Best Perfumes for Women

Very Irresistible EDT for Women by Givenchy

by

In this review, I am going to be taking a closer look at Very Irresistible by Givenchy. Now, I’ve already done a review of the men’s version of this fragrance, which was okay but really wasn’t my thing. As usual, I am going to cover how it smells, how it performs, when it should be worn, and whether or not it is worth a purchase.

What does Very Irresistible Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, peony, anise, verbena, magnolia

Click here to try: Very Irresistible By Givenchy For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 2.5 Ounces

My Full Review

I’m not that much of a fan of rose in fragrance, so when I do a review of perfumes with this flower as an ingredient, I try to be as fair as possible even when it doesn’t suit my personal tastes.

That being said, I really like how rose is used in Givenchy’s Very Irresistible. I legitimately enjoy it and don’t have to force myself to give it a chance.

This fragrance is blended very well and the rose is initially joined by the anise note which is vaguely reminiscent of men’s cologne, L’Homme Libre, though much less spicy.

Very Irresistible is a very floral scent to be sure. If that’s not your thing, I’d probably look elsewhere. However, you do get a bright bit of fruitiness up top from lemon verbena and the cassis blending together. It adds a playful touch, preventing this from becoming too boring.

The peony note is also a great complement to the rose and I think that it restrains the rose somewhat and doesn’t it let this fragrance just be a pure rose perfume.

I just reviewed another floral scent, Daisy by Marc Jacobs, and I have to say that I definitely enjoy the Givenchy much more than that one.

Very Irresistible has much more energy and vibrancy than does Daisy (which is also a good perfume) and I feel it is much more interesting overall.

The dry down does skew much more towards the rose note, along with magnolia, and a general impression of light fruitiness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, I’d say that this one is moderate. I don’t feel that it is too heavy or overpowering but it does a solid job performing.

For the first hour or so, it had a nice projection to it. When I sprayed it on clothing, I could detect it from 4-7 feet away. Then, it will be much more of a personal scent bubble, but wasn’t a skin scent until much later in the wear.

While testing it out, I routinely got 7-8 hours of use out of this. This perfume doesn’t seem to have any problems sticking around.

I would say that this is best used during the springtime and early summer. But, outside of the coldest days, this actually does seem like it’d be perfectly fine to wear, and even be a nice addition to the winter rotation.

It actually does seem to have some versatility in its use, either for casual or more romantic wear. I’d be more than happy to smell this on a woman that was on a date with, even if I tend to like sweeter gourmand fragrances, usually.

Mostly, this will be used as a daily wear for just going about your business. It’s pretty, doesn’t scream for attention, but is very pleasant to be around. I didn’t go out and test it for very long, but I’d imagine that Very Irresistible can gather some complements.

Overall Impressions of Very Irresistible for Women

Is Very Irresistible worth a buy? Yes, provided that you enjoy floral perfumes. It has plenty of life and energy. Plus, it actually has good performance.

It isn’t the usual ‘green’ or outdoorsy type of floral scent, that can feel stuffy and boring. This Givenchy scent does everything that you need a fragrance to do and doesn’t disappoint.

I like the opening blend where you get the rose, verbena, anise, and peony notes. It’s a nice balance and has many beautiful aspects. This fragrance is still around, after all these years, so it’s got a fan base for sure.

It doesn’t strike me as being overly complicated. Pretty rose-centered floral perfume, with good performance, and can be worn almost anywhere without issue. It has a clean and upbeat kind of aroma, just very easy to vibe with.

Very Irresistible EDT is one that you can plug in to your collection and find plenty of use for, it may even be a signature scent.

I Love New York for Her by Bond No. 9

by

In this last batch of samples, I received a bunch of samples of Bond No. 9 fragrances, from their line of I Love New York scents that came out 5+ years back. While I’ve only done a couple of reviews from this brand on the site thus far, I do intend to try to get through the entire collection at some point.

Today’s entry is I Love New York for Her, which is a gourmand perfume for ladies and is generally well regarded as a scent. As always, continue reading below for my full thoughts and impressions of this perfume.

What does I Love NY for Her Smell Like?

