Flying

Testing Flying from a 1.5 ml Maison Margiela official sample. Well, this is beautiful!! As a big floral fan, perfumes based around notes like neroli/orange blossom/ylang ylang/citruses fill my heart with joy and happiness! And Flying is absolutely spot on with that! It’s fresh and bright, green and sharp, white and yellow floral, creamy and crisp and super feminine. If Ideal One is a manly man scent profile, Flying is exactly on the opposite spectrum. Yes, it’s not as edgy and unique as Ideal One is, but it’s uplifting and simply beautiful. And you have to love white flowers and petit grain to like this. Otherwise, it might be as polarising as Ideal One is, even though it’s a very light, easy, bright perfume. The issue is that you might not need Flying if you’re a fragrance collector. There’s so many similar perfumes that smell almost identical to Flying that it can be absolutely redundant in your collection, like it’s in mine. If you own any of the Les Eaux from Guerlain, you don’t need Flying. Or anything petit grain, neroli/orange blossoms dominant from any brand, you don’t need this. It’s a beautiful feminine perfume, but it’s same juice! Spring and mainly summer weather appropriate because it’s the kind of perfume that keeps you energised and refreshed in hot and humid weather and it’s fairly light and minimalistic. I love Flying but I have it already in my collection from various other brands! I’ll pass on it.

So I just learned I love neroli (from the blossom of the bitter orange tree), not only do I love neroli but I have a deep reservoir of memory for the scent. I love this, I love this more every time I revisit it. I think the Replica line does such a fantastic job of isolating a mood, setting and scene. For me, this is a slice of childhood. It also is really reminiscent of other fragrances I've tried but I simply can't place it. I am thinking that it feels similar to Juliette Has A Gun's "Gentlewoman", but I'd have to revisit it to know for sure. As well as hints from fragrances like "Narcotic Venus" by Nasomatto and "Fracas" by Robert Piguet, for some reason I am connecting "Flying" with these other perfumes. Whatever this is, it is deep in my subconscious. Every time I smell it I feel transported back into a memory I no longer can access. I really love it, I can't explain why. I agree with jbeans81, it does smell like a nice fancy soap and that may be why I love it so much -I love soap so much I actually collect it. It's very concentrated and for me, completely unrelated to whatever I might imagine "flying" smells like. This is very spring like, sweet blossoms and fresh with citrus. Love love love 8.5/10

The power of suggestion is strong with this one for me. I received a sample and thought what a silly concept it was, a fragrance of flying? Joke was on me, I had no idea... A blast of fresh air sweeping past you, almost a cold mountain air flowing through a pristine natural air conditioner, a natural electric charge. Along the way, a refreshing green and subtly sweetened air with hints of citrus join in the for the ride. My little sample literally does sweep me away into a biplane of the long past, flying like Amelia Earhart with my hat and goggles, freer than ever before. Time passes and it's time to land all too soon. This ride isn't one I can take often but I will watch for some special event day to buy another ticket to fly...

Love It. Big fan of ozonic notes, neroli, bergamotte and the petit grain and ylang-ylang gives the fresh and crisp scent a lovely creamyness in the drydown. Leans towards more female than male. The opening is a bit hash ( urinal cake like @pickle1334 wrote) After a few seconds it turns out like a softer version of Acqua neroli from clean. The drydown is by far true best. Fresh, clean, plesant and crisp with a creamy and sweet base. Longevity is 1-3 hours on my skin...wish it lasted longer. Projection is great for about half an hour.

gosh... i’ve never been the type to get on here and leave reviews, but this perfume really had the audacity to make me create an account just to talk about it. it smells SO good. fresh, floral, clean soapy (in the best way possible), and not overly sweet. the neroli and almond blossom blend together beautifully. this feels like the perfect spring scent — i can picture myself drinking tea in the middle of a blooming garden wearing this. this is what Matiere Premiere’s Neroli Oranger wishes it smelled like lol.

