Best Perfumes for Women

10 Best Smelling Bath and Body Works Scents

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Bath & Body Works has a ton of fragrances that are available for cheap, but also smell great. Yes, sometimes, they can be fairly predictable. However, B&BW definitely provides some absolute gems in the lower cost space. These can come in the form of lotions, mists, perfumes, or shower gels.

With such an extensive line, I wanted to present some of their scents that I feel smell the best, and have a good deal of popularity (with some underrated perfumes in the mix as well).

What are the Top Bath and Body Works Fragrances?

Newer Gem

Tropidelic– This one actually comes in an eau de parfum version, as well as the usual body mist. I haven’t tested the perfume out, but I have smelled the mist, and it deserves a spot on this list.

Tropical and light with a misty/aquatic aroma to it. That seems to be short-lived or at least not very prevalent when I tested it. Passion flower, ylang-ylang, and a burst of bright energy to help uplift you.

Not going to be super complex but you get a sweet, vaguely fruity blend sitting underneath, a wonderful floral mix. 

Tropidelic is light, fun, and easy to wear. Probably best for the spring and summer months.

 

Creamy Citrus Woods

Bath & Body Works, Ultra Shea Body Cream, Body Lotion, Shower Gel, Twilight Woods Bundle (3-Pack)– Twilight Woods is one of the most popular scent releases from Bath & Body Works. It opens up with a citrus and berry blend, mainly focused on orange.

Then, it works its way into being a creamy/woody blend, with floral notes swirling around the base.

The fruit top is nice, but once you get down to the vanilla and woody dry down, this fragrance is just beautiful. There’s also an amber and a touch of coconut/apricot, up top.

Bright Starfruit with Almond

A Thousand Wishes Body Set – Shower Gel, Body Lotion & Fragrance Mist– A bit sweet with a sparkling quality, A Thousand Wishes is a unique, and ultimately delicious fragrance. Starfruit is very present within this, which is a fruit note, that I wholly enjoy. 

It’s much more fruity and sugary than the below option, but there is enough floral notes in this perfume, to keep it interesting. The dry down has plenty of amber and freesia, with a creamy almond note to tie things together. 

Cherry Blossom Fruity Floral

Bath & Body Works Japanese Cherry Blossom Set – Shower Gel 10 oz, Fragrance Mist– Obviously, the star of the show here, is going to be the Japanese Cherry Blossom. Yes, you’re going to get a floral blend with musky and woodsy notes.

But also, a nice blend of fruit to get paired with that cherry aroma, mainly pear and apple. 

This one is somewhat soft and understated, though it has a woody and slightly peppery freshness, throughout the wear. It leans much more fruity/floral, while being a completely enjoyable and attractive fragrance.

Tropical Champagne

CHAMPAGNE TOAST Fine Fragrance Mist 8 Fluid Ounce (2019 Edition)– I love a good champagne note, though, it doesn’t get utilized all that often. In Champagne Toast, you get that effervescent feeling, paired with sweet fruits and citrus. 

It’s sugary sweet, almost tropical in nature at times, but ultimately has that great champagne note dominating the composition.

This isn’t a very popular fragrance from B&BW, but I thought it was really attractive, when I smelled it a while back. 

Cool Mint and Chocolatey 

Twisted Peppermint Fine Fragrance Mist, 8 Fl Oz– Twisted Peppermint is a personal favorite of mine. I wear the lotion, during the wintertime, and it’s simply great. 

Twisted Peppermint is a holiday release, that features peppermint, sugared snow, and balsam. It starts out with an extremely fresh and cool peppermint, much like a candy cane. Sweet with a balsamic undertone.

The lotion version, has shea butter and coconut oil, which gives the scent a somewhat chocolaty finish. 

Strawberry Patchouli Floral

Bath & Body Works Mad About You Fine Fragrance Mist, 8 Ounce- Mad About You has a strong strawberry opening act, that kicks things off with a sweet and juicy aroma.

Then, you will get a good bit of patchouli, and a light peony hitting throughout.

Really nice smell. Plenty of berry goodness, with a musk/patchouli support for it. Not just another pure fruity fragrance. 