I love new york for her

Notes include: blueberry, patchouli, vanilla, peony, musk, rose, sandalwood

Click here to try: Bond No 9 I Love New York Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

The initial blast of I Love New York for her is a blend of blueberry and patchouli. It is sweet and fruity but the patchouli note comes on too strong at first for my tastes.

This is a gourmand fragrance that is supposed to invoke images of sweet pastries and I think that it succeeds on this front.

After the first few minutes, it does begin to take on more of a blueberry muffin kind of smell with a layer of vanilla and peony which gives it a floral spirit.

While I’m not too big of a patchouli fan, I actually like it somewhat here, especially once it calms down a bit. It gives I Love NY for Her a more mature character and doesn’t let it fall too far into the ‘teeny’ sweet gourmand category of scents.

That being said, it isn’t too stuffy and is actually quite a playful perfume, with its bakery motif. I like the dry down where you get the full kind of baked goods experience, with the berry notes toned down in their strength.

There’s some light floral notes, but I mostly got sandalwood, musk, and the patchouli. Along with, the remaining general sweet/frutiness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this stuff is fairly strong. I sprayed a few times on a sweater and could smell it from 9-10 feet away for hours on end. So, at the peak it does pack power and that sillage will be pretty serious.

That being said, I don’t think it’s overpowering, but it is a performer. On the skin, it definitely calms down from what it was, at the start. It’ll be on the upper end of what you could consider moderate, for a long time.

I would dare say that one should be able to get 8+ hours out of this perfume, every wear…that’s been my experience with it. It probably ventures into the 10 hour range when all of the conditions are right.

I Love New York for Her is a fun and casual scent in my opinion. It isn’t really sexy, but it is oddly appealing, I mean, blueberry muffin is naturally attractive, right? This will also function best during the cooler months of the year and I imagine it’d get kind of weird in the heat of the summer.

So, better to stick to autumn through the early part of spring.

Overall Impressions of I Love New York for Her

Overall, is I Love New York for Her worth a purchase? Depends. It is a unique scent and also performs very well. It strikes me more of a niche kind of scent…if you like blueberry, patchouli, and pastries…then this might be a go to scent or you.

However, it also is quite pricey, since it is Bond No. 9 but a full bottle might be worth the investment. Update: I’m pretty sure it’s discontinued now.

That being said, it does have plenty of appeal and will give you a ton of bang for your buck, even at Bond’s elevated price range.

The rose and other floral notes, aren’t going to play a huge role in the scent. I wouldn’t get too excited about them, if that’s something you’d be looking for. Sweet, sharp, warm gourmand. I like it.

Dreams Sunset EDP by Coach

by

Coach has revamped its fragrance line up over the past few years. One of its newer offerings, is the Dreams series. Dreams Sunset is the second release and I got a hold of a sample to test out and put through its paces. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it even worth a try?

What does Dreams Sunset Smell Like?

Notes include: pear sorbet, jasmine, tonka bean, bergamot, vanilla, magnolia

Click here to try: Coach Dreams Sunset

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Coach Describes it: Coach Dreams Sunset is inspired by free-spirited adventures, with sunset on the horizon. It combines fresh pear sorbet with sensual notes of jasmine sambac and creamy tonka bean. 

Dreams Sunset opens up with a colder feeling of the bergamot note and the delicious pear sorbet. Even at this early stage, you are going to pick up the vanilla and tonka bean notes, which provide the rich creaminess.

Now, this one does have floral qualities as well. The jasmine and magnolia will come into greater play, as things move along. To my nose, Sunset has a greater amount of the magnolia.

It still has a freshness to it and doesn’t feel overly heavy with the vanilla note, even as it’s got a prominent role in the mix. The bergamot and pear will begin to lessen over the duration of the wear, but they don’t really seem to leave until the end.

However, Sunset Dreams does continue in its vanilla/floral/woody direction. Vanilla/tonka bean with a nice magnolia note and the jasmine playing a supporting role.

There isn’t a huge amount of development with this Coach fragrance. It’s a creamy and a touch powdery blend with floral highlights and the remaining fruity sweetness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

To me, this one has a moderate projection, very much in line with the original Coach Dreams. As far as performance, I think they’re about identical.

