Perfume Reviews

Idôle Aura by Lancôme

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Aura is a flanker fragrance release from Lancôme’s Idole line, that came out in 2021. This was one of the perfume samples that I picked up a while back in order to test it out. I was interested to see how this one is distinct from the original EDP. What does Aura smell like? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Idole Aura Smell Like?

Notes include: bergamot, vanilla, rose, jasmine, salt, musk

Click here to try: From Lancome

idole aura review

My Full Review

Here’s how Lancôme describes it: As unique and unstoppable as the energy that radiates from within every Idôle – share the light of success with Idôle Aura as its ambience transfers from one Idôle to another. From Idôle Aura to you and the Idôle’s who surround you.

The opening spray of Aura shares the bergamot and jasmine notes, found in Idole EDP. It lacks the pear and pink pepper notes of that one, but seems to include a muskier top in their stead.

It is interesting that Aura has a beachy vibe to it, thanks to the inclusion of a salted vanilla note. Sort of reminds me of saltwater taffey from when I was a kid. This does have a nice sweetness to it, but isn’t overwhelming. In fact, the vanilla floral mix has more of a powdery aroma for a good part of the wear.

Like the original, as we move along, the rose note will become more prominent in the mix. Beyond that, the rose and jasmine notes start to achieve a balanced relationship.

Idole Aura is warm, slightly sweet, salty with a nice floral/musk mix that smells like Idole EDP. It’s like they stripped a few things off of that and added more vanilla and that salty flair.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty strong, especially for the first few hours. Not a complete monster, but it leaves a trail and has a solidly far radius from off of the skin. For much of the rest of the wear, it’ll be a 3-5 foot range from skin.

The longevity is good, above average, but not amazing. I get 7.5-8 hours with it. Most of the last hour or so it a floral and faint vanilla smell, but Aura is still there.

Like the original Idole EDP, this one is best served by being used in the spring and summer months. I like this more in the summer, thanks to that beachy vibe. It’s not as good here in the December cold, but not completely out of place. There are just better options.

Aura is more of a casual daytime wear. It can probably be used as a daily wear during the warmer months to the office or something, since it’s not overwhelming or anything inappropriate.

Aura is also more of a pleasant crowd pleaser versus being a sexy nightlife scent. Also, suitable for a wide age range. Teens could wear this, along with more mature women. Vey nice balance and doesn’t feel cheap.

Overall Impressions of Idole Aura

Overall, do I like Idole Aura? I do. To me, it’s a bit better than the eau de parfum. But, from this series, I like Nectar and L’Intense more than this one.

I like the opening act with the jasmine and bergamot. That’s a pretty common combination, but it works well. Add to that, the vanilla and salty beachy aroma, and Aura does deliver a sun-kissed scent that’s enjoyable to wear.

The performance here is above average across the board. Aura was never totally weak, until the denouement, and it gave around a full work day’s worth of wear. Yes, there are better performers, but this one is just fine.

The final dry down is closer to the original with the jasmine, rose, and muskiness. However, it retains a lot of what makes it distinct. Namely, the fresh marine qualities and warmer solar aspects.

Idole Aura is a perfume that is well worth checking out. Not overly complicated, but a scent that a lot of people should like.

Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid by Viktor & Rolf

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Ruby Orchid is another flanker by Viktor & Rolf from its insanely popular Flowerbomb line. This one was released in 2021 and became quite well known in its own right, a short time after. But, how does it actually smell? Does Ruby Orchid perform well? Is it even worth a buy?

What does Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid Smell Like?

Notes include: peach, vanilla bean, ruby orchid accord , peach vine

Click here to try: At Sephora

My Full Review

Here’s how V&R describes it: Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid Eau de Parfum Spray is a sensual floral perfume that’s inspired by the glamour of burlesque. This passionate women’s perfume blends ruby flower orchid, juicy peach, and red foxy vanilla bean to create a magnetic fragrance perfect for any confident woman.

The opening of Ruby Orchid is somewhat similar to the original Flowerbomb. It is certainly sweet, but we get a more immediate and greater focus on the orchid note itself. Plus, we lose the osmanthus and replace it with a peach note, which lends a jammy quality to this perfume.

Interestingly, this includes a ‘peach vine’ that does come through somewhat in the very early stages. A greenish aroma, not overly noticeable, but it is there if you focus your nose. Patchouli is also totally here, I don’t know why it isn’t listed.

The light greenish aroma does fade and you are left with the sweet peach note. The vanilla will begin to creep in, to a greater extent, like a thick syrupy vanilla extract.

The opening is much more of a fruity sweet fragrance, just like the original. Then, the dry down will be more focused on the orchid and vanilla. Still fruity/sugary sweet, just toned down, with a lighter use of that patchouli messing about.

