Truth or Dare

Original review: October 2015 (posted to Amazon) I'm only a ‘recent’ fragrance user...for most of my life, I was one of those who couldn't use fragrance because I'd get monstrous headaches and my sinuses would fill with concrete and I'd sneeze for two hours. Then I reached a point where I could wear one of the gourmands (Fantasy) and though I don't want to smell like white chocolate ALL the time, I was happy for whatever I could get. Recently I have lost much of my sense of smell...which is a total bummer ...but the major upside is I can now wear almost any fragrance with no headache/sinus problems. Hallelujah!! So I went into beast mode and in about a year amassed three hundred fragrances. Some I passed on to others, because I just didn't care for the composition, some for longevity reasons, blah blah blah, but I plowed on making up for lost decades, and I now have A LOT of perfumes. I still have enough smell to pick up notes and avoid things that turn against my chemistry, but strangely I seem to have pretty neutral skin. Perfume friends have called me the Switzerland of perfume. I am not a brand/price snob. I have had $300 perfume I got rid of. I have twenty dollar perfume I adore. You know what, the same artists work for a celebrity label as for a design house. Get over the snobbery! I bought this blind on clearance at Wally World. When I sprayed it on, I literally immediately left the house, drove back there and bought out the rest then went to the other locations in my city and checked there too, ending up with six or seven bottles. The categories that still ain’t my bag are the giant white florals (the meek ones, like MJ Daisy, work for me) and the giant aldehydes. They still can induce the headache and the Hoover Dam sinus effect, but this one, as long as I spray modestly, doesn’t. Do you like jasmine/gardenia/tuberose?? Hope so, because they'll be removing one glove and slapping you across the face then sitting down for breakfast, tea, lunch, more tea, dinner, and then accompanying you to the boudoir. This perfume will be there all day and possibly tomorrow. Seriously. Do not spray it more than once till you know. Then MAYBE you can go to two. Any more and you will probably be asked to take the rest of the day off at work. I get a lot of the benzoin, and amber, it’s not too musky on me. But it’s very gourmand at the same time as being monstrously white-floral, exactly as billed. well composed. Nicely smoothly blended. Crazy sillage. It does give me the headache of old if I use too much, but I'm telling you, I'm so entranced I don't care. My husband adores it. Often men prefer gourmands...that's been studied many times. But he is under the spell too. Look, if you like the big non-wallflower 80’s style, like Poison, if you like Fracas but it’s too expensive or you DONT like Fracas but wish you COULD, you should try this. But if you do NOT normally care for white florals, still give it a shot. You might be like me. Someday this will be a bottle that goes for a lot of money, but it isn't now, so snag it. I'm getting more. 2018: still love this, still only can handle one or two sprays, and that’s still ALL YOU NEED FOR REALS. Because of this, I’ve not added any more backups because six bottles of this at one spray per wearing is decades worth. But I’m not sorry I bought it and if I DID run out I’d repurchase it. Again possibly because of my neutral chemistry, I don’t notice a change in composition in hot vs cold weather, but I personally would not wear this on a hot oppressive day UNLESS I was specifically going for that deep-south-belle-on-a-porch-swing-with-a-hand-fan-and-a-beverage vibe. And then I would only use a half spray down at my knees or something. This totally works for that kind of Tennessee Williams vibe, in addition to the power-suit-hear-me-roar vibe. Versatile!

