Best Perfumes for Women

Madison Avenue by Bond No. 9

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This is the final review from the last batch of sample fragrances that I received a few months ago. It is also the last of a line of Bond No. 9 scents that were included in that batch. Today’s entry is Madison Avenue, a ladies’ perfume, that blends fruit, sweet, and floral notes.

In this review, I will cover my full experience while wearing it and give my thoughts as to whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Madison Avenue by Bond No. 9 Smell Like?

Notes include: blackberry, praline, apple, patchouli, jasmine, rose, magnolia, bergamot, ambroxan

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Madison Avenue Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

 

My Full Review

The opening of Madison Avenue reminds me of two separate fragrances. First, the men’s cologne, Black XS. This men’s fragrance shares the patchouli, fruit, and praline combination that Madison Avenue also has.

Though, I will say that Madison Avenue is done much better and doesn’t share the same strawberry/lemon candy aroma that kind of makes Black XS a mess.

The second fragrance, is La Petite Robe Noire Couture by Guerlain. This seems to represent more of the feminine aspect of Madison Avenue, with its shared notes of patchouli, rose, and bergamot. Though, the two berry notes are different, these two scents are closely related.

Madison Avenue immediately hits with its fruity mix of blackberry, apple, and citrus. I think that it smells quite amazing from the jump. It is crisp, juicy, and fresh with a very vibrant and upbeat tone. This is a very sweet perfume but I don’t think that it is overdone.

There is enough punch from the patchouli and amber undertones to give it a more refined profile.

As it moves along, more of the floral notes emerge in Madison Avenue. For me, the floral notes never breakthrough completely and I think that this one retains much more of its fruity sweetness, which is aided by the praline.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Madison Avenue is strong. That’s great news, at this price point, as you will get a performer. However, it also means that it can be over-sprayed, if not careful. One really wouldn’t need more than a couple spritzes.

I also got really good longevity out of this fragrance, easily 7+hours of wear. Not elite, mind you, but still very usable for almost any purposes.

Madison Avenue feels to me like a very versatile scent. It can of course be worn casually but I also find it quite appealing and would love smelling this on a woman that I was dating.

It has its own level of flirty sexiness. Madison Avenue would be most at home in the warmer months of the year but honestly could be worn year round without much issue. Ideally, late spring and into the summertime.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Madison Avenue

Overall, would I recommend this perfume? Yes! This is a great entry from the Bond No. 9 line. There have been many others from this brand, that I haven’t been too keen on.

Madison Avenue, checks all of the boxes for a really good to great scent. This is especially true if you’re a fan of fruity perfumes.

Light Blue by D&G vs Moschino Love Love Perfume Comparison

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With Light Blue’s massive popularity in the perfume space, it was only natural for people to start looking for similar scents. One option that has emerged is Cheap & Chic I Love Love by Moschino, which delivers a similar smell, at a lower price point. However, which fragrance is actually better? Which has the better performance? Smell? Which should you buy?

Tale of the Tape

Light Blue

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

Read my original review: D&G Light Blue Review

I Love Love

Notes include: orange, lemon, grapefruit, redcurrant, rush, lily of the valley, tea rose, cinnamon leaves, tanaka wood, musk, cedar

Click here to try: I Love Love Cheap and Chic by Moschino for Women 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray 

Read my original review: I Love Love

Opening

Light Blue opens up with a sharp lemon note, blended with a crisp apple. It is juicy and has a somewhat aquatic feeling to it. The rose note is lighter in the opening act, but it presents itself, and is noticeable to the overall composition.

I Love Love starts off with a juicy and upbeat citrus mix. At first the orange, is the strongest of the lot, followed by the lemon, and grapefruit. There is also a bit of redcurrant and a sugary pinch, to give this perfume some sweetness.

Which one is better? I actually prefer the Cheap and Chic beginning to the D&G’s. The citrus is more balanced, lighter, and has a sweeter finish to it.

Edge: I Love Love

Projection

Neither of these perfumes has a monster sillage. They will project themselves moderately away from the skin, but nothing that is going to overwhelm a room.

The scent trail will be noticeable and the peak strength of each will last for a few hours at least. I think Light Blue sticks to that higher level for a longer period of time and that may be where an advantage comes in.

To me, there was no real difference between them in this aspect, other than the time each spent there.

Edge: Push

Longevity

I Love Love has pretty good longevity on my skin. It lasts in the 6-8 hour range, pretty consistently. The longevity was never great with this Moschino perfume. Though, for the price, I think you generally get a good deal out of it.

Light Blue, on the other hand, would go for 10 hours. The Dolce is the better performer. It’s always been a really good performing mainstream designer fragrance. Nothing spectacular, but it gets through the workday easily.

