Best Perfumes for Women

Thank U, Next 2.0 by Ariana Grande

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Thank U, Next was another successful perfume release from Ariana Grande. As such, the limited edition 2.0 version was brought out in 2021, just like the update to the ever-popular Cloud. Some had a negative experience wearing the original, but I found Thank U, Next to be one of the pop star’s best. How does 2.0 stack up? How long does it last? Is it worth a buy?

What does Thank U, Next 2.0 Smell Like?

Notes include: pomegranate, strawberry, apple, marshmallow, musk, sandalwood, orchid, jasmine

Click here to try: Thank U, 2.0

My Full Review

I really enjoy how 2.0 opens up after the initial spray. It’s very juicy, energetic, and bold. I love pomegranate as a note and it gets plenty of play here early on. It, along with apple juice, and strawberry give this a very fruity profile at the start.

Underneath that, I definitely pick up on the near ubiquitous note of marshmallow from the Ariana Grande line.

The fruity notes do begin to fall away, pretty early on. The strawberry especially. Apple juicy and pomegranate hang on, but will no longer play such a substantial role.

Yes, the early stages of this are a lot like Eden Juicy Apple from Kayali. This Ariana perfume is better than that one, however. I like the mix of notes more so here and the floral marshmallow second act.

One thing that I get with 2.0 versus the original, is a greater amount of jasmine. Marshmallow, jasmine, and some orchid is what the core of this perfume is about. The musk will start to play a larger role as we move further into the wear.

At some point, the floral notes become indistinguishable to me. It’s a general sweetness, floral impressions, marshmallow, and musk. A bit powdery and a touch of wood. Not all that much development here.

In fact, it all sort of comes undone, ending with a vague marshmallow muskiness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is kind of an odd duck. It starts off strong, even more so than the original Thank U. But, it quickly loses steam and continues falling all the way into skin scent territory after 2-3 hours.

Initially, I thought it was going to be an absolute beast, because it does project itself very well after applying. I can spray 2.0 on clothes and pick it up from across the room…for a little while.

The longevity isn’t great. A weaker sillage wouldn’t be the end of the world, if it stuck around for a full workday. It doesn’t. With Thank U, Next 2.0 I get about 5 hours. That’s a pretty far step back from the original, which could hit 8 hours.

That’s one of the worst performers from the Ariana line (I’ve tested them all). The others usually will hit 6-7 hours, at least, and this one just doesn’t seem very capable.

Seasonally, this one is good for the warmer weather. The fruitiness, juiciness, and general sweetness will lend itself well to spring and summer.

This is one of Ariana’s perfumes that will probably have more appeal to the younger set. For a younger girl, this could probably be a signature type of scent. For a woman, this will be something you’d want to wear casually.

Not a complete ‘teeny bopper’ perfume, but that fruity sweetness leans that way.

Overall Impressions of Thank U, Next 2.0

Overall, do I like this scent? I do, but that also carries a disclaimer. The opening is fantastic and among the best that Ariana’s list of perfumes has produced. The latter part is fine (not nearly as good as the start) and pretty similar to others.

I get a Moonlight vibe after the initial wave wears off. More so that, than the original Thank U. But, that might be a good thing in certain cases. If you’re one of those who gets the ‘pickle juice’ smell with Thank U, Next, this one might be able to replace it. Even though, they are fairly different fragrances.

It’s just the performance here, that really holds it back.

It’s like watching a movie that starts off amazing (for this sort of hyper sweet tart scent) and then just starts to fall apart. Testing this multiple times, I get the 5 hours of wear routinely, and the last few hours are just a skin scent. It’s pretty bad when compared with the original Thank U, Next.

This had the potential to be a really great scent. As it is, it’s above average. It can be tough for people to track down, but at a decent price point, it can still be worthwhile to pick up. I wouldn’t pay anymore than retail to secure a bottle and would actively want a discount.

