4 Best Smelling Ellen Tracy Perfumes

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Ellen Tracy is a newer addition in the world of fragrance, but has already carved out a niche in the space for the lineup of perfumes produced under its banner. These perfumes while available at a highly affordable price point, are actually extremely well put together, have style, and aren’t the typical run of the mill ‘cheapies’.

In this post, I want to go over what I would consider the four best smelling ladies’ scents that have come out from this designer thus far.

What are the Best Ellen Tracy Perfumes?

Top Daily Wear

Ellen Tracy By Ellen Tracy For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 3.4 Ounces– The namesake fragrance and the one that has enjoyed the best seller status. Ellen Tracy for Women is a beautiful and very well put together scent, at this price point.

It is a very clean woody/floral perfume with a warm musky undertone. It is elegant and vibrant with fruity notes of plum and peach giving it a very small dash of sweetness. Mainly, you’re going to get a light floral bouquet aroma. It dries down as powdery with a bit of soapiness.

This is a easy to wear scent, that is great for daily wear, office, or casual situations. Very nice and welcoming during the spring and into the summer months.

Fruity Floral

Ellen Tracy Pretty Petals Eau de Parfum Spray, 2.5 Ounce– With notes including peach and blackberry, Pretty Petals is a fruity mix with floral undertones, featuring rose.

It’s a strong fruity bomb at first, but will settle down into something with a subtle warmth and vanilla smoothness. Pretty Petals is sweet, youthful, and kind of girly but has an energetic charm about it. The name suggests it’d be more about the floral notes, but that’s not the case.

A bit sweet, with some early tartness from the blackberry. Not a heavy fragrance, and so, this can venture into the warmer months.


Cold Lemonade and Floral

Ellen Tracy Bronze 3.3oz Eau De Parfum Spray For women– Bronze has a lemonade note that is mixed with floral undertones. Sounds weird? Maybe, but it is also a sneaky good fragrance.

It’s more of a casual wear with the violet note and the cool lemonade blending to make a somewhat sugary, powdered scent. The latter half of the wear is more about the floral notes like: heliotrope, violet, honeysuckle, and orchid.

I’d say that the familiar somewhat baby powder aroma (not entirely) that Bronze takes on, is probably its main appeal, and may deter those who don’t enjoy that smell. I really enjoy that chilled opening act of lemonade and soft freshness. Read my full review

Clean, Powdery, Floral

Tracy By Ellen Tracy For Women. Eau De Parfum Spray 2.5 oz– This perfume has a creamy smooth profile with a floral powdery aroma. Tracy is a softer everyday wear that is clean and has a very nice almond note doing the heavy lifting that is flanked by violet.

An inexpensive option for those who want to be low key while smelling delightful. It can come across as semi-aquatic early on, mainly from the water lily. As it progresses, more iris, rose, and peony come through. Particularly, the peony note.

5 Best Smellinig Bijan Perfumes for Her

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Now, I’ve already written up a list of the best smelling men’s colognes by Bijan. As such, I thought it’d be a good time to tackle the women’s side of their lineup. Now, there have been decades of releases from this design house, and it became pretty difficult to narrow it down to only five. However, the list below is a good representation of some of the top scents from Bijan, and as good of a place to start as any.

What are the Best Smelling Bijan Perfumes?

Floral Chocolate

Bijan Nude Women’s Eau De Toilette Spray 2.50 Oz– A floral, led by the very prominent iris note, and joined by lilac. Also, a supporting sweetness is provided by the white chocolate note.

Overall, it has a lighter aroma, but it can start off quite strong. Bijan Nude features musky and woody undertones to balance out the floral. It’s an interesting fragrance, with the usual floral and musky soapiness, but with that chocolate note and iris powder.

The white chocolate really starts to come on more after the initial wave of fragrance settles down. A nice candidate for daily wear, that is safe enough to wear to the office, but with enough to set it apart from the crowd.

The Namesake

Bijan By Bijan For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 2.5 Oz– A throwback to the 80s, with a lot of depth, character, and a great smell. Bijan is warm and sweet with an amber heart, which is surrounded by sweet notes, and florals.

However, it evolves throughout the wear and there are bits of citrus, spice, and woody notes that all take their turn on the throne. Still a fantastic fragrance, many years after its release.

Dark, Woods and Patchouli

Bijan Wicked FOR WOMEN by Bijan – 2.5 oz EDT Spray– Lotus and jasmine, sitting on top of a sea of warm amber with a dry fresh vetiver and earthy patchouli note. It opens up with citrus and a somewhat tart red currant.

It becomes more about the floral notes for a while, before it moves into its final phase of patchouli, vetiver, and amber. Warm, woodsy, earthy, and somewhat masculine finish. Great performance, strong and long lasting.

