Best Perfumes for Women

L’Interdit EDT by Givenchy

by

L’Interdit EDT is one of the flanker scents to EDP version of the same name. While Rouge and Intense get more fanfare, this eau de toilette version isn’t just an exact toned down copy of the original. In this post, I want to give my full review of L’Interdit EDT after testing it out. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does L’Interdit EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: orange blossom, tuberose, Pavot flower, patchouli, musk, and vetiver

Click here to try: L’Interdit EDT

givenchy l'interdit perfume

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: White imbued with light. The shattering alliance of Orange Blossom & Tuberose is disrupted by an exciting floral paradox. A voluptuous white flower exposing a dark, hypnotic heart. The shock appeal of iridescent white provoked by deep woody undertones of Vetiver and Patchouli. Radiant, exalted. The underground flower emerges into light.

The EDT version opens up sort of like the EDP. Here it is more of a sparkling citrus/pear aroma versus that grape bubble gum like smell. But, still sweet and quite candy-like.

The Pavot flower is poppy flower. Which can create a fruity sort of effect and I imagine that’s a good deal of what I’m getting here. It’s still got an earthiness and dark quality, but the sweetness is nice.

Also, checking the chemical ingredients…citrus is also here, just not listed officially outside of orange blossom, but there’s lemon for sure.

Anyway, the poppy flower and orange blossom dominate the opening act of L’Interdit EDT. The initial citrus/sweetness will subside and it becomes more classically floral.  Between the poppy, tuberose, and the patchouli, this has a great earthy quality to it.

Not super dirty or anything, it’s weird almost truffle butter rich at times, with how it comes across.

As this moves along, L’Interdit EDT seems to lose a lot of its mojo. The poppy falls off of the map, the tuberose moves in, and it kind of becomes a basic white floral. Yes, very similar to the Eau de Parfum version, but somehow not as interesting.

It ends up being a dry and musky tuberose, with some of the remaining patchouli and orange blossom. Not bad smelling, just kind of meh.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Even the EDT version of L’Interdit will give you above average performance versus the bulk of the competition. This is probably what I would consider the lower end of what could be termed ‘strong’ sillage.

A scent trail of significant proportions for at least a few hours and a very solid ability to project off of the skin for much of the wear.

It lasts somewhere in the 7-8 hour range for me. Not as good as the others, but it is still one that is quite good in what it is capable of.

Seasonally, I’d say it can be worn anytime, outside of the height of summer. Summer nights might be fine if it isn’t too humid. But, just don’t wear it during the day.

Less of a casual fragrance. But not completely buttoned up and serious either. It has a sexy nightlife or date night vibe, even if it isn’t the most seductive perfume out there. I like it, it’s attractive, but that’s mostly in the early stages.

Overall Impressions of L’Interdit EDT

Do I like this scent? Yes, the whole L’Interdit lineup is really darn good. It might be unpopular to say, but I like this more than Intense in the beginning. Slightly more, but there’s something about it, I really enjoy.

That flips and Intense ends up being the better of the two, however.

EDT is maybe a notch below EDP, based on performance, and dry down. But neck and neck, with the different approach to the formulation early on. And Rouge, is the best of them for the duration.

On the whole, it’s technically my least favorite overall. However, it’s still a perfume that I like. The sparkling citrus and poppy flower are the absolute highlights for me. It gives you something that stays true to the L’Interdit line, but manages to do its own thing.

The performance is really good for an EDT concentration. Not an absolute bomb that will last all day, but really nothing to complain about either. L’Interdit EDT is one to try out. It might rank higher for you personally, in comparison to the others. It’s an enjoyable fragrance.

Eros Pour Femme by Versace

by

Eros Pour Femme is a sample fragrance, that I unexpectedly received with another order recently. I thought that I had already done a review of it, but it turns out, I did the EDT version instead. So, this became another scent on my list that I needed to test out. How does this one smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Eros Femme Smell Like?

Notes include: pomegranate, lemon, bergamot, jasmine, lemon blossom, musk, peony, sandalwood, ambroxan

Click here to try: Eros Femme EDP

My Full Review

Here’s how Versace describes it: Attraction, desire, passion. Eros in a perfume. An alchemy of seductive, luminous and feminine notes. A refined accord of lemon and jasmine, enhanced with soft and sensual woods.

So, the original Eros Pour Femme starts out much more concentrated on the lemon note than the EDT version. Pomegranate is there too, but doesn’t play the same role as the raspberry sorbet does in the EDT.

Here, it’s a lot of citrus. Lemon, lemon blossom, and bergamot. It is sharp, bright, and doesn’t have the same sugary appeal. I do still kind of like it, after a few minutes, as that pomegranate does get to come out more.

