Eilish No. 2 by Billie Eilish

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Eilish No. 2 is the follow up fragrance to the first Billie Eilish perfume release. It was then followed by a third entry into the series, each of which has nothing to do with the other in terms of how they smell. It was released in 2022.

Anyway, I finally got some samples of this woody perfume and have been testing it out recently. How does this Eilish scent smell? How long does it last? Is it worth a buy?

Eilish 2 by Billie Eilish Overview

Notes include: bergamot, apple blossom, wild poppy flower, black pepper, papyrus, palo santo, ebony wood

Click here to try: Eilish No. 2

My Full Review

Eilish 2 opens with a sharp hit of black pepper that’s brightened by bergamot’s subtle citrus scent. Apple blossom brings a bit of sweetness to the initial burst.

The florals stay pretty understated throughout, you’ll pick up traces here and there, but they never take center stage in this blend. You just get different facets of them at different times.

What really drives this fragrance is the palo santo wood running through from start to finish. Early on, papyrus kicks in with extra dryness and spice. The whole thing feels warm, grounded, and carries this gentle smoky quality.

What’s interesting is how Eilish 2 develops this slightly humid, almost dewy character as it moves into the heart and dry down phases. That’s from the poppy flower note, which is described as being ‘wet poppy flower’ by the brand.

The latter stages of the wear are much more woody and warm, versus floral and spicy. The sap and resinous qualities really come through and the composition will dry out versus what it was earlier.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Eilish 2 isn’t a heavy fragrance. It’s substantial and noticeable, but more airy than the first one and not as dense. It’s a moderate in terms of how it projects, it will leave a nice scent trail, but never really hits some insane level.

Longevity wise, this one is also pretty decent, just not great. I’ve been getting around 7 hours of wear from this perfume. Maybe an extra half an hour beyond that.

Eilish 2 is mainly for the autumn and winter months. It can venture into the spring, but I wouldn’t wear it out, when it gets too warm.

This Billie Eilish perfume is also much more unisex than the first one, which was a sweeter gourmand. This one can be worn by anyone and some would consider this to be much more traditionally masculine.

While it’s not a formal fragrance or one that is particularly sexy, it does have a wide use case to wear around. Eilish 2 could be a signature fragrance for the right person and it will fit in pretty much anywhere outside of a few exceptions.

Overall Impressions of Eilish No. 2

Overall, do I like this distinct sequel fragrance? I do enjoy it somewhat. The dry down is my favorite part, but it does have some interesting facets along the way.

Now, this second Eilish release isn’t going to be everyone’s favorite and the reaction to it seems pretty split. A spicy, smoky, and dry woody blend isn’t going to appeal to everyone…even if it is technically more unisex compared to the first release.

Still, even with its fairly unique presentation, I still think that this one falls short of being anything truly special. If it fits your style, it is an inexpensive pickup that should work rather well.

The performance is also a bit above average, but not by much.

The peppery start can be somewhat off-putting, but I do like the palo santo and ebony wood notes, particularly in the second half of this scent. It’s not too powerful, but it sits nicely on the skin.

Uomo Born in Roma Yellow Dream vs Coral Fantasy

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Uomo Born in Roma has become an extremely popular line of fragrances for Valentino and is producing new flanker scents each year. Two of these flankers to the original are: Yellow Dream and Coral Fantasy.

But, which of these two actually smell better? Which lasts longer? Which is ultimately the better buy? Here is my full breakdown and comparison of each, after having tested each of them out.

Tale of the Tape: Uomo Born in Roma Coral Fantasy vs. Yellow Dream

Coral Fantasy

Notes include: red apple, tobacco, patchouli, sage, geranium

Click here to try: Uomo Coral Fantasy

Read my review: Coral

roma coral fantasy review

Yellow Dream

Notes include: gingerbread, lime, pineapple, cinnamon, vanilla, lavender, cedar, geranium

Click here to try: Born in Roma Yellow Dream

Opening

Coral Fantasy opens with a sweet and succulent red apple note, supported by cardamom and other spices in more subtle roles.

