God is a Woman by Ariana Grande

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Ariana Grande’s perfume line has been growing steadily with new releases in the past year or so. Here in 2021, God is a Woman has been brought to market, along with a few others. Since I’m making my way through full reviews of Ariana’s fragrances, I grabbed a decant of this one, as I hadn’t actually smelled it before. How does it smell? Perform? Is it worth a buy?

God is a Woman Perfume Overview

Notes include: juicy pear, ambrette, orris, Turkish rose, cedar, vanilla

Buy it from Ulta: God is a Woman by Ariana Grande

My Full Review

Here’s how the scent is described: Empowered. Breathtaking. Natural. A breath of fresh air for the senses.

The advert for God is a Woman:

God is a Woman starts off with the juicy pear note, really shining through. It is basically the same one that is found in Thank U, Next; just this time it is paired with a mellowing ambrette instead of the coconut and raspberry mix.

It’s a juicy fruit aroma with a musky clean and some additional freshness coming from the cedar note, in the base. The muskiness from the ambrette isn’t overwhelming at all and is tempered from taking over by the rose and orris root notes.

The orris does add that slight powdery smell to God is a Woman, but it’s limited in both its size and scope.

The next phase to my nose, is when the rose shows up. It’s a seemingly brief appearance at the top of the ticket, but it is there. For some time, it actually smells like the second strongest note to me.  Mostly, the floral aromas are going to play third or forth fiddle in the composition.

God is a Woman isn’t a very complex scent. You pretty much know what you’re going to get for the rest of the wear, an hour or two in.

The pear is dominant throughout. The musky ambrette and cedar provide the secondary freshness. A light vanilla note for a bit of creamy sweetness.

This one isn’t heavy the juiciness and freshness give it a semi-aquatic wateriness, which keeps God is a Woman light and enjoyable.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this isn’t a powerhouse. It does stick close to the skin for most of the wear, but the performance issues that I’ve seen people talking about are overblown. At least on me.

After the initial sprays, it will have nice radius of fragrance. This will quickly move in and stick to around 2-3 feet from the wearer. Testing it out on t-shirts and I get the same results. It’s a softer scent, though, not weak.

The longevity is a bit better than the sillage. I get it to stick around for just over 7 hours on my skin. Now, that last hour or so…is a skin scent. Yet, it is still there and this Ariana Grande perfume didn’t just vanish after a few hours.

Seasonally, this will be best in the spring and summer months. However, it wouldn’t feel out of place elsewhere. I wore it outside in the mid-50s Fahrenheit and it actually hung beautifully in the crispy air.

This is one of Ariana Grande’s most versatile perfumes that she has released. Previous releases have been too sweet or too youthful for many women to full enjoy. This one has the sweetness without it being overwhelming.

It’s got a fairly candy-like pear note, plus vanilla, but it doesn’t run wild with the sugary qualities. God is a Woman stays clean and doesn’t have a heaviness that many gourmands get.

This is a good daily wear. Still probably not a formal fragrance, but you could wear it in a wide variety of scenarios. It’s attractive, not a sexy night club beast. The pear note is a nice draw, though.

Overall Impressions of God is a Woman

Overall, do I like this perfume. I do. It’s an attractive fruity/musky/floral scent that is versatile and has a fairly unique smell (even if it has a similar structure to others).

I like that the pear note got a chance to shine by itself, after being used in another (1, at least) Ariana perfume. It’s juicy and very sweet with a nice wrapping from the vanilla. It has the powdery/creaminess with the vanilla and orris, but those qualities stick in the background.

You’re going to get a fresh heavily fruity weighted fruity/floral. Actually, more of a fruity/musk perfume with floral highlights and a woodsy cedar base.

God is a Woman does have a lighter, somewhat sheer sillage to it. Still, I think people have been unfair in the performance criticisms. For me, it performs just fine. It’s not a bomb or a marathon performer. 7 hours is good enough for what this is.

This Ariana scent offers a change of pace and some more maturity versus other fragrances, released earlier in the catalogue.

Is it a must have? Probably not for most people. But it would absolutely be enjoyable for a wide range of people. This does have mass appeal, in a subtle and easy to wear way.