When I saw the ambroxan note, I thought that it might be a heavy use of that note. Nope, not on my skin, at least. I do get hints of it, but this has more musk. Even that, isn’t super powerful.

Lemon, jasmine, pomegranate, and some peony is what I get for basically most of the wear. It actually does get a bit sweeter, after that sharp opening, which is a nice change of pace. But, it’s never too candy-like or anything.

The last bit of wear is a drier affair, less juicy. Still lots of citrus and a generic floral aroma. But, the musk still hangs around with woods and I still don’t get much ambroxan.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is actually quite powerful. This one easily leaves a scent trail behind it and projects far off of the skin. Seriously, this is a strong perfume. Not the boldest out there, but very much above average.

However, the longevity isn’t as good as I thought it’d be, based on that powerful opening. I get somewhere in the 7-8 hour range, on skin.

Terrible? No, but I was sure this one was going to hit double digit hours. That initial power is steady for a while, then, begins to fall off from that immediate peak performance.

Seasonally, this is a warm weather choice for the spring and summer months. Outside of that, it isn’t going to get as much use.

Mostly, a daytime casual sort of aroma. You can wear it as a daily wear, so long as you go easy with the sprayer early on.

Eros Femme, despite the name, isn’t really sexy. Not a romantic or nightlife perfume, unlike its male counterpart. Which is sort of strange.

Overall Impressions of Eros Femme

Overall, do I like Eros Femme? Ehh, I don’t hate it, but it wasn’t terribly enjoyable either. The EDT version is much better to me and something I actually did like.

This one is too sharp for my taste, at times. The opening has that effect, it’s nice enough, but can also be bothersome. Lots of citrus and the jasmine note.

I do always enjoy pomegranate and it gets some decent play here. It’s cool. The first third of this fragrance, definitely has its moments.

The back end, is kind of boring. Not too much development, but it gets dry and the generic floral isn’t too exciting. The early stages feel unique, but that isn’t the case later on.

Performance is fine. Didn’t do what I expected, but still no real issue there.

Overall, I’d go with the EDT instead. This isn’t that bad, but I don’t think Eros Femme is all that great either. Versace definitely has better options.

Chelsea Flowers by Bond No. 9

by

Bond No. 9 is an American niche brand that has released a ton of very successful fragrances for men and women over the years. One of the early ones, is Chelsea Flowers. I rediscovered a sample vial of this perfume, that I got back in who knows when. So, it was time to test it again and give this a proper review on the site. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is is worth a try?

What does Chelsea Flowers Smell Like?

Notes include: musk, peony, hyacinth, rose, tulip, sandalwood, magnolia

Click here to try: Bond No. 9 Chelsea Flowers Eau De Parfums Spray, 3.4 Ounce

chelsea flowers review

My Full Review

Before getting into my review, let’s see how Bond No. 9 describes it: The Scent of the Ingenue: dewy, freshly-picked blossoms, gathered in a paper wrapper, worn to perfection at New York’s newest art gallery-club-restaurant scene. An exuberant but slightly insolent all-day floral bouquet.

True to its name, Chelsea Flowers, is all about those floral notes. Early on, this one is dewy and has greenish qualities. Later, it is more like flower petals in a shampoo-like composition.

Opening up, I get a pretty big dose of magnolia. That along with a tulip note. It is pretty aquatic smelling, not completely watery, but more than a sprinkling of dew.

I’m concluding that this early dew/green aroma is coming from the hyacinth and tulip. It never takes a pole position, but sits underneath the top two throughout this opening act. Pretty distinct.

The next phase sees the rose and peony notes emerge. On my skin, the rose really isn’t all that heavy. I get a lot more peony, than I ever do from rose, which might be the fourth or fifth strongest of the floral notes.

Chelsea Flowers becomes much more appealing to me, once the hyacinth has calmed down. It becomes a fresher and muskier floral, that’s actually very pretty with its soapy vibe.

The final dry down is an amalgamation of the floral notes, on my skin. None of them feel all that separate from one another. Maybe still some magnolia and tulip I can pick out…sometimes.

But, the rest of the notes really bring home the dry freshness and shampoo aroma. Musk, vetiver, and moss. A greater dose of the moss and musk. The watery side of the perfume is basically gone.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this will leave a scent trail for the first couple hours especially. It’s not a massive cloud of scent, but Chelsea Flowers, is above average and projects itself very well. 

At it’s peak, it’ll project itself to around seven feet or so. That’s about where I could pick it up from, after spraying the fragrance on a shirt.

The longevity is good, not elite. Somewhere in the 8.5-9 hours of wear range, on my skin. Is that amazing? No, but really no reason to complain for most purposes.

Seasonally, it would best be served in the spring and summer. Though, it can be used during the more temperate days of autumn, as well. Keep to wearing it above a certain temperature, since this doesn’t fit in for winter.

