Escapade Gourmande

Escapade Gourmande is probably one of the most refined gourmand fragrances that I have encountered. I am fairly particular when it comes to gourmand scents, especially sweet ones, because many of them make me feel nauseated. Escapade Gourmande is definitely not one of those fragrances. Yes, it is sweet but it is not tooth-achingly sweet, nor is it too gooey or thick. To me, it is a luxurious and realistic take on crème brûlée. The scent trail it leaves stays true to that impression (I know this because I got compliments regarding it). Despite being gourmand, it is quite airy and projects well. Despite being airy, it is long lasting (I smelled it on my skin 10+ hours later and on clothing days later). As far as comparisons go, I think that it resides in the same family as, and is on par with the quality of, Jovoy’s Fire at Will and Indult’s Tihota, but is not identical to either of them. People are comparing this fragrance to more affordable fragrances like B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar. While I can agree that they are in the same family of fragrances, giving off a similar(ish) vibe, I think there is a huge disparity in the quality and longevity. Warm Vanilla Sugar (and other body sprays) and affordable vanilla scents (like perfumes that you can find at Target, for example) tend to smell like alcohol on first blast, while fragrances like Escapade Gourmande, Fire at Will, and Tihota do not at all. Affordable members of this genre don’t last long and smell more synthetic and inexpensive. Don’t get me wrong, I have, and enjoy, Warm Vanilla Sugar and SoliNotes Vanille (they are great affordable choices) but they are not the same quality as Escapade Gourmande. I think the best affordable member of this family of fragrances is the Vanilla Musk Perfume oil from Nemat, as it does not smell inexpensive, even though it is available at Whole Foods for a decent price; but, due to it being an oil, it lacks in projection. To be honest, I do not understand the comparison to Pink Sugar though. Perhaps that is because Pink Sugar has the licorice facet that none of the aforementioned fragrances have, smells burnt (not caramelized), and is less airy. I also don’t get the comparison to Kayali’s Vanilla 28. Vanilla 28 is much darker and heavier. In my opinion, Escapade Gourmande is one of the best of its kind. The only apprehension I have is the price (which isn’t a con unique to this perfume), but I will probably purchase it at some point, because I love it so much.

I don't know how someone can smell a perfume called Escapade GOURMANDE and then get mad that it's sweet and creme brulee-y and a sugar overdose??? Like are you dense lol. Anyway I may have left a review before, I cant remember lol but I finally purchased a full size after savoring my Scent Split sample for months and I'm so happy with it! Such a deep delicious custard-y creme brulee with the burnt sugar on top. It smells like a rich dessert made with the finest egg yolks flavored with the finest vanilla. It does remind me of OLD SCHOOL B&BW Vanilla Bean Noel, before it became disgusting and plastic-y. Back in the 00s it was so good. Also def has qualities of Nemat Vanilla Musk. I do think this is very gourmand but it's not sickeningly sweet like Bianco Latte is, and I'd say it's also better than Amore Caffe. It's less sweet than both of those. While this is custardy vanilla, I dont get a caramel vibe from it which I am happy about because caramel notes tend to smell maple syrup-y to me andI hate that. The lasting quality and silage is surprisingly good! I feel like I can barely smell it when I first spray then it blossoms as it sits on my skin and clothes. I love the heaviness and overall quality of the beautiful bottle too. It looks absolutely stunning on my vanity.

I’ve been wearing Escape Gourmand for a while and I love it, but I had one other contender competing towards my affections, but I’ll come to that... Firstly, let’s focus on Escapade Gourmand. I love it: it’s praline with sponge cake and caramel but with an almond/tonka/Play-Doh note. On my skin it’s rich, golden and sparkles with a little Allspice, but sometimes that almond note isn’t my favourite. My favourite almond fragrance is Dans Paris as it’s light and airy but with Escapade Gourmand being a sweeter and richer syrupy scent in comparison, the almond note is a tiny bit too-much and unnecessary. I wouldn’t have knocked this aspect until Lattafa’s Eclaire came into my life. Eclaire is basically Escape Gourmand but without the almond note and is much cheaper. I’ve been going back and forth between the 2 scents (I’m currently wearing both on each wrist to compare) and I finally think that I prefer Eclaire. But Gourmand Escape certainly deserves its place in the gourmand hall of fame. Update: I’ve been wearing this again and I’m now aware of a sour cheesecake note. It’s a sour dairy cream cheese scent that’s sweet but slightly tangy. I’m not keen on this gourmand balance of sweetness and acidity.

i'll never understand the negative comments this perfume gets, this has to be one of my favourite vanilla fragrances. it's perfect for just wearing on it's own, or layering. definitely my most versatile gourmand fragrance, i'm always gonna defend escapade gourmande! it smells so gorgeous delicious. it's this sugary, caramelised burnt sugar goodness. i don't think it smells synthetic at all honestly. i saw someone compare this too the crackly part on-top of a creme brûlée and i couldn't agree more. also reminds me of freshly made & whipped vanilla icing covered in caramelised sugar then flamed, or a brown sugar croissant that's just been overcooked slightly. it's just such a delicious scent without being cloying to me. the compliments i've gotten from this have been endless too! also, the longevity is amazing. it's one of the top three performing gourmands i have. usually lasts around 10 hours, but even longer if i layer it with a few body products. i knew i'd love this so much, got a sample then instantly bought a full bottle 4 days later after wearing it non stop. me and escapade gourmand have been inseparable for months now, us against the world fr

