Perfume Reviews

Ameline by Phlur

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Ameline is one of the fragrances featured in the Phlur Discovery set that I purchased a few months ago. I had never heard of this one and didn’t know just what to expect from the perfume going in. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Phlur’s Ameline Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, rose, pink pepper, sandalwood, patchouli

Click here to try: Ameline at Sephora

My Full Review

Ameline opens up with a very fresh and enjoyable bergamot citrus note, which is flanked by a lighter use of pink pepper. Early on, you can already start picking up the rose note from the base, but that bergamot really stands out to me.

That lasts for about 20 minutes, before we start to dive into the main event, which is the rose and patchouli combination. The bergamot still hangs around, though it no longer has the upper hand in the composition.

The patchouli is cleaner, less earthy here. It almost comes across as being a musk note, but you do get the earthy/woody feel with the sandalwood and rose being so prevalent.

The next phase, basically just eliminates the bergamot and the sandalwood comes in more. Ameline is fresh and drier here. The rose smells pinkish with a hint of fruitiness.

Finally, the end will be a rose and sandalwood smell. The entirety takes on more of a powdery undertone, rather than a creamy sandalwood aroma.

Seasonally, this one can work almost year round. I would probably use something else for extremely cold or hot days, but I like this one in autumn and especially spring.

Within those spacious climate confines, you should have plenty of opportunity to wear it. Not a nightlife fragrance or a super formal one, but it’s pretty enough. As a daily wear, casual, or just out and about town during the day this perfume is up to the job.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The reach of this one is pretty mid-range. It’s got a nice start where the projection from the skin will be noticed fairly far away. That will change within the first hour and it will be slightly above average for the rest of the duration.

I’d say expect it to be in the 3-4 foot range for most of the wear.

How long does it stick around? Ameline lasts on my skin for between 6-7 hours. Not terrible and the performance as a whole stays just above average. I like it. It’s not a massive bomb that goes for days, but you get a solid run with it.

Overall Impression of Ameline

Overall, do I like Phlur’s Ameline? I do. I think it’s one of their better perfumes, that I’ve tested. It’s very wearable and never had me wanting to scrub it off. I actually thought it was quite pleasant.

I like that the bergamot citrus got the upper hand in the opening versus the pink pepper. The rose is a lighter pink type, with a sandalwood and patchouli blend that gives this one a drier and somewhat powdery finish.

Performance is good enough for what this is. Again, don’t expect Ameline to go all day, but for most uses, you’ll be absolutely okay with this one. Plus, it’s strong suit is how versatile it is.

The question becomes is it worth the near $100 current price tag? For some, maybe. I think this skirts the border of being worthwhile or not. I would suggest getting a sample or otherwise trying it out, if that price is a stretch.

I don’t think Ameline will be a complete love for most, but it’s also not going to be completely hateable.

Chloe Absolu de Parfum

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Absolu is one of the many Chloe samples that I picked up for review months ago. This one was released back in 2017 and I wanted to see how this one worked over a longer duration, than I had previously encountered it. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is Chloe Absolu worth a try?

What does Chloe Absolu Smell Like?

Notes includes: rose, patchouli, vanilla

Click here to try: Chloe Absolu

My Full Review

Absolu opens up with a blast of Damask rose and centifolia rose. But, on my skin I also get the patchouli note coming in from the start.

The centifolia adds a fresh, somewhat greenish/vegetal aroma to the rose of the original Chloe perfume. Add that to the patchouli note, you get a woodsy/earthy touch to a very familiar rose formula.

That contrasts against the sweeter, more pure floral aroma of the Damask rose. Absolu is a bouquet of roses sitting in water surrounded by patchouli. That’s basically the scent.

As it moves along, the patchouli feels stronger, about equal to the rose. While the vanilla, if it is there, doesn’t do much of anything on my skin.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Chloe Absolu is pretty powerful. Not elite, just well above average, especially in that first hour. It jumped off of the skin and its one to create a scent trail, without feeling all too ‘heavy’. That vegetal aspect helps to keep it from being overwhelming.

The longevity here is quite good, just not great. It can go for over 7 hours and maybe hit that 8 hour mark on skin. That’s where it always seemed to fall when I was testing it out.

Seasonally, this one has plenty of versatility. It can be worn pretty much anytime, except maybe the hottest days of summer. I’d prefer to wear it on more temperate days versus either extreme, as that’s when Absolu is at its best.

Absolu is very wearable in a variety of situations. It’s one that can pretty much become a daily wear, if you so desire. It’s not overly serious, but still has enough style and class to be worn dressed upon the right day.

Less of a sexy or nightlife sort of wear, however.

Overall Impressions of Chloe Absolu

Overall, do I like this perfume? I do. It’s not super complicated, about what you expect from the Chloe name, but still a lovely scent on the whole.