Edge: Light Blue

Versatility

Since these two perfumes are pretty much the same type of fragrance, there really isn’t any difference in when they can be worn. Daily wears, that are suited for warmer weather. Good casual scent to semi-formal.

Neither is formal or a nightclub type of wear. Mass appealing fragrances that can find a spot in almost anyone’s rotation and get plenty of use in the process.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I like Light Blue. The opening of the lemon, rose, and apple is quite good and is attractive. The performance is definitely better than the Moschino, and it has more depth. The floral notes and the cedar, have a greater presence, and more nuance.

However, I’m not that much of a fan, of its latter stages. The cedar and floral notes, give it an earthy sort of freshness, that is paired with the lemon. I enjoy the citrus, but not so much the other stuff.

I do think it’s one of the better D&G fragrances for women, though. Not the best, but very useful to have on hand in your collection.

I Love Love is pretty straightforward. The citrus is light and beautiful. This is a very happy and bright scent. It doesn’t have the rose note, nor the apple, and the cedar is toned way down.

To me, that’s a plus. There is a light cinnamon and musk, but this perfume really keeps it simple.

The more I compare the two, the more I’d rather smell the Moschino. Plus, I Love Love is usually available for much cheaper. With all things considered, it’s my pick.

Winner: I Love Love

New York Sandalwood by Bond No. 9

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The second Bond No.9 sample vial that I recently received is New York Sandalwood. It actually came in a spray vial instead of the usual Bond vial, that requires you to dab, and has a cap that’s a pain to take off…which was a welcome change.

Anyways, in this post, I’m going to cover: how it smells, what notes are included, how it performs, who this scent is for, and if it is worth a buy or not.

What does New York Sandalwood Smell Like?

Notes include: sandalwood, orris, carrot, amber, papyrus, musk, fig, cardamom, and oak moss

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 New York Sandalwood 3.3 oz Eau de Parfum Spray

My Full Wear Review

The opening of New York Sandalwood is a blast of sandalwood, amber, and oak moss. It’s a very dry warmth, something along the lines of Azzaro Pour Homme, as the mossy wood aroma quickly reminded me of.

Sandalwood, is obviously the star of this scent, and this fragrance is mostly all about how the rest of the notes fit in concert with that.

What’s unique about this fragrance, is the carrot note. What an unusual note to include and it is actually quite potent throughout. It just smells really odd to my nose, not terrible, but I don’t enjoy it at all either. It’s inclusion just sort of baffles me, as I’ve never wanted to smell like a carrot before.

Anyways, there is a level of spiciness to New York Sandalwood, with the musk and an added dryness beyond the oak moss and sandalwood.

I would attribute it to papyrus, which I have familiarity working with in paper form. It’s a subtle scent but if you know it, you’ll notice that it is there. Also, the orris root tempers everything with its powdery presence.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s fairly strong, but never struck me as overly so. Bond No. 9 did a good job with it’s performance in that regard and also with the longevity. It’ll project itself probably around 6 feet at the max. Then, it’ll draw itself closer in to the skin.

I got around 7 or closer to 8 hours of wear out of New York Sandalwood, which is definitely a plus. Not a complete marathon runner, but close to a full workday of sticking around.

This is a cold weather and casual scent. I couldn’t call this one sexy or something that would appeal to the majority of people, it really strikes me as a niche fragrance. While it’s listed as unisex, this Bond No. 9, leans much more to the masculine side of the spectrum.

Overall Impressions of New York Sandalwood

Overall, would I recommend New York Sandalwood? Maybe to a select few. I personally won’t be wearing it again, since I didn’t find it to be that enjoyable. This smell isn’t awful to me, but I’m not a huge sandalwood fan.

If you are, this would be one to consider, but there are cheaper sandalwood scents on the market that might do a better job. Again, this is a really niche fragrance, both in terms of smell and price. I’m almost completely indifferent towards it.

Yellow Diamond by Versace

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I still have a box with a dozen or so samples to get through and review. That being the case, I thought that it was time again to a review of a ladies’ fragrance, as they are seemingly most of what it left in the box. Today’s scent is from Versace and was released in 2011, under the title of Yellow Diamond.

As usual, I am going to share my experience  with and impressions of this scent. Plus, give details on how it performs, when it should be worn, and if I think it is worth a purchase or not.

What does Yellow Diamond Smell Like?

Notes include: citron, pear, neroli, bergamot, nymphea, freesia, orange blossom, mimosa, amber wood, musk, palo santo

Click here to try: Versace Yellow Diamond Eau de Toilette Spray, 3 Fluid Ounce

My Full Review

The opening of Yellow Diamond is quite interesting to me. On the one hand you have a blend of citrus, which could come off as potent (as it does in Versace’s Eau Fraiche for Men). However, the notes are actually tempered by the contingent of floral notes, namely the mimosa but I also detect a fairly strong freesia.

