Best Perfumes for Women

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.

Love, don’t be shy by Kilian

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Love, don’t be shy is one of the most popular perfumes from Kilian. That probably has to do with all of the press, when it was revealed to be the perfume that Rihanna wears. Aside from its celebrity bonafides, Love EDP has always been a fragrance that I enjoyed. I got a sample vial of it, when I ordered Angels’ Share months ago. Now, I figured it was time to finally give it a review.

What does Love, Don’t be Shy Smell Like?

Notes include: caramel, marshmallow, jasmine, rose, honeysuckle, orange blossom, sugar, vanilla, musk, and more

love don't be shy review

My Full Review

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

The opening of Love EDP really comes with the orange blossom, honeysuckle, and neroli, as the floral notes. Those are joined by the sweetness of marshmallow, caramel, and some vanilla.

The main two are going to be orange blossom and marshmallow here, early on. It’s sweet, sugary, and a warm floral scent that is quite captivating. What I notice about Love, don’t be shy, as I’ve worn it is how the floral notes change…but the sweet notes stay much the same.

So, early on it’s the orange blossom. Then, you get some slight powderiness from iris and rose (both are pretty light), and finally jasmine starts to show up more on my skin.

The neroli here is there at the very start, but to me it gets overshadowed by the orange blossom and eventually I cannot even pick it up at all.

As it moves on in the wear, the marshmallow will take more of a lead and the caramel will fall out of favor for the vanilla. The sweetness here is indeed sugary and pretty candy-like with how it comes across.

That can be a good or bad thing, depending on your own personal tastes. I happen to enjoy this kind of scent.

The final stages are the vanilla and musk notes’ time to shine. The marshmallow is still there, but faded. It’s a general sweetness overall with a vague sense of floral notes. Though, I cannot personally pick any out as individual ingredients.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty strong for a time. It is a fresher and lighter sort of sweet perfume, rather than a massive thick cloud. But, the projection is good well into the wear on me.

I’ve seen people say that this has been reformulated and the performance of Love EDP is bad now. I have a sample vial from 2021 and the longevity is fine for me. It doesn’t disappear in a few hours.

In fact, I can still pick it up about 8 hours after applying it. It’s not a complete marathon or a monstrous scent bomb, but I think reports of its demise have been greatly exaggerated.

Seasonally, stick to autumn through early spring. This Kilian can handle some moderate temperatures, but I wouldn’t venture into the heat of the summertime with it.

It is suitable for all ages. It is a sweet and sugary fragrance, but feels a tad more grown up than the usual fare in this category.

It’s an attractive and edible sort of gourmand scent. Not necessarily sexy, but I do enjoy being around it. Love, don’t be shy isn’t a formal wear and isn’t really a perfume that would be appropriate for all work environments.

Overall Impressions of Love, Don’t be Shy

Overall, do I like this scent? I do. It’s not my favorite, but I do still think that it is one of the best from Kilian.

The orange blossom, caramel, and marshmallow start is great. I like the touches of citrus early on, that give it more of a dynamic feeling.

The floral notes are interesting and give Love, don’t be shy most of its change during the wear. Also, the performance is still fine for me, even with the small sprayer of the sample size.

Now, this may not be one for everyone. I do think most folks will enjoy the way that this smells. However, if you’re not into soft, sugary sweet sort of fragrances, or have problems with orange blossom or marshmallow…you should probably look elsewhere.

Bright Crystal vs Absolu Perfume Comparison

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Versace Bright Crystal has been very popular for many years now. It has since been joined by Absolu, a more concentrated version of this fragrance. Of course, this causes the dilemma, of which perfume do you buy? Which scent is better Bright Crystal vs Absolu? In this post, I will break it down by category, before declaring a winner.

Tale of the Tape: Bright Crystal vs. Absolu

Bright Crystal

Notes include: yuzo, peony, pomegranate, musk, magnolia, iced accord, lotus, amber

Click Here to try Bright Crystal: Versace Bright Crystal Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, 3 Ounce

Read my review: Versace Bright Crystal

Bright Crystal Absolu

Notes include: peony, pomegranate, raspberry, lotus, yuzu, magnolia, musk

Click here to try: Bright Crystal Absolu, 3 Ounce

Opening

Bright Crystal opens up with its fruity notes out in full force. It’s pomegranate and yuzu, dominating the top. Underneath that, are the floral notes, of peony and lotus. It is indeed ‘bright’ and juicy.

The fruity notes, will eventually give way to more of a floral aroma, led by the peony. It’s peony with some musk, watery lotus, and yuzu really coming through.

Absolu is sweeter and fruitier in its opening. You get much of the same thing, but this time with a raspberry note, and some more lotus in the early stages.

Absolu will also stay fruitier throughout, than its predecessor. Which is better in the opening act? Well, it’s extremely close, but I do like the raspberry touch in Absolu. So, it gets a slight edge.

Edge: Absolu

Projection

Bright Crystal is pretty moderate with its sillage at the start. For me, it will project 4-6 feet at first, then move in closer. It’s ultimately a light to moderate wear.

Is Absolu stronger? Yes, somewhat. Again, it isn’t a powerhouse, but it does seem to have a bit more presence.

Neither is super consistent for the duration of the wear. But, you will get a solid sillage for the first hours with each. Absolu just does it better for longer.

Edge: Absolu

Longevity

With Bright Crystal, it will hang around on my skin, for an 8-10 hour period. Very good longevity.

