Best Perfumes for Women

Beyond Romance by Ralph Lauren

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Beyond Romance is a follow up scent in the Romance line from Ralph Lauren. I got a hold of a sample of this release as a part of a larger lot of perfume samples. I didn’t really know anything about it coming in and wasn’t sure of what to expect. Is it a good perfume? How does it smell? Is it even worth a try?

What does Beyond Romance Smell Like?

Notes include: raspberry, mandarin, bergamot, rose centifolia, jasmine, lily of the valley, black vanilla, ambroxan, cashmeran

Click here to try: Beyond Romance from Ralph Lauren

My Full Review

Tried Beyond Romance? Leave your own review and rating in the comments!

Let’s see how Ralph Lauren describes it: A new adventure in Romance. Discover the mysterious, daring, and wild fragrance that goes beyond with a seductive blend of fresh rose centifolia and luscious black vanilla.

Beyond Romance starts off with its fruit trio of raspberry, mandarin, and bergamot. The raspberry is going the be the strongest of the three for the duration of the wear, but early on there is a bit more of an even split with the citrus notes.

It’s a sweet start with the sugary aspects of this fragrance becoming apparent from the start. The black vanilla note will be noticeable and it kind of smells like there is a marshmallow note in the mix as well.

Probably the vanilla mixing with the cashmeran, giving it a light powdery aroma for some of the wear. Well, along with the floral notes. Really, only the rose truly sticks out for any length of time, the rest of the way it seems like a generic floral aroma sitting underneath.

At some point, the citrus notes burn off and it becomes the raspberry and vanilla show. The floral notes under that with an air of musk and the cashmere.

That’s essentially it. For stretches, it will smell more sugary. That brief powdery stint. Then, more of a musky cashmere finish down the home stretch.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is actually quite good during the first couple of hours. Yes, after that it is a lighter moderate perfume, but Beyond Romance does have some power. Spraying it on some clothes, I can pick it up in the 6-8 feet range.

The longevity is decent, not great. I’d say about 6-7 hours, is what to expect. The last 1-2 hours being pretty close to the skin.

Seasonally, I’d really just avoid the high heat with this. Outside of the sweltering days of summer, this Ralph Lauren should be fine.

It’s sugary sweetness does make it seem like it’d be mostly a teenager’s scent, but really it’s not. It’s well blended and not screeching with sharp top notes. The cashmeran really helps to temper things and this could appeal to a wider age range than you’d think.

It’s a pretty and deliciously attractive perfume. Not formal, but okay for daily wear and even romantic wear into the evening…as the name implies.

Overall Impressions of Beyond Romance

Overall, do I like Beyond Romance? I really do. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this, right after the first spray. I generally like the fruity and sugary perfumes, but sometimes they go overboard. This one, has a nice balance.

Raspberry and vanilla are going to be the main attractions here. So, if you’re not a fan, forget it. But, if it sounds up your alley, the citrus notes with the florals and musk create a wonderful dynamic.

The performance is decent, just not a complete marathon runner with how long it goes. Though, I can’t say that I was particularly disappointed with Beyond either.

While it’s not a complete match for scents on the Ariana Grande line or Burberry Her, it is definitely in that same category. If you’re familiar with any of those, it’s around what you should expect with Beyond Romance.

I recommend giving it a try, if you’re in the market for a sugary sweet perfume that isn’t completely immature. Solid value at Ralph Lauren prices too.

Good Girl Gone Bad by Kilian

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Good Girl Gone Bad is a Kilian fragrance which I was already familiar with. But, I got sent a sample of it with another purchase a while back, and realized that I should finally put a full review on the site. Voila! How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a buy?

What does Good Girl Gone Bad Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, osmanthus, orange blossom, apricot, narcissus, tuberose, jasmine, cedar, amber

kilian good girl review

My Full Review

Tried this one? Leave your own rating and review in the comments!

How Kilian describes it: The uninhibited Good girl gone Bad finds herself in a luscious floral whirlwind in the garden of good and evil.

