Perfume Reviews

City of Stars by Louis Vuitton

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City of Stars is one of the new fragrance releases by Louis Vuitton for 2022. It was a perfume that seemed to get more attention than the others recently, so I was interested in seeing if it was actually any good. How does City of Stars smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

City of Stars Overview

Notes include: red mandarin, bergamot, lemon, lime, blood orange, musk, tiare flower, sandalwood

city of stars review

My Full Review

Here’s how Louis Vuitton describes it: Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud offers a festive ode to Los Angeles by night, its excitement and extravagance, from star-studded boulevards to the constellations shimmering above the skyline. As darkness falls, the city’s lights surge in a sensual olfactory tableau.

The opening is obviously going to be a mix of citrus notes, just by looking at the ones listed. The main one that sticks out is the lime. Some blood orange and bergamot are also detectable. But, it is mostly a blend for much of the wear.

However, the citrus here doesn’t go full blast like how it does in Afternoon Swim. No, instead the tiare accord and musk have their own strong presence early on.

Louis Vuitton describes this as a nighttime fragrance, but the perfume is honestly quite beachy with the citrus and tiare giving it a tropical flair. Feels more sunny and daytime.

One thing to notice, during the wear, is how there is a balance of powdery and a creamy aroma throughout. The musk, tiare, and sandalwood notes all go back and forth to create this effect.

City of Stars has a similar style to Soleil Blanc and Virgin Island Water. But, I get reminded of Dior Homme Cologne, which is citrus, musk, and white floral. However, City is more complex and more feminine than that cologne.

Still, even with those comparisons, City of Stars still feels distinct from all of them.

The dry down is a slightly powdery white floral fragrance. There is a lime juiciness still around, just not all that powerful. There is still the muskiness and that lotion-like creaminess, neither really takes over the composition, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This fragrance has a pretty moderate sillage. It does hang in the air and leave a nice scent trail in your wake, for about the first hour.

The projection probably maxes out in the seven foot range. After that, it’ll stick around 3-4 feet for the bulk of the wear. A nice bubble of perfume for yourself and those who get closer.

Just know that this isn’t going to be a powerhouse. I found it to be good enough, in this department.

The longevity here, seems to be in the 6-7.5 hour range. After that, it is gone on my skin. But, it has hit in that range, each time that I’ve tested City of Stars out.

It doesn’t have that marathon performance, but it is passable in this regard.

Seasonally, this is a spring and summertime fragrance. It’s bright and lightly tropical vibe, is built for the warmer months of the year.

This is a unisex fragrance. The tiare is usually a note for women’s perfumes. While it does for sure lean that way, it isn’t too ‘girly’ that a man couldn’t pull this off.

Again, I don’t know why this is marketed as a nighttime wear. I suppose, on warm summer nights out, I’d wear this. But, this really comes across as a more casual to semi-formal daytime wear.

It’s pretty and attractive. Not a super seductive scent or one that begs for attention. Clean powder, musky cream.

Overall Impression of City of Stars

Overall, do I like City of Stars? I do. It’s not completely amazing, but I like it about the same as I enjoy Afternoon Swim or Cactus Garden by Louis Vuitton. Two of their better fragrances, in my opinion.

Much better than On the Beach. More recently, this has been getting overlooked by Pacific Chill, but this is the better perfume.

The citrus is nice, giving it the usual summertime vibe. City does do a good job with the tiare flower, letting it have a tropical influence, but also giving it a nice powdery aroma to balance out some of the creaminess.

So, you get a beachy sun tan lotion aroma, that is lightened by that nice fresh powder. It keeps things light and clean. It’s so bright, sweet, and just lovely.

I really love the lime note when it’s playing off of that powdery touch. Really quite phenomenal at times.

It’s not a super complicated or heavy scent, but it has its distinct facets, which give City some more character.

The performance is decent, not terrible but not amazing either. For this style of summertime fragrance, it is pretty good. But, Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc does have a better longevity.

Is it worth the money? It’s worth sampling to see if you want to spend almost $300 for a bottle.

(Update: even pricier since I first published this review in 2022). Louis Vuitton scents are very pricey and I don’t recommend most people just hopping in with a blind buy. The Dua brand has their inexpensive take on this formula, called: City of Dua. 

If you’re in the market for a good summertime beachy or tropical scent, this is one that I’d look at. It might be worthwhile in your specific case. Otherwise, I’d find a sample, if it sounds like one you might get a kick out of.

