Cloud by Ariana Grande is another fragrance made by this pop star. Clement Gavarry, the nose behind this floral fruity gourmand scent, designed it for ladies. It was made available in 2018, and ever since, it has reached huge popularity and has been considered one of the most popular Ariana fragrances.
Cloud has won two awards:
- The Fragrance Foundation Awards 2019 in the categories Fragrance of the Year and Women’s Popular
- Consumer Choice – Women’s Popular.
| Perfume Name | Cloud |
| Brand | Ariana Grande |
| Year Released | 2018 |
| Concentration | Eau de Parfum |
| Scent Family | Floral, Fruity |
| Gender | Women |
Cloud is sold every 11 seconds in the U.S. This is because it has also been declared the dupe of a very famous and much more expensive Baccarat Rouge 540.
I got interested, and luckily I got one of the samples from a while back, so I decided to now give it a try.
What Does Cloud by Ariana Grande Smell Like?
Lavender, peach, and bergamot are the top notes of Cloud. This combination becomes toned down by the creamy and sweet notes of coconut, praline, and vanilla orchid. Lastly, the overall formula has been completed with the standard choice of musk and woody notes.
| Top Notes | Lavender, Pear, Bergamot |
| Middle Notes | Whipped cream, Praline, Coconut, Vanilla orchid |
| Base Notes | Musk, Woody Notes |
All elements except lavender notes have already been used multiple times in Ariana’s collection. But their concentration has been changed in order to bring innovation to this fragrance.
My Experience
When I decided to try Cloud, I was very careful because I read the content list. I am not a huge fan of lavender in fragrances since I often find it overwhelming. But this Ariana fragrance starts off quite moderately with the domination of pear instead of lavender which I liked. It felt pretty fresh and light on the skin. As time passed, I noticed a bit more intense presence of lavender and a bit of bergamot.
The overall combination became stronger as the lavender started to take more domination. The pear was a great choice to contribute to the fruity notes of the Cloud, but the lavender notes took it too far. which made the entire scent too citrusy.
Immediately this fragrance reminded me of R.E.M., the only other Ariana fragrance with lavender in its formula. When comparing these two, I preferred the lavender combination that the creators came up with in R.E.M. Still, I also had reservations about this fragrance.
Compared to Cloud, R.E.M. seems more pleasant even though both creamy and sweet tones are present.
Typically, Ariana’s fragrances have a very moderate and floral note to calm down the explosive top notes. Cloud is no exception since the combination of whipped cream and coconut puts down intense top notes. The base note of musk also moderated the opening, but more importantly, it allowed the coconut to shine.
A great addition is Vanilla orchid which helped achieve a creamy and pleasant feeling of the scent on the skin. This is the main reason why the fragrance is so fresh and light. Thus, I choose to wear this fragrance only during the day. I think it is a good choice for summer or spring so that the combination of notes matches the environment.
Baccarat Rouge 540 VS Cloud
Cloud soon became famous, and people compared it to Baccarat Rouge 540. I didn’t feel the resemblance immediately, and I was somewhat intrigued by it. The combination of notes is similar, but the elements are different. I can only note that the safran and yasmin may give off the same opening as lavender in Cloud.
As the fragrance set on my skin and mixed with my body scent, I noticed that the flower fruity top notes started to mix and create a new aroma. This change is visible in Baccarat Rouge 540 as well. I would argue that Cloud is more citrusy and has more sweetness because of the choice of middle notes.
Lastly, the combination of top notes in Baccarat and woodiness, in the end, gives off a similar vibe to Cloud. Besides this, I don’t see much similarity, let alone reason to call Cloud a Baccarat dupe.
Sillage & Projection
The sillage of Cloud is moderate. It wears a bit after a while because the notes move to a more moderate tone. Although it isn’t a strong scent, the projection is excellent.
Longevity & Versatility
The longevity of the Cloud could be improved since it lasts around six hours. It is excellent for spring and fits nicely with the natural atmosphere. I don’t feel like it is the right fit for high heat during summer. I mostly used it as a casual daily fragrance due to its lightness. I would avoid it during formal occasions and at nighttime since it lacks intensity.
Conclusion
Cloud by Ariana Grande had some innovative moments. I think the problem is that at moments it gave off a really plastic scent due to the combination of top notes. Also, the intensity of lavender never faded, ruining the excellent composition of other notes in the perfume.
On the other note, Cloud seemed a more mature fragrance because of these different elements. Especially compared to other fragrances in the collection that were more meant for teenage audiences.
Overall this fragrance would not be worth the money for me. Therefore it was a good idea to try the sample first, especially since I’m not too fond of intense flower scents.