Maja

One of the top favourite fragrances of my small collection and possibly the cheapest too. This perfume does not even slightly, smell cheap, the opposite in fact, it is so unique and distinctive that it punches WAY above its price. It smells of carnation, clove and other warm baking spices. I also get Turkish Delight, the rosy pink one that is dusted in powdered sugar and exquisitely wrapped in waxy tissue in a box that is like a jewel box. The powdered sugar note introduces another powdery olfactory memory, that of granny's dressing table drawer, sweet, musky, grown-up, ladylike. I picture a beautiful elegant and mysterious Fado singer or Flamenco dancer at her dressing table before a show, dabbing Maja on her neck, and she would definitely have the beautiful Maja dusting powder on her dressing table too. This perfume has the magical chameleonic ability to be the fresh cologne you want in Summer but also the spicy, cosy aura you crave in Winter. I have pretty much the full scent suite; the perfume, the talcum powder, the deodorant and the body cream. There is also shower gel, liquid soap and tablet soap available. I can confirm that the complementary products smell exactly like the perfume which cannot always be said about body creams etc. The black and red packaging on the range is very classy and vintage style and makes them very giftable. Good gifts for lovers of all things vintage. My only complaint with Maja is that I would love the option of a more intense incarnation of the perfume which sadly wears off rather quickly. I would also favour a 30ml bottle that would be handbag friendly. I will have Maja in my collection and weekly rotation for as long as I can obtain it. Highly Recommended.

Lucky me! Groupon had a"deal" on Maja. I DID NOT buy it, but something tickled my memory. I remembered these fantastic soaps my grandmother and mother had. ...and then remembered the pretty much "nearly" empty bottle of Maja, sticky, resinous, and strong smelling just from the perfume's use, sitting for years on my mother's dresser, most likely handed down from my Grandmother from her travels in Europe. After closing the Groupon app, I went off in search of that bottle which has nestled in one drawer or another reminding me of my mother and grandmother both, and my "genes" for loving perfume. There it was, and now is in my hands. My bottler is simple with a label that says Spain and made in Mallorca, Barcelona with a street address. The cap is red, lettering red (actually brickish red), juice is amber brown red and thick with age, not green. It is heaven in a bottle, very thick, sticky and syrupy and after decades, going strong just from my touching the bottle where perfume has leaked. Merely by touch transfer of hand to bottle to my neck, I get a spicy amber, carnation, somewhat sweet scent like honey and tobacco, rose powder, even trace tuberose, incense!, sandal wood, touch of orange flower, very light patchouli, wood smells overall, and other florals my nose cannot identify. It is simultaneously spicy, soft, powdery, old fashioned in the best way. Longevity is'till the next day. The 80s went for this in perfume. But this is far grander. For those of you who remember Vallee Des Rois, this has an echo in the dry down only (not at all in beginning), or vice versa since VDR came much later in 90's. I'm so glad I found this gem again.

I don't know what the original Maja smelled like so I can't comment on that. However, the one I have, which I assume is the reformulated, is unlike any other fragrance I have. I've been wearing it for over a week so I could think about the scent because so many people say they do not care for it. It starts off really strong(at least the husband says so)so now I spray it into the lid and dab it on but once it calms down, it is really exceptional (after a couple of minutes). It doesn't fit neatly into any category. It's not flowery, not classically oriental, or musky. At once, it has a citrus-y masculine scent, then a burst of flowers comes from nowhere, then woody spicy incense. Even after several hours the different scents will reappear for a time. My husband really likes this one. I asked him what he thought of it and he said it is like from a different time but is not old-fashioned or "old-lady-ish" although I may comment here that one needs to remember that just because we smell certain scents on older women does not mean that these women were always old, know what I mean? I think that since Maja is hard to pin down, people may have trouble liking it because you don't know what to expect. I really, really like it for being so unusual and it is really pretty in all it's facets. This fragrance certainly has character, which is something I always look for in fragrances and is sorrowfully lacking in many newer fragrances. I feel bad that many of the women on this board miss the old Maja and I can certainly appreciate that. All I know is what I smell and this fragrance is interesting, pretty, and complex.

