In past years, it’s been pretty impossible to not hear or know of Ariana Grande. This makes sense, considering that the 27-year-old pop singer is a Grammy award-winning artist, five-time platinum or multi-platinum album creator, the most streamed female artist on Spotify and Apple Music, and world record holder for most songs to debut No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Aside from this, Ariana is also an activist, mom to nine dogs (yes, 9), and has her own perfume line. Like pretty much everything Ariana touches, her perfume line is gold, being very highly acclaimed.
With all of this being said, let’s get into the fragrance review!
6. R.E.M Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Floral
Notes: (Top) Quince, Fig, Salted Caramel, Marshmallow
(Middle) Pear Blossom, Lavender Blossom
(Base) Tonka Bean, White Musk, Sandalwood
6/10 Scent: This fragrance is pretty however, there is a lot going on- and not in the best way. Quince is very tart, and this is paired with sexy notes such as white musk and sandalwood, but also very sweet notes like marshmallow and salted caramel. For these reasons, this fragrance is ranked lowest in terms of scent.
7/10 Wearability: This fragrance has calming and mature elements like white musk, sandalwood, and lavender blossom which would make it good for nighttime and older women. This wouldn’t work that well for the daytime or as an everyday scent. I say this because it is very complex in a somewhat overpowering way.
10/10 Packaging: Whether this is Ariana’s best smelling fragrance is debatable, but the packaging is stunning. Ariana really was very creative with the packaging and branding around R.E.M. Not to mention, the name is very creative as well and also named after one of her songs. This stunning crystal-like bottle would be perfect for display and comes apart as well.
Overall Score: 23
5. Cloud Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Floral
Notes: (Top) Lavender, Pear, Bergamot
(Middle) Coconut, Praline, Vanilla Orchard
(Base) Cashmere
8/10 Scent: The scent for this perfume is very pretty and simplistic but for me, a little bit too simplistic. There is not much complexity or layering in terms of the different notes Ariana uses but the fragrance is very calming. Elements like lavender and cashmere make this fragrance very pretty for nighttime because it would help you wind down.
8/10 Wearability: This fragrance would be nice for nighttime as I said before due to it’s relaxing elements. However, it would not be the best for a night out as it does not scream girly, flirtatious, or fun. For an everyday scent, this perfume could be pretty and nice however, it may be a little too calm for the daytime. I think it is also important to mention that people have had some complaints about the fragrance’s longevity, in that it wears of very quickly.
7/10 Packaging: The packaging is cute don’t get me wrong, but there isn’t that much creativity here. A lot of Ariana’s fragrances have some significance or relation to her like her name (Ari by Ariana Grande), or after a song (Moonlight, R.E.M.). This one doesn’t seem to have any special type of meaning which makes it a little strange. However, the packaging, as with the fragrance is very beautifully calming. This would make a very pretty decoration and fits a chill vibe.
Overall Score: 23
4. Thank U Next Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Oriental
Notes: (Top) White Pear, White Raspberry
(Middle) Crème de Coconut, Pink Rose Petals
(Base) Macaroon Sugar, Velvet Musk
8/10 Scent: This is probably hands down Ariana’s sweetest fragrance and that says a lot considering all of her fragrances are very sweet. However, I would not say that it is overpoweringly sweet, as it still is subtle. What really makes this fragrance work is that the very sweet elements like macaroon sugar, white raspberry and white pear are balanced out with less sweet notes like crème de coconut, pink rose petals, and velvet musk.
6/10 Wearability: This scent really couldn’t be used as every day, definitely more for daytime or nighttime because it’s so sweet. Wearing this every day would be a lot for most people because you would always smell like a candy shop, which isn’t everyone’s goal. This fragrance is definitely more of a daytime one than a nighttime one, as there are no true mature elements other than velvet musk.
10/10 Packaging: The packaging for this fragrance is iconic and goes very well with her song, which the fragrance is named after. It’s pink which is very feminine and Mean Girls like, which was the basis for her Thank U, Next music video. The packaging takes something seemingly sad like a broken heart and puts an optimistic things-will-be-okay spin on it.
