Best Perfumes for Women

Dylan Turquoise Pour Femme by Versace

by

Dylan Turquoise is the follow up to the original Dylan Blue Pour Femme, I guess. It was released in 2020 by Versace, but I’m just now getting around to testing it out. I really didn’t know much of anything about it coming in, so, I got to experience it without any real preconceptions. How does it smell? Does it last? Is it worth a try?

What does Dylan Turquoise Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin essence, lemon, pink pepper, blackcurrant, jasmine, freesia, guava, cedar, vibrant woods, and musk

Click here to try: Dylan Turquoise by Versace

My Full Review

Here’s how Versace describes it: Sensual, young and fresh, the new Dylan Turquoise fragrance balances the effervescent exuberance of zesty mandarin and primofiore lemon with hints of wood and musk. The vibrant notes are complemented with fruity accents of blackcurrant and guava, as well as jasmine and freesia floral tones.

So, right off the bat, Dylan Turquoise comes on with some sharpness. It’s very clean and has a strong burst of citrus and black currant coming through. Add to that, pink pepper and cedar and you’ve got a super fresh and clean type of perfume.

Though, the cedar will really come in later. Less so in the opening.

For some, that’ll be off-putting. For others, it might just be what they’re looking for. It has that summertime appeal with a slightly aquatic kind of vibe. Not entirely oceanic, but Turquoise gives that impression. Watery is probably the best way of describing it.

There is a guava note here which helps with that tropical island/aquatic feeling. The guava is almost as equally present early on as the citrus, but the lemon will fully take over and that note will fade completely.

So, there is a nice little tropical wave that comes on towards the start. Not for long, however. Lemon, orange, and black currant will overpower it.

As it moves forward, I get a fresh and musky aroma with a good deal of freesia (maybe a hint of jasmine). The woods and the lemon note will sit on top of this.

The latter stages aren’t as sharp, with much of the citrus evaporating away. It actually has more of a general fruity sweetness with woods and musk. Not all that complicated of a fragrance and it doesn’t need to be.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s a lighter moderate fragrance. The first hour, will give you a decent scent trail, but it’s pretty light thereafter. Wasn’t a total skin scent, however. I could still detect it, but the bubble it creates is going to stay closer to you.

The longevity is kind of meh. 5-6 hours, maybe, on my skin. You’ll probably need to go heavy with the sprays to truly get performance out of this Versace.

Seasonally, this is spring and summer, all the way. Leaning more towards summer. It’s a clean casual or daily wear type of perfume.

This isn’t one that’s going to be formal or even dominate the nightlife. It’s a fresh and chill perfume, without being overtly sexy.

Overall Impressions of Dylan Turquoise

Overall, do I like Dylan Turquoise? I do kind of like it. I wasn’t amazed or anything, but the scent itself is nice, if you’re into this type of perfume.

It’s not for everyone, though.

That opening is sharp, but once it settles a bit, there are some really nice facets here. I like the guava and its time to shine. It’s got a warm, spicy, and musky undertone to it. Even, a touch of powder, it seems.

The floral notes are light, most of it is going to be freesia.

The freshness is the main event. The woods and the citrus, which just becomes a general sweet fruit smell to me, makes this an easy to wear perfume for the summer months.

The downsides with Dylan Turquoise are basically the performance. The perfume doesn’t last super long, but it didn’t completely quit on my skin either. But, those last few hours are pretty weak.

Dylan Turquoise isn’t going to be universally loved. So, it’s probably best that you test it out, before committing to buying a full bottle.

Lady Million Prive EDP by Paco Rabanne

by

I’ve reviewed a lot of Paco Rabanne fragrances recently, both male and female, so I might as well continue the track and do one on Lady Million Prive eau de parfum. This is of course the flanker fragrance to the original Lady Million and the female version of its male counter part 1 Million Prive. I absolutely love the male version, but how does Lady Million Prive do? What’s inside? How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Lady Million Prive Smell Like?

