Oriana vs Love don’t be Shy

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Oriana and Love Don’t be Shy are two fragrances with plenty of similarity in terms of style, which are often the final two choices of perfumes, that someone is deciding between. Each of them has their strengths, but which is better: the Parfum de Marly or Kilian scent?

In this post, I want to do a full head to head comparison between these fragrances. Which lasts longer? Smells better? Is the better buy?

Tale of the Tape: Oriana vs. Love don’t be Shy

Oriana

Notes include: orange blossom, marshmallow, grapefruit, orange, bergamot, raspberry, black currant, whipped cream, musk, ambrette

Click here to try: Oriana

Love don’t be Shy

Notes include: caramel, marshmallow, jasmine, rose, honeysuckle, orange blossom, sugar, vanilla, musk, and more

Click here to try: Love

Read my review: Love don’t be shy

love don't be shy review

Opening

Oriana opens up with raspberry and citrus up top. Early on, it is more of a light and sugary sweet type of aroma, with some tart qualities.

The light creaminess and powdery aroma will come along more so in the middle act, once some of the fruitiness burns off, and the marshmallow takes on a larger role. Orange blossom and marshmallow with a sweet fruitiness, is the core of what I get.

The opening of Love EDP really comes with the orange blossom, honeysuckle, and neroli, as the floral notes. Those are joined by the sweetness of marshmallow, caramel, and some vanilla.

The main two are going to be orange blossom and marshmallow here, early on. It’s sweet, sugary, and a warm floral scent that is quite captivating.

So, early on it’s the orange blossom. Then, you get a slight powdery aroma from iris and rose (not too much of either), and finally jasmine starts to show up more on my skin.

Edge: Love

Projection

Oriana is solid with it’s projection but has an airy quality to it, for a good portion of the wear. Still one that you’re not going to forget that you’re wearing, just not a powerhouse or a heavy kind of scent.

The sillage here with Love, is stronger for a time. It is ultimately a fresher and lighter kind of sweet perfume, like Oriana, rather than a massive thick cloud. But, the projection is good well into the wear on me.

I think that the Kilian fragrance has a higher high in terms of level of projection. It’s also a somewhat heavier feeling scent, just a tad more noticeable throughout.

Edge: Love

Longevity

Oriana will go for 6.5-8 hours, on my skin. It’s fine, just nothing too crazy in terms of the performance that you’ll get from this PdM perfum. 

With Love don’t be shy, I also get around 8 hours as the max. There’s not too much of a difference here, if any, in my experience.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Seasonally, the Kilian fragrance is best served in autumn through early spring. While Oriana, is more of a spring and summer wear.

So, colder weather goes to Love. While a warmer day, will be advantageous to Oriana. Probably a slight edge to Oriana, as it works fine otherwise, even if it’s not a winter wear.

Both are better served as daytime wears, neither are particularly formal. I’d probably give the edge to Love, don’t be shy in terms of nighttime wear.

Pretty even between them.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these perfumes do I prefer? I do have to say that each is quite likeable and they’re not tooo far apart in terms of just overall enjoyment of wearing them.

With Oriana, you’re going to get a fruitier mix early on, with a bit of a lighter fragrance throughout the wear. The citrus, raspberry, and whipped cream are the most noticeable difference makers between these two fragrances.

For some people, Oriana might make sense if  they happen to greatly prefer those notes. Or, if you want one that’s more usable in the warmer weather.

For me, I still lean more towards the Kilian scent.

I like the use of the orange blossom and caramel especially. The floral dry down with the sugary sweet finish playing the background is also nice. 

I don’t have a massive preference for either of these perfumes. I think that they’re both quite good, but just short of amazing. Though, Love is the slightly better bet, if I have to pick.

Winner: Love don’t be shy

Uomo Born in Roma vs Intense

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Uomo Born in Roma has spawned a ton of flanker fragrances since its release, including the very popular Born in Roma Intense. Being in the same lineup, people are often deciding between these two colognes.

So, in this post I wanted to do a head to head comparison between these fragrances, after having tested each of them out. Which smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better Valentino to buy?

 

Tale of the tape: Uomo Born in Roma vs Intense

Born in Roma

Notes include: ginger, salt, mineral notes, sage, vetiver, violet leaf 

Click here to try: Valentino Uomo Born In Roma EDT 3.4 oz / 100 ml Men’s Spray 

My review: Born in Roma

Uomo Born in Roma Intense

Notes include: vanilla, amber, lavender, vetiver

Click here to try: Born in Roma Intense

Read my review: Intense

Opening

Born in Roma EDT is sweet with a prominent mineral note, and an aquatic kind of vibe thanks to a salt and violet leaf duo. It reminds me of a mix of Invictus and Invictus Aqua, in the early stages.