I have a recent bottle that now has macerated for 1.5 years. I haven’t worn it much, because the lasting power was so bad. I’m happy to say that it is so much stronger and better lasting now! This is a very beautiful fragrance. It’s surprisingly complex and elegant, especially given the price point. The version I own is light and airy and I think it’s most suitable for spring and summer, for its cologne like qualities. It has a soapy quality, without smelling like soap the way most other soapy scent do. I think I mainly recognise it as soapy, because it smells like Maja soap, and I probably subconsciously remember that from my childhood, perhaps from my grandmas house. It’s very addictive. It smells classy, clean and fresh, without ever smelling generic. The spices give it some depth and body, in an otherwise very translucent and delicate fragrance. I believe vintage versions may be a lot more spicy, and dark, and I’m interested in layering it with spicy fragrances (thinking of Kenzo Jungle l’Elephant and Mancera Red Tobacco for starters), to create a deeper version for autumn and winter. All in all this is a great choice and definitely worth the money, even the newer versions. For the humble price, you can’t really go wrong, and it’s such an inoffensive fragrance that it’s a pretty safe blind buy. I do recommend letting it macerate for a very long time (a year or so), because the lasting power on a new bottle is atrocious. Happy to say that the juice does get more potent the longer it sits.

Maja is one of the MOST deliciously musty, dusty, rosy, powdery, sharp, step-back-into-the-past scents around. I do not know what the current scent smells like, but if you can find a vintage bottle of the eau de cologne or eau de toilette, and you're someone like me who takes pleasure at such ancient scents, you'll adore this. This is one of the sharpest orientals out there. Although it's not listed in the notes, Maja has a very animalic quality as well - smelling it, I'm reminded of that strange but alluring smell of old lipsticks; a kind of rich and oily scent more akin to ambergris than anything. This is a scent that perfume historians could love, it has such an historic quality to it. I've always loved all scented things made by Myrurgia, which I trace back to my first trip to Spain when I was in college and bought some shaving soap from El Corte Ingles in Barcelona. The smell of that soap stayed with me for years. I notice that Myrurgia puts just a hint of sandalwood in everything they make, giving their scents that quality of the orient and north Africa that is distinct to them. Glorious old stuff!

This is unbelievably pleasant. I get mostly rose/geranium, carnations, and soapy lavender. A bright, but non-descript citrus is present as well. The spicy notes come off aromatic like black pepper yet somehow cold. There's also something dry and sophisticated like leather lingering in the background and a good hint of natural smelling, sweet, earthy tobacco (not the kind that smells like unlit cigarettes). There is absolutely a nostalgic quality to this fragrance, even for a Non-Latin, North-American person. That being said, it's totally still wearable. I actually don't find it to be similar to any other oriental. I get no cloying amber, thick resin or smokey incense from this at all. In fact, it smells a bit more like a peppery rose/carnation aquatic, or a lightweight, rose chypre. Imagine Diva without all that animalic skank, pissy honey and tuberose. I definitely would like to try the soap as well. My only complaint is that the current formulation could stand to be a bit stronger. Then again, I tend to go overboard with application so maybe it's for the best lol.

All of us bookish, nerdy college girls wore this stuff in the 1960's. Probably the best dime store/drug store fragrance ever. Absolutely adult, without being obvious. You don't wear this stuff to seduce someone; it isn't bait like Shalimar or the old Tabu. You wear this to feel wonderful about yourself when you're out. Or anywhere. Maja sort of projects that you know what you're doing. I haven't tried a bottle in the last 10 years; the newer stuff that came out in the late 1990's didn't smell the same as the stuff from the 1960's, and judging by the other comments the stuff sold now may be even worse. Sandalwood and a lot of other base notes were a lot cheaper in the 1960's. But lots of this stuff sold in the 1960's, and especially sets of it sold at Christmas. Not every woman liked it then, so there may be some of the older stuff hitting the estate sales now. Some of the bottles even came with those little rubber stoppers beneath the screw top. If a bottle from even the 1940's has one and no one displayed it near sunlight, the fragrance is still likely to be good.

Reading your reviews, I bought the original Maja spray. The original MAJA is a warm, soft spicy, subtle, very slighly dusty, beautiful floral scent. First spray seems strong, but quickly settles down and softens. Cloves, nutmeg and vetiver give it character and patchouli aids in longevity. The spices are well blended into the florals to create an overall mild softness. Maja isn't overpowering, and the spices don't scream or attack. Maja is soft, totally feminine, clinging close to skin. Perhaps layering it with the original soaps and body lotion would make it last longer on skin ? Sprayed in hair, it lasts about 6 to 8 hours. Compared to Cafe Cafe, Maja is not as sweet and fluffy flowery as Cafe. Maja seems to be a richer blend, more grownup, more womanly, not girly. Maybe some day I will try the new reformulated version of Maja, but ONLY if I can think of the new version as a completely different fragrance. Unfortunately, Reformulated classics are not at all like original classic fragrances.

