Flowerbomb vs Gucci Bloom

by

Flowerbomb and Gucci Bloom are two fragrances that are quite different, but for some reason often get compared. I think it’s the names, associating each with floral scents. Nonetheless, they are both very popular perfumes, so let’s break them each down. How do they smell? Which lasts longer? Which fragrance is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Flowerbomb vs. Gucci Bloom

Flowerbomb

Notes include: Centifolia Rose, Sambac Jasmine, Cattleya Orchid, India Osmanthus, tea, bergamot, patchouli, musk, and vanilla

Click here to try: Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Fl Oz

Read my review: Flowerbomb EDP

viktor rolf review

Gucci Bloom

Notes include: jasmine, gardenia, Rangoon Creeper

Click here to try: Gucci Bloom

Opening

Bloom starts things off with it’s jasmine really coming out to play. To me, I also get a hint of honeysuckle, which is found in some of the other Bloom fragrances. But, it doesn’t seem to be officially listed.

Underneath that, you will get the tuberose note, which will be the main focus of this Gucci perfume. But in the opening, it is a jasmine led affair, with a greenish stem aroma and a bit of spice for what it’s worth.

This one is much more of a flower garden sort of experience. Naturalistic white flowers, stem and all, not just the petals alone.

With Flowerbomb, you get an initial burst of sweetness and fruitiness. The osmanthus flower gives you a jammy sort of aroma, sweet almost-peach like that is paired with bergamot citrus.

Tea, patchouli, and vanilla are also present coming from the heart and base notes. The rose and orchid will have their moments, but very early stages it is osmanthus, tea, and patchouli taking turns.

Which is better? I really like the sweet and fruity open of the Viktor & Rolf perfume. Some may not care for it, but I like the jam-like finish and the gradual emergence of the floral notes.

Edge: Flowerbomb

Projection

Both of these fragrances start off strong, will leave scent trails behind, and can command attention. But, Flowerbomb hits a higher peak, and stays up there for a longer time.

With Bloom, I get a bold start that will dissipate and be more of an intimate scent bubble. It’s not weak (or a skin scent until the end), will have nice projection, but it doesn’t go quite as hard as Flowerbomb can.

Edge: Flowerbomb

Longevity

With Bloom, it will stick around for 5 to 7 hours, depending on the day. The seven hour mark seems to be rare on my skin, but it does happen. Is it a long lasting fragrance? Eh, maybe slightly above average, but still very much in that range.

Flowerbomb, goes for over 10 hours. On clothes, it goes for days. The actual amount of time falls somewhere between, 10 to 12 hours, on skin. It doesn’t really go beyond that, but it is better than Bloom with its performance.

Edge: Flowerbomb

Versatility

Flowerbomb is better suited for autumn and winter. Meanwhile, Bloom shines in the warmer months, and can do the cold too…just not as well.

So, I think the Gucci has more versatility based on climate. It’s also more low key and might be the better bet for daily office wear.

That being said, I also think that Flowerbomb is a great option casually, date night, or other nightlife events. It has a more dynamic range, in that way.

Ultimately, both serve different functions, in a lot of ways. So, I’ll call this even.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two fragrances do I prefer?

For me, it’s Flowerbomb all the way. It’s just a more interesting and fun fragrance to smell. Plus, I think that it’s much sexier on women.

Bloom is a rather straightforward floral fragrance. Jasmine open, with tuberose and a slightly powdery Rangoon creeper in the base.

Yes, both of these fragrances have flower names, but the more floral-centric of the two is Gucci Bloom. So, if you want a jasmine and gardenia party, that’s the scent that you should go with out of these.

Bloom is fine. I’ve never been all that impressed with it.  I don’t dislike it though and can see why some people really do.

I also like the floral notes in Flowerbomb more. The orchid and rose with jasmine, is superior to the jasmine and gardenia of Bloom. Add to that, spice and muskiness, and the V&R runs away with this one.

Winner: Flowerbomb

Tuxedo by YSL

by

Tuxedo is a 2014 release from Yves Saint Laurent, as a part of their higher end Le Vestiaire des Parfums line. This has become one of the, if not the most popular perfume to come out of that line of scents, but how does it actually smell? Does it last a long time? Is Tuxedo worth the hype?

