Perfume Reviews

Grand Soir by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

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Grand Soir is another of the most popular fragrances from the Maison Francis Kurkdjian line of scents. It is a well-known and loved amber perfume that tops many people’s wish lists. But, how does it actually stack up. I grabbed samples of this scent to test it out and put it through its paces. How does it smell? Is it long lasting? Is it worth a try?

What does Grand Soir Smell Like?

Notes include: amber, vanilla, tonka bean, benzoin, labdanum

Click here to try: Grand Soir from Saks

My Full Review

Grand Soir opens up with its amber note in charge and quite powerful. It’s a very smooth amber note, with a nice spice adding to its overall appeal. Personally, I can pick up a slight smokiness in there at times, also.

Beyond that, there is a bit of vanilla early on and the sort of medicinal smelling benzoin creeping in as well. It’s super warm and enveloping and I do like that spiciness.

As it moves along, you will get more of the same, just with less of the spice. Then, the tonka bean comes in to join the vanilla. It actually comes off powdery at times and also creamy for other parts. Interesting.

It becomes very rich and has a full-bodied presence. Though, it will become lighter as it moves along. Also, the perfume is pretty linear for most of the wear. It’s an amber and vanilla show. It’s creamy buttery smooth and sweet, but that’s pretty much what I get here.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage of Grand Soir starts off strong and it can project itself pretty far. But, it does really lighten up, and will hang 2-3 feet from the skin for much of the wear. But, when you first apply it, you will get a heavy dose of the fragrance.

The good news is, that even in its lighter state, Grand Soir will hang around for a long time. Well into the double digit hours, so, expect 12+ hours of wear depending on the climate and circumstance you’re wearing it in.

The longevity is fantastic with this one.

Seasonally, you’re probably going to have to stick to autumn and winter with this Francis Kurkdjian scent. Maybe, further into the year, if you have particularly cold springs. Though, don’t expect this to be a summertime favorite.

While it is a unisex fragrance, it kind of does lean more masculine. Not a crazy ‘manly’ sort of perfume, but it could be something to take into account, if you’re looking for something traditionally feminine. That being said, it’s not too much of an issue, as I don’t think it’s all that masculine…just leans that way.

Overall Impressions of Grand Soir

Overall, do I like Grand Soir? I do. It’s a very nice fragrance, but not one that I want to necessarily own a bottle of.

The smell itself is great, especially if you’re into amber perfumes. It’s soft, warm, and has a fantastic resinous quality to it. This is a fine example of how to use amber in a scent.

Early on, you get some spice. Then, comes the powdery and creamy parts of the wear. But, overall it’s a pretty linear experience. Frankly, I get bored with it after a while and it’s not my favorite.

The performance is really good, particularly in how long it lasts. It isn’t a sillage bomb, if you’re expecting that. But for the high price, it certainly backs it up.

There’s nothing really too much to complain about here. I get why people really enjoy it, but it’s not something that I want to wear all that much.

This is one scent that has become popular, but it isn’t one that you should blind buy. Not only because of the price, but also because the aroma, may really not be what you’re looking for. If you want to experience Grand Soir, I’d get a sample before committing, unless you are a bonafide amber-lover.

Very Good Girl by Carolina Herrera

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Good Girl has been a big hit for Carolina Herrera, and so, of course a ton of flanker editions have been spun off from the original. In 2021, the brand released, Very Good Girl. Which, has been one of the most popular of the lot.

I got a sample of this perfume with a Macy’s fragrance order and have been testing it out. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is Very Good Girl worth a try?

What does Very Good Girl Smell Like?

Notes include: litchi, rose, red currant, vetiver, vanilla

Click here to try: Very Good Girl 30 ml Eau de Parfum, 1 fl oz

My Full Review

Here’s how Herrera describe it: Fun, fabulous and fearless, Very Good Girl is a bold new interpretation of the iconic Good Girl scent. Evolving Carolina Herrera’s vision of the duality of the modern woman, this irresistible fragrance will walk straight into your heart with its seductive rose scent and red-hot design.

Very Good Girl opens up with litchi, as the main attraction. Quite sweet and loud, with red currant, giving an added tartness to the aroma.  The red currant is much weaker than the litchi from the get go and will soon be replaced by the strengthening rose note.

