Very Good Girl by Carolina Herrera

Good Girl has been a big hit for Carolina Herrera, and so, of course a ton of flanker editions have been spun off from the original. In 2021, the brand released, Very Good Girl. I got a sample of this perfume with a Macy’s fragrance order and have been testing it out. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?


What does Very Good Girl Smell Like?

Notes include: litchi, rose, red currant, vetiver, vanilla

Click here to try: Very Good Girl 30 ml Eau de Parfum, 1 fl oz


My Full Review

Very Good Girl opens up with litchi, as the main attraction. Quite sweet and loud, with red currant, giving an added tartness to the aroma.  The red currant is much weaker than the litchi from the get go and will soon be replaced by the strengthening rose note.

After the initial blast, this one does get a more powdery aroma. Not overwhelming so on me, but the litchi and rose do have that effect. That’s a good thing, as much of the tartness up top will subside and it will be more of a fruity sweetness.

As it moves along, you will get more of the vanilla note and a general freshness to the scent. It’s not a thick or heavy feeling, rather, lighter and pleasant, which gives Very Good Girl some great versatility in its uses.

This is a pretty straightforward blend. The changes over time, are more towards the rose and the fresh feeling. Nonetheless, the rose and litchi are in control the entire time. Vanilla comes and goes and you will pick up the additional vetiver note.


Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Very Good Girl starts off with a nice bit of power, but it isn’t too extreme. Call it the upper edge of what could be considered moderate. From there, the sillage will become lighter and fairly average after the first hour or so. Solid, but not monstrous.

On my skin, Very Good Girl lasted in the 7-plus hour range during testing. It did manage to hit 8 hours, but most of the time, it will be around 7. Pretty good, but you shouldn’t expect a marathon length of performance.

Seasonally, is where you do get plenty of performance, as Very Good Girl can fit in pretty much year round. Probably best around the average temperatures, but cold and warmer weather, can do just fine.

This is more of casual, daily wear, or nightlife scent. It can fit the role of pretty much anything except for super dressy or formal affairs. It is subtle enough for most daytime applications, but also has enough personality for the night.


Overall Impressions of Very Good Girl

Overall, do I like this fragrance? I like it. However, I don’t like Very Good Girl as much as other similar scents (hello, Angel Nova) and the original Good Girl is a bit better too. It’s nice enough, has good performance, and is versatile.

But, it’s not an amazing perfume.

The tart sweetness of the litchi and red currant is a pretty big punch early on. The litchi might be the note which makes or breaks your own interest in this scent, as it is rather prominent. The rose is fine, I like it better during the dry down than when it is paired with the heavier fruitiness.

The dry down is a nice pinkish rose, fruit, some vanilla creaminess, and a light fresh feeling. Honestly, it’s a good perfume, but it never screams that it is a must have.

It is worth giving a try, if it sounds like your style. It’s still somewhat a perfume like Good Girl. Very Good Girl has its strengths, but as a whole, is a slightly above average scent.

Good Girl vs Very Good Girl Perfume Comparison

Good Girl’s success has allowed Carolina Herrera to come up with more newer and newer versions of this popular perfume. One of the more recent one’s released in 2021, is Very Good Girl. As such, these two often get compared or can be the final decision as to which a woman wants to purchase. How do they smell? Which lasts longer? Which actually is the better buy?


Tale of the Tape: Good Girl vs. Very Good Girl

Good Girl

Notes include: jasmine, coffee, bergamot, tuberose, almond, rose, tonka bean, cocoa

Click here to try: CAROLINA HERRERA Good Girl Eau de Perfume Spray, 2.7 Fl Oz

Read my Review: Good Girl by Carolina Herrera


Very Good Girl

Notes include: litchi, rose, red currant, vetiver, vanilla

Click here to try: Very Good Girl 30 ml Eau de Parfum, 1 fl oz

Read my review: Very Good Girl


Opening

Good Girl is about the white floral notes and citrus up top. Lemon, jasmine, and almond are the main attention grabbers, but some tuberose will come through.

That opening is short-lived, the citrus fades, and you get coffee to pair with the almond. At first, it’s more of a nutty gourmand, but cocoa and tonka bean will play a greater role.

With Very Good Girl, the litchi is a powerhouse up top. Yes, I do get the comparisons to Angel Nova, but that was even fruitier and sweeter with the raspberry. The red currant doesn’t pack the same punch.

Quite sweet and tart with the rose becoming more prominent, as things move along. Litchi and rose are going to be your main stars.

Which is better at the start? While I like the fruity sweetness that Very Good Girl provides, I actually think I prefer the citrus and jasmine of the original up top. 

Edge: Good Girl


Projection

Neither of these fragrances are super strong. They each project themselves above average for the first hour or so and then gradually become softer. The sillage overall is moderate.

I will say, neither is weak. They actually do a nice job at hanging around without feeling completely obtrusive with normal amounts of spraying. 

But, I really don’t notice a distinct difference in this category.

Edge: Push


Longevity

With the longevity, Good Girl lasted on my skin for around 8 hours during testing. It was pretty much like clockwork, in this regard. No more and really no less, either. It’s a solid performer among the more mass appealing options.

With Very Good Girl, it’s close to that. But, I’d say it leans more towards the 7 hour mark than 8 hours. 

Good Girl is just a tad bit better than its flanker, but not a major difference.

Edge: Good Girl


Versatility

Seasonally, Good Girl is best served in the autumn and winter months. Much more of a pure cold weather perfume, that can sort of venture into moderate temperatures. Meanwhile, Very Good Girl is good pretty much year round. It doesn’t have the same limitations.

Good Girl isn’t strictly a nighttime fragrance but leans that way or for more casual situations. It’s built more like an attractive or sexy sort of perfume.

Very Good Girl isn’t formal either, but it is soft and doesn’t scream to be worn on a night out. It’s a versatile day or night wear.

So, Very Good Girl takes this category, as the more versatile of the two Herrera perfumes.

Edge: Very Good Girl

 

 


Overall Scent

This is kind of a close race for me. I’m not a super fan of either of these fragrances, but I do enjoy aspects of each, and think that they can be good selections for the right person.

With Very Good Girl, the litchi really lets itself be known early on. So, if you’re not a fan of that sort of tart sweetness (along with the red currant), then you might want to skip it.

However, it does soften up as it goes along. You will get more of the rose note, some vanilla, and a light powdery touch. It’s more pretty and low key than a sexy night club beast. Delina and Mugler’s Angel Nova are quite similar in many regards to Very Good Girl.

But, I actually like Nova better than this Herrera perfume. The raspberry is a nice offsetting note from the litchi, which can be intense here up front.

Back to this comparison, I think I like the original Good Girl more here. Again, not a major victory, but a pretty clear favorite. I like the balance of the gourmand ingredients and the jasmine/tuberose. 

It’s a warmer, more limited choice, but I think the fragrance itself smells a tad better. They’re not the same fragrance, which is a good thing, as it should be pretty obvious as to which you should try based on your personal preferences.

Me, I’ll pick Good Girl. Or, maybe you try one of the Good Girl ‘dupe’ perfumes and a bottle of Very Good Girl for not much more.

Winner: Good Girl