Best Perfumes for Women

Baiser Vole EDP by Cartier

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Cartier has a whole host of good perfumes, which can get overlooked in comparison to the best sellers in the world of fragrance. Yet, they are always consistent with releases and multiple flankers will get released of these formulas thereafter.

One of the more popular lines is Baiser Vole. It’s a rather simple scent that I’ve appreciated for quite a while. How does the EDP smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Baiser Vole Smell Like?

Notes include: lily, citrus, green notes

Click here to try: Cartier Baiser Vole Eau De Perfume Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

cartier vole edp review

My Full Review

Here’s how Cartier describes it: The fragrance of a majestic yet elusive flower: the lily is recreated for the first time, from the freshness of the leaf, the floral scent of the petal and the powdery fragrance of the stamen.

Baiser Vole EDP is one that is pretty simplistic in its presentation. For one, you have to know up front that this is almost all about the lily note.

It starts off green with watery undertones. Maybe a bit of the citrus. However, it isn’t a heavy juicy citrus. More like water flavored with some squeezed citrus juice.

Very clean with a bit of spiciness to it. The petals of the lily are pretty prominent early on. The powdery stamen, as Cartier talks about, is there as well.

At times, this is a greenish dew covered stem and floral. At other times, you get more of the powder. Basically, the entire experience of the lily in a Cartier bottle.

A fresh and clean floral scent with spicy undertones from Cartier. Baiser Vole is a beautiful and elegant perfume that never overpowers. Baiser Vole is a lily heavy fragrance, so, enjoying this floral note is a requirement for this one.

It starts out with a green, somewhat watery lily, with citrus notes playing a support role. Then, it becomes much more of the petals of the flower itself, with a sweet creamy undertone. It’s a lightly projecting fragrance, with naturalistic notes, and solid longevity.

Baiser Vole keeps things extremely simple, but it still makes the cut as one of the best from this brand. Lots of lily petal and stem, with a watery quality and the citrus influences coming in.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one leaves a moderate scent trail behind the wearer with enough sprays. It’ll project off of the skin well, just not super far. Maybe 4-6 feet, during the first two hours or so.

After that, it is more of a personal scent bubble or one for those who get closer to you.

But, the performance in terms of longevity is actually pretty good. It seems to stick on my skin for up to 7.5 hours, at least during testing. I’m not sure that it is much more capable beyond that, but it isn’t bad even in its lighter strength.

Seasonally, you’re going to want to wear this one in the spring and summer months. That’s when it’s at its most beautiful. Moderate temperatures to warmer weather is when Baiser Vole shines.

Wearing it outside during the day, with a nice breeze going, was a very nice experience.

Baiser Vole is more of a daytime wear. But, within that it is safe for work, can go casual, or even more dressed up. Lots of opportunities to wear this fragrance.

Not a particularly sexy or nightlife beast, though. If that’s an important quality you’re looking for, go with something else.

Overall Impressions of Baiser Vole

Overall, do I like Baiser Vole EDP? I do. But, this is also one that won’t be on everyone’s radar. You’re going to have to like lily as a note and understand that it is the entire basis of the fragrance going into it.

I like the clean and green freshness that you get with Baiser Vole. The dewy aroma and light spice is enjoyable, if not being all that complex. It’s an easy to wear and rather elegant perfume, that can definitely serve as one’s signature scent.

The longevity is pretty good, even with the lighter to moderate sillage that you’re going to get with this Cartier. I don’t find it to be weak or anything, just not a spectacular performer on the whole.

Simple? Yes. Boring? I don’t think so. Maybe some others find Baiser to be bland, but I enjoy the focus on lily, even though it isn’t a favorite floral note of mine. Still, this Cartier perfume has plenty to offer and is well worth trying out.

Guilty Absolute Pour Femme EDP by Gucci

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Gucci Guilty is the staple of both the brand’s men and women’s fragrance lineup. There have been updates and new flankers over the past half-decade plus once Gucci got a new creative director. The Pour Femme line has a multitude of choices, that I’m working my way through reviewing. Absolute Pour Femme is today’s entry to the reviews. How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Guilty Absolute Pour Femme Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, blackberry, pink pepper, Bulgarian rose, cypress, golden wood, vetiver, patchouli, amber

Click here to try: Absolute Pour Femme

absolute femme review

My Full Review

Here’s how Gucci describes it:  Gucci Guilty Absolute Pour Femme is created using a particular blend with a structure that remains unchanged from the first time it is applied to the skin. Goldenwood is complemented with a mysterious note of blackberry, creating a non-traditional chypre fruity fragrance for a contemporary woman. The fragrance’s composition is intensified with patchouli oils and Bulgarian rose.