Truth or Dare is floral. A rich floral along the lines of Fracas but VERY much lighter. Fracas to me is a heavy, full head on tuberose, which needs to be spread away from you so that it goes on lighter and does not offend anyone. I had Fracas and this is not it But Truth or Dare is very creamy. Not sugary to me.It dries to a sweeter gardenia, without that greenness that a fresh gardenia has-take a walk around your diy garden shops and you will understand the green beginning note. Truth or Dare stays creamy for a long time and when it goes away there's a light, light very well done amber which is lovely manner to finish a fragrance. It travels well between base, middle and base. I wear Truth or Dare day or night all seasons I think this was a very well designed fragrance in terms or notes and packaging. Both are different than other contemporary "celebrity" fragrances. I love the height of the bottle, the white glass and the thinness of the bottle too. From other articles I read, she had a very insisting participation in its making-good for her to be picky if you put your name on something and I also don't judge a fragrance by its creator or whoever puts their name on it; for example, just because it says chanel on a bottle, does not mean it's the best Do not expect fruity, light, green-move on I am glad that Truth or Dare moved to secondary markets so I could buy it because it's not a regrettable purchase if you want to try gardenia, without going full blast on this heady flower It also does not remind me of heady flowers in Hawaiian essential oils This does not smell like a nursing home. If anyone calls it older or more mature notes, yes it is. I agree, I don't expect very young ladies wearing it, the fresh notes are not in this fragrance. When you review the gardenia notes available in the perfume market, it is a very difficult note to hit just right and this is a good venue, reason I believe that more brands don't bother. If you make or compose your own fragrances, tuberose gardenia essential oil can be smelled way after you have closed the bottle and it is hard to blend with other accords Perfumes are not allowed in nursing homes and unfortunately for many for our parents/grandparents this is a place for the end of life. They can smell like hospitals with a mix of body smells and cleaning agents. It can be very sad to go in them, our loved one are there. This fragrance is not that. Please be respectful

* full 100 ml with box available for swap * So this gem finally arrived the other day after being on my want list for a minute... I found this for super cheap, new, on a discounted Russian website, like 15$ for a full size bottle. Now, I feel like writing two reviews, one about what I was expecting and the second about what I got, since I had very specific expectations after reading sooo many reviews here. The main things I have read here are that this is very white floral (the word tuberose appears over 500 times), very overpowering, very long-lasting, and very well blended, unique and high quality. I agree, this is well-blended, and long-lasting, but I can't really say this is overpowering, or unique. At first spray, this immediately made me think of suntan lotion, the beach, tiare flower. Very reminiscent of Monoi de Tahiti by Yves Rocher, Terracotta by Guerlain, Soleil Blanc by Tom Ford even. Suntan lotion vibe, sun notes, the feeling of fresh skin after having taken a shower after a day at the beach. Tiare flower is indeed a white flower, but I really cannot detect any tuberose, or jasmine, or any other white florals except creamy tiare. I can also smell a hint of coconut. Now, when I imagine a fragrance to be overpowering, I imagine Scandal by Night by JPG, or Angel by Mugler. One spray that fills the room and simply cannot be unnoticed. Is this the same? Barely. Truth or Dare, in my opinion, can be sprayed freely. Maybe not 10 sprays like very fresh and airy fragrances, but hardly one careful spray like actually overpowering fragrances. It is indeed long-lasting, but in a subtle kind of way, it dries down to a skinscent very rapidly. It is noticeable (not infuriatingly fleeting), but it is not a headturner, it's very subtle and gentle. In conclusion, I really like this fragrance, I am very happy to own it and it is my own personal beach in a bottle kind of fragrance. Suitable for any season, but I imagine myself wearing this on Summer nights, it really reminds me of the beach, the sun, tropical islands...

I blind-bought Madonna Truth or Dare, because I spotted a very good offer online for a 50ml bottle. I know that this fragrance has been discontinued, and I’ve been intrigued by its alleged similarity to Fracas, so I thought: ok let’s give it a go. I took quite a bit of a chance with it in full knowledge of the fact that I’m *not* a fan of white florals, with the exception of three that I already own: Givenchy Amarige, Carthusia Fiori di Capri and Yves Rocher Monoi Eau des Vahines. Before entering my credit card number I checked the notes of Madonna’s fragrance, and was satisfied to learn that they are quite similar to Amarige and Fiori di Capri (gardenia, tuberose, orange blossom, jasmine etc.) which helped me make the decision. Anyway I’ve been wearing Truth or Dare for the past four hours and ... ta-dah:... I’m enjoying it immensely!... It’s a very well made fragrance: to me, the strongest note is gardenia, followed by tuberose and jasmine. As it develops, it also turns similar to YR Monoi and its tiare flower note. While tiare is not listed among the notes that comprise Truth or Dare, the mix of gardenia, tuberose and jasmine with sweet vanilla sure as hell resembles tiare and gives it a somewhat tropical feel. The scent is quite intense and long lasting, but not intimidating or suffocating. Interestingly, as it becomes progressively sweeter, Truth or Dare also starts to evoke the latest version of Givenchy Ysatis much more than Amarige, with that floral-tropical-vanillic tuberose. Although I do fit into Madonna’s intended age group, I don’t think that this is a ‘mature’ scent - it can easily be worn by youngsters who are willing to try something beyond the pink sugary waters marketed at them. All in all, buying Truth or Dare was a well calculated risk that paid off. *insert smugface here*. Kudos to good old Madonna, I knew she wouldn’t let me down.