What does Tuxedo Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, amber, patchouli, cardamom, black pepper, vanilla, and more

Click here to try: Tuxedo by YSL

My Full Review

Here’s how YSL describes it: A spicy unisex scent that blends the matte texture of smoked patchouli with ambergris accord to express a magnetic and dark sex appeal. The sharp black pepper enhanced with the freshness of cardamom mirrors the satin stripe that runs along the seam of the trousers and the lapels of the jacket.

While the opening of Tuxedo does indeed have the spice that YSL refers to in their description, it really serves to establish how absolutely smooth and refined this fragrance is.

The black pepper is there, gives this one a bit of an edge, but never truly punches you in the face with its presence. Between that and the cardamom, the spices help to create a separation that might otherwise leave this one feeling like a sea of amber on your skin.

Aside from the prominent pepper, there’s a green/watery aroma provided by the violet leaf and patchouli. Along with a general balsamic feeling, perhaps a little smoke too. The former (thankfully, for me at least) isn’t too large a factor here. But, the patchouli will take on a larger role moving forward.

It’s all very fresh and smooth. Beyond the immediate opening, the spiciness will subside somewhat, as will that violet leaf. At this stage, the rose and vanilla notes will come into play. Though, the amber and patchouli are going to be the stars with Tuxedo, so don’t expect a fragrance like Toy Boy, which goes super rosy.

That being said, there is a surprising amount of rose in this one, when I spray it on my skin during the first hour or two.

Once Tuxedo hits its dry down phase, it’s a pretty straightforward scent. Patchouli, amber, and vanilla. All of the other notes combine for an amalgam of fresh undertones. It’s warm and light, but also sweet, with these ever so slight aquatic touches.

Seasonally, just skip the summer months and you should be fine. Autumn through spring, should work just fine in most climates. High heat and humidity, not so much.

With a name like Tuxedo, is this a formal wear fragrance? Yes, it is. That being the case, I think that it still works in a wide variety of situations, beyond elegant events.

It’s office safe, it can be worn out at night even in more casual settings, for dates, etc. It’s never too serious or oppressive feeling, to wear it couldn’t work in many scenarios. Tuxedo could absolutely be a signature fragrance for some.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Tuxedo can be a tricky one to pin down how strong it is. I’ve noticed this with a lot of amber and vanilla dominant blends, that you can tend to go nose blind to it.

Now the sillage, with normal sprays is towards the lighter end of things. It does create a nice scent trail, though, and will be noticed. Just after a while, it might not be noticed by you. It can seem like a skin scent after two hours or you might not pick it up at all.

However, Tuxedo is still there doing its thing. That happened a bunch while testing this one again. I would forget that I’m wearing it and then caught a whiff hours later.

It sticks around, but can be elusive. For some people, that seems to be an issue. Not so much for me. I would say it hits the 6-8 hour range of actual longevity. Not amazing, especially at the price point. Though, I’m not really upset by it either.

Overall Impressions of Tuxedo

Overall, do I like Tuxedo? I love the way that this fragrance smells. It’s been becoming more and more one of my personal favorites over the past year or so. A lot of the YSL scents that I used to really enjoy, have gotten discontinued over time, but Tuxedo captures my attention completely.

The smoothness. The blend of spice, sweetness, and the hint of a watery finish. Tuxedo is so clean and refined, yet has a sexiness to it that attracts.

Sure, the performance can be elusive when compared to other scents. But, it is better than many give it credit for, while also not being completely elite in this regard.

I find this Saint Laurent perfume to be entirely wearable and not at all ‘stuffy’, despite its class and formal attire name.

To me, this is definitely full bottle worthy and a scent that people should for sure give a try.

Pure Poison EDP by Dior

by

Pure Poison is a 2004 release from Dior’s now long-running Poison for Her perfume line. I grabbed a decant of this stuff, as I couldn’t recall if I had ever tried it out, and knew that I had yet to do a review of it for the site. Despite covering some of the more recent Poison Girl flankers. How does this one smell? Does it last long? Is Pure Poison worth a try?

What does Pure Poison by Dior Smell Like?

