No.05 Kandilli

I have an entire collection of teeny tiny little bottles of perfume oils from Maison Louis Marie, I think nine in all, and No. 05 Kandili is far and away my favorite, though it’s 04 Bois du Balincourt that usually gets all the attention. First of all, the oil is very concentrated for this one and a little goes a long way. It’s a very big scent, heady and thick with a sweet, almost candied mix of yellow and white flowers and a whiff of warm spiciness similar to carnation or cloves. When I first tried Kandili, I found it a bit overpowering and I found myself uncertain about whether or not I liked it. I put it away for a little while and tried it again and it was then that I began to not just like it, but love it. I enjoy wearing Kandili on its own but I also love layering it and I find that sweet, floral, spicy, creamy profile is just what I need a dab of with some of my other fragrances. Often, a little dab is just enough to take another scent in the right direction. It’s a personal favorite and I would now give it a 9.8 out of 10.

I REALLY like this fragrance. It reminds me of French Flower by Premier Matiere and of Hove's ginger blanc. I prefer perfume to oils because I like to spray my clothes. It's a gorgeous tuberose forward fragrance with white ginger lillies. It's definitely nice to layer with French flower. It's very nicely done. Nothing groundbreaking but a lovely springy white floral. Leans typically 'feminine', but anyone could wear it. I personally wouldn't wear it in the winter unless I was in need of a spring lift. Scent is great, but I don't think the longevity is there for me. If you like oils I would highly recommend it. (The oil is super convenient to slip into a pocket or purse) 10/10 scent 6/10 bc projection is what you'd expect with oil. But that can be a plus, too.

I’ve have the Kandilli perfume oil since my mother offered hers to me in 2021. I only wear it in the summer and it has become inextricably associated with my time in Charleston SC. The heady scent of the jasmine that (while the rest of the year looks like a scrubby vine) climbs the historic buildings spilling it’s delicate white blooms from the gardens of its residents, floats around the city in the late spring. The ylang-ylang reminds me of the tasteful banana scent of my favorite Sun Bum sunscreen which I have to wear while I walk the city in the heat of the day. Humid and dense, the sandalwood grounds this perfume and keeps it juuuust on the edge of cloying which is where I think it should be. The oil packs a wallop and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Re: the perfume oil Rich, ripe, overflowing white floral. Not too loud past the places of application but perfect combo of jasmine, tuberose and white lily. Almost indolic/over-ripe (which I adore). Heavy colourful silk robes, an overflowing garden of heady, heavenly aroma and a warm breeze. A gentle caress, a deep kiss, sandalwood incense, temples and a sky turning to dusk. An offering. I love this sent by itself and layered with Death and Decay by Lush (I am a fiend for lily scents), I am sure most would say this is a summer-y scent, but I plan on wearing this most of if not all of the year (White florals are forever). - joan

Love this stuff , it is just a sweeter version of Robert Piguet Fracas .

This is very pretty, and I do agree with other reviewers here that it is a lot better than many of the more popular big white floral scents out today. But it is only a skin scent. Zero silage. The only way you'll smell it is if you smell your skin direct. I also got the mini rollerball. Word of warning. A lot of oil comes out at one time. Hold the bottle upright when you apply otherwise, you'll wind up with a puddle of perfume where you only wanted a small amount and waste a lot of the oil. Right now, I think this might work better in the summer when atmospheric heat might release the fragrance in the oil, but as of right now, it is so light I can barely smell it. What I can smell directly off my skin is a very pretty, summery white floral. I'll put it away and try this again when the weather warms up. Can't wait to try it then as from what I smell right now I think is just beautiful. 6/4/21 - I wore this all day today and not only did it last all day, but I could smell it clearly too. It was in the 80s and the heat really opened this fragrance up to an explosion of a not quite clean, but not dirty either, jasmine, a custardy ylang, and a tuberose almost on the edge of bubblegum territory without ever crossing the line into a candy note. The Lily and Sandalwood base kept the composition from getting too sweet. Though a simple white floral, it is beautifully done and comes across as very polished, sophisticated, and modern. I really like this a lot more now than when I first received it in the winter. So glad I hung onto it. Edit - The more I wear this the more it reminds me of Kai.

- Kandilli a favorite perfume from this house. I have the 15ml oil. The ingredients are natural and the perfume is beautiful. It smells like candied tuberose on me, so I understand the comparisons to Fracas. The Ylang is fruity and tropical smelling. The tuberose smells authentic and fresh. I do smell a slight metallic edge that is common in ylang essential oils. Overall this perfume oil is a modern take on a white floral bouquet and it hits the mark. It's gorgeous on my skin. Projection and sillage are both low to moderate. It's a skin scent that I'm perfectly happy with. It smells like a better version on Bubblegum Chic now named Jasmine OD to me.

