Best Perfumes for Women

Utopia Vanilla Coco | 21 by Kayali

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Utopia Vanilla Coco 21 is one of the more popular scents from the Kayali lineup.  Probably not the top of the list, but it is a sought after scent. Being one of the vanilla perfumes from the brand, it often comes down to deciding between this and Vanilla 28. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Utopia Vanilla Coco Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, jasmine, coconut, sandalwood, vanilla Bourbon

Click here to try: Utopia Vanilla Coco

My Full Review

Utopia starts off without it focus being on the vanilla note. Instead, this one is lighter and sparkles with a lovely pear blossom note and some assorted citrus, lurking in the background.

Aside from those notes, the coconut is playing a stronger role in this opening act, while jasmine joins the citrus in the background.. At first, it’s more of a secondary role, but will gradually take over for that pear blossom.

About 30-45 minutes in, the fruitier aspects of this will wane. Vanilla and coconut are now the leaders and the other notes are simply providing a freshness to keep it from becoming a thicker and creamier scent.

Sweet, fresh, and dry. Sandalwood is basically the only other note that has any real effect on how this smells. It’ll basically be a vanilla and sandalwood mix, with coconut, and mostly the jasmine still hanging on.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Like others from Kayali, this one isn’t going to be a heavy, scent trail leaving bomb. For the first hour or so, it does have a nice amount of projection and can leave some scent hanging in the air in your wake.

After that, it’s going to be sticking closer to the 3-5 foot range. Not too bad and I didn’t find Utopia to be completely weak. But, it will be a fairly light perfume for most of the wear.

The longevity is somewhere in the 5-6 hour range for me. Not going to be an all-day affair, if you want longer, be sure to bring some more with you for re-application. It’s pretty mid-range like the others in the line.

Seasonally, this is a vanilla fragrance that can work in the summer. I’d say it’s probably best in the warmer temperatures of late spring than the absolutely sidewalk melting days. Though, it’s still pretty good there as well. Can absolutely venture into the fall.

It’s a versatile wear. Good with other perfumes as a part of a layer, while being able to stand alone. It’s fine during the daytime as a casual wear or even one that can be used in the office. Very pleasant and likeable.

Overall Impressions of Utopia Vanilla Coco

Overall, do I like Utopia Vanilla Coco? Yes, I think it’s one of the better perfumes from Kayali. However, I prefer the smell of Vanilla 28 to this one. Between those two, I’d go with that before choosing this.

But, I do think that this one is a good pickup for those who want a lighter, fresher, and less vanilla dominant scent. Or, for those who want something which is a great candidate for layering with other perfumes.

The pear blossom with the coconut and lighter vanilla in the opening is lovely and the sparkling lightness is a joy to have around. The latter stages are more focused on that vanilla note and not as inspiring.

The performance is pretty mid. Don’t expect to be dealing with an absolute beast. It’s passable, just not great.

Utopia Vanilla Coco is one to try from Kayali. Not their absolute best, but in the upper half of their offerings for sure.

Light Blue Forever by D&G

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Light Blue Forever was the flanker release in the Light Blue series for 2021. Since I’ve been reviewing all of the men’s scents from this D&G lineup, I figured that I should do some more of the women’s as well. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Light Blue for Women Forever Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, apple, blood orange, musk, orange blossom, white flowers, cedar, cashmeran

Click here to try: Light Blue Forever

My Full Review

So, the men’s version of Forever changed things up with a hyper-realistic grapefruit note. I was expecting something like that with the women’s. However, it seems to be an updated remix of the original Light Blue.

The apple note and the cedar are toned down in Forever versus the original. But, up top you get that same lemon note, joined by blood orange, and a pretty prominent orange blossom. Very juicy citrus opening, that I actually like quite a bit.

The balance among the fruit notes is better here, than the original. Since the cedar note isn’t blasting your nose, it’s not as woody fresh, but that lovely citrus and apple blend is keeping the clean sunny vibes going.

The lemon will quiet down some and the blood orange with orange blossom emerge as the leaders of the pack. It feels sweeter, more floral, and less tart than Light Blue.

Further along, it will be more of a white floral scent, with fruity tones, musk, and some light woody notes. Cashmeran comes out some in the final act.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one starts to really approach the original and Intense, unlike some of the earlier flankers. Others in the Light Blue series could be pretty light with how they project. This one, is well above average and actually performs very well on my skin.

