Perfume Reviews

God is a Woman by Ariana Grande

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Ariana Grande’s perfume line has been growing steadily with new releases in the past year or so. Here in 2021, God is a Woman has been brought to market, along with a few others. Since I’m making my way through full reviews of Ariana’s fragrances, I grabbed a decant of this one, as I hadn’t actually smelled it before. How does it smell? Perform? Is it worth a buy?

God is a Woman Perfume Overview

Notes include: juicy pear, ambrette, orris, Turkish rose, cedar, vanilla

Buy it from Ulta: God is a Woman by Ariana Grande

My Full Review

Here’s how the scent is described: Empowered. Breathtaking. Natural. A breath of fresh air for the senses.

The advert for God is a Woman:

God is a Woman starts off with the juicy pear note, really shining through. It is basically the same one that is found in Thank U, Next; just this time it is paired with a mellowing ambrette instead of the coconut and raspberry mix.

It’s a juicy fruit aroma with a musky clean and some additional freshness coming from the cedar note, in the base. The muskiness from the ambrette isn’t overwhelming at all and is tempered from taking over by the rose and orris root notes.

The orris does add that slight powdery smell to God is a Woman, but it’s limited in both its size and scope.

The next phase to my nose, is when the rose shows up. It’s a seemingly brief appearance at the top of the ticket, but it is there. For some time, it actually smells like the second strongest note to me.  Mostly, the floral aromas are going to play third or forth fiddle in the composition.

God is a Woman isn’t a very complex scent. You pretty much know what you’re going to get for the rest of the wear, an hour or two in.

The pear is dominant throughout. The musky ambrette and cedar provide the secondary freshness. A light vanilla note for a bit of creamy sweetness.

This one isn’t heavy the juiciness and freshness give it a semi-aquatic wateriness, which keeps God is a Woman light and enjoyable.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this isn’t a powerhouse. It does stick close to the skin for most of the wear, but the performance issues that I’ve seen people talking about are overblown. At least on me.

After the initial sprays, it will have nice radius of fragrance. This will quickly move in and stick to around 2-3 feet from the wearer. Testing it out on t-shirts and I get the same results. It’s a softer scent, though, not weak.

The longevity is a bit better than the sillage. I get it to stick around for just over 7 hours on my skin. Now, that last hour or so…is a skin scent. Yet, it is still there and this Ariana Grande perfume didn’t just vanish after a few hours.

Seasonally, this will be best in the spring and summer months. However, it wouldn’t feel out of place elsewhere. I wore it outside in the mid-50s Fahrenheit and it actually hung beautifully in the crispy air.

This is one of Ariana Grande’s most versatile perfumes that she has released. Previous releases have been too sweet or too youthful for many women to full enjoy. This one has the sweetness without it being overwhelming.

It’s got a fairly candy-like pear note, plus vanilla, but it doesn’t run wild with the sugary qualities. God is a Woman stays clean and doesn’t have a heaviness that many gourmands get.

This is a good daily wear. Still probably not a formal fragrance, but you could wear it in a wide variety of scenarios. It’s attractive, not a sexy night club beast. The pear note is a nice draw, though.

Overall Impressions of God is a Woman

Overall, do I like this perfume. I do. It’s an attractive fruity/musky/floral scent that is versatile and has a fairly unique smell (even if it has a similar structure to others).

I like that the pear note got a chance to shine by itself, after being used in another (1, at least) Ariana perfume. It’s juicy and very sweet with a nice wrapping from the vanilla. It has the powdery/creaminess with the vanilla and orris, but those qualities stick in the background.

You’re going to get a fresh heavily fruity weighted fruity/floral. Actually, more of a fruity/musk perfume with floral highlights and a woodsy cedar base.

God is a Woman does have a lighter, somewhat sheer sillage to it. Still, I think people have been unfair in the performance criticisms. For me, it performs just fine. It’s not a bomb or a marathon performer. 7 hours is good enough for what this is.

This Ariana scent offers a change of pace and some more maturity versus other fragrances, released earlier in the catalogue.

Is it a must have? Probably not for most people. But it would absolutely be enjoyable for a wide range of people. This does have mass appeal, in a subtle and easy to wear way.

The percentage of early negative reviews have kind of skewed the perception of this perfume, it’s not bad at all. It’s good to very good, depending on your enjoyment of pear. Worth trying.

Dans la Peau by Louis Vuitton

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Louis Vuitton has really ramped up their perfume releases in the past couple of years. I’m still working my way through the collection and posting up reviews. Today’s entry is one of their earliest scents from back in 2016, Dans La Peau. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Dans la Peau Smell Like?

Notes include: apricot, musk, leather, magnolia, narcissus, jasmine sambac

My Full Review

Let’s see how Louis Vuitton describes this perfume: An infusion of leather, an invitation to explore the senses. Traveling often has the power to embolden desire. Dans La Peau imprints on the skin like indelible ink. 

Apparently, Dans la Peau wasn’t a very popular offering from Louis Vuitton, as it’s already been discontinued by the brand.

