Cappadocia

Can't believe how insanely good this is (and how little buzz there is around it)! I don't detect any similarity to Rosendo Mateu No 5 and especially not to Crystal Saffron from all those listed above. Yes, there is a prominent saffron note here, and yes it is sweet, but that's about it. It smells somewhat like gently spiced cookie dough, soft, creamy, but not at all sticky or sickly sweet. To my nose the leather is there, but it doesn't remind me of anything wearable or ridable, it's just there to give this warm, plush feeling to the scent and take it away from gourmand territory. The main players are saffron and myrrh, and I am so happy they created this gentle and inviting saffron note here, so unlike what's popular on the saffron field nowadays. The perfume doesn't smell like the discontinued Saffran Troublant, but the saffron note itself reminds me of the one used in there. It's spicy, smoky, rounded, sweet and warm, I want to add it to my collection right away but I know I wouldn't wear it till October/November, I just can't imagine this working in warm weather.

Let's address the elephant in the room: this DOES NOT smell like Babycat. It's similar but no where near close enough to where BC should have most votes for "this smells like." BC is peppery, resinous, leathery, and vanillic. Cappadocia is spicy, creamy, slightly woody, clean, with a subtle hint of floral sweetness and in my opinion far superior to BC, even though I love it down bad as well. But Cappadocia....the way it makes my eyes roll back into my head! It's so unique to me. I just imagine heading to Navagio Beach on a hot day, lathering up with sunscreen, taking a swim, and then a nap under the warm sun. The sexiest of skin scents. I layer it with other fragrances sometimes to give them a certain "je ne sais quois," as the saying goes. It's in my top 3 of all time currently. Blew through a 75ml in 3 months and have another on the way. Been fortunate to find great deals for this one through resellers/discounters.

Found this in a fragrance store in Brisbane when me and my family went up there and I've never felt regret like I did when I didn't buy this fragrance. It was our last day in Brisbane and I was so damn close to buying this I just struggled to justify the price in my head so I turned the other way. Come that same night and I cannot stop thinking about how much I missed out. This is just pure comfort to me. A sweet and pillowy myrrh note accompanied by surprisingly pleasing saffron. The other resinous notes shine through here as well alongside the vanilla. I think what I love so much about this fragrance is the perfect balance. It's sweet but not too sweet. It's spicy but not too spicy. It's resinous but not too resinous. Maybe the best offering MEMO has and I swear to everything I'll get a god damn bottle of this! Comfort in a bottle excellently done by a great brand 10/10

This is INCREDIBLE. I’m normally not a fan of saffron, but it blends so seamlessly with the resins and vanilla in this. On my skin, it smells like what I imagine saffron ice cream would taste like. Despite that, it’s not cloyingly sweet which I really appreciate. One of the most warm and inviting fragrances I’ve ever smelled. Reminds me of the color sepia. Performs great, lasts really long and projects moderately! Cannot recommend this enough. Side note: 100% agree with @Loose Goose, this does NOT smell like Babycat or other incense-vanilla fragrances similar to Babycat. It lacks the pencil-shaving woodiness as well as the sharp black pepper note. Cappadocia is creamier and more rounded.

Won this through a giveaway, and boy I never expect such a beautiful and creamy wood fragrance. It is opened by a warm and soft spice of saffron, transitioned into a realistic (in a good way) leather that has a bit of creamy woody notes peeking in the background. In my skin, it dries down a creamy amber vanilla that lasts overnight. I literally sprayed this on 7pm and I can sniff the creamy note at 8 in the morning before I washed it off on a shower. Perfectly well-rounded and well-balanced. At least it performs really great in my skin. Going to treasure this bottle for sure.

I sprayed and smelt soo many perfumes in the airport before a flight as I was soo early. This and Guerlains Rose Amira are the ONLY ones that stood out to me. I sprayed soo much of this, the initial smell is not the best but the DRY DOWN, I became more and more obsessed as hours passed in my then delayed flight. I smelt like buttery, rosy saffron with the delicate myrhh and vanilla peaking through sublimely! The way this comforted me through the whole flight! Its on my wishlist now! 5/5- waiting for a sale at memo to get my hands on this!!

This is absolutely breathtaking. Creamy sandalwood, saffron and myrrh with the white jasmine, benzoin, vanilla, resins and woods making this composition a gorgeous slice of heaven in a bottle. There's no way I can successfully describe this fragrance other than to say DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS ONE! Excellent quality & performance with above average longevity & sillage. Projection is a perfect arms length & I'm telling you, you will be getting whiffs of this all day long! I'M IN LOVE! Memo, you've done it again! MASTERPIECE!

