Heures d’Absence by Louis Vuitton

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Heures d’Absence is the last Louis Vuitton perfume from my large sample batch, that I needed to review. Yes, I now have to track down all the other releases, but I’ve now gotten around a dozen scent reviews from this designer. Is Heures d’Absence saving the best for last? What does it smell like? How long does it last? Is it actually worth a buy?

What does Heures d’Absence smell like?

Notes include: mimosa, jasmine, May rose, balsam of Peru, sandalwood, musk

My Full Review

Let’s see how Louis Vuitton describes this perfume: A beautiful escape through the flowery fields of Grasse. Heures d’Absence is an invitation to let yourself go and enjoy those moments when time suspends its flight. An enchanting break we would love to last forever.

Heures d’Absence opens up with a scent that is a sweet floral clean, with a nice hint of juicy raspberry up top. Now, the fruit isn’t too strong, but I do appreciate its presence in the mix.

So, there apparently was a perfume from Louis Vuitton with this same name back in 1927, but I don’t know if this is a remake or the brand just reusing the name.

Among the floral notes, mimosa and jasmine are the strongest here. Also, Heures is quite musky giving it a further soapy clean kind of vibe. The third floral note is May rose and its plays a minor role here.

Jasmine will come to be the main attraction, but it shares that title with mimosa early on.

The fruitiness and sweetness settle down somewhat and the aroma becomes greener with a powdery smell coming from the mimosa.

There isn’t too much complexity with Heures d’Absence. The scent turns into a classic soap aroma with a strong freshness and a watery semi-aquatic finish to it. It’s sweetness makes it feel very feminine versus some of the other more unisex entries from Vuitton.

Finally, it dries down pretty green with sandalwood playing a larger role. In the end, it is a musky jasmine sitting on top of a base of sandalwood.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

To me, the performance of Heures is one of its top qualities. For a floral, it has strong sillage, in the early stages of the wear. It’s not a complete sillage bomb, but it projects well in the first few hours.

On my skin, it becomes pretty moderate thereafter, and isn’t a skin scent. I was always aware of its presence on my skin, right until it finally began to fade.

When was that? Well, the longevity is close to 10 hours. I don’t think it crossed the double digit mark during any of my tests, but Heures d’Absence came as close as it can to accomplishing that. One of the longer lasting Louis Vuitton perfumes that I’ve tested.

Seasonally, stick to the spring and summer months with this one. The sweetness, freshness, and general clean feeling might be too sharp in the air on colder days.

This is a versatile daily wear. It is inoffensive and can be worn casually or to the office or just around town. It’s not a sexy perfume and not one that’s really going to standout or be a nightclub monster.

Heures d’Absence is low key and understated, which can be exactly what some women are looking for.

Overall Impressions of Heures d’Absence

Overall do I like Heures d’Absence? It’s fine. It smells nice enough, but isn’t all that exciting. I don’t think that its worth the price of entry. That being said, it is a versatile and well performing fragrance, so it can be a worthwhile choice for some.

This Vuitton scent has a classic style and gives you a clean floral aroma, packed with plenty of jasmine.

I like the raspberry in the opening and the mix of the sweetness with the semi-aquatic qualities of this fragrance. The rest of it is something that I feel like I’ve experience a thousand times before, at a cheaper price point.

There’s nothing here that is all that memorable for me. It’s definitely not a bad perfume by any stretch. However, it doesn’t particularly move the needle.

Guilty Pour Homme EDP by Gucci

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Guilty has been a massively successful line from Gucci in the past decade. It has seemed like each successive iteration has had less to do with the original fragrance than those that preceded it. Until, they’ve become colognes that just have the same name.

So, getting ahold of Gucci Guilty Eau de Parfum, I wasn’t sure of what to expect from this. How does it smell? Is the performance amped up? Is it even worth trying?

What does Guilty Pour Homme Eau de Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, French lavender, neroli, chili pepper, orange blossom, patchouli, vinegar, salt

Click here to try: GUCCI GUILTY POUR HOMME by Gucci, EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 3 OZ

Full Wear Review

Here’s how Gucci describes it: The celebration of freedom expressed by the statement #ForeverGuilty continues with Gucci Guilty Pour Homme Eau de Parfum, a Woody Aromatic Spicy fragrance created to provoke. A contemporary take on two iconic perfumery ingredients popular in the ’70s.

