Best Perfumes for Women

Eau de Lacoste Sensuelle by Lacoste

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Eau de Lacoste Sensuelle was released back in 2013 by the brand. I have probably had a sample of this for 3 or 4 years now, just sitting around, waiting for me to review it. Well, it’s that time apparently, in my race to get caught up on the backlog of scents. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a buy?

What does Eau de Lacoste Sensuelle Smell Like?

Notes include: pink pepper, nougat, amber, black currant, rose, sweet pea, and gladiolus

My Full Review

Before I get into my thoughts about this perfume, let’s see how Lacoste describes it: The spirit of Lacoste in a sensual fragrance that captures the natural intensity of soft floral notes.

As I said, I’ve had this sample sitting in a box of them for years now. I’m pretty sure that this fragrance has been discontinued by Lacoste at this point, but I’ll review it for posterity’s sake.

The opening is sweet with just a nice amount of spice and the floral notes peaking through. Yes, that fruity tartness of the black currant is in effect, but I pick up on the nougat right from the get go. It has a slightly creamy and nutty aroma to it.

I do enjoy a good amber and pink pepper note, especially when they’re utilized together. Eau de Lacoste Sensuelle has that and it is used to great effect.

After the initial fruitiness and pink pepper has burned off somewhat, the floral notes really emerge. I honestly cannot distinguish the floral notes all that much from one another, it feels like a generic floral smell. Then again, I have zero familiarity with gladiolus, so that could be a factor.

By the end of the wear, it is a slightly floral nougat aroma that is wrapped in a nice amber note. Sweet, warm, and an inviting gourmand.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Like many other Lacoste scents, this one isn’t super powerful or a marathon performer. It’s a lighter moderate scent, but actually does better than some of this brand’s other offerings. Overall, it’s going to stay in the 3-5 foot range from the skin.

Longevity is okay. Nothing to write home about, but I get about six hours of solid wear from it, before it evaporates completely. Usable, though, you’ll want to reapply for anything beyond that.

Seasonally, it would fit best in autumn and winter. Then again, it isn’t all that heavy or dense of a fragrance. It could venture into springtime for many folks, just avoid using Sensuelle when the heat and humidity rise.

This could be a daily wear, casual, or more of a romantic/nightlife sort of scent. It isn’t a bold club beast and it also isn’t a formal sort of fragrance. But, it can fit in plenty of scenarios without really drawing unwanted attention.

Sensuelle is attractive and somewhat sexy. Not a complete stunner, but it does draw me in with its yummy sort of vibe.

Overall Impressions of Eau de Lacoste Sensuelle

Do I like this perfume? I do. It smells very nice and feels similar to other designer scents, while not being an exact copy of any of them. Mainly, I think it smells like a mix of Poison Girl and Mon Guerlain. The overlap is there, but again, not a duplication.

The performance is decent, but it could definitely be better. However, if you can still get a bottle for a decent price, I think that it’s a worthwhile one to try based on the smell and its use cases.

Sensuelle was a good release from Lacoste, that didn’t really change the game, but one that you can still get plenty of joy from wearing.

I Love NY for Holidays by Bond No. 9

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The march of rating I Love NY fragrances from Bond No. 9 moves on. Today, we have a supposed unisex scent from the brand called, Holidays. This is an interesting gourmand scent suitable for the cooler months of the year. In this post, I am going to go over how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does I Love NY for Holidays Smell Like?

Notes include: apricot, pomegranate, mandarin, praline, leather, musk, patchouli, freesia

Click here to try: Bond No 9 I Love NY Cologne, Holidays, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of I Love NY for Holidays hits immediately with a fruity blend of the apricot and mandarin orange notes. This is flanked by a noticeable combo of praline and patchouli. The instantly reminded me of Black XS, except that the fruit notes are much better than the Paco Rabanne lemon that ends up smelling like a candied strawberry.

It is interesting that Holidays also takes on a different kind of fruity aroma, almost a blueberry feel to it. The freesia gives it a nice little floral scent, as well.

Holidays further takes on the appearance of another popular fragrance, Angel by Thierry Mugler. It seems that Holidays is sort of skirting between Black XS and Angel, which isn’t terrible company to be in, but it will have a rather set appeal with people.

This fragrance is very sweet and gourmand with a distinctive impression of patchouli. Holidays was actually marketed as a unisex fragrance but this leans much more to the female side of things. I could wear it, but it honestly doesn’t seem to fit with me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Holidays is pretty powerful stuff not super intense but you’ll know that it is there throughout the day, and so will others. I would put it on the upper end of the moderate range, in terms of sillage.

It also does have really good longevity, I’m getting 9+ hours. After testing it out multiple times, it can hit over 10 hours on the right day. But, it seems to fall in that 9-10 time frame. On the performance side of things, Holidays actually does deliver.