The smell itself is worth the entry fee, but whether or not the performance is, I leave up to you.

6 Best Issey Miyake Perfumes for Her

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Issey Miyake has been a popular yet often underappreciated designer brand for decades now. Mr. Miyake passed away in 2022, leaving behind a brand legacy that continues to persist.  It’s L’eau d’Issey series of fragrances struck a chord with its releases for both men and women.

However, I think the popularity of perfumes was more evenly distributed on the ladies’ side of things. In this post, I want to present five options that are currently still available from Miyake, which can be considered the best of the lot. 

What are the Top Issey Miyake Perfumes for Her?

Fresh and Aquatic D’Issey

Issey Miyake L’Eau D’Issey Pure Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.0 Ounce– Pure is a more sheer and aquatic version of the original L’eau D’Issey listed below. It keeps the rose and lily notes, along with adding actual marine notes to the top end.

Pure kicks off with a somewhat salty mix of ambergris and the oceanic notes. At first, you may get a blend of the floral ingredients (added jasmine and orange blossom), but the lily will ultimately win out here. Rose, sits just underneath it in terms of strength.

The opening is more fresh and crisp, while the latter stages soften up with muskier and woody base. Not too complex, but can be a very nice light option for spring/summer. 

A Newer Entry

Issey Miyake A Drop d’Issey for Women Eau de Parfum Spray, 3 Ounce– A Drop d’Issey is one of the more recent releases from the brand which has really taken off. Released in 2021, this perfume is well balanced in what it offers from aroma to longevity to use case.

Lilac and Damask rose open things up on the floral front. These notes are joined by ‘solar’ notes, which have been a pretty widespread staple in designer perfumery the past five years or so. Things are light, musky, and rose dominant for me at this very early stage.

That will shift and lilac will come to be the heavier weighting of the two floral notes. Almond and vanilla add a creamy and lotion-like quality for a time, before it all settles into more of a powdery lilac and musk perfume.

The performance for me was good and this is an easy to wear scent, that should get plenty of use in one’s collection. Not the most incredible scent ever, but if you need an all-around scent and enjoy lilac, this is a fantastic option. A Drop d’Issey review

The Popular Original

L’eau De Issey By Issey Miyake For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.3 Oz– The original L’eau d’Issey is a much more complex and aquatic perfume than is Pure. It still has an aquatic-like aroma thanks to: lily, lotus, calone, and melon. 

Less oceanic, more of a flower garden aroma. The melon provides some underlying sweetness to counter the bit of spice and green-ish qualities at the start. As things move along, L’eau d’Issey does begin to inhabit its white floral and aquatic nature.

Freesia, lotus, rose, and the lily seem to be the main focus here. This one is an easy to wear perfume that gives off a classic clean smell. 

Honey and Floral

Issey Miyake Eau de Parfum Spray, L’eau D’issey Absolue, 3 Ounce– Another flanker of the original, with less of the same structure, but still some overlap in its DNA.

Absolue introduces honey into the mix, along with some light vanilla touches. It comes across very well and not as a thick and enveloping aroma. Most of the rest of the wear is all about the floral notes, mainly jasmine and freesia, with some lotus tossed in to boot. 

A good option for those who want a toned down aquatic element. There is still some, but it isn’t nearly to the same level as before.

The Neroli Entry

Issey Miyake A Scent Soleil De Neroli, 3.3 Ounce– A change of pace from the L’eau d’Issey lineup of fragrances. As the name suggests, there is a strong presence of neroli in this one. Very clean and a opening sharp punch.

It settles. Tiare is floating around during the opening hour of the wear, but hyacinth really comes on as the scent develops. Soleil de Neroli isn’t a very complicated fragrance. You will get neroli, jasmine, and hyacinth mostly.

It comes across as fairly soapy at times, but eventually becomes a powdery and soft fragrance.