The opening of Good Girl Gone Bad is a mix of sweetish fruit, green notes, and some rose. The osmanthus and a bit of tuberose seems to give this one a greenish quality early on. However, much of the composition is dominated by the apricot aroma.

To me, this is a floral-fruity fragrance, that starts off leaning more towards the latter. Along with the apricot and osmanthus, is a slight May Rose which never fully takes over. The scent is fresh that will have a light creaminess that will come on more so after the opening act.

It shifts to being tuberose and orange blossom rather than the rose and osmanthus. Going from green-ish to more of a standard white floral fragrance. Very clean and not an overpowering mess.

For much of the middle, tuberose will be in the drivers seat, before this shifts once again.

Finally, the rest of the way will be jasmine led. That, apricot, general white floral notes, and some amber slipped in. Good Girl Gone Bad isn’t a super complicated perfume. It has a soapier quality in the dry down, leaning a lot more towards the floral end of the spectrum.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one is a lighter moderate. The opening does have a bit of power, it’s noticeable for much of the wear, but it’s going to be more of a scent bubble than an overwhelming powerhouse.

The longevity seems to go for about 7-ish hours on me. You might be able to squeeze a few more hours than that out of it, but it doesn’t have that elite gear. Pretty good.

Seasonally, this one is fine from spring through the early autumn. Much prefer it in the warmer weather than even just a mild day.

This is a nice candidate for a daily wear fragrance, if you happen to like the blend. Produces a non-offensive and fresh out of the bath effect. Unlike what the name might suggest, this is much more of the daytime good girl, than getting up to trouble in the evening hours.

To me, this is one that can be used by younger women, as well as older ones. Not too complicated, easy to wear, and won’t feel out of place in a classroom or an office.

Overall Impressions of Good Girl Gone Bad

Overall, do I like Good Girl Gone Bad? I do. Personally, it’s one of their better ladies’ fragrances. Some of which are a lot more mediocre than Good Girl Gone Bad. This is not amazing to me, but an attractive floral fragrance nonetheless.

Tuberose isn’t one of my favorite notes, at all. But, within this perfume, I really don’t mind it. Plus, it will get subdued into a more generic white floral aroma.

The apricot sweetness for the duration of this scent is really what sells it to me. I like how it pairs with the jasmine note in the dry down. Yes, it gives off a soap-like smell, but sometimes that’s what you want to go with.

This is a safe fragrance, that will skew towards regular use versus special occasion. The performance isn’t top notch, but  it is pretty solid. Is that enough for the price tag? I guess that depends on you.

I think that the name is pretty misleading. The good girl part fits, I suppose. But, this never gets ‘bad’ or super interesting. Likeable, sure. But there’s no real seductive or bold charm to this scent.

Just understand that despite its popularity, it might not be what you’re looking for.

Forbidden Games by Kilian

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Forbidden Games is a sample that I received from Kilian, when I purchased Angels’ Share a long while back. It is a part of their Narcotics collection and is a perfume that I wasn’t too familiar with going in. I recently broke this perfume out of the box to test it out and give my full review of it. How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Forbidden Games by Kilian Smell Like?

Notes include: peach, osmanthus, orange blossom, tuberose, cinnamon, honey, apple, plum, vanilla, and jasmine

Click here to try: Forbidden Games

forbidden games review

My Full Review

Tried Forbidden Games? Leave your rating and review in the comments!

Forbidden Games kicks things off with its peach note taking center stage. This is flanked by a rather light plum note, apple, spicy cinnamon, and a bit of honey coming through. It’s actually light and pretty fresh with how it comes across.

The apple kind of gives it a body wash or shampoo type of vibe, when I catch whiffs of it.

The cinnamon will roll off and the floral notes will come in. To my nose, I get periods where the orange blossom is particularly strong, and others where it is the tuberose note. Early on, it seems to be the rose that sticks out more.

So, it’s basically a sweet syrupy peach, rose, and the remaining plum note. 