As far as longevity, it lasts 8-8.5 hours for me. Again, it’s not a scent that’s just going to fade away. Those other flankers could be in the 4-6 hour range, so you get some value with Forever.

Seasonally, obviously we’re going to be late spring and early summer. It’s built for the warmer weather and sits beautifully in the air.

It’s good for casual or just general daytime wear. If you go lightly with Forever, it can be pretty versatile with its applications. More of a pretty fragrance than something that’s super sexy. Yet, it certainly has its appeal.

Overall Impressions of Light Blue Forever

Overall, do I like Light Blue Forever? Yes, it’s nothing that’s super unique but it’s about what you’d expect from a Light Blue scent. Very clean and fresh summertime wear, lots of citrus, and neroli.

If you’re not into the citrus ingredients, you can pretty safely pass on this one. If you like the original Light Blue, you might actually prefer this, if the cedar bothered you in that one.

The performance is really good and the scent has some enjoyable moments. I like the dry down more so probably, since the fruit overload could get on my nerves at times.

Forever is probably a pretty safe blind buy, if you’re familiar with the Light Blue fragrances already. If intense citrus bothers you, this might. Yet, it’s pretty easy to wear overall. It’s already been discontinued, so supplies are going to be much more limited moving forward.

Light Blue Sunset in Salina by D&G

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Sunset in Salina is one of the flankers from the women’s Light Blue line. It was released back in 2015. Since I am currently finishing up my review of all of the men’s Light Blue colognes, I took the opportunity to pick up a few more for the ladies, including Salina. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Sunset in Salina smell like?

Notes include: orange blossom, vine, violet leaf, amber, freesia, jasmine, musk, cedar

Click here to try: Sunset in Salina

My Full Review

This is going to be a different take on the Light Blue name and doesn’t have too much in common with the original, other than a few notes.

It starts off with the orange blossom already out in full effect. Now, this is not just the flower itself, but there does seem to be a little zest of the fruit too.

It’s a slightly citrusy white floral start, with an ozonic breeziness and a touch aquatic. The aquatic aspect is actually just the freesia and violet leaf doing their thing. Luckily for me, the violet leaf isn’t too heavy in the mix.

Another part that I want to touch on, is the greenish aroma that Sunset in Salina has. Vine and that violet leaf, give this one a fresh leafy boost, that I think works really well. It’s like sitting in a flower garden on the Italian coast during summer.

For a time, this does feel a bit more violet leaf heavy. When mixed with the other notes, it has a hair spray sort of vibe for a time. For me, it does go away.

A bit further along, the greenish parts will start to fade. This becomes much more of a white floral dominant scent. Orange blossom still reigns supreme followed by, jasmine and freesia.

Very clean and not nearly as woody fresh as the original. The cedar is still here, but it’s a faint impression in the dry down.

The final act is a more run together mix of the floral notes, a surprisingly strong amber giving Salina a warm resinous quality, and musk.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty middle of the road. It comes across as being lighter than others in the series, without much of a trail left behind. The projection, outside of the opening, is like 2 or maybe 3 feet. Not a beast at all.

The longevity too isn’t great. It’s okay at around 5-5.5 hours, on my skin. I don’t have too much of a problem with it for what the use case of this perfume is. Unless you really over-payed, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

Seasonally, late spring and summer, depending on where you live. Sunset in Salina is built for the hottest days and its light cleanliness hangs very nicely in the air.

This is more of a casual or daily wear for the summer months. Not a nightlife beast or one that is particularly sexy. It lives up to its name, as I could totally see this as something a woman would wear walking through an island market or sitting outdoors for a drink in the Mediterranean.

Overall Impressions of Sunset in Salina

Overall, do I like Sunset in Salina? Yes, I was surprised that I enjoyed this Light Blue as much as I did. Based on the notes, I wasn’t sure that I was going to be into it. It’s not amazing or a must have, just very nice for a specific season.

The orange blossom is nice and so is the dry down, with the amber and musk. Much smoother and less green at that point, even if I personally enjoyed the vine note early on.

It’s got the same spirit as the rest of the series, but doesn’t just try to clone Light Blue.

Performance isn’t great. If you need an 8+ hour wear, you probably won’t get it with this one. My skin doesn’t tend to ‘eat up’ perfumes and I still only managed the 5 or so hours with Salina.

