Baccarat Rouge 540 vs Extrait

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Baccarat Rouge has become a ridiculously popular perfume since its release back in 2015. That hype level has gone into the stratosphere, since BR 540 Extrait was brought to market. Now, there is an even greater concentrate and at a much higher price point. But, the question is, which is actually better? Is Extrait worth the high cost? Which smells better? What’s the difference? Which lasts longer?

Tale of the Tape: BR 540 vs. Extrait 

Baccarat Rouge 540

Notes include: saffron, ambergris, cedar, fir resin, jasmine

Click here to try: Buy from Saks

Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait

Notes include: almond, saffron, cedar, jasmine, musk, ambergris

Click here to try: Buy from Saks Fifth Avenue

Read my review: BR 540 Extrait

Opening

Baccarat Rouge 540 kicks things off with the saffron and jasmine note splitting duties. It’s clean, sweet, and has that lemony tinge to it from the hedione (jasmine).

Underneath that, is the amber, fir and cedar notes giving this a fresh and resinous quality early on…which will become greater as it develops.

BR 540 EDP has a lighter airy fluffiness to it, that I don’t really get with Extrait.

BR 540 Extrait opens up with a bittersweet mix of the almond and saffron note. It’s smooth with a slight metallic aroma from the saffron, but the almond is the stronger of the two.

It’s going to dominate early on and is what really helps to set Extrait apart from the original EDP.

The jasmine is weaker early on, but you’ll get more of the watery sweetness later in the wear. To me, this one has less of the sort of ‘cotton candy’ aroma, it’s more of an impression that hangs in the air. Also, it smells spicier underneath.

Which is better?

It’s a pretty close contest, but I think that Extrait gets the edge for me. I don’t believe that it is leaps and bounds better. However, I enjoy the almond and heavier saffron up top versus the original. That one is great too, just Extrait is a bit better.

Edge: Extrait

Projection

I don’t find either of these to be absolute monsters in terms of their sillage. I think that they both open up strong, but quickly settle, closer to the skin.

In the case of BR 540 EDP, it goes from powerful, to sitting in the 2-3 foot range with its projection within an hour. But, it does stick around, just as a softer scent bubble.

Extrait, starts even stronger, but it will end up being a lighter moderate scent. Of course, you could just go crazy with the sprays and really make it pop for much longer.

Extrait wins this category, since it has the higher peak and keeps a higher level for the duration.

Edge: Extrait

Longevity

I will say, that both of these perfumes have fantastic longevity. With EDP, it’s usually a wider range of outcomes, on my skin. Usually, around 10 hours.

Though, that could be 8 and other times it hangs around for 12. It’s never been bad, Baccarat Rouge can sometimes just fall off a bit earlier for some reason.

With Extrait, the longevity is amazing. I’m not sure exactly when it finally fades away, but I’ve routinely detected on my skin 12-14 hours later.

At some point, you’ve got to shower, but this version of BR 540 will probably still be there when you do. The performance is extreme.

Edge: Extrait

Versatility

There’s not really a difference to me between them. They are both very versatile, but best used outside of the summer heat. They can work for folks young or old. Can venture into the nightlife and will get complements in the daytime, as well.

While each is unisex, they both do lean feminine. Though, plenty of men can and will be fine wearing a Baccarat Rouge perfume.

This one is a tie.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

I’m not someone who is a massive fan of either of these fragrances. The hype really got insane for the past few years.

I like them both a lot, but you don’t absolutely need to have either of them. So, I can be fairly unbiased between these perfumes, because I don’t have a desire to own a full bottle of either.

I like Baccarat Rouge EDP. It’s sweet, has a lovely airy aroma that catches your nose, with a smooth and candy-like aroma without being a hyper-sugary mess. The amber and resin from the fir is great, I love saffron, and the cedar freshness helps tie it all together.

Performance wise, you can’t go wrong with the standard EDP.

That being said, Extrait catches my attention more. I enjoy the almond and the greater weighting of the saffron early on. It being my favorite note in the blend, it’s something that I really appreciated.

Extrait de Parfum is more substantial, has a better use of woods, and is somehow thicker without the same level of resinous qualities. The dry down between the two is pretty close in terms of how they smell.

It’s just that Extrait does a better job with its performance and the mix is slightly different at that stage.

