent of Peace is much more of a fruity-floral, as the black currant and grapefruit are quite strong and the cedar note is amped up for woody freshness.

In exchange for the jasmine and hyacinth, you get lily of the valley, with not as much floral punch as Chance Eau Fraiche. While it’s not the same, that citrus and cedar combo bring it quite close to what we’re looking for. Nonetheless, it is another great option with a fairly similar structure, albeit taking another path. The Scent of Peace Review

Similar Perfume With Rose

Chloe L’Eau De Chloe Eau De Toilette Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce – This one has a similar structure to Eau Fraiche, but takes things in a slightly different direction  L’Eau de Chloe is a fresh floral scent that is great for the summertime.

Citron, patchouli, rose petals are pretty key players here and there is some spiciness underneath the fruity and floral notes. At least, more so than our Chanel comp.

The main difference is going to be the rose note. It’s not a heavy rose, nor does it overwhelm the composition, but it does take the lead. You get a great citrus lemon, grapefruit, and peach mix. Then, comes the spiciness and woody notes which takes it to another level.

This is one of the better modern fragrances by Chloe. The woody freshness isn’t as intense, but it’s one that I think can fit the bill.

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Soleil Neige vs. Soleil Blanc Perfume Comparison

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Soleil Blanc’s success as a fragrance has now spawned a series of ‘Soleil’ perfumes from Tom Ford. One of them, Soleil Neige, is supposed to duplicate the impression of sun against fallen snow. Both of these scents are popular, but which is the one that smells better? Which has the best performance? Which is the greater Tom Ford fragrance?

Tale of the Tape: Soleil Blanc vs Soleil Neige

Soleil Blanc

Notes include: coconut, bergamot, pink pepper, ylang ylang, cardamom, pistachio, jasmine, tonka bean, amber, benzoin, tuberose

Click here to try: Tom Ford Private Blend Soleil Blanc Eau De Parfum Spray for Unisex 3.4 Oz / 100ml

Read my review: Soleil Blanc

Soleil Neige

Notes include: bergamot, benzoin, jasmine, orange blossom, lemon, and musk

Click here to try: TOM FORD Private Blend Soleil Neige Eau De Parfum 1.7 oz / 50 ml Spray

Read my review: Soleil Neige

Opening

Soleil Blanc kicks off with bergamot and coconut as the top notes, which give it a beachy tropical feeling. But, that is overtaken by the floral notes led by tuberose and the spice from notes like cardamom.

Blanc is a somewhat spicy tropical floral at first, that will become much creamier as the wear moves along.

Meanwhile, Soleil Neige gives you that snowy impression as the name suggests. It also starts off with citrus, this time blended with a very nice jasmine note. It smells warm/creamy up close, but colder and powdery the more that I move away from it.

It’s an interesting dynamic and the jasmine is flanked by an orange blossom note.

Which is better? I like Blanc. However, Neige has the better start, in my opinion. I love the citrus top and how you do get that cooling and fresh sensation from the scent.

Edge: Neige

Projection

Soleil Blanc doesn’t have huge sillage, it’s more of a moderate. But, it is very consistent on my skin for the duration of the wear. Not a beast, but solid.

Neige starts out fairly moderate, but quickly becomes more of a light and airy kind of perfume. It doesn’t have that same consistency as Blanc. Nor do I think that it reaches the same level at its absolute peak.

Edge: Blanc

Longevity

I get really great performance out of Blanc, as it always lasts for more than 10 hours on my skin. It doesn’t have that insane projecting ability, but it gives you your money’s worth by sticking around.

Soleil Neige is an airy kind of fragrance, but it does keep around for about 7 hours. Yes, most of that will be very close to the skin, but it’s still there.

This is an easy win for Blanc, though.

Edge: Blanc

Versatility

Seasonally, both work great in the spring and summer months. But, I think Neige works better year round versus Blanc.

Neige is also more of a unisex scent. They technically both are, just more men would be comfortable wearing Neige versus Blanc. Blanc is a much stronger floral.

Blanc is a more mature scent. It can work better in more environments. Is more appropriate in an office environment, etc. Neither is super formal, but Soleil Blanc does a better job at coming close.

It’s better strength could also allow Blanc to be a better nightlife or romantic wear option. Again, wouldn’t say that it’s main focus would be those occasions.

I’m not sure which one has the edge here, it’ll mostly come down to you as an individual.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I like the way that both of these fragrances smell. They each are worthwhile to try out from the Tom Ford collection.

Soleil Neige is an interesting and mostly unique sort of fragrance. The aldehydes, citrus, and jasmine create a nice contrast of cold and warm. Plus, powder and creaminess. It early on has a lime blossom sort of aroma, then, takes on a vanilla creaminess later in the wear.

The main issue, is that, the performance isn’t great. It’s not completely worthless, but it is a lighter fragrance.

Soleil Blanc starts off as tropical and somewhat spicy. However, the spice becomes a background player and you get a nice suntan lotion-like floral perfume. It has enjoyable tropical elements and gets better as it wears on.

As a man, Neige fits more in line with my style. However, Blanc is the better scent overall. It has much better performance and will probably appeal to more people.

In terms of smell, they are pretty close. Overall, Soleil Blanc just gives you more.

Winner: Soleil Blanc