Light Blue Sunset in Salina does seem to be one that has split opinions on it. As such, I wouldn’t grab an expensive bottle, if you’re blind buying.

Though, since it came out years ago at this point, the cheapies may be harder to come by. $50-70 seems like an okay range, under $40 it’s a pretty safe buy.

To me, it’s worth a shot, especially if it sounds interesting to you.

12 Amazing Orange Blossom Perfumes

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Orange blossom is generally one of my favorite floral notes in fragrances. Sometimes, it does get overwhelming and on my nerves, but when done right…it can really enhance the experience of a scent.

For this page, I want to present a list of the top smelling perfumes which utilize and focus in on the orange blossom note. I will continue to update, as I come across newer options.

Favorite Orange Blossom Fragrances for Her (or Unisex)

Citrusy Orange Blossom

Fleur d’Oranger 27 Le Labo– Our target note here is really great. The orange blossom gets paired with its usual petitgrain partner, but D’oranger 27 does have substantial doses of lemon and bergamot.

So, this will probably be a best bet for those who want a more juicy citrus finish to their orange blossom perfume.

Though, on the whole this smells much more like orange than it does being covered in lemon. Like walking around in a citrus grove. Sort of a greenish juicy citrus that morphs more into a musky white floral during the mid and latter stages.

Clean and a Bit Powdery

Infusion de Fleur d’Oranger by Prada– This Prada option is a very beautiful use of orange flower, with a light sillage, and bright overall personality. It is joined by neroli, tuberose, and jasmine.

Up top you do get a nice juicy mandarin orange citrus fruit, but that’s not going to be a dominate feature. The juiciness does hang around, but I’d say it is more of a zest or watery smell than full on prominent orange.

But, as it dries down this one has the usual soapy element, but with some added light touches of powder that many Prada perfumes are known for.

Infusion is light on the sillage, but clean and has its opening sparkling quality, and a dry down that really highlights the phenomenal orange blossom.

Warm and Spicy Blossom

Serge Lutens Fleurs D’oranger Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 1.7 Ounce– Fleurs d’Oranger opens up with the orange blossom being joined by jasmine, spice, and musk.

The fragrance does seem to have a citrus fruit note here as well, but this perfume is quite dry and not juicy with how it comes across.

That spice note is cumin and it’s at its peak during the opening act. Though, it does stick around for the duration, while mainly being dominated by musk.

As Fleurs d’Oranger dries down, the floral composition will shift to include more of the tuberose and less of that jasmine. But, neither of those two floral ingredients takes over the orange blossom.

This one has good performance on my skin, 8-9 hours of wear. It has a great orange blossom note, within a bouquet-like composition. Dry, floral, warm, and spicy. Listed as unisex, but always leaned way more feminine in my mind. Fleurs d’Oranger Review

orange blossom perfume

Blossom Sweetness

Sintra by Memo Paris– The petitgrain note especially, along with neroli really start Sintra off with a bold and greenish sort of an aroma. The citrus here is light, but there is also a resinous warmth which adds body to Sintra.

This Memo Paris fragrance will quickly turn sweet and creamy (milk is a note), thanks to the very present marshmallow note.

Beyond that creaminess you’re also treated to caramel, vanilla, and our orange blossom note as the main floral during the mid and dry down. That’s when this one really becomes about the floral ingredient, but this still remains a sweet perfume.

Ambery Smooth Orange Blossom

Roberto Cavalli Eau de Parfum Spray 2.5 oz New Spray– Roberto Cavalli EDP is a super popular choice from the designer’s lineup. It is led by orange flower and vanilla. It is a sweeter perfume, but has an underlying smoothness and freshness.

Pink pepper sits underneath and gives it that warm sweet spice and there is an amber enveloping it all. It gives you a versatile blend, that is still punctuated with our target ingredietn.

The amber and pink pepper really do give this an undeniable warmth and cozy feeling. The orange blossom note within that is utterly awesome. The dry down does take on a somewhat lotion-like vibe.

The notes would suggest that this would be another winter scent, but it comes across as a solid choice for the warmer months of the year.

Simple Citrus and Floral

Jo Malone Orange Blossom Cologne for Women 1 oz Cologne Spray– A soft citrus based scent with floral notes that is upbeat and sure to induce a smile. A very clean scent that shines in the summer.

