Si Passione by Giorgio Armani

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Si has become one of the flagship names in ladies perfumes for Armani. Si Passione is one of the flankers by the brand, which was released back in 2017. I had a sample of it lying around from a past order, so, I thought that it might be time to finally do a full review. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Si Passione Smell Like?

Notes include: heliotrope, rose, grapefruit, black currant, pineapple, pear, cedar, vanilla, patchouli

Click here to try: Armani Si Passione Eau de Parfum Spray, 3.4-oz. 

My Full Review

The opening act of Si Passione is quite fruity and attractive. Pear and pineapple are the dominant notes, with black currant and grapefruit playing secondary roles. I really enjoy the fruity opening and the way the pineapple note comes through on a warm day.

It is sweet and juicy, with some light tartness coming through.

As it moves a bit further along, the rose note comes out, along with heliotrope. It shifts from being majority fruity, to more of a standard fruity floral fragrance. It’s sweet, somewhat creamy/powdery from the vanilla and heliotrope.

A lot of the blackcurrant and the bit of grapefruit have essentially dissipated.

The rose isn’t overly intense and blends well with the rest of the composition. It really doesn’t strike me as a deep red rose smell at all. The further along I get, the more that the rose and pear take center stage as the main notes. Still, it’s never completely one-sided.

Finally, Si Passione keeps this same sort of dynamic, but it does start to get a bit of a soapy or musky clean finish. Definitely picking up some patchouli, but nothing is heavy handed or out of place.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Si Passione is a lighter to moderate fragrance. At first, it is pretty good at projecting itself, but won’t take over a room. Then, it is fairly intimate. Not a weak scent on my skin, just definitely not a powerhouse. I notice it throughout the wear without much effort.

I’m kind of surprised that it didn’t project massively in the early stages of the wear, with all those fruit notes. Nope, just a pretty above average perfume in this regard.

The longevity is 7-8.5 hours for me. Again, not an absolute monster performer, but I didn’t have the same lack of performance that some others have been complaining about with Passione.

It sticks around just fine, Passione just isn’t a heavy or a fragrance that really jumps off the skin.

Seasonally, it could absolutely work year round. Probably best in moderate to warmer weather though. Si Passione is a daily wear, work, casual sort of fragrance. I think that it is pretty, fresh, and clean rather than being a sexy nightlife wear.

Still, this one could fit in a wider variety of situations without issue. It’s got a great deal of versatility and can find a place pretty easily in one’s rotation.

Overall Impression of Si Passione

Overall, do I like this perfume? I do. Apparently, people weren’t to impressed with this scent upon release. While I don’t think it’s the most incredible fragrance, I enjoyed it quite a lot.

Between this and the original Si, I’d go with that one. Even if, I think this one is better than its reputation.

This Armani isn’t super complex and you’ve probably smelled something like it before. Though, I think that it has enough of its own character to stand apart and isn’t an exact clone of all the other popular ladies fragrances out there. Familiar, while being distinct.

Very fresh and fruity rose/heliotrope blend, with a somewhat musky/soapy clean finish in the dry down. Fairly straightforward and not groundbreaking. It’s just attractive and the performance for me was above average, just not with a heavy sillage.

I really don’t have anything too negative to say about it. Maybe, just buy it on a discount, instead of full Armani prices.

4 Best Smelling Chanel Chance Perfumes

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The Chance line of ladies’ perfumes by Chanel, have been a very big success for the brand, and all of the variants are among the top smelling fragrances now available from them. However, it is easy to question, which of the Chance perfumes actually smells the best out of all of them? Is it the original or one of the later released flanker bottles?

Ranking the Top 4 Chance Perfumes

Best Overall Chance

Chanel Chance Tendre Eau de Toilette Spray For Women 1.7 OZ./ 50 ml.– The EDT gets the nod, as the best. I used to kind of prefer EDP, but the last testing I did of each, saw EDT secure the title. It is a floral and citrus fragrance, with a grapefruit opening, and notes such as jasmine, iris, and hyacinth.

