Perfume Reviews

Goddess EDP by Burberry

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Goddess is one of the newer releases from Burberry, that came out in 2023. It wasn’t a perfume that I had heard much about going into testing, but I bought a sample anyway to check it out. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Goddess EDP Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, vanilla, cacao, ginger, vanilla absolute, vanilla caviar

Click here to try: Goddess by Burberry

My Full Review

Here’s how Burberry describes it: Burberry Goddess is a unique gourmand fragrance led by a confident and powerful multi-faceted trio of vanillas. Enriched with a luminous lavender top note, the scent exudes a rich, layered personality that’s instantly memorable.

So, upon spraying this one I’m immediately hit with a wonderful gourmand aroma. Fresh and not overbearingly heavy, however. The ginger does a nice job at breaking up the vanilla dominance.

Ginger and a cacao note add a great mix to the aroma early. Goddess feels cold with a lightness that I enjoy. I’ve seen this get compared to Mon Guerlain, but they’re are not the same, while having a similar style.

I mean, in the dry down, both are all about that lavender and vanilla. Still, smell differently. But, this one  also doesn’t have jasmine, tonka bean, or patchouli. Cacao and tonka bean, play a similar role…but aren’t exactly the same and don’t have the same aroma.

The lavender also begins to show itself early on. It’s really tamed by all of the vanilla. I was worried that this might take a Libre path, with the lavender, but the note is balanced quite well in Goddess.

It’s interesting that there are three types of vanilla in this perfume. Can I tell them apart? I mean, not really. The ginger burns off and the middle is more about the lavender and vanilla pairing.

The very tail end of the perfume is a vanilla-centric scent. Though, it feels like a standard creamy vanilla note. So, I’m not getting any real distinction between the types.

Burberry Goddess isn’t very complicated and there isn’t really any development here, after this point.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Goddess is not a massive projector or one that is super heavy. You’ll get an intimate scent bubble for most of the wear a decent radius of reach in the early goings.

It’s not weak, solidly moderate, until the last few hours of wear when it becomes a skin scent.

The longevity is somewhere in the range of average. For me, it was 6-6.5 hours of total wear from this Burberry. It’s okay, not great.

On clothing, you will get 3+ more hours, but it doesn’t seem to want to stick to skin. My skin, isn’t the type that ‘eats up’ fragrances either. I routinely get 10+ hours from other scents.

Seasonally, I do think that this fragrance isn’t too heavy or cloying, that it gets stuck solely in the autumn or winter. On a moderately warm spring day, I think that Goddess would hold up just fine.

I would skip out on wearing this in the heat, though.

It’s strength is with its versatility. It isn’t hyper sweet or too bold, so, it’s safe for most occasions. It’s attractive enough for the nightlife, even if you might want to go with something more dynamic.

It’s attractive and somewhat sexy, so, you could spray it before a date as well. Goddess isn’t the most formal fragrance, maybe have something else for really ‘dressy’ situations.

It also works for a wide age range. Not too mature for the younger set, but not too juvenile for older women either.

Overall Impressions of Goddess EDP

Overall, do I like Goddess by Burberry? I do like it. It’s not anything that’s crazy unique or complicated, but it is a mainstream perfume that is going to do well and have plenty of fans.

The name doesn’t really fit, what the actual scent is. You might expect something bolder, sexier, etc. Not to say this is a bad perfume, it certainly isn’t.

I like the opening and how it keeps things fresh and light. Not a heavy or overbearing use of the vanilla and lavender, just quite pleasant to spray on.

It’s not a great performer, though. For me, it’s okay, pretty standard issue. On skin, it’s probably not going to go past six hours for most people.

But, if that’s not too much of a problem for you, Goddess is worth trying out. Maybe test it in store or wait for the price to hit discount levels, over the next year or so.

If you’re not a vanilla and/or lavender fan, I don’t think there’s anything here that would change your mind. As such, you can also probably skip this initial Goddess release.

Velvet Incenso by Dolce & Gabbana

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Velvet Incenso is one of the entries from the ‘Velvet’ line of fragrances by D&G. This one was released back in 2018. I received a sample of it, with another batch order of other samples and testers, some months ago. But, I have been testing out this perfume to see what it’s all about. How does it smell? Perform? Is it worth a try?