The percentage of early negative reviews have kind of skewed the perception of this perfume, it’s not bad at all. It’s good to very good, depending on your enjoyment of pear. Worth trying.

Light Blue Pour Homme Eau Intense vs. Forever

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Light Blue is a seemingly endless line of fragrances from Dolce & Gabbana. I mean, why quit when you’re so successful with the formula? The latest edition is Light Blue Forever Pour Homme, which made waves in the summer of 2021.

It’s a well-liked cologne, but how does it compare to another popular option from the line, Eau Intense? In this post, I will compare the two and declare the best option.

Tale of the Tape: Light Blue Eau Intense vs. Forever Pour Homme

Light Blue Forever

Notes include: grapefruit, violet leaf, white musk, vetiver, ozonic accord

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever for Men by Dolce & Gabbana Eau De Parfum,3.3 Fl Oz

My Full Review: Light Blue Forever

Light Blue Eau Intense

Notes include: mandarin, frozen grapefruit, juniper, aquatic accord, amber woods, musk

Click here to try: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Intense Eau de Parfum Spray for Men, 1.6 Ounce

My review: Light Blue Eau Intense

Opening

Eau Intense has similarities to the original Light Blue, much more so than Forever. It kicks things off as a citrus scent with its mix of grapefruit and mandarin orange.

The scent has a chilly aroma, as the grapefruit note is ‘frozen’. It doesn’t have the peppery accord of the original.

In its place, I pick up a light juniper note. The main difference from the original is the inclusion of an aquatic accord. It is slightly salty but not really oceanic, more like sitting by a hotel pool, while on an island. You pick up aquatic elements of sea and pool water.

The juniper and amberwood in Eau Intense give it very fresh profile, that is great to spray on during the summer.

Light Blue Forever also starts with a grapefruit note. That’s it’s main attraction and it smells much more realistic and fresh versus the one found in the rest of the series.

Beneath that, is a blue-green ozonic accord that adds a watery freshness, and the ever-increasing violet leaf.

Which is better? I enjoy both, but I think that Forever has the better start to things. That grapefruit note, while not my favorite aroma in the world, is absolutely great in just how much like the real thing it smells like.

This first category goes to Forever.

Edge: Forever

Projection

Light Blue Eau Intense starts off pretty powerfully and it has the ability to project itself pretty far from the skin.

That first hour or so, it is certainly possible to overspray and take over a room. Though, it does settle and become much more of a moderate fragrance for the rest of the wear.

Forever opens up with that nice grapefruit burst, though it’s pretty moderate as a whole. It never hits the same heights as Eau Intense and much of the wear will be spent near skin scent level.

You get a few hours of solid performance, then it will be a lighter cologne.

Eau Intense has the better sillage.

Edge: Eau Intense

Longevity

While, Forever isn’t the best with how it projects, it actually does stick to the skin for quite a while in this lighter state. It gets me just over 7 hours of wear, with the first couple being in its moderate strength.

However, Light Blue Eau Intense gets me around 9 hours of wear, with a better ability to project. Between these two, Eau Intense clearly has the better performance.

 

Edge: Eau Intense

Versatility

Both of these fragrances are best in the summertime. They can both go casual and can fit in, for an office environment.

I do think that Forever, is the better of the two with how it can fit into those sorts of semi-formal circumstances in comparison to Eau Intense.

It’s a pretty close race and there is plenty of overlap. Forever does have a slight edge in when and where it can be worn.

Edge: Forever

Overall Scent

This is a close call to which of these two fragrances I prefer. Both of them have their strengths and are enjoyable in their own right.

Light Blue Forever is the new kid on the block and has already made a name for itself. I really do enjoy that opening act with the grapefruit note.

After that, it becomes a greener and woodsier scent and the grapefruit becomes just another part of the composition. Violet leaf and vetiver with some musk to boot. Once it has dried down, I’m not that enthralled with Forever.

Update: Forever has since been discontinued. It is still available online at some places. D&G came out with Italian Love the next year, which was a slightly different take on the formula (which I preferred), and can also serve as an alternative to Light Blue Forever.

Either way, you’ll now have to find both from 3rd party online stores, that may still have stock of each.

