louis vuitton

8 Best Louis Vuitton Fragrances for Men

by

Louis Vuitton is always among the top selling or the exact best selling luxury brands in the world. Mainly known for its fashion, bags, and leather goods; it has recently begun to launch a whole host of fragrances for men and women.

The other LVMH maison, Christian Dior, is already a powerhouse in the perfumes space, and Louis Vuitton is seemingly positioning itself as an upmarket option here.

In this post, I want to give my suggestions as to the best smelling LV colognes for guys, for those who are looking for a place to get started in their search. I’ve linked up my full review of each, where applicable (I still need to finish one). 

Quick Overview

🏆 Best Overall: Imagination

If you want the safest all-around Louis Vuitton fragrance for men, Imagination is the top pick. It has huge mass appeal because it blends bright citrus, black tea, neroli, and ginger into something that feels fresh, upscale, and incredibly easy to wear.

It smells luxurious without being too loud, which makes it perfect for daily use, office wear, travel, or just as a signature scent. Among the current Louis Vuitton lineup, this is the one that feels the most universally loved.

Here’s a similar and cheaper alternative that I wear: #Imagine by the Dua Brand

🏆 Best Performance: Ombre Nomade

If maximum projection and longevity matter most, Ombre Nomade is the clear winner. This is the beast performer of the Louis Vuitton line, with huge sillage and serious staying power that can last all day and beyond.

The oud, incense, leather, and raspberry combination gives it a bold, dark, statement-making profile that is built for evenings, colder weather, and occasions where you actually want people to notice your fragrance. It is not subtle—but that is exactly why many people love it.

🏆 Best Summer Fragrance: Afternoon Swim

For pure warm-weather wear, Afternoon Swim is one of the best luxury summer scents available. It opens with a blast of juicy orange and bright citrus that feels sparkling, clean, and instantly uplifting.

Unlike heavier designer fragrances, this one feels effortless and refreshing in heat, making it ideal for vacations, daytime wear, and high-temperature climates. If you want the “luxury summer scent” experience, this is the one.

 

 

 

Fragrance Best For Season Key Notes Performance Sillage
Imagination Daily luxury wear Spring / Summer Citron, black tea, neroli, ginger Very good Moderate
Nouveau Monde Unique signature scent Fall / Winter Cocoa, saffron, oud, incense Great staying power Strong
Ombre Nomade Maximum performance Fall / Winter Oud, incense, raspberry, leather Beast mode Very strong
Nuit de Feu Fall signature wear Fall / Winter Incense, oud, leather, woods Very good Strong
Afternoon Swim Pure summer wear Spring / Summer Orange, citrus, ginger, ambergris Good Moderate
Sur la Route Clean woody citrus Spring / Summer Bergamot, cedar, nutmeg, pepper Very good Moderate
Cactus Garden Bright herbal summer Spring / Summer Lemongrass, bergamot, mate Very good Moderate
City of Stars Beachy citrus wear Spring / Summer Lime, blood orange, musk Good Moderate

Favorite Smelling Louis Vuitton Colognes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Unique Option

Fragrance: Nouveau Monde

Notes include: leather, oud, saffron, cacao

Season: autumn, winter

Quick Verdict: A rich, distinctive scent built around cocoa, oud, saffron, and incense that feels unique, darker, and perfect for someone who wants a true signature fragrance.

Write Up:

Nouveau Monde is an interesting fragrance and which has quite a unique profile. Two of its main notes, are cocoa bean and saffron.

I enjoy a good saffron, an ingredient that doesn’t get used enough, but I can’t recall it being paired with cocoa bean in any other scent.

Along with that you get a smokiness from oud and incense. This Louis Vuitton scent does open up with a bit of sharpness, which I take is from the listed black currant note. However, thereafter Nouveau Monde has a bit of a sweeter undertone, blended with a light spice.

This is a bold scent with great staying power and a deep richness. It won’t be for everyone. I’m honestly not a huge fan of oud, but I did like this one and how it developed. 

 

Most Mass Appealing

 

Fragrance: Imagination

Notes include: black tea, citron, neroli

Season: spring, summer

Quick Verdict: The best all-around Louis Vuitton fragrance for men, combining fresh citrus, black tea, and smooth amber into a mass-appealing signature scent with true luxury feel.

