Best Perfumes for Women

6 Fragrances Similar to Idole by Lancome

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Idole has been a massive success for Lancôme since its release. Not only the original, but the subsequent flanker perfume releases, adding their own unique touches to the formula. But, what if you’re in the market for something that’s a cheaper and similar option to Idole? Or, what if you want something with a close style, but brings something else to the table?

On this page, I am going to be keeping track of the potential options for those who want an alternative to Lancôme Idole.

What Perfumes Smell Like or are Similar to Lancôme Idole?

Idôle review

Inspired By

Floral Musk by Dossier–  The first option on the list, is going to be Dossier’s inspired take on the Idole formula. It’s going to be the best quality choice for those who want a cheaper and very closely related scent to the original Idole.

The notes? Still going to give you the pear, lychee, and bergamot opening act. Which will give way to the jasmine and rose combination in the middle.

Now, this is going to be as close as you can currently get for something near matches the Lancôme fragrance. As always, the weightings and ingredients used might not be 100% exact, but most people wouldn’t be able to notice anyway.

Nectar Alternative

Ideal Nectar by Dua– Here is the Dua Brand’s take on the aroma of Idole Nectar, which is one of the flankers of the series.

Actually, Nectar is my second favorite Idole scent, after L’Intense. One of the highlights is the caramel popcorn note paired with vanilla. Within the blend, it’s actually not a super heavy accord, and the perfume is well balanced by the fresh/sweetness of the early stages.

Rose is a main draw too. To me, it was a pink rose, and it goes with the vanilla in the dry down stage.

So, if you want a version of that flanker perfume, you can try out the Dua Ideal Nectar option listed above.

idole nectar review

Dirt Cheap Mist

You’re the One by Bath and Body Works– There is also a perfume version of this one, that you might have to track down, as I didn’t see it on my cursory look for this post.

Anyway, as a cheap alternative, this is actually a great B&BW fragrance. Sweet strawberry, rose, and a somewhat smoky woody base. Less candy-like with the strawberry, more of a jam pairing with the rose note.

Greatly simplified versus Idole, but it really does give you a similar effect. Can be an awesome pick up, if you just want something casual to preserve your bottle of Idole, also.

Aura Alike

Aura of Roses by Dua– Here’s another one from Dua. This time, it’s their inspired take on Idole Aura.

Aura, was a fairly simple flanker, that had a salty and somewhat beachy vibe for a good portion of the wear. Less sweet, more floral and musky. The opening was heavier on the jasmine, while the latter stages was rose and vanilla.

Stripped down, but with more vanilla and that salt note. Instead of salted caramel popcorn. So, if that’s you’re bag and you want a cheaper perfume, this Dua should do the trick.

idole aura review

Now Petals

Viva La Juicy Petals Please- Petals Please is a perfume that has a lot in common with Idole Now. It takes the Viva La Juicy formula into a much more floral focused direction, that is very bouquet-like with how it comes across.

Petals Please opens up fruitier with its cloudberry note, which while being unique, has a light citrusy type of aroma. It’s interesting, not exactly citrus but kind of hits the same way. With that, you still get vanilla and some salty caramel popping up early.

The rose note is a ‘rose water’, which with the freesia gives Petals Please a very slight aquatic feel at times. Magnolia, gardenia, jasmine, and water lily also make appearances.

More of a fresh and watery feel to this, further into the dry down. Though, it’s still not massive. Rose, vanilla, caramel, jasmine, and the like give this one a lot in common with the Lancome line.

Relentless Similarities

Tory Burch Love Relentlessly 3.4 Oz Eau De Parfum Spray For Women– This is another one that is similar to Idole Nectar. However, it’s not the same.

A patchouli-laden fruit mix that is sweet, but not overly sugary. It has a warm pink pepper spice that isn’t too intense and plays nicely off of the patchouli note.

The main fruit note smells something like mango, though, I’m not entirely sure that this is in fact the ingredient. I think it might just be the way that raspberry and the other fruits blend together.