I liked this perfume. I bought a bottle cheaply, about $11 for 1.7 oz. at a Latin drugstore. I love it! I was surprised because the soap was underwhelming. It smelled great on me as I walked around the store. It does not smell cheap, just unique. There's nothing I can compare this to so I didn't add anything above. It's spicy, yet has staying power, not cloying or overwhelming, with a slight citrusy base perhaps. It just blends well with my body chemistry. Which, when you think about it, is what it all comes down to, subjectivity and relative experience with scent. Also, just want to add, I loathe the term, 'old-ladyish,' to describe a scent. You do realize that in the grand scheme of things, one day these trendy fruity scents will seem 'old lady' to someone else and the old lady will be you! ('You' being the guilty, unimaginative souls who describe perfume in such a way.) Shame on you, my teenager could school you in how to appreciate all kinds of fragrance. And she wears Coty's L'Aimant.

I really dig this one! I was expecting it to smell way more dated than it does, if I knew nothing about it I would guess it launched around 30 years ago instead of 100. To me it smells like honey, rose and geranium with a beautiful hint of spice. It reminds me a lot of Lush's Rose Jam, particularly in how sweet it is. I'm not typically fond of geranium because I find it overwhelmingly sweet but the spice adds a touch that makes it tastefully sweet. ETA: My bottle has aged for almost 2 years now and it's taken on a soapier, less sweet quality than it had when I first got it. It definitely smells more unisex and more like the lotion. I got them both around the same time and I remember thinking they smelled nothing alike because the lotion was missing the sweeter notes, but while the EDT is still on the sweet side they're more similar now. I still get the geranium but it's toned way down.

I was looking for a Russian perfume and although this house is from Spain the box and bottle screamed Russian to me. I found this for around 15USD and blind bought it right away. I didn't know what to expect and thought if it didn't play well on my skin I would have a new air freshener. This is no air freshener! This is a perfume that is surprisingly luxe for the price point! This is the scent a beautiful lady would wear as she goes about her daily tasks, baking, weaving, harvesting flowers in the summer sun, and talking with the other women of her village as her lover notices her from a distance. She is wearing a chic Pavlovsky Posad shawl and this scent. She is sexy yet seems to be absorbed in her daily task to the point she is unassuming of her own magnetism. This scent is hidden luxury. It blends into the heady summer evening and turns heads! A quiet seduction in every bottle!

I love this perfume. I’ve never smelled it until today. Usually, this perfume reminds people of their childhoods back in Spain or Latin America. This perfume is quite old. It has a lot of history. It is not meant to be a young, hip, and fun perfume. Instead, it’s supposed to transcend you back in time. This perfume reminds me of being in Latin America while growing up and smelling a distinctive, powdery, dark floral perfume on my aunts back in the day. It smells like a powdery, tobacco, red rose bouquet. It can be cloying if you spray too much. It is so dark and beautiful. It’s meant to smell like the 1920s. Like a gorgeous, Spanish woman having a smoke outside. She’s wearing red lipstick, has long and silky, black curly hair. She owns a brown mink coat and enjoyed a black cup of coffee. It smells similar to Aromatic Elixir by Clinique. Same scent family. Meant to smell VINTAGE.

Maja, the EDT (made in Spain, and the current formulation) was a very lucky blind buy. If you enjoy Chanel Coco or Lanvin's My Sin, I think you will enjoy Maja. My Sin was created in the 1920's as well, however Maja is much milder than My Sin, with a softer clove and carnation combination than those two notes usually provide. Maja is elegant, but fleeting. Fortunately it costs very little so respraying isn't an issue. While Maja EDT is subtle, I am most definitely not renowned for that virtue, so I went ahead and purchased the body lotion, made in Mexico, and hand wash, made in Hell. At least I think that the Maja hand wash could be produced by the devil himself from the sulphurous stink of it. Unlike the lovely body lotion, the handwash reeks of sulphur and brimstone. I'm sure it kills germs in any case. Possibly even Super Bugs. Now this should have been called My Sin.

