Like seemingly every celebrity and/or pop stars, there came a time when Ariana would come out with her own scent. Now, more than enough have been released, to create a best Ariana Grande perfume list.
These fragrances are generally aimed at the younger set, and made quite affordable in order to move plenty of units.
To that end, they absolutely have and these have become some of the most popular perfumes out today. But, they are for sure not just limited to teenagers wearing these fragrances.
In this post, I wanted to do a top six list of what has been put out on the market through this point in time. Then, I ranked the other ones just because. Which Ariana Grande perfume smells the best? Read below for my take, after having tested them.
Listing my Favorite Ariana Perfumes
Top Overall Perfume
Sweet Like Candy by Ariana Grande– It’s a close call as to what is the best Ariana Grande perfume, as tastes are subject. For me, Sweet Like Candy puts itself in the top spot.
It obviously has a certain sweetness, that Ari also shares, yet this one is lighter and more airy.
Vanilla, blackberry, whipped cream, and of course, marshmallow pull together to form a warm and youthful candy-like aroma. Sweet Like Candy comes in an adorable little pink bottle, kicks off with its berry and pear blend, much like the next entry.
However, this one begins to shift more to a creamy, sweet, and familiar aroma. Lots of whipped cream with a vanilla touch and a great marshmallow addition. Very soft, girly, and sits beautifully in the colder weather.
As I wrote in the introduction, these perfumes can have a lot in common with one another. As far as her sweet, girly gourmands go, I think Sweet Like Candy does it better on balance versus the others.
What’s good about Sweet Like Candy?
- Sweet, but not cloying and heavy
- Nice performance
- Creamy soft with marshmallow
The Originator
Ari by Ariana Grande– A sugary sweet perfume with a blast of raspberry and marshmallow among other notes. It’s kind of an either/or situation between this one and Sweet Like Candy, but this one is still nice with the addition of pear and floral notes during the dry down period.
Update: I think Cloud has taken the best-seller title now from this, with its similarities to Baccarat Rouge 540. Ari is still a very good scent to get a hold of, even if that’s the case.
Ari starts off with the raspberry being the strongest. It is quite fruity in the beginning, with further grapefruit and pear additions, to the mix. It’s really got a vibe, like a Juicy Couture perfume. Very fruity top, with a sweet gourmand touch.
Completely safe and possibly a tad more mature than Sweet Like Candy.
Then, after a bit of time passes, that’s when you get more floral influences. Vanilla orchid comes through a lot, a touch of musk, and that fluffy marshmallow. Ultimately, it’s orchid, marshmallow, raspberry, and pear. Quite nice, well worth a try for the price. My Full Review of Ari
What’s good about Ari?
- Juicy raspberry start
- Great floral touches, especially orchid
Another One to Try
Moonlight by Ariana Grande Eau De Parfum – Yet another marshmallow fragrance, but Moonlight takes things in a bit of a different direction. It’s creamy with a plum note that is tart and blends well with the peony floral. Overall, a very interesting fragrance.
This is one does have that tart and slightly more sour fruit opening, versus the other fragrances, on this list. Plum and black currant will do that. No worries though, as Moonlight, isn’t a bomb of a perfume. It is the type that you can wear, almost anywhere without issue.
As it dries down, the peony and marshmallow combine to surround the light fruity notes, and make for a very attractive combination. It has a bit of a creamy/powdery finish.
Not super unique, but the peony and plum do separate it enough, and make it worthwhile at a certain price.
Thank U, Next 2.0 also shares similarities with this one now, as well. Moonlight’s become sort of a blend of 3 or 4 of the perfumes of this line.
What’s good with Moonlight?
- Similar marshmallow base, with a different twist
- Plum and black currant are great
- Easy to wear
Top Thank U, Next
Thank U, Next– Yes, this is a newer scent from Ariana. However, I think that Thank U, Next is already among her best perfumes. It still retains the sweetness, put forth by the other options, but moves away from the usual fluffy marshmallow.