Dark Resinous Berry

Signature Collection ~ “Dark Kiss” ~ Gift Bag ~ Shower Gel, Ultra Shea Body Cream & Body Lotion– Yes, Dark Kiss is indeed, a ‘dark’ sort of fragrance. It opens up with a berry note that is surrounded by a warm amber note, and a light smokiness. 

It becomes quite rich, somewhat floral, and resinous. The dark berry is a great change of pace, from some of the other offerings on the list.

Dark Kiss is interesting, not super complex, but an overall lovely perfume. 

Sugary Tropics

Pink Pineapple Sunrise– Pink Tropical Sunrise gives you another option in the tropical category, other than Tropidelic.

This one, is for those who want a fruitier blend with a sweet sugary afterglow. This one really hits with a bold use of sweetness. The pineapple feels fresh, juicy, and lively. There is also a less prominent nectarine note in here.

The sugar itself is more noticeable in what could be termed the dry down, as much as you actually get one from a body spray. But, the main focus is absolutely going to be the pineapple note and it’s really wonderful for what this scent is.

Warm Amber, Juicy Fruit

IN THE STARS Gift Set – New Fragrance– In the Stars is a rather simple scent, but one that comes together quite wonderfully.

It kicks things off with a nice juicy/bubbly tangerine, that quickly gets paired up with amber, some light musk, and a woody base.

It dries down with a warm and creamy smoothness, consisting mostly of amber, but still retaining that nice citrus top note.

It gets called a near dupe of Cloud by Ariana Grande. But, it doesn’t have the lavender note, nor the complexity of that perfume. Still, I like this one as a cheapie.

Black Opium vs Prada Candy Perfume Comparison

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So, here we are, back with another round of perfume comparisons. Today, we have two sweet and popular designers scents for women: Black Opium EDP by Yves Saint Laurent vs. Prada Candy. Now, both of these are the eau de parfum versions of each respective scents. Which of these two gourmand perfumes smells the best? Which gives a better performance? Please continue below for my full take of them head to head.

Tale of the Tape: Black Opium vs. Candy

Black Opium

black opium perfume review

Notes include: coffee, vanilla, patchouli, pink pepper, orange blossom, cedar

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, Black Opium, 3 Ounce

Read my original review: Black Opium

Prada Candy

Notes include: caramel, musk, and benzoin

Click here to try: Prada Prada Candy Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 2.7 Ounce

Read my original review: Prada Candy

Opening

The opening of Black Opium is probably when it’s at its worst. It’s messy and has a lot going on. Orange blossom, vanilla, and cedar among other notes are heavily present and intense. The YSL scent just takes about ten minutes to work itself out before the perfume really gets going.

After that, we get a still super sweet fragrance, but the vanilla and emergent coffee pair up to straighten out the composition.

Meanwhile, Prada Candy, is also sweet just darker. It doesn’t have the intensity and swaps in caramel to be paired with benzoin and some musk.

I love the benzoin note here and it strikes me as being sort of like a more feminine version of Body Kouros, which is actually a Yves Saint Laurent cologne.

Between the two? I prefer the start to Prada Candy. Black Opium gets better, just the opening struggles for a bit. It’s kind of messy and I think some of the later flankers to Black Opium got it better, in this regard.

Edge: Candy

Projection

Black Opium is very strong perfume. A couple sprays should do it for just about any occasion and any more than that just won’t be necessary. Prada Candy is much more of a light to moderate scent and cannot compete with the sillage of Black Opium.

It’s probably a good thing for Candy, as if it were strong, it’d start to get annoying. Nonetheless, the stronger of the two is the YSL fragrance.

Edge: Black Opium

Longevity

I get about 6-7 hours from Prada Candy, on my skin. That’s solid and could be useful in a variety of scenarios. Still, it’s nothing that’s amazing or of great value versus the Prada price point.

However, Black Opium is an all day wear. I got double digit hours out of that perfume with no trouble at all. Performance wise, the YSL is dominant. Some later Black Opium flankers didn’t seem to ever reach this same level.

As far as I’ve experienced with the original, it hasn’t gotten noticeably weaker over the years.

Prada is serviceable, but Black Opium gets you plenty of bang for your buck.