What does Velvet Incenso Smell Like?

Notes include: elemi, black pepper, labdanum, incense, benzoin, amberwood, vanilla, patchouli, cashmere wood

Click here to try: Velvet Incenso

My Full Review

Velvet Incenso starts off with a kick of black pepper, smoke, and its resinous notes. Early, it’s elemi and balsam representing that aspect.

The incense is going to be a factor throughout. However, I’ve never found this perfume to be super smoky. Yes, it’s there, just not a heavy burning aroma.

That mix of balsamic, fresh and warmer spice is exactly what you’d expect out of a fragrance like this. You will also get a sweetness, which becomes more apparent as Velvet Incenso smoothens out.

The black pepper will begin to fade. In it’s place, vanilla will really peak through. Along with the amber and labdanum. Dry and warm, less of an intense punch like the early stages.

The amber, labdanum, benzoin, and elemi notes can be tough to distinguish at times from one another. Though, I do feel like each gets at least a little time in the spotlight, before they each recede back into the amber/resin/balsamic mass of notes.

As we dry down further, the becomes more about the incense. Incense embraced by a warm amber, some vanilla, and cashmere wood. It’s still got it’s smokiness, just without the spice of the pepper and some of the other notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one opens up strong, not insanely heavy ever, but the spice and smoke to hang around in the air well. I imagine with a full bottle, having the sprayer would help immensely.

Still, even with the sample this one projects well for that first hour. Then, it will turn moderate as we enter the middle act. Incenso does hold up well, however, never completely falling off in its performance. Just a steady decline.

With the longevity, Incenso lasted between 7-8.5 hours on my skin, each time that I wore it. It’s good, but never hit the double digit mark for me. I don’t think that’d be a problem for most people, however.

The versatility has its strong positives and some weaker points. Velvet Incenso is a true unisex fragrance. Anyone can wear this without issue.

It does have a better profile for colder weather. Yes, moderate climates work well, also. I wore it outside on a fairly mild evening and I thought that this perfume was lovely in those conditions.

When can it be worn? Well, that’s going to depend on when you want to smell like amber and incense. Probably not going to be a daily wear for most people. Not super formal or sexy, either.

Overall Impressions of Velvet Incenso

Overall, do I like Velvet Incenso. I do. It’s a niche fragrance for those who love the incense note, but still very approachable for everyone else.

I will say, that I do kind of prefer Encens Satin, to this one. The performance of that Armani is also better, even if Velvet is no slouch.

This one is very good, though. It’s got a nice balance between different notes and aspects. You get your warmth, spice, sweetness, smoke, etc. It all comes in different phases and is pleasant to wear throughout.

The performance is good. Not ever reaching elite levels for me, but you’ll know that its there and it can last a full workday.

I’d say that Velvet Incenso is worth trying. The price is high, so, I’d definitely recommend tracking down a sample before committing to a full purchase. But, I don’t think you’d be disappointed, if you’re in the market for this sort of perfume.

Ombre Leather by Tom Ford

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I received in the mail a sample card from Tom Ford with a pull down tab of the new unisex scent, Ombre Leather, inside. I sniffed the card and really enjoyed the fragrance that I was smelling.

So, I headed to the mall to get me some actual sprays onto my skin for a review. Then, tried it once more a few days later. (note: I’ve updated this page since the initial post)

With that in mind, I have gathered my thoughts on this 2018 release, and type them up in this post. As usual, I will cover: what’s inside, what it smells like, when it should be worn, and whether or not I think it is worth a purchase.

What does Ombre Leather Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, moss, jasmine, amber, patchouli and cardamom

Click here to try: Ombré Leather Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7-oz.

Okay, so, before I dive into my own review of Ombre Leather let’s see how Tom Ford describes it:

Vast. Untethered. Driven. Freedom comes from within, the desert heart of the west wrapped in leather. It moves forward, Untethered, through the still air of wide-open space. Dust on wind, skin on skin, Ombre Leathers reveals itself like a landscape in layers, where stretches of rock transform into sunrise blonde low on the horizon. 