Notes include: jasmine, bergamot, orange, amber, orange blossom, gardenia, sandalwood, cedar, and musk

Click here to try: Pure Poison EDP by Dior

My Full Review

Here’s how Dior describes it: Once upon a time there was an ingenuous and captivating, sincere and mysterious fragrance… Pure Poison is the fragrance that celebrates the purest form of seduction, while exploring its duality and irresistible alchemy.

Pure Poison opens up with its jasmine note in control. The citrus blend of orange and bergamot sits underneath, creating a brightness to the aroma, but it isn’t a juicy citrus dominant mix. The citrus actually has somewhat of a ‘greenish’ finish to it, stemming from the bergamot.

Also, that is somewhat tempered anyway, by the inclusion of the orange blossom note. To my nose, that opening is jasmine dominant with the orange blossom second. Later, that gets taken over by gardenia, but the blossom has its time to shine.

Wearing this, I was expecting more of an amber and musk presence in this Dior. Not really the case. In fact, the woods seem to play a larger role here. Still, this one does absolutely have a very clean profile, much less of a seductive ‘poison’ as the name suggest.

As the gardenia steps up to the plate, the sandalwood will join it giving Pure Poison a nice woody balance. As I said, the orange blossom fades into the background, but I still get the citrus impressions for a long while into the wear.

The final dry down is pretty much just a woody white floral. The citrus has disappeared, the musk really fully materializes, and it’s basically the jasmine note with a dose of gardenia and sandalwood.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Pure Poison certainly has a strong opening act. I can spray this on a shirt or myself and it feels like it fills the room and lightly saturates the air for a while. I’d say around 1 hour of strong sillage, before it settles into an intimate scent bubble.

It’s not overwhelming ever, but it certainly packs a punch early on.

The longevity is decent, just not spectacular. Testing this one out, netted me experiences of five hours of wear and some of over eight. Maybe I just went nose blind that one time, but the longevity seems to be at least above average…if not, quite good.

Seasonally, this kind of always works. It’s not too heavy or cloying for the summer months. In fact, it brings a nice coolness. But, it’s not always too fresh for the cold of winter either. Sure, sometimes that cleanliness can get on one’s nerves, just wasn’t straying too much in that direction.

This comes across as much more of a daytime wear. I don’t find it to be seductive, sexy, or a nightlife scent despite the marketing.

But, as a cold fresh and clean perfume it does have plenty of uses. It can be used casually, semi-formal, to work, or what have you. Pure Poison is a daily wear type for those who love white floral scents.

Overall Impressions of Pure Poison

Overall, do I like Pure Poison? I like it, but I was never completely enraptured by it. Gardenia can be hit or miss for me and I’m not always thrilled with an overdose of jasmine. However, this blend is quality and I enjoyed enough of my time with it.

Still, it’s not one of my favorite Dior releases. It’s fine. If you’re a jasmine or fan of these sorts of clean white floral perfumes, you’ll probably want to give it a go.

The performance is good. It’s not super complicated. Basically, jasmine/orange blossom/citrus start with a finish of jasmine/gardenia/sandalwood. Simple, but it does have a nice dynamic energy to it.

The main strength is its versatility. If you dig the smell of this, you should have no problem finding time to wear it around.

Pure Poison is one that is worth testing to see if you happen to fall in the camp of those who love it.

Le Lion de Chanel EDP by Chanel

by

I’ve had a few samples of Le Lion de Chanel that I’ve been coming back to over the span of many months. As I wasn’t exactly sure how to feel at first about this entry from the Les Exclusifs line from the French brand.

But, I’ve at least completed my initial evaluation to the point where I can share my thoughts on the site. How does it smell? Is Le Lion worth a try?

What does Le Lion de Chanel Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood, amber, musk, labdanum

Click here to try: Le Lion de Chanel at Chanel


My Full Review

Tried Le Lion? Leave your rating and review in the comments!

Here’s how Chanel describes it: Gabrielle Chanel was born on August 19, 1883, under the sign of Leo. Proud and passionate, instinctive and daring, Mademoiselle fully embodied her zodiac symbol. Majestic, indomitable and wild, the lion became a personal emblem, serving as the inspiration for this powerful fragrance.

It is interesting with Le Lion de Chanel that I actually get a burst of the amber and labdanum before, the citrus is fully revealed on my skin. Like, those notes burst onto the scene with a smokiness, warmth, and spice…then fade a bit to let the bergamot and lemon come through.

