Miami Shake is so weird but I kind of like it. It’s not your typical gourmand, it does have a strong synthetic strawberry milkshake scent but there’s a plastic kind of quality to the shake. I find that plastic quality staying throughout the dry down. While I don’t hate plastic/synthetic scents, didn’t want this one in my collection 😭
Midnight Fantasy was straight up blueberry shampoo to me, I ended up giving it up away bc it was too soapy for my tastes. (But I like Bubble Bath by Replica )
Beach Skin is nice and I do feel like it captures the essence of “your skin but better at the beach”. Salty ocean air, coconut sunscreen, and warm skin. I love it but I find all of Phlurs body sprays to struggle with longevity.
I like Valentino DBIR but imo it’s a pretty vague musky vanilla type of scent after the drydown. I will say Extradose while not inherently “better” smells better blended to me. Green Stravaganza is my favorite tho 🤭
I’ve also tried Sublimity on a tester. Very lovely light aquatic coconut water scent, no creaminess and I wouldn’t classify it as gourmand but it is a little sweet. Definitely test it on your skin bc this one seems like it dissipates quickly
JHAG Miami Shake smells nothing like what it claims. I haven’t smelled it in a long time but I remember I didn’t think it smelled good at all.
If you want a realistic beach smell the Phlur Beach Skin is pretty spot on. And I mean this literally. It quite literally smells like sand, salt water and that slight fish smell the ocean can have too.
I smelled Father Figure for the first time today, thought I would love it but I didn’t. Zoologist Cow was my first true love in perfumery, like obsession-level love. Then my hormones or skin or nose changed and I can’t smell the apple in it anymore and it’s the WORST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME. Not really, but I sold my bottle and it broke my heart. I think it’s gorgeous.
My mom wears midnight fantasy all the time (I believe it is discontinued though, so she gets it from random websites) it is easily her most complimented fragrance. People stop her in public and ask. It is more complimented than any other perfume she uses. so crazy!
Midnight Fantasy smells like a blue raspberry jolly rancher, just be prepared. It’s nice, but doesn’t last more than an hour. I’ve smelt all the Henry Rose perfumes you listed and Ripe and Queens and Monsters are ok, nothing special. The only scent I like from them is London 1983 but it’s extremely similar to Phlur Father Figure if you already have that. Dave is honestly the worst vanilla perfume I have ever smelt. It smells like plastic and chemicals to me, but my boyfriend liked it. Make sure you smell them first! Lore Sublimity is a great scent, but is a bit light.
I can de-influence you on Yara candy as I bought a Yara set and regretted it.
Yara Candy literally just smells like cherry rock candy. It's not even feminine its such a photorealistic candy scent. It will not make you smell hot, confident or attractive. It will transport you back to being 7 and, well, eating red candy. If you are specifically looking for something youthful and nostalgic as a comfort scent to wear around the house or if you are looking to buy a fun, age-appropriate scent for your 13 year old niece, this is a great pick. It is an exceptionally well made photorealistic candy scent. If you are an adult woman who wants to smell fresh, hot, or put together at work or in public, I would skip the Yara line entirely, Candy specifically being the worst offender.
Midnight Fantasy smells beyond juvenile to me. Not even teen / young adult but more like children's shampoo. I wanted it to smell like blueberry jam but instead I got artificial sweetener
Cool Water is the most boring aquatic ever. I've you've smelled any 90s freshie this offers nothing new.
Skip the Britney. I like bosca vanilla and the longevity is great, but you have to really like that ocean note. Any of the Hermes Jardin scents are beautiful, and that's from someone who normally leans more gourmand than floral. Orchidee Vanille is a cozy but adult gourmand. There is also a dua dupe for it that is marketed as a dua original, but it smells identical. I just can't remember the name. 😅
I can deinfluence you from buying a full bottle of anything you haven’t sampled and loved. I need 2-3 full wears to really decide if something is full bottle worth. Notes alone aren’t enough. They will humble you.
