5 Best Smelling Vince Camuto Perfumes

Vince Camuto isn’t the best well known brand. However, it does have some very nice fragrances out there, that provide quality at a fair price. I wouldn’t say that the brand has any bonafide classics.

Though, they have plenty of options that can provide for a great scent experience. In this post, I want to list my top 5 pick from the brand’s lineup of perfumes. It should give you enough to go on or find for yourself a new fragrance to try out. 


What are the Best Camuto Fragrances for Her?

Most Popular Perfume

Vince Camuto Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Fl Oz An interesting fragrance that utilizes rum, patchouli, amber, and leather. However, this is blended with sweetness and floral notes. 

Vince Camuto EDP starts off with a nice dose of rum surrounded by the thickness of the amber and vanilla combination. It has an underlying earthy patchouli note, to dirty things up a bit.

As it moves along, the leather becomes more of a factor and the rum note fades. It’s a leather floral fragrance, with a nice rose and light jasmine combination, and underlying spiciness. It finally settles into just leather, amber, and vanilla. 


Watery Floral

Vince Camuto Eau de Parfum Spray Capri, 3.4 Fl Oz Capri is much more of a straightforward fragrance than the one above. You do get some citrus and aquatic aromas here, as the island name would suggest.

However, it isn’t an oceanic scent. The watery note is from the violet and the juiciness of the citrus. It comes across as bright and clean. Then, settling down into a light musky floral, that is still led by that violet note. 

Very nice for the summer months. Pretty much an easy to wear scent, when you want something that’s not overwhelming, but fresh.


The Chanel-like Perfume

Fiori by Vince Camuto– This is a great option for those who want an alternative fragrance that smells quite similar to Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. 

Peach, grapefruit, and nectarine up top with powdery floral notes in the middle. Iris, jasmine, and a musky/amber finish. Not super powerful, though, strong enough to last most of the day and at a fair price point. 


Simple Summer Wear

Bella by Camuto– A light citrus and floral blend for the summer months. Bella gives you a great and juicy bergamot opening, that sits on top of jasmine and nectarine blossoms, while swimming in a pool of amber. It does have a watery, almost semi-aquatic aroma. 

It’s got a warm quality with enough sweetness to keep things interesting, while not being a complex fragrance at all. The performance isn’t top notch, but this is a fun one for when it gets warmer outside. 

 

 


Fruity Floral

Amore by Vince Camuto– Amore is an upbeat little blend of fruits and floral notes. Early stages are dominated by the lovely fruit notes, led by passionfruit. It is sugary and has a somewhat tropical vibe.

Next, the floral notes come into the picture. Orchid, freesia, and lily which come together to give it  a green-ish watery sort of aroma. The sweetness and fruitiness by this point have toned way down and this is more of a traditional floral fragrance with a hint of powder. 

Soft, but can be an awesome perfume to wear during the spring. Passionfruit is the highlight though. 

Coco Mademoiselle vs La Vie Est Belle Comparison

Coco Mademoiselle by Chanel and Lancome’s La Vie est Belle are and have been two of the most popular women’s fragrances on the market. There’s not a whole lot of overlap between them in terms of how they smell, but because of their versatility and great aromas, it can often come down to them when choosing a daily wear scent.

In this post, I am going to give my head to head comparison. From how each smells, to their performance, and ultimately which is the better buy.


Tale of the Tape: Mademoiselle vs. La Vie Est Belle

Coco Mademoiselle

Notes include: jasmine, rose, orange, patchouli, vetiver

Click here to try: Coco Mademoiselle


La Vie Est Belle

Notes include: patchouli, vanilla, blackberry, iris, pear, tonka bean, praline, and more

Click here to try: Lancome La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Ounce

Read my Review: La Vie Est Belle


Opening

The start of La Vie est Belle is more about its fruity notes. Blueberry and pear are present at first, giving it sparkling, somewhat juicy, and tart aroma. This is then followed by an earthy patchouli note and the powdery nature of the iris.