If I had to buy one, I’d pony up the money for Extrait. If you’ve never smelled either, I would acquire samples of each before committing to a full bottle, as it is a substantial investment. Or even consider, finding a cheaper smell-a-like version.

Winner: Baccarat Rouge 540 Extrait de Parfum

Turbulences by Louis Vuitton

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Still working my way through review write ups of the Louis Vuitton collection of fragrances. The number is beginning to narrow down, but of course the brand has now released some more that I’ll have to get to. Anyway, today’s selection is from their women’s collection and was brought out in 2016, Turbulences. What does it smell like? How long does it last? Is it worth a try?

Key Takeaways

  • Tuberose-centric perfume
  • Light leather and a nice jasmine note
  • Good performance, not great
  • Discontinued

What does Turbulences by Louis Vuitton Smell Like?

Notes include: tuberose, leather, jasmine, may rose, musk, sandalwood

My Full Wear Review

Let’s see how Louis Vuitton describes it: An extreme tuberose to stir the heart. Discovering faraway lands can sometimes feel like soaring among the clouds. Inspired by a feeling akin to love at first sight, the perfume Turbulences pays tribute to the most narcotic of flowers: the tuberose.

Turbulences opens up with a strong tuberose note and jasmine, creating an aroma with some green-ish qualities. To me, I get plenty of musk in the opening act. Much more so than in the latter stages.

From there it will start to become a creamier and smoother experience. The Louis Vuitton leather note is introduced, after the initial wave passes.

The tuberose note begins to take more of the share from the jasmine. At this point, the jasmine feels like an impression of generic white floral notes. The perfume is somewhat dewy at times. The style of the floral accord is very much like a better version of Gucci Bloom, to my nose.

The dry down is mostly about the tuberose with some additional jasmine hanging around. The leather is going to still hold down the second spot and it is my favorite aspect of this perfume. It pairs very well with the floral notes, like it does with the jasmine in Ombre Leather.

Beyond that, the musk is in its much lighter state, and there is a dry woody/creaminess from the underlying sandalwood in the base. Turbulences is not all that complicated.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage is pretty moderate overall. For the first hour or two, Turbulences will project nicely off the skin, just not dominate the room. It gets lighter, but is never a complete skin scent for me until it is time for it to evaporate.

Not huge, but a very solid performer all around.

On my skin, I get 8-9 hour of wear from this Vuitton perfume. Again, not a marathon runner by any means. It never quit early on me during testing. At this price, I’d usually want to hit double digit hours of wear, but it is pretty close to that.

Seasonally, anytime outside of the summer or late spring. It isn’t super heavy, but it has enough of a body to make it feel a bit off in the heat. In a more temperate climate, Turbulences really gets to shine. Even better, when it is chilly.

I don’t find this to be sexy. More of a cozy and fragrance to enjoy personally. It can be worn safely to work and during the daytime. Just not a club beast or romantic wear. It is a well put together white floral, with a semi-formal vibe.

Probably going to work best for women in their mid-20s and up. Can be unisex, but definitely leans more towards the feminine and that’s how it was marketed, also.

Overall Impressions of Turbulences

Very good, if you’re a tuberose fan. Pleasant enough, if not. I like it well enough, but I’m not crazy about it, since I’m not a major lover of white floral perfumes. It seems like you’d have to be, if you’re going to fork over this much for Turbulences.

It’s pretty simple in its presentation, but does what it was designed for well. Not one of my personal favorites from Louis Vuitton, but well worth a shot, if this is your style of perfume.

The quality of the tuberose is definitely there and I did enjoy the pairing with the leather note. Performance is good and it’s not too unusual to prevent it from being a blind buy.

Louis Vuitton has discontinued this fragrance. So, you’ll probably have to pick up one of the remaining bottles on eBay or something along those lines.

The Scent Absolute for Him by Hugo Boss

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This is the last of the Hugo Boss ‘The Scent’ reviews, as I’ve covered all of the releases up to this point (I may have to double check that). I thought that I might as well end with what I consider to be the best of the series, The Scent Absolute.

The aroma, the performance, and entire package is just superior to the others, in my opinion. What does it smell like? How long does it last? Continue below for my full take.

What does The Scent Absolute for Him Smell Like?