It smells fine, at that point, but is pretty weak with its sillage. I don’t hate it, but once the opening fades, the appeal is gone for me.

Eau Intense is a summertime workhorse. It starts off slower, but I think has a better smell overall. Not a huge margin, but I do like it better. Plus, I get 9 hours of solid performance.

I love the aquatic nature and freshness from the juniper note. Eau Intense is cold and clean reminding me more of sitting by the pool versus the ocean.

Between these two, I still give the edge to Eau Intense.

Winner: Eau Intense

Sauvage Elixir by Dior

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I didn’t know that Dior was coming out with another Sauvage flanker here in 2021, but I naturally bought samples of the fragrance immediately upon learning of it.

I was looking forward to trying it out to see what this concentrated version of the popular men’s fragrance would be like.

So, here are my thoughts after testing. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it really worth a try?

What does Sauvage Elixir Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, wood, lavender, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: Sauvage Elixir at Macy’s

My Full Review

Before I get into my review of Elixir, let’s see how Dior describes it:  The quintessence of Sauvage. An extraordinarily concentrated fragrance, like a fine liqueur made of exceptional ingredients. The emblematic freshness of Sauvage with an intoxicating heart of spices and a lavender essence tailor-made for Dior. A blend of rich woods forms the signature of its powerful, lavish, and captivating trail.

Right off the bat, Sauvage Elixir is a different animal from the rest of the series. The overlap of actual notes is the ubiquitous lavender note, patchouli and vetiver from EDT, and the nutmeg from Sauvage EDP.

Outside of that, the structure is going to be the same, just with different notes. So, grapefruit for the citrus. A blend of other spices and wood.

What Elixir actually reminded me of, is a much better version of Alien Man by Mugler. The spices, lavender, and fresh woods is pretty similar at times. Alien Man just had that weird opening act with a dill note and never got close to being as good as this.

However, the two are in the same vein, in terms of style.

Elixir opens up with it’s spice blend shining, grapefruit, and the ever present lavender. The grapefruit is pretty light on my skin. Mostly, I pick up cinnamon and nutmeg, with just a bit of cardamom to round it out.

It is a bold and intense mix of spices. I’m so glad they dumped that Sichuan pepper note from the original and gave us this instead. The spices are so much better in Elixir. 

After the wave of spices calm down somewhat, you get into the middle act. This is where the lavender takes over. You also get a licorice note that adds some sweetness, amber, and more of an indication of the woods.

The nutmeg and cinnamon are still very present for the duration of the wear. They play off of the lavender and amber beautifully and really helped to sell this one for me.

Finally, the dry down is lavender, with some sweetness, and fresh woods. The spices are lingering, but no longer packing that same punch. Elixir at this stage, is much softer and aromatic. 

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Elixir is a powerhouse. Seriously, it’s up there with some of the strongest fragrances that I’ve come across, at its peak. Not the absolute biggest beast, just very close to it. Even a few sprays, really filled up the surrounding area from my skin.

Elixir does back off somewhat, but remains very strong for much of the wear. I absolutely adore how this one projects and hangs around throughout the day.

Add to that, spraying it on a t-shirt, I could detect it from like 10 feet away, while I wasn’t wearing any cologne. Dior wasn’t lying when they said that this one was super concentrated.

 

The longevity is perfection. Sauvage Elixir just keeps going. I’m not sure what the final tally ends up being but it’s easily above 12 hours, at a still very solid strength. Yes, this one is expensive in comparison to the other Sauvage offerings, but you get the performance to back it up.

Update: Testing it out a few more times, Elixir seems to hit the 13-15 hour range for me, at its max. Really depends on what I’m doing, while wearing it. 

Seasonally, I’d like this best in the autumn. Winter and spring will also work, just avoid the summertime heat. Which, yeah, I had to test this during the summer months. Indoors, it’s just great. Outdoors, that humidity kind of wrecks its charm.

I do think that Elixir has a more mature profile than the other Sauvage’s, especially the original EDT. That worked well for guys in their teens and twenties, but Elixir might not be for those in the high school age range.

Sure, for some it will be an option, but this one might not have the same appeal for those in that demographic.

