Perfume Reviews

Shalimar EDT by Guerlain

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Shalimar EDT is a flanker of a different concentration to the original Eau de Parfum. Lots of similarities, but how does it differ? What does the EDT version smell like and is it actually worthwhile to try? I grabbed a sample recently to test it out for a full site review and share my thoughts below.

What does Shalimar EDT Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, iris, jasmine, rose, vanilla, tonka bean

Click here to try: Shalimar EDT

My Full Review

Here’s how Guerlain describes it: A vibrant contrast between the fresh flight of citrus and the bewitching sensuality of both vanilla and powdery notes. Shalimar, let you senses take over…

Shalimar EDT opens with a strong use of the bergamot note up top. Obviously, it’s quite similar to the eau de parfum version. However, this one has a spicier kick early on versus the smokier aroma I get with EDP.

It also has some leathery facets to the aroma, courtesy of the tonka bean and vanilla, but less so than EDP. The bergamot here calms way down, on my skin, and this shifts more towards a powdery floral fragrance.

The iris, leads the way, and it seems like any rose and jasmine sort of just blend together into a more generic floral accord.

It becomes powdery, fresh, sweet, warm, with a light dynamic citrus still lingering. Mostly going to be all about that iris and vanilla combination, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Another difference with the EDP, is with the performance. Shalimar EDT isn’t a weak scent, but there’s a noticeable step down versus the original.

Still, that first hour or two is plenty strong. It isn’t a complete bomb that’s going to reach across of the room. After that, this one will be much more mild. Noticeable, but not popping hugely off of the skin.

The longevity is pretty good, just not great. For me, Shalimar EDT will last somewhere in the 6-6.5 hour range max. That is one drawback, with the EDT, it’s not a great performer by any stretch.

Seasonally, you’re more likely to get to use this one in the autumn and wintertime. Though, I think that it’d be just fine during the spring months too. Summer, is too hot and humid in most places for this to be very useful.

Within this timeframe, Shalimar can be used as a daily wear, casual, and pretty much whenever else you’d want to wear it. Not really a party perfume but it is attractive scent that is clean and non-offensive. Very versatile scent.

Overall Impressions of Shalimar EDT

Overall, is this one worth it? Absolutely. Shalimar is one of my personal favorite classic perfumes and the EDT is a great representation, with some of it’s own unique touches.

However, I do still prefer the original to this, and I think that Parfum Initial is about neck and neck with Shalimar EDT.

With EDT, I enjoy the bergamot and spicy top a lot. You get a nice amount of time with the citrus note and some more dynamism when compared to the EDP. Powdery and sweet with the iris and vanilla finish. It’s enjoyable as well, just not to the same level as the totality of EDP.

It might not be different enough for some people to warrant having a bottle of both. In that case, I’d definitely go with the Eau de Parfum first. But, if you want a somewhat gentler finish (less smoke and leathery aroma) with plenty of powder, then the EDT might be a good bet as your first option.

Deja Vu White Flower | 57 by Kayali

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Deja Vu White Flower 57 is another one of the fragrances which came with the Kayali sample set that I purchased a few months ago. This was one, that I wasn’t sure if I was going to actually enjoy or not.  But, I tested it out anyway. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is White Flower worth a try?

What does Deja Vu White Flower Smell Like?

Notes include: tuberose, vanilla, gardenia, jasmine absolute, orange flower

Click here to try: Deja Vu White Flower | 57

My Full Review

The opening of Deja Vu reminds me of something that’d be from the L’Interdit line of perfumes by Givenchy. The tuberose is joined by vanilla and some fruity notes which are unlisted. More background facets, but something else is there beyond the floral notes.

That initial sweet burst will burn off and this one becomes more floral, with a slight greenish aroma to it. Not too garden-like However, The tuberose is the most dominant of the floral note.

However, there will be periods throughout where the jasmine and gardenia are quite strong. The orange flower, is noticeable once the sweetness has faded a bit, but never comes close to taking the top spot.

The dry down is mostly the tuberose, with orange blossom and vanilla flanking the main attraction. The rest is a green flowery impression.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is slightly above average. It’s not going to leave a massive trail, choke out a room, or radiate off of the skin to a great degree. It is however, noticeable, and gives you a 3-6 foot radius during the majority of the wear.

While Deja Vu is not super heavy, but has a pretty solid longevity versus others in the series. On my skin, this one could stick around for up to 7 hours. Maybe expect 5.5-7 hour as a range. Very useful, not elite.

Seasonally, this one strikes me as being best in the springtime, with autumn and summer being close alternatives. Really, anytime it isn’t too hot, Deja Vu should work just fine. it has a nice sweetness and vanilla, but isn’t thick enough to feel all that cloying, outside of miserably hot days.

This can be worn in a bunch of different scenarios. It can be a daily wear, layered with other fragrances, it’s attractive enough for the nightlife, etc. Mostly, this is a daytime wear for casual to semi-formal occasions.

Overall Impressions of Deja Vu White Flower

Overall, do I like Deja Vu? Yes, it was surprisingly my favorite perfume of the Kayali sampler. Maybe it shouldn’t be surprising since I enjoy the L’Interdit series and this is pretty much a simpler form of those perfumes.

The initial sweetness, fruitiness, and tuberose dominance is great. Even the dry down, when the other floral notes start to have their say, is still quite enjoyable.

The performance is better than most of the other fragrances and Deja Vu is a value proposition in comparison to the more linear Kayali perfumes. This one isn’t complex either, but it is one that you can wear on its own, if you decide not to try it as a part of the Kayali layering.

If you’re going to try any of this brand’s perfumes, this would be the one I’d most recommend or Vanilla.

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.