Best Perfumes for Women

Best Perfumes by Celine Dion: Top 4 Scents

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Celine Dion is not only an amazingly popular singer, most popularly associated with “My Heart Will Go On”. She is also a successful businesswoman and her fragrance line produces beautifully scented perfumes for women, that aren’t at absurd designer prices. For this list, I have selected four scents by Celine which are the best of the bunch. As of this latest update in 2020, there haven’t been any new releases in many years from this line, and it may be defunct. Nonetheless, these were some of the best options, and bottles are still floating around for sale.

What are the Best Smelling Celine Dion Fragrances?

Pure Brilliance– A semi-sweet and fruity fragrance with notes of apple, lilies, pear, freesia, and greens. Pure Brilliance has an energetic and feminine quality to it that is bound to attract and draw complements.

It kicks things off with the crispness of apple and pear, which give the fragrance a somewhat aquatic feeling with that familiar juiciness. Then, you move into a dewy floral heart with freesia, lily, and honeysuckle combining for a fresh and beautiful aroma.

Pure Brilliance is very clean, light, and easy to wear. It is a good option for a do-everything sort of daily wear, with a balanced profile, and attractive scent.

Celine Dion– The namesake of the fragrance line, this perfume is soft and airy and will not create a heavy cloud of scent surrounding you. An inexpensive daily wear choice, which gives off a fresh vibe that is versatile enough to be worn anywhere.

This one gives you a different kind of impression, than something like, Pure Brilliance. Celine Dion has a warmer feeling with notes like sandalwood, leading the way. Woody without being overbearing and keeping a lighter sillage, with additional floral notes to round things out.

Belong– Not sure if they still make this one, but it was one of the most popular scents from Celine Dion. Flowers, pineapple, berries, and bergamot. Fresh and inviting fragrance.

The tart fruity notes, tend to dominate the opening stages of Belong. However, things become more floral, as the perfume wears on. At that point, you get a really unique blend of peony and cotton flower, with some woodsy notes to boot.

Belong isn’t a heavy scent at all, but provides a sweet/tart opening, with a very interesting almost soapy dry down. Quite a unique experience for a celebrity fragrance offering.

Sensational– A clean and moderate scent that can be worn on nearly any occasion. Notes include: plum, amber, apple, sandalwood, and pear. An overall great perfume that could easily fit into any woman’s style.

Sensational was a best seller from this line and shares some overlap with Pure Brilliance. However, it eventually deviates from that fragrance, to stand out on its own accord. This one is juicier with a tart plum note, added in there. It’s also not as floral, but gives you a great base of amber and sandalwood.

Again, this is another one to wear casually or in a semi-formal situation. Lighter to moderate sillage, but with a pretty good longevity.

Versace Bright Crystal vs Crystal Noir

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So, in today’s head to head match up, we have two popular perfumes from the Versace ladies’ lineup: Bright Crystal vs. Crystal Noir. Now, I want to state that I am going to be using the reformulated Crystal Noir EDT version, for this comparison. That is the one that is most available now and what most are going to come across when trying to purchase. Now, it’s time to break down, which of these scents smells the best.

Noir or Bright Crystal? Tale of the Tape

Bright Crystal

Notes include: yuzo, peony, pomegranate, musk, magnolia, iced accord, lotus, amber

Click Here to try Bright Crystal: Versace Bright Crystal Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, 3 Ounce

Read my review: Versace Bright Crystal

Crystal Noir

Notes include: black currant, fig, violet, tuberose, frangipani, jasmine, sandalwood, cashmeran, vanilla, heliotrope

Click here to try: Versace Crystal Noir by Versace for Women – 3 Ounce EDT Spray

Read my review: Crystal Noir

Opening

Crystal Noir EDT opens with a fairly sharp black currant note, fig, and floral notes. Tuberose and violet are apart of the host of flowers found in this composition. It smells like the black currant and fig are sitting on top of a bed of the floral notes and it gives off this creamy and slightly woody aroma.

Bright Crystal opens with a juicy pomegranate and yuzo, which is quite refreshing with the intro of the cold ice accord. It is a very upbeat fragrance with neither the floral notes or the fruits becoming to powerful within the scent, Bright Crystal is quite balanced at the start.

Which smells better? I have to say that I like the opening of Bright Crystal much more. The fruit notes are better, you still get floral notes, and the ice accord is a really great element to help set things apart.

I do like a good fig note, so, I am tempted to give the nod to Noir. Though, it loses me, with the floral accord.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Projection

Both of these perfumes are light to moderate. I really don’t notice a difference in the sillage of either, they’ll stay about 3-6 feet from you skin, and unless you go crazy with the sprays the scent won’t travel further than that.

