Best Perfumes for Women

Ombre Leather Parfum by Tom Ford

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Ombre Leather Eau de Parfum is one of my favorite entries from the Tom Ford line. When the brand released a 2021 Parfum version, I was really intrigued at giving it a try. Well, I’ve been testing it out and am now ready to post my review to the site. How does it smell? Is it as good?

What does Ombre Leather Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, violet leaf, jasmine, orris, cedar, tobacco

Click here to try: Ombre Leather Parfum

My Full Review

Here’s how Tom Ford describes it: OMBRÉ LEATHER PARFUM INTENSIFIES THE ORIGINAL SCENT, FUSING HEATED LEATHER FLORALS WITH WOODS–CAPTURING THE UNBRIDLED SENSUALITY OF THE AMERICAN WEST.

Well, I don’t think there’s anything any more intense about Parfum versus the EDP. Actually, that one starts and finishes with a heavier boldness.

Parfum isn’t as warm and doesn’t have that cardamom spice up top. Instead, we get a lighter and cooler aroma at first versus EDP.

The violet leaf note really sets the tone. Watery to an extent, with its greenish floral aroma, giving the leather a cleaner feeling than the somewhat earthy example of the EDP.

Cedar, jasmine, and the orris note also come into the picture. The jasmine note won’t be as prominent as in the original, but it still does a lot next to the more dominant violet leaf.

Yes, the orris note is present. It gives Parfum whiffs of a light powdery smell, but really not too heavy.

This is fresher and never has that same dryness. Cedar bolsters the base and a general woodiness just sits underneath the leather and violet leaf.

Tobacco is a newer addition to this. Again, another light note that adds some sweetness and an overall smoother experience.

In the end, it does become dominated by the leather. If EDP was an older, beat up type of leather, this is a brand new jacket.

Leather, the violet leaf/jasmine combo, and woods. That’s the dry down, on me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

With the longevity here, I still get the same 9-11 hours total on skin, like the EDP. But, whereas that gives me 6-8 hours of strong wear before become a skin scent. Parfum will go 5-6 and then be much softer.

The performance is by no means bad, but on my skin it is actually a slight step back from the original.

Seasonally, Ombre Leather Parfum is still mostly in the autumn and winter camp. Though, it has much more of an ability to be a late springtime wear versus the original. It’s lighter style is beneficial in that environment, holding up better in the heat.

Also, while both are unisex fragrances. Parfum is much more universal in its wear-ability. The original can be earthier and more animalic. With the violet leaf here, plus the lack of intensity from the cardamom and patchouli notes of the original.

This is an attractive scent. Good for nightlife. But, just know that not everyone appreciates the smell of leather, so it isn’t going to be universally beloved.

Overall Impressions of Ombre Leather Parfum

Overall, do I like Ombre Leather Parfum? I do. It shares plenty of overlap with the original, but takes things in a bit of a different direction.

I was worried about the leather and violet leaf before trying this. It could’ve veered more into the Fahrenheit by Dior direction, which isn’t a bad scent, but not one of my favorites.

This is a cleaner representation of the leather, actually can be a bit suede like. There is some tobacco and orris which gives it a smoother finish. Not all that powdery, but there is just a hint at times.

The jasmine that I loved in the EDP is also still here. Now, it splits weight with the violet leaf, which is just isn’t as good as the original.

Ombre Leather Parfum is a lighter version of this fragrance and probably will have a greater appeal in that regard.

Personally, I don’t like the smell of this one as much as the EDP. It’s still up there, just a notch below the eau de parfum.

Performance is also very good. So, which Ombre Leather you should go with is going to boil down to your personal taste, and not anything glaringly wrong with either. Softer, semi-aquatic suede? Or heavier earthier leather?

L’Interdit EDP by Givenchy

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L’Interdit (The Forbidden) was an older fragrance released by Givenchy back in the 1950s. The current EDP is a newer take on that classic formulation. Obviously, I don’t know if it’s a one to one replica of that classic…so let’s just review it as it is. How does L’Interdit EDP smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does L’Interdit EDP Smell Like?

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

Here’s how Givenchy describes it: A white flower crossed by a dark woody accord.
L’Interdit Eau de Parfum for women — a fearless fragrance imbued with the frisson of freedom. Transgress your limits with audacity and feel empowered on the journey to self-discovery.

The opening of L’Interdit EDP is where you’re most going to experience what has been termed grape bubble gum or candy-like aroma. I get the comparisons, but honestly it is overblown.

The white floral notes are going to be there throughout. Orange blossom is pretty present at the top, with pear, bergamot, and a light spicy ginger note. The latter two will very quickly fade away.