This reminds me of a more fresh (as opposed to herbal) and white version of Acqua Di Parma Colonia Essenza. Soapy aldehyde ozoninc that is very fresh, bright and pretty strong. Maybe I'm a victim of the power of suggestion or marketing, but I can kinda see how this how this may give the sensation of flying. Cool, crisp and refreshing mountain air from the ozoninc note If you're looking for an interesting twist on the Nero Portfino DNA, check this out if you can find it. Scent 7.5/10 Performance 7/10

It's a solid citrus scent that doesn't smell artificial on me. The almond blossom and ozonic notes give this one a subtle edge that other newer citrus-heavy fragrances (California Clementine, I'm looking at you) don't have. I don't think I like it nearly enough to pay full price for it, but this sample that I have is a nice one to wear now that it's getting super hot outside. I think that, come winter, I wouldn't really even want to wear this anyway.

I tried a sample and I love this one! It opens with a beautiful scent of orange blossom. As it dries down, it gets more and more comforting. Almost like a mother's hug. It smells like clean clothes drying outside in a sunny weather, surrounded by beautiful nature with a lot of different plants and flowers. That's the closest I can get to describing it.

For me, this was love at first spray...fresh, inviting citrus. Suddenly, this turned sharp and then settled into a lovely sweet feminine floral with a subtle spicy undertone. The accords are all here: citrus, white floral. floral, sweet, sweet spicy. Overall, a lovely fragrance. Would I purchase this? Yes. At this price point? I'm not sure.

Smells like a very pleasant hand soap from a fancy bathroom. Oddly, I really like it. On me, the almond is quite strong and comes out quickly. I don't get much of the citrus after 5 minutes. I could see this being a good scent for a day lounging in sweats. It won't overpower or irritate anyone, and it smells casual and clean.

This is a wow sensation for me, and looking at fragrantica I agree. This is Mugler Cologne (75 percent) and probably why I like it. But it's not quite the Morillas execution, more clumsily and perfumey as it drives. But hey, I like it. The price tag should be 70 dollars.

I got this sample and one spray made me think of stepping off the plane in Hawaii and they put a Lei around your neck. That is what this is to me. Maybe not flying- but landing and lei'ed :) NOT funny Laur- Not funny.

Its subtle and soft but still a very vibrant and noticeable scent. A very good choice to put you in a good mood. This isn’t too abrasive in any way but still adds a layer of warmth to your skin.

It's an oké neroli ... try layering it with Jil Sander Simply...much more interesting. Probably layers best with others but I found this one accidently...bottle broke!

Nice citrus fragrance, not bitter nor sharp. Sadly, like most citrus' it does not las long. The dry-down is close to the skin, but nice.

9.1/10 Very pleasant soapy neroli scent. Reminiscent of ADP colonia and Penhaligons Castile. Don't know why this has such bad reviews.

I love this. Smells like heaven.

I have been looking for a neroli-based summer fragrance. I have to be careful with neroli because it can trigger migraines for me. I already have MFK AUF and Pour Le Matin. I wanted something more neroli and less citrus. I tried Xerjoff Nio, Tom Ford ANP in all strengths, various colognes including Nishane, Guerlain and Chanel. At the other extreme, I tried Zara JM Amalfi Sunray and Fleur D’Oranger. In the end, they were all either way too strong and migrainey (Nio, Nishane, Zara FDO) or too weak (Tom Ford- way too expensive expensive for the longevity and I found the forte version too dirty). In the end, Flying suits me because it has a lovely opening and it’s not screechy, and after a while the clean, warm musk notes drift in, which I find very comforting on a hot summer day. The ozone is also great for creating the illusion of air and space on a hot day. I also compared this to Le Labo Aldehyde LA) which I was considering buying (no neroli I know) but it was also a bit too screechy and actually did give me a migraine. My only problem with Flying is that is wears a bit too close. Otherwise it is lovely all day perfume suitable for anything from the office to a relaxing picnic.

