Best Perfumes for Women

La Vie Est Belle by Lancôme

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I could’ve sworn I had already posted a review of La Vie Est Belle, years ago, on the site. Turns out, that I was wrong. So today, I will correct that mistake, and revisit this best selling EDP from Lancôme. What does it smell like? When should it be worn? Is it even worth the hype?

What does La Vie Est Belle Smell Like?

Notes include: patchouli, vanilla, blackberry, iris, pear, tonka bean, praline, and more

Click here to try: Lancome La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Ounce

My Full Review

Before we get into my personal review, let’s see what Lancôme has to say about the perfume: “La vie est belle”, a French expression meaning “Life is beautiful”; the manifesto of a new era. Universal yet personal, Lancôme’s femininity is a choice embraced by women, not an imposed standard. The choice to live one’s life and fill it with beauty. Your own way. It introduces a new olfactory story, the first ever iris gourmand. The juice is made with the most precious natural ingredients, a modern interpretation of an oriental fragrance with a twist of gourmand.

La Vie Est Belle opens up with its fruity notes, taking center stage. Mainly, I pick up on the tart and somewhat sour blackberry note, which is joined by pear. When paired together (along with the other notes), it puts on a sweet, somewhat grape-like smell at first.

Like, a candied grape scent, just more tart in the opening.

A few minutes after the initial spray, the patchouli begins to draw away some of the energy of the fruity ingredients. With the iris note (plus a touch of jasmine), you do get a more classic floral aroma in there.

Yet, it still remains a fruity gourmand, at this stage. This perfume gets compared to Flowerbomb a lot, and I can smell the similarities, but there’s less patchouli in La Vie.

This is really when the shift begins to occur, in this fragrance. The praline/vanilla/patchouli triumvirate, gains a strong foothold, and the blackberry note is just floating along the periphery of the aroma.

Initially, the patchouli is the strongest, then it is the praline/vanilla mix. They become slightly stronger than the patchouli, the rest of the wear.

La Vie Est Belle isn’t a super complicated fragrance, but it does have a nice little lifecycle of development.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage isn’t huge, but it can fill a room, if over sprayed. You don’t need to go heavy on the trigger, for the scent to project itself. In fact, it’ll probably make for an unpleasant wear.

The performance is great, in terms of how long it’ll go for, on the skin. You will definitely get a full workday, at least, possibly into the double digit hours depending on the climate. 7.5 or 8 hours mostly, with some extra time, sometimes.

Is this a versatile fragrance? Yes. There’s a reason it is a best seller, La Vie Est Belle is a daily wear for a ton of women, out there. It is pretty and pleasant. Appropriate for the office, school, casual functions, formal wear, etc.

This is more of a cold to moderate temperature wear. Mostly, autumn through mid-spring. When it gets hot, go with another option.

Is this a sexy perfume? Ehh, I don’t know that I’d call it ‘sexy’, it’s appealing. It’s attractive, but it doesn’t drive me wild. Though, I do enjoy smelling this fragrance on a woman.

Overall Impression of La Vie Est Belle

Do I like La Vie Est Belle? I do. I still think that this is a very good option for women looking for an all around daily wear. Yes, it is pretty commonplace. But, so what? It works.

The blackberry opening, while tart, is quite awesome. Some people don’t care for it, but it is a highlight for me. The dry down gets warmer and sweeter, with enough patchouli, to keep it all in balance.

Add to that, the performance is worth the price of admission. It is strong and lasts for a long time, so, it’s actually not a bad value proposition for what you actually get.

La Vie Est Belle has been a massive hit and will continue to be so. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but seems to attract a lot of women to wear it. I would recommend giving it a shot.

Jeux De Peau by Serge Lutens

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Working my way through boxes of fragrance samples, I have multiple Serge Lutens perfumes to do write ups on. Today’s review is going to be taking a look at a rather strange fragrance, Jeux de Peau.

What’s the deal with it? How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a purchase? Please continue below for my full take after wearing it around.

What does Jeux de Peau Smell Like?

Notes include: wheat, milk, amber, sandalwood, coconut, licorice, apricot, osmanthus, and more

Click here to try: Serge Lutens Jeux de Peau eau de parfum unisex 50 ml

My Full Wear Review

First of all, what an oddly constituted scent this is from Serge Lutens. Just take a look at the notes, wheat? Milk? Licorice? The very first few minutes smells to me like pretzels or maybe like a wheat based cereal, since there is that milk note.