The vanilla and orchid combo has a powdery aroma, the further we get into things. On me, Ruby Orchid never goes fully into hyper powder territory, but it certainly is there. The original has this as well, but Ruby Orchid has the greater use of powder than its predecessor.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here starts off bold, but settles fairly quickly into something that is much softer. I don’t think that it ever reaches the same ability of Flowerbomb, in terms of how it projects off of the skin.

It does get close initially, but Ruby Orchid is a much softer scent than the original.

On my skin, Ruby Orchid will last around 7-7.5 hours. Again, it doesn’t match the staying power of Flowerbomb, but it wasn’t completely terrible by any means.

Seasonally, it’s mostly for autumn and winter, but it can also make an appearance in the springtime. If it’s too hot and humid, I’d skip out on Ruby Orchid, but it’s fine for the more temperate days.

Ruby Orchid is sweet, playful, and skews younger. But, it isn’t one that is only for teenagers. However, it is still more of a casual perfume than anything formal. Daytime or nighttime and it is pleasant enough for dates. But, I think the original is the sexier of the two.

Overall Impressions of Flowerbomb Ruby Orchid

Overall, do I like Ruby Orchid? I do. It does share plenty of commonalities with Flowerbomb, so, if you like that one…you’ll probably dig this one too.

Personally, I don’t enjoy it to the same extent. But, it does have some aspects that I do like. The peach here is particularly nice, I like the lighter green touches. Plus, I like that the orchid gets some more attention.

The performance is solid, not amazing, but I didn’t find Ruby Orchid to be disappointing in this regard.

If you don’t like the original Flowerbomb, I’m not sure that there is enough here that would change your mind. It’s still very sweet and there’s enough overlap between them, that might bring back bad memories.

Overall, though, this is a nice release and one of the better Flowerbomb flankers.

Pure Poison EDP by Dior

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Pure Poison is a 2004 release from Dior’s now long-running Poison for Her perfume line. I grabbed a decant of this stuff, as I couldn’t recall if I had ever tried it out, and knew that I had yet to do a review of it for the site. Despite covering some of the more recent Poison Girl flankers. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is Pure Poison worth a try?

What does Pure Poison by Dior Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, bergamot, orange, amber, orange blossom, gardenia, sandalwood, cedar, and musk

Click here to try: Pure Poison EDP by Dior

My Full Review

Here’s how Dior describes it: Once upon a time there was an ingenuous and captivating, sincere and mysterious fragrance… Pure Poison is the fragrance that celebrates the purest form of seduction, while exploring its duality and irresistible alchemy.

Pure Poison opens up with its jasmine note in control. The citrus blend of orange and bergamot sits underneath, creating a brightness to the aroma, but it isn’t a juicy citrus dominant mix. The citrus actually has somewhat of a ‘greenish’ finish to it, stemming from the bergamot.

Also, that is somewhat tempered anyway, by the inclusion of the orange blossom note. To my nose, that opening is jasmine dominant with the orange blossom second. Later, that gets taken over by gardenia, but the blossom has its time to shine.

Wearing this, I was expecting more of an amber and musk presence in this Dior. Not really the case. In fact, the woods seem to play a larger role here. Still, this one does absolutely have a very clean profile, much less of a seductive ‘poison’ as the name suggest.

As the gardenia steps up to the plate, the sandalwood will join it giving Pure Poison a nice woody balance. As I said, the orange blossom fades into the background, but I still get the citrus impressions for a long while into the wear.

The final dry down is pretty much just a woody white floral. The citrus has disappeared, the musk really fully materializes, and it’s basically the jasmine note with a dose of gardenia and sandalwood.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Pure Poison certainly has a strong opening act. I can spray this on a shirt or myself and it feels like it fills the room and lightly saturates the air for a while. I’d say around 1 hour of strong sillage, before it settles into an intimate scent bubble.

It’s not overwhelming ever, but it certainly packs a punch early on.

The longevity is decent, just not spectacular. Testing this one out, netted me experiences of five hours of wear and some of over eight. Maybe I just went nose blind that one time, but the longevity seems to be at least above average…if not, quite good.

Seasonally, this kind of always works. It’s not too heavy or cloying for the summer months. In fact, it brings a nice coolness. But, it’s not always too fresh for the cold of winter either. Sure, sometimes that cleanliness can get on one’s nerves, just wasn’t straying too much in that direction.

This comes across as much more of a daytime wear. I don’t find it to be seductive, sexy, or a nightlife scent despite the marketing.

But, as a cold fresh and clean perfume it does have plenty of uses. It can be used casually, semi-formal, to work, or what have you. Pure Poison is a daily wear type for those who love white floral scents.