Sage and some citrusy bergamot round out the opening profile. That bergamot enhances the red apple beautifully. Very bright and fairly sharp.

In the later stages, freshness emerges through geranium, clean-smelling lavender, and tobacco.

Meanwhile, Yellow Dream opens up with some light freshness and juiciness from its fruity notes. The pineapple is slightly stronger than then mandarin orange, but both are somewhat subdued by the warmer and spicier notes.

There’s already a heaviness in the base. I get lots of the gingerbread accord, obviously we’re going to have plenty of ginger and cinnamon spice in this mix.

Though, that vanilla note is already fairly present from the jump.

Which is better?

I like both in the opening act, but Coral Fantasy has a more unique and ultimately somewhat better dynamic at the start of the wear than does Yellow Dream.

Edge: Coral

Projection

Coral Fantasy is a more moderate fragrance overall. It doesn’t achieve the same reach as Intense or even the EDT, though it does start reasonably strong.

It’s also not as heavy of a scent as Intense or others in the line, like Rockstud Noir.

Yellow Dream is also pretty moderate with how it projects. It is the heavier and thicker of the two fragrances and I also think that it has a bit better projection than Coral Fantasy.

Not a massive difference, but I’d give the edge to Born in Roma Yellow Dream.

Edge: Yellow Dream

Longevity

Coral Fantasy tends to persist in that 6-7 hour territory. Perhaps slightly longer, but I still consider it a step down compared to Roma EDT.

With Yellow Dream, I get more than 7 hours and maybe it hits 8 or 8.5 hours in total sometimes. It’s not an absolute beast with its performance, but it does have a slight advantage again here over Coral Fantasy.

Neither is great, Yellow Dream is just better.

Edge: Yellow Dream

Versatility

Seasonally, both of these work best from autumn through spring. Neither is built for hotter weather, but can do just fine when things are temperate.

Coral Fantasy has more of an extension into warmer weather than does the heavier Yellow Dream.

They’re both quite versatile in their use cases. Coral Fantasy and Yellow Dream can be worn by any age group, though these aren’t very formal fragrances. Both will have more use cases among the younger age cohort.

One is cozy and spicy sweet, while the other is more of a sweet, tobacco, and woodsy aroma.

Not much separation here.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

So, overall which of these two Valentino fragrances is the better one between them? Which do I actually prefer wearing?

With Born in Roma Coral Fantasy, I was excited to try it out upon its release. Ultimately, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped for.

The apple note is good and is the highlight of the fragrance, but I was expecting more. It was above average with decent performance.

Though, it’s saving grace in this competition could’ve been that Yellow Dream isn’t particularly outstanding either.

Yet, having worn both of these fragrances quite a lot, I still think that I prefer Yellow Dream more so than Coral.

I like the opening act of Coral Fantasy, but then it becomes pretty unremarkable. Yellow Dream is pretty good throughout at least, with moments where it is much better. To me, it’s just a steadier level of enjoyment.

There’s not a huge gap in my opinion of all the releases from the Born in Roma line. These two are almost neck and neck, but I have actually wanted to wear Yellow Dream here recently, and that was not the case when I had a bunch of samples of Coral Fantasy.

I basically forgot about it after I did my testing and review of that cologne.

Winner: Yellow Dream

Ranking Le Beau by JPG Fragrances

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Le Beau is a much newer line than the more popular Le Male fragrances by Gaultier. But, they have become quite popular in their own right. The question is, what is the best smelling Le Beau from JPG? Or better yet, which is the top option for you?

On this page, I keep track of these scents and rank each of them from first to my least favorite.

Ranking JPG Le Beau Colognes

Trip to Paradise

Paradise Garden– The tropical summertime theme may limit its use case for a lot of people. However, in terms of how each of these colognes smells, Paradise Garden is my favorite from this line.

The opening blends sweetness, freshness, a cooling spice, and an aquatic quality throughout. It carries a greenish aroma from the fig that pairs beautifully with the coconut, and I personally detect a substantial dose of the ginger note.

The fig leans more toward the fruit rather than the leaf, though it seems like you get a blend of both parts. Sweet and green.