It opens up with its apricot note, leather, and the narcissus/magnolia blend. The narcissus actually comes across as somewhat spicy in the mix. Initially, I get more of the magnolia and some narcissus. Later, the jasmine comes through a bit more.

However, the floral notes aren’t the lead here. They stick around for the initial stages and then it just becomes a non-descript floral impression.

The apricot and leather are the main stars early on. Then, it’s a musky leather with sweet apricot for the finale. The apricot is almost candy-like here and not a naturalistic aroma of the fruit itself. I’m used to the usual raspberry and leather combo, but the apricot works very well with this scent.

It’s clean and smooth, with somewhat of a soapy quality. The musk adds to the clean sort of smell in that final dry down period. Sweet fruity/floral sitting on top of musk with the remaining leather still hanging around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a lighter to moderate fragrance. Dans La Peau sits close to the skin without a huge radius of projection. Probably, 4-5 feet away from where you applied it, at its peak.

However, the longevity is pretty good, at just over 8 hours of wear. It’s not a powerhouse, but it sticks around and doesn’t quit early. It should be enough for most purposes.

Seasonally, it doesn’t strike me as being stuck in one season. I don’t know about the hottest days of the year, but Dans La Peau would be fine during the rest of the way. I’d say more of a spring or autumn wear than anything.

It does have really nice versatility because it is so inoffensive. You can wear it pretty much anywhere without issue. It’s attractive, not particularly sexy, but I enjoy the aroma. More of a daily wear to semi-formal kind of perfume.

Overall Impressions of Dans la Peau

Overall, do I like Dans la Peau? I do. I’m not super impressed with this one, but I did enjoy wearing it. The leather note has its moments, but it isn’t a pure leather fragrance. My favorite part is when it does shine and is paired with that synthetic apricot note.

The floral and musk notes are the usual ingredients that you’ve smelled a million times. The musk and apricot is nice, but the floral notes didn’t particularly stand out to my nose. It’s a nice perfume that isn’t elite in anyway.

Performance is decent, but it should be for this price point. It’s not a must have from the Louis Vuitton lineup. Just a nice fragrance with some unique qualities thanks to the fruity pairing with the leather note.

Since it’s been discontinued, if you still want it, you should probably get a decanted sample off of eBay before buying a bottle from the remaining stock. It’s too expensive for most folks, just to do a blind buy. Though, Dans la Peau is a solid scent all around.

Liaisons Dangereuses (typical me) by Kilian

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Liaisons Dangereuses, typical me is one of the earlier releases from Kilian and still among the most popular from the brand. They still produce it, over a decade later, so it can’t be too shabby. Actually, this has always been among my favorites from the fruity/floral offerings. Since I’m making my way through reviewing the By Kilian perfumes, I also grabbed a sample of this to give my updated take of Liaisons Dangereuses.

What does Liaisons Dangereuses Smell Like?

Notes include: plum, rose, sandalwood, blackcurrant, ambrette, vanilla, moss, peach

Click here to try: Kilian Liaisons Dangereuses 1.7 Oz. Edp Spray Refill

My Full Review

Let’s see how By Kilian describes this scent: A secret love affair begins innocently enough with jammy rose essence and juicy plum accord in Liaisons dangereuses, typical me.

I know that the plum note is what is featured by the brand as the main note up top. However, it has always been about the peach for me and many others. Really, coming back to Liaisons Dangereuses the peach and blackcurrant notes are the most prominent in the opening act.

It is a sweet and juicy accord, sitting on top of a fresh rose note, and perhaps a touch of moss coming from the base. Kilian calls it a jammy rose and I totally get that. There is plum floating around in here, but on me, I really don’t get all that much. Again, it’s peachy.

What I like about this perfume is how it isn’t a heavy and thick sweetness. There is a fresh, clean, and crisp vibe throughout the wear. The moss and perhaps some geranium, really do a nice job preventing it from becoming an overwhelming cloying mess.

As we transition forward, the blackcurrant fades away and it becomes a peach and rose blend. This is joined by some creaminess of vanilla and sandalwood. At this stage, the tart plum note is somewhat more noticeable, but still not dominant in the composition.

The final dry down, has the rose lose some of its steam. It feels like a fruity, fresh woodsy, and slightly creamy blend. No one note stands out that much, aside from that peachy fruit aroma. It doesn’t throw any curveballs and isn’t a very complex wear…just very enjoyable to me.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, it’s pretty middle of the road. Not weak, but don’t expect Liaisons to project like a monster. I do notice it’s presence throughout the entirety of the wear, but it isn’t ‘in your face’ about it.

The longevity is pretty good, just not outstanding. Right around 8 hours, give or take. I don’t notice it sticking around for double digit hours, but it can usually do about a standard workday without much issue. Nice performance, just not top tier by any stretch.

Seasonally, Liaisons Dangereuses can actually work quite well in any season or climate. Weakest in the winter, but it wouldn’t feel wholly out of place there either. It is unisex to an extent, by definitely leans feminine. I doubt most guys would want to wear this one.

