Best Perfumes for Women

Pure Poison EDP by Dior

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Pure Poison is a 2004 release from Dior’s now long-running Poison for Her perfume line. I grabbed a decant of this stuff, as I couldn’t recall if I had ever tried it out, and knew that I had yet to do a review of it for the site. Despite covering some of the more recent Poison Girl flankers. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is Pure Poison worth a try?

What does Pure Poison by Dior Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, bergamot, orange, amber, orange blossom, gardenia, sandalwood, cedar, and musk

Click here to try: Pure Poison EDP by Dior

My Full Review

Here’s how Dior describes it: Once upon a time there was an ingenuous and captivating, sincere and mysterious fragrance… Pure Poison is the fragrance that celebrates the purest form of seduction, while exploring its duality and irresistible alchemy.

Pure Poison opens up with its jasmine note in control. The citrus blend of orange and bergamot sits underneath, creating a brightness to the aroma, but it isn’t a juicy citrus dominant mix. The citrus actually has somewhat of a ‘greenish’ finish to it, stemming from the bergamot.

Also, that is somewhat tempered anyway, by the inclusion of the orange blossom note. To my nose, that opening is jasmine dominant with the orange blossom second. Later, that gets taken over by gardenia, but the blossom has its time to shine.

Wearing this, I was expecting more of an amber and musk presence in this Dior. Not really the case. In fact, the woods seem to play a larger role here. Still, this one does absolutely have a very clean profile, much less of a seductive ‘poison’ as the name suggest.

As the gardenia steps up to the plate, the sandalwood will join it giving Pure Poison a nice woody balance. As I said, the orange blossom fades into the background, but I still get the citrus impressions for a long while into the wear.

The final dry down is pretty much just a woody white floral. The citrus has disappeared, the musk really fully materializes, and it’s basically the jasmine note with a dose of gardenia and sandalwood.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Pure Poison certainly has a strong opening act. I can spray this on a shirt or myself and it feels like it fills the room and lightly saturates the air for a while. I’d say around 1 hour of strong sillage, before it settles into an intimate scent bubble.

It’s not overwhelming ever, but it certainly packs a punch early on.

The longevity is decent, just not spectacular. Testing this one out, netted me experiences of five hours of wear and some of over eight. Maybe I just went nose blind that one time, but the longevity seems to be at least above average…if not, quite good.

Seasonally, this kind of always works. It’s not too heavy or cloying for the summer months. In fact, it brings a nice coolness. But, it’s not always too fresh for the cold of winter either. Sure, sometimes that cleanliness can get on one’s nerves, just wasn’t straying too much in that direction.

This comes across as much more of a daytime wear. I don’t find it to be seductive, sexy, or a nightlife scent despite the marketing.

But, as a cold fresh and clean perfume it does have plenty of uses. It can be used casually, semi-formal, to work, or what have you. Pure Poison is a daily wear type for those who love white floral scents.

Overall Impressions of Pure Poison

Overall, do I like Pure Poison? I like it, but I was never completely enraptured by it. Gardenia can be hit or miss for me and I’m not always thrilled with an overdose of jasmine. However, this blend is quality and I enjoyed enough of my time with it.

Still, it’s not one of my favorite Dior releases. It’s fine. If you’re a jasmine or fan of these sorts of clean white floral perfumes, you’ll probably want to give it a go.

The performance is good. It’s not super complicated. Basically, jasmine/orange blossom/citrus start with a finish of jasmine/gardenia/sandalwood. Simple, but it does have a nice dynamic energy to it.

The main strength is its versatility. If you dig the smell of this, you should have no problem finding time to wear it around.

Pure Poison is one that is worth testing to see if you happen to fall in the camp of those who love it.

Le Lion de Chanel EDP by Chanel

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I’ve had a few samples of Le Lion de Chanel that I’ve been coming back to over the span of many months. As I wasn’t exactly sure how to feel at first about this entry from the Les Exclusifs line from the French brand.

But, I’ve at least completed my initial evaluation to the point where I can share my thoughts on the site. How does it smell? Is Le Lion worth a try?