The blackberry note is the main focus here and it’s great. I love the juiciness and pairing with a light bergamot citrus as well. The pink pepper gives it a tiny bit of spice, but really doesn’t have too much of an impact.

Like the men’s version of Absolute, Pour Femme is a very woody take on the Guilty name. The same cypress and golden wood notes are present here. However, that’s about all they share, as this one is way less intense and smoky.

Aside from woods and fruits, you get further support from a nice pinkish rose and the patchouli base. The patchouli actually doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb here, more so helps to add an edible quality to the blackberry.

Guilty Absolute does a fantastic job at avoiding becoming too much of a girly/sugary/fruity mess. No, this one is dark and has a well-rounded sexiness about it. Deep woods, naturalistic green smells, and that awesome berry note highlighting it all.

Rose has its time to shine, after about an hour of wear. That will subside and the blackberry will sit on top of woods with some of that smokiness that’s found in the men’s version. Once again, the men’s version is a lot bolder on that front.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one isn’t super powerful and is pretty moderate for the duration. I do get some power out of it early on. I’d say it’ll hit about 7 feet from the skin at its peak. Closer to 3-5 for the majority of the wear.

Not crazy, but you get a nice bubble.

The longevity also goes for like 7.5 hours on me, maximum. On clothes, it goes for days. I sprayed it on an old t-shirt and it hung around for a long time. But, if you don’t want to ruin your fabric, the performance is just above average.

Seasonally, it’ll work in any, so long as it’s not too hot. So, most of the summer will be a no go, in most regions. Outside of that, it’s go time. Personally, I think if it’s a little chilly, Absolute Pour Femme would be awesome.

This is also a great perfume for those who want some versatility. It’s not obnoxious, so, it’s safe in most daytime scenarios. But, it’s also stylish and attractive enough for the nightlife.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Absolute Pour Femme

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Yes, I think that this is the best of the Guilty Pour Femme lineup. It’s a very good perfume.

The blackberry and deep woods combination helps to give this one a different feeling from others in the line and it stands out from the bunch, in my mind.

I love the fruit note, the darkness here, and the mix of the traditional cypress and their own smoky golden wood ingredient.

The performance is good enough. It isn’t amazing, on me at least. I do wish it had a bit more consistent strength. Though, I wasn’t all that disappointed.

Guilty Absolute also feels pretty unique. There’s nothing that I can think of which smells exactly like it, but it seems familiar at the same time.

You get a versatile, sexy, and easy to wear scent that doesn’t do anything poorly. It is definitely worth a try and a pretty safe blind buy, as well. Is it the greatest thing ever? Nope, but it delivers most of what you want in a perfume.

Encens Satin by Giorgio Armani

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Armani Prive is the upscale line of the Giorgio Armani brand. I’ve tried some of them out before, but not the entire range. I really wasn’t checking for Encens Satin, but when I had the change to buy a sample as a part of a lot, I went ahead and added it on. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth the high price?

What does Encens Satin Smell Like?

Notes include: incense, amber, woods, spices

encens satin review

My Full Review

Here’s how Armani describes it: Celebrating a new vision of legendary, sensual, incense. Blue satin, as fluid as the Mediterranean. A midnight blue, refined and modern, one of Giorgio Armani’s most emblematic colors. Satin that caresses as it envelopes the body, always in motion. It is this opulence and radiance that inspired Giorgio Armani to create Encens Satin, a fragrance where each note is wrapped in a deep, luminous embrace.

This is an absolutely smooth, warm, and rich incense fragrance. many other perfumes which use that note, have a harsher and smokier incense. This one is hot and almost like it hasn’t been burned in a while, and yes, somehow feels like it’s wrapped in satin. Weird.

With that, there are some generic spice notes up top. Not very distinct in how they come across, almost like they are sprinkled within the amber itself. It feels like they used labdanum here too, along with the amber note. It’s sweeter, spicier, and deeper than I’d expect otherwise.

The wood here is quite light. I get brief hits of it throughout, but this really turns into the incense and amber show. Sure, some hints of spice remain, just not to the same extent as the beginning.