Write Up:

I’m replacing L’immensite on this list, in favor of Imagination, after testing it. Frankly, the notes are similar, but Imagination is just better to me all around.

In fact, it might be the best of the bunch. (Update: Yes, this is my favorite, as of this revision)

Imagination is a beautiful fragrance, quite stunning at times. The amber is less intrusive than in L’immensite and the citron note here is simply awesome when paired with the crisp black tea note. 

Up top, you get the citron and other citrus notes, including mandarin orange. The citron sticks out the most, but there is a definite neroli floral infusion in the heart. Between that and the ginger note, there is a very clean and cold aroma here.

Early on, it a greenish citrus blend. Then, you get the floral touches. But, ultimately tea and the lighter amber get surrounded by the remaining citrus to create an easy to wear gem. Full Review

The Beast Performer

Fragrance: Ombre Nomade

Notes include: incense, oud, rose

Season: autumn, winter

Quick Verdict: The beast performer of the lineup, delivering huge projection, massive longevity, and a bold oud-leather-incense profile made for statement wear

Write Up:

I feel like every high-end designer needs to have their oud and rose fragrance. This is the Louis Vuitton version of that.

But, it’s actually not dominated by those two notes entirely, which is a good thing. It starts off smoky with incense and that oud note. Then, the smoke clears out and you get a blend of raspberry, rose, leather, and benzoin (though, I also pick up saffron). 

Ombre Nomade is very rich, balanced, and smooth. The rose and raspberry really help to keep it from being a oud bomb. Though, the sillage here is absolutely massive, and this is one to go light with the application. 

Not my personal favorite, but Ombre Nomade is one that I really appreciated, when I reviewed it: Ombre Nomade. 

 

Best Pure Fall/Autumn Fragrance

Fragrance: Nuit de Feu

Notes include: leather, incense, oud

Season: autumn, winter

Quick Verdict: A smoky, resinous fall and winter fragrance centered around incense and oud, ideal for cooler weather and people who love deep, mysterious scents.

Write Up:

Yes, this fragrance does capture a dark mood. Lots of incense in Nuit de Feu, so, you’re going to get a great smoky aroma, that is paired with oud and leather. Warm and resinous, with an overall dry profile. 

I like this one just a tad more versus Ombre Nomade, but that one is a lot more powerful.

The incense are really the star up top. Then, the leather carries the scent home.

The leather here, comes across as stronger than does the oud. Simple in its presentation, but I can imagine that this would really shine, when it gets colder out. It is more of a unisex fragrance, while it does have some power, Nuit de Feu didn’t strike me as overbearing

Actually, this Vuitton reminds me of the older batches of Dirty English, with a bit less wood and an incense infusion. Not the same smell exactly, but a similar style. Nuit de Feu Review

 

 

Best Pure Summer Wear

Fragrance: Afternoon Swim

Notes include: orange, ambergris, ginger

Season: summer

Quick Verdict: The ultimate summer Louis Vuitton fragrance, with bright juicy orange and sparkling citrus that feels clean, refreshing, and effortless in hot weather.

Write Up:

This fragrance is summertime the whole way. Not super complex, but attractive and has a very refreshing energy. Afternoon Swim is a citrus-laden cologne, so, if that’s not your thing it won’t be for you.

Does remind me a lot of Dior Homme Cologne (or an Acqua di Parma scent, like Bergamotto di Calabria, only with a dominant orange note), with some exceptions. First, Dior Cologne has more of an iced lemonade profile.

Second, this has somewhat of an aquatic vibe. There is a saltiness here (ambergris), that isn’t too intense, but is noticeable. Also, I dig the light ginger touches.

The orange note here is fantastic, along with its flanking citrus notes. Ginger doesn’t tend to last all that long in most fragrances and here it’ll be there for the opening act.

With these sorts of summer scents, you cannot really expect great performance. Though, Afternoon Swim from Louis V, holds up pretty well.  Afternoon Swim Full Review

 

Clean and Naturalistic Citrus

Fragrance: Sur la Route

Notes include: bergamot, cedar, grassy notes

Season: spring, summer

Quick Verdict: A smooth woody-citrus scent with a natural green freshness that feels refined, understated, and easy to wear every day.