The starts of Guilty EDP is intriguing. I read the list of notes before ever trying out this fragrance and wanted to know how they were going to infuse chili pepper, vinegar, and salt into this blend…because it sounds weird.

It does open up with a balsamic aroma. It’s spicy, warm, and has a greenish finish thanks to the presence of the rose (it doesn’t strike me as a red rose, more of a pink).

There is a touch of salt in the air, but the parfum has a fresh and soapier cleanliness that lurks underneath. One that will grow, as we move forward.

Neroli and red pepper add spice and the white floral notes sit underneath the rose. It favors the rose at first. Then, the neroli and orange blossom shine. Finally, the fragrance will feature the lavender and orange blossom.

The patchouli and rose combination do provide this with a classic feeling and an overall greenish earthiness.

At some point, the spiciness rolls off and it becomes a warmer floral fragrance, with patchouli and light woods. That soapy clean aroma becomes more apparent. There still is some chili pepper, but the balsamic aspect goes away.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

I was expecting a much more powerful scent with this eau de parfum version. Actually, the sillage is softer to moderate. Sure, the early stages are pretty solid, and that lasts about an hour or two. Thereafter, Guilty EDP is quite soft.

The longevity isn’t all that great either. It’s really not much different from the EDT, from my recollection. EDP sticks around for 5-6 hours. That’s about it.

The Guilty collection is fairly hit and miss with how long each of them lasts. They all seem to top out at the 8-9 hour mark, at the high end, and around here for the rest of them.

Guilty eau de parfum does provide a versatile wear, even if the performance isn’t top notch. It might not have a clear universal appeal, but for those who enjoy it, EDP can be worn almost anywhere and not feel too out of place.

It’s low key enough to be worn to an office. Though, I’d more want to wear it casually or for certain evenings out.

It’s not amazing in the heat. I’ve worn it in cooler autumn temperatures and on more moderate days without issue. It’s really when this cologne is at its best. Not too hot or too cold.

Overall Impressions of Guilty Pour Homme EDP

Overall, do I like Guilty EDP? Sort of. The opening act is really good. The balsamic rose with red pepper spice? Very interesting and smells great. Not my favorite fragrance ever, but it wasn’t a boring experience.

After that? Meh. It’s got some of the same notes as earlier entries into the series. Lavender, orange blossom, cedar. But, it doesn’t strike me as the same as Intense or even EDT. There’s elements there, though, the aroma is different.

I currently have an mini of Guilty Intense and the resemblance comparing them side by side, just isn’t that great.

Guilty Pour Homme EDP goes from interesting to forgettable. Yet, it still never reached a high level of enjoyment for me. It’s fine in terms of the smell.

I actually opted for a bottle of Guilty Love 2020 after sampling both it and EDP. Also, I later bought Guilty Parfum when it was released. I liked that better than EDP, as well. But, it’s also not amazing, kind of got boring after a while.

Plus, the performance isn’t all that great.

I do think that Guilty EDP is worth a try. Perhaps, you will have more of a love for it than I do. It’s fine, has its moments, but not one that I personally need to own.

Cœur Battant by Louis Vuitton

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Cœur Battant is a Louis Vuitton fragrance release for women, which came out in 2019. It’s one of the dozen-plus sample perfumes that I bought from this brand in order to review them. This is one of the last of that batch and I have come back to it off and on, over the past six months. How does Cœur Battant smell? When should it be worn? How long does it last?

What does Cœur Battant Smell Like?

Notes include: pear, jasmine, narcissus, patchouli, ylang-ylang, ambrette

My Full Review

Let’s see how Louis Vuitton describes it: Fresh pear and white flowers waft you away into the whirlwind of life. Like a wave of emotion sweeping through you, Cœur Battant is an invitation to listen to your heart and live every moment with passion. 

Cœur Battant starts off with its pear note out in full force. Very juicy and it smells great, helping to give this perfume an aquatic character right from the start. The ambrette note is ever-present in the mix and plays an early supporting role for the pear.

However, the patchouli is probably the second strongest note, in the beginning of the wear. It’s a fruit-chouli sort of scent early on, with aquatic touches. But, these notes will wain and the white floral notes rise to join the pear.

Jasmine is the strongest of the floral notes at first, but the perfume becomes much more balanced with narcissus and ylang-ylang. It has a nice sweetness and the floral notes don’t ever come across as too heavy nor green.