Cream, tuberose, and pure elegance. This fragrance is a quiet knockout — the kind that slips on like silk and then stays in your memory long after it leaves the room. Truth or Dare opens with this beautifully creamy floral aura that honestly reminds me of high-end French bath soaps. The kind made in tiny ateliers, wrapped in thick paper, and meant to be used on special mornings only. It feels luxurious without trying, sweet without being sugary, and sensual without shouting. The creamy note running through it is my favorite part. I don’t know exactly which ingredient is doing the heavy lifting, but it gives the florals this soft, glowing body that turns the whole composition into Flowers and Cream in the best possible way. It’s romantic. It’s warm. It’s unbelievably pretty. I’d wear this to a wedding... and then straight into the honeymoon night after. It has that versatility: innocent when you want it to be, irresistible when you need it to be. My only heartbreak is that it’s discontinued — the resale prices are outrageous now, which feels like a crime against tuberose lovers everywhere. I’m excited to try the recommended dupe, Monotheme Venezia Tuberose. My hopes are high that it’ll capture even a little of that creamy magic. UPDATE: Update on Madonna – Truth or Dare: I picked up Tuberose by Monotheme Venezia, and it is EXACT SAME!! Truly the same scent with no noticeable difference. It’s hands-down the best dupe for Truth or Dare without the wild resale prices online. At only $12, you still get that creamy, beautiful tuberose we all love—without sacrificing quality.

This sh*t rocks my olfactory boat. Greetings, Perfumites. How do you do today? 'Tis time for a white floral wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am review? 'Tis. I won't claim to say that I've had the easiest times with tuberose and/or gardenia. Sometimes them white florals bast*rds stink me out and I'm down for the count for days. So strong, so sweet, so heady, so dated (at times). Or so I used to think. OR! Maybe *I* am getting...dated. *cocks head* Point being: I delight in this now. And for the very reasons I avoided it before. I love how floral it is. I love how sweet it is. I love how feminine it is. I love how strong and unashamedly in-your-face this is. This is Fracas, but...you know...discontinued. Which brings me to why I bought it. Going for a ridiculously good price for full 75ml bottle - what choice did I have, really? Naturally, when I run out of this, I will be required to purchase a bottle of Fracas to get my wild tuberose fix, and the cost is not something I am looking forward to. I don't think this perfume truly aligns with Madonna's image, i.e., it's wildly sweet and feminine, but I don't care. I like the perfume. The inspiration/image behind it is secondary. This isn't my absolute 100% - as I mentioned, I've struggled with painfully wild white florals, but...I'm coming 'round. Bottle is also somewhat heavy, yet easy to transport - and the protrusions on the edges? Soothing on these dated calluses of mine... Repurchase-worthy (good luck with that). *** Kitty rating: 8.5/10.