Absolu and Bright Crystal are sometimes even in longevity. However, I can get a few extra hours, from Absolu. I’d say up to 12. 9-12 hours, depending on the climate.

These two have been pretty impressive for these sorts of popular mainstream fragrances. Unless they have undergone reformulations recently, how long each lasts shouldn’t be a problem at all.

But again, the edge goes to Absolu.

Edge: Absolu

Versatility

I don’t see any real difference between these two fragrances, in terms of when they can be worn. Daily wear, warm weather, and highly versatile with places you could wear it.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

These two scents are very close, by there very nature. Honestly, I really enjoy how both of them smell. I like the yuzu and pomegranate. I like the peony drydown with the original.

Which is the better buy? Well, if you’re talking pure performance that’ll go to Bright Crystal Absolu. It’s a stronger dose.

With the smell, that depends on what you’d rather have. Bright Crystal is more floral, with stronger citrus, and muskiness.

Absolu is sweeter, fruitier, and while it brings the peony…it lacks the same yuzu strength.

For me, I’d probably lean Absolu. That’s my choice, as of now. Though, you should consider your own personal taste. The pomegranate and raspberry notes are very nice.

The initial lotus is a bit better than the blend in the original. But, the floral notes do change up and favor that one. Obviously, there is a whole lot of overlap with these two, but Absolu got my attention more.

Winner: Absolu

7 Best Smelling Kenzo Perfumes

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Kenzo has been an innovative and respected French design house for about 45 years now. In that time, it has also established a name and niche following in the world of fragrance. It grabbed praise and attention with it’s signature scent, Flower, and has produced unique and highly feminine perfumes ever since. For this list, I have chosen what I consider to be the top seven ladies’ fragrances by Kenzo.

What are the Best Smelling Kenzo Perfumes?

Best Bold Perfume

Jungle L’Elephant– Besides having a cool elephant on the bottle, Jungle by Kenzo is designed to “bring the animal out of you”. It is energetic with an oriental spiciness that will stand out from the crowd and delivers a long-lasting scent.

This one definitely isn’t for everyone. It is extremely bold and can take over a room. Which is why, it is probably best for outdoor use. Nonetheless, warm cardamom and caraway, get paired with strong cloves and a calming vanilla note.

It has a dryness and slight smoky quality, with that spice. Which by the way, isn’t all that sharp or unbearable. Yes, it has a big personality, but this one is still selling over 20 years later.

l'elephant

Juicy Fruity Perfume

Kenzo World–  A clean peony fragrance, with the sweetness of some red berry notes. Kenzo World is a newer release, but one that I think should make the list due to its scent and uniqueness.

At times, it comes off as very much a juicy berry fragrance, with other fruits assisting things. Then, you get more of the warmth of amber and the floral notes. Somewhat soapy, not overly complex, but a decidedly intriguing fragrance. Probably best for younger women.

The Powdery Classic

Flower by Kenzo for Women – 3.3 Ounce EDP Spray– Kenzo Flower is a very popular fragrance and has been for a long time now. It also happens to have an aroma that pretty closely approximates baby powder.

It’s a bit sweeter and creamier, than the real thing, which is to be expected with vanilla and black currant notes. However, the violet and rose, give Flower a very powdery finish that is quite soft and comforting.

The opening act, is probably the least like our target, but it settles down into that fresh powdery scent. The rose note isn’t overwhelming here, either. So, don’t expect it to be heavy, in that regard.

flower


Most Popular Kenzo

Kenzo Amour by Kenzo– An affordable, soft and floral, vanilla based fragrance for ladies. Amour is vanilla flanked by frangipani, heliotrope, and cherry blossom. This one is a nice example of vanilla, but used in a somewhat unique way.

Not only do you get, some different floral ingredients, from the run of the mill, Kenzo Amour also features a warm, fluffy, rice note.

The whole thing comes across as clean, inviting, with a bit of a fresh powdery finish (and smoky incense). Very nice performance and a versatile daily wear type of perfume.

Unique World

World Power by Kenzo– This Kenzo World flanker isn’t one that is going to be appreciated by everyone. It’s got a fresh, salty aquatic, and tonka bean finish.

The aquatic sea notes are more early on in the wear, but the saltiness stays going. The saltiness paired with the cold cypress wood notes gives this one a really interesting and almost unisex feel.

Then, the sweeter tonka type of finish brings it back around. The saltiness hangs around in a warmer amber form, with the woody base. World Power does actually have a nice punch of sillage to it.

It has great performance, in a rather simple presentation. Again, this one isn’t going to be appealing to everyone, but it’s nice and different.

A Green Spring/Summer Wear

D’ete- A clean and green floral that brings a certain sweetness to its layers. Warm and great for casual wear on a day to day basis and has a scent unique to itself.

It has a lighter floral appeal, much like the entry below. However, this one focuses much more on the flowers themselves, along with a dewy undertone. While L’eau Par Kenzo is cold and fresh, this one is warmer with some slight spiciness lurking around.

d'ete

Best Aquatic Perfume

L’eau Par Kenzo– A blend of aquatic and floral notes make Par Kenzo a very nice choice for the warmer months of the year. Simple. refreshing, and understated.

L’eau Par Kenzo isn’t a citrus aquatic or anything like that. This one gives you some great floral notes, like lilac and water lily, to provide a clean and memorable aroma. This all sits on top of a watery and fresh base.

What’s great is the mint note, which gives this an icy sort of start, while being paired with some herbal ingredients. Unique and uncomplicated, though, a totally underrated fragrance.

par