ariana cloud

Ariana Grande Cloud vs Sweet Like Candy

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Cloud and Sweet Like Candy are two of the most popular perfumes from Ariana Grande’s line of scents. Cloud, I think, often gets way more attention. Not to mention, it spawned it’s own flankers Intense and Cloud Pink.

Though, if we’re going beyond the popularity, which of these two perfumes actually smells better? Which lasts longer? On this page, I am going to compare these Ariana fragrances, bring attention to their differences, and pick which one I think is better.

Tale of the Tape: Cloud vs. Sweet Like Candy 

Cloud

Notes include: pear, lavender, bergamot, praline, whipped cream, vanilla orchid, coconut, musk, wood

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Cloud Eau de Parfum Spray, clear, 3.4 oz

Read my review: Cloud

Sweet Like Candy

Notes include:

Click here to try: Sweet Like Candy

Opening

Cloud begins with its brightness and sweetness front and center. The lead off is highlighted by the pear note with bergamot and the lavender also coming through early. The lavender never feels all that heavy to me throughout the wear.

I get a bit of the citrus, which adds a bit more sparkle to that pear juiciness. The lavender here, has a certain roughness which takes some of the softer and fluffier qualities of this fragrance away. Still, it does retain that softer style.

With Sweet, it’s also got a pear that is put alongside it’s berry notes. The black currant has some tart aspects here too. The fruitiness is there in the opening act, but it lives up to its sweet name, beyond just fruits.

Warm with whipped cream, vanilla, and marshmallow. Obviously, plenty of overlap with Cloud. The floral notes are a separation, even if they’re not super powerful. Frangipani and jasmine are noticeable.

Which is better? Between the two, I enjoy Sweet Like Candy. The fruitiness to lead things off is better to my nose. Plus, I like the transition it makes, and it smells a bit better versus Cloud, despite their similarities.

Edge: Sweet Like Candy

Projection

I don’t really notice a difference here. At least in terms of how far they project. The sillage of Cloud is a bit lighter, but both of these are essentially moderate with their projection.

Good for an hour or so, before moving into their lighter phases. Either way, both are solid, but no particular advantage here.

Edge: Push

Longevity

Cloud has never been an amazing performer, but it’s serviceable. In my experience, it will go 5-6 hours, on skin. About six hours is what you should expect from this Ariana fragrance.

With Sweet Like Candy, it seems to last in the 7-7.5 hour range, each time that I tested it out. Maybe some people can get a bit more out of the perfume, but I didn’t.

It’s not a massive difference between them, but Sweet has a somewhat stronger performance when compared to Cloud.

Edge: Sweet Like Candy

Versatility

I don’t see too much distinction here, if any.

Seasonally, both are really nice autumn through springtime. Neither is particularly a summer wear, but there might be times in which you could apply Cloud or Sweet Like Candy during that time of year. Neither of these are all that heavy.

Can be worn casually or out at night. Neither is super formal, probably not an office scent for most folks. They pretty much occupy the same space. No real winner here.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these fragrances do I like more?

Cloud is a fine perfume. It’s never been my favorite. I’ve always thought it gets more attention because of its associations with being an alternative to BR 540.

I like it. There are parts in the dry down, where I think Cloud really shines as a scent. It becomes more distinct and a pleasure to wear. Coconut and praline, when those are front and center, tends to be my favorite stretch with this fragrance.

Though, with that said, I still like Cloud 2.0 and Pink slightly more as variations.

I still think that Sweet Like Candy is the best smelling Ariana Grande perfume. There are some others, which are close. But, this one takes the common themes from a lot of her scents and then just did a fantastic job at getting all of the elements correct.

It’s sweet without being completely cloying. Sweet gives you a playful and girly aroma, without being too juvenile, and works well in the colder weather. Not too heavy or loud and it has a good mix of sweetness, creaminess, and warmth.

For me, this is a pretty easy decision. Both are worth trying, but Sweet Like Candy just stands out more.

Winner: Sweet Like Candy

Cloud 2.0 Intense by Ariana Grande

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Cloud Intense (aka Cloud 2.0) was released in 2021 as a follow up to the super popular Ariana Grande perfume of the same name. Bottles were kind of scarce to come by for a while, with the limited release, but I grabbed a decant from eBay in order to test it out. How does Cloud 2.0 smell? Does it last longer? Is it actually worth the buy?

What does Cloud Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: lavender, bergamot, musk, ambroxan, praline, whipped cream, vanilla orchid, coconut, cashmeran, wood

Click here to try: Ariana Grande Cloud 2.0 Intense Eau De Parfum Ulta Exclusive 3.4 Ounce 

My Full Review

Cloud 2.0 opens up very similar to the original. Though, less of the sparkling pear note is present in this new formulation. It is bright, sweet, and quite clean with its aroma.

The ambroxan is present, after a few minutes. That is a noticeable difference with 2.0, how much play the ambroxan gets here. The lavender also feels smoother and stronger here, on my skin. The lavender in the first Cloud could come across as pretty rough/harsh, but it’s quite nice in this one.

When we get to the second act, I do notice more of a difference. Cloud Intense is creamier and less of a fluffy ‘cotton candy’ scent. While the lavender starts off stronger, it settles more into the background versus its predecessor.

The whipped cream, praline, vanilla, and coconut play a stronger role during this period. I do like this slight change in the structure. Smooth and pleasant.

Finally, we get to the dry down stage. The Cloud 2.0 dry down is basically the original with more wood and musk. Much of those sweeter and creamier notes have begun to evaporate and that is what you’re left with.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Cloud Intense does indeed open up with a powerful sillage, not too much more than the original, but it’s noticeable. It packs a punch early on, though, it will quickly quiet down and reside most of the wear rather close to the skin. It’ll project 3-4 feet, it seems like.

On my skin, I get 7-7.5 hours of wear from Cloud 2.0. It goes for longer than the original formula, maybe an hour more versus what I get with that.

An improvement? Yes, but definitely didn’t come across as a powerhouse in comparison or even versus the Kurkdjian fragrances.

Seasonally, the autumn through the springtime is when Cloud 2.0 will shine. I like it better in a bit cooler temperatures, but it is fine so long as it isn’t crazy hot outside.

This is more of a daily wear that can venture into the nighttime. It isn’t a formal fragrance and has more of a playful character without being too girly. Cloud Intense isn’t strictly a teenager’s perfume, but is probably going to be worn in much more casual situations.

Overall Impressions of Cloud Intense

Overall, do I like Cloud Intense? I do. Though, I’m not a huge fan of the original Cloud, I did like this 2.0 a bit better. It has a deeper profile and an overall smoothness in comparison.

Update: Cloud Pink is a bit better than both, in my opinion. But, this still has the best performance.

The lavender note is preferable in the 2.0 version. It gets a boost, isn’t as harsh, and then plays more of a background role. I do like the creamier and more voluminous style that Cloud Intense has, much to the credit of the ambroxan and vanilla.

That being said, it isn’t miles better. If you already have Cloud, there’s no real reason to get this, unless you are a collector. Especially, considering the prices for this newer version. Maybe they will come down in the future, but just get the original and save yourself some money.

Sure, they’re not exactly the same perfume, just close enough, and not a significant enough difference to justify paying that much more for a bottle. If the performance was way better, it might be a different story. It’s really not a wide gap in that category, in my experience.

I do like Cloud Intense, however. It is the better of the two Cloud fragrances, but still not among my favorite of the Ariana Grande lineup.