It’s a mix between two different types of rose, with a substantial amount of patchouli. Sweetness, greenish fresh, and earthy. If that’s your style of fragrance, this one will probably be right up your alley.

The performance is solid and this one will give you plenty of time to wear it. I think this is worth a try and one of the better new-ish scents that Chloe has come out with over the last decade or so. If you like the other Chloe scents, this is one to check out.

Lovefest Burning Cherry | 48 by Kayali

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Lovefest Burning Cherry is one of the most popular options from Kayali. This is probably due to its somewhat close resemblance to Lost Cherry by Tom Ford. But, I wanted to do a full review of this fragrance on its own to see how it performs and what it smells like. Is this perfume worth trying out?

What does Lovefest Burning Cherry Smell Like?

Notes include: burning cherry, raspberry, praline, palo santo, guiac wood, patchouli

Click here to try: Lovefest Burning Cherry 48

My Full Review

Lovefest Burning Cherry has gotten a lot of attention due to its similarities to Lost Cherry by Tom Ford. It definitely is a pretty close relation to that fragrance, but does have enough differences to be distinct.

The opening is where things are most similar. The cherry note here is the main attraction and probably takes on an 80/20 split with the raspberry note. This does feel like a thicker and quite a syrupy cherry note versus the Tom Ford.

Along with that, we do get some additional gourmand sweetness from the praline note, along with an incense smokiness coming from the ‘burning cherry’ itself (and palo santo). There is a powdery bit of aroma here, which comes from a shorter-lived floral accord (heliotrope, apparently).

After the opening, this will begin to change more towards the smokiness, with added woods, some light patchouli and amber. This is where it shifts away from being a Lost Cherry near dupe, into something a little more independent.

Palo santo and guaiac wood really start to come into their own, with the slightly resinous amber note. The cherry note does stick around for the duration, while the other notes fade away. Burning Cherry More balsamic, less floral

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Burning Cherry opens up with some decent projecting power, but it is pretty middle of the road, for the entirety. Maybe an hour with good sillage, then medium, and dries down with the last few hours being really light.

The longevity isn’t bad either, but not elite. I get 7-7.5 hours on the skin. It’s actually one of the better standalone performers in the Kayali lineup.

Seasonally, this one is going to work best in the autumn and winter months. The cherry, smoke, amber, etc. isn’t going to be great in the heat. Though, is quite good on a crisp evening in February.

It’s more of a casual or nighttime sort of scent. Obviously, you can get plenty of use out of this as a part of a layering combination. It’s attractive as a gourmand sort of wear, not really all that sexy to me, but I suppose some might find it to be.

Overall Impressions of Lovefest Burning Cherry

Overall, do I like this scent? I do. It’s one of the better offerings from Kayali. I’m not absolutely amazed by it, but I think that it a nice wear and well worth a try.

Unlike some of the others, this one can really be worn on its own and be appreciated, without having to layer it with anything. Though, I’m sure people have also figured out plenty of options to pair it with.

I like the syrupy thickness that the cherry note has, the woods in the base, the amber, and the hints of heliotrope powder. Not a super complicated fragrance, there is enough here to enjoy, and the performance is pretty good.

This is worth a try, either through the sample set or one of the travel sizes. It is a perfume that does a lot of things right and actually does smell good.

Nomade EDT by Chloe

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Nomade EDP is one of my favorites from the Chloe line, so, I was looking forward to giving the EDT a try. I bought a bunch of samples from this brand, in order to finally work my way through doing complete reviews for the site. Nomade eau de toilette was released in 2019. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

Chloe Nomade Overview

Notes include: freesia, lychee, oak moss, citrus, mirabelle, rose, davana

Click here to try: Nomade EDT

My Full Review

Here’s how Chloe describes it: A radiant interpretation of Nomade. The vibrant sweetness of the scent of lychee, mingled with the delicate floral facets of freesia notes and the assertiveness of an oak moss accord.

The opening with Nomade EDT does give you some of the tart/sweet fruitiness you’d expect from lychee and citrus notes. But, it’s also clear from the start, that this isn’t going to be a fruit heavy edition of this formula.

Freesia and the oak moss note coming from the base, are already apparent at the very start of the wear. There’s also a bit of pinkish rose in there, but it’s really about that freesia, in terms of the floral notes.

The mirabelle and citrus are light in the mix, but delightful. I do like the limited aspect of the rose here, as a heavier use might make this one annoying.

But, Nomade actually stays fresh and light, while having a pretty far reach in terms of how it projects. Sort of airy with how it comes across, but has a dry greenish finish with the oak moss, which also is somewhat bitter (the davana? I presume).