Actually, the patchouli note tends to stick out on my skin. It’s not super heavy or something that I don’t enjoy in the mix, but it was very noticeable to me during testing.

Orange blossom, tuberose, and jasmine all sort of split the duties early on. I get more of the orange blossom at first, then tuberose takes over as the strongest note. Jasmine kind of floats back and forth as the second or third heaviest white floral note.

Shades of being like one of the Gucci Bloom perfumes. However, this has a wider variety of scents than just the floral notes. Patchouli, pear, and some vanilla take it away from just being a greenish bouquet smell.

This one does get drier as it moves forward, but never fully loses its sparkling quality or sweetness thanks to the pear and vanilla. The vanilla in EDP isn’t as strong on me, as it is in the Intense version, but it does give it a little lift.

At this stage, tuberose and jasmine with less of the orange blossom. Finally, the tuberose almost rules alone.

It is tuberose, patchouli, and vetiver. Vanilla, a general non-tuberose floral smell,  and maybe some light ambroxan sit underneath those three. Not nearly as sweet as the opening, this is also when I get plenty of that patchouli note.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, L’Interdit is a strong perfume. It didn’t take over the room, but it is a scent that could pretty easily be over-sprayed. This one will leave its scent in your wake, for much of the first few hours of wear.

Though, it does tone down to something more moderate. It’s not overwhelming, but gives you plenty of projection and is never weak.

The longevity is also good. Somewhere between 8-9.5 hours on my skin, whenever I’ve tried EDP out. You might get it to hit double digits with the hours, but that’s around what to expect.

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.

Either way, one should get plenty of use out of this scent.

givenchy l'interdit perfume

Overall Impressions of L’Interdit EDP

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I do. It gives you more of a white floral strength than Rouge or Intense do in this series. So, if you want more of the tuberose, jasmine, and orange blossom…this might be the one for you.

I like the opening with pear and little ginger kick. The sweetness is nice, especially with that early orange blossom. Plus, I actually dig the patchouli in L’Interdit. Not too annoying and plays its role nicely.

The drydown is more of a standard tuberose led white floral. Still attractive and worthwhile, but it’s not my favorite note in the world. Nonetheless, I like this perfume from Givenchy.

This is certainly a scent to check out if you are into this style or notes. The performance is very good and provides a good amount of value with its use case.

The One for Men by Dolce & Gabbana

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The One EDT was literally one of the first fragrances I bought to review when I started this site back in 2013. If I actually ever posted my review, it has since been deleted, as the performance of this cologne was so bad that I felt it to be useless to post.

Well, fast forward to today, I wanted to dive into this whole D&G collection and start off by revisiting this 2008 release that has been mega-popular ever since. I always loved the smell, it just lasted for less than an hour on my skin, at the time. Has that changed? What are my thoughts now after nearly a decade of avoidance? Please continue below for my full take.

What does The One for Men Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, basil, coriander, amber, tobacco, ginger, cardamom, orange blossom, and cedar

Click here to try: The One EDT

the one for men review

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, here’s how D&G describes it: Dolce & Gabbana The One for Men is an elegant, sensual perfume that is decidedly modern but also a unique, timeless classic. It is the natural, masculine version of Dolce & Gabbana The One. An Oriental Spicy perfume which is developed from the harmony of Tobacco notes and refined spices.

The One EDT opens up fresh with its grapefruit and array of spices taking center stage.  The grapefruit here is more along the lines of the older versions of the brand’s Light Blue fragrances, instead of the realistic one used in Light Blue Forever.

The spices early on are a mix, but you can pick out a few. The coriander is stronger than that basil note, but even that has its run during the initial spray.

It’s a warm oriental sort of spice, sitting on that base sea of amber, and given a pop by the fairly short-lived citrus note. Basil and ginger are two of my favorite and underutilized spices in fragrances…and both are the first to fade away.

Coriander and cardamom are really the one’s which show up on my skin. With the latter, adding a bit more of a citrus like impression with grapefruit and the white floral orange blossom heart.

The initial fresh spiciness will begin to take a back seat. The One becomes smoother and smokier with how it presents itself. Just a light smokiness, rather than heavy incense or anything like that.

The spices also become more of a combination versus anything distinct in how they present. At this point, it’s a amber and tobacco show with a noticeable cedar, and hints of: spices, smokiness, orange blossom, and a very light citrus.

The final dry down is basically a faint amber and tobacco without much else. Still smells nice, you just need to press your nose to it. Spicy and fresh gives way to a still warm and somewhat sweet scent.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, that initial 30-45 minutes or so is pretty solid. Even with 4-5 sprays from sample vials, I still got a good trail going from either skin or clothing.