Notes include: maninka, ginger, vetiver, Mondia root

Click here to try: Hugo Boss The Scent Absolute for Him Eau De Parfum, 1.6 Fl Oz

My Full Review

The Scent Absolute is probably the most closely related to the original cologne from this Hugo Boss series. That’s a great thing, as I really enjoyed how that one smelled, but it had terrible performance.

However, The Scent Absolute corrects that, gives me a fresh and spicier profile, and isn’t the powdery chocolate of Private Accord (which is nice, but I prefer the maninka fruit). Yet, Absolute is also the more linear of the two parfums.

Absolute for Him kicks off with the fresh spiciness of ginger. It’s a bold use of the ginger note and it actually has a bit of a lemony-quality to it. Very nice. This is paired with the signature maninka fruit of the line, giving the composition a fruity warmth.

It’s a fruity and spicy opening act, with somewhat rum-like booziness in the mix. It doesn’t actually have that as an accord, but the fragrance puts out that sort of vibe (mondia roots). Absolute is masculine, attractive, and is definitely unique while retaining that The Scent DNA.

Super easy to wear.

I mentioned that this is a linear fragrance. Well, there is a change. The spice burns off and you are left with a mix of the maninka and vetiver the rest of the way. Fresh, a touch of earthiness, and smoke.

That’s about all the development I get from this fragrance. Though, I don’t think it needs to go much further.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this one starts out on the upper edges of what could be considered moderate (4-7 foot projection), before moving in to a lighter moderate (3-4 feet). It’s not a complete beast, but performs very well when compared to the others.

The Scent Absolute also has good longevity. Gets around 8-9 hours of wear. Again, don’t expect a monster projection beast, but this one does hang around for a nice long while and doesn’t flake out early.

Seasonally, this has autumn and winter written all over it. Not a totally heavy or dense fragrance, but that spice would kind of be off-putting in the heat of the summer months. If you have relatively mild springs where you live, it would work then too.

Absolute is masculine. Not a teenagers fragrance, but not exactly formal either. It can venture into the nightlife and is great for casual wear. This is more of a ‘sexy’, mass appealing cologne, that leans much more into evening wear.

I don’t find it to be particularly out of place anywhere, I just don’t consider it a jack of all trades kind of cologne.

Overall Impressions of The Scent Absolute

Overall, do I like The Scent Absolute? Yes, again, it is my favorite out of all of these colognes. If I had to buy one from the series, I’d go with Absolute, without question.

It isn’t a very complicated fragrance. Though, I love the sweet maninka fruit, and ginger is among my favorite notes. Together, it is damn near brilliant. The slight rum impression is an additional bonus.

I’m not as big of a fan of the vetiver dry down, but it’s solid overall. The performance at least gives you your money’s worth, unlike some of the others.

This is a very good perfume for him. It’s just not a total must buy for me, personally. If you’re a fan of the other ‘The Scent’ fragrances, this is one that you need to check out, and give strong consideration to purchasing.

I dig it and went through the entire sample pretty easily. If this scent sounds like your kind of thing, give it a try before it disappears from the market entirely.

Ariana Grande Cloud vs. Burberry Her EDP

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Cloud is a massively successful fragrance. In part, due to its similarities with Baccarat Rouge 540, another hugely popular scent. Burberry Her, is related to both, with its scent structure…as such there’s a whole lot of comparisons going on. In this post, I want to compare the Ariana Grande and Burberry perfumes, and declare an ultimate winner between them.

Tale of the Tape: Cloud vs. Burberry Her

Cloud

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

Read my full review: Cloud by Ariana Grande

Burberry Her

Notes include: strawberry, citrus, raspberry, cherry, blueberry, wood, musk, amber, jasmine

Click here to try: Burberry Her Eau De Parfum Spray

Read my review: Burberry Her EDP

Opening

Burberry Her EDP opens up with a blast of its citrus and berry notes. It’s very fruity up top. Strawberry is the strongest note of the lot, with some additional raspberry and the sharpness of the citrus notes.

It’s pretty sharp and sour versus being sugary sweet or anything. The floral notes aren’t all that strong, but there is a decent amount of jasmine at times. Quite different from Cloud, at the start, but it does get closer to the Ariana Grande perfume later on.