Coco Mademoiselle begins as a blend of fruity and floral. The citrus notes are present, but supported by ylang-ylang, rose, jasmine, and the neroli note. There is also an underlying patchouli note present, but it doesn’t feel as strong to my nose.

Which is better? I do like the Lancome fragrance, but comparatively, it has more of a tart and sour aroma that can be more off-putting. Not bad, but just doesn’t come across as pleasing as the Chanel.

I enjoy the citrus notes and how balanced that Mademoiselle is. It takes this category.

Edge: Mademoiselle


Projection

Having tested out both of these perfumes, I can say that they are both quite strong in their presentation. Either one of them could be over-sprayed and have the ability to fill a room. Neither is elite, but are well above average.

Honestly, I don’t really notice a difference here.

Edge: Push


Longevity

In terms of how long each of these perfumes lasts on the skin, they have the ability to go over 10 hours each.

However, Coco Mademoiselle will consistently last over 10 hours. La Vie est Bell can. Though, it may also just hit 8 hours. I’d say 8-11 is its range, depending on the climate.

The Chanel? 10, as a baseline and can go for a few hours beyond that.

Edge: Mademoiselle


Versatility

These two fragrance each has extremely good versatility. They can be worn in a wide variety of situations from formal to more casual events. Each has also proven itself to be well-liked and generally won’t offend.

The only slight distinction I’d make, is that Coco Mademoiselle can hold up better in the heat. Neither of these is a summertime wear predominantly, but the Chanel can venture into these months, more easily.

Edge: Mademoiselle (slightly)


Overall Scent

La Vie Est Belle is a really great performer. The opening can be too much for some people, but it really settles down into a nice gourmand fragrance. There is the later inclusion of vanilla and praline, which flank the patchouli, and fruit notes perfectly. Not to mention, the iris powdery note.

There is a reason that it has become such a popular fragrance over the years. Really, there’s not too much to complain about.

However, I think that Coco Mademoiselle not only smells better, but also has the better performance overall. The citrus opening is great, as is the floral/vanilla/musky ending. It is well blended and a great perfume overall.

If it’s a choice based solely on scent and performance, the more expensive scent wins here. If price is a major concern, La Vie est Belle is still good enough to warrant a purchase.

Winner: Coco Mademoiselle

Armani Si vs La Vie Est Belle Perfume Comparison

Getting back into the women’s perfume space, I wanted to do a comparison post about two of the more popular fragrances on the market: Si by Armani vs. La Vie Est Belle by Lancome. Which of these two best-sellers smells the best? Which lasts longer? Which is the better buy?


Tale of the Tape

La Vie Est Belle

Notes include: patchouli, vanilla, blackberry, iris, pear, tonka bean, praline, and more

Click here to try: Lancome La Vie Est Belle Eau de Parfum Spray, 1.7 Ounce

Read my Review: La Vie Est Belle


Si by Armani

Notes include: rose, vanilla, freesia, black currant, patchouli, amber, woods

Click here to try: Giorgio Armani Si Eau de Parfum Spray for Women, 3.4 Ounce

Read my Review: Si Perfume


Opening

La Vie est Belle starts things off with its fruity elements. You get pear and blueberry in combination with one another. It can have a bit of a tart profile at first, but it’s very nice, and is followed by patchouli and iris.

Meanwhile, Si, opens up with also brings some tart fruitiness with black currant, that gets smoothed out by vanilla and rose. Actually, it takes on a sweet quality which sort of smells like peach, rather than the individual parts of the perfume. Patchouli also comes into the picture.

Which is better? Well, they’re both a mix of fruity and patchouli. I think that I prefer Si, out of the two. It doesn’t have the same tart or sour qualities, as does La Vie, and smells juicier to me.

Edge: Si


Projection

La Vie est Belle is a pretty darn strong perfume. The sillage is fairly large and if over-sprayed, it can overpower a room. You definitely get the performance with this one.

The Armani perfume, isn’t all that heavy, but not weak. It seems to be strictly moderate during the entirety of the wear, never really touching the same heights as La Vie.