Rosy Pear and Honey

Issey Miyake – Women’s Perfume L’eau D’issey Pure Nectar De Parfum Issey Miyake EDP– Pure Nectar gives it another go with the honey note, as found in Absolue. It’s probably a bit louder here, but the note is presented in a slightly different way with pear (and citrus) and a more present rose note. 

The next phase becomes more of a pure floral with slight aquatic undertones. A bit of peony joins the rose, with a nice steady ambergris and woody base. The honey does hang around for the entirety, but the pear seems to fade out. 

7 Fragrances Similar to Mon Paris

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Mon Paris has been a fun and popular fragrance from YSL, with its blend of fruits and floral notes. A classic combination to be sure, but it’s sweetness and depth has made it a perfume with plenty of mass appeal. But, what if you’re looking for something similar, less expensive, or along the same lines as Mon Paris? This page will be dedicated to my running list of scents that are alike.

What Fragrances Smell Similar to Mon Paris by YSL?

She is Mine by La Rive– She is Mine comes within striking distance of the aroma of Mon Paris, at a much cheaper price point, but not exactly.

The berries, pear, and general fruitiness of the YSL is all there. However, this one doesn’t have the same floral or musk levels as found in our target. Plus, the vanilla note is pretty prominent here.

The sweetness is ramped up here it seems, just less depth, and overall staying power from this La Rive. Not exactly the same, but this one does a pretty good impression versus what you pay for it.

Ciao by Vince Camuto– Ciao isn’t among my personal favorite Camuto scents, but it does give us much of what we’re looking for in comparison to Mon Paris. Not to say that it’s a bad perfume, it certainly does have its charm.

This is another one that is in the same ballpark as Mon Paris, while for sure not being an exact match. Here, you get a mass of berries to kick things off. To me, the YSL has a mix of berries and pear up top, that is reminiscent of what you find here.

Ciao is sweet and jammy, more so than our target fragrance. Peony and rose are coming along to aid in the similarities, but in the early stages the lily and passionflower give the Camuto its real distinction.

It’s nice enough, solid performance, and a closely related to style to what we’re looking for. Worth a try, if you can get it for cheap.

212 Heroes Forever Young– The fruitiness is basically what you get with Mon Paris, the biggest difference will be in the floral accord. 212 Heroes Forever also lacks that pear note, that hits early in the YSL.

Forever moves away from the rose, peony, and datura found in Mon Paris. It does have the same jasmine note, just occupying a much bigger place in the composition than our target scent.

A fruity clean white floral fragrance with some added orange blossom and light woods. I like its freshness and while not a one to one match with Mon Paris, Forever gives you plenty to like with a similar style.

Pink Me Up by Atelier des Ors– Pink Me Up is a nice little fragrance, that has Mon Paris Intensement similarities.

However, the champagne note in Pink, sets it apart from either of the YSL perfumes. The notes are different, but the structure is very much alike. Here blackberry and champagne early on, with the rose (like Intensement) playing more of a role, as it dries down.

Towards the end, both fragrances are sweet, musky, rose-dominated floral blends. Not exactly the same, but liking one, will likely mean that the other would work for you as well. This is sweeter and more dynamic than Intensement.

Note that Pink is much more expensive and you pretty much need to order it online. So, not going to be one for those on a tighter budget.

Coach Coach New York, 1 Fl Oz– Coach EDP is one that has a very close fruity and floral profile similar to Mon Paris, but it also does things quite enough differently to be distinct.

This one features notes of pear and raspberry, going less floral, but still including notes such as rose.

The raspberry here is very dominant early, giving it a sweet aroma, with a smooth suede note included. In the dry down, it is a slightly fruity mix with a lot of clean-ish smelling flowers. At this stage, it is more about the pear with a bit of a powdery aroma from the floral notes.

Performance wise, Coach EDP is solid with 7-8 hours of wear and a good ability to project, without the sillage being too massive.

Valentina Pink by Valentino– Valentina Pink is another one using berries and roses to create a closely related style to Mon Paris. This one, goes with blackberry like some others on the list, but the strawberry will be the biggest factor in the mix.

