Best Perfumes for Women

Nomade EDT by Chloe

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Nomade EDP is one of my favorites from the Chloe line, so, I was looking forward to giving the EDT a try. I bought a bunch of samples from this brand, in order to finally work my way through doing complete reviews for the site. Nomade eau de toilette was released in 2019. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

Chloe Nomade Overview

Notes include: freesia, lychee, oak moss, citrus, mirabelle, rose, davana

Click here to try: Nomade EDT

My Full Review

Here’s how Chloe describes it: A radiant interpretation of Nomade. The vibrant sweetness of the scent of lychee, mingled with the delicate floral facets of freesia notes and the assertiveness of an oak moss accord.

The opening with Nomade EDT does give you some of the tart/sweet fruitiness you’d expect from lychee and citrus notes. But, it’s also clear from the start, that this isn’t going to be a fruit heavy edition of this formula.

Freesia and the oak moss note coming from the base, are already apparent at the very start of the wear. There’s also a bit of pinkish rose in there, but it’s really about that freesia, in terms of the floral notes.

The mirabelle and citrus are light in the mix, but delightful. I do like the limited aspect of the rose here, as a heavier use might make this one annoying.

But, Nomade actually stays fresh and light, while having a pretty far reach in terms of how it projects. Sort of airy with how it comes across, but has a dry greenish finish with the oak moss, which also is somewhat bitter (the davana? I presume).

That’s essentially what this one is for the rest of the way. A light greenish floral with some remaining hints of fruits to keep it from being totally enveloped by the oak moss.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The first hour or two, this one has a pretty far reaching power. It projects well and will leave a scent trail in one’s wake. Even after that initial two hours, it still feels substantial and above average with its sillage. Nomade isn’t weak, by any stretch of the imagination.

This one does last well on the skin. For me, it was in the 8-8.5 hour range during testing. That’s where Nomade seems to settle. Nothing incredible, but actually quite good for an EDT.

Seasonally, I actually like it most in the mild temperatures of autumn. That’d include springtime for many people. It’s actually not too bad when it’s warm outside, but I may stay away from the extremes of heat and cold.

Nomade EDT is the type of scent that you can wear pretty much anytime. I’d probably exclude romantic wear or nightlife as this isn’t really a ‘sexy’ sort of fragrance. But, during the daytime you can wear this casually or dressed up without issue.

Overall Impressions of Nomade EDT

Overall, do I like Nomade EDT? Yes, I think it is a good perfume. Not great, but it does everything well and is enjoyable throughout the wear. I already expected to like this version coming into it and wasn’t surprised by the result.

It a balanced fragrance that gives you hints of fruitiness and some drier notes mixed into what is overall a mossy floral affair. I like it, it has personality and develops enough so that it isn’t completely boring.

The performance is quite good for an eau de toilette and it is one that can be worn in a wide variety of situations. Nomade EDT can absolutely be a workhorse type of perfume in your collection.

If this is your style of scent, Nomade is one that I’d at least test out, as it provides a well done experience and pretty far reaching coverage with how it can be used.

Musk | 12 by Kayali

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Musk 12 is another perfume that was included in the Kayali sample set that I bought by Huda Beauty. This is one which was released back in 2018. I wasn’t too sure if I was going to really like another musky perfume, but I wanted to test it out and review it anyway. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Musk 12 Smell Like?

Notes include: lotus, jasmine, musks, vanilla, sandalwood

Click here to try: Musk 12 from Sephora

My Full Review

The opening here is interesting. You get a burst of fresh floral notes, led by the lotus, with a bit of that watery cleanliness sitting underneath the main aroma. But, you will also get hints of vanilla, plus a powdery grouping of the musk notes.

It’s very soft and clean. Becomes more of a blend of white floral notes. The jasmine doesn’t really stand out much on its own, but I get its influence on the entirety of the scent.

The lotus will settle down a lot and just be a part of that more generic floral blend. The stars here are the musk and vanilla. Powdery and slightly sweet with a decent amount of sandalwood appearing for a time.

Musk isn’t a very complicated perfume on its own. It’s one of the stronger candidates from Kayali for layering though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Musk 12 is pretty moderate as a fragrance, even during the initial sprays. It’s not going to project super far nor leave much of a scent trail. Well, maybe that first hour, you’ll have some of that going on.

After, it will be much more of an intimate fragrance and is going to stick to that 1-3 foot range from the skin.

The longevity is also pretty mid-range, the lower end of that spectrum. On me, it will stick around for maybe 5 hours total. That last hour or so, is very light, but it is actually still there. You may just need to press your nose closer to detect it.

Seasonally, this perfume is wearable year round. The versatility is probably its greatest strength, as it isn’t too heavy for the heat, but also has an aroma that does well when it’s kind of cold out.