Write Up:

This one is another citrus based fragrance, but definitely separates itself from the others on the list, in terms of how it smells.

It comes across as a bit watery, along with some green-ish grass notes. Not an aquatic or a refreshing drink, sort of cologne.

The opening does have a pretty powerful blast of the bergamot note and there is a strong leathery aroma, which LV doesn’t list in the actual notes, but it is there. The cedar note really adds that fresh woodiness to the already bright and watery citrus mix. 

Sur la Route should enjoy some mass appeal and popularity, out of the offerings from the Louis Vuitton collection. Very subtle spice from nutmeg and a dash of pepper, for at least some of the wear.

Mostly a classic clean woody citrus with some spring/summer naturalistic smelling notes. 

Louis Vuitton describes this one as, “A metaphor for each individual’s personal path: the journey is as important as the destination.”  Sur la Route Full Review

 

Another Awesome Summer Vuitton

 

Fragrance: Cactus Garden

Notes include: bergamot, geranium, lemongrass

Season: spring, summer

Quick Verdict: A bright herbal citrus fragrance with lemongrass and mate that feels uplifting, energetic, and especially strong for spring and summer.

Write Up:

Cactus Garden is a fairly unique summertime wear, led by lemongrass. That naturalistic aroma is paired with a fresh bergamot citrus and mate note, which gives this Louis V scent an herbal tea sort of aroma.

The geranium note helps to steer the ship and transition from the citrus and lemongrass notes towards when the mate becomes the lead in the dry down.

This is a great change of pace for the summer. Has some similarities to Green Irish Tweed by Creed, but still different and really beautiful.

The scent is particularly bright and energetic at first with the bergamot. Though, when it dries down you get a much colder and refreshing vibe coming through. That’s most of the wear, it’s a very simple blend that brings so much to the table within its limited confines.

Cactus Garden is perfectly unisex, awesome in warmer weather, and balanced enough for daily wear. Read my Cactus Garden Review

Update: This got discontinued. Here’s an alternative from Dua: Garden of Thorns. But the brand brought back Sun Song, which is also pretty good. Or you could go with Pacific Chill.

Starlight, Star Bright

city of stars review

Fragrance: City of Stars 

Notes include: blood orange, tiare flower, bergamot, lime, musk

Season: spring, summer

Quick Verdict: A sunny citrus-musk fragrance with a soft beachy feel that works well as a lighter, relaxed luxury scent for daytime wear.

Write Up:

City of Stars is another of the unisex options, on the list. It sort of leans slightly feminine, but is still one that can totally be worn by anyone.

Lime, blood orange, and bergamot are the citrus top notes. Lime, will be the strongest of the bunch, City is blended well throughout the wear.

This LV cologne isn’t a pure citrus blend, however. Tiare gives this one a tropical flower influence, which when paired with the citrus and musk, gives City of Stars a beachy and sunny sort of feeling.

It’s a great mix of the juicy freshness, with periods of powder and creaminess sitting underneath. The latter stages are more powder (still not massively) with some of that lime juice still attached to the aroma.

Maybe one that you try out to see if you vibe with it. City of Stars is a very nice experience, though. City of Stars Review

 

City of Stars by Louis Vuitton

by

City of Stars is one of the new fragrance releases by Louis Vuitton for 2022. It was a perfume that seemed to get more attention than the others recently, so I was interested in seeing if it was actually any good. How does City of Stars smell? When should it be worn? Is it actually worth a try?

City of Stars Overview

Notes include: red mandarin, bergamot, lemon, lime, blood orange, musk, tiare flower, sandalwood

city of stars review

My Full Review

Here’s how Louis Vuitton describes it: Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud offers a festive ode to Los Angeles by night, its excitement and extravagance, from star-studded boulevards to the constellations shimmering above the skyline. As darkness falls, the city’s lights surge in a sensual olfactory tableau.

The opening is obviously going to be a mix of citrus notes, just by looking at the ones listed. The main one that sticks out is the lime. Some blood orange and bergamot are also detectable. But, it is mostly a blend for much of the wear.

