Cloud by Ariana Grande

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Cloud from Ariana Grande has become a super popular fragrance over the past few years, due both to the singer’s own fame and the perfume’s resemblance to Baccarat Rouge 540. I’ve had various decanted samples of this in the recent past, but picked up a new one to give the scent a fresh try and a full review of its own. How does it smell? How long does it last? Does it really live up to the hype?

What does Cloud by Ariana Grande Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, lavender, bergamot, praline, whipped cream, vanilla orchid, coconut, musk, wood

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum Spray, clear, 3.4 oz

My Full Review

Cloud starts things off with a sweetness and lively brightness, getting its lead from the prominent pear note, in the early stages. It is also joined by the lavender and bergamot citrus. The latter, isn’t too strong to my nose, at least.

I get a bit of the citrus, which adds a bit more sparkle to that pear juiciness. The lavender here, has a certain roughness which takes some of the softer and fluffier qualities of this perfume.

After 20-30 minutes, I begin to get more of the heart and base notes coming through. The musk will be stronger in the dry down, but it is also noticeable from close to the onset.

Praline and the whipped cream notes really help to bring home the Cloud moniker to the scent. Sweet and fluffy, with the coconut giving it a clean yet milky aroma.

The further on that I get from the initial spray, the perfume does become more airy, less like a thick cloud and more like fine overhang.

There is a bit of a plasticky aroma within this composition. It’s not too bad for me personally, but I know others really tend to smell that with Cloud. Just something to keep in mind.

The dry down becomes a musky lavender scent with a little woodiness and a hodgepodge of whatever sweet notes are still kicking around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage of Cloud starts off strong. It isn’t a massive bomb of a fragrance, but the projection will hit that 6-8 feet mark, before moving closer in. Thereafter, it is a moderate perfume, but I’d for sure call it above average in totality.

In terms of how long it lasts, I generally get 5-6 hours from Cloud, on my skin. Usually, it leans more towards the six hour mark. Not an amazing marathon runner type of a perfume, but Cloud is solid enough.

Seasonally, it’s much nicer in the autumn and winter. Though, Cloud isn’t a strictly cold weather wear, but I’d probably avoid the high heat. For most places, you could easily wear this Ariana scent in the springtime.

Also, it’s not completely a teenager fragrance. Yes, teens can wear it, but it isn’t so bubblegum sweet that older women couldn’t have a bottle as well. Heck, with the lavender, it can even be somewhat unisex…definitely leans feminine.

Mostly going to be a casual daily wear. It’s light enough to be in an office or something like that, but isn’t very formal. More of a daytime fragrance, rather than a club beast. I’d call it clean/pretty before anything all that attractive or sexy.

Overall Impressions of Cloud

Overall, do I like Cloud? It’s fine. There’s aspects of it that I enjoy, but on the whole it’s just decent. Not my favorite from the Ariana Grande line and I prefer the Intense version. Though, definitely not a bad perfume by any stretch of the imagination.

I’m not too sure what the fuss it all about with this, based on the fragrance alone. It’s not as good as either of the Baccarat Rouge fragrance, but it is pretty inexpensive. In terms of relative cheapies, it can serve the purposes of a lot of people out there, so it can be a worthwhile perfume to have.

Is it a must have? Not particularly. It smells pretty good, the performance is pretty okay, and it has some mass market appeal. As a man, I don’t find it to be super sexy or anything like that, just somewhat attractive.

It does everything at least decently, but nothing quite reaches the level of outstanding.

Update: Since this was published, there’s also been Cloud Intense and Pink. I like both of those a bit more, even if they’re not wildly different.

1 Million Prive vs Invictus Cologne Comparison

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Today, we have another cologne comparison post, and it’s a versus battle between two Paco Rabanne scents. The competitors are: 1 Million Prive vs. Invictus. Prive is of course, the flanker fragrance to the now classic 1 Million, while Invictus has enjoyed huge success since its release, in its own right. The question is however, which cologne is the better choice? Which smells best? Which gives greater performance? Is there a clear winner?

Tale of the Tape: Prive vs. Invictus

1 Million Prive

Notes include: tonka bean, apple, cinnamon, myrrh, mandarin orange, tobacco

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne 1 Million Prive Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

Read my original review: 1 Million Prive Cologne Review

Invictus

Notes include: grapefruit, sea notes, mandarin orange, bay leaf, jasmine

Read my review

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Invictus Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Ounce

Opening

Invictus opens with a citrusy candy-like aroma of a blend of orange and grapefruit notes. This is joined by an aquatic element, that gives it a summertime vibe. Invictus strikes me as something for college aged males and maintains that youthful aroma throughout.