It is a light scent, with an airy disposition, but it also has great longevity. Eau Tendre is very popular and is a really good choice for those looking for an everyday wear perfume.

The citrus is crisp, the bouquet of flowers is beautiful, and there is a slight powdery and musky undertone to it all. I don’t think any of these Chance scents, are way above and beyond better, than the others. However, Chance Eau Tendre has the top spot.

The Other Tendre, Just a Notch Below

Chance Eau Tendre Eau de Parfum– The EDP version is also great. But, it gets the second spot here. Very youthful, fresh, fruity, and the added rose note really helps to set it apart. I’m not even a huge rose fan, but I dig this one completely.

The dry down is musky with the rose and jasmine notes providing the floral accord. An interesting change from the EDT’s iris and hyacinth mix with jasmine. The opening act with grapefruit and quince is fairly sharp, but not overly so, and it is great.

Chance Eau Tendre EDP is very simple to wear and is appropriate for a wide variety of situations and even seasons. Can easily be a signature scent for someone. A rosy fruity/floral.

Original EDP

Chance By Chanel 3.4 oz Eau De Parfum Spray For Women– Next on the list, is the original Chance, in the eau de parfum version. This is another floral based fragrance but has vanilla sweetness and some warm spice thrown in, for good measure.

Pink pepper, patchouli, and musk sit at the base of the perfume, giving of that warmth and spice. Meanwhile, jasmine, iris, and the vanilla are the most dominant notes.

The opening of EDP has less of the patchouli note, though. The jasmine is the strongest of the floral notes, for me early on. There’s a light fruitiness initially, but that will fade as this transitions into its vanilla and iris stage.

That vanilla and iris stage, might be my favorite. Very clean and with a powdery aroma that I enjoy.

Then, you get even further development with the musk, patchouli, and jasmine all getting their turns shining in the dry down.

Chance EDP has a heavier sillage, than does Eau Tendre, but it still isn’t an insanely heavy perfume by any means. The EDT is also, quite good, but probably a notch below this EDP version. Chance EDP Review

Great Fresh Perfume

Chance Chanel Eau Fraiche Eau De Toilette Spray, for Woman EDT 3.4 fl oz, 100 ml– Finally, number four on the list, is Chance Eau Fraiche. It’s tough to put this one, in the fourth spot, as it really is a great fragrance. All of these have their strengths and absolutely none are mediocre.

This is obviously a fresh take on the Chance moniker. Eau Fraiche is citrusy and a bit aquatic with woody base notes. Cedar, joins the pink pepper, and musk notes for a really clean and almost unisex fragrance.

A bright, clean, and lemon citrus floral with the usual Chance notes within its DNA. This is a great option for the summer months, as it sits very well in the heat, with a tremendous freshness.

Towards the end of the wear, Eau Fraiche can have more of an herbal/woody quality to it, versus the opening stages. Again, not the best, but still a great option from Chanel. My Full Review

So, there you have it. These are the top four choices from the Chanel Chance perfume collection, in my opinion. Again, these are all pretty close in terms of quality, so it’ll probably come down to which style you want. I think Eau Tendre has the slight edge over the others, but I cannot talk down about any of them.

Eau Vive was another option from the Chance lineup. It was still a good perfume, but a notch below the rest. I am looking forward to trying Eau Fraiche EDP, that came out in 2023, and I’ll update the list if it overtakes any of these four.

Angel Nova by Mugler

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Angel Nova was released in 2020 as yet another flanker fragrance in the popular Angel series. Yet, it really doesn’t have much of anything in common with the original. Which, made me fairly interested in giving Nova a try. How does it smell? How does Nova perform? Is it at all worth a try?

What does Angel Nova Smell Like?