Got this a couple years ago and couldn't really stand it. I was biased by the poor reviews on this comparing it to urinal cake and it just seemed too astringent to me. Citrusy cleaning product smell. I revisited it this summer after 1+ year into the trend of skin scents and synthetic sunscreen smells, and I can't get enough. It's a more elevated sunny citrus sunscreen vibe without being too literal. It also dries down nicely as a 'skin' scent for me, blending nicely into nothingness after a solid fade of 8+ hours. Definitely my everyday scent of this summer!

wore a sample of this to the gym this morning. i actually really liked it in that context as an alternative to the more masculine, boring gym scents you often find. it's fresh, citrus/floral, definitely something artificial but I don't mind that. unisex, leaning slightly feminine, which I always love on a man. I found it to be a pretty good performer, granted I only had it on for about 2 hours at the gym. but in that time it projected pretty well and I could still smell it on my wrist after showering. good first impression, might considering purchasing.

People really hate on this fragrance as though it’s some kind of affront to the senses, but I really think it just smells like any other aldehyde/white floral scent with more fruitiness than usual. It does not last but it smells really nice. It reminds me of the scent they pump into the air when you’re on the Disney World “Soarin” 4D ride going over the orange orchards in Florida. It’s sweet, floral, and airy. What more could you want out of something called “Flying?” Yeah: it smells like a fantasy!

Different... but at first I couldn't tell whether or not I liked it... then the dry down kicked in & I fell hard. This is a gem. Really clean citrus vibe in the opening & then that musky moss kicks in & there's where I fell hard. Projects nicely at arms length & the longevity is around 3 to 4 hours. There's a note in here I can't quite put my finger on but man is it addictive! I do have to say, this at first smelled a lot like Xerjoff Nio.

I think Flying is very pleasant, I smell sweet mandarins and flowers. There's another smell in there that I like, it reminds me of the smell of compact powder makeup that's slightly dusted onto an item of clothing but I can't nail it down. It might just be reminding me of a scene/memory rather than a literal smell. It's not very strong and it fades after three to four hours.

I have a full bottle, new in box, if anyone in the UK is interested in this. Selling at a very good price. Just PM me. I really love this scent. I don’t get cleaning products at all from this. It’s a fresh, citrusy, uplifting, happy fragrance. Perfect for warmer weather or summertime. I have since bought a few very similar scents that I prefer though, so selling this one on.

This to me is orange blossom, aldehydes, musk and heat. As in it smells like hot, clean cotton taken straight out of dryer or the way that freshly laundered cotton smells to when it has a hot iron on it. About an hour in it becomes a more basic orange blossom. I’m not looking for something that smells like this but if this sounds appealing, you will not be disappointed.

Fresh, clean and potent. Just one spritz lasted over an hour on my skin. My first impression was orange blossom, after 20 minutes it seems to strengthen. I find it energizing and cannot find the terrible urinal scent or the powder that others speak of. (guess my skin chemistry agrees with the formula) Looking to buy. Perfect for hot & humid climates.

Straight orange blossom to my nose, which is one of my favorite scents in the world. It's a very light, summery fragrance, but you have to spray a lot to get it to stick around/project at all. It sits with my other light florals, like Kerosene Walk the Sea and Guerlain Meteorites, for balmy spring/summer evenings.

This is a gorgeous relaxing summer scent to be worn on a hot summers day. The bergamot is the most prevalent note which I love. It’s a very uplifting, happy, hippy vibe scent. Love it! It’s a slightly cheaper version of Mizensir Solar Blossom, which I would have bought if I didn’t have this already.

Smells incredible initially like a nice hotel lobby. Heavy on the neroli living up to its branding and smelling like the fresh air. The dry down is slightly sweet and creamy. Unfortunately projection is a skin scent no matter how many sprays you use and longevity is only 4-5 hrs of that skin scent.

It's a very fresh green scent, but in the beginning there's something earthy/musty that fortunately evaporates later. I loved the notes, it was a blind buy that I was sure would work, but something just is't right on my skin in the first hour or so.

An eau de cologne that stays around. I’m not sure it’s worth the money but it was a gift and I really like it. Had Neroli Portofino but it lasted an hour, if that. This one is a keeper for me!

As a professional 4711 lover, I did not think 4711 when I smelt this. I don't think the neroli is as present as others say. It smelt very soapy to me, not neroli-y. Good though, not great.

