Best Perfumes for Women

Ahhh, Love Spell. I really don’t know how many times, I’ve come across a girl wearing this fragrance, particularly back in high school. It’s been fairly ubiquitous for a few decades now, and as such, has gained a large following.

Some of whom, are now seeking potential alternatives or comparable cheaper options to this smell. But, what perfumes smell similar to Love Spell?

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Fragrances which Smell Similar to Love Spell

A Britney Perfume 

Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.3-Fluid Ounce– A sweet blend of fruit and floral notes that will please the senses to no end. Midnight Fantasy is a different take on the sweetness offered by the original Fantasy but one which really stands out.

Notes include: Framboise, Black Cherry, Musk, Night Blooming Orchid, Vanilla, Plum, Freesia, Amber, Iris.

Plum and black cherry add a tart fruitiness to the Fantasy name. It’s clean and slightly dark with a creamy vanilla note circulating throughout. Sweet yet powdery with the iris note providing the main thrust of the floral accord.

Midnight Fantasy gives you cherry and plum, instead of cherry blossom and peach, as with Love Spell. Nonetheless, the effect is very similar due to how they blend, and the floral notes included.

Midnight Fantasy is an all around solid option from Britney Spears to replace or get a similar experience, as the Victoria’s Secret spray. Not as peachy, as the VS spray can tend to be for some people.

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A Closely Styled Perfume

Selena Gomez Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Selena Gomez’s fragrance hits the right demographic and similar tone to Love Spell. It’s not exactly the same smell, but definitely in the same ball park.

This one opens up with an array of fruits including the same peach note as our Victoria’s Secret target. It is joined by citrus notes and pineapple. This perfume is juicy and sweet, with a bit more of a tropical vibe, but not entirely.

A bit further along, the berry notes come in to pair up with the peach and pineapple. It also gets more of a gourmand influence, with vanilla and chocolate.

Most of the wear, is extremely fruit laden, with a completely youthful vibe. A solid alternative option. Again, more of the vanilla/chocolate dry down which separates it from the more linear experience of the VS spray.

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Similar but High End

Creed Spring Flower by Creed for Women Millesime Spray, 2.5 Ounce– Alright, this one isn’t an exact one to one. It’s a higher end designer scent, but it does have lots of overlap, as a fruity floral to Love Spell.

Peach, apple, jasmine, and musk are the shared commonalities. This is a much more developed and grown up version, of what we’re looking for.

Notes include jasmine, peach, apple, musk, melon, rose, ambergris.  Spring Flower is an uplifting fruity scent with bright, floral undertones.

Melon, peach and apple are paired for a crisp and juicy sweet start to the wear.  Then, the rose and jasmine note usher in its flowery namesake, which is quite pretty.

Along with the typical Creed ambergris note, Spring Flower has a musky dry down that is fairly potent.

The flower aspect is more prominent further along in the life cycle, with jasmine and musk being the highlights at that point. Meanwhile, the fruit notes have become more subdued.

Spring Flower isn’t really a heavy fragrance, more light to moderate. However, it provides good longevity, and versatility. It can definitely become a signature every day wear.

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The Closest Fantasy

Sexiest Fantasies Love Struck by Parfums De Coeur Fragrance Body Spray 7.35 oz – If you’re looking for a straight comparable to Love Spell, this is as close as you’re going to get…and it’s pretty darn close.

Sexiest Fantasies Love Struck gives you both the peach and cherry blossom notes, without as much of the floral base. There is a slight muskiness to it.

On the plus side, it’s affordable, and gives you an intense juicy fruit smell. The peach comes with a huge impact, from the first spray.

Later on, the cherry blossom is more noticeable, along with the musk. The scent becomes much more balanced. This is almost a carbon copy of Love Spell, hence the name.

Philosophy has been a really big seller in the skin care space, which naturally led, to having a wide lineup of fragrances also. Most of the perfumes that they have released, have been for women, and have added up to dozens of different options.

In this post, I want to break things down a bit more, and present nine options of perfumes for her which could be considered the best of the lot. I have included some best-sellers, as well as, some lesser known gems.