Again, I’d treat this more as a ladies’ scent than something that is unisex. It would work well in cold weather but would probably turn into an abomination in the heat. Casual and perhaps romantic wear would work but go lightly with it, if wearing at the office.

Overall Impressions of Holidays

Overall, is I Love NY for Holidays worth a buy? It might be the best smelling of the I Love NY line, in my opinion. It actually performs well and smells good. I’m not too thrilled with the patchouli and praline combo, Black XS is okay, but I never wear any from my bottle.

If you’re a fan of Angel and want something similar but slightly different than this one might be up your alley. This is a very solid offering from Bond No. 9

Loverdose Red Kiss by Diesel

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One of the samples that I’ve gotten a hold of in the women’s fragrance category, is one from Diesel: Loverdose Red Kiss. This is one of the flanker perfumes from the Loverdose series. The question is, is this scent any good? Well, after trying it out for a few days, I have compiled my thoughts below, on a full spectrum of details about this perfume and whether it is worth a shot or not.

What does Loverdose Red Kiss Smell Like?

Notes include: orange blossom, hazelnut, amber, patchouli, cacao, black currant

Click here to try: Diesel Loverdose Red Kiss Eau de Parfum, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Loverdose Red Kiss is a blend of orange blossom, hazelnut, and black currant notes. It’s a sweet and citrus based fruity smell with the underlying smooth nuttiness of the hazlenut note.

I get a feeling of similarity between this perfume and some others on the market, but it does strike me as different enough to stand as a unique fragrance on its own.

It does become a sweeter fragrance as it dries down, but at the beginning of its lifespan, that sweetness is joined by a sharp tart/sour aroma from the fruits. The emergence of the cacao settles Loverdose Red Kiss down into a sweeter blend with less of that sharpness.

The drydown is inhabited mostly by the cacao, hazelnut, amber, and patchouli notes. The patchouli in this Diesel perfume isn’t terribly strong but it is a noticeable component throughout the wear.

It becomes a warmer sweetness and less of the tart citrus, with a comforting blend of nuts and cacao, plus the amber note which ties the whole thing together.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Red Kiss starts of pretty darn strong but its sillage is ultimately pretty moderate. You get about an hour or so as a powerhouse, which then is an upper moderate, and quite noticeable fragrance. Don’t go overboard with the sprays, but you don’t need to be stingy either.

The longevity of this one is also pretty great. It generally lasts 8+ hours, so a full day for most people’s purposes.

Loverdose Red Kiss by the name alone should be useful as a romantic wear perfume, is this actually the case? Yes. It is inviting and sexy and smells quite delicious. Its creamy sweetness and overall blend of notes is very appealing to my male brain.

I would definitely enjoy smelling this on a woman that I was dating and liked the scent a lot as I was wearing it. That being said, it will probably best serve a younger lady. Think college age through mid-20s. Nonetheless, it isn’t too juvenile.

One thing that I should mention, is that this isn’t a warm weather scent. So, during summer days or other high humidity situations, it’s not going to be great. It’d be best in the cold weather but it performs nicely on a mild night.

Overall Impressions of Red Kiss

Overall, do I recommend Diesel Loverdose Red Kiss? Yes, I do. I think it is an attractive perfume that is well put together and also gives a great performance. It is sexy, sweet, and has an interesting opening of tart citrus but also develops a full personality.

If the notes included in here, seem like something that you’d enjoy, I’d definitely give this a try. It has a lot of the same sort of style as something like Black Opium and Prada Candy. Yet, it sticks out as being somewhat distinct from them.

Update: I think that this one has now been discontinued. So grab a bottle now, if you can still find it for cheap, and wanted to try.

L’Ambre Des Merveilles by Hermes

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As a part of my batch of sample fragrances, I received a decent amount of ladies’ fragrances that I need to get around to reviewing. I’ve never done a Hermes women’s perfume review, so today will be a first in that regard.

L’Ambre Des Merveilles was released in 2012, as a flanker fragrance to another perfume in Hermes’ lineup. In this review, I’m going to tackle, what’s inside, how it smells, how this perfume performs, and ultimately whether or not I think it is worthy of a purchase.

What does L’Ambre des Merveilles Smell Like?

Notes include: amber, cedar, vanilla, patchouli

Click here to try: Hermes L’Ambre Des Merveilles for Women Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of this perfume is a blend of caramel and what smells like a citrus note, most likely orange, and has a sweet and slightly floral aroma to it. There is a certain salty element within L’Ambre Des Merveilles that plays very well off of the sweetness of the often candy-like fragrance.