The fruitiness, is fairly dominant up top. Then, you get the pink pepper spice, while the floral notes develop.

Here, it is going to be some iris and rose, which gives this scent a somewhat powdery aroma. Love Relentlessly has good performance and while sweet doesn’t have a huge sillage.

Patchouli is a major factor here, so that might put some folks off to this perfume. That’s going to be the main difference between this and Nectar.

6 Perfumes Similar to Alien Goddess

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Alien Goddess has become a very popular flanker spun off from the extremely popular original Alien perfume from Mugler. Maybe its the coconut water or something else that people are into, but it just works.

However, you may want something a little different from Alien Goddess or Alien Goddess Intense. You might like aspects of that perfume, but not the entire thing. Or, you want something nearly identical for cheaper. Or, a similar style. In any case, this is the page where I will keep track of all the options that smell like Alien Goddess.

What Fragrances Smell Like or are Similar to Alien Goddess?

alien goddess review

Floral Swap

Metallique by Tom Ford– Right off the bat, this isn’t the same as Goddess. But, between it and Goddess Intense this does have much of the same note structure. Just different weightings and different effects.

Still, if you like Goddess the style of this Tom Ford perfume should appeal to you. Bright and cold aldehydes kick things off alongside the same bergamot and pink pepper notes that are found in the Mugler’s.

Heliotrope is also here. However, Metallique feels like more of a general floral blend that is paried with the musk, amber, and aldehydes. None of the tropical aspects are here without the coconut. But, you get a creamy vanilla and sandalwood in the base, that picks up the slack.

Famous Similarities

Fame by Paco Rabanne– Fame or Fame Parfum do have a good deal of overlap with the Goddess series. Fame Parfum is the better of the two Paco Rabanne scents, but I like Goddess Intense the best of all of them.

Instead of the coconut water found in Alien Goddess, we get mango. The tropical aroma and the floral aspects of these fragrances are similar, but not the same.

Jasmine, vanilla, and sandalwood are strong in the EDP version of Fame. The tropical aroma, doesn’t last long.

With Fame Parfum, you get a longer time with the mango and some fresh spice with pink pepper. The dry down with the jasmine and sandalwood also feels smoother. Not a replica of Alien Goddess, but inhabits the same style.

Cristal Connection

La Vie est Belle Soleil Cristal by Lancome– This is another one that has a pretty similar style and smell to Alien Goddess without being the same. It, Fame, and Goddess all inhabit the same category with differences in their blends. Maybe, Bronze by Ellen Tracy too.

With Soleil Cristal, you get a sparkling opening of citrus and coconut notes. It’s bright and lively without feeling like a sugary bomb.

I get some spice and more of the coconut note here, than the vanilla. Less creamy, with a fresher dynamic. Iris and ylang-ylang are the background supporters to the coconut and vanilla notes, clean with some powdery highlights.

I like this one, not fantastic, but can give you a slightly different look and mix than what the Mugler perfume offers. Soleil Cristal review

soleil cristal review

Rose, Coconut, Vanilla

La Nuit Tresor Nude by Lancôme– One that is like our target, but the big difference is in the floral note used. Rose versus the signature jasmine of the Alien series.

La Nuit Tresor Nude actually makes the strange pairing of rose and coconut work. How? Well, it’s more focused on the sweet and creamy notes than it is the floral. The rose is prominent in the dry down, when the vanilla starts coming through.

Early? Sweet and lotion-like coconut and the same bergamot as in Alien Goddess. But, it’s stronger in this Lancôme scent. I think this might be discontinued, but as of now its still plenty available online, if you’re interested.

Goddess Intense Sort of Smell

Donna Born in Roma Intense– This Valentino fragrance is more akin to Goddess Intense than the original Alien Goddess. Intense has a subdued bergamot citrus, less powder than the original, and a more substantial coconut.

Well, Born in Roma Intense doesn’t have the bergamot or coconut. However, the jasmine, amber, benzoin, and vanilla notes are all here.

To me, this is sweeter over the duration than is Intense. It doesn’t have the same level of soapiness in the dry down. Also, this one is more vanilla heavy than I get with the Mugler. After all, it doesn’t have the coconut.