Cloud, on the other hand, begins with lavender and pear being the main attraction. There is a light bergamot citrus in there, but mostly that crisp pear. Not a big fruity vibe going on, in totality. With Cloud, there is a creamier/muskier influence from the base.

Which is better? I prefer Cloud’s opening act versus Her. I actually do really enjoy that fruity start from the Burberry, but it always seems to grate on my nerves, after a while.

I’m not crazy about Cloud. It’s not as dynamic, but it’s simplicity works.

Edge: Cloud

Projection

It’s a tougher call in how strong each is. I think that Her starts out with a better sillage, then turns moderate, but is softer for much of the wear. To me, it has a higher peak versus Cloud.

Cloud is pretty strong as well, but for most of the wear is quite moderate, projecting a few feet from the skin.

I’ll give Cloud the edge here, since it is more consistent for the duration.

Edge: Cloud

Longevity

With Cloud, I can get up to around 6 hours of wear, on the skin. For me, it doesn’t have amazing performance, but it is good enough for most purposes.

Burberry Her can last up to 8 hours. It doesn’t have huge sillage, but this EDP does stick around for a long while, and outdoes the Ariana Grande scent.

Edge: Burberry

Versatility

Seasonally, Her is better in the heat, while Cloud can work better in the cold of winter. Though, neither is exclusively stuck there. It’s kind of a wash.

Neither is a formal fragrance. Both skew younger, but not exclusively for teenagers. Still, each is more of a casual daily wear, that can sometimes be worn into the evening depending on the situation.

I really don’t see much difference here. There is plenty of overlap, also.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

This is actually a really tight race between this two fragrances. Personally, I’m not a super fan of either, but do enjoy aspects of each.

The fruits in the opening of Her, have drawn me into a love/hate relationship with them. I love citrus and strawberry, which gives the Burberry a different dynamic than some of the other Baccarat Rouge comparasion scents and close replicas. But, it also gets annoying to me.

With Cloud, the opening isn’t very exciting, but it works well. I do like the coconut, praline, and muskiness in this perfume. Not a complete love, though, I think its a solid fragrance overall.

Which is better? I lean more toward Cloud. Overall, it’s a bit more enjoyable. The performance is about equal. Plus, it can usually be found for cheaper when compared to Her’s prices.

If you really like the berry/cherry/citrus idea, you might prefer Burberry Her. They do end up smelling pretty close to one another. Musky and woody in the base, with a general sweetness about them.

Not a massive difference, but Cloud gets the nod.

Winner: Cloud

9 Best Smelling Prada Perfumes for Her

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Prada is a luxury Italian designer with decades of fragrances released under its belt. I’ve already covered the best smelling men’s colognes from the brand, on this site, and so needed to get around to the perfumes for ladies.

There is certainly a lot of options to choose from, I’ve could’ve gone much longer with the list, but instead decided to settle on five that could be considered the tops.

Below, you will find my nine Prada choices, which I will update and replace as time moves on. New scents emerge and older ones become reformulated or discontinued, but these are the current greats.

What are the Best Smelling Ladies Prada Perfumes?

Great Iris Scent

Prada Milano Infusion D’Iris Eau de parfum Spray Women by Prada, 3.4 Ounce– A clean and fresh iris based fragrance, with plenty of bright citrus in support. Orange flower, mandarin, neroli, and cedar create a lovely aroma with a dry down that takes on a soapy quality.

Infusion D’Iris is woody and green to go along with the iris note, which create a soft and airy gem of a perfume. That is, for much of the wear. Infusion D’Iris isn’t really a sweet one. Cedar and incense give this fragrance a different base from many other floral fragrances. Very nice blend with an interesting amount of depth. This is one of the best iris fragrances out there.

Awesome Olfactories Les Mirages Perfume

Soleil au Zenith– I also put this one on the men’s list, since it is such a great unisex offering. Soleil au Zenith is a part of Prada’s expensive Olfactories Les Mirages line of perfumes.

While it is unisex, it does start off more like a ladies’ fragrance, since it’s led by ylang-ylang and peach notes. The base notes are warmer, deeper and richer.

The peach gets wrapped up with vanilla and sandalwood. You have spices including cumin, cinnamon, and nutmeg becoming more prominent as it wears on. It becomes a softer warmer spice with powdery flourishes. To me, the ylang-ylang all but disappears.