My Full Review

Upon first smell, Ombre Leather naturally brought to mind Tom Ford’s, Tuscan Leather (without raspberry, but there does seem to be a bit of sweetness there). However, I actually feel like this 2018 Ombre Leather, smells more like Godolphin by Parfums de Marly at the start.

It took me a while to remember which Parfums de Marly, was reminding me of the Tom Ford, and had to look up the notes when I got home. Yep, they share the amber, leather, moss, and jasmine notes.

While I like Godolphin, I think that the leather note in this one is utterly fantastic.

It is a very dark sort of fragrance but not some overwhelming monstrosity with heavy spices. Ombre Leather is definitely unisex, dry, and warm; like how they describe the desert in the paragraph above.

The leather aroma smells like a high end jacket fresh off the rack, intense, and you can almost feel its presence in the room. It’s all super supple and smooth.

It does have spice early on. Cardamom and saffron really come through. The cardamom is there after that initial spray, but is the quickest of the notes to begin to fade.

The amber here is honestly not that intense, it kind of lurks in the background, but never really jumped out at me during the wear. Not that it isn’t totally present throughout. It does provide nice support, however.

What I do get during the dry down, is that familiar jasmine aroma, which lightens and adds a floral sweetness to the composition and allows Ombre Leather to become more unisex.

Geeeeezz, the leather and jasmine combo is really great. It’s pretty much what makes this scent for me.

This one is very well blended and can be somewhat difficult to distinguish the notes beyond just the leather at some points. There is a very nice dried outdoorsy spice in this one. Quite earthy moss, vetiver, and patchouli, which isn’t very heavy but does add some depth of character to Ombre Leather.

It does seem to be more vetiver at times, but I’ve seen both it and moss listed as notes…so who knows, how much is there of each. It’s difficult to discern.

Overall, it’s a clean and warm sort of scent, but it does have that rough/dirty side to it. The Western theme of the marketing campaign, actually does seem to fit, unlike so many other ridiculous fragrance adverts over the years.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, this one starts out strong. You won’t need more than a few sprays, because it veers into beast mode, at the beginning. It does dry down into something that is much more moderate, but by no means light. Just know, that it can be intense.

The longevity is actually very good, but there are two stages to it. The first is when it is noticeable, which is 6-8 hours of wear.

The second, as a skin scent, which will go on for about 3 more hours. Honestly, in most situations the longevity will be a-ok, for most anybody. It’s just not a 12+ hour ride of crazy loudness.

On clothes, Ombre Leather will go for days on end. Not massive projection that far into it, but you can pick up on it when you’re wearing the item of clothing.

Seasonally, autumn and winter. I don’t think it’d be truly awful in warmer weather, but it is simply great in the cold.

Does it have sex appeal? I think it does, but not everyone likes the smell of rich leather, so it’s not going to be universally beloved like a lot of the most popular fragrances.

Ombre Leather seems to perfectly straddle the line with the elements of masculinity but can still be oh so good on a woman. Wear this one with a leather jacket, or semi-formally, or with formal wear at night.

Overall Impressions of Ombre Leather

Overall, do I like Ombre Leather? Yep. Tom Ford did good with this one. I wasn’t too enthused with Noir Anthracite last year, but man, am I starting to love Ombre.

The leather is some of the best I have ever smelled in a fragrance and I enjoy the overlap it has with a scent like Goldolphin.

If you don’t like leather, then this is obviously not for you. Though, I think that this fragrance should be give a try, if you dig the leather note at all…because the one here, rocks. It takes a different tact than many other leather scents, but still remains familiar and has a nice amount of depth.

Update: Coming back to this in 2022, this might be my favorite leather scent. It’s really great and long lasting. I’ve also compared it to Ombre Leather Parfum, but I still prefer this.

The initial warmth and spice, the jasmine note, that earthy rugged desert vibe lurking underneath. The amber note…Ombre Leather is great. One of Tom Ford’s best.

Bright Crystal EDT by Versace

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In an effort to satisfy a larger percentage of this site’s demographics, I thought that I’d begin to do more reviews of women’s perfumes. As a man, it can feel a bit out of place wearing something that is so overtly feminine, but some of these fragrances are just so pleasant that it works out in the end.