This gives you notes of pear, raspberry, coconut, and macarons. It is a bolder option, with more sillage than probably any of the others. A sugary macaron, meets the refreshing qualities of crisp pear and coconut water.
Updated note: Thank U, Next 2.0 came out. Here’s my comparison post versus the original. 2.0 starts off better, but it really fell off quickly.
The rose note, while not super powerful is for sure there throughout the entire wear. It and the musk, help to offset some of the gourmand qualities. I really liked Thank U, Next as it doesn’t have any real weaknesses on my skin.
I should say, some people report it having a so-called, ‘pickle juice’ aroma on their skin. I got none of that and I think I’m in the majority, who doesn’t experience it. But, something to consider with Thank U, Next.
While it starts out bold, it does become much more moderate, and the overall longevity isn’t amazing. Very cute and delicious sort of perfume. Coconut, raspberry, with a sugary baked goods finish. Sweet with a creamy heart. Here’s my full review
What’s good about Thank U, Next?
- Different from the others on the list
- Sweet and warm gourmand aroma
- Stronger projection than the other Ariana Grande scents
A Better Cloud
R.E.M. by Ariana Grande– R.E.M. makes the cut versus Cloud, which it share similarities to, but this is a better pick. R.E.M. is a sweet fragrance, but doesn’t have the ‘girly’ kind of aroma when compared to the others.
What is does have is a nice salty caramel, lavender, and fig. Fig is a completely underutilized note, and while not dominant here, it does add something great to the mix.
I think that this one has a bit more depth and feels more mature than the others. The lavender really becomes heavier later on in the wear.
It develops from a sweeter scent, much like Cloud, into a scent with woody under tones, a good dose of lavender, and with a creamy tonka bean coming through.
The sillage and longevity with R.E.M. isn’t amazing, but certainly not terrible either. That’s the one thing the Ariana Grande perfumes could all use, better performance. At least more staying power, if not, actual projecting ability.
Personally, I can get seven hours on skin, with R.E.M. I would expect most people should get at least 5.
But, it is more substantial with a ‘thicker’ feeling than you get with the more airy Cloud. Comes close to unisex and strikes a bit similar to Rochas Man…but still leans feminine and doesn’t have the stronger coffee smell. REM Review
What’s good about R.E.M.?
- More depth
- Great lavender note
- Solid performance, but not heavy
Delightful Pear Release
God is a Woman by Ariana Grande– If you’re a fan of Cloud, Cloud Intense is also another new release that is better and you could go with that instead of R.E.M.
However, the best newer release from Ariana is…God is a Woman ahead of Cloud Intense and Thank U, Next 2.0.
I don’t really get the disappointing reviews from some folks. Yes, this is a lighter scent, but the performance gives me around 7 hours. Maybe its the name? Rather ugly bottle design?
The smell itself? This one features that nice pear note from Thank U, Next blended with a musky ambrette note and fresh cedar wood. The pear is the star here, but there is a light powdery aroma from orris and a brief rose appearance.
Juicy and sweet pear with vanilla, ambrette, and that cedar. It’s light, fresh, and has a sort of semi-aquatic feeling. Pretty simple, but effective, and a certainly a best Ariana Grande perfume. Read my full review
What’s good about God is a Woman?
- The pear
- Freshness
- Rather unique compared to the others
Ranking the Other Ariana Perfumes
7. Cloud Pink
Cloud Pink is the latest flanker from the Cloud series, released in 2023. It’s not so much better than the other two, but for me, it is the best of them currently.
The main difference here is going to be in the opening through the middle act. Also, the lavender note isn’t in this one either.
It starts off with dragon fruit, pink pineapple, and coconut water. This gives the Pink formula a sweeter, fruitier, and somewhat tropical feeling in the opening. Not massive amounts of fruits, but substantial and sets it apart from the other two Cloud perfumes.