Sweet Delicious Floral

Bijan Black By Bijan For Women. Eau De Toilette Spray 2.5 OZ– A very fresh floral with a bit of a twist at the start, where you get a sweet and creamy, tonka bean/pomegranate blend that is absolutely refreshing.

Ultimately, it retains that sweetness but becomes much more of a floral with notes such as rose and gardenia. This one is getting tougher to find a bottle of for cheap. I wouldn’t pay an exorbitant amount of money for it, but it’s a good fragrance for a reasonable price.

Spicy Vanilla Floral

BIJAN B EXQUISITE by Bijan EAU DE PARFUM SPRAY 1.7 OZ– A very warm and quite spicy scent at the beginning, but ultimately more of a vanilla and sandalwood blend, that is dotted by flowers.

Early on the vanilla is joined by the berry notes and B Exquisite really lives up to its name, as something that smells quite expensive and luxurious. It can come across quite a bit like the fragrance Flowerbomb.

4 Best Smelling Lalique Colognes for Him

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Lalique as a company didn’t get its start in fragrances, but when it decided to dip into this space, it did a great job of putting together some wonderful scents. It’s men’s line has produced a lot of fan favorites, which are usually available for a very inexpensive price. However, Lalique is inexpensive, and not cheap. It produces scents that can stand up against a lot of the big boys, that cost much more, but may not deliver nearly as much value. In this post, I have selected four colognes by Lalique which I feel are the best of the bunch.

What are the Best Lalique Colognes for Men?

Most Popular Lalique

Lalique Encre Noire Pour Homme EDT Spray, 3.3 oz– A very popular scent that is inexpensive but provides a lot of bang for your buck. Encre Noire is a wood based cologne with cypress, vetiver, and cashmere being the main attractions here.

Of course as the name suggests, it is a dark scent with an air of mystery, and a nice dash of smokiness. It is dry and features a vetiver note that feels a bit unique than some of the others on the market.

The cypress really comes through at the start, providing its green-ish aroma, then there’s the smokiness and overall dry quality. L’Extreme, listed below, is another option. I actually tend to prefer that one to this, but the original Encre Noire still has plenty of fans.

Unique Masculine Floral

Lalique Hommage A L’hommê Cologne for Men 3.3 oz Eau De Toilette Spray– Wow, what an interesting fragrance. Even the bottle looks like a work of art, as it was designed for the company’s 20th anniversary of creating fragrances.

Hommage is a heavy bomb of a cologne that features a wonderful powdery violet note, other florals, oud, and a creamy thick tonka bean.

It is a fresh and masculine floral/wood blend, that is rather unlike almost any other men’s fragrance that I’ve come across.  That uniqueness will probably keep this as a niche scent rather than universally beloved.

Dark Winter Woods

Lalique Encre Noire A L’Extremé Cologne for men 3.3 oz(100ml) Eau De Parfum Spray– This version of Encre Noire is much darker, intense, and has a dryer aroma than that of the original. They are similar, but not really the same. L’Extreme does its own thing, in many ways.

L’Extreme has a great smooth woody smokiness provided by the incense and cypress combination. Best used as a cold weather scent, but it really does shine during those frigid months of the year.

Beyond that, this one feels like it envelops you more so, as the resinous notes really come through. Enough benzoin to make things interesting. Ultimately, this one is woods and vetiver in the dry down. Can seem boozy and warm at the start.

Versatile Summer Wear

Laliquë Whîtë Cõlogne for Mén 4.2 oz Eau De Toilette Spray– A bright lemon leaf citrus paired with spicy pepper notes and a warm musk. It is classy, bright, and upbeat. Lalique White is an ideal choice for men during the spring/summer months.

The spice comes across as fresh and crisp, rather than an overwhelming warmth. Not too loud of a fragrance, the citrus aroma tones down as it moves along. Nutmeg and pepper early on, then more of a shift to pepper and musk.

Finally, the base is dry and woody, with cedar providing its fresh bonafides. An elegant and understated wear for the moderate to warmer weather.

Habdan vs Oajan Cologne Comparison

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Parfums de Marly is a higher end designer with a lot of great fragrances to choose from. As such, the question often arises as to which one is the best. I’ve listed my top 5 already, but now I am going to place two of these colognes head to head: Habdan and Oajan. Which of these scents smells better? Which gives better performance? Please continue below for my full take on this comparison.

Tale of the Tape: Oajan vs. Habdan

Habdan 

Notes include: saffron, amber, frankincense, caramel, apple, myrhh, rose

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Habdan Men’s Edp Spray, 4.2 Ounce

Read my Full Review: Habdan Review

Oajan

Notes include: tonka bean, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, benzoin, musk, labdanum, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Parfums de Marly Oajan EDP Spray, 4.2 oz.

Read my review: Oajan Review

Opening

Man, this is going to be a tough one to sort out. Oajan is fresh and dark with cinnamon and benzoin before it shifts into more of a sweeter profile with honey and vanilla. It reminds me quite a bit of 1 Million Prive and how it starts off.