What does Le Lion de Chanel Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood, amber, musk, labdanum

Click here to try: Le Lion de Chanel at Chanel


My Full Review

Tried Le Lion? Leave your rating and review in the comments!

Here’s how Chanel describes it: Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19, 1883, under the sign of Leo. Proud and passionate, instinctive and daring, Mademoiselle fully embodied her zodiac symbol. Majestic, indomitable and wild, the lion became a personal emblem, serving as the inspiration for this powerful fragrance.

It is interesting with Le Lion de Chanel that I actually get a burst of the amber and labdanum before, the citrus is fully revealed on my skin. Like, those notes burst onto the scene with a smokiness, warmth, and spice…then fade a bit to let the bergamot and lemon come through.

It’s a captivating moment, when I do get to the citrus notes, however. Very juicy and bright, but they are surrounded by the pronounced dryness that is found with this mix. The labdanum remains the strongest note, beneath the citrus, and will grow in strength after the fruits move out.

With that labdanum, there is the patchouli lending its earthiness to the smokiness and resinous aroma of labdanum. Earlier, it has more of the balsamic aroma, before settling into something earthier and musky.

Man, this stuff really packs a punch for the initial stages of the wear. The labdanum or amber accord has a dry and sort of a leathery aroma at times. Then, when it dries down, we get a light muskiness and a nice sandalwood.

I do like that smokiness, leathery moments, and that opening citrus. Sure, it can be a lot and take some time getting used to, but I’ve come to enjoy it with repeat wears.

The patchouli will come in stronger, with a step back by the labdanum. It’s more of a straightforward amber here towards the end, with the vanilla and patchouli doing their thing, also.

Le Lion isn’t super complicated. To me, the latter stages are less smoky, still dry (kind of a powdery scent), none of the citrus. Just a woody/earthy/musk with the remaining resinous qualities. There does seem to be a light sweetness involved here throughout (vanilla).

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty massive. Not the strongest that I’ve come across, but it’ll out do many perfumes on the market. A nice long scent trail for sure and great projection off of the skin.

Just using the sample size, with 4-5 spritzes and this will be emanating off of my skin like a beast. Easily picked up by those around you.

It’ll also last in the 9-11 hour range, on my skin. It’s an all-day experience it seems, without issue. Le Lion will not be confused as being a weak fragrance. Even at the high end price, you do still get plenty of value.

Seasonally, this is a fragrance for the autumn and winter months. It’d be way too much for the heat.

It is a unisex perfume. Leans more towards the traditionally feminine fragrances in this style, but it never strikes me as being ‘girly’. It’s probably suitable for mid-20s and up because it does have a level of maturity to it.

It’s versatility isn’t the strong suit. It is confident and bold and probably not best served for use at work. Not entirely formal, but isn’t something all that casual either.

Probably better for nightlife or social functions versus being a daily wear. It’s not so overwhelming that it’ll be off-putting to most people, but Le Lion can skirt that line.

Overall Impressions of Le Lion

Overall, do I like Le Lion de Chanel? I do. I’ve liked it more, the more time that I’ve spent with it. Though, it’s not one that I’m personally clamoring to wear all the time, since I’m not a big fan of the oriental style perfumes.

But, there is plenty to like with this Chanel. It’s high quality, matching the price point. Those citrus notes sitting under the resinous smoky aroma of the amber accord is really attractive. I kept pressing my nose against my arm to pick up that bergamot and lemon.

The opening is attention grabbing, deep, and somewhat rough. But, the perfume never strays too far and remain luxurious and rich. I do like that in addition to the smoke, it has an earthy/dirty scent that will rise up and break the potential monotony of amber and vanilla.

The dryness and the leather-like finish with hints of sandalwood is very nice to catch whiffs of during the latter stages.

The performance here is great. Le Lion is powerful and will stick around for a long while.

But, this isn’t going to be a perfume for everyone. It’s pretty different from many other Chanel’s. Not a floral aldehyde soaked perfume. Yet, you can still pick out that classic Chanel style, if you’re familiar.

Le Lion isn’t entirely a niche fragrance, but it’ll be one to test out to see if you’d actually want to go with it. It for sure doesn’t have the same mass appeal, as something like Coco Mademoiselle.