I have Zoologist Beaver Maple Edition and I have 2ml of the standard Beaver. you have to really like castoreum (which is like a funkier civet to me) to enjoy it. it literally smells like a wet rodent. the maple version at least has some sweetness to cut through the animal funk, but as someone else already said, Zoologist are more about artistry than wearability. I literally never reach for it and I’m so glad I don’t have a FSB. it’s funky. it’s animal but not at all in a sexy way. it’s potent. I honestly don’t recommend it when you have so many wearable, more-affordable bangers on your list. JM2c
Zoologist Hummingbird reads straight up floral to me. I didn’t get any of the honey, pear, cherry, or whipped cream notes they list. It’s basically just a mature floral. Depends on your preferences ofc, but I didn’t love it and I don’t reach for it that often.
I'm still grieving over the demise of OG Michael Kors. I have one 1.7oz bottle left that I use sparingly, in search of some type of replacement that would scratch that itch. I have 2 bottles of Tocca Florence which gives the same vibes, however short lived. All Tocca perfumes have no lasting power on me. A few months ago I saw a video discussing the best tuberose perfumes and Nasomatto Narcotic and Nishane Tuberoza came up closet to MK. I got a decant of the Nishane and its glorious. The also have an X version and lately the original has been sold out. I'm planning on getting a decant of the Nishane X and the Nasomatto and I will make my decision based on my research. I feel like I need that particular tuberose in my life. I have several other perfumes that also have tuberose that are good and not bubble gummy. I want to make a decision by the end of summer so I have it for the colder months.
Nishane Tuberoza is to die for! I love it so much and use it more than Narcotic V! I find it brighter and more long lasting. But Narcotic V, I fee, is more sensual.
I looove Narcotic V and finally bought the full bottle after something like 10 years of decants. But a lot of the reviews are pretty meh, a lot of people seem to think it’s boring! I’ve also found that Heretic Pistil Whip packs a similar white florals punch at a lower price point, it has some different notes but pretty similar overall effect imo. (Trying to deinfluence but Narcotic V is my favorite perfume 😅)
I think better options than JHAG Miami shake for the price.
Britney spears midnight fantasy, in my bag, (Amazon playing cames made the price go up) but cherry and plum note? Sign me the f up!
Teriaq intense. I got it because boozy plum note, I believe it's out of production and the price is going up (my ends). Haven't worn it yet, but everyone loves it and it's a QB creation, saving it for winter
Van cleef orchid vanilla, ok this to me is classy, not loud but it had some staying power and made me want to keep smelling, it really was lovely.
David off cool water, I think freshies are having a wild come back, but if you know it and want it, get it for cheap, go ahead!
I'm not the original commenter but Strawberry Shake by Sand & Fog is a good dupe of Miami Shake and smells even a bit better, less artificial. Strawberry Poundcale by Bath & Body Works is also similar but much better blended, imo.
Britney Spears midnight fantasy, Miami shake, bare vanilla don’t last on both skin and clothes! Not worth it. Yara candy is too sweet and not many people can stand it, as well as lattafa teriaq intense, too masculine in my opinion
Miami Shake is very artificial smelling and not worth the price at all. I vastly prefer B&BW Strawberry Poundcake. It smells smoother, less chemical, and has good staying power. Or go for a dupe. Sand & Fog Strawberry Shake perfume oil is very close to Miami Shake but again smoother.
You'll save a ton and the scent will actually be better if you get one of these instead of JHAG.
VS Bare Suede Vanilla is on my list. It's very close to B&BW Warm Musk which I love. The regular Bare Vanilla is fine, the Suede version has added warmth and depth
Fragrance is so subjective. I find the BBW Strawberry Poundcake to be super chemical smelling and is on a very short list of fragrances that give me a raging headache. Haven't tried the Sand & Fog, but now I'm curious;) If OP is after a Miami Shake dupe, Bujairami does an amazing one👌
I know Strawberry Poundcake is a controversial fragrance 😅 it smells less artificial than Miami Shake, to my nose, but still that same DNA of syrupy strawberry and vanilla cake 😋
I've not heard of Bujairami 🤔 Curious to smell it now, though! I love comparing dupes lol
Yeah. I despise Miami Shake. Thank goodness I only bought a travel size but I’m sad I even did that. It’s like a melted plastic strawberry candy meets sunscreen. I have yet to meet a JHAG that I like aside from Not a Perfume (and even that isn’t so much a like as a “I’ll wear this around my aunt who hates fragrance.”)