Edge: La Vie


Longevity

When testing out Si, I could get it to last for 6-7 hours, on my skin. Not amazing, but quite good, for most purposes. The Lancome scent will go for at least 8 hours, but can often exceed 10. It’s the clear performance winner.

Edge: La Vie


Versatility

To me, these are both extremely versatile fragrances, which is why they are so popular as daily wears. Each can go to the office, out for casual events, and even serve as romantic wears. Neither of them, are built for summer, however. 

Cold weather to more temperate climates, are their sweet spot. There’s no noticeable difference in this category.

Edge: Push

 

 


Overall Scent

These two perfumes often get compared because they do occupy the same space. Not only that, there is overlap in the composition of each. As such, the head to head comparison is quite close.

La Vie Est Belle is a really great performer. The opening can be too much for some people, but it really settles down into a nice gourmand fragrance. There is the later inclusion of vanilla and praline, which flank the patchouli, and fruit notes perfectly. Not to mention, the iris powdery note. 

I happen to like SI by Armani, a bit better. Not by a huge margin, and no, the performance isn’t as good. However, I think the smell is better. It starts off with the juicy berry/fruitiness and then moves into something more floral and woody. 

For me, the rose and freesia, with amber and woods really create the distinction between these perfumes. Those notes coming in later, separates Si, and gives it the low key quality to make it a winner.

Winner: Si

John Varvatos for Men

John Varvatos EDT was released over 15 years ago and has enjoyed plenty of popularity since then. In fact, it’s still in production, which can’t be said about many of its contemporaries.  However, is it actually a worthwhile cologne for men? What does it smell like? What are the notes? Does it even last for a long time?


What does John Varvatos Cologne Smell Like?

Notes include: leather, vanilla, amber, malt, dates, tamarind tree leaf, balsam, and more

Click here to try: John Varvatos for Men


My Full Wear Review

Before we get into my review, let’s see how the brand describes this cologne: A bold, modern and sophisticated scent with a refined, masculine intrigue. 

John Varvatos for Men opens up with its leather note coming out in full force.  The leather is the strongest part of this fragrance, and is going to be a mainstay throughout. So, if that’s not your thing, look elsewhere.

Now, in the opening, the leather is joined by its spicier/woody notes. I get a nice dose of fir, oud, and what I guess is tamarind. I’m not really familiar with the scent of that wood.

Actually, when I spray this cologne on a t-shirt, it comes across as much spicier than on my skin. On the skin, it feels warmer and sweeter. The sweetness initially is from the dates and amber, but then, vanilla and a touch of caramel come into play.

Vartvatos for Men feels very smooth, dry, and always has that sweet finish. The spicy feeling fades away on my skin, about 15 minutes into the wear, and then it moves completely into its sweet phase.

I don’t want to make like it seem as if its a gourmand type of scent, it is not. You are mostly going to get leather, woods, and amber. About after an hour, the smell is about what it’s going to be for the rest of the wear.


Sillage, How Long it Lasts, and Versatility

Sillage wise, John Varvatos is a light to moderate wear. It starts off really solid, but then, it will be detectable from about 3-4 feet away. That is, unless you go heavier on the sprays.

Which, I absolutely would go heavier than usual with this fragrance.

How long will Varvatos last? Well, somewhere in the 4-7 hour range. If I double or triple up the sprays, I can hit the upper limit. Under most conditions, I would expect it to be in the 4-5 hour range.

It’s kind of got a wide number of potential outcomes versus a lot of other scents. It’s not the most consistent performer.

Is the performance good? Not particularly. It’s not absolutely terrible, but fairly mediocre. Which is disappointing, because the aroma is very enjoyable.

It’s still useful, if you happen to have a bottle, just not going to be an elite level wear.

Seasonally, I’d say that you can wear it anytime outside of summer. It’s not a great cologne to have on in the heat, but it is when the temperature drops off.

Versatility wise, it delivers a great smelling and masculine smell, that can be worn in a wide variety of situations. It’s mature enough to have on at the office, but has that edge to it, to be called ‘sexy’. I can wear this out for an evening or dressed more formally.


