Madurai

I was wearing this perfume many times before I wrote my statement and every time I experienced this scent in the same kind of way. Luckily after a couple of days a sample was still on the table and I was thinking "now I try it one more time because I can't understand my opinion which differs so much from other people's opinions". And I'm so happy I gave it one more chance. This was originally my short statement: "Sadly on my skin Clary Sage, Marigold and Curcuma dominate so it’s herbal, spicy, aromatic, a tad bitter instead of fruity, white floral beauty." I rated the scent as 5 instead of the current 9. I described the scent with the following words: sharp, spicy, herbal, aromatic, unpleasant and now it's totally opposite so please give it another chance, or even the 3rd, 4th or 5th. Suddenly subtle sophisticated Peach emerged from the scent, as did beautiful white florals on a creamy base. Peach is very realistic and juicy first but but it fades away quite quickly and stays in the background the rest of the time. Jasmine is gorgeous, it's so pretty and I like that it's prominent instead of Tuberose. This scent is primarily a velvety soft Jasmine scent. There is a little bit of same kind of vibe here than in "Tamarindo | Memo Paris" but Tamarindo is distinctly tropical because of Pineapple and it's sweeter because of Vanilla and Benzoin in the base. Madurai never gets too sweet since the base is woody with a delicate hint of Suede. In Madurai Peach is barely there after the opening whereas in Tamarindo Peach is in the middle notes and it's detectable until the dry down. This is very elegant and attractive scent, suitable for office work since it's hard to imagine it would bother anyone. About the connection between the scent itself and the place: Madurai is one of the many temple towns in India. Madurai offers a captivating blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage. Beyond the magnificent temples and bustling streets, this region is blessed with picturesque waterfalls, lush forests, majestic hills, and charming hill stations, beckoning nature enthusiasts from all corners of the globe. Now I absolutely love this beauty and I need a bottle of it. I will get my bottle of "Flåm | Memo Paris" tomorrow so I think I will compare that one as well with Tamarindo and Madurai later. They are definitely the different kind of scents but the vibe in them is somewhat same Flåm being the most intimate one. Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate a lot if you want to follow me on IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more. 🤗

First impression after spraying my branded sample on skin: very fruity peach, light and effervescent not punchy/juicy. Made me think of both Parle Moi de Parfum Chypre Mojo (for the almost fizzy vibe) and Sunset Hour by Goldfield and Banks (the opening fruity bubbliness and perhaps a soft sandalwood crossover). Once dried down reminds me of Fleur Narcotique, which makes sense looking at similarities in the notes of the two. No notable spice to me (the turmeric equally intrigued and concerned me, as I'm not usually a fan of overtly spicy frags, however I was also interested to see if subtle spiciness with many notes I love would help put a twist on a more run of the mill fruity floral). There also isn't any discernible strong base to this either in that the scent feels quite light throughout. UPDATE 09/05/2023: This wasn't love at first sniff for me, I liked it but was slightly underwhelmed. However, when I found myself pulling apart my sample to get the tiniest drop left out, I knew I'd been slowly charmed by this one. I bought a bottle and it's now a love for me after having worn it quite a few times. I definitely pick up on the earthy turmeric, sandalwood and suede which give this a comforting vibe which goes really well with the freshness of the peach. I don't get any noticeable florals still which is odd - I'm a big fan of both jasmine and tuberose yet can't pick them out here at all. I usually don't like suede but this is the first scent I find it not only palatable, but positively pleasant in. This lasts a long time on my skin and clothes, currently I've been wearing it for 12 hours and I can smell it around me easily so sillage is moderate to strong too. I'm going through a big peach love at the moment and definitely think this really does the note well without it being juvenile or sweet, it's an adult peach with a restraint and sophistication that I think can be quite rare.

A holy obelisque dedicated to white flowers. Even for people who love flower scents. This can be a bit too much. NEVER blind buy this. This is a smell that leans heavily towards feminine side. Though, I use it as a man. It opens up incredibly fresh with THREE different kinds of jasmine. Then, a symphony of flowers is now accompanied by some fruitiness and a relatively minor fresh spice with turmeric. Though this scent is also marketed as a suede fragrance it comes in very late +3-4 hr mark and even then is not overly present. As a feminine scent, this feels like the perfume to be worn by social bloomers. It represents a very vivid character. Women who are themselves cheerful and give people around them joy and plenty of laughter. Hence, this perfume is the embodiment of spring as the season of blossom and livelihood. When used by a man, It is not a question of "What sort of man would wear this perfume?". It is more of a "What statement does a man make when wearing this scent?". For me, that remark is "Hope". This smells like it signals new beginnings. A new job, a new business venture, a new love, and a new life. It is still very much the same perfume, and it feels still in theme. After all what more signals a new life, than the season the earth once back revives. For the entirety of spring, you can wear this in confidence at all times. For early/late summer this still stands a very good option. However, this perfume is LOUD. So I do not recommend it to be worn on very hot summer days. It still remains an incredibly good option for early autumn. Though I believe the intensity is sufficient to be worn in winter, the smell feels so out of reality that I do not recommend this in winter at all. But, If you feel like you have an occasion for this go for it I don't think it will disappoint you. For example, an 18th birthday.

Otherwise, Fragrantica is a great predictor of whether I will like a perfume or not. The law of large numbers makes sense - what's bad for most people will very likely be bad for me, and vice versa. That's why I was surprised by the comments about this perfume. Madurai is a really beautiful perfume that doesn't compete or aggressively try to prove it. Personally, I avoid jasmine big time, but here - I can't get enough of it. Proof that notes that normally do not suit you in some perfumes can be beautifully combined and attractive. I wore it yesterday, today I can still feel it on my clothes. And even though it's mostly reduced to suede and sandalwood, it still has a sparkling lightness that I feel, which I attribute to jasmine and fruity notes. Maybe marigold, that humble but oh-so-beautiful flower, gives some pastel balance to jasmin? Don't know. But this fragrance works perfectly for me. I don't sense any synthetic or screechy tones. Is it a perfume that will dominate the room? Probably not. (I'm not an oversprayer.) Is it a perfume that will subtly, discreetly and elegantly remind you that it is there, all day long - certainly. For me, Madurai is the perfect fragrance that proves that a perfume can always dissuade and disarm you - even if you approach it with a firmly defined attitude that you don't like certain notes. This is probably the charm of trying new perfumes... Unisex fragrance, my husband likes it. My guess is that everyone who likes decent, balanced and elegant fragrances will like it. Those looking for the weird, the loud, the different and the extravagant are likely to keep looking further. #nostrilsfullworthy

Bahrain Airport 26.06.2024 While this is definitely a spring and summer fragrance, I can see this being used in the first week or two of Autumn. The stall stated the notes are “Indian Turmeric Essence, Sambac Jasmine Absolute, and Peach”. I think Gaël Montero has wonderfully struck a balance between the light sweetness of the jasmine and peach and the heavier spices. The turmeric and sandalwood are not overwhelming at all, but it’s evident that both the jasmine and peach are working to counteract it. In my opinion the fragrance leans more towards the sweet side, thus making it a nice daytime summer fragrance. This is all in the few seconds after spraying it on paper though; as for how it changes over time and how it will smell on my skin, I have no clue. I didn't make a note of the exact price either, but I am familiar with the Memo price range, so I will definitely have to experience this fragrance thoroughly before considering buying it. A note on the bottle too; while the print itself is pretty, the bottle itself does not feel very nice. I would be lying if I said that I don't care about the bottles perfumes come in, and while in this case I'm not deterred from the fragrance itself because of the bottle, I do wish the bottle was a bit better for the price it is at.