7 Best Smelling Tuberose Scented Perfumes

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Tuberose is one of the most popular white floral notes that is used in women’s perfumes. It’s sweet and what is often compared to a ‘bubble gum’ sort of smell is both distinct and lovely when done right. On this page, I want to keep a running list of the best tuberose based fragrances for ladies.

What are the Top Smelling Tuberose Fragrances?

Popular Spicy Designer Option

L’Interdit Rouge by Givenchy– The entire L’Interdit lineup features a tuberose note, for a sweeter floral experience, you might try the original: L’Interdit

With Rouge, you’re going to get a spicier take on the formulation, and the best of the lot in my mind. Blood orange, ginger, and orange blossom all have a large role early on in the wear. However, that orange blossom will fade in favor of our target tuberose note.

The end is a blend of the ginger, patchouli, tuberose, and sandalwood. The tuberose becomes much more dominant, as we move into the middle and final acts of this perfumes development. It’s a nice mix of earthy spice and creaminess.

A fairly bold sillage and L’Interdit Rouge lasted about 8 hours on my skin during testing. L’Interdit Rouge Review

An Armani Prive

Rouge Malachite– Armani has its Prive line of more high end fragrances. Rouge Malachite is a perfume from their Les Terres Precieuses series within the Prive lineup.

However, you also get a fresh sage top, benzoin and amber in the base, along with other floral notes like jasmine. In the opening, you get a sweetness with spice. Then benzoin and amber join the main tuberose thrust to give it a smoother fizzy creaminess.

It is a strong floral fragrance, but has a surprising amount of depth, which should keep one catching new facets of its aroma. Again, this is an expensive one, so you might want to find a sample before committing to a full bottle.

Green and Fresh

Joyeuse Tubereuse by Guerlain– This entry from Guerlain adds some greenish/dewy facets to the tuberose note. Also, there is a pretty substantial lily note in the mix, at times.

Joyeuse Tubereuse is lighter and fresher than some of the denser perfumes that are on this page. It gives you a really nice white floral dynamic with the lily note. Greener in the earlier stages, but more of the tuberose and sandalwood as you progress.

There is also vanilla, but it isn’t a high level of that note.  Sillage isn’t massive, but the longevity is pretty good, just don’t expect a complete beast.

That Gucci Ambrosia

Ambrosia di Fiori– This is similar to the original Bloom, but with more power and a greater use of our target note. Ambrosia di Fiori has a great opening honeysuckle and a big use of tuberose later on in the wear.

Ambrosia also has a rose note, which makes it distinct from the original, and does add something to an already familiar blend. The rose doesn’t completely overpower everything else, though. It has a nice balance.

If you want a bigger, bolder, and heavier version of Bloom with some slight differences, this is the one to get. Very solid performance to go along with everything else. Ambrosia di Fiori Review

top gucci bloom

Suede and Tuberose

Tubereuse Nue by Tom Ford– Like a lot of Tom Ford fragrances, Tubereuse Nue is a bold take on a tuberose-centered perfume. This one does have a lot of projection and the overall performance is fantastic.

However, this won’t be one that everyone enjoys, but can be the top pick for a smaller percentage of tuberose wearers. Our target note is joined by a big suede note, some oud, and a fuzzy blend of musk, styrax, and benzoin. Nice leathery touches.

Yet, outside of the suede, those notes don’t completely dominate throughout. You do indeed get a great white floral scent. Lily, jasmine, and that brilliant tuberose are a true delight here. I don’t find it to be super heavy and still one that is very much at home in the springtime.

Ylang-Ylang Tubereuse

Tubereuse Imperiale by BDK Perfumes– Tubereuse Imperial is a true floral which gives you that blend of sweetness with the buttery creaminess of ylang-ylang/vanilla, and an additional jasmine.

The opening does feel fresher and cleaner, with a geranium and pink pepper mix that helps to keep this one clean and with a livelier aroma in the top half of this perfume.

The tuberose does have that ‘bubblegum’ presence here, but it doesn’t completely take over or make it too sweet for some tastes. The ylang-ylang and vanilla notes give this the unique and beautiful signature that makes it such a joy to wear.

