7 Best Smelling Tocca Perfumes

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Tocca has become a pretty famous designer brand over the past few decades. Starting off with their clothing options, and then later, introducing fragrances for women. In this post, I want to take a closer look at their perfume collection, and choose some that could be considered the best of the bunch. There are now dozens of them, which have been released, but I narrowed it down to seven to give enough options; but make it manageable.

What are the Top Fragrances by Tocca?

Best Floral Tocca

Tocca Giulietta Eau De Parfum, 1.7 oz– Lilac, tulip, and ylang ylang create a floral bouquet effect, that is joined by an early crisp green apple. So, it isn’t a pure floral fragrance, more floral/fruity, with some light musk added. Very pretty fragrance that has a light sillage, a bit of powdery aroma, but an overall clean profile.

The apple gives it that slightly sweet and watery feel to it. A greenish and somewhat garden-like scent, but mostly you’re going to get those floral accents. Plenty of soft lilac, with periods of tulip, and musk hanging around throughout.

I like this one better than the white floral blend of Florence, listed below. It’s more of a personal preference, but if you have the opposite inclination and love gardenia, you’d probably better served to go with that scent.

Best Seller 

Tocca Beauty Cleopatra Collection 1.7 oz Eau de Parfum Spray– Cleopatra features some sweet fruit notes such as, peach, and flowers including jasmine and tuberose. This is all held together with musk and some light patchouli, which are a great tandem within this composition.

It’s mostly a feminine floral perfume with patchouli undertones, and fruity notes arising from time to time. It has a very similar profile to Lovely by SJP and Narciso Rodriguez, with it’s musky and patchouli blend.

So, if you’re familiar with those two scents, you know what to expect from Cleopatra. This one has a bit more of a fruitier aroma, than the other two, however.

Nice Newer Release 

Tocca Eau de Parfum, Gia–  Gia is a dynamic and bright use of Turkish rose and an aroma of citrus. It is one of the few to be released from this brand in the past handful of years, but I think that it is the best of that group.

Tangerine kicks off this Tocca fragrance and is paired with the warm spice of pink pepper. The spice is more like a hint, because the pink pepper is overwhelmed by the tangerine early on. Later on, the rose note begins to play a bigger role.

Most of what you’ll get is that tangerine and rose combination. However, it smells like the citrus gets wrapped up in a vanilla and amber creaminess, that is quite enjoyable to wear.

Gia is a sweet and creamy release, that is not heavy and can be worn in the warmer weather of summer.

Best Overall Tocca Perfume

Tocca Stella Eau de Parfum Spray – 50 ml/ 1.7 fl. oz.– Stella changes the pace from the more floral dominated entries on the list and goes straight citrus, up top. Blood orange is the main highlight here and it is both fresh and delicious.

Yes, there are other notes like musk and sandalwood. Plus, the lily, orchid, and freesia which really emerge during the dry down period.

The floral notes are pretty well-blended, but you will probably be able to pick up more on the lily versus the others. The citrus is juicy, but doesn’t have a really sharpness to it. It’s got a very nice transitional phase into that final dry down with a smooth and creamy sandalwood note.

I think that this might be the best of the Tocca line. There are several contenders, but this has great balance, and versatility.

White Floral Fragrance

TOCCA Eau de Parfum Florence 1.7 oz– Florence is an entry for those who love gardenia dominated perfumes. It’s got a clean, crisp, and watery background thanks to the fruity additions of apple and mostly pear.

Beyond that, you do get the usual gardenia pairing with tuberose, but the latter isn’t that strong. A very nice white floral perfume. The juiciness of the fruits give this one somewhat of a sparkling opening act, which plays beautifully off of the gardenia note.

This has lot of similarities to the Kim Kardashian scent, Crystal Gardenia, but Florence is a bit more well done. It’s smoother and has a soothing coolness to it. Very nice, but again, one for people who want a white floral scent.

Top Summer Perfume

Tocca Eau de Parfum – Simone – 1.7 oz– A fruity aquatic scent that is lead by a light and juicy watermelon scent. With that, is lemon and apple, along with a dash of saltiness at the start. It dries down with some floral notes, but never really relinquishes the watermelon essence.