Notes include: litchi, raspberry, benzoin, Damask rose, akigala wood

Click here to try: Angel Nova

My Full Review

Before I get into my review, let’s see what Mugler has to say about Nova: A new star. A new heroine. A new fragrance. Make your dreams a reality and reality a dream.

Raspberry. Wow. That’s a ton of raspberry in the opening and it’s quite juicy and paired with litchi. It feels quite bold and there’s also something tropical here. Possibly mango? It’s short lived, but it’s there and a part of that sweet/sour mix up top.

A few minutes after I sprayed this, I could already tell that this won’t be for everyone. But, I’m curiously drawn to Angel Nova.

It’s not just the intense raspberry here. The background notes in the opening are intriguing and they will become more pronounced as Nova develops. Firstly, a dry and slightly spicy akigalawood, think patchouli-like smell.

Secondly, the benzoin note. A bit sweet, though, it is difficult to pick out behind the fruity explosion. A nice, somewhat medicinal resinous aroma, that’s just lurking in the background.

As we get further along, it becomes less of a fruity fragrance, a more fruity floral. Damask rose comes in and the tropical element seems to fade entirely. The scent becomes earthier and dirtier, with out the super sweet/sour mix that punched through the opening act.

The raspberry is the star in the beginning, but that changes to the rose, and it never gives up the spot thereafter. The final dry down is rose, some fresh spice, earthiness, benzoin and the remaining raspberry note.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

To me, there are two phases. The opening sillage is a near bomb, but it settles into something that is pretty moderate, in the second act. It’s more of a function of the notes. Those fruits are just amped up in the beginning, which is fine, but it can come across as being a monster…it’s not really.

That opening projection is the type that can reach across a room, while the rest of the wear is going to be still noticeable but not taking over much beyond your personal space.

The longevity is great. Over 9 hours both times, I wore it. Probably 11, at the max. So, another Mugler with awesome performance, which is one of the best things about this designer. Great consistency.

Seasonally, I’d stick to warmer weather. I can’t imagine how sharp this would feel in colder air, but it’s nice in the warmth of spring. Honestly, I could see this being a summertime wear, also. Nights out, mostly. Though, I don’t think the humidity would mess Nova up at all.

Angel Nova probably skews younger in its target audience. Though, I wouldn’t say that it’s strictly for teenagers. It’s kind of got that youthful and fruity opening, with a more mature dry down scent. Maybe that extends the age range for this one?

If you go light, you could probably wear it to work. It’s more of a casual wear around town versus anything formal, however.

Overall Impressions of Angel Nova

Overall, do I like Angel Nova? Yes, I do. Will everyone else? Probably not.

It’s not quite a niche fragrance, because it does have some mass appeal. It just won’t be everyone’s favorite daily wear.

To me, the raspberry and litchi combination is great. The rose heart comes across well and the base of akigala and benzoin really ties it all together. It fakes like it’s just going to give you a fruity bomb, but then really develops some depth and nuance.

Lots of sweetness with Nova, with tart and sour aspects popping up, especially in the early stages. I’m not completely sold on the earthier rose dry down, but it’s fine.

Performance wise, you get the goods. Yes, it’s a rose based fragrance, but it separates itself from many others on the market. At the very least, you get something somewhat different than other best sellers being pushed nowadays.

Update: There’s been more releases that are sort of like this one with the same litchi and/or raspberry notes. Yet, I still personally like Nova quite a bit. Not incredible, but still very worth a try at a good price.

5 Perfumes Similar to Gypsy Water

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Gypsy Water is one of the best sellers from Byredo and among my favorite from the brand, as well. With that popularity and its high price, there is a market for fragrances which smell close to or have a similar style to the perfume. On this page, I’m going to keep my running update of scents which can do the job. Some are just similar in style while others try to use the same formula as Gypsy Water.

What Perfumes Smell Similar to Gypsy Water?

A Citrus Option

Colette by Tocca– Colette isn’t among my favorite from Tocca, but it does have more than a passing resemblance to Gypsy Water. It’s not completely comparable, has more citrus, less of the woodiness of our target…with plenty of overlap in notes.