Sampling Maison Mataha Escapade Gourmande, a decant gourmand of sugar, vanilla, tonka, and musk, with an overall caramel-like vibe, very much a sort of burnt/brown sugar crossover with caramel, but very elegantly done, not too heavy or dense or sharp. There are hints of caramel and cream, but arguably not the insistence of either, with burnt sugary tonka aspect being front-and-center. It’s very well done, a gourmand that’s not overwrought but rather classily restrained while still being quite rich. It’s a nice achievement. My logical comparison, given that I tried both for the first time on the same occasion, is RDZ Parfums’ latest release, Flan, inspired by the dish of the same name, and Flan is a bit more intense overall, whereas Escapade Gourmande, still rich, leans toward being a little smoother and delicate, though either option would satisfy serious fans of their (I’d argue) somewhat similar profiles. Escapade Gourmande is extrait concentration and priced at $215 for 100ml, sold in the US at great boutiques like Perfumology. I think the value is very high, given the cost per volume, strong performance, and overall quality. 8 out of 10

This smells really different to me than Amore Cafe. Amore Cafe isn't really vanilla custardy note centered it's more like a Speculoos cookie scent with hints of amaretto and coffee. In this one the vanilla is a lot more dense and custard-y. Like I swear I smell rich delicious egg yolks (but in a good way, like the kind that add richness to a dessert). It smells like the most delicious decadent dense creamy creme brulee, the kind that has flecks of vanilla bean. It smells like Vanilla Bean Noel from B&BW a bit, but not the current one. Like the delicious version from over ten years ago that smelled dense and rich. Smells way better than Bianco Latte too, Bianco Latte smells way too overpowering and almost candle-like at times. This is a lot softer and prettier. VERY sweet and gourmand but not as gourmand as Bianco Latte. I can see it being similar to Nemat Vanilla Musk except just imagine that with a custardy egg yolk note and you have this.

This, Cirque de Soleil, and Narcoticas Happy Dust are of the best, sweet fluffy vanillas I’ve ever gotten my nose on. EG smells like granulated brown sugar and sweet vanilla. It’s both fluffy and dense. A sophisticated vanilla and all grown up. It reminds me distinctly of the sugar that gets blow torched on the top of crème brûlée. Specifically the burnt sugar, including the granular bite you get from it. It is indeed very expensive, but it lasts long enough on my skin/clothes to consider the FB purchase. It’s a comforting, warm, sugary, happy, and soothing scent. It has dimension, but is not complex. It’s everything you want in an everyday sweet vanilla perfume. It perfect for snuggling into bed, the winter time, a date, down time, and family time. It’s completely inoffensive and does not provoke a headache. It is not cloying, but it does have that slight playdoh scent that everyone else mentioned- I don’t mind it.

This is AMAZING. Out of the six samples I bought this one was the only one that actually blew me away. Contrary to popular belief this actually doesn’t smell like the burnt sugar topping of a creme brûlée (actually maybe a bit but there’s nothing burnt about it, it’s just sweet and creamy). To my nose it smells like a high quality vanilla and caramel gelato accompanied by baristas making coffee in the background. Smelling this was so nostalgic to when I would go to the gelato shops as a kid in Italy. It’s so creamy and airy at the same time that it doesn’t bother my nose which is so important for me. I am obsessed with it and can’t wait to test it out fully when the time comes. It smells so high quality too and it’s so strong!!! Also, this is what I literally expected Bianco latte to smell like lol. It deserves the hype that BL gets. This is actually addictive and enticing whereas BL is meh.

This is one of those dislike to love journey for me. Upon first spray, this is very underwhelming. I almost couldn’t smell anything at all, but then I let it settle and thought “something smells very nice”. Sweet without being cloying. I really love this once it warms up on skin. I think this will be great for layering as well. I don’t get the Bianco Latte comparison. I find BL nauseating. Sharp and synthetic. This is smooth and sweet. It’s a bit simple for its price point but I think it does smell like expensive vanilla. I’m very picky with my vanilla, especially with it being a popular note at the moment, there are way too many sub par, cheap smelling vanillas out there. I wouldn’t recommend people to purchase it unless you are obsessed. On me, this scent is eternal and doesn’t go away until laundry day.

Escapade Gourmande reminds me of a vanilla buttercream macaron and I love it. It is definitely sweeter than Fire at Will but they are similar in a sense that they are both light, airy and fluffy vanillas yet somewhat fleeting. If the mimosa note bothered you in Fire at Will, please check this one out. The vanilla dries down and resembles Tihota's base. I think this vanilla can be worn all year round and will be great as someone's signature scent. Does this beat my favourite vanilla, Tihota? No, but it's currently the runner up. This also lasted over 15 hours on my skin making it the longest lasting vanilla in my collection.