Chelsea Flowers isn’t a sexy scent, nor is it a nighttime party animal. However, within the daytime, it is very versatile.

It can be worn by girls or older women, without issue. It’s fine for office wear, casual, or pretty much wherever else one might need it. Not the most formal scent, but it’s clean aroma wouldn’t be out of place.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Chelsea Flowers

Do I like this fragrance? It’s pretty good, but nothing all that unique or special. It’s not among my favorite from the Bond No. 9 line, though, you could do worse.

The opening act isn’t all that great, the hyacinth is somewhat bothersome here. I like the dewy and aquatic aspects of this scent. But, this really comes alive when the rose, peony, and musk have their turn taking the reins. 

The latter stages are like a dry floral shampoo. Fresh and very presentable, just nothing super memorable or groundbreaking. It’s not bad, just know what you’re getting here.

The performance is solid, on the whole. It lasts a good amount of time and really doesn’t need to be super powerful.

I don’t really want to recommend this to everybody, since it might not have the most exciting scent out there. But, if this sounds like your type of perfume, Chelsea Flowers is a good example, and worth trying. Buying? Maybe not.

Coco Mademoiselle EDP vs Flowerbomb Perfume Comparison

by

Coco Mademoiselle is one of the more popular fragrances for women by Chanel. Citrus, floral, and patchouli help to make it approachable and dynamic. Another fruit-chouli scent, is the best selling Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf. With these similarities, it is no wonder that these perfumes often get compared as potential options. However, which one is actually better? Which lasts longer?

Tale of the Tape: Flowerbomb vs. Coco Mademoiselle

Coco Mademoiselle

Notes include: jasmine, rose, orange, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: Coco Mademoiselle

Read my review: Mademoiselle

Flowerbomb

Notes include: Centifolia Rose, Sambac Jasmine, Cattleya Orchid, India Osmanthus, tea, bergamot, patchouli, musk, and vanilla

Click here to try: Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Fl Oz

Read my review: Flowerbomb EDP

viktor rolf review

Opening

With Flowerbomb, you get an initial burst of sweetness and fruitiness. The osmanthus flower gives you a jammy sort of aroma, sweet almost-peach like that is paired with bergamot citrus.

Tea, patchouli, and vanilla are also present coming from the heart and base notes. The rose and orchid will have their moments, but very early stages it is osmanthus, tea, and patchouli taking turns.

Meanwhile, Coco Mademoiselle begins more as a fruity floral fragrance. More specifically, it is a blend of citrus, neroli, jasmine, rose and ylang ylang peaking through. A little more musk, but it also has about the same level of patchouli, maybe a stronger presence early on.

Which is better?

I actually like both of them a lot in their early stages. It’s not too easy of a call. But, I really have always loved the opening act of Flowerbomb. The sweetness and fruitiness is great, also tea and patchouli really helps to tie the whole thing together.

Edge: Flowerbomb

Projection

These two perfumes are well above average in terms of sillage and projection. Strong enough to be over-sprayed, just not absolute monsters with how they do with normal application.

Really, I don’t notice much of a difference here. Maybe Flowerbomb is a bit stronger, but I’m not entirely sure that it’s the case.

As such, I’m going to call the category even.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Both of these fragrances have great longevity. Really, it’s a nice change of pace to compare two popular perfumes with such staying power.

With Flowerbomb, it will go over 10 hours, on my skin. On clothes, it goes for days. The actual amount of time falls somewhere between, 10 to 12 hours. That’s where it seems to max out at.

Coco Mademoiselle also does all that. However, I’ve actually tested it to over 12 hours before, something which Flowerbomb doesn’t seem to reach.

Again, you won’t be disappointed with the performance of either, but the Chanel does have a slight advantage.

Edge: Mademoiselle

Versatility

Seasonally, I think that Coco Mademoiselle has some advantage. Both of these can work in autumn and winter, with Flowerbomb being much better in those seasons.

But, Mademoiselle can go deeper into the springtime and holds up better when it is warmer out. Neither is a summer fragrance, but the Chanel has more flexibility.

Both can go day or night just fine. They each have a level of sexiness. I think that Coco Mademoiselle, not having the same level of sweetness might be better in some more formal situations than Flowerbomb. Though, neither is a formal type of fragrance.

Not a massive distinction here, either. Coco Mademoiselle does take the category, anyway.

Edge: Mademoiselle

Overall Scent

Really, this is a tough comparison post to do, as these fragrances are just about neck and neck by almost all attributes.

With Mademoiselle, I like the bold orange opening act and the vanilla notes in the dry down. The jasmine and patchouli are also awesome. Really, the scent doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses.

It lasts longer than Flowerbomb and has about the same peak in strength, with better sustainability.