Paradoxe by Prada

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Paradoxe eau de parfum is the first release in this series from Prada. It was released back in 2022. It has since spawned a number of flankers and has enjoyed a good amount of popularity.

I recently found a sample of this that I had initially tried a few years ago, but never got around to doing a full review for. So, let’s change that.

How does Paradoxe EDP smell? How long does it last? Is this Prada worth a try?

Prada Paradoxe Overview

Notes include: neroli, pear, tangerine, bergamot, orange blossom, white musk, jasmine, vanilla, amber, benzoin

Click here to try: Paradoxe by Prada

Full Review

Paradoxe kicks off sweet, fruity, and bright. Neroli dominates as the main note for those first 20-30 minutes of the wear.

But it shifts pretty quickly on my skin, moving more toward orange blossom, as it hits the heart.

The fruit here smells more like a candy flavoring than fresh, natural fruit. There’s some effervescent pear in there, but citrus really drives the opening. The pear smells more natural to me, than the citrus.

Sort of a less intense version of what comes with something like Devotion by D&G. Tangerine being the most prominent fruit note in this initial stage, but it won’t be too much of a factor, as it develops. 

After that bright opening fades, this Prada becomes more floral focused. For me, orange blossom takes the lead over jasmine. Neroli still lingers around, but orange blossom clearly has the upper hand at this point.

The vanilla will come through, the fuzziness of the benzoin, and amber too. However, none of these are super heavy in the mix. More of a support, sort of musky in the finish. Though Paradoxe is mainly a orange blossom and jasmine blend at this point.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Paradoxe isn’t a heavy fragrance. It’s moderate in terms of its sillage, that scent trail isn’t too massive, and I don’t feel like it’s too cloying. Yet, those first few hours of wear do have a pretty far and above average projection.

After that, it’s still noticeable and very solid in comparison to a lot of the other mainstream designer perfumes, along these same lines.

The longevity is also above average. Not elite by any means, but I have been getting between 8.5-10 hours, on my skin. You should get your money’s worth with this one (and the Intense version is even better).

Paradoxe to me, is at its best in the autumn or springtime. It can venture into the summer and the winter too, but it smells better when it’s a moderate day.

This is going to be more of a daily wear scent. It is very versatile, not super formal, but not too sweet as to feel juvenile. It’s one of those fragrances that can hit a wide variety of use cases and not be too out of place.

You might use this as your main scent and then break out something else for evenings or more special occasions. This is more of a pleasant perfume, that smells nice, but isn’t truly going to stand out as being all that ‘unique’.

Overall Impressions of Paradoxe

Overall, do I like Paradoxe? I think that it’s pretty good. There’s nothing that is bad about this perfume from its smell to its performance, but it’s just not a great fragrance. Likeable and a good daily wear, just nothing amazing.

The pear and tangerine are nice and add some more personality to the opening act. Benzoin and the musk further deepen it. However, you’ve probably smelled plenty of other perfumes that are at least sort of like this Prada scent before.

I think that it’s worth a try. Paradoxe EDP is fresh and pretty and an overall enjoyable experience and it seems at this point, you can find it for a decent price. It may not be your absolute favorite, but this one can serve as a workhorse of your perfume collection.

Devotion Intense Pour Femme by D&G

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Devotion Intense is the first follow up in the newer Devotion series by Dolce & Gabbana. This Intense version obviously has a lot of similarities to the eau de parfum, but what about it makes the perfume different and how does it stack up in comparison?

I recently grabbed samples of both of these fragrances in order to test out and review each. What does Devotion Intense smell like? How long does it last? Is it ultimately worth a try?

Devotion Intense Pour Femme Review

Notes include: hazelnut, orange blossom, vanilla

Click here to try: Devotion Intense

My Take

The opening does still share some of the brightness of the original and the citrus, but it’s toned way down. In place of the rummy sort of glaze aroma you get a hazelnut note, giving this a really nice almost roasted nuttiness.

It’s a bit denser, though, still not completely heavy or thick with how it sits on the skin. The orange blossom is also very prominent in comparison to the Devotion EDP, especially at this entry stage.

So, if you take the original formulation ramp up the vanilla and orange blossom while reducing everything else, you get this…with added hazelnut. Earthy, smooth, and again that toasty sort of smell coming off of it. Less like a lemony cake.

Pretty much the same thing throughout the entire wear. Though, its basically just a mixture of the hazelnut, vanilla, and orange blossom. The rest of the original’s DNA seems to fade almost entirely for me.

