Best Perfumes for Women

Poison Girl Unexpected by Christian Dior

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For today’s review, we have a 2018 release from Christian Dior, Poison Girl Unexpected. This is of course, a new flanker fragrance of the original Poison Girl. In this post, I am going to talk about what’s in it, what Unexpected smells like, how it performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is even worth trying out.

What does Poison Girl Unexpected Smell Like?

Notes include: ginger, salt, tonka bean, Damascus rose, lemon, blood orange, hazelnut, almond, vanilla, and cashmeran

Click here to try: Christian Dior POISON GIRL UNEXPECTED EDT Spray Sample Vial .03 oz / 1 ml Womens NEW

My Full Review

Before we get into my review let’s see how Dior describes it in the sample’s card: The sparkling freshness of ginger surprises in a game of hide-and-seek with a sensual Damascus Rose.

Unexpected opens up with the two citrus notes being prominent, blood orange and lemon. These create a bright and sunny disposition and are flanked by the ginger, vanilla, and tonka bean.

Now, I read on Dior’s website, that the perfume who created this wanted to go for a candied smell and it really shows. It’s very creamy, with a light lotion like quality from the jump, and the vanilla and citrus creating that candy vibe.

Also, adding to the effect is the ginger note that has been salted, and smells really damn good. I honestly found the opening extremely attractive and unique. I know that it shares some of the same structure as the original Poison Girl, but this one just has its own aroma that isn’t really like anything else I’ve come across. I like it a lot. Sweet and creamy, but not overly sugary.

As it moves along, Unexpected’s Damascus Rose note emerges more to be paired with the ginger. It’s a pinkish rose and not heavy at all, it’s done just right within the composition. The ginger adds an ever so light spice to Poison Girl Unexpected and really helps to set it apart from the other scents in this line.

Drying down, it becomes nuttier, with almond and hazelnut, which reminds me a bit of men’s fragrance 1 Million Lucky.  I get lots of ginger, the nuts, and rose note dipped in a orange creaminess of vanilla and tonka bean.

The two strongest ingredients in the dry down is the ginger and Damascus Rose, but everything is so well-blended that neither are overbearing.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage isn’t too intense. I don’t think that it is as powerful as the original, but it isn’t weak. It will give you a decent perimeter of scent around you, though, not a total envelopment. Unexpected is just a lighter kind of perfume.

However, it actually has very good performance with its longevity. It was lasting 9-10 hours on my skin, with about the same consistent sillage. So, it’s going to last a full work day without issue. Definitely get your money’s worth here.

Seasonally, it could honestly work in all seasons, I’d think. The citrus notes prevent it from being too much of an overwhelmingly heavy gourmand. Also,  the ginger freshness could be fine in warmer weather. This isn’t a Poison Girl flanker that is relegated to just the wintertime.

Maybe stay away from wearing it in the most extreme heat conditions. I think Unexpected would be best in the cooler months, through the springtime.

Add to that, it has great wear versatility, as well. This could be a daily wear at office or at school. Yes, it can be worn by either teens or adults.

Yet, it has plenty of attractive appeal to pull double duty and be a nightlife or date night perfume, too. It’s just not one that is going to dominate a room.

Overall Impressions of Poison Girl Unexpected

Overall, do I like this new Dior offering? Yes, I think it’s really great. It touches so many different aspects from sweet and spicy to warm and cool. It’s got a great citrus opening, fresh ginger, pinkish rose, and nutty undertones.

Seriously, I love the almond and hazelnut, with citrus, and ginger (another favorite of mind). Really delicious stuff and a rather unique gourmand perfume.

Unexpected should enjoy a pretty large appeal among the masses. It gives a solid performance and a delicious aroma throughout. It has it’s own unique qualities while remaining true to the Poison Girl lineage.

I don’t think that this got the respect that it deserves, upon release. Perhaps, too many folks wanted something much more like the original. Unexpected has elements of that, but does its own thing, and is still completely appealing.

