Louis Vuitton has had a bunch of releases in the past five years. Two of those, which have enjoyed major success and popularity are: Pacific Chill and Imagination.
Chill seemed to get off to a slower start, but has apparently become quite talked about on social media since its release. So, since these are both well-loved fragrances, which one is better?
In this post, I compare each of these LV perfumes, after I’ve tested each of them out. Which lasts longer? Which is the one to buy?
Tale of the Tape: Pacific Chill vs Imagination
Pacific Chill
Notes include: blackcurrant, lemon, orange, ambrette, cedar, coriander, basil, carrot seeds, peppermint
Read my review: Pacific Chill by Louis Vuitton
Imagination
Notes include: citron, orange, bergamot, cinnamon, black tea, guaiac wood, ambroxan, neroli, ginger
Read my review: Imagination
Opening
Pacific Chill starts with a cold, sharp, and extremely fresh opening. Citrus notes take the lead, but it quickly reveals a prominent green element. Peppermint, coriander, and basil shake things up, creating an interesting first impression.
On me, peppermint dominates among these three notes, with the others playing supporting roles in the background. This balance shifts over time as the basil emerges more prominently, eventually replacing that minty aspect.
Blackcurrant enhances the sweet-tart personality that Chill projects and is quit strong for a while..
But, both mint and blackcurrant recede. Pacific Chill evolves into a citrus and basil-focused fragrance. On my skin, the orange and citron stand out distinctly, accompanied by an apricot-like aroma that comes on.
With Imagination, citron, bergamot, and orange. The citron eventually emerges as the dominant citrus note, but initially they’re fairly balanced. Orange reaches its peak immediately after spraying, but soon yields to the other two.
That orange and citron combination is great. There’s a lovely juiciness that evolves as the cologne dries down. The citron grows increasingly prominent as well. Also, a light guaiac wood smokiness.
Ambroxan is detectable from the beginning, outlasting other notes while subtly lingering beneath everything else.
Finally, there is black tea with neroli. The neroli adds additional spice and orange character, but this fades alongside the primary orange fruit note. There’s a fresh spiciness from ginger and just a hint of cinnamon. I don’t detect much of either, personally.
Which is better?
I really do like how Pacific Chill starts out. There’s plenty going on there. However, I like the citrus and tea that I get from Imagination in the beginning, a bit more than that.
Edge: Imagination
Projection
Both of these fragrances start off with a strong projection, while not feeling overly heavy, as warm weather scents.
After that, they moderate, while still being noticeable throughout the wear. Neither is a beast, nor are they weak at all.
I don’t notice a difference between them, here.
Edge: Push
Longevity
However, in terms of the longevity, Imagination actually has an advantage versus its Louis Vuitton companion. Not by a lot, but it was more consistent during testing.
With Pacific Chill, it hung around for about 7.5 hours, on my skin. It could probably go a bit further, but that’s all I got from it.
With Imagination, it usually fell in the 8-9 hour range. But, there are times, where it is still hanging around at about 9.5 hours into things.
Slightly favoring Imagination in this category.
Edge: Imagination
Versatility
Seasonally, both of these belong entirely to spring and summertime. Absolutely warm weather fragrances
Pacific Chill qualifies as unisex, but I’d argue it leans more toward the feminine side. It doesn’t completely cross that boundary, but its fruity shampoo qualities certainly push it in that direction.
With Imagination, it’s a men’s fragrance. Though, one that could be worn by anyone for the most part. Pacific is the more universal of the two in terms of who’d wear it.
Chill also presents as considerably more youthful than other LV summer offerings. Not quite a mature fragrance – more like a sophisticated teenager’s perfume.
I think Imagination smells more refined and has a more put together vibe for daily wear during the warmer months than does Pacific Chill.
That one fits daytime casual wear best. It won’t serve you too well for nightlife or even formal summer occasions.
I’m giving the edge to Imagination.
Edge: Imagination
Overall Scent
Overall, which of these two Louis Vuitton fragrances do I like more?
With Pacific Chill, I do really enjoy the unique opening act, and how all of those notes interact. I think of it as a cold and refreshing summertime drink. This got me interested when I initially tried it out for the first, almost two years ago now.
Then, the back half isn’t as good. It’s more of a fruity shampoo sort of scent. Not bad, but reminded me of Garnier Fructis (I think that’s the one, anyway).
Frankly, I don’t think it’s better than Imagination. In terms of which I’d rather wear, I’d pick that over Pacific Chill almost every time, unless I wasn’t in the mood for it.
I ended up buying the Dua Brand interpretation of Imagination called #Imagine and wore that for most of the summer one year. They have a Pacific Chill-inspired perfume too. So, if you wanted something very similar to each of them for cheap, there you go.
As far as the Louis Vuitton originals go, I’m picking Imagination.
Winner: Imagination
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.