The clementine and citron opening at the top, is sweet and much more of a fruity affair than what will follow. The dry down, is when you really get the floral notes, mostly the namesake orange blossom.

Add in some lilac and you get a definite springtime in bloom effect. Citrus fruit top with a naturalistic floral blossom base. I love orange blossom, as a note, and it is utterly fantastic here.

Those petals paired with a citron aroma, makes this a personal favorite of mine from Jo Malone London.

Popular Designer Option

Classique JPG– Now, there have been many versions of Classique to follow this one. I believe most, if not all, also contain orange blossom. However, they can also lean more towards the sweet or fruity side of things. This, is the most white floral focused of the bunch.

Classique is creamy, sweet, amber-laden, and has its fruitier moments also. More of a mix than an orange blossom solo project. Ylang-ylang is probably the second strongest floral, with some bits of iris thrown in too.

The latter dry down is more soapy and floral. Though, it is going to retain much of that vanilla creaminess, and even some spice that is found throughout. Classique is a loud and bold perfume, so tread carefully with it.

jean paul women

Light Fresh and Orange Blossom

O de L’Orangerie by Lancome– Refreshing citrus up top and super clean cedarwood in the base. The formula is simple, but throw in jasmine and orange blossom, and you have a very enjoyable perfume from Lancome.

The citrus here isn’t overwhelming to my nose. It’s there, but you will get more of a focus on the floral notes for most of the wear. I really like the jasmine note and how it plays off of our sought after ingredient.

So, light with a watery citrus zest up top and then a clean and fresh soapy finish between our floral notes and cedar.

This is a fragrance that demands to be worn out in the spring and summertime weather, humidity and all. Not a marathon performer, but not completely awful either.

The Orange Blend

Aqua Allegoria Nerolia Bianca– From the Guerlain Aqua Allegoria collection. The orange blossom note here actually shares the stage with neroli and bitter orange. Sort of a shared perfume, where each aspect gets its time to shine.

Petitgrain joins the fray, but the overall scent is fairly linear with how it presents. Bitter orange early, orange blossom middle, and neroli is probably the most prominent during the latter part of Nerolia Bianca.

This has a great freshness of orange and has a definite greenish aroma in the beginning. The soapiness isn’t to the same degree as some of the others on the list.

Citrus and Honeyed

Orange Flowers by Montale– Orange Flowers by Montale has some similarities to the Serge Lutens fragrance from earlier. However, this one has more citrus, less spice, and a honeyed aroma to it as well.

The orange blossom is the dominant note, but the later dry down does give off some added patchouli, honey, and musks. Early on, there is a nice use of juicy citrus fruits and the spice is more noticeable then.

But, as we mover forward it will shift to a drier, sweeter, and more orange blossom centered scent. Nice hints of vanilla and oakmoss, also.

I don’t know if this would be my first choice from the list, but it is nice for the right person, and has a high level of performance.

Classy Floral Bouquet

24 Faubourg By Hermes For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.3 Ounces– A still popular classically constructed scent consisting of orange blossom, amber, hiacynth, gardenia, and others. Mature, refined, and with plenty of staying power.

24 Faubourg is for those who want to go with something refined and led by floral notes. This does get blended more than some of the others on the list. Though, the orange blossom is still the leader.

The opening does have some additional fruitiness, mainly orange, and a sweetness that seems to surround the composition itself.

Nevertheless, that is all a sideshow to the full bouquet of flowers, which await your nose. This is a brilliant performer, well put together, and quite naturalistic.

Either/Or

Parfums de Marly Safanad for women Eau de Parfum 2.5 Oz./75 ml – Safanad is a fragrance from Parfums de Marly that utilizes orange blossom. You could also go with Oriana from this brand, which has more similarities with Sintra, from earlier in the list.

Orange blossom, and vanilla are the some highlighted notes. You do get a light orange citrus and pear to add some sweetness.

This one opens up with our main target and vanilla. There is an amber note throughout and a nice iris contributing also.

The dry down is amber, vanilla, sandalwood, and orange blossom. This is a perfume with some nice balance, can be an option for those who don’t want quite as much sweetness as Oriana tends to project. Safanad Full Review

Thank U, Next by Ariana Grande

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I’m making my way through reviewing most of the perfume releases from Ariana Grande, over the next few weeks or so. I’ve tried them out already, but wanted to give each a proper individual review on the site instead of just a blurb here or there. Thank U, Next is a scent that I have enjoyed before and was looking forward to putting it through a bit more rigorous testing. How does it smell? Does it perform? Is this Ariana fragrance, actually worth a try?