My Burberry Blush by Burberry

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So, among the samples that I received, I did pick up some more ladies’ perfumes to review. Many of the others are already unisex, but I made sure to get at least a few feminine scents. Today’s entry is another one from Burberry. An Eau de Parfum, entitled, My Burberry Blush. How does this one stack up? How does it perform? Is it worth a purchase?

What does Burberry Blush Smell Like?

Notes include: pomegranate, green apple, rose petals, jasmine, lemon

Click here to try: Burberry Blush Eau De Parfum, 1 Fl Oz

My Review

The opening of My Burberry Blush gives you a blend of mostly the green apple and the rose petal notes. The pomegranate is there, but I think it becomes more of a factor about 10-15 minutes into the wear.

I’m not too excited by the opening as it has a bit of that Glade plug-in chemical air freshener smell. However, it does get better in my mind, as it dries down. The apple feels pretty synthetic and with the rose, does really take on that artificial sort of scent.

The second act is where you’re going to get the aroma, that pretty much lasts until it dies out. The pomegranate and the lemon notes, begin to overpower the apple and it is a fruity and bright sort of perfume.

It is these juicy fruit notes over the floral notes (rose and jasmine), My Burberry Blush, doesn’t stray into super ‘girly’ territory though. I think that this is an adult type of fragrance, more refined and juicy, rather than candy-like sweetness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it performs fairly well. It isn’t an absolute bomb, but you could overdo it if you tried. It doesn’t need many sprays to be effective. I’d keep it between 2-3, for most situations. It’s not really a nightlife scent, so, it’s tough to say when exactly you’d need more.

Longevity is also somewhere in the 6-8 hour range, from what I could tell, while wearing it. Again, not crazy longevity, but will last about a full work day. Coming back to Blush for a second time, I got about 7 hours of solid wear, while being indoors. Solid, not amazing.

My Burberry Blush is an upbeat semi-casual wear for the spring and summer months. I’m not sure as to its effectiveness on a date or some similar event, though. If a woman I were dating was wearing this, I would think that she smells good, but I wouldn’t be enthralled by it.

Mostly, keep it to work or casual or semi-formal events, when it is warmer outside. It’s clean and gives you a juicy fruit profile, with floral touches.

Overall Impressions of My Burberry Blush

Overall, do I like My Burberry Blush? It’s decent. It’s a nice juicy fruit/floral blend and seems pretty generic or non-descript. I’m not sure that I could pick it out of a lineup, as it smells similar to a lot of scents I’ve encountered before.

The opening 10 minutes aren’t the greatest, but it does settle down later on. It also gives good performance, so at the right price, this good be a solid casual option for ladies. Just not earth shattering.

My Burberry Blush is very clean and juicy up top. Later, it sort of dries off, and gives you an almost soapy blend of fruity ingredients and flowers like rose and wisteria.

Jasmin Noir EDP by Bvlgari

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In this post, I want to share my experiences with a Bvlgari fragrance for her: Jasmin Noir eau de parfum. It was released in 2008. Now, I think that this particular fragrance has been discontinued by the company, but you can easily still find bottles of it online (update: not so much anymore).

As usual, I am going to cover how it smells, what the ingredients are, when it should be worn, how it performs, and if it is worth a purchase or not.

What does Jasmin Noir Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, tonka bean, gardenia, almond, licorice, amber, musk, patchouli, wood

Click here to try: Bvlgari Jasmin Noir by Bvlgari for Women – 3.4 Ounce EDP Spray

My Full Review

Before I get into my own review of Jasmin Noir, let’s see what Bvgari has to say about it: Jasmin Noir is a flower of the imagination, rich and delicate that at nightfall reveals its intriguing sensuality.

The opening of Jasmin Noir doesn’t strike me as too dark, as the name would suggest. It starts off with a floral burst of jasmine and gardenia.

These two notes are surrounded by a sweetness and spiciness. It’s actually a fairly unique aroma, almond and licorice, with some patchouli hanging around in the back.

The tonka bean emerges a few minutes after spraying and adds another layer of sweet smoothness.