The ultimate dry down is a very vanilla dominant fragrance with nutty touches and I guess some vague hints of the orange blossom still hanging about.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Devotion Intense is somewhat thicker and heavier feeling than its predecessor. Again though, it  doesn’t actually bog you down or feel completely cloying when you’re wear it.

The projection is actually better, strong without being overwhelming, and not a fragrance that is going to dominate a room with a normal amount of sprays. However, it is still well above average with its reach and scent trail creation.

The longevity here is also a bit better than the EDP. Not by a whole lot, but 9 hours seems to be a comfortable floor for what to expect with Devotion Intense. Maybe a bit further into the 10-ish hour range, but not much beyond that for a peak.

Seasonally, this one is autumn through early springtime. Neither of the first two Devotion releases are built for the warmer weather specifically, but I think that the EDP holds up better than Devotion Intense.

Like EDP, this could be a daily wear for some people. For those who enjoy mainstream designer gourmand scents, Devotion Intense can fit the bill very well.

It’s not a formal fragrance and is more of a cozy kind of wear versus being some kind of sexy club beast. I think it’s put together more maturely than is the EDP. The hazelnut versus the candied citrus, gives it that vibe. Yet, this one still isn’t a formal wear.

Overall Impressions of Devotion Intense

Overall, do I like Devotion Intense? I do. But, I also really enjoyed the original. I think this one is a bit better. If the lemon note in Devotion EDP was too bothersome for you (but you liked the rest), this one should work quite well.

It’s really pretty close in terms of the style, just remixed somewhat. So, I’m not greatly favoring this option versus the original, it’s more of a slight lean towards it.

I do like the glaze effect that it has here in the opening. Sure, not as much of the citrus and it is a darker formula, but it works well. The hazelnut is really most prominent in the front half of the wear, before it turns into a vanilla and orange blossom dominant scent.

As such, comparing this and the Eau de Parfum version, is really going to come down to your preference of style. Sometimes these flanker fragrances are either way worse or way better than their original, this one is more refined, but mostly just an alteration moving away from the candied citrus.

Nonetheless, I like what Dolce & Gabbana are doing with this series. Very mass appealing and crowd pleasing sort of scents, but one of the better current options in this style category.

Devotion Pour Femme by D&G

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Devotion Pour Femme is the first release in what will seemingly be a further long-running series of scents from Dolce & Gabbana. This one came out back in 2023, but I recently received samples of both it, the men’s edition, and the Intense version of this perfume.

So, what does Devotion eau de parfum smell like? Does it last long? Is this D&G perfume actually worth a try?

Devotion EDP Pour Femme Review

Notes include: candied citrus, orange blossom, rum, pana cotta, vanilla

Click here to try: Devotion EDP

My Take

Devotion EDP opens with a sugary candied lemon note, which sits like a glaze mixed with rum on top of a warm cake. 

Initially, the lemon will be the strongest note in the mix, but it does calm down into something that highlights the blend. We have orange blossom as a flower here, but there also seems to be a separate orange note too. Just a zest or peel of orange.

Up top, things are bright and a bit spiced. It does have a slight juicy quality, but again, this is more of a candied or artificial lemon aroma. 

This Dolce & Gabbana perfume is a sweet gourmand and one which isn’t overly complicated. However, there are a few phases.

The next is the blended lemon cake with orange blossom. The spice fades and the vanilla really starts to move in. Paired with the orange blossom and pana cotta, the vanilla sometimes smells powdery, and creates a ‘fluffy’ near marshmallow kind of effect.

The final dry down is mostly a lemony vanilla, with the remnants of the other notes playing the background and keeping the warmer aspects of this fragrance alive.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

While this is a gourmand scent, it isn’t too heavy and actually does have a good deal of freshness to it. It’s light enough, that it never felt cloying to me, but it does also have the projection power to make it never feel weak.

The longevity is also pretty good, just not elite. It will last somewhere around 9 hours or so, on my skin. You get plenty of time with it, but it wasn’t a double digit hours long wear for me.

Seasonally, this one is good to go from autumn through the springtime. I’d probably only avoid wearing it on the hottest days of the year. Outside of that, Devotion will almost certainly work well and without much issue.

This could be a daily wear for some people. For those who love these sorts of delicious and mainstream gourmand scents, this is a good example of that type and very likeable.

It’s not a formal fragrance and is more of a cozy kind of wear versus being some kind of sexy club beast. More delectable versus being sultry and attention grabbing. For most casual or daily wear situations, Devotion EDP probably isn’t going to be too out of place.

Overall Impressions of Devotion Pour Femme

Overall, do I like Devotion EDP? I do. To be fair, I have always enjoyed gourmands, especially scents that have a lemon note mixed with some kind of baked good vibe.