When I was a kid, I gifted this to my granny who was a very elegant lady. She laughed and told me Maja was one of those perfumes that ladies of the night wore the most. But still she loved it and wore it until the last drop. She said that despite being so cheap, it didn’t smell cheap and was a very well made perfume. It’s been a while since I gifted her Maja. Now I was curious to see if it was the same but no, it’s not the same. But to my surprise I loved it. It’s way more diluted and not as intense as it was, but that wonderful mix of tobacco, spices and roses is so comforting that I had to get one bottle for me. It’s perfectly unisex. Wearing it to bed makes me fall asleep in no time. Maja is great on cold rainy nights. Just like reading a book next to a spiced hot tea cup. This oldie is over 100 years and to be honest it made it in a very good shape!

SUZYSCHNABEL, i live in Mexico and i got a vintage version of this perfume and the new one (not reformulated) Maja body spray that is the Original Scent.... to me both the vintage version and the body spray (new) smell EXACTLY THE SAME WAY and both have very good longevity too. i also buy the soaps and the powder, very affordable products that i love to wear everyday, i keep other more expensive perfumes when i want to indulge myself but this Maja is a real comfort everyday fragrance to me. i had the petite robe noir (didn't repurchase it because the lasting power was very poor on my skin) but i liked the fragrance and Maja is very similar to it, i find the same sweetnes in the patchouli and orange flower composition. so if you have the chance to get the Maja Body Spray (comes in 200ml, plastic bottle) buy it instead of other vintage versions

I got a vintage version of this perfume and it's just lovely... at first spray I can smell sweet patchouli wrapped in a delicate veil of nutmeg and citruses (like mandarin and fresh cut oranges) the scent it's just so beautiful and the cloves in this composition is so subtle... longevity is good enough to last up to 6hrs. but I also reapply it when i want to keep it lasting more, the smell lasts also in my clothes until i do the laundry the next day.... so cheap too.... in the drydown it smells very similar to La petite robe noir ( I think it is very similar to it as i find the same smell of citruses, patchouli and spices) and it is as delicately sweet as LPRN... to me this is the cheap version of Guerlain's petite robe so if you like this perfume and don't want to spend all the money in this perfume this one is the best option

First off, I know NOTHING about the vintage version of this. I have (likely) a newer reformulation and just love it. It is everything I love. Warm, spicy, elegant, unique and not the least bit sweet. I think that as much as I like this formulation, I would have loved the vintage as I am a big fan of cinnamon fragrances. As it is, this is likely more wearable for daytime work situations as I imagine the vintage is more of a powerhouse for date night! But I love mine and plan to get a back up bottle. Longevity is good, I can get 7-9 hours and if I use it with the soaps and lotions, I can get a good 12+ hours and still kind of smell it the next day. While I can appreciate the loss of the old Maja, I feel this one is an elegant, classy lady. I don't find it the least bit old ladyish.

I got a quite vintage bottle in an estate lot and didn't realize it said Nueva above the Maja until I looked closely and the light hit the small gold lettering. It is light green and has no strength listed on the bottle. I applied several times and it was still light, so I'm thinking cologne. Still it lasted reasonably well, I reapplied at about 3 hours and it made it through the rest of the day. Marvelous, I thought it was quite musky, which I love. It reminded me of Vivre, a lot, at least in parts of the dry down. I put on some of both and found them similar. Of course, it is discontinued and the Maja has been changed, so both are finds to treasure.

Once in a while I m graving for maja .... and then suddenly it stops and I not only don t want it, but realy can t stand it anymore for a long time .... it must be the overwhelming soapiness of this scent that is a 100% love or hate. To me maja reminds me of the washed of opium 70 s.(I was very young back than and proudly owned the first edition opium of yves saint laurent, and washes it of so often by overspraying and also because I loved the washed of scent to, still very strong:)). Today I love love love the soapiness so much.... sunny warm day, did my laundry, watert and nursed my plants, a beautiful day off at home, a majaday.

Had the tiniest drop in a very old mini and bought a brand new 3.4 oz spray today. The reformulation is very nice for a modern blend. At the same time, in comparison to the real stuff, sadly, it is but a pale, anemic, echo. The vintage flings you back into your grandma's handbag and into another place and time. The old scent has edges and a rough sort of rawness that is intriguing. The new one is simple and shallow and linear. It is still nice and a fine daytime fragrance. I am now still smelling the vintage drydown, so nice. The modern one leaves a slightly sweet nice trace but the vintage takes me away.