The final dry down is mostly a light floral with the remaining ambrette coming through. The floral notes, at this point are really distinguishable from one another, to my nose. There is some type of mossy note in this, as well. But, it’s really not that strong in the composition.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is pretty light as a whole. However, not a skin scent. It does project itself well enough to create a scent bubble around you. Cœur Battant does have very nice performance, it’s just never a complete powerhouse with its sillage.

Cœur Battant lasts anywhere from 7-9 hours, depending on the day. That’s what I consistently got out of the fragrance during testing. Never went beyond that, never stalled out early. By no means amazing, especially for the price, but it works for most scenarios.

Seasonally, this could probably be worn year round. It might be a little too bright and aquatic for super cold days in winter. However, it’s excellent in the spring and summer months.

It does have a more youthful vibe, but it doesn’t ever feel cheap or too much like a teen fragrance. Good for wear during the daytime. Can be worn casually, semi-formally, or to work for some folks.

Cœur Battant isn’t a nightlife perfume and isn’t what I’d call sexy. Sweet, pleasant, and easy to wear.

Overall Impressions of Cœur Battant

Overall, do I like Cœur Battant? Yes, it’s one of my favorites from the women’s side of things by Louis Vuitton. It’s not the greatest scent ever or one that everyone will be clamoring to wear, but it is a enchanting scent as a whole.

Fresh, sweet, somewhat aquatic. There is plenty of development packed into the entire wear and Cœur Battant needs some time to truly reveal itself. In the end, it is interesting, dynamic, and fairly unique.

It gives you familiar notes, with its own style. A very versatile perfume.

If you don’t like patchouli or pear, you can probably skip this one. To me, the patchouli isn’t bothersome, and it’s not one of my go to notes either. Maybe not a blind buy, for the price, but it is one of the safest LV fragrances. Give it a try.

Update: Checking in here in 2024, Cœur Battant is still being sold by Louis Vuitton. So, I guess I wasn’t the only one who really liked this perfume. Some of the others which came out around this time period, did get axed from the lineup.

Cloud 2.0 Intense by Ariana Grande

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Cloud Intense (aka Cloud 2.0) was released in 2021 as a follow up to the super popular Ariana Grande perfume of the same name. Bottles were kind of scarce to come by for a while, with the limited release, but I grabbed a decant from eBay in order to test it out. How does Cloud 2.0 smell? Does it last longer? Is it actually worth the buy?

What does Cloud Intense Smell Like?

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

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Cloud 2.0 Intense Eau De Parfum Ulta Exclusive 3.4 Ounce 

My Full Review

Cloud 2.0 opens up very similar to the original. Though, less of the sparkling pear note is present in this new formulation. It is bright, sweet, and quite clean with its aroma.

The ambroxan is present, after a few minutes. That is a noticeable difference with 2.0, how much play the ambroxan gets here. The lavender also feels smoother and stronger here, on my skin. The lavender in the first Cloud could come across as pretty rough/harsh, but it’s quite nice in this one.

When we get to the second act, I do notice more of a difference. Cloud Intense is creamier and less of a fluffy ‘cotton candy’ scent. While the lavender starts off stronger, it settles more into the background versus its predecessor.

The whipped cream, praline, vanilla, and coconut play a stronger role during this period. I do like this slight change in the structure. Smooth and pleasant.

Finally, we get to the dry down stage. The Cloud 2.0 dry down is basically the original with more wood and musk. Much of those sweeter and creamier notes have begun to evaporate and that is what you’re left with.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Cloud Intense does indeed open up with a powerful sillage, not too much more than the original, but it’s noticeable. It packs a punch early on, though, it will quickly quiet down and reside most of the wear rather close to the skin. It’ll project 3-4 feet, it seems like.

On my skin, I get 7-7.5 hours of wear from Cloud 2.0. It goes for longer than the original formula, maybe an hour more versus what I get with that.

An improvement? Yes, but definitely didn’t come across as a powerhouse in comparison or even versus the Kurkdjian fragrances.

Seasonally, the autumn through the springtime is when Cloud 2.0 will shine. I like it better in a bit cooler temperatures, but it is fine so long as it isn’t crazy hot outside.

This is more of a daily wear that can venture into the nighttime. It isn’t a formal fragrance and has more of a playful character without being too girly. Cloud Intense isn’t strictly a teenager’s perfume, but is probably going to be worn in much more casual situations.