In this post, I want to take a closer look at a scent from the house of Versace, Bright Crystal. This one was released back in 2006 and has been a massive seller ever since. I want to explore what makes up this perfumes, how it performs, how it smells, and whether or not it is worth getting a bottle. Please continue reading below for my full impressions.

What does Versace Bright Crystal Smell Like?

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Notes include: yuzo, peony, pomegranate, musk, magnolia, iced accord, lotus, amber

Click Here to try Bright Crystal: Versace Bright Crystal Eau de Toilette Spray for Women, 3 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

The initial opening of Bright Crystal is a blast of juicy pomegranate, a citrus scent provided by the yuzo, and a heart of floral notes which provides it with balance. I totally get why the word ‘bright’ was added to the name because this perfume does have a very pleasant and upbeat kind of feel to it.

Yuzo has a similar, albeit distinct aroma from other citrus fruits, and pomegranate is almost always a pleasure to smell in perfumes.

Versace did a great job at not letting it become too floral or too fruity and instead let the juicy/aquatic elements gradually fade a bit into the background to provide Bright Crystal with that extra bit of something that makes it so attractive.

The top of the composition is tart while being juicy, while there is a watery-like smell that sits underneath it all. Then, the floral notes begin to emerge, and take away some of that tartness.

Out of the floral notes, I can detect the peony, most distinctly. The lotus note is also present but doesn’t come through as strong for me and the magnolia, I don’t really pick up at all. Maybe that’s just me?

As Bright Crystal wore on my skin, I became more and more attracted to this scent. Frankly, I think its beautiful and never gets bogged down by being too complex.

The latter stages of this Versace EDT, consist mostly of peony and yuzo, to my nose. Outside of that, it is the watery lotus flower, and a light bit of wood in the base. The wood doesn’t draw much attention, but I can pick it up, if I focus in.

Sillage and Longevity. How Does it Perform? When Can it Be Worn?

Projection wise, it is a soft to moderate scent. It isn’t weak but it isn’t going to choke people out either, with its sillage. Initially, it will project somewhere around 6 feet from the skin or thereabouts. After that, it’ll be 3-4.

However, while it isn’t a heavy scent, it does last all day. In my testing of Bright Crystal, I got over 8 hours out of it and close to 10. The performance for an EDT, is very good, especially one with citrus as a main draw.

This perfume could honestly be used on just about any occasion, I wouldn’t say it’s a ‘sexy’ fragrance, but it is very attractive and I wouldn’t mind smelling this on a woman at all.

Update: Yeah, this is one that I’ve really come to enjoy over the years. However, it is better suited for daily wear, and isn’t a bold nightlife type of scent.

It’s brightness and fruity/floral scent, make Bright Crystal an ideal fragrance for the warmer days of the year. Yes, it’s fine in the cold of winter, but feels right at home in spring/summer.

Overall Scent. Does Versace Bright Crystal Smell Good?

Overall, Bright Crystal is a fantastic option for women who want something that is light, elegant, and pretty. I enjoy this Versace offering much more than Versus, which I actually liked and I think that it has a much more ‘universal’ appeal than some of the other fragrances on the market.

I would rate Bright Crystal as a buy and its straightforward simplicity is one of its best attributes.

While the opening act, can be pretty tart, I do love the yuzo and pomegranate combination. It’s juicy and delicious. The performance here is really good and I like how it doesn’t just become a bouquet of flowers.

The peony and yuzo form a solid dynamic duo, which sticks around for the rest of the wear. It’s still a best seller, and for good reason, Bright Crystal is a wonderful perfume.

Update: Coming back to this one years later, Bright Crystal is probably among my favorite mainstream designer women’s perfumes to smell. It has always done everything well, from that opening act to the use of peony to the performance.

It’s just a perfume that fits in so many places and is extremely easy to like. Nowadays, it feels like more of a capture of that late 2000s era with so many other perfumes that fell by the wayside like Dior Addict 2. Bright Crystal is still going, still super clean, and a great daily wear pick up.

Cloud Pink by Ariana Grande

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Cloud Pink is the latest 2023 release in the series and from the entire Ariana Grande line. I only heard about it a few days ago and decided that I’d buy a full bottle, to test out for the site. I’m not a huge fan of Cloud, but wanted to see what this was all about. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Cloud Pink Smell Like?