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Favorite Smelling Philosophy Fragrances

Clean Rose Fragrance

Amazing Grace Ballet Rose Eau de Toilette, 2 Fl Oz– Ballet Rose is, as the name suggests, dominated by the rose note. However, within this composition, it really isn’t a heavy floral note. The rose is paired with a somewhat weaker peony and has a clean aroma with some litchi fruit and a bit of musk.

As it dries down, there is a bit of a powdery aroma, which lends to its attractiveness. But doesn’t go full ‘make-up bag’ with its scent. More similar to a light baby powder.

Ballet Rose is a pretty simple and linear fragrance, but it smells really great, and is a safe pick for those who like rose but don’t want to be drenched in it.

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Top Summer Wear

Philosophy Summer Grace 4.0 oz Eau de Toilette Spray– Summer Grace is a wonderful summertime wear, with a light and clean aroma, that can function as a daily wear during those long humid months.

It has a light mixed fruits (peach) and citrus quality with some underlying light coconut. This is sweet, refreshing, with almost a little bit of an aquatic aroma lurking in the background. With that, is musk and some floral ingredients, which really take over later on in the wear.

Not a powerhouse, in the slightest, but rather a delightful fragrance for when you don’t need to stand out. Then again, Philosophy fragrances don’t generally have that sort of massive sillage.

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Fruity Fragrance

PHILOSOPHY FALLING IN LOVE 0. 5 OZ EDT SP– Falling in Love is a very sweet perfume with a blackberry/vanilla dominant heart, with a light musky and some gentle jasmine added in.

The fruit is the strongest aspect of this scent, but it is still a rather light fragrance, with a candy-like aroma. It’s a very clean perfume, that gets a tad more toward the floral end of things, as it dries down.

Though, those notes never fully take over. Falling in Love isn’t an overbearing fragrance, so, the sweetness will moderate itself and stay enjoyable to wear.

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Most Popular Philosophy Perfume

Philosophy Amazing Grace by Philosophy Eau De Toilette Spray for Women, 2 Ounce– Amazing Grace is the best-selling and most well-known perfume from Philosophy. It opens up with light and pleasant citrus notes, before the freesia, rose, and jasmine start to come in.

As it dries down, Amazing Grace becomes muskier with the floral notes surrounding it. A simple and fresh daily wear, that won’t break the bank, but smells great.

It is a pretty darn light sillage here. Don’t expect a bomb and it dries down with more of a powdery musky aroma, then I get earlier on.

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Creamy Sweetness

Philosophy Fresh Cream Eau de Toilette, 2 Ounce– Fresh Cream is more of a specialty gourmand scent, that creates an aroma of milky-sweet cream. This one is super simple with a creamy vanilla-like scent, sort of cold, like an ice cream.

Yet, it has moments where it comes across as a warm embrace. Very nice duality.

It’s best to be worn in the cold, otherwise, the heat can turn it into a less than pleasant experience of milk sitting out in the sun. Nevertheless, when worn on a cold day, it is fresh, smooth, and a delight to smell.

Fruity/Floral Tropical Philosophy

Philosophy Loveswept Eau de Toilette, 2 Ounce– Loveswept has a fruit and somewhat tropical scent, that is bright, and very upbeat. Passion fruit is joined together with citrus notes for a delicious and juicy opening.

Then, there is additional floral notes, mainly consisting of jasmine. As it dries down, Loveswept can have a powdery quality to it, but the fruit notes are still the main attraction here.

This is another great option for the warmer months of the year. Moderate sillage (actually pretty substantial in comparison to some offerings), but very usable in terms of how long it will stick around.

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Warm Sugary Vanilla and Woods

Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere– Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere is a flanker to the original Fresh Cream listed above. Instead of the colder aroma found in that perfume, this one goes for more of a warm sugary vanilla baked goods scent.

Philosophy says there’s a tangerine note in the top, but if it’s there, it’s extremely light. Instead, you’re going to get vanilla from the start, cashmere wood, sandalwood, and musk holding it all together.