With the lemon note, a lot of people will say that it smells like ‘cleaner’, no matter what perfume that it’s in. I don’t think that’s the case here at all. But, maybe you go with Devotion Intense instead, the citrus influence isn’t as much in that one.

I think that this one gets associated with Burberry Goddess, also. I think I slightly prefer Devotion, but it’s not a strong preference, either way. That has a heavier vanilla influence, even if both of them, greatly rely on that note.

The performance is good for this sort of scent, just nothing amazing. It’s one that can easily slot into a fragrance rotation, because if you like the way it smells, there will be plenty of opportunities to wear it.  Very much a crowd pleaser.

Is it anything too groundbreaking? No, not really. It’s pleasant and has an easy to wear sweet aroma. If that sounds like your type, check this one out. If not, you basically already know what to expect with this one, and can look elsewhere for a perfume.

Alien Goddess Supra Florale by Mugler

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Alien Goddess has been a successful part of the designer’s long-running Alien line of perfumes. Goddess has been spawning newer flanker fairly consistently over the past handful of years, including today’s review subject: Supra Florale. This edition came out in 2023.

I’ve recently been testing out a sample of this scent. How does it smell? Does this Alien Goddess perfume last long? Is it worth a try?

Alien Goddess Supra Florale Review

Notes include: cactus accord, jasmine, everlasting flower absolute, musk, amber, desert rose

Click here to try: Supra Florale

My Take

Here’s how Mugler describes it: Alien Goddess Eau de Parfum Supra Florale turns the signature solar jasmine of the original scent into a monumental, otherworldly supra flower. The new bloom, crafted by principal perfumer Marie Salamagne and master perfumer Nathalie Lorson, symbolizes the augmented femininity embodied by Alien Goddess. More than a scent, this supra-sensorial experience encompasses the future of floral essence, infused with a daring and avant-garde eau de parfum.

This one has sort of a strange aroma up top. It’s a full cactus accord from the prickly pear fruit to the plant itself. So, it’s sort of sweet, greenish, and has a sort of herbal finish to it with that everlasting flower note (immortelle).

Alien Goddess Supra Florale is fresh and has a syrupy sweet combination in this opening act that is interesting and to my nose smells much better a bit away from me versus having it closer.

With that, you’re getting more of the floral notes here, as the name suggests. The jasmine, immortelle, and desert rose. The desert rose can actually tend to smell somewhat like jasmine, so here this Alien Goddess edition really starts to take on a jasmine heavy aroma.

Coming from the original Alien Goddess and even Intense by Mugler, you’ll notice the lack of the coconut water and citrus and general beachy aroma from this one. Yet, it still does manage to come across as like the others, closer to Intense while remaining distinct.

As this one moves along, I get a lot less of the greenish influences here. Jasmine, desert rose, amber, musk, and the remaining prickly pear.

It’s still has a balance between a light sweet syrup, clean freshness, occasionally bordering on creamy, with a rich amber and musk in the base.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Supra Florale is a substantial fragrance, while not being too heavy. You get the freshness to keep things wearable when it’s warm. While also, leaving a nice scent trail and having good ability to project from your skin.

Would probably call it in the upper range of moderate to slightly strong with its reach.

On my skin, I get somewhere in the 8.5-9 hour range. Maybe it can go a little longer than that. The performance presents no issues, so, if you like the scent it’s a good buy.

Seasonally, I would just stay away from the extremes, hot or cold. Outside of that, this can work well in spring and autumn especially, with winter and summer being possibilities depending on the climate of your region.

In terms of the versatility of Supra Florale, it’s probably not going to be one you reach for on formal or dressy occasions. It’s not really a club beast. But, it can fit in well in a lot of scenarios, even while being a laid back sort of gourmand scent.

Overall Impressions of Goddess Supra Florale

Overall, do I like this Mugler scent? I do. I still think that I prefer Intense to Alien Goddess Supra Florale, however. The EDP? It’s neck and neck.

I don’t think that this is an amazing perfume, but it is a good one, that also delivers a worthwhile performance.

The cactus accord is a nice edition, giving Alien Goddess Supra Florale a distinct and fairly memorable aroma, while still fitting into the series’ overall vibe. More desert sands versus beach sands, but still.

The balance is good, I do like it more once some of the greenish influences have softened, but nothing here was offensive. I think that this perfume is worth a try, the changes might be enough if you didn’t like the other editions, and I think if you did enjoy those, this will work just fine too.