However, the citrus here doesn’t go full blast like how it does in Afternoon Swim. No, instead the tiare accord and musk have their own strong presence early on.

Louis Vuitton describes this as a nighttime fragrance, but the perfume is honestly quite beachy with the citrus and tiare giving it a tropical flair. Feels more sunny and daytime.

One thing to notice, during the wear, is how there is a balance of powdery and a creamy aroma throughout. The musk, tiare, and sandalwood notes all go back and forth to create this effect.

City of Stars has a similar style to Soleil Blanc and Virgin Island Water. But, I get reminded of Dior Homme Cologne, which is citrus, musk, and white floral. However, City is more complex and more feminine than that cologne.

Still, even with those comparisons, City of Stars still feels distinct from all of them.

The dry down is a slightly powdery white floral fragrance. There is a lime juiciness still around, just not all that powerful. There is still the muskiness and that lotion-like creaminess, neither really takes over the composition, though.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This fragrance has a pretty moderate sillage. It does hang in the air and leave a nice scent trail in your wake, for about the first hour.

The projection probably maxes out in the seven foot range. After that, it’ll stick around 3-4 feet for the bulk of the wear. A nice bubble of perfume for yourself and those who get closer.

Just know that this isn’t going to be a powerhouse. I found it to be good enough, in this department.

The longevity here, seems to be in the 6-7.5 hour range. After that, it is gone on my skin. But, it has hit in that range, each time that I’ve tested City of Stars out.

It doesn’t have that marathon performance, but it is passable in this regard.

Seasonally, this is a spring and summertime fragrance. It’s bright and lightly tropical vibe, is built for the warmer months of the year.

This is a unisex fragrance. The tiare is usually a note for women’s perfumes. While it does for sure lean that way, it isn’t too ‘girly’ that a man couldn’t pull this off.

Again, I don’t know why this is marketed as a nighttime wear. I suppose, on warm summer nights out, I’d wear this. But, this really comes across as a more casual to semi-formal daytime wear.

It’s pretty and attractive. Not a super seductive scent or one that begs for attention. Clean powder, musky cream.

Overall Impression of City of Stars

Overall, do I like City of Stars? I do. It’s not completely amazing, but I like it about the same as I enjoy Afternoon Swim or Cactus Garden by Louis Vuitton. Two of their better fragrances, in my opinion.

Much better than On the Beach. More recently, this has been getting overlooked by Pacific Chill, but this is the better perfume.

The citrus is nice, giving it the usual summertime vibe. City does do a good job with the tiare flower, letting it have a tropical influence, but also giving it a nice powdery aroma to balance out some of the creaminess.

So, you get a beachy sun tan lotion aroma, that is lightened by that nice fresh powder. It keeps things light and clean. It’s so bright, sweet, and just lovely.

I really love the lime note when it’s playing off of that powdery touch. Really quite phenomenal at times.

It’s not a super complicated or heavy scent, but it has its distinct facets, which give City some more character.

The performance is decent, not terrible but not amazing either. For this style of summertime fragrance, it is pretty good. But, Tom Ford’s Soleil Blanc does have a better longevity.

Is it worth the money? It’s worth sampling to see if you want to spend almost $300 for a bottle.

(Update: even pricier since I first published this review in 2022). Louis Vuitton scents are very pricey and I don’t recommend most people just hopping in with a blind buy. The Dua brand has their inexpensive take on this formula, called: City of Dua. 

If you’re in the market for a good summertime beachy or tropical scent, this is one that I’d look at. It might be worthwhile in your specific case. Otherwise, I’d find a sample, if it sounds like one you might get a kick out of.

Pacific Chill vs City of Stars

by

City of Stars and Pacific Chill have ended up being two of the more popular Louis Vuitton fragrances since their releases a few years back or longer. That being the case, they can often be the final choices that people have to make a decision on, in terms of which they should buy.

I have reviewed and tested each of these perfumes and in this post, I will compare and contrast each, and share which one of them I prefer.

Tale of the tape: City of Stars vs Pacific Chill

City of Stars

Notes include: red mandarin, bergamot, lemon, lime, blood orange, musk, tiare flower, sandalwood

My full review: City of Stars

Pacific Chill

Notes include: blackcurrant, lemon, orange, ambrette, cedar, coriander, basil, carrot seeds, peppermint

Read my review: Pacific Chill by Louis Vuitton

Opening

Pacific Chill opens cold, sharp, and intensely fresh. Citrus leads the charge, but there’s also a strong greenish quality running through it.