Notes included: raspberry, vanilla, patchouli, cocoa bean, honey, orange blossom, heliotrope, wood

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Lady Million Prive Eau de Parfum Spray, 2.7 Ounce

My Full Review

Before we get into my personal review of Lady Million Prive, let’s see what Paco Rabanne has to say about it: Lady Million Prive EDP opens a new chapter. More intimate and stunningly feminine, its fruity-oriental trail is that of a flirtatious enchantress more elusive that ever. A juicy raspberry top note…a floral heart illuminated by sun-kissed vanilla…and the ultimate addiction of cocoa bean on a pulsating patchouli-honey background.

The opening of Lady Million Prive does indeed feature a ‘juicy raspberry’ at the top. It is paired with a very nice orange blossom and slight vanilla note. It is quite sweet with an emerging warmth and creamy undertones.

It is interesting how this perfume develops as it moves along, getting even sweeter, and having a thick warmth about it.

The juiciness of the raspberry eventually gives way and honey and patchouli sort of fill the void. I also start to get more of the cocoa bean, which gets stronger than, but ultimately blends with the vanilla and creating a familiar sweetness.

It becomes less juicy and a darker perfume that features a good deal of patchouli, but isn’t overwhelming in its presentation.

Finally, in the later dry down stages, Prive becomes woodier. There is still the sweetness but there is also a dry, smooth, almost powdery finish.

What you’re left with is: honey, cocoa bean, patchouli, and wood. Those are the big four with hints of vanilla, raspberry, heliotrope, and orange blossom.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage can start off feeling pretty heavy, but quickly settles into something more moderate. It’s not insanely huge and probably won’t choke out a room, by any means.

Once it starts drying down, probably 3-5 foot radius of fragrance around the skin, with normal application. I sort of figured that this one might be a bomb, but it actually doesn’t turn out to be.

The longevity is also good, about 7-9 hours with normal application, longer if you spray a lot. The  performance of this Paco Rabanne actually provides good value for the price point. It’s not the most elite, but it does a very nice job of sticking around.

So, at minimum you should be able to squeeze a full workday out of Lady Million Prive.

Seasonally, cold weather all the way. This one will be kind of a mess in the heat, just look at those ingredients, and it’s evident. However, it is actually great when the weather is cool and crisp. The fragrance really comes alive. I kind of like it more so in the autumn air than in the depths of winter.

Since it isn’t too strong, this is a versatile sort of fragrance, probably leans more towards the nightlife versus office wear. However, it would work well in either.

It has that sweet attractiveness, gourmand qualities, which might make it a good bet for romantic wear. Not overly heavy, retaining a freshness, but still having an edible appeal.

Overall Impressions of Lady Million Prive

Overall, do I like Lady Million Prive? I do like it. It’s not amazing, but it is a good fragrance. I don’t think they achieved with this, what they did with the men’s version, though this is a solid scent.

You’re going to have to like sweet, honeyed-patchouli, and richly dark perfumes. If that doesn’t sound appealing to you, go ahead and skip this fragrance. It’s almost like a cheaper version of Black Orchid by Tom Ford. Not exactly a one to one replication, it just produces a similar vibe.

The cacao and the raspberry notes are the highlights for me, with this one. The juiciness of the raspberry, doesn’t stick around for a long time, but I dig that opening act.

The woodiness and the honeyed aspect of the perfume is fine. Good, just not the best part. I actually kind of like the secondary notes more. But, it’s nice enough as a whole.

Otherwise, it’s a nice option for when it’s cold outside and is certainly attractive and drew me in, to some degree. It provides performance and an above average aroma, which at the right price, might be all that one needs.

Flora Gorgeous Gardenia by Gucci

by

Gucci Flora is one of its more popular fragrances. So, naturally they brought out a flanker to it, Gorgeous Gardenia. I initially tried this one out, when it was first released, but have come back to it in order to post a full review. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is Gorgeous Gardenia worth a try?

What does Flora Gorgeous Gardenia Smell Like?

Notes include: gardenia, brown sugar, mandarin, red berries, jasmine, frangipani, patchouli, pear blossom

Click here to try: Flora Gorgeous Gardenia by Gucci

My Full Review

Gorgeous Gardenia opens up with a mix of its fruit notes and the brown sugar accord on full display. The pear blossom leads the way, but it is joined by red berries and a bit of orange.