Habdan also has the sweet/spicy blend but adds a smoky twist. Incense, saffron, and crisp apple take the center stage. It has a layered sort of aroma and a warm almost leather-like scent, at times.

I really dig both of these colognes and how they start off, but I think I’ll give Habdan the edge, just based off being more unique.

Edge: Habdan (slightly)

Projection

Oajan is the clear winner here. It is heavier and the sillage is much more powerful than what Habdan brings to the table.

Edge: Oajan

Longevity

Habdan isn’t bad in this regard. In fact, it performs for a solid 7-8 hours, which is plenty for most uses. However, Oajan is an all day wear. It hits the double digit hours on my skin, without a problem. Oajan is much more of a powerhouse than its Parfums de Marly compatriot.

Edge: Oajan

Versatility

They are about the same in this category. Either can be worn on a variety of occasions and are both sexy enough to be worn out on a date. Work, casually, semi-formal, formal.

Both are best worn in cooler weather, but I’d say that Habdan can handle the heat better…that’s not to say it’s built for summer, but it can be worn on moderate spring days.

Edge: Habdan (slightly)

Overall Scent

This is one of those comparisons when there isn’t much of a clear cut winner. These are two of my favorite Parfums de Marly colognes and the one that I would prefer to wear would change based upon my moods.

Habdan has a great saffron, caramel, apple, and incense blend. It is a smoky sweetness, that has great personality, and complexity to its profile. I will say, that it probably doesn’t enjoy the same universal appeal for most guys.

I think it is great, but it isn’t the same level of crowd pleaser as Oajan is. Habdan is more niche.

For most guys, I think the safer bet is Oajan. It has that mainstream appeal and a very close similarity to the aforementioned 1 Million Prive, which is a best seller.

Again, I like both, and Oajan is a great blend of sweet and spicy. The notes are well blended and nothing ever seems to be too heavy-handed.

So, the winner is Oajan. I’m basing it off of it’s better performance and greater mass appeal. Though, some guys reading this are going to absolutely adore Habdan, just a smaller percentage of readers.

Winner: Oajan 

4 Best Smelling James Bond 007 Colognes for Men

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James Bond is an iconic film and literary character and has been so for many decades at this point. It’s funny how many celebrity fragrances are out there on the market, to the point that a fictional character has a line, all his own. In this post, I want to go over the 4 best men’s colognes that Eon Productions has released under the James Bond 007 moniker and what makes each one unique.

What are the Top Smelling James Bond 007 Fragrances?

Best Overall 007 Cologne

James Bond 007 Ocean Royale Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 2.5 Ounce– I’d say that this is probably the best scent of the lineup. Ocean Royale is aquatic but not overly marine, fruity but not completely sweet.

It opens up with a blend of lime, iris, and tonka bean. The citrus aroma is very nice and the other two provide a soft a somewhat powdery scent underneath that top note. Smooth, semi-tropical, with a hint of the seaweed note to give it the ‘oceanic’ vibe.

It’s interesting with a clean and fresh profile highlighted by a pinch of spice. Like the others here, my only major complaint is how long it lasts, which is kind of a big one. Ocean Royale Full Review

Warm, Sweet, and 1 Million-ish

007 Fragrances James Bond Gold Edition Eau de Toilette Spray 50ml– Has some similarities with 1 Million by Paco Rabanne but doesn’t really have the opening bubble gum sweetness nor the cinnamon spice.

Edition Gold is more earthy and woody with vetiver and sandalwood notes while maintaining a crisp apple top note. It has a drier quality as well. The cardamom is the bigger difference to me, with a more floral and aromatic heart.

Sweet, with some warmth but not too heavy. Nice enough for what it is and has the best performance out of the list.

Classic Leather and Cinnamon

007 Fragrances Seven Intense Colognes, 2.5 Ounce– A nice base for a cold weather scent. Woody, amber, with a spice provided by the cinnamon note. There is also a leather note which is fairly nice and supports the overall composition.

I really like the smell of this one. You get a classic masculine spiciness that is smoother out and warm overall. If it had the power, this would be an amazing cheapie. Still nice, just missing the last bit.

This is definitely a double (or triple) spray candidate, however, so not really ‘intense’. It’s one of the best smelling scents, just performance isn’t great. Seven Intense Review

Fresh Fruit and Greenish 

James Bond 007 Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 1 Fluid Ounce– Light and refreshing scent with apple and lavender notes which provide a steady calm. The longevity isn’t really all that great, it’s just a light fragrance, and the projection isn’t huge.

Mainly this is just a good blend of apple, bergamot citrus, and lavender with a little bit of cardamom spice and warmth. Not much of a dry down for me, but sandalwood and dry moss come through somewhat.

Again, double it up, if it’s too much of a problem. 007 Full Review