Kandilli is very much a classic floral. It manages to encompass both bright white and a juice yellow floral bouquets, doing a nice job on both ends of the spectrum. I don't scent the sandalwood overly much, which is a shame, as I've been craving a nice floral sandalwood blend for a long long time. Layering it with Miller et Bertaux's Indian Study/Santal +++--a subtle but pure sandalwood fragrance--gets me close to that mark, sending the perfume into a delightfully complex unisex zone.

This is a gorgeous white floral that smells exceptionally natural. I think this is a very easy to wear, densely floral fragrance that embraces the innate qualities of its main components, by turns soapy, floral, woody, carnal, clean, and oddly, slightly milky. It's very beautiful and classic. A more edited Fracas is a fair comparison. This house is very good at putting their own spin on popular fragrances, and in this case, the inspiration is 1950s allure.

well here I go I have never smelled fracas if fracas smells like this then I just don't get the hype, I like it I got it at discount on lucky scent been wanting to try something from the brand for the longest time but while I like it I don't love it I guess I was expecting something more exciting since others compare it to fracas but I mean it ́s ok and I will be wearing it ....meh

I immediately smelled Piguet’s Fracas when I sniffed the bottle. But it’s a lot more approachable than Fracas. I still don’t really reach for it much because I’m not big into tuberose.

I'm still new to the perfume world and I think this one is a good lesson for me in what I don't like. I got it as a part of a discovery set and unfortunately it is my least favourite of the five. It was the only one I did not like even before applying it. I think I just generally don't like white florals. It reminds me of the Lanai candle by Boy Smells and I think I perceive both as overly soapy. It's interesting to see all the positive reviews here though, it just shows how different people have totally different tastes. Will continue searching for things I like, sometimes knowing what you don't like is just as good. 2/10

I’m enamored. I didn’t realize how much I loved Kandilli until testing Gucci Bloom alongside it. Bloom goes in a soapy, screechy jasmine direction, while Kandilli is all about tuberose, lily, and the slightest touch of amber. This reminds me more of Truth or Dare than of Fracas, but it’s far more refined than either. I couldn’t see wearing this in winter as it is all about the summer blooms. Creamy, bold and sweet, but not cloyingly so. I ordered a 3 ml sample of the oil from the company’s website and will purchase a bottle or two from Sephora during their spring sale. I don’t know why/how no 04 is the most popular scent in the house’s line (though Sephora only carries a couple of testers at my local store and this isn’t one of them). My other favorite in the line is 03, which reminds me of Eau des Baux.

This is very similar to Mancera Velvet Vanilla (but where VV is one dimensional, Kandilli has depth). I do not detect any ylang ylang, nor is there an indole in sight. I was hoping for both, so I’m disappointed. I question and challenge all the reviews below who have classified this as a yellow floral or an indolic fragrance. It is neither. The lily gives it a floral perfumey vibe, but overall, I mainly get candy-like tuberose... the bubblegum variety which makes me wonder if there are cloves in the blend... looking forward to seeing how this blooms on my skin in the heat of summer.

I am wearing this fragrance today and I love it. It reminds me of my honeymoon in Hawaii. The jasmine and plumeria in this one are very dominate. This oil lasts all day as well and at $56 a bottle it is a good value. The dry down is a very soft creamy sandalwood mixed w/ the lingering white florals. A bottle of tropical floral paradise.

Fraca dupe. Sad they no longer have this as the eau de parfum. It’s fun and exciting, and the backstory of this fragrance is so lovely(inspired by the perfumers mother who would spend summers in Turkey and would smell tuberose flowers). Wore this at a summer wedding and got compliments. 10/10

beautiful, indulgent scent. very floral and the strength/projection are astounding. as nice as that is, i do feel like ill have to put this on a little while before going out, to give the scent a chance to mellow

It's honestly fine. A very nice white floral, but very low sillage. Smells very light, pretty, and delicate, gives me a little bit of old-lady vibes

A bit sweeter than I like, modern, but vintage and naturalistic smelling tuberose. Perfume oil didn’t last longer than 20 minutes unfortunately.

This identical to Fracas. When I first smelled it, I immediately smelled Fracas. It’s modern and beautiful

Sweet beautiful gentle floral. It has a comforting yet delicate balance.