Overall Impressions of John Varvatos Cologne

Do I enjoy this fragrance? I do. I think that it smells really nice. I like a good leather fragrance and this is one with mass appeal. Beyond that, it uses notes like dates or balsam fir, which give it a unique profile versus your standard cologne.

The only real problem that I have with it, is the performance. Which, again, isn’t completely awful. If you can get a discount on a full bottle, that’s when I would recommend picking it up.

Full price? Probably not, just based on the performance. This one can for over $100 per bottle at full retail. I’d be trying for a pretty substantial price break if I wanted a bottle of Vintage.

The amber and leather are great here. I also really like the transition from dates to more of a vanilla finish. John Varvatos is a good fragrance that could’ve been great.

Layton by Parfums De Marly

As a part of the dozens upon dozens of reviews that I have to write up over the coming while, many of them will be from the Parfums de Marly line of fragrances. Today, I am going to tackle one of the most popular colognes from this brand, Layton. How does Layton smell? Is it a good value? Does it actually perform or is it a complete dud? Continue below for my full take.


What does PdM Layton Smell Like?

Notes include: green apple, vanilla, sandalwood, cardamom, lavender, pepper, orange, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Parfums de Marly Layton – 4.2 Ounce edp spray


My Full Wear Review

The opening of Layton is a crisp blend of apple and bergamot. It is a very green and tart apple aroma with just that touch of citrus provided by the bergamot.

I think that the apple note in here smells pretty darn realistic and not like some artificial Jolly Rancher candy, as it has the right amount of juiciness.

Underlying that is a smooth and fairly creamy combo of vanilla and sandalwood. This is of course a very familiar aroma for most folks and I think that it works well to offset the tart green apple.

As Layton dries down, the vanilla and apple, become more of a duo and the sandalwood plays a smaller role.

There is also the matter of the cardamom and pepper, which take the crisp fruit scent, and give it a lively spice. Now, the spice isn’t super powerful but it is quite dynamic and alluring.

It is a very well blended mix of fruit sweetness and spicy notes. Due to its composition it gets compared to Boss Bottled a lot.

I can see the similarities but Layton is much better, in my opinion. It has a richer smell and performs for ages. I don’t think that the two fragrances are really in competition as the green apple/vanilla combo is in plenty of colognes. Hell, even ultra inexpensive, Playboy New York has its own take (and no it’s not even close to Layton or Boss Bottled).


Sillage, How Long Does It Last?, Versatility

Performance wise, Layton definitely delivers. That’s one of the positives about Parfums de Marly, they usually aren’t weak scents. Can it be overpowering? Yes, over-spraying it. 2-3 seems to do the job, and keep it on the lighter side of things if wearing at work.

Also, this a longevity champ. Layton lasts 10+ hours on my skin. I’m not sure the exact number because I lose track after that. Update: Coming back to Layton, a few more time, and it seems to hit above 12 hours, pretty easily.

In the summer months, it might not hit the same level in the heat, but in the cold to moderate temperatures there’s no issue.

Layton is also kind of a ubiquitous cologne. It has a blend that could work well in just about any season or situation. Hot to cold or work to date…except the heat of a peak summer day. I could still wear it during summer evenings, but would hold off when the sun’s out.

Plus, while it does lean toward the masculine end of the spectrum, Layton is still a unisex type of fragrance. It is quite an attractive fragrance, with a classy and well put together feeling. I would wear it more casually or semi-formally, but it really isn’t limited.


Overall Impressions of Layton

Overall, would I recommend Layton? Yes, it’s a really great scent. It smells good, it performs well, and it is versatile. It is pricey but it outperforms many of its peers at this cost point.

Some people may not dig the green apple note, but I have found that it definitely has a draw for most folks.

It’s sweet and warm, but never seems cheap, or too candy-like.  The secondary layer of spice and sandalwood, really holds Layton together, and makes it a fantastic experience to wear. This scent is one of my favorites, if not my favorite, from the Parfums de Marly line.