This is also when a woody base is revealed giving Jasmin Noir, a center from which to hold all of these sweet notes together. Together, it all strikes me as a rather seductive aroma.

Ultimately, what Jasmin Noir is highlighted by is almond, jasmine, gardenia, and licorice. To my nose, the jasmine and licorice are the strongest notes here, but none are super powerful. It’s well blended and doesn’t drop too much into a straight jasmine fragrance.

Though, it seems ‘darker’ during the dry down than it did at the start. The constant undercurrent of nuttiness provided by the almond note, is one of the highlights.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this Bvlgari perfume doesn’t have crazy powerful sillage. It is a fairly moderate scent, but one that isn’t weak. In terms of longevity, this one lasted 6-7 hours solidly on my skin, and then some additional time as a skin scent. Not crazy but very respectable.

Seasonally, Jasmin Noir fits right in with autumn and winter. However, it doesn’t strike me as being limited to just then, as it would be fine for springtime too. Really hot and humid days, probably won’t do too well with it. I think that it is also a pretty versatile scent.

Since it’s not overpowering, it is office safe. By the same token, it is not only subtle but also quite sexy and alluring.

Jasmin Noir EDP is actually at its best in the evening, wearing something revealing yet expensive. It is a very inviting perfume, that will catch attention, and draw complements.

Overall Impressions of Jasmin Noir EDP

Overall, do I like Jasmin Noir eau de parfum? Yes, I do. Licorice isn’t my favorite note, as it tends to give me a headache, but it’s not too bad here. The almond is a great little addition and almost always seems to get added to sexy fragrances.

This scent has solid but not amazing performance, but fits a definite role, as something to be worn on certain evenings and versatile enough to make appearances in the daytime.

You’re just going to have to like those particular flowers, almond, and licorice. But, if that’s the case, this one is very enjoyable to wear.

Now, it isn’t as easy to find as of this update. I’ve seen bottles selling for $200+, which is crazy high. Unless it is a fragrance that you already love, I’d pass on tracking down Jasmin Noir.

Oud Essentiel by Guerlain

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I’ve had this Guerlain sample vial for three months or so and knew that I needed to get around to wearing it so that I can post a review. The scent? Oud Essentiel. Released in 2017, this Guerlain fragrance is a unisex offering, for folks who are in search of a great oud perfume. Does it live up to the billing? Please continue below for my full take.

What does Oud Essentiel by Guerlain Smell Like?

Notes include: Bulgarian rose, agarwood (oud), leather, frankincense, and saffron

Click here to try: Oud Essential Guerlain EDP Spray

My Full Review

Before I start with my review, let’s see what Guerlain has to say about Oud Essentiel: To create the new fragrance in the Absolus d’Orient collection, Guerlain Perfumer Thierry Wasser drew his inspiration from the unique and precious oud wood. The fragrance is a majestic celebration of this rare ingredient which reveals its true strength and sensuality. Both mellow and intense, this woody leather fragrance blends the mysterious notes of leather and frankincense and the sweet notes of Bulgarian rose in a subtle alchemy. A unique olfactory encounter between East and West.

This is the second review I’ve done from the Absolus d’Orient collection, the first being of Santal Royal. Obviously, this whole line is going to be more of a niche luxury collection, than anything that will ever appeal to the mass market and usually focuses on a singular note of that part of the world.

Oud Essentiel opens up with a really sharp/sweet mixture of the rose and oud. Underneath that is saffron and just a peak at the leather note, which emerges later on in the wear. This stuff is an absolute monster at the beginning, very loud, and in your face.

You know right off the bat, that this is a fragrance that isn’t going to appeal universally, and won’t have a place in everyone else’s collection.

I don’t feel that the oud note is ever totally dominate in this composition. It is most certainly there, however, it is blended expertly with the other notes. It super sweet, dark, and resinous.

One can tell that the quality of the ingredients is very high, as each note, smells absolutely wonderful. Very bold but very wonderful.