No real price break is to be had. So, I’d probably go with this if you’re not a big fan of the coconut note, but like the idea of the rest of Alien Goddess Intense.

Ylang-Ylang Option

Replica Beach Walk– This Maison Margiela perfume isn’t exactly the same as Goddess, which may be a good thing. Here, you get a lot of overlap with it and Goddess Intense. But, there’s no jasmine.

Instead, that floral note is swapped out with a great ylang-ylang. The similarities are in the notes, but not necessarily how they’re constructed. Here, the scent feels more lotion-like, more like a salty beach day than the probably more well put together Mugler.

Personally, I’d go with the Alien Goddess series versus this one. But, this can be a viable alternative for people who still want the citrus, coconut, benzoin, and the like of the Mugler…just remixed into a different smell.

Prada Paradoxe vs Candy Comparison

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Prada has multiple popular lines of perfumes available. It’s great if you can get all of the ones that you want, but for many of us, decisions need to be made. Paradoxe and Candy are two of the best sellers for this designer. In this post, I want to compare them and try to break down for you which will be the better option to buy. Which lasts longer? Which is ultimately the top fragrance.

Tale of the Tape: Prada Candy vs. Paradoxe

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

Paradoxe

Notes include: neroli, pear, tangerine, bergamot, orange blossom, white musk, jasmine, vanilla, amber, benzoin

Click here to try: Paradoxe by Prada

Opening

Prada Candy, sweet with a darker aroma to it. It doesn’t have the intensity and swaps in caramel to be paired with benzoin and some musk. Very pleasant with that familiar sweetness and the fuzzy benzoin.

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.

Paradoxe opens up sweet also, fruity, and luminous. The neroli is going to be a major factor in that first half of the hour, as the floral note.

On me, that quickly shifts more into the orange blossom’s direction, as we enter the middle act.

The fruitiness comes across more like an artificial candy versus a pure natural fruit. Some sparkling pear is in the mix, but lots of citrus influence (tangerine is the most powerful fruit, early) for the start of Paradoxe.

This will become more floral after the opening burst. Again, for me I get more orange blossom, even versus the jasmine. Neroli still has a presence, but the orange blossom is stronger at this point.

Which do I prefer? I’d have to go with Paradoxe. The simplicity of Prada Candy is nice enough, but the depth, sweetness, and variety of notes really gets me involved with Paradoxe.

Edge: Paradoxe

Projection

To me, Candy was always a lighter moderate fragrance, that I never felt needed to be heavy, create a massive scent trail, or totally project itself across the room. It’s just not in its character, nor would it be too pleasant.

It’s lighter qualities really makes it more enjoyable, in my mind at least.

However, if we’re comparing the two, Paradoxe has a much stronger scent and greater ability to project. It’s much more substantial than its compatriot. It starts off strong, then, is slightly above average the rest of the way.

Edge: Paradoxe

Longevity

Candy is a scent that has slighty better than average performance, on skin. But, not much above middle of the road. For me, I always got about 6-7 hours of wear out of Candy during my testing of it.

Now, Paradoxe, was significantly better than Candy. Though, not elite in its own right. It seemed to at least hit around 8.5 hours for me and could go up to 10 hours.

Pretty darn good and definitely gives you some value for Prada prices. Paradoxe takes this category.

Edge: Paradoxe

Versatility

Both of these fragrance are at their best in autumn and winter. I think that Paradoxe can venture further into the springtime versus Candy.

Paradoxe is the better daily wear. Though, it’s not much of a pick for the nightlife or romantic wear. Though I don’t think Candy is super sexy or anything, its fun and flirtier vibe will work better at Night.

Candy can also work in the daytime due to its lightness, but it isn’t the most formal scent ever.

I think Paradoxe has a bit of an edge here, due to its daytime use case. It’ll fit in more places, cover more bases, and has a greater use in the warmer weather than Candy.