As it moves forward, the peach note will remain distinct. But the other fruity notes, just kind of become a mass of sweetness. The honey recedes, vanilla is introduced, and they combine with the peach to give off a fruity dessert aroma.

The floral notes also feel like they kind of combine into a single entity instead of distinct notes. That’s like what I get for the rest of it. A sweet peachy aroma with a soapy floral backbone. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one starts out as a fairly strong moderate, that will taper into something lighter. It’s not a thick or heavy sort of perfume. Nor is Forbidden Games going to leave a long trail in its wake.

For much of the wear, it will stick closer to the skin, while still being noticeable.

The longevity is around 8-9 hours, on my skin. Not absolutely top of the line, but it wasn’t a disappointment either. 

Seasonally, this one is fine for spring and summer. You can go into autumn with it to, at least the early part.

The name is misleading, as this one isn’t a sexy or really a nightlife type of scent at all. It’s more upbeat and pretty. Can easily become a daily wear, that is suitable for the younger crowd, but isn’t so girlish that it can’t be used by older women.

It’s fresh and clean with how it presents itself. Not seductive, not formal, but can be an easy go to otherwise.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Forbidden Games

Do I like Forbidden Games? It’s a nice and pretty perfume. Is it amazing or must have? No, not really.

The peach and fruity opening with touches of cinnamon is great. I enjoy that aroma, but it is rather short-lived. After that, it becomes more of a generic floral clean with the peach and some honey.

Is that terrible? Nope, and for some, it could be just what you’re looking for. But, at this price point, Forbidden Games probably isn’t worth it for most people. Plus, Kilian has better fragrances than this one. 

However, if you do happen to like the scent, the performance is solid. Not the loudest perfume out there, but it gives a long enough wear. Everything about Forbidden Games is fine.

With the name, I expected something sexier. It’s in the Narcotics collection, but isn’t all that seductive nor addictive. More like a sweet and clean body wash or shampoo. 

10 Best Smelling Creed Perfumes for Women

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Creed is a boutique fragrance designer which dates back centuries and has designed fragrances for for royalty and celebrities around the world (at least according to their stories). Creed is known for using the finest ingredients and creating complex natural scents that stand out among a crowd of imitators.

Their line of women’s perfumes seem to be mostly floral based and while many share similar floral notes, each one has a unique twist on them to add fruity, spicy, or other undertones. As always, I have linked out to a page where is of these scents can be purchased at a great price.

You may also find great Creed fragrances that can be worn by women in my Best Creed Colognes for Men post!

What are the Best Creed Fragrances for Ladies?

Most Popular Creed Perfume 

Creed Spring Flower by Creed for Women Millesime Spray, 2.5 Ounce– Notes include jasmine, peach, apple, musk, melon, rose, ambergris.  Spring Flower is an uplifting fruity scent with bright, floral undertones.

Melon, peach and apple are paired for a crisp and juicy sweet start to the wear.  Then, the rose and jasmine note usher in its flowery namesake, which is quite pretty.

Along with the typical Creed ambergris note, Spring Flower has a musky dry down that is fairly potent. The flower aspect is more prominent further along in the life cycle, with jasmine and musk being the highlights at that point. Meanwhile, the fruit notes have become more subdued.

Spring Flower isn’t really a heavy fragrance, more light to moderate. However, it provides good longevity, and versatility. It can definitely become a signature every day wear.

spring-flower-75ml-creed

Elegant Creed Fragrance

CREED FLEURISSIMO by Creed for WOMEN: EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 2.5 OZ– A more mature floral than Spring Flower and not as bright as that fragrance. Classy and elegant. This actually lacks the fruits found in the first entry.

Instead one is left with a bouquet of florals with iris, violet, and tuberose. Fleurissimo has a vintage style and a garden rich profile.

As it dries down, this Creed scent has more warmth and a soapy/powdery clean quality. This is an all day wear, with excellent longevity. A springtime fragrance. Notes include: Bulgarian rose, violet, tuberose, Florentine iris.

creed fleurissimo

Classic Rose, Citrus, and Musk

Creed Fleurs De Bulgarie By Creed Millesime Spray For Women 2.5 oz– A very old perfume, supposedly dating back to 1845. Fleurs De Bulgarie is another floral perfume but one with more of a kick of citrus and spice to it.