The heart of the fragrance is obviously the namesake gardenia note. Early on however, it will be geared to the sweet freshness of the fruits, and the scent is delightful.

The pear blossom gives this a nice sparkle and with the frangipani and the emergence of the other floral notes, it can even give off a tropical vibe at certain points. The gardenia will take over for the frangipani, but the latter is the floral note I get most earlier in the wear.

The fruitiness will start to burn off, but the scent remains smelling edible with the patchouli and brown sugar notes. Yet, this is when the white floral accord really begins to take over more.

Flora Gorgeous Gardenia remains clean and light, never becoming a heavier gourmand kind of perfume.

The dry down gives me gardenia, a light jasmine, patchouli, and the remains of the brown sugar/pear. The frangipani is gone and the sweetness of everything is more of an impression, than distinct and separate notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is initially pretty good. There is definitely a scent trail to it and it will project itself nicely off of the skin. Not an absolute monster, but you can tell that it is there and others will notice.

After that initial blast, it does move quickly closer to the skin. Not entirely a ‘skin scent’ for the whole wear, but it’s light. At it’s peak, Gorgeous Gardenia is above average in strength.

The longevity seems to be in the 5-6 hour range. During testing, it was closer to the five hour mark, but it did hit six once. So, it for sure isn’t a massive performer, but also wasn’t a complete let down.

Seasonally, it’s probably at its best in the spring and summer months. Enjoyable to wear when it is warm out, but even in cooler temperatures it still had its charm. Maybe not wear it on bitterly cold days, though.

This Gucci can also work well for any age group. Yes, it has fruits and sugar, but it doesn’t come across as being immature. I think that since it never becomes too thick and cloying, it will have a greater appeal across ages.

Gorgeous Gardenia is a pretty fragrance. Office safe. Good for casual daytime wear. Pretty enough for romantic encounters, but not overtly sexy and begging for attention.

Overall Impressions of Gorgeous Gardenia

Overall, do I like Flora Gorgeous Gardenia? The fragrance itself is really very nice. I love that initial sweetness and the brown sugar plays well off of it all.

It never leans too much to the floral side of things, doesn’t have any stem greenness in it. The fresh white floral fragrance is easy to wear and I even like the gardenia note a lot here, even if it’s not my favorite note.

Really, the main issue is performance. It’s okay, on me at least. However, it certainly would do better with some more power in the equation.

I do think that it is still worthwhile to at least try out. For some, you’d probably still want to buy a bottle because it does smell great. Extremely easy to wear and has such a clean attractiveness.

7 Best Smelling Polo Ralph Lauren Perfumes

by

Ralph Lauren is an iconic American designer who has made the classic preppy look famous and fashionable for decades now. In the fragrance game, the brand has produced amazing and ever popular scents for both men and women over the years, whether it be under the Polo label or under the designer’s own name.

I have update this list to include some newer releases from Ralph Lauren, as well as, to purge some of the more difficult to find discontinued scents.

What are the Best Ralph Lauren Perfumes for Her?

Popular Versatile Floral Wear

Ralph Lauren Romance Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Fluid Ounce
Elegant and sultry floral perfume that will set off a romantic mood. Romance starts off with some citrus to lead one it to it’s main floral composition. Rose is prominent but not entirely dominant, as this Ralph Lauren fragrance, is much more akin to walking in a blooming garden than being spritzed with rose water.

It has a very feminine air, it’s sophisticated yet upbeat, and the florals are flanked by pink pepper and musk. The latter two notes add enough spice to make things interesting and seductive, otherwise, you might just be left with another boring floral perfume.

Romance adds other floral notes such as marigold and jasmine to add to the bouquet effect. It’s blended so well as to make it quite clean and more difficult to discern the individual notes. It’s not overly strong but has good longevity. It seems best used on spring and summer days, but with a name like Romance, it can be fantastic on a date night too. Romance EDP Review

romance

Clean Pear and Hazelnut

Woman by Ralph Lauren 3.4 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Woman is the newest addition to this list, having been released after I posted the initial version, some years back. It starts with a fresh out of the shower vibe, with a clean pear note, that is flanked by soapy elements.