Edge: Paradoxe

Overall Scent

Overall, which is the better perfume? It’s a pretty easy win for Paradoxe, in my book. I’m not even a super fan of this perfume, but it does just about everything better across the board than does Candy.

Candy is a fine perfume. I enjoy its scent, but I’m never completely blown away by it.  The sweet and salty caramel is nice, the benzoin fuzzy and somewhat powdery aroma is attractive too.

For some people, it can be a good pick up with a simple and straightforward wear.

The opening of Paradoxe is interesting and their are layers that I enjoy. The latter stages are balanced with the orange blossom and jasmine notes. It’s slightly soapy and quite clean, with the sweetness and vanilla still having its say.

The performance is better and most people seem to like it overall versus what you get with Candy. Paradoxe takes this matchup.

Winner: Paradoxe

Nomad by Bond No. 9

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Nomad is a perfume released by Bond No. 9 New York back in 2021. I recently bought a sample of it as part of a lot and wanted to test out thing scent, to see what its all about. It’s one of the better looking bottles from the brand, but does the contents inside actually match up to the looks? How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Nomad by Bond No. 9 smell like?

Notes include: quince, blackcurrant, pear, rose, oud, orris, violet leaf, vanilla, amber, sandalwood

Click here to try: Nomad from Bond

nomad bond review

My Full Review

Here’s how Bond describes it: Capturing the free spirit of New York’s dreamy wanderers. A strong, sensual, statement-making oud, with modern fruity notes and luxurious amber.

The opening here is sharp and fresh with a light watery mix coming from the pear and violet leaf notes. Blackcurrant, quince, and rose are kind of a lot to handle all at once. Especially, when they’re amped up to 1000 like they are in Nomad.

Man, this stuff goes on super powerful. Once some of the initial top has burned off, it will be more like a rose water, and much more tolerable.

Oud and rose are going to dominate. On my skin, I get a ton of the oud. I don’t mind it here, even if it isn’t a personal favorite note of mine. I could do without the pairing of it with rose, which has been done countless times by seemingly every designer.

The next phase is a slightly rosy oud with a bit of a powdery orris coming through. Spraying on clothes, I get more powder than on my skin. In either case, it’s only slight.

Nomad is sweeter less sharp, increasingly woody with some sandalwood coming into the picture and an amber base.

That’s basically the tail end of it. Woody, somewhat sweet and rosy, with an amber note having a larger role.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Nomad starts off monstrous with its projection. But, it’ll be quite strong for the rest of the way before declining into a skin scent deep into the wear.

That opening act is massive. Plenty of scent trail left behind, great projection, while not feeling super heavy. The slight aquatic aspect helps it from bogging everything down too much.

Nomad lasts forever on my skin. On a jacket, it’s still projecting a few feet, days after I sprayed it. It’s absolutely awesome with it’s performance. Not sure how long it actually goes on skin, but I’ve easily gotten 13+ hours before I scrubbed it.

Suffice to say, if you enjoy Nomad, you get your money’s worth.

Seasonally, autumn through spring. How deep into springtime, depends on where you live. I wouldn’t want this on, when it gets too hot outside. But, slightly chilly to moderate temperatures is where this Bond seems at its best.

This is also a true unisex. They did a great job a creating balance with appeal for anyone who likes this style of perfume.

It might not be the most versatile scent, due to its strength and the somewhat polarizing nature of oud and rose fragrances. Can be a bit much for the office, when you go beyond a few sprays.

Not super dressy or formal, but Noma has enough substance to be considered well put together. It’d be good for certain nighttime wear, lounges and things like that.

Overall Impressions of Nomad

Overall, do I like Nomad? Really, it’s not for me at all. Not a big rose and oud guy, but designers keep on cranking out these formulas, so I sort of have to review them.

Nomad is a beast, which can be both good and bad, depending on where you land with this scent.

I like the middle and dry down more. It’s somewhat softer and more balanced, without the harshness of the opening act. That’s when you get the best of everything. Still sweet and fruity, but with a fully developed oud taking center stage and some orris powder.