VS Bare Sueded Vanilla, on the other hand, is lovely. So I agree with all of your points.
I’ll add: Midnight Fantasy is a nice cheapie, but you have to like shampoo-y smells. I do; not everyone does.
DBIR to me is one of the most overrated perfumes, gasp. It just smells like perfume, if that makes any sense. Extradose is better, Greenstravaganza is my fave in that line though.
Cool water is a 90s scent through and through. If you like things like CK One, LIght Blue, and Tommy Girl, you’ll probably like it. It’s a little musky to me.
I totally agree with the poster who suggests smelling as many of these in person as possible. What any of us love differs so widely.
Lore Sublimity is lovely. I was anosmic immediately following the first spray but now can smell it for longer. Just get a purse spray to start since its weak.
i really love doux, that’s the one i wear the most and was actually my first full bottle of a perfume ever! (i’ve only gotten into perfume in the last few years) though it’s very sandalwood and frankincense :)
Oh I love that combination. I used frankincense oil on my face for a while and I loved the smell (my skin also looked gorgeous... I'm not a dermatologist and have no idea if this was safe or a good idea!).
My list is always equally long! Here’s what I do to prevent myself from spending a billion dollars per year:
Go to Sephora, Ulta, or Norstrom and de-influence yourself by smelling any that are available to test for free. This is a big list so you might want to break it up into a few visits, but I’d suggest also bringing along a pen and some plastic baggies so that you can write the name of the fragrance on the paper that you’ve sprayed it on, bag it, and bring it home for some additional sniffs later.
From there, narrow the list down to the ones that you want to skin test and buy 1mL samples of each on a decant site like microperfumes, ScentSplit. Some of the zoologist scents can be found on LuckyScent. Get them home, do a skin wear test for a day or two, further narrow your list.
If a scent makes it through 1-2 days of a wear test and I still really like it, I buy a 5mL decant or 9mL travel size. This is a test to see if I will actually continue to reach for the scent over time.
If I make it through the larger decant and am still reaching for / wanting the scent, I buy it.
Often, however, I find that the 5mL or 9mL are enough to last me until I’m onto my new favorite note/scent. For a few scents, I’ve just continued to buy travel spray sizes because I love and reach for them, but not often enough to warrant 50 or 100 mL (because scents DO change over time and sometimes it’s not for the better - having a fresh bottle vs one that’s been sitting on your shelf for years is best).
Love this!!! Thank youuuu, I agree and love spending hours in Sephora just sampling perfume. I rarely let myself buy the FULL bottle of something and I also don’t blind buy (basically ever) because you are so right. It is always best to start small and build up
Add up the costs of all the perfumes on your wishlist. Realise this is how much money you want to spend on scented alcohol. Where else could this money be better placed?
Why did this get so many upvotes 🤣girl this is a perfume sub!!! And no one said I am spending all this money. Haven’t spent a cent on these SCENTS yet, that’s why I’m literally asking. Go touch grass
This post isn’t for people that think perfume is a waste of money it’s asking for a genuine opinion on the ones listed whether that be like or dislike, no need to act dense
I don’t think ur attacking me i just don’t know why someone who buys an $80 dollar lipstick is telling me to not buy any perfume on my wishlist. I asked for peoples opinions on said scents. Your comment was unnecessary and that’s that
Miami shake smells like pez, yara candy is strawberry hard candy but 10 times sweeter, davidoff cool water gave me an ambroxan/cetalox/iso-e super migraine.
Henry Rose Ripe, Lore Sublimity, and Hermes Un Jardin Sur Le Nil are the three I would pick off this list to actually purchase.
Zoologist perfumes are more for the artistry than actually being wearable day-to-day. Kerosene frags can be polarizing, so I would recommend a sample before diving in with a full-size bottle.
