Aqua Manda

I feel unspeakably lucky to have a vintage bottle of the original Aqua Manda formula by Goya. Based on Fragrantica’s userbase, it appears that the 2013 reformulation of the scent by Beauty Brand Development was not well-loved by the original fans of this fragrance, and that’s disappointing. I, for one, love this scent. It definitely smells “vintage” to my modern palate, but that’s not a turn-off to me. I’ve only applied a blot to my wrist, but I think this is unfortunately a subtle skin fragrance. I’m curious as to whether it ever had a strong sillage; I have noticed that my vintage fragrances all tend to be like this, so I suspect it’s just an unfortunate byproduct of aging for decades. The strongest note is the rind from a Seville orange, full of zest. No sweetness. Slightly powdery. Musky and somewhat medicinal, very similar to an orange essential oil. It’s complimented by a wonderful, uplifting herbal accord that’s hard to parse into individual notes. I think the lack of sweetness is what prevents the fragrance from being cloying, despite the medicinal quality. The fragrance feels very natural and realistic, but I wonder if I only have that impression because of my nonexistent experience with modern natural perfumery. I already think that I will truly treasure this fragrance as one of my most prized possessions. I really don’t know that it would suit most people in the modern day, but it suits me perfectly.

I find it interesting that this claims it was launched in 2013, as this was my first fragrance at 14 nearly FIFTY years ago. I loved the citrus, woody scent even then. I bought it from our local chemist, in our little village Scotland. He used to have all those giant glass bottles ranging along the top of the shelves with their Latin abbreviations on them. Very mysterious. The expensive perfumes were behind the counter. Yardley & Coty were on the shelves. There was a lovely spicy rose one, but Aqua Manda was for me. They also sold the most beautiful lemon soap in the shape & size of a lemon, wrapped in white tissue paper that I used to buy for my mother. I wish I could find that again. They also sold Roger & Gallet soap. Oh the carnation! Divine. I’m off to buy some Aqua Manda to see if it is the fragrance I remember.

I use to adore the original when I was a young girl in London during the swinging sixties. This along with Sea Jade were my constant perfumes. I have not tried this reformulated version and wonder will it ever be as good as the original.? Maybe I will just keep my memories and give this a miss as well.

The original wasn’t a weak toilet water like this seems to be. Or maybe the ghost of Aqua Manda. It’s all about the bass. I mean the base. The new one has no depth or staying power. I thought it would bring my youth back. Incidentally why and when was it discontinued ?

Aqua Manda is one of those perfumes which provoked, and still provokes, a massive emotional response in those who loved it. My late mother was the biggest fan of Aqua Manda, and of other fragrances which had a pronounced citrus/spice/deep herbal note. I cannot remember a time when a sweet fragrance was given house room. I had an opportunity to test this, via the Bring Back Aqua Manda FB group. Sorry. It’s nothing like Aqua Manda. Not even close. It is weak, powdery, with an almost buttery, creamy, vanilla undertone, which has absolutely no business being there. Something has gone awry here. The citrus is barely there, the herbs contain zero impact. Remember the scent of thyme, rosemary, sage, coriander, sharp lavender, tarragon? The earthiness of oakmoss? The whizzbang opening of Aqua Manda like splitting an orange/mandarin right under your nose and getting a bit of the juice in your eye? The slightly sunkissed moisture tinge of kisser’s coriander? None of that is present. Maybe this should have been marketed “An Impression of Aqua Manda”. To say this is to an original recipe is flirting with disaster. I can see sons and daughters buying this for their mothers, knowing how much they loved it of yesteryear, and mothers worldwide having to smile sweetly and pretend it’s AquaManda. It isn’t. At thirty odd quid a throw, it’s an expensive mistake to make. I am certain, that with a little more application, and quality ingredients, it could have been brought nearer, even with the regulations, as there are other perfumes which are holding those precious notes together despite the regs. Sadly, I feel this version has been produced to capitalize on nostalgia and pressie buying just in time for Christmas. The perfume was created without consulting those who campaigned for it and supported the company who eventually marketed it. Big mistake. If you want to know the time, ask a policeman. If you want to know how to make bread, ask the baker. If you want to know what it felt like to be on the beach on D Day, ask a veteran who was there. If you want to know if your chemists are getting it right while you try to recreate AM – don’t ask a man who never wore it, or one who probably hadn’t actually been born when his mum wore it. Ask the campaigners. Ask those who love it. Ask those who lived through it, sprayed it, soaped it, talcum powdered it and love it enough to make a noise about it. There has been a steady flow of BBAM members who have, shall we say, had their gruntles well and truly dissed by the recreated version of AM. Always polite first, and homicidal later, myself and several other members of the BBAM campaign pointed out to BBD's representative that the formula was definitely NOT the Aqua manda we knew and loved. Unfortunately, we were greeted with stonewalling, denial, accusations of being middle aged and therefore deficient in perfume recognition, "bombarded with transparently bogus science" and in some cases, accusations of sabotage! In cases like this, I for one, always printscreen before the offender has a chance to delete. ;-) In all my correspondences with perfume houses and perfumers, I have yet to meet another company or individual who would react like that. For my own part, I can tell you, dear perfumista, that Parfum d`Empire Iskander is damn close to AM, and a whoosh of a good sharp Neroli over the top of it (such as that found in Atelier Cologne Grand Neroli for example), brings it even closer to home. Aqua Manda demands Neroli, demands zesty, poke in the eye citrus, coriander, a twist of allspice and meditteranean herbiness. It’s NOT a bad little fragrance, if you like ti smell like a packet of Refreshers (fizzy sweets), but not definitely NOT Aqua Manda in anything but name. Trades description violation much? For ladies of a certain age, the search continues. And continues with fervour.