Meanwhile, 1 Million Prive, is darker than both its original counterpart and Invictus. It’s sweet but warm and spicy. I’ve likened the smell of Prive’s opening few minutes to that of cinnamon applesauce. Now, it’s not an absolute lock stock comparison, but I think it fits.

Between the two, Prive, is just so much better and more interesting in my opinion. It’s both masculine and seductive. Plus, it could still be worn by younger guys.

Edge: Prive

Projection

Both of these scents are fairly strong. 1 Million Prive is the stronger of the two and the one that maintains its sillage throughout the wear. In my experience with Invictus, after a few hours, it becomes much quieter and doesn’t have the same impact that it once did.

Edge: Prive

Longevity

Neither of these scents is weak sauce in terms of performance. Yet, there is once again, a clear winner. 1 Million Prive consistently gives me 9-10 hours of wear. Meanwhile, I get 6-7 usually when wearing Invictus.

I think it is the citrus notes that cause it to under perform its Paco Rabanne mate. Prive doesn’t go to the extremes that the original 1 Million did, back in the day, but it’s still a great performer.

Edge: Prive

Versatility

I thought that this might be the category that Invictus takes one, based on the fact that it can be worn in any weather situation, while Prive isn’t great in the highest temperatures.

The problem is, I think that Prive has much more use in a wider variety of social situations. It is more mature and can be worn with a suit, while at the same time, being a damn good club scent.

Invictus can seem to immature for some older guys and would sometimes feel out of place as well. So, I’ll give a very slight edge to Prive in this category.

Edge: Prive

Overall Scent

It’s a clean sweep for 1 Million Prive. Understand that: I’m not even an Invictus ‘hater’. Heck, I’m wearing Invictus Intense right now. It’s just that I happen to think that 1 Million Prive is now the best Paco Rabanne cologne.

Yes, it’s better than both the original and Invictus…and the other flankers.

Update: 1 Million Prive has been discontinued. It’s pretty difficult to find bottles too, at least for a reasonable price.

None of this is to say that Invictus is bad. Again, it has its charms and use. For me, it’s not even a contest, as to which I would rather wear if I had absolutely had to choose. Especially, if your older than say around 25 or so, 1 Million Prive will just come across as the more refined cologne.

I enjoy both at times, but it is just far more often 1 Million Prive. Invictus could still be a good bet for younger guys, but Legend would probably be even better than it. The original Invictus has kind of been cut out of consideration, with at least two of its flankers being a better fragrance.

Winner: Prive

Mont Blanc Legend vs. Emblem

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For this head to head match up, I want to take a look at two different offerings from the Mont Blanc lineup. First, is the ever popular Legend versus it challenger, Emblem. Which of these colognes smells the best? Which has better performance? Which is the better buy overall for most men? I will break down each in a variety of categories before declaring an ultimate winner.

Tale of the Tape

Mont Blanc Legend

Notes include: Bergamot, Pineapple Leaf, Sandalwood, Apple, rose, oak moss, lemon verbena, geranium, lavender,  And Tonka Bean

Click here to try: MONTBLANC Legend Eau de Toilette 3.3 fl.oz.

Read my review: Mont Blanc Legend

Emblem

Notes include: cinnamon, violet, tonka bean, sage, cardamom, grapefruit, wood, pepper, ambroxan

Click here to try: MONTBLANC Emblem Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.3 fl. oz.

Read my review: Mont Blanc Emblem

Opening

Emblem opens up with a grapefruit note that is joined by spicier notes of pepper and cardamom. There is also a violet lead note, and it is interesting, how Emblem has a cool spice considering these notes.

A few minutes in, the cinnamon brings some warmth to it, and it eventually moves away from the citrus top and into something that is more herbal.

Legend has a fruity opening of apple, bergamot, and pineapple. It has a very citrus beginning, but it features a dry scent, with creamy tonka bean and lavender coming through. Along with, the underlying woodsy notes.

The pineapple and apple notes are a nice contrast versus the inherent woodsy style of the fragrance, sitting underneath.

Which is better? I don’t love either of these, but I think that I prefer how Legend opens up. It’s fresh and clean. Emblem is nice, has an interesting composition, but the cardamom and cinnamon just isn’t as good.

Edge: Legend

Projection

Legend is a fairly moderate sillage, but never ventures into beast territory. Emblem is light to moderate. It starts out about the same level as Legend, but moves much more into a lighter and airy cologne.

I would’ve thought something with cinnamon and cardamom, would’ve brought the power…but apparently not.