Elixir isn’t completely a formal fragrance. It doesn’t feel out of place, wearing it while dressed up though. It may be too bold for certain functions, but it has plenty of versatility.

This Sauvage can be worn in the nightlife or while out on a date. It does have a sexiness and enough of a mass appeal to get complements from those around you.

Overall Impressions of Sauvage Elixir

Overall, do I like Sauvage Elixir? Yes, I do. Actually, as of now it is my favorite from the series. I give it a slight edge over the EDP, though, that may change as I spend more time with it.

Elixir brings some familiarity, while going in a different direction. The freshness and the spice blend are great here. It doesn’t have a sharp citrus and Sichuan pepper blend up top. The cinnamon and nutmeg are brilliant as replacements.

Lavender is allowed to shine and honestly comes across much better here than in the others. Just a touch of sweetness from licorice, really helps to round out Elixir. I was worried going in, as a too heavy licorice note gives me headaches, but it’s not an issue.

If you liked the Sauvage releases up to this point, you’ll want to give this a try at least. It’s definitely different, though, in an awesome way.

If you didn’t like the other Sauvage fragrances, this one could change your mind. I’m not much of a fan of the EDT original, but really enjoyed the others. This one gets rid of the weakest parts and comes up with something new.

The price may be a deciding factor. It’s currently $155 for a 2 ounce bottle. That is steep for a lot of folks. As such, it may not be one to blind buy.

Dans la Peau by Louis Vuitton

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Louis Vuitton has really ramped up their perfume releases in the past couple of years. I’m still working my way through the collection and posting up reviews. Today’s entry is one of their earliest scents from back in 2016, Dans La Peau. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Dans la Peau Smell Like?

Notes include: apricot, musk, leather, magnolia, narcissus, jasmine sambac

My Full Review

Let’s see how Louis Vuitton describes this perfume: An infusion of leather, an invitation to explore the senses. Traveling often has the power to embolden desire. Dans La Peau imprints on the skin like indelible ink. 

Apparently, Dans la Peau wasn’t a very popular offering from Louis Vuitton, as it’s already been discontinued by the brand.

It opens up with its apricot note, leather, and the narcissus/magnolia blend. The narcissus actually comes across as somewhat spicy in the mix. Initially, I get more of the magnolia and some narcissus. Later, the jasmine comes through a bit more.

However, the floral notes aren’t the lead here. They stick around for the initial stages and then it just becomes a non-descript floral impression.

The apricot and leather are the main stars early on. Then, it’s a musky leather with sweet apricot for the finale. The apricot is almost candy-like here and not a naturalistic aroma of the fruit itself.

I’m used to the usual raspberry and leather combo, but the apricot works very well with this scent.

It’s clean and smooth, with somewhat of a soapy quality. The musk adds to the clean sort of smell in that final dry down period. Sweet fruity/floral sitting on top of musk with the remaining leather still hanging around.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this is a lighter to moderate fragrance. Dans La Peau sits close to the skin without a huge radius of projection. Probably, 4-5 feet away from where you applied it, at its peak.

However, the longevity is pretty good, at just over 8 hours of wear. It’s not a powerhouse, but it sticks around and doesn’t quit early. It should be enough for most purposes.

Seasonally, it doesn’t strike me as being stuck in one season. I don’t know about the hottest days of the year, but Dans La Peau would be fine during the rest of the way. I’d say more of a spring or autumn wear than anything.

It does have really nice versatility because it is so inoffensive. You can wear it pretty much anywhere without issue. It’s attractive, not particularly sexy, but I enjoy the aroma. More of a daily wear to semi-formal kind of perfume.

Overall Impressions of Dans la Peau

Overall, do I like Dans la Peau? I do. I’m not super impressed with this one, but I did enjoy wearing it. The leather note has its moments, but it isn’t a pure leather fragrance. My favorite part is when it does shine and is paired with that synthetic apricot note.

The floral and musk notes are the usual ingredients that you’ve smelled a million times. The musk and apricot is nice, but the floral notes didn’t particularly stand out to my nose. It’s a nice perfume that isn’t elite in anyway.

Performance is decent, but it should be for this price point. It’s not a must have from the Louis Vuitton lineup. Just a nice fragrance with some unique qualities thanks to the fruity pairing with the leather note.