Juniper, citrus, sandalwood, vanilla, amber are the commonalities and the ingredients that have some of the heaviest weighting between these two perfumes.

I do like the citrus opening here, it opens up into something that is a bit sweet and get creamier, which comes across very well. Later, the violet note comes in a bit more, and Colette has more of a powdery finish.

Less woody and none of the smoke of Gypsy Water, but there is plenty in this one to give you a close experience to the Byredo.

The Closer Option

Gypsies Elixir by Dua– Gypsies Elixir is the potential doppelganger from The Dua Brand. They always have newer fragrances that are similar to the popular originals. Most of the time, they’re pretty darn close.

I’ve gotten fragrances from them duping: Aventus, Allure Edition Blanche, and Lost Cherry. All of which have been about 85+% as close to the original inspired formulation.

With Gypsies Elixir? I haven’t tried it out, but for around $60 per bottle (they almost always have discount codes on the site, so, even cheaper than $60) and their track record, it’s worth a shot.

Another Inspiration

Morning Rain by Oakcha– Here’s another ‘inspired by’ fragrance option to give one a choice other than the Dua version. Morning Rain starts off with that juniper, bergamot, pepper, and lemon while exuding the pine needles and orris of the Byredo.

All of this inspired by versions of Gypsy Water seem to be around the same price, so, it’s kind of whichever you prefer to try first.

Morning Rain seems to be popular and has overwhelmingly positive reviews. You can also buy it as part of a sample set, if you’d want to try other scents from Oakcha.

Water Extrait

Bohemian Water by ALT Fragrances– This is the third and latest ‘inspired’ perfume of Gypsy Water that I’ve found, this time from ALT fragrances. I’ve had some good experiences with them in the past, so I’m sure this one is more than likely up to par as well.

As of now, ALT has 1 or 2 ounce bottle sizes, to give you a couple of options. If they got the weightings of the notes close to correct, there should be no issue here either.

Sweet, Creamy, and Pine

Lake by Rosie Jane– Lake is an interesting one, that’s like 75-ish percent Gypsy Water blended with Sublime Vanille by Creed.

You get the pine notes of Gypsy Water with this one, sandalwood, but none of the juniper. The citrus is amped up which gives you the similarities to the Creed scent. The vanilla is present throughout, just not the same kind of ice cream level as Sublime Vanille.

The latter stages, probably have a greater resemblance to Gypsy Water. That’s when some of the citrus has burned off and the woody notes take a firm grasp of their starring role. Very nice and delicious perfume. Performance is okay, just not one of its strengths.

8 Perfumes that Smell Similar to Mojave Ghost

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Mojave Ghost is an extremely popular option from Byredo and one that has a rather unique aroma versus much of what is offered up today. The downside for many, is the price of the Byredo scent.

For others, they want something that smells similar or at least in the same ballpark, while still being different from Ghost. On this page, I will keep updated with a list of potential alternative options to this perfume.

What Fragrances Smell Similar to Byredo Mojave Ghost?

Mojave Sand by The Dua Brand– So, Mojave Sand is Dua’s ‘inspired’ version of the Mojave Ghost formula.

Now, I can’t personally speak to whether or not that they accomplished in matching the right scent to be a great alternative to the Byredo, since I haven’t tried this one out. However, I have tried plenty of other perfumes from this brand and they usually get it pretty darn close. The reviews are also positive, in this regard.

If you want a cheaper alternative to Ghost, this is one that you should consider.

Desert Glass by Oakcha– Here’s another ‘inspired’ option that I’ve found of Ghost. Between this and the Dua perfume above, those who want a very close aroma to the Byredo, seem to have things covered.

I don’t have any experience with this brand’s fragrances, as of yet. So, I can’t vouch for their quality. But, they’ve got a ton of positive reviews, and Mojave Ghost’s scent isn’t overly difficult to get close to.