As it dries down, the composition is still lead by the oud and Bulgarian Rose. It is fairly linear, in that regard. However, the frankincense, leather, saffron, and other woody notes each seem to take their turn being a highlight.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage is huge for the first half of the wear or so. Two sprays is more than enough and one spray will be all that is required many times.

Think half of the wear isn’t long enough? Well, this one hits 12 hours or so on my skin. So, half or more of that time, it’s a beast. Then, calms down into something more moderate. Either way, performance is top notch.

This is billed as a unisex fragrance, but leans more masculine. A woman can wear this absolutely, but it requires confidence (for anyone) to put this on. When you consider what most modern fragrances are, this one stands out totally.

Seasonally, I’d stick to this in fall and winter. Colder weather only, for me at least. I wouldn’t want to have this on in the humidity of the summer months. This is more for semi-formal to formal wear. It’s loud, so, it might be out of the question for some folks to wear to work.

I could see throwing this on at night, though. Wouldn’t call it sexy, as many women would probably think that it’s too loud. This is one perfume that you’ve got to wear for yourself and not solely to draw complements.

Overall Impressions of Oud Essentiel

Overall, do I like Oud Essentiel? For a oud scent? It’s got one of the best oud notes, I’ve ever come across. It’s not my kind of style, since I’m not a huge fan of wearing oud. But, I still think that it smells good.

For those who love the note, love bold fragrances, and can afford the Guerlain prices; go for it. It’s a great blend and the performance is utterly magnificent.

Coco Mademoiselle EDP by Chanel

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Coco Mademoiselle has been a best seller for a long time. It’s been one that I’ve enjoyed, when I’ve encountered it in the past. Since I recently set out to acquire a bunch of Chanel samples, I made sure to grab this one to finally post a full review on the site. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Coco Mademoiselle Smell Like?

Notes include: orange, neroli, may rose, patchouli, vetiver, jasmine

Click here to try: Coco Mademoiselle

My Full Review

Coco Mademoiselle opens up with a hard hitting orange note and neroli paired along side. It’s bright and juicy, at first, with enough warmth provided by the underlying patchouli.

The next phase, is where the other floral notes become apparent. The orange note tones down and jasmine and the rose emerge. The rose isn’t super powerful, but it’s there. Mostly, jasmine and the continued neroli come through.

Mademoiselle feels clean and enveloping, but kind of too dynamic for me to call it cozy, exactly. The floral notes hang around, but this gets drier as it moves forward. Patchouli, vetiver, and musk with sweetness/creaminess from vanilla and the still present citrus.

The final dry down is a much softer affair. I get more of the vanilla, patchouli, just the impression of overall sweetness and slight woodiness. Not super easy to pick out individual notes, but it’s a great smell.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Mademoiselle is definitely a strong fragrance. It isn’t on the extreme end (the Intense version is for sure, though), but it is well above average with how it projects and hangs around. It isn’t one that you’ll need many sprays of, for it to be effective.

The longevity is even better. Coco Mademoiselle EDP will go for over 10 hours on my skin. It’s to the point that it gets washed off before it quits usually. Plenty of another Chanel scents, especially the men’s, don’t hold up nearly as well as this one.

Seasonally, this perfume can work year round. Maybe avoid during the heat of summer, but it’s fine in any other sort of climate. Not necessarily as good in the dead of winter, but it’s not completely useless.

It’s very versatile. Can be a daily wear or one to wear out at night. It has a certain level of sexiness to it, while remaining modern and stylish. Not super ‘girly’ or feminine, but doesn’t quite meet in the unisex area, in my opinion.

Overall Impressions of Coco Mademoiselle

Do I like this perfume? I do. It’s always been one of my favorites from Chanel’s women’s line of scents. The bold orange opening is great. The floral heart, with vanilla and musk. It just works well.

The performance is pretty top notch on me, for whatever reason. It seems to be well above average for most folks who try it, as well.

Really not too much to complain about with Coco Mademoiselle. It can be too much for some, but most people like it, as proven by the sales. If you don’t like a bold orange, the floral notes, or maybe the patchouli…you might at least want to sample before buying blind.