This is my FAVORITE fragrance I wear right after taking a long hot shower after a hard day at work. While I'm still slightly damp, I wear my favorite navy blue robe, pour myself some chilled dry red wine (Shiraz), and I give myself 4 heavy sprays of Truth or Dare - two on my wrists and two on my chest/neck. I'm immediately swirled to light, fluffy, and almond-y heaven! The white flowers lift me to the high heavens, and vanilla and almond accords greet me at the gates and comfort me. It feels like a warm summer morning when you walk down the neighborhood and smell the flowers growing in yards and gardens. This was sent to me by mistake from LjShopping when I attempted to order the flanker "ToD Naked", but I know I will certainly be buying the 5 piece gift set after I run out of this! This is very natural smelling - no harsh synthetics used. This is wholly a guilty pleasure of mine. This scent is very matriarchal. I can easily picture Madonna, who was 54 at the time this was released, wearing this. I would not be surprised if I were to be in her embrace and smelled commanding white flowers. The opening of this is a powerful knock of white flower bomb. I believe this is why so many people "hate" this fragrance. Since Madonna is a celebrity, most folks would expect the celebrity carbon copy scents: fruits, caramel, and candy. Don't count this fragrance out until you try it!

As a discontinued and every day more "rare" fragrance I think it could be a nice wedding perfume for a bride. I used to think of Baiser Vole, The One or Narciso (the white cube) as the best options, but Madonna's ToD is just bold, floral(motherly flowers), sacred or virginal (the bottle), mystical (as a waxy candle), rich, classical, royal, unique, original, romantic, sexy, sweet (as the cake), young, feminine and white enough, as a religious bride is. Also, it performs great in hot and cold weather (as a tiaré oil it can be summery or cozy), it's longlasting, and it's not an everyday perfume, it seeks special occasions where you have a day ahead to be remembered with happy memories (with something as evocative as a perfume to be worn again in anniversaries or while you need to keep or recreate that bride-status). Maybe there are women who would rather to wear Fracas, but I wouldn't wear a fragrance with such name (meaning weak in portuguese, failure in spanish, war or violent noise in french) on my wedding day... nevertheless, Truth or Dare (to be honestly faithful and decide to commit forever) are the two main purposes or sacraments on that day. The only problem would be when applying, as it stains white fabric. It would have to be applied directly on skin.

If you don’t want to pay the prices but love this perfume, read on. Truth or dare has been my signature scent since I was 18 I am now 38 and I always have to have a bottle in my collection (I’ve bought many bottles of it over the years) no matter the price I will buy it but it does hurt my heart a little forking out for it once every couple of years when it was only worth £20 originally, last week I came across an Italian brand called Monotheme and bought a few of their perfumes including one called Tuberose and let me tell you it’s EXACTLY the same and I paid £8.90 for it!!! I have never come across a perfume so close that I would give up paying those prices and replace my signature scent with another brand!! I bought a back up bottle and will probably buy a few more, im blown away by it. I did a comparison spray on each hand and my daughter couldn’t tell the difference, in fact she thought the tuberose was Madonna. If you love this scent then trust me I’m not exaggerating, and even if you don’t think it smells the same (which you will) then at least you haven’t broke the bank. Thank me later... Ps the cherry blossom one is also divine, it smells like cherry drops sweets on its own and paired with the tuberose scent its smells gorgeous.

A true white floral with heady vanilla and precious balsams somewhere underneath. That is Madonna's Truth or Dare summed up. On the first spray, I swear it reminded me of some exquisite niche fragrance, and of course, it is Fracas. I can't really compare the two, since it's been a long time when I sniffed Fracas but the very fact that Truth or Dare conjured up an image of it says a lot. And it says positive. The beginning is extremely promising a true dare, but the drydown is the truth, a celebrity scent. Some note seems at odds, sour, sticking out as if it should not be there, but bearing in mind that the perfumer Stephen Nilsen had presented Madonna with 200 samples until she chose THE ONE, I do not want to complain. Besides, the matter is, her fragrance is a mass product, for an affordable price - one cannot expect a masterpiece like Creed or Kilian or Amouage. It is not so much of an projection and longevity monster but hey. So, yes, heady heavy blooming, luscious white flowers with some intoxicating mesmerizing vanilla and the soft caramel sweetness of benzoin. I am speaking about the white bottle, though, loving it, I want to get Truth or Dare Naked too!