A Good Paradoxe

Paradoxe by Prada– Between this and the Intense version of Paradoxe, I prefer the original a bit more. Mostly because, I think that it has a better middle and dry down than does its flanker.

I will say that I don’t think either of them are spectacular and I’d probably go with some of the others on the list before getting into this line. But, as a fresh and easy to wear daily fragrance, Paradoxe is a good option.

Tangerine and pear are in the opening, but they are more candy-like than naturalistic fruit notes. The main draw early on will be the neroli note. After that? It’s floral focused, I tend to get more of the orange blossom versus anything else.

That is flanked by vanilla, jasmine, benzoin, and musk. It’s the sort of perfume that you’ve smelled before, but it’s one that’ll cover a lot of bases, and is mostly a pleasant and enjoyable experience. Paradoxe review

Most Popular Prada

Prada Prada Candy Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 2.7 Ounce– Prada Candy opens up with a warm, sweet, and somewhat salty caramel note. It is paired with musk and benzoin, the benzoin gives the scent a bit of a vanilla-like scent when put together with the caramel.

It is darker than the usual sweet candy perfumes, of this sort, and the benzoin and musk take more of a leading role as Prada Candy dries down. There is a slight spiciness which gives Prada a bit more than its simplicity would suggest.

A light option for colder weather, with good performance overall. In testing, I got about 6-7 hours from Prada Candy. This fragrance has become a best seller for the brand and has spawned many flanker perfumes using the Candy name. Prada Candy Review

Amber and Patchouli

PRADA AMBER For Women By PRADA Eau De Parfum Spray 2.7 Oz– An amber scent laced with benzoin and patchouli. At times, it is smooth and sweet, with vanilla and honey. Next, it is warm and spicy, with floral and green aromas.

Prada Amber could always come across as being quite strong, at first, before it settled down. Nonetheless, the perfume can stick around for double digit hours, depending on the climate that day.

Quite resinous and warm, not a scent for everybody, but can be amazing for amber lovers. This one got reformulated and I think that it started to have some additional fruity notes versus the original.

Beautiful Floral

Prada La Femme Eau De Parfum Spray, 3.4 Fluid Ounce– A clean floral scent that is led by tuberose and frangipani, with a sweet warmth of honey and vanilla. Later, it still has the floral sweetness, but the woody base emerges, along with a bit of powder coming from the iris note.

What is interesting about this one, is that it develops a nice creaminess at points, while having a very light spice which peaks through. Rich, clean, with a really gorgeous floral profile overall.

Simple, yet quite beautiful daily wear, sort of fragrance. The performance isn’t as outstanding as the smell, unfortunately. However, it isn’t completely terrible and will be good enough for most daily uses.

Great Candy Flanker

Prada Candy Florale Eau De Toilette Spray, 2.7 Ounce– A flanker fragrance to the original Prada Candy, Florale, takes the basic formulation of that scent and adds peony for a floral kick. Also, limoncello sorbet, is brought in for that smooth and bright citrus smell which plays very nicely on a subdued caramel.

This version is light, but turns much more into a floral based scent rather than the caramel and benzoin, of the original. It’s still an overall simple perfume, with a soapy quality, but very attractive for a spring/summer wear.

The benzoin and musk doesn’t play as big of a role in Candy Florale. As such, it has less of that candy-like feeling. It still has enough sweetness and an added crisp aroma from the sorbet.

One or the Other Olfactories

Heat Wave and Pink Flamingos– These two perfumes, I couldn’t decide between, and both are expensive and difficult to find outside of directly from Prada itself. I wanted to include at least one scent from the Olfactories line, but you’ll get two instead.

Heat Wave is actually a sweet floral fragrance packed with a blend of ylang-ylang and jasmine notes. As Prada describes it, “Heat Wave is an exotic holiday, a voyage to an island at night…”

It also has tuberose, as another floral note, and a somewhat tropical feel. Vanilla, coconut, and citrus add to the sweeter profile.

Meanwhile, Pink Flamingos is an interesting and bubbly summer scent. Citrus, cherry, and floral notes like iris. Really fruity up top, settles into a sugary fruity floral with the iris being joined by a light rose note.

Flamingos is powdery clean and sweet, with a effervescent summer aura. Probably not for everyone, but a fairly unique and upbeat experience.