Perfume Reviews

Blackberry Brandy by Dua Brand

by

Blackberry Brandy was one of the Dua originals that I wanted to try out, when I came across it on the website. So, I bought one of the travel size vials for testing and full review. I wanted to see how the boozy perfume actually smelled and if it was actually worthwhile. Below is my experience with this scent.

What does Blackberry Brandy smell like?

Notes include: blackberry, berries, black cherry liqueur, cedar, amber, brandy, labdanum, vanilla

Click here to try: Blackberry Brandy

My Full Review

Blackberry Brandy starts off with the fruity end of its personality taking the lead. Yes, the blackberry will be here throughout, but the cherry liqueur note will be very prominent at the start.

There are some further berry notes here, but mostly get overshadowed by the blackberry itself.

Brandy is obvious too, from the very beginning. The note doesn’t take time to develop and it too sticks around the entire time.

After 10 or so minutes, I’ll pick up some warmer amber and labdanum notes. There’s some spice, still mostly sweet, and the boozy effect of the brandy note.

The initial fruits will fade, sands the blackberry. At this point, the blackberry is in charge, with the brandy playing second fiddle. Vanilla really comes through here, playing sort of a balancing role with the amber base.

To me, the only real change during the final dry down is that this perfume becomes more brandy dominant with blackberry falling back some. Less fruity, more boozy.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Blackberry Brandy does have a thicker and warmer kind of feeling while wearing it. Not super heavy or a massive projector. more like a cozy cloud of perfume. A bit above average with its reach, just not going to blow the doors off.

The fragrance lasts right about 7 hours, on my skin. It’s fine, nothing extreme, but slightly above average versus many other scents on the market. On the whole, the performance is pretty good, just not amazing.

Seasonally, this is autumn and winter all the way. Within that time frame, you’ll most likely want to wear this casually during the day or as more of a nighttime fragrance. Probably not the best idea to show up to the office smelling like brandy, so, it’s probably a bit more limited than other perfumes in that sense.

In the cold, however, this one really shines. It just hangs beautifully in the air around you and is quite comforting.

Overall Impressions of Blackberry Brandy

Overall, do I like Blackberry Brandy? Yes, but not completely in love with it. I’ve been trying to like the smell of brandy more than I actually do, it seems. I prefer rum, cognac, and whiskey fragrances when I want some booziness.

However, if you’re a big fan of brandy, this is for sure one to check out. It does everything well, the warmth, the blackberry note, the cherry liqueur, and that brandy note itself.

It’s not super complicated, but I like the depth of the aroma that the vanilla, amber, and labdanum notes add to this one. That cherry liqueur really stands out to me early and I like it a lot.

Performance is good, not incredible, but probably enough for what most people would use this fragrance for. It’s worth a shot or maybe try out one of their other brandy perfumes, if you’re not super into the smell of blackberry.

On the Beach by Louis Vuitton

by

Louis Vuitton went from having a spotty history at releasing scents to going full court press with its releases over the past few years. On the Beach was brought out by the design house in 2021. I grabbed a sample of this, as a part of my catching up with LV’s newer perfumes. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does On the Beach by Louis Vuitton Smell Like?

Notes include: yuzu, neroli, cypress, rosemary, sand, pink pepper, thyme, cloves

on the beach review

My Full Review

Here’s how Louis Vuitton describes it: The ecstasy of the sun, the rhythm of the sea and the gentle warmth of sand on the skin. Master perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud blends the infinite emotions of a day spent on a sunny beach. Yuzu, a rare citrus from Japan, is a burst of bliss on the skin. Its surprising freshness and brightness glides into the softness of neroli. Thyme, rosemary, pink pepper, cloves… a sandy note of aromatic herbs perfects the olfactory landscape, while a veil of cypress brings generous, woody shade to a pure summer day.

The opening act is a blast of the yuzu and neroli notes. Sharp and has an herbal spiciness to it from the notes sitting underneath. Not a big punchy spice, just a good baseline amount.

Definitely get more of the rosemary and pink pepper. However, early on I do detect a tiny amount of thyme, that will fade away thereafter.

The other note that really plays a big role here is cypress. Lots of Tom Ford and some Acqua di Parma fragrances use cypress a lot in their summer scents, so it is interesting to see Louis Vuitton doing the same for On the Beach.