The scent of the morning air after a rain in Cappadocia. But it’s not geosmin or petrichor. It’s the scent of spices that have soaked into the sharp rocks of Cappadocia for a long time, and it feels like they’re floating in the fresh air the day after the rain. Also different from The Merchant of Venice - Queen of the Night, the Cappadocia scent is drier and has spicy leather nuances.

so much saffron, i think it's one of the most well blended saffrons that doesn't end up stinking or offending my nose so smooth i love it and the amber and frankincense WOW so soft may 11 edit: finally bought a full bottle, the orris butter note is so comforting, warm and soft so GOOD im addicted to this

Elegant and mysterious. This is yet to be discovered by everyone. I fell in love at first smell, The story that pops in my head when I smell this is; hot, spicy mysterious desert sand drifting everywhere with a hot sweet summer breeze at night.

Oh my god.Captivated by this one, actually it really teleported me to Cappadocia. Creamy - woody, with a hint of gourmand notes. Mouthwatering, yet distant. It screams born wealthy, rather than getting rich. Very nice composition.

Why are not more people talking about this? My most successful blind buy ever (I don't do a lot of blind buy). Like nothing I own. It has shot up to my top 10 favorite fragrances. TJ said it best "freaking amazing".

My favorite saffron probably because it's not done like others, I was hoping this one gets a 30ml format but by the looks of it, it will be discontinued, I'm a bit sad but it isn't worth the 70ml price.

I absolutely adore this fragrance. It’s just makes me feel happy. It’s warm, inviting, and honestly my favorite from Memo. This is truly a masterpiece.

I truly love this fragrance i didn't at first but once it matured it became a beast like wow not for everyone i dont get any complements but I love it

saw it at half price in maxaroma bought it blindly and is good if u like saffron but the nose of this perfume hasn't failed me yet

I dont think that this fragrance deserves any hate at ALL. Such a unique, good performing winter and autumn scent. 10/10

I got a sample of this and I'm addicted to the smell, I can't stop smelling my wrist. very cozy and elegant to wear.

Makes me feel like a saffron bun, which was something I hadn't realised I wanted. 10/10

Gorgeous combibation of saffron and sandalwood! Cosy, warmth and lightly sweet.

This is a sweet version of this scent profile. It can be found in numerous fragrances of which Babycat is only one. The mahonial, rose, and jasmine and the absence of styrax-benzoin make a huge difference. Cappadocia does bring to mind a warm, sunny, dry-but-not-dusty environment. There is no soap, doll-head, coconut, or salt which are plusses for me. The rose and jasmine are well blended and subtle. Despite the flowers this does not feel very “floral.” The vanilla is sweet and light but in no way is it edible! However, I personally do not really like the way mahonial (lily-of-the-valley) interacts with vanilla although it is something I smell in a lot of fragrances. Today I am also testing Merchant of Venice Vaniglia Madagascar and I am really surprised how much they have in common. The notes are very different: Vaniglia has a notable ginger note and a bit of spiciness generating comparisons to Nishane Ani. Nevertheless, the vanillas seem similar. I almost mixed them up. Between the two, Cappadocia and MOV Vaniglia, Cappadocia seems more feminine, but not by a lot. I also recently tested Lancome Hypnose and Prada Infusion de vanille and those vanillas have a similar character although the overall scents are different. Cappadocia is nice and wearable by nearly any age. It is both easy to wear and playful, definitely not for formal occasions or date night unless it is very casual. If think the price is worth the quality here. Unfortunately, samples appear nonexistent and decants are hard to find. I generally do not recommend any blind buying, but Cappadocia is so well done and inoffensive that unless someone hates this scent profile I cannot see it going wrong. I can even see it as a good introduction to the scent profile (saffron-vanilla-resins) as many of them are very, very strong with very distinct characters, as well as expensive.

Cappidocia is a great release from Memo. I think that the scent and bottle art really match the inspiration behind it. This scent is unique, warm and sweet without being overly gourmand. A unisex that is great for cooler weather and perhaps can even be great for summer as well (have to test it in the summer days). On my cool skin this smells like moderately sweet liquid or very soft caramel (probably myrrh, benzoin, and vanilla) with slight mineral note (I’m guessing saffron). Orris and sandalwood give a nice touch of creaminess, but only a slight hint. I do not detect any rose. I am usually not a huge fan of mineral notes, but here it comes off so well against that warm caramel feeling that it truly paints a picture of warm earthy-toned rocky land with soft sun gently illuminating it. To me Cappadocia has the same vibe as Kotor (they are not similar scent-wise, but they give me the same scent vibe). The performance matches that of most Memo fragrances for me; moderate to good longevity with not a huge, but noticeable sillage that gets quieter little by little as time goes on.