The ginger isn’t heavy, but it adds a nice freshness to the mix and as this one dry down it will become cleaner and soapier, with less resemblance to those Paco Rabanne fragrances.

Uomo Intense still has a sweetness in the opening act, but it’s definitely not to the same extent as with the original. It’s actually tempered by the lavender note, which plays a big role here.

Also gone, the mineral notes. Which, I really didn’t like very much in the original, so I’m glad it is absent. 

Intense does develop fairly differently than the original. This is mostly about lavender and vanilla, once that initial sweetness burns off. Also, I think there is some unlisted sage in here too, like they have in Coral Fantasy.

Which is better? For me, I’ll give the edge to Born in Roma Intense. It’s not as sweet and I like the lavender and vanilla more than what I get with the original.

Edge: Intense

Projection

Born in Roma EDT begins pretty strong with its reach. I can detect it from up to 8 feet away, when I spray it on a t-shirt and walk away. That’s with a few sprays.

It will settle into a cologne that is more moderate, but it’s not a weak scent at all.

Intense starts off on a higher level and maintains that throughout. It’s not significantly more powerful with its reach, but it is a step ahead of EDT, and has a slightly heavier feel to it.

Edge: Intense

Longevity

Born in Roma EDT lasts somewhere in the 7-8.5 hour range. Most of the time, it will be 7-ish, but sometimes I could still detect it at that higher end of the range.  A solid fragrance, no real disappointment with the longevity.

With Intense, I personally get 8.5-9 hours of wear out of it. Again, performance wise, it’s not that much of an improvement over the EDT, but it is noticeable for sure.

Edge: Intense

Versatility

EDT is best in spring and summer. With Intense, it’s more of an autumn through early springtime scent.

The main difference here, is that Intense is more well put together and can fit in better in more situations, day or night. Now, it’s not strictly a formal scent or even designed for that, it is more mature than EDT is. 

So, outside of younger guys as a group, Roma Intense would be a better fit for most adults. Both of these are versatile scents, but Intense has an advantage.

Edge: Intense

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two Born in Roma fragrances do I prefer?

Even though, I’m not a massive fan of either of these or the series as a whole, Intense is easily my choice. The performance is better, not be a lot, but there’s a bit more than Roma EDT.

Beyond that, I like the scent better. The opening is more tolerable with the sweetness and there is a nice play between the vanilla, amber, and lavender notes. I do find the back half to be pretty boring, while still smelling good.

I don’t think that Born in Roma is a bad fragrance. It’s pretty good, gets better as it dries down, and the performance is solid. It’s not too original up front and there are other fragrances that are similar.

But, between these, Born in Roma Intense is the better buy.

Winner: Intense

 

Oriana vs Delina by Parfums de Marly

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Oriana and Delina are two of the most popular women’s perfumes from Parfums de Marly. As such, they are many times the two final choices, that people will decide between buying.

I have tested each of them and actually really like both of these scents. However, which of them actually smells better? Lasts longer? Is the better buy? Here is my full breakdown of this competition.

 

 

Tale of the Tape: Oriana vs Delina

Oriana

Notes include: orange blossom, marshmallow, grapefruit, orange, bergamot, raspberry, black currant, whipped cream, musk, ambrette

Click here to try: Oriana

Delina

Notes include: rose, rhubarb, litchee, musk, vanilla, peony, and vetiver

Click here to try: PARFUMS de MARLY Delina, 2.5 fl. oz.

Read my review: Delina

Opening

Delina starts off with a very pleasant fruity and powdery blend. The rose is already out and prominent alongside that litchee note.

It’s sweet, yet also tart and juicy. The litchee is joined by a bright bergamot citrus aroma and a tart rhubarb bringing it all together.

Later, the peony and vanilla will ascend, but this is what I get early on with this PdM fragrance.

Oriana opens up with raspberry and citrus up top. Early on, it is more of a light and sugary sweet type of aroma, with some tart qualities.

The light creaminess and powdery aroma will come along more so in the middle act, once some of the fruitiness burns off, and the marshmallow takes on a larger role. Orange blossom and marshmallow with a sweet fruitiness, is the core of what I get.