Again, since the smokiness isn’t heavy, Encens Satin actually comes across as clean and very dry. I get the same deep darkness impression that I get with another Armani scent, AdG Profumo, just on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Water based incense versus this dry aroma. Oh, the frankincense is way higher quality here, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Encens Satin isn’t a super heavy fragrance. It has depth, but it very wearable. I don’t find it to be blow out a room powerful. It projects itself well above average, in the first few hours, and will leave a nice scent trail.

But, never made me feel as if it were dominating absolutely everything.

The longevity is great. I got well above 10 hours on my skin. Probably in the 12-ish hour range, at least as a faint amber note. There is no disappointments with how this scent performs.

Seasonally, this is going to be autumn and winter. Maybe the early part of spring, at night. But, I really wouldn’t go too warm with when I ventured to wear Encens. It works in the cold and crisp weather, but can fall apart completely in the heat.

This Armani is indeed a true unisex. Doesn’t lean too far in either direction. Perhaps, a slight bit more traditionally male. Not enough to make a fuss over.

This isn’t a daily wear for most people. Sure, cold weather and out a night, it’s great. Maybe not a daytime fragrance to go with in many office environments. Some folks, might have jobs where it’d be fine.

Again, not too intrusive and not obnoxious. Just kind of depends on your own circumstances.

Overall Impressions of Encens Satin

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do. I’m not a major fan of the incense based fragrances of this sort, but this Armani is fantastic for what it is.

The amber and the incense lead the way, with only hints of spices and wood throughout. However, it simply works. Not too complex, but you get a full array of sweetness, spiciness, smokiness and just a great perfume all around.

It projects strongly, but isn’t so overpowering as to make it off-putting. But, it also lasts a long time, helping to make the cost of entry with Encens Satin more palatable.

I am pretty sure that Encens Satin has been discontinued, as it’s out of stock everywhere that I’m looking, at the moment. As such, you’ll probably have to track down a bottle in order to experience it…or grab a sample first on eBay, if available.

That being said, if your an incense fan or just think that this one sounds interesting, Encens is definitely worth a try.

L’Interdit EDP Rouge by Givenchy

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L’Interdit is a long running fragrance with Givenchy. In recent years, however, the brand has been adding newer flanker fragrances to that original formula. Perhaps the most popular of them, is L’Interdit Rouge, which was released in 2021. I’ve been testing out this entire lineup over the past little while, after purchasing samples of each. How does Rouge smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth it?

What does L’Interdit Rouge Smell Like?

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

Click here to try: L’Interdit Rouge by Givenchy

l'interdit rouge review

My Full Review

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: A whisper of carnal excitement is at the heart of the iconic L’Interdit white flower bouquet. Luminous orange blossom and opulent jasmine combine in incandescence. A spicy red accord composed of blood orange, ginger, and pimento leaf is caressed by suave sandalwood, leaving a trail of provocative promise.

Wow. I really enjoy the way the Rouge starts off. Blood orange and ginger. The ginger is the same as the original EDP, but the dose has been turned way up. It’s sweet and spicy, with that familiar L’Interdit candy-like aroma, just matured.

There is a good amount of the orange blossom early on here. But, that note fades really quickly and this becomes tuberose dominant much more quickly than the EDP. Jasmine has a reduced role but sticks around.

That initial sweetness will tone tone, but the spicy warmth and sweetness on the whole, sticks around just with less of a punch.

Noticeably, this one lacks the vanilla. I like the change, but be prepared for more patchouli and sandalwood.

That warmth of ginger and patchouli spice is really a highlight for me. With the tuberose, the creaminess, and the general woodiness of the sandalwood base, Rouge really takes the L’Interdit formula in a new direction…without being completely far off from the original DNA.

Though, it ends pretty close to being like EDP. Both have the tuberose and patchouli. Except this goes with a sandalwood finish versus the aforementioned vanilla.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is strong, scent trail for a nice long time, but not overwhelming. It’s got a solid punch, but isn’t a complete beast with how it projects itself. But, Rouge also won’t be accused of being a weak fragrance.

On my skin, it reached around 8 hours of wear, maybe a bit more. Again, not completely incredible, but more than enough for most use cases. Rouge will give you plenty of time to spend with it.

Seasonally, this is autumn and winter all the way. The spice and thickness here from the creamy tuberose doesn’t really fit in during the summer months, and would pretty much take a beating in the heat and humidity.