The cypress, herbal notes, and that ‘sand’ element thrown in really do give this a warmth and dryness versus that bright and juicy yuzu start.

The rest of the way is pretty straightforward. Neroli, cypress, yuzu, and that mix of green/sand. This really does have a sandy quality to it, which is kind of strange. Not bad, just unusual.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it is pretty moderate like most scents of this type. However, it isn’t weak. You can absolutely get a nice scent trail with On the Beach, with a pretty normal amount of sprays.

The projection isn’t massive, maybe 4-7 feet from the skin, at it’s peak. A nice amount of time, with its power still intact. For a summer perfume, it does well at holding up.

The longevity is pretty average, though. It’s different, as it doesn’t quickly turn into a skin scent on me. While at the same time, it doesn’t last extremely long. It’s more of an abrupt ending versus a slow decline, maybe it’s just my skin though?

I get 5-6.5 hours of wear from On the Beach. Not terrible. Not great. Though, one would probably expect more from an expensive perfume like this.

Seasonally, spring and summer. Definitely lean much more towards summer. As the name suggests, this embodies being on the coast or on the beach itself. I want to wear this outside in the heat, as it seems wasted being stuck inside all day.

This is a unisex fragrance. All really are welcome with On the Beach, not straying too far one way or the other.

Casual to maybe semi-formal events outside. Daytime perfume all the way. Attractive and interesting, but not a fragrance that is going to be confused with being sexy.

Overall Impressions of On the Beach

Overall, do I like On the Beach? I like it, but I don’t love it. I would sooner go with Afternoon Swim or Cactus Garden or Imagination from this house, as far as pure warm weather plays.

This is fine. The sandy note here is interesting, but really doesn’t do much for me, as far as enjoyment. Citrus, herbal notes, green woods. On the Beach isn’t super complex, but isn’t jaw dropping good, in its simplicity. Especially for $280 per bottle (update: now, $300).

The yuzu is very nice and I also like the cypress here. Though, it’s not really enough to completely sell me on this Louis Vuitton perfume. The thyme and other touches do help this to have a unique kind of aroma, while being a familiar type of summer fragrance.

The performance is okay. 5-6.5 hours is about what you get with a lot of summertime fragrances, so it’s not too much of a knock on Louis Vuitton. These aren’t really heavy notes that we’re dealing with.

On the whole, I wouldn’t recommend most people acquiring On the Beach for their fragrance needs. It’s nice, but expensive and has a limited use case. There will be people who love the scent, but outside of them, there are better options.

But, samples aren’t too expensive, so I’d go that route before blind buying.

Pacific Chill by Louis Vuitton

by

Pacific Chill is a new perfume release from Louis Vuitton for 2023. I bought a sample of this scent, as soon as I saw one available, because I really wanted to try it out. I’ve like a lot of the brand’s summertime fragrances and hoped that this one is a hit too. How does it smell? Does Pacific Chill last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Pacific Chill Smell Like?

Notes include: blackcurrant, lemon, orange, ambrette, cedar, coriander, basil, carrot seeds, peppermint

My Full Review

Here’s how Louis Vuitton describes it: Evoking the regenerative vigor of the infinite ocean, Pacific Chill translates the pleasure of the warmth of a new day on the skin. An audacious olfactory creation by Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, this detox-oriented cologne captures nature’s vitality which revives the senses and opens the mind.

Pacific Chill opens up cold, sharp, and very fresh. The citrus notes lead the way, but I get a lot of greener notes involved early on, on my skin. The peppermint, coriander, and basil right away give this fragrance a lot of flavor and makes the opening act quite interesting.

To me, the peppermint is the strongest of the latter three notes and the other two just sort of play background support. That will shift and the basil, will come out more in replacement of that mint note.

Blackcurrant only adds to the sweet-tart kind of vibe that Chill puts out.

After a short while, the mint and blackcurrant notes back off. Pacific chill will be a citrus and basil based fragrance. The orange and citron are distinct on my skin and there is that apricot-like effect coming in, as well. Louis Vuitton doesn’t officially list that as a note, on the page that I saw but something similar is present at least.

Still kind of cool and icy drink vibes. Kind of spicy fresh still, with a greater musk cleanliness than in that initial spray.

