Stronger With You vs. Absolutely

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Stronger With You is a seemingly ever expanding series from the Emporio Armani line. Absolutely is one of the more popular flankers from to spawn off of that original formulation. In this post, I want to compare the two: Stronger with You EDT vs. Stronger with You Absolutely. Which is the better cologne? Which lasts longer?

Tale of the Tape: Stronger With You vs. Absolutely

Stronger With You

Notes include: vanilla, mint, cardamom, chesnut, amber, pink pepper, sage, violet leaf

Click here to try: Emporio Armani Stronger With You for Men Eau de Toilette Spray, 1.7 oz

My Full Review: Stronger With You

Stronger With You Absolutely

Notes include: glazed chestnut, rum, lavender, cedar, vanilla, elemi

Read my Full review: Absolutely

Opening

Stronger With You opens up fresh and with its spicier notes out front. To me, the cardamom really stands apart from the other notes, it really has a significant weighting in the mix

Beyond that, it’s: pink pepper, mint, sage. The vanilla and chestnut notes are there also, but will gain strength a bit further in. Early on, it’s cardamom and the others.

With Absolutely,  the opening act gives me a blast of the very short-lived bergamot and some of the other fruity sweetish notes, that are associated with the lavender accord.

The difference is the resinous qualities, along with the spicy booziness here. Elemi or the ‘glaze’ of the chestnut note is something that is really distinct versus the other Stronger fragrances

The Armani website mentioned cinnamon in addition to the rum accord. Yes, there is some warm spiciness and booziness , but this is a lot smoother composition than a heavily spiced boozy rum note.

Which is better? I’ve always been pretty indifferent to Stronger EDT’s opening act. Absolutely is more interesting, has greater depth, and just smells better.

Edge: Absolutely

Projection

Both of these are on the stronger side, especially for designer fragrances. Stronger with You EDT is very good with its ability to create a scent trail and project off of the skin. From the first time that I tested it out, I wasn’t disappointed.

Is Absolutely better? Not really. But, it also isn’t worse. To me, these have been about equal to one another with how they project.

At least in this aspect of their performances, these Emporio Armani colognes are equals.

Edge: Push

Longevity

The original Stronger With You lasts for at least 9 hours on my skin. However, it can go above 10 hours at times, as well. It just sometimes fails to hit that double digit hour mark.

Absolutely is better on this front. I routinely get 11 or 12 hours of wear from this one. Both of these fragrances have great staying power for mainstream colognes.  But, the flanker is a notch above the original.

Edge: Absolutely

Versatility

Both of them are best in the autumn and winter months. Though, each can sneak into the early spring, especially if you’re planning on using them for evening wear.

Neither is a formal wear or one that is built for offices. Casual, nightlife, and romantic wear would be better uses.

I think Absolutely has a slight edge versus the original in this department. The aroma is more mature, even while being sweet. The scent is just put together better in a more refined presentation.

Edge: Absolutely

Overall Scent

So, which one of these fragrances is the better one to try?

With SWY EDT, it was always a fragrance that I liked aspects of, but was never really blown away by. There’s nothing much to complain about with the performance aspect of the scent, but the smell is a good one which never approaches great.

It actually made me be not too inclined to try out the rest of the series, since I thought it was ‘fine’ rather than being anything spectacular.

Absolutely, on the other hand, is either the second or third best scent that Emporio Armani has released thus far under this banner. I like Intensely more and Leather depending on the day.

The opening resinous elemi, the cinnamon/rum, the fruitiness and the chestnut coming in later on make this one a better option.

It’s not any heavier, but you do get a few more hours of performance out of it. It’s not overwhelming better, but this is still an easy choice for me.

Winner: Stronger With You Absolutely

Versace Bright Crystal vs Yellow Diamond

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In today’s ladies perfume comparison, we have a head to head match up between two Versace fragrances: Bright Crystal vs. Yellow Diamond. Now, which one of these popular scents, smells the best? As usual, I am going to break down each one of these fragrances, and compare them in different categories. Then, I will declare a winner.

Tale of the Tape

Yellow Diamond

Notes include: citron, pear, neroli, bergamot, nymphea, freesia, orange blossom, mimosa, amber wood, musk, palo santo

Click here to try: Versace Yellow Diamond Eau de Toilette Spray, 3 Fluid Ounce

Read my original review: Versace Yellow Diamond

Bright Crystal

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

Read my original review: Bright Crystal Review

Opening

Bright Crystal does indeed open bright with yuzo and a blast of juicy pomegranate. This fragrance has a crisp profile due to the iced accord within. It starts out with these fruity notes and then moves into something that is more floral, mostly from peony.