The rose is heavier with this perfume, also. While it has the same peony and musk notes, they don’t seem to have the same level as Mon Paris. It’s sweeter (praline), has a more linear use of the floral notes, and a powdery quality to it.

Pink isn’t my favorite on the list, but it could also work quite well for someone who wants a perfume of this type, with nice performance.

Kate Spade New York– Kate Spade New York is highlighted early on by a strawberry note that is paired with a citrusy mix. It’s bright, fresh, and somewhat naturalistic fruity notes versus something that is synthetic sugary.

A bit sweet, a bit tart in the beginning stages. Then, some greenish notes and the rose essence will come through. The rose really isn’t heavy in this perfume, it’s there, just never punching you in the face with its presence.

The strawberry retains its hold for the duration, along with some cashmeran wood, floral notes, and the ambroxan note.

This isn’t one that’s an exact replica of the Mon Paris formula, but this perfume will give you a lot of the same style if you’re a fan of Mon Paris. Kate Spade New York review

Alien Flora Futura by Mugler

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Alien has been such a popular fragrance for so long, that it will seemingly never stop spinning off new flanker options based on that original concept. One of the latest perfumes from Mugler, is Alien Flora Futura, which I recently grabbed a sample of and tried out. How does it smell? How long does it last? When should it be worn? Continue below for my full take on this perfume.

What does Flora Futura Smell Like?

Notes include: orange, jasmine, white amber

Click here to try: Thierry Mugler Alien Flora Futura for Women Eau de Toilette Spray, 2.0 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Before I get into my thoughts about this fragrance, let’s see how Mugler describes it: Extraordinary flowers blossom at the heart of an addictive and fresh Eau de Toilette. Alien Flora Futura, a futuristic flower.

Alien Flora Futura celebrates the beauty of otherness: the beauty of being yourself, being different, being original. But also the beauty of hope. A hope and a uniqueness that are embodied in a desert flower. A flower of the future that blooms in a world of light.

Also to update this post, apparently this has two formulations with different notes. The other one sounds pretty interesting with night blooming cereus flowers and buddha wood. That’s not the sample that I got and the review is based on the notes I wrote above.

Upon spraying Flora Futura, I immediately pick up on citrus, a greenish aroma, and jasmine. The citrus does have an orange note (maybe orange blossom?), but it smells like there is a bit of lemon here also. I like it, it’s a pretty aroma, that does bring on memories of the original Alien.

The main differences between them, from what I can remember are: the jasmine is toned down here and so is the general power of the fragrance. Flora Futura should be a lot more tolerable for the average person versus the original Alien.

This one does have a bright sort of disposition. Quite upbeat and pleasant. Once the initial wave of citrus passes, there is more of the greenish smell and some watery elements. Like a cut flower stem floating in a vase. Some other unlisted floral note that isn’t jasmine.

As it dries down, amber and sandalwood really start to come through.  At this point, what you smell is what you get. Jasmine, amber, sandalwood, and whatever is left over of the opening citrus notes. Mostly, a light and somewhat creamy white floral fragrance.

Not very complicated or a journey with many twists and turns, but one that is nice to go on.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage with this one is pretty light to moderate. There are a lot of super loud and powerful fragrances by Mugler, but Flora Futura isn’t one of them. Not that it is weak, but I never felt as if this perfume would take over the room. A lighter and sheer sort of floral.

The longevity is decent, but not spectacular. 6-7.5 hours it’s lasted on my skin during testing. The last few hours being a skin scent. Not great, but again, this isn’t a heavy kind of fragrance.

Seasonally, Flora Futura is a spring and summer fragrance all the way. It thrives in warmer temperatures.

This could be worn casually in the daytime, to work, or any other daytime event. It is an attractive fragrance, but not bold enough for the nightlife. As a man, I do find it to be a pretty sort of scent, but wouldn’t really call it sexy.