Super fresh at the start, but the dry down is more of a light aquatic scent. Simone is a great change of pace perfume, for the summer months.

It’s not going to be a go-to for the entirety of the year, but is very refreshing and fund for when the temperatures start to rise. Light, clean, with a delicious opening act.

Top Tocca for Winter

Tocca Eau De Parfum Spray, Maya, 1.7 Fluid Ounce– A sweet powdery mix highlighted by that familiar scent of iris and a lovely black currant note. As it dries down, the light currant/iris blend, becomes woodier and patchouli begins to peak through.

Very simple and light, with a dry/woodsy infusion toward the end of the wear.

The black currant here, is light and mostly present during the opening. However, it does add a great dimension to Maya. The iris isn’t too overbearing here, so, don’t expect it to be pure powder or anything. Very simple fragrance, but has its strengths for sure.

Burberry Her by Burberry

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Burberry Her is a line that Burberry has seemed to want to develop further over the past few years, ever since this one was released in 2018. They’re still coming out with flankers, so, I guess it’s going to continue for quite a while.

I’ve tried Her EDP out before, but recently received a sample with an order from Macy’s…so, it’s time to do a full review. How does it smell? How long does it last? Is Burberry Her worth a try?

What does Burberry Her EDP Smell Like?

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

Click here to try: Burberry Her Eau De Parfum Spray

My Full Review

Let’s see how Burberry describes Her EDP: Effortlessly stylish, energetic, optimistic, adventurous and bold – the spirit of Her, captured in London – a beautiful, bustling, creative metropolis, eclectic and full of life.

Burberry Her opens up with its berry and citrus notes out in full force. I get a sparkling quality from the raspberry, a slight sharpness from the citrus, and a hefty dose of strawberry. On my skin, the strawberry definitely takes the lead early, and never lets it go entirely.

Since this one was designed by Francis Kurkdjian and has plenty of overlap with his famous Baccarat Rouge 540, it often gets compared. This one is much fruitier, has more of a spring/summer vibe, and is missing much of the depth.

Underneath the strawberry, I do get a hint of cherry and the other berry notes really just feel like a generic fruit note. It is sweet somewhat, but not overly so, it’s more bright/sharp/sour…pick your adjective.

One thing that I’ve noticed, is how weak the floral notes are in this mix. The jasmine does poke through later on, but it never grabs much attention. It’s there, just not doing very much. Perhaps, that’s just on my skin.

Later, it becomes muskier, woody, and resembles Cloud by Ariana Grande. Both have that general fruity sweetness, musk, and woods. Cloud is creamier.

That’s pretty much the development of Burberry Her. Bold berry and citrus start. Strawberry with a bit of jasmine. Then, sweet with musk and woods.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here is pretty strong at first. Not monstrous, but I was impressed with its ability to project. On a t-shirt, I could smell it from up to about 7 feet away. That was at its peak, once Burberry Her settles, it is more in the 3-4 foot range.

Later, it’s even more intimate. Really, gets soft and very pleasant.

The performance isn’t lacking. This will stick around on my skin for 8 hours of wear. On fabric, it keeps going well past that. So, if you’re into the scent, you definitely get your money’s worth.

Seasonally, I like this best in the warmer weather. I’d keep it mostly to the spring or summertime (when not super hot out). The fruity notes really dominate and it would stick out in winter weather, but it should also be fine in the autumn coolness.

Burberry Her has a youthful vibe to its aroma. It would work for teenagers, but adults can wear this easily, if you’re into the fruity perfumes. It’s pretty crowd pleasing and simple, not at all a formal wear, nor is it cheap and tacky.

Mostly, a daytime casual wear or one that you could go lightly with in the office.

Overall Impressions of Burberry Her

Overall, do I like Burberry Her? I do. I’m not in love with it, though. The Intense version is actually better, in my mind. It just gets overshadowed because of the BR540 comparisons with Her EDP.