Yellow Diamond also starts off with citrus from citron, but this is tempered by floral notes including mimosa and freesia. It doesn’t have the same level of fruitiness as Bright Crystal. It’s also bright but is like being surrounded by greenery and flowers.

Which Versace is better after first spray? I think that Bright Crystal starts off better. The cold juiciness of the fruits are very nice and the peony is a great addition that doesn’t overpower the fruit top notes.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Projection

Both of these scents are light to moderate throughout the wear. There isn’t a huge difference between them, n my mind. However, I think Bright Crystal does have a bit better sillage than Yellow Diamond.

It might just be that its particular notes feel stronger and just come across as so.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Longevity

Yellow Diamond would last around six hours on my skin, which is decent, but not amazing. It was pretty consistent about vanishing at about that six hour mark. Meanwhile, I could get 8-10 hours out of Bright Crystal on a regular basis during testing.

Yellow Diamond isn’t terrible, but Bright Crystal performs very well in every aspect.

Edge: Bright Crystal

Versatility

Both of these scents can be worn year round. I’d peg them both more as spring/summer. Neither one is super sexy, but both are quite pretty and pleasant to be around. Each can be worn casually or even more dressed up. There really isn’t a distinction in this category.

In either case you get a very versatile scent, more useful for daily wear, but that can venture into other uses. No real complaints about their versatility.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Yellow Diamond is a very solid everyday wear, if you like florals with enough citrus to keep it from being annoying. It’s a good perfume, but never blows me away.

The mimosa is an interesting choice for the floral notes, with the freesia, it gives this one something a bit different from the usual fare. It’s also got some greenish qualities, a bit of pear, and other random floral notes.

Nonetheless, it’s still not all that exciting or super memorable. Nice, sure. Though, I don’t think it ever gets to the same level of attractiveness as Bright Crystal.

In comparison, I really enjoy the way that Bright Crystal smells. It offers better performance than does Yellow Diamond and a more unique aroma.

The fruit notes at the top, the iciness, the juiciness, and then the floral/musk in the dry down are great. It never becomes too floral and strikes the right balance.

They each have some light aquatic qualities and juiciness, along with the floral aspects. But, Bright Crystal has more of each in a more pleasing composition.

It is simply a better Versace perfume than is the original Yellow Diamond.

Winner: Bright Crystal

R.E.M. by Ariana Grande

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R.E.M. by Ariana Grande is a review that I forgot to do last year, after testing it out. Luckily, I had another sample tucked away in a box, so I recently tried it once again in order to do a full write up of the perfume. This one was released back in 2020. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

What does REM Perfume Smell Like?

Notes include: fig, caramel, lavender, zefir, quince, pear blossom, salt, sandalwood, musk, tonka bean

Click here to try: R.E.M by Ariana Grande

My Full Review

Here’s how REM is described: An intergalactic dream of femininity and power, R.E.M. draws you in with a cosmic blend of Juicy Fig and Warm Salted Caramel. Lavender essence takes you to dreamy new heights, while sparkling Pear Blossom explodes like a supernova in the night sky. Intoxicating Musk wrapped with Sandalwood creates the perfect ending to your unforgettable journey.

R.E.M. opens up sweet, creamy, a bit juicy (sparkling), and familiar. It certainly has overlap with the styles and some notes of the other perfumes in the Ariana lineup. However, the aroma itself would be closest to Cloud, while still being a lot different with how it smells.

Here, the fig is the star early on. It is rich and sweet, while not being overpowering. It is joined by a light quince, that quickly disappears, and the creaminess of zefir. That note adds an additional sweetness also.

REM feels more substantial than Cloud, not overbearing, but thicker and bringing a definite warmth to the mix. Salted caramel thickens things up creating a further gourmand like sensibility.

As things progress, the opening creaminess will start to take a back seat. This one becomes more lavender dominant and has a powdery finish to it. That caramel note, is one that really burns off, mostly sticking around as a generic sweetness. Much less salty.

Lavender and musk have their moment in the spotlight together. The musk actually sticks around to the end, but in a weaker state. The lavender doesn’t weaken. It’s interesting how this becomes powdery, since the tonka bean/zefir have more of a creamy quality.