Legend isn’t even a heavy fragrance, but it pretty much blows Emblem right off the map, in comparison.

Edge: Legend

Longevity

I have gotten about 5-6 hours of wear, out of both of these scent. Neither one, really has an amazing staying power, and are fairly average.

That seems to be an issue with a lot of the Mont Blanc lineup. Some like Legend Night, can go longer. Between these two, no discernable difference.

Maybe older formulations of Legend had better longevity, but this is what I have consistently gotten with the latest batches over the past few years.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Legend is the type of scent that you can wear year round and for seemingly any occasion. It is a simple and no-brainer kind of cologne. Emblem is more suited for the colder weather and is a business casual to formal sort of smell. Legend is the more versatile.

Legend has served as a single go to cologne for many guys, over the years. It’s versatility is among its absolutely greatest strengths.

Edge: Legend

Overall Scent

Mont Blanc Emblem actually has a pretty interesting wear. It starts off spicy, then moves into something that is creamier, and sweeter than it had started. It’s a low key scent that smells quite pleasant, but doesn’t have much power or longevity.

Between the two, I think that the original Legend is better than Emblem. It is a blend of citrus, lavender, and sandalwood for the most part. However, it is a very nice smelling fragrance, that is a solid starter cologne for guys.

Emblem is a decent wear, but feels like it could’ve been much better than it ended up being. It might not be a bad buy, if you can get a big discount.

It’s one that you can just spray on, anytime, without having to think about it. It’s also got more versatility, sillage, and about equal performance to Emblem.

I’m not a that enthralled with either of these scents, but this is a fairly easy win for the popular Mont Blanc scent. If you want other options that smell like Legend, I wrote a post on that.

Winner: Legend

Polo Ultra Blue by Ralph Lauren

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So, I’m back again with another review of one of the newer Ralph Lauren releases, this one a flanker from the Polo Blue line of scents: Ultra Blue. This one came out in 2018, but how does it stack up? Is this flanker a worthy release? What does it smell like? How long does it last?

What does Polo Ultra Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: lemon, salt, amber, bergamot, basil, verbena, sage, juniper

Click here to try: Ralph Lauren Polo Ultra Blue 2.5 Fluid ounce Eau De Toilette

My Full Wear Review

Ultra Blue opens up with a mix of citrus and salt. There are two types of lemon in this one and a salty note that reminds one of an ocean breeze. Yes, this one is an aquatic, but not overly marine in nature, but quite fresh.

It’s actually pretty close to Polo Blue EDP, while maintaining its own character. This is lighter, less spicy, and more citrus/salty.

The melon and cucumber of the original EDT are absent here, which is a nice change of pace if you’re coming off of wearing that one a lot. The opening act of the citrus is really nice. Pretty familiar with other non-Polo fragrances, which do the same thing.

However, for what this is, I find it enjoyable enough. The light marine/aquatic elements are a nice tough, without going overboard into the realm of the oceanic.

Ultra Blue is much lighter than either of the other three Polo Blue colognes. It also strikes me as having a pretty simple and linear aroma. There is some change after the opening, but it’s not a big one, in my opinion.

I pick up on some spicy herbal notes like the sage and basil, which tones down the saltiness of the composition. Even then, nothing that is so powerful to be readily noticeable, unless you’re paying attention.

For the dry down, I get lots of citrus, a mix of salt and amber (sort of like a Creed fragrance would, but more on par with Tommy Bahama), and then the herbal undertones. It’s a nice citrusy clean with limited aquatic elements and a nice spice.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Ultra Blue is weak. I mean, it’s decent for about an hour or so, and then it sticks close to the skin…really close. You’ll have to go heavier with the sprays, to get good use out of it.

While I’m not in love with the scent itself, if it had a bit more power, Ultra Blue would be something that I really wouldn’t mind wearing fairly often during the summer months.

However, the longevity actually isn’t bad. Not great, but not as bad as the sillage. I get about 6 or so hours with it on my skin, in that very light state. With double sprays, you might be able to pull off longer.

I thought that it might quit really early, after I tested it out for the first time. But, it did keep chugging along in that airy/skin scent form.

Seasonally, an obvious candidate for spring/summer, with a nod to summertime in particular. The citrus, the salty ‘sea air’ quality at the start, just screams warm weather. Though, it’s so light, that it could be worn at other times without issue.

Ultra Blue is a casual fragrance or a light office scent for the daytime. I don’t think that it is loud enough or really ‘sexy’ enough to be a club cologne.

Overall Impressions of Ultra Blue

Overall, do I like Ultra Blue? I do enjoy the smell, it’s not amazing, but the aroma is good. It is similar to Polo Blue EDP, but has enough differences to set it apart.