The red berry and citrus opening is really great for a while. But, each time I’ve tried to wear this one, it begins to grate on my nerves a bit. It’s not one that I’d need to scrub off or anything, just the intense strawberry and sharp/sour citrus gets somewhat old after a while.

Though, when I do stick with it, I end up liking the dry down of this more. It’s closer to Ariana Grande’s Cloud than it is Baccarat Rouge. Still, Burberry Her is distinct enough from both of them.

It’s funny, this has been so successful that there are starting to even be, supposed perfume ‘dupes’ of Burberry Her.

The floral notes are light on me. I mostly get the cleanliness of musk and wood in the dry down with the strawberry and the mass of whatever is left of the other fruits.

Is this worth a try? Yeah, it’s one to check out. I don’t know that I’d blind buy it, as you might not like the way the berries sit on your skin. It’s not the best perfume out there, but it’s solid and can be a nice choice for the right person.

5 Perfumes that Smell Similar to Kai

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Kai has been a very popular perfume for women, over the past 10+ years. It’s a great gardenia led white floral scent. Simple yet elegant and clean. This popularity will lead folks to search for something that smells similar or is a cheaper comparable fragrance of the original What are some options for those who want a Kai smell alike?

What Fragrances Smell Similar to Kai?

Light and Refreshing

Kate Spade Walk On Air Eau de Parfum Rollerball Womens Perfume, 0.34 oz.– Walk on Air is of course going to have a lighter silage, just based on the name alone. It opens with a gentle citrus, white floral notes, and a fern note which hangs around throughout the wear.

Yet, this walk on air has a definite crispness and coolness to it, especially in the early stages after spraying. Not an exact one to one of Kai, but can cover a lot of the same ground as what you get with that one.

Another pretty and upbeat fragrance, with a refreshing aroma, that can fit in on any occasion. The performance is solid enough, for daily wear status, as well.

Easy Avon

Avon Haiku Eau de Parfum Spray– Kumquat and yuzu are some of the fruit notes that help to set Haiku apart, along with a fantastic and clean, lily-of-the-valley note. Refreshingly cool, crisp, and clean Haiku is a lighter perfume with dewy and outdoorsy undertones. An understated wear, which is safe to wear to work or casually.

More citrus than something like Kai, but this strikes the right tone, and is a closer smell alike during the latter stages of the wear. Haiku is already a well-known and liked scent, so, it’s really not much of a risk trying it out.

The Japanese inspired notes, help to take the usual floral fragrance, and create one that is distinct while being familiar. The latter stages, move away from the more citrus/green start, and more towards the floral end of things. Plus, a woody base, headed up by sandalwood.

In the end, you get a light musky jasmine, peony, and lily with the subtle remnants of fruits still making their way around. Also, a bit of a powdery finish.

KKW Entry

Diamond Kim– Diamond Kim might be the best cheapie for having a comparable experience to Kai, out of the lot. You get plenty of gardenia, with honeysuckle, and a very nice freshness. Is the performance the best? Not really, but it isn’t terrible.

The initial opening of Diamond Kim is closer to Kai, with its white floral notes, but this seems muskier and with a fresher smell later on in the wear. Probably not as good as Kai, but it is another option. I’d go with Kai, if I could help it.

The ylang-ylang and warm sweetness do come in from the base to give this KKW a further distinction from what we’re looking for.

Aquatic Floral that’s Similar

Cool Water- So, Cool Water is a bit of a different pick. It actually is quite floral and has plenty of overlap with Kai. Yet, it takes a more aquatic route, and with some additional fruity touches.

I figured that I’d toss this one in, because while it isn’t an exactly similar smell, Cool Water can offer a summertime option for Kai fans. This gives you initial blast of citrus notes, mainly lemon, with its aquatic undertones.

Then, the floral ingredients come in and give Cool Water a different tone, along with sandalwood for its soapiness. It’s overall vibe is very clean, breezy, and definitely evokes memories of life at the beach. Nice performance and extremely affordable.

cool water cheap perfume

High End Bouquet

Flowerhead by Byredo– I’m not sure if too many are going to go with this Byredo fragrance versus Kai, as it is much more expensive.