Edge: Black Opium

Versatility

Both of these perfumes are cold weather wears. Both can be worn casually or at work. Plus, have enough sexiness to be worn out at night. Perhaps, Prada Candy is a bit safer for work because it isn’t as loud, but that’s really the only edge I see.

Either is a nice and sweet selection that can be a easy reach when the temperatures start to drop.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

So, the both of these perfumes are of the sweet, gourmand, and cold weather variety. Prada Candy is fairly linear and moderate in its presentation and performance.

You get the sweet and salty caramel and then later, more of benzoin and musk. There is also a dash of powder in there for good measure.

Black Opium EDP is a bold fragrance that isn’t dark like the name would suggest. It’s really sweet with vanilla and coffee.

Add to that, a warm pink pepper note, and the ever present orange blossom note. It has more of a rich and cozy feeling than does Candy, while also being more complex and ultimately more interesting.

Which is better? I’d go with Black Opium. For most ladies, it will be the better bet. Now, if you want something subtler, Candy might be the way to go.

However, Black Opium gives a better performance and outside of the opening 10 minutes of confusion, it smells nicer than does Prada Candy.

Winner: Black Opium

6 Best Smelling Playboy Perfumes for Her

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Playboy became an iconic brand during the second half of the 20th century. Not just in the world of publishing and popular culture. There were also night clubs and various other branding opportunities sought out by the company.

One of these in this century, has been the fragrance lines for both men and women. Now, I’ve already done the best men’s options from Playboy, and now it is time to tackle the 6 greatest smelling perfumes for ladies.

Note: The company has undergone changes in the past few years. Which means, they’ve put out some newer scents, and some of these older ones may not be available to the same extent. Though, they do still seem to be, as of this update.

What are the Best Smelling Ladies Perfumes by Playboy?

Playboy Play It Rock Edt Spray 1.0oz For Women– The combo of passion flower and blood orange is a really fantastic aroma, with some extra vanilla note to create that smoothness. That pairs with a lovely saffron note and some patchouli, later on in the wear.

This is an underappreciated fragrance from Playboy and one of the most unique out of all of them.

A very fresh and bright kind of scent with plenty of character. It’s mostly a fruity-floral fragrance,, good amount of sweetness, but not overly sugary.

Playboy Play It Sexy Women Eau De Toilette Spray, 2.5 Ounce– Sweet, a bit spicy, and indeed a sexy perfume. It can be too much for some, the blend of licorice and patchouli, personally bothers me after a while. However, others will swear by it and absolutely love the blend.

Play It Sexy kicks things off with a citrus and pink pepper trio. Initially, it is spicy and bright. Later, when the licorice and vanilla comes into their own, it has a sweeter appeal. Nonetheless, it is a warm perfume with a spicy sexiness throughout.

This one did get an updated bottle in 2023. I think the perfume itself is the same, however. Haven’t tried it.

Playboy Play It Lovely Women Eau De Toilette Spray, 2.5 Ounce– A light and sheer perfume that strikes one as sexy and ethereal. I don’t think Play it Lovely is as unique as some of the other scents from Playboy, but even in its generic sort of vibe, it’s still a very nice aroma.

It features citrus fruits, orchid, and blackberry as the main notes. It does dry down with more of a floral influence, but Lovely sticks more to the fruity end of the spectrum.

Playboy Queen Of The Game Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, 3 Ounce– A newer offering from the Playboy line and not very well known, but Queen of the Game, is pretty much a steal at its price point.

Sweet blend of fruit and chocolate. It’s very clean, upbeat, while being understated.

Queen opens up with a sweet-tart blackcurrant note, leading things off. You get some of the patchouli from the base, which helps to further its gourmand sensibilities. That is only enhanced by the coffee (also sweet here) and the chocolate in the base.

Fruity with some jasmine is what a lot of this one is going to be. The gourmand notes hit the background, but stick around for the rest of the wear. Not great performance, but passable for this price point.

Playboy Play It Spicy Women Eau De Toilette Spray, 2.5 Ounce– It’s only somewhat spicy, but provides a lovely aroma for the warmer months of the year.

It has a fruity sweet smell with vanilla and amber notes thrown in for good measure. Also, has good longevity.