After the initial blast, this one does get a more powdery aroma. Not overwhelming so on me, but the litchi and rose do have that effect. That’s a good thing, as much of the tartness up top will subside and it will be more of a fruity sweetness.

As it moves along, you will get more of the vanilla note and a general freshness to the scent. It’s not a thick or heavy feeling, rather, lighter and pleasant, which gives Very Good Girl some great versatility in its uses.

This is a pretty straightforward blend. The changes over time, are more towards the rose and the fresh feeling. Nonetheless, the rose and litchi are in control the entire time. Vanilla comes and goes and you will pick up the additional vetiver note.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Very Good Girl starts off with a nice bit of power, but it isn’t too extreme. Call it the upper edge of what could be considered moderate. From there, the sillage will become lighter and fairly average after the first hour or so. Solid, but not monstrous.

On my skin, Very Good Girl lasted in the 7-plus hour range during testing. It did manage to hit 8 hours, but most of the time, it will be around 7. Pretty good, but you shouldn’t expect a marathon length of performance.

Seasonally, is where you do get plenty of performance, as Very Good Girl can fit in pretty much year round. Probably best around the average temperatures, but cold and warmer weather, can do just fine.

I like it more when it’s somewhat chilly outside, more so than in warmer weather. I’d just stay away from the extremes with this fragrance.

This is more of casual, daily wear, or nightlife scent. It can fit the role of pretty much anything except for super dressy or formal affairs.

It is subtle enough for most daytime applications, but also has enough personality for the night. It’s likeable, attractive, somewhat sexy. Very Good Girl gets the job done, it’s just not the most seductive thing out there.

 

Overall Impressions of Very Good Girl

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I like it. However, I don’t like Very Good Girl as much as other similar scents (hello, Angel Nova) and the original Good Girl is a bit better too. It’s nice enough, has good performance, and is versatile.

But, it’s not an amazing perfume.

The tart sweetness of the litchi and red currant is a pretty big punch early on. The litchi might be the note which makes or breaks your own interest in this scent, as it is rather prominent.

The rose is fine, I like it better during the dry down than when it is paired with the heavier fruitiness.

The dry down is a nice pinkish rose, fruit, some vanilla creaminess, and a light fresh feeling. Honestly, it’s a good perfume, but it never screams that it is a must have.

It is worth giving a try, if it sounds like your style. It’s still somewhat a perfume like Good Girl. Very Good Girl has its strengths, but as a whole, is a slightly above average scent.

Cloud by Ariana Grande

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Cloud from Ariana Grande has become a super popular fragrance over the past few years, due both to the singer’s own fame and the perfume’s resemblance to Baccarat Rouge 540. I’ve had various decanted samples of this in the recent past, but picked up a new one to give the scent a fresh try and a full review of its own. How does it smell? How long does it last? Does it really live up to the hype?

What does Cloud by Ariana Grande Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, lavender, bergamot, praline, whipped cream, vanilla orchid, coconut, musk, wood

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum Spray, clear, 3.4 oz

My Full Review

Cloud starts things off with a sweetness and lively brightness, getting its lead from the prominent pear note, in the early stages. It is also joined by the lavender and bergamot citrus. The latter, isn’t too strong to my nose, at least.

I get a bit of the citrus, which adds a bit more sparkle to that pear juiciness. The lavender here, has a certain roughness which takes some of the softer and fluffier qualities of this perfume.

After 20-30 minutes, I begin to get more of the heart and base notes coming through. The musk will be stronger in the dry down, but it is also noticeable from close to the onset.

Praline and the whipped cream notes really help to bring home the Cloud moniker to the scent. Sweet and fluffy, with the coconut giving it a clean yet milky aroma.

The further on that I get from the initial spray, the perfume does become more airy, less like a thick cloud and more like fine overhang.

There is a bit of a plasticky aroma within this composition. It’s not too bad for me personally, but I know others really tend to smell that with Cloud. Just something to keep in mind.