Perfume version of fruity pebbles. I like this, but I don't love it. It's the perfect warm-weather scent & a safe blind buy.

Maison Martin Margiela Flying opens extremely fresh, bright and almost weightless, with orange blossom and petitgrain creating a very clean, airy start. For the first few minutes, it feels crisp and refreshing, but after that, the fragrance does not really develop into anything particularly memorable. This might be the most unisex fragrance ever made. Close your eyes and let someone wearing it walk past you, and you would have absolutely no idea whether it was a man or a woman. That extreme neutrality is one of the most interesting things about Flying, perhaps even the only truly interesting thing about it. To me, it smells like an extremely expensive luxury detergent made specifically for washing white clothes. Very clean, polished and pleasant, but also basic and incredibly forgettable. People who enjoy clean fragrances that do not really do anything might appreciate it, but I would not call it a safe blind buy, especially for beginners. Performance is also terrible considering the price. It lasts around 2–3 hours at most, then almost completely disappears. Even on the skin, there is barely anything left. There are significantly better fragrances available for this money, with far more character and much stronger performance. Honestly, I cannot imagine anyone ever receiving a compliment because of this fragrance.

The other reviews are right in that it smells like a more full-bodied and powdery Tom Ford Neroli Portofino, which in turn smells very similar to 4711 and Jean Naté, so... Flying smells like a more powdery and white floral 4711 and Jean Naté. However the drydown is much less powdery and more fresh than the opening, so at least there's that. I'd rather just wear the latter two, though, and skip the talcum powder bomb all together. The powderiness does give me slight urinal cake vibes like the other reviewers, sadly. My boyfriend says it smells a bit like wood polish (orange and almond oils) and there is indeed orange blossom and almond blossom in this. I would say this is a little too cloying to be a refreshing citrus or aromatic, so it sits in a weird scent space. It's too much of a "big presence" to be a refreshing light summer citrus, so I don't exactly understand when you're supposed to wear this? Or how it conveys the feeling of flying? Not a safe blind buy, and I'd recommend going for a cheap drugstore citrus cologne instead of this. You'll get 90% of the same profile at 1/20th-1/50th of the cost.

I was really enjoying Flying at first. The blend of sharp citrus, clean neroli, and heady ylang gave it this bright, uplifting freshness that was airy yet powerful. An effortless charm that I could not stop taking whiffs of. But then it all came crashing down. I read someone compare it to a urinal, and now I can’t un-smell it. The detergent like nature of the citrus and the soapy edge of the neroli suddenly felt just too sterile, and coupled with the suddenly cat-piss smelling ylang... wow. That association definitely ruined the experience for me. I am definitely Flying away now.

I like the scent. Safe and clean neroli like a good quality soap. But I can't get any performance at all from it 😭. That's very sad cuz the scent would really be one of the most fresh, clean and safe options out there but I I gonna pay for something with only half an hour projection with micro skin scent I would rather have another choices over this. So, ALWAYS! test the fragrance on your skin before you buy.

the opening notes were very strong and floral which I didn't like. did enjoy the drydown initially, a clean musk that reminded me of ava's perfume in berlin. after a few hours though, the scent began to be too cloying and present so I washed it off. definitely points for longevity, but it was almost too much. I'd love to find a perfume that mimics the drydown but less intense.

Strongly reminds me of playing with big beach balls on sandy dunes in the 90s. Definitely a summer daytime scent; ozonic, ylang-ylang, nostalgic, with a whiff of fresh plastic inflatable ball. It's very beautiful and comforting, actually, and I think a step up from standard whiff-of-sunscreen beach scents.

On my skin, the almond blossom gets very prominent, creating a lotion-like effect that flattens the freshness of the other notes. It also makes it a bit 'older'. Now it smells as if I sprayed a very nice quiet perfume on top of a loudly almond blossom scented Occitane-type lotion.