To me, it’s like a 65/35 split between powdery and creamy towards the back half of the wear.

Finally, the dry down is lavender with a sweet finish. Musky and some sandalwood, if you pay really close attention. Not super complicated at the end.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, I think this one is on the upper bounds of moderate. It’s not massive, but with a good amount of sprays, the scent trail lasts a while. Plus, the projection is solid for more than a few hours.

It’s not massive, but I can spray REM on a shirt and pick it up across the bedroom with ease. It does lighten up and dry down more to the skin. Still, I don’t find this to be one of the weaker Ariana perfumes.

On my skin, this one will go for 7-7.5 hours. Again, most of these perfumes don’t have great longevity. But, this one is pretty decent. Those last hours are skin scent level, but it is indeed still present.

REM is best worn from autumn through springtime. Much better in weather that’s somewhat chilly. Though, it gives you enough versatility to go day or night with it.

It’s not a formal fragrance. It’s good for casual, school, maybe some workplaces, or just going out on the town.

It’s not so much ‘sexy’ as it is pleasing and attractive to smell. This gets called a unisex fragrance due to the presence of the lavender note. To me, nope. This is feminine, there are plenty of lavender colognes for men, and they’re much more forceful than R.E.M. is.

Nevertheless, if you’re not a fan of the lavender note on yourself, you might want to skip this one.

Overall Impressions of REM

Overall, do I like R.E.M.? I do. It’s not the most amazing fragrance that I’ve ever come across, but it’s in the top half of the Ariana Grande releases, thus far.

I’m not usually a big fan of scents that use lavender heavily. Yet, this is one that I find enjoyable, in ways that I don’t with Cloud. In my opinion, it’s just better, even while that one gets all of the attention due to its overdone BR 540 comparisons.

I am, though, a big fan of using fig in fragrance. The one here doesn’t get all that much shine, but it’s nice while it lasts. I like the opening with the caramel, the sweetness, and that later back and forth between the creamy and the powdery.

Performance for me is decent. Not crazy good, but it seems to work on me better than what some people have reported.

R.E.M. is worth trying out. It’s not going to be everyone’s favorite, but there are a portion of people for whom this will be the best Ariana perfume.

The One Gentleman by D&G

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The One line has spawned a ton of different fragrances over the years. I have gone through and reviewed all of them except for today’s entry, The One Gentleman. This is actually an older release which came out back in 2010. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it actually worth a try?

What does The One Gentleman Smell Like?

Notes include: cardamom, vanilla, pepper, lavender, watercress, patchouli

Click here to try: The One Gentleman

My Full Review

The One Gentlemen starts off with a burst of the same cardamom note found in the rest of the ‘The One’ series of colognes. It’s pronounced flanked by a peppery spice and the underlying familiarity of vanilla.

There’s something a bit different about this opening though. I think it is the inclusion of the watercress note. A bit of a fresh herbal smell, not something I come across routinely, and not exactly sure if I like it or not in this mix.

That watercress aroma will tone down as we move along and basically have no influence thereafter.

After this initial phase passes, the lavender note comes in, to join the cardamom in being the main event. With the lavender, the vanilla note feels a bit powdery less of a creaminess here, and the pepper still commands some attention.

Patchouli sort of takes over for the watercress, giving this a greener/earthy influence. As it wears on, this is less spicy more of a classic creamy vanilla and the lavender note which stays strong throughout.

Gentleman really does turn into a lavender heavy fragrance the deeper you get into its development. It’s all pretty fresh and somewhat sweet, with a unique take on The One name.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatilty

Sillage wise, it’s above average, but its initial punch doesn’t last super long. About an hour plus of decent scent trail creation and projection off of the skin. After that, The One Gentleman is going to be closer to the skin, but with a few feet of projection.

After 4 hours, it’s basically a skin scent.

The longevity is okay. I get somewhere in the 5-6.5 hour range with this Dolce & Gabbana fragrance. It doesn’t go beyond that high end and can also quit a bit before it hits the five hour mark.

Pretty average to somewhat above average, sort of depends on the day for me.

Seasonally, I like this best in the autumn or winter. I’d avoid the high heat of summer, but it isn’t too cloying in a more moderate spring-like setting.

It does have a pretty great amount of versatility. It could be a daily wear, good for younger guys, and even venture into the nightlife. It’s not the most well put together cologne, so, I don’t think it lives up to the ‘Gentleman’ moniker. 