Overall Score: 24
3. Moonlight Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Floral
Notes: (Top) Rich Black Current, Juicy Plum
(Middle) Fluffy Marshmallow, Fresh Peony
(Base) Creamy Sandalwood, Black Amber, Sensual Vanilla
9/10 Scent: The scent for this fragrance is a very pretty floral blend. However, I find that it is lacking a lot of the sweet elements that Ariana’s higher-ranked fragrances have. Adding some more fruity scents would have helped to balance out the fragrance better, as well as increase the wearability. However, it is a very noticeable fragrance. When I wear this, I get a ton of compliments because it is a very unique scent in a good way. The black amber and sensual vanilla base really help to make this fragrance stand out.
7/10 Wearability: In terms of wearability, this fragrance is very good for the nighttime. I would say that it is a little too flirty for the daytime, or to be used as an everyday scent. Nonetheless, the fragrance is very sensual and very nicely complements the evening.
8/10 Packaging: The packaging for this fragrance is pretty but it’s not a fan favorite. It sort of just blends in with the other earlier fragrances and for that reason lacks creativity. Moonlight was the last of Ariana’s fragrances to have this structure and for those reasons, it gets an 8 out of 10.
Overall Score: 24
2. Ari Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Chypre
Notes: (Top) Crispy Pear, Pink Grapefruit, Juicy Raspberry
(Middle) Soft Muguet, Rose Buds, Vanilla Orchid
(Base) Marshmallow, Creamy Musk, Blonde Woods
9/10 Scent: The elements of this fragrance really do blend together very well. There are sweet elements like marshmallow, vanilla orchid, and pear. There is also more mature elements like musk and woods. Overall, this fragrance makes a very good daytime scent. It is very sweet which is why it’s ranked at a 9/10 as opposed to a 10/10.
8/10 Wearability: This fragrance would make a good daytime scent because it is sweet and smells beautiful. However, as mentioned before, it is very sweet. So for that reason for many, it wouldn’t work as an everyday fragrance. As for nighttime wearability, there aren’t enough sultry elements to make this very complimentary for the night.
10/10 Packaging: Being Ariana’s first perfume, the packaging for this fragrance is iconic. The bottle is stunning and like the rest would make an amazing display. The glass bottle is really what makes this fragrance stand out from Sweet Like Candy and Moonlight. Sweet Like Candy and Moonlight have colored bottles which make them less mature. The pom-pom and glass bottle of Ari makes it both youthful and mature.
Overall Score: 27
1. Sweet Like Candy Eau de Parfum
Fragrance Family: Oriental
Notes: (Top) Sparkling Blackberry, Italian Bergamot, Pear
(Middle) Jasmine Sambac, Frangipani, Dewy Honeysuckle
(Base) Crème de Cassis, Marshmallow, Cashmere Woods, Sexy Vanilla
10/10 Scent: And taking the number one spot is Sweet Like Candy by Ariana Grande. This perfume exudes confidence and is the perfect blend between sweet and sexy. Elements like pear, marshmallow, and bergamot are sweet and light-hearted. Elements like blackberry, cashmere woods, and vanilla add complexity to the fragrance by also making it sultry. Blended together, all of the notes truly complement each other very well.
10/10 Wearability: Because this perfume is sweet, it is a perfect everyday scent for throughout the day. Because it is also a flirty and playful fragrance, it is also very good for nighttime. I personally love this scent and wear it all the time. I also get a lot of compliments on it.
9/10 Packaging: The packaging for this fragrance is super cute. The pastel pink is gorgeous and captures the sweet elements of this perfume. The bottle is beautiful for display and the structure is the same as Ariana’s other early fragrances, with the geometric bottle and pom-pom. However, in order to get a 10/10, I would have liked to see more creativity with the bottle instead of the standard one that she has used before.
Overall Score: 29
Like I said earlier, everything Ariana is a part of seems to be perfect, and her fragrance line is no exception. All of these perfumes are highly ranked, with the lowest ranking at 23/30, because they’re all just that great.
Hoping that this review was helpful in picking out which Ari fragrance (…or fragrances) you should purchase!