The dry down becomes a musky lavender scent with a little woodiness and a hodgepodge of whatever sweet notes are still kicking around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage of Cloud starts off strong. It isn’t a massive bomb of a fragrance, but the projection will hit that 6-8 feet mark, before moving closer in. Thereafter, it is a moderate perfume, but I’d for sure call it above average in totality.

In terms of how long it lasts, I generally get 5-6 hours from Cloud, on my skin. Usually, it leans more towards the six hour mark. Not an amazing marathon runner type of a perfume, but Cloud is solid enough.

Seasonally, it’s much nicer in the autumn and winter. Though, Cloud isn’t a strictly cold weather wear, but I’d probably avoid the high heat. For most places, you could easily wear this Ariana scent in the springtime.

Also, it’s not completely a teenager fragrance. Yes, teens can wear it, but it isn’t so bubblegum sweet that older women couldn’t have a bottle as well. Heck, with the lavender, it can even be somewhat unisex…definitely leans feminine.

Mostly going to be a casual daily wear. It’s light enough to be in an office or something like that, but isn’t very formal. More of a daytime fragrance, rather than a club beast. I’d call it clean/pretty before anything all that attractive or sexy.

Overall Impressions of Cloud

Overall, do I like Cloud? It’s fine. There’s aspects of it that I enjoy, but on the whole it’s just decent. Not my favorite from the Ariana Grande line and I prefer the Intense version. Though, definitely not a bad perfume by any stretch of the imagination.

I’m not too sure what the fuss it all about with this, based on the fragrance alone. It’s not as good as either of the Baccarat Rouge fragrance, but it is pretty inexpensive. In terms of relative cheapies, it can serve the purposes of a lot of people out there, so it can be a worthwhile perfume to have.

Is it a must have? Not particularly. It smells pretty good, the performance is pretty okay, and it has some mass market appeal. As a man, I don’t find it to be super sexy or anything like that, just somewhat attractive.

It does everything at least decently, but nothing quite reaches the level of outstanding.

Update: Since this was published, there’s also been Cloud Intense and Pink. I like both of those a bit more, even if they’re not wildly different.

Coach Floral EDP by Coach

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Coach Floral is a perfume that I’ve come across a number of times since its release in 2018, and I’ve always appreciated it. Recently, I got a sample included in an order from Macy’s, which gave me some time to further test it out and finally post a full review. How does Floral EDP smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Coach Floral EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: citrus, pink pepper, pineapple sorbet, rose tea, jasmine, gardenia, musk, patchouli, wood

Click here to try: Coach Floral Eau De Parfum 1.0oz Spray

My Full Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how Coach describes it: Coach Floral EDP is inspired by Coach’s signature leather Tea Roses. Combining fruity and floral notes with crystal musks, the unique scent perfectly embodies Coach’s feminine, free spirit.

Bright, sweet, fruity tart opening. The early stages are definitely leaning to the fruity floral end of the spectrum. The pineapple leads the way and is fantastic. Reminds me of the same note found in Coach Platinum for Men.

The pineapple is flanked by citrus notes, think lemon. The pink pepper is present giving it some further warmth and kick of spice. Fresh opening but the sorbet aspect of the pineapple, keeps Coach Floral feeling cold at the start.

It will quickly turn into a white floral with sweet fruity highlights. The gardenia will actually play the largest role, to my nose. The rose tea is the second strongest and not the actual focus.

Finishes into a fairly creamy white floral with woods and musk. Still sweet, just a pretty far distance from the opening act, but leans more tart to my nose. The shift from fruity/floral to the floral notes leading the way is fairly drastic, but it doesn’t completely change.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Coach Floral does start out with a bit of a powerful punch, but it will settle into something that is slightly above average in terms of how it projects. One thing’s for sure, it’s not a weak fragrance, it just won’t completely take over a room with normal amounts of spraying.

The longevity was also pretty darn good on my skin. During testing, it would stick around for 7-8 hours before completely fading away.

Seasonally, spring and summer. This is really great when it is warm outside and is my favorite from Coach’s women’s line for that purpose. The fruits will probably be out of place in the winter months, but from moderate to higher temperatures, Floral can be a go to.