At the end of the day, I think I personally prefer the aroma of Flowerbomb more so than the Chanel. Not by much, but I like the sweetness and fruitier facets of this perfume versus Mademoiselle.

If you want a less sweet, fragrance with a great jasmine note, you might go with Mademoiselle.

If you like the sweetness and the mass appealing nature of the patchouli and floral notes, you should probably go with Flowerbomb. Me, I fall more in the latter camp, while not thinking you can go wrong with either.

Winner: Flowerbomb

Givenchy L’Interdit vs Rouge

by

Givenchy’s L’Interdit series has enjoyed a good deal of popularity over the past few years, with its newer releases. Two of the most popular options remain the revamped EDP and the newer offering, L’Interdit Rouge. I’ve tested out the line in order to do reviews for the site and present a head to head comparison of each. Which of these fragrances smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: L’Interdit EDP vs. Rouge

L’Interdit EDP

Notes include: tuberose, pear, orange blossom, jasmine, vetiver, ginger, patchouli, vanilla, ambroxan

Click here to try: Givenchy L’interdit Women, Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Fl Oz

My Full Review: L’Interdit EDP

L’Interdit Rouge

Notes include: blood orange, ginger, jasmine, orange blossom, tuberose, patchouli, sandalwood

Click here to try: L’Interdit Rouge by Givenchy

My Review: L’Interdit Rouge EDP

l'interdit rouge review

Opening

L’Interdit EDP starts off with a blend of pear, bergamot, orange blossom, and ginger. The bergamot and ginger add an initial kick to the mix, but quickly fade out.

The orange blossom is the star white floral in the early stages, that will be joined by tuberose and jasmine,  as they strengthen. But, I actually get a good deal of patchouli from EDP, on my skin.

The opening is actually a sweet floral, that some people compare to the smell of grape bubble gum. I understand the comparison, it’s just overblown.

With Rouge, we go spicier from the start, and use a greater amount of citrus. Here, it is blood orange. The ginger is the same between the two, but is amped up and sticks around for much longer in Rouge.

It is interesting, that you also get that big orange blossom start with Rouge also, but it is the note that fades away quickly. The tuberose moves into full strength earlier, in this edition.

Which is better, at the start? I really like each of them a lot early on. Though, I have a slight preference for Rouge. That ginger spice and blood orange is really great and just somewhat more attractive than EDP.

Edge: Rouge

Projection

So, both of these perfumes are what could be considered strong fragrances. You will get great projection off of the skin, a scent trail, without completely bombing out a room (if you don’t over-spray).

The sillage of both is actually pretty similar. During my testing, I did find L’Interdit to be a bit more powerful when compared to Rouge.

It isn’t a huge difference, but I do seem to be able to pick up the scent of EDP on a shirt, somewhat further away than I did when I did the same later with Rouge.

Edge: L’Interdit

Longevity

With L’Interdit EDP, it will last between 8-9.5 hours on my skin. It is a good amount of range, but definitely leaned towards the higher end, during testing.

With Rouge, it’s a bit of a step back from that, but a similar level. I get somewhere around 8 hours, maybe less or a little bit more. However, it doesn’t hit that same high end that the original does. 

I tested each of them out multiple times and it was consistently the case that EDP was outdoing Rouge.

Not a huge discrepancy, though, there’s enough of a difference to have a clear distinction. 

Edge: L’Interdit

Versatility

Neither of these fragrances is built for the hottest days of the year. I’d stick mostly to autumn and winter with each. But, EDP can more easily venture into the springtime than Rouge.

Rouge is a bit more mature and sexier, when compared to the EDP. Both can fit into nightlife wear, but Rouge is a better option there.

Not a huge difference, basically on par with one another. Rouge does have a very slight edge.

Edge: Rouge

givenchy l'interdit perfume

 

Overall Scent

Which one of these fragrances is better? To me, it’s actually a close race, as they are my two favorite perfumes from this Givenchy series.

With EDP, I like the opening act with the pear and the orange blossom. Sure, a candy-like at times, but still a wonderful scent. The dry down is more of the traditional tuberose led, white floral. Still, I like it.

However, even with a slightly better performance, I prefer Rouge more so than the original. 

It’s not a major sure fire win for the flanker scent. Yet, the opening is better to me, as is the whole experience. 

It’s got a more dynamic start with blood orange and ginger, while still retaining that familiar L’Interdit DNA. I like the spicier vibe and dry down with plenty of sandalwood and patchouli. Rouge is a great perfume release, to me.

It’s a perfume that I wanted to keep coming back to, time and time again.

I can honestly recommend either one of these. Or really, any of them in the series (if you enjoy tuberose or can stand it). Just in this head to head battle, I think L’Interdit Rouge stands just a notch above. 

Winner: Rouge