Moon Carnival

I received a 2ml sample of this perfume in my Liberty subscription box and was quickly blown away by it. Clearly, I was not alone in this sentiment, as it had sold out when I tried to purchase it shortly afterward online. I had to wait till today - a few weeks later - to nab a full-size bottle. Hooray - no more rationing of my sample now! On first spray I get a very brief pop of twinkly, fruity top notes; probably the passion fruit with an underlying hint of bergamot - enough to get the nose twitching. But the florals almost instantly follow - with freesia initially riding the waves of a tuberose that dances over the top throughout the perfume lifecycle. On my skin, this floral wash is beautifully underpinned by strong lactonic accords; a lovely milky, sexy, skin-clingy, sweet muskiness that puts me in mind of the dry down for Fragonard - with a smell reminiscent of a newborn baby, taking a nap after bathtime followed by a liberal dusting of talc. Yes, I admit it - there is a powdery element to Moon Carnival that instantly places it in the more mature female bracket. But whilst it's a scent I suspect would not appeal to those more "cutting edge" and under 30, by no stretch of the imagination does it give "old lady vibes" as one rather critical reviewer put it! By mature, I mean that to me it smells like a classic; a soft, musky and creamy skin-clinger that lasts a good few hours on my skin, and makes me feel as sexy as hell.

There's no coconut listed in the note? For me, this fragrance smells like tuberose + coconut dessert! The tuberose essence is not bubblegum-y. It is as if freshly extracted from the flower. If coconut is a ghost note here, gardenia is on the cast list but never shows up. Jean Claude-Ellena praised Chanel Gardenia in his book as his favorite reinvention of this flower. That fragrance is a drama played out somewhere between jasmine and tuberose. It does not smell of the flower but of happiness. Given the release date of many tuberose and gardenia fragrances, some reviewers associate these notes with aged women, however not at all for me. I am simply obsessed with their mesmerizing, sensual, and cheerful quality. In terms of creativity, Moon Carnival is not ground-breaking. It sits in the same realm as FM Carnal Flower, D.S. & Durga Durga, and Nasomatto Narcotic V, but is a slight gourmand variation. Carnal Flower and Durga are loftier, more like a deep pocket; whereas Narcotic V and Moon Carnival are more approachable and girly. Among these four, Moon Carnival has the weakest sillage and longevity. Even it is not the world's most unique, most beast-mode fragrance, I still NEED it in my collection, all blame to its superb packaging design. Being fragrant is an experience, and the bottle is part of that.

The ONE tuberose fragrance I will never live without! I've been on an extensive tuberose fragrance bender to locate a few tuberose-centric fragrances I love. Nishane "Tuberoza," Amouage "Love Tuberose" and THIS...Vilhelm "Moon Carnival!" Moon Carnival is an intoxicating fragrance. The opening is a perfectly executed mix of citrus, freesia and white florals. There's tuberose for sure. But the exquisitely balanced and perfectly blended notes create a supreme, white-floral, heady fragrance experience that has depth but remains airy at the same time... Despite its intense opening, Moon Carnival quickly settles close-to-the skin. Within minutes of applying, Moon Carnival wears as an ethereal, dreamy, gauzy, gentle white floral fragrance with a bit of powderiness, some creamy marshmallow, vanilla, a bit of tonka earthiness. And the DRY-DOWN!!! OMG...the dry-down is a melange of perfectly blended florals supported by slightly sweet marshmallow, vanilla and tonka. The addition of tonka grounds and balances the sweet base notes, so the fragrance never slips into juvenile silliness. Purchased a gently used, like new 100ml bottle off Mercari at a great price!! THIS! Moon Carnival! LOVE!

This is a beautifully blended white floral + vanilla fragrance. It's a little more unique in that it doesn't smell just like anything from the "Reminds Me Of" section above (which I love). Overall this is a softer fragrance, but still gives a nice silage with a good amount of sprays. It opens with freesia & some green nuances. Feels fresh and uplifting. I also get the tuberose too, but it's a softened tuberose note (reminding me more of the tuberose in Fracas)... I do not specifically get passion fruit - that note can be annoying if overdone, but here it is dialed back. As it dries down it becomes sweeter. I do get the marshmallow note but it's intermingling with the florals and vanilla too. The green accord I felt in the opening dissipates quite a bit as it sweetens up, but it's still there slightly. This is one of the best "fresh" florals that I've tried. Great for warm weather. It doesn't go too fresh & green - or sickeningly sweet either. This would make a great bridal fragrance in the Spring. It is feminine and lovely, modern take on a tuberose fragrance.

Among many other samples, I fell in love with Moon Carnival. It is absolutely well-blended, as other reviews note, and while many fragrances become skin scents instantly for me, MC retains sillage for a good couple of hours. For me, the experience of perfume is 80% the scent itself, 15% the bottle, and 5% the name. "Moon Carnival" is a stand-out for many reasons, but even with such a great name and bottle, I was wary of the fragrance living up to my preconceptions. It definitely has. MC has depth without being heavy; it's pretty, yet not terribly sweet. The marshmallow base is definitely there, and grounds the experience, which for me is a complex floral intertwined with bergamot– one of my favorite notes. I would call MC more than pleasant, unique, and luxurious without being pretentious. I think it would smell great on the right sort of man, but it almost beckons to be worn with a light dress. I would wear this anywhere, anytime. Think "The Night Circus" rather than an actual alien fair on the moon.