I've had this for quite a while now. The vanilla is much deeper now and it also seems to last much longer. Also the musk is much stronger now...it is a sweet musk not a dusty one .. its very dense I use this to layer some of the darker, moodier scents that I have. It is nice. I have a bottle im almost done with and a back up bottle. I don't know if I'll repurchase when I finish my bottles but I don't seem to need to spray as much as I did in the beginning. The vanilla def gets stronger-- I'll get all day usage with just 2 sprays now when before I had to keep reapplying thus wasting a lot of my first bottle smh.

Okay I am a vanilla gourmand lover, can't have enough of them tbh. I purchased this a couple years ago when the hype first started. The scent is beautiful but the longevity and projection is rather poor especially for this price point & it being niche. It's improved a touch with age but it's still basically gone by the 3 hour mark. Now I don't expect every $200+ fragrance to be a beast by any means, they don't have to be loud projection but at least gimme 6+ hours of wear. Definitely won't be a repurchase once I run out. Lovely scent but poor performance for price point. Wouldn't recommend.

For the first 10 minutes or so, this starts with an oddly enticing burnt sugar note. Like standing in the kitchen making caramel and getting it a bit too brown. It then settles into what I would consider to be one of the most accurate sugar scents I've ever encountered. It's just shy of cotton candy, but the light caramel vanilla background makes it slightly richer and more complex. It's incredibly addictive. I can't stop smelling my wrist. I bought a decant from Lucky, but will be buying a full bottle. This is gorgeous alone and would be killer layered with a myriad of gourmands.

Burnt sugar, vanilla, marzipan, and something a bit boozy, like spiced dark rum. The opening smells similar to Choco Musk. Except Choco Musk is a tube of Smarties next to Escapade Gourmand, which is a Michelin star dessert by comparison. FWIW, I am not a fan of the hyperreal gourmand trend that currently has a chokehold on perfumery. This however is a very grown up gourmand. It's incredibly impressive and I would reach for this on a date night or for a sexy evening. My man loves this on my skin. Will see how I feel about purchasing a full bottle once I've used up my sample.

I decided to try this and Bianco Latte to see which one I would like better. Omg, I was blown away by the performance of this frag; nothing, and I mean nothing, lasts on me more than 6 hours, not even MFK or Tom Fords, but this... I sprayed this at night at around 7pm, woke up at 6am to get ready for work, and it was still there!!!! Not only on my clothes but on my skin!!! Absolutely brilliant!!! Bianco Latte is lovely but gives me more of a milk vibe, whereas, with this one, I get this amazing sugary vanilla! Will 100% buy the full bottle once I'm done with the 10ml.

This is a solid gourmand, but nothing special. To me, it smells just like Vanilla 28 at the opening, then Vanilla Musk for the dry down. At first its a burnt sugar, then it settles into a beautiful vanilla musk. This is exactly how I want to smell all the time. But, I won't be purchasing a full bottle since it's so similar to others. Do yourself a favor and buy a Nemat International Vanilla Musk roller ball for $20 and get the exact same dry down. The only downside of that fragrance is that its one dimensional. But the one dimension is so good you can't complain!

I bought the sample and right away purchased a full 100ml bottle. It’s trending for a reason. It’s such a beautiful brown sugar, crème brûlée type of fragrance. It’s such an elevated gourmand caramel scent. Every time I wear it, I’m told I smell so good! There was a fire fighter knocking on my door asking for the super and I just sprayed this on for work. I stepped outside and guided him and he said I’m sorry but you smell so Good! Like this is not pink sugar by aqualina it does not smell synthetic and it’s a beast. Like it lasts. Highly highly recommend

To me this smells like what I expected Bianco Latte to smell like :)) The latter smelled somewhat weird to me, behind the sweet vanilla it had a harsh and even dusty scent which put me off. Escapade gourmande smells softer, a little milky even, not in the 'smells like milk' way, but a soft, calm scent. I love that because most gourmand fragrances are too sweet for me, this one it a bit more tame. It's like adding butter to a dessert lol it just feels more put together, rich but soft

So far both of the maison mataha fragrances I've tried are super reminiscent of childhood and induce a really joyous nostalgia. On my skin, at first escapade gourmande smells like those extremely soft, cheap, frosted sugar cookies that are generic brand at the grocery store. Then over time it smells like sütlaç which is kind of similar to creme brulee. I actually love smelling like this even though I don't wanna eat that stuff as an adult as much lol

Sooo simple, but perfect gourmand creation, yet one of my favourites. The sugary vanilla note is the strongest, but there has to be some caramel panna cotta, or something, which makes the composition warmer, softer. I can't detect any underlying cough syrup note from benzoin, so I'm happy with it. Unfortunately not long-lasting at all, which is sad compared to its sky-high price. At least it comes in 100 ml packing, so at least I can bathe in it :D