Peppermint, coriander, and basil shake things up, making for a really distinctive first impression.

On my skin, peppermint takes control among those three, with the others playing more of a support role. This shifts as time goes on and the  basil starts pushing forward and eventually takes over from the mint.

Blackcurrant brings out the sweet and tart side that Chill projects and stays pretty strong for a decent stretch. But both the mint and blackcurrant eventually begin to fade

Pacific Chill transforms into something more citrus and basil-driven. On me, orange and citron come through clearly, joined by this apricot-like smell that develops.

The opening of City of Stars is obviously going to be citrus-heavy just from the listed notes. Lime really jumps out as the main focus. You can pick up some blood orange and bergamot too, but it mostly reads as a blended citrus mix for most of the wear.

The citrus here doesn’t completely take over like it does in Afternoon Swim, for example. Instead, the tiare accord and musk claim their own strong territory right from the start.

Louis Vuitton calls this a nighttime fragrance, but it honestly feels quite beachy. I guess night could work too. The citrus and tiare give it this tropical vibe that seems more sunny and daytime to me.

One thing you’ll notice during the wear is this ongoing balance between powdery and creamy qualities. The musk, tiare, and sandalwood keep trading off to create that effect.

Which do I prefer? I like what’s going on early with Pacific. It’s cool and fresh, which plays well off of the fruits.

But, I think Stars has the better opening between these two Louis Vuitton fragrances.

Edge: City of Stars

Projection

City of Stars has pretty moderate sillage. It does hang in the air and creates a nice scent trail behind you for about the first hour.

The projection probably peaks around seven feet. After that, it settles into a 3-4 foot range for most of the wear. It’s a personal bubble of fragrance for you to enjoy.

I think that Chill is slightly more substantial and has a further reach than does City of Stars. At least, initially. Pacific Chill is stronger out of the gate then it compatriot.

It doesn’t blow out City of Stars, but it has an advantage.

Edge: Pacific Chill

Longevity

With City of Stars I get in the 6-7.5 hour range. It’s capable of hitting that upper band, but doesn’t always do so. It’s pretty mid with how long it lasts.

Pacific Chill I also get around 7.5 hours, but it seems to be more consistent with that outcome versus City of Stars. I didn’t notice this LV fragrance quitting very much before that and it might be more capable of going into the 8-ish hour range.

Not a huge difference, neither is spectacular, but I think Chill takes this category.

Edge: Pacific Chill

Versatility

Seasonally, both of these are in spring and summer territory. Definitely warm weather fragrances, that aren’t overly serious.

Pacific Chill is unisex, but leans more feminine. It doesn’t go completely into that zone, but those fruity shampoo qualities certainly push it that direction.

It also feels much more youthful than the other LV summer fragrances. Not particularly mature.

This one’s more for daytime casual wear anyway. Not something you’d reach for during nightlife or even formal summer occasions. So even if it reads somewhat immature, it shouldn’t be much of an issue.

City of light is also unisex territory, leaning feminine. Tiare usually shows up in women’s perfumes, so, it does lean that way.

Again, I’m not sure why this gets marketed as nighttime wear. Maybe for warm summer evenings out, but this really reads as casual to semi-formal daytime territory.

It’s pretty and appealing. Not super seductive or attention-grabbing. More about clean powder and musky cream.

I might give a slight edge to Pacific Chill for its shampoo-like clean in the dry down. But, there’s not too much of a difference here.

Edge: Push

Overall Scent

Overall, which of these two LV fragrances do I prefer?

I was excited to try Pacific Chill back when it came out. I was looking forward to the perfume based on the notes and came away somewhat underwhelmed. I like the fragrance well enough, but I am somewhat puzzled as to why it became so popular.

I guess I’m more in the minority who just thinks that its fine. The early stages are interesting, but it’s nothing special in the back half.

I’m going with City of Stars versus what I get with Pacific Chill. Since the performances are basically the same, it comes down to how each smells and City is just better to me.