As it settles, it does take on a drier and woodier aroma versus the early creamy vanilla extravaganza. The creamy effect does last for the entirety of the wear, just expect woods and musk to play a larger role towards the end.

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Easy Magnolia

Amazing Grace Magnolia– Here’s another very nice Amazing Grace flanker fragrance. Magnolia starts out fresh with a semi-aquatic sort of smell. The nectarine and bergamot notes really shine in the opening stages.

It’s fruity and floral with a light sillage and the magnolia will start to pop out more after the first wave has past. The dry down is a vague fruitiness with the magnolia sitting with musk and a bit of wood.

Not all that complicated, just a nice floral-fruity perfume with a fresh cleanliness for the warmer months of the year. Again, this one isn’t a bomb with how it projects, so Magnolia will best be served for someone who wants a low key scent.

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A Different Grace

Amazing Grace EDP Intense– I will say, that this one comes across pretty differently from the popular original. It still has rose and musk. However, this one feels more soapy/shampoo-like with how it smells. A touch of powder in the dry down.

The opening is a burst of berry notes, quite sweet, with a good deal of strawberry coming through. None of it’s naturalistic smelling to me, but has more of a candy-like sweetness to the aroma.

Nothing too intense about this perfume, but I still find it to be very likeable. A very fruity rose scent without the same level of musk. Nice release, but won’t be for everyone, and don’t expect much of a retread of the original formula.

Libre has become a best-selling fragrance for YSL since its release. It is a perfume that has its basis with the lavender note, is known for its bold performance, and its rather distinct aroma from many other scents on the market. In this post, I am going to continually update with potential closely resembled aromas and alternatives that give you a similar style to the Libre line.

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Favorite Perfume Options like Libre by YSL

A Cheaper Alternative Option

Floral Lavender by Dossier– Dossier is brand that makes inspired perfumes based on best selling designer fragrances. Floral Lavender is their version of a Libre sort of smell.

This one has the same notes beat for beat, so, it will give you a very close impression of what you get with the YSL. It’s a bit softer than that one, however. Still has a good performance, but for me, Libre has always been a beast.

For around $29 (as of this update), you’re not going to do much better than this, in terms of nearing the experience of our target scent.

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A True Intensity

Intensely Liberated by Dua Brand– The Dossier perfume above is for those who want an inspired edition of the original Libre fragrance. This one from Dua, however, gives you their version of the Libre Intense formulation.

Intense is one that I enjoy the smell of more so than the original, as it was just put together better overall.

Dua uses the citrus top of bergamot and mandarin, with the key lavender note and ample use of jasmine. Of course, vanilla is also a definite part of the program.

I’ve had no issues with this brand when buying their ‘designer inspired creations’. They do a great job at matching the smell and vibe of the scents, often times with even better performance.

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And a Third

Desiree by Oakcha– Desiree is the third of the inspired takes that I’ve found of the Libre style. This one comes from Oakcha, a brand that has been making a lot of waves, as of late.

It’s based on the original formula and not any of the flanker fragrances. Now, I have yet to try out any perfumes from this brand, nor Desiree in particular.

However, it gives you another option to try out, if you want. The pricing is around the same as the Dossier and Dua Brand, if neither of those work for you for whatever reason.

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Similar Valentino

Valentino Voce Viva 3.4 oz / 100 ml EDP Women Spray– Right off the bat, this one doesn’t have the lavender note that Libre does. So, that’s going to be the main difference.

Outside of that? These two are pretty close, and the lack of lavender, may be what some of you are looking for.

Orange blossom, vanilla, musk are the main overlaps here. But, the Valentino has a bit more of a citrusy opening act, and later the gardenia takes over as the dominant floral note from the orange blossom.

An exactly the same aroma? Nope. But, Voce Viva has a similar presence and structure to it, just without the lavender note. Frankly, I think it’s a better perfume. Voce Viva Review

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Super Cheapie

Bath & Body Works – Fairytale – 2 pc Bundle – Eau de Parfum – 1.7 fl oz- Fairytale is a rather simple Bath and Body Works fragrance that comes across quite a bit like Libre. Personally, this has a greater use of the vanilla note than what I get with Libre.