Not sure where or when I first tried this, but it has been a favorite of mine since the early 80's. Whenever I would visit my mom in Ca. we would go all day shopping just to buy up all the Myrurgia soap and powder we could find. I am still working on them - I told her I had a lifetime supply! The perfume was a bit much for me, I tried it again recently and maybe my age or my composition have changed things, I am now able to wear it when applied lightly. But the soap and powder -- I use daily, and it is always a sweet reminder of my generous and thoughtful mom.

This is a beautiful, enveloping vintage floral. When I smell this I picture a dusty flower shop from yesteryear, on a warm hazy afternoon in the desert with rain clouds building in the sky. I picture dousing myself in this in rainy weather at dusk, preparing for dinner at a smokey, dimly lit restaurant. It's fresh and vibrant enough to be a springtime scent, but there's also something dark and oneiric about this scent making it perfect for fall. Definitely perfect for the rainy, transitional seasons. This is a very passionate and emotional scent. Mi Amor.

I scored a box set of the original Spanish. The scent has not deteriorated..makes me think of spicy dark red roses on a hot day. I feel happy wearing it..."saving" the lovely soap... Recently I bought the Mexican produced Maja intensive care body lotion...the scent is not overwhelming (a plus when I need to go in public)....this is funny, but it reminds me a little (pleasantly) of old fashioned "cold cream". Another nice thing is that it actually agrees with and heals my 70+ year old skin....many other more expensive "organic" products do not!

I stumbled upon this fragrance here and decided to check my local CVS for it. Sure enough, they had the soap, powder, and reformulated eau de toilette! I bought the soap and EDT. I haven’t tried the soap yet, but it smells great in the box. And the EDT is gorgeous! It’s a cozy, floral chypre, perfect for this drizzly fall day! It reminds me of another fragrance, but I just cannot identify which one in particular. It’s a very comforting and familiar fragrance and definitely a fabulous drugstore find. I love it!

after becoming enamored with the scent of the maja bodywash i wanted their edt. it’s so subtle and sits finely to the skin but has good sillage. the scent is so comforting, i find myself huffing my wrist multiple times throughout the day. it calls to mind the 1920s, it smells windswept and pre-coital, the bathroom of an anaïs nin protagonist. fumando en un patio sevillano. a beaded black dress. i’m eager to wear it again after i let it macerate for some time. it’s lovely.

What did they do to this one?! The original Maja was an enchanting combination of cloves, nutmeg, and carnation with a wonderful soft, dry, powdery drydown. It was subtle and complex. It was mysterious, exciting, and the most seductive perfume ever. Now it smells like cheap watered down men's after shave. The packaging is still beautiful but that's the only beauty left of it. The worst, absolute worst, reformulation ever.

I'm lucky: I found a beautiful box of original Maja & two soaps in my favorite thrift hospice thrift store, unopened & fresh from Spain. When I opened the bottle (o rapture) it was like smelling roses & spice in warm Mediterranean sun...sunshine... Yet it is not heavy or cloying; it dries down to a gentle warmth so that I enjoy wearing it without overwhelming my friends.

Today’s version is like a cheap imitation of the real one, but I still like it. Only for me in private, definitely not for public I do not understand why they do not invest for more expensive ingredients, as this perfume has so many fanatics, ready to pay 15 times more to have the luxurious original.. That is a good example for wrong strategy of a firm.

Very beautiful spicy floral chypre with noticeable carnation, geranium, rose, and spicy cloves. Very approachable and very easy to wear; light, soft, and supremely fluffy. Good sillage, have to stand next to someone to get a lovely whiff. Perfect for transitioning weather, autumn & spring.

I have a miniature from a set where there are two more small soaps.This is a very delicate aroma of spicy greenery, woody sap and gentle bodily sweetness. No sharp edges, the perfume dances on tiptoe. External freedom, under which tightly controlled sensuality glows.

I am fortunate enough to have a box with vintage Maja and soap. It feels to me like roses on a warm day...or like the dried rose and spice potpourri I have made myself. I enjoy wearing it in late summer turning into early fall..