Nonetheless, you’re going to get a very similar scent.  This will give you a stronger tuberose and a bit of a grassy element.

The bouquet of flowers is a nice effect, then you get some dewy green grass, and the usual soapy sort of cleanliness. Again, not going to give you that much of a difference from Kai, and it can be a lot pricier.

1 Million Prive vs 1 Million Lucky Comparison

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For today’s cologne comparison, I’m going to do two more from the Paco Rabanne 1 Million line of scents: Prive vs. Lucky. Which of these flanker fragrances smells best? Which has the better performance and versatility? Ultimately, which is the better purchase when looking for a 1 Million cologne?

Tale of the Tape: Lucky vs. Prive

1 Million Lucky

Notes include: hazelnut, cedar, green plum, patchouli, grapefruit, amber, and more

Click here to try: 1 Million Lucky by Paco Rabanne Eau de Toilette Spray 100ml

Read my original review: 1 Million Lucky

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

Opening

1 Million Prive opens darker with a more emergent cinnamon note that blends with a crisp and sweet apple note. It’s warm and slightly spicy but still retains an overall sweet profile. Prive has a lot of similar elements with the original 1 Million and Armani Code Profumo, which is another great fragrance.

There is another layer to Prive with mandarin, tonka bean, and tobacco which adds depth and smoothness.

1 Million Lucky is closer to the original than is Prive. It has the same candy-like sweetness except you substitute in a plum note. It’s not exactly the same but this plum sits on top of wood and is soaked in amber.

Then, add a unique nutty profile with the addition of hazelnut. It’s got a great cedar note, which puts it above how the original 1 Million opens.

Between these two, I think Prive has the better opening. I like it’s dark cinnamon quality. Although, I don’t think it to be a massive advantage over Lucky.

Edge: Prive

Projection

The sillage between these two scents is close and neither beats the original. However, 1 Million Prive, just does a better job overall in terms of how potent of a cologne it is. Lucky can seem pretty intense, in the start, but its mostly due to the tart plum note blending with the sweetness.

Prive is actually stronger and projects itself better than Lucky. It’s just kind of an illusion of power at first for Lucky.

Edge: Prive

Longevity

On my skin, I usually get 6-8 hours from Lucky. Closer to six hours on average. 1 Million Prive gives me 9-10 and takes this category fairly easily. Lucky is the worst performing of all of the 1 Million fragrances, in terms of how long it lasts. Every other one has hit at least 9 hours for me.

Edge: Prive

Versatility

Both of these colognes have good versatility, as you can wear them both casually or during a night out. I will say that Prive is probably the ‘sexier’ of the two scents.

Prive is also more mature and better for older guys. Both of these do have a youthful vibe, Lucky does feel more like a teenage or college age scent.

While neither scent is built for hot weather, Lucky does hold up better in higher temperatures than does Prive. High heat, both will fall apart but Lucky hangs in longer.

Edge: Lucky (slightly)

Overall Scent

I’ve enjoyed wearing Lucky over the past week or so. I think it’s a nice addition from Paco Rabanne, but it doesn’t take things to a higher level. 1 Million Prive is still my favorite from that line of fragrances.

Lucky has a nice aroma, sweet, woody, warm, with nutty elements floating to the top. It’s a solid casual wear, but nothing that will really set one apart while wearing it. It has a tart and sweet opening, which I enjoy, but may turn some folks away. Plus, it is geared toward younger guys.

Prive is awesome. I like it better than the original 1 Million and it’s a fantastic cold weather scent. Yeah, it doesn’t have that year round versatility, but it’s a great cologne. It has a more mature and masculine vibe while retaining a warm sweetness that shares the spirit of the original.

Update: Prive has been discontinued and it’s already really difficult to find a bottle at a reasonable price. So, you’ll have to go with Lucky or one of the other 1 Million fragrances. Personally, if I had to buy one, it’d be the original. The Parfum is decent, but didn’t wow me.

Winner: Prive

Maritime Deep Blue by Tommy Bahama

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Along with my sample of Maritime Journey from Tommy Bahama, I also picked up one of Maritime Deep Blue, which I had tried out before. Now, I wanted to revisit this scent and give it a full and proper review for the site. How does it smell? Perform? When should it be worn? Continue below for my full take after testing it recently.