It’s a captivating moment, when I do get to the citrus notes, however. Very juicy and bright, but they are surrounded by the pronounced dryness that is found with this mix. The labdanum remains the strongest note, beneath the citrus, and will grow in strength after the fruits move out.

With that labdanum, there is the patchouli lending its earthiness to the smokiness and resinous aroma of labdanum. Earlier, it has more of the balsamic aroma, before settling into something earthier and musky.

Man, this stuff really packs a punch for the initial stages of the wear. The labdanum or amber accord has a dry and sort of a leathery aroma at times. Then, when it dries down, we get a light muskiness and a nice sandalwood.

I do like that smokiness, leathery moments, and that opening citrus. Sure, it can be a lot and take some time getting used to, but I’ve come to enjoy it with repeat wears.

The patchouli will come in stronger, with a step back by the labdanum. It’s more of a straightforward amber here towards the end, with the vanilla and patchouli doing their thing, also.

Le Lion isn’t super complicated. To me, the latter stages are less smoky, still dry (kind of a powdery scent), none of the citrus. Just a woody/earthy/musk with the remaining resinous qualities. There does seem to be a light sweetness involved here throughout (vanilla).

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty massive. Not the strongest that I’ve come across, but it’ll out do many perfumes on the market. A nice long scent trail for sure and great projection off of the skin.

Just using the sample size, with 4-5 spritzes and this will be emanating off of my skin like a beast. Easily picked up by those around you.

It’ll also last in the 9-11 hour range, on my skin. It’s an all-day experience it seems, without issue. Le Lion will not be confused as being a weak fragrance. Even at the high end price, you do still get plenty of value.

Seasonally, this is a fragrance for the autumn and winter months. It’d be way too much for the heat.

It is a unisex perfume. Leans more towards the traditionally feminine fragrances in this style, but it never strikes me as being ‘girly’. It’s probably suitable for mid-20s and up because it does have a level of maturity to it.

It’s versatility isn’t the strong suit. It is confident and bold and probably not best served for use at work. Not entirely formal, but isn’t something all that casual either.

Probably better for nightlife or social functions versus being a daily wear. It’s not so overwhelming that it’ll be off-putting to most people, but Le Lion can skirt that line.

Overall Impressions of Le Lion

Overall, do I like Le Lion de Chanel? I do. I’ve liked it more, the more time that I’ve spent with it. Though, it’s not one that I’m personally clamoring to wear all the time, since I’m not a big fan of the oriental style perfumes.

But, there is plenty to like with this Chanel. It’s high quality, matching the price point. Those citrus notes sitting under the resinous smoky aroma of the amber accord is really attractive. I kept pressing my nose against my arm to pick up that bergamot and lemon.

The opening is attention grabbing, deep, and somewhat rough. But, the perfume never strays too far and remain luxurious and rich. I do like that in addition to the smoke, it has an earthy/dirty scent that will rise up and break the potential monotony of amber and vanilla.

The dryness and the leather-like finish with hints of sandalwood is very nice to catch whiffs of during the latter stages.

The performance here is great. Le Lion is powerful and will stick around for a long while.

But, this isn’t going to be a perfume for everyone. It’s pretty different from many other Chanel’s. Not a floral aldehyde soaked perfume. Yet, you can still pick out that classic Chanel style, if you’re familiar.

Le Lion isn’t entirely a niche fragrance, but it’ll be one to test out to see if you’d actually want to go with it. It for sure doesn’t have the same mass appeal, as something like Coco Mademoiselle.

Armaf Club de Nuit Intense vs. Dior Sauvage

by

Two of the best selling fragrances for men right now, came about reaching that status in different ways. Sauvage EDT really propelled the ambroxan heavy mass appealing scent into the mainstream. So much so that it is the best selling fragrance (for men or women) in the world.

Meanwhile Club de Nuit Intense, got to where it is by being an inexpensively priced and similar scent to Creed’s famous Aventus. Now, each of these are two of the last colognes that some men often need to decide between to purchase. Which one is actually the better choice?