Overall Impressions of Cloud Intense

Overall, do I like Cloud Intense? I do. Though, I’m not a huge fan of the original Cloud, I did like this 2.0 a bit better. It has a deeper profile and an overall smoothness in comparison.

Update: Cloud Pink is a bit better than both, in my opinion. But, this still has the best performance.

The lavender note is preferable in the 2.0 version. It gets a boost, isn’t as harsh, and then plays more of a background role. I do like the creamier and more voluminous style that Cloud Intense has, much to the credit of the ambroxan and vanilla.

That being said, it isn’t miles better. If you already have Cloud, there’s no real reason to get this, unless you are a collector. Especially, considering the prices for this newer version. Maybe they will come down in the future, but just get the original and save yourself some money.

Sure, they’re not exactly the same perfume, just close enough, and not a significant enough difference to justify paying that much more for a bottle. If the performance was way better, it might be a different story. It’s really not a wide gap in that category, in my experience.

I do like Cloud Intense, however. It is the better of the two Cloud fragrances, but still not among my favorite of the Ariana Grande lineup.

Apogée by Louis Vuitton

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The Louis Vuitton review train keeps chugging along. Today, I am going to cover a 2016 entry from the women’s line, Apogée. This has been a best seller among the LV perfumes, but is it actually worth it? Does it smell good? How long does it last? When should it be worn?

What does Apogée by Louis Vuitton smell like?

notes include: lily-of-the-valley, guaiac wood, sandalwood, jasmine, magnolia, rose, citrus

My Full review

How Louis Vuitton describes this perfume: The lily-of-the-valley ascends to blissful heights
Some getaways let us reconnect with ourselves by placing us before the immensity of nature. The chance to commune with the planet feels like a renaissance.

Apogée opens up with a nice dose of lily-of-the-valley and a bright citrus accord that is highlighted by tangerine. The opening has a very zesty quality and I completely dig how this LV perfume starts things off.

The layer right underneath that is inhabited mostly by the jasmine, at this stage. I get some magnolia, just a hint, and no rose during the opening.

Apogée will be a white floral for much of the wear, with a strong citrus accord, and sitting on guaiac wood. Again, this is the highlight of the entire experience for me.

Then, the citrus goes away. The rose also emerges and the other non-lily floral notes fade into the background. It’s a lily-lead musky floral sitting on top of a base of sandalwood. So, the final dry down sees the citrus, guaiac, and jasmine all weaken significantly.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Apogée does have a strong sillage at first. That citrus accord hits pretty darn hard up top. I applied some to a shirt and could pick it up from across the room.

However, after that initial burst, it’s pretty middle of the road. You’ll know that the fragrance is there, but it’s not going to venture too far from the skin thereafter. It comes out of the gate swinging, but doesn’t sustain that high level of power.

During testing, I got somewhere around 7.5 hours of wear. This isn’t a scent that’s going to break any records, but it does provide a solid performance. I never felt that Apogée was a weak scent or something that was going to disappoint.

Apogée does have the strength of being extremely versatile. It’s not a complete bomb or something that will be really offensive to those around you. No, it does have an easygoing presentation and can certainly be crowd pleasing.

Seasonally, this is going to be mostly the spring and summer months. From temperate weather to much warmer temperatures, Apogée can find a place in your lineup, if you so choose.

More of a daily wear. It’s more pleasant than sexy. More of a clean, no-brainer grab than something that’s going to be a nightlife powerhouse. This Vuitton scent has enough class to be worn dressed up, while not being stuffy.

Overall Impressions of Apogée

I really like the citrus and lily opening act. Very pleasant and uplifting. While the citrus can obviously be pretty sharp, I think it adds a dynamic energy to this fragrance. It pairs very well with the lily note and the early floral balance is near perfection.

The rest of the way? Just didn’t hold up for me.

The musky floral and woods dry down is nice, not crazy good. Overall, it’s an above average fragrance with some real enjoyable moments for the first hour or two. That back half really drags things down.

Is it worth the price of admission? Probably not for most folks. It is a very popular entry from this line, but you’d probably want to try before committing to a full bottle.

Not because it’s a bad fragrance or anything weird. Rather, to see if you’d want to spend that kind of cash on something this simple and not super unique. Or, just see if you’re one who still enjoys the dry down.