You’re not going to blow out a room with this one, but the sillage is pretty good. It’ll project itself fine off of skin and give you a nice scent bubble.

Sunset lasted on my skin for between 7-8 hours, during testing. It really does have a solid performance overall and there isn’t too much to complain about here.

Seasonally, this one is great in moderate to warmer temperatures. Mainly, as a springtime wear, but it can venture into summer and autumn as well. Probably not the best in the extreme heat or cold, though.

This is an attractive daytime wear, that is safe enough for pretty much anywhere. Not too girly, but younger women can use it. Not too formal or a sexy nightlife beast. But, as an easy to wear, mass appealing perfume?

It’s got plenty of use case.

Overall Impressions of Dreams Sunset

Overall, do I like Dreams Sunset? I do. I think that it is slightly better than the original Dreams, which I thought was pretty good.

The pear sorbet and bergamot notes up top, really help sell it for me. I like how it pairs that initial cold feeling with a nice vanilla and tonka bean blend. A nice balance between sweet and creamy.

The performance, while not top notch, is still quite good. The scent will last around a full workday and doesn’t have a completely weak sillage.

The latter stages are going to be mostly vanilla and the two floral notes. So, if you’re not a fan of that style, you should probably go with something else. It does have a similar vibe to the Good Girl line, mainly Legere, but Dreams Sunset is less floral.

This is a worthwhile try, particularly if you like pear or vanilla based scents. It isn’t a pure play on either note, but you get a good experience with each. Give this one a go, it isn’t groundbreaking, but is a scent that’s easy to like.

Donna Born in Roma by Valentino

by

Valentino’s Born in Roma line is their latest successful release. As of now, they’re up to three of each for men and women. I got a sample of the women’s Donna Born in Roma, recently. So, I figured I’d try it out and give my full review of how this scent does. Does it smell good? Is it actually worth a wear?

What does Donna Born in Roma Smell like?

Notes include: jasmine, vanilla, black currant, cashmeran, pink pepper, bergamot, guaiac wood

Click here to try: Born in Roma on Amazon

born in roma review

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Valentino describes it: A couture floriental jasmine trio, twisted with an overdose of woods.

Born in Roma starts off with a nice sweet/tart/juicy fruit blend. I get more of the black currant than I do the citrus bergamot. The black currant note actually doesn’t get as sharp as it usually can, since it is tempered by the pink pepper and jasmine notes.

The black currant is actually great in this composition. It really adds a playful dynamic to the jasmine dominance that increases during the first half of the wear.

Even with this early fruitiness, you’re still going to start smelling where this is going with the floral, woods, and vanilla all already playing a role.

A few minutes in, I’m already getting a lot of jasmine out of Born in Roma. At this stage, it’s a pretty basic sweet white floral perfume with some very light spiciness.

There isn’t a ton of development with this Valentino. For me, the dry down is jasmine and vanilla sitting on a woody base. It’s well blended and the individual wood notes, don’t even stand out to me…just an impression.

One difference is, that the jasmine doesn’t completely dominate the second half. It’s still the main note, but that blend keeps it from going overboard.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a lighter moderate scent. It’s got some nice power up top, but that’s pretty short-lived, and it’ll be a nice little scent bubble thereafter. Wasn’t a complete skin scent for me, but not a beast.

The longevity was actually good, even without the huge projection. It seems to go for somewhere in the 7-8 hour range. Not a marathon wear, but you should be able to squeeze a full workday out of it.

Seasonally, Donna Born in Roma can pretty much work year round. I would probably avoid the extreme cold and extreme heat, but outside of that, you’re basically good to go.

The age range probably skews more youthful, but it isn’t a purely teenagers’ fragrance. High school girls could wear it, but it’ll probably be mostly for women in their 20s and 30s.

The versatility is its greatest strength. Lots of people are going to like it and should gather compliments fairly easily. Daytime wear for most occasions, office or school safe, and could even venture into the night…if needed.

More of a pretty and playful sort of perfume than anything that screams ‘sexy’.

Overall Impressions of Donna Born in Roma

Do I like Born in Roma? Yes, this is a very nice perfume. If you want a versatile and all around crowd pleaser, this is a scent that you should look into.

If you don’t like jasmine, it might not be. But again, it’s not a pure dominant jasmine wear, either.