It probably peaks at the 5-6 foot range off of the skin. After that, you’re going to be looking at something that sits within 1-2 feet. That draw down is really fast from being noticeable to if not a skin scent, close to it.

So, I also tested The One out side by side with a fragrance of a similar style, Noir Extreme by Tom Ford. 5 sprays on the one sample vial versus 2 sprays of a Noir Extreme vial. An hour or so in, the Tom Ford has a much more noticeable presence.

Seasonally, the warmth and spices is built for the autumn and winter months. I would avoid the hotter weather and humidity. Cold to moderate temperatures is where The One for Men smells absolutely divine.

It is a versatile fragrance. It is a sexy and attractive date night or nightlife wear. Though, it’s not offensive or completely out of place during the day. The tobacco note, might not always be appropriate, but it also might not be strong enough to really matter.

It is an interesting fragrance, as it does have a level of maturity to it. While also being dynamic and not at all stuffy. Younger guys and a lot of teenagers, really wouldn’t have an issue using this cologne.

Overall Impressions of The One EDT

Overall, do I like The One for Men? The smell, I still adore. The performance…still pretty bad. Though, not as terrible as I remember.

I mean 3-4 hours is absolutely not great. Especially when the projection is so light a few hours in. This is in contrast to my memory of it not lasting an hour previously.

The One features some of my favorite notes and a style, which I really enjoy. Ginger, basil, cardamom. Orange blossom is among my favorite floral notes. Amber is great. Plus, a very nice rich tobacco note for this sort of mainstream cologne.

The problem is, when all combined together…these notes don’t hold up in an EDT concentration.

As such, is it a buy? I mean, maybe. I would try to get a huge discount. Probably putting on some unscented lotion on my skin before spraying, to aid longevity. Also, I’d spray it heavily each time using.

The One EDT is an amazing smelling and mass appealing fragrance. Performance for most folks, just isn’t great. Really, among the best sellers in this category, it smells better than the vast majority.

Kate Spade New York EDP

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Kate Spade New York EDP is a perfume that was released back in 2020. It really wasn’t on my radar for a long time, but when I had the opportunity to get a hold of a sample, I made sure to grab it. I have been testing it out on and off over the past few months, in order to post my full review. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Kate Spade New York EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: strawberry, rose, ambroxan, cashmeran, freesia, citrus

Click here to try: Kate Spade New York

My Full Review

Here’s how the brand describes it: Sparkling, joyful, sensual and feminine, the Kate Spade New York fragrance is a bright, colorful blend of fruits and flowers including wild strawberry and rose essence with alluring hints of ambrox and cashmeran.

When I first received a sample of this perfume, I really wasn’t in any sort of rush to try it out. Though, I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised with what I got from Kate Spade New York.

The strawberry is the main attraction in the early stage, especially. Very nice and more of a naturalistic sort of strawberry aroma than something completely candy-like. But, there is still a mixed drink aspect to this with the citrus notes.

So, leaning natural, but somewhere in between that and a strawberry flavoring.

Bergamot and I think there is some grapefruit coming through as well. These support players really help to make the strawberry pop after first spraying. Plus, this doesn’t ever stray too tart to my nose, more sweetish without overdoing it.

The rose essence isn’t too heavy in the mix. So, if you’re looking for a rose-based scent, this won’t be it. More of a background player early on, and definitely loses some ground to the freesia, which adds a light watery vibe to the composition.

Also, that dewy aroma does give it a touch of light greenish smell, after the initial fruity overload subsides.

This will be led by the strawberry note for the duration. Ambroxan gives it that synthetic amber finish and the woodiness of the cashmeran becomes more pronounced, as it enters the final stage.

So: strawberry and the remaining citrus, cashmeran, ambroxan, and the general floral impression that is left.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one opens up with a strong punch and an ability to leave a trail. Though, it will moderate quite a bit.

To me, it never weakens entirely and is fairly solid during its complete cycle. It just doesn’t maintain that initial burst caused by the fruity notes.

It will project well. Maybe around 7 feet at the max, more 3-4 foot range, for much of the wear.

On me, this seems to stick around for 6-7 hours. That last hour is faint, but New York is still there. It’s not a workhorse or a monster performer, but pretty decent on the whole.

Seasonally, the uplifting fruitiness makes this a star in the spring and summer months. Really sits well in the warmer air and is just pleasant to be around. Maybe out of place in the autumn and winter, however.

This is geared toward a younger woman’s style. It’s a nice daily wear. Not completely immature, mind you, but teens and women in their 20s would do fine with this one.