Salt? Not too much that I can detect.

While the coconut has a more watery quality, there’s still some creaminess to the mixture. Nice support from sandalwood, fig, and tonka bean ensures this.

I get more of the sandalwood during the dry down period. Really nice performance, too. Le Beau Paradise Garden review

Pineapple, Coconut, Creamy

Le Beau Le Parfum– Le Parfum, to me, is a much more interesting variant of the original Le Beau formula. More depth and almost as good as Paradise Garden.

At first,  I get a really tropical vibe with the pineapple coming out of the gate strong and the coconut note sitting underneath. It’s juicy, creamy, and sweet with an added light spicy kick from the ginger note.

The ginger will fall away and the pineapple will lose its prominence at the top. Coconut, tonka bean, amber, and a general set of woods will dry this one up and take away the juiciness of that tropical vibe, at least.

It’s crazy how quickly that aspect fades from the picture. Sure, that sweetness stays around for the duration, just not in the same way.

Sandalwood and the tonka bean really do assist a lot at adding the creamy finish to this one. Le Parfum review

Flowers Everywhere

Le Beau Flower Edition– This one is going to have a lot more of a narrow reach in terms of its fans. This is due to its floral composition. While not completely amazing, I actually have enjoyed this release from JPG.

Le Beau Flower Edition starts off being sweet, fruity, green, and fresh. I was hesitant about this one when I saw that it had a violet or violet leaf note.

This, along with the kumquat and slight lemon pairing up top is surprisingly good. It replaces the coconut note found in other Le Beau releases.

Kumquat is a note that’s not used too often, but I don’t think either this or the violet takes over completely in this early stage. I did think that this one might be a lot fresher than it is.

It’s there for sure, but once the kumquat starts to fade, there is a somewhat musky/greenish transition before it settles into a violet led ending. Flower Edition full review

The Original

Le Beau EDT– I don’t find this one to be bad, but Le Beau EDT is my least favorite of the bunch.

Le Beau EDT starts off with its citrus and coconut wood blended together. It’s got a fresh and blue sort of tone to it in the opening. Pretty simple up top.

To me, this one really gets going once the tonka bean note has ramped up and the bergamot has settled. That’s when the creaminess of the fragrance unfolds.

Le Beau EDT, again, is a likeable cologne. As a daily wear for younger guys, it works well. The opening act isn’t great, but that dry down is pretty nice with the tonka bean and wood coming through more.

Ranking Y by YSL Fragrances

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Y is one of the main and most popular lines for YSL currently. It’s getting closer to a decade since it’s initial release and there have now been plenty of iterations. But, which of them actually smell the best?

In this post, I am going to rank the Y colognes from my favorite to least favorite. I’ve linked my reviews for each of them, as well.

Best Y by YSL Scents Ranked

Note: I’m ranking everything here except for Y Live. I’m pretty sure that I’ve smelled that one, but I cannot recall it at all. So, rather than try to place this discontinued fragrance, I’m leaving it off.

Still the One

Y EDP– I still think the eau de parfum is the best one overall. Though, the apple and sage might be too intense for some people, and you might opt for Le Parfum or the EDT instead.

The EDP version takes the bergamot of the original and pairs it with a crisp apple note at the top. Meanwhile, you also get the cool spice of ginger, and the trio is quite captivating.

The apple is really great. Too often you can get weak or very unnatural smelling apple notes in men’s fragrances, but here, it becomes the star of the show. That top paired with the citrus and that familiar ginger aroma is just completely delicious.

The secondary layer under this main trio at the start is from amber, tonka bean, and a bit of juniper berry.

The performance is great. Y EDP lasts long and is also quite powerful. Y EDP review

The Parfum

Y Le Parfum– The opening act of Le Parfum is pretty similar in many ways to both Y EDP and EDT.

You get the apple and ginger combination up top, along with the sage and geranium already peaking through.

The difference is, Le Parfum isn’t nearly as bold, has more of a sweetness, while being greenish and somewhat dark. Yes, you do still get the citrus/fruity notes, it’s grapefruit here. Though, the addition of the aldehydes gives this one a bright/sweet/slightly fresh aroma.

