Cloud

I already did a rather long review on BR540, which I'm not a fan of but I really love this one. But it took a while. I'm going to try to explain the main difference here, because they are very much alike, but at the same time very different for one big reason. I'd also want to touch on the subject of fragrance snobbery because these two have definitely ruffled some feathers when people compare mainstream to niche - but that would fill up a book. So perhaps that will be for another time. Anyway. Cloud. By Ariana Grande. Or more precisely Clement Gavarry. Let's just get one thing out of the way first. The bottle. Let it be known that bottles are usually not something I care for all that much. But (and this is a big but). Who in their right mind adds this chunky and tacky plastic to the outfit of the scent? Seriously? In this day and age when we know better. The bottle itself could just have been shaped like a cloud if this was of such importance to the design team. The bottle itself, once saved from the plastic prison looks rather generic and not offensive. Apart from the fact that the name of the fragrance is nowhere to be seen once you remove it from the box. The cloud has "Ariana Grande" written on it and so does the bottle itself, but the actual name isn't there, not even on the bottom. Perhaps you are not supposed to throw the plastic monster out like I did and just "get" the name by looking at that bottle-in-cloud situation. Who knows. Out of all the fragrances I own, this is the only one that doesn't have the name of the fragrance on the bottle. It seems rather tacky to only have the name of Ms. Grande on the bottle, but then again, I'm definitely not the intended target group for any of her fragrances. There are for sure people out there that want her name to be prominent on what they own and use. I'm just not one of them. Bottle rant over. Now on to the scent itself and the BR540 comparison. This is very blatantly a rip off. There's no denying it. Does it smell exactly the same? No. Obviously not. Does it smell alike enough to trick people? Yes. The note list for Cloud is completely different from BR540 but then again, notes listed do often not tell you much in regards to what the scent smells like. There's so much science that goes into fragrance making and even two different fragrances with almost identical note lists often smell nothing alike. These two are a good example of this. Both smell like there's a cloud around you (I have to give Ms. Grande's team a pat on the back for actually coming up with a name that's the perfect fit but in Mr. Kurkdjians defense, it would have been a bit peculiar of him to make his scent and name it "Cloud", and then stand firmly behind it at niche world Olympics saying "yes yes, this is serious and niche, buy Cloud and smell rich". No, that would never have worked). It creates a very pleasant and sweet aura around the wearer, it's this candy flossy, sugary sweet scent, that surprisingly isn't too sweet at the same time. Some fragrances actually smell like you overdosed on fruit that overdosed on sugar, but this stays far from that territory. Cloud is soft and fluffy and isn't loud or obnoxious. I wouldn't call it a sexy scent, rather a happy and cuddly one. I feel it suits many occasions and outfits, spring, summer, winter and fall. Day and night. It's versatile and easy to wear. And now onto what's alike and what's not alike with those two. I don't like BR540. In fact it irritates me and even on others, I have to back away from them if they've been generous with the sprays. One thing that struck me trying them out was the medicinal smell that I smelled as soon as I took the cap off. When I got my sample of BR540 the whole box that was full of other samples reeked. I thought something had happened. It literally smells like iodine and my dentist's office, with some old band aids thrown in. The same thing happened when I smelled Cloud first. I thought the bottle had gone bad. But I could still smell something very pretty underneath. I've since then learned that the Saffron note in BR540 is most likely the reason for this because of it's medicinal qualities. There is no Saffron listed in Cloud and they might well be using something else with similar effects but after a couple of wearings, my nose grew to like it. I don't consider myself fully equipped to write a review unless I've worn a scent for a while so everything I write about has been worn a lot. The same goes for BR540. But there the Saffron overpowers everything to me. And the biggest difference? Cloud has considerably less band aid smell compared to BR540 so if you dislike BR540 because of that, give Cloud a try. If you do a wrist test, with each scent on each wrist and compare them, yes you can tell the difference. BR540 is far more complicated and has some better quality ingredients. The sillage and longevity are also very different - Cloud doesn't announce its presence before you enter a room, it actually sits pretty close to you but the longevity on me is rather impressive, I can smell it on my wrist the following day until I take a shower. BR540 on the other hand is loud, you will not miss a person wearing it in the same room. I do not want to fill a room ever, I think that's not attractive and I want people only to be able to smell my perfume if they're standing close. So for that reason alone I'd choose Cloud. People looking for leaving a big trail behind them will not be happy with what Cloud offers. So, unless you have both on each wrist to compare, I don't think you can spot that big of a difference, and of course, one is a monster while the other is fairly tame. Overall I'd say Cloud is a good fragrance for the price you pay. I'd even suggest that you'd get that one over BR540 if you don't care to fill up a room with your fragrance. I know a lot of niche lovers will hate on me for saying this but I stand by my opinion. A good fragrance is just a good fragrance, regardless of price. Although I'd love to see that ugly plastic cloud be gone, but you can't always get what you want and so in the recycling bin it goes. But that's my only complaint.