Very attractive and pretty, than anything like a ‘sexy’ nightlife perfume. A playful fruity perfume, that isn’t an overly sweet or cloying mess. It’s got style, but remains fun.

Overall Impressions of Kate Spade New York

Overall, do I like Kate Spade New York? I do. It’s not a super amazing perfume, but I like it and its rather simple profile.

The style is very much like Burberry Her, while smelling fairly different and better, for that matter. I like the pairing of the strawberry and citrus notes. With the floral notes, ambroxan, and casmeran you get a good balance…while still getting a fruiter perfume.

The performance is good enough for what it is. A daily wear for the warmer months, that is pleasing and not going to break the bank. It never felt like a weak perfume, while wearing it.

It’s worth checking out, if this sounds like it might be your style. Nothing groundbreaking, just one that is well-executed, and enjoyable.

Paris-Riviera by Chanel

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Les Eaux de Chanel is a newer series of fragrances from the famous French design house. I’ve tested out the first five from the line and have been posting my reviews of each. Today, it is going to be my thoughts on Paris-Riviera. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Paris-Riviera Smell Like?

Notes include: orange, neroli, petitgrain, sandalwood, jasmine, musk, benzoin

Click here to try: Paris-Riviera by Chanel

My Full Review

Here’s how Chanel describes it: A fresh, solar fragrance that evokes the carefree charm of the French Riviera, where Gabrielle Chanel built her villa, La Pausa.

Paris-Riviera starts off with a burst of zesty citrus and neroli. The citrus is mostly made up of orange, but I do detect a bit of the bergamot note, the designer seems to use in other perfumes.

The zest of that citrus is joined by the dominant neroli note and petitgrain. Both of which have their own citrus aromas and the green freshness of the petitgrain also plays a big role at this early stage.

This one isn’t sweet. The fragrance does have more of a bitter orange aroma, especially during the latter part that the citrus sticks around.

Paris-Riviera does remind me a lot of the array of Tom Ford summertime fragrances, that utilize neroli. So, could serve as an alternative to those who are fans of those scents.

It’s not too heavy or sharp, but has a fresh and clean energetic kind of aroma to it. The jasmine note does come in for me, taking over the neroli as the heavier weighting, but early it’s about the neroli. Though, it’s never too lopsided either way.

The jasmine will be joined by a general muskiness and benzoin note, which gives this some resinous highlights during the dry down. Paris-Riviera becomes less about zesty citrus and more of a soapy and indeed drier perfume.

Jasmine, sandalwood, neroli, and that benzoin/muskiness. Sandalwood really seems to make a late push with this and Riviera ends up being a woody floral…not wholly the citrus floral, that started things out.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one is pretty moderate. Probably on the lighter side of the moderate spectrum. Though, I think that it has a fairly strong peak in the beginning. With normal sprays, you should get a little scent trail from it.

On the whole, I found it to be just fine during testing. Noticeable, while note being particularly in your face about it.

Paris-Riviera seems to hit the 4-6 foot mark, in terms of how far it will project off of my skin. Not bad, but this isn’t a powerhouse.

The longevity is in the 6-7 hour range. Again, not spectacular, but solid and pretty useful for this style of perfume. Really about what the other Les Eaux fragrances give you in terms of hours of wear.

Seasonally, this is spring and summer all the way. Clean, fresh, and upbeat with bright aroma in the early stages.

It does have pretty good versatility within that seasonal context. It’s much much more of a daytime sort of fragrance. Casual, semi-formal, or work is fine.

It’s a pleasant aroma, but not something that is going to be wildly attractive or sexy. Not really a Chanel that is built for the nightlife.

Overall Impressions of Paris-Riviera

Overall, do I like Paris-Riviera? I do like it. It’s not a love for me, but I find it to be an enjoyable enough perfume. As of now, I’d rank it as my fourth favorite from the Les Eaux de Chanel line of scents.

I thought that I might like this one more than I actually do, going into the testing. It’s a fine fragrance, probably a bit too expensive based on what you get with Chanel prices. Likeable and certainly nothing offensive even amid the periods of greater intensity.

The opening might be a mixed back for some people. It can have a cleaner-like aroma, but I don’t find it to be too off-putting. The citrus is the usual Chanel fare, with the petitgrain and neroli too, it might overwhelm some folks.

However, the dry down is particularly nice. Soft and low key. But, the sandalwood and benzoin mixing with a more balanced floral presentation works well for this perfume.

Good performance for a summer scent, just don’t expect anything amazing. That being said, this is a good Chanel perfume, just not a top tier option. So, you may not want to pay their prices just to own it.

Paris-Riviera isn’t a must have, but certainly worth a try, if this sounds like it could fit your personal style.