So, Delina is more powdery in the front end of things, and Oriana in the back half.

Which is better? I like both of them. I think that I have a slight preference for what I get out of Delina, at the start.

Edge: Delina

Projection

Neither of these have too heavy of a scent, but do a good job at hanging around and projecting themselves.

With Delina, it hangs out in the 4-6 foot range from the skin. Pretty moderate, for the most part, but definitely not weak.

With Oriana, it’s somewhat lighter and more airy than is Delina. Not so much so, but I feel like it’s a step behind its competitor in this category.

Edge: Delina

Longevity

Delina gets me in the 9-10 range, on skin. It’s a very good performer, but just shy of being an elite one.

With Oriana, it’s not a beast performer. 6.5-8 hours or thereabout. I’ve never found it to be totally lacking, but it doesn’t last super long, and doesn’t match what I’ve gotten with Delina.

Edge: Delina

Versatility

Seasonally, I think both of these are more suited for the spring and summer months. But, anything from a temperate climate to higher heat works.

Each of them is more of a daily wear and potential signature scent. But, I think that Delina is more well put together and ‘mature’, I feel like it’d fit in better in more places.

You could wear them at night, but both are better served in the daytime. Not really sexy ‘night club beasts’, though they are attractive.

I’d give a slight edge to Delina in more formal situations.

Edge: Delina

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these Parfums de Marly perfumes do I enjoy more?

In actuality, these are two of my favorites from the women’s side of things by this brand. As such, the competition is closer than it seems.

With Oriana, I enjoy the lightness and the fruity/sugary sweetness that it provides. The whipped cream and powdery dynamic is awesome.

Hints of soapy clean. The marshmallow, orange blossom, musk are really great in the back half. However, that also might not be for everyone.

The performance is decent, but not spectacular for the price.

Between them, I’d say that Delina gets the nod for me. I think that it smells somewhat better overall. The rose and peony are used better than the orange blossom or Oriana. It’s got more of a balance and I also enjoy what it develops into.

Plus, the performance is better. 

For most people, I’d say Delina. Unless that sweet fruitiness of Oriana sounds like more your style, go with Delina.

Winner: Delina

4 Perfumes Similar to Mod Vanilla

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Mod Vanilla was one that I bought a travel sprayer of (along with Mod Blush) back when it was first release. Maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised at just how popular of a perfume it has since become, but I kind of am.

With that popularity, has also come people searching for potential alternatives to this Ariana Grande scent. Whether it’s something that similar but a bit different, a cheaper substitute, or one that aims to try and match the same Mod vibe; here is my ongoing list keeping track of perfumes which fit the bill.

Fragrances that Smell Like Mod Vanilla by Ariana Grande

mod vanilla review

An Inspiration

Dark Plum Vanille by Dua Brand– So, the rest of the list after this will be perfumes that are similar without trying to be a near match to our target. However, the Dua Brand does have their inspired version of Mod, Dark Plum Vanille.

If you want a cheaper alternative that aims to be close to the original, this is currently your best bet.

Now, I have yet to try this one from Dua. They usually do a great job and I’ve owned over a dozen of their other ‘inspired’ fragrances, so I trust that they can make the most of this formula (and the reviews seem to think they did).

40 Sweets

Cheirosa 40 by Sol de Janeiro– This one from Sol de Janeiro often gets compared to Mod Vanilla and it is indeed similar. Not the same, mind you, but pretty close for a body mist.

Plum and cassis are notes up top which give this one a sweetness, while being a bit tart. To me, the fruitiness is the main distinction, 40 has a much greater influence with those notes than the plum that’s in the Ariana perfume.

It’s a light and sweet fragrance with some floral influence (jasmine mainly), musk, amber, and of course the vanilla. Actually, fairly creamy at times, and also a good stretch where it leans more powdery and musky.

Pretty nice as a potential substitute for Mod Vanilla, since it’s not too expensive. Again, don’t expect an exact match, just something quite familiar.

Cloud

Cloud by Ariana Grande– Yes, another release from Ariana Grande. There are lots of them with a ton of overlap, Mod Vanilla and Cloud are such a case.

To me, it’s mainly in the sweetness (praline) and the musk notes, with the vanilla that makes it a fairly close comparison between them. Now, they’re not the same, just similar. It’s difficult to not smell comparable, with so many common notes.

Outside of that, Cloud has a lavender and musky finish. While with Mod Vanilla, I got more of a powdery back half with a sugary/musky/warm aroma.