Don't know what type of people are more annoying. The ignorant ones that read the notes and see, for example pineapple, and immediately go "Oh it has pineapple note, I'm clicking on This reminds me of Aventus", or "Oh it has a rose note, I'm clicking on This reminds me of Portrait of a Lady" even if the perfumes are nothing alike, or the completely butthurt ones that wont admit when something clearly smells similar like the case is here. Cappadocia and YSL Babycat smell 90% alike. Now I'm sorry if you bought YSL and paid like 400$ for a 120ml thinking you are getting something unique and special so now you're angry, feeling dumb because you could pay less and smell almost the same but no matter how much you click on "Thumbs down" you are not changing that. There are folk all over internet who own both fragrances that are selling one or another because guess what.... THEY SMELL ALMOST THE SAME!

Benzoin + myrrh + a touch of incense, and saffron in generous measure. I sampled this because I’d heard it resembles my beloved Queen of the Night; yes, it echoes it, but they’re quite different. The incense-saffron profile defines its character, yet this one is far more vanillic and sweet. And powdery! Soft, cozy, winter-leaning, with no sharp edges poking the nose. I’ve been to Cappadocia; an incredible place, especially the Derinkuyu underground city but this scent is pure fairy-chimney style: dusty, warm, and plush. It smells “Cappadocia-colored” and I found it very successful. Even its considerable sweetness, not usually my thing, didn’t stop me from liking it a lot.

This scent truly reminds me of the damp, iodic, dusty, and strange air I breathed inside the fairy chimneys or wine cellars in Cappadocia. There is a very strong impression of saffron in the fragrance. I disagree with some reviewers who describe it as a sweet perfume. To me, the most prominent notes are saffron along with a dusty and perhaps slightly creamy, but not sweet, vanilla. The fragrance features an unconventional use of vanilla. Rather than a warm or sweet vanilla, it creates a more dusty and balsamic atmosphere through the use of orris, benzoin, and myrrh. This is definitely not a safe blind buy and not a scent for inexperienced noses. I liked it. 7.5/10

This perfume reminds me of my trips to Istanbul, I love it so much! It's a spicy, aromatic scent, that triggers my memories of walking through the Grand Bazaar and smelling all the spices, teas, and Turkish delights! It's not a sweet fragrance, but you can definitely smell the vanilla in the dry down. I had it for a while, and the longevity and projection are amazing. On clothes, the scent lasts even after you wash them. It reminds me in a way of Halfeti, probably because of the saffron, rose, and the myrrh accord. All in all, it's a great fragrance, Memo Paris never disappoints!

When I read the description of the perfume I thought it would be an earthy, mineral perfume drawing inspiration from the land’s characteristic geography. But after I smelled it I am convinced that the inspiration is rather coming from the historical/cultural point of view. Cappadocia is known to be home for the first christians. There are secret churches caved inside rocks and if you go there and close your eyes you can imagine smelling the myrrh and frankincense which are among the most powerful notes of this perfume. It is quite interesting, I only smelled on a blotter though.

Soft + warm. Lots of heavy notes - spices, amber, woods - but they’re done in a very cosy, rounded way, not at all sharp or harsh. It’s not listed on the notes but I get a really strong almond/marzipan scent from this. I can see others have said it smells like cake and I definitely agree with this; it’s like a sweet, spiced middle eastern pastry. It’s not really to my personal taste but I can see how people would like this.

It's a pretty nice amber fragrance with some kind of aromatic edge I can't quite put my finger on. I feel like this one leans feminine, but it is totally unisex. Great for fall and winter. Easy 8-10 hours on skin with good projection. It's a bit on the pricier side, but given what even designers are trying to charge these days the money Memo is asking for the quality they are providing is totally reasonable.

I’m generally not too fond of myrrh in fragrances but it’s done very well here and it blends wonderfully with the orris note in particular without really going to a distinctly feminine or masculine direction. I genuinely think this is one of the better releases coming from Memo.

A perfectly unisex, leathery perfume that is still managable for perfume newbies.

