Pacific Chill vs Afternoon Swim

Louis Vuitton has a long list of fragrances for sale. Two of the perfumes that are sought after for warmer weather wear are Pacific Chill and Afternoon Swim. 

But, which of these popular options is the better one to buy? Which lasts longer? Smells better? Continue below for my full head to head comparison.

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Tale of the Tape: Pacific Chill vs Afternoon Swim

Pacific Chill

Notes include: blackcurrant, lemon, orange, ambrette, cedar, coriander, basil, carrot seeds, peppermint

Read my review: Pacific Chill by Louis Vuitton

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Afternoon Swim

Notes include: bergamot, mandarin orange, orange, ginger, ambergris

Read my review: Afternoon Swim by Louis Vuitton

 

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Opening

Pacific Chill starts with a cold, sharp, and extremely fresh opening. Citrus notes take the lead, but it also has a prominent green element. Peppermint, coriander, and basil add a change of pace to the mix, creating an interesting first impression.

On me, peppermint dominates among these three notes, with the others playing supporting roles in the background. This balance shifts over time as the basil emerges more prominently, eventually replacing that minty aspect.

Blackcurrant enhances the sweet-tart personality that Chill projects and is quite strong for a while. But both mint and blackcurrant recede.

Pacific Chill evolves into a citrus and basil-focused fragrance. On my skin, the orange and citron stand out distinctly, accompanied by an apricot-like aroma that comes on.

Afternoon Swim kicks off with its orange notes front and center. I do smell mandarin, but another orange seems to have the upper hand, and there’s also a solid dose of bergamot.

I like the addition of the ginger note, as it gives Swim a bit more heft than just being another thin and quick citrus scent.

As it moves along, especially later in the wear, I get more of the bergamot on my skin versus the orange note and just enough of the ambergris to add a touch of saltiness to the composition.

Which is better?

With Pacific Chill, it certainly grabs my attention early on and I think that it’s got an interesting and at least somewhat unique profile.

Afternoon Swim has a simpler design to it. Very citrus heavy, but with a ginger addition that play well. Early on, it is a close contest, but I think I still prefer Afternoon Swim to Chill.

Edge: Afternoon Swim

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Projection

Afternoon Swim is on the lighter end of moderate and will project 4-6 feet from the skin, at its peak, before drawing closer and closer. The good new is that it doesn’t become a skin scent until the tail end of its total wear time.

With Pacific Chill, it opens like an absolute bomb on my skin. Seriously, this one envelops me in a cloud of iced fragrance for about an hour. Then, it kind of goes into a lighter moderate mode.

It’s certainly got a steep drop off from what it starts off like versus how it finishes, but I was surprised I even got that much of a loud projection.

Between these two it’s an easy win for Chill, in this category.

Edge: Pacific Chill

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Longevity

With Pacific Chill, it hung around for about 7.5 hours, on my skin. It could probably go a bit further, but that’s all I got from it.

Afternoon Swim well be more in the 5-6 hour range with its longevity. It’s pretty middle of the road and doesn’t last as long as Pacific.

Edge: Pacific Chill

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Versatility

Seasonally, both of these work well in the late spring and summertime. But, neither of them is very formal or something that you’re particularly going to use dressed up. Maybe Chill has a cleaner vibe that can fit in better, in some scenarios.  

Pacific Chill qualifies as unisex, but I’d argue it leans more toward the feminine side. It doesn’t completely cross that boundary, but its fruity shampoo qualities certainly push it in that direction.

The same applies to Afternoon Swim, it’s also unisex.

Edge: Pacific Chill

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Overall Scent

With Pacific Chill, I do really enjoy the unique opening act, and how all of those notes interact. I think of it as a cold and refreshing summertime drink. This got me interested when I initially tried it out for the first time, almost two years ago now.

Then, the back half isn’t as good. It’s more of a fruity shampoo sort of scent. Not bad, but it reminded me of Garnier Fructis (I think that’s the one that I remembering, anyway).

I don’t think it’s better than Afternoon Swim. In terms of which I’d rather wear, I’d pick that over Pacific Chill almost every time.

No, it doesn’t have the same level of performance as does Pacific Chill, but I think that the overall scent is better. Even if, fairly linear. I like the way Chill starts out, but the back half, I don’t like quite as much.

So, I’d personally pick Afternoon Swim between them. The Dua Brand does have their inspired version of the scent called, Gone Swimming. I bought a bottle of Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters from them, which is a blended version of this Louis Vuitton with their version of Virgin Island Water…and it’s fantastic.

Pacific Chill has an alternative called: Chilling by the Pacific. 

If you want the Louis Vuitton experience, at a cheaper price and with better performance, I highly recommend getting a hold of one of the Dua versions.

Winner: Afternoon Swim