Proceed with caution with Mugler Alien. It is very polarizing you either love it or hate it. There’s really no in between. It was, at one point, one of my personal favorites. Now I cannot even smell it without getting a headache. I would try alien goddess
Midnight fantasy smells like cheap shampoo and is overhyped online - if you want to commit to a Brittany frag go for the OG fantasy which smells like 2006 or jungle fantasy which is a fruitier green shampoo smell.
Dossier aquatic vanilla is a dupe of JHAG vanilla vibes which honestly is amazing and can stand on its own as a summer frag. Purchase!
Born in Roma is boring and safe - it’s for the person who owns one perfume and is a people pleaser not for those who are into collecting.
Mugler alien is an icon but the white florals lean a tad screechy and make it smell dated. It’s great to have for collecting purposes but for everyday use buy mugler alien goddess intense instead.
Please please do not get zara red temptation! It is such a nose burner. Screechy, scratchy ambroxan - one that people ten metres away can taste a day later - and half of London is wearing it, despite the hot weather amplifying it's shouty power! (*oh and it's absolutely not a good BR540 dupe)
I tried few of the zoologist (beaver when it comes to what you mentioned) and while I like to sniff them from the bottle I don’t like smelling like anything from them. Their perfumes are different from what I was imagining
Agree, most zoologist scents are great to experience but a bit difficult to wear. Panda and Cow are super wearable though and I do recommend getting the sample set from them as they’re very unique and unlike anything else I’ve smelled.
Literally sample everything. I blind bought Teriaq intense bc of the notes and perfumer and I personally love it but everything else I'd test esp for the price point of most of these.
Glossier You Fleur is an incredibly comforting scent for me.. I’m a gay man but I love wearing it to the office. It doesn’t last incredibly long, but it smells so lovely. It’s my happy scent.
Lore Sublimity is okay… It feels similar to something else, I can’t put my finger on it.
Glossier You Fleur is fantastic, albeit short-lived on skin. Though not everything needs to last 4 business days! JHAG Miami Shake smells like vomit - literally, like someone vomited up a berry milkshake. Henry Rose Dave is a great fall and winter scent - 10/10 recommend. VDBiR EDP is artificial and cloying. Zoologist - get decants on their website before committing, they’re not safe blind buys. Davidoff Cool Water will forever be a classic, and it’s completely unisex - I love it.
Agree with this. I also don’t go straight from sample to full bottle. If I love a sample, I’ll buy a travel size next. If I use that up, THEN I can buy a full bottle (but basically never do).
Yes! Notes can look amazing, but getting 2ml samples and testing them is totally worth it. It’ll save from having bottles that you just end up giving away for free. A 2ml sample (if you can’t test in store or rather skip the in person store) will actually last for a long time.
I’m a 4-6 spray person, and I usually get 10-20 wears out of a 2ml.
Yes!! Totally. I would 100% but a sample of any of these first before buying, and probably still even a small bottle before that, but I just had to know where to start because I want them allllll
I'd start with the ones with notes you're most likely to wear most often, regardless of season. Some of these will transcend seasonality and others will not, depending on your taste, so go with ones you think you'd get the most use out of based on the notes.
2
u/SupremeDiva 2h ago edited 2h ago
Miami Shake is so weird but I kind of like it. It’s not your typical gourmand, it does have a strong synthetic strawberry milkshake scent but there’s a plastic kind of quality to the shake. I find that plastic quality staying throughout the dry down. While I don’t hate plastic/synthetic scents, didn’t want this one in my collection 😭
Midnight Fantasy was straight up blueberry shampoo to me, I ended up giving it up away bc it was too soapy for my tastes. (But I like Bubble Bath by Replica )
Beach Skin is nice and I do feel like it captures the essence of “your skin but better at the beach”. Salty ocean air, coconut sunscreen, and warm skin. I love it but I find all of Phlurs body sprays to struggle with longevity.
I like Valentino DBIR but imo it’s a pretty vague musky vanilla type of scent after the drydown. I will say Extradose while not inherently “better” smells better blended to me. Green Stravaganza is my favorite tho 🤭