Overall Impressions of Pure Poison

Overall, do I like Pure Poison? I like it, but I was never completely enraptured by it. Gardenia can be hit or miss for me and I’m not always thrilled with an overdose of jasmine. However, this blend is quality and I enjoyed enough of my time with it.

Still, it’s not one of my favorite Dior releases. It’s fine. If you’re a jasmine or fan of these sorts of clean white floral perfumes, you’ll probably want to give it a go.

The performance is good. It’s not super complicated. Basically, jasmine/orange blossom/citrus start with a finish of jasmine/gardenia/sandalwood. Simple, but it does have a nice dynamic energy to it.

The main strength is its versatility. If you dig the smell of this, you should have no problem finding time to wear it around.

Pure Poison is one that is worth testing to see if you happen to fall in the camp of those who love it.

Le Lion de Chanel EDP by Chanel

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I’ve had a few samples of Le Lion de Chanel that I’ve been coming back to over the span of many months. As I wasn’t exactly sure how to feel at first about this entry from the Les Exclusifs line from the French brand.

But, I’ve at least completed my initial evaluation to the point where I can share my thoughts on the site. How does it smell? Is Le Lion worth a try?

What does Le Lion de Chanel Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood, amber, musk, labdanum

Click here to try: Le Lion de Chanel at Chanel


My Full Review

Tried Le Lion? Leave your rating and review in the comments!

Here’s how Chanel describes it: Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19, 1883, under the sign of Leo. Proud and passionate, instinctive and daring, Mademoiselle fully embodied her zodiac symbol. Majestic, indomitable and wild, the lion became a personal emblem, serving as the inspiration for this powerful fragrance.

It is interesting with Le Lion de Chanel that I actually get a burst of the amber and labdanum before, the citrus is fully revealed on my skin. Like, those notes burst onto the scene with a smokiness, warmth, and spice…then fade a bit to let the bergamot and lemon come through.

It’s a captivating moment, when I do get to the citrus notes, however. Very juicy and bright, but they are surrounded by the pronounced dryness that is found with this mix. The labdanum remains the strongest note, beneath the citrus, and will grow in strength after the fruits move out.

With that labdanum, there is the patchouli lending its earthiness to the smokiness and resinous aroma of labdanum. Earlier, it has more of the balsamic aroma, before settling into something earthier and musky.

Man, this stuff really packs a punch for the initial stages of the wear. The labdanum or amber accord has a dry and sort of a leathery aroma at times. Then, when it dries down, we get a light muskiness and a nice sandalwood.

I do like that smokiness, leathery moments, and that opening citrus. Sure, it can be a lot and take some time getting used to, but I’ve come to enjoy it with repeat wears.

The patchouli will come in stronger, with a step back by the labdanum. It’s more of a straightforward amber here towards the end, with the vanilla and patchouli doing their thing, also.

Le Lion isn’t super complicated. To me, the latter stages are less smoky, still dry (kind of a powdery scent), none of the citrus. Just a woody/earthy/musk with the remaining resinous qualities. There does seem to be a light sweetness involved here throughout (vanilla).

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty massive. Not the strongest that I’ve come across, but it’ll out do many perfumes on the market. A nice long scent trail for sure and great projection off of the skin.

Just using the sample size, with 4-5 spritzes and this will be emanating off of my skin like a beast. Easily picked up by those around you.

It’ll also last in the 9-11 hour range, on my skin. It’s an all-day experience it seems, without issue. Le Lion will not be confused as being a weak fragrance. Even at the high end price, you do still get plenty of value.

Seasonally, this is a fragrance for the autumn and winter months. It’d be way too much for the heat.

It is a unisex perfume. Leans more towards the traditionally feminine fragrances in this style, but it never strikes me as being ‘girly’. It’s probably suitable for mid-20s and up because it does have a level of maturity to it.

It’s versatility isn’t the strong suit. It is confident and bold and probably not best served for use at work. Not entirely formal, but isn’t something all that casual either.

Probably better for nightlife or social functions versus being a daily wear. It’s not so overwhelming that it’ll be off-putting to most people, but Le Lion can skirt that line.

Overall Impressions of Le Lion

Overall, do I like Le Lion de Chanel? I do. I’ve liked it more, the more time that I’ve spent with it. Though, it’s not one that I’m personally clamoring to wear all the time, since I’m not a big fan of the oriental style perfumes.

But, there is plenty to like with this Chanel. It’s high quality, matching the price point. Those citrus notes sitting under the resinous smoky aroma of the amber accord is really attractive. I kept pressing my nose against my arm to pick up that bergamot and lemon.

The opening is attention grabbing, deep, and somewhat rough. But, the perfume never strays too far and remain luxurious and rich. I do like that in addition to the smoke, it has an earthy/dirty scent that will rise up and break the potential monotony of amber and vanilla.