This floral, however, is straight rose. It’s sweet and clean with a musky profile.

Fleurs de Bulgarie is pretty linear, but the dry down elevates the ambergris to go along with that great rose essence.

Obviously, it has been updated along the way, by Fleurs is still a wonderful addition to one’s collection.  Notes include: Bulgarian Rose Essences, Musks, Ambergris, bergamot. 

Fleurs De Bulgarie

Amazing Vanilla

Sublime Vanille– Creed’s Sublime Vanilla, might have the best smelling vanilla note that I’ve ever come across, it’s absolutely delightful. That creamy goodness is joined up top by orange and lemon, that creates a dessert-like quality to this scent.

It’s warm, with some additional touches of musk and tonka bean. A softer fragrance, that isn’t too complicated, but shows the absolute quality of the Royal Exclusives line of perfumes by Creed.

The issue that can come up with this one, is the heavy price tag. It is even higher priced than the others on this list. The sillage and performance are pretty good, just not outstanding. What you do get is a nice creamy vanilla, with bright citrus, and a bit of musk. Sublime Vanille Review

Sweet Violet

Love in Black– I’m personally not a huge fan of wearing violet fragrances, but I have to say I do enjoy the way that Love in Black by Creed smells.

First, it opens up with a sweet and tart black currant note that can come across like a jam. This is joined by a fresh cedar, giving it an interesting, though not always immediately enjoyable smell.

The iris and violet notes come through, giving this one a powdery aroma, fairly similar to Broadway Nite (that’s probably more powdery, but smells a lot like Love in Black).

It will become an intense violet aroma, with a sweetness, mixed floral notes, and some slight woodiness. Love in Black isn’t for everyone, so, it’d probably be best to test before committing to a full bottle.

Yet, for those who enjoy violet, this is a great example and wonderful performer.

Princess Creed

Royal Princess Oud– Royal Princess Oud is an interesting one. Like, Love in Black it features violet and iris, but early on this is paired with citrus and is way less dense.

In fact, it’s kind of bright and a bit green/floral at the early stages. The title-sake agarwood will come on, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

The fragrance certainly has its stronger ingredients, but also feels very balanced for much of the wear.

Yet, this stuff is intricate. The powdery qualities of the florals have their time. Bright citrus. Woodiness. Spice. Then, a resin/creaminess of vanilla, sandalwood, and some benzoin. The opening can be rough, but the development is really great.

Tuberose-led White Floral

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. With that, a slight earthiness in the middle act, and a spiced kick too. The mix is attractive for those who like an old school sort of floral perfume, but not completely stuck in the past.

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

Tubereuse Indiana

Best Woody Fragrance

Vanisia By Creed For Women. Millesime Spray 2.5 Oz– A nice, feminine scent that screams sophistication. Vanisia is a move away from the strictly floral scents featured before. This is a very well performing blend of mostly sandalwood and vanilla.

Naturally, the Creed ambergris is another heavy hitter within the composition but there is also a straight amber note, which makes for an interesting pairing.

Vanisia is like vintage confidence in a bottle, with jasmine playing a supporting role to the main ingredients. Notes include: Jasmine, vanilla, rose, sandalwood

vanisia

Best Summertime Pick

Acqua Fiorentina Perfume by Creed for women Millesime Spray 2.5 oz
A complex fragrance that is a light aromatic with layered notes of (some) floral and (mostly) citrus.

This is the go to, if you like fruitier compositions. Bergamot, lemon, and plum start off Acqua Fiorentina with a very bright and quite sharp citrus sensation.

However, there is also a crisp apple note in the mix, which adds to the overall juiciness.

As it dries down, there is a hint of rose and carnation, which balances out some of the fruit overload. Plus, the cedar/sandalwood which sits at the base, and holds this whole thing together.