But, this is like a more paired down version of the YSL. Up top, you get pomegranate instead of the citrus fruits. Though, orange blossom is the main floral here. Again, this is one sans-lavender, which seems to be a sticking point when trying to find more similar to scents with Libre.

Warm amber, vanilla, and a surprisingly nice orange blossom note for what this is. A cheapie that can be worth checking out.

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Not the same, but Better Smelling

Guerlain Mon Guerlain Intense Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.3-oz.– Mon Guerlain and Libre often get compared, as they do have overlap with one another. I prefer the Mon Guerlain series to the YSL, personally.

But, the Intense version is actually the closer smelling fragrance to what Libre gives you, and it’s better. This is another one that isn’t a pure match.

However, you do get the lavender here, just not as prominent as in the YSL fragrance. Vanilla is stronger than the lavender, which gets blended with some other lighter floral notes, like iris. It’s powdery, with a great woody base, and some light spiciness up top.

Very nice perfume, with a warm presentation and great performance overall.

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My Favorite Libre

Libre Le Parfum– While we’re on the topic of perfumes that smell close to being like YSL Libre, why not add in the best of the YSL series? That being, Libre Le Parfum.

This one starts off with a blended citrus top that combines with honey, saffron, vanilla, and a ginger kick. Warm and cozy with a solid amount of orange blossom giving this one it’s floral heart.

Later, this will resemble more like the original Libre, once the lavender note has unfolded more. But, this is still different enough to create a new experience, and it is indeed better than the first in the series across the board.

Libre Le Parfum is an alternative, without having to stray too far from what you get with Libre. Le Parfum review

Viva La Juicy has been an insanely popular fragrance for over a decade now. It’s use of sweet caramel and vanilla, with fruits, and flowers has developed into sort of a go to perfume, for many girls and women.

Obviously, that success is going to see plenty of other companies try to replicate it. Thus, yielding fragrances that smell like Viva, are an almost close to it, or mimic many of the same characteristics.

In this post, I want to give you different options for her, which have a similar scent to Viva La Juicy. I will provide cheaper alternatives and a more expensive potential upgrade choice.

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Perfume Alternatives to Viva La Juicy

Viva La Cheapie

Fruity by Perfect Scents– None of the main fragrance brands that do ‘inspired by’ designer scents, have had a Viva La Juicy like perfume release. But, I did find this one on Amazon by Perfect Scents called ‘Fruity’.

Now, I haven’t tried this one out, but I thought that I’d include it on the list. It’s not too difficult of a formula to have something similar smelling, there are positive reviews, and it sells for $9.99 (as of writing).

Pomegranate, plum, gardenia, vanilla, and caramel. It’s got the basic structure all there, for the price it may be worth a shot.

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Fruitier and Inexpensive

Rihanna Rogue Love Eau de Parfums for Women, 4.2 Ounce– Rogue Love is a release from the pop star, that has a considerable overlap with Viva La Juicy. This one, is a bit fruitier, and less floral. You get a strong peach and some coconut, in addition to caramel and vanilla.

The orchid and jasmine, are still around, but they aren’t to prevalent in this blend. This is a really cheap option for those who want a Juicy similar fragrance. This doesn’t have the same strength, but the smell is quite close indeed.

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Gucci in The Early Stages

Flora Gorgeous Gardenia by Gucci– Gucci’s Gorgeous Gardenia does have a good deal of aroma overlap with Viva. This is really the case early on, but Gucci gets more towards the floral side of things more than the Juicy Couture (even if it never goes completely floral).

The brown sugar and berry notes early on, along with mandarin is when these really seem like close cousins. Add to that, a focus on the jasmine and gardenia notes and it becomes easy to see that they’re going to have a similar vibe.

Yet, the dry down here is going to be more about the gardenia, jasmine, and patchouli notes. So, it has less of the sweetness over the course of the wear versus our target. Still you get a more refined scent when compared to VIva, but with a higher price tag. Gorgeous Gardenia Review

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Victoria’s Secret Option

Victoria’s Secret Noir Tease for Women Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4 Ounce– Victoria’s Secret Noir Tease, doesn’t have the caramel note found in Viva, but it does bring together vanilla and chocolate. Plus, the fruit notes like mandarin, pear, and apple on top of a floral heart.