The dryness and the leather-like finish with hints of sandalwood is very nice to catch whiffs of during the latter stages.

The performance here is great. Le Lion is powerful and will stick around for a long while.

But, this isn’t going to be a perfume for everyone. It’s pretty different from many other Chanel’s. Not a floral aldehyde soaked perfume. Yet, you can still pick out that classic Chanel style, if you’re familiar.

Le Lion isn’t entirely a niche fragrance, but it’ll be one to test out to see if you’d actually want to go with it. It for sure doesn’t have the same mass appeal, as something like Coco Mademoiselle.

R.E.M. by Ariana Grande

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R.E.M. by Ariana Grande is a review that I forgot to do last year, after testing it out. Luckily, I had another sample tucked away in a box, so I recently tried it once again in order to do a full write up of the perfume. This one was released back in 2020. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

What does REM Perfume Smell Like?

Notes include: fig, caramel, lavender, zefir, quince, pear blossom, salt, sandalwood, musk, tonka bean

Click here to try: R.E.M by Ariana Grande

My Full Review

Here’s how REM is described: An intergalactic dream of femininity and power, R.E.M. draws you in with a cosmic blend of Juicy Fig and Warm Salted Caramel. Lavender essence takes you to dreamy new heights, while sparkling Pear Blossom explodes like a supernova in the night sky. Intoxicating Musk wrapped with Sandalwood creates the perfect ending to your unforgettable journey.

R.E.M. opens up sweet, creamy, a bit juicy (sparkling), and familiar. It certainly has overlap with the styles and some notes of the other perfumes in the Ariana lineup. However, the aroma itself would be closest to Cloud, while still being a lot different with how it smells.

Here, the fig is the star early on. It is rich and sweet, while not being overpowering. It is joined by a light quince, that quickly disappears, and the creaminess of zefir. That note adds an additional sweetness also.

REM feels more substantial than Cloud, not overbearing, but thicker and bringing a definite warmth to the mix. Salted caramel thickens things up creating a further gourmand like sensibility.

As things progress, the opening creaminess will start to take a back seat. This one becomes more lavender dominant and has a powdery finish to it. That caramel note, is one that really burns off, mostly sticking around as a generic sweetness. Much less salty.

Lavender and musk have their moment in the spotlight together. The musk actually sticks around to the end, but in a weaker state. The lavender doesn’t weaken. It’s interesting how this becomes powdery, since the tonka bean/zefir have more of a creamy quality.

To me, it’s like a 65/35 split between powdery and creamy towards the back half of the wear.

Finally, the dry down is lavender with a sweet finish. Musky and some sandalwood, if you pay really close attention. Not super complicated at the end.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, I think this one is on the upper bounds of moderate. It’s not massive, but with a good amount of sprays, the scent trail lasts a while. Plus, the projection is solid for more than a few hours.

It’s not massive, but I can spray REM on a shirt and pick it up across the bedroom with ease. It does lighten up and dry down more to the skin. Still, I don’t find this to be one of the weaker Ariana perfumes.

On my skin, this one will go for 7-7.5 hours. Again, most of these perfumes don’t have great longevity. But, this one is pretty decent. Those last hours are skin scent level, but it is indeed still present.

REM is best worn from autumn through springtime. Much better in weather that’s somewhat chilly. Though, it gives you enough versatility to go day or night with it.

It’s not a formal fragrance. It’s good for casual, school, maybe some workplaces, or just going out on the town.

It’s not so much ‘sexy’ as it is pleasing and attractive to smell. This gets called a unisex fragrance due to the presence of the lavender note. To me, nope. This is feminine, there are plenty of lavender colognes for men, and they’re much more forceful than R.E.M. is.

Nevertheless, if you’re not a fan of the lavender note on yourself, you might want to skip this one.

Overall Impressions of REM

Overall, do I like R.E.M.? I do. It’s not the most amazing fragrance that I’ve ever come across, but it’s in the top half of the Ariana Grande releases, thus far.

I’m not usually a big fan of scents that use lavender heavily. Yet, this is one that I find enjoyable, in ways that I don’t with Cloud. In my opinion, it’s just better, even while that one gets all of the attention due to its overdone BR 540 comparisons.

I am, though, a big fan of using fig in fragrance. The one here doesn’t get all that much shine, but it’s nice while it lasts. I like the opening with the caramel, the sweetness, and that later back and forth between the creamy and the powdery.

Performance for me is decent. Not crazy good, but it seems to work on me better than what some people have reported.

R.E.M. is worth trying out. It’s not going to be everyone’s favorite, but there are a portion of people for whom this will be the best Ariana perfume.