Of course, all of this is wrapped up into a warm amber shell with a vanilla note that adds to its laid back sweetness.

I couldn’t find out what other notes were contained in this perfume besides the one’s listed above. I feel like there is a peach note, because there’s something that reminds me of Burberry Body in this scent, and I think that’s what it is.

L’Ambre stays pretty consistent throughout while wearing and the biggest change I noticed was the orangey-citrus note fading more into the background.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, its quite soft and airy but you’ll know that it’s there while wearing it. It’s definitely not overblown or something that will choke out a room, this Hermes scent seems to have the right balance.

It lasted around 6-7 hours on my skin when I applied it. Not bad, quite serviceable, but not really outstanding either. Update: Trying it again…yep, 7 hours is what it seems to be capable of.

Seasonally, I’d save L’Ambre Des Merveilles for the colder months of the year. I think that it would really shine in cold weather, as it is so warm and inviting.

It also has a nice versatility to it, it could be worn casually, but I find it to be pretty sexy as well. I would really enjoy smelling this kind of scent of a woman. It also reminds me of Bonbon, at times.

Overall, would I recommend it? Yes, I think L’Ambre Des Merveilles smells really great. Hermes did a good job of putting it all together and there are no real negatives with it that I can identify.

I will say, if you aren’t a fan of amber/vanilla/caramel, then this perfume is definitely not for you. However, if you want something sweet for the wintertime that isn’t girly, this one does have a level of sophistication that won’t push you too far into the ‘teeny’ category.

This is one of the best from Hermes. Frankly, I think their ladies’ perfumes are generally better than the men’s offerings. Not a super complex fragrance, just one that smells really good.

Woman by Ralph Lauren

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I got a hold of a sample of the latest Ralph Lauren fragrance for ladies, entitled, Woman. This was a part of the ‘goody bag’ that Macy’s sent me when I bought a bottle of Ultra Male, which consisted of all female perfumes. Update: This one came out back in 2017, I’m updating the page years later.

As such, I just had to do a review on this scent, and see if they released something great or a complete dud. I will cover what notes it contains, how it smells, how it performs, and whether or not I think that Woman is worth a buy.

What does Woman by Ralph Lauren Smell Like?

Notes include: black currant, tuberose, pear, rhubarb, sandalwood, orange blossom, hazelnut, rose

Click here to try: Woman by Ralph Lauren at Sephora

From the opening spray, I really enjoy the aroma that Woman by Ralph Lauren gives off. I detect the pear note which when combined with the other initial stars of the show, has a shower-fresh and soapy quality to it.

There is that fruity vibe lingering throughout the life of this perfume but it definitely becomes more of a white floral affair as it moves along.

The two main floral notes that I get from it are the tuberose and orange blossom. There is a rose note as well but it doesn’t seem all that prominent to my nose in this composition; it is there, however.

The floral notes give Woman a fresh/outdoorsy/summery vibe and it is one that will brighten up a person’s mood.

Most of what you’re going to get from this perfume is revealed in the first 30 minutes or so of wear. As it gets further into things, the hazelnut and woody notes are detectable but they never were that strong in my opinion, I had to focus in on it pretty much to catch them.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it isn’t a bomb, but I do think it is fairly strong. I also sprayed it on an old t-shirt and could smell it while walking by and could catch whiffs while 6-8 feet away. Though, it does settle down a great deal more from there.

The longevity is just okay, 5-6 hours seems to be the time frame for max performance, and possibly a few more hours as a skin scent.

This totally strikes me as a spring fragrance. It’s clean, bright, and feminine. The floral and fruit notes are vibrant and full of life, just like on a warm day.

It would also do well in the cooler weather but might not be that great at the height of summer.

I think that this does have some good versatility as well. It’s appropriate for the office or school but can also be worn on a date, no problem. If it’s not really a ‘sexy’ perfume, it is a highly attractive one, that is pleasant to be around.

Overall Impressions of Woman by Ralph Lauren

Overall, is Woman worth a purchase? I’d say yes. This is in my mind, one of the best releases that Ralph Lauren has put out over the past 5-plus (?) years (although, I did like the Romance line).

This could easily become an everyday scent for someone who enjoys lighter floral fragrances that are held in check by fruit notes and doesn’t become overbearing. It’s a great introductory perfume for those who want an easier tuberose experience.

Update: This is one that fits well alongside something like L’Interdit or My Way by Armani, in terms of style. Different scents, but closely related. I’m surprised Woman wasn’t more popular, than it is. They released an Intense version later. It might be discontinued, as it’s not in stock at all on the Ralph Lauren website.

The only downside to me, is the fact that it isn’t a beast in the longevity department, but it is decent enough in that regard. The smell of the fragrance itself? Very enjoyable and has a mass appeal.