After a bit of time, the beautiful floral notes emerge, mainly orange blossom and tuberose. It has a spring/summery vibe with more of an outdoorsy smell than many of the aquatic types that get associated with the warmer months of the year.

I really enjoy the orange blossom here, with the hazelnut that comes in, Woman provides a very enjoyable sensory experience. The aromas form a fragrance that has grown on me, the more I have smelled it.

During the dry down, sensations of hazelnut and woody notes pop out, but never take things over fully. It’s a moderately strong perfume, that is pleasant, and safe enough to be worn in an office or at school. It strikes me as a definite day time wear, particularly in a casual to semi-formal setting. Woman Full Review

Raspberry and Vanilla Beauty

Beyond Romance from Ralph Lauren– Beyond Romance is a great sweet and sugary perfume. It kicks off with the raspberry note, that is joined by some light citrus touches.

Black vanilla, rose, and cashmeran gives this one a slight powdery hint…that sort of comes across like marshmallow for a part of the wear.

Raspberry and vanilla are the dominant notes, with musk and cashmeran finishing things off. The floral notes are rose, jasmine, and lily of the valley. Though, none of them play too major of a role in Beyond Romance.

Decent power and performance, just not spectacular. The scent itself, is. If you enjoy this sort of perfume, it develops a nice balance without becoming too childish with its sugary aroma. Beyond Romance Review

Fresh Semi-Aquatic

Ralph Lauren Blue by Ralph Lauren Eau De Toilette Spray 4.2 oz Women
A moderate and everyday wear that is highlighted by white floral notes similar to some Michael Kors fragrances. Ralph Lauren Blue is definitely for those who love notes such as gardenia, lily, and jasmine.

There is an element of an aquatic feel, as the name might suggest, but its pretty subtle and never comes close to taking over the floral composition. Blue is super fresh, with a slight powdery aroma, and underlying musk and sandalwood to give it more depth.

The watery feeling comes from flowers like lily and lotus, with some light fruit touches of juicy melon underneath. Lots of jasmine here, which pairs absolutely beautifully with the gardenia.

ralph blue

Great Fruity Floral Fragrance

Ralph by Ralph Lauren for Women, Eau De Toilette Natural Spray, 3.4 Ounce
A bright and sexier type of floral based fragrance that pairs with fruit notes such as apple and mandarin. The two fruit notes are the main event, so this is a good choice for ladies who don’t want a perfume completely dominated by flowers, like Ralph Lauren Blue.

Ralph is a warm weather scent, that has a sporty edge, and aquatic underpinnings. This is pretty sweet (fruity sweet) and has a fantastic crisp freshness about it. Ralph has more a youthful vibe and isn’t very complex, by any means.

However, it is a really good fragrance, and has a well earned spot near the top in its niche.

ralph

Sweet and Tart Scent

Ralph Lauren Polo Big Pony Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, No.2 Pink, 3.4 Fluid Ounce
Very soft and sweet perfume containing notes of cranberry, tonka bean, and some floral ingredients. Big Pony 2 is a simple and straightforward wear. One must have an appreciation for the sharp sweetness of cranberry and the smooth creamy tonka bean.

The cranberry note brings to mind Polo Red for men, that is upbeat, fun, and has a sunny demeanor. The main difference is that this doesn’t have a  lemon note complementing it. Cranberry paired with tonka bean is very unique and actually comes together surprisingly well.

ralph pink

A Classic Ralph Lauren

Lauren Perfume by Ralph Lauren for Women 118 ml / 4 oz Eau de Toilette Spray
A vintage type of fragrance which dates back to the late 70s. Lauren is youthful but a little more refined than something like the entry above.

This fragrance features more earthy notes to go along with sweet fruit and floral. If one can still find a vintage bottle, Lauren is an excellent blast from the past.