It opens very sweet with the chocolate aroma, plus mandarin, pear, and berries. Then, as it dries down, more of the vanilla comes out. This is joined by a sandalwood and amber base.

It’s not exactly the same as Viva La Juicy, but it is very close and much cheaper. I think that this has been re-branded as just, Tease. So, check to see which one is available for purchase.

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Juicy Fruit Fragrance

Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce– Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday perfume, leans more towards the fruity side of things, than does Viva. Nonetheless, the sweet, fun, and citrus aroma shares many of the same note and sensibility as does our target scent.

Pink Friday is really girly, starts off with pear and starfruit, which is a slightly different take on the composition than the others here. Beyond that, there is the orange and blackberry note, which makes this a super juicy fruit scent at the beginning.

Later, the familiar vanilla/caramel come in, to change things up. The performance here is decent, not spectacular, as one would expect from an inexpensive celebrity fragrance. Still, it’s a nice little pickup.

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Sweet with Almond Highlights

Fancy by Jessica Simpson 100ml 3.4oz EDP Spray– Yes, it seems like all of these celebs, like to get in the fragrance game with very similar perfume compositions. Fancy by Jessica Simpson actually predates the others, and actually, is fairly distinct.

Yes, the notes are again overlapping quite a bit. However, Fancy isn’t a fruity bomb, it features a delicious almond note, and can have a dry powdery aroma during the wear.

This isn’t going to be an exact rendition of Viva, though, it offers you something similar but different enough. It’s sweet and the berry/almond notes in the beginning, let it be a more distinct fragrance.

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Similar Style

Sweet Like Candy by Ariana Grande– Sweet Like Candy is a perfume from Ariana Grande which overlaps with multiple Viva La Juicy scents. Pink Couture, the original, and Sucre. Probably among others, as well.

It’s not exactly the same as any of them, but the spirit is there and the styling is within the same ballpark. The caramel note will be absent, though, and replaced with other confectionary touches.

Vanilla, blackberry, whipped cream, and of course, marshmallow pull together to form a warm and youthful candy-like aroma. Sweet Like Candy comes in an adorable little pink bottle, kicks off with its berry and pear blend, much like the next entry.

However, this one begins to shift more to a creamy, sweet, and familiar aroma. Lots of whipped cream with a vanilla touch and a great marshmallow addition. Very soft, girly, and sits beautifully in the colder weather.

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Luxury Alternative

By Kilian Love Don’t be Shy Eau de Parfum Refillable Spray, 1.7 oz/50 ml– Love is a perfume with a sugary sweet marshmallow, caramel and vanilla blend, sitting on top of floral notes such as iris, orange blossom, honeysuckle, and neroli.

This has been made somewhat famous by Rihanna, as her signature scent, and one that apparently smells magnificent on her.

The orange blossom/neroli pairing, really plays well off of the candy-like top notes. As it dries down, jasmine starts to make itself known more, in the floral arrangement.

This is a very pretty perfume, that is good for daily wear, but can have a bold character when over-applied. Not exactly the same as Viva, but sort of an upscale version, of the scent style. Love don’t be shy review

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Another Ari

Ari by Ariana Grande– This entry from Ariana, is a bit like the original Viva La Juicy, but quite a bit similar to the Noir flanker that came out a long while ago. But, it fits our purposes here.

Noir was fruitier and juicier than what you got with the original. Ari, gives you a mix of raspberry and grapefruit early. Then, more of the pear note will emerge thereafter.

What I really like here is the dry down period. Marshmallow and vanilla orchid, really brings out the comparisons with the original Viva La Juicy to me. Not as thick, doesn’t have the caramel note, but the vibe is definitely there.

To me, Ari has been one of the better releases from Ariana Grande’s perfume line, and one you should check out if you’re into the Juicy Couture scent. Ari Review