Notes include: dragon fruit berries, pink pineapple, coconut water, vanilla orchid, blush ambrette, musk, praline, amber woods, magenta moss

Click here to try: Cloud Pink

My Full Review

Here’s how the perfume is described: Empowering and optimistic, the Ariana Grande Cloud Pink fragrance is inspired by a confidence that reveals both beauty and strength, no matter the storm.

Upon first spraying Cloud Pink, I notice that it isn’t radically different from the original Cloud, but it does have its distinctions.

(As an aside: the bottle cap was really loose on mine. Not sure, if that’s the case with others, but it’s annoying).

It’s softer and sweeter, especially in this opening act. Cloud, always had a strong lavender note, especially on my skin. With Pink, that is gone. It does have the same sort of warmth, just with a more fruity/tropical top.

The coconut water returns. This time it is flanked with dragon fruit and pineapple, instead of pear and bergamot. Specifically, this is a pink pineapple. From what I can tell, this is just a sweeter candy-like note, instead of that sharp/tart generic pineapple found in other scents.

Still, that’s not all that powerful and I get much more coconut water and a light berry smell from the dragon fruit. Though, that pink pineapple seems to be prominent for a few minutes, at least.

Like, the other Cloud scents, I am also getting that musk note for the entirety of the wear. This time, it is joined by ambrette more so than the praline, which is still somewhat present. A stepped up amount of vanilla orchid and musk, really come to dominate the aroma past that 30 minute mark.

It’s still fruity, but it starts having more of that fluffy ‘cloud’ feeling. To me, it’s less creamy than the original. Yet, Cloud Pink has moments where its powdery, sugary, and almost like a cotton candy kind of smell.

As we get further along, the more this smells like Cloud to me just without the lavender. Sweet musky woods, with a touch of earthiness. The moss is something I can pick up, if I really press my nose against the skin. Not a huge factor here.

Musk, vanilla orchid, ambrette, woods, and a general sweet mixture of notes.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Like Cloud, you get a rather strong opening with Cloud Pink. Seems to hit that same 6-8 foot radius with its projection, also. Moderate overall, will leave a scent trail in your wake, but pretty consistent with its power.

With the longevity, again, I don’t notice any difference here versus Cloud. Pink still seems to be in that 5-6 hour range for me. Not great, but it is still noticeable deeper into the wear. So, Pink doesn’t just turn into a complete skin scent.

Seasonally, this is still going to be one mostly for autumn through early spring. It’s not an ‘eau fraiche’ version for the summer, despite the inclusion of the dragon fruit and pink pineapple. Though, if the humidity isn’t bad, you can probably use it at night during this time of year.

I still would consider this one a daytime wear, mostly. Casual, fun, and upbeat rather than anything formal. It’s a pretty sort of perfume, I don’t find it all that sexy, and you’d probably want to go with something else for evenings out. Again, you can use it, but I wouldn’t consider it Pink’s main use case.

Essentially, what you used Cloud for, you’ll use Cloud Pink for.

Overall Impressions of Cloud Pink

Overall, do I like Cloud Pink? Yes, I like it better than the original Cloud and slightly more than Cloud 2.0, since it’s a bit more unique. Though, you are getting a ton of that same DNA still.

I do like the fruitier and tropical influence of the opening act especially. Since the lavender isn’t a factor here, I get more enjoyment out of Pink. Plus, it moves away from having too much of the Baccarat Rouge influence.

This isn’t like Burberry Her with its fruitiness, either. That one has an extremely loud fruity burst and Cloud pink is subdued in comparison.

It’s less creamy in the dry down, but still has a great warmth and fluffy feeling to it. The latter stages are as if the original Cloud formula had the weightings of its notes shuffled around a bit.

If you liked the original Cloud, you’ll almost certainly like this one. Even the performance is in line with Cloud and most of the other best smelling Ariana Grande perfumes.

If you’re like me and weren’t too enthusiastic about the original, I’m not sure this changes your mind. I like it more, but am still not amazed by Cloud Pink. It’s an improvement, since that lavender note bothered me so much, just not reaching a super high level of enjoyment either.