Either way, if you haven’t tried Cloud and like Mod Vanilla, this might be for you. Cloud review

Viva Delicious

Viva Vanilla by Bath & Body Works– This one comes in variants of body spray, perfume, and lotion. So, there’s going to be slight differences in how it comes across from each type.

This is a very much simplified fragrance compared to Mod Vanilla, but also quite similar in what it does.

Here, you have: vanilla, plum, and amber. Warm and somewhat smoky with how it comes across and the sweetness is toned down. To me, the plum note in the Ariana Grande perfume is already very light, so it not being too big of a factor here isn’t much different.

But, the sweetness of the floral notes, cocoa butter, and praline are absent. As is the musk. Not an exact match here, but what you get for this price point is quite beautiful and has enough similarities to be worthwhile to check out.

5 Fragrances Similar to Uomo Born in Roma

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Born in Roma has developed into a best seller for Valentino over the years. Now, it has a bunch of different flankers to its name and plenty of fans.

On this page, I want to keep track of fragrances that either smell alike, are similar to, or are cheaper alternatives to Uomo Born in Roma. I will try to update and include options beyond just the EDT version, such as Yellow Dream, Green Stravaganza, and Coral Fantasy.

Colognes that Smell Like Born in Roma

Inspired by Rome

Aromatic Sage by Dossier– For those who want an inspired take on the Born in Roma formula, this one from Dossier aims to get as close as possible to our target scent.

I haven’t yet tried this Dossier out, but they usually do a pretty good job a getting near what fragrance they’re aiming to replicate. But, they are using pineapple and ‘water fruits’ up top in effort to match the opening sweetness and sort of aquatic element that you get with the Valentino.

Added pink pepper to the spice profile as well. I would be interested in seeing if they pulled off the mineral accord well in this version. But, it should be fine.

Green Inspiration

Rome in Green by Dua– The Born in Roma flankers keep getting released, including Green Stravaganza. Long enough name, but Rome in Green is Dua’s take on that design, if you’re in the market for a cheaper alternative.

Bergamot, coffee, and Hatian vetiver combine for this interesting mix of bright citrus, a cafe aroma, and a smooth dry down period.

They don’t seem to have yet created their version of the original Uomo Born in Roma or any of the others, but this is a unique enough scent that some might be looking for.

Similar Start

Invictus by Paco Rabanne– This is one of the mainstream designer colognes that Born in Roma gets compared to most often. To me, it’s mostly confined to the opening hour or so, and it’s more of a mix between Invictus and Invictus Aqua.

Invictus EDT is definitely sweeter and has a heavier use of citrus early on. Salty with a bay leaf note adding some fresh spice to the mix. 

Yet, early it does have a very noticeable overlap with the Valentino. Again, if I could take elements from both EDT and Aqua, it would be even closer to Roma.

After that, the dry down on this one is different. Marine notes, that citrus, and its woody base are still going strong. Invictus doesn’t shift as much as Born in Roma does, as the Valentino gets woodier and soapier to some extent. Invictus review

Join the Club

Ralph’s Club Parfum– Here’s the first of the designer options that have similarities to Roma, but without being entirely the same. Giving you a different take, while hitting some of the same beats.

Apple and grapefruit are the opening fruity notes up top, with sage, lavender, and that general blue vibe throughout. This one also has a lot in common with the YSL Y fragrances (listed below).

That opening will calm down and you move into the floral heart with lavender and orange blossom, before it dries down to an earthier and somewhat smoky finish. 

Less of the freshness found with the violet leaf in Roma, but it has the same kind of clean aroma and that vetiver note. More floral and woody. A good alternative, if you’d like to branch out a bit. Ralph’s Club Parfum review

Y so Intense?

Y EDP Intense by YSL– The sage and blue-ish aspects of this version of the YSL Y line, do lend it to how our target fragrance smells. Not the same, but have enough similarities that a fan of one would probably enjoy the other.

For me, this definitely isn’t my favorite of the Y line (I’d go EDP or Elixir), and I actually might favor Born in Roma slightly more than this. But, it’s the closest in smell to what we’re looking for. 

This one starts off with a good amount of sage, it doesn’t have the mineral notes, and instead you’ll get ginger and geranium. This is paired with a light bergamot citrus and the usual Y blend of notes.

A woody and earthy back half with calming lavender. Performance is middling. Y Intense would be my last pick out of this list, but some might really enjoy this if bought for a decent price.

y edp intense review