Overall Impressions of Alien Flora Futura

Do I like this perfume? Yes, I do. It’s not an amazing fragrance, but I actually enjoyed the scent a lot. This can be a great option for those who want a lighter warm weather version of Alien. Alternatively, those who think the original is too much, may find this more to their liking.

Mostly this version is a jasmine affair. Somewhat unique and citrusy top, but full of white flowers, amber, and wood in the base.

It’s a clean, lively, and simple fragrance. The performance isn’t going to be great, but it is certainly passable in my book. Just don’t go into this thinking that Flora Futura is going to be a powerhouse.

This is a nice addition to the Alien lineup. I’m not sure if they made a futuristic floral, whatever that was supposed to mean (must be the other formulation). I do also dig Alien Fusion and Alien Goddess to about the same degree as this one. There are many more creative Mugler perfumes beyond what this accomplishes, but still very nice.

Update: I think that this one is now discontinued. Bottles are still around somewhat, though.

Shalimar EDT by Guerlain

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Shalimar EDT is a flanker of a different concentration to the original Eau de Parfum. Lots of similarities, but how does it differ? What does the EDT version smell like and is it actually worthwhile to try? I grabbed a sample recently to test it out for a full site review and share my thoughts below.

What does Shalimar EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, iris, jasmine, rose, vanilla, tonka bean

Click here to try: Shalimar EDT

My Full Review

Here’s how Guerlain describes it: A vibrant contrast between the fresh flight of citrus and the bewitching sensuality of both vanilla and powdery notes. Shalimar, let you senses take over…

Shalimar EDT opens with a strong use of the bergamot note up top. Obviously, it’s quite similar to the eau de parfum version. However, this one has a spicier kick early on versus the smokier aroma I get with EDP.

It also has some leathery facets to the aroma, courtesy of the tonka bean and vanilla, but less so than EDP. The bergamot here calms way down, on my skin, and this shifts more towards a powdery floral fragrance.

The iris, leads the way, and it seems like any rose and jasmine sort of just blend together into a more generic floral accord.

It becomes powdery, fresh, sweet, warm, with a light dynamic citrus still lingering. Mostly going to be all about that iris and vanilla combination, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Another difference with the EDP, is with the performance. Shalimar EDT isn’t a weak scent, but there’s a noticeable step down versus the original.

Still, that first hour or two is plenty strong. It isn’t a complete bomb that’s going to reach across of the room. After that, this one will be much more mild. Noticeable, but not popping hugely off of the skin.

The longevity is pretty good, just not great. For me, Shalimar EDT will last somewhere in the 6-6.5 hour range max. That is one drawback, with the EDT, it’s not a great performer by any stretch.

Seasonally, you’re more likely to get to use this one in the autumn and wintertime. Though, I think that it’d be just fine during the spring months too. Summer, is too hot and humid in most places for this to be very useful.

Within this timeframe, Shalimar can be used as a daily wear, casual, and pretty much whenever else you’d want to wear it. Not really a party perfume but it is attractive scent that is clean and non-offensive. Very versatile scent.

Overall Impressions of Shalimar EDT

Overall, is this one worth it? Absolutely. Shalimar is one of my personal favorite classic perfumes and the EDT is a great representation, with some of it’s own unique touches.

However, I do still prefer the original to this, and I think that Parfum Initial is about neck and neck with Shalimar EDT.

With EDT, I enjoy the bergamot and spicy top a lot. You get a nice amount of time with the citrus note and some more dynamism when compared to the EDP. Powdery and sweet with the iris and vanilla finish. It’s enjoyable as well, just not to the same level as the totality of EDP.

It might not be different enough for some people to warrant having a bottle of both. In that case, I’d definitely go with the Eau de Parfum first. But, if you want a somewhat gentler finish (less smoke and leathery aroma) with plenty of powder, then the EDT might be a good bet as your first option.