It’s not particularly a formal fragrance, but it can be worn in most other situations during the summer. Leans more towards a daytime kind of perfume, but it could be utilized at night also. It has a fun attractiveness, rather than being sexy, but it should be pretty easy to pick up complements with Floral.

Overall Impressions of Coach Floral EDP

Do I like this perfume? I do enjoy it quite a bit and it’s the best current option from Coach for summertime wear. Is it super amazing or groundbreaking? No, but it smells nice and is a dynamic fruity floral that gives you plenty of real highlights.

Personally, I love the pineapple note that they’ve been using in Coach fragrances over the past few years. The opening act with the tart citrus and the pineapple is fun and upbeat.

You get that initial freshness, a bit of spice, and then a transformation into a gardenia and rose led scent. Creamy, woody, with the opening act still hanging around.

The performance is good enough for most purposes and it Coach Floral presents you with plenty of opportunity to wear it. Some may not like the tart/sweet aroma or find it to be somewhat basic. However, this one has plenty of mass appeal and is  just very pleasant and easy to wear. Pretty safe as a blind buy.

Jersey Les Exclusifs de Chanel

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When I picked up my last batch of Chanel fragrance samples, I made sure to get a few from the Les Exclusifs line of fragrances. One of those was Jersey, which I didn’t have any prior experience with, and wasn’t particularly clued into what it was all about. Now that I have given this perfume a fair shake, I’m going to share my thoughts on Jersey. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a buy?

What does Jersey by Chanel Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, musk, Bourbon vanilla, wildflowers, rose, tonka bean

My Full Review

This Les Exclusifs Jersey opens up with an initial blast of the familiar Chanel aldehydes. Close to what you get with No.5, but I’d says it’s more like L’eau No. 5. It’s got a very cold and fresh aroma, at the start.

One thing I get immediately is the lavender. There is a lot of it in this mix. Surrounded by a heart of wildflowers and a pretty herbal/grassy aroma. It’s pretty sharp in the early stages.

As it moves along, Jersey gets smoother and with a muskier finish. The lavender is tempered by the other floral notes somewhat. A bit powdery with a sweetness, there might be a violet note or something resembling that in here.

This one doesn’t get all that complicated. It’s a simple scent, but what’s interesting is that the aldehydes last for the duration, at varying levels of strength. In many of the other Chanel’s, those notes have a tendency to fade.

Jersey dries down to lavender, musk, and a touch of creaminess from the vanilla/tonka bean. The vanilla and tonka bean do become more noticeable the further along you get into things.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Jersey has some decent ability to project itself, but isn’t super heavy or one that is going to reach across a room. Expect more of a moderate scent bubble, that will at times extend to the 4-6 foot range, but settle much closer to the skin.

The longevity is solid, but again, not amazing. On my skin, I got around 7.5-8 hours of wear during testing. It’ll provide you with plenty of opportunities to wear it, and Jersey, is by no means a perfume that performs poorly.

The strong suit of Jersey is probably its versatility. While it’s not a romantic wear or something that is going to scream for attention, it can be worn in a wide variety of situations and basically year round.

It does strike me more as something to wear during the spring, but it really wouldn’t be out of place in most climates. Maybe avoid the extreme heat and cold, but in moderate to warmer temperatures, you’ll be golden.

This one could serve as a daily wear or something for casual to semi-formal wear. I think Jersey is listed as a unisex perfume, but it really leans much more towards being a traditionally feminine wear.

Outside of having to test it for the site, I don’t think I’d be wearing it as a man.

Overall Impressions of Jersey

Overall, do I like Jersey by Chanel? It’s pretty nice, but not something that I’d be clamoring to wear or would go crazy for smelling it on a woman. You definitely get that Chanel vibe right from the get go and it is a pretty pleasant and somewhat unique floral.

I like the chilled aroma and the vanilla finish with this one. It’s got an attractive freshness. The lavender isn’t too overpowering here and the perfume still manages to come across as feminine. There’s nothing that stands out to me, as being ‘bad’, in this composition.

But, nothing that truly jumps out to me as being spectacular. There are many other Chanel perfumes, that are better than this one, and I’d rather wear or be around.

However, if it sounds appealing to your personal tastes, the performance is quite good and while it probably isn’t a value play…it’s a fair deal.