A definite strong wheat note paired with sandalwood and some fruity sweetness from apricot/coconut. I don’t hate it at this point and I’m not in love with it…but it’s just so unusual.

Jeux de Peau is such a dry and toasty fragrance, since it is dominated by wheat and sandalwood. However, the sugary/gourmand elements add another dimension to the composition.

Licorice is here, which I almost always hate in fragrances, but just seems to fit in. It never gives me the same sort of headache that I got while wearing Lolita Lempicka au Masculine.

Then, I start to get amber, which only add to the warm envelopment of this fragrance. It’s super food-like and a total niche scent, but it really smells delicious. There’s something in here that creates a buttery scent sitting on top of it all.

I get less of the toasted wheat note, as Jeux de Peau dries down and more milky coconut. Still, very dry and less juicy fruit smells, but still a good sweetness with undertones of spice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of this Serge Lutens fragrance isn’t all that strong. It’s more of a moderate perfume, which happens to last for a long time, on my skin.

I get around 8 or 9 hours of wear out of this Lutens scent. The whole thing is quite comforting and wearing it conjures up so many mental images. Again, not a huge or overpowering scent but it does provide solid performance.

Jeux de Peau is a unisex fragrance, but I think that it leans much more towards ladies. It’s already a niche scent, but I don’t know too many men who’d want to smell like wheat, licorice, and the like.

This is one for autumn and winter, when the temperatures will allow for a fragrance such as this to actually flourish. It’d be pretty much a mess in the heat and humidity. In the cooler temperatures, it hangs around the skin well, and is rather appealing.

When to wear it? Casually. Possibly at the office. It isn’t a heavy scent, so there shouldn’t be too many problems when wearing it.

However, it isn’t sexy or a club beast or anything like that. It’s a comforting gourmand perfume, that is going to appeal to a select audience, but it’s never going to be a scent that enjoys a daily wear status for the masses.

Overall Impressions of Jeux de Peau

Overall, do I like Jeux de Peau? I actually kind of do. Now, I can’t see myself wearing this, but the smell itself is really nice. It’s so unique and has an unbelievable food like quality, I would never think to put wheat or milk into a fragrance, but it pretty much works here.

Not for everyone, but for those who are looking for something unique, this is worth checking out. Serge Lutens does create some different sorts of fragrances and they generally perform very well.

Eau Des Merveilles Elixir by Hermes

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Now, I’m getting into writing up a lot of the women’s fragrance reviews of the sample scents that I’ve collected over the previous months. Today, is an entry from Hermes: Elixir des Merveilles, which is from the Merveilles line of perfumes, and was released in 2006. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is this eau de parfum worth a purchase?

What does Elixir des Meveilles Smell Like?

Notes Include: patchouli, orange, amber, oak, resin, basalm, cedar, incense, and caramel

Click here to try: Eau Des Merveilles Elixir By Hermes For Women, Eau De Parfum Spray, 1.7-Ounce Bottle

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Merveilles Elixir is a blend of orange and patchouli, to my nose. In fact, it reminds me a lot of the men’s cologne, Black XS from the start. Both are citrus and patchouli, though, the Paco Rabanne fragrance utilizes lemon instead of orange.

There is also more spice at the start of Elixir, than Black XS, but it doesn’t retain that same spiciness throughout.

For me, the first 20 minutes or so is more heavily weighted towards patchouli, than the other notes in the composition. Ultimately, this comparison fades and this Hermes perfume takes on a different character.

As it dries down, Merveilles Elixir takes on a warm amber quality, and the result is quite resinous when combined with the other notes.

It is a sweet, candied orange (with a pinch of caramel), sitting on top of a oak wood base, and covered in basalm/amber.

During this period, the perfume takes on a smokier quality, instead of that spiciness that it originally started with. That oak wood with the balsalm is really prevalent and does add some interesting depth to the perfume as a whole.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, Elixir des Merveilles is more of a moderate fragrance. It’s noticeable and performs well, but it’s not going to overwhelm a room. The longevity is also very good and it’ll have no problem lasting all day.

During testing it seemed to fall in the 7.5-9 hour range. That’s really good, but not the best of the best. But for most purposes, Elixir should do just fine.