It can cover a lot of bases on its own. If you want a low key daily wear, Musk 12 can probably fit the bill. Light, smells nice, and isn’t going to beg for attention. Plus, you have the optionality of successfully pairing it with a host of perfumes.

Overall Impressions of Musk 12

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do. This is one of the Kayali scents that I wasn’t too sure that I would enjoy, but it is actually one of the better options from the line.

Again, a simple scent that will probably get a lot of use as one to layer with other perfumes, but it actually holds up well enough on its own.

I like the softness, the powdery aspects, vanilla, and how clean Musk 12 feels without being heavy or off-putting. It’s got a great balance and is absolutely one of their better releases.

The performance isn’t all that great, so just be aware of that before you commit to a full bottle. On smell alone, I think that it is nice and pleasant. A perfume that should get plenty of use in one’s rotation.

Girl of Now Shine by Elie Saab

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Girl of Now Shine is one of the releases from the ongoing Girl of Now series by Elie Saab. I bought samples of some of these scents many months ago, for testing and review. Shine was released in 2018, but is it a fragrance which deserves more attention?

What does Girl of Now Shine Smell Like?

Notes include: almond, white flowers, orange blossom, patchouli, vanilla, pistachio, pear, pineapple

My Full Review

I actually came into this test expecting that this was going to be a super fruity fragrance. On me, not so much. Sure, it has a sweetness, sort of a syrupy vibe.

However, the pineapple isn’t a juicy attention grabber. The pear stands out more, but I get a lot of almond from the jump. This time, it is paired with a pistachio. Add to that, orange blossom is very noticeable early on.

Yet, I do recognize the Girl of Now formula here. The almond is still great and the floral notes will shift more towards an iris, with vanilla taking over for most of the initial fruitiness. Really, that iris seems fairly massive on my skin, but it will then fade almost entirely.

The dry down is where I feel this one is most similar to the original. It’s sort of a fresher and sweeter take on that formulation, with a hyped up vanilla in lieu of tonka bean.

The floral notes in the end, are pretty blended together, and I can’t really pick them out entirely from one another. Aside from that, a touch of patchouli, and maybe wood of some sort.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Shine has a similar ability to project to other fragrances in the series. It too, starts off with a pretty powerful blast, that will create a not too thick cloud around the wearer before moving back in closer to the skin.

Yet, it has a good amount of time staying above average with its sillage. Then, it’ll fully mid-range, but doesn’t ever come across as a weak perfume.

The longevity is somewhere in the 7-7.5 hour range on my skin. Maybe an hour less than what I get with Girl of Now Forever. Still quite decent performance and I didn’t have any tests in which it completely disappeared early.

Seasonally, this one feels more autumn and springtime than anything. Not super heavy, but probably still a bit much for the heat of summer. In the cold, it’d be fine, but Shine is at its best when it is slightly chilly to temperate.

Shine does strike me as being a slightly more mature scent than Forever. Still, skews to being something worn more by the younger set. But, this isn’t nearly as youthful as the other one. It’s a nice daytime scent that can be worn casually or semi-formally.

Overall Impressions of Shine 

Overall, do I like Girl of Now Shine? It’s fine. Close to being as good as Forever or the original Girl of Now, but a small step below both. If I only had the notes to go off of, I probably would’ve said that this would’ve been my favorite of the lot. That’s not the case in reality.

I thought it was going to be way fruitier than it is. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and you do still get plenty of sweetness.

Almond, pistachio, and orange blossom with a mostly pear influence coming from the fruity accord. It’s likeable, the heavy iris comes and goes, and then you’re pretty much left with the original scent of Girl of Now.

So, it’s a few hours of something different before you get most of the same.

The performance is solid and the scent itself is very wearable, even if not being completely amazing. It’s worth a try if you like the others in the series. I might try to test it out before buying a full bottle, unless you get a huge discount. It’s pretty safe, though. You just might not love it, but I don’t think it’d be a complete scrubber for most.

Mod Blush EDP by Ariana Grande

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Mod Blush is one of the two new releases from Ariana Grande, under the Mod banner. I bought travel size sprayers of both this and Mod Vanilla to test out for review. What’s this one like? Does it last long? Is this perfume worth trying?

What does Mod Blush Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, passionfruit, raspberry, pink pepper, dewy magnolia, rose, juicy pear, ambrox, dreamwood, musk

Click here to try: Mod Blush

My Full Review

Mod Blush opens up sharp, with a tropical fruit skew. But, there’s also a powdery aroma sitting underneath. It sort of reminds me of a cheaper, less milky, Cruz del Sur II. Not the same, but similar style at the start.

Passionfruit, bergamot, and raspberry are all big up top. The passionfruit is the leader, but the blend feels too sharp and tart with a further spice provided by pink pepper.

You can already tell that this one is going to have a rosy scent to it. A bit greenish with an additional light magnolia note.