No worries though, this is still warm and fluffy, and doesn’t behave as a summer version of Cloud. The dry down is quite a bit like the others, just a different weighting in the notes. Performance is about the same as Cloud. Cloud Pink Review
8. Mod Vanilla
This is one of the two new Mod fragrance releases from Ariana. It does share a lot of similarities with the Clouds, but I prefer this slightly more.
It opens up without one note completely dominant and it has a nice balance. Freesia, musk, and some plum early on in the wear. As it develops, you’ll get more of the vanilla and praline notes.
Along with that, iris and cocoa butter. Not overly powdery, but Mod Vanilla has a gourmand sweetness and creaminess to it. The performance is actually very good. I got 8+ hours on my skin during testing and a bolder sillage than Cloud. Mod Vanilla Review
9. Cloud 2.0
The Intense version of Ariana Grande’s Cloud. 2.0 is a slightly better version, with better sillage and longevity.
The pear note is weakened in 2.0, but the lavender smells smoother and plays well off of the amped up ambroxan note. Also, it smells creamier versus the fluffiness of the original. Cloud 2.0 gives more play to the whipped cream, vanilla, and praline notes.
About 7-7.5 hours of wear on the skin, with a pretty noticeable sillage. Cloud 2.0 Full Review
10. Cloud
Cloud is one that got fairly overrated, in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I like it a fair bit. But, it’s role as a potential BR 540 clone, definitely boosted its profile.
The opening has the bergamot, lavender, and pear start to it. Sparkling, this is when it is most similar to R.E.M. But, that lavender note isn’t nearly as prominent.
The highlight for me, is when you get into the creamier part of the perfume (still less so than 2.0). It’s whipped cream, coconut, and that sweet edible aroma from the praline. At this point, it does start to resemble a cloud, with how light and fluffy it feels.
It does smell fairly nice, but nothing spectacular. The performance is decent. For the right price, and if this is your style, Cloud can be a nice pickup. My Full Review
11. Thank U, Next 2.0
Thank U, Next 2.0 almost replaced the original on this list, with its delicious pomegranate and apple juice laden opening. But, the second half isn’t as good, and the performance topped out at 5 hours for me…which is like 2 or 3 fewer than the original.
It’s very juicy and has a great vibrant energy to the aroma. Then, it settles into a generic floral with the usual Ariana marshmallow note, and some musk. That ending is just a marshmallow musk.
It’s strange how this one, just completely fell apart and lost much of its charm. The opening is pretty awesome, but it’s pretty ho-hum, afterwards. I had high hopes for it, but it’s just okay. For a big discount, it might still be worthwhile. Thank U, Next 2.0 Review
12. Mod Blush
Mod Blush isn’t completely bad or anything. The opening is a tropical fruity aroma, that is sort of like other celebrity fragrances (which are cheaper in price). Then, it turns into something that is like an impression of other perfumes from Ariana Grande.
But, it’s not as good as any of them. Some have compared Mod Blush to Sweet Like Candy or Ari, which is true to some extent, as they have similar vibes. Yet, those are both superior in smell and performance to this.
The aroma itself is fine, but the performance was mediocre for something at this price point. So, Mod Blush almost takes the bottom spot on the list. Mod Blush Full Review
13. Frankie
For me, the weakest is Frankie. Which, is harder to find nowadays, so it’s pretty irrelevant. It was okay, I suppose, it’s difficult to recall what smelled like exactly. It had pink pepper, sugar, some fruity notes up top. Just never came together all that well.
Not something really worth pursuing, nor even coming close to being the best Ariana Grande perfume release.
Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with the different fragrances that I’ve owned, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, that new hobby grew into a consistent passion, helping millions of readers along the way. I have personally written reviews for well over 800 perfumes and colognes for both men and women. This is along with writing hundreds of other in-depth fragrance guides. You can also follow me on: YouTube, Instagram, and Tiktok!