What does Maritime Deep Blue Smell Like?

Notes include: geranium, cedar, orris, juniper, bergamot, cardamom, water lily, freesia, musk, moss

Click here to try: Tommy Bahama Maritime Deep Blue Eau de Cologne Spray, 2.5 Fl Oz

My Full Wear Review

Upon the first spray, I immediately get the similarities between this and both Polo Blue and Eternity Aqua. The main commonalities are mostly in the beginning of the wear and they aren’t entirely the same, but it’s pretty close.

The main difference for me, is the both Polo Blue and Eternity Aqua feel much more aquatic and coldly crisp than this Maritime Deep Blue. Those both contain the cucumber note, along with the citrus or tart plum, in the case of the CK fragrance.

Maritime Deep Blue, opts for water lily and a nice dose of juniper for freshness. It doesn’t have an exact aquatic aroma, but it’s a decent facsimile at first. Geranium is a very light note in Deep Blue, but it is also found in the Polo scent, adding to the overlap.

Once we get past that first wave of bergamot citrus, rosemary, and juniper; this one will become more floral and woodsy. I know the advertising and name makes you think oceanic, but I’d set my expectations for freshness. This is a classic fresh sort of cologne.

The spice of cardamom and rosemary is a very nice contrast against the juniper and juicy citrus.

The next phase,  the juniper and cardamom hang around, and the water lily, cedar, and freesia really come through. At this point, Maritime Deep Blue becomes a lot more distinct than it opens up.

Nevertheless, the woods/musk/spice are found in all three of these colognes, and keeps them in the same relative area.

I end up with a dry and fresh spice, floral touches, and a clean woody base. Pretty simple, but well done.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Like other Tommy Bahama fragrances, Deep Blue isn’t a powerhouse, and falls toward the lighter moderate end of the spectrum. With three sprays to the same spot, this one is noticeable but isn’t going to carry over the entirety of a room.

Probably, a 4-6 foot scent bubble, that gets progressively closer as it dries down.

Longevity wise, 5-7 hours. There is a lot worse from this brand, in terms of performance, but it isn’t an outstanding example of an all day wear. Thus far, it is much closer to the 5 hour mark for most wears versus 7.

Update: Yeah, like 4 out of 5 times, Maritime Blue will be on the skin for around five hours. Usually, with low humidity, it has better odds at going longer. But, it’s usually very humid around here.

Seasonally, I like this as a spring/summer wear. Though, it’s fine to wear here in January, as the citrus isn’t massive. It can be a bit too fresh for the winter, when I prefer to go with something warmer and with some greater thickness.

In the summer, it can get eaten up a bit by the humidity. However, it also smells at its absolute best and just works with the general vibe of the season.

Maritime Deep Blue is mainly a casual warm weather cologne. It can also be worn in daily, semi-formal situations. Light enough for the office, if need be. Fresh and clean, not really sexy, and not a nightlife focused scent.

Overall Impressions of Maritime Deep Blue

Do I like this fragrance? I do. I think that it’s one of the better offerings from Tommy Bahama. It’s not very original, but it at least mimics fragrances which smell nice. However, I don’t really love either the Polo or Calvin Klein, but can enjoy wearing them.

The performance is okay. It’s not great and actually lags behind its two comparable colognes. I do really like the use of juniper in Deep Blue, I think it adds a layer that the other two don’t have. Is that enough to buy? For me, no.

I can get Eternity Aqua for much cheaper, usually. Plus, Polo Blue EDT, isn’t the best one from that lineup. Polo Deep Blue or Blue EDP are both better. So, while I like Maritime Deep Blue, I don’t really see a place for it.

Maybe, at $15-30 this would be worthwhile, but I can’t see me needing a bottle at near full price. If it’s like $80-something, I’d pass. Although, I’ve been seeing Tommy Bahama fragrances for cheaper as of late. So, it’s probably pretty likely you’ll be able too grab this one near that price point.