Early, this has a refreshing drink feel to it. Later, Pacific Chill is more of a clean shampoo sort of scent. The fruit notes kind of combine into a amalgamated citrus and apricot smell, with the carrot seeds and ambrette giving it a muskiness.

Peppermint and basil are basically non-factors by this point. Fruity clean with a bit of sweetness, but more of a tartness, however.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Pacific Chill opens like an absolute bomb, on my skin. Seriously, this one envelops me in a cloud of iced fragrance for about an hour. Then, it kind of goes into a lighter moderate mode.

It’s certainly got a steep drop off from what it starts off like versus how it finishes, but I was surprised I even got that much of a loud projection. Should give you a nice scent trail.

Even in that lighter state, Chill doesn’t fade away, and carries on. I get about 7.5 hours of wear. With more sprays from a full bottle, I wouldn’t be shocked to hit 9, but 7.5 is about what I expect.

Seasonally, this is spring and summer all the way. Very much a warm weather fragrance, fruity citrus greenery.

Pacific Chill is unisex, but I’d say leans more feminine. Doesn’t entirely stray into the zone, but the fruity shampoo aspects of it certainly push it that way. It also feels a lot more youthful than the other LV summer fragrances. Not a super mature fragrance, kind of like a refined teenager’s perfume.

This one is more for daytime casual wear, anyway. Not going to be something for the nightlife or even formal wear during the summer. So, even if it is somewhat immature, it should be too much of an issue.

Overall Impressions of Pacific Chill

Overall, do I like Pacific Chill? I certainly liked the opening act. When I first sprayed this perfume, it really grabbed my attention. Not that it was a complete love for me, but it was very unique and interesting.

But, even with that being the case. That sharpness can be bothersome at times and not always what I want to smell. Though, the way it comes across as a cold and refreshing drink is really great.

The back half of this fragrance? It’s fine. It has too much of that fruity shampoo aroma for my liking. On the whole, while this is a unisex scent, it does seem to skew towards being something a younger woman would wear.

Personally, I think Vuitton scents like: Afternoon Swim, Cactus Garden, and City of Stars are better overall than Pacific Chill.

For the current $300 price tag, I think it’s too much of a stretch for most people. I don’t think that Pacific Chill is going to be a Louis Vuitton fragrance that is universally beloved. For some folks, sure. I think that it’s worth trying to see if you fall into that camp or not.

That being said, it won’t be a must-have for most people.

L’eau EDT by Chloe

by

L’eau EDT is another entry into the long-running Chloe series from the brand. This version was released in 2019. I grabbed a sample of it, as a part of a lot, in order to finally give it a full review for the site. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is L’eau EDT worth a try?

What does Chloe L’eau Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, magnolia, grapefruit, lychee, moss, cedar, musk, amber

Click here to try: Chloe L’eau

chloe l'eau review

My Full Review

Here’s how Chloe describes it: A fragrance with a rare simplicity and eternal grace. A light natural dew drop trail where notes of rose absolute blend with a voluptuous magnolia accord.

The opening act of Chloe, does give you a clean and dewy sort of aroma. It’s a bit of that juiciness from the lychee and grapefruit notes. Plus, the greenish aroma coming off of the early bits of moss and rose.

This is a fruity opening, not really sweet, more of a tart sort of smell. But, on me that is kept in check and will gradually fade into the background.

As we move past the opening 20-30 minutes, this gets floral, woodsy, and musky. The rose is the note that stands out most, but this isn’t a pure rose, by any means. There actually is a good deal of magnolia present in the first 2-3 hours.

The rose and ‘dewy’ aroma do make this one come across as a rose water scent, as the name would suggest. Light, with a move into soapy clean territory.

The dry down, is more musky and woodsy. There seems to be a patchouli note poking up, during the wear. A nice amount of moss, but the latter stages are about the musk and amber. A drier clean, with less of the rose water fragrance. However, that stays somewhat present throughout.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here isn’t massive, but it is safely above average. It’ll project well off of the skin and leave a decent scent trail for a time.

I’d say somewhere at 5-6 feet from the skin, at its maximum projection. After that, it’s in the 2-4 foot range, until it’s skin scent time. Pretty decent.