They have two sizes available, currently starting at $30 (as of writing). Not too much risk in giving Desert Glass a try.

Guess 1981– Guess 1981 does present you with another cheaper option, but this one isn’t as on target as the Dua in terms of trying to smell like Mojave.

Though, this one has plenty of overlap. The sapodilla isn’t here in the Guess, nor is the magnolia. In 1981, you get a nice sparkling pear note to start things off and a greater use of the violet note throughout.

Less greenish floral, this one also strikes me as more powdery. Muskier than the Byredo, while still utilizing that musk mallow note found in Mojave. The wood isn’t much of a factor with Guess. It supposedly has cedar too, just not really getting much, if any.

Still, this is a really solid cheapie, giving you much of what you get with Mojave Ghost…just taken to a somewhat different end point.

Eclat de Fleurs by Lanvin– This one is closer to Chanel Eau Tendre (listed below), so don’t expect a massive overlap with Ghost.

Eclat de Fleurs moves away from the muskiness and woodiness, giving you instead a more floral clean representation. Plus, you get another use of pear, as in the Guess scent listed above.

More of a light floral with elements of soapiness thanks to the jasmine and limited musk. But, the freesia note really leads the way in this Lanvin perfume. Fruity floral to start, more floral musky in the end.

I’d say that this is connected distantly to Ghost. Like on a chain between the three perfumes it would go: Ghost-Eau Tendre-Eclat.

Santal Glow by Zara– Santal Glow is now discontinued. At least for now, since I cannot find a bottle on Zara’s website anymore.

Yet, this deserves a spot on the list, as it is another one that gets very close to what we want. It’s not exact, but a strong sandalwood and heavier use of a powdery violet note. Soft, comforting, and clean.

The sapodilla isn’t there, so don’t expect the fruity touch or much of any sweetness. As the name suggests, sandalwood is a major player here. Actually, it’s more about the violet note in terms of weighting, and there isn’t any cedar.

If you can find a cheap bottle, it’s worth picking up. I wouldn’t overpay, otherwise. Just get the Dua or Mojave itself.

Nirvana French Grey– Nirvana French Grey is definitely not a 1 to 1 match with Mojave Ghost. But, there are similar elements here that make it worthwhile to check out, as sort of a ‘distant cousin’ to our target.

This has a sweetness, muskiness, and citrus elements to it that overlap with the Byredo…just in a more heavily weighted version. French Grey is a simple mix of neroli, lavender, and musk. It’s simple and stripped down.

French Grey is a different floral blend, producing a soapy and somewhat reminiscent result to the Byredo. Again, not the one that you want if you want an ‘inspired version’ of Mojave, but a very likeable perfume that should bring one plenty of joy to wear.

Chance Eau Tendre– The Eau Tendre fragrances aren’t exactly like our target, but share plenty of style. The base of cedar and amber is the same, the floral composition features different notes, and the Chanel is less woody.

That being said, if you want something along the same lines arranged differently Eau Tendre can be a great option. I actually like the EDT better, as a fresher more citrus heavy composition.

Though, either the EDP or EDT is an easy to wear and versatile perfume for those who enjoy what the Byredo scent has to offer.

Memoire d’une Odeur by Gucci– This is another one that I feel is pretty similar in style, but not particularly in how it smells. Both are unique and this one has a lighter feel to it.

Memoire and Mojave Ghost are both clean-ish, soapy, woody, musky, floral fragrances. They just approach things from different angles. With this Gucci fragrance, you get a greener and a slightly bitter aroma up top. Bitter almond mixed with a chamomile note, that can give Memoire a tea-like aroma.

It settles into something with more musk and jasmine. Along with, cedar and sandalwood in the base which matches up with the Byredo fragrance. Again, if you’re looking for something that’s a dead ringer for Mojave, this won’t be it. But, I do think if you enjoy one, there’s a good chance that you’ll like the other.