There's nothing quite like smelling the *19*20s again. This scent turns me into a classy girl at a cabaret. Wonderfully vintage but light-wearing, so great for layering, too. Let it sit and it will grow stronger.

Thank you to the previous post, the soaps are still fabulous...don't mention the pretend Maja perfume! I used it exclusively as a teenager, sadly it is no more, truly a great loss.

I would describe it as Palloma Picasso legere. In comparison to PP Maja is much more friendly. Cosy and feminine frag for colder days.

Ah finding that MAJA is still available makes me so happy

My mom used to wear this and I love it so much.

Dear Readers, Aww Maja oh how I remember you and im glad your still around despite been so long ! I remember this brand fondly by my baby sitter who was wife of painter who used too baby sit me ,I remember she had the make up ,body powder and soaps of Maja and adore the aromatic scent of her when she hugged me or just be around me since it complemented her very nicely, when I was a child I thought the female depicted on the brand was her since she was pale skin, brunette and dark cow eyed too, but of course she laughed sweetly and corrected me she wasn't the girl on the box and asked me why? and I said because she looked "beautiful like you?in Spanish and she smiled and kissed me softly and laughed like thin silks as I felt disappointed because she told me she wasn't the model. When she was away cooking , I always managed to sneak into her bedroom and admire the black and red Andalusian box with that lady on it and just inhale the powder and the mysterious scent that I adored and always was excited to see it in stores and couldn't wait to visit my baby sitter and her artist husband for more fun times together and smelling and being bathed with Maja's soaps . When my sister worked at the boutique she knew for yrs I loved that perfume despite being a common brand and on the cheap side, so on my birthday she , my mom and my sister's boss gave me a beautiful perfume gift set with mixed goodies, antiperspirant and perfume of Nightflight by Joop , big Egoist Platinum by Chanel and 3 soaps of Maja , I was in heaven for a 15 yr old !. This scent is very aromatic and very earthly all the way, reminds me of a earthy scent of the old world and something wood nymph and alluring gypsy would wear, it's like a low end version of Youth Dew by Estee Lauder's for they both have a earthly herby female scent to them but Maja is more a commoners beauty scent with a lot of style, just like the history of the word Maja itself, which means in central and northern Spain pretty woman or girl and Majo means Handsome and it has its origins in Spain where the term Majas and Majos were low end artist's but had a lot of charm and grace in dress and speech . Therefore its a perfect gift when if you enjoy earthly aromatics scents , I will purchasing this soon and Majas orange blossoms which is just divine, Ole !

Maja is a scent I didn't expect to love, but I do! After buying a box of soap with an unpleasantly sharp, thin rose scent, I got a box of Maja soap for variety. Reviews said it lasted a long time and smelled spicy. At first, I couldn't decide whether it was too masculine for me, but that's when I tried Shalimar again after years and loved it. Maja reminds me a bit of it. The spicy, rosey, leathery scented soap grew on me and is now my favorite. I recognize carnation in it, too, which has prompted me to look for it in other fragrances. I bought a bottle of the eau de toilette to see if I'd like it as much as the soap-but I like it more! I'm wearing it now and keep sniffing it because it's so nice. The other notes, like nutmeg, clove, jasmine, vanilla, violet, probably cypress, come through individually more than they do in the soap. I was expecting to like this, but I love it. I'd say it's a good unisex fragrance. In fact, I'd love to smell it on my husband! Perfume isn't his thing. But I'll bet he'd love a candle with this scent. The tobacco note might be what's making me think of him. He smokes a pipe with those wonderful-smelling tobaccos you're not meant to inhale, just enjoy the taste and scent of. I'm curious now how it's changed since its early days. Most reviews agree that the original, vintage formulas tend to be more complex and interesting. Could I love that even more? I'm dying to find out. After about an hour, carnation is coming through first. It's gotten softer and sweeter overall. If it changes more before it fades, I'll post an update. I do like a scent that evolves, even if I liked it as it was when first applied. To preserve that scent, I'd apply it to my clothes. The longer I wear it, the richer and sweeter it gets. It smells like the spiciest, sweetest carnations I've ever smelled right now. It has some staying power, but I have to get close to smell it now. Maja is affordable and absolutely delightful if you like spicy floral scents. Update: The floral notes overwhelm the base notes after a few hours. That surprised me, because it's usually the other way around. Although I still like it a lot, I'm disappointed. I had hoped it would be spicy like the soap, but there's none of that after a while. It deserves more trials. Still a nice fragrance.