This opens with a glorious burst of something plastic, it's the synthetic of disco, night club superficial all dressed up, where synthetic is to love and I do love this.It doesn't take long for the Madonna Deeper and Deeper to get Sweeter and Sweeter though. The full bloom of white flowers suddenly wafts in in all its feminine glory to blow away the initial delicious fakery.There is no holds barred Tuberose and gardenia and I am overcome with a tiare too, a halo of pure innocence after initial lift off. Truth or Dare is like waking up to your saintly self the day after the night before. It's seeing your face after the make up comes off. This perhaps is the truth after the dare. Just wish the truth still held a little whiff of its dirty opening but it will surround you in a bouquet that stays suprisingly close to the skin. She's a pale beauty and probably pales in comparison to Fracas but this fragrance is to be considered in its own right. Just as you dress in her petals and glory in your own sweetness, the word "discontinued" ruins the moment yet again.

Shocked me. For the good. Madonna is basically a goddess to me, and I was buying the perfume for the box. I wasn't expecting to vibe with it because I thought with her energy, her very 'Leo' nature, her strength, it would be a very strong and spicy scent. When I opened the GORGEOUS box (best photo EVER) and sprayed the perfume on my wrist, I was immediately brought back to a moment I wished for a scent. I was 18. I was in Disneyland's French Quarter. There were scented oil perfumes in a shop. I took one whiff of the gardenia oil and knew this was exactly what my spirit had been longing for. I bought it and used that bottle to the last molecule. For years I longed for something similar, searched and searched never to find it, until that very moment, decades later, when I sprayed Madonna's perfume on my wrist. You CANNOT imagine my delight that my mortal goddess happened to create and vibe with the scent that I had been searching for since my teens. Yes, there are undertones, but basically, it's straight up Gardenia, and I freaking love it.

Truth or Dare is a beautiful creamy and resinous white floral that is heavy on gardenia, tuberose and Lily. Very sensual, seductive and it is something I could imagine Madonna wearing. I don't really get the comparisons to Fracas, that is greener and fresher than Truth or Dare. Truth or Dare has a more resinous and vanillic quality and is actually quite heavy w/ the lily to my nose. I really like this one and wish it was still in production. I think it would still sell quite well. This perfume is white, cream and gold. Tasteful, sensual w/out being overt and very signature scent worthy. I love this. Edit: Surprise my husband really likes this and he usually hates white florals. I think the vanilla in T&D helps him to like it. And I also think the vanilla isn't overdone like it can be in a lot of vanilla/white floral combos. I might have to seek a bottle of this. I hate buying from ebay but at times one doesn't have a choice. Why do they discontinue good perfumes like this? Also the bottle is really cool.

I remember when it came out and I first tested it in a store, it was love at first smell. I also remember it was often on sale and very affordable for me - a student at that time, so I repurchased it several times, only to get even more addicted. Until one day, I saw one last bottle very, very reduced, like 50-60% off at DM and I asked why it was so reduced (if the package was defective, etc). They told me the perfume was to be discontinued and I just refused to believe it. I went looking everywhere for it, buying every single last bottle left. I just loved it so much. So classically feminine, so full and opulent, so smooth and nectary thick. I love powerful white floral bombs with tuberose, jasmine, or lily; I love perfumes that radiate divine feminine energy - mature, confident, but also sensual, gracious, and voluptuous. Truth or Dare was all of that, plus amazing sillage and longevity, and a great price. I want it back!

I’m a tuberose junkie. This was on my list for awhile and I finally grabbed a bottle for a not too terrible price. It’s excellent quality, rich and oily. I’d say out of all the tubes I’ve smelled, this is definitely most similar to fracas. It has a bit of Gucci Bloom/Terracotta to it as well. It isn’t quite so intensely sweet and powder sugary as Fracas but Truthor Dare ultimately is more of that sugary candy tuberose flower garden scent than a “solar” or beachy tuberose. Even at the inflated prices post discontinuation, Truth or Dare is worth it, as the richness of the oil and scent isn’t common these days. Not recommended for those who prefer light, sheer scents. This is about as “beast mode” as tuberose scents get. To me, that means I do need to spray a lot to get it to project, but once I do, it will last more than 24 hrs. It lasts several days on clothing. Overall very pretty and sweet. Blind buy, definitely a keeper!