The updated versions are still very good, though, somewhat different from what the older ones brought to the table. It seems drier, with a greater emphasis on the sage note, for some of the wear. Later in the dry down, Lauren brings out some softer dewy floral petals of lilac and lily. Performance is good, and this still has that classic sort of feeling.

ralph lauren

Lady Million EDP by Paco Rabanne

by

This will be my first review of a fragrance from the Lady Million line by Paco Rabanne. I have already covered some other women’s scents from this brand, but weren’t from this particular silo of scents. As usual, I am going to cover what’s inside, how it smells, performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not Lady Million Eau de Parfum is even worth a try.

What does Lady Million EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, gardenia, patchouli, orange blossom, neroli, bitter orange, raspberry, honey, and amber

Click here to try: Lady Million by Paco Rabanne Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 2.70 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

When smelling Lady Million EDP, I was trying to detect if there were any parallels between it and the men’s version. Other than being sweet, nope. Even the sweetness, is a completely different sort of aroma.

From the start, I get a lot of white floral notes, mainly gardenia and orange blossom, with a hint of jasmine. As it moves, along it sort of reverses and I detect more jasmine than the other two floral notes.

Also, the raspberry adds a layer of juicy sweetness to the composition. It is sort of muted versus some of the other perfumes that feature a really strong and bright raspberry. In Lady Million, it is tempered by florals, honey, and some patchouli.

So, the honey note is the main attraction here, once you hit the 30 minute or so mark. The raspberry takes a back seat to the sweetness of the honey. It is rich and warm and supported by a lovely amber note. It all does have a ‘golden’ sort of smell that resembles the bottle.

It’s an enveloping white floral fragrance with a sweet thickness, which hangs around for essentially the entire wear. Not what I’d call heavy, but syrupy might be the better term.

The final lineup of notes ends up with honey, jasmine, raspberry, patchouli, amber, and some gardenia. A gourmand floral fragrance, that is pleasant, and well blended. There’s a richness, juiciness, and also a bouquet effect all wrapped into one.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection and sillage wise, Lady Million is actually fairly moderate. This is a change of pace from the men’s version, which is super loud. Lady Million isn’t like that, it’s much more wearable on a daily basis.

It’s probably toward the upper end of the moderate range, but never feels extreme, in the slightest. Reading the notes before trying it out, I was actually surprised that it didn’t project itself off of the skin or clothing even more.

Even without a large radius of projection, this Paco Rabanne fragrance, does last a long time. You can get through a full workday with this perfume without issue. Depending on the day, it seems to settle in the 8-10 hour range.

Is Lady Million versatile? Yes, it works best in the colder months of the year, but it can also be utilized during spring and summer, as well. Lady Million can be worn at the office, school, casually, or out for an evening.

But, it does also skew younger. So, probably best served for those in their early to mid 20s. Not that others can’t wear it, but it isn’t the most formal or grown up fragrance out there. Though also, not just for teens.

I would probably keep it to the indoors or nighttime during the warmer months. Again, it’s not overwhelmingly powerful or too rich, to the point that it’ll just flat out melt.

It’s nice, safe, but also has a delicious/sexy side to the composition. This is one of the greatest strengths of this scent, is its ability to be worn nearly universally, and without being overbearing at all. Sweet, syrupy, and fairly youthful…yes, just not overbearing.

Overall Impressions of Lady Million

Overall, do I like Lady Million? I do. It’s not the most amazing scent out there, but it does smell good, has good performance, and is a safe bet for women looking for an everyday perfume. Some won’t enjoy the gourmand qualities, white floral notes, or somewhat synthetic aroma.

So, if that’s definitely you, this one should probably be skipped. However, most women will enjoy wearing this one, as evidenced by its popularity over the years. It’s an all around very good scent and a fair value.

Versatility and the longevity are the strongest aspects of this fragrance. Personally, I enjoy the honey, amber, and orange blossom the most…as far as the actual smell goes. Not blown away by it overall, just an above average perfume.

You just need to expect the sweetness and honeyed floral presentation. If that’s your type of thing, this is a pretty decent example.