Perfume Reviews

Forbidden Games by Kilian

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Forbidden Games is a sample that I received from Kilian, when I purchased Angels’ Share a long while back. It is a part of their Narcotics collection and is a perfume that I wasn’t too familiar with going in. I recently broke this perfume out of the box to test it out and give my full review of it. How does it smell? Is it worth a try?

What does Forbidden Games by Kilian Smell Like?

Notes include: peach, osmanthus, orange blossom, tuberose, cinnamon, honey, apple, plum, vanilla, and jasmine

Click here to try: Forbidden Games

forbidden games review

My Full Review

Tried Forbidden Games? Leave your rating and review in the comments!

Forbidden Games kicks things off with its peach note taking center stage. This is flanked by a rather light plum note, apple, spicy cinnamon, and a bit of honey coming through. It’s actually light and pretty fresh with how it comes across.

The apple kind of gives it a body wash or shampoo type of vibe, when I catch whiffs of it.

The cinnamon will roll off and the floral notes will come in. To my nose, I get periods where the orange blossom is particularly strong, and others where it is the tuberose note. Early on, it seems to be the rose that sticks out more.

So, it’s basically a sweet syrupy peach, rose, and the remaining plum note. 

As it moves forward, the peach note will remain distinct. But the other fruity notes, just kind of become a mass of sweetness. The honey recedes, vanilla is introduced, and they combine with the peach to give off a fruity dessert aroma.

The floral notes also feel like they kind of combine into a single entity instead of distinct notes. That’s like what I get for the rest of it. A sweet peachy aroma with a soapy floral backbone. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one starts out as a fairly strong moderate, that will taper into something lighter. It’s not a thick or heavy sort of perfume. Nor is Forbidden Games going to leave a long trail in its wake.

For much of the wear, it will stick closer to the skin, while still being noticeable.

The longevity is around 8-9 hours, on my skin. Not absolutely top of the line, but it wasn’t a disappointment either. 

Seasonally, this one is fine for spring and summer. You can go into autumn with it to, at least the early part.

The name is misleading, as this one isn’t a sexy or really a nightlife type of scent at all. It’s more upbeat and pretty. Can easily become a daily wear, that is suitable for the younger crowd, but isn’t so girlish that it can’t be used by older women.

It’s fresh and clean with how it presents itself. Not seductive, not formal, but can be an easy go to otherwise.

 

 

Overall Impressions of Forbidden Games

Do I like Forbidden Games? It’s a nice and pretty perfume. Is it amazing or must have? No, not really.

The peach and fruity opening with touches of cinnamon is great. I enjoy that aroma, but it is rather short-lived. After that, it becomes more of a generic floral clean with the peach and some honey.

Is that terrible? Nope, and for some, it could be just what you’re looking for. But, at this price point, Forbidden Games probably isn’t worth it for most people. Plus, Kilian has better fragrances than this one. 

However, if you do happen to like the scent, the performance is solid. Not the loudest perfume out there, but it gives a long enough wear. Everything about Forbidden Games is fine.

With the name, I expected something sexier. It’s in the Narcotics collection, but isn’t all that seductive nor addictive. More like a sweet and clean body wash or shampoo. 

Dolce Rose by Dolce & Gabbana

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Dolce Rose is another release from this series by Dolce & Gabbana and was released in 2021. I received a sample of this, when I purchased a lot of fragrances, and it’s been sitting in a box for months. I recently broke it out to give it a test, so that I could post my review. How does it smell? Does it last? Is it actually worth a try?

What does Dolce Rose Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, musk, red currant, apple, mandarin orange, peach, magnolia, and sandalwood

Click here to try: Dolce Rose EDT

dolce rose review

My Full Review

Dolce Rose definitely starts out juicy and sharp. This is a fruity floral fragrance and that’s completely apparent from the jump.

Red currant is the lead fruit, but its supported by that same green apple found in Light Blue. Under that, some orange and peach. I’d say peach is number three in terms of the strength of the fruits, but as it dries down, it takes over for the apple.

Beyond that fruitiness, there is of course the rose note. With the musk coming up from the base, the fruits and rose together do seem to give off a body wash kind of clean and sharpness.

Once the initial fruit explosion wears off, this does become more floral. The fruits at this point are basically peach and a general mass of the other three.

Rose, magnolia, musk, and some woods come into play. It’s a nice peachy rose aroma with musk and a hint of the others. Still sweet and playful, but much more toned down versus how this one starts.

Finally, in the end it’s rose, fruitiness, and musk. It’s an aroma that you’ve probably come across a whole lot. Yet, it is till pretty nice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Dolce Rose starts off fairly strong on my skin. It projects far and leaves a scent trail for about the first hour or so. Seriously, those sharp fruit notes can make this one seem pretty beastly.

But, it’s still a lighter and not a heavy fragrance. The latter act is a moderated sillage. Still noticeable, but not dominating the room.

The longevity seems to be in the 7-8 hour range for me. Not an all-day marathon, but should be able to hit a full workday for most people.

d&g perfume

Seasonally, keep this one for the spring and summer months. In the cold air, this D&G seems like it would cut like a knife.

This does have a more youthful or girly kind of vibe. More of a casual fragrance, that skews younger, while not necessarily being just for teenagers.

Stick to the daytime, but probably avoid the office or anything formal with Dolce Rose.

Overall Impressions of Dolce Rose

Overall, do I like Dolce Rose? Sort of. There are aspects that I enjoy, but also the scent sort of wears on me, after a while.

The apple, musk, red currant, and peach are nice. Though, it’s also a smell that I get tired of quickly, because it is so sharp and intense from the get go. I think the fragrance calms down, but that dry down is pretty basic.

If you want a super rose dominant scent, this isn’t it. It’s fruity/floral for much of the wear. Then, when the rose does take the top spot, it’s still sharing the stage.

As such, you should want a fruity clean fragrance with a rose note, if you’re going to go with this one. If that’s your thing, you’ll at least get your money’s worth, since the performance is solid all around.

From this series, I think that I prefer Dolce Shine, more than this one.

Dolce Rose isn’t a must have fragrance for most people. But, it’s probably not one that most people would find awful. Pretty girlish, with a body wash kind of scent. Nice enough, but nothing that special.

Dreams Sunset EDP by Coach

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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

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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

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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.