I was looking forward to trying this fragrance, given all the hype it receives. I purchased sizable decants of Cappadocia, along with six other Memo-Paris fragrances. To my surprise and from the various samples I tried, Cappadocia turned out to be my least favorite fragrance and my hugest disappointment. Dark, gloomy, heavy, "oily" smelling (if this makes sense). Leather. Leather, leather and more leather. Saffron and leather and myrrh. Now, I must admit leather is NOT a note I favor in fragrances, not one little bit. But I wasn't prepared for Cappadocia to be so leather-centric. The saffron, benzoin and myrrh coupled with the orris root make this fragrance smell like walking into an old "cobbler's" shop. Or a shoe-maker's shop. A shoe-repair store. Remember those? I'm rather old but I vividly recall the small in these small shops. I dislike gender categorizing fragrances. I say "wear what you love, when you love it, whenever you want to wear it." But if I had to place Cappadocia in a gender category for sake of this review, I'd say it DEFINITELY is masculine leaning. I love this house. I own several full bottles of Memo-Paris fragrances. But for me, Cappadocia is very disappointing.

I smelled this without seeing the notes and thought it was a sweet leather with some rose and resins, I was very surprised to see it has absolutely no leather. Very strong staying power like with many other memo perfumes.

A match struck too close to your face, an acrid burst that reeks of charred metal and overworked stovetop, a frying pan left on the flame until it smokes. Cappadocia, ladies and gentlemen. As mentioned by some below, the first breath is unkind: spicy, yes, but not graceful. Think more, like, a harsh slap of peppercorns ground against scorched iron. Yeowch... And it does soften, sure. The smog diffuses to unveil a darker heart of resin-soaked florals—incense drifting through hot rose petals, as if a temple’s altar were heaped with jasmine and myrrh. The sweetness is balsamic, the flowers? Oriental, heavy, rich in their own gravity. But gee, I'm still put off— I reckon that pungent metal tang seriously lingered too long. Memo says landscapes of sun-baked stone andancient winds, but presents something more chaotic kitchen disaster than mystical terrain. A dramatic turn into resin and blossom, yes, but all you'll remember is the burn.

I have to say this is my worst blind buy from Memo, yet all the other Memo I blind bought were gorgeous and phenomenal. The opening smells like a burned frying pan, and it stays that way for a solid hour. The dry down was better, but I just can't justify spending $90-130 for this particular Memo. Now this bottle will just sit on my shelf and collect dust until I give it away to a friend or family member, who might like this scent profile.

I do not like it. To me, Memo Cappadocia smells like the inside of a Persian restaurant, and I happen to be sitting right next to the kitchen where they plate the dishes and bake pita bread. I love Persian food, but I don’t exactly want to wear it.

2/10 headache inducing heavy artifical sweetness like the carpet of a persian restaurant would smell if you got up close didn't get a 0 cause I could use it to attack people

A beautiful fragrance alone, but if you are looking for something very close to YSL Babycat, this is not the fragrance to go for. For me, they are definitely similar, but can still be easily distinguished even without side by side comparison. Cappadocia has a very clear saffron note and do not have the vanilla which is one of the signature notes in Babycat. With the spices being the closest part(imo), they also have differences that are quite easy to notice. This ones much less peppery than Babycat for me, and I'd say the spice in Babycat is generally more soft. If you are a fan of Babycat, and want to look for an alternative that has a similar touch, but different enough to not be redundant, this is a good fragrance to go for. However I'd still pick Babycat for mass appeal tho, as saffron is not everyones thing.

A beautiful blind buy. It reminds me of passing by the mountains/desert on the way to my home country while growing up in Saudi Arabia. The brown stones were dry and a little dusty. I have been to Cappadocia once and I can imagine this fitting the vibe. It opens dry and saffron heavy, actually reminds of Oh La La from Teo Cabanel without the sweetness. Over 6 hours, I kept getting whiffs of it, the last hour or so became powdery and a little sweet, for the first time in the fragrance time. I really enjoy it, despite the dryness leaves only little playfulness until it gets sweeter and more sensual. A stoic oriental person would wear this, and give badass vibes. I started thinking about scents as levels, this is certainly a little advanced, casuals and beginners may not appreciate it.

Gave this one a full wearing today outdoors from a 10 ml decant. Basically this is in the same vein as YSL Babycat which I own and enjoy. This one is a bit softer in the way the saffron is used and a bit sweeter with a buttery dry down where baby cat has the saffron amped up a bit more and there is a clear sued leather note connected to the vanilla. So if you’re choosing between the two you can decide whether you like the suede dry down or the buttery sandalwood. Ultimately they are extremely similar I’d say men would probably enjoy the YSL more as the sues note tips into a more masculine feel. I love both. FYI if your in the U.S or basically North America the Memo can be found at the 150 mark at discounters since Babycat is a bit difficult to find.