Spicy & Earthy

Tubereuse Indiana By Creed For Women. Millesime Spray 2.5 Oz– Tuberose Indiana brings on a nice smelling bouquet of white floral notes highlighted by the tuberose, but not really dominated. In addition, one gets a hint of bergamot, and a creamy vanilla at the top.

Then, there is the ambergris and fairly heavy musk.  This is an older school type of scent. The citrus is a nice light addition in the opening and the vanilla gives it a further touch of sweet/creaminess to balance off the heavier aspects of the ambergris.

This one is smooth, but it has an underlying earthiness and much more of a spicy presence than some of the others on the list.

Notes include vanilla, ambergris, tuberose, white flowers, and bergamot. Captivating smell.

Tubereuse Indiana

Versace Bright Crystal vs Yellow Diamond

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In today’s ladies perfume comparison, we have a head to head match up between two Versace fragrances: Bright Crystal vs. Yellow Diamond. Now, which one of these popular scents, smells the best? As usual, I am going to break down each one of these fragrances, and compare them in different categories. Then, I will declare a winner.

Tale of the Tape

Yellow Diamond

Notes include: citron, pear, neroli, bergamot, nymphea, freesia, orange blossom, mimosa, amber wood, musk, palo santo

Click here to try: Versace Yellow Diamond Eau de Toilette Spray, 3 Fluid Ounce

Read my original review: Versace Yellow Diamond

Bright Crystal

Notes include: yuzo, peony, pomegranate, musk, magnolia, iced accord, lotus, amber

Click Here to try Bright Crystal: Versace Bright Crystal Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, 3 Ounce

Read my original review: Bright Crystal Review

Opening

Bright Crystal does indeed open bright with yuzo and a blast of juicy pomegranate. This fragrance has a crisp profile due to the iced accord within. It starts out with these fruity notes and then moves into something that is more floral, mostly from peony.

Yellow Diamond also starts off with citrus from citron, but this is tempered by floral notes including mimosa and freesia. It doesn’t have the same level of fruitiness as Bright Crystal. It’s also bright but is like being surrounded by greenery and flowers.

Which Versace is better after first spray? I think that Bright Crystal starts off better. The cold juiciness of the fruits are very nice and the peony is a great addition that doesn’t overpower the fruit top notes.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Projection

Both of these scents are light to moderate throughout the wear. There isn’t a huge difference between them, n my mind. However, I think Bright Crystal does have a bit better sillage than Yellow Diamond.

It might just be that its particular notes feel stronger and just come across as so.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Longevity

Yellow Diamond would last around six hours on my skin, which is decent, but not amazing. It was pretty consistent about vanishing at about that six hour mark. Meanwhile, I could get 8-10 hours out of Bright Crystal on a regular basis during testing.

Yellow Diamond isn’t terrible, but Bright Crystal performs very well in every aspect.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Versatility

Both of these scents can be worn year round. I’d peg them both more as spring/summer. Neither one is super sexy, but both are quite pretty and pleasant to be around. Each can be worn casually or even more dressed up. There really isn’t a distinction in this category.

In either case you get a very versatile scent, more useful for daily wear, but that can venture into other uses. No real complaints about their versatility.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Yellow Diamond is a very solid everyday wear, if you like florals with enough citrus to keep it from being annoying. It’s a good perfume, but never blows me away.

The mimosa is an interesting choice for the floral notes, with the freesia, it gives this one something a bit different from the usual fare. It’s also got some greenish qualities, a bit of pear, and other random floral notes.

Nonetheless, it’s still not all that exciting or super memorable. Nice, sure. Though, I don’t think it ever gets to the same level of attractiveness as Bright Crystal.

In comparison, I really enjoy the way that Bright Crystal smells. It offers better performance than does Yellow Diamond and a more unique aroma.

The fruit notes at the top, the iciness, the juiciness, and then the floral/musk in the dry down are great. It never becomes too floral and strikes the right balance.

They each have some light aquatic qualities and juiciness, along with the floral aspects. But, Bright Crystal has more of each in a more pleasing composition.