Elixir is one for the cooler months of the year. I actually think that it feels more like an autumn scent than winter. It’s good for casual or office wear.

It’s attractive, but not traditionally sexy and I don’t think it’s unique aroma really fits in a night club type of atmosphere. You could wear it on a date or something like that and it would probably be well-liked, just not a complete stunner.

Overall Impressions of Eau des Merveilles Elixir

Overall, is Hermes’ Elixir des Merveilles, worth a purchase? I’d say yes, although, it might not be universally beloved. It has a unique, niche, and almost unisex vibe to it. It’s good, but some might not care for the warm resinous aroma it creates around the wearer.

It does share plenty of similarities with the others in this line, but has enough character to stand on its own merit. For an autumn or winter wear, it should be one that’s easy to spray on and enjoy for the day.

I actually prefer L’Ambre Merveilles to this one, which has a sweeter disposition with more use of the orange and caramel combo. That being said, this is a very nice perfume with great staying power, and can become a part of a fragrance rotation.

If you want a sweeter perfume, other entries from this line like L’Ambre will be a better bet. This one can get dry, resinous, and somewhat spicy. Depending on your personal taste, that can be a reason to buy or avoid completely.

6 Best Smelling Adidas Perfumes for Her

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Adidas has been a huge name in athletic wear for decades upon decades. Naturally, they’ve moved well beyond just shoes and equipment, and into other fashion ventures. One such detour, has led them into the fragrance world, over the past 20-30 years with some nice results.

In this post, I wanted to present six options from their women’s perfume lineup which could be considered the best smelling of them all. Each selection, presents something different, so there’s probably something on the list to fit any lady’s style. Also, check out my post on the Best Adidas Colognes for Men.

What are the Best Adidas Perfumes for Her?

Fresh, Clean, and Woodsy

ADIDAS MOVES by Adidas for Women EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY 1.0 OZ & EAU DE TOILETTE SPRAY .5 OZ– The others on this list will either more on the fruity or floral side of things. However, Moves Her is a different sort of experience. It’s a fresh and outdoorsy perfume with notes of cedar and ginger.

The ginger gives it a bit of a kick and the cedar provides that stable and clean base. Underneath that, there are floral notes which prevent this scent from becoming too masculine…it’s almost unisex but leans feminine.

All of this is wrapped up in an aquatic/sporty vibe, that nearly all Adidas scents seem to share.

Citrus and Mango Energy

Unlsh by Adidas for Her– This one is a simple and energetic citrus based fragrance. Lots of orange, both mandarin and blood orange, with a tropical mango note which is quite captivating.

Beyond that, you do get a noticeable and decent peony note, later on in the wear. Mostly, this one is a fruity, fresh, and sporty fragrance that comes with a low price tag. Though, with a hint of a candy-like presentation. Nice performance, but not insane longevity.

Uplifting Citrus and Rose

Adidas Fragrance Fun Sensations Eau de Parfum Spray, 2.5 Fluid Ounce– A lighter, bubbly kind of perfume, Fun Sensations sticks to its name with a playful raspberry and lemon top.

The other main notes to be on the look out for are the rose and warm/slightly spicy pink pepper, that lurks in the background.

The base is solidified by the familiar aromas of sandalwood and musk. A good casual or activewear scent for warm days.

Sheer Floral with Aquatic Sensations

Adidas Body Fragrance Pure Lightness, For Women, 2.5 Fluid Ounce Spray Bottle– As the name suggests, this Adidas scent is very light and airy. Pure Lightness is a floral based perfume with notes of lily and violet.

There are some crisp fruity undertones supplied by apple and melon. However, most of what you’re going to get is the flower arrangement but more of an aquatic floral, than a heavy old-timey fragrance.

Very pleasant aroma to be around, still with enough of a sporty sort of vibe to make it an Adidas fragrance. Great balance and value for the price.

Carbonated Tropical Aroma

Adidas Fizzy Energy Women’s 1.7-ounce Eau de Toilette Spray– Fizzy Energy gives you a super blast of tropical notes like: papaya, pineapple, and grapefruit. Though, it’s mainly the pineapple and grapefruit combo that gives off a citrus sort of vibe.

