I have smelled all three Ariana Grande Clouds side by side, and my shortest review is this: they are definitely family, but they are not triplets.
Cloud is the sweetest. Cloud Pink is the freshest and most tropical. Cloud 2.0 Intense is warmer, cozier, and possibly my favorite.
The original Cloud is the sibling both of the others resemble. Intense smells like Cloud with a warmer blanket around it. Pink smells like Cloud after a tropical vacation. Pink and Intense are the farthest apart from each other, but even then, the same soft, creamy Cloud DNA is still there.
That is the quick answer. Now let me properly introduce the family.
The Cloud that started everything
The original Cloud was announced in June 2018 and released that fall. The idea behind it was optimism, hope, and the dreamy feeling suggested by the bottle. It quickly became more than just another celebrity perfume: in 2019 it won The Fragrance Foundation's Fragrance of the Year, Women's Popular.
The official structure opens with lavender, pear, and bergamot; moves into coconut, praline, and vanilla orchid; and settles into musk and creamy woods with a cashmere-like feeling.
What Cloud smells like to me
Of the three, Cloud is the sweetest.
It has that fluffy, creamy, sugary personality that made the whole line recognizable. I get the sweetness first, with the coconut and praline helping it feel soft rather than sharp. It is playful, easy to recognize, and probably the clearest introduction to the Cloud family.
If someone asked me which one explains the DNA best, I would choose the original. It is the center of the family tree. Both of the flankers make more sense after you smell this one.
Cloud 2.0 Intense: the cozy one
Cloud 2.0 Intense arrived in 2021 as the deeper follow-up to the original. The brand kept the familiar lavender, pear, bergamot, coconut, praline, and vanilla-orchid structure, then emphasized sensual musk and creamy blonde woods in the base. Ulta's current note list also names dry cashmeran and ambrox, which makes sense beside the warmer impression I get from it.
What Cloud 2.0 Intense smells like to me
This one could be my favorite.
It is the warmest and coziest of the three. When I call it comfortable, I mean it smells like something I want around me: soft clothes, a blanket, a quiet room, and nowhere urgent to be. The sweetness is still there, but warmth is the part that stays in my mind.
Intense does not abandon Cloud. It feels like Cloud with the room made warmer and the lights turned lower. The connection is obvious, but this version feels rounder and more comforting to me.
The name says “Intense,” but my personal reason for choosing it is not simply “more.” It is the cozy direction of the scent. That is what makes it special.
Cloud Pink: the tropical one
Cloud Pink launched in August 2023. Ariana described the project as a sister scent to the original Cloud, and perfumer Clément Gavarry built it around pink pineapple, dragon fruit, berries, vanilla orchid, coconut water, ambrette, amber woods, musk, moss, and praline.
That history fits the fragrance perfectly: it was never supposed to be “Cloud, but pink liquid.” It extends the same idea in a brighter, fruitier direction.
What Cloud Pink smells like to me
Of the three, Cloud Pink is the freshest and most tropical.
The fruit makes the biggest difference. Pink pineapple, dragon fruit, berries, and coconut water lift it away from the heavier cozy feeling I get from Intense. It still has vanilla orchid, musk, woods, and praline underneath, so it never loses the family resemblance. But it feels brighter and more colorful.
If the original Cloud is sweet and fluffy, Pink is sweet and juicy. It is the one I would choose when I want the Cloud idea to feel lighter, fresher, and more playful.
Side by side: the difference in one table
| Fragrance | My strongest impression | How it relates to Cloud | The mood |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud | The sweetest | It is the original DNA | Fluffy, sugary, playful |
| Cloud 2.0 Intense | The warmest and coziest | Very close to Cloud, with a deeper comfortable feel | Soft blanket, warm room, relaxed |
| Cloud Pink | The freshest and most tropical | Clearly related to Cloud, but brighter and fruitier | Juicy fruit, pink light, happy energy |
How similar are they, really?
Cloud and Cloud 2.0 Intense are easy to connect. Cloud and Cloud Pink are also easy to connect. But when I compare Pink directly with Intense, that is where I notice the largest difference.
Pink pulls the DNA toward sparkling tropical fruit and freshness. Intense pulls it toward warmth, creamy woods, and comfort. They move in opposite directions from the same center.
Still, I would never smell them and think they came from unrelated collections. The creamy sweetness, soft musk, vanilla-orchid feeling, and fluffy texture keep the Cloud signature present in all three.
They are sisters who share the same face and have completely different plans for the evening.
Which one would I choose?
- Choose Cloud if you want the sweetest version and the clearest expression of the original idea.
- Choose Cloud Pink if you want something fresher, brighter, fruitier, and more tropical.
- Choose Cloud 2.0 Intense if you want the warmest, coziest, most comfortable interpretation.
My own choice may be Cloud 2.0 Intense. The warmth and comfort make me want to keep smelling it. But this is not a ranking where one bottle makes the others unnecessary. Each one takes the same recognizable DNA into a different mood, and that is exactly why comparing them is fun.
As always with perfume, this is what I smell and feel on my own skin. Your skin, weather, and nose can change the experience. The published note pyramids and launch history come from Ariana Grande Fragrances and LUXE Brands; the opinions are completely mine.