Bright Crystal can seem more powerful, up top. However, that’s really just a function of the pomegranate and citrus, which can have that intensity from the sharpness.

It really doesn’t project itself any further, it just makes itself seem as if it does. No real issue with either, in this realm. But, also no clear cut winner.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Bright Crystal lasted a solid 8 hours on my skin and I could get it up to 10 hours in testing. Meanwhile, Crystal Noir, was at 6-8 hours of wear.

Crystal Noir is probably slightly above average with its performance. I’m never astounded by it, but it can usually make it close to a full workday.

Bright Crystal does have the ability to go long distance, but only sometimes. Kind of dependent on the climate and one’s own body chemistry, really.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Versatility

Both of these scents have great versatility in terms of the seasons that they can be worn in. Bright Crystal holds up better in the heat, than does Crystal Noir, but that one… isn’t completely terrible in the summer.

Crystal Noir feels more mature, like it can be worn professionally or for an evening out. Neither is super sexy, but both are quite attractive and pretty.

Again, this is a category in which there isn’t much distinction between them. They both do similar things, but can be used for different occasions and none has the clear advantage.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

This is actually a really close competition, as both perfumes have such similarities in performance and versatility. To me, it all comes down to which smells better, as you will get the same sort of value proposition out of each.

Ultimately, I find Bright Crystal to be the more enjoyable Versace. Bright Crystal is for those who want a juicy fruit, floral, and somewhat aquatic scent.

It starts out with the delicious pomegranate and yuzo, but then, the peony note starts to emerge and lead the way. It is very pleasant and elegant and a great everyday wear option for women.

Crystal Noir, is a very nice perfume. It is much more floral based, with woody and spiced undertones. If you prefer notes like tuberose, jasmine, and frangipani; then this will probably be the better option. Plenty of sandalwood and fig, with a touch of vanilla creamy sweetness.

Winner: Bright Crystal

5 Perfumes Similar to Ghost

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Ghost has fairly quietly become a very popular fragrance over the past two decades. I mean, people know about it, but it doesn’t really get talked about all that much. However, it definitely has its fans, and those looking for a similar essence or a cheaper substitute. Is there one? In this post, I want to present some options to consider which smell like Ghost perfume.

What Perfumes Similar to Ghost?

Woman in Gold by Kilian– Does this smell exactly like Ghost? No, but I feel that it is in the same family, so to speak. Woman in Gold has that warm vanilla with a spicy edge and some rose.

The difference? The rose is less prominent and the peach is non-existent. It is instead replaced by mandarin orange, which is quite light here. Also, no musk.

This By Kilian scent is however, quite charming and classy. Not an inexpensive option, but one you might enjoy greatly, if you like Ghost.

Because It’s You by Emporio Armani– Another one which can strike a similar tone as Ghost, just as a fruitier version. With Because It’s You, you will get a delicious raspberry note, in lieu of peach.

It goes lighter on the musk and rose, but has a nice creamy vanilla note, that is just what we’re looking for. Sweet with a fantastic freshness and a feminine slightly powdery finish.

Spirit of Shadow– If you can find a bottle of Spirit of Shadow, this will be the closest thing to a smelling of Ghost, perhaps. Rose, vanilla, peach, and musk are the main components. When combined, it’s going to be a very close match. Also, Milton Lloyd scents are usually very inexpensive. Just not the easiest to get a hold of nowadays.

Camaheu by Gabriella Chieffo– Lemon is the main note here, sitting above the familiar vanilla and rose notes. Yes, this is different, but it feels like a brighter interpretation of Ghost at times.

Camaheu doesn’t give off that complete summertime citrus scent. You still get some warmth and musk to go along with the ingredients, we are looking for with our target.

Ghost Deep Night- While this fragrance from Ghost, is a flanker and not the same, it shares so many of the notes of the original. It just happens to take things in another direction; more like an inverse of Ghost, but still very good. So, I wanted to include it on the list.

Deep Night has much less rose than the original, but amps up the fruitiness, woodiness, and retains the powdery aspects. It has a great blend and enough sweetness to make it attractive, but not ever sickly sweet.

While not an exact scent that smells like the original, I think it’ll be one that many reading will enjoy giving a try.

3 Best Smelling Paloma Picasso Perfumes

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Paloma Picasso is a designer that was fairly active in the 1980s through the 1990s. Since then, there hasn’t been any new releases, and there weren’t that many to begin with. However, despite the limited options, this brand still produced some well loved gems during its shorter run. Plus, you can still find bottles with plenty of availability. In this post, I want to present what I feel are the top 3 perfume options from Paloma Picasso. 

 

What are the Top Paloma Picasso Fragrances?