Once I get past this initial phase, I really begin to enjoy Y Le Parfum. It becomes softer, with hints of sage still providing an edge, but with an attractive sweetness.

Apple, tonka bean, lavender, cedar, and geranium are running the show. A somewhat dark sweetness with a fresh woody base. It just doesn’t have the same density to my nose, as those others.

The final stage is lavender, tonka bean, and a mix of the remaining fruity and woody notes.

Apparently, they’ve significantly changed this formula for 2025. So, I’m talking about the original bottles here. Find one of those if you can. Though, I’m not sure how much of a difference there actually is. Y Le Parfum review

Higher Priced Concentration

Y Elixir– I think that the relative simplicity and pricing of Elixir caused this one to get somewhat of a negative reaction. But, on terms of how it smells, this is a very enjoyable and versatile cologne.

The geranium here is the one that is found in both EDP and Intense. But, a much more prominent role. Sometimes geranium can have a slight apple like smell to it, but I’m sure they just added a touch of the EDP mix to create a small hint of Y EDP’s opening act.

Nonetheless, that blue-ish tone is very much muted.

Lavender and geranium are the stars here, particularly the latter. The lavender gives this one a clean and soapy kind of aroma. But, that is more than offset by the spicy, earthy, crisp, woodsy freshness of the geranium.

Very cold and fresh in these early stages. Not as blue or bold as EDP for example. Though, this one has some depth and I enjoy how tame and easy to wear it is.

This is a very good option for a low key daily wear, that still has plenty of performance. Y Elixir review

The EDT

Y EDT– This is a very likeable fragrance. It’s a good one to get if you think that the EDP is too strong. This one is lighter and cleaner, great for daily wear. Plus, you can usually find a bottle for cheaper than others on the list.

It did get a slight revamp after its initial release. But, the ‘newer’ version has quite a lot of overlap with the original batches. YSL was pretty quick to change the formula, even slightly.

I think this might actually be some people’s favorite out of all of the options. It’s a great entry level cologne, not too challenging, but delivers plenty to enjoy. Y EDT review

Summer Fresh

Y Eau Fraiche– Eau Fraiche served as the summertime edition of the Y lineup. It wasn’t amazing by any stretch of the imagination. However, I thought it was a nice, if pretty simple fragrance.

Y Eau Fraiche kicks off with that immediately recognizable Y blend of notes. Here, you get overlap with the EDT from lemon, ginger, and mint in particular. Gone are the sage, pineapple, and apple. Very much cleaner and brighter than the original, but with a spicier bite.

There is a black pepper note, which joins that mint, and ginger. Cold and refreshing like a lemonade on a hot day.

As it moves along in the wear, the pepper and ginger fade away from my skin, and I get more geranium and cedar. Eau Fraiche starts smelling a bit more like the EDT, with less of the cold lemony punch, that started us off. Y Eau Fraiche review

Rounding things out

Y EDP Intense– I didn’t hate this one. I think that it’s an okay scent overall, but just not better than anything else on the list (maybe Eau Fraiche).

The opening of Y EDP Intense is pretty familiar, in terms of what you get with the rest of the series. The same blue-ish aroma is there early, along with the powerful sage note from Y Eau de parfum.

Intense doesn’t have the apple note, so, people who weren’t a fan of its sweetness may be pleased. It is replaced by a much shorter-lived juniper berry. I like its pairing here with the sage and other ingredients.

Early on you get a light bergamot, to go along with the cooler fresh spiciness. Geranium, ginger, and that sage note are all present creating a nice aromatic aroma.

I personally get around 20-30 minutes of this phase of the fragrance, before it begins to shift quite a bit. Things get earthier, warmer, less spicy.

After that, it’s kind of boring. Nothing too unique, but this one has a heavier patchouli and vetiver with the lavender note also hanging around. It’s always just been mid to me. Y EDP Intense review

Pacific Chill vs Afternoon Swim

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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.

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

Afternoon Swim

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

Read my review: Afternoon Swim by Louis Vuitton

 

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

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

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

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

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