My mother had this perfume when I was a child. And it was one of my first perfumes. I remember the last bottle she had, a small (20 ml?) bottle with a dancer, relegated to the bathroom together with 3 or 4 cheap-looking small bottles of something called "Chipre" (spelled like this) that, if my memory is correct, smelled strongly like patchouli and moss and something green but dark. She had stopped wearing Maja when she discovered Choc de Cardin, which became her signature scent. A few years later I started wearing those, the "Chipre" one when I wanted to wear something darker, unisex and not floral at all, the Maja when I wanted to wear something feminine but feel more like a woman than when I wore my Don Algodon. If I recall correctly, Maja smelled strongly of carnation and spices. I have the memory of something floral but warm, vaguely carnal but still classy enough that I was allowed to wear it. I loved the bottle, and the dancer. I even took the bottle to drawing class to school once, when the teacher wanted us to bring something to draw. I wore it till the last drop. Those "Chipre" small bottles as well. These I wore to school with pleasure when I wanted to feel special. (The samples of the expensive perfumes like Samsara, Shalimar or Panthère, those I would reserve to use a single drop when I really, really needed a pick me up). Later, there were years in which I only had and wore my one perfume, Don Algodon, and later still the dark years of having a skin problem and being unable to wear any scent at all, unless it was the scent of the treatment products. And then thankfully my skin got better, and slowly I started wearing perfume again. I have several perfumes I love and wear. Maja, I miss it.

Upon spraying, I got spice, tobacco and some florals (I'm not good at individual floral notes except obvious rose). I don't get any tonka, amber or citrus, though the citrus could be supporting the florals and I'm missing it. I'm also not getting any leather. Now it's been an hour and I recognize geranium. I am also still getting spice and tobacco and...soap. It smells like I applied the perfume after I bathed with Ivory soap. It has also faded a little. After three hours, it's a soapy skin scent. There is still some floral and spice in the background but it smells soapy. I sprayed two sprays on my forearm and now, after three hours, I really need to stick my nose into my arm to get any of the floral and spice. A foot away, it's soap. I like this but it's not a love. Maybe with more sprays it would be bolder with more of the leather, tobacco and spices showing themselves. I have the tall clear bottle with the red and black top. It's totally inoffensive/office-friendly and I think it would be a great before bed smell. All in all, a pretty easy, inexpensive blind buy. Just not sure if it has a place in my rotation.

This is a review that I wrote for another website in about 2010. Sadly, even I as a middle-aged woman, don't remember what the original Maja smelled like, but it was one of the grand perfumes back in the day. So this review is for the reformulated version, which I found dirt cheap after Christmas. I already knew I liked the fragrance, because I have the soap, which smells divine. But I was afraid the edt might be too strong, because--well, it does have that dramatic red-and-black packaging. Well, no fear--this is a light fragrance that shouldn't offend anyone. To me, this is just a lovely blend of flowers and spices with maybe a tiny bit of resin. I think of it as a mediterranean floral, reminiscent of a dusky evening in the south of France. The spray is lightly scented enough that I have to use 3-4 spritzes instead of my usual 2, but the olive oil makes the scent linger for a few hours. You can find Maja at the drugstore, but it's not your usual drugstore scent. Just writing this makes me want to go spray myself!

Very classical, in the vein of Chanel 5 edp but closer to Boucheron by Boucheron, very close to Ysatis, similar style to First by Van Cleef&Arpels. Wears beautifully as this is not as strong as Ysatis. Ambery florals of classic construction. I can recognize the notes of tobacco, carnation, oakmoss, amber, cypress and nutmeg and other floral notes blended well that I cannot honestly recognize. Bottle is adorable with the excepion of maybe the sprayer which is basic. My namesake so I will wear it from time to time. Soapy with the amber. Fit for winter, fall and spring. Fits any setting. Even work. After 4 hours it stays close to the skin. Softens considerably to musk-like amber with soft flowers. Typical classic that is gentle on. Classic for beginners. Especially if you like soapy, spicy florals. I remember the old Maja, my Mother had it as a gift from her father's sister It was parfume concentration and stronger but the same scent. The start is so rich and multilayered. I like it.