Nomad isn’t going to be a Bond No. 9 that enjoys a wide mass appeal. For some percentage of people, this is going to be perfect for them. Others, will be overwhelmed. I would suggest getting a sample before committing to hundreds of dollars spent, on a full bottle of Nomad.

A few bucks up front can save you from having an expensive paperweight on your shelf, if it turns out that you hate it.

5 Best Smelling Miu Miu Perfumes

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Miu Miu has only been in the fragrance game for less than a decade, as of writing. Their influence is felt more in the rest of the fashion world, but they have been coming on strong with some increasingly popular perfume releases. On this page, I want to keep track of my favorites from this brand, and share what I like about each.

What are the Top Smelling Miu Miu Fragrances?

Greenish Lily Woods

Miu Miu EDP– The 2015 release that has classic aromas met with a contemporary style. Fresh and crisp in the opening, with a gathering of white floral notes including a stemmy-greenish scent coming from the heart.

It opens up bright and juicy with citrus and some small amount of peach. More of a bergamot to my nose versus the lemon. Plus, some blackcurrant. But, what really is going to be front and center is the lily of the valley note.

The opening, just as a warning, can be pretty sharp. Those fruits tend to do that, especially when combined with the punch of the lily. But, it’ll mellow out.

What you’re left with is a lily-led floral perfume, with a generally fresh and slightly sweet aroma, with a woody base. Jasmine is the second in terms of strength, with only a pinch of rose.

Twist It

Miu Miu Twist– Red berries and apple blossom make Twist a rather unique experience. It’s sweet, fresh like Miu Miu EDP, but more of a balanced floral overall.

The berries are joined by that same bergamot note as above. Luckily, I don’t get the same level of sharpness with this one. The citrus is still bright, but with the other two notes, nothing seems to get carried away.

As you move further into it, it becomes softer and laden with a musk and powdery tonka bean coming from the base. Sweet, amber, floral, woods all coming together for a pleasing and well put together scent.

Not super powerful, but the performance is pretty darn good, in terms of longevity.

Tuberose Woods

Fleur d’Argent by Miu Miu– Feels like the revamped the formula of Miu Miu EDP in some ways, with Fleur d’Argent. But, I think there are more than enough differences to warrant it having a place on the list.

So, this one is going to be quite a musky floral blend. The flower? Tuberose instead of lily of the valley. But, early on it shares the stage with that musk a lot. Less of a greenish freshness than EDP, though.

Sweet tuberose, probably not the best or most natural that I’ve come across, likeable however. The woods come on gentle in the dry down and the aroma starts to taken on a slightly powdery finish.

Kind of basic, pleasant, and can be a great pick up at the right price.

Tropical Edible

Fleur de Lait by Miu Miu– Laconic and tropical with notes of coconut milk, mango, and an awesome osmanthus that is reminiscent of the one in Flowerbomb’s opening act.

Yet, this one definitely gives off dessert vibes. Seems like there is some vanilla and more of a baked goods kind of aroma in the middle act versus the juicy tropical start. Still has some milkiness, but not to the same extent.

The coconut and the rest of it in the dry down, feels more solidified, and has a powdery aspect to it (again, vanilla?). I don’t think I’d go full price on a purchase for most people. Try to wait for it to hit the discounters and it might be a good pick up.

You’re going to have to like this sweet tropical sort of perfumes. Not the most sophisticated aroma, but likeable.

In Your Eyes

Eyes on Me by Miu Miu– Eyes on me has gotten attention, as it really seems to share a great deal with Thank U, Next. It’s become more widely available since I first came across it a year or so ago.

Though, actually trying it, it’s not at all a one to one match. In fact, it’s a better scent than the Ariana Grande release.

Raspberry, macaron, and rose. It looks like this one lacks the pear and the musk note. But, you get benzoin in the base, which actually might be an improvement versus Thank U.

Lots of raspberry and rose, with a sweetish baked goods scent from the macaron. Not too heavy on that note, though. Amber with a somewhat caramel? aroma. A sweetish rose perfume with fruits and hints of delectable dessert.