Rouge does have a mature sort of smell. Not ‘old’ or like out of touch, but something that is confident and sexy. It has its sweetness, but doesn’t come across as childish or something designed for youth.

I would like to smell this more in nightlife or other evening situations. But, I suppose daytime use is fine as well. Just go easy with it. But, on cold and crisp nights, this would be one to grab and spray on before heading out.

Overall Impressions of L’Interdit Rouge

Overall, do I like L’Interdit Rouge? Yes, this is a fantastic perfume. It’s become my favorite from the L’Interdit series. Just a notch above the original and Intense, but it’s really separated itself in my mind.

The contrast between that bold ginger spice and the blood orange is really awesome. It’s a great start to a fun ride, on the whole.

The toned down vanilla is actually nice and the tuberose plays its role nicely, as the signature of this Givenchy lineup. Warm, sweet, spicy, and the balance between ginger and patchouli in the latter stages…all amazing.

The performance here isn’t the greatest, but definitely above average in every way. This is the most dynamic and memorable of the L’Interdit line, in my opinion.

I think that it’s worth a try and lives up to the hype that Rouge has gathered since its release. It might not be your favorite out of them, however.

Try it, but I’d also check out Intense and the original too. One may fit more in line with your own style, but I think that this one is a great place to start.

YSL Libre vs Flowerbomb

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YSL Libre and Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb are two of the more popular fragrances for women on the market. If you look at the notes alone, they do share quite a bit of overlap, but are actually very different fragrances from one another. Still, as popular floral based perfumes they are often on people’s list to try out. Which is better? Lasts longer? Is the one to buy?

Tale of the Tape: YSL Libre vs. Flowerbomb

Libre EDP

Notes include: lavender, white musks, orange flower, vanilla, orchid

Click here to try: Yves Saint Laurent Libre Eau De Parfum Spray for Women 90ml/3oz, clear

Read my review: Libre EDP

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

Libre starts off not with the strong lavender note, that it is known for. Instead, the main note early on is the orange blossom. This is paired with a slight spritz of the citrus fruit itself, also.

Underneath that, is of course the lavender which will take over later. Along with, musk and some vanilla creaminess.

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 put 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.

Which is better? I usually really like orange flower in perfumes, but I’m not a fan of it in Libre’s opening act. In fact, I think Libre’s lavender stage is much better.

Meanwhile, I really like that fruit-chouli sweet start of Flowerbomb. Sure, it can be intense, but it’s much more attractive.

Edge: Flowerbomb

Projection

Both of these fragrances do have some power and it’s not a huge gap between them.

With Libre, I’d call it an upper moderate fragrance in terms of its sillage. What’s nice about its performance, is that it has consistency during the wear before it trails off at the end. Very solid.

However, Flowerbomb is a tad better at projecting and creating a scent trail behind you. The opening has a higher peak and the Viktor & Rolf perfume is also quite consistent.

Edge: Flowerbomb

Longevity

With Libre, I get 8-9 hours of wear, on my skin. It’s good and definitely doesn’t disappoint.

But, it again doesn’t hit the same level of performance as Flowerbomb. With that, I get double digit hours of wear easily. It’s at least 10 and I’m not sure when it quits, maybe 12-ish or slightly more.

Edge: Flowerbomb

Versatility

In terms of when it can be worn, I think Libre has more of an edge seasonally. Neither is best in the height of summer, but Libre can go further into the warmer weather than can Flowerbomb.

Both can go daytime or nighttime, but Flowerbomb is better at the latter. Libre probably has more of an edge in the former, as it is probably better in a work environment than something like Flowerbomb.

It’s not much of an edge, but I think Libre does have somewhat of one here.

Edge: Libre

Overall Scent

When it comes to the overall smell and performance of these perfumes, I think the clear winner for me is Flowerbomb.

The aroma itself is sexier and just more pleasant to my nose. I like the sweetness, the orchid/patchouli/musk dry down, and vanilla touches throughout.

Libre does have its positives, especially if you’re a fan of lavender. It’s actually the more floral of the two, in a pure sense. The orange flower and lavender play a much larger role than the orchid or rose in Flowerbomb.

The Viktor & Rolf is floral/patchouli/sweet, while Libre is lavender/musky/vanilla. More of a soapy clean type of perfume, with a heavy emphasis on its main note. So, if that’s more along the lines you’re looking for, you should probably look at trying the YSL.

To me, it’s just not as good.

Winner: Flowerbomb