What I don’t like, is the very weak sillage, but that can be somewhat overcome with a greater number of sprays. It turns into a skin scent much to quickly. Though, it hangs around for a decent amount of time.

It’s a nice freshy cologne for the summer months and wouldn’t be a bad buy, at the right price. I definitely wouldn’t pay retail for Ultra, if I could help it. But, for under $40 for a full size…it could be worth it, depending on your situation.

A decent effort from Ralph Lauren, but far from perfect. Edit: Now that they’ve released Polo Deep Blue, I’d go with that or EDP. Ultra Blue seems pretty pointless to have, unless its super cheap

Viva La Juicy Rosé EDP by Juicy Couture

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For today’s entry, I have another ladies’ fragrance by Juicy Couture, and the last sample from this brand, that I currently hold. Viva La Juicy Rosé eau de parfum came out a few years back in 2015 and is one of the array of flanker fragrances to the ever popular original Viva La Juicy. How does this one stack up? What are the notes? Does it perform well? Is it even worth a buy?

What does Viva La Juicy Rosé Smell Like?

Notes include: amber, peony, rose, jasmine, orris, benzoin, pear, Italian mandarin

Click here to try: Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy Rosé, 3.4 fl. Oz., perfume for women

Before I get into my own review of Viva La Juicy Rosé, let’s see what Juicy Couture has to say about it: Celebrate with Viva La Juicy Rosé, a springtime toast to the forever bubbly Viva girl. An irresistible bouquet of honey-like pink blossoms pops with fizzy citrus perfection and is kissed by the glow of sensual amber. Cheers!

My Full Wear Review

The opening of Viva La Juicy Rosé is very interesting, as it actually does capture the sparkling bubbly aroma of Rosé champagne. It retains this exact smell for roughly 10 minutes, before moving on into a more traditional floral blend, but that opening is kind of great.

Rose is the main attraction in this fragrance. It isn’t super strong but it is the most noticeable note. At the start, there is more of a fruit influence with the Italian mandarin and pear notes, and the warmth of amber.

It is actually very pleasant and quite a beautiful perfume, at this point. It has a pinkish sort of smell, that strikes a balance between being too sweet and too floral. Bright, but not obscenely annoying. Yes, this is a pinkish rose and not a red one.

As it dries down, the other floral notes become more pronounced and the fruits fall back somewhat. I mainly pick up on jasmine and then some peony. What’s interesting, is that, as it moves further along, the mandarin begins to peak out again.

What I’m ultimately left with is a more floral version of the sparkling champagne opening. The notes at that point are mainly: rose, peony, mandarin, amber, orris, and some pear.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage of Rosé is moderate to strong. It never felt very light on the skin, but this one isn’t a complete bomb, either. It’s a solid projection, with maybe a 3-5 foot radius, around the wearer.

The opening hour or so does bring some power, so, don’t overspray. Thereafter, it’s noticeable and not something that I could characterize as airy.

The longevity is somewhere around 7 hours, maybe a bit longer, but all you can detect is the rose note really, at that point. Pretty solid. This flanker isn’t an absolute beast performer, though, it is certainly passable for most purposes.

Coming back to testing this one again. Yep, about 7-7.5 hours of wear, on my skin.

This is an attractive and upbeat fragrance that is great for the warmer days of the year. It’s light enough to be worn at work, can be worn casually, and has enough sexiness for later in the evening.

It isn’t a serious fragrance, but I do think that it elevates above the standard teenage fair. Sure, it’s bubbly and girly but never feels child-like. It comes across as being quite clean and presentable. There are obviously gourmand elements, but it isn’t an enveloping or dominant sort of perfume.

Overall Impressions of Viva La Juicy Rosé

Overall, do I like Viva La Juicy Rosé? Yes, I think it is a very attractive scent, that is both playful and pleasant. This Juicy Couture never takes itself too seriously and just does its own thing without being presumptuous or too niche to be enjoyable.

I really like the champagne-style vibes in the opening act, along with the fruity notes. Pear gives it the sparkle and mandarin the citrus deliciousness.

It’s got a great energy to it. The dry down, is pretty basic with the floral notes. That along with the amber, is what you can expect from many of these Juicy Couture perfumes.

It’s a very nice addition to the Juicy Couture lineup and a worthy flanker to Viva La Juicy. It’s not an amazing scent, nor is it super unique. It does everything well, though, and if you can get it for a good price; it can definitely be worth a try.

It’ll help if you enjoy rose, peony, and mandarin orange.