I loved the Aqua Manda of the 1970's as it was heady and delicious. I loved the strong mandarin and warm spice tones and it was fearless and bold. You smelled of strong citrus and sexy spice and you could smell it a mile off! There was no mistaking the fragrance and it held such great memories for me. The bottle was so arty and neat made of brown glass with an intricately designed floral top. The price was great for teenagers and the smell summed up the era of floaty florals and flared jeans. I have never forgotten the perfume and I tried hard with many other ladies to get it back on the shop shelves. We championed the return of a classic scent. When I heard that it was coming back I was so delighted and eventually I got old of a sample bottle. I was thrilled...then I opened it and although there was a hint of the original, it wasn't right. The intensity was greatly lacking in the mandarin and the spice barely there. I put some on my skin and it became a light lemony sherbet smell and it soon faded. I was SO disappointed. I tried several times to see if I could get the smell to last on fabric and paper, but it was nothing like the original, it is insipid and weak on the skin. I asked family members to try it and it was the same on their skin, too. What a let down. The ingredients have changed and the impact non-existent. There are going to be many disappointed ladies out there.

Repeating as most other folk have said here; massive disappointment and a rip off of my daughter's hard earned £ for the Xmas giftset. I made a comment on BBD facebook and i was siezed upon and thrown into the dungeons and whipped with a defensive tongue lashing from the bigbadwolf. I have been banned from making any comments at all on their Facebook page which made me giggle; truth hurts it seems. I just hope that there are more of us enlightened perfumistas who will rely on Fragrantica reviews (as i do and have bought blind from reviews here and never been put wrong !) and take heed from our reviews and not believe the marketing Tripe oops i mean hype ! I was sent a new bottle of the fragrance but sad to say it was not an off bottle it is still the same cheap imposter of AM that is sweet, powdery and like a packet of Refreshers and it does not last long either. I am so glad that i am not alone in my opinion on this reformulation. I have the sense of smell of a fox and know it is not age etc as i can identify other folks fragrances at 10 paces !

The original Aqua Manda was a big part of my teenage years. It became an important piece of the tapestry that shaped who I was, and I can still conjure up that fragrance in my mind. So imagine my thrill when finally, after years and years of checking online, re-checking, posting everywhere I could, joining the throngs of "Please someone, bring this back!" were finally answered. So when the new version was launched, it was so disappointing to speak to women first hand who got hold of a sample, or ended up buying it, who all said the same thing. But I still needed to know for myself so I managed to get a friend of mine to send her sample. Sure enough, this wasn't the Aqua Manda I knew. It had some vague similarity, that's all. Oh well. Back to my essential oil collection. I have come closer by mixing orange, neroli, cloves, cinnamon and rosemary. I simply don't buy the theory that we've changed and we just THINK it smells different.

Like cleo cupcake, I too found this to be a massive disappointment. On opening spray, there is a hint of orange and herbs and then it quickly changes to a sweet powdery creamy scent that lasts about an hour, if that. It is not worth the money. My daughter bought it for me in a giftset for Xmas and it was a waste of £39 because i should have asked for an Estee Lauder giftset to similar value, even if there is only the fragrance and a body cream with Estee Lauder giftsets, not 3 items like the Aqua Manda giftset. I complained about it and offered to send it back in case it was faulty and they kindly sent me another free of charge but sadly, it's the same, even sprayed on clothes it is not how AM was. I was told that it has been so successful that they have had to manufacture a load more to keep up with demand. Some of us obviously, hoped and expected too much !

It's such a shame that all the ladies who have tried and tested the 'new' version of Aqua Manda and find it lacking the true scent of the original are being told by the manufacturer's and promoter's that are noses are failing us and our sense of smell has diminished over the years. This is a nonsense as we all are saying the same thing about this insipid odd smelling perfume that bears little resemblance to the original. Many of us still wear many of our favourite perfumes and have done so for years, but when we have tried a new version we know if there problems with it. Wasn't that the idea to recreate the original and please the thousands of ladies who wanted Aqua Manda to come back? The relaunched product fails miserably as a copy and as a perfume in its own right.

Bold orange opening, with herbs and spices, this reminds me of sipping sangria in Spain on holiday. Of course I cannot tell how this compares with the original, but it is not sweet at all, it’s savory, tarragon outweighing the balance. The drydown is very much a masculine scent, practically a gourmand. Within fifteen minutes all trace of orange has sadly dissipated.