The opening act is nice, with those fruity notes up top. The sweetness will stick around for a long while, even as the perfume begins its shift. The vanilla adds a nice touch to the mix, but doesn’t bog down this Valentino.

It’s actually a pretty simple dry down, but it is still attractive and keeps my attention.

Performance is decent, but not amazing. Extremely easy to wear and safe, but doesn’t ever feel like a boring fragrance. For me, it’s a strong like. I don’t absolutely love it, but this would be great on a lot of women.

Alien Goddess EDP by Mugler

by

Alien Goddess is a 2021 release from Mugler’s long running Alien line of perfumes for women. I got a sample of this from a bundle of various scents and have been giving it a try, as of late. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth getting?

What does Alien Goddess Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, coconut water, jasmine, vanilla, heliotrope, cashmeran wood

Click here to try: Alien Goddess at Macy’s

alien goddess review

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Mugler describes Goddess: At a time when people seek light in the darkness, a solar goddess is paving the way to a miraculous but true destiny.

In perfect harmony with body and soul, she is ready to magnify the world around her with glory, generosity and benevolence.

Bringing her life-giving power and beauty to a barren planet with her golden flower as a healing gift to the world and universal call to all women.

Goddess opens up with it’s watery coconut aroma that is paired with jasmine and the initial burst of the Bourbon vanilla. The bergamot citrus is pretty darn light here, in comparison with the rest of the composition.

It is a bright, sweet, and creamy concoction. Very much in the same sort of lotion-y floral design as something like, Soleil Blanc by Tom Ford (maybe, eau de Soleil?). Though, these aren’t the same as one another at all, just that kind of style.

The fragrance is light and the floral notes will begin to take center stage, as we move on. Vanilla and the coconut will stay, but mainly as background players. Jasmine and heliotrope sort of split duties here, though I’d say jasmine is a tad stronger.

However, the dry down heliotrope adds more of a powdery aroma versus that initial creaminess.

The final phase will be jasmine, vanilla, and the cashmeran wood. It’s all coming together like a total summertime beachy wear. Not overly tropical, but for sure something to spray on during a warm day.

The coconut not does linger around when it’s sprayed on clothing, more so than it does on my skin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s in the moderate camp. Not a monster like many other Mugler scents, especially from the Alien line, but it isn’t a skin scent for me either.

It’ll stick around in the 4-6 foot range for much of the wear and it does leave a decent scent trail. I guess in comparison to other Mugler perfumes this is ‘weak’, but compared to other scents on the market, it definitely isn’t.

I actually get a very good longevity on my skin with Goddess. It fell somewhere in the 8-9 range. Which, is pretty darn good, just not elite.

On clothing, this one stayed on a t-shirt for a long time after application. The performance is solid, it just never screams for attention.

Seasonally, this is spring through summer mostly. Though, it wouldn’t be out of place on a warmer autumn day.

Alien Goddess isn’t a formal fragrance or a sexy club scent. More casual or a daily wear. It’s not going to blow the doors off with its power, with normal application. So, it’s pretty safe to wear in many situations.

Overall Impressions of Alien Goddess

Overall, do I like Alien Goddess? Yes, I think that it’s a nice spring and summer perfume. It’s a nice and different take on the Alien name.

Is it absolutely amazing? No, but it’s certainly above average and solid all around. Goddess just isn’t quite as loud as other Mugler scents can be. But, it still delivers a good performance and a great smell.

I like the mix of the coconut, vanilla, and particularly the heliotrope. Goddess gives you bursts of creaminess and a powdery finish. Not too complex, but it is bright, beach, and a fun experience overall.

Very much in the same vein as fragrances like Bronze, Soleil Blanc, and Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder. Not an exact replica of any, but they all fit within this summertime creamy/beachy category.

I kind of wish that Alien Goddess had a stronger use of the bergamot up top, than it actually does. Aside from that, I don’t have many complaints about how it smells.

I like that it has a sweet quality to it, but not overly sugary and enough of a floral presence to keep it interesting…not devolving into pure vanilla and coconut. It’s worth a shot, if this sort of perfume sounds intriguing to you. Though, it isn’t a must have for most folks.