The mix of the citrus and the tiare flower is fantastic. I really enjoyed wearing this one while I made my way through the sample.

That’s my pick. They’re extremely close in every other way, but the scent itself really separates them, in my opinion.

Now, if you don’t want something that has that creaminess or that more traditional beachy sort of aroma, you should probably go with Chill versus City of Stars.

Winner: City of Stars

Pacific Chill vs Afternoon Swim

by

Louis Vuitton has a long list of fragrances for sale. Two of the perfumes that are sought after for warmer weather wear are Pacific Chill and Afternoon Swim. 

But, which of these popular options is the better one to buy? Which lasts longer? Smells better? Continue below for my full head to head comparison.

Tale of the Tape: Pacific Chill vs Afternoon Swim

Pacific Chill

Notes include: blackcurrant, lemon, orange, ambrette, cedar, coriander, basil, carrot seeds, peppermint

Read my review: Pacific Chill by Louis Vuitton

Afternoon Swim

Notes include: bergamot, mandarin orange, orange, ginger, ambergris

Read my review: Afternoon Swim by Louis Vuitton

 

Opening

Pacific Chill starts with a cold, sharp, and extremely fresh opening. Citrus notes take the lead, but it also has a prominent green element. Peppermint, coriander, and basil add a change of pace to the mix, 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 quite 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.

Afternoon Swim kicks off with its orange notes front and center. I do smell mandarin, but another orange seems to have the upper hand, and there’s also a solid dose of bergamot.

I like the addition of the ginger note, as it gives Swim a bit more heft than just being another thin and quick citrus scent.

As it moves along, especially later in the wear, I get more of the bergamot on my skin versus the orange note and just enough of the ambergris to add a touch of saltiness to the composition.

Which is better?

With Pacific Chill, it certainly grabs my attention early on and I think that it’s got an interesting and at least somewhat unique profile.

Afternoon Swim has a simpler design to it. Very citrus heavy, but with a ginger addition that play well. Early on, it is a close contest, but I think I still prefer Afternoon Swim to Chill.

Edge: Afternoon Swim

Projection

Afternoon Swim is on the lighter end of moderate and will project 4-6 feet from the skin, at its peak, before drawing closer and closer. The good new is that it doesn’t become a skin scent until the tail end of its total wear time.

With Pacific Chill, it opens like an absolute bomb on my skin. Seriously, this one envelops me in a cloud of iced fragrance for about an hour. Then, it kind of goes into a lighter moderate mode.

It’s certainly got a steep drop off from what it starts off like versus how it finishes, but I was surprised I even got that much of a loud projection.

Between these two it’s an easy win for Chill, in this category.

Edge: Pacific Chill

Longevity

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.

Afternoon Swim well be more in the 5-6 hour range with its longevity. It’s pretty middle of the road and doesn’t last as long as Pacific.

Edge: Pacific Chill

Versatility

Seasonally, both of these work well in the late spring and summertime. But, neither of them is very formal or something that you’re particularly going to use dressed up. Maybe Chill has a cleaner vibe that can fit in better, in some scenarios.  

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.

The same applies to Afternoon Swim, it’s also unisex.

Edge: Pacific Chill

Overall Scent

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 time, 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 it reminded me of Garnier Fructis (I think that’s the one that I remembering, anyway).

I don’t think it’s better than Afternoon Swim. In terms of which I’d rather wear, I’d pick that over Pacific Chill almost every time.

No, it doesn’t have the same level of performance as does Pacific Chill, but I think that the overall scent is better. Even if, fairly linear. I like the way Chill starts out, but the back half, I don’t like quite as much.

So, I’d personally pick Afternoon Swim between them. The Dua Brand does have their inspired version of the scent called, Gone Swimming. I bought a bottle of Gone Swimming in Caribbean Waters from them, which is a blended version of this Louis Vuitton with their version of Virgin Island Water…and it’s fantastic.

Pacific Chill has an alternative called: Chilling by the Pacific. 

If you want the Louis Vuitton experience, at a cheaper price and with better performance, I highly recommend getting a hold of one of the Dua versions.

Winner: Afternoon Swim

Pacific Chill vs Imagination

by

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

imagination dupe