One of the strengths of this scent is its versatility. It can be worn in a wide variety of situations. It’s not really a formal scent or club beast. However, it can be worn on a night out, as well as to the office.

The name makes it sound more like a seductive or sexy perfume. On some level, it is. I mean, I find it attractive, but I wouldn’t call it a ‘bombshell’.

Overall Impressions of Liaisons Dangereuses

Do I like this perfume? Absolutely. It is one of my favorites for women from the line of Kilian scents. Maybe not the most complex, but as a peach based perfume it is awesome. Smells attractive, plenty versatile, and performs well enough.

The opening is a blend of fruity notes and is probably the aspect that I enjoy the most. The rose is just present enough, but doesn’t steal the show from the peach, blackcurrant, and plum trio. The latter stages are a blend of peach and rose with fresh and creamy notes duking it out in the base. Also, a very slight spice at times.

Is this one worth a buy? I think so. Provided that you want a peachy/plum rose fragrance or a nice fruity/floral. It isn’t completely unique, there are other perfumes that go this route, but I think Dangereuses distinguishes itself enough.

There’s nothing bad about this perfume. It’s safe and versatile. If it sounds like something right up your alley, give this Kilian scent a try.

Mille Feux by Louis Vuitton

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Mille Feux is one of the perfume releases which Louis Vuitton brought to market back in 2016. It also happens to be one of scents that has survived being cut from the lineup thus far. I bought a bunch of sample decants of Vuitton fragrances a few months ago and gradually posting my reviews since. I finally cracked open Mille Feux, recently, and put it through its paces. How does it smell? Is it worth a buy?

What does Mille Feux Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, raspberry, osmanthus, iris, saffron, jasmine, rose, patchouli, sandalwood

My Full Review

Let’s see how Louis Vuitton describes this perfume: An incandescent fusion of raspberry and leather creates an ode to light. A golden ray, a starlit sky, the aurora borealis: light contributes to the magic of travel.

When I saw that Mille Feux (thousand lights) had leather and raspberry in its notes, I immediately thought of Tom Ford’s Tuscan Leather or Godolphin by PdM, with the saffron. However, this Louis Vuitton perfume comes across quite differently from those two, even while sharing plenty of overlap.

Mille Feux opens up with a much more intense and sweeter raspberry than does the Tom Ford. It’s bright and juicy, more feminine, and the osmanthus only adds to its brightness. LV says that the osmanthus, has a pear-like quality, and I do pick that up.

Underneath that, is obviously the leather note, which is great. I really enjoy the interplay between the fruity notes and the leather. It’s interesting that at times, Mille Feux has somewhat of a fruit-chouli vibe, as the patchouli note is pretty prominent.

It’s probably fifth place overall behind the osmanthus and saffron. The saffron note, makes this scent lean much closer to Godolphin than Tuscan Leather, just a womanly fruity/floral version of that fragrance.

For the dry down, I get a base of leather and patchouli. On top of that is the remaining raspberry and blend of floral notes. What’s nice is during these latter stages, I can pick out rose and some iris in the mix.

At this point, it takes some focus to really distinguish, but the notes are there.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This Louis Vuitton perfume is pretty light to moderate with its sillage. Don’t expect a powerhouse that projects like crazy, it’s going to stay pretty close to the skin for the entirety of the wear.

To me, this was the biggest disappointment with this fragrance. I wish the power had been amped up more, because the actual scent is lovely.

The longevity though, isn’t bad. While it isn’t a strong perfume, Mille Feux does stick around for over 8 hours. Not insane longevity, but it doesn’t disappear super quickly. It’s light and not always noticeable, but it is actually there.

Seasonally, the fragrance can work in winter through springtime. The summer might be a stretch, depending on how hot it gets in your locale. Maybe, as a nighttime fragrance it could work. Though, I’d generally keep it to the rest of the year.

It’s not a heavy fragrance that only works in the cold, however.

It is pretty versatile. Not a formal scent or a club beast, but it wouldn’t be entirely inappropriate elsewhere. Mille Feux is an attractive perfume, not necessarily sexy, but it is enjoyable to be around.

Overall Impressions of Mille Feux

Overall, do I like Mille Feux? I really do. I’m a fan of Goldolphin by PdM, so this fruitier version of that style of perfume, is obviously going to have appeal for me.

Mille Feux is more distinctly a woman’s scent, though. It’s two biggest weaknesses are perhaps its lack of unique style and how underpowered it is. I wish that this LV fragrance had more power behind it, but it just doesn’t.

What does it do well? The raspberry and osmanthus up top. The leather note. The saffron isn’t too heavy, but adds a nice touch. Heck, even the very light iris to give it some slight powdery quality. The aroma itself is great.

Is it worth buying a full bottle? Eh, maybe. If you want a quality fruity leather scent, I would for sure check it out. The lightness of the perfume, might be a hinderance for many looking to purchase it. On aroma alone? It’s a yes.