The longevity hit right at 7 hours for me. Again, not a huge and overpowering fragrance, but the performance is nothing to complain about.

Seasonally, Chloe L’eau is best in the spring and summer months. The warmer weather makes this one come alive. Yes, it does have the drier woodsy undertones, but the perfume is balanced and still has that dewy lightness to it.

It’s mostly a daytime wear. It can absolutely serve as a daily wear for the spring and summer. Not super formal, but one that can get plenty of use, even at the office. Or, just going about your day elsewhere around town.

Overall Impressions of Chloe L’eau

Overall, do I like L’eau? Yes, I think it’s a very nice all-around rose scent. It has a nice balance with the early citrus/lychee notes and the dry down into a dewy, greenish, mossy/woods perfume.]

L’eau EDT doesn’t have to go too far in any direction and part of its appeal, is just how versatile and easy to wear it can be. Not necessarily one that everyone is always going to love, but a fragrance which can find a place in a collection and get used even as a daily wear.

The performance is slightly above average, but not by much. The name alone suggests that it isn’t going to be a heavy wear, but it isn’t too faint or airy. Noticeable, but not going to be screaming for attention.

To me, this is a buy, if it sounds interesting to you. Maybe try to find it discounted. There are other options out there that will go further with the moss or dew, but this Chloe perfume does it all well.

Utopia Vanilla Coco | 21 by Kayali

by

Utopia Vanilla Coco 21 is one of the more popular scents from the Kayali lineup.  Probably not the top of the list, but it is a sought after scent. Being one of the vanilla perfumes from the brand, it often comes down to deciding between this and Vanilla 28. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Utopia Vanilla Coco Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, jasmine, coconut, sandalwood, vanilla Bourbon

Click here to try: Utopia Vanilla Coco

My Full Review

Utopia starts off without it focus being on the vanilla note. Instead, this one is lighter and sparkles with a lovely pear blossom note and some assorted citrus, lurking in the background.

Aside from those notes, the coconut is playing a stronger role in this opening act, while jasmine joins the citrus in the background.. At first, it’s more of a secondary role, but will gradually take over for that pear blossom.

About 30-45 minutes in, the fruitier aspects of this will wane. Vanilla and coconut are now the leaders and the other notes are simply providing a freshness to keep it from becoming a thicker and creamier scent.

Sweet, fresh, and dry. Sandalwood is basically the only other note that has any real effect on how this smells. It’ll basically be a vanilla and sandalwood mix, with coconut, and mostly the jasmine still hanging on.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Like others from Kayali, this one isn’t going to be a heavy, scent trail leaving bomb. For the first hour or so, it does have a nice amount of projection and can leave some scent hanging in the air in your wake.

After that, it’s going to be sticking closer to the 3-5 foot range. Not too bad and I didn’t find Utopia to be completely weak. But, it will be a fairly light perfume for most of the wear.

The longevity is somewhere in the 5-6 hour range for me. Not going to be an all-day affair, if you want longer, be sure to bring some more with you for re-application. It’s pretty mid-range like the others in the line.

Seasonally, this is a vanilla fragrance that can work in the summer. I’d say it’s probably best in the warmer temperatures of late spring than the absolutely sidewalk melting days. Though, it’s still pretty good there as well. Can absolutely venture into the fall.

It’s a versatile wear. Good with other perfumes as a part of a layer, while being able to stand alone. It’s fine during the daytime as a casual wear or even one that can be used in the office. Very pleasant and likeable.

Overall Impressions of Utopia Vanilla Coco

Overall, do I like Utopia Vanilla Coco? Yes, I think it’s one of the better perfumes from Kayali. However, I prefer the smell of Vanilla 28 to this one. Between those two, I’d go with that before choosing this.

But, I do think that this one is a good pickup for those who want a lighter, fresher, and less vanilla dominant scent. Or, for those who want something which is a great candidate for layering with other perfumes.

The pear blossom with the coconut and lighter vanilla in the opening is lovely and the sparkling lightness is a joy to have around. The latter stages are more focused on that vanilla note and not as inspiring.

The performance is pretty mid. Don’t expect to be dealing with an absolute beast. It’s passable, just not great.

Utopia Vanilla Coco is one to try from Kayali. Not their absolute best, but in the upper half of their offerings for sure.