Love this perfume! It’s the perfect blend of white florals, vanilla, and a teeny bit of musk. It’s soft, warm, and creamy with pretty good sillage. This was a blind buy for me and I’m so glad I took a chance on it. It’s a major plus that it’s a cheapie, although I’m upset to learn it was discontinued. I’m going to order a couple more bottles to stock up as it’s become one of my favorites. I enjoy Gardenia by Elizabeth Taylor, but it feels very linear to me and more green/less warmth, ToD reminds me of Gardenia with more complexity and coziness. It’s very sweet, but doesn’t smell like a typical celeb fragrance, it’s classy and the sweetness can be described as a candied tuberose. It’s a really feminine scent and it feels mature in a positive way. It makes me feel very glam when I wear it. The bottle looks cheap but I actually like the shape and thinness of it. This will for certain become one of my signature scents.

This was (yet another) blind buy. I’ve been trying inexpensive gardenia scents, and yesterday I tried ETs Diamonds and Emeralds, which was nice, but a ‘like’ not a ‘love’. Then today Truth or Dare arrived, and blew D&E out of the water. Well done, Madonna! I’ve always enjoyed powerful perfumes and this one is so ‘me’ - it starts off with a powerful blast of gardenia and tuberose, given a bit of a kick by the benzoin. I really, really like this opening. In the drydown the vanilla and musk come out to play and sweeten it up a little, but not too much, while the white florals calm down but are still present. I’ve never tried Fracas so I can’t comment on the similarity or otherwise. Truth or Dare is a keeper though - it’s a crying shame it’s discontinued, but I suppose in the world of celeb scents this is too much of an outlier. Time to stock up while I still can!

This is a sweet and playful Versace Blonde or Fracas. I was mortified when Blonde was discontinued but Truth or Dare was a more than acceptable substitute. Now they have gone and discontinued Truth or Dare! T or D is to my nose an elegant fragrance, heavy tuberose with a playful sweet undertones of caramelised sugar. For the cost it is a remarkably good fragrance. It is classy, elegant and timeless but manages at the same time to be suggestive and damned sexy. For a celeb fragrance it has dared to be different staying clear of generic sugary or flowery "play it safe" compositions. Maybe that was its downfall! It is probably a good representation of Madonna. I am in the process of stacking up on T or D so I have a supply for many years to come. If Blonde and Poison are my special occasion evening out go to scents, T or D is perfect for filling the gap!

So, my first review on Fragrantica! Little background info, I remember when this launched in the UK, I was working in a well known retail store at the time and spritzed some onto a tester strip... I HATED it, right from the start, I didn’t bother to revisit it until earlier this year when I was ordering a few things online, I needed some shower gel and this was going for £5 so decided to purchase it... long story short, I used the shower gel and and the scent that surrounded me was pure luxury! So, I decided to go for it and order a bottle for around £50, bare in mind my thoughts back in 2012... I now adore it! My nose has definitely changed course. It starts off as a potent mixture of creamy tuberose and I can detect the burnt caramel (I’m a guy btw) LOVE LOVE LOVE. Such a shame it’s now discontinued, I have ordered a backup.

Now this is THE tuberose scent. Extremely loud and it has everything - it is smooth, sweet, powerful AND incredibly feminine. There is a soapy element to it, but it definitely doesn't feel dated or clean. It is incredibly similar to McQueen by Alexander McQueen, maybe a tad sweeter but they are both smooth, classy tuberose scents. It is also similar to the Malachites from the Armani Prive line, a bit less complex, more one-dimensional. It doesn't really change from beginning to end. Is it s a beautiful tuberose scent? Yes and I will treasure it while it lasts. BUT it is in not worth it - especially with the prices you see now. For these prices you can save up and get a niche, a private line scent. A perfume that used to be 15euros is now going for 100+. It is good quality but it is NOT worth that price.