It’s not anything that’s going to jump out as being overbearing or cheap, but I don’t think it has much appeal as a formal sort of fragrance.

 

 

Overall Impressions of The One Gentleman

Overall, do I like this cologne? I don’t hate it, but it really doesn’t appeal much to me either. This is a scent that I thought I’d enjoy more based on the notes, but it doesn’t hit the mark. 

The vanilla and the cardamom are highlights of the experience. When it turns more into a lavender bomb, Gentleman sort of loses me. It’s fine, just nothing really impressive here. Gentleman ranks in the back half of The One colognes, in my opinion.

The performance is fair. Not a powerhouse and not something that’s going to last all day, while not being utterly useless either. 

For a lot of guys, this is going to be a pass, as there isn’t a distinct reason to own it. Some seem to like this one, but for most it’s just decent. If you can find it at a huge discount, then, why not? Otherwise, why?

5 Best Smelling Nicki Minaj Perfumes

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Nicki Minaj made a name for herself as a rapper, but then quickly gained a lot of mainstream appeal. As is often the case with many celebrities, once they get that pop star level of fame, they have to put out a fragrance line. Nicki’s is actually quite good and has some real gems among them. In this post, I am going to cover what I think are the five best smelling perfumes by Nicki Minaj.

What Nicki Minaj Fragrances Smell the Best?

Underrated Minaj Fragrance

Onika by Nicki Minaj– Onika is still kind of an under the radar pick from this line, but it is absolutely among the best of them. It is sugary sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, and that’s mostly during the start.

After that, you get a great pear note with musk and light floral ingredients. It kicks off with pear and starfruit, but the latter fades away. It brings a freshness, but doesn’t have that ‘little girl perfume’ style of hyper-sugar. It feels more well put together, has an awesome fruity profile, and a touch of orchid at the heart.

Best Summer Pick

Trini Girl by Nicki Minaj– Trini Girl does have a tropical fruit vibe, without going overboard with the fruitiness. It’s actually a pretty chill fragrance, with a light coconut, that is paired with blood orange and litchi.

The fruitiness and sweetness, is aided by a helping of sorbet, with a floral/musk base. It is light, fresh, with a watery semi-aquatic tropical sensibility, at times.

Trini Girl is probably has the juiciest fruit notes of any of Nicki’s fragrances. That tropical vibe without the vanilla, tonka bean, or other heavier notes that can be found in the others.

Creamy Fruity Gourmand

Nicki Minaj Minajesty Eau de Parfum Spray for Women 3.4 Ounce– The bottle with the pink hair, looks absolutely wild. But, like the others on this list, Minajesty gives you a healthy dose of fruits. Though, it pairs it with a sweet creamy middle of tonka bean and vanilla.

It kicks off with a tart cranberry, lemon, and some peach. It sort of reminds me of Polo Red for Men, when those first two notes hit. This is definitely not as sharp as that scent, actually the notes feel light, and subdued by the vanilla sitting underneath.

Minajesty is warm, sweet, and has a floral touch provided by magnola and frangipani.

Most Popular Perfume

Nicki Minaj Pink Friday Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce– Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday perfume, leans more towards the fruity side of things, but has a smell that is quite similar to the often more expensive, Viva La Juicy.

Pink Friday is really girly, starts off with pear and starfruit, which gives it a crisp fruity juiciness.

Beyond that, there is the orange and blackberry note, which makes this a super juicy fruit scent at the beginning. Later, the familiar vanilla/caramel come in, to change things up. Decent longevity, not amazing, but quite good for this price point.

A lot of celebrity perfumes, mimic this same sort of style, so it won’t be the most unique fragrance to wear. But, it is a nice example.

Another One to Check Out

Queen by Nicki Minaj– Queen gets attention nowadays, because it has some resemblance to Cloud by Ariana Grande.

But, there’s plenty to like here on its own and it’s not an exact match of that scent either. This is kind of a stripped down and cleaner version of cloud. More use of fruits, less creaminess, and a greater use of the musk note later on.

You get a bright opening of bergamot citrus and sparking pear. That sweetness is enhanced with the same praline note, that is found in Cloud. With those sweeter notes, you get a floral heart and woods in the base.

Queen doesn’t top the list, but it’s worth trying out, if it sounds interesting. Onika and Trini Girl are for sure ahead of this one, in my opinion. But, Queen could be as high as third or fourth.