Best Overall Perfume

Tentations– The others on this list, were releases from the 1980s, while Tentations came about in during the mid-1990s. Nonetheless, it lived up to its predecessors and exceeded them, in my opinion.

For me, Tentations is the best smelling Paloma Picasso release, and I definitely prefer its scent to the other two. Nonetheless, it won’t be for everyone.

Tentations is a spicy and warm scent, with cinnamon and pepper, among other spiced ingredients. It has a layer of sweetness and a bit of a boozy kick, from the included vodka note. At times, it is smoky; then, it is sweet and spicy. Really unique and a very deep fragrance. Harder to find a bottle, nowadays, and may be priced really high.

 

Runner Up Fragrance

Mon Parfum– This is a honeyed sweet and dry wintertime fragrance, that smells quite a bit like its predecessor, found below. However, Mon Parfum does its own thing, including losing the civet note which can be quite polarizing. 

Lots of oakmoss here, along with ylang ylang, hyacinth, and angelica. It has a finish of the oak moss, sandalwood and other dry feeling ingredients. Mon Parfum is best used in the autumn and winter months, has a classic 1980s feel, and leaves you with a classy and elegant aroma.  

 

Most Popular

Paloma Picasso – The namesake fragrance is the best seller of the lot and shares a very similar scent to Knowing by Estee Lauder. So, if you’re familiar with that one, its about what you can expect This one is a bit warmer, has a deeper/darker feel to it, than the Estee Lauder perfume.

Nonetheless, it can lighten up somewhat, as it moves along. It gives you a carnation, coriander, and citrus opening act. Followed by a musky, and at times, rough middle act.

Later, it feels woodier, cleaner, and somewhat herbal. Very interesting scent, that can absolutely pack a punch. Mon Parfum and this are nearly the same, but different enough, to be distinct. If you want more musk and floral notes; this would be your go to. 

4 Best Victoria & David Beckham Perfumes for Women

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David Beckham’s ever popular line of men’s fragrances is still going strong. However, when he wanted to release a lineup for ladies, he teamed up with his wife, Victoria, to launch the perfumes. It was along the same premise as David’s men’s line, create good smelling scents, at a low price point. In this post, I’d like to explore the 4 best perfumes from the Victoria Beckham line of perfumes. Note: As of this current update in 2020, it is becoming harder to find these perfumes around. Some aren’t being made any longer, but there are still bottles floating around for relatively cheap.

 

What are the Best Victoria Beckham Fragrances for Her?

Beckham Signature By Beckham For Women Eau De Toilette Spray, 2.5-Ounce / 75 Ml– This one feels a bit different from the rest of the bunch. That could be because it shakes things up with more unique notes such as orchid and anise. It gives a good performance and strikes an interesting balance between the fruit/floral sweet, spice, and soft powder. Victoria Beckham was a part of the ad campaign for this perfume.

It opens up with the orchid being fully in control and flanked by some sweeter notes, like vanilla. The anise and patchouli, will play a major role as it wears on, and provide a great spiciness 10-15 minutes after spraying it on. I think that Beckham Signature for Women has been discontinued, as of now, but it’s still a great option with bottle available online. 

 

BECKHAM INTIMATELY YOURS EDT SPRAY 1.7 OZ FRGLDY– A floral/fruity blend with pear and bergamot giving support to lily, freesia, and frangipani. Slightly sweet with a vanilla vibe, this gives off a summery/tropical floral aroma that is quite smooth and pleasant to wear.

Intimately Yours has a bright warmth and woodsy undertones provided by vetiver and sandalwood. The frangipani is creamy and upbeat, especially when you get more of the sandalwood note. Intimately Yours is a highly enjoyable, mostly floral fragrance, that doesn’t get too bogged down in a garden-like aroma. Lighter sillage, but great smell. 

 

Beckham Signature Story by David Beckham, 2.50 Ounce– A very clean and feminine scent with a hearty helping of rose. Also, a citrus top provided by orange and peach, to go along with a warm/spicy musk note. Solid performance for casual/romantic wear.

Signature Story was a flanker fragrance to the original Beckham Signature. Though, the two really don’t have anything in common other than the name, and patchouli. Very musky floral, during the dry down, heavier on the peony and rose. Reminiscent of Lovely by SJP. 

 

Intimately Beckham By Beckham For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 1.0 Oz / 30 Ml– A good one for the floral lovers out there. An airy bouquet of notes including lily, vanilla, tuberose, and neroli. The musk is much less pronounced than in the option above. Intimately Beckham ends up being a moderate and fresh kind of fragrance. The tuberose really comes through later on, but the other notes play a nice enough support roll, that it isn’t overwhelming.