It's kinda unisex but leaning heavily on feminine side I'd say. As a dude it's not for me. Beautiful fragrance though, it gives you spring vibes where everything is blossoming in the garden

I just received a sample of this with my most recent re-purchase of Untitled, so I thought I'd leave my initial impressions. This starts out smelling almost identical to Neroli Portofino, but then after 15-20 minutes, the citrus top notes fade out abruptly and Flying degenerates into a nondescript floral scent. I'm not 100% certain, but it definitely reminds me of Hermes' Le Jardin de Monsieur Li. The fresh air aspect is completely lost in the floral melee, and if it is present, it's too subtle to pick up. The pronounced floral middle notes definitely move this from a resolutely unisex scent to one more suited to a female audience. Longevity overall is ~2 hours before it turns into a skin scent for the remaining hour or two of its lifespan. EDP? Maybe, but it seems really weak. I have tried 3 of the 4 new Replica scents with this one being my most recent acquisition. I don't hate it, but I'm glad I got a sample first before puling the trigger on a $180 bottle. Difficult to recommend. 2.5-3/5.

I am very grateful that I only spent ~$10 for 3 carded samples on Ebay, because @pickle1334 tells no lies. Granted, it might be the fanciest urinal cake I've ever smelled, but it's straight up urinal cake with very few redeeming qualities. Actually, the redeeming quality is that the longevity and projection are very low, so no one else can smell this on you. I really am trying to be nice, because I love me some MMM most days... so I guuuuuess if you're into ultra fresh powdery scents, maaaaaybe this would work for you? Try before you buy, though. Definitely not a safe blind buy.

This fragrance mostly smells like public restroom soap to me. When it's first sprayed on, it's pretty strong and it has a hint of spicy. As it fades, that's when I get the bathroom soap smell. Unfortunately I did not detect any citrus, which is unfortunate because citrus is my favorite. This scent is out there and a tad manly. I would say this is not a safe blind buy.

The opening is pretty good, but as it dried down something stings in my nose. I think it might be the almond flower? I just get a weird visceral reaction when I smell it close. Not for me.

To my nose, this smells like Pears soap. A bit medicinal. Thankfully, very little projection or silage.

Smells like a straight up urinal cake. Not exaggerating.

Heavily artificial sweetener, like artificial grape flavoring mixed with an oddly harsh soap note. Like dish soap. Unfortunately, it’s not a well-balanced blend and the candy and soap elements clash rather than complement each other. It reminds me of a cheap bath bomb for kids with suspiciously colored dyes of unknown origin or carcinogen risk. one that feels rough to the touch and leaves a weird film on your skin. Despite the branding, there's nothing "ozonic" or dreamlike about this scent and I'm shocked it even claims as such. It doesn't evoke air, sky, or anything dreamlike at all, it just smells like overly sweet, synthetic candy. I found this to be one of the least disappointing scents in the Replica Familiar Fantasies line, but I still threw my decant away because of how much I dislike it. It genuinely smelled lower quality than something you'd find at Bath & Body Works. Huge waste of money even for a decant. If I had to compare it, I’d say it tries to be Angel by Mugler but fails hard but appeals to that kind of audience. Just another mainstream perfume blend being marketed with niche branding and intriguing names to get people to buy an otherwise throwable scent.

Flying over a urinal Soapy, harsh, white floral, citrusy, and synthetically sweet. It really does smell like a urinal cake, and once you detect that, you just can't unsmell it. On the bright side, it only lasts for a couple of hours. Very feminine (if that even matters at this point). 2/10

This used to be one of my all-time favorites until it became almost impossible to find. I think I had purchased some of the last bottles made available online a while back. Nevertheless, that time came to an end and I haven‘t been able to find this anywhere. Thankfully, especially for those of us who found flying sub par in performance, there is an alternative and one that is a far better performer in all aspects....sillage, longevity and filling a room. Neroli Oranger from Matierre Premier is my new favorite. It‘s unfortunately at a significantly higher price-point but it smells even better in my opinion. The floral aspect of it is stronger and it is far creamier. Again, if you like Flying, and I‘ll be clear....I did for a long-time, there is a new option out there. Go check it out and if you want to know what Flying smelled like, it‘s basically the younger, weaker brother of Neroli Oranger.