Tale of the Tape: Club de Nuit Intense vs. Sauvage EDT

Sauvage

Notes of Sauvage: bergamot, ambroxan, lavender, pepper, wood notes

Click here to try: Christian Dior Sauvage for Men Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.4 Fluid Ounce

My Original Sauvage Review

Club de Nuit EDP

Notes include: lemon, apple, blackcurrant, birch, jasmine, rose, vanilla, musk, ambergris, patchouli

Click here to try: Club de Nuit Men EDP

Opening

Luckily for this post (not so much for my other work), I was accidently sent a new sample vial of Dior Sauvage EDT, instead of the Eau Sauvage the brand has been producing since the 1960s.

So, I have both of these fragrances on hand in order to compare them directly, instead of just off of past experience.

Club de Nuit EDP is very similar to the EDT release, which smells a lot like Aventus. It’s fruity, less smoky, and the birch comes across as more of a dry wood, without the same amount of leathery facets it will develop later.

To me, the EDP comes across as being a bit smoother. Less of the lemon note, but with a more pronounced apple, which I enjoy.  Also, the birch here is smokier early on and does give it that leathery aroma to a greater extent.

The opening of Sauvage gives off an aroma of amber, pepper, and the bergamot note. There is a bit of spice to it but I do get a lot of the ambroxan. It’s nice and dries down to a clean/soapy scent with some slightly spice wood notes and the bergamot.

One thing I notice with this Sauvage EDT sample, is that the bergamot doesn’t seem as sharp when paired with the Sichuan pepper, as it has in the past.

Actually, it’s much smoother than it has been on me before and more so than Club de Nuit Intense.

I’ve never been a fan of the opening act of Aventus and don’t particularly care too much about its cheaper alternative’s either. So, this category is going to go to Sauvage.

Edge: Sauvage

Projection

The sillage for both is very good. You get a very good scent trail coming off of the skin for hours on end, before it settles into something more intimate.

I’m not sure that there is much of a difference between Sauvage and Club de Nuit Intense EDP. Maybe it’d be noticeable with the full bottle sprayers, but with these sample sprayers, 3-4 sprays come across as being the same.

Perhaps, Sauvage’s projection reach stays around for a tad longer, but it’s not clear to me that it actually does.

Edge: Push

Longevity

With Sauvage EDT, it’s always lasted between 6-8 hours on my skin. But, it will usually be closer to the 8 hour end of things.

Club de Nuit Intense EDP will go for 7-9 hours. So, a higher floor and a bit better ceiling, in terms of how long it will last.

Not a massive difference and some might get better performance with the Dior. For me, the nod goes to the Armaf.

Edge: Club de Nuit

Versatility

Both are extremely versatile as to when you can wear them. Seasonally, I’d give the edge to Club in the autumn/winter and Sauvage in spring/summer.

Neither is great in the high heat, and actually, I’d use something else in the extreme cold as well. But, Sauvage does perform a bit better in the warmer weather, while still having the ability to be used in the colder months.

Both are good casually, out at night, etc. Neither is much of a formal fragrance. Club is probably better than Sauvage in dressier situations, but it doesn’t have the same Creed quality as with Aventus to make that certain.

Really, this category is kind of equal.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which one of these fragrances do I prefer?

With Sauvage EDT, it’s never been one that I loved. I liked it when it came out, got completely sick of it for years, and now…it’s fine. Doesn’t bother me, but I don’t really enjoy wearing it that much. I get the appeal, but it’s just nothing all that special.

By the same token, I’ve never been an Aventus fan boy. I like it more than Sauvage EDT, find it nice to wear on occasion, but I don’t personally need to have it around.

If I had to pick between the original Sauvage EDT and one of the Club de Nuit Intense options, I’d go with the Armaf. I do prefer the mimicry of Creed Aventus a bit more than that particular Sauvage release.

Plus, Armaf is significantly cheaper than what you’re going to spend versus Dior.

However, if I can choose any version of Sauvage, the decision would definitely change for me. Here’s what the list would look like then:

1a. Sauvage Elixir

1b. Sauvage EDP

2. Sauvage Parfum

3. Club de Nuit Intense EDP

4. Club de Nuit Intense EDT

5. Sauvage EDT

So, it’s really only when compared to the original Sauvage formulation, do I have a preference for the Armaf colognes. I really do like Sauvage EDP and Elixir provides a unique experience versus all of them.

Winner: Club de Nuit