The fruity top consists of pomegranate and red berries. I do enjoy the pomegranate note, here, and in other perfumes. The sweet berries lead the way, though. That will pair with the vanilla mostly, in the middle and tail end.

Still, this one isn’t heavy nor does it have a syrup-like sweetness. It’s very wearable, pretty moderate sillage, and only some light floral influence.

Make the Cover for Her– This is one of the more recent releases from Playboy. They supposedly came out with three more perfumes in 2023, but I haven’t been able to find them anywhere yet.

This one, is fruity and fun. Similarities to Private Show VIP by Britney Spears, but not exactly the same.

Some citrus and pineapple notes, give it a bit of a tropical feel up top. But, it’s more peachy overall. Early, it feels more mixed. Sweet with some light freshness and sitting on top of a sandalwood note. Not great sandalwood, but decent generic variety.

Fruity sweet for most of the wear. Only some floral influences, a bit powdery. Mostly, just a nice sweet perfume.

Light Blue Eau Intense for Women by Dolce & Gabbana

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D&G’s Light Blue is one of the best selling ladies’ fragrances on the market. It was only natural that it would spawn a ton of flanker perfumes, as a result. The main follow up scent, is the subject of today’s review, Light Blue Eau Intense for Women. It was released in 2017. How does it smell? Is the performance any good? Is it worth a try?

What does Light Blue Eau Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, granny smith apple, amberwood, marigold, and jasmine

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Eau Intense For Women Eau De Parfum Spray 3.3 oz

My Full Wear Review

Light Blue Eau Intense opens up with its fruity notes taking center stage. Initially, I get more of the granny smith apple note over the lemon, but that will reverse as it moves along.

Underneath this layer of fruit is the marigold, which provides Eau Intense with a fairly light floral, at least against the strength of the fruits. When drawn together, it has a very fresh and engaging scent, that lacks the cedar found in the original Light Blue.

I actually think that this is a nice change of pace from the original. The lemon is toned tone, mostly because the cedar isn’t there to enhance that sharpness.

Instead we get amberwood, which gives Eau Intense an added fresh kick, of a different kind.

For me, this is a fairly linear wear. I pretty much just get a muskier aroma, with added amberwood, and the lemon being the strongest of the fruits. The apple note, probably takes a 40% split.

Projection, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Eau Intense, is exactly that. The first 30-60 minutes, this perfume is a bomb. It does settle down, eventually, but tread carefully when first applying.

The rest of the way, it’s certainly not weak, and won’t be a skin scent until the back half of the wear.

The performance is really good. Strong and lasts for a long time. It definitely got up there in the 9-10 hour range, during testing.

For a summertime scent or one for those who live in the tropics, that’s an amazing performance. This won’t get completely eaten up by the humidity and heat.

As I said, this is one for the warm to hot weather. It’s one of those rare birds, that can actually hang in that sort of climate. Of course, that can extend to the more moderate days of springtime, but you’d probably want another daily perfume for winter.

This is a daily wear type of fragrance. One you could wear to work, school, or casually. Not really a nighttime or formal perfume, but one to reach for when you need something fresh. Not a formal sort of scent, but can fit in a lot of different places otherwise.

It is an attractive fragrance, not sexy, but it does have a certain delicious appeal that will draw folks in and get complemented.

Overall Impressions of Light Blue Eau Intense

Do I like this perfume? Yes, I enjoy it more than the original, personally. However, that won’t be the case for everyone.

It is one of the better releases of the Light Blue series. But, one very much like the initial release. If you want a different smelling flanker, Sunset in Salina was surprisingly good.

What I do like about it, is the enhanced apple note, and its boldness. The performance is top notch, with an enticing cleanliness.

For some, that intensity, may scare them off. It can be too much, for those who cannot handle a little sharpness in their fragrances. I think that it settles down, with some time, but you might not want to get to that point.

I would suggest that if you want a lighter version of this or the original Light Blue, go with I Love Love by Moschino. Gives you the fruitiness and cedar freshness, with a more tolerable sillage.

You could also go with Light Blue Forever, as an updated sort of remix of the original Light Blue. Or one of the many perfume which attempt to ‘dupe’ Light Blue.

For anyone else? I would say that this is one to try out. This is especially true, if you happen to live in a hotter climate, as it could be one that you could end up using a lot.