I have a bottle purchased some years ago, and I would love to try the original 1921 formulation, which I’ve never smelled. Still, I find this Maja quite vintage and romantic, like something that one would smell on a character of Downton Abbey (probably Edith), but overall, this perfume and I do not really click. When sprayed, it smells rather soapy, and I wish this note lingered more (I adore soapy, shower-clean scents), but it soon turns very floral with a slightly spiced undertone. After a while, the flowery notes step back and the clove becomes more noticeable, and from then on it quickly becomes a rosy skin scent, almost undetectable after 3 hours or so. Strangely enough, it’s brought me a number of compliments. The first time I wore it, I found it a bit weak, but it’s best not to let that impression fool you into overspraying: I’ve been told that this perfume travels down a staircase well before I do.

I absolutely LOVE the scent of the round Maja soaps and was hoping this Eau De Toilette would be similar. Alas, it's not, but it does have some of the soap's basic DNA and it's not bad at all. As a matter of fact, I quite like it and it compliments the soaps nicely. While the soaps are more spicy and "peppery", the EDT is sweeter and more powdery. I get vanilla, powder, and some lavender maybe? It's a warm cozy scent, probably better worn during the fall and winter. Longevity isn't bad, maybe 6 hours on my skin (and on clothes as well.) Also I would consider this a unisex scent. I'm a guy and I'm really liking this on me. Overall it's a pleasant, cozy scent, very inexpensive, but I just wish it smelled a little bit more like the soaps, which are absolutely amazing.

I don't want this to be another review moaning about reformulations but I promise I have something constructive to say later on! I do like to give reformulations a chance simply because vintages in good condition are so scarce in Australia. It seems Maja has changed quite a bit. I wish my sister still had her original bottle from the 80's. I remember it being so wonderfully rich and intriguing. I have the new reformulation which is nice enough, but seems to be a toned down version of the original. While experimenting one day, I layered Maja over CK Secret Obsession and discovered that it worked so well! It gave Maja some of the woody, spicy backbone of the original. It's not a perfect match but I wanted to share because it may help another hopeless nostalgic.

I remember the scent, a light suggestion over the newly restored, deep red leather of the classic vehicle interior. It created a compelling atmosphere that - for the first time - made me ask what fragrance she was wearing. Of those who examined the vehicle at auction, she was the only one I remembered, a brief moment filled with imagination of what life might have been. Ever since than, every vehicle has been christened with Maja, although it is difficult to find the original from a generation earlier, the scent elicits a memory as vivid as the day we met.

"Deliciously musty, dusty, rosy, powdery, sharp scent" I agree with this! I do wish the rose wasn't so prominent. If I could turn the rose way down, and the carnations & cloves way up, this would be perfect! It is most definitely a sharp, soapy floral. Smells better on skin than on clothes. Doesn't seem to last long on skin (couple of hours) but that could be the shipping shock. Lasts on clothes for days! **ETA: I layered this with Can Can and omg, I love the combination! The sweetness of Can Can and the sharp florals of Maja play so well together!!

A lovely, surprisingly modern spicy floral. This isn't your typical big, old school oriental: Maja is spicy but not heavy, light but with substance, interesting but likeable. It has a flowery lightness that fits in well with the modern style but a dirty, earthy edge as well. I wear niche fragrances all the time and I'm actually getting bored with them, and mainstream fragrances are uninteresting from the beginning. This was a refreshing change from both. I don't think I have the vintage but I'm enjoying this very much. Great value for the price!

I remeber 13 or 14 years ago i'v recieved a colonge splash version of this perfume. and i remeber it was more spicer Stronger with more Incense and more Peppery and i fell in love with the scent and i coudent wait to get it again when i finished the splash. and now i got a mini size of the perfume i was so Dissapointed they changed to formula they made it watery Mens aftershave. i coudent belive it. what happed to the Maja! they made it tame! I want to Fire back To the Maja The old Formula Add more Cinnamon Civet Leather Incense Benzion.

Dcarlo, your story makes me so wistful. Grandmothers have a way of making our cheap gifts seem so special, my own grandma treasured the trinket box faux-sapphire ring that I gave her one Christmas when I was very young, it always made me feel so loved when I would see her wear it (to church, no less!) How wonderful that this perfume is still here for all of us to enjoy. I quite agree that this has aged well, despite reformulations. I'm so grateful to participate in this magic. I hope it stays around for many more stories like ours.