So, those who may be worried about a runaway citrus aroma, can be at ease that Yellow Diamond is not like that.

It’s kind of cool how Versace managed to essentially create the color yellow within the confines of a fragrance. The initial aroma really does invoke images of all kinds of yellow flowers and lemons growing off of trees.

At about 10-15 minutes in, I pick up more of the floral notes than I do the citrus, and the scent becomes like being among some lush greenery.

Yellow Diamond does a nice job of not being a linear scent experience during wear and you do actually get to pick up on the variety of notes throughout the day. The overall all picture of it that I get is that, this is a bright/warm daytime fragrance with an air of floral sweetness to it.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it starts out as a moderate but is mostly a light fragrance throughout its lifespan. I don’t mean to say that it is weak or anything like that but it isn’t something that will absolutely envelope you (unless you go overboard with the spraying).

The longevity is decent but not crazy good, I found that I got about 6 hours on my skin, where the perfume was noticeable.

Because Yellow Diamond flies under the radar, it can be a good choice for casual situations such as work or school. I’d say that it’s best in the springtime but I’d definitely keep it on in the daytime. It really doesn’t strike me as a ‘sexy’ perfume.

Like, if I smelled this on a woman while out on the town for an evening, I’d think that it’s a pleasant scent but it wouldn’t drive me crazy in the slightest.

Overall Impressions of Yellow Diamond

Overall, is Yellow Diamond worth a buy? It’s a good everyday wear, though, it isn’t some amazing experience. If you like the floral notes that are in it, like citrus, and need a daytime fragrance…then, this might be the solution for you.

If you enjoy more candy-like sweetness or a dark/spicy perfume, then, you’d be served well to look elsewhere. Yellow Diamond is a very solid perfume, good but not great.

Obsessed for Women by Calvin Klein

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I’ve already reviewed Obsessed for Men, on this site, which was a pretty good fragrance. So, when I got a sample of Obsessed for Women, I was intrigued to see what direction Calvin Klein was going to take this in.

This is actually a new release for 2017 and shares a similar name with the classic Obsession, though, their doesn’t appear to be any actual similarities between them.

In this post, I’m going to go over how it smells, performs, what the notes are, and whether or not it is worth a further look.

What does Obsessed for Women Smell Like?

Notes include: musk, sage, lavender, citrus, neroli, violet leaf

Click here to try: Calvin Klein Obsessed for Women Eau De Parfum, 1 fl. oz.

My Full Review

The packaging that the sample vial of Obsessed for Women came in, says that it is ‘a female interpretation of an oriental fougere’.  With that, I wasn’t expecting something that was hyper feminine or sweet, and after use this does feel more like an unisex perfume.

The opening is floral, herbal, and musky. The lavender has that familiar scent and reminds me of the lavender Epsom bath salt that I use for sore muscles.

The citrus notes are noticeable at the start, as well, and give it kind of an aquatic aroma. It really does bring back memories of two of Calvin Klein’s 90s unisex fragrances, CK One and CK Be, but retains something different from each of those scents.

I think the warm musky spice and the sage, set it apart, and there is this underlying body wash/soapy quality to Obsessed.

Obsessed is fresh throughout its lifespan and the floral notes provided by the neroli and violet leaf begin to come into play about 20-30 minutes after application. That is when it begins to shift more towards the feminine side of the spectrum, after the quite ambiguous start.

However, it stays mostly in that floral/soft/spice/fresh water aquatic, mode throughout.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, it’s a lighter scent, and definitely didn’t seem overpowering to me. I also sprayed it three times on a shirt and parked it about 4 feet away and didn’t really detect it.

So, it’s not going to be a massive radius and no long scent trail in your wake, unless you really spray the heck out of it.

Obsessed is a perfume that performs somewhat well, but you have to get closer. Longevity, again, was decent. Maybe 6+ hours, depending on the environment.

It feels more appropriate as a spring/summer scent but I think that it could perform well in any season really. While it does enjoy seasonal versatility, I’d classify it as casual.

It’s a pleasant perfume, but I don’t find it sexy or anything of that nature. A good low-key scent for work or school or some other casual function.

Overall Impressions of Obsessed for Women

Overall, is Obsessed worth a purchase? I don’t have anything bad to say about it. It serves its purpose as a fresh scent that is a nice change from the usual fruity or hyper-sweet perfumes.

So, if you’re in the market for that thing and are a fan of lavender, musk, and sage; then this one might be a good fit as a daily wear.

It’s very much a Calvin Klein fragrance, without even looking at the bottle, you can sort of just tell. Better than average, the usual notes, and not a big performer.

I don’t find it to be some incredible scent that is a must have, but it is nice, low key, and veers more to the unisex than girly.