6 Perfumes Similar to Black Orchid by Tom Ford

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Black Orchid is one of the most beloved and unique fragrances from Tom Ford, that really helped to set the standard for the brand back in 2006. Since then, it has continued on, and there have been some flankers released based on the formula as well.

But, what if you want to find a fragrance that is similar to Black Orchid or the Parfum version? Maybe one that is cheaper and shares most all similarities with it. Or, you want something with closely related style, but gives you something a bit different? This is my page for keeping track of these options.

What Fragrances Smell Like or are Similar to Black Orchid?

Orchid Alternative

Spicy Orchid by Dossier– Spicy Orchid is the first on the list for ‘inspired by’ alternative perfumes based on the idea of Black Orchid.

Dossier does a lot of designer impressions and they tend to do them well. For under $40, you can get something that is very nearly the same as the Tom Ford scent, with a high extrait de parfum concentration level.

The notes here give you a plum, orchid, and spicy opening act of pink pepper and cinnamon. Good spice, nice tart, and a bold floral scent.

Celestial Spice

Celestial Flower by Dua– The Dua option is inspired by the original 2006 formula of Black Orchid. Taking what was great about the initial release and coming close to replicating it, with their own in house ingredients.

Celestial Flower goes a little deeper with the ingredients than does the Dossier above. Truffle, gardenia, chocolate, blackcurrant, lotus, and more combine to create an amazing throwback olfactory experience.

It too, comes in an extrait de parfum concentration. I’d probably go with this one first, as it’s got the most ability to showcase the layers of notes, while having a high level of performance.

Never Forget

Unforgettable by Alexandria– The third of the four scents that try to closely replicate what Black Orchid provides. This time, from Alexandria, which is a brand that I’ve had good experience with.

They’ve always had the quality and I do like that you can pick up Unforgettable in multiple sizes, that aren’t available from some of the others on the list.

Unforgettable goes with ylang-ylang and jasmine up top with the black currant note. Spices and the patchouli note follow. I haven’t personally tried this one,  but it sounds right on target for what we want.

Orchid Parfum Alt

Guilty EDP Intense– Not exactly the same, but this release from the Guilty line has a lot in common with Black Orchid Parfum.

Here, we get violet instead of the orchid note. But, to me the ylang-ylang in Black Orchid Parfum was what I got more in the dry down, than the title note anyway.

With Guilty EDP Intense, violet and the ylang-ylang eventually merge into a generic floral aroma. It finishes with vanilla, patchouli, and plum. The undertones become a basically sweet floral perfume.

Still a dark formula, but this Gucci doesn’t have the same earthiness and spice as the Tom Ford. Depending who you are, that might be exactly what you want from an alternative. Guilty EDP Intense Review

guilty edp intense review

A bit different, more femme

Maremma by Tiziana Terenzi– Not exactly the same as Black Orchid, but it’s close. Actually, has some elements of the Parfum version. A bit in-between the two Tom Ford perfumes.

Maremma has an oak and a leathery aspect, that kind of differentiates it from our target. Plus, no actual orchid here. Still, even with the differences this one is pretty close and at a cheaper price.

You still get the blackcurrant and fruitiness. The opening act is thick with its sweetness and has a level of intensity. But, it’ll settle down into a woodier fruity scent, but you still get to keep a good deal of the honey.

Performance is decent, but nothing remarkable. A lighter fragrance than is the Tom Ford.


Solar Nights

Nuit Noor by Elie Saab– This one has a close opening act to Black Orchid and a similar style. To me, it ultimately comes across as being fairly different. While, being close enough to earn a spot here.

This one has the same dark qualities (for a time), floral notes, and woods. But, it’s a rose here instead of the jasmine and orchid in our target. Plus, this really lacks the plum and truffle notes that give Black Orchid its jammy and earthy aromas.

As we move forward, Nuit Noor really comes into its own. The spices calm, but you get a slight smokiness from incense. Mainly, its a solar accord that comes through with the floral notes and honey. At some point, the ylang-ylang feels stronger than the rose by a wide margin.

This is a good alternative for those who think Black Orchid is a bit too much. This feels more normal, while still having a uniqueness all of its own, and more wearable for lots of people.