Since it’s been discontinued, if you still want it, you should probably get a decanted sample off of eBay before buying a bottle from the remaining stock. It’s too expensive for most folks, just to do a blind buy. Though, Dans la Peau is a solid scent all around.

L’eau Super Majeure D’Issey by Issey Miyake

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Issey Miyake has a long list of fragrances that the designer’s brand has put out over the years. Flankers upon flankers. Many times, of colognes that you probably haven’t heard of before. L’eau Super Majeure d’Issey is an EDT Intense release from the brand, from a few years back. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a shot?

L’eau Super Majeure d’Issey Overview

Notes include: citrus, sage, amber, sea notes, wood, black salt, cashmeran, tonka bean, vanilla, patchouli, rosemary

Click here to try: Issey Miyake L’eau Super Majeure D’issey Pour Homme Eau De Toilette Spray, 3.3 Ounce

My Full Review

Let’s see how Issey Miyake describes this scent: A men’s fragrance inspired by the might of the sea, L’EAU MAJEURE D’ISSEY reinvented Issey Miyake’s pioneering aquatic note for the 21st century. This autumn, L’EAU SUPER MAJEURE D’ISSEY unleashes the power of water, with a new, exhilarating blend.

Super Majeure is not a fragrance that I sought out. It just happened to be in a lot of other samples that I purchased months ago, that I needed for review purposes. So, really I had zero expectations for this Issey Miyake scent.

While I do enjoy the original L’eau d’Issey, the rest of the brand’s fragrances can be hit or miss, and often just disappear from the market without much fanfare. Case in point, Super was released in 2018 and is no longer listed on their website. 

So, I’m probably writing this review for 10 people…

Anyway, this one opens up pretty strange. Looking at the notes, I would expect closer to an Acqua di Gio Profumo, but it really isn’t that at all.

Up top, is a burst of rosemary and sage. Very herbal with a nice intensity. However, this is paired with tonka bean, vanilla, amberwood, salty sea notes, and a touch of citrus. It’s pretty strange, in the early stages.

Honestly, the opening stages almost put me off of this one completely. But, I do think that it improves upon what it started out with. The rosemary is stronger to my nose, but the partnership with the sage is nice here.

I usually enjoy sweet aromas, but I prefer when the tonka and vanilla calm down within this composition. The rosemary, sage, sea notes, woods and amber are the highlights of the composition.

As it dries down, rosemary and wood are the two strongest components. The saltiness of the sea notes has mostly gone away and those two notes are sitting on top of that synthetic smelling amber (much the same as in Light Blue Eau Intense). 

Sitting on top of all that, is just a touch of remaining sweetness, which is just about the right strength for what this cologne is. This is a ‘blue’ scent, but a really dark blue hue, that’s nearly black.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, this does have a bit of power to it. It opens pretty strong with a nice intensity, but settles down into something moderate. You’ll know it’s there and so will others, without much effort on your part.

The longevity is pretty good 7-7.5 hours of wear, on my skin. Not an absolute marathon runner, but it’ll provide you plenty of time to enjoy it.

Seasonally, spring and summer is when it’s best. But, if the temperature is at least moderate, Super Majeure wouldn’t feel out of place.

This is more of a casual to semi-formal (for summer) fragrance. This isn’t really a romantic wear or club beast. Maybe it could be a daily wear for the warmer months out of the year, for some guys. Not super versatile, but has its place.

Overall Impressions of L’eau Super Majeure D’Issey

Do I like this fragrance? It’s okay. I hated it the first time that I wore it.

Second and third tries, it seemed better. Though, I still don’t see myself wanting any more. I do also hate having to type this long name that they decided to go with for this cologne.

The herbal blend, with salty seas, wood and a slight sweetness. That’s what you should expect with Super. If that sounds like your type of fragrance, this is a pretty unique and well performing example. Bottles are still cheap, so for a percentage of guys, this will be a steal.

For most men? Probably not. It has a nice aroma, but nothing spectacular or very mass appealing. But, if you’re a fan of rosemary and sage, this is certainly an interesting one to try.

It at least didn’t just mimic Acqua di Gio, points for some originality.