Aqua Manda was the first scent I bought for myself. During my teenage it was my signature fragrance and it felt so much more exotic than the Apple Blossom and L'Air de Temps of my friends. I used to love Aqua Manda and contemplated buying the relaunche. Reading what others said about it I have decided not to. I will let it stay a sweet memory of my 70's.

Bought the purse spray which was quite expensive enough. What a huge disappointment it was. Acrid and bitter it smelled so bad on me I had to wipe it off straight away. No sign of oranges, no depth just bitterness. Don't believe the hype, you will waste your money.

I have only one question for "bigbadwolf," and that is, why aren't your customers giving their own testaments? Since this product came out, I haven't read even one positive review. Let the product speak for itself.

Anyone who thinks this liquid smells like the original wonderful/gorgeous/orangey/inimitable/sharp and sexy Aqua Manda can't possibly have been there in the early 70s and used the real thing! I was so excited before Christmas to learn the "original" had been "painstakingly recreated" with the original founder, expert perfumiers etc etc. Spent £55 on two purse sprays online from the makers - obviously in good faith - for my middle sister and me, children of that era. WHAT A LET-DOWN. Cannot believe this product has the nerve to bear the hallowed name of Aqua Manda. My orange washing-up liquid from the Co-Op smells more like real Aqua Manda than this re-creation. 2014 "Aqua Manda" has none of the mouth-watering and edgy citrus kick that was its hallmark; it's fuzzy, sickly, sweet, powdery and wussy - the sort of thing you might find as a draw prize at a whist drive. A bit like having to drink a pint of warm Fosters instead of an ice-cool Grolsch. Luckily, my sister quite liked the smell of the "recreation" (!!), so she's keeping the two sprays. But she agrees NO WAY IS IT AQUA MANDA! And here’s what I posted a couple of years ago, in a fit of nostalgia and hopefulness: "Absolutely LONG for Aqua Manda again - so does my middle sister, who's of that era, too. Wonderful rose-tinted (and orange-scented) memories of long early-70s summers on the beach or rowing up the canal at Bude, picnics, smoking Consulate, drinking cider, James Taylor and Carole King the soundtrack... anyone who can recreate Aqua Manda just as we knew it (remember the lovely oiliness of it? And the oatmeal soap?) would be on to a gold mine..." Hilary 07/10/2011

Massive disappointment -I don't buy into the idea of one reviewer that my scent memory is somehow flawed, in fact, I resent his suggestion that all of us on here are somehow "wrong" , maybe he impart of the re-vamp team ? My nose is my most reliable of organs , Aqua Manda this is not ! It carries the name Aqua Manda but its only the name - how come in the era of gas chromatograph could anyone get this so wrong? Unless its a case of: 1. The 1996 "rules" meant some of the original ingredients are now banned. 2. Beauty Brand Development thought that they could do this on the cheap cause it was a cheap scent to begin with . 3. BBD think that the people who wore it are morons and cant remember what it really smelled like. A disaster - why bother if all you do is disappoint people ? - oh yes, I know why, cause people had to actually spend money establishing the fact that this isn't Aqua Manda - job done, people parted with cash but , they wont be conned twice BBD so think on eh ..........

It's a difficult ride when expectations collide with reality and maybe time distorts a memory. We are not the same people we were forty years or so ago and yet we want to be transported back to feel the momentary glee of recollection and nostalgia. Aqua Manda will not do that exactly but there is something in the mix which does allude to the 60's and early 70's. It's as though we see our past through a gauze or distantly at the end of a tunnel. To me this seems appropriate, the scent looks back but can never return to the time. Neither we nor it can relive the personal memories, simply recall then with fondness. The creamy orange of this new Aqua Manda is a comfort and the spice is quite subtle. I would say there is a gentleness to Aqua Manda. On me it lasts about four hours and it has good projection. If you reserve judgement and expectation then Aqua Manda is rewarding for what it is and not a disapointment for what it is not.

The nose has a memory all of it's own. A scent or odour can can transport us back in time and evoke vivid memories. I have not smelled the new Aqua Manda but if I close my eyes and mentally sniff that bottle in the 1970's I can smell the original. A long lasting very unisex fragrance that I miss and I have faith in the people posting here that are scathing about the new version. Once sniffed, never forgotten. So I'll be saying no until it is redeveloped to the original formula, which incidentally is still a contemporary scent.

To all the critics on here who are full of derision for the new version I can only give my customers' testaments. Their joy at re-discovering their long-lost, never-forgotten scent is expounded by their love of this scent on trying it and subsequently buying it. Perhaps you have all forgotten that our sense (or should that be scents)of smell, changes as we age. Hence, what we enjoyed in our youth no longer has the same appeal. A bit like our taste in music. How many Bay City Rollers fans at 16 are still listening to them now?

My cousin was considered quite worldly in the 70s. She was dark haired, olive skinned and sultry in a family of pale Liverpool Irish, and went to work in Spain when tourist resorts there were just beginning to become popular in the UK. She wore Aqua Manda, and the rich exotic orange and sandalwood bomb seemed the most gorgeous fragrance ever to me at the ages of about 4-8. I'm sorry the new formulation seem to disappoint everyone. The original was a heady delight.