What does Thank U, Next Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, coconut water, macarons, pink rose, raspberry, musk

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Thank U, Next Perfume 3.4 oz

My Full Review

What I’ve always liked about this fragrance, is that it moved away from the use of the marshmallow note, that is found in many other Ariana Grande releases.

I really enjoy the opening here with the sparkling pear and raspberry, light sweetness of the coconut water, and sugary gourmand warmth of macarons. It has that warm sweetness/creaminess, but it leans more towards being fresh and juicy early on.

The rose is noticeable at the very start, actually comes across just the slightest bit sour when mixed in. Not too bad, though, not very rosy…on me at least.

The pear and raspberry notes split duties up top, but the star early on to me, is that coconut. That watery lightness allows this one to have a cleanliness that is uplifting and energetic.

Thank U, Next comes out of the gate strong with the fruit notes. However, it will settle down into a milky sugary musk with just a hint of rose coming through. To my nose, that pink rose is the weakest note in the composition and kind of gets overrun by the others.

One complaint that people have had with Thank U, Next is the sourness or so-called pickle smell. On the skin, I get barely any sourness. Mostly, the start. Beyond that, no pickle juice at all.

Spraying it on a t-shirt, the perfume does come across more sheer and sour. Actually, it’s pretty different from my experience wearing it on my body. As such, it might be more of a problem based on you as an individual. It’s not for me, though.

Thank U, Next dries down into a slightly creamy musky fragrance, with a generalized sweetness that isn’t really distinguishable as individual notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a strong fragrance. A few sprays will go a long way here. It’s not a complete monster, but in terms of projection, definitely one of the boldest from the Ariana lineup.

I’d put it at the lower end of the strong spectrum, settling down into the upper range of moderate. So, most of the wear you’re going to get your money’s worth.

As far as the longevity goes, it seems to hit the 7-8.5 range for me. Pretty darn solid for the $30-55 price tag. Not a marathon runner by any means, but good for most purposes.

Seasonally, while this does feel warm, it isn’t really a heavy winter wear. This should be fine in almost any temperature, accept maybe the high heat. It wouldn’t completely melt, but definitely not at its peak.

A nice springtime day, where everything is pretty moderate, would be ideal.

Thank U, Next does still skew more towards younger women. However, it isn’t exactly a teenybopper perfume either. It seems like most sugary sweet scents get classified as such, but this has some more depth and isn’t a complete sugar overload, in my mind.

Mostly going to be a casual wear, that feels cozy. It’s attractive enough to wear out at night, but isn’t one for formal occasions. Plenty of opportunity to wear Thank U, Next. But, it does have its limits.

This one is attractive in a delicious sort of way versus a carnal sexiness. Very pretty and yummy as a perfume. As a guy, I dig it.

Overall Impressions of Thank U, Next

Overall, do I like this scent? Yes, I do. The opening hour or so is my favorite part of Thank U, Next. The pear, coconut, and raspberry are really a highlight in this mix. The dry down period is still good, but doesn’t hit that same level as the early stage.

The light juiciness, sparkling fruits, coconut, and boldness are simply great on my skin. I usually have success with coconut or raspberry and this is no exception. The later stages are sweet and musky, which is fine. It’s something you’ve come across a thousand times probably.

The opening gives it plenty to stand apart, however.

If you’re wondering between this and Thank U 2.0, I still prefer this one slightly more. The opening act of 2.0 is even better to me than this one, but it has worse performance.

Not the top ranked Ariana Grande perfume, but this is one of the better ones.

Also, the dry down of 2.0 is quite a bit like Moonlight by Ariana, also. The original is a tad better overall with how it smells and gives you about 3 more hours of wear. As such, this is the one I’d go with.

All in all, it is a sweet coconut highlighted blend, that has a youthful vibe without being strictly something for teenagers. The performance isn’t lacking in the slightest, unless you absolutely need something that will go forever and ever after spraying.

Is it a blind buy? If you like this style of sugary sweet gourmand, this is a good example. Not a heavy scent and is aided greatly by that fresh watery aroma. That being said, some do experience this one as sour, which might make you want to try it before you commit to a full bottle.

For the price? It wouldn’t be the end of the world. This was a nice little release from Ariana Grande