It is simply a better Versace perfume than is the original Yellow Diamond.

Winner: Bright Crystal

R.E.M. by Ariana Grande

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R.E.M. by Ariana Grande is a review that I forgot to do last year, after testing it out. Luckily, I had another sample tucked away in a box, so I recently tried it once again in order to do a full write up of the perfume. This one was released back in 2020. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

What does REM Perfume Smell Like?

Notes include: fig, caramel, lavender, zefir, quince, pear blossom, salt, sandalwood, musk, tonka bean

Click here to try: R.E.M by Ariana Grande

My Full Review

Here’s how REM is described: An intergalactic dream of femininity and power, R.E.M. draws you in with a cosmic blend of Juicy Fig and Warm Salted Caramel. Lavender essence takes you to dreamy new heights, while sparkling Pear Blossom explodes like a supernova in the night sky. Intoxicating Musk wrapped with Sandalwood creates the perfect ending to your unforgettable journey.

R.E.M. opens up sweet, creamy, a bit juicy (sparkling), and familiar. It certainly has overlap with the styles and some notes of the other perfumes in the Ariana lineup. However, the aroma itself would be closest to Cloud, while still being a lot different with how it smells.

Here, the fig is the star early on. It is rich and sweet, while not being overpowering. It is joined by a light quince, that quickly disappears, and the creaminess of zefir. That note adds an additional sweetness also.

REM feels more substantial than Cloud, not overbearing, but thicker and bringing a definite warmth to the mix. Salted caramel thickens things up creating a further gourmand like sensibility.

As things progress, the opening creaminess will start to take a back seat. This one becomes more lavender dominant and has a powdery finish to it. That caramel note, is one that really burns off, mostly sticking around as a generic sweetness. Much less salty.

Lavender and musk have their moment in the spotlight together. The musk actually sticks around to the end, but in a weaker state. The lavender doesn’t weaken. It’s interesting how this becomes powdery, since the tonka bean/zefir have more of a creamy quality.

To me, it’s like a 65/35 split between powdery and creamy towards the back half of the wear.

Finally, the dry down is lavender with a sweet finish. Musky and some sandalwood, if you pay really close attention. Not super complicated at the end.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, I think this one is on the upper bounds of moderate. It’s not massive, but with a good amount of sprays, the scent trail lasts a while. Plus, the projection is solid for more than a few hours.

It’s not massive, but I can spray REM on a shirt and pick it up across the bedroom with ease. It does lighten up and dry down more to the skin. Still, I don’t find this to be one of the weaker Ariana perfumes.

On my skin, this one will go for 7-7.5 hours. Again, most of these perfumes don’t have great longevity. But, this one is pretty decent. Those last hours are skin scent level, but it is indeed still present.

REM is best worn from autumn through springtime. Much better in weather that’s somewhat chilly. Though, it gives you enough versatility to go day or night with it.

It’s not a formal fragrance. It’s good for casual, school, maybe some workplaces, or just going out on the town.

It’s not so much ‘sexy’ as it is pleasing and attractive to smell. This gets called a unisex fragrance due to the presence of the lavender note. To me, nope. This is feminine, there are plenty of lavender colognes for men, and they’re much more forceful than R.E.M. is.

Nevertheless, if you’re not a fan of the lavender note on yourself, you might want to skip this one.

Overall Impressions of REM

Overall, do I like R.E.M.? I do. It’s not the most amazing fragrance that I’ve ever come across, but it’s in the top half of the Ariana Grande releases, thus far.

I’m not usually a big fan of scents that use lavender heavily. Yet, this is one that I find enjoyable, in ways that I don’t with Cloud. In my opinion, it’s just better, even while that one gets all of the attention due to its overdone BR 540 comparisons.

I am, though, a big fan of using fig in fragrance. The one here doesn’t get all that much shine, but it’s nice while it lasts. I like the opening with the caramel, the sweetness, and that later back and forth between the creamy and the powdery.

Performance for me is decent. Not crazy good, but it seems to work on me better than what some people have reported.

R.E.M. is worth trying out. It’s not going to be everyone’s favorite, but there are a portion of people for whom this will be the best Ariana perfume.