It’s a bright and really clean sort of scent for an active summer day or just to freshen up when it gets too hot outside. Definitely one with an upbeat energy to it.

Raspberry and Freesia Goodness

Adidas Fragrance Body Fragrance Fruity Rhythm for Women 2.5 Fluid Ounce Spray Bottle– A heavily slanted blend of fruity notes and then florals, led by raspberry and black currant. Fruity Rhythm delivers a beautiful wear, for a small price.

The fruity is very juicy and sweet, before the fragrance dries down into a sporty sort of floral. Quite girly and feminine. Mostly, you’ll pick up the freesia note, in the dry down. Similar to Ralph by Ralph Lauren, for those wanting a super inexpensive alternative.

Dior Poison Girl vs Unexpected Perfume Comparison

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Back here with another perfume comparison, this time between two Dior offerings from the Poison Girl line: the original Poison Girl EDP vs. Poison Girl Unexpected. Which of these two great fragrances smells better, the flanker or the first of the line? As usual, I will compare each scent based on different metrics and then ultimately declare a winner. I have also linked to my original review of each below.

Tale of the Tape: Poison Girl vs. Unexpected

Poison Girl

Notes include: Damascus rose, tonka bean, bitter orange, vanilla, almond, sandalwood

Click here to try: Christian Dior Poison Girl Women’s Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce

Read my original review: Poison Girl

Poison Girl Unexpected

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

Read my original review: Poison Girl Unexpected

Opening

Poison Girl Unexpected opens up with a creamy candied aroma, which was the intention of the perfumer who developed this fragrance. Lemon and blood orange are two of the top notes which give Unexpected that bright citrus aroma.

This is paired with tonka bean, vanilla, and ginger which creates a delicious quality to opening of this perfume. A dash of salt is added to the ginger to further solidify the edible-like properties of this scent.

Meanwhile, the original Poison Girl, opens with Damascus Rose, tonka bean, and bitter orange. You can see that the two scents definitely share a similar DNA, however, the original Poison Girl is less citrus while being more floral. It shares that creamy quality with Unexpected but with almond instead of ginger.

Between the two? I actually really enjoy how both of these perfumes open up. They are both pleasant and gourmand. Though, I think that I have a slight preference for Poison Girl Unexpected, in this regard.

Edge: Unexpected

Projection

Poison Girl starts off strong and then becomes much more of a moderate sillaged perfume, as it dries down. Nevertheless, it is still a stronger fragrance than is Unexpected.

Unexpected isn’t weak, it’s just a lighter type of scent, and never reaches the same power as its predecessor. I’d call it a lighter moderate, while Poison Girl is at the upper range of what could be considered moderate.

Edge: Poison Girl

Longevity

While Poison Girl has better projection, than does Unexpected. They are about equal in terms of how long they last on my skin. I get 9-10 hours out of both of them, sometimes more. What’s more, they both perform well during the extent of the wear, and aren’t just some weak smell after a few hours. There’s no clear winner here.

Edge: Push

Versatility

The original Poison Girl, is much more restricted in when it can be worn, in terms of the climate. It’s, to me, a cold weather wear that might be able to make it into spring.

Unexpected, is much more of a year round fragrance, thanks to the ginger and citrus notes. These ingredients give Unexpected a different dynamic and one more conducive to warmer weather.

Both are however, very versatile as to where they can be worn. Each of these is safe enough to wear at work, casually, but are also quite sexy and great for a night out.

Edge: Unexpected

Overall Scent

I find it hard to believe that one would go wrong by choosing either of these Dior fragrances, they’re both very good perfumes, all around. That being said, I think I prefer the smell of Unexpected over the original Poison Girl.

Unexpected has elements of the original, but also added layers, which I find both more interesting and attractive. The opening candied citrus, smells wonderful, and adds a different element to the gourmand profile.

Then, as it dries down, Unexpected gets that familiar Damascus Rose note, but paired with ginger. Finally, there’s a nutty final chapter with hazelnut and almond, being introduced fully.

Poison Girl is great with citrus elements, rose, a smooth and creamy profile, with more woodiness than Unexpected. Rose, vanilla, tonka bean, almond, and bitter orange are the biggest stars in this fragrance.

Both are sweet and super attractive scents, but Unexpected is more versatile, has a better aroma, and at least equals the original in performance.

Winner: Poison Girl Unexpected