Cappadocia by Memo Paris has triumphantly entered my little heart from the first second. How adorable this sweet fragrance is, that saffron at the beginning is as fantastic as a stolen kiss, it's magical. A perfect combination of saffron smell and super creamy leather. It's addictive, an addictive sweet that's not heavy, it's as inviting and airy as a hot air balloon ride over Cappadocia. Yes, a luxury cake with the most delicious ingredients, super good feelings with this one when you love slightly smoky perfumes. Don't be afraid of the smell of leather, it's just the first time, and even those who don't like leather will like it. I love its refined and bewitching creaminess. Let's go to Türkiye right now!

I see why people compare this to Rosendo Mateau No. 5. Im not a fan of the opening of Cappadocia, but the drydown is quite similar to Rosendo Mateau No. 5. This stage of Cappadocia is very nice, and very smooth and well blended. However the amber present in Rosendo Mateau is noticeably absent in Cappadocia. In Cappadocia the musk & jasmine takes over in the drydown, whereas in Rosendo Mateau, the amber takes over in the drydown. Consequently, since I dislike jasmine altogether, I prefer Rosendo Mateau No. 5 due to the amber/ambroxan note, but I'd still give this an 8.5 in the drydown because its generally very well done and quite pleasant smelling.

Realistic, almost edible, saffron that gorgeously still leans into its savoury and mildly spicy nature in spite of the constant wafts of subtle vanilla and sandalwood. First time I've been dumbfounded by a gourmand, let alone a savoury-leaning one, but the representation of saffron is absolutely beautiful, smelling just the way it does in real food, yet somehow not being outwardly offensive as a fragrance. This smells nothing like the vanilla/resin fragrances listed in the "reminds me of" section, it's not some basic sweet scent. Source: 1.5ml Official Sample Date of Purchase: 26/12/2024

Cappadocia is a polarizing scent for me. Positively, it has a delicious saffron-floral accord. It gets almost addictive when it blends with vanilla in the drydown. Negatively, it has a floral-woody accord which makes me wash it off immediately. It smells like a jasmine-lily mixture mixed with woods dipped in sea-salt. This is dominant for the first 5-6 hours. I really dislike that dreadful smell. I would never compare Cappadocia with Babycat because the suede accord in Babycat is 100x better than the woody floral dash in Cappadocia. Don't buy this thinking it is similar to Babycat.

Saffron, Myrrh, orris, incense...these are the notes I can perceive the most. On my skin this is not sweet or vanillic, I don't know why some people get the impression that it smells like Babycat, I wonder if it is a Batch issue? I love Babycat but I don't get anything like it from Cappadocia. I wonder if this has a leather note? something smells like leather in the drydown. I think this scent probably suits men better. It is smooth and very elegant but I don't think this is feminine at all. Unisex leaning to masculine is a bit of a stretch... Handsome men scent.

Resinous, spicy without being overly done with a a creaminess and sweetness coming from the benzoin and the orris butter that makes it absolutely impossible to stop sniffing it .I am in loove.First MEMO I fell in love with was Kotor, after I smelled all the Memo fragrances from the discovery kit and I wanted to say this brand is not for me I had the chance to put my nose on Kotor and was love from the first sniff. Absolutely the same happend here. I am head over heels for this one. I know what I will purchase next.

So weird...I have been reading about Cappadocia a lot lately in the context of somehow finding myself teaching Earth Science this year. Then this delightful combination of notes appears. I must come up with a rationale for getting my nose on this because the notes look astounding. Cappadocia's geology is astounding. I like the way Memo names scents after unusual places such as Marfa and Sintra. And now Cappadocia. Orris root and resins...mmmm.

Delicious saffron, frankincense, sandalwood and vanilla. Warm, creamy, sweet, spicy and resinous. It’s so comforting and cozy. Loved it from the moment I first set my nose on it. I keep a thoroughly Cappadocia saturated Memo blotter card in my leather wallet and when I open it there’s a blissful whiff of the most gorgeous, velvety, warm, sweet leather, sandalwood and vanilla fragrance emanating from it. A remarkable fragrance.

This starts off with the most realistic smelling saffron note I’ve smelled so far. After that it mixes with the frankincense, just like it did in Queen of The Night (which makes sense, same perfumer). Saffron stays the most prominent note in Cappadocia and it’s quite lovely. Edit: Gave me a headache. I really really adore saffron dominant fragrances, but they sometimes seem to give me headaches.

I'm passing my sample of Cappadocia on to my friend who can rock this type of rich, deep 'eastern' fragrance which straddles the line of masculine and feminine, sensual and elegant. As averse as I am to leathery perfumes (yes, to me the note of saffron reads as very leathery), I can tell that this scent is gorrrrgeous on the right person. It is similar to Babycat but I find it much better.