That’s essentially what this one is for the rest of the way. A light greenish floral with some remaining hints of fruits to keep it from being totally enveloped by the oak moss.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The first hour or two, this one has a pretty far reaching power. It projects well and will leave a scent trail in one’s wake. Even after that initial two hours, it still feels substantial and above average with its sillage. Nomade isn’t weak, by any stretch of the imagination.

This one does last well on the skin. For me, it was in the 8-8.5 hour range during testing. That’s where Nomade seems to settle. Nothing incredible, but actually quite good for an EDT.

Seasonally, I actually like it most in the mild temperatures of autumn. That’d include springtime for many people. It’s actually not too bad when it’s warm outside, but I may stay away from the extremes of heat and cold.

Nomade EDT is the type of scent that you can wear pretty much anytime. I’d probably exclude romantic wear or nightlife as this isn’t really a ‘sexy’ sort of fragrance. But, during the daytime you can wear this casually or dressed up without issue.

Overall Impressions of Nomade EDT

Overall, do I like Nomade EDT? Yes, I think it is a good perfume. Not great, but it does everything well and is enjoyable throughout the wear. I already expected to like this version coming into it and wasn’t surprised by the result.

It a balanced fragrance that gives you hints of fruitiness and some drier notes mixed into what is overall a mossy floral affair. I like it, it has personality and develops enough so that it isn’t completely boring.

The performance is quite good for an eau de toilette and it is one that can be worn in a wide variety of situations. Nomade EDT can absolutely be a workhorse type of perfume in your collection.

If this is your style of scent, Nomade is one that I’d at least test out, as it provides a well done experience and pretty far reaching coverage with how it can be used.

Girl of Now Shine by Elie Saab

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Girl of Now Shine is one of the releases from the ongoing Girl of Now series by Elie Saab. I bought samples of some of these scents many months ago, for testing and review. Shine was released in 2018, but is it a fragrance which deserves more attention?

What does Girl of Now Shine Smell Like?

Notes include: almond, white flowers, orange blossom, patchouli, vanilla, pistachio, pear, pineapple

My Full Review

I actually came into this test expecting that this was going to be a super fruity fragrance. On me, not so much. Sure, it has a sweetness, sort of a syrupy vibe.

However, the pineapple isn’t a juicy attention grabber. The pear stands out more, but I get a lot of almond from the jump. This time, it is paired with a pistachio. Add to that, orange blossom is very noticeable early on.

Yet, I do recognize the Girl of Now formula here. The almond is still great and the floral notes will shift more towards an iris, with vanilla taking over for most of the initial fruitiness. Really, that iris seems fairly massive on my skin, but it will then fade almost entirely.

The dry down is where I feel this one is most similar to the original. It’s sort of a fresher and sweeter take on that formulation, with a hyped up vanilla in lieu of tonka bean.

The floral notes in the end, are pretty blended together, and I can’t really pick them out entirely from one another. Aside from that, a touch of patchouli, and maybe wood of some sort.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Shine has a similar ability to project to other fragrances in the series. It too, starts off with a pretty powerful blast, that will create a not too thick cloud around the wearer before moving back in closer to the skin.

Yet, it has a good amount of time staying above average with its sillage. Then, it’ll fully mid-range, but doesn’t ever come across as a weak perfume.

The longevity is somewhere in the 7-7.5 hour range on my skin. Maybe an hour less than what I get with Girl of Now Forever. Still quite decent performance and I didn’t have any tests in which it completely disappeared early.

Seasonally, this one feels more autumn and springtime than anything. Not super heavy, but probably still a bit much for the heat of summer. In the cold, it’d be fine, but Shine is at its best when it is slightly chilly to temperate.

Shine does strike me as being a slightly more mature scent than Forever. Still, skews to being something worn more by the younger set. But, this isn’t nearly as youthful as the other one. It’s a nice daytime scent that can be worn casually or semi-formally.

Overall Impressions of Shine 

Overall, do I like Girl of Now Shine? It’s fine. Close to being as good as Forever or the original Girl of Now, but a small step below both. If I only had the notes to go off of, I probably would’ve said that this would’ve been my favorite of the lot. That’s not the case in reality.

I thought it was going to be way fruitier than it is. That’s not necessarily a bad thing and you do still get plenty of sweetness.

Almond, pistachio, and orange blossom with a mostly pear influence coming from the fruity accord. It’s likeable, the heavy iris comes and goes, and then you’re pretty much left with the original scent of Girl of Now.

So, it’s a few hours of something different before you get most of the same.

The performance is solid and the scent itself is very wearable, even if not being completely amazing. It’s worth a try if you like the others in the series. I might try to test it out before buying a full bottle, unless you get a huge discount. It’s pretty safe, though. You just might not love it, but I don’t think it’d be a complete scrubber for most.