Very much like, The Scent of Peace for Her by Bond No. 9.  Notes include: rose, Virginian cedar, lemon, sandalwood, carnation, bergamot. 

Acqua Fiorentina

Top Winter Creed Scent

Creed Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie Millesime Spray for Women, 2.5 Ounce– The supposed story behind this one, is that Jasmin Imperatrice was personally designed for Empress Eugenie of France, wife of Napoleon III. Ok, then.

If you enjoy jasmine and sandalwood, this might be your Holy Grail fragrance. It is an elegant woody fragrance with smooth vanilla undertones and that utterly delightful jasmine throughout.

Jasmin Imperatrice is luxurious and royal, whether or not it was actually made for an empress. This perfume has huge sillage and keeps going and going for hours.

Super strong but the sandalwood and jasmine combo might just be worth it to you. Notes include: bergamot, Bulgarian rose, amergris, Italian jasmine, vanilla

Jasmin Imperatrice Eugenie

Dolce Rose by Dolce & Gabbana

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Dolce Rose is another release from this series by Dolce & Gabbana and was released in 2021. I received a sample of this, when I purchased a lot of fragrances, and it’s been sitting in a box for months. I recently broke it out to give it a test, so that I could post my review. How does it smell? Does it last? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Dolce Rose Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, musk, red currant, apple, mandarin orange, peach, magnolia, and sandalwood

Click here to try: Dolce Rose EDT

dolce rose review

My Full Review

Dolce Rose definitely starts out juicy and sharp. This is a fruity floral fragrance and that’s completely apparent from the jump.

Red currant is the lead fruit, but its supported by that same green apple found in Light Blue. Under that, some orange and peach. I’d say peach is number three in terms of the strength of the fruits, but as it dries down, it takes over for the apple.

Beyond that fruitiness, there is of course the rose note. With the musk coming up from the base, the fruits and rose together do seem to give off a body wash kind of clean and sharpness.

Once the initial fruit explosion wears off, this does become more floral. The fruits at this point are basically peach and a general mass of the other three.

Rose, magnolia, musk, and some woods come into play. It’s a nice peachy rose aroma with musk and a hint of the others. Still sweet and playful, but much more toned down versus how this one starts.

Finally, in the end it’s rose, fruitiness, and musk. It’s an aroma that you’ve probably come across a whole lot. Yet, it is till pretty nice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Dolce Rose starts off fairly strong on my skin. It projects far and leaves a scent trail for about the first hour or so. Seriously, those sharp fruit notes can make this one seem pretty beastly.

But, it’s still a lighter and not a heavy fragrance. The latter act is a moderated sillage. Still noticeable, but not dominating the room.

The longevity seems to be in the 7-8 hour range for me. Not an all-day marathon, but should be able to hit a full workday for most people.

d&g perfume

Seasonally, keep this one for the spring and summer months. In the cold air, this D&G seems like it would cut like a knife.

This does have a more youthful or girly kind of vibe. More of a casual fragrance, that skews younger, while not necessarily being just for teenagers.

Stick to the daytime, but probably avoid the office or anything formal with Dolce Rose.

Overall Impressions of Dolce Rose

Overall, do I like Dolce Rose? Sort of. There are aspects that I enjoy, but also the scent sort of wears on me, after a while.

The apple, musk, red currant, and peach are nice. Though, it’s also a smell that I get tired of quickly, because it is so sharp and intense from the get go. I think the fragrance calms down, but that dry down is pretty basic.

If you want a super rose dominant scent, this isn’t it. It’s fruity/floral for much of the wear. Then, when the rose does take the top spot, it’s still sharing the stage.

As such, you should want a fruity clean fragrance with a rose note, if you’re going to go with this one. If that’s your thing, you’ll at least get your money’s worth, since the performance is solid all around.

From this series, I think that I prefer Dolce Shine, more than this one.

Dolce Rose isn’t a must have fragrance for most people. But, it’s probably not one that most people would find awful. Pretty girlish, with a body wash kind of scent. Nice enough, but nothing that special.