Eventually, the tropical influence of the passionfruit will wane, and the bergamot will fade as well. Pear, rose, musk, and the woody base all start to play more of a role in the composition.

However, the transition to the end still isn’t all that great to me. The raspberry and passionfruit are slowly changing places in strength and that pink pepper and rose come off a bit strange in that environment.

It gets sweeter, the sparkling pear becomes more apparent sort of sitting under the raspberry. Rose, musk, ambroxan, and wood round things out. It has more balance and smells like a standard issue Ariana Grande perfume.

The ambroxan is very noticeable in the final few hours of the wear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This isn’t a perfume which projects itself too far. That opening half hour, does do a pretty good job of grabbing attention with it’s fruity note. But, it settles into a lighter to moderate fragrance.

On my skin, this ends up lasting maybe 5.5-6 hours in total. Those last few are pretty much skin scent level, so you’re not getting great performance out of Blush.

Seasonally, this is best in the spring and summer months. The fruitiness and ultimate sweetness do well when it’s a bit warmer out, especially since it’s not a heavy or baked goods kind of sweet sugary aroma.

Mod Blush does have more of a youthful or girlish vibe. Sort of playful, more casual, and less serious or dressed up. A pretty daytime wear, rather than business or something sexy for the night.

Overall Impressions of Mod Blush

Overall, do I like Mod Blush? It’s not great. I don’t hate it, but it’s really nothing special, and kind of covers ground that other of her releases have already…it just doesn’t do as good of a job.

I don’t think this is going to be Ariana Grande’s most popular perfume, she’s come out with.

Mainly, the opening hour is the worst part of this one. It’s not awful, just kind of mediocre. The dry down is a nice, fun, and sweet aroma. Still, nothing special, but I don’t mind it.

The performance is also pretty light and it’s not super long-lasting. I’m not a massive fan of Mod Vanilla either, just that one is better than this, I think. Though, neither of these perfumes are a great release.

It’s worth trying to see if you like it, I suppose. I might consider waiting for discounts, before committing to a full bottle.

Chloe Eau de Parfum Naturelle

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Naturelle is a somewhat newer Chloe flanker that was released in 2021. I got a sample of this as a part of the larger lot of Chloe perfumes that I picked up a while back. I didn’t know anything about this one coming into testing, so, I got to experience it with a blank slate impression. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Chloe Naturelle Smell Like?

Notes include: blackcurrant, citron, rose, mimosa, neroli, cedar

Click here to try: Chloe EDP Naturelle

chloe naturelle review

My Full Review

Naturelle opens up with a very strong citron and neroli mix, on my skin. Along with that blackcurrant note, and the underlying cedar freshness, it can pack a rather large punch. Sour and sharp. Plus, it has an greenish smell at the beginning.

It all feels sort of strange. The Chloe rose note is present of course, but it also introduces a mimosa that brings a bit of powder at times, but really enhances the ‘greenish yellow’ aroma that this perfume has early on.

Once some of the neroli and the fruit notes burn off, Chloe Naturelle is much more wearable for me. I have to say the opening, is pretty tough for me to get through, and I really don’t care for it.

However, things do get somewhat better. It’s clean, outdoorsy fresh, and does have a naturalistic kind of aroma. It reminds me of the Hermes Jardin fragrances. A rose, mimosa, and cedar led perfume. Still some citron and neroli coming through, but thankfully, toned way down.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Chloe Naturelle starts off with a sharper aroma, but still moderate sillage. It’s not going to leave a massive trail, nor create a giant cloud around the wearer. The second half of the wear, is quite intimate.

Which is a shame, since that’s when it smells best.

This one actually does stick around for a decent amount of time. Now, it’s not strong for much of the wear, but I can still detect it on skin. I think that it finally fades for good, at around 7 hours.

Great? No, but passable.

Seasonally, this screams springtime with the imagery it evokes. Which, means it’s also good for the summer months, also. The citron, greenish notes, makes Naturelle a nice choice for warmer weather.

This one is very versatile. It can be worn casually, is well put together enough to be a daily wear. Outside, in the warmer temperatures, is a great use of Naturelle. Not going to be a nightlife or romantic wear perfume, though.

Overall Impressions of Naturelle

Overall, do I like Chloe Naturelle? Not particularly. As I wrote, the back half is better and not so bad, but I really don’t like the front end.

It’s not like any of these notes are ones that I don’t enjoy. Citron, blackcurrant, etc. are all fine to me. Just something about this mix that is just off.

The naturalistic garden or floral sort of scents can be good and there’s better examples out there. Namely, Hermes’ Le Jardin fragrances, as mentioned. This one isn’t on that level and the regular Chloe perfumes are all (if not, most all) better than what you get here.

Naturelle is ok. But, like across the board just pretty middle of the road and forgettable. If you’re into this kind of scent and you can get a substantial discount, it might be worth a try. At full price, pass.