This is the first perfume I ever wore that I truly fell in love with. I remember smelling it out of the bottle and picking up a very heavy plasticky note that put me off from trying it. Then, circa 2021, there was a girl I worked at a coffee shop with who smelled absolutely heavenly. I never knew exactly what it was she was wearing until one day she came in 15 minutes early and while getting herself ready for her shift, completely dosed herself in Cloud. From that day on, I knew I needed it. I picked up a 1oz from Walmart in a giftset for $20 and to this day its the only perfume I've ever finished. Cloud smells exactly how it sounds - light, fluffy and sweet. Spraying this on a tester strip does NO justice, you have to wear it to smell the real thing. To me, I think it smells quite natural while also being very creamy and sweet. The kind of scent you want to sink your face into. I will say, there is an odd but distinct "doll head" scent when you first spray it, I'm not sure what's up with that. But thankfully, once it settles into my clothes, I don't detect it anymore. Cloud is quite strong upon initial spray but dies down significantly within an hour or so of wearing it. It lasts quite well on clothes, sometimes if I sprayed a sweater with it, I could still smell whiffs of it while putting it into the washing machine. On skin, however, it's gone in like a couple hours. This is def a cold weather scent not only because its comforting and cozy, but also because it's pretty delicate and it will disappear the moment you step into heat. All in all, I think this is a great perfume for beginners (like me) that aren't into things that are too mature or complex. I was 20 when I wore this the most and at 25 I still like it a lot. It's very youthful and sweet, perfect if you just want to smell good and for other people to think you smell good too. I disagree with those who say this smells juvenile - I feel like people always call a sweet perfume juvenile.

This won’t win me any popularity contests, but honestly Cloud is nearly identical to the dry down, and performs better than BR540 in terms of projection and lasting power. I detect it strongly for a good 4-5 hours, and can smell it on clothing literally days after wearing it. Cloud is a little sweeter, a little more rounded edges, and skips the medicinal opening of BR 540. Because of its opening, I’d say that BR 540 is definitely more unisex. Cloud is linear, which to me is good news. I get right to the part I love about BR540 and skip the resiny note that I don’t care for as much. Again, this will upset people, but I truly feel that when people pay a lot for something their brain will attach more value to it just because it’s expensive. For example, it’s my understanding that Baccarat Rouge is almost entirely synthetic, yet people assume the notes listed are ingredients to the perfume rather than (synthetic) aromachemicals adding up to what we’re *supposed* to smell in the fragrance. Using “synthetic” as a pejorative when discussing perfume is just ridiculous and indicates that one probably doesn’t really know much about the subject. As for the reviewers who agree Cloud is a dupe but are angry at Ariana Grande about it: LOL. Welcome to the wonderful world of gourmands. I’m glad MFK created one you can enjoy. There are good ones all over if you’re not too snotty to try them ̄_(ツ)_/ ̄ No hate to BR 540 or those who prefer it! It is enjoying its moment of hype right now and I’m glad for it. Maybe it’ll help more people stop clutching their bottles of Mitsouko and move into the 21st century. But if you’re not a “frag head,” “perfumista,” or SERIOUS collector and you just want a perfume that smells great and lasts? By all means, buy the Cloud!

I know I’m late to the party with this one. I had absolutely no idea Cloud was such a huge bestseller or that it had such a massive following. I simply happened to smell it in a store one day and immediately thought, “Wow, this is good.” It did feel a little familiar. I also did not know Baccarat Rouge. Clearly, I had been living under a rock. I bought a sample, and the more I wore it, the more I fell for it. The creamy vanilla mixed with the lavender creates such a soft, feminine, comforting scent. It’s easy to wear, incredibly addictive. To me, it also has a surprisingly seductive quality. I genuinely started falling in love with it. Two things eventually stopped me from buying a full bottle. The first was realizing just how incredibly popular it is. I don’t mind wearing fragrances that other people own—in fact, that’s often a sign that they’re simply well-made. But once I learned about the Baccarat Rouge DNA, I suddenly started recognizing it everywhere: in elevators, at the supermarket, on strangers passing by... It became impossible not to notice. I still like the scent, but I realized I’d prefer something with a little more individuality. The second reason was the ingredient list. I’m not 100% clean perfumes yet, but I try to avoid endocrine disruptors or other potentially harmful substances. After looking more closely at the formula, it is very very bad. I personally decided not to keep wearing it and threw away my sample. It’s a real shame because I genuinely love the scent itself. Hopefully I’ll eventually find a cleaner fragrance with a similar feminine, airy vanilla vibe—perhaps with its own unique twist that makes it feel a little more distinctive. If you have recommendation 🤗

This is my favourite fragrance and I could wax poetic about it for hours but I’ll try to keep it short and succint. I’m not an Ariana fan, nor am I typically a fan of celebrity scents. But, to put it simply, this fragrance is the most transportive and etherial scent I’ve smelled to date. Many perfumes do a wonderful job of conjuring up vivid, realistic renderings of a flower garden in Paris or a night club in New York, but this is the exact opposite. To me (TO ME!!) this is not a fragrance where you can pick out individual notes. Cloud is an apt descriptor because it’s so perfectly blended that it truly envelopes you in a bubble of indescribable, unidentifiably airy sweetness. When I put on cloud, it’s a reminder of why I love fragrance in general — I move through the world wrapped in a cocoon of gourmand sugar. It’s both protection and projection, something to keep me grounded and to uplift others around me. Because really, it’s hard to take things too seriously when you smell like this. The sweetness here is not saccharine or cloying — rather its sheer, refracting everything around you through a filter. I understand that this may all sound dramatic, but this is one of the only fragrances I own that truly makes an emotional impact on me and makes me feel lighter on my feet. I also must say that I’m obsessed with the cloud aesthetic and the bottle holder, which only makes this better. This will last all day long, and you'll smell it on your clothes the next day. 2-3 sprays will project a wide enough bubble that you and people around you will pick up on it. If anyone is considering buying this, JUST DO IT! For the price point it is unbeatable compared to anything else on the market.